Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The Frontstretch Newsletter: March 1st, 2012

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 1st, 2012
Volume VI, Edition XXIX

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Today's Top News
by Phil Allaway

NASCAR Drops the Hammer on Chad Knaus

Back on opening day during Speedweeks, NASCAR officials eyeballed a violation of the C-Pillars on Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet (the one destined to race in the Daytona 500 and which was crashed less than three miles into the race).  At the time, the officials ordered the No. 48 team to cut the pillars off of the car and replace them with new ones, which had to be flown in from North Carolina.  After that was done, the car was put through inspection again and allowed on track.

At the time, NASCAR stated that they were going to wait until after Speedweeks were over before determining what type of punishment could be levied on the No. 48 team for the infraction.  On Wednesday, that decision was made, and the penalties?

Severe.

Crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec have both been suspended for six Sprint Cup races, as well as from NASCAR in general until April 18.  In addition, both have been placed on probation until May 9.  Knaus will also have to pay a $100,000 fine.

Driver Jimmie Johnson has been penalized 25 driver points, while listed owner Jeff Gordon has also been docked 25 owner points.  (That's important.... Gordon's driver points or anything involved the No. 24 are obviously not affected). As a result, the team is currently in a hole in the standings with -23 points.  They are considered to be ranked 49th right now, behind the six teams that failed to qualify for the Daytona 500.

In their official statement, NASCAR indicated that the No. 48 was determined to be in violation of multiple sections of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.  These included Section 12-1 (Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing), 12-4-j (Determination by NASCAR officials that race equipment does not conform to rules, or has not been approved by NASCAR), and 20-2.1E (Judgment by NASCAR officials that parts have been installed in order to illegally enhance aerodynamic performance).

In a very brief official statement, Hendrick Motorsports indicated that they will appeal NASCAR's ruling.  Owner Rick Hendrick stated that "in this case, the system broke down" in relation to the inspection process in Daytona.

For a the full (albeit brief) Hendrick statement, click here.

Ollie's Bargain Outlet to Sponsor Blaney in Phoenix

After a 15th-place finish in Monday night's Daytona 500, Dave Blaney has earned himself a second race of sponsorship support. Following a substantial amount of exposure that came as a result of Blaney being in the lead during the two-hour "jet dryer" red flag, Ollie's Bargain Outlet announced on Wednesday that they have signed on to return as the primary sponsor on Blaney's No. 36 Chevrolet this weekend in Phoenix.

Mark Butler, President and CEO of Ollie's Bargain Outlet is very happy to be back with TBR.

"Dave Blaney and the TBR team did a great job at Daytona, and the Ollie's car looked sharp out on the track," Butler said.  "Not to mention the incredible coverage we got at the race and the outpouring of support from both our customers and Blaney fans.  We're happy to sponsor Dave and TBR again in Phoenix and get a second chance at Victory Lane."

Team owner Tommy Baldwin, Jr. is very honest about what precipitated Ollie's to re-up for Phoenix.

"The coverage we received on FOX during the Daytona 500 broadcast was great for our company and Ollie's," Baldwin said.  "It made our partnership with Ollie's much more lucrative.  They decided to come back onboard for Phoenix and our team couldn't be happier.  Ollie's is a great brand, and we are thrilled that we helped them get exposure to the millions of viewers that tuned into Monday night's broadcast."

BK Racing Signs Licensing Agreement


On Wednesday, Burger King Corp., the parent company of Burger King Restaurants, signed a licensing agreement with new Sprint Cup team BK Racing, LLC.  This will allow Burger King to license the primary paint schemes being used on the team's Nos. 83 and 93 Toyotas.  Such a deal will allow Burger King to promote the team's racing activities throughout the various restaurants and on the internet (Ex: Using the cars on cups).

Team co-owner Scott Gunderson is very pleased to officially have the fast food company on board.

"I'm extremely happy to welcome Burger King Corp. to the team and really proud to be associated with such a great brand," Gunderson said.  "This demonstrates another important step in getting the BK Racing team ready for the season.  As a longtime franchisee, I look forward to a successful racing season and know firsthand the benefits of a partnership with a winning team."

According to Quick Service Restaurant News, Burger King will officially leverage their sponsorship through regional marketing programs and promotions on and off the track.  What those initiatives entail are unknown at the moment, but they will come to light later this year.

Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night.  However, they are still subject to change.

Sprint Cup Series Subway Fresh Fit 500k: 44 cars entered

Point Swaps:
FAS Lane Racing No. 32 acquires points from Roush Fenway Racing No. 6.
Inception Motorsports No. 30 acquires points from TRG Motorsports No. 71.

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 87 -
Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports

Driver Changes:
No. 10 -
David Reutimann is in the seat, replacing Danica Patrick. The sponsorship from GoDaddy.com will not be on the car for this race, one of Reutimann's 26 to keep the Chevy (hopefully) inside the top 35 of owner points.
No. 23 -
Scott Riggs is in the seat, replacing Robert Richardson, Jr. Riggs will be running a limited schedule with the new, full-time Cup effort for R3 Motorsports this season.
No. 26 -
Rookie Josh Wise is in the seat, replacing Tony Raines. After Front Row Motorsports experienced extensive crash damage to their Daytona fleet, Wise's entry is expected to start and park.
No. 33 -
Brendan Gaughan is in the seat, replacing Elliott Sadler. This race marks the first of four Gaughan will run Cup with Richard Childress Racing.
No. 37 -
Timmy Hill is in the seat (a little bit early), replacing Mike Wallace.  If Hill qualifies, he will make his Sprint Cup debut as a rookie on the circuit.
No. 93 -
Travis Kvapil is in the seat, replacing David Reutimann. Kvapil will be driving this car full-time throughout 2012.

Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 7 -
Robby Gordon for Robby Gordon Motorsports*
No. 23 -
Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports
No. 26 -
Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30 -
David Stremme for Inception Motorsports*
No. 36 -
Dave Blaney for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 37 -
Timmy Hill for MaxQ Motorsports/Rick Ware Racing
No. 49 -
J.J. Yeley for Robinson-Blakeney Racing
No. 87 -
Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 98 -
Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing
* - Expected to start and park

Not Entered:
No. 09 -
Kenny Wallace for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 6 -
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 21 - 
Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 40 -
Michael Waltrip for Hillman Racing
No. 97 -
Bill Elliott for NEMCO Motorsports

Nationwide Series Bashas' Supermarkets 200: 45 cars entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 13 -
Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 15 -
Timmy Hill for Rick Ware Racing
No. 18 -
Denny Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 20 -
Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22 -
Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 27 -
J.J. Yeley for GC Motorsports International
No. 30 -
James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33 -
Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 38 -
Kasey Kahne for Turner Motorsports
No. 40 -
Josh Wise for Key Motorsports
No. 47 -
Scott Speed for Key Motorsports
No. 54 -
Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports

Driver Changes:
No. 4 -
Darryl Harr is in the seat, replacing Danny Efland. No word on whether the West Coast driver will run the distance.
No. 23 -
Jamie Dick is in the seat, replacing Robert Richardson, Jr.  This is the first of many races in which Stott Classic Racing (formerly the No. 02) will operate R3 Motorsports' entry.
No. 27 -
J.J. Yeley returns to the seat, replacing David Ragan.
No. 28 -
David Green is in the seat, replacing J.J. Yeley.
No. 33 -
Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Tony Stewart.
No. 52 -
Tim Schendel returns to the seat, replacing Reed Sorenson.

Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 08 -
Casey Roderick for Randy Hill Racing
No. 10 -
Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports
No. 13 -
Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 20 -
Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22 -
Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 24 -
Benny Gordon for SR2 Motorsports
No. 27 -
J.J. Yeley for GC Motorsports International
No. 41 -
Blake Koch for Rick Ware Racing
No. 42 -
Erik Darnell for Key Motorsports
No. 44 -
Mike Bliss for TriStar Motorsports
No. 46 - 
Chase Miller for Key Motorsports
No. 47 -
Scott Speed for Key Motorsports
No. 54 -
Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports (Has second crack at the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 73 -
Derrike Cope for CFK Motorsports
No. 74 -
Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 89 -
Morgan Shepherd for Faith Motorsports

Originally Entered, but Already Withdrawn:
No. 73 -
Derrike Cope for CFK Motorsports

Not Entered:
No. 1 -
Kurt Busch for Phoenix Racing
No. 5 -
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports
No. 36 -
Ryan Truex for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 76 -
Donnie Neuenberger for Ray Hackett Racing
No. 97 -
Johnny Sauter for NEMCO Motorsports

Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.

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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 Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!

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Today's Featured Commentary
Hung Out To Dry - Drastic Measures Needed To Get The Wet Out
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese

Having been in a holding pattern since the rains rolled in Sunday morning, I have had ample time to ponder what changes NASCAR could implement to help alleviate these weather maladies that have done much to dampen the spirit – and credit card balance – of thousands of race fans.  While not exactly the 1979 Daytona 500 (albeit in reverse), this has been a historic 54th running of the event.  The first weather-delayed Daytona 500 in history, though there have been two rain shortened races in the last decade, with the 2003 and 2009 races being called before the end of 500 miles.  What then could be done to help prevent this from happening in the future?

My first thought was – and always has been, a giant awning.  No, not the Sun Setter Awning that the guy who looks like former Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards is still hocking on TV, but one that at least covers the turns.  It doesn't need to be metal; there are plenty of high strength polymers that could be employed.  They make up the majority of popular pistol frames today, and would do just as well keeping water off the racetrack.  The Formula 1 course in Singapore is a prime example of this phenomenon – and this for a series that runs rain tires.  Perhaps there is a way to make them retractable? After all, there are several MLB ballparks that have retractable roofs. Sure a race track is larger than an entire ball field, and with as many tracks as there are in tornado country, maybe this one might not work. Just thinking out loud here, trying to get the juices flowing...

Thinking along the more cost-effective side of things, we've all watched Major League Baseball games when as the rains begin to fall faster than the players can wipe off the ball, bat, and gloves, the army of groundskeepers that roll out the massive blue tarps to cover the field.  Looking like big, blue bails of nylon, the tarps help to preserve the integrity of the playing surface, preventing outdoor stadiums from turning into soggy mud bogs for when play resumes.  Often the delay is only as long as the rain showers, and once the tarps are recalled, it's business as usual.

Why not engineer the same thing at a race track?  Sure, it might be a bit far fetched for someplace like Daytona (which everybody said could not be lighted to race at night), but at a short track like Martinsville or Bristol, the tarps could be neatly concealed within the walls to cover the corners, while the front stretch could be the focus of the familiar jet dryers and guy-wielding-a-broom.

Living in Michigan, one of the familiar sights on the roadway six months a year, are the familiar green MDOT plow trucks.  Tasked with clearing the roadway of water that has turned solid and piled up two feet high, this same cutting edge technology could be also applied to the task of drying off a racing surface.  The bottom edge of the angled blade (or better yet, an awesome V-plow) could be fitted with a squeegee – i.e., a giant windshield wiper – to help move the water down off the banking and any standing water on the track.  The heat generated from the friction of the blade would help dry the track as well.  These same trucks have dump truck boxes in the rear that would make a happy home for a TF-30 jet engine, which is currently used to dry the tracks. There is plenty of real estate on those big machines with which to fasten water dispersing mechanicals; let's maximize it.

As I sat resembling the Gorton's Fisherman in my slicker, perched in the Keech Tower following the Lenny Kravitz pre-race concert, the familiar jet blowers took to the banking in Turns 1 and 2, in an effort to help keep from losing the track completely to moisture.  While their efforts were admirable, much like the Czech military in 1939, there was not much the small band of machines could muster.  The first thing that came to mind right after, "I should probably get out of the 30 mph blowing water" was, why for what is billed as "The Super Bowl of Stockcar Racing," are there as many trucks on hand to dry Daytona as there are at any other track we go to?  Wouldn't NASCAR invest in more than what looked like seven of the jet blowers out on the track?  There should be at minimum 20 for an event of this magnitude – and for as much as tickets command for the event.

Considering we're down one courtesy of something broken in the rear drive line of the No. 42 of Juan Pablo Montoya, they're going to need more anyway, so why not double down and make it happen?  Sure they're pricey, but with all of the attention ServiceMaster received – as well as Tide after the supernova in Turn 3, perhaps both companies would be willing to help sponsor some more trucks on the track with their name on them.

But at what cost you ask?  The jet blowers consume upwards of 300 gallons per hour of fuel.  Multiply that by 20 and the cost of aviation fuel, as well as the crewmen who run them, and the bill tends to go up mighty quick; say at the same rate as getting involved in multiple green-white-checker restrictor plate wrecks.  That being said, how about combining them into one massive jet-dried apparatus?  Take a semi truck with a flat bed trailer, and mount 10 of them on the trailer, pointed in different directions. That way you can maximize the man hours, getting more of the track dried faster in certain areas. But please note: if one of these tumbles down the banking at Talladega, I will not be held responsible.  Probably best to keep it to the flatter tracks of the front/backstretch.

Not all of these ideas are the answer to everything.  Heck, they might not even be feasible.  Not to sound cliched, but if we can put a man on the moon, we should be able to find a way to dry off pavement, and not inconvenience a slew of fans, teams, and network programming.

That's all I've come up with for now.  Call it the ramblings of a madman, held in hotel confinement for 36 hours, followed by driving 20 hours on two hours sleep – after having been up 21 hours the day before.  At least I didn't come down with the food poisoning that Buddy Baker did on Thursday this week.  And my rental Dodge Durango did not explode.  I would love to hear some of your ideas as to what NASCAR could do better to help dry the tracks off and get things going quicker. Please feel free to save your "hot air/journalist" blasts however.

Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.


The Critic's Annex: Chasing Daytona: Kenny Wallace
by Phil Allaway

Hello, race fans.  Welcome back to the Critic's Annex.  This secondary critique is back for its third season as a companion to the primary critique I write on the website, Couch Potato Tuesdays.  Unlike that column, I'm keeping the title for this one (that I created) intact.

The beginning of the season often brings on special programming and special gambits for television.  You might remember ESPN basically "adopting" Shane Doles back in 1996 and chronicling his travails in Daytona (he basically gave everything up for a chance at the big time, for lack of better words) in and around the ARCA race.

This year, two of SPEED's on-air personalities (Kenny Wallace and Michael Waltrip) both attempted the Daytona 500.  Neither made it.  As you remember, Waltrip screwed up while getting up to speed after a pit stop and wrecked.  Meanwhile, Wallace fell victim to the new electronic fuel injection system acting up.  However, before the EFI put a boot in Wallace's Daytona 500 hopes, SPEED spent some time chronicling Wallace and RAB Racing's Daytona 500 effort.

The introduction to the show made Kenny Wallace out to be some kind of vanquished hero, sort of like Cole Trickle in "Days of Thunder" after he had his huge flip in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona. That was a little weird.  The program then starts off just after the 2011 season ended at Kenny's house (with, for some reason, a shirtless Kenny in bed).  Effectively, the show chronicled Kenny's entire offseason and how his Daytona 500 deal came together.

