HARRISBURG, N.C. — As the calendar turns to fall and yet another action-packed racing season speeds toward the checkered flag, I was just thinking …
– What happens to all of the NASCAR Cup Series race cars that become obsolete at the end of the season?
– Utilizing iRacing technology to redesign Atlanta Motor Speedway is a brilliant move that hopefully results in great racing.
– It’s painful watching Jimmie Johnson struggle to stay out of the way in IndyCar.
– There should be an annual award recognizing the nation’s top short-track announcer.
– We wish longtime promoters Eddie Gossage and Ed Clark all the best as they settle into retirement.
– John Doonan appears to have IMSA headed toward a bright future.
– Four-hundred miles is too long for a NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.
– Modified maven Nick Hoffman should be a candidate for every Driver of the Year award.
– At press time, Donny Schatz needed to win 389 more World of Outlaws sprint car features to tie Steve Kinser’s series record of 690 victories.
– His performance in the SRX proved Trans-Am ace Ernie Francis Jr. deserves an opportunity to go NASCAR racing.
– Was there ever any doubt Kyle Larson would make the most of his second chance?
– We expected better results from Chase Briscoe during his rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series.
– Count Chip Ganassi among the benefactors of NASCAR’s charter system.
– The dirt track in our hometown of Columbus, Ind., is now known as Tony Stewart Speedway.
– The growth of outlaw kart racing in the Carolinas has had a major impact on the business of Legend Car racing.
– Racing has way too many track operators and not enough promoters.
– Does the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have an insurance policy on the Borg-Warner trophy?
– Still waiting for Steve Kinser and Dave Argabright to collaborate on a book about Kinser’s amazing career.
– Romain Grosjean has been impressive in the No. 51 Indy car fielded by Dale Coyne and Rick Ware.
– NASCAR definitely does not need a street race in Chicago.
– The technology being developed in Formula E racing is fascinating.
– I’ve never been to Sonic in my pajamas.
– It’s a shame the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway turned into a demolition derby.
– The American Flat Track round in Lima, Ohio, was pure old-school motorcycle racing.
– Wear a hat and use sunscreen when spending a day at the race track.
– It’s been 43 years since an American driver won a Formula One race.
– Overconsuming is a word traditionally associated with post-race activities. Formula E is changing that.
– Has anyone spotted the next Kyle Larson?
– The number of racing-related podcasts has reached the saturation point.
– How many T-shirts did Jac Haudenschild sell this summer?
– There was actually a time when the Brickyard 400 was considered a crown jewel event.
– Asphalt late model racing desperately needs a modern version of the American Speed Ass’n.
– Has anyone heard from Carl Edwards?
– Wonder what Smokey Yunick would have to say about NASCAR’s Next Gen car?
– Twenty-two-year-old Spencer Bayston wins the Brad Doty Classic. Who saw that one coming?
– James Hinchcliffe’s racing future is in the television booth.
– Sixty-year-old Rich Bickle has apparently found the Fountain of Youth.
– Tony Stewart won the final IROC championship and the inaugural SRX championship.
– What’s the next step on the driver-development ladder for midget standout Buddy Kofoid?
– A press release trumpeting the signing of a one-race sponsor makes me cringe.
– Steve Torrence will eventually surpass Tony Schumacher’s mark of 85 NHRA Top Fuel victories.
– Has streaming video helped or hurt attendance at America’s short tracks?
– The performance of the Haas F1 team has fallen far short of expectations.
– It certainly takes a lot of thinking to fill this space.