Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Frontstretch Newsletter: October 25th, 2011

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 25th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXXIV

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What to Watch For: Tuesday
by Phil Allaway

- Tuesday is traditionally "Penalty Day" in NASCAR.  At least three teams (the Nos. 00 and 56 from Michael Waltrip Racing, and the MWR-affiliated No. 47 from JTG-Daugherty Racing) had windshields confiscated by NASCAR at Talladega.  At the time, NASCAR threatened penalties against the three teams, whose illegal windshields were seen as an attempt to gain a competitive advantage.  Look for at the bare minimum, fines and probation for the crew chiefs involved.  Points could be taken away as well.

Today's Top News

by Phil Allaway

Fire at Furniture Row Racing Hauler, No Injuries

For Furniture Row Racing, Sunday afternoon started off quite well. Regan Smith re-ignited his drafting relationship with Kurt Busch and the No. 78 Chevrolet appeared to be well on its way to another decent finish. However, fate intervened. After Kurt Busch was eliminated in a crash with Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin was turned into Smith on Lap 180, pitching the No. 78 head-on into the turn 2 wall. Smith walked away but the car was thrashed.

Smith's team was relegated to a disappointing 30th-place finish, however, that was not the end of the team's issues on the day. Shortly after the race ended, a fire broke out next to the team's hauler while the crew was disconnecting the fuel probes from the dump cans so that they could be emptied and stowed in the transporter for the long haul back to Colorado. Unfortunately, there was a spark inside of one of the dump cans, and since racing fuel is highly flammable, that small spark was all it took to ignite a fairly large fire. No one was injured, but some crewmembers' personal belongings in backpacks were destroyed and Furniture Row Racing now has a damaged hauler to deal with.

"There's a lot of damage to the back of the tractor, a lot of melted hoses," said David Ferroni, Furniture Row Racing's PR representative. "Somebody from Penske came over and they're going to offer us an extra tractor to take back to Denver, and hopefully we can get this one repaired."

This is the second time in less than a year that Furniture Row Racing has dealt with serious damage to a hauler. Last year, the team wrote off a hauler and a motorhome following a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 25 following the Kobalt Tools 500k in Phoenix. A thin layer of black ice covered the interstate in the early morning hours, causing pandemonium. At the time, Richard Childress Racing came to the team's aid and lent them a hauler so that they could make the trip to Homestead for the season finale. However, this time, the damage may not be a complete write-off.

Testing At Rockingham Monday

On Monday, several NASCAR teams traveled to Rockingham Raceway Park to test on the 1.017-mile high banked tri-oval. 

A few scattered fans turned out to watch eight drivers take their chances on the unforgiving high banks.  Denny Hamlin was the only driver testing a Sprint Cup car on Monday.

A couple of Nationwide Series teams came out to test their wares.  In addition to their Sprint Cup car, Joe Gibbs Racing brought out a car for Darrell Wallace, Jr. to test.  Wallace, who just recently turned 18, is scheduled to make his Nationwide Series debut at some point during the 2012 season.  Rusty Wallace Racing was also in attendance with their two drivers, Steven Wallace and Michael Annett.

Finally, four drivers representing three Camping World Truck Series teams were in attendance.  Kyle Busch and Brian Ickler were testing trucks for Kyle Busch Motorsports, while David Starr was testing the No. 81 for SS-Green Light Racing.  Timothy Peters was at the track representing Red Horse Racing.  The Camping World Truck Series is scheduled to make their very first visit to Rockingham on April 16, 2012 for the Good Sam Club 200.

No official speeds were released from the sessions.

Have news for Phil 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: Good Sam Club 500

by Brett Poirier

0
Drivers with top-10 finishes in all six races in The Chase. Carl Edwards had a string of eight straight top 10s before Talladega, but finished 11th Sunday.

1
Top-5 finishes for Tommy Baldwin Racing since Baldwin re-started the team in 2009.  The third-place effort also tied for Dave Blaney's career best finish.

2
Non-Chase drivers to win Chase races in the last two seasons.  Clint Bowyer became the second driver to do so Sunday.  Jamie McMurray was the last non-Chaser to win in the playoffs at Charlotte in 2010.

2
Points separating the No. 38 and No. 71 teams in the Sprint Cup Owner's Standings. The No. 38 team moved into the top-35 with Travis Kvapil's 21st-place finish Sunday.

