S2 Episode 3: Pre Season Thunder

[00:00:05] Speaker A: This is raids rowdy racing with Caleb Conrady and Dawson Edwards. [00:00:13] Speaker B: Good afternoon, beautiful people. [00:00:17] Speaker A: There it is. I haven't heard it all year. I don't think yet. [00:00:22] Speaker B: Yeah, we have a unplanned. We were just kind of bored, didn't have a whole lot going on. Said we weren't going to do a podcast this week here. We are going to do a podcast this week. [00:00:33] Speaker A: Going to be an unscheduled pit stop here. [00:00:35] Speaker B: Yeah, unscheduled pit stop. I like that. I kind of was listening to some racing podcasts, got some cool ideas. I was like, they kind of talked. [00:00:44] Speaker C: About certain people, kind of what they're. [00:00:46] Speaker B: Going to do this year. [00:00:48] Speaker C: And I was like, why not us do that? Give us our uneducated opinion on what. [00:00:55] Speaker B: We think will happen this year. Go through final fours, go through what we think will happen in the 500. We're going to kind of start literally at Wednesday with qualifying and work our way down into the points. I think that's kind of what we're going to do. [00:01:07] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:01:09] Speaker B: Old school NASCAR. This preseason thunder. That's what we're going to title this thing. [00:01:13] Speaker C: Hell yeah. [00:01:14] Speaker B: Randy Adams will know about preseason thunder. [00:01:16] Speaker C: He'll remember that. [00:01:17] Speaker A: I actually don't know if anybody, I just got a lesson in preseason thunder because that was long gone by the. [00:01:23] Speaker C: Time I came around. [00:01:24] Speaker B: Preseason Thunder was when the cars went out and tested before Daytona started. [00:01:30] Speaker C: Things they just don't do anymore. They just don't test at all. No. [00:01:35] Speaker A: Unless they're testing just short track packages that don't actually change anything. [00:01:39] Speaker C: That's the only thing we test anymore. Yeah. [00:01:41] Speaker B: And then they could drive all the. [00:01:42] Speaker C: Way from North Carolina to Phoenix to test those. Yeah. [00:01:46] Speaker B: Like there's not 800 short tracks within 200 miles of charlote, North Carolina. [00:01:53] Speaker A: It would just make too much sense. [00:01:55] Speaker B: Man wants to save money, don't forget. [00:01:57] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. [00:02:02] Speaker A: We can get into that immediately. [00:02:03] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:02:04] Speaker B: You can just start right there and. [00:02:05] Speaker C: Be like, well, what about this? [00:02:07] Speaker B: What about know, you just keep going and going and going, but we're not. [00:02:10] Speaker C: Going to get into any of that. Nope. We're gonna start with tomorrow night. Caleb, we can go back and forth. [00:02:19] Speaker B: Here on asking each other questions, but. [00:02:21] Speaker C: I'm gonna ask you here. So I'll go ahead and throw this out here. Denny Hamlin. His predictions are Jimmy Johnson qualifies on the front row. [00:02:32] Speaker A: Oh, gosh. [00:02:33] Speaker B: And Kyle Bush wins a Daytona 500. [00:02:36] Speaker A: No wonder Kyle so high up there. Everybody's been listening to him. [00:02:40] Speaker B: To the 500. Next we're going to go in chronological order here from the qualifying to the duels. We're going to talk about trucks, xfinity, then the 500. [00:02:49] Speaker C: So first off here, Caleb, front row. [00:02:52] Speaker B: Prediction for the 500 tomorrow night. [00:02:55] Speaker C: What you got? [00:02:55] Speaker A: I think one. I couldn't agree less with Denny Hamlin's assessment of things. [00:03:03] Speaker B: He called it a bold prediction, which. [00:03:06] Speaker A: I'm glad he said that because I couldn't agree more. That is an extremely bold prediction. My prediction, if you're talking simply qualifying. [00:03:16] Speaker C: Simply qualifying here, my prediction is you'd. [00:03:19] Speaker A: Got to be an idiot to not go with history and know that at least one Hendrick driver is going to be sitting on that front row. It doesn't matter whether it's the pole. [00:03:27] Speaker B: I agree with you. [00:03:28] Speaker C: Doesn't matter whether it's runner up. [00:03:29] Speaker A: There is going to be a Hendrick. [00:03:30] Speaker C: Driver sitting on that front row. [00:03:32] Speaker A: I could absolutely see it being Larson. [00:03:35] Speaker C: Or Bowman starting this race up front. Chase, I wouldn't be surprised, but they've. [00:03:42] Speaker A: Just been too inconsistent in the previous year. I think they've got a lot of. [00:03:45] Speaker C: Mojo to get back. [00:03:47] Speaker A: And Byron, I mean, I could see. [00:03:49] Speaker C: It happening, but Bowman has proven himself. [00:03:52] Speaker A: So many times in 500 qualifying that. [00:03:54] Speaker C: He can get it done. I don't see any reason to think that you shouldn't predict the 48 or the five up on the front row, possibly both of them. [00:04:04] Speaker A: The other half of that equation, though, it's so hard for me to make a guess because Ford and Toyota are. [00:04:11] Speaker C: Running these new bodies and this entire. [00:04:14] Speaker A: Race and qualifying is going to be. [00:04:16] Speaker C: Based off aerodynamics and it's hard to. [00:04:19] Speaker A: Make a guess on that. [00:04:20] Speaker C: So I think the only thing I can accurately predict, I believe, is that a Hendrick driver will be on the front row. [00:04:27] Speaker A: If I had to just make an absolute wild guess. Ford's always strong, so I would say. [00:04:32] Speaker C: It'S probably another Ford driver. Gosh, consistent Ford drivers. Blaney? He struggles in qualifying a lot. [00:04:40] Speaker A: He can get it done. [00:04:41] Speaker C: Just depends on the track. I don't know. [00:04:43] Speaker A: I'm going to say Legano and either Bowman or Larson are going to be. [00:04:47] Speaker C: My two guys up front. [00:04:48] Speaker B: It's hilarious because, like I said, this is unplanned. Me and Caleb haven't talked about this at all. [00:04:53] Speaker C: No. [00:04:53] Speaker A: Have not prepared this whatsoever. [00:04:55] Speaker B: I am pretty much just going to reiterate what you just said. I agree wholeheartedly with everything you just said. [00:05:03] Speaker C: I saw a stat in which, obviously. [00:05:05] Speaker B: I know over the last freaking seven, eight years, Alex Bowman has been the Daytona 500 qualifying God. [00:05:13] Speaker C: But he has out of history of. [00:05:16] Speaker B: NASCAR, the most front row starts in the Daytona 500. And then when you see that stat, you're like, oh, totally. [00:05:22] Speaker C: It's happened. Feels like every year. [00:05:24] Speaker B: But to see all those stats that have been. Every daytona stat is pretty much owned by someone with the last name of Earnhardt. [00:05:34] Speaker C: And to see one that's not is just like. [00:05:37] Speaker B: You're just kind of like, oh, wow. You don't really expect that. [00:05:41] Speaker A: No, you don't. [00:05:43] Speaker B: Bowman has the most front row starts ever. [00:05:45] Speaker C: I am 100% with you. [00:05:47] Speaker B: If it wasn't for the Ford and Toyota bodies, I would say it's going to be two chevrolets on the front row. And I'm going to pick Bowman and just be that guy. [00:05:58] Speaker C: Because why not? [00:06:00] Speaker B: Instead of Larson, I could see Bowman. [00:06:03] Speaker C: I'm going to pick Bowman or Byron. [00:06:05] Speaker B: Because you did Bowman and Larson. [00:06:06] Speaker C: I'll pick Bowman and Byron. [00:06:08] Speaker B: And I am also with you on the Ford. And it's either. [00:06:13] Speaker C: They're either going to come out and. [00:06:16] Speaker B: Kind of like, they, like, why would they change everything and be. [00:06:20] Speaker C: They're. [00:06:20] Speaker B: They're probably going to come out and kick ass, if I had to guess. And I'm going to go out and be even weirder. And I'm going to say one of the front row motorsports, either Tod Gillen or Michael McDowell on the front row for the 500. [00:06:36] Speaker A: Gosh, you all in these brave predictions, man. [00:06:38] Speaker C: Yeah. That's wild. [00:06:40] Speaker B: This is for fun, so I'm not putting money on it. [00:06:42] Speaker A: Incredibly for fun, for sure. [00:06:44] Speaker C: So I'm going to say front row motorsports because of their name and they're in a Ford and Byron or Bowman. That's who I'm going to pick. [00:06:55] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, it's come true tomorrow night. I totally see why we agree on the Hendrick thing. The hardest part about it is simply. [00:07:03] Speaker C: Like we said, these new bodies, they're. [00:07:06] Speaker A: Going to change everything about the aerodynamics. [00:07:08] Speaker C: Of both of those programs. [00:07:11] Speaker A: Ford obviously needed help last year all around, so hopefully this body can provide. [00:07:15] Speaker C: A little bit of. [00:07:19] Speaker A: It's just, it's impossible. We don't have any access to any kind of data about how these things. [00:07:23] Speaker C: Are going to react. [00:07:24] Speaker A: The only idea at all we have about their performance is based off of. [00:07:28] Speaker C: The world's smallest racetrack right now. So you can't really gauge anything about. [00:07:34] Speaker A: Improvements off of exhibition race one time. [00:07:38] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:07:38] Speaker B: Nothing about La Coliseum and Daytona 500. [00:07:41] Speaker C: They have literally negative in common. Yeah, they do. [00:07:45] Speaker A: So I don't know. It's tough. These predictions are about as blind as we can possibly go. We're going off a history while also trying to keep in mind that things are changing. [00:07:54] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:07:54] Speaker B: And I just thought it was a great point when they said they're not going to change things for the. So Ford. [00:07:59] Speaker C: Really? [00:08:00] Speaker B: Ford. Ford is great at plate tracks. I was actually looking at some of our titles. We have a title that's like, fords. [00:08:07] Speaker C: Are fast at plate tracks or drafting. [00:08:10] Speaker B: Tracks, whatever people call that nowadays. I'm going to still call them plate tracks. And we can throw Atlanta into that. That's fine, but we're only throwing Atlanta into that from last year and up. [00:08:19] Speaker C: Or first year it happened. Yeah, there's some dark horses in there. [00:08:24] Speaker A: Your kezzas, your bushers. [00:08:25] Speaker C: Totally. [00:08:27] Speaker A: Any Joe Gibbs driver? I don't know. I get very hesitant to try to support anything Joe Gibbs when it comes. [00:08:34] Speaker C: To a plate track because. Totally. [00:08:35] Speaker A: Well, they're always playing conservative. [00:08:37] Speaker B: This kind of leads us into. [00:08:39] Speaker A: Unless it's Denny Hamlin actually racing the 500. [00:08:41] Speaker C: Let me preface it with that. [00:08:43] Speaker B: Yeah, one of the best drafting guys we have that is going to preface me into this next thing. [00:08:47] Speaker C: The duels. [00:08:48] Speaker B: I think obviously last year the Fords. [00:08:51] Speaker C: Had the 100% best nose to push. [00:08:54] Speaker B: With the Toyota and Chevrolet nose. [00:08:57] Speaker C: Both were very similar. [00:08:59] Speaker B: Last year they kind of had the point, if you can see my hands. [00:09:01] Speaker C: Here, to an extent. [00:09:03] Speaker B: I remember a few years ago, Chevrolet's point was literally two pointed. [00:09:06] Speaker C: And they brought it back to kind. [00:09:08] Speaker B: Of fix that with a new body style, the Camaro. [00:09:10] Speaker C: I remember that they would get a. [00:09:12] Speaker B: Little to the left, little to the. [00:09:13] Speaker C: Right, and it would make you squirrely. So I think racing wise, you are. [00:09:19] Speaker B: Going to see Toyota is going to race better than they ever have before as a whole. [00:09:25] Speaker C: Two reasons. First reason is if you look at the top front of their