THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
June 28th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CXXIII
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Today's Top News
compiled by the Frontstretch Staff
For a fifth straight year, Turner Sports confirmed their plans Monday to cover the Daytona Coke Zero 400 with limited commercial interruption. Their Wide Open Coverage, resulting in zero laps of racing missed in 2010 broadcasts the competition through a letterbox, widescreen format allowing for an additional amount of racing action to be shown on screen. In place of ads, the telecast features a variety of animated sponsor messages, branded contact and live leaderboard sponsors; a limited number of local breaks will also still be rolled. Among this year's group of companies signing on include Coke Zero, Coors Light, Pfizer, Sprint, Toyota, Warner Brothers Films' Horrible Bosses and Crazy, Stupid, Love, all of whom will have special "ad time" running during coverage.
"We look forward to our fifth consecutive year of providing viewers with continuous green flag racing and more information on the 43 drivers in the field for the signature race of TNT's NASCAR Summer Series," said Jeff Behnke, Executive Producer/Senior Vice President of Turner Sports in a press release. "Through TNT and NASCAR.COM, we look forward to providing race fans with an all-access pass to all the sights and sounds of our primetime race in Daytona."
The first network to run side-by-side commercials during Cup races, allowing for a greater amount of coverage research has shown what Turner's doing has worked well for advertisers who commit to the program. According to Nielsen IAG Research, advertisements featured during the 2010 TNT NASCAR Wide Open Coverage race delivered a solid, 68% brand recall score from viewers.
The telecast of the Daytona Cup race will begin with a 6:30 PM pre-race show on TNT.
Montreal In Negotiations For Nationwide Race Extension
NASCAR's initial "experiment" north of the border is looking like it's getting a permanent home on the schedule. Stock-Car Montreal, a subsidiary of ISC is negotiating with the French government on a $500,000 grant for 2012, key in laying down a likely five-year extension to keep NASCAR's popular Nationwide Series race in Montreal, Canada. Held at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the island road course has been a part of the division since 2007 and will host a 200-mile event once again on August 20th.
The Montreal Gazette is reporting both sides are closing in on a deal, but the window of negotiation expires the end of the week.
Silly Season Updates
- Multiple outlets are reporting that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is closing in on a three to five-year extension with Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt, whose contract expires in 2012 has been having a bit of a renaissance year, seventh in the Cup Series standings with as many top-5s, top-10s and poles in sixteen races as he had during all of last season combined.
Earnhardt's current sponsors, AMP Energy and the National Guard, are expected to be part of any new deal.
- With Red Bull Racing's plan to leave NASCAR, it appears Clint Bowyer is back at the bargaining table with Richard Childress. Both sides maintained at Sonoma this weekend sticking together is their number one priority, sponsorship the only thing holding up a long-term deal that would see Bowyer return to the No. 33 for 2012 and beyond.
Cheerios is the current primary backer on the car, but their deal is up at the end of 2011 and the company has made no official announcement about 2012 and beyond. This season, Bowyer is eighth in points with three top-5s and eight top-10 finishes; he had been negotiating with RBR about a deal before the company backed out altogether with their surprise announcement last week.
- Juan Pablo Montoya continues to work on a contract extension that would keep him behind the wheel of Chip Ganassi's No. 42 for next season. Target would also stay on board with any deal, according to sources that would keep the outfit a two-car operation for 2012; teammate Jamie McMurray as well as his sponsors are already in place.
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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!
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Numbers Game: Bucyrus 200/Toyota Save Mart 350k
0
The number of top-10 finishes for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in 12 career starts at Infineon. He was 41st on Sunday.
0
The number of Sprint Cup regulars in Saturday's Nationwide race. It was the first time this season that it happened.
1
The number of finishes outside the top-10 for Juan Pablo Montoya in five starts at Infineon. He finished 22nd on Sunday.
4
The number of races Kyle Busch has not led a lap in this season in the Sprint Cup series. Busch did not lead at Infineon and finished 11th.
6
Consecutive number of finishes of sixth or better for Marcos Ambrose at road courses. He was fifth at Infineon on Sunday.
