Race Weekend Central

Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Routine & Confusing

2019 Bristol Zach Catanzareti Cup Joey Logano

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

There was a mystifying mix of the routine and the head scratching during Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Yeah, Kyle Busch won the Food City 500 and Team Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing took up most of the spots up front, but he was involved in a …

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Friday Faceoff: Is Hendrick Motorsports Finally On The Upswing?

2019 Phoenix I Cup Jimmie Johnson Pack Racing Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

Is Hendrick Motorsports on their way back to the top tier, or was their showing at Texas a one-time thing? Bryan Gable: It is best not to read too much into one race.  Just a few weeks ago, we were talking about how Hendrick Motorsports had zero top fives through the first five races of …

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Jimmie Johnson Sweeps Rounds, Wins O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Pole

2019 Texas Cup Jimmie Johnson Cockpit Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

NASCAR’s new and improved group qualifying kicked off Friday (March 29) at Texas Motor Speedway. Despite the new rules, the waiting game was still key. Jimmie Johnson was able to win all three rounds to claim the pole for Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.  Johnson’s lap in the final round was the fastest overall at …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: That Southern California Glow

#18: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Interstate Batteries Celebrates After Winning Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In case you missed it, Kyle Busch won the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in California on Sunday. It was his 53rd Cup victory in 503 starts to go along with 94 Xfinity Series wins in 348 starts and 53 Gander Outdoors Truck Series triumphs in 147 starts. …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Daniel Suarez’s Eventful Weekend

2019 Las Vegas I Cup Daniel Suarez Nkp

Maybe it’s not always the best idea to take your weekend inspiration from the company name of your sponsor. Daniel Suarez‘s No. 41 Ford Mustang was sponsored by Ruckus Networks this weekend, and Suarez certainly raised a ruckus at ISM Raceway during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ TicketGuardian 500. Following qualifying, he body-slammed fellow …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR FanDuel Forecast: TicketGuardian 500

2019 Atlanta Cup Kyle Larson Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ISM Raceway is the first time we will see Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars with approximately 750 horsepower, no aero ducts or restrictor plates in 2019. ISM Raceway is located in Avondale, Ariz. just outside of Phoenix and it is going to be a wild Sunday afternoon. I consider it to be a short …

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Friday Faceoff: Is Kyle Busch the Best Truck Series Driver Ever?

2019 Daytona I Cup William Byron Chad Knaus Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Hendrick Motorsports didn’t have a car finish in the top 10 at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the first time since 2010. Is HMS simply making gradual improvement, or is the team getting worse? Mark Kristl: Hendrick has been gradually improving. If this package provides better racing, the team will further improve. Jimmie Johnson showed obvious …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Daytona 500

Denny Hamlin 2019 Daytona 500 Champion

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

The Headline(s): Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota took the horses out to the beach at Daytona and shot them between the eyes. The organization swept the podium as Denny Hamlin scored his second career Daytona 500 victory. It was the first podium sweep of the Daytona 500 by any team since 1997. BOWLES: Denny Hamlin …

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4 Burning Questions: Which Team Will Reign Supreme in Daytona?

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Track Overhead Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

What kind of Daytona 500 will this be? Over the past 10 years, it seems the vast majority of Daytona 500s have ended up in two distinct categories. On one end, there have been some memorable races. Either they were excellent to watch (2009, 2011, 2014) or just insane spectacles where things took a turn …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR 2019, Don’t Knock It Until You Try It

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … NASCAR enters 2019 with a slew of major changes? Among them: a new handling package designed to bring the cars closer together, the end of restrictor plates, disqualifying race winners that fail inspection. But, most importantly, there’s a new CEO (Jim France) and new President (Steve Phelps) compared to this time a …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson extended to seven his streak of Advanced Auto Parts Clash races at Daytona International Speedway being involved in a wreck, causing the Big One and scoring a victory for his trouble. How It Happened: NASCAR’s second-longest track might as well have been repaved last night, as the vast majority of Sunday’s …

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Jimmie Johnson Wins Weather-Shortened Advance Auto Parts Clash After Wild Wreck

(photo: Zach Catanzareti)

2019 Advance Auto Parts Clash, Daytona International Speedway (Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Jimmie Johnson knew the rain was coming. He dove down alongside Paul Menard in an attempt to pass him and grab the lead in Sunday’s (Feb. 10) Advance Auto Parts Clash. Unfortunately, the two drivers made contact, triggering a wreck that collected over half the field. As NASCAR sent out its safety personnel and crews …

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