Tag: NASCAR All-Star Race

Here’s every angle of the vicious Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch fight, including a dad getting involved

This escalated quickly.

Welcome to FTW’s NASCAR Feud of the Week, where we provide a detailed breakdown of the latest absurd, funny and sometimes legitimate controversies and issues within the racing world.

In case you missed it, we got a pretty nasty fight between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch after Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race.

After Busch knocked out Stenhouse early in the race, Stenhouse got in Busch’s face and threw a punch, which ended up in some chaos in the melee near the haulers.

There were a lot of cameras in the area filming the whole thing, so it’s time to take a look at every angle of it, and there’s one that shows Stenhouse’s dad, Ricky Stenhouse Sr., getting in on the action. What an absolutely wild moment.

Here are a bunch of videos:

How a North Carolina race track discovered a possible secret moonshine cave under its grandstands

Yes, you read that right.

NASCAR and moonshine go way, way back. So while it may seem incredible, it’s not totally surprising that North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina recently may have discovered a secret moonshine cave underneath its grandstands.

And it’s all thanks to cracks in the grandstands’ foundation.

But let’s back up for a second.

Prohibition in the 1920s and 1930s contributed to the development of stock car racing in the U.S. And after prohibition, moonshine runners still needed to enhance their cars to evade authorities, laying the groundwork for NASCAR’s eventual inception in 1948.

Even racing legend Junior Johnson — who went to prison for a year for running an illegal whiskey still — once said: “If it hadn’t been for whiskey, NASCAR wouldn’t have been formed. That’s a fact.” And his whiskey still is now in the NASCAR Hall of Fame too.

OK, so back to North Wilkesboro’s stunning discovery.

The track — which was recently renovated and current host of NASCAR’s All-Star Race (May 19) — noted in a release Tuesday that operations staff found cracks in the concrete grandstands on the frontstretch of the 0.625-mile oval last week. After removing seats to figure out the extent of the damage, they discovered “an open area of approximately 700-square-feet” underneath the concrete.

And it could be an old moonshine cave. More via North Wilkesboro:

“When we began renovating and restoring North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2022, we’d often hear stories of how an old moonshine still was operated here on the property under the grandstands,” said Steve Swift, senior vice president of operations and development at Speedway Motorsports. “Well, we haven’t found find a still (yet), but we’ve found a small cave and an interior wall that would have been the perfect location to not only make illegal liquor, but to hide from the law as well. We don’t know how people would have gotten in and out, but as we uncover more, there’s no telling what we might find.”

According to the track, about 600 seats have now been removed from the area, and North Wilkesboro staff is figuring out how best to address it before the All-Star Race weekend in May.

If you want to learn more about NASCAR and its history with moonshine, check out The Sneak, a serialized true crime podcast with a sports angle from For The Win and USA TODAY.

In the third season, we explore the life of former NASCAR crew chief Mario Rossi, a brilliant engineer and innovator, and we investigate his mysterious 1983 disappearance, which could be connected to a $300 million drug-smuggling ring that infiltrated motorsports.

Binge every episode of our true crime podcast, The Sneak: The Disappearance of Mario Rossi

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30 paint schemes for the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway

NASCAR returns to North Wilkesboro for the first time since 1996, and some teams are rocking special All-Star Race paint schemes.

Halfway through the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, the NASCAR All-Star Race is back, but this time, it’s visiting a historic track.

For the first time since 1996, the Cup Series will race at the newly renovated North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina. The All-Star Race is set for Sunday (8 p.m. ET, FS1) and will be a 200-lap race around the 0.625-mile track. And, as always, a $1 million prize is on the line for the All-Star Race winner.

The 21 drivers who are guaranteed a spot in the All-Star Race are Cup race winners from 2022 and 2023, former All-Star Race winners still competing full time and former Cup champs still competing full time.

Among drivers not already eligible, one will join the field as the winner of the fan vote, while the other two will race their ways in via the All-Star Open — a 100-lap qualifying race ahead of the main event.

So ahead of the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race, here’s a look at 30 paint schemes for the drivers with guaranteed starting spots, along with a few from those hoping to qualify for the race.

Every NASCAR All-Star Race winner since 2000

A look at recent NASCAR All-Star Race winners, starting with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2000.

The NASCAR All-Star Race is one of the most fun events annually on the Cup Series schedule. It’s a midseason exhibition event that only certain eligible drivers compete in, so the racing can be more aggressive, riskier and entertaining. Plus, it’s much shorter than a traditional NASCAR race.

Because it’s an exhibition event, a win doesn’t aid drivers in the Cup Series standings or help them qualify for the 10-race playoffs in the fall. But there’s $1 million and bragging rights on the line.

With all that at stake, the race is intense, sometimes ending with clashing drivers brilliantly trolling each other or even throwing a punch or two.

RELATED: Everything you need to know about the 2022 NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas

Here’s a look at every NASCAR All-Star Race winner since 2000 — back when it was still called The Winston.

