The Frontstretch Newsletter: May 19th, 2011

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 19th, 2011
Volume V, Edition XCII

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Frontstretch sends its well wishes, prayers, and support to all our Southern fans affected by the swath of tornadoes last week. To help out recovery efforts, text "GIVE" to 80888 to donate $10 towards disaster relief efforts in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama through the Salvation Army.
 
Today's Top News
by Phil Allaway
 
Said to Drive for FAS Lane Racing in Sprint Showdown

 

On Wednesday, FAS Lane Racing announced that Boris Said will take over behind the wheel of the No. 32 Ford for Saturday night's Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  He will replace Mike Bliss, who drove the No. 32 in a one race deal at Dover to a 25th-place finish.  Quasi-regular driver Ken Schrader is unavailable for the All-Star festivities due to a previously scheduled appearance at Lebanon Valley Speedway.

 

Sponsorship will be provided by Red Rocks Cafe, a local restaurant with two locations in the Charlotte Metro area.  Co-owner Ron Herbert is very pleased to have Said onboard for Saturday night.

"We are excited about sponsoring Boris Said and Frank Stoddard in the Sprint All-Star race this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway," Herbert said.  "We greatly appreciate and respect our ties to the NASCAR community and thank each and everyone that has contributed to our success over the years.  When our location in Birkdale Village (Huntersville, North Carolina) opened, we quickly saw team owners, drivers, sponsors, and crew members taking a liking to Red Rocks."

 

Said was equally enthusiastic about the partnership, but for a different reason.

"When I heard Red Rocks was on the car, I told Frank I'd drive for free if I could get a meal at Red Rocks," Said exclaimed.  "It is one of my favorite stops whenever I'm in the Charlotte area."

 

This will not be Red Rocks Cafe's first foray into sponsorship in the Cup Series.  In 2006, the restaurant put their logos onto Hermie Sadler's No. 00 Ford at then-Lowe's Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600.  Unfortunately, Sadler was unable to qualify for the event.

 

Three Full-Time Teams to Skip Sprint Showdown

 

On the official entry list for Saturday's All-Star festivities at Charlotte Motor Speedway, there are two full-time teams that have chosen to skip the non-points weekend and concentrate on the Coca-Cola 600.  One of those teams is Robby Gordon Motorsports.  Gordon is currently preparing for the season opening race for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series at Glen Helen near San Bernardino, California.

The other team skipping out this weekend is Tommy Baldwin Racing.  However, they're voluntarily choosing to skip the action this weekend for a different reason.

 

According to the team, the No. 36 will not race in the Sprint Showdown so that the team can focus on preparing their fleet for future races, including next weekend's Coca-Cola 600.  Another likely factor was that the team did not have sponsorship in place for the event.

 

Also, Whitney Motorsports announced via their Twitter page on Wednesday that they would only field their No. 81 Chevrolet for J.J. Yeley in Saturday's Sprint Showdown.  Originally, both the Nos. 46 and 81 were entered for both Yeley and Scott Riggs.  However, the team has decided to run only one car to save money.

 

Indianapolis 500 Practice A Washout

 

Just getting onto the track for teams in the Izod IndyCar Series at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a serious issue so far this month.  Already, all of Sunday's on-track action was wiped out by rain.  Opening day on Saturday had a long interruption due to rain, but not before 32 cars got on track.  Tuesday was a near complete wipeout, with only two of Andretti Autosport's drivers getting any track time at all.

 

Unfortunately, Wednesday was no better.  A steady rainfall wiped out the entire day of practice once again.  Luckily for the teams, the worst of the rain appears to be over.  Today's forecast is for partly cloudy skies and a high around 73 degrees.  Friday will be a little warmer, but still dry.  However, the weekend appears to feature a threat for thunderstorms on both days.

