Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Frontstretch Newsletter: September 27th, 2011 Katie Kenseth Update

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 27th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCII
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What To Watch For: Tuesday
by Tom Bowles

-    Denny Hamlin is scheduled to meet with the media two races into a disappointing Chase. Hamlin, entering the postseason seeded twelfth remains there after an average finish of 30th the past two weeks.

-    TV Ratings for the second race of the Chase at New Hampshire will be released.  After Chicagoland's rain-delayed start, it's the first event where observers can make a true comparison with 2010 audience numbers.

-    News that can break at any time this week includes Clint Bowyer's deal with Michael Waltrip Racing, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule (all but a handful of dates have been released) and the future of JTG Daugherty's No. 47 car, no longer running out of the MWR shop for 2012.

Today's Top News
by Tom Bowles

Penske Vows Changes After Pre-Race Inspection Fiasco

Roger Penske is taking action one day after an embarrassing incident with his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge. After Kurt Busch's car was left in limbo, nearly failing post-race inspection due to timing and tolerance issues its owner spoke out about a cascading series of mistakes he says have been building for several races.

"The last two or three weeks, we had been late getting through tech," he admitted to SIRIUS Speedway's Dave Moody. "Then, if we had a little bit of a problem, we had to go back through again. (NASCAR) said, 'We've had enough of you going back through for little things.'"

The sanctioning body, planning no further penalties for the team considers the matter more of a final warning going forward. But for Penske, consequences will come from all sides within the No. 22 Dodge organization as he looks to button up crew performance across the board.

"I'm going to sit down with (crew chief Steve) Addington and the guys this week," he confirmed. "And say, 'We've got to have our car in inspection prior to qualifying and also prior to the race on time and not have this happen again.'"

No specific changes in procedure were mentioned by Penske, however, as the owner also denied any major wrongdoing in trying to sneak the car beyond NASCAR's tolerances. There was also no comment on his driver's behavior following the incident; Busch swore on camera, then had several mental breakdowns on the radio en route to a 22nd-place finish. The team now sits ninth in the Chase, 28 points behind leader Tony Stewart with eight races left to go.

Katie Kenseth Injured In Charity Race Practice


NASCAR wives racing for a good cause this October got a harrowing reminder of just how dangerous this sport can be. Katie Kenseth, wife of Matt who's taking part in the first annual Better Half Dash crashed during testing Monday night, totaling her Bandolero at the ¼-mile oval inside Charlotte Motor Speedway. As reported by WCNC, Kenseth lost control on her own, taking a turn too sharply and wound up hitting the inside of Charlotte's pit wall hard. Paramedics at the scene were concerned enough to wheel Kenseth out of the track on a stretcher; she was treated and released shortly thereafter at a local hospital, suffering a broken shoulder blade.

Matt Kenseth was at the open test, running to be at his wife's side after the incident. "Katie and I are home, she has a broken scapula and some bumps and bruises," he tweeted late Monday night. "Thanks for all the well wishes. She says that was the shortest racing career in history!"

The Better Half Dash, scheduled for before Charlotte's 500-mile race October 15th will feature over a dozen wives and female NASCAR personalities. The 25-lap feature, with a competition caution at Lap 15 will give the winner $5,000 to use on their charity of choice. Proceeds from the event will also benefit the Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) and Speedway Children's Charities (SCC); fans will have the opportunity to donate $10 through the completion of the Bank of America 500 by texting "MOTOR" to 20222.

Ty Dillon Announces Sponsors For Truck Series Debut

The ARCA Series point leader is stepping up a notch this week. Ty Dillon, the 19-year-old brother of Austin, will run the Truck Series this Saturday driving a Chevrolet owned by grandfather Richard Childress. Bad Boy Buggies and Realtree have been announced as primary sponsors, stepping up to back the No. 21 Chevy as the driver with nine career ARCA victories in 20 starts, an impressive 45% win percentage makes his Truck Series debut.

"Having been around Richard Childress Racing the past decade and a half, I have watched Ty and Austin Dillon grow up right alongside my son Tyler, and it's a privilege for Realtree to be involved in both of these teams' race programs today," said Realtree designer and President Bill Jordan in a press release. "Austin has proved to be a fierce competitor in the Truck Series, and Ty is currently burning up ARCA. Of course, Richard and I are good friends, so I get all the latest updates. Nothing would make me happier than to see the Dillons finish one/two in Kentucky."

"We are excited to team with Realtree to sponsor Ty as he makes his debut in the Truck Series," added Mike Parkhurst, Vice President of Sales for Bad Boy Buggies. "And begin what we are sure will be a long and storied career on NASCAR's biggest stages."

