THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 28, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXXVII
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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.
~~~~~~~~~~
Top News
by Summer Dreyer
UPS Continues Partnership with NASCAR, Decreases RFR Sponsorship
UPS will remain the official logistics partner of NASCAR after the two parties signed a multi-year agreement to extend the partnership. However, the announcement comes at the expense of Roush Fenway Racing, as the shipping company decided to cut down on sponsorship money for the team during the 2012 season.
Currently serving as the primary sponsor for David Ragan's No. 6 Ford, UPS will serve as an associate sponsor on teammate Carl Edwards's No. 99 Ford for all but one race during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. They will act as the primary sponsor during the June 30th race at Kentucky Speedway.
"We are very pleased that UPS will continue to partner with Roush Fenway Racing. UPS is one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world and we have enjoyed a strong relationship for many years," Roush Fenway President Steve Newmark said. "Although they are restructuring their commitment, it speaks volumes that an organization of UPS's caliber has chosen to stay a part of our partnership roster and that they recognize that Roush Fenway will continue to deliver a great return on their marketing investment."
The announcement leaves Ragan without a sponsor next season and he has yet to re-sign with the organization in 2012 anyway. However, it is no surprise to see UPS move from the struggling Ragan to the corporate spokesperson of Edwards. In five full-time seasons with RFR, Ragan has one victory and 30 top 10s in 178 starts, and has never finished higher than 13th in points. Edwards not only is any sponsor's dream, but he's leading the series points standings and has 19 career victories.
Ragan is currently 18th in points with four races remaining in the season.
NASCAR Will Speak With Johnson, Knaus
After SB Nation's discovery that Chad Knaus told Jimmie Johnson to damage his racecar if they won the race in Talladega, NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp issued this statement in regards to the incident:
"We became aware of this piece of audio this morning and certainly want to get all the facts before making an opinion and reaching any conclusions. We'll visit with the parties and pull all the facts together best we can. While Talladega is done and the No. 48 was not the winning or random car, we certainly have an interest in getting the facts straight on behalf of the balance of the competitors."
Johnson finished 26th in the race so it was essentially a non-issue, but the conversation has raised some questions on whether or not the No. 48 team was cheating (or planning to). However, Knaus has been known to push the grey area of NASCAR's rulebook on several occasions, so it's not unlikely that was the case here.
Johnson is currently gunning for his sixth consecutive championship, though this bid seems unlikely as he enters this weekend's race at Martinsville with a 50 point deficit in seventh place.
Have news for Summer 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.
~~~~~~~~~~
In Case You Missed It
by Brett Poirier
Martinsville Speedway Invites Kids to Trick or Treat
The midway at Martinsville Speedway will be converted into a trick or treat zone for children from 4 PM to 6 PM on Saturday. People working in several of the souvenir trailers will hand out candy and track president Clay Campbell along with several NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers will distribute candy under the bright red Martinsville Speedway tent. All of this will happen right outside Turn 4 of the facility.
The speedway will also have a special "Kids Zone" for the entire Tums Fast Relief 500 weekend. The zone will features food, souvenirs and games. All of the food items will be "kid-priced," meaning nothing will cost more than $2. There will be chicken nuggets, hot dogs, cotton candy, chips, fruit cups and Capri Sun juice boxes. An inflatable bouncy house will also be setup outside of Turn 2, next to the Clay Earles Tower.
North Carolina A&T Marching Band Will Perform National Anthem in Sixth Chase Race
Before making an appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in less than a month, the North Carolina A&T Marching Band will participate in pre-race ceremonies for the Tums Fast Relief 500 on Sunday and perform the National Anthem. The band, consisting of 350 members, will make a grand entrance to the track at noon through the Turn 4 cross-over gate. They will then march clockwise around the 0.526-mile facility.
NASCAR Championship Drive Fan Festival Returns for Second Year
The NASCAR Championship Drive will return to Lummus Park on Miami Beach on Nov. 17-18. The outdoor festival and Coca-Cola Racing Family Concert is free to fans. The festival was started in 2010 as a way to thank the fans and includes live music, driver appearances and a race hauler parade.
The highlight of the event will be on Nov. 17 when Blake Shelton performs as part of the Coca-Cola Racing Family Concert. Shelton is the reigning CMA "Male Vocalist of the Year." The festivities will begin at 1 PM on Nov. 17 with a live press conference of the drivers still in contention for the three National Touring Series championships. The press conference will be broadcast live on SPEED Channel.
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 28, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXXVII
~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~
Top News
by Summer Dreyer
UPS Continues Partnership with NASCAR, Decreases RFR Sponsorship
UPS will remain the official logistics partner of NASCAR after the two parties signed a multi-year agreement to extend the partnership. However, the announcement comes at the expense of Roush Fenway Racing, as the shipping company decided to cut down on sponsorship money for the team during the 2012 season.
