THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 18th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CLXX
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Frontstretch sends its well wishes, prayers, and support to all our Southern U.S., Joplin, MO and Western Massachusetts fans affected by the swath of tornadoes over the past few weeks. To help out recovery efforts, text "GIVE" to 80888 to donate $10 towards disaster relief efforts in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Massachusetts and Missouri through the Salvation Army.
Today's Top News
by Phil Allaway
ESPN.com's Marty Smith is reporting something that likely will not surprise most NASCAR fans these days. Confirming rumors that have circulated for months, he says Danica Patrick will be leaving the Izod IndyCar Series at the end of the 2011 season to move to the Nationwide Series full-time in 2012. GoDaddy.com, Patrick's primary sponsor, would follow her and sponsor the No. 7 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports full-time.
In addition, Patrick would drive a limited schedule of Sprint Cup races during 2012 for a third team with Stewart-Haas Racing. In 2013, that team and Patrick would race full-time at NASCAR's top level, part of a multi-million dollar deal that would keep her in stock cars for the foreseeable future.
The deal is currently still being negotiated, but is very close to completion and could be announced as early as Phoenix next week; that's because GoDaddy is based in the Phoenix area and Patrick lives in nearby Scottsdale.
Neither of the NASCAR teams involved in the potential deal had anything to report on Wednesday.
"Tony Stewart has always said that he would love to have her, but we're a long ways from being at that point," said Mike Arning, spokesman for Stewart-Haas Racing. "From a Stewart-Haas Racing standpoint, things aren't there yet." JR Motorsports simply stated that there was "nothing new to report."
Patrick's Stewart-Haas deal is said to include eight to nine Sprint Cup attempts in 2012. If true, that would make it impossible for her to campaign for Rookie of the Year in 2013 under the current rule system; however, there have been rumblings that NASCAR will make changes to rookie eligibility next season. Sources say Patrick will try and preserve her rookie status if possible to run for the award in 2013.
More SAFER Barrier Additions
Late Tuesday, Rockingham Speedway announced that they are adding SAFER Barriers in the turns of the 1.017-mile tri-oval, and on the inside wall on the backstretch. The barriers, estimated to cost $1 million per mile of barrier, will be installed in two phases. Phase No. 1 will be in mid-September, while Phase No. 2 will be in December.
The move is a sign that Rockingham desires to return to the "big time," courting NASCAR as the sanctioning body requires SAFER Barriers at all ovals hosting races in their "National" series (Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Trucks). Having them means that Rockingham can get back in the discussion for 2012 dates, a goal representatives admitted Wednesday they're pursuing.
"If it looks like we are being proactive about attracting a larger event, that's not an accident," said Robert Ingraham, General Manager of Rockingham Speedway.
According to ESPN.com's Ryan McGee, sources have revealed that Rockingham has had preliminary discussions with NASCAR about a potential Nationwide and/or Camping World Truck Series date at the track in 2012. The Nationwide Series is currently looking at a minimum of two open slots on the schedule for next year (potentially three if Montreal's promoters cannot get some extra money together), so it could be an relatively inexpensive option for the teams.
The Rockingham Speedway of today is a bit of a shell of its former self from when the Cup Series still raced there. The backstretch grandstands were removed when Andy Hillenburg bought the track from SMI at auction; former owner O. Bruton Smith moved those stands to the then-new zMax Dragway in Concord. Still, the track has approximately 35,000 seats and has continued to host several racing events and a driving school during the year. The track surface is now 17 years old, although a sealer was applied before the 2008 racing season.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400: 46 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible To Earn Points:
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 38 - Travis Kvapil for Front Row Motorsports
No. 50 - T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 51 - Landon Cassill for Phoenix Racing
No. 60 - Mike Skinner for Germain Racing
No. 66 - Todd Bodine for HP Racing, LLC
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 32 - Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing Andrew Ranger. Ranger was in the car for a one-race deal as a road course specialist.
No. 37 - Tony Raines returns to the seat, replacing Scott Speed. Speed's three-race deal, with limited financial backing has expired.
No. 38 - Travis Kvapil returns to the seat, replacing Terry Labonte. Labonte was in the car for a one-race deal as a road course specialist and to automatically make the race with his past champion's provisional.
