Podracing

Podracing's streak of picking winners came to a close in the Lone Star State-- although Kyle Busch was one of the main characters Sunday -- but that didn't stop Neil and Tyler from analyzing all things Texas, including Chase Elliott's win and the bumpy pavement at the track. And in fact, our driver focus segment is on Elliott as well, and whether his ability to mix wins with never having a bad day can carry him to a title. Then we look ahead to The Glen, where we get ready to Go Bowling with our one-and-done and betting picks. Finally, Neil pays tribute to a racing legend we lost this week.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Podracing did it again! Another driver we highlighted as a first-time winner to watch found his way to Victory Lane, in the form of Carson "Hurricane" Hocevar. (Sure, we were 1 week off compared with our winning Ty Gibbs prediction, but don't worry about it.) We'll break down what led to Hocevar's maiden win, and everything else we noticed in a Talladega race to remember. Then, we talk about Neil's piece on whether Kyle Busch can turn things around starting with a 10th-place run at Dega, and which historical drivers provided a template for that. Finally, we turn to Texas, a place where Dale Jr. claimed his first career win and where anything can happen in our one-and-done and betting picks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Another week, another Podracing where we find new superlatives to heap upon Tyler Reddick following a win. This time around, the No. 45 car prevailed in a race defined by a series of literally unbelievable twists and turns in the closing sequence. After breaking down how Reddick ended up the last driver standing, we update our previous research on how many races Reddick might win -- and where his season might rank all-time. As part of the latter, Neil also introduces a way to estimate Driver Ratings for seasons from 1972-2004, which helps us transition into Talladega talk with a rundown of the best modern-era single race and career performances at the track. Finally, we make our one-and-done and betting picks for the weekend at one of the sport's most chaotic tracks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Podracing told YOU, dear listener, that Ty Gibbs would win at Bristol -- and you can't say we (and he) didn't deliver. We break down Gibbs' long-awaited first Cup victory, and the scary competitors he did it against under pressure. Then we talk about the Next Ty Gibbs, and why it might just be Carson "Hurricane" Hocevar (or at least why he's next in line to win from that generation). Finally, we head to the purest of all "Mariovals", Kansas Speedway, to preview Sunday's AdventHealth 400 with our betting picks and one-and-done contest drivers of the week.==--See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After a week's break for Easter, the boys are refreshed and ready for the Cup Series to be back. Neil and Tyler chat for a bit about the off-week for Cup, which did include action at Rockingham in the Trucks and O'Reilly Series, and speculate about the NASCAR-based anime we want to watch. Then we pivot to breaking down Neil's NASCAR.com piece about Ty Gibbs' strong potential to pick up his first win this very weekend at Bristol, based on many positive indicators for the No. 54 team. And then we wrap the show with one-and-done picks (surely Gibbs makes a re-appearance?) and a breakdown of the betting lines for the Food City 500.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's the Easter Break, so it's time for a bit of a different episode than usual. Up top, Neil and Tyler dissect last week's Martinsville race like normal -- with flowers for winner Chase Elliott, but also Denny Hamlin, our guy Ty Gibbs, Austin Cindric and more. Then, instead of talking about That Oval or That Driver, we zoom out and Neil breaks down his NASCAR.com piece about the biggest takeaways from the first 7 races of 2026. First, we talk about how the Chase system and new horsepower regulations (among other themes) have tangibly affected the season already; then we talk about drivers that we know are good (or struggling) on the path to their current championship odds.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What can we even say about Tyler Reddick's 2026 season at this point? The No. 45 Toyota won AGAIN at Darlington for his 4th victory in the season's first 6 races. We break down the incredible challenges Reddick yet again overcame while highlighting some non-Reddick drivers who impressed us -- chief among them being Brad Keselowski. Then we pivot to more Reddick talk, unpacking Neil's story about how his wins are supercharging his points in the new standings format, and how many wins he might end up with when it's said and done. Finally, we look ahead to Martinsville with our betting tips and one-and-done picks of the week.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Podracing fellas are thrilled about what was the first mile-and-a-half race of the season last week at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. We break down the high points — both driving-wise and emotionally — of Denny Hamlin’s win at Vegas, then pivot to Neil’s research about the surprisingly large predictive effect of the season’s debut mile-and-half “Marioval”. Then we look ahead to a totally unique and not at all cookie-cutter track, the wonderfully asymmetrical Darlington, for Sunday’s race picks and one-and-done contest entries.