2009 Drivers: Pleasant Surprises
Mark Martin: I think Martin has either retired, semi-retired or threatened to retire more times than Tommy Smothers. But this year he was firmly committed to...
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Worst Race of 2009
Talladega (Fall): Shortly before the race NASCAR officials told the drivers they weren’t going to tolerate any bump drafting in the corners. Apparently some drivers had asked...
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2009 Ride: No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Toyota
2009 Primary Sponsors: None for most events. One race each for Huckleberry’s BBQ Sauce, Maui Shower Company, GPS Enterprises, New York City Bagel Deli,...
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The Key Moment: Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin made quick work of Kurt Busch on the final restart, and Hamlin prevailed in the battle of the JGR teammates to drive to an uncontested win.
In a...
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Huddled together against the cold, their eyes scan the horizon for the lights of the Miami cityscape. It’s been a long and sometimes perilous journey they’ve endured, and it seems like it’s lasted...
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The Key Moment: Johnson’s crew got their driver off pit road first on the final set of pit stops. Once the No. 48 car had clean air on its snout, it was unstoppable.
In a Nutshell: Jimmie Johnson...
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NASCAR officials are like brown recluse spiders in the basement. You can normally live with them… but you need to keep a wary eye on them. Those folks down on Speedway Boulevard in Daytona seem...
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The Key Moment: When the stuff hit the fan Jamie McMurray was at the front of the pack, seemingly as surprised to be there as anyone was to see him take the checkers.
In a Nutshell: 183 laps of...
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It’s coincidental, but still notable, that the NASCAR Cup Series visits its shortest oval circuit (Martinsville) then heads off to its longest (Talladega). By chance, the two tracks are amongst the...
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The Key Moment: Denny Hamlin held off repeated charges by Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Juan Pablo Montoya during a flurry of late race restarts to claim another win in front of his partisan, home...
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Whither Now, Ford Motors?
Lately, the Ford Motor Company, the corporation that put America on wheels, has been on a bit of a roll. The new Taurus has been such a hit that dealers in trendy...
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This long holiday weekend, I was doing some research for a book I’ll probably never write. As this season draws towards its conclusion, I found myself studying the results from the 1999 Atlanta...
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The Key Moment – Kevin Harvick seemed poised to run away with an upset win until a late caution (caused ironically enough by Harvick’s teammate, Clint Bowyer) reshuffled the deck and handed Kasey...
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As some of you may know, after the Pocono wrap-up I’m heading off for the annual family Jersey shore vacation. Fewer of you realize that while I’m taking this time off, I will hit a dubious milestone...
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The Key Moment – With 20 laps to go, Denny Hamlin restarted 14th with fresh tires. With 10 to go, he drove past Clint Bowyer to take the lead and was never headed.
In a Nutshell – Better late...
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…‘Cause there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues…
This isn’t an easy time of the year to be a stock car racing fan. For one thing, it’s so danged nice out it seems a...
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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...
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Friday started out an ordinary enough sunny July day here in the suburbs of Philly, well west of the I-95 corridor. Given the spectacular weather and my penchant for such things, I boarded the Harley...
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If there was ever a child born to be a race car driver, it was Davey Allison. If there was ever a race car driver who never forgot his roots, and always had a few moments to sign an autograph, answer...
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The Key Moment: After a series of frantic restarts, Mark Martin on worn tires was able to hold off Jeff Gordon on fresher tires to hand Rick Hendrick an early 60th birthday gift.
In a Nutshell:...
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I’ve gotten a lot of email from readers asking me which five people I hope, or think, will make up the first set of inductees into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. I’ve debated the topic with more than a few...
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I’ve gotten a lot of email from readers asking me which five people I hope or think will make up the first set of inductees into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. I’ve debated the topic with more than a few...
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I’ve gotten a lot of email from readers asking me which five people I hope or think will make up the first set of inductees into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. I’ve debated the topic with more than a few...
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The Key Moment: Kyle Busch tried blocking Tony Stewart once too often on the final lap. Stewart took the win, while Busch took a savage ride into the wall and through the pack.
In a Nutshell:...
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Something remarkable happened Saturday night in Milwaukee. The Nationwide Series race featured a lot of side by side racing not only for the lead, but for positions in the top 5 and top 10 and...
