Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice?: NASCAR’s Blowout Problem

2018 Cup Auto Club Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing, Toyota Camry Bass Pro Shops/5 Hour Energy Celebrates His Win With A Burnout

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … NASCAR winners aren’t just squeaking into Victory Lane — they’re rolling over their competition. Three of five races in the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season have been won by 2.5 seconds or more. Martin Truex Jr. coasted to the win at Auto Club Speedway by nearly 12 seconds Sunday; only 10 …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Gold Mining or Bust

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Coca Cola 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, Nc Usa Thursday 25 May 2017 Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, M&m's Red, White & Blue Toyota Camry World Copyright: Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Around 1849, gold was discovered in California, and about twenty years after that silver was discovered in the area, too. That led to, among other things, the writing of Mark Twain. In his nonfiction work Roughing It, there is a lengthy discussion of the chaos surrounding mining communities, as miners either struck it rich or went broke …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kevin Harvick Beats the Field into Submission at Atlanta

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Folds Of Honor Quik Trip 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga Usa Sunday 25 February 2018 Kevin Harvick, Stewart Haas Racing, Jimmy John's Ford Fusion Wins World Copyright: Rusty Jarrett Nkp

(Photo: Rusty Jarrett/NKP)

Who’s in the headline? While Mother Nature tried hard, she failed to win on Sunday. The race started late, but once it got rolling, it went the distance. Shocking absolutely no one, Kevin Harvick took the lead early in the race and dominated the first stage. Harvick rebounded from a pit lane malfunction to lead …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings Forecast: 2018 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

2017 Atlanta Cup Ryan Blaney Racing Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

If your Daytona daily fantasy experience was anything like mine, you couldn’t wait for it to be over. We saw multiple favorites exit the race far too early. As a result, lineups flew out the window as top contenders left the 500 with their cars looking more like trash. But now, NASCAR heads to Atlanta …

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Trevor Bayne Searching for Success with Roush Fenway Racing

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

Might Trevor Bayne's six become nine? (Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Since winning the 2011 Daytona 500, Trevor Bayne has had a roller coaster of a career, fluctuating between the Monster Energy Cup Series, XFINITY Series and at times not having a full-time gig. Bayne, 26, is coming off a season in which the No. 6 car had a pair of top-five finishes and six top …

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2017 NASCAR Cup Team Review: Roush Fenway Racing

2016 Chicago Cup Ricky Stenhouse Jr Trevor Bayne Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Different verse, almost the same as the last. 2017 was another year of disappointment for Roush Fenway Racing for the vast majority of the year. Were it not for the first two wins of his career for Ricky Stenhouse Jr., it would have been a third winless season for the once-dominant team. The long-in-the-tooth organization …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kyle Busch Gets a Treat at Martinsville

2017 Martinsville Cup Zach Catanzareti Kyle Busch

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Who’s in the headline – After three other drivers looked like they were headed to the victory, it was Kyle Busch getting his picture taken with the Martinsville Grandfather Clock on Sunday night. The first race to finish under the lights at Martinsville Speedway was a rather uneventful affair until the final 20 laps. Through …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Brad Keselowski Spoils Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Farewell Party at Talladega

Brad Keselowski Restart Talladega

(Photo: Rusty Jarrett/ NKP)

Who’s in the headline – In a true survival of the fittest, it was Brad Keselowski who was the first driver under the checkered flag on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. Keselowski was able to make a pass on Ryan Newman on the last lap to power to the victory as two handfuls of cars were left …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kyle Busch Busts Out Broom for Second National Tour Series Sweep at Bristol

2017 Bristol Ii Nxs Kyle Busch Celebrates Lesley Ann Miller Nkp

(Photo: Lesley Ann Miller / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – There have been multiple two-race sweeps in NASCAR history, but there have only been a pair of three-race sweeps. Both of them were accomplished by Kyle Busch and the second was this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch won the first stage, led the second most laps, including 93 of …

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Trevor Bayne Posts First Top-5 Finish in Over a Year

Trevor Bayne Michigan

(Photo: Logan Whitton / NKP)

Manufactures take pride in winning the two races each season at Michigan International Speedway almost as much as winning the Daytona 500. It’s a big deal, especially for Ford and Chevrolet, whose headquarters are stationed in Detroit. Over Jack Roush’s 30-year career as a car owner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, he’s been …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Easy On The Gas Edition

2017 Watkins Glen Cup Martin Truex Jr Cole Pearn Celebrating Rusty Jarrett Nkp

(Photo: Rusty Jarrett/NKP)

It’s not often that a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race turns into a fuel mileage affair, but that was case on Sunday at Watkins Glen. The difficult thing about fuel mileage races for these drivers is that they have spent their entire careers being told and trying to figure out how to go as …

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Erik Jones Hit with L1 Penalty, Chris Gayle Suspended

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Va Usa Saturday 29 April 2017 Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, M&m's Toyota Camry Erik Jones, Furniture Row Racing, Gamestop/prey Toyota Camry World Copyright: Matthew T. Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

Wednesday saw NASCAR release the weekly penalty report.  For Furniture Row Racing, it was not a very good report.  Erik Jones‘ No. 77 team has been assessed an L1-penalty for an infraction found in post-race inspection after Sunday’s Overton’s 400 at Pocono Raceway. The No. 77 Toyota Camry was found to have had improper arm …

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