Race Weekend Central

Ryan Blaney Leads Troublesome Texas Practice

2017 Fontana Cup Ryan Blaney Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

This new Texas Motor Speedway surface was kind to Ryan Blaney. The No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford led the way in the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice session on the reprofiled 1.5-mile track. The second-year driver ripped around the fresh track in 27.809 seconds [194.182 mph]. Behind him was a surprise face …

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Up to Speed: Everything is Great at Martinsville

2017 Martinsville Cup Zach Catanzareti Kyle Larson

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

In the still young 2017 season, NASCAR is trying to find reasons for fans to get excited.  First, there was the implementation of the new stage format.  Pre-determined cautions with points awarded to the top 10 drivers mid-race made for some initial curiosity at Daytona International Speedway. However, stage racing has mostly led to more aggressive …

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The 10: NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings After Fontana

2017 Fontana Nxs Kyle Larson Woohoo Rusty Jarrett Nkp

(Photo: Rusty Jarrett / NKP)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series went Hollywood this weekend for its annual visit to Fontana, CA. The stars were were out and the red carpet dazzled with NASCAR’s best. But it was California’s own Kyle Larson who stole the show. Larson stuck to his script and delivered an award-winning performance. The Chip Ganassi Racing …

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The Underdog House: No Margin For Error With NASCAR’s Small Teams

2017 Las Vegas Cup Ryan Blaney Timmy Hill Racing John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson/NKP)

No Margin For Error Last week, we looked at the importance of improvement for small teams.  For those that realistically just can’t compete with their powerhouse rivals on a weekly basis, it’s a better measure than finishes alone. It’s also an important step for those teams a step ahead of the game, ones in position to one …

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The 10: NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings After Phoenix

2016 Michigan International Speedway Nscs Kyle Larson Celebrating Photo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series made its second stop on the early season edition of “#NASCARGoesWest” this week. Phoenix International Raceway hosted the Camping World 500, the fourth race of 2017. While Lady Luck is known for hanging out in Las Vegas, it seems that Ryan Newman still had a bit of good fortune …

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Jones, Blaney, Gaughan Lead Phoenix NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice

2017 Atlanta Nxs Brandan Gaughan Barry Cantrell Nkp

Erik Jones, Ryan Blaney, and Brendan Gaughan were the fastest guns in the west Friday during three rounds of NASCAR XFINITY Series practice out in Arizona. The trio paced the field in preparation for Saturday’s DC Solar 200 at one-mile Phoenix International Raceway. Saturday will be the first race of the 2017 XFINITY Series Dash for Cash program, a …

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The 10: NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings After Las Vegas

NASCAR headed west this weekend for a little viva Las Vegas. It’s no secret that any title fight worth the price of admission can be found in the neon glow of the Nevada desert. Martin Truex Jr. took on all challengers and delivered a knockout blow; he’s the first to win all three stages in …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not In NASCAR: Sunday Night Is Alright For Fighting

It took a while, but Sunday’s NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway gave us the kind of finish we hoped for in what was mostly a calm day at the 1.5-mile track. Things got a little interesting at the end of each of the first two stages when Joey Logano, near the end of …

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The Big 6: Questions After The 2017 Kobalt 400

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Ryan Blaney was a constant threat all race long, running in the top 10. The North Carolina native ended the day seventh, recording his second top-10 finish of the season. He currently sits sixth in the point standings, a sophomore jump after finishing 20th in points last season …

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The 10: NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings After Atlanta

2017 Atlanta Cup Joey Logano Pack Racing Barry Canrrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell / NKP)

Following a wild opening weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series moved to Atlanta Motor Speedway for round two. Daytona seemed to create more questions than it answered and many in the sport looked to Sunday’s race to restore order. The Folds Of Honor QuikTrip 500 did feature many of the usual favorites up front, …

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The Underdog House: NASCAR’s Intermediate Track Blues

2017 Atlanta Cup Matt Dibenedetto Car

Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP

Think Small It can be said that the real NASCAR season starts at Atlanta. The Intermediate track season kicked off last weekend and the results were fairly predictable of the small teams this week.  In general at a 1.5 to 2-mile track, these teams struggle to keep up.  You might see a couple of teams …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: NASCAR Wreck It Ralph (and Almost Everybody Else) Edition

2016 Daytona Ii Cup Kurt Busch John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson/NKP)

The season-opening Daytona 500 gave NASCAR fans a little bit everything. There was that last-lap pass for the lead, which is beginning to become a trademark for the Great American Race. There were plenty of battles for the lead and for positions throughout and a lot less riding around waiting for the end of the …

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