THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 9th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXXXIX
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 9th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXXXIX
~~~~~~~~~~
What To Watch: Wednesday
- A slow news day expected; however, still awaiting word from either Joe Gibbs Racing or M&M's concerning Kyle Busch's status for the weekend (or further consequences, if any). That could come at any time.
Top News
by Tom Bowles
Texas TV Ratings Hold Steady
After weeks of continual Chase improvement, NASCAR's playoff TV ratings have leveled off. Sunday's Sprint Cup Texas event, pulling a 3.4 in the Nielsens came in flat with its year-to-year comparison from 2010. It's just the third of this season's eight postseason races not to post an increase of any kind.
On the viewership side, the audience decreased slightly, from 4.846 to 4.726 million. At-track attendance also slipped a bit, from 156,000 to 151,000 as the Dallas Cowboys posted a sellout across town. Those numbers set new lows for Texas' Fall event since its addition to the Cup schedule in 2005.
Hornaday Hired By Turner Motorsports … For NNS
Turner Motorsports added a new veteran to their Nationwide Series roster on Tuesday. Ron Hornaday, fresh off the heels of his Kyle Busch scrape has been hired in a one-race deal to drive the Dollar General Chevrolet. The team, which fired title contender Reed Sorenson last month, had been using Brian Vickers as a fill-in to evaluate the strength of their equipment.
For the 53-year-old Hornaday, fresh off his Truck Series title elimination the race will be his first in the Nationwide Series since Lucas Oil Raceway in the summer of 2010. Still looking for a full-time ride in 2012, the driver hopes a good showing Saturday will help convince prospective team owners he's still got it.
"I'm really excited to get behind the wheel of the Dollar General Chevy this weekend," he said. "I want to thank Mr. Turner for the opportunity, as well as (Truck owners) Kevin and DeLana (Harvick) for allowing me to compete. This will be the first time for me in one of these new cars and it should be fun to give it a go."
In 183 career Nationwide starts, Hornaday has four wins and 70 top-10 finishes.
Former NASCAR Owner Passes On
One of the sport's "old school," part-time independents has died. Don Bierschwale, 78, the former owner of B-B Racing passed away Sunday. A full-time funeral director, the Texan ran his Cup Series operation on the side; from 1971 to 1996, the team made 81 starts and employed such drivers as Dick Brooks, Johnny Rutherford, and A.J. Foyt. Bierschwale's son, Eddie, also drove for the team from 1983-92, scoring a lone top-10 finish with a 10th in the 1989 Daytona 500.
Overall, in 81 career starts the team posted a best finish of fourth, in 1973 running at Talladega with Clarence Lovell. Bierschwale leaves behind his wife of 54 years, Jeannette, three children and five grandchildren; to leave condolences for the family, please visit www.southsidefh.com.
What To Watch: Wednesday
- A slow news day expected; however, still awaiting word from either Joe Gibbs Racing or M&M's concerning Kyle Busch's status for the weekend (or further consequences, if any). That could come at any time.
Top News
by Tom Bowles
Texas TV Ratings Hold Steady
After weeks of continual Chase improvement, NASCAR's playoff TV ratings have leveled off. Sunday's Sprint Cup Texas event, pulling a 3.4 in the Nielsens came in flat with its year-to-year comparison from 2010. It's just the third of this season's eight postseason races not to post an increase of any kind.
On the viewership side, the audience decreased slightly, from 4.846 to 4.726 million. At-track attendance also slipped a bit, from 156,000 to 151,000 as the Dallas Cowboys posted a sellout across town. Those numbers set new lows for Texas' Fall event since its addition to the Cup schedule in 2005.
Hornaday Hired By Turner Motorsports … For NNS
Turner Motorsports added a new veteran to their Nationwide Series roster on Tuesday. Ron Hornaday, fresh off the heels of his Kyle Busch scrape has been hired in a one-race deal to drive the Dollar General Chevrolet. The team, which fired title contender Reed Sorenson last month, had been using Brian Vickers as a fill-in to evaluate the strength of their equipment.
