Race Weekend Central

The Underdog House: Matt DiBenedetto, Road Racing Specialist?

2019 Roval Mencs Matt Dibenedetto Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class For the third time this season, the drivers of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series made right and left hand turns as they tackled the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL on Sunday. And for the third time this season, the best underdog in the rundown was road racing ace Matt DiBenedetto. Wait …

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Alex Bowman Survives Wild Day at ROVAL, Advances in Playoffs

2019 Roval Mencs Alex Bowman Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Alex Bowman came in to the race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL with his eyes set on staying out of trouble and making it to the Round of 12. Well, one out of two isn’t bad. Bowman found trouble aplenty on Sunday (Sept. 29), but the Hendrick Motorsports driver bounced back from multiple issues …

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Friday Faceoff: Where Will Daniel Hemric Be Racing in 2020?

2019 Talladega Cup Daniel Hemric Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Erik Jones faces a must-win situation this weekend to advance to the next round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. What is the biggest hurdle between him and a win on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL? Adam Cheek: To put it simply, chaos and unpredictability. Erik Jones finished in the top 10 five out …

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The Underdog House: Virginia Is For Lovers

2019 Richmond Mencs Darrell Wallace, Jr. Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class Bubba Wallace grabbed everyone’s attention with his third-place run at Indianapolis two weeks ago. Apparently he isn’t finished turning heads just yet. This time, Wallace took top underdog honors with his 12th-place showing at Richmond Raceway on Saturday night (Sept. 21). There was a bit more competition, however, as for the …

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Friday Faceoff: Should Lower Level Success Be Necessary to Race in Cup?

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Kyle Busch indicated drivers should have more lower level success before being allowed to race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Do you agree? Adam Cheek: I believe so. At the very least, they should have a certain number of starts in either Xfinity or the Gander Outdoor Truck Series — maybe 10 or …

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The Underdog House: Viva Lost Vegas

2019 Las Vegas I Cup Ty Dillon Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class The bright lights of the Vegas strip bring all the underdogs out in hopes of striking a big win and becoming a big dog instantly. Rarely do such things happen in the city and certainly nothing like that happened on the racetrack Sunday. Ty Dillon carried the torch for the underdogs …

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Friday Faceoff: Are There Safety Issues NASCAR Should Address?

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

#2: Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Discount Tire

Safety concerns have been mounting after some harrowing accidents across all forms of racing over the past couple weeks. Is there a particular area in NASCAR that needs to be further addressed? Adam Cheek: SAFER barriers all around. Yes, NASCAR’s done a great job putting them in the most problematic areas of most tracks. However, …

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The Underdog House: Kiss My Bricks

2019 Daytona I Cup Bubba Wallace Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. hasn’t had too much to get excited about lately. In fact, it’s been over 18 months since his last top-10 finish in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Questions about his ability and job security have swirled like a Midwestern twister, but he and team owner Richard …

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The Underdog House: Throwback Style

2019 Darlington Mencs Matt Dibenedetto Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class Matt DiBenedetto might want to head to Vegas a little early. After all, he has been on quite the heater lately. DiBenedetto scored another top-10 finish on Sunday night (Sept. 1). Actually, thanks to a little adverse weather, it ended up being Monday morning by the time the checkered flag waved. …

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Friday Faceoff: Should NASCAR Allow Teams to Have More Than 4 Cars?

2019 Talladega Cup Mencs Zach Catanzareti Hendrick Motorsports

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Regarding the suspensions of both Bayley Currey and Matt Borland, did NASCAR handle them appropriately, or should something be done differently going forward? Adam Cheek: I believe so. There’s no place for that in the sport; if you’re going to use substances prohibited by NASCAR — on your own time or in the offseason — you’re …

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The Underdog House: Who to Watch As the Season Winds Down

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The racing season may be winding down, but the action is going to get more and more intense as we close in on Homestead-Miami Speedway. Every competitor knows that this is the time to make an impact. Some drivers are chasing a championship while others are auditioning for their next opportunity. So just which underdogs …

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The Underdog House: DiBenedetto Writing a Resume on Concrete

2019 Mencs Bristol Matt Dibenedetto Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class Matt DiBenedetto is driving like his career depends on it. Well, it sort of does, but the world is getting a really good look at how competitive the fire in him is and how impressive he can be when he turns that pressure into motivation. More than three years after DiBenedetto …

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