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1. Is Josh Berry Primed for a Quick Monitor Win?
In the event you have been across the Atlanta sports activities scene within the Nineteen Nineties, you recognize all about Deion Sanders and his Prime Time persona.
No, this isn’t an area to advocate for Coach Prime to personal a race staff. That mentioned, this week could as effectively be within the midst of Prime Time for Josh Berry and Stewart-Hass Racing.
It’s well-known that Berry and his crew chief Rodney Childers love quick observe racing. It’s the place each got here up as racers and it’s particular to them. However feeling passionate is simple. It’s the precise doing of one thing that’s arduous.
Berry is proving he can do the arduous issues on quick tracks. The second short-track race of the season on Sunday (March 31) night time gave an identical outcome – with Berry close to the entrance. Regardless of beginning thirtieth, Berry made it to the highest 10 within the first stage and to second within the subsequent stage a combo of issues falling the mistaken method and speak to with Daniel Suarez put the No. 4 in twelfth by the race’s finish.
Berry, who additionally certified second earlier this yr at Bristol Motor Speedway, silenced doubters this previous weekend that Bristol was no fluke. For as many shortcomings as SHR has had previously yr, final yr’s race at Martinsville Speedway noticed Ryan Preece and Chase Briscoe mix to guide 244 laps.
Stewart-Haas already had cause to circle Martinsville when the season started. If Berry and Childers are hitting on one thing in relation to quick tracks, then SHR could possibly be primed to spoil what can be a celebration of Hendrick Motorsports this weekend at Martinsville.
2. What’s Subsequent for Bubba Pollard?
Wander round any short-track racing sequence, and you’ll hear tales of ‘we knew them then.’
That’s very true in relation to Legends vehicles, a type of racing that has spawned these reminiscent of Chris Buescher and Joey Logano. However for each Buescher or Logano, there are these drivers with their advocates who firmly imagine that if they’d gotten the precise likelihood on the proper time, maybe they’d be efficiently racing at NASCAR’s prime degree.
That’s why the story of Bubba Pollard was such a feel-good one.
Much like Berry, JR Motorsports discovered a a solution to give a short-track driver who had floor their solution to the highest of these sequence an opportunity in a nationwide division inside NASCAR, and in excellent tools. Positive, a driver might run a median of twenty fifth to say they raced in a NASCAR occasion. Or they’ll race at a spot that’s like residence to them the place they know they’ll have an opportunity to win every day trip.
Pollard confirmed on Saturday at Richmond Raceway that once you give a gifted driver good racecars, they’ll do effectively. Heck, if a late yellow fell, perhaps he had an opportunity to win? Who is aware of?
Pollard eliminated doubts about how effectively he would do when given a possibility. Clearly, the straightforward assumption for Pollard can be for a doable likelihood to run at Iowa Speedway this summer time. But when JR Motorsports is unable to make one thing work, it’d be a shock to see one other prime Xfinity Collection staff not attempt to pull one thing collectively.
3. Ought to Joey Gase’s Memento Throw Draw a Penalty?
OK, a few of you will have thought it was humorous when Josh Williams walked throughout the observe after parking his automobile final March at Atlanta Motor Speedway. NASCAR confirmed no humorousness and suspended him for a race.
Joey Gase made the game enter the nationwide dialog unexpectedly this previous Saturday at Richmond when he opted to ship Dawson Cram residence “with a memento,” ripping the remainder of the rear bumper off of his racecar and throwing it at Cram.
It didn’t take lengthy for the incident to achieve mentions from shops that often wouldn’t cowl NASCAR and that’s an issue.
Was it amusing? Sure. However you can not have giant items from a wrecked automobile being thrown at passing vehicles, particularly with security crews close by.
It doesn’t matter how humorous it might have appeared. Neither does the truth that the incident concerned a staff with a smaller price range. Gase doesn’t essentially have to be suspended, however he shouldn’t come away from Richmond with out both a factors penalty or a financial tremendous.
4. Is the Human Component Being Pushed Out of Race Management by Followers?
Make all of the jokes you need about AI taking on, however Sunday night time was a cause why racing wants the human component at its larger degree.
Did NASCAR blow the restart name and presumably assist Denny Hamlin win? You possibly can cruise social media for opinions on either side of that debate, one which’s fueled by the victor from Richmond being one which’s a lightning rod for consideration within the sport.
To not examine NASCAR to different sports activities, however typically you’ve got balls and strike calls. It’s known as the human component. Did it value Martin Truex Jr., a win? Perhaps – however what if he cleared Joey Logano and had an opportunity to rally again? Or what if Truex’s pit crew is the primary one off pit highway and he acquired a distinct front-row beginning spot?
NASCAR officers are human. Generally they get issues proper and typically they don’t.
That’s a variable of the game that also must be embraced.
5. Is Logano About to Flip Issues Round?
It took seven races, however Logano lastly grabbed his first prime 5 of the season at Richmond. His end of second was his greatest outcome since final summer time at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
It could possibly be simply what everybody from the No. 22 staff wants, to be trustworthy.
Why?
As a result of Logano now heads to Martinsville, a observe the place he has completed no worse than tenth within the final 10 races and second in two of his final 4 outings on the paperclip-shaped observe.
If Logano is about to get again to his normal kind that followers of the game are used to seeing, the present back-to-back run of quick tracks could possibly be a giant cause why.
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