Race Weekend Central

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Completes Season Sweep at Pocono

2014 Pocono Ii Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Woohoo Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Earlier this week Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finally learned the identity of his new crew chief in 2015, but in the meantime he isn’t ready to close his storybook relationship with current crew chief Steve Letarte quite yet. Employing a well-conceived fuel strategy by Letarte, Earnhardt was able to hold off Kevin Harvick on a restart …

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Truckin’ Thursdays: Pondering Pocono’s Fifth Truck Race

2014 Kentucky Cwts Ryan Blaney Cia

Credit: CIA Stock Photography

When the Camping World Truck Series takes on Pocono Raceway Saturday afternoon, it will mark the fifth race at the facility but the first to run 150 miles instead of the standard 125 from the past four years. It’s a change designed for long-term impact, the series expected to race at the Tricky Triangle for …

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Mobil 1 to sponsor Kevin Harvick at Pocono Raceway

Kevinharvick Yvonneleopard

Kevin Harvick during All-Star Qualifying in May / (C)Yvonne Leopard/Frontstretch.com

ExxonMobil announced on Monday they’re expanding their partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing, adding another primary sponsorship race to their schedule. However, it’s not with Tony Stewart, who they back consistently as part of a multi-year deal with the No. 14 Chevrolet. Instead, they will be the primary sponsor for Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 for the GoBowling.com …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: ESPN Throws Kitchen Sink At NASCAR In Final Season

2014 Indianapolis Cup Jeff Gordon Kissing Bricks Cia

(Credit: CIA)

ESPN has been part of the 2014 season due to its year-long tenure as the broadcaster of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, but last weekend, the network hit the true beginning of the end with the start of its final season of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series coverage. But how, exactly, did ESPN fare as it expanded …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Crown Royal/John Wayne Walding 400 at Indianapolis

The better words here might be what affected the lack of action, because Sunday’s race, typical Indy fare, had far less of that than many events this year. And while tires and cars play a role, the fact that Indy itself is a big, flat track is what hurts the action the most. A racetrack can have all the history and prestige in the world for one type of racing, but that doesn’t make it an important place for everyone to race. Indy was built as a test track, and for Indy cars, it’s an ideal venue… but not for stock cars.

Four Burning Questions at the Brickyard: The Drive for Five and an IndyCar Ringer

2014 Loudon I Cup Jimmie Johnson Garage Cia

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

Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Simply reading those three words in succession should incite a fit of shivers up the spine of any race fan worth his/her salt. NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series will invade the historic facility today for the 21st annual Brickyard 400. It seems wild to think that Indianapolis has been on the schedule for …

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Holding A Pretty Wheel: Everyone’s Got An Achilles’ Heel

2014 Kentucky Cup Jimmie Johnson Car Cia

(Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

It seems as though the 2014 Sprint Cup Series season started just last week, but suddenly it’s midsummer and the countdown to the Chase is in the single digits and clicking lower. It’s been a quirky season — teams who looked unbeatable early faded, teams who looked out to lunch surged into the spotlight. A …

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Voices from the Cheap Seats: After Giving It Some Thought…

2014 Kentucky I Nns Kevin Harvick Trophy Cia

(Credit: CIA)

There have been a few issues arising recently in the world of NASCAR about which I have been loquaciously silent. Loquacious is sort of like deafening silence, for those of you still wondering what it means (or maybe the opposite… look it up!). However, as anyone who knows me personally will tell you, I don’t …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – New Hampshire – Keselowski Turns the Competition Redd

2014 Loudon Brad Keselowski Trophy Credit Cia

Key Moment – The Penske cars were both strong at New Hampshire, with Brad Keselowski being the strongest. Joey Logano was looking better as the race progressed and seemed to be poised to make Keselowski earn his win when the the two teammates caught Morgan Shepherd to put him yet another lap down. Shepherd slid …

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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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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Daytona-2

2014 Daytona Ii Cup Aric Almirola Team Victory Lane Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2014)

It was not the way anyone expected or wanted the race to end, but one fact cannot be denied: Aric Almirola is a winner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He put the famed No. 43 back in Victory Lane for the first time since 1999, launching it right into the 2014 Chase during the …

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