Race Weekend Central

Up to Speed: The One That Got Away from Kevin Harvick

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(Photo: Randy Lanning)

Kevin Harvick has a reputation for doing two things particularly well: closing out races and winning at Phoenix Raceway.  No driver has won more Cup Series races at the one mile oval than Harvick.  And, over the last decade or so, there is perhaps no other driver who has more frequently emerged out of the …

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Up to Speed: Alex Bowman Delivering on High Expectations

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(Photo: Randy Lanning)

No long ago, Hendrick Motorsports was the undisputed most dominant team in NASCAR.  Competitors and fans alike understood that the path to the Cup Series championship inevitably ran through the sprawling HMS campus in Concord, North Carolina.  Led most recently by Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick’s strong teams promised to be contenders each and every week. However, …

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Up to Speed: All Eyes on Ross Chastain

Nascar Gander Outdoors Truck Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Ross Chastain has had quite the eventful week.  It began with a strong run in the Daytona 500 that ended in a multi-car wreck in the closing laps and concluded Sunday (Feb. 23) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where another good performance went awry late in the race.  With six laps to go, Chastain looped …

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Up to Speed: Going Forward, Daytona Needs to Remember its Main Attraction

2020 Daytona Ncs Chase Elliott Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

There is no race quite like the Daytona 500.  Every year, when that special Sunday in mid-February rolls around, NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway pay off three months’ worth of anticipation among fans and competitors.  This weekend was no different, with NASCAR set to begin a new season and a new decade of racing. Then, …

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Up to Speed: NASCAR Cup Drivers With Something to Prove in 2020

Matt DiBenedetto

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

A new racing season means new opportunities and new challenges.  Over the winter, NASCAR’s Cup Series saw its usual flurry of changes among drivers, teams and crews.  As a result of these changes, many drivers, rookies and veterans alike will be feeling the pressure to perform in 2020.  Whether measuring their success against other competitors …

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2019 NASCAR Driver Reviews: Jimmie Johnson

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Jimmie Johnson needed a change of pace.  In 2018, he experienced the first winless season of his full-time career in the NASCAR Cup Series.  Johnson also matched or surpassed career lows in top fives and top 10s for a single year. To get the No. 48 team back on track, Hendrick Motorsports decided to split …

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2019 NASCAR Driver Reviews: Alex Bowman

2019 Texas Mencs Alex Bowman Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The beginning of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season marked the end of Alex Bowman‘s transition period into the No. 88 car.  Now acclimated with his new job and new team, the Arizona native hoped to earn his first Cup victory and a second straight trip to the playoffs. Bowman accomplished both of those goals …

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Up to Speed: A Full Season Show by Kyle Busch

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(Credit: Christian Koelle, Frontstretch)

In the end, reports of Kyle Busch’s demise turned out to be greatly exaggerated.  It may have been a shaky run through the playoffs at times for the Las Vegas native. But once the dust had settled at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday night, Busch had claimed his second championship in NASCAR’s top division. Busch’s second …

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Up to Speed: Denny Hamlin Gets Another Chance

2019 Dover Mencs Denny Hamlin Face Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

This time, Denny Hamlin didn’t blink. Needing to close out a victory late in Sunday’s (Nov. 10) race at ISM Raceway, Hamlin prevailed on a restart with three laps to go, holding off fellow playoff drivers Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney.  The win allows Hamlin to advance to the final round of the playoffs next …

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Up to Speed: Final Thoughts on the 2019 NASCAR Aero Package

2019 Michigan Cup pack racing

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway was the latest chapter in a story that has unfolded all season long.  The 500-mile, day-into-night event was the last big test of NASCAR’s new aero package for stock car racing’s premier series. While there is still one intermediate track race left at Homestead-Miami …

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Up to Speed: No Love Lost Between Denny Hamlin & Joey Logano

2019 Martinsville Mencs Joey Logano Car Cck

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Martinsville Speedway’s reputation for producing hot tempers and hurt feelings remain intact.  The fall playoff race, in particular, has featured no shortage of drama between championship contenders. Two years ago, Chase Elliott was upset at Denny Hamlin after being spun out late in the race.  Last year, Martin Truex Jr. was peeved at Joey Logano …

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Up to Speed: Reversal of Fortunes for Team Penske

2019 Daytona Cup Zach Catanzareti Team Penske Ryan Blaney Joey Logano Brad Keselowski

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Early in NASCAR’s 2019 season, Team Penske appeared to have two top shelf contenders for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title.  Brad Keselowski kicked off their effort, rolling to three victories in the first 12 races of the year.  After a disappointing playoff run in 2018, the No. 2 team was looking like a …

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