Race Weekend Central

Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: NASCAR 10 Years Down the Road

This long holiday weekend, I was doing some research for a book I’ll probably never write. As this season draws towards its conclusion, I found myself studying the results from the 1999 Atlanta season finale, run on Nov. 21 almost 10 years ago. If you’re in your 20s or even 30s, a decade seems like …

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Voice of Vito: Fuel for Thought – Making the Case for Fuel Injection in NASCAR

Progress and change. Both are touchy subjects and, more often than not, have no bearing or influence on the other. One can fly in the face of tradition while the other may support and reinforce it. I’ll spare you the political diatribe (for now) however, and cut to the chase where in NASCAR, the opportunity …

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Voice of Vito: Take the Pain – Should Jeff Gordon’s Back Injury Be a Storyline as the Championship Chase Looms?

Playing hurt is one of the inevitabilities in professional sports and the world of motorsports is no exception. In NASCAR particularly, it seems that more often than not, competing with an injury becomes the defining aspect of a championship season, and in recent years has played a significant role in determining the Sprint Cup champion. …

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Thompson in Turn 5: There’s Just Something About Monday Races at Pocono

The only disappointment for race fans this week should be that the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 was rescheduled for Monday (Aug. 3) due to rain, resulting in many NASCAR loyalists to miss the live broadcast of the event. That’s because – wouldn’t you know it – there was finally a good stock car race …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Which Nominees Should Make the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010?

With a week off from the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, the writers from Frontstretch decided to take a look at the 25 names nominated for consideration to be one of the first five selections to be enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Since none of your Frontstretch faithful were picked to be part of …

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Voice of Vito: Kevin Harvick’s Potential Move to Stewart-Haas Racing Has Long-Lasting Implications

Kevin Harvick may have just pulled the pin on the Silly Season grenade. It used to be late summer and fall when the rumor mill would heat up with stories of defections, sponsor swaps or new teams entering the fray for the coming year. Nowadays, it usually begins just about the time the first Gatorade …

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Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: NASCAR Hall’In Class

I’ve gotten a lot of email from readers asking me which five people I hope, or think, will make up the first set of inductees into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. I’ve debated the topic with more than a few fans and have to agree that narrowing the group down to just five individuals is a …

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Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: NASCAR – The Intimidator vs. The Irritator

Something remarkable happened Saturday night in Milwaukee. The Nationwide Series race featured a lot of side-by-side racing not only for the lead, but for positions in the top five and top 10 and throughout the field. With the majority of the Cup regulars, save Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch, a half continent away, some of …

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Petty & Earnhardt (Possibly) to Toyota? The Times They Are-a-Changin’

Rumors are just rumors and this time of year sees the mill turn the most. Two weeks ago, Richard Petty Motorsports announced a partnership with Braun Racing to field entries in five Nationwide Series races with drivers Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne. The Braun team runs Toyotas, so, despite the press release not mentioning the …

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Full Throttle: 50 Years at Charlotte Wasn’t Just for Fans & Drivers

CONCORD, N.C. – Fifty years of racing at Charlotte is something special for two men. Earl Springs and David Suddreth have both been working at Charlotte Motor Speedway for all 50 years of its existence. Springs has sold programs and Suddreth has been a security guard for all of the races that have taken place …

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