Race Weekend Central

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2020 Auto Club 400 at Fontana

2020CaliforniaNCSAlexBowmanRacingRLP

(Photo: Randy Lanning)

The Headline(s): After winning the first stage and showing speed all weekend, Alex Bowman took the lead on lap 133 after a hotly-contested restart to begin the final stage, and never looked back. Gapping Ryan Blaney over the final run, Bowman cruised to his second career Cup victory and third career NASCAR national series win. …

Read more

5 Points to Ponder: 2009 NASCAR Preview Edition

NASCAR’s top national series hits the track this week – which means that finally, finally fans will be able to hear more about on track news and the upcoming year rather than an offseason full of layoffs, mergers and utter confusion. Instead, when the green flag waves next weekend for the Budweiser Shootout – and …

Read more

Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Aric Almirola Amazes Again at Bristol!

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Regan Smith (fourth), Aric Almirola (23rd), Sam Hornish Jr. (35th) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Almirola (13th), Smith (14th), Hornish (37th) Rookie of the Race: Almirola. For the second time this season, Almirola was behind the wheel of the No. 8 DEI Chevy at the Bristol Motor Speedway. The rookie came into this …

Read more

Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Patrick Carpentier Strong but Sam Hornish Jr. Steals the Show at Michigan

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Patrick Carpentier (sixth), Regan Smith (eighth), Sam Hornish Jr. (23rd), Marcos Ambrose (29th), Brad Coleman (43rd) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Hornish (22nd), Smith (29th), Carpentier (30th), Coleman (38th), Ambrose (43rd) Rookie of the Race: Hornish. On lap 2 of Sunday’s event, it certainly didn’t look like Hornish would be taking home rookie …

Read more

Nuts for Nationwide: 24 Down; 11 to Go in the Nationwide Series

It’s hard to believe there are only 11 scheduled races left in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series and, unlike in the previous two seasons, we actually have a genuine title chase. Who needs the manufactured excitement of the senior circuit’s Chase for the Sprint Cup when you have a three-way shootout for the inaugural championship …

Read more

Bowles-Eye View: JJ Yeley Proved Nice Guys Sometimes Do Finish Last

By all accounts, JJ Yeley is one heck of a nice guy. I haven’t dealt with him directly during my three-year tenure on the NASCAR beat, but he’s known to be funny, relaxed, excitable, and just an all-around good person. Too bad that reputation couldn’t translate into on-track success in a stock car. Yeley was …

Read more

Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2008 Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville

In a Nutshell: Saturday’s race was dubbed the “Opportunity 300,” the first of numerous standalone events for the Nationwide Series this summer – and a number of drivers took advantage, making runs at their first career wins. But while Joey Logano was untouchable in the early going and David Stremme ran up front all race …

Read more

Nuts for Nationwide: 2008 Nationwide Series Preview, Part II

Last week we talked about the new series sponsor, “buschwhacking” and the future of the series. This week, we examine the champ, the contenders and the 2008 rookie class. If last season’s Busch Series championship had been a boxing match, the bout would have been stopped by the referee in about the fourth round and …

Read more