Race Weekend Central

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 GEICO 500

A pack of NASCAR race cars running the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, April 2021. Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who … should you be talking about after the race? Brad Keselowski led exactly one of 191 laps on Sunday (April 25), but it was the only one that mattered. Keselowski passed Matt DiBenedetto as the white flag flew, leading the field to the checkers for his sixth Talladega Superspeedway victory, tying Jeff Gordon and …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Toyota Owners 400

Aric Almirola on pit road before racing at Phoenix Raceway in 2021. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who … should you be talking about after the race? The last time a Hendrick Motorsports car visited victory lane at Richmond Raceway, it was the fall race in 2008, and Jimmie Johnson took the checkers in the No. 48 en route to his third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series title. The No. 48 was the …

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Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Blue Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500

Nascar Cup Series

#19: Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Bass Pro celebrates his win

Who… should you be talking about after the race? The streak of different winners to start 2021 came to an end Sunday at Martinsville Speedway when Martin Truex Jr. took the checkered flag for the second time this season in the rain-delayed Blue Emu 500. Truex didn’t dominate, didn’t even have the best car for most …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: Can NASCAR’s Return to Dirt Resurrect a Ghost From Its Past?

Virtual NASCAR cars race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2020. Photo: NASCAR Media

(Photo: NASCAR Media)

NASCAR is a sport where ghosts abound. It’s more difficult with every passing year to find a racetrack that’s not, in some way, haunted by the past. Races won and lost, drivers come and gone, the past is everywhere, all the time. You can feel it on the wind in Martinsville, Darlington, Charlotte, Daytona: whispers …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Food City Dirt Race

Joey Logano and Daniel Suarez race on Bristol Motor Speedway's dirt surface March 2021. (Credit: NKP)

Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

Who … should you be talking about after the race? Joey Logano is well-known for his aggressive driving style, and it served him well on Bristol Motor Speedway’s brand-new, albeit temporary, dirt surface, despite his relative inexperience on dirt. Logano used restarts to his advantage, taking the lead from a fast and closing Daniel Suarez …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

2021 Las Vegas I Cup Chris Buescher Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? With 20 laps to go, it looked as though Ryan Blaney would have to settle for second in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 as Kyle Larson looked to have the race well in hand. Blaney had a fast car at Atlanta Motor Speedway and had closed …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: Is It Time for NASCAR to Change Tires?

Goodyear Tires ready for NASCAR action. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

A lot has changed in NASCAR over the past couple of decades. Next year will mark the fourth incarnation of a Cup car since 2000, and today’s schedule is a far cry from the slate of races in the 1990s. Just two of today’s regular Cup drivers raced against Dale Earnhardt in the top series. …

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The Frontstretch 5: Drivers Who Could Be the Next 1st-Time Winner

Tyler Reddick at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the 2021 Pennzoil 400 Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

1. Tyler Reddick Probably the only thing standing between Reddick and victory this year is equipment. Richard Childress Racing is just a tick behind the top big teams, and that tick means that Reddick will have to work that much harder for his win. But that will only make it sweeter. After his charging runner-up …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Pennzoil 400

Kyle Larson races teammate William Byron in the 2021 Pennzoil 400 Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? After being out of a NASCAR Cup Series car for nearly a year following a suspension for violating the driver conduct policy, Kyle Larson was repentant and ready to get back on track. It took him all of four weeks to find his groove and win …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Dixie Vodka 400

William Byron won the 2021 Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? His first win was controversial, coming after he triggered a multi-car crash at Daytona International Speedway in the 2020 regular-season finale to squeeze into the playoffs, but William Byron’s second victory was a statement. Byron dominated at Homestead-Miami Speedway, leading 102 of 267 laps, including the …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 O’Reilly Auto Parts 253

Christopher Bell won at the Daytona Road Course in 2021 Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? First-time winners don’t happen every week… oh, wait. After Michael McDowell won his first career NASCAR Cup Series race in the Daytona 500 last week, Christopher Bell drove a masterful final 10 laps to reel in and pass veteran Joey Logano under the white flag to …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Daytona 500

Michael McDowell celebrates his 2021 Daytona 500 win Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? With duct tape on the hood and all hell breaking loose around him, Michael McDowell drove through a fiery last-lap crash and held off Chase Elliott and Austin Dillon just long enough for the caution flag to fly, winning his first career NASCAR Cup Series race on …

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