Race Weekend Central

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Entry List: Bank of America 500

2017 Charlotte All Star Cup Jimmie Johnson Racing Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

And then… there were 12. NASCAR’s playoff field has been trimmed in advance of Sunday’s Bank of America 500 from Charlotte Motor Speedway. This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads home to Charlotte, N.C. for the first race of playoff round two. Those 12 drivers will once again resume their championship battle, this …

Read more

Beyond the Cockpit: Carl Long Balancing Risk & Reward in NASCAR Ownership

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Go Bowling 400 Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Ks Usa Friday 12 May 2017 Dale Earnhardt Jr, Hendrick Motorsports, Mountain Dew Dew S A Chevrolet Ss And Carl Long World Copyright: Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

On the surface, every team was a throwback to the old days Sunday at Darlington Raceway. With memorable paint schemes and bright STP hats, the laymen would struggle to pick out the true underdogs. However, for Carl Long, the small-team status is one he’s raced in all his life in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup …

Read more

Couch Potato Tuesday: NBCSN Has Fun in Darlington, Forgets Stuff

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 Darlington Raceway, Darlington, Sc Usa Friday 1 September 2017 Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Sport Clips Toyota Camry World Copyright: Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Labor Day Weekend is traditionally one of the biggest race weekends of the year.  Basically every series of note was in action last weekend with the exception of IMSA. Before we get started, news came out on Sunday that Daniel Suarez lost sponsorship from Subway due to Suarez appearing in a piece that aired on …

Read more

Entry List: Bojangles Southern 500

Darlington Raceway

After a rare off weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Darlington Raceway for the Bojangles Southern 500 and its annual throwback weekend. There are 40 cars on the preliminary entry list for the event, meaning all cars will make the race barring any last-minute adjustments. It’s just the tenth time in 25 races the Cup race …

Read more

Brickyard 400 Entry List

2016 Indianapolis Cup Tony Stewart Racing Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Pucker up, folks. It’s that one week of the year when kissing dirty bricks is something that every Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver wants to do. The MENCS heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400 at the 2.5-mile track in Speedway, Ind. on Sunday, July 24. There are 41 cars on the preliminary …

Read more

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Entry List: Quaker State 400

Brad Keselowski

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

After a weekend of restrictor plate racing on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Kentucky Speedway for Saturday night’s Quaker State 400. The trip to Sparta, Ky. marks the only trip there for the MENCS field this season. There are 40 cars on the preliminary entry list, …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Martin Truex Jr. Shakes Kansas Monkey As Aric Almirola Sustains Serious Injury

2017 Kansas I Cup Aric Almirola Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – Handicapping Cup Series races is very difficult. With 40 cars in a full field, and 20 capable of winning on the right day, it can be like throwing darts to figure out a favorite. The odds at the drop of the green flag Saturday night had Ryan Blaney and Martin …

Read more

NASCAR 101: 2009, the Sprint Showdown

2009 Nascar Sprint Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade, USA Autostock)

The last time a Carl Long-owned team ran a race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was 2009. Back then, Long, then 41, was on a part-time schedule in the series and in NASCAR as a whole, making intermittent starts in the XFINITY Series in addition to his Cup program. That year, he had …

Read more

Happiness Is: A Safe, Long, Enjoyable Weekend

2017 Atlanta Cup Danica Patrick Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

The NASCAR traveling circus is moving on from the carnival known as Talladega and parking itself in Kansas this weekend.  To some fans, that means a return to what may be considered more traditional racing.   To others? The weekend at Kansas Speedway will represent a return to boring 1.5-mile, cookie-cutter, follow-the-leader lameness that has brought …

Read more

Did You Notice?: Penske Penalties Piling Up, Longest NASCAR Winless Droughts

2017 Talladega I Cup Brad Keselowski Ricky Stenhouse Jr Joey Logano Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

Did You Notice? … Team Penske’s final appeal was denied for Brad Keselowski? After finishing fifth at Phoenix in March, the car failed post-race inspection for having too much skew in the rear suspension. The violation, which NASCAR claimed could improve the car’s handling, led to a $65,000 fine, a three-race suspension for crew chief Paul Wolfe …

Read more

Entry List: 2017 Go Bowling 400

2016 Kansas I Cup Kevin Harvick Racing Brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

On Tuesday morning, NASCAR released the entry list for Saturday night’s Go Bowling 400 at Kansas Speedway.  40 cars are entered this week, so no one will go home. There are a couple of changes to note.  Reed Sorenson moves back into the No. 15 for Premium Motorsports, replacing Joey Gase.  Gase finished a season-best …

Read more

5 Points to Ponder: Worth the Wait

2016 Kansas Ii Cup Matt Kenseth Kyle Busch Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

ONE: Great Attendance That was quite the turnout at Talladega Superspeedway, wasn’t it? And for this reporter at least that was manna to the soul. Okay, it’s fair to say a good proportion of folks were in attendance for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s penultimate race on the treacherous high banks. But even with that boost it …

Read more