Race Weekend Central

A Fair Compromise

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The realm of sports is often home to feel-good stories, but they frequently prove fleeting in nature.  Given the industry’s sponsorship-focused business model and frequent need for immediate return, that’s arguably more true in motorsports than any other industry.  It’s because of that truth that deals like Thursday’s (Oct. 8) second opportunity for Matt DiBenedetto …

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4 Burning Questions: The Chronicle of Clint Bowyer

2018 cup charlotte roval zach catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Where’s Clint Bowyer going? Well, Clint Bowyer is making a move, announcing Oct. 8 that he’ll be moving to the FOX broadcast booth in 2021. Bowyer’s choice to leave NASCAR Cup Series racing for broadcasting was a good decision. He isn’t completely lost out there, as evidenced by his playoff run this season. But he …

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Matt DiBenedetto Back With Wood Brothers for 1 Year

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Matt DiBenedetto will return to drive the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford next year in the NASCAR Cup Series, the team announced today, Oct. 8. It will be his second season driving for the team in the Cup Series. The team will continue its alliance with Team Penske, along with support from its manufacturer …

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2-Headed Monster: Is It Time for NASCAR to Abolish The Double-Yellow-Line Rule?

2020 Talladega II CUP Denny Hamlin pack racing finish NKP

Talladega and controversy. Those words go together all too often, and it can be said again after Sunday’s (Oct. 4) YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. It was a race marred in controversy as Denny Hamlin won his seventh race of the season, edging Matt DiBenedetto at the line for victory. But it wasn’t that simple. …

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Power Rankings: ‘Dega Dominos Edition

2020 Talladega playoff Cup Chase Elliott leads in pack racing Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

You can’t win the clichés during the fourth race of the 10-race playoff schedule, but you can sure lose the cliché battle at Talladega Superspeedway. Unfortunately, drivers pushed the rules envelope on Sunday (Oct. 4), causing NASCAR to actually make a ruling on their beloved “Yellow Line Rule.” For those new to NASCAR, a driver …

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Frontstretch Podcast: Chaos in Talladega, Brennan Poole Breaks Down Best Career Finish

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Subscribe: iTunes In this week’s edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino and Mike Neff discuss the chaos at Talladega Superspeedway from this past weekend, which saw Denny Hamlin win his seventh race of the season, though passing below the yellow line to do so. The duo breakdown the yellow-line rule, after NASCAR penalized drivers four times in the Cup …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBC Ticks Off the Fanbase at Talladega

Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron and Denny Hamlin race three-wide at Talladega Superspeedway, October 2020. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Talladega Superspeedway is an interesting place. You can have wild races, or you can have races like the 2018 1000Bulbs.com 500, where Stewart-Haas Racing turned the race into their own bash that was completely designed to allow Aric Almirola win. Sunday’s race (Oct. 4) was the former, but that created problems for NBC. Outside of …

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Up to Speed: Time to Eliminate the Double Yellow Line Rule

2020 Talladega II CUP Denny Hamlin pack racing finish NKP

Sunday’s (Oct. 4) NASCAR Cup Series playoff race was a typical Talladega Superspeedway thriller.  But once the dust had settled on its photo finish, the YellaWood 500 looked more like the yellow line 500. Following a chaotic last-lap ending, Denny Hamlin walked away with the checkered flag.  Behind him, drivers who appeared to score top-10 …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2020 YellaWood 500 at Talladega

2020 Talladega II CUP DEnny Hamlin team celebrates NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened?  Denny Hamlin won Sunday’s (Oct. 4) YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway after three overtime restarts and a controversial last-lap pass.  Erik Jones, Ty Dillon, William Byron and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five after Matt DiBenedetto (originally second) and Chris Buescher (originally eighth) were penalized for their final moves coming through turns …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2020 YellaWood 500

2020 Talladega II CUP Brendan Gaughan NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? Denny Hamlin made a hang-at-the-back and avoid trouble strategy work on Sunday (Oct. 4), winning at Talladega Superspeedway with a last-lap pass. That’s after staying out of the fray for much of the day and working his way into position through multiple final shootouts. A bad …

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Denny Hamlin Claims Controversial Talladega Superspeedway Win

2020-Talladega-II-Denny-Hamlin-burnout-NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After four-plus hours of NASCAR Cup Series racing, more than 58 lead changes, and two red flags, Denny Hamlin emerged with a controversial victory in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday (Oct. 4).  With the race having already gone into overtime, William Byron and Matt DiBenedetto made contact while racing for the lead. …

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NASCAR Mailbox: What Could Be the Main Cause for Better Performance After Elimination from Playoffs?

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Have you ever noticed that many drivers who do not make the playoffs or are eliminated in the playoffs start performing better later in the season when it may not matter as much? That is definitely the case with several drivers, and it’s not just this season. This has been the case for the last …

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