Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Irwin Tools Night Race

2014 Richmond I Cup Joey Logano Champagne Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Key Moment – With 67 laps to go the caution flag flew for what ended up being the final time on Saturday night. Matt Kenseth stayed on the track with four other cars while Joey Logano headed to pit lane and bolted on four fresh bolognas. When the race restarted, Logano took the green in sixth position and quickly sliced …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Pure Michigan 400

2014 Michigan Ii Cup Jeff Gordon Burnout Cia

Key Moment – On the penultimate restart of the day, Kurt Busch was alongside Joey Logano when the green flag flew. Busch laid it all on the line trying to get past the car of his former employer but broke loose and bounced his car off of the wall. His rear tire ultimately failed, bringing out …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Watkins Glen A Mix Of Tony’s Tragedy, AJ’s Triumph

2014 Watkins Glen Cup Aj Allmendinger No 1 Cia

Key Moment – On lap 78, Josh Wise stopped in the grass on the inside of the exit of the Bus Stop. Rather than throw a local caution to give Wise an opportunity to refire the car and continue on, NASCAR threw a full-course caution. As a result, AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose drew immensely closer …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: GoBowling.com 400

2014 Pocono Ii Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Checkered Flag Cia

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. after winning the GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway. (Credit: CIA)

Key Moment – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Clint Bowyer pitted when the pits opened after the Big One with 39 laps to go. That decision by Steve Letarte put Earnhardt in position to take a splash of gas to make it to the finish of the race. Earnhardt made that final stop to top off …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Off Week – RTA, The Chase and Tires Among First Half Topics

2014 Daytona I Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Woohoo Cia

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is having the best year of his career since 2004. 2013 was a stark reminder of how one bad race can sink the Chase before it even really gets going. (Photo Credit: CIA)

Key Moment – The dramatic changes to the Chase format announced in Charlotte during the 2014 Media Tour continue to be the key moment of the season. The “win and you’re in” philosophy is permeating the garage, and there have been obvious strategic decisions, during the season, altered by the fact that a team already …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – New Hampshire – Keselowski Turns the Competition Redd

2014 Loudon Brad Keselowski Trophy Credit Cia

Key Moment – The Penske cars were both strong at New Hampshire, with Brad Keselowski being the strongest. Joey Logano was looking better as the race progressed and seemed to be poised to make Keselowski earn his win when the the two teammates caught Morgan Shepherd to put him yet another lap down. Shepherd slid …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Coke Zero 400

2014 Daytona Ii Cup Aric Almirola Team Victory Lane Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2014)

Key Moment – The only set of green flag pit stops occurred from lap 83 through 87 Sunday. Aric Almirola was running near the end of the top 10 when he peeled off to pit lane. He was the second car off in the group of cars he came down with, and slotted into second when …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Quaker State 400 – Kentucky Speedway

2014 Kentucky Cup Brad Keselowski Victory Lap Cia

Brad Keselowski was perhaps a little too excited after his win in Kentucky. He cut his hand on a champagne bottle in Victory Lane.

Key Moment – With 25 laps to go, Joey Logano’s car lost a cylinder in his engine. Logano was the only car on the track that had shown any potential to challenge Brad Keselowski for the win. Once his car no longer had all its ponies, the only worry left for the eventual winner was whether …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Toyota / Save Mart 350

2014 Sonoma Cup Jack Roush Carl Edwards Trophy Cia

Carl Edwards and Jack Roush have enjoyed a decade's worht of success together. Edward's move to Joe Gibbs Racing for 2015 comes at a time where their outsourced engines have been largely left in the dust this season.(Credit: CIA)

Key Moment – The caution flag flew for debris in turn 10 on lap 72 that was not shown on television. Carl Edwards had pitted two laps before that and was able to stay on the track when most everyone else came to pit road. Edwards and Marcos Ambrose led the field to the green …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Quicken Loans 400

2014 Michigan I Cup Jimmie Johnson Woohoo Cia

Credit - CIA Stock Photography

Key Moment – On lap 150, caution period pit stops took place for the last time. Jimmie Johnson, Paul Menard, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jamie McMurray stayed out. They would pit with 35 or so laps to go and run the remainder of the laps to the finish. That strategy paid off in top …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2014 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega

Key Moment – On lap 137, Brad Keselowski, who was already six laps down thanks to an incident with Danica Patrick on lap 14 while going for the lead, spun in front of the field while trying to get his lap back the old fashioned way. At the time he and Jamie McMurray were the only two cars not on the …

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