Inside The Race

Was Denny Hamlin's team too conservative at Martinsville? Did Carson Hocevar cross the line with Austin Cindric? And is the 2026 championship already decided?

Steve Letarte and Jamie McMurray break down Hamlin's Stage One strategy gamble, Christopher Bell's costly speeding penalty and the controversial brake-check incident involving the No. 2 and 77. The team put the footage under the microscope, examine what happened and discuss what it means moving forward for drivers.

Kyle Larson gets closer to a championship, William Byron takes home Weekend Winner honors, and we're looking ahead to Miami for both the Cup and we preview the O'Reilly Series championship battle with a look at Justin Allgaier and dark horse Corey Day.

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Talladega delivered chaos, controversy and a finish that left plenty to debate. The Inside the Race crew breaks down the fuel-saving strategy that dominated Stage 1, the incredible overtime finish, and analyze the major wrecks that reshaped the afternoon — including Joey Logano’s frightening flip. 

Did the winner stay above the double yellow, and how should NASCAR enforce a rule that continues to spark debate? We examine the key angles, the drivers’ decisions and the challenge of keeping the calls consistent.

With a potential 75-point swing on the table headed into Martinsville next week, every decision matters — and Christopher Bell’s costly mistake is another reminder of just how quickly things can change.

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Tyler Reddick and the No. 45 team delivered when it mattered most, but what decisions made the difference for a trip to Victory Lane? Crew chief Billy Scott joins Inside the Race to break down the strategy, two-tire call and decisive restart that helped Reddick secure the win—and breathe new life into the championship fight.

Plus, Denny Hamlin’s flat tire and costly speeding penalty create a challenging day to dissect, while the on-track confrontation between Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar raises questions about where NASCAR should draw the line. Steve Letarte is joined by Kyle Petty and Harrison Burton to analyze Kyle Larson’s difficult day, the shifting playoff standings and the drivers gaining ground as the championship pressure builds.

With Talladega next on the schedule, a new superspeedway package could change everything. What can drivers expect, and how much room will they have to make their move with the Championship on the horizon?

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Chase Briscoe and the 19 team are on a roll! After scoring back-to-back wins at Charlotte, the 19 car is proving it has the speed, pit crew and execution to contend for a championship. But just how close did Briscoe come to losing it all? James Small joins Inside the Race to break down the closing laps, the team’s evolution on pit road and the final battle with Christopher Bell that sealed the win.

Denny Hamlin’s costly pit-road penalty puts the No. 11 team in a must-fight situation heading to Phoenix. With four races remaining, Steve Letarte, Jamie McMurray, and Kyle Petty break down the championship picture, who’s still in contention and what it will take to make a run at the title. The team also breaks down the hard hit involving Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman.

The championship pressure is building. Get the full breakdown on Inside the Race!

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The Chase is heating up, and every mistake matters.

Chase Briscoe bounces back in Las Vegas after narrowly missing the win at Kansas, outdueling Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick in the closing laps. Steve Letarte, Kyle Petty and Todd Gordon break down how Briscoe stayed disciplined, raced both offense and defense, and ultimately won the race in Turns 1 and 2.

Plus, how did Larson recover from a long green-flag pit stop that left him a lap down? What was Denny Hamlin thinking when he stayed out—and how did splitter damage derail his day? The team breaks down exactly how small changes to the splitter can have a massive impact on performance.

Winning crew chief James Small joins the show to talk about the 19 team’s identity, the pressure of a heavyweight championship fight, pacing Chase Briscoe through the race, and looking ahead to a very different challenge at Charlotte.

Plus, the team previews the first 400-mile daytime race at Charlotte since the 1960s and asks: who can handle the heat, tire wear and chaos as the Chase rolls on?

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Kyle Larson dominated Kansas for a fourth career win at the track — but the story was much bigger than another victory.

Inside the Race breaks down Larson’s battle with Chase Briscoe, the late-race pit road strategy that put everything on the line, and what Larson’s max-points day means with six races remaining in the Chase.

