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  • RFF Fantasy Racing Game
    • 2018 Fantasy Game >
      • Fantasy Picks ~ Richmond
      • Fantasy Picks ~ Bristol
      • Fantasy Picks ~ Texas
      • Fantasy Picks ~ Martinsville
      • Fantasy Picks ~ Auto Club
      • Fantasy Picks ~ ISM
      • Fantasy Picks - Las Vegas
      • Fantasy Picks - Atlanta
  • Guest Appearance Writers
    • Story of a Lucky Penny and the Underbird
    • Earnhardt and Childress ~ Round 1
  • PattyKay Lilley
    • PattyKay Lilley 2018 >
      • We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us
      • All the News Unfit to Print~ All-Star Edition
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ No One Is Listening
      • Alan Kulwicki Will Always Be a Champion
      • 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame ~ Selections and Elections
      • Fontana to Martinsville and All About the Fan Experience
      • Kevin Harvick Is Right ~ Grass Roots Racing Does Matter
      • The Road Less Traveled
      • Surefire Cost Cutting Ideas for NASCAR
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Too Much Is More than Enough
      • I Remember You ~ My Personal Tribute to Dale Earnhardt
      • An Earnhardt Kind of Day
      • Remembering Neil Bonnett
      • Daytona Fever
      • NASCAR Looked the Other Way
      • A Look in the Rear View Mirror ~ Keith Jackson
      • The Product Is Encumbered and Therefore Not Marketable
      • Its January Already
      • The Perfect Storm and a Sad Farewell
    • PattyKay Lilley 2017 >
      • That Time between Christmas and Daytona
      • The Christmas Story My Mother Told ~ 2017
      • I Still Believe in Santa Claus ~ Jimmy Spencer
      • A Defining Moment in NASCAR History
      • Remembering the Final Winston Cup Banquet ~ 2017
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Dont Believe Your Lying Eyes
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ One Last Ride
      • As the 2017 Season Draws to a Close
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Who Is Not Speaking to Whom?
      • The Little Track by the Railroad Track
      • NASCAR Goes Country
      • Tales of the Talladega Curse ~ 2017
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Sad Times and Poor Broadcasting
      • Not One Knee Was Taken During Solemn Prerace Ceremonies at Dover
      • The White Cliffs of Dover ~ Delaware
      • History Holds the Back Story ~ RPM
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Someone Ought to Say It!
      • Characters Add Character to Racing
      • In Darlington, Everything Old Is New Again
      • Remember When NASCAR Was All About the Fans?
      • From Michigan to Richmond and All Points In-between
      • Racing at the Glen and Millennials Can Learn from Geezers
      • When the Points Arent the Points and 2+2 Doesnt Equal 4
      • When Rednecks Ran NASCAR
      • Dear Brent Dewar, About That Star Mangled Banner
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Silly Season Is Only Silly for Some
      • Looking Back ~ A View from the Rearview
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ On Road Racing and Dirt Racing
      • Defeat Snatched from the Jaws of Victory
      • Ninety Miles an Hour down a Dead End Street
      • The Good, the Bad and the Intolerable
      • Verrrry Interesting
      • D-Day Demolition Derby at Dover
      • Memorial Day Means So Much More than Racing ~ 2017
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ NASCAR Why Do You Refuse to Listen?
      • A Tale of Two Weekends
      • Remember Adam Petty
      • Truth Will Always Serve Better than a Good Story
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Vaya con Dios
      • It’s Bristol Baby, but Which Bristol?
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ When Enough Becomes Too Much
      • A Sunday Drive, Texas Style
      • One Helluva Good Race; Sorry You Missed It
      • As Requested By the Fans… and Other Fairytales
      • Smokey Yunick Belongs in the NASCAR Hall of Fame
      • NASCAR Hall of Fame ~ Selections and Elections
      • Some Facts Are Indisputable and Some Folks Enjoy Being Unhappy
      • At Daytona, Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop
      • A Few More Nicknames and Some Quaint Quotes
      • Nicknames in Racing Have to Be Earned
      • Drivers, Please Start Your Engines
      • The Voice of One Fan Only
      • Fly on the Wall ~ Speaking of Carl Edwards
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Hopefully the Voice of Reason
      • U.S. Nationals, and We Are Not Talking Drag Racing Here
    • PattyKay Lilley 2016 >
      • The Christmas Story as My Mother Told It
      • We’re Gonna Miss the Man Called Smoke
      • The New Twelve Days of a NASCAR Christmas
      • Remembering The Final Winston Cup Banquet
      • Let’s Talk About Indy Instead of Homestead
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Why All The Secrecy?
      • Martinsville ~ FUBAR
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ And the Fans Need to Be Heard!
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ NASCAR Doesn’t Love Me Anymore
      • Under The Charlotte Lights...Again ~ Lady in Black
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ A Question For Brian Z. France
      • Who’s Abbott, Who’s Costello and Who’s on First
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Where Have All The Race Fans Gone?
      • Throwback ~ The Lady In Black
      • Throwbacks and Tributes and Memories, Oh My
      • Someone Asked About the History of North Wilkesboro
      • Mid-Ohio Mayhem ~ All In Fun
      • His Name Is Waddell Wilson ~ Remember That Name
      • J. D. McDuffie ~ Lived and Died for Racing
      • Attendance and Ratings ~ Do They Matter?
      • Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup ~ What Comes Next?
      • Davey in Retrospect
      • Twisted Sheet Metal and How A Race Should End
      • Is NASCAR For Sale?
      • Wreckin on the Road ~ Lady in Black
      • Marty Robbins ~ NASCAR Balladeer
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Those Silly Ol’ Lug Nuts
      • Junie Donlavey ~ True Pioneer of NASCAR
      • Tim Richmond ~ Right to the Bitter End and Beyond
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ The Penthouse and the Outhouse
      • Memorial Day Means More than Just Racing
      • Dover - The Good The Bad and the Unacceptable
      • Down Memory Lane ~ Smokey Yunick
      • Best Damn Garage In Town
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Talladega: Too Much of a Bad Thing
      • Tales Of The Talladega Curse
      • A Few Words About The Old Bristol
      • NASCAR Hall of Fame ~ How the Election Process Works
      • A Sunday Drive, Texas Style with the Lady in Black
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Where Have All the Fans Gone?
      • Alan Kulwicki - Always A Champion
      • Volkswagen Isnt Just a Bug Anymore
      • Racing Is For The Young As Well As The Old
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ From The Desert To The Mountains
      • Would You Like Fries With That?
      • A Few Words on Flag Etiquette
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Great Racing But Poor Coverage
      • Leaving Daytona And Headed For Atlanta
      • Dale Earnhardt ~ I Remember You
      • Charter of Franchise, It's All Good
      • Neil Bonnett: Racer, Broadcaster, Legend, And Man
      • A Racer For All Seasons!
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Six Generations Of Cars And Fans
      • Curtis Turner Inducted Into NASCAR Hall Of Fame
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Improving The Fan Experience
      • The Official Everything Of NASCAR
    • PattyKay Lilley 2015 >
      • It’s Hard to Say Goodbye to So Much Talent
      • The Christmas Story My Mother Told
      • And How Would You Like That Dashboard: Analog or Digital?
      • The Twelve Days of a NASCAR Christmas
      • Who You Callin' A Rookie?
      • And Then There Were Four
      • There Really Was A Race In Texas
      • A Twilight Happy Ending And Sunshine On The Horizon
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ The Luck of Austin Theriault
      • What It Wasn't, Was A Restart
      • Playing The Blame Game
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Am I Still A Race Fan?
      • Under The Charlotte Lights With The Lady in Black
      • It's Probably Not Safe If It's Not SAFER
      • Missing: Race Teams And Sponsors!
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Getting Started, Word Games and Playoffs
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ What Happens When Racing Becomes Soporific?
      • Darlington In The Rearview And Richmond Right Up The Road
      • The Lady in Black at the Riot in Richmond
      • Retro ~ Everything Old is New Again at Darlington
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ So Much Happening And Most Of It Bad
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Actions Detrimental
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Fans Have Some Responsibility, Too
      • The Passing Of A Giant
      • Something Happened At Pocono That Almost Everyone Missed
      • Kissing The Bricks With The Lady In Black
      • Time To Say Goodbye, To A Track And To A Man
      • The Brickyard 400 In The Rearview ~ What Happened?
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Leaving Sparta For Loudon
      • Logic 101 ~ When in Doubt, Rely on Common Sense
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Kentucky Speedway Needs To Be SAFER
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Fireworks At The Firecracker
      • Some Things Just Aren't News
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ On The Road Again
      • NASCAR Fans Didn't Fit The Stereotype
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ A Fan's View On The State Of The Sport
      • The Lady In Black Pokes Fun At Pocono
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ No One Knows What Goes On Behind Closed Doors
      • One LAP UP With The Lady In Black
      • Making Racing Safer With SAFER
      • Memorial Day Should Mean More Than Racing
      • Showdowns, Trucks, A Starlit Night, And A Couple Guys Named Smith
      • Remembering Adam Petty
      • A Lady Makes Her Debut, And We're Not Any SAFER In Kansas, Toto.
      • Talladega ~ The Curse And SAFER Barriers
      • Pretty Words And Strong Words: Steve Byrnes And SAFER Barriers
      • Bristol, By Any Other Name
      • The NASCAR Hall Of Fame ~ How It Works
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Old Races And New Walls
      • The Lady In Black - The Magic Of Martinsville
      • Revisiting Martinsville, Without Jesse Jones
      • The Lady In Black - The Fontana Furnace
      • Sometimes, You Just Have To Laugh
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Our Drivers DeserveThe Safety Of SAFER
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Send In The Clowns
      • SAFER! Just Do It!
      • The Choices of NASCAR, February 18th, And A Million Points Of Light
      • A Perfect Storm And A Sad Farewell
      • They Didn't Have To Go That Way
      • I Fought The Law And The Law Lost!
      • A Voice For The Fans No More
