Race Weekend Central

Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Aric Almirola Ascends to the Top at New Hampshire

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Patrick Carpentier (first), Dario Franchitti (seventh), Sam Hornish Jr. (20th), Regan Smith (25th), Michael McDowell (38th), Aric Almirola (39th) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Almirola (23rd), Smith (27th), Carpentier (31st), Franchitti (38th), Hornish (39th), McDowell (42nd) Rookie of the Race: Almirola. It was a dismal start to the weekend for Almirola – …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Marcos Ambrose Steals the Show, But McDowell Tops the Rookies at Sonoma

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Marcos Ambrose (seventh), Sam Hornish Jr. (17th), Ron Fellows (22nd), Max Papis (28th), Michael McDowell (34th), Patrick Carpentier (37th), Aric Almirola (40th), Brian Simo (43rd) Unofficial Finishing Positions: McDowell (21st), Carpentier (24th), Almirola (28th), Fellows (29th), Hornish Jr. (31st), Papis (35th), Ambrose (42nd), Simo (43rd) Rookie of the Race: Ambrose. It …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Sam Hornish Jr. Spins, But Wins Rookie Honors at Home Track

It didn’t take long for the Defiance, Ohio native to make his presence known at the venue he considers his home track on the NASCAR circuit. By the race’s one-quarter mark, Sam Hornish Jr. was running consistently in the top 20 after starting well back in the pack. But as it turns out, the Mobil One team would be the strongest performer out of the Roger Penske stable, running in or near the top 15 for Michigan’s middle segment while his teammates floundered with poor handling cars and engine issues. However, things would get even more interesting for Hornish as the race entered its final stages.

Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Michael McDowell Magically Maneuvers to Top at Pocono

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Regan Smith (fourth), Dario Franchitti (14th), Patrick Carpentier (24th), Michael McDowell (39th), Sam Hornish Jr. (41st) Unofficial Finishing Positions: McDowell (27th), Smith (28th), Carpentier (32nd), Franchitti (41st), Hornish (42nd) Rookie of the Race: McDowell. The young rookie driving for Michael Waltrip Racing was barely heard from all day until it really …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Sam Hornish Jr. Continues Momentum at the Monster Mile

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Sam Hornish Jr. (16th), Regan Smith (29th), Michael McDowell (32nd), Patrick Carpentier (36th) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Hornish (18th), Smith (21st), Carpentier (29th), McDowell (30th) Rookie of the Race: Hornish. The Rookie of the Year race remained tight coming out of Dover, as Hornish overcame a lap 68 pit-road speeding penalty to …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Sam Hornish Jr. Hopeful Coming Out of Lowe’s

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Sam Hornish Jr.(20th), Regan Smith (27th), Patrick Carpentier (34th), Michael McDowell (41st) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Hornish (13th), Smith (20th), McDowell (32nd), Carpentier (37th) Rookie of the Race: Hornish. Was this the All-Star Race or the Coca-Cola 600? Chances are that it was hard for Hornish to tell, as Sunday night was …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Sam Hornish Jr.’s Solid All-Star Performance Not the 1st for a Rookie

Forget the Indy 500 rumors; Sam Hornish Jr. is finally starting to make some noise in the Sprint Cup Series. In Saturday night’s Sprint Showdown event that featured three rookies, Hornish proved the lone bright spot after Patrick Carpentier wrecked his Charter Communications Dodge early while Regan Smith faded to the back of the pack. …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Michael McDowell Survives Darlington Duel

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Regan Smith (16th), Michael McDowell (18th), Sam Hornish Jr. (23rd), Patrick Carpentier (43rd), Unofficial Finishing Positions: McDowell (28th), Smith (29th), Hornish (38th), Carpentier (40th) Rookie of the Race: McDowell. The rookie hailing from Phoenix, Ariz. recorded his career-best qualifying effort this past weekend when he placed his Camry 18th on the …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Regan Smith Runs Well at Rowdy Richmond

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Patrick Carpentier (fourth), Regan Smith (26th), Michael McDowell (29th), Sam Hornish Jr. (35th) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Smith (21st), Hornish (23rd), McDowell (40th), Carpentier (43rd) Rookie of the Race: Smith. The most notable part of Smith’s night wasn’t so much his leading rookie finish of 21st, but rather how he got to …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Regan Smith Wrecks… But Still Finishes Strong

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Jon Wood (12th), Patrick Carpentier (17th), Michael McDowell (24th), Aric Almirola (28th), Regan Smith (29th), Sam Hornish Jr. (37th) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Smith (21st), McDowell (26th), Carpentier (31st), Almirola (33rd), Hornish (35th), Wood (36th) Rookie of the Race: Smith. Smith had the precarious task of starting in the eye of the storm …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Sam Hornish Jr. Carries Banner for Penske Racing

Editor’s Note: Regular Rookie writer Tony Lumbis is off this week, so our resident Nationwide Series expert Bryan Davis Keith filled in. Tony returns from vacation in time for next Monday’s edition. Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Dario Franchitti (21st), Michael McDowell (29th), Sam Hornish Jr. (31st), Patrick Carpentier (37th), Regan Smith (38th) Unofficial Finishing …

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Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Michael McDowell Terrifies at Texas

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Sam Hornish Jr. (17th), Patrick Carpentier (27th), Regan Smith (34th), Michael McDowell (40th) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Carpentier (28th), Hornish (32nd), McDowell (33rd), Smith (35th) Rookie of the Race: Carpentier. The No. 10 Dodge qualified for their fourth event in the last five races on Friday, and the momentum did not stop there… …

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