No. 46 - Erik Darnell returns to the seat, replacing Brian Simo. Simo was in the car for a one-race deal as a road course specialist; this car will start and park now with Darnell.
No. 51 - Landon Cassill returns to the seat, replacing Boris Said. Said was in the car for a one-race deal as a road course specialist.
No. 66 - Todd Bodine returns to the seat, replacing Michael McDowell. McDowell is racing up in Montreal; Bodine will start-and-park this Cup effort.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 7 - Robby Gordon for Robby Gordon Motorsports*
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 30 - David Stremme for Inception Motorsports*
No. 37 - Tony Raines for Front Row Motorsports / MaxQ Motorsports*
No. 38 - Travis Kvapil for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 46 - Erik Darnell for Whitney Motorsports*
No. 50 - T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports*
No. 55 - J.J. Yeley for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 60 - Mike Skinner for Germain Racing*
No. 66 - Todd Bodine for HP Racing, LLC*
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
* - Entry expected to start and park
Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200: 49 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 9 - Marcos Ambrose for Richard Petty Motorsports
No. 18 - Michael McDowell for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 30 - Boris Said for Turner Motorsports
No. 41 - Tomy Drissi for Rick Ware Racing
No. 60 - Carl Edwards for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 75 - Chris Cook for Rick Ware Racing
No. 77 - Robby Gordon for Robby Gordon Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 03 - Jean Francois Dumoulin is in the seat, replacing Alex Kennedy. If he qualifies, this will be Dumoulin's second career start. In 2009, Dumoulin finished seventh at Montreal in R3 Motorsports' No. 23.
No. 04 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Danny O'Quinn, Jr. This car will likely start-and-park.
No. 7 - Danica Patrick returns to the seat, replacing Jimmie Johnson. Patrick is continuing her limited schedule in preparation for a full-time run at the series in 2012 (see above).
No. 12 - Alex Tagliani is in the seat, replacing Sam Hornish, Jr. It's a one-race deal for the Canadian to run in Penske equipment.
No. 13 - Dan Brode is in the seat, replacing T.J. Bell. Brode was originally entered for Watkins Glen, but was replaced at the 11th hour.
No. 18 - Michael McDowell returns to the seat, replacing Kyle Busch. It's part of his limited schedule driving in selected race for JGR.
No. 22 - Jacques Villeneuve returns to the seat, replacing Kurt Busch. Brad Keselowski is still recovering from Road Atlanta injuries and will not attempt to race.
No. 30 - Boris Said is in the seat, replacing James Buescher. It's a one-race deal in Turner Motorsports equipment for the road course.
No. 33 - Scott Speed returns to the seat, replacing Paul Menard. Speed is driving a handful of events for KHI in the Nationwide Series this season.
No. 39 - Luis Martinez, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Casey Roderick.
No. 42 - Chase Miller is in the seat, replacing Tim Andrews. This car will start-and-park.
No. 52 - Louis-Philippe Dumoulin will be in the seat, replacing Dan Clarke. This will be Louis-Philippe's Nationwide Series debut.
No. 70 - Blake Koch will be in the seat, replacing Dennis Setzer. Koch is moving over from MacDonald Motorsports in a one-race deal since Maryeve Dufault brought additional sponsorship to that team.
No. 75 - Chris Cook returns to the seat, replacing Tomy Drissi. Cook practiced and qualified the car in Watkins Glen, but gave way to Drissi when Drissi DNQ'd.
No. 81 - Maryeve Dufault is in the seat, replacing Blake Koch. This will be her Nationwide Series debut.
No. 99 - Patrick Carpentier returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Truex. This will be the final start of Carpentier's career; he plans to retire after this event.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 03 - Jean Francois Dumoulin for R3 Motorsports
No. 04 - Unknown driver for Go Green Racing*
No. 5 - Ron Fellows for JR Motorsports
No. 9 - Marcos Ambrose for Richard Petty Motorsports
No. 12 - Alex Tagliani for Penske Racing
No. 13 - Dan Brode for JJC Racing
No. 16 - Trevor Bayne for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 21 - Tim George, Jr. for Richard Childress Racing
No. 41 - Tomy Drissi for Rick Ware Racing
No. 42 - Chase Miller for Key Motorsports*
No. 44 - Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 53 - Andrew Ranger for NDS Motorsports
No. 55 - Brett Rowe for Faith Motorsports*
No. 64 - Jason Bowles for Rusty Wallace Racing
No. 67 - J.R. Fitzpatrick for Go Canada Racing
No. 75 - Chris Cook for Rick Ware Racing
No. 77 - Robby Gordon for Robby Gordon Motorsports
No. 97 - Kyle Kelley for NEMCO Motorsports
No. 99 - Patrick Carpentier for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing
* - Entry expected to start-and-park
Absent:
No. 20 - Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing (no funding)
No. 46 - Key Motorspots (withdrawn due to the large field size - this entry would have start-and-parked)
No. 49 - Mark Green for Jay Robinson Racing (withdrawn due to the large field size - this entry would have start-and-parked)
Camping World Truck Series VFW 200: 30 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 2 - Kevin Harvick for Kevin Harvick, Inc.