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil and Tyler are known for their straight-talking, so they are right at home breaking down the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix, won by Ryan Blaney after passing his way up and down the field. We shoutout the race's other top performers as well, including Christopher Bell, longtime Podracing fave Ty Gibbs and, of course, podcast patron saint Shane Van Gisbergen -- whose 11th-place run has him SHOCKINGLY high in the standings. Then it's on to Neil's piece this week about drivers who are shockingly low in the standings -- and how panicked they should be already. Finally, we look ahead to Las Vegas, our first normal "Marioval" of the season where Kyle Larson is projected to reign... But will he make our one-and-done picks?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Tylers can't be stopped! In this week's Podracing, our Tyler (Lauletta) and Neil Paine break down Tyler Reddick's unprecedented 3-peat to start the 2026 season, which is now verging on absolutely legendary status. Not only did he survive a pair of drafting tracks for his first 2 wins, but then he held off the road-racing GOAT, SVG, over the final nearly 20 laps to take the crown at COTA. Looking ahead, we talk about Reddick's chances to go 4-for-4 at Phoenix, and why this week's trip to the desert might sneakily be the hardest leg of his win tour yet, given his record there. And then we zoom out to examine the rest of the favorites at Phoenix -- where it would certainly be poetic for Denny Hamlin to win -- and make our one-and-done picks, perhaps with Penskes on the mind.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The boys are excited to be back out on a track with left AND right turns this week -- but first, we break down a great race at Atlanta, where it was the Tyler show again as Reddick won back-to-back to open the season. We talk Carson Hocevar's aggressive choices, Bubba Wallace's missed shot at the win (and why that's not so bad this year), and we shoutout the surprisingly good performers of the week, including Ross Chastain, Zane Smith and SVG. Speaking of, we dive into Neil's piece on the SVG-Connor Zilisch rivalry, which will be renewed for real this weekend in Austin. Obviously, that duo ranks 1-2 in the pre-race odds, but we also highlight undervalued drivers at COTA -- hello, Kyle Busch and AJ Allmendinger -- and make our one-and-done contest picks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week's Podracing, Tyler and Neil break down all the chaos of the Daytona 500, including the epic final lap and Tyler Reddick's daring pair of race-winning moves to survive the carnage and score the greatest victory of his career. Then we talk about a pair of Neil articles -- one on Reddick's potential to make Daytona the first part of a huge bounce-back campaign, the other on the lasting legacy of Dale Earnhardt and what made The Intimidator so great. Finally, a look ahead to Atlanta, where many of the favorites are the same, but the odds are throwing us a few curveballs, and we make our one-and-done picks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil and Tyler open the 2026 season by diving straight into Daytona — NASCAR’s biggest race and also, by reputation, its biggest chaos-factory. But Neil breaks down his surprising research showing the Daytona 500 does have a measurable predictive link to the rest of a driver’s season (especially on superspeedways). Then the guys run through the betting board, arguing about why 2-time defending winner Byron isn't favored, and they bring back the fabled One-and-Done contest by hunting for underrated pack-racing specialists. Plus, we take one last deep breath before the Great American Race by reviewing our favorite season-long championship bets.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Following an icy and chaotic Clash at Bowman Gray, the boys are back to unpack a season-opening (sort of) win by Ryan Preece, one of our favorite drivers. We talk about the beefs that already seemed to be in mid-season form, the impressive ability to actually run a race under these conditions, and what we liked and didn't like coming out of the first warm-up of the year. Then we talk about Neil's story for NASCAR.com about the biggest storylines he's excited to watch play out this season -- including whether the new Chase gives us a new champ, what we're hoping to see from SVG and Connor Z., and which drivers we hope will bounce back and/or keep their strong 2025 form going.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Podracing, Neil and Tyler talk about NASCAR's much-anticipated return to The Chase system for determining its championship. We break down the new rules -- which we find are actually much simpler to explain than the old ones -- and get into how past seasons' results might have changed with the current format in place. (Sorry, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney -- and congrats, William Byron!) Finally, we also try to game out scenarios that might stress-test this new system, and how we will inevitably react when those happen, along with some Neil research on how often the final race of the season will feature a super-close points battle.