Race Weekend Central

Bowles-Eye View: Halfway Through & Nothing’s Changed – Kyle Busch Still a Man on a Mission

So much has been written about Kyle Busch these last five months as he’s ascended to the top of the Sprint Cup circuit. But in the midst of all the criticism, the occasional contentiousness, and the challenges that have defined his season, there’s one thing for Busch that hasn’t changed: his success rate. Late on …

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Did You Notice? Kyle Busch Throws Away the Win, NASCAR’s Discrimination Lawsuit Stalemate & Jeremy Mayfield: MIA

Did You Notice? That in the wake of Kyle Busch’s scuffle with Juan Pablo Montoya in New Hampshire, nobody’s realizing that Busch shouldn’t have been back there in the first place? Call me crazy, but wasn’t the man supposed to be utilizing strategy, pitting with some backmarkers on lap 219 to try and stretch his fuel …

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Bowles-Eye View: Casey Mears Almost Had It All… But Almost Doesn’t Cut It

One third of the way through Sunday’s race, it looked like a little luck was shining Casey Mears’s way. Just days removed from a crushing blow to his career, he looked to follow up his pending release from Hendrick Motorsports with an upset trip to victory lane. He almost had it, too… with the keyword …

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Did You Notice? Kevin Harvick’s Drought, Dario Franchitti on the Outs & DEI Losing Its Clout?

Did You Notice? That in expanding my short and sweet column from Monday, Kevin Harvick’s winless streak in Cup racing – as Danny Peters so dutifully pointed out is up to 51 races, with his last points-paying win occurring at the 2007 Daytona 500? Wait a minute… isn’t that the disputed Daytona 500 for the ages, …

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Bowles-Eye View: Kevin Harvick Victimizes Chase Chances While Creating Innocent Victims of McMurray, Stewart

The last time the Cup Series visited a road course, the enduring image was of Kevin Harvick getting in Juan Pablo Montoya’s face. It was a comical confrontation, a fit of frustration after Harvick thought Montoya wrecked him out of the race. While the conduct was hardly professional, Harvick did have the perfect excuse for …

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Did You Notice? The Father’s Day Love for Earnhardt, Sorenson’s Pending Pink Slip, & Goofus & Gallant

Did You Notice? And I know it’s been mentioned countless times already, but three days later I still can’t get over the irony of Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning his first race for Rick Hendrick on Father’s Day. The bond these two share has been well-documented, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize what was …

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Bowles-Eye View: Road Course Ringers Running Short On Wins

Max Papis. Brian Simo. Ron Fellows. This weekend, some of the most accomplished road racing veterans will once again descend upon Infineon Raceway in a stock car, looking to translate success from other series into an upset victory on their biannual tour around the Sprint Cup circuit. There’s just one problem; barring a miracle, every …

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Did You Notice? Nice Guys Finish Last, NASCAR’s Diversity Nightmare & Chase Vulnerability

Did You Notice? That one of the compelling themes in NASCAR as of late is proof of the phrase, “Nice guys finish last?” David Reutimann is the latest example; known as a man who won’t bump anyone out of the way in order to get to the front, Reutimann got loose with Clint Bowyer oh-so-close behind …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 Pocono 500 at Pocono Edition

Pit strategy, pit strategy and more pit strategy; in what became a 500-mile parade with little passing, Pocono’s race became won or lost by the men behind the wall. For those who made the right calls at the right times, a final restart on lap 181 put them in perfect position to succeed; for others, …

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Bowles-Eye View: Kasey Kahne Leads Charge, But Chase Hopefuls Brian Vickers, Kurt Busch Steal Headlines

This weekend at Pocono began with the Sprint Cup points leader front and center, as Kyle Busch attempted the vaunted “tripleheader” – three races, three cities, three days – with Sunday’s 500-miler the biggest crown jewel of them all. But by the end, it was Busch who was pushed to the back pages, his late-spring …

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Did You Notice? Family Favoritism, Biting the Hand That Feeds You & NASCAR Statistical Silliness?

Did You Notice? That halfway through NASCAR’s regular season, not a single person in the top 12 in points is a first-time Chase participant? We can expand that out to individual teams, too, as each of their car owners has been Chase bound as recently as 2006. Here’s a breakdown of the numbers by team: Joe …

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Bowles-Eye View: For 2 NASCAR Champs, a Little Game of Perception Versus Reality

Coming off of Dover, the latest NASCAR buzz continued to center around the budding Kyle Busch – Carl Edwards rivalry – and rightfully so. Finishing 1-2 on Sunday (with Busch on top) proved rather appropriate considering both drivers’ perch on top of the Sprint Cup wins ladder – halfway through the regular season, they’ve combined …

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