Race Weekend Central

Ryan Blaney on Promoting NASCAR: ‘I’d Rather Make Others Happy Than Myself’

2018 Media Tour Charlotte Zach Catanzareti Ryan Blaney Cup

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Behind the wheel, Ryan Blaney has won races. But behind the camera, he’s taken a handful of roles that break out of the mold of NASCAR. Lending a spot in NBC’s second season of Taken, the third-year Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver also played a delivery boy in the 2017 film Logan Lucky and …

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PPG Paints to Sponsor Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney for 6 Races

2017 Nascar Monster Energy Cup Series, New Hampshire

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/ NKP)

On Friday morning, Team Penske announced that longtime partner PPG Paints would become a primary sponsor on Ryan Blaney‘s new team. PPG Paints will be the primary scheme on Blaney’s Ford Fusion in six races during the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. The company will serve as a full-time associate sponsor on the …

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Ryan Blaney Picks Up Two-Race Cup Sponsor For 2018

2017 Nascar Monster Energy Cup Series, New Hampshire

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/ NKP)

The 2018 sponsorship picture for Ryan Blaney’s new No. 12 Team Penske Ford Fusion is slowly coming together. The team announced Friday morning that REV Group, a manufacturer of specialized vehicles, will continue their partnership by moving up to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for two races with Blaney. REV Group will serve as …

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Fitzgerald Glider Kits Expands Team Penske Sponsorship

2017 Dover I Nxs Ryan Blaney Car Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

On Wednesday morning, Team Penske announced an expansion of Fitzgerald Glider Kits’ partnership with the race team.  For 2018, the company will serve as the primary sponsor of Team Penske’s No. 22 Ford Mustang in the XFINITY Series for 16 races.  All of the races were not announced, but highlighted events include Daytona in February, …

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The Underdog House: Small NASCAR Teams Still Fighting Hard

2017 Kansas I Cup Aric Almirola Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Think Small With just one race to go in 2017, it’s been a mixed bag of a season for the sport’s smaller teams.  Furniture Row Racing has set the gold standard for them. It’s taken a one-car, outsider organization to the top echelon of NASCAR’s elite teams within five years. That’s a model others can …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Matt Kenseth Wins One More While Brad Keselowski Survives and Advances

2017 Phoenix Ii Cup Matt Kenseth Celebrates Logan Whitton Nkp

Who’s in the headline – The cutoff race before Homestead-Miami Speedway was bitter for Matt Kenseth last year. This season, it is extra sweet for him, as he scored his 39th victory in what could be the penultimate NASCAR race of his career. Kenseth ran down Chase Elliott with 10 laps to go to position …

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Ryan Blaney, William Byron Top Phoenix XFINITY Series Practices

2017 Phoenix Nxs William Byron Car Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

On Friday, XFINITY Series teams took to the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway for two practice sessions.  William Byron was fastest overall for the day with a lap of 27.343 seconds (131.661 mph). Practice No. 1 In the early afternoon practice, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney was fastest with a lap of 27.404 seconds (131.368 mph).  Blaney’s …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: The Closer Returns Edition

9 10 September, 2016, Richmond, Virginia Usa Kevin Harvick And Rodney Childers © 2016, Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

While what happened in the final laps of Sunday’s race at Texas was plenty interesting, the actual race to make the championship four got a bit less interesting heading into the next and final elimination race at Phoenix this coming Sunday. While anything can happen in racing, the chances of high drama in Arizona will …

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NASCAR XFINITY Series Entry List: Ticket Galaxy 200

2017 Texas Ii Nxs Daniel Hemric Christopher Bell Jared C Tilton Getty Images For Texas Motor Speedway

(Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The NASCAR XFINITY Series heads west this weekend to Phoenix International Raceway for the 19th annual Ticket Galaxy 200. It’s their final playoff race in the Round of 8 before the Championship 4 is set to battle for the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway. There are 40 cars on the penultimate preliminary entry list, meaning the …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kevin Harvick Breaks Script and Wins an Intermediate Race in 2017

2017 Texas Ii Cup Kevin Harvick Woohoo Jonathan Ferrey Getty Images For Texas Motor Speedway

(Photo: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Who’s in the headline – For the first time, in what has seemed to be the history of racing, a Ford passed a Toyota on track with pure speed. That is fake news, but it has seemed that way for much of the season. On Sunday, Kevin Harvick chased down Martin Truex Jr and passed him …

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Ryan Blaney Soars to Top of Charts in 1st Cup Practice at Texas

2017 Talladega Ii Cup Ryan Blaney John K Harrelson Nkp

(Photo: John K Harrelson / NKP)

Ryan Blaney was fastest in opening practice at the Texas Motor Speedway on Friday. A 27.009-second lap put Blaney fastest of the 40 cars in the session. Fellow playoff driver Denny Hamlin finished second, 0.100 behind Blaney. Kurt Busch finished third in the session followed by Martin Truex Jr. and Matt Kenseth. Jimmie Johnson, who won the …

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