Race Weekend Central

Fanning the Flames: NASCAR’s Trifecta of Current Events

We’ve got some in-depth stuff this week, so I’ll keep the opening thoughts short. Actually, they’ll be non-existent. So take a guess as to what we’re starting with. Q: I have read several articles about Kyle Busch‘s poor behavior, but seeing him tonight bash the Gibson guitar on the floor twice is the lowest I …

Read more

Mirror Driving: Does TV Owe NASCAR Underdogs? Grading the Childress Crew Swap & Nationwide Surprises

Welcome to Mirror Driving. Every week, your favorite columnists sit down and give their opinion about the latest NASCAR news and rumors. Love us or hate us, make a comment below and tell us how you feel about what we’ve said! This Week’s Participants: Beth Lunkenheimer (Tuesdays/Running Your Mouth & Various/Frontstretch Truck Series Reporter) Jeff Meyer (Wednesdays/Top …

Read more

Thompson in Turn 5: NASCAR Racing & Politics Not a Good Mix

Who will win the 2008 presidential election is still anybody’s guess. But when it comes to NASCAR, who they want to win isn’t even in question these days. Considering the rash of “honorary” guests from John McCain’s presidential campaign team recently attending Sprint Cup events, the sanctioning body clearly is supporting the Republican Party ticket, …

Read more

Voice of Vito: Richard Petty, Long Live the King – & Rightfully So

Two weeks ago at Chicagoland Speedway, the Petty Enterprises cars of Bobby Labonte and Terry Labonte carried special paint schemes to commemorate the first race ever run by NASCAR’s winningest driver – the man most refer to simply as “The King.” It was on July 12, 1958 that a 21-year-old kid named Richard Petty, with …

Read more

The Yellow Stripe: NASCAR Drivers I Never Got to See, But Wish I Had

My first week in the States, I watched a “Beyond the Glory” program which focused on NFL quarterback Kurt Warner. Not knowing his story – remember, I’m a transplanted Brit – I was mesmerized by Warner’s meteoric rise from shelf stacker to Super Bowl MVP. Whether you like the guy or not, it would be …

Read more

Holding a Pretty Wheel: Boston Ventures Could Give Petty Enterprises a Bright Future – If They Remember the Past

It had to happen, really. Petty Enterprises’ announcement on Wednesday that they had sold a portion of the family business that has been around as long as NASCAR has been on the track was not really a surprise. But on some level, it is a disappointment. Boston Ventures, by all accounts, is a wealthy, stable …

Read more

The Yellow Stripe: Should NASCAR Race Outside the U.S.?

The first commercial produced by Nextel to mark their arrival into NASCAR at the beginning of the 2004 season was a one minute long spot called “Anthem” featuring a rousing soundtrack and clips of racing action from the early days of racing on Daytona Beach right through to the then-present day. The ad was Nextel’s …

Read more

Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: Are the Pettys & Woods On Their Last Legs?

“Back in the day,” both the Petty Engineering and Wood Brothers race teams combined to be the top dogs in Cup racing. In the early to mid-1970s, they dominated the sport, staging epic battles which left the fans on their feet and cemented their history as two of the sport’s legendary car owners. In 1973, …

Read more

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 …

Read more

Thompson in Turn 5: NASCAR Drivers’ Union Probably Not a Good Idea

After Tony Stewart‘s verbal assault on Goodyear gained support amongst a number of high-profile fellow drivers (albeit not quite as aggressively as Stewart), some journalists suggested that the time just may be ripe for the formation of a drivers’ union. Unions are great! I come from a long line of union guys that have walked …

Read more