THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 31st, 2012
Volume VI, Edition C
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 31st, 2012
Volume VI, Edition C
~~~~~~~~~~
Editor's Note: Frontstretch has a brand new, redesigned Facebook page. Click Here to "Like" Us and get a direct connect to all your Frontstretch favorites along with polls, interaction with fans and so much more.
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Front Row Motorsports Announces Sponsor Extension
On Wednesday, Front Row Motorsports (via Breaking Limits) announced that McCall Farms has signed on to sponsor six additional races on their No. 34 and 38 Fords after a successful first race at Darlington. At Darlington, McCall Farms' Peanut Patch brand was featured on David Ragan's No. 34 car. Ragan started 37th and finished 28th.
According to the release, the new extension will see Front Row Motorsports featuring three of McCall Farms' brands (the aforementioned Peanut Patch (a brand of boiled peanuts), Margaret Holmes (a line of Southern Vegetables) and Glory Foods (a minority-controlled, Ohio-based McCall Farms subsidiary that specializes in "Soul Food" products)). Peanut Patch and Margaret Holmes will be on the No. 34, while Glory Foods will be on the No. 38.
Representatives from Front Row Motorsports are very happy that McCall Farms has re-signed with the team for another go around.
"McCall Farms has been a great partner for our race team," said Mike Laheta, Front Row Motorsports' Marketing Director. "They were very pleased with the program and activation strategy we were able to put together for them at Darlington. We've spent the last few weeks working with their marketing team to build a program for the rest of 2012 and I'm happy to be here announcing a six-race primary sponsorship extension."
McCall Farms reps are very happy to continue their collaboration with Front Row Motorsports.
"Darlington gave us the opportunity to try NASCAR," said Woody Swink, Sales Manager for McCall Farms. "It was a natural fit for us, since the track is only miles from our headquarters. Front Row Motorsports did a great job of educating us on the various assets available through their organization and how we can use those assets to achieve our goals. NASCAR allows us to strengthen our relationships with the retailers that sell our product, raise awareness for our portfolio of brands and energize the 700+ men and women that work for our company. We are genuinely enthusiastic about our partnership with Front Row Motorsports."
The Margaret Holmes and Peanut Patch colors will return to Ragan's No. 34 at the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol in August. Subsequent races include the Advocare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Labor Day weekend and the Bank of America 500 in Charlotte on October 13. Glory Foods' orange colors will be featured on the No. 38 at the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona on July 7, Talladega in October for the AMP Energy 500 and Charlotte in October.
Entry List Update:
Note: This list is accurate as of Wednesday night. However, these entries are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks: 46 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19 - Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 32 - Reed Sorenson for FAS Lane Racing
No. 52 - Mike Skinner for Hamilton-Means Racing
No. 74 - Cole Whitt for Turn One Racing
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 10 - David Reutimann returns to the seat, replacing Danica Patrick. Reutimann is running the non-Patrick races in Tommy Baldwin's car.
No. 32 - Reed Sorenson returns to the seat, replacing T.J. Bell. Bell had brought sponsorship to the seat in a one-race deal at Charlotte.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 19 - Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 23 - Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports*
No. 26 - Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30 - David Stremme for Inception Motorsports*
No. 33 - Stephen Leicht for LJ Racing*
No. 49 - J.J. Yeley for Robinson-Blakeney Racing
No. 52 - Mike Skinner for Hamilton-Means Racing*
No. 74 - Cole Whitt for Turn One Racing*
No. 79 - Scott Speed for Go Green Racing*
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 98 - Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing*
Not Entered:
No. 73 - BK Racing
No. 95 - Leavine Family Racing
Nationwide Series 5-Hour Energy 200: 43 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 18 - Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22 - Parker Kligerman for Penske Racing
No. 30 - James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33 - Ty Dillon for Richard Childress Racing
No. 42 - Josh Wise for Key Motorsports
No. 47 - Scott Speed for Team Motorsports Group
No. 54 - Kurt Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 08 - Tim Andrews returns to the seat, replacing Kyle Fowler. Andrews is hired to drive for the team during their start-and-park efforts, when there is no funding to put someone else behind the wheel.
No. 10 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Kevin Lepage. This team will remain TriStar's start-and-park effort.
No. 18 - Joey Logano returns to the seat, replacing Denny Hamlin. Logano remains the majority Cup driver in the mix for Joe Gibbs' Nationwide efforts.
No. 20 - Ryan Truex returns to the seat, replacing Joey Logano. Truex is running a limited schedule with the team when sponsorship allows.
No. 22 - Parker Kligerman returns to the seat, replacing Brad Keselowski. Kligerman, a full-time Truck Series driver is running a limited schedule with Penske in Nationwide this season.
No. 23 - Jamie Dick returns to the seat, replacing Robert Richardson, Jr. Dick brings sponsorship from Viva Auto Group from this event.
No. 24 - Tim Bainey, Jr. is in the seat, replacing Casey Roderick. This will be Bainey's Nationwide Series debut.
No. 33 - Ty Dillon is in the seat, replacing Kevin Harvick. This seat was originally supposed to be occupied by Brendan Gaughan before RCR made a pre-emptive switch. It will mark Ty's Nationwide Series debut.
No. 38 - Brad Sweet returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne. Sweet is competing in a limited schedule this season with backing from sponsor Great Clips.
No. 54 - Kurt Busch returns to the seat, replacing his brother Kyle. The two are sharing the ride this season.
No. 70 - Tony Raines is in the seat, replacing Johanna Long. This race is another in which Robinson-Blakeney Racing is running the No. 70 in order to keep ML Motorsports in the top 30 in owners' points. David Green was originally supposed to drive, but the entry switched to Raines on Wednesday.
No. 75 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Scott Riggs. This car is a start-and-park effort for Rick Ware.
No. 99 - John Wes Townley will be in the seat, replacing Travis Pastrana. Townley brought Barberitos' sponsorship to the car.
