Race Weekend Central

Up to Speed: Appreciate Joey Logano’s Consistency

Joey Logano 2018 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Champion

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

On Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Joey Logano took on the Big Three and won.  He was victorious not only in the race but also secured his first championship in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.  The title caps off a great season for Logano and a superb performance in NASCAR’s 10-race playoffs.  Three wins, 13 …

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Up to Speed: Kevin Harvick Must Look Forward

2018 Cup Phoenix Ism Zach Catanzareti Kevin Harvick

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

One week ago, Kevin Harvick looked like the odds-on favorite to win a second championship in NASCAR’s top division.  In fact, he rolled to a convincing victory at Texas Motor Speedway, winning both stages in the process.  Kyle Busch, likely Harvick’s biggest title threat, was a little bit off all day.  He finished an uninspiring …

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Up to Speed: What Does Kurt Busch Do Now?

2018 Cup Zach Catanzareti Dover Kurt Busch

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

During the autumn of 2018, most of the chatter surrounding Kurt Busch has been speculation about his future.  But in the present, Busch is still right in the thick of the championship battle. Busch has been quietly putting up good results during the postseason.  He nearly earned his second victory of the year at Talladega …

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Up to Speed: Race How You Get Raced

2018 Martinsville Finish Joey Logano Martin Truex Jr. Zach Catanzareti Cup

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Never underestimate the ability of Martinsville Speedway to inject a healthy dose of controversy into a championship battle. Sunday’s race left Martin Truex Jr. furious, vowing that Joey Logano would not win the title.  Logano emerged from the race with a win, a new grandfather clock and a pass to the championship race at Homestead-Miami …

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Up to Speed: Uncertainty Weighing on Furniture Row Racing

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Martin Truex Jr. and Furniture Row Racing are nearly one year removed from winning a championship together.  They have defended their title well in 2018.  With four wins this season, Truex is among the so called Big Three who look like the most legitimate championship threats. Or, at least he was this summer. Since then, …

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Up to Speed: Patience Carries Aric Almirola to Victory

#10: Aric Almirola, Stewart Haas Racing, Ford Fusion Smithfield Bacon For Life

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In the last year and a half, has any driver in NASCAR experienced the highs and lows of professional stock car racing more than Aric Almirola? The scene of Almirola slumped against his battered No. 10 Ford at Dover International Speedway last week seemed to encapsulate a season of lost opportunities.  It was not just …

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Up to Speed: Did Kyle Larson Get Saved Again?

#42: Kyle Larson, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet Camaro Credit One Bank Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Sunday’s race at Dover International Speedway was supposed to be a good one for Kyle Larson.  In nine previous starts at the Monster Mile, he had only finished worse than 11th once.  Larson also looked great in the practice sessions leading up to the race.  It seemed like he was well-prepared to take on the …

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Up to Speed: Part-Time Pays off for Ryan Preece

Nascar Xfinity Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

For the past several years, Ryan Preece has been forging a pathway to the national levels of NASCAR.  He demonstrated his talent in the Whelen Modified Tour, winning 12 times in 56 races from 2012-2015.  But when it came time to take on NASCAR’s XFINITY Series, Preece needed a way to increase his visibility on …

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Up to Speed: Aric Almirola Exceeding Playoff Expectations

Aric Almirola 2018 Mencs Cup Series, Sonoma

(Photo: Danny Peters)

Two races into the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Aric Almirola’s performance is the biggest positive surprise.  After getting through a chaotic race in Las Vegas unscathed, Almirola earned a fifth-place finish Saturday night at Richmond Raceway.  That finish, coupled with a sixth-place run last week, has lifted Almirola to sixth 0n the …

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Up to Speed: Pressure to Win on Denny Hamlin

2018 Cup Pocono Zach Catanzareti Denny Hamlin

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Denny Hamlin has rarely suffered from a lack of wins in his NASCAR career.  Since 2006, his rookie year in the Cup Series, he has never had a winless season.  Some of those years certainly were not big-win seasons, but Hamlin always found a way to get to Victory Lane at least once. Even in …

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Up to Speed: A Long Way from 2006

#95: Kasey Kahne, Leavine Family Racing, Chevrolet Camaro Procore Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After a week of mostly bad news for both drivers, Martin Truex Jr. and Kasey Kahne are at a crossroads. The announcement Furniture Row Racing would disband at the end of this season has thrown serious complications into Truex’s quest to win a second straight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship.  Chances are that Truex …

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Friday Faceoff: Has the Southern 500 Surpassed the Daytona 500?

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Brad Keselowski called his Southern 500 win the biggest of his career. Has the Labor Day throwback weekend become the second biggest race of the year? Bryan Gable: Yes.  The Southern 500 has always been a big deal to the drivers.  In addition to Keselowski, we have seen veteran racers like Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Carl …

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