Bubble Breakdown: Marcos Ambrose Amazing While Scott Speed Slips Onto Edges of Top 35… Again
The biggest gainer among this week’s bubble contingent was Marcos Ambrose, whose third-place finish gained the No. 47 team 90 points of cushion.
Patrick Carpentier
Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Montreal
For the third year in a row, Marcos Ambrose was the class of the field. And for the third year in a row, he failed to take the checkered flag at Montreal. Ambrose, who in an interview that ran during the race broadcast was quoted calling his secret to road racing “minimizing the mistakes made …
Running Their Mouth: 2009 EnjoyIllinois.com 225/NAPA Auto Parts 200 Edition
Here’s a peek at what drivers were thinking following the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at Chicagoland Speedway and NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Bubble Breakdown: Despite Early Off-Road Adventure, AJ Allmendinger Posts Top-10 Finish
Had you watched qualifying on Friday, you may have been asking yourself, “why did Scott Speed have to qualify on time while John Andretti had a guaranteed spot? NASCAR’s website has Speed in the 35th spot in points and Andretti in 36th.” The answer is simple; you were looking at the wrong standings. The Top-35 …
Kasey Kahne Wins a Wild 2009 Toyota Save Mart 350 at Sonoma
In the Sprint Cup Series, road racing is a rarity. Since 1988, the series has only held two road races a season. Some fans claim that Sprint Cup cars are not designed for road courses, and thus, should not race on them. Sunday’s race might have proved those fans wrong. The new rules brought double-file …
Beyond the Cockpit: Patrick Carpentier Discusses His Firing from GEM, Speed Skating & Tommy Baldwin Racing
After two runner-up finishes in the Nationwide Series at his home track of Montreal, Patrick Carpentier was given the chance to drive in the No. 10 Gillett-Evernham Motorsports Dodge full-time in the Sprint Cup Series, starting with three events in 2007. Carpentier then competed for the 2008 Rookie of the Year Award against fellow open-wheel …
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 …
2008 NASCAR Driver Review: Patrick Carpentier
Hoping for a breakout year for this promising rookie, both Gillett Evernham and Patrick Carpentier were disappointed by the No. 10’s performance throughout the 2008 season.
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 …
Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Where Have All NASCAR’s Rookies Gone? Sent Home by Idealistic Owners
The true rookie story of this race is about those drivers who were not here. Yes, some anticipated debuts were ruined by the weather, but it is not Brad Keselowski, Bryan Clauson or even Scott Speed that I am talking about. No, it is the dismissal of Patrick Carpentier and the continued sabbatical for Michael McDowell that disturbs me. I would really like to know what goes on inside the head of a Sprint Cup owner when they set expectations for a rookie driver with little to no experience at racing’s top level. I’m beginning to think that some team executives expect a driver to jump into the seat of a stock car for the first time and immediately race his way into the Chase.
Side by Side: Should Patrick Carpentier Have Been Fired?
Editor’s Note: The following is a special edition of Frontstretch‘s Side By Side. Occasionally throughout the season, two of your favorite Frontstretch writers will duke it out in a debate concerning one of NASCAR’s biggest stories. Don’t let us be the only ones to speak our minds, though… be sure to read both sides and …
Did You Notice? Red Flag Means Work, Tires Need Work & No Work for Patrick Carpentier
Did You Notice? Officials appeared to be taking debris off certain cars on the track during the first red-flag period? I wasn’t at the track this weekend, so maybe my eyes were seeing things on television. But I could have sworn that officials appeared to be removing some metal from the front grills of a …