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http://troubleinturn2.mikemaruska.com/ - A NASCAR blog based on stats and thoughtful opinion
The last seven seasons have seen the advent of a youth movement in NASCAR at the Cup level. Young Guns have taken over in large numbers and many have quickly found success. Since 2000 a rookie has won a race in every season except 2004. Going back to 2002 the recent rookie classes have been pretty impressive. 12 of 19 drivers have won races, nine have made a Chase appearance and one has won ...
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Autos
Kasey Kahne
Brian Vickers
Scott Riggs
Johnny Sauter
Carl Edwards
It’s Indy time for the Cup guys. That means speeds over 200 mph, a huge purse (last year was over $8 million) and tight racing. With not a lot of room to pass in the corners, horsepower on the straightaways is a driver’s best friend. Dale Earnhardt Jr participated in the recent Goodyear tire test and he also quelled concern about tires.
Tire wear was a big issue. When we first ...
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Autos
Dale Earnhardt Jr
Tony Stewart
David Ragan
Carl Edwards
Mark Martin
Kasey Kahne
The NASCAR Cup race at Indianapolis Motorspeedway is arguably the second biggest race of the season. With two weeks since the last Kyle Busch conquest race, there has been plenty of time for everyone to be whipped into a frenzy of pre-race hype. So why does it feel like just another race this weekend? Maybe I am in the minority or too isolated from the hype, but there is a real lack of juice ...
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Autos
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Every summer when the Sprint/Nextel/Winston Cup tour nears
the Brickyard, the debate is renewed. That debate of
course is the one centered around which is the best track and race in NASCAR. The Daytona 500 and has the most prominent history in stock ...
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Autos
Someone is about to go for a parachute ride. Based on recent history, it’s inevitable that one and maybe two teams sitting on the good side of the points will tumble between now and September. Since the Chase was created in 2004, at least one driver each season has lost altitude and fallen from a Chase position. With only seven races before the Dirty Dozen are chosen for NASCAR’s ...
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Autos
Kevin Harvick
Jeff Gordon
David Ragan
Tony Stewart
Clint Bowyer
Brian Vickers
It’s been a few weeks since I have done a roundup of the news stories in NASCAR. Apoligies for some of these nuggets being a little old, but it’s a slow news week anyway.
DEI is reportedly looking for an investor . Apparently after saying no thanks to Dale Earnhardt Jr, Teresa Earnhardt is now looking for an investor in the company. It’s a sign of the times with more ...
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Autos
J.J. Yeley
Ryan Newman
Tony Stewart
One of the most exciting parts of sports for me is the transactions and seeing how teams are built. I love drafts, hot stove leagues and trade deadlines. Obviously NASCAR is different since there is no salary cap, anyone can start a team, the draft is only relevant if you have a restrictor plate, and the only high profile commodities are the drivers and crew chiefs. What if there was a trade ...
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Autos
Robby Gordon
Tony Stewart
Jamie McMurray
Michael Waltrip
The last seven seasons have seen the advent of a youth movement in NASCAR at the Cup level. Young Guns have taken over in large numbers and many have quickly found success. Since 2000 a rookie has won a race in every season except 2004. Going back to 2002 the recent rookie classes have been pretty impressive. 12 of 19 drivers have won races, nine have made a Chase appearance and one has won ...
Tags:
Autos
Jamie McMurray
Casey Mears
Greg Biffle
All the attention right now is focused on Kyle Busch and rightfully so given his incredible season. That’s probably fine with Jimmie Johnson. Johnson is probably the most invisible 2-time champion in the history of NASCAR. Johnson has only one win so far in 2008, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t running well. Fans, writers and broadcasters might not notice Johnson like in past ...
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Autos
Jimmie Johnson
Kyle Busch
Jeff Gordon
Dale Earnhardt Jr
In the last four races dating back to Sonoma we have seen Kyle Busch in a nutshell. He has won three races at three completely different tracks and also thrown in a nice scuffle at Loudon for good measure. Since his crash at Pocono (and the accompanying nonsense about his lack of focus) he has seen his lead grow from 21 points to 262. If the Chase started today he would have a 50 point lead ...
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Autos
Kyle Busch
Jeff Gordon
Carl Edwards
Jimmie Johnson
Tony Stewart
Matt Kenseth
We’re in a recession. Everyone’s felling it and it’s not very funny. But what’s the point if you can’t at least try and laugh about it.
