Race Weekend Central

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Quaker State 400 at Kentucky

2014 Kentucky Cup Brad Keselowski Trophy 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? After a tire issue, getting caught on pit road when …

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Who’s Hot / Who’s Not In NASCAR: Sonoma-Kentucky Edition

2014 Sonoma Cup Carl Edwards Jamie Mcmurray Racing Cia

Another stop in California left the road course specialists of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wishing for another try.  They’ll get one eventually, but for now, the Chase picture remains unchanged. Carl Edwards added another victory, a first ever at Sonoma, and helped Roush Fenway Racing get back in the win column.  Next up is …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Toyota / Save Mart 350

2014 Sonoma Cup Jack Roush Carl Edwards Trophy Cia

Carl Edwards and Jack Roush have enjoyed a decade's worht of success together. Edward's move to Joe Gibbs Racing for 2015 comes at a time where their outsourced engines have been largely left in the dust this season.(Credit: CIA)

Key Moment – The caution flag flew for debris in turn 10 on lap 72 that was not shown on television. Carl Edwards had pitted two laps before that and was able to stay on the track when most everyone else came to pit road. Edwards and Marcos Ambrose led the field to the green …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

2014 Sonoma Cup Clint Bowyer Car Cia

Credit - CIA Stock Photography

Looking for the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How behind Sunday’s race? Amy Henderson has you covered with 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?  With a 21.5 average finish, no top 10s previously …

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NASCAR Underdogs Had Their Chances

2014 Pocono I Cup Marcos Ambrose Pointing Cia

Amrbose out of contention? Only need only to point to Martinsville and Bristol where a win could happen - or at the very least, net enough points to squeak into the Top 16.

“Wild card.” Fans heard that term, leading up to Sonoma, more than “wine country,” “road course,” or “Boris Said.” It’s a modern reality of the Chase format, designed to give “underdogs their day” at the select few races left where they can actually go out and compete for the win. No longer will a David …

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Fantasy Insider: Road to Rebound Runs Through Sonoma

2014 Dover I Cup Martin Truex Jr Car Cia

Can Martin Truex, Jr. win a second straight race at Sonoma - this time with Furniture Row Racing? (Credit: CIA)

It’s a totally different ballgame this week when the NASCAR Sprint Cup series visits Sonoma for the first of two road-course races on the roster. Yes, we’ve got right turns, and left turns, and more right turns and just knowing who to pick this week could very well turn your season around if you have …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan

2014 Michigan I Cup Jimmie Johnson Woohoo 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? It would be easy to give this week’s pat on …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond

Kyle Larson continued to show that he’s not only a threat for Rookie of the Year honors, but also for winning. Larson got the top starting spot by virtue of his practice speed after qualifying was rained out, part of showing speed and prowess all weekend long. Unfortunately for Larson, he got tagged by Bowyer on the first lap of the race which dropped him to the rear of the field. Larson was able to recover somewhat to finish 16th, still good for Rookie of the Race honors, but clearly lacked the confidence and speed to get back to the front after that moment.

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2012 Bank of America 500 at Charlotte

Brad Keselowski ran out of gas, down the backstretch with 58 laps left, allowing Clint Bowyer to breeze by. That left the No. 15 team virtually unencumbered as they turned on the fuel mileage jets, put a Rip Van Winkle spell over the stands, and advanced to a shocking intermediate oval victory at Charlotte.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2012 Bank of America 500 at Charlotte

It wasn’t the win he has been searching for for more than a year and a half, but for Carl Edwards, a seventh-place finish was a welcome ending. For Edwards, who has just three top-five performances in 2012, this week’s result was only the second to fall inside the top 10 in the last eight weeks, just his 13th top-10 finish in 31 races. That’s half the number he had a year ago, when Edwards lost the Sprint Cup title to Tony Stewart in a tiebreaker. The top-five stat is even more dismal. Edwards finished in that group 19 times in 2011, more than six times as often as 2012. No matter where his points finish is, it will be the worst of his career because he didn’t make the Chase cut and can finish no better than 13th.

Fan’s View: A Refresher Course for NASCAR’s Race to the Chase

It’s time for the Chase! Aren’t you thrilled? Oh. Well, actually neither am I. The fact is the haze of summer has given way to September blue skies and the children have returned to class. Life takes on a calmer pace and I look forward to quiet afternoons devoid of screaming children and angry parents. …

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