Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice?: The 2019 NASCAR Playoffs Are Already Coming Into Focus?

2018 Homestead Cup Zach Catanzareti Joey Logano

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice? … The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture is taking shape? It’s hard to believe but we’re already eight races into 2019. If the regular season was just one big race, stage one would be wrapping up sometime during the middle of Saturday night’s showdown at Richmond Raceway. What do we know …

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The Underdog House: Shootout At The Underdog Corral

2019 Daytona I Cup Michael Mcdowell Nkp

Top of The Class Michael McDowell was easily the fastest dog in the west this week. His No. 34 Front Row Racing Ford was quick from the get go and backed it up on race day, starting and finishing in 15th. McDowell was once known primarily for the violent head-on collision and subsequent barrel roll …

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Michael McDowell: This Is The Way I’ve Been, It Hasn’t Changed

2019 Las Vegas I Cup Michael Mcdowell Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

2019 marks Michael McDowell‘s 12th season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but the wily veteran has been in the headlines more this year than maybe any other. McDowell started the season with a fifth-place run in the Daytona 500 and was a major player in the battle for the win. Since then, McDowell’s …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Paper Clippings

Martinsville Cup 2019 Mike Neff Jimmie Johnson

Brad Keselowski was really, really good during the STP 500 on Sunday (March 24) at Martinsville Speedway. He led 446 laps en route to earning his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of 2019 through six races. As expected from previous races, Team Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing were up front, along with Hendrick …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR’s 2019 Daytona Dreams Realized… Or Forgotten?

2019 Phoenix I Cup Matt Dibenedetto Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

Did You Notice? … We’re now five races into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season? The sport’s new handling package, qualifying debacles and Kyle Busch’s 200 have stolen the headlines since Daytona Speedweeks. It seems like a lifetime ago Denny Hamlin was celebrating in Victory Lane for the Daytona 500. But Hamlin has taken a …

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Frontstretch Podcast: The Kyle Busch Show in Phoenix; and Ryan Truex Reminisces On Runner-Up Finish In Phoenix

Nascar Xfinity Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In this week’s edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino and Mike Neff discuss the Kyle Busch show at ISM Raceway, as he won both the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series races. The victory puts Busch at 199 wins in his NASCAR career. We briefly compare Busch’s and Richard Petty’s feat, however, we …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 TicketGuardian 500k at ISM

#18: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Skittles Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): After a protracted green flag run, Kyle Busch’s four tires proved better over a long run than Ryan Blaney’s two, allowing the No. 18 to take the lead for good on lap 296 and drive off into the Arizona sunset at ISM Raceway. https://twitter.com/DrunkBrianF/status/1104877779697451008 Busch is the fourth different winner in four Monster …

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On-Track Incident Causes Fight Between Daniel Suarez, Michael McDowell

2019 Las Vegas I Cup Daniel Suarez Nkp

Friday’s (March 8) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at ISM Raceway ended with two drivers coming to blows. Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell had an on-track incident boil over into a disagreement on pit road.  Punches were thrown and the scuffle ended with McDowell being taken to the ground and Suarez held down …

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Ryan Blaney Wins TicketGuardian 500 Pole; Michael McDowell, Daniel Suárez Scuffle

2019 Atlanta Cup Ryan Blaney Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Ryan Blaney scored his first pole of 2019 and his sixth of his career on Friday (March 8) for Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 at ISM Raceway.  Blaney recorded a lap speed of 141.287 mph, only three-tenths of a second off of the track record that Jimmie Johnson set back in 2015. Team Penske has been very …

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Fire on Fridays: Let’s Get Realistic About Teamwork

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Joey Logano Todd Gordon Nkp

Restrictor plate racing has always been about your dance partner. Is your partner fast? Will they stick with you at the right time? Do you have good chemistry? Joey Logano was upset with who he thought was his dance partner in the closing laps of the Daytona 500, Michael McDowell, for not pushing him to contend …

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Friday Faceoff: Are the Daytona Winners Title Contenders?

2019 Daytona I Nxs Michael Annett Trophy Nkp

(Photo:NKP)

Kyle Busch seemed a bit miffed that he wasn’t able to challenge his teammate for the win in the Daytona 500. Do you think a driver should respect the need for a team car to win a race. or should they go for it, knowing that it could cost both drivers the win? Zach Gillispie: …

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Frontstretch Podcast: Ryan Preece Chats Good Run in Daytona 500

Ryan Preece 2019 Daytona 500

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

In a fun Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino, Mike Neff and Ryan Preece discuss this year’s Daytona 500 as a whole. In an interview with Preece, he talks about his eighth-place finish in the Great American Race and how it felt running third on the final lap. He believes that inexperience was 80 percent of the reason why the No. 47 …

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