THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
February 14th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition XII
~~~~~~~~~~
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
by Tom Bowles
- At 11:00 AM, crews will begin assembling a 42-foot, underground tunnel at Kentucky Speedway which will eventually connect its new parking with the rest of the facility. The 1.5-mile oval track is undergoing renovations both inside and out after a disastrous debut on the Cup circuit in 2011; the first event saw traffic deadlocked for hours, parking filled too quickly and thousands of fans either forced to turn back, turned away or in a position where they needed to park two miles from the entrance and walk in order to see the race.
Today's Top News
by Tom Bowles
Michael Waltrip Attempting Daytona 500
The sport's only two-time winner of the Daytona 500 this century, Michael Waltrip will be looking to add to his trophy case once more. The semi-retired driver/owner has found a seat for Daytona Speedweeks, aligning with newly-formed Hillman Racing outside his stable to drive a No. 40 Aaron's-backed Toyota. The organization, competing in the Truck Series full-time this season with Ward and Jeb Burton will now give another "elder statesman" within the sport a chance while making their Cup debut.
"I appreciate what the folks at Hillman Racing including Joe Falk are putting together," said Waltrip in a release announcing the move. "Hopefully, my experience at Daytona will help them get out of the gate strong with their new team."
"I've been in this sport a long time, but I've never been so excited to go to Daytona," added Hillman. "To have two Daytona 500 champions at the start of the season, with Ward Burton in the truck and Michael in the Cup car positions Hillman Racing for a strong debut and a chance to win both races."
Should Waltrip qualify, it will be his 75th career start in the Cup, Nationwide or Truck Series at the speedway – a NASCAR record. The owner of Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin, and Martin Truex, Jr.'s cars, as well as a chassis and engine provider for JTG-Daugherty, Waltrip needed to align with another team to run the race as NASCAR claimed running his self-owned Toyota would violate their four-car limit rule.
New Sponsor Needed For Watkins Glen, Michigan Races
For two major Cup Series events, this Valentine's Day will be spent getting Cupid to shoot his arrows towards new primary sponsors. Heluva Good! Sour cream dips, after three years of backing the August Watkins Glen race officially pulled out of contract negotiations Monday, leaving the road course without a title sponsor just six months before the big event. Heluva Good! also severed their relationship with Michigan in the process, whose race they had supported the following week. That leaves the two-mile oval also scrambling to fill a late summer time period that's quickly becoming the true Dog Days of NASCAR August.
"The biggest sponsor every race track has is its Cup entitlement sponsor," Watkins Glen President Michael Printup told the Elmira Star-Gazette in an interview. "There is no question that it's painful. At this point, it's all hands on deck [to find a replacement]."
The exact terms of Heluva Good's! yearly contract were not disclosed. However, both facilities are seeking replacements with an asking price that could reach $2 million plus.
Hendrick Getting Busy Sponsoring … Other Teams
Rick Hendrick's Cup team is limited by the four-car rule. His business, Hendrickcars.com? They can sponsor all 43 cars on the grid if they so desire.
Based on Monday's announcement, that possibility is off to a running start. Already, the company has said they will partner with three cars this season, including the No. 51 of Phoenix Racing and Kurt Busch in this year's Daytona 500. The team, which already gets engine and chassis support from Hendrick will also be backed by the car company in Saturday's Nationwide race.
"We're proud to have HendrickCars.com as our primary sponsor for both races," said James Finch in the sponsor release. "The Hendrick people know how well sponsorships like this work when they're done the right way. Daytona is a big opportunity for our team to build some positive momentum to start the season. Having a sponsor for Speedweeks means a lot to us, and we're going to do everything we can to put HendrickCars.com up front."
Finch won't be the only one benefitting from additional support. Cole Whitt, running the No. 88 for JR Motorsports will have Hendrickcars.com as a primary sponsor for Bristol. And in perhaps the most intriguing move of all, the company will back one of rival Richard Childress' cars – the No. 33 driven by Elliott Sadler – as a major associate during the Daytona 500.
