THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 25th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition XCV
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Frontstretch at the Track: Tom Bowles, Amy Henderson and Mike Neff will be live at Charlotte Motor Speedway all weekend long. Stayed tuned to the Breaking News box, Twitter (@thefrontstretch, @NASCARBowles, @writer_amy and @mneffshorttrack) and Facebook for all of the latest news leading up to Sunday evening's Coca-Cola 600.
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News & Notes: Charlotte
by Mike Neff
Richard Petty Motorsports Sweeps Front Row at Charlotte
Marcos Ambrose was fastest in practice for the Sprint Cup cars while his teammate Aric Almirola was sixth fastest. When it came time for qualifying, Almirola went on the track five cars before Ambrose and ripped a 27.988 second lap at 192.940 mph. He was the only driver to eclipse the 28 second level. None of the cars between Almirola and Ambrose was able to beat the time that Almirola laid down. Ambrose was the last car on the track and when he came past the start finish line to complete his timed lap the stop watch said 28.184 seconds, which was a speed of 191.958 mph. While that didn't claim the pole, it did secure the front row for Richard Petty Motorsports. Locking down the third spot was Jimmie Johnson, the winner of last week's All-Star event. Johnson stopped the clock at 28.217 seconds for a speed of 191.374 mph. Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer round out the top 5.
"It's been a huge honor for me from day one to come to this organization, not just to drive at Richard Petty Motorsports but to drive the No. 43 car, probably the most iconic car in the history of our sport," Almirola said. "For him to allow me to do that is really special. It's a huge honor to be able to put that No. 43 car back on top of the board. I know it's qualifying and we want to be able to do this after the race, but its a start."
Ambrose wasn't at all disappointed about being surpassed by his teammate.
"We're a two-car team here trying to take it to the big super teams," Ambrose said. "It's a great night for us. We'll take a front row. If you're going to get beat by anyone I guess you want to be beaten by your teammate. It's a proud day for us."
This is Almirola's first pole in his 47th career Cup start. Ambrose's top 10 start is his first in seven races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Josh Wise was the fastest rookie in qualifying and will start in 33rd. The No. 43 has won 122 Cup series poles, 114 of them were piloted by Richard Petty. The last time the 43 was on the pole for the 600 was 1966.
For full qualifying results, click here.
Marcos Ambrose Fastest in First Sprint Cup Practice
The first practice session, and the only one before Liftmaster Pole Qualifying, was run from 3:30 - 5:00 on Thursday afternoon. When the red and black flags flew at the end of the session, it was Marcos Ambrose whose number was on top of the scoring pylon. Ambrose turned in a lap of 28.539 seconds at a speed of 189.215. The only other driver to break the 189 mph barrier was Landon Cassill, who ripped off a 28.544 second lap at 189.182 mph. AJ Allmendinger was third quickest during the session, laying down a 28.661 second lap for a speed of 188.409 mph. The fourth fastest lap of the session belonged to Greg Biffle whose 188.344 mph lap took 28.671 seconds. The last car in the top five was Clint Bowyer who timed in at 28.721 seconds which equated to 188.016 mph.
For full practice results, click here.
Brad Keselowski Leads First Nationwide Practice
Brad Keselowki only turned three laps in practice for the History 300 at Charlotte, but his second lap was the fastest among the 42 cars who took times. Keselowski's lap took 30.061 seconds which is a speed of 179.635 mph. Kevin Harvick was the runner-up on the sheet, clocking in at 30.072 seconds for a speed of 179.569 mph. Point leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. turned a best lap of 30.083 seconds which equates to a speed of 179.503 mph. Fourth fastest, and just .006 seconds slower than Stenhouse, was Cole Whitt. Whitt ran around the mile and a half of Charlotte Motor Speedway in 30.089 seconds at 179.468 mph. Rounding out the top five in the first practice session was Joey Logano who laid down a lap of 30.206 seconds or 178.772 mph.
For full practice results, click here.
Cole Whitt Leads Final Nationwide Practice
The final practice for the Nationwide series is in the books. The fastest lap of the session was posted by Cole Whitt who laid down a 29.821 second lap which was the only lap turned over 181 mph, at 181.080 mph. Kyle Busch was second fast during the practice, clocking in with a 29.908 second lap at 180.554 mph. Austin Dillon posted the third fastest lap at 29.924 seconds for a speed of 180.457 mph. Joey Coulter, attempting to make his first Nationwide start put up a 29.947 second lap which was good for 180.319 mph. The last car in the top five of the final practice was Joey Logano, at 29.963 seconds which translated to 180.222 mph.
The Nationwide series will qualify Saturday at 11:05 AM.
For full practice results, click here.
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Top News
by Jeff Wolfe
Fans Will Vote for Cover Driver of NASCAR The Game: Inside Line
NASCAR announced Thursday in a press release that it is having a bracket-style contest for fans to vote on the driver that will eventually be on the cover of its newest game. Fans can vote at NASCARTheGame.com/Vote. The game is being produced by leading independent game developer Eutechnyx, which also produced the 2011 version of the game.
"I think the fans will really enjoy all of the new features and the opportunity to determine the cover driver for NASCAR The Game: Inside Line," said Blake Davidson, NASCAR vice president of licensing & consumer products and board member of NASCAR Team Properties. "The way Eutechnyx and Activision have integrated themselves into the sport has been amazing. From the fans to the teams, to NASCAR itself and now with our broadcast partners, they have been channeling that into something that evolves our NASCAR games into revolutionary interactive entertainment."
The first round of voting began Thursday, consists of 32 drivers and closes June 10, narrowing the field to 16. The next round closes June 17 to get the final eight, and then closes on June 24 to reach the last four, and then June 30th when it gets down to two. The final round to choose the champion will end July 15.
The game will allow players to race with the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers, teams and cars, as well as feature all 23 officially licensed NSCS racetracks. NASCAR The Game: Inside Line is planned to launch Fall 2012 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Wii™ system from Nintendo.
"We set out to reinvent NASCAR gaming last year with NASCAR® The Game™ 2011 – and we're very proud of it. With our continued enhancements to that game, and our very passionate fans helping guide us, we have an amazing platform to go to the next level with NASCAR The Game: Inside Line," said Dave Thompson, executive producer at Eutechnyx. "We've added a new in-depth career mode and robust online features that include realistic race weekends, and now aspiring drivers can rise up through the ranks, attract sponsors, and upgrade their car's components in the quest to be the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion."
Bayne to Honor Disabled American Veterans on No. 21
With Memorial Day weekend upon us, NASCAR will be honoring those who serve our country in the military in various ways. One of those ways will be evident on Trevor Bayne's No. 21 Ford Fusion. Bayne will be honoring Disabled American Veterans with a special paint scheme. Bayne's sponsorship, which includes Motorcraft and Quick Lane, this weekend is part of the NASCAR Unites-An American Salute program announced by NASCAR earlier this spring.
"We're so appreciative for what our military members and their families have done for us and we are more than happy to participate in this program by putting the spotlight on the DAV," said Mary Lou Quesnell, Marketing Director, Ford Customer Service Division.
The 1.2 million-member DAV is a non-profit charity that ensures those injured or disabled in military service and their families receive benefits, representation and advocacy. Since 1996 Ford has donated $6.5 million to DAV.
"It's really an honor for us to run the DAV logo on our car," said Eddie Wood, of Wood Brothers Racing. "We're proud to show our appreciation to our military in any way we can. That's something that's important to our family and our race team."
Bayne, the 2011 Daytona 500 winner, has run only four races this season due to sponsorship issues but has scored two top 10s along the way.
Fastenal on three Roush-Fenway cars for Coca-Cola 600
Fastenal will be a sponsor on each of the Roush-Fenway cars of No. 16 Greg Biffle, No. 17 Matt Kenseth and No. 99 Carl Edwards Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600. Fastenal first began sponsorship in NASCAR in the Camping World Truck Series.
