Race Weekend Central

NASCAR Mailbox: Should the ROVAL Be a Cutoff Race?

2019 Richmond Mencs Clint Bowyer Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After Saturday night’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond, many drivers complained, once again, that passing was very difficult with the current racing package. Clint Bowyer had some interesting ideas, saying maybe a new package should be put into place for short tracks or that PJ1 should be used at Richmond. Has this …

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The Frontstretch 5: Must-Know Driver Road Course Statistics

2018 Cup Charlotte Roval Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Charlotte’s ROVAL this weekend for the second time. It’s the last race in the Round of 16 in the playoffs with a lot on the line. It’s also a bit of a wild card race because there are some unknowns with this track, mainly a reconfigured section …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2019 South Point 400 at Las Vegas

2019 Las Vegas Mencs Martin Truex, Jr. Burnout Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? Martin Truex Jr. played his cards right in Las Vegas during the South Point 400. He had a solid car by the middle portion of the race, running down a strong Joey Logano for the stage two victory, but fell back amid some late-race drama. He …

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Clint Bowyer Captures Cup Series Pole at Las Vegas, Stewart-Haas Racing Sweeps the Front Rows

2019 Las Vegas Mencs Clint Bowyer Pole Award Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Stewart-Haas Racing sure brought some lightning-fast Fords to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Clint Bowyer ran the fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s (Sept. 15) South Point 400, part of a 1-2-3-4 sweep for a SHR organization looking to jumpstart their 2019 season. Bowyer’s fast lap went 178.926 mph, just ahead of Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Daniel …

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Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch Pace Cup Practice Sessions at Las Vegas

2019 Las Vegas Kurt Busch Car Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams prepared their vehicles in a pair of practices for Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Clint Bowyer took the top speed of 178.059 mph in the first session, while Kurt Busch snagged the highest spot in the closing minutes of final practice. He went 177.276 …

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Frontstretch Podcast: Kyle Larson Gears Up for Postseason

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In this week’s edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino and Mike Neff discuss a frantic weekend of racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kevin Harvick dominated the Brickyard 400 en route to his third win of 2019. But the bigger story was the playoff battle, which saw Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman race their way into the postseason, while …

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Odds & Ends Around the Track: Viva Las Vegas Edition

2019 Las Vegas I Cup Ryan Blaney Joey Logano Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Do the NASCAR playoffs do anything for you? Maybe I am too old-fashioned, but having a one-race, winner-take-all race just doesn’t do it for me. The concept to have more “Game 7 moments” in the sport was to generate more interest. But television ratings are only big for big races, not for the playoffs. It …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: The Playoff Cutoff Brings Hyperfocus

2019 Indianapolis Mencs Kevin Harvick Restart Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Oh boy. Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is a race that has been problematic for NASCAR over the last decade. It appears that they never properly gave penance for the fiasco in 2008. As a result, the race is a shell of it’s former self. It’s a great shame. Yes, there were apparently 65,000 people at …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Brickyard 400

2019 Indianapolis Mencs Kevin Harvick Victory Lane Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): A series of hard wrecks and hair-raising restarts made Sunday (Sept. 8) one of the wilder Brickyard 400s in recent memory. One of them involved Jimmie Johnson, whose spin in front of nearly the whole field ended his 15-year streak of NASCAR postseason appearances. Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman were then able to …

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Pace Laps: Cup Playoff Grid is Set, Justin Allgaier Readies For Xfinity Title Hunt

2019 Indianapolis Nxs Kyle Busch Checkers Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Calamity Strikes, Playoff Grid is Set Regardless of the attendance size, the 2019 Big Machine Vodka 400 was full of action. 48 of the 160 laps were run under caution, but when the checkered flag flew at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the playoff grid was set. Nine drivers failed to finish …

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Kevin Harvick Wins 2nd Brickyard 400 as Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman Make Playoffs

2019 Indianapolis Mencs Kevin Harvick Victory Celebration Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Kevin Harvick dominated the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to take home his second victory at the Brickyard. He won the Big Machine Vodka 400 by six seconds ahead of second-place Joey Logano. Harvick led from the pole before the first caution flag flew, with Stewart-Haas Racing teammate and …

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Pondering the Postseason Field: Who Secures the Final Spots?

2019 Atlanta Cup Daniel Suarez Nkp

(Photo: NKP)

It’s taken a few years and 25 races to get here, but there’s playoff drama to be found heading into this weekend’s Cup Series regular season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  After years where the playoff field was largely decided in the weeks prior to the finale, a quartet of drivers have proven unable to …

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