THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 23rd, 2012
Volume VI, Edition XLVI
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Top News
by Jeff Wolfe
NASCAR Places Truck Series Driver Townley on Probation
NASCAR announced Wednesday that it has placed NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver John Wes Townley on probation for the rest of this year for actions detrimental to stock car racing. Townley was arrested on a DUI charge Feb. 7 in Georgia. He had signed to drive in the truck series for RAB Racing for the 2012 season and was eligible to contend for Rookie of the Year honors until NASCAR handed down a suspension after his arrest. He ran his last race in 2010 with Richard Childress Racing.
RAB Racing with Brock Maggard owner Robby Benton talked of Townley's issue when the team suspended him Feb. 10.
"Obviously, this is an unfortunate situation," Benton said in a release that day. "However, we have to react to the severity of the incident accordingly. His actions do not reflect those of RAB Racing, nor the sponsors associated with the team. John Wes has accepted full responsibility, and will take the necessary personal steps in order to correct his actions, among other internal sanctions. We stand by John Wes, and will welcome him back to the team at the appropriate time."
Townley, who is 22, also was cited for underage drinking in Las Vegas in 2010. He drove five races for Childress that season before they parted ways. According to NASCAR's release Wednesday, Townley will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing at NASCAR's discretion and be evaluated by a certified substance abuse professional.
Travis Kvapil replaced Townley in the season-opening race at Daytona and finished fourth. Benton has not said if or when Townley will be back in the No. 09 seat. The next truck series race is March 31 at Martinsville.
NASCAR, SiriusXM Team Up For Mobile App
NASCAR and Sirius XM Radio have teams up to provide fans yet another resource to keep up with on-track action no matter where you are in our technology driven world. Fans who are unable to attend or watch an event can now use the SiriusXM Radio Internet App on their mobile device to listen to a NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series races. The App will be available for Smartphones and Internet wireless devices and beginning with this weekend's races in California. Visit SiriusXM.com/NASCAR for more information.
Gargoyles Signs Keselowski
Gargoyles Performance Eyewear has signed Brad Keselowski to a brand ambassador deal. Keselowski, coming off a Sprint Cup win at Bristol Sunday, will appear in Gargoyle advertising campaigns and work to advance the brand's high-performance sunglasses. The brand's Mission Series Lenses incorporate image-intensifying technologies to provide clearer and sharper vision, without optical distortion.
"Gargoyles has a long history of supporting great racecar drivers and I'm thrilled that they have chosen me as an ambassador for their brand," Keselowski said. "With a perfect mix of performance and style, Gargoyles sunglasses are ideal for when I'm at the race track and just out on the highway."
Gargoyles revolutionized the eyewear industry in 1979 with the invention of the polycarbonate Toric lens. Keselowski sits at 13th in the points standings heading into the 3 p.m. Sunday Sprint Cup race at California.
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
NASCAR To Review Brand Strategy Companies
According to AdAge.com, NASCAR wants to diversify its fan base, and is currently seeking a new partner company to help the organization connect with youth, and the Hispanic community. NASCAR has been working with Jump Co., a brand strategy company, since 2005, but intends to evaluate three or four other firms before deciding. The initiative is in line with a 2011 plan NASCAR issued for the future of the company, with aims to build the profile of star drivers, diversify its fan base, embrace the growing role of social media and improve fans' experience at the race track.
"As we started taking a look at our future vision, we took a look at our evolving needs and realized we need agency resources to meet those needs," Kim Brink, NASCAR's Managing Director for Brand, Consumer and Series Marketing said. "We want to make sure we have a class-leading full-service agency."
The sanctioning body expects to begin speaking with potential companies in the coming weeks, with the pitch process beginning around June. Brink hopes to have the new company's marketing strategy in place to begin the 2013 season.
Carl Edwards gets SWAT team experience
Carl Edwards and Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage joined the Fort Worth, Texas SWAT team for a training session at the Fort Worth Police & Fire Training Center on Wednesday in an effort to promote next month's Samsung Mobile 500 race weekend. While Gossage kept his feet on solid ground firing grenade launchers and other military-grade weapons, Edwards spent participated in high-risk exercises, including rapelling down the side of a six-story building.
"I was taking that first step with the rappelling, stepping out that window. That's a lot like driving the car 205 miles per hour down in the corner for the first time of the weekend at Texas," Edwards said. "You're like, 'Man, I hope this works out. I hope all the nuts and bolts are tight.' These guys make it look so easy and after doing it I can tell you it isn't as easy as it looks especially if you're going down headfirst like that."
Edwards also took part in "Operation Goassage," a live tactical scenario in which Gossage had been taken hostage by 2011 champion Tony Stewart, who was "panicked about defending his Sprint Cup Series crown." He was briefed on the situation and observed while the SWAT team retrieved Goddage with the help of a flash-bang grenade.
Turn 3 repairs begin at Daytona
Repairs to the scarred portion of Turn 3 at Daytona International Speedway, damaged by the infamous fire caused when Juan Pablo Montoya's car crashed into a jet dryer, began on Wednesday, as engineers took measurements and data of the track. The asphalt at Daytona has four layers of pavement that have a total depth of seven inches, and the 10 feet wide by 50 feet long section that was soaked in jet fuel will be milled down two inches and repaved. Lane Construction, the same company that repaved the entire track in 2010, is in charge of the repairs. All work is scheduled to be completed prior to the Coke Zero 400 in July.
