Race Weekend Central

The Underdog House: David Ragan Unretires To Finish 4th at Daytona

2020 Daytona NCS David Ragan Car NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog David Ragan said that he was looking forward to spending more time at home when he announced his retirement from full-time racing last fall. While he certainly didn’t mention running the Daytona 500, it remained a possibility. He’s probably glad it did, because Ragan scored his 16th career top-five finish in the NASCAR …

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Truckin’ Thursdays: The More, The Merrier

2019 Homestead NGOTS Matt Crafton Champion CCK

Matt Crafton celebrated the championship last time he raced in Florida (Photo: Christian Koelle)

A Crowded House The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series kicks off its 26th season of competition on Friday night and the division finds itself in a unique position. It appears to be the healthiest of the three major touring levels in terms of participation and the number of entries compared to the available …

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The Underdog House: 2020 Vision

2020 Daytona NCS Brendan Gaughan Car NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Unusual Suspects Like every other team, NASCAR underdog operations across all three national touring series have made the trek to the Florida coast for another Speedweeks. The Xfinity and Truck teams still have some time to shake the sand out of their boots, but Cup crews have already been shaking down their cars for …

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2019 NASCAR Driver Reviews: Michael McDowell

2019 Las Vegas I CUP Michael McDowell NKP

(Photo: NKP)

The 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season marked Michael McDowell‘s second with Front Row Motorsports. The veteran driver has been plugging away, steadily improving in his effort to be known for more than a jarring demonstration of the safety improvements of the Car of Tomorrow more than a decade ago. The trials and tribulations of a …

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The Underdog House: Buescher Going Home Again

2019 daytona cup zach catanzareti chris buescher

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Top of the Class When the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series turned its final lap of 2019 on Sunday, it was fitting that the highest underdog was Chris Buescher. One could have their pick of a multitude of reasons why it was appropriate that his 16th-place finish made him the top dog. First, no underdog …

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The Underdog House: DiBenedetto of the Desert

Denny Hamlin and Matt DiBenedetto are solid picks for the 2021 Busch Clash Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class For the second week in a row, Matt DiBenedetto is the top underdog in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. This time, it was his 13th-place finish at ISM Raceway that earned him the highest spot on our underfunded pedestal. As the season winds down, it’s easy to forget just …

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The Underdog House: Messin With Texas

2019 Texas MENCS Matt DiBenedetto Car NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class Matt DiBenedetto has shown flashes of brilliance this year, but it is the steady mid-pack results that really highlight how 2019 has been a year of improvement for the California native. The No. 95 Leavine Family Racing driver was again the top underdog at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday (Nov. 3) …

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The Underdog House: David Ragan Going Out On A High Note

2019 Martinsville MENCS David Ragan Racing NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class David Ragan announced earlier this year that he would be stepping away from the role of full-time NASCAR driver to focus on the role he plays within his family. He got a solid sendoff from Martinsville Speedway on Sunday (Oct. 27). Ragan, a two-time winner at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup …

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Friday Faceoff: What Will the Race Team Alliance Do With Speed51.com?

2018 phoenix ism zach catanzareti chip ganassi

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The Race Team Alliance purchased media outlet Speed51.com last week. What do you think will come from this acquisition, and will it help the sport? Frank Velat: Initially, this looks like a great way to connect the grassroots level of racing with top level NASCAR. If that is one of the outcomes, great for the RTA …

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The Underdog House: When a Fire Becomes Fuel

2019 Dover MENCS Ryan Preece Car NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class Ryan Preece always seems to be in a good mood, and he had plenty of reason to be following the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday (Oct. 20). Preece was the top finishing underdog with his 12th-place finish, marking the third time he has been such in 2019. It …

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Friday Faceoff: Should Manufacturers Dictate How Their Teams Race?

2019 Daytona MENCS Ford Kevin Harvick Joey Logano Kurt Busch Brad Keselowski Car Christian Koelle

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Should manufacturers be getting involved to make their teams cooperate at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway? Christian Koelle: Instead of manufacturers, it should be teams working together — but understand when we get to ISM Raceway, all of this goes away; it’s every man for himself. Josh Roller: I don’t have an issue with manufacturers …

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Truckin’ Thursdays: Race Officials Overstepped Their Bounds at Talladega

2019 Chicagoland NGOTS Johnny Sauter Face Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

When Johnny Sauter crossed the finish line Saturday afternoon (Oct. 12) at Talladega Superspeedway, he was probably elated. Perhaps, he felt a level of vindication after his early exit from the postseason, maybe even a sense of relief. After all, he would be leaving the most treacherous, unpredictable race of the year with the trophy. …

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