T.J.’s Notebook – Page 2

T.J.’s Notebook: High Limit Dominates PRI Headlines; Don’t Sleep on USAC Sprint Cars

The 2023 edition of the Performing Racing Industry trade show in Indianapolis is in the books as people throughout the short track industry return home and focus on continued preparation for 2024. There was plenty of news to be had around the industry centered around sprint car racing. […]

T.J.’s Notebook: Hefty Hardware, Hard Chargers, and Unexpected Moments Highlight Mace Thomas Classic at Butler

Life is pretty good when getting the winning hardware home is the biggest issue of the evening. […]

T.J.’s Notebook: Kraig Kinser Nets Strong Run Driving for Pete Grove at Tri-City

Kraig Kinser’s podium finish driving for Pete Grove, Zeb Wise’s thoughts on racing on front of the home crowd tonight, and a good local turnout despite storm damage throughout most of the area highlight this edition of T.J.’s Notebook. […]

T.J.’s Notebook: Great Racing is the Best Cure for the Knoxville Hangover

The week after the Knoxville Nationals often can feel like a drag. Typically, I’m right back at the racetrack for a couple of nights following the Nationals, but this year I took a week off knowing the Kokomo Sprint Car Smack Down and All Star Circuit of Champions invasion of the Mitten were looming. […]

T.J.’s Notebook: Litt Resilient After Berlin Crash

Ryan Litt had plenty of reasons to celebrate after winning the Must See Racing sprint car event last Saturday at Berlin Raceway. Just under one month before his sprint car victory Litt left Berin in the back of an ambulance after vicious supermodified crash. […]

T.J.’s Notebook: Breaking Down Point Performances at the Nationals

Every year at the Knoxville Nationals one of the debates that takes place during the event centers around the format. The point system used to determine the top 16 drivers locked into the Saturday night finale after a pair of preliminary nights is one of the most challenging in motorsports. […]

T.J.’s Notebook: How 360 Nationals Winners Fared in the 410 Nationals

T.J. breaks down how champions of the 360 Knoxville Nationals have done in the Knoxville Nationals for 410 Sprint Cars. […]

T.J.’s Notebook: Gravel’s Qualifying Effort; Marks Wild Run to Second

David Gravel opened some eyes Saturday at Eldora Speedway when he qualified 33rd overall in the 61 car field Saturday for the 40th Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway. Typically a good qualifier, Gravel’s ended up in 33rd spot after time trials were compete, putting him on the pole for a heat race, but precariously close to missing the heat race inversion that ends at 36th position. […]

T.J.’s Notebook from Eldora Million

Thursday night was the culmination of a long journey for Logan Schuchart to end up victorious in one of the majors in sprint car racing. It seems fitting after multiple second place finishes at the biggest races in our sport that Shark Racing found victory lane at a race with the highest winner’s purse in the sport’s history at $1,002,023. […]

T.J.’s Notebook: Silly Season Overdrive, Moles Impressive Performance, Three Sharks at Eldora

With the first night of the 4-Crown Nationals in the books, here are a few leftover notes from the “BeFour the Crowns” program before leaving the hotel for the second night of action at Eldora Speedway. […]

T.J.’s Notebook: Five Reasons Every Sprint Car Fan Should Experience the World 100

In 2018 I had the opportunity to cover the World 100 thanks to weather pushing it back to October. I had the World 100 on my list of events I wanted to cover for a considerable amount of time. […]

T.J.’s Notebook: Morfier Leaves the Flag Stand to Guide Attica Raceway Park

Andrew Morfier is likely a name you don’t recognize. When you are the head flagman for a racetrack like Attica Raceway Park that is the desired result. Typically, if attention is on the person waving the flags something did not happen properly. Morfier will step into a higher profile role for 2023 taking over as Director of Operations at Attica Raceway Park. […]

T.J.’s Notebook: Sprint Car Majors Continue with the Smack Down this week at Kokomo

The focus of the sprint car world has revolved around winged sprint car racing most of August, but this week non-wing sprint car racing takes center stage for the Kokomo Sprint Car Smackdown Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at Kokomo Speedway. […]

Pole Position Caps Landmark Day for Austin McCarl

The McCarl name is synonymous with the Knoxville Nationals as part of the “home team”, even when family members were traveling to race elsewhere. Austin McCarl gave those local fans a night to remember on Thursday by earning the pole position for the 61st NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals.
[…]