Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice? Nice Guys Finish Last, NASCAR’s Diversity Nightmare & Chase Vulnerability

Did You Notice? That one of the compelling themes in NASCAR as of late is proof of the phrase, “Nice guys finish last?” David Reutimann is the latest example; known as a man who won’t bump anyone out of the way in order to get to the front, Reutimann got loose with Clint Bowyer oh-so-close behind …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 Pocono 500

The tricky triangle in Pennsylvania had several twists and turns for the Cup drivers this past weekend. Who left the track climbing up the Pocono mountains? Kasey Kahne, for one; he’s making believers out of our staff with his second win in three starts, and even secured a first-place vote again this week. And while …

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Thompson in Turn 5: The Future of DEI & Why Mark Martin is the Answer

Last season, two-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart predicted that Dale Earnhardt Inc. would become “a museum” without their star driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. As we approach one year after Junior’s official announcement he’d signed with Hendrick Motorsports, it’s a prophecy that looks like it may be coming to fruition. A look at the driver …

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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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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: Can Truex Repeat For Your Team, or Will Cousin Carl Continue to Own the Monster?

Dover International Speedway is one of the toughest tracks on the schedule, a concrete bullring with very tricky transitions on and off of the straightaways. The race offers drivers a multitude of opportunities to be caught up in someone else’s mess, and often, a driver ends up on the rollback due to no fault of …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race on the NASCAR schedule, and the twists and turns that take place over those four-and-a-half hours of racing led to plenty of opportunities for writers to change their votes in the rankings. As you might expect, Kasey Kahne made a leap from unranked to well inside the top …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 All-Star Race at Charlotte

The All-Star Race is all about the money, with a cool $1 million on the line, no one holds back and mayhem typically ensues. Or, as this year’s event showed, it can turn into a parade around the track where track position dominates the event and there is almost no passing for the lead. While the $1 million was …

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The Yellow Stripe: Shooting TV Ads With the NASCAR Stars – My Memories Behind the Scenes

Advertising is a fickle business at even the best of times. Long hours, low pay, huge stress and the odd co-worker who’d stab you in the back at the drop of a hat are just some of the daily occupational hazards. Believe me when I say it’s not all martinis at lunchtime on Madison Avenue …

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Are We Primed For the Closest Nationwide Series Championship Race in Years?

In the five weeks since I last penned (or should that be typed) a Nuts for Nationwide column, we’ve seen racing in a variety of different venues encompassing short tracks, road courses, superspeedways and the more traditional 1.5-mile tracks. The schedule has tested both the skills of the drivers as well unearthing numerous logistical challenges …

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