Race Weekend Central

Waid’s World: ‘The Curse’ Has Long Been a Part of Talladega Lore

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Over the years, Talladega Superspeedway has been a track where the unpredictable is always predictable. You know something unusual is going happen, but you just don’t know what it is or when it’s going to happen. There is the “Big One” of course – that multi-car accident most often created when a mistake is made …

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What Can Kyle Busch Do to Break His Winless Streak?

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Kyle Busch‘s struggles in 2020 are growing more and more evident by the week. But the true extent of what the No. 18 team is facing was placed front and center Saturday night (Sept. 19) in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway – even if the results don’t tell us that …

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Daytona’s Going to Be Different. Let’s Enjoy It.

Daytona International Speedway Ckf250(2)

Arguably the most normal part of the 2020 motorsports calendar came on Jan. 25, when the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship made its annual voyage to Florida for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.  Now perhaps the wildest moment of the entire pandemic – on track, at least – is about to take place on the same …

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Losing Iowa Would Expose Truth That NASCAR Ignores Short Track Racing

Arca Menards Series Shore Lunch 150

Ty Gibbs, driver of the #18 Monster Energy-Terrible Herbst-ORCA Toyota wins the Shore Lunch 150 for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, July 18, 2020. (Barry Cantrell/ARCA Racing)

Another week, another rumor about a short track closing. It’s gotten all too common, unfortunately. This time it’s Iowa Speedway, and though nothing official has been announced about the track’s future, the rumors are the speedway could be sold or closed in the near future. Obviously, it has put NASCAR’s future at the facility in …

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Chris Gabehart, Denny Hamlin Proving They Can Become All-Time Greats Together

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The success of Denny Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gabehart is far from new at this point. The duo’s victory at Kansas Speedway on Thursday (July 23) marked their fifth of 2020 and 11th since partnering at the beginning of the 2019 season. To see Hamlin at the front of the field anymore is like …

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Selling Out: When Money Doesn’t Replace Skill, Experience

Nascar Cup Series

#00: Quin Houff, StarCom Racing, Chevrolet Camaro Jacob Construction

On Sunday, Quin Houff made an abrupt move that impacted the outcome of a NASCAR Cup Series race for several drivers. It’s time for NASCAR to make an abrupt move to ensure that someone like him can’t do it again. With any sport, the expectation is that those who compete in its highest level are …

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The Good, the Meh & the Ugly: Reviewing All-Star Race Changes

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

So… they really threw the kitchen sink at that one, huh? NASCAR’s annual Cup Series All-Star Race has become as much of a testing ground for the sport as a genuine race in recent years. While the race itself has often struggled to deliver consistently, NASCAR has gotten value out of the event by trialing …

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Familiarity Isn’t Always a Good Thing

2020 Indianapolis Cup Final restart NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In order to attract Formula 1, Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the late ’90s added a road course to its infield. But while that track affords some flexibility, the oval, perhaps the most famous track in the world, is still the main draw. The same is true with Daytona International Speedway. Its infield road course is …

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Does NASCAR Have a Donald Trump Problem Going Forward?

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In February 2020, NASCAR was rolling out the red carpet for Donald Trump at its season-opening Daytona 500. The first sitting U.S. President to visit a race since George W. Bush in 2004 arrived to great fanfare and support from track officials. He couldn’t have been happier addressing the crowd, giving the “start your engines” …

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How Do We – & NASCAR – Move Forward from This Tumultuous Week?

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Thankfully, race weekend is here, which means cars will be on track at Pocono Raceway and the insanity of the past week can take a pause. Never have I been so ready to put a week in the past. The rollercoaster of emotions since Sunday’s reported noose in the Talladega Superspeedway garage stall of Bubba …

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