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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Happy Valentine's Day, NASCAR
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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Happy Valentine's Day, NASCAR
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady
"Order your 20 Years of Racing Sam Bass designed Jeff Gordon die-cast."
I clicked on the e-mail. My jaw dropped and there might have been a bit of drool as my eyes catalogued the hood emblazoned with the DuPont rainbow I remember so well, the doors splashed with the red & blue flames that followed the inaugural years of a career and finally, the rear quarterpanels covered in the current red & black colors. The 1/24th No. 24 was a thing of beauty and I thought of adding it to my ever-growing collection of toy cars. My hand reached for the mouse -- and then it hit me. Cripes! When did the 20-year thing happen?
That's right, I've been watching Jeff Gordon for 20 years. My Sundays have been defined by all things NASCAR for probably 25. And that would make me...well, no need to get personal. That got me thinking about the upcoming season and all the changes that invariably arrive with the haulers at Daytona.
Every year we dissect, discuss and determine that our sport is going down the toilet, those sitting in the offices in Daytona haven't a clue of what they're doing and we're about to be subjected to another season of fixed races and bland coverage. Given the fact that Twitterdom and internet chat rooms are full of avid fans that echo these sentiments, there must some bit of truth the these ideas. However, if you've read this column over the past few years, you'll know I'm not necessarily one of the negative nellies. At this point in my decades-long love affair with this sport, it's safe to say it might indeed be the time invested in watching cars go in circles that colors my current appreciation of NASCAR, in all its imperfect glory.
The fact is I'm a sucker...and happy to be one. All those long years ago, I became enamored of small tracks full of black cars that beat on one another with complete abandon. At the beginning of the '90's, we watched the shadetree teams give way to bigger and bigger budgets, shiny fenders and the start of drivers who spoke with less of a twang. The cars got smaller, with rounder edges and brighter paint jobs. More microphones and cameras began to appear on pit road and in the garage. Cable TV expanded coverage to include qualifying and the occasional talk show. Change always accompanied the turn of the season, even as the parade of cars continued their high speed pursuit of bricks, grandfather clocks and other storied trophies.
By the time Y2K descended upon us, NASCAR no longer figured in the world of autosports as the rednecked child. The champions of the open wheeled world began to realize that for all their highfalutin pedigree, NASCAR was the place with sponsors and an expanding fan base able to bring drivers salaries that now competed with other major league sports across America. We had arrived! And with the success came censorship, politically correct broadcasts and a batch of new and improved tracks.
I will admit that around 2005, I was worried about the state of our sport. Change could now be categorized as significant, and I wondered if any of it was good. I couldn't equate what I had originally been drawn to in all its rough and tumble insanity with the polished and pressed version I was now handed each week. But, still I remained a fan. I'm like that. Hard to thoroughly dissuade. I had trouble cheering for the champions as Stewart had a knack with punching people, Kurt Busch was sharpening his nasty temperament and I think I fell asleep listening to Kenseth celebrate a time or two. But really, when it came down to it all on Sunday afternoon, I still couldn't deny my pulse pounded a bit faster with the drop of the green flag. I was still heavily invested in my sport.
Then came the reign of King Jimmie. Look, way back when Dale Sr. won every Cup through brute strength and sheer intimidation, half the fans of our sport hated him for it. He was ousted by some fresh-faced kid named Jeff Gordon, who suffered an equal amount of derision from the stands while he piled up win after win after win. So, to say that the pleasant and personable Five-time created a pile of negativity over the past half-decade with his unending success is only to be par for the course.
Both the fans and the powers-that-be tweaked out. The points, the car, the engine, the rules...we changed everything to bring an end to the era of single car domination. I will admit to joining in on the general unhappiness and hoped the twiddling would finally accomplish something.
Then, at long last 2011 arrived. Something new hovered in the air. Change? Was that the magic? I'm chuckling as I write that. However, what else could explain a season that had me back on the edge of my seat. Side-by-side finishes, a rookie winning the biggest race of the year, a single car team winning it all, drivers throwing punches -- and evading them. Bad tempers, stumbling champions, that stupid wing good and thoroughly gone.
