Race Weekend Central

Mirror Driving: Substitute NASCAR Drivers, Runaway Tires & are the Busches the Best Siblings Ever?

Welcome to Mirror Driving. Every week, your favorite columnists sit down and give their opinion about the latest NASCAR news and rumors. Love us or hate us, make a comment below and tell us how you feel about what we’ve said! This Week’s Participants: Vito Pugliese (Wednesdays/Voice of Vito) Beth Lunkenheimer (Tuesdays/Running Your Mouth & Various/Frontstretch Truck …

Read more

Beyond the Cockpit: David Ragan Talks UPS, Getting Aggressive & Roush’s Future

Much is expected of David Ragan in 2009 after having a breakthrough season in Sprint Cup in 2008. Coming within a Richmond wreck of making his first ever Chase for the Championship, the sophomore driver ended up 13th in the final standings, earning him a big-money reward in the form of new, top-tier sponsor UPS …

Read more

Fan’s View: Chasing Tires & Consequences – a NASCAR Crewman’s Desperate Disaster

It was the worst possible scenario. By lap 67, all but six cars had pitted on a green-flag run, then the dreaded yellow flag dropped. Unless you were one of the lucky fans whose driver had held off, the pit of your stomach dropped out. No… no… NO! Almost the entire field was a lap …

Read more

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2009 Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Edition

As the 2009 season wears on, some of the teams that have had early success are finding themselves in a points standings freefall. As they disappear from view, the composition of the top 12 is starting to take form, with annual contenders slowly creeping towards and into that coveted threshold. The season may be early …

Read more

5 Points to Ponder: 2009 Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Edition

Busch-whacked Kyle may be the Busch making headlines early – with wins across NASCAR’s three national series in the first month – but it was big brother Kurt Busch who made a statement Sunday afternoon in Atlanta. Kurt led more laps Sunday (234) than he did in all of 2007 (164) and made it back-to-back …

Read more

Bubble Breakdown: TRG Making Miracles with David Gilliland While Mark Martin Just Hanging On

The Kobalt Tools 500 marked the fourth race in the 2009 season, meaning there is just one more event to get into the Top 35 in owner points before NASCAR shifts to this year’s standings to determine who is or isn’t locked into the starting grid each week. This made the race at Atlanta critical …

Read more

Happy Hour: 8 Years Ago in Atlanta

I wasn’t praying for magic I was hiding in plain sight Rising up to the surface To fly into the light Rush — “Sweet Miracle” “I just hope Dale’s OK.” Three weeks earlier, Darrell Waltrip’s words in FOX’s first broadcast of the Daytona 500 had become unintentionally immortalized, spoken in concern after the Goodwrench No. …

Read more

Fanning the Flames: NASCAR Drivers Weigh In on Test Ban & Crew Chiefs Weigh In on a Driver

A few random reflections while “watching” (read: daydreaming during) America’s Best Dance Crew with my fiancé. Yeah I know, you can let me have it… Anytime Richard Childress wants to deliver the punchline to his team-swap joke, I’ll be ready. Clint Bowyer doesn’t belong in a Cheerios driver suit any more than Casey Mears belongs …

Read more