Race Weekend Central

Michael McDowell, Stage Front Announce Sponsorship

#34: Michael McDowell, Front Row Motorsports, Ford Mustang Love's Travel Stops

(Photo: NKP)

Michael McDowell will be sponsored by Stage Front Tickets in multiple races in 2022, Front Row Motorsports announced Feb. 9. McDowell’s No. 34 in the NASCAR Cup Series will first carry Stage Front sponsorship at Auto Club Speedway. “I think we have really developed opportunities and marketing platforms for new partners to enter the sport …

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The Underdog House: Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum Previews 2022 NASCAR Underdogs

Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

If you would have told me as recently as a year ago that the NASCAR Cup Series would be circling around the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to open 2022, you probably would have gotten a robust laugh from me. Fast forward to this Sunday, Feb. 6, and that far-fetched dream became a reality with the …

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2022 NASCAR Preseason Power Rankings: Nos. 30-21

2021 Talladega Ii Cup Bubba Wallace Matt Dibenedetto Pack Racing Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It’s February, which means the NASCAR Cup Series takes to the track to start the 2022 season this month at Daytona International Speedway. With a wide array of driver and team changes from Silly Season alongside more minor personnel tweaks — or even a few lineups that stayed exactly the same — there’s a lot …

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Blake Harris New Crew Chief for Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell poses with his Daytona 500 trophy. Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Michael McDowell‘s new crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022 will be Blake Harris, FRM announced Jan. 6. Harris replaces the departing Drew Blickensderfer, who moved to Stewart-Haas Racing earlier this week. His previous role was car chief. He did, however, serve as crew chief for one race in 2020, guiding Martin Truex …

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The Underdog House: Ryan Preece Caps 2021 by Leading NASCAR Underdogs

2021 Nashville Trucks Ryan Preece happy NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog: Ryan Preece While the large majority of attention was justifiably on Championship 4 contenders, the underdogs of the NASCAR Cup Series sought to finish off their 2021 seasons strong at Phoenix Raceway (Nov. 7). The action matched the desert heat throughout the field, unfortunately scorching a few underdogs in catastrophic ways. Several of …

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Did You Notice?: What’s Next for Ford’s NASCAR Future After Rocky 2021 Playoffs?

Ford drivers Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric chat on pit road at Kansas Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

#12: Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Menards/Moen and #33: Austin Cindric, Team Penske, Ford Mustang MoneyLion

Did You Notice? … The way Ford has struggled during the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs? As I first pointed out at CBS Sports, they’ve gone 0-for-8 and sit outside Championship 4 position for the first time in the history of the format, implemented in 2014. That could change this weekend at Martinsville Speedway if any …

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The Underdog House: Bubba Wallace Stays on the Yellow Brick Road in Kansas

Bubba Wallace fixes his helmet at 2021 NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog: Bubba Wallace One of the focal issues of the playoffs thus far has been the atmosphere between non-playoff drivers and playoff drivers. It is what separates NASCAR from any other sport and has been existent each year of the current system. However, 2021 has seemed to play that hand more than any other …

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The Underdog House: Daniel Suarez Goes Big in Texas

Daniel Suarez battles the competition during the fall 2021 race at Texas Motor Speedway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog: Daniel Suarez Despite being a first-year NASCAR Cup Series organization, Trackhouse Racing Team has a history of going big or going home this season. Innovative team co-owner Justin Marks has proven to take risks and use unorthodox strategies as he hits the ground running in this sport. Such an aggressive mentality worked again …

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The Underdog House: Daniel Suarez’s Top 15 Paces Underdogs at Charlotte ROVAL

Daniel Suarez walks down pit road at Richmond Raceway. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog: Daniel Suarez Daniel Suarez got his start in karts in his home country of Mexico, running several races on the road course layouts, so it’s easy to expect he’d excel on road courses in NASCAR too. Karting is a different animal compared to stock cars, but it teaches drivers a lot about handling, …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After NASCAR Playoffs in Las Vegas

2021 Cup Las Vegas Denny Hamlin, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Wins NASCAR Playoffs race (Credit: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

Photo: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images via NASCAR Media

Who … should you be talking about after the NASCAR Playoffs Race in Las Vegas? Denny Hamlin once again showed Sunday night (Sept. 26) why he was a championship contender one year ago. For only the second time this season, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver earned a NASCAR Cup Series win. It was a fairly …

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The Underdog House: Daniel Suarez Plays Best NASCAR Cinderella Card at Las Vegas

2021 Cup Las Vegas Daniel Suarez (Credit: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top Dog: Daniel Suarez Heading into Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sept. 26), Daniel Suarez had a little extra motivation for the race. He hosted around 200 people for his fan group Daniel’s Amigos, a venture started in 2019, opening a new opportunity for Latino fans to hop on board Suarez’s …

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The Underdog House: NASCAR Gladiator Erik Jones Scores Bristol Top 10

2021 Texas Cup All-Star Race Erik Jones NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race Sept. 18 displayed various storylines throughout the night. Heavyweight drivers battled all night, desperate playoff drivers wrung out every last drop of effort to make the Round of 12, and a confrontation between Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick took center stage on a captivating evening at Bristol Motor Speedway.