THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 17th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXLV
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SPECIAL NEWSLETTER... We're looking for your feedback! S.D.'s article was so popular Tuesday we're looking for your votes as to who would be the better champion for 2011 - Stewart, Edwards, or neither. Email us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com to let us know how you feel... we'll add more fan comments and survey results in our Newsletter for Friday morning!
Frontstretch sends its well wishes, prayers, and support to all our fans affected by the swath of horrible storms over the past few months. To help out recovery efforts, text "GIVE" to 80888 to donate $10 towards disaster relief efforts in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri and Vermont through the Salvation Army.
Today's Top News
by Phil Allaway
TRG Motorsports announced on Wednesday that longtime driver Andy Lally has parted ways from the No. 71 team, effective immediately. Mike Bliss, who was originally slated to drive the No. 32 Street King Ford for FAS Lane Racing this weekend, will instead take Lally's place in the No. 71.
Neither TRG Motorsports nor Lally wanted to talk in detail about what happened Wednesday morning. Lally, for his part used Twitter to briefly express his feelings.
"Had a hard decision to make this morning, but there are just some things you need to do on principle," he Tweeted. The rookie also made clear he was not pulled from the No. 71.
Team owner Kevin Buckler also only spoke in generic terms in response to the move.
"Let's just say we're having internal issues with who's driving the car this weekend, and leave it at that," Buckler told SIRIUS Speedway's Dave Moody. "We're working around some issues with Andy, but that's really all I want to say about it."
For this weekend, Bliss will drive the car, but it is currently unclear whether the team will be able to go the distance on Sunday. Buckler claims that the team is "three-quarters of the way there on sponsorship" and is still working on acquiring the remaining backing needed to go all 400 miles.
Lally's association with TRG dates back to 2005 in the Rolex Sports Car Series' GT-class. Driving TRG Pontiac GTO.R's and Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, Lally has racked up 18 class victories, including two in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Lally helped bring TRG into NASCAR back in 2007 and was originally slated to run the full 2008 season in the then-Craftsman Truck Series before sponsorship ran out nine races into the season.
Even with Wednesday's announcement, Lally will still win the 2011 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year Award since he has run almost unopposed all season; in 30 starts, he has a best finish of 19th at Talladega this Spring. As for Bliss, he will have his work cut out for himself to get TRG Motorsports' No. 71 back into the top 35. With Lally's DNQ last weekend in Phoenix, Front Row Motorsports' No. 38 has a 28-point lead over the No. 71.
Rookie T.J. Bell, with Green Smoke sponsorship has been named to replace Bliss at FAS Lane Racing for the weekend.
Nemechek Leads 200 MPH Experiment At Daytona
The test held this week at Daytona International Speedway, made to try and develop a package de-emphasizing the two-car drafting tandems didn't produce instant results. Yesterday, our Tom Bowles talked about how Dale Earnhardt, Jr. claimed drivers and NASCAR execs believe the practice may never be officially eliminated.
However, something quirky also came out of the sessions. The Daytona Beach News-Journal is reporting that Joe Nemechek, testing on behalf of Triad Racing Technologies, turned in laps at over 203 mph during the test. That speed would translate into a lap time in the low 44-second bracket.
Now, knowing what we saw in Daytona back in February, it doesn't sound like much. There were laps turned by Michael Waltrip at over 206 mph during the Budweiser Shootout. But that was done using the two-car draft; Nemechek's laps were done in solo runs. To test how fast the COT could possibly go, the spoiler was cut down to three inches tall and the restrictor plate opened up to a full 1 and 1/16th of an inch to achieve that result.
Nemechek was fairly nonchalant when it came to explaining the speed.
"We were changing the restrictor plates and all kinds of stuff," Nemechek said. "I mean, [the speed is] just the product of putting more horsepower to the back tires. I think we're going to be quite a bit faster when we come back here for Qualifying day. It's going to be interesting. All the teams are going to have to do some more homework."
Martin Truex, Jr. believes that NASCAR had a reason for the increased speeds seen in the test. He thinks that NASCAR wants to make the cars "uncomfortable" to tandem draft. However, that might not be the best idea.
"Making the cars uncomfortable is not the best way to go because I feel with the repave here and the repave at Talladega, we're going to be going upwards of 220 mph to make [the cars] uncomfortable," Truex said. "And then, of course, we all know what happens. Cars get off the ground, and that's a bad thing."
