Race Weekend Central

Thompson in Turn 5: Darlington Fans “Too Tough To Surrender”

Well, Richmond’s Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400 last Saturday night provided just about all the excitement and intrigue any stock car fan could possibly have hoped for: exciting speed, door-rubbing passes, controversy and a surprise ending to boot. As I wrote last week, fans aren’t going to find better stock car entertainment than …

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10 Points to Ponder… After the 2008 Crown Royal 400 at Richmond

1. Maybe Some Trash Talkin’? – The National Football League’s record-setting but controversial wide receiver Randy Moss of the New England Patriots has announced that he is forming a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team. Moss expects his Moss Motorsports operation to enter selected races later this season, then compete in the full schedule of CTS …

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Mirror Driving: Did Busch Pass Below The Line? Will Tony Stewart Leave? & Will Lepage Ever Regain Respect?

Tony Stewart responded to reports he’s leaving Joe Gibbs Racing that he’s got several offers on the table. Where does that leave JGR in filling his seat?

Thompson in Turn 5: A Successful Female NASCAR Driver Would Be… Oprah-Like

I would love to have a financial stake in the first woman driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series that performs at the high level of skill that IRL driver Danica Patrick does. There is no secret that the nation’s top automobile racing series is sponsor driven, and a successful female driver would have a …

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Thompson in Turn 5: Random Drug Testing – Harvick, Earnhardt, Stewart & Granny! Form a Line Over Here!

Recent shocking revelations that former Craftsman Truck and Nationwide series driver Aaron Fike not only concealed a painkiller addiction from NASCAR officials, but competed in CTS events after using heroin on race day has renewed criticism of the sanctioning body’s present drug-testing policies. At the moment, NASCAR does not have a random drug-screening policy like …

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Thompson in Turn 5: The Verdict Is in – NASCAR Scores Big With the CoT

Michael McDowell‘s terrifying near-head on collision with the SAFER barrier and subsequent barrel-rolling down the track at Texas Motor Speedway Friday was the most serious real-life test yet of NASCAR’s new car, known during its developmental period as the Car of Tomorrow (CoT). But the five-year project by NASCAR’s Research And Development division had been …

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Thompson in Turn 5: Robby Gordon Just Being Robby

It has just been a year since I wrote the article “Robby Gordon: NASCAR’s Lone Wolf” in which I touched on some of the uniqueness that is Robby Gordon. I was somewhat surprised to learn after the Frontstretch article appeared that the California native has a considerably larger fanbase than I had estimated. Likewise, I …

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Thompson in Turn 5: Open-Wheel Reunification a Lesson for NASCAR, Too!

One of the biggest U.S. motorsports stories of the last two decades occurred late last month, with the announcement that the Indy Racing League (IRL) and the Champ Car Word Series (CCWS) had agreed to merge. The news, however, garnered little more than a cursory nod from the stock car community, which seems reluctant to …

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Mirror Driving: Bristol Part II, Top-35 Taboos & RCR Who?

Sunday’s race — the second on Bristol’s new surface — seemed more competitive than the fall race last year. Is Bristol back after a brief hiatus?

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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Thompson in Turn 5: 5 Good NASCAR Role Models

It seems like every couple of weeks during the season, the headline the day after a Sprint Cup event announcing the race winner is shared by either the newest physical altercation, one driver “trash talking” another, or unnecessary rough driving being committed by a competitor. Although I do believe NASCAR attempts to keep behavior at …

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