Ep. 78 - NASCAR (Pocono) + NHRA (Bristol) Recap

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 recap NASCAR's trip to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, and NHRA's trip to the Appalachian Mountains of Bristol, Tennessee in Thunder Valley; listen, watch, and download episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Hey y'all, welcome to today's episode of the Tarot 4 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 recap episode today, so let's jump right into it. Uh, NASCAR's second year of the in-season challenge bracket has been set with the top 32 drivers in points. We'll talk more about it when we preview Sonoma here in like a week and a half or so. That's when the first race of the in-season challenges. But bad news for Denny Hamlin fans. Uh Hamlin once again faces Ty Dillon in the first round. We all know what happened last year in the first year of the in-season challenge, but luckily that is the last bad news Hamlin fans will have to hear this whole episode.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

As Hamlin said in the post-search interview, Ty Dillon in the in-season challenges is Crypton Knight. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

More on that later. Yes. But the in-season challenge, like we said, begins June 28th at Sonoma, followed up by the return of Chicago Lance Speedway on July 5th for the first time in seven years. Echo Park, aka Atlanta on July 12th. North Wilkesboro's first points race in 30 years on July 19th. And the Crown Joe Breaker 400 at Indianapolis on July 26th. They they restructured the in-season challenge. They moved it around. They didn't want Atlanta to be the first racing in.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

We all know what happened last year. With that, we know what happened last year in Atlanta. And we don't want to repeat, because uh no, that's when Hamlin died to Ty Dylan.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Yes. But then again, there was that big red that I uh I captured on my photography because I was there at that race. But yeah, uh, that was fun. Anyways, moving on now, getting getting back on track, uh, talking uh NHRA world in Bristol, Bristol Dragway, aka the next door neighbor of the Bristol Motors Freeway. But Friday in Bristol, we had the top field and funny card finals of the Rain Delayed New England Nationals in top field. It was Leah Pruitt scoring her first win since 2023 Dallas, and her first win since starting a family with husband and fellow top field racer Tony Stewart. Pruitt denied Sean Langdon from winning four events in a row by running a 3-9 379-4 at 332.43 miles per hour to best langon's 385-2 at 328.54 miles per hour to score a 13th career win. And in funny car, it was Jack Beckman defeating John Force racing teammate Jordan Vandegriff with a run of 4.017 at 318.55 miles per hour after Vandengriff ran into tire smoke early. It's Beckman's first win of the year, first win since Chicago, all the way back in 2025, and his 38th career win. But on Sunday, when we lined them up to actually decide who gets credit with the actual Bristol victories, uh the new concrete service proved to still be a challenge in Topfield. Sean Langon once again got beat in the final round. This time by Antron round in a rematch from Chicago last month. We were there. Yes, we went to the memory of the ticket came in the mail. It's very nice. But uh Antron's 3.788, 331.61 miles per hour was enough to beat Langon's 380 with a one at 334.07 miles per hour for Antron's uh it's his first win since Gainesville in 2025. His first win at Bristol and his 82nd career victory. If you're keeping track at home, Langdon now has been to five straight final rounds, winning three of them, as he leads teammate Doug Coletta by 114 points. So Langdon continuing his dream season, despite not winning, but made it to another couple final rounds in one weekend. But uh in Funny Car, it was Matt Hagen denying Dan Wilkerson his first career win with a 4.125 at 310.91 miles per hour after Wilkinson also suffered tire smoke early. It's Hagen's second win of the year after Pomona at the Winter Nationals, his first win in Bristol since 2015, and his 57th career victory. Ron Caps still leads the Funny Car Point standings now by 24 points over Matt Hagen, as JR Todd lost in the first round to Wilkerson, so uh change there is funny car has just been absolutely loaded this year. I mean, we already got like six different winners, so yeah. And pro stock it was Matt Harford best and Greg Anderson, whose car shut off early with a six point six seven two at three two hundred and five point sixty miles per hour for his third win of the year, first win in Thunder Valley, 11th career victory. Matt Harford, it took him like two and a half years to win again, and now he's already racked up three pro stock wins this year. So good redemption there. Anderson, after advancing to the final round, has taken over the points lead, now leading reigning world champion Dallas Glenn by just 11 points. That's less than a round difference right there. And in Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gage Herr picked up his second win of the season and second win at Bristol in defeating teammate and defending world champion Richard Gatson, who got his first win in Pro Stock Motorcycle at Bristol last year with a run of 6.838 at 198.47 miles per hour for Herrera's 30th career victory. Gatson still leads Pro Stock Motorcycle points by 68 points over Angie Smith. Herrera now sits third and point 73 back. But NHRA returns in two weeks with the 20th annual summit racing equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwich, Ohio, June 25th to the 28th, and hopefully me and Evan will be there. But that is still TBD at this time. We have a lot of um variables. We got a lot of details to work out, but that is TBD at this time. But to the Poconot Mountains now in O'Reilly's, we couldn't even get one lap in. We couldn't get one lap in before Jesse Love and Corey Day, who sec came in second and third in the points innings, they took themselves out in a wreck off of turn one, which allowed points leader Justin Auger to get a huge extension on his points lead, but more on that in a minute. Taylor Gray led 24 laps early and one stage win before ending up down in 17th. Brent Cruz won stage two. What has Brent Cruz not done? No, besides win. I mean, he's basically done everything except win at this point. Another second place finish after passing William Byron on the last lap. This race saw a Pokemon record, 18 lead changes, and 10 caution. Another caution filled race, but including a seven-minute red flag for cleanup, but it looked like Sam Mayer's race to lose until the last restart.

