Race Weekend Central

Couch Potato Tuesday: Messy Weather, Messy NBC NASCAR Coverage

2016 Nascar Charlotte

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Last weekend was a mess for NBC Sports and NASCAR in general.  Both races scheduled for last weekend were postponed due to rains from Hurricane Matthew.  Friday was a complete washout with heavy rains, while Saturday saw the race called early enough that some were openly wondering why.  However, drizzle continued well into the night …

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Elliott Sadler Outlasts Denny Hamlin for 1st Darlington Victory

2016 Darlington Xfinity Elliott Sadler Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Elliott Sadler, leading the most laps of the afternoon at Darlington Raceway, almost threw the victory away… twice. With two laps to go in Saturday’s VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200, it was Sadler who brushed the wall in turn two, giving hard-charging Denny Hamlin a shot to steal the win. “Those last two …

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Pace Laps: Hot Streaks, First-Time Winners and Unfinished Business

Sprint Cup: A Streak Ends on 22 for Kurt Busch: It was Sunday’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway where a NASCAR record came to an end. That record, being owned by Kurt Busch, was the run of lead-lap finishes to start a Sprint Cup Series season. Coming into Bristol, Busch …

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Kyle Busch Slays Field for 2nd Kentucky Win

Kyle Busch

Photo: Zach Catanzareti

By how fast Kyle Busch drove in Friday’s Alsco 300, it’s quite the surprise that it’s his first victory at Kentucky Speedway in 12 years. Leading 185 of 201 laps, Busch – outside of a constant threat by teammate Erik Jones – had the field covered en route to his 81st XFINITY Series win and …

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Pace Laps: The Buzz Behind NASCAR’s Weekend Fight

Nhra 2016 Ron Capps Car Courtesy Nhra Media

(Photo: NHRA Media)

Sprint Cup Series: Tony Stewart’s Triumphant Return to Victory Lane – Coming off a solid race at Michigan International Speedway two weeks ago, Tony Stewart snapped an 84-race winless streak on Sunday, leading the final 22 laps in wine country at Sonoma Raceway. It was a caution on lap 86 that turned Stewart’s race around. The …

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Brennan Poole: I Want to Win Races Here and a Championship

2015 Xfinity Chicago

(Photo: Brett Moist / NKP)

“We’re going to be taking pictures this weekend, man,” NASCAR XFINITY Series Rookie of the Year candidate Brennan Poole joked to a friend during Game 4 of the Charlotte Hornets playoff series against the Miami Heat. “You better come down to get a picture with me in Victory Lane.” It all seemed like a joke. His …

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XFINITY Series Drivers Preparing To Tackle The Tricky Triangle

2015 Camping World Truck Pocono

(Photo: Matthew Thacker / NKP)

Rain might be in the forecast throughout the weekend at Pocono Raceway but nothing can ruin the vibe that the 2.5-mile racetrack has created for NASCAR’s XFINITY Series. This weekend marks the inaugural contest for the sport’s second-tier division at Pocono Raceway, a track that has been open to the sport’s premier series since 1974. In doing …

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Joe Gibbs Racing Sweeps XFINITY Series Practice Sessions at Pocono

2016 Atlanta Nxs Kyle Busch Car Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty NKP)

For the first time in XFINITY Series history, race cars logged laps on Pocono Raceway. Joe Gibbs Racing led the way, topping the charts in both practice sessions on Thursday. Practice One:  Defending Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch led the opening practice at 170.171 mph, over a tenth of a second faster than his closest competition, …

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XFINITY Series Regulars Sweep Practice Sessions at Charlotte

2016 Fontana Nxs Ty Dillon Austin Dillon Brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

An XFINITY Series regular paced each practice session Thursday in preparation for Saturday’s Hisense 4K TV 300. It was a welcome boost for a division that has dealt with its share of Cup interlopers this season. In practice one, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas took center stage. Erik Jones, a two-time winner this season and the …

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Brennan Poole Cherishes NASCAR Opportunity Despite Close Loss

2016 Richmond Brennan Poole Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Brennan Poole was one caution flag – or lack thereof – from winning his first NASCAR XFINITY Series race in Saturday’s Sparks Energy 300. Given the circumstances, many drivers would have lost their cool, challenged the sanctioning body’s judgement or just carried a bad attitude. Not Brennan, though. He was smiling. Anyone curious as to …

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Elliott Sadler Wins In Wild Talladega Finish

2016 Elliott Sadler Woohoo Talladega Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

It took a wild finish, a big crash and a long review, but Elliott Sadler finally returned victory lane. Not bad a bad way to celebrate a 41st birthday. Sadler got the better end of a late-race crash with Joey Logano and benefitted from the caution flag coming out before being passed by Brennan Poole to …

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2-Headed Monster: Heat Races … Are They Worth It?

2016 Richmond I Nxs Erik Jones Car Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russel LaBounty/NKP)

NASCAR is in the midst of a brand-new experiment this season: heat races in the XFINITY Series. NASCAR has used heat races before in the Camping World Truck Series at Eldora, using multiple races to set the starting lineup for the main event, but until 2016 the NXS ran full-length events, lap one to lap …

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