Race Weekend Central

NASCAR Mailbox: Should NASCAR Alter Pit Road Penalties in Any Way?

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Joey Logano Pitstop Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Last season, there was much debate about who the best team in NASCAR was. This season, it is safe to say there are two frontrunners, with Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske. The two teams have combined to win the first seven races of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. There have been other …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Getting Back in the Saddle

2019 Cup Texas Zach Catanzareti Denny Hamlin

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

It was a weekend for resiliency in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway during the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 this Sunday (March 31). Numerous drivers overcame trouble to post finishes which range from decent to excellent, depending on their team’s standards and expectations. Denny Hamlin overcame a speeding penalty and another …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2019 O’Reilly Auto Parts 500

2019 Phoenix I Cup Daniel Suarez Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who…should you be talking about after the race? Some days it’s your day, and Sunday (March 31) was Denny Hamlin’s afternoon. Hamlin didn’t look like he had a car to compete with teammate Kyle Busch early on, and a pair of pit road issues might have ended his bid early.  But Hamlin kept his head …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas

2019 Cup Texas Zach Catanzareti Erik Jones

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The Headline(s): Denny Hamlin overcame a characteristic pair of pit road penalties and missing a pit road approach under green with a stellar late-race pit stop. That got him out front, where he beat Clint Bowyer by more than two seconds. Hamlin scored his second win of 2019 and the 52nd NASCAR national series win …

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Denny Hamlin Surges Ahead, Wins 2019 O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 When Busch Breaks Loose

2019 Cup Texas Denny Hamlin Victory Lane Rick Lunkenheimer

(Photo: Rick Lunkenheimer)

Pit road speeding. Uncontrolled tire. Two pit road penalties couldn’t stop Denny Hamlin from ending Sunday with two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins after the 2019 O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. Hamlin took control after the final pit stops at Texas Motor Speedway and cruised to a 2.7-second victory over Clint Bowyer. The No. 11 …

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Michael McDowell: This Is The Way I’ve Been, It Hasn’t Changed

2019 Las Vegas I Cup Michael Mcdowell Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

2019 marks Michael McDowell‘s 12th season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but the wily veteran has been in the headlines more this year than maybe any other. McDowell started the season with a fifth-place run in the Daytona 500 and was a major player in the battle for the win. Since then, McDowell’s …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 STP 500 at Martinsville

#2: Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Reese/drawtite Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): Brad Keselowski put what Larry Mac dubbed a “Southern tail kickin’” on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series field. He led 446 of 500 laps Sunday (March 24) and held off a late charge from Chase Elliott to score his second win of 2019, his second career win at Martinsville, his 29th career …

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Up to Speed: Another Season on the Bubble for Daniel Suarez?

2019 Phoenix I Cup Daniel Suarez Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Daniel Suarez enjoyed one of the best runs of his 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season Sunday (March 24) at Martinsville Speedway.  In his sixth start driving the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41, he took the checkered flag in 10th after a long afternoon of short track racing. Suarez’s second top 10 of the season …

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Friday Faceoff: Should There Be More Stringent Requirements to Race in Cup?

2019 Las Vegas I Cup Kurt Busch Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After the debacle last Friday when no one posted a speed in the final round of qualifying, should NASCAR change the format? If so, how? Bryan Gable: I’ve been okay with group qualifying up until now, but what we saw on Friday is not acceptable. Single car qualifying would be an easy fix. Otherwise, introduce a …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR FanDuel Forecast: 2019 Auto Club 400

2019 Daytona I Cup Martin Truex Jr Car Nkp

So, before we start on daily fantasy NASCAR… Did anything happen in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying? Anything questionable? Something I should know about? No? OK, let’s continue. The trip to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Ca. is the first repeat of any package we’ve had in 2019. Some say this track is the …

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Friday Faceoff: Did Daniel Suarez Overreact to Michael McDowell Last Week?

2019 Phoenix I Cup Chase Elliott Pack Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Based on what Michael McDowell did during qualifying last week, was Daniel Suarez‘s reaction warranted? Mark Kristl: Was it warranted? Probably not. In the heat of the moment though, I understood Suarez’s reaction. He qualified 28th. He wanted to gain some starting positions. He was frustrated and McDowell served as a scapegoat. Joy Tomlinson: I don’t …

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Frontstretch Podcast: The Kyle Busch Show in Phoenix; and Ryan Truex Reminisces On Runner-Up Finish In Phoenix

Nascar Xfinity Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In this week’s edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino and Mike Neff discuss the Kyle Busch show at ISM Raceway, as he won both the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series races. The victory puts Busch at 199 wins in his NASCAR career. We briefly compare Busch’s and Richard Petty’s feat, however, we …

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