Race Weekend Central

NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Phoenix

2014 Phoenix II CUP Kevin HArvick champagne CIA

Credit: CIA Stock Photography

And then there were four. The drivers competing for the Championship at Homestead next week are set, and as the other Chase races have proven, it wasn’t without drama. Kevin Harvick’s only option was to win, and win he did, in dominating fashion by leading the most laps. Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano needed top-10 finishes …

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Racing to the Point: This Championship Means Something Different, No Matter Who Wins

2014 Richmond II CUP Chase field CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Ryan Newman could become the next Billy Horschel on Sunday. For those of you who don’t follow golf, Horschel came out of nowhere to win this year’s FedEx Cup, the PGA’s playoffs. He was the 69th-ranked player coming in, but overcame the odds to win the final two events and take home more than $11 …

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Five Points to Ponder: A First-Time Champ, Homestead & Like Father, Like Son

2014 Atlanta NNS Chase Elliott cockpit CIA

ONE: A FIRST-TIME CHAMP Many folks who completed Chase brackets would have had Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano making the final four, while few would have pegged Denny Hamlin or Ryan Newman as being still in contention for the big silver trophy at Homestead-Miami Speedway. That in essence highlights both the beauty and the vagaries of …

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Voices from the Cheap Seats: Is Brian France Proud of What NASCAR Has Become?

2014 Daytona Sprint Cup Brian France Press Conference Credit Phil Allaway

(Photo: Phil Allaway, Frontstretch)

In the 10 years that I have been doing this gig, there is one interview that I would give my left lug nut to be able to do, and that is a one-on-one with Brian France. No one else in the room – just me and him, him and I, man to man, common sense …

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Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NASCAR: Phoenix – Homestead Edition

2014 Texas II CUP Ryan Newman face CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The Championship Round is set. A Sunday date at Phoenix International Raceway separated the final four drivers from the rest of the field. The teams left in the mix weren’t necessarily the ones on top for the majority of 2014, just the ones who got it done best in the Eliminator Round. Who’s hot enough …

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Kyle Larson on Ryan Newman’s Last-Lap Move: ‘I Completely Understand’

2014 Phoenix II CUP Kyle Larson helmet CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

It was drama from the green flag until the checkered at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday. And the man in the center of much of the late-race drama was a driver who had a lot to gain from it. As Ryan Newman sat on the outside looking in on the white flag lap at Phoenix, his No. …

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Gordon’s Great Debate

2014 Martinsville II CUP Jeff Gordon car CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Thirteen years ago this month, with the sport still reeling from the loss of its Intimidator, a Rainbow Warrior cut through battle to earn NASCAR Cup title number four. Just 30 years old, Jeff Gordon was no Dale Earnhardt, Sr., either in personality or presence, but the stat sheet told us a different story. With …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Phoenix Chase Race 9 – And Then There Were Four

2014 Phoenix II CUP Kevin Harvick burnout CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Key Moments – Denny Hamlin was a lap down more than once in the race thanks to a flat tire and a two tire stop that resulted in his car being less than competitive with the faster cars. Hamlin was granted the Lucky Dog under the third and seventh cautions of the race. The No. 11 …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix

2014 Phoenix II CUP Kevin HArvick champagne 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? His top-10 run might not have been noticed at all …

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The Top Underdog: Richard Childress Racing with Ryan Newman

2014 Chicago CUP Ryan Newman car CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

He’s the “Rocket Man,” right? That’s what they used to call him. There was a time where he seldom qualified outside of the top 10, and was known for earning the pole position. However, that time has passed, and now this Indiana-native is considered an underdog heading into the final race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Texas

2014 Texas II CUP Jimmie Johnson crew checkered flag CIA

For the second time during the Chase, on-track contact has led to a post-race fight. The one common denominator: Brad Keselowski. This time, Keselowski made a bold three-wide move between Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon which resulted in a cut tire for Gordon and a 29th place finish. Understandably, Gordon was upset after seeing a …

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

2014 Richmond II CUP Denny Hamlin teeth CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

It seemed like everyone wanted a piece of Brad Keselowski after the AAA Texas 500, but he isn’t the driver atop Who’s Hot and Who’s Not. The actions of Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick are being studied under a microscope after a multifaceted brawl in the Lone Star State left three Chasers bruised and bloody. …

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