Race Weekend Central

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Edition

Tire problems provided an interesting twist to this week’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, allowing a number of teams to utilize pit strategy to capture unexpectedly strong finishes. One of those teams, the No. 84 of AJ Allmendinger, came home 10th, giving him his first top 10 and the best two-race stretch of his career. …

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Fan’s View: The Changing of the Guard – Why I’m Smiling for Tony Stewart

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, we couldn’t stop talking about the massive Silly Season upheaval due to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s imminent departure from DEI. There was panic in the streets! Entire wardrobes had to be replaced! Cars underwent new paint jobs. Shrubberies were chopped down. Chaos! Insanity! At the …

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10 Points to Ponder… After the 2008 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard

1. Yuck! – Max Mosley, President of the governing body that oversees Formula 1 racing – the most widely followed form of automobile racing in the world – won a breach or privacy lawsuit against a British tabloid this week. The magazine ran a story about the 68-year old’s sexual escapades that quickly got picked …

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Bubble Breakdown: Hidden Within Indy Madness, Scott Riggs, No. 66 Team Sneak Back Into Top 35

As difficult as Indianapolis Motor Speedway can be for drivers and crew chiefs alike, it proved to be even more difficult for Goodyear engineers on Sunday. With the company’s few racing tires lasting only a handful of laps before showing excessive wear, NASCAR, in the name of safety, was forced to throw competition cautions every …

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Happy Hour: Networks Prop Up NASCAR’s Chase; Real Fans Reject It

In four years of the worst playoff system in recent history to be forced down sports fans’ throats, I still haven’t seen or heard anything resembling a viable argument in favor of the Chase, even from professionals who write about NASCAR for a living. Last week, Terry Blount of ESPN and our own Vito Pugliese …

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Fanning the Flames: Junior Aces 1, Nationwide Notes & a NASCAR History Lesson

As I listened to the Jim Rome Show while sitting at my desk on Tuesday, I cringed when I remembered that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was to be a guest. Don’t get me wrong, I like Junior – I’m no rabid diehard but I’d like to drink a beer with the guy. Thing is, I really …

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Doug Turnbull Mouths Off: Brickyard is Big, But Daytona Still Reigns Supreme

While Matt McLaughlin is enjoying a well-deserved vacation, Frontstretch rookie Doug Turnbull stepped in to share his thoughts on which is the biggest race of the season, the Daytona 500 or the Brickyard 400? Matt will be back next week to give his stance on all of the racing developments at the Brickyard. If you …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: Prepping Your Team for Brickyard Glory

Hopefully, you enjoyed your off weekend and your fantasy team got well rested – because man, will they wind up needing that break. This weekend’s Brickyard 400 kicks off a grueling 17-race stretch to championship weekend at Homestead, and it’s time to get everything geared up and ready to go for the fantasy home stretch. …

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Voices From the Heartland: Racing at Its Best in the Gateway to the West

It had been four years since I last visited the great city of St. Louis. At that time, I attended a (then) Busch Series race at Gateway International Raceway, which turned into a most memorable time! After all the events that transpired then, I never imagined that another trip to St. Louis could ever top …

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Mirror Driving: Busch the Bad Boy vs. Earnhardt the Popular, Penalties & Judging JTG

Welcome to Mirror Driving. Every week, your favorite columnists sit down and give their opinion about the latest NASCAR news and rumors. Love us or hate us, make a comment below and tell us how you feel about what we’ve said! This Week’s Participants: Tom Bowles (Editor-in-Chief; Mondays/Bowles-Eye View & Wednesdays/Did You Notice?) Tony Lumbis (Mondays/Rookie Report) …

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Talking NASCAR TV: ESPN Needs to Learn From Mistakes to Improve 2008 NASCAR Coverage

The third network to cover the Sprint Cup Series takes their turn at glory this week, as ESPN/ABC begins their NASCAR coverage at the historic Brickyard on Sunday, July 27. The final 17-week stretch to finish off the year follows a 21-race schedule that was covered by both FOX and TNT. Those networks had their …

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