Race Weekend Central

Friday Faceoff: Analyzing Penalties, Johnson vs. Harvick & Pocono Setup

2015 Dover I Cup Trevor Bayne Crash Damage Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Welcome to Friday Faceoff, our weekly NASCAR roundtable where the Frontstretch experts give their take on major storylines surrounding the sport. Here’s a few major questions we’re trying to answer heading into Pocono this weekend. 1) Halfway through the regular season, two drivers stand out ahead of the pack in terms of victories and overall …

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Happiness Is… Meh, Fines & the Weekend

2015 Dover I Cup Jimmie Johnson Checkered Flag Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Last week, this column assailed one of the many strange consequences of the Chase. More specifically, the topic addressed was how a driver can earn a playoff berth while having played so very little of a season. The rules surrounding what makes a driver eligible are certainly one of the things that need to be …

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Trevor Bayne, Jennifer Jo Cobb Among Penalized Teams After Dover

2015 Dover I Cup Justin Allgaier Michael Annett Trevor Bayne Crash Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Trevor Bayne and Jennifer Jo Cobb were among five drivers among all three national NASCAR series to be penalized for infractions at Dover International Speedway last week. Both drivers were expected to be penalized on Wednesday for failing to stay within their vehicles after crashing out during competition at the Monster Mile. The behavioral infractions …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: 2015 Axalta We Paint Winners 400 at Pocono Edition

2015 Dover I Cup Aric Almirola Sam Hornish Jr Racing Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Burnouts (Hot) It’s one thing to be fast for most of the race, but it’s quite another to be the fastest at the end of a race. Figuring out just how to work the end game of a race can be pretty tricky. But that’s what championship teams do, and the No. 48 team got …

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NASCAR Driver Report Cards: Part I

Clint Bowyer Martin Truex Jr Kyle Larson Cup Sprint Showdown 2015 Charlotte Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Since I’ve been away for a while, there’s a whole lot of writing to do on how each Sprint Cup driver has been performing in 2015. In this day and age of the “new” Chase, looking at the point standings to gauge a driver’s performance is often an optical illusion; once someone wins, scoring points …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2015 GEICO 500 at Talladega

2015 Talladega I Cup Pck Racing Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: 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? Talladega is a whole different animal in NASCAR, and for …

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The Big One Swallows 14 Cars Early at Talladega

2014 Talladega Ii Cup Pack Racing Cia

(Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

They say it’s only a matter of time until the Big One hits at Talladega Superspeedway. On lap 45 of Sunday’s GEICO 500, a small aero-loose scenario between Trevor Bayne and Kurt Busch sparked a massive accident on the backstretch, swallowing up 14 drivers. “When the [No.] 27 went around us on the top there …

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Kurt Busch Wins 2nd Pole of 2015 for Duck Commander 500 at Texas

2015 Texas I Cup Kurt Busch Pole Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

Photo Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images

For the second time in three races, Kurt Busch will lead a Stewart-Haas Racing front row to the green flag for Saturday night’s Duck Commander 500. With a lap of 193.847 mph, the driver of the No. 41 Chevrolet scored his second pole in four races since he returned the the track. The pole is …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: 2015 Duck Commander 500 at Texas Edition

2015 Martinsville I Cup Kevin Harvick Racing Credit Amy Henderson

(Photo: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch)

Burnouts (Hot) Since the Sprint Cup series was off this past weekend due to the holidays, it’s just a little more difficult to tell who is hot and who is not. Maybe it should be who hasn’t cooled off after Martinsville. One driver that will continue to be on the favorites list each week is …

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Bowles-Eye View: Teams In Trouble 5 Races In

Carl Edwards Daytona 500 Qualifying Practice 2015 Mike Neff

(Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Five races into 2015, the stories have been more about what’s off the track than what’s on it. (Or, in the case of Fontana what’s supposedly on the track that can cause a caution with two laps remaining. A story for another day). Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Brian Vickers… their problems have made headlines, masking …

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Did You Notice? … The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

2014 Talladega Ii Cup Tony Stewart Spin Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photography)

Did You Notice? … Two races into 2014, Kevin Harvick is the only Stewart-Haas Racing car with either a top-5 or top-10 finish? SHR’s struggle has been notable as Tony Stewart was off the pace at Atlanta, uncompetitive long before getting caught up in a mid-race accident. Regan Smith has run admirably, keeping the No. 41 …

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NASCAR 101: Every Past Daytona 500 Champion, Ranked By Their Chances of Winning in 2015

2014 Phoenix Ii Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Serious Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photography)

The Daytona 500 is the most prestigious race of the entire NASCAR season, and chances are you’ve already heard talk about the drivers who’ve won before. And why not? NASCAR puts emphasis on driver championships first and foremost, but Daytona comes next, and the drivers who’ve visited victory lane there are a veritable who’s who …

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