No. 18 - Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 32 - Mark Martin for Turner Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 07 - Butch Miller returns to the seat, replacing Chad McCumbee. Miller typically drives the truck when there's no sponsorship and parks it.
No. 51 - Colin Braun is in the seat, replacing Justin Johnson. This marks Braun's return to the series after being let go by Roush Fenway Racing.
Since there are only 30 trucks entered, no one will go home. However, these drivers still must qualify on speed.
No. 38 - Mike Garvey for RSS Motorsports*
No. 51 - Colin Braun for Billy Ballew Motorsports
No. 57 - Norm Benning for Benning Racing
No. 87 - Chris Jones for Jones Motorsports
No. 98 - Dakoda Armstrong for ThorSport Racing
* - Entry will likely start-and-park
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
What is it about Watkins Glen that brings out the complete inability for men to engage in mortal combat? First it was Juan Pablo Montoya and Kevin Harvick holding hands at Watkins Glen a couple of years ago, now it's Greg Biffle throwing "baby punches," and Boris Said trying to go Waterboy around ten crew men with his helmet on. It's times like these we are reminded of how you are supposed to confront somebody. Guys like Jimmy Spencer and, naturally, A.J. Foyt come to mind….
Note: Boris Said and Greg Biffle have actually settled their differences as of Thursday morning. For a full transcript of what was said on SIRIUS XM, click here.
Danica Patrick is set to announce her full-time move to the Nationwide Series in 2012. It will be the culmination of three years of wooing, waiting, and courting the raven-haired speed goddess to leave open-wheel behind and enter the world of full-on fendered competition. Patrick was actually in position to have a chance to contend for the win at last weekend's IZOD Indy Car Series race at Loudon, New Hampshire until Mother Nature intervened. As the field came to the green, the track was awash in precipitation, but IndyCar officials dropped the green flag anyway, and a multi-car wreck promptly ensued when Patrick spun on the wet surface in front of the field. Kind of ironic…on a day when the NASCAR crowd shut it down early because they didn't have rain tires and wipers for their souped up sedans, the dainty open-wheelers were out running on slicks in the wet on a short track. Truly a sign of the apocalypse.
When did Brad Keselowski decide to just start kicking ass all of a sudden? From his clutch fuel saving strategy at Kansas (literally – pushing the clutch in at every corner to coast at idle, conserving Sunoco race fuel [the official fuel of NASCAR]) for his first win of the year and second of his career. On a bum wheel at Pocono days after stuffing it in the wall at triple digit speeds at Road Atlanta, Keselowski won his second of the season and firmly established the Blue Deuce as the team to beat in the Wild Card hunt for the Sprint Cup Championship. At Watkins Glen, as teammate Kurt Busch nursed brake issues – eventually stuffing it into the tires by the carousel – Keselowski took the lead on the final restart, getting passed by race winner and road course ace extraordinaire Marcos Ambrose in the bus stop while nearly winning his third race of the season.
Either way, it is a boon for Dodge, who most likely will end up with all but one of their cars in The Chase (Robby Gordon); for Penske, who finally has a legitimate teammate for Kurt Busch – and a driver who doesn't fly off the handle at the team or flip off race officials (Will Power) to help buoy The Captain's ship, and for the people of Michigan. It's been a few years since those in the Miserable Mitten have had a hometown hero to cheer for, since Johnny Benson, Jr. all but disappeared from the scene after winning the 2008 Truck Series Championship – and losing his ride in the process.
