THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
January 26th, 2012
Volume V, Edition VIII
SPRINT CUP MEDIA TOUR: DAY FOUR. Attention, Frontstretch Readers! With the 2012 season gearing up, the Sprint Cup Media Tour is finally upon us and our website returns with full coverage. The Newsletter resumes its daily distribution, while writers Amy Henderson, Mike Neff, and Jay Pennell provide all the news and information you need directly from Charlotte.
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
January 26th, 2012
Volume V, Edition VIII
SPRINT CUP MEDIA TOUR: DAY FOUR. Attention, Frontstretch Readers! With the 2012 season gearing up, the Sprint Cup Media Tour is finally upon us and our website returns with full coverage. The Newsletter resumes its daily distribution, while writers Amy Henderson, Mike Neff, and Jay Pennell provide all the news and information you need directly from Charlotte.
Check out Frontstretch.com's Breaking News on the website, Amy's Twitter @Writer_Amy, Jay's Twitter @jaywpennell, our Twitter @TheFrontstretch and this Newsletter tomorrow for all the latest!
Top News From Wednesday's Media Tour
by Jay Pennell, Amy Henderson and Mike Neff
Harvicks Expecting
Speculation raged late last season after the surprising merger of Kevin Harvick Inc. with Richard Childress Racing. Many pointed to potential marital problems between owners, not to mention husband and wife, Kevin and DeLana, as the "real" reason for the changes.
Yet, when asked about life after KHI Wednesday on the Media Tour, Harvick set things straight on why the couple decided to give up control of the company they had built from the ground to become a championship-caliber team - and the answer produced a surprise for most everyone in the room.
"For me and my wife, to not have the race team this winter has been pretty different," Harvick said when asked about not having to worry about running a team this offseason. "As we worked through a lot of things, basically what we've got to do is go on vacation, we got to try to learn how to be normal, and DeLana is 14 weeks pregnant."
A shock to most in the crowd, including those within RCR, Harvick's announcement cleared the air on the couple's decision last year to merge their organization with RCR.
"I think this is the last piece," the driver confirmed. "Where everybody can finally put all the pieces together and say, 'Oh, I guess it all adds up, I guess they wanted to move to a different phase of their life and do something different.'"
The baby is due midsummer, roughly a month before the Chase for the championship and, without KHI has changed DeLana's role from business owner to expectant mother. But now that DeLana is carrying their first child, don't expect to see her donning a firesuit anytime soon.
"You might not ever see her in a firesuit again, to be honest with you," Harvick said, beaming with a smile. "You might have seen the last days of that. I guess that's still to be determined, but you won't (see it) any time soon." - Jay Pennell
Sadler And Gaughan To Split RCR's No. 33 In First Five Races
Richard Childress Racing announced on Wednesday driver Elliot Sadler will run the No. 33 Chevrolet in the season-opening Daytona 500 with sponsorship from General Mills and Kroger.
After that event, Brendan Gaughan will climb behind the wheel of the No. 33 for the next four races with backing from South Point Casinos.
Nationwide Series team manager Gil Martin will serve as crew chief for the car during the first five events. Using the 2011 owner points, the No. 33 team will be locked into those first five races of the season and run the distance in each.
"It's great to be back in the Daytona 500," said Sadler, who is running for the Nationwide title full-time with RCR and feels he has a second shot at winning the Great American Race - the Virginian was leading in 2009 moments before Matt Kenseth blew by in a rain-shortened finish. "When we started putting this program together, the first thing that came to mind is how strong RCR's plate program has always been. We're going to go out and have a legitimate chance to win the race. Speedweeks can't get here soon enough!"
While Sadler will run his 13th Daytona 500, Gaughan will run the next four Sprint Cup Series events. Already slated to run 10 Nationwide Series and eight races in the Camping World Truck Series for RCR, Gaughan is mirroring Sadler and attempting to climb his way back to the top. A former Sprint Cup Series driver, Gaughan has spent the last eight seasons racing in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, but jumped at the opportunity to join a high quality race team, knowing he was climbing into solid, proven equipment.
"This, for me, is the dream come true of a second chance," he said. "You don't normally get them. If you do get them, they're normally not of this caliber. You've usually got to do something on that's in that little bit lower-tier to come out and shock the world. To be able to come out with a team that's close to the Chase, in it, just barely out of it this year, a crew chief with four Cup wins last year with the organization, for me, this is the chance I've waited eight years for."
