Race Weekend Central

The Underdog House: Bubba Wallace Top Dog of the Ring in Atlanta

2021 Cup Atlanta Ii Bubba Wallace Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Setting Atlanta Motor Speedway has become iconic in its own way. No, it doesn’t hold the prestige of a Daytona 500. It doesn’t test the same amount of endurance as the Coca-Cola 600 does. Kissing the bricks is not seen there. And it doesn’t serve hot dogs as good as Martinsville Speedway’s. The place …

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The Underdog House: Trackhouse Racing, 23XI Racing Excel in Pocono Doubleheader

Daniel Suarez of Trackhouse Racing gets into his car at Charlotte Motor Speedway 2021 (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Setting For Trackhouse Racing, 23XI Racing’s Success The NASCAR Cup Series headed to Long Pond, Penn. for the Pocono Raceway doubleheader, the second consecutive year the track has hosted back-to-back races. Drivers tackled a 325-miler on Saturday, June 26 and a 350-miler on Sunday, June 27. The Tricky Triangle presented two thrilling races, with …

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iRacing Weekly Roundup: Firecracker 400, 200 Lineups Set After Qualifying Round

Iracing

(Photo: Justin Melillo)

It’s been another virtually hectic week on the iRacing platform. Nashville Superspeedway was the main talk of the weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series made their debut at the newly refurbished facility. The virtual edition of the track was added during the 2021 Season 3 update and, after a few updates, the track became a …

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The Underdog House: Sweet Music for Daniel Suarez, NASCAR Underdogs in Nashville

Daniel Suarez Nashville Cup 2021 NASCAR race NKP (Tootsies sponsor)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Setting The excitement, energy and enthusiasm of the NASCAR Cup Series heading to Nashville Superspeedway was felt all week across NASCAR Nation. For the first time in 37 years, the Cup tour was stopping in Music City to race the 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway on Father’s Day. (I’d like to wish all the Dads out …

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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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