THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 19th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition LXVI
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 19th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition LXVI
~~~~~~~~~~
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 Phil Allaway
Mayfield Officially Indicted in Iredell County Court...Again
The Jeremy Mayfield saga is now almost entering its fourth year. Now, there's a new wrinkle in the adventure.
On Wednesday, Mayfield was officially indicted by a grand jury on multiple counts partially stemming from the Iredell County Sheriff's Department carrying out a search warrant on his sprawling property last year.
According to WCNC, Mayfield has been charged with five counts of breaking and entering tractor trailers and one count of larceny. Two additional charges of breaking and entering a building and two counts of larceny from a building. All ten of these counts are felonies.
It should be noted that this indictment does not include any stolen goods possession. That is because Mayfield was already been indicted on those charges in a separate proceeding back in February.
STP to Sponsor No. 43 Once Again in Kansas, Donates to Victory Junction
On Wednesday, STP announced a return to the famous No. 43 Ford as primary sponsor during this weekend's STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. In addition to sponsoring the famous No. 43 once again, along with the race, STP announced a special $43,000 donation to Victory Junction. Victory Junction is in the process of attempting to build a second camp in the Kansas City area to go along with the existing facility in Randleman, North Carolina.
Naturally, Richard Petty is very pleased to have STP back onboard for this weekend.
"In 1972, STP supported me and my team so we could do what we loved, and now 40 years later they are helping to make these campers dreams come true by giving them a week of fun at the camp," Petty said. "STP is more than just a name on our car, they are true partners and I look forward to many more years as an STP man!"
Armored AutoGroup is also pleased to continue their long-term relationship with the Pettys.
"We are proud of our relationship with Richard and the entire Richard Petty Motorsports family," said David Lundstedt, CEO of the Armored AutoGroup (Note: Armored AutoGroup includes STP and Armor All. The two brands were bought by a venture capital firm from Clorox in 2010). We thought the best way to celebrate this unparalleled sponsorship milestone was with a $43,000 donation to Victory Junction in honor of Richard."
In addition to the primary sponsorship of both Sunday's race and the No. 43, STP is launching a new TV ad campaign called the "Left Lane Club" that with feature Petty. This commercial will debut during Sunday's race telecast on FOX and air all summer. Also, STP will be auctioning off the STP firesuit that Aric Almirola will be wearing in Sunday's race to benefit Victory Junction next week. Those interested in placing a bid can go here. Finally, STP will provide free tickets to Sunday's race to members of the Military stationed at Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley.
STP and the Petty name are all but synonymous in NASCAR. STP did have some involvement in NASCAR prior to teaming up with Petty Enterprises (most notably with Buddy Baker), but when they got together with Richard Petty at the beginning of 1972, it was a match made in heaven. The partnership with Petty in the car lasted for the final 21 years of Petty's driving career (1972-1992). In that time, Petty won 60 races and won four of his seven championships. After Petty's retirement from driving, STP stayed on as primary sponsor of the team until the middle of 2000, when they were replaced by General Mills. In that time, the team won three more times (twice with Bobby Hamilton and once with John Andretti).
Since STP left the No. 43 team as a primary sponsor, they have returned to the team periodically. In 2006, STP served as Bobby Labonte's primary sponsor in a one-race deal at Talladega. Last year, the company also sponsored the No. 43 and driver A.J. Allmendinger.
Shore Lodge to Sponsor Kyle Busch Motorsports in Five Races
On Wednesday, Kyle Busch Motorsports announced the signing of Shore Lodge, a McCall, Idaho mountain resort to serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 18 in the Camping World Truck Series for five races this season. The black, white and silver colors of Shore Lodge will debut this weekend in Saturday's SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway.
In addition to Kansas, Jason Leffler will run the Shore Lodge colors in two more races. Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide Series driver Brian Scott will drive the No. 18 in two additional races. Besides Kansas, the team has not announced which additional races that Shore Lodge will serve as primary sponsor. Shore Lodge's five races bring the total number of sold races for Kyle Busch Motorsports' No. 18 to 19, leaving three open races left. Dollar General previously signed to serve as primary sponsor of the No. 18 for 14 races.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series STP 400: 46 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 12- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 32- Reed Sorenson for FAS Lane Racing
No. 79- Tim Andrews for Go Green Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
Driver Changes: None
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 12- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 23- Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports*
No. 26- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30- David Stremme for Inception Motorsports
No. 33- Tony Raines for Richard Childress Racing/LJ Racing
No. 49- J.J. Yeley for Robinson-Blakeney Racing
No. 74- Stacy Compton for Turn One Racing*
No. 79- Tim Andrews for Go Green Racing. This will be the first Sprint Cup attempt for both Andrews and Go Green Racing.*
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing*
Camping World Truck Series SPF 250: 38 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19- Brad Keselowski for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 60- Chad McCumbee is in the seat, replacing Grant Enfinger.
