THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 29th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition LVI
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 29th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition LVI
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EDITOR'S NOTE: FRONTSTRETCH HAS A BRAND NEW, REDESIGNED FACEBOOK PAGE! CLICK HERE TO "LIKE" US AND GET A DIRECT CONNECT TO ALL YOUR FRONTSTRETCH FAVORITES ALONG WITH POLLS, INTERACTION WITH FANS AND SO MUCH MORE.
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Goodyear Holds Tire Test at MIS
Over the winter, ISC chose to repave the two-mile Michigan International Speedway. The 16 year old pavement had been become very bumpy, and the construction of a pedestrian tunnel that ran underneath the track just past the start-finish line last year only made the situation worse.
In order to find the proper tire compound for the smooth and very fast tri-oval, Goodyear held an official tire test on Tuesday and Wednesday to look and see what the new track was like. As is the norm, multiple teams from different manufacturers were invited to test the tires. Representing Dodge was Penske Racing's No. 2 for Brad Keselowski. Chevrolet was represented by Hendrick Motorsports' No. 24 for Jeff Gordon and Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing's No. 42 for Juan Pablo Montoya. Finally, the No. 17 for Roush Fenway Racing's Matt Kenseth represented Ford.
Tuesday's session was shortened due to morning rains. Keselowski was the first driver to test out the new surface and seems to be happy with the process used to repave the track.
"I feel the decision to repave in October, giving [the pavement] some time to set was very beneficial," Keselowski said. "The track should be ready to go in record time for a repave. It should be in great shape when we come back here for the race."
Keselowski continued on to say that the track would be even faster on Wednesday as more rubber was laid down and the dust was swept away. Sure enough, it was.
Kenseth was satisfied with the compounds that Goodyear brought to the test.
"The tire is always the biggest factor in the speeds no matter where we go or what kind of pavement we're racing on, so I think Goodyear has done a really good job with all of these new repaves that have come up over the past four or five years," Kenseth said. "In the past, it used to be when they paved these places, they'd bring a tire that was so hard, because they couldn't keep them from failing, that we couldn't drive the cars for 20-30 laps. So, I think they've done a good job of giving us something we can drive off the get-go and still seems durable."
The surface, which is two inches thicker than it was previously, was very fast. Drivers reported reaching 215 mph entering Turn 1. Compared to previous high speeds, this is roughly four mph faster than anything ever seen at Michigan from Sprint Cup cars, but still slower than Greg Biffle's alleged 218 mph top speed during a test at Texas World Speedway. Montoya reported that according to his car's telemetry (legal for test sessions), his car never dropped below 180 mph in the corners. As is the norm for Goodyear tests, no official average speeds were released. However, there is a very good chance that the track record lap of 194.232 mph set by Ryan Newman in 2005 will fall in June. Kyle Busch won the pole in August at over 190 mph on the old surface with significantly less grip.
MaxQ Motorsports Attempting to Continue in Sprint Cup
Rick Ware Racing's announcement earlier this week that Timmy Hill and his sponsor, Poynt, are returning to the Nationwide Series effective immediately has left the No. 37 team in a severe bind. MaxQ Motorsports owner Larry Gunselman, who has now regained full control of the team after the RWR split, is low on funds and needs to find some kind of sponsorship or partner for the organization within the next couple of weeks, or the team could shut down.
Despite these dire circumstances, Gunselman has no regrets from his partnership with Rick Ware.
"Rick Ware and I have been good friends for many years and I wish RWR the best of luck and we may put another program together in the future," Gunselman said in a press release. "The #37 team is back-up for sale and having made every attempt in 2012 the team would be in the next 2 races in case of a rain out. Our goal is to put a new program together in the next couple of weeks or I will be forced to liquidate company assets."
Gunselman's release continued on to state if the team can acquire the appropriate financial capital, they already have all of the equipment, race cars and transportation necessary in order to operate a "small and efficient Sprint Cup operation." As a result of the team's split from RWR, the team is in the process of moving their equipment back to the MaxQ Motorsports shop in Mooresville, NC (RWR's shop is in Thomasville, NC).
MaxQ Motorsports was formed in 2009 as the No. 64 team running former Toyotas from Bill Davis Racing. After toiling on the periphery of the Sprint Cup Series for two years, Gunselman entered into an agreement with Front Row Motorsports early in the 2011 season to acquire the No. 37 team from Front Row Motorsports. The only races that Gunselman's cars have finished were those early last season with Tony Raines driving. In 45 starts (including the one that Hill started this year in Las Vegas), the best finishes for the team were a pair of 25ths at Phoenix and Martinsville.
Joe Denette Motorsports Announces First Made In USA Partner
On Wednesday, Joe Denette Motorsports announced their first new company partnership to come about through their Made In USA sponsorship. That company is BugBand, a manufacturer of natural insect repellant products (wristbands, sprays, pellets, etc.) based out of Cartersville, GA. These products do not use the popular pesticide DEET, but Geraniol, an oil extract from geranium plants. BugBand's first race on the No. 24 will be the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 18th. Following that race, BugBand will serve as an associate sponsor for the rest of the season.
Driver Max Gresham is very pleased to have BugBend onboard as Made In USA's first partner on the No. 24.
