Race Weekend Central

Couch Potato Tuesday: The Dale Jr. Cavalry Comes to NBC

2017 Hendrick Motorsports Cup Zach Catanzareti Dale Earnhardt Jr.

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

After the generalized exhaustion of my last two weeks (five days at racetracks, two Saturdays of commutes from one track to another, etc.) we’re going to do something a little different in this space.  Don’t worry; we’ll still critique Sunday’s Pocono 400 later this week.  But the fact I was at the race covering it, …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kevin Harvick Slathers Competition in Kansas

#4: Kevin Harvick, Stewart Haas Racing, Ford Fusion Busch Light Celebrates His Win Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who’s in the headline Kevin Harvick continues to confirm the belief that Ford is the manufacturer to beat in 2018 in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. For the fifth time in 12 races, Harvick was in Victory Lane. He started the year with three wins in a row after the Daytona 500 and has now …

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Did You Notice?: A Second Look At NASCAR Silly Season 10 Races In

2017 Indianapolis Cup Alex Bowman Dale Earnhardt Jr. Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice? … Sometimes, NASCAR Silly Season moves turn into mistakes? 10 races in, let’s take a look at some of the biggest driver decisions entering 2018 and see how they’re turning out. For now, we’ll give Darrell Wallace Jr. and William Byron a break; rookies typically need a little more seat time before …

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2-Headed Monster: Who Fared Better, Kyle Busch or Hendrick Motorsports?

2016 Charlotte All Star Cup Rick Hendrick Nigel Kinrade Nkp

How Did Hendrick Do in Comparison to Kyle Busch? (Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

It has been ten years since Hendrick Motorsports released Kyle Busch and signed Dale Earnhardt Jr. to replace him. Both HMS and Busch have seen a lot of success since the move, but who got the better of it? Rowdy Unleashed Busch is by far the winner of that deal. He made out like a …

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2-Headed Monster: Does Davey Allison Belong in the Hall Of Fame?

Davey Allison

(Photo: Motorsports Images & Archives)

The Hall of Fame isn’t “Win and you’re in” Voting recently opened for fans to cast their ballots for which drivers they feel deserve to be enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The class of 2019 will join their peers next January but, in my opinion, there is one driver that shouldn’t be among …

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NASCAR 101: 10 Longest Streaks Between Cup Wins

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Clint Bowyer‘s 190-race winless streak was nothing to shake a stick at. At the time, it was the second-longest losing run in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series among active drivers who had won previously, bested (or, uh, whatever the negative-connotation version of that word is) by Paul Menard, whose streak out of Victory Lane …

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The Frontstretch 5: Things We Know After Daytona

2017 Richmond Ii Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Aric Almirola Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

1. Aric Almirola is an excellent plate racer This fact isn’t news to those who have been paying attention to the new driver of the No. 10. But for so many, Daytona was the first time Almirola made an appearance on the radar. Remember, Almirola’s only Cup win to date came at Daytona in 2014. …

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Friday Faceoff: What’s The Deal With NASCAR Ride Height Rules?

2016 Kansas Ii Cup Alex Bowman Pack Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Alex Bowman kicked off his tenure as the full-time driver of the No. 88 by putting his hot rod on the pole. But even with that, people are still referring to him as “Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s replacement.” What will Bowman need to do to get out of Earnhardt Jr.’s shadow? Davey Segal: Alex Bowman is …

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Dale Earnhardt Jr., Charlize Theron & Peyton Manning Announced for Daytona 500 Grand Marshal, Pace Car Roles

Dale Earnhardt Jr

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Big events, especially in sports, tend to draw celebrities in an attempt to attract casual viewers. That will continue at Sunday’s 60th annual Daytona 500, as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series gets underway for 2018 with actress Charlize Theron as the honorary starter, waving the green flag before the race, while former NFL quarterback …

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NASCAR Top 10 Storylines 2017: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hangs It Up

Dale Earnhardt Jr

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

We knew it was coming. Everyone knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time, really. The latest iteration of the so-called old guard of NASCAR had begun to dissipate, its ranks transitioning into their 40s. These things happen. And yet, few might’ve expected April 25, 2017, to be the bombshell day of news …

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NASCAR Top 10 Storylines 2017: A Changing Of the Guard as NASCAR Greats Retire

Dale Jr Truex

(Photo: Logan Whitton / Harrelson Photography Inc.)

There is a massive generational shift occurring in NASCAR. Eventually, it had to happen. Few sports offer the opportunity to compete at a top level for over a decade. But NASCAR is different, as those reading this topic have likely figured out. Everything from the structure of how NASCAR is operated to how events happen …

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2017 NASCAR Cup Team Review: Hendrick Motorsports

2017 Talladega Ii Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Pole Nigel Kinrade Nkp

Hendrick Motorsports entered the 2017 season with momentum. Jimmie Johnson came into the season as the defending Cup Series champion, earning their seventh title in ten years and their first under the new format. After what appeared to be a lost regular season for the organization in 2016, Johnson’s push to the top gave the …

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