2nd
Clint Bowyer's worst finish in his last three starts at Talladega.  He has been first, second and first in those races, respectively.

3
Finishes of 15th or worse in The Chase for Jimmie Johnson in 2011.  He was 26th on Sunday.  The last time Johnson had three finishes outside of the top 15 in the final ten races was 2005 — the last year he didn't win the championship.

3
The number of Chase-eligible drivers to finish in the top-10 at Talladega, the fewest of any race in The Chase.

4
Chase-race victories for Clint Bowyer after winning at Talladega on Sunday.  Bowyer has five career wins with four coming in the final ten races of the season.

4
Consecutive races at Talladega won on last-lap passes.

4
Consecutive top-10 finishes for Kasey Kahne--he placed sixth on Sunday.

4
Finishes outside of the top-10 in the last fives races at Talladega for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.--he placed 25th on Sunday.

6
Victories for Richard Childress Racing in 2011, the most of any team.

8
Top-5s for Brad Keselowski in the last 12 races--he was fourth on Sunday.

16.8
Average finishing position of Sprint Cup drivers following a win in the previous Sprint Cup race in 2011.  After winning at Charlotte, Matt Kenseth finished 18th at Talladega.  It marked the fourth straight week that the series' most recent race winner finished outside the top-10 in the next race.

26
Different drivers to lead a lap Sunday at Talladega.
 
40
Starts between top-5 finishes for Jeff Burton.  Before placing second Sunday, Burton hadn't recorded a top-5 since finishing in the runner-up spot at Dover in September, 2010.

100
Victories for Richard Childress Racing in the Sprint Cup Series after Clint Bowyer's victory at Talladega.

1,153
Laps completed this season by Joe Nemechek through 32 Sprint Cup races.  He ran four laps at Talladega and finished 41st.

1,313
Laps led this season by Kyle Busch in the Sprint Cup Series, a number that leads all drivers.  He paced the field for five laps and finished 33rd
Sunday at Talladega, meaning Busch has led in 24 of the 32 races.

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

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Today's Featured Commentary
When the Track Holds All The Cards: Lady Luck and Talladega
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady

The more we want it to change, the more it stays the same. 

As long as I can remember the plate tracks have been serving up impossible racing events.  Be it two-car dancing partners, trains fifteen cars deep or a pack of cars bang-drafting down the backstretch, racing at Talladega and Daytona has almost never been boring.  And yet, it is rare when the checkers fly at the end of the day that I am actually satisfied with a restrictor plate race.

Sunday's Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega was no different. 

I know many out there are not fans of the two-car packs.  I'm actually okay with them.  It's simply a result of the latest in the teams' ability to overcome and adapt to new surfaces, rules and technologies.  It doesn't appear to be any better or any worse than the 24 car trains that we watched for four hours of bumper to bumper traffic only see it all end up in a pile of twisted wreckage.

And while a tad less dramatic then the bang-drafting of a couple years ago, the prom night scenario creates a similar feeling of camaraderie vs. competition amongst the field.  Who will dance with whom?  And who will leave who out to dry?

In fact, weren't we supposed to see a lessening of the do-si-do's this time around?  Didn't NASCAR decree a little bit more room in the plate, placed a new limit on the pressure relief valves and said no lubricant could be placed on the bumpers of the cars?  This was supposed to give single cars more horsepower, prevent somebody from being the "pusher" all day and stop cars having to file for divorce at the end of the day.... Yeah, that's what I thought.  Didn't work, did it?  All the teams did was figure out how to tweak their rides so that the new rules did nothing more but give them a bit more horsepower.

A little bit of teflon tape, adjust the number of laps you can actually ride behind somebody and we're good to go.  Actually, once the boys got hooked up together, the tandems created an even larger difference between those doing the cha-cha and those just riding along, hoping not to lose the draft.

In the end we got...big wrecks (I held my breath for Regan Smith. That one had to hurt.).  We got teams that lost teammates and had to go scrambling for a new date. (It did seem like a curse was hanging over that Gibbs garage, didn't it?) Chase contenders with ruined days and bottom feeder teams with a top-10 finish. (Blaney? Third? What?)

In other words, we got a plate race.  And quite honestly, I don't see how you'll ever manage to create anything but a night of chance at Daytona and Talladega.  As disappointing as that is, why do we keep trying?

