THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 12th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CXXX
Congratulations to Walter Scott, the winner of one free weekend's use of FanVision! Walter read our Frontstretch.com piece on how spotters Joey Meier and Rocky Ryan use the FanVision device at the track and provided the correct answer to our trivia question. For those of you who did not win this time, keep an eye out for more FanVision give-a-ways in the future!
What to Watch: Thursday
- The Allmendinger watch continues into Day 5 on Thursday. Its unclear whether anything notable in the saga will occur today. However, if anything does, we will cover it in tomorrow's Newsletter and/or in the Breaking News box at Frontstretch.com.
Top News
by Phil Allaway
The Allmendinger Camp Goes Public
On Wednesday, A.J. Allmendinger's business manager, Tara Ragan, put out an official press release on Allmendinger's behalf. It is the first public comment about the ongoing drug test issue since NASCAR announced Allmendinger's test failure on Saturday.
The statement, posted on Allmendinger's own website, said: "In an effort to help our colleagues in the media report on this in a timely and accurate manner, we wanted to provide some additional details regarding AJ's sample "A" test results. AJ tested positive for a stimulant. He has no idea why the first test was positive, and has never knowingly taken any prohibited substance. AJ is collecting his medicines and supplements for testing to determine whether an over the counter product caused his positive test. AJ and all of us at Walldinger Racing respect NASCAR's testing program, and he has requested that his "B" sample be tested as part of the process of getting to the bottom of this. We will have the opportunity to review all of the scientific data surrounding the test following the "B" sample test, but our understanding is that AJ's test was slightly above the threshold. As of [Wednesday] morning, we have not been given notice of when the testing of the "B" sample will take place. Thanks again for all of the support of our fans, team and sponsors as we continue working through the process."
In NASCAR's Substance Abuse Policy, a stimulant can refer to over 20 different substances. Methamphetamines, the substance that Jeremy Mayfield tested positive for in 2009, is on that list. Speculation as to what stimulant triggered the positive test has been rampant. Rumors on Twitter Wednesday placed Fuel in a Bottle, a Coca-Cola produced energy shot that Allmendinger promotes, to blame due to its elevated levels of caffeine. However, that is all conjecture at the moment.
Luke and Associates to Sponsor JTG-Daugherty at Loudon
On Wednesday, JTG-Daugherty Racing announced that Luke and Associates, Inc. will serve as the team's primary sponsor this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Based on pictures released on the team's own "Facebook fan page":https://www.facebook.com/pages/JTG-Daugherty-Racing-Fan-Page, the Luke & Associates colors will only appear on the car's hood, while Bush's Baked Beans will be on the quarterpanels.
Representatives of Luke & Associates are very proud to be onboard the No. 47 for New Hampshire.
"We are proud to be a part of JTG-Daugherty Racing," said Jim Barfield, CEO of Luke & Associates. "The ability to further support our troops by signifying them on the hood is exciting for us as a company and fans."
For Luke & Associates, this is far from their first foray into Sprint Cup. They first came into the series as the primary sponsor for driver Geoff Bodine with Tommy Baldwin Racing last season. In the four races out of eight that Bodine qualified for, he had a best finish of 30th at Homestead.
Mohawk Northeast to Sponsor No. 10 at New Hampshire
Tommy Baldwin Racing announced on Wednesday that Mohawk Northeast, a Connecticut-based company specializing in heavy construction and construction for marine uses, will serve as the primary sponsor of the team's No. 10 Chevrolet and driver David Reutimann this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Mohawk Northeast President Al Heinke is very happy to expand his support of Tommy Baldwin Racing.
"I have been involved with TBR for a few years and am glad to be able to support the team with Mohawk," Heinke said. "TBR is a great outlet to promote a business and use as incentives for employees. I'm proud to be part of both companies and am glad that there are opportunities for both companies to work together."