"It's awesome to be able to welcome BugBand into our association," Gresham said. "They are the first of what I hope to be many Made In USA companies who will take advantage of the opportunity to be involved with our racing efforts. I know more companies and manufacturers are going to join in as we grow the Made In USA program this season. We have a great effort focusing on supporting American companies, buying Made In USA products and creating jobs."
BugBand's President, Dan Ritter, is looking forward to this new relationship with Gresham.
"BugBand is excited to partner with Max Gresham and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series," Ritter said. "Max has a tremendous future in NASCAR and we're looking forward to helping the hundreds of thousands of people who use BugBand learn more about him. That, and introducing BugBand to his fans."
Gresham's partnership with BugBand extends beyond the Camping World Truck Series. The sponsorship will see Gresham appearing on outdoor-themed television shows with Ritter and making an appearance at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas the first weekend of May in order to help promote BugBand. BugBend will also serve as Gresham's primary sponsor in the Beau Slocumb Memorial 208 for Pro Late Models at Gresham Motorsports Park (formerly Peach State Speedway) in Jefferson, GA Saturday night.
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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
Good News/Bad News - The Real Story of Hendrick Motorsports Wild, Wacky Season
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
Hendrick Motorsports has been a classic Good News/Bad News story this season, and the hits just kept on coming at Martinsville. If there is one organization that could use a week off from whatever manner of terrible things might happen to them next, it would be this one. If anything, that race was a snapshot of the up and down roller coaster ride of emotions they've all been on in pursuit of the 200th Cup Series win for team owner Rick Hendrick. Don't think it's just one of their drivers that has been a story all season -- it's all four.
Kasey Kahne:
Good News: Hendrick finally got their prized possession into the seat of the No. 5 car for 2012. Selected about this same time back in 2010 to be the newest driver of the star-studded HMS stable, many in the media were clamoring for Hendrick to put Mark Martin out to pasture a year earlier than his contract stated, in order to make room for the driver nearly a quarter of a century younger.
Bad News: Six races deep into 2012, and Kasey Kahne finds himself the meat in a David Sandwich in the points standings between Gilliland and Reutimann. 31st in Sprint Cup Series points, no top-10s, a pair of poles, and an average finish of 28.5, and not even within a whiff of Chase contention. Well, that was certainly worth the hype, pomp, and circumstance. By comparison, the driver many were hoping to oust early for Kahne was preparing to win his second race of the year at Darlington in his first year at HMS.
Good News: Kahne posted a fourth-place finish last year at Darlington – even though he about knocked the Turn 2 wall down in the in the process and surrendered the win after leading with ten laps left to Regan Smith.
Bad News: If he does that again or blows another engine, he won't be able to blame it on a family member and fire them.
Jeff Gordon:
Good News: Super G has been super fast all season long; the No. 24 has been knocking on the door to Victory Lane ever since the bottom blew out of the engine on the backstretch at Daytona. Martinsville was his race until the Green-White-Wrecker restart, having lead 328 laps while battling teammate Jimmie Johnson for the win, and was in contention at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA before the gas can got wedged in the receptacle during a pit stop. Before that, an errant bump from teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at Bristol cut a tire down and sent him spinning into the wall. At least he hasn't had a tangle with Kasey Kahne. Yet.
Bad News: They one pay a point for leading a lap and the most during the race – the big chunk comes when you actually finish, and the No. 24 bunch has not yet finished where they have been running, save for an eighth-place result at Phoenix. Crew chief Alan Gustafson has consistently been putting fast cars under Four-Time, but the ends have not justified the means or the effort.
Good News: Jeff Gordon hit 215mph during a Goodyear tire test at Michigan International Speedway on Tuesday.
Bad News: Jeff Gordon hit 215mph during a Goodyear tire test at Michigan International Speedway on Tuesday. That act of awesomeness may give rise to restrictor plates at Michigan, or give everybody who's ever said they should knock down the banking at Talladega exactly what they've wished for.
Jimmie Johnson:
Good News: Johnson got to keep his crew chief Chad Knaus, car chief Ron Malec, and his 25 points that were initially taken following an inspection "discovery" at Daytona. The No. 48 made hay while the specter of losing their spiritual leader, taskmaster, and diabolical genius atop the war wagon hung over their heads. A fourth-place Phoenix run despite having the fastest car in town, a runner-up in Las Vegas, and top-10 runs at Bristol and Fontana proved this is still a championship contending team that does not bow to pressure easily. He led 128 laps at Martinsville before being punted along with teammate Jeff Gordon by Clint Bowyer on the first of the two overtime restarts.
Bad News: Despite this heady performance, Johnson is the second highest ranked driver at Hendrick Motorsports at this point in the season. Johnson currently sits tenth in the standings, and has a ten point lead over the 11th place driver, Carl Edwards. Besides Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and teammate Gordon, there really aren't a lot of threats behind Johnson to cause concern for being bumped out of the Chase – though a win would certainly be nice.
Bad News: Since this time last year, Johnson has won only two races (Talladega in late April and Kansas in October). Would you ever have thought you'd see the day when Five-Time had won only one more race during the same year time span as Regan Smith?