"Everyone on the Fastenal 'blue team' has been looking forward to this race all season long," said Fastenal president and CEO Will Oberton. "When we started out as a sponsor in the truck series six years ago, we never would have dreamed that we'd see the Fastenal name on three of the premier Cup Series cars in a single race."
Biffle comes into the race at the series points leader, while Kenseth is second, two points behind, and Edwards in 10th. Roush-Fenway cars have combined for four victories in the Coca-Cola 600, including two by Kenseth, and 20 victories overall at Charlotte.
Have news for The Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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In Case You Missed It
by Nick Schwartz
Kasey Kahne Makes 300th Career Start This Weekend
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne will make the 300th start of his career when he takes the green flag for the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday. Kahne hasn't missed a single race since the 2004 Daytona 500, where he made his debut. In his career thus far, Kahne has notched 12 victories and recorded 107 top-10 finishes. He will be seeking to win his third Coca-Cola 600, having already won the event in 2006 and 2008.
Jeff Gordon to Have Section of I-85 Named After Him
In honor Jeff Gordon's service to the public and the Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital, the four-time champion will have a section of Interstate 85 in North Carolina bear his name. The North Carolina Department of Transportation will be naming a 1.6-mile stretch from Charlotte to the Carrabus County line the "Jeff Gordon Expressway". Gordon is one of many NASCAR personalities to have a road named after him in the Charlotte area, joining Dale Earnhardt, among others.
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Keepin' It Short: A Harsh Reminder That Racing is a Dangerous Sport
by Mike Neff
Last Saturday night at Auburndale Speedway, Tyler Morr climbed into a race car to compete in a Kid's Club race. By the end of the night, he was in a hospital bed in All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg battling to stay alive. After initially looking like he would get better, Tyler lost the battle on Wednesday at 3:15 PM. His family declined comment on Wednesday. Auburndale will be accepting donations on Saturday night to assist Tyler's family.
While details about the injuries have not been released, the entire incident underscores a very serious reality that is often lost in these days of uber safe race cars; racing is a dangerous sport. From Talladega to Richmond Coliseum, whenever a driver climbs into a race car, they are doing something that could potentially injure, maim or kill them. Even with five and even seven point harnesses, HANS devices, neck collars, arm restraints and extra spacious green houses, anything can happen when pushing cars to their limits. When a young kid attempts to start chasing their passion, parents want to encourage them and help them to fulfill their hopes and dreams. No matter how hard they may try, when they strap a youngster into a race car, from a go-kart to a Super Late Model stock car, parents cannot insulate their children from everything, and sometimes that can end in tragedy.
Along with the loss of Tyler, the local racing community is also mourning the loss of Jeff Osborn. Osborn lost his life also chasing his passion of Winged Sprint Car racing at Valley Speedway. Osborn's Sprint car left the race track, rolled several times and then struck a pole. He was wearing every possible safety device, according to his wife, but sometimes things happen that cannot be prevented short of not participating at all.
SAFER barriers are required at every race track that hosts a NASCAR National Touring Series race. It would be ideal to see them at every single race track in the country but, unfortunately, they are just too expensive to be feasible for the majority of the short tracks in the country. Someday we'll hopefully see all of the different sanctioning bodies join in and help every short track in the country put in some sort of impact reducing retaining walls to take another step toward making racing as safe as humanly possible. Until then we'll have to realize that, try as we may to make the sport as safe as we can by implementing every single safety precaution, in the end the sport we love can still end a life in the blink of an eye.
Whelen All-American Series Points Battle
Anthony Anders is still leading the national points this week but he has maxed out his number of races so, at this point, he's only going to make incremental gains. With no race wins in the book, it is going to be hard for Anders to hold off his pursuers as the Summer wears on. C.E. Falk, III won twin races at Langley Speedway, his home track, last week, but was disqualified from one of the two in post race technical inspection. Falk is the highest in the point standings with six wins and, if he can maintain his current pace, will most likely assume the lead in another month.
Position, Name, Races, Wins, Top 5s, Top 10s, Total Points
1 Anthony Anders 20 0 11 18 476
2 Nate Monteith 13 3 9 11 377
3 C E Falk, III 10 6 9 10 350
4 Matt Bowling 10 1 8 9 295
5 Daniel Pope, II 8 3 7 8 283
6 Duane Howard 7 4 6 7 280
7 Deac Mccaskill 9 6 8 9 278
8 Zeke Shell 8 2 7 7 270
9 Keith Rocco 10 5 5 5 263
10 Austin Mcdaniel 8 2 8 8 260
This Week's Racing Schedule:
Fri : May 25th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – 22nd Annual Connecticut Classic 125 Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – 22nd Annual Connecticut Classic 125 Limited Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – 22nd Annual Connecticut Classic 125 SK Lights
Fri : May 25th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – 22nd Annual Connecticut Classic 125 SK Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – 22nd Annual Connecticut Classic 125 Whelen Modified Tour
Fri : May 25th – Five Flags Speedway ; Pensacola : FL – Blizzard Series Super Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Indiana State Fairgrounds ; Indianapolis : IN – USAC Silver Crown
Fri : May 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Hornets
Fri : May 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Stocks
Fri : May 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Legends
Fri : May 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Mel Kenyon Midgets
Fri : May 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Roadsters
Fri : May 25th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Three State Flyers Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – 17th Annual Richard Boney Bonebrake Tribute Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Pure Stocks
Fri : May 25th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – USMTS Casey's Cup Qualifier Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – IMCA Stock Cars
Fri : May 25th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Hattiesburg Motorsports Park ; Hattiesburg : MS – Nesmith Dirt Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – 20th Annual DART Show Me 100 Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – 20th Annual DART Show Me 100 Lucas Oil MLRA Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – 20th Annual DART Show Me 100 A-Mods
Fri : May 25th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Street Stocks
Fri : May 25th – Valley Speedway ; Grain Valley : MO – United Late Model Association Late Models
Fri : May 25th – The Dirt Track at Charlotte ; Concord : NC – May Showdown - World of Outlaws Sprint Cars
Fri : May 25th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Modified Mayhem 40 Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Street Stocks
Fri : May 25th – Wayne County Speedway ; Orrville : OH – World of Outlaws Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – 358 Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Sportsman
Fri : May 25th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – URC Sprint Cars
Fri : May 25th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Sprint Cars
Fri : May 25th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Street Stocks
Fri : May 25th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Super Stocks
Fri : May 25th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Stock
Fri : May 25th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – Street Stock
Fri : May 25th – Langlade Speedway ; Antigo : WI – Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Langlade Speedway ; Antigo : WI – Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Manitowoc County Fairgrounds ; Manitowoc : WI – Happy Laack Memorial Wisconsin Dirt Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Manitowoc County Fairgrounds ; Manitowoc : WI – Happy Laack Memorial Sprint Cars
Fri : May 25th – Manitowoc County Fairgrounds ; Manitowoc : WI – Happy Laack Memorial Street Stock
Fri : May 25th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI – IMCA Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI – IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI – Street Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Mobile International Speedway ; Irvington : AL – Miller Lite Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Mobile International Speedway ; Irvington : AL – Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Sayre Speedway ; Sayre : AL – Southern Superstars Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – USCS Sprint Week USCS Outlaw Thunder Sprint Cars
Sat : May 26th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – 305 Winged Sprints
Sat : May 26th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – 360 Winged Sprints
Sat : May 26th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Sport Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Hobby Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Marysville Raceway Park ; Marysville : CA – Mel Hal Memorial California Civil War Series Sprint Cars
Sat : May 26th – Perris Auto Speedway ; Perris : CA – USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
Sat : May 26th – Desoto Speedway ; Bradenton : FL – Open Wheel Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Punta Gorda Speedway ; Punta Gorda : FL – Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – New Senoia Raceway ; Senoia : GA – Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Waycross Motor Speedway ; Waycross : GA –Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Lucas Oil Raceway Park ; Clermont : IN – USAC MOPAR National Midgets
