THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 15th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CXCIV
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Frontstretch sends its well wishes, prayers, and support to all our fans affected by the swath of horrible storms over the past few months. To help out recovery efforts, text "GIVE" to 80888 to donate $10 towards disaster relief efforts in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri and Vermont through the Salvation Army.
Today's Top News
by Phil Allaway
MaxQ Motorsports announced on Wednesday that they have entered into an agreement with Bradley University to provide internship opportunities this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway for students in the school's sports communications major. The university itself will serve as the primary sponsor on MaxQ Motorsports' No. 37 Ford for this weekend. The driver for the weekend will be Josh Wise, who has raced in the Nationwide Series this season. If Wise is able to qualify the No. 37 on speed, he would be making his Sprint Cup Series debut on Sunday.
Officials with Bradley are very excited about the opportunity.
"This is another wonderful example of hands-on experiential learning opportunities available to Bradley students," said Joanne Glasser, President of Bradley University. "I want to thank MaxQ Motorsports and NASCAR for allowing our students to bring what they learn in the classroom onto the race track."
"I am confident our sports communication students are well prepared to excel in this unique real-world opportunity," said Dr. Angela Pratt, Assistant Professor of Communications at Bradley University. "Our students are looking forward to gaining a new experience in promoting the No. 37 car at the Chicagoland race."
As part of the deal, eight sports communication students from Bradley will be interning with the No. 37 team this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. They will be performing the typical roles of a team's PR representative(s). According to the release, these roles include the drafting of press releases, assisting with media relations, writing biographies of team members, taking photographs and organizing pit and garage tours. The internship opportunity is just one of many examples of "experiential learning," which is a fancy way of describing on-the-job experience, that Bradley University makes available to their students.
Red Horse Racing Signs Service Central to Sponsor No. 17 for 15 Races
Red Horse Racing announced on Wednesday that they have reached a deal with the TBC Retail Group to serve as the primary sponsor on the team's No. 17 Toyotas driven by Timothy Peters in five races this season and an additional ten in 2012. The TBC Retail Group includes Service Central, Big O Tires, Tire Kingdom, National Tire and Battery (NTB), and Merchant's Tire and Auto Centers.
Red Horse Racing is very pleased to have the TBC Retail Group onboard the team's No. 17 truck.
"At Red Horse Racing, we are filled with excitement, relief, and expectation as we welcome the TBC Retail Group to the Red Horse Racing family for the latter part of 2011 and continuing into 2012," said Red Horse Racing owner Tom DeLoach. "Timothy enjoys driving a black truck and I like seeing him driving something other than white! Red Horse Racing is committed to assisting TBC Retail Group and their family of retail brands to gain exposure with NASCAR fans and to sell more tires and services through their over 1300 outlets across the United States."
Peters is also very pleased with the new deal.
"It has been an exceptional year for our team at Red Horse Racing," Peters said on Wednesday. "With the support from TBC Retail [Group] and their tire and automotive retail brands, we know that we can make a legitimate run at this year's Truck Series championship. I am proud to get the opportunity to be a representative for a fantastic organization that offers our fans conveniently located stores with exceptional products and services."
The five 2011 races with TBC Retail Group backing start off with Friday night's Fast Five 225 at Chicagoland Speedway. The sponsorship returns October 1 at Kentucky Speedway, then again at Talladega, Texas and Homestead. The races that will be sponsored in 2012 are undetermined at the present time.
TBC Retail Group and their brands are not new to NASCAR. Already this season, the company has served as a primary sponsor with Germain Racing. The Tire Kingdom and Service Central brands sponsored Todd Bodine when he attempted to race in all three National series at Daytona in February. In addition, the company served as a co-primary sponsor on Kyle Petty's No. 45 for Petty Enterprises prior to the team's merger with then-Gillett Evernham Motorsports.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series GEICO 400: 48 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 32- Mike Bliss for FAS Lane Racing
No. 37- Josh Wise for MaxQ Motorsports
No. 50- T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 51- Landon Cassill for Phoenix Racing
No. 55- Travis Kvapil for Front Row Motorsports
No. 60- Mike Skinner for Germain Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
No. 95- David Starr for Leavine Family Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 35- Stephen Leicht is in the seat, replacing Dave Blaney.