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Keepin' It Short: Wrecking vs. Racing at Short Tracks
by Mike Neff
Racing fans everywhere advocate short track racing, whether it is dirt, asphalt or ice. The close quarters racing, which results in beating and banging, often leads to hot tempers and occasionally fisticuffs. It is that raw emotion that brings fans back by the thousands when the cars hit the track at local short tracks across the country. That also appears to be why the fans have stopped going to Bristol Motor Speedway, resulting in Bruton Smith's decision to tear up the surface once again to attempt to bring it back to what it was. While that may sound like a good thing for the fans that have spoken with their wallets at Bristol, it will remain to be seen if it actually plays out that way once the work is finished.
Bristol was the hardest ticket to get in motorsports for a very long time because the track led itself to single file racing that required drivers to make contact with the cars in front of them in order to move them out of the way to pass. With the carnage that resulted, especially during the night race when sparks were thrown into the mix, the fans couldn't get enough of drivers losing their cool and the sound bites and helmet throws that ensued. Smith and the folks at SMI decided, with the concrete surface beginning to deteriorate, that they would try to make the track even better by putting in progressive banking which would allow the drivers to possibly race side-by-side.
When the national touring series hit the track in August of 2007, the results were definitely different from what fans had seen for years. Cars raced two and three wide around the famous half mile track and the number of caution flags was drastically reduced. While the crashing was greatly reduced, the excitement still seemed to be there, especially the next year when Carl Edwards moved Kyle Busch for the win at the end of the night race. Busch didn't appreciate the technique and retaliated during the cool down lap and then both drivers sparred over the PA system.
While drivers were thrilled with the new racing at the track and car owners were overjoyed that they weren't spending nearly as much money rebuilding or replacing damaged cars, the fans began to spend their money on things besides tickets to the Thunder Valley Speedway. The economy did make a downturn around the same time that the resurfacing took place so there was debate as to whether the racing was the issue or the tough financial times.
Now that the economy has begun to turn around the answer appears to be more apparent. The stands this past weekend at Bristol were as empty for a Cup race as they have been in decades and the fans took the time to tell Bruton Smith why. In a survey commissioned by the track owner the response was three to one in support of the racing being the reason that fans are not returning to the world's fastest half-mile. Since the resurfacing project, there have been 10 races at Bristol, and 60 percent of those events have featured less than ten cautions, including last weekends with just five. Prior to the resurfacing project there was one race after 2000 that had single digit caution flags and that was nine in 2004's night race. 1996 was the last time there was a race with as few as five cautions and you have to go all of the way back to 1984 to find a race with fewer than that, when Darrell Waltrip won the Spring race with only four caution periods.
The bottom line is that, no matter how vehemently race fans swear they don't go to the race track to see wrecks, it just isn't true, at least at Bristol. Fans want to see single file racing where drivers have to forcibly move cars out of the way, preferably causing the car's pilot to lose his cool and attempt to retaliate. If the races have fewer than 10 caution periods they are just not entertaining enough to justify 165,000 people making the trek to the mountains of Tennessee. As a result, Bruton Smith is going to spend a million dollars to rip up a perfectly good racing surface in an attempt to appease the fans. One thing is for sure, if the fans don't show up once the race is a 43 car parade with drivers wrecking others to make passes, then Smith will have every right to move a race date to another SMI track. You asked for it fans, now you're going to get it.
This Week's Racing Schedule:
Fri : Mar 23rd – Silver Dollar Speedway ; Chico : CA – World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Fri : Mar 23rd – East Bay Raceway ; Tampa : FL – 360 Sprints
Fri : Mar 23rd – Five Flags Speedway ; Pensacola : FL – Blizzard Series Super Late Models
Fri : Mar 23rd – USA Speedway ; Sterlington : LA – Comp Cams Super Late Models
Fri : Mar 23rd – LA Raceway ; La Monte : MO – USMTS Casey's Cup Qualifier Modifieds
Fri : Mar 23rd – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – NDRA Late Models
Fri : Mar 23rd – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Open Wheel Modifieds
Fri : Mar 23rd – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Street Stocks
Fri : Mar 23rd – Devil's Bowl Speedway ; Mesquite : TX – 39th Annual Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints
Fri : Mar 23rd – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Modifieds
Fri : Mar 23rd – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fri : Mar 23rd – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Stock
Fri : Mar 23rd – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – Street Stock
Fri : Mar 23rd – Richmond Coliseum ; Richmond : VA – Arena Racing
Sat : Mar 24th – Huntsville Speedway ; Huntsville : AL – Outlaw Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Huntsville Speedway ; Huntsville : AL – Sportsman
Sat : Mar 24th – Mobile International Speedway ; Irvington : AL – Miller Lite Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Mobile International Speedway ; Irvington : AL – Modifieds
Sat : Mar 24th – Havasu 95 Speedway ; Lake Havasu City : AZ – Lucas Oil Modifieds
Sat : Mar 24th – Havasu 95 Speedway ; Lake Havasu City : AZ – Street Stocks
Sat : Mar 24th – Havasu 95 Speedway ; Lake Havasu City : AZ – Factory Stocks
Sat : Mar 24th – I-30 Speedway ; Little Rock : AR – Comp Cams Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Bakersfield Speedway ; Oildale : CA – USAC 360 Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Infineon Raceway ; Sonoma : CA – 24 Hours of Lemons
Sat : Mar 24th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Smokey Hanoian Classic Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Sport Mods
Sat : Mar 24th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Hobby Stocks
Sat : Mar 24th – Silver Dollar Speedway ; Chico : CA – World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Sat : Mar 24th – Desoto Speedway ; Bradenton : FL – DS Trucks
Sat : Mar 24th – East Bay Raceway ; Tampa : FL – 360 Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Season Opener Pro Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Season Opener Modifieds