Probably the most interesting revelation made in the first segment of the show is that Wallace drove the 2011 season in the No. 09 for free.  Granted, he has multiple other income streams (personal sponsorships and most notably, the on-air work for SPEED, which likely pays him a pretty penny (I'm not privy to the details of Wallace's contract, so I can't help you there)), but that's really something worth noting.  He did it because he felt he needed to, not because Robby Benton asked him to.

Equally interesting was the admission that he had wasted the previous four years (2007-2010) of his driving career driving for teams that he claimed either "didn't want to race, or were in it just for the money."  For reference purposes, in that time, Wallace drove for Furniture Row Motorsports in Sprint Cup (22 starts, 11 DNQs), a short stint in 2008 with Fitz Motorsports, then three years with Jay Robinson Racing (we're going to exclude Wallace's sub role for Yates Racing while Ricky Rudd was recovering from injuries suffered in Fontana).  Apparently, there are quite a few stories from Wallace's stint in the No. 78 that really showed the somewhat amateur status of the team at that time.  As for the Jay Robinson No. 28, that organization has always been small time.  They were at their absolute best right before NASCAR nixed testing.  Since then, they've been effectively bottom feeders.

As a result of all of the struggles, along with the constant attempts to attract sponsorship, Wallace had become run down.  However, signing on with RAB Racing has reinvigorated Wallace's career.  Heck, Wallace seemed like a different person on Twitter about a month before it was announced that he was going to the No. 09 for 2011.

We learned quite a few interesting things during the show.  For example, NASCAR, in their infinite wisdom, thought that 2012 was a good time to increase license fees for drivers in the Nationwide Series by 167 percent (from apparently $3,000 to $8,000).  Wallace was definitely not pleased about it, but you gots to pay if you want to race.

Another fact that just how difficult it was for the RAB Racing team to acquire a car that could be used to even attempt the Daytona 500 with.  According to the show, they originally planned to get one from the Red Bull Racing Team.  Unfortunately, they decided not to sell at that time.  It wasn't stated outright on the show, but the likely reason why this initial sale fell through was due to the ownership group now known as BK Racing coming together to purchase the operation.  Regardless, they eventually did get a car, but it was just a couple of weeks before Speedweeks.  Since they had roughly 16 days to prep the car once they got it before leaving for Daytona, it was a thrash at best.

A third interesting point was the fact that the team went to Speedweeks with just that one car (and apparently, the steering wheel out of Wallace's Nationwide car). That practice was similar to what MacDonald Motorsports did with Blake Koch at Daytona last July for the Nationwide Series Subway Jalapeno 250.  I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, knowing just how long it took just to get the one car.

Away from racing, Wallace appeared to be quite the family man.  He is clearly in love with his wife, Kim.  His daughter cuts his hair on a regular basis (She's a licensed cosmetologist.  That's her livelihood) and he loves to spend time with the extended family.  Of course, even then, racing intervenes.  His schedule could be best described as "insane," but he tries to be as grounded as possible.  Wallace spends time in what appeared to be the unfinished basement of his house working out.  He touts the benefits of oatmeal for breakfast (apparently, Mark Martin turned him on to it).

Even away from the track, the nutty side of Kenny still comes out from time to time.  Someone thought it'd be a good idea to show him showering and singing while in there.  That was ridiculous.  Other times, he was just acting goofy.

At the end of the show, Wallace was feeling very confident that he could get the No. 09 into the Daytona 500.  The car the team bought was apparently the same car that Brian Vickers ran at Talladega last year.  The show made it sound like it was the car Vickers raced at Talladega in October.  However, the information presented made it sound like it was the car Vickers raced there in April.  That event didn't end well for Vickers.  He finished 38th after wrecking early in the race and was 73 laps down at the end.

Regardless of inaccuracies or incongruities, this documentary was a decent show to watch.  I was concerned about this show at first only because its SPEED and Kenny Wallace.  I knew they were going to do something to chronicle Wallace's Daytona 500 attempt as soon as it was announced.  What I didn't expect was all the extra stuff.  I feel like I came out of this show knowing a little bit more about the man called "Herman" than I did before.  And that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I hope you enjoyed this look at Chasing Daytona: Kenny Wallace.  Next week, I'm going to stray a bit from TV and take a look at Darrell Waltrip's new book, Sundays Will Never Be The Same. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action in Phoenix!

Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.  He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:


Your Cheating Art: Analyzing The Knaus/Hendrick Penalty
by Matt McLaughlin

Potts' Shots: Where Did The Checkered Flag Come From?
by John Potts

Darian 1, Stewart 0: Can The New Crew Chief Jumpstart Denny's Season?
by Garrett Horton

Professor of Speed: Just One of Them Weeks
by Mark Howell

Truckin' Thursdays: Can The King Keep His Crown? And Other Daytona Lessons

by Beth Lunkenheimer

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:  In 1993, Phoenix International Raceway was the first short oval on the IndyCar schedule.  However, the series' biggest "get" in the offseason, Nigel Mansell, failed to start the race.  What happened?
 
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Tuesday's Answer:

Q:
  In 1997, Phoenix International Raceway hosted the first 200-mile race for the then-recently introduced production-based IRL engines (Note: Disney World was the first race of the season, but it was rain-shortened).  Underdog Jim Guthrie broke through to claim his one and only IRL victory.  What was notable about the win?

A: Guthrie had literally mortgaged his and his family's entire future on his racing dreams.  In order to afford one of the new generation cars and an Aurora V8 engine, he put his house up as collateral.  Even after winning in Phoenix, he was still $85,000 in debt.  Luckily, the win and publicity from his story resulted in a sponsorship deal for the Indianapolis 500.  Unfortunately, Guthrie's racing career ended as a result of injuries suffered in this big crash in the 1998 Indianapolis 500.  Guthrie, driving a black and white car for ISM Racing (yes, the same organization that owned the Tabasco No. 35 in Winston Cup that year until they merged with TylerJet Motorsports), is in the car that goes through the grass, runs over debris and spears into the wall.

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 Nick Schwartz
-- In Case You Missed It by Nick Schwartz
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!

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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:


Four Burning Questions: Phoenix by Summer Dreyer
Summer returns with her four-part look at what we should expect from this weekend's Subway Fresh Fit 500k in Phoenix.

The Yellow Stripe by Danny Peters
The Daytona 500 is obviously a big deal.  However, for decades, it has existed as something unto itself.  Danny explains why this weekend's race in Phoenix and next weekend's action in Las Vegas are far more important in showing the keys to the 2012 championship Chase.

Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
On Wednesday, NASCAR threw the book at Chad Knaus. Amy is here to tell you that the penalty is unjust.

Driver Diary: Regan Smith as told to Tony Lumbis
Regan Smith returns for another season of interesting insights into his life on and off the track.
 
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece. This week, the focus turns to independent Nationwide Series driver Jeremy Clements.

Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Jeff may no longer live in Iowa, but he's still back with his own particular brand of writing.

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Frontstretch Newsletter: Leap Year Edition! Feb. 29, 2012


THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
February 29th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition XXVIII

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Top News
by Tom Bowles

Daytona 500 TV Ratings Down, But Not Disastrous

After a rain-delayed Sunday event, NASCAR was on pins and needles to see if Mother Nature would even stop the rain from falling come Monday primetime. But the weather stopped, the track dried and what followed became an unintentional experiment for this sport that produced a fair amount of Nielsen success.

Ratings-wide, the event clocked in with an 8.0, down nearly nine percent from last year's 8.7. However, due to the length of the race this year's Daytona 500 came close to setting a record for total viewers. 36.5 million tuned in between 7 PM and 1 AM Tuesday morning, the race's conclusion to watch at least part of the event, falling just short of the 37 million who tuned in for the 2006 edition of the race.