8th
Reed Sorenson's starting position for the first green-white-checkered restart in Saturday's Nationwide race at Road America. Sorenson ended up winning the race for his first road course win.
11
The number of different winners in the Sprint Cup Series through 16 races this season.
11
The number of races won by a driver that has started outside the top-10 through 16 Sprint Cup races.
12
The number of points separating Brad Keselowski from the top-20 in the Sprint Cup point standings. Keselowski needs to be in the top-20 to be eligible for the Chase for the Cup.
15
The number of top-10 finishes for Jeff Gordon in 19 starts at Infineon. Gordon finished second on Sunday.
19th
Justin Allgaier's finishing position in Saturday's Nationwide race after taking the white flag in the lead. Allgaier ran out of gas on the final lap under caution.
19.7
The average finishing position of Sprint Cup drivers following a win in the previous Sprint Cup race in 2011. After winning at Michigan, Denny Hamlin was 37th at Infineon.
23
The number of Sprint Cup victories for Kurt Busch. With his 23rd victory he tied Ricky Rudd for 26th on the all-time win list. Rudd's last win came at Infineon in 2002.
38
The number of races since Kurt Busch's last win before winning Sunday's race at Infineon.
Tony Stewart's finishing position after being wrecked by Brian Vickers. It was Stewart's worst finish ever at a road course. The previous worst was in 2006 at Infineon (28th).
68
The number of wins for Penske Racing in the Sprint Cup series after Kurt Busch's win on Sunday.
75.411
The average speed of race-winner Kurt Busch at Infineon.
76
The number of laps led by Kurt Busch in Sunday's 110-lap race in at Infineon.
587
Laps completed this season by Joe Nemechek through 16 Sprint Cup races. He ran 66 laps at Infineon on his way to a 40th-place finish.
Brett Poirier is a Website Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at brett.poirier@frontstretch.com.
Today's Featured Commentary
Champion Again: Will 2011 Be Busch's Return To Greatness?
by S.D. Grady
There's been an unfamiliar face holding various flags and trophies up in Victory Lane as of late. Well, not as much unfamiliar as unexpected. Kurt Busch finally managed to do on Sunday what his No. 22 has struggled to accomplish this year, and yet came up short time after time. He won. Not an, "Excuse me, sir, may I come through?" kind of win... but a, "Just who do you think you are, even trying to keep up with the man?" sort of day. It was rather spectacular. I saw shades of 2004, his championship year, just without all the youthful angst that he seems to have shared with his brother oh so well.
However, taking into consideration his maturity and recent triumphs, is it wise to start considering a new addition to the Cup trophy room in the Busch household? I'd say it's a bit premature. He's got three powerhouse teams ahead of him in the standings right now, and we haven't even entered into the Chase, when certain repeat winners seem to turn on the switch come September.
One point ahead of Busch's fourth-place position sits none other than Jimmie Johnson, Mr. You-Know-Who. Except for the fact that Busch hasn't won the last five Cups, their 2011 seasons have had disturbing similarities: not quite greatness, spattered with moments of complete domination. It hasn't been so long since J.J. lived in Victory Lane, day-in-day-out, that we've forgotten his potency when the real money is waved at the No. 48 team. Still, that Lowe's Chevy hasn't been flying the colors quite as convincingly this year as in previous ones. Could Kurt take out Jimmie right now? Good possibility.
Next up, Happy Harvick himself. It's still taking a bit of adjustment looking at the nine-point separation and believing it's a larger gap than what my memory tells me. However, Harvick's three wins and the continued consistent killer performance from the RCR stables leaves me in no doubt that I could see the No. 29 doing the happy dance at Homestead. Not much has slowed the Shell/Pennzoil team down over the past twelve months, drama drowned out by persistent performances near the front of the pack. Even Sunday, with all the dents and dings of a road course Harvick and Co. looked pretty stout on one of their weaker tracks. Now, maybe that might be a champ with more than a chip on his shoulder, but we'd have a heck of a time getting to that final checkered flag.
