Race Weekend Central

The 10: All Stars and Wrecked Cars

2016 Charlotte All Star Showdown Cup Chase Elliott Kyle Larson Racing John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson / NKP)

Is anyone else still confused? Our writers certainly were after one of the wildest All-Star races in recent memory. From infield puddles to control booth blunders, the new format for the race led to one of the most exciting – if mind-numbing – nights in NASCAR history. With so many of our contributors still scratching …

Read more

The 10: Masters of the Monster Mile

2016 Dover I Cup Matt Kenseth Trophy Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

 The big crashes from Talladega Superspeedway and Dover International Speedway – and Martin Truex, Jr.’s bad luck – have continued to crop up in recent weeks. This time, both came at once, as Jimmie Johnson lost his transmission, causing a pileup that swung both Truex’s day and these power rankings into a complete different direction. With …

Read more

The 10: NASCAR Power Rankings Pre-Monster Mile

2016 Kansas I Cup Kyle Busch Kevin Harvick Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

 Saturday was an interesting night at Kansas Speedway. Martin Truex, Jr. dominated nearly the entire race just to fall victim to circumstances outside of his control once again. Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski threw their races away going for broke in the late stages. Ryan Blaney drove the kind of consistent, impressive race that the …

Read more

The 10: Talladega Twister Shuffles Sprint Cup Rankings

2016 Talladega I Cup Carl Edwards Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Hacker/NKP)

 You’ll have to forgive our writers in advance for focusing more on past history rather than the final result of Sunday’s attrition-filled GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway for this week’s Power Rankings. Who can blame them? With 35 of the 40 cars involved in some sort of incident, Talladega was less skill-based pack driving and more …

Read more

The 10: Bristol Bump and Won

Nascar Sprint Cup Series Food City 500

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Beatin’ and bangin’, hootin’ and hollerin’, bump and runnin’ and celebrating with the fans? Why, the past few weeks of short track NASCAR action have been classic. Dare I say it? One might even call it quintessential. The driver to fare better than anyone after it all was Carl Edwards. Cousin Carl took advantage of …

Read more

The 10: Riding the High Lane at Bristol Motor Speedway

2016 Bristol I Cup Carl Edwards Leads Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew Thacker / NKP)

Love it or hate it, Bristol was a day of many storylines. From drivers like Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth struggling through tire issues to underdogs like Matt DiBenedetto and Trevor Bayne seizing the moment for surprising finishes, Sunday’s Food City 500 had more twists and turns than the Tennessee mountains. With so many comers …

Read more

The 10: Top Guns After Texas

2016 Texas I Cup Kyle Busch Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T Hacker NKP)

After 500 miles – and a few extra hours — of racing (thanks, rain) little change occurred at the top of the Power Rankings. With the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series field starting to get into the meat of the 2016 schedule, the best teams in the series are beginning to establish themselves, and with that, positions …

Read more

The 10: Bumping & Banging at Martinsville

2016 Martinsville I Cup Joey Logano Pack Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Hacker NKP)

So, how’s that for ending a losing streak? Entering the weekend at Martinsville Speedway with an unexplainable 0-30 record, Kyle Busch took not just one, but two grandfather clocks with the first-ever sweep of the Camping World Truck and Sprint Cup series events at the half-mile paper clip. You won’t be shocked to know that …

Read more

The 10: It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane!

2016 Fontana Cup Jimmie Johnson Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…. Six-Time! Jimmie Johnson added another chapter to his legendary career on Sunday, passing Dale Earnhardt on the all-time wins list with his 77th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Auto Club Speedway. With the triumph, Johnson has officially scored multiple victories in each of his 15 Cup seasons. …

Read more

The 10: The Great Tie of Arizona

2016 Phoenix I Cup Denny Hamlin Pack Racing Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Well, this is a first. Sunday’s Good Sam 500(k) marked the second photo finish in four races to start 2016, with Kevin Harvick just edging out Carl Edwards to stay atop the throne as the king of Phoenix International Raceway. Not one to be outdone, our list of Power Rankings voters somehow managed an even …

Read more

The 10: Power Rankings Leaders Find Luck, Dust in Vegas

2016 Las Vegas Cup Kurt Busch Pack Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP)

Typically, the phrase “eat my dust” is a joke when it comes to racing. However, on a wild Sunday in Las Vegas, the phrase was all too real. After 400 miles of rainy, dusty, windy madness at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Brad Keselowski and the Blue Deuce rolled back in to Victory Lane for the first …

Read more

The 10: Power Ranking Order Slides Around After Atlanta

Well, that was fun. From long green-flag runs to terms like tire conservation and driving through the field, Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was a throwback to the good ol’ days for many fans. Why, some might even call it quintessential NASCAR.  The new, low-downforce package and the old racing surface …

Read more