ESPN, on the other hand, set a cable viewership record with 4.43 million people tuning in to this year's Nationwide Series season-opener. Overall, the rating of 2.7 is up a tenth from Danica's debut in the series back in 2010. The Trucks also posted a year-to-year increase, jumping nine percent in their household rating to move from 1.49 to 1.63 on SPEED.

Top 12: At A Glance

Since the Daytona 500 ended so late, we weren't able to bring you the Chase picture yesterday. But here's the good news: there's not much to report. With his victory, Matt Kenseth jumps out of the gate with a five-point lead on Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who did not lead a lap in the 500, Denny Hamlin, who led the most and Greg Biffle. Sitting in fifth is Monday night's fifth-place finisher, Jeff Burton, followed by Paul Menard and Kevin Harvick. Carl Edwards, the polesitter who didn't lead a single lap and Joey Logano are tied for eighth; Mark Martin rounds out the top 10. With just one race in the books, the "wild cards" from 11th to 20th all have zero victories which means Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex, Jr. would round out the Chase field.

Top 35: At A Glance

Again, one race in it's still early to be tracking the top 35 race. But while 2012 points won't be used until Martinsville, the weekend of March 30th - April 1st (and week six on the NASCAR schedule) it's easy to dig yourself an early hole. That's what David Ragan, driving for Front Row Motorsports' No. 34 has done with a last-place finish in this year's Daytona 500. To be fair, the wreck wasn't of Ragan's making but sports doesn't deal in the world of "what ifs." Instead, he's a part of an organization which destroyed three cars over Speedweeks, putting them behind the eight ball going forward.

Some other notables outside the top 35 include Kurt Busch/No. 51 (39th), Jeff Gordon (40th), and Jimmie Johnson (42nd). But all these teams, within 10 points of 35th as of now are expected to easily climb back inside by the time even Bristol (race four) comes around later this month. 

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.
 
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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!

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Numbers Game: Daytona 500
by Garrett Horton
 
0  
Prior to Sunday's washout, the Daytona 500 had never been run on a Monday.  There have been rain delays, pothole delays, and even fire delays, but this year's season opener was the first time the race had been pushed back a day since its inception in 1959.
 
.210  
The margin of victory race winner Matt Kenseth had over second-place Dale Earnhardt Jr.  For most races, that would be considered pretty close, but this was the greatest margin of victory in the 500 since 2004, when Earnhardt beat Tony Stewart by .273 seconds. 
 
2  
Martin Truex, Jr. has led at the halfway mark of the Daytona 500 for two straight races now.  This time around, he got a reward for his efforts, earning $200,000 for leading lap 100.
 
3  
Consecutive top-10 finishes in the Daytona 500 for Carl Edwards, the longest current streak of any driver.
 
4  
Denny Hamlin ended the 36 hours of Daytona with a fourth-place finish, easily eclipsing his previous career best in the season opener, which was 17th.
 
5  
With his runner-up finish Monday night, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. now has five podium finishes in the Daytona 500.
 
6  
Since the very first Daytona 500 that allowed for green-white-checkered finishes, back in 2005, there have been six instances of NASCAR's version of overtime.  The only two not to feature this rule were the 2008 running, which had its final restart with three to go, and a year later in the rain-shortened 2009 event.
 
7  
In his two Daytona races since scoring one of the biggest upsets of all-time last year, Trevor Bayne has only been in contention for seven laps before wrecks eliminated any chances of victory. He was taken out on Lap 4 of the July race last summer and was caught up in Monday's first wreck on Lap 3. 
 
17  
Tony Stewart owns 17 victories at the Daytona International Speedway, second most all-time to Dale Earnhardt, Sr.'s 34.  However, his 16th-place effort this week made him 0-for-14 in the most important Daytona race of all, the 500.
 
22  
By picking up his second Harley J. Earl trophy early Tuesday morning, Matt Kenseth now has 22 career wins, moving him into a tie with Terry Labonte for 29th most all-time.
 
38  
Kenseth led the final 38 laps, which is the most without a lead change since Dale Earnhardt won the Daytona 500 in 1998, leading the event's final 61 circuits.
 
42  
Jimmie Johnson finished 42nd Monday night, equaling his career worst result.  He also finished 42nd at the rain-shortened Pocono event in June, 2007.
 
57  
Denny Hamlin led a race-high 57 laps Monday night.  In his six previous starts in the 500, he led only for 40 laps combined.
 
125  
The number of minutes the red flag was out to repair track damages sustained from the jet fuel burning the track. 
 
300  
With Kenseth's season-opening victory, car owner Jack Roush now owns a combined total of 300 wins in Cup, Nationwide, and Trucks since coming to NASCAR in 1988.   
 
140,000  
Fans were able to return for Monday night's marathon, according to the official attendance released by the track.  The estimated attendance for the originally scheduled running was 180,000.

Garrett Horton is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at garrett.horton@frontstretch.com.

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Today's Featured Commentary

Unintended Prime-time Test Could Open Up the Schedule
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff

The NASCAR Cup schedule has been at 36 points-paying races since 2001 and the sanctioning body has maintained that there is no room to add race weekends. Well, while there may not be any room to add, the unintended move of the Daytona 500 to Monday night in primetime just might have been the impetus to explore the possibility of moving more mid-week races into the schedule. Prior to the influx of R.J. Reynolds' money in 1972, the schedule routinely had around 50 races, with a maximum of 62 events in 1964. While no one is suggesting running weeknight races every week of the season, it would certainly be possible to mix in some one-day shows in the middle of the week, a move that would increase the visibility of the sport while hopefully returning it to its short track roots.

A Cup weekend is a very busy event with a massive amount of equipment being moved around the country to enable the television and radio broadcasts to occur, along with the NASCAR officials and their technical inspection equipment. Part of that volume of equipment is due to the size of the venues that host the Cup races. Smaller tracks require fewer cameras and fewer people because they are in a more condensed area. The number of people is certainly not proportionate to the venue, but having the races take place at smaller tracks would certainly cut down on some of the amount of paraphernalia that would have to be moved. 

Another advantage to having the midweek races at short tracks would be that many of the people who come to Cup races travel great distances to attend the events. It would not be practical for nearly as many people to travel like that to midweek shows, so much of the at-track audience would be from people within a short driving distance of the race track. Since that would be a smaller number of people, the seating demands at the track would be less than the bigger venues. Again, that would make it more enticing to have the midweek shows occur at local short tracks with seating for 20,000-30,000 people. On the plus side, night time races at short tracks would be very popular with the fans as we constantly hear that they would like to see more short tracks on the schedule.

There are some 900 short tracks across the United States, so finding plenty of venue options to host races that are near the weekend tracks should not be that difficult. Obviously, there are a plethora of ovals in the Southeast that hosted races when the Cup Series was in its infancy, but there are many more across the land that could be utilized as the teams travel back from race weekends to their shops. One benefit to scheduling the midweek races in such a fashion is that the NASCAR technical inspectors could actually tech the cars before they left the weekend Cup venue en route to the short track for a day show. Officials could travel with the cars to ensure they weren't tampered with or they could use some kind of seal on the hauler doors to ensure the cars weren't touched between venues.

The race schedule for a midweek show would mirror the schedules that are used for typical races held at tracks across the country every weekend. The haulers would come in and park in the morning, and the teams would have a practice or two. Then, the teams would qualify to determine the starting positions before the cars would be lined up and the race would be run. Plus, they would be back on the road in less than 24 hours, local fans would see a Cup race and television fans would get to see more short track racing.

