A Few Random Thoughts On NASCAR 2012 – Part Two

To finish what I started, here are more thoughts about some of the competitors and teams as the beginning of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season at Daytona looms. Jeff Gordon: Well, those “Wonderboy” days are...

A Few Random Thoughts On NASCAR 2012 – Part One

During this NASCAR offseason – which many fans find excruciating long and puts them in dire need of a racing “fix” – we’ve all heard, seen or read plenty of pre-season predictions from media pundits....

Mark Martin Does It His Way And Keeps On Rolling

Mark Martin is very much like “Old Man River” of song – He just keeps rolling along. The driver from Batesville, Ark., will continue his long NASCAR racing career, which began in 1981, sputtered and then...

In 2012 Dale Earnhardt Jr. May Have Best Season With Hendrick Mot

Probably no other driver in NASCAR receives more scrutiny than Dale Earnhardt Jr. There’s good reason for that. First, he carries with him a tremendous heritage passed along by his late father Dale, whom many...

New Deal Puts “Neighbor” Ken Schrader Back Into Cup Competition

Just when we might think we’ve seen and heard the last of Ken Schrader, he pops up again. You would think that a race driver who is approaching 56 years of age would have hung up his helmet long ago, but as we...

What Got Danica Patrick In Daytona 500 Questioned

When I learned that Danica Patrick was guaranteed a starting spot in the Daytona 500 because Stewart Haas Racing, which plans to enter her in 10 races this year, had brokered a deal with Tommy Baldwin Racing, I...

Is Allmendinger Now The ‘Mojo Man’ For Daytona?

It seems there is always one driver who displays some unanticipated potential and becomes a guy many believe might just be showered with success. There'a feeling the “mojo” will follow him everywhere he goes,...

Much In NASCAR Ain’t BrMuch In NASCoke, So Don’t Fix It – For Now

It’s never been unusual for NASCAR to put a positive spin on just about anything it does or its interpretation of its competitive environment. Truth be known, that’s what it should do. However, during his...

Patrick Sets Indy Aside In Favor Of NASCAR Challenges

On Monday, Open-Wheel star Danica Patrick dropped a big surprise on hundreds of motorsports writers from around the nation.  During the first of four days of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Media Tour hosted by...

NMPA’s Heyday May Have Passed, But Its Importance And Influence

On Jan. 22 at the National Motorsports Press Association’s convention in Concord, N.C., Tony Stewart was named the winner of the NMPA’s Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award. It came as no surprise, really....

Still More Reflections On Newest HOF Members

Again, if you will allow me to offer some personal observations and reflections: At one time during my career as a motorsports journalist, I knew three of the five latest inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame...

Personal Recollections Of Two Newest HOF Inductees

Idling in a bit of a reflective mood the other day, it occurred to me that I have been lucky enough not only to have met, but also interacted with, most of the15 members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In many...

Will NASCAR Ultimately Return To The Past To Resolve The Situatio

OK, I’m somewhat confused – and, yes, I’ll confess I’m not the smartest guy in the media center. However, been around a while and seen and learned a lot. I’m trying to get a grip on just what NASCAR is...

This Time, What Will Result From Testing? We’ll Find Out Soon

Not to underplay the importance of testing – it is always vital to team preparation for a coming season – but at times it is more crucial than at others. What makes some test sessions more significant than...