THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 21th, 2012
Volume V, Edition XC
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~~~~~~~~~~~
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 21th, 2012
Volume V, Edition XC
~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Its Johnson's Night at the Sprint All-Star Race
by Jeff Wolfe
Jimmie Johnson can't seem to do anything wrong these days.
And after Saturday night's Sprint Cup All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he had a million reasons to confirm it. Johnson won his third Sprint All-Star Race and took home the million dollar prize. He had help from his pit crew, which after winning the pit crew contest Thursday, allowed him to have the first pit box.
Then after winning the final ten lap segment of the five-segment, 90-lap race, he got it right again. This time, he picked up team owner Rick Hendrick and took him for a ride down the frontstretch on the way to Victory Lane. It was Hendrick's owner-leading seventh All-Star victory.
"He said 'come pick me up'," Johnson said of the radio conversation with Hendrick after taking the checkered flag. "Once I got to him he didn't want the ride. 'I'm like no, no, I came to get you, get on the car.' It was great to take him around."
What has to be considered a great week for Johnson included him winning the first 20-lap segment. That victory allowed him to choose the first starting position in the final 10-lap segment. That first pit box also helped him as the drivers had to do a stop-and-go pit stop before the final segment. Even though Johnson spun his tires exiting his pit box, he beat second segment winner Matt Kenseth to the line at the end of pit road.
"The race car was so amazing," said Johnson, who also won at Darlington last week to give Hendrick his 200th career win as an owner. "I put it around the top to go for the lead. I just let it ride around the top and got the lead. Then we were smart from there to make sure we got it right so we would be good in the end."
Johnson was too good for third segment winner Brad Keselowski on the final restart. He pulled away on the first lap and Keselowski could never mount a challenge.
"It's all about the restart," Keselowski said. "I was hoping to get another yellow to get another shot on Jimmie. You could see all night the high line on the restart just wouldn't go. I don't know if I would have been able to do anything with him, but I would have liked another shot. I thought I could do something with him in the first lap. We might have been a touch faster, but it wasn't meant to be."
Kenseth, who appeared to spin his tires a bit on the final restart, ended up third and Kyle Busch was fourth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fifth in the non-points race.
While Earnhardt Jr. didn't challenge for the lead in the final ten laps, he spent a lot of the night at the front of the field. First, he had to finish in the top-2 in the Sprint Showdown to make the Sprint All-Star Race. But, that wasn't an issue as he led all 40 laps of the Showdown. A.J. Allmendinger, who had to go to the pits on the first lap because of a flat tire, rallied to edge Jamie McMurray to finish second and reach the All-Star Race. Also, Bobby Labonte won the Sprint Fan Vote to make the all-star race.
But Earnhardt Jr. wasn't finished winning after the Showdown. He led 19 of the 20 laps in the fourth segment, meaning he led 59 of 130 laps he ran on the night. He hopes that's a good sign of things to come in Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
"The race car was good," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We didn't adjust on our car because it was pretty quick all night and all day yesterday (Friday). You just need to start on the front row at the end. I'm proud of the effort tonight. We've good a good race car. We'll probably bring this one back next week."
Johnson will also be back and certainly emerged as a favorite next week on a track where he's had nine victories, including the three All-Star wins. Johnson tied Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon and the late Dale Earnhardt for the most all-star wins.
There were no yellow flags for accidents and the only two cars in the 23-car field that did not finish were Roush Fenway Racing teammates Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards due to engine trouble. Rounding out the top-10 were Kevin Harvick in sixth followed by Marcos Ambrose, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman.
It was evident early in the night that Johnson's engine and car was going to be strong.
"He started sixth, I believe, and drove to the lead in 20 laps," Keselowski said. "I think that's probably a pretty good indicator of the strength of his car. I don't believe he passed anyone that was not good. We'll just leave it at that."
"He passed Kyle, I think Denny (Hamlin), maybe Harvick, Newman. Those aren't slouches that he passed, and he passed them in 20 laps. I think that's a pretty good indicator of the strength of his effort. Whether that's the car or driver, I'll let you all figure that out. That's a pretty good indicator he was the guy to beat all night."
Next weekend, the Sprint Cup Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 53rd running of the Coca-Cola 600. Pre-race coverage begins on FOX at 5:30pm EDT, with race coverage following at 6. The green flag is scheduled to fall at approximately 6:16pm EDT.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
Editor's Note: Since the Sprint All-Star Race and Sprint Showdown are non-points events, our points updates will return next week.
