THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
February 23rd, 2012
Volume VI, Edition XIX
~~~~~~~~~~
by Phil Allaway
- Oh yes. Today is the Gatorade Duels from Daytona International Speedway. These two 150-mile races will finally determine the final makeup of the starting lineup for the Daytona 500. Coverage of the races begins with NASCAR RaceDay Fueled by Sunoco at 1:00pm EST, with race coverage starting at 2. The lineups for each race are determined by a combination of 2011 owners points and qualifying results from Sunday. The pole sitter for the Daytona 500 (Carl Edwards) will be on pole for Duel 1, while outside pole sitter Greg Biffle will be on pole for Duel 2. Teams with odd finishing positions in the top-35 last year will be in Race 1, while teams with even finishing positions will be in Race 2. The top-two finishers in each duel not already locked in will have raced their way into the Daytona 500. The grids are listed below for your conveinence.
Today's Top News
by Phil Allaway
Gatorade Duels Starting Grids
Duel 1:
Row 1: 99- Carl Edwards 88- Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Row 2: 9- Marcos Ambrose 6- Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
Row 3: 21- Trevor Bayne* 14- Tony Stewart
Row 4: 43- Aric Almirola 27- Paul Menard
Row 5: 34- David Ragan 22- AJ Allmendinger
Row 6: 2- Brad Keselowski 29- Kevin Harvick
Row 7: 31- Jeff Burton 42- Juan Pablo Montoya
Row 8: 30- David Stremme* 1- Jamie McMurray
Row 9: 10- Danica Patrick 32- Terry Labonte*
Row 10: 40- Michael Waltrip* 11- Denny Hamlin
Row 11: 98- Michael McDowell* 83- Landon Cassill
Row 12: 38- David Gilliland 37- Mike Wallace*
Row 13: 7- Robby Gordon*
Duel 2:
Row 1: 16- Greg Biffle 13- Casey Mears
Row 2: 24- Jeff Gordon 56- Martin Truex, Jr.
Row 3: 55- Mark Martin 48- Jimmie Johnson
Row 4: 17- Matt Kenseth 39- Ryan Newman
Row 5: 20- Joey Logano 5- Kasey Kahne^
Row 6: 26- Tony Raines* 18- Kyle Busch
Row 7: 09- Kenny Wallace* 36- Dave Blaney*
Row 8: 51- Kurt Busch 33- Elliott Sadler
Row 9: 87- Joe Nemechek* 78- Regan Smith
Row 10: 47- Bobby Labonte 97- Bill Elliott*
Row 11: 93- David Reutimann 23- Robert Richardson, Jr.*
Row 12: 49- J.J. Yeley* 15- Clint Bowyer&
*- Not Locked-in to the Daytona 500
^- Starting at the rear due to a practice crash
&- Time disallowed from Pole Qualifying
Wednesday Practice Update
After two days with the track closed to on-track activity, Wednesday saw the Sprint Cup Series return to the track for two practice sessions ahead of today's Gatorade Duels. Drafting was the name of the game here. However, as Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout showed, you have to be careful in the draft.
Brad Keselowski and Kasey Kahne found that out the hard way.
In the first session, Brad Keselowski spun out on the backstretch after Clint Bowyer swiped his rear bumper at speed. Keselowski then spun through the grass in the Bus Stop chicane (for the Infield Road Course). While Keselowski's No. 2 dug up a bunch of natural Florida grass and soil, he did not have to go to a backup car.
In the second session, Kasey Kahne spun in the tri-oval after contact from Juan Pablo Montoya, a very similar incident to Keselowski's. However, unlike Keselowski's incident, Kahne's No. 5 dug into the tri-oval grass in a similar fashion to Carl Edwards at Charlotte un 2010 while celebrating a win. While Edwards' car ended up with a bent nose, the result here was that it ripped the bottom half of the nose clean off the car. Kahne's team will have to go to a backup car for their Gatorade Duel and will start in the rear.
As far as speeds go, once again, the fastest speeds were put up by two-car tandems. In the first session, the tandem of Matt Kenseth and Trevor Bayne were fastest, turning in laps at an average of nearly 201 mph. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was third, followed by Marcos Ambrose and Mark Martin. 43 cars turned in times during the session. Both of the BK Racing Toyotas (Landon Cassill and David Reutimann), Mike Wallace, David Stremme, Tony Raines and Kurt Busch decided to sit the session out.
