THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 16th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCLXIV
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 16th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCLXIV
~~~~~~~~~~
SPECIAL NEWSLETTER... We're looking for your feedback! S.D.'s article was so popular yesterday 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!
What To Watch: Wednesday
- Nothing major is scheduled as everyone involved in NASCAR begins making their way down to Miami for Championship Weekend – including title contenders Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart. One thing to keep an eye out for, though, is the 2012 Truck Series schedule that has yet to be officially released. Silly Season news with the few remaining driver openings could also pop up at any time.
Top News
by Tom Bowles
Earnhardt, Jr., Others Lead Test To Eliminate Two-Car Tandems At Daytona
For the better part of two years, "speed dating" in groups of two has dominated restrictor plate races at Daytona and Talladega.
On Tuesday, for the NASCAR powers that be the goals for that style of racing officially changed; a day of testing was designed to steer those marriages towards permanent divorce. Running with a handful of drivers, including Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the sanctioning body tried a number of different aerodynamic packages in order to make two-car drafting all but impossible for an extended period of time.
Not every experimental change was made clear, although each car's spoiler size was reduced throughout the day. An initial size of 4 ½ inches tall, 63 inches wide (the same one used in July's Coke Zero 400) was downsized to 3 inches tall, 62 inches wide by the end of the session.
"One of our goals is to give the teams more options when it comes to how they draft and we believe we're headed in the right direction on that," said Sprint Cup Director John Darby when questioned about the results. "We want to be able to reduce the difference in the speeds between the tandem style of racing and more of the pack style of racing and we made a lot of good progress on that here today."
However, post-testing conversations with a number of drivers revealed that while progress was made, two-car tandems remained the number one option by day's end. Speeds were also higher than normal, beyond the mythical 200 MPH barrier with cars reaching 206-208 miles an hour down the straightaway.
"I did not anticipate finding a magical solution here today," said Earnhardt, who still called the experiment a "positive step." "This is just part of the work that needs to get done. There are a lot of creative minds out here. We're learning what we need to know."
"I think we're all in agreement that we probably won't totally rid ourselves of the tandem racing, but I'm confident we can get to the point where it will not be the norm."
The seven-driver roster, which included Earnhardt, Joey Logano, Martin Truex, Jr., Aric Almirola (running for Hendrick), Joe Nemechek, David Ragan and Marcos Ambrose also tested the new Electronic Fuel Injection package for 2012. That continued to get high marks across the board, with most drivers explaining there was little to no difference in how the car felt at full speed.
Darian Grubb Noncommittal As Stewart's Crew Chief For 2012
Could this year's possible Sprint Cup champion crew chief be working elsewhere next season? Darian Grubb, on a NASCAR teleconference for Championship Week hesitated when asked if he'd be paired with owner/driver Tony Stewart at the No. 14 car next season. The team, without a full-time Competition Director since Bobby Hutchens was let go in June is rumored to be courting Greg Zipadelli, among others for the role in a shakeup that could affect Grubb's role within the team.
"We'll leave that to after Sunday and figure out what's going to happen there," said the head wrench when asked about his future. "Our goal is to win the championship and we'll decide everything else after that."
The Stewart/Grubb duo has caught fire recently, winning four of nine races in NASCAR's playoffs to climb to within three points of championship leader Carl Edwards. Breaking up such a red-hot pairing with a pink slip for the crew chief would be a mild surprise. However, Grubb maintains that despite whatever happens the personal relationship between the two remains strong.
"We've gotten to be pretty good friends on and off the racetrack," he said. "We've spent a lot of time together. We know each other a little better than we should at times. We eat, sleep, and live together pretty much half the time at the racetrack."
"It's a tough dynamic, kind of a love-hate brother relationship at times."
TV Ratings Up For Phoenix
So far, so good in the Nielsens nine races into NASCAR's Chase. Ratings for Phoenix, posted Tuesday, showed a 13 percent increase year to year, jumping up from a 2.9 to a 3.3 with viewership estimated at 4,766,000. Continuing a recent trend, it's the sixth of nine playoff events to show an increase this season. The audience boost even extended all the way down to the track itself; at-track attendance, listed at 85,000 was a sellout.
