Race Weekend Central

XFINITY Qualifying Washed Out at Charlotte, Daniel Suarez on Pole

Nxs 2016 Charlotte Ross Chastain Erik Jones Bubba Wallace Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

A persistent drizzle over Charlotte Motor Speedway kept cars of the track Saturday morning, and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice was canceled along with XFINITY Series qualifying. The field for the Drive for the Cure 300 was set by the NASCAR rulebook, with defending series champion Daniel Suarez on the pole in the No. …

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Friday Faceoff: When’s That First Win Coming for Chase Elliott?

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Apache Warrior 400 Dover International Speedway, Dover, De Usa Sunday 1 October 2017 Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, Mountain Dew Chevrolet Ss World Copyright: Nigel Kinrade Nkp

Chase Elliott in the No. 24 (Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

 NASCAR released the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rules changes this week, and they were minimal in comparison to recent years.  Was it the right call to stay consistent, or should more tweaks have been made? Amy Henderson: No matter what NASCAR did, fans would complain. Keeping the package similar was the right move. …

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The Frontstretch 5: Things You Should Know About Robert Yates

Allstate 400 Practice

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

1. His racing team was a powerhouse Newer fans know the Yates name from Roush Yates Racing Engines, where Robert’s son Doug Yates is a household name. But Robert Yates Racing was one of the sport’s biggest threats in the 1990s and early 2000s, winning 57 Cup Series races between 1989 and 2005.  It was …

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The Frontstretch 5: Best Drivers You Ever Saw Race

Dale Earnhardt Sr. #3

(Photo: Donald Miralle)

Who’s the best driver you ever saw race? That’s the question our staff tackled this week and we got a wide variety of answers. From the local tracks to the biggest racing stages in the world, there are many worthy candidates for this list. Let us know your picks in the comments section! Local Legends …

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Friday Faceoff: How Will Kasey Kahne Fare in 2018?

2017 Nascar Monster Energy Cup Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fl Usa Sunday 26 February 2017 Michael Mcdowell, Leavine Family Racing And Kasey Kahne World Copyright: Russell Labounty/nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Kasey Kahne will drive the No. 95 for Leavine Family Racing in 2018, replacing Michael McDowell.  Will Kahne be able to take the team to the next level, and what will McDowell do? Amy Henderson: If Kasey Kahne brings a big-time sponsor, then it will help from an equipment standpoint.  But take a close look …

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The Frontstretch 5: Legendary, Silly & Just Kind of Screwed

2017 Pocono Cup Zach Catanzareti Kasey Kahne

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

1. Farewell, TC If you live in the Northeast, you already know the impact Ted Christopher had on racing. If you don’t, you might be wondering what the big deal was.  Christopher was a racer, plain and simple. If you want to know what people mean when they say a driver is a “real racer,” …

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The Underdog House: NASCAR Must ‘Cope’ With Slow Cars On Track

2017 Las Vegas Cup Landon Cassill Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Think Small After last weekend’s race at Richmond Raceway, where Derrike Cope brought out a late caution while racing several laps down, fans and some media suggested Cope should have been removed from the track by NASCAR long before the incident. That group, which included regular season champion Martin Truex Jr., claimed Cope was so far in …

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Friday Faceoff: Who’s In, Who’s Out & Does It Matter?

2017 Richmond Ii Cup Jimmie Johnson Nigel Kinrade Kp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

The big news this week were the departures of Danica Patrick from the No. 10 and Aric Almirola from the No. 43.  Who ends up in those rides? Michael Massie: It seems a given that Aric Almirola will get in the No. 10 and Darrell Wallace Jr. is the new No. 43 driver. I love …

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The Underdog House: The Invisible NASCAR Season

2017 Richmond Ii Cup Corey Lajoie Pack Racing John K Harrelson Harrelson Photography Inc

(Photo: John K. Harrelson/Harrelson Photography Inc.)

Think Small Ah, fall.  Race fans can welcome cooler temperatures, cheer for their favorites in the playoffs…and kiss the chance of seeing the smaller teams mentioned during the broadcast goodbye. With the exception of Ryan Blaney, who made the postseason, all other underdogs will fade into the background of championship talk. That goes for any …

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Friday Faceoff: Who’s Got the Best Championship Battle?

NASCAR Xfinity Series action at Pocono Raceway, 2017 Photo: NKP

(Photo: Rusty Jarrett/NKP)

Subway announced last weekend it’s dropping its backing of Joe Gibbs Racing and Daniel Suarez after Suarez did a television segment holding a box of Dunkin’ Donuts doughnuts.  Does the negative attention the company’s gotten outweigh the reasoning behind the change? Michael Massie: Subway’s deal was with Carl Edwards, but it would have been labeled as …

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The Frontstretch 5: Things That Don’t Sit Right

2017 Michigan Ii Cup Daniel Suarez Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

1. Dollars to Doughnuts When an NBC producer handed Daniel Suarez a box of doughnuts and asked him to pass them out to fans at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July, it was a fun, lighthearted piece with a likeable rookie driver. But a few weeks later, it cost Suarez a sponsor. Subway, which had …

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The Underdog House: Debris or Not Debris

Darlington Cup 2017 Reed Sorenson 2 Throwback Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

Think Small From the day NASCAR ran its first race, fans have questioned whether certain teams and drivers receive preferential treatment.  Of course, fans differ in their opinion of just who is getting that treatment and who gets unfairly targeted, usually depending on which teams and drivers they like, so take the complaints with a …

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