No. 36- Dave Blaney returns to the seat, replacing Stephen Leicht.
No. 37- Josh Wise is in the seat, replacing Erik Darnell. If he qualifies, Wise would be making his first career Sprint Cup start.
No. 38- J.J. Yeley returns to the seat, replacing Travis Kvapil.
No. 55- Travis Kvapil returns to the seat, replacing J.J. Yeley.
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. 35- Stephen Leicht for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 37- Josh Wise for MaxQ Motorsports
No. 38- J.J. Yeley for Front Row Motorsports
No. 46- Scott Speed for Whitney Motorsports
No. 50- T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 55- Travis Kvapil for Front Row Motorsports
No. 60- Mike Skinner for Germain Racing
No. 66- Michael McDowell for HP Racing, LLC
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
No. 95- David Starr for Leavine Family Racing
Nationwide Series Dollar General 300: 48 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 7- Jamie McMurray for JR Motorsports
No. 18- Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22- Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 27- J.J. Yeley for Baker-Curb Racing/Go Canada Racing
No. 30- Kasey Kahne for Turner Motorsports
No. 33- Paul Menard for Kevin Harvick, Inc.
No. 47- Brian Keselowski for Key Motorsports
No. 50- T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 60- Carl Edwards for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 70- David Stremme for ML Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 04- Danny O'Quinn, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Fain Skinner.
No. 7- Jamie McMurray returns to the seat, replacing Danica Patrick.
No. 18- Joey Logano is in the seat, replacing Kyle Busch.
No. 30- Kasey Kahne returns to the seat, replacing Ricky Carmichael.
No. 33- Paul Menard returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Harvick.
No. 39- Joey Gase returns to the seat, replacing Luis Martinez, Jr.
No. 44- Angela Cope returns to the seat, replacing Jeff Green.
No. 52- Blake Koch is in the seat, replacing Kevin Lepage.
No. 74- Mike Harmon returns to the seat, replacing Jake Crum.
No. 81- Scott Wimmer is in the seat, replacing Blake Koch.
No. 87- Kevin Conway returns to the seat, replacing Joe Nemechek.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 03- Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports
No. 04- Danny O'Quinn, Jr. for Go Green Racing
No. 13- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 16- Trevor Bayne for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 20- Ryan Truex for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 27- J.J. Yeley for Baker-Curb Racing/Go Canada Racing
No. 41- Johnny Chapman for Rick Ware Racing
No. 42- Tim Andrews for Key Motorsports
No. 44- Angela Cope for TriStar Motorsports
No. 46- Chase Miller for Key Motorsports
No. 47- Brian Keselowski for Key Motorsports
No. 48- Dennis Setzer for Jay Robinson Racing
No. 49- Mark Green for Jay Robinson Racing
No. 50- T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 71- Matt Carter for Rick Ware Racing
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Harmon Motorsports
No. 75- Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing
Camping World Truck Series Fast Five 225: 36 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 09- Bryan Silas for Chase Mattioli Motorsports
No. 2- Kevin Harvick for Kevin Harvick, Inc.
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 18- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 27- David Stremme for RSS Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 07- Caleb Roark returns to the seat, replacing Johnny Chapman.
No. 09- Bryan Silas returns to the seat, replacing Wayne Edwards.
No. 2- Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Clint Bowyer.
No. 27- David Stremme is in the seat, replacing Clay Greenfield.
No. 32- Steve Arpin returns to the seat, replacing Blake Feese.
No. 66- Peyton Sellers returns to the seat, replacing Chris Cockrum.