Sat : Mar 24th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Season Opener Sportsman
Sat : Mar 24th – Punta Gorda Speedway ; Punta Gorda : FL – TBARA Winged Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Watermelon Capital Speedway ; Cordele : GA – Outlaw Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Brownstown Speedway ; Brownstown : IN – Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Leesville 171 Speedway ; Leesville : LA – Ark-La-Tex Winged Modifieds
Sat : Mar 24th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Pure Stocks
Sat : Mar 24th – Delta-Plex ; Grand Rapids : MI – Mini Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – NeSmith Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Street Stocks
Sat : Mar 24th – I-35 Speedway ; Winston : MO – USMTS Casey's Cup Qualifier Modifieds
Sat : Mar 24th – Springfield Raceway ; Springfield : MO – MARS Dirtcar Series Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Springfield Raceway ; Springfield : MO – Midwest Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Limited Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Street Stock
Sat : Mar 24th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Limited Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Street Stock
Sat : Mar 24th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 410 Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 358 Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – Thundercars
Sat : Mar 24th – Path Valley Speedway ; Spring Run : PA – Sidewinder Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Anderson Motor Speedway ; Anderson : SC – CARS Pro Cup
Sat : Mar 24th – Clarksville Speedway ; Clarksville : TN – SRRS Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Devil's Bowl Speedway ; Mesquite : TX – 39th Annual Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Motor Mile Speedway ; Radford : VA – Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Motor Mile Speedway ; Radford : VA – Limited Sportsman
Sat : Mar 24th – Motor Mile Speedway ; Radford : VA – Street Stock
Sat : Mar 24th – South Boston Speedway ; South Boston : VA – PASS South
Sun : Mar 25th – Infineon Raceway ; Sonoma : CA – 24 Hours of Lemons
Sun : Mar 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Spring Fling Roadrunners
Sun : Mar 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Spring Fling Hornets
Sun : Mar 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Spring Fling Legends
Sun : Mar 25th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Spring Classic 500 Late Models
Sun : Mar 25th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Spring Classic 500 Late Model Trucks
Sun : Mar 25th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Spring Classic 500 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modifieds
Wed : Mar 28th – Humboldt Speedway ; Humboldt : KS – USMTS King of America Modified National Qualifying
Wed : Mar 28th – Millbridge Speedway ; Salisbury : NC – Stock Car Steel Night Mini Outlaws
Thu : Mar 29th – Humboldt Speedway ; Humboldt : KS – USMTS King of America Modified National Qualifying
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: Auto Club 400
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.
It's been a crazy week off the track in NASCAR. First, Jimmie Johnson, with the help of Rick Hendrick's lawyers, gained 25 points and moved up to 11th without even running a race. Then, Bruton Smith says he's going to tear up Bristol and make it like the old configuration. He's apparently not making enough money, noting the lack of fans Sunday at one of the NASCAR's most popular tracks. They want the old track back. Of course, they wouldn't mind having the old ticket prices and the old gas prices back too. Those are certainly factors in the fans staying away as well.
One old occurrence that did take place Sunday afternoon was the No. 2 showing up in Victory Lane at Bristol. Brad Keselowski, who also won at Bristol last year, has taken over the Penske No. 2 car. So that win along with the successes of previous No. 2 drivers Kurt Busch and Rusty Wallace at Bristol means I'm picking Keselowski to win the fall race there, no matter what the track configuration might be.
As for this week, here's a look at the picks for the 3 PM Sunday race on FOX at the two-mile track in California.
Top 5 Picks
Jimmie Johnson - Johnson has five victories at the two-mile oval, and it's hard not to pick him at his home track. Add in the high the team should be on with their penalty reduction earlier this week and you've got the recipe for a visit to victory lane.
Matt Kenseth - He's got three wins here, plus he's run well this season. It would be surprising if he doesn't battle for the lead.
Greg Biffle - Well, I suppose you have to give the points leader some respect sometime. He's got one win at California and four top 5s in 17 starts.
Tony Stewart - He's got one win and five top 5s and Hendrick information to help him, too. Plus he maintains that he's got a secret weapon in Steve Addington.
Kevin Harvick - No more sentimental picks at the end now. I need a win and Harvick won this race last year. So why not two in a row?
Coulda, woulda, shoulda - Jeff Gordon. He's got three wins here and has had a car capable of winning in these early races. But he seems to be a bit snakebit this year, so I couldn't put his name on my top five drivers.
ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP
Here's a review of last week's picks at Bristol and how they finished.
Kyle Busch - 32nd. An early wreck ended any chance he had of winning. He still got back out and ran 423 laps to finish 31st.
Matt Kenseth - 2nd. Just as easily could have won. He pushed Keselowski late in the race, but couldn't make the winning pass, quick re-start or not.
Kevin Harvick - 11th. He also got caught in an accident quick work by his crew helped keep the No. 29 team on the lead lap despite several trips to pit road. As a result, they turned what could have been a disastrous day into a solid 11th-place finish.
Jimmie Johnson - 9th. He didn't lead any laps, but did hang around the top 10 all day.
Kasey Kahne - 37th. The team is good, the driver is good and the car is good. So far though, the luck is all bad.
Season Stats:
20 Picks
0 Wins
5 Top 5s
8 Top 10s
Grade for this week: B- (a Kenseth win would have given me a boost)
One Last Thing: Have you noticed that last year's points runnerup Carl Edwards has yet to lead a lap this season? On the flip side, Brian Vickers ran his first race of the year Sunday at Bristol in the No. 55 Toyota, leading a career-high 125 laps. Ironically, Vickers' previous record was 121 laps led at Pocono in 2005, a race where he finished runner-up to Edwards.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Folio: Auto Club 400
by Nick Schwartz
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ventures to sunny California and the Auto Club Speedway for the fifth race of the 2012 season. The Auto Club 400 will be broadcast live Sunday, March 25th on FOX at 2:30 PM EDT and MRN Radio at 2:00 PM EDT. The race is scheduled for 200 laps (400 miles).
