Race Weekend Central

4 Burning Questions: Who’s Your 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class?

2019 Phoenix I Cup Ryan Newman Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who will be inducted into the 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class? Wednesday evening (March 13), NASCAR formally announced the 20 nominees for next year’s NASCAR Hall of Fame class. 14 nominees return from last year, while Kirk Shelmerdine, who won four Cup championships as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt in the 1980s and 1990s, …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings Forecast: TicketGuardian 500

2019 Las Vegas I Cup Kyle Busch Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series travels to ISM Raceway for week No. 2 of the West Coast Swing at ISM Raceway. The 312-lap race will feature higher horsepower than Atlanta and Las Vegas, in addition to higher downforce. That will equal higher speeds. Qualifying position should be important in this race, though there are …

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2-Headed Monster: Is the New Package Good?

2019 Las Vegas I Cup Joey Logano Pack Racing Nkp

Joey Logano had a reason to feel good about the 2019 aero package (credit: Nigel Kinraid)

Sunday’s (March 3) race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway put the new 2019 package on full display, leading to a variety of opinions plastering social media. The package includes tapered spacers to reduce engine horsepower at tracks one and a half miles and larger, as well as a taller spoiler to increase downforce, along with …

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The Frontstretch 5: Drivers With Something to Prove in 2019

2019 Atlanta Cup Ryan Newman Nkp

(Photo:Nigel Kinrade Photography)

1. Denny Hamlin Yes, that Denny Hamlin. He just won the biggest race of the year in Daytona, but Hamlin’s got some unfinished business. The Daytona win puts him in the Playoffs and gives him plenty of time to prepare, but the one thing missing from Hamlin’s resume is a Cup title.  He’s come agonizingly …

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Friday Faceoff: Should the Daytona 500 Remain the Season-Opening Race?

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Ryan Blaney Brad Keselowski Pack Racing Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

The Advance Auto Parts Clash has taken some criticism over how difficult it was for drivers to pull out of line and make a pass. How do you see this playing out over the remaining Speedweeks events? Isolated issue or recurring problem? Clayton Caldwell: It’s an issue we’ll see throughout Speedweeks. This package has been …

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Ryan Newman Hoping Engineering Degree Helps With New Aero Package

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

One of the biggest storylines of the NASCAR offseason was the new aerodynamic package NASCAR implemented for 22 of 36 races this Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. With the drastic switch, Ryan Newman is hoping to put his engineering degree from Purdue University to work. Newman, 41, is entering his 18th season as a Cup …

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The Frontstretch 5: Big Questions As NASCAR Enters 2019

2019 Daytona Clash Cup Paul Menard Pack Racing Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

1. What will the new aerodynamic package look like in real time? That’s the big question that everyone is asking, but don’t expect the answer to be immediate or definitive. The low horsepower, high downforce package will debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway in a week and a half, but don’t expect what you see there …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: A New Season Dawns

#21: Paul Menard, Wood Brothers Racing, Ford Mustang Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center And #18: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry M&m's Chocolate Bar

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

With Daytona 500 qualifying out of the way, the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season has officially gotten underway. Jimmie Johnson claimed the victory in the Advance Auto Parts Clash, after passing Paul Menard on lap 55 of what ultimately became a 59-lap rain-shortened event. The good news for the No. 48 team was …

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Up to Speed: From the Big 3 to the 4 Horsemen

2019 Daytona Cup Zach Catanzareti Joey Logano

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

One year ago, rising stars and young guns were the talk of the NASCAR world.  However, a small group of veteran racers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series quickly took those newcomers to school.  Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. combined to win 11 of the season’s first 14 races.  Observers regularly referred …

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Entry List: Daytona 500

2018 Daytona Cup Zach Catanzareti Ryan Blaney

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The entry list for the 61st Daytona 500 has been released, and there’s a lot of changes for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. 42 cars are on the final version of the entry list. A maximum of 40 cars will take the green flag on race day. Old faces in new places …

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Entry List: Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona

The Advance Auto Parts Clash kicks off the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season on Feb. 10 for a 75-lap shootout at Daytona International Speedway. 20 cars are eligible for the event due to either winning a pole last season, previously winning a Daytona 500 pole, previously winning the Clash or making the playoffs …

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Oscar Mayer Sponsoring Ryan Newman for 2019

Ryan Newman 1000bulbs.com 500 Qualifying

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Roush Fenway Racing announced Thursday morning (Jan. 10) that Oscar Mayer will sponsor Ryan Newman in the No. 6 Ford Mustang for several races during the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, beginning at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17. The maker of bacon, hot dogs and lunch meat will also be the primary sponsor …

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