The Frontstretch Newsletter: April 15th, 2011

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 15th, 2011
Volume V, Edition LXVI

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Top News
by Summer Dreyer

NASCAR Drivers to Make an Appearance in A&E's "The Glades"

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars Tony Stewart, Brian Vickers, Joey Logano, and Carl Edwards will make an appearance in the Arts & Entertainment Television Network series called "The Glades", after the series did some filming at Homestead-Miami Speedway this week. The racetrack has been the host of NASCAR's season finale since the 2002 season.

The episode, entitled "Moonlighting", will have Matt Passmore starring as Jim Longworth investigating a NASCAR-related murder. Passmore's character will also race against the drivers during the episode.

The episode will air later this summer.

Kelly Bires Lands Two Race Deal with Joe Gibbs Racing, International Comfort Products

Kelly Bires will be behind the wheel of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in two NASCAR Nationwide Series races this season: the Bubba Burger 250 at Richmond International Raceway on April 29th and the June 4th race at Chicagoland Speedway.

The deal is part of a partnership between Bires, JGR, and International Comfort Products, LLC. The company provides heating and cooling systems with its brands such as Arcoaire, Comfortmaker, Day & Night, Heil, Keeprite, and Tempstar.

Bires has only competed in four of the six races in the Nationwide Series this year, and all of them were start and park operations.

Kentucky Speedway Teams Up With Coca-Cola

Kentucky Speedway has announced that Coca-Cola has become the exclusive non-alcoholic  beverage provider to the Speedway Motorsports, Inc. track in Sparta, KY after the two parties agreed to a five-year partnership. 

Kentucky Speedway and Coca-Cola North America have offered an incentive to race fans in the area to purchase some Coca-Cola: Fans that buy specially-marked 20-can multipacks of Coca-Cola will be given a buy-one get-one free ticket offer for either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kentucky 225 or the NASCAR Nationwide Series Feed the Children 300.

Have news for Summer and The Frontstretch?  Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.

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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.

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In Case You Missed It
by Brett Poirier

Red Bull Requests Paint Scheme Help From Fans

Red Bull Racing is encouraging fans to e-mail photos they would like to see on Brian Vickers or Kasey Kahne's car during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29. Red Bull Racing will incorporate fan photos into the two paint schemes for the series' longest race. On May 27, fans will get the chance to view the cars up close before the race when they are revealed during the Red Bull Racing Fan Day at The EpiCentre in Charlotte. More info can be found at www.redbullracingusa.com/shutterspeed.

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Frontstretch Folio: Aaron's 499
by Summer Dreyer

This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway for the Aaron's 499. Sunday's race will be the eighth race of the season. The Aaron's 499 will be broadcast live Sunday, April 17, on FOX at 1PM ET and MRN Radio at 12PM ET. Drivers will compete for 188 laps (500.08 miles) before taking the checkered flag.

Records and Facts

Bill Elliott holds the track qualifying record with a lap of 44.988 sec at 212.809mph for the 1987 Winston 500. Elliott finished 22nd and 28 laps down after leading 48 laps. A blown engine knocked him out of the race prematurely. The pole was his third of the season and he would go on to win five more. Elliott would finish out the 1987 season with 6 wins, 16 top 5s, and 20 top 10s in 29 races. He finished second in points.

Mark Martin holds the record for the fastest race run at Talladega Superspeedway, with a speed of 188.354 mph in the 1997 Winston 500. Martin led 47 of the 188 laps and had a margin of victory of 0.146 sec over second place Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Bobby Labonte finished third, followed by John Andretti and Jeff Gordon. The win was Martin's second of the season and he would go on to win two more. In the 32 races that year, Martin grabbed 16 top 5s, 24 top 10s, and an average finish of ninth. He finished third in points.

Kevin Harvick is the defending race winner of this event, leading two of 200 laps to win the 2010 Aaron's 499 by .011 sec over second-place Jamie McMurray. Juan Pablo Montoya finished third, followed by Denny Hamlin and Mark Martin to round out the top 5. The win was Harvick's first of the season, and he would go on to win two more before the 2010 season was out. In 36 starts, Harvick grabbed 16 top 5s, 26 top 10s, and an average finish of ninth to finish third in points.

Track Facts

Track/Race Length: 2.66-mile quad oval, 188 laps (500.08 miles)
Pit Road Speed: 55 mph
Degree of Banking: 18 degrees in the tri-oval, 33 degrees in the corners
Frontstretch: 4,300 ft., 16.5 degrees of banking
Backstretch: 4,000 ft. 2 degrees of banking
Grandstand Seating: 143,231

Pre-race Schedule

Practice: Friday, April 15, 2:00 – 2:45 PM ET on SPEED
Qualifying: Saturday, April 16, 11:35 AM ET on SPEED
Happy Hour: Friday, April 15, 3:30 – 4:30 PM ET on SPEED

Race Day Forecast

Sunday: Sunny
High: 75
Low: 48

Say What?!

