Race Weekend Central

Did You Notice? Fixing NASCAR’s Penalty Problem, Sponsor Hogs & Why Parity Doesn’t Matter

Did You Notice? All the hubbub surrounding Juan Pablo Montoya’s pit-road penalty? In the wake of a boring race at Indy, it seems all everyone wants to talk about is a conspiracy theory, with NASCAR putting the No. 42 in the penalty box for speeding simply to “spice up the race.” At the time of …

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Mirror Driving: Inverting the Field, Road Racing at Indy & Gauging Roush’s Future

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: Beth Lunkenheimer (Tuesdays/Running Your Mouth & Various/Frontstretch Truck Series Reporter) Mike Neff (Wednesdays/Power …

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Voice of Vito: Looking Back at the Brickyard: Clichés, Controversy & a Questionable Call

As Jimmie Johnson and his team kissed the bricks (with Chad Knaus pulling up short) along the start/finish line following their second consecutive win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Brickyard 400 was in the books and the attention turned immediately to racing at Pocono. I guess that’s to be expected; after all, we are …

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Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2009 Brickyard 400

Racing at the Brickyard is not always the most exciting, but the history and tradition of the place always seem to shine through when people start to have doubts. Most of our Power Rankings leaders used the big stage of Indianapolis to come up with strong finishes; but for those who fell short, their problems …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: 2009 Brickyard 400 Edition

Jimmie Johnson may have come from out of nowhere to claim his second consecutive Brickyard 400, but the three-time defending has been RED HOT as of late.

Matt McLaughlin’s Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2009 Brickyard 400 Race Recap

The Key Moment: Jimmie Johnson edged ahead of Mark Martin on the final restart to take the lead for good. A valid argument could be made that the entire complexion of the race changed when Juan Pablo Montoya, who flat out dominated the race, was penalized for speeding on pit road during the last round of …

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5 Points to Ponder: 2009 Brickyard 400 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 Brickyard 400 live blog. ONE: Should the Nationwide and Truck series run …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2009 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard

Who… gets my shoutout of the race? A fraction of a mph cost Juan Pablo Montoya the chance to become the only driver to win both the Indianapolis 500 (a feat which he accomplished in 2000) and the Allstate 400. Montoya, who is Earnhardt Ganassi Racing’s only real Chase hope, had a dominant car all …

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Jimmie Johnson Bests Mark Martin to Win 2009 Brickyard 400

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The 16th running of the Brickyard 400 saw the first repeat winner of the event. Jimmie Johnson made a furious late-race maneuver to get past Mark Martin on a restart and then held off the oldest pole winner in IMS history to claim his second 400 in two years and third of …

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Mark Martin Wins 2009 Brickyard 400 Pole

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – After a long, soggy morning, the Sprint Cup Series finally took to the track for qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 2 p.m. Sam Hornish Jr. was the first car on track after heavy rain overnight and occasional showers during the morning cleaned off the rubber that had been laid down …

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