Race Weekend Central

Friday Faceoff: What’s on NASCAR’s Horizon?

NASCAR Champions Portraits

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

NASCAR announced Monster Energy as the new entitlement sponsor in its premier series, replacing Sprint.  Will Monster be a good fit for the series moving forward? Mark Howell, Senior Writer: Based on Monster’s (pardon the pun) track record in motorsports, the affiliation with NASCAR’s premier series will be a successful one. Based on sight of …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: NASCAR Championship Edition

2016 Indianapolis CUP Jimmie Johnson hat Russell LaBounty NKP

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

The final race of the season ended with the kind of drama that NASCAR could only hope for when it devised the Chase system, and especially this current Chase system. There was no ceremonial ride around for 267 laps for the champion as there had been at times when the championship was all but won …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Sudden Shift Hands Johnson Record-Tying Title

jimmie johnson

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Who’s in the headline – The elite level of NASCAR has increased by 50%. There are many gauges to judge the greats but championships are a huge differentiator. Jimmie Johnson took advantage of circumstances that fell his way, led the final three laps, and notched his seventh career title. Johnson shares the headline with Tony …

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Tony Stewart’s Historic NASCAR Career Ends With Smiles After 18 Years

tony-stewart-jeff-gordon

(Photo: Joseph Wolkin)

“Thank you for everything you’ve done.” The words out of Joe Gibbs’ mouth Sunday evening echoed even with Hendrick Motorsports Jimmie Johnson celebrating his historic seventh Sprint Cup Series championship just a few yards away from the massive crowd surrounding the No. 14 car. 18 years. It has been quite the journey. One of the most …

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Friday Faceoff: Enough of a Sendoff for Smoke?

2016 Kentucky CUP Tony Stewart helmet Russell LaBounty NKP

(Photo: Russell Labounty/NKP)

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is now a year into the caution clock rule.  Did it work as advertised, and should NASCAR consider it in the XFINITY and Cup series? Jeff Wolfe, Senior Writer: I’m not sure if it’s the best idea for the XFINITY or Cup series, but I have liked the way …

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Did You Notice? … NASCAR Parity Not the Answer

2016 Pocono I CUP Joey Logano Martin Truex Jr racing John Harrelson NKP

(Photo: John Harrelson/NKP)

Did You Notice? … This season has produced more parity than at any time in recent NASCAR history? To answer that question we look no further than this year’s edition of the Championship 4. Each driver has either three or four victories; they’d all be inside the top 10 in points without the Chase. You can …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Joey Logano Steals Victory From the Jaws of Defeat at Phoenix

2016 NASCAR Phoenix

(Photo: Matthew Thacker / NKP)

Who’s in the headline – In the final elimination race of the season, Joey Logano looked like he was about to slip out of contention for a transfer position. Fortunately for him, a caution flag flew, which bunched the field up and afforded him a final shot to reclaim a spot in the final four. …

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NASCAR Penalizes Nearly Two Dozen Teams in Texas

2016-cup-texas-joey-logano-car-rick-lunkenheimer

(Photo: Rick Lunkenheimer)

On Wednesday, NASCAR released the weekly penalty report stemming from Texas.  Compared to recent weeks, this one was quite the doozy. In the Sprint Cup Series, Joey Logano‘s No. 22 Ford that finished second Sunday night was found to have one loose lugnut.  As a result, the No. 22 has been hit with a P2 …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Rainy Nights Edition

2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Texas

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Sometimes the rain taketh away and sometimes it giveth. Carl Edwards was glad to be on the good side of that precipitation equation in what turned out to be a Sunday night race at Texas Motor Speedway following rain and a slow-drying track. With his victory, Edwards has joined Jimmie Johnson to make up two of …

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5 Points to Ponder: And Then, There Were 12

2016-chicago-cup-martin-truex-jr-woohoo-nigel-kinrade-nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

ONE: And Then, There Were 12 The drop of the checkered flag at Dover ended the championship hopes of four drivers, while 12 others remain standing, headed into the (mostly) hometown race for them. Advancing to the Round of 12! #TheChase pic.twitter.com/eTcSv6Z59b — NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 3, 2016 Chris Buescher, whose No. 34 Front Row …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: Chase Elimination Edition

2016 NSCS - Jimmie Johnson Kentucky Photo Logan Whitton NKP

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Sunday’s Sprint Cup contest at Dover served as the first Chase elimination inside NASCAR’s ten-race playoff. That means we had to say goodbye to four of the 16 drivers who, just a few short weeks ago believed they were the favorites to hold up the championship trophy in Homestead. As the Monster Mile showed us, despite a clean race Sunday holding on to a spot …

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