Thursday, March 29, 2012

The Frontstretch Newsletter: March 30th, 2012

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 30th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition LI

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EDITOR'S NOTE: FRONTSTRETCH HAS A BRAND NEW, REDESIGNED FACEBOOK PAGE! CLICK HERE TO "LIKE" US AND GET A DIRECT CONNECT TO ALL YOUR FRONTSTRETCH FAVORITES ALONG WITH POLLS, INTERACTION WITH FANS AND SO MUCH MORE.

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Top News
by Jeff Wolfe

Kahne to Run Truck Series at Rockingham

Thursday night on NASCAR Race Hub, broadcast on SPEED, Kasey Kahne announced he will run the Good Sam Club 200 at Rockingham Speedway April 15th. The one-race deal puts Kahne behind the wheel of the Turner Motorsports-fielded No. 4 Rockwell Tools Chevrolet.

"I'm excited to have Rockwell Tools be part of the Truck race at Rockingham. We're going to run that, which is the Sunday after Texas," Kahne told host Steve Byrnes "Turner Motorsports, they have great truck and have a alot of good people there. I'm excited to be on their team and be a part of it. Rockingham is a great track for me; I've run really well there in the past in both series that I've raced in, especially in the final Cup race there."

Kahne has just four Truck Series races to his name, including three victories and a runner-up finish, and while he's driven for Turner Motorsports in the Nationwide Series, Rockingham will mark his first series start with the organization.

BUSH's Beans Returns to JTG Daugherty for Two Races

BUSH's Beans will once again partner with JTG Daugherty Racing to sponsor Bobby Labonte's No. 47 Toyota for two events--Martinsville and Texas. BUSH's is now the fifth primary sponsor for Labonte in six races, though they served as an associate sponsor to Kingsford at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this season.

"We have some of the best sponsors in the business and the look of our car changes weekly. The reason we have multiple sponsors is because Tad Geschickter (JTG Daugherty Racing co-owner) can make things happen and he creates great business to business opportunities," Labonte said. "Sponsors want to be around him and he treats people the way he wants to be treated. I think people realize what he does and what he stands for in this business. Tad, Jodi (Geschickter), Brad (Daugherty) and everyone at JTG Daugherty Racing does a great job with helping promote the brands."

The other sponsors for Labonte this year have been Kroger at Daytona, Kingsford Charcoal at Phoenix and Las Vegas, Clorox at Bristol and Charter at California.
Labonte sits 20th in the points standings, 47 points out of 10th, and has a season-best finish of 14th in the Daytona 500. Labonte, who has one career victory at Martinsville, will make his 39th start at the historic track.

Reutimann, Tommy Baldwin Racing Pick Up Three-Race Sponsor

David Reutimann and Tommy Baldwin Racing have picked up a three-race commitment from Accell Construction beginning with Sunday's Goody's Fast Relief 500 Sunday. Having already adorned Reutimann's No. 10 Chevrolet at Phoenix and Las Vegas earlier this season, Accell will also serve as primary sponsor for Texas and Kansas. The Oklahoma-based company TBR's No. 36 in several races last season in both primary and associate capacities.

"Accell Construction has been a great partner for the past year and a half,"  Team Owner Tommy Baldwin said. "Steve  (Todhunter, owner) and his company have been good to work with, and we are thrilled that he continues to see a return on the relationship. With them coming on board for three races, we have a little bit of breathing room as we continue to seek sponsorship for the remainder of the season."

Reutimann, whose car sits 34th in owners' points, is guaranteed a starting spot in Sunday's event. In four races behind the wheel for TBR, he scored a best finish of 21st at Bristol.

Vickers, MWR Snag First-Time Sponsor

Brian Vickers made a good first impression in his first Sprint Cup race of the 2012 season at Bristol nearly two weeks ago. Vickers' fifth-place finish and 125 laps led in the No. 55 car for Michael Waltrip Racing may have helped attract a newcomer to the NASCAR world. RK Motors Charlotte will serve as primary sponsor for Vickers this weekend at Martinsville.

"This is the first time in history RK Motors Charlotte will be the primary sponsor of a NASCAR competitor. NASCAR is enjoyed by millions of passionate fans who love cars as much as we do," President and CEO Joseph Carroll said. "We want to connect with those fellow enthusiasts and share the NASCAR excitement with them this weekend through our sponsorship of Michael Waltrip Racing's No. 55 Toyota."

The No. 55 car is eighth in owners points with Michael Waltrip, Mark Martin and Vickers sharing time behind the wheel.

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

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In Case You Missed It
by Nick Schwartz

SRT Motorsports to Unveil New Engine at Martinsville

Brad Keselowski and A.J. Allmendinger will be running an updated engine this weekend at Martinsville, in what is typically one of the toughest races on equipment all year. SRT Motorsports will be unveiling its new R6P8 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series engine at the short track, which is touted to have increased durability.  

"We are excited to launch our new "closed deck" engine block with Penske Racing Engines for the Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville this weekend," Dave Bailey of SRT Motorsports Engineering said in a statement. "We are very pleased with the performance and durability of our previous "open deck" block, but are introducing design changes to help improve head gasket life and future capability for power increases. We worked closely with NASCAR to ensure the changes are compliant and have competitive parity."

Barney Hall returns to MRN this weekend

The iconic voice of MRN radio will be back in the booth at Martinsville after an illness forced him to miss the start of the Sprint Cup season. Barney Hall, veteran radio announcer, missed the Daytona 500 for just the third time in the race's history, but will be in Virginia to call both the Camping World Trucks Series Kroger 250 Saturday afternoon at 1:30 PM EDT and the Sprint Cup Series Goody's Fast Relief 500 on Sunday at 12:00 PM EDT.

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FRONTSTRETCH IS EXPANDING... INTO OPEN-WHEEL!

Have an itch for the IndyCars? Looking for a part-time writing gig? Well, then Frontstretch may be the place for you. We're looking for one fill-in IndyCar writer to handle about ten preview and recap columns over the course of the 2012 season. Deadlines will be on Thursday and Sunday nights; if interested, going through the Frontstretch audition process (with an emphasis on open-wheel instead of NASCAR) is required. Questions? Concerns? Or simply ready to send your pieces in? Contact us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com.

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Keepin' It Short: Dropping the Rag at Waterford Speedbowl
by Mike Neff

Racing in the Northeast has a long and storied history that dates back 1800s when the Agricultural Park that is now the location of Stafford Speedway hosted horse races. Three of the race tracks that are very integral in that history, and are probably the most well known tracks in the area, are all in the state of Connecticut. Stafford Speedway has been around, in some form, since the 1870s. Thompson International Speedway was the first asphalt race track in America and has been in existence since 1938. The youngest of the three tracks--Waterford Speedbowl, built in 1951--opens its 62nd season this weekend.

The Budweiser Blastoff Weekend will encompass three days of racing on the historic 3/8ths-mile oval in 14 different divisions. The weekend's main event is a 100 lap feature for the Valenti Modified Racing Series. Modifieds are at the core of racing in the New England area and they have been running at Waterford since the gates opened in 1951.

Along with the Modifieds, the NEMA Midgets will be featured because they are celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2012. NEMA Midgets have been a staple in the Northeast and have been a part of the history of Waterford for most of their 60 years of existence. In fact, Waterford has been referred to by quite a few fans as the perfect midget track.

The SK Modifieds will run a 62-lap feature to open their season as the primary Whelen All-American Series division in honor of the 62nd anniversary of the track. The SK Light Modifieds, Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models, Street Stocks and Mini Stocks will also be kicking off their NASCAR seasons as part of the Blast Off Weekend.

In addition to the NASCAR divisions and the Valenti Modifieds, the NEMA Lites, New England Truck Series, New England Four Cylinder Pro Stocks, Legends, Bandoleros, Super X Cars and X Cars will all be racing on the Budweiser Blast Off docket. The Blast Off starts on Friday with practice at noon. Pit admission is $25.00 while the grandstands will be closed.

Saturday will see all 14 divisions on the track for practice beginning at 9:00 AM. Qualifying will start at 3:00 PM including heat races for the Valenti Modified Racing Series. 5:00 PM will see the rag drop on feature races for the NEMA Lites, SK Light Modifieds, New England Trucks, New England Four Cylinder Pro Stocks, Legends, Bandoleros, Super X Cars and X Cars.

Sunday will be the culmination of the three day extravaganza, kicking off with a Pit Party at 9:30 AM. The feature races will start at 12:00 PM as the NEMA Midgets hit the track for a 25 lap A-Main. After the Midgets will be the 62 lap SK Modified Feature, 50 laps for the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models, and 30 lap features for the Street Stocks and the Mini Stocks. The Blast Off will come to a conclusion as the Valenti Modifieds hold their 100 lap feature with all of the laps being green flag laps.

2010 Whelen All-American National Champion Keith Rocco began his racing career at Waterford and is the defending SK Modified Champion. Dennis Grada won the track championship seven different times, the most in track history. Don Collins and Phil Rondeau are the two most successful drivers in the 62 year history of the track. Collins was one of the first stars of the track, winning five track titles, that last of which was secured in 1969. Rondeau's success came later in the history of the track with six titles in eight years from 1985 through 1992. Collins and Rondeau are the only two drivers in the tracks storied past to eclipse the 100 victory mark.