I fell in love with NASCAR all over again. And you know what they say about love? It keeps you young.
So, 20 years or not, the fact is I'm feeling my oats. I'm looking forward to a season with new faces in different numbers, an engine running without a carburetor and a field of teams capable of surprising me with a new winner week after week. As I said, I'm in love and ready to stay this way for 20 years more.
by S.D. Grady
"Order your 20 Years of Racing Sam Bass designed Jeff Gordon die-cast."
I clicked on the e-mail. My jaw dropped and there might have been a bit of drool as my eyes catalogued the hood emblazoned with the DuPont rainbow I remember so well, the doors splashed with the red & blue flames that followed the inaugural years of a career and finally, the rear quarterpanels covered in the current red & black colors. The 1/24th No. 24 was a thing of beauty and I thought of adding it to my ever-growing collection of toy cars. My hand reached for the mouse -- and then it hit me. Cripes! When did the 20-year thing happen?
That's right, I've been watching Jeff Gordon for 20 years. My Sundays have been defined by all things NASCAR for probably 25. And that would make me...well, no need to get personal. That got me thinking about the upcoming season and all the changes that invariably arrive with the haulers at Daytona.
Every year we dissect, discuss and determine that our sport is going down the toilet, those sitting in the offices in Daytona haven't a clue of what they're doing and we're about to be subjected to another season of fixed races and bland coverage. Given the fact that Twitterdom and internet chat rooms are full of avid fans that echo these sentiments, there must some bit of truth the these ideas. However, if you've read this column over the past few years, you'll know I'm not necessarily one of the negative nellies. At this point in my decades-long love affair with this sport, it's safe to say it might indeed be the time invested in watching cars go in circles that colors my current appreciation of NASCAR, in all its imperfect glory.
The fact is I'm a sucker...and happy to be one. All those long years ago, I became enamored of small tracks full of black cars that beat on one another with complete abandon. At the beginning of the '90's, we watched the shadetree teams give way to bigger and bigger budgets, shiny fenders and the start of drivers who spoke with less of a twang. The cars got smaller, with rounder edges and brighter paint jobs. More microphones and cameras began to appear on pit road and in the garage. Cable TV expanded coverage to include qualifying and the occasional talk show. Change always accompanied the turn of the season, even as the parade of cars continued their high speed pursuit of bricks, grandfather clocks and other storied trophies.
By the time Y2K descended upon us, NASCAR no longer figured in the world of autosports as the rednecked child. The champions of the open wheeled world began to realize that for all their highfalutin pedigree, NASCAR was the place with sponsors and an expanding fan base able to bring drivers salaries that now competed with other major league sports across America. We had arrived! And with the success came censorship, politically correct broadcasts and a batch of new and improved tracks.
I will admit that around 2005, I was worried about the state of our sport. Change could now be categorized as significant, and I wondered if any of it was good. I couldn't equate what I had originally been drawn to in all its rough and tumble insanity with the polished and pressed version I was now handed each week. But, still I remained a fan. I'm like that. Hard to thoroughly dissuade. I had trouble cheering for the champions as Stewart had a knack with punching people, Kurt Busch was sharpening his nasty temperament and I think I fell asleep listening to Kenseth celebrate a time or two. But really, when it came down to it all on Sunday afternoon, I still couldn't deny my pulse pounded a bit faster with the drop of the green flag. I was still heavily invested in my sport.
Then came the reign of King Jimmie. Look, way back when Dale Sr. won every Cup through brute strength and sheer intimidation, half the fans of our sport hated him for it. He was ousted by some fresh-faced kid named Jeff Gordon, who suffered an equal amount of derision from the stands while he piled up win after win after win. So, to say that the pleasant and personable Five-time created a pile of negativity over the past half-decade with his unending success is only to be par for the course.
Both the fans and the powers-that-be tweaked out. The points, the car, the engine, the rules...we changed everything to bring an end to the era of single car domination. I will admit to joining in on the general unhappiness and hoped the twiddling would finally accomplish something.