nose piece, it is flat. Second reason is they added three new toyotas to the pack for the 500. You have all three legacy guys with. [00:09:41] Speaker B: John Hunter, Eric Jones and Jimmy Johnson. Jimmy Johnson pending if he makes the race. I think he will. [00:09:47] Speaker C: He made it last year in a. [00:09:50] Speaker B: Legacy car, and legacy is 100% going to be better than they were last year. So pending on a wreck, I think. [00:09:56] Speaker C: Jimmy makes the Daytona 500. Yeah, I could agree with that. [00:10:00] Speaker A: You can't deny the experience he's coming in there with. [00:10:02] Speaker C: So he'll have a cool head, he'll know what he needs to do, and. [00:10:06] Speaker A: He knows he can't really afford. I think he drives conservatively, but he has the skill to be able to do that and also put himself in the position that he. [00:10:15] Speaker B: Exactly. I mean, we're talking about Jimmy Johnson. It's hard for us to pick dual winners because we don't know dual lineups. [00:10:22] Speaker C: Yet and we don't know which drivers in what race. So we do have our guys that. [00:10:27] Speaker B: We are going to get into. [00:10:29] Speaker C: We will talk more about plate racing. [00:10:31] Speaker B: When we get to the 500 section of this podcast. So I don't want to ruin that yet. [00:10:35] Speaker C: I just think toyotas overall will race better as a whole because that puts. [00:10:42] Speaker B: Them at 456789 cars. [00:10:46] Speaker C: Now nine toyotas can get together with a flatter. No, they needed it. [00:10:51] Speaker B: Yeah, they did. They did. Kind of like Denny said, this is the first year they've had enough cars to make their own strategy. Before you had to latch onto the Chevy strategy or latch onto the Ford strategy. So now with nine cars, that's enough to have a good strong pack. They can pit and make their own calls instead of riding on the coattails of another. [00:11:15] Speaker A: Mean. I think it's a pretty thought for sure. The one thing that makes me nervous about relying on that strategy is the simple lack of experience in all of. [00:11:23] Speaker C: Those cars that are being added. I mean, John Hunter, brand new to. [00:11:29] Speaker A: This car, pretty much. Noah Gragson, he's been out for the past however many months, hasn't even been able to race. He does have some experience. [00:11:37] Speaker C: Oh, he isn't a Ford. [00:11:38] Speaker A: What am I talking about? I was thinking of the 43. [00:11:42] Speaker C: Eric Jones. [00:11:43] Speaker A: Thank you, Eric Jones. He's got some good stuff, Jimmy. [00:11:46] Speaker C: He hasn't really raced a ton in this new car. [00:11:50] Speaker A: So you got a lot of experience to draw from, but not a lot. [00:11:54] Speaker C: Of experience in this car. [00:11:56] Speaker A: On one hand, I see the strength of numbers argument. On the other hand, I see a. [00:12:00] Speaker C: Lot of potential pitfalls in that. [00:12:03] Speaker A: It's going to be fun to watch what they do differently because it really. [00:12:06] Speaker C: Has been Toyota Shoehorn in on one. [00:12:10] Speaker A: Of the other strategies. It's going to be really neat to see how they adjust to having their. [00:12:15] Speaker C: Own thing back again. [00:12:16] Speaker B: Their biggest thing is just the numbers. Having the nine cars to all pit at the same time, that's pretty much what I'm saying. I know the experience level and such of the other drivers is totally different, but I feel like Denny Hamlin is going to lead. [00:12:35] Speaker C: He's going to lead this pack, make. [00:12:37] Speaker B: A lot of the calls. Obviously, Denny likes to get out of the pack if he thinks crazy stuff's going to happen, which I totally understand. [00:12:44] Speaker C: But having nine guys is definitely going to help them out regardless. Yeah. [00:12:50] Speaker A: How many wrecks you think we have in the duels this year, man, I. [00:12:53] Speaker B: Hate to be that old guy, but it always turns into one duel is super calm. [00:12:58] Speaker C: One duel is not. [00:12:59] Speaker B: Yeah, it always is that way. And history repeats itself every single year. And they've been saying that, dude, since I was a kid, they've been talking about, man, one duel is always calm and tame. And you got one. [00:13:13] Speaker C: That's crazy. So I don't know. [00:13:20] Speaker B: I think four go or go home guys. [00:13:22] Speaker C: That means like two and one. [00:13:25] Speaker A: Two and the other. [00:13:28] Speaker B: You got 36 guys locked in and there's four spots they're racing for, which there's four over. [00:13:37] Speaker C: I could be totally. [00:13:38] Speaker B: I want to say there's 44 entries for the 500. [00:13:40] Speaker C: I could be wrong about that. So you got your 36, I think. [00:13:45] Speaker B: That are locked in, and then you got, what, eight drivers racing for four spots? [00:13:49] Speaker C: Yes, I think is how that is. [00:13:51] Speaker A: I could totally be will get in on speed maybe. Yeah, I know they usually like to do that. [00:13:55] Speaker B: I think it'll be like one. [00:13:57] Speaker C: So out of those, you'll have two. [00:13:59] Speaker B: That get in on speed and the other two race their way in. [00:14:02] Speaker C: And Jimmy Johnson and Travis Pastrana made it in on speed last year, which Jimmy was in a completely different car. [00:14:10] Speaker B: Still for legacy, but completely different car. [00:14:13] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:14:13] Speaker A: Everything is going to be so different for everything about that team now. [00:14:17] Speaker B: So, yeah, I'm just going to be that old man and say one will. [00:14:20] Speaker C: Be tame, one won't be, but you. [00:14:23] Speaker B: Never know with this new car, the next gen. I know we still caught the new car even though it's the third year, but it does race a lot different than the other car. Because on the other car, even with a small amount of cars on the. [00:14:36] Speaker C: Track, because there's going to be about 20 cars ish in each race, it's really hard to get a third line with a full pack, so it's really. [00:14:46] Speaker B: Hard to get an extra line going with less cars. [00:14:49] Speaker C: Yeah. So I just hope that it's not a train up against the wall kind of thing. [00:14:55] Speaker B: I do hope there'll be some pit stops going on and stuff like that. [00:14:59] Speaker C: So I think, all in all, it'll be just fine. [00:15:03] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, it'll be fun to watch. No matter what. Racing at Daytona is always a good idea, no matter who you are. [00:15:09] Speaker B: That's my. [00:15:10] Speaker A: I'm excited to see that and see how it all works out. [00:15:13] Speaker C: I think you're going to see some. [00:15:17] Speaker A: Fords do pretty well. [00:15:19] Speaker C: And, gosh, I guess it just really. [00:15:22] Speaker A: Depends on how everything shakes. I'm just so intrigued by this new body style. And it feels like the last few. [00:15:29] Speaker C: Years since the next gen car has come out. [00:15:33] Speaker A: Trying to predict anything is so freaking difficult because you have such a small sample size to pull from. And it feels like every year there's. [00:15:40] Speaker C: A major change in something. [00:15:42] Speaker A: So it's always like you're trying to relearn everything. And by about the halfway point in the season, you know who your strong. [00:15:48] Speaker C: Cars are, you know who isn't strong. [00:15:51] Speaker A: And that's about the time where somebody. [00:15:52] Speaker C: Finds something or loses something. [00:15:54] Speaker A: Like Chastain last year, halfway through the year, doing great, you're thinking championship favorite. [00:15:58] Speaker C: Then he falls the hell off. [00:15:59] Speaker A: And you just now felt like you got confident knowing who was running well. [00:16:03] Speaker C: So that's what's made it a lot. [00:16:04] Speaker A: Of fun predicting these 500s. Honestly, I can call Denny crazy for. [00:16:08] Speaker C: What he's saying, but I can also. [00:16:10] Speaker A: Say I have no clue what's coming. [00:16:12] Speaker C: Especially when you're talking qualifying duels this year. [00:16:15] Speaker B: Totally, dude. And I think you bring up a great point. I remember last year we talked about this some, but it's a big difference. And not just plate tracks, but different. [00:16:26] Speaker C: Drivers drove different at different tracks between the old car. [00:16:31] Speaker B: And this about. [00:16:33] Speaker C: We literally talked about it. [00:16:35] Speaker B: I remember one time about Denny Hamlin at Plate Trex. Denny Hamlin is a top tier drafter, but he has not had the success. [00:16:43] Speaker C: In a next gen car. [00:16:45] Speaker B: And you have a guy like Ryan Blaney who, yes, he won some races. He was early in his career, so this isn't the best comparison. [00:16:52] Speaker C: But he literally has won some kind. [00:16:55] Speaker B: Of crazy stat out of the plate. Talladega, Daytona, he's won more plate tracks. [00:16:59] Speaker C: Than he's lost in the last two years. [00:17:04] Speaker A: Gotta love it. [00:17:05] Speaker B: And I remember we talked about true X and Chase Elliott on road courses. They used to dominate road courses in the old car. [00:17:14] Speaker C: That is not the same case in this next gen car. [00:17:18] Speaker B: So there is different drivers that used to do well at certain tracks that still transitioning, they don't do as well. [00:17:25] Speaker C: In the new car. [00:17:27] Speaker B: So I think that's a great point. When you do make your predictions and. [00:17:31] Speaker C: Such all throughout the year. [00:17:35] Speaker B: The window is definitely getting smaller on this new car. [00:17:39] Speaker C: Definitely the big teams, your power, five. [00:17:42] Speaker B: Teams, as you college Football reference there, they're figuring it out and that window is getting closer. [00:17:48] Speaker C: But until we see how this whole. [00:17:50] Speaker B: Entire season plays out, we just know on what has happened previously. [00:17:55] Speaker C: And Denny has not been that top. [00:17:59] Speaker B: Guy in a next gen drafting car. And he's super vocal about it because he talks about how with 20 to. [00:18:06] Speaker C: Go getting dropped to the back, you. [00:18:09] Speaker B: Can'T make those moves like you used to back in the day. 20 to go if you were in. [00:18:13] Speaker C: 25Th, I mean, dude, you're in like. [00:18:15] Speaker B: Prime position because you can pretty much do whatever you wanted and get to where you wanted to be. [00:18:19] Speaker A: People don't see you coming. [00:18:20] Speaker B: Yeah, and that's just not the case anymore. [00:18:23] Speaker C: So the racing is different in this new car, no doubt. [00:18:28] Speaker A: And it just continues to get more and more different as time goes on. Yeah, it surprises me how everything has been progressing. [00:18:36] Speaker C: I know they started out, all the. [00:18:38] Speaker A: Cars are the same, and no matter where we're going, you can use this car to do this. Well, now it's getting a little bit more. That separation is getting wider for every track at how different the car has. [00:18:47] Speaker C: To be every time they show up. [00:18:50] Speaker A: With the myriad of changes that come with the offseason with this next gen. [00:18:54] Speaker C: Car, honestly, you still want to shoot for your favorites. [00:18:57] Speaker A: They're still going to be the guys that run well, but it may open the door for some of these guys. [00:19:01] Speaker C: That are sitting further back to be able to make something happen if something plays into their favor. [00:19:07] Speaker B: Totally. [00:19:07] Speaker C: So I can't wait to see what happens with that. [00:19:10] Speaker B: So, truck series. I'm just going to go out here. [00:19:13] Speaker C: And be honest with all ten people that listen this podcast and you, Caleb. I don't even know who's in what truck. [00:19:23] Speaker B: I don't know who's new in the truck series. It's kind of hard for me to keep up. We kind of talked about it last week. [00:19:31] Speaker