Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud – Kyle Busch Finds Brickyard Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow

Kyle Busch Kissing Bricks Indianapolis Cup 2016 Yvonne Leonard

Photo Credit : Yvonne Leonard

Who’s in the headline – Kyle Busch pulled out the broom stick for the second year in a row at Indianapolis. To make it even more exciting, this year, he not only swept both races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he won both poles as well. Busch dominated the event, leading all but 21 laps en …

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XFINITY Breakdown:Kyle Busch Continues XFINITY Dominance at Indianapolis

Kyle Busch Donuts Indianapolis XFINITY 2016 Yvonne Leonard

(Photo: Yvonne Leonard)

The XFINITY series has been running at Indianapolis for five years and for the last four it has been Kyle Busch’s playground. After a 22nd place run in 2012 Busch has won three of the last four races and two in a row. Saturday’s effort was especially dominant, with Busch leading all 20 laps of …

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Tech Talk: Kevin ‘Bono’ Manion Gets Down and Dirty at Eldora

2016 Camping World Truck Eldora

19-20 July, 2016, Rossburg, Ohio USA Cody Coughlin ©2016, Brett Moist NKP

Kevin ‘Bono’ Manion spent years in the Cup series after successfully leading Martin Truex, Jr. to two XFINITY series titles. After leaving Richard Petty Motorsports, Manion ventured to Kyle Busch Motorsports for the 2016 season, heading up the No. 51 team. This season marked his first visit to Eldora Speedway and first opportunity as a crew …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Matt Kenseth New Hampshire Win Tainted By Failed Inspection?

2016 Loudon I CUP MattKneseth woohoo Matthew T Thacker NKP

Who’s in the headline: The old adage of only having to lead one lap seems to be the way Matt Kenseth does business. It rang true again this weekend as Kenseth started 18th and took over 250 laps to get to the point. Once there, he endured three restarts over the final 31 circuits and strolled to victory in a …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Inside Tony Stewart’s Stunning Sonoma Victory

2106 Sonoma CUP Tony Stewart woohoo close John Harrelson NKP

(Photo: John Harrelson/NKP)

Who’s in the headline – Friday, Tony Stewart said, “driving a Sprint Cup car does not make me happy right now.” Wonder how he feels after a trip to Victory Lane? Based on that winning look on his face my guess is “ecstatic” after a last-lap, last-turn re-pass of Denny Hamlin earned Smoke his first victory since Dover in June 2013. …

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Tech Talk: Trent Owens Discusses Michigan Rules Package, About-Facing for Sonoma

A week off for the Cup series allowed Trent Owens, crew chief of Aric Almirola‘s No. 43 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, to spend a week at the beach and think about anything but racecars. Regardless, he feels like the series rules package run at Michigan International Speedway was a step in the …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Aero Packages, Winners, Losers and Charters for the Second Off Week of the Season

Kyle Busch Confetti Martinsville Cup 2016 Mike Neff

Who’s in the headline – In a world where “winning is everything,” Kyle Busch is the name in bold at the top of the charts with three victories in 2016. If points are your thing, then it is Kevin Harvick who has set himself above the rest. Whatever the case, the last two champions in …

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Tech Talk: NASCAR’s Gene Stefanyshyn Breaks Down Rules Package Changes & the Process Behind Them

2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rules Test

BROOKLYN, MI - AUGUST 18: Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development, speaks with Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Toyota, during the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rules Test at Michigan International Speedway on August 18, 2014 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Robert Reiners/NASCAR via Getty Images)

NASCAR’s low downforce aerodynamic package for 2016 was implemented to try and make the racing better, and no matter your allegiances, it is true, based on any metric or eye test you’d like to perform, that the competition this season has been better as a result. There have been a couple of stinker races, sure, but …

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Tech Talk: Tony Gibson Talks Communication, Downforce and Yaw

Daytona 500 Cup Tony Gibson 2.15 Mike Neff-114

(Photo: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Tony Gibson’s No. 41 team celebrated yet another victory last Monday at Pocono when Kurt Busch stretched his fuel to the finish. However, it was a bittersweet moment for Gibson, because he was not able to celebrate with his team thanks to a suspension from a lug nut that was a quarter turn from being …

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Tech Talk: Matt McCall Talks Tires, Fuel Strategy & Rule Adaptations

Matt McCall Martinsville 2015 Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

Pocono Raceway is unlike any other race track. Not only does it have three turns, but each one is also unique in terms of radius and banking. Setting a car up is all about compromise and finding a fast way through all three corners while maximizing the turn that a team feels gives them the …

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