Race Weekend Central

Up to Speed: Reviewing NASCAR Playoff Points of the Past

Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex, Jr. two common NASCAR playoff contenders chat at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

#4: Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Mobil 1 , #19: Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Bass Pro Shops Red White Blue

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs may be approaching quickly, but there are still plenty of playoff points up for grabs.  Each of the four remaining regular season races offer seven NASCAR playoff points – five for the race win plus one for each of two stage wins.  Taken together, there are still 28 playoff points …

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Hendrick’s Nos. 9, 48 Teams Penalized After New Hampshire

Alan Gustafson on Chase Elliott's pit box during the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix, 5/23/2021 (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

NASCAR levied L1 penalties against two Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series teams July 24. The Nos. 9 and 48 teams were found to be in violation of Section 20.6.1.e in the NASCAR rule book, which covers engine assembly. The penalty report notes, “When the long block is sealed, the engine must be used in the …

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Frontstretch 2-Minute Drill: Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire

2019 Loudon MENCS Joey Logano Car Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

A northeast venture to the Granite State concludes the pre-Olympic break portion of the NASCAR Cup Series’ 2021 season. New Hampshire Motor Speedway hosts this afternoon’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 and it is the final NASCAR event prior to the opening ceremonies of the postponed 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics getting underway later this week, coverage …

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Zach’s Turn: Has Hendrick Motorsports Taken a Step Back?

Hendrick Motorsports Alex Bowman Denny Hamlin Atlanta 2021

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Asking whether Hendrick Motorsports has taken a step back in the midst of its best season in years probably seems absurd on the surface. The dominant four-car organization has won seven of the last nine NASCAR Cup Series races, headed mainly by Kyle Larson, and most recently won just two races ago at Road America, …

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Did You Notice?: 6 NASCAR Storylines to Follow With 6 Regular Season Races Left

Kyle Larson races teammate William Byron in the 2021 Pennzoil 400 Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … There’s six races left in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season? After some incredible parity, with 10 different winners in the first 11 races, the 2021 playoff battle has mostly sorted itself out. We’ve had just one new winner in the last nine races as Cinderellas have been replaced by the typical …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Road America Presents Some Issues

Kyle Weatherman and Jeremy Clements race at Road America, July 2021. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Last weekend was an excellent time if you like road racing. NASCAR had the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series at Road America, while INDYCAR was at Mid-Ohio. Finally, you had IMSA at Watkins Glen. I’ll be honest and admit that literally nothing was there from the Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen weekend. All but …

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Podcast: Daniel Hemric On Increasing Confidence at JGR, Pushing The Envelope

Hemricpodcast

After having one of the quickest cars at Pocono Raceway, Daniel Hemric had not one but two pit road speeding penalties derail his chances of grabbing that elusive first NASCAR victory. He joins Davey this week to explain what happened on pit road, how his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing is going, why his …

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5 Points to Ponder: Hendrick vs. Gibbs Shaping Up As Heavyweight Title Fight

2021 Nashville Cup Kyle Larson Kyle Busch pack racing Logan Riely Getty

(Photo: Logan Riely/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

1. Can anyone crash the Hendrick-Gibbs championship showdown? NASCAR held a pair of Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway this past weekend, and believe it or not, Kyle Larson didn’t win either of them. To be fair, it took a flat tire on the last lap on Saturday (June 26) to make that sentence true. …

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NASCAR Stat Sheet: Killer Bs Unleashed in Pocono As Bowman & Busch Capture Wins

Draftkings

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, and Alex Bowman and Kyle Busch both lucked into victory lane last weekend at Pocono Raceway. For Bowman, the monumental task of holding off Kyle Larson proved first impossible, then unnecessary. As a flat tire finally ended the reign of the only driver to win in the …

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Dropping the Hammer: Road America’s 65-Year Cup Series Drought Ends

NASCAR at Road America

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After decades of waiting, Road America’s time has arrived. The four-mile road course in Elkhart Lake, Wis., will finally be graced by the presence of the top racing circuit in North America: the NASCAR Cup Series. Sunday, July 4’s inaugural … Hold on. *touches ear* We’re just receiving some new information into the newsroom. Sunday …

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Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Pocono Doubleheader

2021 Pocono I Cup Denny Hamlin pack racing Pocono Doubleheader weekend James Gilbert Getty

(Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

Who … should you be talking about after the Pocono Doubleheader? Kyle Busch finally put an end to Hendrick Motorsports’ absurd dominance, finding a way to overcome a transmission that was stuck in fourth gear while saving enough gas to win the Explore the Pocono Mountains 350 on Sunday (June 27). Busch had an exceptional …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: NASCAR Pocono Doubleheader Weekend

2021 Pocono II Cup Kyle Busch bow wins second race of 2021 Pocono doubleheader James Gilbert Getty

(Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

What happened? Alex Bowman won the Pocono Organics CBD 325 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday (June 26). Then, Kyle Busch won the Explore the Pocono Mountains 350 on Sunday (June 27) in the second race of the Pocono doubleheader. ????? pic.twitter.com/TMoq6OIkJr — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 26, 2021 Rowdy Nation, this one's for you! ? Retweet …

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