THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 13th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition XXXVII
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What To Watch: TuesdayIts showdown day for Hendrick Motorsports and Chad Knaus. Today is the day that Hendrick Motorsports will formally appeal the penalties levied onto the No. 48 team to the National Stock Car Racing Commission after unapproved C-Pillars were found on Jimmie Johnson's Lowe's Chevrolet in opening-day inspection at Daytona International Speedway. Of note is the fact that the violations were found on the car by NASCAR inspectors before it even reached the template claw. The appeals board has the power to either uphold the suspensions and fines levied against the No. 48 team, reduce the penalties, increase them, or outright throw them out. Going by past appeal results, only two of the last 130 plus appeals have been thrown out and roughly 70 percent have been upheld.
This 2010 article by Dustin Long will give you a fairly good idea as to how the hearing will likely work today. If Hendrick Motorsports is unsatisfied with the results of today's hearing, they would still have the option of a final appeal to John Middlebrook, the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer (and a retired executive from General Motors). In that case, whatever Middlebrook rules would be final.
We'll have a Breaking News item at Frontstretch.com as soon as news breaks on the decision.
Today's Top News
by Kevin Rutherford
Dodge Motorsports President Says Teams Interested
Penske Racing may be bolting Dodge at the end of the 2012 season for Ford, but according to Dodge Motorsports president Ralph Gilles, not all is lost. At the unveiling of the manufacturer's 2013 Dodge Charger, Gilles revealed his plans to stay in NASCAR, assuming any teams want to stick with the car make.
"We would love to stay if we can, but we have to figure it out," Gilles told reporters at the unveiling. "We're actually investing in NASCAR more than ever." Should no one fill Penske's spot on the roster, Dodge will have only one full-time team, Robby Gordon Motorsports' single-car operation.
However, according to Gilles, several teams have contacted Dodge about aligning with them starting next season, though he named no specifics.
"With the way our phone is ringing, I'm not too concerned," he said, noting that Dodge hopes to have its lineup announced by mid-summer. One of the major factors that a new organization would need to bring to Dodge is either the existing ability to build engines, or the capacity to open a new engine shop in conjunction with Dodge. However, that may not be that big of an issue. On Sunday, Gilles inferred that much of the engine development was already outside of Penske's capacity.
"We have a lot of talented engineers who can develop high horsepower engines," Gilles said. "What people don't realize is a lot of the engine design and specifications have been done on the inside [of the company]. Now, its really more about the facilities [of our new partner]. Its just a matter of making the right decision."
NASCAR's Brooks Stepping Down in May
Paul Brooks, Senior Vice President of NASCAR and President of NASCAR Media Group, will step down May 4, the sanctioning body announced Monday.
Brooks, who has been with the sport for 19 years, will continue as a senior advisor to NASCAR while he focuses on other interests, both personal and business-related.
"I have big ideas and interests that I've always wanted to explore and my decision to make this transition now has been well planned," said Brooks of his departure. "It has been a true blessing to learn and grow my career working so closely with one of the most successful families in American business and professional sports. I have a deep respect for NASCAR, the France family and NASCAR President Mike Helton, and I believe the industry is positioned for future growth."
Brooks was part of the team that initiated long-term agreements with a number of television entities, including FOX, SPEED, FX, Turner, NBC and ABC/ESPN. He was also vocal as one of the group that brought SprintNextel into the sport as a title sponsor.
News 'N' Notes Post-Vegas
- Following his sixth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Clint Bowyer has launched a new website, ClintBowyer.com, to promote his personal brand. The website covers multiple aspects of Bowyer's racing career, including information concerning his late model dirt track team. The website was developed by Davidson, N.C.-based RACERSITES.
- Oklahoma driver Russ Dugger announced plans to return to NASCAR for the first time since 2008 with his self-owned truck team. Russ Dugger Racing's No. 12 entry will compete at six events over the 2012 Camping World Truck Series schedule, with sponsorship from JPO Absorbents. The driver will reunite with former Truck competitor Mario Gosselin, who will serve as the team's crew chief. Dugger's first race will come at Kansas in April. Dugger previously drove in three ARCA races for Gosselin with a best finish of 12th at Kansas.
Have news for Kevin and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Today's Featured Commentary
When Teammates Take Each Other Out
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
When Teammates Take Each Other Out
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady
Now, that looked like it was shaping up for an exciting finish to the race. Tony Stewart (he'd been putting a whooping on the field), followed by an antsy Mr. Five-Time and then came the interesting part. Roush Fenway sat there all lined up ready to steal away Smoke's thunder...3, 4, 5, Kenseth, Biffle and Edwards.
