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

Stewart Ignites Late-Race Fireworks In All-Star Race
Sunday, 17 May, 2009 – 17:24 | 2 Comments
Stewart Ignites Late-Race Fireworks In All-Star Race

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Concord, N.C. –  After 90 laps of relatively uneventful, follow-the-leader racing in the Sprint All-Star race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, NASCAR’s finest decided to put on a slam-bang show for the final 10 laps.
But it was Tony Stewart, with hardly a scratch on his car, who passed Matt Kenseth heading [...]

All-Star Flashback: The Clown Was Shut Down In Showdown
Saturday, 16 May, 2009 – 22:06 | Comments Off
All-Star Flashback: The Clown Was Shut Down In Showdown

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com 
The late Joe Weatherly was NASCAR’s original “Clown Prince,” a driver who loved to have a great time and went to great lengths to make sure everyone around him enjoyed themselves as well.
Delma Cowart was the most recent driver to wear the “Clown” crown. The Savannah, Ga., native ran [...]

Drivers, France Talk Drugs And Racing At Lowe’s
Friday, 15 May, 2009 – 22:17 | 3 Comments
Drivers, France Talk Drugs And Racing At Lowe’s

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Concord, N.C. – The suspension of Jeremy Mayfield for failing a drug test continues to cause aftershocks in the NASCAR garage.
Drivers expressed concern about taking basic medicines, and seemed to be seeking answers to a growing list of questions.
Mark Martin said he’d like to know just exactly what it was [...]

Hornaday Has Big Night At Lowe’s
Friday, 15 May, 2009 – 22:15 | Comments Off
Hornaday Has Big Night At Lowe’s

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Concord, N.C.  – Ron Hornaday Jr. emerged victorious from a Camping World Truck Series race that was run under threatening skies and saw three front-runners knocked out by crashes.
Hornaday gave much of the credit for his win to his crew and the preparation and testing they did beforehand, such as [...]

Johnson Again On Top At Lowe’s
Friday, 15 May, 2009 – 19:00 | Comments Off
Johnson Again On Top At Lowe’s

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Concord, N.C. –  Jimmie Johnson’s Lowe’s-sponsored No. 48 Chevrolet hit another high note at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
Johnson and his car won the pole for Saturday’s Sprint All-Star race. Seeing Johnson and his car out front at the team’s home track is nothing new. He has five wins and two poles [...]

Truck Qualifying Washed Out
Friday, 15 May, 2009 – 16:42 | Comments Off
Truck Qualifying Washed Out

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Concord, N.C., – Kyle Busch got another “1” by his name in the record book on Friday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. When qualifying for tonight’s Camping World Truck Series race, the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, was rained out after 21 of 39 entrants had run against the clock, he [...]

Crafton’s Biggest High Was At Lowe’s
Friday, 15 May, 2009 – 12:25 | Comments Off
Crafton’s Biggest High Was At Lowe’s

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Concord, N.C. –  The first lap of Camping World Truck Series practice on Friday morning at Lowe’s Motor Speedway was special for Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet.
“When I went around the track for the first time since I’ve been to Victory Lane here… it was like, man, [...]

Stewart Haas Making Hendrick Look Super
Thursday, 14 May, 2009 – 21:25 | Comments Off
Stewart Haas Making Hendrick Look Super

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Hendrick Motorsports and its affiliated teams continue to build strength as the Sprint Cup season rolls along. Saturday’s win at Darlington by Mark Martin was the fifth in the past six races for a Hendrick or Hendrick-affiliated team.
Six of the first seven finishers in the Southern 500 were Hendrick related [...]

Showing Up For The Showdown Can Be A Good Career Move
Tuesday, 12 May, 2009 – 8:01 | Comments Off
Showing Up For The Showdown Can Be A Good Career Move

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
The Sprint Showdown, the opening event of the night for NASCAR’s All-Star race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway next Saturday, has become a preview of things to come – for that night and for the future in the Sprint Cup Series.
In the Showdown, and in the Sprint All-Star Challenge all-star race [...]

Racing Dreams Come True Down On The Farm
Tuesday, 12 May, 2009 – 8:00 | 4 Comments
Racing Dreams Come True Down On The Farm

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
 In the movie “Field of Dreams” the baseball greats who show up to play ball in an Iowa farmer’s field aren’t exactly real. But when the Georgia Automobile Racing Hall of Fame Association holds its annual picnic on the old Minter family farm in Inman, Ga., the racing greats who [...]