Race Weekend Central

The Frontstretch 5: Memorable Championship Battles

2106 Sonoma Cup Pack Racing Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

1. NASCAR Sprint Cup (Winston Cup) Series, 1979 My favorite championship battle is 1979. If I could go back in time, I would go in a minute, and I would have it take me back to 1979. That was the year where a youngster named Darrell Waltrip and the King of NASCAR Richard Petty battled …

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Pace Laps: Martinsville Madness and XFINITY Point Battles

Cup Martinsville Denny Hamlin Kyle Busch Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Martinsville Speedway

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Sprint Cup: Racing for every point, right? – With the Sprint Cup Series Chase now down to eight drivers, only half of them will move on to the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. You didn’t have to tell Denny Hamlin that as the No. 11 held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammates in the closing laps …

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Eyes on XFINITY: A Return to Martinsville Could Put Lights to Use

2016 Martinsville I Cup Overhead View Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

NASCAR fans will be treated to some great short track racing this weekend.  The Chases in both the Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series continue at Martinsville Speedway, the half-mile paper clip-shaped track in the Southern Virginia hills.  The XFINITY Series, meanwhile, gets one more weekend off. It is a shame that NASCAR’s …

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Pace Laps: RPM’s Banner Day and Minor League Playoff Battles

2016 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Talladega

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Sprint Cup: Banner day for Richard Petty Motorsports in Talladega – Talladega Superspeedway has always been open for opportunity for even the smallest of teams in the Sprint Cup Series. With the weekend starting off with an eyebrow-raising qualifying effort by Premium Motorsports driver Reed Sorenson, it ended with a double-top-10 day for Richard Petty …

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Eyes on XFINITY: Chasing Out the Sprint Cup Drivers?

2016 Kansas Speedway Nxs Daniel Suarez Photo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Earlier this week, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell made a comment about Sprint Cup drivers racing in the XFINITY and Camping World Truck series.  O’Donnell hinted that the sanctioning body could make an announcement soon regarding a plan to limit participation by Sprint Cup regulars in these lower divisions. …

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Pace Laps: Joe Gibbs Racing Getting Beat and the XFINITY Series Chase Gets Spicy at Kansas

2016 Xfinity Kansas

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Sprint Cup: Joe Gibbs Racing Getting Outrun? Halfway through the Chase, Joe Gibbs Racing finds itself in a fantastic spot. Three of their four cars enter Talladega with a large points cushion while their fourth, Denny Hamlin, remains within striking distance. They’ve experienced success with satellite team Martin Truex, Jr., also in strong position to make the Round of …

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XFINITY Breakdown: Kyle Busch Wins While Chasers Struggle

2016 Pocono I Cup Kyle Busch Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell Labounty/NKP)

While the XFINITY Series Chasers were crashing into each other, Kyle Busch was busy crashing the Chase party.  Busch picked up his ninth win of the season and 85th XFINITY win overall, taking the checkered flag in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. “This Nos Energy Drink Toyota was awesome today,” Busch said in …

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Eyes on XFINITY: Is Erik Jones the Title Favorite Again?

2016 Nxs Erik Jones Kentucky Ii Brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

Erik Jones’ lackluster first round of the XFINITY Chase is finally over.  Fortunately for him, his championship hopes are not.  Jones went into the last race in the Round of 12 four points behind the Chase cutoff.  His fifth-place finish gave him more than enough points to make up the deficit.  As a result, he …

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Pace Laps: A Wild Day of Playoff Racing in Charlotte

Joey Logano Burnout Xfinity Charlotte 2016 Mike Neff

Sprint Cup: The Day the Chasers Fell – Though that may sound a bit severe, Sunday’s Bank of America 500 from Charlotte Motor Speedway did seem repetitious with Chaser after Chaser falling out of contention. Starting early with Kevin Harvick, who suffered a mechanical issue on Lap 155, five Chasers found significant issues throughout the …

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Eyes on XFINITY: Blake Koch’s Title Hopes Hinge on Charlotte

2016 Phoenix I Nxs Blake Koch Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew Thacker / NKP)

The Round of 12 in the XFINITY Series Chase concludes this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  The first two Chase races have produced a tight battle for the remaining six transfer spots.  Most eyes will no doubt be on Erik Jones and Ty Dillon, who are currently below the Chase cutoff and seeking either a …

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Pace Laps: Truex’s Triumph and Jones’ Rough Luck

2016 Atlanta Nxs Erik Jones Helmet Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Sprint Cup: Truex’s Pace was the biggest Monster of all in Dover As Chris Buescher studied the finishing order of Sunday’s Citizen Soldier 400, a face of disbelief joined many others. “Man, that was a wild pace,” he said. For sure, Dover International Speedway saw one of the quickest paces in recent memory, as race …

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XFINITY Breakdown: Daniel Suarez Rolls to Victory at Dover

29 30 July, 2016, Newton, Iowa Usa Dakoda Armstrong, Winfield Toyota Camry And Justin Allgaier ©2016, Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Daniel Suarez continued a strong season and a good start to the Chase by winning the Drive Sober 200 at Dover International Speedway.  The race was originally scheduled to run on Saturday afternoon, but persistent rain pushed the event back to Sunday morning.  With the Sprint Cup race set to run later, Suarez was Sunday’s …

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