Race Weekend Central

6 Points to Ponder: 2009 Daytona Speedweeks – Week 1 Edition

Is it time for Daytona to be repaved? Drivers started complaining about the surface following Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout, saying that the current racecar is not built for this particular track and its surface. It would make sense to smooth the bumps, repave the track and let ‘em loose like at Talladega – but in …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: 2009 NASCAR Season Preview

After one of the most economically brutal NASCAR offseasons in recent history, it’s finally time to start focusing on performances on the stopwatch instead of on the balance sheet. This also spells good news for Professor Lumbis as I get to preview and critique this season’s rookies once again. The 2008 season was not kind …

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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 …

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Mirror Driving: Ownership Smoke & Mirrors, Smoke’s Fiery New Team & Logano’s No Smoke… Yet

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: Tom Bowles (Editor-In-Chief; Mondays/Bowles-Eye View & Wednesdays/Did You Notice?) Doug Turnbull (Tuesdays/Who’s Hot …

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2009 Season Preview: Can Joey Logano Succeed?

After another long offseason, NASCAR is set to return to our lives with the 31st Annual Bud Shootout in less than two weeks! That means it’s time to get the blood racing and your mind fixated on another year of our sport. This week, we’ll get you thinking on six big questions facing NASCAR this …

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2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie Report Cards: Economic Woes & Poor Performances Leave Their Mark

Looking back on the 2008 NASCAR season, many fans will notice a lot of similarities between this year and 2007. The most obvious comparison, for example, involves the complete dominance by three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson during both Chases. But the 2007 season also saw the emergence of a new trend in NASCAR, involving the …

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Fanning the Flames: Closing the Inbox on the 2008 NASCAR Season

The NASCAR offseason is finally upon us; but as they say, there is no rest for the weary. It’s been a blast talking with so many of you during my second season with Frontstretch, so keep those questions coming and we’ll publish a few Fanning the Flames columns during the circuit’s downtime. Besides, some of …

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The Yellow Stripe: Top 15 Commercials of the 2008 NASCAR Season

Making a great 30-second ad is next to impossible. For those who’ve not sat for hours on a set drinking coffee, eating junk food and waiting interminably for something to happen, you would be absolutely shocked at the length of time it takes to make something seemingly so simple. Throughout the creative process (which typically …

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Fanning the Flames: An Act of Charity, a NASCAR Chase Take & a Crazy Rumor

Good questions this week and I’m feeling a bit long winded, so let’s get to it. Q: Hey Matt! For the Texas race results, I noticed that Joey Logano was not awarded points. Instead, in that column it reads “PE” even though he finished 40th. What the heck does that mean? – Confused in Iowa A: Funny, …

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Did You Notice? Montoya’s Nightmare, Logano Losing Steam & Disbelieving a Championship Dream?

Did You Notice? Juan Pablo Montoya’s sophomore season has officially become a nightmare? Of drivers who’ve started all 34 races in 2008, Montoya has the most DNFs with nine. Eight of those have been caused by crashes, including four in the last five races that have wrecked – literally – any supposed on-track improvements for …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Brad Keselowski Has Impressive Debut While Joey Logano Struggles

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Sam Hornish Jr. (21st), Marcos Ambrose (24th), Regan Smith (25th), Scott Speed (33rd), Brad Keselowski (37th), Joey Logano (43rd) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Keselowski (19th), Ambrose (21st), Hornish (23rd), Speed (33rd), Smith (34th), Logano (40th) Rookie of the Race: Keselowski. The 24-year-old rookie finally got to make his Sprint Cup debut this …

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