C: The truck series is like this close. [00:19:33] Speaker B: To being unwatchable for more reasons than one. And I definitely dedicate all of my time to cup and xfinity. [00:19:42] Speaker C: And if trucks are on, cool. If I miss it, I don't care. [00:19:50] Speaker A: I hate that we can say that nowadays because I remember when I first got into NASCAR, there wasn't a race I missed. If I did miss it, I had it recorded on YouTube tv and I'd. [00:19:59] Speaker C: Go and watch it later on. [00:20:01] Speaker A: Maybe that was a byproduct of me being lazy as hell back then and. [00:20:05] Speaker C: Not having anything to do. [00:20:06] Speaker A: So that's what I filled my time with, was just watching every race that happened. [00:20:10] Speaker C: Nowadays, I only have so many hours in my day. [00:20:13] Speaker A: We've got a lot going on. We got our podcast, we got the. [00:20:15] Speaker C: Road work with Travis and everything else. [00:20:17] Speaker A: That comes with planning a wedding. We're both busy as all hell. [00:20:20] Speaker C: And if you want me to dedicate 2 hours of my day at any point in the week on a semi weekly basis. You got to give me something. And I'm looking through these names and I recognize probably three out of five. [00:20:37] Speaker A: Every time just as I'm scrolling through here, some of these drivers I've never even heard of, which is exactly what it's supposed to be. There's supposed to be some people you've. [00:20:45] Speaker C: Never heard of to an extent. To an extent. [00:20:48] Speaker A: But like we've talked about a thousand. [00:20:50] Speaker C: Times, I don't even see a name. [00:20:52] Speaker A: In here that draws my attention enough to say I really want to see. [00:20:57] Speaker C: What happens for this guy. [00:20:59] Speaker B: Yeah, 100% agree. [00:21:01] Speaker A: It's just a little bit there with time a jesky. [00:21:04] Speaker C: But I'm not going to go out of my way. [00:21:07] Speaker A: There's one driver, Matt Crafton. [00:21:09] Speaker C: I just want to see who he punches next. [00:21:11] Speaker B: And Matt Crafton's just. [00:21:13] Speaker C: Matt Crafton. [00:21:14] Speaker A: Yeah, he is. [00:21:15] Speaker B: He is what he is. There's one driver that I'm excited, super excited. He got a super. I think he is super talented. And when he has been in a truck in the other previous starts, he has done well. [00:21:27] Speaker C: And it's Lane Riggs. [00:21:28] Speaker A: Okay. [00:21:29] Speaker C: I can definitely see that other than Riggs. [00:21:32] Speaker B: And I will keep up with Lane throughout the season. That does not mean I'm going to tune into every truck race. I follow lane and front row and all of them on social media. So I will keep up with Lane. I used to love Scott Riggs back in the day. He was a big time xfinity bush series driver back then. [00:21:49] Speaker C: He raced in the cup series as well. I'm going to keep up with Lane Riggs. [00:21:57] Speaker B: That's pretty much it. I don't have anything else to say. I hope Lane's a final four driver that's a championship winning truck. He is super young, super green in this, but he has shown that he. [00:22:10] Speaker C: Has done well in the truck and. [00:22:11] Speaker B: His xfinity ride when he raced for colleagues some last year. [00:22:14] Speaker C: So I think the expectations are high for Lane and I'm excited to see. [00:22:20] Speaker B: What he does and so I will. [00:22:22] Speaker C: Be keeping up with that. [00:22:23] Speaker B: But I am with you 100%. I'm not interested really in any of the other stuff. The truck series just is not what it was. And we harped on this last year. [00:22:34] Speaker C: It just is not what it was. [00:22:36] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, watching it todaytona, I feel like it's just looking at the list of names that we have here. [00:22:44] Speaker C: I think there are about seven people. [00:22:49] Speaker A: I would even have to count them. [00:22:50] Speaker C: To make sure I had this right. [00:22:52] Speaker A: But there's only a few guys in here that I actually have the confidence. [00:22:55] Speaker C: To be able to make all the laps. And that's basically Rhodes, Majesky, Krafton, freezing. [00:23:07] Speaker A: I'm scrolling through the whole list of names. You're seeing how much I'm struggling to find names. [00:23:11] Speaker C: Echis, Corey Lajoy is in there and. [00:23:17] Speaker A: I'm running out the rest of these guys. There's probably maybe a couple I missed. Ty Dylan. He's got plenty of experience, so I could see him completing them all. [00:23:25] Speaker B: But Ty raced full time this year, which is cool. I mean, still though, he hasn't raced full time in truck in a long time, like ten years ago. I mean, he raced when I was like in high school, senior year, high school. [00:23:39] Speaker C: And I don't really know where you. [00:23:43] Speaker B: Put Rackley as a team, but they're kind of like a b minus, c plus, I don't know, somewhere in there. [00:23:52] Speaker A: They'Re not going to be rough. [00:23:54] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:23:54] Speaker B: Ty Dylan is not going to go set the world on. [00:24:00] Speaker C: Would. [00:24:00] Speaker B: I would say that Lane Riggs is going to run statistically better, average finish wise, week to week, than someone like. [00:24:07] Speaker C: Tod Dylan just because of equipment. Honestly, no, I agree with that wholeheartedly. [00:24:13] Speaker A: But, yeah, that's basically what I'm looking at is I'm looking at a whole bunch of names I don't really know a whole lot about, a whole lot of lack of experience. [00:24:20] Speaker C: And that's been the kind of the story. So I think when it comes to. [00:24:23] Speaker A: The trucks at Daytona, which is what. [00:24:25] Speaker C: We'Re actually getting around to, I see a lot of yellows potentially. I mean, how many cautions do we. [00:24:35] Speaker A: Have to have to set the record now in the truck series? I feel like it's up into like the. [00:24:39] Speaker C: This point and I could see that. [00:24:42] Speaker A: Being kind of what we're getting ready. [00:24:44] Speaker C: To get, people are going to let. [00:24:47] Speaker A: It's hard to calm someone that's that. [00:24:49] Speaker C: Young and inexperienced down when they're on. [00:24:51] Speaker A: The biggest stage trying to make the biggest name that they possibly can for themselves. And I get it, you got to be a little selfish in that situation. But I really do think that we're. [00:25:00] Speaker C: Going to see a very caution filled, eventful race that really. [00:25:06] Speaker A: It's kind of like a long, drawn out speech that says nothing. [00:25:10] Speaker C: That's kind of what I'm expecting. [00:25:11] Speaker B: Two things to go along with that. One, we really started running. [00:25:15] Speaker C: To me personally running the problems with. [00:25:17] Speaker B: The Truck series in exactly what you just said, there was truck races last year that ran more percentage of the laps under caution than they did under. [00:25:26] Speaker A: Green which does anybody remember the championship in the truck series last show? [00:25:31] Speaker C: Shit know and that's a problem. And secondly I don't even know if. [00:25:39] Speaker B: I knew Corey Lejoy was in the race. I assume he's in that spire truck which won a few races last year. I could totally see Corey Lejoy from being a current cup driver knowing what he's doing and he's good at drafting tracks and that is a great truck. [00:25:53] Speaker C: I could totally see him winning that race. [00:25:57] Speaker A: I could totally see him also getting taken out in something stupid that has nothing to do with him. [00:26:01] Speaker C: Same. [00:26:02] Speaker A: That's pretty much what it is. I mean if you pick a favorite it's assuming he doesn't get wrecked 100% because that's what I was talking about with those seven guys I can think of. Those are the guys that I don't. [00:26:13] Speaker C: Anticipate causing the wreck. [00:26:15] Speaker A: Crafting may be out of a temper tantrum but he won't cause a wreck. [00:26:19] Speaker C: From just driving and doing something stupid like some of these younger guys will. [00:26:23] Speaker A: And it's just par for the course. It's part of it. That's why we always say these trucks. [00:26:27] Speaker C: Need to go to short tracks and do smaller events. [00:26:31] Speaker A: As soon as you start throwing trucks at the wall at Daytona you're going. [00:26:34] Speaker C: To wreck 20 of them. [00:26:36] Speaker A: They just need to stick with the. [00:26:38] Speaker C: Smaller stuff where if you do get. [00:26:40] Speaker A: In a wreck you're affecting the three. [00:26:41] Speaker C: Or four guys around you but not the entire field. Yeah. I think the only big track big. [00:26:48] Speaker B: Is in plate track that they do. I think they do still open their season at they run. I think they could run Atlanta and I think they run like Charlote and other than like that I'm right there. It should be short tracks all across. [00:27:01] Speaker C: America and really show, one, it could. [00:27:07] Speaker B: Show NASCAR around to some places maybe they don't get to get to. And two, it could let these guys. [00:27:13] Speaker C: Learn their racecraft in front of an audience around other drivers. All of yeah. [00:27:20] Speaker A: And make it a support. [00:27:21] Speaker C: I'm with you. [00:27:21] Speaker A: Don't put it out on its nobody's. It's hard to make people show up to a race nobody cares about if it ain't supported. [00:27:27] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm right there with you man. [00:27:30] Speaker C: On to Xfinity. Exactly. [00:27:34] Speaker B: Everything I just said about the trucks is the exact opposite of how I feel about Xfinity. I love Xfinity. I love it at play tracks. I love it at short tracks. [00:27:42] Speaker C: I love them at road courses. I love the Xfinity series. [00:27:45] Speaker B: It's like just enough guys that have just enough experience. It kind of reminds me, like, what the truck series used to be. [00:27:52] Speaker A: Honestly, couldn't be better. [00:27:55] Speaker C: It's. [00:27:56] Speaker B: It's fun. Guys still make mistakes because they are not the best driver in the world, but they are great drivers. You have that mix of those veteran guys in there, like a Justin Algier. [00:28:06] Speaker C: Who is a phenomenal driver, that I'm. [00:28:09] Speaker B: Literally describing what the truck series used to be like. They're hard to drive. [00:28:12] Speaker C: They're slick. [00:28:13] Speaker B: They're still an old school, stock built race car. They're not stock, but you know what I mean. Like, you can still tweak with them, mess with them. I've heard guys on the Dell Jr. Podcast talk about how. [00:28:25] Speaker C: They have moved down. [00:28:26] Speaker B: These are old heads that have moved out of the Cup Series and into Xfinity that engineer and turn wrenches on Xfinity cars because that's, like, where their passion is. And you can still make great money. [00:28:37] Speaker C: But that's where their passion is to do this. And, man, they always just put on. [00:28:42] Speaker B: A great show, like, pretty much everywhere. [00:28:44] Speaker C: They are, Caleb included. [00:28:49] Speaker B: We're not going to get to watch the truck race or the Xfinity series race this year. We will be having the rehearsal dinners. [00:28:55] Speaker C: Friday night. Wedding is Saturday night, so we'll be. [00:28:59] Speaker B: Catching up on highlights. [00:29:01] Speaker C: Yeah, but you are an idiot if you don't think Austin Hill is not. [00:29:08] Speaker B: Going to come out here and run good. The dude's statistics at plate tracks are unbelievable. [00:29:15] Speaker C: Insane. Insane. [00:29:17] Speaker B: If I don't have any bets on the Xfinity and his ods are always the lowest. [00:29:21] Speaker C: But Austin Hill, Parker, Kligerman, those are. [00:29:27] Speaker B: The two that I would go with. And my two guys I'm going to watch all season are those two. [00:29:34] Speaker A: I mean, I totally get you watching those two guys. [00:29:37] Speaker C: I think