Race Weekend Central

The Underdog House: Why NASCAR’s Small Teams Matter

2016 Pocono Ii Cup Chris Buescher Bob Osborne Trophy Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

The teams covered in this article each week aren’t likely race winners (though many of them certainly can—and on occasion have—win if circumstances dictate). However, NASCAR is about more than winning.  Consider the amount of preparation that one of the sport’s elite teams has to put into bringing a racecar to the track, race ready, each week—it’s …

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Daily NASCAR Fantasy: Drafting Your Watkins Glen Lineup

2016 Pocono Cup Aj Allmendinger Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to Watkins Glen on August 7th for the Cheeze-It 355. Watkins Glen is the second of two road courses the series travels to in 2016. The weekend was headlined by the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr., but not to competition. Junior will miss the next two races with continuing …

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The Underdog House: Tracking NASCAR’s Small Teams from Pocono to Watkins Glen

2016 Pocono Ii Cup Chris Buescher Champagne Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Tommy Badwin Racing Regan Smith, No. 7 APC Chevrolet Looking back: Chris Buescher wasn’t the only small-team driver who scored a top finish Monday. Smith’s third-place run ties his organization’s best finish ever and marks TBR’s top finish not on a restrictor-plate track.  Sound strategy played into the team’s hands and Smith walked away with his …

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The Underdog House: Tracking NASCAR’s Small Teams From Indy to Pocono

2016 Indianapolis Cup Patrick Carpentier Car Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Indianapolis represented a mixed bag for the small teams this week, with finishes ranging from 14th for rookie Chris Buescher to 40th for Matt DiBenedetto, thanks to an untimely engine expiration.  Indy is a tough track for teams that are a step or two behind the elite teams in both handling and horsepower, and next …

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The Underdog House: Tracking NASCAR’s Small Teams from Loudon to Indy

2016 Loudon I Cup Michael Annett Reed Sorenson Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

NASCAR has a few tracks that are fairly unique in layout.  Among those are both new Hampshire Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway-a flat one-mile oval with long straights and tight turns – think big Martinsville – and a huge, flat, rectangular behemoth with four separate corners and four straights to match.  These tracks are …

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The Underdog House: Tracking NASCAR’s Small Teams from Kentucky to New Hampshire

2016 Pocono I Cup Ty Dillon Car Anthony Lumbis Sr.

(Photo: Tony Lumbis Sr.)

So… what makes a small team? Yep, I addressed this last week, but again, we’ll give it one more time for those race fans who missed the last edition. I’m frequently asked how I categorize NASCAR’s teams, and I’m sure lots of people have a different definition, but I look at a couple of things …

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The Underdog House: Tracking NASCAR’s Small Teams from Daytona to Kentucky

2016 Daytona Ii Cup Michael Mcdowell Michael Annett Racing Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

What makes a small team? I’m frequently asked how to categorize NASCAR’s teams. I look at a couple of things when I make the list each spring: budget and performance.  Small teams simply don’t have the budgets of the larger ones, even middle-tier organizations.  They may have alliances with bigger teams, but that doesn’t mean everything gets handed …

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The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Coke Zero 400

2016 Daytona Ii Cup Pack Racing Iv Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade /NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Perhaps the most positive thing that can be said for restrictor-plate races is that because the cars are more equal than anywhere else, a different group of drivers can shine. That’s what happened Saturday night; a small group of wheelmen whom fans are usually quick to write off shone …

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The Frontstretch 5: Winless Drivers Who Could Surprise at Daytona

2016 Phoenix I Cup Clint Bowyer Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

For the second week in a row, the Sprint Cup Series is visiting a track where the usual suspects aren’t the only options as the equality of the cars puts a large percentage of the race in the drivers’ hands. There’s a good chance the series could see its 11th different winner of 2016 and, while Dale …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2016 Toyota Save Mart 350

2106 Sonoma Cup Denny Hamlin Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Who…gets my shoutout of the race? He may have been visibly disappointed when the checkered flag flew, but the fact is that Denny Hamlin had a great day at Sonoma Raceway.  Hamlin’s second-place run was his best-ever result at the track and the first time since 2009 that he’s finished better than 18th there.  Hamlin …

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Daily NASCAR Fantasy: Drafting Your Sonoma Lineup at the Toyota/Save Mart 350

2016 Dover I Cup Aj Allmendinger Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to Sonoma Raceway June 26 for the Toyota / Save Mart 350. Sonoma is the first of two road-course circuits NASCAR will compete at this season. Sonoma, Calif., is home to one of the most unique race tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. When teams embark on …

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Kyle Larson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Fastest In Cup Practices At Sonoma

Dale Earnhardt Jr

[Photo: Zach Catanzareti]

Friday saw the only two Sprint Cup Series practices of the Sonoma Raceway weekend, featuring Kyle Larson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. as the fastest in the first and second respectively. Larson, whose hometown of Elk Grove, Calif., is roughly two hours away from Sonoma, is riding off a lot of momentum in the past month. …

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