Then, at long last 2011 arrived. Something new hovered in the air. Change? Was that the magic? I'm chuckling as I write that. However, what else could explain a season that had me back on the edge of my seat. Side-by-side finishes, a rookie winning the biggest race of the year, a single car team winning it all, drivers throwing punches -- and evading them. Bad tempers, stumbling champions, that stupid wing good and thoroughly gone.
I fell in love with NASCAR all over again. And you know what they say about love? It keeps you young.
So, 20 years or not, the fact is I'm feeling my oats. I'm looking forward to a season with new faces in different numbers, an engine running without a carburetor and a field of teams capable of surprising me with a new winner week after week. As I said, I'm in love and ready to stay this way for 20 years more.
S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Part II Of Our NASCAR Season Preview: Is It The Economy, Stupid?
by the Frontstretch Staff
Did You Notice?... 6 Things We Learned About NASCAR In January, Part II
by Tom Bowles
Beyond the Cockpit: Boris Said Dishes On NASCAR Past, Present, And Future
as told to Phil Allaway
Couch Potato Tuesday: It's Time To Preview Our NASCAR Telecasts
by Phil Allaway
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the 1995 ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway, Bill Venturini was in contention to claim victory early on before it all went away shortly before halfway. What happened?
~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Part II Of Our NASCAR Season Preview: Is It The Economy, Stupid?
by the Frontstretch Staff
Did You Notice?... 6 Things We Learned About NASCAR In January, Part II
by Tom Bowles
Beyond the Cockpit: Boris Said Dishes On NASCAR Past, Present, And Future
as told to Phil Allaway
Couch Potato Tuesday: It's Time To Preview Our NASCAR Telecasts
by Phil Allaway
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the 1995 ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway, Bill Venturini was in contention to claim victory early on before it all went away shortly before halfway. What happened?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: In 1993, Phoenix Racing had a rare relationship with a then-Winston Cup team that allowed them to stomp the rest of the ARCA field at Daytona with driver Jeff Purvis. Which team was Phoenix Racing allied with, and where did the team's winning race car that year come from?
A: Phoenix Racing had a fruitful relationship with Morgan-McClure Motorsports throughout the early 1990's. This deal is part of the reason that Jeff Purvis got a chance to drive the No. 4 in 1993 (along with Joe Nemechek and Jimmy Hensley) after Ernie Irvan left the team to go over to Robert Yates Racing as the official replacement for Davey Allison.
In this particular Daytona race, Purvis's No. 1 for Phoenix Racing was the actual Chevrolet Lumina that Ernie Irvan had driven to the victory in the 1991 Daytona 500. The car was particularly dominant in ARCA, winning what turned out to be an anti-climatic 200-mile race. That was because a good chunk of the field was eliminated in a huge crash on the third lap of the race (visible at the 4:19 mark of this clip). With the vast majority of potential contenders eliminated, Purvis was free to drive away from the remaining ones, turning in laps by himself that were faster than he qualified. The result was a victory with only four cars on the lead lap at the finish.
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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Season Preview: Part III by the Frontstretch Staff
2011 saw both of the Busch brothers get themselves into hot water in separate incidents. For 2012, they now have different schedules as a consequence. Kurt is full-time for Phoenix Racing in their No. 51 and part-time in the Nationwide Series, while Kyle remains in the No. 18 while driving part-time in Nationwide with no Truck starts. How will the Busch brothers do in 2012, and what will their fates be in 2013? Our experts debate the recovery prospects for both.
NASCAR, Tweet At Your Own Risk by Tom Bowles
Last year, multiple drivers found themselves on the wrong end of controversy based on things that they had publicly tweeted. Tom takes a look at the tweeting phenomenon, and how drivers should be careful what they say online.
Did You Notice... by Tom Bowles
In this week's second edition of Did You Notice, Tom tackles the multiple owners' point swaps in recent weeks and the new teams that are slated to enter the Sprint Cup Series.
-----------------------------
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
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment