Race Weekend Central

The 10: Power Rankings — Daytona 500 Edition

2017 Kansas Ii Cup Denny Hamlin Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell NKP)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returned to action last weekend with an action-packed few days of practices, qualifying and racing, culminating with the Advance Auto Parts Clash on Sunday afternoon. The best part? It’s just getting started. For the 60th time, NASCAR comes to Daytona International Speedway for the official start to the 2018 season. 40 …

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5 Points To Ponder: 2018, The Year Of Your All New NASCAR

ONE: The New Guys When you write a weekly NASCAR column, even the shortest offseason in professional sports ends up feeling long without the constant drumbeat of minute-by-minute racing news. Sure, there’s a few weeks when you’re happy you don’t have to write a column or think about cars going fast and turning left. But, …

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Up to Speed: Will Rising Young NASCAR Stars Contend for the Championship?

2017 Nascar Monster Energy Cup Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fl Usa Wednesday 22 February 2017 Chase Elliott Ryan Blaney World Copyright: Matthew T. Thacker/nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

After a wave of 2017 retirements, a youth movement has turned into a tsunami, in position to take the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series by storm.  The top division of professional stock car racing is awash with fresh talent, poised to be a major storyline as soon as this Sunday’s Daytona 500. Most of the …

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DC Solar to Sponsor Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray in 2018

2017 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Auto Club 400 Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Ca Usa Friday 24 March 2017 Jamie Mcmurray And Kyle Larson World Copyright: Nigel Kinrade/nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray will have a new primary sponsor in DC Solar for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. DC Solar will be onboard the CGR Chevrolets for an unspecified number of races as the primary sponsor of McMurray’s No. 1 and Larson’s No. 42, the team …

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2017 NASCAR Cup Team Review: Chip Ganassi Racing

2017 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Auto Club 400 Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Ca Usa Friday 24 March 2017 Jamie Mcmurray And Kyle Larson World Copyright: Nigel Kinrade/nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Chip Ganassi Racing exploded onto the the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series scene. Across the board, it was their best year yet. Led by 25-year-old Larson and 15-year veteran Jamie McMurray, CGR found Victory Lane early and often. They also set a new team record in laps led while earning their best championship finish in …

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Credit One Bank Expands Sponsorship of Kyle Larson in Multi-Year Deal

2017 Cup Richmond Zach Catanzareti Kyle Larson

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

On Tuesday evening, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Credit One Bank has signed a multi-year deal to return as a primary sponsor on Kyle Larson‘s No. 42 Chevrolet.  With Target leaving the team, Credit One Bank is substantially increasing their sponsorship of Larson so that they will have the largest chunk of races on the …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2017 – The Year of Martin Truex Jr. and Toyota

Martin Truex Jr Checkered Flag Homestead

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – Martin Truex Jr. capped off his dream season with a championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In a year when the points were overhauled to reward people with a successful regular season, Truex dominated the first 26 races and then rode the benefits of those playoff points to Homestead after winning his …

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Beside The Rising Tide: Is It Still Over? Are We Still Through?

2017 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Stp 500 Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va Usa Sunday 2 April 2017 Matt Kenseth, Tide Toyota Camry World Copyright: John K Harrelson/nkp

(Photo: John K Harrelson/NKP)

If you live in the northeast, you know the sound, especially if you live beneath a tin roof like I do in my humble abode. At first, it just sounds like rain drops, but there’s a peculiar metallic ting sound that can only mean one thing… ice pellets. A close look out the window reveals …

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

2017 Kansas I Cup Danica Patrick Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

As often happens in all levels of different sports, the team (and in this case the driver) that was the best for the whole season ended up winning the title. Martin Truex, Jr. capped off a truly storybook season on the track with his eighth victory of the season Sunday at Miami-Homestead. He was a …

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Kyle Larson: ‘I Wanted to Win That Race Bad’

Cup 2017 Homestead Zach Catanzareti Kyle Larson

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

As the laps wound down at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch raced all-out for the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race win and championship. Right behind them was Kyle Larson, also sitting front-and-center for all the action. But Larson didn’t want to keep it that way. Surging to third, the Chip Ganassi Racing …

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5 Points to Ponder: As the NASCAR Chevy Crumbles

2017 Pocono Cup Zach Catanzareti Jimmie Johnson

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

ONE: As the NASCAR Chevy Crumbles The last two weeks have been painful to watch for Chevrolet’s NASCAR contingent. First, Chase Elliott got taken out in the final laps at Martinsville Speedway, turning the sophomore sensation’s Round of 8 into a slump. His teammate, reigning champion Jimmie Johnson, followed that up with a Texas Motor …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NASCAR On NBC Turns To ‘What-If?’ Coverage

2017 Texas Ii Nxs Green Flag Brian Lawdermilk Getty Images For Texas Motor Speedway

(Photo: Brian Lawdermilk / Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)

Welcome back, everyone.  We’re in the homestretch now.  Just a couple more races yet to go.  This past weekend, NASCAR took over Texas Motor Speedway.  The track itself was the story as passing was quite difficult. Before we get started, there are a couple of things that must be touched upon.  First of all, NASCAR …

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