For the 53-year-old Hornaday, fresh off his Truck Series title elimination the race will be his first in the Nationwide Series since Lucas Oil Raceway in the summer of 2010. Still looking for a full-time ride in 2012, the driver hopes a good showing Saturday will help convince prospective team owners he's still got it.
"I'm really excited to get behind the wheel of the Dollar General Chevy this weekend," he said. "I want to thank Mr. Turner for the opportunity, as well as (Truck owners) Kevin and DeLana (Harvick) for allowing me to compete. This will be the first time for me in one of these new cars and it should be fun to give it a go."
In 183 career Nationwide starts, Hornaday has four wins and 70 top-10 finishes.
Former NASCAR Owner Passes On
One of the sport's "old school," part-time independents has died. Don Bierschwale, 78, the former owner of B-B Racing passed away Sunday. A full-time funeral director, the Texan ran his Cup Series operation on the side; from 1971 to 1996, the team made 81 starts and employed such drivers as Dick Brooks, Johnny Rutherford, and A.J. Foyt. Bierschwale's son, Eddie, also drove for the team from 1983-92, scoring a lone top-10 finish with a 10th in the 1989 Daytona 500.
Overall, in 81 career starts the team posted a best finish of fourth, in 1973 running at Talladega with Clarence Lovell. Bierschwale leaves behind his wife of 54 years, Jeannette, three children and five grandchildren; to leave condolences for the family, please visit www.southsidefh.com.
Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Double Standards are Hard to Swallow
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
The Kyle Busch shenanigans from Texas have been beaten to death over the last few days, but there is one angle that has not been explored. NASCAR not only polices their national touring series, they also watch over weekly racing that takes place throughout the country. Some five years ago, a very similar incident to Busch's occurred at Motor Mile Speedway during the run to the national championship. The result was a driver whose career was basically ended thanks to the penalty levied by NASCAR. Another incident took place just a few weeks ago, and the results of those penalties are yet to be realized... but they're already looking to be worse than those imposed for Busch. Unfortunately for local racers, it appears that there is a double standard when it comes to discipline at the local level vs. the national level.
In September 2006, the national championship race for the Whelen All-American series was coming down to the wire and Philip Morris was poised to take his first of what is now four titles. During his run to the championship, he'd rubbed some fenders the wrong way and there were some drivers who did not want to see him in the top spot. One of the more vocal opponents was Jason Lawrence, who was one of the people wronged, at least in his mind, by Morris during the year. At first, when the last race got underway, the first 21 laps were uneventful; Morris ran fourth with Lawrence clocking in one spot behind. But as the field passed under the flagstand on lap 22, Lawrence moved up to the back of Morris's car and turned him into the outside wall in an attempt to end his national title hopes. It didn't work, as Morris was able to get back into the race and finish fourth, but the intent of the incident was clear. For Lawrence, it was a career-crippling maneuver -- he was escorted out of the racetrack and subsequently suspended from NASCAR and Motor Mile Speedway for the well known "Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing".
Lawrence spent the next two and a half years racing on dirt after being told that he should wait awhile before trying to get back into NASCAR. He asked Lynn Carroll, the man who makes the calls for NASCAR in the Whelen All-American series, after his appeal what was next. Carroll told him that he should wait awhile before he tried to get reinstated. Finally, in 2010 he was granted a NASCAR license again but unfortunately has not been able to secure a ride in a Late Model. He helps a friend with a street stock but, what was once a very promising racing career was ended because of one bad decision in the heat of the moment.
The irony to this whole event is that the maneuver was very much out of character for Lawrence. He was a very religious, family man who actually led the prayer group for the drivers and crew members before the race that fateful night. During the prayer, he actually asked the Lord "help us to use clear judgment on the track tonight" and concluded the prayer with the prophetic words, "help us keep our tempers in check." Lawrence was not a drinker, he didn't swear, and he didn't curse. He was regarded by most everyone who met him as one of the nicest young men they'd ever known.
Fast forward to October 22nd at South Boston Speedway. Lee Pulliam had just come off of winning the biggest Late Model race of the year at Martinsville Speedway, where he used a last-lap bump and run to beat Matt McCall to the checkered flag. In the excitement after the win, the rumblings around the garage were, "Glad he finally grew a set; now, he just has to stand up to Philip."
