Race Weekend Central

Matt McLaughlin’s Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2008 Kansas Race Recap

The Key Moment: Carl Edwards sailed his Ford into the final corner in a kamikaze attempt to pass Jimmie Johnson. Edwards did get by the No. 48 car, but momentum carried him into the wall – allowing Johnson to retake the lead. In a Nutshell: The race might have been 100 miles too long but …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2008 Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas

In a Nutshell: For the first half of the race, it looked as if the Nationwide Series may have a different storyline to follow, as Kevin Harvick led 88 of the first 93 laps and appeared to be poised to score his first career series win in his own equipment. However, a lengthy pit stop …

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Did You Notice? McMurray Got Screwed, Screwy Rookie Scheduling & NASCAR’s Fake Title Contenders

Did You Notice? Jamie McMurray’s crash at Dover was not just caused by Robby Gordon’s recklessness… but by missing the playoffs? Let me explain. After the regular-season finale at Richmond, Roush Fenway Racing GM Robbie Reiser made a number of pit-crew switches to benefit the RFR teams set to contend for the championship. “There were …

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Mirror Driving: Playing It Unsafe, Saving NASCAR’s Small-Time Teams & the Cookie-Cutter Conundrum

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: Tom Bowles (Editor-in-Chief; Mondays/Bowles-Eye View & Wednesdays/Did You Notice?) Doug Turnbull (Tuesdays/Talking NASCAR …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2008 Camping World RV 400 at Dover

The Chase may only be 20% done, but so far, it’s been the Greg Biffle show 100% of the time. Two races and two wins have the six-year veteran on the verge of the championship lead, gunning hard to become the first driver to win the title in all three national touring series. But could …

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Voice of Vito: Food for Thought – What’s Broken & What Works in NASCAR

The popular saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” applies to many things in life — especially in racing. As we’ve seen the last few years, sometimes NASCAR tends to tinker with things that don’t need to be messed with, while ignoring problems that badly need to be solved. So, on the heels of …

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The Yellow Stripe: The Power of 3 – Why Kansas, Talladega & Lowe’s Can Make or Break the Chase

The Chase for the Sprint Cup is a strange and unpredictable beast. Who, for example, had their money on Greg Biffle winning the first two races of the 10-race playoff? Perhaps family members or best friends may have had some action on the Biff, but I can’t believe there were many (er, any) others. And …

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Talking NASCAR TV: ESPN Conquers Monster Mile But Leaves Room for Improvement

Consistent television coverage complemented a great race at Dover International Speedway on Sunday. ESPN not only executed much of its normal coverage well, but also added some extra tools to its telecast, providing a better race for viewers to take in. However, as we’ve seen all too often this season, the network fell short of …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2008 Camping World RV 400 at Dover Edition

If you rewind three weeks with me, you’ll notice the Chase for the Sprint Cup title had a discernibly different look to it. After Richmond, Kyle Busch led the points standings heading into the Chase, holding a 30-point lead after flat-out dominating the first 26 races. Far down the list, Greg Biffle sat ninth, 80 …

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10 Points to Ponder… After the 2008 Camping World RV 400 at Dover

1. Drive It Like You Stole It! – According to police in Mooresville, N.C., thieves broke into the Roush/Yates engine shop last week, loading three race motors into a stolen Penske rental truck. The Ford engines taken were specially prepared for the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series. Don’t you just know that there is some …

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