NASCAR would have to change a rule that is currently in place, which states that no races can be held on tracks that are less than a half-mile in length. While there are some local tracks that are a half-mile long, the vast majority of them are in the 3/8ths to 4/10ths of a mile range. The races could still be 500 laps, but the distances would be shorter than the typical Cup event.

Fortunately for race teams, the new car design is more flexible than the prior race cars, so running a car at a bigger venue and then running it at a local short track would not be as daunting a task as it previously would have been. Some teams would obviously bring different cars to the track but teams that didn't have the resources could run the same vehicles without being at a large disadvantage.

Then that brings us to prize money, which would obviously be smaller than the bigger tracks simply because the stands cannot hold nearly as many people. While the money might be less for the teams, since they're already in the area and won't have to spend as much money ferrying equipment back and forth, they would be able to run the events for less cash. One other advantage would hopefully be that NASCAR could increase their television revenue because they'd be putting on races during primetime, so their broadcast partners could charge more for advertising.

Just a few examples of how the schedule might work:

If NASCAR would swap the Martinsville and Fontana races, the series could run a Wednesday night at Newport or Kingsport in Tennessee.

After Richmond the series would be able to run at South Boston, Virginia before they head to Talladega.

Between Dover and Pocono the teams might be able to race at Wall Stadium in New Jersey.

Once the teams rolled out of Indianapolis, they could stop at Toledo Speedway before they went back to Pocono.

That is just a handful of possible races that could be staged that would not require an extensive change of direction for the hauler drivers between races. Another option that could be raised with the midweek idea would be getting Cup cars back onto dirt tracks. ARCA has been running stock cars on dirt for years and fans have been clamoring for a long time to see the Cup cars do the same. With the success of the Prelude to the Dream, NASCAR has to be looking at the potential audience they could bring to the series if they went back to dirt, even if only for an exhibition race.

Cup racing is a hugely complicated endeavor when it comes to putting on a race program. Part of that complication has arisen from all of the hoopla and commitments for sponsors around race weekends. Putting on midweek shows would allow the teams and drivers to get back to their racing roots and allow fans who do not have the means to make it to a full-blown weekend event the opportunity to see their heroes run at their local tracks. After Monday night's Daytona 500 was so well received, excluding the towering inferno in Turn 3, NASCAR has to be thinking about bringing back primetime racing and this is just an option that would bring many of the fans who've left the sport in the recent past back into the fold.

Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.

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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.
 
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Tweet 'N' Greet
by Summer Dreyer

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, Summer Dreyer 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...
 
@KevinHarvick: Part that amazes me is how far the stuff flys all over the place after it hits the wall...
 
@MikeDavis88: SAFER barriers are no longer new, but I remain in awe of their effectiveness in absorbing high-speed impact.
 
@JLogano (Joey Logano): Watching the truck race from the spotters stand. I don't give spotters enough credit. Idk how they can see anything
 
@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): Fire! My view http://pic.twitter.com/RWn3xMn6
 
@CrewChief6NNS (Mike Kelley): OK Bruton how you gonna top this?
 
@KevinHamlin: So Georgetown blasted Notre Dame tonight. Probably going to be the lead story on @SportsCenter I'd guess. #justkidding
 
@JimmieJohnson: It's amazing what can happen over the course of a plane flight... I'm happy to hear everyone is OK.
 
@AndyLally: Yesterday the Daytona 500 was rained out, today the Daytona 500 was burned out.
 
@odsteve (Steve O'Donnell): Thanks to @MISpeedway worker Duane Barnes. Driver of jet dryer. Word from him is that he is doing fine-just being evaluated #thankful
 
@AndyLally: Juan, I want you to go out there & hit the jet dryer!--Hit the jet dryer??-- You've hit every other thing out there I want you to be perfect!
 
@bscottracing (Brian Scott): Wow.... @keselowski has gained over 55,000 twitter followers since the #Daytona500 red flag started. That's crazy! Congrats to him though!
 
@keselowski: Time to get back racing, thank you for following!
 
@Kenny_Wallace: I just looked at Brad K's followers, he went from 80 thousand to 168 thousand in that ONE hour!..WOW!..TV is power!
 
@joeycoulter: Thanks to the exploding jet dryer I think @miguelpaludo and I lost our highlight spots on @SportsCenter #whataweekend @DISupdates
 
@keselowski: My friendly #nascar official Says we r close #DAYTONA500 http://pic.twitter.com/rSANOw2i"
 
@DeLanaHarvick: In less than 30 mins it's our 11 yr anniversary RT

@jim_utter: Folks this race will end on TUESDAY
 
@jpmontoya: I'm glad I made it home in one piece. What a freak accident. Wanna thanks everybody for the messages!!! Now we move to phoenix.
 
@keselowski: Nothing we could do there... Never saw the wreck till we were windshield deep. #DAYTONA500
 
@Kenny_Wallace: In ALL my @NASCAR years I have NEVER seen SO many wrecks in Speedweeks for the #Daytona500 for ALL series, Trucks, NNS, Cup!..
 
@keselowski: Jamie says something broke on his car #1 Maybe the same as Juan.
 
@JimmieJohnson: I didn't think our sport was a form of endurance racing until yesterday/today.
 
@JimmieJohnson: Biffle took teammate to a whole new level. Congrats @matt_kenseth17!
 
@AndyLally: Wow... unreal. THAT may be the hardest thing Biffle has ever done. He rode the brake that entire last lap. That is a committed teammate.
 
@BradCColeman: "GREG, Y U NO TRY AT END OF RACE?!"
 
@keselowski: On our way out of @DISupdates Can't help but think of what might have been... Congrats to @matt_kenseth17 He is under-rated
 
@KevinHarvick: Well it was a pretty solid day we always want to win but just couldn't get anything going over the last 2 laps... 

@JLogano: What a weird race. I had a lot of close calls. I just wasn't in position where I wanted to be at the end to win
 
@dennyhamlin: Now believe it or not I can't go home.. Fogged in. Yet another night in Daytona
 
@KevinHarvick: It is like the week that won't ever end now we are stuck in Daytona because of fog at home...
 
@MartinTruexJr56: And as if we haven't been here long enough, we have to stay here @DISupdates again tonight because the weather is bad at home.
 
@DanicaPatrick: 1st-I want to thank and apologize to my fans for crashing early. 2nd-I am having eggs and a beer for dinner. 3rd-flight leaves in 4 hours
 
@DeLanaHarvick: But at least we're together baby! :) RT @KevinHarvick Its like the week that won't ever end now we r stuck in Daytona because of fog at home
 
@JLogano: So we are grounded for the night there is too much fog at home to land #DaytonaHostageCrises2012 continues
 
@KevinHarvick: No hotel bus is gone so we wait on @AverageAir to give us clearance clarance...
 
@jamiemcmurray: After getting the car back to the garage it appears the LR tire was going down and finally blew out. Congrats to @mattkenseth
 
@JeffGordonWeb: Hey @MartySmithESPN I'm hearing that @Jpmontoya broke trailing arms in rear of car caused freak accident. Anyone else know cause?
 
@mattkenseth: I'm never leaving! http://t.co/TtGwtKMk
 
@gbiffle: Not really sure why people think I wouldn't pass @matt_kenseth17 for the win but I never lifted or touched the brakes for the last 2 laps!!
 
@JLogano: Victims of the #DaytonaHostageCrises2012 http://t.co/5NOxCEvn
 
@gbiffle: I have never met a driver that wanted to finish 2nd!! 2nd is the 1st loser and so are the people who think i touched the brakes last 2 laps
 
@jpmontoya: I'm glad everybody is OK from yesterday. Heading out with the wife to lunch.
 