SPEAKER_01 6:37

Until he did.

SPEAKER_00 6:39

Yeah, until the last restart. Teammate Sheldon Creed took it three wide for the lead and then washed up at turn one and then just parked it right in the middle of the track and slowed him and Sam Mayer down to where they uh they faded back out of contention for the win. They ended up finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. But it was Justin Allgard picking up yet another victory on the season, his fifth and a in fifth of the year, which ties the most he's ever had in a season, along with 2018. Second win in a row after Nashville two weeks ago. His first win at Pocono, and it's his 33rd career victory. Allgard now has a 250-point lead over second.

SPEAKER_01 7:16

Shout out to America uh America's 250th birthday also?

SPEAKER_00 7:19

Yes, second place, Jesse Love in the regular season championship. Too bad that wing that lead will get shrunken down uh at the start of the chase due to the points reset. Brent Cruz second, as we mentioned, which puts him back into the 12th and final spot of the chase at plus three over teammate Taylor Gray, who ended up 17th, like we mentioned. Byron ends up third, Sam Mayer ends up fourth, uh Sheldon Creed ends up fifth, and shout out Anthony Alfredo, best finish of the year in sixth. Yes. Viking Motor Shorts is finally figuring it out. Besides Parker Rosloff, they've had a really good team since the season. Yes. Uh but our picks and standings now, I still lead the points. Uh little bit the lead little bit trimmed up. Uh Stacy uh 117 back, Haley 185 back, Evans 257 back, Bernardo's 278 back, Noah's 362 back, and then Zayn's got a big lead on Ethan and the part-time points because Ethan picked Jesse Lowe. It didn't go well for him. It did not go well. It did not go well. Ends up DNFing on the first lap. Zayn, meanwhile, picked Byron, who ended up in third. That was actually the best of our picks this week in O'Reilly's. But it did not do that great. So yeah, I picked Sammy Smith. He was running top ten for much of the day, and then he got spun late in the race. Too bad. That O'Reilly's scheme actually looks very good. It did look pretty good. It looked pretty good. Uh I ended up down in 19th. Evan, you had Austin Hill, ended up 14th, but at least you didn't end up like Jesse Love. But RCR had no speed this weekend. No. Zero speed.

SPEAKER_01 8:46

RCR just did not show up this week.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

Yeah. Uh Haley with Sam Mayer ends up fourth. Uh, probably should have won this race had it not been for Haas Factory imploding on themselves. Haas Factory committing acts of terrorism. Yes. Uh Stacey with Brandon Jones. Brandon Jones ends up eighth. Uh wins the poll but doesn't lead, doesn't really do much of anything. Uh Bernardo with Josh Belicki didn't give me a pick, so he got set to random wheel. So did Noah too, but Noah got Sheldon Creed and ended up fifth. Bernardo gets Josh Belicki, ends up 22nd. Doesn't end up 30th. Yeah. Shocker. Um, but moving on now to Cup. Kyle Larson, despite starting second, led much of the opening stage from the drop of the green flag until Pokono record holder, Danny Allen, tracked him down to win the opening stage. Zane Switch was running good once again until he lost it off of turn one.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

Yeah, he just kind of got loose under Hamlin off the off the corner and just kind of spun around and hit the wall.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

End of his day. Not ended his day, but not pretty much. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:49

Just limped around.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

Yeah. Limped around.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

Until a further incident later in the race.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Yeah, the big one off of turn three collecting. Others like uh SVG, Boba Wallace, Brad Kozlowski, all of whom had miserable days, and then Brad had to go back to the Prime Desk to do more work.

