THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 13th, 2011
Volume V, Edition LXIV
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 13th, 2011
Volume V, Edition LXIV
~~~~~~~~~~
Top News
by Tom Bowles
TRG Motorsports Gets New Crew Chief
Rookie Andy Lally will have a new head wrench calling the shots this week. Veteran Doug Richert will take the helm, becoming the permanent replacement for Jay Guy beginning with this weekend's Talladega race. The team, which underwent a switch to Ford Fusions within the last month, is hoping the veteran can turn around the fortunes of a freshman driver who hasn't finished inside the top 30 through six 2011 starts. That's left the team 36th in owner points, having to qualify on speed the last two races after starting the year "locked in" to the field.
Richert, a veteran crew chief best known for taking Dale Earnhardt, Sr. to the 1980 series championship, has also worked with Brian Vickers, Robby Gordon, and Greg Biffle among others in the last few years. Most recently, the part-time SPEED analyst was associated with Rick Ware Racing and their No. 15 Nationwide car driven by rookie Timmy Hill.
Atlanta Official: Hall of Fame Should Have Been Here
Is it sour grapes or sobering reality? The truth is probably somewhere in between an article inside the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week, where local officials criticized NASCAR's decision to put their Hall of Fame in Charlotte as reports of financial losses continued to mount. A finalist for the building in 2006, the city lost out with a $102 million bid, $33 million less than Charlotte but those involved maintain the project would have been more successful there.
"I'm not going to say I told you so, but my guess is that the number of visitors would've been higher in Atlanta," claimed A.J. Robinson, president of the organization that lost the Hall bid: Central Atlanta Progress. "They would've been exposing their brand to a wider, more diverse audience."
Clearly, the Hall of Fame has struggled in its new home, its 250,000 attendance over its first year less than one-third the initial estimate of 800,000. Losses are expected to reach $1.3 million, causing a $1 million infusion from the Charlotte Visitors' Agency simply to cover the losses. So would Atlanta have done any better? The city has just one race date a year, losing its Spring event following the 2010 season while the Charlotte area has three: the All-Star Race, Coca-Cola 600, and 500-mile Chase event at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord. The vast majority of race teams and shops are also based there.
However, Atlanta is currently turning itself into a bit of a museum hub; both the College Football Hall of Fame and the National Center For Civil And Human Rights will open there within the next few years. Officials claim those additional attractions would have brought more curious, casual tourists to the table than the hard-line NASCAR obsessed that roll through the Charlotte location.
"People want to come here because of the diversity of these attractions," added Robinson. "In today's world, you have to be known for more than one thing. Charlotte is a wonderful town, but it does have this one identity now and it will sink or swim with that identity."
It should be noted the Hall of Fame has no plans to change location, and the sanctioning body maintains the facility will become profitable as early as 2012.
Pastrana Tests For Michael Waltrip Racing, Will Run K&N At Richmond
X Games ace Travis Pastrana is officially turning into a stock car rookie. The 27-year-old started testing with his Michael Waltrip Racing team this week, turning laps at Motor Mile Speedway in Virginia while prepping for his Nationwide Series debut.
SceneDaily.com has reported Truck Series veteran Matt Crafton was at the test to help coach Pastrana through Stock Car 101. Pastrana's engine also blew before the day's session was complete; despite running nearly 100 laps, the plan is for at least one more testing date in early summer.
In the meantime, Pastrana will run the K&N Pro Series East race at Richmond on April 28th, part of a transition that will culminate in his Nationwide Series debut at Lucas Oil Speedway (Indianapolis) this July.
by Tom Bowles
TRG Motorsports Gets New Crew Chief
Rookie Andy Lally will have a new head wrench calling the shots this week. Veteran Doug Richert will take the helm, becoming the permanent replacement for Jay Guy beginning with this weekend's Talladega race. The team, which underwent a switch to Ford Fusions within the last month, is hoping the veteran can turn around the fortunes of a freshman driver who hasn't finished inside the top 30 through six 2011 starts. That's left the team 36th in owner points, having to qualify on speed the last two races after starting the year "locked in" to the field.
Richert, a veteran crew chief best known for taking Dale Earnhardt, Sr. to the 1980 series championship, has also worked with Brian Vickers, Robby Gordon, and Greg Biffle among others in the last few years. Most recently, the part-time SPEED analyst was associated with Rick Ware Racing and their No. 15 Nationwide car driven by rookie Timmy Hill.
