Race Weekend Central

5 Points To Ponder: Charlotte’s Climb Back To NASCAR Respectability

2019 Charlotte Nxs Christopher Bell Car Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Charlotte Motor Speedway Battles Back NASCAR may have been created in some smoke-filled meetings down in Daytona Beach but make no mistake: Charlotte is now stock car racing’s home base. Every major team has its race shop in the area, along with a core group of the sport’s operating staff paired with the NASCAR …

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The Underdog House: Going the Distance

2019 Charlotte Cup Chris Buescher Car Phil Allaway

(Photo: Phil Allaway)

Top of The Class Chris Buescher was once again the top dog in Sunday night’s (May 26) Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevy wound up with a sixth-place finish, the best for driver and team since a fifth last July at Daytona. More than just the top-10 run …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Talladega: Endgame

2019 Talladega Cup Mencs Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Chevrolet teams make up about half the field most weeks in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but judging by the results so far this season, it’s understandable to think they were in the half of existence that were vaporized when Thanos snapped his fingers. But just like in Avengers: Endgame, time travel was involved on …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings Forecast: 2019 GEICO 500

2018 Cup Talladega Zach Catanzareti Kyle Larson

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Talladega Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events are often survival of the fittest (or even just survival). Collisions lurk around every corner, waiting to claim their next victim. The Big One is just one ill-timed bump away, disrupting the race and your daily fantasy NASCAR DraftKings roster. This week’s event, the 2019 GEICO 500 (Sunday, …

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Veterans Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman Pace Lightning Fast “New” Practices at Talladega

2019 Atlanta Cup Ryan Newman Nkp

(Photo:Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The much-anticipated first practice session at Talladega Superspeedway Friday displayed faster speeds, increased throttle response and twitchy race cars, just as expected. The first superspeedway race of the post-restrictor plate era, Kurt Busch paced the field in first practice, one of 21 cars to break 200 mph. Though the practice was incident free, the cars …

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NASCAR 101: Martin Truex Jr. Finally Won a Short Track Race — Who’s Next?

2019 Cup Richmond Zach Catanzareti Martin Truex Jr.

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Apparently all it took for Martin Truex Jr. to win on a short track was to switch teams. Last weekend’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway saw Truex, in the midst of his first season for Joe Gibbs Racing in its No. 19, emerge victorious, snapping a losing streak at short tracks …

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The Frontstretch 5: Drivers Ready To End Their Winless Streak

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Jimmie Johnson Celebrates Nkp

1. Paul Menard It has been 277 races since Menard last won a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. Driving the No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Paul Menard won the 2011 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In that race, he led 27 laps and stretched the fuel in his No. 27 Chevrolet to …

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NASCAR 101: 5 Drivers Who Could Make the Transition to NASCAR Broadcasting

Clint Bowyer sits in the garage area at Kentucky Speedway in 2018. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

If you haven’t figured out by now, longtime driver-turned-broadcaster Darrell Waltrip recently announced his retirement from TV later this season. For 19 years, Waltrip carried the torch as Fox Sports’ lead driver analyst, bringing expertise from the race track and a quirky wit along with him. Despite recent criticism for awkwardness and booth tension, Waltrip …

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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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Daily Fantasy NASCAR FanDuel Forecast: 2019 Auto Club 400

2019 Daytona I Cup Martin Truex Jr Car Nkp

So, before we start on daily fantasy NASCAR… Did anything happen in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying? Anything questionable? Something I should know about? No? OK, let’s continue. The trip to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Ca. is the first repeat of any package we’ve had in 2019. Some say this track is the …

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The Underdog House: The Other Side of the Neon Garage

2019 Atlanta Cup Chris Buescher Racing Nkp

Top of The Class Once again, JTG Daugherty Racing’s Chris Buescher was the top underdog in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. While he wasn’t able to secure a top-10 finish, he did bring the No. 37 Chevrolet across the stripe in 18th place. There were plenty of unknowns going into the race …

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Frontstretch Podcast: David Ragan Discusses New Aero Package at Atlanta

2019 Atlanta Cup David Ragan Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In the latest edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino, Mike Neff and David Ragan discuss the partial new aerodynamic package that was displayed at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend, one which landed the No. 38 car of Ragan a 16th-place finish. Ragan states in the interview that the racing is closer together and restarts will be …

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