Other Michigan notables include Jack Sprague, Butch Miller, Benny Parsons (technically – he drove a cab in Detroit), and two of the greatest drivers ever to race in ASA but who never took their shot at the big time: Mike Eddy and the Blue Bird – Bob Senneker. So take heart, Michiganders. Between Bad Brad, the Tigers' pennant run, and the pre-season playoff talk surrounding the Detroit Lions, there is something to cheer about for a change. That is, until about three more months from now when it starts snowing again...
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
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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.
~~~~~~~~~~~
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
What is it about Watkins Glen that brings out the complete inability for men to engage in mortal combat? First it was Juan Pablo Montoya and Kevin Harvick holding hands at Watkins Glen a couple of years ago, now it's Greg Biffle throwing "baby punches," and Boris Said trying to go Waterboy around ten crew men with his helmet on. It's times like these we are reminded of how you are supposed to confront somebody. Guys like Jimmy Spencer and, naturally, A.J. Foyt come to mind….
Note: Boris Said and Greg Biffle have actually settled their differences as of Thursday morning. For a full transcript of what was said on SIRIUS XM, click here.
Danica Patrick is set to announce her full-time move to the Nationwide Series in 2012. It will be the culmination of three years of wooing, waiting, and courting the raven-haired speed goddess to leave open-wheel behind and enter the world of full-on fendered competition. Patrick was actually in position to have a chance to contend for the win at last weekend's IZOD Indy Car Series race at Loudon, New Hampshire until Mother Nature intervened. As the field came to the green, the track was awash in precipitation, but IndyCar officials dropped the green flag anyway, and a multi-car wreck promptly ensued when Patrick spun on the wet surface in front of the field. Kind of ironic…on a day when the NASCAR crowd shut it down early because they didn't have rain tires and wipers for their souped up sedans, the dainty open-wheelers were out running on slicks in the wet on a short track. Truly a sign of the apocalypse.
When did Brad Keselowski decide to just start kicking ass all of a sudden? From his clutch fuel saving strategy at Kansas (literally – pushing the clutch in at every corner to coast at idle, conserving Sunoco race fuel [the official fuel of NASCAR]) for his first win of the year and second of his career. On a bum wheel at Pocono days after stuffing it in the wall at triple digit speeds at Road Atlanta, Keselowski won his second of the season and firmly established the Blue Deuce as the team to beat in the Wild Card hunt for the Sprint Cup Championship. At Watkins Glen, as teammate Kurt Busch nursed brake issues – eventually stuffing it into the tires by the carousel – Keselowski took the lead on the final restart, getting passed by race winner and road course ace extraordinaire Marcos Ambrose in the bus stop while nearly winning his third race of the season.
Either way, it is a boon for Dodge, who most likely will end up with all but one of their cars in The Chase (Robby Gordon); for Penske, who finally has a legitimate teammate for Kurt Busch – and a driver who doesn't fly off the handle at the team or flip off race officials (Will Power) to help buoy The Captain's ship, and for the people of Michigan. It's been a few years since those in the Miserable Mitten have had a hometown hero to cheer for, since Johnny Benson, Jr. all but disappeared from the scene after winning the 2008 Truck Series Championship – and losing his ride in the process.
Other Michigan notables include Jack Sprague, Butch Miller, Benny Parsons (technically – he drove a cab in Detroit), and two of the greatest drivers ever to race in ASA but who never took their shot at the big time: Mike Eddy and the Blue Bird – Bob Senneker. So take heart, Michiganders. Between Bad Brad, the Tigers' pennant run, and the pre-season playoff talk surrounding the Detroit Lions, there is something to cheer about for a change. That is, until about three more months from now when it starts snowing again...
