Race Weekend Central

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. to Run Darrell Waltrip Tribute Scheme at Darlington

Stenhouse Throwback

(Photo: Roush Fenway Racing)

It has been 41 years since NASCAR Hall of Fame member and current Fox Sports commentator Darrell Waltrip first pulled into Victory Lane. Honoring the three-time Cup Series champion, Waltrip’s paint scheme for his first victory in 1975 at Nashville will be featured as part of the throwback theme for this year’s Southern 500 at …

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The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 2016 Auto Club 400

2016 Fontana Cup Green Flag Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? From the “where did he come from?” category, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. didn’t look like a top-5 threat this weekend…until he was.  Stenhouse qualified 15th, and ran in the top 15 for most of the day, occasionally cracking the lower half of the top 10.  He had worked his …

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Erik Jones Highlights Phoenix Penalty Report

2016 Phoenix I Nxs Erik Jones Car Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

NASCAR penalized one team and warned four others on Wednesday for infractions occurring during the Phoenix race weekend. Erik Jones’ No. 20 XFINITY Series team was levied a P2 penalty for failing post-race inspection. His car was found to be out of alignment in the rear end. Jones’ crew chief Chris Gabehart was fined $5,000 …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Kevin Harvick Beats His Way to Eighth Career Phoenix Victory

2016 Phoenix I Cup Kevin Harvick Team Celebration Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – There are two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. Closely behind that is Kevin Harvick winning at Phoenix International Raceway. For the eighth time in his career and the sixth time in the last eight races, Harvick was the first car under the checkered flag. What happened – …

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Kevin Harvick Wins in Photo Finish for 8th Phoenix Victory

Nascar Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Well, it happened again. Much like the 58th Daytona 500 to start the Sprint Cup Series season three weeks ago, the victory came down to inches. This time, it was Kevin Harvick edging Carl Edwards to the line by 0.010 seconds to win at Phoenix International Raceway for the eighth time in his career and …

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Did You Notice? … The Band’s Back Together

Did You Notice? … That the old band’s back together again? That’s the hidden story surrounding Cole Pearn’s suspension this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. Pearn, crew chief for Martin Truex, Jr.’s No. 78 Toyota for Furniture Row Racing, was issued the suspension after the team was given notice pre-race for roof-flap issues in back-to-back …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Jimmie Johnson Wins Folds of Honor 500 at Atlanta

Who’s in the headline – After the debut of the 2016 low downforce package it is Jimmie Johnson standing in victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Johnson’s crew chief made a call to pit when the final fuel window opened. His driver stretched out an advantage over Kevin Harvick, the dominant car of the day, …

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The Frontstretch 5: Drivers Who Need to Up Their Game in 2016

Every year, there is a group of drivers who, for a variety of reasons, needs to step up the game.  It could be a contract year, a need for a comeback from a slump, a matter of living up to expectations.  Sometimes it’s all three, sometimes it’s a self-inflicted pressure that simply stems from not …

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Judging Jeff Gordon’s Broadcast Booth Debut

Welcome back, race fans. Today begins my eighth year of broadcast criticism here at Frontstretch. For this season, we will have a change or two to how this critique looks. Likely the most notable change that you will see is at the top of the page. We now have a separate tab for the weekly …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2016 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

Who’s in the headline – After being involved in an early caution Denny Hamlin played pit strategy to get to the front of the pack and stretched his fuel to the end of a green-white-checkered finish to take his third Sprint Unlimited victory. The vast majority of cars had damage during the evening but Hamlin’s …

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NASCAR Announces Eligible Drivers for Sprint Unlimited

Sprint Unlimited Daytona

(Credit: NASCAR)

On Monday, NASCAR announced the eligibility criteria for this year’s Sprint Unlimited, scheduled for Feb. 13.  While winning a pole during the previous season will get you into the race, it’s not the only way into the 75-lap show.  Regardless of circumstances, 25 cars will start the 187.5-mile race. The first criteria to qualify for …

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