THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 15th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition LXXXVI
What to Watch: Tuesday
by Phil Allaway
- Tuesday is normally penalty day in NASCAR, and there could be possible financial consequences stemming from the Darlington post-race altercation between Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman's crews on pit road. The trigger for these issues was not shown on FOX's telecast, but it appears that Kurt Busch, angry at himself, did a burnout through Newman's occupied pit stall under the final caution once he crashed. After the race, Busch hit Newman's car on pit road. Newman's gas man, Andy Rueger, went after Busch once the cars were parked and had to be restrained by multiple members of Newman and Busch's crews. In the process, a NASCAR official was shoved to the ground. Stay tuned.
Today's Top News
by Kevin Rutherford
The newly repaved Pocono Raceway will see its first racing action in less than a month, and in preparation for the June event, NASCAR will be holding a test at the track for drivers and teams on Wednesday, June 6th. However, that happens to be the same date Tony Stewart's Prelude to the Dream charity event, held at Eldora Speedway will run.
In order to allow enough time for drivers participating in both the test and the Prelude to make the trek to Rossburg, Ohio, NASCAR announced Monday they have moved the start of the Pocono test from 1 PM to noon, with a hard end time of 4:00 PM. The change should allow drivers to be able to journey the 480 miles between tracks in time for 7:30 PM driver introductions.
TriStar Motorsports Reveals Patriotic Paint Scheme for No. 14; Jeff Green to Drive in Iowa
Beginning this weekend and ending in early July, fans of the NASCAR Nationwide Series will see a red, white and blue paint scheme adorning a previously orange Toyota Camry.
TriStar Motorsports' No. 14 Hefty/Reynolds Wrap-sponsored team, normally piloted by Eric McClure, will carry the patriotic scheme to show support for the nation's troops. Normally, Hefty is the primary sponsor of the car, but for the period of time in which the patriotic scheme will be run, Reynolds Wrap will be on the hood.
The special scheme will debut at this weekend's Iowa event, and will continue until the July 6th race at Daytona.
In addition, TriStar Motorsports announced on Monday that Jeff Green will once again drive the No. 14 this weekend in Iowa while McClure continues to recover from his crash at Talladega. According to McClure, a doctor's visit this week did not result in approval to return to the car, leaving him sidelined until further notice.
Last weekend, Green started 26th and brought the No. 14 home in 19th, two laps down. It was the team's best finish of 2012. Green will be locked into Sunday afternoon's Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 since the No. 14 currently sits 26th in owner points.
Sponsorship Deals Abound for Truck Teams at Charlotte
A bevy of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams announced sponsorship deals for the upcoming N.C. Education Lottery 200 this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- Jason White's GB Racing No. 23 team will be sponsored by JW Demolition at the May 18 event. The Charlotte-based company previously served as an associate sponsor on the truck in 2012. Gunbroker.com, the team's normal primary sponsor, will serve as an associate for the event. White's truck will also carry a special decal in honor of White's friend Andy Pope, who lost his life several weeks ago.
- Gunshows-USA.com will serve as an associate sponsor for Jennifer Jo Cobb's No. 10 team for the remainder of the 2012 season. The organization is still searching for a full-time primary, though, to cover costs.
-Red Horse Racing teammates Timothy Peters and Todd Bodine will retain their sponsorships from earlier in the season at Charlotte. TBC Retail Group will continue to back Peters, the series points leader, with Service Center colors and National Tire and Battery as the primary sponsor. Bodine will receive backing from Toyota Care on his No. 11 truck.
Have news for Kevin and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Today's Featured Commentary
Looking Down in Victory Lane: A Confusing State of Affairs
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Looking Down in Victory Lane: A Confusing State of Affairs
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady
Confetti flew. The fans cheered. The team high-fived one another. The camera closed in on the driver as he climbed from the cockpit, and then things went a bit odd. Instead of the obligatory slew of thanks and general thumping of his own back, Joey Logano avoided eye contact with both the camera and his interviewer as the reality of his Friday night Nationwide win sank in.
Logano may have driven past both his own teammate and Elliott Sadler to reach the checkers before all others, but he also left them in the wall. "[He spun his tires and] It got me stuck on him and I was trying to get off him when I saw him getting crossed up," said the driver of Sadler's tragic turn. "But, I couldn't back up enough. I feel terrible."
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this moment was it wasn't readily apparent that Logano had actually done anything wrong on the restart. Despite his misgivings, the field came to the green, and he pushed Sadler's No. 2 on the straightaway. Sadler's car got a bit squirrelly, turned up the track and pushed Hamlin's No. 18 into the wall; two leaders taken out by a bit of short track style racing. That left Logano's No. 20 free to speed off into the sunset.
