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Davids Beating Goliaths: Plate Racing And The Great Equalizer

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Daytona and Talladega have been considered major equalizers in NASCAR’s national series for many years. Sure, the guys who you’d expect to win tend to do so, but that’s not before a couple of underdogs who challenge for the victory in some capacity, either eventually scoring solid finishes or wrecking out trying to do it.

Sunday night didn’t change that trend forever, but it did throw a real wrench into the equation. Front Row Motorsports _won_ a NASCAR race.

Nationwide Breakdown: Aaron’s 312

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It’s not often NASCAR races threaten to be called by sunset, especially with many tracks having installed lights. But when an afternoon event is delayed three hours due to rainy weather, these things tend to happen.

Not that Regan Smith probably minds. After NASCAR cut the race by ten laps Saturday, with looming darkness while a late crash by Joey Coulter dragged the event further into black skies, Smith made a daredevil move coming into the tri-oval on the final lap. As he dove to the inside, several cars wrecked behind him, but Smith pulled ahead right at the point of caution, winning the Aaron’s 312(ish).

Want A Real Rivalry? It’ll Come From Respect

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After a pair of incidents that ended with torn-up race cars and hurt feelings (not to mention Denny Hamlin’s hurt back) it seems as though the Hamlin-Joey Logano spat is the latest in a line of mini-rivalries to crop up when two drivers just can’t seem to stay away from each other on the racetrack. Before that, there was Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer, culminating in an ugly ending at Phoenix. It seems as though every time two drivers are angry with each other after a race, people want to make the incident into a brewing, long-term rivalry for the ages. The only problem is… they aren’t.

NASCAR needs a rivalry, and it’s certainly easy to see two drivers feuding and to cultivate that into something it’s simply never going to be.

IndyCar In-Depth: Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300

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*What’s News?*

Longtime series participants Dreyer & Reinbold Racing have announced the No. 22 car driven by Oriol Servia will continue to run through the Indianapolis 500; then, the team will be shutting down with hopes of regrouping for a return in 2014. Servia finished sixth in Long Beach and will be running in Sao Paulo this weekend; however, his plans beyond this month are unknown. DRR formed a strategic alliance with Panther Racing prior to the Indy 500 last season and notes that Panther’s operations will be unaffected by this decision.

Four Burning Questions For Talladega: Passing, Plate Racing, Denny & Danica

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It’s big. It’s bad. It’s fast. It’s Talladega. That’s where the traveling road show that is the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is headed this week, and just like any other time the series heads to the behemoth, 2.66-mile facility there is plenty to talk about heading into the race. Richmond continued the dramatic, feud-filled theme that has run rampant throughout the 2013 season, and the race even brought us a few surprises along the way, namely the resurgence of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and the ongoing downward spiral of Tony Stewart. In other news, Denny Hamlin is making a (partial) return this week, while his JGR team continues to rebound from the levy of penalties placed on them after Kansas. However, the main focus of this weekend of course (like any other time we visit a plate track) will be on how the cars will compete on Sunday. Will the racing be improved from the last plate race in Daytona? That is a seriously burning question that will undoubtedly be the center of discussion as we edge closer to Sunday’s Aaron’s 499.

Frontstretch Foto Funnies: Dude, That’s Just Gross…

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_Welcome to the Frontstretch Foto Funnies! Ever see a photo that’s just begging for a caption? We see them all the time! Each week, we’ll pick a few, then let our staff give it their best shot. We’ll post the best ones for you!_

_Want to get in on the fun? Each week, we’ll also designate one of the photos for fan captions. Leave your best ideas in the comments below or on our “Facebook page.”:https://www.facebook.com/Frontstretch We’ll choose our favorite one and reprint the photo next week with its new caption!_

Talladega Teardown: Notes To Know For Sunday

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Here’s some quick facts to get you ready for Sunday’s 188-lap showdown in Alabama. NASCAR’s largest track on the circuit, it’ll be the second of four plate races on the schedule for 2013.

– Some say *Dale Earnhardt, Jr.,* who was second in this year’s Daytona 500 is “overdue” for a plate race win. Not so fast.