THE LEFT TURN
NASCAR takes its talents to South Beach: Dixie Vodka 400 preview, picks
Oct 21, 2022, 3:34 pm
William Byron looks like a good bet this weekend. Photo via: Wiki Commons.
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to South Beach this week for race two of the Round of 8. As we get closer and closer to the end of the season, the urgency is beginning to ramp up as a chance to race for a championship is on the line. This track is a high-banked mile and a half with plenty of places to pass. The preferred line has to be the outside. We will see many drivers running around the wall trying to find grip. It will also be the first time these cars race at Homestead.
Last week at Vegas, Joey Logano went on to score his fourth win of 2022 and clinch his spot in the championship race at Phoenix. Throughout the weekend, Logano was consistently the fastest car. In the closing laps, he would track down Ross Chastain and make the race-winning pass with 3 laps to go. Going into these final three races, Logano has to be the favorite to win the championship. In the past 15 races, he has scored seven top-10s, and five top-5s and has led 416 laps. He’ll be the car to beat over the next three weeks.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the biggest story in motor racing this week, Bubba Wallace has been suspended for this week after crashing Kyle Larson. He will be replaced by John Hunter Nemechek. Early in the race, Kyle Larson charged the corner in turn 3 and collided with Bubba Wallace. After this, Wallace would go postal and decide to hit the right rear of Larson turning him into the 20. After the wreck, Bubba would then go and practically attack Larson on the front stretch. When asked why he did what he did, he would say “that the car was broken, so he couldn’t turn,” which was clearly a lie. As I watched this happen live, I was extremely disappointed in Wallace for this. Over the course of his career, I have defended him through thick and thin and admittedly have become a fan of the driver. What he did was absolutely despicable. With all of these drivers including his teammate getting injured this year, for him to do this puts a black eye on all the improvements he’s made. Luckily, he was only suspended for one race, as he could have been suspended for much more. A day later, he apologized via social media. Let’s hope he will be able to learn from this and continue to improve. This suspension sets a precedent for anyone else who thinks about wrecking someone in that fashion.
On the other end of the spectrum, one driver who has been really on a roll has been Ross Chastain. It has been a career year for the former watermelon farmer, but he’s had some bumps in the road. He’s had run-ins with Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, and even Kimi Raikkonen. Since then, though, he has turned it around as his driving style has become much cleaner. I look for him to be a contender at Homestead
The driver I have winning this weekend is William Byron. Over the last six races, Byron has scored an average finish of 9.5 with three top-10s and 52 laps led. While he hasn’t been in contention to win races this year like we all would have expected, he has kept his nose clean and has proven himself as a championship contender. This week, the 24 team is going back to the track where they won at last year. I look for Byron to punch his ticket to the championship race come Sunday.
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The Astros didn’t leave Seattle with a series win, but they may have gained something just as important: a reminder that resilience still runs deep in this group.
After a grueling extra-inning loss on Saturday, one that included the loss of Isaac Paredes to a hamstring injury, Houston regrouped on Sunday and hammered the Mariners 11-3. Christian Walker provided the turning point with a much-needed go-ahead home run in the sixth inning, while Taylor Trammell added a two-run double and a solo shot of his own. With Chas McCormick back from the injured list but still finding his footing, Trammell is quickly making his case as the best option in center field moving forward.
Manager Joe Espada continues to juggle a lineup that’s been in constant flux. Rookie Cam Smith, who had a clutch two-run double in Sunday’s win, has struggled as of late, going just 2-for his last 24. While his ability to get hits in clutch situations has been extremely valuable, the lack of a consistent spot in the batting order may be taking its toll. Giving Smith a stable home in the cleanup spot, even temporarily, might be a helpful reset.
Then again, the cleanup role hasn’t been kind to everyone.
Last night, Christian Walker, batting 4th, went 0-4, 2 K
- Walker for the season, batting 4th: .167 BA, .498 OPS
- Both are MLB worst (min. 75 AB batting 4th, 51st of 51)
- His 210 AB batting 4th are 6th most in MLB
- He's hitting .317 w/ .887 OPS when batting anywhere but 4th
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) July 19, 2025
Walker has been markedly less effective when hitting fourth this season, a trend that continues despite his strong Sunday performance. Sometimes, the data is clear: the four-hole might not be for him. He's literally been the worst cleanup option in baseball this season. Hit him fifth.
Behind the plate, Victor Caratini continues to impress, while Yainer Diaz is back in a cold stretch. Since the break, Diaz is just 1-for-14, raising questions about his timing and confidence as the summer grind deepens.
On the mound, the biggest developments are happening off the field. Cristian Javier and Spencer Arrighetti both completed three-inning rehab outings with Double-A Corpus Christi, while Luis Garcia threw two innings in a rehab start with Low-A Fayetteville. The trio’s return could mark a major turning point for the Astros, especially as Lance McCullers continues to struggle in his own comeback. McCullers lasted just 2 2/3 innings in Saturday’s loss, allowing four runs and showing little of the form that once made him one of the rotation’s anchors.
There’s been hesitancy to replace McCullers with someone like Arrighetti while he’s still building back arm strength, but the argument grows thinner each time McCullers falters. If healthy, even a three- or four-inning version of Javier or Arrighetti could give Houston more consistency at the back of the rotation.
Despite the weekend loss, the Astros still hold one of the best offenses in baseball, second in batting average, 12th in OPS, and 11th in slugging. The pitching staff remains stout, ranking sixth in ERA and second in WHIP. This team is far from unraveling.
With reinforcements on the way and a lineup that’s still capable of putting up crooked numbers, the Astros aren’t panicking. If anything, Sunday’s blowout win showed they’re ready to weather whatever’s next.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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