Yes, Sadler blamed Logano, at least in the moments after he climbed out of his car. Who wouldn't? That machine didn't turn sideways all by itself now, did it? Also, it wouldn't take a leap of logic to decide Hamlin's crumpled fenders could be entirely blamed on somebody other than Sadler.
But seriously, why was Logano taking this not so shocking finish to the race so hard?
In his post-race comments he stated, "You know [Sadler's] running for points, you know the championship is really close between him and the No. 6 (Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.) and you don't want to be the guy that does something like that."
OK, but isn't the whole point of coming to the track to win? Watching Logano motor his way around ovals for the past half-decade, I've never noticed him willing to back off from a competitor so they can have a better day. That approach to Race Day just doesn't add up in our daily racing lexicon. There's one winner; one person who the record books will talk about in years to come. Very little will be said of the other 42 cars that drove under the green flag at any given event.
We like to say the points are important, but the championship system is in all reality little more than a means to generate coffee talk through the interminably long season. Besides that, if Logano had only entered the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 to assist a driver chasing their points standing, he simply wouldn't have taken the lead. He wouldn't have pushed Sadler to the green. There wouldn't have been a wreck--unless it was to take out only Hamlin to ensure Sadler and Stenhouse had the track to themselves for a final dash for the cash. Which would be simply utter nonsense.
There remains the possibility Logano wanted to show his newfound maturity. It's always nice to meet a young man who feels responsible for his actions, and yet Victory Lane at Darlington Raceway just seems to be the oddest place for the little angel on his shoulder to decide to speak up. Consciences are useful things in a world that encourages little white lies and even more so in a sport where pushing the limit is a matter of habit in the tech line, but why bemoan the fact you got away with it all today?
I guess I am simply stymied. Winning is a time for celebration and a recollection of all the great moves your team executed over the weekend. This is NASCAR. The unexpected happens in a joyously haphazard manner -- such as fellow competitors spinning off your nose at the most opportune moment. Enjoy the serendipity when it happens.
Honest surprise, regret and guilt all have their place and time. So does joy and exuberance. I simply wish we got to see them in their proper proportion on Friday night, because Joey Logano won that race. Regretting that fact is nothing more than a waste of time.
Sonya's Weekly Danica Stats
Darlington: Nationwide Series in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, Sprint Cup Series in the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
Qualified: 15th, 38th
Finished: 12th on the lead lap, 31st six laps down
Points Positions: 10th, n/a (Not eligible to earn points in Cup)
by S.D. Grady
Confetti flew. The fans cheered. The team high-fived one another. The camera closed in on the driver as he climbed from the cockpit, and then things went a bit odd. Instead of the obligatory slew of thanks and general thumping of his own back, Joey Logano avoided eye contact with both the camera and his interviewer as the reality of his Friday night Nationwide win sank in.
Logano may have driven past both his own teammate and Elliott Sadler to reach the checkers before all others, but he also left them in the wall. "[He spun his tires and] It got me stuck on him and I was trying to get off him when I saw him getting crossed up," said the driver of Sadler's tragic turn. "But, I couldn't back up enough. I feel terrible."
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this moment was it wasn't readily apparent that Logano had actually done anything wrong on the restart. Despite his misgivings, the field came to the green, and he pushed Sadler's No. 2 on the straightaway. Sadler's car got a bit squirrelly, turned up the track and pushed Hamlin's No. 18 into the wall; two leaders taken out by a bit of short track style racing. That left Logano's No. 20 free to speed off into the sunset.
Yes, Sadler blamed Logano, at least in the moments after he climbed out of his car. Who wouldn't? That machine didn't turn sideways all by itself now, did it? Also, it wouldn't take a leap of logic to decide Hamlin's crumpled fenders could be entirely blamed on somebody other than Sadler.
But seriously, why was Logano taking this not so shocking finish to the race so hard?
In his post-race comments he stated, "You know [Sadler's] running for points, you know the championship is really close between him and the No. 6 (Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.) and you don't want to be the guy that does something like that."
OK, but isn't the whole point of coming to the track to win? Watching Logano motor his way around ovals for the past half-decade, I've never noticed him willing to back off from a competitor so they can have a better day. That approach to Race Day just doesn't add up in our daily racing lexicon. There's one winner; one person who the record books will talk about in years to come. Very little will be said of the other 42 cars that drove under the green flag at any given event.
