Nick Tylwalk
As seen in:
Frontstretch,
MSN,
MSN Ireland,
MSN Singapore,
MMA Junkie,
USA Today,
Wrestling Junkie,
Yahoo Canada,
Aol,
Android Central,
Windows Central
and
Account Manager and all-around PR ace for Crackle | Managing Editor @frontstretch | Fitted hat, sneakers, combat sports enthusiast
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Nick Tylwalk
5 Points to Ponder: The Chase Isn’t Being Kind to Denny Hamlin
I’ve long been of the opinion that Mark Martin was the greatest modern stock car racer to never win the NASCAR Cup Series championship. Alas, unless something unusually dramatic happens over the next month, he soon will be displaced from that throne, dubious as it may be, by Denny Hamlin. To be fair, after a fifth-place night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hamlin is still mathematically in the hunt. He’s in second place in the standings, 49 points behind Kyle Larson.
5 Points to Ponder: Should We Just Give Kyle Larson the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Now?
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The definition of “this” is multiple choice. One option is more general: that the revised and reborn Chase for the Championship was supposed to provide a 10-race battle for the title that could produce drama to the very end without relying on an elimination format.
5 Points to Ponder: The 1 Inexcusable Aspect of the Ryan Blaney-Carson Hocevar Fight
If I could make one guarantee about the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season, it won’t have anything to do with who wins which races or which drivers might switch teams during silly season. No, it would be that NASCAR is definitely going to use a clip from the post-race Bristol Motor Speedway dustup on pit road between Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar during its advertising packages for next year. And why wouldn’t it?
5 Points to Ponder: More Hollow Threats Toward Carson Hocevar?
When NASCAR shifted back to the Chase for the Championship to crown its king this season, it also quietly did away with the not as coveted regular season championship. Ostensibly, it was to put the focus on the one true champion in the fall, but you can’t help but think that it may have been partially to avoid the awkward spectacle of both the race winner and the points leader after 26 races both receiving trophies at the end of the same event.
Connor Zilisch on F1: ‘It’s not a racing event, it’s an entertainment event’
Despite having a forgettable rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Connor Zilisch has developed even more appreciation for NASCAR fans as he’s gone through his first full campaign at the top level of the sport — especially in regards to why they attend races compared to fans of F1.
5 Points to Ponder: NASCAR Should Figure Out How to Let Teams Decide on Wet-Weather Tires
Leading the NASCAR Cup Series in the Next Gen era from the beginning to the end of a season is one of the most difficult tasks in sports. Even though the end of the playoffs has theoretically made it a bit easier, since no one can dominate the whole way just watch things slip away with one bad race on the final weekend, there are still too many factors that go into staying hot, too many shifts in momentum that rattle frontrunners while boosting the fortunes of other drivers.
5 Points to Ponder: Only 1 Driver Outside The Chase Can Still Make It
Ross Chastain did not win the most recent NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday (Aug. 9). The fact that it took place at Iowa Speedway is mostly irrelevant for our purposes, as the preceding sentence has been true each race weekend since the 2025 Coca-Cola 600. Since Chastain has won at least one Cup race each season since joining Trackhouse Racing in 2022, history suggests he’d find his way to victory lane before the end of this season.
5 Points to Ponder: The Brickyard 400 Is Unsalvageable (With the Current Car)
As Sophia Petrillo of The Golden Girls might say if she was alive today and discovered a love for stock car racing, picture it: Daytona Beach, 2020. NASCAR officials are fatigued from steering the sport through the COVID-19 pandemic and working tirelessly to come up with ideas to energize the 2021 schedule.
5 Points to Ponder: Does NASCAR Need Its Own VAR System?
If you ask NASCAR fans, especially of the more casual variety, to name the first racetracks that come to mind, Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway probably won’t be one you hear uttered too often (assuming they even recognize its current name). Maybe that should change. The likes of Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway may have more cachet, but EchoPark has something none of them have right now: almost universally beloved racing.
5 Points to Ponder: The Most Interesting NASCAR Question Won’t be Answered Until 2027
Here’s a true and unsurprising statement: Shane van Gisbergen won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway this past Sunday (June 28). The reason for the lack of astonishment is that he won at Sonoma last year, has seven road course victories in the last 18 months and has been almost unbeatable any time Cup cars have to turn left and right. But Sonoma offered some signs that maybe the rest of the garage will be able to challenge him more regularly.