Atlanta Official: Hall of Fame Should Have Been Here
Is it sour grapes or sobering reality? The truth is probably somewhere in between an article inside the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week, where local officials criticized NASCAR's decision to put their Hall of Fame in Charlotte as reports of financial losses continued to mount. A finalist for the building in 2006, the city lost out with a $102 million bid, $33 million less than Charlotte but those involved maintain the project would have been more successful there.
"I'm not going to say I told you so, but my guess is that the number of visitors would've been higher in Atlanta," claimed A.J. Robinson, president of the organization that lost the Hall bid: Central Atlanta Progress. "They would've been exposing their brand to a wider, more diverse audience."
Clearly, the Hall of Fame has struggled in its new home, its 250,000 attendance over its first year less than one-third the initial estimate of 800,000. Losses are expected to reach $1.3 million, causing a $1 million infusion from the Charlotte Visitors' Agency simply to cover the losses. So would Atlanta have done any better? The city has just one race date a year, losing its Spring event following the 2010 season while the Charlotte area has three: the All-Star Race, Coca-Cola 600, and 500-mile Chase event at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord. The vast majority of race teams and shops are also based there.
However, Atlanta is currently turning itself into a bit of a museum hub; both the College Football Hall of Fame and the National Center For Civil And Human Rights will open there within the next few years. Officials claim those additional attractions would have brought more curious, casual tourists to the table than the hard-line NASCAR obsessed that roll through the Charlotte location.
"People want to come here because of the diversity of these attractions," added Robinson. "In today's world, you have to be known for more than one thing. Charlotte is a wonderful town, but it does have this one identity now and it will sink or swim with that identity."
It should be noted the Hall of Fame has no plans to change location, and the sanctioning body maintains the facility will become profitable as early as 2012.
Pastrana Tests For Michael Waltrip Racing, Will Run K&N At Richmond
X Games ace Travis Pastrana is officially turning into a stock car rookie. The 27-year-old started testing with his Michael Waltrip Racing team this week, turning laps at Motor Mile Speedway in Virginia while prepping for his Nationwide Series debut.
SceneDaily.com has reported Truck Series veteran Matt Crafton was at the test to help coach Pastrana through Stock Car 101. Pastrana's engine also blew before the day's session was complete; despite running nearly 100 laps, the plan is for at least one more testing date in early summer.
In the meantime, Pastrana will run the K&N Pro Series East race at Richmond on April 28th, part of a transition that will culminate in his Nationwide Series debut at Lucas Oil Speedway (Indianapolis) this July.
Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
It Doesn't Always Pay to Be Fast
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
Every weekend, the talking heads on the television broadcasts remind us that seconds lost in the pits equal positions on the track. We're constantly shown the pit lane times, driver time, crew time, jack man time, gas man time and segment times. It all adds up to intense pressure on pit crews to be as fast as possible or make things more difficult on the driver. Unfortunately, as we've seen several times this year, the cost of being fast is often carelessness which, in the long run, takes far more time to rebound from than fractions of a second lost during pit stops.
During last week's race in Texas, Kyle Busch was running near the front of the pack and looked like he'd have a shot at the win until he had a vibration caused by a loose lug nut. By the time he got back to pit lane and the tire was replaced, the lug studs were damaged from the vibrating wheel and the team was never able to get the tire fully tightened the rest of the race. Another stop under green to fix the wheel ultimately resulted in a 16th-place finish, one lap down.
Later, Tony Stewart had a pit road speeding violation when he was coming in for what would have been his final stop, one that should have set him up to win the race on fuel mileage. But the veteran sped entering the pits and had to make a drive through because of the violation, putting him behind the eight-ball if he had any hope of Victory Lane. Those hopes were dashed when he ran out of fuel after the white flag, finishing as the last car on the lead lap in 12th thanks to the mad dash to catch up after his penalty.
The week before, at Martinsville, Jamie McMurray was having a solid run after qualifying on the pole. During a pit stop on one of the last caution flags of the race, McMurray's front tire changer left a lug nut off on the left front tire. The resulting penalty forced McMurray to head back to pit lane and have the nut reattached, leaving him to start at the tail end of the lead lap cars. McMurray managed to make it back to the seventh position but if it weren't for the pit road mistake, he likely would have finished in the top 5.
