Race Weekend Central

Holding a Pretty Wheel: Evolution, Part I

2019 Talladega Mencs Racing Cck

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Whispers and wails of change in NASCAR are everywhere in the air. There’s no shelter from the winds of change to those within the sport, and truth be told, they have blown ceaselessly for a long time now. But what if the sport isn’t the only thing that has changed? Our world has changed, our …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: On the Wrong Side of Parity

2019 Texas Mencs Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Parity. Once upon a time, that wasn’t a dirty word in NASCAR. It shouldn’t be a dirty word in NASCAR. So why has it become one? Let’s roll back a couple of decades. Times were booming, and plenty of people wanted a piece of the pie. Manufacturers were heavily invested in racing, and they all …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: Will NASCAR’s Next Gen Car Be Enough?

Darlington Raceway sunset in 2018, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

NASCAR appears to be in the final stages of development in the Next Gen racecar for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. A test session at Richmond Raceway was the first time on track for the new car; while NASCAR has said the new bodies will be a work in progress, it was the first …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: The Old-Fashioned Way

2019 Sonoma Mencs Matt Dibenedetto Cup Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It’s safe to say that Matt DiBenedetto being named as Paul Menard’s successor at Wood Brothers Racing will go down as one of the most popular moves during Silly Season 2019. DiBenedetto has grown a loyal following in his five seasons as a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series underdog, and he’s having a solid year …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: Only a Test for NASCAR?

#20: Erik Jones, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Dewalt And #36: Matt Tifft, Front Row Motorsports, Ford Mustang Out West Express Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

With a new racecar on the horizon for NASCAR, there has been plenty of talk and speculation about whether, and how, it will make the racing better for fans. That’s a great conversation to have, but first, there has to be a conversation about what went south in the first place. Why isn’t the racing …

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Holding A Pretty Wheel: Could A Step Back Move NASCAR Forward?

2019 Michigan I Cup Kyle Busch Pack Racing Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

NASCAR returns to my home track in New Hampshire this weekend. The stands won’t be packed full, sold out with a waiting list, but I remember when they were. NASCAR was swelling, and maybe even then riding for a fall. What happened in between is well-documented: the fad ended, and in an attempt to keep …

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Changes Are A-Comin’ (On the Manufacturer Side?)

Ryan Newman Wins Whelen Modified All Star Race At New Hampshire Motor Speedway 2014 Getty Images

Ryan Newman gets an invite to the Whelen Modified All-Star Shootout and takes the win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Credit: Getty Images

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is about to have myriad changes take place over the next couple of years — or so it’s said. In 2020, the schedule is rumored to be drastically different, and in 2021 the Gen-7 car is set to hit the track. Reports describe the vehicles as everything from more …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: Your Cheatin’ Heart

2017 Phoenix Ii Cup Pack Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

When NASCAR announced that teams who failed postrace inspection would face disqualification, forfeiting even a race win, it was well-received among race fans.  Many have called for years for stiffer penalties for bending the rules, and rightfully so.  Fans deserve to know that the winner of a race did so in a legal car. So, …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: Choosing NASCAR’s Chosen

2017 Kansas I Cup Tony Stewart Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After the hundreds of men and women who have flowed through NASCAR like so much water over the decades, it all comes down to five. After considering the 25 nominees, each year, the NASCAR Hall of Fame selection panel chooses just five to represent the sport inside those hallowed walls each year. Drivers, crew chiefs, …

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A Night and Day Difference for NASCAR

#4: Kevin Harvick, Stewart Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Busch Beer, #17: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Roush Fenway Racing, Ford Mustang Sunnyd And #14: Clint Bowyer, Stewart Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Haas Automation Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Last weekend was a difficult weather weekend for the midwest. Continual rain and a passing cold front made for cold, largely wet nights amid a month filled with near-constant moisture. For most people in the area, the weekend was a quiet one, spent largely indoors with hopes of sunlight and 80-degree days in the near …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: Getting to the Point(s) with NASCAR

Nascar Champions Portraits

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Earlier this week, I wrote that one thing NASCAR needs as the sport enters a new television contract is a more meaningful championship. The current format has left a lot of fans frustrated, because the championship feels somehow less than it used to, especially in the last few years, when it comes down to one …

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Holding A Pretty Wheel: The Good, Bad And The Ugly Of Recent NASCAR Fixes

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Daniel Suarez Pack Racing Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

NASCAR made some fairly significant schedule changes this week for the 2020 season, the biggest swing at what had become a stagnant calendar for several years. The sanctioning body has hinted more changes are to come as current track contracts come to an end and the seventh-generation cars are phased in for 2021. But is …

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