Race Weekend Central

Frontstretch 5: West Coast Tracks That Need to Make a Comeback

Joey Logano waits by his NASCRA racecar at Michigan International Speedway, August 2009.

(Photo:Nigel Kinrade, USA Autostock)

With NASCAR’s return to Sonoma, NASCAR looks to swing back to more west coast races after Sonoma was dropped from the 2020 schedule. Last year, there were only four race tracks (Texas Motor Speedway, Kansas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway) where the Cup Series raced that were west of the Mississippi …

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Frontstretch 5: Other Road Courses That Could Host a NASCAR Event

A gaggle of NASCAR Cup cars come around and enter a turn at Circuit of the Americas in 2021

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

This past weekend, NASCAR’s top three series were the subject of a bizarre but memorable inaugural weekend at the 3.4-mile-long Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. COTA has become the latest example of NASCAR’s newfound “road course craze,” which constitutes a plethora of new road courses added to NASCAR’s schedule in recent years. The …

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Frontstretch 5: Other Noteworthy Team Sweeps in NASCAR Cup Races

Kyle Larson leads the field in the Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway, May 2021.

(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Sunday’s (May 16) Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway could not have gone more perfectly for Rick Hendrick and the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization. Between race winner Alex Bowman, runner-up Kyle Larson and fourth-place finisher William Byron, Hendrick had at least one of his cars in the lead for 382 out of 400 laps. And …

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Frontstretch 5: Five Winningest Tracks for Joe Gibbs Racing

Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Christopher Bell and Kyle Busch battle at Kansas Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Ever since the team’s inception in 1992, Joe Gibbs Racing has become a monolith of what a successful NASCAR organization looks like. A whopping 190 wins and five Cup owner championships are part of a certain Hall-of-Fame bound legacy established by the will and perseverance of its founder. “Coach” Joe Gibbs continues to preach a …

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Frontstretch 5: Drivers Who Could Score Birthday Wins in 2021

Erik Jones 2021 Kansas

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Birthdays can be a special and wonderful time for everyone, but winning a NASCAR race on the same day amplifies its sweetness even more. That’s what Kyle Busch did for the second time in his career on Sunday (May 2) in the Buschy McBusch Race 400 at Kansas Speedway, scoring his 58th career NASCAR Cup …

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Frontstretch 5: Most Memorable NASCAR Cup Finishes at Kansas Speedway

2015 Nascar Kansas

16-18 October, 2015, Kansas City, Kansas USA Joey Logano (22), Matt Kenseth, Dollar General Toyota Camry (20), Jimmie Johnson (48) ©2015 John Harrelson / NKP

After enduring a wild weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, the NASCAR Cup Series will be heading off to a place that has gained itself a wild reputation in recent years: Kansas Speedway. Since the speedway’s inception in 2001, it has provided us with many unforgettable moments, from crazy crashes to close finishes and everything in between. …

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Frontstretch 5: NASCAR Cup Drivers Who Can Rejuvenate Sluggish Seasons With Talladega Win

2020 Talladega playoff Cup Chase Elliott leads in pack racing Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Talladega Superspeedway race weekend is upon us at last, which means fast racing, daring passes, big crashes and exhilarating down-to-the-wire finishes. While most race fans are eager to see what will unfold this weekend (April 24-25), most NASCAR Cup Series drivers and teams will carry plenty of dread with them instead. Due to the high-risk …

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Frontstretch 5: Virginia’s Most Successful Inactive Drivers in NASCAR

Darlington Cup 2017 Denny Hamlin Yvonne Leonard (2)

We’re all familiar with NASCAR’s roots originating in the southern part of the United States: the foundation of NASCAR occurred in Daytona Beach, Fla., while the first ever race was held in North Carolina. But Virginia is another one of these old-timey states with plenty of NASCAR history to sift through. Martinsville Speedway, where NASCAR …

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Frontstretch 5: Worst NASCAR Rookie Performances in Recent Memory

Fontana 2010. Kevin Conway

19-21 February, 2010, Fontana, California USA Kevin Conway ©2010, Nigel Kinrade, USA LAT South

The 2020 NASCAR rookie class in the Cup Series was a memorable one, with Cole Custer prevailing over four other drivers and winning the award after being the only rookie driver to make the playoffs. For 2021, the freshman class is down to two drivers. Unfortunately, they haven’t had the kindest of beginnings in their …

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Frontstretch 5: Biggest Key Elements of Bristol’s Bizarre Dirt Weekend

NASCAR Cup on Bristol dirt

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

On a hot September afternoon in 1969, Talladega Superspeedway hosted its first ever NASCAR weekend. Unfortunately, it came with a lot of setbacks and controversy. Shredded tires, unsafe track conditions, unfinished grandstands and suites, driver protests and even driver walkouts were all witnessed during that chaotic weekend in Alabama, making it one of the worst …

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Frontstretch 5: Top Dirt Aces Likely to Win at Bristol

Kyle Larson leans against his car at 2021 spring Phoenix Cup race Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Throughout the history of NASCAR racing, the sport featured occasional stars with particular skills that shone on certain tracks. On the road courses, drivers like Dan Gurney, Marcos Ambrose, Boris Said, Scott Pruett and Ron Fellows excelled. On superspeedways, Michael Waltrip, Brad Keselowski, Sterling Marlin, Ernie Irvan and Dale Earnhardt are among the first names …

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Frontstretch 5: Honorable Female Driving Pioneers in NASCAR

2017 Kansas I Cup Danica Patrick Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

As we know, March is Women’s History Month, and during it sports organizations across America observe and highlight the accomplishments of female athletes of all kinds. And it would be silly for us at Frontstretch to not have a writing segment dedicated to women who have done the same to leave their own marks on …

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