"I always said, if I ever go back it's going to be more on my terms and the right opportunity. I think I waited just about right."
A lot has changed in the eight years since Gaughan last competed in the Sprint Cup Series full-time. But he feels his experience with the Nationwide Series car, and some testing in Cup - he even ran a race for TRG Motorsports - plus the high quality of the team have him prepared to make a return.
"The biggest thing that gives me confidence," he explained. "Is Shane Wilson (crew chief on Kevin Harvick's No. 29 car) was in the shop yesterday and he said, 'This car was built for you."
While he is open to more Sprint Cup races if the proper funding comes about, Gaughan is content with his schedule and committed to working his way up within a proven organization - although he won't rule out any possibility.
"Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered," he said. "All I'm looking forward to is four races. I'm not going to sit here and say, 'If we get a top-5, we can get it!' Nope. If I get top-5, I'm going to sit here and cry my ass off. It's going to be phenomenal for me to get it. I'm going to do every bit I can in those four (races)." - Jay Pennell
Furniture Row Racing: Think Of Us As Fourth RCR Car
The Furniture Row Racing operation is perhaps the most unique in all of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Unlike the other full-time operations, Furniture Row's "home base" is located in Denver, Colo. – a far cry from Race City, U.S.A.
Yet despite their separation for the rest of the sport, the team has been able to find success at the highest level of American motorsports. A lot of that success, though, is thanks to their partnership with Richard Childress Racing, a theme that echoed throughout their stop on the Sprint Cup Media Tour.
"Our relationship with RCR couldn't possibly be any closer," Competition Director Mark McArdle said. "Every aspect of their activities get communicated to us real time."
That includes a constant and instantaneous sharing of information at the shops, during practice sessions and during races.
"They essentially operate as an open book for us," McArdle added. "I think the easiest way to think about it now that RCR has retracted down to three cars is to think of Furniture Row Racing as essentially the fourth car in their stable, in the perspective of sharing technical information."
McArdle said the biggest advantage the team gains through its partnership with RCR can sometimes be difficult to see, but gives them the feel of a multi-car organization.
"If you're stuck on island as a one-car team – with only your input, with only your DNA and only your own thought process to carry you forward – it's very easy to get off on the wrong path," he said. "What's beneficial about essentially being part of a four-car team is we can instantly share information."
Along with that "open book" policy, McArdle said the second most beneficial aspect of the partnership is the simple "assurance" that they have quality equipment, the same used by Kevin Harvick and the rest of the RCR drivers.
However, according to members of both teams, the relationship is not as one-sided as you might believe.
"They have a great group of people over there," said RCR Vice President of Competition Mike Dillon. "Their engineering staff is super strong; we lean on them too. They're great people and it means a lot."
Dillon explained the distance between to two organizations – over 1,500 miles – can actually be an advantage in creating such a strong partnership.
"That probably makes it easier," Dillon explained. "They don't have people leaving them. When people move out there to work for them, they're going to be there. So, when you're sharing information with them you're not worried about them carrying it to other teams."
Regan Smith, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, explained the relationship has "always been close."
"Personally, I don't compare it to any other relationship (in the garage), because I think ours is more open than anybody else is out there and continues to get that way," he said. "We've grown as a team to the point where they'll come to us and say, 'We need that part or piece, and you guys make it. Can you get your guys to make it for us?' That was the moment, for me, when I realized this thing is working now, this is how we want it to be." - Jay Pennell
Daugherty Sets Top 20 Goal For JTG
JTG-Daugherty Racing is entering the 2012 season with higher expectations than ever and a vision for the future that includes expansion to include a second car. The team had considered adding one this year, but decided that it wasn't the right time, as they will have to convert to the new 2013 racecar after this November. That makes building a fleet of this year's model for one season impractical.
So for now, the single-car operation will work within its means to hopefully produce its first win on the Cup level. The team announced sponsorship for 2012, which includes Kroger and the USO for the Daytona 500 to join a long list of primaries that combine to fill the 36-race schedule. Kimberly-Clark returns to the car, along with such brands as Kingsford Charcoal and Clorox. Bubba Burger will be the primary sponsor at Pocono and Chicago while the team expects to make additional sponsorship announcements for their team and driver, Bobby Labonte, in upcoming weeks.
