Race Weekend Central

Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 CARQUEST 300 at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. – A Nationwide Series regular went to victory lane for the first time in 2009 Saturday night. It only took a lucky caution… and a lot of help from Mother Nature… to finally make it happen. The only car left on the lead lap waiting to pit before green-flag pit stops cycled through, …

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Nuts for Nationwide: Peyton Sellers Ready to Live the Dream, Tackle Lowe’s

There’s no denying it. Any race that runs Charlotte’s crown oval is a very big deal. To any stock car racer from the Southeast, nay, in the country, Lowe’s Motor Speedway truly is a place of significance. And that’s no different for Peyton Sellers, a driver who knows a thing or two about racing in …

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Is Catching Mayfield Enough? NASCAR Should Have No Restraint When It Comes to Drug Testing

Just as Major League Baseball’s new era of drug policing caught perhaps its biggest name yet in Manny Ramirez, just last week NASCAR’s enhanced drug testing policy snared the most notable driver in recent memory for substance abuse in Jeremy Mayfield, a two-time Chase contender and current Sprint Cup owner. After the positive test was …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington

Just another Friday night Nationwide Series race in 2009… or so it seemed. Kyle Busch took the lead early, ran away from the field and stunk up the show at Darlington, leading all but 10 of the laps run in the 200-miler. But despite his best efforts, the 24-year-old did not take one step closer …

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Nuts for Nationwide: In Remembrance of Kevin Grubb

Disregarding the multitude of speculation out there regarding his death, what is known for sure is that the NASCAR community has lost Kevin Grubb, a former Nationwide Series driver. Grubb, 31, was discovered dead in a Richmond, Va.-area hotel, reportedly of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. There has been nothing reported regarding a …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Lipton Tea 250 at Richmond

It was business as usual at Richmond Friday night, as Kyle Busch in his No. 18 ran up front all night, led the most laps and won the race. Busch, who led four times for 115 laps, had little trouble holding off Carl Edwards following a late restart in notching his third victory of the …

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Nuts for Nationwide: NASCAR’s Heroes of Tomorrow Really Are Racing Today

In an interview I did with Mike Bliss at Charlotte last year, the NASCAR Nationwide Series veteran gave me one quote that I have never forgotten during my time covering the Nationwide Series. “Sponsors want that brand name, [a] Carl Edwards, to do all the shows. Well, you can find another driver and build another …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Aaron’s 312 at Talladega

It’s often been said that on a late restart, the last place a driver wants to be is leading a restrictor-plate race. Ryan Newman found that out the hard way on Saturday. Despite playing the ride in the back strategy to perfection all day long after winning the pole Friday and leading at the white-flag …

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Crew Swaps Treat Symptoms, Not Disease, for Nos. 07, 29 Teams

After a thoroughly disappointing start to 2009 for the No. 07 and No. 29 teams, two operations that secured Chase berths in 2008, news broke today that owner Richard Childress has swapped the crew chiefs and crews of both teams in an effort to improve chemistry and performance on the racetrack. On paper, changing things …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix

Friday night’s broadcast from Phoenix was the Kyle and Carl show on TV… and it was literally called that. The first eight minutes of the pre-race show were uninterrupted Kyle vs. Carl, as was the majority of the on-track coverage from flag to flag. Yet, while both drivers led a number of laps, neither driver …

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Nuts for Nationwide: TV Coverage Strangling the NASCAR Nationwide Series

Back when the deal was first announced that ESPN would be returning to NASCAR broadcasting, and would also be giving the Nationwide Series a steady, permanent home, I was absolutely thrilled. What could go wrong here: a network whose Wide World of Sports coverage was largely responsible for NASCAR’s ascension from a niche to a …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Pepsi 300 at Nashville

On a weekend that saw the Nationwide Series take center stage outside Nashville, there was little chance for the Series’ regulars to show their stuff. Instead, yet another Nationwide Series race turned into the battle of JGR and Carl. At least it was exciting. Overcoming early problems with lug-nut glue on pit road, JGR teammates …

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