Race Weekend Central

The Frontstretch Five: Memorable Modern-Era Rookie Campaigns

2014 Michigan I Cup Ryan Newman Face Cia

Welcome to the Frontstretch Five, a brand-new column for 2014! Each week, Amy Henderson takes a look at the racing, the drivers, and the storylines that drive NASCAR and produces a list of five people, places, things, and ideas that define the current state of our sport. This week, Amy has five rookie campaigns that …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Pocono

2014 Pocono Ii Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Woohoo Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made another statement as to why he’s a top contender to win the 2014 Sprint Cup Championship Sunday, sweeping both races at Pocono and scoring his third win of the season. To put this year’s performance into perspective, Junior won only one race in the past five seasons. It was an up …

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Austin Dillon to Drive Spraker Racing Car in NASCAR K&N Series Race at Watkins Glen International

2014 Mudsummer Classic Eldora Speedway Austin Dillon Camping World Trucks Mike Neff 298

Spraker Racing Enterprises Inc. announced that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Austin Dillon will drive the team’s No. 37 Chevrolet in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Bully Hill Vineyards 125 at Watkins Glen International on August 8th. Dillon, a regular in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series where he pilots the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing …

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Tracking The Trucks: Dillon Takes Pocono Mountains 150

2014 Cwts Pocono Austin Dillon Burnout Credit Cia

In a Nutshell: Austin Dillon took control at Pocono when Kyle Larson’s engine went south, then survived a flurry of late restart battles with Clint Bowyer to win his first Truck Series race since Eldora last July. Dillon, who hadn’t won in any of NASCAR’s top three series since then, prevailed in an event that …

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Fantasy Insider: NASCAR Flat Track Fortunes

2014 Pocono I Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Trophy Cia

Can Dale Earnhardt, Jr. complete the Pocono sweep this weekend at Pocono?

This is generally considered the hottest time of the year in most parts of the nation and when you’re looking for good fantasy picks for your team, you’re looking for who the hottest drivers will be. One driver in the past capable of running off a rare winning streak in NASCAR was Jeff Gordon. He …

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NASCAR Mailbox: The Sport from an Outsider’s Perspective

2014 Sonoma Cup Austin Dillon Car Cia

The cool thing about having a fairly large staff of writers here at Frontstretch means, though we’re tied together by a passion for auto racing, we come from multiple walks of life. I’ve been a NASCAR fan longer than probably anything else except really good burritos, but the thing about my chosen industry — the music …

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Chasing the Chase Will Influence How Teams Hit the Bricks

Indy 2009

What is the most memorable Brickyard 400 moment of all time? Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

The Sprint Cup Series returns to action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday after its final week off of the season. The question now with the Chase spots being on the line,  will they be racing the same way by being worried about nothing but wins, or concerned about points? Clearly, there are going to …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not In NASCAR: Off-Week–Indianapolis Edition

2014 Loudon I Cup Cup Paul Menard Kevin Harvick Loser Cia

(Credit: CIA)

Summer might be in full swing, but with seven races remaining before the Chase cutoff, things are only starting to heat up in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Drivers and teams received a bit of rest and relaxation over the season’s final off week but now, it’s back to business as stock car racing’s best …

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Four Burning Questions on the Off-Week: Title Favorites, Silly Season Rumors, and Chase Predictions

Jimmis Johnson and Casey Mears race at Kentucky Speedway July 2014.

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2014)­­

It’s a rare off-week in NASCAR-land, and as the men and women who make up the Sprint Cup Series enjoy some well-earned vacation time, the sport’s observers are left to reflect on the season that’s been as we sit at the de facto halfway point of the schedule. The 2014 season has been an interesting …

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Going By the Numbers: The Sprint Cup Series at Halfway

2014 Kentucky Cup Kevin Harvick Racing Cia

(Credit: CIA)

It’s been what seems like a quick, whirlwind journey for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series so far, and now the season’s hump has been traversed — the halfway point of 2014 has been reached. With 18 races completed in the Sprint Cup season, the same amount remains before a champion is crowned at Homestead-Miami Speedway …

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Fantasy Insider: Laying it On The Line in Loudon

2014 Sonoma Cup Brian Vickers Car Cia

For some NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers, these are now desperate times. With a win needed to be guaranteed a spot in the Chase for the Championship, and 11 winners so far after 18 races, that means points don’t mean much at all to some drivers. Part of the issue is that of the 11 winners, …

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