Racing is all about teamwork, even though there is only one person driving the car. Teams make multiple pit stops every race and the actions surrounding those are choreographed from the time the driver begins to slow down to exit the track until they accelerate at the end of the pit road to get back into the action. While it is crucial for teams to try for every possible advantage on the pit lane, pushing it too hard can frequently have far greater negative implications than being slightly more conservative and making sure that everything is completed properly.
Chad Knaus and the No. 48 pit crew have been the champions in the series for the last five years running. Up until last year, they were the epitome of consistency and efficiency. Unfortunately, their cars were down on speed last year which meant the pit crew was pushing things even harder to make up time on pit road. The end result was mistakes were being made more frequently and the organization made the move to switch the pit crew with Jeff Gordon's. In the end, that worked out for the fifth straight title but highlighted a problem that the team hadn't previously worried about.
Prior to last year, Knaus was always preaching the same mantra for pit stops. Be quick but don't rush, make sure that everything is completed before the car leaves the pits. It was extremely rare for Johnson to ever have loose wheels or missing lugs because Knaus knew that, even if they lost a spot on pit lane by being thorough, they could make it up. Last year, lack of speed in the cars erased that from being a certainty and the crew started pushing which led to the mistakes.
The pit crews at the Cup level are the best in the business and they can do their jobs far faster than anyone else in racing. The seconds made up on pit road can certainly translate into better finishes but pushing too hard and making mistakes can have far greater negative consequences. Teams will always push the limits and trying to get cars out of the pits in 12 seconds or less is the current goal of every crew on pit road. The key is focusing and being quick without rushing so that all of the elements of the pit stop are completed successfully and thoroughly.
So much focus these days are on the perils of losing track position. But considering the consequences, isn't it better to lose half of a second and make sure everything is right than to _think_ everything is right and lose large chunks of minutes by having to come back in and fix what wasn't done right in the name of speed?
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hey, Frontstretch Readers!
We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look at how NASCAR, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tweet 'N' Greet
by Jay Pennell
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Jay Pennell will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...
@31n2Spotter (Brett Griffin): Talladega Week! "dancing partner" and "tandem" will be used over and over. New style of drafting started @ dega in 2 to 3 lap showings.
@31n2Spotter: Gas prices SUCK. But when they get better... if you have an RV and haven't been to Talladega... GO! #NascarParty
@DeLanaHarvick: Poor @Mother_Function, the billboard is real & it's up.... http://ow.ly/i/af2O
@scottspeed (Scott Speed): If you guys have cool girl/boy names!! Send em in! We need inspiration!!!! If we pick your suggestion, well.. I'll send u something nice lol
@Kenny_Wallace: Sports Media Claim only 3 Athletes move the TV Ratings needle n they are..Dale Jr..Danica Patrick..Tiger Woods...DO YOU AGREE?
@Kenny_Wallace: When I ask Gluck or Fryer or Spencer or Montgomery that question they say..When we write about Dale Jr we get "Hits."
@TimmyHill15: RWR's Timmy Hill takes over the lead for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year points championship heading into Talladega
@Tbayne21 (Trevor Bayne): Not sure if it's a spider bite or a tick bite.. But either way I'm in a hospital bed with a needle in my arm! #nobueno
@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): Just heard about Trevor. So weird. We talked about getting sick on the road in Martinsville. He told me it's never happened to him...
@Mc_Driver (Michael McDowell): Just left hospital @Tbayne21 is doing good. He will be going home today.
@Tbayne21: Thank u all for ur concern and prayers! Still not exactly sure what bit me, but I'm home from the hospital and good to go! #spiderblood Haha
@maxpapis: Arrived back from rained out Late Model same time when #nascar teams came back from @NASCAR race in Concord
@maxpapis: Just funny same time ... Different places different races ... same life.
@JLogano (Joey Logano): I can't believe this happens every week. The car was destroyed after the wreck on pit road we didn't even get to see what we had.
@JimmieJohnson: Loose is suppose to be fast... Top 10's will work though.
@JimmieJohnson: I'm also happy for Matt, he is a good dude.
@Ross_Kenseth: Yes!!! I guess the old man can still get up on the wheel!
@KevinHamlin: I asked @MikeCalinoff to slow him down and make a race out of it but he wouldn't do it. Congrats man!
@MikeCalinoff: WOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!! That's all. #fb
@31n2Spotter: S/o to Paul Menard. You non believers can let us know how ur foot tastes.