Currently serving as the primary sponsor for David Ragan's No. 6 Ford, UPS will serve as an associate sponsor on teammate Carl Edwards's No. 99 Ford for all but one race during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. They will act as the primary sponsor during the June 30th race at Kentucky Speedway.
"We are very pleased that UPS will continue to partner with Roush Fenway Racing. UPS is one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world and we have enjoyed a strong relationship for many years," Roush Fenway President Steve Newmark said. "Although they are restructuring their commitment, it speaks volumes that an organization of UPS's caliber has chosen to stay a part of our partnership roster and that they recognize that Roush Fenway will continue to deliver a great return on their marketing investment."
The announcement leaves Ragan without a sponsor next season and he has yet to re-sign with the organization in 2012 anyway. However, it is no surprise to see UPS move from the struggling Ragan to the corporate spokesperson of Edwards. In five full-time seasons with RFR, Ragan has one victory and 30 top 10s in 178 starts, and has never finished higher than 13th in points. Edwards not only is any sponsor's dream, but he's leading the series points standings and has 19 career victories.
Ragan is currently 18th in points with four races remaining in the season.
NASCAR Will Speak With Johnson, Knaus
After SB Nation's discovery that Chad Knaus told Jimmie Johnson to damage his racecar if they won the race in Talladega, NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp issued this statement in regards to the incident:
"We became aware of this piece of audio this morning and certainly want to get all the facts before making an opinion and reaching any conclusions. We'll visit with the parties and pull all the facts together best we can. While Talladega is done and the No. 48 was not the winning or random car, we certainly have an interest in getting the facts straight on behalf of the balance of the competitors."
Johnson finished 26th in the race so it was essentially a non-issue, but the conversation has raised some questions on whether or not the No. 48 team was cheating (or planning to). However, Knaus has been known to push the grey area of NASCAR's rulebook on several occasions, so it's not unlikely that was the case here.
Johnson is currently gunning for his sixth consecutive championship, though this bid seems unlikely as he enters this weekend's race at Martinsville with a 50 point deficit in seventh place.
Have news for Summer 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.
~~~~~~~~~~
In Case You Missed It
by Brett Poirier
Martinsville Speedway Invites Kids to Trick or Treat
The midway at Martinsville Speedway will be converted into a trick or treat zone for children from 4 PM to 6 PM on Saturday. People working in several of the souvenir trailers will hand out candy and track president Clay Campbell along with several NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers will distribute candy under the bright red Martinsville Speedway tent. All of this will happen right outside Turn 4 of the facility.
The speedway will also have a special "Kids Zone" for the entire Tums Fast Relief 500 weekend. The zone will features food, souvenirs and games. All of the food items will be "kid-priced," meaning nothing will cost more than $2. There will be chicken nuggets, hot dogs, cotton candy, chips, fruit cups and Capri Sun juice boxes. An inflatable bouncy house will also be setup outside of Turn 2, next to the Clay Earles Tower.
North Carolina A&T Marching Band Will Perform National Anthem in Sixth Chase Race
Before making an appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in less than a month, the North Carolina A&T Marching Band will participate in pre-race ceremonies for the Tums Fast Relief 500 on Sunday and perform the National Anthem. The band, consisting of 350 members, will make a grand entrance to the track at noon through the Turn 4 cross-over gate. They will then march clockwise around the 0.526-mile facility.
NASCAR Championship Drive Fan Festival Returns for Second Year
The NASCAR Championship Drive will return to Lummus Park on Miami Beach on Nov. 17-18. The outdoor festival and Coca-Cola Racing Family Concert is free to fans. The festival was started in 2010 as a way to thank the fans and includes live music, driver appearances and a race hauler parade.
The highlight of the event will be on Nov. 17 when Blake Shelton performs as part of the Coca-Cola Racing Family Concert. Shelton is the reigning CMA "Male Vocalist of the Year." The festivities will begin at 1 PM on Nov. 17 with a live press conference of the drivers still in contention for the three National Touring Series championships. The press conference will be broadcast live on SPEED Channel.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hey Frontstretch Readers!
Did you know The Frontstretch has a weekly podcast? Hosted by Doug Turnbull, the latest podcast comes out every Friday. This week, Doug and columnist Mike Neff discuss tandem drafting, odd windshields and much more! Check it out here!
~~~~~~~~~~
Keepin' It Short: Short Track Fights: Sometimes Enough Is Enough
by Mike Neff
Saturday at South Boston was the $10,000 to win Whelen Late Model 300 presented by Danville Toyota. It was a showdown of some of the best Late Model drivers in the Southeast with three of the top four national points finishers in the event. The race featured 16 lead changes among seven drivers and ultimately ended with Philip Morris, the 2011 National Champion, taking home the trophy. While that is normally the end of the excitement of a big race, it was just the beginning at SoBo.
