Race Weekend Central

10 Points to Ponder… After the 2008 Amp Energy 500 at Talladega

1. Change in Direction – Joey Logano, heir to the No. 20 Toyota presently driven by Sunday’s race winner Tony Stewart, will not compete in any further races this season in the No. 96 Hall of Fame Toyota. The 18-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing phenom had been scheduled to fill the driver’s seat in the HoF …

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Happy Hour: What Should Be Done About NASCAR Multi-Car Teams?

In Kansas this last weekend, the top-five finishing cars drove for Roush Fenway Racing and Hendrick Motorsports. Those two teams also produced three more drivers in the top 15, for a total of eight drivers from two teams. Of the remaining seven, five were from Richard Childress and Red Bull. One week before at Dover, …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: Avoiding the Talladega Big One That Destroys Your Team

The Chase heads to one of the big unknowns this weekend with restrictor-plate racing at Talladega. The tight packs that occur on the plate tracks are nothing less than a nightmare for fantasy owners, leaving them on edge for every bit of those 500 miles. It’s a situation where a single slip by a driver …

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Thompson in Turn 5: Paul Menard’s Departure to Yates Leaves DEI in Need of Help

News that driver Paul Menard and his father’s sponsor dollars will soon part ways with Dale Earnhardt Inc. seems to lend credence to the prediction by many that the company’s demise was inevitable. Old prophecies spurred by DEI owner Teresa Earnhardt’s failure to come to contract terms with her stepson have returned, with observers saying …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 Camping World RV 400 at Kansas

As the 2008 postseason rolls on to Talladega, Jimmie Johnson continues to make the playoffs his own private playground. The all-time winningest driver in Chase history scored another one this past weekend at Kansas, and it was enough to propel him into first in our weekly rankings. Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not In Sprint Cup: 2008 Camping World RV 400 at Kansas Edition

It was another week, another mechanical problem for Kyle Busch this weekend at Kansas. Busch is going through one of the most surprising slumps in recent history, dropping from the points lead to 12th in a manner of three weeks. But while Busch continues to struggle, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle continue to fight …

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Matt McLaughlin’s Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2008 Kansas Race Recap

The Key Moment: Carl Edwards sailed his Ford into the final corner in a kamikaze attempt to pass Jimmie Johnson. Edwards did get by the No. 48 car, but momentum carried him into the wall – allowing Johnson to retake the lead. In a Nutshell: The race might have been 100 miles too long but …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: 8 Great NASCAR Books You Probably Haven’t Read

With these cooler fall days and nights, sometimes curling up with a good book is just the ticket to a good time. Whether you’re a newer fan or a veteran, there are many great racing-themed books to choose from. With the possible exception of those by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart, you might have …

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Did You Notice? McMurray Got Screwed, Screwy Rookie Scheduling & NASCAR’s Fake Title Contenders

Did You Notice? Jamie McMurray’s crash at Dover was not just caused by Robby Gordon’s recklessness… but by missing the playoffs? Let me explain. After the regular-season finale at Richmond, Roush Fenway Racing GM Robbie Reiser made a number of pit-crew switches to benefit the RFR teams set to contend for the championship. “There were …

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Thompson in Turn 5: NASCAR Critics Have Been Silent… At Least, Until Kansas

As an unabashed supporter of NASCAR’s decision to implement a playoff format that determines the Sprint Cup champion – along with its equally controversial and much-maligned implementation of the racecar formerly known as the Car of Tomorrow – I am feeling at least partially vindicated for my opinion following the last three weeks of racing. …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 Camping World RV 400 at Dover

The Chase may only be 20% done, but so far, it’s been the Greg Biffle show 100% of the time. Two races and two wins have the six-year veteran on the verge of the championship lead, gunning hard to become the first driver to win the title in all three national touring series. But could …

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