Race Weekend Central

Tech Talk: Flying Blind into the Brickyard with Matt Puccia

2014 Atlanta Cup Greg Biffle Matt Puccia Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2014)

New Hampshire Motor Speedway was a race to forget for Matt Puccia, driver Greg Biffle and his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing team. After spending a day off the pace, running two laps down in 27th Puccia is more than ready to head toward the Racing Capital of the World. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is always …

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Tech Talk: Tony Gibson On Slowing Down To Go Fast At New Hampshire

Tony Gibson Cup 2014 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Mike Neff 2

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Kentucky Speedway was a challenge for crew chiefs and teams, especially Chevrolet with new twists introduced on the aero platform. As the series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the package reverts back to the standard one for 2015. As a result, teams are going to face a different variety of challenges on the flat …

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Tech Talk: What the New Rules Changes Will Mean at Kentucky & Beyond

2014 Kentucky Cup Jimmie Johnson Car Cia

(Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

With the late checkered flag at Daytona and the scheduled test on Wednesday at Kentucky Speedway, the NASCAR crew chiefs were too busy to make time for Tech Talk this week. Instead of leaving our loyal readers without their weekly technical fix, we’ve decided to take a look at the new rules and their potential …

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Tech Talk: “Bono” Manion On Gettin’ a Grip & Keepin’ Cool at Daytona

Kevin Bono Manion Charlotte Motor Speedway 2014 Mike Neff 003

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

As the series heads to Daytona this week, marking the figurative “midpoint” of the 2015 season Kevin “Bono” Manion is just getting settled in. New to Richard Petty Motorsports, he’s finishing up his second month there after jumping from Tommy Baldwin Racing to be the head wrench for Sam Hornish Jr. The team is coming off …

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Tech Talk: Matt Puccia Preps for Sonoma & NASCAR’s New Aero Package

Matt Puccia Martinsville 2015 Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

One of the biggest misnomers in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing is that off-weekends exist, because when the teams don’t go to the racetrack they simply put their heads down and get caught up on things that have slipped through the weeks of going to the track. They also try and get things prepared for the …

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Tech Talk: On a Cup Off-Weekend, a Little R&D

Nascar R&d Center 2015 Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Friday morning before the Coca-Cola 600, Frontstretch was invited to participate in a media tour of the NASCAR R&D facility. The facility serves multiple purposes for the sport including safety innovation, which was the primary focus of the tour. It  also handles the post-race technical inspections, part testing, chassis certification, competition development and other special …

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Tech Talk: Jason Ratcliff on Safety, Horsepower & Tight Nuts

Jason Ratcliff Martinsville 2015 Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

The Sprint Cup Series moves from the relatively flat track of Pocono Raceway to the high-banked, high-speed venue of Michigan International Speedway this weekend. The challenges switch from turning through the flat corners and navigating the bumps of the tunnel turn to minimizing drag while making the car turn in the corners on the circuit’s …

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Tech Talk: Bono Manion on Engine Strains & Shifting Gears

Kevin Bono Manion Charlotte Motor Speedway 2014 Mike Neff 002

(Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Kevin “Bono” Manion is back to working in a two-car operation. He worked for several years at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and won some of the biggest races in the sport. He was employed at Tommy Baldwin Racing last year and the beginning of this season but he’s on top of the box …

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Tech Talk: Rubber, Fuel Strategy & Rough Rides with Matt Puccia

Matt Puccia Daytona 500 Cup 2.15 Mike Neff 092

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Matt Puccia has been working hard to get Greg Biffle back up to the front of the pack. The Roush Fenway Racing No. 16 camp has been struggling to race for wins, but last weekend it was right in the mix and came home in second place. The strides the team has made over the …

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Tech Talk: Tony Gibson on Tires, Fuel & Pit-Stop Speed

Tony Gibson Martinsville 2015 Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Tony Gibson put another car on the track that was in contention to win on Saturday night. The late-race restart caused the No. 41 to slip back into the pack and that eliminated their shot at a win. Gibson’s pit crew ripped off four pit stops under 11 seconds during the race. They are now …

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Tech Talk: Jason Ratcliff on Testing, Tweaking & Hammering Down

Jason Ratcliff Martinsville 2015 Mike Neff

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Before Bristol, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Jason Ratcliff, the crew chief for Matt Kenseth, was on Tech Talk and his team promptly went out and put its No. 20 car in Victory Lane. This week he is back for another technical preview and he hopes to ride the TT mojo to a second post-interview victory. His team …

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Tech Talk: Matt Puccia on Greg Biffle’s Talladega Chances & Roush’s New Cars

Matt Puccia Martinsville 2015 Mike Neff

(Photo: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Greg Biffle‘s first career Cup victory took place at Daytona in 2003 in a restrictor-plate race, while his best finish at Talladega was last spring. Matt Puccia, his crew chief, is rather excited about going to the longest track on the schedule this weekend, and after a difficult outing at Richmond he is hoping to …

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