En route to his win Morris pulled a cross-over move on Lee Pulliam on lap 227 heading down the back straight and got under him going into turn three. Pulliam came down and contact ensued which resulted in Pulliam being spun and moved to the back of the pack. Morris was not penalized for his involvement in the altercation and kept his spot at the head of the field. Pulliam battled from the back of the pack to attempt to regain the top spot from Morris but ended up third as the cars crossed under the checkered flag. As the cars were cooling down on the back straight Pulliam rear ended Morris and spun him, putting the two in a head-on standoff. Pulliam grabbed a gear and floored it, plowing into the front of Morris's car, resulting in extensive damage to both cars.
"We were on the cool down lap and he comes flying around the track and crashes my car," Morris told Speed51.com. "If that wasn't enough, I backed away to go to victory lane and he takes off like the start line at the Summer Nationals (an NHRA Drag Racing event) and rams into me head on. It was pretty dangerous and pretty reckless. In my opinion, he just way overreacted. It was very unfortunate for everybody involved."
Had that been the end of things there might not have been too much trouble for the involved parties, but that was still only the beginning. As the cars returned to pit lane, Peyton Sellers--who is a part of Morris's race team and was at the track as a crew chief for another competitor--charged Pulliam's car and supposedly threw some punches. As Sellers was having the altercation with Pulliam an official attempted to pull the former National Champion away from the car and was supposedly pushed or contacted by Sellers. The official, Warren Saunders, filed suit for assault and battery which led to Sellers being taken into custody in handcuffs. As of Tuesday, after a meeting between Saunders and Sellers the paperwork was written up by Saunders to have the charges dropped.
The excitement did not end with Sellers and Pulliam, as members of the opposing race teams exchanged words and at least one member of the Morris crew was thrown to the ground by Terry Powell, a member of Pulliam's race team. Not only was there chaos in the pits but there were reportedly several altercations that took place in the stands as well.
"I reacted and I really shouldn't have. When I spun him out, he hit me in the left rear and we ended up facing each other," Pulliam told Speed51.com in a phone interview on Tuesday. "I ended up putting the car in gear and running into the front end of his car. It's something that shouldn't have happened, but everybody was just fed up with it."
The post race pit access that was scheduled for the fans was canceled by the track due to the volatile nature of the situation. At the end of the night, Sellers was hauled off to jail, Pulliam was embarrassed over his actions, and two race cars were substantially damaged.
This dustup had been in the making all season long and actually started at this race last season. While Morris and Pulliam ran at separate tracks this season, each winning the track championship at South Boston and Motor Mile, respectively, they only raced together on a handful of nights when both tracks were not running at the same time. Pulliam did score one win at South Boston this year with Morris in the field, but it was after Morris had a mechanical failure. At Motor Mile the same results held true. While Morris visited a handful of times he was only able to beat Pulliam once and it was on a night when Pulliam had transmission troubles.
When the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 took place a couple of weeks ago at Martinsville, Morris was by far the best car at the race but a fuel pickup problem derailed his efforts and ended up parking him before the end of the race. While Pulliam was probably the second best car on the track he executed a bump and run on Matt McCall on the last lap of the race to take the win in the biggest Late Model race of the year. That race was one of the first times that Pulliam actually moved a car out of the way in a race to take a win.
During the SoBo race last year Morris moved Pulliam to take over the lead on the last lap to take the win after a late race restart allowed Pulliam to get back up to Morris and take the lead after Morris had dominated most of the event. The bad blood between the two has obviously been simmering for a while and, after Pulliam thought he had been wronged Saturday it spilled over into something that is going to damage the careers of two talented champion drivers.
"On occasion, when SoBo and Motor Mile are not running together, Pulliam and I end up racing each other. It's always very competitive," explained Morris. "With about 80 laps to go (at South Boston), I did a cross-over on him on the backstretch to get the lead back. He didn't expect me to be there and there was contact and he spun out and had to go to the rear. I was underneath him and they didn't put me to the rear."
In the aftermath of the events, all three drivers were suspended indefinitely from NASCAR and Pulliam, Sellers and Powell were fined $1,000, $750 and $500, respectively. It's a particularly damaging penalty for Sellers since he makes his living building race cars and needs to be involved in NASCAR to make his living.
"My heart sank because I knew that everything I worked 28 years for was eliminated. This all got blown out of proportion Saturday night. … I feel like [NASCAR] hooked me," Sellers told GoDanRiver.com. "The part about the official I completely deny. I had no problem with him whatsoever. This is just unfortunate for what H.C. and I have worked our entire lives for. I will appeal it. I have a business to run and I have to be a part of NASCAR."
"It's very disheartening because it was a verbal altercation and not a physical altercation."
As can be expected, Morris was very apologetic after having some time to cool off.
"The concern I have is that there are so many young guys moving up from the lower divisions that are just watching what's going on," Morris said. "I hate it because that's the thing we need to guard ourselves on. We can't do these things that are detrimental to the sport. It will just take away from all we have worked on."
Just like Morris, once Pulliam had a chance to think about his actions, his attitude changed.