Granted there's a lot to hate about plate racing.  The number of digits involved in the repair bills for the teams has got to be a major factor urging NASCAR to sharpen their pencils after almost every event.  I can imagine teams don't look forward to forfeiting at least one machine every two plate events.  If you manage to keep your fenders in one piece for more than three plate races, you're doing something wrong or you've paid somebody off upstairs.

Otherwise, you're talking about appeasing the public.  The ones who seem to tune in for the 2.5 plus milers with abandon.  The TV fanbase isn't crying about bumper cars and wild wrecks that happen to the best of the best.  If your ratings are so much higher for these events, why would NASCAR feel like change is in order?  Oh!  Wait!  Silly me.  We are talking about the one sport that likes to keep consistent by changing constantly.

We can change the car, the engine, the tires, the drivers, the rules and every tiny bit of hose and tape attached to the cars. But we can't change the fact these competitors are reaching speeds approaching the insane with little actual car control, once somebody gets just a little too close and plays with the air around the car. It will always be simply a waiting game--when will luck run out and somebody lose control? 
 
By adjusting the rules with each visit to these monstrous facilities, NASCAR creates the facade of trying to create a driver's track.  They can't do it and it's not fooling too many of us tried and true fans. 

Talladega is 2.66 miles long.  It's a monster, unlike any other track we visit.  If cars were meant to take Sunday drives here, there would be a few more S-curves thrown in for good measure.  But there's not and never will be.

Deep down within, we want to see a 500-miler at one of these intimidating ovals come down to the strongest motor with the best driver behind the wheel.  It would mean we could win.

But we can't.  When it all comes down to it, the track has won.  It holds all the cards in its high banks and long arcing frontstretch, and it has stacked the deck.  We have managed to build something that can't be raced on.  So I guess you might say...man has managed to outmaneuver his machine.  Perhaps that has some philosophical worth in it.  But for a racing fan, it's done nothing more than defeat the purpose of going to the track.

The green flag will drop at Daytona in just four more months.  I look forward to the day as the start of a new season and as an iconic day in my NASCAR calendar, but as far as the race goes?  It'll be just another roll of the dice.  And that, my friends, sucks.

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:


Five Points to Ponder: A Paper Clip Edition
by Danny Peters

The Chase Comes Full Circle
by Bryan Davis Keith

Who's Hot / Who's Not in NASCAR: Talladega-Martinsville Edition
by Summer Dreyer

Talking NASCAR TV: Briscoe is a Trooper, SPEED Surprises and More
by Phil Allaway

When the Track Holds All The Cards: Lady Luck and Talladega
by S.D. Grady

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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 1997, Rusty Wallace dominated much of the Hanes 500 at Martinsville, leading 226 laps.  However, he finished a distant 15th that Monday afternoon.  Why?
 
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Monday's Answer:

Q:
  The 1998 NAPA AutoCare 500 at Martinsville Speedway is best known for Ricky Rudd winning the race in 95 degree weather with no cool box.  However, he was not the only driver that required relief that day.  What happened when Jerry Nadeau pitted his No. 9 Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Ford, in need of relief?

A:  Basically, nothing.  There was no one to give Nadeau any relief.  Hut Stricklin was on standby in Ricky Rudd's pit (ultimately, he never got in the car, but he had to be there the whole time), while Ted Musgrave, who was already in Robert Pressley's car for the weekend, required relief due to a "blistered butt" from Steve Grissom.  Kenny Irwin, Jr. had to take relief from Kenny Wallace after Wallace dropped out of the race.  As for Nadeau, he had to wait behind the wall until he was good enough to go again.  He ended up finishing 35th, 49 laps down.

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 Summer Dreyer
-- 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
Our managing editor is taking the week off from his usual column, but that doesn't mean you're missing out! Bryan comes in with his observations from
around the NASCAR circuit.

Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Follow our writer roundtable this week as they enter into a heated debate about the Chasers, teammate help during caution flags, Bowyer's place at MWR and more.
 
Top 15 Power Rankings by the Frontstretch Staff
Which driver came out of Talladega 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 Martinsville.

Special Commentary by Summer Dreyer
Vito is off this week, but Summer is here with a look at latest and greatest controversies affecting the stock car circuit.


Beyond the Cockpit: Brian Scott by Mike Neff
Mike caught up with Brian Scott at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend, and he has all sorts of information to share about the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

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.
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©2011 Frontstretch.com

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