SPEAKER_01 10:03

Yeah, he's like he's like, hey guys, how are you today?

SPEAKER_00 10:06

Yeah, pretty much. I mean, I think he had more fun at the prime desk than he had driving the car.

SPEAKER_01 10:10

He had more fun seeing Eric Cartman.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

Yeah. If you know, you know. If you know, you know. Shout out Eric Cartman for cracking the prime desk. Yes. Highlight of the race. Yes. Highlight of the race for Brad. For sure. Todd Gillen stretched the fuel out to win stage two for his first career stage win. Uh Bell must should have taken notes, I guess. Yeah. But I mean, that's what happens when you tried to stretch it out 51 laps. But um Legacy Motor Club, another great day as they played the strategy right to place both cars in the top 10 at 4th and 6th. John Hunter Namichek led 42 laps, which was the most laps lit on the day. Chris Pernel, speaking of him, after breaking his wrist in that 63G Michigan wreck. Yeah, that was rough. Yeah, which was the hardest crash since at least 2015. Tried to stretch out the field mileage, but while running fourth, ran out of gas, coming to the white flag. Yeah, no good. No good. Gets credited with a 26th place finish. But throughout all the strategies that played out, it was uh oh, let me think here. Uh should be Pokado landowner. Yes. Yes. Getting another victory after taking the lead from Bell with four laps to go and winning in the King's Hawaiian minion scheme. He definitely stole the move from the win.

SPEAKER_01 11:23

Minions Assemble! That scheme needs to be made. I'm sorry, Activist are Universal. That scheme needs to be made. I am paying a top dollar for that scheme.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

Are you gonna buy the Elite scheme?

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Yes, I am. I don't care.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

I want the minions. Yes. But it's Hamlin's fourth win of the year, fifth if you count the All-Star, third win in a row, which is the first time in his career he's ever done that. A record extending eighth win at Poconot, ninth if he didn't get disqualified in 2022.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Well, we don't talk about that.

SPEAKER_00 11:50

We don't talk about that. And his 64th career win, which breaks a tie for ninth all time on the wins list with the late Kyle Bush, who was on the start finish at Pocono. Pokono seems to love to do that. Yes. What's funny is next year Hamlin will probably have his name on the Pokono start finish. I think they should really just re- I think they should go a step further and rename Pokeno Victory Lane.

SPEAKER_01 12:10

Yeah, it's Hamlin Victory Lane. Yeah. Because Hamlin owns that track. That is Hamlin's playground. I mean Especially the next gen car. He's been dominant in the next gen car.

SPEAKER_00 12:19

Hamlin ever since Charlotte, he was 122 points uh back from Reddick after Charlotte, and just ever since then he's won three straight races to cut the points gap all the way down to just 19 points.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

And realistically, he should have won Charlotte if that was not Rand Shortened.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

Yeah, I was gonna say, yeah. But 10 races left until the chase to decide the regular season championship. Reddick still ended up finishing second, but lost 32 points off his lead thanks to the extra importance of winning in the modern day chase format. Byron third for the second time this weekend uh for his first top five since Martinsville in March. I feel like Hendrick's kind of figured it out slightly. Yeah, it wouldn't go that far, but except for Bowman. They took like a well, yeah, but that that's just that's just unfortunate. But I mean Hendrick, Hendrick and really just Chevy and I mean Spire's still the second best or the best Chevy team. I mean, well, it it's tougher to be. Yeah. But Chevy as a manufacturer, just speaking on Chevy's in general, they're taking like a half step forward. Now Ford's? Huh.

SPEAKER_01 13:22

They're three steps behind the field right now.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

Yeah, for Ford, Ford's got work to do. I don't know if they will get back to, you know, winning.