"Hindsight [is] 20-20; you wish didn't do what did once you've done it. It's just been a long season of battling and getting the wrong end of the deal with him (Morris) on every occasion," Pulliam said. "It's definitely not a one-time deal. We were ganged up on several times by his teammates at South Boston, several times while going for the national deal. We have been fighting it all year and I have been holding my temper, but it finally got the best of me."
"I would like to apologize to all that are involved. It was a heck of a rivalry," he continued. "Without him there it would be boring and without me there it would be boring. It's made the fans come back out to the race track. Now I am sitting here worried about what NASCAR is going to do to me. "
There is no question that ramming into a competitor's car head-on is not an acceptable form of behavior on the race track, but there does come a time when being pushed around can cause a driver to lose his cool and cross the line. Pulliam felt like he'd taken his share of bumps to have wins taken away in the past and decided to take matters into his own hands. Those actions may make his future in NASCAR a little more difficult, but in the end you sometimes have to say, enough is enough.
This Weekend's Racing Schedule
Sat : Oct. 29th - I-30 Speedway ; Benton : AR - Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series
Sat : Oct. 29th - Chowchilla Speedway ; Chowchilla : CA - BCRA Midget Lites
Sat : Oct. 29th - Chowchilla Speedway ; Chowchilla : CA - BCRA Midgets
Sat : Oct. 29th - Giant Chevrolet Speedway ; Hanford : CA - USAC National Sprint Cars
Sat : Oct. 29th - Lucas Oil I-10 Speedway ; Blythe : CA - ASA / Truck Series
Sat : Oct. 29th - So Cal Speedway ; Victorville : CA - USAC/CRA 410
Sat : Oct. 29th - Cross Roads Motorplex ; Jasper : FL - MMRA / Mini-Cups
Sat : Oct. 29th - Volusia Speedway Park ; Barberville : FL - Florida Mini-Sprint Association
Sat : Oct. 29th - Volusia Speedway Park ; Barberville : FL - Top Gun Sprint Car Series
Sat : Oct. 29th - Jones Motor Speedway ; Chatham : LA – Spooky 50 Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th - Jones Motor Speedway ; Chatham : LA – Spooky 50 Modifieds
Sat : Oct. 29th - Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Cotton Pickin' 100 Super Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th – Springfield Raceway ; Springfield : MO – Show-Me Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th – 311 Speedway ; Madison : NC – Super Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th – Ace Speedway ; Altamahaw : NC – Harvest Havoc
Sat : Oct. 29th – Concord Motorsports Park ; Concord : NC – UARA Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th - Hickory Motor Speedway ; Hickory : NC - Allison Legacy Race Series
Sat : Oct. 29th - Hickory Motor Speedway ; Hickory : NC – CCS Late Model Sportsman
Sat : Oct. 29th - Hickory Motor Speedway ; Hickory : NC – PASS South Series
Sat : Oct. 29th - Las Vegas Motor Speedway – The Bullring ; Las Vegas : NV - SRL Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th - Five Mile Point Speedway ; Kirkwood : NY - Race of Champion Dirt Modifieds
Sat : Oct. 29th – Atomic Speedway ; Alma : OH – AMRA Topless Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th - Portland International Raceway ; Portland : OR - ChumpCar World Series
Sat : Oct. 29th – Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex ; Markleysburg : PA – Steel Stock Bandits
Sat : Oct. 29th - Susquehanna Speedway ; Newberrytown : PA - ARDC Midgets
Sat : Oct. 29th - Susquehanna Speedway ; Newberrytown : PA - Central Pennsylvania LegendCars
Sat : Oct. 29th – Florence Motor Speedway ; Timmonsville : SC – Limited Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th – Tennessee National Raceway ; Hohenwald : TN – Shannon Hickerson Memorial Super Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th – Tennessee National Raceway ; Hohenwald : TN – Shannon Hickerson Memorial Modifieds
Sun : Oct. 30th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Oktoberfest Late Models
Sun : Oct. 30th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Oktoberfest Modifieds
Sun : Oct. 30th - Portland International Raceway ; Portland : OR - ChumpCar World Series
Sun : Oct. 30th – Dillon Motor Speedway ; Dillon : SC – Fall Spectacular 400
Wed : Nov. 2nd - Screven Motor Speedway ; Sylvania : GA - All Star Sprint Cars
Thu : Nov. 3rd - Perris Auto Speedway ; Perris : CA - USAC/CRA 410
Thu : Nov. 3rd - Perris Auto Speedway ; Perris : CA - USAC National Sprint Cars
Thu : Nov. 3rd -Dirt Track @ Charlotte ; Concord : NC - Super DIRTcar Big Block Series
Thu : Nov. 3rd -Dirt Track @ Charlotte ; Concord : NC - WoO Late Model Series
Thu : Nov. 3rd - Dirt Track @ Charlotte ; Concord : NC - WoO Sprint Cars
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
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Hey Frontstretch Readers!
