Race Weekend Central

Despite Improvements, Brandon Jones Needs to ‘Win a Bunch’ Before Moving to Cup

Brandon Jones

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Brandon Jones may just be one of the most improved drivers over the course of the past year. In October 2019 at Kansas Speedway, Jones survived as the leaders wrecked on a late-race restart, and he went on to win his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series race. Since then, the 23-year-old, now in his fifth …

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Fire on Fridays: What Happens to Richard Petty Motorsports If Bubba Wallace Leaves?

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

With Brad Keselowski and Christopher Bell officially off the free agency market, that leaves Bubba Wallace as the next major silly season piece to fall, and the rest of the driver lineups will widely shape around whatever decision Wallace makes. Does Wallace replace the retiring Jimmie Johnson in Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 48 in the NASCAR …

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Can Stewart Friesen Turn Things Around for Postseason Push?

Stewart Friesen

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

2019 was Stewart Friesen‘s breakout year in the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. The Ontario native won his first two races since joining the series in 2016, and he advanced to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  This year has been much worse for the 37-year-old. Friesen only has one top-five finish through the …

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Fire on Fridays: Richard Petty, Jimmie Johnson Declines Aren’t Comparable

Jimmie Johnson & Richard Petty

(Nigel Kinrade Photography)

There’s been a lot of comparisons lately between the long winless droughts at the end of the careers of fellow seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson. Petty went winless in his last eight seasons, while Johnson hasn’t been to victory lane since June 2017, both a far cry from their primes. …

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Fire on Fridays: SRX Is the Competition NASCAR Needs

2017 Kansas I Cup Tony Stewart Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Competition breeds excellence, and that is precisely what could happen to NASCAR given the birth of a new racing league: Superstar Racing Experience. On Monday morning (July 16), Sports Business Journal reported that NASCAR Hall of Famers Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham are developing their own racing league. SRX will debut on CBS summer 2021 …

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ARCA’s Justin Carroll Sets Sights on NASCAR Trucks

Nascar K&n Pro Series East

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Between racing in the ARCA Menards Series East and in late model stock car races at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va., and various other nearby short tracks, owner/driver Justin Carroll already has a pretty full schedule. He’s about to add even more to it in the way of the main ARCA Menards Series and the …

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Fire on Fridays: Would Denny Hamlin Consider Going to Hendrick Motorsports?

Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson

(Nigel Kinrade Photography)

One little boat ride can cause a whole lot of speculation. This past weekend, Denny Hamlin was blazing fast at Pocono Raceway like always, but he was also hitting high speeds out on the waters with Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon, who also owns a stake in Hendrick Motorsports. Hamlin said he was nervous riding …

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Fire on Fridays: Will Cancel Culture Come for the Pre-Race Prayer?

Confederate Flag in NASCAR

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Wednesday, June 10, NASCAR made national news when it banned the Confederate flag from all of its racetracks. The rebel flag had been somewhat a staple of the early years of the organization, but NASCAR made the move to become more welcoming and inclusive. The move was mostly met with positive reviews, and the impact …

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Michael McDowell’s NASCAR Journey: From Rushed to Cup, to Start & Park, to Top 15

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Michael McDowell is off to the best start of his career. Now in his 13th year in NASCAR Cup Series competition and fourth season attempting every race, he currently sits 23rd in points, the highest he’s ever been 12 races into a season. Since NASCAR came back from the COVID-19 break, McDowell and his No. …

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2-Headed Monster: Should NASCAR Have Banned the Confederate Flag?

Confederate Flag in NASCAR

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

NASCAR made one of its biggest announcements in its history on Wednesday evening (June 10) when it announced that it was banning fans from displaying the Confederate flag at all of its tracks. Michael Massie and Vito Pugliese debate whether this was the right move. A Hypocritical Knee-Jerk  Banning the confederate flag was the wrong …

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Fire on Fridays: 7 Tracks With Ownership Capable of Cup Dates

Virtual NASCAR cars race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2020. Photo: NASCAR Media

(Photo: NASCAR Media)

Pandora’s box has been opened! NASCAR announced earlier this week it’s moving one of the NASCAR Cup Series dates from Dover International Speedway to Nashville Superspeedway in 2021. With Nashville’s resurgence after having been abandoned since 2011, it brings to light many other tracks which people have claimed could never host a Cup race. What …

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Brandon Brown Trying to Change Team’s Underfunded Narrative

2020charlottenxsbrandonbrownfacenascarmedia

(Photo: NASCAR Media/Getty Images)

Another name is being made in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Just seven races into the 2020 season, Brandon Brown has already scored a career-high three top-10 finishes. The most recent pair came in consecutive weeks at Charlotte Motor Speedway (eighth) and Bristol Motor Speedway (seventh), and they were Brown’s first top 10s on an intermediate …

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