@Tymwr: Fog delayed team flt home til 6:30, landed at 8 am, str8 to shop and so much energy here it has kept me awake. #dedicatedemployees
 
@Regan_Smith_: Not sure if we would ever consider running other Monday night races or weeknight races again, but I would be all for it.
 
@mattkenseth: Bling http://t.co/bh9W35vP
 
@odsteve: Just confirming, not sure where rumors came from-no penalities for Brad, thought he was awesome during the red flag!

Summer Dreyer is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via email at summer.dreyer@frontstretch.com.

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~~~~~~~~~~

TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

by Summer Dreyer

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: In 1997, Phoenix International Raceway hosted the first 200 mile race for the then-recently introduced production-based IRL engines (Note: Disney World was the first race of the season, but it was rain-shortened).  Underdog Jim Guthrie broke through to claim his one and only IRL victory.  What was notable about the win?

Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Tuesday's Answer:

Q: In the 1989 Autoworks 500k, Rusty Wallace lost a significant number of points to Dale Earnhardt due to a crash.  With whom did he tangle with in Turns 1 and 2?

A: Rusty Wallace collided with the No. 90 Ford, driven in a rare appearance by Hollywood stuntman Stan Barrett.  Wallace, who had led 76 laps in the race, eventually finished a lap down in 16th while Dale Earnhardt finished sixth.

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
-- 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.

Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite experts are back to break down the bizarre 2012 Daytona 500. Where do we go from here? You'll find out as their analysis also stretches into Nationwide and Trucks.

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!

Professor Of Speed by Mark Howell
Our professor of racing history "has at it" with another column pertinent to the sport at large. This week, Mark takes a look at the fine line drivers walk between aggression and recklessness each week.

Going Green by Garrett Horton
Garrett is back with another intriguing commentary following a bizarre weekend at Daytona.

Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth is back this year on a new night, but it's the same great commentary you've come to enjoy! This week, Beth takes a look at lessons learned in Friday night's season-opener from Daytona.

-----------------------------
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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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Frontstretch Edition: Daytona 500 Wrap-Up #2, February 28th, 2012

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
February 28th, 2012
Volume V, Edition XXVIII
~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~~~~~~~~~

EDITOR'S NOTE: We had an incorrect title in this morning's recap, which was about the Daytona 500 - not the previous week's Budweiser Shootout. We apologize for the error.

Daytona 500 Wrap-Up
by Tom Bowles

Here's a quick look at some stories we didn't get to last night, along with some driver quotes and Monday morning story updates so you're all good to go.


Jet Dryer Driver Releases Statement, Will Be OK

The biggest fright of Duane Barnes' life will wind up being just that; a scare. The driver of the jet dryer Juan Pablo Montoya hit at the Daytona 500 has been released from the hospital and is expected to be just fine. Michigan Speedway released a statement late Monday afternoon in which Barnes, 52, spoke out about the incident.

"I appreciate everyone for taking the time to write, call and ask how I am," he said. "I am OK and I am amazed at how many people have wished me well. I am also glad Juan Pablo Montoya is OK, and thank him for his concern."

Barnes, who has worked in the MIS maintenance department for 24 years was released in time to actually return to the track, catching the end of the Daytona 500. As for Montoya, he thanked everyone for well-wishes on Twitter and appears to be physically fine from the incident.

Keselowski Will Not Be Fined For Twitter

Brad Keselowski's backstretch pictures will be nothing more than NASCAR publicity. Spokesman Steve O'Donnell on Twitter confirmed the driver will not be penalized for having a communication device in his car. There was brief concern that having a cell phone violated NASCAR rules, particularly involving how electronic devices inside the car must be for competition use only. However, officials have confirmed that going forward they'll be allowed to be brought inside all Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series vehicles. 

Around The Daytona 500: Driver Quotes You May Have Missed

"I'm happy for Matt. He's going to need that for his college fund, and them kids will be in good shape now." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished second

"I kind of liked the package obviously. It definitely suits my style better, and I can do things on my own. Maybe not definitely going to need some help to win races, but I definitely can do more on my own like this. In the old package you needed someone else the entire race, and that's not fun." - Dale Jr. on the plate package

"NASCAR did a great job. To be honest, I didn't think they could make these kinds of chances. But they did and they did a great job of breaking up the tandem. It made it for a completely different race." - Jeff Burton, finished fifth

"It was really just a lot of speedy dry and whatever they washed it with and one little bump. They did a good job fixing it. You couldn't even tell." - Kevin Harvick, finished seventh

"Weeks just weeks; it seems like we have been here for a month. Just a lot of strange things happening to tell you the truth, but I'm happy to get in the plane and head home." - Harvick on Speedweeks

"I'm ok. My foot hurt, but I'm ok. For as big of a hit that way; I'm pretty good to be honest. Something fell in the rear of the car and the car just spun into the jet dryer. I felt a vibration and came in. They looked at everything and everything was ok and I still told them 'I think there is something broke' and I was coming back into the pits and the car just spun by itself.  [The fire] burned the helmet and everything." - Juan Pablo Montoya, finished 36th

"Any lap that I turn is progression, that's for sure. That's why I was so proud of everyone working so hard. They were working hard to get me back on the track. Was there much to gain as far as position? No. What there was to gain was for me to get the experience of running out there." - Danica Patrick, finished 38th

"There has been so much reliability testing that if we had seen some high temps or some high water pressure, then I would have kind of expected some of this to happen. But, I was actually seeing some surprising low temps and low pressures. I don't know, maybe something was off there." - Jeff Gordon, on blown engine that finished 40th

"I'm just really, really bummed to start the season this way. For all the hard work that has gone into getting this Lowe's Chevrolet ready for tonight; we didn't get to complete two-and-a-half miles of green flag racing. So, I'm pretty bummed." - Jimmie Johnson, finished 42nd


Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.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 Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!

~~~~~~~~~~
Special Commentary
Twitter: Changing The Face Of NASCAR
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady

Picture this.  There's a giant ball of flame flaring above a melting jet dryer in Turn 3.  All of NASCAR and then some have their eyes glued to one of the most bizarre moments in sporting history, and then the boy in blue pulled out his phone to send a picture... 

Twitter: the connection to the entire planet, my direct line to NASCAR 24/7.  

It was 11:45 AM Monday, I was stuck in my office without a television or radio and yet I was aware the Daytona 500 had been postponed to 7 PM Monday night, A.J. Allmendinger (@AJDinger) ate some chipotle for lunch, Kevin Harvick (@KevinHarvick) was bored and decided to catch a movie, members of the No. 33 team were trying on silly hats and the Orange Cone (@TheOrangeCone) was playing a little something called #replacewordinsongtitlewithdanica.  Maybe that makes it sound like Twitter is all fun and games.  Not true!  A day doesn't pass where I don't see thanks to our serving military, prayers for a fan's loved one and well thought out strategies for the upcoming racing event scroll down my phone.

Life has changed in our sport.

Have you noticed?  Under every broadcaster's name now appears their Twitter handle.  Dick Berggren (@dickberggren) and Frontstretch's own Bryan Davis Keith (@BryanDavisKeith) even bent to the necessity of hooking into this social media feeding frenzy.  Every driver, crew chief, media member, jet dryer driver --  with perhaps the exception of one Duane Barnes, wife, tire changer, and physical part of the track now has something to say about everything that happens on any given day.

I avidly catalogue all the different conversations that fly between those that live in NASCAR's limelight.  There's the Baby Harvick phenomenon, pet pics galore, public relation appearances, tweet-ups, fan questions and trivia games to tantalize even the hardcore viewer who knows racing existed before Jeff Gordon.  It's not that this "insider info" is all new.  We had all the same tidbits available before, but now it is conveniently packaged in a one-stop shop.  

In days gone by, I had to tune into every NASCAR talk show, nightly news, flip through the bazillion pages of Jayski, click on links, chase rumors, Yahoo and Google groups... staying up on my favorite pastime had become all-consuming.  And my obsession was obvious.  Spending that amount of time ferreting out who was dating who and their favorite afternoon snack interfered with that other job, much to the chagrin of my boss.

Life is easier now. By "following" a large number of NASCAR insiders I am rarely shocked by an evening announcement hours old.  But it's also a bit like I've been welcomed into the inner sanctum.  That may be the most seductive part of the Twitter tidal wave: celebrities are now accessible to fans 24 hours a day.  Maybe they're not answering the phone right now, but if you watch Mark Martin's (@55MarkMartin) timeline, he does spend a good portion of each day communicating not with his fellow drivers, but the unwashed masses.  He talks shop, music, food, exercise regiments.  It's truly a personal connection. When a fan is retweeted by a driver, every person following gets a cc: of that thought.  Now, not only are you getting into the mindset of the competitors, but all of NASCAR Nation.

Wow.  It's more than a bit addicting.

The long-term bonus, of course, means accessibility above and beyond what NASCAR has always been known for.  It's one thing to shake your hero's hand and have them sign a hat, it's quite another to have them tell you they ate Beanie Weenies for supper while acknowledging you for the rest of the world to see.   The lowly fan is now being recognized on the worldwide stage.  

You think that statement is a stretch?  Let's look at a few numbers.  Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) had a measly 72,000 people following his tweets before the infamous red flag period, which is a drop in the bucket to that sparkling Miss Patrick (@DanicaPatrick) who boasts a mere 503,000 names in her follow column.  

But take a look at Keselowski now. Enough people were enamored with the thought of following a driver, showing a picture of that fire the driver of the No. 2 amassed an additional 140,000!!! followers in just over two hours.  With those kinds of audience numbers built into everything someone cares to share with Twitterdom, the networks and major media outlets are only smart to include this obsession in their television broadcasts.  Otherwise, they'd be snubbing all the inside information that their core audience is well aware of before the On-Air sign lights up.  No longer is the broadcast going to be about breaking news, but adding to NASCAR Nation's enjoyment of their ever-expanding insider info stored on their smart phones, laptops and tablets.

Make no mistake, the coverage of auto racing will never be the same, and we got a fair induction to that Monday night on the Superstretch. Some might belabor the loss of hard news and solid stats as the lead-in on RaceDay, but don't miss it too much.  What we have now is a more human interaction among those that build, move, and race those machines that remain at the heart of this sport.  I wouldn't give up this newfound connection for anything. And somehow I don't think Mr. Keselowski will, either.

~~~~

Feel like you're missing out?  Join me, everyone here at the Frontstretch and the rest of Twitterdom.  It's free and only requires a computer/smart phone and internet connection.  http://twitter.com  

Follow me:  S.D. Grady (@laregna)
Follow The Frontstretch: (@TheFrontstretch)

P.S. - Sonya's Weekly "Danica Patrick Stat"
Patrick this week: 2 starts in point races (1 Cup, 1 NNS).  Average Finishing Position: 38th.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q:
  In the 1989 Autoworks 500k, Rusty Wallace lost a significant number of points to Dale Earnhardt due to a crash.  With whom did he tangle with in Turns 1 and 2?

Check back Tuesday 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:
-- Top News from Tom Bowles
-- 
Full Throttle by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!

Coming Tomorrow On The Frontstretch:

Did You Notice?... by Tom Bowles
Several teams with nothing but scrap metal left from Daytona? Tom Bowles examines the impact a wreckfest Speedweeks had on those programs, makes a case for and against the Biffle conspiracy and ties up Daytona loose ends in his weekly look at small but important observations around the Sprint Cup circuit.
  
Going Green by Garrett Horton
Garrett will have an interesting column based upon Monday night's events in Daytona.

Top 15 Power Rankings: Daytona 500 compiled by Summer Dreyer
Your favorite weekly rankings are back, with a twist! Media experts from multiple platforms, not just Frontstretch come together in a racing-style AP Poll to rank the top 15 NASCAR drivers entering the season. And oh, they have plenty of sarcastic one-liners, too!

Five Points To Ponder by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan is back with his weekly edition of talking points to tie up the Daytona 500 and get us set for Phoenix next weekend.

Frontstretch Top Ten by the Frontstretch Staff
We're back with another Top Ten list based on the events of this past weekend in Daytona.

------------------------------
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 toeditors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2012 Frontstretch.com

--
Feel free to forward this newsletter if you have any friends who loves
NASCAR and great NASCAR commentary. They can subscribe to the Frontstetch by visiting http://www.frontstretch.com/notice/9557/.
 
If you want to stop your Frontstretch Newsletter subscription, we're sorry
to see you go. Just send an email to
TheFrontstretch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com from the address that you
recieve the Frontstretch Newsletter.

