Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice? … Stories Outside The Chase, A Fork In The Road For Harvick And Quick Hits

2014 Martinsville Ii Cup Kyle Larson Eew Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Did You Notice?… There’s still plenty more going on these days than the Chase? As we enter the final three races of 2014, here’s a quick look at some great stories going on that have been buried by NASCAR’s “playoffs, playoffs, playoffs…” Kyle Larson. Yeah, he was terrible at Martinsville but Larson, who has wrapped …

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Martinsville

2014 Martinsville Ii Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Wins Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s win at Martinsville last weekend marked the first non-Chase contender to win a race in the Chase this season. After being eliminated from championship contention last weekend at Talladega, Earnhardt Jr. held off a hard-charging Jeff Gordon to claim his fourth win of the season, first at Martinsville and 22nd overall for …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: Martinsville – Texas Edition

2014 Chicago Cup David Ragan Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The Eliminator Round is underway and already multiple drivers are in trouble. The tight confines of Martinsville Speedway proved challenging for some as new rivalries were ignited and older ones brought back to life. Yet, some championship hopefuls escaped with little more than a scratch and one driver – unfulfilled by last week’s restrictor plate …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500

2014 Martinsville Ii Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Burnout Cia

Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Key Moment – During the caution flag that flew for the third incident between Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers on lap 278, Steve Letarte realized that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was going to restart in the fourth position, which would have put him in the outside line. Letarte called Earnhardt in, put four tires on his …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville

2014 Martinsville Cup Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Grandfather Clock Credit Cia

Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Looking for the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How behind Sunday’s race? Amy Henderson has you covered each week with the answers to six race-day questions, covering all five Ws and even the H… the Big Six. Who… gets my shoutout of the race? At the end, staying out on the final caution while …

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Happiness Is… Talladega, Teamwork, Safety, and Beer

2014 Aaron's 499 Talladega Superspeedway Sprint Cup Mike Neff

Credit: Mike Neff

So that’s that, eh?  Let it now be known, that in NASCAR, you can drive around like a complete asstaco and there’s not much they’ll do to you — unless you’re a backmarker and they’d like to make an example out of you but don’t really want to punish a superstar because that might piss …

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Fantasy Insider: Taking The Talladega Gamble

2014 Chicago Cup Dale Earnhardt Jr Car Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

It’s a race that real NASCAR teams and fantasy NASCAR owners as well have been anticipating and dreading at the same time. The restrictor plate race at Talladega Sunday could likely be the best of times and worst of times for teams. With such significant drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski …

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Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart Penalized for Charlotte Postrace Actions

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

On Tuesday afternoon, NASCAR announced that Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart will be penalized for actions taken at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday evening following the Bank of America 500. Keselowski had been fined $50,000, while Stewart will receive discipline of $25,000. Both drivers will also be on probation until Nov. 12 – spanning …

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The Frontstretch Five: Reasons NASCAR Blew the Penalties for the Charlotte Fracas

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Welcome to the Frontstretch Five, a brand-new column for 2014! 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 says that NASCAR made a …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Chase or No Chase, Using Car as a Weapon is Still Wrong

2014 Charlotte Ii Kurt Busch Brad Keselowski Racing Credit Yvonne Leonard

Credit: Yvonne Leonard

Drama. Brad Keselowski. Those two seem to go hand-in-hand, don’t they? In fact, the two were a perfect match last Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as Keselowski managed to tick off no less than three drivers by the end of the night. He even lit the fuse of the generally mild-mannered Matt Kenseth, with a …

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Voices from the Cheap Seats: NASCAR Still Years Behind the NFL

2014 Bristol Ii Cup Brad Keselowski Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

While Brian France has made great strides to make auto racing akin to stick-and-ball sports, he still has a long way to go. Brad Keselowski, however, helped narrow that gap by quite a margin with his post race meltdown last Saturday night. As has been evidenced by the sports news, especially this past year, we …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: How ESPN Can Be a Victim of… Itself?

2014 Richmond Ii Cup Tony Stewart Racing Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The fall race week at Charlotte Motor Speedway is the NASCAR equivalent of homecoming week. Heck, we even had a Powder Puff event (the Better Half Dash) on Thursday night. With that in mind, putting on a good show at home is crucial for NASCAR. By extension, it’s important for NASCAR’s TV partners to be …

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