Martin Truex Jr.: Events of 2014 made me a better driver SHAWNEE, Kansas – Two years ago it was hard to imagine Martin Truex Jr. as a legitimate championship contender. After he lost his ride at now-defunct Michael Waltrip Racing, Truex found a home at Furniture Row Racing, which needed a driver after Kurt Busch went to Stewart-Haas Racing. It was more a marriage of necessity than choice. … [Read more...]

Talladega-Kansas Chase switch discussed for over a year KANSAS CITY, Kansas – NASCAR has had conversations about swapping the race dates at Talladega and Kansas in the fall for over a year. The switch for 2017, made public Thursday, moves Talladega from the sixth race to the Chase to the fifth. It makes Kansas the sixth race and therefore the final race of the second round of the Chase. … [Read more...]

Talladega swaps with Kansas in Chase in 2017 Sprint Cup schedule Talladega will no longer be the final race of the second round of the Chase starting in 2017. NASCAR has swapped the dates of Talladega and Kansas, meaning Kansas Speedway will be where the Chase field is cut from 12 drivers to eight. You'll remember that there was a lot of chaos at Talladega last year. Had Dale Earnhardt Jr. … [Read more...]

2 men found dead Sunday at Talladega Two men were discovered dead on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. According to the Talladega County coroner, the men were Joshua Doiun, 19, and James Cook, 48. Doiun was from Crawfordville Florida while Cook was from Tallahassee. A cause of death is not currently known, though the coroner does not suspect foul play. The men were discovered after Sunday's … [Read more...]

Power Rankings: It might as well be a 12-car pileup this week 1. Kyle Busch (LW: 2): What does the guy who finishes second say after the race about the style of racing? "I hate it. I'd much rather sit at home. I got a win. I don't need to be here." Oh. Though can you blame Busch? This is the type of racing that broke his leg and foot in 2015. Yeah, he's damn good at it. But he's got plenty … [Read more...]

Drivers wrestle with entertainment value of wrecks at Talladega Your browser does not support iframes. TALLADEGA, Ala.—What the hell was that? Seriously. What do you call a race when 35 of the 40 cars are involved in some form of wreck, when several drivers stagger from their cars gasping for breath, when cars are hurtling toward walls fast enough for you to start thinking dark thoughts? … [Read more...]

Talladega day after thoughts: Does plate racing need to change? Welcome to a Monday afternoon version of our post-race thoughts post. While we were busy for most of Sunday we had a chance to watch most of the race and spin the past hours trying to process the craziness that took place at Talladega. • It's not correct to say that everyone wants the racing at Talladega to change. But there's a … [Read more...]

Tony Stewart exits from car, turns wheel over to Ty Dillon TALLADEGA, Ala.—Ty Dillon stood alone, leaning against a pile of tires in the No. 14 pit box. Like thousands of others all around him, he was watching the GEICO 500 unfolding around him, listening to the race on his headset. Unlike the rest of the fans, though, he was going to be driving in this race before too much longer. Dillon … [Read more...]

Talla-Mento Dogwich vs. Augusta's pimento cheese: who ya got? TALLADEGA, Ala.—Pimento cheese is a true Southern staple, a delightful concoction of cheese, pimento peppers, and other mysterious ingredients. Two Southern institutions, Augusta National Golf Club and Talladega Superspeedway, have rolled out their own spin on pimento cheese--one traditional, the other a new upstart. Three weeks … [Read more...]

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s steering wheel came off in his hands mid-race TALLADEGA, Ala.—Well, this is about as scary a moment as you can imagine behind a wheel in a NASCAR race: during Sunday's GEICO 500 at Talladega, the steering wheel came off in Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s hands: Sweet heaven. That's insane. Junior managed to steer the car by grabbing the steering column until he could reattach the … [Read more...]