No. 65- Scott Stenzel is in the seat, replacing Tyler Tanner. If he qualifies, this will be Stenzel's first career Camping World Truck Series start.
No. 74- Mike Harmon returns to the seat, replacing Brian Weber.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 09- John Wes Townley for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 9- Ron Hornaday, Jr. for Joe Denette Motorsports (Has second crack at the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 11- Todd Bodine for Red Horse Racing (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 12- Russ Dugger for DGR Racing. This team is returning to the series for the first time since the end of 2010.
No. 14- Brennan Newberry for Bob Newberry Racing
No. 19- Brad Keselowski for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 38- Unknown driver for RSS Racing
No. 65- Scott Stenzel for MB Motorsports
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 81- David Starr for Billy Ballew Motorsports
No. 84- Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
No. 98- Dakoda Armstrong for ThorSport Racing
Entered, but already withdrawn:
No. 68- Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
Not Entered:
No. 02- Tyler Young
No. 4- Kasey Kahne for Turner Motorsports
No. 28- Wes Burton for FDNY Racing
No. 70- Jeff Agnew for Level 7 Motorsports
No. 75- Caleb Holman for Henderson Racing
No. 92- David Reutimann for RBR Motorsports
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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
The Green White Checker: Quickest Way to Revive a Career in Peril
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
The Green White Checker finish has been in place throughout the Sprint Cup Series since July of 2004. Some fans and drivers have been vocal critics of the addition, lamenting its addition to devaluing NASCAR's highest form of competition by instituting a gimmicky do-over procedure so that something exciting happens with hopes of making SportsCenter on ESPN, which will air on a constant loop for 12 hours. There are two drivers however who virtually owe their careers to the Green White Checker: Ryan Newman and Kevin Harvick.
Harvick won the 2007 Daytona 500 on both capricious enforcement of pausing the race when cars are upside-down and on fire blocking the track, as well as a Green White Checker. That win would be his last for over three years, until the Spring Talladega race of 2010, when he was able to squeak by Jamie McMurray by .011 seconds on a Green White Checker restart. Harvick would go on to win the July event at Daytona by .092 seconds over then-teammate Clint Bowyer courtesy of a Green White Checker restart, after the advertised distance of 164 laps had been completed. A dominant win at Michigan in August of 2010 erased any doubts and memories of the past few years outside of some last lap restrictor plate heroics. Had he not however – and had the GWC not been in existence, Harvick would have just snapped a winless streak that was going on nearly four seasons.
Ryan Newman is an even more striking example of how the GWC rule has helped his win total – and returned the biggest win of his racing resume. In the 2008 Daytona 500, it was his Penske teammate Kurt Busch who bump drafted him around the 2.5-mile tri-oval on the final lap past leader Tony Stewart to secure his first Daytona 500 victory. The win was Newman's first since the fall race at Loudon in 2005, when on the final lap, he bumped future boss Tony Stewart out of the lead coming to the white flag, and held on to win by .292 seconds. Nothing dirty mind you – just good, hard, flat track racing.
Newman would go without another triumph for the remainder of the 2008 season, and went winless again after moving to the newly formed Stewart-Haas Racing team in 2009. In 2010 at the Spring race in Phoenix, Newman ended up starting on the inside of the front row when leader Jeff Gordon picked the outside lane for the restart, and lead the final two laps for the win. Had it not been for the Green White Checker, Newman would have continued his futility streak that had stood at 77 races out to 124. At Loudon in 2011, Newman lead 119 laps, holding off Tony Stewart (again) by .770 seconds. At Martinsville three weeks ago, Newman won courtesy of the first three cars plowing into each other on a Green White Checker restart. So if you think about it, if not for the advent of the GWC finale and barely one second, Ryan Newman could be in the midst of an eight-year streak of failing to finish first, dating back to 2004.
So what do all of these figures and statistics prove and just what theorem am I attempting to support? Uh, I'm not sure. I guess it just means that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will probably win here in the next few weeks, and break his much publicized drought that is going on almost four years, dating back to the LifeLock 400 at Michigan in 2008.