We like to say the points are important, but the championship system is in all reality little more than a means to generate coffee talk through the interminably long season. Besides that, if Logano had only entered the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 to assist a driver chasing their points standing, he simply wouldn't have taken the lead. He wouldn't have pushed Sadler to the green. There wouldn't have been a wreck--unless it was to take out only Hamlin to ensure Sadler and Stenhouse had the track to themselves for a final dash for the cash. Which would be simply utter nonsense.
There remains the possibility Logano wanted to show his newfound maturity. It's always nice to meet a young man who feels responsible for his actions, and yet Victory Lane at Darlington Raceway just seems to be the oddest place for the little angel on his shoulder to decide to speak up. Consciences are useful things in a world that encourages little white lies and even more so in a sport where pushing the limit is a matter of habit in the tech line, but why bemoan the fact you got away with it all today?
I guess I am simply stymied. Winning is a time for celebration and a recollection of all the great moves your team executed over the weekend. This is NASCAR. The unexpected happens in a joyously haphazard manner -- such as fellow competitors spinning off your nose at the most opportune moment. Enjoy the serendipity when it happens.
Honest surprise, regret and guilt all have their place and time. So does joy and exuberance. I simply wish we got to see them in their proper proportion on Friday night, because Joey Logano won that race. Regretting that fact is nothing more than a waste of time.
Sonya's Weekly Danica Stats
Darlington: Nationwide Series in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, Sprint Cup Series in the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
Qualified: 15th, 38th
Finished: 12th on the lead lap, 31st six laps down
Points Positions: 10th, n/a (Not eligible to earn points in Cup)
S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @laregna.
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Numbers Game: Bojangles' Southern 500
by Garrett Horton
3
Kyle Busch finished fourth at Darlington, his third straight top-5 finish.
4
Jeff Gordon finished outside the top-20 for the fourth straight race Saturday night. It's only the third time in his career he has done so, with the other times coming during the summer months of 2000 and 2003. He has never finished outside the top-20 five consecutive times in 21 years of Sprint Cup competition.
5.9
Denny Hamlin's average finish in seven starts at Darlington, having finished no worse than 13th.
6
Since finishing fourth at Fontana in March, Kevin Harvick has fallen six spots in the standings, from second to eighth and has not had a top-5 finish in that span.
8
After not finishing higher than 14th in the first six races, Kasey Kahne has placed eighth or higher in the last five outings, skyrocketing from 31st to 16th in the standings.
9th
After going two laps down and battling a loose race car early on, Marcos Ambrose rallied to finish ninth at Darlington, his first top-10 on the year.
12.5
Since 2006, there has been an average of 12.5 races a year with 10 or more cautions. So far in 2012, the season-opening Daytona 500 has been the lone event with at least ten yellow flags.
14
Of Jimmie Johnson's 56 career wins, 14 of them have come when he has qualified on the front row. Johnson started second Saturday night.
20
Darlington is the only current track on the schedule that has hosted multiple races where Tony Stewart has not won a race, but the most surprising statistic may be in the laps led column; he has led just a total of 20 laps in 14 years of competition at the Lady in Black.
22
A.J. Allmendinger was hoping to have a breakthrough season after signing with Roger Penske this offseason. So far it has been anything but, with only one top-10 in the first 11 races and a current position of 22nd in points, after finishing 19th and 15th in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
31st
Danica Patrick's finishing result in the Bojangles Southern 500, six laps off the pace.
141
Rick Hendrick finally got his 200th win as car owner Saturday night. In his almost 30 years as car owner, he has fielded entries for some of NASCAR's best in Darrell Waltrip, Terry Labonte, Benny Parsons, Tim Richmond, Mark Martin, and Ricky Rudd, but more than 70% of his wins have come from Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, who have combined to win 141 of the 200 wins for Hendrick.
Garrett Horton is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at garrrett.horton@frontstretch.com.
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ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Just Like His Brother: Old Kurt Busch Rears His Ugly Head at Darlington
by Bryan Davis Keith
Five Points to Ponder: All-Star Race Edition
by Danny Peters
Couch Potato Tuesday: Commercials Hurt NASCAR on FOX Again, Edwards OK in TV Debut
by Phil Allaway
Learning New Aero Rules: Why the NASCAR All-Star Race Matters
by Mike Neff
Who's Hot/Who's Not In NASCAR: Darlington/Charlotte Edition
by Brett Poirier
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: For 1996, Harry Gant came out of retirement to drive the No. 94 McDonald's Ford in The Winston, subbing for Bill Elliott. Why did Elliott have to miss the race?
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Numbers Game: Bojangles' Southern 500
by Garrett Horton
3
Kyle Busch finished fourth at Darlington, his third straight top-5 finish.
