SPORTS SHORTS

NASCAR sucks at marketing the sport to kids Brian H Cotnoir Since 2006, NASCAR has been on the decline in popularity.   They have tried everything (and I mean everything) to bring in new fans, while at the same time trying not to alienate it's hardcore/loyalist fans, expanding the schedule, building new tracks in new markets, returning to old venues, remodeling or rebuilding current tracks, throwback paint scheme weekends, tweaking the points for the championships.  Some things have improved the racing while other things have turned off lifelong fans entirely. I am as a diehard as a fan as they come by, NASCAR is practically in my blood.   The day I was born, Bill Elliott won at Phoenix AND Hollywood was shooting Days of Thunder the same day at the same track.  I raced quarter midgets in Connecticut and competed against future NASCAR Champion Joey Logano (he beat me every time, that's why he's in NASCAR and I'm stuck here talking about it).   Eve...

In Defense of Scott Speed By Brian H Cotnoir Scott Speed is one of my favorite drivers in in racing history.  He has had one of the most interesting careers in history and although some of his racing endeavors did not yield the best results, he still has proven his abilities on the track. Scott Speed's path to NASCAR was very unconventional.   Speed raced for a one and a half seasons in Formula 1 for the Red Bull Jr. team Scuderia Toro Rosso.  As of the posting of this article, Speed is the last American driver to have had a full-time ride in Formula One.  Speed typically finished mid-pack in most F1 races, but unfortunately, he never scored any points.  However, at the time peed competed in F1, only the Top 8 finishers received points.   Speed had financial backing throughout this Formula One and Junior Formula career from Red Bull, and after he lost his seat in F1, he made the transition to stockcars. In 2008, Scott Speed made his stockcar debut...

 5 of the Most Shocking Moments in NASCAR History By Brian H Cotnoir *Disclaimer* I'm not including any driver deaths on this list because they are tragic and not shocking.  Also "Upset" wins aren't considered shocking either.   NASCAR has had its share of moments that have made fans jaws hit the floor and say, "no way!".  Here are 5 of those moments and be sure to let me know what other one's I may have missed in the comments. 1.)  Johnny Sauter drives through Mike Harmon's car This spot was a toss-up between Mike Harmon and Ryan Newman's wreck at the 2020 Daytona 500, and i choose this moment because all parties involved walked way uninjured.  During Practice for a race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2002, independent owner-driver Mike Harmon car was sheared in half when he collided with the crossover gate.   The accident was reminiscent of Michael Waltrip's wreck at Bristol 12 year earlier when the same thing happened.   After Harm...

2022 Mid-Season Report By Brian H Cotnoir I haven't done this in four years, but now I'm ready to get back on the horse.   The NASCAR season is now halfway through, so let's take a look at how everyone is doing in NASCAR's Top 3 divisions. CUP SERIES Biggest Surprise Trackhouse Racing In just their second year of existence, Trackhouse Racing has greatly improved.  In addition to purchasing the assets for Chip Ganassi's NASCAR team and expanding to a two-car team, Trackhouse Racing has been this season's biggest surprise!  The team scored it's first win at COTA with Ross Chastain earlier this year and has a total of 3 wins already this season.  Last year Daniel Suarez finished 25th in points and had only one Top finish all year (a 4th place at the Bristol Dirt Race).  This year Suarez has four Top 5 finishes and when he scored his first win at Sonoma, he locked himself into the Playoffs.   The only thing more surprising than Suarez's rebound is tha...