Frontstretch Staff, Author At Frontstretch

Bubble Breakdown: Paul Menard Showing Signs of Life While Joey Logano Remains Lifeless

November 16, 2020April 5, 2009 By Frontstretch Staff

Optimism ran rampant amongst several bubble drivers this weekend as Paul Menard, Sam Hornish Jr., and Joey Logano all posted top-12 qualifying runs. But qualifying pays no points and Texas is a big, fast, nasty track that some of the best drivers have yet to master. So, as the race began questions loomed for those with solid starts – would Logano finally break through with a great finish? Would Menard continue his success at Texas? Would Hornish run a race and not hit anything? For the answers to these questions as well as who’s in and who’s out of the Top 35, read on for this week’s edition of the Bubble Breakdown.

Happy Hour: Once & For All, The Reason Dale Earnhardt Jr. Isn’t Winning

November 16, 2020April 2, 2009 By Frontstretch Staff

That Junior has visited victory lane far less than expected since his joining Hendrick Motorsports has been, to say the least, a grain of sand in the Junior Nation oyster. And everyone has a theory why the winless streak continues – from too many off-track distractions to an inadequate crew chief to the ever-comical “he’s driving the R&D car,” as if Rick Hendrick paid millions to hire the most popular driver in NASCAR to test brake setups. Proud members of the anti-Junior Nation gleefully suggest that Earnhardt is simply a mediocre driver. So what’s the real answer?

Driven to the Past: Watching a Part of History…

November 16, 2020April 2, 2009 By Frontstretch Staff

When the NASCAR cars came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the now famous Goodyear tire test back in the ’90s, I told one of my co-workers at Indianapolis Raceway Park that I’d seen stock cars run on that track before. He thought I was talking about the IROC test, but I told him it was in November of 1961.

Thompson in Turn 5: Potential Loss of GM & Dodge Will Force NASCAR to Make Difficult Decisions

November 16, 2020April 1, 2009 By Frontstretch Staff

The drumbeat to the demise of American automakers General Motors and Chrysler is becoming increasingly louder in recent days, as both manufacturers appear certain to either cease to exist or file for bankruptcy to seek temporary protection through the courts as they attempt to reorganize their failing businesses. Curiously, NASCAR remains silent as to what their contingency plans are as the industry they have been intertwined with for decades continues to crumble around them.

BSNews Spends a Day in the Office with Brian France

November 16, 2020April 1, 2009 By Frontstretch Staff

This past Tuesday, March 31st, BSNews Senior Reporter Stu Padasso had the opportunity to spend a day shadowing NASCAR’s CEO Brian France at the sport’s corporate headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida. The following is the events of that day as reported by Stu. WARNING: This report is unedited and may contain profanity, off-color remarks, sexual content and violence. Reader discretion is advised.

Fanning the Flames: Little Rock, Chase Hopes, Ford’s New Engine & A Crack-Back

November 16, 2020April 1, 2009 By Frontstretch Staff

Q: My buddies are saying that Jeff Gordon will never win a championship again and that he is at his end. What many people fail to realize [is] that if it wasn’t for the Chase, J.G. would have two more Cups. With only one restrictor-plate race and no road races and no Martinsville, is there any other driver that has the least to benefit by the Chase [format]?

Frontstretch Fantasy Insider: 5 Bars for Fantasy Teams in Fort Worth

November 16, 2020April 1, 2009 By Frontstretch Staff

Everything’s bigger in Texas, they say, and the Texas Motor Speedway certainly is considerably larger than the short tracks the Cup circuit has tackled these last few weeks. With the pending return to an intermediate oval, expect speeds to go up and the margin for error in race setups to go down. But with the help of Frontstretch’s Fantasy Insiders, you’ll adjust in time to be firing the six-shooters in your fantasy leagues come Sunday.

Top 10 Things Brian France Has Scheduled For Today, Wednesday, April 1st

June 6, 2020March 31, 2009 By Frontstretch Staff

10. Enroll in a public speaking class at a local community college.

Mirror Driving: Killing the Competition Caution?, Brainstorming New Sponsors & Jimmie Johnson vs. Denny Hamlin… NOT!

November 16, 2020March 31, 2009 By Frontstretch Staff

After Sunday’s race, many people were looking for rivalry or animosity between Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson – but didn’t get any. Are people making something out of nothing, or should there have been more emotion out of the drivers?

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2009 Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Edition

November 15, 2020March 30, 2009 By Frontstretch Staff

What a race Sunday! The Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway gave fans the tight racing action they have been yearning for since before the season began. The close racing amongst competitors individually made the race well worth watching, as did the fact that some unexpected drivers had good runs on the tricky half-mile track. While several surprise drivers slid into the top 15 or 20, other expected contenders found themselves in holes early in the event, with little or no chance of digging out. Here are the HOT, WARM and COLD drivers this week, before the Cup Series breaks its short-track excursion and travels to Texas Motor Speedway this Sunday.