Ep. 56 - NASCAR Spring Darlington and NHRA Phoenix Preview

About the Podcast: The Throttle to the Floor Podcast is a motorsports podcast where me (William Earnest) and Evan Sager co-host and sit down with guests each week to talk about what is happening in the world of NASCAR, IndyCar, and NHRA plus we take frequent looks at other racing under the motorsports umbrella.

About the Episode: On this episode of the Throttle to the Floor Podcast, me and my co-host Evan Sager preview a tripleheader of NASCAR action from Darlington and NHRA’s scorching hot trip to the desert in Phoenix.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Hey y'all, welcome to today's episode of the Thor Ford Podcast. I'm your host, Will Ernest, here today with my co-host, Evan Sager.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Hello, y'all.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

Uh got a quick preview show tonight before we uh tune in and watch the truck series race tonight. So uh let's just get into it, jump right in. First, I want to mention uh Nashville's trying to say that they can support two cup races per year.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

I mean, I think it I think they could do it. I mean they have the city's growing. They have the infrastructure for it. I feel like they could host two weekends, but what race would we take out in instead of instead they would have two national races. That's the only thing I would be kinda concerned about.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

I feel like probably Spring Bristol.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

I could see that. I mean that'll be like the only logistical like swap they could do since it's not like a road course. I mean, I know we're losing San Diego next year because that's a one-off thing, but yeah, I just don't know.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

I feel like San Diego should be replaced with Road America, and then if you keep IndyCar that same weekend, it's boom, you automatically have another NASCAR IndyCar double header.

SPEAKER_01 1:26

I I just don't know what they would do.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

But it's it's a theory going around the garage right now. But we'll cross that bridge and if we actually get any truth behind that.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Yeah. I mean NASCAR's not gonna release next year's schedule till probably August at the minimum.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:41

Um yeah, uh I want to get to now NHRA and Phoenix, they got uh very hot temperatures uh this weekend. They moved up some of the start times, but thanks to all the hot temps outside and even the even hotter uh track temps, lots of cars they weren't even able to make a full pole all the way down the racetrack. But the best to do it was uh provisional number one qualifier in top fuel, Maddie Gordon. That's right. Two weeks after a semifinal appearance in her top fuel uh debut at the Gator Nationals. Maddie Gordon currently is the provisional number one qualifier in top fuel with her 3.844 run at 329.42 miles an hour in Q1. It's over 100 degrees in the Phoenix area track temps, probably like over 150 degrees, makes traction uh very difficult. I mean, this isn't a race of speed, this is a race of control and restraint and trying to just not lose traction down track. And if you put all those ingredients together, you might just be able to hold a diamond wally on Sunday evening after the conclusion of the race. But all in all, if you're heading to the track tomorrow or stay hydrated or heading on Sunday, especially definitely make sure to stay hydrated, you know.

SPEAKER_01 2:54

Cause it's hot.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

Yeah. Got half and half meteorologist, Evan Sager here.

SPEAKER_01 3:00

It's different, it's a different kind of heat than our heat.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Yeah, or like the southeast kind of heat. It's a dry heat.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

Yeah, it's a dry heat, it's just pummeling you. It's not like a wet heat where you can't breathe.

SPEAKER_00 3:12

Yeah. So um, yeah, but from one uh physicality to another, we shift from the uh burning hot heat of Phoenix to the physicality and brutality of uh Darlington, the Lady in Black, as always. The truck series, Tricon Garage looking fast. Once again, four of their trucks qualified in the top five, including Evans Pick, Caden Honeycutt, who's on the poll tonight. Carson Hosovar is back in a truck tonight, and he starts second around all those Tricon trucks, so that's sure to cause issues.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Yeah. Hopefully we don't have Hurricane Hosevar tonight. Unfortunately, I think we will towards the end of the race. Atlanta, not again. But I mean, Honeycutt had a really good run. I'm proud of the pick. I might actually eat into the sum of this truck series lead tonight.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

I mean, he let him practice and he won the poll, so I might say eat into this truck series lead. Look at me.

SPEAKER_01 4:04

Yeah, you need a lot of help.

SPEAKER_00 4:06

I need help. Yeah, um, meanwhile, all five Ram trucks, they qualified 20th or worst. Cory Lajoy being the best of those trucks, so we'll see if Ram can move forward or you know, just keep all their trucks in peace. But of course, Rams had a lot of uh off-track issues to deal with in this past week, so they have a lot of off the off-the-track issues they need to deal with.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Daniel Dye. Um if you didn't watch our previous episode, we kind of dove into that whole ordeal, but the whole situation's just rough for Ram. First year, and they're having a lot of issues on track and off the track, which is unfortunate for Ram.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

But yeah, and I mean we're only in the in the fourth event of this truck season, and already there's just Rams just getting pummeled with more issues. I mean, and it's tough being a new, you know, new manufacturer in the truck series, and of course Dodge is trying to come back to the top two series with you know O'Reilly's and Cup, which I think they're still trying to do that. They're trying to say, oh, we'll be back in 27. I don't see it per se.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

I don't believe it. I would say maybe 2030, roughly at the earliest.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