Yes, the season really was heating up for The Cat in the Hat's trio. Edwards finished 2011 just inches away from a championship, Kenseth opened the year by adding the 2012 Daytona 500 to his trophy shelf and oddly enough Biffle had been regularly appearing in camera shot near the very front of the field. Was there a chance that one of the Roushketeers could silence those doubting the team's prospects for the year, after downsizing to three cars and piecing together sponsorship for the remaining rides like a crazy quilt?
Not to be. Not at all. The checkered flag dropped, the No. 16 and No. 17 followed side-by-side as Stewart and Johnson tried to fool one another coming up to speed. Edwards decided that nobody was moving fast enough, dove to the inside, going three-wide with his teammates. Whether Kenseth lifted so he wouldn't wreck with Edwards is anybody's guess. Cousin Carl then slid up and closed the door on the No. 17, even while Biffle chose to dive a little lower into Turn 2. Matt was left to try and find his line behind those two--drifting up the banking ever so much--when Kasey Kahne surged by and pulled the air off Kenseth's rear fender.
The result? One crunched and well scrubbed Zest Roush Ford. Kenseth limped home in 22nd, a crushing end to what otherwise was a very promising day. At the moment, I was listening to PRN and the immediate reaction from the booth was that teammates had wrecked one of their own, as in intentionally. Post-race interviews followed this line of thought. Edwards was stopped in the garage area on his way to find Kenseth, purportedly to apologize. Biffle sounded contrite and worried that anything he had done on track resulted in his teammate hitting the wall.
Awww...isn't that nice? It's all one big family working hard to make sure everybody's happy.
Hey! What is with that? Locked in my car, I pictured the referenced wreck complete with angry drivers, fenders positioned to hold off a charging friend, pushing one another out of the way...you know, the hard hitting driving style that makes NASCAR what it is. Once I got home I ran the DVR and found the restart.
Are you kidding me? The restart was just that. It was clean. Nobody did anything to anyone else that wasn't warranted. Yes, those may have been three cars from the same garage hammering at the tailgates of the leaders, but they were doing what needed to get done. Edwards saw a chance and went for it. Biffle protected his line. Kenseth tried to recover the inches he lost. It just went bad, that's all.
In other words, no apologies should have been expected. Certainly no reporter should have been looking to make more out of the moment. Now, if Kenseth had climbed from his car and went for somebody's throat, the flurry of, "Oh man, did you see that?" may have been warranted. But he didn't. He shrugged it off and went for the shower. Bad day. Plain and simple.
And that, my fellow fans, is why we watch this crazy sport; moments of anticipation, followed by disbelief, soon to be replaced by anger, consternation, humor, and finally acceptance. One never knows what to expect come Sunday afternoon. Sometimes a teammate might push your driver to the front of the field, block on-coming traffic and generally help to make your day better. And then some days they just want to win and woe to the driver who thinks that should be him instead.
Unpredictability beats as the heart of NASCAR. One never expected the Roush boys to come home 1-2-3, but then again we didn't expect they'd wreck each other, either. And somehow, that final altercation made the afternoon a little more worthwhile.
So to the NASCAR Sprint Cup series pilots I ask this one little thing: hammer down, fender to fender and never let off. Thanks for listening.
Sonya's Weekly "Danica Patrick Stat":
Las Vegas: NNS in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
Qualified: 12th
Finished: 12th (running, on the lead lap)
Points Position: 15th
by S.D. Grady
Now, that looked like it was shaping up for an exciting finish to the race. Tony Stewart (he'd been putting a whooping on the field), followed by an antsy Mr. Five-Time and then came the interesting part. Roush Fenway sat there all lined up ready to steal away Smoke's thunder...3, 4, 5, Kenseth, Biffle and Edwards.
Yes, the season really was heating up for The Cat in the Hat's trio. Edwards finished 2011 just inches away from a championship, Kenseth opened the year by adding the 2012 Daytona 500 to his trophy shelf and oddly enough Biffle had been regularly appearing in camera shot near the very front of the field. Was there a chance that one of the Roushketeers could silence those doubting the team's prospects for the year, after downsizing to three cars and piecing together sponsorship for the remaining rides like a crazy quilt?
Not to be. Not at all. The checkered flag dropped, the No. 16 and No. 17 followed side-by-side as Stewart and Johnson tried to fool one another coming up to speed. Edwards decided that nobody was moving fast enough, dove to the inside, going three-wide with his teammates. Whether Kenseth lifted so he wouldn't wreck with Edwards is anybody's guess. Cousin Carl then slid up and closed the door on the No. 17, even while Biffle chose to dive a little lower into Turn 2. Matt was left to try and find his line behind those two--drifting up the banking ever so much--when Kasey Kahne surged by and pulled the air off Kenseth's rear fender.
