Race Weekend Central

Fantasy Insider: Separating Your Team From the Chase

2014 Michigan Ii Cup Danica Patrick Kyle Larson Racing Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Yes, it’s certainly easy to understand all the talk about the Chase for the Championship heading into Chicago. We understand that in the real NASCAR world that what happens in each of the next three sets of races is the most important part of the season before the finale at Homestead. However, if you’ve been …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Richmond

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Woohoo Cia

After 26 races and 13 race winners, the 2014 Chase field has been set. Brad Keselowski made a championship statement Saturday night, leading 383 of the 400 laps en route to his season-leading fourth victory. With his win, Keselowski claimed the number one seed as the Chase standing reset heading to Chicago. Results were mixed …

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Racing to the Point: Separating the Chase Contenders & Pretenders

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Ford Chase Drivers Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

This new elimination-style playoff format has many people believing that some of the Chase underdogs have a chance at the title as along as they keep their noses clean and survive each round. I want to dispel that rumor right now. The cream is still going to rise to the top, as it always does. …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: Richmond – Chicagoland Edition

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Jeff Gordon Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

With 26 races in the books there exist two distinct groups of drivers: those who qualified for the Chase and the many, many more who will have to wait until next year to lay stake over one of 16 playoff spots. The line was left anything but blurred after the regular season finale at Richmond …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Richmond – The Chase is Set, Brad Keselowski Dominates and a Drunk on a Fence

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Burnout Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Key Moment – In a race where the winner leads 383 laps, including the final 274 in a row, there really aren’t any key moments in the race. Based on the practice sheets the key moment came between the first practice and the final practice. Brad Keselowski was 14th fastest in 10 lap average in …

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Four Burning Questions: Underdogs, Weather and Richmond Dominance

2014 Loudon I Cup Carl Edwards Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Twenty- five weeks of grueling competition across the tracks of the Sprint Cup Series all comes to a head Saturday night at the Richmond International Raceway in the Federated Auto Parts 400 as the field for the opening race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup will be set. As always, there are numerous storylines headlining …

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Voice of Vito: Scouting Championship Scenarios in Pre-Chase Preview

2014 Dover I Cup Jimmie Johnson Woohoo Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway will mark the final event of the 26-week regular season and set the stage for the latest iteration of NASCAR’s Chase playoff system. It’s been 10 years and four championship scenarios now, of heading into RIR the first weekend of September to see who’s in …

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Fantasy Insider: Chasing NASCAR’s New Chase Game

2014 Atlanta Cup Kevin Harvick Tony Stewart Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. © 2014)

NASCAR introduced its new fantasy game that will begin next week called the Perfect Chase Grid Challenge. It will give fans a chance to predict which drivers will make it through each round of the Chase, with four being eliminated after the Dover race, four more being finished after Talladega and then four more after …

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NASCAR Mailbox: The Lack of Negativity Surrounding Tony Stewart’s Return Was Refreshing

2014 Atlanta Cup Tony Stewart Cockpit Cia

(Credit: CIA)

Tony Stewart’s return to NASCAR was a story that wasn’t just a big deal to the NASCAR community. It was a big deal to a lot of people who rarely pay attention to the sport, if ever. Mainstream news organizations were present at Atlanta Motor Speedway, from Friday afternoon when Stewart made his first public …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Atlanta – Richmond Edition

2014 Bristol Ii Cup Jimmie Johnson Car Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The Chase bubble wasn’t a major area of focus entering the Oral-B USA 500 after Bristol seemingly divided the haves from the have-nots. But as the Sprint Cup Series has shown, things can change in a hurry. After wild-card placeholder Clint Bowyer went to the Atlanta Motor Speedway garage, several drivers who were all but …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud – Atlanta Oral-B 500: Stewart Makes His Return

2014 Atlanta Cup Tony Stewart Press Conference Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. Copyright 2014)

Key Moment – Kyle Busch and Martin Truex, Jr. had a dispute in Turn 1 with two laps to go. Busch hit Truex in the back bumper and put him into the wall. The resulting contact brought out the caution flag, which prompted a Green-White-Checkered finish. Kasey Kahne, who was headed to a potential victory …

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Playoff Success: Winless Wonders Have Their Day at Atlanta

2014 Atlanta Cup Kevin Harvick Matt Kenseth Lead Racing Action Credit Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Last week, a running theme from Bristol revolved around teams missing their season-long opportunity to capitalize on a win. Several winless drivers, whose best shot might have been at Thunder Valley, instead looked like they were struck by lightning, thrown backwards while the sport’s best teams padded their playoff spots. My, what a difference eight …

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