Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud: The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headlines: It was the first All-Star race since 1986 that was run outside of Charlotte Motor Speedway. Bill Elliott won at Atlanta that afternoon, and on Wednesday (July 15) it was his son Chase Elliott taking home the checkered flag at Bristol and winning $1 million in the 2020 event. Elliott won the final …

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Chase Elliott Shines Under the Lights at Bristol, Wins $1 Million at All-Star Race

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It was a tame race compared to the All-Star Open, but for Chase Elliott, it was the biggest night of his life. Elliott took the lead over Kevin Harvick in stage two and held off a determined Kyle Busch to win the All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway and the $1 million prize. “I can’t …

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Power Rankings: 4-Wide for the Win Edition

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The folks at NASCAR got very lucky this weekend with an epic finish that was great enough to get the fans to forget that the first 390 miles were a snoozefest of clean air being king after restarts at Kentucky Speedway. The late, great Dan Gurney used to preach about the best racing coming with …

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Up to Speed: Does a Great Finish Save a Bad Race?

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

For the second season in a row, Kentucky Speedway produced a thrilling finish to its annual Cup Series race.  Last year was the battle of the Busch brothers, a side by side battle between Kurt and Kyle that went all the way to the checkered flag before Kurt emerged victorious.  This year’s finish included a …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2020 Quaker State 400

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? Cole Custer showed he had the chops to do what it took to win at the Cup level. For Custer, equipment has never been an issue, but his mostly lackluster start to the year raised questions. He put those to rest with an aggressive move to …

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Cole Custer Goes 4-Wide, Earns 1st Cup Series Win at Kentucky

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

With one lap to go in the Quaker State 400 and a three-way race for the lead in front of him, an opportunity was in front of NASCAR Cup Series rookie Cole Custer at Kentucky Speedway.   Custer took it and turned it into his first career win in NASCAR’s top series, getting past Kevin Harvick, …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR FanDuel Forecast: 2020 Quaker State 400

2019 Kentucky Mencs Chase Elliott Car Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

This weekend marks the 10th NASCAR Cup Series race at the Kentucky Motor Speedway, still the newest facility on the Cup schedule with the exception of the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. This weekend also marks the 20th anniversary of the speedway’s opening. While Kentucky seems like a natural location for a Cup race, in reality, …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR PPP Loans a Reminder of Potential COVID-19 Catastrophe

2019 Phoenix I Cup Ty Dillon Richard Childress Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … The number of NASCAR teams approved for a loan under the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program? The NASCAR PPP loans numbered in the millions and involved one-third of the teams on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. For now, let’s focus on the Cup programs alone. Richard Childress Racing: $5-$10 million (2 teams) Chip …

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Power Rankings: Back Home Again in Rain Delay Mode Edition

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The folks at NASCAR are really quick to point out that their television partners get to pick the window that the race gets broadcast in. But maybe it’s time for the “experts” on holding a race to have a little talk with the television people. Through most of its history, NASCAR never got a race …

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5 Points to Ponder: A Long Way to Go

2020 Indy Indianapolis NASCAR Cup pack racing NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Harvick vs Hamlin. The Big Three. Blah Blah Blah. Back in 2018, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. were a triple threat all season long. So much so that they picked up a moniker – the Big Three. The triumvirate accounted for a remarkable 20 of the 36 wins, but it was Joey …

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Power Rankings: Twice as Much What Edition

2020martinsvillencskevinharvickfacenascarmedia

(Photo: NASCAR Media/Getty Images)

The old joke about Pocono Raceway was easy to make, “Why are the races just six weeks apart? So once you clear traffic and make it onto the interstate, you can turn around and head back for the second race!” Thankfully due to great management improvements and coordination between the track and local police over …

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Reel Racing: ‘Days of Thunder,’ 30 Years Later

2009 Daytona Nscs Tom Cruise Face Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Thirty years ago this Saturday, a little movie called Days of Thunder premiered on Wednesday, June 27 at theaters across the country. Its only new competition at the box office was the forgettable Ghost Dad, as well as – notably – the action-packed Arnold Schwarzenegger feature Total Recall and the star-filled Dick Tracy. The latter …

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