 

With two more days of practice before Pole Day on Saturday, there appear to be a mix of the normal contenders and a couple of surprises towards the top of the charts.  The fastest lap of the month continues to held down by Alex Tagliani in the No. 77 for Sam Schmidt Motorsports with a lap of 39.8445 seconds (225.878 mph).  Ed Carpenter, driving the No. 67 Dollar General-sponsored Dallara turned in the fastest lap on Opening Day.  Then, we have the big guns, including the two Target Chip Ganassi drivers (Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti) and the three Penske drivers (Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power).

 

Entry List Update
Note:  These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night.  However, they are still subject to change.

 

Sprint Cup Series All-Star Weekend:

 

Sprint Showdown:  27 cars entered

 

Driver Changes:
No. 32- Boris Said is in the seat, replacing Mike Bliss.
No. 66- Todd Bodine is in the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
No. 81- J.J. Yeley is in the seat, replacing Scott Riggs.

 

Entries:
No. 09- Landon Cassill for Phoenix Racing
No. 2- Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 6- David Ragan for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 9- Marcos Ambrose for Richard Petty Motorsports
No. 13- Casey Mears for Germain Racing
No. 20- Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 27- Paul Menard for Richard Childress Racing
No. 30- David Stremme for Inception Motorsports
No. 31- Jeff Burton for Richard Childress Racing
No. 32- Boris Said for FAS Lane Racing
No. 34- David Gilliland for Front Row Motorsports
No. 37- Tony Raines for Front Row Motorsports/MaxQ Motorsports
No. 38- Travis Kvapil for Front Row Motorsports
No. 43- AJ Allmendinger for Richard Petty Motorsports
No. 47- Bobby Labonte for JTG-Daugherty Racing
No. 50- T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 56- Martin Truex, Jr. for Michael Waltrip Racing
No. 60- Mike Skinner for Germain Racing
No. 64- Derrike Cope for MaxQ Motorsports
No. 66- Todd Bodine for HP Racing, LLC
No. 71- Andy Lally for TRG Motorsports
No. 81- J.J. Yeley for Whitney Motorsports
No. 83- Brian Vickers for Red Bull Racing Team
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
No. 88- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for Hendrick Motorsports
No. 92- Brian Keselowski for K-Automotive Motorsports
No. 95- David Starr for Leavine-Fenton Motorsports

 

Notable Absentees:
No. 7- Robby Gordon for Robby Gordon Motorsports
No. 36- Dave Blaney for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 46- J.J. Yeley for Whitney Motorsports

 

Sprint All-Star Race:  19 locked-in entries, plus three additional entries to be determined

 

Temporary Number Changes:
Jimmie Johnson from No. 48 to No. 5 to advertise Lowe's Credit Card.
Mark Martin from No. 5 to No. 25 to pay tribute to Tim Richmond with a special paint scheme.

 

Entries:
No. 00- David Reutimann for Michael Waltrip Racing
No. 1- Jamie McMurray for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing
No. 4- Kasey Kahne for Red Bull Racing Team
No. 5- Jimmie Johnson for Hendrick Motorsports
No. 11- Denny Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 14- Tony Stewart for Stewart-Haas Racing
No. 16- Greg Biffle for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 17- Matt Kenseth for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 18- Kyle Busch for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 22- Kurt Busch for Penske Racing
No. 24- Jeff Gordon for Hendrick Motorsports
No. 25- Mark Martin for Hendrick Motorsports
No. 29- Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 33- Clint Bowyer for Richard Childress Racing
No. 39- Ryan Newman for Stewart-Haas Racing
No. 42- Juan Pablo Montoya for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing
No. 78- Regan Smith for Furniture Row Racing
No. 99- Carl Edwards for Roush Fenway Racing

Nationwide Series John Deere Dealers 250:  42 cars entered

 

Originally On Entry List, but Already Withdrawn
No. 02- Daryl Harr for WestWorld Motorsports

 

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 18- Michael McDowell for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22- Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 30- James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33- Austin Dillon for Kevin Harvick, Inc.
No. 60- Carl Edwards for Roush Fenway Racing

 

