Race Weekend Central

Fan’s View: NASCAR, Take Your Double-File Restarts to the Back of the Class

OK folks, I’m gonna try not to rant. It’s gonna be difficult, but I will make an effort. Whose idiotic idea was double-file restarts anyway? This sensation sweeping through the highest echelons of our sport seems to indicate we’ve found something new. That is just malarkey… bologna… cow pies… horse apples… choose your favorite colorful …

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5 Points to Ponder: 2009 Lifelock 400 at Chicagoland Edition

Each week, Frontstretch hosts a live blog during the Sprint Cup race. It’s a great way for readers to interact alongside their favorite Frontstretch writers with videos, live commentary and live polls. Each of this week’s “Five Points” were polls taken during the Chicago live blog. ONE: Will Martin Truex Jr. make the Chase in …

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Bubble Breakdown: Late-Race Trouble Negates Good Efforts from Paul Menard & Brad Keselowski

News from the bubble this past week was dominated by the announcement from Michael Waltrip Racing, who not only re-signed primary sponsor NAPA to a multi-year deal but also upgraded the cockpit of the car by signing two-time Busch Series champion and one-time Chase participant Martin Truex Jr. for 2010. Waltrip will drive up to …

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Voices From the Heartland: While Not Required, Sportsmanship Is Still The RIGHT Thing to Do

sports•man•ship Pronunciation: \-ˌship\ Function: noun Date: 1745 : conduct (as fairness, respect for one’s opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing) becoming to one participating in a sport The above is the definition of sportsmanship, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Most of us learn of it and its use when we are children. …

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Fanning the Flames: Jeremy Mayfield’s “Dangerous Precedent” May Serve to Benefit the Sport

Anyone see where former U.S. Figure Skating champion Nicole Bobek was charged in a New Jersey court with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine? (Anyone care?) Wonder if she’ll “follow the dangerous precedent” set forth by Jeremy Mayfield, his appeal and the court’s subsequent injunction? Considering she’s been retired for a while and already in jail, I …

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Thompson in Turn 5: Blocking – It’s Just NASCAR Racing!

Following last Saturday night’s exciting final lap of the Coke Zero 400 from Daytona International Speedway, there has been a renewed call for NASCAR to “do something” to prevent what some view as the just too dangerous practice of ‘blocking’ – a driving maneuver as much a part of stock car racing as rubbing door …

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Frontstretch Fantasy Insider: Cookie-Cuttering, Chicagoland Style

There are few, if any, tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit as sterile as the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway. The epitome of a cookie-cutter oval, there will likely be few, if any, surprises at the front this Saturday night, so make sure you leave your underdog drivers sitting on the bench. Indeed, the big names of …

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Mirror Driving: Changing Plate-Racing Rules, Mayfield’s Murky Future & Truex’s Future Potential

Jeremy Mayfield’s victory in court – winning an injunction that will allow him to race – shed new light on NASCAR’s drug policy. Does the policy need changes?