Race Weekend Central

Speedweeks 2020: Meet the New Year, Same as the Old Year

2019 Daytona Cup Zach Catanzareti Ty Dillon

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Rewind back to my season-opening column a year ago, and the theme was bridge building. The need for NASCAR to find a way to connect what have become two disparate fan bases; those remaining that follow NASCAR Cup Series racing religiously, and those that left the big tent behind for the nation’s remaining dirt tracks …

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2019 NASCAR Top Storylines: Matt Crafton’s Winless Truck Series Championship

2019 Homestead Ngots Matt Crafton Burnout Cck

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Matt Crafton is certainly a driver worthy of three NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series crowns. It’s a shame that he has to be the face of a 2019 title, however, that rings entirely hollow.  Securing the 2019 Truck championship on the back of a second-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Crafton became only the …

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2019 NASCAR Top Storylines: Cup Schedule Realignment — The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

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(Photo: Christian Koelle)

While NASCAR fans continue to wait with bated breath for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule and all the change it is supposed to bring, the sanctioning body took a rare proactive step forward in 2020 with an aggressive schedule realignment that, while remaining within the confines of racetracks currently in agreements with NASCAR, will …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead

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(Photo: Christian Koelle)

The Headline(s): The Cup Series may as well have never left Florida. After sweeping the podium in the Daytona 500, a dominant Joe Gibbs Racing pulled the same feat in Homestead, with Kyle Busch proving the best of the Toyotas to win the Ford EcoBoost 400 and the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship. …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 BlueGreen Vacations 500 at Phoenix

2019 Phoenix Mencs Denny Hamlin Walk Off Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): Denny Hamlin shook off years of shortcomings in playoff races, dominating Sunday’s (Nov. 10) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event and capitalizing on a two-tire stop to maintain track position after a late-race yellow to win the 500-kilometer parade in Avondale, Ariz. ? stage divin' out the nosebleeds ?@dennyhamlin | #Championship4 pic.twitter.com/KC9BWz7xBV — …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 AAA Texas 500

Tms2 Mencs Harvick Fl 110319

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

The Headline(s): Capitalizing on a “trimmed out” car that Stewart-Haas Racing has been storing since the spring, Kevin Harvick turned a pole-winning run into a race-winning performance at Texas Motor Speedway. He led 119 laps en route to scoring his fourth win of 2019, 49th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series triumph and 110th career …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 First Data 500 at Martinsville

2019 Martinsville Mencs Martin Truex, Jr. Victory Celebration Cck

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

The Headline(s): Martin Truex, Jr. took what Brad Keselowski did to the field in the spring race at Martinsville and bested it, winning both stages and leading 464 laps en route to a snore-inducing victory in the First Data 500. It was his seventh win of 2019, 26th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas

2019 Kansas Mencs Denny Hamlin Victory Lane Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): Capping a day that saw Joe Gibbs Racing surge back into form, Denny Hamlin weathered three late-race restarts and held off Chase Elliott to win the Hollywood Casino 400 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, his fifth Cup win of 2019, 36th career Cup victory,and 55th NASCAR national series win. .@dennyhamlin climbs …

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ARCA Racing Series Breakdown: 2019 Kansas 150

2019 Kansas Arca Christian Eckes Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In a Nutshell: The battle between Venturini Motorsports teammates Michael Self and Christian Eckes was the entirety of the story Friday night at Kansas Speedway, and at the end of a largely uneventful 100 laps it was Eckes that left with the trophy, leading the final 43 laps to his fourth win of the 2019 …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega

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(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): Having survived three big ones on Monday afternoon (Oct. 14) after an uneventful first stage Sunday, Ryan Blaney bested Ryan Newman by less than a foot coming to the line to score a season-saving victory that locked the No. 12 team into the Round of 8. It wasn’t without controversy, however, as Blaney …

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ARCA Racing Series Breakdown: 2019 Herr’s Potato Chips 200 at IRP

2019 Iowa I Gots Chandler Smith Helmet Nkp

After losing a seemingly certain win at Salem Speedway earlier this season after pitting just before rain ended the spring race early, Chandler Smith didn’t make the same mistake twice. Racing hard with his championship-contending teammate Christian Eckes, Smith made a clean pass on the backstretch on lap 161, mere laps before rain ended the …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte

2019 Roval Mencs Chase Elliott Victory Lane Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): Conquering the ugliest race Charlotte Motor Speedway has seen since the 2005 “Levigation 600,” Chase Elliott rebounded from a lap 65 wreck into the turn 1 barrier. He passed Kevin Harvick entering turn 1 of the CMS oval on lap 104 to score his third win of 2019. The race marked Elliott’s sixth …

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