Race Weekend Central

Who’s Hot & Who’s Not In NASCAR: Throwback Edition

2016 Pocono Ii Cup Kevin Harvick Helmet Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Darlington had what is becoming its annual throwback weekend with NASCAR’s Cup and XFINITY series each having a number of cars with paint schemes resembling those from the past. But no matter how enjoyable it is to take a look back in time, there is no time like the present for many drivers as there is now just …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kevin Harvick Finally Tastes Well Aged Victory at Sonoma

Harvick Sonoma Win 1

(Photo: Lesley Ann Miller/ NKP)

Who’s in the headline: In a race that saw strategies all over the board, 10 different leaders exchanged the lead 13 times, and questions about leaders having enough fuel to the make the finish emerged to make the Toyota/Save Mart 350 one of the most compelling races of the season. When the checkered flag flew, it …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Never Count Him Out Edition

2017 Fontana Cup Ryan Blaney Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

It almost seems like an annual rite of passage in these early stages of the Cup Series season. What’s wrong with the No. 48 team? Is Jimmie Johnson finally past his prime? Is this the year the now-seven time champion becomes an also ran as he winds down his career? Well, we got the answer …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Ryan Newman Stretches Tires to Douse Winless Drought in Phoenix

Who’s in the headline – Ryan Newman won the 2013 Brickyard 400 before he was released by Stewart-Haas Racing. He has managed several third-place finishes, but only one runner-up since. In typical Newman fashion, he stayed out on a late-race caution with old tires and managed to hold off Kyle Larson to steal the victory. …

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Carl Edwards Expresses No Regret

2016 Chicago Cup Carl Edwards Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Carl Edwards’ retirement announcement was certainly the biggest shock of the off season in driver news. Arguably just as big a story came on Tuesday, as Edwards stated in an ESPN interview that though he is happy and has no regrets about his decision to walk away, we may not have seen the last of …

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Did You Notice? … Whether Change Can Keep NASCAR Afloat?

Da1q6665

(Photo: Bruce Nuttleman)

Did You Notice? … Just a NASCAR change or two has descended upon us since we last came together? Since November, the sport has taken on a new title sponsor in Monster Energy, adopted a flurry of new rules designed to spice up competition, and split with tradition by chopping even the Daytona 500 into …

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Five Points: Pondering An Avalanche Of NASCAR Change In 2017

Clash Daytona Action

ONE: All Change There is an old adage that states “the only constant in life is change.” It’s a quote widely attributed to Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher who lived five hundred years before the birth of Jesus — 535 BC to 475 BC, if you want the exact numbers. And despite the quote being several …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: Bring On NASCAR 2017

Johnson Larson Patrick Daytona

It’s true NASCAR has the shortest offseason of any major sport. But really, why does it seem like forever between the season finale at Homestead and the start of Daytona Speedweeks? It’s just 90 days, far shorter than the end of the Super Bowl and the start of NFL Training Camps midsummer. For me, the …

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Friday Faceoff: Who’s the Top NASCAR Rookie For 2017?

2016 Xfinity Iowa

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Carl Edwards pulled off a move that shocked the racing community, announcing he’ll step away from NASCAR competition full-time.  If Edwards has really hung ’em up for good, what is his legacy in the sport?  Is he a future Hall of Famer? Amy Henderson, Senior Editor: I think he goes down as one of the …

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NASCAR’s Carl Edwards Walks Away: Humble, Human & Healthy

2016 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Texas

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

20 years ago, Carl Edwards walked around telling his world he’d rise to the top in NASCAR. No one believed him. 20 years later, Edwards walked to the podium, an established NASCAR star and told the world he was walking away. No one wanted to believe him. Yet here he was, the opening act of a cool winter morning …

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It’s Official: Carl Edwards Leaves Full-Time NASCAR Racing

2016 Chicago Cup Carl Edwards Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Carl Edwards is walking away. In an emotional press conference at Joe Gibbs Racing Wednesday (Jan. 11), Edwards refused to mention the “R” word but made it official he’s leaving his full-time ride driving the No. 19 ARRIS Toyota. The move, effective immediately, puts Daniel Suarez in the seat full-time, competing for Monster Energy NASCAR …

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Daniel Suarez Moving to Cup in 2017, Replacing Carl Edwards

2016 Nxs Daniel Suarez Cockpit

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

For the second year in a row, the reigning NASCAR XFINITY Series champion will be making the jump to full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing the following year. After Carl Edwards‘ surprise move away from full-time racing that was officially announced today via a press conference (after initially being reported yesterday by sources to …

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