Race Weekend Central

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 Sylvania 300 at Loudon

The first Chase race is finally behind us, with Mark Martin earning his season-high fifth win of the season in Loudon, N.H.

Who’s Going to Win It All? Our 2009 NASCAR Chase Predictions

The sixth edition of NASCAR’s Chase is upon us, and with it comes the most talented 12-car field we’ve ever seen. Four former champions, 282 career race wins, and eight different teams represented make the 10-race run for the title a wide-open affair with no clear favorite as of yet. Or is there? Our experts …

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The Yellow Stripe: The 2009 NASCAR Chase Field Hits Manhattan, Hard Rock Café Style

A few weeks back, one of my colleagues at Frontstretch, Mr. Phil Allaway, wrote an excellent piece on how ESPN put together at-track NASCAR race broadcasts. It was the sort of behind the scenes “Insider” look at the sport that you don’t often get to read and if you haven’t checked it out you really …

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Holding a Pretty Wheel: Brian Vickers on the Brink of the Ride of His Life

In retrospect, it shouldn’t have been a surprise. The signs were there well over a year ago – it was just a matter of time, a matter of a little more experience, a matter of a little luck. And when it mattered the most, the young driver from North Carolina (a dying breed now) found …

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Fanning the Flames: Who’s This Year’s Chase Cinderella? The Numbers Line up for Ryan Newman… To Finish 3rd

It’s all in the numbers, see? And the momentum, of course. Every year, some guy from the back half of the Chase field makes a dent at Loudon that throws that momentum their way. Except for 2004, when Big Mo hung with a seventh-seeded Kurt Busch and they won a title together, it’s been a …

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Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: All Around NASCAR’s Chosen Ones

Like it or not (and I think I’ve made it pretty clear which side of the fence I stand on over the last five years) NASCAR’s all-singing, all-dancing, usually disappointing Chase for the Championship is now underway. 12 finalists have been anointed possible titlists and, barring the sudden addition of a swimsuit and talent competition, …

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Voice of Vito: Pugliese the Prognosticator – A Comprehensive Guide to the 2009 Chase for the Cup

Following weeks of speculation, rationalization and wild-assed guesses, the field for the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship is now set. This week, the Dirty Dozen has been performing the requisite New York City media stops, making appearances on just about any talk show or television program you care to mention before the first …

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Mirror Driving: Matt Crafton’s Penalty, Kyle & Kurt’s Big Problems & Johnson Playing Dumb?

Matt Crafton was penalized at Gateway Saturday and sent to the back of the longest line for two incidents where he made contact with the truck in front of him.

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond

The final weekend in the race for the Chase saw plenty of playoff-worthy drivers put their best foot forward at Richmond. Brian Vickers slipped in, Kyle Busch fell just short… and there were a slew of others in between who made it clear they’ll spend this fall fighting for a season championship. The shuffling of …

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Happy Hour: Would the Chase Critics Just Shut Up & Go Away? No… We Won’t

When NASCAR finally took us at Frontstretch in, recognizing us as part of their esteemed “Citizen Journalist Media Corps,” I finally felt as though I had achieved something that I had been striving for since high school: acceptance. I was finally part of the “in” crowd, no longer a misfit. I couldn’t remember what it …

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