Dillon will run a limited schedule in Trucks this season before making the move full-time in 2012. He's expected to slot in the No. 3 truck while brother Austin takes a step up to the Nationwide Series.

News Bites
 
-    Kevin Harvick, Inc. announced Monday Ron Hornaday will switch from the No. 33 to the No. 2 truck this weekend at Kentucky. Cale Gale, slotting in the No. 33 has support from sponsor Rheem while Hornaday will run with Hollywood Casinos on the No. 2.

-    There's been no further clarification this Tuesday as to Tony Stewart's "dead weight" comment from Sunday's Cup race.  However, gossip still rages while it's notable that several posts on Jessica Zemken's Fan Page (Stewart's rumored ex-girlfriend) have been removed over the last 24 hours. Smoke made clear on Sunday he would not be revisiting the issue with the media.

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: Sylvania 300
by Brett Poirier

0
Times the driver leading the standings after the second race of the Chase has won the title.

2
Laps led by Tony Stewart in his win Sunday, tying him for the fewest laps led by any New Hampshire winner with Jeff Burton.

2
Times the first two Chase races were won by the same driver. Tony Stewart joined Greg Biffle, who accomplished the feat in 2008.

2
Drivers to win back-to-back races this season.  Tony Stewart joined Kevin Harvick as the only drivers to do so.

3
Cautions in Sunday's Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire.  It was the fewest number of cautions at any race this season.  Fontana and the first race at Pocono each had four.

3
Top-10 finishes for Carl Edwards in 15 starts at New Hampshire.  Edwards was eighth on Sunday.

4
Laps led for Brian Vickers Sunday. They were his first laps led on the Cup level this season.

4
Top-10 finishes for Roush Fenway Racing on Sunday at New Hampshire.  Greg Biffle was third, Matt Kenseth was sixth, David Ragan was seventh and Carl Edwards was eighth.

6

Top-5 finishes for Brad Keselowski in the last eight Sprint Cup Series races.  He was second on Sunday.

8
Races in which Kyle Busch has not led a lap this season in the Sprint Cup Series.  Busch finished 11th on Sunday.

8

Victories for Tony Stewart in Chase races. Sunday's win tied him for second all-time with Carl Edwards; Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with 19.

15.9
Average finishing position of Sprint Cup drivers following a win in the previous Sprint Cup race in 2011. After winning at Chicagoland, Tony Stewart won again at New Hampshire.

16
Top-10 finishes for Tony Stewart in 26 starts at the Magic Mile.

17
Chase races in 72 starts (2004-present) where Jimmie Johnson has finished outside the top 10.

22
Races between top-5 finishes for Greg Biffle. Before finishing third on Sunday, Biffle hadn't recorded a top 5 since March at Texas.

100
Starts for Tony Stewart and crew chief Darian Grubb together.  The pair have earned eight wins since the 2009 season.

1,071
Laps completed this season by Joe Nemechek through 28 Sprint Cup races.  He ran 38 laps at New Hampshire and finished 36th. It was Nemechek's second-best finish of the season.

2005
The last year that Tony Stewart held a lead in the point standings during the Chase.  Stewart won his second championship that year.

Brett Poirier is a Contributor to Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at brett.poirier@frontstretch.com.

Today's Featured Commentary
Now, Introducing Your Not Favorite Driver...
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady

43 cars lined the frontstretch of New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  The pace car sat at the front of the field, lights flashing.  Ken Squier's mellow tones filled the stands as he listed the accomplishments of each individual — each one a champion in their own right, invited to this race on their laurels.  And every driver raised their hand to acknowledge the cheers that arose from the fans in the stands.

Yes, lots of loud, heartfelt cheers.  No competitor faced silence.  None were booed off the stage, so to speak.  The fact these small teams -- hailing from the hills and dales of New England, New York and the eastern reaches of Canada -- even had their machines idling at one of NASCAR's premier tracks was huge!  Being asked to run in the American-Canadian Tour Invitational is recognition of your team's devotion to the sport, success at your local track or perhaps a storied racing past.  Whatever the reason, their neighbors and family made sure to make all the competitors welcome. I even looked around me to exchange smiles and wave to those making the most noise. 

Fast forward to Sunday.  Now, there's a shiny stage with a whole bunch of "somebodies" lined up with cameras clicking off shots as the driver works the reception line.  And from the stands?

Well, near silence for the bottom ten to fifteen drivers of the Sprint Cup Series, from the approximately 50,000 fans gathered early for all the ceremony that comes with a race in the Chase to the Cup.  That's right; you could almost hear the crickets as driver after driver sauntered across the stage, waved to the crowd and climbed into the back of the pickup for his parade lap.