For racing fans in the Northeast, this weekend is undoubtedly the best way to shake off the Winter doldrums and get back to the excitement of short track racing. No matter what kind of racing you like, there will be some kind of vehicle to tickle your fancy competing at Waterford this weekend. For $35 adults can get into the stands for both days that the grandstands are open while kids between six and 14 can get in for $10. Kids five and under are admitted for free.

This Weekend's Racing Schedule

Fri : Mar 30th – NEA Speedway ; Harrisburg : AR – USCS 600 Sprint Cars
Fri : Mar 30th – Merced Speedway ; Merced : CA – World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Fri : Mar 30th – Ocean Speedway ; Watsonville : CA – Taco Bravo Ocean Sprints
Fri : Mar 30th – Waterford Speedbowl ; Waterford : CT – New England Trucks
Fri : Mar 30th – Five Flags Speedway ; Pensacola : FL – Pro Late Models
Fri : Mar 30th – Farmer City Raceway ; Farmer City : Ill – World of Outlaws Late Models
Fri : Mar 30th – Humboldt Speedway ; Humboldt : KS – USMTS King of America Modified National Qualifying
Fri : Mar 30th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Late Models
Fri : Mar 30th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Modifieds
Fri : Mar 30th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Street Stocks
Fri : Mar 30th – Jackson Motor Speedway ; Byram : MS – Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
Fri : Mar 30th – Ace Speedway ; Altamahaw : NC – USAC Eastern Focus Midgets
Fri : Mar 30th – Ace Speedway ; Altamahaw : NC – USAC Midwest Focus Midgets
Fri : Mar 30th – Ace Speedway ; Altamahaw : NC – USAC MOPAR National Midgets
Fri : Mar 30th – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – NDRA Late Models
Fri : Mar 30th – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Late Models
Fri : Mar 30th – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Open Wheel Modifieds
Fri : Mar 30th – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Street Stocks
Fri : Mar 30th – Boyd Raceway ; Boyd : TX – Sprint Series of Texas
Fri : Mar 30th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Modifieds
Fri : Mar 30th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fri : Mar 30th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Stock
Fri : Mar 30th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – Street Stock
Fri : Mar 30th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – Winged Modifieds
Sat : Mar 31st – Montgomery Motor Speedway ; Montgomery : AL – Show Me The Money Pro Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Sayre Speedway ; Sayre : AL – Southern Superstars Early Bird 100 Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – NEA Speedway ; Harrisburg : AR – USCS 600 Sprint Cars
Sat : Mar 31st – NEA Speedway ; Harrisburg : AR – USCS Outlaw Thunder Sprint Cars
Sat : Mar 31st – Calistoga Speedway ; Calistoga : CA – World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Sat : Mar 31st – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Gerhardt Classic USAC Sprint Cars
Sat : Mar 31st – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – 410/360 Super Modifieds
Sat : Mar 31st – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – USAC Focus Midgets
Sat : Mar 31st – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – BCRA/USAC Midgets
Sat : Mar 31st – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – NCMA Sprints
Sat : Mar 31st – Perris Auto Speedway ; Perris : CA – USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
Sat : Mar 31st – Perris Auto Speedway ; Perris : CA – California Lightning Sprints
Sat : Mar 31st – Placerville Speedway ; Placerville : CA – California Civil War Series Sprint Cars
Sat : Mar 31st – Stockton 99 Speedway ; Stockton : CA – SRL Southwest Tour Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Waterford Speedbowl ; Waterford : CT – MRS Modifieds
Sat : Mar 31st – Waterford Speedbowl ; Waterford : CT – NEMA Midgets
Sat : Mar 31st – Waterford Speedbowl ; Waterford : CT – New England Truck Series
Sat : Mar 31st
– Bubba Raceway Park ; Ocala : FL – Florida Mini-Sprint Association
Sat : Mar 31st – Desoto Speedway ; Bradenton : FL – Sportsman
Sat : Mar 31st – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Modifieds
Sat : Mar 31st – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Sportsman
Sat : Mar 31st – Punta Gorda Speedway ; Punta Gorda : FL – Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Lanier National Speedway ; Braselton : GA – Shriner Bowl Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – New Senoia Raceway ; Senoia : GA – Spring Fling 40 Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Farmer City Raceway ; Farmer City : IL – World of Outlaws Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Farley Speedway ; Farley : IA – Deery Brothers Summer Series IMCA Late  Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Waycross Motor Speedway ; Waycross : GA – Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Humboldt Speedway ; Humboldt : KS – USMTS King of America Modified Nationals
Sat : Mar 31st – Boothill Speedway ; Shreveport : LA – Ark-La-Tex Winged Modifieds
Sat : Mar 31st – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Late Model Sportsman
Sat : Mar 31st – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Pure Stocks
Sat : Mar 31st – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – NeSmith Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Street Stocks
Sat : Mar 31st – Ace Speedway ; Altamahaw : NC – USAC Eastern Focus Midgets
Sat : Mar 31st – Ace Speedway ; Altamahaw : NC – USAC Midwest Focus Midgets
Sat : Mar 31st – Ace Speedway ; Altamahaw : NC – USAC MOPAR National Midgets
Sat : Mar 31st – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Late Models x2
Sat : Mar 31st – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Street Stock
Sat : Mar 31st – Concord Motorsports Park ; Concord : NC – Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Limited Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Street Stock
Sat : Mar 31st – Grandview Speedway ; Bechtelsville : PA – North East Enduro Tour
Sat : Mar 31st – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 410 Sprints
Sat : Mar 31st – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 358 Sprints
Sat : Mar 31st – Trail-Ways Speedway ; Hanover : PA – Sidewinder Sprints
Sat : Mar 31st – Florence Motor Speedway ; Timmonsville : SC – Allison Legacy Series
Sat : Mar 31st – Greenville-Pickens Speedway ; Greenville : SC – NASCAR K&N Pro East Series
Sat : Mar 31st – C C Speedway ; Corpus Christi : TX – Dwarf Car Series of Texas
Sat : Mar 31st – Lone Star Speedway ; Kilgore : TX – Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
Sat : Mar 31st – Seymour Speedway ; Seymour : WI – Spring Thaw Wisconsin Dirt Late Model Association
Sat : Mar 31st – Seymour Speedway ; Seymour : WI – Spring Thaw IMCA Modifieds
Sat : Mar 31st – Seymour Speedway ; Seymour : WI – Spring Thaw IMCA Sport Modifieds
Sat : Mar 31st – Seymour Speedway ; Seymour : WI – Spring Thaw IMCA Stock Cars
Sat : Mar 31st – Seymour Speedway ; Seymour : WI – Spring Thaw Street Stocks
Sun : Apr 1st – Waterford Speedbowl ; Waterford : CT – MRS Modifieds
Sun : Apr 1st – Waterford Speedbowl ; Waterford : CT – NEMA Midgets
Sun : Apr 1st
– Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Spring Fling Roadrunners
Sun : Apr 1st – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Spring Fling Hornets
Sun : Apr 1st – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Spring Fling Legends
Sun : Apr 1st – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Super Late Models
Sun : Apr 1st – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – NeSmith Late Models
Sun : Apr 1st – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Street Stocks
Sun : Apr 1st – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Season Opener 358 Modifieds
Sun : Apr 1st – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Season Opener Sportsman
Wed : Apr 4th – Millbridge Speedway ; Salisbury : NC – Autism Awareness Night Mini Outlaws

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

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Fantasy Friday: Goody's Fast Relief 500
by Jeff Wolfe

Editor's Note: Welcome to the newest feature in the Frontstretch Newsletter where Jeff Wolfe takes a look at your best bets when it comes to picking your fantasy racing teams. Each week, Jeff will have your top 5 best bets along with a bonus pick just in time to finalize your lineup and settle in for a weekend full of action.

Part of being successful in NASCAR takes a little bit of brain surgery (the psychological type), a bit of lawyer-like persuasion and then simply having the guts to make the right call at the right time. All of those things came into play when Tony Stewart's crew chief, Steve Addington, made the call to keep his leading car out as the rain drops began to fall Sunday afternoon in California.

There were a couple of scenarios that could have played out. If the sun had come out and dried the track in time to go back green, Stewart would have lost the lead and that precious clean air these cars seem to need. But Addington pointed out in a post-race interview, that about six or seven other cars also didn't pit, so Stewart would have likely come out in sixth or seventh place anyway, keeping the eventual winner in contention for the lead. Also, Addington had a full view of the weather radar and liked the odds of the rain continuing. Those were easy selling points to Stewart.

Meanwhile, Stewart's champion crew chief last year, Darian Grubb, made the call for the then second-place Denny Hamlin to come into the pits. He came back out in 11th, so the move cost him nine points. Not the end of the world, but you never know when those nine points will come in handy. Grubb's a proven champion, so we know he can rebound from a mistake. He just may have to do a little more brain surgery and lawyer-like persuading the next time a key race call comes up.
As for now, Addington gets an upper hand with two wins in five races for Stewart. If the team continues to do well, that will allow them to do some experimenting later in the season before the Chase, which could put Stewart in position to make another title run.

Here are this week's picks for the 1 PM Sunday race at Martinsville on FOX.