That's two teams ahead of the No. 22 well able to give us all a show in the final ten weeks of the 2011 season. At this point, I'd call Harvick and Johnson even odds for who might win out — Knaus is likely to sprinkle some fairy dust over the No. 48 crew and somehow bring it all home again. Harvick? It's a matter of refusing to give it up. He'll claw his way all the way to the end. Busch's team would have to remain on target with better and better finishes as the year progresses. Doable, but a real fight is in store for them.
However, there is one more team. The one team sitting at the top of the points…Carl Edwards and his No. 99 Roush Ford. Should things remain much as they are, and I haven't seen anybody stumbling over in that garage, I don't think Busch should be getting too excited about snaring that major piece of hardware at the end of the year.
Everybody's favorite backflip boy is executing a season that the forefathers of our sport built the points system on originally — consistently awesome. A win, nine top-5's and 10 top-10's earn a wow! Even when the going gets tough, the crew keeps going; they made sure he was still running in the end at Pocono, even after his engine decided to shed parts early on. Focused, hungry and achieving the near impossible, Cousin Carl has not disappointed his fans and has silenced the doubters for the year.
What would it take for Busch to knock Edwards off his perch?
Somehow, this newly rejuvenated Penske team would have to pull off the remainder of the season — 20 long races — without an error. I'm not saying without a mulligan, but without another stumble. No loose wheels, dropped air guns, sour engines or ill-timed fuel stops.
We know the No. 48 excels at near-perfection when the leaves turn. The No. 29 won't give up... 'cause they're just ornery.
That No. 22 just doesn't have the reputation of a team that's willing to give it all up in search of the Big One. I don't know… I guess I'm not sold on the idea.
So one runaway win at one of two road courses doesn't a champion make. Instead, there must be a long string of appearances without flaw to garner one of the most prestigious trophies in all of sports. Kurt Busch may have once been a champion, and learned many a lesson in the years since, but he still has a long ways to go before he will stand atop that podium one more time. We must see many more Sav-Mart 350's from the No. 22 team in order to achieve this goal.
After all, isn't consistency what NASCAR is built on?
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Five Points to Ponder: Did Logano Save Himself...and To Hell With Racing's Elite
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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: The 1990 Pepsi 400 marked one of only two points-paying Winston Cup victories at Daytona for Dale Earnhardt. However, the race is notable for a massive crash at the beginning of the event. What happened?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: As a result of NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway of holding their 400-mile sauna of a race on July 4th, regardless of the day of the week, the now-Coke Zero 400 was one of the last Cup races to get a live, flag-to-flag telecast. When was the first one aired live, flag-to-flag?
A: That was in 1990. Up until 1988, ABC provided highlighted coverage via tape-delay. Typically, about an hour or so of coverage would actually air on television. For 1989, the race moved to ESPN. They provided a flag-to-flag telecast, but it was still tape-delayed. The 10am start time might have had something to do with it. Eventually, the start time was moved back to 11am to allow for the live telecast.
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!
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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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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Summer Dreyer
-- Full Throttle by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
The Mirror crew is at it again with more talking points to debate. Topics include whether NASCAR handled the last lap of the Bucyrus 200 correctly, NASCAR's strategy in dealing with the various examples of "Having at it" in Sonoma, whether any of the conflicts will flare up in Daytona, and more.
Frontstretch Top Ten by the Frontstretch Staff
Our weekly list based on the latest NASCAR controversy will start your morning off with a laugh -- guaranteed.
Top 15 Power Rankings by the Frontstretch Staff
Which driver came out of Sonoma on top of our 2011 Power Rankings chart? Jimmie Johnson? Carl Edwards? Kevin Harvick? Someone else? Find out who our select Frontstretch experts have labeled as this week's favorite heading into the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Foto Funnies: Toyota/Save Mart 350k Edition by Kurt Smith
Kurt's back to leave you laughing with the best photos you didn't see in the papers from Sonoma.
Voice Of Vito by Vito Pugliese
Vito is officially back with his own commentary.
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