In July, Mark Martin won the pole for the Coke Zero 400 with a lap of 182.055 mph, a full 20 mph slower than what Nemechek turned in.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Ford 400: 48 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 7 - Reed Sorenson for Robby Gordon Motorsports
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 37 - Mike Skinner for MaxQ Motorsports
No. 38 - Travis Kvapil for Front Row Motorsports
No. 46 - Scott Speed for Whitney Motorsports
No. 51 - Landon Cassill for Phoenix Racing
No. 71 - Mike Bliss for TRG Motorsports
No. 84 - Cole Whitt for Red Bull Racing Team
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
No. 93 - Grant Enfinger for Sinica Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 7 - Reed Sorenson returns to the seat, replacing Robby Gordon. This team is now expected to start and park.
No. 32 - T.J. Bell is in the seat, replacing Mike Bliss. The rookie brings Green Smoke sponsorship to the ride.
No. 38 - Travis Kvapil returns to the seat, replacing J.J. Yeley. Yeley's Vampt sponsorship was for the Phoenix race only.
No. 55 - J.J. Yeley returns to the seat, replacing Travis Kvapil. This car will remain the third start-and-park entry for Front Row Motorsports.
No. 71 - Mike Bliss is in the seat, replacing Andy Lally. Lally was released from the seat on Wednesday.
--
No. 93 - While not a driver change, Grant Enfinger and Sinica Motorsports are both attempting their Sprint Cup debut.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 7 - Reed Sorenson for Robby Gordon Motorsports*
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 30 - David Stremme for Inception Motorsports*
No. 35 - Dave Blaney for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 37 - Mike Skinner for MaxQ Motorsports*
No. 46 - Scott Speed for Whitney Motorsports
No. 55 - J.J. Yeley for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 66 - Michael McDowell for HP Racing, LLC*
No. 71 - Mike Bliss for TRG Motorsports
No. 84 - Cole Whitt for Red Bull Racing
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 92 - Dennis Setzer for K-Automotive Motorsports
No. 93 - Grant Enfinger for Sinica Motorsports (First Sprint Cup attempt for both driver and team)
Not Entered:
No. 23 - Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports
Nationwide Series Ford 300: 48 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 18 - Denny Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 20 - Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22 - Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 30 - Nelson Piquet, Jr. for Turner Motorsports
No. 32 - James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33 - Clint Bowyer for Kevin Harvick, Inc.
No. 42 - Erik Darnell for Key Motorsports
No. 50 - T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 60 - Carl Edwards for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 70 - David Stremme for ML Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 18 - Denny Hamlin returns to the seat, replacing Joey Logano. Kyle Busch was originally scheduled to run this race before his Texas incident.
No. 20 - Joey Logano returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Truex. Logano will finish off his limited schedule with the team.
No. 30 - Nelson Piquet, Jr. is in the seat, replacing James Buescher. Piquet is looking for a new home with the impending closure of Kevin Harvick, Inc.
No. 32 - James Buescher is in the seat, replacing Ron Hornaday. Buescher will "double dip" while going for his first Truck Series championship.
No. 39 - Fain Skinner returns to the seat, replacing Matt Frahm. The rookie will finish his limited schedule with the team.
No. 40 - Josh Wise returns to the seat, replacing T.J. Duke.
No. 41 - Stanton Barrett is in the seat, replacing Johnny Chapman. It'll be Barrett's first start of the year.
No. 42 - Erik Darnell returns to the seat, replacing Josh Wise. This car is expected to start and park.
No. 72 - Jake Crum is in the seat, replacing John Jackson.
No. 75 - Johnny Chapman returns to the seat, replacing Carl Long. This car is expected to start and park.
No. 87 - Kevin Conway returns to the seat, replacing Joe Nemechek. Conway brings Extenze sponsorship for the race.
No. 97 - Joe Nemechek returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Conway. It's unknown whether this second car will go the distance.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 03 - Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports
No. 04 - Tim Andrews for Go Green Racing*
No. 12 - Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 16 - Trevor Bayne for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 20 - Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 41 - Stanton Barrett for Rick Ware Racing
No. 42 - Erik Darnell for Key Motorsports*
No. 44 - Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 46 - Chase Miller for Key Motorsports*
No. 47 - Scott Speed for Key Motorsports*
No. 49 - Mark Green for Jay Robinson Racing*
No. 50 - T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 67 - Andrew Ranger for Go Canada Racing
No. 71 - Matt Carter for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 72 - Jake Crum for Carter Racing*
No. 75 - Johnny Chapman for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 82 - Reed Sorenson for MacDonald Motorsports
No. 97 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
Not Entered:
No. 34 - Ricky Carmichael for Turner Motorsports
No. 80 - D.J. Kennington for MacDonald Motorsports
Camping World Truck Series Ford 200: 43 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 09 - Bryan Silas for Fast Track Racing
No. 2 - Kevin Harvick for Kevin Harvick, Inc.
