THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 19th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CXXXVI
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Military Sponsorships Survive Amendment Vote
On Wednesday, Congress finally debated, negotiated and voted on the amendment proposed by Jack Kingston (Republican from Georgia) and Betty McCollum (Democrat from Minnesota). This was an amendment to the Defense Spending bill for the 2013 fiscal year that would have banned branches of the military from sponsorship anything having to do with sports.
The amendment, which despite Republican co-authoring, had primarily Democratic support, came up just short of passing. 216 representatives voted against it, while 202 were for it. 17 representatives did not render a vote, either because they chose not to, or they weren't present in House chambers during the short vote. 216 is just short of an overall majority of the House. Had the measure passed, the National Guard would have been forced to give up their sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., worth $20 million a year. They would have also had to give up their sponsorship of J.R. Hildebrand and Panther Racing in the Izod IndyCar Series. The Army, which has already announced their departure from Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of 2012, would have also lost their Top Fuel sponsorship in the NHRA. It would have also cut Marine Corps sponsorships in the UFC and in bass fishing competitions. The combined amount of savings had the amendment passed would have been $72.3 million dollars.
However, this could be considered a fairly substantial gain for McCollum and Kingston. Last year, McCollum voted for another amendment to ban such sponsorships. That amendment also failed, but by a much larger margin, 241-148. The general opinion is that McCollum and Kingston will likely try this again after the November elections. That is, if they retain their posts. All 435 members of the House of Representatives are up for re-election this November, and the general anger towards all politicians is fairly high right now. Kingston will be seeking his 11th term, while McCollum will be trying to earn her seventh two-year term.
Yeley to Tommy Baldwin Racing?
Seems like there could be some driver changes afoot when the Sprint Cup Series returns from their one week Mid-Summer Break. J.J. Yeley, who has driven the No. 49 Toyotas for Robinson-Blakeney Motorsports this season, tweeted that he is out of the seat on Wednesday.
"Making some positive changes for the remainder of 2012.
Moving over to TBR," Yeley tweeted.
Currently, Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) runs two full-time teams, the No. 10 (when Danica Patrick is not racing) and the No. 36. Dave Blaney is full-time in the No. 36, while the No. 10 has seen multiple drivers in the seat this season. David Reutimann has driven the car for most of the season, but Tomy Drissi, Blaney and Tony Raines have driven the car, in addition to the three races where Stewart-Haas Racing has operated the car for Patrick. The team's best finish thus far has been Reutimann's 11th at Daytona a couple of weeks ago. Patrick still has seven more races in the No. 10 for the rest of the season and those races will not be relinquished.
Meanwhile, Blaney has driven all but one race in the No. 36 (Raines drove it in Pocono while Blaney was in the No. 10 and Reutimann was driving the No. 51 in place of the suspended Kurt Busch). That team's best finish was 15th in the Daytona 500. Either Blaney or Reutimann would likely be asked to step aside for Yeley if this comes to fruition since TBR likely does not have the funds or the personnel to run a third car.
For Robinson-Blakeney Racing, Yeley's move leaves the team without a driver for Indianapolis. The team may hire a replacement driver from within the group that has already driven for them this season. That could mean a possible return to Cup for Derrike Cope, Kevin Lepage or David Green. Cope hasn't started a race since 2009, but has attempted a couple in recent years. Lepage hasn't started a race since 2007 (and has DNQ'd 13 times since), and the semi-retired Green hasn't attempted a race since 2004. Of course, the No. 49 team would also have the option of going outside their comfort zone and hiring from outside.
Quiroga to Drive Four Races for Kyle Busch Motorsports
Kyle Busch Motorsports announced on Wednesday that three-time NASCAR Mexico Series Champion German Quiroga will drive a second entry for the team, the No. 51 Toyota, in four races later this season in the Camping World Truck Series. Primary sponsorship will be provided by NET10, a prepaid wireless internet provider.
Quiroga is happy to have the opportunity to return to the Camping World Truck Series.