NASCAR at Texas: See the qualifying order for the 2022 All-Star Race

See how the NASCAR All-Star Race starting lineup will be determined.

NASCAR is taking a break from its regular-season points races this weekend in favor of the 2022 All-Star Race, an annual midseason exhibition event returning to Texas Motor Speedway for the second straight year. The race is set for Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, and here’s everything you need to know about it.

But not everyone gets to compete in the exhibition event. Drivers are eligible for the All-Star Race if they won a points race in 2021 or so far in 2022, if they won a previous All-Star Race and are current full-time drivers or if they won a NASCAR Cup Series championship and are current full-time drivers.

MORE NASCAR: Why Chase Elliott thinks NASCAR’s All-Star Race should rotate tracks instead of staying at Texas

But before the main event, there will be qualifying to determine the starting lineup, along with the All-Star Open (Sunday, 5:30 p.m. ET, FS1), which is a chance for three drivers who are not already eligible for the All-Star Race to try and race their way in. Twenty drivers have already locked themselves into the race, and three from the Open, plus the fan vote winner, will join them.

For both the All-Star Race and All-Star Open, there will be single-car qualifying with one lap each, and the order they go in will be in reverse order of 2022 owner points. (However, All-Star Race qualifying is actually a little more complicated than that.)

Qualifying for the Open is set for Saturday at 7:35 p.m. ET, and qualifying for the All-Star Race is not long after at 7:55 p.m. ET.

Here’s the qualifying order for the 2022 NASCAR All-Star Race.

Why Chase Elliott thinks NASCAR’s All-Star Race should rotate tracks instead of staying at Texas

The 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race winner makes a good point.

Chase Elliott doesn’t seem too thrilled about the NASCAR All-Star Race returning to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, and he’s got a couple reasons for that — one somewhat selfish and one fairly understandable.

For the latter, the 2020 All-Star Race winner recently said he’d prefer the midseason exhibition race to rotate to different tracks around the country.

Several NASCAR drivers over the years have also expressed a similar sentiment about the championship race rotating, rather than staying at Phoenix Raceway, which will host the title weekend in November for the third straight year, or at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which hosted that weekend from 2002 to 2019.

But Elliott likened the All-Star Race (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, FS1) to other sports’ exhibition events, like the MLB All-Star Game or NHL All-Star game, which bounce around the country to different venues. And he doesn’t see why NASCAR should be any different.

Via FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, Elliott said:

“We should rotate. I think that’s what that race was initially designed to do, was to move around and give fans in a different region a special event, like an All-Star Race, which I think is really cool. It’s what other All-Star Games do and other forms of sport.

“And, to get away from Texas, would be a major win for me, so the lesser of my times we visit Texas, the better. And I would love that, so that would be great.”

Since NASCAR’s first All-Star Race in 1985, Charlotte Motor Speedway has hosted almost every one. The race was at the 1.5-mile track in 1985 and from 1987 through 2019. The 1986 race was at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the 2020 race was at Bristol Motor Speedway and Texas hosted in 2021 for the first time.

But Elliott’s right: In addition to treating different areas of the country to the fun and usually fast-paced exhibition race, moving it around could also help create more of a buzz and get fans excited for something different each year. It could help make it more of a novelty event that draws people in and really differentiate it from the other races on NASCAR’s long, nine-month schedule. And, if it rotated, NASCAR could create new and hopefully entertaining race formats tailored to each track.

The selfish part of Elliott’s reasoning is that Texas isn’t exactly his best track.

In last season’s All-Star Race, Elliott finished third behind winner Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski. For points races, he has two top-5 finishes (both in 2016) and six top 10s in 11 starts, but it’s been a little rough lately. Since the beginning of the 2018 season, Elliott has just two top-10 finishes, including a seventh-place finish in Texas’ 2021 playoff race.

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Everything you need to know about the 2022 NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas

From the race format to qualifying rules and in-race incentives, here are a few things to know about the 2022 NASCAR’s All-Star Race.

Halfway through the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular season, 11 different drivers have won the first13 races, and if that pace keeps up, it could complicate which 16 drivers make the playoffs in September.

But for now, that’s all on pause because the NASCAR All-Star Race, a midseason exhibition event, is on Sunday. It’s not for points, but it’s typically a fun and fast-paced event with a large purse on the line — plus bragging rights, obviously.

And while the venue, Texas Motor Speedway, remains the same as last year’s All-Star Race, NASCAR has, of course, altered the format of the event and placed a greater emphasis on pit crews, including during qualifying. But it’s a lot to keep track of, so we’re here to help.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 NASCAR All-Star Race.

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Bubba Wallace is among the fan-vote leaders to make it into NASCAR’s All-Star Race

The winner of the fan vote gets the final spot in NASCAR’s All-Star Race on Sunday.

Although NASCAR is taking a break from races that count toward the regular season and playoffs, it’s still on the track this weekend for the All-Star Race, a mid-season, exhibition event with a $1 million check waiting for the winner.