The Labor Day race at Fontana will be moved to LA and filmed in front of a green screen. (note: I’ve seen the script and you won’t believe what happens to Kirk Shelmerdine!)
Fans at Talladega cease throwing bottles ...
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Autos
Jeff Gordon
Dale Earnhardt Jr
Tony Stewart
Kyle Busch
The good news for Matt Kenseth is that he is really good at Chicago. The bad news is that despite several dominant performances at the track, he has not won a race there yet. In 2005 he led 176 laps but was pipped at the end by Dale Earnhardt Jr on pit strategy. After a caution with 22 laps left, Kenseth pitted for four tires while Earnhardt Jr beat him out of the pits with a two tire stop. ...
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Autos
Dale Earnhardt Jr
Jeff Gordon
Clint Bowyer
Matt Kenseth
Kevin Harvick
Jeff Burton
The last seven seasons have seen the advent of a youth movement in NASCAR at the Cup level. Young Guns have taken over in large numbers and many have quickly found success. Since 2000 a rookie has won a race in every season except 2004. Going back to 2002 the recent rookie classes have been pretty impressive. 12 of 19 drivers have won races, nine have made a Chase appearance and one has won ...
Tags:
Autos
Jimmie Johnson
Ryan Newman
I’m a little late to the party (who comes on time to parties anyway?), but here’s a few thoughts, observations and questions about Mark Martin’s plan to run for the 2009 Championship with Hendrick Motorsports.
Unless you have experience as an elite athlete, you have no true idea what Martin is going through. Professional athletes, especially Hall of Fame caliber ones ...
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Autos
Mark Martin
Dale Earnhardt Jr
Casey Mears
Saturday night’s race at Daytona was a perfect example of why Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards are having such great seasons. They have each enjoyed dominant stretches during the season, but their ability to take advantage of other’s mistakes and finish well when they’re at less than their best is why they are both early favorites to win the Championship.
Busch was solid early ...
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Autos
Kyle Busch
Dale Earnhardt Jr
Jeff Gordon
Tony Stewart
Carl Edwards
Paul Menard
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A brief history of the #40 car. Once
upon a time there was a driver named Sterling
Marlin. He was hired to drive a racecar full time for Chip Ganassi/Felix Sabates Racing (This was before they changed their name to Chip Ganassi/Felix Sabates Mostly ...
This weekend TNT brings back their Wide Open coverage for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. More racing and fewer commercials sounds pretty good. What is even better is a good race at a fun track under the lights and 100 miles shorter than the Daytona 500 in February. It all adds up to one of the best race packages of the season. The Pepsi Coke Zero 400 is almost always an exciting race. Sure ...
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Autos
Kyle Busch
Tony Stewart
Dale Earnhardt Jr
Jeff Gordon
Jimmie Johnson
Denny Hamlin
Have you ever had a friend that no matter what they do can’t seem to get out of their own way? Maybe they get a raise at work, but then blow it on a new TV they can’t afford? You can’t help but slap your forehead and cover your eyes. In NASCAR that friend is Dodge. For every triumph, there seems to be self-inflicted Dodge has won three of the last six Cup races. When you ...
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Autos
Kasey Kahne
Dario Franchitti
Jamie McMurray
Ryan Newman
Juan Montoya
Reed Sorenson
After another disappointing and undeserved finish for Tony Stewart and the #20 team, it’s easy to wonder what’s wrong this year. The truth is, while some of their finishes have been lower than usual, Stewart rarely wins before June. In his 32 career wins, he has only won four races prior to June. In the last five seasons, he has won 12 races in the summer months and 5 wins each in ...
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Autos
Tony Stewart
Jeff Gordon
Kurt Busch
Dale Earnhardt Jr
Jimmie Johnson
Kyle Busch
For the first 270 laps, Sunday’s race at New Hampshire was pretty tame. The leaders maintained comfortable leads with ease, the top ten positions didn’t change much and barring problems, cars were pretty much locked into a comfortable position and no one was passing. Then a caution came out when Jamie McMurray plowed through Dale Earnhardt Jr and suddenly all hell broke loose. The ...
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Pick Your Ten Favorite Cup Races