Race Weekend Central

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in the Chase: 2007 Checker Auto Parts 500k at Phoenix Edition

Jimmie Johnson continued to make the Chase a bore by scoring his fourth straight win in Sunday’s Checker Auto Parts 500K at Phoenix.

Matt McLaughlin’s Driver Handicaps: 2007 Phoenix Fall Race Edition

Jimmie Johnson – Johnson came home second in this race last year, and has four straight top-10 finishes at Phoenix. He also finished second here in 2003. Jeff Gordon – Gordon won this spring’s Phoenix race from the pole to finally score his first Cup victory here. He’s run very well at the track, collecting …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in the Chase: 2007 Dickies 500 at Texas Edition

They say everything is bigger and better in Texas, and that adage certainly proved true for Jimmie Johnson, as he continued his quest for back-to-back Nextel Cup championships. Once again, Johnson and the No. 48 team found themselves at the front of the field when it came down to money time, as he ran down …

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Matt McLaughlin’s Driver Handicaps: 2007 Texas Fall Race Edition

Jeff Gordon – Quick; Gordon hasn’t won at which two tracks currently on the Cup schedule? That’s right… Homestead and Texas. Gordon did finish second at TMS in 2002 and has top-10 finishes in six of his 13 Cup starts here; however, his average finish in Fort Worth remains a paltry 16th. Jimmie Johnson – …

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Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans: 2007 Dickies 500 at Texas Edition

The long road that’s been the 2007 Nextel Cup season is finally winding down to a close; and hopefully, your fantasy team is still in a position to make you care. With just three races left, the chance to move up is fading fast; just like in the real Chase, the contenders have emerged from …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in the Chase: 2007 Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Edition

Nothing too surprising happened during Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Granted, there were the out of the blue late-race wrecks and tires mysteriously flying off cars; but, after the past few years of hair-raising last-lap finishes, you come to expect wild things at Atlanta when it comes time for the checkered flag. No matter …

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Matt McLaughlin’s Driver Handicaps: 2007 Atlanta Fall Race Edition

Jeff Gordon – In 30 Cup starts at Atlanta, the points leader has posted four victories and 18 top-10 finishes. However, he finished 12th in the race this spring. Jimmie Johnson – Johnson won here in March to post his second Atlanta Cup victory. After 12 starts here, Johnson has eight top-10 results and an …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in the Chase: 2007 Subway 500 at Martinsville Edition

The Hendrick stronghold on the Chase for the Championship tightened Sunday in the Subway 500 at Martinsville, as Jimmie Johnson scored his series-high seventh win of the season. Not to be totally outdone, teammate Jeff Gordon finished third, maintaining a 53-point lead over Johnson in what has quickly become a two-man race for the championship. …

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Matt McLaughlin’s Driver Handicaps: 2007 Martinsville Fall Race Edition

Jeff Gordon – In the last nine Cup races at Martinsville, Gordon has won four times, finished second twice and never finished outside the top 10. In 29 Martinsville career starts, Gordon has won seven times, and is averaging a seventh-place finish. Jimmie Johnson – This spring, Johnson outraced teammate Gordon off the fourth corner …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in the Chase: 2007 Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Edition

The halfway point of the Chase at Lowe’s brought with it a reality check to several men no longer in the hunt for a championship. For drivers like Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, and Kevin Harvick, their one-time title dreams turned into nightmares filled with enough broken parts and pieces to start a junkyard. On the contrary, for others it was a case of too little, too late, as strong runs by Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch didn’t even make a dent in deficiencies that seem far too steep to overcome.

Martin Truex Jr. Joins the Philanthropic Side of NASCAR

CONCORD, N.C. – Saturday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Martin Truex Jr. announced that he is beginning a new charitable organization to help out needy kids in both his home state of New Jersey and his current home of Mooresville, N.C. Truex wants to take advantage of his position within NASCAR and his success in life …

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Matt McLaughlin’s Driver Handicaps: 2007 Charlotte Fall Race Edition

Jeff Gordon – Gordon has won here four times, including the 1994 World 600 to score his first ever Cup Series victory. (Has it really been 13 years? Wow). But he’s in a pronounced slump at LMS right now, having failed to finish the last five points races here. Jimmie Johnson – Johnson refers to …

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