In the second session, only 25 teams went out on track. The rest of the teams decided to save their equipment for the Duels. The fastest time was set by Aric Almirola at 199.712 mph. David Stremme was second, followed by David Stremme and Regan Smith. Robert Richardson, Jr. was fourth, while Greg Biffle rounded out the top-5.
Slight Pressure Rule Change Enacted
NASCAR made a slight rule change on the Sprint Cup cars on Wednesday morning. A directive was issued which increased the PSI on the radiation pressure release valve from 25 to 28 psi. This move is designed to allow the engines to run cooler after complaints of overheating during Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout.
Romney to Visit Daytona for Daytona 500
The Daytona Beach News-Journal is reporting that Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney will make an appearance at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday morning prior to the Daytona 500. This race morning appearance replaces a fundraiser on Friday that was supposed to be hosted by Lesa France Kennedy, CEO of International Speedway Corporation (ISC).
The switch was made due to Romney's need to continue aggressive campaigning in Michigan ahead of that state's primary. However, it is currently unclear as to how Romney's appearance at the track will ultimately affect race morning procedures.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Nationwide Series Drive4COPD 300: 50 cars entered
Point Swaps:
Richard Childress Racing No. 3 acquires points from Faith Motorsports No. 89?
JD Motorsports No. 4 acquires points from Rusty Wallace Racing No. 66.
Penske Racing No. 12 acquires points from Penske Racing No. 22.
Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 acquires points from Rusty Wallace Motorsports No. 62.
MAKE Motorsports No. 50 acquires points from Turner Motorsports No. 32.
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 1- Kurt Busch for Phoenix Racing
No. 5- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports
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- David Ragan for GC Racing
No. 28- J.J. Yeley for Jay Robinson Racing
No. 30- James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33- Tony Stewart for Richard Childress Racing
No. 38- Kasey Kahne for Turner Motorsports
No. 40- Josh Wise for Key Motorsports
No. 42- Erik Darnell for Key Motorsports
No. 47- Scott Speed for Key Motorsports
No. 54- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 97- Johnny Sauter for NEMCO Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 19- Tayler Malsam is in the seat, replacing Mike Bliss.
No. 28- J.J. Yeley is in the seat, replacing Derrike Cope.
No. 30- James Buescher is in the seat, replacing Nelson Piquet, Jr.
No. 33- Tony Stewart is in the seat, replacing Clint Bowyer.
No. 38- Kasey Kahne returns to the seat, replacing Jason Leffler.
No. 39- Joey Gase returns to the seat, replacing Fain Skinner.
No. 40- Josh Wise returns to the seat, replacing T.J. Duke.
No. 41- Blake Koch is in the seat, replacing Stanton Barrett.
No. 42- Erik Darnell returns to the seat, replacing Scott Speed.
No. 44- Mike Bliss is in the seat, replacing Jeff Green.
No. 47- Scott Speed returns to the seat, replacing Josh Wise.
No. 52- Reed Sorenson is in the seat, replacing Kevin Lepage.
No. 60- Trevor Bayne is in the seat, replacing Carl Edwards.
No. 70- Johanna Long is in the seat, replacing David Stremme.
No. 81- Jason Bowles is in the seat, replacing Blake Koch.
No. 87- Joe Nemechek returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Conway.
No. 88- Cole Whitt is in the seat, replacing Aric Almirola.
No. 97- Johnny Sauter is in the seat, replacing Joe Nemechek.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 08- Casey Roderick for Randy Hill Racing
No. 1- Kurt Busch for Phoenix Racing
No. 5- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports (Has fourth crack at the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 10- Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Has third crack at the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 22- Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 24- Benny Gordon for Horizon Sports Marketing
No. 27- David Ragan for GC Motorsports International
No. 36- Ryan Truex for Tommy Baldwin Racing
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. 76- Donnie Neuenberger for Ray Hackett Racing
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Faith Motorsports
No. 97- Johnny Sauter for NEMCO Motorsports
Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250: 44 trucks entered
Point Swaps:
Billy Ballew Motorsports No. 5 acquires points from Randy Moss Motorsports No. 5.
Joe Denette Motorsports No. 24 acquires points from Germain Racing No. 9.
Number Changes:
Turner Motorsports No. 4 changes to No. 30.
SS-Green Light Racing No. 81 changes to No. 08.
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 0- Jake Crum for JJC Racing
No. 09- Travis Kvapil for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 2- Brendan Gaughan for Richard Childress Racing
No. 19- Brad Keselowski for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 92- David Reutimann for RBR Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 07- T.J. Duke returns to the seat, replacing Johnny Chapman.