4
Jeff Gordon finished outside the top-20 for the fourth straight race Saturday night. It's only the third time in his career he has done so, with the other times coming during the summer months of 2000 and 2003. He has never finished outside the top-20 five consecutive times in 21 years of Sprint Cup competition.
5.9
Denny Hamlin's average finish in seven starts at Darlington, having finished no worse than 13th.
6
Since finishing fourth at Fontana in March, Kevin Harvick has fallen six spots in the standings, from second to eighth and has not had a top-5 finish in that span.
8
After not finishing higher than 14th in the first six races, Kasey Kahne has placed eighth or higher in the last five outings, skyrocketing from 31st to 16th in the standings.
9th
After going two laps down and battling a loose race car early on, Marcos Ambrose rallied to finish ninth at Darlington, his first top-10 on the year.
12.5
Since 2006, there has been an average of 12.5 races a year with 10 or more cautions. So far in 2012, the season-opening Daytona 500 has been the lone event with at least ten yellow flags.
14
Of Jimmie Johnson's 56 career wins, 14 of them have come when he has qualified on the front row. Johnson started second Saturday night.
20
Darlington is the only current track on the schedule that has hosted multiple races where Tony Stewart has not won a race, but the most surprising statistic may be in the laps led column; he has led just a total of 20 laps in 14 years of competition at the Lady in Black.
22
A.J. Allmendinger was hoping to have a breakthrough season after signing with Roger Penske this offseason. So far it has been anything but, with only one top-10 in the first 11 races and a current position of 22nd in points, after finishing 19th and 15th in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
31st
Danica Patrick's finishing result in the Bojangles Southern 500, six laps off the pace.
141
Rick Hendrick finally got his 200th win as car owner Saturday night. In his almost 30 years as car owner, he has fielded entries for some of NASCAR's best in Darrell Waltrip, Terry Labonte, Benny Parsons, Tim Richmond, Mark Martin, and Ricky Rudd, but more than 70% of his wins have come from Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, who have combined to win 141 of the 200 wins for Hendrick.
Garrett Horton is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at garrrett.horton@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Just Like His Brother: Old Kurt Busch Rears His Ugly Head at Darlington
by Bryan Davis Keith
Five Points to Ponder: All-Star Race Edition
by Danny Peters
Couch Potato Tuesday: Commercials Hurt NASCAR on FOX Again, Edwards OK in TV Debut
by Phil Allaway
Learning New Aero Rules: Why the NASCAR All-Star Race Matters
by Mike Neff
Who's Hot/Who's Not In NASCAR: Darlington/Charlotte Edition
by Brett Poirier
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: For 1996, Harry Gant came out of retirement to drive the No. 94 McDonald's Ford in The Winston, subbing for Bill Elliott. Why did Elliott have to miss the race?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: Prior to TNN getting the TV rights to The Winston, once it moved to Saturday night in 1992, Sprint Cup's All-Star Race was on a number of different networks. On which channel was the very first Winston aired on?
A: The first Winston in 1985 was aired regionally on Jefferson Pilot Sports, a network that typically focused on college sports (football, basketball, baseball, etc.) in the Southeastern United States. The 70-lap, 105-mile unsegmented race was shown in full on the network. The Coca-Cola 600 was also carried on Jefferson Pilot that year, but their coverage was joined in progress.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Brad Morgan
-- Full Throttle by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Did You Notice?... by Tom Bowles
Tom is back with his series of quick hits after Darlington. Among them: the rapidly closing Chase window, All-Star Race gluttony and more.
Going Green by Garrett Horton
This week, Garrett takes a look at Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s start to the 2012 season. Is he really "back?" Was he ever gone? We'll find out together.
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite Frontstretch writers are back to discuss a variety of different topics, including the Kurt Busch-Ryan Newman run-in at Darlington that you likely did not see, the new rule changes that will go into effect for this weekend, who has struggled thus far in the Camping World Truck Series, and more.
Frontstretch Top Ten by Jeff Meyer
We'll have a top ten list that will tickle your funny bone.
Sprint Cup Power Rankings compiled by Summer Dreyer
Greg Biffle is still leading the points after Saturday night's Bojangles' Southern 500. But, was the action enough to cause a substantial shift in the points? See who your favorite NASCAR experts from around the web voted to the top of our power rankings poll after Darlington.
Beyond The Cockpit: Ryan Blaney as told to Amy Henderson
The rookie phenom sat down with Amy this past weekend in Darlington to talk about his transition to the Nationwide Series.
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©2012 Frontstretch.com
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©2012 Frontstretch.com
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