Sat : May 26th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Late Models
Sat : May 26th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Sportsman
Sat : May 26th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Street Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – World Figure 8 Tour 100 Lap Championship
Sat : May 26th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Hornets
Sat : May 26th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – INEX National Legends
Sat : May 26th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – INEX National Bandoleros
Sat : May 26th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Roadsters
Sat : May 26th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – IMCA Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – IMCA Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – IMCA Stock Cars
Sat : May 26th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – IMCA Sport Mods
Sat : May 26th – Great American Dirt Track ; Jetmore : KS – Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints
Sat : May 26th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Outlaws
Sat : May 26th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Strictly Stock
Sat : May 26th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Bill Bowman Special Late Model Sportsman
Sat : May 26th – Auto City Speedway ; Flint : MI – Main Event Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – Outlaw Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – Super Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – Pro Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Springport Motor Speedway ; Springport : MI – Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Springport Motor Speedway ; Springport : MI – Wingless Sprints
Sat : May 26th – Brainerd International Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – NASCAR K&N Pro East Series
Sat : May 26th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – USMTS Casey's Cup Qualifier Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Street Stocks
Sat : May 26th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Super Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – NeSmith Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Street Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Whynot Motorsports Park ; Meridian : MS – Nesmith Dirt Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Whynot Motorsports Park ; Meridian : MS – Southern All Star Dirt Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Lindsay Auto Group Military Appreciation Night ASA Late Models
Sat : May 26th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Lindsay Auto Group Military Appreciation Night Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Lindsay Auto Group Military Appreciation Night Sportsman
Sat : May 26th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Lindsay Auto Group Military Appreciation Night Road Warriors
Sat : May 26th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Lindsay Auto Group Military Appreciation Night Chargers
Sat : May 26th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – 20th Annual DART Show Me 100 Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – 20th Annual DART Show Me 100 Lucas Oil MLRA Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – Sportsman
Sat : May 26th – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – Street Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Late Models x2
Sat : May 26th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Limited Late Models x2
Sat : May 26th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Street Stock
Sat : May 26th – Concord Motorsports Park ; Concord : NC – PASS South
Sat : May 26th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Limited Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Street Stock
Sat : May 26th – Red River Valley Speedway ; West Fargo : ND – Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Red River Valley Speedway ; West Fargo : ND – Super Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Columbus Motor Speedway ; Columbus : OH – Jeg's All Stars Pro Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Emo Walleye Classic Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Emo Walleye Classic Wissota Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Emo Walleye Classic Street Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 6th Annual Keystone Cup Series 410 Sprints
Sat : May 26th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 6th Annual Keystone Cup Series Thundercars
Sat : May 26th – Little Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Slingshots
Sat : May 26th – Little Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Thunder Cars
Sat ; May 26th – Autodrome Montmagny ; Montmagny : Quebec – ACT Castrol Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Langley Speedway ; Hampton : VA – CARS Pro Cup Series
Sat : May 26th – Tyler County Speedway ; Middlebourne : WV – World of Outlaws Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Cedar Lake Speedway ; New Richmond : WI – Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Cedar Lake Speedway ; New Richmond : WI – Midwest Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – TNT Speedway ; Three Lakes : WI – Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – TNT Speedway ; Three Lakes : WI – Wissota Street Stocks
Sun : May 27th – Silver Dollar Speedway ; Chico : CA – Silver Dollar Fair California Civil War Series Sprint Cars
Sun : May 27th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Limited Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Modifieds
Sun : May 27th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Roadrunner Enduro
Sun : May 27th – Great American Dirt Track ; Jetmore : KS – Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints
Sun : May 27th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – FWD Enduro Race #1
Sun : May 27th – Spartan Speedway ; Mason : MI – Glass City Gold Cup Slugfest #1 Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Dodge County Speedway ; Kasson : MN – USMTS Casey's Cup Qualifier Modifieds
Sun : May 27th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Modifieds
Sun : May 27th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sun : May 27th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Street Stocks
Sun : May 27th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Super Stocks
Sun : May 27th – Greenville Speedway ; Greenville : MS – USCS 600 Sprint Cars
Sun : May 27th – Greenville Speedway ; Greenville : MS – USCS Sprint Week USCS Outlaw Thunder Sprint Cars
Sun : May 27th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Coca-Cola Governor's Cup Southern All Stars
Sun : May 27th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Southern All Star Dirt Super Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Super Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – NeSmith Dirt Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Street Stocks
Sun : May 27th – Monett Speedway ; Monett : MO – MARS Dirtcar Series Late Models
Sun : May 27th – I-80 Speedway ; Greenwood : NE – Cornbelt Clash Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Rolling Wheels Raceway ; Elbridge : NY – DIRTCar Big-Block Modifieds
Sun : May 27th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Sport Modifieds
Sun : May 27th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Factory Stocks
Sun : May 27th – Thunder Road Speedbowl ; Barre : VT – 50th Annual Mekkelson RV Memorial Day Classic Late Models
Sun : May 27th – West Virginia Motor Speedway ; Mineral Wells : WV – World of Outlaws Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Seymour Speedway ; Seymour : WI – Wisconsin Dirt Late Models
Mon : May 28th – Lawrenceburg Speedway ; Lawrenceburg : IN – World of Outlaws Sprint Cars
Mon : May 28th – Boone Speedway ; Boone : IA – Deery Brothers Summer Series IMCA Late Models
Mon : May 28th – Shady Bowl Speedway ; DeGraff : OH – CRA Super Series
Mon : May 28th – Clayhill Motorsports ; Atwood : TN – USCS Sprint Week USCS Outlaw Thunder Sprint Cars
Mon : May 28th – Shenandoah Speedway ; Shenandoah : VA – Late Models
Mon : May 28th – Shenandoah Speedway ; Shenandoah : VA – Sportsman
Wed : May 30th – Concord Speedway ; Concord : NC – USAC Eastern Focus Midgets
Thu : May 31st – Beebe Speedway ; Beebe : AR – USCS 600 Sprint Cars
Thu : May 31st – Beebe Speedway ; Beebe : AR – USCS Sprint Week USCS Outlaw Thunder Sprint Cars
Thu : May 31st – Delaware International Speedway ; Delmar : DE – World of Outlaws Late Models
Thu : May 31st – Highland Speedway ; Highland : IL – MARS Dirtcar Series Late Models
Thu : May 31st – Brooklin Fairgrounds ; Brooklin : Ontario – Tournament of Thrills Figure 8s
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
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Fantasy Friday: Coca-Cola 600
by Jeff Wolfe
Editor's Note: Welcome to the newest feature in the Frontstretch Newsletter where Jeff Wolfe takes a look at your best bets when it comes to picking your fantasy racing teams. Each week, Jeff will have your top 5 best bets along with a bonus pick just in time to finalize your lineup and settle in for a weekend full of action.
One of the funniest things to read in various NASCAR articles, or the comments that follow them, is that NASCAR is trying to fix races so Dale Earnhardt, Jr. can get a win. Yes, there's probably a good amount of truth to it that NASCAR's leaders would love to see their most popular driver win for the first time in nearly four years in the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday at Charlotte. And yes, there is reason for optimism for Junior fans as he led all 40 laps of the Sprint Showdown (although admittedly against a weak field) and 19 of 20 laps to win the fourth segment of the All-Star race. Junior's crew chief Steve Letarte is even using a bit of common sense by bringing back the all-star car for the 400-lap event at the 1.5-mile track.
But even with all of this, the fact remains Junior has not won a race since June 15, 2008. That's a total of 140 Sprint Cup points races without a win. Obviously, that's a long time for a driver of an elite team to go without a win. There are Junior fans who have started families and have yet to share the joy of victory with their children.
And that's the point.
