Race Weekend Central

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.

Bowles-Eye View: Jeff Gordon vs. Matt Kenseth the Razor-Thin Line Between Chase Success & Lack Thereof

They say racing can boil down to a matter of inches. But in what’s become a wacky Chase, inches can simply be replaced by finishing. Just take a look at Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth. One is spending this Monday morning relishing the glory of a title clearly within their grasp; the other is shaking …

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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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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in the Chase: 2007 UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Edition

It’s the one wreck all year that leaves everyone at risk, from championship contenders to field-fillers alike: the Big One. You never know when it’s going to happen at Talladega, and you never quite know how many cars – or carnage – it’ll cause. Sunday, its damage was quite extensive. A handful of Chasers, including …

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Bowles-Eye View: Can Cup Drivers Bring Restrictor Plates to Their Knees?

For years, critics of restrictor plate racing have looked every which way to stop what they call “manufactured entertainment.” However, the racing at Talladega Superspeedway was always rallied by support from the stands – never unanimous, but just enough that it’s been next to impossible for NASCAR to appreciate both the danger and the destructiveness …

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

Jimmie Johnson – Johnson has been on a roll at Talladega as of late: he won here last spring and finished second in April. He almost won last fall’s Talladega event, as well; that is, before former teammate Brian Vickers crashed the little party Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Johnson were staging on the final lap …

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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in the Chase: 2007 Lifelock 400 at Kansas Edition

Editor’s Note: Regular Hot/Not columnist Cami Starr is off this week. Expect her back next Tuesday at the same time, same place, to give all her latest insight as the Chase race continues to unfold. After a wild and wacky weekend at Kansas, people are still trying to figure out who won the race, let …

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