Race Weekend Central

Tony Stewart Brings Home Maiden Victory for His Own Team, Wins 2009 Pocono 500

In the Sprint Cup Series, it has become incredibly rare for owner-drivers to win. In fact, it had been over 10 years since the last time it had happened (Note: Dale Earnhardt does not count here because he was not driving one of his own cars). On Sunday, Tony Stewart achieved the feat. Despite having …

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Nuts for Nationwide: For Nationwide Series Regulars, The Time is Now

In counting down the days till the start of the 2009 standalone stretch for the Nationwide Series, I find myself constantly thinking back to my favorite time in college, the 2006-2007 football season. The slogan my beloved Demon Deacons took the field with that season was a simple one: The Time Is Now. No more …

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Frontstretch Fantasy Insider: Trying to Overcome the Pythagorean Theorem of Racing at Pocono

The weekend’s trip to Pocono Raceway is about as far away from the Monster Mile as one can get. An enormous (and enormously wide) 2.5-mile triangle, Pocono is truly a one of a kind racetrack. With long straightaways and three unique corners, both handling and horsepower will be at a premium this coming weekend. And …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 Autism Speaks 400 at Dover

While Jimmie Johnson was completely dominant at Dover, he wasn’t the only one with a stellar Sunday at the Monster Mile. Our experts actually rewarded a different driver with the top spot this week, keeping the three-time champ from assuming the throne he’ll so desperately seek by Homestead. At the same time, some people who …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2009 Autism Speaks 400 at Dover Edition

Race No. 13 in the 2009 season was an unlucky one for Goodyear, as periodic rains in Dover washed rubber off the track after both the Friday practice sessions and the Saturday races. With entries in both the Nationwide and Truck Series having right-front tire issues, Sprint Cup teams knew that tire conservation during Sunday’s …

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Thompson in Turn 5: Time for NASCAR to Re-think the Re-starts

The scheduled NASCAR powwow between the organization’s top executives, owners and drivers took place Tuesday, just a day after the excruciating conclusion to the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The official line being toted for the get-together at NASCAR’s Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. was to afford competitors a forum to …

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Frontstretch Fantasy Insider: Bristol on the Juice… How to Survive Dover’s Monster Mile

Leaving the Beast of the Southeast behind in a flood of rain, the Cup circuit heads to the aptly titled “Monster Mile” that is Dover International Speedway, a 1-mile high-banked concrete oval that lives up to its reputation as a Bristol on steroids. The high-speed facility is one of the more treacherous circuits on the …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 Coca-Cola 600

While racing was supposed to be the focus at Charlotte, rain wound up being the headline. Since the Coca-Cola 600 was called short due to weather, the final standings were a jumbled mess of drivers who took a risk on the final pit stop to steal a good finish – leaving the fastest cars in …

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Carl Edwards Wins 2009 CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 Pole at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. – Dodging rain drops and bright sunshine, the Nationwide Series completed its qualifying for tonight’s (May 23) CARQUEST Auto Parts 300. Fifty cars attempted qualifying runs and in the end, Carl Edwards was the fastest of them all. Edwards turned a lap of 29.480 seconds for a speed of 183.175 mph. Edwards was …

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Grading the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Pack: Part 1

NASCAR’s longest and most grueling race, the Coca-Cola 600, represents a significant milestone in the 2009 season. It’s not quite the halfway point to the Chase (that comes the following week after Dover), but once the checkers fly late Sunday evening, we’re exactly one-third of the way through the 36-race schedule. With that in mind, …

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