Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Martin Truex, Jr. Dominates at Dover

Who’s In The Headline Martin Truex, Jr. is on fire to start this Chase. Round 1 has been a showcase for he and the No. 78 team, who won the first race at Chicagoland, then came close in the second at New Hampshire before late restarts shuffled them back. At Dover, they had the second-fastest …

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Tony Stewart’s 2016 Season Still Successful Despite Early Chase Exit

2016 NASCAR Indy Brickyard

(Photo: Brett Moist NKP)

Tony Stewart’s elimination from the Chase after the Sunday’s Citizen Soldier 400 at Dover International Speedway confirmed that the veteran’s incredible 2011 title run will be his last. But yet, after the way Stewart’s last few seasons have gone, 2016 should still be looked upon fondly once the checkered flag waves at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Stewart’s …

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4 Burning Questions: Will Tony Stewart’s Chase End in Dover?

2013-Dover-CUP-Tony-Stewart-trophy-NASCAR-via-Getty-Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Will Tony Stewart’s Chase End in Dover? Tony Stewart has been a tough driver to put an expectation sticker on in regards to this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. He’s like that piece of laundry you don’t know whether is a dark or a light. Where do you put it? Sitting 11 points below …

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Friday Faceoff: Will the Chase Picture Change at Dover?

2016 Loudon I CUP pack racing Russell LaBounty NKP

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

After Martin Truex, Jr. and Matt Kenseth combined to dominate at New Hampshire, it was Kevin Harvick walking away with the victory.  Is there a chink in the Joe Gibbs Racing/Furniture Row Racing armor, and was Harvick’s performance a preview of how the Chase battle could go as well? Mark Howell, Senior Writer: I didn’t …

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5 Points to Ponder: Who’s Getting Cut?

2016-chicago-nxs-pack-racing-nighel-kinrade-nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Who’s Getting Cut: After Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway, the series will make the first cuts of the 2016 Chase. As things stand, it’s Jamie McMurray, Austin Dillon, Tony Stewart and Chris Buescher who make up the bottom four and will be out of contention should all remain constant. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson is …

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Aric Almirola, Greg Biffle Hit with P3 Penalties for Lugnuts

Aric Almirola Indianapolis 2016 Cup Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

NASCAR’s weekly penalty report was delayed on Wednesday (Sept. 21) after the decision to hold an impromptu teleconference with less than a half- hour’s notice to announce changes to post-race inspection penalties.  Despite that, there were still a number of teams to be penalized. Aric Almirola and Greg Biffle‘s cars were found to have loose …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Mike Bugarewicz Guiding Tony Stewart in Final Chase Run

2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Kansas

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

Mike Bugarewicz’s career as a crew chief in NASCAR’s premier division was one that got off to a distinctive start. The longtime engineer was named three-time Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart’s crew chief for his final full-time season heading into 2016. However, after Stewart was injured over the off-season in an off-road vehicle accident, …

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Beside the Rising Tide: Chasing The ‘Ludes Away

2016 NSCS - Kyle Larson Chase Elliott Restart Michigan Photo Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/ NKP)

It’s all anyone is talking about. Even the presidential campaign has been pushed to the backburner, so intrigued is the general population by this year’s edition of NASCAR’s Chase. Sports talk radio stations have reported their switchboards have hit meltdown as race fans call to weigh in on the ten-race playoff. Snack, beer and soda …

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Friday Faceoff: How Far Is Too Far?

2016 Kentucky CUP Tony Stewart helmet Russell LaBounty NKP

(Photo: Russell Labounty/NKP)

After last weekend’s race at Richmond International Raceway, one thing on everyone’s mind was the on-track spat between Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman that continued in verbal sparring afterward.  Did either driver go too far with their actions or words? Clayton Caldwell, Contributor: I respect the passion from both drivers and I understand why Ryan Newman …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBCSN Charges Into Chase Coverage

If you’ve read Couch Potato Tuesday in recent years, then you know that I’m not exactly a fan of this time of year when it comes to race broadcasts.  The Chase focus drives me up the wall.  The Chase completely takes precedence over the race.  Everything is couched in the Chase.  This year, its worse …

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Beside the Rising Tide: And Then There Were 10

2016 Michigan II CUP Kurt Busch Brad Keselowski Kyle Larson racing John HArrelson NKP

(Photo: John Harrelson/NKP)

If you listened to the hype, there was a whole lot on the line Saturday night during the Cup race at Richmond. The race would determine the 16 drivers eligible for (genuflecting here) the 2016 Chase. (The preliminary swimsuit competition had been rained out by Storm or the Century Hermine last week at Darlington.) Perhaps …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: NASCAR Chase Preview Edition

2016 Daytona II CUP Carl Edwards Denny HAmlin Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Just trying to figure who is going to win NASCAR’s 2016 championship is a difficult proposition. Sure there are some favorites, but in this 10-race format anyone can get hot at any time and any one can go cold at any time due to any number of circumstances. At any rate, here’s a look at …

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