Race Weekend Central

Friday Faceoff: Super Subs, Turnarounds & Lasting Impressions

2014 Texas II CUP Paul Wolfe Brad Keselowski CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

1. After Kyle Busch’s injury last week at Daytona, David Ragan was named the interim driver of the No. 18 until Busch is able to return.  Was Ragan the right choice for the role? Mark Howell, Senior Writer:  I believe David Ragan was a good choice to sub for Kyle Busch. The guy’s been in …

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Four Burning Questions at Atlanta: New Rules & Standout Substitutes

2014 Chicago CUP David Ragan CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The 2015 Daytona 500 is finally in the books, and with its conclusion comes the real start of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The superspeedway-style racing inherent to Daytona is a unique style of racing with unique challenges that simply are not shared by the bulk of tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit. The …

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The Frontstretch Five: Drivers Who Need a Strong Run in Atlanta

2014 Talladega II CUP Jimmie Johnson credit NASCAR via Getty Images

(Credit: 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. This week, Amy has a few drivers who need a strong showing this …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: FOX’s Daytona 500 Weekend Coverage A Mixed Bag

2015 Daytona I CUP pack racing credit NASCAR via Getty Images

(Photo: Getty Images)

Doesn’t it feel wonderful to have actual racing to talk about? I know some of you were outright forced to watch the Oscars Sunday night as some kind of penance by significant others due to the action on Sunday. As far as Sunday is concerned, I’m happy no one got hurt and a decreased amount …

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Pole Sitter Jeff Gordon Paces Friday’s First Practice

Jeff Gordon Daytona 500 Qualifying 2015 (2) Mike Neff

(Credit: Mike Neff)

It’s just practice. Following a chaotic evening of racing during the Budweiser Duels, Jeff Gordon paced the sixth practice session in preparation for the Daytona 500. Only 14 cars participated in Friday morning’s session, with each of the cars completing single-car runs. Setting the pace at 193.079 mph, Sunday’s pole sitter ran 17 laps after finishing in …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Pre-Season Top 15

2014 Richmond II CUP Chase field CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

We are only days away from the official start of the 2015 NASCAR season. A lot has changed since Kevin Harvick hoisted the championship trophy at Homestead in November, including drivers, teams, crews and more. Pair all of those unknowns with some rules changes and the storylines are endless. No preseason testing means the drivers …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2015 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

Sprint Unlimited 2015 Daytona (2) Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

Who’s In The Headline – Matt Kenseth added another notch to his Daytona belt. The two-time 500 champ wrestled the lead away from Martin Truex Jr. on lap 56 and took control of NASCAR’s season-opening exhibition race, the Sprint Unlimited. Kenseth did his best rolling chicane maneuvers over the final 19 circuits of the event, successfully …

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NASCAR 2015: A Glass Half-Empty Or Half-Full?

2014 Daytona II CUP Ricky Stenhouse Jr Jimmie Johnson Davod Ragan racing CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Editor’s Note: Beginning this week, Tom Bowles’ long-standing Monday column moves to Tuesdays. He’ll write weekly here along with Did You Notice? every Wednesday. The world in 2015 is a strange place, one we still struggle to understand even in the happiest of times. Something as small as a tweet of 140 characters can be …

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For Team Penske, The Key Is Continuity

2014 Texas II CUP Paul Wolfe Brad Keselowski CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

While many NASCAR Sprint Cup teams are talking about changes they’ve made in the offseason during this year’s Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour, Team Penske isn’t buying in. The organization, coming off a 2014 season where Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano won a combined 11 races, has a theme heading into 2015: if it ain’t …

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2014 NASCAR Fantasy Review: Booms, Busts and Future Hopes

2014 Phoenix II CUP Kyle Larson car CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The just-completed NASCAR season had its usual twists and turns along with some punches thrown as well, and while those events sometimes had a significant effect on the outcome of a real race, they also likely had an effect on the outcome of how your fantasy team fared. The following is a brief overview of …

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Did You Notice? … Distinguishing NASCAR Dreams From Reality

2014 Texas II CUP Ricky Stenhouse Jr face CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Did You Notice? … The audience increased for this year’s version of the Chase? Homestead ratings, released Tuesday wrapped up the latest ten-race version of NASCAR’s playoff, a 3.1 Nielsen number flat year-to-year but still good enough to keep the audience rising. Yes, executives around the sport are trumpeting how much this postseason boosted interest. …

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