Race Weekend Central

NASCAR Mailbox: The Next Breed of XFINITY Series Racers Is Coming

2016 Charlotte CWTS Daniel Hemrick William Byron Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

As the 2016 NASCAR season comes to a close, the driver line-ups for each of the top three divisions are falling into place. For the XFINITY Series, 2017 will feature plenty of changes, including a handful of rookies advancing from the Camping World Truck Series. Among the new names in the will be Cole Custer …

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The Frontstretch 5: Drivers You Need to Watch in the Chase

2016-chicago-cup-brad-keselowski-helmet-brett-moist-nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

1. Joe Gibbs Racing This group has been so strong in 2016, and not just any one of them. When one is having an off day, another is dominating. The JGR Toyotas have a bit more speed than the competition this year, and all four drivers—defending champ Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Denny …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kevin Harvick Nets Loudon Victory With Late Restart Pass

2016 NASCAR New Hampshire

23-25 September, 2016, Loudon, New Hampshire USA Kevin Harvick celebrates in victory lane ©2016, Logan Whitton/NKP

Who’s in the headline – While Joe Gibbs Racing cars dominated the event, it was Kevin Harvick who parked it in Victory Lane on Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The JGR crew and affiliate led 280 of the 300 laps. Harvick took advantage of a late race, front row restart to wrest the …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2016 Bad Boy Off Road 300

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? It’s never easy to drive in a fill-in role.  Four-time champion Jeff Gordon can attest to that after a stint filling in for former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  With the Chase underway, teams outside the championship picture rarely get much airtime. But over the last couple …

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Carl Edwards Captures New Hampshire Cup Pole, 6th of 2016

2016 darlington cup carl edwards zach catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Carl Edwards added another pole to his resume on Friday when he turned the fastest lap in the final round of qualifying in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, at 135.453 mph. The No. 19 has started atop the scoring pylon six times in 2016, the most in a single season of …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not: NASCAR Implications Edition

2016-chicago-cup-martin-truex-jr-burnout-russell-labounty-nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Sunday brought us our first Chase race and for some drivers, the first race that had real implications for them since a win earlier this season. Due to some upcoming penalties that will likely be announced Wednesday, we don’t even know what all of those implications will be. HOT It remains to be seen if …

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2-Headed Monster: Is Joe Gibbs Racing Still the Championship Favorite?

2016 Indianapolis Cup Matt Kenseth Kyle Busch Matthre T Thacker NKP

(Photo: Matthew T Thacker/NKP)

Joe Gibbs Racing has been on a tear since midway through the 2015 Sprint Cup Series season. Winners of 21 of the last 45 races – including 11 this season – the four-driver crew of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards has been nearly unstoppable. Add in Furniture Row Racing pseudo-teammate Martin …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2016 Bojangles Southern 500

2016 Darlington Raceway Martin Truex Jr NSCS photo credit NASCAR via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? In the “where did he come from” department, the best finish in the Hendrick Motorsports stable came from Kasey Kahne.  Kahne has been strong at Darlington in the past, so his seventh-place run shouldn’t be a surprise. But given the season Kahne’s had and how he took the stealth approach, the …

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Daily NASCAR Fantasy: Drafting Your Darlington Lineup

2016 darlington cup jeffrey earnhardt zach catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to Darlington Raceway on September 4th for the Bojangles’ Southern 500. It’s another throwback weekend at the track “Too Tough to Tame” and nearly every team will be gunning to get its retro scheme into victory lane. Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind when constructing your …

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Entry List: Bojangles’ Southern 500

Joey Logano and Landon Cassill Darlington Cup Retro 2015 Mike Neff-111

(Photo: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Tradition continues for the second consecutive year at Darlington Raceway as the Sprint Cup Series competes at the famed track on its traditional Labor Day Weekend date. As of Monday, there are 40 cars entered, meaning all will make the race, barring any entry list updates. Jeff Gordon returns behind the wheel of the No. …

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4 Burning Questions: New Rules, New Faces and Potential Upset Victors

2016-Bristol-II-CUP-Ryan-Blaney-pack-racing-Rainier-Ehrhardt-NASCAR-via-Getty-Images

(Photo: Ranier Ehrhardt / NASCAR via Getty Images)

How will the new rules package affect the racing this weekend at Michigan? NASCAR has ruled that all teams will be running with the 2017 rules package this weekend at Michigan. It is not the first race for the new, even lower downforce package however; the tiny spoiler has been used in the All-Star race, in …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered after the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race

2016 NASCAR Bristol

(Photo: Logan Whitton / NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. didn’t have the relaxing week off that many other drivers and their families had, instead spending the final off-week of the season saying goodbye to one of his best friends, racer Bryan Clauson, who passed away last weekend from injuries sustained in a racing accident. …

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