Garage Pass Blog

You couldn't blame Matt DiBennedetto for feeling like he had been a punching bag as he arrived in Bristol last week. He had been jabbed at for a month about his future at Leavine Family Racing when they slugged him a few days before the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race, knocking him out of the 95 car next season

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Posted by Mark Garrow

Over the weekend, Martin Truex, Jr. proved to be the new king of the road at Sonoma Raceway, winning there for the third time and becoming the first back-to-back winner in northern California since Jeff Gordon in 1999-2000.  It was also Truex's 23rd career Monster Energy Cup Series win, tying him with Joey Logano and Ricky Rudd for 34th on the all-time victory list.

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Posted by Mark Garrow

WINNERS NOT ADDING UP

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

When I was on Fast Talk with Doug Rice last week, he asked me, "Do you think we'll see the number of different winners on the Monster Energy Cup Series get to double digits before the end of the regular season?" To be honest my answer was kind of wishy-washy, "We might get to 10 but it'll be pretty tough to do."

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Posted by Mark Garrow

In 1960, Bruton Smith wanted to do something that would put Charlotte Motor Speedway on the motorsports map. He was thinking big and wasn't willing to play second banana to any other track, even the

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Posted by Mark Garrow

When it comes to races on the mile and a half tracks this season with NASCAR's new rules package for the Cup cars, I thought Texas was entertaining and Kansas even better yet. And it leads me to believe the next two weeks at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Monster Energy Cup Series All-Star race and the Coca-Cola 600 could be too good to be true.

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Posted by Mark Garrow

WALTRIP A TWO-WAY HALL OF FAMER

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

As Darrell Waltrip spoke at Bristol Motor Speedway last Friday, declaring when Fox ends its season at Sonoma he'll bring to end his broadcast career, I thought to myself how lucky I've been to experience DW as one of the best to ever get behind the wheel and a microphone.

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Posted by Mark Garrow

TALKING TEXAS

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Last Sunday's Monster Energy Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway was better than any we've seen in recent years on the 1.5-mile track and I will argue as good as we seen in a while on any track that size or a little bigger like Fontana or Michigan. The reason why was simple, it was the first place this year where NASCAR's new low horsepower-high downforce rules package really came into play.

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Posted by Mark Garrow

NEW CUP SCHEDULE IS A WINNER

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

When I first got a look at the new 2020 Monster Energy Cup Series schedule, the first word that came to my mind was "wow". Having been around this sport since the early 80's, NASCAR has never made as many changes in a single season. 

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Posted by Mark Garrow

BUSCH'S 200 NOT PETTY'S 200

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Kyle Busch is one win away from claiming 200 checkered flags on NASCAR's top-three series, which is a remarkable achievement and he didn't want anyone comparing it to Richard Petty's 200 Cup victories.

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Posted by Mark Garrow

A PASSING QUIZ GRADE

Friday, March 8, 2019

NASCAR'S new rules package for the Monster Energy Cup Series for the cars on the intermediate speedways is like the kid, let's call him "Little Johnny", who's starting his first semester in college. It'll take at least one semester, if not two, for him to figure out just how good a student he can be.  The first week or two he's just feeling around in the dark, unsure of his surroundings, and just trying to figure where he stands.

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Posted by Mark Garrow