Monday, October 31, 2011

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Special Lunchtime Halloween Edition

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!

October 31st, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXXX

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What's Happening Now

by Tom Bowles

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The action hasn't stopped at Martinsville this Monday, as nine teams are currently testing the fuel injected-engines NASCAR is mandating for use in 2012. Among those in attendance: Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Penske Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Furniture Row Racing, NEMCO Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing. The morning session had just wrapped up, and there will be one more in the afternoon before the teams call it quits.

Tragedy Strikes: Russ Wallace Dies From Stroke Complications

On Saturday night, Russ Wallace, the patriarch of the Wallace Racing Family, died in St. Louis, Missouri due to complications from a stroke.  He was 77.  The oldest member of the Wallace racing family was not necessarily a racer by trade.  Unfortunately, he simply could not make enough on the track to support himself.  That meant racing in the Midwest was more of a hobby to Russ; however, he passed down his love of the sport to his three sons, Rusty, Mike, and Kenny, who often helped Russ work on his race cars.

As a driver, Russ was top notch.  While running mainly on dirt tracks close to St. Louis, Russ won hundreds of races while working day shifts as an auto mechanic, or with other companies. In the garage, Russ taught his sons the work ethic that they took with them to the highest levels of NASCAR.  Kenny, in particular, recently stated that he owed his work ethic, his lifestyle, and his career to his father.

We at Frontstretch send our sincerest condolences to the Wallace family on their loss.

Sprint Cup Race Recap: Stewart Takes the Win In Martinsville
by Mike Neff


FOR UNOFFICIAL RESULTS, CLICK HERE.

The Sprint Cup drivers took to Martinsville Speedway Sunday and a Late Model race broke out.  The caution flag flew 18 times during the race and there did not appear to be a single car on the track at the end of the event that did not have some damage.  When the checkered flag flew, Tony Stewart was standing in Victory Lane next to the traditional Martinsville grandfather clock after making a bold outside pass for the lead around Jimmie Johnson on a late-race restart. Stewart's win knocked 11 points off of Carl Edwards' lead in the point standings and leaves him in second position, just eight behind the leader.  Johnson finished the race in second-place just ahead of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon.  Kevin Harvick backed up his spring race victory with a fourth-place run while local favorite Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-5 finishers.

For Stewart, it was a clear case of, "Where did he come from?" The No. 14 Chevy was on the tail end of the lead lap for much of the race, simply fighting to stay ahead of a dominating foursome pacing the field (Johnson, Gordon, Hamlin, and Kyle Busch) before getting saved by one of the race's many caution flags. Making extended stops to work on the car, Stewart used a two-tire gamble with 41 laps left to jump all the way up to fourth on the racetrack. From there, track position meshed with fresher tires to give Stewart a shot at challenging up front. Picking off competitors one by one, he fell second for the race's final restart, after a Brian Vickers wreck and that was enough to push Johnson on the start and steal the trophy.

"[Darian Grubb, crew chief] got us that track position back with another great call," said Stewart, who muscled by Johnson on the outside during the final three laps in a hair-raising move to pull off the victory. "That is what truly gave us the shot to have that opportunity at the end of the day."

"When I was inside of Tony, I went down in the corner and thought that eight tires would be a lot better than four," said Johnson, who ultimately decided not to make contact. "I changed my mind. With where he is in the points, what's going on, the fact we raced throughout the day today, he never touched me, I had a hard time doing that."

Aside from the carnage that took place throughout the race, with only one green flag run longer than 56 laps, the biggest story of the event was the shakeup in the point standings from second through seventh place.  Stewart's win moved him up two spots along with Harvick gaining two positions thanks in great part to Matt Kenseth's bad day.  Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch each lost one place in the points race, but it was Kenseth who took the big hit, dropping three positions thanks to a lap 465 incident which caused him to go behind the wall and lose more than 20 laps being repaired.  Kenseth dropped from second in points, just 14 behind the leader to fifth in points, 36 points out of the top spot.  The other driver who moved up in the standings was Johnson, who parlayed his runner-up finish into a one spot gain and a decrease in his arrears to Edwards of seven points to only 43 behind.

"Obviously, it is tough now," said Keselowski. "Carl has such a lead on everybody, but you know, we might have to just roll the dice a little more.  He's kind of had everything go his way and it might just be that year, you know, everybody has those years when things seem to go their way.  It's definitely going his way right now, but the best thing we can do is try to find speed in our cars and get good finishes."

"Carl Edwards had better be real worried," boasted Stewart in Victory Lane.  "That's all I've got to say.  He's not going to sleep for the next three weeks."

The 18 caution flags officially involved 25 different race cars, several of them in more than one.  Unofficially at least 40 race cars sustained some kind of damage during the race.  The only cars that did not receive any damage were J.J. Yeley, Landon Cassill and Michael McDowell, who all fell out of the race relatively early on.  Brian Vickers was the poster child for the wreckfest that took place, being involved in no fewer than six of the cautions during the event.

"With Brian, he just kept hitting me in the door," Kenseth observed.  "I mean, we're at Martinsville and I gave him the bottom.  Obviously, I'm not gonna roll over and let him go with 40 to go or whatever it was and he just kept driving in harder and harder and he slammed me in the door at least five times and just ran me up in the marbles and I was just tired of it, so I spun him out.  I don't know how you can't pass somebody here without running into him every single time when he give you the bottom and the fastest lane, but obviously he couldn't and I was trying to get every position I could at the end of the race."

"People just have no regard," Hamlin opined.  "I would get into guys and then I know its coming – I'm going to get slammed in the next corner.  It's just one of those things where it's frustrating to watch because you see some of these cars getting torn up in accidents.  Accidents happen and some of these drivers need to realize that."

The victory is Stewart's 42nd of his Sprint Cup career in 461 starts.  It is his third victory of 2011 and also his third victory at Martinsville.  Stewart is still 16th on the all-time Cup Series wins list, two behind Bill Elliott and two ahead of Mark Martin.  This is the 48th victory for Chevrolet in 125 Martinsville races; in comparison, Denny Hamlin is the only Toyota driver to have ever won at Martinsville.

Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.

Tracking The Chasers: Edwards Does It Again
by Garrett Horton

For the second straight week, Carl Edwards ran in the back for most of the afternoon only to rally in the closing laps.  Unlike last week, Edwards wasn't running in the back by design.  His car was so bad that at one point he was running as low as 25th, one lap off the pace and behind some of the single-car, backmarker organizations.  But with the help of the free pass and capitalizing off of others' misfortunes, Edwards rallied to finish in ninth.  It was the fourth Chase race where Edwards had to come from the back and rally, but this might have been the most amazing comeback of all - especially considering Martinsville is one of his worst tracks.
 
"It's unreal," he said.  "We were so bad [with] probably 200 laps to go, I was thinking, Okay, the Cardinals didn't give up the other night.  That's a little motivation.  The Missouri Tigers didn't give up the other night.  That's motivation.  I became all right with the fact we were going to finish 20th or 25th.  I was already thinking about Texas, everything we were going to do.  My guys stuck with it and we got very, very fortunate.  Just glad we could move on."

It looked like for most of the day that Edwards was going to lose the point lead to teammate Matt Kenseth, but the last 50 laps changed everything.  His lead shrunk to just eight points over second, but it comes from a new challenger as sitting right behind him in second is an unlikely contender.  Even though Tony Stewart is considered amongst the sports' best, a mediocre regular season that saw the two-time Cup champ only place in the top-5 twice had no one thinking he would be a threat in the Chase.  Stewart himself didn't believe his team was going to contend, but after winning his third Chase race this year, no one is hotter than Smoke.  In what was a championship drive to the lead, Stewart muscled his way outside five-time defending champ Jimmie Johnson with a lap and a half remaining for the top spot.  The margin to first is now just eight points with three races left in the 2011 season.
 
Kevin Harvick
rebounded nicely from his troubles at Talladega a week before.  The spring Martinsville winner ran inside the top-10 for most of the day, and was able to gain bonus points for leading laps thanks to several two-tire pit calls during the race.  It was clear Harvick didn't have a race-winning car like he did in the spring, but he was still good enough for a top-5 finish, coming home in fourth.  The ability to avoid trouble while others near him in points did not allowed Harvick to move two spots in the standings to third.  He is now 21 markers behind Edwards.
 
Brad Keselowski
experienced what many would describe as a typical day at Martinsville - a roller coaster ride.  Taking advantage of a top-10 starting spot because of qualifying being rained out, Keselowski ran up front early before pit strategy sent him towards the back.  He was running as low as 28th at one point before slowly working his way back towards the front.  Late in the going, he had worked his way up to fifth, but a string of late-race cautions ulimately ended up costing the 2010 Nationwide champ.  On the final restart, Denny Hamlin got into the back of Keselowski, causing him to spin out and settle for a disappointing 17th-place finish.  It cost him a spot in the standings, where he now sits fourth.
 
