Race Weekend Central

Holding A Pretty Wheel: NASCAR Perfection in Half a Mile

2015 Martinsville I Cup Stands Credit Amy Henderson

(Photo: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch)

Nothing is perfect.  That’s true of life as well as racing.  2016 has been a very solid NASCAR season so far; the racing is as good as it’s been in 15 or 20 years, particularly on the intermediate tracks.  There’s stability for teams to grow into the future.  Optimism flourishes. All of that means that …

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Friday Faceoff: Can Martinsville Surprise?

2016 Las Vegas Cup Clint Bowyer Jamie Mcmurray Racing John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson/NKP)

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. came out this week saying that he is going to donate his brain after he dies for scientists to study it. What implications could this have on the future of safety in racing if they were to find anything different in his brain?  Mark Howell, Senior Writer: CTE has been too long …

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The Frontstretch 5: Practical Ways to Address Cup Drivers in Lower Series

2016 Fontana Nxs Pack Racing Ii Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

In recent years, fans have become increasingly vocal about limiting the number of Sprint Cup drivers in the XFINITY and Truck series races, or limiting the number of races they run as the number of series regulars winning races has dwindled, particularly in the XFINITY Series. In that series, of 71 races dating back to …

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Friday Faceoff: So, Who Should Have Been Fined?

2016 Fontana Cup Trevor Bayne Pack Racing Brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

Both Kyle Busch and Cole Pearn faced penalties for post-race comments over the weekend, and Busch was ultimately fined and placed on probation for not meeting postrace media obligations. Penalties were considered but not given when Busch accused NASCAR of fixing the NXS race on his team radio while Pearn took to Twitter to sling …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: Small Gains, Big Deal

2016 Phoenix I Cup Matt Dibenedetto David Ragan Nigel Knrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Between the photo finishes decided by mere inches and the fierce competition for position throughout Sprint Cup races this year, the faces at the front have been more or less constant.  At the end of the day, there’s Jimmie Johnson’s smiling face in Victory Lane, or someone from a team like his, but the racing …

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The Frontstretch 5: Things NASCAR Can’t Have

2016 Fontana Cup Ryan Blaney Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Admit it, you’ve heard the talk in NASCAR in recent years.  The racing is boring, the drivers are boring, some people have no business racing in the Cup Series. But wait, what do you mean there won’t be a parade of new teams fielding backmarkers? Drivers are robots if they don’t speak their minds, jerks …

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The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 2016 Auto Club 400

2016 Fontana Cup Green Flag Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? From the “where did he come from?” category, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. didn’t look like a top-5 threat this weekend…until he was.  Stenhouse qualified 15th, and ran in the top 15 for most of the day, occasionally cracking the lower half of the top 10.  He had worked his …

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Off the Wall With: Casey Mears

2015 Fontana Cup Casey Mears Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

We’re back for season two of Off the Wall With… and we’ve got five brand-new questions for your favorite racing personalities!  Next up: Casey Mears, driver of the No. 13 GEICO Chevy in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. What was your first race car and what number was it? Casey Mears: I first started racing …

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Friday Faceoff: Good Races or Good Finishes?

2016 Phoenix I Cup Kasey Kahne Ryan Blaney Racing Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

After Martin Truex, Jr. said that his team would communicate with suspended crew chief Cole Pearn via FaceTime at Phoenix International Raceway, NASCAR announced it’s looking for way to limit communication with suspended crew members.  Is this something that needs to be done, or is remote communication enough of a hindrance on its own? Mark Howell, …

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The Frontstretch Five: Feel Good Stories So Far In NASCAR 2016

2016 Phoenix I Cup Matt Dibenedetto David Ragan Nigel Knrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Finishes like this one: … and this one: No, they won’t all be like that, but these finishes were pretty spectacular, and the racing through the field hasn’t been too shabby either, with the exception of Daytona. Maybe someday, FOX will see fit to show that part to fans at home… 2. A few new …

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The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 2016 Good Sam 500

2016 Phoenix I Cup Kevin Harvick Team Celebration Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Racing at NASCAR’s highest level takes both talent and equipment.  A good driver in a not-so-good car will generally struggle, and that’s something a lot of drivers face every week, even those who race for the sport’s best-funded teams fight their equipment at times. One test of a …

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