This is not Mohawk Northeast's first time onboard one of TBR's Sprint Cup entries. The company has previously sponsored TBR on at least one occasion in Sprint Cup, most recently at Talladega in April of last year.
Also, Heinke and Baldwin's relationship extends beyond NASCAR's borders. The two currently co-own Heinke-Baldwin Racing (HBR), a team that races in the Super DirtCar Series for Northeast-style DIRT Modifieds (and one that also uses a similar team logo to TBR's). The team's No. 98h Big Block DIRT Modified, driven by Jimmy Phelps, is sponsored by Mohawk Northeast. The teams also have a history of sharing sponsorships. When Wave Energy Drink sponsored Baldwin's No. 36 in Sprint Cup in 2010, HBR had the sponsorship on their cars as well.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Lenox Industrial Tools 301: 44 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 22- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 22- Sam Hornish, Jr. is in the seat, replacing A.J. Allmendinger. For now, this is just for Loudon, but we'll find out eventually what will happen with Allmendinger's test saga.
No. 32- Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing Terry Labonte.
No. 55- Brian Vickers returns to the seat, replacing Michael Waltrip.
No. 79- Kelly Bires is in the seat, replacing Scott Speed.
No. 98- Michael McDowell returns to the seat, replacing Mike Bliss. Yes, McDowell actually started the race on Saturday night, but Bliss practiced and qualified it.
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. 79- Kelly Bires for Go Green Racing*
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing
Not Entered:
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 50- Bill Elliott for Turner Motorsports
Nationwide Series F.W. Webb 200: 43 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 22- Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 30- Jamie McMurray for Turner Motorsports
No. 33- Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 38- Kasey Kahne for Turner Motorsports
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 47- Stephen Leicht for Team Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 54- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 75- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 08- Matt Frahm returns to the seat, replacing Bryan Silas.
No. 15- Blake Koch returns to the seat, replacing Jeffrey Earnhardt.
No. 18- Ryan Truex is in the seat, replacing Joey Logano.
No. 23- Jamie Dick returns to the seat, replacing Robert Richardson, Jr.
No. 24- Amber Cope is in the seat, replacing Casey Roderick. Amber is the twin sister of Angela Cope, who drove for SR2 Motorsports earlier this season.
No. 30- Jamie McMurray is in the seat, replacing James Buescher.
No. 38- Kasey Kahne returns to the seat, replacing Brad Sweet.
No. 99- Travis Pastrana returns to the seat, replacing John Wes Townley.
Since there are only 43 entries, no one will miss the field. However, these teams must still qualify on speed:
No. 08- Matt Frahm for Randy Hill Racing*
No. 10- Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 15- Blake Koch for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46- Chase Miller for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 47- Stephen Leicht for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 50- T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 52- Joey Gase for Means Motorsports
No. 71- Matt Carter for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 86- Kevin Lepage for Deware Racing
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Racing Ventures
Note: There may be either an outright withdrawl of the No. 71, or a driver switch in play. Matt Carter tweeted on Wednesday that he would be driving the No. 75 this weekend in Loudon, which is the car that Scott Riggs is entered in.
Not Entered:
No. 1- Kurt Busch for Phoenix Racing
No. 36- Bobby Santos III for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 82- MacDonald Motorsports
Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 200: 39 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points: None
Driver Changes:
No. 24- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Max Gresham. Gresham left the team earlier this week.
No. 27- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing C.E. Falk.
No. 38- Chris Jones is in the seat, replacing Johnny Chapman.
No. 65- Justin Jennings will be in the seat, replacing Scott Stenzel. Jennings has one career start in the ARCA Racing Series at Salem. If he qualifies, he will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 0- Chris Lafferty for JJC Racing
No. 07- Jeff Agnew for SS-Green Light Racing
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 14- Brennan Newberry for NTS Motorsports
No. 15- Todd Shafer for Acor Motorsports
No. 38- Chris Jones for RSS Racing
No. 47- Benjamin Reynolds for Coyle Racing. If Reynolds qualifies, he will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 50- Natalie Sather for MAKE Motorsports. If Sather qualifies, she will be making her Camping World Truck Series debut (she DNQ'd at Martinsville earlier this season).
