Race Weekend Central

Surprising Faces Top 1st Cheez-It 355 Practice at the Glen

2015 Pocono Cup Clint Bowyer On Pit Road Credit Anthony Lumbis Sr.

Photo Credit: Anthony Lumbis Sr., Frontstretch

A number of surprising faces found themselves in the top 10 following the first round of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice at Watkins Glen International Friday. Clint Bowyer (127.067 mph) topped the charts after the opening 80-minute practice session, while defending race winner AJ Allmendinger (126.901) was second. Jimmie Johnson (126.139), Sam Hornish Jr. (126.095) and …

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NASCAR 101: Where Did All the Ringers Go?

2014 Watkins Glen Cup Aj Allmendinger Trophy Cia

Will AJ Allmendinger be a legitimate threat in the Chase?

There was a point in time in NASCAR’s not-so-distant past when the road-course races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series were quite the ambiguous affair – and not just because they’re among the few races in which the drivers actually have to turn right at a high speed. Then, the entry lists were dotted with …

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4 Burning Questions in Watkins Glen: Can Tony Stewart Find Redemption?

2015 Sonoma Cup Tony Stewart Car Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Right-hand turns are on tap for this Sunday as the traveling circus that is the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads north to Watkins Glen International. The world-famous 11-turn road course has been a lightning rod of drama for the series over the past half-decade, and as such, there is a higher-than-normal buzz for the race …

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The Frontstretch 5: Musing through Summer ’15

2015 Pocono Cwts Erik Jones Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Welcome to the Frontstretch Five! Each week, Amy Henderson takes a look at the racing, the drivers and the storylines that drive NASCAR and produces a list of five people, places, things and ideas that define the current state of our sport. This week, Amy has some totally random thoughts on the summer of ’15. …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2015 Windows 10 400 at Pocono

Matt Kenseth races with Casey Mears during teh Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway

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

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? Racing is a game of skill, strategy, and running smart. …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2015 5-hour Energy 301 at Loudon

2015 Loudon I Cup Casey Mears Car Cia

Credit: CIA Stock Photography

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? Remember the little team who could in 2014? 2015 hasn’t …

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The Frontstretch 5: Tracks That Could Offer New 2015 Winners

2015 Daytona I Unlimited Pack Racing Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Welcome to the Frontstretch Five! Each week, Amy Henderson takes a look at the racing, the drivers and the storylines that drive NASCAR and produces a list of five people, places, things and ideas that define the current state of our sport. With Amy busy this week, Frontstretch Assistant Editor Aaron Bearden looks ahead to …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: 2015 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona Edition

2015 Sonoma Cup Kyle Busch Racing Behind Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

The first of the two road-course stops took place this weekend for the Sprint Cup series and as has been the case the last few years, it provided some of the best and closest racing we see during the whole season. It also provided us with a couple of hot tempers, so it’s all part …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2015 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

2015 Sonoma Cup Kyle Busch Woohoo Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Who’s in the headline – Racing can involve a myriad of strategies on a normal weekend. On a road course, the options become even more diverse. After three different fuel strategies had all played out, a late-race caution resulted in a majority of the field coming onto pit road with 10 laps to go. Kyle …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2015 Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Sonoma

2015 Sonoma Cup Pack Racing Ii Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

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? The result wasn’t quite there, but the old fire was. …

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Number Crunching: 2015 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

2015 Sonoma Cup Kevin Harvick Car Side Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

This week, the racers will be doing something they only do two times a year: turning right. The teams are in wine country for the Toyota Save Mart 350 at Sonoma, this year’s first Sprint Cup attempt on a road course. This race is one where some underdogs will rise to the forefront, announcers saying …

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AJ Allmendinger Wins 2015 Toyota/Save Mart 350 Pole at Sonoma

2015 Michigan I Cup Aj Allmendinger Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Road-course veteran AJ Allmendinger won the pole in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying at Sonoma Raceway. With a time of 74.385 seconds, Allmendinger scored the first pole for JTG Daugherty Racing, and his first pole since Kansas in April of 2012. Allmendinger’s first attempt at a lap in the first session was disrupted for a …

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