The Nationwide Series also showed a slight improvement, bumping up to a 1.3 Nielsen rating after securing a 1.2 last season.
News Bites
- In the Grand-Am Series, Chevrolet unveiled a new Corvette prototype that'll debut during the running of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. The sleek-looking car, which will be run by four teams next season, is the first of its kind built from scratch by a manufacturer. The design, championed by sports car enthusiasts will help headline the 50th edition of the race this February down in Florida.
- Danica Patrick's crew chief is a little lighter in the wallet. Tony Eury, Jr. was fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until March 28th for an improperly attached weight found on the car at Phoenix. Patrick, who finished 21st in the event was not penalized for the "three-pronged" infraction; Eury was found in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20A-2.3A (improperly attached weight) of the series rulebook.
- Several reports broke late Tuesday that Joe Denette Motorsports, run by the Virginia lottery winner of the same name has signed Ron Hornaday, Jr. to drive his truck in 2012. There's no word at press time if Hornaday will jump into the No. 23, currently run by Jason White or man a second truck on a part-time basis. An announcement on the team's future plans has been scheduled for Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
SPECIAL NEWSLETTER... We're looking for your feedback! S.D.'s article was so popular yesterday 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!
What To Watch: Wednesday
- Nothing major is scheduled as everyone involved in NASCAR begins making their way down to Miami for Championship Weekend – including title contenders Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart. One thing to keep an eye out for, though, is the 2012 Truck Series schedule that has yet to be officially released. Silly Season news with the few remaining driver openings could also pop up at any time.
Top News
by Tom Bowles
Earnhardt, Jr., Others Lead Test To Eliminate Two-Car Tandems At Daytona
For the better part of two years, "speed dating" in groups of two has dominated restrictor plate races at Daytona and Talladega.
On Tuesday, for the NASCAR powers that be the goals for that style of racing officially changed; a day of testing was designed to steer those marriages towards permanent divorce. Running with a handful of drivers, including Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the sanctioning body tried a number of different aerodynamic packages in order to make two-car drafting all but impossible for an extended period of time.
Not every experimental change was made clear, although each car's spoiler size was reduced throughout the day. An initial size of 4 ½ inches tall, 63 inches wide (the same one used in July's Coke Zero 400) was downsized to 3 inches tall, 62 inches wide by the end of the session.
"One of our goals is to give the teams more options when it comes to how they draft and we believe we're headed in the right direction on that," said Sprint Cup Director John Darby when questioned about the results. "We want to be able to reduce the difference in the speeds between the tandem style of racing and more of the pack style of racing and we made a lot of good progress on that here today."
However, post-testing conversations with a number of drivers revealed that while progress was made, two-car tandems remained the number one option by day's end. Speeds were also higher than normal, beyond the mythical 200 MPH barrier with cars reaching 206-208 miles an hour down the straightaway.
"I did not anticipate finding a magical solution here today," said Earnhardt, who still called the experiment a "positive step." "This is just part of the work that needs to get done. There are a lot of creative minds out here. We're learning what we need to know."
"I think we're all in agreement that we probably won't totally rid ourselves of the tandem racing, but I'm confident we can get to the point where it will not be the norm."
The seven-driver roster, which included Earnhardt, Joey Logano, Martin Truex, Jr., Aric Almirola (running for Hendrick), Joe Nemechek, David Ragan and Marcos Ambrose also tested the new Electronic Fuel Injection package for 2012. That continued to get high marks across the board, with most drivers explaining there was little to no difference in how the car felt at full speed.
Darian Grubb Noncommittal As Stewart's Crew Chief For 2012
Could this year's possible Sprint Cup champion crew chief be working elsewhere next season? Darian Grubb, on a NASCAR teleconference for Championship Week hesitated when asked if he'd be paired with owner/driver Tony Stewart at the No. 14 car next season. The team, without a full-time Competition Director since Bobby Hutchens was let go in June is rumored to be courting Greg Zipadelli, among others for the role in a shakeup that could affect Grubb's role within the team.