Records and Facts
Auto Club Speedway has been a haven of success for Jack Roush, Rick Hendrick and their respective stables of cars since the first NASCAR race was run at the track in 1997. Roush and Hendrick have a combined 16 victories in 22 races at the two-mile oval. Roush cars won five straight Spring races from 2005 to 2009, three of which were taken by Matt Kenseth. Chevrolet has been the most successful manufacturer at the Auto Club Speedway, with 11 overall wins. Dodge vehicles have only won once and a Toyota car has never won at the track, but that could change in 2012—in the Sprint Cup Series' first four races of the year, each manufacturer has recorded one victory.
Kevin Harvick is the defending champion of the Auto Club 400 in the second race at Auto Club Speedway to be shortened from 500 miles to 400. Harvick put on a show for the fans late in the race, and executed the first-ever last-lap pass at the track to win. Harvick only has one career victory at the Auto Club Speedway, but has had recent success at the track, with three top 10s in his last three races.
Track Facts
Track/Race Length: 2-mile D-shaped oval, 200 laps (400 miles)
Pit Road Speed: 55mph
Degree of Banking: 14 degrees
Frontstretch: 3100 ft., 11 degrees of banking
Backstretch: 2500 ft., 3 degrees of banking
Grandstand Seating: 91,200
Pre-race Schedule
Practice: Friday, March 23th, 3:00 – 4:30 PM EST on SPEED
Qualifying: Friday, March 23th, 7:00PM EST on SPEED
Practice: Saturday, March 24th, 12:30 – 1:20 PM EST on SPEED
Happy Hour:*Saturday, March 24th, 3:30 – 5:00 PM EST on SPEED
VIPs
National Anthem: Night Ranger
Race Day Forecast
Sunday: Showers likely, chance of precipitation 40%
High: 61 degrees
Low: 46 degrees
They Said It
"Fontana is a place that, my first year in Cup, I felt like I was pretty decent there. The biggest thing is it's gotten a little bit rougher. The grip level is about the same, but the seams at Fontana seem really, really bad. That's something over the last two years at that racetrack I've really struggled with, trying to figure out how to get across the seams or how to run in between 'em." -AJ Allmendinger
"Fontana has always has been a track that I really enjoy racing at but it has changed a lot the last few years. It seems like we used to have a better handle on it before it got really rough, the cracks got wide, it wore out and the groove moved up so much. It is a really fun track and really challenging because of the huge cracks in the corners you have to drive around combined with the seams in the pavement. In order to have a good car, you have to get through the corners faster than everybody else. Everyone thinks it is a big horsepower track because it is a two-mile track, but it gets so slick and there is not a lot of grip in the corners as the run goes on. You just need to really have your car balanced well and have that momentum through the corners." -Matt Kenseth
The interesting thing about Auto Club Speedway is that it's big, but it races like a short track. There is very low grip. It's amazing how sideways these cars are in the turns going this fast. Restarts are really important because if you gain a few spots on the restart, it is hard for those guys to come up and pass you under a long green-flag run. You're going to be three and four-wide on these restarts. You must have good take off speed and good durability with the car. People don't realize how slick Auto Club Speedway is. It looks like a big track and the cars don't move around that much, but they are out of control." -Jeff Burton
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:
Four Burning Questions: Probation, Penalties, and the New Old Bristol
by Summer Dreyer
Old Bristol Threatens New Problems for Nationwide Series Racing
by Bryan Davis Keith
Kenseth vs. Keselowski: The Art of the Restart
by Matt McLaughlin
Looks Like David Poole Gets the Last Laugh!
by Jeff Meyer
Michael Annett Driver Diary: New Surroundings and March Madness
as told to Toni Montgomery
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This Weekend on the Frontstretch:
Nationwide Series Breakdown: Royal Purple 300 by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan has all the post-race analysis you need after Saturday afternoon's Nationwide Series race from Fontana.
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 2003, CART was scheduled to hold their season finale, the King Taco 500, at California Speedway. However, that race never happened. Why?
Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Thursday's Answer:
Q: Auto Club Speedway has hosted all kinds of different series over the years, from Sprint Cup to CART and Grand-Am. However, a different type of series showed up for an exhibition race in December, 2004. What was it?
A: The then-California Speedway hosted a special non-points round for the All-Japan GT Championship in 2004. That series is known today as SuperGT. Yes, we're talking the Nissan Z's, Toyota Supras and Honda/Acura NSX's that you may remember from playing Gran Turismo games. The silouhette GT cars ran a special race on the speedway's infield road course. The weekend was tied in with a special event called GT Live, which featured a round of the D1GP, a drifting series.
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:
-- Auto Club 400 Race Recap by TBA
-- 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: Auto Club 400 by Matt McLaughlin
Matt will be here with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday afternoon's action at Auto Club Speedway.
Monday Morning Teardown by Ron Lemasters
Ron returns for a website look at one of the big stories from Sunday's race from Fontana.
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 in California.
Big Six: Food City 500 by Amy Henderson
Looking for all you need to know leaving the fifth race of the season? Amy has your who, what, when, where, why and how from a weekend of racing in Fontana.
Pace Laps: Bristol 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 Auto Club Speedway.