No. 68- Wayne Edwards is in the seat, replacing Clay Greenfield (Greenfield drove this part-time truck prior to the No. 27).
No. 98- Dakoda Armstrong returns to the seat, replacing Justin Marks.
Since there are 36 trucks entered, no one will miss the field. However, these teams must still qualify on speed:
No. 09- Bryan Silas for Chase Mattioli Motorsports
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 27- David Stremme for RSS Motorsports
No. 38- Mike Garvey for RSS Motorsports
No. 57- Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 63- Jack Smith for Mittler Brothers Racing
No. 65- Brent Raymer for Tagsby Racing
No. 68- Wayne Edwards for Alger Motorsports
No. 73- Brian Johnson, Jr. for Tagsby Racing
No. 98- Dakoda Armstrong for ThorSport Racing
No. 99- Charles Vest for Chase Mattioli Motorsports
Izod IndyCar Series Indy Japan 300: 26 cars entered
Driver Changes:
No. 17- Hideki Mutoh is in the seat, replacing Martin Plowman.
No. 34- Joao Paulo de Oliveira is in the seat, replacing Sebastian Saavedra. This will be the SuperGT veteran's Izod IndyCar Series debut.
Entries:
No. 06- James Hinchcliffe for Newman/Haas Racing
No. 2- Oriol Servia for Newman/Haas Racing
No. 3- Helio Castroneves for Penske Racing
No. 4- JR Hildebrand for Panther Racing
No. 5- Takuma Sato for KV Racing Technologies
No. 6- Ryan Briscoe for Penske Racing
No. 7- Danica Patrick for Andretti Autosport
No. 9- Scott Dixon for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10- Dario Franchitti for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 12- Will Power for Penske Racing
No. 14- Vitor Meira for AJ Foyt Racing
No. 17- Hideki Mutoh for AFS Racing
No. 18- James Jakes for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19- Sebastien Bourdais for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 22- Giorgio Pantano for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 24- Ana Beatriz for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 26- Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27- Mike Conway for Andretti Autosport
No. 28- Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 34- Joao Paulo de Oliveira for Conquest Racing
No. 38- Graham Rahal for Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 59- E.J. Viso for KV Racing Technologies
No. 77- Alex Tagliani for Sam Schmidt Motorsports
No. 78- Simona de Silvestro for HVM Racing
No. 82- Tony Kanaan for KV Racing Technologies
No. 83- Charlie Kimball for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
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.
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What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
Wow, tough week to be Jenna Fryer, eh? After she poked Smoke with her, "what kind of questions should we be asking you" line at Richmond on Friday after Stewart bristled at the same Chase question he's been asked for the last eight weeks, she really got her lunch cut by Kurt Busch in the Media Center. Busch ripped up a transcript related to a comment he made about being in Jimmie Johnson's head after she showed it to him. Looking at who else makes up The Chase field – Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Ryan Newman…she might want to have Brock Lesnar fill in for her the next few weeks, or at least hold her recorder.
Speaking of which, sucky time to be Clint Bowyer too. A day after he said it was "fair to say" that it would be unlikely he'd be back at RCR for 2012, Richard Petty Motorsports announced they were no longer interested in him. Ouch – did they ask for their remote and copy of _Fletch_ back too? The latest rumors have Bowyer headed to Michael Waltrip Racing with a yet to be named third team. With RCR being able to absorb the Kevin Harvick Incorporated Nationwide team with such ease, you'd think they would have been able to somehow retain one of the most popular and productive drivers in the sport.
What in the **** is going on with Kyle Busch's hair? Seriously. No joke or comment here, it's just not working.
Whenever we go to Las Vegas, there is usually a better than average chance you'll be forced to look at an Elvis impersonator at some point during the weekend, or 6ft-tall showgirls with peacock plumage on their dome pieces. Since we're in Chicagoland, we'll get a short fat guy and a tall skinny guy dressed as _The Blues Brothers_. While it is one of my favorite movies, I will only subscribe to these antics if the pace car is a 1976 Dodge Monaco ex-police cruiser. And yes, it better have a 440 cubic-inch plant, cop tires, cop shock, and cop suspension. It would also need to be a model made before catalytic converters so it runs on regular gas. Also, in some what related news since it takes place around Chicago: Guess what White Sox – you just got smoked by my Tigers….AGAIN.
