Race Weekend Central

Couch Potato Tuesday: FOX Struggles with Production Pacing in Bristol

2015 Bristol I Cup Denny Halin Vertical Credit Amy Henderson

(Photo: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch)

Last weekend was a bit of a marathon, racing-wise. It was nearly 10 hours from the beginning of FOX’s Bristol coverage to the end of it on Sunday. Cripes. Of course, that means that we have plenty of material to look at this week. Before we start, NBC Sports made a couple of announcements recently. …

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MPM2Nite: Bits & Pieces from the NASCAR Notebook

2015 Bristol I Cup Pit Road Vertical Credit Amy Henderson

Photo Credit: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch

Fans watching both at home and in the grandstands at Bristol this weekend might be forgiven for feeling like Alice had hand-fed them some mushrooms then invited them for a quick trip down a nearby rabbit hole. While Bristol is well noted for out-of-the-ordinary circumstances that border on chaos, I’ll have to admit that I …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2015 Food City 500 at Bristol

2015 Bristol I Cup Justin Allgaier Car Credit Amy Henderson

Photo Credit: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch

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? Bristol isn’t an easy track to take home a top …

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Denny Hamlin Out of Bristol Race With Neck Spasms

2015 Martinsville I Cup Denny Hamlin Windshield Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Denny Hamlin will not compete in the No. 11 Toyota following a worsening neck spasm during a long red flag at Bristol Motor Speedway. Erik Jones will substitute, making his first laps in a Sprint Cup Series car. “Something in my neck-to-upper-back around lap 12,” Hamlin said to a television reporter atop his Joe Gibbs …

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Xfinity Series Breakdown: 2015 Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 at Bristol

2015 Bristol I Nxs Joey Logano Trophy Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Domination. There’s no other word to describe a race in which Joey Logano led every single lap en route to a convincing victory over Daniel Suarez. Logano made it look easy, holding off all comers for the lead. Chris Buescher, on tires that were many laps older than the rest of the field, not only …

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Erik Jones on Pole for 3rd Consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series Race

2015 Bristol I Nxs Erik Jones Pole Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Erik Jones has been living a charmed life as of late, and his streak continued Saturday morning with his third career pole for the Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Jones’s third-round time of 15.331 seconds was the fastest of the qualifying session. The pole is the third in his career. His …

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Friday Faceoff: Bristol Bumps, Rivalries & Erik Jones’s Future

2015 Texas I Nns Erik Jones Celebrates Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

Photo Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images

Bristol was long known as a track with beating and banging for 500 laps, but in recent years its reception has grown tepid, though it’s still considered part of the upper echelon of NASCAR tracks on the schedule. Should it still be? Has the racing improved? Amy Henderson, Senior Editor: The racing at Bristol is …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Waltrip Double Trouble in Texas

Indycar 2015 Nola Fans Sign Credit Chris Owens

(Photo: INDYCAR Media)

Oh boy, we’ve got a double dose of Waltrip this week in Couch Potato Tuesday. That’s never a great sign. Duck Commander 500 Even with the Robertsons hanging around Texas Motor Speedway last weekend, and everything that comes with them hanging around, the Waltrips once again stole the show in Texas. That’s not necessarily a …

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Pace Laps: Youth Prevails, Redemption in Vegas, Controversy & More

Indycar 2015 Nola Simon Pagenaud In Grass Credit Bret Kelley

Photo Credit: Bret Kelley

Xfinity Series: The Future Has Arrived – It only took nine races until Erik Jones drove a Joe Gibbs Racing car into Victory Lane. The soon-to-be 19-year-old outran two Cup Series veterans at Texas, and in doing so, gave JGR its first Xfinity Series win since Matt Kenseth‘s triumph in the season-finale last year. Jones’s victory …

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Xfinity Series Breakdown: 2015 O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas

2015 Texas I Nns Erik Jones Wins Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

Photo Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images

Last spring’s O’Reilly 300 featured a first-time Xfinity Series winner in Chase Elliott, who set a record as the youngest driver to take the checkered flag first. This year, it was Erik Jones who scored his first career win and became the second youngest winner in the Xfinity Series at 18 years, 10 months and …

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Erik Jones Grabs Back-to-Back Poles at Texas for 2015 O’Reilly Auto Parts 300

2015 Texas I Nns Erik Jones Pole Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

With GameStop on the hood, Erik Jones had the field set on “easy mode” as he dominated Xfinity Series qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway Friday afternoon. At a lap of 29.163 seconds, Jones starts on pole for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300. “I really didn’t know we would be that fast,” Jones told FOX Sports …

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Tracking the Trucks: 2015 Kroger 250 at Martinsville

2015 Martinsville I Cwts Joey Logano Woohoo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

Photo Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images

In a Nutshell: Joey Logano shoved his way past Matt Crafton on a green-white-checkered finish to win the Kroger 250. It was Logano’s first Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway and his first series win. Crafton, Erik Jones, Johnny Sauter and Tyler Reddick rounded out the top five. Who Should Have Won: Crafton. …

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