Sterling Marlin Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Darlington, March 1988. Proving that persistence pays off, Lake Speed finally made good on his last name that seemed destined for a racing greatness by dominating at one of the toughest tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit to capture what would be his one and only win at NASCAR’s highest level. Before getting his start in NASCAR in 1980, Speed’s greatest claim to fame was winning the World Karting Championship in LeMans, France two years prior, defeating a future three-time Formula 1 champion, the lateRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Longtime motorsports owner, Felix Sabates, will be calling it a career with the end of the 2019 season and riding off into the sunset, Chip Ganassi Racing announced on Thursday. The 74-year old first entered the NASCAR ownership landscape with the founding of SABCO Racing in 1989, winning seven races with Kyle Petty and Joe Nemechek before joining forces with Chip Ganassi in 2001, when Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates was born. Fielding cars in NASCAR’s top two divisions, the duo won 43 racesRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent  The throwback paint scheme that NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie Justin Haley will race for Kaulig Racing at Darlington Raceway will honor more than just drivers. Haley’s No. 11 Raybestos Chevrolet Camaro SS is reminiscent of cars driven by Jeff Burton, Sterling Marlin, and Hut Stricklin throughout the 1990’s in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Raybestos is also the company that Bob Kaulig, father of team owner Matt Kaulig, worked at for 22 years. “It’s a nice shade of blue offset with some red andRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Jamie McMurray started his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career driving the No. 40, and he’ll now likely end it with the same car number as Spire Motorsports have partnered up with Chip Ganassi Racing and announced Friday that McMurray will pilot the No. 40 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the 61st Daytona 500 Feb. 17. The 2010 Daytona 500 champion will have McDonald’s, Cessna and Bass Pro Shops as his sponsors and is also eligible to compete in the Advanced Auto Parts Clash Feb. 10 dueRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor The 2001 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season started off with profound loss, but also ushered in an era of unprecedented growth for the series as they made their way to new markets and new tracks later in the year. One of those new tracks/markets was Kansas Speedway, a 1.5-mile intermediate oval just outside of Kansas City that would make its debut in September 2001. Jason Leffler and points leader Jeff Gordon would start on the front row, but it wouldn’t take long for thingsRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend for the championship finale, so with the 2016 season coming to a close, we’ll take a look back at a race from Homestead’s past in this week’s edition of “Throwback Thursday Theater.” This week, the focus will be on the 2005 Ford 400, a race that featured a championship battle still up for grabs, drivers making their last starts, and the closest finish ever at the 1.5 mile track. Entering the 36th race ofRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for Saturday’s running of the Bank of America 500, the time has come once again to take a look back at a race from Charlotte’s past in this week’s edition of “Throwback Thursday Theater”. In this week’s edition, we will focus on the 2002 UAW GM Quality 500 – a race that saw a relative unknown score his first Cup Series win in just his second start. After leading the points for the majorityRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor After the tragedy of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series returned to the track at Dover International Speedway a week and a half later for the first race back, with teams, drivers, and fans all banding together to help the nation heal. With American flags flying up and down pit road, in the grandstands, and showing on various cars and driver’s helmets, the sport got back to business with the running of the MBNARead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor With NASCAR invading New England for the second race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, another edition of “Throwback Thursday Theater” is upon us. As we look back at races from New Hampshire’s past, this week’s focus is on the 2001 New Hampshire 300, a race that featured a great battle for the win between two Gordons, Jeff Gordon and Robby Gordon, leaving one ecstatic with the win and the other fuming at what might have been. The raceRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor As the calendar continues to roll through the month of July, this coming weekend is always a special one for the drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. For the 23rd year, the series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the running of the Brickyard 400. With that in mind, we take a step back in time 20 years ago to the 1996 edition of the Brickyard 400 in this week’s edition of “Throwback Thursday Theater.” With the first two races at Indianapolis going toRead More