THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 21st, 2011
Volume V, Edition CLXVI
~~~~~~~~~~
NEW PODCAST! Don't forget our new FREE weekly audio segments hosted by Doug Turnbull. Click here for the August 19th edition that features Kyle Busch as our main racing guest.
~~~~~~~~~~
Top News
by Vito Pugliese
Harvick Wins Truck Race At Michigan
No. 2 was the lucky number at the VFW 200 at Michigan International Speedway. It was just such an event that paved the way for Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 2 truck to win his second Truck Series race of the year as a driver. Harvick triumphed on a day where it was touch and go before the race even began, with fears of threatening skies ending the race at the halfway distance of just 50 laps.
Crew chiefs were radioing drivers as their trucks were sitting on pit road after the command to start engines to start saving all the fuel they could – while idling.
As the storm clouds gathered off Turn 3, the action on the track picked up. Mark Martin and points leader Johnny Sauter battled back and forth with Martin leading at the stripe for laps 21 and 22 – but come lap 23, the No. 32 truck checked out, extending a lead of four seconds over second-place before ceding first place to Austin Dillon. Pitting for tires on lap 34. Kyle Busch and Joey Coulter took turns leading at the front as green flag stops cycled through, with Busch retiring early on lap 63 after suffering a punctured radiator from a piece of A-pillar Plexiglas that fell off another truck. But it was Austin Dillon, powering by Martin on Lap 68 who appeared to have the top spot and the inside track on Victory Lane as the laps wound down.
However, a debris caution (presumably for debris…) on Lap 79 bunched up the field for a series of restarts, jumbling the running order and leading to a frantic finish. Eventually, the bunched up grid led to points leader Johnny Sauter's No. 13 spinning out exiting Turn Two, a wreck that caused the elimination of five of the day's primary contenders.
The next restart, with 10 laps remaining saw Harvick take the lead through Turn One and Two after restarting third, as Parker Kligerman tapped out Mark Martin in second, sending them both spinning in front of the field. As trucks scattered everywhere, so were the principles in the Camping World Truck Series championship points standings. Matt Crafton clipped Martin's truck on the apron of the track, while Austin Dillon was forced into the outside wall. As Kligerman's wounded ride continued down the banking, he had no visibility or brakes, running into Dillon from behind.
Upon reaching pit road, Dillon's engine let go, at which point he had no choice but to park it for the day. Dillon would end the race in 22nd, now eight points behind Johnny Sauter in the standings. James Buescher would end the day in fourth, vaulting up to second place in the points, just five markers behind Sauter.
With Dillon's crippled No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Silverado parked in front of the "Pure Michigan" logos on the inside of the pit road wall, the ending was tragically ironic for a state that has seen its fair share of struggles in recent years.
For the principles collected in the lap 90 melee, it was a snapshot of those who had dominated the afternoon. It was Martin, Crafton, and Dillon who conspired to lead the most laps of the event, with Martin up front for 33 of 100 laps, Crafton 20, and Dillon 16. Kligerman was lurking all race long, having pitted for four tires on lap 79 with eight other trucks, giving him the freshest set of four for the final restart.
Kligerman accepted responsibility for the incident afterwards, saying he was not trying to pass, but simply trying to hang onto the truck to get through the corner.
The final restarts following a debris caution for Joey Coulter's shredded tire at the Start/Finish line were merely a formality, as Harvick took the green as the leader, then held on as the caution was displayed on lap 102 for an incident on the backstretch between Brazilians Miguel Paludo and Nelson Piquet, Jr. Piquet was walking through the garage area after being released from the infield care center, looking dazed and despondent after hitting the outer edge of a retaining wall that thankfully featured the energy absorbing SAFER Barrier.
While the Truck Series has traditionally been known for tight finishes, it has also been taken to task for the number of start and park teams and field-fillers – which become more glaring when there are but 36 positions in the field, rather than the 43 we normally see. There were nine trucks that failed to complete 20 laps, while five trucks lasted for six laps or less. The No. 57, 75, 07, and 89 trucks were audibly either running tired, sickly engines or simply running at half throttle, nearly a half a lap down simply to make time and preserve what was left of their equipment.