Austin Hill has the talent. [00:29:41] Speaker A: And the attitude that it takes to be a winner in these series, and he is loyal to his team, which. [00:29:48] Speaker C: Just means that they're going to be loyal back. [00:29:50] Speaker A: Talk about some extra time to figure. [00:29:52] Speaker C: Everything out and really get your name. [00:29:56] Speaker A: Cemented in some Xfinity series history right here. I could absolutely see him coming out. [00:30:00] Speaker C: And winning this race. [00:30:02] Speaker A: Looking at all the other names I see down here. [00:30:05] Speaker C: I think you'd also be an idiot. [00:30:07] Speaker A: Not to think John Hunter's not going to come out here and run really strong. [00:30:10] Speaker C: Is he running for Gibbs? [00:30:11] Speaker A: Yep, he's running for Gibbs this year. I mean, you always got to look out for your junior motorsports guys if they've got it figured out this year and if they don't wreck the hell out of each other. [00:30:21] Speaker B: Yeah, they do a great job of running great and together until they wreck. [00:30:25] Speaker A: Until about 20 to go, and then they wreck themselves and cause the red flag. Everybody talks. [00:30:29] Speaker B: It is insane how often it happens. [00:30:33] Speaker C: A lot, which is way too much for sure. [00:30:36] Speaker B: Gosh, they get themselves and it just turns really bad, really fast for the JRM cars. [00:30:43] Speaker A: Absolutely. You know, one guy I'm intrigued in, and this is just because it's in the pop culture of motorsports right now. [00:30:49] Speaker C: Is how Frankie Muniz does when he. [00:30:52] Speaker A: Hits Daytona with a bunch of xfinity guys. [00:30:54] Speaker C: I'm just intrigued by it. [00:30:56] Speaker A: I have never been one to get overhyped about anybody that's coming in with a large name. [00:31:01] Speaker C: I wasn't on the Deegan train. I'm not on the Munez train. [00:31:06] Speaker A: In the same way. It's like, I will see what you do when you're put in the position to succeed. I'm very intrigued to see how that. [00:31:14] Speaker B: My, my only thing. [00:31:18] Speaker C: You know, I. [00:31:19] Speaker B: Don'T really know much about Muniz. I'm sorry. Everybody knows. I don't really watch tv or movies or anything. [00:31:25] Speaker C: I know his name. [00:31:26] Speaker B: I have nothing against him, and I. [00:31:29] Speaker C: Wish the best for him, but he's in a car. I mean. Oh, yeah. [00:31:37] Speaker A: I don't expect huge things by any means. I'm just. See how the entire experience goes for him. Yeah, that's just somebody I'll be watching more as like a curiosity in this race than anything. I don't expect him to come out here and set the world on fire. [00:31:52] Speaker C: By any means, but does he set. [00:31:53] Speaker A: His own car on fire? [00:31:55] Speaker C: That's kind of where I'm at, yeah. And I kind of expected him. [00:32:00] Speaker B: I'm not saying I expected him to get like a, you know, nothing like top tier, but I totally thought it was going to be better than. [00:32:11] Speaker C: Whatever. [00:32:12] Speaker B: Their emeralding or whatever their name is. [00:32:14] Speaker C: But. [00:32:16] Speaker A: It probably sells sponsorships better than anybody else they could have put in there, which is honestly probably exactly why they put them in there. [00:32:23] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:32:24] Speaker A: At least a certain amount of it. [00:32:25] Speaker C: Yeah. And I'm not here to shit on Joey gase, but there's nothing going on there. [00:32:32] Speaker B: You can look at Joey gase in those cars. You can look at other drivers they put in those cars over the last year. They're. I saw where they did buy points. [00:32:41] Speaker C: From another team, so I think he's locked in there. You just, it's. [00:32:48] Speaker A: How far is it going to get you? [00:32:49] Speaker B: Yeah, it's just not the best equipment. [00:32:51] Speaker C: Is the sad part of that. [00:32:54] Speaker B: We're not going to get to see him in good, decent equipment. And I have no idea what he ran in Arca. [00:33:00] Speaker C: I don't know who he ran for or anything. [00:33:03] Speaker B: I don't know anything at all. So I'm not even going to speculate on that. I don't really know how well he. [00:33:07] Speaker C: Even did last year, but. [00:33:10] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. He's just somebody I like to point out, like, hey, he's racing. I'm going to be watching to see what happens there. [00:33:16] Speaker B: Yeah, I just did. It's a cool story. [00:33:20] Speaker C: And the kid, like, kid, he's like a grown man. [00:33:23] Speaker B: He's married with kids and older. He knows racing. I think he's raced a long time in whatever, lower tier series and such. [00:33:34] Speaker C: But, yeah, I'm excited, I guess. Yeah, no, no doubt. [00:33:41] Speaker A: How do we think Brandon Jones move over into junior motorsports is going to. [00:33:44] Speaker C: Go for him here? [00:33:45] Speaker B: I don't know. It went terrible last year, so it was awful. So I don't know. He went from being a final four contender the year before with JGR and. [00:33:54] Speaker C: Then freaking last year just did terrible. [00:33:57] Speaker B: I mean, they did awful last year. [00:33:59] Speaker A: Yeah. I'm intrigued to see what they can build on here. Is this a mistake that's just continuing to play out? What are we seeing coming here? [00:34:09] Speaker C: I mean, he's on a Super bowl commercial. [00:34:11] Speaker B: There's only NASCAR. [00:34:13] Speaker A: If you could sell sponsorships, you're guaranteed, right? I swear, if you can get yourself on major tv, that just helps your case out that much. [00:34:21] Speaker C: That's of all people to put on. [00:34:23] Speaker B: I mean, it is what Menards paid for it. Obviously. It was a Menards commercial, and Dell Jr. Is on there, which is like the biggest thing he's bigger than. So. [00:34:34] Speaker C: I don't know. [00:34:36] Speaker B: Brandon Jones has never really done anything. [00:34:38] Speaker C: To just set me on fire in. [00:34:41] Speaker B: Any way, shape, or form. [00:34:45] Speaker C: I don't know. [00:34:46] Speaker B: My most recent memory of Brandon Jones is him getting punted an extra 30 miles an hour into the corner at Martinsville by Ty Gibbs two years ago and not winning Martinsville. I remember that vividly. [00:34:58] Speaker A: Hard to forget that one. [00:34:59] Speaker C: Yeah. And I remember he's just like, pretty much like, thank God I'm leaving here and going to JRM. But man, got the same sponsorship, everything. [00:35:07] Speaker B: But just last year just didn't work out. [00:35:11] Speaker C: Last year. [00:35:14] Speaker B: Junior, I'm sure he looks at that and puts the right pieces and parts together and obviously last year, they didn't have the right pieces and. [00:35:21] Speaker C: Parts together, but maybe that's something they. [00:35:25] Speaker B: Worked on in the offseason, and he. [00:35:27] Speaker C: Can figure that out. [00:35:29] Speaker A: Absolutely. It's a weird lineup this year because. [00:35:33] Speaker C: Not a lot has changed for the. [00:35:36] Speaker A: Xfinity series, especially specifically talking Daytona, because a lot of the guys that left. [00:35:42] Speaker C: Last year are plopping back into their. [00:35:44] Speaker A: Old seats just to give it another mean. I just think you're still watching out. [00:35:50] Speaker C: For your Cole Custer to repeat the. [00:35:54] Speaker A: Championship run that he did last year. You put him in an xfinity car. [00:35:57] Speaker C: And it's like a completely different driver. Yeah. [00:36:00] Speaker A: You put him in anything else? I mean, at the trucks, he did pretty damn well. But you put him in that xfinity car, and he was one of the major three names that were part of that one season. All of them went to cup. He was the only one that dropped back down. But his success comes right back. Wins a. [00:36:15] Speaker B: Colt Custer. He's got. He's got that figured out for, I mean, Riley Hurst. He came in and was kind of mediocre throughout the whole season. And then, man, at the end of the year, one of the fastest cars on the racetrack for the last seven, eight weeks. [00:36:31] Speaker A: Yeah. Did they carry that? [00:36:33] Speaker B: See, I. I do see that carrying. Know, Stuart Haas has know issues in. [00:36:38] Speaker C: Cup, but they have never had issues. [00:36:41] Speaker B: In the Xfinity series. So I see that continuing to carry over. And one person I forgot to mention earlier, I am super excited to see. [00:36:49] Speaker C: What Josh Williams does in that colleague car. [00:36:53] Speaker A: I was waiting to hear about it. [00:36:54] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm super pumped about that. That's fun to see. It's by far the best opportunity he's. [00:37:00] Speaker C: Ever had, and fans love him. He's a good race car driver, and. [00:37:05] Speaker B: I just hope it all comes together. And especially somewhere like a short track. [00:37:09] Speaker C: Or a road course. [00:37:11] Speaker B: Colleagues, they can run good anywhere. So I don't know what I'm talking about. They can do it. They can win races in that car, no question. [00:37:18] Speaker A: Absolutely, they can. [00:37:19] Speaker B: Almond dinner is his teammate. He's come back down from cup, back down to xfinity again, and that does. [00:37:25] Speaker C: Nothing but make that team just way better. Way better. [00:37:31] Speaker B: And, I mean, when he was there and Chastain and Justin Haley, dude, it felt like colleague was winning, like, every weekend. [00:37:37] Speaker A: And they were such a tight a. That was a really cool moment in that team's history to be watching. If you were paying attention back then, you were seeing something really special. [00:37:46] Speaker C: You were seeing three people really go out there and prove themselves chastain, you've. [00:37:52] Speaker A: Got people saying that he's a championship contender. You got Justin Haley, who goes out here and runs what should be a. [00:37:59] Speaker C: Back marker car up in the top. [00:38:01] Speaker A: Ten at the Coliseum. We'll see how that continues. [00:38:03] Speaker C: But he's making huge moves and getting. [00:38:06] Speaker A: His name out there. He's got a win in the cup. [00:38:08] Speaker C: Series and then you got him. That's sticking around, doing it again. [00:38:12] Speaker A: And honestly, I just feel like he's in such a good position. It's hard for me to ever see him moving back up into cup because. [00:38:18] Speaker C: I just love where he's at right now. Almandinger. [00:38:21] Speaker A: Yeah. He just seems like the mentor of the group. The guy who's been there, done that. Maybe he doesn't have all the trophies and everything that you'd expect for somebody. [00:38:30] Speaker C: To be talked about like that, but watching his progression from the guy we counted on just for road courses to this guy's dangerous. [00:38:38] Speaker A: Pretty much everywhere you put him, he shows you what it takes to really. [00:38:41] Speaker C: Grow as a leader and as a. [00:38:44] Speaker A: Racecraft or growing your racecraft. [00:38:47] Speaker C: He's someone these young guys can come in and look at and say he's doing it, so why can't I? [00:38:53] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm right know in. I mean, he did it last year. He did the year before to. He can win you a road course race in a cup car. [00:39:03] Speaker C: In an Xfinity car. Almondinger can win any race, any race in Xfinity. [00:39:10] Speaker B: He has won plate races. He's won Atlanta. [00:39:12] Speaker C: He's won Charlote oval tracks. [00:39:15] Speaker B: I think he wins the Roval every year. He wins multiple road courses. He has won at Bristol. [00:39:21] Speaker C: I mean, the dude in an Xfinity. [00:39:23] Speaker B: Car can win everywhere. [00:39:24] Speaker C: And that's the kind of guy they. [00:39:27] Speaker B: Need and want in that. [00:39:29] Speaker C: So. [00:39:32] Speaker B: You can dog me out for saying this. [00:39:33] Speaker C: It is such a downgrade to go. [00:39:36] Speaker B: From