Driver Changes:
No. 14- Eric McClure returns to the seat, replacing Mike Bliss.
No. 16- Trevor Bayne returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Swindell.
No. 18- Michael McDowell is in the seat, replacing Kyle Busch.
No. 19- Mike Bliss returns to the seat, replacing Eric McClure.
No. 20- Drew Herring is in the seat, replacing Joey Logano.
No. 23- Robert Richardson, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Alex Kennedy.
No. 33- Austin Dillon returns to the seat, replacing Clint Bowyer.
No. 39- Luis Martinez, Jr. is in the seat, replacing Danny Efland.  Martinez will be making his Nationwide Series debut on Sunday.
No. 40- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Scott Wimmer.
No. 52- Tim Schendel returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Lepage.
No. 70- Scott Wimmer is in the seat, replacing Dennis Setzer.
No. 81- Blake Koch returns to the seat, replacing Donnie Neuenberger.

 

Since there are 42 teams entered, no one will go home before the race.  However, these teams still must qualify on speed:
No. 0- Brad Teague for JD Motorsports
No. 13- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 40- Unknown Driver for Key Motorsports
No. 41- Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing
No. 44- Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports
No. 49- Dennis Setzer for Jay Robinson Racing
No. 52- Tim Schendel for Means Motorsports
No. 55- Brett Rowe for Faith Motorsports
No. 68- Matt Carter for Fleur-de-Lis Motorsports/Rick Ware Racing
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Harmon Motorsports
No. 75- Johnny Chapman for Rick Ware Racing
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Faith Motorsports

 

Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200:  41 trucks entered

 

Originally on Entry List, but Already Withdrawn:
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 51- Justin Johnson for Vision Aviation Racing

 

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 2- Clint Bowyer for Kevin Harvick, Inc.
No. 18- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 99- Bryan Silas for Chase Mattioli Motorsports

 

Driver Changes:
No. 07- Butch Miller returns to the seat, replacing Johnny Chapman.
No. 1- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Carl Long.
No. 2- Clint Bowyer returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Harvick.
No. 15- Kimi Raikkonen is in the seat, replacing Dusty Davis.
No. 73- Mike Skinner is in the seat, replacing Rick Crawford.
No. 99- Bryan Silas is in the seat, replacing JR Fitzpatrick.

 

Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 02- Jamie Dick for Stott Classic Racing
No. 07- Butch Miller for SS-Green Light Racing
No. 1- Unknown Driver for Rick Ware Racing
No. 15- Kimi Raikkonen for Kyle Busch Motorsports/Vision Aviation Racing
No. 20- Johanna Long for Panhandle Motorsports
No. 28- Wes Burton for FDNY Racing
No. 32- Brad Sweet for Turner Motorsports
No. 38- Mike Garvey for SES Motorsports
No. 50- TJ Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 57- Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 68- Clay Greenfield
No. 73- Mike Skinner for Tagsby Racing
No. 77- Justin Lofton for Germain Racing
No. 84- Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
No. 89- Chris Lafferty for Lafferty Motorsports
No. 99- Bryan Silas for Chase Mattioli Motorsports

 

Have news for Phil 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 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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Editor's Note: What's Vexing Vito will not be seen this week.  Vito simply didn't have anything that was Vexing him this week.  Tune in next Thursday to see if something is grinding his gears.
 
Today's Featured Commentary
The New Kid On The Block

Shakedown Session
by Brody Jones

NASCAR fans have seen more than their fair share of developmental drivers come and go. For every Trevor Bayne that gets discovered, there's about ten Ryan Hemphill's who don't break through to the next level. And when Kyle Busch Motorsports signed 23-year old Shinnston, West Virginia native Josh Richards, most casual fans were left scratching their heads as to who he is. Well, in this edition of the "Shakedown Session", we'll talk a little bit about this 23-year old dirt track wunderkind and his fast rise to a ride in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for, arguably, the best team currently in the series.