As the race is unfolding at SoBo, Pulliam is leading with some 70 laps to go with Morris on his tail. Morris dives under Pulliam as they head into turn three and Pulliam pulls down on him, causing contact between the two and a spin by Pulliam. Morris is not black-flagged, and that sets the events in motion which have changed Pulliam's racing career just like Lawrence's. Pulliam starts at the back of the pack and charges toward the front, eventually getting to fourth place when a late-race caution flies thanks to a car spinning off the front bumper of Pulliam's car. Pulliam is not black-flagged and restarted behind the second-place running car, not Morris so a bump-and-run is out of the question. Try as he might, Pulliam cannot get higher than third in the standings as the race runs to the finish.
As the cars circle the track after the checkered flag has flown, Pulliam catches up to Morris on the back straight and hits his car in the rear, spinning it around and spinning himself in the process. Both cars come to rest against the inside back straight wall facing each other. At this point, had Pulliam let things lie, he probably would have had a reprimand and possibly a fine; unfortunately, he made the decision to take it one step further. He grabbed a gear and hit the gas, plowing head on into Morris's car, causing serious damage to the front ends of both machines. Fortunately, Morris was not injured but the action resulted in a melee on pit lane with crew members pushing and shoving, a former national champion being arrested, and the post-race fan opportunity in the pits being canceled.
Similar to Lawrence, Pulliam was suspended from NASCAR indefinitely and fined $1,000. The suspension is under appeal and a hearing will occur in the near future. Interestingly, this action was quite similar to Lawrence's in that it was very much out of character for Pulliam. Just like Lawrence, Pulliam is a God-fearing Christian who routinely professes his faith openly. While not married, he is a dedicated family man with loving parents who are very involved in his career. But in a one-time loss of focus, he let emotions get the best of him at the heat of the moment and it is going to have a profound effect on his career.
In both cases, the drivers let themselves get sucked into something that they would not normally do by listening to the people around them. Both Lawrence and Pulliam had people in their ear telling them that they'd been wronged, ironically by the same person. Both were being continually reminded that they needed to stand up to the bully or live their life in fear of him. Both drivers had large, vocal fan bases who were constantly encouraging them to retaliate and make Morris pay for his driving style. In the end, it all but ended a promising career for Lawrence and very well may do the same thing to Pulliam's.
We now look at the events of Friday night. Whether Busch had people in his ear telling him that he needed to do something to a KHI truck or if it was just the voices in his head, Busch lost all sense of reason after being bumped into the wall by Hornaday on the 14th lap of the race and proceeded to pile drive him into the outside wall of the racetrack. That action, at 150 miles an hour could have injured Hornaday, Busch, and it destroyed two expensive race trucks. The incident took place under caution, albeit just under caution before any safety vehicles had hit the track yet because the cars were still traveling at high speed.
Like Lawrence, who made his contact under green-flag conditions, Busch was parked for the night, although he was not escorted from the premises. The next day, Busch was penalized and the following week he was fined, but that is where there is a dramatic dichotomy. Lawrence and Pulliam were suspended indefinitely while Busch was given a $50,000 fine and put on probation through the end of the year, which is essentially two weeks. For whatever reason, the drivers who run on a weekly basis and put their hearts and souls and most of their disposable income into racing have their careers severely impacted by NASCAR's taskmaster, while the drivers who show up with their helmet bag and make millions of dollars get a proverbial slap on the wrist.
All three of these men made a very bad decision in the heat of a moment that most of us have never been in. The repercussions of those actions have had and will have very long-lasting effects for each of them for many years to come. Unfortunately, for the two local drivers the impact on their lives, at least from the NASCAR rules enforcement side of things, is dramatically greater than that of the drivers running at the highest levels. Shame on NASCAR for creating an uneven playing field for rules enforcement at different levels of their sport.
