Race Weekend Central

Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: Avoiding the Talladega Big One That Destroys Your Team

The Chase heads to one of the big unknowns this weekend with restrictor-plate racing at Talladega. The tight packs that occur on the plate tracks are nothing less than a nightmare for fantasy owners, leaving them on edge for every bit of those 500 miles. It’s a situation where a single slip by a driver …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: Is It Roush Fenway Racing’s Time to Shine at California?

California is the penultimate race in the regular season leading up to the Chase for the Cup, and the 2-mile facility that is the sister track to Michigan will bring the playoff picture into much better focus. Some drivers will find themselves locked in, with several clinch scenarios in play – while other drivers will …

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Picks ‘N’ Pans: Michigan Summer 2008 – Will Smoke Finally Win or Is It Edwards’s for the Taking?

The Irish Hills of Michigan host the 23rd race of the season and the opportunity is there for drivers to start officially stamping their passport into the 2008 championship fight. With just three races remaining before the Chase field is set, a driver can be locked into the playoffs as long as they finish this …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona Edition

There were fireworks before and after the finish of Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, as 11 cautions – most of them late – led to a mini-demolition derby of sorts which changed the outcome of the race. Helping some while hurting others, those last-minute wrecks completely changed the placement of several of …

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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 …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: How to Get the Extra Mile From Your Team at Loudon

After a weekend filled with wine and cheese, the drivers are headed to the Northeast for lobsters, beer and a return to the guts and glory of oval-track racing. New Hampshire is a tricky little track with variable banking that makes multiple racing lines available to the drivers – they can run high, low, and …

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Talking NASCAR TV: Noticeable Glitches Undermine Solid TNT Effort at Sonoma

When TNT debuted its 2008 NASCAR coverage two weeks ago at Pocono, a major audio foible took away from what was an impressive performance for the network. Two weeks later, Sunday’s presentation of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma still had its own share of avoidable mistakes, making a professional, lucrative television operation look like …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2008 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

Hey guys! Doug Turnbull here. Matt warned you that he wouldn’t be in the driver’s seat for his Infineon column – I don’t know if that makes me a road-course ringer or not, but I do know that I am gonna stick to his format for wrapping up the race. This race seemed to play …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: Can Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin Repeat Past Pocono Success?

There truly is no track like Pocono Raceway. The longest straightaway in Sprint Cup, three distinct turns and a triangular shape distinguish the Pennsylvania facility as one of the most unique in all of motorsports. At 500 miles, Pocono is truly a test of man and machine. The track’s wildly different characteristics require drivers to …

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