Race Weekend Central

Bowles-Eye View: As the Cookie Cutter Crumbles – NASCAR’s Intermediate Track Boom Turned Bust

So many are disgusted with the racing that went on Saturday night at Chicagoland (July 11). But to understand the present, we need to take a look at the past, reminding ourselves of the story how tracks like the much-maligned 1.5-mile oval ever came to be in the first place. It was the mid-1990s, and …

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Bowles-Eye View: 2 Scary Wrecks, 1 Busch-League Maneuver & a Lesson in Handling Adversity

Two restrictor-plate races, two last-lap finishes and two frightening crashes. We’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly the last time out at both Daytona and Talladega, with battles for the win turned battles for survival in little more than the blink of an eye. The way these wrecks unfolded were eerily similar, the …

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Bowles-Eye View: All but Forgotten, NASCAR’s Mr. Boring Remains the Team to Beat in This Soap Opera

It’s hard to believe a sport’s most successful athlete can go through a season all but forgotten. But it’s a feeling Jimmie Johnson knows all too well at this point. Heading into Dover this weekend, Johnson didn’t find himself buried amongst the NASCAR news as of late… he hasn’t even made it to the back …

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Bowles-Eye View: Patience Equals Power for Tony Stewart as Both Owner & Driver

He that can have patience, can have what he will. – Benjamin Franklin For over a decade, Tony Stewart was never confused with being a patient man. After all, the driver nicknamed Smoke for his infamous temper tantrums on and off the track won his first Cup title while under probation for punching a track …

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Bowles-Eye View: The Dangers of Taking a Hendrick Dynasty to the Next Level

Dynasty (n.): A group that maintains power for a significant period of time. In America’s major sports, that word used to cause a sellout automatically – just mention it and a certain team in the same sentence. The Yankees, Red Wings, Packers and Celtics have given their stick ‘n’ ball brethren records that may never …

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Bowles-Eye View: Roush’s, Ford’s Rough Start Peaks During Short-Track Slump

There were three big reasons for three of NASCAR’s “Big Four” owners to smile on Saturday night. Joe Gibbs was busy congratulating Kyle Busch in victory lane, his young prodigy scoring a season-leading third win while jumping to fifth in points. Behind him, Hendrick “B” team Stewart-Haas Racing had their owner/driver knocking on the door, …

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Bowles-Eye View: NASCAR’s Dream Turned Nightmare Wrapped Into 1

One of the biggest struggles we have in life is to try and figure out whether our glass is half-empty or half-full. While contemplating Talladega, I think it’s appropriate to look at both. I’m an optimist at heart, so it’s impossible for me to not appreciate the positive of what transpired Sunday afternoon. Before we …

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Bowles-Eye View: Mark Martin’s Rise Leaves Dale Earnhardt Jr. Flat on His Face

This is a story about two men’s historic rise and fall from grace. As Mark Martin took the checkered flag Saturday night, the desert night lit up with thousands of smiling faces. Sentimentality was in the air again at Phoenix International Raceway, a mere two minutes after a 50-year-old won his first race since ‘05 …

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Bowles-Eye View: Travis Kvapil Did Everything Right, but Today’s NASCAR Left Him All Wronged

As too many of you know firsthand, this recession has no filter in taking the innocent and making them innocent victims before they even know what hit them. Men and women who were the stars of their respective companies have gone from Employee of the Month to Employee Out The Door with nothing more than …

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