Ron Thornton

617 POSTS
19 COMMENTS
A former radio and television broadcaster, newspaper columnist, Little League baseball coach, Ron Thornton has been following NASCAR on this site since 2004. While his focus may have changed over recent years, he continues to make periodic appearances only when he has something to say. That makes him a rather unique journalist.

The Final Word – A Southern 500 that took us on a nice ride back to the future

Ron Thornton -
Tradition. On Sunday, we learned that tradition means something. We learned it is actually worth waiting for its return, though why it took NASCAR a decade to solve the hot, muggy conditions of a day race in early September by simply moving it to the evening still boggles the mind.

Hot 20 – The Southern 500…a tradition truly reborn this Labor Day weekend!

Ron Thornton -
After a few years on tinkering around with tradition, something NASCAR seems more than eager to do until the manure hits the ventilation system, the Southern 500 is back for the Labor Day weekend.

Will the tragedy at Pocono cause open wheel racing to abandon the open cockpit?

Ron Thornton -
Last weekend at Pocono, IndyCar driver Justin Wilson lost his life when he was struck by debris from a single car accident ahead of him on the track. To say it is a tragedy is an understatement. Could conditions have been altered in order to make racing safer so that we might avoid such anguish in the future?

The Final Word – Bristol Delivers Great Action but Few Surprises

Ron Thornton -
Saturday night at Bristol is behind us, so what have we learned? First, I was reminded how much I love the action broadcast from that track. Second, I like pack racing. I do not need 20 or 30 cars all bunched together, but seeing four or five on the screen battling for position is pretty cool. Hell, it is downright exciting.

Hot 20 – Bowyer soon to become a free agent as MWR goes part-time in 2016

Ron Thornton -
Hot news this week is headlined by the near-demise of Michael Waltrip Racing. The team has announced that it will not run full-time entries in 2016 and that Clint Bowyer will indeed be a free agent after this season.

The Final Word – Michigan was Matt’s world and everyone else just happened to be in it

Ron Thornton -
Matt Kenseth, this is your life. Well, at least Michigan was his race, his and his alone. Of the 200 laps run, Kenseth led 143 of them to claim his third of the season, and 34th of his career.

Hot 20 – Unless Kyle sputters or someone new wins, not much drama to be expected at Michigan

Ron Thornton -
There are only two things to watch for in Michigan on Sunday. One is the ride of Kyle Busch and the other is the car that crosses the line first.

The Final Word – Watkins Glen was a Seinfeld event…a race all about nothing

Ron Thornton -
It was, for the most part, a race about nothing. This is not to say that Watkins Glen was boring, for it was actually one of those pleasant occurrences where we had an event that actually was entertaining enough to keep us watching. The damndest things can happen on a road course, and they did.

Hot 20 – Rain, rain that went away, the Glen invites you back Sunday

Ron Thornton -
Still, rain at Watkins Glen means racing. Take off the slicks, replace them with rain tread, and off they go. There is a possibility of rain, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is among those who would not mind using the wipers. Of course, you just got to know that come Sunday the sun shall be shining.

The Final Word – Things got rather iffy at Pocono

Ron Thornton -
If. We all have a closet full of “ifs” that we may ponder about. Take last Sunday for instance. If Kyle Busch had saved enough fuel, he may well have won his fourth straight race, moved into the Top 30 in points, and sat atop the season standings with five victories to his credit. But he did not, so he does not.
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