While all of this makes for good speculation for the Junior haters out there, I have to break the bad news to you. If NASCAR could actually put the fix in for Junior to win a points race, he wouldn't be winless in his last 140 tries. So the question remains, will we see him there sometime late Sunday night?
Here are my picks for this week:
Jimmie Johnson - He's won this race six times and it's at Charlotte. He could drive a scooter around the place and probably figure out a way to win.
Jeff Gordon - He's been the king of bad luck this season, and it's hard to believe he is 24th in the points standings. But Charlotte has been good to him, too--he won his first race here and has five victories total. In spite of the bad luck, just a feeling this could be a real good day for him.
Kasey Kahne - Yes, I know, another Hendrick car, and it's still not Junior. But Kahne has won this race three times and has been eighth or better in the last five races.
Matt Kenseth - He was strong in the All-Star race and has won the 600-miler once, too. He's got the necessary patience needed to make it to the end.
Mark Martin - All right, I know, he's bit of a sentimental pick here, but he's in better shape than most 20-somethings out there, so forget about his age. He's also won this race four times with an astounding 18 top-5 finishes, and the No. 55 car he is has been strong all year.
Should, woulda, coulda - OK Junior fans. I couldn't pull the trigger on him winning this one. Hendrick cars are great at Charlotte, but I can't pick all four of them.
ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP
Even though they don't count in the points standings, or on my record, Here's a look at how last week's picks fared in the All-Star race.
Jimmie Johnson: 1st. It's Charlotte, No brainer.
Brad Keselowski: 2nd. No shame in being No. 2 behind No. 48.
Kyle Busch: 4th. Was strong all night, but couldn't mount a challenge in final 10 laps.
Season Stats
55 Predictions
5 Wins
19 top 5s
23 top 10s
Grade for the week: A. OK, that's four winners in a row now and also a 1-2-4 finish. Not much room for improvement..
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Folio: Coca-Cola 600
by Nick Schwartz
Get ready for the longest race of the year this weekend in Charlotte. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, the 12th race of the 2012 season. Sunday's race will be broadcast live on May 27th, at 5:30 PM EDT on FOX and 5:00 PM EDT on MRN Radio. Drivers will race for 400 laps (600 miles) before taking the checkered flag.
Records and Facts
Kevin Harvick is the defending champion of the Coca-Cola 600, though the 2011 edition of the race will forever be remembered as the "one that got away" for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. The race went to a green-white-checker finish—the first-ever Coca-Cola 600 to finish in such a fashion—and Earnhardt took the lead from Kasey Kahne and appeared to be cruising toward a long-awaited victory, but he ran out of fuel coming out of Turn 4, allowing Harvick to take the win.
Bobby Labonte holds the record for the fastest 600-mile race run at
Charlotte Motor Speedway with a speed of 151.952 mph in the 1995 Coca-Cola
600. Labonte was in the news last week as well, when he won the fan vote to earn a place in the All-Star Race.
Among current drivers, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have the most Coca-Cola 600 victories, with three apiece. Johnson hasn't won the race since 2005, though, when he completed a three-peat, and Gordon hasn't won the Coca-Cola 600 since 1998.
Track Facts
Track/Race Length: 1.5-mile quad oval, 400 laps (600 miles)
Pit Road Speed: 45 mph
Degree of Banking: 24 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,952.8 ft., banked 5 degrees
Backstretch: 1,360 ft., banked 5 degrees
Grandstand Seating: 171,000
VIPs
Grand Marshal: West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin
Command: Col. Gregory Gadson
Honorary Starter / Wave Green Flag: Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory
Honorary Race Director: Actress Brooklyn Decker
National Anthem: Darius Rucker
Military Flyover: B-52 Bomber, Barksdale AFB, Lousiana
Pre-race Schedule
Practice: Saturday, May 26 10:00 AM EDT - 11:00 AM EDT on SPEED
Happy Hour: Saturday, May 26 1:00 PM EDT - 2:00 PM EDT on SPEED
Race Day Forecast
Saturday: Partly cloudy, 10% chance of rain
High: 83
Low: 69
They Said It
"The coolest part about winning the Coke 600 to me was walking up to the top (of Smith Tower), seeing all the fans who'd hung out in The Speedway Club and being able to drink a few Budweisers with them afterward. The fan base we have in this area is very loyal and they've been here for a long time. Seeing those folks in The Speedway Club was the coolest part." Kevin Harvick
"We're seeing a lot of green-flag runs now. A few years ago we couldn't have a long green-flag run. If you go back and think about it, you never know what's coming in this sport. This year, we've had a lot of green-flag runs and it helps to have a break, especially in a 600-mile race. If you go back and think about Charlotte Motor Speedway in the fall, that place was wicked fast. High g-forces, long race, all that stuff adds up. Yeah, it is harder and there's really nothing you can do. You need to be in shape, if you're not in shape in April, it's too late. You already need to be in shape because it is a long race." Jeff Burton
"I always have a good time racing at home, and because we are at home, everyone wants to do well. I love racing at night in Charlotte. It is a great facility. The team spent some time last week testing, so hopefully we can build from that and finish well on Sunday." Dave Blaney
Nick Schwartz is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at nick.schwartz@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
NASCAR's Young Guns Are As Good As Ever, But Where Will They Go From Here?
by Amy Henderson
Four Burning Questions: All-Star Expectations, Hall of Fame Hubris, and Cup Drivers
by Summer Dreyer
Voices From the Cheap Seats: Bristol Motor Speedway Earns Some Redemption
by Jeff Meyer
Nationwide Series Flashbacks for Biagi's Return to Racing
by Bryan Davis Keith
Dakoda Armstrong Driver Diary: Charlotte, Dover and the 80s?
as told to Beth Lunkenheimer
IndyCar Preview: Indianapolis 500
by Danny Peters
Formula 1 Friday: Monaco-Only the Streetwise May Apply
by Andy Hollis
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1992, Al Unser, Sr. finished third in the Indianapolis 500 in a substitute role with Team Menard in their No. 27 Conseco-sponsored Lola Buick. The Buick engine in Unser's No. 27 was rather unique in that it had a butterfly cylinder. What does this mean?
Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Thursday's Answer:
Q: For 1993, there were significant changes made to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 500. Name them.
A: The most visible addition to the track (to fans, at least) was the brand new scoring pylon which replaced an older version. However, there was much more added. The turns were reprofiled to make them sharper and require braking for the IndyCars. This did come to pass during the race at least. An in-car shot with Al Unser, Jr. showed that he had to slow down to approximately 199 mph for Turns 1 and 3. In addition, the aprons in the turns were eliminated and replaced with the warm-up lanes and a strip of grass between the track and said warm-up lanes. Finally, in anticipation of Winston Cup coming to Indianapolis for 1994, the height of the walls were increased.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Coca-Cola 600 Race Recap by Jeff Wolfe
-- Secret Star and Stat of the Race by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Monday on the Frontstretch:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Coca-Cola 600 by Matt McLaughlin
Matt will be here with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday evening's action from Charlotte.
Monday Morning Teardown by Ron Lemasters
Ron returns for a website look at one of the big stories from Sunday's race from Charlotte.
Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom brings back his weekly post-race commentary with all of the insight you need from a weekend of racing at Charlotte.
Big Six: Coca-Cola 600 by Amy Henderson
Looking for all you need to know leaving Sunday's event at Charlotte? Amy has your who, what, when, where, why and how from a weekend of racing.
Pace Laps: Charlotte Weekend by the Frontstretch Staff
In our newest column this season, we'll take a look at the biggest stories to keep an eye on in each series after a weekend at Charlotte.