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The Key Moment: Kasey Kahne held off Tony Stewart on no less than four restarts at the end of the race to claim his first victory in over a year.
In a Nutshell: Everything some fans love and...
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Thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and fans of Carlos Pardo who died in a horrific wreck during a NASCAR Mexico event last weekend. Pardo was leading the race when the second place...
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The Key Moment: Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson ran out of gas on the final lap to hand a win to Mark Martin.
In a Nutshell: To paraphrase Leonard Ginth-Parnell of Saturday Night Live’s “Master...
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Most industries are struggling in this economy, but the newspaper industry has been driven to its knees by the twin blows of reduced advertising income and competition from the Internet. There’s an...
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The Key Moment: Tony Stewart’s guys got him out on the track first after the last caution flag pit stop. Stewart nursed an incredible 41 laps out of a tank of fuel to hold onto victory.
In a...
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While I enjoy stock car racing at Pocono, race weekends at the track are also tinged with a bit of melancholy. For more years than I care to recall, all my best buddies and I used to attend one of...
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The Key Moment: Coming up on two laps left to race, Jimmie Johnson powered around the outside of Tony Stewart to retake the lead.
In a Nutshell: Ever hear of a Cow-patty sandwich on whole wheat...
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On Tuesday, NASCAR held a pair of town hall meetings, reaching out to drivers and team owners for suggestions on how to fix what ails the sport. I guess my invitation got lost in the mail, because...
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The Key Moment: David Reutimann stayed out when a caution flew for rain. The precipitation never stopped, and Reutimann reigned at Charlotte.
In a Nutshell: After 24 hours plus at Charlotte,...
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Growing up I’d never have imagined that one day a Honda would be the best selling automobile in America. Certainly I’d have never guessed that one day Toyota would be competing with GM for title of...
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The Key Moment: With two laps left, Tony Stewart powered by Matt Kenseth to take the race lead, then drove off into the sunset. Or he would have… but it was already dark out.
In a Nutshell:...
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News broke shortly before last weekend’s Darlington race that owner/driver Jeremy Mayfield had tested positive for a banned substance after a random test conducted under NASCAR’s new drug program....
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The Key Moment: Mark Martin was able to gap Jimmie Johnson on the final restart with an old school approach of braking early and accelerating hard out of the corners… a lesson I’d guess Johnson...
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This week, the Cup circuit heads to Darlington, South Carolina for what will regrettably be its only stop at the “Track Too Tough To Tame” this season. Even given the awkward eve of...
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The Key Moment: Kyle Busch battled his way past Jeff Gordon on the fourteenth restart. After a couple tense laps battling the No. 24 and lapped cars, he drove off from the field to score his 15th...
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Things have changed so much in our sport the last few years, there’s not much left that’s stayed the same. But one of those things I could always count on for the past 13 years was...
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The Key Moment: Carl Edwards had the lead when Brad Keselowski got a fender inside of him off turn four on the final lap. Edwards moved to block the No. 09 a little too late, going for a terrifying...
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The first night race of the 2009 Cup season offered fans a rare Sunday off. I hope most of you were able to enjoy the same beautiful weather that we had here in the Northeast, as Spring finally made...
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The Key Moment: Mark Martin was able to quickly dispatch Ryan Newman on the race’s final restart, and Tony Stewart never generated the steam to catch him.
In a Nutshell: Martin’s victory is...
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I guess I’m a little slow on the uptake, but I don’t get it. With all the major challenges facing NASCAR right now — and they are myriad — how did they decide that “fixing” the awards...
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The Key Moment: Jeff Gordon emerged from the final round of pit stops with the lead as Carl Edwards’ No. 99 team fumbled the ball badly, dropping their boy to eleventh.
In a Nutshell: Jeff...
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Qualifying When the Rain is Flying – The record books will show that Jeff Gordon earned the pole at Martinsville this weekend. But he did so without having to turn a lap in anger, instead...
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Though it was not all that long ago in the grand scheme of things, the Winston Cup circuit was very different back in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Back then, almost all the star drivers...
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The Key Moment: Jimmie Johnson ran down Denny Hamlin with fifteen laps to go. He then moved the No. 11 car aside, with both cars getting sideways and smoking the tires before Johnson pulled ahead to...
