Race Weekend Central

Bubble Breakdown: It’s All Good for AJ Allmendinger After Securing Slot in Top 35

After rain washed out Friday’s qualifying, this weekend’s road race at Watkins Glen was set by owner points – a decision that turned out to be a double-edged sword for our faithful set of bubble dwellers. On the plus side, all 43 full-time teams qualified without the risk of being knocked off by road-course ringers …

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Bowles-Eye View: JJ Yeley Proved Nice Guys Sometimes Do Finish Last

By all accounts, JJ Yeley is one heck of a nice guy. I haven’t dealt with him directly during my three-year tenure on the NASCAR beat, but he’s known to be funny, relaxed, excitable, and just an all-around good person. Too bad that reputation couldn’t translate into on-track success in a stock car. Yeley was …

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Did You Notice? NASCAR & Politics, Raining on Goodyear & Penske’s Nasty Divorce

Did You Notice? That on the heels of Barack Obama’s decision to withdraw his sponsorship of a Sprint Cup car – remember, Pocono was the weekend he was supposed to put his name on the side of the No. 49 BAM Racing Toyota – another political party was spotted making waves at the Speedway. Presumptive Republican …

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Bowles-Eye View: Wanna Make This Year’s NASCAR Chase? You Better Be Lucky

Years from now, NASCAR historians will tell a Pocono tale of one rain delay, two races and three drivers getting some very lucky prayers answered by Mother Nature – and by their fuel tanks. Is that what’s supposed to be the deciding factor in who plays for the series title and who doesn’t? That’s not …

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Did You Notice? Teresa Earnhardt’s Silence, NASCAR’s Ugly Economy & Points Racing at Indy?

Did You Notice? That in the ugly aftermath of the Martin Truex Jr. situation – in which a report was planted suggesting he had already signed a two-year deal to remain at DEI – Teresa Earnhardt has yet to speak up about what’s going on. And that’s important, because the future of the very organization she …

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Did You Notice? A Sorenson of Discontent, Brickyard Blues & the Wood Brothers Crumbling?

Did You Notice? One of the differences between the Brickyard 400 now versus when it began in 1994 is the absence of open-wheel drivers and other various one-off teams trying to take a chance at making the race. With the advent of the Top-35 rule – combined with the rising costs of doing business – it …

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Bowles-Eye View: NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2008 – Where Are We Now?

At the beginning of the year, Frontstretch asked our staff of nearly two dozen writers a handful of questions that we thought would develop into the major storylines within NASCAR in 2008. It was a potpourri of pressing stories, predicting anything from the future of the sport’s Most Popular Driver to the mindset of its …

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Did You Notice? Greg Zipadelli’s Class, JJ Yeley’s Free Pass & Ryan Newman’s No No

Did You Notice? That, to me the man who showed the most class of all during the Tony Stewart – Joe Gibbs – Haas CNC Racing saga is Greg Zipadelli. Here’s a man who’s been paired with Stewart through thick and thin for the past decade, providing the foundation needed for his driver to mature into …

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Bowles-Eye View: 2 Busch Brothers, 2 Careers Headed in Opposite Directions

Two brothers, two talents… two careers headed in opposite directions. As the confetti rained down in victory lane Saturday night, 23-year-old Kyle Busch basked in the glory of a seventh win, enjoying another watershed moment in what’s become a career-defining season in the Sprint Cup Series. Indeed, it’s been a year no one could have …

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Did You Notice? The Busch-Edwards Rivalry That Isn’t, Truex’s Public Posturing & Touting Terry Labonte?

Did You Notice? In a story I first broke last April to many doubters, ESPN.com confirmed Tuesday night Tony Stewart will indeed leave Joe Gibbs Racing after a decade and jump ship to Haas CNC. Things remained on track almost exactly as I reported – Stewart will own a 50% share in the organization, with the …

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