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Five to Go Podcast
by Doug Turnbull
NASCAR announcer and Atlanta traffic columnist Doug "Fireball" Turnbull, roving racing journo and college sports announcer Devin Kupka, and championship-winning NASCAR mechanic Dan Elliott go long form on five or so big stories in the racing world each week, along with tales from the garage and the grandstands from over the years. Their racing expertise ranges generations and their enthusiasm is endless. And they might even make you laugh.
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96
379 - Our 16-1 Chase preview, Gone Hunter Nemechek
Doug, Devin, and Dan discuss Ryan Preece's clutch, Chase-clinching first-career Cup Series win at Daytona and Ryan Sieg's monkey-shedder on Friday. They also talk about the big Silly Season stunner, with Nemechek losing his Legacy ride and why Berry, despite similar stats, is a good candidate to drive the No. 42. They also talk about Jimmie Johnson's final paint scheme and why Devin has never seen "Days of Thunder." And they give their prospects for all 16 Cup Series Chase drivers and who they think will win the championship.
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95
379 - Hilly season and governing sprinkle tires
Devin, Dan, and Doug break down the racing in the rain that preceded Ryan Blaney's dominant New Hampshire performance and discuss whether NASCAR should open the playbook on a wet track. They also talk about the pressure in the Chase standings, the IndyCar spectacle in D.C., and what the Austin Hill signing could mean for Josh Berry. They also preview Daytona and how the cars will react with much smaller spoilers.
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94
377 - Zilly season: which dominoes will fall next?
Doug, Devin, and Dan give their takes on Joey Logano's continuing resurgence and Richmond win and then dive into the official news of Connor Zilisch joining Hendrick Motorsports' No. 48 car in 2028. Devin shares what he learned at the teleconference and the gang discusses the butterfly effect with other drivers and Trackhouse's future. They also discuss the potential worries with Spire's co-owner and preview the New Hampshire NASCAR weekend.
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93
376 - Iowa Recap, Cost Cap?, Richmond Preview
With Doug Turnbull away, Devin Kupka and Dan Elliott take over the reins. Devin and Dan discuss Iowa weekend, Ty Gibbs rise, Tyler Reddick's fall. Does NASCAR need to implement a cost cap for the teams. The duo previews Richmond Raceway weekend.
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92
375 - Georgia legends, schedule, and cautions
Doug, Devin, and Dan discuss the 2026 Georgia Racing Hall of Fame inductees and the Red Bull/Ford showcase in Atlanta. Then they discuss the changes to the 2027 NASCAR schedule, how NASCAR should manage long cautions, and what to expect as the sport returns to action in Iowa.
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91
374 - Devin drives the Brickyard bus
Devin, Dan, and Doug break down Corey Heim's stellar win in the Brickyard 400. Devin leads the discussions from Indy, covering the Heim-Hocevar beef, the big stories from the fans and in the garage, and the "crown jewel" discussion. The crew also takes a deep dive on Alex Bowman's retirement decision and the the hot rumor on Connor Zilisch taking his place in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports car.
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90
373 - NWB, Silly Season, practice, and Brickyard with Mark Garrow
Longtime and recently retired PRN announcer Mark Garrow joins Doug, Devin, and Dan to recap the historic return to North Wilkesboro Speedway. Mark and Doug share their views and takes from at the track for Joey Logano's dominant win and why that was a truly classic race. They also discuss Silly Season rumors about Gragson and Berry, the "Todd-father", their expectations on the Brickyard, and why the return of practice time is a good thing.
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89
372 - The marathon at home and beef for dinner
Doug, Devin, and Dan break down the Ryan Blaney thriller in the wee hours at EchoPark Speedway and Devin and Doug share some of their up-close observations from drivers and amongst the fans from the Atlanta weekend. They also recap the comments from Smith, Hocevar, and Van Gisbergen - and what Hill did not say - regarding their meetings with NASCAR about retaliation. Dan discusses the secret sauce on Hocevar's No. 77 team. And the guys also talk about the rise of Blaney and Logano in the standings and why winless drivers could contend in the historic points racing return to North Wilkesboro.
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88
371 - Chicago beef, EchoPark home, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on Atlanta
With Dan away, Devin and Doug give their top takes on Chase Briscoe's Chicagoland Speedway win, the dominance of broken Toyotas, and what they thought of the SVG-Hill and Smith-Hocevar clashes. They also talk about Hendrick's bright signs and Tyler Reddick's expected regression. And they preview EchoPark Speedway, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. joining to talk about superspeedway racing, why he likes Atlanta, and what he enjoys about racing his first Truck races.
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87
370 - Sonoma, points, Dodge, and David Ragan tests Chicagoland
Doug, Devin, and Dan give their top takeaways from Sonoma, including Shane Van Gisbergen's pressure-cooker and Bubba Wallace's ungluing. They also talk about the extremely tight Cup Chase cutline, Dodge's rumored 2027 return to Cup, and the spotty record of substitute drivers. Then David Ragan shares what he experienced during the Ford test at Chicagoland and how full the drivers hands may be.
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86
369 - Corey Heim's win at San Diego is not shocking
Doug, Devin, and Dan go deep on NASCAR's first San Diego-Coronado event and talk about why Heim's win is a surprise, but not shocking. They also discuss another Georgia driver who experienced severe highs and lows, the overall success of the weekend, and Gragson v. Magnussen. They also wonder about the pressure for SVG in Sonoma.
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85
368 - A JGR trucker takes us to the San Diego race
Doug, Devin, and Dan welcome Steve Tidmore, one of the hauler drivers for Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 54 NOAPS team. Tidmore shares how he got the gig, the challenge of trying to sleep during races, the logistics of rotating drivers on the long drive out west, and how truckers had to drive on the bumpy San Diego course to get parked. Then the gang discusses Hamlin's triumph at Pocono, what they expect at Michigan, Jesse Love's move to the Wood Brothers, and the question Jenna Fryer raised about modern media. They also remember legendary NASCAR reporter Steve Waid, Doug's old friend Mark Sims, and share a Gordon Pirkle update.
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84
367 - Michigan aero, Berry dominoes, Hamlin szn
Doug, Dan, and Devin break down a wild Michigan race that Denny Hamlin grabbed a hold of and what his comments about retirement could mean. They also discuss Christopher Bell's hard hit and Dan explains the difficulty manipulating air in today's cars. They also discuss Josh Berry's firing, Austin Hill in the No. 33 car and the Silly Season implications.
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83
366 - Nashville hot brakes and three spicy races
Doug and Dan interrupt Devin's vacation to discuss the excitement for all three of NASCAR's top series in Nashville, why brake rotors were exploding, and why attrition is an element that NASCAR has been missing out on. They also discuss Ford's weird Cup Series performance and relate that to it's very shallow development program and what that could mean for the auto industry and motorsports overall. They also preview Michigan and rate Cleetus McFarland's second NOAPS race.
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82
365 - Kyle Busch on minds of all at Suarez's 600 triumph
Doug, Devin, and Dan recap and emotional weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as the NASCAR industry honored fallen troops and openly grieved the loss of legend Kyle Busch. Devin shares his interactions with fans and drivers and what the scene was like in the garage and on pit road, as the sport remembered Kyle Busch. The trio gives their main takes from Daniel Suarez's spoiling of a dominant Toyota night and on how NASCAR navigated horrible weather for the triple header. They also discuss a thrilling Indy 500 on the Greatest Day in Motorsports.
