Race Weekend Central

NASCAR Mailbox: Why is RCR Winning More than JGR?

2017 Nascar Monster Energy Cup Series, Charlotte

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/ NKP)

Winning is everything. There is no trophy for second place in NASCAR. No silver medal. No celebratory champagne. Nothing. Just a runner-up finish on the stat sheet. For the second time this year, Kyle Busch came oh-so-close to Victory Lane, but finished second. This time, it was to Austin Dillon, who earned his first career …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kyle Busch Snares Huge Victory to Shed Charlotte Monkey

2017 Charlotte All Star Cup Kyle Busch Celebrates John K Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson / NKP)

Who’s in the headline: Kyle Busch had won 15 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in national touring series but never once visited Victory Lane in a Cup car. That changed Saturday night when Busch made an aggressive move on the restart to begin the final segment and took the lead, holding on for the final 10 laps …

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Even After Injury, Aric Almirola Has Reason to Smile

2017 Texas I Cup Aric Almirola Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

In NASCAR, two seconds is an eternity.  Two seconds behind the leader is a distant second place.  Two seconds is the difference between a good pit stop and a slow one.  Two seconds is plenty of time to avoid a crash. Two seconds is also the amount of time that can change everything. Aric Almirola …

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Midseason NASCAR DraftKings Daily Fantasy All-Stars

2017 Kansas I Cup Jimmie Johnson Helmet Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

With the NASCAR DraftKings season on break while the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series holds its All-Star weekend, there’s time for reflection on the season to date. There have been many memorable moments during the young season, both on and off the track. Yet, when it comes to Daily Fantasy Sports, the best performances don’t always …

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Aric Almirola Faces Lengthy Recovery; RPM Working on Plans

2016 Loudon I Cup Aric Almirola Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Aric Almirola faces a long recovery after breaking a vertebra in a fiery crash last weekend at Kansas.  Almirola told members of the media that he’s been told that the typical recovery time for an injury of the type and severity that he has is eight to 12 weeks, and one thing the driver of …

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Regan Smith to Sub for Aric Almirola in Monster Energy Open at Charlotte

2017 Daytona I Cwts Regan Smith Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Aric Almirola’s T5 compression fracture at Kansas Speedway Saturday night left a seat to be filled at Richard Petty Motorsports. At least for this weekend, that spot will be filled by Cup Series veteran Regan Smith. With limited time to find a substitute driver, the team announced Wednesday afternoon Smith will drive the No. 43 Ford. He’ll fill …

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Did You Notice?: A Look Into Aric Almirola Sub Possibilities

Almirola Kansas

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Did You Notice? … Two big-name drivers have already turned down the No. 43 ride to replace an injured Aric Almirola? Carl Edwards, once highly coveted by Richard Petty Motorsports many years ago has said no, he can’t go back and run the car through Sonoma on June 25. It’s not the first time Edwards has said …

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The Frontstretch 5: Thoughts Leaving Kansas Speedway

2017 Kansas I Cup Ryan Blaney Kyle Busch Kyle Larson Racing Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

1. Kudos to the AMR medical team that extricated Almirola. First and foremost, I want to send well wishes to Aric Almirola for a speedy recovery. A T5 compression fracture is no joke, and he’ll need some time to get better, even if it’s revealed through follow-up doctor visits there is no further damage to …

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NASCAR Mailbox: What Does Aric Almirola’s Injury Mean for RPM?

Aric Almirola Kansas 1

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Strapping into a racecar is not as easy as it looks. Each week, whenever I’m sitting in my dorm watching NASCAR, people come up to me with little to no understanding about how the sport works and what it takes to go nearly 200 mph in one of those bulky stock cars. But whenever there …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: FOX Gives Aric Almirola Wreck Proper Respect

2017 Kansas I Cup Matt Kenseth Pack Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo:Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Ah yes, the classic wreckfest.  Ever since Kansas Speedway was reconfigured in 2012, wrecking has been a regular presence.  This weekend, both races had more than their share of wrecking. Go Bowling 400 Obviously, the biggest story to come out of Saturday night was the huge crash involving Aric Almirola, Joey Logano and Danica Patrick …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Edition

2017 Kansas I Cup Ryan Blaney Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

Martin Truex, Jr. didn’t think Kansas Speedway owed him one. Danica Patrick thinks Lady Luck owes her one, or two, or maybe more, but maybe not. Aric Almirola certainly knows now that he was pretty lucky, but just maybe the fact he didn’t suffer a catastrophic injury wasn’t all just because of luck. Nonetheless, the …

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Kansas Wreck a Harsh Reminder NASCAR is Dangerous

Almirola Kansas

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

It’s something no one in NASCAR – fans, drivers or media – ever want to think about. But in Saturday night’s Go Bowling 400, we were all given the harsh reminder that the sport is inherently dangerous. Right before the 200-lap mark, Joey Logano suffered a brake rotor failure that snapped his No. 22 Ford …

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