Almondinger to Daniel Henrich in the cup series. And I apologize if you're a Daniel Henrich fan, but that's just the truth. That is the do think. Just as a company standpoint. [00:39:52] Speaker C: I do. [00:39:53] Speaker B: Think I understand the move to win. [00:39:55] Speaker C: Any week in Xfinity. [00:39:58] Speaker B: And I think Josh is kind of just right behind Almadinger with that. [00:40:03] Speaker C: So I think Nxfinity colleague, just as they've always been, will be a front running car. Yeah, and I also have Shane SVG running for them as well. SVG, is he running this 500 or the Daytona race? [00:40:22] Speaker B: I don't think he's running a full schedule for college. [00:40:26] Speaker C: What's his number that he's rocking, this 97. Okay. [00:40:29] Speaker A: They still have it listed as the TBD on here. I was trying to remember who it was. [00:40:32] Speaker B: That was. [00:40:32] Speaker C: That would be it. [00:40:33] Speaker B: He's running the full schedule. [00:40:35] Speaker C: He's running like ten to eleven cup races. And he's doing it. From what I heard, he's doing full. [00:40:45] Speaker B: Xfinity and 25 other races split between cup and trucks. And obviously they're just trying to get his feet wet in oval racing. I mean, he has no experience in oval racing at all, so he's getting his feet wet in oval racing. I mean, dude, getting to watch, though. Getting to watch. Not weekly, but anytime they race a road course, though, getting to watch almondinger and SVG go at it is going. [00:41:10] Speaker C: To be top tier tv. Hell yeah, it is. [00:41:13] Speaker A: I'm definitely excited for that. [00:41:14] Speaker B: I'm excited for that. And they're in the same stable, so. [00:41:17] Speaker C: That'S going to be awesome. Yeah. [00:41:20] Speaker A: But talk about just the things that a NASCAR win can do for you to go from somebody that nobody in. [00:41:25] Speaker C: NASCAR had ever even heard of to. [00:41:27] Speaker A: Somebody that everybody's excited to watch. [00:41:29] Speaker C: Race 25 races spread across three series. [00:41:33] Speaker A: That'S what you're looking for right there. [00:41:35] Speaker C: That's just the magic that you cannot predict. You can't make it up. It's just you go out there and you prove it and you get all. [00:41:44] Speaker A: The shots in the world. [00:41:47] Speaker B: Everybody's pumped for SVG. Every single fan out there is like, excited to see what he can do and what he can accomplish this year. With doing that much racing between what is xfinity? [00:42:03] Speaker C: Like 36, 35 races plus 25 more. [00:42:08] Speaker B: I'd put that at probably the most. That's going to be the most seat time in NASCAR. Sanctioning body of any other driver in the field. He's going to be in the car over 50 times between the two. [00:42:20] Speaker C: Between the three. [00:42:21] Speaker B: Sorry. [00:42:22] Speaker C: Money. That's exciting. [00:42:26] Speaker B: That's exciting. [00:42:27] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:42:27] Speaker A: No matter who you are. [00:42:28] Speaker C: All the way around. That's good shit right there. [00:42:30] Speaker B: Let's go into the big daddy of them all. [00:42:33] Speaker C: The Daytona 500 500. [00:42:36] Speaker A: This is Blaney's year, man. I'm going to call it like a Cowboys fan. [00:42:39] Speaker C: This is Blaney's year. [00:42:41] Speaker A: We going to win the Super NASCAR Bowl. [00:42:43] Speaker B: I wasn't going to say this until later, but I'm going to say it now. And I hate that freaking Dell Jr. [00:42:49] Speaker C: Already said this because now it's just. [00:42:52] Speaker B: Going to sound like I'm following Dell Jr. [00:42:53] Speaker C: When I already had thought this. I think Ryan Blaney has just as. [00:43:00] Speaker B: Good of a year as he did. [00:43:01] Speaker C: Last year or better to get him. [00:43:04] Speaker B: To where he needs to be. [00:43:06] Speaker C: And I don't see anyone that is. [00:43:09] Speaker B: Better than Ryan Blaney at Phoenix. I would not be surprised if Ryan. [00:43:14] Speaker C: Blaney repeats as a champion. Damn. [00:43:17] Speaker A: I want that written up on the wall right here behind me where you can see my hand waving hate. [00:43:23] Speaker C: Dell Jr. Said it first but I. [00:43:26] Speaker B: Have thought that since he's like on. [00:43:29] Speaker C: Another level at that plate tracks in Phoenix. [00:43:33] Speaker B: Yeah, if that all stays the same. And granted we got a lot of factors into that. We got 38 race season but then also with these Toyota and Ford and Chevys and such. [00:43:46] Speaker C: And I mean, don't get me wrong, I also think Ross Chastain is a. [00:43:51] Speaker B: Final four driver next year as well and I could totally see them beating. [00:43:56] Speaker C: And banging for the championship in Phoenix. [00:43:58] Speaker B: But I'm just going to go out. [00:43:59] Speaker C: And say we're going to get to our final four predictions in a minute, but I think Blaney repeats as a. [00:44:08] Speaker A: I just, I'm going to paraphrase a. [00:44:09] Speaker C: Little when I put that quote on the wall. [00:44:11] Speaker A: I am a closet Blaney fan. [00:44:13] Speaker B: No, Dawson Edwards. No, that is not Blaney fan. I'm just going off of what I. [00:44:19] Speaker C: See on the racetrack. Yeah, well, I mean I have been. [00:44:25] Speaker A: Raised a Cowboys fan and anybody that's been a Ryan Blaney fan for the. [00:44:30] Speaker C: Past however long I've been one knows. [00:44:32] Speaker A: What I'm talking about. [00:44:33] Speaker C: Blaney, a lot of all, he has. [00:44:38] Speaker A: Everything on the plate right there. [00:44:39] Speaker C: It's just can he make the handoff onto his table without dropping it? I mean, that's been always the issue. [00:44:46] Speaker A: I've always been a Cowboys fan my entire life. [00:44:49] Speaker C: So I've watched that plate hit the ground every season. [00:44:51] Speaker A: So I'm always so hesitant to make such a bold prediction about my own team. I will joke about it, but I'm hardly ever serious. [00:45:01] Speaker C: So my hopes are extremely high. [00:45:03] Speaker A: I think this is the year the. [00:45:05] Speaker C: 500 finally gets landed. [00:45:08] Speaker A: And I'm saying that because I'm going to say that every year that Blandy is running this car and he goes. [00:45:12] Speaker C: Into the 500, but he's right there every time. He's been second here, I think twice now at the 500. [00:45:20] Speaker A: I mean, he's always right up there at the front. [00:45:21] Speaker C: You look at any video of anything that's going on in the later stages. [00:45:27] Speaker A: Of a Daytona 500 and if the twelve is not up front, he just. [00:45:30] Speaker C: Made a pit stop. [00:45:30] Speaker A: I mean, it's just always been that way. Of course, my hope is Blainey goes. [00:45:36] Speaker C: Out there and dominates and I think it definitely could happen. [00:45:40] Speaker A: But I think you're also still watching. [00:45:42] Speaker C: Out for those other, those Hendrick guys. [00:45:45] Speaker A: I know everybody dogs on, not Lagano. [00:45:47] Speaker C: Hamlin after the next gen update. [00:45:50] Speaker A: I agree with everything that gets said, but I still think he's always going to be dangerous. [00:45:58] Speaker B: I'm just saying his stats from the other car to this car, do I still think Denny Hamlin is the best. [00:46:05] Speaker C: If not one of the best plate. [00:46:07] Speaker B: Drivers in the field? [00:46:08] Speaker C: 1000%. [00:46:10] Speaker B: I'm just going off of like dude dominated. I mean, dude's got three day 2500 wins. He dominated plate tracks there in that other car. [00:46:18] Speaker C: And then it is just like I. [00:46:20] Speaker B: Said, that window is closing. So he's got it figured out, obviously, but it just hasn't translated yet. And we're only two full seasons in. [00:46:28] Speaker C: So it's not like he's doomed. By no means. [00:46:31] Speaker A: Yeah, I completely agree. I think he's going to be dangerous. We've already talked about Blaney being dangerous. [00:46:39] Speaker C: Really? [00:46:40] Speaker A: Your RFK cars, I think that's another one you definitely should be watching out. [00:46:43] Speaker C: For late in this race. [00:46:45] Speaker A: It all depends on how they make. [00:46:46] Speaker C: It through the rest of the day. [00:46:49] Speaker A: I really think Kozlowski finally gets his. [00:46:51] Speaker C: Win in the first half of this year. [00:46:53] Speaker B: I don't think it's ready. I'm so ready for that american flag coming out of the smoke. [00:46:57] Speaker C: I'm so ready. [00:46:59] Speaker A: I'm ready for it for him, too. And our budy Brandon out there, who. [00:47:02] Speaker C: Was just on the podcast a couple. [00:47:04] Speaker A: Episodes ago, I know he's ready for it as well. We're all just sitting here waiting on it to happen. But that's definitely another one to win it. [00:47:11] Speaker C: But you look back at last year. [00:47:13] Speaker A: Man, you don't know who's winning this sucker. It could be anybody at the end of the day. [00:47:17] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm going to go. So I agree with everything you just said. [00:47:22] Speaker B: Obviously your blany's Hamlins and I'm going to get to rfK when I say what I'm about to say. But your blanies and hamlins, those guys aren't underdogs. [00:47:32] Speaker C: Those are your top dogs of this. So I'm going to read off my bets. I did $50, $5 apiece of bets for the 500. I did not pick any top dogs at all. [00:47:46] Speaker B: I picked all. [00:47:47] Speaker A: No winter bet. [00:47:48] Speaker B: He said no, I picked winter bets, but not from those kind of guys. Like, not that. [00:47:54] Speaker C: So here we go. [00:47:56] Speaker B: I'm going to read my bets to you real quick. [00:47:58] Speaker C: So obviously we always say put money on your favorite. Put money on Larson is. [00:48:04] Speaker B: Do I think Larson is going to win this race? [00:48:06] Speaker A: Probably not. [00:48:07] Speaker B: He has 100% gotten better, though. I mean, his first couple ever top fives in plate races came last year. And I've seen him in my own two eyes at Atlanta run. [00:48:17] Speaker C: Very good. [00:48:18] Speaker B: But I have just got money on. [00:48:20] Speaker C: Larson because he is my favorite. [00:48:23] Speaker B: So we'll just go ahead and throw that out there. [00:48:25] Speaker C: My other winning bet is Brad K. I think Brad K. Brad K is. [00:48:31] Speaker B: So due for a win. And he has been talking about winning. [00:48:35] Speaker C: The Daytona 500 since I started watching. [00:48:38] Speaker B: Him race when I was in middle school. Like he is a drafting guy, he's a plate guy. He's just got to have all the things line up. [00:48:47] Speaker C: But Brad k is my other winning bet. My top three bets are Brad K and Chris Busher. I think RFK adding that third car. [00:49:02] Speaker B: That is exactly what they plan to do is those three. You're going to be hard pressed to not see those 617 and 60 together. [00:49:10] Speaker A: The whole entire race right on top of each other. [00:49:13] Speaker B: Top five. [00:49:14] Speaker C: I have a David Reagan bet because. [00:49:17] Speaker B: Of that same exact thing. David Reagan has won at Daytona before. He has won at multiple plate wins. And I think that car is going to be just as good as those guys'car. Obviously it is. I see no reason. [00:49:32] Speaker C: I don't think that's a dumb bet. [00:49:33] Speaker B: By no means, because I think, like I just said, those three are going to be together. [00:49:37] Speaker C: And David Reagan has plate experience in. [00:49:41] Speaker B: His one plate races. Another top five bet, Corey Lajoy. I have bet Corey Lajoy top five at Atlanta, Daytona and Talladega multiple times. And I have won money on him multiple times. [00:49:53] Speaker C: So he's just that kind of guy. [00:49:55] Speaker B: He hangs out at the back, lets everybody do a bunch of stupid stuff. [00:49:58] Speaker C: And he comes along at the end. [00:49:59] Speaker B: And he also says he doesn't let off the gas because every position