Falling back three spots to fifth is Matt Kenseth.  For most of the day, it looked like he would leave the event as your new point leader.  While Edwards struggled most of the afternoon, Kenseth was a top-5 car for much of the race, doing what he needed to do at a track that he has struggled at in the past.  That all changed, though, on lap 465, when a cut tire on the No. 17 machine sent him crashing into Kyle Busch and then the outside of Turn 3.  The damage was bad enough to send the Crown Royal Ford behind the wall for repairs.  While he managed to make it back out on the track, Kenseth finished 31st and likely ended his hopes of a second championship. 
 
It seems like anytime Jimmie Johnson is considered out of the championship hunt, he reminds everyone that it's not over until Homestead.  Even though Stewart wrestled the lead away from him coming to the white flag, the runner-up finish moved Johnson up one spot to sixth in the standings and back within a full race.  He is now 43 points behind Edwards; still a large margin, but mathematically alive. 
 
Kyle Busch
has turned Martinsville into one of his better tracks and demonstrated this by leading a race-high 126 laps.  Unfortunately, he was taken out of contention with less than 40 laps left after a cut tire on Kenseth's car caused him to spin out.  The incident left Busch with minimal damage, but when the No. 18 team was making repairs on pit road, they sent the car back on the track with lugnuts on his left front wheel that were still loose.  The wheel came off as soon as he went back, causing further damage to his vehicle.  He ended up going seven laps down as a result and was relegated to a 27th-place finish.  As a result, Busch fell one spot in the standings to seventh overall.
 
Kurt Busch
had a much better result, but his day was just as bad.  Just nine laps in, Busch was taken out by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. There wasn't any damage on the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, but that was just a sign of things to come.  Busch never got a handle of the car, and went a lap down at one point.  He would also be involved in several other cautions, most notably a lap 428 incident with Paul Menard, in which it appeared that the RCR driver intentionally got into the back of him.  Somehow, Busch was able to overcome all of this to finish 14th.  He remains eighth in the standings, just one point behind his younger brother.
 

By finishing seventh on Sunday, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. posted his best Chase finish since the opener at Chicago, where he finished third.  It was also just his second top-10 in the seven Chase races so far.  After running in the back for most of the race last week at Talladega, Junior was a frontrunner at Martinsville, running in the top-10 for much of the day.  He stays ninth in the points, but is only seven markers ahead of eleventh-place Denny Hamlin.
 
Jeff Gordon
overcome an early race incident that saw heavy damage to his front end to be one of the fastest cars in the second half.  He would lead 113 laps, but a variety of pit strategies on a lap 465 pit stop had him sitting outside the top-5.  Gordon was able to drive his way back into contention, but had to settle for third.  He was able to gain some points on Edwards, but with him 76 points behind with just three races left, Gordon's just trying to stay in the top-10 to make the awards banquet in Las Vegas.
 
Denny Hamlin
was hoping a win at Martinsville would ease the pain of what has been a disappointing 2011 campaign.  For a while, it looked like he would be able to pick up his fifth win at the half-mile paperclip.  No one was stronger on the long runs than Hamlin, who led twice for 58 laps.  However, a string of cautions pretty much eliminated any chance of a win as it took his car several laps to get going. He had to settle for fifth, his third straight top-10 of the year.  Even though he started the Chase off slowly, Hamlin has been able to finish each Chase race better than from the previous week.  It hasn't helped him move up in the standings though, as he still remains a distant 11th.
 
Rounding out the Chasers is Ryan Newman, whose tenth-place finish was just his third top-10 in this playoff.  It was a good rally for the Rocketman considering he spun out with just 24 laps left in the event.  Prior to that, he showed strength in the first 100 laps, leading 39 circuits before getting shuffled back on pit strategy.  With three races to go, Newman is 89 points behind Edwards and 13 markers behind tenth-place Gordon.
 

As for the best of the rest, last week's winner Clint Bowyer remains in 13th after a last lap spin relegated him to 19th place.  His closest pursuers, Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne, had their share of problems as well, and weren't able to gain much ground.  Biffle's 15th-place result allowed him to gain four points on Bowyer and move past Kahne - who finished five laps down in 25th - to sit 14th in the overall standings.

Standings: 1) Carl Edwards 2273, 2) Tony Stewart -8, 3) Kevin Harvick -21, 4) Brad Keselowski -27, 5) Matt Kenseth -36, 6) Jimmie Johnson -43, 7) Kyle Busch -57, 8) Kurt Busch -58, 9) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -73, 10) Jeff Gordon -76, 11) Denny Hamlin -80, 12) Ryan Newman -89.

Best of the Rest: 13)
Clint Bowyer 940, 14) Greg Biffle -24, 15) Kasey Kahne -25, 16) A.J. Allmendinger -28, 17) Juan Pablo Montoya -77.

Tracking The Top 35:  Front Row Motorsports Adds Some Cushion Over 36th

Travis Kvapil drove the No. 38 FRM Ford to a very respectable 16th-place, lead-lap effort on Sunday, allowing the team to expand their lead over TRG Motorsports.  TRG, who had Virginia native Hermie Sadler behind the wheel instead of rookie Andy Lally, ended in the day in 26th with a car that certainly looked like it went through 500 laps at Martinsville.  Sadler spun out, causing a caution and was never competitive, creating a deeper gap the No. 71 team will need to make up with three races left. With Kvapil's strong run along with one bonus point for leading a lap, FRM extended their lead over 36th by 11 points.  That gives them a semi-comfortable cushion of 13 with just three races left on the year.
 
31) Front Row Motorsports (No. 34 - David Gilliland), +107 points ahead of 36th.
32) Tommy Baldwin Racing (No. 36 - Dave Blaney), +64 points ahead of 36th.
33) Germain Racing (No. 13 - Casey Mears), +58 points ahead of 36th.
34) FAS Lane Racing (No. 32 - Ken Schrader), +32 points ahead of 36th.
35) Front Row Motorsports (No. 38 - Travis Kvapil), +13 points ahead of 36th.
36) TRG Motorsports (No. 71 - Hermie Sadler),-13 points behind 35th.
37) Robby Gordon Motorsports (No. 7 - Reed Sorenson), -116 points behind 35th.
38) Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21 - Trevor Bayne), -140 points behind 35th.
39) MaxQ Motorsports (No. 37 - Mike Skinner), -260 points behind 35th.

Garrett Horton is a Contributor to Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at garrett.horton@frontstretch.com.
 
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments about 2011? John's got answers!
A new year means a new columnist to answer all your pressing questions about the sport! Our legendary flagman John Potts is taking over our Fan Q & A, so be sure to stack his inbox with plenty of queries and comments for the New Year! Send them his 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!

Weekend's Top News

by Phil Allaway

Front Row Motorsports Jackman Injured Sunday at Martinsville; Released From Hospital

During Sunday afternoon's TUMS Fast Relief 500, Sean Irvan, jackman on the No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford for Front Row Motorsports, was hit on pit road during a round of pit stops under yellow by Mark Martin.  The hit and subsequent fall to the ground resulted in Irvan suffering a concussion, a neck strain and a strain of the MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) in his right knee.  After being checked over in the Infield Care Center at the track, Irvan was transported by ambulance to Martinsville Memorial Hospital for additional X-Rays and CT (Computed Tomography) Scans.  Those scans came back negative for additional injuries and Irvan was subsequently released from the hospital.

Phil Allaway is a Senior Writer and the Newsletter Manager for Frontstretch.  He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com

Secret Star of the Race: The Run You Never Saw

Michael Waltrip and his racing team have never been confused for short track specialists. As a driver, he had zero Cup victories on a track less than a mile in length; in fact, he had just two top-5 finishes in 162 starts at the sport's old school bullrings (Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond, and the now-defunct North Wilkesboro) while racking up a whopping 30 career DNFs. Before the two Daytona 500 victories, you could even argue Waltrip's most memorable NASCAR moment came in 1990 at Bristol, when his Busch Grand National car disintegrated on impact in a wicked crash he was lucky to even survive, let alone emerge with little more than a scratch.

Those poor performances have continued, even after transitioning from driver to owner. Entering Sunday, Michael Waltrip Racing had just five top-10 finishes with its team cars, now driven by David Reutimann and Martin Truex, Jr. in 65 total starts on the short tracks. That's why the run by Truex on Sunday, a quiet but consistent eighth-place performance is so important. In order for this team to take it to the next level, they need to post results on all different types of tracks - a push their NAPA-sponsored driver has made in recent weeks. Not only does he have a second at Bristol, from back in August but the New Jersey native added a fourth at the road course at Watkins Glen and the September pole at one-mile Dover to showcase some versatility.