No. 57- Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 65- Justin Jennings for MB Motorsports
No. 75- Caleb Holman for Henderson Racing
No. 93- Dennis Setzer for RSS Racing
No. 96- Todd Peck for Peck Motorsports
No. 97- Jeff Choquette for Adrian Carriers Racing Team. If Choquette qualifies, he will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
Not Entered:
No. 01- Jake Crum for Crum Motorsports
No. 02- Tyler Young for Young's Motorsports
No. 4- Kyle Larson for Turner Motorsports
No. 68- Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
No. 84- Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
No. 86- Scott Riggs for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
Have news for Phil 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
Quick Hits for July 12th
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
The Passion of The Kurt
Kurt Busch's late race heroics in the Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona last Friday evening was the type of "Born Again" moment many have been waiting for from the petulant pilot of the Phoenix Racing Chevrolets. While AJ Allmendinger is likely bemoaning his "last best chance" gone awry at Penske Racing, since being ousted from the No. 22 Dodge himself, Kurt Busch has spent the better part of 2012 repairing bridges he had built – and burnt – in just five short months. When he emerged from the unsponsored No. 1 machine of car owner James Finch, Busch appeared legitimately overjoyed and ecstatic with his restrictor plate win.
It isn't often that you see that kind of emotion from a Sprint Cup champion competing in "just" a Nationwide event; a Carl Edwards back-flip seemed to pale in comparison to the joy felt by both driver and his crew.
"It's just passion and heart, that's all I can give," said the 2004 Cup champion. "That's all I can do right now. To do this for James Finch is awesome. To be an underfunded team, to come out only four times a year … it's amazing to do what we can with a little team and to persevere."
Could this be the turning point in Busch's career and his life in general? From the genuine humility displayed at Sonoma following a late race slip up that saw him clip a stack of tires and rip the rear suspension from its mounting points and stymie any chance at a win– yet hold on to a third place finish – is a far cry from the weekly fanatical F-bomb laced tirades of a year ago. With some prime rides now in play for 2012, including his old horse at Penske Racing, Busch may have turned things around just in time to take advantage of some new opportunities that did not exist even two weeks ago.
Ridin' Dirty
AJ Allmendinger's suspension Saturday at Daytona prior to the start of the Coke Zero 400 was a shock to all involved, including the driver, owner Roger Penske, and relief driver Sam Hornish, Jr. Another party however has to be throwing their collective hands in the air as well – sponsor Shell Pennzoil. After leaving RCR to become the new sponsor of Kurt Busch and Penske in 2011, they were host to the aforementioned radio outbursts of Busch, including a memorable dressing down of the entire engineering department at Penske – albeit one that brought about swift change and marked improvement in performance for both the No. 22 and 2 Dodges. The final straw was the now infamous scene of an irritated Kurt Busch being less than cordial with media stalwart, ESPN reporter Dr. Jerry Punch.
Allmendinger was brought in at the 11th hour over David Ragan and Aric Almirola, as both a stop-gap solution and potential Penske lifer, as The Captain has a certain fondness for open wheel aces. Now Shell Pennzoil has their name associated with "failed drug test," and wondering what recidivist might be wearing their yellow and red colors next.
At what point do they just throw in the towel and demand that Trevor Bayne be put in the car, so they can ensure a trouble-free, wholesome, and reliable spokesman for their brand? Then again (and no offense to Trevor) there is a popular school of thought that safe is bland, bland is boring, and the only worse thing for a racecar driver to be other than polarizing is irrelevant. After all, nobody makes headlines being a good guy.
Like Denzel Washington's character Alonzo says in _Training Day_ , "Sometimes you gotta have a little dirt on you, for anybody to trust you."
