Race Weekend Central

Beside the Rising Tide: Pocono, NASCAR’s Problem Child Speedway

2019 Cup Pocono Zach Catanzareti William Byron

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Say what you will about Pocono Raceway and the “unique” challenges it offers both racers and meteorologists, but I’ve never heard it called a “cookie cutter” layout like all those 1.5-mile tri-ovals modeled after Charlotte that now dominate the Cup schedule the way dandelions take over a spring time lawn. I’ve been following this sport …

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Beside the Rising Tide: A Smorgasbord of Racing and the Reasons We Remember

2019 Texas Cup Jimmie Johnson Cockpit Nigel Kinrade Photography

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Editor’s Note: Yes, the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is one of the highlights on my schedule annually. Even the most gluttonous race fan can batten down on three major races, all shown practically back-to-back-to-back in one day. But amidst all the noise, speed, drama and danger the racing serves up, it behooves us to …

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Beside the Rising Tide: 1313 Turkey Court

Nascar Victory Lap & After The Lap

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Editor’s Note: Matt McLaughlin’s off this week. Enjoy one of his classic columns with NASCAR racing at the track he speaks of, Pocono Raceway, just a week-and-a-half away. While I enjoy stock car racing at Pocono, race weekends at the track are also tinged with a bit of melancholy. For more years than I care …

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Beside The Rising Tide: Curses, Foiled Again

2019 Dover Cup Zach Catanzareti Kyle Busch

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

While it was a short week in the NASCAR world with Dover moved to Monday and Kansas run on Saturday night, there was a lot of chatter among the ranks of fans. Unfortunately, little of it had to do with racing, and a lot of what was eventually said about racing wasn’t very positive. I’m …

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Beside the Rising Tide: The Real Dover Monsters

#20: Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Supra Rheem Nascar Xfinity Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Over the weeks and months, stories worthy of comment pass over my desk, and many if not most of them are not significant enough to warrant a column of their own. Thus, occasionally, I feel the need to do a little light housekeeping and gather all these Post-It notes I’ve scrawled into a bundle and …

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Beside The Rising Tide: Hey Kids, Let’s Put On a Show

2019 Talladega Cup Mencs Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

NASCAR has now been staging large professional level automobile races for over seven decades. Still some weekends a careful observer can’t help but feel the sanctioning body is just winging it while hoping for the best. Coming into this weekend, there was much discussion that for the first time since 1988 the Cup cars at …

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Besides The Rising Tide: Remembering NASCAR’s Tim Richmond, Part II

Tim Richmond Pocono Victory Lane Photo

(NASCAR Media)

Remembering Tim Richmond, Part I Tim Richmond was back with the Blue Max team for 1985, though there had been some friction within the team. A lot of people in the know were saying Richmond was a better driver than the equipment he had allowed him to show, while others were beginning to question his …

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Beside the Rising Tide: Remembering NASCAR’s Tim Richmond, Part I

1986 Pocono Raceway Tim Richmond Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

It’s been over two decades now since Tim Richmond last competed in a Winston Cup race. There’s little mention of him in NASCAR’s official literature, and if you’re a new race fan, sadly, you may never even have heard of his name aside from ESPN‘s 30 for 30 documentary a few years back. But for …

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Beside the Rising Tide: Goldilocks and The Three (Quarters of a Mile)

2019 Cup Richmond Zach Catanzareti Kyle Busch

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Sadly there are just three short tracks left on the contemporary NASCAR Cup schedule; Martinsville, Bristol and Richmond. I cherish all three of these racetracks and am blessed to have attended races at all of them, some of the finest races I’ve ever gone to. While all are short tracks obviously each of these venues …

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Beside The Rising Tide: A Look Back At Darrell Waltrip, Part II… ‘The Road To A Rocking Chair’

Nascar Hall Of Fame Induction

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Beside The Rising Tide: A Look Back At Darrell Waltrip, Part I… ‘Lady, I Am The Show’ Potential break Junior might have gotten more than he bargained for when he went to sign his own contracts with Waltrip. Junior was about as old school as anyone left in the sport and he was used to …

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Beside The Rising Tide: A Look Back At Darrell Waltrip, Part I… ‘Lady, I Am The Show’

Nascar Hall Of Fame Induction

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Friends, charlatans, NASCAR fans, I come here today not to praise to Darrell Waltrip but to bury him. OK, that’s a bit harsh. I wish ill upon no one. But last week, three-time NASCAR Cup champion, and the chief architect of NASCAR on FOX’s 19 years of aural terrorism, Darrell Waltrip, announced he’ll be leaving …

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