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Tag: Around Nashville

  • Belmont Needs to Play Perfect: MVC Tournament Preview

    Belmont Needs to Play Perfect: MVC Tournament Preview

    Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

    The Bruins have entered the postseason winning seven of the last eight games, one of the hottest teams in the Missouri Valley Conference.

    Their three stars (Malik Dia, Cade Tyson, and Ja’Kobi Gillespie) have proven to be top-tier talent, not only in the MVC, but also in the country.

    Their efforts have landed Belmont the No. 5 seed in the MVC Tournament, facing last place Valparaiso on Thursday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m. CT in St. Louis.

    Belmont is hot but a lot needs to happen if they want the auto bid into the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Near perfect play is going to be demanded from them if they plan on beating teams like North Iowa, Indiana State, and Drake.

    Tyson has played brilliantly throughout the season and is one of the deadliest three-point shooters the Bruins have ever had. He is currently averaging 16.7 ppg, 6 rpg, and is shooting 47.8% from the three-point line. Tyson is second in the nation in three-point field goal percentage.

    He’s scored 16 points or more in six of the past seven games. He needs to be that guy during this tournament. A bad night from Tyson will likely mean an early exit from the MVC Tournament. But this is a similar story for both Mia and Gillespie.

    Gillespie has proven to be indispensable this season after being sidelined for a month. His ball movement and athletic ability is unreal as he is averaging 17.5 ppg, 4.2 apg, and is shooting an asinine 57 percent from the field.

    Most notably, he scored 23 points against Drake and 26 points against Southern Illinois. We didn’t get a chance to see him play Indiana State or Bradley due to his injury. But this could be to Belmont’s advantage as these teams didn’t have chance defend Gillespie either.

    Pending fatigue, Gillespie is a player that has the ability and skill to be the tournament MVP.

    The other guy that is key for Belmont is Malik Dia. Dia has been great for Belmont, when he isn’t on the bench. Dia has sort of been a work in progress for head coach Casey Alexander. He has had huge games for the Bruins while also having some duds.

    Dia dropped 32 points against Drake in early January, going 5-8 from behind the arc. He also scored 22 points against Indiana State and 20 against Bradley. He’s averaging 16.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, and is shooting 48% from the field. He is 40th in the country in field goals made with 197.

    Sadly, Dia has had some not-so-great performances including his final game of the regular season against Evansville where the sophomore only scored two points in 12 minutes played. In mid-February, he only scored nine points on Southern Illinois and only 12 points in the team’s second meetup against Drake.

    His minutes per game are all over the place, from playing less than 20 to over 30 minutes at times. Dia averages 23.2 minutes per game and will most likely not be losing minutes in the tournament unless he’s in foul trouble.

    A poor Dia performance may not kill the Bruins early in this tournament but, if they face Indiana State in the semifinals, a bad night from will hurt Belmont’s chances.

    First, Belmont needs to beat Valparaiso. They face Beacons on Thursday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m. CT. If they win, they will face UNI the following day at 2:30 p.m. CT. The first two rounds of the MVC Tournament can be watched on ESPN+.

  • Music City Grand Prix Moved to Nashville Superspeedway

    Music City Grand Prix Moved to Nashville Superspeedway

    Photo: Courtesy of IndyCar

    NASHVILLE – The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will have a new venue for the 2024 NTT IndyCar season, moving the race to the Nashville Superspeedway.

    Due to the upcoming construction of the new Tennessee Titans stadium, MCGP Chief Operations Officer (COO) Scott Borchetta, has announced that the best path forward for this year’s event is to run at Superspeedway on the same weekend as previously announced. This remains the IndyCar Series season finale on Sunday, Sept. 15 on NBC.

    “With construction set to begin for the new Titans Stadium, the Grand Prix operations team knew they’d be faced with new challenges, knowing that the course used for the first three years would have to change dramatically for 2024’s race,” Borchetta said. “With several key locations around the stadium not available as in years past and with the proposed course change to run through the streets of downtown Nashville, we simply don’t have the proper space needed by the race teams nor the proper access for downtown businesses and residences to execute the world-class event that is expected by our amazing fans, IndyCar teams and sponsors.”

