Race Weekend Central

Friday Faceoff: On the Right Track for 2017?

2016 Talladega I Cup Pack Racing Mathew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

NASCAR released it 2017 Sprint Cup rules package late last week.  What are your initial thoughts on the changes, which include a smaller spoiler and different rear-end rules as well as safety and testing policies? Mark Howell, Senior Writer: The 2017 Cup rules will only make what’s going well get even better. The biometric data …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not: NASCAR’s Kansas Clutch Edition

2016 Kansas Ii Cup Kevin Harvick Confetti Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

When you think about how a clutch works for a vehicle, when a driver pushes it down, while at the same time shifting gears and accelerating, most of the time it means it’s go time. That’s the case at this point in the season for the Sprint Cup Series. It’s go time and the teams …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Charlotte’s Wild-Card Edition

2016 Pocono Ii Cup Kevin Harvick Helmet Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

The first race in the second round of the Chase took place Sunday at Charlotte, and while some of the 12 Chase teams escaped with good finishes, others have a lot of work to do in the next two races if they want to reach the round of eight. While it’s not uncommon to hear …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: Chase Elimination Edition

2016 Nscs Jimmie Johnson Kentucky Photo Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Sunday’s Sprint Cup contest at Dover served as the first Chase elimination inside NASCAR’s ten-race playoff. That means we had to say goodbye to four of the 16 drivers who, just a few short weeks ago believed they were the favorites to hold up the championship trophy in Homestead. As the Monster Mile showed us, despite a clean race Sunday holding on to a spot …

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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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Friday Faceoff: How Far Is Too Far?

2016 Kentucky Cup Tony Stewart Helmet Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell Labounty/NKP)

After last weekend’s race at Richmond International Raceway, one thing on everyone’s mind was the on-track spat between Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman that continued in verbal sparring afterward.  Did either driver go too far with their actions or words? Clayton Caldwell, Contributor: I respect the passion from both drivers and I understand why Ryan Newman …

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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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Frontstretch 5: Drivers 25 or Younger Who Could Win Sprint Cup Titles

2016 Michigan Ii Cup Kyle Larson Chase Elliott Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

If this season has any theme, it’s that this sport is alive and well with young talent who have bright futures. So far across NASCAR’s three national series, rookies have won multiple races, posed a legitimate threat for their own series championship, and pulled into Victory Lane for the first time. While Kyle Larson isn’t …

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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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