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 Folio: TUMS Fast Relief 500
by Summer Dreyer
This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Martinsville Speedway for the Tums Fast Relief 500. Sunday's race will be 33rd race of the season and seventh in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. It will be broadcast live Sunday, October 30th, at 1:30 PM ET on ESPN. Drivers will compete for 500 laps (263 miles) before taking the checkered flag.
Records and Facts
Tony Stewart holds the track qualifying record with a lap of 19.306 sec at 98.083 mph during qualifying for the 2005 Subway 500. Stewart finished second in the race after leading 283 of 500 laps and finishing only 0.235 sec behind race winner Jeff Gordon. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton, and Bobby Labonte rounded out the top 5.
Jeff Gordon holds the record for the fastest race run at Martinsville Speedway, with a speed of 82.223 mph in the 1996 Hanes 500. Gordon led 133 of the 500 laps to win the race by 0.49 sec over runner-up finisher Terry Labonte. Bobby Hamilton finished third, followed by Rick Mast in fourth and John Andretti in fifth. Gordon won a total of 10 races during the 1996 season and finished second in points.
Denny Hamlin is the defending race winner of this event, leading 40 of the 500 laps to win the 2010 Tums Fast Relief 500 by 2.318 sec over second-place Mark Martin. Kevin Harvick finished third, followed by Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin won a total of eight races during the 2010 season and finished second in points.
Track Facts
Track/Race Length: 0.526 miles, 500 laps (263 miles)
Pit Road Speed: 30 mph
Degree of Banking: 12 degrees in the corners
Frontstretch: 800 ft., 0 degrees of banking
Backstretch: 800 ft., 0 degrees of banking
Grandstand Seating: 61,000
Pre-race Schedule
Practice: Friday, October 28, 12:30 – 2:00 PM ET on SPEED
Happy Hour: Friday, October 28, 3:30 – 5:00 PM ET on SPEED
Qualifying: Saturday, October 29, 12:10 PM ET on SPEED
VIPs
National Anthem: North Carolina A&T Marching Band
Race Day Forecast
Sunday: Sunny, 0% chance of rain
High: 59
Low: 34
Say What?!
"A week in between, you start practice on Friday and you remember where you're at and what you did at Talladega really doesn't -- you don't think about the driving style differences. When you pull in there you realize that you are at a lot different place and you is settle in really quickly and the mode of back to what you have to do to be fast at Martinsville." -Tony Stewart on switching gears from Talladega to Martinsville
"It feels great knowing we're going into the race weekend not having to qualify for the race on speed. Especially with Martinsville being such a 'handling' track, it will be good to be able to put a little more focus on our race set-up instead of having to put all our efforts into qualifying." -Travis Kvapil
"Martinsville has been one of my toughest race tracks just to get good results. I've had good cars there. I've ran up front there a lot. I just don't have a lot of good finishes. I've had a lot of trouble. In the spring, we were in the top 10 all day and then had the throttle issue. It was a big crash. It's been a weird place for me so hopefully we can change that up and not only have a strong run this weekend, but a strong result too in the NAPA Toyota." -Martin Truex, Jr.
Summer Dreyer is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via email at summer.dreyer@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
The Rise and Fall of UPS in NASCAR-And Who They Helped Take Down With Them
by Amy Henderson
Four Burning Questions: The Cup Nears for Edwards as it Fades Away from Johnson
by Mike Lovecchio
Voices From the Heartland; Ford Dictum Makes a Mockery of NASCAR and Racing
by Jeff Meyer
Tearing Apart the Trucks: Evaluating Championship Hopefuls
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Frontstretch Podcast: October 28th Edition
hosted by Doug Turnbull
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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!
Thursday's Answer:
Q: Up until 1994, the then-Busch Grand National Series made two visits a year to Martinsville (the 2006 race there was basically a stopgap measure after the closure of Pikes Peak International Raceway before the series made their first trip to Montreal). In the final one of these races, the yellow was thrown due to a massive fire on pit road. What happened to cause this fire?
A: Michael Ritch was making an unscheduled pit stop in his No. 02 Oldsmobile with some kind of issue under the hood. While in the pits, the crew decided to top off the tank, however, unbeknownst to the crew, the filler neck connecting to the fuel cell fell into the trunk at some point prior to the stop. As a result, when the crew was adding fuel, it was just collecting in the trunk on top of the fuel cell--and one spark set the whole thing ablaze. Ritch was ok, but the Oldsmobile was a total loss. The fire can be seen at the 1:45 mark of this clip.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming 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.
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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
Hey Frontstretch Readers!
Did you know The Frontstretch has a weekly podcast? Hosted by Doug Turnbull, the latest podcast comes out every Friday. This week, Doug and columnist Mike Neff discuss tandem drafting, odd windshields and much more! Check it out here!
