Race Weekend Central

2-Headed Monster: Which Rookie Class Is Better: Blaney/Elliott or Dillon/Larson?

2016 Charlotte All Star Showdown CUP Chase Elliott Kyle Larson racing John Harrelson NKP

(Photo: John Harrelson / NKP)

Look, not every year will fans see a rookie battle as good as the one Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman put on in 2002. That season, they were little-known racers taking over big-time rides, with only two Busch Series wins between them. Johnson, at that point, was best known for hitting the turn one wall …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Joey Logano Makes Late-Race Pass to Claim First All-Star Victory

2016 Charlotte All Star CUP Joey Logano champagne John Harrelson NKP

Who’s in the headline – The No. 22 of Joey Logano was festooned with a myriad of pictures from the 50 years of Team Penske. On a full moon Saturday night, the collective spirits of all of the drivers who have piloted a car for “The Captain” rode along with Logano as he navigated the …

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The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 2016 AAA 400 Drive for Autism

2016 Fontana CUP Kyle Larson Brett Moist NKP

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

Who…gets my shoutout of the race? Looking out the windshield, the yellow rear bumper of Matt Kenseth loomed large in the closing laps, and Kyle Larson, who’s got a reputation for being extremely aggressive, had to have been tempted to use his bumper to push Kenseth aside, and he had a couple of opportunities to …

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NASCAR Reveals Current Top 5 in Sprint Fan Vote

2016 Kansas I CUP Matt DiBenedetto Brett Moist NKP

(Photo: Brett Moist / NKP)

If you’re curious about which drivers are most likely to snag this year’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race fan vote, you can now know the top five, at least. NASCAR has released the names of the top five vote-getters in the fan vote so far for the race, which will be held May 20, through May 11. …

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Pace Laps: Blaney Heats Up, Tiny Truck Teams Totaled and Red Bull Rocked

ryan blaney kyle busch

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Sprint Cup: Ryan Blaney Grabs Strong Top 5 – Ryan Blaney led the charge for Sprint Cup Series rookies with a top-5 finish in Saturday’s Go Bowling 400 at Kansas Speedway. It was a feel-good story in an otherwise fall-asleep Saturday night at the 1.5-mile oval. Blaney’s fifth also made the record books. Wood Brothers Racing scored …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2016 GoBowling.com 400

2016 Texas I CUP Martin truex Jr racing Matthew T Thacker NKP

(Photo: Matthew T. Thacker/NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? From the “where did he come from?” department—Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon put together another strong finish, and he was certainly quiet about it.  Dillon wasn’t talked about much during a race that was dominated by the Joe Gibbs Racing group and affiliate Furniture Row Racing, and …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Kyle Busch Kills His Kansas Curse

kansas green

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Who’s in the headline – Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kyle Busch is doing his best to put himself in position to repeat. Busch started the race in sixth Saturday night and was a top-10 mainstay outside of green-flag pit cycles. Busch moved into the second spot on lap 175 after a restart and was inside the top …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2016 Geico 500

2016 Talladega Dale Earnhardt Jr Wreck NASCAR via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? OK, so Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  finished 40th, and that’s not usually praiseworthy, but he drove his car using just the steering column after the steering wheel came off in his hands. He had a moment of shock, then grabbed the column and held the car steady as he put the wheel …

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Friday Faceoff: Is the Bump-and-Run Acceptable?

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series TOYOTA OWNERS 400

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

The spring short track season ended with a bump-and-run move at Richmond International Raceway when Carl Edwards moved teammate Kyle Busch out of his way en route to the win.  Is the bump and run for the win a legit move, or does it sink into the waters of dirty driving? Amy Henderson, Senior Editor: …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Talladega Edition

2016-Martinsville-I-CUP-Ryan-Blaney-car-Amy-Henderson

(Photo: Amy Henderson)

If you wonder if watching a NASCAR race is good for you, then were a lot of good reasons to like what happened in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Richmond: Long green flag runs: Check. Multiple yellows to bunch the field back up: Check. Seeing Smoke back out on the track: Check. An unexpected Earnhardt special on the …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2016 Food City 500

2016-Bristol-I-CUP-Carl-Edwards-leads-Matthew-T-Thacker-NKP

(Photo: Matthew Thacker / NKP)

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? I’ve got a pair of them this week. Well, make it three, because Matt DiBenedetto deserves all the accolades he can get after an impressive performance that Carl Edwards said afterward was probably more difficult for the No. 83 team than the win was for his. There’s more on …

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The Frontstretch 5: (Seemingly) Unlikely Drivers Who Could Get to Victory Lane in 2016

2016 Fontana CUP Austin Dillon Brett Moist NKP

(Photo: Brett Moist / NKP)

Austin Dillon OK, so this one’s not really a stretch.  Dillon has been strong this season, he’s got the resources (his grandfather owns the team, so there might even be a little extra incentive), and the former Truck and XFINITY series champ has shown he can run with just about anyone. Dillon’s numbers are already on …

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