Race Weekend Central

NASCAR 101: 5 Drivers We Want to See in Cup Before the End of 2015

Atlanta Trucks 2015 Daniel Suarez Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Erik Jones makes his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut this weekend with a start at Kansas Speedway for Joe Gibbs Racing – that is, unless you count his partial race filling in for Denny Hamlin at Bristol Motor Speedway last month, and we’re not. His entrance into the Cup Series makes for what has already …

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Truckin’ Thursdays: They’re Your Top 10, But How Are They Really Doing?

Green Flag Atlanta Trucks 2015 Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

It’s finally here. After sitting dormant for the last six weeks, the Camping World Truck Series returns to action, this time at Kansas Speedway for a Friday night event. But can you name the last race winner without looking it up? I’ll save you the time: Joey Logano led 150 of 258 laps at Martinsville …

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5 Points to Ponder: Experimentation, Throwing Caution to the Wind & Spongebob

2015 Bristol I Cup David Ragan Vertical Credit Amy Henderson

(Photo: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch)

Experimentation As our own Jerry Jordan wrote this morning, JR Nation can sleep easy. With Sunday’s win, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has all but clinched his second-straight Chase for the Sprint Cup berth with the new format. The playoff berth was inevitable; Earnhardt was inside the top 10 in points even if he didn’t win. The …

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Erik Jones Fastest in Lone 2015 Winn Dixie 300 Practice at Talladega

2015 Phoenix I Nxs Erik Jones Vertcal Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

A day after being announced as Kyle Busch‘s replacement in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Erik Jones was back in a race car. Piloting the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, the 18-year-old was quickest in the lone practice session of the weekend at Talladega Superspeedway for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Putting up a …

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NASCAR 101: Where Erik Jones May Shine in His New Cup Career

2014 Mudsummer Classic Eldora Speedway Erik Jones Camping World Trucks Mike Neff 263

(Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Get ready, because Erik Jones is here. Don’t know him? That’s probably because you don’t follow the Xfinity and/or Camping World Truck series – which is fine, you’re not missing a whole hell of a lot in NXS at least. Jones has been touted as one of the young guns to watch in the sport …

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Erik Jones Named as Driver of Cup Series No. 18 Starting at Kansas

2015 Richmond I Cup David Ragan Kyle Larson Reed Sorenson Racing Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

It’s official: he’s here. Joe Gibbs Racing announced Thursday that 18-year-old development driver Erik Jones will drive the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota starting with next weekend’s SpongeBob Squarepants 400 at Kansas Speedway. It has been speculated for weeks that Jones would take over after David Ragan‘s stint in the car. Ragan has been subbing for …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Qualifying, Erik Jones & Heading to ‘Dega

2015 Texas I Nns Erik Jones Woohoo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

It’s pretty hard not to get up for a superspeedway race weekend, especially at Talladega. After the last few weeks of short(er) tracks on the schedule with stops at Bristol, Texas and Richmond, it’s nice to head back to a superspeedway. What may or may not be so nice for the leaders atop the standings …

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David Ragan Ready to Move to Michael Waltrip Racing Soon

2015 Atlanta Cup David Ragan Vertical Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

The injury-plagued NASCAR season continues, and Joe Gibbs Racing is at the center of it all. David Ragan has substituted for Kyle Busch since the second race of the year, where the driver of the No. 18 car injured both of his legs. Prior to a 41st-place finish at Bristol, Ragan sat 10th in points …

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Denny Hamlin Quickest in Lone 2015 ToyotaCare 250 Practice at Richmond

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Denny Hamlin Teeth Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Just a few hours after hosting a short-track race, Denny Hamlin led the way during practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Richmond. Putting down a lap time of 21.626 seconds, the No. 20 car had a 0.071-second advantage over last weekend’s winner, Joey Logano. Making his first start at Richmond in the series since 2012, Hamlin …

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Happiness Is… Welfare, Sarcasm & Barber

2015 Bristol I Cup Kasey Kahne Window Vertical Credit Amy Henderson

Photo Credit: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch

In the column last week, Happiness Is railed against the concept of safety within NASCAR by questioning the rule change that allows teams to forego hitting all give lugnuts when slapping four fresh Goodyears on a car. Sure, allowing the teams to, in essence, police themselves has worked out so far in theory, which can …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: 2015 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Edition

2015 Martinsville I Cup Denny Hamlin Credit Amy Henderson

Photo Credit: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch

Burnouts (Hot) The short tracks are one place where the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas have excelled this season. First, there was Denny Hamlin getting the win at Martinsville a couple of weeks ago. Then, in what turned out to be a Sunday night race,  Matt Kenseth scored his first win of the season (and first in …

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Evaluating the Cup Subs: Who’s Made the Most of Their Opportunity?

2015 Bristol I Cup Kurt Busch Car Credit Amy Henderson

(Photo: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch)

After just 22 laps of Sunday’s Food City 500, Erik Jones replaced Denny Hamlin in the No. 11. It wasn’t the debut of the Joe Gibbs Racing prodigy everyone has been expecting. No, most had been pointing to next month’s race at Kansas as the potential first time we get to see the wunderkind behind …

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