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
Today's Featured Commentary
Finally, The Rock Has Installed SAFER Barriers! (And What It Might Mean For NASCAR)
Shakedown Session
by Brody Jones
For years, many a dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue NASCAR fan have long decried the lack of a NASCAR touring series date at Rockingham Speedway, also known as "The Rock" (not to be confused with the pro wrestler-turned-actor). But the big news coming out of Rockingham Speedway this week is the installment of SAFER barriers, at a hefty $1 million-plus cost per wall. Now what could this possibly mean, pray tell? With a recent opening of four dates on the NASCAR schedule following Nashville Superspeedway unceremoniously dropping their Nationwide and Truck Series dates for 2012, this could very well be the opening that Rockingham needed to get back into the NASCAR fold.Finally, The Rock Has Installed SAFER Barriers! (And What It Might Mean For NASCAR)
Shakedown Session
by Brody Jones
Ever since the inaugural race in 1965 at "The Rock," won by the legendary Curtis Turner, NASCAR in Rockingham was a time-honored tradition through 2004. But, when California Speedway took over Rockingham's NASCAR date, it left Rockingham abandoned for nearly three and a half years until veteran ARCA & NASCAR driver Andy Hillenburg bought the track for $3 million at auction. Since then, the track has held a variety of lower-level stock-car racing series, such as ARCA, the USAR Pro Cup Series, the PASS Late Model Series, and various other regional touring groups.
But the biggest caveat that has plagued The Rock's chances of bringing NASCAR back home have been a lack of attendance for the regional touring series events (Case in point: The USAR Pro Cup Series race this year at Rockingham drew a scant 500 fans. No, that is not a misprint. Five hundred fans.) If they can't draw flies for regional races, the question is how on earth will they draw fans to their facility for a NASCAR event, especially one that is not going to contain the biggest names in the sport? Granted, Iowa and Kentucky have done just fine, but Memphis, Gateway, and Nashville all suffered from sparse attendance despite names like Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and others headlining their events in recent years.
The second issue has been the lack of SAFER barriers at the track; but now, that problem's solved. NASCAR officials and Rockingham officials have had informal discussions for years, but the track's inability to upgrade its safety standards have left the conversations just that: informal. Track owner, Andy Hillenburg, has long been delaying the installment of these walls until he felt comfortable about NASCAR coming back to "The Rock." And now, with this announcement of SAFER barriers being installed at Rockingham, this definitely qualifies under the category of "Things that make you go 'Hmmm…'" Could this very well be a step in the right direction for NASCAR returning home to Rockingham? Granted, it's not a Cup Series date, but to draw a good crowd for Nationwide & Truck Series races would be a positive step in the right direction.
At the end of the day, one cannot help but play devil's advocate over the implementation of the SAFER walls at Rockingham. Could this very well mean the roaring horsepower of NASCAR motors that purr like Eartha Kitt in her "Cat-Woman" days could very well be coming back to life at "The Rock?" While the SAFER barriers may or may not mean anything long-term, one cannot help but contemplate the possibilities of NASCAR coming back to the Sand Hills of North Carolina and be at least a little bit encouraged by this sign.
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: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen
by Phil Allaway
Those notes, some inside information from my day inside (and out of) the Deadline Room Monday, along with the help of SPEED's Wednesday afternoon rebroadcast of the race, helped me put together this rare Thursday Sprint Cup telecast critique. I hope you enjoy it.
Monday dawned gray and gloomy at the America's Best Value Inn in Geneva, New York that I had booked for Sunday night 35 minutes before the race was postponed. It was a surprisingly good hotel room. Much better than I expected. I had booked it and was going to stay there regardless of whether the race actually ran on Sunday or not because if it did, it would have been so late by the time I finished up at the track that driving the 220 miles would have been too dangerous. I probably would have fallen asleep at the wheel, and state budget cuts had severely cut back on the number of rest areas on the route back (a grand total of two, and one was within 20 miles of my house). After checking out (which consisted of throwing my room key in a basket since I had paid in full when I checked in), I drove the 42 or so miles to the track. When I arrived, the place was shrouded in fog, much like it was around Lap 22 of the race. No rain at the time. Around 9:50am, it started spritzing, just like it did on Sunday and the start of the race was put in question. Thankfully, it stopped. It likely spritzed a bit during the race as well, and when I left to drive the 220 miles home in early afternoon. I was surprised that it stayed dry all day, knowing what the forecast had said.
ESPN's telecast started off with a simple introduction from the broadcast booth before cutting to the quirky Adam Richman for the command. If you think Richman's quirky on TV, he's just as quirky in real life. The dude is an outright character to behold, but very friendly.
I've noticed that in the replays, SPEED can insert additional commercial breaks. On the actual ESPN telecast, the first break was on Lap 8 (during which, A.J. Allmendinger was rooted out of the way by Kurt Busch). On SPEED, they added a break on Lap 6, but came back maybe ten seconds beyond where they went to break. However, they still took the break at Lap 8 as well. The result of these additional breaks is that it breaks the race up way too much.
