Race Weekend Central

Up to Speed: Better Finishes Ahead for Stewart-Haas Racing

2017 Atlanta Cup Clint Bowyer Kurt Busch Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew Thacker / NKP)

On a cloudy afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Stewart-Haas Racing came up empty handed when the checkered flag flew. But those clouds were not without a silver lining for the four-car organization. Just over one week ago, Kurt Busch and the No. 41 team were in the spotlight, with the 2004 series champion won the …

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Up to Speed: Does NASCAR have the Right Combination for 2017?

With only one week left before the 2017 Daytona 500, drivers and teams of the newly-renamed Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series are making final preparations for the biggest race of the year. Daytona International Speedway presents a challenge unlike most tracks in NASCAR.  The nature of pack racing in close quarters at 200 mph, leaving …

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Up to Speed: Jimmie Johnson Humbled By History, Reaction of Peers after Winning 7th Title

2016 Homestead Miami Speedway Nscs Jimmie Johnson Celebrating Photo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

We all knew it was a possibility, but we didn’t know if it would ever happen. Seven championships. Done only twice in the history of the sport and not in over two decades. Even a driver like Jimmie Johnson, who won five championships in a row, couldn’t pull it off, right? Oh, but he did. …

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Up to Speed: Winning at Phoenix Gives Logano an Opportunity for Redemption

2016 Phoenix International Raceway Nscs Joey Logano Checkered Flag Photo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

After a hard-fought victory at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, Joey Logano now has one last race standing between him and his first Sprint Cup Series championship. Oh, and three other drivers who want it just as badly. For Logano, however, this will not be his first time in this situation. NASCAR announced an elimination-style …

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Up to Speed: Carl Edwards Is Living the Dream, & He’ll Wake Up in Homestead

2016 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Texas

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Carl Edwards will officially be racing for the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in a couple of weeks, thanks to a rain shower at the end of a very long day at Texas Motor Speedway. That’s not necessarily fair. Edwards led a total of 36 laps. Though he was definitely not the strongest car, he certainly …

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Up to Speed: With Homestead on the Horizon, Johnson Knows Title Far From a Sure Thing

Jimmie Johnson Sunlight Burnout Martinsville Cup 2016 Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

Jimmie Johnson winning at Martinsville Speedway is hardly a surprise. Nine victories at the track known as the paper clip, including Sunday’s triumph, means the No. 48 team has to be a favorite anytime the series makes its way back to Martinsville. However, since the introduction of the new elimination-style Chase format in 2014, the fall …

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Up to Speed: Can Logano Go All the Way?

2016 Talladega Superspeedway Nscs Joey Logano Checkered Flag Photo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

Unsurprisingly, all four Joe Gibbs Racing cars have advanced to the Round of 8 in the Chase. In the last couple of weeks, however, Chevrolets have shut out the Toyotas and come on strong as a force to be reckoned with. Now, Ford has shown their hand as well. After winning six times last year, …

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Up to Speed: Kevin Harvick Proves to be Toyota’s Most Worthy Foe

2016 Kansas Ii Cup Kevin Harvick Celebrates John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson / NKP)

Listen to, read or watch any television show, race broadcast, article, podcast, etc. that focuses on NASCAR and you’ll hear one word to summarize the season so far: Toyota. Kevin Harvick? He’s tuning it all out. Granted, Toyota has won an astounding 15 of 31 races in 2016 and certainly is the most dominant manufacturer this …

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Up to Speed: Even After Charlotte Victory, Jimmie Johnson Still Thinks He Can Do Better

2016 Charlotte Motor Speedway Nscs Jimmie Johnson Checkered Flag Photo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

If there is one thing we have learned over the past decade of Sprint Cup Series racing, it’s this: never count out Jimmie Johnson. Granted, Johnson didn’t make it past the Round of 12 during the first two years of NASCAR’s elimination-style Chase format. At the same time, though he had been eliminated, he won …

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Up To Speed: Change of Scenery Brings Change in Results for Truex

2016 Chicago Cup Martin Truex Jr Burnout Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Martin Truex, Jr.’s fourth win of the season this year isn’t all that surprising when you look at the amount of laps he has led this year, but is surprising when you look at his win totals throughout his career. Prior to 2016, Truex had never won more than one race in one whole season. …

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Up to Speed: Kevin Harvick Proves the Toyota Drivers are Still Fallible

2016 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Nscs Kevin Harvick Matt Kenseth Photo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Kevin Harvick did not have the fastest car on the racetrack. He was not the best, he was not the strongest and he was not the most dominant. But he still got the job done. Harvick led just eight of the 300 laps en route to the victory, a far …

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