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The boys are back on track for the last Podracing of the 2025 season! In this week's show, Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta recapped their favorite moments of 2025, including Mexico City weekend, SVG's streak, Larson's peak, Zilisch's arrival, barriers broken by Bubba Wallace and Katherine Legge, and more. Then we pivot to our own "red-carpet" award show with Neil unpacking his NASCAR.com column of 11 under-the-radar honors from the year, from qualifying aces to short-track standouts and even an award renaming. Finally, like true Sports Sickos, we looked ahead at the odds for the 2026 Daytona 500 -- because it's never to early to bet on racing.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Podracing, Neil and Tyler unpack an unforgettable — and emotionally complicated — Championship Weekend at Phoenix. Corey Heim capped a historic Trucks season with a validating win, while our guy Connor Zilisch saw his all-time Xfinity campaign fall short late. But the Cup race was the real heartbreaker: After 20 years of near-misses, Denny Hamlin did everything right… until a freak late caution (thanks to a William Byron tire failure) flipped the script and let Kyle Larson steal the title on an overtime restart. We break down how it all happened — and how it felt — from the driving decisions to the pit calls to the way the format itself enabled one of the most gutting defeats in sports history. Then Neil explains how Denny’s heartbreak stacks up against the worst losses ever using a new “Levels of Losing” framework, and we debate how we would fix the NASCAR playoff system once and for all, including Neil's appeal for perhaps a more golf-like approach to viewing the concept of a "champion" each year.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s Podracing, Tyler Lauletta and Neil Paine break down William Byron’s masterclass at Martinsville, where he put together one of the clutchest performances in playoff history to seal a Championship 4 spot — and send Ryan Blaney packing in the process. We also recap Christopher Bell’s quiet elimination, thanks in large part to Kyle Larson’s efficient drive into the final round. Then we preview the 2025 season finale at Phoenix, with case-for/case-against breakdowns on all four title contenders — Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, Larson and Byron — and what makes each storyline compelling (or tragic) depending on what happens Sunday. Finally, we make our last betting and one-and-done picks of the year, with the championship on the line both for the drivers… and for us.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s Podracing, Tyler Lauletta and I break down Chase Briscoe’s thrilling Talladega win to clinch a spot in the Championship 4 — and what it means for the “Briscoe Truthers” (aka us) who’ve been shouting his name for months. We marvel at a surprisingly clean superspeedway finish, shout out some model-backed longshots who delivered big (Todd Gilliland! Cole Custer! Zane Smith!), and dissect Kyle Larson’s surprising out-of-gas moment at the end. Then we preview the playoff picture heading into Martinsville — where Christopher Bell and Larson are safe, but only if no one below the cutline wins — and why the final Round of 8 spot might hinge on stage points, tiebreakers and the most literal (Christopher) Bell Curve of all. Finally, we make our betting and one-and-done picks for the Paperclip, where our “save the stars” strategy has left us with too many options and not enough races left to use them in.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Podracing, Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down Denny Hamlin’s return to the Championship 4 after a clutch Vegas win, while Chase Briscoe came this close to stealing it before getting passed late on worn tires. We dissect Byron’s wreck, Blaney’s rock-bottom run, and why playoff drivers dominating the Top 10 isn’t a coincidence anymore — especially with Logano warning that “there’s no one left to steal points from”. Then it’s time to zoom out to Neil’s latest playoff odds model update: Briscoe has a Playoff Mulligan left, Byron probably doesn’t, and Blaney is now in must-win territory at Talladega. Finally: Who’s got the edge on superspeedways? Who's the best value bet? And will Tyler build on his contest lead in a Penske-only round of one-and-done picks?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Podracing, Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta recap an all-time Roval finish, where Ross Chastain tried to video-game his way into advancing (again) — and ended up crossing the line in reverse as Joey Logano slipped through the chaos. We break down Paul Wolfe’s pit-call of the year, Denny Hamlin’s galaxy-brain playoff calculus (or lack thereof), and why the field may live to regret letting Joey's title hopes live. Then it’s time to update the playoff odds and power-rank who's due for a good weekend at Las Vegas as the Round of 8 begins. Plus: We make our betting picks, and both podcasters continue their seesaw chase for the one-and-done contest lead.