Good News: During that same time span, Carl Edwards has fewer victories than Regan Smith.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr:
Good News: After toiling in relative obscurity since 2009, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finds himself in a time-warp back to 2004. No, he didn't win the Daytona 500, but suddenly he's second in points, trailing series leader Greg Biffle by only six markers. A far cry from even a year ago, when many were muttering what it was going to take for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to not only win, but simply become relevant once again. Early in 2012, Junior appears more involved, committed, and just as hungry as in his former glory days driving the iconic No. 8 Budweiser DEI Chevrolets where he appeared poised to carry the mantle of his late father.
Bad News: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has not won a race in nearly four years. Teammate Jimmie Johnson has won three times as many championships as Dale Junior has won races during that same stretch. Granted, I'm not sure Jimmie would have enjoyed the same success if he had Lance McGrew wrenching on his cars, but it's startling nonetheless.
Good News: After everybody had beat a hasty retreat out of Martinsville to rid themselves of the mass quantity of chili dogs consumed over the weekend, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. stuck around, still in his firesuit, talking to and thanking all of the members on his team, and debriefing with crew chief Steve Letarte. After he changed, he returned to the garage to spend more time with his team, talk, and is looking more and more like the leader his father matured into over the years.
Bad News: He still looks like a homeless guy with that beard. Not sure how he can stand it in the summer when it's 100 degrees and humid. Part of me wonders if there is a small family of nuthatches that are living in it, and that's why he hasn't shaved in a while.
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
Goodyear Holds Tire Test at MIS
Over the winter, ISC chose to repave the two-mile Michigan International Speedway. The 16 year old pavement had been become very bumpy, and the construction of a pedestrian tunnel that ran underneath the track just past the start-finish line last year only made the situation worse.
In order to find the proper tire compound for the smooth and very fast tri-oval, Goodyear held an official tire test on Tuesday and Wednesday to look and see what the new track was like. As is the norm, multiple teams from different manufacturers were invited to test the tires. Representing Dodge was Penske Racing's No. 2 for Brad Keselowski. Chevrolet was represented by Hendrick Motorsports' No. 24 for Jeff Gordon and Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing's No. 42 for Juan Pablo Montoya. Finally, the No. 17 for Roush Fenway Racing's Matt Kenseth represented Ford.
Tuesday's session was shortened due to morning rains. Keselowski was the first driver to test out the new surface and seems to be happy with the process used to repave the track.
"I feel the decision to repave in October, giving [the pavement] some time to set was very beneficial," Keselowski said. "The track should be ready to go in record time for a repave. It should be in great shape when we come back here for the race."
Keselowski continued on to say that the track would be even faster on Wednesday as more rubber was laid down and the dust was swept away. Sure enough, it was.
Kenseth was satisfied with the compounds that Goodyear brought to the test.
"The tire is always the biggest factor in the speeds no matter where we go or what kind of pavement we're racing on, so I think Goodyear has done a really good job with all of these new repaves that have come up over the past four or five years," Kenseth said. "In the past, it used to be when they paved these places, they'd bring a tire that was so hard, because they couldn't keep them from failing, that we couldn't drive the cars for 20-30 laps. So, I think they've done a good job of giving us something we can drive off the get-go and still seems durable."
The surface, which is two inches thicker than it was previously, was very fast. Drivers reported reaching 215 mph entering Turn 1. Compared to previous high speeds, this is roughly four mph faster than anything ever seen at Michigan from Sprint Cup cars, but still slower than Greg Biffle's alleged 218 mph top speed during a test at Texas World Speedway. Montoya reported that according to his car's telemetry (legal for test sessions), his car never dropped below 180 mph in the corners. As is the norm for Goodyear tests, no official average speeds were released. However, there is a very good chance that the track record lap of 194.232 mph set by Ryan Newman in 2005 will fall in June. Kyle Busch won the pole in August at over 190 mph on the old surface with significantly less grip.
MaxQ Motorsports Attempting to Continue in Sprint Cup
Rick Ware Racing's announcement earlier this week that Timmy Hill and his sponsor, Poynt, are returning to the Nationwide Series effective immediately has left the No. 37 team in a severe bind. MaxQ Motorsports owner Larry Gunselman, who has now regained full control of the team after the RWR split, is low on funds and needs to find some kind of sponsorship or partner for the organization within the next couple of weeks, or the team could shut down.
Despite these dire circumstances, Gunselman has no regrets from his partnership with Rick Ware.
"Rick Ware and I have been good friends for many years and I wish RWR the best of luck and we may put another program together in the future," Gunselman said in a press release. "The #37 team is back-up for sale and having made every attempt in 2012 the team would be in the next 2 races in case of a rain out. Our goal is to put a new program together in the next couple of weeks or I will be forced to liquidate company assets."
Gunselman's release continued on to state if the team can acquire the appropriate financial capital, they already have all of the equipment, race cars and transportation necessary in order to operate a "small and efficient Sprint Cup operation." As a result of the team's split from RWR, the team is in the process of moving their equipment back to the MaxQ Motorsports shop in Mooresville, NC (RWR's shop is in Thomasville, NC).
MaxQ Motorsports was formed in 2009 as the No. 64 team running former Toyotas from Bill Davis Racing. After toiling on the periphery of the Sprint Cup Series for two years, Gunselman entered into an agreement with Front Row Motorsports early in the 2011 season to acquire the No. 37 team from Front Row Motorsports. The only races that Gunselman's cars have finished were those early last season with Tony Raines driving. In 45 starts (including the one that Hill started this year in Las Vegas), the best finishes for the team were a pair of 25ths at Phoenix and Martinsville.
