Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Survives the Daytona Pandemonium For Second Career Victory

rfr leading daytona

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – It took Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 157 races to visit Victory Lane for the first time. It only took eight more to make a return trip. Stenhouse made a late-race pass coming to the white flag and held off the competition to lead the final two laps to score the victory. …

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Tech Talk: Tires, Bumps & Cooling with Justin Alexander

Justin Alexander Charlotte Cup 2017 Mike Neff

Photo Credit : Mike Neff

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is using the same aerodynamic package at the restrictor plate tracks that they have used since 2013, yet the teams continue to find more speed. The difficulty in passing presents bigger challenges to crew chiefs to make strategy gambles, putting more pressure on drivers to maintain track position gained …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kevin Harvick Finally Tastes Well Aged Victory at Sonoma

harvick sonoma win 1

(Photo: Lesley Ann Miller/ NKP)

Who’s in the headline: In a race that saw strategies all over the board, 10 different leaders exchanged the lead 13 times, and questions about leaders having enough fuel to the make the finish emerged to make the Toyota/Save Mart 350 one of the most compelling races of the season. When the checkered flag flew, it …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kyle Larson Scores Second Career Michigan Win

2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, Michigan

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/ NKP)

Who’s in the headline – For only the fourth time this season, a driver led the most laps in a race and went onto Victory Lane. Kyle Larson started on pole, led the most laps and finished the deal to grab his second-career victory at Michigan International Speedway. Martin Truex Jr. looked like he could …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: NASCAR’s Tame Pocono 400 Turns Into Terrific Finish

2017 pocono cup zach catanzareti ryan blaney

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Who’s in the headline – For the third time this season, we have a first-time winner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. It’s Ryan Blaney, who drove to the lead after a late-race restart with fresher tires than a dominant Kyle Busch. He then held off Kevin Harvick in a thrilling finish after Harvick closed in while Busch and …

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Tech Talk: Justin Alexander Discusses Lug Nut Rule, Braking at Pocono

Justin Alexander Charlotte Cup 2017 Mike Neff

Photo Credit : Mike Neff

Being a new crew chief in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is challenging enough. Climb onto the pit box for one of the most iconic cars in the sport when it hasn’t won in a long time and the pressure is even more intense. Justin Alexander, crew chief for Austin Dillon, did it with …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Jimmie Johnson Pulls Another Rabbit Out of His Hat With Dover Victory

2017 Dover I CUP Jimmie Johnson team selfie trophy Logan Whitton NKP

(Photo: Logan Whitton / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – There are horses for courses and some courses for horses. When it comes to Dover International Speedway and Jimmie Johnson, they are the perfect match. Johnson swept both Dover races in his rookie season, and after winning the race on Sunday, he now has 11 career wins at the track. …

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Tech Talk: G-Forces, Part Failure & Corner Entries with Jason Ratcliff

2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX USA Friday 7 April 2017 Jason Ratcliff World Copyright: Logan Whitton/NKP

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

After the longest race of the year, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads off to one of the toughest tracks on the schedule. The concrete high banks of Dover International Speedway tests man and machine thanks to its high banks, high speeds and unique transitions into and out of the corners. The fact the …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud : Austin Dillon Good to the Last Drop in Coca-Cola 600

Austin Dillon Charlotte Cup Victory Lane 2017 Fiance Yvonne Leonard

(Photo: Yvonne Leonard)

Who’s in the headline: The Coca-Cola 600 took several different twists on Sunday evening/Monday morning. Through a crazy wreck to start the event, a rain delay for almost two hours and a dominating performance by Martin Truex Jr., it was Austin Dillon who took the No. 3 to Victory Lane for the first time in 17 …

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Clean Air Dominates Charlotte XFINITY Race

Late Race Restart Charlotte XFINITY 2017 Kevin Harvick and Austin Dillon

Photo Credit : Mike Neff

The advantage of clean air in NASCAR was on full display Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The entire 200-lap XFINITY Series race, the HiSense 4K TV 300, was an exercise in passing on restarts or playing follow-the-leader. Whenever the field was bunched up after cautions, just the first two laps after the drop of the …

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