"That's easy. [The goal is] to win this race. We led twice in this race last year and several laps in the fall. Crew chief Bobby Kennedy and these boys that work on the No. 15 give me a good car each time we race. There are a few races during the course of the year that I think I can still win and Talladega is one of them. That's the goal. Race for the win." -Michael Waltrip

"At Talladega, I think you're going to see a lot of the same thing you saw at Daytona. Hopefully a lot of the same with us up front. We're taking the same car, and I'm excited for it. That kind of racing is different. If you didn't like it at Daytona, then you're probably not going to like it at Talladega. But I liked it and I'm looking forward to doing it again." -David Gilliland on the two-car draft

"Honestly, if you think about the law of averages, sooner or later we're not only going to finish a race at Daytona and Talladega, but we're going to get a good finish – maybe even a win – considering all the wrong-place, wrong-time wrecks we've been caught up in at both of the tracks. I think maybe our luck started changing at last year's fall race at Talladega. We didn't finish great –we finished 23rd, but we finished. And we followed that up with a really strong Speedweeks at Daytona, which was a first for us as a team. We led the most laps in the Daytona 500, which was a great feat for us as a team. It was the first time for me at a restrictor-plate track and the first time for me at SHR. And we feel that we were four laps away from winning that race which, if you equate it to math, time-wise it's two-and-a-half minutes. To be two-and-a-half minutes away from something so big and get crashed is pretty disappointing. It happens, and it seems like it's happened to us a lot, but we still left Daytona knowing we had something and we were in the mix to bring home the trophy, and that was a big deal for us. So, we're looking forward to getting to Talladega and picking up where we left off and, hopefully, have some good luck from the green to the checkered flag." -Ryan Newman

Summer Dreyer is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via email at summer.dreyer@frontstretch.com.

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Keepin' It Short
Local Tracks Need Money Too
by Mike Neff

The race tracks and sanctioning body that run the national touring series of NASCAR are not the only tracks that are struggling to make ends meet in the modern world of auto racing. When the economy went south not only did attendance at the big races go down but the attendance and car counts at local short tracks took a hit too. People who showed up every week to race were losing their jobs or taking pay cuts to stay employed so the disposable income that racing rapidly devoured was no longer there to spend.

And the trickle down effect didn't stop there. When racers stopped showing up every week their fans decided to stay away as well. It was a vicious cycle that fed on itself and still is even as the economic climate begins to turn around. Now more than ever it is very important for race fans to support their local short tracks as fuel and other expenses continue to rise, making profitability at the local tracks even harder to accomplish.

This past weekend the Pro AllStar Series South division hosted a 300 lap Super Late Model race at North Wilkesboro Speedway which cost $35 to attend on the day of the feature race. PASS rules call for only green flag laps to count towards the race total so fans who attended were guaranteed to see 300 green flag laps in the feature race. They were also assured of seeing 100 green flag laps in the Tour Type Modified race that was to be run immediately before the 300 lap race.

In addition to those two races the Last Chance qualifying races were to be run before the Modified event with two races that were 40 green flag laps each. When it was all said and done fans would see 480 green flag laps of racing with most of the best Super Late Model racers in the country competing for the main event checkered flag. Add to the fact that the races were held on one of the two race tracks that are still in existence from the very first NASCAR season and $35 is a very reasonable price for an adult ticket. In addition, kids 6-12 were allowed to attend for $15. Tickets could be purchased in advance online and were available for a $10 discount for adults and $5 off of kids tickets.

Many people used the $35 ticket price as an excuse for not attending the big event, saying they could go to a Truck race or even a Nationwide race for that kind of money. While that is true, there have been zero Truck races this season and only two Nationwide races this season where the winner of the event took home $75,000 to win the event. None of the Truck or Nationwide races were 300 laps in length, let alone 300 green flag laps. None of the other series had a 100 green flag lap support race or any Last Chance heat races on the day of the event. In the end, the folks from PASS put on the richest Super Late Model race in the country with guaranteed green flag racing for a very economical price. Somewhere between 12 and 15 thousand people took advantage of the opportunity to see the races but there should have been many more who made the trip to watch the event.

One couple who did make the trip were Steve and Mary Ellen Corro who came down to watch the race from Maine. They attended the Cup race the weekend before in Martinsville but that was a perk that they added to their trip after they had booked the accommodations for North Wilkesboro. The couple attends at least 40 races every year with their favorite type of vehicles being Super Late Models. They are big fans of Mike Rowe who ran in the race. Their longest trip to watch a race was from Maine to Las Vegas. They have also travelled from Maine to Florida to see races and love going to races in Nova Scotia because, like the scenery the province also has beautiful race tracks. They have been fans of racing for years and they love short track racing.

