Race Weekend Central

Who’s Hot & Who’s Not: Restart Edition

2016 Chicago Cup Michael Mcdowell Matt Dibenedetto Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Wouldn’t it be nice if life regularly offered us a chance for a restart, a chance to pull back even with the leaders after falling behind? A chance to get our lap back when we feel like we are a lap down to the rest of the field. A chance to win a race when …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not: NASCAR Implications Edition

2016 Chicago Cup Martin Truex Jr Burnout Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Sunday brought us our first Chase race and for some drivers, the first race that had real implications for them since a win earlier this season. Due to some upcoming penalties that will likely be announced Wednesday, we don’t even know what all of those implications will be. HOT It remains to be seen if …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: NASCAR Chase Preview Edition

2016 Daytona Ii Cup Carl Edwards Denny Hamlin Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Just trying to figure who is going to win NASCAR’s 2016 championship is a difficult proposition. Sure there are some favorites, but in this 10-race format anyone can get hot at any time and any one can go cold at any time due to any number of circumstances. At any rate, here’s a look at …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: Labor Day Weekend Throwback Edition

Kevin Harvick Darlington Cup 2016 Yvonne Leonard

(Photo: Yvonne Leonard)

It was quite a weekend in NASCAR, a throwback in more ways than one. A beat and bang finish in the Camping World Truck Series kicked off the proceedings, followed by both paint schemes and attire suitable for Sunday’s Sprint Cup main event. Darlington delivered, paired with comments during and after the race that were old school and …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not: The First Time Edition

2016 Michigan Ii Cup Kyle Larson Burnout John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson/NKP)

If you never think anything good can happen to you… or maybe if that good thing is close to happening, but you think it might not… or maybe if you’re afraid to take the one chance to make that good thing happen — then all three of NASCAR’s major races this weekend were for you, …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Colosseum Marathon Edition

2016 Bristol Ii Cup Kevin Harvick Tony Stewart Celebration Rey Del Rio Getty Images

(Photo: Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

If you were paying attention to the final weekend of the Olympics in Rio, you might have noticed that the men’s marathon took place on Sunday morning. But for NASCAR fans, and especially for those in attendance at Bristol Saturday and Sunday, the NASCAR marathon took place this weekend as well. It wasn’t quite 26.2 …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: NASCAR’s Right-Turn, Left-Turn Edition

2016 Loudon I Cup Tony Stewart Nigelkinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

There was a time when the two road races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule were like sideshows, separate from the main event and not exactly fan favorites.  Drivers who had limited road course experience simply struggled to survive. But after the last few seasons of weaker competition on ovals, better driver preparation and a …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Foggy Mountain Edition

2016 Pocono Ii Cup Jeff Gordon Tony Stewart Racing Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Supposedly it’s the middle of summer, but if you were fortunate enough to spend a lot of time at Pocono Raceway on Sunday and then again on Monday, it would have been easy to think that summer days and summer nights were gone. Monday turned into one of those “if you don’t like the weather, …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Pocono Edition

2016 Indianapolis Cup Kyle Busch Burnout Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

We know it was hot Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with in-car temperatures regularly between 110 and 115, and track temperatures in the 130-degree range. But the temperature wasn’t the only indicator of who was hot, or not, at the famed 2.5-mile oval. HOT No matter what the temperature was, no driver was as hot …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Indianapolis Edition

2016 Loudon I Cup Matt Kenseth Burnout Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

A big part of what happened at New Hampshire during the Sprint Cup race on Sunday had to do with location. Yes, location, location, location. Mainly, if you were on the top lane on a restart that was a good location. If you got stuck on the bottom, not so much. HOT One driver who …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: New Hampshire Edition

2016 Kentucky Cup Brad Keselowski Helmet Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Admit it, you thought we were done with the Big One after leaving Daytona, but Kentucky Speedway provided us with another crash that took out a big chunk of the field. It also provided us with a true fuel strategy race that caused plenty of drama without the help of a late caution. You’ve got …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not: Kentucky Edition

2016 Charlotte Motor Speedway Nscs All Star Race Brad Keselowski Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

The restrictor plate race at Daytona brought us the usual action. That mainly included a big wreck involving something like 206 cars (well actually 22, but you get the point), and the always tense finish with of course, a car sliding over the finish line, because you know that happens all the time. HOT The …

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