But that's not all. Truex had his crew chief, Chad Johnston suspended this week after his windshield didn't fit the NASCAR templates at Talladega (the team is currently appealing). That left him with former head wrench Pat Tryson, who was replaced earlier this year, heading to a track in which Truex's stuck throttle in the Spring resulted in perhaps the hardest hit of his career. That's a lot of bad mojo to overcome, especially on a day where other drivers were so aggressive this half-mile resembled more like a video game obstacle course from Grand Theft Auto. No wonder why there may have been no one more relieved to grab a top-10 finish… right?

"This is by far my toughest track," admitted Truex post-race. "I want to thank Pat Tryson (crew chief) for helping us out this weekend and the rest of my NAPA team for stepping up and making it through a very tough week."

"I'm so proud of my team. My biggest challenge today was all the restarts. I pretty much lined up on the outside for all but two or three of them. Fortunately, I was on the inside for the one that counted the most — the last one. It was pretty crazy out there so I'm happy to end up eighth. We'll take eighth and go to Texas."

Certainly, starting on the outside was a bit of a challenge for anyone. But considering the challenge for MWR is simply making it to the checkered at this racetrack; trust me, everyone within the shop walls of the No. 56 was wearing an extra big smile on their face this Sunday night. – Tom Bowles

STAT OF THE WEEK: 19.2
. That's Tony Stewart's average finish at Martinsville in his five previous starts as owner/driver, a mark he shattered with a win in Sunday's race. Stewart had led just one lap in the No. 14 Chevy, posting just two lead-lap finishes and suffering through an extended set of handling woes… woes that weren't even rectified until the final 200 laps or so on Sunday. Better late than never though, right? - Tom Bowles

Running Their Mouth:  2011 TUMS Fast Relief 500

by Brody Jones

Best Quote:

"Carl Edwards had better be real worried. That's all I've got to say. He's not going to sleep for the next three weeks." - Tony Stewart, race winner

Let the mind games begin, NASCAR fans! It certainly seems as if Tony Stewart has decided to take the Denny Hamlin approach of getting inside the competition's head. Last year, the No. 11 FedEx team tried similar tactics, only to have them implode in their faces in the last two races of the season. But this year is different, as the guy playing these games has not one, but two championships to his credit. Edwards has not been in a position to lead the Chase with three races to go. Plus, with the deficit being so tight, the Ford driver is going to need to start running better than ninth place to win this championship... because "Smoke" is definitely more than capable of rising to the occasion.

Most Controversial Quote:


"Yeah, I just could not get away from him on the restart. He hung on strong on the outside, and I was more worried about clipping a curb when he was running me tight and not take him out of a championship situation, minding my P's and Q's. I just wanted to do the right thing and unfortunately got beat in the process. Thought about going in there and leaning on him, move him up but that is just not the right thing to do. I just wished that prior to that the No. 83 was not a part of every caution. I wish he could have just driven around the race track and we could have won this thing, but whatever, we will move on." - Jimmie Johnson, runner-up, on the last restart

Clearly, Brian Vickers' role at Martinsville was to be the American missile defense program, as he was hitting nearly everything in sight on Sunday. It almost seemed like the Allstate "Mayhem" character had slid behind the wheel of the No. 83 car. But back to the topic at hand. Jimmie Johnson had stayed out when the other drivers had pitted and appeared to be a sitting duck. Still, he had a one-second lead, which is practically an eternity at a track like Martinsville until Vickers again caused another accident.

This caution would bunch up the field for one last restart where Johnson would lose the lead to Tony Stewart and now, the No. 48 team has seen their hopes of a "six-pack" all but vanish. It's safe to say that after this race, not many drivers aren't exactly going to be skydiving with the Thomasville, North Carolina native anytime soon.

Crew Chief Quote Of The Week:

"It is. You don't know when the caution is going to fall. When it's not. If you are going to get spun out, or you're not. It's just crazy. It is just frustrating. I am proud we came back and finished tenth, but it isn't what we wanted. We'll just take it and go on." - Tony Gibson, crew chief, No. 39 team

Craziness was the best word to describe racing at the Sprint Cup Series' smallest track on Sunday. Ryan Newman's day was thwarted with a mid-race spin following contact with Kurt Busch. It certainly seemed like patience and common sense behind the wheel did not apply at Martinsville. For Gibson, a day that held so much promise would ultimately wind up with a disappointing tenth-place finish. Granted, it was a top 10, but for Newman and Gibson, who have no shortage of short track credentials between them, a 10th-place result is not exactly what they had in mind.

Best Of The Rest:

"For Martinsville for sure. People just have no regard. I would get into guys and then I know it's coming — I'm going to get slammed in the next corner. It's just one of those things where it's frustrating to watch because you see some of these cars getting torn up on accidents. Accidents happen and some these drivers need to realize that." - Denny Hamlin, fifth on the race's aggression

"I mean, come on man. I mean everybody that I think I ran over even got me back accidentally in one shape or form today. I don't know if they think we are all even but I ain't really worried about it. If they want to come at me, come at me. But I had fun today and this is short track racing and we don't do as much short track racing anymore so when you see this kind of thing, you are like 'whoa, what's going on', because we run on these mile-and-a-halfs and you don't see that kind of crap. And if we ran on these things more often, this would kind of be more acceptable I guess in their minds." - Dale Earnhardt Jr., seventh on how other drivers felt about the wrecks

"It was unbelievable. It was insane. That's the way NASCAR is now. Everybody is desperate. We've got to fight for everything we can get out there. Sponsors, points, money, etc., so everybody is trying to get everything. It's the end of the year. It just seems like if it's just me, but it just seems like this year is tiring. Everybody is tired and you put that combination together at a place like Martinsville and things are gonna happen." - A.J. Allmendinger, 11th

"I'm so proud of all the guys on this GEICO racing team. We've known all year that we could run this well and it's a nice feeling to have two weeks in a row where we have run up front. I want to thank Bob Germain (team owner) for giving us the chance this afternoon and we are making great strides as a team. Bootie [Barker, crew chief and all the guys on this team deserve a lot of credit." - Casey Mears, 12th

"With Brian, he just kept hitting me in the door. I mean, we're at Martinsville and I gave him the bottom. Obviously, I'm not gonna roll over and let him go with 40 to go or whatever it was and he just kept driving in harder and harder and he slammed me in the door at least five times and just ran me up in the marbles and I was just tired of it, so I spun him out. I don't know how you can't pass somebody here without running into him every single time when he gives you the bottom and the fastest lane, but obviously he couldn't and I was trying to get every position I could at the end of the race." - Matt Kenseth, 31st

"When you don't feel like you have the corner good, you block. I pulled down and blocked and I saw he [Brian Vickers] was going to get in there, so I moved back up the track and I just feel like he let off the brake and went ahead and sent me for a ride. I don't know, it is frustrating, because we had a really good car yesterday, and it did not start off very good today and I thought we got our car quite a bit better there and I am just really upset. I felt like I blocked him, then I let him in, it was all going to be good and I just felt like he kind of took a cheap shot on me. I just didn't appreciate it." - Jamie McMurray, 35th, on his incident with Brian Vickers

Brody Jones is a Contributor to Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at brody.jones@frontstretch.com.
 
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
  
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Martinsville-2 Race Recap
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How Bizarre: A True Halloween Story Of Back From The Dead
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The Big Six: Questions Answered After The TUMS Fast Relief 500
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:
  As many of you remember, Texas Motor Speedway's second NASCAR weekend came out of an out-of-court settlement of the Francis Ferko lawsuit.  This used to be the fall weekend in Rockingham.  In 2000, the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at that racetrack was marred by an incident on pit road.  What happened?

Friday's Answer:

Q:  The 1991 Goody's 500 at Martinsville Speedway is famous for being the race that Harry Gant won to claim his fourth consecutive Cup Series victory, earning him the nickname, "Mr. September." However, Gant's win overshadowed an excellent run for Jimmy Hensley, who ran as high as fourth before dropping back to a tenth-place finish in his 26th career start. Who was Hensley driving for and what became of that team?
 
A:  Hensley was driving for Team III Racing, a small outfit that fielded No. 24 Pontiacs in 1991.  The team ran almost the entire season without a sponsor, except for the last race of the season when they ran Kenny Wallace with Dirt Devil backing (Dirt Devil ended up sponsoring Wallace in Busch during the 1992 season before moving up to Cup for 1993).  The team ran the first half of the season with Mickey Gibbs behind the wheel, then split the seat between Hensley, Wallace, Dick Trickle and Dorsey Schroeder for the rest of the season.  Despite some great runs, including a sixth-place finish with Trickle at Dover, the team was heavily in debt at the end of the year and shut down when they could not acquire sponsorship for the 1992 season.  In addition, McMahon, whose family money came from a chain of motels, was illegally funneling money from financial partnerships related to the hotels to his race team, and other personal endeavors.  This article on Allbusiness.com explains the mess that the McMahon's were in back in the 1980's and 1990's far better than we can.  Team III Racing isn't prominently mentioned until Page 9, but it's definitely worth a read.
 
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!
 
