Race Weekend Central

Carl Edwards

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 Daytona 500

Mike Neff

Like it or not, after just 380 miles the first race of the 2009 Sprint Cup season is officially in the books. Matt Kenseth was crowned the winner of just the fourth rain-shortened Daytona 500 in history, taking the lead one lap before the weather with a generous push from runner-up Kevin Harvick. But was that last-lap pass enough to leave Kenseth number one in the eyes of our staff this week? After all, Kyle Busch dominated the race, only to become an innocent victim of the day’s big wreck on lap 125. And where did AJ Allmendinger land after starting the year with a career-best third – driving for a team that doesn’t even know if it’ll exist two months from now? Find these answers, and more, by examining our first Top-15 Power Rankings poll of the year.

Why Brad Keselowski Can Win the 2009 Nationwide Series Title

Bryan Davis Keith

The first NASCAR preview magazine that came to the local newsstand was that of The Sporting News. As I read through it, I flipped to the publication’s Nationwide Series preview. Predictably, the lead feature was on the “Sprint Cup Showdown” between Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards that is already being framed as the extent of …

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Closing NASCAR’s 7th Decade: The Top-12 Drivers – Including the Champ Who’ll Lead Us Into 2010

Frontstretch Staff

2009 closes out the first decade of the 21st century for NASCAR, and what a long, strange trip it’s been. Who would have thought back in 2000 Petty Enterprises would cease to exist nine years later – along with no Adam Petty to lead NASCAR’s first family into the next generation? Or that Dale Earnhardt …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not: 2009 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona Edition

Frontstretch Staff

Considering the fact that a points-paying race has not yet taken place, gauging the true momentum of drivers and teams is a bit more of a daunting task than it is between races. So much flux and change has occurred in the garages of all three of NASCAR’s top series this offseason, mainly because of …

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Running Their Mouth: 2009 Bud Shootout at Daytona

Welcome to the first 2009 edition of Running Their Mouth! Each week, we’ll go through media reports, interviews, PR and all our own stuff to find the best quotes from the Nextel Cup race, capturing the story of how the weekend unfolded. It’s the most original commentary you’ll ever find: the truth, coming straight out …

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Voice of Vito: America’s Most Wanted – Top-5 NASCAR Drivers to Watch in 2009

Vito Pugliese

Editor’s Note: Catch Vito on a new day this season – his column will appear each Wednesday throughout all of 2009. Finally. After a NASCAR offseason that seemed to last longer than it ever has in previous years – due in large part to a virtual ban on preseason testing and a harsh winter of …

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2009 Season Preview: Can Anyone Keep Jimmie Johnson From Making History?

Frontstretch Staff

Editor’s Note: After another long offseason, NASCAR is set to return to our lives with the 31st Annual Bud Shootout this Saturday! That means it’s time to get the blood racing and your mind fixated on another year of our sport. Monday, Feb. 2 marks the last of our six-part season preview. If you missed …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 Ford 400 at Homestead

Mike Neff

After 36 points-paying events, nine months and 14,493 miles of racing, the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season is finally in the books. When the smoke cleared at Homestead, it was Jimmie Johnson winning his third consecutive championship, tying Cale Yarborough as the only drivers in history to accomplish that feat. Behind him, Carl Edwards finished …

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The Yellow Stripe: Top 15 Commercials of the 2008 NASCAR Season

Danny Peters

Making a great 30-second ad is next to impossible. For those who’ve not sat for hours on a set drinking coffee, eating junk food and waiting interminably for something to happen, you would be absolutely shocked at the length of time it takes to make something seemingly so simple. Throughout the creative process (which typically …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 NASCAR Season Breakdown

Frontstretch Staff

The checkered flag has flown over the field at Homestead marking the end of a historic 2008 NASCAR season. We saw controversial and exciting finishes, scary crashes and a historic third consecutive championship for the dynasty that is Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team. The season also featured three consistently …

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