Race Weekend Central

Matt Kenseth Gets His Season on the Right Track, Wins Pole at Richmond

2017 Atlanta Cup Matt Kenseth Vertical Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/ NKP)

Entering the ninth race of the 2017 season, Matt Kenseth sits 20th in the championship standings, recording four top 10 finishes, but also having three finishes of 36th or worse. During qualifying at Richmond International Raceway on Friday, Kenseth won the pole, with a lap of 121.076 mph, hoping it can kick start his year. …

Read more

NASCAR’s Top Talent Scouts: Who’s Got the No. 1 Draft Pick?

2016 Daytona Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Joey Logano Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. news cycle finally got trumped in the sporting world by Thursday night’s NFL draft. As you read this, stories are popping up over names like Mitch Trubisky, Jabrill Peppers and I-can’t-remember-his-name-but-god-he-better-help-my-team. It’s a reminder for all that life must go on. At Hendrick Motorsports, those words ring truer than ever as it …

Read more

The Underdog House: The Great Equalizer

2017 Bristol I Cup Jeffrey Earnhardt Car Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

Think Small Short tracks are popular with race fans because there is almost always some action somewhere in the field.  Cars are close together, tempers flare and drivers are aggressive.  Another reason to enjoy this type of racing is that short tracks (Bristol and Martinsville more so than Richmond) usually level out the playing field …

Read more

Up to Speed: Erik Jones Pursues His First Win

2017 Martinsville Cup Zach Catanzareti Erik Jones

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Erik Jones has not missed a beat during his rookie season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series thus far. Piloting the brand-new second car for Furniture Row Racing, Jones got collected in an accident at Daytona International Speedway that was not of his making. Since then, the No. 77 team is climbing through the standings.  …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Aerodynamics, Multiple Winners, Potential New Tires and More in the First Off Week

2017 Atlanta Cup Brad Keselowski Paul Wolfe Trophy Nigel Kinrade Nkp

Who’s in the headline – The season started with Kurt Busch in Victory Lane for the first time in his career at Daytona, along with his Daytona native crew chief Tony Gibson. Brad Keselowski is the only two-time winner in the series, while Kyle Larson has finished in the top two in all but two …

Read more

Couch Potato Tuesday: FOX Makes Texas Look Good … Early On

2017 Texas I Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

Prior to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series tackled the revamped Texas Motor Speedway.  The race itself turned out to be a little better than everyone thought it would be. Prior to the race starting, Jamie Little conducted a one-on-one interview in the coach lot with Jimmie Johnson. …

Read more

The Underdog House: NASCAR’s Best-Kept Secret

2017 Texas I Cup Cole Whitt Matt Dibenedetto Racing Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Think Small It feels like NASCAR’s small teams get a bad rap right from the start from some fans and even media.  Too often, they’re lumped into a “backmarkers” category, often mocked for their poor performance compared to rivals.  To hear some people talk, you’d think they went out every week and ran in the 20’s …

Read more

Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Never Count Him Out Edition

2017 Fontana Cup Ryan Blaney Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

It almost seems like an annual rite of passage in these early stages of the Cup Series season. What’s wrong with the No. 48 team? Is Jimmie Johnson finally past his prime? Is this the year the now-seven time champion becomes an also ran as he winds down his career? Well, we got the answer …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Ryan Blaney Dominates, Jimmie Johnson Wins at Texas

2017 Texas I Cup Jimmie Johnson Checkered Flag Matthre T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

Who’s In The Headline Once Ryan Blaney faded, Jimmie Johnson got his NASCAR groove back Sunday at one of his favorite places: Texas Motor Speedway. In a dramatic drive from the back to the front, Johnson earned his seventh win in 28 starts at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. It was the top story in a Hendrick Motorsports resurgence that leaves them …

Read more

Pace Laps: Ryan Blaney Lets One Get Away, Erik Jones Dominates in XFINITY Series

2017 Fontana Cup Ryan Blaney Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Monster Energy Cup Series: The Wood Brothers are Back – 1982. That was the last time a Wood Brothers Racing car led more than 100 laps in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The 35-year streak ended Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway as the team’s second-year driver Ryan Blaney led the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 for 148 …

Read more

Daily Fantasy NASCAR Hot-Starts: O’Reilly Auto Parts 500

2016 Nscs Texas Ii Jimmie Johnson Matt Kenseth John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson / NKP)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Texas this Sunday for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. The race week thus far has been eventful to say the least. Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, and Erik Jones all wrecked their primary cars during opening practice on Friday. While Busch’s team was able …

Read more

Kevin Harvick Wins First Cup Pole in Texas

2017 Kevin Harvick Cup Russell Labounty/nkp Texas Nascar

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Sweeping all three rounds, it was a perfect qualifying day for Kevin Harvick. Especially the final session, where Harvick ripped around the 1.5-mile Texas track in 27.217 seconds [198.405 mph] to win the pole for Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. It is the 19th pole of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup career, first at Texas …

Read more