Race Weekend Central

Nitro Shots: How Do You Make Championships Exciting?

Nhra 2018 Las Vegas Steve Torrence Championship Courtesy Nhra Media

There’s still one more race left in the 2018 Mello Yello Series season, but one championship has already been awarded and a second is really just a matter of the driver just showing up in Pomona. Steve Torrence collected his Top Fuel championship trophy in Las Vegas, while Tanner Gray just needs to show up …

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Pace Laps: 2018 NASCAR Championship Down To Three Men?

#78: Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing, Toyota Camry Bass Pro Shops/5 Hour Energy Wins Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Martin Truex Jr. Punches Back Against Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch Reigning champion Martin Truex Jr. hasn’t had it easy this season. At one point, he wrecked three times in four races during a stretch from Texas to Talladega. “Last year, I felt like we couldn’t do anything wrong,” he said. “This …

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Nitro Shots: The NHRA’s Youth Movement

Nhra 2016 Gainesville Brittany Force John Force Wally Courtesy Nhra Media

Getting young people involved in drag racing to insure the future of the sport has been a recurring topic of discussion. Many of the stars driving in the NHRA Mello Yello Professional categories today are in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s. Those drivers have expressed concern for the future of the sport once they all …

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Nitro Shots: The Cruelty of Loss

Nhra 2016 Leah Pritchett Car On Track Courtesy Nhra Media

First, my apologies for missing last week’s installment. Technology is great when it works, not so great when it doesn’t. Now to the business at hand. Loss can come in several forms and it’s not usually a word one wants to associate with motorsports. It came in two forms this week. Sadly, reigning PDRA Top …

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Nitro Shots: Does Experience Trump Youth and Enthusiasm?

Nhra 2015 Drew Skillman With Wally Courtesy Of Geiger Media

(Photo: Geiger Media)

Voting is underway to determine the 2015 Auto Club Road to the Future Award winner in NHRA, aka the Rookie of the Year, as noted in our Pace Laps column the other day. One of our readers made an interesting observation about the six rookie drivers under consideration for the award. The nominees are John …

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Nitro Shots: As the Pro Stock World Turns

Nhra 2015 Indianapolis Pro Stock Final Enders Skillman Courtesy Chevy Pr

Photo Credit: Chevrolet PR

The last time we touched upon Pro Stock, I said there would be more to come on that subject. Management here at Fronstretch expressed some displeasure that I left the “when” on that open-ended, but I argue it’s not entirely my fault because that story is still very much in play. Many rumors are running …

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Nitro Shots: Another Update For Your Scorecard

Nhra 2015 Charlotte Don Schumacher Shawn Langdon Credit Toni Montgomery

(Photo: Toni Montgomery, Frontstretch)

Here’s how it shakes out in case you’ve missed it: Just prior to the U.S. Nationals, Don Schumacher Racing parted ways with driver Spencer Massey. Last week, sponsorless Alan Johnson Racing announced they would not run the remaining races in 2015. The next day, a deal was announced that put AJR driver Shawn Langdon in …

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Nitro Shots: Playoffs & Championships

2015 Nhra Indianapolis Us Nationals Crowd Shot Courtesy Nhra Media

Photo Credit: NHRA Media

The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals marked the end of the “regular season” while the upcoming Carolina Nationals kick off the start of the “playoffs,” if you want to look at it in stick-and-ball terms. This is a topic that always inspires debate. Many purists find formats like the Countdown to be contrived, gimmicks created to manufacture …

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Nitro Shots: The Pro Stock Edition

Zmax Dragway Carolina Nationals V Gaines 2014 Mike Neff 016

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Sometimes things just fall together. Pro Stock report cards were on tap for this week and to go along with it, that’s where the bulk of the news seems to be coming from too. Combine that with stealing the show in the finals last weekend at Denver, and it’s just been a Pro Stock kind …

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Nitro Shots: Report Card Time

Zmax Dragway Carolina Nationals Clay Millican 2014 Mike Neff 076

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

Back in the first column of the season, after some disappointing starts to the year for a handful of drivers, we declared that one bad race does not a bad season make. That’s true. One of the drivers who got out of the blocks slow was Jack Beckman, and it’s worked out all right for …

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Nitro Shots: NHRA Deserves Better from TV Partner

Nhra 2015 Topeka Richie Crampton Car Courtesy Geiger Media

Photo Courtesy: Geiger Media

Each year, the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is the Greatest Day in Racing. Every fan knows it. You can start your day with Formula 1 and the Monaco Grand Prix, then follow that with the Indy 500 for INDYCAR and the Coca-Cola 600 for NASCAR. For the really devoted there’s a fourth event, the …

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