Top 5 Picks

Tony Stewart - He's got three wins at Martinsville and nine top-5 finishes. Plus he's won seven of the last 15 races--including last fall's visit to the track--so it makes perfect sense he should run well this weekend.

Denny Hamlin - He's got four wins and nine top 5s with an average finish of 6.5, second only to Jimmie Johnson's 5.4. We may see these two battling for the lead again this week.

Jimmie Johnson - Six wins and 14 top 5s in 20 starts; the No. 48 might not need its share of good luck this week.

Kevin Harvick - He won here last spring and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him contend again.

Brian Vickers - Yes, a bit of long shot here, but he was great on the short-track concrete of Bristol, leading 125 laps and finishing fifth. He's back in the No. 55 car which has been a solid ride this season, no matter who is driving.

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda - Dale Earnhardt Jr. Yes, I've just got a gut feeling that this could be Junior's week. The fact that he hasn't won in 134 races (for those of you snoring at home) kept me from pulling the trigger on the No. 88 this time.

ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP
Here's a review of last week's picks at California and how they finished.

Kyle Busch - 2nd. He led 80 laps and most likely would have contended for the win if the race had not been rain-shortened.

Matt Kenseth - 16th. A respectable showing and he's sitting there sixth in the points standings here in the early going.

Kevin Harvick - 4th. He was strong all day, even doing some pushing at times. Also a likely contender to win it if not for the rain.

Tony Stewart - 1st. There we go. Five races and finally a winner for me. He had a strong car that was improving throughout. He also had the best strategy in the end.

Jimmie Johnson - 10th. There's no official Rain Dance Award listed after race results, but the No. 48 team was probably doing just that once they realized they had an oil leak and the rain drops started falling. Johnson kept the car running until the red flag. It was a points-saving rain for five-time, who probably would not have been able to continue.
 
Season Stats
25 Picks
1 win
8 top 5s
7 top 10s

Grade for this week: A-. I had three of the top four and four of the top 10. Also, I mentioned that Jeff Gordon was a possible pick that I didn't make because while his cars have been strong, he's been a bit snakebit. He was running in the top 10 Sunday when he dragged his gasman and a fuel can from his pits under a green flag stop. It cost him a drive-through penalty and about 20 places in the final results.

Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.

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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 tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.

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Frontstretch Folio: Goody's Fast Relief 500
by Nick Schwartz

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to tiny Martinsville, Virginia for the second short-track race on the schedule, the Goody's Fast Relief 500. The race will be broadcast on FOX at 12:30 PM EDT and on MRN Radio starting at 12:00 PM EDT. The  sixth race of the 2012 season is scheduled for 500 laps on the 0.526-mile oval. Following a rain-shortened Auto Club 400, the forecast for this Sunday in Martinsville is favorable, with sunny skies projected and a high of 77 degrees.

Records and Facts

Tony Stewart holds the track qualifying record with a lap of 19.306 seconds, crossing the line at 98.084 miles per hour. Stewart set the record in October of 2005 and went on to finish second, and he'll be among the favorites Sunday to take the checkered flag—he's won at the half-mile short track three times in his career, and has an average finish of 13.4. In recent years however, it's been feast or famine for Stewart at Martinsville. His last six finishing positions, going back to 2009: 3rd, 9th, 26th, 24th, 34th, 1st.

Kevin Harvick is the defending winner of this race after leading just six laps. Having started inside the top 10, he bumped Dale Earnhardt, Jr. out of the lead with just four laps remaining to score his second consecutive victory of the 2011 season.

Jeff Gordon holds the record for the fastest race at Martinsville. Gordon won the Fall 1996 Hanes 500 with an average speed of 82.223 mph. The King, Richard Petty, holds most of the other miscellaneous track records. Petty leads all drivers with 15 wins at Martinsville, 30 top 5s and 37 top 10s in 67 starts at the track. Darrell Waltrip holds the records for poles at Martinsville with eight.

Track Facts

Track/Race Length: 0.526 mile Paper Clip shaped oval, 500 laps (263 miles)
Pit Road Speed: 30mph
Degree of Banking: 12 degrees
Frontstretch: 800 ft., 0 degrees of banking
Backstretch: 800 ft., 0 degrees of banking
Grandstand Seating: 61,000

Pre-race Schedule

Practice: Friday, March 30th, 12:30 – 2:00 PM EST and 3:30 – 5:00 PM EST on SPEED
Qualifying: Saturday, March 31st, 11:30 PM ET on SPEED

VIPs

Grand Marshal / Command: Actor Gary Sinise
Honorary Starter: Marine Cpl. Josh "J.B." Kerns
National Anthem: Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Regimental Marching Band

Race Day Forecast

Sunday: Sunny
High: 77 degrees
Low: 54 degrees

They Said It

"Coming off the last short-track run that we had in Bristol in which we won, I'm excited to get to Martinsville this weekend.  I think that our short-track program has been one of our strengths.  This will be a true test for us.  I feel that Martinsville owes us one after we ran so well there last fall only to get pushed up the track late in the race.  We've tested at Little Rock in preparation for this weekend and I think that we're bringing a pretty good package.  The key for me is to be patient at Martinsville.  You can't use your stuff up too early in the race.  You have to let the race come to you and stay away from contact.  Anything can happen short-track racing.  You have to make sure that you have all the fenders on it at the end." –Brad Keselowski

"I look forward going to Martinsville.  I always have a lot of fun there.  I think everybody really enjoys running there. It's a pretty fun track.  We've had some good success there.  I'm hoping to have a good race like we did last year and maybe have an opportunity to try to be in the battle for the win." -Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

"Martinsville is very much a finesse race track – from a braking standpoint, but also the acceleration part of it, too. You can really chew your tires up on the concrete before you get to the asphalt getting back to the gas, and you have to get back to the gas, but how you do it can make a really big difference in how good your car is for a whole fuel run. A fuel run here is roughly 110 to 120 laps, and you only get three or four times to do that. Tires are important but, if the race goes green for a long time, you can go a lap down by not managing your racecar. For me, I'm thinking about who's around me, what to expect at the start of the race, how good the car is, what we need to work on, those kind of things. Sometimes your competition is more you than anybody else."  –Ryan Newman

Nick Schwartz is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at nick.schwartz@frontstretch.com.

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

IndyCar Preview: Barber Motorsports Park

by Danny Peters

Formula 1 Friday: Top Ten Reasons to Give F1 a Try
by Andy Hollis

Where's the Excitement In This World of Instant Gratification?
by Amy Henderson

Ride Buyers: NASCAR's Necessary Evil
by Kevin Rutherford

Three Years Later, TV Coverage Still Strangling the Nationwide Series
by Bryan Davis Keith

Kenny Wallace Driver Diary: Momentum and a World Series Dream
as told to Amy Henderson

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This Weekend on the Frontstretch:

Tracking the Trucks: Kroger 250 by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has all the post-race analysis you need after Saturday afternoon's Truck Series race from Martinsville.

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:
The 1996 Goody's Headache Powders 500 is best known as the race in which Terry Labonte overtook Richard Petty with his 514th consecutive start (nowadays, the record is 787 by Ricky Rudd).  However, it also marked the surprise Cup Series debut of Stacy Compton, whose late model team put together an effort to qualify ninth.  Where did the Dean Monroe-owned team get their equipment from?

Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Thursday's Answer:
 
Q: Staying with the 1995 Goody's 150 Truck race at Martinsville, that race was supposed to mark a milestone.  Unfortunately, circumstances forced "history" to wait a little while.  What am I talking about?

A: The 1995 Goody's 150 was Ernie Irvan's intended return to racing, however that was a very cool and rainy race weekend in Martinsville.  Qualifying got rained out and since Irvan's No. 28 NAPA United truck had no points, he was forced to sit out.  He eventually made his comeback at North Wilkesboro and ran exceptionally well in his sixth-place finish.

Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take 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 Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Goody's Fast Relief 500 Race Recap by Jeff Wolfe
-- Secret Star and Stat of the Race
by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
 
Monday on the Frontstretch:

Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Goody's Fast Relief 500 by Matt McLaughlin
Matt will be here with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday afternoon's action at Martinsville.

Monday Morning Teardown by Ron Lemasters
Ron returns for a website look at one of the big stories from Sunday's race from Martinsville.

Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom brings back his weekly post-race commentary with all of the insight you need from a weekend of racing at Martinsville.

Big Six: Goody's Fast Relief 500 by Amy Henderson
Looking for all you need to know leaving Sunday's event at Martinsville? Amy has your who, what, when, where, why and how from a weekend of racing.

Pace Laps: Martinsville Weekend by the Frontstretch Staff
In our newest column this season, we'll take a look at the biggest stories to keep an eye on in each series after a weekend at Martinsville.

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The Frontstretch Newsletter: BREAKING March 29th, 2012

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

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Top News
by Phil Allaway

Breaking This Morning: Commercial Nixed For Nationwide Regular By ESPN

On this morning's FOX and Friends, Nationwide Series regular Blake Koch raised eyebrows by claiming ESPN nixed a commercial for his primary sponsor. Backed by Rise Up And Register, Koch said the network would not allow in-race advertising for the company due to the "strong political and religious overtones" produced by the commercial. Koch did not indicate the future of his relationship with the company, but it was notable the car was unsponsored at Fontana after the incident.