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©2012 Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 23rd, 2012
Volume VI, Edition XLVI
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Top News
by Jeff Wolfe
NASCAR Places Truck Series Driver Townley on Probation
NASCAR announced Wednesday that it has placed NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver John Wes Townley on probation for the rest of this year for actions detrimental to stock car racing. Townley was arrested on a DUI charge Feb. 7 in Georgia. He had signed to drive in the truck series for RAB Racing for the 2012 season and was eligible to contend for Rookie of the Year honors until NASCAR handed down a suspension after his arrest. He ran his last race in 2010 with Richard Childress Racing.
RAB Racing with Brock Maggard owner Robby Benton talked of Townley's issue when the team suspended him Feb. 10.
"Obviously, this is an unfortunate situation," Benton said in a release that day. "However, we have to react to the severity of the incident accordingly. His actions do not reflect those of RAB Racing, nor the sponsors associated with the team. John Wes has accepted full responsibility, and will take the necessary personal steps in order to correct his actions, among other internal sanctions. We stand by John Wes, and will welcome him back to the team at the appropriate time."
Townley, who is 22, also was cited for underage drinking in Las Vegas in 2010. He drove five races for Childress that season before they parted ways. According to NASCAR's release Wednesday, Townley will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing at NASCAR's discretion and be evaluated by a certified substance abuse professional.
Travis Kvapil replaced Townley in the season-opening race at Daytona and finished fourth. Benton has not said if or when Townley will be back in the No. 09 seat. The next truck series race is March 31 at Martinsville.
NASCAR, SiriusXM Team Up For Mobile App
NASCAR and Sirius XM Radio have teams up to provide fans yet another resource to keep up with on-track action no matter where you are in our technology driven world. Fans who are unable to attend or watch an event can now use the SiriusXM Radio Internet App on their mobile device to listen to a NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series races. The App will be available for Smartphones and Internet wireless devices and beginning with this weekend's races in California. Visit SiriusXM.com/NASCAR for more information.
Gargoyles Signs Keselowski
Gargoyles Performance Eyewear has signed Brad Keselowski to a brand ambassador deal. Keselowski, coming off a Sprint Cup win at Bristol Sunday, will appear in Gargoyle advertising campaigns and work to advance the brand's high-performance sunglasses. The brand's Mission Series Lenses incorporate image-intensifying technologies to provide clearer and sharper vision, without optical distortion.
"Gargoyles has a long history of supporting great racecar drivers and I'm thrilled that they have chosen me as an ambassador for their brand," Keselowski said. "With a perfect mix of performance and style, Gargoyles sunglasses are ideal for when I'm at the race track and just out on the highway."
Gargoyles revolutionized the eyewear industry in 1979 with the invention of the polycarbonate Toric lens. Keselowski sits at 13th in the points standings heading into the 3 p.m. Sunday Sprint Cup race at California.
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
NASCAR To Review Brand Strategy Companies
According to AdAge.com, NASCAR wants to diversify its fan base, and is currently seeking a new partner company to help the organization connect with youth, and the Hispanic community. NASCAR has been working with Jump Co., a brand strategy company, since 2005, but intends to evaluate three or four other firms before deciding. The initiative is in line with a 2011 plan NASCAR issued for the future of the company, with aims to build the profile of star drivers, diversify its fan base, embrace the growing role of social media and improve fans' experience at the race track.
"As we started taking a look at our future vision, we took a look at our evolving needs and realized we need agency resources to meet those needs," Kim Brink, NASCAR's Managing Director for Brand, Consumer and Series Marketing said. "We want to make sure we have a class-leading full-service agency."
The sanctioning body expects to begin speaking with potential companies in the coming weeks, with the pitch process beginning around June. Brink hopes to have the new company's marketing strategy in place to begin the 2013 season.
Carl Edwards gets SWAT team experience
Carl Edwards and Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage joined the Fort Worth, Texas SWAT team for a training session at the Fort Worth Police & Fire Training Center on Wednesday in an effort to promote next month's Samsung Mobile 500 race weekend. While Gossage kept his feet on solid ground firing grenade launchers and other military-grade weapons, Edwards spent participated in high-risk exercises, including rapelling down the side of a six-story building.
"I was taking that first step with the rappelling, stepping out that window. That's a lot like driving the car 205 miles per hour down in the corner for the first time of the weekend at Texas," Edwards said. "You're like, 'Man, I hope this works out. I hope all the nuts and bolts are tight.' These guys make it look so easy and after doing it I can tell you it isn't as easy as it looks especially if you're going down headfirst like that."
Edwards also took part in "Operation Goassage," a live tactical scenario in which Gossage had been taken hostage by 2011 champion Tony Stewart, who was "panicked about defending his Sprint Cup Series crown." He was briefed on the situation and observed while the SWAT team retrieved Goddage with the help of a flash-bang grenade.
Turn 3 repairs begin at Daytona
Repairs to the scarred portion of Turn 3 at Daytona International Speedway, damaged by the infamous fire caused when Juan Pablo Montoya's car crashed into a jet dryer, began on Wednesday, as engineers took measurements and data of the track. The asphalt at Daytona has four layers of pavement that have a total depth of seven inches, and the 10 feet wide by 50 feet long section that was soaked in jet fuel will be milled down two inches and repaved. Lane Construction, the same company that repaved the entire track in 2010, is in charge of the repairs. All work is scheduled to be completed prior to the Coke Zero 400 in July.