    “With the significant challenges of the proposed new layout and unknowns with the new stadium construction, which has been the center of operations for the first three years of the Grand Prix, the decision has been made to move the 2024 race to the Nashville Superspeedway.”

    Borchetta reiterated the strong relationship the MCGP has with both the Titans and the city of Nashville and that they plan to race in the streets of downtown Nashville once it is accessible for both the track and the fans.

    “The Music City Grand Prix has been more than a race. It’s a festival that celebrates both Nashville and racing,” said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell. “We appreciate Scott Borchetta and Big Machine’s vision and partnership and look forward to the race returning to downtown Nashville in the future. I’ve enjoyed attending all three Music City Grand Prix races and appreciate their continued commitment to Nashville. Racing at the Nashville Superspeedway will add new intrigue to this year’s event.”

    The NTT IndyCar Series raced at the iconic, 1.33 mile, D-shaped oval from 2001-08. Six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon is the last driver to reach victory lane at the venue, with a commanding “three-peat” in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

    Nashville Superspeedway is known for its high-intensity, wheel-to-wheel action, and as the season finale it will be the first oval in a decade to decide an NTT IndyCar Series championship (Fontana, 2014).

    “Nashville Superspeedway is ideally suited to our highly competitive and extremely intense style of racing, and we look forward to adding a Speedway Motorsports track to our schedule,” Penske Entertainment President & CEO Mark Miles said. “Our fans will eagerly anticipate watching a championship be decided on a high-speed oval, with NBC providing a must-see network telecast to viewers around the country. Scott and his team will do a terrific job organizing our finale weekend, and I’m incredibly appreciative of their efforts to pivot and find a fitting venue for our fans, drivers and teams.”

    Indy NXT by Firestone, the developmental series for the NTT IndyCar Series, will also shift its 2024 championship finale to Nashville Superspeedway.

    More details on weekend festivities, schedule and ticket options will be forthcoming. The event remains committed to a presence downtown leading up to the race, with activations and entertainment celebrating the finale to be unveiled at a later date.

  • A Nashvillians Guide to the 2024 NASCAR Season

    A Nashvillians Guide to the 2024 NASCAR Season

    Photo: Courtesy of Trackhouse Racing.

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla– The NFL season has come to an end, NASCAR will be taking center stage with the Daytona 500 kicking off the 2024 NASCAR season on Sunday, Feb. 18.

    Since Covid, NASCAR has grown in popularity, seeing a boost in attendance and TV ratings. NASCAR has also grown a lot, adding new qualifying rules, adding dirt tracks as well as racing through the streets of Chicago. With all this growth, it’s hard not to get excited. But if you’re not a NASCAR fan or haven’t followed the sport in a while, where do you start?

    For Nashville, this is one of the best times to be a NASCAR fan since the late 1970’s. The Ally 400 race is becoming a must-see and must-attend event and Music City has hosted the annual NASCAR Awards the past three years. Plus there are a handful of Nashville teams and drivers that fans can get pumped for.

    Nashville-based Trackhouse Racing team and Ross Chastain

    ross chastain celebrating his ally 400 win on victory lane. photo courtesy of trackhouse racing
    Ross Chastain celebrating his Ally 400 win on Victory Lane. Photo: Courtesy of Trackhouse Racing.

    One team that is really easy to get behind is the Nashville-based Trackhouse Racing team. They launched in 2021 with Mexican-born driver Daniel Suarez. Ross Chastain joined in 2022 after a quiet debut season. Chastain gave Trackhouse its first win at the 2022 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. He would win again at Talladega before Suarez picked up his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series win at Sonoma. Chastain finished second in points and Suarez finished 10th.

    Suarez’s No. 99 car was sponsored by famous honky tonk Tootsie’s at multiple races throughout the past two seasons.

    In 2023, Trackhouse continued its success with a huge win at the Ally 400 at the Nashville Superspeedway when Chastain won the pole (the team’s first) and then won the race. He would finish the season ninth in points with 10 top-five finishes and a win in the final race of the season.

    This season should be another big season for Trackhouse as Chastain has solidified himself as a legit championship contender and a driver who is not afraid to make enemies on the track. His rough-and-tumble personality has made him into a bit of a heel in NASCAR. This team and driver is a great choice to follow going into the 2024 season.

