Race Weekend Central

Friday Faceoff: How Many Cup Venues Should 1 City Get?

Brad Keselowski No. 2 car in 2010 Nashville Superspeedway NASCAR race Nigel Kinrade

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/Autostock)

Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway continues to campaign for a NASCAR weekend even though Nashville Superspeedway is back on the schedule and sits barely 30 minutes away. Does it matter if two venues are that geographically close? Luken Glover: There are certain areas where this would not work, but Nashville is one of the biggest opportunities to pounce …

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The Underdog House: Numerous All-Star Aspirations Fade in Open

Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell on track at Texas for the All Star Race (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Setting All three NASCAR series headed to the Lone Star State for dates at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. This time, however, things felt different. TMS has typically held the first weekend in April, but this year NASCAR shifted the schedule around. While the track’s fall playoff date remained intact, the usual spring points …

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Frontstretch 5: Memorable Heartbreaking Rookie Losses

2008 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Talladega Priority

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Several key headlines emerged from last Sunday’s (June 6) Toyota/Save Mart 350 from Sonoma Raceway, including Kyle Larson’s dominating win and the 270th team win for Hendrick Motorsports. But one driver seemingly bound to make a major headline for himself on Sunday was NASCAR Cup Series rookie Anthony Alfredo, who raced inside the top-10 for …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Toyota/Save Mart 350

Kyle Larson in victory lane at Sonoma's Toyota/Save Mart 350 (June 2021). (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who … should you be talking about after the Toyota/Save Mart 350? Is Kyle Larson finally living up to his potential? He’s always had the talent to win but has struggled to close. For the second week in a row, Larson left no doubt whether he could finish out races, dominating the Toyota/Save Mart 350 …

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iRacing Weekly Roundup: Virtual Coca-Cola 600

Virtual Frontstretch

Photo by Justin Melillo via iRacing.com

As we start to wrap up the month of May, all of the official iRacing Indianapolis 500 races are complete on both the fixed and open setups. Thousands have participated in the festivities both last weekend and this weekend, about 200 different drivers through all the splits able to taste the virtual milk and thousands …

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The Underdog House: AJ Allmendinger Capitalizes on COTA Road Course Prowess

AJ Allmendinger prepares for a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (March 2021) (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog: AJ Allmendinger AJ Allmendinger may be no underdog on a road course, but the 39-year-old veteran became a bit of a Cinderella story Sunday (May 23) at Circuit of the Americas. While his team, Kaulig Racing, has established itself as a powerhouse in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, it has limited experience at the …

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eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series: James Davison Wins on Virtual COTA

James Davison iRacing eNASCAR Circuit of the Americas COTA

(Photo: iRacing)

Taking home the victory in Wednesday night’s (May 19) eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event at the newest track on the NASCAR schedule, Circuit of the Americas, was James Davison. “It took a lot of concentration to keep the car straight,” Davison told Fox Sports 1. “This is my wheelhouse, road-course racing. I sat on …

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Michael McDowell Feels Like ‘Real Valued Asset’ for 1st Time With Front Row Motorsports

Nascar Cup Series

#34: Michael McDowell, Front Row Motorsports, Ford Mustang Fr8Auctions

Michael McDowell is having the best season of his career. After beginning his NASCAR Cup Series tenure with Michael Waltrip Racing, McDowell bounced between teams for a number of years before landing at Front Row Motorsports, where 2021 marks his fourth season with the Ford stable. A name that previously only sparked flashbacks of his …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Drydene 400 at Dover

2021 Cup Dover Alex Bowman Woo Hoo (Credit: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened at Dover? Alex Bowman won the Drydene 400 at Dover on Sunday (May 16) after taking the lead on pit road and leading the final 97 laps. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Joey Logano rounded out the top-five finishers. To the No. 48 pit crew … … this one's for you! …

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The Underdog House: Michael McDowell Nearly Goes 2-For-2 on Superspeedways in 2021

Michael McDowell waves standing on pit road at Las Vegas. Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog: Michael McDowell If a 2021 handbook were written on how to survive superspeedway racing, Michael McDowell would likely be the author thus far. February’s Daytona 500 Cinderella victor came just one push away from besting fellow Ford stablemate Brad Keselowski Sunday (April 25) for the win at Talladega Superspeedway. “It means a lot,” …

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The Virtual Frontstretch: Issue 8

Melillo Virtual Frontstretch 8

Photo by Justin Melillo via iRacing.com

Sure, The Virtual Frontstretch is a weekly collection of updates regarding the simulated racing world. But what happens when you take a virtual racing series and turn those drivers loose on a real track?  Monday Night Racing answered that question this past week with a go-kart endurance race at GoPro Motorplex on Wednesday night (April …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Was Bristol Dirt a Success?

Bristol dirt track in 2021, overhead view, Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

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

Should this past weekend at Bristol be considered a success given all that went into it and what they had to overcome with the rain? – Hazel B., Austin, Texas Talk about a loaded question … so much to unpack with this race and so little time to do it. First, let me lay out …

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