Well, actually it was the LifeLock 406; that ended up being a Green White Checker finish as well.
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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COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
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 Phil Allaway
Mayfield Officially Indicted in Iredell County Court...Again
The Jeremy Mayfield saga is now almost entering its fourth year. Now, there's a new wrinkle in the adventure.
On Wednesday, Mayfield was officially indicted by a grand jury on multiple counts partially stemming from the Iredell County Sheriff's Department carrying out a search warrant on his sprawling property last year.
According to WCNC, Mayfield has been charged with five counts of breaking and entering tractor trailers and one count of larceny. Two additional charges of breaking and entering a building and two counts of larceny from a building. All ten of these counts are felonies.
It should be noted that this indictment does not include any stolen goods possession. That is because Mayfield was already been indicted on those charges in a separate proceeding back in February.
STP to Sponsor No. 43 Once Again in Kansas, Donates to Victory Junction
On Wednesday, STP announced a return to the famous No. 43 Ford as primary sponsor during this weekend's STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. In addition to sponsoring the famous No. 43 once again, along with the race, STP announced a special $43,000 donation to Victory Junction. Victory Junction is in the process of attempting to build a second camp in the Kansas City area to go along with the existing facility in Randleman, North Carolina.
Naturally, Richard Petty is very pleased to have STP back onboard for this weekend.
"In 1972, STP supported me and my team so we could do what we loved, and now 40 years later they are helping to make these campers dreams come true by giving them a week of fun at the camp," Petty said. "STP is more than just a name on our car, they are true partners and I look forward to many more years as an STP man!"
Armored AutoGroup is also pleased to continue their long-term relationship with the Pettys.
"We are proud of our relationship with Richard and the entire Richard Petty Motorsports family," said David Lundstedt, CEO of the Armored AutoGroup (Note: Armored AutoGroup includes STP and Armor All. The two brands were bought by a venture capital firm from Clorox in 2010). We thought the best way to celebrate this unparalleled sponsorship milestone was with a $43,000 donation to Victory Junction in honor of Richard."
In addition to the primary sponsorship of both Sunday's race and the No. 43, STP is launching a new TV ad campaign called the "Left Lane Club" that with feature Petty. This commercial will debut during Sunday's race telecast on FOX and air all summer. Also, STP will be auctioning off the STP firesuit that Aric Almirola will be wearing in Sunday's race to benefit Victory Junction next week. Those interested in placing a bid can go here. Finally, STP will provide free tickets to Sunday's race to members of the Military stationed at Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley.
STP and the Petty name are all but synonymous in NASCAR. STP did have some involvement in NASCAR prior to teaming up with Petty Enterprises (most notably with Buddy Baker), but when they got together with Richard Petty at the beginning of 1972, it was a match made in heaven. The partnership with Petty in the car lasted for the final 21 years of Petty's driving career (1972-1992). In that time, Petty won 60 races and won four of his seven championships. After Petty's retirement from driving, STP stayed on as primary sponsor of the team until the middle of 2000, when they were replaced by General Mills. In that time, the team won three more times (twice with Bobby Hamilton and once with John Andretti).
Since STP left the No. 43 team as a primary sponsor, they have returned to the team periodically. In 2006, STP served as Bobby Labonte's primary sponsor in a one-race deal at Talladega. Last year, the company also sponsored the No. 43 and driver A.J. Allmendinger.
Shore Lodge to Sponsor Kyle Busch Motorsports in Five Races
On Wednesday, Kyle Busch Motorsports announced the signing of Shore Lodge, a McCall, Idaho mountain resort to serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 18 in the Camping World Truck Series for five races this season. The black, white and silver colors of Shore Lodge will debut this weekend in Saturday's SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway.
In addition to Kansas, Jason Leffler will run the Shore Lodge colors in two more races. Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide Series driver Brian Scott will drive the No. 18 in two additional races. Besides Kansas, the team has not announced which additional races that Shore Lodge will serve as primary sponsor. Shore Lodge's five races bring the total number of sold races for Kyle Busch Motorsports' No. 18 to 19, leaving three open races left. Dollar General previously signed to serve as primary sponsor of the No. 18 for 14 races.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series STP 400: 46 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 12- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 32- Reed Sorenson for FAS Lane Racing
No. 79- Tim Andrews for Go Green Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
Driver Changes: None
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 12- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 23- Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports*
No. 26- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30- David Stremme for Inception Motorsports
No. 33- Tony Raines for Richard Childress Racing/LJ Racing
No. 49- J.J. Yeley for Robinson-Blakeney Racing
No. 74- Stacy Compton for Turn One Racing*
No. 79- Tim Andrews for Go Green Racing. This will be the first Sprint Cup attempt for both Andrews and Go Green Racing.*
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing*
Camping World Truck Series SPF 250: 38 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19- Brad Keselowski for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 60- Chad McCumbee is in the seat, replacing Grant Enfinger.