I'd sometime between 28 and 30 for me. That's that's my prediction. It it depends on, you know, like when they can get in a Riley's program and whatnot. I feel like what they should do is like have like keep a couple of their trucks and like have a couple of Riley's cars. Yeah. Is what they should do. But that's just me um personally. But our picks for uh Darlington for the truck race, I pick Grant Enfinger, Evan, as we mentioned, picked uh Caden Honeycutt, Haley picked Ben Rhodes, Stacy once again with Chandler Smith, um Bernardo with Corey Heim, this time in the five truck.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

It's weird to see it's we're weird to see him in the five car, you must say.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

Yeah, for sure. Um Noah once again with uh Justin Haley. Um, so yeah, we'll see. Uh I don't side note uh Justin Haley. Uh it's it's a cool patriotic scheme. But why would you run it this weekend? There's plenty of other weekends to run that.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

Oh yeah, July 4th weekend. Well, I don't know if they're racing. They did not race at Chicago in July 4th weekend.

SPEAKER_00 6:17

There's plenty of other there's plenty of other weekends. You can run at Charlotte, you know, Memorial Day weekend, you could run it at Charlotte then, you know. And it's like you have four, you have the other four ramp trucks all running great throwbacks, and then it's just then you got Justin Haley. Yeah, you got Justin Haley, but uh bygones be bygones, I guess. Um getting to O'Reilly's, can JGR, Joe Gibbs racing, can they dominate again? They won three of the last four Darlington races with three different drivers, and can Larson win in the 88 car again as he did last week, even though he wasn't even planning on starting, and you know, we still hope that Alex Bowman can recover from his vertigo symptoms, although it's gonna take some time for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

Um I wonder if NASCAR's gonna give him a waiver or not. I mean they should, it's a medical injury.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

They they're they're gonna give him a waiver. We've seen in the past NASCAR hands out waivers like free candy. Um, but even still though they'll give Bowman a waiver. It's just is Bowman medically fit to return to the car? That's the issue. I mean, and it's not gonna happen for at least like another month because you know he was supposed to be in the 88th car in the O'Reilly series um schedule for this week, but Larson's gonna replace him, and he's already been confirmed to miss the next three cup races through at least spring Bristols, so um we'll see. But the earliest he can return is spring, Kansas, on April 19th, so like basically a month from now. Um day after my birthday. Yeah. But it might be later than that.

SPEAKER_01 7:50

Um I honestly I think it might be late May. I think it's what's name currently. 600. Yeah. I'd say around the 600 weekend, he's in return.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

I can see it.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Or or the All-Star weekend.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

Uh yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I can see that. Um, also Ross Chastane's running all three uh races this weekend. What can he do in the uh junior motorsports nine car? Finished fourth last year at Darlington in this same car in this same race. So we'll see what he can do, and also just in all three races this weekend, including the truck race tonight. Yes. So, yeah, I think he's I I know there's a lot doing double duty, but he might be the only one doing trip duty. I think he is the only one from the street. Maybe host cars, dude.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

Uh I don't think he races extended this weekend.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

I don't think O'Reilly's get it right.

SPEAKER_01 8:34

Sorry. It's still gonna take you a little while. Get it right. I was doing good for a while and I had to mess it up today, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_00 8:41

Alright, moving on. Um, our O'Reilly's picks. I picked Brandon Jones. He snapped his uh long win this streak last year in this race. Evans sticking with Sam Mayer. Hopefully your power doesn't go out. Yeah. Hopefully they learn from last week.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

Hopefully. Fingers crossed. Fingers and toes crossed.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Yes. Uh Haley's going with Justin Algayer, who uh we mentioned that three of the last four Darlington races were won by JGR Toyotas. The one exception was Algayer. Yeah. Um Stacy's sticking with Jesse Love. Bernardo's uh going with Austin Hill. Uh hopefully they don't cause trouble.

SPEAKER_01 9:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

But um you can say the same thing about hopefully Corey Day doesn't cause trouble. So we'll see. Um and Noah's going with uh Harrison Burton. Uh does Harrison Burton turn left?

SPEAKER_01 9:27

I know hopefully he's learned from his mistakes. Yes, I'm gonna say.

SPEAKER_00 9:32

For sure. But the big talking point, just not only this week, but also just in the past few weeks now leading up to this race, you know, the Cup series, the more horsepower and the updated package, they're saying it could lead to massive tire fall-off, massive just fall-off in general, up to like four seconds. I mean, Hamlin said it. Even NASCAR's gone out and said it. I mean, and just if major tire fall-up happens, which I think at this point is expected, you just gotta look back to Spring Bristol 24 and you won.

