Race Weekend Central

Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2009 NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Montreal

For the third year in a row, Marcos Ambrose was the class of the field. And for the third year in a row, he failed to take the checkered flag at Montreal. Ambrose, who in an interview that ran during the race broadcast was quoted calling his secret to road racing “minimizing the mistakes made …

Read more

Running Their Mouth: 2009 EnjoyIllinois.com 225/NAPA Auto Parts 200 Edition

Here’s a peek at what drivers were thinking following the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at Chicagoland Speedway and NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie Report Cards: Economic Woes & Poor Performances Leave Their Mark

Looking back on the 2008 NASCAR season, many fans will notice a lot of similarities between this year and 2007. The most obvious comparison, for example, involves the complete dominance by three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson during both Chases. But the 2007 season also saw the emergence of a new trend in NASCAR, involving the …

Read more

Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2008 NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Montreal

In a Nutshell: The NAPA 200 didn’t really start until lap 8, when rains descended on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. But rather than postponing the event, NASCAR red-flagged the field and allowed teams to change their cars over to a rain package, putting on grooved tires and installing windshield wipers, brake lights and …

Read more

Sprint Cup Rookie Report: 2008 Mid-Term Grades – Reviewing NASCAR’s Rocky Rookie Road

The season is just past the halfway point, which means it’s time for Professor Lumbis to issue his midterm report cards for the 2008 rookie class. Get out your Tums, though – as after team closures, numerous wrecks, and poor finishes, this report is sure to give some readers agita after reading about the dreadful …

Read more

Sprint Cup Report Cards: Grading the NASCAR Pack 1/3 of the Way Through the 2008 Season

In the immortal words of one Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.” The star of the 1980s silver screen was right: life does move fast – and so does NASCAR. With the checkered flag flying on the Coca-Cola 600, we’re …

Read more

Happy Hour: Nationwide Whackers are Hurting NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series

On several occasions during the Martinsville race this past Sunday, the announcers in the FOX booth analyzed “short-term gain” vs. “long-term loss.” The comparison was made whenever a driver skipped a pit or took two tires for track position, meaning that they may gain track position in the short run, but the older tires may …

Read more

Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Rain, Sam Hornish Jr.’s Hard Hit Ruin Rookie Results at California

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: (Due to inclement weather, the qualifying order was determined by 2007 owner points) Sam Hornish Jr. (seventh), Regan Smith (17th), Dario Franchitti (26th) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Smith (31st), Franchitti (32nd), Hornish (43rd) Rookie of the Race: Absolutely Nobody. There is no way that I can assign this category to a freshman …

Read more

Did You Notice? The Busch Brothers Playing Nice? Ryan Newman Making College History? & More…

Did You Notice? That on the final lap of the Daytona 500, you had both Kyle and Kurt Busch giving up on their own chance to win the Great American Race, instead choosing to stay in line behind their teammates while attempting to push them to the win. That selfless act was followed by an …

Read more

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 Daytona 500 Edition

For three months the anticipation built up in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500, all the way up until the green flag flew over 43 of the world’s best drivers to kick off the 2008 season Sunday afternoon. The expected Hendrick Motorsports dominance was overshadowed by the success of Joe Gibbs Racing …

Read more

Sprint Cup Rookie Report: Sam Hornish Jr. is Heroic at Daytona

Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Sam Hornish Jr. (19th), Regan Smith (29th), Dario Franchitti (40th) Unofficial Finishing Positions: Hornish (15th), Franchitti (33rd), Smith (37th) Rookie of the Race: Sam Hornish Jr. Most of the NASCAR world will say that Penske Racing had its most successful run in team history during Sunday’s Daytona 500, based on the …

Read more