THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 4th, 2011
Volume V, Edition LXXX
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 4th, 2011
Volume V, Edition LXXX
~~~~~~~~~~
Top News
by Summer Dreyer
NASCAR Announces Fueling Dreams Tour
NASCAR has announced a new program that "aims to provide motorsports career opportunities for the nation's youth:" The 2011 Fueling Dreams Tour.
The 2011 Fueling Dreams Tour will make a stop in 14 different locations across the United States in a search for up-and-coming drivers and to "provide them with the tools and opportunities to fulfill their dreams of becoming race car drivers," according to a NASCAR press release.
Fueling Dreams introduces younger fans to the sport with a multitude of hands-on resources, including introducing students to career opportunities within the industry and allowing them to experience firsthand what it's like behind the wheel of a race car through racing simulators.
"NASCAR views this program as a necessary strategy to expose underserved communities to NASCAR and motorsports opportunities which can benefit all young people looking to connect with sports in non-traditional ways," said NASCAR Vice President of Public Affairs and Multicultural Development Marcus Jadotte.
Along with the racing simulators, the traveling display will feature other show and street cars, interactive displays, music, and giveaways. The tour will make stops in the following cities: Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC, Miami, FL., Greenville, SC, Dover, DE, New Orleans, LA, Hampton, VA, Dallas, TX, Richmond, VA, South Boston, VA, Gresham, GA, Sparta, KY, Columbus, OH and Indianapolis, IN.
Hamlin's Group Wins Monday PGA Wells Fargo Championship
On Monday, Denny Hamlin competed in the 2011 Wells Fargo Championship Pro-Am at Quails Hollow with Joe Ogilvie, Grant Schoonmaker, John Love, and Mark Newell. The group won with a net 18-under 54.
Five time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will compete in the event on Tuesday.
At one point, Hamlin swung a right-handed club upside down while left-handed, and kept his cool when things got rough—literally. Hamlin hit a drive into the right rough on the first hole, and on his second shot shanked it into the left rough. It took three more shots to get back onto the green before he two-putted for a double-bogey.
Hamlin was able to rebound to 2 over after six holes. He finished with pars on Holes 8 and 9, utilizing the upside-down driver shot on the final hole. Hamlin claims that PGA star Bubba Watson taught him the trick.
Hamlin finished second in Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch. Hamlin is currently 17th in the standings, 97 points out of the lead heading into Darlington.
Martin Truex, Jr. Headed to Darlington With New Tire Changers, Carriers
Martin Truex, Jr. will have new front and rear tire changers and carriers in this weekend's races at Darlington Raceway on the heels of a rough night at Richmond International Raceway that left Truex with a 27th-place finish.
On Saturday night, during a round of green flag pit stops, Truex had to return to pit road due to a loose lug-nut. Then, a speeding penalty sent him back to pit road again. A heated tirade over the radio had Truex "firing" his entire pit crew and crew chief Pat Tryson trying to calm the angry driver.
Truex dropped three positions in the standings to 22nd, and is 125 points out of the lead.
Top News
by Summer Dreyer
NASCAR Announces Fueling Dreams Tour
NASCAR has announced a new program that "aims to provide motorsports career opportunities for the nation's youth:" The 2011 Fueling Dreams Tour.
The 2011 Fueling Dreams Tour will make a stop in 14 different locations across the United States in a search for up-and-coming drivers and to "provide them with the tools and opportunities to fulfill their dreams of becoming race car drivers," according to a NASCAR press release.
Fueling Dreams introduces younger fans to the sport with a multitude of hands-on resources, including introducing students to career opportunities within the industry and allowing them to experience firsthand what it's like behind the wheel of a race car through racing simulators.
"NASCAR views this program as a necessary strategy to expose underserved communities to NASCAR and motorsports opportunities which can benefit all young people looking to connect with sports in non-traditional ways," said NASCAR Vice President of Public Affairs and Multicultural Development Marcus Jadotte.
Along with the racing simulators, the traveling display will feature other show and street cars, interactive displays, music, and giveaways. The tour will make stops in the following cities: Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC, Miami, FL., Greenville, SC, Dover, DE, New Orleans, LA, Hampton, VA, Dallas, TX, Richmond, VA, South Boston, VA, Gresham, GA, Sparta, KY, Columbus, OH and Indianapolis, IN.
