Race Weekend Central

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Edition

In this short season, Denny Hamlin has asserted himself as one of the stronger drivers on short tracks. After nearly winning at Bristol two weeks ago before a fuel pickup problem relegated him to a sixth-place finish in the closing laps, Hamlin made his way to victory lane at his home track this weekend, earning …

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Bubble Breakdown: Mad Martinsville Scramble Leaves Jamie McMurray, Regan Smith Back in Top 35

And so it begins. With NASCAR switching to the 2008 owner points at Martinsville, the quest for a guaranteed Top-35 spot became a mad scramble at the back end of the points standings. When the season began at Daytona, the Top 35 were locked in for the first five races; that meant mistakes like slipping …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Regan Smith Finally Gains Momentum in Martinsville

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Aric Almirola (third), Sam Hornish Jr. (26th), Regan Smith (33rd), Michael McDowell (34th), Patrick Carpentier (37th), Dario Franchitti (43rd) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Smith (14th), Franchitti (22nd), McDowell (26th), Hornish (28th), Carpentier (29th), Almirola (42nd) Rookie of the Race: Smith. It may be virtually impossible to have an uneventful day at the …

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Side by Side: Is It Fair for NASCAR Teams to Transfer Owner Points for Past Champions?

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 let us …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol Edition

As fate would have it, the same driver who raced clean and accepted a second-place finish to Kyle Busch at Bristol one year ago had the race fall into his lap when leader Denny Hamlin fell off the pace with a fuel pickup problem a lap and a half from the finish. Now armed with 20 career wins, Burton has emerged as one of the hottest drivers on the circuit, off to the same solid start that propelled him to a spot in the Chase last year. To see who is left scrounging around for eggs this Easter weekend — as well as which drivers are best positioned to compete with the streaky Burton — check out this week’s edition of Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup.

Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Aric Almirola Breezes Through Bristol

Rookies in the Starting Lineup (Due to inclement weather, the qualifying order was determined by 2007 owner points): Sam Hornish Jr. (seventh), Aric Almirola (16th), Regan Smith (17th), Dario Franchitti (26th) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Almirola (eighth), Smith (26th), Hornish (29th), Franchitti (36th) Rookie of the Race: Almirola. Mark Martin was not piloting the No. 8 Chevy …

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Bubble Breakdown: Brian Vickers Digs Out of a Hole, While Jamie McMurray Digs Himself 1

When the checkered flag fell at Bristol Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon, it ended more than just the Food City 500. For some, it concluded a short-term “mulligan” they’ve utilized for over a month. For the first five races this season, the Top 35 was based on 2007 owner points; that loophole allowed rookies like Dario …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Sam Hornish Jr. Stops Horrible Luck for Rookies at Atlanta

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Patrick Carpentier (21st), Dario Franchitti (23rd), Sam Hornish Jr. (33rd), Regan Smith (41st) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Hornish (25th), Franchitti (33rd), Carpentier (35th), Smith (38th) Rookie of the Race: Hornish. The bright yellow color scheme of Penske Trucking replaced the familiar blue and white Mobil 1 logo on the No. 77 Dodge in …

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Mirror Driving: Tires Making You Pout? Will Carl Edwards’s Penalty Have Some Clout? & Mark Martin Spinning Someone Out?

Carl Edwards’s win was tainted with word that an oil-tank cover was left off the car following Las Vegas. Is it time for NASCAR to strip a win?

Bubble Breakdown: Blown Tires Lead to Blown Opportunities for Several on the Top-35 Bubble at Las Vegas

Right-front tires and unstable grip were the talk of the town Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, variables which led to increasing instability as the Top-35 standings continue to fluctuate early in 2008. The mix of a new track configuration, a new car and wind gusts up to 40 mph all led to an unpredictable …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: From Dario Franchitti to Patrick Carpentier, Vegas is Vicious to Rookies

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Patrick Carpentier (12th), Sam Hornish Jr. (20th), Regan Smith (28th), Dario Franchitti (42nd) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Franchitti (33rd), Smith (34th), Carpentier (40th), Hornish (41st) Rookie of the Race: Nobody. I have decided that I am not going to award the “Rookie of the Race” to any driver unless one of them …

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Bowles-Eye View: California’s Weekend Joke Puts NASCAR Passion to the Test – Did Yours Take a Hit, Too?

Sunday night marked just the second official weekend of the NASCAR season. In a perfect world, I would have spent it smiling in Ontario, Calif., celebrating the sport’s continued momentum off the heels of a Daytona 500 that exceeded expectations. Instead, my night became so incredibly frustrating, so mentally frying I was virtually jumping through …

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