However, not every NASCAR Cup Series driver is eligible to compete Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. There are a variety of ways drivers can qualify, including being the winner of the fan vote.

Until Friday at noon ET, fans are able to vote for drivers — who aren’t otherwise eligible, but more on that later — to make the All-Star Race. And as of Wednesday according to NASCAR, fan favorite Bubba Wallace is among the drivers, along with Matt DiBenedetto, Daniel Suárez, Erik Jones and Chase Briscoe.

RELATED: NASCAR All-Star Race: See the starting lineup for the exhibition race at Texas Motor Speedway

Although voting closes Friday ahead of Sunday’s race, the fan vote is more of a last-ditch effort to qualify.

Drivers are eligible for the All-Star Race if they won a points race in 2020 or 2021, won a previous All-Star Race and are current full-time drivers or won a NASCAR Cup Series championship and are current full-time drivers.

Seventeen drivers have qualified for this year’s race through these avenues:

Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Cole Custer, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and Ryan Newman.

Then there’s the NASCAR All-Star Open, which is immediately before the main event Sunday. The Open is broken into three stages — 20 laps, 20 laps and 10 laps — and the winner of each stage will advance.

After all that, the final spot in the All-Star Race will then go to the driver with the most fan votes who is not otherwise eligible.

The 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race is Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on FS1 with the All-Star Open running just before that at 6 p.m. ET.

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Breaking down 7 things to know about the 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas

What you need to know before the 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR is headed to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, but it’s taking a break from its traditional points races that count toward the regular season championship and playoff standings.

Instead, Texas will host the 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race — a fun and generally fast mid-season exhibition event with a large purse (but more on that later).

Compared with previous All-Star Races, this year’s event got a bit of a makeover, from the format to the host track. And between the changes and the various ways drivers are able to qualify for the exhibition race, it’s a lot to keep track of.

So here’s a breakdown of seven key things to know about the 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race.

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NASCAR announced its new All-Star Race format, and fans are extremely confused

Wait, what?

The NASCAR All-Star Race, a mid-season exhibition event, is getting a bit of a makeover this year, and after the governing body announced the new format Wednesday, many fans are extremely confused. And understandably so.

After moving the All-Star Race from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Bristol Motor Speedway last season for COVID-19-related reasons, the race will be held for the first time at Texas Motor Speedway this season on June 13.

NASCAR shared the format for the 100-lap exhibition race on the 1.5-mile track, and there are several changes — though the race winner will continue to receive a $1 million check at the end, but still no points toward the driver standings.

The basics of those changes include the race being broken down into six stages, or rounds, with the field being inverted before the start of multiple some of them. The first four rounds are 15 laps each, the fifth round is 30 laps and the final round is a 10-lap shootout for the checkered flag, and only green-flag laps will count toward the total.

Here’s NASCAR’s complete explanation of the format:

  • The race will feature six rounds, totaling 100 laps.
  • Starting lineup for Round 1 will be determined via random draw.
  • Rounds 1 through 4 will be 15 laps each; Round 5 will be 30 laps; the Final Round will feature a 10-lap shootout.
  • At the beginning of Round 2, the field will be inverted via random draw (minimum of eight/maximum of 12) live on FS1.
  • The round 2 random draw will also be seen live by fans attending the race on Big Hoss TV.
  • Before the start of Round 3, the entire field will be inverted.
  • At the beginning of Round 4, the field will be inverted via random draw (minimum of eight/maximum of 12).
  • Starting positions for Round 5 will consist of the cumulative finish from Rounds 1-4. The lowest cumulative finisher starts on the pole, second-lowest starts second, and so forth. All cars must enter pit road for a mandatory four-tire pit stop during Round 5.
  • The starting positions in the Final Round are set by finishing positions of Round 5.
  • Only green flag laps will count in the NASCAR All-Star race.
  • The fastest team on pit road during the mandatory pit stop will earn $100,000.
  • The race winner will be awarded $1,000,000.

Maybe this will produce incredible racing, and fans will love it. But on the surface right now, this format is pretty absurd and unnecessarily complicated.  It feels even too gimmicky for the All-Star Race.

If it still doesn’t make a ton of sense, here’s Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage explaining it to FOX Sports:

For the All-Star Race, not every driver in the field is eligible. But luckily, the ways drivers can qualify have remained the same: Points race winners in 2020 or 2021, previous All-Star Race winners currently competing full time and previous Cup Series champions currently competing full time.

There are currently 17 eligible drivers: Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Cole Custer, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr.

More could be added to this list depending on the winners of the next six races leading up to the All-Star break.

Drivers will also still be able to qualify for the All-Star Race via the All-Star Open, which will happen just before the main event. The Open is divided into three stages (20 laps, 20 laps, 10 laps), and the winner of each stage will transfer into the All-Star Race, as will the winner of the fan vote.

However, fans still have an awful lot of jokes and questions about the general format of the actual All-Star Race, and, with so many moving pieces, the biggest one seems to be: Why?

New episodes of The Sneak: The Disappearance of Mario Rossi are out now

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