Coming Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Tom Bowles
-- Sitting In The Stands: A Fans' View by S.D. Grady
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
 
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
 
The Yellow Stripe by Danny Peters
Danny gives us a commentary piece based on recent events in NASCAR.
 
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Martinsville-Fort Worth Edition by Summer Dreyer
Summer takes a look at post-Martinsville numbers to see who's got the most momentum heading into Texas... and beyond.

Five Points To Ponder by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan is back with his weekly edition of talking points to tie up Martinsville and get us set for the week of NASCAR news ahead.

Talking NASCAR TV by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup Series made their second visit of the year to Martinsville for a 500-lap race, with the Camping World Truck Series serving as main support.  Meanwhile, Formula One made their first-ever visit to India.  Were the race telecasts up to snuff, or were they missing something?  Find out in this week's edition of the TV Critique.

Fact Or Fiction by Tom Bowles
Tom is back with a list of predictions and calls to get us set for the final three weeks of NASCAR competition.

------------------------------
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rec.games.trivia - 11 new messages in 5 topics - digest

rec.games.trivia
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia?hl=en

rec.games.trivia@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

* Calvin's Quiz #174 - 3 messages, 3 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/352c76c91cd55943?hl=en
* Rotating Quiz #37 - ANSWERS & SCORES - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/77c46d4c564614c1?hl=en
* BOOTMGR not found - 3 messages, 2 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/0381d9035472b9bf?hl=en
* Toughest Logic Puzzle - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/75db3e962e258309?hl=en
* Rotating Quiz #38 - 3 messages, 3 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/cfaab7a6c78c74b8?hl=en

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Calvin's Quiz #174
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/352c76c91cd55943?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Sat, Oct 29 2011 6:33 am
From: Pete


Calvin <calvin@phlegm.com> wrote in
news:op.v31ma1ktyr33d7@04233-26jz62s.staff.ad.bond.edu.au:

>
>
> 1 Which branch of medicine is concerned with artificial human
> limbs?

Prosthetetics

> 2 What was the given name of Margaret Thatcher's husband?

Thomas

> 3 In which novel and film do the Oompa Loompas appear?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

> 4 Which Peanuts character offers psychiatric advice?

Lucy

> 5 Who are Amy, Beth, Jo and Meg?

Little Women

> 6 What is the main commercial use of the whale product ambergris ?

Perfume

> 7 Who served 18 years at Robben Island prison in the 1970s and
80s?

Mandela

> 8 Which American actor helped establish the Sundance Film
> Festival in 1978?

Robert Redford

> 9 Is the coffee bean actually a bean, a nut or seed?

Nut

> 10 Who was Marilyn Monroe's last husband?

Arthur Miller

>

Pete


== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Oct 30 2011 1:23 am
From: "Chris F.A. Johnson"


On 2011-10-28, Calvin wrote:
>
>
> 1 Which branch of medicine is concerned with artificial human limbs?
> 2 What was the given name of Margaret Thatcher's husband

Dennis (or is it Denis?)

> 3 In which novel and film do the Oompa Loompas appear?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

> 4 Which Peanuts character offers psychiatric advice?
> 5 Who are Amy, Beth, Jo and Meg?

Little Women

> 6 What is the main commercial use of the whale product ambergris ?

Perfume

> 7 Who served 18 years at Robben Island prison in the 1970s and
80s?

Mandela

> 8 Which American actor helped establish the Sundance Film Festival
in 1978?

Redford

> 9 Is the coffee bean actually a bean, a nut or seed?

Yes.

Nut

> 10 Who was Marilyn Monroe's last husband?

Arthur Miller

--
Chris F.A. Johnson <http://cfajohnson.com>
Author: =======================
Pro Bash Programming: Scripting the GNU/Linux Shell (2009, Apress)
Shell Scripting Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (2005, Apress)


== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Oct 30 2011 11:54 am
From: Stan Brown


On Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:50:51 +1000, Calvin wrote:
>
> 1 Which branch of medicine is concerned with artificial human limbs?

Prosthetics

> 2 What was the given name of Margaret Thatcher's husband

Denis

> 3 In which novel and film do the Oompa Loompas appear?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

> 4 Which Peanuts character offers psychiatric advice?

Lucy

> 5 Who are Amy, Beth, Jo and Meg?

Little Women?

> 6 What is the main commercial use of the whale product ambergris ?

Base for perfumes

> 7 Who served 18 years at Robben Island prison in the 1970s and 80s?

Pope Pius XII

> 8 Which American actor helped establish the Sundance Film Festival in 1978?

Robert Redford

> 9 Is the coffee bean actually a bean, a nut or seed?

A seed

> 10 Who was Marilyn Monroe's last husband?

Pope Pius XII

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Rotating Quiz #37 - ANSWERS & SCORES
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/77c46d4c564614c1?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Oct 30 2011 1:17 am
From: "Chris F.A. Johnson"


On 2011-10-27, David B wrote:
...
><Mark B> 0
><Marc D> 4
><Chris J> 6
><Rob P> 4
><Calvin> 3
>
> Tie breaker:
> Not needed.
>
> Well done Chris, over to you for Rotating Quiz #38.

I'll have it up in a day or so. (I'm having some connectivity
problems.)

--
Chris F.A. Johnson <http://cfajohnson.com>
Author: =======================
Pro Bash Programming: Scripting the GNU/Linux Shell (2009, Apress)
Shell Scripting Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (2005, Apress)

==============================================================================
TOPIC: BOOTMGR not found
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/0381d9035472b9bf?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Oct 30 2011 12:32 pm
From: Stan Brown


Computer: Dell Inspiron 1764 (no Windows disk or Dell recovery disks)
System: 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium SP1
Full backups on external USB hard drive (Acronis TI2011)
Available: bootable DVD of Acronis TI2011 (full)

The story:

My hard drive crashed, and I thought it would be no problem since I
had a full Acronis backup from the night before. But after a
successful Acronis restore, when I try to boot I get "BOOTMGR is
missing -- Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to restart". No way to get into the
recovery console.

What I've tried:

1. Ubuntu 32-bit boots fine from CD, and qparted says that the C
drive is bootable. I read advice on the Web to put the C partition
right smack at the start of the physical drive, and that's where it
is.

2. Advice on the Web says to do a repair install, which I would do if
I had a Windows disk. A friend has a Dell OEM disk of 32-bit Windows
7 Professional, but it declines to do the repair because it says the
Windows versions don't match. It *did* install successfully (putting
my 64-bit Windows as Windows Old), and 32-bit Win 7 Pro seems to run,
but Dell's site won't let me download 32-bit drivers because my
service tag is for a system with 64-bit Windows installed. And I
really don't think I can live with VGA screen resolution and no
touchpad driver. :-)

3. I then re-recovered my 64-bit Win 7 Home Premium, but apparently
the 32-bit Windows 7 install didn't create a boot record because when
I try to boot the recovered hard drive I again get "BOOTMGR is
missing".

4. In Acronis, when I browse to my backup of C, it gives me the
option to recover either or both of the C partition and the "MBR and
track 0". I checked both and Acronis said it was successful, but the
hard drive wouldn't boot. I then tried restoring *only* "MBR and
track 0", and again got the success message, but booting from hard
drive again gave "BOOTMGR is missing".

Questions:

(a) Should C maybe *not* be right at the start of the hard drive?
Maybe if there was some empty space before the first partition,
Acronis would not just give a success message but actually restore
the MBR? If so, how much empty space should I have?

(b) Any way to use an Ubuntu bootable disk to create a proper MBR
that Windows will accept? I'd rather not install Ubuntu in a
separate partition, because I like running it in a virtual machine
under Windrows, but if that's what it takes to get Windows working
I'm willing to do it.

(c) Howtogeek.com recommends buying a Windows repair disk from

http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/download-windows-vista-x64-recovery-
disc/

Has anyone done this? I'm a little leery because of the possibility
of malware, and also I wonder if it's legal. I hold no brief for
Microsoft, but I don't want to buy pirate software. I'd be annoyed,
too, if I laid out $9.75 and it didn't work.

(d) Other suggestions? Surely someone before this has restored a
Windows system successfully from an Acronis backup. (As I write
these words I realize that I haven't yet posted to an Acronis forum.
I guess that's my next step, but I'll bet someone here in the Win 7
newsgroup has the requisite knowledge.)

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...


== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Oct 30 2011 12:42 pm
From: Stan Brown


My apologies -- I posted without noticing that I had clicked on the
wrong newsgroup name. I'll try to cancel it, but we know how much
good that will do.


--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...


== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Oct 30 2011 12:41 pm
From: Erland Sommarskog


Stan Brown (the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm) writes:
> My hard drive crashed, and I thought it would be no problem since I
> had a full Acronis backup from the night before. But after a
> successful Acronis restore, when I try to boot I get "BOOTMGR is
> missing -- Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to restart". No way to get into the
> recovery console.