Like the Corros, there were racers from all over the map competing at North Wilkesboro. Garrett Evans hauled his car from the state of Washington along with Brian Levant who towed his race entry from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Five different Canadian provinces were among the entrants along with people from Arizona, Maine, Oklahoma and Florida. In all there were 23 states represented among the 74 drivers who took times during qualifications. Hopefully, if PASS decides to do it again there will be a few more people in the stands.

In another indication that local short tracks need fan support, Tri-County Speedway in Brasstown, NC announced this week that they're closing the doors effective immediately. They have a couple of special races scheduled for this year and they are going to fulfill their obligations for those races, but weekly racing is done. Add to Tri-County the shut down of Southside Speedway in Midlothian, Virginia and two more tracks have been taken out of the mix in the Southeast. Hopefully they will be the last two for a long time to come.

Short tracks are the lifeblood of auto racing. If drivers don't have a place to hone their skills and adjust to bigger, heavier, faster race cars, then the upper levels of racing will be doomed to eventually fade away with no one to fill the seats. Fans need to get out and support their local race tracks, whether they're dirt or asphalt, and cheer on the local shoes who are trying to make it to the big time or who just enjoy getting out and running in circles on a Friday or Saturday night.

Racing Schedule for the Upcoming Weekend

April 15th

Elko Speedway, Elko, MN – Cornbelt Clash
Cleveland County Speedway, Lawndale, NC – Carolina Clash
Davenport Speedway, Davenport, IA – Deery Brothers Summer Series
Lincoln Speedway, Lincoln, IL – Monster Midwest Series
Tennessee National Speedway, Hohenwalk, TN – Southern Regional Racing Series
Boothill Speedway, Shreveport, LA – Southern United Professional Racing
Virginia Motor Speedway, Saluda, VA – World of Outlaws Late Models
Talladega Superspeedway , Talladega, AL - ARCA Late Models
Ocean Speedway , Watsonville, CA - Taco Bravo Ocean Sprints
Gas City I-69 Speedway, Gas City, IN - USAC National Sprint Cars
Paducah Int Raceway, Paducah, KY - WoO Sprint Cars
Callaway Raceways, Fulton, MO - United Late Model Association
Valley Speedway, Grain Valley, MO - USMTS Modifieds
Eagle Raceway, Eagle, NE - ASCS / Midwest Series
Eagle Raceway, Eagle, NE - Good Ol Time Racing Association
Golden Triangle Raceway Park, Beaumont, TX - ASCS / Gulf South Region

April 16th

Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH – American Late Model Series
Friendship Speedway, Elkin, NC – Carolina Clash
Elko Speedway, Elko, MN – Cornbelt Clash
Jackson County Speedway, Maquoketa, IA – Deery Brothers Summer Series
Greenville Speedway, Greenville, MS – Mississippi Championship Challenge Series
Smokey Mountain Speedway, Maryville, TN – Southern All Star Series
Gordon Park Speedway, Grovetown, GA – SASE
Thunderhill Raceway, Summertown, TN – Southern Regional Racing Series
Baton Rouge Raceway, Baton Rouge, LA – Southern United Professional Series
Antioch Speedway, Antioch, CA – Western All Star Dirtcar Racing Series
Virginia Motor Speedway – Saluda, VA – World of Outlaws Late Models
Madera Speedway, Madera, CA - NCMA Sprints
Marysville Raceway Park, Marysville, CA - BCRA Midget Lites
Marysville Raceway Park, Marysville, CA - BCRA Midgets
Shasta Raceway Park, Redding, CA - NASCAR Camping World West Series
Thunderbowl Raceway, Tulare, CA - Golden State Challenge
Thunderbowl Raceway, Tulare, CA - USAC 360 Sprint Series
Thunderhill Park, Willows, CA - National Auto Sport Association
Thunderhill Park, Willows, CA - U.S. Touring Car Championship
Ventura Raceway, Ventura, CA - California Lightning Sprints
Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain, CO - National Auto Sport Association
Delaware International Speedway, Delmar, DE - United Racing Company
Autobahn County Club, Joliet, IL - National Auto Sport Association
Blackhawk Farms Raceway, Rockton, IL - Midwest Council of Sports Car Clubs
Quad City Raceway, East Moline, IL - IMCA Deery Brothers Late Model Series
Anderson Speedway, Anderson, IN - CRA Super Series
Lawrenceburg Speedway, Lawrenceburg, IN - USAC National Sprint Cars
Montpelier Speedway, Montpelier, IN - USAC Mopar D1 Midgets
34 Raceway, Burlington, IA - Sprint Invaders
Champion Park Speedway, Haughton, LA - Ark-La-Tex Winged Modifieds
Sabine Motor Speedway, Many, LA - Southern Thunder Sprints
Central Missouri Speedway, Warrensburg, MO - USMTS Modifieds
I-55 Raceway, Pevely, MO - WoO Sprint Cars
Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, MO - United Late Model Association
Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, MO - United Late Model Association
Eagle Raceway, Eagle, NE - ASCS / Midwest Series
New Jersey Motorsports Park (Lightning), Millville, NJ - National Auto Sport Association
Columbus Motor Speedway, Columbus, OH - Buckeye Super Sprints
Lawton Speedway, Lawton, OK - Oil Capital Racing Series
Lincoln Speedway, Hanover, PA - Central Pennsylvania LegendCars
Path Valley Speedway, Spring Run, PA - PA Sprint Series
Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PA - Super Sportsmen
Newport Speedway, Newport, TN - United Auto Racing Association
I-37 Speedway, Pleasanton, TX - Dwarf Car Series of Texas
Royal Purple Raceway, Houston, TX - ASCS / Gulf South Region
Texas World Speedway, Bryan, TX - ChumpCar World Series
South Boston Speedway, South Boston, VA - NASCAR Camping World East Series
South Boston Speedway, South Boston, VA - NASCAR Southern Modified Tour
Dodge County Fairgrounds, Beaver Dam, WI - Interstate Racing Association