The Frontstretch Newsletter: February 28th, 2012

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
February 28th, 2012
Volume V, Edition XXVII
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ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand?  A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!  Interested parties can contact us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.

~~~~~~~~~~~

EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to the late finish of this year's 500 (approx. 1 AM EST), we will have two Newsletter editions as not all information was available by press time. Look for a second, longer version to come out later this morning.

Sprint Cup Race Recap: Kyle Busch Recovers From Near-Wrecks to Win Budweiser Shootout
by Kevin Rutherford

"One thing about racing: When you think you've seen it all, it finds a way to show you something you never thought you'd see."

So said Brad Keselowski during a lengthy, two-hour red flag at Monday night's Daytona 500.  The Penske Racing driver was talking about the reason for the red flag: an enormous fire on the racing surface caused when Juan Pablo Montoya spun into a jet dryer while under caution. It was the highlight of a bizarre, wreck-filled Daytona 500 in which the 43-car grid didn't make it past the first lap before trouble struck.

In the end, though, it was a familiar face that rose above the fray to emerge victorious. After the track was finally deemed safe for racing at around Midnight EST, it was Matt Kenseth who took the checkered, beating Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle and perennial favorite Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to the finish after a green-white-checker finish.

It was Kenseth's second win in four years in the Great American Race, making him the first repeat winner of the event since Jeff Gordon won for a third time in 2005. The Wisconsin driver had previously won the rain-shortened 2009 race. 

"It feels great.  We had a really fast car all day and overcame a lot of adversity and problems with the car that we figured out," Kenseth said in the post-race press conference.  "We had a great pit stop at the end that put us into position.  I wasn't expecting to win when I woke up this morning so it feels good to be sitting here."

After a crash-marred final 40 laps, Kenseth held off a too-late charge from Earnhardt, Jr., who passed Biffle for second off Turn 4 but could not reach the No. 17 Ford. Biffle was in the best position for most of the final lap, getting pushed hard by Junior's No. 88 but unable to blast past his friend and rival despite the tandem draft.

"I still am a little blown away by the end of that race and that we weren't able to push up to the back of the No. 17 car," he said. "I was kind of surprised by that. Next time maybe we will do something a little bit different."

Denny Hamlin finished a strong fourth in his first race with new crew chief Darian Grubb atop the pit box.  Jeff Burton rounded out the top-5 finishers. Richard Childress Racing teammates Paul Menard and Kevin Harvick were sixth and seventh, respectively.  Carl Edwards came back from a late crash to finish in eighth, while Joey Logano and Mark Martin finished out the top-10.

Montoya's incident occurred after a lap 156 caution for David Stremme's blown motor and spin.  After reporting a heavy vibration, Montoya said that the car simply "turned right" going into the third turn, sending him directly into a jet dryer cleaning the track, spilling fuel and causing an enormous fire that spanned the length of the asphalt surface in Turn 3. After dousing the fire, track workers spent well over an hour removing the jet dryer from the high banking and cleaning debris, using detergent to neutralize the fuel as well as checking the track for any issues.

The driver of the jet dryer, Michigan Speedway's Duane Barnes, was taken to a local hospital, but is believed to be in good condition.

All told, the race saw 25 lead changes among 13 drivers, and ten cautions over 42 laps, not counting the two-hour red flag.

Of note, five-time champion Jimmie Johnson was knocked out of the race early after contact from Elliott Sadler sent him into the wall on Lap 2.  The wreck collected defending race winner Trevor Bayne and 500 rookie Danica Patrick, both of whom spent significant time in the garage repairing damage. Patrick was 38th in her Sprint Cup debut, ending her day 64 laps off the pace.

Kevin Rutherford is a New Contributor for Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at kevin.rutherford@frontstretch.com.

Today's Top News
by Kevin Rutherford

Romney Visits Daytona Pre-Race Festivities

Not to be outdone by Republican rival Rick Santorum, presidential candidate Mitt Romney visited Daytona International Speedway Sunday as part of the Daytona 500's pre-race.

The former Massachusetts governor walked through the track's facilities Sunday and greeted fans and team members alike, posing for photographs and shaking hands. He then spoke to a large crowd gathered at the pre-race drivers' meeting.

Brian Vickers, currently ride-less in the Cup series, accompanied Romney for much of the politician's visit, sparking rumors that the driver may be courting Romney for potential sponsorship in 2012.

Earlier in the week, it was announced that Santorum, Romney's chief rival for the GOP nomination for president, would sponsor Front Row Motorsports' No. 26 ride for Tony Raines in the 500.

TMone Joins Front Row Motorsports At Daytona

By Monday, Front Row Motorsports and driver Tony Raines had an additional sponsor to add to their ranks. TMone, a U.S.-based call center insourcing firm, joined the team as an associate sponsor on the No. 26 Ford driven by Raines. The announcement came after the team announced earlier in the week that the Rick Santorum For President campaign would adorn the car as a primary sponsor.

TMone has been a highly visible company over the past week in Daytona. The firm also announced that it would sponsor Inception Motorsports' No. 30, FAS Lane Racing's No. 32 and Tommy Baldwin Racing's No. 36.

TMone is no stranger to NASCAR.  They entered the Sprint Cup Series last year by serving as an associate sponsor on Front Row Motorsports' No. 34 Ford early on in the season.  This expanded to a co-primary sponsorship at Bristol in March.

Later on in the season, the company moved over to FAS Lane Racing to serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 32 Ford at the Brickyard 400.  TMone's sister company, CRMone, was emblazoned on a second entry, the No. 23, for driver Terry Labonte.

Trucks Ratings Increase At Daytona

Red Horse Racing's John King wasn't the only winner after Friday night's Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250.  SPEED reported Monday that the Household ratings for the race increased nine percent over the same race a year ago (1.63 vs. 1.49), according to data provided by Nielsen Media Research. The broadcast saw its largest increase among men ages 18-to-49-years-old, with Nielsen reporting a 41 percent increase from the same race in 2011.

Have news for Kevin and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.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 Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!

~~~~~~~~~~
 
Secret Star of the Race: The Run You Never Saw

Sure, teammates Mark Martin and Martin Truex, Jr. took turns at the front in Sunday's Daytona 500. But it was Clint Bowyer, making his debut ride in the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota who showcased the most resilience of the trio in race number one. Running solidly within the lead pack, he quietly drafted his way inside the top 5 only to experience drastic overheating at halfway. Worried about cooking the engine, Bowyer backed off, hoping to save equipment for the end of the race.

Turns out he should have been worried about saving gas. Just before Lap 130, Bowyer stopped shortly after pit exit, running out of fuel on the 2.5-mile superspeedway at a point where it was near impossible to roll onto pit road. Losing not one, but two laps Bowyer had to use a combination of Lucky Dogs and wavearound periods over several resulting caution flags just to get back on the lead lap. Once he did so, after Lap 193 there was still a multi-car wreck to dodge and the inevitable dilemma of "no friends" that comes with a teammate disconnected from the pack. For both driver and car to persevere through all that, along with a frantic finish to wind up 11th is nothing short of remarkable.  Darkhorse for the Chase, here we come?- Tom Bowles

STAT OF THE WEEK: 6
. That's the number of times during Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s 130-race winless streak he's finished second. Ironically, two of those times are now Daytona 500s; he came up short during Jamie McMurray's upset bid in 2010 along with his effort on Sunday night – Tom Bowles

TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: 2012 Daytona 500 Recap
by Matt McLaughlin

Mr. Underrated Strikes Again: Will Anyone Appreciate Actual Daytona Winner?
by Tom Bowles

The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Daytona 500

by Amy Henderson

NASCAR Is Ready For Prime Time

by Ron LeMasters
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q:
  In the 1989 Autoworks 500k, Rusty Wallace lost a significant number of points to Dale Earnhardt due to a crash.  With whom did he tangle with in Turns 1 and 2?

Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Friday's Answer:
Q:
Unlike the Daytona 500, the 400 mile race is generally more susceptible to rain affecting the proceedings.  Most recently, the start of the 2010 Coke Zero 400 was delayed over two hours by rain, which resulted in the race ending at 12:50 AM.  However, when was the last time the July race was rain-shortened?
 
A:  The last time the July race was rain-shortened was 1996.  Sterling Marlin was leading the race when the skies opened up on lap 117.  NASCAR threw the red flag and eventually proclaimed the event complete, giving Marlin what turned out to be his final victory of the 1990s (and Morgan-McClure Motorsports' final restrictor plate victory).
 
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 Tom Bowles
--
Full Throttle by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!

Coming Tomorrow On The Frontstretch:

Did You Notice?... by Tom Bowles
Several teams with nothing but scrap metal left from Daytona? Tom Bowles examines the impact a wreckfest Speedweeks had on those programs, makes a case for and against the Biffle conspiracy and ties up Daytona loose ends in his weekly look at small but important observations around the Sprint Cup circuit.

The Yellow Stripe
by Danny Peters
Danny's back with another interesting column.
 
Going Green by Garrett Horton
Garrett will have an interesting column based upon Monday night's events in Daytona.

Top 15 Power Rankings: Daytona 500 compiled by Summer Dreyer
Your favorite weekly rankings are back, with a twist! Media experts from multiple platforms, not just Frontstretch come together in a racing-style AP Poll to rank the top 15 NASCAR drivers entering the season. And oh, they have plenty of sarcastic one-liners, too!

Five Points To Ponder by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan is back with his weekly edition of talking points to tie up the Daytona 500 and get us set for Phoenix next weekend.

Frontstretch Top Ten by the Frontstretch Staff
We're back with another Top Ten list based on the events of this past weekend in Daytona.

------------------------------
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

--
Feel free to forward this newsletter if you have any friends who loves
NASCAR and great NASCAR commentary. They can subscribe to the Frontstetch by visiting http://www.frontstretch.com/notice/9557/.
 
If you want to stop your Frontstretch Newsletter subscription, we're sorry
to see you go. Just send an email to
TheFrontstretch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com from the address that you
recieve the Frontstretch Newsletter.