No. 10 - Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 18 - Denny Hamlin for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 24 - Elliott Sadler for Joe Denette Motorsports
No. 27 - Dennis Setzer for RSS Racing
No. 45 - Tim George, Jr. for Eddie Sharp Racing
Number Change:
Billy Ballew Motorsports changes from No. 51 to No. 15.
Driver Changes:
No. 15 - Dusty Davis is in the seat, replacing Colin Braun. This would mark Davis' first race since Martinsville, when his Vision Airlines-sponsored organization (co-owned by Billy Ballew) was forced to suspend operations.
No. 18 - Denny Hamlin returns to the seat, replacing Kyle Busch. Busch will not race in the season finale after his Truck Series incident with Ron Hornaday in Texas.
No. 20 - Ross Chastain is in the seat, replacing Johanna Long. Chastain brings sponsorship to the program.
No. 27 - Dennis Setzer is in the seat, replacing David Stremme. This truck is expected to start and park.
No. 45 - Tim George, Jr. is in the seat, replacing Mike Skinner. This truck is a second entry for Eddie Sharp Racing as they work on expanding their operation for 2012.
No. 51 - German Quiroga returns to the seat, replacing Josh Richards. Quiroga brings sponsorship to the program.
No. 66 - Max Gresham returns to the seat, replacing Ross Chastain. The K&N East Series champ is continuing his limited schedule with the hopes of moving up full-time in 2012.
No. 93 - Brent Raymer is in the seat, replacing B.J. McLeod. This truck is expected to start-and-park.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 09 - Bryan Silas for Fast Track Racing
No. 10 - Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 14 - Brennan Newberry for Newberry Racing
No. 15 - Dusty Davis for Billy Ballew Motorsports
No. 20 - Ross Chastain for Panhandle Motorsports
No. 21 - Ty Dillon for Richard Childress Racing
No. 24 - Elliott Sadler for Joe Denette Motorsports
No. 27 - Dennis Setzer for RSS Racing*
No. 38 - Mike Garvey for RSS Racing*
No. 44 - Frank Kimmel for ThorSport Racing
No. 45 - Tim George, Jr. for Eddie Sharp Racing
No. 51 - German Quiroga for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 68 - Clay Greenfield for Alger Motorsports
No. 70 - Jeff Agnew for Team 7 Motorsports
No. 74 - Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 76 - Derek White for Hackett Racing
No. 98 - Dakoda Armstrong for ThorSport Racing
Not Entered:
No. 0 - T.J. Bell for JJC Racing
No. 55 - Jake Crum for MAKE Motorsports
No. 63 - Jack Smith for Mittler Brothers Racing
No. 65 - Tim Andrews for Tagsby Racing
No. 73 - Rick Crawford for Tagsby Racing
No. 87 - Chris Jones for Jones Motorsports
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Have news for Phil and The Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Hey Frontstretch Readers!
We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look how NASCAR, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
~~~~~~~~~~~
What's Vexing Vito: Kyle's Crimes Against Humanity
by Vito Pugliese
I know it has been beaten to death a million times over, and drug around like something out of Weekend at Bernie's, to the point that if another article was never written about Kyle Busch's time-out and two race sponsor self-suspension by M&M's it would be fine with the motorsports community. So what better time than for me to emerge from self-imposed exile to put in my two cents after Busch has been beaten about like a piñata in the media for the past two weeks?
First off, what Kyle did was wrong. Using your rig as a weapon isn't right, particularly when the catalyst for the incident was literally an accident by the other guy. I will say, however, had it been another Cup driver in that same situation, they would not have been benched for the weekend, and their Cup sponsor would not have been sternly shaking their head in disapproval.
If there has been a recurring theme this season with a pair of drivers and owners that simply have zero use for each other, it is the triad of Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Richard Childress. From the incident at Darlington in the Southern 500 where Harvick and Busch exchanged shots on the track – with Busch connecting with his hook where Harvick missed – to the resulting ghost-ride by the 29 into the pit road wall, to Richard Childress removing his watch and speed-bagging Busch's face plate at Kansas after what appeared to be an innocuous post-race rub to an RCR-owned truck, it has been these three at each other's throats for eight months.
Kevin Harvick lamented a few months ago that he was not able to wreck Busch late in a race since he was warned not to by NASCAR. Knowing that, Busch turning a Harvick-owned truck that was in title contention into the wall late in the going at Texas two weeks ago probably did not sit well with the sanctioning body, who on the surface is preaching "Boys, Have At It," but also handles things differently behind closed doors when it appears to be getting out of hand. That has long been a hallmark of the sport since the days of the Benevolent Dictator, and helps to maintain some semblance of sanity. It's also something I take no issue with.
