Race Weekend Central

Xfinity Breakdown: Organized Chaos, 1st-Time Winner Highlight Talladega

Talladega Brandon Brown burnout NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Two red flags and extensive cleanup efforts following wrecks slowly decreased the chances that the Sparks 300 at Talladega on Saturday (Oct. 2) would be completed in full. The beneficiary of these delays was Brandon Brown, who was the leader through the most recent scoring loop when the caution was displayed for the final time. A …

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Brandon Brown Scores 1st NASCAR Xfinity Series Win at Talladega

Brandon Brown

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Brandon Brown upset the playoff field, stealing a win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway in Saturday’s (Oct. 2) Sparks 300. Brown scored his first career victory as the caution came out with 12 laps remaining due to ensuing darkness. While many teams and spotters were proving unable to see well, having the …

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The Underdog House: Daniel Suarez Endures at Richmond on 9/11

Daniel Suarez stands on pit road at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog: Daniel Suarez Daniel Suarez had a consistent night at Richmond Raceway, posting a 17th-place finish in the Sept. 11 Federated Auto Parts 400. It was his third straight NASCAR Cup Series top 20, finding his footing again with the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Team after a dismal summer. But on a rough Saturday, …

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Xfinity Breakdown: Late Cautions Elevate Noah Gragson to Victory; Dale Jr. Finishes 14th

2021 Richmond Ii Nxs Noah Gragson Drinking Sean Gardner Getty

(Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

It seems all it took for Noah Gragson to win in 2021 was to sign a new contract with JR Motorsports for 2022. For the first time in his NASCAR Xfinity Series career, he has won back-to-back races, winning the Go Bowling 250 at Richmond Raceway on Saturday.  Last week Gragson won at Darlington. Gragson …

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Brandon Brown Adds TradeTheChain.com and SENT Sponsorship for 3 Races

Brandon Brown

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Brandon Brown’s No. 68 will be sponsored by TradeTheChain.com and SENT in three NASCAR Xfinity Series races, Brandonbilt Motorsports announced Sept. 8. The cryptocurrency companies first joined the team last week at Darlington Raceway and will return for Saturday’s race at Richmond Raceway, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway event on Sept. 25 and at Kansas …

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Xfinity Breakdown: Kaulig Executes Plan; Justin Haley Wins & AJ Allmendinger Takes Points Lead

AJ Allmendinger and Kaulig Racing worked together to dominate the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona on Aug. 28, 2021 (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

When the NASCAR Xfinity Series resumed the Wawa 250 at Daytona International Speedway Saturday afternoon (Aug. 28), following a postponement for rain on Friday night, Kaulig Racing remained the class of the field. AJ Allmendinger led 15 of the 19 laps completed on Friday night and 15 on Saturday for a race-high 30 laps led. …

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The Underdog House: Michael McDowell Leads Sluggish NASCAR Underdog Return After Olympic Break

2019 Talladega Mencs Michael Mcdowell Face Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Setting For a brief moment, I was wondering if it was either August or February when NASCAR returned to the track. After a two-week layoff for the Olympics, drivers and teams returned to Watkins Glen International in New York as the grind for the season’s remainder commenced. Watching the Olympics made me entertain the …

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The Underdog House: Erik Jones Finds His Groove at the Magic Mile

2021 Loudon Cup Erik Jones Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Setting After the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday (July 18) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, only four races remain in the regular season. The Magic Mile presented a fairly comparable evaluation for title-contending teams to gauge their championship setup at Phoenix Raceway. For underdogs, it was another opportunity to go out and prove their …

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The Underdog House: Bubba Wallace Top Dog of the Ring in Atlanta

2021 Cup Atlanta Ii Bubba Wallace Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Setting Atlanta Motor Speedway has become iconic in its own way. No, it doesn’t hold the prestige of a Daytona 500. It doesn’t test the same amount of endurance as the Coca-Cola 600 does. Kissing the bricks is not seen there. And it doesn’t serve hot dogs as good as Martinsville Speedway’s. The place …

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Xfinity Breakdown: Fresh Tires Boost Kyle Busch to Surprise Henry 180 Victory at Road America

#54: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Supra M&M's Ice Cream celebrates his win at 2021 NASCAR Xfinity race at Road America, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Tires were the topic of conversation for much of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America. Some teams planned to save enough fuel to go the entire distance of the Henry 180 on two stops to save a fresh set of tires for a late-race caution. Others wanted to pit to keep the freshest …

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The Underdog House: Numerous All-Star Aspirations Fade in Open

Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell on track at Texas for the All Star Race (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Setting All three NASCAR series headed to the Lone Star State for dates at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. This time, however, things felt different. TMS has typically held the first weekend in April, but this year NASCAR shifted the schedule around. While the track’s fall playoff date remained intact, the usual spring points …

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The Underdog House: Erik Jones Snags Scrappy Sonoma Finish

Erik Jones runs at Circuit of the Americas (May 2021). (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog: Erik Jones Throughout Sunday’s (June 6) Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, several Cinderella stories managed to sneak their way inside the top 10. Between wildly different pit strategies throughout the event and a flurry of late-race incidents, the problem was staying power. When the smoke from some late wrecks cleared, there was one …

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