Race Weekend Central

Tech Talk: Trent Owens on the Tires & Surface Changes at Bristol

Trent Owens Indianapolis 2016 Cup Mike Neff

Credit : Mike Neff

After six months of learning how to run with the new aerodynamic package in 2016, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams had one final weekend off. They now begin a 14-week run to the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Some teams used the off-week to regroup, others used it to fine tune their cars for the stretch …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Last Off Week of the Season Preparing for the 14-Race Run to the Championship

2016 Kentucky Cup Brad Keselowski Woohoo Leslie Miller Nkp

Credit : Nigel Kinrade Photography

Who’s in the headline – While there are multiple drivers who have run well this season, the brightest spotlight of the year has been on one organization. At this point in the season, Joe Gibbs Racing has been the class of the field for a majority of the races. Between its four teams, it has 10 wins. …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Denny Hamlin Wins at Watkins Glen

Truex

Who’s in the headline – Denny Hamlin out-drove the field in Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 from Watkins Glen International to pick up his first-career road course win. Staying clean on pit road and on the racetrack, Hamlin passed Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch with 10 laps to go to return to Victory Lane for the second …

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Tech Talk: Running Road Courses with Matt McCall

The second road course race of the season provides a far different set of challenges for teams and crew chiefs than Sonoma Raceway did earlier in the year. Watkins Glen International is run at a higher speed and is less technical than Sonoma. The additional challenge has been thrown at the teams because the track …

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Tech Talk: Jason Ratcliff Isn’t a Big Fan of NASCAR’s Lug Nut Rule

Jason Ratcliff Indianapolis 2016 Cup Mike Neff

Photo Credit : Mike Neff

NASCAR crew chief Jason Ratcliff guided his driver, Matt Kenseth, to the runner-up spot at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last weekend and hopes to utilize the knowledge he’s accumulated over the last few weeks to make a serious run at the win in Pocono Raceway this weekend. He utilized things that he learned at Pocono during …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Kyle Busch Finds Brickyard Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow

Kyle Busch Kissing Bricks Indianapolis Cup 2016 Yvonne Leonard

Photo Credit : Yvonne Leonard

Who’s in the headline – Kyle Busch pulled out the broom stick for the second year in a row at Indianapolis. To make it even more exciting, this year, he not only swept both races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he won both poles as well. Busch dominated the event, leading all but 21 laps en …

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XFINITY Breakdown:Kyle Busch Continues XFINITY Dominance at Indianapolis

Kyle Busch Donuts Indianapolis Xfinity 2016 Yvonne Leonard

(Photo: Yvonne Leonard)

The XFINITY series has been running at Indianapolis for five years and for the last four it has been Kyle Busch’s playground. After a 22nd place run in 2012 Busch has won three of the last four races and two in a row. Saturday’s effort was especially dominant, with Busch leading all 20 laps of …

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Tech Talk: Kevin ‘Bono’ Manion Gets Down and Dirty at Eldora

2016 Camping World Truck Eldora

19-20 July, 2016, Rossburg, Ohio USA Cody Coughlin ©2016, Brett Moist NKP

Kevin ‘Bono’ Manion spent years in the Cup series after successfully leading Martin Truex, Jr. to two XFINITY series titles. After leaving Richard Petty Motorsports, Manion ventured to Kyle Busch Motorsports for the 2016 season, heading up the No. 51 team. This season marked his first visit to Eldora Speedway and first opportunity as a crew …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Matt Kenseth New Hampshire Win Tainted By Failed Inspection?

2016 Loudon I Cup Mattkneseth Woohoo Matthew T Thacker Nkp

Who’s in the headline: The old adage of only having to lead one lap seems to be the way Matt Kenseth does business. It rang true again this weekend as Kenseth started 18th and took over 250 laps to get to the point. Once there, he endured three restarts over the final 31 circuits and strolled to victory in a …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Inside Tony Stewart’s Stunning Sonoma Victory

2106 Sonoma Cup Tony Stewart Woohoo Close John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson/NKP)

Who’s in the headline – Friday, Tony Stewart said, “driving a Sprint Cup car does not make me happy right now.” Wonder how he feels after a trip to Victory Lane? Based on that winning look on his face my guess is “ecstatic” after a last-lap, last-turn re-pass of Denny Hamlin earned Smoke his first victory since Dover in June 2013. …

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