    Chastain is starting 21st and Suarez is starting 13th at the 2024 Dayton 500.

    Hendersonville native Josh Berry joins the Cup Series

    josh berry win at dover
    Josh Berry after winning at Dover Motor Speedway. Photo: Courtesy of JR Motorsports.

    Another highly anticipated driver going into 2024 is Hendersonville, TN native Josh Berry. Berry had major success the past two seasons with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team JR Motor Sports at the Xfinity Cup level. Last season he signed with Stewart-Haas Racing to take over the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Kevin Harvick who retired.

    Berry won five races for JR Motor Sports including three races in 2022. These include wins at Dover, Martinsville, and two in Las Vegas. He finished 2022 and 2023 with 11 top-five finishes in each season. Now he has the chance to show off his skills in the Cup Series full-time.

    He already has Cup experience, making 10 Cup Series starts, with a second-place finish on April 2 at Richmond Raceway while subbing for the injured Chase Elliott.

    Berry is starting in 30th at the Dayton 500.

    Big Machine Racing back with a new driver in 2024

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    Scott Borchetta and Parker Kligerman. Photo courtesy of Big Machine Racing

    Another Nashville team to keep an eye on this season is Big Machine Racing in the Xfinity Series. The team started in 2021 with driver and Nashville native Jade Buford.

    It was founded by CEO and founder of Big Machine Label Group Scott Borchetta who is an avid racing fan and driver. He grew up racing in California and has raced in the Trans Am Series for a number of years.

    Though the team didn’t see much success in 2021, it picked up its first win in 2022 when Tyler Reddick took over the No. 48 car and won at the Texas Motor Speedway. But in 2023, the team decided to make Parker Kligerman the full-time driver of the No. 48 car.

    He went on to have a solid season, picking up seven top-five finishes including a second-place finish at Road America. His efforts put him and the team in the playoffs for the first time ever.

    The team is entering its fourth season and will need to pick up steam if it wants to be a competitor in the increasingly competitive Xfinity Series. Kligerman has proven himself as the driver. The team will have a lot to prove to NASCAR if they want more sponsors and possibly a second driver.

    Kligerman will start fourth at the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway.

    Fans can catch the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. CT.

  • Gillespie’s Return has Belmont Firing at Full Force Once Again

    Gillespie’s Return has Belmont Firing at Full Force Once Again

    Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

    NASHVILLE – For the first time in over a month, the Belmont Bruins are beginning to look like the Belmont Bruins.

    A slew of difficult results and one key injury plagued the Bruins since the start of the New Year, and Casey Alexander’s group was tested in a way Belmont basketball had not been tested since the head coach’s Belmont arrival in 2019.

    The team lost six of its seven games from Jan. 13 through Feb. 3, a stretch of losing the likes Belmont had not seen in over a decade. The last time Belmont lost as many as five games in a seven-game span dates back to the 2013-2014 season under Rick Byrd. Of those five losses, two were handed to Belmont by ranked opponents in Kentucky and VCU.

    Guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie was absent in all six of those Belmont losses, frustratedly forced into missing time with a wrist injury after averaging over 16 ppg to start the season. When lumping his scoring ability with his 4.4 assists and 2.5 steals per game, the sophomore would not easily be replaced, and the offense sputtered without him.

    Over Belmont’s last two outings, however, the ship appears to have been righted. You can breathe again, Belmont fans.

    Back-to-back victories over longtime rivals Murray State at home (69-64) and Valparaiso on the road (96-78) have Belmont winning when serious teams need to win. While Indiana State and Drake still sit atop the Missouri Valley Conference with a comfortable cushion, concluding the regular season with momentum, confidence, and the highest possible Arch Madness seed is what matters most at this point.

    In those two wins, the presence of a healthy Gillespie turned the tide in favor of a reeling Belmont group. Versus Murray State, Gillespie led both teams in scoring with 24 points to pair alongside eight rebounds and five assists. In his encore performance at Valparaiso, Gillespie accounted for 18 points, four rebounds, and six assists.

    Gillespie’s return also spurred Belmont’s leading scorer, Malik Dia, to put up 25 points against the Beacons, his highest single-game scoring total since paving the path to the Bruins’ win over Drake with 32 points on Jan. 7.

