Ava Ladner – Page 41

Happiness Is… Hot Head Stevens, Statistics & Making an Entrance

July 24, 2014 Ava Ladner

Darrell Wallace Jr. passes under the checkered flag to claim the Mudsummer Classic Credit: Mike Neff

More weeknight racing, please. Other Frontstretchers have asserted that nighttime races aren’t as good as the daytime events. That’s fine, and Sunday afternoons have their place, but maybe not every week, and Wednesday’s truck race showed how likeable mid-week racing can be. As NASCAR continues to stick its head in the sand about making any …

Open Wheel Wednesday: WTH Was That

July 23, 2014July 22, 2014 Ava Ladner

2014 IndyCar Toronto 1 failed start attempt

The IndyCar Series has been somewhat lucky so far this year. Unlike the monster that is motorsports in the U.S., NASCAR, the open wheel series had managed to avoid one of those things that aggravates holding competition: rain. For a racing series that needs all the positives it can get, being able to run the …

Happiness Is…Ford, Foreign Countries and Getting Paid

July 17, 2014 Ava Ladner

Joey Logano and Morgan Shepherd spin at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (Credit: CIA)

It’s time to hammer down on NASCAR’s superficial Topic of the Week, sponsored by Prune Candy. For this week’s edition, it’s the Joey Logano – Morgan Shepherd incident. Heard enough about it? Read enough about it? Any fan of the sport should be able to check the Yes box on that one. Much of the …

IndyCar Preview: Honda Indy Toronto – 2 in TO

July 17, 2014 Ava Ladner

Last week’s race at Iowa came across as quite the show. It featured good racing, a brainfart or two, and a strategic move that determined the winner. When Ryan Hunter-Reay came into the pits for four fresh Firestones, no one anticipated that he’d be able to make his way to the front as easily as …

Pace Laps: NASCAR Innovation, IndyCar Iowa, and More

July 14, 2014 Ava Ladner

Joey Logano and Morgan Shepherd spin at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (Credit: CIA)

Did you miss an event during this busy week in racing? How about a late-night press release, an important sponsorship rumor, or a juicy piece of news? If you did, you’ve come to the right place! Each Monday, The Frontstretch will break down the racing, series by series, to bring you the biggest stories that …

Happiness Is… Silly Season, Tweaks & Juan Pablo Montoya

July 10, 2014 Ava Ladner

(Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photo, Inc.)

The Coke Zero 400 is but a distant memory and it is barely a week old. That race often sits as the wonderful spectacle that marks a sense of the midpoint of the season while marrying itself to the country’s holiday party, particularly with its old name, the Firecracker 400. Yet this one fell flat. …

Pace Laps: First-Time Winners, Long-Time Winners and Ferrari’s Forgettable Race

July 6, 2014 Ava Ladner

2014 Daytona II CUP Ricky Stenhouse Jr Jimmie Johnson Davod Ragan racing CIA

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

Happiness Is… Vacation, Luck & Making Friends

July 3, 2014 Ava Ladner

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Ahhh. It’s time for a pause. One of those moments of reflection or something like that. People who practice yoga might consider it a time to get centered. Those who are taking a different path to enlightenment might feel it’s time to grab a beer and change the channel. Duly noted. One of the things …

IndyCar Preview: Pocono INDYCAR 500 Fueled by Sunoco

July 3, 2014 Ava Ladner

The INDYCAR schedule is keeping its drivers up on the wheel. The series will have gone from the Texas oval to the street course of Houston and now to the testy triumvirate of turns better known as Pocono. The variety of tracks is an under-appreciated aspect of the tests that the drivers must face to …

Pace Laps: Tire Problems, Harvick’s Nationwide Win and Busch Fails Inspection

June 30, 2014June 29, 2014 Ava Ladner

2014 IndyCar Houston Race 1 Huertas woohoo

Carlos Huertas grabbed his first win in the first of a double-header in Houston over the weekend.

Happiness Is…Thursday Night Racing, Sand, and Houston

June 27, 2014June 26, 2014 Ava Ladner

2014 Sonoma CUP Kyle Busch Clint Bowyer CIA

(Credit: CIA)

Happiness Is usually prattles on about some kind of something or other to open each column. It’s an opportunity to hit on something that might not fit into the usual points. This week there’s none of that fluffy crap to get things going. It’s just the good ol’ stuff that brings about a smirk. Let’s …

Happiness Is… Jimmie Johnson, Road Courses & More Road Courses

June 19, 2014 Ava Ladner

The dive into Turn One at Road America has become one of the more iconic images in NASCAR, and a saving grace for the Nationwide Series -- and for good reason. Why aren't Cup cars running here as well?

Angriness Is, brother to Happiness Is, sent a text after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ Michigan race last weekend that summed up everything in a more succinct fashion than us purported wordsmiths could: “What did fathers do to deserve that f*^#ing race?” Yup. As entertainment, races are supposed to be some form of escape and …