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You’ve got to hand it to the powers that be that run Formula One — at least when they’re not consorting with hookers or doing their mad Rumplestiltskin on meth impersonations. They realize...
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The Key Moment: Kyle Busch was able to hold off teammate Denny Hamlin in the final two lap shootout that decided the race.
In a Nutshell: Geographically, it’s in the same place, but this joint...
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Four weeks into the 2009 NASCAR season, nothing is etched in stone. It’s too early on to know who will be champion and even too early to predict the 12 drivers who will make the Chase quite yet. But...
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The Key Moment: Kurt Busch dominated the race, but a late caution and a two tire stop put Carl Edwards at the head of the pack. Busch was able to easily retake the lead when the green flag flew with...
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Geographically, Los Angeles and Las Vegas are about 270 miles apart. Yahoo Maps says the drive should take about four hours on average—unless you’re Sam Kinnison or the nice folks at Shelby...
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The Key Moment: On lap 269, Kyle Busch nudged aside Clint Bowyer to take the lead. Busch, who had won the pole for the race, was forced to start out back after blowing an engine in practice —...
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Welcome to my nightmare
I think you’re gonna like it
I think you’re gonna feel… you belong
- Alice Cooper
I’ve long been ridiculed as a prophet of doom. I’ve been saying...
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The Key Moment: Matt Kenseth’s crew was flawless all night, getting him off pit road first on the final sequence of pit stops. Despite Kenseth’s initial Charlie Brown-like resignation over the radio,...
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The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things — of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. -Lewis Carroll
Daytona Speedweeks has reached its less than...
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The Key Moment: Matt Kenseth took the lead just as Aric Almirola spun to bring out the seventh caution of the race. Rain began falling before green flag racing could resume.
In a Nutshell: For...
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The engines have fired. The first laps have been driven in anger. Victors have celebrated… and losers have been left to lick their wounds. Yes, ladies and gents, the 2009 Cup season has...
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The Key Moment: Kevin Harvick assumed the lead milliseconds before the caution flag flew, signaling the end of the race.
In a Nutshell: With the convoluted new format and dearth of attendance and...
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I don’t know if it’s the passing of the years or the consuming of beers, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how different it is to be a NASCAR fan than it was decades ago when I first became...
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A not so amusing thing happened to me one night last week while I was fueling up my black and gold ’76 Trans Am en route to a local car show. I’m used to the car eliciting a lot of...
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My, how times have changed. Earlier this year, NASCAR seemed poised to propose allowing teams almost unlimited testing dates for next season. Then, the economy hit the skids, and a week and a half...
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The Key Moment: Carl Edwards ran out of gas as he coasted across the finish line to take his ninth Cup win of the season.
In a Nutshell: Carl Edwards did all he could do, but Jimmie Johnson did...
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A news item earlier this week probably flew well beneath most fans’ radar screens, but it raised my blood pressure up a notch or two. It hearkens back to comments I made in last week’s column...
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The Key Moment: Jimmie Johnson held off a hungry Kurt Busch four times on restarts in the final 25 laps.
In a Nutshell: Johnson put on a clinic, showing the rest of the garage area who is going...
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Like most of you I’m sure, I’m tired of hearing about the economy. I know the American economy is a mess right now and a lot of people are hurting. I ain’t smart enough to know what to do to fix this...
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In the grand scheme of things, the first Cup race at Atlanta wasn’t all that long ago. By coincidence, three races on the schedule preceded the first race at Atlanta and there are three left to run...
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The Key Moment: Leader Denny Hamlin spun his tires on the penultimate restart, allowing Carl Edwards to power by him on the outside exiting Turn 2.
In a Nutshell: The new car and an old race...
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OK, let’s admit it. Something is wrong. It’s not that this year’s Cup racing has been mediocre. NASCAR fans—those fans that haven’t chosen to leave the sport—have come to accept...
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The Key Moment: Jimmie Johnson got an excellent jump on that final Green-White-Checker restart and kept Dale Earnhardt, Jr. off his rear bumper.
In a Nutshell: Stock cars running belly to the...
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Five short weeks ago, NASCAR’s latest rendition of the ill-considered Chase kicked off with all the fanfare the powers that be could muster, despite general apathy by the mainstream press who still...
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The Key Moment: Jeff Burton and Jimmie Johnson waged a spirited battle for a few laps after the final restart before points leader Johnson apparently decided discretion was the better part of valor....