is $25,000. And basically a big bird finger to you if you think Corly Joy is ever going to live. So I love that mentality. Corala Joy has my other top five bet. And here is the super duper underdog from the back, throwing shit against the wall bet. [00:50:19] Speaker A: Wait, let me see if I can. [00:50:20] Speaker C: Guess what it is for the top five. Yeah, I don't think you can go. [00:50:25] Speaker A: Ahead for a super off the wall top five bet from way back in the back. [00:50:30] Speaker C: Way in the back. [00:50:32] Speaker A: Way in the back. I don't think you're going to pick. [00:50:34] Speaker C: Jimmy on that one. [00:50:35] Speaker A: I don't think you wouldn't tell me. [00:50:36] Speaker C: It would be that hard to pick Justin Haley. [00:50:39] Speaker B: God dang damn. [00:50:41] Speaker A: Knew it. [00:50:42] Speaker C: What the hell? [00:50:44] Speaker A: You're picking Justin Haley, you son of a bitch. Totally off of his performance last week or two weeks ago. And the fact that he's talked so highly of this has got a win at Daytona. [00:50:58] Speaker B: Yes, he has. [00:50:59] Speaker A: Granted, it was off of a little weird lightning pit strategy, but drafting tracks. [00:51:04] Speaker B: He has multiple wins in the Xfinity. [00:51:07] Speaker C: Series at drafting tracks. He knows how to draft. You don't have to have the best car to win. So coming from the back, baby, Justin. [00:51:16] Speaker B: Haley, I'm in on it. I can't remember who picked it. One of the DBC guys picked him to win. And that got me thinking. [00:51:23] Speaker C: And I was like, man, I could see it. [00:51:25] Speaker B: And we talked so highly of him last week, and I'm so in and I'm so mind blown that you just picked that. [00:51:31] Speaker A: That just blew my mind completely that are back there. [00:51:34] Speaker C: I know. [00:51:34] Speaker A: I was really looking. I was like, man, I don't see him betting. [00:51:37] Speaker C: I must be easy to read. [00:51:38] Speaker B: I must be easy to read because you. [00:51:40] Speaker A: I just had to really think about if you had to make me bet on one of these guys, it's like John Hunter, Nemachek and back. I was just looking at it. He would have probably been my pick. I mean, I didn't see you picking AJ because he can be kind of. [00:51:52] Speaker C: Inconsistent when you put him in cup, whether he's winning or not. [00:51:55] Speaker A: If they can get all those colleague cars lined up like they used to in xfinity back like a couple of years ago, just like we were talking about when it was Haley, Chastain and almondanger and one of them wins and. [00:52:06] Speaker C: They'Re all up there hugging at the same time, looking like the end of Talladega nights. If they can make that happen, that's. [00:52:16] Speaker A: One of those things that it would. [00:52:17] Speaker C: Pay off for them. [00:52:19] Speaker A: But I was just thinking back to that. [00:52:20] Speaker C: I was like, man, that's got to be. That's funny. So Haley is my other top five bet. [00:52:27] Speaker B: And then I made two head to head bets. [00:52:30] Speaker C: I do little parlays with two sets of drivers. [00:52:33] Speaker B: I picked Reddick over Chastain, and this. [00:52:36] Speaker C: Is literally at a plate track. [00:52:39] Speaker B: There's no rhyme or reason for this. So I just took what I was thinking. There's no, have no other explanation other. [00:52:44] Speaker C: Than that took Reddick over Chastain. [00:52:48] Speaker B: Because I think Chastain makes some super aggressive, crazy moves at plate tracks. We saw it literally firsthand at Talladega last year. Him trying to force that deal and getting slammed in the wall. [00:52:57] Speaker A: And then picked Michael McDowell over Ricky Stenhouse. [00:53:00] Speaker C: Nope. I picked Stenhouse over McDowell. [00:53:02] Speaker A: Dang, I thought you were going to pick it the other way around. [00:53:04] Speaker C: Yeah, I was close, but that's apples. [00:53:09] Speaker A: And oranges right there. Don't win nothing but 500 lately. [00:53:14] Speaker C: And then I picked Barry over Zane Smith because Barry's an afford and he. [00:53:20] Speaker B: Does have experience and Zane Smith is. I kind of already explained about Zane Smith and Carson Hosevar last think I have high expectations for what they're going to do. [00:53:32] Speaker C: I just picked Barry over Zane Smith. [00:53:35] Speaker B: Because he's going to forward, is going to push better and I just think that's going to happen. And this is all pending upon. No wrecks. This is just me talking here. And then I picked Bush over true x because both of them suck ass and hate plate racing. But Bush won Talladega last year, so. [00:53:52] Speaker C: I'm just going to pick Bush over true x just because I like it. [00:53:56] Speaker A: I haven't placed any of my bets, by the way, for all those listening. [00:54:00] Speaker C: So that's why I'm not jumping in. [00:54:02] Speaker A: As much over here because I am still waiting to kind of see what. [00:54:05] Speaker C: I want to do. [00:54:06] Speaker A: I think a lot of mine is. [00:54:07] Speaker C: Going to be dependent on watching the duels. [00:54:11] Speaker A: I want to see how these bodies. [00:54:13] Speaker C: Have changed the racing before I'm going to feel confident. [00:54:16] Speaker A: I know that's going to mean some ods changed up. [00:54:18] Speaker C: Yeah, it will. Man, that's a tough mean. [00:54:22] Speaker A: I agree with all your logic and reasoning on there. I mean, I would probably pick McDowell over Stenhouse just because Ricky's got that nickname for a. Like, it's a toss up, though. [00:54:34] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:54:34] Speaker B: They're literally, they're like even or whatever it's called. You know what I mean? [00:54:37] Speaker C: Yes. [00:54:38] Speaker A: It could be to the point where they both get in the same wreck and it just. Who ends up traveling further than the other? [00:54:43] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:54:43] Speaker A: I mean, at the end of the. [00:54:44] Speaker C: Day it could be that. [00:54:45] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:54:45] Speaker C: You really never know on those head to head bets. [00:54:48] Speaker B: Really at plate tracks in general, you don't have no idea because anything literally can happen. But I'm just going off of what I thought would, you know, I don't. [00:54:58] Speaker A: Know, one person that we didn't mention at all that I think is a definitely someone to look at for a. [00:55:06] Speaker C: Top three bet, maybe even a top. [00:55:08] Speaker A: Five at the ods that he's placed at but bubble Wallace is always super strong at Daytona, and we didn't give. [00:55:13] Speaker C: Him any mention yet. [00:55:15] Speaker B: Yeah, that is correct. [00:55:17] Speaker C: 100%. [00:55:18] Speaker A: If you place a bet on him. [00:55:20] Speaker C: To top three or top five this. [00:55:23] Speaker A: Sucker, I could see that bet paying off for sure. [00:55:26] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:55:27] Speaker B: He has finished top five in the. [00:55:28] Speaker C: Tone of 500 multiple times. Yeah. [00:55:33] Speaker A: Maybe sprinkle a little love down there. [00:55:35] Speaker B: I didn't even think about that. But I would not be opposed. I bet money on bubba at plate tracks last year. I don't remember if any of them. [00:55:45] Speaker C: Panned out, but Buba is never a bad bet at a plate track. No. [00:55:51] Speaker A: Especially Daytona. That's the one where he shines the most. [00:55:54] Speaker B: All right, let's go into. I already have my four. I want to hear what your four top four final four prediction is for this season. [00:56:05] Speaker C: That's my prediction right there, man. [00:56:10] Speaker A: Sometimes I just have to look at. [00:56:11] Speaker C: These damn drivers and just really think about it. But, man, if I'm going to have. [00:56:19] Speaker A: To pick my final four, I will give a little bit of info as I go down. [00:56:23] Speaker C: This, too. I'd have to say I'm still thinking. [00:56:30] Speaker A: Denny Hamlin makes it to the final four. I think he had a lot of really bad luck situations happen to him. [00:56:36] Speaker C: Right there at the end of the season. [00:56:38] Speaker A: Were they his fault? Were they not? [00:56:41] Speaker C: That's up for debate. [00:56:43] Speaker A: Obviously, the mechanical failures are not his problem, but he also had a shoulder. [00:56:46] Speaker C: Problem going into the end of the year. He's ever been in a race car. Yeah. [00:56:52] Speaker A: And you get a healthy Denny Hamlin at the end of the year. [00:56:55] Speaker C: I think as much as everybody likes. [00:56:57] Speaker A: To joke about him choking when the. [00:56:58] Speaker C: Big one comes, you can't choke if. [00:57:01] Speaker A: He ain't there and he's in the conversation every year. [00:57:04] Speaker C: That's a great quote. [00:57:06] Speaker A: I think he makes it to the final four. [00:57:08] Speaker C: Thank you. [00:57:08] Speaker A: I just thought that one up off. [00:57:09] Speaker C: The top of my head. That's pretty good. We should put that on a shirt or something, man. [00:57:15] Speaker A: They changed up the playoffs a little bit this year, so I think Seabelle. [00:57:19] Speaker C: Is going to be your not so surprised dropout. I think if you're not paying attention, you'd think it was a surprise he didn't make it. [00:57:25] Speaker A: I think we're paying attention, and I. [00:57:27] Speaker C: Think we can say that this may. [00:57:28] Speaker A: Be the year that Seabelle stumbles a. [00:57:30] Speaker C: Little bit because they changed up. Yeah. So I'm going to say that he's. [00:57:34] Speaker A: The one that drops out of there for me. [00:57:36] Speaker B: We said this last year. The schedule lined up perfect for Christopher Bell as who he is as a race car driver and he's been in there two times. And I could also say this, you probably put in that, in the same quote as you just did about you can't choke if you ain't there, kind. [00:57:52] Speaker C: Of like he has made it to Phoenix two years in a. Yep. [00:57:56] Speaker B: And I know last year he had the brake failure or whatever, but the races line up perfectly for him to get there. But they don't have Phoenix figured out yet. And every time he's got to Phoenix. [00:58:08] Speaker C: He'S been the weakest link of the group. [00:58:11] Speaker A: Yes, absolutely. [00:58:12] Speaker B: I'd rather be the weakest link of. [00:58:13] Speaker C: The final four than the best link in the top eight. [00:58:17] Speaker B: But I'm just saying it just works. [00:58:20] Speaker C: Out for him to get there and. [00:58:21] Speaker B: He is very consistent on those tracks and that's why he's there. [00:58:25] Speaker C: So I totally understand, but he has. [00:58:29] Speaker B: Just been that weakest link. [00:58:30] Speaker C: So that's why I also don't have bell in my final four either. Yeah, so I'm going to start my. [00:58:38] Speaker A: Final four off with Hamlin, obviously. I think the next driver I would put in there without almost even having. [00:58:44] Speaker C: To think about it, Joey Logano. [00:58:49] Speaker A: I think Joey had an extremely off year last year. [00:58:52] Speaker C: I think they're really slow. [00:58:55] Speaker A: I don't think you see that from Joey Logano year over year over year. I don't see him being the kind. [00:59:00] Speaker C: Of driver that lets that ride. [00:59:02] Speaker A: So I think that he finds a way to change all that up and. [00:59:07] Speaker C: Gets there for the final four. [00:59:11] Speaker A: Honestly, I think Tyler Reddick has his. [00:59:13] Speaker C: Year this year and makes it to. [00:59:15] Speaker A: The final four as well. 20 311 has been on the come up ever since they got in there. They have a game plan to put a driver into the final four and. [00:59:22] Speaker C: Be a championship contender within five years. [00:59:25] Speaker B: Yeah, this is year number four. [00:59:26] Speaker A: They're on year number four. I could absolutely see them getting a driver to the final four and I think we all