Race Weekend Central

Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 CARQUEST 300 at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. – A Nationwide Series regular went to victory lane for the first time in 2009 Saturday night. It only took a lucky caution… and a lot of help from Mother Nature… to finally make it happen. The only car left on the lead lap waiting to pit before green-flag pit stops cycled through, …

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Fanning the Flames: Did Someone Say “10-Lap Shootout?”

All-Star week on the Cup circuit normally invokes a cry of “Change the format!” from this writer and long-time NASCAR geek. The 10-lap shootout that concluded what was The Winston for years were 10 of my most anticipated laps of the year – points or no. Earnhardt/Elliott/Bodine in 1987, Rusty and Darrell in ’89, Kyle …

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Did You Notice? NASCAR’s Drug Mistake? (Not Mayfield’s), Keselowski Should Be Cup’s Top Rookie & Johnson Plays Dead

Did You Notice? How secretive NASCAR is trying to be with this whole drug thing? There’s two main questions that came up in my head since the positive test, ones I couldn’t answer immediately as a reporter as Darlington was a weekend I’d taken off: 1) Why was Jeremy Mayfield allowed to practice and qualify …

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Voice of Vito: The Southern 500 & Darlington – Same as It “Ever Was, Only Different

Darlington, S.C. You’d be hard pressed to find it on a map; but say the name and instantly a flurry of iconic imagery comes flooding forward; Cale Yarborough sailing out of the track over the guardrail; Richard Petty hanging halfway out of the window of his battered Plymouth as it tumbles down the frontstretch; Bill …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 Southern 500

The Track Too Tough to Tame may have a new surface, but she’s that same old fickle girl. The rankings may not have taken a DNF at Darlington, but they certainly earned their stripe with the list all scrambled after 500 miles there Saturday night. Former champions are hogging the top of the charts, but …

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5 Points to Ponder: 2009 Southern 500 Edition

Mayfield Done In the same week that Manny Ramirez was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for violating the sport’s substance abuse policy, NASCAR one-upped the stick-and-ball sport by suspending former NASCAR race winner Jeremy Mayfield indefinitely for the same violation. Mayfield claims that the combination of prescribed medication and an over the counter …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: The Lady in Black Can’t Take a Bite Out of “Sliced Bread”

Joey Logano: Start: 5th; Finish: 9th Summary: On Friday afternoon, Logano turned in his best career Sprint Cup qualifying effort, surprising observers when he clocked in with the fifth-quickest time. On Saturday night, their eyebrows were raised once more as the rookie proved his Home Depot Camry was fast for more than just one lap. …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington

Just another Friday night Nationwide Series race in 2009… or so it seemed. Kyle Busch took the lead early, ran away from the field and stunk up the show at Darlington, leading all but 10 of the laps run in the 200-miler. But despite his best efforts, the 24-year-old did not take one step closer …

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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 …

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

The Key Moment: Kyle Busch battled his way past Jeff Gordon on the 14th restart. After a couple tense laps battling the No. 24 and lapped cars, he drove off from the field to score his 15th career win in the Cup Series. In a Nutshell: Happy Birthday to Boos. Dramatic Moment: There were about …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: 2nd & 3rd Fiddle Sharing 1 Bow is a Sour NASCAR Note

I think it’s one of Murphy’s Laws (Murphy, I never knew you, but you were one hell of a pessimist, huh?) that just when you think things couldn’t get any worse, someone surprises you. Of course, this is NASCAR we’re talking about, the sanctioning body that has come up with so ways to fix something …

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