The main website of Rise Up And Register indicates their mission is to get 1,000,000 additional U.S. Citizens to vote before the next election. The company does not appear to support a particular candidate.

Sponsors Re-Up at Tommy Baldwin Racing

Sponsorship has been somewhat difficult for Tommy Baldwin Racing to obtain this season.  Instead of one full-time car, the team is now operating two, one of them in conjunction with Stewart-Haas Racing so that Danica Patrick won't have to worry about qualifying on speed.  However, despite their limited finances the team got some good news this week.

On Tuesday, the team announced that Ollie's Bargain Outlet would be back to serve as the primary sponsor of Dave Blaney's No. 36 this weekend at Martinsville.  Ollie's originally only signed on for a one-race deal in Daytona.  However, they have been extremely pleased with the exposure so far, so they have returned for their fourth race of the season.

"Our partnership with Tommy Baldwin Racing has been very rewarding," said Mark Butler, President and CEO of Ollie's Bargain Outlet.  "They have been great to us, and our customers are happy we're supporting the team. We got the opportunity to sponsor the No. 36 Ollie's Bargain Outlet Chevrolet again this week, and we took it!"

With the No. 10 team, they have had sponsorship from Accell Construction for three of the four races that Tommy Baldwin Racing has operated the car (the No. 10 is sponsored by GoDaddy in all races in which the team is operated by Stewart-Haas Racing).  On Wednesday, Accell Construction extended their deal to include the next three races (Martinsville, Texas and Kansas).  Like Ollie's Bargain Outlet, it appears that Accell Construction is happy with the exposure they're receiving.

"Accell Construction is proud to represent the pipeline terminal and bulk storage construction industry in the NASCAR world," said Steve Todhunter, owner of Accell Construction.  "Texas and Kansas are like hometown tracks for us, so we are looking forward to competing there. We enjoy taking our customers out to celebrate racing in the Midwest. We have had a good time working with TBR over the past two seasons and are excited to continue that relationship."

Both of the Tommy Baldwin Racing cars are currently in the top 35 in owners points (No. 36 in 28th and No. 10 in 34th), so they are locked into Sunday's Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Its Official: Bristol to be Changed

Last week, we reported about how Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chairman O. Bruton Smith was very disappointed with the crowd at Sunday's Food City 500 and that he was determined to do something about it.  To that end, Bristol's website put up a link where fans could give their input on what has hurt their enjoyment of the track's action recently.  To Smith, the results of that fan survey were quite clear: bring the "old Bristol" back.

"The race fans have spoken," Smith reaffirmed Wednesday, making last week's report official that adjustments will be made.  "We had input that included a wide range of opinions. But the majority we heard from said they wanted to see changes. As a result, I have ordered the equipment and work will begin within the next two weeks to allow time to have everything ready for August."

Now, Smith did not announce just what kind of work would be done to the half-mile, high-banked oval to make the racing more exciting for the Irwin Tools Night Race.  However, he did mention that details of the track's construction project will be unveiled in two weeks.  The likely final result of these changes will be a track that more closely resembles the Bristol of Summer 1992 - Spring 2007.  Denny Hamlin, upon hearing the news, took to Twitter to give his opinion.

"So Bruton Smith is changing Bristol.. I like it.. Pave that mofo!!! With the most coarse asphalt u can find," Hamlin tweeted.  Bristol's racing surface hasn't been asphalt since early 1992, and there was a good reason for the previous track ownership deciding to make the switch.  The surface was subject to breaking up under the pressure of race cars and very expensive to maintain with constant resealing required.

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


Sprint Cup Series Goody's Fast Relief 500: 46 cars entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19
- Mike Bliss for TriStar Motorsports
No. 74 - Reed Sorenson for Turn One Racing
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports

Driver Changes / New Teams:
No. 33
- Hermie Sadler is in the seat, replacing Brendan Gaughan. Sponsorship will come from Anderson's Maple Syrup and AM/FM Energy for a Richard Childress Racing entry that's expected to go the distance.
No. 37 - Tony Raines is in the seat, replacing rookie Timmy Hill. Hill had failed to qualify for three of the last four Sprint Cup events.
No. 52 - Scott Speed is entered for Hamilton Means Racing, as the team makes its Sprint Cup debut. The car has pledged to go the distance for each race it enters.
No. 55 - Brian Vickers returns to the seat, replacing Mark Martin. Martin is running a limited schedule of 24 races this season, with Vickers filling in for roughly half-a-dozen and team owner Michael Waltrip running the rest.

Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 19
- Mike Bliss for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 23 - Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports*
No. 26 - Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30 - David Stremme for Inception Motorsports*
No. 37 - Tony Raines for Rick Ware Racing
No. 49 - J.J. Yeley for Robinson-Blakeney Racing
No. 52 - Scott Speed for Hamilton-Means Racing
No. 74 - Reed Sorenson for Turn One Racing*
No. 83 - Landon Cassill for BK Racing
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 98 - Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing

Withdrawn:
No. 7
- Robby Gordon for Robby Gordon Motorsports

* - Expected to start and park

Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250: 42 trucks entered

Number Changes:
No. 10
for JJC Racing has acquired the points from Kevin Harvick, Inc./Eddie Sharp Racing No. 8 and has taken that number.
No. 0 for JJC Racing has had the owners points from JJC Racing's No. 10 from 2011 moved to that truck and the number changed to No. 10.

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 2
- Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 74 - Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 92 - David Reutimann for RBR Motorsports

Driver Changes:
No. 07
- Jake Crum is in the seat, replacing T.J. Duke.
No. 09 - John Wes Townley is in the seat, replacing Travis Kvapil. Townley returns after a DUI incident left him suspended from the team for the season-opening race at Daytona.
No. 2 - Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Brendan Gaughan.
No. 8 - Jennifer Jo Cobb will be in the seat, replacing Mike Skinner.  It appears that Cobb has acquired the rights to the No. 8 from Eddie Sharp Racing, but will continue to run her own truck.
No. 10 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Jake Crum.
No. 27 - Jeb Burton is in the seat, replacing father Ward Burton.  Jeb will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 50 - Natalie Sather is in the seat, replacing T.J. Bell.  If Sather qualifies, she will be making her Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 74 - Mike Harmon returns to the seat, replacing Wheeler Boys in his self-owned truck.

Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 09
- John Wes Townley for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 10 - Unknown driver for JJC Racing
No. 14 - Brennan Newberry for Bob Newberry Racing
No. 15 - Dusty Davis for Arrington Racing
No. 50 - Natalie Sather for MAKE Motorsports
No. 57 - Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 65 - Tyler Tanner for MB Motorsports
No. 68 - Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Racing
No. 70 - Jeff Agnew for Level 7 Motorsports
No. 74 - Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 75 - Caleb Holman for Henderson Racing
No. 81 - David Starr for Billy Ballew Motorsports
No. 84 - Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
No. 92 - David Reutimann for RBR Enterprises
No. 98 - Dakoda Armstrong for ThorSport Racing

Not Entered:
No. 19 - Brad Keselowski for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 28 - Wes Burton for FDNY Racing
No. 63 - MB Motorsports
No. 73 - Rick Crawford for Tagsby Racing
No. 76 - Derek White for Ray Hackett Racing
No. 82 - Grant Enfinger for Bragg Racing Group

Izod IndyCar Series Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama: 26 cars

Driver Changes: None

Entries:
No. 2
- Ryan Briscoe for Team Penske
No. 3 - Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 4 - J.R. Hildebrand for Panther Racing
No. 5 - E.J. Viso for KV Racing Technologies
No. 6 - Katherine Legge for Lotus-Dragon Racing
No. 7 - Sebastien Bourdais for Lotus-Dragon Racing
No. 8 - Rubens Barrichello for KV Racing Technologies
No. 9 - Scott Dixon for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10 - Dario Franchitti for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 11 - Tony Kanaan for KV Racing Technologies
No. 12 - Will Power for Team Penske
No. 14 - Mike Conway for A.J. Foyt Racing
No. 15 - Takuma Sato for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 18 - Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19 - James Jakes for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 20 - Ed Carpenter for Ed Carpenter Racing
No. 22 - Oriol Servia for Lotus-DRR
No. 26 - Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27 - James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport
No. 28 - Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 38 - Graham Rahal for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 67 - Josef Newgarden for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 77 - Simon Pagenaud for Sam Schmidt Racing
No. 78 - Simona de Silvestro for Lotus-HVM Racing
No. 83 - Charlie Kimball for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 98 - Alex Tagliani for Bryan Herta Autosport


Have news for Phil, 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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Today's Featured Commentary
What NASCAR Really Needs Right Now: A REALITY CHECK
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese

With the Auto Club 400 being abbreviated to the Auto Club 258 this past Sunday at Fontana, it has been a bit of a slow news week across the motorsports media landscape.

Do you know how I can tell?  Because everybody is still babbling about Bristol, feigning righteous indignation over the No. 48 team's penalty appeal being overturned, and yet another change to the All-Star race in May.  With all of this nonsense swirling about, it's time for a REALITY CHECK.

Bruton Smith announced that Bristol would be reconfigured prior to the August night race, after what appeared to be half of the seats being empty on a rainy, cool mid-March weekend in Thunder Valley.  My question is, reconfigured into what, exactly? Three hours of 55 mph caution laps and 90 minutes of follow the leader?  If you dig up the track and make it into a one-lane train, how is that going to engender fans to come out to the show?  Will the threat of more wrecks draw the morbidly curious out to come see the cautions at the end of summer?

