Joe Cooksey

This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is back in action at the Phoenix International Raceway. The eighth race of the 2009 season, things are beginning to heat up around the cut off for the top-35 in owner points. With forty-eight cars on the preliminary entry list for this weekend's Subway Fresh Fit 500, thirteen go-or-go-home cars will be vying for eight spots. On the bubble this weekend is Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender Joey Logano. Following a 30th-place finish two weeks ago in Texas, the driver of the Joe Gibbs-owned No. 20 Home Depot Toyota dropped one spot in the owner standings. With only twenty-three points keeping him from being a go-or-go-homer, Logano is optimistic heading to...

So I read a statistic that claims 1 in 3 Americans are NASCAR fans, that equates to over 100 million people. Are we to believe that a full third of the American population do not deserve the making of a true quality NASCAR Movie? Now when I say true, what I mean is a movie that reflects the reality of the sport, not fantasy. Great stories have drama, suspense, anticipation, characters, a beginning and an end. Can anyone argue that all of these elements are not part of every NASCAR race? All 36 of them! And this doesn't even consider the story lines that build from the first race at Daytona to the final race at Miami/Homestead. Over the years, Hollywood has tried in vane to create the definitive...

So does NASCAR driver physical conditioning matter? Some would debate that NASCAR drivers are not athletes but one must consider the conditions inside of a NASCAR stock car race vehicle. The interiors of these cars are not designed for driver comfort with air conditioning and surround sound. Everything about a NASCAR stock car is focused on speed--not on comfort. So NASCAR driver physical conditioning must be such that it builds a driver's endurance to withstand some harsh conditions and G-forces. And, the NASCAR driver physical conditioning is very similar to athletes in other sports except different areas are built up. The temperatures in the driver's cockpit of a NASCAR race car can reach around...

Well, you can but dream. Just shut your eyes then imagine this work-a-day tour bus is a super tuned beast powering through the bends, just seconds ahead of the field. Half a lap to go and the checkered flag goes down to the roar of the crowd. Pretty girls hang the winner's garland around your neck as you take your place on the dais and the crowd cheer. The setting for this dream? Where else in the Sunshine State but the Daytona International Speedway. We ordinary mortals are getting the view the competitors get, at a rather more sedate pace, by doing a lap of the two and one half mile course, taking in the pits, the control centre and the huge grandstands which, on race days, accommodate many tens...

Famous Formula One racer Juan Pablo Montoya has officially turned in his keys and has embarked on a new career in NASCAR. As of Tuesday July 11, Montoya announced that he will be driving on Chip Ganassi's Nextel Cup team. Being that there are 4 Nextel Cup races left it is a sure thing that Montoya will make his debut some time this year before the season ends. Rumor has it that this was purely a financial move as the potential growth and current earnings of NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers have far outweighed that of their Formula One counterparts. As announced in his latest press release, "Juan Pablo is an exciting driver and immensely likeable character who will undoubtedly make a successful...

So maybe you are fascinated with NASCAR and would like to choose this as a career. How does one go about participating in race driver training so as to become a driver? There are drivers training schools but all are very expensive and there is no guarantee that you will become a real NASCAR driver. So what kind of training makes a professional driver? Well, just as in other professional sports, the competition to be a driver is very tough. But more than that, the majority of people don't get there because of a lack of driver training. It usually is because of who they know, who their family is, and where they started. These drivers start when they are very young and run the go cart circuits. Their...

NASCAR is seeking to revitalize the racing car industry after a downward trend of dwindling attendance at events and slumping television ratings. Although the new season doesn't kick off until February 14th with the Daytona 500, NASCAR fans have already received a preview of things to come. Some of the new changes include more aggressive driving during competitions. Relaxing its rules, NASCAR will now allow bump drafting and other forms of aggressive driving in hopes of increasing the thrill of the race, which some have argued has become predictable. However, critics argue that more aggressive driving could lead to more accidents. Another change concerns the Sprint Cup Series car, which has faced...

What eventually became the National Association of Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) began as races in the neighborhood streets of Daytona Beach, Florida circa 1900. Even then, it had fans. William France, Sr., a mechanic from Washington, D.C., had heard of these races, and moved to the area in 1935 to join the fun. By 1936 he placed fifth in a local race, but was starting to become more interested in organizing the sport than in participating directly. He knew the sport was beginning to draw a fan base, and he felt that the drivers were often getting mistreated by their promoters, who simply chose not to pay them. He was part of a meeting whose notes were taken on a napkin from the Ebony Bar in the...