No. 65- Scott Stenzel is in the seat, replacing Tyler Tanner. If he qualifies, this will be Stenzel's first career Camping World Truck Series start.
No. 74- Mike Harmon returns to the seat, replacing Brian Weber.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 09- John Wes Townley for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 9- Ron Hornaday, Jr. for Joe Denette Motorsports (Has second crack at the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 11- Todd Bodine for Red Horse Racing (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 12- Russ Dugger for DGR Racing. This team is returning to the series for the first time since the end of 2010.
No. 14- Brennan Newberry for Bob Newberry Racing
No. 19- Brad Keselowski for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 38- Unknown driver for RSS Racing
No. 65- Scott Stenzel for MB Motorsports
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 81- David Starr for Billy Ballew Motorsports
No. 84- Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
No. 98- Dakoda Armstrong for ThorSport Racing
Entered, but already withdrawn:
No. 68- Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
Not Entered:
No. 02- Tyler Young
No. 4- Kasey Kahne for Turner Motorsports
No. 28- Wes Burton for FDNY Racing
No. 70- Jeff Agnew for Level 7 Motorsports
No. 75- Caleb Holman for Henderson Racing
No. 92- David Reutimann for RBR Motorsports
~~~~~~~~~~
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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
The Green White Checker: Quickest Way to Revive a Career in Peril
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
The Green White Checker finish has been in place throughout the Sprint Cup Series since July of 2004. Some fans and drivers have been vocal critics of the addition, lamenting its addition to devaluing NASCAR's highest form of competition by instituting a gimmicky do-over procedure so that something exciting happens with hopes of making SportsCenter on ESPN, which will air on a constant loop for 12 hours. There are two drivers however who virtually owe their careers to the Green White Checker: Ryan Newman and Kevin Harvick.
Harvick won the 2007 Daytona 500 on both capricious enforcement of pausing the race when cars are upside-down and on fire blocking the track, as well as a Green White Checker. That win would be his last for over three years, until the Spring Talladega race of 2010, when he was able to squeak by Jamie McMurray by .011 seconds on a Green White Checker restart. Harvick would go on to win the July event at Daytona by .092 seconds over then-teammate Clint Bowyer courtesy of a Green White Checker restart, after the advertised distance of 164 laps had been completed. A dominant win at Michigan in August of 2010 erased any doubts and memories of the past few years outside of some last lap restrictor plate heroics. Had he not however – and had the GWC not been in existence, Harvick would have just snapped a winless streak that was going on nearly four seasons.
Ryan Newman is an even more striking example of how the GWC rule has helped his win total – and returned the biggest win of his racing resume. In the 2008 Daytona 500, it was his Penske teammate Kurt Busch who bump drafted him around the 2.5-mile tri-oval on the final lap past leader Tony Stewart to secure his first Daytona 500 victory. The win was Newman's first since the fall race at Loudon in 2005, when on the final lap, he bumped future boss Tony Stewart out of the lead coming to the white flag, and held on to win by .292 seconds. Nothing dirty mind you – just good, hard, flat track racing.
Newman would go without another triumph for the remainder of the 2008 season, and went winless again after moving to the newly formed Stewart-Haas Racing team in 2009. In 2010 at the Spring race in Phoenix, Newman ended up starting on the inside of the front row when leader Jeff Gordon picked the outside lane for the restart, and lead the final two laps for the win. Had it not been for the Green White Checker, Newman would have continued his futility streak that had stood at 77 races out to 124. At Loudon in 2011, Newman lead 119 laps, holding off Tony Stewart (again) by .770 seconds. At Martinsville three weeks ago, Newman won courtesy of the first three cars plowing into each other on a Green White Checker restart. So if you think about it, if not for the advent of the GWC finale and barely one second, Ryan Newman could be in the midst of an eight-year streak of failing to finish first, dating back to 2004.
So what do all of these figures and statistics prove and just what theorem am I attempting to support? Uh, I'm not sure. I guess it just means that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will probably win here in the next few weeks, and break his much publicized drought that is going on almost four years, dating back to the LifeLock 400 at Michigan in 2008.