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Podracing, Neil and Tyler break down the chaos at Kansas — including Denny Hamlin’s mind-melting decision to run his own 23XI driver, Bubba Wallace, into the wall… and hand the win to Chase Elliott. We try to figure out what exactly Denny was thinking, wonder if NASCAR needs some version of F1-style team orders, and give Elliott credit for capitalizing when it mattered most. We also discuss Zane Smith’s terrifying wall-slide, before updating the playoff odds and power-ranking which drivers MUST win this week at the Roval — an unfortunate group that includes Bubba, Reddick, Cindric and maybe even Chastain. Only problem? They’ll have to go through Shane van Gisbergen, the road-course king and massive betting favorite. We wrap by making our Roval picks in the one-and-done contest, where Neil has retaken the lead… but will Tyler throw caution to the wind and take SVG despite the lack of playoff bonus?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Podracing, Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down Ryan Blaney’s Round of 12 win at Loudon — the first real Ford/Penske statement of the playoffs — and a redemption drive (if a bit too late) from Josh Berry. We also dissect the sudden collapse of Toyota’s playoff momentum, including infighting at JGR and disastrous days for 23XI’s Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, who took the biggest hits in Neil’s forecast model. Speaking of the model, the new title favorite is now Blaney, but we also dive into Neil’s story on how Kyle Larson might be waking up at the perfect time — and how Kansas could see him reset the entire playoff picture. Finally, we preview this week’s race at one of Larson’s best tracks, where he’s the runaway favorite, and make our one-and-done picks as Tyler regains the lead — but Neil might be ready to deploy his Larson emergency plan.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Podracing, Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down the absolute tire-shredding chaos of the Bristol night race, where Christopher Bell survived fire, attrition and a late restart to semi-vulture the win — while Chase Elliott and Austin Cindric barely escaped elimination. We then pivot to Neil’s NASCAR.com piece on the playoff Round of 12, spotlighting the razor-thin margins between Bubba Wallace, Elliott, Tyler Reddick, and Joey Logano — a quartet of contenders who could just as easily crash the Round of 8 party or be left watching from home. With the model showing how form and track fit are pulling drivers in opposite directions, we preview the next pressure point at New Hampshire, a Phoenix-like flat track where Toyota (and Bell) have shined. Finally, we make our betting and one-and-done picks, as Neil retakes the lead — for now — and Tyler fires back with a Larson-sized counterpunch.-See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Podracing, Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down Denny Hamlin’s dominant victory in St. Louis — err, Illinois (which we enjoyed) — where his 142.2 driver rating secured a stress-free Round of 12 berth and kept Toyota’s perfect playoff run intact. Along those lines, we also dive into Neil’s latest NASCAR.com story on where this Toyota hot streak ranks historically, plus run through the updated playoff odds model: Who’s safe (Denny), who’s toast (SVG 😔), and who’s locked in a cutline duel at Bristol (the Battle of the Austins: Cindric vs. Dillon). Finally, we preview the chaos ahead on the Bristol concrete, where tire management could decide everything, and see whether Neil will swing big to reclaim the one-and-done lead from Tyler.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Podracing, Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta unpack all the playoff fallout from a wild opener at Darlington — including Chase Briscoe’s perfect 150 Driver Rating victory, holding off Tyler Reddick and Erik Jones in the dirty air to secure entry to the Round of 12. We update the evolving championship odds after tough days for Josh Berry and the usually dominant Hendrick camp (especially Alex Bowman), while Toyota teams surged ahead and Joey Logano + Austin Dillon are lurking to steal SVG’s spot. Plus: Zilisch Watch returns with another road-course win (via a… creative track-limits interpretation), and we make our Gateway betting and one-and-done picks, where the Fords could be ascendant and must-win desperation might matter a lot.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta deliver the Podracing Playoff Preview you’ve been waiting for, recapping the dramatic Daytona cutoff race where Ryan Blaney didn’t need a win but got one anyway — denying a playoff berth to Daniel Suarez, Justin Haley, Cole Custer and Erik Jones, and saving Alex Bowman in the process. We also unpack the bizarre Zilisch/Kligerman Xfinity win (a real W for Parker, but not in the stats). Then it's off to Neil’s forecast model to preview the newly set playoff field -- including the overall favorites, which drivers are already under pressure at Darlington, and the biggest Round of 16 nemeses. Finally, we reset our one-and-done picks with 10 races to go. Let the postseason chaos begin!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down Austin Dillon’s actual, legitimate playoff-clinching win at Richmond — ya gotta give the guy his flowers. Then we dig into the newly released 2026 Cup Series schedule, including big upgrades to the In-Season Challenge track lineup next year. Plus, with Daytona looming as a win-or-go-home elimination race, we talk about who the real superspeedway specialists are — and why the track’s “total chaos” reputation might be a little overstated. And finally, one-and-done and betting picks, where Neil’s best week of the year came riding with… Austin Dillon. Go figure.