Race Weekend Central

4 Burning Questions: Will Aric Almirola Struggle to Compete in 2017?

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Go Bowling 400 Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Ks Usa Friday 12 May 2017 Aric Almirola, Richard Petty Motorsports, Smithfield Ford Fusion World Copyright: Brett Moist Nkp

Aric Almirola (Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

Will Aric Almirola Struggle to Compete at Loudon and Beyond? In the last eight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, there have been four different drivers in the No. 43. But this one is the name that has been on the windshield all along. Aric Almirola is back in action for Sunday’s Overton’s 300 at …

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Aric Almirola Returning to Richard Petty Motorsports at Loudon

2017 Texas I Cup Aric Almirola Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

The name sitting on top of the No. 43 car will make the driver’s identity for the first time since Kansas Speedway. Aric Almirola will make his return to NASCAR competition at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. The Florida native will step behind the wheel of the No. 43 Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports for …

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5 Points to Ponder: Ch-ch-changes

2017 Pocono Cup Zach Catanzareti Darrell Wallace Jr.

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The Track Side interviews: First up, this week, a quick word about NBC’s new “trackside” winner interviews conducted on the frontstretch immediately post-burnout. My quick take is they’re excellent, and it’s a tremendous addition to the overall broadcast. Why? Primarily because it’s a chance to see some raw emotion from the winning driver before they’ve …

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Overton’s 301 Entry List

2016 Loudon I Cup Matt Kenseth Pack Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to New England and “The Magic Mile” for the Overton’s 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. There are 39 cars on the preliminary entry list, meaning the field will not be at full capacity once again. There aren’t many changes for this week, but there are a …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kentucky was Martin Truex Jr.’s World; Everyone Else was Looking for a Nut

2017 Kentucky Cup Martin Truex Jr Burnout Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – Just over a year ago, Martin Truex, Jr. turned the Coca-Cola 600 into his own personal playground. Saturday wasn’t that level of dominant, but it was close. Truex has been very strong on 1.5-mile tracks since the marriage of Joe Gibbs Racing and Furniture Row Racing at the beginning of 2016, …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR’s Aging Ownership

2016 Daytona Ii Cup Roger Penske Champagne Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … NASCAR has struggled to bring new owners to the track this season? Through 17 races, only 43 different cars have made an attempt to qualify. That’s easily the smallest number in modern NASCAR history for the Cup Series. Just a decade ago, the starting grid was 43, not 40 while 48-50 cars were …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Survives the Daytona Pandemonium For Second Career Victory

Rfr Leading Daytona

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – It took Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 157 races to visit Victory Lane for the first time. It only took eight more to make a return trip. Stenhouse made a late-race pass coming to the white flag and held off the competition to lead the final two laps to score the victory. …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR Daytona Races Can Be Deceiving

Kurt Busch And Wife

(Photo: Rusty Jarrett/NKP)

Did You Notice? … NASCAR races at Daytona can be deceiving? The sport’s Super Bowl, February’s Daytona 500 is known as a race whose winner rarely competes for the series title. Only Jimmie Johnson (2006 & 2013) has accomplished the feat since 1998. There’s a lot of reasons Daytona winds up so different than the rest …

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Entry List: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero 400

Elliott Leads Daytona 500

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to Daytona this weekend for the Coke Zero 400. The entry list for the race has been released and there’s a number of notable changes after the road course event at Sonoma last weekend. A full field of 40 cars will contest the 160-lap, 400-mile race that’ll be broadcast …

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Darrell Wallace Jr. to Run for Richard Petty Motorsports, Roush Shuts Down No. 6 XFINITY Team

2016 Fontana Nxs Darrell Wallace Jr Laughing Brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

The news that Darrell Wallace Jr. wanted to hear is finally here: a call up to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The Roush Fenway Racing XFINITY Series driver will become the first African-American to race in NASCAR’s premier division since Bill Lester did so in 2006. Wallace, 23, will replace the injured Aric Almirola in the …

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Regan Smith Gaining Familiarity with Richard Petty Motorsports

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Aaa 400 Drive For Autism Dover International Speedway, Dover, De Usa Friday 2 June 2017 Richard Petty, Regan Smith, Richard Petty Motorsports, Smithfield Ford Fusion World Copyright: Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Following a savage crash by Aric Almirola at Kansas Speedway three weeks ago, Richard Petty Motorsports’ lone driver was out of the picture. His replacement? Regan Smith. That was the choice as the 33-year-old Almirola heals from a compression fracture to his T5 vertebra. Smith, without a full-time ride got the nod to return to the Monster Energy …

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Regan Smith Remains Aric Almirola’s Substitute for Dover

2017 Charlotte All Star Cup Regan Smith Car Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Regan Smith gets to enjoy another week in the King Richard Petty’s court. Richard Petty Motorsports announced in a press release on Wednesday (May 31) that Smith will continue to drive the organization’s No. 43 Ford in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway this weekend, as primary driver Aric Almirola …

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