Race Weekend Central

Friday Faceoff: Should Jennifer Jo Cobb Have Been Approved for Talladega Cup Race?

Jennifer Jo Cobb races at Las Vegas spring truck race NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The approval process for drivers to race in the NASCAR Cup Series has come into question with NASCAR denying Jennifer Jo Cobb for Talladega Superspeedway. Are her credentials sufficient enough, or was it the right call? Luken Glover: Putting Jennifer Jo Cobb in a car for her debut at Talladega was a questionable decision, so …

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Friday Faceoff: Should Teams Look for More Short Track Racers to Fill Marquee Rides?

2021 Xfinity Martinsville Josh Berry, No. 8 JR Motorsports, Victorious (Credit: NKP)

Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

Considering the sudden success of drivers like Ross Chastain and Josh Berry, is it important for the sport to have teams look at veteran short track racers? What other largely unknown driver could excel given the right opportunity? Luken Glover: It definitely is worth a look into. Both Ross Chastain and Josh Berry excelled greatly …

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Friday Faceoff: Who’s This Year’s Most Surprising Non-Winner So Far?

Chase Elliott featured racing ahead of the pack at spring Atlanta Cup race 2021 NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

No shortage of surprise NASCAR Cup Series winners so far in 2021, but who are you most surprised hasn’t won a Cup race in 2021? Luken Glover: An easy answer would be Kevin Harvick due to the lack of speed and dominance that we’ve seen from him the past three years. However, Denny Hamlin is …

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Friday Faceoff: Biggest Surprises & Disappointments So Far

Daniel Suarez races at 2021 spring Las Vegas Cup race with Camping World on the hood Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In the NASCAR Cup Series, who has been the biggest surprise of the year to this point? Biggest disappointment? Luken Glover: After his performance at the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race, Daniel Suarez has definitely been one of the biggest surprises this year. With everything the new Trackhouse Racing Team faces this season, Suarez is …

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Friday Faceoff: Should Drivers Be Allowed to Fight?

2021 Phoenix I Cup Christopher Bell Face Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Six different drivers have won the first six NASCAR Cup Series races. How many more weeks will the streak continue? Which driver breaks it? Luken Glover: The streak is in jeopardy this week at Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt track with guys like Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell in the field. I am not going to …

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Friday Faceoff: Should More Teams Let a Dirt Ace Pilot Their Bristol Entry?

Stewart Friesen

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Which new driver/crew chief combo will win next in the NASCAR Cup Series after four of them have won in the first five races? Josh Roller: The way Kyle Busch and the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 team is finishing, it’s a toss-up between Busch-Ben Beshore and Bubba Wallace-Mike Wheeler at 23XI Racing. But it …

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Friday Faceoff: Can Anything Be Done to Enhance Competitors’ Mental Health?

2019 Las Vegas I Cup Ty Dillon Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Ty Dillon’s recent podcast is another example of the mental toll racing can take. Is there anything NASCAR or teams can do to alleviate it, or is the intense stress an inevitability? Mark Kristl: Professional athletes always face pressure. If they do not perform well enough, they become unemployed. It is partly why athletes retire …

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Friday Faceoff: Is William Byron a Championship Contender?

William Byron celebrates in victory lane at Homestead 2021 cup Photo Sean Gardner Getty Images

(Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Buy or sell: William Byron as a Cup Series Championship 4 contender. Luken Glover: At this moment I am buying it. One of the biggest underlying stories of the preseason was the reunion of William Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle. Why is that pairing so special? Well, just five years ago, the pair won …

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Friday Faceoff: How Many Road Courses Is Too Many?

Chase Elliott leads the pack at 2021 Daytona road course Photo NKP

(photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Does the NASCAR Cup Series schedule feature too many road courses? What is the ideal number? Luken Glover: Yes. Road courses can present great racing, but there are a lot of times when they are uneventful races too. Sometimes they can be wreckfests, like we saw in all three series in some capacity at the …

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Friday Faceoff: Does Michael McDowell’s Win Turn Up Heat For Mid-Pack Teams?

Michael McDowell Love’s at Cup Daytona I 2021 Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Should the Daytona 500 and this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race on the road course have been held with fewer days in between? Luken Glover: I can understand the reasoning behind it, but no. In a world where television ratings are crucial, a midweek race would not be the way to go. We saw a …

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Friday Faceoff: Should Any Driver Be Locked Into the Daytona 500?

Joe Gibs Racing teammates Bell Kyle Busch Truex Hamlin at Daytona Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who is more likely to end their Daytona 500 drought first: Kyle Busch or Brad Keselowski? Luken Glover: This is a tough one because neither driver has really established themselves as a favorite at the end. Trouble seems to find both of these champions at the worst times. However, I have to go with Kyle …

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Friday Faceoff: Are Jimmie Johnson/Chad Knaus the Best Driver/Crew Chief Pairing Ever?

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Is Phoenix Raceway the right track again for the NASCAR finales next year? Luken Glover: While the spring NASCAR Cup Series race was good, the championship event wasn’t quite as exciting. There were some good battles among the championship drivers, but behind them we didn’t see a lot of action. It could be that non-playoff …

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