Race Weekend Central

Couch Potato Tuesday: The PJ1 Trackbite Dominates NASCAR at Loudon

2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, New Hampshire

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Last weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and XFINITY Series teams descended upon New Hampshire Motor Speedway for a now-traditional July weekend of speed.  Given the track’s typical single groove nature, PJ1 TrackBite was laid down in the turns.  Did it have an effect on the races?  Yes.  Did it also affect the broadcasts?  Oh …

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Denny Hamlin’s Michigan XFINITY Win Encumbered After Penalty

NASCAR XFINITY Series

Denny Hamlin beats William Byron to the finish line at Michigan International Speedway. (Photo: Brett Moist / NKP)

Events at Michigan International Speedway and Gateway Motorsports Park took place last weekend in NASCAR’s top three divisions, and no teams in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series incurred any penalties for only the second time this season. The other two national touring series, however, weren’t quite as lucky. The NASCAR XFINITY Series, like the …

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Cole Custer Takes Control Momentarily to Lead First XFINITY Series Laps

2017 pocono xfinity zach catanzareti cole custer

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Cole Custer’s confidence is in town. The 19-year-old knew his cars are capable of running well, but the results weren’t what he expected. Come Dover International Speedway, that changed with a fourth-place finish after finishing seventh at Charlotte Motor Speedway, breaking a streak of three finishes of 13th or worse. Following Custer’s second career top-five …

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Friday Faceoff: What to Do with the Overtime Line?

2017 Dover I CUP Jimmie Johnson leads Matthew T Thacker NKP

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

1. The teams of both Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe received heavy penalties after Dover International Speedway, including suspensions of crew chiefs, tire carriers and tire changers after each had a wheel fall off in completion.  Did NASCAR make the right call? Amy Henderson: Yes. The rulebook is pretty specific in this area, and NASCAR was …

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Cole Custer Wants More Consistency Following Dover Top-5 Result

2017 dover xfinity zach catanzareti cole custer

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Cole Custer and Stewart-Haas Racing have yet to win in their debut season in NASCAR’s XFINITY Series. They haven’t even led a lap. But for Custer, one of the sport’s promising rookies, he may have taken another step closer to contention this weekend. The No. 00 Ford came home fourth in Saturday’s OneMain Financial 200 …

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Ryan Blaney Leads the Charge in Final XFINITY Series Practice

2017 dover xfinity zach catanzareti ryan blaney

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Ryan Blaney, last weekends winner in the XFINITY Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway topped final practice at Dover International Speedway. With a lap of 152.517 mph, the No. 22 car was more than two mph slower than the hot lap turned by Kyle Larson in the opening practice. Larson ran the second quickest lap in final practice …

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Eyes on XFINITY: Reviewing the First 10 XFINITY Series Races of 2017

2017 Phoenix I NXS Justin Allgaier checkered flag Matthew T Thacker NKP

(Photo: Matthew Thacker / NKP)

Coming on the heels of two consecutive bye weeks, the XFINITY Series took to Charlotte Motor Speedway this past Saturday, and to no one’s surprise a Cup Series regular was victorious. Over the past several years, that has been the theme of the XFINITY Series, even though “names are made here.” But there is a bright …

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NASCAR’s Top Talent Scouts: Who’s Got the No. 1 Draft Pick?

2016 Daytona II CUP Brad Keselowski Joey Logano Matthew T Thacker NKP

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. news cycle finally got trumped in the sporting world by Thursday night’s NFL draft. As you read this, stories are popping up over names like Mitch Trubisky, Jabrill Peppers and I-can’t-remember-his-name-but-god-he-better-help-my-team. It’s a reminder for all that life must go on. At Hendrick Motorsports, those words ring truer than ever as it …

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Pace Laps: Ryan Blaney Lets One Get Away, Erik Jones Dominates in XFINITY Series

2017 Fontana CUP Ryan Blaney Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Monster Energy Cup Series: The Wood Brothers are Back – 1982. That was the last time a Wood Brothers Racing car led more than 100 laps in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The 35-year streak ended Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway as the team’s second-year driver Ryan Blaney led the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 for 148 …

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XFINITY Breakdown: Erik Jones Cruises to Victory in Texas

NASCAR XFINITY Series My Bariatric Solutions 300

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

At the site of his first career XFINITY Series victory in 2015, Erik Jones is always a factor at Texas Motor Speedway. In Saturday’s My Bariatric Solutions 300, the 20-year-old proved just that. Starting from second position, it didn’t take Jones long to find the lead. Once he went around pole-sitter Joey Logano early in the …

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