REALITY CHECK:

The problem is not that of concrete; it is one of rubber and metal. Instead of spending a ton of money to fix a perfectly good racetrack, have Goodyear engineer some tires that actually wear out after 100 miles.  They're Eagles, not Assuratreds – they don't need to go 70,000 miles, and the whole two-tire/four-tire strategy is part of what helps makes racing interesting on a short track. Besides, let's say you make it a one-groove racetrack again.  Is anybody going to beat and bang each other out of the way?  No, because ever since about 2005, nobody's ramming into each other during the final three weeks of the year before going into The Chase; they just ride around and try to stay out of trouble.  This renovation is simply going to end up being a boon for the excavating company that is going to bust up the track and resurface it.  In the end, it will likely end up being another episode similar to that which took place at Charlotte Motor Speedway a few years back: Take the best example of a unique track on the circuit, and destroy it by trying to make it "exciting for the fans."

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Speaking of Charlotte, there is now yet another change to the All-Star Race on May 19th.  Much like the championship points format that nobody can seem to agree on for more than three years, the All-Star race will now allegedly place a premium on winning segments to propel a driver to really try to win the later segments.

Winners of the first four segments will move to the front of the field and line up in positions one through four, before making a required pit road visit for the final mandatory pit stop.  There is no requirement to take two or four tires – or just gas – so the pit stop will determine how they line up on the track for the final ten laps.  This adjustment, in NASCAR's opinion, will help to regain the excitement that has been missing from the All-Star race for the last few – er – seven years.  Singling out four drivers also has nothing at all do to with trying to draw any parallels to The Final Four NCAA Men's Basketball bracket, either, especially announcing this change during the middle of the tournament...

REALITY CHECK:


Why is this new format going to make you try any harder to win the other segments? If the final lineup is determined how you come off pit road, don't take any tires and just get gas to come out first and pick the lane you want for the restart.  We all know that tires don't mean squat anymore, as it's aero first on a downforce track, and whoever gets out first is probably going to win on anything 1.0-mile and larger.

If you aren't first, all is not lost; just take four tires because the first two are just going to try and do gas only to beat each other out, and you can probably bury it down in there and nudge them out of the way from third or fourth.  If anything it's probably better not to win the preceding segment, because then you make the decision that much easier.  Why not just run it like they did in The Winston back in the early 1990s when they had the best races: Segment 1: 30 laps, then invert the field. Segment 2: 30 laps. Segment 3: Final 10-lap shootout.  Every time they keep trying to make it better to make it more exciting, they just dilute it and make it lame.

Part of what has really made this race a shadow of its former self is when they ruined the track by taking the bump out of Turn 4, followed by the levigating, which ruined Turns 1 and 2, and then when they had to repave the whole thing because they screwed it up so bad to begin with.

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The announcement last week that Chad Knaus and Ron Malec would be reinstated – as well as the 25 driver and owner points – for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team, sent many in the media into a tizzy, beside themselves that NASCAR's penalty got more-or-less overturned.  With the exception of the $100,000 fine that remained, crew chief Chad Knaus was absolved of wrong-doing – i.e., "cheating" – when the Lowe's Chevrolet was removed from the inspection line prior to practice for Daytona 500 qualifying.  Many have cited that John Middlebrook, being a former GM executive was biased as the appellate officer hearing case by General Motors team owner Rick Hendrick, who also owns Chevrolet dealerships.  Clearly, he must be on the take and not able to render a verdict with any sort of legitimacy.

REALITY CHECK:

If you work in NASCAR, guess what?  You're going to have ties to either the automotive industry or people in NASCAR.  When Gary Nelson resigned as crew chief for Kyle Petty and SabCo Racing back in the early 1990s, did he turn a blind eye to the No. 42 Mello Yello Pontiac when it rolled through inspection?  Does Robin Pemberton give the Blue Deuce a wink and a nod anytime something questionable comes up since he used to be a crew chief for Roger Penske?  Using that same logic, I guess you can invalidate six of Dale Earnhardt's championships since he was friends with Richard Childress as well as Earnhardt, Sr.  How many other drivers had a top-tier executive inside the sport once radioing them before a race wishing them good luck?

The fact of the matter is, the motorsports community is a tight one, and you're going to have dealings with a number of people along the way, who might be in positions of power and influence later on down the line.  The fact of the matter is, in this instance, despite whatever Knaus had done in the past that warranted a fine or penalty, at least it was something that was caught while inspecting and examining the car by measuring it and using a gauge to confirm a part was out of specification.  In this instance, down at Daytona it was eyeballed and the team was told the C-pillars must be removed before it had been subject to any measured evaluation to confirm and document any wrongdoing.

That's why the penalty was overturned.

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

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Editor's Note: The Critic's Annex will not appear this week.  Look for it to return next week in this space.

Frontstretch Driver Diary: Paulie Harraka
as told to Tom Bowles

It's been a long break for the Camping World Truck Series drivers and teams since the season opener at Daytona.  But for Paulie Harraka, finishing up his college career at Duke University the break has been more like "business as usual." In between classes, he sewed up a sponsor deal with MC 10 for Martinsville, did testing for the upcoming race and... spoke at a prestigious MIT conference? Not the type of itinerary you hear from your usual NASCAR driver, especially one that's on Spring Break from school.

In the second edition of our Harraka diary, we talk about his bumpy start to the season, all the busyness that followed and find out what he thinks about Duke's "one and done" system, among other topics.


Let's start with Daytona. Can you describe what happened in that accident that left you simply trying to survive the rest of the race.


I think going into Daytona, there's a lot of unexpected things. We were in just the wrong place in the wrong time. Being in the middle of three-wide as you come off the banking and off of four. I gave the truck on the inside of me plenty of room – I should have actually crowded him a little bit more, so I had more air on the right side of my truck. Lesson learned. A lot of it is feel; no one can explain to you what it's like to get the air taken off of you until you've felt it a few times. So, you've just got to feel it.

From the driver's perspective, describe what it's like to run around a track like Daytona at less than maximum speed. Could you still learn anything after your crash?


It's certainly not fun. You're just out there making laps and fighting for all you can fight for from a position's perspective. You're still out there working hard, trying to get as many spots as you can. But when the damage is extensive enough so that you can't contend for the win anymore, it hampers your day. And you can't really learn anything anymore, even as a rookie.

What's your routine after a bad finish as opposed to a good one? Does it change? 

So I have a pretty steady routine that doesn't change whether we win or crash in qualifying. But as far as leaving a bad day at the racetrack, I'm the type of driver who wants to understand. It's behind me now, but I had to watch the tape a few times, and talk to Johnny Benson about it and make sure it doesn't happen again. So, it took a little while to get it behind me but it's certainly behind me now.

What did Johnny (a former Truck Series champion) have to say?


We just talked about the air around the truck and stuff like that. Johnny was with us at Daytona and he'll be with us in Martinsville. It's great to have him. I'm a driver that – I'm not one to just jump in the race truck and run as hard as I can. If I really want to understand the race truck… I feel like the better I understand the truck and the series, the better I'll do, the better I'll communicate with Richie. So in this case, I have somebody like Johnny, who is a driver that understands the technical side of the sport. Obviously, he has had a tremendous amount of success, too, especially in the Camping World Truck Series, so Johnny working with me, even if for just a weekend, just teaching me some of the finer points of these trucks and these tires and this aero platform is really helpful. It helps accelerate my learning curve.

With such a large gap between races, what are the types of things you and your team have done to stay fresh?

I was so busy. I missed being out of the race car for sure – I would like to be in the race car if I could – but there's a lot going on. We announced a new sponsor, a new marketing partner with MC 10. We've got so much cool stuff going on, plus I'm still at Duke so I've just been plenty busy.

We just did a little bit of testing and yeah, that was about it.

Did we learn anything about who's strong in the Camping World Series championship at Daytona? Or is it such an outlier it's hard to take anything away from it?


I think you move on. Listen, Daytona is a huge race, and it's one we all work really hard to win. But ultimately, when you look at that track, there are a lot of ways to prepare for Daytona that require a tremendous amount of resources. And ultimately, in racing you have to decide if Daytona is worth those resources; or, do you want to allot those resources to short tracks, or intermediates, or places we go to a lot more.

So for us, we came to Daytona wanting to win and we worked hard. But we've kept our focus on our short track and intermediate programs because that's where we do the bulk of our racing.

A rookie winning that race… did that surprise you?


It's great for John. I was too busy with my own stuff to know what was going on – I actually didn't find out until the next day who won the race – but I'm really happy for him.

Since we last talked, NASCAR ratings have continued to drop at the Sprint Cup level this season. What, if anything, does the sport need to do at that level to drum up more fan interest?


Well, listen the Daytona 500 was also the second most-watched race in history, and the highest on FOX [in terms of number of people]. So you can write a completely polar opposite story depending on what race you pick. I think sometimes focusing on one event is not a fair indicator.

I think, at a macro level people just overfocus on what the Nielsen numbers are. You look at the sport, there's so many great storylines. You look at how many different winners there have been in the Nationwide Series, you look at Brian Vickers about to win Bristol – there are so many amazing storylines and so many cool things going on right now, more of the focus should be paid towards that.

