Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice?: NASCAR Rivalries Not Named Harvick-Elliott & Remembering 550 HP

2021 Daytona Road Cup Tyler Reddick William Byron Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott isn’t the only rivalry to heat up in the final few weeks? Some other drivers butting heads have flown under the radar a bit with these two taking up so much air in the room. Here’s three other sets of people in the NASCAR community to keep …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings Forecast: 2021 Bank of America ROVAL 400

Chase Elliot leads a pack of cars in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Are you ready for the twists and turns of the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL? Let’s get your daily fantasy NASCAR DraftKings rosters ready for the NASCAR Cup Series’ final playoff race of the Round of 12. This isn’t the Cup Series’ first go-around at the 2.32-mile course, as it’s run three races on this layout …

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Did You Notice?: Winless NASCAR Drivers Seeking Talladega Breakthrough

David Ragan celebrates his victory at Talladega Superspeedway with Front Row Motorsports in 2013. (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Autostock)

Photo: Nigel Kinrade Autostock

Did You Notice? … Talladega Superspeedway has always been labeled the best track for winless NASCAR drivers to pull an upset? The 2.66-mile oval has a history of pulling off one-hit wonders, from Richard Brickhouse winning his first and only NASCAR Cup Series race there in 1969 to Ron Bouchard pulling off this three-wide thriller in …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After NASCAR Playoffs in Las Vegas

2021 Cup Las Vegas Denny Hamlin, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Wins NASCAR Playoffs race (Credit: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

Photo: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images via NASCAR Media

Who … should you be talking about after the NASCAR Playoffs Race in Las Vegas? Denny Hamlin once again showed Sunday night (Sept. 26) why he was a championship contender one year ago. For only the second time this season, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver earned a NASCAR Cup Series win. It was a fairly …

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4 Burning Questions: Rookie Report Card

Chase Briscoe at Charlotte, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

How have the two NASCAR Cup Series rookies performed? Now that all three NASCAR national touring series have headed into the playoffs, it’s a good time to take a look at the rookies in each series and how they did this season, especially with just two of them actually in the playoffs. Unlike traditional classes, …

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Did You Notice?: Have NASCAR Playoffs Changed Perception 17 Years In?

Alex Bowman pack racing at Phoenix

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice?… The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs have flipped the script on two of its biggest teams? Stewart-Haas Racing has struggled through the worst year of its existence. SHR has just one win, a darkness-shortened New Hampshire Motor Speedway upset by Aric Almirola. Marquee driver Kevin Harvick sits winless a year after setting a …

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Zach’s Turn: NASCAR’s Points Battles You Should Know Exist

NASCAR Cody Ware Ryan Preece 2021 Coca-Cola 600

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

With the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in full swing, you’re forgiven if you have limited your attention to the 16 eligible drivers. But there are other points battles happening behind them you ought to know about — a point hammered home by Reddit user u/1-800-DADJOKE. That person has been keeping a watchful eye on the …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings Forecast: 2021 Cook Out Southern 500

Martin Truex Jr. 2021 Darlington 1

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The NASCAR Cup Series begins its 2021 playoff chase with the Round of 16 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, Sept. 5. Let’s get your daily fantasy NASCAR DraftKings rosters ready for the Cook Out Southern 500. It’s the second year in a row Darlington kicks off the Cup playoffs and boy, 2020’s race did not …

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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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Fire on Fridays: Who’s Actually Got a Shot at the Cup Playoffs?

Matt DiBenedetto Tyler Reddick talk Watkins Glen

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It’s somewhat fitting that this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway has an elimination factor. After all, that’s usually the case at the season-opening Daytona 500, when the pre-race Duels set the lineup and a certain number of cars (four in 2021) are left on the sidelines come the big race on …

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Frontstretch 5: Biggest Do-Or-Die Drivers for Daytona

2021 Watkins Glen Matt Dibenedetto Tyler Reddick Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

This is it. Crunch time. Just one more race remains until the playoff field is set for the NASCAR Cup Series. And what could be a more unpredictable place for it to happen than Daytona International Speedway? Last year, Daytona held the regular season finale for the first time. Several drivers’ playoff dreams were fulfilled …

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Up to Speed: How Badly Does Denny Hamlin Need a Win?

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

If Denny Hamlin can take any solace from his last two races, it’s that he has been close to victory lane.  During the closing laps of last weekend’s race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Hamlin had the checkered flag in sight.  The same was true for Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway.  But …

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