Race Weekend Central

4 Burning Questions: What Impact Will Non-Chasers Have on the Championship?

2016 Darlington Cup Jeff Gordon Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Will Jeff Gordon Win His Last Race in No. 88? OK, let’s try this again. For the final time in Jeff Gordon‘s racing career (well, supposedly), he’ll take the green flag in the Sprint Cup Series. After originally wrapping up his legendary career last November in Homestead-Miami Speedway, Gordon returned in July, making seven starts …

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4 Burning Questions: Will It Go Clean or Crazy in Talladega?

2015 Talladega Superspeedway Nscs Joey Logano Checkered Flag Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Will it Go Clean or Crazy in Talladega? I may be in the minority here, but I don’t know what to expect this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Everybody will be on edge when the Sprint Cup and Truck series fields take their green flags at the baddest, fastest track in the world. That includes a …

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2-Headed Monster: Can One of the Bottom Four Chasers Win and Advance at Talladega?

2016 Talladega I Cup Brad Keselowski Champagne John Harrleson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrleson / NKP)

Coming into this weekend’s Hellmann’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, only two drivers — Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick — find themselves safe and in the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase. Winners during the first two races of the round, they’ll be the only ones in the playoff field of 12 …

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The Fronstretch 5: Final Races and What to Expect

2016 Kansas Ii Cup Matt Kenseth Kyle Busch Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

1. Talladega If there’s anything to expect about Talladega it’s that you shouldn’t expect anything. The nature of restrictor-plate racing, especially at the Alabama track, makes it pretty much one giant crapshoot. While some drivers certainly have more skill than others at the track, one mistake by somebody else can erase it all in an …

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Cool Down: Who Can Burst the Bubble?

2016 Pocono I Cup Austin Dillon Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

With the first two races of the Round of 12 complete, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series field is gearing up for the Chase’s wild-card track: Talladega Superspeedway. In typical Chase fashion, some drivers are more desperate than others. Two of the 12 playoff contenders can rest easy. Jimmie Johnson’s triumphant return to form at Charlotte …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Charlotte’s Wild-Card Edition

2016 Pocono Ii Cup Kevin Harvick Helmet Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

The first race in the second round of the Chase took place Sunday at Charlotte, and while some of the 12 Chase teams escaped with good finishes, others have a lot of work to do in the next two races if they want to reach the round of eight. While it’s not uncommon to hear …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Martin Truex, Jr. Dominates at Dover

Who’s In The Headline Martin Truex, Jr. is on fire to start this Chase. Round 1 has been a showcase for he and the No. 78 team, who won the first race at Chicagoland, then came close in the second at New Hampshire before late restarts shuffled them back. At Dover, they had the second-fastest …

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2-Headed Monster: Can a Non-Chaser Play Spoiler at Dover?

2016 Cup Richmond Kasey Kahne Jeff Gordon Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

This weekend’s race at Dover is a much bigger race than it was three years ago. Then, it was the third race of the Chase, an important part of a 10-race stretch of events that would lead to the Sprint Cup championship. Today, it is still the third race of the Chase, but serves as …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kevin Harvick Nets Loudon Victory With Late Restart Pass

2016 Nascar New Hampshire

23-25 September, 2016, Loudon, New Hampshire USA Kevin Harvick celebrates in victory lane ©2016, Logan Whitton/NKP

Who’s in the headline – While Joe Gibbs Racing cars dominated the event, it was Kevin Harvick who parked it in Victory Lane on Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The JGR crew and affiliate led 280 of the 300 laps. Harvick took advantage of a late race, front row restart to wrest the …

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Aric Almirola, Greg Biffle Hit with P3 Penalties for Lugnuts

Aric Almirola Indianapolis 2016 Cup Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

NASCAR’s weekly penalty report was delayed on Wednesday (Sept. 21) after the decision to hold an impromptu teleconference with less than a half- hour’s notice to announce changes to post-race inspection penalties.  Despite that, there were still a number of teams to be penalized. Aric Almirola and Greg Biffle‘s cars were found to have loose …

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NASCAR Mailbox: The Future of Hendrick Motorsports Continues to be Uncertain

2016 Loudon I Cup Alex Bowman Greg Ives Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Jimmie Johnson soared to the lead at Chicagoland Speedway this past Sunday, showcasing speed that hasn’t been present with the No. 48 car in nearly a year. While some speculate that Johnson has lost his magic touch with the new Chase format, he was bringing his Hendrick Motorsports car to the front of the pack …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not: NASCAR Implications Edition

2016 Chicago Cup Martin Truex Jr Burnout Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Sunday brought us our first Chase race and for some drivers, the first race that had real implications for them since a win earlier this season. Due to some upcoming penalties that will likely be announced Wednesday, we don’t even know what all of those implications will be. HOT It remains to be seen if …

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