Race Weekend Central

Ross Chastain Moving to Trackhouse for 2022

Ross Chastain at Nashville

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Ross Chastain will join Trackhouse Racing Team in the organization’s second NASCAR Cup Series car in 2022, Trackhouse announced Aug. 3. Chastain, the current full-time driver for Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 42, will pilot the No. 1 entry starting next year. He’ll join Daniel Suarez, who pilots the No. 99 for Trackhouse in what’s currently …

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NASCAR Stat Sheet: Almirola Is the Unlikely Hero for SHR in New Hampshire

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(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Last year was a memorable one for Stewart Haas Racing, with Kevin Harvick providing most of the highlights for the team throughout 2020. Nine wins and a boatload of laps led will do that for just about any driver and team. It’s been well documented that 2021 has been far less kind to the SHR …

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Friday Faceoff: Should NASCAR Take a Summer Vacation Every Year?

Tyler Reddick stands next to his car at 2021 spring Kansas Cup race NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Should NASCAR continue to schedule back-to-back off-weekends in the late summer even when no Summer Olympics are being held? Trenton Worsham: Not back to back, but it’d be nice for it to have two or three more weeks off scattered out throughout the year as bye weeks. Josh Roller: I like the idea of a late …

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Did You Notice?: Communication Between NASCAR Drivers, Executives at Crossroads

2021 Pocono I Cup Bubba Wallace Steve Phelps laugh James Gilbert Getty

(Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

Did You Notice? … NASCAR drama between drivers and executives has been building at a breakneck pace? It all started with last week’s Atlanta Motor Speedway repave announcement from Speedway Motorsports, Inc. President Marcus Smith. After 24 years under the current configuration, the track will be getting a facelift with both fresh asphalt and an altered …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Does NASCAR Have a Communication Problem?

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(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Drivers seemed pissed off more than normal this weekend. Repave/reconfiguration at Atlanta, Next Gen safety concerns. Why the sudden anger? – Rick P., Salem, Ore. I’ve never seen Cool Hand Luke, but I know the quote from that movie that holds water and will for years and years to come in human society is this …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBC Deals With Track Issues, While Knoxville Brings Kevin Swindell to the Booth

Ryan Blaney leads a pack of cars at Atlanta Motor Speedway, July 2021. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

By today’s standards, last weekend was a rarity. You had a split weekend with the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series teams racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway, while the Camping World Truck Series was at Knoxville Raceway. The Cup race wasn’t all that unusual for Atlanta, just shorter, which I didn’t really welcome. The Truck race …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2021 Quaker State 400 at Atlanta

Kurt Busch celebrates in victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway after the Quaker State 400. (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

What happened? Kurt Busch won the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday (July 11) after holding off his little brother during an intense final run to the checkered flag. Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-five finishers. "HELL YEAH WE BEAT KYLE" — @KurtBusch pic.twitter.com/apaHrHgfO6 …

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Up to Speed: A Final Moment of Teamwork for Chip Ganassi Racing

2021 Darlington I Cup Kurt Busch Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing (Photo: NKP)

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Kurt Busch scored what could be the final win for Chip Ganassi Racing on Sunday (July 11) at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Less than two weeks ago, Ganassi announced that he was selling his NASCAR team to Trackhouse Racing effective the end of 2021.  Trackhouse, in turn, confirmed that its team would field two cars in …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2021 Quaker State 400

Tyler Reddick waits for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas to begin, May 2021. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Who … should you be talking about after the Quaker State 400? Kurt Busch has had moments this season where he looked stout but hadn’t been able to put a winning run together.  That ended Sunday (July 11) at Atlanta Motor Speedway where Busch was dominant in the Quaker State 400. He led three times …

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Kyle Busch Takes Issue with Ross Chastain’s Late-Race Moves

Kyle Busch car at Atlanta NASCAR Cup race NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

As Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch sent Atlanta Motor Speedway’s aged surface out with one more thrilling race to the end on Sunday (July 10), both drivers had to carefully navigate lapped traffic, a factor magnified by the absence of a caution flag in the final stage.   Kurt Busch went on to win, and in …

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Friday Faceoff: Which Track Should Be Considered Untouchable?

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Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography

Atlanta Motor Speedway is the latest track making changes to its layout and/or design. What track should be next? Which one should absolutely remain untouched? Trenton Worsham: New Hampshire Motor Speedway or another mile-and-a-half. I don’t like how flat NHMS is, and it’d be cool to make each mile-and-a-half unique. Tracks to not touch would be …

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Podcast: Ross Chastain on His Uncertain Future, Sense of Belonging in NASCAR

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When Ross Chastain found out that his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team was being sold and his future was uncertain, he got right back in the racecar and felt at home. Chastain joins Davey Segal this week to discuss how he found out about CGR’s sale to Trackhouse Racing, the immediate emotions experienced in …

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