There were a couple of references to the grass that was being kicked up onto the track in the Inner Loop after Kurt Busch and Allmendinger drove off-course. I'm confident that under normal circumstances, NASCAR would have thrown what they termed a debris caution to clean up the grass. Instead, with the threat of rain looming, they left the green out and hoped the cars blew the grass off the track. For the most part, that is what happened.
If you're wondering what those in attendance thought of Kurt's move, wonder no more. The consensus about it was that it was bush league and probably intentional. Meanwhile, Bestwick referenced the fog that was descending over the track on Lap 18. Usually, that is a sign of incoming precipitation. However, at the time this happened, I was feverishly checking radars on weather.com and the website for WENY, a local TV station in the Elmira area. Essentially, those radars showed zilch. Maybe a small speck of light green, but otherwise nothing. Something like mist would probably not show up on a radar, though. Also, note that the track is at the top of a steep hill. The lowest point of the course (in Turn 2) is 1,000 feet above sea level (the highest is 1,110 feet, at the Inner Loop), while the Village of Watkins Glen, four miles away, is about 450 feet above sea level. You know what that means.
Much of the action that fans were shown on ESPN was centered towards the front of the field. Granted, there was a fair amount of action there on Monday, but there was other stuff going on. Heck, even some drivers that actually finished in the top-10 (Martin Truex, Jr., Kevin Harvick) didn't really get much coverage. It's as if they had a production meeting at 8 AM Sunday and Shifty (James Shiftan, ESPN's Senior Producer at the track) said something along the lines of "OK, here we go. These are the guys we're focusing on today. Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Johnson, Ambrose, Montoya, Stewart, Brad Keselowski. That's our plan, let's stick with it." Not cool.
Also, the move that Montoya made exiting the pits on Lap 65 caused more than a couple of gasps in the Media Center. However, ESPN seemed unfazed by it. It was as if they knew Montoya would attempt that. There were a lot more gasps that came with Hamlin's crash in Turn 1. That happened during a commercial break. Due to the nature of the crash, ESPN cut out of their break after 90 seconds to show the wreck and what happened. The role of the concrete support of the catchfence should not be underplayed. Dale Jarrett claimed that had that not been there, Hamlin's hit would have been softened. My response to that is "maybe." What I think would have happened is that the car could have pushed the wall back another foot or so. Maybe it wouldn't have been anywhere near as bad as what Geoff Bodine did to the wall in Turn 5 back in 1989 (4:45 mark of this clip), but it still might have been enough to require a red flag for Armco repairs. NASCAR and Watkins Glen got lucky in this case.
On the last lap, I noticed something. While the leaders were coming through the Esses (just as the huge wreck was occurring), ESPN picked up some footage of dudes stealing the sponsor banners off of the metal placeholders on the other side of the chain fence in a restricted area. Not cool (of the ruffians, not ESPN). That is just plain dangerous. Also, not the first time I've seen this at the Glen. That time, it was a little more obvious (and even more stupid). I don't think anyone in the booth noticed, but it's worth noting.
Also of note, over the entire race telecast, the ambient sound (crowd and race cars) was much higher than normal. Watkins Glen didn't exactly have the biggest crowd on Monday (a good chunk of the grandstand crowd didn't return and a number of the campers pulled out Sunday night, including my own friends who all had to work Monday). However, they came in louder than almost any other crowd this season. As a result, Bestwick and the rest of the booth was a little hard to hear at times. Now, some of you are probably fine with this. However, it's not necessarily a good thing that the viewers cannot really hear the commentators.
SPEED guaranteed a three-hour time slot for the re-air and completed the race (with commercials) in two hours, 23 minutes. This allowed for the full post-race coverage to be shown. I don't think that's the norm for SPEED re-airs (I rarely watch them because I watch the regular telecasts), but it was great to see. A couple of notes. The confrontation between Boris Said and Greg Biffle's crew occurred during Brad Keselowski's press conference. Brad saw the footage on one of the TVs (there are 13 in the Deadline Room in all) that was tuned in to Sprint Vision and completely lost his train of thought. He said something to the effect of "Is that live?," and then forgot what he was talking about. Seriously.