"We'll leave that to after Sunday and figure out what's going to happen there," said the head wrench when asked about his future. "Our goal is to win the championship and we'll decide everything else after that."
The Stewart/Grubb duo has caught fire recently, winning four of nine races in NASCAR's playoffs to climb to within three points of championship leader Carl Edwards. Breaking up such a red-hot pairing with a pink slip for the crew chief would be a mild surprise. However, Grubb maintains that despite whatever happens the personal relationship between the two remains strong.
"We've gotten to be pretty good friends on and off the racetrack," he said. "We've spent a lot of time together. We know each other a little better than we should at times. We eat, sleep, and live together pretty much half the time at the racetrack."
"It's a tough dynamic, kind of a love-hate brother relationship at times."
TV Ratings Up For Phoenix
So far, so good in the Nielsens nine races into NASCAR's Chase. Ratings for Phoenix, posted Tuesday, showed a 13 percent increase year to year, jumping up from a 2.9 to a 3.3 with viewership estimated at 4,766,000. Continuing a recent trend, it's the sixth of nine playoff events to show an increase this season. The audience boost even extended all the way down to the track itself; at-track attendance, listed at 85,000 was a sellout.
The Nationwide Series also showed a slight improvement, bumping up to a 1.3 Nielsen rating after securing a 1.2 last season.
News Bites
- In the Grand-Am Series, Chevrolet unveiled a new Corvette prototype that'll debut during the running of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. The sleek-looking car, which will be run by four teams next season, is the first of its kind built from scratch by a manufacturer. The design, championed by sports car enthusiasts will help headline the 50th edition of the race this February down in Florida.
- Danica Patrick's crew chief is a little lighter in the wallet. Tony Eury, Jr. was fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until March 28th for an improperly attached weight found on the car at Phoenix. Patrick, who finished 21st in the event was not penalized for the "three-pronged" infraction; Eury was found in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20A-2.3A (improperly attached weight) of the series rulebook.
- Several reports broke late Tuesday that Joe Denette Motorsports, run by the Virginia lottery winner of the same name has signed Ron Hornaday, Jr. to drive his truck in 2012. There's no word at press time if Hornaday will jump into the No. 23, currently run by Jason White or man a second truck on a part-time basis. An announcement on the team's future plans has been scheduled for Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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
The "Boys Have At It" Line in the Sand
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
Almost two weeks ago, the NASCAR world was set on its ear by Kyle Busch losing his mind and pile-driving Ron Hornaday into the Turn 3 wall at Texas Motor Speedway. As a result, Busch was parked for the rest of the event. The next day, he was parked for the rest of the weekend and NASCAR President Mike Helton sat in the media center at Texas, proclaiming that there was always a line with "Boys, Have At It" and that NASCAR would know when it was crossed. There was no doubt, according to Helton and several others that Busch's actions crossed that line.
Fast forward a week and Matt Kenseth was having a bad day at Phoenix, his brakes failing and his championship hopes -- already in shambles -- completely flying out the window. As Brian Vickers approached him on the back straight, a wounded Kenseth lifted early to let Vickers have the preferred line into turn 3. But instead of moving around the No. 17 car, Vickers planted his front bumper squarely in the center of Kenseth's back bumper and never lifted until just before Kenseth's car, all four tires locked up and smoking, slammed passenger-side first into the turn 3 wall. Just like before, with Busch there was no doubt from a vast number of experts that a "Boys, Have At It" line had been crossed.
So what was NASCAR's response? They didn't penalize Vickers at all. It would appear, then that the supposed line was written in the sand... right?
Interestingly enough, there has been no outcry from the fans or handwringing by sponsors over Vickers' actions at Phoenix. For some reason, it is being treated as just another one of them racin' payback deals and not the attempted murder of a beloved racing icon like the previous week's incident. There are certainly some differences that deserve to be explored, but there is no question that the actions on the track, while not identical, were very close to the same and were treated entirely differently.