Joe Denette Motorsports Announces First Made In USA Partner
On Wednesday, Joe Denette Motorsports announced their first new company partnership to come about through their Made In USA sponsorship. That company is BugBand, a manufacturer of natural insect repellant products (wristbands, sprays, pellets, etc.) based out of Cartersville, GA. These products do not use the popular pesticide DEET, but Geraniol, an oil extract from geranium plants. BugBand's first race on the No. 24 will be the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 18th. Following that race, BugBand will serve as an associate sponsor for the rest of the season.
Driver Max Gresham is very pleased to have BugBend onboard as Made In USA's first partner on the No. 24.
"It's awesome to be able to welcome BugBand into our association," Gresham said. "They are the first of what I hope to be many Made In USA companies who will take advantage of the opportunity to be involved with our racing efforts. I know more companies and manufacturers are going to join in as we grow the Made In USA program this season. We have a great effort focusing on supporting American companies, buying Made In USA products and creating jobs."
BugBand's President, Dan Ritter, is looking forward to this new relationship with Gresham.
"BugBand is excited to partner with Max Gresham and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series," Ritter said. "Max has a tremendous future in NASCAR and we're looking forward to helping the hundreds of thousands of people who use BugBand learn more about him. That, and introducing BugBand to his fans."
Gresham's partnership with BugBand extends beyond the Camping World Truck Series. The sponsorship will see Gresham appearing on outdoor-themed television shows with Ritter and making an appearance at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas the first weekend of May in order to help promote BugBand. BugBend will also serve as Gresham's primary sponsor in the Beau Slocumb Memorial 208 for Pro Late Models at Gresham Motorsports Park (formerly Peach State Speedway) in Jefferson, GA Saturday night.
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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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Good News/Bad News - The Real Story of Hendrick Motorsports Wild, Wacky Season
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
Hendrick Motorsports has been a classic Good News/Bad News story this season, and the hits just kept on coming at Martinsville. If there is one organization that could use a week off from whatever manner of terrible things might happen to them next, it would be this one. If anything, that race was a snapshot of the up and down roller coaster ride of emotions they've all been on in pursuit of the 200th Cup Series win for team owner Rick Hendrick. Don't think it's just one of their drivers that has been a story all season -- it's all four.
Kasey Kahne:
Good News: Hendrick finally got their prized possession into the seat of the No. 5 car for 2012. Selected about this same time back in 2010 to be the newest driver of the star-studded HMS stable, many in the media were clamoring for Hendrick to put Mark Martin out to pasture a year earlier than his contract stated, in order to make room for the driver nearly a quarter of a century younger.
Bad News: Six races deep into 2012, and Kasey Kahne finds himself the meat in a David Sandwich in the points standings between Gilliland and Reutimann. 31st in Sprint Cup Series points, no top-10s, a pair of poles, and an average finish of 28.5, and not even within a whiff of Chase contention. Well, that was certainly worth the hype, pomp, and circumstance. By comparison, the driver many were hoping to oust early for Kahne was preparing to win his second race of the year at Darlington in his first year at HMS.
Good News: Kahne posted a fourth-place finish last year at Darlington – even though he about knocked the Turn 2 wall down in the in the process and surrendered the win after leading with ten laps left to Regan Smith.
Bad News: If he does that again or blows another engine, he won't be able to blame it on a family member and fire them.
Jeff Gordon:
Good News: Super G has been super fast all season long; the No. 24 has been knocking on the door to Victory Lane ever since the bottom blew out of the engine on the backstretch at Daytona. Martinsville was his race until the Green-White-Wrecker restart, having lead 328 laps while battling teammate Jimmie Johnson for the win, and was in contention at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA before the gas can got wedged in the receptacle during a pit stop. Before that, an errant bump from teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at Bristol cut a tire down and sent him spinning into the wall. At least he hasn't had a tangle with Kasey Kahne. Yet.
Bad News: They one pay a point for leading a lap and the most during the race – the big chunk comes when you actually finish, and the No. 24 bunch has not yet finished where they have been running, save for an eighth-place result at Phoenix. Crew chief Alan Gustafson has consistently been putting fast cars under Four-Time, but the ends have not justified the means or the effort.
Good News: Jeff Gordon hit 215mph during a Goodyear tire test at Michigan International Speedway on Tuesday.
Bad News: Jeff Gordon hit 215mph during a Goodyear tire test at Michigan International Speedway on Tuesday. That act of awesomeness may give rise to restrictor plates at Michigan, or give everybody who's ever said they should knock down the banking at Talladega exactly what they've wished for.
Jimmie Johnson:
Good News: Johnson got to keep his crew chief Chad Knaus, car chief Ron Malec, and his 25 points that were initially taken following an inspection "discovery" at Daytona. The No. 48 made hay while the specter of losing their spiritual leader, taskmaster, and diabolical genius atop the war wagon hung over their heads. A fourth-place Phoenix run despite having the fastest car in town, a runner-up in Las Vegas, and top-10 runs at Bristol and Fontana proved this is still a championship contending team that does not bow to pressure easily. He led 128 laps at Martinsville before being punted along with teammate Jeff Gordon by Clint Bowyer on the first of the two overtime restarts.