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81
Our personal experiences with Kyle Busch - an all-time great
Doug, Dan, and Devin share their feelings about the tragic and sudden passing of NASCAR legend Kyle Busch. Devin scene sets, as he is in Charlotte and visited the fan tributes at the Richard Childress Racing Museum. Dan shares some conversations he had with Busch and how his death reminds him of Dale Earnhardt. And Doug shares some of his Kyle Busch memories, along with an excerpt of an interview he and Devin did with Busch at an Atlanta-area Cheddar's in 2024.
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80
364 - Dover pros, bring back All-Star Week
Doug, Devin, and Dan give their main takes from Denny Hamlin's Dover All-Star Race win, including why Dover felt like a points race (in a good way). Dan relays where he thinks the All-Star Race should be and how that track should celebrate it. And the crew discusses Natalie Decker and previews the Greatest Day in Motorsports.
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79
363 - Triple Dover, Indy double, and singlehanded Glen smackdown
Doug, Devin, and Dan talk about Shane Van Gisbergen's amazing comeback at Watkins Glen and compare it to Bill Elliott's rebound from losing two laps at Talladega. They also discuss Stenhouse and HYAK staying together, why Katerine Legge has less pressure than Kyle Larson for her historic "Indy-Charlotte Double" attempt, and F1's hubris. They also preview Dover and the extremely confusing All-Star Race format.
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78
362 - Trials at Texas, hot-served revenge, and pit road speed limiters
With Dan having technical issues, Doug and Devin break down Chase Elliott's Texas win and the bad luck and trials others had. They also discuss the Busch v. Nemechek and Preece v. Gibbs clashes and if NASCAR should have penalized Preece. They also discuss pit road woes and why Doug thinks NASCAR should implement pit speed-governors. And they preview the Watkins Glen triple header.
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77
361 - KansaDega, new winner gap week
Doug, Devin, and Dan are all back together after a couple of weeks to discuss Hocevar's breakthrough Talladega win, the complexion of the Cup race, some big news stories the last couple of weeks, and what the change in NASCAR leadership means. They also look ahead to the triple header weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
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76
360 - Some streaks both good and bad that came to an end in Bristol
With Devin on Culver's duty this week, Doug Turnbull recaps their weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway including his sights from the garage and his up-close view of Ty Gibbs' victory celebration. Doug shares his top takeaways from all three series in Thunder Valley, including an unheard of streak broken by Corey Heim. Then Dan Elliott joins late in the show to discuss what he saw Ty Gibbs do that won him his first-career Cup race.
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75
359 - Fifth-post grades and the curious Cleetus case
With Devin missing his first show in three years, you have to settle for Doug and Dan. They break down the O'Reilly and Truck races at Rockingham and discuss how sizing up anyone but the dominant drivers is difficult. They examine what Algaier's stage points say about the O'Reilly standings and how much parity there is in the Cup Series. They also discuss Cleetus McFarland's O'Reilly debut and Doug explains why he thinks the whole thing is being seen the wrong way. They also give grades - good and bad - to Cup teams with 20% of the races in the books.
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74
358 - Two Bubbas and some surprising stage points stats
Doug, Dan, and Devin recap Chase Elliott's strategy play to win Martinsville and how well the tires and horsepower changes worked. They also discuss Bubba Wallace's meltdown and which drivers it reminds them of. Doug breaks down the stage points in the Cup Series and discusses the driver low in the standings that has a surprisingly high amount. And they also discuss the futures of Daniel Dye and Nick Sanchez and preview the O'Reilly and Truck races at Rockingham.
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73
357 - DarlingTYLER and where did Logano go?
Doug, Devin, and Dan discuss the pressure Dan's No. 9 team faced for the Winston Million at Darlington and relayed that to the mental fortitude Tyler Reddick has shown in 2026. They talk about Reddick's Darlington win and other drivers that impressed, along with the crazy gaps between the top two in Cup points...and spots three to 16. They also ask hypotheticals about Reddick in Silly Season, wonder where Joey Logano's performance has been (for years), and preview Martinsville, a race that Dan Elliott says is incredibly important for one team.
