Race Weekend Central

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2017 First Data 500

Kyle Busch Martinsville Checkered Flag

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Chase Elliott doesn’t need to apologize to anyone for finishing 27th on Sunday.  Elliott was racing for his first career win, and he did everything right in the process.  He got a great restart late to take the lead, and got dumped.  Denny Hamlin was on his bumper, …

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Tracking the Trucks: Noah Gragson Scores 1st Career Victory at Martinsville

Nascar Camping World Truck Series Texas Roadhouse 200 Presented By Alpha Energy Solutions

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

In a Nutshell: Noah Gragson scored his first career victory at Martinsville Speedway Saturday afternoon when he beat Matt Crafton to the checkered flag by 1.486 seconds. The driver of the No. 18 Toyota executed a nearly perfect restart from the outside line with just 10 laps remaining to win the Texas Roadhouse 200. Johnny …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2017 Texas Roadhouse 200

2017 Atlanta Cwts Noah Gragson Truck Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? While Noah Gragson was winning the Texas Roadhouse 200 at Martinsville Speedway, two part-time rookie teammates were handling themselves like old pros.  Harrison Burton, making just his sixth Truck Series start of 2017 and the seventh of his career and Todd Gilliland in his fifth career start, finished …

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2017 Frontstretch Cup: First Data 500 Predictions

Cup Martinsville Martinsville Speedway Aj Allmendinger

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Welcome to our 10th year of staff predictions! Each week, our experts attempt to tell you who the winner of each Cup race will be. Take a look to see who your favorite writers think will win it all (or at least score some points) this week! Think you can out-prognosticate our staff?  Leave your …

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F1 Slipstream Saturday: Bienvenidos, Mexican Grand Prix & More

Lewis Hamilton Wins 2017 Japanese Grand Prix

Is it about to become five title for Lewis Hamilton?(Photo: Getty Images)

The story of the race is, no surprise, Lewis Hamilton.  Should Hamilton finish fifth or better, the driver’s championship is over, regardless of where Sebastian Vettel takes the checkered flag.  Such a scenario really means the the title is a fait accompli, meaning that Hamilton, in essence, has already won the title.  For Vettel to …

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Tech Talk: Ambient Temperatures, Drive Off & Plenty of Tire Talk with Justin Alexander

Justin Alexander Cup 2017 Charlotte Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

Justin Alexander was in the same boat as everyone else on the pit boxes Sunday at Kansas Speedway. The tires were giving up quickly and the drivers, including Alexander’s in Austin Dillon, were screaming that they wanted them replaced quickly. NASCAR also limited the tire inventory, so it made for some calculator exercises for everyone …

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4 Burning Questions: Will Martin Truex Jr. Grab First Short Track Win in Martinsville?

2017 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Stp 500 Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va Usa Sunday 2 April 2017 Martin Truex Jr, Furniture Row/denver Mattress Toyota Camry World Copyright: Logan Whitton/nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Will Martin Truex Jr. Grab First Short Track Win? Though we’ll later discuss whose best shot at advancing to the Championship 4 at Martinsville Speedway, here’s one guy whose best opportunities come but every week in the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. Martin Truex Jr. has lit the sport on fire since 2015, …

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NASCAR 101: How’s NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Program Done So Far?

Nascar Xfinity Series Thehouse.com 300 Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Il Usa Saturday 16 September 2017 Darrell Wallace Jr, Nickelodeon Green Slime Ford Mustang World Copyright:brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

The news of Darrell Wallace Jr.’s full-time move to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018 was met with a fair share of excited NASCAR fans, some of whom have been waiting for Wallace’s breakout on the national NASCAR stage since he ran his first races in the XFINITY Series five years ago. And …

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Friday Faceoff: Did NASCAR Go Too Far with Penalties?

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Ks Usa Saturday 21 October 2017 Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing, Dewalt Flexvolt Toyota Camry World Copyright: Matthew T. Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

Last weekend’s race featured the second cut in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, and among those out is veteran Matt Kenseth, who was parked by NASCAR for having too many crew members working on his car under the damaged vehicle policy.  Is the consequence for that particular infraction too harsh, or is this …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: When Racing Was Everything

2017 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Stp 500 Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va Usa Sunday 2 April 2017 Denny Hamlin, Fedex Express Toyota Camry World Copyright: Nigel Kinrade/nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

I reconnected with an old friend not so long ago.  She was someone I knew well a lifetime ago, and we still get together every now and again.  Our paths diverged several years back when I moved to North Carolina.  She was a diehard race fan when we spent weekends in New Hampshire watching any …

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2017 Frontstretch Podcast Powered by DraftKings – Episode 33: Clockin’ Out

2017 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Stp 500 Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va Usa Sunday 2 April 2017 Matt Kenseth, Tide Toyota Camry World Copyright: John K Harrelson/nkp

(Photo: John K Harrelson/NKP)

Episode 33: Clockin’ Out Frontstretch Podcast with Dustin Albino, Phil Allaway and Zach Catanzareti In this week’s episode brought to you by DraftKings, Dustin, Phil and Zach wrap up the chaos at Kansas Speedway, offering our thoughts on the penalties handed to Matt Kenseth and the feast-and-famine round for Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson. We also preview the …

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