Race Weekend Central

Friday Faceoff: How Much Wrecking Is Too Much?

2015 Daytona Ii Austin Dillon Crash Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Aric Almirola and the No. 43 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team received penalties for failing laser inspection following the race at Talladega Superspeedway, including a loss of points for Almirola and owner Richard Petty and a three-race suspension and fine for crew chief Drew Blickensderfer.  Did NASCAR do the right thing, staying in line …

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Friday Faceoff: Who’s in Kyle Busch’s Head?

2017 Las Vegas Cup Kyle Busch John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson / NKP)

Richmond offered us one of the best short track races we have seen there in ages. So why were the stands half full? And is it fixable in the short-term? Mark Howell: Richmond was, indeed, one of the better short track races we’ve seen in recent memory. The low attendance issue is endemic of a …

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Friday Face-off: Who’ll Fill These Ginormous Shoes?

2017 Atlanta Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Car Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced this week that he’ll retire at the end of the 2017 season, the fourth very popular driver to step away since 2015.  What impact will his retirement have on the sport as a whole, and is there a driver out there who can have the impact he’s had on and off …

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Friday Faceoff: Which Rookie Is Top of the Class?

2017 Phoenix I Cup Erik Jones Jimmie Johnson Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP)

In the days leading up to Matt Kenseth’s announcement of a six-race sponsorship deal with Circle K Wednesday, some speculated that the announcement would concern the driver’s imminent retirement. He may not be stepping aside any time soon, but realistically, how much time does Kenseth have? Matteo Marcheschi: Matt Kenseth doesn’t have long. While he has earned …

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Friday Faceoff: Will Pre-Race Fights Bring Fans to the Stands?

2015 Texas Motor Speedway Cup Nascar Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Kurt Busch started the year with the biggest win in his career. But ever since, he’s been struggling. What is going on with the No. 41 team? Vito Pugliese: Either a Daytona 500 hangover, or going headfirst into R&D mode having made a change from Chevrolet to Ford in the offseason. Having back to back …

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Friday Faceoff: Should NASCAR Go Back to Cali More Than Once?

2017 Atlanta Cup Jimmie Johnson Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

After another good show for both the NASCAR XFINITY and Cup series, Auto Club Speedway, a track that’s hosted some of the best races on intermediate tracks in recent years, generated a lot of positive talk.  Does the track deserve another shot at a second race? Amy Henderson, Senior Editor: Whoa there, buckaroo. Yes, the last …

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Friday Faceoff: Crime and Punishment, Chapters 2, 3 & 4

2017 Phoenix I Cup Brad Keselowski Car Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

1. NASCAR announced heavy penalties for Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 teams this week, including a 35-point deduction and a three-week suspension for crew chief Paul Wolfe,  after the car failed post-race weights and measures at Phoenix International Raceway. The No. 4 team of Kevin Harvick also got hit with a one-race suspension for crew …

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Friday Faceoff: NASCAR Surprises and Disappointments

Chris Buescher Jimmie Johnson Trevor Bayne Daytona Cup 2017 Bruce Nuttleman

(Photo: Bruce Nuttleman)

NASCAR did not issue any penalties to Kyle Busch, Joey Logano or the crewmen involved in Sunday’s post-race pit road brawl.  Was this the right call, or should there have been some form of punishment? Amy Henderson: There should have been penalties in the form of fines and probation for Busch and suspensions for the …

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Friday Faceoff: Is NASCAR Letting Cheaters Prosper?

2017 Atlanta Nxs Kyle Busch Checkered Flag Matthew T Thacker Nkp

AJ Allmendinger was hit hard with penalties from having three loose lug nuts in Atlanta, with a loss of 35 points, fines, and a three-race suspension for crew chief Randall Burnett.  Too much or in line? Frank Velat, Staff Writer: It’s spelled out very clearly what will happen when lug nut violations are discovered. Whether …

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Friday Faceoff: Do NASCAR’s New Rules Go Too Far?

2016 Xfinity Homestead Miami Speedway Zach Catanzareti Kyle Larson

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

NASCAR implemented some new penalties for 2017, including immediate consequences for some infractions. Kyle Larson was parked during the Advance Auto Parts Clash for having too many men over the wall making repairs to his car, one of the new provisions.  Are the new, stiffer penalties a good deterrent to breaking the rules, or do …

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Friday Faceoff: Crunched Cars Crunched for Time

2016 Charlotte All Star Cup Tony Stewart Crash Damage Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

NASCAR announced Wednesday that teams that suffer crash damage during a race will have five minutes to fix it on pit road, and if they can’t get the car back on track, they must park for the day.  Good move? John Douglas, Contributor: I am actually a fan of this rule. It’s a complex variation …

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Friday Faceoff: How About All These Changes?

2016 Chicago Cup Carl Edwards Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

NASCAR issued several changes to race formats Monday. What was your instant reaction to the changes? Clayton Caldwell, Contributor: I really like the new points format. I like how bonus points carry throughout the Chase — whoops, I mean playoffs — and that you actually get something for running well in the first two stages of …

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