Monday, January 23, 2012

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Media Tour, Day 1 Wrapup

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
January 24th, 2012
Volume V, Edition VI

SPRINT CUP MEDIA TOUR: DAY TWO. 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.

What's On Tap On The Media Tour Today:
- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
- Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Roush Fenway Racing
- Ford Racing
- Announcements From The NASCAR Nationwide Series, and More

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 Monday's Media Tour
by Amy Henderson and Jay Pennell

Stewart-Haas Racing Expecting Big 2012

After winning the closest title battle in NASCAR history, Tony Stewart and his Stewart-Haas Racing team are back and ready to defend their crown in 2012.  The team has somewhat of a new look this year, with three new faces introduced Monday on the first day of the Sprint Media Tour. The first is directly connected to Stewart himself; he has a new crew chief in Steve Addington, who joins the organization after serving as head wrench for Kurt Busch at Penske Racing last year.  In the midst of lunch at the shop, Addington admitted Stewart texted him at 2:30 AM after winning the championship at Homestead, the ultimate sign of persistence throughout the Fall months that paid off with the crew chief making the switch to replace Darian Grubb at the champ's No. 14 Chevrolet.

"It's been awesome," he said of his first few months working with the organization. "These guys have been very, very welcoming. To me, the supporting cast within an organization makes you successful and that's what I'm looking forward to [at SHR]."

"We're just a bunch of low-key, down-to-earth racers that want to race, and that's the attitude that Steve has too coming in here," added Stewart, aware of the expectations in replacing a mechanic who contributed to five victories in the last ten races of 2011. "I'm not putting any pressure on him, and we both know there's going to be a period of getting to learn each other. I think it's going to be laid back and we're going to have a lot of fun."

The organization is also expanding, adding a third car with Danica Patrick in the new No. 10 GoDaddy.com-sponsored car.  Patrick will combine with Greg Zipadelli, the final major addition who worked with Stewart during Stewart's entire tenure at Joe Gibbs Racing. After ten years on the box with Stewart, he moves to Competition Director at SHR and will also serve as Patrick's crew chief this year.  

Patrick will run a limited Cup schedule in 2012, including the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. However, she will not attempt to run the Indianapolis 500 this year, the first time since 2004 she won't be pursuing the biggest open-wheel trophy in America.  

"It was just something that didn't work out on the business side of things," was her reasoning for the decision, claiming NASCAR's "hometown pull" of Charlotte was enough to add it to her list of a tentative ten-race Cup schedule. "I'm hopeful to do [Indy] in the future, and maybe it will be a double, but this year, it didn't happen."

As part of the full-time stock car transition, Patrick will devote the majority of her time to the Nationwide Series; she'll run for the title with JR Motorsports in the No. 7. She says that expectations in that series are to run "solid top-10, top-5.  I'd like to get to Victory Lane." Her career best is currently fourth, scored at the 1.5-mile intermediate oval of Las Vegas last March in roughly two dozen starts of NASCAR Nationwide competition.

In her Cup ride, Patrick will be looking mainly for seat time. "Running in the top 20 may be a good goal," she says.  Zipadelli and Stewart agreed that the most important thing for Patrick will be to finish races and to gain as much experience behind the wheel as possible.  For the season opener, though, Patrick has a loftier goal.  "I feel good about it.  We have a good chance to win," said the open-wheel convert, citing Trevor Bayne's victory in 2011 as an inspiration for that statement.

The team also announced additional sponsorship for 2012 from Aspen Dental, tacked on to Ryan Newman's No. 39 car.  Stewart called 2012 "our best year" as far as financial support, adding that while there is pressure to repeat as champion, from the sponsor side of the coin, that's a very good thing as your primary backers are squarely in the spotlight. Newman is grateful for the additional funding, too, as most of the companies jumping on board (Outback Steakhouse and Quicken Loans, among others) have stepped up to be on the hood of his car for several events.   

"We're really proud to partner up with these new sponsors, that haven't been a part of NASCAR at all," said the veteran, although he admitted the higher exposure level adds pressure to perform. "Just from our standpoint, when you have great sponsors you're allowed to get great people and do great things."

