Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kyle Larson Scores Second Career Michigan Win

2017 Nascar Monster Energy Cup Series, Michigan

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/ NKP)

Who’s in the headline – For only the fourth time this season, a driver led the most laps in a race and went onto Victory Lane. Kyle Larson started on pole, led the most laps and finished the deal to grab his second-career victory at Michigan International Speedway. Martin Truex Jr. looked like he could …

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Beside the Rising Tide: The Wheel

2017 Kansas I Cup Ryan Blaney Kyle Busch Kyle Larson Racing Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

The wheel is turning and you can’t slow down You can’t let go and you can’t hold on You can’t go back and you can’t stand still If the thunder don’t get you then the lightning will -Jerry Garcia- Sometimes, I find my opinions in direct conflict with other NASCAR fans and even scribes. It’s …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Looking Back On FOX’s Drivers Only Broadcast

2017 Kansas I Cup Ricky Stenhouse Jr Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

Greetings, race fans.  Last weekend was a very interesting and tiring time at Pocono Raceway.  As you can imagine, the primary source of discussion in TV land was the drivers-only broadcast of Saturday’s Pocono Green 250. Since this event was such a big deal, I will be focusing solely on that broadcast.  Don’t worry, I …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: NASCAR’s Tame Pocono 400 Turns Into Terrific Finish

2017 Pocono Cup Zach Catanzareti Ryan Blaney

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Who’s in the headline – For the third time this season, we have a first-time winner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. It’s Ryan Blaney, who drove to the lead after a late-race restart with fresher tires than a dominant Kyle Busch. He then held off Kevin Harvick in a thrilling finish after Harvick closed in while Busch and …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not In NASCAR: Crossing The Overtime Line Edition

2016 Indianapolis Cup Jimmie Johnson Hat Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

The NASCAR Cup race at Dover seemed to go pretty smoothly for most of the day, then everything turned into a mess at the end, including a really big mess in the race to the finish line, where some made it and some didn’t. The key here is getting the end game right and while …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Jimmie Johnson Pulls Another Rabbit Out of His Hat With Dover Victory

2017 Dover I Cup Jimmie Johnson Team Selfie Trophy Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – There are horses for courses and some courses for horses. When it comes to Dover International Speedway and Jimmie Johnson, they are the perfect match. Johnson swept both Dover races in his rookie season, and after winning the race on Sunday, he now has 11 career wins at the track. …

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Danica Patrick Posts First Top-10 Finish Since 2015 At Dover

2017 Atlanta Cup Danica Patrick Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

For Danica Patrick, her latest NASCAR Cup Series race was not about how you start but rather how you finish. With 71 laps to go in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway, Regan Smith blew a right front tire during the middle of green-flag pit stops. Eight drivers had yet to pit at …

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Double Take: More Memorial Day Weekend Doubles, Please

2017 Indianapolis Fernando Alonso Indycar Alexander Rossi

(Photo: Mike Harding)

The greatest weekend of racing has passed, and boy, were fans treated to an awesome trifecta of events. Fans started off the day by seeing Sebastian Vettel win the Monaco Grand Prix, his third win of 2017 and 45th overall in Formula 1; he’s now won 50 percent of the races contested this season, only …

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Nature’s Bakery & Stewart-Haas Racing Resolve Lawsuit, Announce 4-Race Sponsorship

Danica Patrick

Photo: Zach Catanzareti

Stewart-Haas Racing has dropped its $31 million lawsuit against Nature’s Bakery for unpaid sponsorship, and as a result, the company will appear on the team’s cars in a slightly more limited capacity in 2017. According to a Stewart-Haas Racing press release, the team reached an agreement with Nature’s Bakery that allows the company to be a …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: FOX Struggles to Find All-Star Feel

2017 Charlotte All Star Cup Kevin Harvick Kyle Busch Pack Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

Last weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series descended onto Charlotte Motor Speedway for the annual All-Star festivities.  New gimmicks were in play and they did next to nothing to change the action.  More on that a little later. Before we get into the races themselves, I have to talk about …

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FOX Sports Announces Drivers-Only Broadcast at Pocono XFINITY Race

2017 Las Vegas Cup Kevin Harvick Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Your favorite Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers are coming to the broadcast booth. And pit road, for that matter. On Friday (May 19), FOX Sports announced that the broadcast of the XFINITY Series Pocono Green 250 at Pocono Raceway on June 10 will be a special drivers-only broadcast.  That means all aspects of on-air …

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Voice of Vito: Defending, Making Sense of Danica Patrick’s Post-Wreck Pouting

2017 Kansas I Cup Danica Patrick Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

NASCAR, like most sports, has had its share of polarizing personalities over the last few years. They typically are welcomed to the sport with open arms by fans and those within the sport, championing a new fresh face that can upset the current guard and maybe become the next household name. Back in the day …

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