Race Weekend Central

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Edition

The Sprint Cup Series’ first trip to a road course this season was supposed to provide drivers who typically don’t run near the front the opportunity to make a statement. But while drivers like Marcos Ambrose and Ron Fellows appeared to have cars capable of top-10 finishes, it was the usual frontrunners near the top …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Marcos Ambrose Steals the Show, But McDowell Tops the Rookies at Sonoma

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Marcos Ambrose (seventh), Sam Hornish Jr. (17th), Ron Fellows (22nd), Max Papis (28th), Michael McDowell (34th), Patrick Carpentier (37th), Aric Almirola (40th), Brian Simo (43rd) Unofficial Finishing Positions: McDowell (21st), Carpentier (24th), Almirola (28th), Fellows (29th), Hornish Jr. (31st), Papis (35th), Ambrose (42nd), Simo (43rd) Rookie of the Race: Ambrose. It …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 LifeLock 400 at Michigan Edition

The long-awaited first Hendrick-Earnhardt victory finally came this week at Michigan, but it didn’t come without controversy. Winning on fuel mileage, the No. 88 team worked some pit strategy to make it to victory lane; however, Matt Kenseth and Brian Vickers have criticized Dale Earnhardt Jr. and NASCAR for allowing the eventual winner to pass …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Sam Hornish Jr. Spins, But Wins Rookie Honors at Home Track

It didn’t take long for the Defiance, Ohio native to make his presence known at the venue he considers his home track on the NASCAR circuit. By the race’s one-quarter mark, Sam Hornish Jr. was running consistently in the top 20 after starting well back in the pack. But as it turns out, the Mobil One team would be the strongest performer out of the Roger Penske stable, running in or near the top 15 for Michigan’s middle segment while his teammates floundered with poor handling cars and engine issues. However, things would get even more interesting for Hornish as the race entered its final stages.

Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Michael McDowell Magically Maneuvers to Top at Pocono

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Regan Smith (fourth), Dario Franchitti (14th), Patrick Carpentier (24th), Michael McDowell (39th), Sam Hornish Jr. (41st) Unofficial Finishing Positions: McDowell (27th), Smith (28th), Carpentier (32nd), Franchitti (41st), Hornish (42nd) Rookie of the Race: McDowell. The young rookie driving for Michael Waltrip Racing was barely heard from all day until it really …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Sam Hornish Jr. Hopeful Coming Out of Lowe’s

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Sam Hornish Jr.(20th), Regan Smith (27th), Patrick Carpentier (34th), Michael McDowell (41st) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Hornish (13th), Smith (20th), McDowell (32nd), Carpentier (37th) Rookie of the Race: Hornish. Was this the All-Star Race or the Coca-Cola 600? Chances are that it was hard for Hornish to tell, as Sunday night was …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Michael McDowell Survives Darlington Duel

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Regan Smith (16th), Michael McDowell (18th), Sam Hornish Jr. (23rd), Patrick Carpentier (43rd), Unofficial Finishing Positions: McDowell (28th), Smith (29th), Hornish (38th), Carpentier (40th) Rookie of the Race: McDowell. The rookie hailing from Phoenix, Ariz. recorded his career-best qualifying effort this past weekend when he placed his Camry 18th on the …

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Bubble Breakdown: Go or Go Homers Get Roughed Up at Richmond

As the NASCAR season rolls on, a familiar pattern unfolds around its qualifying bubble; the number of locked-in teams in jeopardy of falling below the cutline grows smaller each week. The lower half of those 35 guaranteed a starting spot continue to distance themselves – permanently putting aside worries of the dreaded DNQ – and …

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Did You Notice? Ganassi’s Trial By Fire(d), the Trials & Tribulations of the Woods &… Morgan Shepherd?

Did You Notice? That at Talladega, the No. 21 Ford driven by Jon Wood had to pull in the garage after just one lap in order to fix radical adjustments made in qualifying to get the car in the show. Now, I know it looks like I pick on the Wood Brothers every week, but it’s …

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