Race Weekend Central

Darrell Waltrip’s Retirement Conundrum Par for the Course in NASCAR 2019: Was it the Right Time?

2019 Bristol Zach Catanzareti Cup Darrell Waltrip

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Darrell Waltrip’s 2019 retirement press conference at Bristol Motor Speedway was, in every way, a conundrum. If there’s been one word to describe what the NASCAR season has been to this point, conundrum is the word. Such was the case with Friday’s (April 5) official announcement that Jaws, a fixture in FOX’s NASCAR broadcast booth …

Read more

Replication: Michael Annett, No. 1 Team Continuing Daytona Success in 2019

#1: Michael Annett, Jr Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro Chevrolet Pilot Flying J

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Michael Annett winning at Daytona, after going winless in nearly 230 career Xfinity Series starts, to begin 2019 was an accomplishment. But what’s been an even more impressive accomplishment thus far? Scoring three more top 10s in the six races since, sitting fourth in points and a prime contender to make noise in the Xfinity …

Read more

Chase Elliott Wins Food City 500 Pole, Salvages Pole Day for BMS Crowd

2019 Daytona I Cup Chase Elliott Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Friday’s Food City 500 qualifying session ended with as loud an ovation as can be expected from the smattering of fans in the gargantuan stadium, as Chase Elliott bested Ryan Blaney‘s fast lap from practice to win his fifth career Cup Series pole. Elliott will start alongside Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron on Sunday. That …

Read more

Team Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing Continue Hot Streak as Ryan Blaney Tops 1st Cup Practice at Bristol

2019 Atlanta Cup Ryan Blaney Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Moving back to the bullrings did nothing to slow the dominant Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing teams at Bristol, with Ryan Blaney topping the first practice session Friday afternoon. Penske/Gibbs drivers Joey Logano, Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski each finished second, third, fifth and sixth on the practice charts. The session started much …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas

2019 Cup Texas Zach Catanzareti Erik Jones

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The Headline(s): Denny Hamlin overcame a characteristic pair of pit road penalties and missing a pit road approach under green with a stellar late-race pit stop. That got him out front, where he beat Clint Bowyer by more than two seconds. Hamlin scored his second win of 2019 and the 52nd NASCAR national series win …

Read more

Friday Faceoff: Which NASCAR Track Is In Danger Of Losing A Race In 2021?

2017 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Mencs Kyle Busch Kevin Harvick Photo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

With the release of the 2020 schedule, which NASCAR track change will be the most well received by fans and which will likely be viewed as the biggest mistake? Zach Gillispie: Honestly, I think the move to ISM Raceway for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship race is great. Why should the champion be …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 STP 500 at Martinsville

#2: Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Reese/drawtite Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): Brad Keselowski put what Larry Mac dubbed a “Southern tail kickin’” on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series field. He led 446 of 500 laps Sunday (March 24) and held off a late charge from Chase Elliott to score his second win of 2019, his second career win at Martinsville, his 29th career …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Auto Club 400 at Fontana

#22: Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Aaa Southern California, #18: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Interstate Batteries, #10: Aric Almirola, Stewart Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Farmer John, #4: Kevin Harvick, Stewart Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Jimmy John's, #3: Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet Dow Coatings Go Five Wide On The Pace Laps Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): Kyle Busch recovered from a mid-race speeding penalty to cap off a dominant west coast swing, winning the Auto Club 400 after race leaders Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski lost momentum battling each other side-by-side with about 25 laps to go.  For Busch, the win marked the 53rd Cup win of his career, …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 TicketGuardian 500k at ISM

#18: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Skittles Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): After a protracted green flag run, Kyle Busch’s four tires proved better over a long run than Ryan Blaney’s two, allowing the No. 18 to take the lead for good on lap 296 and drive off into the Arizona sunset at ISM Raceway. https://twitter.com/DrunkBrianF/status/1104877779697451008 Busch is the fourth different winner in four Monster …

Read more

ARCA Breakdown: 2019 Pensacola 200

2019 Pensacola Arca Michael Self Victory Lane Arca

(Photo: ARCA Racing)

After finishing outside the top 10 in his last three short track starts, the last place Michael Self wanted to have to rebound from a disastrous season opener at Daytona was another short track.  But 200 laps later, Self’s proclamation of “sucking at short track racing” proved false, as Venturini Motorsports’ No. 25 pulled into …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas

#22: Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Pennzoil Celebrates His Win With A Burnout

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): Two-thousand miles away, on newer asphalt with open aero ducts, the same 500 miles that played out in Atlanta repeated themselves in Las Vegas, with the Team Penske Fords managing a lead and holding off a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for the win. This time, Joey Logano held off Brad Keselowski and a …

Read more

24 Hours Later, Group Qualifying Shows Ugly Face in the Nevada Desert

#6: Ryan Newman, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford Mustang Wyndham Rewards Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

Ryan Newman on track after a frustrating qualifying session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 2019. (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

I deliberately didn’t write this article on Friday because I, like most of the drivers, media, and fans in the infield at Las Vegas on Friday, needed time to digest what we saw in the first “full package” Cup qualifying session. I was hoping that watching the Xfinity Series qualify on Saturday morning would give …

Read more