On a more serious and somber note, condolences to Bears Linebacker Brian Urlacher, who has left the team following the death of his mother. The thoughts and prayers of NASCAR Nation are with you #54.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
Today's Featured Commentary~~~~~~~~~~
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
Wow, tough week to be Jenna Fryer, eh? After she poked Smoke with her, "what kind of questions should we be asking you" line at Richmond on Friday after Stewart bristled at the same Chase question he's been asked for the last eight weeks, she really got her lunch cut by Kurt Busch in the Media Center. Busch ripped up a transcript related to a comment he made about being in Jimmie Johnson's head after she showed it to him. Looking at who else makes up The Chase field – Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Ryan Newman…she might want to have Brock Lesnar fill in for her the next few weeks, or at least hold her recorder.
Speaking of which, sucky time to be Clint Bowyer too. A day after he said it was "fair to say" that it would be unlikely he'd be back at RCR for 2012, Richard Petty Motorsports announced they were no longer interested in him. Ouch – did they ask for their remote and copy of _Fletch_ back too? The latest rumors have Bowyer headed to Michael Waltrip Racing with a yet to be named third team. With RCR being able to absorb the Kevin Harvick Incorporated Nationwide team with such ease, you'd think they would have been able to somehow retain one of the most popular and productive drivers in the sport.
What in the **** is going on with Kyle Busch's hair? Seriously. No joke or comment here, it's just not working.
Whenever we go to Las Vegas, there is usually a better than average chance you'll be forced to look at an Elvis impersonator at some point during the weekend, or 6ft-tall showgirls with peacock plumage on their dome pieces. Since we're in Chicagoland, we'll get a short fat guy and a tall skinny guy dressed as _The Blues Brothers_. While it is one of my favorite movies, I will only subscribe to these antics if the pace car is a 1976 Dodge Monaco ex-police cruiser. And yes, it better have a 440 cubic-inch plant, cop tires, cop shock, and cop suspension. It would also need to be a model made before catalytic converters so it runs on regular gas. Also, in some what related news since it takes place around Chicago: Guess what White Sox – you just got smoked by my Tigers….AGAIN.
On a more serious and somber note, condolences to Bears Linebacker Brian Urlacher, who has left the team following the death of his mother. The thoughts and prayers of NASCAR Nation are with you #54.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
Solving The 2012 Schedule Status Quo
Shakedown Session
by Brody Jones
It's no secret that no sport has taken quite as hard of a hit at the box office in recent years than NASCAR. Sponsorship dollars no longer flow quite as freely as before, attendance has dwindled, especially for the Nationwide and Truck Series, and fan interest has waned over the years. Nowhere is this more evident than looking at all the open dates currently left unfilled by the departure of the Nashville Superspeedway from NASCAR, Darlington and Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis for the Truck Series, along with the uncertain future of the Nationwide Series road course event in Montreal. Not forgotten in the list is the move of the Nationwide Series from the popular Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has to grate on short track racing fans the same way Harvard politics irritate a Vanderbilt graduate.
So, this begs the question as to "Why are there so many open dates now on the NASCAR calendar?" In the case of the Nashville Superspeedway, piss-poor track promotion, the facility not delivering on the grandiose promises initially made, and the track not being in the Nashville metropolitan area all sealed the fate of the Superspeedway. Had the track been in downtown Nashville (or somewhere near it), perhaps things may have turned out differently, but now the Music City's marriage with NASCAR remains uncertain with the departure of the track in Lebanon and the suspension of operations of Baker-Curb Racing. Sure, the GoCanada Racing team is headquartered in Nashville, but seriously, are xenophobic Southern fans going to embrace an essentially Canadian team in the Southeastern United States?