Bad News: Despite this heady performance, Johnson is the second highest ranked driver at Hendrick Motorsports at this point in the season. Johnson currently sits tenth in the standings, and has a ten point lead over the 11th place driver, Carl Edwards. Besides Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and teammate Gordon, there really aren't a lot of threats behind Johnson to cause concern for being bumped out of the Chase – though a win would certainly be nice.
Bad News: Since this time last year, Johnson has won only two races (Talladega in late April and Kansas in October). Would you ever have thought you'd see the day when Five-Time had won only one more race during the same year time span as Regan Smith?
Good News: During that same time span, Carl Edwards has fewer victories than Regan Smith.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr:
Good News: After toiling in relative obscurity since 2009, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finds himself in a time-warp back to 2004. No, he didn't win the Daytona 500, but suddenly he's second in points, trailing series leader Greg Biffle by only six markers. A far cry from even a year ago, when many were muttering what it was going to take for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to not only win, but simply become relevant once again. Early in 2012, Junior appears more involved, committed, and just as hungry as in his former glory days driving the iconic No. 8 Budweiser DEI Chevrolets where he appeared poised to carry the mantle of his late father.
Bad News: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has not won a race in nearly four years. Teammate Jimmie Johnson has won three times as many championships as Dale Junior has won races during that same stretch. Granted, I'm not sure Jimmie would have enjoyed the same success if he had Lance McGrew wrenching on his cars, but it's startling nonetheless.
Good News: After everybody had beat a hasty retreat out of Martinsville to rid themselves of the mass quantity of chili dogs consumed over the weekend, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. stuck around, still in his firesuit, talking to and thanking all of the members on his team, and debriefing with crew chief Steve Letarte. After he changed, he returned to the garage to spend more time with his team, talk, and is looking more and more like the leader his father matured into over the years.
Bad News: He still looks like a homeless guy with that beard. Not sure how he can stand it in the summer when it's 100 degrees and humid. Part of me wonders if there is a small family of nuthatches that are living in it, and that's why he hasn't shaved in a while.
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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The Critic's Annex: IndyCar 36- Tony Kanaan
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to The Critic's Annex, that special section of our Thursday Newsletter where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. In Tuesday's edition of Couch Potato Tuesday, we took a look at the rebranded NBC Sports Network's first race telecast of the year, the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama from Barber Motorsports Park. It was pretty good. And the racing wasn't too shabby, either.
However, preceding NBC Sports Network's pre-race show (IndyCar Central) came a brand-new series entitled IndyCar 36. Why is this show called IndyCar 36? Well, the general idea is that cameras follow around a driver for 36 hours during a race weekend. The first driver up was Tony Kanaan, driver of the No. 11 GEICO-sponsored Chevrolet Dallara for KV Racing Technologies.
NBC Sports Network officially treats IndyCar 36 as a pre-show to IndyCar Central. You know, to amp people up for the actual pre-race coverage, and then the race itself. I'm fine with that. Before the show began, Bob Jenkins gave a brief welcome to Barber Motorsports Park and briefly talked about how Helio Castroneves won the pole and the $10,000 that comes with it before switching to our subject for the half-hour, Kanaan.
The show starts out with Kanaan driving to the street circuit in St. Petersburg, Florida from their hotel on Saturday morning with his fiancé, Lauren. Teammate and good buddy Rubens Barrichello tags along for the ride as well. During the drive, we hear voiceover commentary from Kanaan about how important the upcoming final pre-qualifying practice session is. There is also cutaway interview footage where Kanaan talks about Barrichello's skill behind the wheel. He states that Barrichello "...didn't stay in Formula One for 19 years just because he's lucky."
Kanaan has had a great record on the street course in St. Petersburg. He has never won, but came very close to pulling off the feat on his first try in 2005. Footage was shown in the special of Kanaan racing very hard for the lead with Ryan Briscoe (then racing for Chip Ganassi) on Lap 92. Kanaan made a move for the inside at Turn 10 and got fully alongside. Briscoe, then a rookie in the series in only his third start, seemed to turn in on Kanaan and the two had contact. Kanaan continued on, while Briscoe nosed into the tires and went out of the race. However, Kanaan lost momentum and Dan Wheldon swept by to take the lead and the victory on the road that is now officially named for him. Since then, Kanaan has finished third at St. Petersburg four separate times, including last year.
Following a somewhat harrowing ride to the pits on a Cub scooter (with lipstick cameras attached to it), Kanaan got down to the business of practicing his No. 11, but not before they took the time to talk about his quirks (always getting in the car from the left side, putting on shoes a certain way), and one superstition (lucky underwear) that has since gone out the window.
The second segment began with a brief mention of Kanaan's efforts at last year's Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, something that Kanaan (along with Vitor Meira, who currently does not have a ride in the Izod IndyCar Series) had always wanted to do. Let's just say that he aimed really high. The Kona Ironman is considered to be the toughest of them all.
Following that interlude, the show delved into his communication with Tim Cowdin, KV Racing Technologies' Technical Director and engineer Jeff Simon. Team co-owner Jimmy Vasser talked about just how easy Kanaan works with them. Vasser's partner, Kevin Kalkhoven, expressed similar sentiments (Kalkhoven was the man with the white goatee talking with Kanaan right after Vasser appeared).