April 17th

Quad City Speedway, East Moline, IL – Deery Brothers Summer Series
East Alabama Motor Speedway, Phenix City, AL – UDLMS
Thunderhill Park, Willows, CA - National Auto Sport Association
Thunderhill Park, Willows, CA - U.S. Touring Car Championship
Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain, CO - National Auto Sport Association
Stateline Stadium, Post Falls, ID - MMRA – Baby Grands
Autobahn County Club, Joliet, IL - National Auto Sport Association
Blackhawk Farms Raceway, Rockton, IL - Midwest Council of Sports Car Clubs
Rockford Speedway, Rockford, IL - Mid-American Stock Car Series
Kokomo Speedway, Kokomo, IN - USAC National Sprint Cars
71 Speedway, Butler, MO - USMTS Modifieds
Lee USA Speedway, Epping, NH - ACT US Tour
New Jersey Motorsports Park (Lightning), Millville, NJ - National Auto Sport Association
Little Rock Speedway, Rockingham, NC - INEX Legend Cars
Texas World Speedway, Bryan, TX - ChumpCar World Series

Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via email at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Top Of the Heap or King of the Mountain: Four Who Would Be Superstars In Other Series
by Amy Henderson

Four Burning Questions: Two Car Tango and First Time Winners
by Mike Lovecchio

Marcos Ambrose Driver Diary: New Points Equals New Possibilities
as told to Toni Montgomery

Toyota Has Been the Victim of Ford's Revival
by Garrett Horton

Nationwide Superteams Have No One To Thank But Themselves After Indian Trick Bites at Texas
by Bryan Davis Keith

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:  Yesterday, we asked a question about the 1986 Winston 500.  Although that race by itself was very interesting, something very unusual happened before the race even started.  What was this?

Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Thursday's Answer:
 
Q:  Bobby Allison held off a hard-charging Dale Earnhardt to win the 1986 Winston 500 at Talladega.  However, his crew had to make a change during the race that almost never happens nowadays.  What was this change?
 
A:  Allison's Stavola Brothers pit crew had to change a windshield during a caution because it got cracked.  During the unrestricted mid-1980's, damaged windshields were a common occurrence, especially since the cars used safety glass at the time instead of the Lexan of today.  Teams would often practice quick changes when they would practice pit stops.  Apparently, if teams were in a pinch, the swap out could be accomplished in 20-25 seconds by 1987 (depending on the circumstance).
 
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take 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!

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Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Aaron's 499 Race Recap by TBA
-- Big Six: Aaron's 499 by Amy Henderson
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
 
Monday on the Frontstretch:

Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Aaron's 499 by Matt McLaughlin
Matt will be here with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday afternoon's action from Talladega.

Monday Morning Tear-Down by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan takes a look at the biggest story from the weekend and analyzes it without pulling any punches.

Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom brings back his weekly post-race commentary with all of the insight you need from a weekend of racing at Talladega.

Running Their Mouth: Aaron's 499 by Brody Jones
Did he really say that?  You bet he did! Brody brings you the most interesting, unusual, and downright crazy quotes to come from the drivers after Sunday afternoon's race from Talladega.
 
Bubble Breakdown by Dave Thompson
Dave takes a look at the backmarkers battling for the 35th and final "locked in" spot and sees how their performances pay off at Talladega.

Nationwide Series Breakdown: Aaron's 312 by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan has all the post-race analysis you need after Saturday afternoon's Nationwide Series race from Talladega.

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