~~~~~~~~~~
Keepin' It Short: Short Track Fights: Sometimes Enough Is Enough
by Mike Neff
Saturday at South Boston was the $10,000 to win Whelen Late Model 300 presented by Danville Toyota. It was a showdown of some of the best Late Model drivers in the Southeast with three of the top four national points finishers in the event. The race featured 16 lead changes among seven drivers and ultimately ended with Philip Morris, the 2011 National Champion, taking home the trophy. While that is normally the end of the excitement of a big race, it was just the beginning at SoBo.
En route to his win Morris pulled a cross-over move on Lee Pulliam on lap 227 heading down the back straight and got under him going into turn three. Pulliam came down and contact ensued which resulted in Pulliam being spun and moved to the back of the pack. Morris was not penalized for his involvement in the altercation and kept his spot at the head of the field. Pulliam battled from the back of the pack to attempt to regain the top spot from Morris but ended up third as the cars crossed under the checkered flag. As the cars were cooling down on the back straight Pulliam rear ended Morris and spun him, putting the two in a head-on standoff. Pulliam grabbed a gear and floored it, plowing into the front of Morris's car, resulting in extensive damage to both cars.
"We were on the cool down lap and he comes flying around the track and crashes my car," Morris told Speed51.com. "If that wasn't enough, I backed away to go to victory lane and he takes off like the start line at the Summer Nationals (an NHRA Drag Racing event) and rams into me head on. It was pretty dangerous and pretty reckless. In my opinion, he just way overreacted. It was very unfortunate for everybody involved."
Had that been the end of things there might not have been too much trouble for the involved parties, but that was still only the beginning. As the cars returned to pit lane, Peyton Sellers--who is a part of Morris's race team and was at the track as a crew chief for another competitor--charged Pulliam's car and supposedly threw some punches. As Sellers was having the altercation with Pulliam an official attempted to pull the former National Champion away from the car and was supposedly pushed or contacted by Sellers. The official, Warren Saunders, filed suit for assault and battery which led to Sellers being taken into custody in handcuffs. As of Tuesday, after a meeting between Saunders and Sellers the paperwork was written up by Saunders to have the charges dropped.
The excitement did not end with Sellers and Pulliam, as members of the opposing race teams exchanged words and at least one member of the Morris crew was thrown to the ground by Terry Powell, a member of Pulliam's race team. Not only was there chaos in the pits but there were reportedly several altercations that took place in the stands as well.
"I reacted and I really shouldn't have. When I spun him out, he hit me in the left rear and we ended up facing each other," Pulliam told Speed51.com in a phone interview on Tuesday. "I ended up putting the car in gear and running into the front end of his car. It's something that shouldn't have happened, but everybody was just fed up with it."
The post race pit access that was scheduled for the fans was canceled by the track due to the volatile nature of the situation. At the end of the night, Sellers was hauled off to jail, Pulliam was embarrassed over his actions, and two race cars were substantially damaged.
This dustup had been in the making all season long and actually started at this race last season. While Morris and Pulliam ran at separate tracks this season, each winning the track championship at South Boston and Motor Mile, respectively, they only raced together on a handful of nights when both tracks were not running at the same time. Pulliam did score one win at South Boston this year with Morris in the field, but it was after Morris had a mechanical failure. At Motor Mile the same results held true. While Morris visited a handful of times he was only able to beat Pulliam once and it was on a night when Pulliam had transmission troubles.
When the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 took place a couple of weeks ago at Martinsville, Morris was by far the best car at the race but a fuel pickup problem derailed his efforts and ended up parking him before the end of the race. While Pulliam was probably the second best car on the track he executed a bump and run on Matt McCall on the last lap of the race to take the win in the biggest Late Model race of the year. That race was one of the first times that Pulliam actually moved a car out of the way in a race to take a win.
During the SoBo race last year Morris moved Pulliam to take over the lead on the last lap to take the win after a late race restart allowed Pulliam to get back up to Morris and take the lead after Morris had dominated most of the event. The bad blood between the two has obviously been simmering for a while and, after Pulliam thought he had been wronged Saturday it spilled over into something that is going to damage the careers of two talented champion drivers.
"On occasion, when SoBo and Motor Mile are not running together, Pulliam and I end up racing each other. It's always very competitive," explained Morris. "With about 80 laps to go (at South Boston), I did a cross-over on him on the backstretch to get the lead back. He didn't expect me to be there and there was contact and he spun out and had to go to the rear. I was underneath him and they didn't put me to the rear."
In the aftermath of the events, all three drivers were suspended indefinitely from NASCAR and Pulliam, Sellers and Powell were fined $1,000, $750 and $500, respectively. It's a particularly damaging penalty for Sellers since he makes his living building race cars and needs to be involved in NASCAR to make his living.
"My heart sank because I knew that everything I worked 28 years for was eliminated. This all got blown out of proportion Saturday night. … I feel like [NASCAR] hooked me," Sellers told GoDanRiver.com. "The part about the official I completely deny. I had no problem with him whatsoever. This is just unfortunate for what H.C. and I have worked our entire lives for. I will appeal it. I have a business to run and I have to be a part of NASCAR."
"It's very disheartening because it was a verbal altercation and not a physical altercation."
