Race Weekend Central

Four Burning Questions in Chicagoland: Sleeping Giants and Kicking the Chase off in Style

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Chase Drivers Confetti Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Well, it’s finally here. NASCAR’s new look version of the Chase is kicking off today with levels of pomp and circumstance that could rival even the best of a P.T. Barnum-run circus. All week long, the 16 Chasers traveled across North America as part of NASCAR’s tireless promotion of the new format. Today, we’ll get …

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Fantasy Insider: Separating Your Team From the Chase

2014 Michigan Ii Cup Danica Patrick Kyle Larson Racing Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Yes, it’s certainly easy to understand all the talk about the Chase for the Championship heading into Chicago. We understand that in the real NASCAR world that what happens in each of the next three sets of races is the most important part of the season before the finale at Homestead. However, if you’ve been …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Richmond

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Woohoo Cia

After 26 races and 13 race winners, the 2014 Chase field has been set. Brad Keselowski made a championship statement Saturday night, leading 383 of the 400 laps en route to his season-leading fourth victory. With his win, Keselowski claimed the number one seed as the Chase standing reset heading to Chicago. Results were mixed …

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Five Points to Ponder: The Playoffs, Final Four Predictions & Format Explanations

2014 Bristol Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Racing Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

ONE: LET THE PLAYOFFS COMMENCE There’s part of me that is still very uncomfortable in referring to the next 10 weeks of racing as the NASCAR playoffs. By the same dint, using the term regular season for the first 24 weeks is equally disquieting. Not least, I suppose, because it’s still the entire field that …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Narrow Focus on Chase Hopefuls Hurts ESPN

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Clint Bowyer Paul Menard Racing Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The Chase was the name of the game last weekend, which is probably how things should be. After all, regardless of one’s opinion of NASCAR’s playoffs, it’s certainly the focal point of the next 10 races, meaning the lead-in is just as important when it comes to determining who gets to play and who’s left …

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The Frontstretch Five: Memorable Chase Moments

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Jimmie Johnson Car 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 says that love it or …

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Racing to the Point: Separating the Chase Contenders & Pretenders

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Ford Chase Drivers Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

This new elimination-style playoff format has many people believing that some of the Chase underdogs have a chance at the title as along as they keep their noses clean and survive each round. I want to dispel that rumor right now. The cream is still going to rise to the top, as it always does. …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: Richmond – Chicagoland Edition

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Jeff Gordon Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

With 26 races in the books there exist two distinct groups of drivers: those who qualified for the Chase and the many, many more who will have to wait until next year to lay stake over one of 16 playoff spots. The line was left anything but blurred after the regular season finale at Richmond …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Richmond – The Chase is Set, Brad Keselowski Dominates and a Drunk on a Fence

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Burnout Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Key Moment – In a race where the winner leads 383 laps, including the final 274 in a row, there really aren’t any key moments in the race. Based on the practice sheets the key moment came between the first practice and the final practice. Brad Keselowski was 14th fastest in 10 lap average in …

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No Contact Zone

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Casey Mears Racing Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Let me set the stage for you. It’s NASCAR’s final regular season race, the eve of its much-hyped Chase format and for several drivers, the mission is simple: “Win or you miss the playoffs, along with the millions in endorsements and exposure that comes with it.” The pressure to perform, in theory should be immense, …

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Pace Laps: Congenial Richmond, KyBu Nationwide, other stuff

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Pack Racing Ii Cia

(Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Cup:  The Race That Wasn’t – No one did anything surprising in the race at Richmond.  Well, that’s not correct.  The idiot who climbed the catchfence in turn 4 surely did something surprising.  While many people have done idiotic things at a race track, it’s doubtful that anyone anticipated a fan climbing the fence bordering …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Car Cia

Credit - CIA Stock Photography

Looking for the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How behind Saturday’s race? Amy Henderson has you covered with 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? It’s hard enough to drive a Sprint Cup car …

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