Race Weekend Central

Holding a Pretty Wheel: The Forgotten Four

2014 Phoenix II CUP Brad Keselowski Jeff Gordon pit road CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The field of four is set for this year’s finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. NASCAR fans will see a first-time champion from among the likes of Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman or Denny Hamlin. The contenders weren’t locked in until the final lap at Phoenix, and when the dust settled, it was this group that …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Ryan Newman Deserves His Spot in Homestead

2014 Phoenix II CUP Ryan Newman car CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The championship race is finally upon us and NASCAR Nation is all a-Twitter about possibly having a winless champion, despite NASCAR’s emphasis on creating a system where it should have been all but impossible for that to happen. Though three of the four drivers have victories (Denny Hamlin has one, Joey Logano has five, and …

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The Frontstretch Five: Best and Worst of the 2014 Chase

2014 Phoenix II CUP Joey Logano pack racing CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Welcome to the Frontstretch Five, a brand-new column for 2014! 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 the good, the bad, …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Phoenix

2014 Phoenix II CUP Kevin HArvick champagne CIA

Credit: CIA Stock Photography

And then there were four. The drivers competing for the Championship at Homestead next week are set, and as the other Chase races have proven, it wasn’t without drama. Kevin Harvick’s only option was to win, and win he did, in dominating fashion by leading the most laps. Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano needed top-10 finishes …

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Team Penske Makes Nationwide Driver Change for Homestead

2014 Texas II CUP Joey Logano Brad Keselowski CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Team Penske announced on Monday that Brad Keselowski will drive the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang in Nationwide Series season finale, the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. Joey Logano was originally scheduled to run the race, but Team Penske made the decision to allow Logano to focus on the Sprint Cup Series …

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Five Points to Ponder: A First-Time Champ, Homestead & Like Father, Like Son

2014 Atlanta NNS Chase Elliott cockpit CIA

ONE: A FIRST-TIME CHAMP Many folks who completed Chase brackets would have had Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano making the final four, while few would have pegged Denny Hamlin or Ryan Newman as being still in contention for the big silver trophy at Homestead-Miami Speedway. That in essence highlights both the beauty and the vagaries of …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Did “Chasing” Ratings Help Or Hurt ESPN?

2014 Phoenix II CUP Brad Keselowski Jeff Gordon pit road CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

At the very front of the field, the Phoenix International Raceway race weekend was not the most competitive out there. In 644 total laps of racing across three series, there were only 16 lead changes, and the most dominant driver in each race led more than 84 percent of the laps (interestingly enough, Kevin Harvick …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Phoenix – Homestead Edition

2014 Texas II CUP Ryan Newman face CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The Championship Round is set. A Sunday date at Phoenix International Raceway separated the final four drivers from the rest of the field. The teams left in the mix weren’t necessarily the ones on top for the majority of 2014, just the ones who got it done best in the Eliminator Round. Who’s hot enough …

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Nationwide Breakdown: DAV 200 Honoring America’s Veterans

2014 Atlanta NNS Chase Elliott cockpit CIA

He started out the year in high school. Now, he is a champion. As an 18-year-old, most don’t focus on winning national championships. But then again, Chase Elliott is definitely not like an 18-year-old. With a fifth-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway, he has locked up the NASCAR Nationwide Series champion – becoming the youngest in …

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Friday Faceoff: Texas Tangle, Phoenix Fury & Chases for Everybody?

2014 Texas II CUP Jeff Gordon Brad Keselowski postrace brawl CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Welcome to Friday Faceoff! What do you get when you take some hot-button NASCAR topics and hand them over to our dedicated and… er, opinionated staff? A little disagreement and a whole lot of thought-provoking insight! Check out this week’s edition to see what everyone is arguing… um, we mean, discussing this week! 1. Tempers …

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Happiness Is… Drivers Not Liking Other Drivers

2014 Richmond II CUP Jeff Gordon CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

So this is what NASCAR wanted, eh?  Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman duking it out at Homestead for the championship.  There’ll probably be another driver there too, like Matt Kenseth, or Carl Edwards.   Then, when one of these drivers hoists the big shiny trophy everyone will collectively yawn and find something else to …

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Fantasy Insider: Dare To Take Risks Out In The Desert

2014 Kentucky CUP Kevin Harvick Josh Wise racing CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

If you picked Jeff Gordon last week at Texas, with just a few laps to go you thought you had it made. He had a comfortable lead and it all looked good for him advancing into NASCAR’s version of the Final Four and for your fantasy team that day. Then, after his old buddy Clint …

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