Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice?: NASCAR 2019 Sees Cream Rise To The Top As Championship 4 Still In Control

2019 Cup Daytona Zach Catanzareti Joey Logano

2019 Advance Auto Parts Clash, Daytona International Speedway. (Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice? … Four races into the 2019 season, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series has the same four drivers in position to repeat. The sport’s reigning champion Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. remain the best positioned to get back to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway and compete for …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR Pit Road Penalties Making An Impact Early In 2019

Pit Road, Pre Race, Sonoma 2018

PC: Danny Peters

Did You Notice? … How NASCAR officials have made a big impact thus far in 2019 with calling pit road violations? You could argue in the past two races speeding penalties have cost the two fastest cars in those events, Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch, a trip to Victory Lane. A simple touch of the ground …

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Did You Notice?: Kyle Larson Leaving NASCAR Wins On The Table

2019 Daytona I Cup Kyle Larson Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Kyle Larson has developed a nasty habit of leaving NASCAR wins on the table? He’s now failed to win nine of the last 10 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races where he’s led the most laps (or tied for the most). It’s a perplexing pattern for one of the sport’s budding superstars, …

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Did You Notice?: How Buy-A-Ride NASCAR Wins Are Perceived?

2019 Daytona I Nxsmichae Annett Nkp

Did You Notice? … NASCAR’s final restrictor plate race reminded us why the sport is trying a different approach? Don’t get me wrong; the 2019 Daytona 500 exceeded expectations, especially after some shaky opening acts. Drivers were willing to break in an inside groove they’d been hesitant to try all Speedweeks to the tune of “it’s …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR 2019, Don’t Knock It Until You Try It

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … NASCAR enters 2019 with a slew of major changes? Among them: a new handling package designed to bring the cars closer together, the end of restrictor plates, disqualifying race winners that fail inspection. But, most importantly, there’s a new CEO (Jim France) and new President (Steve Phelps) compared to this time a …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR Playoff Points Kept Truex, Harvick Alive For 2018 Title

2018 Cup Richmond Zach Catanzareti Martin Truex Jr.

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice? … Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick have the sport’s new playoff points format to thank for their inclusion in this weekend’s Championship 4? Both men, after spectacular regular seasons underachieved during much of the postseason. Depending on how Homestead works out, Truex could be the first driver since Tony Stewart in 2005 …

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Did You Notice?: Trouble Ahead For Toyota’s NASCAR Program?

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Auto Club 400 Qualifying

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Did You Notice? … Toyota is lagging behind thus far in the NASCAR playoffs? The manufacturer has led just 27 laps in the last four races, all of them attributed to Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch. That duo are the only ones to advance into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 after …

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Did You Notice?: Big Three Taking a Back Seat During NASCAR Playoffs… So Far

2018 Cup New Hampshire Kevin Harvick Kyle Busch Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice? … The Big Three have yet to dominate in the playoffs the way they did during NASCAR’s regular season? On paper, the points look good for Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. They’ll each advance to the Round of 8 at Kansas Speedway unless there’s some major catastrophe. But this trio has combined …

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Did You Notice?: What Kasey Kahne Tells Us About The NASCAR Hall of Fame

Kasey Kahne

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Did You Notice?… Kasey Kahne’s legacy will be one of unfulfilled potential, falling just short of the NASCAR Hall of Fame? The 38-year-old officially retired Tuesday (Oct. 9) due to dehydration issues he suffered inside the car during September’s Southern 500. It speeds up a process that would have happened at the end of November, as …

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Did You Notice?: New, 2019 NASCAR Rules Package Sign of Serious Shakeup Ahead

20180930 175049

(Photo: Frank Velat)

Did You Notice? … Stock car racing threw a grenade into the garage with its redesigned 2019 NASCAR rules package? Between the ROVAL on Sunday (Sept. 30) and a laundry list of changes announced Tuesday, this sport feels like it’s suddenly reinventing itself. Most importantly, the new package removes the words restrictor plate from the Monster …

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Did You Notice?: Kyle Busch Is On Pace To Make More NASCAR History?

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … Kyle Busch has hit 50 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories? That number ties him for 11th all-time at just 33 years of age. So much has been made of Busch challenging Richard Petty’s record of 200 career wins when you compile his totals in all three major NASCAR series. He’s …

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Did You Notice?: Stage Points, Playoff Points Protect NASCAR Title Contenders

2018 Cup New Hampshire Zach Catanzareti Martin Truex Jr.

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice? … How stage points, even on a driver’s worst day, can minimize the damage during the NASCAR playoffs? Brad Keselowski may have won the battle Sunday (Sept. 16) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but it’s the Big Three whose efforts keep winning the war. It was a difficult day behind Keselowski for the trio …

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