Race Weekend Central

Thompson in Turn 5: NASCAR Drivers’ Union Probably Not a Good Idea

After Tony Stewart‘s verbal assault on Goodyear gained support amongst a number of high-profile fellow drivers (albeit not quite as aggressively as Stewart), some journalists suggested that the time just may be ripe for the formation of a drivers’ union. Unions are great! I come from a long line of union guys that have walked …

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Missing DW’s Voice… Seriously, a Missed Question to Kevin Harvick & Missing a Mystery Caution

I suppose some folks considered the FOX telecast of the Food City 500 at Bristol to be the best so far this season, since Darrell Waltrip couldn’t talk much. Personally, I sort of like listening to DW (but could do without him bursting into song now and then). In fact, the best part of the …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol Edition

As fate would have it, the same driver who raced clean and accepted a second-place finish to Kyle Busch at Bristol one year ago had the race fall into his lap when leader Denny Hamlin fell off the pace with a fuel pickup problem a lap and a half from the finish. Now armed with 20 career wins, Burton has emerged as one of the hottest drivers on the circuit, off to the same solid start that propelled him to a spot in the Chase last year. To see who is left scrounging around for eggs this Easter weekend — as well as which drivers are best positioned to compete with the streaky Burton — check out this week’s edition of Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup.

10 Points To Ponder… After the 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol

1) Can’t Get Much Simpler – Last Friday’s rainout of qualifying for the Food City 500 required NASCAR to fall back to its rulebook for determining the lineup. It’s one of the more complex plans ever created, so let’s see if we can work through it together… OK, let’s begin. The first rule’s easy; the …

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Bubble Breakdown: Brian Vickers Digs Out of a Hole, While Jamie McMurray Digs Himself 1

When the checkered flag fell at Bristol Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon, it ended more than just the Food City 500. For some, it concluded a short-term “mulligan” they’ve utilized for over a month. For the first five races this season, the Top 35 was based on 2007 owner points; that loophole allowed rookies like Dario …

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Rick Crawford Driver Diary: Fiery Crashes & Rock n’ Roll Revivals

We ended last time by starting at Daytona. We were ready to go racing. Daytona Speedweeks is always exciting. It’s always great to be at the world center of racing. Leading up to the race, the Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford F-150 was running great with Ford Power Stroke Diesel by International. We got ready …

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Fanning the Flames: NASCAR Speed = Distance Divided by Time

Thanks once again for a fun batch of input this week. You’re taking the column back! And Doug, I haven’t forgotten about yours, bud. It’s a two-weeker. Q: Glad to see that the drivers are speaking up about the Carl Edwards infraction. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Elliott Sadler and others were vocal in their opinions that …

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Side-By-Side: Is It Time For Goodyear to Have Some Competition?

Editor’s Note: The following is a special edition of Frontstretch‘s Side-By-Side. Occasionally throughout the season, two of your favorite Frontstretch writers will duke it out in a debate concerning one of NASCAR’s biggest stories. Don’t let us be the only ones to speak our minds, though… be sure to read both sides and let us …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol

After four weeks of high-speed racing, beating and banging will be the name of the game this week as the Sprint Cup Series heads to Bristol for the Food City 500. At a track where people are often taken out through no fault of their own, this is definitely a wild-card weekend for fantasy owners. …

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Mirror Driving: Toyota Triumphs, Penalties Confuse & Hendrick Heartache?

Toyota broke through with their first Sprint Cup win as a manufacturer on Sunday. What else can we expect from them throughout 2008?