Race Weekend Central

The Underdog House: When a Fire Becomes Fuel

2019 Dover MENCS Ryan Preece Car NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class Ryan Preece always seems to be in a good mood, and he had plenty of reason to be following the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday (Oct. 20). Preece was the top finishing underdog with his 12th-place finish, marking the third time he has been such in 2019. It …

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Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings Forecast: Hollywood Casino 400

2016 Kansas I CUP Kevin Harvick Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to Kansas Speedway for the final race in the Round of 12. The Hollywood Casino 400 will be held on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 2:30 p.m. ET and will air on NBC. Kansas is the second 1.5-mile track in the playoffs (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the first, was …

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Eddie Pardue Becomes Crew Chief for Ryan Preece

2009 Nashville NNS Eddie Pardue Crew Chief NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Ryan Preece has a new crew chief beginning with the 2019 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. JTG Daugherty Racing confirmed the move to NBC Sports. Eddie Pardue has been elevated from his role as an engineer to the crew chief position. Preece’s former crew chief, Tristan Smith, has switched roles and is now an engineer …

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The Underdog House: Another Monster of a Day

2019 Dover MENCS Matt DiBenedetto Car NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class Matt DiBenedetto is going to lose his underdog status next year when he moves to the Team Penske-supported No. 21 car for the Wood Brothers team. At this rate, we could probably pull his card now. The No. 95 Leavine Family Racing driver was again one of the frontrunners at Dover …

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Up to Speed: Richard Childress Racing Starting Over

2019 MENCS Bristol Austin Dillon Car NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Richard Childress Racing is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019.  Starting out as an owner/driver, Childress built his organization into one of the mightiest teams in NASCAR history.  His achievements with Dale Earnhardt at the wheel of the No. 3 Chevrolet are the stuff of legend. But as great as RCR has been over most …

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Up to Speed: The Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL Delivers, Again

2019 ROVAL MENCS Start NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Two years ago, when Charlotte Motor Speedway announced that its fall race would be held on something called a “ROVAL,” the decision was met with a fair amount of skepticism.  Would big, bulky stock cars put on a good show at an infield road course?  And was it really a good idea to have such …

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The Underdog House: DiBenedetto Writing a Resume on Concrete

2019 MENCS Bristol Matt DiBenedetto Car NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Top of the Class Matt DiBenedetto is driving like his career depends on it. Well, it sort of does, but the world is getting a really good look at how competitive the fire in him is and how impressive he can be when he turns that pressure into motivation. More than three years after DiBenedetto …

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The Underdog House: Michigan vs Ohio

Ryan Preece at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 2019. Photo: NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

This weekend, the three NASCAR series were split among two different race tracks. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series were in Brooklyn at Michigan International Speedway. In the state just south, the NASCAR Xfinity Series raced at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. For the Truck Series, it was its regular …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2019 Consumers Energy 400

2019 Michigan MENCS Kevin Harvick Victory Celebration NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Headline(s): Last week at Watkins Glen International, Chase Elliott repeated as the defending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winner at the road course. This week at Michigan International Speedway? Kevin Harvick, who won the 2018 edition of this race, scored his second 2019 win in four weeks in what turned into a fuel mileage …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: It’s Clobberin’ Time

2019 Watkins Glen MENCS Kyle Busch Wreck NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The theme of this weekend’s NASCAR action was “payback.” It started with the Gander Outdoors Truck Series on Thursday night (August 1) in the Eldora Dirt Derby, as Tyler Dippel got into Ben Rhodes after the checkered flag in return for being shoved into the wall in the final laps. Then in the Xfinity Series …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: A Tale of 2 Tracks

2019 Pocono MENCS William Byron Car Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

The Gander Outdoors Truck Series and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series took on the Tricky Triangle, all 2.5 flat miles of Pocono Raceway, while the Xfinity Series returned just east of Des Moines at the 7/8-mile Iowa Speedway. Ross Chastain won easily Saturday afternoon, and not even an overtime finish on Sunday could enliven the …

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5 Points to Ponder: NASCAR’s Rookie Driver Disappearing Act and Cleaning Up the Playoff Bubble

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

ONE: Can Kevin Harvick’s Win Kickstart Stewart-Haas Racing? There’s no doubt Kevin Harvick’s Sunday victory (July 21) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway lifts a monkey off the back of Stewart-Haas Racing. After eight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories in 2018, a career high, it took Harvick 20 races to win his first. If nothing …

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