What’s Wrong With the BGS Guardrail?

^{Feb 01, 2025 | Edition #131}

👋 Dear Motorheads,

Can you believe we survived the off-season with our sanity intact? Well, The Clash is finally HERE! The hype is real, and everyone's pumped to return to this iconic track—except Tyler Reddick.

Turns out, Reddick would rather see The Clash move to Europe. Well, he’s got his reasons. And beyond that, he's raising some serious concerns about safety at Bowman Gray Stadium—speaking not just as a driver, but as a fan sitting in the grandstands.

🗣️ Talk of the NASCAR Town

What is Bowman Gray’s Life-Threatening Flaw?

The 'safety vs. old-school feel' debate at Bowman Gray Stadium just got more interesting. Before we get into the latest take, here’s a quick refresher: Ahead of The Clash, NASCAR installed SAFER barriers and a catch fence—because, well, they weren’t there before.

That’s the heart of the debate. These safety upgrades aren’t temporary; they’re staying put. And historic short-track racing fans aren’t happy, arguing that NASCAR is stripping away the raw, old-school charm that makes BGS special. While we understand the sentiment, no one wants to have cars flying towards them mid-race. And this was exactly what Tyler Reddick kept thinking… when he sat in those same stands.

Reddick’s exact words were, "Holy cow, how has the car not gone through these guardrails at any point?." We agree with you, Tyler! And please don't take his word for it; instead, look at this scary footage from 2018.

Now, how close was that? Thankfully, it landed between the fans and the rail. Imagine if nothing had changed, a Cup car with a Chase Elliott or a Kyle Busch might have ended up on the fans. And let's not jump into the speed of cars on BGS. We know that the track record is only 69.418mph. Although, that might seem slow to cause heavy damage, why take the chances?

And more so, we have a mixed group of drivers. Some have raced earlier on BGS and some are first-timers. There, that should make it more interesting. Now, take Daniel Suarez, for instance. He is also among the group of BGS veterans. And we know the Mexican racer would agree with Reddick here. After all, he's got firsthand experience of being over the guardrail at BGS. Watch this video from 2012 where Suarez was stuck with 2 of his wheels in the air.

And honestly, even the Lucky Dog feels the track looks just as rugged as before. Look at these photos of the upgrades they made.

So, buckle up as the race green flags on 2nd Feb at 8 p.m. But wait! The actions start from the 1st; which is today.

Here is the Schedule For 2025’s Unofficial Season Opener

🔮 Lucky Dog’s Perspective

Goodyear is Responsible For the Short Track Disappointments

Folks we know the 2024 season had its flaws, but it also brought some bold experiments—especially on short tracks. And for the most part, they worked. Take Richmond, where NASCAR introduced two different tire compounds in a points race for the first time.

The softer ‘option’ tires wore out quicker but provided a speed boost, while the ‘primary’ ones lasted longer but lacked grip. The difference was game-changing—Daniel Suárez stormed from P21 to lead 93 laps and finish in the top 10. The takeaway could be that softer was better. So, at Martinsville, NASCAR pushed the envelope further with an even softer compound.

But the problem is Goodyear isn't 100% confident with its tire results. At places they are going extra soft, they are keeping the hard compound handy. Because just in case…what if they don’t work? And, Kevin Harvick, hates this approach. He wants to keep it simple! However, his choice of words was not this kind. Listen to his rant.

We for a fact know that Harvick has never been much of a Goodyear fan. He called them "piece of crap" in 2018! But that was a bit too harsh and for different reasons. Must see how the No. 4 was responsible for this crash on lap 147 of the South Point Casino 400.

But we kind of agree with Harvick when he said, “We’re in a position where we need to take some risks on the short-track tire.” Goodyear needs to take risks with their tire compounds. And so far, the experiments have worked out well, and the ‘Goodyear image’ has remained untainted. 

Thankfully, though, NASCAR is willing to take more risks in this relationship. They are bringing the same Richmond tries to the Phoenix spring race with both compounds. If that softer tire shows good results, they would chuck the other one and use only the ‘option’ one for the finale.