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Keepin' It Short: Wrecking vs. Racing at Short Tracks
by Mike Neff
Racing fans everywhere advocate short track racing, whether it is dirt, asphalt or ice. The close quarters racing, which results in beating and banging, often leads to hot tempers and occasionally fisticuffs. It is that raw emotion that brings fans back by the thousands when the cars hit the track at local short tracks across the country. That also appears to be why the fans have stopped going to Bristol Motor Speedway, resulting in Bruton Smith's decision to tear up the surface once again to attempt to bring it back to what it was. While that may sound like a good thing for the fans that have spoken with their wallets at Bristol, it will remain to be seen if it actually plays out that way once the work is finished.
Bristol was the hardest ticket to get in motorsports for a very long time because the track led itself to single file racing that required drivers to make contact with the cars in front of them in order to move them out of the way to pass. With the carnage that resulted, especially during the night race when sparks were thrown into the mix, the fans couldn't get enough of drivers losing their cool and the sound bites and helmet throws that ensued. Smith and the folks at SMI decided, with the concrete surface beginning to deteriorate, that they would try to make the track even better by putting in progressive banking which would allow the drivers to possibly race side-by-side.
When the national touring series hit the track in August of 2007, the results were definitely different from what fans had seen for years. Cars raced two and three wide around the famous half mile track and the number of caution flags was drastically reduced. While the crashing was greatly reduced, the excitement still seemed to be there, especially the next year when Carl Edwards moved Kyle Busch for the win at the end of the night race. Busch didn't appreciate the technique and retaliated during the cool down lap and then both drivers sparred over the PA system.
While drivers were thrilled with the new racing at the track and car owners were overjoyed that they weren't spending nearly as much money rebuilding or replacing damaged cars, the fans began to spend their money on things besides tickets to the Thunder Valley Speedway. The economy did make a downturn around the same time that the resurfacing took place so there was debate as to whether the racing was the issue or the tough financial times.
Now that the economy has begun to turn around the answer appears to be more apparent. The stands this past weekend at Bristol were as empty for a Cup race as they have been in decades and the fans took the time to tell Bruton Smith why. In a survey commissioned by the track owner the response was three to one in support of the racing being the reason that fans are not returning to the world's fastest half-mile. Since the resurfacing project, there have been 10 races at Bristol, and 60 percent of those events have featured less than ten cautions, including last weekends with just five. Prior to the resurfacing project there was one race after 2000 that had single digit caution flags and that was nine in 2004's night race. 1996 was the last time there was a race with as few as five cautions and you have to go all of the way back to 1984 to find a race with fewer than that, when Darrell Waltrip won the Spring race with only four caution periods.
The bottom line is that, no matter how vehemently race fans swear they don't go to the race track to see wrecks, it just isn't true, at least at Bristol. Fans want to see single file racing where drivers have to forcibly move cars out of the way, preferably causing the car's pilot to lose his cool and attempt to retaliate. If the races have fewer than 10 caution periods they are just not entertaining enough to justify 165,000 people making the trek to the mountains of Tennessee. As a result, Bruton Smith is going to spend a million dollars to rip up a perfectly good racing surface in an attempt to appease the fans. One thing is for sure, if the fans don't show up once the race is a 43 car parade with drivers wrecking others to make passes, then Smith will have every right to move a race date to another SMI track. You asked for it fans, now you're going to get it.
This Week's Racing Schedule:
Fri : Mar 23rd – Silver Dollar Speedway ; Chico : CA – World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Fri : Mar 23rd – East Bay Raceway ; Tampa : FL – 360 Sprints
Fri : Mar 23rd – Five Flags Speedway ; Pensacola : FL – Blizzard Series Super Late Models
Fri : Mar 23rd – USA Speedway ; Sterlington : LA – Comp Cams Super Late Models
Fri : Mar 23rd – LA Raceway ; La Monte : MO – USMTS Casey's Cup Qualifier Modifieds
Fri : Mar 23rd – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – NDRA Late Models
Fri : Mar 23rd – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Open Wheel Modifieds
Fri : Mar 23rd – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Street Stocks
Fri : Mar 23rd – Devil's Bowl Speedway ; Mesquite : TX – 39th Annual Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints
Fri : Mar 23rd – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Modifieds
Fri : Mar 23rd – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fri : Mar 23rd – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Stock
Fri : Mar 23rd – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – Street Stock
Fri : Mar 23rd – Richmond Coliseum ; Richmond : VA – Arena Racing
Sat : Mar 24th – Huntsville Speedway ; Huntsville : AL – Outlaw Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Huntsville Speedway ; Huntsville : AL – Sportsman
Sat : Mar 24th – Mobile International Speedway ; Irvington : AL – Miller Lite Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Mobile International Speedway ; Irvington : AL – Modifieds
Sat : Mar 24th – Havasu 95 Speedway ; Lake Havasu City : AZ – Lucas Oil Modifieds
Sat : Mar 24th – Havasu 95 Speedway ; Lake Havasu City : AZ – Street Stocks
Sat : Mar 24th – Havasu 95 Speedway ; Lake Havasu City : AZ – Factory Stocks
Sat : Mar 24th – I-30 Speedway ; Little Rock : AR – Comp Cams Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Bakersfield Speedway ; Oildale : CA – USAC 360 Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Infineon Raceway ; Sonoma : CA – 24 Hours of Lemons
Sat : Mar 24th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Smokey Hanoian Classic Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Sport Mods
Sat : Mar 24th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Hobby Stocks