The result? One crunched and well scrubbed Zest Roush Ford. Kenseth limped home in 22nd, a crushing end to what otherwise was a very promising day. At the moment, I was listening to PRN and the immediate reaction from the booth was that teammates had wrecked one of their own, as in intentionally. Post-race interviews followed this line of thought. Edwards was stopped in the garage area on his way to find Kenseth, purportedly to apologize. Biffle sounded contrite and worried that anything he had done on track resulted in his teammate hitting the wall.
Awww...isn't that nice? It's all one big family working hard to make sure everybody's happy.
Hey! What is with that? Locked in my car, I pictured the referenced wreck complete with angry drivers, fenders positioned to hold off a charging friend, pushing one another out of the way...you know, the hard hitting driving style that makes NASCAR what it is. Once I got home I ran the DVR and found the restart.
Are you kidding me? The restart was just that. It was clean. Nobody did anything to anyone else that wasn't warranted. Yes, those may have been three cars from the same garage hammering at the tailgates of the leaders, but they were doing what needed to get done. Edwards saw a chance and went for it. Biffle protected his line. Kenseth tried to recover the inches he lost. It just went bad, that's all.
In other words, no apologies should have been expected. Certainly no reporter should have been looking to make more out of the moment. Now, if Kenseth had climbed from his car and went for somebody's throat, the flurry of, "Oh man, did you see that?" may have been warranted. But he didn't. He shrugged it off and went for the shower. Bad day. Plain and simple.
And that, my fellow fans, is why we watch this crazy sport; moments of anticipation, followed by disbelief, soon to be replaced by anger, consternation, humor, and finally acceptance. One never knows what to expect come Sunday afternoon. Sometimes a teammate might push your driver to the front of the field, block on-coming traffic and generally help to make your day better. And then some days they just want to win and woe to the driver who thinks that should be him instead.
Unpredictability beats as the heart of NASCAR. One never expected the Roush boys to come home 1-2-3, but then again we didn't expect they'd wreck each other, either. And somehow, that final altercation made the afternoon a little more worthwhile.
So to the NASCAR Sprint Cup series pilots I ask this one little thing: hammer down, fender to fender and never let off. Thanks for listening.
Sonya's Weekly "Danica Patrick Stat":
Las Vegas: NNS in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
Qualified: 12th
Finished: 12th (running, on the lead lap)
Points Position: 15th
S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @laregna.
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Numbers Game: Subway Fresh Fit 500k
by Garrett Horton
0.461
Tony Stewart's margin of victory over runner-up Jimmie Johnson.
1
Only one driver has finished in the top-5 in every race this year. That would be points leader Greg Biffle, who has finished third in each of the first three weeks.
3
This denotes that Tony Stewart took only three races to find the winners circle. This is the earliest Stewart has ever a points event in Sprint Cup. Typically known for his slow starts to the season, this is only the third time in 14 seasons that he has won a race in the first 10 weeks. The other two times occurred in 2002 and 2006, when he won Atlanta in race four and Martinsville in race six.
9th
Trevor Bayne finished ninth on Sunday, his first top-10 in the Cup series since winning the 2011 Daytona 500.
19th
The finishing position of pole sitter Kasey Kahne, he best finish of the year. Kahne was in position to get a top-5 late in the going until tangling with Matt Kenseth on the race's final restart. Wall contact and lost momentum cost him a number of positions.
21
Stewart has won at 21 different tracks in the Sprint Cup Series. The only two active tracks he has yet to win at are Darlington and Kentucky, where the series just started racing last summer. Stewart also never went to victory lane at Rockingham, which is no longer on the schedule.
45
Stewart now owns 45 career Sprint Cup victories, moving him into sole possession of 15th most all time.
70
Dale Earnhardt Jr. led 70 laps at Las Vegas, which eclipsed his total for the year in 2011. Last season, Earnhardt, Jr. held the lead for a total of just 52 circuits. Only four of those laps led were at intermediate tracks.
238
Biffle took the points lead this past weekend, making it the first time in 238 races he has held the top spot. The last time he was in this position was after race 16 at Sonoma back in 2005.
Garrett Horton is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at garrett.horton@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 frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Five Points to Ponder: Treat the Disease, Bayne's Bad Luck and What Busch Did/Didn't Do
by Bryan Davis Keith
Two Drivers to Watch and Three Who Might Need to Watch Out
by Danny Peters
Who's Hot/ Who's Not: Las Vegas-Bristol Edition
by Brett Poirier
Couch Potato Tuesday: ESPN's Surprise and FOX's Continued Struggles
by Phil Allaway
Tech Talk with K&N East Crew Chief Bryant Frazier
by Mike Neff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 2002 Channelock 250 for the Busch Series is probably best known for Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle crashing late in the event and Harvick angrily confronting Biffle after the race. However, the final lap of the race featured a really nasty crash involving Mark Green. What happened?
