Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice?: In The 2019 NASCAR Playoffs, No Cinderellas Allowed

2018 cup michigan zach catanzareti roger penske

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice? … If the season ended today, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series would set a dubious playoff record. Only five owners would be eligible to capture the championship, by far the fewest in the sport’s 16-car postseason era. 2019 PLAYOFF TEAMS (IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY) Joe Gibbs Racing (4): Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, …

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5 Points To Ponder: Charlotte’s Climb Back To NASCAR Respectability

2019 Charlotte NXS Christopher Bell Car Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Charlotte Motor Speedway Battles Back NASCAR may have been created in some smoke-filled meetings down in Daytona Beach but make no mistake: Charlotte is now stock car racing’s home base. Every major team has its race shop in the area, along with a core group of the sport’s operating staff paired with the NASCAR …

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Did You Notice?: Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600 Worlds Apart Once Again

2016 Daytona II CUP Roger Penske champagne Logan Whitton NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … The 2019 Indianapolis 500 starting lineup will have little, if any, crossover with NASCAR? Just two of the 33 drivers in this year’s field have any experience driving high-level stock cars. James Davison and Conor Daly have made a combined five Xfinity Series starts, none of them on oval tracks as neither …

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Did You Notice?: Could Ross Chastain’s NASCAR Decision In 2019 Cost Him A Championship?

2019 Daytona I NXS Ross CHastain face NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Ross Chastain picked the wrong NASCAR series in 2019? Of course, he didn’t know it at the time after a devastating end to his tenure at Chip Ganassi Racing. Chastain was all set for a competitive full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series ride before DC Solar found itself raided by the FBI. That left …

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5 Points To Ponder: Christopher Who? Tyler Reddick May Be NASCAR’s Best Young Talent

2019 Las Vegas I NXS Tyler Reddick NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Can NASCAR’s New Package Keep Delivering? The 2019 Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway offered the perfect storm of circumstances for NASCAR’s new handling package. As I wrote yesterday (May 12), cooler temperatures and graduated banking equaled the perfect 1-2 punch for good racing. More than ever, drivers appear to be schooled in the …

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Did You Notice?: Chase Elliott, Not Jimmie Johnson, Sits Alone Atop Hendrick Motorsports

2019 Daytona I CUP Jimmie Johnson Chase Elliott NKP

(Photo: NKP)

Did You Notice?… A changing of the guard at Hendrick Motorsports in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series? Chase Elliott became the first driver for HMS to win in 2019, also breaking the season shutout for Chevrolet. His push to the win at Talladega Superspeedway Sunday (April 28) came courtesy teammate and second-place finisher Alex Bowman. …

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Did You Notice?: Is NASCAR’s 2019 Package Working? Inside The Numbers

Kyle Busch - 2019 Daytona 500

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Did You Notice? … If the new 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series handling package is creating more passing on track? The simple answer is yes. Green-flag passes through nine races are up 15.5% over last year according to Loop Data statistics provided by NASCAR. So then why are the fans providing such mixed reviews? Why …

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5 Points to Ponder: 9 Races Into NASCAR 2019

2016 cup homestead-miami speedway joe gibbs roger penske zach catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

ONE: NASCAR 2019 = 2-Team Tandem At The Top Forget NASCAR’s Big Three. This year, it’s the Big Two (owners, that is) leading the way in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske have flat out dominated the first nine races of the season. Ryan Blaney (Penske) and Erik Jones …

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Martin Truex Jr. Earns First NASCAR Short Track Victory in 2019 Toyota Owners 400

2019 Las Vegas I CUP Martin Truex Jr NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

On his 81st short track start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Martin Truex Jr. would not be denied. Truex held off three challengers beating on his rear bumper to score the victory Saturday (April 13) in the 2019 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway. “The short track win, everyone kept asking me when …

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Did You Notice?: The 2019 NASCAR Playoffs Are Already Coming Into Focus?

2018 homestead cup zach catanzareti joey logano

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice? … The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture is taking shape? It’s hard to believe but we’re already eight races into 2019. If the regular season was just one big race, stage one would be wrapping up sometime during the middle of Saturday night’s showdown at Richmond Raceway. What do we know …

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Kyle Busch Recovers From Early Wreck, Bests Brother To Win 2019 Food City 500

2019 bristol zach catanzareti cup kyle busch

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

A wreck one lap into the Food City 500. A crushed rear bumper. Fighting nearly 500 laps to gain track position. None of that tough luck could deter Kyle Busch at Bristol Motor Speedway from another Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory. Busch took control after the final restart on Sunday (April 7) at Bristol …

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Did You Notice?: 2019 NASCAR Parity Is Here… It’s Just Misplaced

#22: Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Pennzoil, #2: Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Discount Tire and #12: Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Menards/Pennzoil Ford Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 2019. (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice?… NASCAR’s parity problem? The new, low-horsepower handling package at intermediate tracks combined with several new 2019 rules have been designed to bring the field closer together. In many ways, the field is tighter than ever. But that parity has occurred within teams rather than the full 40-car field itself. Seven races in, just two organizations have won …

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