Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Martin Truex, Jr. Overcomes Adversity With Late Charge to Win at Chicagoland

2016 Chicago Cup Martin Truex Jr Woohoo Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

  Who’s in the headline – Martin Truex, Jr. overcame a tire issue under green flag conditions to put himself in position to make a run at the race win. A late-race caution and a strong pit stop resulted in Truex restarting outside the second row. An aggressive move to the outside allowed him to …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBCSN Charges Into Chase Coverage

If you’ve read Couch Potato Tuesday in recent years, then you know that I’m not exactly a fan of this time of year when it comes to race broadcasts.  The Chase focus drives me up the wall.  The Chase completely takes precedence over the race.  Everything is couched in the Chase.  This year, its worse …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Martin Truex Jr. Claims Second NASCAR Crown Jewel of 2016

2016 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Darlington

(Courtesy: NKP / Nigel Kinrade)

Who’s in the headline: For the first time in his career, Martin Truex, Jr. has won multiple races in a single season. Kevin Harvick was the dominant car for the vast majority of Sunday night’s Southern 500, but pit road miscues put him behind in the final laps and he was unable to overcome the handicap. Truex, now …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2016 Bojangles Southern 500

2016 Darlington Raceway Martin Truex Jr Nscs Photo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? In the “where did he come from” department, the best finish in the Hendrick Motorsports stable came from Kasey Kahne.  Kahne has been strong at Darlington in the past, so his seventh-place run shouldn’t be a surprise. But given the season Kahne’s had and how he took the stealth approach, the …

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Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to Miss Remainder of 2016 Season

2016 Kentucky Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who has been week-to-week with a concussion, will sit out the remainder of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has been out since July, when it was made known he was experiencing concussion-like symptoms after a wreck at Michigan International Speedway. Since then, Earnhardt has missed six Sprint …

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Did You Notice? … Dale Earnhardt Jr. Still in the Top 25 Despite Long Absence

2016 Watkins Glen Cup Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did you notice? … Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still within the top 25 in points even though he has only run 18 of 24 races? He currently sits 22nd in the standings, ahead of 11 drivers who have made every race this season. Peers he’s currently beating? Paul Menard, Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer, all …

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Friday Faceoff: Which Teams Need to Go Crazy for Silly Season?

2016 Daytona Ii Cup Chad Knaus Kasey Kahne Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Silly Season has been rather tame this far in 2016, but there’s still time for teams to make changes.  Which teams need a shakeup the most, and should it be driver, crew chief or something else? John Douglas, Contributor: It’s abundantly clear that the No. 5 team of Hendrick Motorsports needs a huge shakeup. The …

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Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to Miss Michigan, Darlington

2016 Kentucky Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

He’s going to be away from the track for another few weeks. Hendrick Motorsports announced in a press release on Wednesday that doctors have not yet cleared Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to return to racing action in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. That mean Alex Bowman, who previously filled in for Earnhardt in his first missed …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Rookies & Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

As the last Sprint Cup off week has come and gone, everything remains the same in the top division. A few rookies are on the cusp of winning, as well as making the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The one and only rookie to make the Chase was Denny Hamlin, one decade ago. This rookie …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Last Off Week of the Season Preparing for the 14-Race Run to the Championship

2016 Kentucky Cup Brad Keselowski Woohoo Leslie Miller Nkp

Credit : Nigel Kinrade Photography

Who’s in the headline – While there are multiple drivers who have run well this season, the brightest spotlight of the year has been on one organization. At this point in the season, Joe Gibbs Racing has been the class of the field for a majority of the races. Between its four teams, it has 10 wins. …

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Daily NASCAR Fantasy: Drafting Your Watkins Glen Lineup

2016 Pocono Cup Aj Allmendinger Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to Watkins Glen on August 7th for the Cheeze-It 355. Watkins Glen is the second of two road courses the series travels to in 2016. The weekend was headlined by the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr., but not to competition. Junior will miss the next two races with continuing …

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Will Continue to be an Advocate for Concussion-Like Symptoms

2016 Watkins Glen Cup Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

On Friday, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made his return to the race track at Watkins Glen International. Instead of making left and right hand turns, he was there to discuss his concussion-like symptoms. Earnhardt, 41, has credited his doctors for keeping him out of the racecar for the past four weeks, starting at New Hampshire in mid-July. …

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