Good (and bad) Things Come in 3:
Okay, so at what point does NASCAR drop the hammer on RCR, and refrain from the now common and apparently ineffective six-point fine for rules violations? From flared fenders at Richmond, mysterious jack bolt malfunctions at Kentucky that saw the rear quarters come in too low (to keep the front splitter off the wavy track), and now loose vent hoses during qualifying at Daytona to direct airflow and alter air pressure around the car.
For those who carp and moan about Chad Knaus' run-ins with the inspection police, at least he's actually caught with awesome mods and disciplined harshly.
RCR on the other hand seems to be getting away repeatedly with rules violations, even those that result in a victory margin of over nine seconds. As much as phantom debris cautions raise the ire of fans, so should incidents such as these. It probably doesn't help that the car owner and former series owner were close friends; Jack Roush still credits a promise by the late Bill France to Childress after he phoned him to complain of an apparent rules violation, helping him win the 1990 Winston Cup Championship, after Roush and driver Mark Martin were fined 46-points for a carburetor spacer that was essentially okayed by a technical bulletin and three prior inspections.
The No. 3 and No. 2 RCR Nationwide teams have both been the subject of fines this season, but it is the No. 3 that seems to be catching quite a bit of attention and heat lately – and is none the worse for wear for it.
NASCAR needs to start issuing penalties with teeth, particularly if they're going to result in the type of dominating win at Kentucky, when the second-place finisher gets smoked by 1/3 of a lap. I know, the black No. 3 made it back to Victory Lane, and that had to be the big story that week – but at what cost to the integrity to the series and the sport? No offense to No. 3 fans (as I don't need a rock through my window), and I believe that many agree with me that seeing that particular car back on the track and running up front brings back some warm memories, but having it win under dubious circumstances is a little hollow, and in a way tarnishes the image of the facsimile of a legend that is out on the track currently.
Also, Austin, please lose the cowboy hat. Its not working out. Even The Intimidator gave them up in '82.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 12th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CXXX
Congratulations to Walter Scott, the winner of one free weekend's use of FanVision! Walter read our Frontstretch.com piece on how spotters Joey Meier and Rocky Ryan use the FanVision device at the track and provided the correct answer to our trivia question. For those of you who did not win this time, keep an eye out for more FanVision give-a-ways in the future!
What to Watch: Thursday
- The Allmendinger watch continues into Day 5 on Thursday. Its unclear whether anything notable in the saga will occur today. However, if anything does, we will cover it in tomorrow's Newsletter and/or in the Breaking News box at Frontstretch.com.
Top News
by Phil Allaway
The Allmendinger Camp Goes Public
On Wednesday, A.J. Allmendinger's business manager, Tara Ragan, put out an official press release on Allmendinger's behalf. It is the first public comment about the ongoing drug test issue since NASCAR announced Allmendinger's test failure on Saturday.
The statement, posted on Allmendinger's own website, said: "In an effort to help our colleagues in the media report on this in a timely and accurate manner, we wanted to provide some additional details regarding AJ's sample "A" test results. AJ tested positive for a stimulant. He has no idea why the first test was positive, and has never knowingly taken any prohibited substance. AJ is collecting his medicines and supplements for testing to determine whether an over the counter product caused his positive test. AJ and all of us at Walldinger Racing respect NASCAR's testing program, and he has requested that his "B" sample be tested as part of the process of getting to the bottom of this. We will have the opportunity to review all of the scientific data surrounding the test following the "B" sample test, but our understanding is that AJ's test was slightly above the threshold. As of [Wednesday] morning, we have not been given notice of when the testing of the "B" sample will take place. Thanks again for all of the support of our fans, team and sponsors as we continue working through the process."
