Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice?: 3 NASCAR Legends Forever Stuck at 7 Titles

Jimmie Johnson & Richard Petty

(Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Jimmie Johnson’s 2020 playoff miss means he’ll officially end his NASCAR Cup Series career without an eighth championship. The 44-year-old Johnson, retiring at the end of the season, will remain tied with Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Richard Petty at seven. This trio of NASCAR Hall of Famers had one thing in common: …

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Did You Notice?: Remaining NASCAR Silly Season Questions for 2021

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … NASCAR Silly Season is heating up as the 2020 Cup Series regular season winds down? Corey LaJoie announced last week he won’t be returning to the No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford, opening up another ride in a rapidly evolving NASCAR garage area. Let’s take a look at where each Cup team …

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Did You Notice?: Monster Moment For Jimmie Johnson in Final NASCAR Season

Jimmie Johnson & Richard Petty

(Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … This coming weekend feels like Jimmie Johnson’s last stand? Three races remain in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, and Johnson still sits on the outside of the postseason looking in. The future Hall of Famer, who once had 15 straight postseason appearances, sits 25 points below the cutline in his last …

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Did You Notice: Old Dog, New Tricks? Kevin Harvick Rewriting NASCAR History at 44

Kevin Harvick Daytona 500 Media Day 2020

Photo/Davey Segal)

Did You Notice? … Kevin Harvick is on pace for a historic year? Harvick, who turned 44 years old in December, is rewriting the NASCAR history books for a driver his age. Consider how rare it is to begin with for an athlete to peak at this point in their career. Only one golfer older than …

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5 Points to Ponder: NASCAR’s Early Stages Turning Into Snoozers, Plus… Christopher Bell

Christopher Bell won at the Daytona Road Course in 2021 Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Christopher Bell’s Big Step Up The worst-kept secret in the NASCAR Cup Series was made official Monday (Aug. 10): Christopher Bell is getting promoted to Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20. The move was considered a mere formality after NASCAR owner Bob Leavine announced the sale of the No. 95 Toyota team Bell currently drives …

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Did You Notice?: No. 95 Sale Clear Warning About NASCAR Financial Trouble From COVID-19

Nascar Cup Series

#95: Christopher Bell, Leavine Family Racing, Toyota Camry Procore

Did You Notice?… Bob Leavine has sold his No. 95, family-owned NASCAR Cup Series team less than two years after switching to Toyota and partnering with Joe Gibbs Racing? Christopher Bell will be running elsewhere in 2021 as financial conditions created by COVID-19 made it impossible for this team to continue. What’s notable is the new …

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Did You Notice?: 2020 NASCAR Midseason Awards

2020bristolncsryanblaneyfacenascarmedia

(Photo: NASCAR Media/Getty Images)

When I was a NASCAR reporter for SI.com, I used to do a midseason segment called “The Bowlesy Awards” that evaluated the NASCAR Cup Series from time to time. We’re bringing them back here in 2020, with a little refresh, as NASCAR midseason awards while taking a closer look at where the sport stands five …

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5 Points to Ponder: New Asphalt Is an Automatic NASCAR Nightmare. Why?

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

1. New Pavement, Old Problems Texas Motor Speedway was a tale of two races Sunday (July 19). The final stage produced plenty of drama worth watching: frantic restarts, a fateful mistake by rookie Quin Houff and pit strategy that ultimately decided the outcome. Austin Dillon‘s surprise victory was the cherry on top that woke most …

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Did You Notice?: That Summertime NASCAR Spark At Stewart-Haas Racing?

2017 Kansas I Cup Tony Stewart Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … How quickly Stewart-Haas Racing has gotten its act together this summer? While Kevin Harvick has been a title contender all season long in the NASCAR Cup Series, his trio of teammates spent the first half of 2020 mired in midpack. Here’s where all four drivers stood through the Martinsville Speedway race June …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR PPP Loans a Reminder of Potential COVID-19 Catastrophe

2019 Phoenix I Cup Ty Dillon Richard Childress Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … The number of NASCAR teams approved for a loan under the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program? The NASCAR PPP loans numbered in the millions and involved one-third of the teams on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. For now, let’s focus on the Cup programs alone. Richard Childress Racing: $5-$10 million (2 teams) Chip …

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Does NASCAR Have a Donald Trump Problem Going Forward?

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In February 2020, NASCAR was rolling out the red carpet for Donald Trump at its season-opening Daytona 500. The first sitting U.S. President to visit a race since George W. Bush in 2004 arrived to great fanfare and support from track officials. He couldn’t have been happier addressing the crowd, giving the “start your engines” …

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Donald Trump Asks Bubba Wallace to Apologize for Noose Incident

Nascar 2020: Cup Series Pocono Organics 325 In Partnership With Rodale Institute June 27

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly commented on the noose found in the garage area at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, June 21. In a tweet sent out the morning of July 6, he openly questioned whether driver Bubba Wallace had apologized for the results of the FBI investigation. Later that week, officials determined the noose …

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