We are talking about the biggest series in stock car racing.  We are speaking of professionals, who have earned their spot on this starting grid through a lifetime of winning — in sprint cars, stock cars and even the elite IndyCar and F1 series.  Yet, these familiar faces do not have their family and personal friends standing in the grandstand week after week to cheer them on… they have us.

Apparently, the everyday race fan deems their applause is to be counted like a miser tallies up his bank account.  Precious noise of praise and encouragement are given only to those that have "earned" it, because the Armchair Driver in all of us knows that if only those end-of-the-field unsponsored cars drove a little faster and a little harder week after week they would have garnered our respect and praise.

How uncharitable!

Last year, I followed a couple of competitors onto pit road early Saturday morning at NHMS.  Speaking French, they wore matching T-Shirts from a team I did not recognize but their eyes - anyone could recognize that look of awe and wonder.  They stopped right at the entrance, gestured to the towering, vacant stands and basically said, "Can you believe they fill this place up?"

It hit me then -- and the feeling was reinforced this year as those ACT cars waited to roll off for their parade laps -- this place means something to these teams, far more than, say a game of T-Ball on your neighborhood playground.  This is it; this place is the major leagues.  No matter who you are, and how many races you've run, when you compete at one of these altars of racing you have accomplished something important.  With that achievement should come recognition, from your peers and those who you seek to entertain.

So I put it to you, fellow race fans; we should stop and remember what a feat it is simply to step onto a major NASCAR venue.  All the competitors are worthy of our admiration (even the one who is depicted wearing a smirk in his M&M uniform), and therefore warrant more than a disinterested glance as we program our scanners and ensure we've got enough ice to last the race.

Haven't you ever noticed the first person a driver thanks upon entering Victory Lane is you?  The Fan?  Maybe it's time we gave some of that love back and made sure our gratitude for filling our afternoons with the smell of unburned fuel and the sounds of unbridled speed can be heard.

Let's do it. The next time you pony up the bucks to go to the track, make sure you stand up! Put your hands together and make some noise — for your favorite driver and the one you've never even heard of before.  They deserve it.

S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch.com.  She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Who Would Be The Best NASCAR Champ For 2011?
by Danny Peters

Who's Hot/ Who's Not In Sprint Cup: Loudon-Dover Edition
by Summer Dreyer

5 Points To Ponder: A Penske Rebellion? Chase Panic Over Nothing, And The Change We Should Have Seen
by Tom Bowles

Talking NASCAR TV: SPEED, Not ESPN Struggles Mightily During Loudon Coverage
by Phil Allaway

Fact Or Fiction: Post-Race Mistake, Start And Park Problems, And Truck Changes?
by the Frontstretch Staff
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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 1991, NASCAR was facing a short field for the Budweiser 500 at then-Dover Downs International Speedway.  As a result, drivers like J.D. McDuffie were called in to help fill out the 35-car field.  Unfortunately, he could not finish the race due to a crash.  What happened?
 
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Monday's Answer:

Q:
  In the 1994 Goodwrench Delco 200 at then-Dover Downs International Speedway, we've asked about Bobby Dotter's huge crash in the past.  However, Harry Gant also took a nasty hit in Turn 1.  What happened?

A:  Gant was running in the top-10 when he blew a right front tire entering Turn 1.  Gant's Manheim Auctions Chevrolet went up the track and hit the wall hard before sliding down to the apron.  Despite the hit, Gant was OK, but his No. 7 was thrashed.  The crash can be seen at the 1:45 mark of this clip.  Mike Joy, Buddy Baker and special guest Darrell Waltrip have the call.
 
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 Tom Bowles
-- 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 Bryan Davis Keith
Did You Notice... Tom's got a sub this week?  Bryan Keith fills in with the latest and greatest small observations from life around the NASCAR circuit.

Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Follow our writer roundtable this week as they enter into a heated debate about just how much leeway NASCAR should give teams during pre- and post-race inspection. Ron Hornaday's future, Jimmie Johnson's past and Talladega rules are just some of the other issues touched on as our experts try and cover all the bases during a busy racing newsweek.
 
Top 15 Power Rankings by the Frontstretch Staff
Which driver came out of Loudon on top of our 2011 Power Rankings chart? Jimmie Johnson? Carl Edwards? Kyle Busch? Someone else? Find out who our select Frontstretch experts have labeled as this week's favorite heading into Dover.

Voice Of Vito by Summer Dreyer
Vito's off this week, but never fear - Summer's here! She'll fill you in on a NASCAR topic du jour while helping you forget about the cold winter around the corner.


Beyond The Cockpit:  Eric McClure as told to Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan Davis Keith sits down for an engaging interview with the Nationwide Series regular, rebuilding his life on and off the track after a devastating tornado destroyed his Virginia home.

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.

Foto Funnies: Sylvania 300 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.
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©2011 Frontstretch.com

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