Race Weekend Central

Voice of Vito: Don’t Jump, It’s Not Worth It! NASCAR’s Biggest Names Stumbling Along the Ledge on Off-Weekend

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is off this week, giving some teams a much-needed break. Not so much from the cross-country grind that is the first month of the season, but rather to the stop the bleeding instead. For some teams, the first few races have gone like Rocky’s first few rounds with Clubber Lang: …

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Matt McLaughlin’s Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2009 Atlanta Spring Race Recap

The Key Moment: Kurt Busch dominated the race at Atlanta, but a late caution and a two-tire stop put Carl Edwards at the head of the pack. Busch was able to easily retake the lead when the green flag flew with two laps left. In a Nutshell: It looks like this new Dodge engine is …

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The Yellow Stripe: Catch 21 – NASCAR Thoughts, Questions & Observations 3 Races Into 2009

21, as many of you will know, is a lucky number in Las Vegas. So, here are exactly that many questions, observations and thoughts – in no particular order – on the season so far as the series leaves Sin City to head back east: Nothing changes for Casey Mears New team, new number, new …

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Bubble Breakdown: Paul Menard, Mark Martin Among Those in Early Top-35 Trouble

With three races in the books already in 2009, the battle for the Top 35 locked-in spots is heating up, as there are only two races remaining to secure one of those Top-35 guaranteed starting positions. And when you looked at the starting lineup for the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Speedway, you saw the …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Joey Logano on Patience, Pressure & His Personal Car?

Joey Logano entered Sprint Cup this season as the most talented 18-year-old in the NASCAR record books to date. At Kentucky last June, he set a record as the youngest driver ever to visit victory lane in the Nationwide Series, setting the racing community on notice that he was primed for superstardom earlier than anyone …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Humbled Rookie Class Quiet at Fontana

The Auto Club 500 at Fontana gave us a full 500 miles of racing, but it was a race that felt a whole lot longer. After a true marathon out west, here is how the rookie class of 2009 fared. Joey Logano Start: 34th; Finish: 26th Summary: After an absolutely overwhelming Speedweeks and finishing dead …

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Voice of Vito: Diary of a Madman – Cabin Fever & Stir Crazy Collides With an Irritating Daytona 500

Well, another Daytona 500 has come and gone, and many are still talking about it. The 2009 NASCAR season is officially underway, and this year Speedweeks had many compelling stories to discuss. It started with the Budweiser Shootout that had Kevin Harvick virtually replaying the 2007 Daytona 500 with a last-lap pass for the win. …

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The Yellow Stripe: Oh, So Close – Tough Luck for Elliott Sadler, Joe Gibbs Racing & Fans at the Daytona 500

Luck can be a fickle mistress, and at the premature end of the 51st running of the Great American Race, there were plenty of drivers – from the veterans to the rookies – who could attest all too easily to that sentiment. Chief among those bemoaning their poor fortune was Elliott Sadler. The Emporia, Va. …

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