Race Weekend Central

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2016 Toyota Owners 400

2016 Richmond I CUP Kurt Busch pack racing Matthew T Thacker NKP

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Some days just don’t go as planned.  It just seems like if you’re Kasey Kahne, that would be more or less every day. The No. 5 team and he have had more than their fair share of bad luck over the last couple of seasons, often having finishes …

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The Frontstretch 5: (Seemingly) Unlikely Drivers Who Could Get to Victory Lane in 2016

2016 Fontana CUP Austin Dillon Brett Moist NKP

(Photo: Brett Moist / NKP)

Austin Dillon OK, so this one’s not really a stretch.  Dillon has been strong this season, he’s got the resources (his grandfather owns the team, so there might even be a little extra incentive), and the former Truck and XFINITY series champ has shown he can run with just about anyone. Dillon’s numbers are already on …

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The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 2016 Duck Commander 500

2016 Texas I CUP Kyle BUsch checkered flag Russell LABounty NKP

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Sometimes taking a gamble is a team’s only hope of winning a race, but it’s certainly no guarantee.  When the No. 6 team kept Trevor Bayne off sequence to gain track position, it resulted in Bayne leading 12 laps—the first laps he’s led since May of 2014.  That …

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Friday Faceoff: Who Has Turned a Corner in 2016?

After strong performances to start the season, AJ Allmendinger is currently 12th in driver points, in position to make the Chase if he can maintain.  Is JTG Daugherty Racing poised to repeat the success of fellow single-car team Furniture Row Racing? Sean Fesko, Staff Writer: The team very well could make the Chase on consistency. …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Texas Edition

2016 Martinsville I CUP fans pack racing Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

NASCAR took a reprieve from the cookie cutter tracks and gave us the paperclip at Martinsville. And well, when it comes to racing, I’ll go for paperclips over cookie cutters anytime. And after this weekend, I’m sure Kyle Busch will too. HOT Kyle Busch had as good of a weekend as a race car driver …

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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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Martinsville Proves to Be a Race Many Needed

Brian Vickers Martinsville Cup 2016 Turn 3 Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

Kyle Busch dominated the weekend at Martinsville Speedway, turning his previous 0-30 record at the half-mile paperclip into a two-for-two weekend at the Virginia track. However, despite Busch’s dominance, the best story of the weekend came from the drivers behind him. A glance at a typical top five at Martinsville will include names like Jimmie …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Kyle Busch Returns to Championship Form, Conquers Martinsville

Kyle Busch Victory Lane Trophy and Confetti Martinsville 2016 Cup Mike Neff

Who’s in the headline – Kyle Busch went from winless at Martinsville to a two-time winner in one weekend. He dominated the race, leading 352 of the race’s 500 laps. It was the most by a race winner at the short track since Bobby Hamilton won the event in 1998. Busch chose the inside line for …

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The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 2016 STP 500

Kyle Busch Burnout Martinsville 2016 Cup Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? AJ Allmendinger put on a heck of a show in his late-race bid for the runner-up spot, but it was Kyle Larson who took full advantage of the real estate battle, squeezing through to finish third at a track where he’s struggled mightily in the past. Larson missed this race …

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The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 2016 Auto Club 400

2016 Fontana CUP green flag NASCAR via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? From the “where did he come from?” category, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. didn’t look like a top-5 threat this weekend…until he was.  Stenhouse qualified 15th, and ran in the top 15 for most of the day, occasionally cracking the lower half of the top 10.  He had worked his …

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The Frontstretch Five: Feel Good Stories So Far In NASCAR 2016

2016 Phoenix I CUP Matt DiBenedetto David Ragan Nigel Knrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Finishes like this one: … and this one: No, they won’t all be like that, but these finishes were pretty spectacular, and the racing through the field hasn’t been too shabby either, with the exception of Daytona. Maybe someday, FOX will see fit to show that part to fans at home… 2. A few new …

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The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 2016 Good Sam 500

2016 Phoenix I CUP Kevin Harvick team celebration Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Racing at NASCAR’s highest level takes both talent and equipment.  A good driver in a not-so-good car will generally struggle, and that’s something a lot of drivers face every week, even those who race for the sport’s best-funded teams fight their equipment at times. One test of a …

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