Hamlin's Group Wins Monday PGA Wells Fargo Championship
On Monday, Denny Hamlin competed in the 2011 Wells Fargo Championship Pro-Am at Quails Hollow with Joe Ogilvie, Grant Schoonmaker, John Love, and Mark Newell. The group won with a net 18-under 54.
Five time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will compete in the event on Tuesday.
At one point, Hamlin swung a right-handed club upside down while left-handed, and kept his cool when things got rough—literally. Hamlin hit a drive into the right rough on the first hole, and on his second shot shanked it into the left rough. It took three more shots to get back onto the green before he two-putted for a double-bogey.
Hamlin was able to rebound to 2 over after six holes. He finished with pars on Holes 8 and 9, utilizing the upside-down driver shot on the final hole. Hamlin claims that PGA star Bubba Watson taught him the trick.
Hamlin finished second in Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch. Hamlin is currently 17th in the standings, 97 points out of the lead heading into Darlington.
Martin Truex, Jr. Headed to Darlington With New Tire Changers, Carriers
Martin Truex, Jr. will have new front and rear tire changers and carriers in this weekend's races at Darlington Raceway on the heels of a rough night at Richmond International Raceway that left Truex with a 27th-place finish.
On Saturday night, during a round of green flag pit stops, Truex had to return to pit road due to a loose lug-nut. Then, a speeding penalty sent him back to pit road again. A heated tirade over the radio had Truex "firing" his entire pit crew and crew chief Pat Tryson trying to calm the angry driver.
Truex dropped three positions in the standings to 22nd, and is 125 points out of the lead.
Have news for Summer 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
Yunick's Garage Fire Might Finally Spur the Hall of Fame Committee
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
At 7:00 PM on Monday, April 25th, the "Best Damn Garage in Town" started to burn to the ground in Daytona, Florida. Six days before that the list of nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction class of 2012 was announced with the name of the former owner of the that garage omitted for the third time. Are the two events related? It is very hard to imagine that one event led to another, but hopefully it will have some effect on the committee and result in Smokey Yunick's name finally being included on the list for 2013.
Yunick is one of the greatest mechanical minds in the history of automobile racing, not only leading drivers to Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 championships but also NASCAR Grand National Titles twice. Yunick drove stock cars briefly in his career but he was by far best known as a true innovator as a mechanic, credited with at least 11 patents and a very well deserved reputation for pushing the limits of the gray area of the rule book to its limits. Prior to the introduction of the new car design Yunick and Junior Johnson were probably responsible for two-thirds of the rules in a rather thin rule book. Unfortunately for Yunick, that love for pushing the limits repeatedly put him at odds with Bill France, Sr. and is the only plausible excuse for why his name has been omitted from the list of nominees for the Hall of Fame to date.
Yunick revolutionized open wheel racing in 1962 when he mounted a wing onto the roadster of Jim Rathman which provided more downforce for the car and ultimately far greater corner speeds. Unfortunately, the drag created on the straights outweighed the cornering speeds and the car was slower than some of the other cars in the race. USAC, the sanctioning body for the race immediately banned wings, but after Can-Am and some other series employed them, they relented and the wings became a permanent fixture in the sport.
Yunick also brought a car to Indy that had the engine mounted upside down, calling it the Reverse Torque Special. He also introduced the Hurst Floor Shift Special which was a car with the driver compartment mounted on the side of the car between the wheels on the left side. While the innovation was cutting edge, the car was never able to achieve its potential as it was wrecked during practice.
In 1966, Yunick brought a Chevelle to NASCAR that was noticeably faster than the competition and the officials checked all of the obvious things that had made a difference in the past to no avail. After some time it was discovered that Yunick had "shrunk" the car so that it was 7/8ths the size of the original car. The use of templates followed shortly after the discovery to ensure that the cars on the track met the specifics of the stock cars as they were designed by the manufacturer.