    To extend its winning streak to three, Belmont will need to knock off a stingy Southern Illinois team on Wednesday night that comes in with a 16-9 overall record (8-6 in Conference play). The Salukis are allowing just 66.4 ppg, potentially setting the stage for an ugly game in which the Bruins will need to scrap to win.

    Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

  • Belmont Searching for Stability Near the End of Rollercoaster Season

    Belmont Searching for Stability Near the End of Rollercoaster Season

    NASHVILLE – Casey Alexander’s Belmont Bruins squad entered the 2023-24 season with a healthy amount of uncertainty.

    The head coach’s group was coming off an Arch Madness heartbreaker the season before at the hands of the now-frontrunners of the Missouri Vally Conference, Indiana State. Belmont’s most prolific scorer dating back to 2019, Ben Sheppard, had been selected with the 26th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers, the exact same spot in which Dylan Windler had been drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers four years earlier.

    Alexander’s 2023-24 group was promising but unproven. As a freshman the year before, Cade Tyson averaged 13.6 ppg, followed not too far behind by fellow freshman Ja’Kobie Gillespi (9.6) and junior Keishawn Davidson (8.2).

    After the conclusion of last season, a 6’9″ freshman out of Murfreesboro transferred from Vanderbilt to Belmont after averaging only 8.7 minutes and 2.6 points per game for the Commodores. This seemingly ordinary addition to Belmont’s roster did not turn too many heads, perhaps apart from those who watched the forward dismantle other teenagers at Ensworth High School, but it has made all the difference for the Bruins.

    That forward was Malik Dia, the now sophomore scoring nearly 18 points per game for Belmont this season, and his move across 21st Ave. was a crucial one for Casey Alexander.

    The Bruins opened their season with an 11-5 start, highlighted by an 87-65 route over Drake on Jan. 7. Over that span, the Bruins averaged nearly 81 ppg and were led by Dia and Tyson, both of whom frequently scored in the upper-20s or lower-30s.

    Belmont had also carried with it an 11-game home win streak at the Curb Event Center dating back to January 2023.

    However, despite its scoring output, Belmont’s defense had not been particularly stout. Despite its 11-5 record, Belmont had allowed more points over that span than it had scored. There were of course outliers, such as its 100-68 loss to No. 3 Arizona early in the season and its 99-93 shortcoming at SoCon leaders Samford, but it has been too easy to score against Belmont since Day 1.

    At some point, injuries were bound to strike or the offense would go through a dry spell, and unfortunately for Belmont, both happened simultaneously in January.

    Sophomore Ja’Kobi Gillespie suffered a wrist injury early in the month which caused the guard to miss eight games. The blow was massive as Gillespie averaged over 16 ppg for the Bruins until he was forcibly sidelined.

    His teammates would overcome Gillespie’s absence with wins in their first two outings without him, including the exclamation-mark victory over Drake. After those two initial wins, Belmont dropped six of its next seven games, including two at home, snapping its win streak at the Curb in the process.

    The Bruins have been outscored 579-501 over this current stretch that has seen the team go 1-6 overall and fall to 12-11 (5-7 in MVC play) on the season. Four of those six losses were by double-digits.

    All that being said, there is still plenty of reason to believe Belmont can turn it around.

    While an at-large bid is likely out of the question for any Missouri Vally team with the possible exception of Indiana State, Belmont is more than capable of a strong run heading into March.

    Gillespie returned in Belmont’s last outing and finished with 16 points, 7 assists, and 2 steals in 26 minutes played. Dia and Tyson continue to play inspired basketball, and the trio makes Belmont one of only two teams in the NCAA with three players averaging over 16 ppg (Dia – 17.6, Tyson – 16.7, Gillespie – 16.1) alongside Arkansas – Pine Bluff.

    The defense needs to tighten up, but with the way Belmont shoots the ball, this group can beat anyone on any given day. Confidence is everything in basketball, and if Belmont can begin building momentum in early February, it could easily become a mid-major that no team wants in play in mid-March.

    Only eight games remain for Casey Alexander’s group to initiate this run with its next opportunity coming Wednesday night vs. Murray State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.

    Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics