Race Weekend Central

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2015 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville

Martinsville Keselowski Harvick Busch Pit Road 2015 Cup Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? So many drivers had strong finishes Sunday, but the real praise belongs to Martinsville Speedway. One of the last short tracks on the NASCAR schedule, it’s still the best of the best, and Sunday’s show had it all: drama, hard racing, underdogs, and a legend of the sport …

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Kickin’ the Tires: Accidents Happen, Maybe

Martinsville Logano Pit Crew Thrash 2015 Cup Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

There are obviously several different ways for the Joey Logano – Matt Kenseth debacle to play out, but I can’t blame Kenseth for doing what he did, even if it was wrong – perhaps justifiable but wrong… unless the splitter really was dragging and he couldn’t steer going into turn 1. If that is the case, then …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2015 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville

Martinsville Jeff Gordon Team Victory  2015 Cup Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Who’s in the headline – Martinsville resurrected the emotions of both fans and competitors that it has not incited in a decade. In the end, while there is much buzz about retribution and championship ramifications, the most important story of the weekend is that Jeff Gordon will be one of the four competitors vying for the …

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Jeff Gordon Victorious in 2015 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville

2015 Martinsville II CUP JEff Gordon celebrates CIA

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

You wouldn’t think the man hoisting the checkered flag had done it 92 prior times in the Sprint Cup Series. Jeff Gordon, in his final race at Martinsville Speedway in his final full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series, held off Jamie McMurray in a two-lap shootout to grab the victory in the Goody’s Headache …

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Number Crunching: 2015 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville

Joey Logano 2015 Martinsville Cup Qualifying  Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

The drivers roll into Martinsville Speedway this week for the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500. That is 500 laps of this half-mile paperclip-shaped track, which means 250 lap leader fantasy points available in NASCAR Fantasy Live. The laps led points are what we need to focus on this week, and they will be the largest …

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Joey Logano Still on Top, Wins 2015 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 Pole at Martinsville

2015 Loudon II CUP Joey Logano CIA

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. 2015)

What can you say, Joey Logano is fast and proud of it. By just 0.012 seconds over rival Chaser Martin Truex Jr., Logano wins the pole for Sunday’s Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway, the opening race of the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. “I thought today in race …

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Joey Logano Paces Lone Friday Practice at Martinsville

2015 Watkins Glen CUP Joey Logano CIA

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)­

Anyone who watched the last three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races should not be surprised to see Joey Logano at the top of the leaderboard at the end of the first practice session of the weekend. Logano, who won at Charlotte, Kansas, and Talladega earlier this month, posted a fast lap of 19.161 seconds, good …

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Friday Faceoff: Who Was Out of Line at Talladega?

2015 Talladega II CUP pack racing vertical CIA

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)­

NASCAR opted not to penalize Kevin Harvick for causing a late-race crash that caused the race at Talladega to end under caution, ensuring Harvick a spot in the Eliminator Round. Was Harvick’s move legit, and where is the line in this new Chase era? Mark Howell, Senior Writer: According to NASCAR, Harvick did nothing wrong. …

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Did You Notice? How To Get Away With Championship Murder?

2015 Talladega II CUP Jimmie Johnson Kyle Larson spin CIA

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)­

Did You Notice? How to get away with murder from a sporting perspective? Kevin Harvick has mastered the craft, deftly dodging questions about whether his Talladega wreck was intentional Tuesday while knowing NASCAR has finalized their decision not to penalize him on the incident. “Look, I just tried to get going and thinking and try …

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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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Beside the Rising Tide: Now I Try To Be Amused

2015 Talladega II CUP Jimmie Johnson Kyle Larson spin CIA

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)­

Oh, I used to be disgusted, Now I try to be amused. Since their wings have gotten rusted, The angels wanna wear my red shoes -Elvis Costello- Yep, sometimes it’s impossible not to be amazed by how consistently NASCAR’s sharpshooters can shoot themselves in the foot. Click those red shoes together, Dorothy, ’cause I don’t …

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5 Points to Ponder: NASCAR’s Mid-Race Rules Swap and Red-Hot Logano

Joey Logano Bank of America 500 2015 Charlotte Cup Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

ONE: Joey Logano Sweeps the Contender Round Heading into the Chase, it was clear only one driver stood a real chance at stealing a title away from red-hot Joe Gibbs Racing: Joey Logano. The Team Penske driver won two of the final five races during the regular season and slotted in fourth when the Chase …

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