Race Weekend Central

Couch Potato Tuesday: NBCSN Forced to Deal With Lack of NASCAR Texas Action

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Aaa Texas 500 Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Tx Usa Friday 3 November 2017 Kurt Busch, Stewart Haas Racing, Haas Automation/monster Energy Ford Fusion World Copyright: John K Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John K Harrelson/NKP)

Since Texas Motor Speedway was repaved prior to last year, races there have been rather tepid.  Sunday’s (Nov. 4) AAA Texas 500 was the third Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race out of four to have exactly 16 lead changes.  That total’s already low but a lot of those 16 changes also came by way …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kevin Harvick Fires Warning Shot with Domination in Texas

#4: Kevin Harvick, Stewart Haas Racing, Ford Fusion Mobil 1, Celebrates In Victory Lane

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who’s in the headline Kevin Harvick has had the fastest car nearly every weekend this season. The Achilles heel for the team is that they routinely shoot themselves in the foot through pit road miscues. When they don’t, they dominate, which is what happened at Texas on Sunday. Harvick led over half of the laps …

Read more

Beside the Rising Tide: Rambling, Gambling Man

Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry M&m's Kevin Harvick, Stewart Haas Racing, Ford Fusion Busch Beer Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

I’ve never been much on gambling. Perhaps that’s because I’ve lived most of my adult life in the suburbs of Philly. Our professional sports teams are notorious for failing to live up to expectations.  Even with success seemingly imminent, those teams will find a way to wrest defeat out of the jaws of victory and …

Read more

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2018 First Data 500

2018 Martinsville Ii Cup Jimmie Johnson Amy Henderson

(Photo: Amy Henderson)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Sunday’s race was hard-fought for every position.  At times, groups of five or six drivers would be pushing for the same square of real estate and there was often more take than give.  Through all of it, Daniel Suarez drove like a veteran.  Qualifying eighth, Suarez got shuffled …

Read more

Chase Elliott Benefits From Kevin Harvick Penalty to Win Hollywood Casino 400

2018 Cup Richmond Zach Catanzareti Chase Elliott

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Kevin Harvick’s loss was Chase Elliott’s gain… all over again. For the second time in three weeks, a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff race was decided by pit road. Elliott benefitted from a Harvick penalty to win the Hollywood Casino 400 Sunday (Oct. 21) at Kansas Speedway. Harvick was in a strong position to …

Read more

Friday Faceoff: Is There Such a Thing As Home Track Advantage?

Clint Bowyer sits in the garage area at Kentucky Speedway in 2018. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

1. Stewart-Haas Racing has put all four of its cars in Victory Lane this season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Prior to this year, what was the best overall season by a multi-car team? How does that team compare to the 2018 stats put up by SHR?  Michael Massie:  Even with SHR’s dominance, …

Read more

Daily Fantasy NASCAR FanDuel Forecast: Hollywood Casino 400

Kevin Harvick 1000bulbs.com 500 Final Practice

Better day ahead in Kansas than Talladega for Kevin Harvick? (Photo: Christian Koelle)

The final race in the Round of 12 for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs starts this Sunday (Oct. 21) with the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. The green flag flies at 2:30 p.m. EST on NBC. Championship contenders will be battling with those still seeking a ride in 2019 on this 1.5-mile …

Read more

Did You Notice?: Big Three Taking a Back Seat During NASCAR Playoffs… So Far

2018 Cup New Hampshire Kevin Harvick Kyle Busch Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice? … The Big Three have yet to dominate in the playoffs the way they did during NASCAR’s regular season? On paper, the points look good for Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. They’ll each advance to the Round of 8 at Kansas Speedway unless there’s some major catastrophe. But this trio has combined …

Read more

The 10: Cup Series Power Rankings After Talladega II

Pack In Turn 3 1000bulbs.com 500

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

The cream always rises to the top during the NASCAR Playoffs and on Sunday (Oct. 14), that was exactly what happened. Stewart-Haas Racing made a statement at Talladega that they aren’t to be overlooked, especially after their collapse at Dover. The remainder of the field was two steps behind the SHR organization and they must …

Read more

Up to Speed: Patience Carries Aric Almirola to Victory

#10: Aric Almirola, Stewart Haas Racing, Ford Fusion Smithfield Bacon For Life

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In the last year and a half, has any driver in NASCAR experienced the highs and lows of professional stock car racing more than Aric Almirola? The scene of Almirola slumped against his battered No. 10 Ford at Dover International Speedway last week seemed to encapsulate a season of lost opportunities.  It was not just …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Aric Almirola Finally in Victory Lane After Stewart-Haas Domination at Talladega

Aric Almirola 1000bulbs.com 500 Victory Lane

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Who’s in the headline There is domination by drivers and domination by teams. Sunday was total domination by the Stewart-Haas Racing organization. They won every stage and the race with a different driver doing each, and the driver who didn’t win any of them finished second in all three. In the end, fuel mileage bit …

Read more

Aric Almirola Finally Victorious at Talladega

Aric Almirola 1000bulbs.com 500 Victory Lane

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

After numerous almosts throughout the 2018 season, Aric Almirola finally won. The 34-year-old outlasted the field on fuel to take home the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 14). Almirola made it to the checkered flag on fuel through overtime while his dominant Stewart-Haas Racing teammates, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick, ran …

Read more