In NASCAR's Substance Abuse Policy, a stimulant can refer to over 20 different substances. Methamphetamines, the substance that Jeremy Mayfield tested positive for in 2009, is on that list. Speculation as to what stimulant triggered the positive test has been rampant. Rumors on Twitter Wednesday placed Fuel in a Bottle, a Coca-Cola produced energy shot that Allmendinger promotes, to blame due to its elevated levels of caffeine. However, that is all conjecture at the moment.
Luke and Associates to Sponsor JTG-Daugherty at Loudon
On Wednesday, JTG-Daugherty Racing announced that Luke and Associates, Inc. will serve as the team's primary sponsor this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Based on pictures released on the team's own "Facebook fan page":https://www.facebook.com/pages/JTG-Daugherty-Racing-Fan-Page, the Luke & Associates colors will only appear on the car's hood, while Bush's Baked Beans will be on the quarterpanels.
Representatives of Luke & Associates are very proud to be onboard the No. 47 for New Hampshire.
"We are proud to be a part of JTG-Daugherty Racing," said Jim Barfield, CEO of Luke & Associates. "The ability to further support our troops by signifying them on the hood is exciting for us as a company and fans."
For Luke & Associates, this is far from their first foray into Sprint Cup. They first came into the series as the primary sponsor for driver Geoff Bodine with Tommy Baldwin Racing last season. In the four races out of eight that Bodine qualified for, he had a best finish of 30th at Homestead.
Mohawk Northeast to Sponsor No. 10 at New Hampshire
Tommy Baldwin Racing announced on Wednesday that Mohawk Northeast, a Connecticut-based company specializing in heavy construction and construction for marine uses, will serve as the primary sponsor of the team's No. 10 Chevrolet and driver David Reutimann this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Mohawk Northeast President Al Heinke is very happy to expand his support of Tommy Baldwin Racing.
"I have been involved with TBR for a few years and am glad to be able to support the team with Mohawk," Heinke said. "TBR is a great outlet to promote a business and use as incentives for employees. I'm proud to be part of both companies and am glad that there are opportunities for both companies to work together."
This is not Mohawk Northeast's first time onboard one of TBR's Sprint Cup entries. The company has previously sponsored TBR on at least one occasion in Sprint Cup, most recently at Talladega in April of last year.
Also, Heinke and Baldwin's relationship extends beyond NASCAR's borders. The two currently co-own Heinke-Baldwin Racing (HBR), a team that races in the Super DirtCar Series for Northeast-style DIRT Modifieds (and one that also uses a similar team logo to TBR's). The team's No. 98h Big Block DIRT Modified, driven by Jimmy Phelps, is sponsored by Mohawk Northeast. The teams also have a history of sharing sponsorships. When Wave Energy Drink sponsored Baldwin's No. 36 in Sprint Cup in 2010, HBR had the sponsorship on their cars as well.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Lenox Industrial Tools 301: 44 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 22- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 22- Sam Hornish, Jr. is in the seat, replacing A.J. Allmendinger. For now, this is just for Loudon, but we'll find out eventually what will happen with Allmendinger's test saga.
No. 32- Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing Terry Labonte.
No. 55- Brian Vickers returns to the seat, replacing Michael Waltrip.
No. 79- Kelly Bires is in the seat, replacing Scott Speed.
No. 98- Michael McDowell returns to the seat, replacing Mike Bliss. Yes, McDowell actually started the race on Saturday night, but Bliss practiced and qualified it.
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. 79- Kelly Bires for Go Green Racing*
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing
Not Entered:
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 50- Bill Elliott for Turner Motorsports
Nationwide Series F.W. Webb 200: 43 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 22- Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 30- Jamie McMurray for Turner Motorsports
No. 33- Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 38- Kasey Kahne for Turner Motorsports
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 47- Stephen Leicht for Team Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 54- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 75- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 08- Matt Frahm returns to the seat, replacing Bryan Silas.
No. 15- Blake Koch returns to the seat, replacing Jeffrey Earnhardt.
