Race Weekend Central

Jimmie Johnson Misses NASCAR Playoffs For First Time Ever

Photo: Mark Kristl

The wrecked No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson is brought to the garage during the 2019 Big Machine Vodka 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Photo: Mark Kristl

The 15-year NASCAR playoff streak for Jimmie Johnson is over. Johnson’s run came to abrupt end during the final stage of Sunday’s (Sept. 8) Brickyard 400 for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Pinched on the inside during a restart, contact with William Byron sent the No. 48 team spinning in front of heavy traffic. …

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Hard Wrecks By Landon Cassill, Brad Keselowski Mar First Stage Of Brickyard 400

2019 Indianapolis Mencs Brad Keselowski Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Last year’s Brickyard 400 winner and last week’s Southern 500 winner are already out of the 2019 Brickyard 400. Add in Landon Cassill and it’s been a wreck-filled race Sunday (Sept. 8) for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Cassill was the first to endure a hard impact. His No. 00 …

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Did You Notice?: Matt DiBenedetto’s Late-Season Surge? Can It Pay Off For 2020?

2019 Mencs Bristol Matt Dibenedetto Face Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … The strength of Matt DiBenedetto’s late-season surge? In the last six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, DiBenedetto’s earned four top-10 finishes. That matches his career total through 140 Cup starts before joining the No. 95 of Leavine Family Racing this season. The recent spurt has caused DiBenedetto to jump to 22nd …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR History Says Jimmie Johnson Needs a Miracle

2019 Michigan I Cup Jimmie Johnson Ryan Newman Nkp

Did You Notice? … There’s a real battle to secure the final spot in the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Just two points separate Daniel Suarez and Clint Bowyer at the cutoff line in the season standings (16th). Ryan Newman, sitting 15th, is only a dozen points ahead of Suarez. It’s the first time …

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5 Points To Ponder: For the Last 12 NASCAR Cup Races of 2019

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Denny Hamlin Joey Logano Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Joe Gibbs, Roger Penske or “Other” In 2018, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series had the Big Three. But two-thirds of the way into 2019, it’s more like the Big Two. Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske have taken turns beating up on the competition this season. Right now, JGR has the upper hand, …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR Road Ringers Still Matter in the Xfinity Series

2018 Charlotte Roval Cup Zach Catanzareti Aj Allmendinger

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice?… Not a single road course ringer entered the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International? An event that was once littered with part-time entries had just one unchartered car, the No. 96 of Gaunt Brothers Racing, when the Cup race rolled off Aug. 4. These tracks that were once looked …

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Did You Notice?: ‘Getting Run Over’ … Kyle Busch Incident Highlights Bubba Wallace’s Struggles

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Bubba Wallace hasn’t led a lap in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season? Wallace’s 2019 filled with frustration appeared to boil over at Kyle Busch this past weekend at Watkins Glen. His anger over on-track contact caused him to spin Busch out, then erupt in a fiery conversation with …

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Did You Notice?: Tony Stewart’s Temper Creates Bad Timing For NASCAR Heading to Eldora

2017 Kansas I Cup Tony Stewart Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Tony Stewart is back in the news for his temper? A video posted by TMZ Sports, among many others, allege Stewart punched a heckler at a sprint car race in Jackson, Minn. the weekend of July 27. Stewart can be seen chasing after the race fan once the two have a heated …

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Did You Notice?: The Depth of Jimmie Johnson’s Winless Drought

2019 Atlanta Cup Jimmie Johnson Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

Did You Notice? … Jimmie Johnson’s winless drought is now at 79 races? The 83-race Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winner and seven-time series champion has never had a slump like this before. A driver who won at least two Cup races every year since 2002 has gone winless since June 2017. To make matters worse, Johnson now …

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5 Points to Ponder: NASCAR’s Rookie Driver Disappearing Act and Cleaning Up the Playoff Bubble

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Can Kevin Harvick’s Win Kickstart Stewart-Haas Racing? There’s no doubt Kevin Harvick’s Sunday victory (July 21) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway lifts a monkey off the back of Stewart-Haas Racing. After eight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories in 2018, a career high, it took Harvick 20 races to win his first. If nothing …

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Kevin Harvick Ends Winless Drought, Wins Second Straight Foxwoods Resort Casino 301

2019 Loudon Mencs Kevin Harvick Victory Lane Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Kevin Harvick no longer has to answer questions about his 21-race Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winless streak. The question now is if he’ll win three straight at New Hampshire Motor Speedway come 2020. Harvick’s 21-race winless streak in Cup ended Sunday (July 21) after a late call by crew chief Rodney Childers to keep …

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5 Points To Ponder: A NASCAR Weather Solution To Prevent Future Chaos

2019 Daytona Iwsc Rain Phil Allaway

(Photo: Phil Allaway)

ONE: A NASCAR Weather Solution To Prevent Future Chaos It’s Tuesday, July 9, two days after the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400, and Justin Haley’s win still seems like a dream. Time to wake up. The unthinkable for a Spire Motorsports team that hasn’t even finished on the lead lap in its existence happened on a …

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