Since there are only 43 cars entered, no one will go home. However, these teams will still have to qualify on speed:
No. 10 - Unknown driver for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 15 - Blake Koch for Rick Ware Racing
No. 20 - Ryan Truex for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 39 - Josh Richards for Go Green Racing
No. 42 - Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group*
No. 46 - Chase Miller for Team Motorsports Group*
No. 47 - Scott Speed for Team Motorsports Group*
No. 50 - T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 52 - Joey Gase for Means Motorsports
No. 71 - Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 74 - Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75 - Unknown driver for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 89 - Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Racing Ventures*
Not Entered:
No. 00 - Angela Cope for SR2 Motorsports
No. 98 - Reed Sorenson for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 200: 34 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 2 - Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 18 - Brian Scott for Kyle Busch Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 07 - Chris Jones returns to the seat, replacing Johnny Chapman. Sponsorship was brought to the table for Jones to run the race.
No. 2 - Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Brendan Gaughan. Harvick is part of RCR's "revolving door" of drivers taking time behind the wheel.
No. 18 - Brian Scott is in the seat, replacing Jason Leffler. This race is the first of a handful that the former Dover winner will drive in, replacing Jason Leffler.
No. 74 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Mike Harmon. This truck is a start-and-park effort.
No. 93- Chris Cockrum returns to the seat, replacing B.J. McLeod. Cockrum, a rookie, is driving a limited schedule for the team this season.
Since there are only 34 entries, no one will fail to qualify. However, these teams still must qualify on speed:
No. 07 - Chris Jones for SS-Green Light Racing
No. 10 - Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 57 - Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 61 - Wes Burton for Green Dragon Racing
No. 70 - Jeff Agnew for Level 7 Motorsports
No. 74 - Unknown driver for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75 - Caleb Holman for Henderson Racing
No. 84 - Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
No. 93 - Chris Cockrum for RSS Racing
Entered, but Already Withdrawn:
No. 7 - John King for Red Horse Racing (Team parked due to lack of funding)
No. 14 - Brennan Newberry for Bob Newberry Racing
No. 60 - Turn One Racing
Not Entered:
No. 01 - Jake Crum for Crum Racing
No. 19 - Brad Keselowski for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 28 - FDNY Racing
No. 38 - Dennis Setzer for RSS Racing
No. 68 - Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Racing
No. 92 - David Reutimann for RBR Enterprises
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Izod IndyCar Series Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix: 26 cars entered
Number Change:
No. 50 for Target Chip Ganassi Racing switches back to No. 10
Entries:
No. 2 - Ryan Briscoe for Team Penske
No. 3 - Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 4- J.R. Hildebrand for Panther Racing
No. 5 - E.J. Viso for KV Racing Technologies
No. 7 - Sebastien Bourdais for Lotus-Dragon Racing
No. 8 - Rubens Barrichello for KV Racing Technologies
No. 9 - Scott Dixon for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10 - Dario Franchitti for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 11 - Tony Kanaan for KV Racing Technologies with SH Racing
No. 12 - Will Power for Team Penske
No. 14 - Mike Conway for AJ Foyt Enterprises
No. 15 - Takuma Sato for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 18 - Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19 - James Jakes for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 20 - Ed Carpenter for Ed Carpenter Racing
No. 22 - Oriol Servia for Lotus-DRR
No. 26 - Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27 - James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport
No. 28 - Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 38 - Graham Rahal for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 67 - Josef Newgarden for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 77 - Simon Pagenaud for Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports
No. 78 - Simona de Silvestro for Lotus-HVM Racing
No. 83 - Charlie Kimball for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 98 - Alex Tagliani for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian
Not Entered:
No. 6 - Katherine Legge for Dragon Racing
No. 17 - Sebastian Saavedra for AFS Racing
No. 25 - Ana Beatriz for Andretti Autosport
No. 30 - Michel Jourdain, Jr. for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 39 - Bryan Clauson for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 41 - Wade Cunningham for AJ Foyt Racing
No. 64 - Jean Alesi for Fan Force Lotus Racing
No. 99 - Townsend Bell for Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports
Keen Parts to Sponsor Four Races for ML Motorsports
ML Motorsports announced Wednesday that Keen Parts, a Cleves, Ohio-based retailer of parts for Corvettes, will serve as the team's primary sponsor in four upcoming races. Those events will be both races at Kentucky Speedway (June 29 and September 22), Indianapolis (July 28) and Richmond (September 7). In addition, the team also announced a special appearance by driver Johanna Long at an open house at Keen Parts on June 27th prior to the first Kentucky race weekend. Long will meet and greet fans and sign autographs.
So far this season, Long has a best finish of 19th in Las Vegas, running in eight out of 11 races in the Nationwide Series.
~~~~~~~~~~
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
Quick Shots for May 31st
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
- In a bit of irony, the pace car for the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Motor Speedway next month will be the Ford Escape. Last year, many fans couldn't even make it to the track on time – or at all – due to the congestion and traffic routing. Exiting wasn't much better. Which brings me to another point regarding Kentucky: what was the big push to bring a race there for again? Between Ken-sucky and Bristol's knee-jerk grind job, how many other events will Bruton Smith botch before it's all said and done? Do we really need to reward all of this debauchery with a second Las Vegas date at his favorite mind-numbing racetrack? Answer: never.
The big joke this weekend at the Indianapolis 500 was that the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 pace car had more horsepower than the cars that were behind it: 624hp, to be precise. NASCAR actually beat IndyCar to the punch on this one too, a couple years back when the Shelby Mustang GT500 was used as a pace car at the restrictor plate tracks for the Nationwide Series.
- As I was watching some of the past Indianapolis 500s the week prior on ESPN Classic, I was struck by the amount of underpowered, smog-laden garbage that was allowed on the hallowed grounds, pacing the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Automotive icons such as the 1983 Buick Riviera Convertible, wheezing out an unremarkable 150 horsepower, or the 1984 Pontiac Fiero, which was most famous for suffocating its occupants with toxic fumes in the event of a fire. Chevrolet served up a turd or two of its own, with a rather hideous 1990 Beretta (Editor's Note: The pace car was a convertible, while the special pace cars sold to the general public were two-door coupes), and even Oldsmobile got in on the act with the 1985 Calais. Because what other car conjures up images of northern France, or the site of WWII bombing raids and V-1 rocket launch sites than a drop top front driver from one of the General's now-deceased brands?