"I am very grateful to NET10 for making it possible for me to get back into the No. 51 Toyota for KBM," Quiroga said. "In Mexico, I am accustomed to winning races and competing for championships, and that is exactly what KBM does in the [Camping World] Truck Series. I'm very proud of all that I accomplished in the NASCAR Mexico Series the last five seasons, but I am ready for a new challenge."
This may be NET10's first foray into NASCAR, but it is not for their parent company. NET10 is part of TracFone Wireless, a company known for no-contract cell phone service. TracFone was the primary sponsor of SabCo Racing's (now part of Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing) part-time No. 01 Chevrolet in Winston Cup back in 1999. The car was driven by Jeff Green and Ron Hornaday. The company also served as a sponsor on SabCo Racing's No. 81 Chevrolet in the Busch Grand National (now Nationwide) Series in 2000 with the late Blaise Alexander driving.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Nationwide Series STP 300: 44 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 22- Parker Kligerman for Penske Racing
No. 30- James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33- Brendan Gaughan for Richard Childress Racing
No. 47- Stephen Leicht for Team Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 54- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 08- Tim Andrews returns to the seat, replacing Matt Frahm.
No. 15- Carl Long is in the seat, replacing Charles Lewandoski.
No. 22- Parker Kligerman returns to the seat, replacing Brad Keselowski.
No. 24- Casey Roderick returns to the seat, replacing Amber Cope.
No. 30- James Buescher returns to the seat, replacing Jamie McMurray.
No. 33- Brendan Gaughan returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Harvick.
No. 38- Brad Sweet returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne.
No. 42- Matt DiBenedetto is in the seat, replacing Josh Wise.
No. 52- Tim Schendel returns to the seat, replacing Joey Gase.
No. 70- Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines.
No. 71- Matt Carter is in the seat, replacing Scott Riggs.
No. 75- Charles Lewandoski is in the seat, replacing Matt Carter.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 08- Tim Andrews for Randy Hill Racing*
No. 09- Kenny Wallace for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 15- Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 17- Tanner Berryhill for Berryhill Racing
No. 42- Matt DiBenedetto 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- Tim Schendel for Means Motorsports
No. 71- Matt Carter for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75- Charles Lewandoski for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
Not Entered:
No. 86- Kevin Lepage for Deware Motorsports
Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 225: 40* trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 0- T.J. Bell for JJC Racing
No. 2- Brendan Gaughan for Richard Childress Racing
No. 86- Blake Koch for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 07- Johnny Chapman returns to the seat, replacing Jeff Agnew.
No. 0- T.J. Bell is in the seat, replacing Chris Lafferty.
No. 2- Brendan Gaughan returns to the seat, replacing Tim George, Jr.
No. 27- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Travis Miller.
No. 86- Blake Koch is in the seat, replacing Scott Riggs.
No. 92- Chad McCumbee is in the seat, replacing David Reutimann.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 0- T.J. Bell for JJC Racing*
No. 07- Johnny Chapman for SS-Green Light Racing*
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 57- Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 68- Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
No. 73- Rick Crawford for Tagsby Racing
No. 86- Blake Koch for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
No. 92- Chad McCumbee for RBR Motorsports
No. 93- Dennis Setzer for RSS Racing
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Editor's Note: According to Jennifer Jo Cobb on her Twitter page, six additional teams not seen here have filed post-entries to Saturday night's truck race. However, those entries are not publicly available as of this time. What is shown are the 34 known entries. The No. 0 is considered a post-entry and ineligible to earn owner points.
Izod IndyCar Series Edmonton Indy: 25 cars entered
Driver Changes: None
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 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 Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
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
ARCA Racing Series Ansell ActivArmr 150: 34 cars entered
Driver Changes:
No. 0- Brad Smith is in the seat, replacing Scott Null.
No. 10- Richard Harriman returns to the seat, replacing Rick Clifton.
No. 32- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Mason Mingus.