No. 18- Ryan Truex is in the seat, replacing Joey Logano.
No. 23- Jamie Dick returns to the seat, replacing Robert Richardson, Jr.
No. 24- Amber Cope is in the seat, replacing Casey Roderick. Amber is the twin sister of Angela Cope, who drove for SR2 Motorsports earlier this season.
No. 30- Jamie McMurray is in the seat, replacing James Buescher.
No. 38- Kasey Kahne returns to the seat, replacing Brad Sweet.
No. 99- Travis Pastrana returns to the seat, replacing John Wes Townley.
Since there are only 43 entries, no one will miss the field. However, these teams must still qualify on speed:
No. 08- Matt Frahm for Randy Hill Racing*
No. 10- Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 15- Blake Koch for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46- Chase Miller for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 47- Stephen Leicht for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 50- T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 52- Joey Gase for Means Motorsports
No. 71- Matt Carter for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 86- Kevin Lepage for Deware Racing
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Racing Ventures
Note: There may be either an outright withdrawl of the No. 71, or a driver switch in play. Matt Carter tweeted on Wednesday that he would be driving the No. 75 this weekend in Loudon, which is the car that Scott Riggs is entered in.
Not Entered:
No. 1- Kurt Busch for Phoenix Racing
No. 36- Bobby Santos III for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 82- MacDonald Motorsports
Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 200: 39 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points: None
Driver Changes:
No. 24- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Max Gresham. Gresham left the team earlier this week.
No. 27- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing C.E. Falk.
No. 38- Chris Jones is in the seat, replacing Johnny Chapman.
No. 65- Justin Jennings will be in the seat, replacing Scott Stenzel. Jennings has one career start in the ARCA Racing Series at Salem. If he qualifies, he will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 0- Chris Lafferty for JJC Racing
No. 07- Jeff Agnew for SS-Green Light Racing
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 14- Brennan Newberry for NTS Motorsports
No. 15- Todd Shafer for Acor Motorsports
No. 38- Chris Jones for RSS Racing
No. 47- Benjamin Reynolds for Coyle Racing. If Reynolds qualifies, he will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 50- Natalie Sather for MAKE Motorsports. If Sather qualifies, she will be making her Camping World Truck Series debut (she DNQ'd at Martinsville earlier this season).
No. 57- Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 65- Justin Jennings for MB Motorsports
No. 75- Caleb Holman for Henderson Racing
No. 93- Dennis Setzer for RSS Racing
No. 96- Todd Peck for Peck Motorsports
No. 97- Jeff Choquette for Adrian Carriers Racing Team. If Choquette qualifies, he will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
Not Entered:
No. 01- Jake Crum for Crum Motorsports
No. 02- Tyler Young for Young's Motorsports
No. 4- Kyle Larson for Turner Motorsports
No. 68- Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
No. 84- Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
No. 86- Scott Riggs for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
Have news for Phil 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
Quick Hits for July 12th
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
The Passion of The Kurt
Kurt Busch's late race heroics in the Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona last Friday evening was the type of "Born Again" moment many have been waiting for from the petulant pilot of the Phoenix Racing Chevrolets. While AJ Allmendinger is likely bemoaning his "last best chance" gone awry at Penske Racing, since being ousted from the No. 22 Dodge himself, Kurt Busch has spent the better part of 2012 repairing bridges he had built – and burnt – in just five short months. When he emerged from the unsponsored No. 1 machine of car owner James Finch, Busch appeared legitimately overjoyed and ecstatic with his restrictor plate win.
It isn't often that you see that kind of emotion from a Sprint Cup champion competing in "just" a Nationwide event; a Carl Edwards back-flip seemed to pale in comparison to the joy felt by both driver and his crew.
"It's just passion and heart, that's all I can give," said the 2004 Cup champion. "That's all I can do right now. To do this for James Finch is awesome. To be an underfunded team, to come out only four times a year … it's amazing to do what we can with a little team and to persevere."