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tweet 'N' Greet
by Jay Pennell
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Jay Pennell will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Double Standards are Hard to Swallow
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
The Kyle Busch shenanigans from Texas have been beaten to death over the last few days, but there is one angle that has not been explored. NASCAR not only polices their national touring series, they also watch over weekly racing that takes place throughout the country. Some five years ago, a very similar incident to Busch's occurred at Motor Mile Speedway during the run to the national championship. The result was a driver whose career was basically ended thanks to the penalty levied by NASCAR. Another incident took place just a few weeks ago, and the results of those penalties are yet to be realized... but they're already looking to be worse than those imposed for Busch. Unfortunately for local racers, it appears that there is a double standard when it comes to discipline at the local level vs. the national level.
In September 2006, the national championship race for the Whelen All-American series was coming down to the wire and Philip Morris was poised to take his first of what is now four titles. During his run to the championship, he'd rubbed some fenders the wrong way and there were some drivers who did not want to see him in the top spot. One of the more vocal opponents was Jason Lawrence, who was one of the people wronged, at least in his mind, by Morris during the year. At first, when the last race got underway, the first 21 laps were uneventful; Morris ran fourth with Lawrence clocking in one spot behind. But as the field passed under the flagstand on lap 22, Lawrence moved up to the back of Morris's car and turned him into the outside wall in an attempt to end his national title hopes. It didn't work, as Morris was able to get back into the race and finish fourth, but the intent of the incident was clear. For Lawrence, it was a career-crippling maneuver -- he was escorted out of the racetrack and subsequently suspended from NASCAR and Motor Mile Speedway for the well known "Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing".
Lawrence spent the next two and a half years racing on dirt after being told that he should wait awhile before trying to get back into NASCAR. He asked Lynn Carroll, the man who makes the calls for NASCAR in the Whelen All-American series, after his appeal what was next. Carroll told him that he should wait awhile before he tried to get reinstated. Finally, in 2010 he was granted a NASCAR license again but unfortunately has not been able to secure a ride in a Late Model. He helps a friend with a street stock but, what was once a very promising racing career was ended because of one bad decision in the heat of the moment.
The irony to this whole event is that the maneuver was very much out of character for Lawrence. He was a very religious, family man who actually led the prayer group for the drivers and crew members before the race that fateful night. During the prayer, he actually asked the Lord "help us to use clear judgment on the track tonight" and concluded the prayer with the prophetic words, "help us keep our tempers in check." Lawrence was not a drinker, he didn't swear, and he didn't curse. He was regarded by most everyone who met him as one of the nicest young men they'd ever known.
Fast forward to October 22nd at South Boston Speedway. Lee Pulliam had just come off of winning the biggest Late Model race of the year at Martinsville Speedway, where he used a last-lap bump and run to beat Matt McCall to the checkered flag. In the excitement after the win, the rumblings around the garage were, "Glad he finally grew a set; now, he just has to stand up to Philip."
As the race is unfolding at SoBo, Pulliam is leading with some 70 laps to go with Morris on his tail. Morris dives under Pulliam as they head into turn three and Pulliam pulls down on him, causing contact between the two and a spin by Pulliam. Morris is not black-flagged, and that sets the events in motion which have changed Pulliam's racing career just like Lawrence's. Pulliam starts at the back of the pack and charges toward the front, eventually getting to fourth place when a late-race caution flies thanks to a car spinning off the front bumper of Pulliam's car. Pulliam is not black-flagged and restarted behind the second-place running car, not Morris so a bump-and-run is out of the question. Try as he might, Pulliam cannot get higher than third in the standings as the race runs to the finish.
As the cars circle the track after the checkered flag has flown, Pulliam catches up to Morris on the back straight and hits his car in the rear, spinning it around and spinning himself in the process. Both cars come to rest against the inside back straight wall facing each other. At this point, had Pulliam let things lie, he probably would have had a reprimand and possibly a fine; unfortunately, he made the decision to take it one step further. He grabbed a gear and hit the gas, plowing head on into Morris's car, causing serious damage to the front ends of both machines. Fortunately, Morris was not injured but the action resulted in a melee on pit lane with crew members pushing and shoving, a former national champion being arrested, and the post-race fan opportunity in the pits being canceled.