No. 08- Ross Chastain is in the seat, replacing David Starr.
No. 2- Brendan Gaughan is in the seat, replacing Kevin Harvick.
No. 3- Ty Dillon is in the seat, replacing Austin Dillon.
No. 7- John King is in the seat, replacing Miguel Paludo.
No. 8- Mike Skinner is in the seat, replacing Nelson Piquet, Jr.
No. 18- Jason Leffler is in the seat, replacing Denny Hamlin.
No. 30- Nelson Piquet, Jr. is in the seat, replacing Ricky Carmichael.
No. 32- Miguel Paludo is in the seat, replacing Blake Feese.
No. 33- Cale Gale returns to the seat, replacing Ron Hornaday, Jr.
No. 60- J.R. Fitzpatrick is in the seat, replacing Cole Whitt.
No. 74- Wheeler Boys is in the seat, replacing Mike Harmon.
No. 92- David Reutimann is in the seat, replacing Clay Rogers.
No. 93- Chris Cockrum is in the seat, replacing Ross Chastain.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 0- Jake Crum for JJC Racing
No. 09- Travis Kvapil for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 9- Ron Hornaday, Jr. for Joe Denette Motorsports (Has second crack at the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 11- Todd Bodine for Red Horse Racing (Guaranteed to start at the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 15- Dusty Davis for Billy Ballew Motorsports
No. 19- Brad Keselowski for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 28- Wes Burton for FDNY Racing
No. 57- Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 63- Caleb Roark for Mittler Brothers Racing
No. 68- Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
No. 73- Rick Crawford for Tagsby Racing
No. 74- Wheeler Boys for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 76- Derek White for Ray Hackett Racing
No. 81- David Starr for Arrington Racing
No. 82- Grant Enfinger for Bragg Racing Group
No. 84- Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
No. 92- David Reutimann for RBR Motorsports
No. 98- Dakoda Armstrong for ThorSport Racing
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.
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Chad Knaus Is Exactly What is Right With NASCAR
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
How's that for a season starting title?! That's the kind of kick in the pants Sheriff Buford T. Justice (of Texas) would deem, "an attention getter."
Three years ago I would have scoffed, sneered, and flatly rejected such a claim, but following the news this week that the architect of five-consecutive Sprint Cup titles might be facing a fine and/or suspension after an inspection issue prior to practice for qualifying for the Daytona 500 – I can unabashedly declare myself pro-Knaus.
Does that imply then that I am Anti-NASCAR? Hardly; if anything, Knaus is exactly what NASCAR needs, and should issue him some sort of commendation rather than dock him dollars and days at the track.
This most recent incident is particularly troubling, as the car was never involved in competition, and only was in the process of being inspected. The car was never in competition, was not on the track in a points-paying capacity; it was the initial inspection prior to practice. It was never found to be out of specification mind you – it was eyeballed and deemed inappropriate. While this may smack of Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's "I know it when I see it" threshold for pornography, NASCAR inspectors found the C-pillar on the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet to be inappropriate for viewing by 42 others.
Practice. We're talking about practice – even Allen Iverson thinks this is silly.
Sprint Cup Director John Darby said, "There were some obvious modifications that the inspectors picked up on, and did some additional inspections with some gauges and stuff and found that they were just too far out of tolerance to fix."
That being said, it was a car that had been raced in competition four times earlier, and was taken to NASCAR's R&D center for evaluation after the spring race at Talladega last season. There was not a statement from NASCAR that the car was ordered never to come back to the racetrack, nor was it confiscated and held for six months like a captured Predator aerial drone as one of Tony Stewart's JGR Chevrolets was several years ago when NASCAR didn't like what they saw. It was a car that had cleared inspection in the past under the existing rules – so why enforce a rule that does not exist?
By now we've all pretty much hugged it out as far as lamenting the long-gone days of yore, when Junior Johnson would fit a car with a 28 gallon fuel tank after being instructed to remove the 24 gallon tank he was just caught with, or Bobby Allison's bumper falling off to gain a few mph after the start of the Daytona 500. No longer does birdshot run out of the frame rails on pace laps, or starters fall off engines in an effort to shed a few pounds once the race starts, and God forbid if a pair of shocks don't totally rebound and the car can't clear the height sticks by 1/32 of an inch. The gray area that teams are allowed to play in has been virtually erased since the advent of the COT; the era of innovation nearly all but ended in 2007 with what used to be a simple template was replaced by a gigantic claw and laser instruments replacing a tape measure.
