Race Weekend Central

5 Points to Ponder: Bristol is Back, Baby!

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)

ONE: Bristol is Back That’s right, I said it. Beginning with driver intros that were actually televised so fans could see the song choices and competitors had a rare opportunity to introduce themselves, the hype began. Obviously, some intros were more amusing than others as a handful of drivers brought their children along to do …

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5 Points to Ponder: Chasing Glory

2017 Indycar Pocono Will Power Chris Jones

(Photo: Chris Jones)

ONE: Chasing the Playoffs Just three races remain before we begin the 2018 iteration of the playoffs and it’s an excellent trio of tracks to close us out before the serious business of the post-season begins. First up, we head to NASCAR’s coliseum, or Thunder Valley if you prefer, and Bristol Motor Speedway. Then, after …

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Five Points: Big Decisions Loom for NASCAR

2017 Coca-Cola 600 wide view Nigel Kinrade/NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade /NKP)

ONE: BRIAN FRANCE Such is the vituperative nature of the 24/7/365 news cycle nowadays that when I get a “breaking news” alert on my phone, I’m almost scared to look. When I read the headline that Brian France had been arrested for DUI and criminal possession of a controlled substance there was part of me …

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5 Points to Ponder: Scary Darrell Wallace Wreck Nothing New for Pocono

2017 Pocono Cup Tom Bowles Jamie Mcmurray

(Photo: Tom Bowles)

ONE: Pocono Raceway’s Hard Wrecks NASCAR nation breathed a sigh of relief when Darrell Wallace Jr. emerged unscathed from a scary Pocono wreck Sunday (July 29). But those gasps? They’re nothing new at a triangular-shaped track known for hard crashes. In a different era, this race ended Bobby Allison’s career when the Hall-of-Famer blew a tire …

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5 Points to Ponder: When 6th Place Is a Good Result 

Ryan Newman in the garage at Chicagoland Speedway, September 2017. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

ONE: Sixth place 2018 has been an awful debut for the Chevrolet Camaro in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. In a sign of just how much it’s struggled, Ryan Newman just picked up his best result of his season’s 20 races to date with a sixth-place finish at New Hampshire. Over his 18-win, 19-year, …

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5 Points to Ponder: An Idea To Fix The NASCAR Summer Slog

2017 Bristol Ii Cup Kyle Busch Denny Hamlin Racing Rusty Jarrett Nkp

(Photo: Rusty Jarrett / NKP)

ONE: Night Racing Let’s be honest, fellow NASCAR fans; this summer stretch of racing can feel like a little bit of a slog. Sure, we have a great variety of tracks, including the road course at Watkins Glen, the Lady in Black — arguably the best track in the sport — and then, of course, …

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5 Points To Ponder: Keeping Up with the Joneses 

#18: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Interstate Batteries #20: Erik Jones, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Buyatoyota.com Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Young Guns Firing What a win that was for Erik Jones under the bright lights at Daytona International Speedway! Not at the track this weekend, I actually watched on DVR. So by the time I settled down for the race, I already knew Jones was the winner. But watching the laps click down, I …

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5 Points to Ponder: A Fresh Start For Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2018 Chicago Cup Pack Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: #WelcomeDaleJr Away from actual on-track action at Chicagoland Speedway this past weekend, the big story of NBC’s return to lead broadcasting duties was the addition of a certain ex-driver to the team in the booth. As you may very well have heard, perhaps just in passing, the 15-time-straight Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. swapped …

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5 Points to Ponder: Digesting Excellent Iowa Racing For NASCAR’s XFINITY, Truck Series

Field Enters Turn Three After Final Restart of Iowa 250 pres. by Enogen

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

ONE: Johnny Sauter Remains Truck Series Championship Favorite When Brett Moffitt and Johnny Sauter got together at Iowa Speedway early Saturday for their media availability, Moffitt was asked about his outlook for the upcoming race that night and what his goals were. The answer was simple. “Beat him (Sauter),” Moffitt said with a chuckle. “He’s …

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5 Points to Ponder: Same Dale, New View

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fl Usa Sunday 18 February 2018 Dale Earnhardt Jr On The Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, Nationwide Chevrolet Camaro Pit Box World Copyright: Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

ONE: Same Dale. New View In the last couple weeks, we’ve seen a deluge of promos for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the start of his full-time NASCAR on NBC broadcasting career. Junior has had a hectic time since hanging up his driving gloves after the last race of the 2017 season, with broadcasting duties at …

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5 Points to Ponder: Who Will Be NASCAR’s Fantastic Fourth?

2017 Kansas Ii Cup Denny Hamlin Kyle Larson Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

ONE: Who can challenge NASCAR’s big three? Conventional wisdom — and dominant form on track — suggests Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. will be three of the four drivers that compete for a championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18, 2018. Of course, plenty can happen in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series …

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