5 Points to Ponder: Coronado Could Be NASCAR’s Version of the UFC White House Card
It wasn’t too long ago that we were all marveling at the season Tyler Reddick was having. It was the kind of awe that winning five of the first nine races buys you, along with a healthy lead in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings. Now? Not so much. Reddick’s lead at the top is down to just 19 points, and that’s despite the fact he’s still been running pretty darn good.
5 Points to Ponder: How Late is Too Late to End a Cup Series Race?
(With a h/t to Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner and an apology for twisting around the title to one of the top 20 showtunes of all time.) When inclement weather rears its ugly head on a NASCAR weekend, there are only a limited number of solutions for how to handle it.
5 Points to Ponder: 1 Part of the NASCAR All-Star Race We Never Need to See Again
Dover Motor Speedway is far from the most visually impressive NASCAR facility. There’s nothing especially noteworthy about its location on US-13, tucked in among strip malls, restaurants and other sprawl, in the overall vicinity of — but definitely not at — the beach. The track has done a great job amping up the food and entertainment options outside the gates over the years, but once you enter, The Monster Mile is pretty Spartan too.
5 Points to Ponder: Inside Carson Hocevar’s Met Gala Moment
Chase Elliott is probably not going to dominate lengthy stretches of any NASCAR Cup Series season in the Next Gen car. Maybe that sounds a little harsh, and it turns the risk of discounting the one time he actually did: back in 2022, the debut campaign for the current vehicle, when Elliott turned a five-race stretch between Nashville Superspeedway and Pocono Raceway into three wins and two runner-up results.
5 Points to Ponder: Maybe Engines Are the Problem with NASCAR’s Chevy Teams
Did I write the above header just in case someone read it and got outraged enough to think “this guy is comparing Tyler Reddick to Dale Earnhardt” to see if they would keep reading? Admittedly, yes. The thing is, other people have already made that observation in the wake of Reddick’s Kansas triumph. His fifth victory in the first nine victories of the NASCAR Cup Series season is an impressive feat that no one has pulled off since The Intimidator did it back in 1987.
5 Points to Ponder: How the 2026 NASCAR Points System Is Preventing Further Fan Gripes
Consider this a test to see if people are just scanning the section headers here. When Tyler Reddick claimed victory at Darlington Raceway, it marked his fourth victory in the first six races of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, a startling accomplishment for a driver who had only eight total wins over his previous six Cup campaigns.
5 Points to Ponder: The 1 Driver Who is Sad the NASCAR Playoffs Went Away
“Who says no?” That sentiment is often presented on social media in sarcastic fashion, like when someone jokingly proposes a lopsided sports trade. But it was the first thing on my mind by the end of the weekend when thinking about whether NASCAR and IndyCar should run it back for a shared Phoenix Raceway weekend next season. From the perspective of this viewer, everything about the Desert Double, as smartly marketed by FOX, turned out nicely.
Tyler Reddick Makes Statement, Not Just NASCAR History
If you’ve ever been to the Wikipedia page of a NASCAR driver, you’ll know that there’s a field for each series in the info box that says ‘Last win.’ From October 2024 to earlier this month, no one has to change that for Tyler Reddick. Now someone has done it on consecutive weeks. Reddick captured the biggest trophy of his racing career by prevailing in the 68th Daytona 500. It was the kind of accomplishment that legitimately made you wonder what he could do for an encore.
NASCAR Enters 2026 With Goodwill It Can't Squander
Amid the American sporting landscape, NASCAR has long stood out for having a new season come almost breathlessly after the one before. Stock car racing crowns its champions in November, and by the time the holiday season is over, Daytona International Speedway looms mere weeks away. It’s not like the Daytona 500 can truly sneak up on anyone thanks to its status as the most famous NASCAR race. Somehow the 2026 edition managed to do it anyway.
WWE Raw 11/03/2025 Results
Because WWE has been so successful for so long, there aren’t a lot of firsts left for Raw. Tonight is an exception, as it is the first episode ever to originate from the state of New Mexico. Surprising but true. But why stop there? Tonight will also be the first appearance of CM Punk as World Heavyweight Champion. The gold certainly looks good over his shoulder as he’s shown walking into the arena. And we’re starting with “Cult of Personality” tonight so let’s get into it.