SPEAKER_01 13:31

At least not. What's that? Never heard of him.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

Yeah. But Neimanchek fourth, as we mentioned, and uh Kyler's rounds at the top five are picks and standings. I still lead the points now by 96 over Haley, 165 over Stacy, 171 over Evan. You almost you you're trying to run down Stacy for third and place. You cut a lot of that gap out.

SPEAKER_01 13:53

Yes, I'm trying to finally catch up in points. Yes, you're trying to. Except for O'Reilly's. O'Reilly's I'm just screwed. Yeah. Now Trucks, debatable. Yeah, Trucks, you still lead the points there. Yes. Trucks is questionable, but you know, we ball.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

Yes. Uh Bernardo, 213 back. Noah's 323 back, and then Ethan's got 33 on Zane in the part-time standings. Uh, they both score the exact same amount of points. Which I found hilarious. Uh I pick Kyle Larson, ends up fifth, leads 24 laps. Larson didn't win. Yeah, I know. But I mean, it's just another classic Kyle Larson, run good, but don't win. And he hasn't won over a year, so should you be concerned as a Hendrick fan? Yes. Yes. Because honestly, Chase Elliott's wins have been really lucky. I wouldn't say that, but I mean Texas. Okay, okay. Martinsville, he only took the win from Danny Hamlin just off of a good strategy call, which was a miracle that Adam or Alan Guslison actually made a good strategy call. Texas, he he took over after stage two. That was he that was that was Elliot's race to lose there. Um yeah, so but Hendrik as a whole needs help. Byron needs serious help. Larson is there, but he's like he in terms of like winning, it's just like he needs just a little bit more. Elliot has won, so I just, you know, but Byron's really the Byron really, really needs help. He's got a whopping three top fives. So yeah. That's no good. That's no good. Uh Evan with Chase Briscoe ends up twelfth. I was hoping Briscoe would have a better performance today. He just hoping that Briscoe had a repeat of last year. It did not happen.

SPEAKER_01 15:34

Yes. I was kind of banking on Briscoe being better this weekend, and he's kind of just he's just kind of there.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

Yeah, he's just there. Haley with Carson Hospital ends up 20th. Ran good in practice. That is about it. Yeah. Almost lost it in qualifying, did uh exactly replicated his save from last year's race. Started towards the back, finished mid back, did really nothing. Was kind of just trapped, but it's poke. I mean, Stacy with Joey Logano gets I believe he got damage from that. Yeah, he had the big wreck. Yeah, from that big wreck, ends up 34th, just crippled, like four laps down. Uh Bernardo with Riley Herbst, random wheel, you know, whatever. Ends up 16th. Same thing with Noah, Cody Ware, 30th. You know, just normal Cody Ware activities. Yes. As long as not getting arrested in Irondale County. Yeah. Um Ethan with Chase Elliott ends up 11th. Same with Ryan Blaney ends up 10th. They both lead. They both scored 27 points plus the five points for leading. So yeah, that's kind of how they scored the same amount of there. But historic weekend next weekend with NASPAR sending all three top series to San Diego to race on naval base court on a temporary 3.4 mile 19-turn street course that, in my opinion, uh, looking at the iRacing footage is very narrow and bumpy. Yes. I don't think the racing is gonna be good.

SPEAKER_01 16:53

No, it's gonna be either a wreckfest or strung out.

SPEAKER_00 16:55

It's either gonna be a wreckfest, a parking lot, uh San Diego Southern California parking lot. Uh I really hope SVG wins by like 10 seconds. Yes. Um, yeah, but to be fair, it's probably gonna be a one-time thing. Yeah. America's 250, so like, screw it. Yeah. Pretty much. But IndyCar races at Road America next week as well, which assuming San Diego is a one thing, NASCAR and IndyCar should absolutely race at Road America on the same weekend next year. I mean, they talked about having more collab races together after the success of both trucks and indie car on the streets of St. P and then, you know, the Phoenix Phoenix the following week, but we'll see what happens. But we'll preview it all on Friday, but that's all we got for today's episode of the Thor Four Podcast. Make sure you tune in, listen, watch, and download on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, check out the chill photography and Thorfloor podcast, Instagrams and TikToks. And yeah, um, that's all we got, and we'll preview it all on Friday.

SPEAKER_01 17:53

Have a good night, y'all.