Sat : Mar 24th – Silver Dollar Speedway ; Chico : CA – World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Sat : Mar 24th – Desoto Speedway ; Bradenton : FL – DS Trucks
Sat : Mar 24th – East Bay Raceway ; Tampa : FL – 360 Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Season Opener Pro Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Season Opener Modifieds
Sat : Mar 24th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Season Opener Sportsman
Sat : Mar 24th – Punta Gorda Speedway ; Punta Gorda : FL – TBARA Winged Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Watermelon Capital Speedway ; Cordele : GA – Outlaw Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Brownstown Speedway ; Brownstown : IN – Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Leesville 171 Speedway ; Leesville : LA – Ark-La-Tex Winged Modifieds
Sat : Mar 24th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Pure Stocks
Sat : Mar 24th – Delta-Plex ; Grand Rapids : MI – Mini Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – NeSmith Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Street Stocks
Sat : Mar 24th – I-35 Speedway ; Winston : MO – USMTS Casey's Cup Qualifier Modifieds
Sat : Mar 24th – Springfield Raceway ; Springfield : MO – MARS Dirtcar Series Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Springfield Raceway ; Springfield : MO – Midwest Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Limited Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Street Stock
Sat : Mar 24th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Limited Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Street Stock
Sat : Mar 24th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 410 Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 358 Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – Thundercars
Sat : Mar 24th – Path Valley Speedway ; Spring Run : PA – Sidewinder Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Anderson Motor Speedway ; Anderson : SC – CARS Pro Cup
Sat : Mar 24th – Clarksville Speedway ; Clarksville : TN – SRRS Super Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Devil's Bowl Speedway ; Mesquite : TX – 39th Annual Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints
Sat : Mar 24th – Motor Mile Speedway ; Radford : VA – Late Models
Sat : Mar 24th – Motor Mile Speedway ; Radford : VA – Limited Sportsman
Sat : Mar 24th – Motor Mile Speedway ; Radford : VA – Street Stock
Sat : Mar 24th – South Boston Speedway ; South Boston : VA – PASS South
Sun : Mar 25th – Infineon Raceway ; Sonoma : CA – 24 Hours of Lemons
Sun : Mar 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Spring Fling Roadrunners
Sun : Mar 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Spring Fling Hornets
Sun : Mar 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Spring Fling Legends
Sun : Mar 25th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Spring Classic 500 Late Models
Sun : Mar 25th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Spring Classic 500 Late Model Trucks
Sun : Mar 25th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Spring Classic 500 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modifieds
Wed : Mar 28th – Humboldt Speedway ; Humboldt : KS – USMTS King of America Modified National Qualifying
Wed : Mar 28th – Millbridge Speedway ; Salisbury : NC – Stock Car Steel Night Mini Outlaws
Thu : Mar 29th – Humboldt Speedway ; Humboldt : KS – USMTS King of America Modified National Qualifying
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: Auto Club 400
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.
It's been a crazy week off the track in NASCAR. First, Jimmie Johnson, with the help of Rick Hendrick's lawyers, gained 25 points and moved up to 11th without even running a race. Then, Bruton Smith says he's going to tear up Bristol and make it like the old configuration. He's apparently not making enough money, noting the lack of fans Sunday at one of the NASCAR's most popular tracks. They want the old track back. Of course, they wouldn't mind having the old ticket prices and the old gas prices back too. Those are certainly factors in the fans staying away as well.
One old occurrence that did take place Sunday afternoon was the No. 2 showing up in Victory Lane at Bristol. Brad Keselowski, who also won at Bristol last year, has taken over the Penske No. 2 car. So that win along with the successes of previous No. 2 drivers Kurt Busch and Rusty Wallace at Bristol means I'm picking Keselowski to win the fall race there, no matter what the track configuration might be.
As for this week, here's a look at the picks for the 3 PM Sunday race on FOX at the two-mile track in California.
Top 5 Picks
Jimmie Johnson - Johnson has five victories at the two-mile oval, and it's hard not to pick him at his home track. Add in the high the team should be on with their penalty reduction earlier this week and you've got the recipe for a visit to victory lane.
Matt Kenseth - He's got three wins here, plus he's run well this season. It would be surprising if he doesn't battle for the lead.
Greg Biffle - Well, I suppose you have to give the points leader some respect sometime. He's got one win at California and four top 5s in 17 starts.
Tony Stewart - He's got one win and five top 5s and Hendrick information to help him, too. Plus he maintains that he's got a secret weapon in Steve Addington.
Kevin Harvick - No more sentimental picks at the end now. I need a win and Harvick won this race last year. So why not two in a row?
Coulda, woulda, shoulda - Jeff Gordon. He's got three wins here and has had a car capable of winning in these early races. But he seems to be a bit snakebit this year, so I couldn't put his name on my top five drivers.
ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP
Here's a review of last week's picks at Bristol and how they finished.
Kyle Busch - 32nd. An early wreck ended any chance he had of winning. He still got back out and ran 423 laps to finish 31st.
Matt Kenseth - 2nd. Just as easily could have won. He pushed Keselowski late in the race, but couldn't make the winning pass, quick re-start or not.
Kevin Harvick - 11th. He also got caught in an accident quick work by his crew helped keep the No. 29 team on the lead lap despite several trips to pit road. As a result, they turned what could have been a disastrous day into a solid 11th-place finish.
Jimmie Johnson - 9th. He didn't lead any laps, but did hang around the top 10 all day.
Kasey Kahne - 37th. The team is good, the driver is good and the car is good. So far though, the luck is all bad.