      • The Day The Vortex Theory Was Tested
      • Do We Miss Daytona Testing
      • Autographs And Memories
      • Always Hoping For A Happy New Year
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ A Cup Full Of Snow
  • Frank Buhrman
    • 2018 Frank Buhrman >
      • Phooey on Fast at Talladega ~ Give Me Slow at Bowman Gray
      • NASCAR Needs More Racers Like Those Who Came Up Through the ASA
      • Does Our Future Keep Going Around in Circles Or Will Other Options Bring the Fans Back
      • In Chartered NASCAR Theres No Room for Guys Like Texan H.B. Bailey
      • Sponsors ~ Who Are They and What Do They Do
      • Its Martinsville ~ Let the REAL Racing Begin
      • Maybe its NASCARs Inspection Process that Really Needs Inspecting
      • Las Vegas’ NASCAR Success Blessed By the Spirit of the Late Mel Larson
      • Stock Car Racing Magazine ~ Lessons Learned from Old Covers
      • Celebrate the Trophy and Money, Daytona Winner, but Don’t Count on Winning that Cup
      • Strollin Down the Beach
      • How About a Swap?
      • The Chili Bowl
      • They May Be Tomorrows NASCAR Stars, But Are They Anybodys Heroes
    • Frank Buhrman 2017 >
      • Make This a Christmas to Remember!
      • Winters Cold Is Colder without Racing. What Can We Do to Get Some
      • A New Champion - and One from NASCARs Infancy
      • Old Stats Are Fun, but They Shot Down a Good Theory
      • Martinsville Went Right, So What Keeps Going Wrong?
      • A Field of Dreams that Never Came True
      • Do NASCAR’s Screw-ups Even Matter If Motorsports Have No Future?
      • Does Speed Make the Speed-Sport More Exciting?
      • My Intro to Charlotte Motor Speedway
      • Racing Grand Nationals Once Meant Prepping Your Car in a Hurry
      • Driver Development Programs Need to Get the Gong
      • Drawing Attention to NASCAR in a Good Way
      • Little Joe, Junior, Gentleman Ned and Mr. Modified on Fairgrounds Dirt
      • Darlington ~ Back Then, It Was Something Special
      • Where Else Has NASCAR Raced in These States?
      • The Formula for Success is Not Obvious in Appealing to Millennials
      • Will NASCAR’s Aging Fans Demand that Medicare Pay for More Comfy Seats at the Speedway?
      • Kyle Larson Wins Races of All Kinds, and He Might Just Save NASCAR
      • With Writers and Racetracks, Age Can Be Everything
      • NASCAR Has It All, So Why Am I Happy Watching the Races at Lizard Creek?
      • Wood Brothers + Blaney = Good News for NASCAR
      • Who Could Make NASCAR A Little Spicier?
      • A Little Ramble in Delaware
      • Not The Masters, But the Wood Brothers Truly Have a Tradition like None Other
      • Speeds Were Slower, Drivers Still Came and Went, and NASCAR Survived
      • A Quick Surf Through NASCAR History
      • More than the Loss of a Great Driver
      • Little Martinsville Is the Monster Track of NASCAR Cup Series History
      • California Not So “Golden” A NASCAR State
      • Franks Guide to How to Fix All That Ails NASCAR
      • A Little Vegas History and Long Trips to Races
      • The Real Dirt on Atlanta’s Racing Past
      • Would More Fans Watch if a “500” Was a “Triathlon?”
      • Media Coverage Today Could Be A Lot Worse
      • Another Link between Short Tracks and What Ails NASCAR
      • Lets Go Back To The Old Definition Of Cheating
    • Frank Buhrman 2016 >
      • Bringing Back the Excitement – One Fan’s Ideas
      • Racing Road Trip: Let’s Head to… Where?
      • Bring Cup Racers Back to the Bullrings
      • Discover Some "Mud Roots" Racing!
      • Memories, Gripes and Maybe a Little Dreamin
      • Frank Likes The Chase...Kind Of
      • 1960's: NASCAR's Northern Tour
      • Chicago: The First Races In The Second City
      • Richmond "Action": Then And Now
      • 1950 To Now: Ladies Attack The Lady In Black
      • Radical Thought: Let Drivers Develop Themselves
      • 1967: With Lower Banking And Smaller Crowds, Bristol Was Still A Big Deal
      • Coverage of Racing Has Changed With The Sport
      • More Bluegrass Than Green Flags For NASCAR In Kentucky
      • The Day Goliath Roared (sort-of) In NASCAR Racing
      • Is A Blast From The Past What NASCAR Needs In The Future
      • Give a Nod to Larry LoPatin for NASCAR Motors in the Motor State
      • Pondering Racing’s Future in Charlotte . . . and Trumansburg
      • Frank's Loose Lugnuts
      • Fix it, Forget it, or Let Nature Run its Course
      • Oh, The Yellow Flag of Texas
      • A New Track, Some Old Memories . . . But Where is the Lake
      • Let’s Have A Sprint Cup ‘Blindfold Race,’ With Donald Trump Guiding Who?
      • Maybe The Ghost of "Fireball" Can Call The Auto Club 400 Winner
      • It ain’t like it used to be . . . (and sometimes that’s a good thing)
      • Sure, Atlanta Can Be Cold In February, But Remember Richmond?
  • Vivian Simons
    • Vivian Simons 2018 >
      • The Fan Experience
      • Where Were You When
      • Young Racers vs Kyle Busch
      • Daytona Has Come and Gone - Part 2
      • Daytona Has Come and Gone - Part 1
      • Hey Have You Heard the News
      • Daytona Memories - Again
      • Vehicles and Life Must Change
    • Vivian Simons 2017 >
      • Christmas Wishes to Our Staff
      • Old Versus New - History and Memories
      • Musings During the Off-Season in NASCAR - Again
      • It Is What It Is!
      • Sponsors, Drivers, Tracks & NASCAR
      • Some Funny Things Happened on the Way to the Playoffs
      • Is It a Race or a Show?
      • I Am a Race Fan that Wants to See the Race!
      • Road Course Ringers ~ Are They a Good or a Bad Thing?
      • Phases & Memories = Good Old Days By An Older Fan
      • Who's Gonna Fill Their Seats?
      • Is the Cup Half Full or Half Empty?
      • Observations from the Atlanta Races
      • Musings During the Off-Season in NASCAR
    • Vivian Simons 2016 >
      • Christmas Wishes
      • Is It Racing Or Just A Show?
      • Drivers Or Racers
      • And So It Came To Be
      • The Trucks, The New Chase, And The School Yard Bully
      • The Chase Is Coming! The Chase Is Coming!
      • Parity...Or Toyota Domination?
      • Invasion Of The Lower Tier Victory Snatchers!
      • High Banks and Memory Banks
      • A Road Course Is A Course (Of Course, Of Course...)
      • What Sort of Race Fan Are You?
      • NASCAR Hall Of Fame Or Hall Of Fave?
      • NASCAR's Generation Gap
      • Tony Stewart, NASCAR and Lug Nuts
      • Racing 101
      • Television Coverage Of NASCAR Racing
      • Is The Xfinity Series Fair?
      • Follow The Leader
      • Daytona Memories
    • Vivian Simons 2015 >
      • Addiction, Disillusionment, And Conforming
  • David Nance
    • David Nance 2018 >
      • There Is No Racing This Weekend
      • Martinsville Inspection Procedures = New Crew Chiefs by Friday
      • For a Moment All Was Right with the Racing World
      • Oh Where Oh Where Is NASCARs Driver Alert System
      • Qualifying Concept Long Overdue - Race for the Green
    • David Nance 2017 >
      • Thank You Bud
      • All about the Price Tag
      • And the Real True Playoff Winner Is
      • The Perfect Storm
      • If We Are Going to Have a Playoff, Make It a Real One
      • Outrunning the Bear
      • Level Playing Fields Not Until All Winners Face R &D Inspections
      • Is It Time For Encumbered Starts?
      • Kevin, I Dont Believe Ida Told That
      • And Stomped that Sucker Flat!
      • A Sons First Race… Through the Eyes of a Dad
      • Take Em To The Fence
      • Kyle's Mic Drop ~ Just One of Those Racing Deals
      • Remember When DW Was Monster Energy?
      • We Have Ourselves A Summit!
      • The Hunt for the NASCAR Canary
      • Penalties ~ DW Had A Better Idea
      • If FOX Covered the Kentucky Derby
      • Media Coverage Today Could Be a Lot Better
      • The Week in NASCAR - Opportunity Lost
      • Will Karma Smile on NASCAR?
      • Gentlemen... Start... Your... Commercials
      • The Untold Story of How the New Race Format Came To Be
      • Another Look at Attendance
    • David Nance 2016 >
      • Holiday Leftovers ~ Let Cooter Be Cooter
      • Holiday Leftovers ~ All I Want For Christmas
      • Holiday Leftovers ~ Grand Prix Memories
      • 20-20 + Monster Energy = Race For the Green
      • Please Let It Be Rain
      • It's Just Not Right
      • More Chase, Baby!
      • Three Laws
      • 20-20: The Rest Of The Story
      • Take A Chance, Mr. France
      • Time For A New Chase
      • And That Was Fr'istol!
  • J. L. Steele
    • J.L. Steele 2018 >
      • Back to the Future
      • Predictions and Wishes ~ Through a Hazy Crystal Ball
    • J. L. Steele 2017 >
      • A NASCAR Fans Letter to Santa
      • 2017 in the Rear View Mirror
      • A Sign of the Bad Times
      • Ken Squier at Darlington
      • Thoughts, Opinions and Rumors - Oh My!
      • Leave Junior Alone!
      • Kyle Busch is Exactly What NASCAR Needs
      • Let’s Save the Truck Series
    • J. L. Steele 2016 >
      • Brian's Big Monday
      • A Wishing Well And A Crystal Ball
      • A Parting Gift For Stewart
      • A Perfect Voice For A Perfect Time
      • Growth By Subtraction
    • J. L. Steele 2015 >
      • Meet The Racing Marine
      • A Race Fan's Christmas Wish List
      • Sunset At Martinsville
      • The Michael Waltrip Dilemma
      • The Rich Keep Getting Richer, While The Xfinity Series Dies
      • The Last Perfect Night
      • Sponsoring Drivers With Sponsor Drivers Motorsports Marketing
      • Halfway(?) Home...
      • The Essence Of Racing
      • Ranking The Truex Win
      • Visiting Victory Lane
      • The Silver Lining
      • Smoke Will Rise
      • No Comparison When Comparing Newman and Bowyer
      • Advice For Race Tracks
      • Making A Case For Kahne
      • Support Your Local Short Track
      • SAFE Is A Four Letter Word
      • Dinner With D.W.
      • Gordon's Greatness
      • Wendell Scott - Leader Of The Class
      • We Shook Earnhardt's Hand
      • Show Me The Money! (And Where It Comes From)
      • The King And I
  • Mitch Walker
    • Mitch Walker 2018 >
      • Its History, Like It or Not
      • Once the Local Tracks Are Gone
      • Kevin Harvick Gets It!
      • Racing, Broadcasting, Blocking and the Win ~ All Bad
      • Lets Go Racin
      • Untold Stories ~ Hidden History
    • Mitch Walker 2017 >
      • The Son of a Country Boy; the Son of a Champion
      • You Dont Tug on Supermans Cape
      • How It All Got Started
      • What Drove the Core Fans Away?
      • Who Benefits from the Decline in NASCAR Attendance?
      • Old School: Lessons By Legends
      • The Drs Script for the Ails of NASCAR
  • Tim Leeming
    • Tim Leeming 2018 >
      • The Magic Window ~ Closing It Up
      • The Magic Window ~ Chapter 8 The Phone Rings Again and Ford Has a Better Idea
      • The Magic Window~ Chapter Seven - More Damage Than First Appeared. One Shot Deal, NASCAR
      • The Magic Window ~ Chapter Six New Season, New Colors, New Number, New Sponsor, Wow!
      • The Magic Window ~ Chapter Five Things Called Spacers and a Menace Named Dennis
      • The Magic Window ~ Chapter Four From Disaster to Faster but Caught in a Clutch
      • The Magic Window ~ Chapter Three The Kid Gets a Name and the King Comes to Town
