Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Quaker State 400 at Atlanta

Kurt Busch celebrates in victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway after the Quaker State 400. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened? Kurt Busch won the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday (July 11) after holding off his little brother during an intense final run to the checkered flag. Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-five finishers. "HELL YEAH WE BEAT KYLE" — @KurtBusch pic.twitter.com/apaHrHgfO6 …

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Up to Speed: A Final Moment of Teamwork for Chip Ganassi Racing

2021 Darlington I Cup Kurt Busch Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Kurt Busch scored what could be the final win for Chip Ganassi Racing on Sunday (July 11) at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Less than two weeks ago, Ganassi announced that he was selling his NASCAR team to Trackhouse Racing effective the end of 2021.  Trackhouse, in turn, confirmed that its team would field two cars in …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Quaker State 400

Tyler Reddick waits for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas to begin, May 2021. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who … should you be talking about after the Quaker State 400? Kurt Busch has had moments this season where he looked stout but hadn’t been able to put a winning run together.  That ended Sunday (July 11) at Atlanta Motor Speedway where Busch was dominant in the Quaker State 400. He led three times …

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Kyle Busch Takes Issue with Ross Chastain’s Late-Race Moves

Kyle Busch car at Atlanta NASCAR Cup race NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

As Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch sent Atlanta Motor Speedway’s aged surface out with one more thrilling race to the end on Sunday (July 10), both drivers had to carefully navigate lapped traffic, a factor magnified by the absence of a caution flag in the final stage.   Kurt Busch went on to win, and in …

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Kurt Busch Outduels Brother Kyle Busch, Scores 4th Win at Atlanta

2021 Atlanta II Cup Kurt Busch burnout NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Intermittent rain, a hole in the track and a ferocious battle with his younger brother weren’t enough to keep Kurt Busch from victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as he drove his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet to a win in the Quaker State 400 on Sunday (July 11). After track repairs on deteriorated …

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Drivers Continue Sounding Off on Atlanta’s Planned Repave

Kevin Harvick on pit road at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 2021). (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The specter of Atlanta Motor Speedway’s surface commanded the lion’s share of attention prior to Sunday (July 11) afternoon’s Quaker State 400.   Sunday’s race will be the final event on Atlanta’s current surface before it will be repaved and reconfigured. A day after pointed and profanity-laced criticism from Kyle Busch regarding the planned repave, …

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Friday Faceoff: Which Track Should Be Considered Untouchable?

2021-Atlanta-I-Cup-Ryan-Blaney-Wins-NKP

Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

Atlanta Motor Speedway is the latest track making changes to its layout and/or design. What track should be next? Which one should absolutely remain untouched? Trenton Worsham: New Hampshire Motor Speedway or another mile-and-a-half. I don’t like how flat NHMS is, and it’d be cool to make each mile-and-a-half unique. Tracks to not touch would be …

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Did You Notice?: 6 NASCAR Storylines to Follow With 6 Regular Season Races Left

Kyle Larson races teammate William Byron in the 2021 Pennzoil 400 Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … There’s six races left in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season? After some incredible parity, with 10 different winners in the first 11 races, the 2021 playoff battle has mostly sorted itself out. We’ve had just one new winner in the last nine races as Cinderellas have been replaced by the typical …

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Up to Speed: The One That Got Away From Sterling Marlin & Chip Ganassi Racing

Sterling Marlin

16 February, 2003, Daytona Beach, Florida Sterling Marlin © 2003, Nigel Kinrade NKP

In a NASCAR season full of big surprises, Chip Ganassi was the latest person to drop a bombshell.  Ganassi revealed on Wednesday (June 30) that he would sell his NASCAR team to Justin Marks and Trackhouse Racing at the end of the year.  Although he remains a fixture in the American motorsports scene with operations …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Jockey Made in America 250 at Road America

#9: Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro NAPA Auto Parts celebrates his win

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened? Chase Elliott won the Jockey Made in America 250 at Road America on Sunday (July 4) after pulling away and leading the final 17 laps for an Independence Day victory. Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-five finishers. ??????? Retweet to congratulate @chaseelliott on the seventh road-course …

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Kurt Busch Fastest in Cup Practice at Road America

Kurt Busch at 2021 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Gearwrench car NASCAR Cup NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Days after Chip Ganassi Racing made headlines this week with Trackhouse Racing purchasing the NASCAR Cup Series team, Kurt Busch posted the fastest time in Cup practice at Road America on Saturday, July 2. Sibling rivalry took place as Kurt Busch beat his younger brother Kyle Busch with a speed of 108.875 mph while Kyle …

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Stock Car Scoop: Trackhouse Buys Chip Ganassi Racing

Daniel Suarez races at 2021 spring Las Vegas Cup race with Camping World on the hood Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The NASCAR circuit was turned upside down when Team Trackhouse was announced Wednesday (June 30) to be purchasing all of Chip Ganassi Racing’s inventory at the end of the season. What does this do for the futures of Ross Chastain and Kurt Busch? Frontstretch‘s Bryan Nolen and Davey Segal dive into this. Bryan and Davey …

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