Race Weekend Central

Holding a Pretty Wheel: Things Just Got Silly

2017 Chicago Cup Kurt Busch Helmet Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

You can say that NASCAR isn’t exciting these days, but this year, that certainly doesn’t include Silly Season.  Both rumors and moves started early and have become hot and heavy over the last few weeks. Drivers moving on so far this year include Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Trevor Bayne, Martin Truex Jr. (No. …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR FanDuel Forecast: Federated Auto Parts 400

2018 Las Vegas I Cup Brad Keselowski Paul Wolfe Nigel Kinrade Nkp

This weekend’s race at Richmond Raceway marks the second in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. The green flag flies for the Federated Auto Parts 400 at 7:30 p.m. ET this Saturday on NBCSN. Here are the rules for FanDuel’s new Daily Fantasy NASCAR game. FanDuel has put more emphasis on finishing position than …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Brad Keselowski Sets Benchmarks with 3rd Straight Win & Penske 500th

#2: Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Ford Fusion Autotrader Celebrates His Win Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who’s in the headline Momentum is a beautiful thing when you’re running for a championship, and Brad Keselowski is riding a huge wave of it after winning his third consecutive race and locking himself into the second round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Keselowski won the second stage and the race in a …

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Up to Speed: Pressure to Win on Denny Hamlin

2018 Cup Pocono Zach Catanzareti Denny Hamlin

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Denny Hamlin has rarely suffered from a lack of wins in his NASCAR career.  Since 2006, his rookie year in the Cup Series, he has never had a winless season.  Some of those years certainly were not big-win seasons, but Hamlin always found a way to get to Victory Lane at least once. Even in …

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4 Burning Questions: Who Goes Where in 2019?

2018 Las Vegas I Cup Matt Dibenedetto Trevor Bayne Racing Rusty Jarrett Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Just how much bigger will silly season be this year? Silly season continued in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, with three drivers confirmed to be leaving their current rides in the past week and a fourth possibly contemplating doing so as well. Matt DiBenedetto announced last weekend that he and Go FAS Racing have …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Where the Past Meets the Present

2018 Cup Pocono Zach Catanzareti Kyle Larson

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

NASCAR’s annual throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway for the Bojangles Southern 500 featured great racing throughout, late-race drama and a ton of great-looking paint schemes from yesteryear. Brad Keselowski picked up his first win of the year for Team Penske, holding off teammate Joey Logano on a short sprint to the finish. Kyle Larson crushed …

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Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman Top Bojangles’ Southern 500 Practices

2018 Darlington Cup Zach Catanzareti Denny Hamlin

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin dominated Darlington in 2017 with wins in both the XFINITY and Cup races. He returned to the scene of last year’s success and picked up right where he left off. Hamlin turned a lap at 172.287 mph during the opening practice to lead the entire day Friday (Aug. 31). Practice …

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NASCAR 101: 5 Drivers Who Could Take Over for Kasey Kahne at Leavine Family Racing

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Folds Of Honor Quik Trip 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga Usa Sunday 25 February 2018 Kasey Kahne, Leavine Family Racing, Procore Habitat For Humanity Chevrolet Camaro World Copyright: Rusty Jarrett Nkp

(Photo: Rusty Jarrett/NKP)

The latest Silly Season domino to fall occurred earlier today (Aug. 16), when Kasey Kahne announced he will step away from full-time NASCAR racing at the end of the 2018 season. Kahne, 38, tweeted that racing full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2019 and beyond “was just something that I couldn’t commit …

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The Frontstretch 5: Pieces in NASCAR’s Silly Season Puzzle & Where They Could Fit

2017 Atlanta Cup Kurt Busch Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

1. Kurt Busch 2004 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Busch won’t return to powerhouse Stewart-Haas Racing next year. Each driver move creates two pieces to the puzzle, as the ride he vacates will need to be filled. In this case, it’s pretty likely that Cole Custer will take over the No. 41, so Busch …

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Did You Notice?: The Odd NASCAR Career Of Jamie McMurray?

2018 Jamie Mcmurray Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Jamie McMurray’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career could be entering its final stages? Rumors broke this past weekend Kurt Busch could replace him in Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 1 car next season. Both drivers refused to comment extensively, but it’s been revealed McMurray is in the last year of his current deal. …

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Jamie McMurray Hoping to Turn Season Around with Strong Run at Watkins Glen

2018 Watkins Glen Cup Zach Catanzareti Jamie Mcmurray

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

2018 has not been Jamie McMurray‘s best season, but with a strong outing in Sunday’s (Aug. 5) Go Bowling at the Glen, it could be what the No. 1 team needed to turn its year around. McMurray, who is known for running well on road courses, started the 90-lap race in 14th. But as the …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Brendan Gaughan’s Energetic Addition to NBCSN NASCAR Coverage

2018 Cup Pocono Zach Catanzareti William Byron

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Split weekends can cause some problems for NASCAR TV partners as their resources get stretched. NBC was no different. Some people went to Iowa while others went to Pocono, expanding a crew with additions that don’t cover the sport full-time. Regardless, viewers got 600-plus miles of racing over the weekend.  Both of them were quite …

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