Race Weekend Central

The Underdog House: Erik Jones Rebounds for 1st Top 10 with Richard Petty

Ross Chastain and Erik Jones racing during the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube, 3/7/2021 (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog 2021 looks different in many ways for Richard Petty Motorsports. After a year where they ended up in the national spotlight with Bubba Wallace, the team faces an identity shift in 2021 with Erik Jones. While crew chief Jerry Baxter stayed with RPM following Wallace’s departure, the team was faced with a tough …

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The Virtual Frontstretch: Issue 3

Melillo virtual frontstretch 3

Photo by Justin Melillo via iRacing.com

The Virtual Frontstretch returns again this week with coverage of FTF Racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Monday Night Racing at Rockingham Speedway, eRacr.gg’s Carnomaly 500 and the first week of the eNASCAR iRacing Road to Pro Series. It was a jam-packed week in sim racing, with many of the top drivers having to focus not only …

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John Hunter Nemechek Holds Off Kyle Busch, Wins Las Vegas Truck Race

2021 Trucks Las Vegas John Hunter Nemechek, No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, Burnout (Credit: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

A great duel between Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates Kyle Busch and John Hunter Nemechek defined Friday’s (March 5) Bucked Up 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Although 40 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series machines started the event, the Nemechek and Busch tandem outclassed the field. However, it was Nemechek who held off his boss and …

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Nashville Fairgrounds Takes Another Step in Potential Return

Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway racetrack NASCAR

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County joined with Bristol Motor Speedway in entering a letter of intent to restore Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway to be capable of hosting NASCAR events once again, BMS announced March 5. If the Board of Fair Commissioners and Metropolitan Council approves it, Bristol will have contractual rights to lease …

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Fire on Fridays: 7 NASCAR Cup Drivers Who Have to Win in 2021

Kyle Larson talks with Matt DiBenedetto 2021 Daytona 500 Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Entering August 2020, if you’d asked me which drivers were on the hot seat and might lose their ride if they didn’t produce soon, William Byron would’ve been near the top of my list. Sure, Byron signed an extension with Hendrick Motorsports that month, but contracts aren’t always fulfilled in sports. Plus, Rick Hendrick doesn’t …

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Waid’s World: The Lure of 1st Vegas Race Wasn’t Competition, It Was Money

Waid's World Graphic

Graphic: Jared Haas

The next stop for NASCAR is Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which always sparks images of clanging slot machines, crowded roulette tables and cards flopping down repeatedly at blackjack tables. Well, it does for me, anyway. When the media learned prior to the 1998 Winston Cup (now NASCAR Cup Series) season that NASCAR was going to …

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Eyes on Xfinity: Let’s Go Feuding, Boys!

Noah Gragson at 2021 Xfinity race at Daytona Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

If you go in the garage of any NASCAR series … well, at least if you did before the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s easy to see the divide: the one between the haves and the have nots. On one end of the garage are teams that have the resources to run near the front each week …

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Frontstretch 5: Best Non-Finale Races at Homestead-Miami Speedway

2021 Xfinity Homestead Myatt Snider, No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Burnout (Credit: NKP)

Credit: NKP

We all remember when Homestead-Miami Speedway hosted NASCAR’s finale weekend from 2002-19. Many fantastic championship battles were fought, which included many joys and many heartbreaks to go along with them. The speedway, though, lost its finale weekend to Phoenix Raceway in 2020, signifying the end of a historic tradition. But the speedway hosted races that …

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Derek Kraus Picks Up Hunter Nation Sponsorship

Derek Kraus at the 2021 Daytona Truck race Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Derek Kraus has picked up Hunter Nation sponsorship for multiple races in 2021 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announced March 2. Hunter Nation will be on the No. 19 for multiple races this season, starting this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “We’re proud to announce that Hunter Nation will join …

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Some Xfinity Teams Remain Locked Out, Facing Uncertain Futures Under NASCAR’s Qualifying Rules

Jordan Anderson practices for the NASCAR Xfinity race at Daytona International Speedway February 2021 Photo: NKP

(Photo: nigel Kinrade Photography)

Three weeks ago, Jordan Anderson was on the highest of highs. For the second consecutive year, the owner-driver guided his No. 3 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet to a strong runner-up finish in the season-opening race for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Daytona International Speedway. The very next morning, NASCAR informed him he could …

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