Race Weekend Central

NASCAR 101: NASCAR’s Most-Followed Drivers on Twitter

2019 bristol zach catanzareti jimmie johnson

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Being a NASCAR fan over the last decade or more has brought plenty of changes, few more prominent than the integration of social media into the sport (and, well, pretty much all things). Getting to know NASCAR’s personalities on a personal level used to be left to in-person meetings at the racetrack or other appearances; …

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NASCAR 101: ‘Second Place is Just the First Loser’

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Dale Earnhardt famously once said, “second place is just the first loser.” Ironically, if this rings true, Earnhardt was the first loser 70 times in his illustrious, seven-championship career. Only four drivers have tallied more career second-place finishes than the Intimidator. Currently sitting with 45 second-place finishes, Kyle Busch has been largely vocal about his …

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NASCAR 101: The Top Debuts Among Active Drivers in NASCAR’s National Series

2019-Talladega-I-CUP-Justin-Haley-Daniel-Suarez-racing-NKP

(Photo: NKP)

At Talladega Superspeedway a few weeks ago, Justin Haley was racing like he belonged in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. And that’s not to say he doesn’t; one look at the 20-year-old’s statistics in the NASCAR world, particularly the Gander Outdoors Truck Series and, more recently, the Xfinity Series, show a driver with a …

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NASCAR 101: The Most Top 10s in a Row to Start a Cup Season

2019 Las Vegas I NXS MOrgan Shepherd NKP

(Photo: NKP)

Serious question: has 2019 been anyone but Kyle Busch‘s year thus far? Consider the evidence. In four NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts, he has four wins. He has three wins and four top fives in the Xfinity Series, his only loss a runner-up run at Auto Club Speedway. And then there’s his Monster Energy …

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NASCAR 101: Ranking the 22 Cup Organizations in 2019 So Far

#19: Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Auto Owners Insurance, wins the Toyota Owners 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After a week-long break, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is set to return to the track at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. For the first nine weeks of the season, Cup teams sprinted from Daytona International Speedway to Richmond Raceway, laying down the framework for their 2019 seasons with early-season triumphs and setbacks. Some drivers …

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NASCAR 101: Martin Truex Jr. Finally Won a Short Track Race — Who’s Next?

2019 Cup Richmond zach catanzareti martin truex jr.

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Apparently all it took for Martin Truex Jr. to win on a short track was to switch teams. Last weekend’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway saw Truex, in the midst of his first season for Joe Gibbs Racing in its No. 19, emerge victorious, snapping a losing streak at short tracks …

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NASCAR 101: 5 Drivers Who Could Make the Transition to NASCAR Broadcasting

Clint Bowyer sits in the garage area at Kentucky Speedway in 2018. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

If you haven’t figured out by now, longtime driver-turned-broadcaster Darrell Waltrip recently announced his retirement from TV later this season. For 19 years, Waltrip carried the torch as Fox Sports’ lead driver analyst, bringing expertise from the race track and a quirky wit along with him. Despite recent criticism for awkwardness and booth tension, Waltrip …

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NASCAR 101: 5 Relief Drivers in Unlikely Places

2017 Kansas II CUP Dale Earnhardt Jr John K Harrelson NKP

(Photo: John K. Harrelson/NKP)

So, do you remember when you were in middle school and that one kid got a sniffle, and all of a sudden, the entire school was running rampant with sick students? The NASCAR community might just need to be quarantined, because those pesky middle school germs have invaded and incapacitated the garage in full force. …

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NASCAR 101: The Fluctuation of the NASCAR Calendar, by the Numbers

#22: Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford Mustang AAA Southern California, #18: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Interstate Batteries, #10: Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Farmer John, #4: Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Jimmy John's, #3: Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet Dow Coatings go five wide on the pace laps Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

NASCAR released the 2020 schedule and it’s totally different. “Martinsville is under the lights, woooo!” “Darlington is opening the playoffs?” “Oh my gosh, the Firecracker 400 is not on July 4th.” “Hmm… ISM is the championship race.” “What in the world is going on at Pocono?” Many drivers, teams, owners, officials and tracks have responded …

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NASCAR 101: The Cup Series Returns to the Short Tracks

2016 NASCAR Martinsville

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

The Paperclip. The World’s Fastest Half-Mile. The Action Track. Three very distinct short tracks, yet some drivers in the 2018 season conquered each track’s challenges. Though the races at Martinsville, Bristol, and Richmond resulted in three different winners, quite a few drivers placed in the top 10 in at least four out of the six …

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NASCAR 101: The Revival of the Sportsman, Courtesy Ryan Sieg

2019 Las Vegas I NXS Jeremy Clements Ryan Sieg racing NKP

(Photo: NKP)

The NASCAR Xfinity Series: “Where names are made.” Right??? Over the last several years, Xfinity has been a place for young teens and 20-somethings to get experience on larger tracks and race against top competition. The same goes for NASCAR’s Gander Outdoors Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series. Drivers with last names like Cindric, …

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NASCAR 101: Is the Xfinity Regular a Winner Again?

2019 Las Vegas I NXS Kyle Busch pack racing NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

And now for some good news in NASCAR’s lower ranks: it took a really long time for a non-Xfinity Series regular to win a race in that series this year! Well, uh, comparatively long. As in, three races. That’s when Kyle Busch drove his No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing into Victory Lane at Las …

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