There was also a story about NASCAR limiting the size of gas tanks but putting no limit on the length of the fuel line. The officials confiscated the tank out of Yunick's car to check it and the legendary mechanic said they could keep it, got into the car and drove it back to his garage some six miles down the road utilizing just the fuel in the 11 feet of gas line that was in the car. David Pearson disputes the story--and he should know because he was there in person for the inspection--that the tank was actually placed back into the car. Whatever the case, the rules were changed to specify the length of fuel line after that event.
By 1970, Yunick was tired of butting heads with Big Bill France over the limitations on innovation that were constantly imposed by the sanctioning body and he left the sport. He continued to work on multiple projects from racing to alternative energy and anything else that intrigued his mind. When he was diagnosed with Leukemia he switched his focus to writing his autobiography entitled Sex, Lies and Superspeedways which was released in January 2001, five months before he succumbed to the illness.
Yunick was the truest of characters that made NASCAR great in its early days. If he'd been in charge of a racing series he'd have had two rules: show up and race. His mind was constantly coming up with different ways to do things and, once he figured out how to read the rule book, he became the master of working in the gray area. In an article in Circle Track magazine in 1988, Yunick explained how he finally approached the NASCAR rule book. "Trying to figure out NASCAR's rule book threw me at first. Then, after studying the rules from all sides, I realized I'd made a colossal mistake," he said.
"I'd been reading the rule book to see what it said. And all along what I should have been doing was finding out what it didn't say. After I started doing that, racing became fun in a big way."
With the establishment of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the sport is recognizing the figures who've made a lasting impact on the sport. The fact that Henry "Smokey" Yunick is not even listed among the 25 people being considered for enshrinement is at least a great oversight and at most a travesty. Yunick has been recognized by several other halls for his contributions to racing:
• National Racing Hall of Fame
• International MotorSports Hall of Fame
• Legends of Auto Racing Hall of Fame
• Stock Car Racing, Daytona Hall of Fame
• Darlington Motor Speedway Hall of Fame
• Legends of Performance – Chevrolet Hall of Fame
• TRW Mechanic Hall of Fame
• Living Legends of Auto Racing – 1997
• Stock Car Racing Magazine Hall of Fame
• Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame
• Voted #7 on list of Top 10 athletes of the Century
by Winston Salem Journal, Oct. 1999
• University of Central Florida, President's Medallion Society
• Rotary Club of Oceanside – Daytona Beach
He has also received several awards:
• Two Time NASCAR Mechanic of the Year
• Mechanical Achievements Awards – Indianapolis Motor Speedway &
Ontario Motor Speedway
• Engineering Award – Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Inventor of the Year – 1983
• Charlotte Motor Speedway Presents the Annual Smokey Yunick Lifetime Achievement Award
The NASCAR Hall of Fame should be about the accomplishments of a person's career and not about the politics that surrounded the individual. Smokey Yunick had a greater impact on NASCAR than any other mechanic and he deserves to be recognized for his contributions. Hopefully the nominating committee will realize after the fire last week that his legacy was more important than some petty grudges.
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...
@NASCARBowles (Tom Bowles): First off, prayers and support to @ericmcclure on the loss of his home from a tornado. Glad everyone's OK. Tough day for #NASCAR...
@Tbayne21 (Trevor Bayne): Still at the hospital! Don't think its related to the bite.. But we'll see! God has something cool going on that we can't yet see!
@jaywpennell: Kurt Busch: "You guys ever feel like you're just wasting time?" Not the A+ performance he was looking for. #NASCAR
@JennaFryer: It's that portion of the race where I'm going to flip over to KuBu's channel and learn some new curse words.
@jaywpennell: Kurt Busch screams: "We look like a monkey f*($%ing a football! The Penske team looks like a joke!" #NASCAR
@DeLanaHarvick: I hope so because I'd sure like to hear it. sounds epic.... RT @jennafryer: Is there someone out there who records the 22?
@MartySmithESPN: Kurt Busch notes that the 22 resembles a monkey having relations with a football.
@KrissieNewman: RT @LewisFranck: Paging Don Miller, paging Don Miller. We need you to unretire.
@Samantha_Busch: I may be biased bc he's my hubby but I can watch kb restart all day long! He amazes me how he weaves in n outta traffic like that!
@JimmieJohnson: That's called making chicken salad out of chicken Sh&#!!!!!
