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

Busch Brothers’ Act Is Boffo
Saturday, 28 Mar, 2009 – 20:15 | One Comment
Busch Brothers’ Act Is Boffo

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Martinsville, Va. – Kyle Busch was mature, friendly, engaging and cooperative Friday morning as he made his weekly appearance in front of the NASCAR media.
His performance behind the microphone wasn’t surprising, even given his past behavior in similar situations. In fact, Kevin Harvick, once one of the more vocal critics [...]

On The Track: Rick Minter
Friday, 27 Mar, 2009 – 21:55 | Comments Off
On The Track: Rick Minter

 

Rain Makes Gordon An Unqualified Success
Friday, 27 Mar, 2009 – 16:19 | Comments Off
Rain Makes Gordon An Unqualified Success

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Martinsville, Va. – Jeff Gordon’s good Martinsville Speedway fortunes continued Friday as he inherited the pole for Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 after rain washed out qualifying.
The line-up for Sunday was set according to the NASCAR rule book, with positions being allotted according to car-owner points and qualifying attempts.
Gordon, [...]

Martinsville: Small Track, Big Tradition
Friday, 27 Mar, 2009 – 0:29 | One Comment
Martinsville: Small Track, Big Tradition

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – When it comes to NASCAR tradition, there’s no place like Martinsville Speedway, which is hosting NASCAR’s Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series races this weekend.
Like Bristol Motor Speedway, the other half-miler on the Sprint Cup circuit, the garage is a crowded place on Friday morning. The [...]

Vickers Netting Love from Fans
Wednesday, 25 Mar, 2009 – 21:35 | Comments Off
Vickers Netting Love from Fans

By Rick Minter  | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Near the end of this year’s Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest race of the year, Brian Vickers had an on-track run-in with the sport’s biggest star, Dale Earnhardt Jr., an encounter many figured would bring out the boo birds for Vickers.
But when all the smoke cleared several days later, and all [...]

Passion Trumps Profit in Truck Series
Wednesday, 25 Mar, 2009 – 20:33 | Comments Off
Passion Trumps Profit in Truck Series

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
In the Sprint Cup Series, the motives of some maverick owners often are called into question. Are they there trying to build a race team or simply cashing in by starting and parking the car after a few laps?
In the last superspeedway Cup race, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Mike Bliss [...]