Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington

Denny Hamlin celebrates his win in the 2021 Southern 500 at Darlington. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened? Denny Hamlin won the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington on Sunday night (Sept. 5) after narrowly holding off Kyle Larson in the final corner. Larson, Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five finishers. RETWEET to congratulate @DennyHamlin on his #Southern500 win at @TooToughToTame! What a final corner …

Read more

Frontstretch 2-Minute Drill: Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington

The NASCAR Cup Series races the Track Too Tough To Tame in the 2019 version of Darlington Raceway's Southern 500. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs zoom into action on Sunday (Sept. 5) both under the sun and under the lights at Darlington Raceway. A 6 p.m. ET start will encompass the entire evening for the Cook Out Southern 500. The “Lady in Black” hosts its second race of the year and the first race …

Read more

Friday Faceoff: Can Kurt Busch Win With 23XI?

Kurt Busch walking at road america

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Chris Buescher was disqualified from his second-place finish in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway for a post-race infraction due to an unapproved track bar mount. Does the punishment fit the crime? Josh Roller: Not enough information was shared by NASCAR to determine whether or not a disqualification was appropriate or not. What made …

Read more

4 Burning Questions: Who’ll Be Eliminated in Each Cup Playoff Round?

2021 regular season Cup champion Kyle Larson with trophy

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who will be eliminated in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs’ Round of 16? Michael McDowell has been disappointing in the second half of the regular season. He had a strong start to the season in addition to his Daytona 500 win, but he’s 28th in total points in the past 10 races among all Cup …

Read more

Ryan Blaney Rolls Off From Cup Pole at Darlington

Ryan Blaney

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin this weekend at Darlington Raceway and Ryan Blaney is on the pole for Sunday’s (Sept. 5) race. The No. 12 Team Penske pilot is riding the momentum train after winning the past two races at Michigan International Speedway and Daytona International Speedway. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin joins Blaney …

Read more

5 Points to Ponder: Does Momentum Make Ryan Blaney a Championship Contender?

2021-Cup-Daytona-II-Ryan-Blaney-Wins-NKP

Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

1. How much does momentum matter going into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs? Asking for a friend named Ryan Blaney. (Note: Blaney and I are not actually friends, having spoken exactly once, but he is a likable gent.) The 27-year-old Team Penske wheelman entered the 2021 season never having won more than one race in …

Read more

NASCAR Stat Sheet: Ryan Blaney Is the Hero of the Coke Zero 400

Kevin Harvick and Ryan Blaney at Road America, July 2021. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Races at Daytona and Talladega are always about surviving first and making a move for the win second. A driver can’t win without dodging the inevitable late race carnage. Ryan Blaney did both in textbook fashion on Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway, and it resulted in his second consecutive win. It’s a new position …

Read more

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona

Ryan Blaney Celebrating in victory lane after winning 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR Cup race at Daytona, Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

(Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

Ryan Blaney won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona on Saturday night (Aug. 28) in overtime under caution after a last-lap wreck on the backstretch.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400

Ryan Preece at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 2019. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who… should you be talking about after the Coke Zero Sugar 400? For the second week in a row, Ryan Blaney didn’t dominate a race. He merely placed himself in the right spot to pounce on a late restart.  Then, when carnage erupted behind him, the Team Penske driver capitalized with a win. Blaney’s third …

Read more

Up to Speed: Why This Year’s Cup Series Playoffs Will Be Different for Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney walks around Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Tex. (Photo: NKP)

#12: Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Ford Mustang BodyArmor

Has anybody in NASCAR had a better two weeks than Ryan Blaney?  For the first time in his career, Blaney has won back-to-back Cup Series races.  The first win came at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 22.  Then, he and the No. 12 team followed up that victory with a win at Daytona International Speedway …

Read more

Stock Car Scoop: An Early Look at the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Postseason

Ryan Blaney does a polish victory lap after posting a win at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

It was crunch time for the NASCAR Cup Series as the field headed to Daytona International Speedway for the conclusion of its 2021 regular season. The drama heading into the Coke Zero Sugar 400 lived up to expectations, producing one of the best races this year. When the smoke cleared from a last-lap wreck, Ryan …

Read more