Well, actually it was the LifeLock 406; that ended up being a Green White Checker finish as well.
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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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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Editor's Note: The Critic's Annex will return next week.
Driver Diary: Paulie Harraka
With Tom Bowles
Three races into 2012, rookie Paulie Harraka, driver of the No. 5 Ford for Wauters Motorsports continues to experience the ups and downs of any freshman entering NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series. Experience them with him in the latest edition of our Driver Diary, after a second-place qualifying run turned into a 26th-place learning experience at Rockingham. In this edition, he talks everything from The Rock's return weekend to debris cautions, Hall of Fame nominations, even what's playing in his CD player these days.
Let's start with Rockingham. The qualifying effort was certainly strong, putting you on the outside of the front row. Where were you making up the most time and what type of boost did that give your team after the first two races?
Being on the bottom in qualifying really helped us. We focused on being able to run right around the bottom of the racetrack, and watching our qualifying lap, you saw that. We were right around the bottom. A lot of the guys ended up drifting up, and that benefited them in the race … but it was a drawback in qualifying.
By my standards, as far as the lap felt, it felt OK. It didn't feel great. But it was just a solid lap and it ended up putting us up front. That was a good morale booster – we didn't have anything necessarily in the record books yet this year to say, "Hey, we're learning, we're doing a good job and we're making progress." And to put that notch in there, I think it definitely got everyone excited, a little more comfortable and was, all-in-all a good morale booster for the race team.
Unfortunately, coming back the next day, we were just way too loose. We made significant changes, really big ones all throughout the race just to try and tighten it up and got most of the way there near the end. But we just started the race way too loose, right from the start. As soon as we got going, we ran in the top-5 for a little while but once we got five laps on the tires is when we started to get bad loose. Sometimes, a casual fan can struggle to understand the simple dichotomy between having winning speed in qualifying and being unable to keep it up consistently during the race.
What was the source of your struggles, and when did you feel a quality finish start to slip through your fingers?
Well, one thing you have to look at in that scenario – especially at a track like Rockingham, where tire wear is such a big deal is its just like any other endurance race. You can come out of the gate sprinting, but the rest of the field will catch up to you. And for us, just the way we ended up setup-wise, the track was just so abusive on the right-rear tire and that caught up to us. It was fine for a single lap… but not for a long run.
The Truck Series race at Rockingham was one of the most-hyped events in that division for many years. Your thoughts on how the track performed in its return to NASCAR… would you like to see it on the schedule next year?
The track did fantastic. Listen, all the fans I talked to in the area that came to the race, they were super excited. People that watched it on TV were super excited. I know Cup teams that rearranged their plane flights back from Texas so they could come back to Rockingham and watch. So I think, as a whole the return of the sport there was huge. Its an honorary return to some of the grassroots of our sport. You saw how full the stands were… I would love to see the track back on the schedule for next year.
After a rocky Daytona, races in all three top series have been marked by an unusual number of long green-flag runs this season. And when we do see the cautions come out… in many cases, they've been for debris. What's your take on why the wrecks have gone down significantly in 2012?
A few things. Some of it's just luck, the way things work out. As soon as you get a lot of green-flag racing, a caution happens and you have two or three in a row. On the flip side, guys are racing pretty smart. Especially at this point, we're still early in the season and drivers are still trying to get their feet wet with setups and teams. I know the racing is still great; at Rockingham, there was still tons and tons of side-by-side racing and a lot of hardcore battles for position.
When you guys see long green-flag runs coming, how does it change your strategy?
You can't really sense it, but yeah, it does change your strategy because… look at Rockingham. Almost everyone who pitted for tires pitted under yellow, and I think guys figured they would put on all their sets of tires and make no more than a 40-lap run. And what actually happened is we went much longer than that because of the way the cautions fell. So especially when we're pitting for tires, and that's dependent on when the cautions come out, it really affects the racing strategy.
Now, both fans and drivers have different opinions on the value of debris cautions. What's your take, and do you feel like they're necessary in the interests of safety?
I mean, from our perspective you've to respect NASCAR's call. There's obviously a reason they're throwing it; for them, there's a good reason and you've got to respect it. I can't say I've actually gone out and looked for the debris every time; NASCAR throws the caution, NASCAR throws it. It is what it is.
A lot of big names in NASCAR have gone through the first seven races winless: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Which name surprises you the most in terms of being shut out of Victory Lane?