@31n2Spotter: Dumbest crew chief move of the year happened tonight. Andy Lally restarted 3rd.
@31n2Spotter: I noticed the spotter on the 71 was watching his guy w/ binocs at start-finish line at Texas. SMH
@pkligerman (Parker Kligerman): Is it just me or is there way less commercial breaks tonight?
@CrewChief6NNS (Mike Kelley): Hoping some of our Ford teammates can get a win tonight so Roush Fenway will sweep weekend!
@stevearpin: Whoever had the sign at the SPEED stage with my name on it is awesome!! I have the coolest fans on earth!! That made my day today! #fb
@stevewaid: Saw replay of Truex crash at Martinsville. Stuck throttles killed Evans and Jazombek there. Safety changes mattered. #nascar
@scottspeed: Lol changing from The Masters to the NASCAR race is BIG difference in commercials lol..
@keselowski: haha Both! "@bobpockrass: Who would you buy beer from? #nascar yfrog.com/h01e1uaj"
Jay Pennell is an Assistant Editor to Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at jaywpennell@yahoo.com, and you can also check out his work at allleftturns.com or jaywpennell.blogspot.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Did You Notice?... A Chaser In Trouble, Business Propositions And Quick Hits
by Tom Bowles
Mirror Driving: Ford's Fight, Two-Car 'Dega Drafts And Dale Jr. To Victory Lane?
by the Frontstretch Staff
Three Teams on The Verge of Victory and Utter Panic
by Vito Pugliese
Top 10 Reasons Michael Waltrip Won't Retire
by the Frontstretch Staff
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 Post-Texas
compiled by Mike Neff
The Frontstretch Foto Funnies!! Texas, April 2011
by Kurt Smith
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
It Doesn't Always Pay to Be Fast
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
Every weekend, the talking heads on the television broadcasts remind us that seconds lost in the pits equal positions on the track. We're constantly shown the pit lane times, driver time, crew time, jack man time, gas man time and segment times. It all adds up to intense pressure on pit crews to be as fast as possible or make things more difficult on the driver. Unfortunately, as we've seen several times this year, the cost of being fast is often carelessness which, in the long run, takes far more time to rebound from than fractions of a second lost during pit stops.
During last week's race in Texas, Kyle Busch was running near the front of the pack and looked like he'd have a shot at the win until he had a vibration caused by a loose lug nut. By the time he got back to pit lane and the tire was replaced, the lug studs were damaged from the vibrating wheel and the team was never able to get the tire fully tightened the rest of the race. Another stop under green to fix the wheel ultimately resulted in a 16th-place finish, one lap down.
Later, Tony Stewart had a pit road speeding violation when he was coming in for what would have been his final stop, one that should have set him up to win the race on fuel mileage. But the veteran sped entering the pits and had to make a drive through because of the violation, putting him behind the eight-ball if he had any hope of Victory Lane. Those hopes were dashed when he ran out of fuel after the white flag, finishing as the last car on the lead lap in 12th thanks to the mad dash to catch up after his penalty.
The week before, at Martinsville, Jamie McMurray was having a solid run after qualifying on the pole. During a pit stop on one of the last caution flags of the race, McMurray's front tire changer left a lug nut off on the left front tire. The resulting penalty forced McMurray to head back to pit lane and have the nut reattached, leaving him to start at the tail end of the lead lap cars. McMurray managed to make it back to the seventh position but if it weren't for the pit road mistake, he likely would have finished in the top 5.
Racing is all about teamwork, even though there is only one person driving the car. Teams make multiple pit stops every race and the actions surrounding those are choreographed from the time the driver begins to slow down to exit the track until they accelerate at the end of the pit road to get back into the action. While it is crucial for teams to try for every possible advantage on the pit lane, pushing it too hard can frequently have far greater negative implications than being slightly more conservative and making sure that everything is completed properly.
Chad Knaus and the No. 48 pit crew have been the champions in the series for the last five years running. Up until last year, they were the epitome of consistency and efficiency. Unfortunately, their cars were down on speed last year which meant the pit crew was pushing things even harder to make up time on pit road. The end result was mistakes were being made more frequently and the organization made the move to switch the pit crew with Jeff Gordon's. In the end, that worked out for the fifth straight title but highlighted a problem that the team hadn't previously worried about.
