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  • RFF Fantasy Racing Game
    • 2018 Fantasy Game >
      • 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 >
      • 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 >
      • 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 >
      • 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 ~ 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 >
      • 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 >
      • 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 >
      • 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 >
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        • 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
A Day at the Races with Big Bill France
Picture

06/25/2015

David Fulton

Picture"Big" Bill France, Sr.

Things were different at Daytona International Speedway thirty-two years ago, on Thursday, February 17, 1983. I was 34 – not 66 as I am today. And, Bill France, Sr., then aged 73, was still very much a presence at the Speedway.

  Bill France, Sr. – William Henry Getty France – was usually referred to as either Bill, Sr. or “Big Bill.” Big Bill was a good fit, because Bill France, Sr. was an imposing tower of a man. The stories are well documented of how Bill France, Sr. led NASCAR in its early years and built its showplace racetrack – Daytona International Speedway.

I was called just plain Dave and on that Thursday afternoon I was handling various duties beginning my third full season as Manager of Wrangler NASCAR Special Events. I oversaw motorsports programs for the Greensboro, North Carolina-based jeans manufacturer, including our sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt in the blue and yellow Wrangler festooned Bud Moore #15 Ford Thunderbird.

Thursday of Speedweeks was always a busy day for me. Not only did Dale have to compete in the first of the UNO TWIN 125 Qualifying Races to secure his starting position in Sunday’s Daytona 500; I had to prepare and supervise our annual Wrangler Daytona Speedweeks party that night at the brand new Pelican Bay Club. That party, put together by and featuring the entertainment of the Fabulous Rhodes Brothers Revue, was the “must do” party of Speedweeks. Bill France, Sr. had already reminded me the previous week when I checked in for my credentials, to be sure to give him an ample supply of invitations so he could include the mayor and Daytona Beach City Council.

For the 1983 racing season, Ford had come out with an all new Thunderbird. Earnhardt hated it. He called the new design, which would become one of the biggest selling Ford designs ever, “The Football.” He did not like the way the car handled in traffic. A soon to be dominant Bill Elliott actually refused to run the car at Daytona, opting for the old shoebox 1982 model.

The Fords had been a tad slow in pole qualifying runs, so it was very important to gain a good finish in the Twin Qualifier to gain a good starting position for the Sunday Daytona 500.

Unlike recent Daytona 500s, with barely enough cars on hand to fill the field, the 1983 edition had seen 72 NASCAR Winston Cup stock cars check into the Speedway. The 36-car fields in each qualifier would be just a few cars less than the total at Daytona the past several Februarys.

My plans were to split from the Speedway as soon as the first qualifier was over and Dale had secured his starting position for Sunday. I wanted to get cleaned up and head over to Pelican Bay to be sure all food, drink and entertainment preparations were on schedule. I especially wanted to be sure that the bevy of young ladies we were attiring in French maid costumes to serve as hostesses were all dressed and ready. It would be their job to be certain all partiers had full drinks and no Winston cigarette ever made it to a guest’s lips before they had a lighter out with the flame lit.

Dale Earnhardt’s performance in the first UNO Twin 125-Mile Qualifying Race caused me to hang around the Speedway longer than I had planned. The new Thunderbird proved to be excellent in the draft and a better handling car in traffic than Earnhardt expected. He raced to the front in Bud Moore’s blue and yellow Wrangler Thunderbird and hung just behind the venerable A.J. Foyt in his red #14 Valvoline Chevy. Lap after lap, Dale stayed glued to the cagey veteran, Foyt’s rear bumper.

Earnhardt took the white flag still glued to Foyt’s bumper. Coming out of turn two, Earnhardt was tucked in behind the Foyt Chevy, followed by Buddy Baker’s Wood Brothers Valvoline Ford #21 and the #7 Kyle Petty 7-Eleven Pontiac.

Halfway down the back straight, Earnhardt ducked to the inside lane with Baker pushing him. They passed A.J. in a classic Daytona slingshot move going into turn three of the final lap. At the line it was Earnhardt the winner, followed by Baker and Petty, who edged Foyt in a bumping battle for third.

That thrilling last lap can be seen here:


​I had run to Victory Lane carrying all the boxes of Wrangler hats I could muster. Mind you, proper voodoo etiquette dictates you don’t get the Victory Lane hats together until after the checkers, unless you want to jinx your driver.

While up to my elbows in blue and yellow in the Daytona International Speedway Victory Lane, I began to hear my name paged over the Speedway public address system. “Attention, Dave Fulton. Dave Fulton with Wrangler. Dave Fulton with Wrangler dial Speedway Extension #6682 immediately please.”

I was familiar with many Speedway telephone extensions. I made numerous calls all the time to the Winston Cup Garage extension, Daytona Public Relations extension, the NASCAR Marketing extension and the MRN Radio extension. I had no idea what Extension #6682 was.

The always prepared Daytona Speedway had a telephone extension in Victory Lane. So while the cars were being lined up on pit road for the second Twin Qualifying Race and while UNOCAL’s Bill Broderick performed the Victory Lane “hat dance,” I dialed Extension #6682.