The guys who are winless have at least had good runs. Look at Jimmie; yeah, he's still winless, but he finished second at Texas. So I think the biggest surprise for the season as a whole is Jeff Gordon just because where instead of being winless and right there on the cusp, the 24 gang just hasn't quite hit their stride yet. And they will; they do it every single season. It just hasn't happened yet.
CURRENT EVENTS:
The NASCAR Hall of Fame just released its list of 25 nominees for the coming year. Are you happy with the way the process played out, and what changes, if any would you like to see to the system? Would you like to see more than five admitted per year?
I think that, on the whole it works. The 25-nominee thing definitely works. How that'll go, obviously with it being such a young Hall of Fame, there was such a rush to get some of the big names that needed to be in, in. But you don't want to bring 30 people in the first year either. I think now that they've crossed that threshold, let's still slowly keep adding the people that deserve it… I think having five admitted every year is OK.
FAN QUESTION
"If you could drive any car on the racetrack, aside from a NASCAR race car – like a street car – what would it be and why?" – Eddie Troutman, Salem, VA
I would love to drive a Ford GT around the racetrack. I've got a big painting of the GT 40 that won Le Mans with Foyt and Gurney hanging up in my room. Its a car that I've always loved. I have not gotten an opportunity to drive one, so I would love to drive one on the racetrack.
What makes it stand out?
To me, it's the whole story behind the decision to build that race car and the effort that was put into putting Americans on the map at Le Mans. And then, the success that the car had is just an exceptional story.
Do you have a question you want to ask Paulie? Email us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com and watch your question show up next month!
WHAT'S HOT / WHAT'S NOT IN PAULIE'S WORLD
MUSIC
HOT (and NOT): I am not the most current guy when it comes to music stuff. I do listen to the radio every once in awhile, but to tell you names of bands and names of songs, anything current is totally over my head.
OK. Well what's in your CD player right now?
Right now, it's a Matchbox 20 CD from the '90s.
Are you more of a '90s guy?
I'm not sure I consider myself that. But it happens to be a good CD. In my car right now… there's some Simon & Garfunkel, Matchbox 20, Beatles, U2… what else? Some Paul McCartney… I think that covers it.
PREVIEW
What are the keys to a successful weekend at Kansas and why?
We just have to put a whole weekend together. We've at some point shined at every part of the process this season. We've shined in qualifying, had fast trucks at one point during the race but now, we're at a point where we need to put a whole weekend together and that's what we need to do at Kansas. I need to figure out what I want out of the race truck early, what do we have to do to get to that point, excel in qualifying and get through the race.
LINKS
Facebook:
Twitter (Paulie)
Twitter (Wauters Motorsports)
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
From The Mystery of Kyle Busch's Silent Season ... So Far
"As easy as it is to hate Kyle Busch for his immature behavior, his character is something the sport needs. Every sport needs a villain; otherwise, it wouldn't be as fun to cheer on your favorite driver or team.." - Garrett Horton with an interesting take on Kyle Busch earlier this week.
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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:
MPM2Nite: In It For The Long Hall
by Matt McLaughlin
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Editor's Note: The Critic's Annex will return next week.
Driver Diary: Paulie Harraka
With Tom Bowles
Three races into 2012, rookie Paulie Harraka, driver of the No. 5 Ford for Wauters Motorsports continues to experience the ups and downs of any freshman entering NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series. Experience them with him in the latest edition of our Driver Diary, after a second-place qualifying run turned into a 26th-place learning experience at Rockingham. In this edition, he talks everything from The Rock's return weekend to debris cautions, Hall of Fame nominations, even what's playing in his CD player these days.
Let's start with Rockingham. The qualifying effort was certainly strong, putting you on the outside of the front row. Where were you making up the most time and what type of boost did that give your team after the first two races?
Being on the bottom in qualifying really helped us. We focused on being able to run right around the bottom of the racetrack, and watching our qualifying lap, you saw that. We were right around the bottom. A lot of the guys ended up drifting up, and that benefited them in the race … but it was a drawback in qualifying.
By my standards, as far as the lap felt, it felt OK. It didn't feel great. But it was just a solid lap and it ended up putting us up front. That was a good morale booster – we didn't have anything necessarily in the record books yet this year to say, "Hey, we're learning, we're doing a good job and we're making progress." And to put that notch in there, I think it definitely got everyone excited, a little more comfortable and was, all-in-all a good morale booster for the race team.