know who that driver. [00:59:31] Speaker C: Is going to be out of the two of them. So Hamlin, Logano, Reddick. [00:59:38] Speaker A: My pride obviously is riding on Blaney. [00:59:40] Speaker C: Getting in there a fourth time. [00:59:43] Speaker A: It's going to be between Blaney Larson and Martin Truex is the final. [00:59:48] Speaker B: You got to give me one, though. [00:59:49] Speaker C: I know I got to give you one. [00:59:50] Speaker A: And why not just let it ride on your favorite? [00:59:53] Speaker C: Logano, Hamlin, Reddick, Blaney. [00:59:57] Speaker A: But if there's two that I could say that make it without that, knock any of those guys out, it's obviously. [01:00:03] Speaker C: Going to be Larson or Truex? [01:00:06] Speaker A: I think those are going to be. [01:00:07] Speaker C: Your six favorites for me, and I think those are going to be my final four. [01:00:11] Speaker A: Hamill and Legano. Blaney and Reddick. [01:00:13] Speaker B: I like all of those picks. Mine are a hair different. I love what you said about Legano. [01:00:22] Speaker C: I think that is just. I don't know. [01:00:26] Speaker B: Last year was super. Totally. It wouldn't surprise me if they lit. [01:00:30] Speaker C: The world on fire, and it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't. [01:00:34] Speaker B: I know that's a big spread, but I get it. That's kind of where I'm at. Just a little inconsistent. The new body, I just don't know yet. [01:00:41] Speaker C: So I heard Dell Jr. Dell Jr. [01:00:44] Speaker B: Also picked Legano to be in his final four. [01:00:46] Speaker C: So I 100% would not be surprised. Here's mine. Blaney picked him as a repeat champion. [01:00:54] Speaker B: I've kind of already dug into why. [01:00:56] Speaker C: I picked Blaney Chastain because they freaking. [01:01:01] Speaker B: Lit it up at the end of last year. They have the most bushed beer is the top spending sponsor that's on a car this season. I saw that on a thing. [01:01:12] Speaker A: Hell, yeah. [01:01:12] Speaker B: Like on the top ten. [01:01:14] Speaker A: Almost enough to make me switch the top ten. [01:01:17] Speaker B: Most, like, spent money in NASCAR. Geico was on there. Coca Cola, obviously, like your major four. Like Coca Cola xfinity. [01:01:25] Speaker A: Well, Bush is there, but Bush is. [01:01:27] Speaker C: The only one that also sponsors a car as well. [01:01:30] Speaker B: Yeah, but they were, like, sitting at number six or seven, something like that. And they were the first big one that's actually on a race car. [01:01:40] Speaker C: It's his primary sponsor for almost the whole entire season. I love that. I just think track house is, man. [01:01:53] Speaker B: I've said it before, but working at track house right now had to be what it was like working for Dei back in the day. They just have a lot of potential. [01:02:01] Speaker C: They also cash in on that potential, and they have a lot of fun doing. [01:02:05] Speaker B: Yeah, it just seems like such a cool, just. [01:02:09] Speaker C: I love that. So chastain, because of those reasons, Larson. [01:02:15] Speaker B: Not because he's my favorite, but because. [01:02:18] Speaker C: He is one of the most. I mean, he's going to win races. [01:02:22] Speaker A: He was my hardest one to not include. [01:02:24] Speaker C: Yeah, he's Kyle Larson. I just think he's going to be in the final four and the last. [01:02:31] Speaker B: 100% agree with you. [01:02:33] Speaker C: Denny Hamlin, he's at the top of his game. He's the biggest superstar in the sport. Love him or hate him, he's in his prime, and he's got a couple. [01:02:41] Speaker B: More years of that prime. Not a bunch he knows they kind of go off those statistics. [01:02:45] Speaker C: Like, once you go over that 40. [01:02:47] Speaker B: Years old, it kind of starts going downhill. [01:02:49] Speaker C: But damn if he ain't in the. [01:02:51] Speaker B: Prime of it right now. And I mean, his goals for this season are literally not top tens. He is like, we are top five. We should be contending for wins every. [01:02:59] Speaker C: Single year, every single race. So I believe 100%, like you said. [01:03:05] Speaker B: Outside of some bad luck, mechanical failures. [01:03:07] Speaker C: Which can happen to anyone, Hamlin is your fourth guy. [01:03:12] Speaker B: It's funny, like I said, we did not talk about this at all. But I also have Reddick being right there as well, because 20, 311. [01:03:21] Speaker C: Like you said, they are doing kind. [01:03:23] Speaker B: Of like track house. They're doing all the right stuff. [01:03:26] Speaker C: They got all the right people, Michael. [01:03:29] Speaker B: Jordan, all the sponsors, all the things. [01:03:32] Speaker C: But if you put in there, out. [01:03:36] Speaker B: Last year, Tyler Reddick probably coulda, shoulda, woulda won like six, maybe seven. [01:03:44] Speaker C: Like, he, he had speed, like William. [01:03:47] Speaker B: Byron had speed, but they had loose wheels, pit road penalties and wrecks and things like driver and crew mistakes speeding on. He had some stuff that took him out of wins, but he had the speed to win five to seven races. [01:04:04] Speaker C: I don't see that changing. [01:04:06] Speaker B: It's just like I haven't seen Reddick, and he had a problem with this. [01:04:09] Speaker C: At RCR as well, completing races all. [01:04:13] Speaker B: The way around, from the driver to the crew chief to the crew to pit row, everything. He hasn't proven to me. And Reddick is like one of my. [01:04:20] Speaker C: Favorite drivers, by the way. [01:04:22] Speaker B: He just hasn't proven that he can be that 100 percenter, finish every race like a Denny Hamlin can. So that's why he's outside of my top four. But if he does win and capitalizes on all those races like he did last year, he would have been like William Byron and had enough points to. [01:04:40] Speaker C: Push him in deeper than eight, the top eight. [01:04:43] Speaker B: I think that would have pushed him over the threshold into the top four. [01:04:47] Speaker C: So if he capitalizes on all those situations, he's probably a final four driver. [01:04:52] Speaker B: But he's my first one out. So I got Blaney, Chastain, Larson, Hamlin, Reddick being fifth. [01:04:58] Speaker C: Hell, yeah. I love it. [01:04:59] Speaker A: I love that we're right there next neck and neck because, yeah, you don't. [01:05:02] Speaker C: Even have it listed in the. If you do, I just didn't read it listed. It's on my betten note, which is different from my racing note. We have absolutely no preface to this. [01:05:15] Speaker A: We just pick the drivers the same. And it's hilarious that we do that every time. Just part of how we. I think we just think a lot alike whenever it comes to this kind of stuff. [01:05:24] Speaker B: We kind of look at the same lens when it comes to watching racing. [01:05:29] Speaker C: No doubt, no doubt. [01:05:32] Speaker B: I don't know how much more time you have. [01:05:34] Speaker A: We're about running out of it. [01:05:36] Speaker B: Running out. So we got. Damn, I really wanted to get into some of this, though. [01:05:41] Speaker C: I know we're pushing. [01:05:42] Speaker A: I think we definitely can. [01:05:43] Speaker C: Maybe a little bit. [01:05:45] Speaker A: We can the 500 weekend, but I'll just pick one of them. You wanted to do this. [01:05:52] Speaker C: And I love the idea is picking. [01:05:54] Speaker A: Based off of where someone finished last. [01:05:57] Speaker C: Year in the point standings where they will finish this year. [01:06:02] Speaker A: And I want to ask you about. [01:06:04] Speaker C: One specifically, because I know you pay attention to this guy and they've been. [01:06:09] Speaker A: In a little bit of a weird. [01:06:11] Speaker C: Spot, but Eric Jones finished 27th. Last year is pretty damn abysmal. [01:06:16] Speaker A: A lot of that had to do with the fact they were switching manufacturers. There was a lot of change ups. [01:06:19] Speaker C: Going on at that company. You lost one driver, had to put another driver in there. It's been pretty much turmoil over there constantly last year. Do they land? [01:06:32] Speaker A: Do they improve? Do they get worse? [01:06:33] Speaker C: Where do they go? [01:06:35] Speaker B: I think Eric Jones is definitely better in 27th. He is one that if there was a bet that I could put down, I would put down money that Eric Jones finishes better than 27th in points. I kind of said earlier, I'm super pumped about them moving Toyota. I think that does nothing but help them. They are obviously at a tier one Toyota team when there's only three, so there's only nine toyotas. [01:06:59] Speaker C: So obviously they're top tier. [01:07:02] Speaker B: And I have made. I cannot remember my exact quote from. [01:07:07] Speaker C: Last season, but I said something along the lines of, like, you could put. [01:07:12] Speaker B: Eric Jones in like a minivan and. [01:07:14] Speaker C: He could be fast at Darlington. [01:07:16] Speaker B: And if you can be fast at. [01:07:17] Speaker C: Darlington, you are a race car driver. Hell, yeah. And so I think even last year. [01:07:25] Speaker B: Having an off season, he ran great at Darlington. And towards the end of the year, I know manufacturers switched and all that. All that aside, their year was awful. And then towards the end, it came. [01:07:35] Speaker C: Back up to where him and host. [01:07:37] Speaker B: Of our was driving that car. They both ran well towards the end of the year. [01:07:40] Speaker C: So I don't see nothing but coming. [01:07:42] Speaker B: Up for Eric Jones and the 42. [01:07:45] Speaker C: Being John Hunter, I think. [01:07:47] Speaker B: Not that he's going to set the world on fire, and I don't think. [01:07:49] Speaker C: Eric Jones sets the world on fire, but I think Eric Jones makes the playoffs. [01:07:53] Speaker A: Hell, yeah, I love that prediction. Does Jimmy Johnson win in one of his eight races this season? [01:07:58] Speaker C: No. [01:07:58] Speaker B: He does not win a race. [01:07:59] Speaker C: No. I have to agree, but I've never actually seen a Jimmy Johnson win, and. [01:08:06] Speaker A: Everybody else may be sick of it, but I want to see at least one before I die. [01:08:10] Speaker B: You stopped watching when Johnson, like, you started watching the year Jimmy had three wins, and it was about six weeks after you started his last win. [01:08:18] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:08:18] Speaker A: His last one happened at, I think, dover. [01:08:20] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:08:21] Speaker A: Was it Dover or Pocono? I can't remember if it's Dover or Pocono, but he won that race in, like, June, and I started watching in September. [01:08:28] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:08:28] Speaker A: So I missed it by that much. [01:08:30] Speaker C: I got Jimmy Johnson win. [01:08:32] Speaker B: I got two I want to ask. [01:08:33] Speaker C: You about before we get off here, and I have my opinions about both. [01:08:37] Speaker B: Of these as well. Does Ty Gibbs win a race? [01:08:40] Speaker A: Hell, no. [01:08:41] Speaker C: You don't think Ty Gibbs wins a race? No, I don't think Ty Gibbs. [01:08:44] Speaker B: I think Ty Gibbs wins a race and he makes the playoffs down there in the trucks. [01:08:49] Speaker C: No. [01:08:50] Speaker A: Oh, wait. Ty Gibbs. For some reason, my head just heard Ty Dillon, and I was like, no, absolutely not. [01:08:55] Speaker B: Oh, sorry. Ty Gibbs. [01:08:56] Speaker A: Ty Gibbs. Okay. I said this to Dawson back when he won Daytona road course in his first xfinity start. My exact quote after that race. [01:09:05] Speaker C: And you can verify that I said this to you? [01:09:07] Speaker A: That kid's going to win a championship one day. [01:09:09] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:09:10] Speaker A: And I didn't say in a specific series. I don't care what series it's in. He's going to be a championship contender, and he's going to win a championship one day. [01:09:17] Speaker C: And I called that the moment that it happened, and it's just continued to trend in that direction. Does Ty Gibbs win a race this