In a sport where new technology is slow in coming, 2012 was to be a watershed year. Electronic Fuel Injection is making its debut to the one of the few major racing series that was still using carburetors, and the 2013 COTs revealed from Ford and spy shots from Dodge, show what look to be stockcars that sincerely look like stock cars, save for big tires and headlight stickers.
So why continually harass crew chiefs who come up with a new part or idea?
In short, the fun of race car wrenching has been replaced by the science of engineering. Trial and error has been replaced with simulation and algorithm, be it on a seven-post shaker or the mounds of data acquisition equipment seen at any test session. Pretty much every long-time crewman and fan will echo the same sentiment. Why then is Knaus regularly reviled for his efforts in creative engineering?
Chad Knaus is a bit of an anomaly in NASCAR. Name one other crew chief that is mentioned in the same breath with their team or driver in relation to the success that they have had. Its usually the driver who gets the credit, and the crew chief who shoulders the blame if things go wrong. It wasn't until Jimmie Johnson won his fifth straight title did he start to receive credit for actually winning these things; most attributed it to Knaus building a superior machine to that of the other competitors, including the rest of his Hendrick Motorsports (and Stewart-Haas Racing) stablemates.
Knaus has long had the proverbial rap sheet as long as your arm in NASCAR competition. From trick rear shocks at Dover one year that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. remarked to his crew that Johnson's car looked "like a damn monster truck," to flared fenders at Sonoma, and my personal favorite, the adjustable rear window that they actually used during qualifying for the 2006 Daytona 500 (tire smoke could be seen wafting out of the window as the body compressed down exiting the fourth turn), Knaus leaves no stone unturned and is prime candidate for a Paxil promotion with the obsessive compulsive nature he has towards finding a new angle to extract speed from his race cars.
For Knaus and Johnson, this could serve as a distraction from their Speedweeks. For a lesser team that could be true, but it was this same sort of incident that thrust Darian Grubb into NASCAR prominence after subbing for a Daytona 500 win in 2006 – following it up with a win at Las Vegas two races later.
So what is the motive behind any possible NASCAR-sanctioned action against Chad Knaus? Do they fear a resurgent No. 48 team that would dull fan interest in the sport should they get on a roll again and win the biggest race of the year and springboard to another title? What if they sit Knaus down for a few weeks, but succeed in only waking a sleeping giant, confining him to his little shop of horrors to build something even more freaky fast, and allowing another of the Hendrick cadre to step up and make a name for themselves?
As much as the drivers' personalities are a part of this sport, the hardcore fans are well aware and familiar with those atop the pit box as well. Relax the rules, bring the mechanical tinkering aspect back to the sport, and allow the crew chiefs and car chiefs the opportunity to showcase their talents at the highest levels of motorsports in America as well.
My advice is simple: let the crew chiefs and mechanics do their thing and compete amongst themselves by building better cars and allow more within the rules for them to work with. Its clearly not saving anybody any money – if anything, it is costing them in terms of fines and potential sponsorship backlash. Moreover, there seems to be a strong show of support for Knaus in this situation among fans, commentators, and crewmen alike.
The Daytona 500 is the biggest race of the year, our Super Bowl, everybody should have the opportunity to shine their brightest and perform to the best of their ability – as long as it is in the rules. Chad Knaus didn't break any rules from what I can tell – but I guess in NASCAR, if there's a rule that is broken, they'll know it when they see it.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
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!
Editor's Note: The Critic's Annex will return next week with a look at Chasing Daytona: Kenny Wallace.
~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
Have a nominee for Line of the Week? Email Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com and you may see yourself in this space next week!
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:
Truckin' Thursdays: A Look Ahead At The 2012 Season For CWTS
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Potts' Shots: Tricks of the NASCAR Trade, Past and Present
by John Potts
Out With The New, In With The Old?
by Mark Howell
The Intimidating Truth: Stewart Developing Earnhardt-Style Curse At Daytona
by Garrett Horton
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: NASCAR does have a precedent of basically telling certain drivers not to come back after certain incidents. Such a request was supposedly made of Delma Cowart in 1997. What happened to cause that?
Today's Featured Commentary
Chad Knaus Is Exactly What is Right With NASCAR
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
How's that for a season starting title?! That's the kind of kick in the pants Sheriff Buford T. Justice (of Texas) would deem, "an attention getter."
Three years ago I would have scoffed, sneered, and flatly rejected such a claim, but following the news this week that the architect of five-consecutive Sprint Cup titles might be facing a fine and/or suspension after an inspection issue prior to practice for qualifying for the Daytona 500 – I can unabashedly declare myself pro-Knaus.
