Race Weekend Central

Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: A Great Recipe, or a Good Batch?

2019 talladega cup mencs zach catanzareti alex bowman

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Kansas Speedway is maybe the most bland of all the cookie-cutter racetracks, which is saying something. But does the quality of racing this past Friday and Saturday night mean that NASCAR has finally figured out the right recipe for good racing there? Or could it just indicate that this was an anomaly, simply a fantastic …

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Up to Speed: A Steep Learning Curve for Cup Series Rookies

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

For two Rookie of the Year Contenders in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, last week’s race at Talladega Superspeedway was a long-awaited bright spot.  Both Ryan Preece and Daniel Hemric walked away with top-five finishes. Preece’s third-place result is a career-best finish, improving on his eighth place earlier this year in the Daytona 500.  …

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Frontstretch Podcast: Corey LaJoie Talks Thrilling Talladega Weekend

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In this week’s edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino and Mike Neff discuss the frantic Talladega Superspeedway weekend that arguably saw one of the best superspeedway races in a long time. It must be that the new rules package worked well, right? The Chevrolet brigade teamed up to sweep all three stages at Talladega, including Chase Elliott getting …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Talladega: Endgame

2019 talladega cup mencs zach catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Chevrolet teams make up about half the field most weeks in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but judging by the results so far this season, it’s understandable to think they were in the half of existence that were vaporized when Thanos snapped his fingers. But just like in Avengers: Endgame, time travel was involved on …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings Forecast: 2019 GEICO 500

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(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Talladega Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events are often survival of the fittest (or even just survival). Collisions lurk around every corner, waiting to claim their next victim. The Big One is just one ill-timed bump away, disrupting the race and your daily fantasy NASCAR DraftKings roster. This week’s event, the 2019 GEICO 500 (Sunday, …

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Frontstretch Podcast: 2019 NASCAR Quarterly Review

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(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

In this week’s edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino and Mike Neff discuss the state of NASCAR at the quarter mark of the 2019 season. With Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske claiming all nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, what grade can we give it? How do we think the new aero package has affected the …

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NASCAR 101: Martin Truex Jr. Finally Won a Short Track Race — Who’s Next?

2019 Cup Richmond zach catanzareti martin truex jr.

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Apparently all it took for Martin Truex Jr. to win on a short track was to switch teams. Last weekend’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway saw Truex, in the midst of his first season for Joe Gibbs Racing in its No. 19, emerge victorious, snapping a losing streak at short tracks …

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The Frontstretch 5: Drivers Ready To End Their Winless Streak

2019 Daytona Clash CUP Jimmie Johnson celebrates NKP

1. Paul Menard It has been 277 races since Menard last won a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. Driving the No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Paul Menard won the 2011 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In that race, he led 27 laps and stretched the fuel in his No. 27 Chevrolet to …

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The Underdog House: JTG Daugherty Racing Continues to Impress

2019 Phoenix I CUP Chris Buescher NKP

(Photo: NKP)

Hello all! For this version of The Underdog House, I’m filling in for our illustrious Frank Velat. There were two NASCAR races at Richmond Raceway this weekend. The NASCAR Xfinity Series competed in the ToyotaCare 250, and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series raced for 400 laps in the Toyota Owners 400. The NASCAR Gander …

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Frontstretch Podcast: Kyle Busch Show Continues, Bristol’s Bad Attendance, Harrison Burton Reflects on Xfinity Debut

NASCAR Xfinity Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In the latest edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino and Mike Neff discuss Kyle Busch‘s most recent win at Bristol Motor Speedway, which makes him three-for-eight in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season. One of the big questions is what could have happened had Kurt Busch gotten to the rear bumper of the No. 18 …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Bristol Provides Good Racing, Decent Coverage and Bad Luck

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(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Bristol Motor Speedway always seems to provide some interesting action.  The usage of PJ1 TrackBite on the concrete banks has led to mixed results over the years.  This past weekend just might have been the most competitive at Bristol since the 2007 reconfiguration. Food City 500 Sunday’s 500-lap race was a relatively quick affair by …

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The Frontstretch 5: Recent Xfinity Champs & How Cup is Treating Them

NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, IN USA Saturday 22 July 2017 William Byron, Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro wins World Copyright: Rusty Jarrett NKP

(Photo: Rusty Jarrett/NKP)

1. William Byron (2017) Years in Cup: Second year in 2019 Current Team: Hendrick Motorsports Races: 43 Wins: 0 Top 5s: 0 Top 10s: 5 Average Finish: 21.3 Best Points finish: 23rd (2018, first full season) Byron is the hardest in this group to judge because he’s the least experienced in Cup by at least …

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