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down a chaotic weekend at Watkins Glen, where Connor Zilisch wrecked Shane van Gisbergen to win in Xfinity — then wrecked himself in Victory Lane during the celebration. That meant no Zilisch vs. SVG rematch in the Cup race… and SVG cruised to his fourth straight road-course win. Is he too dominant? We look to Formula 1 for clues on how dynasties eventually end. Then we spotlight Chase Briscoe, who’s quietly been the best driver in Cup over the past few months, and preview Richmond — where tire wear reigns and strategy is make-or-break. Plus: Neil’s cursed one-and-done pick got him zero points last week… can he recover with the scrap heap drivers we have left?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down William Byron’s daring fuel-mileage win at Iowa — where he led the most laps, running the last 64 of them under green, and still somehow had just enough gas to finish the job. Then we dig into Neil’s piece on the “must-win” drivers below the cutline and who still has a shot at crashing the playoff field with a late victory. And finally, it’s road-course time again as we preview Watkins Glen, where the showdown between Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch could be legendary. There WILL be bowling at the Glen… but will there be a fourth straight road win for SVG? Another coming-of-age moment for his teenage phenom rival? Or some other outcome we won't have seen coming?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down Bubba Wallace’s clutch win at the Brickyard — holding off Kyle Larson in double OT to end his losing streak and solidify his playoff standing as the bubble pressure was rising. Then we dive into the continued rise of Connor Zilisch, who keeps winning (on every track type) and might just be HIM. Plus: Honest takeaways from the first-ever In-Season Challenge, and our betting/one-and-done picks for Iowa in a long-awaited return to short tracks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Podracing, Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down Denny Hamlin’s rain-delayed overtime win at Dover — his fourth of the season — and dig into Neil’s story on why this might be the 44-year-old’s best (and maybe last?) shot at his long-awaited first Cup Series title. Then we turn our attention to the all-Ty finale of the In-Season Challenge, where Ty Gibbs and Ty Dillon made sure someone with the same given name as our own Tyler was winning the bracket either way. Plus: One-and-done and betting picks for Indy, where Denny is (surprise!) the statistical favorite again.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shane van Gisbergen kept his road-course reign alive with another win at Sonoma — and Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down how he did it (again). We also took a little Xfinity Series detour to ask whether Connor Zilisch might be the chosen one to stop the SVG dominance on twisty tracks. Then it’s back to ovals — hallelujah! — as we dig into Neil’s story on what makes Dover such a brutal and skill-demanding challenge. Plus: One-and-done picks, betting angles and our In-Season Challenge Final 4 predictions as the bracket tightens up.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can anyone stop the Patron Saint of Podracing?? Shane van Gisbergen swept the streets of Chicago — taking both the Xfinity and Cup wins — so Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta are here to break it down, including the late caution that helped SVG seal the deal. We then dive into Neil’s story, making the case for SVG (and a few others) as the greatest road-course racer in NASCAR history. Finally, we preview Sonoma, where -- big surprise -- van Gisbergen is once again the favorite, plus make our one-and-done picks and update the In-Season Challenge bracket odds.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down Chase Elliott’s win in Atlanta and celebrate the chaotic, bracket-busting finish of the first race of NASCAR’s in season tournament. Then, Neil goes through his list of drivers who can potentially keep up with SVG as we head to the streets of Chicago this weekend.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Podracing, Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down Chase Briscoe’s brilliant fuel-saving victory at Pocono, and then we deep-dive on NASCAR’s first-ever In-Season Challenge, which kicks off this week in Atlanta. Based on the bracket matchups and Neil’s tournament odds model, who has a dream path, who drew the short straw, and which Cinderellas might crash the party? Finally, we make our one-and-done and betting picks as the knockout rounds begin.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta kick off this week's Podracing with a breakdown of Shane Van Gisbergen’s road-course clinic in Mexico City — and why his playoff spot is legit, even if he's 30th in points. Then we go continent-hopping through Neil’s story on potential international NASCAR destinations, from Interlagos to Zandvoort to Kyalami. (There are no ice ovals in Antarctica... yet.) Plus: one-and-done and betting picks for Pocono's tricky triangle, a Tyler fave track where there's no SVG wave for Neil to ride to victory this time.