Race Weekend Central

Number Crunching: 2015 Brickyard 400 NASCAR Fantasy Preview

2015 Michigan I Cup Kurt Busch Trophy Selfie Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Hey everyone! I’m sorry about being a little bit late posting, but I was going across the Gulf of Maine last night and got to dock quite late. After watching all the practices this morning and looking over the data, I’ve got to say it’s a bit confusing. The cars are running a high-drag package …

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Flying: Stewart-Haas Racing Teammates Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick Top Final Practice at Indy

2015 Indianapolis Cup Kurt Busch Car Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Looking for his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch put down the fastest lap in Friday’s final practice. Busch, who has two wins to date despite running three fewer races than his championship competitors, laid down a 181.987-mph lap to top the session. Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2015 5-hour Energy 301 at New Hampshire

2015 Loudon I Cup Kyle Busch Trophy Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Eight races into his return to competition, Kyle Busch has now claimed three victories in the Cup series. He continues his bid to make the 2015 Chase, taking his second consecutive win at New Hampshire. Busch now sits 58 points behind 30th position. I’ll start the hashtag: #BuschWatch Loudon produced a diverse number of teams …

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The Frontstretch 5: Most Improved Teams in 2015

2015 Loudon I Cup Martin Truex Jr Car Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Welcome to the Frontstretch Five! 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 takes a look at five teams who have shown a …

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Number Crunching: Your Fantasy Watch for the 2015 5-hour Energy 301 New Hampshire

2015 Loudon I Cup Kurt Busch Car Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Last week at Kentucky did not go particularly well for the NASCAR Fantasy Live team I had picked. The Joe Gibbs Racing cars showed incredible speed with the lower downforce package that NASCAR was trying and I just didn’t see the amount of speed they had in practice. In Fantasy, like in real life, you …

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Tech Talk: Tony Gibson On Slowing Down To Go Fast At New Hampshire

Tony Gibson Cup 2014 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Mike Neff 2

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Kentucky Speedway was a challenge for crew chiefs and teams, especially Chevrolet with new twists introduced on the aero platform. As the series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the package reverts back to the standard one for 2015. As a result, teams are going to face a different variety of challenges on the flat …

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NASCAR 101: Who Can Join the List of Loudon Winners?

2014 Loudon Ii Cup Joey Logano Wins Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2014)

Prior to the Sylvania 300 last fall, New Hampshire Motor Speedway produced 11 straight races with 11 different winners. It’s a streak that at the time was the longest such one in the Sprint Cup Series. The parity was great for the sport. Instead of going into the weekend largely knowing who would dominate (Jimmie …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2015 Quaker State 400 at Kentucky

2015 Kentucky Cup Kyle Busch Bow Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

Photo Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images

Kyle Busch is doing everything he can to ensure he makes the 2015 Chase. He utterly dominated the race Saturday night, leading 163 of the 267 laps and claiming his second win in the last three races, though he still sits 87 points outside of the top 30. The big story leading up to the …

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Number Crunching: Fantasy NASCAR Hits Kentucky Speedway for 2015 Quaker State 400

2015 Kentucky Cup Austin Dilln Car Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Rain, rain, go away… come again some other day! That should be the motto for this week at Kentucky, part of a month marked by Mother Nature’s wrath. NASCAR has implemented a new rules package, debuting Saturday night and had scheduled an extended practice session for Wednesday to let drivers and teams get used to …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2015 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and his team celebratein Victory Lane after the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)­­

Mother Nature seems to have it out for NASCAR this season. Rain once again delayed the start of the race, but that didn’t stop the fans from enjoying the Fourth of July fireworks on and off the track. Dale Earnhardt Jr. reasserted himself as the restrictor-plate king, leading 96 laps en route to his second …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2015 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

2015 Daytona Ii Cup Green Flag Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Who’s in the headline – You’d think a Dale Earnhardt Jr. victory at Daytona International Speedway would immediately steal all the headlines. Instead? He’ll have to split them with Austin Dillon this week. Dillon’s flight into the catchfence – seriously, his entire car cleared the wall – will be seen around the world for weeks, months and years …

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Number Crunching: 2015 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

2015 Daytona Ii Cup Jeff Gordon Kurt Busch Racing Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Much like last week at Sonoma, this week’s race will require a bit of luck for your NASCAR Fantasy Live team. For the season opening Daytona 500 I try to pick drivers all starting towards the rear of the field to maximize place-differential points while minimizing the risk from a driver crashing out. Normally by …

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