Race Weekend Central

3-Headed Monster: Which Championship Race Will Put on the Best Show?

2016 Xfinity Phoenix

11-12 November, 2016, Avondale, Arizona USA Kyle Busch, NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry and Erik Jones, Hisense Toyota Camry ©2016, Lesley Ann Miller LAT Photo USA

Three races. Twelve drivers. Three championships up for grabs. Who will win? That’s the big question heading into the NASCAR finale weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway: Who will win? For the Sprint Cup Series, it’s a question that’s been asked the past two years as four drivers have come into the finale with a shot at …

Read more

The 10: Phoenix Pandemonium

2016 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Phoenix

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade NKP)

With two laps to go, Matt Kenseth appeared due for the top spot in our power rankings. Amid a quiet but strong Chase, the 2003 champion had positioned himself to take an impressive victory at Phoenix International Raceway and surge into the Championship 4. Then, suddenly, the caution flag flew and everything changed. Minutes later, …

Read more

Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Desert/Dessert Edition

Tony Stewart

Photo: Zach Catanzareti

NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series made its final trip West for the 2016 season with a lot on the line. Six drivers sparred for just two remaining spots in Arizona to run for the championship this coming week at Homestead. Four of them were left feeling like they were stuck in the desert, where this Phoenix event just happened to be …

Read more

5 Points to Ponder: First Steps and Inside NASCAR’s Championship 4

2016 Martinsville I Cup Joey Logano Pack Racing Matthew T Thacker Nkp

(Photo: Matthew T. Hacker NKP)

ONE: The Championship 4 After nine weeks of “playoff” competition we’re done to the final four drivers who will compete for the prize of being crowned the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup series champion — the final award handed out by Sprint after a decade plus of title sponsorship. And it’s a good quartet. You have the …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Joey Logano Steals Victory From the Jaws of Defeat at Phoenix

2016 Nascar Phoenix

(Photo: Matthew Thacker / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – In the final elimination race of the season, Joey Logano looked like he was about to slip out of contention for a transfer position. Fortunately for him, a caution flag flew, which bunched the field up and afforded him a final shot to reclaim a spot in the final four. …

Read more

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2016 Can-Am 500

2016 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Phoenix

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? He’s not a rookie — he actually has two full Cup seasons under his belt — but Alex Bowman might as well be one in some respects.  He’s seen the tracks, but he’s never really raced against the top drivers in the series on a weekly basis for …

Read more

NASCAR Penalizes Nearly Two Dozen Teams in Texas

2016 Cup Texas Joey Logano Car Rick Lunkenheimer

(Photo: Rick Lunkenheimer)

On Wednesday, NASCAR released the weekly penalty report stemming from Texas.  Compared to recent weeks, this one was quite the doozy. In the Sprint Cup Series, Joey Logano‘s No. 22 Ford that finished second Sunday night was found to have one loose lugnut.  As a result, the No. 22 has been hit with a P2 …

Read more

2-Headed Monster: Which Joe Gibbs Racing Driver Has the Best Shot at the Final Four?

Cup Martinsville Denny Hamlin Kyle Busch Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Martinsville Speedway

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

It wasn’t quite the World Series finale between the Cubs and Indians, but last Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway had some Game 7 moments that would be familiar to Bill Murray and company. Team seemingly out of the title hunt heading in? Check. Rain delay? Check. Breaking a playoff drought? Check. Sort …

Read more

2016 Frontstretch Podcast- Episode 25: Edwards’ Walk-Off, Respect for Repaves and a Perilous Points Battle

Nascar Sprint Cup Series Aaa Texas 500

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

In this week’s edition of the Fronstretch Podcast, Matt Stallknecht is joined by recurring guest Aaron Bearden to break down Carl Edwards’ shocking clutch victory in Texas, discuss the merits of repaves and debate which two remaining drivers have the best chance of advancing to NASCAR’s final four title race. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a hard-hitting and …

Read more

Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Rainy Nights Edition

2016 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Texas

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Sometimes the rain taketh away and sometimes it giveth. Carl Edwards was glad to be on the good side of that precipitation equation in what turned out to be a Sunday night race at Texas Motor Speedway following rain and a slow-drying track. With his victory, Edwards has joined Jimmie Johnson to make up two of …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Carl Edwards Saves Best for Last to Win at Texas

2016 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Texas

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – While Carl Edwards will garner most of the headlines for the weekend, it was Mother Nature who took most of the attention. The race was delayed by five-and-a-half hours due to track drying efforts that seemed to make progress at a snail’s pace. Once the race began, the sun had …

Read more

Up to Speed: Carl Edwards Is Living the Dream, & He’ll Wake Up in Homestead

2016 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Texas

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Carl Edwards will officially be racing for the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in a couple of weeks, thanks to a rain shower at the end of a very long day at Texas Motor Speedway. That’s not necessarily fair. Edwards led a total of 36 laps. Though he was definitely not the strongest car, he certainly …

Read more