Race Weekend Central

NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Talladega

2014 Talladega Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Flag Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images

As predicted, it took until the checkered flag before we knew who would be moving on to the eight-driver Eliminator Round. Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Matt Kenseth all knew what they had to do to continue their bid for a championship: win. Johnson led the most laps, Earnhardt, Jr. led the …

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Racing to the Point: Despite Chaos, This Season’s Main Characters Still Alive

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Jeff Gordon Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

This season’s Chase for the Sprint Cup is like watching the final season of a really good, violent drama. You’ve come to terms with the fact that characters are going to be killed off, but you’re hoping it’s done the right way. In other words, don’t kill off Walter White and Rick Grimes in the …

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Five Points to Ponder: Honoring Both Texas Terry And Underdog Efforts

2014 Talladega Ii Cup Kyle Larson Joey Logano Landon Cassill Racing Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

One: Bracket Busters Hands up for anyone who still has a completely accurate 2014 Chase bracket. Silence? Crickets? Tumbleweed? Yep, thought so. Don’t even vaguely try to convince me that you had a final eight that didn’t include six-time champion Jimmie Johnson or the sport’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., not to mention either Kasey …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: GEICO 500 – Brad Keselowski Lives to Fight Another Day

2014 Talladega Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Flag Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images

Key Moment – The caution flag flew with four laps to go for a piece of metal on the race track. The No. 22 of Joey Logano had it on his grill under caution and rubbed it off when the yellow flag was in the air. The end result was a green-white-checkered finish that brought …

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Should’ve, Could’ve, Would’ve for Hendrick Motorsports

2014 Indianapolis Cup Jeff Gordon Kasey Kahne Racing Cia

Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Four cars. Each one of them being fully funded by multi-million dollar companies. But something went very wrong and it wasn’t the new playoff format. A nightmare is probably an understatement for what happened to Hendrick Motorsports during the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Three of their four drivers were eliminated from the Chase after …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Charlotte

2014 Charlotte Ii Cup Kevin Harvick Burnout Credit Yvonne Leonard

Credit: Yvonne Leonard

Kevin Harvick exorcised his demons Saturday night, winning his third race of the season, but more importantly locking himself into the eight-driver Eliminator Round. Harvick won the pole and led the most laps, as usual.  This time, however, he was able to survive a late-race caution which set up a two-lap shootout to win the …

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Five Points to Ponder: The Big One, Clinch Scenarios & Steve Byrnes

2014 Atlanta Cup Kyle Larson Car Front Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

ONE: THE BIG ONE As you might have heard, there’s a rather significant race next up this Sunday afternoon at big bad Talladega Superspeedway. Following the shenanigans at Charlotte Motor Speedway last Saturday evening and the threat of the second phase of Chase elimination, I would expect this race to be even madder than the …

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Fantasy Insider: Rolling The Dice At The Chase Halfway Point

It was back in mid-May when Jimmie Johnson had yet to win a race this season and there were whispers about what was wrong with the No. 48 team. Maybe the relationship between Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus wasn’t what it used to be? Maybe the No. 48 team had lost its edge after …

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Did You Notice? … Hornish Hire Sign Of Shift In NASCAR’s Ford Hierarchy

2014 Road America Nns Sam Hornish Jr. Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Credit: Getty Images)

Did You Notice? … Sam Hornish, Jr.’s strategy worked? His choice to run a limited schedule, in top-notch Nationwide equipment as opposed to running full-time with a struggling team paid off this week. Hornish will be the replacement for Marcos Ambrose in 2015, driving the No. 9 Ford for a Richard Petty Motorsports program that …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Championship Frontrunners are Now Chase Backmarkers

2014 Kansas Ii Cup Pack Racing Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

When the new Chase format was announced, no other round instilled so much fear as that of the Contender round. The Contender round involved the treacherous and unforgiving Talladega Superspeedway, a track known more for its crapshoot tendencies than its exciting racing. What’s worse is that Talladega is the final race of this round, adding …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Kansas

2014 Kansas Ii Cup Joey Logano Confetti Cia

Credit - CIA Stock Photography

Team Penske continued their dominating performance during the Chase as Joey Logano captured his fifth win of the season, second in the Chase and locked himself into the eight driver Eliminator Round. The Penske duo of Logano and Brad Keselowski have combined to win three of the first four Chase races. Many thought Talladega would …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Breaking Down NASCAR’s Kansas Chase Race

2014 Kansas Ii Cup Joey Logano Confetti Cia

Credit - CIA Stock Photography

Key Moment – With 53 laps to go in the race Kevin Harvick thought he had a right front tire going bad. After the team swapped out all four skins on his ride it was determined that all four tires were good. The end result was Harvick slipping back into the upper 20s and having …

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