Race Weekend Central

NASCAR 101: The 5 Drivers Most Likely to Win Their Way Into Cup Playoffs

2017 Richmond I Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

The race to the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs ends up a bit more one-dimensional this year than in select past seasons in that there’s really only one story to follow: the race-winning spoiler. Entering the final regular season race of 2017 at Richmond Raceway, 13 drivers have punched their ticket into the …

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Denny Hamlin Penalized Following Darlington Victory

Darlington Cup 2017 Denny Hamlin Yvonne Leonard (3)

(Photo: Yvonne Leonard)

NASCAR announced Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 6) that the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team has been handed an L1-level penalty following the race last weekend at Darlington Raceway. The team violated sections 20.14.2 (rear suspension) of the NASCAR rule book, which states that “I-4 f Truck Trailing Arm Spacers/Pinion Angle Shims. Spacers/pinion angle shims must conform …

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Did You Notice?: The Fine Line Of NASCAR Drivers’ Personal Lives & Where It All Went Wrong

Jeremy Mayfield Credit Lat Photographic

Credit: LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Did You Notice? … The taboo subject of an athlete’s personal life? The topic came up Sunday night after Cody Ware went off on Twitter following a wreck involving fellow Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series underdog Matt DiBenedetto. The point here isn’t to delve into what was said or whether it was even true. It’s if that …

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5 Points to Ponder: Don’t Sleep On… Denny Hamlin?

2017 Darlington Cup Zach Catanzareti Denny Hamlin

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

ONE: Don’t Sleep On…. Denny Hamlin? 24/7 news cycles these days can cause storylines to be greatly exaggerated. So it’s no surprise everyone and their mother screamed, “Don’t sleep on Denny Hamlin!” seconds after his astounding Darlington comeback. It’s true Sunday’s Southern 500 was perhaps a stepping stone in Hamlin’s career. A driver who’s at times …

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Beside The Rising Tide: With Autumn Closing In

Darlington Cup 2017 Aric Almirola 2 Throwback Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

Ain’t it funny how the night moves? When you just don’t seem to have as much to lose, Ain’t it funny how the night moves? With autumn closing in…. -Bob Seger While it hasn’t quite reached the level of the Memorial Day weekend yet, Labor Day weekend offered race fans a full slate of action …

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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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Did You Notice?: 12 NASCAR 2017 Storylines With 12 Races Left

2017 Watkins Glen Cup Matin Truex Jr Car Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Did You Notice? … The past few days marked the last off weekend of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season? Starting Sunday at Darlington, we’ve got 12 races in a row which culminates with the crowning of the champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. In a season filled with mixed reviews, there’s still plenty of …

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5 Points to Ponder: The Sharp End of the 2017 NASCAR Season

2017 Indianapolis Cup Kyle Busch Pack Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

ONE: 12 to go We’re exactly two thirds of the way through the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule. 24 races are in the books leaving just 12 to go before we crown a 2017 champion. Two unique tracks, Darlington Raceway and Richmond International Raceway, await us next before the playoffs begin. Given that for many drivers, …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not In NASCAR: No Beating Around the Busch Edition

2017 Texas I Cup Erik Jones Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

The way Kyle Busch has been going this season, it’s not really hard to believe that he pulled of his second triple header career win week at Bristol. While it can be a bit frustrating and less interesting when he is dominating the Truck and XFINITY series races he enters, the question from here on out …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kyle Busch Busts Out Broom for Second National Tour Series Sweep at Bristol

2017 Bristol Ii Nxs Kyle Busch Celebrates Lesley Ann Miller Nkp

(Photo: Lesley Ann Miller / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – There have been multiple two-race sweeps in NASCAR history, but there have only been a pair of three-race sweeps. Both of them were accomplished by Kyle Busch and the second was this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch won the first stage, led the second most laps, including 93 of …

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Friday Faceoff: Who’s Sandbagging Who?

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Pure Michigan 400 Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Mi Usa Sunday 13 August 2017 Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Miller Lite Ford Fusion World Copyright: Rusty Jarrett Nkp

(Photo: Rusty Jarrett/NKP)

Last weekend at Michigan International Speedway, Brad Keselowski had some harsh words for the factory Toyota teams, accusing them of sandbagging after NASCAR floated the possibility of taking equipment from teams for comparison tests to avoid changes from the sanctioning body to increase parity.  Is there any merit to Keselowski’s argument, and does it signal …

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Friday Faceoff: How Much Is Left in Jimmie Johnson’s Tank?

2017 Dover I Cup Jimmie Johnson Rick Hendrick Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

19-year-old William Byron was named to replace Kasey Kahne at Hendrick Motorsports in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018. Are teams rushing youngsters through the ranks too fast in an effort not to lose them to another team, or are drivers more prepared at a younger age than in the past? Bryan Gable: William …

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