Race Weekend Central

2-Headed Monster: Did Trackhouse Racing Get It Right Hiring Ross Chastain?

Ross Chastain at Nashville

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Ross Chastain will be driving the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet in 2022. The team made the announcement on Tuesday (Aug. 3) a little more than a month after announcing that the organization will purchase Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of the 2021 season. Trackhouse Racing will field two entries in 2022, the aforementioned …

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Zach’s Turn: Ross Chastain Finally Nets NASCAR Stability with Trackhouse

Ross Chastain Daniel Suarez

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Ross Chastain has bounced around NASCAR’s top three series for the past decade. Finally, though, the 28-year-old watermelon farmer has found a home in the NASCAR Cup Series for at least the next two years. Trackhouse Racing Team announced Tuesday (Aug. 3) Chastain will pilot the team’s newly-acquired No. 1 Chevrolet in 2022 after signing …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Should the 2-Week Summer Break Be a Mainstay?

2021 Pocono Kyle Busch pack racing James Gilbert Getty

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

Similar to how Formula 1 operates, I liked NASCAR’s two-week break this summer for the Olympics. Do you think the break should remain on the schedule moving forward? – Tony L., Dayton, Ohio Absolutely, it should. To beat a dead horse, I’m as big of a “less is more” person when it comes to NASCAR …

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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

2021 Cup Loudon Aric Almirola Nkp

(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?

2021 Cup Atlanta Ii Joe Gibbs Racing Nkp

(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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