Unfortunately, coming back the next day, we were just way too loose. We made significant changes, really big ones all throughout the race just to try and tighten it up and got most of the way there near the end. But we just started the race way too loose, right from the start. As soon as we got going, we ran in the top-5 for a little while but once we got five laps on the tires is when we started to get bad loose. Sometimes, a casual fan can struggle to understand the simple dichotomy between having winning speed in qualifying and being unable to keep it up consistently during the race.
What was the source of your struggles, and when did you feel a quality finish start to slip through your fingers?
Well, one thing you have to look at in that scenario – especially at a track like Rockingham, where tire wear is such a big deal is its just like any other endurance race. You can come out of the gate sprinting, but the rest of the field will catch up to you. And for us, just the way we ended up setup-wise, the track was just so abusive on the right-rear tire and that caught up to us. It was fine for a single lap… but not for a long run.
The Truck Series race at Rockingham was one of the most-hyped events in that division for many years. Your thoughts on how the track performed in its return to NASCAR… would you like to see it on the schedule next year?
The track did fantastic. Listen, all the fans I talked to in the area that came to the race, they were super excited. People that watched it on TV were super excited. I know Cup teams that rearranged their plane flights back from Texas so they could come back to Rockingham and watch. So I think, as a whole the return of the sport there was huge. Its an honorary return to some of the grassroots of our sport. You saw how full the stands were… I would love to see the track back on the schedule for next year.
After a rocky Daytona, races in all three top series have been marked by an unusual number of long green-flag runs this season. And when we do see the cautions come out… in many cases, they've been for debris. What's your take on why the wrecks have gone down significantly in 2012?
A few things. Some of it's just luck, the way things work out. As soon as you get a lot of green-flag racing, a caution happens and you have two or three in a row. On the flip side, guys are racing pretty smart. Especially at this point, we're still early in the season and drivers are still trying to get their feet wet with setups and teams. I know the racing is still great; at Rockingham, there was still tons and tons of side-by-side racing and a lot of hardcore battles for position.
When you guys see long green-flag runs coming, how does it change your strategy?
You can't really sense it, but yeah, it does change your strategy because… look at Rockingham. Almost everyone who pitted for tires pitted under yellow, and I think guys figured they would put on all their sets of tires and make no more than a 40-lap run. And what actually happened is we went much longer than that because of the way the cautions fell. So especially when we're pitting for tires, and that's dependent on when the cautions come out, it really affects the racing strategy.
Now, both fans and drivers have different opinions on the value of debris cautions. What's your take, and do you feel like they're necessary in the interests of safety?
I mean, from our perspective you've to respect NASCAR's call. There's obviously a reason they're throwing it; for them, there's a good reason and you've got to respect it. I can't say I've actually gone out and looked for the debris every time; NASCAR throws the caution, NASCAR throws it. It is what it is.
A lot of big names in NASCAR have gone through the first seven races winless: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Which name surprises you the most in terms of being shut out of Victory Lane?
The guys who are winless have at least had good runs. Look at Jimmie; yeah, he's still winless, but he finished second at Texas. So I think the biggest surprise for the season as a whole is Jeff Gordon just because where instead of being winless and right there on the cusp, the 24 gang just hasn't quite hit their stride yet. And they will; they do it every single season. It just hasn't happened yet.
CURRENT EVENTS:
The NASCAR Hall of Fame just released its list of 25 nominees for the coming year. Are you happy with the way the process played out, and what changes, if any would you like to see to the system? Would you like to see more than five admitted per year?
I think that, on the whole it works. The 25-nominee thing definitely works. How that'll go, obviously with it being such a young Hall of Fame, there was such a rush to get some of the big names that needed to be in, in. But you don't want to bring 30 people in the first year either. I think now that they've crossed that threshold, let's still slowly keep adding the people that deserve it… I think having five admitted every year is OK.
FAN QUESTION
"If you could drive any car on the racetrack, aside from a NASCAR race car – like a street car – what would it be and why?" – Eddie Troutman, Salem, VA
I would love to drive a Ford GT around the racetrack. I've got a big painting of the GT 40 that won Le Mans with Foyt and Gurney hanging up in my room. Its a car that I've always loved. I have not gotten an opportunity to drive one, so I would love to drive one on the racetrack.
What makes it stand out?
To me, it's the whole story behind the decision to build that race car and the effort that was put into putting Americans on the map at Le Mans. And then, the success that the car had is just an exceptional story.
Do you have a question you want to ask Paulie? Email us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com and watch your question show up next month!
