Podcast: Recapping a wild weekend in NHRA, NASCAR, college baseball

AFP auto racing reporter Rod Mullins spent the weekend in Bristol at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, and takes us inside the action at Bristol Dragway.

Rod and AFP editor Chris Graham also recap the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma, which was won by Kyle Larson, with Martin Truex Jr. running out of gas within sight of the finish line before he could finish as the runner-up.

Wrapping things up, the guys preview the 2024 College World Series, with a focus on the local teams – UVA, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.

AFP editor Chris Graham previews the UVA-Kansas State Super Regional, which begins Friday night at The Dish.

But before we can get to the happy place, there’s the news about the new UVA Football radio color analyst, the guy who made up a story to whip up his online mob to go after Chris last fall.

People can fail up in this world, which is nice to know.

Chris also updates folks on the latest on Tony Bennett’s contract status.

Ryan Blaney was cruising to victory in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway when the unthinkable happened – he ran out of gas.

The err in fuel technology allowed his Team Penske teammate Austin Cindric to race to his first victory since the 2022 Daytona 500.

Rod Mullins and Chris Graham discuss the race, which also included a dustup between Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch, and talk some more NASCAR business on this week’s podcast.

Virginia has been able to work around its dearth of pitching with a historic offense. But will the ‘Hoos translate what they’ve been able to do in the 2024 regular season to the NCAA Tournament?

AFP editor Chris Graham talks us through the four-team Charlottesville Regional field – which includes Mississippi State, St. John’s and Penn – and guesses along with coach Brian O’Connor as to how the coach will use what he has with his pitching staff to get through the weekend.

Stories referenced in this podcast

• Preview: Virginia, the #12 national seed, hosts Penn, Mississippi State and St. John’s

Stewart-Haas Racing is getting out of the NASCAR business at the end of the year, putting its four charters out on the market, and adding to the questions about the sustained viability of the NASCAR race team business.

Rod Mullins joins the podcast to help us break down the Stewart-Haas story, and we review the rainy Sunday that ruined the attempt at history from Kyle Larson, who was trying to complete the Indy 500-Coca Cola 600 double.

Joey Logano won a snoozer of a NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race Sunday night at North Wilkesboro, in which he led 199 of the 200 laps, but while the race itself was nothing to write home about, well …

There was the dustup between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch after their Lap 1 swapping-of-paint that gave us something to talk about.

Rod Mullins joins the show to break it all down, and to share his insight into the attempt by Kyle Larson at the Indy 500-Coca Cola 600 double this coming weekend.

NASCAR has announced plans for an in-season tournament modeled on the NCAA's March Madness to begin in 2025.

Will it work to build even more interest among NASCAR fans?

Rod Mullins joins the show to break down the bracket madness, and discuss Brad Keselowski's win in Darlington on Sunday.

The UVA Basketball roster looks to be set for the coming 2024-2025 season with four additions from the transfer portal.

How are things looking, then, for next season?

Pretty good, is the answer from AFP editor Chris Graham, who is not prone to just being nice for the sake of being nice.

Story referenced in this podcast:

• UVA gets its guys from the transfer portal: How does the roster look for 2024-2025?

Virginia coach Tony Bennett has been busy, adding four players from the transfer portal, including former Duke player and 2023 five-star TJ Power.

AFP editor Chris Graham breaks down the pickups.

Stories referenced in this podcast:

• Virginia lands Duke five-star TJ Power: How does Power fit with the ‘Hoos?

We just had the closest finish to a NASCAR Cup Series race in history - literally an inch separating Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher in Kansas on Sunday.

But there's tension behind the scenes in NASCAR-land, with the private owners of the racing series and the owners of the race teams who want to share more in the TV money at odds over how they can move forward.

Rod Mullins and Chris Graham break down the business issues, and the exciting finish to Sunday's race.