Race Weekend Central

Up to Speed: A Rare Bad Day at Martinsville for Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski Autotrader No. 2 Penske car at Martinsville spring Cup race

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

As usual, Martinsville Speedway dished out a healthy dose of chaos for the NASCAR Cup Series.  A wet Saturday night delayed all but the opening laps of the race until Sunday afternoon.  But while the skies had cleared by Sunday, a storm brewed on the track. Fifteen cautions took their toll on the field, including …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville

2021 Martinsville I Cup Martin Truex Jr Celebrates In Victory Lane Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened? Martin Truex Jr. won the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville on Sunday (April 11) after a late pass for the win over a dominant Denny Hamlin. Chase Elliott, Hamlin, William Byron and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five finishers. 2️⃣9️⃣ ? for the 1️⃣9️⃣@MartinTruex_Jr | @JoeGibbsRacing pic.twitter.com/72DhiLHWWL — NASCAR (@NASCAR) …

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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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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta

2021 Atlanta I Cup Ryan Blaney Victory Lane Nkp

Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

What happened? Ryan Blaney won the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday (March 21) after passing Kyle Larson with eight laps to go for the victory. Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch rounded out the top-five finishers. RETWEET to congratulate @Blaney on his first win of 2021! …

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3 Drivers Scheduled for Goodyear Tire Test at Nashville Superspeedway

2011 Nascar Nationwide Series, Nashville

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Three NASCAR Cup Series drivers will perform a Goodyear tire test at Nashville Superspeedway next Tuesday, March 23, according to Bob Pockrass on Twitter. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe will take to the Tennessee track, representing Chevrolet, Toyota and Ford manufacturers, respectively. It’s in preparation …

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Ross Chastain, Tubi Partnering for 2 Races

Ross Chastain at Homestead, 2/28/2021 (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Ross Chastain will have another new sponsor on his car this season, as FOX Entertainment’s streaming service Tubi comes aboard, Chip Ganassi Racing announced March 15. Tubi will sponsor Chastain this week at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Additionally, it will sponsor Chastain’s No. 42 …

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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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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas

2021 Cup Las Vegas I Larson Winner Nkp

Kyle Larson celebrates Las Vegas victory (Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened? Kyle Larson won the Pennzoil 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday (March 7) after leading a race-high 103 laps in just his fourth start for Hendrick Motorsports (fastest in team history). Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-five finishers. Burning it down on the …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Pennzoil 400

Kyle Larson races teammate William Byron in the 2021 Pennzoil 400 Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who… should you be talking about after the race? After being out of a NASCAR Cup Series car for nearly a year following a suspension for violating the driver conduct policy, Kyle Larson was repentant and ready to get back on track. It took him all of four weeks to find his groove and win …

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Did You Notice?: Hendrick Motorsports is the New Face of NASCAR Youth Movement

Alex Bowman talks with Rick Hendrick before 2021 NASCAR Cup Race at Homestead Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Did You Notice?… NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon retired in November 2015 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a shot at the Cup Series championship. He was 44 years old. Just five years later, William Byron trounced the field at that same track Sunday (Feb. 28) to take Gordon’s former No. 24 car to victory lane at …

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Usual Suspects Likely to Win in NASCAR’s Trip to Las Vegas

2019 Las Vegas I Cup Ryan Blaney Joey Logano Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Whenever Las Vegas is pictured in movies, photos, print or a backdrop for the latest TikTok, there’s one consistent theme: Excess.  Everyone flocks to Sin City with at least a small hope of getting lucky, hitting big on a slot machine or roulette table and enjoying their spoils with a night on the town. Veteran …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch Work Well Together for FOX Sports at Homestead

NASCAR Cup Series action in the 2021 Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Homestead is a very interesting place. For many years, it served as NASCAR’s season finale weekend. It’s an intriguing venue with many different lines for drivers. However, NASCAR decided to go in a different direction and move the season finale to Phoenix. For 2021, Homestead was supposed to be the second week of the season, …

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