Race Weekend Central

4 Burning Questions: Why Does IndyCar Keep Tempting Fate?

2019 Indycar Pocono Felix Rosenqvist Car Nkp

(Photo: Chris Owens/IndyCar Media)

Why does the NTT IndyCar Series go to Pocono Raceway? No, really. Can somebody give me a good answer to this? I understand that IndyCar has a legacy of staging races in the Northeast (which is layman’s terms for saying, “muh tradition”). If this is the case, why doesn’t IndyCar return to Watkins Glen International? …

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4 Burning Questions: What Does the Cup Playoff Picture Look Like?

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who will end Saturday night on top of the roof in victory lane? The Busch brothers have won the last four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway. Kurt Busch will be going for his sixth win at the half-mile oval, while Kyle Busch is looking for his ninth, which would tie …

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4 Burning Questions: Will Anybody Spoil the Truck Playoffs?

2019 Iowa I Gots Matt Crafton Pack Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who will make it into the 2019 Truck series playoffs? This week’s NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway will be the final race of the regular season. Seven drivers have either clinched positions in the eight-driver field or will clinch by starting the race. Ross Chastain, Brett Moffitt, Johnny Sauter, Stewart …

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4 Burning Questions: Will Jimmie Johnson’s New Crew Chief be Successful?

NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson prepares to race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, 2019. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Will Jimmie Johnson improve his results following a crew chief change? After finishing 15th last weekend at the Pocono Raceway, Jimmie Johnson is in serious danger of missing the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs for the first time in his career. Johnson is currently 17th in the point standings, 12 points away from the two drivers …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2019 Gander RV 400

Denny Hamlin takes the checkered flag at Pocono Raceway, July 2020.

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? With most of the field saving fuel during the final stage, Denny Hamlin passed Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones on lap 142 and hung on to win the Gander RV 400. Hamlin had to survive a surprise overtime finish after Kurt Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. …

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4 Burning Questions: The Effect of Eliminating the Arm’s Length Rule

#88: Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro Axalta Makes A Pit Stop, Sunoco Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What will be the effect of eliminating the arm’s length rule? On Wednesday afternoon, NASCAR sent out a competition bulletin announcing the discontinuation of the now-infamous “arm’s length” uncontrolled tire penalty. The penalty had largely been defined for inconsistency. For starters, there wasn’t a lot of policing at standalone Xfinity and Gander Outdoors Truck series …

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NASCAR 101: An Adventure in the Wonderful World of Loop Data

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Since 2005, following every Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, NASCAR has released what it calls loop data to the general public. Loop data is a form of advanced statistics that calculates what position every driver is running at at the conclusion of every lap of the race and who had the fastest lap. NASCAR …

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4 Burning Questions: Does Kurt Busch Really Want To Leave CGR?

2019 Texas Gots Harrison Burton Todd Gilliland Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Where’s Kyle Larson goi- oh, wait. .@KyleLarsonRacin is set to return to @CGRTeams' No. 42 Chevrolet next season, per sources, despite some suggestion that he could land elsewhere. ➖ Meanwhile, Larson's teammate, @KurtBusch, remains in negotiations to extend his stay in the No. 1 Chevrolet for 2020. pic.twitter.com/6MZ2J2bWGd — Adam Stern (@A_S12) July 18, 2019 …

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4 Burning Questions: NASCAR Is Not a Modern Sport

2019 Kentucky Nxs Justin Haley In Car Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

So, was that the biggest upset in the history of NASCAR? As much crap as Derrike Cope has gotten for… 30 years now?! Jeez, everybody’s getting old. Anyway, when Cope won the 1990 Daytona 500 in fluky fashion, he was at least able to be second coming to the white flag. Trevor Bayne won the …

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4 Burning Questions: What Was Brad Keselowski Thinking?

2019 Cup Daytona Duel Zach Catanzareti Daniel Suarez Jimmie Johnson

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

What will happen to the July Fourth weekend for NASCAR in the future? This weekend will mark the ending of a 60-year tradition. In 1958, there were just three superspeedway races on the NASCAR schedule at three different racetracks on three major holiday weeks. There was the Southern 500 on Labor Day at Darlington Raceway …

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4 Burning Questions: What Will Become of Michael McDowell?

2019 Mencs Sonoma Michael Mcdowell

Photo: Danny Peters

Will there be any surprises in this year’s playoff field? With just 10 races to go before the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, the race to get in them is only about to tighten up from here. With all six race winners in the top seven in points, the points battle …

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4 Burning Questions: Is There a Safety Issue Brewing?

Kevin Harvick, The Field, Sonoma 2018, Restart

(Photo: Danny Peters)

Is there a carbon monoxide problem in NASCAR? In the NASCAR Xfinity Series race this past weekend, Brandon Brown was on track in the middle of the second stage at Iowa Speedway when his engine went sour. The Virginian’s cockpit began to fill with smoke. Brown thought he could still get something out of the …

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