Prior to last year, Knaus was always preaching the same mantra for pit stops. Be quick but don't rush, make sure that everything is completed before the car leaves the pits. It was extremely rare for Johnson to ever have loose wheels or missing lugs because Knaus knew that, even if they lost a spot on pit lane by being thorough, they could make it up. Last year, lack of speed in the cars erased that from being a certainty and the crew started pushing which led to the mistakes.
The pit crews at the Cup level are the best in the business and they can do their jobs far faster than anyone else in racing. The seconds made up on pit road can certainly translate into better finishes but pushing too hard and making mistakes can have far greater negative consequences. Teams will always push the limits and trying to get cars out of the pits in 12 seconds or less is the current goal of every crew on pit road. The key is focusing and being quick without rushing so that all of the elements of the pit stop are completed successfully and thoroughly.
So much focus these days are on the perils of losing track position. But considering the consequences, isn't it better to lose half of a second and make sure everything is right than to _think_ everything is right and lose large chunks of minutes by having to come back in and fix what wasn't done right in the name of speed?
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hey, Frontstretch Readers!
We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look at how NASCAR, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tweet 'N' Greet
by Jay Pennell
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Jay Pennell will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...
@31n2Spotter (Brett Griffin): Talladega Week! "dancing partner" and "tandem" will be used over and over. New style of drafting started @ dega in 2 to 3 lap showings.
@31n2Spotter: Gas prices SUCK. But when they get better... if you have an RV and haven't been to Talladega... GO! #NascarParty
@DeLanaHarvick: Poor @Mother_Function, the billboard is real & it's up.... http://ow.ly/i/af2O
@scottspeed (Scott Speed): If you guys have cool girl/boy names!! Send em in! We need inspiration!!!! If we pick your suggestion, well.. I'll send u something nice lol
@Kenny_Wallace: Sports Media Claim only 3 Athletes move the TV Ratings needle n they are..Dale Jr..Danica Patrick..Tiger Woods...DO YOU AGREE?
@Kenny_Wallace: When I ask Gluck or Fryer or Spencer or Montgomery that question they say..When we write about Dale Jr we get "Hits."
@TimmyHill15: RWR's Timmy Hill takes over the lead for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year points championship heading into Talladega
@Tbayne21 (Trevor Bayne): Not sure if it's a spider bite or a tick bite.. But either way I'm in a hospital bed with a needle in my arm! #nobueno
@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): Just heard about Trevor. So weird. We talked about getting sick on the road in Martinsville. He told me it's never happened to him...
@Mc_Driver (Michael McDowell): Just left hospital @Tbayne21 is doing good. He will be going home today.
@Tbayne21: Thank u all for ur concern and prayers! Still not exactly sure what bit me, but I'm home from the hospital and good to go! #spiderblood Haha
@maxpapis: Arrived back from rained out Late Model same time when #nascar teams came back from @NASCAR race in Concord
@maxpapis: Just funny same time ... Different places different races ... same life.
@JLogano (Joey Logano): I can't believe this happens every week. The car was destroyed after the wreck on pit road we didn't even get to see what we had.
@JimmieJohnson: Loose is suppose to be fast... Top 10's will work though.
@JimmieJohnson: I'm also happy for Matt, he is a good dude.
@Ross_Kenseth: Yes!!! I guess the old man can still get up on the wheel!
@KevinHamlin: I asked @MikeCalinoff to slow him down and make a race out of it but he wouldn't do it. Congrats man!
@MikeCalinoff: WOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!! That's all. #fb
@31n2Spotter: S/o to Paul Menard. You non believers can let us know how ur foot tastes.
@31n2Spotter: Dumbest crew chief move of the year happened tonight. Andy Lally restarted 3rd.
@31n2Spotter: I noticed the spotter on the 71 was watching his guy w/ binocs at start-finish line at Texas. SMH
@pkligerman (Parker Kligerman): Is it just me or is there way less commercial breaks tonight?
@CrewChief6NNS (Mike Kelley): Hoping some of our Ford teammates can get a win tonight so Roush Fenway will sweep weekend!
@stevearpin: Whoever had the sign at the SPEED stage with my name on it is awesome!! I have the coolest fans on earth!! That made my day today! #fb
@stevewaid: Saw replay of Truex crash at Martinsville. Stuck throttles killed Evans and Jazombek there. Safety changes mattered. #nascar
@scottspeed: Lol changing from The Masters to the NASCAR race is BIG difference in commercials lol..
