Race Weekend Central

Couch Potato Tuesday: Standalone Road Races Show Deficiencies

NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers take the green flag at Road America August 29, 2015

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Last weekend, the Sprint Cup Series took the week off to relax, vacation, and in the case of Chad Knaus and Matt DiBenedetto, get hitched. Meanwhile, the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series dealt with the twisties. Before we started, NBCSN’s Robin Miller did the voiceover on this tribute to Justin Wilson that aired on …

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Pace Laps: Heartbreaking Losses and Replacement Drivers

Juan Pablo Montoya on track at Sonoma (credit: IndyCar)

(Photo: IndyCar)

IndyCar: Montoya Critical of Himself, INDYCAR Following Championship Loss – 1.179 seconds. That’s all that separated Juan Pablo Montoya from a Verizon IndyCar Series championship. Montoya, who led the points from the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in March, lost the championship in a tiebreaker to four-time champion Scott Dixon following a sixth-place finish …

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Up To Speed: A Plea to NASCAR After the Off Weekend

2015 Road America NXS pack racing credit NASCAR via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Coming off the final off weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, we had the Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series to whet our racing appetite (at least in the stock car world). Because of the off week, almost no Cup drivers appeared in either event, giving the series regulars and developmental drivers a …

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Xfinity Series Breakdown: 2015 Road America 180

NASCAR XFINITY Series Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

A gutsy call by crew chief Danny Stockman on fuel gave Paul Menard the opportunity he needed to drive to Victory Lane at Road America, his home track. The victory was his third Xfinity Series victory and first win on a road course. Menard was the only Cup Series/non-NXS regular in the field as the …

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Paul Menard Stretches Fuel Mileage to Win 2015 Road America 180

ELKHART LAKE, WI. - AUGUST 28: Paul Menard, driver of the #33 Richmond/Menards Chevrolet, drives during NASCAR XFINITY Series practice at Road America on August 28, 2015 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. (Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images)

(Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images)

On a weekend when the Sprint Cup Series drivers have no race to attend, one made the trip to Road America to race in the Xfinity Series. The trip was definitely worth it. Richard Childress Racing’s Paul Menard, driving the No. 33 car, won Saturday’s Road America 180 after having to make the final 21 …

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Paul Menard Quickest in 2015 Road America 180 Happy Hour

2015 Road America Paul Menard car NXS credit NASCAR via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Friday afternoon’s final practice session at Road America for the Xfinity Series was marred by the threat of rain. While the full-blown rainstorm did not materialize until after the session ended, sprinkles of varying intensity pelted down on the track for much of the session. The track was more or less dry, but the curbs …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2015 Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol

2015 Bristol II CUP Joey Logano burnout CIA

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

The list is short of drivers that can win at Bristol and successfully defend that victory the following year, but you can add Joey Logano to that list. After winning the night race last season, Logano led 176 laps Saturday night and held off Kevin Harvick to pick up his third win of the season. …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2015 Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan

2015 Michigan II CUP Matt Kenseth burnout CIA

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Another week of fuel mileage paid off again for Matt Kenseth. He dominated the race Sunday afternoon, leading a race-high 146 laps, and had enough fuel to cross the line first. This win is Kenseth’s third of the season and second in the past three weeks. He now sits solely in the third seed behind …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2015 Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan

2015 Michigan II CUP Matt Kenseth team trophy CIA

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Who’s in the headline – Joe Gibbs Racing established their dominance early in the weekend and threw down the gauntlet in qualifying by putting their cars first through third, and all four in the top six. When the race started, Matt Kenseth took advantage of his 16th career pole and a very strong car to race off …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2015 Cheez-It 355 at the Glen

Joey Logano poses with the trophy after winning the Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)­­

Who’s in the headline – Weekend sweeps seem to happen quite frequently these days, with some of the winning drivers from the Cup Series running the companion races that are scheduled on many race weekends. Surprisingly, this weekend featured the first time such a sweep took place at Watkins Glen. Joey Logano had never run a …

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Cup Drivers Dominate 2nd Zippo 200 Practice at the Glen

2015 Watkins Glen NXS Kyle Larson vertical CIA

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Sprint Cup regulars continued their domination of the Xfinity Series on Friday, placing four Cup drivers in the top five in final practice at Watkins Glen. Kyle Larson topped the charts with a fast lap of 123.623 mph. Joey Logano, who paced the first practice, was second with a lap of 122.223 mph. Paul Menard …

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Team Penske Sweeps Opening Zippo 200 Practice at Watkins Glen

2015 Watkins Glen NXS Joey Logano CIA

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Team Penske swept the opening round of practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Zippo 200 on Friday, with Joey Logano besting teammate Brad Keselowski for the top spot. Logano, who is looking to win his first NXS race at the Glen, turned a lap of 122.452 mph. Keselowski, the 2013 winner of this race, ran …

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