No. 35- Nelson Canache returns to the seat, replacing Tom Berte.
No. 53- Tim Andrews is in the seat, replacing Andrew Ranger.
No. 55- Kevin Swindell returns to the seat, replacing Erik Jones.
No. 66- Mark Thompson returns to the seat, replacing Nelson Canache.
Notable Entries:
No. 5- Bobby Gerhart for Bobby Gerhart Racing
No. 15- Ryan Reed for Venturini Motorsports
No. 16- Matt Lofton for Coulter Racing
No. 17- Chris Buescher for Roulo Brothers Racing
No. 22- Alex Bowman for Cunningham Motorsports
No. 25- Brennan Poole for Venturini Motorsports
No. 44- Frank Kimmel for ThorSport Racing
No. 52- Tom Hessert for Ken Schrader Racing
No. 53- Tim Andrews for NDS Motorsports
No. 55- Kevin Swindell for Venturini Motorsports
No. 58- Chad Hackenbracht for CGH Motorsports
Not Entered:
No. 3- Drew Charlson for Hixson Racing
No. 6- Mason Mitchell for Eddie Sharp Racing
No. 18- Fast Track Racing
No. 36- Grant Enfinger for Allgaier Motorsports
No. 41- Michael Simko for Hendren Motorsports
No. 64- Joseph Hughs for Jack Hughs Racing
No. 73- Dale Shearer for Shearer Racing
No. 90- Zach Ralston for Stringer Motorsports
No. 98- Chad Boat for Curb-Agajanian 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 19th
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
Hard Luck Harvick
All the NASCAR world was atwitter this week regarding Kevin Harvick's comments following the New Hampshire Nationwide Race. With 22 laps to go, he ran up on the (multiple) lapped car of Amber Cope. While she was passed by two other back markers on the outside in the middle of Turn 2 without issue, Harvick then decided to go low to get by her exiting the corner. Cope was pulling down to give way to the lap cars, however leader Harvick went where she was going, and had to slow up.
This broke his momentum and let a rapidly closing Brad Keselowski catch and pass him for the win. Harvick's post-race comments and ensuing Twitter back and forth with the Cope sisters Amber and Angela (they act as one – as all twins do) were peppered with comments from him that she doesn't belong out there, cost him the win, and was looking forward to the Cup race because the No. 24 car in that event would drive straight.
Okay, let's pump the brakes here on this one, as this seemed to dominate the racing landscape the first few days of this week.
First of all, if the other cars that were in sight of Harvick made it by cleanly on the outside, why didn't he follow suit? Second, if he was so fast, why didn't he catch Keselowski's No. 22 Dodge Challenger over the next 20 miles? Kes won by .717 seconds, or about four car lengths. He was never really seriously challenged after edging by Harvick.
Harvick then went on to say he had no idea who was driving the No. 24 car. Wow, so as a competitor and a former team owner, you have just zero interest in who you're competing against? Wasn't that the whole point of Cup regulars racing in the lower feeder series, to help the new drivers learn from the best, show them the ropes, and keep them from making mistakes on the track? If you don't know who you're racing against, that's kind of on you.
No, you're not a babysitter, but come on, at least know who is in what car. You're in a motorhome all weekend, like you can watch X-Men: First Class THAT many times....
No, Amber Cope is not at Danica Patrick's level just yet. Heck she might only be at Dan Patrick's level in a racecar at this stage of her game. That being said, should we really be that upset about a Cup regular showing up to a Nationwide event and getting bent because he got roughed up a little and ended up losing to…another Cup regular? Isn't that the reason you guys don't get points anymore? The bottom line is, he still had nearly ten percent of the race to catch the winner and didn't get it done, and could have followed the other cars who passed her without incident – including winner Brad Keselowski.
Too bad, so sad, nice work forgetting to say hi to your wife and newborn at home, and instead whining about a Nationwide race.