To say Josh Richards was destined for racing may seem a tad bit cliché, but the son of famed dirt late model Rocket Chassis owner Mark Richards was certainly born into the realm of racing. The youngster cut his teeth on the dirt tracks of West Virginia before climbing into his father's late model equipment and immediately becoming an impact player in the rough-and-tumble world of dirt late model racing. Richards served his notice to the racing world in 2009 by being the youngest ever World of Outlaws Late Models series champion at the ripe old age of twenty-one.

This success earned Richards a few rides for Ken Schrader Racing as a development driver in the ARCA Racing Series and the K&N Pro East Series. Between charting a couple of top five finishes in his time with Ken Schrader, Richards put together his second straight championship campaign with the WoO Late Model Series. Despite two straight championships in, arguably, one of the two most prestigious dirt late model touring series in the country, Richards has remained somewhat of an anomaly amongst NASCAR fans. But Kyle Busch had his eyes on him and has decided to give the youngster a shot in his truck, the kind of opportunity most drivers toiling in the dirt late model ranks would kill for.

The biggest question lurking in the minds of the NASCAR brethren is how well can Richards make the transition from dirt track racing to late models? There have been a few drivers in NASCAR who cut their teeth on dirt, Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace in particular and also current Nationwide Series regular Jeremy Clements was a dirt late model main-stay for many years before moving into asphalt. But for every Schrader, Wallace, or Clements, there are guys like Steve Kinser and Tim McCreadie who couldn't quite acclimate themselves to the steep NASCAR learning curve.

One thing that works in Richards' favor is his age. Because, let's face it, NASCAR fans, sponsors want young drivers in their cars these days. The days of guys making NASCAR in their late-thirties a la Harry Gant and Morgan Shepherd has gone the way of the V-6 engine in the Nationwide Series. Also, it hasn't hurt matters that he brings the necessary cash to pay for this opportunity in the form of Joy Mining Machinery's money. But most importantly, the fact that he has done well in ARCA and the K&N Pro East Series in his limited amount of experience on asphalt has been a great boon to his burgeoning career. And having a guy like Kyle Busch, whether fans love him or hate him, is nothing to sneeze at either.

Rest assured, in a few, short years when Josh Richards is tearing up the NASCAR ranks with his tenacious, devil-may-care driving style, just remember that the Frontstretch predicted greatness for this rising, young prospect from the heart of Appalachia. Fans might not know the name now, but in due time, Richards has all the tools necessary to be the cream of the crop, and, like Robert Frost, he took the road less traveled to NASCAR in the form of dirt-track racing.

Brody Jones is a Website Contributor to Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at brody.jones@frontstretch.com.
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The Critic's Annex:  IndyCar Open Wheel Weekly 
by Phil Allaway
 
Hello, race fans.  Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming.  Outside of their actual race broadcasts, the Izod IndyCar Series is generally absent from television.  Race highlights air on SPEED Center, but almost never on anything in ESPN's family of networks, despite the fact that ESPN has the rights to air a few races a season on ABC (including the Indianapolis 500).  The exception to that rule is if something really unusual happens, like the recent quagmire in Sao Paulo.

However, following Sao Paulo, Versus launched a new weekly series dedicated to the Izod IndyCar Series entitled IndyCar Open Wheel Weekly.  Yes, the name is terrible and sounds like it was thought up in about a minute.

 

The show is aired live on Versus at 4pm on Tuesdays (yes, its not the best timeslot if you don't have access to either a DVR, TiVo, or some other way to record it).  Unlike shows like SPEED's NASCAR RaceHub now, IndyCar Open Wheel Weekly completely depends on their existing on-air staff to do the show.  Kevin Lee and Lindy Thackston host the show, along with the tempestuous Robin Miller.

 

The aforementioned trio all chip in on various taped features, then bring it back to the desk.  For example, Miller showed off the prototype of the speedway version of the 2012 Dallara with Tony Cotman.  We saw a detailed look at some of the new features of the car, which was an exclusive to the show.  It should be noted that the car showed off is not a final version of the car.  Approximately 70 percent of what was shown (the survival cell, especially) will be on the new car, but the aero kits are still being planned out.

