Race Weekend Central

John Hunter Nemechek Holds Off Kyle Busch, Wins Las Vegas Truck Race

2021 Trucks Las Vegas John Hunter Nemechek, No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, Burnout (Credit: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

A great duel between Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates Kyle Busch and John Hunter Nemechek defined Friday’s (March 5) Bucked Up 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Although 40 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series machines started the event, the Nemechek and Busch tandem outclassed the field. However, it was Nemechek who held off his boss and …

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Dale Earnhardt Jr to Pace Darlington Xfinity Field in Father’s Famed No. 8 Chevrolet

2017 Atlanta Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is hitting the track once again. No, he won’t be driving a modern iteration of a NASCAR stock car. The two NASCAR Xfinity Series champions will instead be wheeling some 1980s technology in the form of a Chevrolet Nova. Earnhardt will pace the Xfinity field at Darlington Raceway on May 8 driving …

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Loris Hezemans Running 2 Xfinity Races for Reaume

Loris Hezemans racing at Road America, 2019 (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Loris Hezemans is returning to the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The Danish driver will pilot the No. 13 Chevrolet for Reaume Brothers Racing, in a partnership with MBM Motorsports, in two events this season, beginning at Phoenix Raceway for the Call 811 Before You Dig 200, RBR announced March 5. It will mark the first experience …

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NASCAR 101: Former Toyota Development Drivers in Other Rides

2020 Daytona Ncs Joey Logano Face Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Hendrick Motorsports may have finally found the final piece to the puzzle that returns the NASCAR Cup Series organization to its past dominance. With William Byron‘s statement win in last Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400, some have begun to sing team owner Rick Hendrick’s praises for scooping up such an anticipated generational talent. Byron’s journey to …

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Friday Faceoff: Is William Byron a Championship Contender?

William Byron celebrates in victory lane at Homestead 2021 cup Photo Sean Gardner Getty Images

(Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Buy or sell: William Byron as a Cup Series Championship 4 contender. Luken Glover: At this moment I am buying it. One of the biggest underlying stories of the preseason was the reunion of William Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle. Why is that pairing so special? Well, just five years ago, the pair won …

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Some Xfinity Teams Remain Locked Out, Facing Uncertain Futures Under NASCAR’s Qualifying Rules

Jordan Anderson practices for the NASCAR Xfinity race at Daytona International Speedway February 2021 Photo: NKP

(Photo: nigel Kinrade Photography)

Three weeks ago, Jordan Anderson was on the highest of highs. For the second consecutive year, the owner-driver guided his No. 3 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet to a strong runner-up finish in the season-opening race for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Daytona International Speedway. The very next morning, NASCAR informed him he could …

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Friday Faceoff: How Many Road Courses Is Too Many?

Chase Elliott leads the pack at 2021 Daytona road course Photo NKP

(photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Does the NASCAR Cup Series schedule feature too many road courses? What is the ideal number? Luken Glover: Yes. Road courses can present great racing, but there are a lot of times when they are uneventful races too. Sometimes they can be wreckfests, like we saw in all three series in some capacity at the …

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NASCAR 101: States That Have Never Produced a Cup Winner

Christopher Bell poses with trophy after winning 2021 Daytona road Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After conquering the Daytona International Speedway road course last weekend, Christopher Bell became the first driver from Oklahoma to win a NASCAR Cup Series race. Now, 35 U.S. states can boast that they have produced a Cup winner, a far cry from NASCAR’s early years when nearly every driver hailed from the Southeast. NASCAR has …

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Ben Rhodes Outduels Sheldon Creed to Claim 2nd Consecutive Daytona Win

2021 Trucks Daytona Road Ben Rhodes, No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota, Burnout (Credit: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Ben Rhodes found his way into the Daytona International Speedway victory lane for the second time in seven days. One week after winning on the Daytona oval, Rhodes held off the 2020 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Sheldon Creed to claim the win on the road course in the BrakeBest Brake Pads 159. The 23-year-old …

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NASCAR 101: Longest Active Winless Streaks

2021 Daytona 500 Cup Matt DiBenedetto car Photo Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

You may have heard that Michael McDowell was the Cinderella story in last weekend’s Daytona 500. You might also have heard that he had a lengthy history of losing (as in, the absence of winning) that spanned nearly 15 years. In fact, prior to his putting on his glass slipper, the Arizona driver had started …

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Ben Rhodes Wins Crash-Marred Daytona Truck Race

2021 Trucks Daytona Ben Rhodes, No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota, burnout (Credit: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In typical fashion, this year’s edition of the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway was again a compilation of bent fenders, high attrition and one excited NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver after a wild finish. That one driver ended up being Thorsport Racing’s Ben Rhodes as the smoke cleared Friday night (Feb. …

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Ty Dillon Fastest in Xfinity Practice at Daytona

Ty Dillon at Daytona in 2020

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Less than 24 hours after narrowly missing the field for the Daytona 500, Ty Dillon has found some consolation in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The 28-year-old, who recently signed a part-time NXS deal with Joe Gibbs Racing, was the fastest driver at Daytona International Speedway after pacing the lone 50-minute session for Saturday’s (Feb. 13) …

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