THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 30th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CLXXIX
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What To Watch: Tuesday
- As we speak, Kentucky Motor Speedway is holding a press conference detailing all the parking and infratructure improvements they're planning to make for 2012. The 2011 inaugural Cup race there was marred by traffic and congestion problems; fans, in some cases took seven hours or more to get to the track only to be turned away due to not enough parking on hand.
At the press conference are Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chairman and CEO Bruton Smith, and Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark Simendinger.
- Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, and Tony Stewart conclude a two-day tire test at Phoenix Raceway today. All five drivers are working with Goodyear on perfecting a compound for the race in November; ironically, all five will likely be in the Chase. Some drivers, most notably Greg Biffle have complained in the past about drivers gaining a postseason advantage through tire testing at Chase tracks during late summer.
Today's Top News
by Tom Bowles
NASCAR Set To Add More Scoring Loops To Bristol
Two days after Jeff Gordon complained about the positioning of pit road timing loops at Bristol, the sanctioning body is working to correct the problem. NASCAR Sprint Cup Director John Darby told SPEED at least two more scoring loops would be added, on either side of pit road to help cut down on the obvious speeding that started occurring between segments. Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth were two of the obvious offenders, looking to scoot ahead in the few seconds after making their stops due to NASCAR's method of calculating pit road speeds. Since their pit stops occurred between two scoring loops, those drivers knew they could go as fast as they wanted because the average speed would be well under NASCAR's limit due to their stop.
In other Bristol news, Goodyear has scheduled a tire test for late September, looking to increase the grip on their Eagles for the 0.533-mile racetrack. Several drivers and fans complained about the tires after a tamer-than-normal Bristol Saturday night.
Pocono Raceway To Hold Hurricane Irene Relief Ride
For those looking to help aid Hurricane Irene victims, Pocono Raceway's found the perfect way you can do it. The track is offering a Hurricane Irene Relief Ride, Thursday from 12:00 - 6:30 PM where fans can drive their personal cars for two laps on the 2.5-mile triangle. All you need is a driver's license, a car, and a $10 donation, which will be matched by the speedway as all proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross of the Poconos, Disaster Relief Fund which is working hard to help those hurt the worst by this weekend's storm.
Pocono Raceway is located in Long Pond, PA off Interstate 80. For more information, be sure to click here or call 1-800-RACEWAY.
New Program Targets Making New NASCAR Fans… In College
In an effort to woo fans from the next generation, NASCAR is stepping out and looking to grow its presence on college campuses. A new project, with assistance and support from University Directories on Campus (UDOC) is designed to create ambassadors at specific universities responsible for both spreading information about the sport and increasing the overall fan following. Called NASCAR U CREW, the two ambassadors within each school are working specifically at places located within the 10 Chase markets. Through at least 10 on-campus events, the goal will be to increase student attendance at those races while "hooking" the 18-24 year-old set to follow stock car racing from here on out.
"This is about getting in front of students directly and getting them to try NASCAR," says Steve Sweeney, NASCAR's director of consumer marketing told Tripp Mickle of the Sports Business Journal. "This is a test for us."
The selected colleges and universities are:
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (Chicagoland)
University of New Hampshire (Loudon)
University of Delaware (Dover)
University of Kansas (Kansas)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (Charlotte)
University of North Carolina, Charlotte (Charlotte)
Auburn University (Talladega)
Virginia Tech (Martinsville)
University of North Texas (Texas)
Arizona State University (Phoenix)
Florida International University (Homestead-Miami)
University of Miami (Homestead-Miami)
No word on the types of events scheduled or whether students will receive ticket discounts through the program.
News Bites
- Several sources are reporting Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is closing in on a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports. Junior told FOX Sports' Lee Spencer "all that stuff [details] should be done in the next few days" as additional five-year deal would lock him under the HMS banner until the conclusion of the 2017 season. Junior, currently ninth in the standings is closing in on his first Chase bid since his first year driving the No. 88 Chevy in 2008.
- In case you missed it over the weekend: Robby Gordon, unwilling to give up the No. 7 car to Danica Patrick has gone public with his plans to start-and-park for the majority of 2011's remaining races. Sponsorship for the team has been secured for Chicagoland, Kansas, and Texas; without proper funding, the Robby Gordon Motorsports team will park in the other nine events. Since the team is outside the top 35 in owner points, the idea of running a second, start-and-park No. 77 effort for extra money will likely be shelved. No word on if Gordon will run all remaining events or slip in substitutes for selected races down the stretch.