      • The Magic Window ~ Chapter Two Trailers, Late Night Talks and High Banked Asphalt
      • That Magic Window You Climb Through
      • How to Become Popular with Georgia Law Enforcement
      • Is Time Travel Possible?
      • Theres a Sign Post Up Ahead
      • An Uncles Legacy to His Nephew
    • Tim Leeming 2017 >
      • My Name Is Not Important
      • The Darlington Shocker
      • The Eclipse and a Race Car
      • Lil Bud Moore Tribute
      • The Sly FOX (Sports Network)
  • Matt McLaughlin - Anniversary Edition - 50 Years of NASCAR Racing
    • #32 - Swervin' Irvan and the Second Generation
    • #31 - Daytona - Little Cars and Big Bucks
    • #30 - Heart Stoppers, Heart Breakers and Heart Warmers
    • #29 - The Factories Go Home and Petty Goes on a Tear
    • #28 - The Daytona 500 1965-1970
    • #27 - The Daytona 500 ~ 1960-1964
    • #26 - Beyond the Beach - The First Daytona 500
    • #25 - Racing on the Beach
    • #24 - Larry LoPatin and American Raceways
    • #23 - Fuelish Pride
    • #22 - The Day the Music Almost Died
    • #21 - DW and DiGard ~ Breaking Up is Hard to Do
    • #20 - Winston to the Rescue
    • #19 - Charlotte ~ 1964 Drama & Danger - Part 2
    • #18 - Charlotte ~ 1964 Drama & Danger - Part 1
    • #17 - In the Beginning
    • #16 - Ford Strikes Out - The 1966 Boycott
    • #15 - Before he was Awesome
    • #14 - 1965 ~ Chrysler Plays Hardball
    • #13 - A Million to One
    • #12 - Seven up ~ The King Wins his Seventh Title
    • #11 - The Great Spoiler Debate of 1981
    • #10 - The Original Golden Boy
    • #9 - The Greatest Race Ever
    • #8 – The Petty-Allison Feud
    • #7 - The First Super Team
    • #6 - By the Time I Get to Phoenix
    • #5 - 1967 ~ Richard Petty Becomes The King
    • #4 - Charlotte ~ Bright Lights and Dark Days
    • #3 - Those Cheatin Ways
    • #2 - The Talladega Curse
    • #1 - Showdown in Alabama
  • Matt McLaughlin's "50 Years Of NASCAR Racing"
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 2 (Post 101)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 1 (Post 100)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Alan Kulwicki: Running Down A Dream (Post 99)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Hickory Wind Blows Cold (Post 98)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ David Slays Goliath (Post 97)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Until The Fat Lady Sings (Post 96)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Charlotte In The Fall (Post 95)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ One Magical Season, Part 3 (Post 94)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ One Magical Season, Part 2 (Post 93)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ One Magical Season, Part 1 (Post 92)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Remembering Davey, Part 2 (Post 91)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Remembering Davey, Part 1 (Post 90)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Bump And Grind (Post 89)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ High Stakes On The High Banks (Post 88)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Fall Of Richmond (Post 87)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 6 (Post 86)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 5 (Post 85)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 4 (Post 84)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 3 (Post 83)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 2 (Post 82)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 1 (Post 81)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Better Get Back To Tennessee, Jed (Post 80)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ MPH, Not MPG: The Michigan Of Old (Post 79)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Controversy-Let It Rage, Part 2 (Post 78)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Controversy-Let It Rage, Part 1 (Post 77)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Road Warriors (Post 76)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Hot Fun In The Summertime (Post 75)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Hallowed Ground (Post 74)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Hotter Than The 4th Of July (Post 73)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Close But No Cigar (Post 72)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ My One And Only, Part 2 (Post 72)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ My One And Only, Part 1 (Post 70)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ You Never Forget Your First, Part 3 (Post 69)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ You Never Forget Your First, Part 2 (Post 68)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ You Never Forget Your First, Part 1 (Post 67)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Road Rage (Post 66)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Triumph, Tragedy, And The Tunnel Turn (Post 65)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Luck Of The Irish (Post 64)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Islip: Long Island Speedway (Post 63)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Richmond, The Pettys, And The Evolution Of NASCAR (Post 62)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Kid Lightning (Post 60)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Temper, Temper! Part 2 (Post 59)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Temper, Temper! Part 1 (Post 58)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Monster Is Coming! (Post 57)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The World 600 (Post 56)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Winston: Checkers Or Wreckers (Post 55)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Occoneechee Speedway (Post 54)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Trenton: The Speedway Of The North (Post 53)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Texas World Speedway: Field Of Shattered Dreams (Post 52)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Ontario: The Best Laid Plans... (Post 51)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Do You Feel A Draft? (Post 50)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Martinsville In The Spring (Post 49)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Hickory: The Birthplace Of Legends (Post 48)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Oddities: Short Takes, Part 2 (Post 47)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Oddities: The Bizarre and Peculiar (Post 46)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ North Wilkesboro (Post 45)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Ford-Chrysler Duel (Post 44)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Bristol Stomp (Post 43)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Big Blocks, Bickering, And Bill (Post 42)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Tim Richmond: The Reason We Remember, Part 2 (Post 41)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Tim Richmond: The Reason We Remember, Part 1 (Post 40)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Too Tough To Tame For Too Long To Remember (Post 39)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Tales From Days Of Yore (Post 38)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Atlanta Motor Speedway (Post 37)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ J.D. Stacy (Post 36)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Viva Las Vegas (Post 35)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Rock (Post 34)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Daytona 500: 1994 - 1997 (Post 33)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Swervin' Irvan And The Second Generation (Post 32)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Daytona: Little Cars And Big Bucks (Post 31)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Heart-Breakers, Heart-Stoppers, And Heart-Warmers (Post 30)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Factories Go Away And Petty Goes On A Tear (Post 29)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Daytona 500: 1965-1970 (Post 28)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Daytona 500: 1960-1964 (Post 27)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Beyond The Beach: The First Daytona 500 (Post 26)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Racing On The Beach (Post 25)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Larry LoPatin And American Raceways (Post 24)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Fuelish Pride (Post 23)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Day The Music Almost Died (Post 22)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ DW And DiGard: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (Post 21)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Winston To The Rescue (Post 20)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Charlotte 1964: Drama And Danger, Part 2 (Post 19)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Charlotte 1964: Drama And Danger, Part 1 (Post 18)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ In The Beginning (Post 17)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Ford Strikes Out: The 1966 Boycott (Post 16)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Before He Was Awesome (Post 15)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ 1965: Chrysler Plays Hardball (Post 14)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ A Million To One (Post 13)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Seven Up: The King Wins His Seventh Title (Post 12)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Great Spoiler Debate Of 1981 (Post 11)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Original Golden Boy (Post 10)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Greatest Race Ever (Post 9)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Petty/Allison Feud (Post 8)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The First Super Team (Post 7)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ By The Time I Get To Phoenix (Post 6)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ 1967: Richard Petty Becomes The King (Post 5)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Charlotte: Bright Lights And Dark Days (Post 4)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Those Cheatin' Ways (Post 3)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Talladega Curse (Post 2)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Showdown In Alabama (Post 1)
  • Season Previews
    • 2017 Season Previews >
      • 2017 Season Preview - Part 3
      • 2017 Season Preview - Part 2
      • 2017 Season Preview - Part 1
    • 2016 Season Previews >
      • Fast Forward Season Preview Part 3 - Buescher To McDowell/Dillon
      • Fast Forward Season Preview Part 2 - Biffle To Earnhardt
      • Fast Forward 2016 Season Preview Part 1 - McMurray To Bowyer
    • 2015 Season Previews >
      • Fast Forward Season Preview Part 1 - McMurray To Biffle
      • Fast Forward Season Preview Part 2 - Stenhouse To Gilliland
      • Fast Forward Season Preview Part 3 - Cassill To Earnhardt, Jr.
