Race Weekend Central

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 AAA 400 at Dover

Dover’s Monster Mile had no mercy for our poll this week, with its slick track and tough tire compound leading to poor finishes for drivers on last week’s list.

Mirror Driving: Montoya or Martin Driving Dirty? a Cautionary Tale & as the Tryson Turns

Juan Pablo Montoya says Mark Martin played dirty at the end of the Cup race at Loudon. Is he a sore loser or did Mark’s reputation let him get away with one?

Voice of Vito: Strong Chase Starts Not Always a Recipe for Championship Success

Following his fifth win of the season at Loudon this past Sunday, Mark Martin was sure he was dreaming. He had just won a race on one of the five tracks he had yet to score a victory on in the Sprint Cup Series, firing the first round in the 10-race Chase most never thought …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 Sylvania 300 at Loudon

The first Chase race is finally behind us, with Mark Martin earning his season-high fifth win of the season in Loudon, N.H.

Who’s Going to Win It All? Our 2009 NASCAR Chase Predictions

The sixth edition of NASCAR’s Chase is upon us, and with it comes the most talented 12-car field we’ve ever seen. Four former champions, 282 career race wins, and eight different teams represented make the 10-race run for the title a wide-open affair with no clear favorite as of yet. Or is there? Our experts …

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Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: All Around NASCAR’s Chosen Ones

Like it or not (and I think I’ve made it pretty clear which side of the fence I stand on over the last five years) NASCAR’s all-singing, all-dancing, usually disappointing Chase for the Championship is now underway. 12 finalists have been anointed possible titlists and, barring the sudden addition of a swimsuit and talent competition, …

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Voices From the Heartland: What if NASCAR’s Emphasis Really WAS on Winning?

As we all know, the whole Chase was brought to us in 2004 as a result of a few key factors – chief among them the simplistic greed of Brian France. France wanted to go head-to-head with the NFL during the fall months of the season. This grand illusion, I’m sure, was hatched long before …

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Voice of Vito: Pugliese the Prognosticator – A Comprehensive Guide to the 2009 Chase for the Cup

Following weeks of speculation, rationalization and wild-assed guesses, the field for the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship is now set. This week, the Dirty Dozen has been performing the requisite New York City media stops, making appearances on just about any talk show or television program you care to mention before the first …

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Mirror Driving: Matt Crafton’s Penalty, Kyle & Kurt’s Big Problems & Johnson Playing Dumb?

Matt Crafton was penalized at Gateway Saturday and sent to the back of the longest line for two incidents where he made contact with the truck in front of him.