@keselowski: haha Both! "@bobpockrass: Who would you buy beer from? #nascar yfrog.com/h01e1uaj"
Jay Pennell is an Assistant Editor to Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at jaywpennell@yahoo.com, and you can also check out his work at allleftturns.com or jaywpennell.blogspot.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Did You Notice?... A Chaser In Trouble, Business Propositions And Quick Hits
by Tom Bowles
Mirror Driving: Ford's Fight, Two-Car 'Dega Drafts And Dale Jr. To Victory Lane?
by the Frontstretch Staff
Three Teams on The Verge of Victory and Utter Panic
by Vito Pugliese
Top 10 Reasons Michael Waltrip Won't Retire
by the Frontstretch Staff
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 Post-Texas
compiled by Mike Neff
The Frontstretch Foto Funnies!! Texas, April 2011
by Kurt Smith
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Back in the mid-1980's, a popular complaint/rumor in the garage area was that the Melling Racing team (meaning, Bill Elliott's family team) built a 7/8ths scale Winston Cup car for use at Daytona and Talladega. The car was a mini-Thunderbird that fit all of NASCAR's templates at the time, but allowed the team to dominate on superspeedways. The question is simple. Is that true?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: In July 1984, Dale Earnhardt won the Talladega 500 at then-Alabama International Motor Speedway. What was notable about this victory?
A: There are two notable facts that came out of Earnhardt's victory. Firstly, it was the very first win for Dale Earnhardt driving Richard Childress' No. 3. 66 more visits to Victory Lane would follow.
It was also the first time that a driver had defended his victory from the previous year in a race at Talladega. The July race had seen 14 different winners since being added to the schedule in 1970. Earnhardt had claimed his first win at Talladega in July, 1983 driving the No. 15 Ford for Bud Moore. To win that year, Earnhardt put a sweet move on Darrell Waltrip on the last lap with help from Bobby Allison. That pass can be viewed in this clip. In 1984, Earnhardt did it again, making Terry Labonte his victim.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- Shakedown Session by Brody Jones
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
MPM2Nite by Matt McLaughlin
Matt McLaughlin is back again this season with his usual sarcastic sense of humor. This week Matt turns serious as he takes a look at who the next five inductees should be for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Your favorite midwestern writer is back for another season of making you want to laugh, cry and even pull your hair out. Want to know what he's writing about this week? So do we. Tune in tomorrow to find out!
Potts' Shots by John Potts
Fanning the Flames has become Potts' Shots, and John Potts is here to answer your questions in our weekly fan Q & A. Do you have something you'd like to ask John? Don't sit on the sidelines! Send it to john.potts@frontstretch.com, and you just may see your question in print next week!
Fantasy Insider by Brett Poirier
Did your fantasy racing team take a hit at Texas? Well, Brett has just what you need to know to turn things around when choosing your teams for the Talladega 500-miler Sunday afternoon.
5th Column TBA
It was also the first time that a driver had defended his victory from the previous year in a race at Talladega. The July race had seen 14 different winners since being added to the schedule in 1970. Earnhardt had claimed his first win at Talladega in July, 1983 driving the No. 15 Ford for Bud Moore. To win that year, Earnhardt put a sweet move on Darrell Waltrip on the last lap with help from Bobby Allison. That pass can be viewed in this clip. In 1984, Earnhardt did it again, making Terry Labonte his victim.
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- Shakedown Session by Brody Jones
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
MPM2Nite by Matt McLaughlin
Matt McLaughlin is back again this season with his usual sarcastic sense of humor. This week Matt turns serious as he takes a look at who the next five inductees should be for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Your favorite midwestern writer is back for another season of making you want to laugh, cry and even pull your hair out. Want to know what he's writing about this week? So do we. Tune in tomorrow to find out!
Potts' Shots by John Potts
Fanning the Flames has become Potts' Shots, and John Potts is here to answer your questions in our weekly fan Q & A. Do you have something you'd like to ask John? Don't sit on the sidelines! Send it to john.potts@frontstretch.com, and you just may see your question in print next week!
Fantasy Insider by Brett Poirier
Did your fantasy racing team take a hit at Texas? Well, Brett has just what you need to know to turn things around when choosing your teams for the Talladega 500-miler Sunday afternoon.
5th Column TBA
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