Race Weekend Central

The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 2016 Duck Commander 500

2016 Texas I Cup Kyle Busch Checkered Flag Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Sometimes taking a gamble is a team’s only hope of winning a race, but it’s certainly no guarantee.  When the No. 6 team kept Trevor Bayne off sequence to gain track position, it resulted in Bayne leading 12 laps—the first laps he’s led since May of 2014.  That …

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Eyes on XFINITY: Now or Never for Ty Dillon and Brendan Gaughan?

2016 Fontana Nxs Ty Dillon Brennan Poole Elliott Sadler Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

The good news for Richard Childress Racing is that the four-car team reached Victory Lane just five races into the XFINITY Series season.  The bad news, at least as far as the XFINITY championship is concerned, is that Sprint Cup regular Austin Dillon was the one who delivered the win to the team.  RCR’s three …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Todd Parrott Using Experience to Lead Ty Dillon

Auto Club 500 Qualifying

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

The pit box is where this man belongs.  Todd Parrott’s career as a crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series started in 1995,  paired with Ernie Irvan. For the overwhelming majority of his career, the veteran leader worked for Robert Yates Racing, guiding now NBC commentator Dale Jarrett to the 1999 Sprint Cup championship. Working with the …

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Brian Vickers Partners with Janssen to Race at Auto Club Speedway

After competing in two of the first four races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Brian Vickers will return to the No. 14 car at Auto Club Speedway. Vickers, 32, will run the No. 14 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing for the third time this year. After being approved by NASCAR and doctors to run …

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Entry List: Good Sam 500(k)

With one round of the West Coast Swing complete, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next heads to Phoenix to one of NASCAR’s most unique tracks. NASCAR released the preliminary entry list for the Mar. 13 Good Sam 500(k) at Phoenix International Raceway. The list includes 39 entrants, one short of the maximum field allowed by …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Brad Keselowski Cashes in With Late-Race Pass to Win at Las Vegas

2016 Las Vegas Cup Brad Keselowski Burnout Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T Thacker / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – It had been 33 races since Brad Keselowski visited Victory Lane. Keselowski took the checkered flag first in Fontana last year in the fifth race of the season. On Sunday, he led the race three times but only led a total of 24 laps. The win put a third different manufacturer in …

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Kurt Busch on Pole in Atlanta, Kyle Busch Time Disallowed

UPDATE: Kyle Busch’s qualifying time was disallowed after he failed post-qualifying inspection for an issue with the rear end of the car, rewarding Kurt Busch the pole and moving everyone forward one position. The defending champion will start 40th on Sunday; no further penalties are expected. Kyle Busch captured his first career pole at the Atlanta …

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Four Burning Questions: What Will Atlanta Attendance Look Like Sunday?

2015 Atlanta Cup Green Flag Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Where to Place the Expectations on Ty Dillon? It’s like 2013 all over again. That year, it was a broken leg suffered by Tony Stewart that opened the No. 14 Chevrolet to Max Papis, Austin Dillon and Mark Martin. Now, it’s a L1 burst fracture for Stewart that gave Brian Vickers his first Daytona 500 …

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Ty Dillon to Sub for Tony Stewart at Atlanta, Brian Vickers Subbing at Vegas

After Brian Vickers filled in for the injured Tony Stewart in the season-opening Daytona 500, Stewart-Haas Racing confirmed the substitutes for the next two events in the team’s No. 14. Ty Dillon will climb behind the wheel of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet this Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Vickers will return …

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XFINITY Breakdown: Chase Elliott Chasing History At Daytona

Chase Elliott will start Sunday as the youngest pole winner in Daytona 500 history. Saturday, the 20-year-old proved why he’s ready to graduate to NASCAR’s top level full-time. Elliott drove a masterful race down the stretch in the JR Motorsports No. 88 Chevy, taking the lead from Joey Logano on lap 107 and then using teammate …

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Ty Dillon Grabs XFINITY Pole at Daytona

Spoiler alert: The No. 3 is fast at Daytona International Speedway. Ty Dillon backed up his dominating runs in practice, taking the pole for Saturday’s Powershares QQQ 300 at Daytona International Speedway following a quick lap of 49.493 seconds (181.844 mph). The pole is the fourth of his XFINITY Series career and first since 2014. “I’m …

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