While it hasn't been stated as the biggest difference between the two events, the incident at Phoenix was under a green-flag condition while the contact at Texas was after the caution flag had flown. The trucks at Texas had just seen the yellow, so they were still traveling at speeds over 100 miles per hour, but the caution lights were clearly on. In comparison, Vickers caught Kenseth during green-flag conditions and was the cause for the caution flag coming out. Kind of strange that someone gets penalized while wrecking a car at three-quarters speed, while another doesn't get penalized at all for wrecking someone at full speed, right? But that's what the indication is here. While the powers that be have never said doing things under green makes a difference, there is no doubt that their actions say that is the case.
Remember that when Carl Edwards flipped Brad Keselowski at Atlanta, he was parked but no other fines or suspensions resulted -- that retaliation took place under green. When Edwards wrecked Keselowski at Gateway in the Nationwide Series, it was under green and going for the win, so no serious penalties were issued. Just this year, at Infineon Vickers blatantly wrecked Stewart under green after Stewart had spun Vickers out earlier in the race. In that "eye for an eye" routine, no penalties were issued.
The suits in Daytona also made the statement that Busch's past actions played a role in his being benched for the rest of the weekend at Texas. There is no denying that Busch has been involved in several incidents in his career and at least four of them this season, so it would certainly make sense, if past actions were considered, that his penalty should be severe. However, Vickers has not been without stain on his hands, especially in 2011. Prior to Phoenix, he attempted to wreck Kenseth at Martinsville and failed miserably. That was part of a weekend when he was involved in one third of the 18 caution flags that flew during the day. There was also the previously mentioned tete-a-tete with Stewart, and don't forget that Vickers wrecked Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to claim his victory at Talladega a few years ago. There must be a line somewhere for past actions, too -- we just haven't been told where that is.
Finally, there is the act of retaliation. Vickers felt he had been wronged by Kenseth at Martinsville, which is why he tried to wreck him that day and then finally put him in the fence at Phoenix. Busch, on the other hand, did not seem to have a beef with Hornaday, but rather with his truck owner Kevin Harvick. Ironically, Busch's actions actually handed the Truck Series owners' championship to Harvick, but that's besides the point. NASCAR's decisions in these cases make it seem that if a driver has a beef with another for on-track action, then wrecking them is acceptable.
The discussion about "Boys, Have At It" has revolved around just how far the drivers can push the limits. NASCAR said all along that there would be a line and they'd know it when it was crossed. As the national touring series left Texas, it seemed as though we finally knew what that line was. Pushing a driver, against his will, into the outside wall, at high speed looked like the line. However, two weeks later, after the Vickers / Kenseth incident at Phoenix, confusion reigns over this philosophy all over again. What's right, what's wrong, and where is the consistency? It looks like we're going to have to have some more drivers snap like twigs and go Cole Trickle on their fellow competitors before we can figure out exactly what is and is not acceptable under "Boys, Have At It."
One thing is for sure, though -- the line that was drawn at Texas was obviously drawn in sand.
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
The "Boys Have At It" Line in the Sand
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
Almost two weeks ago, the NASCAR world was set on its ear by Kyle Busch losing his mind and pile-driving Ron Hornaday into the Turn 3 wall at Texas Motor Speedway. As a result, Busch was parked for the rest of the event. The next day, he was parked for the rest of the weekend and NASCAR President Mike Helton sat in the media center at Texas, proclaiming that there was always a line with "Boys, Have At It" and that NASCAR would know when it was crossed. There was no doubt, according to Helton and several others that Busch's actions crossed that line.
Fast forward a week and Matt Kenseth was having a bad day at Phoenix, his brakes failing and his championship hopes -- already in shambles -- completely flying out the window. As Brian Vickers approached him on the back straight, a wounded Kenseth lifted early to let Vickers have the preferred line into turn 3. But instead of moving around the No. 17 car, Vickers planted his front bumper squarely in the center of Kenseth's back bumper and never lifted until just before Kenseth's car, all four tires locked up and smoking, slammed passenger-side first into the turn 3 wall. Just like before, with Busch there was no doubt from a vast number of experts that a "Boys, Have At It" line had been crossed.