- In a move that was a mere formality, NASCAR added Kevin Harvick's name to the list of drivers who have clinched a spot in the Chase. Harvick, currently fifth in the standings hasn't clinched by points but his three wins give enough cushion to earn a "wild card" spot... even in the worst-case scenarios.
Harvick joins Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards inside the Chase with two races left. Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, and Kut Busch are the next set of drivers almost certain to clinch a spot at Atlanta this weekend.
by Tom Bowles
NASCAR Set To Add More Scoring Loops To Bristol
Two days after Jeff Gordon complained about the positioning of pit road timing loops at Bristol, the sanctioning body is working to correct the problem. NASCAR Sprint Cup Director John Darby told SPEED at least two more scoring loops would be added, on either side of pit road to help cut down on the obvious speeding that started occurring between segments. Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth were two of the obvious offenders, looking to scoot ahead in the few seconds after making their stops due to NASCAR's method of calculating pit road speeds. Since their pit stops occurred between two scoring loops, those drivers knew they could go as fast as they wanted because the average speed would be well under NASCAR's limit due to their stop.
In other Bristol news, Goodyear has scheduled a tire test for late September, looking to increase the grip on their Eagles for the 0.533-mile racetrack. Several drivers and fans complained about the tires after a tamer-than-normal Bristol Saturday night.
Pocono Raceway To Hold Hurricane Irene Relief Ride
For those looking to help aid Hurricane Irene victims, Pocono Raceway's found the perfect way you can do it. The track is offering a Hurricane Irene Relief Ride, Thursday from 12:00 - 6:30 PM where fans can drive their personal cars for two laps on the 2.5-mile triangle. All you need is a driver's license, a car, and a $10 donation, which will be matched by the speedway as all proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross of the Poconos, Disaster Relief Fund which is working hard to help those hurt the worst by this weekend's storm.
Pocono Raceway is located in Long Pond, PA off Interstate 80. For more information, be sure to click here or call 1-800-RACEWAY.
New Program Targets Making New NASCAR Fans… In College
In an effort to woo fans from the next generation, NASCAR is stepping out and looking to grow its presence on college campuses. A new project, with assistance and support from University Directories on Campus (UDOC) is designed to create ambassadors at specific universities responsible for both spreading information about the sport and increasing the overall fan following. Called NASCAR U CREW, the two ambassadors within each school are working specifically at places located within the 10 Chase markets. Through at least 10 on-campus events, the goal will be to increase student attendance at those races while "hooking" the 18-24 year-old set to follow stock car racing from here on out.
"This is about getting in front of students directly and getting them to try NASCAR," says Steve Sweeney, NASCAR's director of consumer marketing told Tripp Mickle of the Sports Business Journal. "This is a test for us."
The selected colleges and universities are:
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (Chicagoland)
University of New Hampshire (Loudon)
University of Delaware (Dover)
University of Kansas (Kansas)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (Charlotte)
University of North Carolina, Charlotte (Charlotte)
Auburn University (Talladega)
Virginia Tech (Martinsville)
University of North Texas (Texas)
Arizona State University (Phoenix)
Florida International University (Homestead-Miami)
University of Miami (Homestead-Miami)
No word on the types of events scheduled or whether students will receive ticket discounts through the program.
News Bites
- Several sources are reporting Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is closing in on a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports. Junior told FOX Sports' Lee Spencer "all that stuff [details] should be done in the next few days" as additional five-year deal would lock him under the HMS banner until the conclusion of the 2017 season. Junior, currently ninth in the standings is closing in on his first Chase bid since his first year driving the No. 88 Chevy in 2008.
- In case you missed it over the weekend: Robby Gordon, unwilling to give up the No. 7 car to Danica Patrick has gone public with his plans to start-and-park for the majority of 2011's remaining races. Sponsorship for the team has been secured for Chicagoland, Kansas, and Texas; without proper funding, the Robby Gordon Motorsports team will park in the other nine events. Since the team is outside the top 35 in owner points, the idea of running a second, start-and-park No. 77 effort for extra money will likely be shelved. No word on if Gordon will run all remaining events or slip in substitutes for selected races down the stretch.
- In a move that was a mere formality, NASCAR added Kevin Harvick's name to the list of drivers who have clinched a spot in the Chase. Harvick, currently fifth in the standings hasn't clinched by points but his three wins give enough cushion to earn a "wild card" spot... even in the worst-case scenarios.
