Race Weekend Central

Beyond the Cockpit: Casey Mears on Routines, RCR & Diapering 101

It’s been an eventful year for Casey Mears. When we last talked with the 31-year-old veteran, he was just beginning a long list of changes that would come to define his 2009 season. Besides mulling a change of scenery – eventually moving from Hendrick Motorsports to RCR this February – Casey was in the midst …

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Talking NASCAR TV: Jerry Punch Mails in the Nationwide Race While TNT Shines

Welcome, race fans. For nearly 50 years, the Fourth of July weekend at Daytona has marked the ceremonial, and in the case of this season, the physical halfway point. The Truck Series took the week off, so it was the Cup and Nationwide series competing at the World Center of Racing this weekend. The Cup …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2009 Daytona Summer Speedweeks Edition

The July 4 bash at Daytona International Speedway literally ended with a bang, as Kyle Busch’s attempt at blocking Tony Stewart from taking the race win sent him bouncing off the frontstretch wall. While the finish stole the headlines, the plights of Chase-contending drivers permeated other post-race storylines. Drivers Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Mark …

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Bowles-Eye View: 2 Scary Wrecks, 1 Busch-League Maneuver & a Lesson in Handling Adversity

Two restrictor-plate races, two last-lap finishes and two frightening crashes. We’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly the last time out at both Daytona and Talladega, with battles for the win turned battles for survival in little more than the blink of an eye. The way these wrecks unfolded were eerily similar, the …

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Bubble Breakdown: Part-Time Schedule Yielding Big-Time Results for Furniture Row Racing

Rain washed out qualifying for Daytona last Friday, meaning the field was set by owner points. This was not good news for our bubble drivers, as the teams outside the Top 35 not only had to start at the rear of the field – they also had to do so in their qualifying setup, as …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Rookies Run Well, But Only Marcos Ambrose Sealed the Deal in Daytona

Joey Logano Start: 21st; Finish: 19th Summary: The leading Rookie of the Year candidate came into Independence Day weekend riding high on momentum after capturing his first career win in New Hampshire. A newly confident Logano, who wrecked out of the Daytona 500 after just 79 laps, appeared determined to make his return to the …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona

Friday night’s (July 3) race at Daytona was shaping up to be a tremendous finish until a messy wreck on lap 96 stopped the battle at the front of the field and scattered debris and rescue equipment all over the 2.5-mile oval. In their infinite wisdom, NASCAR chose not to red flag the race – …

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