Race Weekend Central

Five Points to Ponder: Would a Salary Cap Work in NASCAR?

2017 Dover I CUP pack racing Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

ONE: Give Him a Second Kevin Harvick is becoming one of the greatest bridesmaids of all time. With his runner up finish in the Pocono 400 on Sunday, he passed Lee Petty for 10th in all-time second place finishes. Harvick has finished second 49 times in his career. The 2014 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series …

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The Underdog House: NASCAR Alliances Alone Don’t Win Races

blaney 2017 daytona 500

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Think Small Do teams that have technical alliances with the sport’s top teams still qualify as small teams?  That’s been the debate as drivers like Martin Truex, Jr. and more recently, Ryan Blaney, have taken their small teams to the winner’s circle.  Furniture Row Racing earned their way off this list and it’s likely that …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Looking Back On FOX’s Drivers Only Broadcast

2017 Kansas I CUP Ricky Stenhouse Jr Barry Cantrell NKP

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

Greetings, race fans.  Last weekend was a very interesting and tiring time at Pocono Raceway.  As you can imagine, the primary source of discussion in TV land was the drivers-only broadcast of Saturday’s Pocono Green 250. Since this event was such a big deal, I will be focusing solely on that broadcast.  Don’t worry, I …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: NASCAR’s Tame Pocono 400 Turns Into Terrific Finish

2017 pocono cup zach catanzareti ryan blaney

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Who’s in the headline – For the third time this season, we have a first-time winner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. It’s Ryan Blaney, who drove to the lead after a late-race restart with fresher tires than a dominant Kyle Busch. He then held off Kevin Harvick in a thrilling finish after Harvick closed in while Busch and …

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Big Days Shared Together For Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney At Pocono

2014 Mudsummer Classic Eldora Speedway Camping World Trucks Darrell Wallace Jr Ryan Blaney Mike Neff

Credit: Mike Neff

For Bubba Wallace, it couldn’t wait. Moments earlier, Wallace had fainted while answering questions for a throng of print and online media. The driver blamed it on anxiety over mistakes made in his first start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The reality might be dehydration on a hot, humid day at Pocono Raceway. Either way, …

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The Big 6: Questions After the Axalta Presents the Pocono 400

2017 pocono cup zach catanzareti brad keselowski kyle busch

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Who… Gets the Shoutout of the Race? Here’s a hard and fast rule: If you earn your first career victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, you get Shoutout of the Race.  It should be obvious that this will go to Ryan Blaney. You can only win your first race once.  He earned that …

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Pace Laps: Another NASCAR First-Time Winner in 2017

2017 pocono xfinity zach catanzareti brad keselowski

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Pocono, 2017 Deliver Another First-Time Winner – What a popular streak for both the sport and a racetrack to be on in 2017. After Chris Buescher’s fog-shortened victory at Pocono Raceway last August, many thought a win like that would never come again. In part, they were wrong, as Ryan Blaney …

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Up to Speed: Ryan Blaney Wins the Hard Way

2017 dover cup zach catanzareti ryan blaney

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Winning does not come easily in NASCAR. It did not for Ryan Blaney at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.  It has not come easily for Wood Brothers Racing over the last decade or two.  Yet the newest winner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series delivered NASCAR’s oldest team to Victory Lane one more time. Blaney’s victory …

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Ryan Blaney, The Wood Brothers Back in Victory Lane at Pocono

2017 pocono cup zach catanzareti ryan blaney

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Ryan Blaney and the Wood Brothers finally had their breakthrough to Victory Lane, making it a memorable weekend for NASCAR at Pocono Raceway. Blaney outlasted a dominant Kyle Busch, passing him on fresh tires with 15 laps left. Pulling away from a fading No. 18 Toyota, Blaney then held off a hard-charging Kevin Harvick to earn his first career win …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR Forecast Powered by DraftKings: Axalta 400 Preview

2017 Martinsville cup zach catanzareti brad keselowski

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

DraftKings daily fantasy NASCAR turns toward the Tricky Triangle in northeast Pennsylvania this weekend. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway for the Pocono 400 Presented by Axalta this Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. Cars hit the track on Friday at 11 a.m. for first practice; Coors Light Pole Qualifying follows at …

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2-Headed Monster: Should Ryan Blaney Stay or Should He Go?

2017 Kansas I CUP Ryan Blaney Barry Cantrell NKP

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

Ryan Blaney and Wood Brothers Racing have had a great thing going this season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The Wood Brothers have an alliance with Team Penske, but are a one-car operation that hasn’t won a race since Trevor Bayne’s triumphant 2011 Daytona 500 upset. Should Blaney remain with Wood Brothers Racing long-term, …

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The Frontstretch 5: Next Drivers to Find Victory Lane

2017 Texas I CUP Chase Elliott Logan Whitton NKP

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Chase Elliott It’s actually a bit surprising that Elliott hasn’t gotten a win yet.  He’s come close quite a few times, leading multiple laps at Phoenix and Martinsville as well as in the Daytona 500. May was difficult for the 21-year-old second-generation driver, with a best finish of 24th, but June kicked off with a …

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