Let's talk about Duke and the NCAA Tournament. Describe your feelings about the game and how you would gauge the season following the loss to Lehigh.


I got a call, the morning after the Duke game from [NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Director] Wayne Auton. And Wayne's quote was, "Ain't Lehigh a high school?"

That pretty much sums it up. It was just disappointing. Nobody expected Duke to lose, I don't think anybody expected Missouri to lose, let alone both of them to lose in the same day. I think that's the first time in NCAA history that's ever happened.

But yeah, I thought the Blue Devils would go a lot further than they did. I didn't know if they could handle Kentucky, but stuff happens, right? I think they still accomplished a lot. When you look at the team, they exceeded expectations in such a lot of ways. They had a young and inexperienced team, and to be ranked as high as we were in the AP and USA Today rankings, that was a surprise. Has Duke ever lost in the first round? Did I think we would go further? Yeah. But at the same time, you have to keep expectations realistic.

CURRENT EVENTS:

Austin Rivers is expected to declare for the NBA Draft after just one season. As an athlete who's able to make money going to school, how do you feel about the "one and done" atmosphere that's permeated college basketball?

Personally, I don't know what went into Austin's decision to go. That said, when you look at the macro Coach K's teams have produced more graduates than some other programs. But ultimately, to me it's collegiate athletics and players have the option to opt out. I think the NFL and the NFL Players' Union has a little better system that strongly encourages players to stay in college and play through a college career rather than a "one and done." That works well for them.

You know, I will say collegiate athletics is ultimately about developing school spirit and pride. And that can be really hard to do when you have athletes that only stay for a year.

One other thing; going to the top professional rank of any sport is such a major time commitment. It's really difficult to say how you draw a balance there. And there are a lot of players; Kyrie Irving, when he declared for the draft he was still on Duke's campus fairly often taking classes, especially during the lockout. So I know there are a good number of players, it might take a little longer, but they do eventually get their degree.

FAN QUESTION

"What's the toughest racetrack you've ever run on, in any car? What makes it so tough?" – Maggie Jones, Raleigh, NC


I would say probably the toughest racetrack I've ever been to is Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. I ran a K&N Pro Series West car there, and I love that place. I love it because it's so tough. From a driver's perspective, there is every type of corner you can imagine. Lefts, rights, S-turns, hairpins, sweepers, transitions. You name it, it's got 'em. It's challenging because you have to take kind of a different mindset into each corner. That said, that's what makes it fun because you can really outdrive somebody there. You can have a 10th-place car but drive up to fifth or even contend for a win there. That's what makes the challenging tracks in general my favorites.

The toughest corner at Miller is probably the corner getting onto the front straightaway because it's just so, so critical you hit that perfect. It's a tight, tight hairpin and you're switching back off a lefthander, you're coming out of a righthander. So it's really hard to get your entry lined up right, and then you have to get your car turned very quickly so you can get back to the throttle, because that's a particularly long straightaway.

But yeah, every time we went to Miller, we finished in the top 3. So I had a great time at that track.

WHAT'S HOT / WHAT'S NOT IN PAULIE'S WORLD

SPRING BREAK


HOT: So I made the cardinal mistake of going north for Spring Break. I actually spent my time in Boston and New York, but had a blast. Spoke at a conference at MIT, went to a Celtics – Rockets game, went to a concert with my best friend, went out in New York City with some friends. I had a good time and really did enjoy it.

Martinsville is hot in my world right now. I'm anxious to get back in the seat; we tested at Ace Speedway to get geared up and ready for it and that went well. That's what I'm looking forward to most, is getting back in the truck and going racing again.

NOT: Basketball. I probably won't watch any of the Final Four games because, as far as I'm concerned basketball season ended two weeks ago.

OK, well one thing stands out to me… the conference at MIT. Not that many students would say they spent Spring Break doing that; can you tell us a little bit more about it?


Yes, MIT has an annual Sloan Sports Analytics conference. It was really cool because I get to speak alongside some heavy hitters. Michael Wilbon from ESPN, Daryl Morey, GM of the Houston Rockets, Steve Tisch of the New York Giants, the management from the New Orleans Saints. It was a few pro athletes, too. I had the opportunity to go speak there and talk about some NASCAR stuff. It was an opportunity I jumped at and a lot of fun.

WEEKEND PREVIEW

What are the keys to a successful weekend at Martinsville and why?

From everybody I've talked to, and I'm trying to soak in as much information as I can it sounds like certainly qualifying up front and getting on and off pit road well is really important. It's a place where the easiest way to gain spots is that. Hit your marks, do everything right on pit road and in qualifying is important. Then, being in the Truck under green a lot of guys get a little antsy because we're running so tight early on. You need to stay disciplined for the first half of the race, then be in position and have enough Truck left to go for it at the end.

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Frontstretch Line of the Week


From
Mirror Driving: Adjusting Auto Club, Points vs. Wins And Martinsville Maniacs

"If I were racing, I'd love to have that surfboard trophy. I'd just have to figure out what the deuce to do with it once I got it." - Phil Allaway's take on winning at Auto Club Speedway, desiring one of the trophies on tap for the race winner, and trying to figure out what to do with it once he had it (can't put it in a trophy case, of course).

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Dollars And Sense: The Making Of The Martinsville Hot Dog

by Jesse Medford

Give 'Em What They Want?
by Mark Howell

Two NASCAR Champions, But Only One Great Escape
by Tom Bowles

Truckin' Thursdays: Sauter, Harvick Look to Defend Martinsville Spring Dominance
by Beth Lunkenheimer

Potts' Shots: Be Careful What You Wish For... And Just Split The Difference?
by John Potts

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: Staying with the 1995 Goody's 150 Truck race at Martinsville, that race was supposed to mark a milestone.  Unfortunately, circumstances forced "history" to wait a little while.  What am I talking about?

Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Wednesday's Answer:

Q: During the inaugural season for the now-Camping World Truck Series in 1995, incidents on track were generally mild in nature.  Of course, there were exceptions to this rule (Wayne Jacks' roll in Portland, Oregon and Kerry Teague's bad wreck at Heartland Park Topeka chiefly among them).  Rick Carelli had a nasty incident in Martinsville that year, too.  What happened?

A: Just before the halftime break, Barry Bodine slowed suddenly on the frontstretch.  Carelli didn't see him and effectively ran over him, launching the No. 6 Total Petroleum Chevrolet into the inside wall hard.  Jack Sprague also spun and hit the outside wall.  Carelli was OK, but his truck was done for the day, along with Bodine's.  Sprague continued, but finished three laps down in 20th.  The crash can be seen in real time at the 8:40 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! 

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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Jeff Wolfe
-- In Case You Missed It by Nick Schwartz
--
Frontstretch Folio: Goody's Fast Relief 500 by Nick Schwartz
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!


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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:


Four Burning Questions: Martinsville by Summer Dreyer
Summer is back with a four-part look at what we should expect from this weekend's Goody's Fast Relief 500 in Martinsville.

Holding A Pretty Wheel
by Amy Henderson
Amy is back with another interesting commentary.
 
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece on the Nationwide Series to tide you over while the series takes the week off.

Voices From the Heartland by TBD
We'll have a sub for our Midwestern voice turned Tennessee transplant with another interesting take on recent events.

Driver Diary: Kenny Wallace as told to Amy Henderson
Kenny Wallace returns for another edition of his noted diary.  He'll discuss the past couple of weeks in the No. 09, and some other things that tickle his fancy.  What are they?  You'll just have to read to find out.


Formula One Fridays by Andy Hollis
Our newest writer takes some time to tackle the most popular international version of racing: Formula One. In his first column, Andy explains why F1 is the best series you might not be watching... and gives ten reasons why you should.
-----------------------------
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!


TODAY'S FEEDBACK:
I like your news letter, glad I signed up. I like reading the tweets. Thanks for the news, it is a good read. - Loyd Whitehead
-----------------------------
©2012 Frontstretch.com

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Frontstretch Newsletter: March 28th, 2012

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 28th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition XLIX

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EDITOR'S NOTE: FRONTSTRETCH HAS A BRAND NEW, REDESIGNED FACEBOOK PAGE! CLICK HERE TO "LIKE" US AND GET A DIRECT CONNECT TO ALL YOUR FRONTSTRETCH FAVORITES ALONG WITH POLLS, INTERACTION WITH FANS AND SO MUCH MORE.

Top News
by Brad Morgan

NASCAR Changes All-Star Race Format

Once the field is set for the 28th Sprint All-Star Race on May 19, NASCAR hopes the series' best drivers will go all out for the entirety of the event due to format changes introduced on Tuesday. Under the new setup, the winners of four 20-lap segments (each separated by five laps under caution) will be placed at the front of the field for a mandatory pit stop before the final 10-lap shootout that will determine the winner of both the race and a cool $1 million.  The strategy of the pit stop will be left entirely up to the crew chiefs and drivers, making this crucial portion of the event far more unpredictable than the previous configuration's required four-tire stop.