Sounds awful, but wouldn't Acronis's forums be a better place? Or
will you publish the correct answers in five days? :-)

--
Erland Sommarskog, Stockholm, esquel@sommarskog.se

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Toughest Logic Puzzle
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/75db3e962e258309?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Oct 30 2011 11:33 am
From: divya bisht


Toughest Logic Puzzle

http://hardest-puzzle.blogspot.com/2011/10/toughest-logic-puzzle.html

Please Solve This

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Rotating Quiz #38
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/cfaab7a6c78c74b8?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Oct 30 2011 7:40 pm
From: "Chris F.A. Johnson"

1. By what name is (was) Archibald Leach better known?

2. One of the most popular chess openings is named after this 16th
century Spanish bishop and chess author

3. Aerangis, Cattleya, Dendrobium and Phalaenopsis belong to what
biological family?

4. The City of Baguio is the summer capital of what country?

5. Who was the emperor of Rome when Vesuvius erupted in 79AD?

6. Who wrote "The Last Days of Pompeii"?

7. Who painted "Les Demoiselles D'Avignon" (though he called it "Le
Bordel d'Avignon")?

8. W.G. Grace (1848-1915) was pre-eminent in what sport?

9. Schubert wrote one of only two pieces written for this short-lived
instrument that was fretted and tuned like a guitar, but bowed like
a cello; what was it called?

10. In 1967, a supertanker was shipwrecked off the coast of Cornwall;
what was its name?


--
Chris F.A. Johnson <http://cfajohnson.com>
Author: =======================
Pro Bash Programming: Scripting the GNU/Linux Shell (2009, Apress)
Shell Scripting Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (2005, Apress)


== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Oct 30 2011 9:38 pm
From: Marc Dashevsky


In article <lde1o8-hhr.ln1@cjlocal.ca>, cfajohnson@gmail.com says...
>
> 1. By what name is (was) Archibald Leach better known?
Cary Grant

> 2. One of the most popular chess openings is named after this 16th
> century Spanish bishop and chess author
Ruy Lopez

> 3. Aerangis, Cattleya, Dendrobium and Phalaenopsis belong to what
> biological family?
some plant family

> 4. The City of Baguio is the summer capital of what country?
Brazil

> 5. Who was the emperor of Rome when Vesuvius erupted in 79AD?
>
> 6. Who wrote "The Last Days of Pompeii"?
Pliny the Younger

> 7. Who painted "Les Demoiselles D'Avignon" (though he called it "Le
> Bordel d'Avignon")?
Picasso

> 8. W.G. Grace (1848-1915) was pre-eminent in what sport?
cricket (this name has come up on this group often enough that I seem
to have finally remembered it)

> 9. Schubert wrote one of only two pieces written for this short-lived
> instrument that was fretted and tuned like a guitar, but bowed like
> a cello; what was it called?
>
> 10. In 1967, a supertanker was shipwrecked off the coast of Cornwall;
> what was its name?


--
Go to http://MarcDashevsky.com to send me e-mail.


== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Oct 30 2011 11:25 pm
From: Dan Tilque


Chris F.A. Johnson wrote:
> 1. By what name is (was) Archibald Leach better known?

aaarrrgghh!

>
> 2. One of the most popular chess openings is named after this 16th
> century Spanish bishop and chess author

Ruy Lopez

>
> 3. Aerangis, Cattleya, Dendrobium and Phalaenopsis belong to what
> biological family?

grasses

>
> 4. The City of Baguio is the summer capital of what country?

Philippines

>
> 5. Who was the emperor of Rome when Vesuvius erupted in 79AD?

Nero

>
> 6. Who wrote "The Last Days of Pompeii"?

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

>
> 7. Who painted "Les Demoiselles D'Avignon" (though he called it "Le
> Bordel d'Avignon")?

van Gogh

>
> 8. W.G. Grace (1848-1915) was pre-eminent in what sport?

boxing

>
> 9. Schubert wrote one of only two pieces written for this short-lived
> instrument that was fretted and tuned like a guitar, but bowed like
> a cello; what was it called?
>
> 10. In 1967, a supertanker was shipwrecked off the coast of Cornwall;
> what was its name?

Torrey Canyon

--
Dan Tilque

Nale: Sabine, find us a lair, somewhere we can hole up for 2 to 3 weeks.
Someplace where no one will notice a teenage schoolgirl bound and gagged.
Sabine: I'll start near the hentai bookstore and work my way out.
-- Rich Burlew, OotS#258


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Sunday, October 30, 2011

The Frontstretch Newsletter: NEW! Martinsville "Setup," For Today's Race, Truck Results

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 30th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXXIX

~~~~~~~~~~

DON'T FORGET! Your Frontstretch experts, Mike Neff and Amy Henderson are LIVE at Martinsville all weekend long! Be sure to follow them @TheFrontstretch, @Writer_Amy and on Facebook through Frontstretch Writers. They'll have all the late-breaking news you need!

