Podracing

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.