Race Weekend Central

The 12: NASCAR Power Rankings Food City 500 Edition

2019 Bristol Zach Catanzareti Cup Joey Logano

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Bristol winner Kyle Busch has flipped the stat books upside down again. Now with eight top 10s to open a season, Busch is tied for the best start to a season ever in this decade. At this rate, what other stats can he rewrite? Kevin Harvick had a very un-Kevin-Harvick-like Bristol race. After failing pre-race …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Routine & Confusing

2019 Bristol Zach Catanzareti Cup Joey Logano

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

There was a mystifying mix of the routine and the head scratching during Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Yeah, Kyle Busch won the Food City 500 and Team Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing took up most of the spots up front, but he was involved in a …

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Friday Faceoff: Is Hendrick Motorsports Finally On The Upswing?

2019 Phoenix I Cup Jimmie Johnson Pack Racing Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

Is Hendrick Motorsports on their way back to the top tier, or was their showing at Texas a one-time thing? Bryan Gable: It is best not to read too much into one race.  Just a few weeks ago, we were talking about how Hendrick Motorsports had zero top fives through the first five races of …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Should NASCAR Alter Pit Road Penalties in Any Way?

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Joey Logano Pitstop Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Last season, there was much debate about who the best team in NASCAR was. This season, it is safe to say there are two frontrunners, with Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske. The two teams have combined to win the first seven races of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. There have been other …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas

2019 Cup Texas Zach Catanzareti Erik Jones

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The Headline(s): Denny Hamlin overcame a characteristic pair of pit road penalties and missing a pit road approach under green with a stellar late-race pit stop. That got him out front, where he beat Clint Bowyer by more than two seconds. Hamlin scored his second win of 2019 and the 52nd NASCAR national series win …

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Aric Almirola On Auto Club: The Fans Got Their Money’s Worth … For A Few Laps At Least

Aric Almirola 2019 Auto Club Speedway

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway was a struggle for many of the drivers in the field. It was a struggle for Aric Almirola, but he was able to break through and earn a strong ninth-place finish. Almirola started the race from third and led some laps during the early portion of the race. With …

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Frontstretch Podcast: Aric Almirola Talks New Aero Package, Group Qualifying, Chaotic Restarts

2019 Atlanta Cup Aric Almirola Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In this week’s edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino, Mike Neff and Aric Almirola discuss the new aerodynamic package that was displayed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and how it led to wild restarts and a peculiar qualifying session last Friday (March 1). Almirola states the race was exciting, and that’s what he enjoys as a …

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Odds & Ends: TicketGuardian 500

Aric Almirola Rodney Childers Kevin Harvick Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The biggest debate among NASCAR fans and media was typical: Was Las Vegas a good race? Over the years, one thing is for sure, whenever that question arises, we are not likely to see the race we just saw featured on a NASCAR Classics presentation down the road. The Pennzoil 400 wasn’t a horrible race …

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Frontstretch Podcast: David Ragan Discusses New Aero Package at Atlanta

2019 Atlanta Cup David Ragan Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In the latest edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino, Mike Neff and David Ragan discuss the partial new aerodynamic package that was displayed at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend, one which landed the No. 38 car of Ragan a 16th-place finish. Ragan states in the interview that the racing is closer together and restarts will be …

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Aric Almirola Scores First Pole Since 2012 in Atlanta

2019 Daytona I Cup Aric Almirola Car Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

Aric Almirola scored his first pole since 2012 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on Friday evening at the Atlanta Motor Speedway for this weekend’s race.  He posted a lap speed of 181.473 mph and will start beside Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Almirola not only scored his first pole in seven years, but it is …

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Frontstretch Podcast: Previewing the Daytona 500

Joey Logano D500(practice1)(2)

(Photo: Christian Koelle

In a special edition of the Frontstretch Podcast,  Dustin Albino, Tom Bowles, Michael Massie and Mike Neff  break down the weekend of racing thus far at Daytona International Speedway. We discuss redemption stories in Austin Hill and Michael Annett grabbing their first-career victory in the Gander Outdoors Truck and Xfinity Series’. But the primary focus is on the …

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Aric Almirola Welcoming Pressure in Daytona 500 Redemption Pursuit

Aric Almirola Daytona500 Mediaday

Aric Almirola is looking for redemption from his Daytona 500 heartbreak last season, falling one mile short of victory. (Photo/Davey Segal)

One more mile and it all could have been so different. Aric Almirola‘s heartbreak in last year’s Daytona 500 will be played in highlight reels forever — on the wrong side of history, as they say. One would think a sour taste would still resonate almost 365 days later. But he’s over it. “I don’t …

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