@Samantha_Busch: Oh man @kylebusch talkin bout @jeff_gluck runnin round garage area in captain thunder outfit. I think we r all getting a lil slap happy here
@MartinTruexJr56: UN-FRICKIN-BELIEVABLE..........
@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): Kurt and I sometimes share similar thoughts... Different approaches "@tzillamilla I take it you are none too pleased with your ride lately?
@keselowski: So 2 sum up r night- Top5 car short run 35th place car long run. We have lots of work 2 do But I really believe in Paul Wolfe my crew chief.
@keselowski: Bottom line Gibbs cars r both faster and capable of being drove harder then anyone else's. When I drive mine hard we blow or cord tires.
@keselowski: Tonight we corded LF tires on long runs. So the only way to get anywhere was to drive like a maniac on restarts. Eventually got us wrecked
@keselowski: Feel bad for my road crew. Probably could have ran a chill race and got a 20th But I tried for 15 to go and got us in trouble. Finished in the 30s.
@31n2Spotter (Brett Griffin): Wth happened with 39 and 42? They both race u hard bout all the time esp the 42...
@31n2Spotter: "@kartracer3886: @31n2Spotter i always hear drivers complain about newman" ~~ he's bad. Montoya is worse. Like passin a kidney stone
@31n2Spotter: "@Jsagmeister: Even better 22 was on fire on the #radio! Epic was used to describe it!!!" ~~ his crew works 6 days a week to hear him whine
@31n2Spotter: No one on the 22 is happy bout the way they ran I'm sure. Imagine if they all were immature.
@31n2Spotter: It's perfectly fine to get pissed and let it out. Constant disrespect is deflating for team moral. #commonsense
@31n2Spotter: Maybe Ricky Rudd's crew guy that popped his ass should be on the 22 to keep everyone in check. Rudd MFd his motor. Crew guy didn't like it…
@31n2Spotter: Those guys pour their hearts, souls and lives into their team every week. Hope for their sake they get better results. #penske
@31n2Spotter: How our team sport differs tho: drivers feel isolated inside of car. EZ to forget u aren't alone. Most do gr8 job managing emotions.
@Kenny_Wallace: The Greatest short track driver of all time just called me, "Dick Trickle".. he said this "My Boy you are back, You're running good."
@KevinHarvick: @Kenny_Wallace you just wanted to say Dick Trickle!!!
@KevinHarvick: @Kenny_Wallace come on say it 3 times real fast it will make you laugh everytime!
@jjyeley1 (J.J. Yeley): Thanks to Star Coach race tours for a great weekend stay in the new StarCoach. Lots of laughs. I am looking forward to going to Darlington!
@31n2Spotter: I'ma wake my momma up! Bin Laden is dead!!!!!! Cheer! The asshole that attacked America suffers.
@31n2Spotter: Obama get ur ass on tv! Tell us our brave soldiers kicked his ass!!!!
@16_spotter (Joel Edmonds): so does this mean "have at it boys" again on the commercial airlines #thehangover
@keselowski: Wow Didn't think it would ever happen… Almost ten years later we finally got it done. Tonight, we are all Proud to be American.
@jeff_gluck (Jeff Gluck): I hope the heroes responsible for killing the bad guy will be grand marshals at a #NASCAR race soon.
@kristavoda: No party divide tonight. We are not republicans or democrats. We are Americans. And so proud of it.
@JimmieJohnson: Man, I went to bed early and missed the big news. What a way to wake up though. Thanks to all the men and women who serve our country.
@jaywpennell: Talladega Superspeedway to allow fans to drive their cars around the speedway May 6-8 for a $50 donation to American Red Cross. #NASCAR
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:
The Ups And Downs Continue For The Other Keselowski
by Bryan Davis Keith
Beyond The Cockpit: Jeremy Clements On Surviving As An Independent In NNS
by Bryan Davis Keith
Top 10 Excuses Juan Pablo Montoya Had For Wrecking Ryan Newman
by the Frontstretch Staff
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Richmond
compiled by Mike Neff
Mirror Driving: Settling Into NASCAR Spring
by the Frontstretch Staff
~~~~~~~~~~
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
Yunick's Garage Fire Might Finally Spur the Hall of Fame Committee
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
At 7:00 PM on Monday, April 25th, the "Best Damn Garage in Town" started to burn to the ground in Daytona, Florida. Six days before that the list of nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction class of 2012 was announced with the name of the former owner of the that garage omitted for the third time. Are the two events related? It is very hard to imagine that one event led to another, but hopefully it will have some effect on the committee and result in Smokey Yunick's name finally being included on the list for 2013.