Harvick joins Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards inside the Chase with two races left. Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, and Kut Busch are the next set of drivers almost certain to clinch a spot at Atlanta this weekend.
Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
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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: Irwin Tools Night Race
~~~~~~~~~~
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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Numbers Game: Irwin Tools Night Race
by Tom Bowles
Editor's Note: Irene took a toll on Brett Poirier; he's still without power but A-OK. Tom Bowles fills in for him on Numbers Game this week.
0
The number of top-10 finishes registered by Richard Childress' four Sprint Cup cars on Saturday night; Jeff Burton was the highest-finishing driver in the organization at 15th place. Since Paul Menard won at Indy to close out the month of July, no one at RCR has finished better than sixth the entire month of August. (Kevin Harvick, Watkins Glen)
1
Number of weeks Jimmie Johnson has held at least a share of the lead atop the point standings this season. Johnson finally climbed up to first, tying with Kyle Busch after a fourth-place finish at Bristol Saturday night. (Technically, Busch still holds the tiebreaker based on four wins to Johnson's one).
1.75
Brad Keselowski's finishing position in the last four Sprint Cup races. He has finished first, second, third, and first to climb from 21st to 11th in the Sprint Cup standings.
6
The number of cautions during 500 laps at Bristol Saturday night. That's the fewest number of yellows in a Cup race there since the Spring of 1996.
9
Times Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has finished outside the top-10 in his last ten races. He was 16th at Bristol Saturday night.
12.5
Average finish for A.J. Allmendinger in August; that includes four consecutive top-15 finishes. Greg Erwin replaced former head wrench Mike Shiplett on the pit box midway through last month.
22.5
Average finish for Greg Biffle in August; that includes just one top-15 finish, an eighth at Pocono Raceway. Biffle is working with new crew chief Matt Puccia after Greg Erwin was released last month.
30
Tony Stewart's winless streak after finishing a disappointing 28th at Bristol. During the first nine years of his career, from 1999-2007 Stewart had exactly zero winless streaks of 30 or more races. Since the start of the 2008 Cup season, he's now endured three (with the first lasting from August, 2007 to the Fall 2008 Cup race at Talladega).
41
Points now separating Denny Hamlin from Paul Menard for the final "wild card" spot in the Chase.
50
Nationwide victories for Kyle Busch, making him the all-time win leader in that series following Friday night's neck-and-neck triumph over Joey Logano at Bristol. Busch broke a tie with veteran Mark Martin, who had 49.
74
The number of points Keselowski has gained on tenth in just the last four races alone. Following Indianapolis, Kes was 21st, 95 points behind 10th-place Dale Earnhardt, Jr.; now he's 11th, 21 points behind new "bubble driver" Tony Stewart.
89
Laps led by Brad Keselowski Saturday night; that's a single-race career high for him on the Cup circuit.
298
The first lap someone spun out during the 500-lap race at Bristol Saturday night. That's the longest we've gone to start without a spin at the track since at least 1984 (official records on specific caution flags, at least the ones we can find only go back that far).
937
Laps completed this season by Joe Nemechek through 24 Sprint Cup races. He ran 42 laps at Bristol before "the brakes gave out" en route to a start-and-park, 40th-place finish.
1,162
Laps led this season by Kyle Busch in the Sprint Cup Series, a number that leads all drivers. However, he paced the field for just four laps Saturday night at Bristol, a track where he had led 436 of the last 1,000 laps run heading into the event.
2,646
Career laps led by Jeff Gordon at Bristol after adding another 206 to his total Saturday night. A five-time winner at BMS, he's only led more laps at Martinsville (2,981) during his eighteen-year career on the Cup circuit.
$87,930
Money won by David Starr, whose single-car, family-owned Cup effort had the best result of their limited schedule: 27th place on Saturday night. Slowly building up their program, it was the first time the No. 95 car was able to finish without wrecking.
$114,373
Money won by David Reutimann, whose multi-car, fully-funded Michael Waltrip Racing program spent nearly 70 laps repairing the No. 00 Toyota in the garage. After wrecking, Reutimann came back out well off the pace and finished the race in 37th - some ten positions behind Starr.
156,000
The listed attendance at Bristol for Saturday night's race. Last year, the listed attendance was 155,000.
Tom Bowles is the Editor-in-Chief of Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com.
Today's Featured Commentary
Mark Martin: Last Chance Saloon for a Championship Challenge
Editor's Note: Irene took a toll on Brett Poirier; he's still without power but A-OK. Tom Bowles fills in for him on Numbers Game this week.