Could this be the turning point in Busch's career and his life in general? From the genuine humility displayed at Sonoma following a late race slip up that saw him clip a stack of tires and rip the rear suspension from its mounting points and stymie any chance at a win– yet hold on to a third place finish – is a far cry from the weekly fanatical F-bomb laced tirades of a year ago. With some prime rides now in play for 2012, including his old horse at Penske Racing, Busch may have turned things around just in time to take advantage of some new opportunities that did not exist even two weeks ago.
Ridin' Dirty
AJ Allmendinger's suspension Saturday at Daytona prior to the start of the Coke Zero 400 was a shock to all involved, including the driver, owner Roger Penske, and relief driver Sam Hornish, Jr. Another party however has to be throwing their collective hands in the air as well – sponsor Shell Pennzoil. After leaving RCR to become the new sponsor of Kurt Busch and Penske in 2011, they were host to the aforementioned radio outbursts of Busch, including a memorable dressing down of the entire engineering department at Penske – albeit one that brought about swift change and marked improvement in performance for both the No. 22 and 2 Dodges. The final straw was the now infamous scene of an irritated Kurt Busch being less than cordial with media stalwart, ESPN reporter Dr. Jerry Punch.
Allmendinger was brought in at the 11th hour over David Ragan and Aric Almirola, as both a stop-gap solution and potential Penske lifer, as The Captain has a certain fondness for open wheel aces. Now Shell Pennzoil has their name associated with "failed drug test," and wondering what recidivist might be wearing their yellow and red colors next.
At what point do they just throw in the towel and demand that Trevor Bayne be put in the car, so they can ensure a trouble-free, wholesome, and reliable spokesman for their brand? Then again (and no offense to Trevor) there is a popular school of thought that safe is bland, bland is boring, and the only worse thing for a racecar driver to be other than polarizing is irrelevant. After all, nobody makes headlines being a good guy.
Like Denzel Washington's character Alonzo says in _Training Day_ , "Sometimes you gotta have a little dirt on you, for anybody to trust you."
Good (and bad) Things Come in 3:
Okay, so at what point does NASCAR drop the hammer on RCR, and refrain from the now common and apparently ineffective six-point fine for rules violations? From flared fenders at Richmond, mysterious jack bolt malfunctions at Kentucky that saw the rear quarters come in too low (to keep the front splitter off the wavy track), and now loose vent hoses during qualifying at Daytona to direct airflow and alter air pressure around the car.
For those who carp and moan about Chad Knaus' run-ins with the inspection police, at least he's actually caught with awesome mods and disciplined harshly.
RCR on the other hand seems to be getting away repeatedly with rules violations, even those that result in a victory margin of over nine seconds. As much as phantom debris cautions raise the ire of fans, so should incidents such as these. It probably doesn't help that the car owner and former series owner were close friends; Jack Roush still credits a promise by the late Bill France to Childress after he phoned him to complain of an apparent rules violation, helping him win the 1990 Winston Cup Championship, after Roush and driver Mark Martin were fined 46-points for a carburetor spacer that was essentially okayed by a technical bulletin and three prior inspections.
The No. 3 and No. 2 RCR Nationwide teams have both been the subject of fines this season, but it is the No. 3 that seems to be catching quite a bit of attention and heat lately – and is none the worse for wear for it.
NASCAR needs to start issuing penalties with teeth, particularly if they're going to result in the type of dominating win at Kentucky, when the second-place finisher gets smoked by 1/3 of a lap. I know, the black No. 3 made it back to Victory Lane, and that had to be the big story that week – but at what cost to the integrity to the series and the sport? No offense to No. 3 fans (as I don't need a rock through my window), and I believe that many agree with me that seeing that particular car back on the track and running up front brings back some warm memories, but having it win under dubious circumstances is a little hollow, and in a way tarnishes the image of the facsimile of a legend that is out on the track currently.