~~~~~~~~~~

NEW PODCAST! Don't forget our new FREE weekly audio segments hosted by Doug Turnbull. Click here for the October 28th edition that features a special Talladega audio scrapbook.

~~~~~~~~~~
Martinsville Setup
by Tom Bowles

Looking for your Martinsville starting lineup, and how it compares to how each driver ran in practice? Click here to get a well-rounded view of how the field should shake out under green; remember, the grid was set by the NASCAR Rulebook after Mother Nature washed out qualifying.

Raceday: Check out the race at 2:00 PM on ESPN (1:00 Pregame).

Camping World Truck Series Recap: Hamlin Takes First Career Truck Victory
by Mike Neff

Before the start of the Kroger 200 at Martinsville, there were just 22 drivers who had claimed a win in all three national touring series in NASCAR: Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Trucks.

By the checkered flag, that exclusive club had upped its membership to 23. Denny Hamlin, subbing for Kyle Busch in Busch's No. 18 Toyota led the race two times for a total of 68 laps, including the last 14 and won his first career race in the CWTS at Martinsville. Hamlin beat surging Ron Hornaday to the line by 1.210 seconds to earn his first win in 12 career Truck starts - an honor he quickly recognized was special.

"There's such a great group of drivers who have won in all three series and to be in that group now means a lot to me," he said. "I told all these guys that this would mean a lot to win a Truck race. You never know what kind of momentum this builds for Sunday."

The win allowed the No. 18 truck to close the point lead of the No. 2 in the owner's standings to 72. However, with Kevin Harvick finishing sixth in the No. 2 truck, a lead-lap performance it's all but assured KHI will end the season with another owner's title.

The question now is whether a driver's championship for his team will follow suit. Hamlin's final push to the checkers stopped Ron Hornaday's bid for victory; should Hornaday have won, he would have moved up to a tie for second in the standings. In the last four races, the No. 33 Chevy has an average finish of 1.5, never running lower than second as he's cut his points deficit from 47 to just 15.

Austin Dillon was third across the line, maintaining the lead in the points race by 11 over James Buescher. Johnny Sauter came home fourth, with Joey Coulter slotting in fifth to win Rookie of the Race honors.

Coulter was ebullient when he emerged from his truck after the race, providing a good description of how this competitive event unfolded.

"This is the greatest race I've ever run," he said. "Goodyear brought a great tire that let us run two-wide whenever we wanted to. We've hit a lull lately and this is going to give us great momentum heading into the last two races of the season."

Matt Crafton started the race from the pole and led the first 11 laps before he was shuffled out and never challenged for the lead again. There were 12 lead changes during the race among eight drivers.

The race was slowed by seven cautions for a total of 39 laps. It lasted one hour, 35 minutes and 49 seconds. The average speed was 65.876 mph in front of an estimated crowd of 18,000 fans.

For a full results page, along with the top 5 in championship points click here.

Exclusive, Post-Race Quotes:
Johnny Sauter (4th), on gaining ground versus championship contenders:
"We had a good day. We're in one piece, we fought hard, we led laps, whatcha gonna do? It is just really hard to gain any ground on those guys."

Timothy Peters and Brendan Gaughan, who had a disagreement on the racetrack

Timothy Peters (8th): "I guess he (Brendan Gaughan) just wants me to pull over for him. The 32 (Blake Feese) was wounded on the bottom and he committed high and I'm going to go up under him. He ran me down and I wasn't going to give. If he's mad, then I guess we won't be doing any appearances together anytime soon. I'm  out here to race hard for my sponsors – this is my livelihood. We'll go on to Texas."

Brendan Gaughan (9th): "Him (Timothy Peters) and I have had a lot of problems for a lot of years and I've never quite got him back and he just added another notch to it. When it does come back, it might hurt a little bit. I would like to handle it like a man, but I think he would be too afraid. We'll have to do it the other way. Our Toyota – I haven't seen the loop scoring data in quite a while, but I believe our Tundra has passed more vehicles this year than probably anybody. We started 28th today and I would like to know if anybody picked up more than 19 positions. I hate qualifying at Martinsville and if I can ever just start up front at Martinsville – I think I would have just a normal day. But I can't. I always mess up qualifying and it's on me. I have to figure out how  to qualify better here. Our Tundra went to the front. We got up there. We never got to the lead this time, but we got to the top-10. We got to the top-five. We were strong and in the end, we just had older tires so we were just trying to keep that solid top-10 spot and we ended up coming home ninth."

Todd Bodine and Max Papis on their post-race confrontation:
Todd Bodine (11th):
"The stuff on the race track you can deal with and you can lay it off that it's Martinsville and that's racing and that's part of the game. When you're driving down pit road and the guy keeps running in the side of you – you keep turning away from him trying not to run into each other and eventually you're going to hit a pit crew – that's ridiculous. I had to let off and hit the brakes. I don't know whose crew it was out there changing tires, but I was going to run into them since he (Max Papis) had me so low on pit road. That's the part that I have a problem with. Endangering those guys – it's dangerous enough on pit road and we don't need idiots pulling stunts like that. It snowballed from there. After I pulled behind him, he brake-checked me and I ran into him. He got me again on the race track and ran into me and then off of (turn) two, he got loose, I got under him and tried to get off him, couldn't get off him because he kept slowing down because his rear tires were off the ground. Finally, I just dumped him around because at that point there's no saving it. I'm going to get run into. Some of that stuff is Martinsville – some of that stuff is his stupidity and lack of experience racing at Martinsville. We've all done those things – I've done those things and I'm not proud of those things. It is part of the learning process and you have to go through it. Unfortunately, we had a great Tundra. We were fast. We had a top-5 truck and we thought we had the best truck we ever had at Martinsville. For awhile there, we got to show it and I was running good. We were biding our time and just trying to keep the wheels on it. We got out of sync on the pit stops and that messed us up. That's why we went down pit road with Max. From there, it was everybody hitting everybody."

Max Papis (18th): "We had just a great run and Todd (Bodine) just ruined it. It was going to be my best ever race so far in my career. It is not what you are expecting from a friend – I don't treat my friends like that or my teammate like that. It's just disappointing. I was not expecting that and we deserve better. When things like this happen, I guess it ruins team spirit."

Rookie Jeff Agnew (14th) - he ran his third race of the season and his first at Martinsville since running at the track in a Late Model years ago: "Wow, it seemed like if someone had a shot out there they took it. I spent most of the day trying not to get in trouble. We had a little trouble early, but once we got back in a position to race at the end of the day we went for it. I hit the curb trying to pass Bodine and it cost us two or three spots. I'm just still learning what a truck wants. It is harder to get through the corners than a Late Model and once you get hit a few times, it doesn't know what it wants. It just drives a lot sloppier than a Late Model. It kind of wallows around."

Grant Enfinger (20th): "We made the truck better all day. At the end of the race, I think we were a top-10 car, we just got shuffled out and lost a lot of spots. I think we showed we were legit."

Max Gresham (25th): "We had a good long run truck. Once we got 20 laps into a run, we were good. We got track position on a pit call early but then got freight trained on the restart and went from fourth to like 30th. It was a learning experience and I can't wait to get back here."

Bryan Silas (26th):
"We struggled early and spent the first 75 laps figuring out what the heck the truck was doing. I'd never been here and didn't know what the truck was supposed to feel like. By the time we got to lap 80 or so I figured out what the truck should feel like and we took off. The rest of the race was fun."

Martinsville News 'N' Notes
by Amy Henderson

Navy SEALs Truck Hood to be Auctioned

Josh Richards ran a special Navy SEALs paint scheme in the Kroger 200, honoring the Navy's elite squad with decals designed by Alexandra and Hunter Vogel, ages 7 and 9, of Mooresville, NC. 

The children, who are part of a Navy family, created their artwork in honor of the 22 SEALs and other Navy Special Warfare sailors who lost their lives in Afghanistan.  The design was printed on stickers, which the youngsters then gave away to remind people of the sacrifices of our military men and women who defend the United States each day. Their goal is to honor the Navy Special Warfare sailors and their families who may have lost their loved ones, and this accomplishment was a great first step; the young artists said that having their design on Richard's truck was "better than Christmas." 

Richards' helmet also displays the Vogel children's artwork, and it and the truck hood will be auctioned through eBay's Giving Works.  The bidding link will be available at www.NSWKids.com following the race.  Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Navy SEAL Foundation, which helps the widows and children of those who gave their lives serving their country.

McDowell? Yes, Michael McDowell Fastest in Lone Sprint Cup Practice

Relentless drizzle and rain forced the cancellation of both Sprint Cup practice sessions on Friday as well as a rescheduled session on Saturday morning, forcing NASCAR to cancel qualifying and run a practice session during the scheduled qualifying time slot. But Mother's Nature's wrath wasn't the biggest surprise; instead, there were some unusual names at the top of the charts when the only session ended.  Michael McDowell, driving the usually S&P No. 66 car was the fastest, followed by Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray and Scott Speed.  Paul Menard, David Stremme, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. round out the top 10. McDowell's No. 66, which starts way back in the 40th spot did try and run the full distance at this track in the Spring; it's unknown at press time if they'll attempt again on Sunday.

If practice speeds are an indication, the points battle could get even closer.  Polesitter and points leader Carl Edwards was 29th on the speed charts.  Others in the top 5 in points include Matt Kenseth (24th), Brad Keselowski (28th), Tony Stewart (32nd), and Kevin Harvick, the spring race winner (25th). 

Also noteworthy was an extended scuffle between Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick that began on track and spilled over into a heated discussion in the garage. First, the two exchanged bumps and gestures on the speedway, doing some damage but no spinouts before pulling into the garage to start a verbal confrontation.  This duo's antics may be worth keeping an eye on on Sunday; Biffle is not a title contender, but his Roush Fenway teammates lead the points and Harvick is in fifth.

Dillon Keeps CWTS Points Lead

Austin Dillon held onto the series points lead at Martinsville, losing just a single point to Ron Hornaday after 200 miles.  Dillon leads James Buescher by 11 markers as the series heads to Texas for a Friday night showdown.  Hornaday cut his deficit to 15 behind Dillon and just four points behind Buescher.  Johnny Sauter dropped to fourth, technically tied with Hornaday at 15 back, but having one win to Hornaday's four.  Timothy Peters rounds out the top 5.

Hamlin reaches milestone with CWTS Win

Denny Hamlin's win in Saturday's Kroger 200 was a milestone for the 30-year-old Virginia native.  Hamlin became the 23rd driver to win a race in all three of NASCAR's touring divisions, joining his truck owner, Kyle Busch among the drivers to hold that distinction.

Have news for Amy, Mike 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 special 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.

~~~~~~~~~~
Voices Of The Top 12
by Mike Neff

As the rain fell outside of the Martinsville Speedway Media Center, the 12 Chase drivers paraded through on Friday to rain some quotes on the assembled media. Here's a sampling of what struck our fancy, some info to get you revved up for today's race ahead.

Carl Edwards, Point Leader
Is there ever a temptation to withhold information from a teammate, especially during a title run like this?

I'd say there's always that temptation in competition. As much as we share and as good a relationship we have, we are competitors and we want to beat that 17 team just as bad as anyone else, but we're not to the point in the season yet where we can really divide and go race one another. We still have to help one another and we can still gain more by helping one another now and trying to succeed based on that help, so, right now, we're working as a team even this weekend. If we can work together and help each other, really all the way up to the race, I think it's better for both of us.

Matt Kenseth, 2nd in points

You and Carl had an incident here in 2007. How have you moved forward with your relationship since then?

First of all, I'm glad he just cocked it and didn't fire it because that would have hurt. I saw the still photos of that the other day and I might still be laying out there somewhere. I think that our relationship has obviously changed a lot through the years. I think we have a much better understanding of each other's personality and how we look at things. I don't really know exactly what all triggered that back when it started. Honestly, we've never spun each other out, except he spun me out at Loudon, that's right, but, other than that, we've never spun each other out or wrecked each other. We just had some disagreements, I think, throughout that season. Anyway, that led to that, but I think things have been good. We get along fine. He's certainly been a good teammate. He brings a lot to the table for the organization. The better the cars run, it helps all of us run better and elevates how good we can run, so everything has been fine.

Brad Keselowski, 3rd in points

Where is the line for you on how far you will go for a championship? What is fair? What is not fair? Where is that line? How close are you willing to get?