Nationwide Breakdown: History 300 by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan has all of the post race analysis you need following Saturday afternoon's Nationwide Series race from Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2012 Frontstretch.com
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 25th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition XCV
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Frontstretch at the Track: Tom Bowles, Amy Henderson and Mike Neff will be live at Charlotte Motor Speedway all weekend long. Stayed tuned to the Breaking News box, Twitter (@thefrontstretch, @NASCARBowles, @writer_amy and @mneffshorttrack) and Facebook for all of the latest news leading up to Sunday evening's Coca-Cola 600.
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News & Notes: Charlotte
by Mike Neff
Richard Petty Motorsports Sweeps Front Row at Charlotte
Marcos Ambrose was fastest in practice for the Sprint Cup cars while his teammate Aric Almirola was sixth fastest. When it came time for qualifying, Almirola went on the track five cars before Ambrose and ripped a 27.988 second lap at 192.940 mph. He was the only driver to eclipse the 28 second level. None of the cars between Almirola and Ambrose was able to beat the time that Almirola laid down. Ambrose was the last car on the track and when he came past the start finish line to complete his timed lap the stop watch said 28.184 seconds, which was a speed of 191.958 mph. While that didn't claim the pole, it did secure the front row for Richard Petty Motorsports. Locking down the third spot was Jimmie Johnson, the winner of last week's All-Star event. Johnson stopped the clock at 28.217 seconds for a speed of 191.374 mph. Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer round out the top 5.
"It's been a huge honor for me from day one to come to this organization, not just to drive at Richard Petty Motorsports but to drive the No. 43 car, probably the most iconic car in the history of our sport," Almirola said. "For him to allow me to do that is really special. It's a huge honor to be able to put that No. 43 car back on top of the board. I know it's qualifying and we want to be able to do this after the race, but its a start."
Ambrose wasn't at all disappointed about being surpassed by his teammate.
"We're a two-car team here trying to take it to the big super teams," Ambrose said. "It's a great night for us. We'll take a front row. If you're going to get beat by anyone I guess you want to be beaten by your teammate. It's a proud day for us."
This is Almirola's first pole in his 47th career Cup start. Ambrose's top 10 start is his first in seven races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Josh Wise was the fastest rookie in qualifying and will start in 33rd. The No. 43 has won 122 Cup series poles, 114 of them were piloted by Richard Petty. The last time the 43 was on the pole for the 600 was 1966.
For full qualifying results, click here.
Marcos Ambrose Fastest in First Sprint Cup Practice
The first practice session, and the only one before Liftmaster Pole Qualifying, was run from 3:30 - 5:00 on Thursday afternoon. When the red and black flags flew at the end of the session, it was Marcos Ambrose whose number was on top of the scoring pylon. Ambrose turned in a lap of 28.539 seconds at a speed of 189.215. The only other driver to break the 189 mph barrier was Landon Cassill, who ripped off a 28.544 second lap at 189.182 mph. AJ Allmendinger was third quickest during the session, laying down a 28.661 second lap for a speed of 188.409 mph. The fourth fastest lap of the session belonged to Greg Biffle whose 188.344 mph lap took 28.671 seconds. The last car in the top five was Clint Bowyer who timed in at 28.721 seconds which equated to 188.016 mph.
For full practice results, click here.
Brad Keselowski Leads First Nationwide Practice
Brad Keselowki only turned three laps in practice for the History 300 at Charlotte, but his second lap was the fastest among the 42 cars who took times. Keselowski's lap took 30.061 seconds which is a speed of 179.635 mph. Kevin Harvick was the runner-up on the sheet, clocking in at 30.072 seconds for a speed of 179.569 mph. Point leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. turned a best lap of 30.083 seconds which equates to a speed of 179.503 mph. Fourth fastest, and just .006 seconds slower than Stenhouse, was Cole Whitt. Whitt ran around the mile and a half of Charlotte Motor Speedway in 30.089 seconds at 179.468 mph. Rounding out the top five in the first practice session was Joey Logano who laid down a lap of 30.206 seconds or 178.772 mph.
For full practice results, click here.
Cole Whitt Leads Final Nationwide Practice
The final practice for the Nationwide series is in the books. The fastest lap of the session was posted by Cole Whitt who laid down a 29.821 second lap which was the only lap turned over 181 mph, at 181.080 mph. Kyle Busch was second fast during the practice, clocking in with a 29.908 second lap at 180.554 mph. Austin Dillon posted the third fastest lap at 29.924 seconds for a speed of 180.457 mph. Joey Coulter, attempting to make his first Nationwide start put up a 29.947 second lap which was good for 180.319 mph. The last car in the top five of the final practice was Joey Logano, at 29.963 seconds which translated to 180.222 mph.
The Nationwide series will qualify Saturday at 11:05 AM.
For full practice results, click here.
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Top News
by Jeff Wolfe
Fans Will Vote for Cover Driver of NASCAR The Game: Inside Line
NASCAR announced Thursday in a press release that it is having a bracket-style contest for fans to vote on the driver that will eventually be on the cover of its newest game. Fans can vote at NASCARTheGame.com/Vote. The game is being produced by leading independent game developer Eutechnyx, which also produced the 2011 version of the game.
"I think the fans will really enjoy all of the new features and the opportunity to determine the cover driver for NASCAR The Game: Inside Line," said Blake Davidson, NASCAR vice president of licensing & consumer products and board member of NASCAR Team Properties. "The way Eutechnyx and Activision have integrated themselves into the sport has been amazing. From the fans to the teams, to NASCAR itself and now with our broadcast partners, they have been channeling that into something that evolves our NASCAR games into revolutionary interactive entertainment."
The first round of voting began Thursday, consists of 32 drivers and closes June 10, narrowing the field to 16. The next round closes June 17 to get the final eight, and then closes on June 24 to reach the last four, and then June 30th when it gets down to two. The final round to choose the champion will end July 15.
The game will allow players to race with the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers, teams and cars, as well as feature all 23 officially licensed NSCS racetracks. NASCAR The Game: Inside Line is planned to launch Fall 2012 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Wii™ system from Nintendo.
"We set out to reinvent NASCAR gaming last year with NASCAR® The Game™ 2011 – and we're very proud of it. With our continued enhancements to that game, and our very passionate fans helping guide us, we have an amazing platform to go to the next level with NASCAR The Game: Inside Line," said Dave Thompson, executive producer at Eutechnyx. "We've added a new in-depth career mode and robust online features that include realistic race weekends, and now aspiring drivers can rise up through the ranks, attract sponsors, and upgrade their car's components in the quest to be the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion."
Bayne to Honor Disabled American Veterans on No. 21
With Memorial Day weekend upon us, NASCAR will be honoring those who serve our country in the military in various ways. One of those ways will be evident on Trevor Bayne's No. 21 Ford Fusion. Bayne will be honoring Disabled American Veterans with a special paint scheme. Bayne's sponsorship, which includes Motorcraft and Quick Lane, this weekend is part of the NASCAR Unites-An American Salute program announced by NASCAR earlier this spring.
"We're so appreciative for what our military members and their families have done for us and we are more than happy to participate in this program by putting the spotlight on the DAV," said Mary Lou Quesnell, Marketing Director, Ford Customer Service Division.
The 1.2 million-member DAV is a non-profit charity that ensures those injured or disabled in military service and their families receive benefits, representation and advocacy. Since 1996 Ford has donated $6.5 million to DAV.
"It's really an honor for us to run the DAV logo on our car," said Eddie Wood, of Wood Brothers Racing. "We're proud to show our appreciation to our military in any way we can. That's something that's important to our family and our race team."
Bayne, the 2011 Daytona 500 winner, has run only four races this season due to sponsorship issues but has scored two top 10s along the way.
Fastenal on three Roush-Fenway cars for Coca-Cola 600
Fastenal will be a sponsor on each of the Roush-Fenway cars of No. 16 Greg Biffle, No. 17 Matt Kenseth and No. 99 Carl Edwards Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600. Fastenal first began sponsorship in NASCAR in the Camping World Truck Series.