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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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Secret Star Of The Race: The Best Run You Never Saw
Surely, Bobby Labonte was hoping for a better performance than 19th in this All-Star event. But on a night where Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s Sprint Showdown victory opened up the Fan Vote, the 2000 Cup Series champ was just happy to be in the race. Earning entrance through that type of support shows just how much people appreciate the former superstar, in the twilight of his career but still with a following that'll support the midpack No. 47 Toyota through thick and thin. – Tom Bowles
by Jeff Wolfe
Jimmie Johnson can't seem to do anything wrong these days.
And after Saturday night's Sprint Cup All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he had a million reasons to confirm it. Johnson won his third Sprint All-Star Race and took home the million dollar prize. He had help from his pit crew, which after winning the pit crew contest Thursday, allowed him to have the first pit box.
Then after winning the final ten lap segment of the five-segment, 90-lap race, he got it right again. This time, he picked up team owner Rick Hendrick and took him for a ride down the frontstretch on the way to Victory Lane. It was Hendrick's owner-leading seventh All-Star victory.
"He said 'come pick me up'," Johnson said of the radio conversation with Hendrick after taking the checkered flag. "Once I got to him he didn't want the ride. 'I'm like no, no, I came to get you, get on the car.' It was great to take him around."
What has to be considered a great week for Johnson included him winning the first 20-lap segment. That victory allowed him to choose the first starting position in the final 10-lap segment. That first pit box also helped him as the drivers had to do a stop-and-go pit stop before the final segment. Even though Johnson spun his tires exiting his pit box, he beat second segment winner Matt Kenseth to the line at the end of pit road.
"The race car was so amazing," said Johnson, who also won at Darlington last week to give Hendrick his 200th career win as an owner. "I put it around the top to go for the lead. I just let it ride around the top and got the lead. Then we were smart from there to make sure we got it right so we would be good in the end."
Johnson was too good for third segment winner Brad Keselowski on the final restart. He pulled away on the first lap and Keselowski could never mount a challenge.
"It's all about the restart," Keselowski said. "I was hoping to get another yellow to get another shot on Jimmie. You could see all night the high line on the restart just wouldn't go. I don't know if I would have been able to do anything with him, but I would have liked another shot. I thought I could do something with him in the first lap. We might have been a touch faster, but it wasn't meant to be."
Kenseth, who appeared to spin his tires a bit on the final restart, ended up third and Kyle Busch was fourth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fifth in the non-points race.
While Earnhardt Jr. didn't challenge for the lead in the final ten laps, he spent a lot of the night at the front of the field. First, he had to finish in the top-2 in the Sprint Showdown to make the Sprint All-Star Race. But, that wasn't an issue as he led all 40 laps of the Showdown. A.J. Allmendinger, who had to go to the pits on the first lap because of a flat tire, rallied to edge Jamie McMurray to finish second and reach the All-Star Race. Also, Bobby Labonte won the Sprint Fan Vote to make the all-star race.
But Earnhardt Jr. wasn't finished winning after the Showdown. He led 19 of the 20 laps in the fourth segment, meaning he led 59 of 130 laps he ran on the night. He hopes that's a good sign of things to come in Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
"The race car was good," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We didn't adjust on our car because it was pretty quick all night and all day yesterday (Friday). You just need to start on the front row at the end. I'm proud of the effort tonight. We've good a good race car. We'll probably bring this one back next week."
Johnson will also be back and certainly emerged as a favorite next week on a track where he's had nine victories, including the three All-Star wins. Johnson tied Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon and the late Dale Earnhardt for the most all-star wins.
There were no yellow flags for accidents and the only two cars in the 23-car field that did not finish were Roush Fenway Racing teammates Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards due to engine trouble. Rounding out the top-10 were Kevin Harvick in sixth followed by Marcos Ambrose, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman.
It was evident early in the night that Johnson's engine and car was going to be strong.
"He started sixth, I believe, and drove to the lead in 20 laps," Keselowski said. "I think that's probably a pretty good indicator of the strength of his car. I don't believe he passed anyone that was not good. We'll just leave it at that."
