Race Weekend Central

The 10: Hard Knocks & Grandfather Clocks

2016 Nascar Martinsville

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

It was a quiet summer for Jimmie Johnson. At one point, he even fell out of The 10. However, with the Chase winding down, and the Sprint Cup Series heading to some of his best tracks, Johnson’s returned to form and surged up the rankings. With his Championship 4 bid signed, sealed and delivered, Johnson was …

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The 10: Plot Twist at Talladega Superspeedway

2016 Nascar Talladega

(Photo: Barry Cantrell / NKP)

Sunday’s Hellmann’s 500 proved to be one of the Chase’s biggest wild cards, much like fans and critics expected. However, the way it became a wild card was much different than anticipated. The Big One? Nope. Chasers crashing out? Not a one. Instead, it was two blown motors and a spirited battle among competitors that told the …

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The 10: Masters of the Monster Mile

2016 Nscs Brad Keselowski Green Flag Dover Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Would you look at that? He did it again. Martin Truex, Jr., surged ahead of the field –and I mean way ahead, by over 10 seconds– to claim a dominant victory in the Citizen Soldier 400 at Dover International Speedway, his fourth of 2016. With it, he also soared right back atop our power rankings. I know. …

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The 10: Happy in New Hampshire

2016 Nascar New Hampshire

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

 For 292 laps, it looked like Toyota had done it again. Carl Edwards took the pole. Martin Truex, Jr., had a rocket ship a week after a Chase-opening win at Chicagoland Speedway. Matt Kenseth was strong, and Kyle Busch lurked just a few positions back. Joe Gibbs Racing and Furniture Row Racing combined to dominate …

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The 10: Chasing in Chicagoland

2016 Nscs Cup Field Chicagoland Brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist / NKP)

 The first round of the Chase has come and gone, and much like last year it’s Toyota that’s taken the early advantage. The Hendrick Motorsports duo of Jimmie Johnson and Chase Elliott emerged as legitimate contenders in the first round of NASCAR’s playoff, but in the end it was Furniture Row Racing‘s Martin Truex, Jr., …

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The 10: Talking About Playoffs

2016 Nascar Richmond

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

“Playoffs? Don’t talk about—playoffs?! You kidding me? Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game!” So former coach Jim Mora said when his Indianapolis Colts limped out to a 4-6 record to begin the 2001 NFL season. Unfortunately for Mora, his Colts would only win two more games that season. He was ultimately fired, and replaced by Tony …

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The 10: Top Throwbacks From Future’s Past

Kevin Harvick Darlington Cup 2016 Yvonne Leonard

(Photo: Yvonne Leonard)

Smokey Yunick’s machine struggled. Bobby Allison lost a motor. David Pearson crashed and Dale Earnhardt battled for position with… Dale Earnhardt? If taken only in fleeting glimpses, Sunday’s throwback-filled Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway may well have looked like the days of old. Liveries of stars retired or otherwise long gone filled the NASCAR Sprint …

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The 10: Young Guns, High Speed and a Shootout in Pure Michigan

2016 Michigan Ii Cup Kurt Busch Brad Keselowski Kyle Larson Racing John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson/NKP)

After weeks – no, years – spent waiting for a new young driver to score a legitimate breakthrough in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, fans of the series saw not one, but two future stars shine in the Irish Hills of Michigan. In the end, it was Kyle Larson that got the best of Chase …

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The 10: Bristol Battles Through the Night & Day

2016 Nascar Bristol

(Photo: Logan Whitton / NKP)

It was a long weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway. In a race dubbed the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race, rain pelted the field after just 31 laps of green-flag racing on the half-mile Tennessee oval, forcing a postponement that left many referring to it as a day race …

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