Newman enters 2012 looking to visit Victory Lane for the third straight year, his team unchanged and led by crew chief Tony Gibson. The group made the postseason last year, but never contended en route to a ho-hum 10th-place finish in the final standings.

"From a team standpoint, it's great to have all our group back," he added. "The Chase was a bit of a struggle for us, but you work through those things and get better."

As for Cup's reigning titlist, Stewart had just one small announcement: he'll run the season-opening Nationwide Series race in 2012 in the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing, backed by Nabisco's OREO brand.  Otherwise, February will be business as usual while Smoke begins his championship defense with the sport's Super Bowl, the Daytona 500. It's a race which the three-time champion has never won, despite dominating at Daytona in the Nationwide Series and winning three times in the July Cup race. - Amy Henderson

Stewart-Haas Racing, In A Nutshell
No. 14 Chevrolet: Driver Tony Stewart, Crew Chief Steve Addington, Primary Sponsors Mobil 1, Office Depot, Burger King
No. 39 Chevrolet: Driver Ryan Newman, Crew Chief Tony Gibson, Primary Sponsors U.S. Army, Tornados, Quicken Loans, Outback Steakhouse, Aspen Dental
No. 10 Chevrolet (10-race schedule, beginning with February's Daytona 500): Driver Danica Patrick, Crew Chief Greg Zipadelli, Primary Sponsor GoDaddy.com

Bold Italics = New For 2012

Joe Gibbs Racing Enters 2012 With Confidence

There are no changes to Joe Gibbs Racing's Sprint Cup driver lineup for 2012, but several key positions changed hands, bringing two new crew chiefs to the fold as well as giving Michael McDowell an expanded Nationwide Series role.  McDowell, who subbed in the Cup Series for Kyle Busch at Texas will run a limited schedule in the No. 18 NNS Pizza Ranch car, combining with Denny Hamlin while Brian Scott returns to that series full-time in 2012 with sponsorship from Dollar General.  In addition, development driver Darrell Wallace, Jr. will race a few select Nationwide events as the season progresses. Kyle Busch will not race in the Nationwide Series for JGR at all this year, but will make up to 15 starts in his own car, the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota.  Busch will also not race in the Camping World Truck Series, reportedly at owner Joe Gibbs' request though he will field the No. 18 for Jason Leffler and possibly other drivers to be announced later.

In the Cup garage, Jason Ratcliff will take over crew chief duties for Joey Logano after the departure of Greg Zipadelli to Stewart-Haas Racing and reigning Cup champion crew chief Darian Grubb takes the reins for the No. 11 team and driver Denny Hamlin.  Dave Rogers and Kyle Busch enter 2012 as the only pair to have worked together in 2011.  But don't think new faces in new places have slowed the momentum of the three-car juggernaut, who's also dealing with a transition from their own engines to ones provided by Toyota Racing Development. In particular, Hamlin says that these adjustments have boosted his confidence level, with new race cars and a new crew chief leading to a renewed faith in the program. 

"There's a lot of energy in the shop," he said. "For [Grubb] to pick me as his driver... he had an offer from every team in the garage area. It's a big deal, it gives you the faith that the guy's got a lot of faith in your talents, that he thinks he can bring you another championship."

Logano says that he is working hard on improving himself as a driver, consulting a sports psychologist to gain confidence and he's excited to work with Ratcliff.  "This is going to give me a fresh start," said the fourth-year driver Monday on the Sprint NASCAR Media Tour.  "I can kind of make it more my team [without former head wrench Greg Zipadelli], and that's a big deal."  Logano also noted that despite the fact that his contract is up after this year, he is confident. "There might be more pressure to perform, but I feel like I can do it, more than I could last year, even," he added. "So they sort of balance each other out."

