Race Weekend Central

Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Lipton Tea 250 at Richmond

It was business as usual at Richmond Friday night, as Kyle Busch in his No. 18 ran up front all night, led the most laps and won the race. Busch, who led four times for 115 laps, had little trouble holding off Carl Edwards following a late restart in notching his third victory of the …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: 2nd & 3rd Fiddle Sharing 1 Bow is a Sour NASCAR Note

I think it’s one of Murphy’s Laws (Murphy, I never knew you, but you were one hell of a pessimist, huh?) that just when you think things couldn’t get any worse, someone surprises you. Of course, this is NASCAR we’re talking about, the sanctioning body that has come up with so ways to fix something …

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Nuts for Nationwide: NASCAR’s Heroes of Tomorrow Really Are Racing Today

In an interview I did with Mike Bliss at Charlotte last year, the NASCAR Nationwide Series veteran gave me one quote that I have never forgotten during my time covering the Nationwide Series. “Sponsors want that brand name, [a] Carl Edwards, to do all the shows. Well, you can find another driver and build another …

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Mirror Driving: Keselowski’s Sprint Cup Future, Yanking the Yellow-Line Rule & Super Bowl-Sized Issues for Daytona

Brad Keselowski won in just his fifth career Cup start at Talladega this past weekend. In 2010 and beyond, what does Keselowski’s Cup Series future hold?

Full Throttle: So Much for Emotion in the New NASCAR

Last year Brian France told everyone that he wanted to see more emotion out of the drivers. The fans wanted to see that drivers were human and actually got excited about their sport. The sanitized, corporate pitch men were supposed to be replaced by passionate racers who were out there for the love of the …

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Talking NASCAR TV: FOX “Back of the Pack” Battles No Laughing Matter for Fans

Hello, race fans. I don’t know about you guys, but I was real scared watching that wreck that Carl Edwards had Sunday at the end of the Aaron’s 499. Not so much for Edwards – but for the fans themselves. After the race ended, I thought back and realized that the crash looked a little …

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Beyond the Cockpit: NASCAR’s Hockey Player Turned Nationwide Rookie Michael Annett

Michael Annett is on the fast track to the top in NASCAR these days, but did you know that Annett once considered a career on ice instead of asphalt? A star hockey player-turned-racer, the Nationwide Series rookie sat down with Frontstretch’s Amy Henderson to talk about a career decision, racing under the Germain Racing banner, …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Aaron’s 312 at Talladega

It’s often been said that on a late restart, the last place a driver wants to be is leading a restrictor-plate race. Ryan Newman found that out the hard way on Saturday. Despite playing the ride in the back strategy to perfection all day long after winning the pole Friday and leading at the white-flag …

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Mirror Driving: Coming Clean at Roush Fenway, Cleaning Up NASCAR’s Ratings Decline & More

Continuing a recent trend, the NASCAR race at Phoenix saw an 18% drop in ratings from over a year ago despite a popular Mark Martin victory. Why?

Talking NASCAR TV: Jump the Shark

Race fans, the title says it all for me. However, for those of you who may not be familiar with the term… let me explain. The term “Jump the Shark” was created by Jon Hein and a group of his buddies at the University of Michigan in 1987. Apparently, they spent a Saturday night watching …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Scott Lagasse Jr. on 2009 at CJM Racing

Talk about rags to riches. The son of a racer, Scott Lagasse Jr. has seen his fortunes both come and go in the NASCAR world. After landing a seemingly promising Truck Series ride a couple of years ago with Bobby Hamilton Racing, Lagasse was replaced after just 10 starts in favor of veteran experience. Refusing …

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5 Points to Ponder: 2009 Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix Edition

Good finish For all the talk of anti-climactic races this season, NASCAR was fortunate to have an exciting finish this weekend at Phoenix. Sure, there were long green-flag runs throughout the race, and clean air provided such an advantage that Dale Earnhardt Jr. couldn’t compete without it – but there were several moments that made …

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