NASCAR has done it again. After promising to slow the pace of change, Brian France has authorized yet another shift in the way we know racing, completely revising a popular, non-points exhibition race. The Budweiser Shootout, formerly called the Busch Clash (through 1997), kicks off the NASCAR season every February. As a prelude to the Daytona 500, it has grown in popularity since its inception in '79. The free-for-all 'sprint' used to be by invitation only, primarily for Bud Pole winners from the preceding year. Past winners were also eligible as long as they finished among the top-50 in the previous season's point standings - a gimme' for most drivers. The 70-lap event has been run in 20- and 50...

Coming up this week, the Nextel Cup, Busch, and Craftsman Truck teams head to the steamy south for an action packed weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Expect another strong showing from the Roush drivers as they tend to dominate the 1 1/2 to 2 mile tracks. Of the current drivers, Carl Edwards has had the most success. In 3 starts at Atlanta, he has had 2 wins! It will be interesting to see if Carl can recapture the glory he found in Atlanta during his rookie season, and blister the field in the Golden Corral 500. Other drivers to note: Kasey Kahne Jimmie Johnson Greg Biffle Dale Earnhardt Jr. Next Week's Schedule: (all times EST) Nextel Cup 3/17/06 - 3:30pm Golden Corral 500 Practice 3/17/06 - 7...

Make no doubt about it, NASCAR is a business and is run like any other major corporation. It's a family-owned business with Brian France as the third-generation CEO. Brian France is the son of Bill France, Jr., who passed away at the age of 74 in June of 2007. The current President of NASCAR is Mike Helton. What is interesting about Mike Helton's appointment as President in the organization structure is that he is not a member of the France family. He was named as President of the organization in 1999. That was a year that would see much change in terms of safety because of the sudden death of Dale Earnhardt on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 and it was because of this incident that it would...

It is easy to draw car portraits that people will beg to get. Once you learn to draw car art, you will be asked all the time to create automotive art as gifts. Most people love their cars, and a custom drawing of that car will be very well received as a gift. Drawing portraits of cars is an easy hobby to begin, but it can give hours of fun to the person that loves cars. Start with a car that you like, then move on to others' cars. There are many online resources that show how to draw cars, a Google search will reveal several sites. Racing and sports cars are my favorite types of cars to draw, they are easier than most family cars, having fewer trim items like chrome strips and add on items, like...

When decorating a boy's room you need to be thoughtful of the age. While some themes are appropriate for all ages of boys, older boys are not going to be interested in the same thing as little boys. For example, a playhouse theme is not going to work for older boys, but a safari theme will work out nicely for both. One theme that is great for any age boy is a cabin theme. This is perfect for little boys and older boys because most boys enjoy camping in the outdoors or even fishing or hiking. The best thing about this type of room theme is it can even bring back pleasant memories for each parent. Decorating the room is easy you simply have to find wallpaper borders that remind you of a cabin in the...

NASCAR, the acronym, stands for the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. Stock car racing is rooted in the southeastern United States. Building and driving fast cars relates to another southern tradition, that of making moonshine whiskey. Bootleggers were men who legally ran whiskey to hundreds of markets in the southeastern U.S. The bootlegging business really began to boom. The drivers soon began to race one another to see who had the faster car. This quickly became a very popular sport in the back roads of the South. Founded more than 50 years ago, NASCAR has become one of the hottest spectator sports in the world. In the years following World War II, stock car racing began to...

Millions of people from around the world tune in on their TVs and even travel hundreds of miles to see famous races such as the Grand Prix, NASCAR and F1. There's no denying the impact racing has left on modern history and humanity. There are two main types of racing today: stock car racing and single seater racing. Stock car racing uses stock editions of automobiles that race around an oval track. The most popular race is of course, NASCAR, immensely popular in South America and other parts of the country. Stock cars are built on model factory editions, which are limited to a certain speed for safety. The race usually lasts from 200-600 miles in duration. The second main type, the single seater...

Imagine if you had the foresight 7 years ago to invest heavily in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Miami and Honolulu, and to get out 2 years ago. Each of those markets appreciated over 100% in a 5 year period. Many savvy investors made enough money in those markets in just 5 years that they never have to work again. Now, instead of waking up with that 7 am alarm clock, many of them softly awaken by the warm breeze off the ocean blowing through their open window. Mobile, Alabama (pronounced 'moe beel') is a city located in southwest Alabama at the mouth of the Mobile River. Spanning about 38 miles on the north shore of Mobile Bay, it was the city held by the French, British, and Spanish until it was seized by U...

It'll be a loooooong race on Sunday in Charlotte. And that's after you spend the early part of the afternoon imbibing watching the Indy 500. Plan for a nap. The Coke 600 is the longest event in NASCAR, and it'll take place on the new-ish surface at Lowe's Motor Speedway, which has been "levigated" (i.e., smoothed) to the point where it had too much grip with the old, softer Goodyear tire. Therefore Goodyear is forced to use an extremely hard tire, which causes the cars to have less grip, making side-by-side racing difficult, and passing near impossible. Track position will mean everything on Sunday, and you can bet that when late pit stops come, a lot of teams will change two tires or none at all...