What I am having a problem with is this painting of Busch being evil incarnate because he wrecked a guy.
Many who are upset with the Busch – Hornaday incident at Texas are upset because he wrecked him under caution. Uh, OK, so you'd rather have him get hooked at full speed? Nobody seemed to care when Jeff Burton, a year earlier, executed the same move to Jeff Gordon under caution – while safety vehicles were on the track. Oh sure, that's fine because Gordon pushed him for two seconds and they had to be restrained, and it made for a funny video highlight. Carl Edwards didn't receive any such admonishment from his sponsor after sending Brad Keselowski through the air and roof-first into the wall in Atlanta, or parked sideways on the frontstretch coming to the checkered flag at Gateway. Obviously, Edwards was not intending either outcome to end so violently, but was there any less premeditation or intent with any of these incidents?
I know, it's Jeff Burton and he's nice to everybody. So he gets a pass.
That being said, why is Brian Vickers still being allowed to run into things on the racetrack? Either he is single-handedly trying to keep every body man and fabricator employed in the Mooresville area, or he has been tasked with thinning out the inventories at Red Bull Racing to tighten up the balance sheet for potential investors. Tony Stewart, Marcos Ambrose, Matt Kenseth, and about five other guys at Martinsville have been the recipient of unsolicited silver paint treatment during the last month or so.
Is he any less lethal than Kyle Busch?
Kyle Busch's personality appears to be an issue, too. Much was made this year about new Kyle versus old Kyle. The real story should be "Real Kyle" versus "Made For TV Kyle." I recall the first time I went to MIS to cover the race weekend for Frontstretch.com. I saw a very enthusiastic Kyle Busch fan run up to him with a hat to sign. The guy pretty much shoved it in Kyle's face, and about picked his nose with a Sharpie. Kyle recoiled away, snatched the hat, scribbled something on it, and flung it skyward – then sprinted to the M&M's hauler. A few hours later he was in the media center, giggling and getting fake punched in the gut by Jeff Burton like an awkward adolescent.
This was before Busch's PR representative was never more than five feet from him. Like the Air Force colonel who is never more than a few feet from the President with the nuclear football (i.e., launch codes), there is always a PR presence around Busch – as if he can't be trusted to be himself as for what he might do or say. Personally, I don't have a problem with it. If he wants to tell me to **** off, that's cool, I understand. I don't like to be bothered when I'm working, either. And if I have a bone to pick with the guy who routinely takes shots at me in the press, and whose car owner punched me, yeah, I probably wouldn't have a problem taking out his car to prevent him from winning a championship, too.
Any time Busch slips up, it is often exploited and magnified to me more than it truly is. This year, Busch was busted for going 128 mph in a 45 mph zone. While you can't really condone that, it was in essentially a race car with license plates - a $375,000 Lexus LFA - which accelerates from 0 - 125mph in 11.4 seconds. Big deal. I went that fast in my '72 Cuda before with absolutely zero information as to where the 15" front tires were pointed through the four decades old, over-assisted Chrysler power steering. Later, I went 30 mph faster in my Mustang Cobra with cords showing on the rear tires.
Everybody does stupid stuff. Kyle's crime was he got caught doing it. At least he's not Jeremy Mayfield-stupid.
M&M's decided to sit out the last two races, while Interstate Batteries is picking up the tab – and opportunity. It probably didn't help that networks and other media outlets were running polls asking "Should Joe Gibbs Racing Fire Kyle Busch" which were returning better-than-50% results. I seem to recall a few years ago that the same requests were being made of Richard Childress to do the same with Kevin Harvick. Jimmie Johnson did so following a crash in one of the Daytona Duel qualifying races in 2005. That, of course is kind of ironic seeing as GM Goodwrench and Chevrolet made a good bit of money cashing in on a certain driver who made a career and sold a good number of T-Shirts out of turning people – championship contenders included.
So where does Kyle Busch go from here? Hopefully just on vacation. Joe Gibbs Racing would do well not to neuter or try to change him. He does seem to be the one driver in their stable with some gumption. Joey Logano's efforts at being aggressive got his Dad banned from the track for a few weeks, and nearly got him an ass kicking from Ryan Newman. Denny Hamlin acts a bit to philosophical, and when you start admitting you're seeing a shrink, you've pretty much exposed yourself as being submissive and easily screwed with before the green flag even drops.
This sport is one where guys used to come at each other with axles and wrenches after the race, and when the wives would keep a brick or a .38 in their purse. As much as NASCAR might not like the antics of Kyle – or his brother Kurt - they are both exactly what the sport needs right now: polarizing people with personalities, who lose it, fly off the handle, explode into a rash of profanities, do dumb stuff, and come up with clever insults and smart-assed remarks. You know, like normal, regular guys.