As for Montreal, popularity has never been an issue for the event as Canadian fans have come out en masse to the event. The problem, however, has been behind-the-scenes as money has not been raised as of yet to ensure that NASCAR will stay in Canada. Toronto has lobbied to take NASCAR's lone Canadian date among the main touring series, but it remains to be seen if Montreal can procure the money to keep its date, or if Toronto can get the date, or if the date leaves Canada entirely.
On the matter of the Nationwide Series having the sole Lucas Oil Raceway date shifted to "The Brickyard", to quote P. Diddy, it was "all about the Benjamins." Nevermind that the date at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis was among the most popular events of the year for the Nationwide and Truck Series... all that mattered to IMS executives was boosting their own sorry ticket sales, tradition be damned. At least when Tony George was running IMS, he never tried to poach the date from Lucas Oil Raceway.
One of the four open dates in the Truck Series has been filled by the return of "The Rock" to NASCAR, which is equally as popular of a move by NASCAR fans NOT on the Fan Advisory Board as the move to get rid of the Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis date was loathed and villified by dyed-in-the-wool hardcore NASCAR fans. With both Nashville dates and Darlington off the schedule as well, one has to wonder what other three tracks would scoop up these dates? Could short tracks such as Myrtle Beach, Hickory, The Fairgrounds at Nashville, or even "The Madhouse" at Bowman Gray Stadium get these dates? Unfortunately, in the imperfect world of NASCAR, this will likely mean we'll get two California dates and two Homestead dates? Is that what fans WANT to see? Heavens, no! But, it's what Brian France sees because he worships the almighty dollar. Hack away at the sport's regional roots to go to tracks that are all alike? Problem?
The Critic's Annex: The Day: 1992 Hooters 500
by Phil Allaway
However, before we get into the Hooters 500 goodness, we need to discuss the new streaming announcement that was officially verified by ESPN on Wednesday. Yes, RaceBuddy (temporarily renamed "ChaseBuddy") is on for this weekend at Chicagoland and all the other Chase races this year with the exception of Charlotte because ABC doesn't want to share (officially, it's a protectionist measure for their affiliates). I'm generally happy with this. Also, you will be able to watch the ESPN telecasts of those nine races on WatchESPN.com as well, which is pretty sweet. You can watch a race on tablets, laptops, PC's, cell phones and all kinds of other stuff now. Pretty got darn sweet, don't you think? Also of note, ESPN recently merged WatchESPN and ESPN3 into one website. A great example of streamlining.
The only drawback as of now is limited distribution. ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Goal Line and ESPN Buzzer Beater is only available to subscribers of Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Verizon FiOS. I'm confident that discussions are ongoing with a number of different cable companies as I type this. Perhaps by the beginning of next season, the WatchESPN service will be available to more prospective users. ESPN3 access (required to watch American Le Mans Series races live) is also available via a multitude of other Internet Service Providers. The list of participating ISP's for ESPN3 can be found here.
Even better, according to Dustin Long, this is not just a one-time thing for the Chase. The deal is through the end of the 2014 season, when the current TV deals expire. That means that approximately 20 races a year will be available online. FOX would thus be the only holdout, and since they're over-the-air, don't expect that to change. Nationwide Series races are also included in the deal, meaning that RaceBuddy will likely be available for those events as well, along with WatchESPN.com.
NASCAR Now will also be available on WatchESPN.com. Sounds great. However, with the recent move of the show to either 2:30 or 3:00pm EDT, I think they should archive the shows online so that more people can watch. Let's face it. That show got the shaft when Charissa Thompson and Dan LeBatard got new shows. Simple as that. Now, to your regularly scheduled critique.
The show was framed around the substantial amount of change that was going on, not just in NASCAR, but in the United States around the time of the race. A fair amount of time was given to Bill Clinton being elected President a couple of weeks before the race.