0
The number of top-10 finishes registered by Richard Childress' four Sprint Cup cars on Saturday night; Jeff Burton was the highest-finishing driver in the organization at 15th place. Since Paul Menard won at Indy to close out the month of July, no one at RCR has finished better than sixth the entire month of August. (Kevin Harvick, Watkins Glen)
1
Number of weeks Jimmie Johnson has held at least a share of the lead atop the point standings this season. Johnson finally climbed up to first, tying with Kyle Busch after a fourth-place finish at Bristol Saturday night. (Technically, Busch still holds the tiebreaker based on four wins to Johnson's one).
1.75
Brad Keselowski's finishing position in the last four Sprint Cup races. He has finished first, second, third, and first to climb from 21st to 11th in the Sprint Cup standings.
6
The number of cautions during 500 laps at Bristol Saturday night. That's the fewest number of yellows in a Cup race there since the Spring of 1996.
9
Times Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has finished outside the top-10 in his last ten races. He was 16th at Bristol Saturday night.
12.5
Average finish for A.J. Allmendinger in August; that includes four consecutive top-15 finishes. Greg Erwin replaced former head wrench Mike Shiplett on the pit box midway through last month.
22.5
Average finish for Greg Biffle in August; that includes just one top-15 finish, an eighth at Pocono Raceway. Biffle is working with new crew chief Matt Puccia after Greg Erwin was released last month.
30
Tony Stewart's winless streak after finishing a disappointing 28th at Bristol. During the first nine years of his career, from 1999-2007 Stewart had exactly zero winless streaks of 30 or more races. Since the start of the 2008 Cup season, he's now endured three (with the first lasting from August, 2007 to the Fall 2008 Cup race at Talladega).
41
Points now separating Denny Hamlin from Paul Menard for the final "wild card" spot in the Chase.
50
Nationwide victories for Kyle Busch, making him the all-time win leader in that series following Friday night's neck-and-neck triumph over Joey Logano at Bristol. Busch broke a tie with veteran Mark Martin, who had 49.
74
The number of points Keselowski has gained on tenth in just the last four races alone. Following Indianapolis, Kes was 21st, 95 points behind 10th-place Dale Earnhardt, Jr.; now he's 11th, 21 points behind new "bubble driver" Tony Stewart.
89
Laps led by Brad Keselowski Saturday night; that's a single-race career high for him on the Cup circuit.
298
The first lap someone spun out during the 500-lap race at Bristol Saturday night. That's the longest we've gone to start without a spin at the track since at least 1984 (official records on specific caution flags, at least the ones we can find only go back that far).
937
Laps completed this season by Joe Nemechek through 24 Sprint Cup races. He ran 42 laps at Bristol before "the brakes gave out" en route to a start-and-park, 40th-place finish.
1,162
Laps led this season by Kyle Busch in the Sprint Cup Series, a number that leads all drivers. However, he paced the field for just four laps Saturday night at Bristol, a track where he had led 436 of the last 1,000 laps run heading into the event.
2,646
Career laps led by Jeff Gordon at Bristol after adding another 206 to his total Saturday night. A five-time winner at BMS, he's only led more laps at Martinsville (2,981) during his eighteen-year career on the Cup circuit.
$87,930
Money won by David Starr, whose single-car, family-owned Cup effort had the best result of their limited schedule: 27th place on Saturday night. Slowly building up their program, it was the first time the No. 95 car was able to finish without wrecking.
$114,373
Money won by David Reutimann, whose multi-car, fully-funded Michael Waltrip Racing program spent nearly 70 laps repairing the No. 00 Toyota in the garage. After wrecking, Reutimann came back out well off the pace and finished the race in 37th - some ten positions behind Starr.
156,000
The listed attendance at Bristol for Saturday night's race. Last year, the listed attendance was 155,000.
Tom Bowles is the Editor-in-Chief of Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com.
Today's Featured Commentary
Mark Martin: Last Chance Saloon for a Championship Challenge
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by Danny Peters
Editor's Note: Sonya is out this week due to complications from Hurricane Irene. Don't worry, she's OK, and she'll be back next week. By that point, she should have power back. In the meantime, enjoy this commentary from Danny Peters.
