Race Weekend Central

Friday Faceoff: What Were the Biggest Surprises & Disappointments of 2021?

Hamlin, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Another year, another near miss for Denny Hamlin. Will he ever win a NASCAR Cup Series title? Luken Glover: Denny Hamlin absolutely has the talent to get the job done. So, can he do it? Definitely a yes. Will he do it? I’m leaning towards no. We may be seeing the equivalent of Mark Martin, who …

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Thursday Morning Thunder: 2021 Concludes with NASCAR, Grassroots 2,372 Miles Apart

NASCAR

(Photo: Bryan Davis Keith)

NASCAR’s Cup Series Championship Race in Arizona went green at approximately 3:34 p.m. ET on Sunday. On the other side of the country, 2,372 miles away in Swedesboro, N.J., I was standing in line to buy a pit pass at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park for the conclusion of the High Banks Classic at that time.  …

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Waid’s World: NASCAR’s 1st Time in New York Was an Adventure for Many, to Say the Least

Waid's World Graphic

Graphic: Jared Haas

Well, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season is over, and the new series champion, a very deserving Kyle Larson (don’t even try to argue with me) will be officially recognized at the Awards Banquet and Ceremony in Nashville. This will be the second year the affair has been held in Nashville. It was held in …

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Frontstretch 5: Things That Made the 2021 NASCAR Season So Great

COTA rain field NASCAR Cup

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Leading up to the Daytona 500, we were all told by FOX Sports that the 2021 NASCAR season would be the best one ever. Now that we’re at the end of it (hard to believe, am I right?), it’s now our turn to analyze and reflect on everything that the season gave us. From big …

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NASCAR Stat Sheet: Kyle Larson Earns the Most Important Stat of the Year: Champion

Kyle Larson celebrates his 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Despite being a force to be reckoned with in nearly every race in 2021, Kyle Larson entered the finale at Phoenix Raceway on a level even with the other three championship-eligible drivers.

Zach’s Turn: Pit Crew, Cliff Daniels Rocket Kyle Larson Toward 1st Cup Championship

Kyle Larson Phoenix NASCAR Championship

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

PHOENIX — When the caution flag came out with 64 laps to go at Phoenix Raceway, Kyle Larson found himself in a predicament. Fellow Championship 4 driver Martin Truex Jr., who had proven his strength on the long run, caught a lucky break by being on pit road when Anthony Alfredo slammed the turn 2 …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 Finale at Phoenix

Kyle Larson bests the NASCAR Championship 4 in the 2021 Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway as the sun sets above him. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened? Kyle Larson won the Season Finale 500 at Phoenix on Sunday (Nov. 7) to clinch his first career NASCAR Cup Series title. Championship 4 contenders Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott finished second, third and fifth, respectively, while Ryan Blaney finished fourth. A win he’ll never forget!@KyleLarsonRacin is the CHAMPION in …

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Up to Speed: NASCAR Playoff Points of the Past Revisited

NASCAR Playoff drivers Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. lead the field at Phoenix Raceway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Earlier this year, I explored how NASCAR playoff points earned during the regular season impacted drivers’ performances in the playoffs themselves.  The goal of that study was to determine if a driver’s playoff point total could predict when they would be eliminated from title contention.  I also wanted to see if there were any notable …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Season Finale 500

Larson

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who … should you be talking about after the Season Finale 500? A year ago, Kyle Larson watched the NASCAR Cup Series finale on TV and wondered what might have been. Now, a little older and a lot wiser after he chose to learn from a mistake that saw him banned for most of 2020 …

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Stock Car Scoop: Are Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports On the Verge of NASCAR Dynasty?

Kyle Larson celebrates his first NASCAR Cup Series championship after winning the Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The NASCAR Cup Series championship on Sunday (Nov. 7) at Phoenix Raceway came down to a final round of pit stops, and Kyle Larson’s crew turned in lightning-fast service to springboard him to the lead, as well as the eventual race win and championship. With 10 wins on the season and overall dominance from the …

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Kyle Larson Uses Lightning-Fast Stop to Win Phoenix, NASCAR Cup Championship

2021 Phoenix Ii Cup Kyle Larson Woohoo Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

On an afternoon where it seemed like anyone’s game, it was Kyle Larson who took home the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway. After nine wins through 35 races, Larson seemed to be on the wrong end of luck as the laps waned in the title race in the desert. But a late …

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