Race Weekend Central

NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Michigan

2014 Michigan Ii Cup Jeff Gordon Trophy Cia

Give Jeff Gordon enough chances and he’ll eventually beat you. That’s what happened to Joey Logano as Jeff Gordon pulled off a flawless restart with 17 laps to go, taking the lead and claiming his third win of the season. It’s the most wins Gordon has had in a single season since 2011. It was …

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Five Points to Ponder: RCR at 45, No Sponsor Mentions & The Xfinity Series?

2014 Kentucky Cwts Richard Childress Austin Dillon Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2014)­­

ONE: THREE WEEKS OFF It’s been three weeks since I last penned a Five Points to Ponder column and in NASCAR terms, that feels like an absolute age. The reason for my lack of scribing is that I’ve been on an absolutely epic 15-day cross-country road trip from San Francisco to Boston. In all, we …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Michigan–Bristol Edition

2014 Watkins Glen Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Cia

(Photo Credit: CIA)

Who’s Hot and Who’s Not is pretty cut and dry this week. Much of the action occurred on the bubble, with rookie drivers like Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon failing to make any ground on potential Chase berths. Veterans fighting to make the playoffs benefited from their lack of experience, while drivers with a lot …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Pure Michigan 400

2014 Michigan Ii Cup Jeff Gordon Burnout Cia

Key Moment – On the penultimate restart of the day, Kurt Busch was alongside Joey Logano when the green flag flew. Busch laid it all on the line trying to get past the car of his former employer but broke loose and bounced his car off of the wall. His rear tire ultimately failed, bringing out …

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The Hendrick Hierarchy Reestablished

2014 Michigan Ii Cup Jeff Gordon Ii Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Time flies, doesn’t it? Seems like just yesterday, Jeff Gordon was the upstart 24-year-old, turning heads while holding the torch for NASCAR’s next generation. Longtime fans remember that battle, a changing of the guard where Dale Earnhardt, Sr. fought hard but ultimately lost a War with Father Time, inevitably handing the mantle of multiple championships …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan

2014 Michigan Ii Cup Pack Racing Iv Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2014)

Looking for the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How behind Sunday’s race? Amy Henderson has you covered 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? Jimmie Johnson‘s luck at Michigan International Speedway has never been …

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Four Burning Questions in Michigan: Stewart’s Absence and High Speed Perils

2014 Indianapolis Cup Joey Logano Smiling Cia

Credit: CIA

Racing is a dangerous sport. That is something that will never change for as long as cars are competitively raced against each other on circuit tracks. But over the years, we seem to have lost sight of this fact. When drivers crash into walls at over 200 mph and jump out of the car without a …

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Hendrick Motorsports Announces 3M Partnership

2014 Sonoma Cup Jeff Gordon Smiling Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Hendrick Motorsports announced early Tuesday that current Greg Biffle sponsor 3M will join the organization next year as a primary sponsor for Jeff Gordon. As part of the three-year deal that runs through the 2017 season, the company will serve as an associate sponsor throughout the season and primary backer in 11 events. “At 3M, …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Cheez-It 355 At The Glen

2014 Watkins Glen Cup Ryan Newman Crash Damage Cia

Credit - CIA Stock Photography

Looking for the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How behind Sunday’s race? Amy Henderson has you covered 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? Watkins Glen isn’t known for being easy to drive. Four-time …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Watkins Glen A Mix Of Tony’s Tragedy, AJ’s Triumph

2014 Watkins Glen Cup Aj Allmendinger No 1 Cia

Key Moment – On lap 78, Josh Wise stopped in the grass on the inside of the exit of the Bus Stop. Rather than throw a local caution to give Wise an opportunity to refire the car and continue on, NASCAR threw a full-course caution. As a result, AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose drew immensely closer …

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Voice of Vito: NASCAR Ratings Revelation – Current System Isn’t Cutting It

2014 Daytona Ii Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Matt Kenseth Tony Stewart Crash Cia

Ratings continue to be wreck week in and week out this season, though attendance is improving.

Television ratings for the GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono were released on Tuesday, and the picture painted is a familiar one for 2014 – and it resembles Edvard Munch’s The Scream: a final rating of 2.8, a 13% decrease from 2012. Given the relatively low ratings, a decrease of 13% may sound harmless, but a deeper …

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