Race Weekend Central

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2009 Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Usually this goes to a driver, but this week’s shoutout goes to the entire No. 83 crew. A broken axle could have ruined driver Brian Vickers’s night and killed his Chase chances – instead, the team changed the axle on pit road and Vickers finished seventh, just 20 …

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2009 NASCAR Report Cards, Part II: Grading Dale Jr. & the Rest

Editor’s Note: For Part I of our midseason driver report cards, click here. Continuing on from yesterday’s review, it’s time for Professors Danny and Tom to grade those drivers sitting at the back of the class. Whether it’s some bad racing luck, poor chemistry with a crew chief or just plain awful driving, most of …

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Matt McLaughlin’s Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2009 Chicagoland Race Recap

The Key Moment: After a series of frantic restarts, Mark Martin on worn tires was able to hold off Jeff Gordon on fresher tires to hand Rick Hendrick an early 60th-birthday gift. In a Nutshell: See Mark run. Run, Mark, run. Doze, fans, doze. Close, Chicagoland, close. Dramatic Moment: A wild series of events on …

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5 Points to Ponder: 2009 Lifelock 400 at Chicagoland Edition

Each week, Frontstretch hosts a live blog during the Sprint Cup race. It’s a great way for readers to interact alongside their favorite Frontstretch writers with videos, live commentary and live polls. Each of this week’s “Five Points” were polls taken during the Chicago live blog. ONE: Will Martin Truex Jr. make the Chase in …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2009 LifeLock 400 at Chicagoland

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? It’s a tough week to have to choose this one, but I’m going with a driver who, a year ago, was labeled as just another open-wheel convert who couldn’t figure out stock cars. Fast forward to the present, though, and Juan Pablo Montoya seems to have it figured …

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Fanning the Flames: Jeremy Mayfield’s “Dangerous Precedent” May Serve to Benefit the Sport

Anyone see where former U.S. Figure Skating champion Nicole Bobek was charged in a New Jersey court with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine? (Anyone care?) Wonder if she’ll “follow the dangerous precedent” set forth by Jeremy Mayfield, his appeal and the court’s subsequent injunction? Considering she’s been retired for a while and already in jail, I …

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Voice of Vito: Michael Waltrip, Motorsports Motormouth Finally Focusing Full-Time on Owner Role for 2010

While the majority of news media yesterday were trained on the Michael Jackson memorial, there was another announcement being made on the opposite side of the country in Cornelius, N.C., at Michael Waltrip Racing. A new driver is joining the MWR stable in 2010, as Martin Truex Jr. was officially announced as the new full-time …

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Did You Notice? Truex Missed Teresa, Hall of Fame Snubs, Fan Tragedy Averted & Stewart’s Smelly Towel?

Did You Notice? With the Hall of Fame’s official selection of its top 25, debate’s now raging on which five will be picked to be part of the Hall’s inaugural class. When that happens, there will inevitably be drivers and teams that get snubbed… it’s just an unfortunate part of the process. But with the …

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Mirror Driving: Changing Plate-Racing Rules, Mayfield’s Murky Future & Truex’s Future Potential

Jeremy Mayfield’s victory in court – winning an injunction that will allow him to race – shed new light on NASCAR’s drug policy. Does the policy need changes?