Race Weekend Central

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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Beyond The Cockpit: JJ Yeley Talks BK Racing And Big New Opportunities

2014 Atlanta NNS JJ Yeley CIA

(Photo: CIA Stock Photography)

JJ Yeley, now 38 years old, is a NASCAR survivor. Once a talented youngster, backed by the powerhouse Cup operation of Joe Gibbs Racing, he’s spent the last six years hoping to regain that rare opportunity. Jumping from team to team, within the back half of the Cup Series garage, this underdog has served as …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: ESPN’s Field Of Four, Not 43

2014 Homestead CUP Denny Hamlin CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

I’m going to make a statement up front before I even start the critique: I hate watching championship battles. Why? The race doesn’t even matter, only the points do. That’s why I prefer final events in which the championship is decided ahead of time; that way, the races can be covered fully instead of picking …

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Going By the Numbers: Chase Elliott, Brian Scott Ramping Up Results as Season’s End Nears

2014 Atlanta NNS Chase Elliott cockpit CIA

When it comes to the Nationwide Series title battle, many drivers are peaking or gaining momentum at just the right time. Don’t consider it true for everyone, but when checking out the average finishes of full-time competitors in the second-tier series over the 2014 season versus what they’ve accomplished more recently, the results are simple: …

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The Frontstretch Five: Reasons To Give Small Teams Another Look

2014 Atlanta CUP Alex Bowman car front CIA

(Photo 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 has five reasons to pay …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Oral-B USA 500 at Atlanta

2014 Atlanta CUP Tony Stewart cockpit CIA

(Credit: CIA)

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? Several drivers had noteworthy nights in Atlanta, but one surprisingly …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After then 2014 Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol

2014 Loudon I CUP Jamie McMurray 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 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? Many fans watched the race from Bristol Motor Speedway with …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: ESPN Makes A Few Michigan Mistakes

2014 Michigan II CUP Joey Logano Jeff Gordon racing CIA

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

All three NASCAR national series took to the track last weekend, just a mere state border – and then some – away from each other. The Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck series battled at Michigan International Speedway while the Nationwide Series took its second trip to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Unfortunately, having everything in …

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

2014 Michigan I CUP Jimmie Johnson woohoo 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? It would be easy to give this week’s pat on …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2012 AAA 400 at Dover

Sometimes those who have nothing to lose are the most dangerous of all. For most of the day on Sunday, it looked as though Kyle Busch, who failed to make the Chase this year, had the field covered at Dover. If the race hadn’t come down to fuel mileage, Busch would most likely have been the driver in Victory Lane. True to his take-no-prisoners style, Busch took the race lead from teammate Denny Hamlin and from there, cut nobody a break — not even Hamlin, who is very much in the title hunt. Leading 302 of 400 circuits, the only thing stopping Busch was that extra stop for gas, slipping him to a seventh-place finish when winner Brad Keselowski and others could go the distance.

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