Dwight Drum

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2012 Martinsvill March NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Flyoverby Dwight Drum at Racetake.com

Only four more NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season races are left in the Chase for the Championship as the hectic competition moves from its longest track at 2.66-miles around Talladega to the one of the shortest tracks at Martinsville with its .526-mile oval.

Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Va., is not only short with 12-degree banking; it’s shaped like a paperclip with very tight corners at each end. Continue reading “FYI WIRZ: NASCAR Chase Chances Slim Heading Into Martinsville Short Track”

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Top 12 NASCAR Top 12 Chase DriversFYI WIRZ: 10 NASCAR drivers Chase a final spot at bumpy Richmond

by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com

Bubbles are about to burst in Richmond and none are in seltzer water or champagne.

Mathematically, 10 drivers are on the Chase playoff bubble–Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joey Logano, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray and Pual Menard. All can make NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup final contender list. Realistically, only some will grab a final position.

Continue reading “FYI WIRZ: 10 NASCAR Drivers Chase A Final Spot At Bumpy Richmond”

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cup_points81613NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers are done twisting on the road course at Watkins Glen International and head into the wide 2-mile oval with 18-degree banking at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 18.

by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com

MIS is often considered NASCAR’s fastest track because of wide turns and long straightaways.

Speed will mean more this week as only four races remain before the Chase contenders are determined. Some drivers have to win to get in. Others have to finish strong if they hope to cling to their lofty spot and be ready for 10-race playoffs.

Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team have a comfortable 75-point lead owing to consistent performance and that makes it tougher for other teams to advance. It seems Johnson with crew discover an extra cylinder or spare frontal lobes when needed.

Continue reading “FYI WIRZ: NASCAR Leaders Return To Fast Left Turns Going Into Michigan”

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jimmie-johnson-nascar-sprint-cup-series-new-hampshire-july-2013For a while last week it looked like the Pocono wall that collected Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 golden ride may have placed a big dent in a mounting point lead.

by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com

Not so fast.

Johnson’s cape got soiled a bit in Pocono, but Chad Knaus and team dusted it off and the No. 48 gained two more points after a long comeback drive. They were ready to move on.

Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania and Watkins Glen International in Upstate New York are not distant in miles, but the triangle and the road course are like two different worlds.

Johnson and team have adapted well to road courses, but then they’ve adapted to almost everything in 2013 and continue to build a point buffer that won’t be overcome by other teams before the Chase begins.

Continue reading “FYI WIRZ: Pocono Wall Doesn’t Slow NASCAR Point Lead Going Into Watkins Glen”