- NASCAR's Hall of Fame inductee class of 2013 was announced last week, and while all who were nominated for this class deserved to be in, there was one chosen who could have stood to wait a couple of years – Rusty Wallace. That's not to besmirch Rusty or his accomplishments; 55 wins and a championship is no small feat. However NASCAR needs to speed things up with regards to how many get in and when. There is no reason why we aren't adding five posthumous additions per year to help honor those who built the sport, the lore, and set the benchmarks for all others before to shoot for. Glenn "Fireball" Roberts, Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly, and Tim Flock, just to name a few, are all worthy and had the numbers, name, or contributions to be included by now.
Yes, I understand the need to have those on hand who can actually go up to receive the awards and speak about their battles on the track; however, you cannot build a foundation on sand with massive gaping holes in it. Much like the sport it is honoring, the Hall needs some tweaks – and quick.
- We're about a month out from being halfway through the season, and Dodge does not appear any more closer to finding a replacement team than it was when Penske Racing announced it was jumping ship to Ford for 2013. Could this be a sign there's yet another swan song and unceremonious exit for one of Detroit's storied performance brands upcoming?
Dodge first sat out the 1965 season when NASCAR boycotted the 426 Hemi until it was turned out in sufficient numbers in production cars, while all but Buddy Arrington abandoned the Dodge Magnum following its less than stellar debut in 1978. When the downsized cars arrived in 1981, only a handful of independents attempted to compete with the ill-fated Mirada, as Chrysler had scrapped virtually all of their racing programs, since the company itself was about to be junked. Now here we are again, on the verge of another Mother Mopar meltdown – all despite winning two races so far this year in Cup, with Brad Keselowski's Dodge carrying the Stars and Stripes around Charlotte Motor Speedway over Memorial Day weekend.
- You know what's awful? The camera angles used to cover racing today. I still want somebody to explain to me how CBS was able to cover a race more comprehensively in 1984 with a handful of cameras and zero visual aids. The in-car camera they used back then gave a more accurate depiction and sense of speed and corner angle than anything that is used today. Yeah, I'm sure the sponsors have some sort of say in this mess, since that is all that is visible for the most part is a solid, tight-hold shot of one car at all times through the corner while some meaningless statistic obscures the rest of the screen. Meanwhile, as the cars streak by at 190mph, the tracker atop the screen scrolls by at a snail's pace…
- In that same vein, one thing that struck me during the Hall of Fame announcement of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence was how these two men in their 70s can still call a race with more accuracy, professionalism, and excitement than most of those today. There is no shame in muting the television and cuing up MRN to listen to the play-by-play of the race. You'd swear there was some actual competition occurring at high speeds. Squier should be present in the booth at the Daytona 500 to call a few laps each year, much like the Detroit Tigers would have Ernie Harwell call a few innings of a game during his later years. NASCAR still has some of its history and historymakers intact; they'd do well to glean some of their knowledge and expertise while they still have the opportunity.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
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Top News
by Phil Allaway
Front Row Motorsports Announces Sponsor Extension
On Wednesday, Front Row Motorsports (via Breaking Limits) announced that McCall Farms has signed on to sponsor six additional races on their No. 34 and 38 Fords after a successful first race at Darlington. At Darlington, McCall Farms' Peanut Patch brand was featured on David Ragan's No. 34 car. Ragan started 37th and finished 28th.
According to the release, the new extension will see Front Row Motorsports featuring three of McCall Farms' brands (the aforementioned Peanut Patch (a brand of boiled peanuts), Margaret Holmes (a line of Southern Vegetables) and Glory Foods (a minority-controlled, Ohio-based McCall Farms subsidiary that specializes in "Soul Food" products)). Peanut Patch and Margaret Holmes will be on the No. 34, while Glory Foods will be on the No. 38.
Representatives from Front Row Motorsports are very happy that McCall Farms has re-signed with the team for another go around.
"McCall Farms has been a great partner for our race team," said Mike Laheta, Front Row Motorsports' Marketing Director. "They were very pleased with the program and activation strategy we were able to put together for them at Darlington. We've spent the last few weeks working with their marketing team to build a program for the rest of 2012 and I'm happy to be here announcing a six-race primary sponsorship extension."
McCall Farms reps are very happy to continue their collaboration with Front Row Motorsports.
"Darlington gave us the opportunity to try NASCAR," said Woody Swink, Sales Manager for McCall Farms. "It was a natural fit for us, since the track is only miles from our headquarters. Front Row Motorsports did a great job of educating us on the various assets available through their organization and how we can use those assets to achieve our goals. NASCAR allows us to strengthen our relationships with the retailers that sell our product, raise awareness for our portfolio of brands and energize the 700+ men and women that work for our company. We are genuinely enthusiastic about our partnership with Front Row Motorsports."
The Margaret Holmes and Peanut Patch colors will return to Ragan's No. 34 at the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol in August. Subsequent races include the Advocare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Labor Day weekend and the Bank of America 500 in Charlotte on October 13. Glory Foods' orange colors will be featured on the No. 38 at the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona on July 7, Talladega in October for the AMP Energy 500 and Charlotte in October.
Entry List Update:
Note: This list is accurate as of Wednesday night. However, these entries are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks: 46 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19 - Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 32 - Reed Sorenson for FAS Lane Racing
No. 52 - Mike Skinner for Hamilton-Means Racing
No. 74 - Cole Whitt for Turn One Racing
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 10 - David Reutimann returns to the seat, replacing Danica Patrick. Reutimann is running the non-Patrick races in Tommy Baldwin's car.
