2025 NASCAR

[220]

Interesting race so far with the speed difference between old and new tires only around 10 laps to get a lap back.
Around half race distance before the first yellow, SVG has been putting in one of his better oval performances, slowly working his way forward, started P27 and was up to P15 when the last pit cycle started. After 40 laps on tires he is turning laps as quick as anyone on track, looks like his ability to look after tires on road courses is translating to Richmond and these soft tires.

[220]

A win for Austin Dillon sees him into the playoffs becoming the 14th winner for the year.
I will await all the social media outrage over him making the playoffs given he sits behind SVG in regular season points.
SVG had a bit of pit drama, contact with another car getting into his pit box, still managed to finish P14.
Bubba actually lead quite a bit of the race but lost a wheel in pit lane, he pulled into I think it was #19 cars pit box, they grabbed a new wheel nut picked up the lost wheel and fitted it for him. First time I can remember another team servicing some else's car.

[cooperhawk]

Bubba actually lead quite a bit of the race but lost a wheel in pit lane, he pulled into I think it was #19 cars pit box, they grabbed a new wheel nut picked up the lost wheel and fitted it for him. First time I can remember another team servicing some else's car.

I'm not a big Dillon fan but he did win this one clean.
Bubba's Toyota team is supported by the Gibbs group, so why not help if you can. Besides, he blocked their pit for their car.

[220]

I really dont understand the no practice at a lot of tracks with Nascar.
In play again this week at Daytona, already Xfinity qualifying has been cancelled so cars will be starting the race without having run a single lap, I dont see how it benefits anyone from a competition or safety perspective.

[Vaquero]

Nascar being Nasxar

RP

[220]

Another Xfinty race and another win for Conor Zilisch but with a big asterisk
With no qualifying he was awarded the pole position but not having turned a lap and racing with a plate on his broken collar bone and no idea if he could actually race elected to start from the rear of the grid. Drove 10 laps until the first caution got out and Parker Kligerman took over for the next 90 laps. Parker worked his way to the front in the final stage and held the lead with an overtime restart before another caution on the last lap and took the checkered flag. Only after 122 Xfinity starts dating back to 2009 he is still officially winless, the record books will show a win Zilisch as he started the race.
Second time this year he has taken the checkered flag as Daytona without a win, he crossed the line first in the Feb truck race only to be disqualified in post race.

[Sir Henry]

Nascar being Nasxar

RP

Yep.

[220]

Play offs starting this weekend at Darlington, can SVG make it out of the first round?
It is 50/50 for mine, if he has 3 clean races I think he has made enough improvement on ovals but the schedule does not help him, has never raced WWT and he says himself Bristol is probably his worst track.
Historically and statistically you need around 2070 points to make it out of the 1st round, SVG is starting with 2022 meaning around 50 points should see him advance. Even without stage points a 20th place finish gives you 17 points. He finished 20th earlier in the year and with the improvement he has been making a finish around 10th and a handful of stage points isnt out of the question.
When you look at the results from the past 4 years at Darlington, Elliott Bowman and Dillon are the only drivers in the play offs not to have lead a lap and Larson Bowman Dillon and Berry all have average finished worse than 20th.
I think if SVG wants to earn his way to the next round instead of relying on others having bad days he needs to leave Darlington with a good points haul a 15th place or better finish and some stage points would go a long way towards achieving that.

[220]

Qualifying run and done for Darlington, Hamlin and Briscoe will start from the front row, SVG will start from P20. His previous starts at Darlington were P34 for a 26th and P36 for a 20th, P20 is certainly an improvement and he will start ahead of other playoff drivers including Elliott, Bowman and Keselowski.
Xfinity are racing at Portland with practice qualifying and the race latter today, reigning supercars champion Will Brown is making his Xfinity series debut with Kaulig, he has made a couple of cup starts and is the man RedBull picked to replace SVG in supercars, former supercars driver Jack Perkins will also make another start with JGR.
We will wait and see how they go Perkins was a DNF in his previous start after Qualifying P4 while Browns 2 cup starts have been from P19 and P24 before trouble has put him out.

[Vaquero]

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RP