Saturday night was, to put it kindly, a bad night for Mark Martin. After running up front for much of the race, Martin misjudged a pass, clipped the car of Brian Vickers and slid hard into the inside wall. The damage saw Martin slump to a lowly 38th, some 137 laps down to race winner Brad Keselowski; more importantly, the poor finish saw the driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet slip a further three points in the standings to 19th, some 77 points out of tenth.
Now, with just two races to go, it's fair to say that the only way Martin can realistically make the Chase is if he wins both races. Given his stats on the year to date (24 starts, two top 5's, seven top 10's, 27 laps led, three DNFs), winning two straight would seem to be an insurmountable hurdle even for a man who has specialized in overcoming overwhelming odds his entire career.
As things stand, Martin has no firm plans for 2012, at most driving a partial schedule: splitting seat time with Danica Patrick in a third SHR car might not be beyond the realm of possibility, especially given the shared sponsor in GoDaddy. If he opts to look for a full schedule, it seems unlikely he'll be in equipment that will be title-challenging given the full houses at the other power teams. So this really does look like, finally, Martin's last chance for a championship is evaporating before our eyes - one that has eluded him across 29 years and 814 (and counting) races. Despite all his success, Martin looks destined to be remembered as one of the greatest "never" to win that Cup. He's finished second five times, so it's not like he hasn't been close - but he never made it over the top.
After a five-win, second-place finish in 2009, much was expected of Martin in 2010. But no wins, seven top 5's and just 11 top 10's of a Chase-less season later, Martin lost the man, Alan Gustafson, who helped him to five of his 40 total Sprint Cup victories. And with no disrespect to Lance McGrew and the members of the No. 5 team and crew, it does seem that Martin got the bad end of the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. crew chief shuffle, especially given the way that both Gordon and Junior have run – both being ensconced in Chase positions with just two races to go.
The truth is, though, that in many ways it doesn't matter that Mark Martin is not going to win a Sprint Cup Championship. The simple fact is the 52-year-old, credited with molding the minds of several of this generation's current superstars will always be a champion. He's done things right and he has the almost universal respect of his peers, the fans and just about anyone else involved in the great sport of NASCAR. The man himself would disagree... "I'm no champion," said Martin. "I haven't earned the right to be in that category or to stand beside those guys. But at the same time, I'm proud that I made them work for it and I saw them finish behind me many a time. And that I can be proud of."
Such longevity of success is indeed something to be proud of, Mark. Winning a Sprint Cup race is extremely tough; winning forty of them across three decades is not something that happens by accident, along with 49 Nationwide Series trophies to boot. Perhaps there is one last miracle left and Martin will win both of the next two races. However, even if there isn't, it will still be fine. Mark Martin will always be a champion regardless of what the record books say.
by Danny Peters
Editor's Note: Sonya is out this week due to complications from Hurricane Irene. Don't worry, she's OK, and she'll be back next week. By that point, she should have power back. In the meantime, enjoy this commentary from Danny Peters.
Saturday night was, to put it kindly, a bad night for Mark Martin. After running up front for much of the race, Martin misjudged a pass, clipped the car of Brian Vickers and slid hard into the inside wall. The damage saw Martin slump to a lowly 38th, some 137 laps down to race winner Brad Keselowski; more importantly, the poor finish saw the driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet slip a further three points in the standings to 19th, some 77 points out of tenth.
Now, with just two races to go, it's fair to say that the only way Martin can realistically make the Chase is if he wins both races. Given his stats on the year to date (24 starts, two top 5's, seven top 10's, 27 laps led, three DNFs), winning two straight would seem to be an insurmountable hurdle even for a man who has specialized in overcoming overwhelming odds his entire career.
As things stand, Martin has no firm plans for 2012, at most driving a partial schedule: splitting seat time with Danica Patrick in a third SHR car might not be beyond the realm of possibility, especially given the shared sponsor in GoDaddy. If he opts to look for a full schedule, it seems unlikely he'll be in equipment that will be title-challenging given the full houses at the other power teams. So this really does look like, finally, Martin's last chance for a championship is evaporating before our eyes - one that has eluded him across 29 years and 814 (and counting) races. Despite all his success, Martin looks destined to be remembered as one of the greatest "never" to win that Cup. He's finished second five times, so it's not like he hasn't been close - but he never made it over the top.
After a five-win, second-place finish in 2009, much was expected of Martin in 2010. But no wins, seven top 5's and just 11 top 10's of a Chase-less season later, Martin lost the man, Alan Gustafson, who helped him to five of his 40 total Sprint Cup victories. And with no disrespect to Lance McGrew and the members of the No. 5 team and crew, it does seem that Martin got the bad end of the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. crew chief shuffle, especially given the way that both Gordon and Junior have run – both being ensconced in Chase positions with just two races to go.