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72
356 - Hamlin's mental victory and what ignited Chastain v. Suarez
Doug, Devin, and Dan recap Denny Hamlin's benchmark Vegas win and what gave him the edge. They also discuss the Chastain-Suarez scrap and what may have brought that on. The trio previews Darlington and discuss how Alex Bowman's absence can affect his future. And they talk about Daniel Dye's suspension and the path forward for him.
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71
355 - Phoenix, Vegas, and far-too-early points analysis
Doug, Devin, and Dan heap praise on Ryan Blaney and really analyze the importance of good points days, including from one driver who should have had a worse one. They also rate NASCAR-IndyCar double-bills, wonder aloud about any panic in the points standings, and preview the first 1.5-mile test this season in Vegas.
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70
354 - COTA history, Cleetus, Gabehart
Doug talks about being at COTA in person for Tyler Reddick's historic third-straight win to start the season and Dan and Devin give their takes on the weekend in Austin and St. Petersburg. They also discuss the Alex Bowman sub for Myatt Snider and how other drivers had health issues in Austin, plus if Cleetus McFarland is biting off too much with RCR in the O'Reilly Series. And they also give their takes on the JGR-Chris Gabehart court case and they preview Phoenix.
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69
Episode 353 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sums up the start to 2026
2023 Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. joins Doug, Devin, and Dan to discuss his runner-up Daytona 500 finish, his early Atlanta wreck, his team’s approach to the season, how he trains, and his “ranch.” Then the guys preview COTA and give their takeaways from attending Atlanta.
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68
352 - Daytona, Atlanta, and driving NASCAR motor coaches
Special guests Archie and Tina Kennedy join Dan, Devin, and Doug and discuss what driving motor coaches for Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon (Archie) and Jeff Andrews (Tina) is like, including how little time they spend at home. Archie also shares a classic Tony Stewart story and Tina shares what working for Greg Biffle was like. Then the crew gives their Daytona 500 thoughts, including what Devin saw at the track in Daytona and what Dan would do to the length of the Great American Race. And they give a weekend run down of Echo Park Speedway events and their picks to win.
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67
351 - Devin's first Daytona 500, 2026 predictions
Doug, Devin, and Dan discuss all things Daytona. Devin gives his impressions from his first media experience and his first 500 weekend and shares what the mood was like around both qualifying and the long media day. The crew also discusses Kyle Busch's future after this season and predicts Daytona winners and 2026 champions in all three series.
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66
350 - Ryan Preece becomes a winner on a strange stage
Doug, Devin, and Dan break down the halting, strange, and exciting Clash win for Ryan Preece at Bowman Gray Stadium. They discuss what impact the race has on the season and why Dan thinks the extra horsepower is problematic on such a short track. They also talk about the Washington D.C. grand prix just added for IndyCar and preview what Devin is looking to see at his first Daytona 500.
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65
349 - NOVAL - and is retro the right way?
Doug, Dan, and Devin properly toast the ROVAL after reports indicate the Charlotte fall race is moving back to the oval. They recall some of the biggest moments on the Charlotte road course, some stats, and why the Playoff eliminations are what made those races the most exciting. They also deconstruct NASCAR's "old is new again" approach and how fan enthusiasm is a moving target. They also preview the Clash, but note that this episode was recorded before NASCAR moved all Clash events to Sunday.
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64
348 - Rule changes, fast food, and familiar names in new rides
Doug, Dan, and Devin are diving deep on some of NASCAR's tweaks to the fastest lap points and pit road procedures. They also discuss another big name in the Daytona Truck race and two female drivers that will be part-time in Trucks. And they break down a big fast food chain moving into and out of NASCAR.