Yunick is one of the greatest mechanical minds in the history of automobile racing, not only leading drivers to Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 championships but also NASCAR Grand National Titles twice. Yunick drove stock cars briefly in his career but he was by far best known as a true innovator as a mechanic, credited with at least 11 patents and a very well deserved reputation for pushing the limits of the gray area of the rule book to its limits. Prior to the introduction of the new car design Yunick and Junior Johnson were probably responsible for two-thirds of the rules in a rather thin rule book. Unfortunately for Yunick, that love for pushing the limits repeatedly put him at odds with Bill France, Sr. and is the only plausible excuse for why his name has been omitted from the list of nominees for the Hall of Fame to date.
Yunick revolutionized open wheel racing in 1962 when he mounted a wing onto the roadster of Jim Rathman which provided more downforce for the car and ultimately far greater corner speeds. Unfortunately, the drag created on the straights outweighed the cornering speeds and the car was slower than some of the other cars in the race. USAC, the sanctioning body for the race immediately banned wings, but after Can-Am and some other series employed them, they relented and the wings became a permanent fixture in the sport.
Yunick also brought a car to Indy that had the engine mounted upside down, calling it the Reverse Torque Special. He also introduced the Hurst Floor Shift Special which was a car with the driver compartment mounted on the side of the car between the wheels on the left side. While the innovation was cutting edge, the car was never able to achieve its potential as it was wrecked during practice.
In 1966, Yunick brought a Chevelle to NASCAR that was noticeably faster than the competition and the officials checked all of the obvious things that had made a difference in the past to no avail. After some time it was discovered that Yunick had "shrunk" the car so that it was 7/8ths the size of the original car. The use of templates followed shortly after the discovery to ensure that the cars on the track met the specifics of the stock cars as they were designed by the manufacturer.
There was also a story about NASCAR limiting the size of gas tanks but putting no limit on the length of the fuel line. The officials confiscated the tank out of Yunick's car to check it and the legendary mechanic said they could keep it, got into the car and drove it back to his garage some six miles down the road utilizing just the fuel in the 11 feet of gas line that was in the car. David Pearson disputes the story--and he should know because he was there in person for the inspection--that the tank was actually placed back into the car. Whatever the case, the rules were changed to specify the length of fuel line after that event.
By 1970, Yunick was tired of butting heads with Big Bill France over the limitations on innovation that were constantly imposed by the sanctioning body and he left the sport. He continued to work on multiple projects from racing to alternative energy and anything else that intrigued his mind. When he was diagnosed with Leukemia he switched his focus to writing his autobiography entitled Sex, Lies and Superspeedways which was released in January 2001, five months before he succumbed to the illness.
Yunick was the truest of characters that made NASCAR great in its early days. If he'd been in charge of a racing series he'd have had two rules: show up and race. His mind was constantly coming up with different ways to do things and, once he figured out how to read the rule book, he became the master of working in the gray area. In an article in Circle Track magazine in 1988, Yunick explained how he finally approached the NASCAR rule book. "Trying to figure out NASCAR's rule book threw me at first. Then, after studying the rules from all sides, I realized I'd made a colossal mistake," he said.
"I'd been reading the rule book to see what it said. And all along what I should have been doing was finding out what it didn't say. After I started doing that, racing became fun in a big way."
