Race Weekend Central

Kevin Harvick’s Gamble Pays Off for Kyle Busch in 2009 Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at Gateway

MADISON, Ill. – There are a few things that one can usually count on when the Nationwide Series comes to Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis; hot weather, a Wallace or two (or three) will be racing and a long green-flag run sometime during the race. Last Saturday night’s presentation of the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers …

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Voice of Vito: Kevin Harvick’s Potential Move to Stewart-Haas Racing Has Long-Lasting Implications

Kevin Harvick may have just pulled the pin on the Silly Season grenade. It used to be late summer and fall when the rumor mill would heat up with stories of defections, sponsor swaps or new teams entering the fray for the coming year. Nowadays, it usually begins just about the time the first Gatorade …

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Fanning the Flames: NASCAR’s “Terminology Guidelines” & the Return of Silly Season

I love the sport of NASCAR. I really do. But some days, the sanctioning body really puts me to the test. Such was the case when the tweets started flying yesterday about a supposed memo NASCAR sent to its TV partners “recommending” they use certain verbage to describe the racing action. These “terminology guidelines” include …

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Tony Stewart Brings Home Maiden Victory for His Own Team, Wins 2009 Pocono 500

In the Sprint Cup Series, it has become incredibly rare for owner-drivers to win. In fact, it had been over 10 years since the last time it had happened (Note: Dale Earnhardt does not count here because he was not driving one of his own cars). On Sunday, Tony Stewart achieved the feat. Despite having …

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Happy Hour’s Best Drivers in NASCAR, Part 1: Drivers #15-11

Being the Official Columnist of NASCAR is not an easy job. It’s not a matter of simply handing over a few million to NASCAR, as with most “official” entities. It takes effort. Column topics must be selected with care as opposed to just hitting the escape key and writing something about Dale Earnhardt Jr. when …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2009 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Edition

The conclusion of the Anti-Climatic 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway Monday leaves the NASCAR fanbase wondering exactly which driver should have won. Since the race began in the middle of the day on Monday instead of early in the evening on Sunday, drivers did not have to encounter as many changes in track conditions as …

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The Yellow Stripe: So Near & Yet So Far – The Story of RCR’s Struggles in 2009

The trouble with great expectations is that when you fall even just a little short, the disappointment is exponentially greater. In the case of Richard Childress Racing, falling short is very much the story of its season so far. And nowhere was that more evident than at Lowe’s Motor Speedway this past weekend where the …

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Fanning the Flames: Appreciating NASCAR’s Spring Slate

I always look forward to the month of May. Spring is upon us, the fish are biting, the weather is absolutely beautiful, the mosquitoes aren’t too bad just yet and the NASCAR circuit hits its grandest stretch of racing all season. Talladega in late April is followed by Richmond, Darlington and the two weeks in …

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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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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2009 Crown Royal 400 at Richmond Edition

Watching the running order during Saturday’s Richmond race was similar to watching a yoyo go up and down. Pit strategy, brake wear, copious amounts of cautions, timely adjustments and good ol’ fashioned hard-nosed racing worked in harmony to jostle both the running positions and the points standings all throughout Saturday night’s event. In comparison to …

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