  • "Tiger" Tom Pistone ~ Racing, Now And Then
  • Previous Columnists
    • Jim Fitzgerald >
      • Jim Fitzgerald 2017 >
        • The Cup Series Is Revisiting A "Monster" From Its Checkered Past
        • Ode, To The Cup Series
        • When Do We Start Hating On Kyle Larson?
        • Attendance And The Worst Excuse Ever
        • The One I Knew About, The One That Was A Surprise, And The One That Shocked Me
      • Jim Fitzgerald 2016 >
        • Bunch of Sore Loser Crybabies (No, Not You...THEM!)
        • Look At Those Marbles!
        • I Guess We Can Discuss "Playoffs" Now...
        • How Many More Beatings...
        • Dover ~ A Bitter Sweet Relief
        • NHRA Sizzles While NASCAR Fizzles?
        • Out Of Focus: The 2016 Championship Picture
        • Ignorant Fans Of A Feather Are Dumb Together
        • That Final Lap
        • Blame Kyle Busch
        • I Thought The Daytona 500 Was...
        • Caution Clocks, Chase Formats, Heat Races, and Knee-Jerk Reactions
        • Don’t Know What You’ve Got Until It’s Gone
      • Jim Fitzgerald 2015 >
        • A Sunset On 2015
        • OWW! Track Communication
        • Bowyer And Harvick Are In It To Win It
        • A Lap Ahead...
        • Toeing The Line: Let's Argue About Restarts
        • Hot & Heavy ~ Rules, Rules, Rules
        • My Dear, Dear, Uninformed Person Speaking About NASCAR
        • The Day Rusty Wallace Scared The $&@# Out Of My Mom
        • A Lap Around: Hot Topics
        • Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - Three Times A Winner?
        • On The Dover Road
        • All-Star Memories
        • NASCAR Racing: A Team Sport?
        • Cheating The Cat
        • Cheers To The Best Beer Cars!
        • Just Don't Call It The "R" Word
        • Fans Eye View ~ Star Wars And Stock Cars
    • James Crooks >
      • James Crooks 2017 >
        • Why Talladega Scares Me and Why I Love It
        • A Six Pack Down And A Thirty Pack Left To Go
        • In The Year 2525 ~ NASCAR’s New Rule Changes for All Three Top Series
        • Thoughts As We Green Flag The 2017 Season
        • Carl Edwards, The Earnhardts, and Grandpaw
        • Get Off Your Duff and Go to the Track!
      • James Crooks 2016 >
        • All I Want for Christmas is Winston Cup Back!
        • What Happened to Roush-Fenway Racing?
        • Support Your Local Race Track!
        • The Mystery of the History(Did Anyone See It?)
    • David Fulton >
      • David Fulton 2016 >
        • The Unsung NASCAR Drivers
        • When "The Dream Team" Became A Nightmare
        • How One Little Phone Call Helped Shape The Sprint Cup Series We Know Today
        • A Record To Never Be Broken
      • David Fulton 2015 >
        • Hey Dale, What's For Dinner?
        • A German In Dale Earnhardt's Ford
        • Darel Dieringer: Boomer and a Man for All Seasons
        • A Day For Veterans
        • A Day At The Races With Big Bill France
        • Independents Day
        • Riding The Hound To Darlington
        • Camaraderie Made Racing Special
        • Crafted With Pride In U.S.A
        • Race Trains And Peach Blossoms
        • Richmond Planted Seeds With Youth To Grow Fans Of The Future
        • My NC Back Roads Journey Unearthed a Petty Family Remembrance…
        • A Tale Of Dale And A Great Old Girl
    • Jeremiah Thalheimer >
      • Jeremiah Thalheimer 2016 >
        • A Day In The Life Of A NASCAR Official
        • Move Over Football - NASCAR Is The Real Family
        • The Ultimate All-Star Format
        • Six Years, One Dream
        • The Faith Of NASCAR
        • The Benefits of the Current Sponsorship Climate
        • Up And Coming: Christopher Hogan
        • Dale Earnhardt: What Might Have Been
        • Sterling Marlin: What Might Have Been
        • Casey Atwood: What Might Have Been
        • Kenny Irwin, Jr: What Might Have Been
      • Jeremiah Thalheimer 2015 >
        • Ernie Irvan: What Might Have Been
        • Davey Allison: What Might Have Been
        • Alan Kulwicki: What Might Have Been
        • A Case For The Chase
        • A Four Year Old's View Of The Greatest Race Of All Time
        • A Phoenix Fan Memory
        • Does NASCAR = Baseball?
        • The New Souvenir Experience
        • A Review of NASCAR in the Heartland
        • The Psychology Of NASCAR
        • When Our Heroes Hang It Up
        • The Time I Helped Tony Stewart Win at Daytona
        • How Richard Petty Made Me a Lifelong NASCAR Fan
        • Why NASCAR Is Better Than Pro Football
        • The Plight Of Local Racing
        • What Was The Greatest Fight In Racing?
        • How To Make A Race Fan In Ten Minutes Or Less
        • Short Track Racing With Lightning McQueen
        • One Of The Greatest Comebacks In Racing
        • NASCAR Memories
        • Legends Never Die
        • For The Love Of Racing, Part II
        • For The Love Of Racing, Part I
        • Bobby Hamilton Was My Favorite
    • Kevin Abraham >
      • Kevin Abraham 2015 >
        • The Shift: The Chase, Cheating, And Short Tracks
        • The Shift: Changing Of The Guard, Kurt Busch, And Domination
    • David Allen >
      • David Allen 2014
    • Robyn Vandenberg >
      • Robyn Vandenberg 2014 >
        • NASCAR's Little Prince
        • How Would NASCAR Handle A "Sterling" Situation?
        • NASCAR Fans: Gotta Love 'Em!
        • When Was The Last Time You Thought Of Kenny?
        • NASCAR Races: Rigged?
        • Dale Jr. Is On Twitter And Taking Over!
        • Hey, What Are You Doing This Weekend?
        • I Am A NASCAR Fan
        • An Apology To Brad Keselowski
  • RaceFansForever
  • Race Fans Forever Home
  • Race Info Center
  • Roar Of The Crowd ~ Fan Forum
  • About/Write For Race Fans Forever
  • Buddy's Page
  • RFF Fantasy Racing Game
    • 2018 Fantasy Game >
      • Fantasy Picks ~ Richmond
      • Fantasy Picks ~ Bristol
      • Fantasy Picks ~ Texas
      • Fantasy Picks ~ Martinsville
      • Fantasy Picks ~ Auto Club
      • Fantasy Picks ~ ISM
      • Fantasy Picks - Las Vegas
      • Fantasy Picks - Atlanta
  • Guest Appearance Writers
    • Story of a Lucky Penny and the Underbird
    • Earnhardt and Childress ~ Round 1
  • PattyKay Lilley
    • PattyKay Lilley 2018 >
      • We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us
      • All the News Unfit to Print~ All-Star Edition
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ No One Is Listening
      • Alan Kulwicki Will Always Be a Champion
      • 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame ~ Selections and Elections
      • Fontana to Martinsville and All About the Fan Experience
      • Kevin Harvick Is Right ~ Grass Roots Racing Does Matter
      • The Road Less Traveled
      • Surefire Cost Cutting Ideas for NASCAR
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Too Much Is More than Enough
      • I Remember You ~ My Personal Tribute to Dale Earnhardt
      • An Earnhardt Kind of Day
      • Remembering Neil Bonnett
      • Daytona Fever
      • NASCAR Looked the Other Way
      • A Look in the Rear View Mirror ~ Keith Jackson
      • The Product Is Encumbered and Therefore Not Marketable
      • Its January Already
      • The Perfect Storm and a Sad Farewell
    • PattyKay Lilley 2017 >
      • That Time between Christmas and Daytona
      • The Christmas Story My Mother Told ~ 2017
      • I Still Believe in Santa Claus ~ Jimmy Spencer
      • A Defining Moment in NASCAR History
      • Remembering the Final Winston Cup Banquet ~ 2017
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Dont Believe Your Lying Eyes
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ One Last Ride
      • As the 2017 Season Draws to a Close
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Who Is Not Speaking to Whom?
      • The Little Track by the Railroad Track
      • NASCAR Goes Country
      • Tales of the Talladega Curse ~ 2017
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Sad Times and Poor Broadcasting
      • Not One Knee Was Taken During Solemn Prerace Ceremonies at Dover
      • The White Cliffs of Dover ~ Delaware
      • History Holds the Back Story ~ RPM
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Someone Ought to Say It!
      • Characters Add Character to Racing
      • In Darlington, Everything Old Is New Again
      • Remember When NASCAR Was All About the Fans?
      • From Michigan to Richmond and All Points In-between
      • Racing at the Glen and Millennials Can Learn from Geezers
      • When the Points Arent the Points and 2+2 Doesnt Equal 4
      • When Rednecks Ran NASCAR
      • Dear Brent Dewar, About That Star Mangled Banner
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Silly Season Is Only Silly for Some
      • Looking Back ~ A View from the Rearview
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ On Road Racing and Dirt Racing
      • Defeat Snatched from the Jaws of Victory
      • Ninety Miles an Hour down a Dead End Street
      • The Good, the Bad and the Intolerable
      • Verrrry Interesting
      • D-Day Demolition Derby at Dover
      • Memorial Day Means So Much More than Racing ~ 2017
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ NASCAR Why Do You Refuse to Listen?
      • A Tale of Two Weekends
      • Remember Adam Petty
      • Truth Will Always Serve Better than a Good Story
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Vaya con Dios
      • It’s Bristol Baby, but Which Bristol?
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ When Enough Becomes Too Much
      • A Sunday Drive, Texas Style
      • One Helluva Good Race; Sorry You Missed It
      • As Requested By the Fans… and Other Fairytales
      • Smokey Yunick Belongs in the NASCAR Hall of Fame
      • NASCAR Hall of Fame ~ Selections and Elections
      • Some Facts Are Indisputable and Some Folks Enjoy Being Unhappy
      • At Daytona, Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop
      • A Few More Nicknames and Some Quaint Quotes
      • Nicknames in Racing Have to Be Earned
      • Drivers, Please Start Your Engines
      • The Voice of One Fan Only
      • Fly on the Wall ~ Speaking of Carl Edwards
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Hopefully the Voice of Reason
      • U.S. Nationals, and We Are Not Talking Drag Racing Here
    • PattyKay Lilley 2016 >
      • The Christmas Story as My Mother Told It
      • We’re Gonna Miss the Man Called Smoke
      • The New Twelve Days of a NASCAR Christmas
      • Remembering The Final Winston Cup Banquet
      • Let’s Talk About Indy Instead of Homestead
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Why All The Secrecy?
      • Martinsville ~ FUBAR
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ And the Fans Need to Be Heard!
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ NASCAR Doesn’t Love Me Anymore
      • Under The Charlotte Lights...Again ~ Lady in Black
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ A Question For Brian Z. France
      • Who’s Abbott, Who’s Costello and Who’s on First
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Where Have All The Race Fans Gone?
      • Throwback ~ The Lady In Black
      • Throwbacks and Tributes and Memories, Oh My
      • Someone Asked About the History of North Wilkesboro
