Race Weekend Central

NASCAR Mailbox: Debris Cautions and NASCAR’s Youth Movement

2015 Homestead Cup Kyle Busch Jeff Gordon Victory Lane Cua

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

grKyle Busch is your 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. Who would have thought that would be the case after Daytona in February? I was in attendance for the Xfinity Series race in Daytona and never would have thought Busch would have battled back from that incident to win the championship. This championship has helped …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Difficult Decisions for NASCAR in Phoenix

Busch, Kurt 2015 Quicken Loans 500 Penalty Phoenix

(Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

So here we are. The final weekend of the 2015 NASCAR season and man has it gone by fast. Think of all the storylines we have heading into Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead. Remember when Kyle Busch was injured in the season-opener crash in the Xfinity Series race at Daytona? That is now nine …

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Cameron Hayley Tops 2015 Lucas Oil 150 Truck Practice at Phoenix

Hayley, Cameron 2015 Lucas Oil 150 Practice Phoenix

Photo Credit: ThorSport Racing PR

Canadian youngster Cameron Hayley topped the charts for the sole NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice session for Friday’s Lucas Oil 150. Hayley’s top speed was 137.477 mph, besting Erik Jones and Brandon Jones in the session. 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion William Byron, looking to make his series debut Friday, was fourth …

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Friday Faceoff: How Many More Wins for Jimmie Johnson?

2015 Texas Ii Cup Jimmie Johnson Trophy Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Jimmie Johnson will become the active win leader after Homestead-Miami Speedway (and a certain champion’s retirement) with 75.  Can Johnson surpass Jeff Gordon‘s 93 Cup wins for third all-time?  Where should we expect him to end up for a career total? Mike Neff, Short Track Coordinator: That will depend on how long Johnson chooses to …

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Ernie Cope Named JTG Daugherty Racing Competition Director

2015 Darlington Cup Aj Allmendinger Car Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Veteran crew chief Ernie Cope will leave JR Motorsports at the end of the season and move to JTG Daugherty Racing and become the team’s competition director. Cope’s career started as a driver, running several seasons in K&N Pro Series West prior to becoming a crew chief. His crew chief career started in 1997 and …

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Ross Chastain Back with JD Motorsports in 2016

2015 Dover I Nxs Ross Chastain Car Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

JD Motorsports with Gary Keller announced on Thursday that Ross Chastain will return to the team for the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. “I couldn’t be happier with what Ross has done this season,” team owner Johnny Davis said on the team’s Facebook page. “He is a smart, young driver with unlimited potential. We knew from …

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Casey Mears Re-Signs with Germain Racing Through 2018

Casey Mears Bank Of America 500 2015 Charlotte Cup Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

It’s been a slow silly season so far in the Cup Series but today business picked up a little bit when it was announced that Casey Mears has signed a multi-year extension with Germain Racing. Mears will be with the organization, driving the team’s No. 13 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, through the 2018 season. The …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Chase Format for Truck Series, Time to Say Goodbye to Goodyear?

2015 Martinsville Ncwts Joey Logano Matt Crafton Truck Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images)

What a great finish we had in the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Jimmie Johnson proved that though he may have not had the season he would have liked, he can still pull off a victory and remind people just how dominant he is at Texas in October. While the win …

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ThorSport Racing Leads 2015 WinStar World Casino 350 Practice Sessions at Texas

Matt Crafton at Michigan in August for Camping World Truck Series

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

It was ThorSport Racing’s day at Texas Motor Speedway on Thursday, as two of the team’s four drivers led both NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice sessions. In the first practice, defending champion Matt Crafton paced the field at a speed of 179.862 mph. Crafton topped Mexican driver Daniel Suarez and Spencer Gallagher in the session. Brandon …

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Matt Kenseth Loses Appeals, Will Not Race At Texas Or Phoenix

Martinsville Matt Kenseth Brad Keselowski 2015 Cup Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Matt Kenseth‘s usual calm demeanor was not displayed last Sunday at Martinsville Speedway and it will cost him as he and his Joe Gibbs Racing team lost the final appeal as National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer Brian Moss found that Kenseth did indeed violate Sections 12.1 and 12.8 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rulebook, …

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Joe Gibbs Racing, Matt Kenseth Lose Penalty Appeal, File Another

Martinsville Matt Kenseth Rolling Wreck 2015 Cup Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel found today (Nov. 5) that, after Matt Kenseth and Joe Gibbs Racing’s initial appeal following his two-race suspension and six-month probation after an incident with Joey Logano last weekend in Martinsville, that Kenseth did indeed violate Sections 12.1 and 12.8 of the 2015 NASCAR rulebook. As such, the panel has upheld …

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Eyes on Xfinity: Mike Bliss Reunites with TriStar Motorsports at Texas

2014 Kentucky I Nns Blake Koch Mike Bliss Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

There is a familiar name on the NASCAR Xfinity Series entry list this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Mike Bliss has over 300 career NXS starts and is a name that was once synonymous with this series. Bliss will return this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway driving the No. 14 Toyota for TriStar Motorsports, replacing the …

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