Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Coke Zero 400 Reminder of NASCAR Plate Race Problems

2016 Daytona Ii Cup Kasey Kahne Crash Damage John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson/NKP)

The Key Moment – On the final restart, Brad Keselowski got a much-needed push from teammate Joey Logano. Behind him, the Busch brothers battled (though not with paddles, in a bottle, on poodles). Team Penske’s Logano faded and Keselowski, topping off a dominant night, went on to score his first win at Daytona International Speedway. In a …

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The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Coke Zero 400

2016 Daytona Ii Cup Pack Racing Iv Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade /NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Perhaps the most positive thing that can be said for restrictor-plate races is that because the cars are more equal than anywhere else, a different group of drivers can shine. That’s what happened Saturday night; a small group of wheelmen whom fans are usually quick to write off shone …

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Daily NASCAR Fantasy: Drafting Your Daytona Lineup (Coke Zero 400)

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to Daytona International Speedway Saturday, July 2nd for the Coke Zero 400. Daytona marks the first repeat track on the 2016 Sprint Cup Series schedule. Tony Stewart’s victory at Sonoma last week put more pressure on winless drivers looking to earn a Chase bid. Among the winless includes Dale …

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4 Burning Questions: Can Tony Stewart Go Back-to-Back at Daytona?

1. Can Tony Stewart Go Back-to-Back? Tony Stewart stunned the NASCAR world in January when he announced he’d broken his back just weeks before starting his final tour on the Sprint Cup Series circuit. He stunned it again when he returned just three months later, showing up basically unannounced to race at Richmond International Raceway. …

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Happiness Is… NBC’s Return

2106 Sonoma Cup Pack Racing Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Road course racing has gained in popularity over the past few years.  One of the reasons for this shift is that the races have supplanted the smaller tracks as the place for action, or more specifically, the proverbial beatin’ and bangin’ that so many fans enjoy.  When Bruton Smith tinkered with Bristol Motor Speedway (over …

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2-Headed Monster: Will Sonoma Be Tony Stewart’s Final Victory?

2016 Sonoma Raceway Tony Stewart Victory Lane Woohoo Nscs Photo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: Getty Images)

Rare is it for a driver to break a huge winless streak, and even rarer is it for the streak to be broken by a driver over 40. You see, as drivers age their production tends to decrease and by the time they retire, they are running as a ghost of their past self, putting …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Predicting the Future

2106 Sonoma Cup Tony Stewart Helmet Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

With a new aerodynamic package added to the mix in 2016, many things have remained the same. The same core of organizations are winning races, ultimately dominating the sport. Could there be a change in the near future? Familiar foes are near the Chase cutoff, and it’s something that those drivers and teams are accustomed to, …

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Did You Notice? … The Gambles Of Ryan Blaney… & NASCAR Debris Cautions?

2016 Kansas I Cup Ryan Blaney Brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist / NKP)

Did You Notice? … Ryan Blaney could have failed to qualify for a Chase race? That’s certainly a loophole NASCAR was looking to shore up by its decision this week to ensure every team that qualifies for the Chase is guaranteed a spot over the final 10 events. Officials looped this adjustment in the rules …

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The 10: Smoke Show in Sonoma

2106 Sonoma Cup Tony Stewart Pack Racing Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

How about that. He actually did it. Tony Stewart held off Martin Truex, Jr., and used a well-time body slam to get the best of Denny Hamlin, capturing a win for the third time in his 17-year career at Sonoma Raceway. Things got interesting behind Smoke, too. Hamlin, typically an afterthought on road courses, came …

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2016 Frontstretch Podcast – Episode 13: 2016 Toyota/Save-Mart 350

2106 Sonoma Cup Tony Stewart Woohoo Close John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson/NKP)

On this week’s podcast, frequent guest Aaron Bearden joins Matt Stallknecht on the show to recap Tony Stewart’s electric win at Sonoma and much more, including… Analyzing the impact of Stewart’s win on the sport Discussing Stewart’s comeback and his potential for a Chase run Denny Hamlin’s strong run at Sonoma, and what it says about …

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How Tony Stewart Bested Petty, Waltrip, Wallace in One Fell Swoop

Tony Stewart Bank Of America 500 2015 Charlotte Cup Mike Neff

(Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

The word retirement for athletes, uttered by Tony Stewart this season, often comes associated with two dreaded “R” words: regression and regret. Unlike the American dream, a job where you work 50 years toward a peak salary retirement for athletic superstars almost always occurs before age 50. The best peak at their profession, set seemingly unbeatable records and then watch inexplicably …

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

2106 Sonoma Cup Pack Racing Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

As has become the trend lately with road courses, last weekend’s race at Sonoma played more like a short track, complete with some last-lap bumping and banging. However, Sonoma wasn’t the only track that saw contact. The Truck Series was in Gateway over the weekend and had some contact of its own – though this …

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