Home » Archive by Author

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

Minter: New Rules Will Be A Total Wreck
Thursday, 14 Jan, 2010 – 17:08 | 4 Comments
Minter: New Rules Will Be A Total Wreck

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Some Thursday observations:
Hampton, Ga. – Sitting in the media center at Atlanta Motor Speedway this week, listening to drivers answer questions about proposed rules changes for races at Daytona and Talladega, the foregone conclusion was that no matter how the rules are written, the Sprint Cup races at Talladega will [...]

Rubber And Wings Tested At Atlanta
Wednesday, 13 Jan, 2010 – 15:58 | 3 Comments
Rubber And Wings Tested At Atlanta

Hampton, Ga. – There have been times in the past where top-rung Sprint Cup drivers openly admitted they hated testing. But with testing strictly limited nowadays, those sentiments seem to have softened.
The four drivers testing Goodyear tires at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Tuesday and Wednesday seemed happy to be back in the ol’ firesuits and turning [...]

The Woods Of Virginia – Part 5; Jolly Good At Indy
Friday, 8 Jan, 2010 – 14:39 | 6 Comments
The Woods Of Virginia – Part 5; Jolly Good At Indy

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
The Wood Brothers Racing Team has been one of the backbones of NASCAR since the sport was founded. The Woods, from Stuart, Va., have been racing continuously in the division now known as Sprint Cup since 1953 and have 96 wins to their credit.
In a RacinToday exclusive series, Eddie Wood, [...]

Minter: Cool Racing On Tap
Thursday, 7 Jan, 2010 – 13:47 | Comments Off
Minter: Cool Racing On Tap

Some Thursday observations:
When promoters schedule races in early January with names like the “Ice Bowl” and “Ice Cold Shriners Bowl” it’s a pretty safe bet that they’re really hoping for unseasonably warm weather on race weekend.
But two Southern short track promoters are getting just what their race names describe this weekend. The 19th annual Ice [...]

Minter: Media Centers Getting Darker
Wednesday, 6 Jan, 2010 – 17:15 | 4 Comments
Minter: Media Centers Getting Darker

There was a time back in the not-too-distant good ol’ days that a mid-morning call from a fellow writer on the NASCAR trail immediately got the adrenaline flowing. The call most likely meant there was big news afoot. A big-name driver was leaving one team for another. NASCAR was about to make a big rule [...]

The Woods of Virginia – Part 4: Super Speedy
Friday, 1 Jan, 2010 – 14:23 | 2 Comments
The Woods of Virginia – Part 4: Super Speedy

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
The Wood Brothers Racing Team has been one of the backbones of NASCAR since the sport was founded. The Woods, from Stuart, Va., have been racing continuously in the division now known as Sprint Cup since 1953 and have 96 wins to their credit.
In a RacinToday exclusive series, Eddie Wood, [...]

Minter: Let’s Raise A Cup to Cup
Thursday, 31 Dec, 2009 – 15:09 | Comments Off
Minter: Let’s Raise A Cup to Cup

Well it’s New Year’s Eve. Another year about to end. Time to sing “Auld Lang Syne,” a familiar tune but one that’s sad in a way even as it’s sung at what is otherwise a festive welcome to a new year.
A little research on the Net shows that the old Scottish lyrics talk about raising [...]

Minter: Trips To Tracks Produce Loads Of Winners
Tuesday, 29 Dec, 2009 – 7:50 | Comments Off
Minter: Trips To Tracks Produce Loads Of Winners

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
When my RacinToday boss man Jim Pedley wrote recently about Road America and smelly feet, he accomplished what all columnists set out to do in the beginning – he got people to thinking. At least that’s the effect it had on me.
As I read about Pedley and his pals piling [...]

The Woods of Virginia – Part 3: Glen Grabs The Wheel
Sunday, 27 Dec, 2009 – 7:00 | 2 Comments
The Woods of Virginia – Part 3: Glen Grabs The Wheel

The Wood Brothers Racing Team has been one of the backbones of NASCAR since the sport was founded. The Woods, from Stuart, Va., have been racing continuously in the division now known as Sprint Cup since 1953 and have 96 wins to their credit.
In a RacinToday exclusive series, Eddie Wood, one of the second-generation members [...]

Minter: Short Tracks Remain Racing’s Backbone
Sunday, 20 Dec, 2009 – 7:49 | Comments Off
Minter: Short Tracks Remain Racing’s Backbone

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Some weekend observations:
When it comes to government, the most important things tend to happen on the local level. The actions by the local councils, commissions and school boards often impact people’s lives far more than anything the folks in Washington might do.
A good argument can be made that the same [...]