Race Weekend Central

Couch Potato Tuesday: All-Star Race Brings Action, Enthusiasm & Unclear Fight Causation

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Monster Energy All-Star Weekend is always a bit of a toss-up each year. Coming out of Saturday night, the most notable thing that happened was Clint Bowyer going after Ryan Newman after the race. FOX did not air the post-race bumping match between the two drivers live (that was replayed, though). Bowyer going after Newman …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Hey Now, You’re an All-Star

Harvick-Millennial-Car

Photo Credit: Busch Beer

“Get your game on, go play!” That was essentially NASCAR’s attitude this weekend as the non-points-paying Monster Energy All-Star Race took place Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Also, the Indianapolis 500 qualifying took place over the weekend, as did the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes. It was a light …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Monster Energy All-Star Race at Charlotte

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): Kyle Larson is a million dollars richer. The California native won the Monster Energy Open, then raced his way up from 18th to win the Monster Energy All-Star Race on Saturday night (May 18) at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He became just the fourth driver all-time to win the All-Star Race after transferring from the …

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Veterans Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman Pace Lightning Fast “New” Practices at Talladega

2019 Atlanta CUP Ryan Newman NKP

(Photo:Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The much-anticipated first practice session at Talladega Superspeedway Friday displayed faster speeds, increased throttle response and twitchy race cars, just as expected. The first superspeedway race of the post-restrictor plate era, Kurt Busch paced the field in first practice, one of 21 cars to break 200 mph. Though the practice was incident free, the cars …

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Frontstretch Podcast: 2019 NASCAR Quarterly Review

2019 Cup Richmond zach catanzareti kyle busch

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

In this week’s edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino and Mike Neff discuss the state of NASCAR at the quarter mark of the 2019 season. With Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske claiming all nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, what grade can we give it? How do we think the new aero package has affected the …

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Frontstretch Podcast: Martin Truex Jr. Breaks Through, Matt DiBenedetto Chats 2019

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In this week’s edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino and Mike Neff discuss Martin Truex Jr. breaking through to win at a short track in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series — hist first, at Richmond Raceway. Other questions they debate: is how much longer did Joey Logano need to pass the No. 19 car to take …

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The Frontstretch 5: Drivers Ready To End Their Winless Streak

2019 Daytona Clash CUP Jimmie Johnson celebrates NKP

1. Paul Menard It has been 277 races since Menard last won a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. Driving the No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Paul Menard won the 2011 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In that race, he led 27 laps and stretched the fuel in his No. 27 Chevrolet to …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2019 Toyota Owners 400

2019 Atlanta CUP Ryan Newman NKP

(Photo:Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? Martin Truex Jr. scored his first 2019 win, but more surprising is that it was also his first ever Cup win on a track less than one mile. That’s right, in 80 short-track tries, he came up empty.  The 81st time was the charm for Truex, who …

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Ryan Newman on Richmond Top 10: ‘Definitely a Step in the Right Direction’

2019 Cup Richmond zach catanzareti ryan newman

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Saturday’s (April 13) 2019 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway was a solid one for Ryan Newman. Nothing exceptional, nothing deplorable. Just solid all around, a 24th-place start turned into a ninth-place result that leaves him solidly inside the top 16 in the point standings heading to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Easter break. …

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Frontstretch Podcast: Kyle Busch Show Continues, Bristol’s Bad Attendance, Harrison Burton Reflects on Xfinity Debut

NASCAR Xfinity Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In the latest edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino and Mike Neff discuss Kyle Busch‘s most recent win at Bristol Motor Speedway, which makes him three-for-eight in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season. One of the big questions is what could have happened had Kurt Busch gotten to the rear bumper of the No. 18 …

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Did You Notice?: The 2019 NASCAR Playoffs Are Already Coming Into Focus?

2018 homestead cup zach catanzareti joey logano

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Did You Notice? … The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture is taking shape? It’s hard to believe but we’re already eight races into 2019. If the regular season was just one big race, stage one would be wrapping up sometime during the middle of Saturday night’s showdown at Richmond Raceway. What do we know …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Food City 500 at Bristol

2019 bristol zach catanzareti cup kurt busch kyle busch

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The Headline(s): Though far from a dominant performance, Kyle Busch stayed out on old tires, capitalized on a cluster of a restart and drove away from brother Kurt Busch to score the 2019 Food City 500 win. It was Busch’s third Cup victory of 2019, 54th of his career and 204th NASCAR national series win. …

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