Race Weekend Central

Driver Handicaps: 2007 Sylvania 300 at NHIS

Jimmie Johnson – The top seed in the Chase with six wins, Johnson won both NHIS Cup races in 2003 and is averaging an 11th-place finish here after 11 starts. Jeff Gordon – Gordon has won three times at New Hampshire. He’s also finished second here three times, including his runner-up result here this summer …

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Handicapping the 2007 NASCAR Chase: Part II

This Sunday, just 12 men will take the green flag at New Hampshire with their dream of a 2007 NASCAR Cup title intact. It’s been a remarkable season for them to get this far, as both consistency and talent have put them in position to achieve the ultimate goal. But of course, from the 12 …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in the Chase: 2007 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond Edition

Now that Dale Earnhardt Jr. watch is over, the focus over the last 10 races of the year will be on the 12 drivers making a run for the Nextel Cup championship. With his second straight victory, Jimmie Johnson put the competition on notice that they will have to take on the No. 48 team …

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Matt McLaughlin’s Driver Handicaps: 2007 Richmond Fall Race Edition

Jeff Gordon – Gordon has won here twice and has top-10 finishes in 17 of 29 starts… but his track record lately at Richmond is worrisome. His fourth-place finish in the spring arrested a streak of four straight finishes of 30th or worse, including a disastrous performance in 2005 that locked him out of NASCAR’s …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: 2007 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond Edition

For 12 drivers, it all comes down to this. OK, that’s overstating the drama heading into this Saturday’s race at Richmond; but by the end of the night, the remaining positions in the Chase will be filled before the points are reset for the top 12. Unfortunately, for most fantasy owners, there isn’t a redo …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Nextel Cup: 2007 Sharp Aquos 500 at Fontana Edition

Three things easily sum up this weekend’s race at California Speedway in Fontana: hot, hot and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Countless Earnhardt fans were on the edge of their seats just waiting to see if one of the drivers at the bottom of the top 12 would slip up, giving their man a chance at making …

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Matt McLaughlin’s Driver Handicaps: 2007 Fontana Summer Race Edition

Jeff Gordon – Gordon won the inaugural race at Fontana in 1997 and has won two additional Cup races here. He finished second at the track this spring and has top-five finishes in half of his 14 Cup starts. Denny Hamlin – Hamlin has been lukewarm to mildly hot at Fontana. In three Cup starts, …

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Full Throttle: Sponsor Dollars Buying More Than Hood Space in NASCAR? Jack Roush Says So

Sponsors spend a ton of money getting their name and logos painted onto cars in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Some of them pay more than $30 million, in fact, just to spend a full season on the hood of a top-flight team. However, it appears as though some people in the garage area feel …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Nextel Cup: 2007 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Edition

For some, the racing at Bristol Saturday night was the best it has been in years. For others, it was a Bristol race in name only, with no fireworks and little excitement. But no matter which side of the fence you are on, there were plenty of winners and losers coming out of the annual …

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