Race Weekend Central

NASCAR Mailbox: Developing Rivalries Creates Positive Vibes for NASCAR

It has been way too long since NASCAR had a rivalry. You cannot consider Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano’s month-long battle a rivalry. The same can be said about Kenseth and Logano’s teammate, Brad Keselowski, having a duel at Texas Motor Speedway in 2014. NASCAR’s lack of rivalries has a lot to do with camaraderie within …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Dissecting A NASCAR FOX Fontana… Hyperbole?

2016 Fontana CUP Carl Edwards pack racing Russell LaBounty NKP

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Welcome back, everyone.  We had some great action last weekend in Fontana.  It wasn’t that long ago that Auto Club Speedway put on the most boring races in all of NASCAR.  That is just a memory now (thankfully).  Despite that, the way that races are covered can affect how a race is perceived. Auto Club …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Martinsville Edition

2016 Fontana CUP Jimmie Johnson Superman Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade /NKP)

There’s that old Jim Croce song, covered by many several times over the years, where it talks about not tugging on superman’s cape and where you don’t mess around with Jim. A late restart at California Sunday afternoon allowed for both of those things to happen, in a sense. It pulled the cape of the …

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Danica Patrick Facing Possible Penalty for Walking on Hot Track

Following a hard hit entering Turn 1 at Auto Club Speedway, Danica Patrick is in line for a possible penalty from NASCAR. Patrick made contact with Kasey Kahne with 80 laps remaining in the Auto Club 400 on Sunday afternoon, slamming the outside wall on the frontstretch. The impact was hard enough to send her No. …

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Up To Speed: Tempers Flare and Insults Fly Following Action-Packed Auto Club 400

2016 Phoenix I CUP Joey Logano Matthew T Thacker NKP

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

I’ve said before that it’s rare that fans and competitors alike agree on anything, let alone nearly unanimous on the quality of a product. However, this is becoming more the case week in and week out. With few exceptions, the drivers are happy with the new package, the fans enjoy the racing it produces, and …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Kasey Kahne’s Optimistic Approach with Hendrick Motorsports in 2016

As soon as he made it to “the show,” Kasey Kahne made headlines week-in and week-out. At the time, there may not have been a driver considered to be as hot on and off the track. Heck, he even won a contest on Fox for being the sexiest driver. After Ray Evernham partnered with George Gillett, …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: FOX Shows Slight Improvement, While ESPN Tries to De-emphasize St. Pete

2016 Phoenix I CUP Denny Hamlin pack racing Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Greetings, everyone.  Did you like Sunday’s finish in Phoenix?  It was a good one.  I thought Kevin Harvick was a sitting duck, but he managed to pull it out just in time. Last weekend saw two races in Phoenix, plus the season opener in St. Petersburg for the Verizon IndyCar Series. Good Sam 500k On …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Kevin Harvick Beats His Way to Eighth Career Phoenix Victory

2016 Phoenix I CUP Kevin Harvick team celebration Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – There are two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. Closely behind that is Kevin Harvick winning at Phoenix International Raceway. For the eighth time in his career and the sixth time in the last eight races, Harvick was the first car under the checkered flag. What happened – …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Brad Keselowski Cashes in With Late-Race Pass to Win at Las Vegas

2016 Las Vegas CUP Brad Keselowski burnout Matthew T Thacker NKP

(Photo: Matthew T Thacker / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – It had been 33 races since Brad Keselowski visited Victory Lane. Keselowski took the checkered flag first in Fontana last year in the fifth race of the season. On Sunday, he led the race three times but only led a total of 24 laps. The win put a third different manufacturer in …

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Tops First 500 Practice

Dale Earnhardt Jr Bank of America 500 2015 Charlotte Cup Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Some things never change: An Earnhardt led Daytona practice. Dale Earnhardt Jr. paced the first Sprint Cup practice for the Daytona 500 on Saturday morning with a fast lap of 194.116 mph. Joining Earnhardt in the top 5 were defending 500 champion Joey Logano (193.853), 2009 and 2012 race winner Matt Kenseth (193.782), rookie Chase …

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Panasonic Toughbook Continues Partnership With Hendrick Motorsports

2015 Michigan I CUP Jeff Gordon car CIA

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

On Tuesday, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Panasonic Toughbook will continue their partnership with the team in 2016, but will shift over to Kasey Kahne‘s team following the retirement of Jeff Gordon (Note: Gordon’s car with the Toughbook colors from last year is pictured above). The company will be featured on the No. 5 Chevrolet at …

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NASCAR Announces Eligible Drivers for Sprint Unlimited

Sprint Unlimited Daytona

(Credit: NASCAR)

On Monday, NASCAR announced the eligibility criteria for this year’s Sprint Unlimited, scheduled for Feb. 13.  While winning a pole during the previous season will get you into the race, it’s not the only way into the 75-lap show.  Regardless of circumstances, 25 cars will start the 187.5-mile race. The first criteria to qualify for …

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