Race Weekend Central

Martin Truex Jr. Claims Pole for 2009 Daytona 500

The Daytona 500 has what may be the quirkiest system for setting the field of any race in all of professional motorsports. On Sunday, it was Pole Qualifying day at Daytona. Pole qualifying for the Daytona 500 only sets the front row for the race, though. It also sets the starting lineups for the two …

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Kevin Harvick Battles Back from Losing Draft to Win 2009 Budweiser Shootout

Sometimes history can in fact repeat itself. In a scenario very similar to the one that allowed Kevin Harvick to win the Daytona 500 back in 2007, a lane opened up on the high side at the end of the backstretch on the final lap. Harvick took advantage of the hole, took the lead away …

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Talking NASCAR TV: 4 Big Offseason Changes for 2009

Editor’s Note: After an offseason of hibernation, our TV critique is back! Join Phil Allaway on Tuesdays every week as he picks apart the ups and downs of NASCAR coverage in 2009. After a long offseason – seemingly made even longer due to SPEED Channel’s near complete lack of offseason motorsports programming (which is another …

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Carl Edwards Wins 2008 Ford 400 at Homestead, Jimmie Johnson Claims 3rd Consecutive Championship

Carl Edwards knew what he had to do on Sunday to give himself a chance. He needed to lead the most laps, and win the race. Check and check. Edwards led a race-high 157 laps, but still needed to stretch his fuel mileage to claim his series leading ninth victory of the year in the …

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Jimmie Johnson Wins Again at Phoenix, Positions Himself to Win 2008 Cup Title at Homestead

Sunday’s Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500k Presented by Pennzoil represented crunch time for the championship contenders, not unlike the later stages of an NBA Playoffs game, or the last event before the Eliminator on American Gladiators (Original run, Seasons 4-7, often referred to as “Crunch Time”). This is where the best of the best are …

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Tires at Talladega: What Caused the Failures?

Editor’s Note: Our regular rookie columnist Danny Peters is off this Tuesday, so we filled his spot with another freshman! Newsletter contributor Philip Allaway writes in his place. However, look for your favorite British expert to be back online next week! This past weekend’s on-track action at Talladega Superspeedway will be remembered for three notable …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2008 Pepsi 500 at Fontana

Key Moment: Pole Qualifying on Friday. Jimmie Johnson‘s Pepsi 500 pole-winning run set the tone for the rest of the weekend. In a Nutshell: I can describe the race in eight words or less: Johnson came, he saw, he kicked butt. Dramatic Moments: With such a dominating performance by Johnson, the biggest excitement on the …

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Talking NASCAR TV: Cup Race Good but ESPN Stands Alone with Poor Nationwide Coverage in Montreal

Editor’s Note: Talking NASCAR TV columnist Doug Turnbull is on vacation, so Frontstretch newsletter contributor Phil Allaway filled in for this week’s edition. Look for Doug to be back next Tuesday with another long list of critiques that’ll keep those producers, directors, and announcers both honest and accountable for their TV coverage of the sport! …

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Bubble Breakdown: Michael Waltrip Racing Shines While Road-Course Ringers Struggle at Sonoma

Road-course races can always have a long-term effect on the points standings since teams that ordinarily might not run all that well can get good finishes, either by using substitute drivers or their normal drivers having significant skills on road courses. This set the stage for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. …

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