SPEAKER_01 10:02

And look who won that race. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 10:03

Yeah, uh Danny Hamlin, the king of tire saving, and I mean, I think he's gotta be for sure the favorite coming into this week. And he won this race last year, granted, under much different circumstances, but still, and of course he won last week at Las Vegas, notching his 61st career win, also under much differing circumstances, but um yeah, um also that Spring Bristol 2024 race. I mean, yeah, it was back when True X Renity finished second, but I mean still that 19 car with Chase Briscoe. You can't overlook Chase Briscoe despite the threat for fall off. I mean, he's won the last two straight Southern 500s, so I'll I'll give him credit where it's due. Yeah, and last year in this spring race, I mean, William Byron had this race in the bag. Um I think we all remember what happened in that race. Hey, he still finished second to Denny Hamlin despite all that lace or late race uh chaos. But um speaking of William Byron, uh my pick this week is William Byron. Hopefully he can close the deal, unlike last year. He led like the first 240 laps in a row from the pole and then uh got caught up in the whole mumble jumble and still finished second to Danny Hamlin. Um in that Carl Edwards throwback. Um of course throwback weekend is like a shell of itself. It's on literal life support, but uh that's a different problem. Um Evan, you're going with Christopher Bell. Finished third last year.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

I feel great about the pick. I wanted to pick Hamlin, but can't can't pick him, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

But if Hamlin doesn't win this weekend, I'm gonna pick him for the next weekend.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

I mean, Bell ha Bell has won an O'Reilly's race. Um here recently won it a couple years ago. Um, just can he can he get a cup win here? I mean, Bell's definitely a good pick, it's just can he manage his tires? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

Um that's gonna be the real question for everyone though this weekend. Yeah. Who can manage the tires the best?

SPEAKER_00 12:00

Who can manage the tires the best and handle the stuff and try not to wreck their own race cars? And you know, Hamlin's probably gonna be the best at that. He's probably gonna win.

SPEAKER_01 12:10

And also Brad Keslowski, I feel like could be a snake.

SPEAKER_00 12:13

Yeah, for sure. I mean, his last win uh was in this race two years ago. Um, or like almost two years ago, back when Darlington was a little later on the schedule. But uh yeah, I mean I have him in my fantasy lineup as well. I think he's I think he's my garage pick right now. Um, but I do think Brad's gonna show up and honestly RFK just in general. I mean, you think back to that 2024 race when Brad won, I mean, yeah, Busher was right there. Um Busher and Reddit got stuffed in the fence. Um yeah, uh oh hey, speaking of which Chase Briscoe, uh, that's Haley's pick for sure. Um I I think Briscoe and Bell just speaking on the both of them, they they're both gonna have speed. It's just can they manage said speed by managing their equipment? I mean, Briscoe said he kept spinning every time he ran the sim. I know. So not not a great sign, um for sure, especially if you're the crew guy's trying to adjust the car uh to make it handle properly because Darlington's egg-shaped. Um, you know, you can set your car up to be good in one and two, and then it's absolute garbage in three and four. So that's just how Darlington's always been, and it's gonna be further compromised, most likely this weekend. Um Stacy's picking Brian Blaney. Uh you think of Ryan Blaney at Darlington, I'd say think of last year where he was this close to winning, and then Larson wrecked again in the same spot with four laps to go is the same way he wrecked on lap four. Um, but normally Blaney's not really all that great at Darlington, so yeah, but we'll we'll see what he can do. I mean, Blaney isn't a rookie, obviously, but I mean he he's hasn't been around for like some as long as guys like Hammond and Kozlovski and whatnot. But I mean the equalizer this weekend is gonna be the tires and the increased horsepower putting strain on said tires. So just like you said, who can save the best? Yes, that's who's going to most likely win this race. Uh Bernardo uh must have caught on to us from the future and actually picked Brad Kozlowski for this race. I forgot he did pick that. I just forget that. Yeah, and then Noah's going with Ty Gibbs, who uh, if you remember, uh finished second to Brad Kazlowski in that 2024 spring race. So uh we'll we'll see what Ty Gibbs can do. But at the same time, it's Ty Gibbs.

SPEAKER_01 14:38

It's Tylenol Gibbs. As I said before, he's never gonna run a race in NASCAR Cup Series. I will that's a new one. I will stand by that.

SPEAKER_00 14:47

Tylenol Gibbs gives you heartaches.

SPEAKER_01 14:50

Yes, he does.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

That's that's a new that's a new one. Um but yeah, uh besides that, uh got some hot action uh this weekend with Darlington's possible, well, probable, uh fall off, tire fall-off cause of the strain with extra horsepower and whatnot. And then of course Phoenix, uh the rising temperatures, so uh make sure you stay hydrated out there and even at Darlington too, because it's not like it's gonna be 40 degrees there, you know.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Yeah, it's gonna be like middle eighties, I think it was.

SPEAKER_00 15:21

Basically as warm as it is here.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

Yeah, it's I mean it's I mean we're almost with Darlington weather, but they have more humidity down there tonight. Yeah, I mean Darlington's in a literal swamp. Yes. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

It's gonna be hot down there, but yeah, um, we'll recap all the action on uh Monday right here. Uh, but that's all we got for today's episode of the Throttle Floor Podcast. Make sure you tune in and listen and watch and download on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, check out the Joe Photography and Throttle Four Podcasts, Instagrams, and TikToks, and uh that's all we got for today's shortened episode, shortened preview episode. Me and Evan are gonna watch the uh truck race tonight, and uh you'll hear about that and all the other weekends action on Monday. So that's all we got.

SPEAKER_01 16:08

Have a good night, y'all.