Qualifying was a somewhat disappointing time for Kanaan. He expected to get his No. 11 into the Firestone Fast Six, but failed to do. Qualifying ninth, he missed it by less than a tenth and nitpicked himself over that afterwards. After the session, Kanaan went to do an autograph session. While the footage of him meeting and greeting fans was airing, Kanaan talked about how it was one of his favorite parts of each race weekend.
On Saturday night, Kanaan appeared at a special dinner for Apex, described as a Brazilian sponsor. Its a bit unclear, but this company probably was ApexBrasil, the Brazilian company that produces the 100 percent Ethanol race fuel for the series from sugar cane (this is said to be a much more efficient form of ethanol than the corn ethanol that you see in the United States). Kanaan welcomed ApexBrasil's guests to St. Petersburg and hoped that they had a good time and learned some things about the series.
Sunday morning brought on the morning warm-up, something that is basically a foreign concept to anyone that focuses on NASCAR. For the Izod IndyCar Series teams, final practice is the morning of the race. During that session, Kanaan encountered some difficulties, including a spin. However, Kanaan stated that he was happy it occurred then and not during the race.
After a brief meet and greet with sponsors, Kanaan went out for driver introductions. He briefly talks to Holly Wheldon, Dan's sister, on pit road before getting into his car (Holly waved the green flag at the beginning of the race and greeted the top-3 finishers at the podium ceremony after the race). A Kanaan voiceover covered how he felt during this brief conversation.
Finally, we get to the race on Sunday afternoon. Footage of race action alternated between exterior views and the view from Kanaan's camera on the roll hoop. Some radio communication between the team and Kanaan was included, along with some audio from both IMS Radio and ABC. This was not dissimilar to how the NBC Sports Network did their St. Petersburg race review a little later Sunday afternoon, but with more emphasis on "natural audio."
After the final break, Kanaan's car dropped dead due to battery issues. It was a great shame since an early pit stop precipitated by the yellow brought out when Katherine Legge stalled just past pit in and another quick yellow shortly afterwards for James Jakes' crash brought everyone else in. Kanaan would have been leading the race at the restart with a pretty good chance of contending for the win.
Instead, Kanaan was left to try to explain what happened on the pit box to his team. Cameras showed viewers this meeting of the minds, then his interview with ESPN's Jamie Little where he talked about what happened and how he thought some other things were more important in life. After giving Holly Wheldon a warm hug, he and Lauren rode off. Kanaan explained this mindset a little bit further in another interview exclusive to this show.
The show ended with the clip of race winner Castroneves climbing the fence and patting the "Dan Wheldon Way" sign. Kanaan ended by talking about whether he was still racing for his father, who died back in 1986, for himself, or for Dan, one of his best friends. Interesting way to end a show.
Overall, this show is nothing like some of the in-depth driver feature pieces that ESPN has done in recent years on Sprint Cup drivers. Viewers didn't really learn all that much about Kanaan the person. Instead, the show was really more a day and a half in Kanaan's shoes with somewhat apropos references to Kanaan's past.
The show talks briefly about how Kanaan and Barrichello are all but best friends, then they don't mention Barrichello again until the end of the show. I think fans would have liked to know how the two racers' friendship first began. For example, I never knew that the two of them were friends until just recently. Heck, maybe some of the show could have focused on Barrichello's adjustment to the Izod IndyCar Series and how Kanaan helped him (I'm sure he did, but I'm not sure how) in St. Petersburg with the transition. Also, knowing how powerful the emotions were in St. Petersburg, it probably would have been a good idea to let Kanaan talk more about Wheldon. Remember, Kanaan and Wheldon were teammates for two full seasons (and most of a third one) and spent a great deal of time together.
I did like what actually made air on this show, but I feel that there was a lot of material that either got cut out from the show altogether, or may not have even been broached. Some of that material, especially stuff involving Wheldon, might have been a little tough for Kanaan to talk about and because of that, they chose not to dwell on it. If so, that's understandable. But regardless, I feel like we missed out on a bunch of stuff. Perhaps this show might work better as a one-hour show.
I hope you liked this look at IndyCar 36: Tony Kanaan. Since there is no racing on tap for this weekend, enjoy Easter weekend and we'll be back next week.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From MPM2Nite: For Christ's Sake
"What really frosts my flakes is ESPN doesn't seem very selective in who they sell ads to. Ads for medicines said to stiffen or elongate the male organ or to increase a man's ability to perform in the sack or a woman's ability to enjoy such ministrations are countless and have led to many awkward conversations between parents and kids watching a race together. Thanks to a certain Ms. Patrick and her sponsor Go Daddy.com which are basically soft core porn with enticements to go to their site to see more flesh are constant. I'm thinking of one Go Daddy ad in particular which seemed a slap to the face of every female police officer out there that topped the "Bad Taste" meter." - Matt McLaughlin laying into ESPN for their conduct in the Rise Up and Register ad banning controversy.
~~~~~~~~~~
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:
~~~~~~~~~~
The Critic's Annex: IndyCar 36- Tony Kanaan
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to The Critic's Annex, that special section of our Thursday Newsletter where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. In Tuesday's edition of Couch Potato Tuesday, we took a look at the rebranded NBC Sports Network's first race telecast of the year, the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama from Barber Motorsports Park. It was pretty good. And the racing wasn't too shabby, either.
