Race Weekend Central

Pace Laps: The Crazy Crash Edition

2015 Phoenix I Nxs Joey Logano Burnout Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Xfinity Series: Cup Series Dominance Continues – Nothing could stop Joey Logano from winning at Phoenix on Saturday. Nothing. The unstoppable Team Penske No. 22 car has been in the top five for each race this year, and it has three straight finishes of first or second. But what is so remarkable about Logano’s feat in the …

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Pace Laps: Daytona Racing and Wrecking

2015 Daytona I Unlimited Jeff Gordon Alan Gustafson Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Sprint Cup: Gordon’s Farewell Begins; Qualifying Questioned: Jeff Gordon earned the pole position for the Daytona 500 next weekend in what amounts to a dramatic beginning to a final full-time season.  Doing so just means that Gordon further cements himself as one of the all-time greats, notching his 78th pole start.  Though his accomplishment might not …

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Pace Laps: Cars, Drivers, And Rookies Come Sharply Into Focus

2014 Eldora Cwts Wall Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. © 2014)

Sprint Cup: A Burton Still Walks Among Us – NASCAR is a sport built on families, famous siblings and their sons carrying us through racing generations. Petty. Earnhardt. Elliott. Even Pearson and Bodine. It’s a seamless transition of success that jolts us when it reaches an end. That makes Monday’s pending announcement of Jeb Burton’s …

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Pace Laps: Winning, Chad Knaus’ Non-Trouble, Matt Crafton Makes History

Kevin Harvick raises the Sprint Cup trophy after winning the 2014 title at Homestead Miami Speedway

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Sprint Cup Series: So Winning Matters Joey Logano, after finishing fourth of the title contenders, remarked that consistency really didn’t matter.  According to last year’s points scenario, Logano would have been in a position to cruise toward his first NASCAR title.  That’s so passe.  Because if one is going to take that stance, then Jeff …

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Pace Laps: Veterans Struggling, Rookies Succeeding and Tempers Flaring

2014 Martinsville Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Window Cia

Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Sprint Cup Series: Favorites Back in the Pack – Jeff Gordon somehow kept his car clean and was able to to score a second-place finish at Martinsville.  For a driver who probably had to hire someone to keep all of his Martinsville clocks polished and keeping time, that result is not surprise.  In fact, he had …

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Pace Laps: Chase Shakeups and Surviving Talladega

2014 Kentucky Cwts Matt Crafton Truck Cia

Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Sprint Cup Series: Another Round of Chase Eliminations – As the checkered flag dropped over Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday afternoon, four more drivers were removed from the championship battle. Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson are now left to just fight for Victory Lane for the remainder of the season. With that …

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Pace Laps: KyBu Riding Steady, NHRA Week, F1 Sochi, and More

Nhra 2014 4 Wides Pro Stock Race From Roof

Sprint Cup Series: Busch Hanging Tough – With all the drama that unfolded after the race at Charlotte, the storylines seem to overlook one of the more intriguing aspects developing during the Chase, that being Kyle Busch.  If there had been odds in Las Vegas on who might be involved in such postrace nuttiness, KyBu’s name …

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Pace Laps: HMS Flounders, Schumacher Wins Again and Perspective

Zmax Dragway Carolina Nationals Tony Schumacher 2014 Mike Neff 090

(Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Sprint Cup Series: The Mighty Stumble – Hendrick Motorsports has long been the barometer to which other teams measure themselves.  Their position atop the performance and business hierarchy make them an easy target, similar to teams like the New York Yankees or the New England Patriots.  And for those who love to take a shot at …

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Pace Laps: Dover Downer, Elliott’s Excellence, Crafton’s Consistency and More

2014 Dover Ii Cup Aj Allmendinger Racing Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Sprint Cup Series:  Dover Downer – After the excitement of the first two races of the reborn Chase, Dover produced a race that didn’t follow the script.  Rather than being a hard-charging affair, with the four drivers positioned to lose out racing like madmen, it seemed like everyone did his best to log laps, not make …

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Pace Laps: Chase Mess, Justin Boston’s Nationwide Debut, Cole Custer Makes History & More

Justin Boston Talladega Candid 2014 Arca Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Sprint Cup Series: A Hodge-Podge for Chase Drivers – Let’s ignore the fact there were 15 cautions at Loudon, and that most of them happened in the second half of the race, leading to an event that felt like a stop-and-go commute downtown in a major city during rush hour.  The result of all the cautions …

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Pace Laps: Congenial Richmond, KyBu Nationwide, other stuff

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Pack Racing Ii Cia

(Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Cup:  The Race That Wasn’t – No one did anything surprising in the race at Richmond.  Well, that’s not correct.  The idiot who climbed the catchfence in turn 4 surely did something surprising.  While many people have done idiotic things at a race track, it’s doubtful that anyone anticipated a fan climbing the fence bordering …

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Pace Laps: Kyle Busch’s Rough Weekend, Driver Errors and Winding Down

2014 Bristol Ii Cup Kyle Busch Damage Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Sprint Cup Series: Kyle Busch, Dave Rogers Quarrel – Bristol Motor Speedway is often known for its beating, banging and tempers flaring, and Saturday night’s Irwin Tools Night Race was no different. Several drivers left angry with a fellow competitor for a variety of reasons, but it was a bit of a different scenario for Kyle Busch …

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