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63
347- A popular Chase...not named Elliott
Doug, Devin, and Dan share their initial thoughts on NASCAR's choice to revert back to the 10-race Chase format and where fans and media should now place their emphasis. They also discuss Tony Stewart's return to NASCAR - for one race - and another Cup driver deciding to dip into the Trucks. They also discuss the theft at Greg Biffle's house, what IHRA is up to, and a popular sponsor that is staying in NASCAR.
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62
346 - Our take on Phelps' NASCAR exit
Were Doug, Dan, and Devin expecting Steve Phelps to leave NASCAR? They will explain why they think his exit was inevitable and what may lie next for the sport. They also toy with the idea of outside ownership of the sport and what they want and expect Monday's Playoff format announcement to be.
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61
345 - Our 2025 NASCAR superlatives
With Dan away, Doug and Devin reflect on a tumultuous NASCAR season and explain why only one driver qualifies as the sport's main character of the year. They also explain drivers and teams they saw both improve and under-perform and why predictions are so difficult. And they discuss yet another NASCAR tragedy, as Denny Hamlin's father, Dennis, passed away in a house fire.
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60
344 - The best way to remember Greg Biffle and the other six killed this week
Doug, Devin, and Dan reflect on Greg Biffle and the six others killed in Thursday's plane crash in North Carolina. Doug and Dan share some personal interactions with Biffle. Dan talks about Biffle's perseverance during a long testing day at Gresham Motorsports Park and Doug recalls a particularly good media session with the Biff. They also talk about the others killed in the wreck and how the NASCAR community has experienced so much loss in aviation. They also quickly give their take on the beef between Denny Hamlin and Larry McReynolds after the conclusion of the lawsuit.
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59
343 - Post-lawsuit aura
Doug, Devin, and Dan share their thoughts after NASCAR and the teams settle the antitrust suit and what lies ahead for the sport. They also talk about the breaking point that they think led to the settlement and why it could bolster the other national NASCAR series. They also talk about Nick Sanchez losing his ride, Levar Scott to Alpha Prime, Stephen Nasse finally winning the Snowball Derby, and Keelan Harvick's Snowflake triumph.
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58
342 - Trial goes green, mood goes black
Doug, Dan, and Devin share their thoughts after a robust opening week in the NASCAR antitrust suit. They explore whether their opinions on either the teams' or NASCAR cases really changed after testimony from Denny Hamlin, Bob Jenkins, Steve O'Donnell, and others in the Charlotte court. They also discuss if money really solves the problems and if there is anything in the case that would actually make an ardent fan not watch in 2026. And they cover big news with Chris Gabehart and some other NASCAR offseason news.
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57
341 - A deep dive on the dirty document dump
Doug, Dan, and Devin look at some of the highlights (or lowlights) from the documents the antitrust lawsuit has unearthed, including the group's sober takes on salacious texts. They look closer at the money the teams make and discuss the adverse effect that competing race series would have on the sport. They also take a look at the new IHRA stock car series, Red Bull's increased Trackhouse support, and Brent Crews' full-time (mostly) NOAPS ride with JGR.
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56
340 - Tommy Joe Martins on running a small team and what top-20 in points really means
Doug, Devin, and Dan welcome Alpha Prime Racing co-owner and former driver Tommy Joe Martins to do a deep-dive in the economics of running his race team and the key differences between Alpha Prime and the championship-winning teams. Martins previews the awards ceremony he created for all teams, the Grand National Bash, and shares why he is so outspoken on behalf of lower-level teams. Martins also answers why charters and spec cars haven't come to the lower series and why he opposes Cup drivers running in Trucks and O'Reilly Auto Parts races. Martins also talks about why the celebration was so big when driver Brennan Poole finished top 20 in points at the checkered flag in Phoenix and how it fiscally was like a race win.
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55
339 - What the 2026 TV schedule tells us about Playoffs and the state of the sport
Doug, Dan, and Devin break down the 2026 NASCAR broadcast schedule and what the split between USA and NBC actually means. They also discuss NASCAR demographics and how predicting future consumption of the sport is very hard. The crew also talks about the latest antitrust lawsuit developments and why Hendrick and Penske do not want to testify. And they break down what three drivers are testing at Bristol this week and what could actually improve the Gen-7 short track package.