"Everyone on the Fastenal 'blue team' has been looking forward to this race all season long," said Fastenal president and CEO Will Oberton. "When we started out as a sponsor in the truck series six years ago, we never would have dreamed that we'd see the Fastenal name on three of the premier Cup Series cars in a single race."
Biffle comes into the race at the series points leader, while Kenseth is second, two points behind, and Edwards in 10th. Roush-Fenway cars have combined for four victories in the Coca-Cola 600, including two by Kenseth, and 20 victories overall at Charlotte.
Have news for The Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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In Case You Missed It
by Nick Schwartz
Kasey Kahne Makes 300th Career Start This Weekend
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne will make the 300th start of his career when he takes the green flag for the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday. Kahne hasn't missed a single race since the 2004 Daytona 500, where he made his debut. In his career thus far, Kahne has notched 12 victories and recorded 107 top-10 finishes. He will be seeking to win his third Coca-Cola 600, having already won the event in 2006 and 2008.
Jeff Gordon to Have Section of I-85 Named After Him
In honor Jeff Gordon's service to the public and the Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital, the four-time champion will have a section of Interstate 85 in North Carolina bear his name. The North Carolina Department of Transportation will be naming a 1.6-mile stretch from Charlotte to the Carrabus County line the "Jeff Gordon Expressway". Gordon is one of many NASCAR personalities to have a road named after him in the Charlotte area, joining Dale Earnhardt, among others.
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Keepin' It Short: A Harsh Reminder That Racing is a Dangerous Sport
by Mike Neff
Last Saturday night at Auburndale Speedway, Tyler Morr climbed into a race car to compete in a Kid's Club race. By the end of the night, he was in a hospital bed in All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg battling to stay alive. After initially looking like he would get better, Tyler lost the battle on Wednesday at 3:15 PM. His family declined comment on Wednesday. Auburndale will be accepting donations on Saturday night to assist Tyler's family.
While details about the injuries have not been released, the entire incident underscores a very serious reality that is often lost in these days of uber safe race cars; racing is a dangerous sport. From Talladega to Richmond Coliseum, whenever a driver climbs into a race car, they are doing something that could potentially injure, maim or kill them. Even with five and even seven point harnesses, HANS devices, neck collars, arm restraints and extra spacious green houses, anything can happen when pushing cars to their limits. When a young kid attempts to start chasing their passion, parents want to encourage them and help them to fulfill their hopes and dreams. No matter how hard they may try, when they strap a youngster into a race car, from a go-kart to a Super Late Model stock car, parents cannot insulate their children from everything, and sometimes that can end in tragedy.
Along with the loss of Tyler, the local racing community is also mourning the loss of Jeff Osborn. Osborn lost his life also chasing his passion of Winged Sprint Car racing at Valley Speedway. Osborn's Sprint car left the race track, rolled several times and then struck a pole. He was wearing every possible safety device, according to his wife, but sometimes things happen that cannot be prevented short of not participating at all.
SAFER barriers are required at every race track that hosts a NASCAR National Touring Series race. It would be ideal to see them at every single race track in the country but, unfortunately, they are just too expensive to be feasible for the majority of the short tracks in the country. Someday we'll hopefully see all of the different sanctioning bodies join in and help every short track in the country put in some sort of impact reducing retaining walls to take another step toward making racing as safe as humanly possible. Until then we'll have to realize that, try as we may to make the sport as safe as we can by implementing every single safety precaution, in the end the sport we love can still end a life in the blink of an eye.
Whelen All-American Series Points Battle
Anthony Anders is still leading the national points this week but he has maxed out his number of races so, at this point, he's only going to make incremental gains. With no race wins in the book, it is going to be hard for Anders to hold off his pursuers as the Summer wears on. C.E. Falk, III won twin races at Langley Speedway, his home track, last week, but was disqualified from one of the two in post race technical inspection. Falk is the highest in the point standings with six wins and, if he can maintain his current pace, will most likely assume the lead in another month.
Position, Name, Races, Wins, Top 5s, Top 10s, Total Points
1 Anthony Anders 20 0 11 18 476
2 Nate Monteith 13 3 9 11 377
3 C E Falk, III 10 6 9 10 350
4 Matt Bowling 10 1 8 9 295
5 Daniel Pope, II 8 3 7 8 283
6 Duane Howard 7 4 6 7 280
7 Deac Mccaskill 9 6 8 9 278
8 Zeke Shell 8 2 7 7 270
9 Keith Rocco 10 5 5 5 263
10 Austin Mcdaniel 8 2 8 8 260
This Week's Racing Schedule:
Fri : May 25th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – 22nd Annual Connecticut Classic 125 Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – 22nd Annual Connecticut Classic 125 Limited Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – 22nd Annual Connecticut Classic 125 SK Lights
Fri : May 25th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – 22nd Annual Connecticut Classic 125 SK Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – 22nd Annual Connecticut Classic 125 Whelen Modified Tour
Fri : May 25th – Five Flags Speedway ; Pensacola : FL – Blizzard Series Super Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Indiana State Fairgrounds ; Indianapolis : IN – USAC Silver Crown
Fri : May 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Hornets
Fri : May 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Stocks
Fri : May 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Legends
Fri : May 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Mel Kenyon Midgets
Fri : May 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Roadsters
Fri : May 25th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Three State Flyers Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – 17th Annual Richard Boney Bonebrake Tribute Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Pure Stocks
Fri : May 25th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – USMTS Casey's Cup Qualifier Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – IMCA Stock Cars
Fri : May 25th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Hattiesburg Motorsports Park ; Hattiesburg : MS – Nesmith Dirt Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – 20th Annual DART Show Me 100 Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – 20th Annual DART Show Me 100 Lucas Oil MLRA Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – 20th Annual DART Show Me 100 A-Mods
Fri : May 25th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Street Stocks
Fri : May 25th – Valley Speedway ; Grain Valley : MO – United Late Model Association Late Models
Fri : May 25th – The Dirt Track at Charlotte ; Concord : NC – May Showdown - World of Outlaws Sprint Cars
Fri : May 25th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Modified Mayhem 40 Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Street Stocks
Fri : May 25th – Wayne County Speedway ; Orrville : OH – World of Outlaws Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – 358 Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Sportsman
Fri : May 25th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – URC Sprint Cars
Fri : May 25th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Sprint Cars
Fri : May 25th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Street Stocks
Fri : May 25th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Super Stocks
Fri : May 25th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Stock
Fri : May 25th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – Street Stock
Fri : May 25th – Langlade Speedway ; Antigo : WI – Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Langlade Speedway ; Antigo : WI – Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Manitowoc County Fairgrounds ; Manitowoc : WI – Happy Laack Memorial Wisconsin Dirt Late Models
Fri : May 25th – Manitowoc County Fairgrounds ; Manitowoc : WI – Happy Laack Memorial Sprint Cars
Fri : May 25th – Manitowoc County Fairgrounds ; Manitowoc : WI – Happy Laack Memorial Street Stock
Fri : May 25th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI – IMCA Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI – IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fri : May 25th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI – Street Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Mobile International Speedway ; Irvington : AL – Miller Lite Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Mobile International Speedway ; Irvington : AL – Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Sayre Speedway ; Sayre : AL – Southern Superstars Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – USCS Sprint Week USCS Outlaw Thunder Sprint Cars
Sat : May 26th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – 305 Winged Sprints
Sat : May 26th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – 360 Winged Sprints
Sat : May 26th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Sport Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Hobby Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Marysville Raceway Park ; Marysville : CA – Mel Hal Memorial California Civil War Series Sprint Cars
Sat : May 26th – Perris Auto Speedway ; Perris : CA – USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
Sat : May 26th – Desoto Speedway ; Bradenton : FL – Open Wheel Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Punta Gorda Speedway ; Punta Gorda : FL – Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – New Senoia Raceway ; Senoia : GA – Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Waycross Motor Speedway ; Waycross : GA –Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Lucas Oil Raceway Park ; Clermont : IN – USAC MOPAR National Midgets