NASCAR Championship Weekend Was a Wild Success (at Achieving a Questionable Goal)
It’s very clear that many NASCAR fans are not crazy about the current method of deciding a champion in the top three series. Most of the anger about this state of affairs is directed where it should be, at NASCAR itself.
Talladega Gonna Talladega, But Should It in the Playoffs?
With the Talladega Superspeedway NASCAR Cup Series race this past Sunday (Oct. 19) headed to overtime, Hendrick Motorsports was sitting pretty — as in cars in the top two spots pretty – with Kyle Larson looking to break his career-long streak of drafting race futility in first and William Byron right beside him in second. That’s, of course, not optimal for teammates at Talladega, where you’d prefer to be lined up one behind the other.
NASCAR Playoffs Make for Strange Bedfellows
Though he was out of contention for the NASCAR Cup Series contention even before the Charlotte ROVAL race, Shane van Gisbergen was always going to be a threat to claim another checkered flag. The Kiwi wasn’t quite as dominant as he often is on road courses, but sure enough, he ended up with his fifth victory of 2025. All of those wins have been on road courses, where van Gisbergen has essentially turned races into him vs. the field with five straight victories.
WWE Raw results: Live updates as Roman Reigns, CM Punk are back
As much fun as it was gently trolling all the fans who kept chanting “OTC” weekly on WWE Raw since he wasn’t likely going to appear, it was only a matter of time before Roman Reigns appeared and those chants proved they weren’t in vain. That’s exactly what happened last week in Raleigh, with Reigns potentially turning the tide in the never-ending battle against The Vision. Except all may not be as it seems.
WWE Raw results: Live updates as Usos, Brons clash again in Raleigh
It’s been fun seeing Jey Uso go through some inner turmoil while attempting to stand up to The Vision, particularly when it comes to his brother Jimmy getting caught between him and LA Knight. The WWE Raw writers could have just made the four letters, one word guy do a standard heel turn, but they’ve opted for something more nuanced and interesting instead.
Can You Win a NASCAR Championship While Feuding with a Teammate?
“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Benjamin Franklin first wrote those famous words in a 1789 letter, well before there were NASCAR races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. So, he could be forgiven for not knowing that “Toyota drivers winning Next Gen NASCAR Cup Series races at Loudon” should be added to that short list. However, Ben Franklin’s list is now once again accurate after Ryan Blaney made a statement by winning the Mobile 1 301.
WWE Raw results: Wrestlepalooza fallout, plus Cody Rhodes is here
WWE Wrestlepalooza has come and gone and it … well, it sure was a WWE PLE, that’s for sure. In some ways, it was the entire current experience in one show, and in that sense, the perfect way to kick off a relationship with a new broadcast partner. Wrestlepalooza had some of the best the company has to offer, including a banger between Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer and a fun if a little silly mixed tag team match.
WWE Raw results: Welcome home, John Cena
What a tremendous time it is to be a WWE fan. Not only did the company announce that WrestleMania will soon be held somewhere North American fans can only attend at great expense and with considerable extra travel time, but there’s a new Premium Live Event coming up this weekend that millions of fans will need to pay for unless new broadcast partner ESPN quickly hashes out some deals.
WWE Raw results: AJ Lee makes long-awaited return
Pro wrestling occasionally proves immune to this logic, but some things just make too much sense to not happen. Tonight’s episode of WWE Raw from Milwaukee is proof of that. CM Punk has been trying to get his revenge on Seth Rollins for weeks, a quest that got more complicated when WWE inserted Rollins’ wife Becky Lynch into the proceedings.
The Vision Rises: Raw Fallout from Clash in Paris
What happens overseas, stays overseas. And by that I mean with Clash in Paris taking place this past weekend, it was only natural that WWE would stay in the City of Lights for Raw as well. Also there’s an Eiffel Tower on the stage for the entrance, so you know it’s in France. Tonight/this afternoon’s episode kicks off with the requisite look back at Clash in Paris, where the crowd was absolutely insane. Remember when European crowds were mostly known for going into business for themselves?
