Race Weekend Central

Pace Laps: Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano Tangle, Jeremy Clements’ Strong Run and Nico Rosberg Wins Again

2016 Talladega Joey Logano Elliott Sadler Crash NASCAR via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Sprint Cup: Kenseth and Logano Not Done Yet – For the second straight time, Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano have experienced an issue at Talladega Superspeedway involving contact on the track. The only difference, obviously, is what has transpired between now and last October following a nasty payback from Kenseth to then-race leader Logano the following week at …

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Pace Laps: Tony Stewart’s Solid Return, Four-Wide and Fast for Brittany Force and Ford Looking for XFINITY Series Magic

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series TOYOTA OWNERS 400

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Sprint Cup: Tony Stewart Solid in Sprint Cup Return – Though there was literal smoke for the driver nicknamed “Smoke” at one point during Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Starting 18th after Sprint Cup qualifying was rained out on Friday, Tony Stewart was a consistent character inside the top 25 as he battled the likes …

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Pace Laps: Matt DiBenedetto Impresses at Bristol, Fuel Strategy Dominates IndyCar Series Race at Long Beach and Nico Rosberg Wins Again

2016-Bristol-I-CUP-Matt-DiBenedetto-racing-John-Harrelson-NKP

(Photo: John Harrelson / NKP)

Sprint Cup: Sensational Sixth for DiBenedetto –  Is Bristol Motor Speedway becoming the new place for the underdogs? It might be more so than Daytona and Talladega as Bristol once again opened the curtain for the behind-the-scenes characters to shine on Sunday afternoon. One of the unusual suspects near the front of the field was Matt DiBenedetto. …

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Pace Laps: Tough Luck for Martin Truex, Jr. at Texas, Timmy Solomito Wins in Whelen Modified Tour Opener and XFINITY Series Short Tracks

2016 Cup Texas Martin Truex Jr. Pit Road Credit Rick Lunkenheimer

(Photo: Rick Lunkenheimer)

Sprint Cup: Everything’s Tougher in Texas for Truex, Jr. –  Several moments throughout the 500-miler Saturday night made it seem like Martin Truex, Jr. was nearly untouchable out front. With the exception of Carl Edwards, who later suffered a loose wheel and fell off the lead lap, Truex was the only driver to be able to …

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Pace Laps: Sprint Cup Underdogs Excelling, Truck Series Madness and Formula 1 Shockers

vivic

Zach Catanzareti

Sprint Cup: Underdogs Perform at the Paper Clip – From the drop of the flag to begin practice at Martinsville Speedway Friday, there were surprises near the front of the field. Fortunately for NASCAR and the underdog teams, the early pace bled into both qualifying and the race as it was an entertaining show full …

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Pace Laps: Sprint Cup Hollywood Ending, Wild XFINITY Finish & F1 Crashes

2016 Fontana CUP Jimmie Johnson pack racing Brett Moist NKP

(Photo: Brett Moist / NKP)

Sprint Cup: Hollywood Ending for Unlikely Teams – It was quite the super finish for a number of NASCAR’s “underdog” teams Sunday at Auto Club Speedway. Behind Superman of Jimmie Johnson driving to another victory in 2016 there were 31 cars who finished on the lead lap in an afternoon littered with tire failures and side-by-side …

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Pace Laps: Young and Hungry Rookies, Mikhail Aleshin Impresses & K&N Pro Series Action

2016 Phoenix I NXS Erik Jones Daniel Suarez Kyle BUsch racing Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Sprint Cup: Young & Hungry – We are starting to witness a pattern in the Sprint Cup Series: The young drivers are here to race. The three men in particular are Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney as each of them scored a top-10 result Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway. If Sunday was your first …

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Pace Laps: Rookies Impress at Las Vegas, Daniel Suarez’s Hot Start and Trans-Am Getting into Gear

2016 Las Vegas CUP Ryan Blaney pack racing Matthew T Thacker NKP

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

Sprint Cup Series: NASCAR’s Top Rookies Continue Promising 2016 Start – If Atlanta was the coming out party for the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie class, then Las Vegas showed their staying power. Both Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott looked like legitimate contenders throughout a wild Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Elliott rose …

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Pace Laps: Johnson’s Major Win, NHRA Girl Power and Late Model Season Underway

Sprint Cup: Delightful Dale – You would think the most happy and ecstatic driver in the state of Georgia would be Atlanta winner Jimmie Johnson. No sir, as Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was delighted after the 2016 debut of the low-downforce package – a race he finished second to his Hendrick Motorsports teammate. “I loved it,” …

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Pace Laps: Hamlin’s Big Step, GMS Steps Up And ‘Off’ Weekends

Sprint Cup: Hamlin, Team Toyota Packs A Punch – The final laps of Daytona reminded me of the closing moments of a Great American Race here 19 years ago. In that one, Bill Elliott held the lead on the final restart only for the selflessness of three Hendrick Motorsports teammates to bond together and blow on by …

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Pace Laps: Kyle Busch, Chris Buescher Best and a Fitting Farewell

2015 CWTS Homestead Erik Jones Champion Woohoo

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Sprint Cup Series: Kyle Busch Claims the Sprint Cup – On Sunday evening, a sellout crowd watched the final race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the Ford EcoBoost 400. The thought going in was that you probably would have to win the race to take the title. For most of the race, that did …

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Pace Laps: Matt Crafton Crumbles, Champions Are Crowned And NASCAR Rained On

2015 XFINITY Texas Chris Buescher on Track Beth Lunkenheimer

(Photo: Beth Lunkenheimer, Frontstretch)

Sprint Cup Series: Mother Nature Makes Mockery Of Chase – NASCAR hoped to fill Phoenix with compelling storylines. Instead? Mother Nature filled it with water. Rain in the desert was honestly the perfect way to push a bumbling, stumbling Chase toward its conclusion. The Eliminator Round wound up with a whimper in a race dominated …

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