      • Mid-Ohio Mayhem ~ All In Fun
      • His Name Is Waddell Wilson ~ Remember That Name
      • J. D. McDuffie ~ Lived and Died for Racing
      • Attendance and Ratings ~ Do They Matter?
      • Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup ~ What Comes Next?
      • Davey in Retrospect
      • Twisted Sheet Metal and How A Race Should End
      • Is NASCAR For Sale?
      • Wreckin on the Road ~ Lady in Black
      • Marty Robbins ~ NASCAR Balladeer
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Those Silly Ol’ Lug Nuts
      • Junie Donlavey ~ True Pioneer of NASCAR
      • Tim Richmond ~ Right to the Bitter End and Beyond
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ The Penthouse and the Outhouse
      • Memorial Day Means More than Just Racing
      • Dover - The Good The Bad and the Unacceptable
      • Down Memory Lane ~ Smokey Yunick
      • Best Damn Garage In Town
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Talladega: Too Much of a Bad Thing
      • Tales Of The Talladega Curse
      • A Few Words About The Old Bristol
      • NASCAR Hall of Fame ~ How the Election Process Works
      • A Sunday Drive, Texas Style with the Lady in Black
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Where Have All the Fans Gone?
      • Alan Kulwicki - Always A Champion
      • Volkswagen Isnt Just a Bug Anymore
      • Racing Is For The Young As Well As The Old
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ From The Desert To The Mountains
      • Would You Like Fries With That?
      • A Few Words on Flag Etiquette
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Great Racing But Poor Coverage
      • Leaving Daytona And Headed For Atlanta
      • Dale Earnhardt ~ I Remember You
      • Charter of Franchise, It's All Good
      • Neil Bonnett: Racer, Broadcaster, Legend, And Man
      • A Racer For All Seasons!
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Six Generations Of Cars And Fans
      • Curtis Turner Inducted Into NASCAR Hall Of Fame
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Improving The Fan Experience
      • The Official Everything Of NASCAR
    • PattyKay Lilley 2015 >
      • It’s Hard to Say Goodbye to So Much Talent
      • The Christmas Story My Mother Told
      • And How Would You Like That Dashboard: Analog or Digital?
      • The Twelve Days of a NASCAR Christmas
      • Who You Callin' A Rookie?
      • And Then There Were Four
      • There Really Was A Race In Texas
      • A Twilight Happy Ending And Sunshine On The Horizon
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ The Luck of Austin Theriault
      • What It Wasn't, Was A Restart
      • Playing The Blame Game
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Am I Still A Race Fan?
      • Under The Charlotte Lights With The Lady in Black
      • It's Probably Not Safe If It's Not SAFER
      • Missing: Race Teams And Sponsors!
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ Getting Started, Word Games and Playoffs
      • A Voice for the Fans ~ What Happens When Racing Becomes Soporific?
      • Darlington In The Rearview And Richmond Right Up The Road
      • The Lady in Black at the Riot in Richmond
      • Retro ~ Everything Old is New Again at Darlington
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ So Much Happening And Most Of It Bad
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Actions Detrimental
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Fans Have Some Responsibility, Too
      • The Passing Of A Giant
      • Something Happened At Pocono That Almost Everyone Missed
      • Kissing The Bricks With The Lady In Black
      • Time To Say Goodbye, To A Track And To A Man
      • The Brickyard 400 In The Rearview ~ What Happened?
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Leaving Sparta For Loudon
      • Logic 101 ~ When in Doubt, Rely on Common Sense
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Kentucky Speedway Needs To Be SAFER
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Fireworks At The Firecracker
      • Some Things Just Aren't News
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ On The Road Again
      • NASCAR Fans Didn't Fit The Stereotype
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ A Fan's View On The State Of The Sport
      • The Lady In Black Pokes Fun At Pocono
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ No One Knows What Goes On Behind Closed Doors
      • One LAP UP With The Lady In Black
      • Making Racing Safer With SAFER
      • Memorial Day Should Mean More Than Racing
      • Showdowns, Trucks, A Starlit Night, And A Couple Guys Named Smith
      • Remembering Adam Petty
      • A Lady Makes Her Debut, And We're Not Any SAFER In Kansas, Toto.
      • Talladega ~ The Curse And SAFER Barriers
      • Pretty Words And Strong Words: Steve Byrnes And SAFER Barriers
      • Bristol, By Any Other Name
      • The NASCAR Hall Of Fame ~ How It Works
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Old Races And New Walls
      • The Lady In Black - The Magic Of Martinsville
      • Revisiting Martinsville, Without Jesse Jones
      • The Lady In Black - The Fontana Furnace
      • Sometimes, You Just Have To Laugh
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Our Drivers DeserveThe Safety Of SAFER
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ Send In The Clowns
      • SAFER! Just Do It!
      • The Choices of NASCAR, February 18th, And A Million Points Of Light
      • A Perfect Storm And A Sad Farewell
      • They Didn't Have To Go That Way
      • I Fought The Law And The Law Lost!
      • A Voice For The Fans No More
      • The Day The Vortex Theory Was Tested
      • Do We Miss Daytona Testing
      • Autographs And Memories
      • Always Hoping For A Happy New Year
      • A Voice For The Fans ~ A Cup Full Of Snow
  • Frank Buhrman
    • 2018 Frank Buhrman >
      • Phooey on Fast at Talladega ~ Give Me Slow at Bowman Gray
      • NASCAR Needs More Racers Like Those Who Came Up Through the ASA
      • Does Our Future Keep Going Around in Circles Or Will Other Options Bring the Fans Back
      • In Chartered NASCAR Theres No Room for Guys Like Texan H.B. Bailey
      • Sponsors ~ Who Are They and What Do They Do
      • Its Martinsville ~ Let the REAL Racing Begin
      • Maybe its NASCARs Inspection Process that Really Needs Inspecting
      • Las Vegas’ NASCAR Success Blessed By the Spirit of the Late Mel Larson
      • Stock Car Racing Magazine ~ Lessons Learned from Old Covers
      • Celebrate the Trophy and Money, Daytona Winner, but Don’t Count on Winning that Cup
      • Strollin Down the Beach
      • How About a Swap?
      • The Chili Bowl
      • They May Be Tomorrows NASCAR Stars, But Are They Anybodys Heroes
    • Frank Buhrman 2017 >
      • Make This a Christmas to Remember!
      • Winters Cold Is Colder without Racing. What Can We Do to Get Some
      • A New Champion - and One from NASCARs Infancy
      • Old Stats Are Fun, but They Shot Down a Good Theory
      • Martinsville Went Right, So What Keeps Going Wrong?
      • A Field of Dreams that Never Came True
      • Do NASCAR’s Screw-ups Even Matter If Motorsports Have No Future?
      • Does Speed Make the Speed-Sport More Exciting?
      • My Intro to Charlotte Motor Speedway
      • Racing Grand Nationals Once Meant Prepping Your Car in a Hurry
      • Driver Development Programs Need to Get the Gong
      • Drawing Attention to NASCAR in a Good Way
      • Little Joe, Junior, Gentleman Ned and Mr. Modified on Fairgrounds Dirt
      • Darlington ~ Back Then, It Was Something Special
      • Where Else Has NASCAR Raced in These States?
      • The Formula for Success is Not Obvious in Appealing to Millennials
      • Will NASCAR’s Aging Fans Demand that Medicare Pay for More Comfy Seats at the Speedway?
      • Kyle Larson Wins Races of All Kinds, and He Might Just Save NASCAR
      • With Writers and Racetracks, Age Can Be Everything
      • NASCAR Has It All, So Why Am I Happy Watching the Races at Lizard Creek?
      • Wood Brothers + Blaney = Good News for NASCAR
      • Who Could Make NASCAR A Little Spicier?
      • A Little Ramble in Delaware
      • Not The Masters, But the Wood Brothers Truly Have a Tradition like None Other
      • Speeds Were Slower, Drivers Still Came and Went, and NASCAR Survived
      • A Quick Surf Through NASCAR History
      • More than the Loss of a Great Driver
      • Little Martinsville Is the Monster Track of NASCAR Cup Series History
      • California Not So “Golden” A NASCAR State
      • Franks Guide to How to Fix All That Ails NASCAR
      • A Little Vegas History and Long Trips to Races
      • The Real Dirt on Atlanta’s Racing Past
      • Would More Fans Watch if a “500” Was a “Triathlon?”
      • Media Coverage Today Could Be A Lot Worse
      • Another Link between Short Tracks and What Ails NASCAR
      • Lets Go Back To The Old Definition Of Cheating
    • Frank Buhrman 2016 >
      • Bringing Back the Excitement – One Fan’s Ideas
      • Racing Road Trip: Let’s Head to… Where?
      • Bring Cup Racers Back to the Bullrings
      • Discover Some "Mud Roots" Racing!
      • Memories, Gripes and Maybe a Little Dreamin
      • Frank Likes The Chase...Kind Of
      • 1960's: NASCAR's Northern Tour
      • Chicago: The First Races In The Second City
      • Richmond "Action": Then And Now
      • 1950 To Now: Ladies Attack The Lady In Black
      • Radical Thought: Let Drivers Develop Themselves
      • 1967: With Lower Banking And Smaller Crowds, Bristol Was Still A Big Deal
      • Coverage of Racing Has Changed With The Sport
      • More Bluegrass Than Green Flags For NASCAR In Kentucky
      • The Day Goliath Roared (sort-of) In NASCAR Racing
      • Is A Blast From The Past What NASCAR Needs In The Future
      • Give a Nod to Larry LoPatin for NASCAR Motors in the Motor State
      • Pondering Racing’s Future in Charlotte . . . and Trumansburg
      • Frank's Loose Lugnuts
      • Fix it, Forget it, or Let Nature Run its Course
      • Oh, The Yellow Flag of Texas
      • A New Track, Some Old Memories . . . But Where is the Lake
      • Let’s Have A Sprint Cup ‘Blindfold Race,’ With Donald Trump Guiding Who?
      • Maybe The Ghost of "Fireball" Can Call The Auto Club 400 Winner
      • It ain’t like it used to be . . . (and sometimes that’s a good thing)
      • Sure, Atlanta Can Be Cold In February, But Remember Richmond?
  • Vivian Simons
    • Vivian Simons 2018 >
      • The Fan Experience
      • Where Were You When
      • Young Racers vs Kyle Busch
      • Daytona Has Come and Gone - Part 2
      • Daytona Has Come and Gone - Part 1
      • Hey Have You Heard the News
      • Daytona Memories - Again
      • Vehicles and Life Must Change
    • Vivian Simons 2017 >
      • Christmas Wishes to Our Staff
      • Old Versus New - History and Memories
      • Musings During the Off-Season in NASCAR - Again
      • It Is What It Is!
      • Sponsors, Drivers, Tracks & NASCAR
      • Some Funny Things Happened on the Way to the Playoffs
      • Is It a Race or a Show?
      • I Am a Race Fan that Wants to See the Race!
      • Road Course Ringers ~ Are They a Good or a Bad Thing?
