Race Weekend Central

Bowles-Eye View: NASCAR Team Orders, Be Damned

So much bad press has come out this year surrounding the consolidation of power within NASCAR Sprint Cup racing. The Big Four of Jack Roush, Richard Childress, Joe Gibbs and Rick Hendrick own three cars apiece in this year’s Chase, the only ones capable of making noise at the top during a year in which …

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Bowles-Eye View: Another Playoff Opener, Another Chase Cinderella – Why We Should’ve Guessed Greg Biffle

OK, altogether now. The winner of Sunday’s race at New Hampshire was… Carl Edwards? Nope. Kyle Busch? Heck no. Jimmie Johnson? Nah, he finished second. Jeff Burton? Clint Bowyer? Denny Hamlin? No. No. No! It’s Greg Biffle, guys. Greg Biffle. Just think about how many names most fans would have gone through if they didn’t …

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Bowles-Eye View: The Kyle Busch – Carl Edwards Rivalry Gains Steam, But Do the Fans Love It?

There were differing opinions on the quality of racing Saturday night; but if we learned anything from the new Bristol that everyone can agree on, it’s that the Kyle Busch – Carl Edwards battle is officially the sport’s newest rivalry. With one angry swipe on the cool-down lap – and one angry slam hit in …

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Bowles-Eye View: Carl Edwards Had to Win Duel Against Kyle Busch – Now, the Real Showdown Lies Ahead

Carl Edwards was happy as could be in victory lane at Michigan; and why not? A weekend sweep at the track left him the toast of the Nationwide and Cup Series garages – at least until NASCAR hits Bristol’s high banks later this week. But once a reporter in the press room asked about his …

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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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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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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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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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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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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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