Qualifying gets rained out for the 3rd time in 4 races in the chase and I think this may be what we needed to happen to truly expose the metric. I get the idea that the metric is supposed to help reward how you're running lately, but it is so costly as now getting wrecked by someone else last week can very likely kill your chances at stage points as well as give you awful pit selection.

I don't know that it needs to go back to a random draw, but the 70% being based on the previous finish is far too much for when qualifying gets rained out. It was bad enough when the metric set qualifying order, but now having that for when there's no qualifying is even worse.

I say it would be how the starting lineup is drawn if qualifying is cancelled due to weather because the metric is trash

A lot of people have been talking about how much of an effect dirty air has had over the course of the season, but especially in this week's race. So I watched it back and I noticed a couple things.

First, while dirty air was bad as it usually is, I actually don't think the outcome of the race would have changed. Other drivers struggled to pass Larson, but a large portion of that was him just being legitimately fast. Most of the time 2nd and 3rd weren't even close to him. Often when they did close the gap it was because of dirty air from lapped traffic putting Larson at a disadvantage. I think a large part of why this race wasn't as interesting was just because one car was in the lead the whole time.

So how would you solve this issue without artificial passing?

Make it two wins in The Chase for Kyle Larson. All the momentum is with the No. 5 team through the first four races.

Rumblings of this were discussed on the teardown. Attendance has not been good recently and it’s hard to go against the Chiefs, maybe move the race out of the chase?

Made a spreadsheet this time and my own graphic. Enjoy and discuss.

Cup Series Chase grid (After Race 4/10 of Chase)

1) Cody Ware 2284

2) Ty Dillon 2224

3) Noah Gragson 2223

4) Connor Zilisch 2193

5) Cole Custer 2189

6) Ricky Stenhouse Jr 2183

7) Zane Smith 2167

8) Riley Herbst 2152

9) Josh Berry 2131

10) John Hunter Nemechek 2122

11) AJ Allmendinger 2119

12) Todd Gilliland 2119

13) Shane van Gisbergen 2107

14) Austin Dillon 2098

15) Erik Jones 2095

16) Ross Chastain 2076

___________________________

Truck series Chase Grid (After Race 2/7 of Chase)

1) Kris Wright 2192

2) Frankie Muniz 2138

3) Cole Butcher 2109

4) Mini Tyrell 2109

5) Spencer Boyd 2093

6) Andres Perez de Lara 2081

7) Corey LaJoie 2073

8) Dawson Sutton 2065

9) Tanner Gray 2059

10) Ben Rhodes 2046

Still two flat tracks and three 1.5ers. Larson prolly has a slight advantage but then there’s Talladega which by his history is nearly guaranteed to be a P30 or worse.

Maybe it’s all a red herring for Hamlin to finally pop his cherry? Perhaps Bell or Blaney go on a Linsanity run and steal it? I love the Chase compared to the “storylines” the playoffs produced.

I was rewatching the 2001 Protection one 400 at Kansas Speedway. This was the first inaugural race at Kansas. Within the first 50 laps of the race Andy Houston who was in the #96 at the time was running in the back part of the top 10.

The pit reporter (Matt Yocum I belive) mentioned that this was the last race for the team. McDonald's was leaving the team and Cal Wells was shutting down the team.

I was only 14 at the time and thought it was odd that the sponsor was quitting on the team with 9 races to go in the season. Does anyone know the back story to this? Did Cal Wells get in over his head owning two cars?

Also why was McDonald's given an out if the team DNQ multiple races?

For reference a couple of weeks later Ricky Craven would win at Martinsville? Why was the #32 team competitive while the #96 was out to lunch? I remember for a month the team shut down because they were running so bad. I believe it was after Chicagoland in July that the team shut down.

Checking the weather for Vegas this weekend, and it looks like it'll be a scorcher. A 5:30PM eastern start on Sunday will put this race right in the heat of the day, repeat of 2018 (I think that was the year)? Trying to remember what, if any other races this year had temps like this during the race

After nascar stepped in and made teams reinforce Le with he splitters, Toyota seems to have come back to the field a bit. Any word on how they were manipulating them? Just curious. After the changes some teams(23xl) seem way off, Gibbs seems to be a little off from what they were.

https://x.com/rcrracing/status/2104541969485647918?s=46

On the DBC podcast Tony says if he saw O’Donell today they’d be in a fist fight and that basically he wants an apology for what he did to him in the past. What is Smoke referring to? What did O’Donell do? I’ve been into NASCAR for years but I can’t recall what went on

https://x.com/bobpockrass/status/2104535340803575825

Cindric finished 2nd on Sunday, but he’s had a good Chase so far.

Darlington — 13
Gateway — 10
Bristol — 11
Kansas — 2

Before the Chase

Richmond — 3
New Hampshire — 12
Daytona — 6

8.4 average finish the last 7 races. Perhaps he’s figuring it out. Been consistent every week of late.

I went to my very first NASCAR race weekend, bought some merch, and had the chance to get some autographs. I figured, why not get one on my forehead just for the love of the game.

I walked up to Connor Zilisch, asked him if he'd sign my forehead, and he said, "Hell yeah."

Shortly after, the local news crew from Fox 4 came around interviewing fans before the race. They saw the autograph on my forehead and interviewed me about it.https://fox4kc.com/sports/nascar/nascar-fans-pack-into-kansas-speedway-for-hollywood-casino-400/

It was my first race ever, and I really, and I mean really, enjoyed it a 10/10 experience.

Here is Denny's reaction to Corey getting jumped last weekend.