Race Weekend Central

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland

The Chicagoland race was held at night for the first time in its eight-year history, but the cool temperatures didn’t stop the heated action on the racetrack during the final few laps of the event. Kyle Busch‘s stunning pass of Jimmie Johnson was one for the ages, and his seventh win of the season was …

Read more

Fanning the Flames: Randy Moss, Mark Martin & Those Crazy Flock Brothers

Q: Hi Matt! My husband and I were trying to remember the last time brothers won three straight races before Kyle and Kurt did so. We can’t think of a time it has happened unless Terry and Bobby Labonte did it. Or maybe Kurt and Kyle themselves? Can you help us out? Thanks! – Linda Davis A: …

Read more

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

Daytona International Speedway once again played havoc with drivers over the Fourth of July weekend. As the action heated up late in the race, some couldn’t find help getting to the front, some couldn’t get out of their own way, and some simply couldn’t stomach 400 miles around the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Greg Biffle was one …

Read more

Fanning the Flames: Breaking Down TNT’s Wide Open Coverage

For the second straight year, the Coke Zero 400 from Daytona International Speedway will be broadcast by TNT Saturday night using a concept called “Wide Open Coverage.” You remember last year, right? The split-screen coverage of commercials and racing action that had been so successfully used in the IRL – from a fan’s standpoint, anyway …

Read more

Mirror Driving: The Busch-Montoya Scuffle, a Silly Season Shuffle & Saving the Truck Series With… the IRL?

Welcome to Mirror Driving. Every week, your favorite columnists sit down and give their opinion about the latest NASCAR news and rumors. Love us or hate us, make a comment below and tell us how you feel about what we’ve said! This Week’s Participants: Tony Lumbis (Mondays/Rookie Report) Vito Pugliese (Tuesdays/Voice of Vito) Mike Neff (Wednesdays/Power Rankings & …

Read more

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at Loudon

The LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at Loudon was billed as a race that went “the extra mile,” but it’s actually all the miles that didn’t happen which led to a major jumble in both the race – and our Power Rankings. With rain wreaking havoc on the final running order, you had Kurt Busch, Michael …

Read more

Fanning the Flames: Vague NASCAR Rules, Driver Moves & a Long Dry Spell

Thanks for the input this week, folks. The questions continue to keep me busy. Before we get going, I just have to say that I disagree with all the road course bashing I’ve heard over the last week. Was it really that boring at Infineon last Sunday? I thought it was a nice change of …

Read more

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

Sonoma and the wine country of northern California threw more twists and turns at the Cup drivers this weekend than a corkscrew on the hillside – with one glaring exception, of course. It was Kyle Busch who reestablished himself firmly atop the rankings this week, coming off his series high fifth victory of the season. …

Read more

Fanning the Flames: Fueling the Engine Debate, Montoya’s Struggles & Joey Clanton?

Good batch this week, everyone; lots of questions to tackle. Keep ’em coming in. This column doesn’t exist without you. Q: Matt, can you or someone tell the true story of what happened to Joey Clanton and Jack Roush in the Truck Series? If I remember correctly, Joey was a co-driver for some team in …

Read more

Mirror Driving: Junior’s Pace Car Problem, Kyle Busch’s Solution & NASCAR’s Tight-Lipped Meeting

Welcome to Mirror Driving. Every week, your favorite columnists sit down and give their opinion about the latest NASCAR news and rumors. Love us or hate us, make a comment below and tell us how you feel about what we’ve said! This Week’s Participants: Tony Lumbis “(Mondays/Rookie Report) Mike Neff (Wednesdays/Power Rankings & Full Throttle, Thursdays/Picks …

Read more

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 LifeLock 400 at Michigan

The Irish Hills of Michigan once again produced a fuel-mileage finish that will have people buzzing for weeks. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s strategic win – one that came packaged with a little luck – was enough to move him up the rankings. But did he knock off rival Kyle Busch? We’ll tell you this much; for …

Read more

Fanning the Flames: Investing, Qualifying, Red Flagging & NASCAR Team of Destiny

So the deed is finally done, huh? You know, I don’t always know what to think about these “investors,” as we call them, buying into the sport. Doesn’t it give you the sense of buzzards circling a road kill? Do these firms actually plan on sticking with the program, or are they carpetbaggers intent on …

Read more