Race Weekend Central

Four Burning Questions in Bristol: Bristol’s Rebirth & Contentious Confrontations

2014 Michigan Ii Cup Kyle Larson Car Cia

(Credit: CIA)

It’s got history, it’s got action and it brings out the very best and very worst of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ drivers. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, tonight is the Bristol night race. Frankly, this event needs no introduction; the track’s history precedes itself. The race has long been one of the marquee races on …

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IndyCar Preview: 2014 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma

2014 Indycar Milwaukee Will Power Drama

Last year, midway through the 2013 IndyCar Series season, IndyCar head honcho Mark Miles vowed that as part of his plan to rejuvenate the sport of American open wheel racing, he would see to it that the IndyCar Series schedule would be chopped, screwed and condensed in an effort to raise week-to-week excitement and avoid …

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Pace Laps: Jimmie Johnson Success, First Time Nationwide Winners and Powers’ Power

2014 Michigan Ii Cup Jimmie Johnson Car Cia

Sprint Cup: A normal race at Michigan for Jimmie Johnson usually means that he runs out of fuel in the final laps after leading for most of the day and having the best car.  Johnson, however, did the other Jimmie Johnson thing at Michigan.  That usually means falling way back in the field and then seemingly arriving …

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IndyCar Breakdown: 2014 Milwaukee IndyFest

2014 Indycar Milwaukee Power On Track

In a Nutshell: Will Power made the field look silly at a track he was supposed to struggle at, and in doing so inherited the championship points lead. Key Moment: The key moment of the race was perhaps on Friday afternoon when Will Power won the pole for the race. Power was hardly challenged during …

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Four Burning Questions in Michigan: Stewart’s Absence and High Speed Perils

2014 Indianapolis Cup Joey Logano Smiling Cia

Credit: CIA

Racing is a dangerous sport. That is something that will never change for as long as cars are competitively raced against each other on circuit tracks. But over the years, we seem to have lost sight of this fact. When drivers crash into walls at over 200 mph and jump out of the car without a …

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Open Wheel Wednesday: Building Momentum and the Final Stretch Run

2014 Indycar Iowa Kanaan Leading

Welcome to the IndyCar Round Table! Several times throughout the season, your favorite writers will get together to discuss the latest IndyCar news, rumors, and so much more! This Week’s Participants: Toni Montgomery Frontstretch IndyCar Editor/NHRA Pace Laps) Matt Stallknecht(Frontstretch IndyCar Writer/NASCAR’s Four Burning Questions) Huston Ladner (Frontstretch IndyCar Writer/Happiness Is) Toni: Is there a …

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Four Burning Questions in Watkins Glen: Scintilating Strategies and Ambrose’s Last Stand

2013 Wgi Cup Marcos Ambrose Martin Truex Jr Pack Racing Cia 430

The Sprint Cup Series is in scenic Watkins Glen, NY today for the 22nd round of the 2014 season, and for what will only be the second time this season, the drivers will be turning right. Watkins Glen International has developed into one of the finest circuits that the Sprint Cup Series visits, as the …

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Pace Laps: Pocono Oddity, Iowa Adventures, Ohio Excellence, and More

Cup: Strange Results from Pocono It’s not a surprise that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won at Pocono.  He raced with the leaders all race long and his crew chief, Steve Letarte, made a brilliant strategy call that put him in the best position to win. But what about the rest of the field? Kyle Busch completed …

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Four Burning Questions in Pocono: Rising Rookies and the Threat of Rain

2014 Dover I Cup Brad Keselowski Car Cia

The Sprint Cup Series is making its second trip of the year to Pocono Raceway today. The track colloquially known as the “Tricky Triangle” put on a rousing show here in June, as heavyweights Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fought tooth and nail for the win over the final 10 laps of the race …

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Increased TV Ratings Finally Match INDYCAR’s Momentum

2014 Indycar Toronto 1 Bourdais Leading

Anyone who reads my contributions to this column on a regular basis knows that I am something of a pessimist when it comes to the world of IndyCar racing. As much as I do love this sport, I have never been afraid to point out the multitude of flaws and missteps that the leaders of …

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Four Burning Questions at the Brickyard: The Drive for Five and an IndyCar Ringer

2014 Loudon I Cup Jimmie Johnson Garage Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photography, Inc. ©2014)

Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Simply reading those three words in succession should incite a fit of shivers up the spine of any race fan worth his/her salt. NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series will invade the historic facility today for the 21st annual Brickyard 400. It seems wild to think that Indianapolis has been on the schedule for …

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IndyCar Breakdown: The Honda Indy 2 in Toronto

2014 Indycar Toronto 2 Bourdais And Conway

In a Nutshell: On what was easily the craziest race weekend of the year for INDYCAR, Sebastien Bourdais and Mike Conway usurped the usual suspects by each winning one of the two doubleheader races in the Streets of Toronto. Bourdais did it via sheer dominance, while Conway did it via cunning strategy and a little bit …

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