Race Weekend Central

Fire on Fridays: NASCAR Tires ‘Cutting’ Fantastic Finishes Short

2021 Bristol Ii Cup Aric Almirola Crash Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The big topic coming out of NASCAR’s weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway was the feud between NASCAR Cup Series championship contenders Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott. But whether Harvick was in the wrong or Elliott was in the wrong doesn’t really matter. Because neither driver was the true culprit of the incident. No, the true …

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Bristol Scuffle Headlines New Round of NASCAR Playoff Unpredictability

Kevin Harvick fights with Chase Elliott at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It’s been a while since the NASCAR Cup Series has had the makings of a big feud, hasn’t it? Let alone the playoffs, it’s been a quiet past couple years as a whole for the Cup Series. In fairness, drivers couldn’t exactly get near one another in 2020 (Noah Gragson and Harrison Burton would beg …

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5 Points to Ponder: Sorry We Took You for Granted, Bristol

Kevin Harvick fights with Chase Elliott at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

1. Did we all just fall in love with racing at Bristol again? It’s probably not fair to say NASCAR fans in general had soured on Bristol Motor Speedway. There’s always a strong outcry of “more short track races” whenever thought pieces are concocted on how to “fix” the Cup Series schedule, and it’s hard …

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Frontstretch 2-Minute Drill: Bass Pro Shops Night Race

ARCA cars race in a blur at Bristol Motor Speedway

(Photo: ARCA Racing)

It’s Bristol, baby! And it’s elimination time for four drivers heading into the half-mile “Last Great Colosseum” near the state border between Virginia and Tennessee. A quartet of playoff competitors will be sent home once the checkered flag flies late Saturday (Sept. 18) night, with 500 laps standing between the 16 playoff drivers and either …

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Dropping The Hammer: NASCAR Cup Drivers React to Largest Next Gen Car Test Yet

NASCAR Next Gen Car at Daytona

(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Five months before its official debut, the club of NASCAR Cup Series drivers who have gotten a crack at the Next Gen car grew last week. For two days at Daytona International Speedway, eight drivers took part in what was primarily a Goodyear Tire test at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. The group was a combination of …

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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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NASCAR Stat Sheet: Truex Back on the Radar After Richmond Win

Martin Truex Jr. is often a NASCAR DraftKings pick on road courses, seen here at Circuit of the Americas. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Much of the championship talk has centered around Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson, the most dominant duo in the Cup Series this season. Larson has been a winning machine and Hamlin mind-bogglingly consistent. But while those two are at the forefront of most minds as they pursue their first Cup crown, a former champion reminded …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Federated Auto Parts 400

#19: Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Bass Pro Shops Red White Blue celebrates winning the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond. NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who … should you be talking about after the Federated Auto Parts 400? Joe Gibbs Racing as a whole demolished its competition on Saturday (Sept. 11), leading 326 laps as a team and running 1-2-3 at the finish. Martin Truex Jr. claimed the victory, his third in the last five Richmond Raceway events, and the …

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Up to Speed: The Hendrick Motorsports Playoff Battle Begins Early

Hendrick Motorsports battles for position at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Earlier in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, Hendrick Motorsports looked like the team to beat as all four of its drivers had won a race by Memorial Day.  Kyle Larson was particularly impressive, winning three races in a row plus the non-points All-Star race.  But William Byron, Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott all had their …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond

Martin Truex Jr at Richmond Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

What happened? Martin Truex Jr. won the Federated Auto Parts Salute to First Responders 400 at Richmond Raceway on Saturday night (Sept. 11) after leading the final 51 laps. Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano rounded out the top-five finishers. RETWEET to congratulate @MartinTruex_Jr on his WIN at @RichmondRaceway! His fourth win …

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Joe Gibbs Racing Makes the Old Dominion Its Own Dominion

2021 Richmond Ii Cup Martin Truex Jr. Christopher Bell Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After nearly doing so at the same track a couple of seasons ago, Joe Gibbs Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series stable looked to be on track for a possible 1-2-3-4 finish on Saturday (Sept. 11) night at Richmond Raceway. In 2019, it was a post-race inspection disqualification of Erik Jones‘ No. 20 that derailed the historic …

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Richmond Rout: Martin Truex Jr. Gets the Jump on the Field in the End

Martin Truex Jr. celebrates in victory lane at Richmond Raceway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Martin Truex Jr. jumped the start of the 2021 Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway. By the finish, he simply had the jump on everyone else. Truex fought all the way back to the front, opening up an eight-second lead after the final pit stop and cruising to victory over Denny Hamlin in the …

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