When NASCAR Went Country!

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025 | Edition #182

👋 Dear Motorheads,

NASCAR action returns to Nashville Superspeedway with an exciting tripleheader weekend. But Tennessee’s bond with the sport runs much deeper than just the race calendar. Some of you have lived through that rich history firsthand.

It all traces back to 1975, when the legendary Fairgrounds Speedway became a fixture in NASCAR’s story. So, when Cup racing finally returned to Music City in 2021, it felt like a long-overdue homecoming.

And it’s Country music that ties it all together. There was a time when NASCAR’s biggest stars, including Richard Petty, traded their helmets for headphones.

📅 Weekend Schedule

🗝️ From the Vault

NASCAR’s Best-Kept Secret!

"Ninety percent of race fans like country music.” That’s what Jimmy Donoho, the publicity director at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, firmly believed back in the 1970s. So, he ran with that idea, swapping revving engines for guitar strings, and convinced some of NASCAR’s biggest names to cut a country music album.

A dozen top drivers, microphones in hand, were recording real-deal country tracks. Only the son of the track president and promoter could dream that big and pull it off.

And, oh boy, it led to this full-blown country music album called NASCAR Goes Country, featuring Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker, and David Pearson.

This was no novelty act. The album was recorded at this famous Bradley’s Barn studio, where country stars such as Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn had made some real music. So, Jimmy Donoho had taken it very seriously. It also had this fancy pure NASCAR nostalgia commercial led by Ned Jarrett.

Even though ‘The King’ claimed some drivers were nervous, the studio professionals made sure everyone sounded good. The drivers sang some heavy-hitting country songs such as “King of the Road,” “I Can Help,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

Bobby Allison sang the only original song called “Watch Out for the Matador,” which even mentioned the $9,100 fine he got the year before for having illegal parts under the hood, and the highlight? It was the phrase, “400 laps to go.” Here, listen to Allison.

And, as you could probably guess, the fans absolutely loved that. The album also led to some great stories.

One fan, Russ Thompson, took a bold step by playing a prank on Buddy Baker after the album came out. With Michael Waltrip in on it, the fan called Baker and pretended to be hotel room service, asking about a bowl of butter beans, which was the title of Baker’s song. As you might have guessed, the ‘Gentle Giant’ was not fooled for even a second, but the joke became a part of NASCAR lore nonetheless.

Half a century has passed by, but Russ Thompson still listens to the album while mowing his lawn. It reminds him of a bygone NASCAR era, where the sport wasn’t just about racing, commercials, and media rights deals.

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll! 🏁

NASCAR gave us a full-blown country music album, so we’re thinking of creating something similar. A premium photo album packed with legendary drivers and their iconic moments.

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📈 Trending News

It Is an Unfinished Business for Kyle Larson!

Larson is still coming to terms with his failed double attempt. And honestly, can you really blame him? Having spent months in preparation for the Coca-Cola 600 and Indianapolis 500, his shot at following Tony Stewart’s footsteps was taken away in the blink of an eye.

While some continue to blame the logistics, some have shared the proof of a possible logistics from 1973. Yes, Bobby Allison drove for Team Penske in the Indy 500 and finished in 13th place. And, not just this, he then piloted his own plane to Nashville and finished 4th. Here’s a rare picture of Bobby leaving Indy that day.

While it’s been more than four decades, the air traffic today is different. For Larson, what started as a 35-minute delay in Indy was further affected by the wreck in Lap 92. What was started by a wet track took out Kyffin Simpson and Larson. Out of nowhere, his car hit the barrier, and the day was done. Take a look at that little wiggle.

“Hate that I caused that crash. Hate that others got collected in it. Just bummed out, really,” Larson said. The frustration is understandable. Let’s just accept, it just wasn’t meant to be. But he shouldn’t have questioned Double’s worth. Of course, replicating what Tony Stewart achieved in 2001 was never going to be easy.

What makes it even harder is that Larson isn’t sure either. “I don’t think the double would happen again,” he said. This has led to outrage among fans.

Considering that he barely made it in time for the Coca-Cola 600 after wrecking early at ‘the Brickyard’, it’s understandable if Rick Hendrick doesn’t want to take that risk again, given Kyle Larson’s full-time NASCAR commitments. And, even Dale Jr. has backed it with a bold analogy.