Far be it from me in these times of dire straits to suggest how somebody should abuse or mitigate the damage to their racecars – and livelihood. That is something best left up to the car owners who are responsible for maintaining payrolls and invoices of their operation, something Kevin Harvick is keenly aware of. As he sat answering questions in the media center following his Victory Lane obligations, Harvick was trying to follow the Nationwide Series race from Montreal to see how his driver for the weekend Scott Speed was faring in the KHI No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet.
While he was literally wearing his driver's hat just moments earlier, it was Harvick the team owner who was seated before the press.
"Owning the stuff, we've seen the stuff from start to finish, from when the buildings were just a piece of dirt to what it's evolved into today," Harvick said of his Kevin Harvick, Inc. organization. "The last several weeks are what we expect out of the race team; it can be not near as much fun when you're not winning."
With the continued success that Harvick has enjoyed as an owner in both the Nationwide and Truck Series, I asked if these subsequent wins ever provide any additional motivation or help give consideration to eventually bringing KHI to Cup level competition. Harvick chuckled at the notion and left no doubt to what the future holds for his company.
"I can tell you, you'll never see this company in Cup," he claimed. "As long as I'm driving."
VFW 200 Top 10
1) 2 - Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 102 Laps Complete.
2) 17 - Timothy Peters, Toyota, 102.
3) 7 - Miguel Paludo, Toyota, 102.
4) 31 - James Buescher, Chevrolet, 102.
5) 81 - David Starr, Toyota, 102.
6) 23 - Jason White, Chevrolet, 102.
7) 33 - Ron Hornaday, Chevrolet, 102.
8) 62 - Brendan Gaughan, Toyota, 102.
9) 51 - Colin Braun, Ford, 102.
10) 60 - Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, 102.
For more on the Truck Series race, please view Beth Lunkenheimer's Tracking The Trucks column Monday only on Frontstretch.com.
Ambrose Finally Victorious In Montreal
After years of close calls, Marcos Ambrose finally took home the hardware north of the border. Just six days after his first Cup Series win, Ambrose cashed in on Victory Lane again - this time taking the checkered at the winding Gilles Villeneuve road course up in Montreal. Ambrose, in Richard Petty Motorsports equipment beat native Alex Tagliani to the line, with Michael McDowell, Steve Wallace, and J.R. Fitzpatrick rounding out the top-5 finishers. Scott Speed was sixth, with Carl Edwards, Justin Allgaier, Jason Leffler and Elliott Sadler rounding out the top 10 - all on the lead lap.
For more on the Nationwide event, please view Bryan Davis Keith's Nationwide Breakdown column Monday only on Frontstretch.com.
Have news for Vito and The Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hey Frontstretch Readers!
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.
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Pure Michigan 400 Race Recap by Vito Pugliese
-- Secret Star Of The Race
-- Stat Of The Week
-- Mouthing Off: Pure Michigan 400 by Brody Jones
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Monday on the Frontstretch:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Pure Michigan 400 by Matt McLaughlin
Matt will be here with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday afternoon's action from Michigan.
Bubble Breakdown by Bryan Davis Keith
Who's hot and who's not towards the back end of the owner points battle? Bryan brings the stories you didn't hear about into print from Sunday's race from Michigan.
Monday Morning Teardown by Ron Lemasters
Ron returns for a website look at one of the big stories from Sunday's race from Michigan.
Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom brings back his weekly post-race commentary with all of the insight you need from a weekend of racing from Michigan.
Big Six: Pure Michigan 400 by Amy Henderson
Amy has your Who, What, When, Where, Why and How from a weekend of racing at Michigan.
Nationwide Series Breakdown: NAPA Auto Parts 200 by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan has all the post-race analysis you need after Saturday afternoon's Nationwide Series race from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Tracking the Trucks: VFW 200 by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has all the post-race analysis you need after Saturday afternoon's Camping World Truck Series race from Michigan.