So what was NASCAR's response? They didn't penalize Vickers at all. It would appear, then that the supposed line was written in the sand... right?
Interestingly enough, there has been no outcry from the fans or handwringing by sponsors over Vickers' actions at Phoenix. For some reason, it is being treated as just another one of them racin' payback deals and not the attempted murder of a beloved racing icon like the previous week's incident. There are certainly some differences that deserve to be explored, but there is no question that the actions on the track, while not identical, were very close to the same and were treated entirely differently.
While it hasn't been stated as the biggest difference between the two events, the incident at Phoenix was under a green-flag condition while the contact at Texas was after the caution flag had flown. The trucks at Texas had just seen the yellow, so they were still traveling at speeds over 100 miles per hour, but the caution lights were clearly on. In comparison, Vickers caught Kenseth during green-flag conditions and was the cause for the caution flag coming out. Kind of strange that someone gets penalized while wrecking a car at three-quarters speed, while another doesn't get penalized at all for wrecking someone at full speed, right? But that's what the indication is here. While the powers that be have never said doing things under green makes a difference, there is no doubt that their actions say that is the case.
Remember that when Carl Edwards flipped Brad Keselowski at Atlanta, he was parked but no other fines or suspensions resulted -- that retaliation took place under green. When Edwards wrecked Keselowski at Gateway in the Nationwide Series, it was under green and going for the win, so no serious penalties were issued. Just this year, at Infineon Vickers blatantly wrecked Stewart under green after Stewart had spun Vickers out earlier in the race. In that "eye for an eye" routine, no penalties were issued.
The suits in Daytona also made the statement that Busch's past actions played a role in his being benched for the rest of the weekend at Texas. There is no denying that Busch has been involved in several incidents in his career and at least four of them this season, so it would certainly make sense, if past actions were considered, that his penalty should be severe. However, Vickers has not been without stain on his hands, especially in 2011. Prior to Phoenix, he attempted to wreck Kenseth at Martinsville and failed miserably. That was part of a weekend when he was involved in one third of the 18 caution flags that flew during the day. There was also the previously mentioned tete-a-tete with Stewart, and don't forget that Vickers wrecked Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to claim his victory at Talladega a few years ago. There must be a line somewhere for past actions, too -- we just haven't been told where that is.
Finally, there is the act of retaliation. Vickers felt he had been wronged by Kenseth at Martinsville, which is why he tried to wreck him that day and then finally put him in the fence at Phoenix. Busch, on the other hand, did not seem to have a beef with Hornaday, but rather with his truck owner Kevin Harvick. Ironically, Busch's actions actually handed the Truck Series owners' championship to Harvick, but that's besides the point. NASCAR's decisions in these cases make it seem that if a driver has a beef with another for on-track action, then wrecking them is acceptable.
The discussion about "Boys, Have At It" has revolved around just how far the drivers can push the limits. NASCAR said all along that there would be a line and they'd know it when it was crossed. As the national touring series left Texas, it seemed as though we finally knew what that line was. Pushing a driver, against his will, into the outside wall, at high speed looked like the line. However, two weeks later, after the Vickers / Kenseth incident at Phoenix, confusion reigns over this philosophy all over again. What's right, what's wrong, and where is the consistency? It looks like we're going to have to have some more drivers snap like twigs and go Cole Trickle on their fellow competitors before we can figure out exactly what is and is not acceptable under "Boys, Have At It."
One thing is for sure, though -- the line that was drawn at Texas was obviously drawn in sand.
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...
@Kenny_Wallace: Me and "The Old Man of The Mountain" are gonna take one last ride this year! yfrog.com/o0rf8vvj
@NicMoncher (PR for Joey Coulter): Was just asked by a billboard if I had hugged a dolphin today? Crap, can't say I ever have. Better get on that! #hereflipperflipper
@Beth_Frntstrtch (Beth Lunkenheimer): Eury, Jr. on probation until 3-28-12 for improper weight and Kyle Busch gets two week probation for TMS stunts. Something's wrong here! #NASCAR
@Kenny_Wallace: Here is a picture of me and my muscles!.. Look how strong I am!! yfrog.com/kkg47kgj
@keithrodden (Red Bull Racing): Hannah Storm just said on SportsCenter Kasey Kahne gambled and stayed out and didn't pit and won Phoenix. At least they talked about us.