Osborne Steps Down
With Bob Osborne stepping down as Carl Edwards crew chief, citing undisclosed health concerns, might Roush Fenway Racing be losing another key cog in the machine? Osborne and Edwards have won 18 races together, tied for last year's Sprint Cup Championship, and finished second as well in 2008, ultimately felled by a failed ignition box at Charlotte during The Chase. Longtime Roush Nationwide crew chief Chad Norris assumes the role, and looks to salvage the 2012 season, while preparing for the 2013 season and the next generation Car of Tomorrow.
We've seen this migration before of veteran crew chiefs within the Roush empire throughout the years pull back from race day duties to management roles. Steve Hmiel, an original architect of Roush Racing's early years, did so before moving into management roles with DEI and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, as has Robbie Reiser, Matt Kenseth's longtime crew chief. Jimmy Fennig received a bit of a breather in 2006 heading up their Busch Series efforts.
The last several months have been trying for Osborne, having narrowly lost the title on a tie breaker to Tony Stewart, then losing his father before the start of the 2012 season. Best wishes to Bob Osborne in taking the time to get things right in his world. They're just race cars, and aren't going to come visit you in the hospital if you're sick.
Make Way For….Kurtonio DiBuschelli?
One rumor that seems to be gathering momentum is that of Andretti Autosport fielding a NASCAR team in 2013, with Dodge as the manufacturer and engine supplier (purchased from Penske), with Kurt Busch as the driver. Busch was a key part of Dodge's NASCAR involvement, essentially carrying the brand on his back until Brad Keselowski came on the scene in 2010 with this Nationwide title, and last year with his three wins and wildcard Chase appearance.
There aren't many Italians competing in NASCAR these days, save for Joey Logano and Max Papis. So how would Busch fair driving for another legend of open wheeled competition?
It's actually a pretty good match if you think about it. Being Italian, we routinely lose it, scream, cuss, and get emotional….just like Kurt has been wont to do. There's even a Facebook page dedicated to this – I'm Not Yelling, I'm Italian, That's How We Talk. He just needs to learn how to talk with his hands more.
Come to think of it, maybe that's why we haven't fared so well in NASCAR; we keep taking our hands off the wheel to describe to the crew chief what the car needs in the middle of the race...
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 19th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CXXXVI
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Military Sponsorships Survive Amendment Vote
On Wednesday, Congress finally debated, negotiated and voted on the amendment proposed by Jack Kingston (Republican from Georgia) and Betty McCollum (Democrat from Minnesota). This was an amendment to the Defense Spending bill for the 2013 fiscal year that would have banned branches of the military from sponsorship anything having to do with sports.
The amendment, which despite Republican co-authoring, had primarily Democratic support, came up just short of passing. 216 representatives voted against it, while 202 were for it. 17 representatives did not render a vote, either because they chose not to, or they weren't present in House chambers during the short vote. 216 is just short of an overall majority of the House. Had the measure passed, the National Guard would have been forced to give up their sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., worth $20 million a year. They would have also had to give up their sponsorship of J.R. Hildebrand and Panther Racing in the Izod IndyCar Series. The Army, which has already announced their departure from Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of 2012, would have also lost their Top Fuel sponsorship in the NHRA. It would have also cut Marine Corps sponsorships in the UFC and in bass fishing competitions. The combined amount of savings had the amendment passed would have been $72.3 million dollars.
However, this could be considered a fairly substantial gain for McCollum and Kingston. Last year, McCollum voted for another amendment to ban such sponsorships. That amendment also failed, but by a much larger margin, 241-148. The general opinion is that McCollum and Kingston will likely try this again after the November elections. That is, if they retain their posts. All 435 members of the House of Representatives are up for re-election this November, and the general anger towards all politicians is fairly high right now. Kingston will be seeking his 11th term, while McCollum will be trying to earn her seventh two-year term.
Yeley to Tommy Baldwin Racing?