Steve Letarte, Kyle Petty and Jamie McMurray also break down Carson Hocevar’s aggressive restart battle with Brad Keselowski, the points battle taking shape behind the leaders, and how Hendrick Motorsports has closed the gap.

Plus, the team takes a closer look at NASCAR’s qualifying metric — how the 70% past-race / 30% owners-points formula works, why it has drawn criticism, and what could be reconsidered during the offseason. It’s on to Las Vegas: what to watch for in the second of three consecutive 1.5-mile races.

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Bristol delivered everything we expect from a playoff race — contact, controversy, risk, reward and a wild final restart. Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney found themselves at the center of the action. Did Hocevar simply refuse to lift, and how much does Bristol itself explain what happened?

The Inside the Race team breaks down how Joey Logano won the restart, the decision that led to Blaney’s pit-road penalty, and what the next three weeks could mean for Logano and Denny Hamlin. With the Chase pressure rising, someone in this group has to separate themselves.

Steve Letarte and Jamie McMurray look ahead to Kansas, revisit the Chase elimination picture, and break down how Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson could be heading toward a collision course.

Timestamps:

00:00: Welcome in

00:21: Hocevar vs Blaney

07:01: Chase Standings Post Bristol

09:24: Green Flag Pit Stops and Blaney’s Penalty

14:09: Joey Logano Wins a Hectic Bristol Night Race

18:23: Weekend Winners

19:12: Chase drivers break down Kansas

26:0: Chase Standings Predictor

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The Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 team drought is OVER!

Kyle Larson is back in championship form — and after 51 weeks in the wilderness, the No. 5 team is making its move. With the playoffs heating up, every point matters as Larson looks to climb the standings and put himself in the best possible position for the races ahead.

The Inside the Race crew breaks down Larson’s wild day at World Wide Technology Raceway, including the record-setting number of cautions, the strategy behind the chaos, and the big question: Did Hendrick Motorsports actually have the fastest car?

Then, it’s time to get technical ahead of Bristol. Why are brakes such a major concern at the high-banked short track? What happens to a rotor during a red flag? Why can simply sitting on the brakes make the problem worse? And why could teams be turning to heavy-duty rotors this weekend?

Plus, we check in on the championship picture and what the latest results mean for Denny Hamlin heading into Bristol. From Larson’s return to form to the science behind glowing-orange brake rotors, Inside the Race breaks down the strategy, the drama, and the technical details that can make or break a playoff run.

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Darlington kicked off the Chase with a little bit of everything—and Christopher Bell came out on top, wasting no time showing he’s here to make a run.

With Hocevar and Keselowski, is payback on the horizon? The Inside the Race crew breaks down Darlington's hottest drama as there was contact between the #77 and #6. Although... was it contact or merely clickbait? You decide as Steve, Todd, and Harrison break it down from every angle.

Todd Gordon and Harrison Burton join Steve Letarte in-studio to break down Bell’s winning restart, Kyle Larson’s stay-out strategy, the latest Chase points shuffle, and the mistakes that put ten Chase drivers in trouble. Winning Crew Chief Adam Stevens takes us inside the No. 20 pit box to talk through the call that put Bell in position to close it out. Then it’s on to Gateway, where the crew highlights the Chase drivers ready to make some noise and possibly steal the spotlight.

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“We’re going for wins. What do we have to lose?”

Daytona had it all: strategy, fuel-saving, a new aero package and a chaotic final lap. Inside the Race breaks down what it all means for the Chase.

Steve Letarte and Jamie McMurray dive into what the data reveals about NASCAR’s new superspeedway package, and whether it actually changed the racing. The Lab goes frame-by-frame through the wild final lap — from Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s contact with Ryan Blaney to the timing of the caution and the chain reaction that took out several playoff drivers.

Winning crew chief Derrick Finley joins the show to break down Ryan Preece’s breakthrough Daytona victory, the 60 team’s charge through the field, and strategy behind the hustle for the win. Finley also explains what the new package means for the team — and why he likes where they’re headed across NASCAR’s different track types.

Finally, Steve and Jamie set the 16-driver Chase field, size up the championship contenders and look ahead to Darlington.

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