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Numbers Game: Subway Fresh Fit 500k
by Garrett Horton
0.461
Tony Stewart's margin of victory over runner-up Jimmie Johnson.
1
Only one driver has finished in the top-5 in every race this year. That would be points leader Greg Biffle, who has finished third in each of the first three weeks.
3
This denotes that Tony Stewart took only three races to find the winners circle. This is the earliest Stewart has ever a points event in Sprint Cup. Typically known for his slow starts to the season, this is only the third time in 14 seasons that he has won a race in the first 10 weeks. The other two times occurred in 2002 and 2006, when he won Atlanta in race four and Martinsville in race six.
9th
Trevor Bayne finished ninth on Sunday, his first top-10 in the Cup series since winning the 2011 Daytona 500.
19th
The finishing position of pole sitter Kasey Kahne, he best finish of the year. Kahne was in position to get a top-5 late in the going until tangling with Matt Kenseth on the race's final restart. Wall contact and lost momentum cost him a number of positions.
21
Stewart has won at 21 different tracks in the Sprint Cup Series. The only two active tracks he has yet to win at are Darlington and Kentucky, where the series just started racing last summer. Stewart also never went to victory lane at Rockingham, which is no longer on the schedule.
45
Stewart now owns 45 career Sprint Cup victories, moving him into sole possession of 15th most all time.
70
Dale Earnhardt Jr. led 70 laps at Las Vegas, which eclipsed his total for the year in 2011. Last season, Earnhardt, Jr. held the lead for a total of just 52 circuits. Only four of those laps led were at intermediate tracks.
238
Biffle took the points lead this past weekend, making it the first time in 238 races he has held the top spot. The last time he was in this position was after race 16 at Sonoma back in 2005.
Garrett Horton is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at garrett.horton@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Five Points to Ponder: Treat the Disease, Bayne's Bad Luck and What Busch Did/Didn't Do
by Bryan Davis Keith
Two Drivers to Watch and Three Who Might Need to Watch Out
by Danny Peters
Who's Hot/ Who's Not: Las Vegas-Bristol Edition
by Brett Poirier
Couch Potato Tuesday: ESPN's Surprise and FOX's Continued Struggles
by Phil Allaway
Tech Talk with K&N East Crew Chief Bryant Frazier
by Mike Neff
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 2002 Channelock 250 for the Busch Series is probably best known for Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle crashing late in the event and Harvick angrily confronting Biffle after the race. However, the final lap of the race featured a really nasty crash involving Mark Green. What happened?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: The 2004 Sharpie Professional 250 was just another one of those Bristol races full of angry drivers. Martin Truex, Jr. won his first career Busch race, but the finish was overshadowed by a controversial crash at the end of the event. What happened?
A: With four laps to go, Kevin Harvick put the bumper to David Stremme in Turn 2, causing Stremme to hit the wall. This move angered Stremme and significantly hurt his TrimSpa X32 Dodge. As a result, Stremme circulated around the track at a reduced pace. With two laps to go, Truex lapped Stremme, who then moved up to the middle of the track in what looked like an attempt at retribution towards Harvick. Unfortunately, there was another orange car on track. Johnny Benson, who was running third at the time, ended up getting dumped into the Turn 1 wall. Benson was none too pleased and approached Stremme's stricken Dodge to give him the what for. The craziness that marked the final laps, along with interviews with Stremme and Benson, can be seen in 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 Brad Morgan
-- Full Throttle by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Did You Notice? ... by Tom Bowles
Just three races in, the best laid plans have already gone down the drain? Tom Bowles looks at two drivers in particular putting too much pressure on themselves with new teams. Plus, we'll have the appeals board decision, the danger of being Kurt Busch and more in this weekly look of small but important observations around the NASCAR circuit.
Going Green by Garrett Horton
Garrett returns with another interesting commentary piece.
Frontstretch Top Ten by the Frontstretch Staff
We'll have another interesting top-10 based around one of the more interesting stories to come out of Las Vegas.
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Our weekly roundtable of experts are back! This week's topics include there really is anything to a rivalry between Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin (and their crew chiefs), Trevor Bayne's sponsorship woes, Greg Biffle's long-term contacts and more.
Top 15 Power Rankings after the Kobalt Tools 400 compiled by Summer Dreyer
Your favorite weekly rankings are back, with a twist! Media experts from multiple platforms, not just Frontstretch come together in a racing-style AP Poll to rank the top 15 NASCAR drivers entering the season. And oh, they have plenty of sarcastic one-liners, too!
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©2012 Frontstretch.com
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2012 Frontstretch.com
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