Race Weekend Central

Who’s Hot & Who’s Not In NASCAR: Dover Edition

Chase Elliott Dover

(Photo: John K Harrelson / NKP)

Just when it looked like Dover might produce something historic, like a young driver’s first win, Miles The Monster let someone else ruin the fun on Sunday. It was Kyle Busch who pulled an epic robbery, passing Chase Elliott . Well, “ruin” might be a strong word as Busch was just doing his job of trying …

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Clint Bowyer, No. 14 Team Penalized for Loose Lug Nut After New Hampshire

2017 Dover Cup Zach Catanzareti Clint Bowyer

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

NASCAR issued a penalty Tuesday (Sept. 26) to the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, driven by Clint Bowyer, because of a lug nut infraction after the race at New Hampshire (Sept. 24). L1 penalties were also issued to one XFINITY team and one Camping World Truck Series team. …

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Up to Speed: An Ambulance of Infamy

Matt Kenseth Richmond Cup Series Ambulence

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

There are certain NASCAR races that will forever live in infamy. While there is no shortage of races in which the competitors were responsible for the controversy, NASCAR and its partners have, from time-to-time, caused confusion among the fan base for poor officiating and ill preparedness. Nobody will soon forget the tire debacle during the …

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NASCAR 101: The 5 Drivers Most Likely to Win Their Way Into Cup Playoffs

2017 Richmond I Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

The race to the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs ends up a bit more one-dimensional this year than in select past seasons in that there’s really only one story to follow: the race-winning spoiler. Entering the final regular season race of 2017 at Richmond Raceway, 13 drivers have punched their ticket into the …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR Forecast Powered by DraftKings: Federated Auto Parts 400 Preview

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

DraftKings’ daily fantasy NASCAR heads to Richmond Raceway this weekend for the Federated Auto Parts 400. The green flag on the sport’s regular season finale flies Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. For most drivers on the playoff bubble, this race serves as the last hope for any chance at racing for the championship. …

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Did You Notice?: The Fine Line Of NASCAR Drivers’ Personal Lives & Where It All Went Wrong

Jeremy Mayfield Credit Lat Photographic

Credit: LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Did You Notice? … The taboo subject of an athlete’s personal life? The topic came up Sunday night after Cody Ware went off on Twitter following a wreck involving fellow Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series underdog Matt DiBenedetto. The point here isn’t to delve into what was said or whether it was even true. It’s if that …

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5 Points to Ponder: Don’t Sleep On… Denny Hamlin?

2017 Darlington Cup Zach Catanzareti Denny Hamlin

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

ONE: Don’t Sleep On…. Denny Hamlin? 24/7 news cycles these days can cause storylines to be greatly exaggerated. So it’s no surprise everyone and their mother screamed, “Don’t sleep on Denny Hamlin!” seconds after his astounding Darlington comeback. It’s true Sunday’s Southern 500 was perhaps a stepping stone in Hamlin’s career. A driver who’s at times …

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Beside The Rising Tide: With Autumn Closing In

Darlington Cup 2017 Aric Almirola 2 Throwback Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

Ain’t it funny how the night moves? When you just don’t seem to have as much to lose, Ain’t it funny how the night moves? With autumn closing in…. -Bob Seger While it hasn’t quite reached the level of the Memorial Day weekend yet, Labor Day weekend offered race fans a full slate of action …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Denny Hamlin Sweeps Darlington Weekend With Late-Race Charge

Denny Hamlin Darlington

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Who’s in the headline – Denny Hamlin was thrust into an alternate pit strategy when Martin Truex Jr. short pitted on his penultimate pit stop and then made his final stop with just over 50 laps to go. When the No. 11 driver attempted to hit pit road on lap 314, he missed the entrance …

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Clint Bowyer Searching for Win, Redemption as Playoff Deadline Looms

2017 Kansas I Cup Clint Bowyer Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

With just two weeks left to take a spot in NASCAR’s playoffs, Clint Bowyer sites tenth in driver points, a welcome rebound for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver after struggling through 2016 with an underfunded team. Most years, tenth would be plenty to get a driver in the playoffs. The trouble for Bowyer is, this year …

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Did You Notice?: 12 NASCAR 2017 Storylines With 12 Races Left

2017 Watkins Glen Cup Matin Truex Jr Car Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Did You Notice? … The past few days marked the last off weekend of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season? Starting Sunday at Darlington, we’ve got 12 races in a row which culminates with the crowning of the champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. In a season filled with mixed reviews, there’s still plenty of …

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5 Points to Ponder: The Sharp End of the 2017 NASCAR Season

2017 Indianapolis Cup Kyle Busch Pack Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

ONE: 12 to go We’re exactly two thirds of the way through the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule. 24 races are in the books leaving just 12 to go before we crown a 2017 champion. Two unique tracks, Darlington Raceway and Richmond International Raceway, await us next before the playoffs begin. Given that for many drivers, …

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