"He passed Kyle, I think Denny (Hamlin), maybe Harvick, Newman. Those aren't slouches that he passed, and he passed them in 20 laps. I think that's a pretty good indicator of the strength of his effort. Whether that's the car or driver, I'll let you all figure that out. That's a pretty good indicator he was the guy to beat all night."
Next weekend, the Sprint Cup Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 53rd running of the Coca-Cola 600. Pre-race coverage begins on FOX at 5:30pm EDT, with race coverage following at 6. The green flag is scheduled to fall at approximately 6:16pm EDT.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
Editor's Note: Since the Sprint All-Star Race and Sprint Showdown are non-points events, our points updates will return next week.
~~~~~~~~~~
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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Secret Star Of The Race: The Best Run You Never Saw
Surely, Bobby Labonte was hoping for a better performance than 19th in this All-Star event. But on a night where Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s Sprint Showdown victory opened up the Fan Vote, the 2000 Cup Series champ was just happy to be in the race. Earning entrance through that type of support shows just how much people appreciate the former superstar, in the twilight of his career but still with a following that'll support the midpack No. 47 Toyota through thick and thin. – Tom Bowles
STAT OF THE WEEK: 2008. That's the last time the Sprint All-Star race was run without an accident. On Saturday night, contact was limited while Jimmie Johnson breezed through the final segment to another victory at a track he calls "his house." - Tom Bowles
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Quotes To Remember: Sprint All-Star Race
"It's all about the restart. I was hoping we'd get a yellow and I'd get another shot at Jimmie (Johnson), but I think you saw all night the high line on the restart just wouldn't go. I don't know if I'd have been able to do anything, but I would have liked to have had another shot." - Brad Keselowski, finished second
"Like I say, those 10 lappers we were a little loose because we got tires later on in that deal and had a lot of fuel. We were a little loose and then that restart I couldn't get rolling and when you're fourth going into turn three you're done." - Matt Kenseth, finished third
"Nope -- it went exactly like everybody thought it would. Anybody who wins the first segment will win the race. We were just a little bit off. Unfortunately, we just didn't quite have what we all needed for tonight with the M&M's car. I hate it -- I thought we were really good in practice. I guess just little minute subtle changes change these things so much and we just were off a little bit. Hate it for the guys -- they worked really hard. We wanted to win this thing. Just got out run." - Kyle Busch, finished fourth
"The shenanigans coming on to pit road for that last segment was kind of unnecessary as far as the whole thing was not necessary we could have just lined them up and let whoever wanted to come get tires, come get tires. I think you have to start on the front row to beat cars as good as the No. 48 to be able to compete with that team you have to start alongside of them, starting fourth was a little tough. We just didn't have enough laps really to mount any kind of a challenge. I mean they were gone after about two or three laps." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished fifth
""Overall, the Pennzoil Dodge was fast all night. I can honestly say, by far, that's the most fun I've ever had in a Cup car. It was fun. We showed that we were fast and have some good notes for next week." - A.J. Allmendinger, finished 11th
"I haven't seen a replay of it. He ran me down low off of (Turn) 2 and I have shown him nothing but respect since I got here and he hasn't shown that back. So, whatever." - Paul Menard, finished 13th, on a close call with Kevin Harvick
"I learned how hard you can push Doug Yates' engines. I had red lights on the dash the whole time. We had it taped up too much trying to get too much downforce and we just broke it. We went all-out and it didn't work." - Carl Edwards on his blown engine
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Quotes To Remember: Sprint All-Star Race
"It's all about the restart. I was hoping we'd get a yellow and I'd get another shot at Jimmie (Johnson), but I think you saw all night the high line on the restart just wouldn't go. I don't know if I'd have been able to do anything, but I would have liked to have had another shot." - Brad Keselowski, finished second
"Like I say, those 10 lappers we were a little loose because we got tires later on in that deal and had a lot of fuel. We were a little loose and then that restart I couldn't get rolling and when you're fourth going into turn three you're done." - Matt Kenseth, finished third
