Race Weekend Central

Pace Laps: Don’t Take Martin Truex Jr.’s 2019 Season for Granted

2019 Martinsville Ngots Todd Gilliland Victory Lane Cck

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Don’t Take Martin Truex Jr. For Granted This time last year, Martin Truex Jr. had yet to win a short track race in 13 years of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition. After Sunday’s race (Oct. 27) at Martinsville Speedway? He’s got three. Truex won half of the short track …

Read more

Martin Truex Jr. Makes Martinsville His Personal Playground In First Data 500

2019 Michigan I Cup Martin Truex Jr Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Martin Truex Jr. left Martinsville Speedway one year ago wondering what might have been. This time around? Everyone else was wondering how in the world they could catch him in Sunday’s (Oct. 27) First Data 500. Truex flat out dominated the final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series short track race of 2019. Leading a track …

Read more

Did You Notice?: Joe Gibbs Racing Could Set NASCAR Records

2019 Mencs Sonoma Joe Gibbs

(Photo: Danny Peters)

Did You Notice? … Joe Gibbs Racing has a shot to send three of its four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers into the 2019 Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway? It’s a feat that’s never been accomplished by any organization since the current format came into play in 2014. JGR currently holds the record as the …

Read more

Denny Hamlin Wins Hollywood Casino 400; Chase Elliott Advances Over Brad Keselowski

2019 Kansas Mencs Denny Hamlin Victory Lane Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Second place is typically the first loser. But during a wild Hollywood Casino 400 finish Sunday (Oct. 20) at Kansas Speedway, Chase Elliott made it a springboard to a potential championship run. Elliott failed to catch leader Denny Hamlin during a second overtime restart in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Hamlin, who led much …

Read more

Did You Notice?: NASCAR Ownership Remains on the Decline With 1 Exception

2018 Cup Michigan Zach Catanzareti Roger Penske

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice… Both the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and NASCAR Xfinity series are struggling to bring in new ownership? It’s a talking point that’s nothing new. But the hard numbers are jarring, especially in Xfinity, where ownership participation has declined 17% from last season alone. Just 49 cars have attempted at least one event through …

Read more

Did You Notice?: Bubba Wallace Putting NASCAR in a Tough Spot

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Bubba Wallace has a history of confrontations in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series? We’ll start with the now, what everyone’s still talking about three days after the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. Sunday’s incident (Sept. 29) with Alex Bowman was easily his most serious to date. The two drivers made contact multiple …

Read more

5 Points to Ponder: Chevrolet Making a Late Push After Dismal 2019

2019 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Playoffs Chevrolet Drivers Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Don’t Look Now, But Here Comes Chevrolet Chase Elliott’s comeback wasn’t the only big moment for the Bowtie Brigade Sunday (Sept. 29) at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Two of its bubble drivers, William Byron and Alex Bowman, made it through after rollercoaster first-round performances. In Bowman’s case, …

Read more

Pace Laps: Chase Elliott’s Signature NASCAR Moment

2019 Roval Mencs Chase Elliott Victory Celebration Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Chase Elliott’s Signature NASCAR Moment Chase Elliott is already NASCAR’s reigning Most Popular Driver. He’s won multiple races and was qualified for the Round of 12 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series no matter what went down in Sunday’s (Sept. 29) Bank of America ROVAL 400. But what Elliott …

Read more

Did You Notice?: NASCAR Feels Later Is Better When It Comes To Scheduling

2019 NASCAR Cup starting grid

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Not a single Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in 2020 will start earlier than 2 p.m. ET? The idea of a 1 p.m. ET start appears to have gone the way of the dodo bird. The last race originally scheduled for that early in the day was a playoff race at …

Read more

Pace Laps: Joe Gibbs & Toyota Take NASCAR Magic to a New Level

2019 Mencs Sonoma Joe Gibbs

(Photo: Danny Peters)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Joe Gibbs Racing’s Trio Too Tough? Richmond Raceway over the course of the weekend turned into Toyota’s personal playground. A dominant NASCAR Xfinity Series win by Christopher Bell (see below) morphed into a 1-2-3-4 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing in Saturday’s (Sept. 20) Federated Auto Parts 400. Erik Jones‘ failure …

Read more

Did You Notice?: Daniel Hemric Never Won? Plus… Contact Leaves NASCAR In Critical Condition

2019 Talladega Cup Daniel Hemric Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? …. Daniel Hemric never won a NASCAR race? That’s the tough answer for critics crying foul over Richard Childress Racing’s decision Tuesday (Sept. 17) to release Hemric from his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ride at the end of the season. That’s a hard pill to swallow for a personable, energetic 28-year-old driver …

Read more

Martin Truex Jr. Wins 2019 NASCAR Playoff Opener At Las Vegas

2019 Las Vegas Mencs Martin Truex, Jr. Victory Lane Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

13th. 15th. 27th. Martin Truex Jr. ended the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular season with three straight runs outside the top 10. But when it came to the playoff opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it didn’t matter. Truex passed Kevin Harvick for the lead with 20 laps remaining and went on to …

Read more