Throwback Thursday Theater

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Pocono Raceway carries the moniker of the “Tricky Triangle” for a reason, with its three different corners and long straightaways giving even the most seasoned of drivers fits over the years, so when a rookie comes in and excels at the 2.5-mile track, it certainly turns some heads. Back in 2006, Denny Hamlin, who was in his first full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series behind the wheel of a Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet, showed the rest of the field how it’s done by winning notRead More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor Throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, it was a common sight to see the Wood Brothers and Petty Enterprises battling it out for the win, but in the following decades, both teams found themselves in a slump. All of that changed when the NASCAR Cup Series rolled into Bristol in March 2001 with Elliott Sadler and John Andretti driving the famous No. 21 and No. 43 cars for the Wood Brothers and Petty Enterprises, respectively. As the Food City 500 played out, several drivers took their turnsRead More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor There have been plenty of weird and quirky moments in NASCAR history — then there’s the 1999 Transouth Financial 400 at Darlington Raceway. Having been delayed once already due to rain, Mother Nature had one more trick up her sleeve with 130 laps remaining in the race, leading to one of the most bizarre finishes in recent memory. As Jeff Burton led the way over Jeremy Mayfield, the skies darkened and rain started falling again as the leaders made their way off Turn 4 and ontoRead More
By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The third round of the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge takes a virtual visit to the Irish Hills of Michigan International Speedway Saturday with the likes of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Ryan Hunter-Reay making their league debuts. It’s also the first time Michigan and Indy car racing are mentioned in the same breath since 2007 when the sport last ran the real-life two-mile circuit. Tony Kanaan scored the victory on what was an unforgettable day for Andretti Autosport (then known as Andretti Green Racing). Although Kanaan ate someRead More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor Returning to the track a week after unspeakable tragedy struck into the heart of the team, Hendrick Motorsports rolled into Atlanta Motor Speedway in late October 2004 looking to kickstart the healing process. By the time the checkered flag flew on the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500, the healing was well on its way thanks to an emotional win from Jimmie Johnson. En route to Martinsville Speedway the previous weekend, a Hendrick Motorsports team plane, carrying 10, had crashed into Bull Mountain in southeast Virginia. ThereRead More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor As the 2017 season was rolling toward its conclusion in November 2017, Matt Kenseth showed he’s still got it. In what was his final race at the one-mile Phoenix oval, Kenseth took it to the youngsters, showing them there’s still plenty in the tank when it comes to driving a race car. After announcing the week prior that he wouldn’t be returning to the cockpit in 2018, Kenseth came out at Phoenix with guns ablazing, ready to crash the party of the drivers battling it outRead More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor Heading into the March 2016 running of the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway, two drivers in the field went to battle with each other in what would be dubbed the #HeroFaceOff in promotion of the upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice movie. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jimmie Johnson each sported a superhero paint scheme, with Earnhardt carrying the Batman colors on his No. 88 Chevrolet and Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet adorned with the familiar red and blue colors of Superman.Read More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor Throughout the years, the “Dale and Dale Show” between Dale Earnhardt and Dale Jarrett had several episodes, but the first one back in 1993 may have been the best as the two future NASCAR Hall of Famers battled it out in the season opening Daytona 500. Earnhardt was still looking for his first win in the Great American Race, while Jarrett was entering his second season with upstart Joe Gibbs Racing as the team was still searching for their first win. By the time the checkeredRead More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway and in celebration of the 50th anniversary for both the track and Richard Childress Racing, the No. 3 Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt to the final win of his career will pace the field with Richard Childress behind the wheel. With that in mind, this week’s edition of “Throwback Thursday Theater” will look back at the 2000 Winston 500 and the amazing comeback Earnhardt was able to make in the waning laps ofRead More