Race Weekend Central

Power Rankings: Racing Gods Have Spoken Edition

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Racing Gods sure have a wicked sense of timing. Last week, the racing community lost a great racing promoter in Bob Bahre. This week, NASCAR heads to the track that he was responsible for making happen. Mr. Bahre was so important to New England racing in general and to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in …

Read more

Power Rankings: 4-Wide for the Win Edition

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The folks at NASCAR got very lucky this weekend with an epic finish that was great enough to get the fans to forget that the first 390 miles were a snoozefest of clean air being king after restarts at Kentucky Speedway. The late, great Dan Gurney used to preach about the best racing coming with …

Read more

Power Rankings: Back Home Again in Rain Delay Mode Edition

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The folks at NASCAR are really quick to point out that their television partners get to pick the window that the race gets broadcast in. But maybe it’s time for the “experts” on holding a race to have a little talk with the television people. Through most of its history, NASCAR never got a race …

Read more

Power Rankings: Twice as Much What Edition

2020MartinsvilleNCSKevinHarvickFaceNASCARMedia

(Photo: NASCAR Media/Getty Images)

The old joke about Pocono Raceway was easy to make, “Why are the races just six weeks apart? So once you clear traffic and make it onto the interstate, you can turn around and head back for the second race!” Thankfully due to great management improvements and coordination between the track and local police over …

Read more

Power Rankings: Dega Worth the Wait Edition

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It was yet another long week for NASCAR, but this time it was not only weather that was the culprit. A case of mistaken identity when a knot wasn’t just a knot and was thought to be a noose led to an emotional Sunday (June 21) which was quickly doused by rain. The next day …

Read more

Power Rankings: 7 Hours of Miami Edition

2020HomesteadNCSRacingNASCARMedia(2)

(Photo: NASCAR Media/Getty Images)

It was a long week for NASCAR, but can someone tell me how an organization that makes Florida its home can think that scheduling a race at 3:30 p.m. ET in the middle of June is going to work in South Florida? I understand that television partners often make the call, but even they should …

Read more

NASCAR Mailbox: Is Kevin Harvick the Best He Has Ever Been as a Driver?

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After this weekend’s races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the talk of if they should repave or not has come up once again. It seems like every single year, the discussion of if Atlanta should be repaved comes up because it is one of the oldest surfaces in the sport, and to be fair, the NASCAR …

Read more

Power Rankings: Hotlanta Edition

2020AtlantaNCSKevinHarvickCheckersNASCARMedia

(Photo: NASCAR Media/Getty Images)

One thing we can say about last Sunday’s (June 7) race at Atlanta Motor Speedway is that it will be most remembered for what happened during pre-race. But it would have been impossible to create a race more memorable than the words and imagery we saw from NASCAR over the weekend. While I have always …

Read more

Power Rankings: Bristol is Back Edition

2020BristolNCSKevinHarvickFaceNASCARMedia

(Photo: NASCAR Media/Getty Images)

It was great to have the old Bristol Motor Speedway back on Sunday (May 31)! This reminded me so much of the altercation between Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte so many years ago. Only this time, instead of one guy going to Victory Lane and the other guy complaining, both guys got taken out, and …

Read more

Power Rankings: Monster Marathon Edition

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Every year it seems that we have the debate about whether NASCAR needs a 600-mile race. You can holler out “OK, Boomer,” but I think it is very important to have some of the classic NASCAR races stay at their classic lengths. There was a time this was a test of man and machine, and …

Read more

Power Rankings: Darlington I Edition

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Everyone at NASCAR had to be nervous about how all of the new procedures would work out for the first race without fans due to COVID-19 at Darlington Speedway on Sunday (May 17). However, all went well, and it was a monster of a day for NASCAR, earning the highest television rating outside the Daytona …

Read more

Power Rankings: Return to Racing

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It’s been over two months since the NASCAR and entire sports world was turned upside down. It seems like it’s been over a year since cars have been on the racetrack. But the seconds are ticking away until the season returns this weekend at Darlington Raceway. Let’s take an updated look at the Power Rankings …

Read more