      • Phases & Memories = Good Old Days By An Older Fan
      • Who's Gonna Fill Their Seats?
      • Is the Cup Half Full or Half Empty?
      • Observations from the Atlanta Races
      • Musings During the Off-Season in NASCAR
    • Vivian Simons 2016 >
      • Christmas Wishes
      • Is It Racing Or Just A Show?
      • Drivers Or Racers
      • And So It Came To Be
      • The Trucks, The New Chase, And The School Yard Bully
      • The Chase Is Coming! The Chase Is Coming!
      • Parity...Or Toyota Domination?
      • Invasion Of The Lower Tier Victory Snatchers!
      • High Banks and Memory Banks
      • A Road Course Is A Course (Of Course, Of Course...)
      • What Sort of Race Fan Are You?
      • NASCAR Hall Of Fame Or Hall Of Fave?
      • NASCAR's Generation Gap
      • Tony Stewart, NASCAR and Lug Nuts
      • Racing 101
      • Television Coverage Of NASCAR Racing
      • Is The Xfinity Series Fair?
      • Follow The Leader
      • Daytona Memories
    • Vivian Simons 2015 >
      • Addiction, Disillusionment, And Conforming
  • David Nance
    • David Nance 2018 >
      • There Is No Racing This Weekend
      • Martinsville Inspection Procedures = New Crew Chiefs by Friday
      • For a Moment All Was Right with the Racing World
      • Oh Where Oh Where Is NASCARs Driver Alert System
      • Qualifying Concept Long Overdue - Race for the Green
    • David Nance 2017 >
      • Thank You Bud
      • All about the Price Tag
      • And the Real True Playoff Winner Is
      • The Perfect Storm
      • If We Are Going to Have a Playoff, Make It a Real One
      • Outrunning the Bear
      • Level Playing Fields Not Until All Winners Face R &D Inspections
      • Is It Time For Encumbered Starts?
      • Kevin, I Dont Believe Ida Told That
      • And Stomped that Sucker Flat!
      • A Sons First Race… Through the Eyes of a Dad
      • Take Em To The Fence
      • Kyle's Mic Drop ~ Just One of Those Racing Deals
      • Remember When DW Was Monster Energy?
      • We Have Ourselves A Summit!
      • The Hunt for the NASCAR Canary
      • Penalties ~ DW Had A Better Idea
      • If FOX Covered the Kentucky Derby
      • Media Coverage Today Could Be a Lot Better
      • The Week in NASCAR - Opportunity Lost
      • Will Karma Smile on NASCAR?
      • Gentlemen... Start... Your... Commercials
      • The Untold Story of How the New Race Format Came To Be
      • Another Look at Attendance
    • David Nance 2016 >
      • Holiday Leftovers ~ Let Cooter Be Cooter
      • Holiday Leftovers ~ All I Want For Christmas
      • Holiday Leftovers ~ Grand Prix Memories
      • 20-20 + Monster Energy = Race For the Green
      • Please Let It Be Rain
      • It's Just Not Right
      • More Chase, Baby!
      • Three Laws
      • 20-20: The Rest Of The Story
      • Take A Chance, Mr. France
      • Time For A New Chase
      • And That Was Fr'istol!
  • J. L. Steele
    • J.L. Steele 2018 >
      • Back to the Future
      • Predictions and Wishes ~ Through a Hazy Crystal Ball
    • J. L. Steele 2017 >
      • A NASCAR Fans Letter to Santa
      • 2017 in the Rear View Mirror
      • A Sign of the Bad Times
      • Ken Squier at Darlington
      • Thoughts, Opinions and Rumors - Oh My!
      • Leave Junior Alone!
      • Kyle Busch is Exactly What NASCAR Needs
      • Let’s Save the Truck Series
    • J. L. Steele 2016 >
      • Brian's Big Monday
      • A Wishing Well And A Crystal Ball
      • A Parting Gift For Stewart
      • A Perfect Voice For A Perfect Time
      • Growth By Subtraction
    • J. L. Steele 2015 >
      • Meet The Racing Marine
      • A Race Fan's Christmas Wish List
      • Sunset At Martinsville
      • The Michael Waltrip Dilemma
      • The Rich Keep Getting Richer, While The Xfinity Series Dies
      • The Last Perfect Night
      • Sponsoring Drivers With Sponsor Drivers Motorsports Marketing
      • Halfway(?) Home...
      • The Essence Of Racing
      • Ranking The Truex Win
      • Visiting Victory Lane
      • The Silver Lining
      • Smoke Will Rise
      • No Comparison When Comparing Newman and Bowyer
      • Advice For Race Tracks
      • Making A Case For Kahne
      • Support Your Local Short Track
      • SAFE Is A Four Letter Word
      • Dinner With D.W.
      • Gordon's Greatness
      • Wendell Scott - Leader Of The Class
      • We Shook Earnhardt's Hand
      • Show Me The Money! (And Where It Comes From)
      • The King And I
  • Mitch Walker
    • Mitch Walker 2018 >
      • Its History, Like It or Not
      • Once the Local Tracks Are Gone
      • Kevin Harvick Gets It!
      • Racing, Broadcasting, Blocking and the Win ~ All Bad
      • Lets Go Racin
      • Untold Stories ~ Hidden History
    • Mitch Walker 2017 >
      • The Son of a Country Boy; the Son of a Champion
      • You Dont Tug on Supermans Cape
      • How It All Got Started
      • What Drove the Core Fans Away?
      • Who Benefits from the Decline in NASCAR Attendance?
      • Old School: Lessons By Legends
      • The Drs Script for the Ails of NASCAR
  • Tim Leeming
    • Tim Leeming 2018 >
      • The Magic Window ~ Closing It Up
      • The Magic Window ~ Chapter 8 The Phone Rings Again and Ford Has a Better Idea
      • The Magic Window~ Chapter Seven - More Damage Than First Appeared. One Shot Deal, NASCAR
      • The Magic Window ~ Chapter Six New Season, New Colors, New Number, New Sponsor, Wow!
      • The Magic Window ~ Chapter Five Things Called Spacers and a Menace Named Dennis
      • The Magic Window ~ Chapter Four From Disaster to Faster but Caught in a Clutch
      • The Magic Window ~ Chapter Three The Kid Gets a Name and the King Comes to Town
      • The Magic Window ~ Chapter Two Trailers, Late Night Talks and High Banked Asphalt
      • That Magic Window You Climb Through
      • How to Become Popular with Georgia Law Enforcement
      • Is Time Travel Possible?
      • Theres a Sign Post Up Ahead
      • An Uncles Legacy to His Nephew
    • Tim Leeming 2017 >
      • My Name Is Not Important
      • The Darlington Shocker
      • The Eclipse and a Race Car
      • Lil Bud Moore Tribute
      • The Sly FOX (Sports Network)
  • Matt McLaughlin - Anniversary Edition - 50 Years of NASCAR Racing
    • #32 - Swervin' Irvan and the Second Generation
    • #31 - Daytona - Little Cars and Big Bucks
    • #30 - Heart Stoppers, Heart Breakers and Heart Warmers
    • #29 - The Factories Go Home and Petty Goes on a Tear
    • #28 - The Daytona 500 1965-1970
    • #27 - The Daytona 500 ~ 1960-1964
    • #26 - Beyond the Beach - The First Daytona 500
    • #25 - Racing on the Beach
    • #24 - Larry LoPatin and American Raceways
    • #23 - Fuelish Pride
    • #22 - The Day the Music Almost Died
    • #21 - DW and DiGard ~ Breaking Up is Hard to Do
    • #20 - Winston to the Rescue
    • #19 - Charlotte ~ 1964 Drama & Danger - Part 2
    • #18 - Charlotte ~ 1964 Drama & Danger - Part 1
    • #17 - In the Beginning
    • #16 - Ford Strikes Out - The 1966 Boycott
    • #15 - Before he was Awesome
    • #14 - 1965 ~ Chrysler Plays Hardball
    • #13 - A Million to One
    • #12 - Seven up ~ The King Wins his Seventh Title
    • #11 - The Great Spoiler Debate of 1981
    • #10 - The Original Golden Boy
    • #9 - The Greatest Race Ever
    • #8 – The Petty-Allison Feud
    • #7 - The First Super Team
    • #6 - By the Time I Get to Phoenix
    • #5 - 1967 ~ Richard Petty Becomes The King
    • #4 - Charlotte ~ Bright Lights and Dark Days
    • #3 - Those Cheatin Ways
    • #2 - The Talladega Curse
    • #1 - Showdown in Alabama
  • Matt McLaughlin's "50 Years Of NASCAR Racing"
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 2 (Post 101)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 1 (Post 100)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Alan Kulwicki: Running Down A Dream (Post 99)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Hickory Wind Blows Cold (Post 98)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ David Slays Goliath (Post 97)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Until The Fat Lady Sings (Post 96)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Charlotte In The Fall (Post 95)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ One Magical Season, Part 3 (Post 94)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ One Magical Season, Part 2 (Post 93)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ One Magical Season, Part 1 (Post 92)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Remembering Davey, Part 2 (Post 91)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Remembering Davey, Part 1 (Post 90)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Bump And Grind (Post 89)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ High Stakes On The High Banks (Post 88)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Fall Of Richmond (Post 87)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 6 (Post 86)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 5 (Post 85)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 4 (Post 84)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 3 (Post 83)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 2 (Post 82)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 1 (Post 81)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Better Get Back To Tennessee, Jed (Post 80)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ MPH, Not MPG: The Michigan Of Old (Post 79)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Controversy-Let It Rage, Part 2 (Post 78)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Controversy-Let It Rage, Part 1 (Post 77)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Road Warriors (Post 76)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Hot Fun In The Summertime (Post 75)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Hallowed Ground (Post 74)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Hotter Than The 4th Of July (Post 73)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Close But No Cigar (Post 72)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ My One And Only, Part 2 (Post 72)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ My One And Only, Part 1 (Post 70)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ You Never Forget Your First, Part 3 (Post 69)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ You Never Forget Your First, Part 2 (Post 68)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ You Never Forget Your First, Part 1 (Post 67)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Road Rage (Post 66)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Triumph, Tragedy, And The Tunnel Turn (Post 65)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Luck Of The Irish (Post 64)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Islip: Long Island Speedway (Post 63)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Richmond, The Pettys, And The Evolution Of NASCAR (Post 62)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Kid Lightning (Post 60)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Temper, Temper! Part 2 (Post 59)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Temper, Temper! Part 1 (Post 58)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Monster Is