Race Weekend Central

Up To Speed: Denny Hamlin Credits Teammates for Daytona 500 Win

“It was a total team effort.” Generally, when the winning driver makes such a statement in Victory Lane, they are referring to their own team. It’s their crew chief, pit crew, over-the-wall members who made the difference in getting them over the hump. Yes, there is gratitude expressed to the organization as a whole, but really …

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Up To Speed: Following Sprint Unlimited Win, Denny Hamlin More Confident Than Ever Heading Into Daytona 500

It is often said that restrictor plate races aren’t so much about driver ability as much as they are an engineers’ race. The team with the fastest car has the most likely chance of winning, so long as the driver holds the wheel straight and doesn’t lose the draft. Easier said than done, but that’s …

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Up To Speed: Kyle Busch Just as Surprised as the Rest of Us

2015 Homestead Cup Kyle Busch Woohoo Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)­

For all four drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship race, each brought a unique story. Martin Truex Jr. was trying to win the race as a single-car team; Kevin Harvick was going for his second straight title; Jeff Gordon had hopes of finishing off his driving career with a fifth championship. Kyle Busch, the fourth driver, …

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Up to Speed: Mixed Emotions Following Rain-Shortened Phoenix Semi-Final

Nascar Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500

(Photo by Matt Sullivan/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Weather can certainly have its way in influencing motorsports and this was true at Phoenix International Raceway. That’s right, even a racetrack in the middle of the desert is not safe from the woes brought on by a steady downpour. Following a nearly seven-hour delay for rain, the penultimate race of the season finally went green under …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2015 AAA Texas 500

2015 Texas Ii Cup Pack Racing Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)­

And then there were two… races that is. Despite the fact that there are three races in the Eliminator Round, by virtue of non-Chaser Jimmie Johnson‘s win last weekend, two drivers at most will make it to the championship race based on wins. It’s possible that three drivers could make it in on points if another non-Chaser …

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Up To Speed: Jimmie Johnson Snookers Brad Keselowski

2015 Richmond Ii Cup Jimmie Johnson Car Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

By all accounts, Brad Keselowski should have won the race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday. After starting on the pole, Keselowski dominated the race, leading 312 of 334 laps. Most of those remaining laps were during cycles of green-flag pit stops or short periods where other drivers – like Kevin Harvick – were briefly …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 after the 2015 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville

Martinsville Joey Logano 2015 Cup Mike Neff

(Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Once again, Martinsville Speedway lived up to its reputation. Short tempers? Check. Payback? Check. Lots and lots of contact? Check. Matt Kenseth – once thought to be one of the most even-tempered drivers in the garage area – wrecked Joey Logano while several laps down at Martinsville Speedway. Though he claimed it was unintentional, NASCAR …

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Up To Speed: Matt Kenseth Took It Too Far… And He Didn’t Have To

Nascar Sprint Cup Series Bank Of America 500

(Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Depending on the circumstances in Homestead in a few weeks, Martinsville could turn out to be the most meaningful, impactful race of the season. Not only did Jeff Gordon advance to the championship race in his final season (after he hadn’t won a race all year), but championship favorite Joey Logano may very well miss …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2015 CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega

2015 Talladega Ii Cup Matt Kenseth Car Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Everyone sort of expected Talladega Superspeedway to shake up the standings but I don’t think anyone expected the dramatic, forced ending that occurred in the final laps of the race. Even after NASCAR announced that it would be reducing the number of green-white-checkered attempts from three to one days before the event Sunday’s ultimate ending at …

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Up To Speed: Make No Mistake, There Were 2 “Attempts” at a GWC in Talladega

2015 Talladega Superspeedway Nscs Joey Logano Checkered Flag Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

    con·sist·en·cy kənˈsistənsē/noun conformity in the application of something, typically that which is necessary for the sake of logic, accuracy, or fairness. “the grading system is to be streamlined to ensure greater consistency” synonyms:          uniformity, constancy, regularity, evenness, steadiness, stability, equilibrium I chose the word consistency because it feels like the world of NASCAR is …

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Hendrick Motorsports Sweeps Front Row in 2015 CampingWorld.com 500 Qualifying at Talladega

Kasey Kahne Bank Of America 500 2015 Charlotte Cup Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Jeff Gordon will start from the pole in his final Sprint Cup Series start at Talladega Superspeedway, the only driver to reach a speed in excess of 194 mph in the second round. Gordon will start alongside Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne on the front row. In fact, HMS dominated qualifying, with all four drivers …

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Timothy Peters Wins 2015 Fred’s 250 at Talladega Under Caution

2015 Talladega Ii Timothy Peters Win Chris Graythen/nascarv Via Getty Images

(Photo by Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Following a rules change allowing only one green-white-checkered attempt at the end of any NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend, polesitter Timothy Peters was the first beneficiary of the rule as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race ended under caution on Saturday afternoon. While racing for the lead on the final restart, second-place …

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