THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 30th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CII
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Top News
by Brad Morgan and Beth Lunkenheimer
Overnight Charlotte TV Ratings Up
Viewership for Kasey Kahne's victory in Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Charlotte Motor Speedway was rated at a 4.1/8 share (roughly 8% of households in America tuning in). That's roughly a two percent increase over last year's 4.0/8. The overnight rating for the race was tied with the Indianapolis 500 held earlier in the day; however, both races lost badly in the Nielsens to the San Antonio Spurs - Oklahoma Thunder Western Conference Final. Game 1 of that NBA Series drew a 5.7, easily outpacing one of the biggest race weekends held all year.
Whether Indy or NASCAR will come out on top remains to be seen; however, the 600 has outpaced the 500 eight times out of the last nine years once final Nielsen numbers get released. But stock car racing continues to struggle with its television audience overall. Heading into Sunday's race at Dover, the last of 13 points-paying races on FOX the Cup Series has averaged a 4.3/9 rating, four percent lower than last year's mark of 4.5/10.
Nationwide Teams Penalized for Charlotte Infractions
NASCAR announced Tuesday that two Nationwide Series teams were penalized following rules violations at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Timmy Hill's No. 41 Rick Ware Racing Ford was found in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules), and 20A-12.8.1(B) (body height requirements -- car failed to meet the minimum front car heights) during post-race inspection Saturday. As a result, team owner Rick Ware and Hill had six owner and driver points deducted, respectively from their season total. Crew chief George Church was also fined $10,000 for the violation.
Additionally, in opening day inspection, Michael Annett's car was found with unapproved modifications to the bumper cover. Crew chief Philippe Lopez and car chief Michael Wright have both been placed on probation through December 31st, and Lopez was also fined $10,000.
The No. 43 Ford was found in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20-A of the rulebook), 20A-2.1E (streamlining of the contours of the car, beyond what is approved by the series director will not be permitted ... all cars must remain standard in appearance), and 20A-3.10A (front upper bumper cover must be from the respective OEM manufacturer and must be approved by NASCAR).
The penalties sullied what would have been a productive weekend at Charlotte for both teams, considering their level of funding and 2012 performance to date. Annett was a solid 14th, after running inside the top 10 for much of the event while Hill placed 19th, one lap off the pace for his second top-20 result in the last three Nationwide races.
Red Horse Racing Suspends No. 7 Camping World Truck Series Team
Red Horse Racing (RHR) announced Tuesday that the organization will downsize its Camping World Truck Series operation to two teams, effective immediately due to lack of sponsorship. In a surprise move, it was the No. 7 Truck, driven by Rookie-Of-The-Year hopeful John King which got the axe. King currently finds himself ranked 13th in points after a surprising win in the season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway and a ninth-finish at Martinsville the following week. However, without a paying sponsor stepping up, he'll be sitting on the sidelines - while still signed by the team - until further notice.
RHR will continue to field the No. 17 truck driven by Timothy Peters and the No. 11 truck driven by Todd Bodine. RHR attempted to expand its Camping World Truck Series effort to three full-time teams by introducing the No. 11 team after the 2011 season and altered its driver lineup by adding Bodine and King. Initially, Bodine was signed for just one race and has struggled to secure sponsorship in his own right; however, three top-10 finishes in five starts, putting him ninth in points combined with his championship experience likely allowed him to leapfrog King. The rookie, who was not yet ready to comment at press time, has wrecked in two of the last three events after starting the year with such momentum.
The No. 7 truck was backed by Consol Energy at Rockingham, Kansas, and Charlotte before running into problems securing additional funding. There's no word if team members within the organization were let go as a result of the move.
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Beating the Dead Schedule Horse ... Again
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
Rusty Wallace commented this past week he feels like the supply of NASCAR races is higher than the demand, that he personally thinks the Sprint Cup schedule should be reduced to 31 or 32 dates. Speaking at Charlotte, in celebration of his new Hall of Fame status he explained he feels the sport was at its best in the late '90s when they ran a 32-date schedule, and he worries that NASCAR is being watered down by too much supply. There's some validity to Wallace's concerns, which have made national news over the past week but I say that's because too many races are being run too often in the same locations. My proposal would be to still run 36 races, and possibly more, but to divvy up the dates in 2013 and beyond so that no track runs more than one race except for Charlotte and Daytona getting the bonus of their non-points events.