Season Stats:
20 Picks
0 Wins
5 Top 5s
8 Top 10s
Grade for this week: B- (a Kenseth win would have given me a boost)
One Last Thing: Have you noticed that last year's points runnerup Carl Edwards has yet to lead a lap this season? On the flip side, Brian Vickers ran his first race of the year Sunday at Bristol in the No. 55 Toyota, leading a career-high 125 laps. Ironically, Vickers' previous record was 121 laps led at Pocono in 2005, a race where he finished runner-up to Edwards.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Folio: Auto Club 400
by Nick Schwartz
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ventures to sunny California and the Auto Club Speedway for the fifth race of the 2012 season. The Auto Club 400 will be broadcast live Sunday, March 25th on FOX at 2:30 PM EDT and MRN Radio at 2:00 PM EDT. The race is scheduled for 200 laps (400 miles).
Records and Facts
Auto Club Speedway has been a haven of success for Jack Roush, Rick Hendrick and their respective stables of cars since the first NASCAR race was run at the track in 1997. Roush and Hendrick have a combined 16 victories in 22 races at the two-mile oval. Roush cars won five straight Spring races from 2005 to 2009, three of which were taken by Matt Kenseth. Chevrolet has been the most successful manufacturer at the Auto Club Speedway, with 11 overall wins. Dodge vehicles have only won once and a Toyota car has never won at the track, but that could change in 2012—in the Sprint Cup Series' first four races of the year, each manufacturer has recorded one victory.
Kevin Harvick is the defending champion of the Auto Club 400 in the second race at Auto Club Speedway to be shortened from 500 miles to 400. Harvick put on a show for the fans late in the race, and executed the first-ever last-lap pass at the track to win. Harvick only has one career victory at the Auto Club Speedway, but has had recent success at the track, with three top 10s in his last three races.
Track Facts
Track/Race Length: 2-mile D-shaped oval, 200 laps (400 miles)
Pit Road Speed: 55mph
Degree of Banking: 14 degrees
Frontstretch: 3100 ft., 11 degrees of banking
Backstretch: 2500 ft., 3 degrees of banking
Grandstand Seating: 91,200
Pre-race Schedule
Practice: Friday, March 23th, 3:00 – 4:30 PM EST on SPEED
Qualifying: Friday, March 23th, 7:00PM EST on SPEED
Practice: Saturday, March 24th, 12:30 – 1:20 PM EST on SPEED
Happy Hour:*Saturday, March 24th, 3:30 – 5:00 PM EST on SPEED
VIPs
National Anthem: Night Ranger
Race Day Forecast
Sunday: Showers likely, chance of precipitation 40%
High: 61 degrees
Low: 46 degrees
They Said It
"Fontana is a place that, my first year in Cup, I felt like I was pretty decent there. The biggest thing is it's gotten a little bit rougher. The grip level is about the same, but the seams at Fontana seem really, really bad. That's something over the last two years at that racetrack I've really struggled with, trying to figure out how to get across the seams or how to run in between 'em." -AJ Allmendinger
"Fontana has always has been a track that I really enjoy racing at but it has changed a lot the last few years. It seems like we used to have a better handle on it before it got really rough, the cracks got wide, it wore out and the groove moved up so much. It is a really fun track and really challenging because of the huge cracks in the corners you have to drive around combined with the seams in the pavement. In order to have a good car, you have to get through the corners faster than everybody else. Everyone thinks it is a big horsepower track because it is a two-mile track, but it gets so slick and there is not a lot of grip in the corners as the run goes on. You just need to really have your car balanced well and have that momentum through the corners." -Matt Kenseth
The interesting thing about Auto Club Speedway is that it's big, but it races like a short track. There is very low grip. It's amazing how sideways these cars are in the turns going this fast. Restarts are really important because if you gain a few spots on the restart, it is hard for those guys to come up and pass you under a long green-flag run. You're going to be three and four-wide on these restarts. You must have good take off speed and good durability with the car. People don't realize how slick Auto Club Speedway is. It looks like a big track and the cars don't move around that much, but they are out of control." -Jeff Burton
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:
Four Burning Questions: Probation, Penalties, and the New Old Bristol
by Summer Dreyer
Old Bristol Threatens New Problems for Nationwide Series Racing
by Bryan Davis Keith
Kenseth vs. Keselowski: The Art of the Restart
by Matt McLaughlin
Looks Like David Poole Gets the Last Laugh!
by Jeff Meyer
Michael Annett Driver Diary: New Surroundings and March Madness
as told to Toni Montgomery
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This Weekend on the Frontstretch:
Nationwide Series Breakdown: Royal Purple 300 by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan has all the post-race analysis you need after Saturday afternoon's Nationwide Series race from Fontana.
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 2003, CART was scheduled to hold their season finale, the King Taco 500, at California Speedway. However, that race never happened. Why?
Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Thursday's Answer:
Q: Auto Club Speedway has hosted all kinds of different series over the years, from Sprint Cup to CART and Grand-Am. However, a different type of series showed up for an exhibition race in December, 2004. What was it?
A: The then-California Speedway hosted a special non-points round for the All-Japan GT Championship in 2004. That series is known today as SuperGT. Yes, we're talking the Nissan Z's, Toyota Supras and Honda/Acura NSX's that you may remember from playing Gran Turismo games. The silouhette GT cars ran a special race on the speedway's infield road course. The weekend was tied in with a special event called GT Live, which featured a round of the D1GP, a drifting series.
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:
-- Auto Club 400 Race Recap by TBA
-- 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: Auto Club 400 by Matt McLaughlin
Matt will be here with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday afternoon's action at Auto Club Speedway.
Monday Morning Teardown by Ron Lemasters
Ron returns for a website look at one of the big stories from Sunday's race from Fontana.
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 in California.
Big Six: Food City 500 by Amy Henderson
Looking for all you need to know leaving the fifth race of the season? Amy has your who, what, when, where, why and how from a weekend of racing in Fontana.
Pace Laps: Bristol 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 Auto Club Speedway.
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