Race Weekend Central

Beside The Rising Tide: Waiter, I’ll Have Whatever She’s Having

2015 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Ncwts Austin Dillon Checkered Flag Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Without a whole lot of hullaballoo to build it up, the IndyCar Series kicked off its 2017 campaign on Sunday. Somehow, the open-wheel race got shown on the mother ship (ABC) rather than relegated to the swamp of cable TV. In a nifty bit of scheduling, the Mouse network decided if NASCAR wasn’t going to …

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5 Points to Ponder: Have at it and Have a Good Time

ONE: Logano vs JGR (Again) I tend to time shift my race watching, so when I got a Sunday afternoon Facebook message from a friend who has not previously expressed an interest in NASCAR and the only words I saw were “that was an eventful race,” I knew something exciting was coming. I just didn’t …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not In NASCAR: Sunday Night Is Alright For Fighting

It took a while, but Sunday’s NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway gave us the kind of finish we hoped for in what was mostly a calm day at the 1.5-mile track. Things got a little interesting at the end of each of the first two stages when Joey Logano, near the end of …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Martin Truex Jr. Hit the Trifecta in Las Vegas

Who’s in the headline – For the first time since the advent of segment racing, a driver has won all three of them. Martin Truex Jr. won the first two segments but looked to as though he was going to have to settle for a runner-up finish. With two laps to go Brad Keselowski was comfortably …

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The Big 6: Questions After The 2017 Kobalt 400

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Ryan Blaney was a constant threat all race long, running in the top 10. The North Carolina native ended the day seventh, recording his second top-10 finish of the season. He currently sits sixth in the point standings, a sophomore jump after finishing 20th in points last season …

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Up to Speed: It’s All About the Finish in Las Vegas

Brad Keselowski put it best after the conclusion of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “That’s why you gotta watch to the end,” Keselowski said. Keselowski appeared to have sealed the envelope on his second consecutive win during the closing laps at Las Vegas.  Yet in the span of …

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Kasey Kahne and Both Furniture Row Teammates Penalized by NASCAR

2017 Atlanta Cup Erik Jones Car Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Prior to qualifying for the Kobalt Tools 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones were handed penalties by NASCAR. The infractions occurred prior to the teams assembling on pit road for the Qualifying session on Friday. NASCAR has a long, arduous process for teams to go through to …

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Martin Truex Jr. Paces Opening Cup Practice From Las Vegas

2017 Atlanta Cup Martin Truex Jr Car Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Ford teams have been flexing their muscles after two races in the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. Toyota drivers appear ready to turn the tide at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. Martin Truex Jr. appears ready to lead the resurgence. Truex Jr. paced the field, setting a fast lap of 27.907 seconds …

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The 10: NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings After Atlanta

2017 Atlanta Cup Joey Logano Pack Racing Barry Canrrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell / NKP)

Following a wild opening weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series moved to Atlanta Motor Speedway for round two. Daytona seemed to create more questions than it answered and many in the sport looked to Sunday’s race to restore order. The Folds Of Honor QuikTrip 500 did feature many of the usual favorites up front, …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: NASCAR Wreck It Ralph (and Almost Everybody Else) Edition

2016 Daytona Ii Cup Kurt Busch John Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John Harrelson/NKP)

The season-opening Daytona 500 gave NASCAR fans a little bit everything. There was that last-lap pass for the lead, which is beginning to become a trademark for the Great American Race. There were plenty of battles for the lead and for positions throughout and a lot less riding around waiting for the end of the …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: FOX Deals with New Rules, Constant Wrecking

2017 Daytona I Nxs Airplane Russell Labounty Nkp

Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP

Finally, the season is underway.  Sadly, the three races last weekend ended up being the wreckfests that I feared.  The damaged vehicle policy created a real mess as teams weren’t allowed to fully fix their cars.  As far as I’m concerned, having that policy goes against the whole idea of getting drivers to race harder.  …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR: Daytona 500 Preview

The official start to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season (and daily fantasy NASCAR) is finally upon us. The Advance Auto Parts Clash and two Can-Am Duels were full of nail-biting action, a great preview of what’s to come during Sunday’s Daytona 500. When it comes to daily fantasy NASCAR on DraftKings, the strategy …

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