Race Weekend Central

Sprint Cup Report Cards: Grading the NASCAR Pack 1/3 of the Way Through the 2008 Season

In the immortal words of one Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.” The star of the 1980s silver screen was right: life does move fast – and so does NASCAR. With the checkered flag flying on the Coca-Cola 600, we’re …

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The Yellow Stripe: Shooting TV Ads With the NASCAR Stars – My Memories Behind the Scenes

Advertising is a fickle business at even the best of times. Long hours, low pay, huge stress and the odd co-worker who’d stab you in the back at the drop of a hat are just some of the daily occupational hazards. Believe me when I say it’s not all martinis at lunchtime on Madison Avenue …

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The Yellow Stripe: 7 Golden Rules for a Rookie NASCAR Columnist

The NASCAR season is an unrelenting, unremitting grind. It doesn’t matter who you are – whether you’re a driver, complete with your private planes and entourage of “handlers,” – or you’re a pit crew, one that travels countless thousands of miles and spend weeks and months on the road away from their family, friends and …

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Are We Primed For the Closest Nationwide Series Championship Race in Years?

In the five weeks since I last penned (or should that be typed) a Nuts for Nationwide column, we’ve seen racing in a variety of different venues encompassing short tracks, road courses, superspeedways and the more traditional 1.5-mile tracks. The schedule has tested both the skills of the drivers as well unearthing numerous logistical challenges …

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The Yellow Stripe: They Come in All Shapes & Sizes – Ranking the Types of NASCAR Tracks Across America

“If God had made us all the same, life would have been boring, Daniel.” So said my dearly departed Grandfather, the legend that was William Peters. And the old boy was right; he usually was, to be fair. And if it’s true about people, it’s certainly true about sport and NASCAR, in particular. Can you …

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The Yellow Stripe: 8 Thoughts After 8 NASCAR Races in 2008

Technically speaking, we’ll be at the quarter pole mark following the conclusion of the rollercoaster ride at Talladega this Sunday; but, with a brief pause in the relentless slog that is the Sprint Cup schedule, it’s a good time to put out eight thoughts and questions with eight races of the 2008 season in the …

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The Yellow Stripe: Should NASCAR Race Outside the U.S.?

The first commercial produced by Nextel to mark their arrival into NASCAR at the beginning of the 2004 season was a one minute long spot called “Anthem” featuring a rousing soundtrack and clips of racing action from the early days of racing on Daytona Beach right through to the then-present day. The ad was Nextel’s …

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The Yellow Stripe: Is It Already Bust Rather Than Chase for Juan Pablo Montoya?

Each week, NASCAR.com runs a short article on Juan Pablo Montoya. Entitled “Where’s Juan?” it’s a gentle look at what’s going on in the world of the Bogota, Colombia native. But where, exactly, is Juan these days? After Sunday’s 19th-place finish, two laps down, it’s not a bad question – because for most of this …

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Nuts for Nationwide: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 1st Win 10 Years Ago Today

On this very day some 10 years ago, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first race in NASCAR’s second series, taking the checkered flag in the 1998 Coca-Cola 300. The Kannapolis, N.C. native drove his father’s AC Delco-sponsored No. 3 Chevy to victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway. Later that same year, Junior founded JR Motorsports, …

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The Yellow Stripe: How Much Will Be Enough for Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

Last year, ahead of the spring race at Martinsville, Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed frustration at the sheer dominance of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon on the smallest track the Sprint Cup circuit has to offer. On Sunday, the No. 88 finished behind the Nos. 24 and 48 once again; but while the frustrations remained, the …

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