Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice?: For Jimmie Johnson, 2020 Was the Right Time for NASCAR Retirement

2019 Kansas Mencs Jimmie Johnson Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … For Jimmie Johnson, 2020 is the right time to call it quits. The seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion announced Wednesday (Nov. 20) on Twitter next season will be his last. #Chasing8 one final time pic.twitter.com/ZoldabKy9M — Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) November 20, 2019 Speculation about Johnson’s retirement has run rampant since primary …

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Jimmie Johnson Retiring After 2020 NASCAR Season

Jimmie Johnson

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will retire following the 2020 season. Johnson made the announcement Wednesday morning (Nov. 20) with a video posted on his Twitter feed. #Chasing8 one final time pic.twitter.com/ZoldabKy9M — Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) November 20, 2019 “I’m so thankful for 18 incredible years of racing in NASCAR,” he …

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Holding A Pretty Wheel: NASCAR Evolution, Part II

2016 Indianapolis Cup Jimmie Johnson Hat Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Whispers and wails of change in NASCAR are everywhere in the air. There’s no shelter from the winds of change to those within the sport, and truth be told, they have blown ceaselessly for a long time now. But what if the sport isn’t the only thing that has changed? Our world has changed, our …

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Up to Speed: Denny Hamlin Gets Another Chance

2019 Dover Mencs Denny Hamlin Face Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

This time, Denny Hamlin didn’t blink. Needing to close out a victory late in Sunday’s (Nov. 10) race at ISM Raceway, Hamlin prevailed on a restart with three laps to go, holding off fellow playoff drivers Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney.  The win allows Hamlin to advance to the final round of the playoffs next …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR Parity Producing a Tiresome Championship 4?

Harvick Media Day 2018

Kevin Harvick while being interviewed at Championship 4 Media Day at The Miami Beach EDITION on Thursday, November 15, 2018. (Photo/Davey Segal)

Did You Notice? … The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 could be an exact replica of 2018? Two of last year’s drivers, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick, have already qualified by winning in this year’s Round of 8. Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, meanwhile, hold at least a 20-point edge over their …

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The Frontstretch 5: Top Cup Drivers at ISM Raceway

2019 Daytona I Cup Kevin Harvick Face Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

NASCAR heads to the desert in Phoenix and ISM Raceway this weekend, and with several drivers needing a win to stay alive in the playoffs and others looking to deny them, it’s sure to be an exciting event. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series has raced at ISM since 1988, and in that time, a …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Texas Tedium

2019 Texas Mencs Kevin Harvick Checkers Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Sunday’s (Nov. 3) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway had to deal with two main complications right off the bat: the Formula One United States Grand Prix about three hours away at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, and NFL football (though the Cowboys were off, playing on …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 AAA Texas 500

Tms2 Mencs Harvick Fl 110319

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

The Headline(s): Capitalizing on a “trimmed out” car that Stewart-Haas Racing has been storing since the spring, Kevin Harvick turned a pole-winning run into a race-winning performance at Texas Motor Speedway. He led 119 laps en route to scoring his fourth win of 2019, 49th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series triumph and 110th career …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2019 AAA Texas 500

Tms2 Mencs Harvick Winners Sticker 110319

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? A week ago, Kevin Harvick wasn’t a big factor in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship conversation. He was below the cutline after Martinsville and hadn’t shown the strength of a year ago very often in the 2019 playoffs. But that all changed Sunday at …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR FanDuel Forecast: AAA Texas 500

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. The AAA Texas 500 will air on NBCSN on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 3 p.m. EST. Texas is a 1.5-mile oval, but it’s not quite the cookie cutter that other intermediate tracks are …

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Did You Notice?: Joey Logano’s Historic Martinsville Mayhem & 2020 is Austin Dillon’s Make-or-Break Year

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Joey Logano has had season-defining moments at Martinsville Speedway in four of the past five Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series fall races? The latest occurred Sunday (Oct. 27) in the First Data 500 with his late-race contact turned shoving match with Denny Hamlin. The incident has resulted in a suspension of a …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2019 First Data 500

2019 Martinsville Mencs Martin Truex, Jr. Burnout Cck

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? It became crystal clear early on that Martin Truex Jr. had the car to beat Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. He took the lead on pit road early, but from there, nobody could touch him. The No. 19 was strongest off the turns, powering away from anyone who …

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