Race Weekend Central

Brad Keselowski Gains Matt McCall as 2022 Crew Chief

2021 Dover Cup Brad Keselowski NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Crew chief Matt McCall will join Roush Fenway Racing and the No. 6 of Brad Keselowski for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, the team announced Nov. 2. The veteran crew chief will be entering his eighth consecutive season on top of the pit box in 2022, as he ends his tenure with Chip Ganassi Racing, …

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NASCAR Stat Sheet: Martinsville Top-Dog Alex Bowman Sizzles, Denny Hamlin Left Feeling Burnt

Alex Bowman at 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Michigan race

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It was only five years ago but my how the landscape of NASCAR has changed. It has arguably changed more for no single individual than it has for Alex Bowman.

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Martinsville NASCAR Playoff Race

#48: Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro Ally celebrates winning the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville.

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened? Alex Bowman won the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Sunday (Oct. 31) after bumping Denny Hamlin out of the way and surviving an overtime restart. Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. and William Byron rounded out the top-five finishers. RETWEET to congratulate @Alex_Bowman on his WIN at @MartinsvilleSwy! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/qNd6DVbKpO — NASCAR on …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Xfinity 500

Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin talk on pit road before the 2021 Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)

(Photo: Logan Riely/Getty Images)

Who … should you be talking about after the Xfinity 500? 2021 has been a breakout year for Alex Bowman. The 28-year-old posted three early wins and advanced to the Round of 12 in this year’s playoffs before stumbling a bit. At Martinsville Speedway, he put an exclamation point on the deal after a late-race …

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Up to Speed: Denny Hamlin Needs to Let it Go

Denny Hamlin scratches his head on pit road at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Denny Hamlin doesn’t have to be happy.  He doesn’t have to like getting spun by Alex Bowman in the closing laps at Martinsville Speedway.  He doesn’t have to celebrate missing out on a potential win during a 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season where he has enjoyed plenty of strong runs, but few victories. No, Hamlin …

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Frontstretch 2-Minute Drill: Xfinity 500 at Martinsville

2019 Martinsville Mencs Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The penultimate race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway is upon us, and pretty much everything is still up in the air. Kyle Larson has won three straight races, including sweeping both events in the Round of 8 thus far at Texas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. He’s led a combined 386 …

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Did You Notice?: What’s Next for Ford’s NASCAR Future After Rocky 2021 Playoffs?

Ford drivers Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric chat on pit road at Kansas Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

#12: Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Menards/Moen and #33: Austin Cindric, Team Penske, Ford Mustang MoneyLion

Did You Notice? … The way Ford has struggled during the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs? As I first pointed out at CBS Sports, they’ve gone 0-for-8 and sit outside Championship 4 position for the first time in the history of the format, implemented in 2014. That could change this weekend at Martinsville Speedway if any …

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Dropping the Hammer: NASCAR Still King on Sunday Despite F1 Gains

NASCAR at Kansas Speedway

(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

“Absolutely unacceptable.” According to Denny Hamlin, that’s how NASCAR president Steve Phelps described the glaringly sparse grandstands at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month. The grandstands, once packed to the rafters in the track’s first decade of existence, now had entire sections (including where I sat during the inaugural race in 1997) blocked off for …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Kansas Provides Better Racing, New Issues for NBC Sports

Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 19, Chase Elliott’s No. 9, Alex Bowman’s No. 48 and Joey Logano’s No. 22 race four-wide at Kansas Speedway in the fall 2021 NASCAR Cup series race, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After a fairly unsatisfactory race at Texas Motor Speedway, viewers got a much more enjoyable race to watch Sunday (Oct. 24) at Kansas Speedway. However, there were problems early. Hollywood Casino 400 Knowing that the race started about 14 minutes after the Formula 1 race, then almost immediately got red-flagged due to lightning, I do …

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NASCAR Stat Sheet: Kyle Larson Still Shredding the Record Books With Kansas Win

Kyle Larson

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Larson scores another trifecta Here we are again. Another race weekend is in the books, and while the track was different and the playoff drivers having good or bad days may have rotated a bit, one thing remains strikingly constant: the winner. Kyle freaking Larson has run off with another trophy, his ninth of the …

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Up to Speed: A Good Bad Day for Kyle Busch at Kansas

Kyle Busch at 2021 NASCAR Cup Series race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Kyle Busch’s rocky path through the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs took another unexpected turn at Kansas Speedway. Entering Sunday’s (Oct. 24) race, Busch was on the playoff bubble, just eight points above the cut line. It was a slim margin, but not necessarily a reason to panic. Once among his worst tracks, Busch had finished …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Kansas NASCAR Playoff Race

Kyle Larson and No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports crew points up in victory lane, Sean Gardner/Getty

(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

What happened? Kyle Larson won the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday (Oct. 24) for his third consecutive victory. Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-five finishers. You earned it today, @KyleLarsonRacin! Retweet to congratulate the @TeamHendrick driver on an impressive win at @kansasspeedway! pic.twitter.com/stXuaHpqu7 — NASCAR …

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