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta talk Denny Hamlin's fuel-saving masterclass at Michigan, and why we shouldn't take his impressive streak of 3-win seasons for granted. Then we pay tribute to the Patron Saint of Podracing, Shane Van Gisbergen, ahead of the Mexico City race -- the first in what could be a season-defining set of races for SVG. And finally, we make our weekly betting and one-and-done picks; with Neil successfully having tanked for the prized first pick going into an unknown road course, any guesses on who he will take?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down Ryan Blaney’s dominant win at Nashville and ask the eternal question: Why doesn’t he always do this? We also have good words for the new Amazon NASCAR broadcast, we unpack Neil’s deep dive into Michigan as the fastest track in the sport, and we make our weekly betting and one-and-done picks — where Tyler’s cold streak has Neil back in the lead.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down a wild Coca-Cola 600, where Kyle Larson’s Indy/Charlotte double came up short again, and William Byron and Denny Hamlin dominated… until Ross Chastain swooped in to "vulture the Vulture”. Then we dive into Neil's piece on how Chastain’s more measured driving style might be making him better than ever. Plus, we make our picks for this week’s betting slate and one-and-done contest.0:00 Open2:07: Larson's double reactions11:44 Coca-Cola 600 recap20:57: Should the Coca-Cola 600 rotate tracks?26:13: Who's that driver?43:05: Tell me about that oval45:34: Nashville preview52:48: One and done picksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta recap Christopher Bell’s All-Star W at North Wilkesboro, where Joey Logano led the most laps again but couldn’t win back-to-back All-Star Races. Then it’s on to Kyle Larson’s Indy 500/Coke 600 “Double Duty” bid, as we dig into Neil’s piece on the history of drivers trying to conquer both races in a single day, and what makes Larson’s attempt so compelling. Finally, we make our picks -- both betting and one-and-done -- for Charlotte.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Podracing, Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta talk about Kyle Larson’s latest dominant win, and the story Neil wrote exploring his historic ability to blow away the field. Then we survey the Cup Series landscape at midseason in Neil’s NASCAR driver grades column for ESPN. And we preview the upcoming All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, discussing the betting odds as NASCAR’s best take center stage.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta react to Joey Logano’s big Texas win — and the big release of Netflix’s Full Speed Season 2 this week. We break down a literal hot-seat moment for Denny Hamlin, unpack JGR’s sudden slump after a red-hot start (per Neil’s latest story), and preview Kansas with our favorite bets and one-and-done picks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down a surprisingly clean race at Talladega. Then, Neil takes us on a deep dive through Chase Elliott’s winless streak, which is a lot better than it looks on paper. Finally, the boys make their picks for the one-and-done contest.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the absence of a Cup race to break down from this past weekend, Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta chat instead about the reported possibility of a rotating championship-race location for future seasons -- which tracks would be in our dream rotation? Then, in the spirit of the upcoming NFL Draft, we have a mini-draft of the winless 2025 drivers most likely to stop that trend at Talladega this week. And finally, we throw out all of that previous draft research when we make our one-and-done picks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta recap Kyle Larson’s latest Bristol beatdown and Ty Gibbs’ recent improvement. Then, with the Cup Series off for Easter, attention shifts to Rockingham's return, where Neil breaks down the track’s rich history — and maybe a new tire-wear profile? — ahead of the Xfinity Series race. Plus: Our favorite Xfinity bets, a Sheldon Creed stat that might matter, and a shoutout to Kasey Kahne's comeback.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down another win for Denny Hamlin at the track too tough to tame. Neil takes a look through the NASCAR record books to see who could pull an Ovechkin. Plus, another exciting edition of the one-and-done contest.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down the Xfinity madness and Denny Hamlin’s weirdly long-awaited 6th win at Martinsville. We talk about Bubba Wallace’s quietly great season, with back-to-back podiums putting him on breakout watch. Plus, Darlington looms as we lock in our one-and-done picks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta are back to discuss the race that was in Miami, with Kyle Larson capping off a dominant weekend. Neil takes us through some new statistical goodies that NASCAR let us peek under the hood at. We preview Martinsville and discuss who needs to get things rolling at the Paperclip.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta recap the race that was in Las Vegas, including lonely tires and a pitch to remake the checkered flag. Neil explains why you can take the championship out of Homestead-Miami, but you can’t take Homestead-Miami out of the championship.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.