Race Weekend Central

Bryan Gable

Up to Speed: Brad Keselowski & Austin Cindric Battle at Daytona

Bryan Gable
#6: Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing, Ford Mustang Castrol Violet Defense

(Photo: NKP)

One year ago, Brad Keselowski’s frustration was visible.

As the final laps of the Daytona 500 ticked away, Keselowski made a bold move to set himself up for a last-lap pass for the lead on his Team Penske teammate Joey Logano. But when Logano blocked Keselowski’s path forward, Keselowski got hit from behind by Michael McDowell, triggering a frightening crash that knocked out both Penske cars. McDowell went on to win the race, leaving Keselowski without a Harley J. Earl Trophy for at least one more year.

Up to Speed: NASCAR Still Chasing the Casual Sports Fan

Bryan Gable
Kyle Busch takes the green flag to kick off the NASCAR Busch Clash heat races at the LA Colusseum.

(Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

NASCAR’s 2022 season began this weekend with a new twist on a familiar event. Instead of hosting the exhibition race currently known as The Clash at its customary home, Daytona International Speedway, the chartered teams of the NASCAR Cup Series packed up and headed west to Los Angeles. The site of this year’s race was …

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2022 NASCAR Preseason Power Rankings: Nos. 10-1

Frontstretch Staff
2021 Kansas II Cup Alex Bowman Martin Truex Jr pack racing NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It’s the final day of Frontstretch‘s 2022 NASCAR Preseason Power Rankings, where we’re counting down the top 30 NASCAR Cup Series drivers before the cars hit Daytona International Speedway this month, as voted on by the Frontstretch staff. Who made our top 10? Read on to find out. And if you missed parts one and two, catch up …

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2022 NASCAR Preseason Power Rankings: Nos. 20-11

Frontstretch Staff
2021 Charlotte Road ROVAL Cup Chase Elliott pack racing NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

For the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series, Frontstretch writers voted on their top 30 drivers as the 36 charted teams prep for Daytona International Speedway later this month. Today, we’ve got Nos. 20-11 on tap, with the top 10 hitting the website tomorrow, Feb. 4. Miss Nos. 30-21? Click here for a refresher. And here’s Nos. 10-1. …

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2022 NASCAR Preseason Power Rankings: Nos. 30-21

Frontstretch Staff
2021 Talladega II Cup Bubba Wallace Matt DiBenedetto pack racing NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It’s February, which means the NASCAR Cup Series takes to the track to start the 2022 season this month at Daytona International Speedway. With a wide array of driver and team changes from Silly Season alongside more minor personnel tweaks — or even a few lineups that stayed exactly the same — there’s a lot …

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2021 NASCAR Top Storylines: Hendrick Motorsports Back On Top

Bryan Gable
Larson

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Hendrick Motorsports is no stranger to success in the NASCAR Cup Series. During the careers of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, there were several seasons where championships by either the Nos. 24 or 48 teams seemed practically automatic. But since Johnson’s final title in 2016, Hendrick had lost its advantage over the rest of the …

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Up to Speed: NASCAR Playoff Points of the Past Revisited

Bryan Gable
NASCAR Playoff drivers Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. lead the field at Phoenix Raceway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Earlier this year, I explored how NASCAR playoff points earned during the regular season impacted drivers’ performances in the playoffs themselves.  The goal of that study was to determine if a driver’s playoff point total could predict when they would be eliminated from title contention.  I also wanted to see if there were any notable …

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Up to Speed: Denny Hamlin Needs to Let it Go

Bryan Gable
Denny Hamlin scratches his head on pit road at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Denny Hamlin doesn’t have to be happy.  He doesn’t have to like getting spun by Alex Bowman in the closing laps at Martinsville Speedway.  He doesn’t have to celebrate missing out on a potential win during a 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season where he has enjoyed plenty of strong runs, but few victories. No, Hamlin …

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Up to Speed: A Good Bad Day for Kyle Busch at Kansas

Bryan Gable
Kyle Busch at 2021 NASCAR Cup Series race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Kyle Busch’s rocky path through the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs took another unexpected turn at Kansas Speedway. Entering Sunday’s (Oct. 24) race, Busch was on the playoff bubble, just eight points above the cut line. It was a slim margin, but not necessarily a reason to panic. Once among his worst tracks, Busch had finished …

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Up to Speed: Can Joey Logano & Martin Truex Jr. Recover?

Bryan Gable
Joey Logano focuses before the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

On a day at Texas Motor Speedway when most NASCAR playoff drivers avoided serious trouble, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. were not so lucky.  Both drivers looked to be on their way to top-10 finishes but dropped out of the race in the last 50 miles.  Logano’s engine failed on lap 300, relegating him …

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Up to Speed: Mind Games for Chase Elliott & Kevin Harvick at the ROVAL

Bryan Gable
2021 Charlotte Road ROVAL Cup Chase Elliott pack racing NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It is no surprise to see Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL dish out a healthy dose of chaos.  But for the 2021 playoff race, a day at the ROVAL came with more mind games than usual.  The feud between Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick that began at Bristol Motor Speedway flared up once again, with Harvick …

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Up to Speed: Brad Keselowski is Just Who Roush Fenway Racing Needs

Bryan Gable
Brad Keselowski poses with Jack Roush as the duo announce their partnership beginning with the 2022 Cup Series season. (Photo: Action Sports Photography)

(Photo: Action Sports Photography)

Talladega Superspeedway is the site of Brad Keselowski’s first and most recent wins in the NASCAR Cup Series.  Returning to the track for the first time since his April triumph, he’s right in the thick of the championship battle.  Only four points above the cutline before the second race of the Round of 12, Keselowski …

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