However, preceding NBC Sports Network's pre-race show (IndyCar Central) came a brand-new series entitled IndyCar 36. Why is this show called IndyCar 36? Well, the general idea is that cameras follow around a driver for 36 hours during a race weekend. The first driver up was Tony Kanaan, driver of the No. 11 GEICO-sponsored Chevrolet Dallara for KV Racing Technologies.
NBC Sports Network officially treats IndyCar 36 as a pre-show to IndyCar Central. You know, to amp people up for the actual pre-race coverage, and then the race itself. I'm fine with that. Before the show began, Bob Jenkins gave a brief welcome to Barber Motorsports Park and briefly talked about how Helio Castroneves won the pole and the $10,000 that comes with it before switching to our subject for the half-hour, Kanaan.
The show starts out with Kanaan driving to the street circuit in St. Petersburg, Florida from their hotel on Saturday morning with his fiancé, Lauren. Teammate and good buddy Rubens Barrichello tags along for the ride as well. During the drive, we hear voiceover commentary from Kanaan about how important the upcoming final pre-qualifying practice session is. There is also cutaway interview footage where Kanaan talks about Barrichello's skill behind the wheel. He states that Barrichello "...didn't stay in Formula One for 19 years just because he's lucky."
Kanaan has had a great record on the street course in St. Petersburg. He has never won, but came very close to pulling off the feat on his first try in 2005. Footage was shown in the special of Kanaan racing very hard for the lead with Ryan Briscoe (then racing for Chip Ganassi) on Lap 92. Kanaan made a move for the inside at Turn 10 and got fully alongside. Briscoe, then a rookie in the series in only his third start, seemed to turn in on Kanaan and the two had contact. Kanaan continued on, while Briscoe nosed into the tires and went out of the race. However, Kanaan lost momentum and Dan Wheldon swept by to take the lead and the victory on the road that is now officially named for him. Since then, Kanaan has finished third at St. Petersburg four separate times, including last year.
Following a somewhat harrowing ride to the pits on a Cub scooter (with lipstick cameras attached to it), Kanaan got down to the business of practicing his No. 11, but not before they took the time to talk about his quirks (always getting in the car from the left side, putting on shoes a certain way), and one superstition (lucky underwear) that has since gone out the window.
The second segment began with a brief mention of Kanaan's efforts at last year's Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, something that Kanaan (along with Vitor Meira, who currently does not have a ride in the Izod IndyCar Series) had always wanted to do. Let's just say that he aimed really high. The Kona Ironman is considered to be the toughest of them all.
Following that interlude, the show delved into his communication with Tim Cowdin, KV Racing Technologies' Technical Director and engineer Jeff Simon. Team co-owner Jimmy Vasser talked about just how easy Kanaan works with them. Vasser's partner, Kevin Kalkhoven, expressed similar sentiments (Kalkhoven was the man with the white goatee talking with Kanaan right after Vasser appeared).
Qualifying was a somewhat disappointing time for Kanaan. He expected to get his No. 11 into the Firestone Fast Six, but failed to do. Qualifying ninth, he missed it by less than a tenth and nitpicked himself over that afterwards. After the session, Kanaan went to do an autograph session. While the footage of him meeting and greeting fans was airing, Kanaan talked about how it was one of his favorite parts of each race weekend.
On Saturday night, Kanaan appeared at a special dinner for Apex, described as a Brazilian sponsor. Its a bit unclear, but this company probably was ApexBrasil, the Brazilian company that produces the 100 percent Ethanol race fuel for the series from sugar cane (this is said to be a much more efficient form of ethanol than the corn ethanol that you see in the United States). Kanaan welcomed ApexBrasil's guests to St. Petersburg and hoped that they had a good time and learned some things about the series.
Sunday morning brought on the morning warm-up, something that is basically a foreign concept to anyone that focuses on NASCAR. For the Izod IndyCar Series teams, final practice is the morning of the race. During that session, Kanaan encountered some difficulties, including a spin. However, Kanaan stated that he was happy it occurred then and not during the race.
After a brief meet and greet with sponsors, Kanaan went out for driver introductions. He briefly talks to Holly Wheldon, Dan's sister, on pit road before getting into his car (Holly waved the green flag at the beginning of the race and greeted the top-3 finishers at the podium ceremony after the race). A Kanaan voiceover covered how he felt during this brief conversation.
Finally, we get to the race on Sunday afternoon. Footage of race action alternated between exterior views and the view from Kanaan's camera on the roll hoop. Some radio communication between the team and Kanaan was included, along with some audio from both IMS Radio and ABC. This was not dissimilar to how the NBC Sports Network did their St. Petersburg race review a little later Sunday afternoon, but with more emphasis on "natural audio."
After the final break, Kanaan's car dropped dead due to battery issues. It was a great shame since an early pit stop precipitated by the yellow brought out when Katherine Legge stalled just past pit in and another quick yellow shortly afterwards for James Jakes' crash brought everyone else in. Kanaan would have been leading the race at the restart with a pretty good chance of contending for the win.
Instead, Kanaan was left to try to explain what happened on the pit box to his team. Cameras showed viewers this meeting of the minds, then his interview with ESPN's Jamie Little where he talked about what happened and how he thought some other things were more important in life. After giving Holly Wheldon a warm hug, he and Lauren rode off. Kanaan explained this mindset a little bit further in another interview exclusive to this show.
