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
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
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
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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
.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
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
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
5
With his runner-up finish Monday night, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. now has five podium finishes in the Daytona 500.
6
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
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
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
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
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
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
125
The number of minutes the red flag was out to repair track damages sustained from the jet fuel burning the track.
300
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
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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COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
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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COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
Hey Frontstretch Readers,
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.
If you are interested, contact frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com. Please include references to your past work in your e-mail.
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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...
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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 Bryan Davis Keith
Did You Notice?...Wreckage Recovery, Why Rookies Return, and "Juan" Bad Reputation
Did You Notice?...Wreckage Recovery, Why Rookies Return, and "Juan" Bad Reputation
by Summer Dreyer
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
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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:
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!
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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!
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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.
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 Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!
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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.
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©2012 Frontstretch.com
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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©2012 Frontstretch.com
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