 

Much like SPEED's NASCAR RaceHub being based in Charlotte, there are great advantages to IndyCar Open Wheel Weekly being based out of Indianapolis.  Firstly, Versus' production facilities for their Izod IndyCar Series coverage are already based out of there.  Second, most of the teams are based near there, so it is easy to go and talk to team principals.  Finally, many of the drivers maintain some sort of housing in the area, so it is relatively easy to get guests.

 

Two weeks ago, Mike Conway showed up as an in-studio guest to talk about his season (especially his win in Long Beach) and to unveil the Hire for Heroes paint scheme that he will be running in the Indianapolis 500 (its really a sponsorship via returning sponsor 7-Eleven).  Here, all three hosts peppered Conway with questions.  Its an interesting way to go about interviewing someone, but it does have that look of throwing someone to the dogs.  To be fair, Conway did well with the setup, but I think that some other interview subjects could be intimidated.

 

Fast Five (spelled on-air as Fa5t) is a regular feature on the show in which one of the hosts interviews a noted personality and asks them five pointed questions.  Two weeks ago, it was Jeff Belskus, President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and this week, it was Danica Patrick.  Most of the time, its quite interesting to see what is said.  However, there are also times in which the subjects side step questions (Patrick completely maneuvered around a question from Lee about whether she would be in the series in 2012).

 

The show also showcases up and coming USAC talent.  Former Nationwide Series driver Bryan Clauson (who will drive in the Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100 next Thursday) was a guest on the first show May 3rd, while Sprint car driver Hunter Schuerenberg stopped by as well.  Another feature showed IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard taking a ride in a two-seat Silver Crown  car with Clauson at the wheel.  This is consistent with Bernard's mindset in regards to USAC.  He is known to have taken quite an interest in it (Miller admits  and believes that the series can still be a stepping stone to the top levels of open wheel racing like it once was.

 

This week's episode was supposed to feature on-track action, but as anyone who has watched the 1992 Indianapolis 500 will tell you, 50 degree weather, IndyCars, and 210 mph + laps do not mix.  An incessant drizzle also helped to put the kibosh on the action.  Regardless, Thackston was outdoors in the damp weather doing roving interviews with drivers, holding her own just fine.

 

In place of the expected practice coverage, Versus brought Bobby Unser and Johnny Rutherford into the studio to discuss a variety of topics.  Those included "The Greatest 33," which was a fan vote to determine the greatest 33 drivers ever to race in the Indianapolis 500.  Fans were given 100 choices and were told to narrow that down to what they considered their top-33.  Naturally, friendly arguments erupted over whether certain drivers deserved to be where they were.

 

In addition, there was some natural ribbing between the three time Indianapolis 500 winners.  Bobby Unser has a long history on television that stretches back 20 years, but its fairly rare to see Rutherford on TV (even though he's at every race through his role as the Izod IndyCar Series' pace car driver.  The interaction between the two was very enjoyable to watch.

 

Willy T. Ribbs showed up in the studio along with his new driver, former Rusty Wallace Racing Development Driver Chase Austin, to discuss his past at the 2.5 mile rectangle and his new program for Austin in Firestone Indy Lights.  I've talked about Ribbs previously here.  He's just not that telegenic.  Now, we also have the bias issue in play that I just don't like (in the booth).  Of course, I'm saying this a full week ahead of the Freedom 100, but I will be watching Ribbs closely.  As for Austin, he didn't really have that much to add.  He's really inexperienced in open wheel racing, but willing to drive anything.

 

Aside from the low-rent feel of the studio (at times), there are some other issues.  For example, Lee cut off an interview that Thackston was doing with Oriol Servia mid-sentence for more discussion in the studio.  Ouch.  That should not happen, whether the show is live or not.  That's weak.  Also, for some reason, they all use wireless microphones in the features, but handheld microphones at the desk.  As a result, the desk segments appear low-rent.  The abolition of the handheld microphones on the set would do wonders for the show.  However, the handheld microphones would be fine for quick interviews like what was going on this past week in the garage.