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Last week, former NBA star and current ABC/ESPN analyst, Brad Daugherty, announced that his fledgling Cup team has formed a “technical alliance” with Michael Waltrip Racing. The JTG car, to be...
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The Key Moment: The race was decided in NASCAR’s control room almost a minute after the event itself ended.
In a Nutshell: Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over until it’s over.” Apparently...
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Some drivers dread going to NASCAR’s fastest track for more reasons than one these days. But there’s one concern you might not have heard of, an issue that goes beyond the dangers posed...
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The Key Moment: Carl Edwards sailed his Ford into the final corner in a kamikaze attempt to pass Jimmie Johnson. Edwards did get by the No. 48 car, but momentum carried him into the wall —...
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A lot of people have taken me to task lately — either by email or in the comments section below my articles — claiming I’m too negative. They feel I am lost in rose-colored remembrances...
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The Key Moment: With eight laps to go, Greg Biffle finally got around the outside of teammate Matt Kenseth to take the lead.
In a Nutshell: If you surfed away to catch a local football game, you...
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For better or worse, the Chase is now one week old, meaning one of 12 drivers will be anointed Cup champion in just nine weeks’ time. So, let’s put aside for a moment the continuing...
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The Key Moment: On the final restart with twelve laps to go, Greg Biffle muscled his way past Jimmie Johnson to the subdued delight of anyone left awake.
In a Nutshell: Another NHMS snoozer....
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After all the hoopla and hype, the combatants for this year’s 10-race Chase, the fifth iteration of this championship format, are finally decided. Undoubtedly, some fans of these 12 drivers are...
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The Key Moment: Tony Stewart ran down Jimmie Johnson with 10 laps to go, but Johnson found enough speed in the upper groove to prevail over the No. 20 car in a battle of the home improvement centers....
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I’ve always been uncomfortable with “Silly Season,” the phrase used to describe the portion of the year where drivers, sponsors, and team owners decide who will drive what car...
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The Key Moment: On lap 469, Carl Edwards used his bumper to nudge the 18 car aside and do something nobody else had done all night, pass Kyle Busch.
In a Nutshell: Kyle and Carl put on another...
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I don’t know if it’s the passing of the years or the consuming of beers, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how different it is to be a NASCAR fan than it was decades ago when I first became...
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The Key Moment: Once Carl Edwards’ pit crew returned him to the track with the lead after the final pit stop, it was his race to lose.
In a Nutshell: Carl Edwards and Ford score one for the...
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Tim Richmond was back with the Blue Max team for 1985, though there had been some friction within the team. A lot of people in the know were saying Tim was a better driver than the equipment he had...
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It’s been over a decade now since Tim Richmond last competed in a Winston Cup race. There’s little mention of him in NASCAR’s official literature, and if you’re a new race...
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The Key Moment: Dale Earnhardt Jr. pitted under caution on lap 66, handing the lead to Kyle Busch who would never come close to relinquishing it.
In a Nutshell: Kyle Busch once again spanks the...
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A not so amusing thing happened to me one night last week while I was fueling up my black and gold ’76 Trans Am en route to a local car show. I’m used to the car eliciting a lot of...
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The Key Moment: Carl Edwards came out of the third corner on the final lap with the engine running on fumes, but made it across the Start / Finish line to take the win at Pocono.
In a Nutshell:...
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The stock car racing community was shocked this May by longtime Charlotte promoter Humpy Wheeler’s abrupt departure from the SMS fold. When Bruton Smith named his own son Marcus to replace Wheeler,...
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The Key Moment: Jimmie Johnson’s pit crew got him off pit lane first during the last of a string of competition cautions, and once the No. 48 car was in clean air there was no catching it.
In a...
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The announcement last Wednesday was hardly a surprise; the rumors had been circulating for months. But when Tony Stewart announced he was leaving Joe Gibbs Racing (an organization that has won three...
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The Key Moment: Second place Kyle Busch timed the final restart perfectly and ambushed leader Jimmie Johnson with two laps to go.
In a Nutshell: When watching the sunset is more spectacular than...
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The jumbled pieces of this year’s silly season puzzle began falling together at Daytona this week, presenting a clearer picture of next year’s Cup lineup. It had already been announced that Casey...
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