Coming! (Post 57)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The World 600 (Post 56)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Winston: Checkers Or Wreckers (Post 55)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Occoneechee Speedway (Post 54)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Trenton: The Speedway Of The North (Post 53)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Texas World Speedway: Field Of Shattered Dreams (Post 52)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Ontario: The Best Laid Plans... (Post 51)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Do You Feel A Draft? (Post 50)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Martinsville In The Spring (Post 49)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Hickory: The Birthplace Of Legends (Post 48)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Oddities: Short Takes, Part 2 (Post 47)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Oddities: The Bizarre and Peculiar (Post 46)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ North Wilkesboro (Post 45)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Ford-Chrysler Duel (Post 44)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Bristol Stomp (Post 43)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Big Blocks, Bickering, And Bill (Post 42)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Tim Richmond: The Reason We Remember, Part 2 (Post 41)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Tim Richmond: The Reason We Remember, Part 1 (Post 40)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Too Tough To Tame For Too Long To Remember (Post 39)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Tales From Days Of Yore (Post 38)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Atlanta Motor Speedway (Post 37)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ J.D. Stacy (Post 36)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Viva Las Vegas (Post 35)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Rock (Post 34)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Daytona 500: 1994 - 1997 (Post 33)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Swervin' Irvan And The Second Generation (Post 32)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Daytona: Little Cars And Big Bucks (Post 31)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Heart-Breakers, Heart-Stoppers, And Heart-Warmers (Post 30)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Factories Go Away And Petty Goes On A Tear (Post 29)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Daytona 500: 1965-1970 (Post 28)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Daytona 500: 1960-1964 (Post 27)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Beyond The Beach: The First Daytona 500 (Post 26)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Racing On The Beach (Post 25)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Larry LoPatin And American Raceways (Post 24)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Fuelish Pride (Post 23)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Day The Music Almost Died (Post 22)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ DW And DiGard: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (Post 21)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Winston To The Rescue (Post 20)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Charlotte 1964: Drama And Danger, Part 2 (Post 19)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Charlotte 1964: Drama And Danger, Part 1 (Post 18)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ In The Beginning (Post 17)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Ford Strikes Out: The 1966 Boycott (Post 16)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Before He Was Awesome (Post 15)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ 1965: Chrysler Plays Hardball (Post 14)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ A Million To One (Post 13)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Seven Up: The King Wins His Seventh Title (Post 12)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Great Spoiler Debate Of 1981 (Post 11)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Original Golden Boy (Post 10)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Greatest Race Ever (Post 9)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Petty/Allison Feud (Post 8)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The First Super Team (Post 7)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ By The Time I Get To Phoenix (Post 6)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ 1967: Richard Petty Becomes The King (Post 5)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Charlotte: Bright Lights And Dark Days (Post 4)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Those Cheatin' Ways (Post 3)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ The Talladega Curse (Post 2)
    • 50 Years Of NASCAR Racing ~ Showdown In Alabama (Post 1)
  • Season Previews
    • 2017 Season Previews >
      • 2017 Season Preview - Part 3
      • 2017 Season Preview - Part 2
      • 2017 Season Preview - Part 1
    • 2016 Season Previews >
      • Fast Forward Season Preview Part 3 - Buescher To McDowell/Dillon
      • Fast Forward Season Preview Part 2 - Biffle To Earnhardt
      • Fast Forward 2016 Season Preview Part 1 - McMurray To Bowyer
    • 2015 Season Previews >
      • Fast Forward Season Preview Part 1 - McMurray To Biffle
      • Fast Forward Season Preview Part 2 - Stenhouse To Gilliland
      • Fast Forward Season Preview Part 3 - Cassill To Earnhardt, Jr.
  • "Tiger" Tom Pistone ~ Racing, Now And Then
  • Previous Columnists
    • Jim Fitzgerald >
      • Jim Fitzgerald 2017 >
        • The Cup Series Is Revisiting A "Monster" From Its Checkered Past
        • Ode, To The Cup Series
        • When Do We Start Hating On Kyle Larson?
        • Attendance And The Worst Excuse Ever
        • The One I Knew About, The One That Was A Surprise, And The One That Shocked Me
      • Jim Fitzgerald 2016 >
        • Bunch of Sore Loser Crybabies (No, Not You...THEM!)
        • Look At Those Marbles!
        • I Guess We Can Discuss "Playoffs" Now...
        • How Many More Beatings...
        • Dover ~ A Bitter Sweet Relief
        • NHRA Sizzles While NASCAR Fizzles?
        • Out Of Focus: The 2016 Championship Picture
        • Ignorant Fans Of A Feather Are Dumb Together
        • That Final Lap
        • Blame Kyle Busch
        • I Thought The Daytona 500 Was...
        • Caution Clocks, Chase Formats, Heat Races, and Knee-Jerk Reactions
        • Don’t Know What You’ve Got Until It’s Gone
      • Jim Fitzgerald 2015 >
        • A Sunset On 2015
        • OWW! Track Communication
        • Bowyer And Harvick Are In It To Win It
        • A Lap Ahead...
        • Toeing The Line: Let's Argue About Restarts
        • Hot & Heavy ~ Rules, Rules, Rules
        • My Dear, Dear, Uninformed Person Speaking About NASCAR
        • The Day Rusty Wallace Scared The $&@# Out Of My Mom
        • A Lap Around: Hot Topics
        • Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - Three Times A Winner?
        • On The Dover Road
        • All-Star Memories
        • NASCAR Racing: A Team Sport?
        • Cheating The Cat
        • Cheers To The Best Beer Cars!
        • Just Don't Call It The "R" Word
        • Fans Eye View ~ Star Wars And Stock Cars
    • James Crooks >
      • James Crooks 2017 >
        • Why Talladega Scares Me and Why I Love It
        • A Six Pack Down And A Thirty Pack Left To Go
        • In The Year 2525 ~ NASCAR’s New Rule Changes for All Three Top Series
        • Thoughts As We Green Flag The 2017 Season
        • Carl Edwards, The Earnhardts, and Grandpaw
        • Get Off Your Duff and Go to the Track!
      • James Crooks 2016 >
        • All I Want for Christmas is Winston Cup Back!
        • What Happened to Roush-Fenway Racing?
        • Support Your Local Race Track!
        • The Mystery of the History(Did Anyone See It?)
    • David Fulton >
      • David Fulton 2016 >
        • The Unsung NASCAR Drivers
        • When "The Dream Team" Became A Nightmare
        • How One Little Phone Call Helped Shape The Sprint Cup Series We Know Today
        • A Record To Never Be Broken
      • David Fulton 2015 >
        • Hey Dale, What's For Dinner?
        • A German In Dale Earnhardt's Ford
        • Darel Dieringer: Boomer and a Man for All Seasons
        • A Day For Veterans
        • A Day At The Races With Big Bill France
        • Independents Day
        • Riding The Hound To Darlington
        • Camaraderie Made Racing Special
        • Crafted With Pride In U.S.A
        • Race Trains And Peach Blossoms
        • Richmond Planted Seeds With Youth To Grow Fans Of The Future
        • My NC Back Roads Journey Unearthed a Petty Family Remembrance…
        • A Tale Of Dale And A Great Old Girl
    • Jeremiah Thalheimer >
      • Jeremiah Thalheimer 2016 >
        • A Day In The Life Of A NASCAR Official
        • Move Over Football - NASCAR Is The Real Family
        • The Ultimate All-Star Format
        • Six Years, One Dream
        • The Faith Of NASCAR
        • The Benefits of the Current Sponsorship Climate
        • Up And Coming: Christopher Hogan
        • Dale Earnhardt: What Might Have Been
        • Sterling Marlin: What Might Have Been
        • Casey Atwood: What Might Have Been
        • Kenny Irwin, Jr: What Might Have Been
      • Jeremiah Thalheimer 2015 >
        • Ernie Irvan: What Might Have Been
        • Davey Allison: What Might Have Been
        • Alan Kulwicki: What Might Have Been
        • A Case For The Chase
        • A Four Year Old's View Of The Greatest Race Of All Time
        • A Phoenix Fan Memory
        • Does NASCAR = Baseball?
        • The New Souvenir Experience
        • A Review of NASCAR in the Heartland
        • The Psychology Of NASCAR
        • When Our Heroes Hang It Up
        • The Time I Helped Tony Stewart Win at Daytona
        • How Richard Petty Made Me a Lifelong NASCAR Fan
        • Why NASCAR Is Better Than Pro Football
        • The Plight Of Local Racing
        • What Was The Greatest Fight In Racing?
        • How To Make A Race Fan In Ten Minutes Or Less
        • Short Track Racing With Lightning McQueen
        • One Of The Greatest Comebacks In Racing
        • NASCAR Memories
        • Legends Never Die
        • For The Love Of Racing, Part II
        • For The Love Of Racing, Part I
        • Bobby Hamilton Was My Favorite
    • Kevin Abraham >
      • Kevin Abraham 2015 >
        • The Shift: The Chase, Cheating, And Short Tracks
        • The Shift: Changing Of The Guard, Kurt Busch, And Domination
    • David Allen >
      • David Allen 2014
    • Robyn Vandenberg >
      • Robyn Vandenberg 2014 >
        • NASCAR's Little Prince
        • How Would NASCAR Handle A "Sterling" Situation?
        • NASCAR Fans: Gotta Love 'Em!
        • When Was The Last Time You Thought Of Kenny?
        • NASCAR Races: Rigged?
        • Dale Jr. Is On Twitter And Taking Over!
        • Hey, What Are You Doing This Weekend?
        • I Am A NASCAR Fan
        • An Apology To Brad Keselowski
Race Fans Forever