With the establishment of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the sport is recognizing the figures who've made a lasting impact on the sport. The fact that Henry "Smokey" Yunick is not even listed among the 25 people being considered for enshrinement is at least a great oversight and at most a travesty. Yunick has been recognized by several other halls for his contributions to racing:
• National Racing Hall of Fame
• International MotorSports Hall of Fame
• Legends of Auto Racing Hall of Fame
• Stock Car Racing, Daytona Hall of Fame
• Darlington Motor Speedway Hall of Fame
• Legends of Performance – Chevrolet Hall of Fame
• TRW Mechanic Hall of Fame
• Living Legends of Auto Racing – 1997
• Stock Car Racing Magazine Hall of Fame
• Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame
• Voted #7 on list of Top 10 athletes of the Century
by Winston Salem Journal, Oct. 1999
• University of Central Florida, President's Medallion Society
• Rotary Club of Oceanside – Daytona Beach
He has also received several awards:
• Two Time NASCAR Mechanic of the Year
• Mechanical Achievements Awards – Indianapolis Motor Speedway &
Ontario Motor Speedway
• Engineering Award – Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Inventor of the Year – 1983
• Charlotte Motor Speedway Presents the Annual Smokey Yunick Lifetime Achievement Award
The NASCAR Hall of Fame should be about the accomplishments of a person's career and not about the politics that surrounded the individual. Smokey Yunick had a greater impact on NASCAR than any other mechanic and he deserves to be recognized for his contributions. Hopefully the nominating committee will realize after the fire last week that his legacy was more important than some petty grudges.
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...
@NASCARBowles (Tom Bowles): First off, prayers and support to @ericmcclure on the loss of his home from a tornado. Glad everyone's OK. Tough day for #NASCAR...
@Tbayne21 (Trevor Bayne): Still at the hospital! Don't think its related to the bite.. But we'll see! God has something cool going on that we can't yet see!
@jaywpennell: Kurt Busch: "You guys ever feel like you're just wasting time?" Not the A+ performance he was looking for. #NASCAR
@JennaFryer: It's that portion of the race where I'm going to flip over to KuBu's channel and learn some new curse words.
@jaywpennell: Kurt Busch screams: "We look like a monkey f*($%ing a football! The Penske team looks like a joke!" #NASCAR
@DeLanaHarvick: I hope so because I'd sure like to hear it. sounds epic.... RT @jennafryer: Is there someone out there who records the 22?
@MartySmithESPN: Kurt Busch notes that the 22 resembles a monkey having relations with a football.
@KrissieNewman: RT @LewisFranck: Paging Don Miller, paging Don Miller. We need you to unretire.
@Samantha_Busch: I may be biased bc he's my hubby but I can watch kb restart all day long! He amazes me how he weaves in n outta traffic like that!
@JimmieJohnson: That's called making chicken salad out of chicken Sh&#!!!!!
@Samantha_Busch: Oh man @kylebusch talkin bout @jeff_gluck runnin round garage area in captain thunder outfit. I think we r all getting a lil slap happy here
@MartinTruexJr56: UN-FRICKIN-BELIEVABLE..........
@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): Kurt and I sometimes share similar thoughts... Different approaches "@tzillamilla I take it you are none too pleased with your ride lately?
@keselowski: So 2 sum up r night- Top5 car short run 35th place car long run. We have lots of work 2 do But I really believe in Paul Wolfe my crew chief.
@keselowski: Bottom line Gibbs cars r both faster and capable of being drove harder then anyone else's. When I drive mine hard we blow or cord tires.
@keselowski: Tonight we corded LF tires on long runs. So the only way to get anywhere was to drive like a maniac on restarts. Eventually got us wrecked
@keselowski: Feel bad for my road crew. Probably could have ran a chill race and got a 20th But I tried for 15 to go and got us in trouble. Finished in the 30s.
@31n2Spotter (Brett Griffin): Wth happened with 39 and 42? They both race u hard bout all the time esp the 42...
@31n2Spotter: "@kartracer3886: @31n2Spotter i always hear drivers complain about newman" ~~ he's bad. Montoya is worse. Like passin a kidney stone
@31n2Spotter: "@Jsagmeister: Even better 22 was on fire on the #radio! Epic was used to describe it!!!" ~~ his crew works 6 days a week to hear him whine
@31n2Spotter: No one on the 22 is happy bout the way they ran I'm sure. Imagine if they all were immature.
@31n2Spotter: It's perfectly fine to get pissed and let it out. Constant disrespect is deflating for team moral. #commonsense
@31n2Spotter: Maybe Ricky Rudd's crew guy that popped his ass should be on the 22 to keep everyone in check. Rudd MFd his motor. Crew guy didn't like it…
@31n2Spotter: Those guys pour their hearts, souls and lives into their team every week. Hope for their sake they get better results. #penske
@31n2Spotter: How our team sport differs tho: drivers feel isolated inside of car. EZ to forget u aren't alone. Most do gr8 job managing emotions.