Joe Gibbs told the media that all of the team's 2011 sponsors have signed to return for 2012, providing stability for the entire team.  This includes M&M's and Interstate Batteries on the No. 18, FedEx on the No. 11, and Home Depot on the No. 20.  Dollar General announced that it would join JGR's sponsor fold this year last October. - Amy Henderson

Joe Gibbs Racing, In A Nutshell
Sprint Cup
No. 11 ToyotaDriver Denny Hamlin, Crew Chief Darian Grubb, Primary Sponsors Fed Ex, Sport Clips
No. 18 Toyota: Driver Kyle Busch, Crew Chief Dave Rogers, Primary Sponsors M&M's, Interstate Batteries
No. 20 Toyota: Driver Joey Logano, Crew Chief Jason Ratcliffe, Primary Sponsors Home Depot, Dollar General

Nationwide
No. 11 Toyota: Driver Brian Scott, Primary Sponsor Dollar General 
No. 18 Toyota: Drivers Denny Hamlin, Michael McDowell, Darrell Wallace, Jr.?
No. 20 Toyota: Drivers Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin
Possible Additional Drivers TBA

Bold Italics = New For 2012

Busch Focused On Cup In 2012

Kyle Busch addressed the media on Monday as part of Joe Gibbs Racing's stop on the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour, revealing his plans to run fifteen Nationwide Series races and skip the Camping World Truck Series altogether. It's not that Busch, who won the 2009 Nationwide Series title while also racing full-time in the Sprint Cup Series, wants to curb his on-track fun.  But as a team owner, he realizes there are other things to consider, long-term team survival issues that go beyond a November suspension for aggressive driving towards Truck Series veteran Ron Hornaday.

That's led to a serious reduction in his "extracurricular activities." Busch will test the waters of the Nationwide Series for the first time this year as a car owner, splitting the driving duties with his older brother Kurt.  But he will not race in the Camping World Truck Series at all, choosing instead to let Jason Leffler pilot the No. 18 truck for 14 of 22 races.  Drivers and sponsors for the remaining eight races have yet to be determined, but it won't be Busch.

His "official" reason, a marked departure from previous years in which Busch ran as many races as he could - often to the dismay of race fans - is simple. Beyond keeping the Cup sponsors happy, Busch can be a team owner long after his driving days are behind him.  But that won't work if those backers expect Busch to be behind the wheel every season.  

"This is a year for growth," Busch told the assembled media on Monday.  "Dollar General is good with having Jason Leffler as their driver.  For me, I've always wanted to build Kyle Busch Motorsports into a place that doesn't need Kyle Busch to sustain itself.  That's where I want to grow; that's where I want to be with it.  I haven't been able to get to that point yet.  The sponsors haven't stepped in and said, 'Hey, we want to try somebody else behind the wheel,' which I'm all for."

Busch added that he will miss running in the trucks, the series where he ran with the name "Rowdy" on the door, but that he knows it's for the best.  "I'm definitely going to miss it," he reminisced. "I've had a great time over there, running against the other competitors and winning, and getting recognition for the sponsors that we have.  I think that's been great over the last two years that we've done it, and unfortunately, I'm going to take a step back this season and not run it, to allow Kyle Busch Motorsports to develop into something that can sustain itself without me behind the wheel all the time." - Amy Henderson

Michael Waltrip Racing Boasts New Driver Lineup, Expects To Contend In Chase

Michael Waltrip enjoys the spotlight, and Monday's Sprint Media Tour stop at Michael Waltrip Racing was no different. Instead of the normal press conferences where owners tout the talents of their drivers, Waltrip hosted a talk show-style event where he interviewed his new team. 

The over-the-top owner prodded Clint Bowyer about letting him run a dirt car, which Bowyer laughingly declined. Waltrip then played the age card with 53-year-old Mark Martin, saying when he gets out of the car and Mark gets in he likes to say, "Out with the old and in with the older." He then pointed out Martin Truex, Jr. had done a lot of the hard work in paving the way at MWR, to which Truex told his new teammates, "I took all the lumps for you guys." 

All kidding aside, MWR is in a no-excuse year with new drivers Martin and Bowyer joining the team, pairing with the "veteran" Truex who endured an up-and-down year in 2011. But new technology, new chassis and a partnership with Toyota Racing Development have the organization poised to move into that next level of Sprint Cup Series organizations in 2012. 

"The hopes have been replaced with confidence that we can contend, we can win and we can earn a spot in the Chase," Waltrip said, claiming the team's partnership with TRD has elevated MWR into the top tier.

After a rough few years in the sport, MWR has honed its technology and the resources at its disposal to run consistently week-in and week-out.