50 Years of nascar racing ~ The Southern 500: The Grandaddy Of Them All, Part 4 (Post 84)

By Matt McLaughlin
Post 84

 

Editor's note: This article is part of a special reprise of Matt McLaughlin's "50 Years of NASCAR Racing", written and published in 1998 in commemoration of NASCAR's 50th Anniversary celebration that year. Matt has kindly granted me permission to run the entire series. Please, sit back and enjoy as you take a journey back through the pages of history and perhaps relive a memory or two. Many thanks to Matt for his generosity in sharing. God bless you, my friend.

 

 

NASCAR had entered a new era in 1972, with the advent of the shortened schedule, the last of automobile manufacturers' support for the sport dried up, and Winston having taken over as the title sponsor and financial benefactor of stock car racing in those companies place. The front runners, for the most part had major financial backing from corporate America that began the transformation of race cars into rolling billboards, and even the King's once proud all blue race cars had an awkward, to be kind, mixed red and blue paint scheme in deference to his sponsor STP. Other big name sponsors included Coca Cola, sponsoring Junior Johnson's Chevy, driven by Bobby Allison, and Purolator Oil Filters sponsoring the Wood Brothers' Mercurys, driven by David Pearson.

 

With all the changes to the sport, one thing had not changed. The Southern 500 trophy was still a highly coveted bit of hardware, and the best of the best dueled over it with fierce intensity. Such was the case in 1972, one of the best Southern 500s ever run. Petty's effort that day was hampered by premature tire wear and stripped lug bolts, leaving Bobby Allison and David Pearson to duke it out for the win, a full seven laps ahead of the King, who held down third place. Allison and Pearson swapped the lead 13 times, before Bobby made the decisive pass with six laps to go and held off Pearson's determined charge to regain the lead by four car lengths. For Allison it was his second consecutive Southern 500, and for Pearson it was his fourth second place finish in a race he had yet to win.

 

Cale Yarborough had replaced Bobby Allison in the Richard Howard owned entry masterminded by Junior Johnson for the 1973 season. The union had not been a happy one to that point, with disappointing results, and constant rumors of fighting within the team, and that Cale would be replaced soon. But at that year's Southern 500, Cale was in contention right from the drop of the green flag. David Pearson, who had won 9 of the 13 races he had entered to that point in the season, looked to be Yarborough's toughest competition and in fact led the race late in the going. With 64 laps to go, Cale muscled his way back into the lead and used his not inconsiderable skills at the wheel and a season's worth of frustration to keep Pearson behind him to the checkers. David was philosophical after his fifth second place finish at the Southern 500, admitting he has simply been outdriven. "When it was time to go, he went." Pearson told reporters. Also competing that day was Darrell Waltrip who filled in, in Bud Moore's Ford, after Bobby Isaac had stunned the racing community during the previous race at Talladega when he said he had heard a voice telling him to retire, pulled into the pits, and quit in the middle of the race. Darrell managed an eighth place finish some 16 laps behind Cale Yarborough, but a time was coming when the two of them were going to do a lot of side by side racing, and post race grumbling.

 

The 1974 running of the Southern 500 came down to a battle of "Last Man Standing" with most of the pre-race favorites eliminated or hobbled by wrecks.

Richard Petty was eliminated on lap 37 when Richard Childress hit him. Buddy Baker was slowing to avoid that wreck and was rear ended by another rookie driver. Benny Parsons, defending Winston Cup champion, blew an engine and spun in his own oil in a wreck that also ended David Pearson's day. By far the scariest wreck of the day took place on lap 197 when Dick May, relief driving for Elmo Langley, lost control on the front straight, hit the outside wall and wound up climbing up along the catch fence that separated the grandstands from the track, to the point he left tire tracks along it. Charlie Glotzbach seemed to have the strongest car in the middle sections of the race but his day was cut short when he lost an engine. Cale Yarborough survived the wreck-fest to take his second consecutive Southern 500, but even his day was not without incident. Yarborough made hard contact with Bobby Allison, but managed to drive away with minimal damage while Allison's toe-in was knocked out, and while he finished the race he was never again a contender for the lead. Coming home second that day was Darrell Waltrip in the most impressive run of his career to date, though he was one than a lap behind Cale.

 

The Southern 500 of 1975 was run under threatening skies and rain caused a two hour delay during the race. The outcome of that race was decided to a large extent by mechanical attrition and a tiny little virus. Richard Petty had a strong car but was suffering from a terrible case of the flu. While he tried to tough it out, the extended caution periods and the long red flag delay made for a long delay and he finally had to call for a relief driver. A long pit stop while Petty got out of the car and Dave Marcis climbed aboard allowed Bobby Allison to get back onto the lead lap. Allison took the lead with 78 laps to go and was never headed. The win was not without drama, in that Allison's red white and blue AMC refugee from a circus freak show Matador broke a shock late in the going and he was forced to manhandle a squirrelly car to take the victory.

 

The 1976 Southern 500 was once again determined to a large extent by a series of wrecks. Buddy Baker and Dave Marcis tangled in the first corner on lap 181,with Baker getting the worst of it and having to park his Bud Moore Ford for the day. In a strange but frightening incident, rookie Skip Manning lost control while the field was under caution for that wreck, and slid down the track. Joe Frasson delivered a solid blow to the driver's side door of Manning's Chevy. It took safety personnel a half hour to cut Manning out of the wreckage and he was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries to his left side. David Pearson, who was enjoying another career year, seemed off speed early in the event and in fact almost went a lap down to the leader Donnie Allison. A broken radiator hose in Donnie's car, caused him to spin into the wall while Pearson was fighting to stay on the lead lap. The caution flag flew and Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison tried to scramble back onto the track from pit road to avoid losing a lap. The two cars made contact and points leader Yarborough had the rear end assembly practically torn free from his car. While his Junior Johnson led crew was able to make hasty repairs, Cale was never a threat to win again. Ironically the same caution flag that had eliminated or hobbled so many of his competitors allowed Pearson to duck into the pits to the attention of his Wood Brothers' crew for a chassis adjustment to help get the car back up to speed. Much like the 1997 Southern 500 where Jeff Gordon's Rainbow Warriors kept chasing the chassis adjustment until they got the car right, the Wood Brothers' team, the Rainbow Warriors of that era, were able to adjust the car to Pearson's liking and with 45 laps to go David took the lead from DW. Pearson managed to hold on to take the win, while Richard Petty was able to get around Waltrip on the final lap to claim second place. For David Pearson it was an end to years of frustration as he finally added a Southern 500 trophy to his massive collection. The program was not in place yet, but had there been a Winston Million bonus in that era, David Pearson would have claimed it on the basis of his Southern 500 win that day, and his wins at the Daytona 500 and World 600.

 

The 1977 running of the Labor Day classic was delayed once again by rain, and by a long red flag period after a violent wreck. Lennie Pond tangled with Ralph Jones on the front straight and Jones hit the pit wall a ton, sending concrete all over and once again showing why that wall was necessary to protect those on pit road. Jones was shaken and disoriented after the wreck, but not badly hurt. Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip, who had inherited the Hatfield and McCoy feud title from Richard and Bobby, were once again battling tooth and nail for the lead. On the 227th lap the inevitable happened and while the pair were fighting each other through lapped traffic DW got into a lapped car and triggered a four car wreck that eliminated both he and Cale from contention for the win. After the race, while explaining what had happened to another driver involved, D.K. Ulrich, Cale came up with a new nickname for DW, "Jaws" both because of Darrell's constantly running mouth, and his driving style that, in Yarborough's estimation, made him as dangerous as the movie shark of the same name. With Cale and Darrell hobbled, David Pearson and Donnie Allison inherited the lead positions. Allison seemed to have the faster car, but the Wood Brothers' crew did David proud with a lightning fast gas and go stop to carry him to the end. Pearson had an 4.l second advantage over Allison's stop and held on to win the race by two and a half seconds. Rookie Bill Elliott claimed his first top ten finish that day, bringing home the family owned Ford in tenth place. Darlington would provide a lot of the highlights of Elliott's career.

 

The 1978 Southern 500 boiled down to another Yarborough/Waltrip battle, but it also provided a glimpse of the future of NASCAR racing. The event was also once again marred by a savage wreck, and poor D.K. Ulrich, who had been involved in the DW/Yarborough wreck the previous year found himself right in the middle of it again. On lap 166, Grant Adcox tagged the wall directly in front of Ulrich and spun into his path. Ulrich had nowhere to go and the two cars came together with a sound like a bomb going off. Coo Coo Marlin and David Pearson were also gathered up in the wreck. To add insult to injury, the sheetmetal torn away from Ulrich's car in the horrific crash revealed a hidden bottle of nitrous oxide and he was suspended for the rest of the season. Dave Marcis, who was a legitimate title contender to that point in the season, saw his hopes for the championship dashed when he got in a wreck with Bobby Wawak. Ever the good sportsman and competitor , Marcis took over as relief driver for Richard Petty who was felled by the heat, and the Petty/Marcis duo bought the 43 car home third. The battle for the win was a fierce one with Cale and DW swapping paint more than once. But the race was decided in the pits, not on the track. Junior decided on a gas and go stop for Cale, while the DiGard team put fresh rubber on Darrell's car. Few drivers have ever been able to handle a race car on worn rubber as well as Cale, and the time he made up in the pits allowed him to cruise to an easy win. After the race DW once again got some folks pretty annoyed, placing blame for the loss squarely on his DiGard team and crew chief Buddy Parrott. While Yarborough, Waltrip and Petty finishing 1-2-3 was not much of a surprise, there were some other now familiar names in the top ten that day. Terry Labonte stunned everyone by finishing fourth in his first ever Winston Cup start. Bobby Allison, another long time driver, finished fifth, just behind Labonte, and one position ahead of part time driver Bill Elliott. Long time independents James Hylton and Buddy Arrington had fine runs, coming home seventh and eighth, making for an interesting mix at the top of the running order. Also in the field that day, was another promising young rookie, driving a Ford owned by Will Cronkrite, Dale Earnhardt. While Earnhardt had to settle for 16th that day, he, like Bill Elliott and Terry Labonte, would return to make his mark at Darlington.

 

 

At present, Matt is not taking email correspondence at Race Fans Forever. If you have comments, please leave them below and he will read them at his leisure.

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