@Kenny_Wallace: The Greatest short track driver of all time just called me, "Dick Trickle".. he said this "My Boy you are back, You're running good."
@KevinHarvick: @Kenny_Wallace you just wanted to say Dick Trickle!!!
@KevinHarvick: @Kenny_Wallace come on say it 3 times real fast it will make you laugh everytime!
@jjyeley1 (J.J. Yeley): Thanks to Star Coach race tours for a great weekend stay in the new StarCoach. Lots of laughs. I am looking forward to going to Darlington!
@31n2Spotter: I'ma wake my momma up! Bin Laden is dead!!!!!! Cheer! The asshole that attacked America suffers.
@31n2Spotter: Obama get ur ass on tv! Tell us our brave soldiers kicked his ass!!!!
@16_spotter (Joel Edmonds): so does this mean "have at it boys" again on the commercial airlines #thehangover
@keselowski: Wow Didn't think it would ever happen… Almost ten years later we finally got it done. Tonight, we are all Proud to be American.
@jeff_gluck (Jeff Gluck): I hope the heroes responsible for killing the bad guy will be grand marshals at a #NASCAR race soon.
@kristavoda: No party divide tonight. We are not republicans or democrats. We are Americans. And so proud of it.
@JimmieJohnson: Man, I went to bed early and missed the big news. What a way to wake up though. Thanks to all the men and women who serve our country.
@jaywpennell: Talladega Superspeedway to allow fans to drive their cars around the speedway May 6-8 for a $50 donation to American Red Cross. #NASCAR
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:
The Ups And Downs Continue For The Other Keselowski
by Bryan Davis Keith
Beyond The Cockpit: Jeremy Clements On Surviving As An Independent In NNS
by Bryan Davis Keith
Top 10 Excuses Juan Pablo Montoya Had For Wrecking Ryan Newman
by the Frontstretch Staff
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Richmond
compiled by Mike Neff
Mirror Driving: Settling Into NASCAR Spring
by the Frontstretch Staff
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: 2006 was a great year for Kevin Harvick in the Busch Series, winning nine times and clinching the championship with four races still to run. The Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington was (for Harvick) a middling race where he finished seventh. However, something patently ridiculous featuring Harvick was shown on FX prior to the race. What was it?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: Bill Elliott was in position to steal victory late in the 1987 TranSouth 500 at Darlington Raceway. However, the cruel hand of fate dealt Elliott a blow. What happened to deny him the victory?
A: Elliott was less than a mile from claiming victory on the egg-shaped 1.366-mile oval when his No. 9 Coors Ford ran out of fuel. Dale Earnhardt, who had led well over half the race already, was in perfect position to take advantage of Elliott's issues and win his third race of the season. Thanks to his victory the previous day in the Gatorade 200, it also gave Earnhardt the weekend sweep. Elliott coasted to the line in second.
Earnhardt used the Darlington victory to start off on a streak of four victories in a row at four of the hardest tracks on the Winston Cup schedule at the time (Darlington, Bristol, North Wilkesboro and Martinsville). By the end of April, Earnhardt had six wins and a 157 point lead over Elliott, putting him well on his way to his third championship.
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 is back again this season with his sarcastic sense of humor.
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. Wanna know what he's writing about? So do we! Check 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 Richmond? Well, Brett has just what you need to know to turn things around when choosing your teams for Darlington Saturday night.
5th Column TBA
------------------------------Earnhardt used the Darlington victory to start off on a streak of four victories in a row at four of the hardest tracks on the Winston Cup schedule at the time (Darlington, Bristol, North Wilkesboro and Martinsville). By the end of April, Earnhardt had six wins and a 157 point lead over Elliott, putting him well on his way to his third championship.
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 is back again this season with his sarcastic sense of humor.
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. Wanna know what he's writing about? So do we! Check 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 Richmond? Well, Brett has just what you need to know to turn things around when choosing your teams for Darlington Saturday night.
5th Column TBA
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2011 Frontstretch.com
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