Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice? Jamie McMurray vs. Casey Mears, the Woods Shedding Tears & More

Did You Notice? There’s a difference between the problems faced by Casey Mears and Jamie McMurray, both of whom have had disastrous seasons. Mears’s issues have been partially based on over-aggression. He crashed at Daytona making the wrong move at the wrong time going for the lead, then again at Bristol when he smashed into …

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Mirror Driving: Bristol Part II, Top-35 Taboos & RCR Who?

Sunday’s race — the second on Bristol’s new surface — seemed more competitive than the fall race last year. Is Bristol back after a brief hiatus?

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol Edition

As fate would have it, the same driver who raced clean and accepted a second-place finish to Kyle Busch at Bristol one year ago had the race fall into his lap when leader Denny Hamlin fell off the pace with a fuel pickup problem a lap and a half from the finish. Now armed with 20 career wins, Burton has emerged as one of the hottest drivers on the circuit, off to the same solid start that propelled him to a spot in the Chase last year. To see who is left scrounging around for eggs this Easter weekend — as well as which drivers are best positioned to compete with the streaky Burton — check out this week’s edition of Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup.

Bubble Breakdown: Brian Vickers Digs Out of a Hole, While Jamie McMurray Digs Himself 1

When the checkered flag fell at Bristol Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon, it ended more than just the Food City 500. For some, it concluded a short-term “mulligan” they’ve utilized for over a month. For the first five races this season, the Top 35 was based on 2007 owner points; that loophole allowed rookies like Dario …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol

After four weeks of high-speed racing, beating and banging will be the name of the game this week as the Sprint Cup Series heads to Bristol for the Food City 500. At a track where people are often taken out through no fault of their own, this is definitely a wild-card weekend for fantasy owners. …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Nextel Cup: 2008 UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Edition

In what was a much smoother race weekend than the on again/off again rain debacle last weekend in California, the story in Vegas wound up with a similar ending. As the checkered flag flew, it was Carl Edwards once again winding up in Victory Lane, cementing his status as the hottest driver in the Cup …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: 2008 Auto Club 500 at Fontana

The wild, frantic pace of Speedweeks and the Daytona 500 is now behind us, and for fantasy team owners, it’s time to get into the weekly grind of the 2008 Sprint Cup season. Unless you have a crystal ball on steroids, there is a pretty good chance your fantasy team took a hit last weekend …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: 2008 Daytona 500 Edition

The long, cold winter that was the NASCAR offseason has finally come to an end… which means it’s time to turn the key on another season of fantasy racing. Whether your team was the cream of the crop or a basement dweller in 2007, the new season gives all fantasy players a renewed hope that …

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2008 Season Preview: Which NASCAR Driver’s on the Hot Seat This Year?

As always, 2008 will be a year when several NASCAR driver contracts are on the verge of expiring. So, which driver starts the season on the hottest seat?

Matt McLaughlin’s Driver Handicaps: 2007 Homestead Race

Jimmie Johnson – Johnson has top-10 finishes in four of his six starts at Homestead, including a second-place result scored here in 2004. For those looking for a little drama, Johnson did crash out here in 2005 en route to 40th place. Jeff Gordon – Gordon has top-10 finishes in six of eight Cup races …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: 2007 Ford 400 at Homestead Edition

The fat lady is warming up, the sun is beginning to set at Homestead and the curtain is about to close on the 2007 Nextel Cup season. After 35 races, it all comes down to two drivers – Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon – who’ll battle for the rights to the title. The rest of …

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