WHAT'S HOT / WHAT'S NOT IN PAULIE'S WORLD
MUSIC
HOT (and NOT): I am not the most current guy when it comes to music stuff. I do listen to the radio every once in awhile, but to tell you names of bands and names of songs, anything current is totally over my head.
OK. Well what's in your CD player right now?
Right now, it's a Matchbox 20 CD from the '90s.
Are you more of a '90s guy?
I'm not sure I consider myself that. But it happens to be a good CD. In my car right now… there's some Simon & Garfunkel, Matchbox 20, Beatles, U2… what else? Some Paul McCartney… I think that covers it.
PREVIEW
What are the keys to a successful weekend at Kansas and why?
We just have to put a whole weekend together. We've at some point shined at every part of the process this season. We've shined in qualifying, had fast trucks at one point during the race but now, we're at a point where we need to put a whole weekend together and that's what we need to do at Kansas. I need to figure out what I want out of the race truck early, what do we have to do to get to that point, excel in qualifying and get through the race.
LINKS
Facebook:
Twitter (Paulie)
Twitter (Wauters Motorsports)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From The Mystery of Kyle Busch's Silent Season ... So Far
"As easy as it is to hate Kyle Busch for his immature behavior, his character is something the sport needs. Every sport needs a villain; otherwise, it wouldn't be as fun to cheer on your favorite driver or team.." - Garrett Horton with an interesting take on Kyle Busch earlier this week.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
MPM2Nite: In It For The Long Hall
by Matt McLaughlin
Dollars And Sense: NASCAR Minor League Confusion? The Danger Of Oversaturation
by Jesse Medford
Professor Of Speed: The Road To Racing Knowledge
by Mark Howell
Truckin' Thursdays: Which Young Guns Are Making A Statement In 2012
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Potts' Shots: Selling Sponsorship 101
by John Potts
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: For three years, the Truck Series race at Heartland Park Topeka was sponsored by "The Lund Look." What is (or was) the Lund Look?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: Prior to the construction of Kansas Speedway, the Truck Series used to race on the road course at Heartland Park Topeka, roughly 70 miles away. In the 1995 race, Kerry Teague suffered injuries in a crash that effectively ended his career. What happened?
A: Teague appeared to have a mechanical failure on his No. 51 Chevrolet on the straight in-between Turns 1 and 2 (Note: This is the 1.8 mile configuration at Heartland Park Topeka, not the 2.1 mile configuration used later on) that looked similar to a stuck throttle. The truck proceeded to drive through the grass, cross the track, spin, and hit an unprotected concrete wall on the drivers' side before coming to rest. Since it was nearly 100 degrees in Topeka on the day of the race and very dry, the grass then caught on fire. The crash can be seen in this clip. Rick Benjamin and Larry McReynolds have the call for TNN.
Teague took quite a shot in the truck and suffered a head injury. Teague made a full recovery, but his major racing career was over. Also of note, the No. 51 was owned by Jim Rosenblum. Rosenblum is one of the owners of FDNY Racing, a part-time team in the Camping World Truck Series that fields the No. 28 Chevrolet for Wes Burton.
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
-- 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: Kansas Edition by Summer Dreyer
Summer is back with a four-part look at some interesting stories as we look forward to Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
After Sunday's Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 at Rockingham Speedway, Amy was fairly happy with the results. Here, she takes some time to write to speedway owner Andy Hillenburg about the race weekend.
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 until the Nationwide Series returns in Richmond..
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Driver Diary: Dakoda Armstrong as told to Beth Lunkenheimer
The driver of the No. 98 EvenFi Toyota for ThorSport Racing returns to talk about the past few weeks on and off the track.
-----------------------------Teague took quite a shot in the truck and suffered a head injury. Teague made a full recovery, but his major racing career was over. Also of note, the No. 51 was owned by Jim Rosenblum. Rosenblum is one of the owners of FDNY Racing, a part-time team in the Camping World Truck Series that fields the No. 28 Chevrolet for Wes Burton.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Jeff Wolfe
-- In Case You Missed It by Nick Schwartz
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Kansas Edition by Summer Dreyer
Summer is back with a four-part look at some interesting stories as we look forward to Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
After Sunday's Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 at Rockingham Speedway, Amy was fairly happy with the results. Here, she takes some time to write to speedway owner Andy Hillenburg about the race weekend.
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 until the Nationwide Series returns in Richmond..
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Driver Diary: Dakoda Armstrong as told to Beth Lunkenheimer
The driver of the No. 98 EvenFi Toyota for ThorSport Racing returns to talk about the past few weeks on and off the track.
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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