Race Weekend Central

Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: Chase Elimination Edition

2016 NSCS - Jimmie Johnson Kentucky Photo Logan Whitton NKP

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Sunday’s Sprint Cup contest at Dover served as the first Chase elimination inside NASCAR’s ten-race playoff. That means we had to say goodbye to four of the 16 drivers who, just a few short weeks ago believed they were the favorites to hold up the championship trophy in Homestead. As the Monster Mile showed us, despite a clean race Sunday holding on to a spot …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Martin Truex, Jr. Dominates at Dover

Who’s In The Headline Martin Truex, Jr. is on fire to start this Chase. Round 1 has been a showcase for he and the No. 78 team, who won the first race at Chicagoland, then came close in the second at New Hampshire before late restarts shuffled them back. At Dover, they had the second-fastest …

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Friday Faceoff: Will the Chase Picture Change at Dover?

2016 Loudon I CUP pack racing Russell LaBounty NKP

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

After Martin Truex, Jr. and Matt Kenseth combined to dominate at New Hampshire, it was Kevin Harvick walking away with the victory.  Is there a chink in the Joe Gibbs Racing/Furniture Row Racing armor, and was Harvick’s performance a preview of how the Chase battle could go as well? Mark Howell, Senior Writer: I didn’t …

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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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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Martin Truex, Jr. Overcomes Adversity With Late Charge to Win at Chicagoland

2016-chicago-cup-martin-truex-jr-woohoo-nigel-kinrade-nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

  Who’s in the headline – Martin Truex, Jr. overcame a tire issue under green flag conditions to put himself in position to make a run at the race win. A late-race caution and a strong pit stop resulted in Truex restarting outside the second row. An aggressive move to the outside allowed him to …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2016 Federated Auto Parts 400

2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Richmond

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? While Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson was getting plenty of airtime for some bold moves late in the race and a recent hot streak, Jamie McMurray was quietly getting a top-10 finish of his own (he wound up seventh) and in doing so, made them one of three multi-car organizations …

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5 Points To Ponder: Was Cole Custer, John Hunter Nemechek Aggression Too Much?

2016 Atlanta CWTS Cole Custer Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

ONE: A Look At Those Locked In With Darlington in the books, the Chase field for the Sprint Cup Series has gotten substantially clearer. Of the 16 Chase spots, 12 have been tentatively filled by race winners who have clinched finishing the regular season in the top 30. These 12 drivers include, by order of …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: Labor Day Weekend Throwback Edition

Kevin Harvick Darlington Cup 2016 Yvonne Leonard

(Photo: Yvonne Leonard)

It was quite a weekend in NASCAR, a throwback in more ways than one. A beat and bang finish in the Camping World Truck Series kicked off the proceedings, followed by both paint schemes and attire suitable for Sunday’s Sprint Cup main event. Darlington delivered, paired with comments during and after the race that were old school and …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Martin Truex Jr. Claims Second NASCAR Crown Jewel of 2016

2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Darlington

(Courtesy: NKP / Nigel Kinrade)

Who’s in the headline: For the first time in his career, Martin Truex, Jr. has won multiple races in a single season. Kevin Harvick was the dominant car for the vast majority of Sunday night’s Southern 500, but pit road miscues put him behind in the final laps and he was unable to overcome the handicap. Truex, now …

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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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Jamie McMurray Pleased with the Direction of Chip Ganassi Racing

Jamie McMurray Indianapolis 2016 Cup Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

With only two races remaining before the Chase cutoff at Richmond, Jamie McMurray finds himself on the hot seat, currently sitting 15 points to the good of the bubble. In recent weeks, Chip Ganassi Racing has been on an upward slide, with both of the teams consistently running toward the front of the field. Kyle Larson …

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