Race Weekend Central

Happiness Is… Funny Stuff, Yoga & Released

2015 Charlotte I Cup Kasey Kahne Jimmie Johnson Credit Amy Henderson

Photo Credit: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch

By winning the Coca-Cola 600, Carl Edwards has now joined the Chase fray, putting him in position to tinker around for the rest of the “regular season,” continue building chemistry with new crew chief Darian Grubb and meld into the Joe Gibbs Racing organization as a whole. Congrats goes to Edwards, then for earning his first …

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Did You Notice? Indy Takes a Bite Out of NASCAR

Indycar 2015 Indy Montoya And Team Victory Credit Chris Owens

(Photo: Chris Owens)

Did You Notice? Two races headed in two markedly different directions? While the Indianapolis 500 went through its third straight ratings increase, reaching Nielsen numbers it hasn’t touched since 2008, NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 hit a new low. The Sunday overnight of 3.6 was the worst since FOX started covering the event in 2001; it was …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2015 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

Charlotte Coca Cola 600 Carl Edwards Flip Highlighted 2015 Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Carl Edwards took advantage of fuel strategy to win his first race of 2015 and first driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards led only 25 laps but put himself in the lead by pitting with 62 laps to go and conserving fuel to the end, while the dominant cars were forced to pit. Meanwhile, Martin …

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NASCAR Mailbox: What’s up with Martin Truex Jr. & Tackling the Monster Mile

2015 Charlotte I Cup Martin Truex Jr Racing Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

The Coca-Cola 600 provided what we  all look forward to in the Sprint Cup Series – pure excitement. The longest race on the Cup schedule not only proved to be a grueling race of showcasing endurance, but it also showcased team communication and smart decision-making when it came to pit stops. The race winner, Carl Edwards only …

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Professor of Speed: A Memorial Day to Remember for NASCAR

Last Sunday was one memorable day of racing. If we move beyond the self-serving particulars of who won, who lost, and other such personally-driven details as those, we can treat this past weekend’s slate of events as a simple matter of earnest motorsports competition. It was a Sunday as simple as one, two and three. …

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5 Points to Ponder: Tapered Spacer Tapering Off NASCAR Competition

2015 Charlotte I Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Racing Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

ONE: The Horrific Tapered Spacer at Intermediate Tracks After seeing the horrendous racing during the All-Star Race, the Coca-Cola 600 was a pleasant surprise. There were nine leaders and 14 lead changes within the first 100 laps, which is seemingly impressive. However, besides the twist of a few cautions and fuel strategy coming into play, …

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Bowles-Eye View: The New NASCAR, From Shaky To Saved In Just 1 Day

Carl Edwards Charlotte Motor Speedway Coca Cola 600 2015 Yvonne Leonard 010

(Credit: Yvonne Leonard, Frontstretch)

Carl Edwards entered Charlotte buried under the weight of high expectations. Adding mental pounds of his own pressure simply left him digging a deeper hole through Sunday’s first 500 miles. A Sprint Cup veteran and former championship contender found himself struggling at Charlotte, like most weeks this season just hoping to escape with a top-10 …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: 2015 FedEx 400 at Dover Edition

Carl Edwards Charlotte Motor Speedway Coca Cola 600 2015 Yvonne Leonard 002

(Photo: Yvonne Leonard, Frontstretch)

Since Sunday was such a great day for auto racing fans, I’m going to bounce around between series a bit for just this week. So here goes: Burnouts (Hot) First, you have to give kudos to Carl Edwards and crew chief Darian Grubb for their win in NASCAR’s 600-miler at Charlotte Sunday night. Grubb, knowing …

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Up To Speed: Mixed Emotions for Greg Biffle Following 2nd-Place Finish at Charlotte

2015 Charlotte I Cup Greg Biffle Car Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Eventual Coca-Cola 600 champ Carl Edwards really needed to win a race. He had just moved over to a brand new car at Joe Gibbs Racing from Roush Fenway Racing at the beginning of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, giving him optimism for a new beginning in his career but also applying some pressure …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2015 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

2015 Charlotte I Cup Carl Edwards Checkered Flag Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Who’s in the headline – Martin Truex Jr. and Kurt Busch dominated the race, leading almost 250 of the 400 laps. The eighth and final caution of the race flew with 62 laps to go, and five cars chose to roll the dice and try and stretch their fuel mileage for all of those laps. In …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2015 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

2015 Charlotte I Cup Brad Keselowski Kyle Busch Joey Logano Three Wide Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

Photo Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images

Looking for the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How behind Sunday’s race? Amy Henderson has you covered each week with the answers to six race-day questions, covering all five Ws and even the H… the Big Six. Who… gets my shoutout of the race?  Anyone would forgive a driver if it took him a …

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Matt Kenseth Wins the Pole for the 2015 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

2015 Charlotte I Cup Matt Kenseth Smiling Vertical Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

As the sun set on Charlotte Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hit the track for qualifying in preparation of the sport’s longest race. Matt Kenseth took the top position during the final round of qualifying with a time of 27.799 seconds (194.252 mph), which has earned him the Coors Light Pole Award for …

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