There are many racetracks where losing a second date is not going to cost the vast majority of fans. Phoenix, Pocono, Kansas, Loudon, and Michigan would be ones that would seem to be obvious cutbacks, at least for fans outside of those cities, where a reduction to one race would not be a traumatic experience. For the folks who feel like there are too many Intermediate tracks, dropping a race from Charlotte and Texas probably would be a welcome sight. There are plenty of people who would rather see restrictor plate races disappear, so losing a date at Daytona and Talladega won't bother that many people, although there is quite a bit of history to the July 4th race. That leaves the tracks that people will probably least like to see drop a date just because they are unique and offer up a change of pace on the schedule, although there will be much more variety with the replacement ovals I suggest. The "unique" tracks losing a date would be Dover, Martinsville, Bristol and Richmond. That is the list of the 13 racetracks currently on the Cup Series schedule that have two points races during the season; now, let's see if we can replace them.
First, we only have two road courses on the schedule each year. Let's bump that up to at least four, adding in Mid-Ohio and Miller Motorsports Park. Another option would be tacking on the new road course that is being constructed in Austin, Texas for the new Formula One race in America. Incorporating that course makes it five road courses and accounts for three of the dates that were removed from the schedule. The second element that should be added to the single-track proposal is a return to dirt, as this sport was born on dirt and there should still be at least four dirt races on the schedule. Either Springfield or DuQuoin should be offered a date thanks to their longstanding presence on the ARCA slate. Eldora would obviously be another choice, out of appreciation to their hosting of the annual Prelude to the Dream. One of the most famous dirt tracks in the country, Knoxville Raceway, knows how to handle a big crowd and would be a great place to run the Cup cars on dirt. Finally, Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri is probably the finest dirt track racing facility in the country. While that makes the dirt-track element a little Midwest-oriented, dirt is biggest in that region of the country and the races would draw massive crowds.
Adding four dirt tracks to the three road courses leaves six racetracks to add to the schedule to get back to the 36 number that we have now. There are a couple of obvious choices to fill out the list. Iowa Speedway has hosted Nationwide races for some time, to sellout crowds and deserves a shot at hosting a Cup date. Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida hosts some of the biggest Super Late Model races of the year and would be a great location for an early-season event. Gresham Motorsports Park is also a great facility that would be a very nice location for a Cup show, sitting smack in the middle of Georgia and the fan-friendly Southeast. Toledo Speedway or Mansfield Motorsports Park would be another great addition for the people of Northern Ohio and Southern Michigan, and both have hosted national touring series races before. Hickory Motor Speedway or South Boston would be great tracks that are still active and reflect the history of the sport. Finally, North Wilkesboro Speedway would be the last track to add to the schedule because of its history; it was part of the first "Strictly Stock" NASCAR season, in 1949 and should still be on the schedule now.
Rockingham Speedway would be another excellent choice and could be added in place of Hickory or South Boston, but let's wait and see how things progress over the next few years of hosting Trucks and possibly a Nationwide race. Another option would be Lucas Oil Raceway, the Indianapolis short track whose dates in the Nationwide and Truck Series were lost following the 2011 season. See? We've filled up the schedule to 36 events, using virtually a one-track system and there's still plenty of strong candidates left out.
The bottom line is, the sport has an enormous fan base, even though it has shrunk in the past decade. That legion of fans deserves to see more variety to the racing than double-dipping on 13 racetracks. What is that you said? You're worried about safety? Any of the proposed replacements could upgrade their infrastructure in a year if they knew a race was coming to their facility, and some of them already have it in place because they're handled crowds the size of a Cup crowd.
So the schedule isn't watered down and, in fact, I suggested earlier this year that the schedule could have some additional races on some Wednesday nights without too much effort. The supply of NASCAR just needs to be showcased in more than 23 storefronts during the year. Get it back on dirt, add a couple of road course races, and put it back on more short tracks and the schedule will be more balanced. That will produce a champion with a well-rounded set of racing skills, a true "jack of all trades" who has mastered every aspect of the sport. As with the Wednesday night races, it will probably never happen, but anyone can dream.
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at mike.neff@frontstretch.com
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Tweet 'N' Greet
by Summer Bedgood
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Summer Bedgood will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days... We know it's a little short this week, but Summer has a very good excuse -- she got married on Saturday. So, please join us in congratulating the newlywed, and Tweet 'N' Greet will return in its normal form next Wednesday.
