Race Weekend Central

Fanning the Flames: The Stats Don’t Lie… Consistency Wins NASCAR Titles

I hate numbers. I’m a step behind in any discussion that requires a working knowledge of simple multiplication, division, algebra in any form; heck, I’ll even throw subtraction in there (for some reason, I don’t have an addition problem). That’s why it’s so odd that I love stats. Not statistics, mind you, but stats. Well, …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: Keeping Martinsville Mayhem Off Your Team

The new and modern way of determining a series champion heads to the racetrack that has been on the Cup schedule the longest as it travels to southern Virginia for the second and final trip to Martinsville. Fantasy gamers are once again on edge because they face the daunting possibility that their driver can be …

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Thompson in Turn 5: As News From Detroit Worsens, Changes for NASCAR Are Inevitable

In these troubled times we live in, the average American citizen is worried about the ramifications of a $750 billion economic bailout. But what about the NASCAR big wigs down in Charlotte and Daytona? They’re worried the money that forms the lifeblood of their sport just won’t flat out bail. Indeed, NASCAR team owners supported …

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Top 10 Recent Understatements by NASCAR-Affiliated Personnel (With Commentary!)

10. “It was great to see the front and sniff a little bit of the lead of the race with 25 [laps] to go.” – Kurt Busch (Oooo, that smell! Can’t ya smell that smell?!) 9. “Everyone at Roush Fenway runs well. I mean, all of my teammates run well every single week… so I …

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Mirror Driving: Sorting Out Jeff Burton’s Title Hopes, the Harvick-Edwards Fracas & 28-Car Fields

This week’s race at Charlotte saw another shuffle in the point standings, as Jeff Burton took over the second spot. Is Burton, with just two wins on the season, a realistic title threat, or will it take more than that to bring home the Cup?

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Edition

This week’s race was a crucial one for a number of teams who ran into problems last week at Talladega. One of those contenders – the No. 99 of Carl Edwards – saw similar luck this weekend, when electrical issues forced him to lose a number of laps en route to a 33rd-place finish. But …

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Talking NASCAR TV: ESPN Finally Points the Camera Lens Beyond the Chasers

The Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte did not produce many exciting storylines besides the weekly plight of the Chasers. ESPN reported on the state of these drivers well, however, and also made a move in the race’s first half that went above and beyond that coverage. As stated many times …

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10 Points to Ponder… After the 2008 Bank of America 500 at Charlotte

1. Unrest in Detroit – It is being heavily rumored that talks have taken place between Chrysler and General Motors involving GM acquiring Chrysler’s automotive manufacturing business. Also, the Wall Street Journal has reported that the idea of a Ford/GM merger has likewise been bandied about. If the deal goes through, there’s no telling what …

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Bubble Breakdown: Scott Riggs, Michael Waltrip Securing Spots for Their Teams in Top 35

Lowe’s Motor Speedway was the venue Saturday night in Concord, N.C., for the running of the Bank of America 500. With just six races remaining in the ’08 season, the bubble teams should now look at each race as a qualifying attempt for next year’s Daytona 500. Struggling teams have trouble finding funding, and without …

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Happy Hour: Goodyear Mounting an Increasingly Poor Reputation

After the tire explosions at Talladega and with the Cup Series coming to Charlotte, a track that has had its own share of tire problems, it’s an opportunity to expound on what has become an all too well-known problem with NASCAR races: inadequate tires. That said, I’m going to tell the story of my first …

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Driven to the Past: Sometimes the Guy That Crosses the Line 1st…

All the uproar over the Talledega finish got me to thinking about the past again. As for the finish itself, we’ve been all over that in back-and-forth emails between Frontstretch contributors, and I don’t think this is the place for my personal opinion since it isn’t supposed to be editorial commentary. The idea is to …

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