@jaywpennell: Brian Vickers argued he shouldn't be blamed for all the wrecks @ms1947 (sbn.to/sX1VPf) My guess is you can blame him for that one. (on Kenseth)
@nateryan: Matt Kenseth says, "If you're going to penalize someone for the heat of the moment (like KyBu), I don't think this is any different." #nascar
@AndyLally: Here comes the 17! He needs to take care of business! ... Under green that is, so he ummm, doesn't get in trouble? #WTF
@matt_kenseth17: Congrats @kaseykahne way to show everyone what that equipment is capable of!
@jeff_gluck: Pic: Crew chiefs for Kenseth, Vickers exchange harsh words, then talk it out. Fennig had no comment. pic.twitter.com/5k16KFCX
@jeff_gluck: Kenseth's crew chief Jimmy Fennig went to NASCAR's Robin Pemberton and gave him an earful after the race.
@ericmcclure: We are having another sweet little girl! It looked like she was blowing kisses to us :) Her name will be Merrette. My heart is full today.
@austindillon3: Headed to the shop to watch last year's Homestead race #filmstudy
@TravisPastrana: Great weekend in #Mexico now off to Africa to drive for @race4change in the East African Safari Rally. Follow @race4change for Rally updates
@TravisPastrana: Alleviate poverty in Africa Txt RACE to 50555 to make a $5 donation to @race4change. 50th person to RT wins a pair of my @smith_optics
@31n2Spotter (Brett Griffin): Wonder what the #NBA players "plan B" will be?? A shame greed will effect so many normal wage Americans. Media, concessions, retail, etc
@SamHornish: Figured I would break the tweetless streak since I've had so many people send congratulations. Thank you all. All the best everyone!
@BrianKez29 (Brian Keselowski): Man we are busy. Getting ready for Homestead and getting things together to move our shop all at the same time. A lot to do. Whew
@JimmieJohnson: I'm cracking a Zima and watching some Dancing... Not! "@ryoume59: @JimmieJohnson Dancing with the stars or Monday Night Football?"
@MikeCalinoff: Heard that Randy Pemberton, bro of BV's crew chief, said on Sirius that I should have gone to BV spotter and say we had brake issues. #LOL
@MikeCalinoff: That's pretty funny. RT @kstronach24: @MikeCalinoff Did the 83 spotter tell you they were having driver issues?
@MikeCalinoff: Just FYI... BV's spotter, @3widemiddle is a really good spotter. He did nothing wrong. He's a victim like the rest of us.
@3widemiddle (Chris Lambert, Brian Vickers' spotter): Got out of shower to phone "blowing up" w/tweets involving me. @MikeCalinoff & I are all good, that's ALL that matters! Hammer away if u must.
@matt_kenseth17: Thanks everyone for your tweets, I happen to agree with most of you, but regardless I appreciate all the fans and their passion for the sport.
@31n2Spotter: RT @71Jake: if Smoke wins 4 in chase & Edwards wins 0 & wins title does it make NASCAR's "more emphasis on winning " look foolish? ~~ IMO No
@odsteve (Steve O'Donnell): Truly incredible feat @JimmieJohnson 5 in a row - 6 not possible this year but u are a tremendous champion and great ambassador for the sport!
@JimmieJohnson: It's been one hell of a run.
@JimmieJohnson: Thank you everyone for the very cool tweets. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your respect.
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?... What Other NASCAR Stars Have To Fight For At Homestead, A Stylin' Corvette And Quick Hits
by Tom Bowles
Mirror Driving: A Worthy Champ, Villainous Vickers and Series Identities
by Summer Dreyer
Justin Lofton Finds Comfortable Home At Eddie Sharp Racing
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Phoenix-2
compiled by Mike Neff
Top Ten Other Ways For Stewart And Edwards To Decide The Sprint Cup Championship
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Frontstretch Foto Funnies! Phoenix, November 2011
by Kurt Smith
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Justin Lofton Finds Comfortable Home At Eddie Sharp Racing
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Phoenix-2
compiled by Mike Neff
Top Ten Other Ways For Stewart And Edwards To Decide The Sprint Cup Championship
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Frontstretch Foto Funnies! Phoenix, November 2011
by Kurt Smith
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
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?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: The 1999 Pennzoil 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway not only marked the Cup Series' debut on Homestead's then-six degree banks, but also the return of NBC to the series after an absence of 15 years. Who was in the broadcast booth for NBC that day?
A: NBC's inaugural broadcast booth at Homestead featured Allen Bestwick on play-by-play. Bestwick had already been doing play-by-play for NBC's coverage of the American Le Mans Series at the time, so he was a natural to be included. Joining Bestwick were Joe Gibbs and Mike Wallace while Brian Williams served as a host for the coverage. The telecast was... a mess. Neither Gibbs nor Wallace have returned to commentary since.
For 2000, NBC got Benny Parsons to join up with Bestwick for an early preview of 2001 as a result of a convoluted trade between The Walt Disney Company and General Electric. One of the other properties exchanged was the rights to the Final Round of the 2000 U.S. Open from NBC to ESPN (so that it could be aired on ESPN Classic).
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.
For 2000, NBC got Benny Parsons to join up with Bestwick for an early preview of 2001 as a result of a convoluted trade between The Walt Disney Company and General Electric. One of the other properties exchanged was the rights to the Final Round of the 2000 U.S. Open from NBC to ESPN (so that it could be aired on ESPN Classic).
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.
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 week, Garrett takes a look at three of the biggest surprises of the 2011 season and why they shouldn't have surprised anyone.
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 Phoenix? Well, Brett has just what you need to know to turn things around when choosing your teams for the Ford 400 from Homestead.
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 explores the nature of consistency in his final weekly column of 2011.
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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
TODAY'S FEEDBACK: Off of S.D. Grady's article from Monday on who would make the better Sprint Cup champion...
Your article was fun but I so -- disagree with you. Cannot imagine many drivers that would be worse than Tony [as a Sprint Cup champ] for all the stuff [that comes with it]. He is at his best when telling someone off. So, being a big fan of Carl Edwards I will go with Carl on all counts. Will give you credit; you tried to say a few nice things about Carl, but it was clear from the beginning who you would pick. Want to thank all you guys at Frontstretch. I really enjoy your Newsletter. Will miss you during the break 'til NASCAR time again. - Bette Geraud
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Tony Stewart [would make the better champ]. Don't even have to think about it. Now that my driver Jimmie Johnson is out of the running, my vote goes to Smoke. A lot of people are glad to see Jimmie's so-called reign come to an end, but his real fans know he is a real champion even though he won't be hoisting the big trophy this year. - Rosemary Cibak
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
TODAY'S FEEDBACK: Off of S.D. Grady's article from Monday on who would make the better Sprint Cup champion...
Your article was fun but I so -- disagree with you. Cannot imagine many drivers that would be worse than Tony [as a Sprint Cup champ] for all the stuff [that comes with it]. He is at his best when telling someone off. So, being a big fan of Carl Edwards I will go with Carl on all counts. Will give you credit; you tried to say a few nice things about Carl, but it was clear from the beginning who you would pick. Want to thank all you guys at Frontstretch. I really enjoy your Newsletter. Will miss you during the break 'til NASCAR time again. - Bette Geraud
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tony Stewart [would make the better champ]. Don't even have to think about it. Now that my driver Jimmie Johnson is out of the running, my vote goes to Smoke. A lot of people are glad to see Jimmie's so-called reign come to an end, but his real fans know he is a real champion even though he won't be hoisting the big trophy this year. - Rosemary Cibak
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