@RyanTruex: Just got out of surgery to have my appendix removed. Been in the ER since 2 am.
@DeLanaHarvick: As promised, @KevinHarvick in the prego suit... #babyotisperspective http://t.co/wkFUF7b5
@ClaireBLang: J.Logano here - his friends had a bday party for him last night & they told me they threw him in pool then put flour on him "drenched bread"
@KevinHarvick: found this in the field today! @DeLanaHarvick if its momma doesn't come back we might have to get some bottles out. http://t.co/NYCEKrMx
@nascarcasm: I feel sort of bad that now when you say "Kurt lost it in turn 2," you have to specify whether you mean his car or his mind. #nascar
@DNewtonESPN (Dave Newton): Great moment. Richard Petty walks into media center and goes, "Hey, y'all. First time y'all seen me in here in a long time.'' #nascar
@dennyhamlin: I used to like Jeff Gordon http://t.co/l9KaHuiC
@dennyhamlin: Thanks to @11mommalou for being a hoarder. She prolly has the first undies I ever pooped in.
@JeffGordonWeb: Denny was pretty smart back then. I'm sure we can get that membership renewed for you @dennyhamlin.
@aric_almirola: Wow! This feels good. Thank you all for your support. Awesome to get my first cup pole = awesome to do it with Air Force on Memorial weekend.
@JimmieJohnson: My co-star is a bit prickly... It will all make sense when @ESPN airs their new @Nascar commercials. http://t.co/urgWe8Io
@BigEarl48 (Earl Barban): This is the view from the spotters' stand today http://t.co/Pdtr5hBv
@StenhouseJr (Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.): Doing a little left and right turn testing today at VIR pic.twitter.com/wLRTauzB
@kaseykahne: Hope everyone is having a great start to the week. I know I am!
@tydillon: So excited to make my @NASCAR_NNS debut this weekend at @MonsterMile thanks to @Brendan62 and @southpointlv #NASCAR
@KevinHarvick: momma came and got it. "@hdrider6: @KevinHarvick what happened with the fawn you found out in the field?"
@mforde (NASCAR Stats Guru): Not sure what, if anything, this means, but @keselowski has tied or bettered his career-best finish at 7 of the 12 tracks this yr.#NASCAR
@brianlvickers: Really solid test today at VIR. A lot of cars out there today. Guys did a great job - learned a lot. Had dinner with my parents tonight.
@CaptThunder (Captain Thunder, NASCAR Radio Show Host): hearing [it] seems like a done deal for Newman to move on [from Stewart-Haas Racing]. No idea where he goes or who goes in #39 maybe @BrianLVickers ?
@brianlvickers: News to me.
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 30th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CII
~~~~~~~~~~
Top News
by Brad Morgan and Beth Lunkenheimer
Overnight Charlotte TV Ratings Up
Viewership for Kasey Kahne's victory in Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Charlotte Motor Speedway was rated at a 4.1/8 share (roughly 8% of households in America tuning in). That's roughly a two percent increase over last year's 4.0/8. The overnight rating for the race was tied with the Indianapolis 500 held earlier in the day; however, both races lost badly in the Nielsens to the San Antonio Spurs - Oklahoma Thunder Western Conference Final. Game 1 of that NBA Series drew a 5.7, easily outpacing one of the biggest race weekends held all year.
Whether Indy or NASCAR will come out on top remains to be seen; however, the 600 has outpaced the 500 eight times out of the last nine years once final Nielsen numbers get released. But stock car racing continues to struggle with its television audience overall. Heading into Sunday's race at Dover, the last of 13 points-paying races on FOX the Cup Series has averaged a 4.3/9 rating, four percent lower than last year's mark of 4.5/10.
Nationwide Teams Penalized for Charlotte Infractions
NASCAR announced Tuesday that two Nationwide Series teams were penalized following rules violations at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Timmy Hill's No. 41 Rick Ware Racing Ford was found in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules), and 20A-12.8.1(B) (body height requirements -- car failed to meet the minimum front car heights) during post-race inspection Saturday. As a result, team owner Rick Ware and Hill had six owner and driver points deducted, respectively from their season total. Crew chief George Church was also fined $10,000 for the violation.
Additionally, in opening day inspection, Michael Annett's car was found with unapproved modifications to the bumper cover. Crew chief Philippe Lopez and car chief Michael Wright have both been placed on probation through December 31st, and Lopez was also fined $10,000.