Gentlemen start your engines, four of the most famous words that are spoken at any NASCAR event. This year the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has a lot of changes occurring. One big change this year is the Car Of Tomorrow being used in every race. Last year this car was introduced and used in 16 select races to a lot of mixed reviews. This car was designed to be a safer, more competitive and less expensive car for the teams. Several drivers have changed teams this year. The most notable change is with Dale Earnhardt Jr. leaving the company his dad founded, Dale Earnhardt Inc., to join Hendrick Motorsports. He is joining and already formable team of the reigning Sprint Cup Champion, Jimmie Johnson...

  Tony Stewart survived to a pair of dangerous accidents and a leader record figure to win the AMP Energy 500 on Sunday. Stewart contained the strong attack of the rookie Regan Smith, who in the last lap did a reckless surpass below the yellow line, trying to conquer the two-time champion. NASCAR rules prohibit surpass below the yellow line that separates the racing surface of the lower part of the trail.  It was the first triumph of Stewart in the Talladega Superspeedway and was the end of a day full of action in which many of the main contenders were eliminated of the race due to a chaotic accident at only 14 laps left.  The accident took place when Carl Edwards' Ford tried to push one of his...

Have you ever been to a NASCAR race? If you have then the word NASCAR should bring back some memories. There you were at those Saturday night races sitting under the moon and stars as the cars were flying past you at top speeds as they grinded into those walls, crowds cheering for their fans and crows booing at the villain. We believe there was nothing more fun then spending a Saturday night at the Darlington's Dodge Challenger 500. The dodge cars would start the races looking nice, fast and shiny then what did you get when they ended the race? Balled tired and a car that looked liked it was 30 years old, all falling apart and no paint. There is no doubt when the race was over those Dodges looked...

There is no doubt about it, Tony Stewart is proving he is a force to be reckoned with on the race track. With an extraordinary five wins out of the last seven races, Stewart has charged his way to the top of the points. The Home Depot's ability to dominate week in and week out has netted Stewart 1,431 points over the last eight races. This is slamming the door on many drivers outside of the top ten who had hopes of making it into the Chase by being within the 400 point window. There is also no doubting that the change in the NEXTEL Cup points system, which was implemented by NASCAR in 2004, is shaking things up. One of the big questions this season is whether Jeff Gordon will make it into the 2005...

Things to do in Las Vegas that are absolutely FREE! You can find them inside the Casinos and on the Strip, as well as all around the town. There are many Family oriented shows that are enjoyed by young and old alike. If you ask the "locals", they'll tell you where to find the best shows! But I'm here to do the same thing. So, hang on, here we go... But, there are many great freebies outside of the Casinos too! One of the great shows that is available free to families is the Fall of Atlantis Show at Caesars Palace, located in the Forum Shops, next to The Cheesecake Factory. This particular show is a laser, water, and light show that features wonderful animatronics action. Also notice that...

Historically, it was the Maserati brothers that created the name. They started out with the Diatto company in Italy. This is where they received their education and became familiar with race cars. However, in 1926, Diatto stopped making race cars and the Maserati brothers basically took over from them with their version of a race car. This newly created race car driven by brother Alfieri won the rugged and very dangerous Targa Florio race in that year. So, Maserati cars as we know them today have a racing past. This means that the technology used in the racing cars will find its way into the cars that you and I will buy. Today, there are many dealers located across the world. To find out where they...

What is it about men and cars? While women dream of their next home or a new outfit, men are always dreaming of their next automobile, their fantasy car. My husband loves to point out certain automobiles as we drive down the road. He is even more enthusiastic about the older models. His father was an antique car enthusiast, so if he can come up with the year a particular automobile was built, I think he feels closer to his beloved father and the days of his youth. Mans love of cars has overflowed into an even greater obsession, race car driving. All over the world, millions tune in to Formula One and NASCAR racing events, creating one of the greatest global television audiences the world has seen. A...

When Enzo Ferrari created his company Scuderia Ferrari in Italy in 1929 his intentions was to sponsor amateur race car drivers and invent racing cars, and it would take more than 15 years before Ferrari began to create their own road cars in 1946. Ferrari is still devoted to the creation of racing cars and high performance sports cars and do not create other types of cars. Scuderia Ferrari is still the widespread name for Gestione Sportiva, the part of the Ferrari company that works with racing. Scuderia is an Italian word and means "stable", but Scuderia Ferrari is sometime also translated as Team Ferrari. During the early years, Scuderia Ferrari sponsored race car drivers that were driving Alfa...

When many people think about remote control nitro cars, most think of them as a kid's toy. However, more and more adults are discovering the fun and enjoyment of collecting these racers. Adults as well as children can enjoy the entertainment of nitro cars and the competitions that pit one car against another in races. Nitro car racing is a serious competition and a beginner might find it a difficult challenge to get up to speed among the more experienced racers. Just as a full size car needs good quality tires to race properly so do RC nitro cars. When preparing for a race, check the type of track that you will be racing your car on to select the proper tires for your car. The tires that you choose...

NASCAR Weekend Report 5/10/2009 Author:  Matt Gerwitz U. S. Sports Media, Inc  DARLINGTON, S.C. - The track nicknamed "The Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" hosted NASCAR's top two series over the weekend, adding to its reputation of being a track that puts drivers right on the edge. Darlington Raceway's odd egg shape makes it difficult to set up a car to work well in all the turns, and although sixty-two feet wide in turns three and four, the only place to get a grip is right up against the wall. Many a good driver has finished his day hitting the wall coming out of turn four and this weekend was no exception. The fun began on Friday with qualifying for the Nationwide Series...

In honor of Brett Smrz, a professional driver of the #29 Autism Speaks / Team MER Mazda MX-5 in the Sirius Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Championship, Pinnacle Mazda will have a raffle to raise money for Autism Speaks, an organization with an advocacy to raise awareness and fund research pertaining to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a complex brain disorder that affects 1 out of 150 people. The young driver recently lost his left leg below the knee because of intensive trauma in a sports accident. Neil Bryant, the Parts Manager at Pinnacle Mazda, said that they have wanted to do something that would show support for Brett and the MER team while the driver works his way back to the race car where he...

For years, race fans have heard promoter H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler's take on everything concerned with NASCAR-from car and equipment changes to venue expansions, controversial decisions, foreign racers, rule revisions, wild finishes, feuds and fights . . . and most of all, whatever the casual fan needed to be entertained. The list never ended for one of NASCAR's greatest salesmen. It won't be the same without racing guru 'Humpy' Wheeler around. Mr. Wheeler, chief operating officer/president of Speedway Motorsports and president/general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, has officially retired. Lauded as a pioneer and visionary, the recent Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, N.C., was his swan song from the sport...

1. Dining at lakeside restaurants. If you have a boat, going to dinner by water is so relaxing and fun, however sitting by the lake and dining is also a fun experience. 2. Proximity to Charlotte North Carolina. Charlotte has professional sports, fine dining, the arts and much more. Go Panthers!!! 3. Lake Norman Real Estate: Even in the current downturn, our property values have not had the drastic reduction that other parts of the country has experienced. Lake Norman is such a large lake that you can find lake living in many price ranges. Owners of non-waterfront homes can still experience lake norman living either by having a deeded boat slip or using one of the many storage facilities. 4. Area...

-> The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has announced a new compressed schedule of events for the month of May. In 2010 there will be two days of qualifications scheduled for the Saturday and Sunday prior to the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500. As of the time of this posting, not much is known about the rules that will apply to the qualification weekend, but with regard to the rest of the month, the track will officially open for rookie orientation on May 15, and 16, 2010 before reopening for open practice May 17th thru the 21st. The first day of qualifications will be pole day and the second day will be bump day. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway hopes to bring down costs for the smaller teams and...

No NASCAR aficionado worth his or her salt would be a certified fan without a few items of NASCAR collectibles. Just like with any other sports, it has been the tradition of true blue fans to purchase souvenir items and collectibles for them to take home as a reminder of their love for the game. For racing fans, there is a wide array of NASCAR collectibles to choose from. If you are a die hard fan of a particular driver, you may want to have die-cast cars which are mini-replicas of the actual car that they drive. Aside from die-cast cars, you can also purchase NASCAR t-shirts, caps, race tickets, travel mugs, key chains, watches, magnets - the list goes on and on! For example, if you are a Jimmie...

Through the years, NASCAR has created legends that will always be remembered by numerous fans but no tribute for NASCAR legends would be complete without mentioning Dale Earnhardt, Sr. Earnhardt, Sr. was the largest star ever to grace the racetracks of NASCAR. During his career, he garnered several awards including: the Motor sports Hall of Fame of America in 2002 and International Motor sports Hall of Fame in 2006. Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was also named number one among ESPN's NASCAR's 20 Greatest Drivers and second among NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998 behind David Pearson. After his tragic death, he was also named NASCAR's Most Popular Driver in 2001. In the span of the early 1980's until his...

Many of the gaming consoles today carry it a lot easier for us, the online gamers to play online and video games. Most people choose to Play Car Racing Games and Play Driving Games. They produced innovated and improved controllers, joysticks and other buttons which are necessary while you Play Driving Games. One particular type of game which individuals play quite often online is driving games. There are many Free Car Racing Games online and people are flocking to these sites and try their hands on them. Even Racing Games For Kids are also available online. Driving games are an exciting and entertaining style of online game and due to their mass popularity there are a wide variety of driving games...