As can be expected, Morris was very apologetic after having some time to cool off.
"The concern I have is that there are so many young guys moving up from the lower divisions that are just watching what's going on," Morris said. "I hate it because that's the thing we need to guard ourselves on. We can't do these things that are detrimental to the sport. It will just take away from all we have worked on."
Just like Morris, once Pulliam had a chance to think about his actions, his attitude changed.
"Hindsight [is] 20-20; you wish didn't do what did once you've done it. It's just been a long season of battling and getting the wrong end of the deal with him (Morris) on every occasion," Pulliam said. "It's definitely not a one-time deal. We were ganged up on several times by his teammates at South Boston, several times while going for the national deal. We have been fighting it all year and I have been holding my temper, but it finally got the best of me."
"I would like to apologize to all that are involved. It was a heck of a rivalry," he continued. "Without him there it would be boring and without me there it would be boring. It's made the fans come back out to the race track. Now I am sitting here worried about what NASCAR is going to do to me. "
There is no question that ramming into a competitor's car head-on is not an acceptable form of behavior on the race track, but there does come a time when being pushed around can cause a driver to lose his cool and cross the line. Pulliam felt like he'd taken his share of bumps to have wins taken away in the past and decided to take matters into his own hands. Those actions may make his future in NASCAR a little more difficult, but in the end you sometimes have to say, enough is enough.
This Weekend's Racing Schedule
Sat : Oct. 29th - I-30 Speedway ; Benton : AR - Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series
Sat : Oct. 29th - Chowchilla Speedway ; Chowchilla : CA - BCRA Midget Lites
Sat : Oct. 29th - Chowchilla Speedway ; Chowchilla : CA - BCRA Midgets
Sat : Oct. 29th - Giant Chevrolet Speedway ; Hanford : CA - USAC National Sprint Cars
Sat : Oct. 29th - Lucas Oil I-10 Speedway ; Blythe : CA - ASA / Truck Series
Sat : Oct. 29th - So Cal Speedway ; Victorville : CA - USAC/CRA 410
Sat : Oct. 29th - Cross Roads Motorplex ; Jasper : FL - MMRA / Mini-Cups
Sat : Oct. 29th - Volusia Speedway Park ; Barberville : FL - Florida Mini-Sprint Association
Sat : Oct. 29th - Volusia Speedway Park ; Barberville : FL - Top Gun Sprint Car Series
Sat : Oct. 29th - Jones Motor Speedway ; Chatham : LA – Spooky 50 Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th - Jones Motor Speedway ; Chatham : LA – Spooky 50 Modifieds
Sat : Oct. 29th - Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Cotton Pickin' 100 Super Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th – Springfield Raceway ; Springfield : MO – Show-Me Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th – 311 Speedway ; Madison : NC – Super Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th – Ace Speedway ; Altamahaw : NC – Harvest Havoc
Sat : Oct. 29th – Concord Motorsports Park ; Concord : NC – UARA Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th - Hickory Motor Speedway ; Hickory : NC - Allison Legacy Race Series
Sat : Oct. 29th - Hickory Motor Speedway ; Hickory : NC – CCS Late Model Sportsman
Sat : Oct. 29th - Hickory Motor Speedway ; Hickory : NC – PASS South Series
Sat : Oct. 29th - Las Vegas Motor Speedway – The Bullring ; Las Vegas : NV - SRL Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th - Five Mile Point Speedway ; Kirkwood : NY - Race of Champion Dirt Modifieds
Sat : Oct. 29th – Atomic Speedway ; Alma : OH – AMRA Topless Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th - Portland International Raceway ; Portland : OR - ChumpCar World Series
Sat : Oct. 29th – Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex ; Markleysburg : PA – Steel Stock Bandits
Sat : Oct. 29th - Susquehanna Speedway ; Newberrytown : PA - ARDC Midgets
Sat : Oct. 29th - Susquehanna Speedway ; Newberrytown : PA - Central Pennsylvania LegendCars
Sat : Oct. 29th – Florence Motor Speedway ; Timmonsville : SC – Limited Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th – Tennessee National Raceway ; Hohenwald : TN – Shannon Hickerson Memorial Super Late Models
Sat : Oct. 29th – Tennessee National Raceway ; Hohenwald : TN – Shannon Hickerson Memorial Modifieds
Sun : Oct. 30th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Oktoberfest Late Models
Sun : Oct. 30th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Oktoberfest Modifieds
Sun : Oct. 30th - Portland International Raceway ; Portland : OR - ChumpCar World Series
Sun : Oct. 30th – Dillon Motor Speedway ; Dillon : SC – Fall Spectacular 400
Wed : Nov. 2nd - Screven Motor Speedway ; Sylvania : GA - All Star Sprint Cars
Thu : Nov. 3rd - Perris Auto Speedway ; Perris : CA - USAC/CRA 410
Thu : Nov. 3rd - Perris Auto Speedway ; Perris : CA - USAC National Sprint Cars
Thu : Nov. 3rd -Dirt Track @ Charlotte ; Concord : NC - Super DIRTcar Big Block Series
Thu : Nov. 3rd -Dirt Track @ Charlotte ; Concord : NC - WoO Late Model Series
Thu : Nov. 3rd - Dirt Track @ Charlotte ; Concord : NC - WoO Sprint Cars
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
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Hey Frontstretch Readers!
