Race Weekend Central

Up To Speed: 2015 Winners Who Are Still Looking for First Win of 2016

2016 Fontana Cup Matt Kenseth Car Brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist / NKP)

With this now the third year of the elimination Chase-style format, it’s easy to forget how early we still are in the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Four winners in five races (Jimmie Johnson has managed to notch two victories) means that there are four drivers who are all but locked into the Chase once …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Martinsville Edition

2016 Fontana Cup Jimmie Johnson Superman Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade /NKP)

There’s that old Jim Croce song, covered by many several times over the years, where it talks about not tugging on superman’s cape and where you don’t mess around with Jim. A late restart at California Sunday afternoon allowed for both of those things to happen, in a sense. It pulled the cape of the …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: FOX Shows Slight Improvement, While ESPN Tries to De-emphasize St. Pete

2016 Phoenix I Cup Denny Hamlin Pack Racing Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Greetings, everyone.  Did you like Sunday’s finish in Phoenix?  It was a good one.  I thought Kevin Harvick was a sitting duck, but he managed to pull it out just in time. Last weekend saw two races in Phoenix, plus the season opener in St. Petersburg for the Verizon IndyCar Series. Good Sam 500k On …

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Four Burning Questions: What Kind of Phoenix Weather Can We Expect on Sunday?

2015 Phoenix International Raceway Nscs Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kevin Harvick Pit Road Rain Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

WILL A ONE-OFF CREW CHIEF SWAP IMPACT RACE DAY FOR MARTIN TRUEX, JR.? Following a sly appealing move by the Furniture Row Racing team this past week – appealing the roof flap penalty from NASCAR that would have otherwise suspended crew chief Cole Pearn for the Las Vegas weekend – the penalty will now be …

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Friday Faceoff: Will Matt Kenseth Turn it Around?

2016 Las Vegas Cup Matt Kenseth Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade NKP)

Matt Kenseth, who entered the season as a title favorite, has yet to score a top-10 finish through three races.  Is it time for the No. 20 team to hit the panic button, or is the slow start just a bump in the road? Dustin Albino, Contributor: Matt Kenseth has had an opportunity to win …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Brad Keselowski Cashes in With Late-Race Pass to Win at Las Vegas

2016 Las Vegas Cup Brad Keselowski Burnout Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T Thacker / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – It had been 33 races since Brad Keselowski visited Victory Lane. Keselowski took the checkered flag first in Fontana last year in the fifth race of the season. On Sunday, he led the race three times but only led a total of 24 laps. The win put a third different manufacturer in …

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Mental Mistakes, Not Bad Luck, Plague Matt Kenseth’s 2016 Run

For the third-straight time, Matt Kenseth appeared to have a car capable of winning on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Yet for the third-straight time, he ended the day outside of the top 10. Despite popular belief, none of the results stem from bad luck. That’s been the calling card for Kenseth’s fans to …

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Matt Kenseth Paces Final Kobalt 400 Practice

For the third-straight week, Matt Kenseth appears to among the favorites to score a Chase-clinching victory. Kenseth laid down a 28.502-second lap to top final practice for Sunday’s Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kenseth, who’s looking to end a rough start to the season despite leading laps at both Daytona and Atlanta, beat …

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The 10: Power Ranking Order Slides Around After Atlanta

Well, that was fun. From long green-flag runs to terms like tire conservation and driving through the field, Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was a throwback to the good ol’ days for many fans. Why, some might even call it quintessential NASCAR.  The new, low-downforce package and the old racing surface …

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Five Points to Ponder: Atlanta NASCAR Math

Two: The amount of laps Matt Kenseth lost after failing to heed a black flag during the early stages of Sunday’s race. Kenseth was penalized for illegal fueling after the gas man placed a wrench on the deck lid of the car during a stop while the gas can was engaged, and while crew chief …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Las Vegas Edition

Sunday was the first race in 2016 with the low downforce package, and it was a pleasant surprise that it was not a wreck-fest, or even a blown tire-fest. There was actually good racing for the lead and strategy ended up playing a huge role in the outcome. With that in mind, here’s a look …

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