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54
338 - Hypocrisy and and misunderstanding in the format outrage
Doug, Devin, and Dan review the championship races in Phoenix and get to the heart of the outrage and misunderstanding that some people have with Hamlin's heartbreak and Larson's surprising Championship win. They also discuss Silly Season and the increase next year of Cup drivers in lower series races.
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53
337 - Throw a blanket over the Cup-four, young spinners
Doug, Dan, and Devin break down William Byron's dominant, clutch Martinsville win and detail what this means for Byron and Larson in Phoenix. The crew also gives their championship picks, previews championship weekend, and shares an interesting wrinkle in the Xfinity Series title. They also talk about young drivers hurting their futures and what info is missing to really drive the lawsuit narrative.
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52
336 - Playoff cutoff trends, Martinsville difficulties
Doug, Devin, and Dan recap Chase Briscoe's Talladega win and how the tables turned for Penske. Devin also compares Talladega's crowd-energy in the stands to last year and analyzes the Playoff bubble now versus past years in this format. Dan shares why he would not want to run Martinsville or Talladega as a Playoff driver and what he plans to do at the annual Dawsonville Mountain Moonshine Festival this weekend. The crew also breaks down some Silly Season news and reasons why F1's Apple TV deal could be problematic.
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51
335 - Heartfelt Hamlin and a deep dive on race manipulation
Doug, Devin, and Dan discuss Hamlin's emotional triumph in Vegas and why win 60 hit differently. They also talk about the trickiness in the Ty Dillon vs. William Byron crash and why "must win" is premature. Then they give their opinions on NASCAR's officiating of race manipulation and why that is so difficult. They also preview Talladega, including the surprisingly good driver there in the Gen-7 era.
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50
334 - What people are missing in reviewing the Roval
Doug, Dan, and Devin sum up the Roval cutoff race from Charlotte and why Shane van Gisbergen's dominant win and Ross Chastain's Playoffs loss are both misunderstood. They also preview Vegas and give their shot-in-the-dark Playoff prediction
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49
333 - Trophy tunnel vision opens the door for Chase Elliott's Kansas win
Doug, Dan, and Devin process the crazy Kansas Speedway finish and how Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace got tunnel vision and served the win to Chase Elliott. They also discuss how hard getting above the cutline at the Roval will be, Rodney Childers' move to the Xfinity Series, and much more.
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48
332 - Race craft, conflict, modern crew chiefs
Doug, Devin, and Dan give their highs and lows from New Hampshire and why Ryan Blaney was already an elite performer before his dominant win. They also break down where both Hamlin and Gibbs went wrong in their conflict and why Gibbs needs to work on his race craft. They then explore the idea of third teams weakening organizations and preview Kansas. And Dan Elliott also asks what a modern crew chief's role is, as Trackhouse poaches Randall Burnett for Connor Zilisch.
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47
331- Bell, Bris-tires, and Dan's radio hacks
Doug, Devin, and Dan dissect the surprise tire wear fest won by Christopher Bell at Bristol last weekend. They each share their biggest high and low from the race weekend and Doug and Devin share the comments they heard from drivers and teams while they were on pit road and in the garage. Then they preview New Hampshire and discuss how difficult finding standout drivers is, along with Dan Elliott's funny story on fans hacking radios.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
NASCAR announcer and Atlanta traffic columnist Doug "Fireball" Turnbull, roving racing journo and college sports announcer Devin Kupka, and championship-winning NASCAR mechanic Dan Elliott go long form on five or so big stories in the racing world each week, along with tales from the garage and the grandstands from over the years. Their racing expertise ranges generations and their enthusiasm is endless. And they might even make you laugh.
HOSTED BY
Doug Turnbull
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