"This new addition to the format is going to provide even greater incentive for the drivers to go all out to win one of the four segments," claimed NASCAR's Robin Pemberton, Vice President of Competition. "It also puts even more focus on the pit crews and how they perform during that final pit stop. The team aspect of the sport will be highlighted more than ever and it helps set the stage for an exciting race and an exciting evening for the fans."

The rules that determine which drivers are entitled to run in the weekend's All-Star competition remain unchanged.  Winners from every Sprint Cup event in 2011 and 2012 up to May 12th are eligible for the race in addition to any past All-Star or Sprint Cup champions within the last 10 years, the top 2 finishers in the 40-lap Sprint Showdown, and the winner of the Sprint Fan Vote.

So far, the following drivers have qualified for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race: Marcos Ambrose, Trevor Bayne, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Mark Martin, Paul Menard, Ryan Newman, David Ragan, Regan Smith and Tony Stewart.

Kenseth to Honor Wounded Marine at Martinsville

Roush Fenway Racing and driver Matt Kenseth will honor wounded U.S. Marine Josh "J.B." Kerns by running a special paint scheme on the No. 17 Ford Fusion during the Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 1. The car will be sponsored by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Gary Sinise Foundation, with the design featuring an acknowledgment of Kerns' outstanding military service to the United States.  Kerns lost both legs and his right arm on his third tour of duty, after an improvised explosive device (IED) blew up near him during a mine sweeping operation in Afghanistan on April 7, 2011.

"It's an honor for us to run this paint scheme," said Kenseth regarding his car's new look.  "We have a lot to be thankful for in this country, and a lot we take for granted on a daily basis. Our soldiers like J.B. make sacrifices every day that I don't think anyone can truly comprehend, so I am grateful for the bravery he has shown. By running this paint scheme, I hope that people will support this great organization in order to build J.B. the home that he deserves for his service."

The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Gary Sinise Foundation have teamed up in an effort to build Kerns a smart home in his hometown of Ararat, Virginia.  Lionel NASCAR Collectables will make a diecast version of the No. 17 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation / Gary Sinise Foundation Ford Fusion and a large portion of the earnings will go towards the construction of Kerns' new house.

"J.B. Kerns is a true American hero, and we can never totally repay him for everything that he has done to keep our country free and strong," said Frank Siller, Chairman of The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation. "But with the help of wonderful people such as Matt Kenseth and organizations such as Roush Fenway Racing, Lionel NASCAR Collectables, Martinsville Speedway, and the folks at Goody's, we can show J.B. how much we truly value his courage."

STP To Celebrate 40 Years with Richard Petty

To commemorate the historical partnership between STP and Richard Petty, the company announced Tuesday they will sponsor the No. 43 Ford Fusion during the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway on April 22.  Aric Almirola's car will join in the "throwback theme," featuring the familiar Petty Blue and STP Day-Glo Red scheme made famous by "The King" beginning in 1972.

"When I signed with Richard Petty Motorsports for the 2012 season, I was honored to be driving for a legend of our sport," said Almirola. "Being able to sit in the driver's seat of the No. 43 STP car with an iconic paint scheme, just like 'The King' himself did, is the icing on the cake and it would be amazing to drive it to Victory Lane on April 22."

"I've been an STP man since '72 and it's hard to believe that it has been 40 years since I started working with STP," said Petty. "They have remained a big part of my career and it's been great having them back at the track. I look forward to seeing Aric in the driver's seat at the STP 400 as we celebrate 40 years with STP."

The STP 400 is part of the company's multi-year title sponsorship of the Cup and Nationwide races at Kansas Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway.

 

Have news for Brad 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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Today's Featured Commentary
Can Penske Build Dodge Power And Stay Impartial?
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff


At the beginning of March, Penske Racing announced that the team was switching from Dodge to Ford cars for the 2013 racing season. Since that announcement, there has been quite a bit of discussion about whether Penske will build their own engines or get their powerplants from Roush Yates as the other Ford teams do. The engine shop at Penske Racing employs 70 people and the organization's owner, Roger Penske, has vowed that they will be unaffected by the switch to Ford - even if it means building Dodge engines long after they've ditched the car itself. But while Penske's dedication to his employees is admirable, it seems like it would be a difficult marriage to have members of a team that races Fords building engines for teams that run Dodges. When the rubber meets the road, especially during the final ten races of the season, it would seem that the potential for a conflict of interest would be rather intense.

The initial thought that crossed people's minds when Penske made the announcement about the switch to Ford was that the horsepower battle between longtime Ford engine builders Roush Yates and Penske could be a fabulous subplot to the 2013 season. Unfortunately, after taking a step back and examining the situation a little more closely, it became a little more obvious that Penske would be starting out at a deficit to Roush Yates and would probably spend quite some time catching up. If the people from Penske want to start off 2013 in competitive fashion, they're most likely going to have to acquire their race engines from Roush, at least initially. That would mean that the 70 employees in the engine shop would be out of work.

That leads to the latest option that is being discussed, which is for Penske's engine shop to continue building Dodge powerplants. While there has not been an announcement yet about which team or teams will be running Dodge name plates in 2013, the auto manufacturer seems to be committed to continuing their presence in the sport.

"Our motorsports involvement isn't limited to NASCAR," said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO. "We do value our NASCAR program and will be evaluating the opportunities available moving forward. As those opportunities materialize, we'll reveal our 2013 plans, not only in NASCAR but in other forms of motorsports."

With Penske being the primary source of Sprint Cup level Dodge race engines, the need for a manufacturer to take over their role as the engine provider is obvious. The other engine builders who do assemble Dodge engines do not have the infrastructure to churn out the volume of these powerplants that will be demanded by a major race team or multiple teams. That void is most likely why Penske is thinking about having his engine department continue to align itself with Dodge.

Should Penske continue with that portion of the Dodge partnership, that will ensure that the employees in the engine department remain employed. However, it will also immediately lead to debate about what information is being shared with the engine department and the race teams. With Roush Yates spending millions of dollars to squeeze every last bit of horsepower out of their engines, they are not going to be too eager to share that information with teams "competing" in the Dodge camp. The legal paperwork that is going to be involved in an attempt to protect each side from stealing information from the other is going to be voluminous.

On top of the potential for knowledge and information leaking from one engine shop to the other, the potential for a conflict of interest, especially at the end of the 2013 season, is going to be very real. Imagine if a team is running Dodges and the title race comes down to the final laps of the season with that team and one of Penske's dueling it out for the championship. If an engine failure befalls the Dodge team, the cries of "foul" will be heard from the highest of mountain tops. At the same time, should the Dodge actually beat the Penske Ford, how awkward would life in both shops be during the off-season?

While the odds are minimal that a team that chooses to make the jump to Dodge will be championship-caliber, the possibility of a conflict still exists. If Penske does make the decision to go with Roush Yates engines, there is going to have to be a very clear delineation between the Penske Cup teams and the Penske engine shop. Without that distinct separation between the two operations, the whispering and rumors will be endless and will undermine anything that either group is able to accomplish on their own.

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...

@JaritJohnson: WOW. What a great day. Love it. We We Weeeeeee

@scottspeed: Regarding socks and flip flops ;) there is a time and a place to look good! And be comfortable... At 8:30am I'm choosing comfy every time ;)

@JimmieJohnson: It's so cool to watch your child grow and advance. Swim class made the crossover today. It went from WTH are we doing here to fun time.

@JimmieJohnson: I can only imagine... "@briscoe48: @JimmieJohnson just wait till she wants to borrow the car. Scary stuff"

@dennyhamlin: The Saints.. OUCH!! I guess there's always appeals right?? LOL

@Brendan62 (Brendan Gaughan): Really bummed about the news from @BMSupdates I blame most of the impulsive media trying to blame the track for the empty seats! How about

@Brendan62: looking at the hard, never wearing out Goodyear tire? Or maybe the exorbitant gouging hotel prices or fuel costs?

@Kenny_Wallace: My Opinion on John Elway: John is "ALL IN" with this NO Class move he did to Tebow! Retired athletes have clouded judgment ALWAYS!

 

@Kenny_Wallace: My feelings about "GREAT" retired athletes is they expect others to be as GREAT as them and it clouds their judgment.


@nascarcasm: Night Ranger will peform pre-race show & anthem at Auto Club Speedway race, which will apparently take place Sunday, March 25, 1983. #nascar

@Tymwr (Ty Norris): Why does everyone want to bitch about Bristol because we didn't tear up half the field in crashes? Everyone bitched when it was 1 groove

@JLogano (Joey Logano): Just got a last minute call to go to American idol tonight. I'm pretty pumped I heard it was Billy Joel night too

@JaritJohnson: My buddy Blaise going into PA sports hall of Fame. We miss you Every day BR congrats. http://www.arcaracing.com/news.php?contentid=12527


@LarryMac28 (Larry McReynolds): Once I land in Ontario you guessed it straight to In 'N' Out Burger for a little lunch!

@RB_Mrs (Nicole Briscoe): Dog ate my homework or this... dog ate my wallet. Little sh$@! Is gonna be the death of me!

@MikeCalinoff: If Bruton feels the need to spend money fixing a racetrack, he should put progressive banking at NHMS.

@ClintBowyer: As usual for out here. Wide awake at 5 AM stared at the ceiling for couple hrs before u finally just give up. This is where twitter comes in.

