Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice?: NASCAR Team Orders Creeping Into 2021

2021 Trucks Atlanta Kyle Busch, No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, Burnout (Credit: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice? … The way in which teammates helped each other out at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend (March 20-21)? The most obvious example came in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where Kyle Busch twice slowed down in the final laps of a stage to let John Hunter Nemechek pass by and win. In …

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Up to Speed: Ryan Blaney Adds to His History of NASCAR Clutch Wins at Atlanta

Ryan Blaney gives the checkered flag to a fan at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Photo NKP

Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

Check off another unique winner for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.  Ryan Blaney emerged as a surprise victor at Atlanta Motor Speedway, capturing the fifth win of his career in dramatic fashion.  Despite a dominating performance from Kyle Larson, who led 269 of 325 laps, Blaney was the one who took the trophy and …

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Stock Car Scoop: Should Joey Logano Have Pulled Over for Kyle Larson?

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The final few laps in the 2021 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway turned into a battle royale between two rival organizations. Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney passed Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson with under 10 laps to go Sunday (March 21) after Larson had trouble getting around Joey Logano. Blaney’s Penske cohort was …

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Autotrader Stays With Team Penske, Signs Multi-Year Extension

2019 Cup Atlanta Brad Keselowski Car NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Longtime sponsor Autotrader has signed a multi-year extension with Team Penske and will be on board for six NASCAR Cup Series races in 2021, the team announced March 17. Autotrader, which has been with Penske since 2014, will be a primary sponsor for Brad Keselowski at Atlanta Motor Speedway Sunday. It will also come aboard …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR Track Rotation Not the Worst Idea

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, GA USA Sunday 25 February 2018 Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, Jimmy John's Ford Fusion, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Roush Fenway Racing, Ford Ford Fusion, and Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta Chevrolet Camaro World Copyright: Barry Cantrell NKP

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

Did You Notice?… Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of a handful of tracks to gain back a second NASCAR date in the modern era after losing it? AMS will run its first NASCAR Cup Series race of 2021 this weekend (March 21) before the sport makes a return trip on July 11. There’s a lot of …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Daniel Suarez Debuts in the Booth, FOX Overhypes 2012 Fracas

Erik Jones, Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson compete in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway March 2021. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Phoenix is an interesting place. NASCAR seems to be placing outsized importance on the tri-oval these days, knowing that the track will host the season finale in November. It just doesn’t make sense to have it there, especially since the banquet is no longer in Las Vegas. The past couple of weeks have seen a …

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5 Points to Ponder: Cream Rises, Ford Flounders?

2021-Phoenix-I-Cup-Martin-Truex-Jr-NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Truex Restores Natural Cup Series Order Just as we were about to hit the point of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season where Bill Murray’s “Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!” line from Ghostbusters would have applied because none of the races were being won by the drivers you’d expect, Martin Truex Jr. …

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NASCAR Stat Sheet: Martin Truex Jr. Finds His Oasis in the Desert

Martin Truex Jr. prepares for a NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 2021 Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Fans who have been around for more than a decade can likely recall a time when Martin Truex Jr. victories came about as often as February 29 does. Now it’s nearly as surprising when he goes almost a year without a win. Fortunately for his Joe Gibbs Racing team, that clock was reset on Sunday …

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Up to Speed: Kevin Harvick Still Searching for 2020 Form

Kevin Harvick stands next to car at 2021 Daytona 500 Cup race Photo NKP

#4: Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Busch Light #TheCrew

Sunday’s (March 14) NASCAR Cup Series race was a fairly typical event at Phoenix Raceway.  Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Instacart 500 was how little the FOX broadcast team called Kevin Harvick’s name.  It wasn’t long ago that Harvick completely dominated the desert mile.  Prior to Sunday, Harvick compiled nine wins, 18 top …

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Team Penske Leads Most Laps, Fails to Win NASCAR Cup Race at Phoenix

2021-Cup-Phoenix-I-Ryan-Blaney-NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

All three Team Penske cars finished Sunday’s (March 14) race at Phoenix Raceway in the top 10, but it could’ve been so much more for the trio. All three Penske cars began the fifth race of this NASCAR Cup Series season with good starting positions via the metric qualifying system. Brad Keselowski started first, Ryan …

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Martin Truex Jr. Ends Winless Streak, Victorious at Phoenix Raceway

2021-Phoenix-I-Cup-Martin-Truex-Jr-NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

On a sunny Sunday (March 14) afternoon at Phoenix Raceway, Martin Truex Jr. finally snapped a 29-race winless streak and returned to victory lane in the 2021 Instacart 500. It took a while for Truex’s car to come to him, especially after brushing the wall early on. But the driver of the No. 19 led …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings Forecast: 2021 Instacart 500

NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It’s time for NASCAR Cup Series drivers to race in the desert as the sport’s west coast swing heads to Phoenix Raceway out in Arizona. The Instacart 500 airs on Sunday, March 14 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX. This race last year was the final “normal” one, as COVID-19 quickly spread throughout the country, …

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