One ring, two rings… then…, “TOWER CONTROL, Bocky speaking.” Tower Control was a tiny booth at the very top of the old blue Daytona International Speedway tower overlooking the start/finish line. “Bocky” was Jim Bockoven, close friend and high school pal of Bill France, Jr. He had a title something akin to Operations Director for the Speedway. He made sure things happened and he was usually beside Bill France, Jr.

I identified myself and after a brief pause, Bill France, Jr. came on the line. “Dad wanted me to call you and congratulate you on Dale’s win. Dad also wanted to know if you might come up to the control tower and watch the second race with him. We’ll bring you over from Victory Lane in a patrol car,” Bill, Jr. concluded.

The implication was that I would immediately be on my way in a patrol car with a motorcycle escort to watch the second 1983 UNO Twin 125-Mile Qualifier seated next to Big Bill France, Sr.  There was never a real question mark placed by Bill, Jr. at the end of his question. I understood I was being given an order. It would be a command performance.

Getting from Victory Lane to the Tower in race traffic was no easy feat, even with escorts. I was not so naïve as to think I was being invited to share a seat next to the most powerful man in auto racing because he thought he’d enjoy my company. As we went through the infield tunnel my brain was going a hundred miles an hour.

I had spent a lot of money with International Speedway Corporation in my position at Wrangler. At that very moment there were two individuals working in the Daytona Credentials office on my expense account.

We had hospitality tents at Daytona and a suite at Talladega. I bought thousands of grandstand tickets to the races at both venues. We had an extensive Wrangler ad campaign boosting NASCAR racing and I ran special ticket promotions at both Daytona and Talladega that I had negotiated with Bill France Senior’s wife, Anne France – “Annie B,” “Miss Annie” or “Mom” as Bill, Jr. had first introduced her to me in 1981, when she signed off on my proposed ticket promotions at her tracks.

Miss Annie would not be in the tiny booth atop the Daytona Control Tower when I arrived. She was always in the ticket office or at the money drops. Wherever the money was to be found was where Bill France, Senior’s wife would be found. It had always been that way. I recalled my good friend, Richmond promoter Paul Sawyer, telling me of going to the France house with Joe Weatherly after a beach race and finding Miss Annie on her knees on the kitchen floor, surrounded by stacks of currency.

No, there were only four people inside the Tower Control Booth when we got past the door security. Father and son France – Sr. and Jr. – were in the booth with the aforementioned Bocky and Bill Senior’s personal assistant, Bob Mauk.

These were the days before David Hoots gave up his day job at UPS to become NASCAR Race Director. Bill France, Jr. was Race Director in those days at both Daytona and Talladega (just as Humpy Wheeler was Race Director at Charlotte) and he had his headset on, ready to begin the second Qualifier. Neither Bob Mauk nor Jim Bockoven engaged in conversation. That left just me and Big Bill. I was overwhelmed and overmatched.
Picture
1984 Rudd - Earnhardt Wrangler Cars
Bill France, Sr. didn’t spend too much time stroking my feathers. He was a pretty direct individual. He allowed as to how International Speedway Corporation was uncertain of the sponsorship for the two qualifying races the following season and it seemed to him that an exciting program like the Wrangler Racing program would be a perfect fit for sponsoring his two qualifying races. All the while we were munching on snacks and the second race was unfolding below me from a perch I could only have imagined in my wildest racing dream.

Bill, Sr. praised our Wrangler program and driver, Earnhardt while Bill, Jr. called cautions and dispatched wreckers and called for “move over” flags from Harold Kinder. All the while, far below me, Neil Bonnett in the Warner Hodgdon-sponsored Rahmoc Chevy was holding off Richard Petty in the STP Pontiac. Little did we know that a year later Richard would be driving for Mike Curb and not Petty Enterprises. Such is racing.

Third place Cale Yarborough in the #28 Hardee’s Ranier Racing Pontiac would go on to win the Sunday Daytona 500. I watched that Sunday race splitting my time between pit road and the infield Goodyear Tower in the Winston Cup garage.

I explained to Bill France, Sr. that our Wrangler budget operated on a fiscal year that began October 1 and ended on September 30. My new budget would be put together no later than June 30. Things were complicated splitting a calendar year racing series between two different budget years.

Ultimately, I declined to sponsor the two Daytona Qualifying races with Wrangler money. It proved to be an excellent decision. As fate would have it, I had to find funds to field two teams for the 1984 Winston Cup NASCAR season – Dale Earnhardt at Richard Childress Racing and Ricky Rudd with Bud Moore Engineering.

By the time the 1984 season began and I returned to Speedweeks, I had left Wrangler. After 13 years wearing blue and yellow, I moved to Dallas, Texas to become Motorsports Coordinator for The Southland Corporation’s sponsorship in NASCAR, at the time centered on Kyle Petty under the 7-Eleven banner. Uno continued with a one year renewal of the Twin Qualifying races for 1984.

However, if you search the records, you’ll see that my new employer had its name on the 1985, 1986 and 1987 versions of the Twin Qualifiers. The record book lists them as 7-Eleven Twin 125-Mile Qualifying Races each of those three years.

In retrospect, I guess Big Bill France got what he wanted from my 1983 visit to the Tower. He was an excellent salesman.
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