Race Weekend Central

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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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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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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Voice of Vito: Scouting Championship Scenarios in Pre-Chase Preview

2014 Dover I Cup Jimmie Johnson Woohoo Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway will mark the final event of the 26-week regular season and set the stage for the latest iteration of NASCAR’s Chase playoff system. It’s been 10 years and four championship scenarios now, of heading into RIR the first weekend of September to see who’s in …

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Fantasy Insider: Chasing NASCAR’s New Chase Game

2014 Atlanta Cup Kevin Harvick Tony Stewart Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. © 2014)

NASCAR introduced its new fantasy game that will begin next week called the Perfect Chase Grid Challenge. It will give fans a chance to predict which drivers will make it through each round of the Chase, with four being eliminated after the Dover race, four more being finished after Talladega and then four more after …

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Happiness Is… Denny Hamlin, the Schedule & Tony Stewart’s Return

2014 Bristol Ii Cup Denny Hamlin Damage Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The schedule came out this past week and it gave everyone who follows NASCAR something to gripe about.  In truth, all the criticisms are valid because NASCAR, due to the way the business is run, is unable to make serious changes that would make people feel happy, though that can be a moving target. The …

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Mirror Driving: Bristol Breakdown, Busch’s Behavior, and Title Talk

2014 Bristol Ii Cup Kyle Busch Damage Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

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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Fantasy Insider: Gauging NASCAR “Bubble” Brilliance At Atlanta

2014 Pocono Ii Cup Matt Kenseth Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Playoff scenarios. You may be bored with all the “what ifs” but when it comes to your fantasy roster, they’re a “what launches” you above your competition. Just what drivers may or may not do with a Chase spot on the line could well factor into how your fantasy team does these next couple of …

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NASCAR Mailbox: NASCAR Listened …. Now The Fans Have A Job To Do

Fans in the stands for a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway

(Photo Credit: Yvonne Leonard, Frontstretch)

You know what they say … the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Fans have been crying out for Darlington Raceway to get its historical Labor Day weekend back since the last holiday race weekend back in 2003. Despite the hot temperatures in the South Carolina heat, it seems that tradition won out over NASCAR’s own …

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

2014 Pocono I Cup Greg Biffle Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Bristol Motor Speedway has been the measure for mental and emotional toughness in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series throughout much of the modern era. It certainly played the part during the IRWIN Tools Night Race as some potential Chasers lost their cool – and with it, their footing in the standings. On the flip side, …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Irwin Tools Night Race

2014 Richmond I Cup Joey Logano Champagne Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Key Moment – With 67 laps to go the caution flag flew for what ended up being the final time on Saturday night. Matt Kenseth stayed on the track with four other cars while Joey Logano headed to pit lane and bolted on four fresh bolognas. When the race restarted, Logano took the green in sixth position and quickly sliced …

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