Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice? … Green-Flag Racing Is NASCAR’s New Normal

2016 Nscs Brad Keselowski Green Flag Dover Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Did You Notice? … Martin Truex, Jr. is having one of the most unexpected career surges in Sprint Cup history? Keep in mind, just two years ago he led just a single lap all season with his single-car, Furniture Row Racing No. 78 car based out in Colorado. Truex wasn’t even supposed to last beyond the 2015 season at …

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The 10: Masters of the Monster Mile

2016 Nscs Brad Keselowski Green Flag Dover Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Would you look at that? He did it again. Martin Truex, Jr., surged ahead of the field –and I mean way ahead, by over 10 seconds– to claim a dominant victory in the Citizen Soldier 400 at Dover International Speedway, his fourth of 2016. With it, he also soared right back atop our power rankings. I know. …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: The Chase Stymies Dover Enjoyment

2016 Pocono Ii Cup Martin Truex Jr Helmet Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton / NKP)

Author’s Note: This week, we’re going to keep this column to just the Cup race.  I will cover the XFINITY and Camping World Truck series races later this week. Martin Truex, Jr. kicked some butt on Sunday.  Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was more than fine with that. I can appreciate a good ass kicking. Some might call …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: Chase Elimination Edition

2016 Nscs Jimmie Johnson Kentucky Photo Logan Whitton Nkp

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Sunday’s Sprint Cup contest at Dover served as the first Chase elimination inside NASCAR’s ten-race playoff. That means we had to say goodbye to four of the 16 drivers who, just a few short weeks ago believed they were the favorites to hold up the championship trophy in Homestead. As the Monster Mile showed us, despite a clean race Sunday holding on to a spot …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Martin Truex, Jr. Dominates at Dover

Who’s In The Headline Martin Truex, Jr. is on fire to start this Chase. Round 1 has been a showcase for he and the No. 78 team, who won the first race at Chicagoland, then came close in the second at New Hampshire before late restarts shuffled them back. At Dover, they had the second-fastest …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the Citizen Soldier 400

2016 Nscs Jimmie Johnson Chicagoland Photo Russel Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Who…gets my shoutout of the race? With so many drivers making the Chase, the early races are all about them in the finishing order, but there was one party crasher in the top 10 in the form of Jeff Gordon in the No. 88. Gordon led seven laps late, but needed a late caution that …

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Up To Speed: Change of Scenery Brings Change in Results for Truex

2016 Chicago Cup Martin Truex Jr Burnout Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Martin Truex, Jr.’s fourth win of the season this year isn’t all that surprising when you look at the amount of laps he has led this year, but is surprising when you look at his win totals throughout his career. Prior to 2016, Truex had never won more than one race in one whole season. …

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The Frontstretch 5: Drivers You Need to Watch in the Chase

2016 Chicago Cup Brad Keselowski Helmet Brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

1. Joe Gibbs Racing This group has been so strong in 2016, and not just any one of them. When one is having an off day, another is dominating. The JGR Toyotas have a bit more speed than the competition this year, and all four drivers—defending champ Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Denny …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not: Restart Edition

2016 Chicago Cup Michael Mcdowell Matt Dibenedetto Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Wouldn’t it be nice if life regularly offered us a chance for a restart, a chance to pull back even with the leaders after falling behind? A chance to get our lap back when we feel like we are a lap down to the rest of the field. A chance to win a race when …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kevin Harvick Nets Loudon Victory With Late Restart Pass

2016 Nascar New Hampshire

23-25 September, 2016, Loudon, New Hampshire USA Kevin Harvick celebrates in victory lane ©2016, Logan Whitton/NKP

Who’s in the headline – While Joe Gibbs Racing cars dominated the event, it was Kevin Harvick who parked it in Victory Lane on Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The JGR crew and affiliate led 280 of the 300 laps. Harvick took advantage of a late race, front row restart to wrest the …

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Pace Laps: Sleepless Nights for Sprint Cup Stars and Minor League Excitement

2016 Nscs Cup Field Chicagoland Brett Moist Nkp

(Photo: Brett Moist / NKP)

Sprint Cup: A Sleepless Week for 14 Men – Kevin Harvick, with a swift, unexpected pass on Matt Kenseth for the win Sunday at New Hampshire, avoided the weight of elimination come next weekend at Dover. Along with Martin Truex, Jr., Harvick is now in rare air because when the field lines up for 400 …

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Kevin Harvick Clinches Berth in Second Round of Chase Winning New Hampshire

2016 Nascar New Hampshire

(Photo: Logan Whitton / NKP)

On a restart with six laps to go, Kevin Harvick lined up on the bottom lane underneath Matt Kenseth. The No. 20 car led 105 laps until that point, but could not hold off the No. 4 machine as the green flag waved for the final time Sunday afternoon. Harvick started the 300-lap race from the …

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