 By: Tom Luttermoser Photo Credit: arcaracing.com
Malcom in the Middle star Frankie Muniz has a love for racing and has been looking to find ways to compete. Now 23 years after the show's debut, we hear in a Tweet from Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass that Frankie would compete full time in the ARCA Menards Series in 2023 for Rette Jones Racing out of Mooresville, North Carolina. Frankie told NASCAR.com in July that he didn't know how to become a race-car driver saying, "It's like saying you want to be an astronaut or something. To me, it's like a fantasy job for sure." On top of ARCA, he is also eyeing the Camping World Truck Series with a goal of one of the two Phoenix races. This hits home to me as when I was a kid, I grew up watching the show that made him a household name. Now, I cannot wait to watch him in NASCAR.
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 By: Tom Luttermoser Image via CARS Tour Facebook In a public release this morning (can be seen below), The Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour will be under new ownership when the series goes back racing in March. The CARS Tour is the South East's premier asphalt late model racing series and in 2023 will take place over 19 weekends across the region. Series ownership will transfer from Series founder Jack McNelly to the respective business holdings of DEJ Management, Kevin Harvick, Inc. Jeff Burton Autosports and TrackHouse Entertainment. Dale Earnhardt Jr said, "This is a dream come true for me." Per the release, McNelly and his staff will continue to oversee track events and operations.
By: Tom Luttermoser Images Credit to left: SHR Right: Unknown
I think we can all agree that rain delays, rain breaks and rain shortened races drive us all just about nuts. I know I've attended as a fan and covered at least 3 of these such events, but the cool thing is that NASCAR agrees. Back in the day the sanctioning body has tested rain tires at short tracks and road courses only to adopt them to turn both left and right within the last few years in the Cup Series. It appears however, not for much longer. In 2021 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the opening few laps of the race, the leader Kyle Busch & Martin Truex Jr were taken out of the race due to a wet surface causing the duo as well as another car or two to make contact with the outside safer barrier. Since then, the conversation has been continued. In the middle of December however, it has become near public knowledge that NASCAR intends to (at least attempt) to keep rain tires on hand for a small handful of Non-road course tracks for the first time in the history of the sport. They are referring to it as a "wet weather option" consisting of Rain tires, rear rain lights, the wiper, rain guards behind the rear wheels and more for up to 15 different events in 2023. Bozi Tatarevic with Road & Track (I recommend giving him a follow on Twitter) posted the Cup Series packages including the engine, break, aero package and tire for each track (Posted below). It showed that some of the tracks we can possibly expect to see this wet weather package are New Hampshire, Martinsville, Phoenix, LA, Richmond and North Wilkesboro.
Now, this will not be a package for heavier rains like we've seen run in at Road Courses, but more for simply a damp or wet race track with little to no active rain. Standing water will still bring a caution/ red flag or postpone a race due to the danger of hitting it at speed.
These changes could not only help NASCAR keep the races in the allotted broadcast time slots, but also the fans watching or in attendance from having to make changes to schedules or watch at work on Mondays (I've never done that...) or miss the race all together.  By: Tom Luttermoser Just Wednesday evening, Cameron Laytham's Pure Stock car was literally at the bottom of a swimming pool. From what I gathered, the straps failed and the car rolled off of the trailer, through what appeared to be a fence and then into the motel pool. But that did not stop Laytham from trying to make it in time to the Snowball Derby! No it did not!  Cameron and his crew worked through the night and all day to try to make the Pure Stock race Wednesday night. With some updates from Matt Weaver, we all saw the Laytham crew pull their, now dry car to the track nearly 24 hours after it sat at the bottom of the pool. Cameron even qualified what many dubbed the "Submarine Machine" P. 7 of 19 entries last night.  He would then run the Submarine Machine to a P.3 finish. Image credits: All over Twitter  |