But still, there is a long way to go. Let's say the tire has a great fall-off in spring. It would be challenging to have the same results in November. And no one, including NASCAR, wants to see two completely different races. It’s a total letdown like it happened in Bristol last year.

And not just short tracks, we are hoping to see newer compounds on road courses. Watkins Glen was another good experiment in 2024. They did not deliver the promised 3-4 second fall-off, but it was a decent start. Let's hope to see more such at other road courses. 

Meanwhile, we can have our fingers crossed that NASCAR will full-proof its short-track package in 2025. 

Continue Reading: Tony Stewart Blasts Goodyear For Their 'Pathetic' Tires 

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll 🏁

🌪️ Cause for Controversy

Ford Drops a NASCAR Surprise

Remember when we talked about NASCAR's first-ever electric prototype? Yeah, that was a big deal! It was a joint effort between ABB and NASCAR, and now Ford has just dropped its own version - the Mustang Mach-E Demonstrator. It's like the cool cousin of the initial reveal!

So, are electric cars taking over NASCAR? Probably not anytime soon. But hey, it's good to see these prototypes popping up. Maybe we'll see more of them in 2025 - fingers crossed for one from each OEM!

But what's the scoop on the Mach-E Demonstrator? Well, Ford tried to make it as similar to the current Cup Series car as possible, but with one major difference: it looks like an SUV! Check out the pics - it's pretty sleek.

Under the hood, it's got the same suspension, brakes, steering, and wheels as the Gen 7, and it runs on three motors, just like the ABB car. No surprise there, since Ford was involved in building that one too!

Now, the million-dollar question: how fast can this baby go? We don't know for sure yet, since it hasn't hit the track, but we're guessing it'll be in the 150-160 mph range, with horsepower around 1300. That's a whole lotta power! Still, we won't be satisfied until we see it in action. And maybe seeing this, Toyota and Chevy will step up their game and we can have a prototype showdown!

But here's the thing: NASCAR isn't going all-electric just yet. This is all about meeting those emission goals by 2035. With that said, it's cool to see these prototypes, and who knows, maybe we'll see some of that tech in future Cup cars. Can you imagine a flaxseed body on a Cup car? Okay, maybe that's a stretch!

Ford's not waiting around, though. They're taking the Mach-E to the 2025 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It's not a race, per se, but it's the perfect way to put this car through its paces. We can't wait to see how it holds up!

 📈 Trending News

Kyle Larson Makes a Huge Plea to Cousin Carl

In case you're still holding out hope that Carl Edwards will make a comeback for the 2025 Daytona 500? Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's not happening! Mike Kelly pranked us all with that rumor. But, as a ray of hope, Kyle Larson might just pull off the impossible.

After 2016, Edwards seemed done with stock car racing for good. Yet, Larson wants him to fill in for him at the 2025 All-Star race. While Kevin Harvick did the same Last year, we think Edwards will be a tougher sell.

The thing is: Larson wants to attempt "the double". Again. And with the Wilkesboro race weekend conflicting with Indy 500 qualifying, Larson needs someone to cover for him. So he's begging Edwards to be that guy! Listen how badly Larson needs Edwards.

We've never seen Larson plead so hard for something. But being honest, he's basically speaking for all of us. We all want to see Edwards back on the track! His sudden exit in 2016 left us all wanting more.

Here’s the question though, will NASCAR even let Edwards race? Last time, Harvick wasn't allowed to run the #5 car in the main event. So NASCAR might do the same with Edwards, especially since he's been out of the game since 2016.

But if HMS can somehow make it happen, safe to say, it'll be pure magic!

And if all this time you were thinking...What's Carl been up to? He’s doing a little bit of adventure. You should have a look!

📰 Lucky Dog's Recommended Reads

1. Kyle Busch's Costly Mistake That Led to His Brutal Crash and First Cup Title - Full Story

2. Chase Elliott Exposes the Harsh Truth About Street Racing - Full Story

3. Richard Childress’ Shocking Bowman Gray Confession Sparks Clash Debate - Full Story

4. $100K Fine Exposes NASCAR’s Weak Effort Against Cheating - Full Story

5. NASCAR Fans Trash FOX's "Horrible" Daytona Hire - Full Story

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