Street Knowledge With Chris Graham

Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag at the night race at Bristol on Saturday, but he wasn't the only big winner. Martin Truex Jr. and Bubba Wallace snagged the last two spots in the Round of 12 of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. AFP reporter Rod Mullins was at Bristol and reports back on the big weekend, which included a guest appearance by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Friday's Xfinity Series race.

Tyler Reddick punched his ticket for the Round of 12 in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Several spots are on the line at this weekend's race in Bristol (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network). Rod Mullins from AFP will be there this weekend. He joins us on the show today to preview the bumpin' and bangin'.

Denny Hamlin is back, apparently for the rest of his career behind the wheel, with Joe Gibbs Racing, signing a multi-year deal to re-up with JGR. Rod Mullins joins the show to break down the decision, and then the guys review the Southern 500, won by Kyle Larson, the first driver to advance to the next round of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Chris Buescher notched his third win in the past five races, but the big winner in Daytona on Saturday night had to be Bubba Wallace, who locked down his first career NASCAR Cup Series playoff berth. Rod Mullins joins Chris Graham to break down the race, the playoff field, and there's plenty of off-track news to keep us all busy.

There is more and more pointing to the idea that the ACC will be soon extending invites to Stanford, Cal and SMU to join the conference. TeamAFP's Chris Graham and Scott German break down the reporting on the topic, and offer insight and analysis into how the moves, if they are to come, would benefit, or otherwise, the ACC and the schools.

Rumor has it that Denny Hamlin could be thinking about leaving Joe Gibbs Racing, which would start a merry-go-round in the upcoming NASCAR silly season. And we’re not even to the playoffs yet. Rod Mullins reports on the latest from the Cup Series, and gets us ready for what promises to be a wild race at Daytona as several drivers look to lock down the final spot in the 2023 playoffs.

Michael McDowell was dominant in Sunday's Brickyard 200, leading 54 of the 82 laps, to clinch a spot in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Left still looking for a playoff spot was Chase Elliott, who finished in second. Elliott is among several of the circuit's top names still trying to sew up a spot in the playoffs. Rod Mullins joins the show to break down how the last two weeks of the regular season will play out.

Chris Buescher won the rain-delayed race at Michigan on Monday, his second win in a row in the NASCAR Cup Series. The series is down to three races before we get down to the 16-driver playoff field. A number of drivers are on either side of the cut line, including some surprising names, like Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski. Chris Graham and Rod Mullins discuss what needs to happen for each as the next three weeks play out.

The Big Ten wants UVA and North Carolina. Florida State wants out of the ACC no matter what. It’s clear that something big is about to happen. Chris Graham and Scott German report on the latest developments, and offer perspective, insight and baseless speculation on the next steps.

Rod Mullins loves Denny Hamlin. Well, OK, he loves talking about Denny Hamlin, and how NASCAR fans, other drivers, not a lot of people outside Denny Hamlin, are Denny Hamlin fans. Rod and Chris break down Hamlin getting booed at his home track in Richmond over the weekend, the upcoming free-agent season, where Hamlin's status plays a big role, and look ahead to the final four races of the 2023 NASCAR regular season in this week's podcast.

Martin Truex Jr. is NASCAR’s “Mr. Monday.” Truex won the rain-delayed race at New Hampshire on Monday in dominant fashion, winning the first two stages and leading more than 250 laps to beat Joey Logano to the finish line. Rod Mullins joins the show to break down Truex’s win, and reset where things stand in the 2023 NASCAR season with six races left until the playoffs.

William Byron won the rain-shortened race at Atlanta on Sunday, but that’s not the big news of the week in NASCAR. What is? There’s rumors that Tom Cruise, fresh off the success of the “Top Gun” reboot, is mulling over options for a second “Days of Thunder” movie. Rod Mullins joins us to discuss all of the above, but pay attention for his rough outline of a plot for “Days of Thunder 2.”

Shane van Gisbergen barely knows who he is himself, so you’re forgiven for not knowing who he was, or how to pronounce his name, before SVG went out and won the street race in Chicago on Sunday. Rod Mullins joins the show to tell us more about van Gisbergen, and how NASCAR drivers and fans took to the debut of street racing in the Windy City.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Chicago for a most unique street race on Sunday. Rod Mullins and Chris Graham talk about how the race will sorta, kinda take NASCAR back to its roots of guys in fast cars trying to outrun the cops. Also on today's show: Rod recaps last weekend's action in Nashville. What can NASCAR do to make sure its drivers are safe? The latest on the tragedy involving the in-laws of NASCAR great Jimmie Johnson. Catching up with former NASCAR Cup Series driver Quin Houff

NASCAR took the weekend off, but the Cup Series returns to the track in Nashville this weekend, assuming the teams can dodge the raindrops on Sunday night. Rod Mullins joins Chris Graham to talk some off-track news, focusing on: Josh Berry replacing the retiring Kevin Harvick at Stewart-Haas next year. Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment investing in Joe Gibbs Racing. News involving Toyota and Jimmie Johnson.

NASCAR's 2024 race schedule is leaking out, and it's looking like the Bristol spring race is among the casualties. Will you have to get an Amazon streaming subscription to be able to watch? Rod Mullins and Chris Graham discuss the big off-track news.

Kyle Busch recorded his third win of the 2023 season in St. Louis, and his first on a short track, which means, watch out! AFP's NASCAR Cup Series guy, Rod Mullins, talks up Busch's turnaround 2023 Cup season, and opines on all the critical comments lobbed Chase Elliott's way by our listeners.

As expected, NASCAR suspended Chase Elliott for one race following his intentional wreck of Denny Hamlin in Monday's Coca-Cola 600. Rod Mullins reports on the latest involving Elliott, and the mid-race red-flag dustup between Bubba Wallace and Aric Almirola.

Somebody, it's not known at the moment who, broke into Bubba Wallace's radio stream after the All-Star Race on Sunday in North Wilkesboro and slammed him with a racially derogatory comment. Here we go again, right? Wallace, who finished second to Kyle Larson, is the lone Black driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. The outspoken Wallace gets booed relentlessly by fans, and is often advised by commentators to tone down what he has to say, which isn't something that is often said to White drivers who say what's on their mind. Chris Graham and Rod Mullins talk through the issues, while also breaking down what happened on the track at the All-Star Race, which, honestly, wasn't that much, with Larson dominating the day. The guys also talk through economic issues in NASCAR with the circuit and its teams and drivers posturing over collective bargaining.

Ross Chastain wrecked Kyle Larson, again, but what else is new? The late-race crash knocked the two leaders out of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington, and opened the door for William Byron to take the checkered flag. Rod Mullins helps us break it all down.