Does that imply then that I am Anti-NASCAR? Hardly; if anything, Knaus is exactly what NASCAR needs, and should issue him some sort of commendation rather than dock him dollars and days at the track.
This most recent incident is particularly troubling, as the car was never involved in competition, and only was in the process of being inspected. The car was never in competition, was not on the track in a points-paying capacity; it was the initial inspection prior to practice. It was never found to be out of specification mind you – it was eyeballed and deemed inappropriate. While this may smack of Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's "I know it when I see it" threshold for pornography, NASCAR inspectors found the C-pillar on the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet to be inappropriate for viewing by 42 others.
Practice. We're talking about practice – even Allen Iverson thinks this is silly.
Sprint Cup Director John Darby said, "There were some obvious modifications that the inspectors picked up on, and did some additional inspections with some gauges and stuff and found that they were just too far out of tolerance to fix."
That being said, it was a car that had been raced in competition four times earlier, and was taken to NASCAR's R&D center for evaluation after the spring race at Talladega last season. There was not a statement from NASCAR that the car was ordered never to come back to the racetrack, nor was it confiscated and held for six months like a captured Predator aerial drone as one of Tony Stewart's JGR Chevrolets was several years ago when NASCAR didn't like what they saw. It was a car that had cleared inspection in the past under the existing rules – so why enforce a rule that does not exist?
By now we've all pretty much hugged it out as far as lamenting the long-gone days of yore, when Junior Johnson would fit a car with a 28 gallon fuel tank after being instructed to remove the 24 gallon tank he was just caught with, or Bobby Allison's bumper falling off to gain a few mph after the start of the Daytona 500. No longer does birdshot run out of the frame rails on pace laps, or starters fall off engines in an effort to shed a few pounds once the race starts, and God forbid if a pair of shocks don't totally rebound and the car can't clear the height sticks by 1/32 of an inch. The gray area that teams are allowed to play in has been virtually erased since the advent of the COT; the era of innovation nearly all but ended in 2007 with what used to be a simple template was replaced by a gigantic claw and laser instruments replacing a tape measure.
In a sport where new technology is slow in coming, 2012 was to be a watershed year. Electronic Fuel Injection is making its debut to the one of the few major racing series that was still using carburetors, and the 2013 COTs revealed from Ford and spy shots from Dodge, show what look to be stockcars that sincerely look like stock cars, save for big tires and headlight stickers.
So why continually harass crew chiefs who come up with a new part or idea?
In short, the fun of race car wrenching has been replaced by the science of engineering. Trial and error has been replaced with simulation and algorithm, be it on a seven-post shaker or the mounds of data acquisition equipment seen at any test session. Pretty much every long-time crewman and fan will echo the same sentiment. Why then is Knaus regularly reviled for his efforts in creative engineering?
Chad Knaus is a bit of an anomaly in NASCAR. Name one other crew chief that is mentioned in the same breath with their team or driver in relation to the success that they have had. Its usually the driver who gets the credit, and the crew chief who shoulders the blame if things go wrong. It wasn't until Jimmie Johnson won his fifth straight title did he start to receive credit for actually winning these things; most attributed it to Knaus building a superior machine to that of the other competitors, including the rest of his Hendrick Motorsports (and Stewart-Haas Racing) stablemates.
Knaus has long had the proverbial rap sheet as long as your arm in NASCAR competition. From trick rear shocks at Dover one year that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. remarked to his crew that Johnson's car looked "like a damn monster truck," to flared fenders at Sonoma, and my personal favorite, the adjustable rear window that they actually used during qualifying for the 2006 Daytona 500 (tire smoke could be seen wafting out of the window as the body compressed down exiting the fourth turn), Knaus leaves no stone unturned and is prime candidate for a Paxil promotion with the obsessive compulsive nature he has towards finding a new angle to extract speed from his race cars.
For Knaus and Johnson, this could serve as a distraction from their Speedweeks. For a lesser team that could be true, but it was this same sort of incident that thrust Darian Grubb into NASCAR prominence after subbing for a Daytona 500 win in 2006 – following it up with a win at Las Vegas two races later.
So what is the motive behind any possible NASCAR-sanctioned action against Chad Knaus? Do they fear a resurgent No. 48 team that would dull fan interest in the sport should they get on a roll again and win the biggest race of the year and springboard to another title? What if they sit Knaus down for a few weeks, but succeed in only waking a sleeping giant, confining him to his little shop of horrors to build something even more freaky fast, and allowing another of the Hendrick cadre to step up and make a name for themselves?
