Race Weekend Central

Voices From the Heartland: Despite Claims & Regardless of Guilt, NASCAR’s Drug Policy Fails

Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this article, I want to apologize to my readers for some headaches that it may induce. You see, I am going to be including quotes from NASCAR CEO Brian France. In case you have not experienced these before, I would advise you read the following far …

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Fanning the Flames: NASCAR’s Trifecta of Current Events

We’ve got some in-depth stuff this week, so I’ll keep the opening thoughts short. Actually, they’ll be non-existent. So take a guess as to what we’re starting with. Q: I have read several articles about Kyle Busch‘s poor behavior, but seeing him tonight bash the Gibson guitar on the floor twice is the lowest I …

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Thompson in Turn 5: Kyle Busch Back on Track to 200 Wins?

Kyle Busch’s guitar-smashing antics in victory lane following his NASCAR Nationwide Series win at Nashville Superspeedway seems to have captured the lion’s share of attention after a busy and newsworthy weekend of NASCAR racing. In fact, his questionable victory celebration overshadowed even the fact that the Federated Auto Parts 300 win was Busch’s 51st NASCAR …

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Frontstretch Fantasy Insider: Finding What Luck Is Left in Michigan’s Irish Hills

As the Sprint Cup Series turns to the Michigan International Speedway, teams and fans alike will find themselves in the faces of America’s former automotive giants, harshly reminded of the economic tumult that has driven the country into a deep recession. Speaking of giants, look for NASCAR’s giant teams to dominate the weekend. Michigan’s long, …

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Mirror Driving: Judging Double-File Restarts, Benson’s Pink Slip, & of Course… Busch & Earnhardt

The latest casualty of the economy is reigning Camping World Truck Series champ Johnny Benson, whose team will shut down effective immediately.

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2009 Pocono 500 Edition

Sunday was a long day in Long Pond, Pa., as only a few teams really had their cars hooked up to handle the tricky triangle that is Pocono Raceway. While positive storylines like the implementation of double-file restarts and Tony Stewart’s march from the back of the pack to win his first race as an …

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Fan’s View: Tony Stewart – Rising Above a Checkered Past Into This Fan’s Heart

It’s always interesting to watch several races in a weekend. Different cars, storylines and personalities combine to snag my attention for hours on end. Perhaps the greatest display of diverse action appeared in two separate victory lanes this weekend. After Saturday’s Nationwide race, the stands at Nashville nearly fell down with the echoes of boos …

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5 Points to Ponder: Nashville/Pocono 2009 Edition

Kyle Busch is about as “Rock ‘N Roll” as Clay Aiken Add Saturday night’s guitar-smashing episode to the long list of reasons why a number of NASCAR fans absolutely hate Kyle Busch. The victory lane celebration left musicians everywhere cringing at the sight of a custom Gibson Les Paul being smashed into oblivion a la …

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Bubble Breakdown: Michael Waltrip Bounces Back With Strong 17th to Solidify Spot in Top 35

If you make the long and winding drive down Long Pond Drive you’ll come upon the speedway in the woods known as Pocono Raceway. In 2008, this track was nothing short of disaster for the bubble teams and 2009 wasn’t much kinder to them. It started Friday when qualifying was rained out, meaning that the …

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Happy Hour’s Best Drivers in NASCAR, Part 1: Drivers #15-11

Being the Official Columnist of NASCAR is not an easy job. It’s not a matter of simply handing over a few million to NASCAR, as with most “official” entities. It takes effort. Column topics must be selected with care as opposed to just hitting the escape key and writing something about Dale Earnhardt Jr. when …

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