The truth is, though, that in many ways it doesn't matter that Mark Martin is not going to win a Sprint Cup Championship. The simple fact is the 52-year-old, credited with molding the minds of several of this generation's current superstars will always be a champion. He's done things right and he has the almost universal respect of his peers, the fans and just about anyone else involved in the great sport of NASCAR. The man himself would disagree... "I'm no champion," said Martin. "I haven't earned the right to be in that category or to stand beside those guys. But at the same time, I'm proud that I made them work for it and I saw them finish behind me many a time. And that I can be proud of."
Such longevity of success is indeed something to be proud of, Mark. Winning a Sprint Cup race is extremely tough; winning forty of them across three decades is not something that happens by accident, along with 49 Nationwide Series trophies to boot. Perhaps there is one last miracle left and Martin will win both of the next two races. However, even if there isn't, it will still be fine. Mark Martin will always be a champion regardless of what the record books say.
Danny Peters is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at danny.peters@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Five Points to Ponder: J.J. vs J.G., Plus The More Laps You Lead, The More You... Fail?
by Danny Peters
Who's Hot / Who's Not in NASCAR: Bristol-Atlanta Edition
by Summer Dreyer
Fact Or Fiction: Chase Clinchers, Chasing 200, And The Chase For Zippy
by Tom Bowles
The Trouble With Rubber: Bristol Not Alone In Tracks Offering Goodyear Problems
by Bryan Keith
Talking NASCAR TV: Selective Reporting Hurting NASCAR Teams Without Coverage
by Phil Allaway
~~~~~~~~~~~
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: For four years (1998-2001), the now-Izod IndyCar Series held 500-kilometer races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The races were quite competitive. however, the final event was marred by a massive crash exiting Turn 4. What happened?
by Danny Peters
Who's Hot / Who's Not in NASCAR: Bristol-Atlanta Edition
by Summer Dreyer
Fact Or Fiction: Chase Clinchers, Chasing 200, And The Chase For Zippy
by Tom Bowles
The Trouble With Rubber: Bristol Not Alone In Tracks Offering Goodyear Problems
by Bryan Keith
Talking NASCAR TV: Selective Reporting Hurting NASCAR Teams Without Coverage
by Phil Allaway
~~~~~~~~~~~
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: For four years (1998-2001), the now-Izod IndyCar Series held 500-kilometer races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The races were quite competitive. however, the final event was marred by a massive crash exiting Turn 4. What happened?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: The 1994 Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was the final Winston Cup start in a points race in Harry Gant's career. What did Leo Jackson Motorsports and sponsor Skoal do to commemorate the race?
A: The Leo Jackson team decided to go with a throwback scheme that was meant to reference the one Gant raced in 1981, when Skoal first came to NASCAR with Hal Needham, complete with gold wheels. It was quite a change from the forest green and white scheme that Gant had been running for the previous five years. Unfortunately, the old scheme couldn't capture all that much magic in Gant's final Cup start. He ended up dropping out of the race with oil pan issues and was credited with 33rd place.
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 TBA
-- Full Throttle by Mike Neff
-- Tweet 'N' Greet by Jay Pennell
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Did You Notice? ... by Tom Bowles
Did You Notice... Clint Bowyer has become the hottest free agent remaining for 2011? Tom Bowles assesses all the possibilities, looks at the best place for him to end up and gives an update on the number of sponsors and teams secure at this point in Silly Season. It's all part of a long list of small but important observations during his weekly look at life on the NASCAR circuit.
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
The Mirror crew is at it again with more talking points to debate. Topics include pit road speeding at Bristol and possible solutions, Brad Keselowski's chances at stealing the Sprint Cup this season, the dangers of NASCAR cracking down on ingenuity, and more.
Beyond The Cockpit: Milka Duno as told to Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan sits down with the one-time open-wheel and sports car driver who is trying to make the stock car transition over in ARCA. Find out her future plans, the challenges on this side of the fence and plenty of other tidbits.
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 Bristol 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 Atlanta.
Foto Funnies: Irwin Tools Night Race Edition by Kurt Smith
Kurt's back to leave you laughing with the best photos you didn't see in the papers from NASCAR recently.
Voice Of Vito by Summer Dreyer
Summer is subbing for Vito with a classic commentary piece.
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©2011 Frontstretch.com
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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