No. 32 - Reed Sorenson returns to the seat, replacing T.J. Bell. Bell had brought sponsorship to the seat in a one-race deal at Charlotte.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 19 - Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 23 - Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports*
No. 26 - Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30 - David Stremme for Inception Motorsports*
No. 33 - Stephen Leicht for LJ Racing*
No. 49 - J.J. Yeley for Robinson-Blakeney Racing
No. 52 - Mike Skinner for Hamilton-Means Racing*
No. 74 - Cole Whitt for Turn One Racing*
No. 79 - Scott Speed for Go Green Racing*
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 98 - Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing*
Not Entered:
No. 73 - BK Racing
No. 95 - Leavine Family Racing
Nationwide Series 5-Hour Energy 200: 43 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 18 - Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22 - Parker Kligerman for Penske Racing
No. 30 - James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33 - Ty Dillon for Richard Childress Racing
No. 42 - Josh Wise for Key Motorsports
No. 47 - Scott Speed for Team Motorsports Group
No. 54 - Kurt Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 08 - Tim Andrews returns to the seat, replacing Kyle Fowler. Andrews is hired to drive for the team during their start-and-park efforts, when there is no funding to put someone else behind the wheel.
No. 10 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Kevin Lepage. This team will remain TriStar's start-and-park effort.
No. 18 - Joey Logano returns to the seat, replacing Denny Hamlin. Logano remains the majority Cup driver in the mix for Joe Gibbs' Nationwide efforts.
No. 20 - Ryan Truex returns to the seat, replacing Joey Logano. Truex is running a limited schedule with the team when sponsorship allows.
No. 22 - Parker Kligerman returns to the seat, replacing Brad Keselowski. Kligerman, a full-time Truck Series driver is running a limited schedule with Penske in Nationwide this season.
No. 23 - Jamie Dick returns to the seat, replacing Robert Richardson, Jr. Dick brings sponsorship from Viva Auto Group from this event.
No. 24 - Tim Bainey, Jr. is in the seat, replacing Casey Roderick. This will be Bainey's Nationwide Series debut.
No. 33 - Ty Dillon is in the seat, replacing Kevin Harvick. This seat was originally supposed to be occupied by Brendan Gaughan before RCR made a pre-emptive switch. It will mark Ty's Nationwide Series debut.
No. 38 - Brad Sweet returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne. Sweet is competing in a limited schedule this season with backing from sponsor Great Clips.
No. 54 - Kurt Busch returns to the seat, replacing his brother Kyle. The two are sharing the ride this season.
No. 70 - Tony Raines is in the seat, replacing Johanna Long. This race is another in which Robinson-Blakeney Racing is running the No. 70 in order to keep ML Motorsports in the top 30 in owners' points. David Green was originally supposed to drive, but the entry switched to Raines on Wednesday.
No. 75 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Scott Riggs. This car is a start-and-park effort for Rick Ware.
No. 99 - John Wes Townley will be in the seat, replacing Travis Pastrana. Townley brought Barberitos' sponsorship to the car.
Since there are only 43 cars entered, no one will go home. However, these teams will still have to qualify on speed:
No. 10 - Unknown driver for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 15 - Blake Koch for Rick Ware Racing
No. 20 - Ryan Truex for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 39 - Josh Richards for Go Green Racing
No. 42 - Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group*
No. 46 - Chase Miller for Team Motorsports Group*
No. 47 - Scott Speed for Team Motorsports Group*
No. 50 - T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 52 - Joey Gase for Means Motorsports
No. 71 - Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 74 - Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75 - Unknown driver for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 89 - Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Racing Ventures*
Not Entered:
No. 00 - Angela Cope for SR2 Motorsports
No. 98 - Reed Sorenson for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 200: 34 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 2 - Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 18 - Brian Scott for Kyle Busch Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 07 - Chris Jones returns to the seat, replacing Johnny Chapman. Sponsorship was brought to the table for Jones to run the race.
No. 2 - Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Brendan Gaughan. Harvick is part of RCR's "revolving door" of drivers taking time behind the wheel.
No. 18 - Brian Scott is in the seat, replacing Jason Leffler. This race is the first of a handful that the former Dover winner will drive in, replacing Jason Leffler.
No. 74 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Mike Harmon. This truck is a start-and-park effort.
No. 93- Chris Cockrum returns to the seat, replacing B.J. McLeod. Cockrum, a rookie, is driving a limited schedule for the team this season.
Since there are only 34 entries, no one will fail to qualify. However, these teams still must qualify on speed:
No. 07 - Chris Jones for SS-Green Light Racing
No. 10 - Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 57 - Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 61 - Wes Burton for Green Dragon Racing
No. 70 - Jeff Agnew for Level 7 Motorsports
No. 74 - Unknown driver for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75 - Caleb Holman for Henderson Racing
No. 84 - Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
No. 93 - Chris Cockrum for RSS Racing
Entered, but Already Withdrawn:
No. 7 - John King for Red Horse Racing (Team parked due to lack of funding)
No. 14 - Brennan Newberry for Bob Newberry Racing
No. 60 - Turn One Racing
Not Entered:
No. 01 - Jake Crum for Crum Racing
No. 19 - Brad Keselowski for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 28 - FDNY Racing
No. 38 - Dennis Setzer for RSS Racing
No. 68 - Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Racing
No. 92 - David Reutimann for RBR Enterprises
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Izod IndyCar Series Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix: 26 cars entered
Number Change:
No. 50 for Target Chip Ganassi Racing switches back to No. 10
Entries:
No. 2 - Ryan Briscoe for Team Penske
No. 3 - Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 4- J.R. Hildebrand for Panther Racing
No. 5 - E.J. Viso for KV Racing Technologies
No. 7 - Sebastien Bourdais for Lotus-Dragon Racing
No. 8 - Rubens Barrichello for KV Racing Technologies
No. 9 - Scott Dixon for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10 - Dario Franchitti for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 11 - Tony Kanaan for KV Racing Technologies with SH Racing
No. 12 - Will Power for Team Penske
No. 14 - Mike Conway for AJ Foyt Enterprises
No. 15 - Takuma Sato for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 18 - Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19 - James Jakes for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 20 - Ed Carpenter for Ed Carpenter Racing
No. 22 - Oriol Servia for Lotus-DRR
No. 26 - Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27 - James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport
No. 28 - Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 38 - Graham Rahal for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 67 - Josef Newgarden for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 77 - Simon Pagenaud for Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports
No. 78 - Simona de Silvestro for Lotus-HVM Racing
No. 83 - Charlie Kimball for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 98 - Alex Tagliani for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian
Not Entered:
No. 6 - Katherine Legge for Dragon Racing
No. 17 - Sebastian Saavedra for AFS Racing
No. 25 - Ana Beatriz for Andretti Autosport
No. 30 - Michel Jourdain, Jr. for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 39 - Bryan Clauson for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 41 - Wade Cunningham for AJ Foyt Racing
No. 64 - Jean Alesi for Fan Force Lotus Racing
No. 99 - Townsend Bell for Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports
Keen Parts to Sponsor Four Races for ML Motorsports
ML Motorsports announced Wednesday that Keen Parts, a Cleves, Ohio-based retailer of parts for Corvettes, will serve as the team's primary sponsor in four upcoming races. Those events will be both races at Kentucky Speedway (June 29 and September 22), Indianapolis (July 28) and Richmond (September 7). In addition, the team also announced a special appearance by driver Johanna Long at an open house at Keen Parts on June 27th prior to the first Kentucky race weekend. Long will meet and greet fans and sign autographs.
