Race Weekend Central

Aric Almirola, Greg Biffle Hit with P3 Penalties for Lugnuts

Aric Almirola Indianapolis 2016 Cup Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

NASCAR’s weekly penalty report was delayed on Wednesday (Sept. 21) after the decision to hold an impromptu teleconference with less than a half- hour’s notice to announce changes to post-race inspection penalties.  Despite that, there were still a number of teams to be penalized. Aric Almirola and Greg Biffle‘s cars were found to have loose …

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NASCAR Mailbox: The Future of Hendrick Motorsports Continues to be Uncertain

2016 Loudon I Cup Alex Bowman Greg Ives Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Jimmie Johnson soared to the lead at Chicagoland Speedway this past Sunday, showcasing speed that hasn’t been present with the No. 48 car in nearly a year. While some speculate that Johnson has lost his magic touch with the new Chase format, he was bringing his Hendrick Motorsports car to the front of the pack …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Martin Truex, Jr. Overcomes Adversity With Late Charge to Win at Chicagoland

2016 Chicago Cup Martin Truex Jr Woohoo Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

  Who’s in the headline – Martin Truex, Jr. overcame a tire issue under green flag conditions to put himself in position to make a run at the race win. A late-race caution and a strong pit stop resulted in Truex restarting outside the second row. An aggressive move to the outside allowed him to …

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Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to Miss Remainder of 2016 Season

2016 Kentucky Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who has been week-to-week with a concussion, will sit out the remainder of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has been out since July, when it was made known he was experiencing concussion-like symptoms after a wreck at Michigan International Speedway. Since then, Earnhardt has missed six Sprint …

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Did You Notice? … Dale Earnhardt Jr. Still in the Top 25 Despite Long Absence

2016 Watkins Glen Cup Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did you notice? … Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still within the top 25 in points even though he has only run 18 of 24 races? He currently sits 22nd in the standings, ahead of 11 drivers who have made every race this season. Peers he’s currently beating? Paul Menard, Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer, all …

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Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to Miss Michigan, Darlington

2016 Kentucky Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

He’s going to be away from the track for another few weeks. Hendrick Motorsports announced in a press release on Wednesday that doctors have not yet cleared Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to return to racing action in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. That mean Alex Bowman, who previously filled in for Earnhardt in his first missed …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Rookies & Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

As the last Sprint Cup off week has come and gone, everything remains the same in the top division. A few rookies are on the cusp of winning, as well as making the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The one and only rookie to make the Chase was Denny Hamlin, one decade ago. This rookie …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Better Racing Leading to Higher Fan Engagement

2016 Pocono I Cup Pack Racing Turn 3 Anthony Lumbis Sr.

(Photo: Anthony Lumbis, Sr.)

One race past the halfway mark of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, the overall reception of competition has been quite positive. With closer competition and fewer negatives about the quality of the product, fans have been quite impressed with the majority of races in 2016. While the on-track product is still not where drivers …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NASCAR TV Creates Dale Jr. Sub Narrative

Sometimes, you have to sit back and think about things.  Today’s critique marks the 600th combined TV critique for Frontstretch between Couch Potato Tuesday (and its former title, Talking NASCAR TV) and The Critic’s Annex.  Where does the time go?  Crikey. New Hampshire Motor Speedway hosted a Joe Gibbs Racing benefit last week.  It says …

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Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Dealing with Balance Issues and Nausea Amidst Concussion Tests

Dale Earnhardt Jr

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

After missing the New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway due to concussion-like symptoms, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made his first public comments after announcing he would miss the race last Wednesday. Earnhardt, 41, spoke on Dirty Mo Radio, providing an update on his health within his podcast, “The Dale Jr. Download.” Providing comments for the …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Matt Kenseth New Hampshire Win Tainted By Failed Inspection?

2016 Loudon I Cup Mattkneseth Woohoo Matthew T Thacker Nkp

Who’s in the headline: The old adage of only having to lead one lap seems to be the way Matt Kenseth does business. It rang true again this weekend as Kenseth started 18th and took over 250 laps to get to the point. Once there, he endured three restarts over the final 31 circuits and strolled to victory in a …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2016 New Hampshire 301

2016 Nascar New Hampshire

(Photo: Russel LaBounty / NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? The first excuse for Tony Stewart’s renewed strength was NASCAR manipulation. The next excuse was, “Oh, it was just because of fuel mileage.” Now, for the third time in four weeks, this 45-year-old finished inside the top 5 and there are no excuses left. Is Smoke the driver he was 10 years …

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