Race Weekend Central

NASCAR Opportunity Lost: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. With The Steal

stenhouse daytona win

(Photo: John Harrelson / NKP)

As the laps wound down at Daytona International Speedway Saturday night, the leaderboard of NASCAR’s Coke Zero 400 read like a Who’s Who of Cinderella stories. You had David Ragan in the lead, running for a Front Row Motorsports team that struggles to crack the top 25 most weeks. Other names in contention included rookie Ty Dillon, Paul …

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Did You Notice?: NASCAR Daytona Races Can Be Deceiving

kurt busch and wife

(Photo: Rusty Jarrett/NKP)

Did You Notice? … NASCAR races at Daytona can be deceiving? The sport’s Super Bowl, February’s Daytona 500 is known as a race whose winner rarely competes for the series title. Only Jimmie Johnson (2006 & 2013) has accomplished the feat since 1998. There’s a lot of reasons Daytona winds up so different than the rest …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: A Look At the FOX NASCAR Season Finale

2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, Sonoma

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/ NKP)

If you’ve been reading my columns here at Frontstretch over the past few years, you know that I love road racing.  The one weekend a year that the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series travels to Sonoma Raceway is one of my personal favorites.  That action was combined with two outstanding events for the Camping World Truck …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Left, Right, Left, Right Edition

2017 Las Vegas CUP Kevin HArvick NIgel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

NASCAR drivers had one of those rare weekends, not because they were in California, but because it was their chance to make some right turns this weekend. While they did make a lot of right turns, still along with some left ones, things didn’t go right a lot of times. Unless of course, you’re Kevin …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kevin Harvick Finally Tastes Well Aged Victory at Sonoma

harvick sonoma win 1

(Photo: Lesley Ann Miller/ NKP)

Who’s in the headline: In a race that saw strategies all over the board, 10 different leaders exchanged the lead 13 times, and questions about leaders having enough fuel to the make the finish emerged to make the Toyota/Save Mart 350 one of the most compelling races of the season. When the checkered flag flew, it …

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Daily Fantasy Forecast: Toyota-Save Mart 350 Preview

2017 Martinsville Cup zach catanzareti ryan newman

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Sonoma Raceway for the Toyota Save Mart 350 this Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. Cars hit the track on Friday at 3:00 p.m. for first practice, and then at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday for Coors Light Pole Qualifying. Here are nine drivers to look out for during …

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Entry List: Toyota/Save Mart 350

2106 Sonoma CUP pack racing Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

We’re turning left and right this weekend, boys and girls. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads west to wine country for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway for the first of two road course races of the 2017 season. There are 38 cars on the preliminary entry list, meaning the field will not be …

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2-Headed Monster: What Does Kasey Kahne Have Left?

2017 Kansas I CUP Kasey Kahne Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Kasey Kahne has had his fair share of success at NASCAR’s premier level, but none as of late. In fact, the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has 17 wins in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series over 14 seasons yet hasn’t won a race in almost three full seasons, 97 races to be exact. …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: NASCAR’s Tame Pocono 400 Turns Into Terrific Finish

2017 pocono cup zach catanzareti ryan blaney

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Who’s in the headline – For the third time this season, we have a first-time winner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. It’s Ryan Blaney, who drove to the lead after a late-race restart with fresher tires than a dominant Kyle Busch. He then held off Kevin Harvick in a thrilling finish after Harvick closed in while Busch and …

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NASCAR Mailbox: How Important is Darrell Wallace Jr.’s Cup Debut for NASCAR’s Diversity Efforts?

2017 Atlanta NXS Darrell Wallace Jr Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Finally. Finally. Finally. It took a long time, but Darrell Wallace Jr. is finally getting the call to race in NASCAR’s top division. Filling in for Aric Almirola in the famed No. 43, the move is certainly a powerful one as the sport looks to take advantage of having its first African-American driver compete in …

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Friday Faceoff: Are Kasey Kahne’s Cup Days Numbered?

2017 Kansas I CUP Kasey Kahne Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

After the Coca-Cola 600, should NASCAR consider adding an extra stage or otherwise giving more points for a few select races, such as the Daytona 500 and Southern 500, to make the sport’s most prestigious races its most important? Michael Massie: I would love stage racing to death if the breaks between stages were not …

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Great Clips Ending Sponsorship of Kasey Kahne After 2017

2017 Kansas I CUP Kasey Kahne Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Kasey Kahne is losing another major sponsor at the end of the season. Great Clips has exercised an option to end its deal with Kahne and Hendrick Motorsports once the season concludes at Homestead-Miami Speedway this November. The haircut company currently backs Kahne for 10 races a season and has been a part of his No. …

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