Race Weekend Central

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hid Smoking Habit for Years, Shares Intimate Details of Quitting

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nicorette

(Photo: Nicorette)

Cigarettes and video games. That’s all Dale Earnhardt Jr. knew for quite some time. NASCAR’s most popular driver at the time couldn’t do one without the other. He would try to quit the habit he hid from the public, but he couldn’t cut it out of his daily routine. That changed when he met his …

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Fire on Fridays: Pocono Needs to Use Its Road Course

2019 Cup Pocono Zach Catanzareti William Byron

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The Tricky Triangle just isn’t tricky enough anymore. I’ve been going to Pocono Raceway for the last 15 years, and these days, the racing is way too hit or miss. Some events at the track are stellar, like the first NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race in 2010, which featuring plenty of passing, wrecks and …

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Fire on Fridays: The Return of the Road Course Specialist?

2016 Camping World Truck Homestead

(Photo: Barry Cantrell / NKP)

Ron Fellows. Boris Said. Dan Gurney. Scott Pruett. The list goes on and on. Max Papis. Jan Magnussen. Don’t forget Nelson Piquet Jr. or even Kenny Habul. But what happened the road course ringer? Once one of the most exciting group of racers on the NASCAR schedule has all but disappeared, with entry lists on …

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Fire on Fridays: What Does George Steinbrenner’s Investment Mean for Racing?

Colton Herta 2019 Indycar Classic At Circuit Of The Americas

(Photo: Joe Skibinski/IndyCar Media)

The Boss wasn’t known for his love of racing. But believe it or not, the man coined as “the head of the evil empire,” otherwise known as the New York Yankees, was passionate about open-wheel racing. That’s right. George Steinbrenner, the patriarch of the current Yankees ownership, loved racing, so much so that he even …

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Fire on Fridays: Who Should Attempt the Memorial Day Double?

2019 Daytona I Cup Kyle Larson Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

John Andretti. Tony Stewart. Robby Gordon. Kurt Busch. These are the only four racers to complete the Memorial Day double. It’s one of the most mentally and physically grueling tasks a racecar driver can take upon themselves. However, it is doable; the past participants prove that. But these days, team owners and sponsors are reluctant …

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Fire On Fridays: Corey LaJoie Can Be The Face Of NASCAR

2019 Daytona I Cup Corey Lajoie Helmet Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

He has the look. He has the personality. He has the family history in NASCAR. What doesn’t Corey LaJoie have? The North Carolina native is one of NASCAR’s most outgoing personalities. But it’s taken years for him to catch the attention of major corporate backers. LaJoie was just beating Brett Moffitt, Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace …

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Fire On Fridays: Kudos to NASCAR 2019 For Embracing Change… 2020 NASCAR Schedule Included

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Paul Menard Pack Racing Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

If you’re one of the people who hates the 2020 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule for next year, I sincerely hope you haven’t been complaining about the lack of change until now. For the first time in seemingly forever, NASCAR’s leadership is listening to fans. They want people to be happy, and changes are …

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Fire On Fridays: Is A Fistfight What NASCAR Fans Want?

2019 Daytona I Cup Daniel Suarez Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It was a really awkward NASCAR moment. Probably the most awkward fight you’ll see all year. These two definitely don’t belong in a boxing ring. But what Michael McDowell and Daniel Suarez did on pit road was different. It shows a revised version of NASCAR, one where even qualifying will cause drivers to square up …

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Fire on Fridays: Can Ryan Preece Win the Rookie Battle?

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year battle will be intense this year, probably more than Daniel Hemric anticipated. It will be much better than the clash between mid-packers William Byron and Darrell Wallace Jr. from last year. Instead, it might feature drivers competing for the playoffs, rather than barely staying on …

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Fire on Fridays: The William Byron Standard

Rick Hendrick talks with William Byron before the 2019 Daytona 500 (February 2019) (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

William Byron is in college, but he doesn’t come off as the average college student. That’s because he doesn’t live an average life. Byron’s schedule is hectic. He attends Liberty University, sometimes in person and other times online. The rest of the week is spent with Hendrick Motorsports, starting with team meetings and press spots …

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ESPN Dedicated to Continuing NASCAR Coverage

Jimmie Johnson September 14, 2017

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

ESPN will not ditch its NASCAR coverage in 2019. The self-proclaimed Worldwide Leader in Sports, despite making several cuts to its motor sports staff, will be featuring NASCAR across all of its platforms. “NASCAR coverage will continue to appear on ESPN platforms in 2019, including SportsCenter and ESPN.com,” a spokesperson for ESPN told Frontstretch via email. “We have a broad amount …

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