Race Weekend Central

Jimmie Johnson Leads Opening Cup Practice at Chicagoland

2016 Nscs Jimmie Johnson Kentucky Photo Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Entering the Chase as an underdog – or at least as much of one as he’s ever been – six-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has something to prove in this season’s Chase. The six-time champion took the first steps toward showing he can contend by pacing opening practice at Chicagoland Speedway. Johnson’s 29.383-second circuit …

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Spencer Gallagher Claims Chicagoland Truck Pole

2016 Charlotte Cwts Spencer Gallagher Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

After qualifying, Spencer Gallagher and John Wes Townley will again find themselves running alongside each other tonight after their midseason tussle at Gateway Motorsports Park. This time, with a Chase bid on the line, the two will likely need to save their fighting for another time, or at least after the race. Gallagher will lead the …

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Brandon Jones Tops XFINITY Practice at Chicagoland

2016 Nxs Brandon Jones Practice Chicagoland Russel Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Fresh off of 150 miles in Thursday’s ARCA Racing Series race, Brandon Jones led the field in the first full practice session for the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Jones’ 30.352-second lap led the way in final practice for Saturday’s Drive for Safety 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. It was an all-Jones top two, with Erik Jones ending …

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NASCAR Cancels Sprint Cup Qualifying, Field Set By Chase Standings

2016 Pocono I Cup Kyle Busch Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell Labounty/NKP)

As it turns out, scoring the most wins in the regular season can lead to more perks than just bonus points in the first round of the Chase. Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski will lead the field to green in Sunday’s Chase opening Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 after rain showers on Friday forced NASCAR …

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Rejuvenated Matt Tifft Thankful, Ready for Truck Series Return at Chicagoland

2016 Nascar Camping World Truck Series, Charlotte

19-20 May, 2016, Concord, North Carolina, USA Matt Tifft © 2016, Nigel Kinrade NKP

A familiar, smiling face has rejoined the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series paddock ahead of Friday’s American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway, and he’s grateful for the opportunity to return. Less than three months after undergoing surgery to remove a low-grade glioma in the brain, Matt Tifft returns to action in Red Horse Racing’s No. 11 …

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Rain Halts Opening XFINITY Series Practice at Chicagoland Speedway

2016 Nxs Daniel Suarez Cockpit

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

A large rain storm has stalled opening NASCAR XFINITY Series practice for the final race of the regular season at Chicagoland Speedway. Series regulars got just over 20 minutes to try to dial in their cars before a large storm cell descended upon the Joliet, Illinois facility. Daniel Suarez‘s 30.475-second lap sat atop the charts …

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The 10: Talking About Playoffs

2016 Nascar Richmond

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

“Playoffs? Don’t talk about—playoffs?! You kidding me? Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game!” So former coach Jim Mora said when his Indianapolis Colts limped out to a 4-6 record to begin the 2001 NFL season. Unfortunately for Mora, his Colts would only win two more games that season. He was ultimately fired, and replaced by Tony …

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Indy 500 Win Not Enough for Formula One Transplant Alexander Rossi

2016 Ics Alex Rossi Texas Photo Shawn Gritzmacher/indycar

(Photo: Shawn Gritzmacher/IndyCar)

For most drivers, winning the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 would be a big enough moment to justify a career, let alone a rookie season. But Alexander Rossi is no typical rookie.  Rossi clutch-and-coasted his way to an improbable victory in front of over 350,000 people in his first Month of May, but the Andretti …

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How They Got Here: A Look at the 2016 Sprint Cup Chase Grid

2016 Nscs Chase Grid Richmond Photo Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

After seven months of speculation, surprise winners and clinch scenarios, the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup grid has been set. And let me tell you, it’s a doozy. Coming off a fairly standard year in 2015 — or at least as “standard” of a year as you can have in the second season of …

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The 10: Top Throwbacks From Future’s Past

Kevin Harvick Darlington Cup 2016 Yvonne Leonard

(Photo: Yvonne Leonard)

Smokey Yunick’s machine struggled. Bobby Allison lost a motor. David Pearson crashed and Dale Earnhardt battled for position with… Dale Earnhardt? If taken only in fleeting glimpses, Sunday’s throwback-filled Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway may well have looked like the days of old. Liveries of stars retired or otherwise long gone filled the NASCAR Sprint …

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2-Headed Monster: Should the Lower-Low Downforce Package Run Full-Time in 2017?

2016 Michigan Ii Cup Chase Elliott Alex Bowman Racing Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 was more than just a dream come true for Kyle Larson, it was also the final test run for the Sprint Cup Series in the proposed 2017 rules package. Coming off of previous years at Michigan International Speedway that saw drivers running nearly flat-out around the two-mile oval, the lessened downforce …

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James Hinchcliffe, SPM Hit With Post-Texas Penalty

2016 Ics Texas James Hinchcliffe Chrs Jones Indycar

(Photo: Chris Jones/INDYCAR)

It’s been a quiet year for penalties in the Verizon IndyCar Series, but the series was forced to take action after the restarted Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. Runner-up finisher James Hinchcliffe and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports have been issued a 25-point penalty in both the drivers and owners championships and have been fined $20,000 …

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