Rick Minter, Senior Writer
Rick Minter joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1991, where he covered motorsports as well as serving as a bureau chief. From 2000-2008 he focused on racing exclusively, traveling the NASCAR circuit as the paper’s motorsports writer and winning awards from several organizations including the Georgia20 Automobile Racing Hall of Fame Association and the City of Atlanta. Minter and his wife Joanne live on the family farm in Inman, Ga. In his spare time he collects and restores antique tractors and trucks.
Articles by Rick Minter
By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Some random thoughts from a cool Mother’s Day morning in Georgia:
It’s been more than two months since the Brad Keselowski-Carl Edwards incident at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where Edwards retaliated against Keselowski and sent the red Dodge flying into the catchfence, supposedly to teach him a lesson he and other [...]
It seems that the way Sprint Cup races are going these days, it takes a night or two of sleeping on it to decide what one really thinks about the outcome.
Listening to some, including the TV talkers, the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega two weeks ago was NASCAR’s best race ever.
Even without a night or two [...]
By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
A few random observations from a long day at Talladega Superspeedway:
* Brad Keselowski is becoming more likable by the day. He’s a straight shooter who says what he thinks even when he’s involved in controversy, which is something a lot of other drivers don’t always do.
You always get the feeling [...]
By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Talladega, Ala. – Just when it looked as if racing at Talladega Superspeedway could be done with a relative amount of safety, the Aaron’s 312 Nationwide Series night-cap race ended with a violent crash that saw Dennis Setzer’s Dodge sail into the catchfence and Brad Keselowski, who knows a thing [...]
By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Talladega, Ala. – NASCAR’s undoing of some of its newer rules seemed to be just the cure as Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway turned out to be the kind of race NASCAR fans had come to expect at the giant Alabama track.
A good bit of the push for the [...]
By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
A major sponsor move announced on Wednesday morning means that one of Roger Penske’s Sprint Cup cars will carry some familiar colors beginning next year. Shell Oil Company and Penske have announced a multi-year cross business alliance with Penske starting with the 2011 racing season.
Shell and Pennzoil will leave Richard [...]
By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
As blasphemous as it seems to even type the words into a computer, it’s beginning to look like 500- or 600-mile NASCAR races are way too long, based on the latest rules and trends.
In my earliest days of attending races, 500 milers were marathons. The World 600 at Charlotte Motor [...]
By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
If all the facts in the Kasey Kahne to Hendrick Motorsports are as they seem, Mark Martin will be in a mighty awkward spot next year.
Kahne has been signed by Hendrick to drive the No. 5 car, the one Martin’s now in, beginning in 2012. But he’s going to be [...]
By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
In these times of declining attendance at NASCAR races, my mind always wanders back to some of the great short track promoters I’ve known over the years.
They weren’t necessarily flashy. They didn’t try to grab attention with fake April Fools Day press releases and controversial billboard advertisements. They just understood [...]
By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
A few random observations as the Easter break ends and NASCAR teams head to Phoenix International Raceway for a string of 14 races without a break:
* Say what you want about the NASCAR points system, but it still tends to reward consistency over excellence. Jimmie Johnson has won half the [...]