Race Weekend Central

Mirror Driving: Judging Double-File Restarts, Benson’s Pink Slip, & of Course… Busch & Earnhardt

The latest casualty of the economy is reigning Camping World Truck Series champ Johnny Benson, whose team will shut down effective immediately.

Tracking the Trucks: 2009 O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas

In a Nutshell: Mike Skinner was standing on pit road in the rain when he got word he won the rain-shortened O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 presented by World of Warcraft Monday afternoon at Kansas Speedway. Skinner led the field when the red flag flew on Saturday for rain, and found himself in that same top …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 NASCAR Drivers NOT in Sprint Cup

With NASCAR’s off week in full swing, it presented an opportunity for the Frontstretch experts to do something a little different. Instead of grading the Cup guys, we took a look at those drivers who often get shunned from the spotlight these days, the drivers exclusive to the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series desperate …

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Tearing Apart the Trucks: Sponsorship Woes Hit Truck Series Hard

As the Camping World Truck Series takes its longest break of the season, sponsorship woes continue to plague the series. When the economy started taking a downturn, I never imagined how serious an impact it would have on NASCAR and more importantly the Truck Series. No team owner or driver is immune to the difficulties …

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Voices From the Heartland: For Johnny Benson, Sponsorship vs. Coverage Should Be a Moot Point

It was reported this last week that the defending Camping World Truck Series champion, Johnny Benson, had a sponsorship dilemma. The team’s lack of sponsorship was already well known. The problem was, Johnny and his Red Horse Racing team now have a sponsor lined up… however, they were told that if he used the said …

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Tearing Apart the Trucks: Let’s Go Racing Boys!

Here we are again. Another offseason is coming to a close and the Truck Series is ready to hit the track once again. Time to shake the cobwebs out of your head and get ready for what should be yet another exciting season of Truck Series racing. For the first time since its inaugural year, …

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What’s Vexing Vito: Yay! NASCAR Season is Over! I’m Devastated

I’m conflicted. The 2008 NASCAR season is finally over. “Finally” for me has a few different meanings. Mainly, it has been a hectic and exhausting year, balancing working and writing while trying to maintain some semblance of a semi-normal social life. Secondly, because this has been, after 26 years of watching this sport, the most …

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Mirror Driving: NASCAR 2008’s Biggest Moment, 2009’s Testing Nightmare & Judging Johnson in 2050

Welcome to Mirror Driving. Every week, your favorite columnists sit down and give their opinion about the latest NASCAR news and rumors. Love us or hate us, make a comment below and tell us how you feel about what we’ve said! This Week’s Participants: Bryan Davis Keith (Thursdays/Picks ‘N’ Pans & Sundays/Nationwide Series Breakdown) Doug Turnbull (Tuesdays/Talking …

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Voice of Vito: Johnny Benson Jr. the Best Thing to Happen to NASCAR Championship Weekend

“I’m the best thing to ever happen to this high school!” So were the words of my friend Ryan Volovlek. Were you to find a copy of Forest Hills Northern High School’s yearbook from 1995 titled Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights… clever, eh?), one would find those words forever immortalized under his picture as his senior …

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10 Points to Ponder… After the 2008 Ford 400 at Homestead

1. It’s Still The Thought That Counts – NASCAR drivers Geoffrey Bodine and Scott Wimmer will join the National Hot Rod Association’s Hillary Will and Arie Luyendyk Jr. of the Indy Racing League in a tour of U.S. military bases in Iraq and Kuwait. Billed as “The Racing Heroes 2008 Goodwill Tour,” the four racecar …

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Tracking the Trucks: 2008 Ford 200 at Homestead

In a Nutshell: Todd Bodine took the checkered flag 0.232 seconds ahead of rookie Brian Scott to win the Ford 200 Friday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After starting 18th, Bodine took the lead with just four laps remaining and held on through a green/white/checkered finish to score his third win this season. Meanwhile, Johnny Benson …

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Tearing Apart the Trucks: Craftsman’s Truck Series Tenure Ends in Style

Here we are at the end of yet another year of Craftsman Truck Series racing. It sure has been fun watching Ron Hornaday Jr. and Johnny Benson swap the top spot in the standings. With just one race remaining on the schedule to settle it all, the championship is still up for grabs. Benson currently …

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