Still, it looks like the California-native isn’t giving up on his dream just yet.

“I just really love the speedway… the event, the atmosphere is incredible,” he shared. “Hopefully, someday I’ll love to run the Indy 500 again and solely focus on that.” As he stood up on that podium, he was all teary-eyed, something he wouldn’t trade for anything. Watch his emotional ‘FOMO’ speech here!

While he’s focusing on NASCAR once again, we are sure he’ll be praying to the racing gods for one more shot at the Indy 500.

 🗣️ Talk of the NASCAR Town

The Never-Ending Horsepower Battle Takes a Turn

For years, drivers and fans have demanded more power for the Cup Series, with many feeling that the current 670-horsepower setup just doesn’t do the job on certain tracks. And now, it seems like NASCAR is finally listening, with those at the very top taking matters into their own hands.

This week, NASCAR’s Senior VP of Competition, Elton Sawyer, confirmed that the horsepower increase is finally “on the table.”

As things stand, discussions are underway with team owners, engine builders, and other key stakeholders.

Revealing how technical such a decision can be, Sawyer said, “It’s a tall mountain to climb, but we’re willing to do that and give our race fans the best product.” Increasing horsepower has always been a controversial topic, ever since NASCAR decided the Next-Gen car would have a 670-hp setup (510 on superspeedways).

However, Denny Hamlin has been pretty vocal about it.

“Please, let’s go back to the 750 and let’s just try and see if it puts it back in the drivers’ hands.” And he’s not alone. Doug Yates from Roush-Yates Engines also shared a bold demand with NASCAR. His ask?

670 to 750 horsepower. But about 900 hp, even Yates got a good reasoning. Hear him out. He talked about the life of engines.

Additionally, Mike Forde also made some comments regarding horsepower on the Hauler Talk podcast, saying that the bump is “something that, well, I’m sure we’ll discuss with the drivers too.”

In all things, things are finally moving forward on that front, with even TMD’s Mike Bagley claiming that discussions are underway.

 🔎 The In-Depth View

A Story That Already Began Decades Ago!

While many racers enjoy their time in the spotlight, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has made peace with stepping out of it. As it turns out, he’s doing exactly what he wanted all along.

How do we know this? So, back when Dale Jr. was still making waves in the Nextel Cup Series, he said something that seemed more like a prophecy in hindsight. And the video is going viral.

“I’ll race till I’m probably 55 years old. But I’ll probably be out of the Nextel Cup Series before then. I think I’ll retire from the Nextel Cup Series when I’m either 40 or 45,” Dale jr said. And let’s just say that’s exactly the road he has taken.

“Then I want to go down to the Busch Series, be there for a while, then Late Models, which is a grassroots series. Get back down to the bottom, remember where I started in the first place.” But now Junior has questioned it with a what-if. While he’s yet to share insights on that, let’s hear out the big plan. He talked in confidence, as if Dale Sr. gave him that plan and knew exactly what’s best for his son. Hear out young Dale Jr’s foolproof plan.

Later, as he grew, that decision wasn’t taken easily, but concussions and competing at the highest level of the sport gave him time to reflect. And, even though he’s stepped away from the big stage, Junior hasn’t hung up his helmet completely just yet, and continues to scratch that racing itch, which is also fading away as time goes by.

And Junior is getting real about his future.

“I think you know very very soon I’m going to be faced with that reality. That I’m not, no matter how great this car is, I’m not going to be able to do what it needs…. and that’s going to be a tough day,” he said, hinting at his retirement.

But he’s grateful for whatever he’s doing.

“You know what’s interesting is it is the car, exactly the same car that I drove in late model stocks in 1995 or 94, 93.” Here’s a picture of Dale Jr with his car on his first win in 1995.

Dale Jr went on to explain how each part feels the same. “It’s the same front geo, it’s the same chassis, they’d build them better, lighter, different, they’re tricked out here and there, but it’s all the same stuff.” We also found a picture of Junior, Kerry, and Kelley together from 1994.

And, clearly, Dale Earnhardt Jr’s been following his ‘plan’ all along, and now he’s ticking things off his bucket list until it’s time to ride into the sunset once and for all.

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