Race Weekend Central

Jimmie Johnson Takes Budweiser Duel No. 2; Danica Patrick, Denny Hamlin Feud

2014 Kansas Ii Cup Jimmie Johnson Danica Patrick Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

In a wild Budweiser Duel, Jimmie Johnson found the best way possible to keep away from the madness. Stay out in front of it. Leading 40 of 62 laps, Johnson survived a green-white-checkered finish and completed a Hendrick Motorsports sweep of Thursday’s Budweiser Duels. Already qualified on the outside of the front row, Johnson will be …

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Did You Notice? … Odds And Ends With NASCAR Midweek

2014 Texas Ii Cup Kyle Busch Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photography © 2014)

Did You Notice? … A Toyota has never won the Daytona 500 in eight tries? In fact, the Camry make has scored just one trophy at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, taking the July 2008 race with Kyle Busch. The manufacturer is known more here for what they’ve done wrong (see: Michael Waltrip, jet fuel, a long …

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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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Couch Potato Tuesday: FOX Clams Up When Drivers Cry Out On NASCAR Qualifying

Sprint Unlimited 2015 Daytona (2) Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff)

I take it that you heard the rumbling sound coming out of your speakers this past weekend. That’s right; NASCAR is back, and not a moment too soon. The offseason always seems interminable. As I stated last week, 2015 will look relatively similar to 2014 here in Couch Potato Tuesday, but with some changes. For …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not In NASCAR: Daytona 500 Edition

2015 Daytona I Unlimited Matt Kenseth Burnout Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: CIA Stock Photography)

Editor’s Note: Jeff Wolfe takes over our Hot/Not column this year. Come back every Tuesday to see his take on the sport along with which NASCAR drivers are trending up… or down over the last few weeks of racing. Burnouts (Hot) Matt Kenseth went without a win in 2014, so maybe his victory in the …

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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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Carl Edwards Feeling the Pressure in Daytona

2014 Phoenix Ii Cup Carl Edwards Eew Cia

Carl Edwards finds himself in unfamiliar territory this weekend in Daytona, and it’s not just because he is with a new team this season. Edwards, who moved over to Joe Gibbs Racing over the offseason after 10 years with Roush Fenway Racing, is not guaranteed a spot in next week’s season-opening Daytona 500. Edwards is …

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Friday Faceoff: 2015 NASCAR Season Preview

2014 Loudon Ii Cup Danica Patrick 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) Stewart-Haas Racing …

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Chemistry the Key to Joe Gibbs Racing’s New Dynasty

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Joe Gibbs Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Joe Gibbs Racing has completed a makeover – and no, we aren’t talking about paint schemes either. Within the Toyota organization, crew chief swapping was of the essence over the off-season, and adding a fourth car played a key role in creating a new atmosphere within the team. Chemistry was the key missing ingredient to Gibbs …

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Joe Gibbs Racing Looks to Make 2015 Its Year

2014 Michigan Ii Cup Denny Hamlin Kyle Busch Racing Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photography)

November 2014: team owner Joe Gibbs was watching his team’s last chance for the Cup title slip away as the laps ticked down in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Denny Hamlin, the team’s last hope as both Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch had already been eliminated from contention, ultimately fell short of the …

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Friday Faceoff: Title Sponsors, Crew Chiefs, and Petty Vs. Pearson…Vs. Gordon?

2014 Dover Ii Cup Pack Racing Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2014)

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. NASCAR …

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