As much as the drivers' personalities are a part of this sport, the hardcore fans are well aware and familiar with those atop the pit box as well. Relax the rules, bring the mechanical tinkering aspect back to the sport, and allow the crew chiefs and car chiefs the opportunity to showcase their talents at the highest levels of motorsports in America as well.
My advice is simple: let the crew chiefs and mechanics do their thing and compete amongst themselves by building better cars and allow more within the rules for them to work with. Its clearly not saving anybody any money – if anything, it is costing them in terms of fines and potential sponsorship backlash. Moreover, there seems to be a strong show of support for Knaus in this situation among fans, commentators, and crewmen alike.
The Daytona 500 is the biggest race of the year, our Super Bowl, everybody should have the opportunity to shine their brightest and perform to the best of their ability – as long as it is in the rules. Chad Knaus didn't break any rules from what I can tell – but I guess in NASCAR, if there's a rule that is broken, they'll know it when they see it.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
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!
Editor's Note: The Critic's Annex will return next week with a look at Chasing Daytona: Kenny Wallace.
~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Sprint Cup's New Rookie: Everyone, Say Hello to Timmy Hill
"One day, I told my dad, 'Hey I want to race those cars! Had to bug him for three or four years before he'd let me even try it." - Timmy Hill, on how he had to beg his father, former racer Jerry Hill, to get him a go-kart so that he could race. He eventually relented, and Timmy has made a quick rush up through the ranks to debut in Sprint Cup later this season.
"One day, I told my dad, 'Hey I want to race those cars! Had to bug him for three or four years before he'd let me even try it." - Timmy Hill, on how he had to beg his father, former racer Jerry Hill, to get him a go-kart so that he could race. He eventually relented, and Timmy has made a quick rush up through the ranks to debut in Sprint Cup later this season.
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:
Truckin' Thursdays: A Look Ahead At The 2012 Season For CWTS
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Potts' Shots: Tricks of the NASCAR Trade, Past and Present
by John Potts
Out With The New, In With The Old?
by Mark Howell
The Intimidating Truth: Stewart Developing Earnhardt-Style Curse At Daytona
by Garrett Horton
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: NASCAR does have a precedent of basically telling certain drivers not to come back after certain incidents. Such a request was supposedly made of Delma Cowart in 1997. What happened to cause that?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: The 1992 Busch Grand National season turned out to be an epic duel for the title that literally came down to one position on the track, in The Pantry 500 at Hickory to close out the year. However, for eventual championship contenders Joe Nemechek and Bobby Labonte, the season started out with DNF's. What happened?
A: Shortly after a restart, Nemechek had contact with Jimmy Spencer in Turn 1. Nemechek's Texas Pete Chevrolet spun and backed hard into the wall. Since he had just pitted under the previous yellow, he had a full tank of fuel. The tank appeared to rupture when the car hit the wall, causing the car to burst into flames. Multiple other drivers, including Labonte, Todd Bodine, Chuck Bown and Tommy Houston were involved. Afterwards, Labonte ran to Nemechek's still burning No. 87 to try to pull him from the wreckage. This was eventually accomplished with the help of Bodine. According to Rick Houston's Second to None: The History of the NASCAR Busch Series, Nemechek had panicked due to a new sternum strap that was preventing him from getting out of the car on his own after taking off his belts. He was about to pass out in the car when Labonte and Bodine arrived. Nemechek suffered burns in the crash, but did not miss any races. However, it was months before Nemechek fully recovered from the wreck. The wreck can be viewed starting at the 7:00 mark of this clip.
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 TBD
-- In Case You Missed It from TBD
-- Keeping It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Daytona 500 by Summer Dreyer
Summer's back with her four-part look at what we should expect from this weekend's Great American Race.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Every year in Sprint Cup typically sees a series of "firsts," be it a first victory, or a first championship. Amy takes a look at those that are most likely to fit into either one of those categories.
Driver Diary: Kenny Wallace as told to Amy Henderson
Yep. Herman's back for another season with us. He'll be back to tell us about his off-season, his attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500, and his travails at nearby Volusia Speedway Park.
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece.
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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©2012 Frontstretch.com
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©2012 Frontstretch.com
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1 comment:
I'm excited to see the racers and the cars go at it once again at the annual Daytona 500 this Sunday. I miss how car drivers from Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge go head-to-head as they battle for that elusive title. I hope they come up with a photo-finish!
Erwin Calverley
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