So far this season, Long has a best finish of 19th in Las Vegas, running in eight out of 11 races in the Nationwide Series.
~~~~~~~~~~
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
Quick Shots for May 31st
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
- In a bit of irony, the pace car for the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Motor Speedway next month will be the Ford Escape. Last year, many fans couldn't even make it to the track on time – or at all – due to the congestion and traffic routing. Exiting wasn't much better. Which brings me to another point regarding Kentucky: what was the big push to bring a race there for again? Between Ken-sucky and Bristol's knee-jerk grind job, how many other events will Bruton Smith botch before it's all said and done? Do we really need to reward all of this debauchery with a second Las Vegas date at his favorite mind-numbing racetrack? Answer: never.
The big joke this weekend at the Indianapolis 500 was that the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 pace car had more horsepower than the cars that were behind it: 624hp, to be precise. NASCAR actually beat IndyCar to the punch on this one too, a couple years back when the Shelby Mustang GT500 was used as a pace car at the restrictor plate tracks for the Nationwide Series.
- As I was watching some of the past Indianapolis 500s the week prior on ESPN Classic, I was struck by the amount of underpowered, smog-laden garbage that was allowed on the hallowed grounds, pacing the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Automotive icons such as the 1983 Buick Riviera Convertible, wheezing out an unremarkable 150 horsepower, or the 1984 Pontiac Fiero, which was most famous for suffocating its occupants with toxic fumes in the event of a fire. Chevrolet served up a turd or two of its own, with a rather hideous 1990 Beretta (Editor's Note: The pace car was a convertible, while the special pace cars sold to the general public were two-door coupes), and even Oldsmobile got in on the act with the 1985 Calais. Because what other car conjures up images of northern France, or the site of WWII bombing raids and V-1 rocket launch sites than a drop top front driver from one of the General's now-deceased brands?
- NASCAR's Hall of Fame inductee class of 2013 was announced last week, and while all who were nominated for this class deserved to be in, there was one chosen who could have stood to wait a couple of years – Rusty Wallace. That's not to besmirch Rusty or his accomplishments; 55 wins and a championship is no small feat. However NASCAR needs to speed things up with regards to how many get in and when. There is no reason why we aren't adding five posthumous additions per year to help honor those who built the sport, the lore, and set the benchmarks for all others before to shoot for. Glenn "Fireball" Roberts, Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly, and Tim Flock, just to name a few, are all worthy and had the numbers, name, or contributions to be included by now.
Yes, I understand the need to have those on hand who can actually go up to receive the awards and speak about their battles on the track; however, you cannot build a foundation on sand with massive gaping holes in it. Much like the sport it is honoring, the Hall needs some tweaks – and quick.
- We're about a month out from being halfway through the season, and Dodge does not appear any more closer to finding a replacement team than it was when Penske Racing announced it was jumping ship to Ford for 2013. Could this be a sign there's yet another swan song and unceremonious exit for one of Detroit's storied performance brands upcoming?
Dodge first sat out the 1965 season when NASCAR boycotted the 426 Hemi until it was turned out in sufficient numbers in production cars, while all but Buddy Arrington abandoned the Dodge Magnum following its less than stellar debut in 1978. When the downsized cars arrived in 1981, only a handful of independents attempted to compete with the ill-fated Mirada, as Chrysler had scrapped virtually all of their racing programs, since the company itself was about to be junked. Now here we are again, on the verge of another Mother Mopar meltdown – all despite winning two races so far this year in Cup, with Brad Keselowski's Dodge carrying the Stars and Stripes around Charlotte Motor Speedway over Memorial Day weekend.
- You know what's awful? The camera angles used to cover racing today. I still want somebody to explain to me how CBS was able to cover a race more comprehensively in 1984 with a handful of cameras and zero visual aids. The in-car camera they used back then gave a more accurate depiction and sense of speed and corner angle than anything that is used today. Yeah, I'm sure the sponsors have some sort of say in this mess, since that is all that is visible for the most part is a solid, tight-hold shot of one car at all times through the corner while some meaningless statistic obscures the rest of the screen. Meanwhile, as the cars streak by at 190mph, the tracker atop the screen scrolls by at a snail's pace…
- In that same vein, one thing that struck me during the Hall of Fame announcement of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence was how these two men in their 70s can still call a race with more accuracy, professionalism, and excitement than most of those today. There is no shame in muting the television and cuing up MRN to listen to the play-by-play of the race. You'd swear there was some actual competition occurring at high speeds. Squier should be present in the booth at the Daytona 500 to call a few laps each year, much like the Detroit Tigers would have Ernie Harwell call a few innings of a game during his later years. NASCAR still has some of its history and historymakers intact; they'd do well to glean some of their knowledge and expertise while they still have the opportunity.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
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We are looking for someone who shares our enthusiasm for NASCAR and has an experienced background in web design. Specifically, we are looking for someone who can help maintain and enhance our website, increase our SEO, and upgrade our publishing platform while producing a limited amount of content throughout the season. This job presents a perfect opportunity for someone with a technical background, a person who wants their work to gain national exposure.