The 1 Thing That Might Finally Sink the NASCAR Playoffs
In sports, it’s sometimes difficult to pinpoint the exact moment when someone makes the transition from talented athlete to star. NASCAR is certainly no exception in that regard. But with Chase Briscoe, we will always be able to look back and say Aug. 31, 2025 was the day (or night, if you want to nitpick) it happened. It wasn’t the date of Briscoe’s first Cup Series victory, nor was it even his first Southern 500 win.
Pato O'Ward Snatches Pole
David Malukas came oh so close to starting on the pole for the NTT IndyCar Series Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix. The problem as he watched and waited to see if his lap of 201.922 mph would hold up was that Pato O’Ward was still to come. That turned out to be significant, as O’Ward turned in a lap of 202.621 mph and claimed the pole for this Sunday (Aug. 31) at Nashville Superspeedway.
AEW Dynamite results: Blood in the Bingo Hall
As the AEW Dynamite scene shifts to Philadelphia, let’s think back to the good times. The times when Extreme ruled (not Extreme Rules). The times when wrestling in a “bingo hall” was only starting to become a badge of honor. The times before union workers were riled up when wrestling was in town. Ah well, those are two big positives, anyway. I titled this recap post before I started the episode, so it’s possible there might not be any blood and this’ll be a clickbait, AI-era headline.
Daytona Was Everything (Sort of) Right About NASCAR in 2025
It’s perfectly understandable that drivers, team owners and at least some NASCAR fans don’t particularly enjoy the racing at drafting-style tracks like Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta. Way too many cars end up mangled, the fastest/best drivers often don’t win, and it’s exceptionally dangerous to boot. That last point particularly hits home for me, as the last race I covered in person was the August 2023 Daytona. I’m still not sure how Ryan Preece escaped serious injury that evening.
WWE Raw results: The Vision speaks (not the Marvel superhero though)
If you’re like me and a longtime comic book fan, the words “The Vision” conjure up only one thing: the android Avenger. That’s not exactly what WWE had in mind for Seth Rollins and his group of badasses, instead taking (presumably) inspiration for one of his monikers, The Visionary. In fact, WWE has kind of tiptoed around the group’s name and only now seems to be committed to the bit.
Shane van Gisbergen Now Trackhouse's Leading Man
In one of the lamest Watkins Glen races in recent memory, Shane van Gisbergen did what most everyone expected him to do, claiming his fourth road course victory of the season. Ask fans what they think of his feat and the answers you get will be pretty split. Some think it’s awesome, others are already tired of his dominance and wondering if NASCAR should reduce the number of road courses on the Cup Series schedule.
WWE Raw results: CM Punk is probably a little upset
Seth Rollins pulled a fast one on just about everyone at SummerSlam, revealing he wasn’t really that injured and cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase to become World Heavyweight Champion. But it’s the man he hosed in the process, CM Punk, who will open the show tonight on WWE Raw from Centre Videotron in Quebec City. Unless you’re brand new to WWE, you don’t need to be reminded how much Punk and Rollins dislike each other.
WWE Raw results: SummerSlam is over, what's next?
WWE SummerSlam was a good two nights to be bad. A healthy list of heels walked away either newly crowned as champions or still in possession of their gold, and notable exception John Cena had already begun turning face even before he arrived at Met Life Stadium. There’s a good chance we’ll hear from some of them tonight on WWE Raw at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Let’s start with the biggest villain of them all, Seth Rollins.
The NASCAR Playoffs Were Close to Going Away?
There’s always something cool about a driver breaking a long winless streak. Not all parts of sports at their highest level are relatable to the average fan, but struggling and persevering until success is finally found again is a universal theme. When the redemption takes place at a high profile race like the Brickyard 400, so much the better. And when it’s a driver who is well liked by his fellow competitors, that’s pretty much the entire package.
WWE Raw results: Next stop, SummerSlam
With less than a week to go, everyone is gearing up for SummerSlam. Well, everyone but Drew McIntyre, we suppose. Something else has happened since the last episode of WWE Raw as well: the death of Hulk Hogan.
