Race Weekend Central

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 All-Star Race

The All-Star Race is supposed to feature the cream of the crop, a chance for Sprint Cup’s top tier to go head-to-head in a battle royale with nothing but money and pride on the line. And after a tame beginning, this race featuring a who’s who of stock car stardom refused to disappoint, with drivers …

Read more

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 Southern 500

The Track Too Tough to Tame may have a new surface, but she’s that same old fickle girl. The rankings may not have taken a DNF at Darlington, but they certainly earned their stripe with the list all scrambled after 500 miles there Saturday night. Former champions are hogging the top of the charts, but …

Read more

Full Throttle: Why Not Celebrate NASCAR’s Past During All-Star Weekend?

After 60 years of racing, Darlington Raceway celebrated this past weekend. Cale Yarborough was the pace car driver. The walls of the track were painted in red and white like the old-school days. David Pearson, Junior Johnson, Buddy Baker, Ned Jarrett and Richard Petty were all there being celebrated during the pre-race ceremonies. The vast …

Read more

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 Crown Royal 400 at Richmond

Some retro short-track racing in Virginia provided a lot of high-powered action Saturday night, with the end result a record 15 caution flags and a late-race pit strategy that left the standings jumbled all the way up until the checkered flag. That unpredictability factored right into our own Power Rankings this week, as 14 out …

Read more

Full Throttle: Tony Eury Jr., It’s Time to Let Someone Else Guide the Ship

The whole NASCAR world was turned on its ear when Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he would be racing for Hendrick Motorsports. Everyone from his staunchest supporters to his biggest detractors all chimed in with one undeniable opinion: There would not be any more excuses. He would be in top equipment, driving for the best organization …

Read more

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega

The wildcard that is restrictor-plate racing at Talladega certainly mixed up our rankings as much as it mixed up the standings. The Big Ones led to big changes for our experts, as multiple drivers received first-place votes and just two of 15 stayed in the same position that they occupied last week. The race ended …

Read more

Full Throttle: So Much for Emotion in the New NASCAR

Last year Brian France told everyone that he wanted to see more emotion out of the drivers. The fans wanted to see that drivers were human and actually got excited about their sport. The sanitized, corporate pitch men were supposed to be replaced by passionate racers who were out there for the love of the …

Read more

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix

Phoenix’s Saturday night showdown may have been Mark Martin‘s time to shine, but it didn’t mean much for the rest of the Sprint Cup competition. Most of the racing behind him was tame at best, with few top drivers encountering problems that left them dropping off our Power Rankings list. However, Jeff Gordon‘s loose lug …

Read more

Full Throttle: Dale Earnhardt’s Dream Now a Nightmare

In 1980, Dale Earnhardt, with his wife Teresa, formed a company named Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Initially, the company was put together to compete in some Nationwide Series races, with the eventual goal of going Cup racing. In 1996, that goal was realized when the organization fielded the No. 14 Racing for Kids Chevrolet, driven by …

Read more

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 NASCAR Drivers NOT in Sprint Cup

With NASCAR’s off week in full swing, it presented an opportunity for the Frontstretch experts to do something a little different. Instead of grading the Cup guys, we took a look at those drivers who often get shunned from the spotlight these days, the drivers exclusive to the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series desperate …

Read more