Just so long as nobody gets hurt.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
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Today's Featured Commentary~~~~~~~~~~
Hey Frontstretch Readers!
We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look how NASCAR, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
~~~~~~~~~~~
What's Vexing Vito: Kyle's Crimes Against Humanity
by Vito Pugliese
I know it has been beaten to death a million times over, and drug around like something out of Weekend at Bernie's, to the point that if another article was never written about Kyle Busch's time-out and two race sponsor self-suspension by M&M's it would be fine with the motorsports community. So what better time than for me to emerge from self-imposed exile to put in my two cents after Busch has been beaten about like a piñata in the media for the past two weeks?
First off, what Kyle did was wrong. Using your rig as a weapon isn't right, particularly when the catalyst for the incident was literally an accident by the other guy. I will say, however, had it been another Cup driver in that same situation, they would not have been benched for the weekend, and their Cup sponsor would not have been sternly shaking their head in disapproval.
If there has been a recurring theme this season with a pair of drivers and owners that simply have zero use for each other, it is the triad of Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Richard Childress. From the incident at Darlington in the Southern 500 where Harvick and Busch exchanged shots on the track – with Busch connecting with his hook where Harvick missed – to the resulting ghost-ride by the 29 into the pit road wall, to Richard Childress removing his watch and speed-bagging Busch's face plate at Kansas after what appeared to be an innocuous post-race rub to an RCR-owned truck, it has been these three at each other's throats for eight months.
Kevin Harvick lamented a few months ago that he was not able to wreck Busch late in a race since he was warned not to by NASCAR. Knowing that, Busch turning a Harvick-owned truck that was in title contention into the wall late in the going at Texas two weeks ago probably did not sit well with the sanctioning body, who on the surface is preaching "Boys, Have At It," but also handles things differently behind closed doors when it appears to be getting out of hand. That has long been a hallmark of the sport since the days of the Benevolent Dictator, and helps to maintain some semblance of sanity. It's also something I take no issue with.
What I am having a problem with is this painting of Busch being evil incarnate because he wrecked a guy.
Many who are upset with the Busch – Hornaday incident at Texas are upset because he wrecked him under caution. Uh, OK, so you'd rather have him get hooked at full speed? Nobody seemed to care when Jeff Burton, a year earlier, executed the same move to Jeff Gordon under caution – while safety vehicles were on the track. Oh sure, that's fine because Gordon pushed him for two seconds and they had to be restrained, and it made for a funny video highlight. Carl Edwards didn't receive any such admonishment from his sponsor after sending Brad Keselowski through the air and roof-first into the wall in Atlanta, or parked sideways on the frontstretch coming to the checkered flag at Gateway. Obviously, Edwards was not intending either outcome to end so violently, but was there any less premeditation or intent with any of these incidents?
I know, it's Jeff Burton and he's nice to everybody. So he gets a pass.
That being said, why is Brian Vickers still being allowed to run into things on the racetrack? Either he is single-handedly trying to keep every body man and fabricator employed in the Mooresville area, or he has been tasked with thinning out the inventories at Red Bull Racing to tighten up the balance sheet for potential investors. Tony Stewart, Marcos Ambrose, Matt Kenseth, and about five other guys at Martinsville have been the recipient of unsolicited silver paint treatment during the last month or so.
Is he any less lethal than Kyle Busch?
Kyle Busch's personality appears to be an issue, too. Much was made this year about new Kyle versus old Kyle. The real story should be "Real Kyle" versus "Made For TV Kyle." I recall the first time I went to MIS to cover the race weekend for Frontstretch.com. I saw a very enthusiastic Kyle Busch fan run up to him with a hat to sign. The guy pretty much shoved it in Kyle's face, and about picked his nose with a Sharpie. Kyle recoiled away, snatched the hat, scribbled something on it, and flung it skyward – then sprinted to the M&M's hauler. A few hours later he was in the media center, giggling and getting fake punched in the gut by Jeff Burton like an awkward adolescent.
This was before Busch's PR representative was never more than five feet from him. Like the Air Force colonel who is never more than a few feet from the President with the nuclear football (i.e., launch codes), there is always a PR presence around Busch – as if he can't be trusted to be himself as for what he might do or say. Personally, I don't have a problem with it. If he wants to tell me to **** off, that's cool, I understand. I don't like to be bothered when I'm working, either. And if I have a bone to pick with the guy who routinely takes shots at me in the press, and whose car owner punched me, yeah, I probably wouldn't have a problem taking out his car to prevent him from winning a championship, too.
