Race Weekend Central

Nitro Shots: U.S. Military Marches Off Into the Sunset

Nhra 2018 Tony Schumacher Car Courtesy Nhra Media

While Air Force is still in NASCAR, the other military branches left the sport. The sponsorships were viewed as a poor use of taxpayer-backed advertising and recruitment dollars. Critics argued that the number of new recruits gained from the trackside activations couldn’t be proven, and thus they were not sound return on the investment. And …

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Pace Laps: Kasey Kahne’s Endless Pursuit of… What? & Exciting NASCAR Racing In Iowa

Kasey Kahne

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: The Latest Push To Fix Kasey Kahne June’s off week came with a crew chief change in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Travis Mack was replaced as Kasey Kahne‘s head wrench after just 15 races as the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing team remains mired in midpack. Jon Leonard will …

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Nitro Shots: March Madness With Don Schumacher Racing

Capps Topeka Sun

(Photo: NHRA Media)

It’s almost like a fever that spreads out of control every year. It’s March Madness. Pools are taking place in offices all over the country. Whether you are a college basketball fan with knowledge of most of the teams or you never follow the sport and make your picks by the color of the uniforms …

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Nitro Shots: Halfway Home For Future NHRA Champions

Nhra 2015 Reading Antron Brown Car Courtesy Nhra Media

(Photo courtesy NHRA Media)

Here we are, already halfway through the Countdown to the Championship, with three races in the books and three more left to complete the 2015 season. Where do things stand and who looks like they might be tough to beat with just a few events remaining? In Top Fuel, that’s a pretty easy question, as …

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Off the Wall With: Tony Schumacher

Zmax Dragway Carolina Nationals Tony Schumacher 2014 Mike Neff 090

(Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

In the hot seat this week: 8-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion Tony Schumacher What’s fun besides racing? Tony Schumacher: Harley riding. What’s the top item on your bucket list? Schumacher: I’d like to go skydiving with a squirrel suit, where they fly through the air. That’s totally different. Scary. Of course depending how that goes, …

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Nitro Shots: The Safety Dance

Nhra 2015 Antron Brown Car Credit Toni Montgomery

Photo Credit: Toni Montgomery, Frontstretch

In the wake of the accident that took the life of Justin Wilson, this week’s Open Wheel Wednesday put forth the idea that something similar to the protection found on a Top Fuel dragster might work to at least partially enclose the cockpit on an Indy car. It’s sad that so often in motorsports safety, …

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Pace Laps: Hope Alive, a Perfect Team, & Close Finishes

2015 Kentucky Cup Kyle Busch Checkered Flag Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Sprint Cup Series: Busch Keeps Chase Hopes Alive With Miraculous Three Weeks – If Kyle Busch is able to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup come September, the previous three races will have been the critical part of the run. Busch, who missed the first 11 Sprint Cup races of the season following a …

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Nitro Shots: It’s Not Age, It’s Experience

Nhra 2015 New Hampshire Winners Force Schumacher Anderson Courtesy Nhra Media

(Photo Courtesy: NHRA Media)

NHRA is a little unique among the major motorsports sanctions. Of the three Mello Yello Drag Racing Series winners last weekend in Epping, the youngest was Tony Schumacher at 45. Pro Stock winner Greg Anderson is 54 and John Force is 66. It was not some sort of fluke that three drivers aged 45 and …

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Pace Laps: Stop & Go at Michigan, Kyle Busch is Back, Champions Prevail

2015 Michigan I Cup Justin Allgaier Riding Squeegee Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Sprint Cup Pace Laps: Raining On NASCAR’s Parade… But Not Kurt’s – You’ve got to feel for NASCAR, who was damned if they did and damned if they didn’t Sunday at Michigan. With a forecast that called for “pop-up showers” it was silly to postpone the Sprint Cup race until Monday; the easy decision was to …

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Nitro Shots: The Family That Races Together

Nhra J.r. Todd Junior Dragster Courtesy J.r. Todd And Kalitta Motorsports

(Photo courtesy of J.R. Todd)

Last week in part one of our Junior Dragster special, the viability of the series as a starting point for young hopefuls looking to get to the big leagues was the topic of conversation. Some of the young drivers competing right now are following in the footsteps of their famous parents. “I think it’s exciting …

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Pace Laps: Follow the Leader Daytona, NHRA Phoenix, Reddick Rises, and More

2015 Daytona I Cup Joey Logano Wins Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Credit: Getty Images)

Cup: Where Was the Passing?  If there was one constant that emerged during speedweeks with regards to the Cup cars it was the preponderance for cars that took the lead to be able to hold steady in that position. Matt Kenseth’s win in the Sprint Unlimited offered the first glimpse at this notion, because once …

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NHRA 2015 Preview: Top Fuel and Funny Car

Zmax Dragway Carolina Nationals Tony Schumacher 2014 Mike Neff 090

(Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Days are getting longer, winter is hopefully winding down, and football season has come to an end. What does all that mean? It means it’s time for racing season! The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series hits the track at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona this weekend for the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, so in …

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