Race Weekend Central

Happiness Is: Late-Season Racing & Change

2017 Chicago Cup Martin Truex Jr Burnout Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

With all the crazy goings on in the world we all need a few moments to get happy.  While this column is more than willing to acknowledge the intersection between sport and politics and believes that they are exorbitantly linked, that does not belie the fact that sport also acts as a place for community …

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Pace Laps: A Flurry of NASCAR Playoff Activity

Blaney Dover

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Bittersweet Day for Hendrick Motorsports in Dover – In the end, the sweet side may outweigh the bitter Sunday at Dover International Speedway. But there was plenty of both as the four-car organization left the Delaware track. Staring with the negatives, Kasey Kahne was one of the three bullets in the …

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Slipstream Saturday: Selamat tinggal, Malaysian GP; and More

Renault Malaysia 2017

This weekend, Formula 1 returns to Sepang International Circuit for the Malaysian Grand Prix.  The race comes in a bittersweet fashion as this will be the last F1 event at the track for the foreseeable future.  The government, who backs the race, has withdrawn its support amid rising prices and decreasing attendance.  Surely, having such …

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Happiness Is: Sports & Politics

2017 Loudon Cup Brad Keselowski Car Phil Allaway

(Photo: Phil Allaway)

Recent events have been focusing on the flag and notions of protest and reactions have ranged from right to left, from sane and logical to outlandish and misguided. Wherever your thought process may rest, that’s your call. But this column is calling BS on the ‘stick to sports’ rhetoric and the notions that sport and …

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Happiness Is: The Drivers Edition

2016 Darlington Cup Jeff Gordon Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The playoffs have started in NASCAR; the IndyCar season is over; and Formula 1 is about to begin its drive home. Happiness Is… Gordon.  Jeff Gordon has been out the sport for two years now (sort of), having joined the madness of the FOX broadcast team and attempted to contribute a sensible voice.  When his …

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Pace Laps: Championship Favorites Reign at Chicago, Josef Newgarden Wins IndyCar Title

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Tales Of The Turtles 400 Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Il Usa Sunday 17 September 2017 Martin Truex Jr, Furniture Row Racing, Furniture Row/denver Mattress Toyota Camry Celebrates His Win World Copyright:brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: The Importance of Execution – It ended some days and opened opportunity for others. Heck, it even had its place in the day of the race winner Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway. Execution is an important factor in tying one end of the race to the other, especially once the playoffs …

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Slipstream Saturday: The Malaysian Grand Prix & More

Force India Fin

The new Force India fin that debuted in Singapore, 2017 (photo: Getty Images)

This week the sport of Formula 1 returns for its tenth running of the Singapore Grand Prix under the lights.  The street course provides interesting theater while also being a track that favors neither Mercedes or Ferrari.  To be clear, Mercedes has excelled on every track over the past four years, but this track is …

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Happiness Is: Time, Lights & Action

2017 Richmond Ii Cup Aric Almirola Trevor Bayne Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP)

There’s a whole bunch going on in the NASCAR world this week, and much of it leaves the sport looking like, from an outsider’s perspective, it’s in upheaval.  Perhaps that is the case.  But perhaps it’s not.  The notion of things being in a constant state of crisis is one that has proliferated in many …

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Happiness Is: Darlington, Fans & Road Courses

4 6 September, 2015, Darlington, South Carolina Usa Denny Hamlin, Sport Clips Toyota Camry ©2015 Scott R Lepage Nkp

Darlington Raceway, 2017(Photo: Scott R LePage/NKP)

Welcome back to another edition Happiness Is, complete with fresh Happy.  Or something.  I’m not sure that the elves in the kitchen can always be trusted to deliver the freshest and bestest of happiness but they try.  But after this past weekend, it shouldn’t be too difficult.   One caveat.   Much gets made of …

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Pace Laps: Denny Hamlin Dominates Darlington, IndyCar Series Title Battle Tightens

Hamlin Darlington Nxs

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Denny Hamlin Makes a Darling out of Darlington – Nobody, even the drivers, seem to understand why a certain track brings success to a certain driver. Jimmie Johnson has Dover, Jeff Gordon had Martinsville. Why? “It just suits my driving style.” For Denny Hamlin, a sweep of the weekend at …

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Slipstream Saturday: The Italian GP & More

F1 Gp Monza

Tifosi Ferrari Fans Monza Formula 1 GP Monza. Foto Imago/Insidefoto

Ciao and benvenuto to the back-end of Formula 1’s consecutive race weekends.  Last week, Lewis Hamilton tied Michael Schumacher atop the all-time list with 68, added to his win total, and closed the gap to Sebastian Vettel to seven points in the driver’s championship.  It seems safe to say that Hamilton enjoyed a pretty decent …

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Happiness Is: Bristol, Scheduling & Yin-Yang

21 22 August, 2015, Bristol, Tennessee Usa Kyle Busch, Skittles Toyota Camry Denny Hamlin, Fedex Ground Toyota Camry ©2015, Matthew T. Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

Last week, this column made a silly comment about Kyle Busch running away the Truck series race, and that it might be something that would spoil the rare Wednesday night event.  The main point was that weeknight races seem like a wonderful opportunity that NASCAR is failing to embrace.  It still seems that way, as …

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