The show ended with the clip of race winner Castroneves climbing the fence and patting the "Dan Wheldon Way" sign. Kanaan ended by talking about whether he was still racing for his father, who died back in 1986, for himself, or for Dan, one of his best friends. Interesting way to end a show.
Overall, this show is nothing like some of the in-depth driver feature pieces that ESPN has done in recent years on Sprint Cup drivers. Viewers didn't really learn all that much about Kanaan the person. Instead, the show was really more a day and a half in Kanaan's shoes with somewhat apropos references to Kanaan's past.
The show talks briefly about how Kanaan and Barrichello are all but best friends, then they don't mention Barrichello again until the end of the show. I think fans would have liked to know how the two racers' friendship first began. For example, I never knew that the two of them were friends until just recently. Heck, maybe some of the show could have focused on Barrichello's adjustment to the Izod IndyCar Series and how Kanaan helped him (I'm sure he did, but I'm not sure how) in St. Petersburg with the transition. Also, knowing how powerful the emotions were in St. Petersburg, it probably would have been a good idea to let Kanaan talk more about Wheldon. Remember, Kanaan and Wheldon were teammates for two full seasons (and most of a third one) and spent a great deal of time together.
I did like what actually made air on this show, but I feel that there was a lot of material that either got cut out from the show altogether, or may not have even been broached. Some of that material, especially stuff involving Wheldon, might have been a little tough for Kanaan to talk about and because of that, they chose not to dwell on it. If so, that's understandable. But regardless, I feel like we missed out on a bunch of stuff. Perhaps this show might work better as a one-hour show.
I hope you liked this look at IndyCar 36: Tony Kanaan. Since there is no racing on tap for this weekend, enjoy Easter weekend and we'll be back next week.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From MPM2Nite: For Christ's Sake
"What really frosts my flakes is ESPN doesn't seem very selective in who they sell ads to. Ads for medicines said to stiffen or elongate the male organ or to increase a man's ability to perform in the sack or a woman's ability to enjoy such ministrations are countless and have led to many awkward conversations between parents and kids watching a race together. Thanks to a certain Ms. Patrick and her sponsor Go Daddy.com which are basically soft core porn with enticements to go to their site to see more flesh are constant. I'm thinking of one Go Daddy ad in particular which seemed a slap to the face of every female police officer out there that topped the "Bad Taste" meter." - Matt McLaughlin laying into ESPN for their conduct in the Rise Up and Register ad banning controversy.
~~~~~~~~~~
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: For Christ's Sake
by Matt McLaughlin
Dollars And Sense: NASCAR Drivers Teach Advertising Lessons As Brand Ambassadors
by Jesse Medford
Memories of Martinsville In NASCAR's Golden Age: 1992
by Mark Howell
Truckin' Thursdays: Young Guns Showing Up the Veterans ... So Far
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Potts' Shots: Profiteering, Points, Tim Richmond, And Feeling Old
by John Potts
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the 1980's, Hickory Motor Speedway hosted up to four or five Busch Grand National races a year. Purses for these races were roughly $35,000 at the time, so they likely would not put a local track operator into hock. However, one of Hickory's scheduled Busch Grand National races in 1986 was controversially cancelled and never rescheduled. Why did this happen?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: Hickory's final Busch race in 1998 was an interesting event with perfect weather and a surprise winner in Ed Berrier, driving the No. 77 Lear Ford for Jimmy Means. However, a number of unusual things happened during the race. What were these unusual instances?
A: Despite the perfect weather, TNN had a power outage that cut them down to just one camera. At one point during the race, the feed completely cut out and TNN was forced to cut to footage of the 1997 Galaxy Foods 400 that Dick Trickle won. After that occurred, Randy LaJoie spun after having contact with Ed Berrier. LaJoie spun in front of the field and was hit by the late Kevin Grubb. The hit broke the steering on Grubb's car and resulted in Grubb's car rolling into the auxiliary pit lane and hitting a pit box. A crewmember, Todd Wilkerson, fell off of the tool box and hurt his wrist and arm. Since the .363 mile short track has no tunnel, a red flag was thrown to assess the situation. The crash can be seen in this clip.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
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: Off-Week Edition by Summer Dreyer
Summer is back with a four-part look at some interesting stories as we reach the traditional Easter Off-week.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy is back with another interesting commentary.
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece on the Nationwide Series to tide you over while the series takes a second week in a row off.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
We'll have a sub for our Midwestern voice turned Tennessee transplant with another interesting take on recent events.
Special Business Column by Tony Lumbis
Tony returns with a look into the business behind J.J. Yeley's recent move to Robinson-Blakeney Racing's No. 49.
-----------------------------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: Off-Week Edition by Summer Dreyer
Summer is back with a four-part look at some interesting stories as we reach the traditional Easter Off-week.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy is back with another interesting commentary.
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece on the Nationwide Series to tide you over while the series takes a second week in a row off.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
We'll have a sub for our Midwestern voice turned Tennessee transplant with another interesting take on recent events.
Special Business Column by Tony Lumbis
Tony returns with a look into the business behind J.J. Yeley's recent move to Robinson-Blakeney Racing's No. 49.
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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