Similar to Lawrence, Pulliam was suspended from NASCAR indefinitely and fined $1,000. The suspension is under appeal and a hearing will occur in the near future. Interestingly, this action was quite similar to Lawrence's in that it was very much out of character for Pulliam. Just like Lawrence, Pulliam is a God-fearing Christian who routinely professes his faith openly. While not married, he is a dedicated family man with loving parents who are very involved in his career. But in a one-time loss of focus, he let emotions get the best of him at the heat of the moment and it is going to have a profound effect on his career.
In both cases, the drivers let themselves get sucked into something that they would not normally do by listening to the people around them. Both Lawrence and Pulliam had people in their ear telling them that they'd been wronged, ironically by the same person. Both were being continually reminded that they needed to stand up to the bully or live their life in fear of him. Both drivers had large, vocal fan bases who were constantly encouraging them to retaliate and make Morris pay for his driving style. In the end, it all but ended a promising career for Lawrence and very well may do the same thing to Pulliam's.
We now look at the events of Friday night. Whether Busch had people in his ear telling him that he needed to do something to a KHI truck or if it was just the voices in his head, Busch lost all sense of reason after being bumped into the wall by Hornaday on the 14th lap of the race and proceeded to pile drive him into the outside wall of the racetrack. That action, at 150 miles an hour could have injured Hornaday, Busch, and it destroyed two expensive race trucks. The incident took place under caution, albeit just under caution before any safety vehicles had hit the track yet because the cars were still traveling at high speed.
Like Lawrence, who made his contact under green-flag conditions, Busch was parked for the night, although he was not escorted from the premises. The next day, Busch was penalized and the following week he was fined, but that is where there is a dramatic dichotomy. Lawrence and Pulliam were suspended indefinitely while Busch was given a $50,000 fine and put on probation through the end of the year, which is essentially two weeks. For whatever reason, the drivers who run on a weekly basis and put their hearts and souls and most of their disposable income into racing have their careers severely impacted by NASCAR's taskmaster, while the drivers who show up with their helmet bag and make millions of dollars get a proverbial slap on the wrist.
All three of these men made a very bad decision in the heat of a moment that most of us have never been in. The repercussions of those actions have had and will have very long-lasting effects for each of them for many years to come. Unfortunately, for the two local drivers the impact on their lives, at least from the NASCAR rules enforcement side of things, is dramatically greater than that of the drivers running at the highest levels. Shame on NASCAR for creating an uneven playing field for rules enforcement at different levels of their sport.
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
Hey Frontstretch Readers,
We are looking for someone who shares our enthusiasm for NASCAR and has an experienced background in web design. Specifically, we are looking for someone who can help maintain and enhance our website, increase our SEO, and upgrade our publishing platform while producing a limited amount of content throughout the season. This job presents a perfect opportunity for someone with a technical background, a person who wants their work to gain national exposure.
If you are interested, contact frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com. Please include references to your past work in your e-mail.
Frontstretch will also be looking to add 3-5 writers for the 2012 season. Details to come in the next few weeks.
Frontstretch will also be looking to add 3-5 writers for the 2012 season. Details to come in the next few weeks.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tweet 'N' Greet
by Jay Pennell
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Jay Pennell will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...
@keselowski: NASCAR made a good call with the new Ethanol fuel. Probably one of the most underreported stories of the year. #lessEmissions #nofailures
@keselowski: One of the biggest reasons for ethanol being a success was that it cost the teams very little money and was a true gain for the environment.
@keselowski: EFI is NASCAR's next attempt at furthering the green process. Except it is a much more complicated switchover that will [cost] a lot of $
@keselowski: As u can tell I'm not a fan of it. It costs the teams $, does very little 4 the environment, etc.
@mw55 (Michael Waltrip): @keselowski but it makes our cars more relevant to the fans. Which is important. I applaud NASCAR for EFI.
@keselowski: 35-year-old technology? @mw55 "It makes our cars more relevant to the fans. Which is important. I applaud NASCAR for EFI."
@mw55: As opposed to... RT @keselowski: 35-year-old technology? @mw55 "It makes our cars more relevant to the fans. I applaud NASCAR for EFI."
@keselowski: @mw55 I mean yes, I suppose 35-year-old tech vs 55-year-old is relevant, but at what costs?