The No. 43 Ford was found in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20-A of the rulebook), 20A-2.1E (streamlining of the contours of the car, beyond what is approved by the series director will not be permitted ... all cars must remain standard in appearance), and 20A-3.10A (front upper bumper cover must be from the respective OEM manufacturer and must be approved by NASCAR).
The penalties sullied what would have been a productive weekend at Charlotte for both teams, considering their level of funding and 2012 performance to date. Annett was a solid 14th, after running inside the top 10 for much of the event while Hill placed 19th, one lap off the pace for his second top-20 result in the last three Nationwide races.
Red Horse Racing Suspends No. 7 Camping World Truck Series Team
Red Horse Racing (RHR) announced Tuesday that the organization will downsize its Camping World Truck Series operation to two teams, effective immediately due to lack of sponsorship. In a surprise move, it was the No. 7 Truck, driven by Rookie-Of-The-Year hopeful John King which got the axe. King currently finds himself ranked 13th in points after a surprising win in the season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway and a ninth-finish at Martinsville the following week. However, without a paying sponsor stepping up, he'll be sitting on the sidelines - while still signed by the team - until further notice.
RHR will continue to field the No. 17 truck driven by Timothy Peters and the No. 11 truck driven by Todd Bodine. RHR attempted to expand its Camping World Truck Series effort to three full-time teams by introducing the No. 11 team after the 2011 season and altered its driver lineup by adding Bodine and King. Initially, Bodine was signed for just one race and has struggled to secure sponsorship in his own right; however, three top-10 finishes in five starts, putting him ninth in points combined with his championship experience likely allowed him to leapfrog King. The rookie, who was not yet ready to comment at press time, has wrecked in two of the last three events after starting the year with such momentum.
The No. 7 truck was backed by Consol Energy at Rockingham, Kansas, and Charlotte before running into problems securing additional funding. There's no word if team members within the organization were let go as a result of the move.
Have news for Brad and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Beating the Dead Schedule Horse ... Again
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
Rusty Wallace commented this past week he feels like the supply of NASCAR races is higher than the demand, that he personally thinks the Sprint Cup schedule should be reduced to 31 or 32 dates. Speaking at Charlotte, in celebration of his new Hall of Fame status he explained he feels the sport was at its best in the late '90s when they ran a 32-date schedule, and he worries that NASCAR is being watered down by too much supply. There's some validity to Wallace's concerns, which have made national news over the past week but I say that's because too many races are being run too often in the same locations. My proposal would be to still run 36 races, and possibly more, but to divvy up the dates in 2013 and beyond so that no track runs more than one race except for Charlotte and Daytona getting the bonus of their non-points events.
There are many racetracks where losing a second date is not going to cost the vast majority of fans. Phoenix, Pocono, Kansas, Loudon, and Michigan would be ones that would seem to be obvious cutbacks, at least for fans outside of those cities, where a reduction to one race would not be a traumatic experience. For the folks who feel like there are too many Intermediate tracks, dropping a race from Charlotte and Texas probably would be a welcome sight. There are plenty of people who would rather see restrictor plate races disappear, so losing a date at Daytona and Talladega won't bother that many people, although there is quite a bit of history to the July 4th race. That leaves the tracks that people will probably least like to see drop a date just because they are unique and offer up a change of pace on the schedule, although there will be much more variety with the replacement ovals I suggest. The "unique" tracks losing a date would be Dover, Martinsville, Bristol and Richmond. That is the list of the 13 racetracks currently on the Cup Series schedule that have two points races during the season; now, let's see if we can replace them.
First, we only have two road courses on the schedule each year. Let's bump that up to at least four, adding in Mid-Ohio and Miller Motorsports Park. Another option would be tacking on the new road course that is being constructed in Austin, Texas for the new Formula One race in America. Incorporating that course makes it five road courses and accounts for three of the dates that were removed from the schedule. The second element that should be added to the single-track proposal is a return to dirt, as this sport was born on dirt and there should still be at least four dirt races on the schedule. Either Springfield or DuQuoin should be offered a date thanks to their longstanding presence on the ARCA slate. Eldora would obviously be another choice, out of appreciation to their hosting of the annual Prelude to the Dream. One of the most famous dirt tracks in the country, Knoxville Raceway, knows how to handle a big crowd and would be a great place to run the Cup cars on dirt. Finally, Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri is probably the finest dirt track racing facility in the country. While that makes the dirt-track element a little Midwest-oriented, dirt is biggest in that region of the country and the races would draw massive crowds.
Adding four dirt tracks to the three road courses leaves six racetracks to add to the schedule to get back to the 36 number that we have now. There are a couple of obvious choices to fill out the list. Iowa Speedway has hosted Nationwide races for some time, to sellout crowds and deserves a shot at hosting a Cup date. Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida hosts some of the biggest Super Late Model races of the year and would be a great location for an early-season event. Gresham Motorsports Park is also a great facility that would be a very nice location for a Cup show, sitting smack in the middle of Georgia and the fan-friendly Southeast. Toledo Speedway or Mansfield Motorsports Park would be another great addition for the people of Northern Ohio and Southern Michigan, and both have hosted national touring series races before. Hickory Motor Speedway or South Boston would be great tracks that are still active and reflect the history of the sport. Finally, North Wilkesboro Speedway would be the last track to add to the schedule because of its history; it was part of the first "Strictly Stock" NASCAR season, in 1949 and should still be on the schedule now.
Rockingham Speedway would be another excellent choice and could be added in place of Hickory or South Boston, but let's wait and see how things progress over the next few years of hosting Trucks and possibly a Nationwide race. Another option would be Lucas Oil Raceway, the Indianapolis short track whose dates in the Nationwide and Truck Series were lost following the 2011 season. See? We've filled up the schedule to 36 events, using virtually a one-track system and there's still plenty of strong candidates left out.
The bottom line is, the sport has an enormous fan base, even though it has shrunk in the past decade. That legion of fans deserves to see more variety to the racing than double-dipping on 13 racetracks. What is that you said? You're worried about safety? Any of the proposed replacements could upgrade their infrastructure in a year if they knew a race was coming to their facility, and some of them already have it in place because they're handled crowds the size of a Cup crowd.
So the schedule isn't watered down and, in fact, I suggested earlier this year that the schedule could have some additional races on some Wednesday nights without too much effort. The supply of NASCAR just needs to be showcased in more than 23 storefronts during the year. Get it back on dirt, add a couple of road course races, and put it back on more short tracks and the schedule will be more balanced. That will produce a champion with a well-rounded set of racing skills, a true "jack of all trades" who has mastered every aspect of the sport. As with the Wednesday night races, it will probably never happen, but anyone can dream.
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at mike.neff@frontstretch.com
~~~~~~~~~~
Tweet 'N' Greet
by Summer Bedgood
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Summer Bedgood will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days... We know it's a little short this week, but Summer has a very good excuse -- she got married on Saturday. So, please join us in congratulating the newlywed, and Tweet 'N' Greet will return in its normal form next Wednesday.
@RyanTruex: Just got out of surgery to have my appendix removed. Been in the ER since 2 am.
@DeLanaHarvick: As promised, @KevinHarvick in the prego suit... #babyotisperspective http://t.co/wkFUF7b5
@ClaireBLang: J.Logano here - his friends had a bday party for him last night & they told me they threw him in pool then put flour on him "drenched bread"
@KevinHarvick: found this in the field today! @DeLanaHarvick if its momma doesn't come back we might have to get some bottles out. http://t.co/NYCEKrMx
@nascarcasm: I feel sort of bad that now when you say "Kurt lost it in turn 2," you have to specify whether you mean his car or his mind. #nascar
@DNewtonESPN (Dave Newton): Great moment. Richard Petty walks into media center and goes, "Hey, y'all. First time y'all seen me in here in a long time.'' #nascar
@dennyhamlin: I used to like Jeff Gordon http://t.co/l9KaHuiC
@dennyhamlin: Thanks to @11mommalou for being a hoarder. She prolly has the first undies I ever pooped in.
@JeffGordonWeb: Denny was pretty smart back then. I'm sure we can get that membership renewed for you @dennyhamlin.
@aric_almirola: Wow! This feels good. Thank you all for your support. Awesome to get my first cup pole = awesome to do it with Air Force on Memorial weekend.
@JimmieJohnson: My co-star is a bit prickly... It will all make sense when @ESPN airs their new @Nascar commercials. http://t.co/urgWe8Io
@BigEarl48 (Earl Barban): This is the view from the spotters' stand today http://t.co/Pdtr5hBv
@StenhouseJr (Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.): Doing a little left and right turn testing today at VIR pic.twitter.com/wLRTauzB
@kaseykahne: Hope everyone is having a great start to the week. I know I am!
@tydillon: So excited to make my @NASCAR_NNS debut this weekend at @MonsterMile thanks to @Brendan62 and @southpointlv #NASCAR
@KevinHarvick: momma came and got it. "@hdrider6: @KevinHarvick what happened with the fawn you found out in the field?"
@mforde (NASCAR Stats Guru): Not sure what, if anything, this means, but @keselowski has tied or bettered his career-best finish at 7 of the 12 tracks this yr.
@brianlvickers: Really solid test today at VIR. A lot of cars out there today. Guys did a great job - learned a lot. Had dinner with my parents tonight.
@CaptThunder (Captain Thunder, NASCAR Radio Show Host): hearing [it] seems like a done deal for Newman to move on [from Stewart-Haas Racing]. No idea where he goes or who goes in #39 maybe @BrianLVickers ?
@brianlvickers: News to me.
Summer Bedgood is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via email at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
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ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Did You Notice?... A Driver's Confidence Crisis, Monster Meltdown And Indy's Question Mark
by Tom Bowles
Mirror Driving: Schedule Slash, Middle Class Mediocrity And A Cautionary Tale (Note: Final version will be posted within the hour)
by the Frontstretch Staff
This Year's "New" Kyle Busch: Why Is It Different Than Any Other?
by Garrett Horton
Beyond the Cockpit: Kvapil On Progression, Perseverance, And Putting Family First
by Amy Henderson
NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Charlotte
compiled by Summer Bedgood
Top Ten Things The Gasman Said To Jimmie Johnson During The Last Pit Stop
by Jeff Meyer
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the 1994 Budweiser 400, Dale Earnhardt wrecked on Lap 288 and lost 101 points to championship leader Ernie Irvan. However, Earnhardt didn't just hit the boiler plate outside wall when he crashed. What else got struck?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: In 2000, Mike Wallace finished the Craftsman Truck Series race at Dover in the 12th spot, but he was very upset at the outcome. Why?
A: Mike Wallace was racing for the lead with rookie Kurt Busch with just a couple of laps to go when the two drivers had contact on the frontstretch. Wallace hit the wall with the right side, then spun in Turn 1 and nosed into the outside wall. Busch held on to win the race, his third of 2000. The Kurt Busch: Rageaholic documentary on YouTube starts off with this incident and Wallace's thoughts.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
MPM2Nite by Matt McLaughlin
Matt McLaughlin is back again this season with his usual sarcastic sense of humor ... and incomparable insight.
Potts' Shots by John Potts
Fanning the Flames has become Potts' Shots, and John Potts is here to answer your questions in our weekly Fan Q & A. Do you have something you'd like to ask John? Don't sit on the sidelines! Send it to john.potts@frontstretch.com and you just may see your question in print next week!
Professor Of Speed by Mark Howell
Our professor of racing history "has at it" with another column pertinent to the sport at large. This week, Mark takes a closer look at NASCAR's latest agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency and its effect across the sport.
Dollars and Sense by Jesse Medford
The newest addition to the Frontstretch family will take a look at the business side of NASCAR.
Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth is back this year on a new night, but it's the same great commentary you've come to enjoy on NASCAR's Truck Series! This week, Beth looks back on five drivers who scored their first career victory at Dover and which winless drivers have the best shot at Victory Lane Friday afternoon.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
MPM2Nite by Matt McLaughlin
Matt McLaughlin is back again this season with his usual sarcastic sense of humor ... and incomparable insight.
Potts' Shots by John Potts
Fanning the Flames has become Potts' Shots, and John Potts is here to answer your questions in our weekly Fan Q & A. Do you have something you'd like to ask John? Don't sit on the sidelines! Send it to john.potts@frontstretch.com and you just may see your question in print next week!
Professor Of Speed by Mark Howell
Our professor of racing history "has at it" with another column pertinent to the sport at large. This week, Mark takes a closer look at NASCAR's latest agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency and its effect across the sport.
Dollars and Sense by Jesse Medford
The newest addition to the Frontstretch family will take a look at the business side of NASCAR.
Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth is back this year on a new night, but it's the same great commentary you've come to enjoy on NASCAR's Truck Series! This week, Beth looks back on five drivers who scored their first career victory at Dover and which winless drivers have the best shot at Victory Lane Friday afternoon.
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©2012 Frontstretch.com
-- 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
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