Race Weekend Central

Testing Spring Takeaways With Fall Drawing Near

2019 Pocono Mencs Kyle Busch Face Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Five months, 1,000 podcasts and one qualifying format change ago, I came to write this monthly column and found my mind wandering to multiple different things. NASCAR’s 2019 rules package was fresh on everyone’s mind, a few standout teams were dominating the series and others were quietly establishing themselves as contenders. I commemorated the occasion …

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Stars & Stories Make NASCAR’s 2nd-Tier Tour a Must-Watch

2019 Phoenix I Nxs Cole Custer Pack Racing Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

There’s a great rivalry brewing in the NASCAR garage, one filled with stars from various backgrounds competing for different manufacturers and each bringing their own personality and flavor to the championship chase. Here’s the thing, though – it isn’t in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. NASCAR’s best young rivalry is growing in the Xfinity …

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Formula N: Cup Shaping Up For a Two-Team Duel

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Denny Hamlin Joey Logano Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

NASCAR and Formula 1 have traditionally existed as tours with little to compare either on-track or off. Their competitors brought contrasting backgrounds and styles. Races played out in different manners with each tour. Even the track layouts (ovals vs. circuits) and vocabulary (crash vs. shunt) were worlds apart between the world’s top tour and America’s …

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A Night and Day Difference for NASCAR

#4: Kevin Harvick, Stewart Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Busch Beer, #17: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Roush Fenway Racing, Ford Mustang Sunnyd And #14: Clint Bowyer, Stewart Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Haas Automation Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Last weekend was a difficult weather weekend for the midwest. Continual rain and a passing cold front made for cold, largely wet nights amid a month filled with near-constant moisture. For most people in the area, the weekend was a quiet one, spent largely indoors with hopes of sunlight and 80-degree days in the near …

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A Fair Compromise

2017 Charlotte All Star Cup Kyle Busch Trophy Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

I confess that I’ve spent the better part of this week removed from the racing world. Only occasional motorsports stories like the rules package with potential elements of the 2021 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car being utilized in the upcoming Monster Energy All-Star Race have caught my eye for more than a fleeting glance. With …

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Four-for-Four: Takeaways from the first races with the 2019 package

#18: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Interstate Batteries Celebrates After Winning Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

As hard as it is to believe, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series field is already four races into the 2019 rules package. From package discussion to surprising finishers, there have been quite a few things to note from the opening quartet of races. Here are a few of the highlights thus far. Lowered Expectations …

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Denny Hamlin Won the Battle in Daytona, Now Can He Win the War?

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Denny Hamlin Car Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

It’s been a good week to be Denny Hamlin. The Virginian has spent the past few days soaking the glitz and glamour of a Daytona 500 victory. Hamlin added to his legacy with a second appearance on the Harley J. Earl trophy last Sunday, bolstering his NASCAR Hall of Fame bid in the process. His …

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2016 NASCAR Rewind: Matt Kenseth

2016 Chicago Cup Matt Kenseth Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

The 2016 season for Matt Kenseth was serviceable, if a slight step back from his five-win 2015 campaign. But despite that solid effort, Kenseth’s lasting memories will be his collapses on the sport’s biggest stages. Entering his fourth season with Joe Gibbs Racing, Kenseth appeared poised to deliver Coach Joe Gibbs one of racing’s ultimate …

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The 10: History at Homestead

Nascar Sprint Cup Series Ford Ecoboost 400

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

The Championship 4 entered Homestead-Miami Speedway filled with talent and hope, but in the end, only one driver could hoist the Sprint Cup Series trophy. That someone, for the seventh time in the last 11 seasons, was Jimmie Johnson. Johnson got the best of Kyle Larson and Joey Logano on the final restart of Sunday’s …

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Carl Edwards Shows Class of a Champion Amid Heartbreaking Loss

Nascar Sprint Cup Series Ford Ecoboost 400

(Photo: Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Jimmie Johnson may have hoisted up his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship trophy at the end of Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400, but he wasn’t the only one who looked like a champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Carl Edwards made sure of that. Somehow, some way, Edwards’ bitter championship loss on Sunday managed to look even …

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4 Burning Questions: Which 3 Will Get the Best of 4?

2016 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Phoenix

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Who Caps Off 2016 with the Sprint Cup Title? One thing’s for sure: This year’s Championship 4 certainly isn’t lacking storylines. First, there’s Jimmie Johnson, a six-time champion eyeing his seventh and a chance to tie legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt in the record books. Next? Kyle Busch, 2015’s Cinderella story who’s trying to match …

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The 10: Phoenix Pandemonium

2016 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Phoenix

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade NKP)

With two laps to go, Matt Kenseth appeared due for the top spot in our power rankings. Amid a quiet but strong Chase, the 2003 champion had positioned himself to take an impressive victory at Phoenix International Raceway and surge into the Championship 4. Then, suddenly, the caution flag flew and everything changed. Minutes later, …

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