Race Weekend Central

Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 US Cellular 250 at Iowa

If there is one thing that has kept Brad Keselowski from challenging Kyle Busch for the Nationwide title in 2009, it has been an inability to keep up on the short run. The No. 88 car has been among the fastest after a few laps… but that’s all it’s been taking for the No. 18 …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Kroger 200 at IRP

After Saturday night’s race, even I am willing to put aside the fact that yet again the Nationwide Series ended a race with a 1-2 dose of Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch (though this time, Edwards came out on top). Why? Without a doubt, the Kroger 200 was the most exciting race of the 2009 …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at Gateway

On a rare weekend where the Nationwide Series was the only show in town, Cup regulars were nonetheless the story all night long… though a different face did most of the dominating. With announcements swirling that he would be doing more Nationwide driving in his own No. 33 car next season, Kevin Harvick led over …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland

It’s amazing what a driver can do when Goodyear brings rock-hard tires to the track. In a scenario reminiscent of that seen at the Cup race in Charlotte last October, where Jeff Burton managed to hold off a hard-charging Jimmie Johnson despite having nearly 40-lap older tires, Joey Logano and Jason Leffler stayed out under …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona

Friday night’s (July 3) race at Daytona was shaping up to be a tremendous finish until a messy wreck on lap 96 stopped the battle at the front of the field and scattered debris and rescue equipment all over the 2.5-mile oval. In their infinite wisdom, NASCAR chose not to red flag the race – …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Camping World RV Sales 200 at Loudon

Sometimes, going faster and winning all comes down to going a bit slower. Whether or not that was Kyle Busch’s strategy doesn’t matter… because it worked. In a performance far departed from his stretch of eight consecutive Nationwide races leading the most laps, Busch started ninth on Saturday (June 27)… and stayed there for a …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Meijer 300 at Kentucky

Finally, someone has Kyle Busch’s number. And it’s his teammate. Running his first Nationwide Series race since an incident that saw him knock Busch from the lead at Dover with two laps to go, Joey Logano beat his teammate without the chrome horn on Saturday and took the checkers for his trouble. On a late …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville

For the sixth week in a row, Kyle Busch was the dominant car in a Nationwide Series race. That’s it, no tricks to this story. His pit crew perfect, his laps fast, his nose clean, Busch led 173 of the 225 laps run Saturday night to score his long overdue fourth win of the Nationwide …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Heluva Good! 200 at Dover

For 198 laps, it was business as usual for Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing, as the No. 18 and No. 20 Toyotas put an absolute smackdown on the NNS field – combining to lead 195 laps and holding the top-two spots when the race’s final green flag restarted the event with two laps to …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 CARQUEST 300 at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. – A Nationwide Series regular went to victory lane for the first time in 2009 Saturday night. It only took a lucky caution… and a lot of help from Mother Nature… to finally make it happen. The only car left on the lead lap waiting to pit before green-flag pit stops cycled through, …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington

Just another Friday night Nationwide Series race in 2009… or so it seemed. Kyle Busch took the lead early, ran away from the field and stunk up the show at Darlington, leading all but 10 of the laps run in the 200-miler. But despite his best efforts, the 24-year-old did not take one step closer …

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