Race Weekend Central

2019 NASCAR Top Storylines: Young Guns Remain Shut Out of Championship Finale

2019 Homestead Mencs Kyle Busch Trophy Cck

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Competing for championships at the top level of NASCAR remains almost exclusively a pursuit for the more experienced drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series garage. That was obvious again this year at Homestead-Miami Speedway, when Kyle Busch claimed victory for relative youth at age 34 over Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. — …

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Xfinity Breakdown: Tyler Reddick Proves Biggest of Big 3

2019 Homestead Nxs Tyler Reddick Trophy Cck

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

On Friday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the worst case scenario for NASCAR’s current system of deciding champions came to pass, as Matt Crafton managed to capture the Camping World Truck Series crown despite also finishing off a winless season in the process, his runner-up finish Austin Hill proving to be enough. But if that outcome …

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Xfinity Breakdown: Justin Allgaier Makes Championship Race the Easy Way After Hard Luck Season

2019 Phoenix Nxs Justin Allgaier Burnout Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

There was a brief period during the final stage of the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 at ISM Raceway when it looked like Justin Allgaier was going to have the most logical possible end to a frustrating season. Though Allgaier entered the race in a safe spot to advance to the Championship 4 on …

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Xfinity Breakdown: Christopher Bell is Inevitable

2019 Texas Nxs Christopher Bell Trophy Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

If Marvel’s Thanos existed in the real world, he’d have to admit that Christopher Bell was just as inevitable. If Benjamin Franklin was around today, he’d be forced to amend his famous quote about death and taxes to include the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on his short list of life’s …

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Xfinity Breakdown: Kansas Defies Stereotypes, Remains Unpredictable for Xfinity Playoffs

2019 Kansas Nxs Kansas Speedway Restart Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

If someone told you that a playoff race featured multiple title contenders caught up in wrecks, a near brawl on pit road after the checkered flag and a first-time winner, you’d probably guess it was Talladega, a short track or maybe the ROVAL. And if we were talking about the NASCAR Cup Series, you’d probably …

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Xfinity Breakdown: Dover Teases But Ultimately Offers No Surprises

Nascar Xfinity Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

One of the more curious aspects of the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season is how it’s managed to simultaneously subvert and reinforce its own narratives all year long. Cole Custer and Tyler Reddick won enough races to be part of a Big Three, but most people still consider Christopher Bell the favorite for the championship. …

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Xfinity Breakdown: Christopher Bell Opens Playoffs By Throwing Down the Gauntlet

2019 Richmond Nxs Christopher Bell Victory Celebration Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It’s not for nothing that there was so much talk about the Big Three during the Xfinity Series regular season. The moniker was fresh in everyone’s mind after its use during the 2018 Cup Series campaign, and Cole Custer and Tyler Reddick certainly accomplished enough to deserve to be in the top trio. It’s not …

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Xfinity Breakdown: Tyler Reddick, Randall Burnett Conjure Magical Win in Las Vegas

2019 Las Vegas Nxs Tyler Reddick Victory Celebration Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Champion boxer Gennady Golovkin likes to refer to what he does in the ring as the “Big Drama Show.” If he’s willing to share, Tyler Reddick, crew chief Randall Burnett and the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team showed they deserve that label, too. This group pulled off a white-knuckle gambit to TKO  the …

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Xfinity Breakdown: When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong at Indy

Nascar Xfinity Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The only way that the critical moment of the Indiana 250 would have been more fitting is if Cole Custer had been involved. Custer wasn’t much of a factor at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, but his two chief rivals certainly where. Despite the presence of Kyle Busch in the field, Christopher Bell and Tyler …

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Xfinity Breakdown: Denny Hamlin Goes Back to Front to Back

2019 Darlington Nxs Cole Custer Trophy Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It’s not too often that the key moment in a race at Darlington Raceway happens well after the checkered flag waves. Then again, Denny Hamlin has been making Xfinity Series events at The Track Too Tough to Tame into foregone conclusions for years, winning five of them and racking up a career average finish that …

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Xfinity Breakdown: Christopher Bell Now Officially Has No Weaknesses

2019 Road America Nxs Christopher Bell Victory Lane Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

There’s probably not really such a thing as a Christopher Bell naysayer. He’s clearly ready for Monster Energy Cup Series racing in 2020 — and an excellent argument could be made that he could have successfully made the jump this year — as he’s accomplished everything he possibly could at the NASCAR Xfinity Series level …

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Xfinity Breakdown: As Chaos Reigns at Bristol, Tyler Reddick Proves Both Lucky & Really Good

2019 Nxs Bristol Tyler Reddick Checkers Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

When a common reaction to a race is something along the lines of “now I’ve seen it all,” that’s usually a good sign. The Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway did indeed have a little bit of everything, including an early wreck that took out a handful of favorites, an exploding tire, a stage …

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