-----------------------------
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
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 21st, 2011
Volume V, Edition CLXVI
~~~~~~~~~~
NEW PODCAST! Don't forget our new FREE weekly audio segments hosted by Doug Turnbull. Click here for the August 19th edition that features Kyle Busch as our main racing guest.
~~~~~~~~~~
Top News
by Vito Pugliese
Harvick Wins Truck Race At Michigan
No. 2 was the lucky number at the VFW 200 at Michigan International Speedway. It was just such an event that paved the way for Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 2 truck to win his second Truck Series race of the year as a driver. Harvick triumphed on a day where it was touch and go before the race even began, with fears of threatening skies ending the race at the halfway distance of just 50 laps.
Crew chiefs were radioing drivers as their trucks were sitting on pit road after the command to start engines to start saving all the fuel they could – while idling.
As the storm clouds gathered off Turn 3, the action on the track picked up. Mark Martin and points leader Johnny Sauter battled back and forth with Martin leading at the stripe for laps 21 and 22 – but come lap 23, the No. 32 truck checked out, extending a lead of four seconds over second-place before ceding first place to Austin Dillon. Pitting for tires on lap 34. Kyle Busch and Joey Coulter took turns leading at the front as green flag stops cycled through, with Busch retiring early on lap 63 after suffering a punctured radiator from a piece of A-pillar Plexiglas that fell off another truck. But it was Austin Dillon, powering by Martin on Lap 68 who appeared to have the top spot and the inside track on Victory Lane as the laps wound down.
However, a debris caution (presumably for debris…) on Lap 79 bunched up the field for a series of restarts, jumbling the running order and leading to a frantic finish. Eventually, the bunched up grid led to points leader Johnny Sauter's No. 13 spinning out exiting Turn Two, a wreck that caused the elimination of five of the day's primary contenders.
The next restart, with 10 laps remaining saw Harvick take the lead through Turn One and Two after restarting third, as Parker Kligerman tapped out Mark Martin in second, sending them both spinning in front of the field. As trucks scattered everywhere, so were the principles in the Camping World Truck Series championship points standings. Matt Crafton clipped Martin's truck on the apron of the track, while Austin Dillon was forced into the outside wall. As Kligerman's wounded ride continued down the banking, he had no visibility or brakes, running into Dillon from behind.
Upon reaching pit road, Dillon's engine let go, at which point he had no choice but to park it for the day. Dillon would end the race in 22nd, now eight points behind Johnny Sauter in the standings. James Buescher would end the day in fourth, vaulting up to second place in the points, just five markers behind Sauter.
With Dillon's crippled No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Silverado parked in front of the "Pure Michigan" logos on the inside of the pit road wall, the ending was tragically ironic for a state that has seen its fair share of struggles in recent years.
For the principles collected in the lap 90 melee, it was a snapshot of those who had dominated the afternoon. It was Martin, Crafton, and Dillon who conspired to lead the most laps of the event, with Martin up front for 33 of 100 laps, Crafton 20, and Dillon 16. Kligerman was lurking all race long, having pitted for four tires on lap 79 with eight other trucks, giving him the freshest set of four for the final restart.
Kligerman accepted responsibility for the incident afterwards, saying he was not trying to pass, but simply trying to hang onto the truck to get through the corner.
The final restarts following a debris caution for Joey Coulter's shredded tire at the Start/Finish line were merely a formality, as Harvick took the green as the leader, then held on as the caution was displayed on lap 102 for an incident on the backstretch between Brazilians Miguel Paludo and Nelson Piquet, Jr. Piquet was walking through the garage area after being released from the infield care center, looking dazed and despondent after hitting the outer edge of a retaining wall that thankfully featured the energy absorbing SAFER Barrier.
While the Truck Series has traditionally been known for tight finishes, it has also been taken to task for the number of start and park teams and field-fillers – which become more glaring when there are but 36 positions in the field, rather than the 43 we normally see. There were nine trucks that failed to complete 20 laps, while five trucks lasted for six laps or less. The No. 57, 75, 07, and 89 trucks were audibly either running tired, sickly engines or simply running at half throttle, nearly a half a lap down simply to make time and preserve what was left of their equipment.