Having the veteran leadership of Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup champion, has been a key to the team's growth. Team co-owner Brad Daugherty says that Labonte's leadership is an important part of team dynamics. "Bobby is so calm, and his wisdom has been the greatest part of all," Daugherty told the assembled media on Wednesday morning. "He does a great job of giving everyone on our race team feedback. Not just the crew chief; he talks to everyone. He talks to the tire changer, he talks to the gas man. He talks to everyone, and he gives them very calm, individualized, and focused information. That makes it great for us as a young race team. We have information that we can build upon that he's given us…obviously, he's very knowledgeable, so when something goes wrong, I'm yelling and screaming and losing my mind, he can put perspective on it and give us some building points to take out of a bad situation and next time, we can build on it and make it better. That veteran leadership and experience is so valuable."
Daugherty also said that the newly combined engine departments at Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing give the team confidence in the durability and power of their equipment. The team had considered switching manufacturers after the 2011 season, but decided to stick with Toyota when it became clear that the equipment would be more competitive. "You take their resources, their technology, that combination, and I think it gives us a very formidable component to go out and compete with the FR9 and the GM product," Daugherty said. "It's great for guys like us, because now we can get our motors from TRD and it's going to be one reliable product. We'll all be sharing the same information. They're going to glean from Joe Gibbs and vice versa. I think it's going to be the best of both worlds going forward. Reliability - as long as that's there, we know the power will be there."
Of course, JTG will be managing that information from a different locale, moving out after three-plus years of being housed at Michel Waltrip Racing. Daugherty went on to say that one reason the team decided to split from their close alliance with MWR after last season was to build continuity and to unite the team toward their original goal. The team has settled back into their original headquarters in the Wood Brothers shop, though they will race MWR chassis this year. "We're all racers," Daugherty said. "Everyone in that race shop is working hard together, trying to build that family. We want a family atmosphere, because when we're at the racetrack and things get a little bit sideways, you want to be able to rely on one another in order to get the results we're looking for. It's all about being on the same page. It's all about being selfless and working as a group. Everybody's got a job to do. You expect me to do my job; I expect you to do yours. If I know you're going to do your job, then I know I can do my job."
Although surviving in NASCAR today has become an uphill battle for the smaller teams, 2011 proved that there is hope for them when the Wood Brothers and Furniture Row Racing, both single-car teams, visited Victory Lane. Daugherty said that the challenge for smaller teams is to take care of equipment and to use resources wisely. "We're looking at a sport that has become two or three pods of monster teams," Daugherty commented. "We want to see more teams like ours be successful. Is it hard? Heck yeah. I mean, I'm going against a guy like Roger Penske or Rick Hendrick who has resources that are just through the wazoo. He may have ten of what I have one of, so I've got to make the most of what I've got. I don't have a throwaway. It's a challenge."
"I want to be successful racing," the former basketball star added. "I want to put a better product on the racetrack. The way we raced last year was just unacceptable. We're better than that and we want to show it. I'd be really disappointed if we weren't a top-20 race team. We can go toe to to with Rick Hendrick and the other big boys. We're expecting big things."
To do that, they'll have to drastically improve as Labonte registered just one top-5 finish in 2012. But for the optimistic Daugherty, everything from making the Chase to visiting Victory Lane is possible with the right combination of personnel.
"This is a hard, tough sport. Nothing is guaranteed," Daugherty said. "There are a lot of moving pieces and parts. Just because we say we're going to have a great year, doesn't mean a thing. We've got to show up just like we did at Daytona last year [where the team helped push Trevor Bayne to victory]. I mean, we almost won the thing, and I'm going back this year thinking we can do the same thing, but just continue on from it." - Amy Henderson
Kentucky Speedway Is Fixing It
2011 saw the first Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway with Kyle Busch taking home the trophy at the end of the weekend; but thousands within what was supposed to be a "sold out" crowd never got to see it. Instead, they were turned away, part of one of the biggest traffic nightmares since Woodstock which left race fans holding tickets that they didn't get to use for that event. The controversy sparked months of discussing the problems; but now, as we head into 2012 it's the solutions that matter the most. So Bruton Smith and Mark Simendinger, the General Manager of Kentucky Speedway, met with the media Wednesday morning during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway to outline how the problems from that weekend are being corrected.