I guess I'm assuming that question is coming from what I think everybody would say has been a rough week on the ethical scale of what's going on in the sport. You know for me, I think every person, every driver, every team, car owner, whatever it might be, has their own code of honor. It's certainly something I place very, very high; that's why I'm driving for Roger Penske. I think you can look at things like that and you can see who a driver picks to drive for and you can kind of get a mindset, so to speak, of how they feel about it. Roger, I think, is at the top of the list in my opinion. There have been times where I've had conversations with Roger and asked him why are certain things not done on the car and he's told me, point-blank, 'Hey, this is something that is a little grey and I don't live in the grey are, it's not how I run my race teams, it's not how I'm going to run my race teams. And if I lose races because I'm not in the grey area, I'll accept that so that I don't have to answer for the races that I've won and been yelled at, or discredited, or had the asterisk put next to me for some sort of violation.' I have a tremendous amount of respect for that. It's easy to fall into temptation of sorts to push it a little bit harder. I think we all come back to it sometime, whatever individual code we have, and mine is a reflection of who I drive for. That can be tough. It can certainly be tough. As far as where my line is at, it's not an easy answer to give. I want to win as bad as anyone else, sometimes more. I don't want that win to be discredited in any way, shape or form. If that means I have to lose a few to make sure that the wins I have are credited the right way, then I'll do that. I guess it's tough because one of my defining moments in my career was my first win at Talladega. I think some people may have questioned the integrity of that win and how far I was willing to go. But I see that completely different than what we've seen as of late. You know, there's a question of integrity when you maybe stop on the race track to cause a yellow. There's a question of integrity when you maybe have something illegal with your car that you know about and so forth and things of that nature. Those are certainly huge questions of integrity. I'm not going to say that I'm always innocent, but I'm trying to make sure that I win without those things. Those are different, in my opinion at least, than what I went through there at Talladega. When you look at the sport, the perception is, and it always has been, that stock car racing is about drivers. That's why drivers get the most pay and sponsors go with the drivers. It's not supposed to be about who has the best cars. It never has been. It does always kind of morph its way into that. I guess what I'm trying to say about that is that it's important to the honor and credibility of the sport that a driver wins the race. If you win the race by a bump-and-run, that to me is ethical. Man, that's great. That's where I stand. If you win a race because you have a cheated-up part that nobody else had and your car is faster, I think that kind of goes against the integrity of the sport and what has made NASCAR so successful to date. So I think that there are two distinct lines so to speak. I guess that's a tough question to answer, I guess that's what I'm trying to say.

Tony Stewart, 4th in points
In what ways is the political drafting different than it was when you came in the sport in 1999?

When I started, the political games were the teams when they went to restrictor plate tracks they tried to not show their hand until race day and then NASCAR got chassis dynos and things they could pull after the race and figure out exactly what was going on, so that gave NASCAR a more accurate assessment of what the situation really was. This [in 2011] is something NASCAR really can't control once the cars go on the race track and what the drivers are doing and how they are pairing up and is it because of manufacturers, is it because of individual organizations, so it is hard for NASCAR as a sanctioning body to control that and have everybody just racing.

Kevin Harvick, 5th in points
You mentioned earlier about doing whatever you have to do in racing for a championship. When you go through that process, how do you determine where that line is and when you can't cross that line; What is right and what is wrong in your mind regardless of what anybody else thinks?

I think the line is further away when you're 26 points behind with four races left. What's fair in my mind is probably not what's fair in the guys' (minds) in the first two spots. It's just a matter of doing what you have to do for your team and sometimes fair in the end, doesn't win the championship. It's one of those things where you do what you have to do to try to win the championship and you suffer the consequences later.

Kyle Busch, 6th in points
Is Martinsville similar to tracks that drivers grew up racing on?

You say it is similar probably just because the size of it, being a half-mile, but Martinsville is not like any other race track that I've ever grown up racing on. Not even close. Denny Hamlin would probably be able to assess your statement a little closer because he grew up at Southside (Speedway) and that is a lot closer to this place. Although it is a quarter-mile, it's flat and it's like racing in a parking lot. For me, I've raced on three-eighths mile, half-mile, three-quarter mile race tracks all across the west and they were banked, they were flat, but nothing that was so conducive (sic) to heavy braking and all that kind of stuff. It's certainly a challenge to figure out how to get around here and it makes it tough on you because the guys that are good here have run here for that many years. There's always that transition period of younger guys coming in here and having to spend their time and cut their teeth and learn what it takes to run around this place. You've got the Harry Gants of the world or the (David) Pearsons of the world, then you have the (Dale) Earnhardts that come in and take a little while to get better at it and then they're really good at the place, and you have the Jeff Gordons that take a little time to get used to it. Then they are really good here. It just goes in cycles like that.

Jimmie Johnson, 7th in points
Can you tell us about this conversation between you and Chad prior to the race at Talladega?

Yeah, looking back on things, Chad (Knaus, crew chief) explained himself very well this week, and has been more than available to talk through the situation. Everyone is very well aware of the statement he made. The other thing to remember is that car passed inspection multiple times throughout the course of the weekend. At the end of the day, while Chad was trying to protect himself post-race, he made a foolish statement. That is truly it. At the end of the day, that car passed inspection multiple times at an impound race and was pushed out onto the grid. It was certainly something that we did not want to take place. You can tell from my reaction it was something I had never heard in the car from him before, and it is what it is. The car passed tech at the race track multiple times and people have to build faith in that; Chad and I certainly respect NASCAR and their inspection process and unfortunately it happened for really no reason at all and now we have to put it behind us.

Kurt Busch, 8th in points
We've talked about Talladega being a wild card; this place presents many wild cards as well. What does this track present from that perspective that's out of your control that others don't?


Just the small, tight confines here of how 43 cars don't fit very well on a paper clip-shaped race track that's only a half-mile long. Cars everywhere all the time. Anybody can release their foot off the brake pedal getting into the corner and wreck somebody pretty easy. You're always on edge here, like you are at Talladega, where things can happen so quick.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., 9th in points
For lack of a better word, you were sort of a victim of a team decision at Talladega to ride around in the back, and when the time came to run you really didn't have enough time to get to the front. What would your dad have thought if  somebody told him to ride around in the back until the end of the race?


Well, I don't really want to answer that because I think you know the answer. So, I was part of that team decision. I wasn't a victim of it. I bought into the same idea that the two crew chiefs and Jimmie (Johnson) had and we all did that together; and we all made that choices that got us our poor finish together. And no one person out-ruled or over-ruled the others. Everybody sort of collectively sunk the ship as the race went on (laughs). And it was disappointing. And at the end of the race we collectively decided that we learned our lesson and that we won't do that again. Given the opportunity to run that race over, we would have just thrown ourselves into the fight and tried to run as hard as we could and taken whatever risks needed to be taken to stay toward the front. Hindsight is 20/20, but when we get that opportunity again, I don't think that's a strategy we'll ever use again. But I'm certain that a lot of things would be different if the old man was still around. We might not even be having to ask the question of guys riding around in the back.

Jeff Gordon, 10th in points
Did you ever dress up as someone growing up that was kind of cool or scary; do you have a memorable Halloween costume?


Yeah, but not dressed up as anybody. I was a one-night stand one year (laughter) I was a night stand, with like a lampshade on my head.

You said a one night stand?

I was a one night stand (laughing).

Did you have a date?

Yes, it was my wife. She left a note on the night stand too.

Which said?

It said she had a good time.

Denny Hamlin, 11th in points
How did you end up running the Truck race this weekend?


I think Kyle (Busch) cut back a lot of his schedule in hopes of being part of the championship when he got here and he's still part of the talks. It was a decision to kind of step out to spend more time on the Cup car. So, he asked me to drive it. I, of course, said yeah. I've never won a Truck race. For me, it's a great opportunity and a truck with great equipment to come out here – to arguably my best race track – and try to win and be one of those groups that have won in all three series. That would be a big accomplishment. You never know what kind of race can spark momentum going into Sunday. We need anything we can take at this point.

Ryan Newman, 12th in points
Why is it that Martinsville is so difficult and the last place for people to get used to and get the hang of?


I think, for the most part, we don't spend our time thinking about it or doing it, we come to the shortest track, I guess it is not the exact shortest but anyway, we come to the shortest, short style flat track twice a year, Martinsville and Richmond are the two shortest flat tracks that are like our short track, growing up days. My point is we spend so much time at those mile-and-a-half race tracks were the speed's higher and you have a different balance, you have a different car feel, that it is not something that we spend a lot of time working on or working with. I think there are some guys that find it challenging, we have been very fortunate that we have a good baseline set-up package for these types of short tracks and I think it is more just a matter of where you place most of your effort, as far as the season goes.


~~~~~~~~~~

TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Just Want Good, No-Frills Racing?  It's Right Here.
by Amy Henderson

Young Champ Looks Ahead, "Hunts" For Ride
by Mike Neff

Camping World Truck Series Results: Kroger 200 (Plus Championship Update)
by Tom Bowles

Sprint Cup Martinsville Setup & Starting Lineup
by Tom Bowles

Frontstretch Podcast: October 28th Edition
hosted by Doug Turnbull

SUNDAY MONEY COLUMN IS NEW
Kraft Foods Extends Partnership With Stewart-Haas Racing

by Danny Peters

~~~~~~~~~~
 
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:
The 1991 Goody's 500 at Martinsville Speedway is famous for being the race that Harry Gant won to claim his fourth consecutive Cup Series victory, earning him the nickname, "Mr. September." However, Gant's win overshadowed an excellent run for Jimmy Hensley, who ran as high as fourth before dropping back to a tenth-place finish in his 26th career start. Who was Hensley driving for and what became of that team?

Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!

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!

~~~~~~~~~~

Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- TUMS Fast Relief 500 Race Recap by Mike Neff
-- Running Their Mouth: TUMS Fast Relief 500 by Brody Jones
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
 
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: TUMS Fast Relief 500 by Matt McLaughlin
Matt will be here with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday afternoon's action from the Martinsville.

David vs. Goliath 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 Martinsville.

Monday Morning Teardown by Ron Lemasters
Ron returns for a website look at one of the big stories from Sunday's race from Martinsville.

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 Martinsville.

Big Six: TUMS Fast Relief 500 by Amy Henderson
Looking for all you need to know leaving the seventh race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup? Amy has your who, what, when, where, why and how from a weekend of racing at Talladega.

Tracking the Trucks: Kroger 200 by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has all the post-race analysis you need after Saturday afternoon's Camping World Truck Series race from Martinsville.

-----------------------------
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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rec.games.trivia - 2 new messages in 1 topic - digest

rec.games.trivia
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia?hl=en

rec.games.trivia@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

* Calvin's Quiz #174 - 2 messages, 2 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/352c76c91cd55943?hl=en

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Calvin's Quiz #174
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/352c76c91cd55943?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Fri, Oct 28 2011 11:19 pm
From: Dan Tilque


Calvin wrote:
>
>
> 1 Which branch of medicine is concerned with artificial human limbs?
> 2 What was the given name of Margaret Thatcher's husband
> 3 In which novel and film do the Oompa Loompas appear?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

> 4 Which Peanuts character offers psychiatric advice?

Lucy

> 5 Who are Amy, Beth, Jo and Meg?

Little Women

> 6 What is the main commercial use of the whale product ambergris ?
> 7 Who served 18 years at Robben Island prison in the 1970s and 80s?
> 8 Which American actor helped establish the Sundance Film Festival in
> 1978?

Robert Redford

> 9 Is the coffee bean actually a bean, a nut or seed?

Not a good question, since those three are not mutually exclusive. That
is, beans and nuts are also seeds. I'm going to guess you're looking
seed, though.

> 10 Who was Marilyn Monroe's last husband?

Joe DiMaggio

--
Dan Tilque


== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Sat, Oct 29 2011 6:33 am
From: Pete


Calvin <calvin@phlegm.com> wrote in
news:op.v31ma1ktyr33d7@04233-26jz62s.staff.ad.bond.edu.au:

>
>
> 1 Which branch of medicine is concerned with artificial human
> limbs?

Prosthetetics

> 2 What was the given name of Margaret Thatcher's husband?

Thomas

> 3 In which novel and film do the Oompa Loompas appear?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

> 4 Which Peanuts character offers psychiatric advice?

Lucy

> 5 Who are Amy, Beth, Jo and Meg?

Little Women

> 6 What is the main commercial use of the whale product ambergris ?

Perfume

> 7 Who served 18 years at Robben Island prison in the 1970s and
80s?

Mandela

> 8 Which American actor helped establish the Sundance Film
> Festival in 1978?

Robert Redford

> 9 Is the coffee bean actually a bean, a nut or seed?

Nut

> 10 Who was Marilyn Monroe's last husband?

Arthur Miller

>

Pete


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Saturday, October 29, 2011

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Martinsville Qualifying Canceled, News 'N' Notes

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 29th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXXVIII

~~~~~~~~~~

DON'T FORGET! Your Frontstretch experts, Mike Neff and Amy Henderson are LIVE at Martinsville all weekend long! Be sure to follow them @TheFrontstretch, @Writer_Amy and on Facebook through Frontstretch Writers. They'll have all the late-breaking news you need!

~~~~~~~~~~

NEW PODCAST! Don't forget our new FREE weekly audio segments hosted by Doug Turnbull. Click here for the October 28th edition that features a special Talladega audio scrapbook.

~~~~~~~~~~

Breaking News
by Tom Bowles

Sprint Cup Qualifying Canceled For Martinsville; Field Set By NASCAR Rule Book

Looks like the one person least excited about Sunday's return to Sprint Cup short track racing is Mother Nature. Washing out all Sprint Cup practice yesterday, rain kept cars from the track this morning and officially canceled qualifying for Sunday's TUMS Fast Relief 500. Without any practice speeds to work with, NASCAR had to set the lineup by their alternate rulebook procedure which means the Chasers will line up by points. Carl Edwards will start on the pole, with Matt Kenseth alongside. Brad Keselowski, Tony Stewart, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top 5. Only two drivers failed to qualify: Dennis Setzer, driving Brian Keselowski's No. 92 and Derrike Cope in his self-owned No. 75.

NASCAR is trying to dry the track and have the Cup cars out for practice momentarily. Stay tuned to the Frontstretch for a full starting lineup and more.

Top News
by Amy Henderson

Rain is the Word of the Day on Friday at Martinsville

A cold rain fell on and off for most of the day on Friday at Martinsville Speedway, causing the postponement of morning practice sessions. The speedway tried valiantly to keep up with the weather, running jet dryers for much of the day until the rain got too heavy to continue.

The Camping World Truck Series was able to squeeze in one of two scheduled practice sessions between showers, but all other practice sessions for both Sprint Cup and Truck Series were canceled.


Hornaday Paces CWTS Practice at Martinsville

The Camping World Truck Series teams had a while to get on track at Martinsville due to the weather, but they did get some track time. Ron Hornaday moved to the top of the practice charts with a top lap speed of 95.583 miles per hour as he makes a bid for his fifth series title.  Denny Hamlin, driving the No. 18 for Kyle Busch Motorsports, was second with a top speed of 95.535.  Kevin Harvick was third, and Matt Crafton and defending series champion Todd Bodine rounded out the top 5.

Series points leader Austin Dillon was 15th on the chart with a fast lap of 93.910MPH.  Second-place James Buescher was 10th with a speed of 94.482. Final practice was cancelled due to the continuing bad weather at Martinsville; the Kroger 200 is set to go green at 2:00 PM on Saturday.


NASCAR considering more ways to limit tandem drafting

According to a report from ESPN.com, NASCAR is considering more rule changes before Daytona in an attempt to limit the two-car style of drafting that has become prevalent on restrictor-plate tracks.  There was a rule change prior to last week's race at Talladega that increased the opening in the restrictor plate and reduced the pressure needed to release the radiator pop-off valve in an attempt to break up the drafting a bit, but neither measure proved effective in the race.  One of the options being considered is to use a shorter spoiler, which would decrease rear downforce, making it difficult to drive the car in a bump-draft situation.  NASCAR has said that they will continue to look at options, but that driver safety will remain the number one priority and will not make changes that will jeopardize safety.

Have news for Amy 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 special 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.

~~~~~~~~~~

TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

The Rise and Fall of UPS in NASCAR-And Who They Helped Take Down With Them
by Amy Henderson

Frontstretch Podcast: October 28th Edition
hosted by Doug Turnbull

SUNDAY MONEY COLUMN IS NEW
Kraft Foods Extends Partnership With Stewart-Haas Racing

by Danny Peters

~~~~~~~~~~
 
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:
The 1991 Goody's 500 at Martinsville Speedway is famous for being the race that Harry Gant won to claim his fourth consecutive Cup Series victory, earning him the nickname, "Mr. September." However, Gant's win overshadowed an excellent run for Jimmy Hensley, who ran as high as fourth before dropping back to a tenth-place finish in his 26th career start. Who was Hensley driving for and what became of that team?

Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!

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!

~~~~~~~~~~

Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- TUMS Fast Relief 500 Race Recap by TBA
-- Running Their Mouth: TUMS Fast Relief 500 by Brody Jones
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
 
Monday on the Frontstretch:

Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: TUMS Fast Relief 500 by Matt McLaughlin
Matt will be here with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday afternoon's action from the Martinsville.

David vs. Goliath 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 Martinsville.

Monday Morning Teardown by Ron Lemasters
Ron returns for a website look at one of the big stories from Sunday's race from Martinsville.

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 Martinsville.

Big Six: TUMS Fast Relief 500 by Amy Henderson
Looking for all you need to know leaving the seventh race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup? Amy has your who, what, when, where, why and how from a weekend of racing at Talladega.

Tracking the Trucks: Kroger 200 by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has all the post-race analysis you need after Saturday afternoon's Camping World Truck Series race from Martinsville.

-----------------------------
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

--
Feel free to forward this newsletter if you have any friends who loves
NASCAR and great NASCAR commentary. They can subscribe to the Frontstetch by visiting http://www.frontstretch.com/notice/9557/.
 
If you want to stop your Frontstretch Newsletter subscription, we're sorry
to see you go. Just send an email to
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