Also, Austin, please lose the cowboy hat. Its not working out. Even The Intimidator gave them up in '82.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
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Editor's Note: The Critic's Annex will return next week.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond the Cockpit: Back Home in Nationwide for RWR's Timmy Hill
"I'm not going to lie, trying to move to Cup was a big step. But the reality is, we got our Cup cars two weeks before Daytona, while most of the other teams out there were preparing all winter. We were missing races by thousandths of a second. We were not out to lunch out there. Coming off rookie of the year, we had big plans, it just didn't work out for us. Maybe we'll try it next year or the year after. No matter, I'm looking forward to the future." - Timmy Hill, on his aborted attempt to run for Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
MPM2Nite: Short Takes Before A Short Break
by Matt McLaughlin
Editor's Note: The Critic's Annex will return next week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond the Cockpit: Back Home in Nationwide for RWR's Timmy Hill
"I'm not going to lie, trying to move to Cup was a big step. But the reality is, we got our Cup cars two weeks before Daytona, while most of the other teams out there were preparing all winter. We were missing races by thousandths of a second. We were not out to lunch out there. Coming off rookie of the year, we had big plans, it just didn't work out for us. Maybe we'll try it next year or the year after. No matter, I'm looking forward to the future." - Timmy Hill, on his aborted attempt to run for Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year
~~~~~~~~~~
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: Short Takes Before A Short Break
by Matt McLaughlin
Potts' Shots: How Much To Run It, The Bluebird Walls It, And A Name Game
by John Potts
Dollars And Sense: U.S. Army is Downsizing, Starting With NASCAR's Ryan Newman
by Jesse Medford
Truckin' Thursdays: Debuting Drivers, Gresham On The Market And More
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Professor Of Speed: The Numbers Game
by Mark Howell
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: For Derrike Cope, 1994 was a fairly tough season. He was fired from Cale Yarborough Motorsports midway through the season and replaced with rookie Jeremy Mayfield. Cope was then forced to drive for T.W. Taylor's No. 02 before finding a home at the underfunded Bobby Allison Motorsports (they landed Straight Arrow backing right about the time they signed him to replace Tim Steele after Steele was not even close to qualifying for the Brickyard 400). The Slick 50 300 at Loudon likely played a major role in why Cope was fired out of the No. 98. Why?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: In July, 1999 Tony Stewart was staring down his first career victory at New Hampshire before he snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. What happened?
A: Stewart appeared to have the race won. He had a multiple second lead over Jeff Burton. However, as seems to be the norm these days on the flat slightly more than one mile oval, fuel was an issue. With a lap and a half to go, Stewart's Home Depot Pontiac ran dry and shut off on the backstretch. This allowed Jeff Burton to claim the victory and Kenny Wallace to claim a career-best second-place finish. Stewart ended up finishing tenth.
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 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: Loudon Edition by Summer Bedgood
Summer is back with a four-part look at some interesting stories as we look forward to Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
This week, Amy's talking about Ryan Newman and why, despite nearly 50 poles and multiple victories, he hasn't lived up to the lofty potential he showed when he first entered as a rookie in 2001.
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece on the Nationwide Series to prepare you for Saturday's F.W. Webb 200.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Driver Diary: Kenny Wallace as told to Amy Henderson
Kenny returns to discuss the past month on and off the track.
-----------------------------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: Loudon Edition by Summer Bedgood
Summer is back with a four-part look at some interesting stories as we look forward to Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
This week, Amy's talking about Ryan Newman and why, despite nearly 50 poles and multiple victories, he hasn't lived up to the lofty potential he showed when he first entered as a rookie in 2001.
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece on the Nationwide Series to prepare you for Saturday's F.W. Webb 200.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Driver Diary: Kenny Wallace as told to Amy Henderson
Kenny returns to discuss the past month on and off the track.
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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