Far be it from me in these times of dire straits to suggest how somebody should abuse or mitigate the damage to their racecars – and livelihood. That is something best left up to the car owners who are responsible for maintaining payrolls and invoices of their operation, something Kevin Harvick is keenly aware of. As he sat answering questions in the media center following his Victory Lane obligations, Harvick was trying to follow the Nationwide Series race from Montreal to see how his driver for the weekend Scott Speed was faring in the KHI No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet.
While he was literally wearing his driver's hat just moments earlier, it was Harvick the team owner who was seated before the press.
"Owning the stuff, we've seen the stuff from start to finish, from when the buildings were just a piece of dirt to what it's evolved into today," Harvick said of his Kevin Harvick, Inc. organization. "The last several weeks are what we expect out of the race team; it can be not near as much fun when you're not winning."
With the continued success that Harvick has enjoyed as an owner in both the Nationwide and Truck Series, I asked if these subsequent wins ever provide any additional motivation or help give consideration to eventually bringing KHI to Cup level competition. Harvick chuckled at the notion and left no doubt to what the future holds for his company.
"I can tell you, you'll never see this company in Cup," he claimed. "As long as I'm driving."
VFW 200 Top 10
1) 2 - Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 102 Laps Complete.
2) 17 - Timothy Peters, Toyota, 102.
3) 7 - Miguel Paludo, Toyota, 102.
4) 31 - James Buescher, Chevrolet, 102.
5) 81 - David Starr, Toyota, 102.
6) 23 - Jason White, Chevrolet, 102.
7) 33 - Ron Hornaday, Chevrolet, 102.
8) 62 - Brendan Gaughan, Toyota, 102.
9) 51 - Colin Braun, Ford, 102.
10) 60 - Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, 102.
For more on the Truck Series race, please view Beth Lunkenheimer's Tracking The Trucks column Monday only on Frontstretch.com.
Ambrose Finally Victorious In Montreal
After years of close calls, Marcos Ambrose finally took home the hardware north of the border. Just six days after his first Cup Series win, Ambrose cashed in on Victory Lane again - this time taking the checkered at the winding Gilles Villeneuve road course up in Montreal. Ambrose, in Richard Petty Motorsports equipment beat native Alex Tagliani to the line, with Michael McDowell, Steve Wallace, and J.R. Fitzpatrick rounding out the top-5 finishers. Scott Speed was sixth, with Carl Edwards, Justin Allgaier, Jason Leffler and Elliott Sadler rounding out the top 10 - all on the lead lap.
For more on the Nationwide event, please view Bryan Davis Keith's Nationwide Breakdown column Monday only on Frontstretch.com.
Have news for Vito and The Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hey Frontstretch Readers!
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.
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Pure Michigan 400 Race Recap by Vito Pugliese
-- Secret Star Of The Race
-- Stat Of The Week
-- Mouthing Off: Pure Michigan 400 by Brody Jones
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Monday on the Frontstretch:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Pure Michigan 400 by Matt McLaughlin
Matt will be here with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday afternoon's action from Michigan.
Bubble Breakdown by Bryan Davis Keith
Who's hot and who's not towards the back end of the owner points battle? Bryan brings the stories you didn't hear about into print from Sunday's race from Michigan.
Monday Morning Teardown by Ron Lemasters
Ron returns for a website look at one of the big stories from Sunday's race from Michigan.
Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom brings back his weekly post-race commentary with all of the insight you need from a weekend of racing from Michigan.
Big Six: Pure Michigan 400 by Amy Henderson
Amy has your Who, What, When, Where, Why and How from a weekend of racing at Michigan.
Nationwide Series Breakdown: NAPA Auto Parts 200 by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan has all the post-race analysis you need after Saturday afternoon's Nationwide Series race from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Tracking the Trucks: VFW 200 by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has all the post-race analysis you need after Saturday afternoon's Camping World Truck Series race from Michigan.
-----------------------------
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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