The track is spending $80,000,000 to acquire land, upgrade parking areas and construct tunnels and bridges to make fan parking and movement far greater than last year. The speedway has purchased two tracts of land, across Kentucky Highway 35 from the facility, that amount to 173 usable acres of additional parking. They have also done some grading of property already owned by the track that was previously inhospitable to parking that can now accommodate fans' vehicles. The end result of the expansion of parking is going to be space to house the vehicles of up to 56,000 additional fans over last year.
The track is also installing a pedestrian tunnel under Highway 35 to allow fans to migrate to the speedway without having to cross the roadway, which is the major artery for traffic flow into the venue. The Highway is also being expanded by the state of Kentucky to a robust seven lanes which should help reduce the congestion that was a major problem last year getting off of Interstate 71. In addition to the Highway 35 expansion, the state has also added to Interstate 71 which now has four lanes for traffic flow and exit 57 off of the Interstate which now will have three lanes to better remove the traffic from the expressway.
In other aesthetic improvements, the concourse of the race track is going to have four additional restrooms from last season which are already well underway and should be completed in the very near future. SMI is also adding a new bridge over the infield tunnel road for improved tram flow so that fans can be shuttled around the property more efficiently. Additional trams have also been purchased which will add more capacity to the fan flow capabilities of the track.
Smith bemoaned the fact that the track couldn't change the past. "We ought to be able to redo our inaugural weekend," he said. "We should have a second inaugural race in June. We're gonna do it right this time." Only time will tell; all of the projects have a estimated completion date of May 4th, which is well in advance of the June 28th-30th race weekend. - Mike Neff
For more information on the Fusion, along with pictures please check out Jay Pennell's column on the subject below.
Check back next Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Harvicks Expecting
Speculation raged late last season after the surprising merger of Kevin Harvick Inc. with Richard Childress Racing. Many pointed to potential marital problems between owners, not to mention husband and wife, Kevin and DeLana, as the "real" reason for the changes.
Yet, when asked about life after KHI Wednesday on the Media Tour, Harvick set things straight on why the couple decided to give up control of the company they had built from the ground to become a championship-caliber team - and the answer produced a surprise for most everyone in the room.
"For me and my wife, to not have the race team this winter has been pretty different," Harvick said when asked about not having to worry about running a team this offseason. "As we worked through a lot of things, basically what we've got to do is go on vacation, we got to try to learn how to be normal, and DeLana is 14 weeks pregnant."
A shock to most in the crowd, including those within RCR, Harvick's announcement cleared the air on the couple's decision last year to merge their organization with RCR.
"I think this is the last piece," the driver confirmed. "Where everybody can finally put all the pieces together and say, 'Oh, I guess it all adds up, I guess they wanted to move to a different phase of their life and do something different.'"
The baby is due midsummer, roughly a month before the Chase for the championship and, without KHI has changed DeLana's role from business owner to expectant mother. But now that DeLana is carrying their first child, don't expect to see her donning a firesuit anytime soon.
"You might not ever see her in a firesuit again, to be honest with you," Harvick said, beaming with a smile. "You might have seen the last days of that. I guess that's still to be determined, but you won't (see it) any time soon." - Jay Pennell
Sadler And Gaughan To Split RCR's No. 33 In First Five Races
Richard Childress Racing announced on Wednesday driver Elliot Sadler will run the No. 33 Chevrolet in the season-opening Daytona 500 with sponsorship from General Mills and Kroger.
After that event, Brendan Gaughan will climb behind the wheel of the No. 33 for the next four races with backing from South Point Casinos.
Nationwide Series team manager Gil Martin will serve as crew chief for the car during the first five events. Using the 2011 owner points, the No. 33 team will be locked into those first five races of the season and run the distance in each.
"It's great to be back in the Daytona 500," said Sadler, who is running for the Nationwide title full-time with RCR and feels he has a second shot at winning the Great American Race - the Virginian was leading in 2009 moments before Matt Kenseth blew by in a rain-shortened finish. "When we started putting this program together, the first thing that came to mind is how strong RCR's plate program has always been. We're going to go out and have a legitimate chance to win the race. Speedweeks can't get here soon enough!"
While Sadler will run his 13th Daytona 500, Gaughan will run the next four Sprint Cup Series events. Already slated to run 10 Nationwide Series and eight races in the Camping World Truck Series for RCR, Gaughan is mirroring Sadler and attempting to climb his way back to the top. A former Sprint Cup Series driver, Gaughan has spent the last eight seasons racing in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, but jumped at the opportunity to join a high quality race team, knowing he was climbing into solid, proven equipment.
"This, for me, is the dream come true of a second chance," he said. "You don't normally get them. If you do get them, they're normally not of this caliber. You've usually got to do something on that's in that little bit lower-tier to come out and shock the world. To be able to come out with a team that's close to the Chase, in it, just barely out of it this year, a crew chief with four Cup wins last year with the organization, for me, this is the chance I've waited eight years for."
"I always said, if I ever go back it's going to be more on my terms and the right opportunity. I think I waited just about right."
A lot has changed in the eight years since Gaughan last competed in the Sprint Cup Series full-time. But he feels his experience with the Nationwide Series car, and some testing in Cup - he even ran a race for TRG Motorsports - plus the high quality of the team have him prepared to make a return.
"The biggest thing that gives me confidence," he explained. "Is Shane Wilson (crew chief on Kevin Harvick's No. 29 car) was in the shop yesterday and he said, 'This car was built for you."
While he is open to more Sprint Cup races if the proper funding comes about, Gaughan is content with his schedule and committed to working his way up within a proven organization - although he won't rule out any possibility.
"Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered," he said. "All I'm looking forward to is four races. I'm not going to sit here and say, 'If we get a top-5, we can get it!' Nope. If I get top-5, I'm going to sit here and cry my ass off. It's going to be phenomenal for me to get it. I'm going to do every bit I can in those four (races)." - Jay Pennell
Furniture Row Racing: Think Of Us As Fourth RCR Car
The Furniture Row Racing operation is perhaps the most unique in all of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Unlike the other full-time operations, Furniture Row's "home base" is located in Denver, Colo. – a far cry from Race City, U.S.A.
Yet despite their separation for the rest of the sport, the team has been able to find success at the highest level of American motorsports. A lot of that success, though, is thanks to their partnership with Richard Childress Racing, a theme that echoed throughout their stop on the Sprint Cup Media Tour.
"Our relationship with RCR couldn't possibly be any closer," Competition Director Mark McArdle said. "Every aspect of their activities get communicated to us real time."
That includes a constant and instantaneous sharing of information at the shops, during practice sessions and during races.
"They essentially operate as an open book for us," McArdle added. "I think the easiest way to think about it now that RCR has retracted down to three cars is to think of Furniture Row Racing as essentially the fourth car in their stable, in the perspective of sharing technical information."
McArdle said the biggest advantage the team gains through its partnership with RCR can sometimes be difficult to see, but gives them the feel of a multi-car organization.
"If you're stuck on island as a one-car team – with only your input, with only your DNA and only your own thought process to carry you forward – it's very easy to get off on the wrong path," he said. "What's beneficial about essentially being part of a four-car team is we can instantly share information."
Along with that "open book" policy, McArdle said the second most beneficial aspect of the partnership is the simple "assurance" that they have quality equipment, the same used by Kevin Harvick and the rest of the RCR drivers.
However, according to members of both teams, the relationship is not as one-sided as you might believe.
"They have a great group of people over there," said RCR Vice President of Competition Mike Dillon. "Their engineering staff is super strong; we lean on them too. They're great people and it means a lot."
Dillon explained the distance between to two organizations – over 1,500 miles – can actually be an advantage in creating such a strong partnership.
"That probably makes it easier," Dillon explained. "They don't have people leaving them. When people move out there to work for them, they're going to be there. So, when you're sharing information with them you're not worried about them carrying it to other teams."
Regan Smith, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, explained the relationship has "always been close."
"Personally, I don't compare it to any other relationship (in the garage), because I think ours is more open than anybody else is out there and continues to get that way," he said. "We've grown as a team to the point where they'll come to us and say, 'We need that part or piece, and you guys make it. Can you get your guys to make it for us?' That was the moment, for me, when I realized this thing is working now, this is how we want it to be." - Jay Pennell
Daugherty Sets Top 20 Goal For JTG
JTG-Daugherty Racing is entering the 2012 season with higher expectations than ever and a vision for the future that includes expansion to include a second car. The team had considered adding one this year, but decided that it wasn't the right time, as they will have to convert to the new 2013 racecar after this November. That makes building a fleet of this year's model for one season impractical.
So for now, the single-car operation will work within its means to hopefully produce its first win on the Cup level. The team announced sponsorship for 2012, which includes Kroger and the USO for the Daytona 500 to join a long list of primaries that combine to fill the 36-race schedule. Kimberly-Clark returns to the car, along with such brands as Kingsford Charcoal and Clorox. Bubba Burger will be the primary sponsor at Pocono and Chicago while the team expects to make additional sponsorship announcements for their team and driver, Bobby Labonte, in upcoming weeks.
Having the veteran leadership of Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup champion, has been a key to the team's growth. Team co-owner Brad Daugherty says that Labonte's leadership is an important part of team dynamics. "Bobby is so calm, and his wisdom has been the greatest part of all," Daugherty told the assembled media on Wednesday morning. "He does a great job of giving everyone on our race team feedback. Not just the crew chief; he talks to everyone. He talks to the tire changer, he talks to the gas man. He talks to everyone, and he gives them very calm, individualized, and focused information. That makes it great for us as a young race team. We have information that we can build upon that he's given us…obviously, he's very knowledgeable, so when something goes wrong, I'm yelling and screaming and losing my mind, he can put perspective on it and give us some building points to take out of a bad situation and next time, we can build on it and make it better. That veteran leadership and experience is so valuable."
Daugherty also said that the newly combined engine departments at Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing give the team confidence in the durability and power of their equipment. The team had considered switching manufacturers after the 2011 season, but decided to stick with Toyota when it became clear that the equipment would be more competitive. "You take their resources, their technology, that combination, and I think it gives us a very formidable component to go out and compete with the FR9 and the GM product," Daugherty said. "It's great for guys like us, because now we can get our motors from TRD and it's going to be one reliable product. We'll all be sharing the same information. They're going to glean from Joe Gibbs and vice versa. I think it's going to be the best of both worlds going forward. Reliability - as long as that's there, we know the power will be there."
Of course, JTG will be managing that information from a different locale, moving out after three-plus years of being housed at Michel Waltrip Racing. Daugherty went on to say that one reason the team decided to split from their close alliance with MWR after last season was to build continuity and to unite the team toward their original goal. The team has settled back into their original headquarters in the Wood Brothers shop, though they will race MWR chassis this year. "We're all racers," Daugherty said. "Everyone in that race shop is working hard together, trying to build that family. We want a family atmosphere, because when we're at the racetrack and things get a little bit sideways, you want to be able to rely on one another in order to get the results we're looking for. It's all about being on the same page. It's all about being selfless and working as a group. Everybody's got a job to do. You expect me to do my job; I expect you to do yours. If I know you're going to do your job, then I know I can do my job."
Although surviving in NASCAR today has become an uphill battle for the smaller teams, 2011 proved that there is hope for them when the Wood Brothers and Furniture Row Racing, both single-car teams, visited Victory Lane. Daugherty said that the challenge for smaller teams is to take care of equipment and to use resources wisely. "We're looking at a sport that has become two or three pods of monster teams," Daugherty commented. "We want to see more teams like ours be successful. Is it hard? Heck yeah. I mean, I'm going against a guy like Roger Penske or Rick Hendrick who has resources that are just through the wazoo. He may have ten of what I have one of, so I've got to make the most of what I've got. I don't have a throwaway. It's a challenge."
"I want to be successful racing," the former basketball star added. "I want to put a better product on the racetrack. The way we raced last year was just unacceptable. We're better than that and we want to show it. I'd be really disappointed if we weren't a top-20 race team. We can go toe to to with Rick Hendrick and the other big boys. We're expecting big things."
To do that, they'll have to drastically improve as Labonte registered just one top-5 finish in 2012. But for the optimistic Daugherty, everything from making the Chase to visiting Victory Lane is possible with the right combination of personnel.
"This is a hard, tough sport. Nothing is guaranteed," Daugherty said. "There are a lot of moving pieces and parts. Just because we say we're going to have a great year, doesn't mean a thing. We've got to show up just like we did at Daytona last year [where the team helped push Trevor Bayne to victory]. I mean, we almost won the thing, and I'm going back this year thinking we can do the same thing, but just continue on from it." - Amy Henderson
Kentucky Speedway Is Fixing It
2011 saw the first Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway with Kyle Busch taking home the trophy at the end of the weekend; but thousands within what was supposed to be a "sold out" crowd never got to see it. Instead, they were turned away, part of one of the biggest traffic nightmares since Woodstock which left race fans holding tickets that they didn't get to use for that event. The controversy sparked months of discussing the problems; but now, as we head into 2012 it's the solutions that matter the most. So Bruton Smith and Mark Simendinger, the General Manager of Kentucky Speedway, met with the media Wednesday morning during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway to outline how the problems from that weekend are being corrected.
The track is spending $80,000,000 to acquire land, upgrade parking areas and construct tunnels and bridges to make fan parking and movement far greater than last year. The speedway has purchased two tracts of land, across Kentucky Highway 35 from the facility, that amount to 173 usable acres of additional parking. They have also done some grading of property already owned by the track that was previously inhospitable to parking that can now accommodate fans' vehicles. The end result of the expansion of parking is going to be space to house the vehicles of up to 56,000 additional fans over last year.
The track is also installing a pedestrian tunnel under Highway 35 to allow fans to migrate to the speedway without having to cross the roadway, which is the major artery for traffic flow into the venue. The Highway is also being expanded by the state of Kentucky to a robust seven lanes which should help reduce the congestion that was a major problem last year getting off of Interstate 71. In addition to the Highway 35 expansion, the state has also added to Interstate 71 which now has four lanes for traffic flow and exit 57 off of the Interstate which now will have three lanes to better remove the traffic from the expressway.
In other aesthetic improvements, the concourse of the race track is going to have four additional restrooms from last season which are already well underway and should be completed in the very near future. SMI is also adding a new bridge over the infield tunnel road for improved tram flow so that fans can be shuttled around the property more efficiently. Additional trams have also been purchased which will add more capacity to the fan flow capabilities of the track.
Smith bemoaned the fact that the track couldn't change the past. "We ought to be able to redo our inaugural weekend," he said. "We should have a second inaugural race in June. We're gonna do it right this time." Only time will tell; all of the projects have a estimated completion date of May 4th, which is well in advance of the June 28th-30th race weekend. - Mike Neff
For more information on the Fusion, along with pictures please check out Jay Pennell's column on the subject below.
Have news for Amy, Jay, Mike and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us atashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
Just in case you missed them, we have completed our annual Driver Reviews. If you'd like to review them, JUST HEAD HERE AND YOU'LL FIND THEM ALL LISTED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE.
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: There have been quite a few Daytona Prototype chassis manufacturers over the past nine seasons. However, the manufacturer whose Daytona Prototype was used the least in the Rolex Sports Car Series was Chase. What car was the Chase designed to look like?
Q: There have been quite a few Daytona Prototype chassis manufacturers over the past nine seasons. However, the manufacturer whose Daytona Prototype was used the least in the Rolex Sports Car Series was Chase. What car was the Chase designed to look like?
Check back next Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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:
-- Media Tour: Day Four Recap by Amy Henderson, Mike Neff, and Jay Pennell
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Coming This Week at The Frontstretch:
Epic Rolex 24 Preview: Four Parts by Phil Allaway
With Frontstretch having a presence this weekend at the Rolex 24 in Daytona Beach, we'll bring you a comprehensive preview of the twice-around-the-clock race.
Turning Back The Clock: 2003 Rolex 24 at Daytona by Phil Allaway
Also, in anticipation of the big race, we'll also bring a write-up of a classic Rolex event.
Coming Tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Media Tour: Day Four Recap by Amy Henderson, Mike Neff, and Jay Pennell
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Coming This Week at The Frontstretch:
Epic Rolex 24 Preview: Four Parts by Phil Allaway
With Frontstretch having a presence this weekend at the Rolex 24 in Daytona Beach, we'll bring you a comprehensive preview of the twice-around-the-clock race.
Turning Back The Clock: 2003 Rolex 24 at Daytona by Phil Allaway
Also, in anticipation of the big race, we'll also bring a write-up of a classic Rolex event.
Plus Media Tour coverage, the return of Mirror Driving, Tom Bowles' columns (finally) and so much more!
------------------------------
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©2012 Frontstretch.com
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!
©2012 Frontstretch.com
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