Race Weekend Central

Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Texas Edition

2016 Martinsville I CUP fans pack racing Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

NASCAR took a reprieve from the cookie cutter tracks and gave us the paperclip at Martinsville. And well, when it comes to racing, I’ll go for paperclips over cookie cutters anytime. And after this weekend, I’m sure Kyle Busch will too. HOT Kyle Busch had as good of a weekend as a race car driver …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Martinsville Edition

2016 Fontana CUP Jimmie Johnson Superman Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade /NKP)

There’s that old Jim Croce song, covered by many several times over the years, where it talks about not tugging on superman’s cape and where you don’t mess around with Jim. A late restart at California Sunday afternoon allowed for both of those things to happen, in a sense. It pulled the cape of the …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: California Edition

2016 Phoenix I NXS Kyle bUsch bow Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

We were minus the sandstorms and other weird weather phenomenons in Phoenix on Sunday, but NASCAR and its fans got something much better – a thrilling, down to the line, door-banging finish. HOT So now that’s two of the four races so far with extra-close finishes, and that’s a pretty good percentage. I wouldn’t expect …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not: Phoenix Edition

2016 Las Vegas CUP Austin Dillon car John Harrelson NKP

(Photo: John Harrelson / NKP)

NASCAR blew through Las Vegas this past weekend, and we mean that in a literal just as much as a figurative sense. If you correctly predicted that Brad Keselowski was going to be the winner, you might have said the answer was blowin’ in the wind. Before and during the race, with flag poles bending …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Las Vegas Edition

Sunday was the first race in 2016 with the low downforce package, and it was a pleasant surprise that it was not a wreck-fest, or even a blown tire-fest. There was actually good racing for the lead and strategy ended up playing a huge role in the outcome. With that in mind, here’s a look …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Atlanta Edition

The 2016 season is off to a running start and as expected there are plenty of hots and not-so-hots after a weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Just don’t expect every race this year to have the kind of finish we saw Sunday. HOT It’s often been said that baseball is a game of inches, but …

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Friday Faceoff: Who Needs a Daytona 500 Win?

Who would benefit the most from a Daytona 500 win? What driver in the field needs a 500 to complete their resume?  Sean Fesko, Staff Writer: Any driver with no prayer of winning a non-plate race would benefit the most. Not only would they be a part of the whirlwind winner’s media tour, but they’d …

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Friday Faceoff: Who’s On the NASCAR Hot Seat?

2015 Martinsville I CUP Matt Kenseth Kurt Busch racing credit Amy Henderson

(Photo: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch)

With the changes NASCAR made for 2016, including a new aerodynamic package and charter system, can fans expect better racing? Vito Pugliese, Senior Writer: The Charter System won’t have much of an impact on racing in the short-term; save for freeing up a few pit stalls and space in the garage area. The Aerodynamic package …

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Friday Faceoff: Did NASCAR Add Too Many Gimmicks?

2015 Martinsville I CUP Tony Stewart racingcredit Amy Henderson

(Photo: Amy Henderson)

NASCAR announced several changes last week, including a caution clock in the Truck Series. Is this going to change anything in terms of what fans see on track and/or for race teams? Clayton Caldwell, Contributor: The caution clock was a gut shot to me when I first heard it. I don’t mind the Chase in …

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2015 NASCAR Rewind: Tony Stewart

2015 Loudon I CUP Tony Stewart CIA

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

For the first time since the 2012 season, Tony Stewart was able to complete the entire race schedule. In fact, apart from his retirement announcement in late September, it was a quiet year for the 44-year-old. Perhaps too quiet. For the driver who last visited victory lane at Dover in early 2013, Stewart’s statistics for the …

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2015 NASCAR Rewind: Matt Kenseth

Kenseth, Matt - 2015 Bank of America 500 - Charlotte

(Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

This 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season was quite memorable for Matt Kenseth. The veteran driver, in his third year with Joe Gibbs Racing, made the Chase once again and had five wins on the season. Those are the kind of things that every driver wants to achieve. But the legacy for Kenseth’s 2015 season won’t …

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