Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud: AAA Texas 500 – Rumblin’, Bumblin’ and Stumblin’

2014 Texas II CUP Jeff Gordon Brad Keselowski postrace brawl CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Key Moment – On the first green-white-checkered finish, Jeff Gordon chose the outside line to lead the field to the green. He drifted wide as the field approached turn 1, opening the door for Brad Keselowski to try and shoot through the middle in an effort to go for the win. Gordon came down and …

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Friday Faceoff: Feuds, Winning & the Dynamic Duo’s Demise?

2014 Martinsville Cup Martin Truex, Jr., Casey Mears, Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers, More Wreck Credit CIA

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2014)

Welcome to Friday Faceoff! What do you get when you take some hot-button NASCAR topics and hand them over to our dedicated and… er, opinionated staff? A little disagreement and a whole lot of thought-provoking insight! Check out this week’s edition to see what everyone is arguing… um, we mean, discussing this week! Martinsville Speedway‘s …

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Six NASCAR Sprint Cup Teams Test at Homestead-Miami Speedway

2014 Martinsville II CUP Matt Kenseth scared CIA

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2014)

Homestead-Miami Speedway announced that six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams comprising of more than 15 of the top drivers tested on Tuesday Oct. 28th and Wednesday in anticipation for the Ford EcoBoost 400, where the championship will be determined among four drivers. Seven of the eight drivers in the Eliminator Round of the Chase (all …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Martinsville – Texas Edition

2014 Chicago CUP David Ragan CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The Eliminator Round is underway and already multiple drivers are in trouble. The tight confines of Martinsville Speedway proved challenging for some as new rivalries were ignited and older ones brought back to life. Yet, some championship hopefuls escaped with little more than a scratch and one driver – unfulfilled by last week’s restrictor plate …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500

2014 Martinsville II CUP Dale Earnhardt Jr burnout CIA

Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Key Moment – During the caution flag that flew for the third incident between Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers on lap 278, Steve Letarte realized that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was going to restart in the fourth position, which would have put him in the outside line. Letarte called Earnhardt in, put four tires on his …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville

2014 Martinsville Cup Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Grandfather Clock Credit 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? At the end, staying out on the final caution while …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Talladega

2014 Talladega II CUP Brad Keselowski flag credit NASCAR via Getty Images

Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images

As predicted, it took until the checkered flag before we knew who would be moving on to the eight-driver Eliminator Round. Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Matt Kenseth all knew what they had to do to continue their bid for a championship: win. Johnson led the most laps, Earnhardt, Jr. led the …

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Racing to the Point: Despite Chaos, This Season’s Main Characters Still Alive

2014 Richmond II CUP Jeff Gordon CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

This season’s Chase for the Sprint Cup is like watching the final season of a really good, violent drama. You’ve come to terms with the fact that characters are going to be killed off, but you’re hoping it’s done the right way. In other words, don’t kill off Walter White and Rick Grimes in the …

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Five Points to Ponder: Honoring Both Texas Terry And Underdog Efforts

2014 Talladega II CUP Kyle Larson Joey Logano Landon Cassill racing CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

One: Bracket Busters Hands up for anyone who still has a completely accurate 2014 Chase bracket. Silence? Crickets? Tumbleweed? Yep, thought so. Don’t even vaguely try to convince me that you had a final eight that didn’t include six-time champion Jimmie Johnson or the sport’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., not to mention either Kasey …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: GEICO 500 – Brad Keselowski Lives to Fight Another Day

2014 Talladega II CUP Brad Keselowski flag credit NASCAR via Getty Images

Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images

Key Moment – The caution flag flew with four laps to go for a piece of metal on the race track. The No. 22 of Joey Logano had it on his grill under caution and rubbed it off when the yellow flag was in the air. The end result was a green-white-checkered finish that brought …

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Should’ve, Could’ve, Would’ve for Hendrick Motorsports

2014 Indianapolis CUP Jeff Gordon Kasey Kahne racing CIA

Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Four cars. Each one of them being fully funded by multi-million dollar companies. But something went very wrong and it wasn’t the new playoff format. A nightmare is probably an understatement for what happened to Hendrick Motorsports during the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Three of their four drivers were eliminated from the Chase after …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Charlotte

2014 Charlotte II Cup Kevin Harvick Burnout credit Yvonne Leonard

Credit: Yvonne Leonard

Kevin Harvick exorcised his demons Saturday night, winning his third race of the season, but more importantly locking himself into the eight-driver Eliminator Round. Harvick won the pole and led the most laps, as usual.  This time, however, he was able to survive a late-race caution which set up a two-lap shootout to win the …

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