Race Weekend Central

Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: NASCAR Short Takes on a Short Break

A few random notes after a rare weekend off for the Cup Series. I really think NASCAR needs to take a long, hard look at their schedule. I hope everyone who took this weekend off enjoyed it, because the next time the Cup schedule does something like that is July 20. After that, the series …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: 2008 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega

The Cup stars head to northern Alabama this weekend to the longest and fastest track on the schedule, the Talladega Superspeedway. It’s the first time that the series comes back to a plate track, having run at Talladega last fall in the new CoT configuration. That car, along with a newly-paved track, resulted in a …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: After the 2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix

Talladega Superspeedway is one of the more intimidating tracks on the Sprint Cup schedule. It requires skill; it requires patience; and most often, it requires a certain amount of luck. For a few of the drivers, the 2.66-mile track is a welcomed site; but for most, Talladega is a dreaded wildcard event where anything can …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix

Phoenix International Raceway lived up to its billing as the track of compromise. Drivers were able to make it through one end better than the other all race long, while the tricky corners bit some of the biggest names in the sport. Some drivers moved up and some drivers moved down this week in the …

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Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: Debunking NASCAR’s Theory of Green-Flag Passes for the Lead

NASCAR is doing a full-court press right now trying to convince fans and even us cynical media types that the racing with the new car is as good, if not better than, ever. I’ll admit that some of the numbers I’ve seen thrown around about the number of passes for the lead in races that …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 Samsung 500 at Texas

The Texas Motor Speedway was a fickle lady this past weekend. Past champions couldn’t keep their car on the lead lap, the polesitter lost the handle late in the race, and three drivers who were rookies just last season finished in the top 20. The people who vote in the Frontstretch poll have spoken following …

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Thompson in Turn 5: The Verdict Is in – NASCAR Scores Big With the CoT

Michael McDowell‘s terrifying near-head on collision with the SAFER barrier and subsequent barrel-rolling down the track at Texas Motor Speedway Friday was the most serious real-life test yet of NASCAR’s new car, known during its developmental period as the Car of Tomorrow (CoT). But the five-year project by NASCAR’s Research And Development division had been …

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

It’s been a while since there’s been a scary accident in any of NASCAR’s three premier series; so, needless to say, Michael McDowell‘s qualifying crash at Texas raised a few eyebrows when it comes to safety in the sport. It’s a wreck he could have easily not walked away from; but luckily, the improvements have …

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