Race Weekend Central

Thompson in Turn 5: Jamie McMurray, Unfulfilled Expectations

The news this past week that Jamie McMurray is job hunting probably does not come as a great surprise to many. Though McMurray has denied such speculation, critics have had him with one foot out the door of his Roush Fenway ride ever since the beginning of 2008. Currently 22nd in the Cup standings with …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 Best Buy 400 at Dover Edition

The notorious Monster Mile jumped out and attacked the competition Sunday when Elliott Sadler came down on the No. 38 of David Gilliland on lap 18, triggering a massive pileup that ended the days for a number of Chase contenders before they could even get into a rhythm. Aside from Sadler’s blunder, though, it was …

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Sprint Cup Report Cards: Grading the NASCAR Pack 1/3 of the Way Through the 2008 Season

In the immortal words of one Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.” The star of the 1980s silver screen was right: life does move fast – and so does NASCAR. With the checkered flag flying on the Coca-Cola 600, we’re …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: 2008 Crown Royal 400 at Richmond

If you’re like many fantasy owners, last weekend’s race at Talladega left your team looking like it had seen better days. But as you try to regroup, beware; seeing Richmond on the schedule this week may not give you a warm and fuzzy feeling. Saturday night’s Crown Royal 400 offers both the excitement and headaches …

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Bowles-Eye View: NASCAR’s Baddest Boys Steal Restrictor-Plate Racing’s Biggest Stage

They say the Car of Tomorrow is built to withstand bumper-to-bumper contact far better than any stock car in history. Well, I have two words to say to that: Thank God. Sunday’s race at Talladega resembled the atmosphere of a short-track slugfest, with cars exchanging punches at a cool 190 mph across NASCAR’s fastest facility. …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: 2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix

After what many had hoped would be a good old-fashioned Texas shootout turned into a king-sized snoozefest, the series heads to Phoenix International Raceway this Saturday night for the first short-track battle under the lights of the season. With the exception of Jeff Gordon‘s dismal performance, Texas didn’t offer many surprises with no major upsets …

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Bubble Breakdown: Jeremy Mayfield Out, Sam Hornish Jr. Back Inside Top-35 Safety Net

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series made its annual spring journey to the Lone Star State for the running of the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway this past weekend. They tell me that everything is bigger in Texas; and apparently, this adage can be applied to the problems of some bubble teams. There’s bickering at …

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Bubble Breakdown: Mad Martinsville Scramble Leaves Jamie McMurray, Regan Smith Back in Top 35

And so it begins. With NASCAR switching to the 2008 owner points at Martinsville, the quest for a guaranteed Top-35 spot became a mad scramble at the back end of the points standings. When the season began at Daytona, the Top 35 were locked in for the first five races; that meant mistakes like slipping …

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Top 10 Roush Fenway “Proprietary” Items Found in the Possession of “A” Toyota Team

10. A Roush Fenway internal memo titled “How To Get Into And Stay In The Top 35” in Michael Waltrip‘s back pocket. 9. Carl Edwards‘s golden ceremonial Gillette Young Guns shaver. Found next to the sink in Tony Stewart‘s motor coach, full of hair and right next to a torn-up coupon for a free waxing …

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10 Points to Ponder… During NASCAR’s Easter Break

1) Takes One to Know One! – Megastar comedian and TV personality Jeff Foxworthy talked NASCAR in a CNN interview this week, attempting to persuade host Glenn Beck that instead of taking in a race at Daytona, he would be better served going to Talladega, Ala. for his stock car racing experience. In fact, Foxworthy …

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Side by Side: Is It Fair for NASCAR Teams to Transfer Owner Points for Past Champions?

Editor’s Note: The following is a special edition of Frontstretch’s Side-By-Side. Occasionally throughout the season, two of your favorite Frontstretch writers will duke it out in a debate concerning one of NASCAR’s biggest stories. Don’t let us be the only ones to speak our minds, though… be sure to read both sides and let us …

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