 

Having said that, the show does cover a niche that has always been underserved.  I cannot recall a weekly TV show dedicated to open wheel racing in the past (Rpm2night's Open Wheel Wednesday doesn't count because that was simply a themed night).  Also, its very good to see USAC get some kind of exposure on television.  Ever since ESPN stopped airing Thunder telecasts, USAC has basically operated in obscurity.  That, in itself, is quite interesting knowing that quite a few of the stars that have entered the upper echelons of American racing in the past 15-20 years (Jeff Gordon, Stewart, Kahne, etc.) have come through there.  If the USAC segments help the series get some kind of TV deal for their divisions, that would be great.

 

The show appears to be a work in progress.  There are certain aspects that work very well, like some of the features.  I liked the one where Thackston went along with John Andretti when he went back to his high school, in addition to the one where Miller talked about the new car with while others need improvement.  Airing the show live is probably going to hurt the overall quality of the production.  Outside of the month of May, there is no benefit to a live telecast.  The microphone issues should be fixed to give the show a more professional feel.  Based on what's already aired, the show will probably become a big asset to the Izod IndyCar Series.  However, it needs a better timeslot, better production, and perhaps a new title before it can get there.

 

We hope you enjoyed this look at Versus' IndyCar Open Wheel Weekly.  Check out next Thursday's edition of the Frontstretch Newsletter for the newest edition of the Critic's Annex.  Until then, enjoy the All-Star festivities from Charlotte, Pole Day from Indianapolis, and the Nationwide Series action in Iowa.

 
Phil Allaway is a Senior Writer and the Newsletter Manager for Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
 
From Sprint Cup Power Rankings:  Top 15 After Dover

 
"Not exactly a day that will live in infamy but May 15th, 2011 is the first documented case of Chad Knaus making a mistake – at least one where he didn't try and cheat."- Mike Neff's one-liner on Jimmie Johnson.  That's a shot below the belt.

 
Have a nominee for Line of the Week? Email Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com and you may see yourself in this space next week!
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
 
MPM2Nite:  Short Takes After a Short Break

by Matt McLaughlin

 
Potts' Shots:  NASCAR's New Pit Rules

by John Potts
   
Voices From The Heartland:  BSNews!: Al Gore and ESPN Team with France to Save NASCAR

by Jeff Meyer
 
Decisions, Decisions

by Mark Howell
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Get THE ANNUAL, 2011 Racing Preview for your mobile device.
Go to Frontstretch.com and click on "The Annual" link on the right side to order and download this special issue that includes: Track Information, Driver profiles and In-Depth Features.
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:  In 1997, Jeff Gordon came from the 19th starting spot to lead the final nine laps to win The Winston.  What was notable about the mount that Gordon was driving that night?

 
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Wednesday's Answer:
 
Q:  In 1996, 56-year old Harry Gant, who had been retired from Winston Cup since the end of 1994, made a special guest appearance in The Winston.  Why did this occur?

 
A:  Gant agreed to come out of retirement to drive the No. 94 McDonald's Ford in substitution for the injured Bill Elliott. Elliott was recovering from a broken left femur suffered in this crash in the Winston Select 500 at Talladega a few weeks earlier.  Gant, who drove a part-time Craftsman Truck Series schedule that season, started in 14th and finished in 15th.

 
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 tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Summer Dreyer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- In Case You Missed It by Brett Poirier
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
 
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Four Burning Questions: Sprint All-Star Race by Mike Lovecchio

We'll give you a look at important things to look forward to at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend in our racing preview.
 
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns with another interesting commentary.

Goin' Green by Garrett Horton
Garrett returns with more commentary and insight.

Driver Diary: Kenny Wallace as told to Amy Henderson
Kenny returns to talk about the past few weeks on and off the track.

Tearing Apart the Trucks by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth returns to take a look inside the Camping World Truck Series ahead of Friday night's North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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