Race Weekend Central

Holding A Pretty Wheel: Everything Has Changed

2014 Daytona II CUP Aric Almirola spraying champagne CIA

There’s a commercial for NASCAR which talks about how everything in the sport has changed, but in the end, how nothing has really changed at all, because the spirit of the sport remains unchanged. Drivers, after all, still want to win races more than anything, and fans still want to find their racing heroes on …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: Brian Vickers’ Disappointment Gives Rise to Good Idea

2014 Daytona II CUP Brian Vickers shifty eyes CIA

(Credit: CIA)

When the already-delayed Coke Zero 400 was ended early for rain on Sunday afternoon, some fans and even some drivers were left puzzled by the decision. After all, it wasn’t even six months since NASCAR had pledged to race late into the night to complete the scheduled distance of the Daytona 500, and there they …

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Holding A Pretty Wheel: Daytona Optimism is What NASCAR Needs

NASCAR is in Daytona this week, at a track where the racing is intense and close. One of the attractions of Daytona International Speedway is that we believe anyone can win. The track is the great equalizer because of the restrictor plates that reduce the airflow to the engines of the racecars, reducing horsepower to …

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Holding A Pretty Wheel: When Less Was More and Racing Was Worth Waiting For

2014 Darlington CUP Paul Wolfe Brad Keselowski CIA

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Want NASCAR information? You don’t have to wait long to see all you wanted to know and then some. NASCAR is everywhere these days thanks to the Internet and social media. In the Information Age, people can instantly satisfy their curiosity on just about anything, including racing, with just a few clicks. It’s instant gratification …

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Holding A Pretty Wheel: Focused on Jimmie Johnson as Title Favorite? You’re Doing It Wrong

2014 Michigan I CUP Kevin Harvick pole CIA

Kevin Harvick and son Keelan in victory lane at Michigan. (Credit: CIA)

Just a mere five weeks ago, media and fans alike were asking whether Jimmie Johnson and his team were behind the eight ball as Johnson had not won a race yet in 2014. Fast forward to today, and it seems like fans and foes alike are ready to engrave the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series trophy …

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Holding A Pretty Wheel: NASCAR Needs Innovation, Not Restrictions

As fan concerns about the racing product NASCAR is putting out on track these days mount, the recurring theme remains the same: not enough passing, not enough excitement. The field gets strung out, and because the cars are more durable than diamonds these days, cautions for phantom debris are common in an attempt to tighten …

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Racing Under the Lights: Better, or Just Hype?

The colors are brighter, somehow. Everything is magnified, and, well, they just lookfaster. Whether there’s a full moon in the sky above or simply the stars that pale in comparison to the shining lights, watching a NASCAR race after dark is quite an experience. Night racing has become a staple on the NASCAR circuit since the first night race was …

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No Place for Complacency When It Comes To Safety

Several years ago, after a string of deaths and injuries in stock cars, Ricky Craven commented that someday everyone would look back at those days and wonder about how drivers were running into concrete walls. Craven’s words would prove prophetic as SAFER barriers replaced the concrete walls in the corners — the most likely place for a …

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