Race Weekend Central

Who’s Hot & Who’s Not In NASCAR: Watkins Glen – Michigan Edition

Marcos Ambrose 2014 Brickyard 400 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Mike Neff

(Credit: Mike Neff)

A win from an underdog is the worst possible outcome for the slew of drivers floating around the playoff wildcard bubble, and that’s exactly what happened at Watkins Glen International Raceway. Carl Edwards was able to fend off the road course specialist in Sonoma earlier this year, and while close to doing so again at …

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Mirror Driving: System Failure, Strategy vs. Speed, and Future Stars

2014 Pocono Ii Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Beats Kevin Harvick Cia

Welcome to Mirror Driving. Every week, your favorite columnists sit down and give their opinion about the latest NASCAR news, rumors and controversy. Love us or hate us, make a comment below and tell us how you feel about what we’ve said! This Week’s Participants: Amy Henderson (Mondays / The Big Six & Wednesdays / …

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Did You Notice? … NASCAR Talent: Then And Now

2014 Pocono Ii Cup Ricky Stenhouse Jr Helmet Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Did You Notice? … How hard it is to gain a foothold in this sport? More than ever, talented drivers find themselves inside a shrinking window of opportunity. The number of available rides has shrunk, combined with the funding now necessary to pair them within a top-tier organization. Having cash on hand and helping bridge …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Pocono

2014 Pocono Ii Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Woohoo Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made another statement as to why he’s a top contender to win the 2014 Sprint Cup Championship Sunday, sweeping both races at Pocono and scoring his third win of the season. To put this year’s performance into perspective, Junior won only one race in the past five seasons. It was an up …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Pocono – Watkins Glen Edition

The return to Pocono Raceway had it all: widespread pitting strategies, tire-care issues, a high-energy finish and even a Big One. It was the ideal ending to a two-week flat track endeavor. NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series now shifts focus to Watkins Glen International Raceway, where road course specialists will be looking to sneak into the …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono

2014 Pocono Ii Cup Greg Biffle Car Cia

(Credit: CIA)

Looking for the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How behind Sunday’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? For most of the race, Greg Biffle was an …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: GoBowling.com 400

2014 Pocono Ii Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Checkered Flag Cia

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. after winning the GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway. (Credit: CIA)

Key Moment – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Clint Bowyer pitted when the pits opened after the Big One with 39 laps to go. That decision by Steve Letarte put Earnhardt in position to take a splash of gas to make it to the finish of the race. Earnhardt made that final stop to top off …

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Earnhardt’s Pocono Win Raises Question of Strategy vs. Speed

2014 Pocono Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Dale Earnhardt Jr Racing Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Sunday afternoon (Aug. 3), Pocono Raceway saw one of its most engaging races. From the get-go, the GoBowling.com 400’s start time was moved up due to the uncertainty of weather, causing teams to think twice about whether they were racing to a conclusion on lap 160. In fact, it was the story the entire weekend, …

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NASCAR Tech Talk: Air Flow, Pit Strategy And Driver Comfort

2014 Dover I Cup Greg Biffle Car Cia

Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Matt Puccia is on the pit box for his fourth year in the Cup Series with Greg Biffle. They have been in the mix all season for a Chase spot, and while they haven’t scored a win to “lock” themselves in, the team is keeping close to the “points bubble” in order to make the …

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Voice of Vito: Crew Chief Central – Junior’s New One, Grubb’s No-No

2014 Darlington Cup Denny Hamlin Darian Grubb Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photography)

Engineering the Future for Junior The big news that came down yesterday was the announcement that Greg Ives will be the crew chief for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in 2015. The move comes well ahead of The Chase to avoid any distractions for the driver who will experience a rebirth under current crew chief Steve Letarte. …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR Sprint Cup: Indianapolis – Pocono Edition

2014 Daytona Ii Cup Paul Menard Car Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

It looks like NASCAR has caught a case of flat-track fever. With stops in New Hampshire, Indianapolis, and Pocono all bunched together, Cup’s top flat-track talent has another chance to shine as the Chase closes in. This week, Indianapolis Motor Speedway – the proverbial meat in the flat-track sandwich – served as the stage for …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not In NASCAR: Off-Week–Indianapolis Edition

2014 Loudon I Cup Cup Paul Menard Kevin Harvick Loser Cia

(Credit: CIA)

Summer might be in full swing, but with seven races remaining before the Chase cutoff, things are only starting to heat up in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Drivers and teams received a bit of rest and relaxation over the season’s final off week but now, it’s back to business as stock car racing’s best …

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