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 Folio: TUMS Fast Relief 500
by Summer Dreyer
This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Martinsville Speedway for the Tums Fast Relief 500. Sunday's race will be 33rd race of the season and seventh in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. It will be broadcast live Sunday, October 30th, at 1:30 PM ET on ESPN. Drivers will compete for 500 laps (263 miles) before taking the checkered flag.
Records and Facts
Tony Stewart holds the track qualifying record with a lap of 19.306 sec at 98.083 mph during qualifying for the 2005 Subway 500. Stewart finished second in the race after leading 283 of 500 laps and finishing only 0.235 sec behind race winner Jeff Gordon. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton, and Bobby Labonte rounded out the top 5.
Jeff Gordon holds the record for the fastest race run at Martinsville Speedway, with a speed of 82.223 mph in the 1996 Hanes 500. Gordon led 133 of the 500 laps to win the race by 0.49 sec over runner-up finisher Terry Labonte. Bobby Hamilton finished third, followed by Rick Mast in fourth and John Andretti in fifth. Gordon won a total of 10 races during the 1996 season and finished second in points.
Denny Hamlin is the defending race winner of this event, leading 40 of the 500 laps to win the 2010 Tums Fast Relief 500 by 2.318 sec over second-place Mark Martin. Kevin Harvick finished third, followed by Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin won a total of eight races during the 2010 season and finished second in points.
Track Facts
Track/Race Length: 0.526 miles, 500 laps (263 miles)
Pit Road Speed: 30 mph
Degree of Banking: 12 degrees in the corners
Frontstretch: 800 ft., 0 degrees of banking
Backstretch: 800 ft., 0 degrees of banking
Grandstand Seating: 61,000
Pre-race Schedule
Practice: Friday, October 28, 12:30 – 2:00 PM ET on SPEED
Happy Hour: Friday, October 28, 3:30 – 5:00 PM ET on SPEED
Qualifying: Saturday, October 29, 12:10 PM ET on SPEED
VIPs
National Anthem: North Carolina A&T Marching Band
Race Day Forecast
Sunday: Sunny, 0% chance of rain
High: 59
Low: 34
Say What?!
"A week in between, you start practice on Friday and you remember where you're at and what you did at Talladega really doesn't -- you don't think about the driving style differences. When you pull in there you realize that you are at a lot different place and you is settle in really quickly and the mode of back to what you have to do to be fast at Martinsville." -Tony Stewart on switching gears from Talladega to Martinsville
"It feels great knowing we're going into the race weekend not having to qualify for the race on speed. Especially with Martinsville being such a 'handling' track, it will be good to be able to put a little more focus on our race set-up instead of having to put all our efforts into qualifying." -Travis Kvapil
"Martinsville has been one of my toughest race tracks just to get good results. I've had good cars there. I've ran up front there a lot. I just don't have a lot of good finishes. I've had a lot of trouble. In the spring, we were in the top 10 all day and then had the throttle issue. It was a big crash. It's been a weird place for me so hopefully we can change that up and not only have a strong run this weekend, but a strong result too in the NAPA Toyota." -Martin Truex, Jr.
Summer Dreyer is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via email at summer.dreyer@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
The Rise and Fall of UPS in NASCAR-And Who They Helped Take Down With Them
by Amy Henderson
Four Burning Questions: The Cup Nears for Edwards as it Fades Away from Johnson
by Mike Lovecchio
Voices From the Heartland; Ford Dictum Makes a Mockery of NASCAR and Racing
by Jeff Meyer
Tearing Apart the Trucks: Evaluating Championship Hopefuls
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Frontstretch Podcast: October 28th Edition
hosted by Doug Turnbull
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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!
Thursday's Answer:
Q: Up until 1994, the then-Busch Grand National Series made two visits a year to Martinsville (the 2006 race there was basically a stopgap measure after the closure of Pikes Peak International Raceway before the series made their first trip to Montreal). In the final one of these races, the yellow was thrown due to a massive fire on pit road. What happened to cause this fire?
A: Michael Ritch was making an unscheduled pit stop in his No. 02 Oldsmobile with some kind of issue under the hood. While in the pits, the crew decided to top off the tank, however, unbeknownst to the crew, the filler neck connecting to the fuel cell fell into the trunk at some point prior to the stop. As a result, when the crew was adding fuel, it was just collecting in the trunk on top of the fuel cell--and one spark set the whole thing ablaze. Ritch was ok, but the Oldsmobile was a total loss. The fire can be seen at the 1:45 mark of this clip.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming 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.
-----------------------------
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