Race Weekend Central

Friday Faceoff: Is William Byron a Championship Contender?

William Byron celebrates in victory lane at Homestead 2021 cup Photo Sean Gardner Getty Images

(Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Buy or sell: William Byron as a Cup Series Championship 4 contender. Luken Glover: At this moment I am buying it. One of the biggest underlying stories of the preseason was the reunion of William Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle. Why is that pairing so special? Well, just five years ago, the pair won …

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Did You Notice?: A Cautionary Tale on NASCAR Road Courses

Yellow Flag: Caution

(Photo: Frontstretch.com)

Did You Notice? … This year’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the Daytona International Speedway road course ran 12 of its 70 laps under caution? It adds up to 17% of Sunday’s race (Feb. 21), with only one green-flag run lasting more than 10 laps. The eight cautions were more than any road race outside of …

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Up to Speed: The Pressure to Win in NASCAR 2021 is Already On

Nascar Cup Series

#21: Matt DiBenedetto, Wood Brothers Racing, Ford Mustang Motorcraft/Quick Lane

Raise your hand if you thought that, two races into the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, the two race winners would be Michael McDowell and Christopher Bell.  If you made that prediction a few weeks ago, a fellow race fan might have assumed that you’d spent too much time around the gasoline fumes on pit …

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Did You Notice?: Daytona’s Last-Lap Disaster for Team Penske

Nascar Cup Series

#2: Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Discount Tire

Did You Notice? … How quickly the last lap of the Daytona 500 fell apart for Team Penske? 2018 NASCAR Cup Series champ Joey Logano crossed the line leading. Brad Keselowski was second, in position to end an 0-for-11 streak at a race he so badly wants knocked off his bucket list. The organization was staring …

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5 Points to Ponder: Lady Luck Deals NASCAR Bad Hand in 2021 Debut

Austin Cindric crashes on the final lap of the 2021 Daytona 500.

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Lady Luck Big Player in Disjointed Daytona 500 There were a lot of Valentine’s Day dinners ruined Sunday night (Feb. 14) by the Daytona 500 turned 24 Hours of Daytona Lite. A six-hour rain delay felt entirely preventable, the fourth time in the last 10 NASCAR season openers there’s been a rain delay. At what point …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings Forecast: 2021 Daytona 500

Denny Hamlin car on track (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Well, folks, it’s back again: the Daytona 500. The NASCAR Cup Series 2021 season opener is scheduled to run on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX. Unfortunately, the usual pomp and circumstance may be limited this year due to COVID-19. But in the world of fantasy NASCAR DraftKings, there’s still a lot …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings Forecast: 2021 Busch Clash

Denny Hamlin and Matt DiBenedetto are solid picks for the 2021 Busch Clash Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It’s finally here! NASCAR is back and the 2021 Cup Series season is upon us. Before teams get set for the Daytona 500, 21 drivers will compete in the Busch Clash, with a new twist for this year. The exhibition will take place not on the 2.5-mile superspeedway but on the Daytona International Speedway road …

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2021 NASCAR Preseason Power Rankings, No. 15: Matt DiBenedetto

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Matt DiBenedetto will return to the famed No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing this upcoming season in the NASCAR Cup Series. 2021 will be his second year with the Woods but also his final, as Austin Cindric is set to take over the reins in 2022. So there is much to prove for the …

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2020 NASCAR Team Reviews: Wood Brothers Racing

2020 Review Wood

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

When Matt DiBenedetto fires the engine on his No. 21 Ford for the 63nd running of the Daytona 500 next February, his second full year for the team, Wood Brothers Racing will be starting its 68th season in NASCAR, five more years of stock car longevity than the Great American Race itself. In a sporting …

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Reel Racing: The Best (& Worst) Movie Paint Schemes of the 2010s, Pt. 1

Martinsville Cup 2019 Mike Neff Aric Almirola

In June, I undertook a project to dig up every single movie-themed paint scheme that ever ran across NASCAR’s three touring series and, eventually, rank them. The weeks-long search yielded that exactly 100 films have been represented on stock cars throughout the years, ranging from The Wizard of Oz to Shazam. Unfortunately, 2020 became the …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR 2020 Tidbits And Loose Ends… It’s Not Just About The Championship 4

2020michiganncskevinharvicktrophynascarmedia

(Photo: NASCAR Media)

Did You Notice? … NASCAR wasn’t just about the Championship 4 and Chase Elliott‘s first NASCAR title at the ripe old age of 24? Certainly, Elliott’s back-to-back wins to finish the year were impressive; he’s the third-youngest champion in NASCAR history. Elliott’s surging popularity should serve the sport well heading into a time of transition next …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings Forecast: Hollywood Casino 400

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The NASCAR Cup Series begins its Round of 8 in the Sunflower State this Sunday, Oct. 18 as just four races remain in the 2020 season. Let’s get your NASCAR DraftKings lineups ready for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway! Sunday marks the second time drivers will race on the 1.5-mile tri-oval using the …

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