Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta

2021 Atlanta I Cup Ryan Blaney Victory Lane Nkp

Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

What happened? Ryan Blaney won the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday (March 21) after passing Kyle Larson with eight laps to go for the victory. Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch rounded out the top-five finishers. RETWEET to congratulate @Blaney on his first win of 2021! …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR Track Rotation Not the Worst Idea

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Folds Of Honor Quik Trip 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga Usa Sunday 25 February 2018 Kevin Harvick, Stewart Haas Racing, Jimmy John's Ford Fusion, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Roush Fenway Racing, Ford Ford Fusion, And Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta Chevrolet Camaro World Copyright: Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

Did You Notice?… Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of a handful of tracks to gain back a second NASCAR date in the modern era after losing it? AMS will run its first NASCAR Cup Series race of 2021 this weekend (March 21) before the sport makes a return trip on July 11. There’s a lot of …

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NASCAR Mailbox: First Michael Jordan, Now LeBron James?

Nascar Cup Series

#17: Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford Mustang Roush Performance, #8: Tyler Reddick, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet Camaro

With LeBron James buying into the Boston Red Sox (and Fenway Sports Group), could we see him become involved with Roush Fenway Racing at all? – Anita P., Loudon, NH Let’s get this out of the way first: in no way do I think LeBron James bought into the Red Sox so he could have …

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5 Points to Ponder: NASCAR Chemistry Matters, Stewart-Haas Racing Slump Deepens & More

Kevin Harvick and Cole Custer race at Daytona International Speedway February 2021 Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Stewart-Haas Racing Slump Gets Deeper Kevin Harvick sat on the pole for Sunday’s (March 7) Pennzoil 400 driving his No. 4 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing. It was a great position to assert himself up front at a Las Vegas Motor Speedway track he led 92 laps at last March. Instead? Harvick never led a …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas

2021 Cup Las Vegas I Larson Winner Nkp

Kyle Larson celebrates Las Vegas victory (Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened? Kyle Larson won the Pennzoil 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday (March 7) after leading a race-high 103 laps in just his fourth start for Hendrick Motorsports (fastest in team history). Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-five finishers. Burning it down on the …

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Fire on Fridays: 7 NASCAR Cup Drivers Who Have to Win in 2021

Kyle Larson talks with Matt DiBenedetto 2021 Daytona 500 Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Entering August 2020, if you’d asked me which drivers were on the hot seat and might lose their ride if they didn’t produce soon, William Byron would’ve been near the top of my list. Sure, Byron signed an extension with Hendrick Motorsports that month, but contracts aren’t always fulfilled in sports. Plus, Rick Hendrick doesn’t …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch Work Well Together for FOX Sports at Homestead

NASCAR Cup Series action in the 2021 Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Homestead is a very interesting place. For many years, it served as NASCAR’s season finale weekend. It’s an intriguing venue with many different lines for drivers. However, NASCAR decided to go in a different direction and move the season finale to Phoenix. For 2021, Homestead was supposed to be the second week of the season, …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened? William Byron won the Dixie Vodka 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday (Feb. 28) after leading a race-high (and career-high) 102 laps. Tyler Reddick, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five finishers. An impressive drive in so many ways! Retweet to congratulate @WilliamByron on tonight's win …

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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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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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Massive Crash, Lightning Delay Mar Early Laps of 2021 Daytona 500

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It didn’t take long for both the racing and weather Sunday (Feb. 14) to escalate in the 2021 Daytona 500. On lap 14, contact between Christopher Bell and Aric Almirola sent the latter sideways, crashing into Alex Bowman and taking nearly half the field with him. The massive pileup was followed by a lightning delay …

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