Sat : May 26th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Late Models
Sat : May 26th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Sportsman
Sat : May 26th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Street Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – World Figure 8 Tour 100 Lap Championship
Sat : May 26th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Hornets
Sat : May 26th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – INEX National Legends
Sat : May 26th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – INEX National Bandoleros
Sat : May 26th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Roadsters
Sat : May 26th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – IMCA Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – IMCA Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – IMCA Stock Cars
Sat : May 26th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – IMCA Sport Mods
Sat : May 26th – Great American Dirt Track ; Jetmore : KS – Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints
Sat : May 26th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Outlaws
Sat : May 26th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Strictly Stock
Sat : May 26th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Bill Bowman Special Late Model Sportsman
Sat : May 26th – Auto City Speedway ; Flint : MI – Main Event Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – Outlaw Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – Super Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – Pro Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Springport Motor Speedway ; Springport : MI – Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Springport Motor Speedway ; Springport : MI – Wingless Sprints
Sat : May 26th – Brainerd International Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – NASCAR K&N Pro East Series
Sat : May 26th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – USMTS Casey's Cup Qualifier Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Street Stocks
Sat : May 26th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Super Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – NeSmith Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Street Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Whynot Motorsports Park ; Meridian : MS – Nesmith Dirt Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Whynot Motorsports Park ; Meridian : MS – Southern All Star Dirt Super Late Models
Sat : May 26th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Lindsay Auto Group Military Appreciation Night ASA Late Models
Sat : May 26th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Lindsay Auto Group Military Appreciation Night Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Lindsay Auto Group Military Appreciation Night Sportsman
Sat : May 26th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Lindsay Auto Group Military Appreciation Night Road Warriors
Sat : May 26th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Lindsay Auto Group Military Appreciation Night Chargers
Sat : May 26th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – 20th Annual DART Show Me 100 Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – 20th Annual DART Show Me 100 Lucas Oil MLRA Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – Sportsman
Sat : May 26th – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – Street Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Late Models x2
Sat : May 26th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Limited Late Models x2
Sat : May 26th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Street Stock
Sat : May 26th – Concord Motorsports Park ; Concord : NC – PASS South
Sat : May 26th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Limited Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Street Stock
Sat : May 26th – Red River Valley Speedway ; West Fargo : ND – Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Red River Valley Speedway ; West Fargo : ND – Super Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Columbus Motor Speedway ; Columbus : OH – Jeg's All Stars Pro Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Emo Walleye Classic Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Emo Walleye Classic Wissota Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Emo Walleye Classic Street Stocks
Sat : May 26th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 6th Annual Keystone Cup Series 410 Sprints
Sat : May 26th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 6th Annual Keystone Cup Series Thundercars
Sat : May 26th – Little Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Slingshots
Sat : May 26th – Little Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Thunder Cars
Sat ; May 26th – Autodrome Montmagny ; Montmagny : Quebec – ACT Castrol Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Langley Speedway ; Hampton : VA – CARS Pro Cup Series
Sat : May 26th – Tyler County Speedway ; Middlebourne : WV – World of Outlaws Late Models
Sat : May 26th – Cedar Lake Speedway ; New Richmond : WI – Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – Cedar Lake Speedway ; New Richmond : WI – Midwest Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – TNT Speedway ; Three Lakes : WI – Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : May 26th – TNT Speedway ; Three Lakes : WI – Wissota Street Stocks
Sun : May 27th – Silver Dollar Speedway ; Chico : CA – Silver Dollar Fair California Civil War Series Sprint Cars
Sun : May 27th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Limited Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Modifieds
Sun : May 27th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Roadrunner Enduro
Sun : May 27th – Great American Dirt Track ; Jetmore : KS – Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints
Sun : May 27th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – FWD Enduro Race #1
Sun : May 27th – Spartan Speedway ; Mason : MI – Glass City Gold Cup Slugfest #1 Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Dodge County Speedway ; Kasson : MN – USMTS Casey's Cup Qualifier Modifieds
Sun : May 27th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Modifieds
Sun : May 27th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sun : May 27th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Street Stocks
Sun : May 27th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Worldwide Wissotafied Wissota Super Stocks
Sun : May 27th – Greenville Speedway ; Greenville : MS – USCS 600 Sprint Cars
Sun : May 27th – Greenville Speedway ; Greenville : MS – USCS Sprint Week USCS Outlaw Thunder Sprint Cars
Sun : May 27th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Coca-Cola Governor's Cup Southern All Stars
Sun : May 27th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Southern All Star Dirt Super Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Super Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – NeSmith Dirt Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Street Stocks
Sun : May 27th – Monett Speedway ; Monett : MO – MARS Dirtcar Series Late Models
Sun : May 27th – I-80 Speedway ; Greenwood : NE – Cornbelt Clash Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Rolling Wheels Raceway ; Elbridge : NY – DIRTCar Big-Block Modifieds
Sun : May 27th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Sport Modifieds
Sun : May 27th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Factory Stocks
Sun : May 27th – Thunder Road Speedbowl ; Barre : VT – 50th Annual Mekkelson RV Memorial Day Classic Late Models
Sun : May 27th – West Virginia Motor Speedway ; Mineral Wells : WV – World of Outlaws Late Models
Sun : May 27th – Seymour Speedway ; Seymour : WI – Wisconsin Dirt Late Models
Mon : May 28th – Lawrenceburg Speedway ; Lawrenceburg : IN – World of Outlaws Sprint Cars
Mon : May 28th – Boone Speedway ; Boone : IA – Deery Brothers Summer Series IMCA Late Models
Mon : May 28th – Shady Bowl Speedway ; DeGraff : OH – CRA Super Series
Mon : May 28th – Clayhill Motorsports ; Atwood : TN – USCS Sprint Week USCS Outlaw Thunder Sprint Cars
Mon : May 28th – Shenandoah Speedway ; Shenandoah : VA – Late Models
Mon : May 28th – Shenandoah Speedway ; Shenandoah : VA – Sportsman
Wed : May 30th – Concord Speedway ; Concord : NC – USAC Eastern Focus Midgets
Thu : May 31st – Beebe Speedway ; Beebe : AR – USCS 600 Sprint Cars
Thu : May 31st – Beebe Speedway ; Beebe : AR – USCS Sprint Week USCS Outlaw Thunder Sprint Cars
Thu : May 31st – Delaware International Speedway ; Delmar : DE – World of Outlaws Late Models
Thu : May 31st – Highland Speedway ; Highland : IL – MARS Dirtcar Series Late Models
Thu : May 31st – Brooklin Fairgrounds ; Brooklin : Ontario – Tournament of Thrills Figure 8s
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
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Fantasy Friday: Coca-Cola 600
by Jeff Wolfe
Editor's Note: Welcome to the newest feature in the Frontstretch Newsletter where Jeff Wolfe takes a look at your best bets when it comes to picking your fantasy racing teams. Each week, Jeff will have your top 5 best bets along with a bonus pick just in time to finalize your lineup and settle in for a weekend full of action.
One of the funniest things to read in various NASCAR articles, or the comments that follow them, is that NASCAR is trying to fix races so Dale Earnhardt, Jr. can get a win. Yes, there's probably a good amount of truth to it that NASCAR's leaders would love to see their most popular driver win for the first time in nearly four years in the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday at Charlotte. And yes, there is reason for optimism for Junior fans as he led all 40 laps of the Sprint Showdown (although admittedly against a weak field) and 19 of 20 laps to win the fourth segment of the All-Star race. Junior's crew chief Steve Letarte is even using a bit of common sense by bringing back the all-star car for the 400-lap event at the 1.5-mile track.
But even with all of this, the fact remains Junior has not won a race since June 15, 2008. That's a total of 140 Sprint Cup points races without a win. Obviously, that's a long time for a driver of an elite team to go without a win. There are Junior fans who have started families and have yet to share the joy of victory with their children.