Any time Busch slips up, it is often exploited and magnified to me more than it truly is. This year, Busch was busted for going 128 mph in a 45 mph zone. While you can't really condone that, it was in essentially a race car with license plates - a $375,000 Lexus LFA - which accelerates from 0 - 125mph in 11.4 seconds. Big deal. I went that fast in my '72 Cuda before with absolutely zero information as to where the 15" front tires were pointed through the four decades old, over-assisted Chrysler power steering. Later, I went 30 mph faster in my Mustang Cobra with cords showing on the rear tires.
Everybody does stupid stuff. Kyle's crime was he got caught doing it. At least he's not Jeremy Mayfield-stupid.
M&M's decided to sit out the last two races, while Interstate Batteries is picking up the tab – and opportunity. It probably didn't help that networks and other media outlets were running polls asking "Should Joe Gibbs Racing Fire Kyle Busch" which were returning better-than-50% results. I seem to recall a few years ago that the same requests were being made of Richard Childress to do the same with Kevin Harvick. Jimmie Johnson did so following a crash in one of the Daytona Duel qualifying races in 2005. That, of course is kind of ironic seeing as GM Goodwrench and Chevrolet made a good bit of money cashing in on a certain driver who made a career and sold a good number of T-Shirts out of turning people – championship contenders included.
So where does Kyle Busch go from here? Hopefully just on vacation. Joe Gibbs Racing would do well not to neuter or try to change him. He does seem to be the one driver in their stable with some gumption. Joey Logano's efforts at being aggressive got his Dad banned from the track for a few weeks, and nearly got him an ass kicking from Ryan Newman. Denny Hamlin acts a bit to philosophical, and when you start admitting you're seeing a shrink, you've pretty much exposed yourself as being submissive and easily screwed with before the green flag even drops.
This sport is one where guys used to come at each other with axles and wrenches after the race, and when the wives would keep a brick or a .38 in their purse. As much as NASCAR might not like the antics of Kyle – or his brother Kurt - they are both exactly what the sport needs right now: polarizing people with personalities, who lose it, fly off the handle, explode into a rash of profanities, do dumb stuff, and come up with clever insults and smart-assed remarks. You know, like normal, regular guys.
Just so long as nobody gets hurt.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Rough Road For Rookies In Recent Years
Shakedown Session
by Brody Jones
Being a Sprint Cup "Rookie Of The Year," as Forrest Gump would say, is like a box of chocolates. Fans never know what they're going to get. For every Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart that wins the award, there are drivers such as Jimmy Hensley or Ken Bouchard who also capture the prestigious honor - drivers who quickly fade into the background with little in the way of future Cup Series accomplishments. The last few years have been on the, well, less than stellar side of things. Last year saw Kevin Conway capture the award, driving for three different teams and leaving a trail of unpaid sponsorship bills.
This year has seen Andy Lally, a driver who has only one top-20 finish on the season and was let go on Wednesday before the season finale at Homestead, win the award virtually unopposed. This begs the question as to why have the recent crop of rookies been such a disappointment? Could it be that the talent pool in NASCAR's up-and-comer ranks has bottomed out? Could there be other issues afoot?
First off, it's time to debunk the "lack of talent" theory once and for all. There are certainly talented drivers in the lower levels of NASCAR such as Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Trevor Bayne, James Buescher, and others who have been slowly, yet surely climbing up NASCAR's ranks. The real issue has been "lack of sponsorship dollars." Money often outweighs natural ability in the current racing climate, and as a result, these more talented, sometimes more deserving drivers are shunned in favor of less-than-capable ones who only made it in NASCAR's top level due to money. In the case of Bayne, the rookie rules themselves have worked against him; this year's Daytona 500 winner was made ineligible because of his choice to go after the Nationwide championship. That made his "halftime" season in the Cup Series null and void, virtually handing the award to Lally even with Bayne's upset win for the ages.
Also, the amount of available rides in NASCAR right now are few and far between. With the Red Bull Racing Team operation likely facing closure after Sunday's race and the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford shutting down operations due to a lack of sponsorship, the fact is it's getting harder and harder for a rookie to break into NASCAR's top ranks. Next year's rookie crop looks to have possibly Josh Wise and Cole Whitt, but for both of those competitors, it all depends on financial support. In the case of Whitt, it depends on if the Red Bull Racing Team even survives the 2011 offseason.