year? Would I be surprised if he didn't? [01:09:29] Speaker A: A little. Yeah, I'd be a little surprised if. [01:09:31] Speaker C: He didn't win a race. [01:09:33] Speaker A: He's got everything he needs. [01:09:35] Speaker C: He's got his grandpa on his team. He's got a great car underneath him. He's got great people around him. [01:09:44] Speaker A: He's got a championship teammate. [01:09:46] Speaker C: And Martin Truex Jr. [01:09:48] Speaker A: He's got an obvious leader of the sport, Denny Hamlin. He's got Christopher Bell, who stands right next to him and makes it into the championship. [01:09:55] Speaker C: For the last two years, expectations are high. [01:09:59] Speaker B: Very high. [01:10:00] Speaker C: And you have to meet very demanding, pressured situations. [01:10:04] Speaker A: And he's proven multiple times in his past that he can rise to that. [01:10:07] Speaker C: Pressure, which is exactly why I think he wins a race this year. [01:10:11] Speaker A: And I wouldn't be surprised if it was. [01:10:13] Speaker C: If he ratles off a don't, I'm. [01:10:15] Speaker A: Not sure I'm ready to call him. [01:10:17] Speaker C: For a late playoff run yet. [01:10:20] Speaker A: Maybe. I think my goal for Ty Gibbs. [01:10:23] Speaker C: This year is to make it to. [01:10:25] Speaker A: The top twelve and as like a. [01:10:27] Speaker C: Gold star in your chest making the top eight. [01:10:29] Speaker A: If he makes it anything less than the top twelve, I think I will be disappointed in his performance this year. [01:10:34] Speaker B: Interesting. I say he wins a race and. [01:10:37] Speaker C: I think even though he isn't a. [01:10:40] Speaker B: Gibbs car, he wins a race, makes playoffs. I don't know what happens after that with anything, but I 100% think he wins a race. Obviously that puts you in the playoffs. My second question, and this is one of the most talked about preseason people. [01:10:56] Speaker C: Of the whole entire year. Daniel Suarez. Yeah. [01:11:00] Speaker B: Final year of his contract. Finished 19th in points last year. [01:11:05] Speaker C: Just what has he done other than. [01:11:09] Speaker B: Sonoma win and he didn't. [01:11:12] Speaker C: I mean, dude won a championship with Joe Gibbs quite a few years ago in xfinity. [01:11:20] Speaker B: I do not think Suarez is a bad driver. [01:11:23] Speaker C: He is just. [01:11:26] Speaker B: I don't know, doesn't get the job done. Always to me. And he is in the final year of his contract. And track house has SVG, which we just talked about, one of the most. [01:11:36] Speaker C: Talked about people in racing right now. [01:11:40] Speaker B: And then they also have Zane Smith. [01:11:42] Speaker C: Who is another young kid with a lot of talent. [01:11:48] Speaker B: Dude, if SVG comes out and does. [01:11:50] Speaker C: Well, Suarez might be gone. [01:11:53] Speaker A: Well, that's kind of exactly what I. [01:11:55] Speaker C: Was about to say is Suarez has proven with his recent performance that trackhouse needs to have a backup plan. [01:12:05] Speaker A: And what is trackhouse? They are creating two separate backup plans. [01:12:10] Speaker C: At the same time. So if I was Suarez, I would be shaken in my boots right now. [01:12:17] Speaker A: Absolutely. [01:12:18] Speaker C: Like, have to go out there. [01:12:20] Speaker A: You have to at least get close to matching what Chastain does. [01:12:26] Speaker B: Have a big season. [01:12:27] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:12:28] Speaker A: Chastain finished 9th last year in the. [01:12:29] Speaker C: Point standings, and that was kind of disappointing for Chastain. [01:12:33] Speaker A: So you only know he's going to. [01:12:35] Speaker C: Do better than he did last year. [01:12:37] Speaker A: And you did ten spots worse than. [01:12:39] Speaker C: Him, missed the playoffs and all you. [01:12:41] Speaker A: Have got to make it to the. [01:12:43] Speaker C: Round of eight this year if you're. [01:12:44] Speaker A: Suarez, because your expectation is to match your teammate. [01:12:47] Speaker C: Who is going to do that? [01:12:49] Speaker A: Your teammate is going to make it to the round of eight, and if he doesn't, that would be a major surprise. So that's got to be your goal right now. Do I think he's good enough to do. [01:12:58] Speaker C: I don't I don't think he's got think. Suarez is an awesome personality. [01:13:03] Speaker A: I think he does a lot of good stuff for trackhouse and for the sport. [01:13:06] Speaker C: You get him in the booth, all the ladies love to hear him talk. [01:13:09] Speaker A: You get him out there with the. [01:13:11] Speaker C: Mexico series, and he obviously brings that series up. So he has some of that star. [01:13:17] Speaker A: Power that you need. But you've got to back that stuff. [01:13:20] Speaker C: Up with some on the track performance. You've got to be worth going to. [01:13:24] Speaker A: Talk to after the races are over. [01:13:25] Speaker C: In a post race interview. [01:13:27] Speaker A: You're not doing that for your team. [01:13:28] Speaker C: You're letting them down. [01:13:29] Speaker A: They've got all this money coming in. [01:13:31] Speaker C: From Bush beer because of what your teammates doing. That's their expectation. If you can't meet that, then you're going to have to find where you're. [01:13:41] Speaker A: Going next because they are already starting to create their backup plan for you. They are looking at the end of your contract term with excitement right now. [01:13:48] Speaker C: Because they know that they need to improve that drive. So, yeah, I'd be very worried if. [01:13:53] Speaker A: You have it listed as a hot seat here. [01:13:55] Speaker C: I'd have 100%. [01:13:56] Speaker A: The seat is so damn hot, he can barely sit in it right now. [01:13:59] Speaker B: Yeah, that's the thing. It's like, do you crumple under that pressure or does that pressure make him go out and run top ten every week? [01:14:07] Speaker C: Only time will tell. [01:14:09] Speaker B: We don't know. [01:14:10] Speaker C: But when I say this, there is. [01:14:13] Speaker B: Nothing wrong with what I'm about to say, because I grew up watching guys like this. Suarez, to me, and he has proved. [01:14:20] Speaker C: Could he does just okay at the. [01:14:24] Speaker B: Cup series, but that man could go into the Xfinity series and be exactly what I just talked about with AJ Almandinger and be at a car that wins, has a chance to win every single week. [01:14:35] Speaker C: And if that's what comes out of this, which me personally, I totally could see this happening. There is nothing wrong with that. [01:14:43] Speaker B: And I think having those guys like AJ Almandinger, Justin Algier, Daniel Suarez, if it would have happened, Cole Custer. Cole Custer, 100%. Make that series even more fun and better to watch. [01:14:59] Speaker C: I just see that being Suarez's path. [01:15:03] Speaker B: Because obviously, like something like the Mexico series, he goes out in a car he hasn't been in in over ten. [01:15:08] Speaker C: Years and just wears him out. So he's too good for that, but. [01:15:13] Speaker B: Just not good enough for. [01:15:15] Speaker C: I'm talking about talent wise, just not necessarily got that cup thing so I. [01:15:21] Speaker B: Could see him finding a great spot and landing in somewhere in the Xfinity. [01:15:25] Speaker C: Series and him doing exceptionally well in that. Yeah. And hell, who knows? [01:15:32] Speaker A: Maybe the pressure is exactly what he needs. Maybe he's too comfortable. I don't know. That's a hard thing to say without. [01:15:37] Speaker C: Knowing the guy, but it's going to. [01:15:40] Speaker A: Be interesting to see what he can. [01:15:41] Speaker C: Manage to pull off this year. My expectations just aren't that high. Same one last question before you go. [01:15:48] Speaker B: Josh Berry, Noah Graxon. [01:15:50] Speaker C: Do they make the playoffs? Barry will. [01:15:56] Speaker A: Gosh, it's hard to say with the way the SHR ran. I know Tony comes out and talks a big game about how they're going. [01:16:01] Speaker C: To improve, but I don't know that. [01:16:03] Speaker B: I see that some interesting quotes in. [01:16:06] Speaker A: That conversation that really playing out. I don't know, man. I don't think Gregson does anything better. [01:16:13] Speaker C: Than Eric Amarola did in that car. [01:16:16] Speaker B: Which was like 22nd in points. Because this was one of the people. [01:16:19] Speaker C: That Denny talked about. [01:16:21] Speaker B: Yes, Denny said he was on along the lines of kind of what I said about Legano. [01:16:26] Speaker C: Like, do I see Graxon going out and having a pretty solid year? [01:16:32] Speaker B: Wouldn't be surprised. Could I see Graxon going out and not having a great year at all? [01:16:36] Speaker C: Wouldn't be surprised. Yeah, I really think that Graxon's just going to. [01:16:40] Speaker A: Gragson's going to determine his own path here. [01:16:43] Speaker C: But Barry, I don't know, man. [01:16:46] Speaker A: It's tough for me to call that one. You get him on a track that he's good at and he sneaks a win out, then hell yeah. [01:16:51] Speaker C: But I don't think he's going to. [01:16:52] Speaker A: I think if you have another year like you've been having for the last couple years, where there's only two to four spots open for points, I don't know that I'm going to necessarily think. [01:17:00] Speaker C: That he's got points. [01:17:01] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm going to say no on either one. I think Josh Berry is going to turn into a great cup series driver. [01:17:09] Speaker C: But he's only got like 15 starts in this car. [01:17:14] Speaker B: Another aspect of this is shr is just going through a lot of things. [01:17:18] Speaker C: A lot of changes, man. [01:17:20] Speaker B: A lot of changes. All the way from, you name it, it's changing. [01:17:23] Speaker C: It's Stuart Haas all the way down to logo. We have three. [01:17:28] Speaker B: So that that's one of my reasons why now we have this conversation next. [01:17:32] Speaker C: Year, that answer most likely will be different, but I don't think Barry or. [01:17:38] Speaker B: Graxon make the playoffs. [01:17:40] Speaker A: Yeah, I think if you're asking me which one has the better chance, Barry which one's actually going to? [01:17:44] Speaker C: Neither. Yeah. [01:17:45] Speaker B: Yeah, I agree with that. I agree with that. [01:17:47] Speaker C: Anyway. [01:17:48] Speaker A: Well, I hate to say that's all the time I got. I gotta get rolling onto an advanced call. [01:17:52] Speaker B: Thank y'all for hanging out with us. This will be out later this afternoon. I've already talked to Burrell. [01:17:57] Speaker A: I've already lied to everybody. So let's go ahead and just tell you I'm psyching you out. Yeah, I told you we weren't going to. And we did. Anyway. [01:18:04] Speaker B: We faked. [01:18:04] Speaker A: You never let them know you're. [01:18:05] Speaker B: And then I told Burrell we were going to do it, then I said, we're not going to do it because Caleb's stuff's messed up. And then I said, we're going to. [01:18:11] Speaker C: Do it, and he said, all right, cool. We're all over the map today anyways. [01:18:15] Speaker B: I really enjoyed that. [01:18:15] Speaker C: I think that was, like, great professional talking. [01:18:21] Speaker B: Anyways, man, we're ready for the 500 tomorrow night. [01:18:24] Speaker A: Heck, I'm ready for qualifying tomorrow night. Let's go. Happy Valentine's Day to all the lovely couples out there. And if you're single, enjoy it. [01:18:31] Speaker C: It only lasts for so long. Love you, folks. [01:18:34] Speaker A: We'll see y'all. [01:18:35] Speaker B: Thank y'all. Adios. [01:18:50] Speaker C: Carlo. And my truck ain't painted black it ain't got a big white number three turning left around a track but you can hear me coming from a mile and a half away these good years can't handle dirt don't need no curves with banks what I like in horses, I make up with four by four I'm in and out of traffic till I make it to your door checkers record my right foot tamered on the gas I'm making my way to you, girl earn hardback.