@keselowski: Just catching up on the Penn State scandal. My jaw is still on the floor. #Whoa #ThatsReallyBad
@31n2Spotter (Brett Griffin): This Penn State thing is AWFUL! I know other crimes can be more brutal but nothing is sicker than sexually abusing children! #deathpenalty
@Rocky_Ryan (RFR Spotter): 40% chance of rain in PHOENIX on Saturday and Sunday??? Really? Really? #smh
@BrianKez29 (Brian Keselowski): Just heard that we will be going to Homestead for the Cup race with our #92. Very excited to get back to the track again.
@MikeCalinoff: For those asking, I like Kyle Busch and I think he's an amazing talent. I hope that the sanctions imposed will serve as a wake-up call.
@AndyLally: I'm actually afraid to weigh in on my KyBu thoughts. #IDontShareInThePopularOpinion
@AndyLally: A lot of the same people that buy M&Ms, buy Red Bull. You didn't hear a peep from that company about possibly asking their driver [to] be pulled.
@AndyLally: They are both in racing for the same reason #$$$ RT@beachdreaming98 Red Bull has a different company image then M&Ms. M&Ms a family company
@AndyLally: OK OK OK... so Red Bull wasn't the best example since they own the team... but none of Carl's 59 sponsors pulled out either after Atlanta.
@AndyLally: Still not getting real deep into the Kyle/Ron incident except that I see and understand why Kyle did what he did. #PayItBackHarder
@AndyLally: ...and by the way, just being completely objective. I like and respect both drivers.
@JennaFryer: Parking dropped Kyle from 7th to 11th in points. Difference between 7th and 11th in last year's monetary awards: $393,382
@NASCARBowles (Tom Bowles): Stat of night: the last time @JoeGibbsRacing did not put a driver inside the top 10 in points was 1997. Streak could end this year. #NASCAR
@keselowski: My bad with the 11 accident. Feel bad for ruining his day... We lost the handle midway thru the race & I overdrove trying to make up for it
@dennyhamlin: @keselowski all good in the hood... I was running like crap anyway
@keselowski: Thanks bro, I Still feel bad about it... @dennyhamlin "all good in the hood.. I was running like crap anyway"
@JennaFryer: Who saw this coming 2 years ago? RT @dennyhamlin: @keselowski all good in the hood.. i was running like crap anyway
@Rchildress3 (Richard Childress): 31 leading ran out of gas, 2 tires didn't work on 29, 33 + 27 ran good. Got 2 have more speed !! All cars OK not good enough ! Disappointed
@JimmieJohnson: Not the day we needed at track... I am really proud of Smoke and that team.
@Mc_Driver (Michael McDowell): Sorry McFans not what we all hoped for. Still thankful for the @JoeGibbsRacing opportunity!
@kaseykahne: So close again! @RedBullNASCAR is on it. Thanks everyone.
@MartinTruexJr56: Good hard fought p8, great job @MWRteam @napaknowhow guys. 3 top 10s in a row. making progress. Can't wait for PIR had a great test there!
@jjyeley1: Tony did what he needed [to] today! The Roush cars are always very tough when they come to Texas!!
@J_Allgaier (Justin Allgaier): So awesome to see Tony and Carl race for the win like that. 4 wins in the Chase should just give you an automatic win for the championship.
@KevinHarvick: Gambled with 2 tires and it didn't work out... we all didn't think it would be that bad.
@JLogano (Joey Logano): Another tough day here. Off to Vegas now for a tire test; hopefully, we can find something that works for the last 2 races.
@BrianLVickers: Despite what I heard, TV said I did not hit the 36. I hate that he spun but I never got closer than a couple feet.
@NASCARBowles: Real nice to see title contenders 1-2 (Stewart, then Edwards) trying to settle things the way they should be. #NASCAR
@NASCARBowles: Stewart's 4 wins have tied the record for wins in the Chase (Jimmie Johnson, twice). And there's still two to go. #NASCAR
@NASCARBowles: Compare that to Edwards, winless in Chase trying to capture title. Last champion to go winless in Chase? How about Stewart, 2005. #NASCAR
@jaywpennell: Matt Kenseth has to be wondering about what his Chase situation would be if he hadn't been involved in that battle with Vickers. #NASCAR
@jaywpennell: Not sure what it says about sport, but at a restaurant & was like pulling teeth to get #NASCAR race turned on. Once on, shuffled to other TVs.