While many fans want to mock the past couple of Rookie of the Year winners, at the end of the day, the truth is that NASCAR freshmen are always a total crapshoot. It's hard to tell if they'll be the next superstar or just start-and-park fodder. Hopefully with drivers such as Bayne, Dillon, and yes, even Danica Patrick climbing the ranks, the rookie battles just might get more competitive in the not-too-distant future. Question is, will it be too late for the fans to even care about a NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award? It's now been two years since we've had a rookie winner (Joey Logano) make it through to the following season with a top-tier ride. How much longer before fans stop simply paying attention?
Brody Jones is a Contributor to Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at brody.jones@frontstretch.com.
The Critic's Annex: Casino Arizona 125
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at available motorsports-related programming. This past weekend, the K&N Pro Series West held their final race of the season at Phoenix International Raceway as the second race of the day.by Phil Allaway
That race was scheduled to be aired live on SPEED at 6:30 PM EST, following the completion of the Nationwide Series Wypall 200. As you may have seen on Saturday, that race on ESPN2 ran long and had all post-race coverage booted off the network. Yes, the coverage did not air on ESPN2 (it was on ESPNEWS). Outside of the United States, those viewers got absolutely no post-race at all. To benefit everyone, SPEED made an eleventh-hour decision to move SPEED Center up from 8:00 PM EST to 6:30 PM in order to provide some coverage, while the race was pushed back to 7:00.
This race was originally supposed to be run in a 90-minute timeslot, but took well over two hours to air. Throughout the race, SPEED had a little graphic below their channel identifier on screen that denoted the race as being live. I wasn't so sure that it was when I was watching it. It didn't really look like 45 minutes had passed between the end of the truncated post-race coverage on ESPNEWS and the beginning of SPEED's coverage. SPEED could easily have just tape-delayed the event and showed it in its entirety.
That appears to be what happened. Pushing back the start of the telecast by a half-hour allowed SPEED to time-shift the telecast, much like they do with Sprint Cup Qualifying sessions. Probably the best way to be able to tell this phenomenon was with the one and only commercial break that came during green flag racing. Granted, that was way too early at Lap 7, but it does the job for this explanation. SPEED took a break on the seventh lap, showed roughly two minutes of commercials, then came back a lap later. Also, during the second yellow (this was the yellow for the crash involving Travis Milburn, Cameron Hayley and Jessica Brunelli), SPEED skipped a few laps under caution by going to commercial. As a result, SPEED's graphic showing the race as being live was a little misleading.
The telecast started out with a look at K&N Pro Series West Champion Greg Pursley's season. Basically, it was nothing short of a buttkicking since Pursley managed to win six out of the 13 races entering Phoenix and had already clinched the championship.
During the race, SPEED would try to promote each of the drivers that they had graphics for via social networking. Apparently, most of the drivers in the field, like Pursley, David Mayhew and Dylan Kwasniewski have their own Twitter pages. So, SPEED would put their Twitter handles at the bottom of the graphics with a little red triangle pointing to it. This change was interesting. I had never seen that before, and I like the idea of SPEED actively trying to inform viewers of up-and-coming talent. To that degree, SPEED also continued the practice of scouring Twitter for tweets to use on-air. The same cloud graphic that debuted during the WinStar World Casino 350k telecast was used to show these tweets.
In between all the wrecks, SPEED did their best to show racing from throughout the field. That was fairly easy to accomplish early on. However, as the crashes and mechanical issues significantly whittled down the number of competitive cars on track to below 20, this goal was rather difficult to accomplish. Luckily, us viewers did not miss any important happenings.
Rick Allen and Phil Parsons did a great job in bringing viewers the action on-track, while Bob Dillner did a yeoman's job working the pits by himself. At no place was this more evident than during the Halftime Break at Lap 67. During that time, Dillner went up and down pit road conducting interviews, sprinting at times. Let's just say that Dillner may be a bit uncoordinated while sprinting, but he gets the job done.
Post-race coverage was very brief. SPEED only showed the Unofficial Results of the race and the Victory Lane interview with Ryan Blaney before leaving the air. Since Pursley had already clinched the title, SPEED felt no need to show the final point standings. That was weak because it's not like Pursley was the only driver running the full schedule. There were other battles for position in the standings that should have been noted upon during the telecast, but were not. It should be noted that the K&N Pro Series both still use the old points system (which should never have been ditched, but that's another rant for another day). Pursley won by 262 points in a 14-race season. That's basically annihilation of the field, especially when the team doesn't have Cup connections. However, behind Pursley, it was a little bit tighter between positions 2-4.
I also would have liked to see more interviews than just Blaney. Alex Bowman had a great run, as did Chase Elliott, Eric Holmes and Derek Thorn. It could be argued that SPEED carrying K&N Pro Series races is basically a public service, but it is still important that drivers get some exposure. Luckily, no one put their foot in their mouth like Billy Tanner infamously did at Talladega back in 2007 with his "rich kids" rant seemingly directed at Michael McDowell which basically ended his career.
