Race Weekend Central

Talking NASCAR TV: 2009 All-Star Race Not the Best Showcase for SPEED

Hello, fans. While the All-Star Race highlights the best drivers the Cup Series has to offer, the rest of the weekend itself has always been relatively lean on actual official racing. The Nationwide Series took the weekend off, along with Formula 1, while the Camping World Truck Series raced a support race Friday night. But …

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Talking NASCAR TV: Some Thoughts About in-Car Cameras in Between Spotty Darlington Coverage

Hello, race fans. Hope you enjoyed this weekend’s racing from Darlington Raceway. I thought it was pretty good as well. Maybe a few too many cautions for my taste, but that’s OK. I cannot control that facet of races. I’m still kind of surprised that Sam Hornish Jr.’s spin late in the race did not …

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Mark Martin Gambles on Fuel Mileage to Win 2009 Southern 500 at Darlington

Ever since Darlington Raceway was repaved, races can be run to different rules as compared to the past. Saturday night was no different. Mark Martin and a few other teams gambled on fuel mileage Saturday night. While the rest of the leaders pitted for four tires and gas on lap 321 under caution, Martin and …

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Talking NASCAR TV: FOX Forgets Important Pit-Road Injury During Kyle Busch Coronation

Hello, race fans. Hope you all enjoyed the action last week from Richmond. I enjoyed the competition – that much is clear – but did the coverage do justice to the race? Let’s find out. Friday night was the Lipton Tea 250 for the Nationwide Series from Richmond, televised on ESPN2. Our own Bryan Davis …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2009 Crown Royal presents the Russ Friedman 400 at Richmond

Who… gets my shout-out of the race? The shout out of the week goes to Sam Hornish Jr. in the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge. After his rookie year in the Cup Series, many people had all but written off the former Indy Racing League champion. However, this season, the team has improved by leaps …

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Talking NASCAR TV: FOX “Back of the Pack” Battles No Laughing Matter for Fans

Hello, race fans. I don’t know about you guys, but I was real scared watching that wreck that Carl Edwards had Sunday at the end of the Aaron’s 499. Not so much for Edwards – but for the fans themselves. After the race ended, I thought back and realized that the crash looked a little …

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Talking NASCAR TV: Jump the Shark

Race fans, the title says it all for me. However, for those of you who may not be familiar with the term… let me explain. The term “Jump the Shark” was created by Jon Hein and a group of his buddies at the University of Michigan in 1987. Apparently, they spent a Saturday night watching …

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Mark Martin Breaks His Winless Streak, Wins 2009 Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix

Starting on the front row this season had been a mixed bag for Mark Martin. At Bristol, he ran up front for most of the race and finished sixth. At Daytona, he got caught back in traffic and the rains prohibited him from moving up higher than 16th before the rains came and ended the …

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Talking NASCAR TV: Creative Approach to Practice Makes ESPN Shine at Nashville… Until Nemechek’s Flip

Last weekend was Easter Weekend, a traditional week off for the Sprint Cup Series for as long as I can remember – and probably before that as well. However, the Nationwide Series has not always stuck with that tradition. In the past, the division has actually held races on Easter Sunday at tracks like Hickory …

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Talking NASCAR TV: Digger Returns… But That’s Not the Only Problem with Texas Coverage

Hello, race fans. Texas provided us with long green-flag runs on both Saturday and Sunday’s races. Usually, this means that the field gets extensively stretched out, and Texas was no exception to the norm. So, how did this weekend’s television coverage add up? Let’s take a look. On Saturday, the Nationwide Series, back from a …

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Jeff Gordon Snaps Career-Long Winless Streak in 2009 Samsung 500 at Texas

Coming into Sunday’s Samsung 500, Jeff Gordon had not been to victory lane since the Bank of America 500 on Oct. 13, 2007, a streak of 47 races. That is a thing of the past now. Gordon’s pit crew was quick enough during the final pit stop on lap 307 to get Gordon the lead. …

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