Blog – TJSlideways.com

T.J.’s Notebook: Breaking Down the Format for the Classic

The Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic is often referred to as the Knoxville Nationals for Australian Sprintcar Racing. Much like the Nationals, the Classic offers a tricky format that can trip up drivers if they have a misstep on their preliminary night…

[…]

Jimmy McCune (#88) racing with Jason Blonde (#42) Sunday at Owosso Speedway. (T.J. Buffenbarger Photo)

T.J.’s Notebook: Lewis Tabbed to Make Feiler’s Vision Become Reality

Imagine loving the sport of auto racing so much that you wanted to leave behind a thank you note of sorts as you get into an advanced age. This summer Dick Feiler, who most readers will know as the owner of the entry Bobby Santos drives in various pavement sprint car series and the USAC Silver Crown Series, will do just that with the Race for the Million series for winged pavement sprint cars.

[…]

T.J.’s Takeaways from the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals Finale

Axsom brilliant move to take the fight to Larson in the feature, Swindell Speedlabs reaches super team status, and victory laps are all covered in this edition of the takeaways.

[…]

Logan Seavey in victory lane Friday night at the Chili Bowl Nationals. (Serena Dalhamer Photo)

T.J.’s Takeaways from Friday Night Program at the Chili Bowl Nationals

After a feature event Friday night at the Chili Bowl Nationals that made me struggle to find adjectives to describe how good the racing was, I could probably write 3,000 words on various takeaways from a thrilling night it was from start to finish.

[…]

Brian Ruhlman (#49), Dustin Daggett (#85), and Jared Horstman (#17) racing three wide Friday at Tri-City Motor Speedway. (Jim Denhamer Photo)

T.J.’s Takeaways About the GLSS Switch to American Racer

Amid one of the busier winter stretches in our sport major news about tires has been a hot topic over the past several days capped off with Friday’s news of the Great Lakes Super Sprints switching to American Racer.

[…]

T.J.’s Notebook: RaceSaver Looks to Break the Mold by Producing Their Own Alternate Tire

When RaceSaver president Roger Hadan was getting feedback from his race teams for ideas to improve the experience with the grassroots level sprint car division, one consistent source of frustration for teams was the cost of consumables for a race night, and in particular tires.

[…]

T.J.’s Takeaways from Wednesday at the Chili Bowl Nationals

T.J. believes you shouldn’t sleep on Emerson Axsom for the Chili Bowl finale, life being more interesting with T-Mez in contention, and how the rest of the week will be hard pressed to be as good as the feature we witnessed on Wednesday night at the Chili Bowl Nationals.

[…]

T.J.’s Takeaways from Tuesday Night at the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals

Blake Hahn creating a moment that made me start the entire takeaways column from scratch, Matt Seymour and Hank Davis are still very good, Jett Barnes impresses, and it’s great having Bondio back in the building, and several contenders find misfortune on the second night of action at the Chili Bowl Nationals.

[…]

Ricky Thornton Jr (Serena Dalhamer photo)

T.J.’s Notebook: Tuesday Picks for the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals

T.J. makes another round of predictions leading into the second night of action at the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals presented by NOS Energy Drink.

[…]

T.J.’s Notebook: Monday Picks for the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals

T.J.’s list of drivers he feels have the best shot at making Saturday’s finale for the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals through their preliminary night.

[…]

Great Lakes Edition: Darin Naida Returns to Tulsa with Binks and Three Cylinder Power

Darin Naida made what has become a familiar trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma in January to compete in the 40th Annual Chili Bowl Nationals at the Tulsa Expo Raceway inside of the Sage Net Center.

[…]

Justin Peck at Butler Motor Speedway during a High Limit Racing event. (T.J. Buffenbarger Photo)

T.J.’s Takeaways from the 2026 High Limit Schedule Release

T.J. offers his takeaways from the first revision of the 2026 High Limit Racing schedule that was released on Monday.

[…]

T.J.’s Takeaways on Brad Sweet Stepping Away from Full Time Competition

During the 2025 Kubota High Limit Racing banquet Grass Valley, California sprint car driver and series owner Brad Sweet announced he would be stepping away from full time sprint car competition.

[…]

Bobby Allen at Attica Raceway Park. (Mike Nelligan/MSPN Photo)

T.J.’s Notebook: the Bobby Allen Influence

Bobby Allen was a figure in the sport of sprint car racing that didn’t just transcend generations. He linked eras of the sport when Outlaw sprint car racing rocketed towards being the top echelon of the sport.

[…]

Kyle Cummins Saturday at Butler Motor Speedway. (T.J. Buffenbarger Photo)

T.J.’s Takeaways 30 Years in the Making with USAC at Butler

Why I think Saturday’s win could set the tone for Kyle Cummins team for the rest of the season, Justin Grant’s toughness fits in any era of sprint car racing, Butler becoming bottom dominant again, and other topics covered from Saturday’s USAC National Sprint Car event in this edition of the takeaways.

[…]