"Nope -- it went exactly like everybody thought it would. Anybody who wins the first segment will win the race. We were just a little bit off. Unfortunately, we just didn't quite have what we all needed for tonight with the M&M's car. I hate it -- I thought we were really good in practice. I guess just little minute subtle changes change these things so much and we just were off a little bit. Hate it for the guys -- they worked really hard. We wanted to win this thing. Just got out run." - Kyle Busch, finished fourth
"The shenanigans coming on to pit road for that last segment was kind of unnecessary as far as the whole thing was not necessary we could have just lined them up and let whoever wanted to come get tires, come get tires. I think you have to start on the front row to beat cars as good as the No. 48 to be able to compete with that team you have to start alongside of them, starting fourth was a little tough. We just didn't have enough laps really to mount any kind of a challenge. I mean they were gone after about two or three laps." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished fifth
""Overall, the Pennzoil Dodge was fast all night. I can honestly say, by far, that's the most fun I've ever had in a Cup car. It was fun. We showed that we were fast and have some good notes for next week." - A.J. Allmendinger, finished 11th
"I haven't seen a replay of it. He ran me down low off of (Turn) 2 and I have shown him nothing but respect since I got here and he hasn't shown that back. So, whatever." - Paul Menard, finished 13th, on a close call with Kevin Harvick
"I learned how hard you can push Doug Yates' engines. I had red lights on the dash the whole time. We had it taped up too much trying to get too much downforce and we just broke it. We went all-out and it didn't work." - Carl Edwards on his blown engine
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Sprint All-Star Race Recap
by Matt McLaughlin
The Big Six: Questions Answered After The Sprint Showdown and All-Star Race
by Amy Henderson
Pace Laps: Junior Builds Momentum, All Eyes On Indy, and a Youngster Fights for his Life
by the Frontstretch Staff
by Ron Lemasters
If The NFL Loses Its Pro Bowl, Can NASCAR Lose Its All-Star Event?
by Tom Bowles
Nationwide Series Breakdown: Pioneer Hi-Bred 250
by Bryan Davis Keith
Tracking The Trucks: North Carolina Education Lottery 200
by Beth Lunkenheimer
If The NFL Loses Its Pro Bowl, Can NASCAR Lose Its All-Star Event?
by Tom Bowles
Nationwide Series Breakdown: Pioneer Hi-Bred 250
by Bryan Davis Keith
Tracking The Trucks: North Carolina Education Lottery 200
by Beth Lunkenheimer
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1986, Richard Petty was unable to race his No. 43 STP Pontiac and was forced to buy D.K. Ulrich's No. 6 Chevrolet for the Coca-Cola World 600. Why did that happen?
Q: In 1986, Richard Petty was unable to race his No. 43 STP Pontiac and was forced to buy D.K. Ulrich's No. 6 Chevrolet for the Coca-Cola World 600. Why did that happen?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: In 1998, Rich Bickle finished tenth in The Winston. Since Bickle never won a Cup race (Note: Bickle's best career finish was fourth in the 1998 NAPA AutoCare 500 at Martinsville. His post-race interview that day can be seen here), he would not qualify for The Winston under today's rules. How did Bickle get into the race?
A: Bickle qualified for The Winston via a rule that allowed a winning driver into the race from the previous year, and the team they won the race with, regardless of driver. In 1997, John Andretti gave car owner Cale Yarborough his only victory as a car owner in the final Pepsi 400 run in the daytime at Daytona International Speedway. After the season, Andretti moved to Petty Enterprises to replace Bobby Hamilton in the No. 43 STP Pontiac. Under the rules at that time, Bickle would have also qualified for the race if Greg Sacks managed to pull off a win in the No. 98 before he was injured at Texas in April.
Coming Tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Kevin Rutherford
-- Sitting In the Stands: A Fan's View by S.D. Grady
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Coming Tomorrow On The Frontstretch:
The Yellow Stripe by Danny Peters
Danny returns to his normal column with another interesting commentary.
5 Points To Ponder by Danny Peters
Bryan returns with a series of storylines setting you up for the biggest weekend of racing all year.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup Presented by StarCoach Race Tours: All-Star - Coke 600 Edition by Brett Poirier
With the Sprint All-Star Race in the books, Brett looks at what positive trends are developing in NASCAR's two top series and which drivers need a breather heading into Sunday's Cola-Cola 600.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series competed at Charlotte Motor Speedway as part of Sprint All-Star Weekend. Meanwhile, the Nationwide Series made their first visit of the season to Iowa. Were the race telecasts for these events up to snuff? Find out in this week's edition of the TV Critique.
We'll have a special Cup Series guest stop by to discuss the technical aspects of our sport.
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