WWE Raw results: Roman Reigns is really back
In case of Seth Rollins injury, break glass. While that might not be what actually happened over the past week or so in WWE, it’s probably not a coincidence that when Rollins went down, Roman Reigns appeared not too long after. What he’s up to next is bound to be a big talking point on tonight’s episode of WWE Raw from Toyota Center in Houston. There’s one particular person who Reigns seems eager to address: his former Wiseman, Paul Heyman.
Shane van Gisbergen Makes NASCAR Playoffs Infinitely More Interesting
Despite the wins that Shane van Gisbergen has racked up since he first arrived in NASCAR, it’s been easy for some fans and observers to dismiss him a bit. He stinks on ovals. He’s only winning at tracks where the top stock car drivers haven’t figured out the circuits yet. The former point may still be valid, but the latter certainly isn’t.
Raw results: Can Penta hand Seth Rollins a rare setback?
Rhode Island, are you ready to Yeet? OK, there’s going to be more than that in store tonight on WWE Raw. But Jey Uso is one of the superstars shown entering the arena before tonight’s show starts in earnest, along with Penta and The Judgment Day. One of the major themes of this episode will be Seth Rollins and his underlings dealing with the rising number of enemies they are accumulating, mostly in singles matches tonight.
Raw live results: Early start for last show in June
Hey there! Did you remember to set your clock back? No, not your clocks around the house like when Daylight Saving Time is ending, but rather your internal wrestling fan clock to reflect the fact that WWE Raw is on two hours earlier tonight. Guess we can’t even say “tonight” when the show kicks off at 6 p.m. ET from Pittsburgh. Why the change? Well, thanks to the U.S. holiday on Friday (something about the country’s birthday, we hear), this week’s episode of SmackDown is going to be taped after Raw.
Regrets, NASCAR In-Season Challenge Had a Few
(With a tip of the cap to the Chairman of the Board, the late Frank Sinatra.) It’s not hard to think of NASCAR-related decisions for which popular opinion swings from one extreme to the other. Things like track repaves and the Next Gen car come to mind. What isn’t as common is for a new wrinkle to do a full 360 as quickly as the NASCAR In-Season Challenge has already done.
Chase Elliott Grabs 1st 2025 Win
First it was a war of attrition. Then it was a test of maneuvering through the draft over and over again. In the end, it was Georgia native and former NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott who delivered in front of his hometown fans. Elliott was one of just four drivers to make it through the night at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway without being involved in an accident, and it took both that luck and plenty of skill for him to emerge with his first win of 2025.
Raw results: Cody, Jade advance to Night of Champions
We’re just days away from Night of Champions, which means there’s some work to do tonight on WWE Raw. Specifically, we need to determine who will advance to the finals of the King of the Ring tournament to face Randy Orton, meaning buddies Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso have to face each other. Asuka is waiting for her Queen of the Ring opponent as well, which will be either Jade Cargill or Roxanne Perez.
Shane van Gisbergen Would Win NASCAR Championship if There Were More Road Races
There was a time in the final stage of the Viva Mexico 250 in Mexico City that it looked like someone other than Shane van Gisbergen might end up taking the checkered flag. It wasn’t the gastrointestinal issues he was suffering, but rather a nagging doubt the Kiwi driver had about whether his crew might not have tightened all the lug nuts on his No. 88 Chevrolet on what turned out to be his final pit stop. Turns out none of those wheels were loose, which meant no one had anything for him.
Raw results: Becky, Bayley on another collision course?
Finally, WWE Raw has come back to Titletown. WWE says fans in Green Bay usually sell out the Resch Center when the show comes to town, and tonight should be no exception. On the agenda for this week’s show: More King and Queen of the Ring matches, including one with a man who probably didn’t expect to need to be in it even a week ago. That would be Jey Uso, who lost his World Heavyweight Championship back to Gunther on the last episode of Raw.
Raw results: Goldberg vs. Gunther is next (in 3 weeks, that is), Jey Uso perseveres
Finally, WWE Raw has come back to Titletown. WWE says fans in Green Bay usually sell out the Resch Center when the show comes to town, and tonight should be no exception. On the agenda for this week’s show: More King and Queen of the Ring matches, including one with a man who probably didn’t expect to need to be in it even a week ago. That would be Jey Uso, who lost his World Heavyweight Championship back to Gunther on the last episode of Raw.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Nick
Contact Nick, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack