Race Weekend Central

Frontstretch 2-Minute Drill: Xfinity 500 at Martinsville

2019 Martinsville MENCS Racing NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The penultimate race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway is upon us, and pretty much everything is still up in the air. Kyle Larson has won three straight races, including sweeping both events in the Round of 8 thus far at Texas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. He’s led a combined 386 …

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Did You Notice?: What’s Next for Ford’s NASCAR Future After Rocky 2021 Playoffs?

Ford drivers Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric chat on pit road at Kansas Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

#12: Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Menards/Moen and #33: Austin Cindric, Team Penske, Ford Mustang MoneyLion

Did You Notice? … The way Ford has struggled during the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs? As I first pointed out at CBS Sports, they’ve gone 0-for-8 and sit outside Championship 4 position for the first time in the history of the format, implemented in 2014. That could change this weekend at Martinsville Speedway if any …

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Dropping the Hammer: NASCAR Still King on Sunday Despite F1 Gains

NASCAR at Kansas Speedway

(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

“Absolutely unacceptable.” According to Denny Hamlin, that’s how NASCAR president Steve Phelps described the glaringly sparse grandstands at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month. The grandstands, once packed to the rafters in the track’s first decade of existence, now had entire sections (including where I sat during the inaugural race in 1997) blocked off for …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Kansas Provides Better Racing, New Issues for NBC Sports

Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 19, Chase Elliott’s No. 9, Alex Bowman’s No. 48 and Joey Logano’s No. 22 race four-wide at Kansas Speedway in the fall 2021 NASCAR Cup series race, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After a fairly unsatisfactory race at Texas Motor Speedway, viewers got a much more enjoyable race to watch Sunday (Oct. 24) at Kansas Speedway. However, there were problems early. Hollywood Casino 400 Knowing that the race started about 14 minutes after the Formula 1 race, then almost immediately got red-flagged due to lightning, I do …

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NASCAR Stat Sheet: Kyle Larson Still Shredding the Record Books With Kansas Win

Kyle Larson

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Larson scores another trifecta Here we are again. Another race weekend is in the books, and while the track was different and the playoff drivers having good or bad days may have rotated a bit, one thing remains strikingly constant: the winner. Kyle freaking Larson has run off with another trophy, his ninth of the …

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Up to Speed: A Good Bad Day for Kyle Busch at Kansas

Kyle Busch at 2021 NASCAR Cup Series race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Kyle Busch’s rocky path through the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs took another unexpected turn at Kansas Speedway. Entering Sunday’s (Oct. 24) race, Busch was on the playoff bubble, just eight points above the cut line. It was a slim margin, but not necessarily a reason to panic. Once among his worst tracks, Busch had finished …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Kansas NASCAR Playoff Race

Kyle Larson and No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports crew points up in victory lane, Sean Gardner/Getty

(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

What happened? Kyle Larson won the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday (Oct. 24) for his third consecutive victory. Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-five finishers. You earned it today, @KyleLarsonRacin! Retweet to congratulate the @TeamHendrick driver on an impressive win at @kansasspeedway! pic.twitter.com/stXuaHpqu7 — NASCAR …

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Frontstretch 2-Minute Drill: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas

#2: Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Verizon 5G and #24: William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro Axalta pack racing Kansas spring 2021 Cup race NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Just three races remain in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. First among them is Sunday (Oct. 24) afternoon’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, where 40 drivers settle in for 267 laps on the 1.5-mile yellow brick road. Even after last week’s likely-calm race at Texas Motor Speedway devolved into chaos in the final …

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4 Burning Questions: Will Formula 1 or NASCAR Win the Ratings Battle?

2020 Kansas playoff Cup race, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch lead the pack coming off a turn, Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who will come out on top between F1 and NASCAR? This Sunday will mark a big test for Formula 1 as it goes head-to-head with the NASCAR Cup Series race on cable, and the National Football League when it comes to television in general. Before the speculation, it should be obvious that NASCAR will outdraw …

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5 Points to Ponder: Despite Trouble at Texas, Denny Hamlin Showed Championship Form

Denny Hamlin waits for a NASCAR race at Charlotte to begin. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

1. Denny Hamlin showing championship potential We’ve seen it time and again: Denny Hamlin makes the playoffs only to fall flat in the season’s most critical moments. But fast forward to the 2021 season and we’ve seen the No. 11 team strike first in the Round of 16 and the Round of 12, winning at …

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Zach’s Turn: Brad Keselowski Shining in Rare Underdog Role Through Playoffs

Brad Keselowski Texas NASCAR 2021

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

On Oct. 10 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, Brad Keselowski was on the brink of elimination. His competitors were doing him no favors. The No. 2 Ford was sent spinning multiple times around the part-oval, part-road-course. And with no significant playoff points to carry him through the postseason, there were multiple points were it …

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NASCAR Stat Sheet: Larson Two-Steps All Over the Competition in Texas

Kyle Larson leads a pack cars at Texas Motor Speedway, October 2021. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Larson closing in on first Cup title Remember when Kyle Larson did something dumb and many wondered if his opportunity to compete in the Cup Series (or any NASCAR series for that matter) was gone? It seems like ages ago, and in some ways, it was. The world has changed a lot since then, as …

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