@jamiemcmurray: Packing my bag for California. I can't wait for the 3 hour time difference. Nothing like being up at 2 or 3 in the morning.

@JimmieJohnson:I hope your car has 4 flat tires. :) "@DukeRulz24: @JimmieJohnson I'm glad to see you're not winning as many races"

@Kenny_Wallace: My BIG brother Rusty Wallace just called, BIG News! He said I've had enough I am coming out of retirement...WOW!

@Samantha_Busch: @KyleBusch and I causing trouble @MonsterEnergy HQ today! http://twitpic.com/90052e

@DanicaPatrick: Here's a little peek into my awesome day shooting for @tissot! http://t.co/LtG94oZC

@Mother_Function: Only in LA can 2 people have sex in a bathroom stall @ Staples Center & everyone just continues w/ their business. DeLana & I were speechless!

@31n2Spotter (Brett Griffin): @Mother_Function you and DeLana were in a bathroom together? Smh

@DeLanaHarvick: @Mother_Function & I were waiting for the bathroom and "heard" the show... Carts please hurry up!

@TheOrangeCone: Tomorrow is @danicapatrick's b-day. No other birthday is allowed to be celebrated or else Dr. Bob Parsons will shoot an elephant.

@nascarcasm: Careful, Bruton. It starts with "I just want Bristol back where it was a few years ago," and next thing you know, it looks like Joan Rivers.

@JimmieJohnson: I'm ready to watch my friends in the #IndyCar series this weekend. #HeavyHearts

@MartySmithESPN: Helton says Middlebrook pragmatic approach to biz and relationships w/teams is why he was chosen [to hear final appeals]. Says faith in him hasn't changed.

@AllWaltrip (Darrell Waltrip): it's important to remember, 48's penalty was reduced, not completely over turned, the 100,000 grand still stood, in line with the infraction!

@TheOrangeCone: Just saw female fan w/botched boob job. Fined her $100k and suspended her 6 weeks for "not looking right."

@bobpockrass: Is Middlebrook biased toward GM teams in #nascar appeals? Before deciding, Google: Middlebrook General Motors lawsuit pension benefits

@austindillon3: Been watching Cup practice from the infield I've never seen so many bicycles in my entire life crazy beach cruisers

@nascarcasm: "There is no immediate need to reconfigure Auto Club Speedway," says spokesman for United Giant-Empty-Seat-Covering Tarp Makers of America.

@RyanMcGeeESPN: 3 Stooges are #NASCAR grand marshals this wkd. I guess that's better than Hunger Games people there shooting fans w/arrows.

@RB_Mrs: It's crazy how just a wee 3 hour time difference can totally mess with ya! That or I'm getting old!

@Kenny_Wallace: OMG, I had to tell you all this, the movie "The Hunger Games" the 1st part is all about getting SPONSORS, True!

@Kenny_Wallace: Unless you see "Hunger Games" for yourself you won't believe it, They needed Sponsors and Parachutes to survive, Like me:) ha ha!

@ClintBowyer: LMAO! There is a line of NASCAR officials and race teams 50 ft long standing outside In-N-Out... I'm not talking any marathon runners either!

@PPistone (Pete Pistone): According to @SBJSBD the average age of Daytona 500 viewer was nearly 51 years old - don't knock any attempt to get a younger #NASCAR fan

@JeffGordonWeb: One of my favorite things about Twitter is knowing my followers r just as upset as I am when we qualify bad. #refusetolose

@HermieSadler: Had a nice meal with @Elliott_Sadler. If tomorrow's race comes down to gas, he gonna kill 'em.

 

@Elliott_Sadler: that's just wrong... "@HermieSadler: Had a nice meal with @Elliott_Sadler . If tomorrow's race comes down to gas, he gonna kill 'em."


@MikeCalinoff: It'd be nice of the National Weather Service to say that there's a 95% chance of rain Sunday instead of 100% -- just to give us some hope.

@PPistone: Based on this "celebrity" list for tomorrow's race I can't tell if they're racing near Hollywood or Peoria

@nascarcasm: Tomorrow's starter will be Kristy Swanson. Just searched her name on IMDB, and it returned a "HTTP ERROR 404: WHO THE HELL IS THAT?" error.

@Kenny_Wallace: DO NOT complain a whole bunch about the price of YOUR Gas, Look at this in Caleeefornia :( http://yfrog.com/odzk9pjj

@BJewkes (Brett Jewkes): Always cool to see first-time visitors to the garage freak out with excitement when one of the cars fires the engine. #NASCAR

@KeselowskiBrian: You know watching this race makes me wonder why we don't return to some of the old school tracks. The attendance would be the same at worst

@Kenny_Wallace: I am more excited about passing Kyle Busch 4 wide on the apron than I am finishing 7th today!

@KevinHamlin: Not the end of the race we wanted. And I left my rain boots, jacket and sweatshirt on the stand. FML.

@JLogano: Wooooooooooooo

@pkligerman (Parker Kligerman): Now that was an awesome @NASCAR_NNS race this evening. I think you're seeing this track really coming into its own. #NASCAR #realtalk

@Elliott_Sadler: Last caution killed us... But proud of my guys... Worked really hard all weekend.... Little time off next few weeks..

@jeff_gluck: Mr. @RBINDYCAR taking a bunch of media people out to dinner. First day I've ever met this guy and at dinner. Can't believe the access here!

@JamesBuescher: Gambled our tire strategy towards the end... 12th place not bad! Looking forward to a couple days of relaxing with @Kris_Buescher

@DNewtonESPN (Dave Newton): Maybe @DennyHamlin could do a "Dougie'' rain dance. #nascar

@JimmieJohnson: Anyone have a few quarts of oil I can borrow?

@kaseykahne: Pissed I ran bad. Happy my car is in one piece.

@MartySmithESPN: Makeshift Victory Lane... http://t.co/KBQSoy2l

@JeffGordonWeb: No one wanted race restarted more than me but it's pouring right now so @NASCAR made right decision.

@EmmaBlaney: Well, it will feel really good knowing that dad is locked in for next weekend. Now, we don't have to completely dread qualifying days.

@dennyhamlin: Boy did that suck or what... Unless you're a Tony fan, that is. Never seen a race called at 2 PM before. 1st time for everything. Strong weekend.

@ClintBowyer: It's a humbling sport this auto racing. Had a good car all weekend, just went the wrong way today. Nice to call 13th a bad day!

@mattkenseth: Frustrating and disappointing day. Ran bad, then pitted at the end hoping for sunshine. Off to my favorite track...

@gbiffle (Greg Biffle): Well another descent day but not happy unless we're winning!!!! Too tight and didn't adjust on it enough coming on at the end!!

@gbiffle: Decent !!!!! Love my phone

@ClintBowyer: Probably going to get shot tomorrow! I'll be the one guy in NC head-to-toe in KU... #braggingrights

@JLogano: Just found out I was speeding on pit road yesterday by 0.05 mph. Tough to swallow

@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): .006 here. #goodtimes What sector? @JLogano: Just found out I was speeding on pit road yesterday by 0.05 mph. Tough to swallow"

@Samantha_Busch: Going to @DancingABC tonight!!!! Beyond excited! Ha maybe some1 there will like my dancing w the stars n 1 super fan idea lol #DWTS

@DanicaPatrick: Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes yesterday! It was a great day and I am really looking forward to my 30s!

@TravisPastrana: Finally driving American! Let's do this @Dodge http://t.co/76XOwKt5

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

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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 tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: During the inaugural season for the now-Camping World Truck Series in 1995, incidents on track were generally mild in nature.  Of course, there were exceptions to this rule (Wayne Jacks' roll in Portland, Oregon and Kerry Teague's bad wreck at Heartland Park, Topeka chiefly among them).  Rick Carelli had a nasty incident in Martinsville that year, too.  What happened?

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

Q: During the 1995 Goody's 500 (then the Fall race), Ted Musgrave finished 29th after getting involved in an unusual wreck on the backstretch.  What happened?

A: On Lap 232, Musgrave was spun out exiting Turn 2 by Robert Pressley.  The No. 16 Ford spun and ended up climbing on top of the inside wall.  The car did not go over the wall and into the backstretch pits, luckily.  After sliding on the wall, the car slid back onto the racing surface before coming to a halt.  Meanwhile, Pressley spun on his own in Turn 4 and nosed into the outside wall.  Both drivers were OK, but Musgrave was very angry at Pressley and proceeded to lean into Pressley's disabled car on the backstretch pit road and give him the what for.  The incident can be seen at the 51:00 mark of this clip.

Both drivers were forced to go behind the wall for extensive repairs.  Musgrave came back out and finished the race in 29th, 66 laps down.  Pressley came back out as well, but pulled out later on.  He was credited with a 34th-place finish, having completed 368 laps.


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
--
Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!

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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:


Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom steps in for Matt McLaughlin, who's off this week, with a commentary that will get you thinking just a couple days before Martinsville. At the center of it all: the original Four-Time. Why is he not getting the breaks his teammate, Jimmie Johnson, seemingly earns every week?

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 closer look at some of the ideas and philosophies at work behind tracks that don't seem to need any changes.

Dollars and Sense by Jesse Medford
The newest addition to the Frontstretch family will take a look at the business side of NASCAR.

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 previews Saturday afternoon's Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

-----------------------------
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.