There was a good amount of time given to Petty Enterprises being in a substantial lull and the amount that the Fan Appreciation Tour was taking out of Richard Petty. 1992 was not Petty's worst season on the tour (1989, where he failed to qualify for four races and finished 29th in points was rock bottom). However, he still failed to earn even one top-10 finish all year. His best finishes were three 16th-place runs at both Talladega races and the June race at Michigan. For "The King," the race didn't go very well. He wasn't all that competitive out there, then got caught up in a big wreck that resulted in the No. 43 catching fire, and Petty cursing on live television at the 6:50 mark of this clip. However, Petty did come back to finish and take one last cool-down lap with the fans showering cheers on him.
Some time was spent covering the pre-race tests at Atlanta that used to come the week before the final race of the season. Period piece interviews helped to augment the footage.
Alan Kulwicki today is a bit of a forgotten soul in NASCAR. Yes, he won the championship in 1992, but he only ran seven full seasons in the Cup Series prior to his unfortunate death. This is a man that started less races (207) than drivers like Johnny Benson and Martin Truex, Jr., and managed five wins in that time. Outside of the championship year, he never finished better than eighth in points. I guess Kulwicki is considered a bit of an enigma. He died too early for us to really see what he was completely made of.
Part of the show focused on Kulwicki's travels in Winston Cup, coming down from Wisconsin to press his luck, finding zilch, and going it alone. What wasn't mentioned was the fact that the team in 1986 (the Quincy's Roadhouse-sponsored Ford shown in the piece, normally with No. 35, but the team did use No. 32 early in the year) ran the entire year with one car. Kulwicki DNQ'd four times, but ran well enough to beat Michael Waltrip for Rookie of the Year.
Davey Allison... was wreck-prone in 1992. That is all that can be said. This is someone that got hurt no less than three times during the season, yet still managed to come into Atlanta with the points lead. He should have won the title by 300 or so, but that just wasn't in the cards. A fair amount of time was focused on Allison's struggle with injury throughout the season (broken ribs in Bristol, concussion at The Winston, multiple injuries in July at Pocono) and how the team persevered through all that (Allison did take relief from Bobby Hillin, Jr. at Talladega in July, a week after his infamous Pocono blowover). Add in the fact that his brother Clifford was killed in Michigan while practicing his Busch car, and you could tell that 1992 was just not Davey's year.
In addition to the championship chase and Petty's final start, it was Jeff Gordon's first career start. In the general scheme of things, this was at best, an afterthought. Granted, there was a lot of excitement in the debut race, but a great run just wasn't meant to be, despite having just about the fastest car in town (he actually tested a full mile per hour faster than Rick Mast's record-setting pole speed). Ray Evernham talked about how the team screwed up on a pit stop and left a roll of duct tape on the deck lid of the car after a stop, and it just so happened to fall off on the track (drawing a yellow), and Davey Allison just so happened to run over it. If your brand new team was looking to make a good impression on debut (although Hendrick Motorsports had run three cars in the past, the No. 24 was a brand-new team for that race), don't do what the No. 24 team did here. It was a little painful. Even 19 years later, Evernham is still pretty embarrassed about it.
I don't think anyone realized it at the time, but Atlanta in 1992 was it for Elliott and Junior Johnson. The show mentioned that the team only won one more race (the 1994 Mountain Dew Southern 500) after the Hooters 500. That one Darlington win was Elliott's last win of the 1990's. He never seriously challenged for another title, with three eighth-place finishes (1993, 1995 and 1997) being the best he could muster. That eighth in 1993 was a little deceiving as it took until the end of July for Elliott to so much as lead a lap.
The show ended up with a look at the...grim futures for two of the championship contenders from this race. Unfortunately, neither Allison nor Kulwicki made it back to the Hooters 500 in 1993, scene of Dale Earnhardt clinching the title when T.W. Taylor crashed, Rusty Wallace getting his tenth win of the season, and Brian France shilling about some nonsense (at the 1:50 mark here) on ESPN. Both drivers were killed in aviation incidents during the 1993 season. Terrible tragedies at the time, and even now. Larry McReynolds still gets choked up when asked to talk about Allison today.
I greatly enjoyed watching this special. The piece was historically accurate, the sound bites were appropriate and really played up the sheer emotions of what was going on that day. I remember watching the race live, but not realizing just how much of a nail biter it really was. At the time, I was eight and bummed out that Earnhardt couldn't do much in 1992 (12th in points, one win, and a whole bunch of engine issues). Only as I've gotten older have I come to realize the gravity of that day.
I hope you liked this look back at The Day: 1992 Hooters 500. Check back next Thursday, when I'll be covering the Indy Japan 300 from the Twin Ring Motegi road course. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Chicagoland, Motegi, Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca.
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. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Richmond
"Seen slipping Kurt Busch a handful of Benjamins on the way out of Richmond this weekend." - A tongue-in-cheek zinger on Jeff Gordon possibly paying off Kurt Busch to take out Jimmie Johnson Saturday night. If that were so, who would have paid off Paul Menard to spin out late in the race. No footage of the spin was shown in ESPN's coverage...
"Seen slipping Kurt Busch a handful of Benjamins on the way out of Richmond this weekend." - A tongue-in-cheek zinger on Jeff Gordon possibly paying off Kurt Busch to take out Jimmie Johnson Saturday night. If that were so, who would have paid off Paul Menard to spin out late in the race. No footage of the spin was shown in ESPN's coverage...
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:
Ready, Set, Chase: Ten Things To Watch In NASCAR's Playoffs
by Danny Peters
Goin' Green: Predicting the Championship, 1 Through 12
by Garrett Horton
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Ready, Set, Chase: Ten Things To Watch In NASCAR's Playoffs
by Danny Peters
Goin' Green: Predicting the Championship, 1 Through 12
by Garrett Horton
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: In 1998, NASCAR held an exhibition race at the Twin Ring Motegi's egg-shaped oval (said to be modeled after Darlington, but not really). A number of full-time Winston Cup drivers made the trip, but Dale Jarrett was unable to attend. Why did he have to opt out of the race, and who replaced him in the No. 88?
~~~~~~
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: In 1998, NASCAR held an exhibition race at the Twin Ring Motegi's egg-shaped oval (said to be modeled after Darlington, but not really). A number of full-time Winston Cup drivers made the trip, but Dale Jarrett was unable to attend. Why did he have to opt out of the race, and who replaced him in the No. 88?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: This weekend marks the first appearance by the Izod IndyCar Series on Twin Ring Motegi's three-mile road course. However, the series inherited the race from CART when Honda left the series. Back in the inaugural CART race there in 1998, Bobby Rahal had a nasty crash late in the race. What happened?
A: Rahal was running alone on the track with 18 laps to go when his car appeared to just understeer into the wall exiting Turn 2. The car hit very hard, then blew over onto it's right side before coming to rest on the apron. Rahal climbed from his No. 7 Miller Lite-sponsored Reynard with a limp, but he was not forced to miss any action. The wreck can be seen in this clip.
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: Chicagoland by Brody Jones
We'll have a preview of the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races this weekend in Joliet.
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: Chicagoland by Brody Jones
We'll have a preview of the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races this weekend in Joliet.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy's back with another interesting commentary.
Voices From The Heartland by Jeff Meyer
For the rest of the season, Jeff's weekly column will run on Fridays. It's sure to satisfy.
Voices From The Heartland by Jeff Meyer
For the rest of the season, Jeff's weekly column will run on Fridays. It's sure to satisfy.
Tearing Apart The Trucks by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth returns with an intriguing commentary ahead of the series making their annual visit to Chicagoland Speedway.
Driver Diary: Regan Smith as told to Tony Lumbis
The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet returns for another interesting look at the past month on and off the track.
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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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