I was really surprised that the now-infamous Boris Said interview actually aired during ESPN's telecast at all. Why? Because it wasn't any one of ESPN's pit reporters that conducted the interview. Instead, it was Ryan McGee, who does go on camera every now and then for NASCAR Now. However, he's primarily a writer, watching most of the race from the Media Center in the same room I was in. Also, did you note the chuckles in the background? That was the same sentiment that the epic interview got in the Media Center.
Finally, I noticed with both races at the Glen this past weekend that ESPN is showing the unofficial results outside of the scroll. I thought the sheer thought of ESPN doing that was amazing. It had been well over a year since they'd done it at all.
ESPN was given a great race by NASCAR to televise on Monday. The booth did a good job commentating on the event, but they were completely overshadowed by the volume issues mentioned above. Last I checked, it's not normal to have to strain in order to hear the commentators. Sorry, but that's the truth. Perhaps that was a problem on SPEED's end. I also still have issues with how so many teams could get ignored in a race like this with so many stories. It's truly sad that it has to be the case. Finally, SPEED's inserting of additional commercials into the telecast came off as a little low-rent. The inserted breaks would just come out of nowhere, then cut back to the race like nothing happened.
I hope you enjoyed this critique of ESPN's telecast of the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen and a look into the Media Center. Tune in next week, where I will provide a critique of SPEED's special, Darrell Waltrip: A Hometown Hero. For now, enjoy the action this weekend in Michigan and Montreal and I'll see you next week.
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 this week's Spencer For Hire: Busch and Johnson Feud Honors Greatness
"Apparently, referring to The Captain as "Dude" did not sit well with Johnson – which is odd since Lebowskifest is kicking off this week."- Vito Pugliese on Johnson's thoughts on one of Kurt Busch's tirades. Kurt Busch is basically the anti-Dude.
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:
Mirror Driving: As Joe Gibbs Racing Turns, In The Name Of Safety And Points Racing
by the Frontstretch Staff
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Mirror Driving: As Joe Gibbs Racing Turns, In The Name Of Safety And Points Racing
by the Frontstretch Staff
by Jeff Meyer
Fantasy Insider: Chase Bubble Drivers Willing To Gamble At Michigan
by Brett Poirier
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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 1994 Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway was won by Scott Goodyear. It was the last-ever victory in CART for car owner Kenny Bernstein. However, this race was notable for other factors that allowed Goodyear to claim the lead late. What happened?
Fantasy Insider: Chase Bubble Drivers Willing To Gamble At Michigan
by Brett Poirier
~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 1994 Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway was won by Scott Goodyear. It was the last-ever victory in CART for car owner Kenny Bernstein. However, this race was notable for other factors that allowed Goodyear to claim the lead late. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: The then-Busch Grand National Series held their first-ever race at Michigan International Speedway in August, 1992. Todd Bodine won in his No. 34 Pillsbury Hungry Jack Chevrolet. However, the weekend was shrouded in darkness. What happened?
A: Sadly, that weekend saw a big crash in practice take the life of rookie Clifford Allison, at the time, considered to be an up-and-coming driver. According to Peter Golenbock's book, Miracle: Bobby Allison And The Saga Of The Alabama Gang, the crash occurred on the very first run Clifford had ever made on radial tires. Clifford couldn't afford them for the low-buck team he was driving for at the time, so brother Davey bought him a set. In Turn 3, the car appeared to swap ends suddenly and hit the wall flush on the driver's side, killing Clifford immediately. Since Clifford had all but no experience on radials, he wasn't prepared for how little give they had if the car got loose. This lack of experience may have been his downfall, unfortunately.
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: Michigan by Brett Poirier
We'll have a preview of the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races this weekend in Michigan.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
-- In Case You Missed It by Brett Poirier
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Michigan by Brett Poirier
We'll have a preview of the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races this weekend in Michigan.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns with another intriguing commentary heading into Michigan.
Goin' Green by Garrett Horton
Garrett returns with more commentary and insight.
Goin' Green by Garrett Horton
Garrett returns with more commentary and insight.
Tearing Apart The Trucks by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth returns with an intriguing commentary ahead of the series making their annual visit to Michigan International Speedway.
Driver Diary: Kenny Wallace as told to Amy Henderson
The driver of the Nationwide Series No. 09 Toyota returns for another interesting look at the past month on and off the track.
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©2011 Frontstretch.com
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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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