Race Weekend Central

Couch Potato Tuesday: ESPN Shirking Other Responsibilities During Chase

2014 Loudon I CUP Jamie McMurray car CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

When you think of Chase for the Sprint Cup coverage on TV broadcasts, what do you think of? Coverage of the playoffs, sure, but how about the other 27 drivers racing for something other than the title? Surely you expect some coverage thrown their way, right? If the first race of the Chase, held last …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: Jimmy John’s Freaky Fast 300

2014 Nationwide Chicagoland Kevin Harvick Trophy

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Kevin Harvick took advantage of a gutsy two-tire call by his crew chief Ernie Cope and Kyle Busch‘s poor track position with 39 laps to go to win the Jimmy John’s Freaky Fast 300 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday afternoon. The victory marked the fourth win of the season for Harvick and the 44th Nationwide …

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Nationwide Breakdown: Virginia529 College Savings 250

No one or nothing could stop Kyle Busch on Friday evening. After multiple races full of disappointment, Busch set sail at Richmond International Raceway for the Virginia529 College Savings 250. Leading each of the 250 laps, he won his 67th career Nationwide Series event. Busch held off Chase Elliott late in the race, but he …

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Tracking the Trucks: Chevrolet Silverado 250

Chevrolet Silverado 250

(Credit: Getty Images)

In a Nutshell: Ryan Blaney finished 0.049 seconds ahead of German Quiroga to win Sunday afternoon’s Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The driver of the No. 29 Ford led twice for a race-high 34 laps en route to his first win of the season. Erik Jones, Gray Gaulding and Andrew Ranger rounded …

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Nuts for Nationwide: It’s No Longer the Kyle Busch Series

2014 Loudon I NNS Kyle Busch racing CIA

The so-called Kyle Busch Show has been rewritten. The 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series season has instead been the tale of a rookie named Chase Elliott, with a few chapters on what dominance looks like (in the form of JR Motorsports), along with the fight from the little engines that could in Ty Dillon and Chris Buescher. …

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Nationwide Breakdown: Food City 300

2014 Mudsummer Classic Eldora Speedway Ryan Blaney Camping World Trucks Mike Neff-243

(Credit: Mike Neff)

It was another Nationwide Series race at Bristol that featured a late battle between the No. 22 and the No. 54 – only this time, the former bested the latter with someone other than Brad Keselowski behind the wheel. Ryan Blaney aced the final restart of the night with six laps to go, taking the …

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Tracking the Trucks: UNOH 200 presented by ZLOOP

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by ZLOOP

Credit: Patrick Smith, NASCAR via Getty Images

In a Nutshell: After finishing runner-up five times in the Camping World Truck Series, Brad Keselowski finally scored his win in his 62nd career start in the rain-delayed UNOH 200 presented by ZLOOP on Thursday morning at Bristol Motor Speedway. Keselowski led three times for a race-high 119 laps en route to a 0.776 second …

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Happiness Is… Napping, the Fight for the Chase & Cheese and Beer

2014 Watkins Glen CUP Tony Stewart phone CIA

Ugh. Yep, that’s the best opener that Happiness Is could deliver to start the column. The tenor of the past week has been deflating.  The Tony Stewart–Kevin Ward, Jr. incident has loomed large over auto racing, finding itself a continual headline in the news outlets.  Even Yahoo had coverage of Ward’s funeral on its homepage …

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Truckin’ Thursdays: Can Kvapil Turn Back The Clock In Townley’s Ride?

After taking a weekend off, the Camping World Truck Series is back on track this weekend alongside the Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway. The track has produce 12 different winners in 14 previous events, leaving Travis Kvapil and Greg Biffle as the only competitors to have visited Victory Lane twice. Since the facility …

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