Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice?: Paul Menard’s NASCAR Longevity the Definition of Average?

2019 Daytona I Cup Paul Menard Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

Did You Notice?… Paul Menard is one of the longest-tenured active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series? I looked at every Cup driver who’s run at least five races this season and added up their career totals. MOST CAREER STARTS – ACTIVE CUP SERIES DRIVERS Kurt Busch 674 Kevin Harvick 672 Ryan Newman 646 …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Brickyard 400

2019 Indianapolis Mencs Kevin Harvick Victory Lane Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): A series of hard wrecks and hair-raising restarts made Sunday (Sept. 8) one of the wilder Brickyard 400s in recent memory. One of them involved Jimmie Johnson, whose spin in front of nearly the whole field ended his 15-year streak of NASCAR postseason appearances. Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman were then able to …

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Jimmie Johnson Misses NASCAR Playoffs For First Time Ever

Photo: Mark Kristl

The wrecked No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson is brought to the garage during the 2019 Big Machine Vodka 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Photo: Mark Kristl

The 15-year NASCAR playoff streak for Jimmie Johnson is over. Johnson’s run came to abrupt end during the final stage of Sunday’s (Sept. 8) Brickyard 400 for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Pinched on the inside during a restart, contact with William Byron sent the No. 48 team spinning in front of heavy traffic. …

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Hard Wrecks By Landon Cassill, Brad Keselowski Mar First Stage Of Brickyard 400

2019 Indianapolis Mencs Brad Keselowski Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Last year’s Brickyard 400 winner and last week’s Southern 500 winner are already out of the 2019 Brickyard 400. Add in Landon Cassill and it’s been a wreck-filled race Sunday (Sept. 8) for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Cassill was the first to endure a hard impact. His No. 00 …

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Did You Notice?: Matt DiBenedetto’s Late-Season Surge? Can It Pay Off For 2020?

2019 Mencs Bristol Matt Dibenedetto Face Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … The strength of Matt DiBenedetto’s late-season surge? In the last six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, DiBenedetto’s earned four top-10 finishes. That matches his career total through 140 Cup starts before joining the No. 95 of Leavine Family Racing this season. The recent spurt has caused DiBenedetto to jump to 22nd …

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Pace Laps: Monday Morning Mayhem at Darlington, Cole Custer Picks Up Surprise Win

2019 Darlington pack racing NKP Xfinity

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Erik Jones Performs Under Pressure Erik Jones spent 2016 as Toyota’s hottest NASCAR prospect in the sport’s lower levels. He moved up to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2017, winning Rookie of the Year while knocking 2003 series champion Matt Kenseth out of a ride. 2018 was looked …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR History Says Jimmie Johnson Needs a Miracle

2019 Michigan I Cup Jimmie Johnson Ryan Newman Nkp

Did You Notice? … There’s a real battle to secure the final spot in the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Just two points separate Daniel Suarez and Clint Bowyer at the cutoff line in the season standings (16th). Ryan Newman, sitting 15th, is only a dozen points ahead of Suarez. It’s the first time …

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5 Points To Ponder: For the Last 12 NASCAR Cup Races of 2019

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Denny Hamlin Joey Logano Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Joe Gibbs, Roger Penske or “Other” In 2018, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series had the Big Three. But two-thirds of the way into 2019, it’s more like the Big Two. Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske have taken turns beating up on the competition this season. Right now, JGR has the upper hand, …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR Road Ringers Still Matter in the Xfinity Series

2018 Charlotte Roval Cup Zach Catanzareti Aj Allmendinger

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice?… Not a single road course ringer entered the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International? An event that was once littered with part-time entries had just one unchartered car, the No. 96 of Gaunt Brothers Racing, when the Cup race rolled off Aug. 4. These tracks that were once looked …

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Did You Notice?: ‘Getting Run Over’ … Kyle Busch Incident Highlights Bubba Wallace’s Struggles

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Bubba Wallace hasn’t led a lap in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season? Wallace’s 2019 filled with frustration appeared to boil over at Kyle Busch this past weekend at Watkins Glen. His anger over on-track contact caused him to spin Busch out, then erupt in a fiery conversation with …

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Pace Laps: Chase Elliott, Austin Cindric Take Over Watkins Glen, Friesen Finally Wins

Nascar Xfinity Series

(Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Chase Elliott Wins As Playoff Race Heats Up Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. We’ve seen them battle mano-e-mano in western New York before and the 2019 Go Bowling At The Glen was round two. This time, Elliott hung on with pure speed, putting on the most dominant performance of …

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Did You Notice?: Tony Stewart’s Temper Creates Bad Timing For NASCAR Heading to Eldora

2017 Kansas I Cup Tony Stewart Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Tony Stewart is back in the news for his temper? A video posted by TMZ Sports, among many others, allege Stewart punched a heckler at a sprint car race in Jackson, Minn. the weekend of July 27. Stewart can be seen chasing after the race fan once the two have a heated …

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