Race Weekend Central

Kevin Harvick Happy To Be Championship Eligible Again, But Striving For More

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(Davey Segal/Frontstretch)

Last year, Joey Logano dubbed the Championship 4 “The Big Three and me.” This year, it’s pretty much “The JGR Three and Kevin Harvick.” But the 2014 Cup Series champion isn’t approaching Ford Championship Weekend that way. Frankly, he doesn’t really know what to expect from the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway due to increased …

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One Race To Go In David Ragan’s Full-Time Career: “Everything Just Came To A Head”

2017 Las Vegas Cup David Ragan Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

This weekend’s 2019 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway marks the end to David Ragan‘s full-time driving career in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. A career spanning almost a decade and a half at the top level of North American motorsports has included plenty of ups and downs, as Ragan competed for different teams, drove …

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Joe Gibbs Racing Puts 3 Cars In Championship 4

2019 Richmond Mencs Kyle Busch Denny Hamlin Martin Truex, Jr. Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The 2019 season: the year of the package … and Joe Gibbs Racing. By virtue of Denny Hamlin‘s victory on Sunday (Nov. 10) at ISM Raceway, the organization will have three of its four cars in the championship finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the first time in the history of this format. As for the …

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Chase Elliott Crashes Out In Phoenix, Misses 2019 NASCAR Championship 4

2019 Phoenix Mencs Chase Elliott Car Nkp

Chase Elliott will lead the field at the drop of the green flag (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It was truly win-or-go-home for Chase Elliott in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heading into ISM Raceway Sunday (Nov. 10). Two poor finishes in the Round of 8 made a victory the only way he could qualify for the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It wasn’t meant to be. While running inside the top …

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Fire on Fridays: Let Them Fight or An All-Out Brawl?

Cale Yarborough And Donnie Allison

(Photo: ISC Images & Archives/NASCAR via Getty Images)

The big talking point in the NASCAR world this week has revolved around the fight we saw this past weekend at Martinsville Speedway involving the No. 11 team of Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing and the No. 22 team of Joey Logano of Team Penske in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Notice how …

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Fire on Fridays: Talladega Always the Ultimate Form of Entertainment

2019 Talladega Mencs Pack Cck

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

For the past few years, the argument of NASCAR heading in the direction of entertainment rather than pure racing has been met with mixed emotions. It’s the traditionalists clashing with the newer fans. Like it or not, the sanctioning body is going in the direction of the former, opting for the current rules package (higher downforce, lower …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Drydene 400

2019 Dover Mencs Kyle Larson Victory Celebration Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): Stop me if you’ve heard this before: you just can’t pass. Sure, Kyle Larson’s 75-race winless streak was snapped. Sure, he led over 150 laps, and another led over half the race. But once again, the prevailing sentiment from drivers leaving the Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway was the lack of ability to …

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Jimmie Johnson Earns Top 10 at Dover: ‘It’s Just Really Tough To Pass’

2019 Dover Mencs Jimmie Johnson Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

A top-10 result at Dover International Speedway for Jimmie Johnson would usually be considered a disappointment, given his track record at the Monster Mile. With 11 wins (most all-time), a trip to victory lane is customary for seven-time. But given the No. 48’s recent struggles while in the midst of an 89-race winless streak, by …

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Bubba Wallace on Alex Bowman: ‘I’d Just Had Enough Of It’

2019 Mencs Sonoma Bubba Wallace

(Photo: Danny Peters)

When Bubba Wallace splashed water on Alex Bowman following last week’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Bowman was feeling under the weather and dehydrated. On Saturday (Sept. 5) at Dover International Speedway, the tables seem to have turned, as Wallace was the one under the weather. “Feel like karma is coming …

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Fire on Fridays: Is The Pay To Play Era In NASCAR Ending?

Ross Chastain Daytona Watermeln

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

As long as racing has been in existence, money has been paramount. That will never change, but as of late, the concept seems to be morphing to some degree. When the sport was at its peak in the early-to-mid 2000s, sponsors aplenty came into NASCAR like clockwork. Heck, I can only imagine what it’d be …

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Fire on Fridays: Christopher Bell Is Ready to Close the Deal

2019 Loudon Nxs Christopher Bell Face Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

If the kill in his eyes was any indication, Christopher Bell is a man on a mission. Despite his dominant performance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this past weekend, he wound up getting beat by strategy and his championship rival Tyler Reddick for the win. Bell led 154 laps, has …

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