Race Weekend Central

Austin Dillon Wins Race for the Cure 300, Sweeps Charlotte Xfinity Races in 2015

Austin Dillon Race For The Cure 300 2015 Charlotte Burnout 1 Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Austin Dillon earned the pole for Friday night’s Xfinity race at Charlotte Motor Speedway but when the green flag flew he had anything but a dominant car. Dillon led the first five laps but surrendered the lead to Kasey Kahne, as his car simply wasn’t handling to his liking and he drifted back into the field. His crew …

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Austin Dillon Wins 2015 Race for the Cure 300 Pole at Charlotte

Austin Dillon Race For The Cure 300 Charlotte 2015 Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Austin Dillon climbed the ladder during Xfinity Series qualifying and reached the top run in the final session to claim the pole for Friday night’s Race for the Cure 300. Dillon turned a lap of 29.424 seconds at a speed of 183.524 mph to put himself on the pole. Kasey Kahne will start alongside Dillon …

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4 Burning Questions: Will There Be Sparks Under the Lights?

2015 Charlotte I Cup Pack Racing Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

1. CAN WE HAVE A NON-CHASER STEAL THE SHOW? If you watched the previous opening race of a Chase round this year, you should have a healthy grip on just how important the result can be. With Talladega in the distance – standing as the round’s elimination race in two weeks – do not judge …

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Kasey Kahne Fastest in Final Practice for the 2015 Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte

Kasey Kahne Race For The Cure 300 Charlotte 2015 Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

The top drivers in Xfinity Series practice were Cup drivers, but the best NXS drivers were right there with them when the red and black flags flew for final practice. Kasey Kahne ran 41 laps in practice, but it was the very first lap that was the quickest. Kahne tripped the timing beam at 29.928 …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2015 AAA 400 at Dover

Dale Jr And Mcmurray

Photo Credit: Joseph Wolkin, Frontstretch

Who’s in the headline – Kevin Harvick dominated the race and dominated the headlines. He drove from a 15th-place starting spot, due to qualifying being rained out, to the lead in just 23 laps. From then on, Harvick led 355 of the final 377 laps, only losing the lead during pit stops when drivers took two …

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Tweet ‘N’ Greet: Tony Stewart Won a Goldfish & He’s Pretty Excited About It

2015 Richmond Ii Cup Tony Stewart Clint Bowyer Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

  Getting ready for @ChicagolndSpdwy quick stop by @GreatClips pic.twitter.com/LHToaJLcqH — Kasey Kahne (@kaseykahne) September 14, 2015 Kasey Kahne needed a new haircut just before traveling to Chicagoland Speedway this past weekend. Where did he go? Great Clips, of course… is there anywhere else? Everyone loves getting a new haircut every once in a while. …

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Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick Win 2015 Federated Auto Parts 400 Practices at Richmond

2015 Darlington Cup Kyle Larson Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

One driver needs a win to make the Chase. The other is already in. Both paced a practice on Friday. Who are they? Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick. Larson, last year’s Rookie of the Year, led the first of two Sprint Cup practices at Richmond International Raceway with a lap of 125.525 mph. He was …

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NASCAR 101: Can Anyone Clinch a Chase Spot with a Win?

2015 Darlington Cup Jeff Gordon Car Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

You’ve heard it all year: win and you’re in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Well, this weekend marks the final chance for a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to do so. By scoring a victory, while also being inside the top 30 in points and having attempted every race of the season …

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Happiness Is… Themes, Hype, and Silly Season

2015 Darlington Cup Tony Stewart Car Ii Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

The low downforce. The softer tires. The retro paint schemes. The return to Darlington Raceway over Labor Day weekend. All of these elements added up to an interesting Southern 500, one that has seemed to garner overall positive reactions. That’s great! For a sport that has seemingly battled itself more than it should and caused many of …

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Did You Notice? NASCAR’s Chase Bubbles Have Already Burst

2015 Darlington Cup Aric Almirola With Cre Guy Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Did You Notice? NASCAR enters Richmond without a compelling “make the Chase” story for a second straight season? Two years removed from the “Spingate” scandal we have yet to produce a sense of urgency that makes the regular season finale the “must see” event it used to be in the early years of NASCAR’s playoff …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Why No New Rule Package for Chase Races in 2015?

NASCAR Sprint Cup Cars circle Darlinton Raceway under caution in the 2015 Bojangles' Southern 500

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)­­

What a weekend we had at Darlington, huh? The racing was a drastic improvement from what we’ve seen in 2015 and the throwback weekend was a lot of fun. My highlight of the weekend was watching Ken Squier, my idol as a child, calling a race again with Ned and Dale Jarrett. Squier just has …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2015 Southern 500

2015 Darlington Cup Carl Edwards Champagne Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Who’s in the headline – While Carl Edwards’s name appears in the headlines, it is his pit crew that deserves the accolades. The new aero package provided some great racing and passing opportunities, but the race came down to an eight-lap dash for the cash. Fresh tires were good enough for 15–20 laps, so whoever …

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