Race Weekend Central

Beyond the Cockpit: Mikhail Aleshin Had No Second Thoughts of Racing in U.S.

2016 Indycar Mikhail Aleshin Indycar Media

Photo: INDYCAR Media

When Ryan Hunter-Reay sat in disbelief when asked about Mikhail Aleshin‘s comeback from a season-ending crash at Auto Club Speedway in 2014, Aleshin replied with a statement that runs deep in his racing background: “Don’t forget, I’m from Russia.” Suffering multiple broken bones and a concussion in that Fontana accident, Aleshin made his comeback at Sonoma Raceway last …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Juan Pablo Montoya Has Eyes Set on Future Despite Colorful Past

2016 Indycar Juan Pablo Montoya Indycar Media

(Photo: INDYCAR Media)

Any time you’re on a three-man list alongside Mario Andretti and Dan Gurney, you’ve done pretty well in your time behind the wheel of a racecar. For Juan Pablo Montoya, after tasting victory in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, Verizon IndyCar Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, he can proudly call himself one of …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Josh Wise Optimistic Despite First-Year Struggles with The Motorsports Group

2016 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Phoenix

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Josh Wise is no longer a start-and-park driver. His days of entering the Sprint Cup garage after a handful of laps on race day are long gone.  However, Wise has continuously faced adversity in his time at NASCAR’s premier level, going from the ego-lowering start-and-park jobs, to losing his job eight weeks after giving a team its only …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Garrett Smithley on His Accelerated Ride up the NASCAR Ladder

2016 Nascar Xfinity Series, Dover

Photo: Nigel Kinrade NKP

Oh, how much can change in a year’s time.  For Garrett Smithley, the 24-year-old Georgia native was working as a driver instructor at the Richard Petty Driving Experience following a successful run in Bandolero and Legend cars, before he even stepped foot in a NASCAR stock car. At the start of the 2015 season, Smithley made …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Patrick Carpentier on Danger, Success & Why He Races

Patrick Carpentier, racing the Indianapolis 500 in 2005, starting from pole in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and winning five times in CART during one of its darkest times, is quite appreciative of his time in the spotlight. Growing up in Quebec, Canada, the now-44- year-old made an unlikely return to the Sprint Cup stage …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Aric Almirola Dishes on Daytona Win, 2016 Struggles

2016 Loudon I Cup Aric Almirola Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

It’s been a season of highs and lows for Richard Petty Motorsports veteran Aric Almirola. Fresh off of two solid years in 2014 and 2015, the first of which led to a Chase berth, Almirola and RPM have struggled to find speed and consistency in 2016.  After finishing inside of the top 20 in points …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Austin Dillon Building on Momentum with RCR

Richard Childress Austin Dillon

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The cowboy-hat-and-sunglasses look is one that is natural for Austin Dillon. The North Carolina native walked around the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage on Friday morning as smooth as silk, casually signing autographs and pausing momentarily to take pictures with fans. But the former Camping World Truck and XFINITY series champion is much more relaxed than …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Jeff Green on the State of the XFINITY Series, His Lasting Legacy

Daytona 2005 Cup Jeff Green Getty Images

In a series seemingly dominated by young hot shots looking toward the Joe Gibbs and Rick Hendricks of the world, it’s a nice reminder when the name Jeff Green pops up on the time sheet every week in the XFINITY Series. And though the veteran’s name may be a little lower on the board nowadays, …

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Beyond The Cockpit: Paul Menard Taking More Risks in Unknown Future

Paul Menard

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Known to the world as one of the quietest guys in NASCAR, Paul Menard sits in an interesting spot in his career. He is in the midst of his sixth full season with Richard Childress Racing, a team that has won 11 races since 2011, nine of which came with Kevin Harvick, who hasn’t raced …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Travis Kvapil on Making His Career in Racing

2016 Cwts Travis Kvapil Ryan Ellis Chatting Credit Make Motorsports

(Photo: MAKE Motorsports)

Beth Lunkenheimer, Frontstretch.com: You made the natural progression out of working with cars in your dad’s garage to racing. Was there ever any doubt that racing was what you wanted to do? Travis Kvapil: There was never a doubt it was what I wanted to do. I knew somehow I would probably be involved in …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Austin Wayne Self on Coming Home to Texas

2016 Atlanta I Cwts Austin Wayne Self Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Austin Wayne Self made his ARCA Racing Series debut in 2013. Running just six races, he posted five top-10 finishes, including a runner-up result at Winchester Speedway (Ind.). Over the next two years, Self ran 39 of 40 races, scoring one win (2015) and a combined 25 top-10 results, en route to a runner-up finish …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Kyle Larson Smarter Now Than in Rookie Season

2016 Fontana Cup Kyle Larson Brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

Appropriately driving the No. 42 Target Chevrolet, Kyle Larson has been the target of conversation in the Sprint Cup Series since 2014. At that time, Larson was hot off his first and only full-time XFINITY Series season in 2013, before making the jump to the Cup ranks, where he replaced Juan Pablo Montoya, who moved to …

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