Race Weekend Central

For Team Penske, The Key Is Continuity

2014 Texas Ii Cup Paul Wolfe Brad Keselowski Cia

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While many NASCAR Sprint Cup teams are talking about changes they’ve made in the offseason during this year’s Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour, Team Penske isn’t buying in. The organization, coming off a 2014 season where Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano won a combined 11 races, has a theme heading into 2015: if it ain’t …

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2014 NASCAR Fantasy Review: Booms, Busts and Future Hopes

2014 Phoenix Ii Cup Kyle Larson Car Cia

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The just-completed NASCAR season had its usual twists and turns along with some punches thrown as well, and while those events sometimes had a significant effect on the outcome of a real race, they also likely had an effect on the outcome of how your fantasy team fared. The following is a brief overview of …

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Did You Notice? … Distinguishing NASCAR Dreams From Reality

2014 Texas Ii Cup Ricky Stenhouse Jr Face Cia

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Did You Notice? … The audience increased for this year’s version of the Chase? Homestead ratings, released Tuesday wrapped up the latest ten-race version of NASCAR’s playoff, a 3.1 Nielsen number flat year-to-year but still good enough to keep the audience rising. Yes, executives around the sport are trumpeting how much this postseason boosted interest. …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Homestead

2014 Homestead Cup Kevin Harvick Burnout Cia

Four drivers entered the season finale at Homestead with one mission: finish ahead of the other three and win the 2014 Sprint Cup Series championship. There was a general consensus that whoever won the championship would also have to win the race, and that proved to be the case as all four drivers were strong …

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Discount Tire Extends Partnership with Team Penske

2014 Texas Ii Nns Kyle Busch Joey Logano Racing Cia

On Tuesday, November 18th, Team Penske announced a multi-year extension with Discount Tire, the world’s largest tire and wheel retailer. Discount Tire will be the primary sponsor of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang for a minimum of 24 races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (formally Nationwide Series) while serving as an associate sponsor …

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Five Points to Ponder: Reflecting On NASCAR’s 2014 Journey

2014 Homestead Cwts Matt Crafton Kyle Busch Burnout Cia

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ONE: Stewart-Haas Racing’s crazy path to a second title When Stewart-Haas Racing announced they would run four cars in 2014 with Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick behind the wheel, media and fans alike thought co-owners Stewart and Gene Haas were crazy. Three of the four are among the most outspoken drivers …

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Nationwide Breakdown: Ford EcoBoost 300

Elliott Nationwide Champ Hstead

The last time that Matt Kenseth won a race was over a year ago. That changed on Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Driving the No. 20 Toyota for the 19th time in 2014, the 2003 Sprint Cup Series champion took home his first victory in any NASCAR division for the first time since Kansas October 2013. …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: The Forgotten Four

2014 Phoenix Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Jeff Gordon Pit Road Cia

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The field of four is set for this year’s finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. NASCAR fans will see a first-time champion from among the likes of Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman or Denny Hamlin. The contenders weren’t locked in until the final lap at Phoenix, and when the dust settled, it was this group that …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Ryan Newman Deserves His Spot in Homestead

2014 Phoenix Ii Cup Ryan Newman Car Cia

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The championship race is finally upon us and NASCAR Nation is all a-Twitter about possibly having a winless champion, despite NASCAR’s emphasis on creating a system where it should have been all but impossible for that to happen. Though three of the four drivers have victories (Denny Hamlin has one, Joey Logano has five, and …

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The Frontstretch Five: Best and Worst of the 2014 Chase

2014 Phoenix Ii Cup Joey Logano Pack Racing Cia

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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 the good, the bad, …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Phoenix

2014 Phoenix Ii Cup Kevin Harvick Champagne Cia

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And then there were four. The drivers competing for the Championship at Homestead next week are set, and as the other Chase races have proven, it wasn’t without drama. Kevin Harvick’s only option was to win, and win he did, in dominating fashion by leading the most laps. Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano needed top-10 finishes …

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