Race Weekend Central

The Underdog House: Erik Jones’ Tricks Lead to Treat of Martinsville Top 10

Erik Jones racing at Martinsville Speedway, October, 2021. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog: Erik Jones Do you want a scary combination? Try mixing Halloween with a 500-lap race at Martinsville Speedway. Oh, and did I mention that the race was an elimination event for playoff drivers? Yikes! The Xfinity 500 Sunday (Oct. 31) featured the grit and gruel of NASCAR’s shortest track. Battles throughout the field …

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The Underdog House: Daniel Suarez Goes Big in Texas

Daniel Suarez battles the competition during the fall 2021 race at Texas Motor Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog: Daniel Suarez Despite being a first-year NASCAR Cup Series organization, Trackhouse Racing Team has a history of going big or going home this season. Innovative team co-owner Justin Marks has proven to take risks and use unorthodox strategies as he hits the ground running in this sport. Such an aggressive mentality worked again …

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The Underdog House: Bubba Wallace Leads Talladega Sweep for First-Time Winners

Erik Jones races in the 2021 TellaWood 500 at Talladega. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog: Bubba Wallace They say anything can happen at Talladega Superspeedway. And by anything, they mean ANYTHING. Be it red flags for crashes and rain, a lack of daylight, big crashes, or a spin to win, Talladega contained it all in chaotic ways this weekend. Starting with the NASCAR Cup Series’ YellaWood 500 (Oct. …

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NASCAR Stat Sheet: 1 Isn’t The Loneliest Number At Talladega

2021 Talladega Ii Cup Bubba Wallace Celebrating In Victory Lane Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Talladega brings maiden victories for Fogleman, Brown and Wallace It was certainly a good weekend to be a driver seeking their first career win in a NASCAR national touring series race. That’s because, for the first time ever, all three were won by first timers during the same weekend at the same track. Tate Fogleman …

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Zach’s Turn: Anthony Alfredo Survives Talladega for First Top 10

Anthony Alfredo Talladega 2 2021

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Anthony Alfredo finally found the good run he’s long been looking for at Talladega Superspeedway. Lost in the shuffle of Bubba Wallace’s historic day, Alfredo kept his No. 38 Georgia Peanuts Ford clean and brought the car home 10th for his first career top 10 in the NASCAR Cup Series. “We’re really proud of that,” …

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4 Burning Questions: Rookie Report Card

Chase Briscoe at Charlotte, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

How have the two NASCAR Cup Series rookies performed? Now that all three NASCAR national touring series have headed into the playoffs, it’s a good time to take a look at the rookies in each series and how they did this season, especially with just two of them actually in the playoffs. Unlike traditional classes, …

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Fire on Fridays: Who’s Actually Got a Shot at the Cup Playoffs?

Matt DiBenedetto Tyler Reddick talk Watkins Glen

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It’s somewhat fitting that this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway has an elimination factor. After all, that’s usually the case at the season-opening Daytona 500, when the pre-race Duels set the lineup and a certain number of cars (four in 2021) are left on the sidelines come the big race on …

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Fire on Fridays: NASCAR Silly Season Dominoes Left to Fall

2021 Charlotte I Cup Ryan Newman Denny Hamlin NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

This NASCAR Cup Series silly season has already been a wild one. From Brad Keselowski buying into Roush Fenway Racing to Trackhouse Racing Team purchasing Chip Ganassi Racing’s Cup program, there hasn’t been a silly season that’s shaken up the garage this much in quite a while. And it’s not over yet. There’s still a …

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The Underdog House: Silly Season Scoop on NASCAR Underdogs

Erik Jones, part of 2021 Silly Season conversation, prepares to race the No. 43 Richard P

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Setting: Silly Season It has been two weeks since the NASCAR Cup Series last graced the track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 18. The two-week break has allowed many drivers, teams and organizations to catch their breath as the grind to the playoffs returns Aug. 8 at Watkins Glen. Only four races …

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Anthony Alfredo Eyeing Improvement Through ‘Challenging’ Rookie Season

Anthony Alfredo NASCAR 2021 Texas

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Anthony Alfredo is in the midst of his first season as a NASCAR Cup Series driver. But 2021 also marks the first full-time ride Alfredo has gotten in any of NASCAR’s three national touring series. One year after competing on a part-time basis for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Alfredo sits 30th …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire

2021 Loudon Cup Aric Almirola lobster Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301? Aric Almirola won the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday (July 18) to steal an unlikely playoff spot in what’s been a dismal season. Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-five finishers. How about that? ? …

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The Underdog House: Erik Jones Finds His Groove at the Magic Mile

2021 Loudon Cup Erik Jones Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Setting After the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday (July 18) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, only four races remain in the regular season. The Magic Mile presented a fairly comparable evaluation for title-contending teams to gauge their championship setup at Phoenix Raceway. For underdogs, it was another opportunity to go out and prove their …

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