And that's the point.
While all of this makes for good speculation for the Junior haters out there, I have to break the bad news to you. If NASCAR could actually put the fix in for Junior to win a points race, he wouldn't be winless in his last 140 tries. So the question remains, will we see him there sometime late Sunday night?
Here are my picks for this week:
Jimmie Johnson - He's won this race six times and it's at Charlotte. He could drive a scooter around the place and probably figure out a way to win.
Jeff Gordon - He's been the king of bad luck this season, and it's hard to believe he is 24th in the points standings. But Charlotte has been good to him, too--he won his first race here and has five victories total. In spite of the bad luck, just a feeling this could be a real good day for him.
Kasey Kahne - Yes, I know, another Hendrick car, and it's still not Junior. But Kahne has won this race three times and has been eighth or better in the last five races.
Matt Kenseth - He was strong in the All-Star race and has won the 600-miler once, too. He's got the necessary patience needed to make it to the end.
Mark Martin - All right, I know, he's bit of a sentimental pick here, but he's in better shape than most 20-somethings out there, so forget about his age. He's also won this race four times with an astounding 18 top-5 finishes, and the No. 55 car he is has been strong all year.
Should, woulda, coulda - OK Junior fans. I couldn't pull the trigger on him winning this one. Hendrick cars are great at Charlotte, but I can't pick all four of them.
ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP
Even though they don't count in the points standings, or on my record, Here's a look at how last week's picks fared in the All-Star race.
Jimmie Johnson: 1st. It's Charlotte, No brainer.
Brad Keselowski: 2nd. No shame in being No. 2 behind No. 48.
Kyle Busch: 4th. Was strong all night, but couldn't mount a challenge in final 10 laps.
Season Stats
55 Predictions
5 Wins
19 top 5s
23 top 10s
Grade for the week: A. OK, that's four winners in a row now and also a 1-2-4 finish. Not much room for improvement..
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Folio: Coca-Cola 600
by Nick Schwartz
Get ready for the longest race of the year this weekend in Charlotte. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, the 12th race of the 2012 season. Sunday's race will be broadcast live on May 27th, at 5:30 PM EDT on FOX and 5:00 PM EDT on MRN Radio. Drivers will race for 400 laps (600 miles) before taking the checkered flag.
Records and Facts
Kevin Harvick is the defending champion of the Coca-Cola 600, though the 2011 edition of the race will forever be remembered as the "one that got away" for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. The race went to a green-white-checker finish—the first-ever Coca-Cola 600 to finish in such a fashion—and Earnhardt took the lead from Kasey Kahne and appeared to be cruising toward a long-awaited victory, but he ran out of fuel coming out of Turn 4, allowing Harvick to take the win.
Bobby Labonte holds the record for the fastest 600-mile race run at
Charlotte Motor Speedway with a speed of 151.952 mph in the 1995 Coca-Cola
600. Labonte was in the news last week as well, when he won the fan vote to earn a place in the All-Star Race.
Among current drivers, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have the most Coca-Cola 600 victories, with three apiece. Johnson hasn't won the race since 2005, though, when he completed a three-peat, and Gordon hasn't won the Coca-Cola 600 since 1998.
Track Facts
Track/Race Length: 1.5-mile quad oval, 400 laps (600 miles)
Pit Road Speed: 45 mph
Degree of Banking: 24 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,952.8 ft., banked 5 degrees
Backstretch: 1,360 ft., banked 5 degrees
Grandstand Seating: 171,000
VIPs
Grand Marshal: West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin
Command: Col. Gregory Gadson
Honorary Starter / Wave Green Flag: Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory
Honorary Race Director: Actress Brooklyn Decker
National Anthem: Darius Rucker
Military Flyover: B-52 Bomber, Barksdale AFB, Lousiana
Pre-race Schedule
Practice: Saturday, May 26 10:00 AM EDT - 11:00 AM EDT on SPEED
Happy Hour: Saturday, May 26 1:00 PM EDT - 2:00 PM EDT on SPEED
Race Day Forecast
Saturday: Partly cloudy, 10% chance of rain
High: 83
Low: 69
They Said It
"The coolest part about winning the Coke 600 to me was walking up to the top (of Smith Tower), seeing all the fans who'd hung out in The Speedway Club and being able to drink a few Budweisers with them afterward. The fan base we have in this area is very loyal and they've been here for a long time. Seeing those folks in The Speedway Club was the coolest part." Kevin Harvick
"We're seeing a lot of green-flag runs now. A few years ago we couldn't have a long green-flag run. If you go back and think about it, you never know what's coming in this sport. This year, we've had a lot of green-flag runs and it helps to have a break, especially in a 600-mile race. If you go back and think about Charlotte Motor Speedway in the fall, that place was wicked fast. High g-forces, long race, all that stuff adds up. Yeah, it is harder and there's really nothing you can do. You need to be in shape, if you're not in shape in April, it's too late. You already need to be in shape because it is a long race." Jeff Burton
"I always have a good time racing at home, and because we are at home, everyone wants to do well. I love racing at night in Charlotte. It is a great facility. The team spent some time last week testing, so hopefully we can build from that and finish well on Sunday." Dave Blaney
Nick Schwartz is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at nick.schwartz@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
NASCAR's Young Guns Are As Good As Ever, But Where Will They Go From Here?
by Amy Henderson
Four Burning Questions: All-Star Expectations, Hall of Fame Hubris, and Cup Drivers
by Summer Dreyer
Voices From the Cheap Seats: Bristol Motor Speedway Earns Some Redemption
by Jeff Meyer
Nationwide Series Flashbacks for Biagi's Return to Racing
by Bryan Davis Keith
Dakoda Armstrong Driver Diary: Charlotte, Dover and the 80s?
as told to Beth Lunkenheimer
IndyCar Preview: Indianapolis 500
by Danny Peters
Formula 1 Friday: Monaco-Only the Streetwise May Apply
by Andy Hollis
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1992, Al Unser, Sr. finished third in the Indianapolis 500 in a substitute role with Team Menard in their No. 27 Conseco-sponsored Lola Buick. The Buick engine in Unser's No. 27 was rather unique in that it had a butterfly cylinder. What does this mean?
Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Thursday's Answer:
Q: For 1993, there were significant changes made to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 500. Name them.
A: The most visible addition to the track (to fans, at least) was the brand new scoring pylon which replaced an older version. However, there was much more added. The turns were reprofiled to make them sharper and require braking for the IndyCars. This did come to pass during the race at least. An in-car shot with Al Unser, Jr. showed that he had to slow down to approximately 199 mph for Turns 1 and 3. In addition, the aprons in the turns were eliminated and replaced with the warm-up lanes and a strip of grass between the track and said warm-up lanes. Finally, in anticipation of Winston Cup coming to Indianapolis for 1994, the height of the walls were increased.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Coca-Cola 600 Race Recap by Jeff Wolfe
-- Secret Star and Stat of the Race by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Monday on the Frontstretch:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Coca-Cola 600 by Matt McLaughlin
Matt will be here with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday evening's action from Charlotte.
Monday Morning Teardown by Ron Lemasters
Ron returns for a website look at one of the big stories from Sunday's race from Charlotte.
Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom brings back his weekly post-race commentary with all of the insight you need from a weekend of racing at Charlotte.
Big Six: Coca-Cola 600 by Amy Henderson
Looking for all you need to know leaving Sunday's event at Charlotte? Amy has your who, what, when, where, why and how from a weekend of racing.
Pace Laps: Charlotte Weekend by the Frontstretch Staff
In our newest column this season, we'll take a look at the biggest stories to keep an eye on in each series after a weekend at Charlotte.
Nationwide Breakdown: History 300 by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan has all of the post race analysis you need following Saturday afternoon's Nationwide Series race from Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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