Welcome to Rookie Watch. This is the weekly column that I will be posting each week, between Tuesday and Thursday, discussing the Sprint Cup Series rookies and how they did the previous weekend. With the rookie list being the biggest since 2002, there will be lots of yellow bumpers to keep an eye on each week as these young drivers continue to learn.
I kept trying to pry my jaw off the floor this entire week after Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the Daytona 500, but I decided it was going to remain there for quite some time. Although I really shouldn't be as surprised as I am, since the Hendrick driver has finished second in 2010, 2012, and 2013. It was bound to happen soon.
As the 2015 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame were announced on February 21, I began putting together my list of hopefuls for induction. Wendell Scott’s name immediately came to mind.
They say that as much as things continue to change, other things stay the same. That saying will look to play truth in the Camping World Truck Series this year as even while there are some new faces in the mix, the same team will rise to the top to claim the driver's championship.
Growing up in New Mexico isn't the greatest home state when chasing a NASCAR career, however, Jamie Dick is one of the uncommon racers who has advanced through the racing ranks and become a well-know driver despite growing up in a non-racing environment.
Which driver has the highest level of success? Well, if the point of racing is to finish first, then the answer comes easy. Last Sunday, Dale Earnhardt Jr was the most successful driver in the Daytona 500. There is no argument.
Brad Keselowski knew his car was "really strong" and considers it the "best car" he's ever had down in Daytona. However, he would come up short in his quest for his first Daytona 500 victory as he finished third behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin.
Earnhardt withstood a long rain delay and held off numerous challenges to win his second Daytona 500, beating Denny Hamlin to the line. The win ended a 55-race winless streak and instantly qualified Earnhardt for the Chase For The Cup.
TRICON Garage teammates Kaden Honeycutt and Brandon Jones led the Toyota Tundra contingent with third and fourth-place results, respectively, on Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway.
Hocevar led a race-high 76 of 172 over-scheduled laps and prevailed in an overtime shootout to notch his sixth Truck Series career victory at the Lone Star state.
The 2024 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion from Riverton, Illinois, clocked in a pole-winning lap at 188.607 mph in 28.631 seconds for his first pole of the 2026 season.
The two-time Truck Series champion from Louisville, Kentucky, clocked in a pole-winning lap at 185.096 mph in 29.174 seconds for his first Truck pole of 2026 at the Lone Star state.