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~~~~~~~~~~
The Critic's Annex: Trackside
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. As most of my readers are well aware of, SPEED provides a substantial amount of additional shows live at the track every weekend. This potpourri includes coverage of qualifying (often time-shifted), practice, studio shows and shows in front of a live audience.
Trackside is one of those "special" productions. In the past, Trackside had been a fun roundtable, with a little bit of seriousness mixed in with the interviews. Not too many shenanigans on there (aside from that time Elliott Sadler tried to crowd surf in Charlotte and failed). However, in recent years, there have been some changes. Last year, SPEED added Marianela Pereyra, most recently of NBC's Poker After Dark, as a Social Media Reporter for the show. 2011 appeared to be a learning process for someone with no NASCAR background. I'll be honest, it was a bit of a change to have her there, but she didn't hurt the show appreciably.
Next came a revolving door of hosts. Late in the season, SPEED gave the gig to Rutledge Wood, likely based on the fact that he co-hosts the American version of Top Gear on History. Wood is a car nut, and there's no disproving that, but he's not a very good host. The shows basically lost their structure and became a free-for-all.
2012 brought all kinds of silliness to the show, including scripted segments shot ahead of time. I remember one particular piece earlier this season in which Wood, Pereyra, Krista Voda and others acted in a piece ripped off from The Real World. Definitely not what I watch Trackside for.
Also, we've seen Trackside split into two half-hour shows at certain races. Part 1 would be Friday night and have one guest, while Part 2 would be Saturday afternoon. This segmentation was not the case this past weekend in Charlotte, but it could be in the cards for other races during the season. I figured that, because of all these changes now would be a good time to take a look at what the show has become.
After last season's craziness with Wood at the helm, Krista Voda has been reinstalled as Trackside host for this year. At Charlotte, she hosted the one-hour show with Kyle Petty, Wood and Pereyra on the panel as well. Pereyra has gotten an expanded role for 2012 and I'm fine with that. By now, I think she's used to the NASCAR beat and deserved to play a bigger part.
After a brief introduction to the show by Voda, the first segment is something called "Grid Chatter." This is a segment in which clips of different people (drivers, crewmembers, wives, etc.) talking to each other are dubbed over to create completely different conversations. The whole thing made me think of those really terrible voiceovers that Bob Saget did when he was hosting America's Funniest Home Videos on ABC. Of course, nowadays, Tom Bergeron has hosted that show longer than Saget ever did, so a lot of people have forgotten about that stupidity. Yeah, this segment was annoying.
Pereyra's Social Media Center segment asked the question of what theme song would you give your favorite driver. One fan's response for Tony Stewart (Survivor's Eye of the Tiger, admittedly not a bad choice) was shown, then it was thrown to the panel for their own life themes. Voda went with Joey Scarbury's "Believe It Or Not" (the theme to "The Greatest American Hero," 1981) while Kyle Petty went with a song from his son-in-law, Randy Montana and Wood chose a song from New Found Glory.
Aric Almirola was the featured guest of the show. Since this episode was shot (and aired) after Saturday's Nationwide race, he already had two days to gloat about winning the pole for the Coca-Cola 600. Discussion during his interview ranged from his season to date to his former ties with the Air Force (his father was a former serviceman). Almirola also detailed the role that Mike Ford has played with RPM since he came to the squad (basically, instilling a new, tougher mentality in the team).
Almirola also talked about his outdoor activities (biking, paddle boarding, etc.) to a great extent. Wood guessed that Bobby Labonte turned him on to riding a road bike (Labonte is well known for riding road bikes for training purposes). There was also discussion of Almirola's wife being pregnant with their first child (a son). Almirola claims that he wanted a boy and his wife wanted a girl, so he "won." Compared to when Labonte was on the show, Almirola definitely appeared to be much happier to be there. I don't know what it was, but Labonte seemed almost bored.
Next up is the game, "Can You Draw," which I guess is supposed to be some kind of knockoff of either Pictionary or Win, Lose or Draw. Apparently, the teams were supposed to be Wood-Petty vs. Voda-Almirola. However, Petty claimed fatigue and numbness in his arm and subbed himself out in favor of Janice Almirola, Aric's wife. What followed was a series of pictures played for one point each with people randomly shouting out of turn. Apparently, it's the same way when Aric and Janice play at home. Still, it was loose as heck.
Finally, we have the rapid fire questions. This segment was where I saw that Labonte was really bored on the show a few weeks ago (his responses were curt and short). However, it appeared that Almirola had some fun with it, so that's good to see.
There was another taped feature where spotters Joey Meier (Brad Keselowski's spotter), Chris Lambert (Denny Hamlin's spotter) and Mike Calinoff (Matt Kenseth's spotter) spent some time carpooling together. Calinoff was driving while Meier and Lambert were spotting for him with two-way radios all around (granted, since they were all in the same vehicle, that was unnecessary). It was... interesting. Pretty rare to see spotters get any time on TV shows, but this feature was just weird. Reminds me of that commercial with the little girl that was spitting out common statements from a spotter from the backseat of the car.
Next up was Trackside's second guest, 20-year-old Johanna Long, fresh off finishing 22nd in the History 300. Her interview started off with a small cake since it was her birthday. Afterwards, Long talked about the Nationwide race, how hot it was out there and so on. Discussion then moved to the Snowball Derby, which Long won back in 2010. Someone please televise that race this year. You would be competing against bupkis. Just do it, SPEED. With no more Toyota All-Star Showdown, why not? It could become a huge draw for the network, and become even more of a short track showcase. As long as the rates are reasonable, the dudes at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola would love it. We also discovered that Long has the Bieber Fever.
Anyways, that was how much SPEED was able to fit into an hour for this episode. On the plus side, it's good to see drivers like Long actually get some airtime for a change. It is telling that she doesn't really care about getting airtime on ESPN. She's here to race and not get sidelined by random shenanigans. That says something. We will definitely keep an eye on Long in the future and see what becomes of her career. For now, she's in a decent spot with ML Motorsports, an independent team based quite a ways from the NASCAR core. It's a great place for her to develop as a racer.
As for the rest of the show, it was disjointed at many points (especially during the "Can You Draw" game), but it appeared that everyone was having a great time. No one had a scowl on their face. I suppose that's all that really matters. The people watching the show live in Charlotte at the track? I don't know. Didn't hear much out of them during the show, except for during the Long interview. I guess they enjoyed themselves. I will say having Voda running things on the show does give it structure and a quasi-flow. Without her (or Steve Byrnes) around, Trackside is just complete randomness that cannot be controlled. It's far from a must watch, but it's worth checking out from time to time, perhaps contingent on who the guests are (for next week's show, it's Denny Hamlin and Ryan Truex).
I hope you liked this look at the current incarnation of Trackside. We'll be back in the near future with another edition of the Critic's Annex. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action in Dover and Detroit.
Phil Allaway is a Senior Writer and the Newsletter Manager for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond the Cockpit: Kvapil On Progression, Perseverance, And Putting Family Fast
"We're not as prepared as we could be or should be, there was a month there where we were just kind of showing up. We didn't have any seven-post time; we didn't have any pull-down rig time. We were just coming to the racetrack and kind of doing it old-school. Here recently, we're a little more prepared. Toyota has helped us out with some support. We're progressing. We realize that we still have a long way to go, but we're pretty proud of what we've gotten done in the last three months.." - Travis Kvapil, describing his 2012 to our own Amy Henderson last weekend in Charlotte
~~~~~~~~~~
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Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
MPM2Nite: Winners And Losers Of NASCAR, 2012 To Date
by Matt McLaughlin
Dollars And Sense: The Roadblocks In Front Of A Shortened Schedule~~~~~~~~~~
The Critic's Annex: Trackside
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. As most of my readers are well aware of, SPEED provides a substantial amount of additional shows live at the track every weekend. This potpourri includes coverage of qualifying (often time-shifted), practice, studio shows and shows in front of a live audience.
Trackside is one of those "special" productions. In the past, Trackside had been a fun roundtable, with a little bit of seriousness mixed in with the interviews. Not too many shenanigans on there (aside from that time Elliott Sadler tried to crowd surf in Charlotte and failed). However, in recent years, there have been some changes. Last year, SPEED added Marianela Pereyra, most recently of NBC's Poker After Dark, as a Social Media Reporter for the show. 2011 appeared to be a learning process for someone with no NASCAR background. I'll be honest, it was a bit of a change to have her there, but she didn't hurt the show appreciably.
Next came a revolving door of hosts. Late in the season, SPEED gave the gig to Rutledge Wood, likely based on the fact that he co-hosts the American version of Top Gear on History. Wood is a car nut, and there's no disproving that, but he's not a very good host. The shows basically lost their structure and became a free-for-all.
2012 brought all kinds of silliness to the show, including scripted segments shot ahead of time. I remember one particular piece earlier this season in which Wood, Pereyra, Krista Voda and others acted in a piece ripped off from The Real World. Definitely not what I watch Trackside for.
Also, we've seen Trackside split into two half-hour shows at certain races. Part 1 would be Friday night and have one guest, while Part 2 would be Saturday afternoon. This segmentation was not the case this past weekend in Charlotte, but it could be in the cards for other races during the season. I figured that, because of all these changes now would be a good time to take a look at what the show has become.
After last season's craziness with Wood at the helm, Krista Voda has been reinstalled as Trackside host for this year. At Charlotte, she hosted the one-hour show with Kyle Petty, Wood and Pereyra on the panel as well. Pereyra has gotten an expanded role for 2012 and I'm fine with that. By now, I think she's used to the NASCAR beat and deserved to play a bigger part.
After a brief introduction to the show by Voda, the first segment is something called "Grid Chatter." This is a segment in which clips of different people (drivers, crewmembers, wives, etc.) talking to each other are dubbed over to create completely different conversations. The whole thing made me think of those really terrible voiceovers that Bob Saget did when he was hosting America's Funniest Home Videos on ABC. Of course, nowadays, Tom Bergeron has hosted that show longer than Saget ever did, so a lot of people have forgotten about that stupidity. Yeah, this segment was annoying.
Pereyra's Social Media Center segment asked the question of what theme song would you give your favorite driver. One fan's response for Tony Stewart (Survivor's Eye of the Tiger, admittedly not a bad choice) was shown, then it was thrown to the panel for their own life themes. Voda went with Joey Scarbury's "Believe It Or Not" (the theme to "The Greatest American Hero," 1981) while Kyle Petty went with a song from his son-in-law, Randy Montana and Wood chose a song from New Found Glory.
Aric Almirola was the featured guest of the show. Since this episode was shot (and aired) after Saturday's Nationwide race, he already had two days to gloat about winning the pole for the Coca-Cola 600. Discussion during his interview ranged from his season to date to his former ties with the Air Force (his father was a former serviceman). Almirola also detailed the role that Mike Ford has played with RPM since he came to the squad (basically, instilling a new, tougher mentality in the team).
Almirola also talked about his outdoor activities (biking, paddle boarding, etc.) to a great extent. Wood guessed that Bobby Labonte turned him on to riding a road bike (Labonte is well known for riding road bikes for training purposes). There was also discussion of Almirola's wife being pregnant with their first child (a son). Almirola claims that he wanted a boy and his wife wanted a girl, so he "won." Compared to when Labonte was on the show, Almirola definitely appeared to be much happier to be there. I don't know what it was, but Labonte seemed almost bored.
Next up is the game, "Can You Draw," which I guess is supposed to be some kind of knockoff of either Pictionary or Win, Lose or Draw. Apparently, the teams were supposed to be Wood-Petty vs. Voda-Almirola. However, Petty claimed fatigue and numbness in his arm and subbed himself out in favor of Janice Almirola, Aric's wife. What followed was a series of pictures played for one point each with people randomly shouting out of turn. Apparently, it's the same way when Aric and Janice play at home. Still, it was loose as heck.
Finally, we have the rapid fire questions. This segment was where I saw that Labonte was really bored on the show a few weeks ago (his responses were curt and short). However, it appeared that Almirola had some fun with it, so that's good to see.
There was another taped feature where spotters Joey Meier (Brad Keselowski's spotter), Chris Lambert (Denny Hamlin's spotter) and Mike Calinoff (Matt Kenseth's spotter) spent some time carpooling together. Calinoff was driving while Meier and Lambert were spotting for him with two-way radios all around (granted, since they were all in the same vehicle, that was unnecessary). It was... interesting. Pretty rare to see spotters get any time on TV shows, but this feature was just weird. Reminds me of that commercial with the little girl that was spitting out common statements from a spotter from the backseat of the car.
Next up was Trackside's second guest, 20-year-old Johanna Long, fresh off finishing 22nd in the History 300. Her interview started off with a small cake since it was her birthday. Afterwards, Long talked about the Nationwide race, how hot it was out there and so on. Discussion then moved to the Snowball Derby, which Long won back in 2010. Someone please televise that race this year. You would be competing against bupkis. Just do it, SPEED. With no more Toyota All-Star Showdown, why not? It could become a huge draw for the network, and become even more of a short track showcase. As long as the rates are reasonable, the dudes at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola would love it. We also discovered that Long has the Bieber Fever.
Anyways, that was how much SPEED was able to fit into an hour for this episode. On the plus side, it's good to see drivers like Long actually get some airtime for a change. It is telling that she doesn't really care about getting airtime on ESPN. She's here to race and not get sidelined by random shenanigans. That says something. We will definitely keep an eye on Long in the future and see what becomes of her career. For now, she's in a decent spot with ML Motorsports, an independent team based quite a ways from the NASCAR core. It's a great place for her to develop as a racer.
As for the rest of the show, it was disjointed at many points (especially during the "Can You Draw" game), but it appeared that everyone was having a great time. No one had a scowl on their face. I suppose that's all that really matters. The people watching the show live in Charlotte at the track? I don't know. Didn't hear much out of them during the show, except for during the Long interview. I guess they enjoyed themselves. I will say having Voda running things on the show does give it structure and a quasi-flow. Without her (or Steve Byrnes) around, Trackside is just complete randomness that cannot be controlled. It's far from a must watch, but it's worth checking out from time to time, perhaps contingent on who the guests are (for next week's show, it's Denny Hamlin and Ryan Truex).
I hope you liked this look at the current incarnation of Trackside. We'll be back in the near future with another edition of the Critic's Annex. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action in Dover and Detroit.
Phil Allaway is a Senior Writer and the Newsletter Manager for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond the Cockpit: Kvapil On Progression, Perseverance, And Putting Family Fast
"We're not as prepared as we could be or should be, there was a month there where we were just kind of showing up. We didn't have any seven-post time; we didn't have any pull-down rig time. We were just coming to the racetrack and kind of doing it old-school. Here recently, we're a little more prepared. Toyota has helped us out with some support. We're progressing. We realize that we still have a long way to go, but we're pretty proud of what we've gotten done in the last three months.." - Travis Kvapil, describing his 2012 to our own Amy Henderson last weekend in Charlotte
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
MPM2Nite: Winners And Losers Of NASCAR, 2012 To Date
by Matt McLaughlin
by Jesse Medford
Potts' Shots: A Missing Piece, How Empty Seats Are Hidden, Indy, And Aero
by John Potts
Professor Of Speed: The Polarization Of NASCAR Nation
by Mark Howell
Truckin' Thursdays: From King To Canned - Sponsorship Woes Claim Another
by Beth Lunkenheimer
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the 1987 Budweiser 500 at Dover, Bobby Allison was quite dominant, leading 147 laps before dropping out with "engine issues." Just what kind of engine issues were they?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
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?
A: After hitting the wall, Earnhardt's badly damaged rolled down the frontstretch, then crossed onto the apron at pit out. Elmo Langley just so happened to be there with the pace car. There was some minor contact, leaving a scuff mark on the Pontiac Firebird.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Jeff Wolfe
-- In Case You Missed It by Nick Schwartz
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Dover Edition by Summer Bedgood
Summer is back with a four-part look at some interesting stories as we look forward to Sunday's FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy's back with another interesting commentary.
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece on the Nationwide Series ahead of their race Saturday in Dover.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
IndyCar Series Preview: Indianapolis 500 by Toni Montgomery
Toni takes a look at what to expect in Sunday's Chevrolet Belle Grand Prix.
Driver Diary: Michael Annett as told to Toni Montgomery
The driver of the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford returns to discuss the past month as his season in the Nationwide Series continues.
-----------------------------Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Jeff Wolfe
-- In Case You Missed It by Nick Schwartz
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Dover Edition by Summer Bedgood
Summer is back with a four-part look at some interesting stories as we look forward to Sunday's FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy's back with another interesting commentary.
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece on the Nationwide Series ahead of their race Saturday in Dover.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
IndyCar Series Preview: Indianapolis 500 by Toni Montgomery
Toni takes a look at what to expect in Sunday's Chevrolet Belle Grand Prix.
Driver Diary: Michael Annett as told to Toni Montgomery
The driver of the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford returns to discuss the past month as his season in the Nationwide Series continues.
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