Groovy Hollow Recap
Out of the Groove’s Eric Estepp recently went behind the scenes with NASCAR driver Ryan Ellis to gain firsthand knowledge of the race-day experience for drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
While fans can get closer to the stars of NASCAR than perhaps any other fan in sports, no fan will ever know what it feels like on race day when the pressure is turned up to the max. This is especially true in modern NASCAR, when the sport’s lower divisions feature a high-stakes one-day show with practice, qualifying, and the drop of the green flag, all of which happen in a matter of hours.
Nonetheless, in a new video, NASCAR YouTuber Eric Estepp, known for his daily NASCAR news show “Out of the Groove,” teamed up with Ryan Ellis, driver of the No. 71 TabloTV Chevrolet for DGM Racing, to get as close to the race-day experience as possible.
With the first practice session of the day set for 9:30 am, Estepp found himself at the track very early, where the No. 71 car, sporting a new football-themed paint scheme, and its crew, wearing their football-themed gear, were already hard at work preparing for a long day.
Alongside Ellis, Estepp got to go into the No. 71 hauler and get a first look at Ellis’ gear for the weekend, including his football-inspired Tablo firesuit and helmet.
Though they got to hang out for some time and even chat with fellow driver Matt DiBenedetto, Ellis and Estepp headed to the first and only practice session of the day, where the YouTuber got a firsthand look at what goes on during the 25-minute session.
During this session, Estepp even noticed a ‘wild’ adjustment team owner, Mario Gosselin, a former driver himself, and Ellis tested out, with Ellis explaining that, as a team that doesn’t get sim time, these sessions are crucial for maximizing their race day performance.
With the short turnaround time for the 10:35 AM Qualifying session, Ellis and Estepp sat down and watched other cars taking the track, with the No. 71 ultimately qualifying a disappointing 34th.
But, just before they could get comfortable, it was time for a noon autograph session where Ellis and the stars of the series sat down to meet and sign autographs for fans.
But, just like that, it was time for cars to take the grid and pre-race ceremonies, with Estepp hanging out on the grid and behind the pit wall when the green flag dropped. Despite his tough start to the day, Ellis improved on his starting spot, bringing home 26th alongside his DGM teammate Josh Williams, who finished 24th.
Nonetheless, the two wrapped up their day together on Pit Road after the race, with Ellis sharing his thoughts on a day that started difficult for the underdog team, though they were able to turn it around when it mattered most.
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