"I feel like we have the best I've ever seen in the engineering department," Truex, who joined the team in 2010, said. "Our simulation stuff is second to none. You can ask anyone in the garage, they'll tell you that. We have a lot of things going for us, and we need to make it happen now." - Jay Pennell

Michael Waltrip Racing, In A Nutshell
Sprint Cup
No. 15 Toyota: Driver Clint Bowyer, Crew Chief Brian Pattie, Primary Sponsor 5-Hour Energy 
No. 55 Toyota: Drivers Mark Martin (25 Races), Michael Waltrip (5 Races), Crew Chief Rodney Childers, Primary Sponsor Aaron's (30 Races)
No. 56 Toyota: Driver Martin Truex, Jr., Crew Chief Chad Johnston, Primary Sponsor NAPA Auto Parts

NOTE: The No. 47 JTG Daugherty Team receives Michael Waltrip Racing equipment but is not owned by Waltrip or the MWR organization.

Nationwide (NOTE: Team only partially owned by Michael Waltrip)
No. 99 Toyota (seven-race schedule, beginning at Richmond): Driver Travis Pastrana, Crew Chief Mike Greci, Primary Sponsor Boost Mobile 

Bold Italics = New For 2012

In Case You Missed It: NASCAR Acceleration Weekend Getting Fans Revved Up
by Mike Neff

This past Saturday, NASCAR hosted Acceleration Weekend 2012 at the Charlotte Convention Center. The event afforded fans the opportunity to see most of their favorite drivers up close, learn about a majority of the racetracks on the Cup schedule, and interact with some of the sponsors and supporters of NASCAR. An estimated 5,000 fans attended the event, which harkened back to the Winston Cup Preview that used to be held in Winston-Salem before the Cup season would start.

The anticipation for the festivities on Saturday was obviously high as fans were already lined up outside of the Convention Center on Friday night in order to have first dibs on wristbands for the autograph sessions of the top 12 drivers in Sprint Cup points. Along with those 12 drivers were Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne and Juan Pablo Montoya to give fans a wide variety of superstars to choose from. Most every other driver from the Cup series, along with the champions from the Trucks and Nationwide and a majority of the drivers in those divisions were available for any fans who chose to wait in line during their autograph sessions. 

In addition to the drivers, the new Sprint Cup Girl lineup for 2012 was unveiled. Returning from last season are Kim Coons and Jaclyn Roney while replacing longtime lineup member Monica Polumbo, who has gone on to begin what is sure to be a storied radio career, is Kristen Beat. Miss Coors Light, Rachel Rupert, also confirmed that she will be at the track every week this season.

In the main hall, where the non-Chase drivers were signing autographs, there were several race cars sporting their 2012 paint schemes. Fans could also see the first Ford race car ever, the Daytona 500-winning car of Trevor Bayne and an interactive car from Denny Hamlin. Fans were also able to listen to driver interviews hosted by Rutledge Wood. All of the drivers who appeared in the great hall where fans were required to have wrist bands for autographs came through the stage at some point in time for an interview. 

There were also giveaways for fans from Sprint and the twelve race tracks represented. Fans also had the chance to see some of the latest diecast offerings from Lionel. The NASCAR Foundation and Hall of Fame along with 15 sponsors had booths that allowed fans to get free trinkets, interact with personalities and learn about their new offerings for 2012. 

In conjunction with the current stars of NASCAR in the Convention Center, the Hall of Fame had storytelling times with current and former inductees into the Hall. Fans were treated to an exchange between Cale Yarborough and the Allison brothers, who admitted that they have reconciled from their famous 1979 altercation. Junior Johnson sat down with fans to talk about his moonshining days and the early years of the sport, while The Wood Brothers spoke about the 20 drivers who have been in their cars that are part of the top 50 NASCAR drivers of all time.  Finally, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond reminisced about their great run of success with Junior Johnson.

The entire weekend, and specifically Saturday, was a great jumpstart to the 2012 NASCAR season. Fans stood in the rain to secure wristbands and were rewarded with a brush with their favorite drivers. The legends of the past regaled fans with their stories and the current venues of the sport enticed fans to return to their daring bull rings of speed. When it was all said and done, fans were ecstatic about their experience and NASCAR is ready for a great 2012.

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.
 
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Jay Pennell

by Phil Allaway

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?

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 Two 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

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