@RobbyBenton: ...helped get our Texas primary car back home. 1100 miles. Reminds me how hard our transporter drivers work & how much I appreciate mine!
@Elliott_Sadler: My life just changed forever..... Austyn Rose Sadler born at 11:42 am!!!! Holla
Jay Pennell is an Assistant Editor to Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at jaywpennell@yahoo.com, and you can also check out his work at SB Nation, allleftturns.com or jaywpennell.blogspot.com
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Hey, Frontstretch Readers!
We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look at how NASCAR, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Did You Notice? ... Cookie-Cutter Cautionary Measures, Wasted Crew Chief Shuffles And A Junior Surprise
by Tom Bowles
Mirror Driving: Chase Games, Brainless Kyle and Sponsorship Loyalty
by Summer Dreyer
Beyond the Cockpit: Andy Lally on Transitions, Street Luge, and...Mayhem
as told to Amy Henderson
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Texas-2
compiled by Mike Neff
Top Ten Alternative Punishments For Kyle Busch
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Frontstretch Foto Funnies! Texas, November 2011
by Kurt Smith
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Beyond the Cockpit: Andy Lally on Transitions, Street Luge, and...Mayhem
as told to Amy Henderson
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Texas-2
compiled by Mike Neff
Top Ten Alternative Punishments For Kyle Busch
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Frontstretch Foto Funnies! Texas, November 2011
by Kurt Smith
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 2002 Grand-Am United Auto 200 at Phoenix International Raceway's infield road course was the scene of a "last" in the Rolex Sports Car Series. What was it?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: The 1988 Checker 500k marked the Cup Series' first visit to Phoenix International Raceway. For the most part, the race was clean and the incidents few and far between. However, there was a big crash just after halfway. What happened?
A: Rick Wilson says it best. "Greg Sacks totally lost what he was thinking about. We came off of [Turn] 4, I was up underneath him and he just turned into me and spun me around. Caused one heck of a wreck." Wilson, Sacks, Bill Schmitt, Johnny Rutherford, Michael Waltrip and Mark Martin were caught up in the wreck. Rutherford's Slender You Figure Salons-sponsored No. 31 Oldsmobile caught on fire briefly, but everyone was OK, and Schmitt, Martin, Rutherford and Sacks were eliminated on the spot. Wilson and Waltrip finished after repairs behind the wall. The crash can be seen at the 5:20 mark of this clip.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Shakedown Session by Brody Jones
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
MPM2Nite by Matt McLaughlin
Matt McLaughlin is back again this season with his usual sarcastic sense of humor ... and incomparable insight. This week, Matt tackles the Kyle Busch incident, what it means for the sport going forward and for the drivers involved.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Shakedown Session by Brody Jones
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
MPM2Nite by Matt McLaughlin
Matt McLaughlin is back again this season with his usual sarcastic sense of humor ... and incomparable insight. This week, Matt tackles the Kyle Busch incident, what it means for the sport going forward and for the drivers involved.
Going Green by Garrett Horton
Garrett's column has moved to Thursdays now, but it's still the same great commentary it has always been! This Thursday, the focus is on the personalities within Joe Gibbs Racing; how did this company go from a wholesome, G-Rated group of people to employing "bad boys" like Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch?
Potts' Shots by John Potts
Fanning the Flames has become Potts' Shots, and John Potts is here to answer your questions in our weekly Fan Q & A. Do you have something you'd like to ask John? Don't sit on the sidelines! Send it to john.potts@frontstretch.com, and you just may see your question in print next week!
Fantasy Insider by Brett Poirier
Did your fantasy racing team take a hit at Texas? Well, Brett has just what you need to know to turn things around when choosing your teams for the Kobalt Tools 500 from Phoenix International Raceway.
Professor Of Speed by Mark Howell
Our professor of racing history "has at it" with another column pertinent to the sport at large. This week, Mark takes a look at the fine line drivers walk between aggression and recklessness each week.
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©2011 Frontstretch.com
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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©2011 Frontstretch.com
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