The promiscuous business of wooing and retaining drivers for the 2009 season and beyond will underpin much of the current Sprint Cup season, even with 16 weeks remaining. This so-called "Silly Season" process, a summer rite that has bloomed in spring the past two years, needs little embellishment, but here are a few plausible scenarios that could make things pretty interesting in the near- and far-terms.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Churchill Downs are separated by just 125 miles of southern Indiana countryside and the Ohio River. That's 50 laps around the Speedway, twice as many around Churchill. But the expansive motor racing cathedral, with its signature yard of bricks, and the stately horse racing track, defined by its dignified twin spires now dwarfed by grotesque modernization, are undeniably linked. Many of their most cherished traditions seem rooted in the same values. And each became the standard by which all who compete in their respective sports are judged.
Late in the summer of 2006, A.J. Foyt IV's career was at a standstill. Prospects for next season looked bleak. Then, out of the blue, Michael Andretti called.
This was the golden age, an era graced by some of the most memorable stars and cars in NASCAR history and defined by some of the fiercest rivalries the sport has known. The King's reign continued -- Richard Petty won 89 races and five series titles during the decade -- but it wasn't easy. He tradedpaint weekly with such legends as Bobby Allison, Benny Parsons, David Pearson and Cale Yarborough, men who were stars in their own right and who beat him with remarkable regularity, especially Pearson. The second-winningest driver in NASCAR history, the Silver Fox is remembered fondly by fans for besting his nemesis at the wire of the 1976 Daytona 500, when a final-lap accident between the two drivers left Petty stuck in the infield while Pearson literally coasted to the win. Racing had never been more exciting.
Ford will succeed or fail on the fortunes of Roush Fenway Racing this season in NASCAR's Sprint Cup. While it seems unlikely that the venerable Detroit automaker will be able to overtake Chevrolet for the top spot, holding onto the No. 2 position could prove difficult, as well.
The promiscuous business of wooing and retaining drivers for the 2009 season and beyond will underpin much of the current Sprint Cup season, even with 16 weeks remaining. This so-called "Silly Season" process, a summer rite that has bloomed in spring the past two years, needs little embellishment, but here are a few plausible scenarios that could make things pretty interesting in the near- and far-terms.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Churchill Downs are separated by just 125 miles of southern Indiana countryside and the Ohio River. That's 50 laps around the Speedway, twice as many around Churchill. But the expansive motor racing cathedral, with its signature yard of bricks, and the stately horse racing track, defined by its dignified twin spires now dwarfed by grotesque modernization, are undeniably linked. Many of their most cherished traditions seem rooted in the same values. And each became the standard by which all who compete in their respective sports are judged.
Late in the summer of 2006, A.J. Foyt IV's career was at a standstill. Prospects for next season looked bleak. Then, out of the blue, Michael Andretti called.
This was the golden age, an era graced by some of the most memorable stars and cars in NASCAR history and defined by some of the fiercest rivalries the sport has known. The King's reign continued -- Richard Petty won 89 races and five series titles during the decade -- but it wasn't easy. He tradedpaint weekly with such legends as Bobby Allison, Benny Parsons, David Pearson and Cale Yarborough, men who were stars in their own right and who beat him with remarkable regularity, especially Pearson. The second-winningest driver in NASCAR history, the Silver Fox is remembered fondly by fans for besting his nemesis at the wire of the 1976 Daytona 500, when a final-lap accident between the two drivers left Petty stuck in the infield while Pearson literally coasted to the win. Racing had never been more exciting.
Ford will succeed or fail on the fortunes of Roush Fenway Racing this season in NASCAR's Sprint Cup. While it seems unlikely that the venerable Detroit automaker will be able to overtake Chevrolet for the top spot, holding onto the No. 2 position could prove difficult, as well.
The saying is as old as the sport itself: If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'. The culture of cheating has been ingrained in NASCAR ever since the engines first fired in 1949 on a dirt track in Charlotte. That afternoon the first car that roared across the finish line was piloted by Glenn Dunnaway, but when it was discovered that he had illegal rear springs in his Ford, the victory was handed to Jim Roper. The NASCAR boys have been searching for creative ways around the rules ever since.
With the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500 set for this Sunday, SI.com thought the time was right to count down the 10 greatest races in Indy 500 history.
A.J. Foyt was driving in a NASCAR Grand National --forerunner of the Nextel Cup -- race in January 1965 on the road course at Riverside International Raceway when his brakes failed. He swerved to miss Junior Johnson and Marvin Panch and went off the track.
There were few mourners in the NASCAR nation for Kurt Busch after he missed the Chase last season. He's the antithesis of popular: a driver fans -- and some drivers -- love to hate.
Off the top of my head, I don't know who makes my toaster. Making toast isn't very involved, and my toaster demands little of me. So long as I pay my electric bill, it's happy. I don't think about ...
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