Other than the post-race coverage letdown, I thought that SPEED did a pretty good job covering the madness in Phoenix on Saturday night. Since the track had been reconfigured, no one really knew what to expect in the race, and the K&N Pro Series West drivers put on an entertaining show when they weren't crashing. I'd just prefer some more post-race coverage next time out.
I hope you liked this look at the Casino Arizona 125. Next week will be the final edition of the Critic's Annex of the season. It will look at the special three hour edition of NASCAR RaceDay Built by The Home Depot that will air on Sunday starting at 11 AM. In a change in date, that column will run here in the Newsletter on Monday, November 28. Until then, enjoy Ford Championship Weekend from Homestead.
Phil Allaway is a Senior Writer and the Newsletter Manager for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Justin Lofton Finds Comfortable Home At Eddie Sharp Racing
"Del Taco—you gotta have Del Taco. I always have In-N-Out Burger when I get home, but if I was to go anywhere, I could eat Del Taco three times a day, seven days a week." - While talking with our own Beth Lunkenheimer recently, Justin Lofton had the hunger pangs and waxed about his favorite jaunts for when the rumbles and grumbles arise.
"Del Taco—you gotta have Del Taco. I always have In-N-Out Burger when I get home, but if I was to go anywhere, I could eat Del Taco three times a day, seven days a week." - While talking with our own Beth Lunkenheimer recently, Justin Lofton had the hunger pangs and waxed about his favorite jaunts for when the rumbles and grumbles arise.
Have a nominee for Line of the Week? Email Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com and you may see yourself in this space next week!
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
MPM2Nite: The Curious Case of Jeff Gordon And The Chase
by Matt McLaughlin
Going Green: Three Surprises That We Should Have Expected
by Garrett Horton
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
MPM2Nite: The Curious Case of Jeff Gordon And The Chase
by Matt McLaughlin
Going Green: Three Surprises That We Should Have Expected
by Garrett Horton
by Brett Poirier
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Get THE ANNUAL, 2011 Racing Preview for your mobile device.
Go to Frontstretch.com and click on "The Annual" link on the right side to order and download this special issue that includes: Track Information, Driver profiles and In-Depth Features.
~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Grand-Am has rather draconian rules on avoidable contact that more or less eliminate casual bumping and banging from regular racing. Those rules were created due to an incident that occurred at Homestead in 2004. What happened?
~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Grand-Am has rather draconian rules on avoidable contact that more or less eliminate casual bumping and banging from regular racing. Those rules were created due to an incident that occurred at Homestead in 2004. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: In 1996, the Busch Grand National weekend at Homestead was marred by a couple of horrific-looking crashes. One involved a rookie driver, Jimmy Foster, who was attempting to make his Busch debut. Who did the other crash involve, and when did it occur?
A: The crash, which involved the No. 45 Hunter's Specialties Chevrolet driven by Mike Laughlin, Jr., occurred on the first lap of the LCQ (Last Chance Qualifier), which set the final ten spots in the race. Laughlin spun exiting Turn 4 and backed hard into the outside wall. The car then burst into a massive fireball which engulfed the car almost immediately. Laughlin was able to get out of the car, but not before suffering some burns. The car was a total loss. A clip of the crash can be seen here. Ken Squier and Larry McReynolds have the call for TBS.
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 tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News & Frontstretch Folio: Phoenix by Summer Dreyer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- In Case You Missed It by Brett Poirier
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Homestead by Brody Jones
We'll have a preview of the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by TBA
-- In Case You Missed It by Brett Poirier
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Homestead by Brody Jones
We'll have a preview of the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by TBA
Amy's back with another interesting commentary.
Nuts For Nationwide by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with an intriguing commentary ahead of Saturday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Frontstretch Driver Diary: Casey Mears as told to Casey Mears
Casey takes the helm for one final time this season in our monthly driver diaries. Learn what the No. 13 GEICO Toyota driver has been doing on and off the track!
Voices From The Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Jeff has one last, humorous sarcastic commentary for the season before packing his bags and heading off with the 2011 season complete.
Frontstretch Driver Diary: Casey Mears as told to Casey Mears
Casey takes the helm for one final time this season in our monthly driver diaries. Learn what the No. 13 GEICO Toyota driver has been doing on and off the track!
Voices From The Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Jeff has one last, humorous sarcastic commentary for the season before packing his bags and heading off with the 2011 season complete.
-----------------------------
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©2011 Frontstretch.com
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©2011 Frontstretch.com
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