Seems like there could be some driver changes afoot when the Sprint Cup Series returns from their one week Mid-Summer Break. J.J. Yeley, who has driven the No. 49 Toyotas for Robinson-Blakeney Motorsports this season, tweeted that he is out of the seat on Wednesday.
"Making some positive changes for the remainder of 2012.
Moving over to TBR," Yeley tweeted.
Currently, Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) runs two full-time teams, the No. 10 (when Danica Patrick is not racing) and the No. 36. Dave Blaney is full-time in the No. 36, while the No. 10 has seen multiple drivers in the seat this season. David Reutimann has driven the car for most of the season, but Tomy Drissi, Blaney and Tony Raines have driven the car, in addition to the three races where Stewart-Haas Racing has operated the car for Patrick. The team's best finish thus far has been Reutimann's 11th at Daytona a couple of weeks ago. Patrick still has seven more races in the No. 10 for the rest of the season and those races will not be relinquished.
Meanwhile, Blaney has driven all but one race in the No. 36 (Raines drove it in Pocono while Blaney was in the No. 10 and Reutimann was driving the No. 51 in place of the suspended Kurt Busch). That team's best finish was 15th in the Daytona 500. Either Blaney or Reutimann would likely be asked to step aside for Yeley if this comes to fruition since TBR likely does not have the funds or the personnel to run a third car.
For Robinson-Blakeney Racing, Yeley's move leaves the team without a driver for Indianapolis. The team may hire a replacement driver from within the group that has already driven for them this season. That could mean a possible return to Cup for Derrike Cope, Kevin Lepage or David Green. Cope hasn't started a race since 2009, but has attempted a couple in recent years. Lepage hasn't started a race since 2007 (and has DNQ'd 13 times since), and the semi-retired Green hasn't attempted a race since 2004. Of course, the No. 49 team would also have the option of going outside their comfort zone and hiring from outside.
Quiroga to Drive Four Races for Kyle Busch Motorsports
Kyle Busch Motorsports announced on Wednesday that three-time NASCAR Mexico Series Champion German Quiroga will drive a second entry for the team, the No. 51 Toyota, in four races later this season in the Camping World Truck Series. Primary sponsorship will be provided by NET10, a prepaid wireless internet provider.
Quiroga is happy to have the opportunity to return to the Camping World Truck Series.
"I am very grateful to NET10 for making it possible for me to get back into the No. 51 Toyota for KBM," Quiroga said. "In Mexico, I am accustomed to winning races and competing for championships, and that is exactly what KBM does in the [Camping World] Truck Series. I'm very proud of all that I accomplished in the NASCAR Mexico Series the last five seasons, but I am ready for a new challenge."
This may be NET10's first foray into NASCAR, but it is not for their parent company. NET10 is part of TracFone Wireless, a company known for no-contract cell phone service. TracFone was the primary sponsor of SabCo Racing's (now part of Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing) part-time No. 01 Chevrolet in Winston Cup back in 1999. The car was driven by Jeff Green and Ron Hornaday. The company also served as a sponsor on SabCo Racing's No. 81 Chevrolet in the Busch Grand National (now Nationwide) Series in 2000 with the late Blaise Alexander driving.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Nationwide Series STP 300: 44 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 22- Parker Kligerman for Penske Racing
No. 30- James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33- Brendan Gaughan for Richard Childress Racing
No. 47- Stephen Leicht for Team Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 54- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 08- Tim Andrews returns to the seat, replacing Matt Frahm.
No. 15- Carl Long is in the seat, replacing Charles Lewandoski.
No. 22- Parker Kligerman returns to the seat, replacing Brad Keselowski.
No. 24- Casey Roderick returns to the seat, replacing Amber Cope.
No. 30- James Buescher returns to the seat, replacing Jamie McMurray.
No. 33- Brendan Gaughan returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Harvick.
No. 38- Brad Sweet returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne.
No. 42- Matt DiBenedetto is in the seat, replacing Josh Wise.
No. 52- Tim Schendel returns to the seat, replacing Joey Gase.
No. 70- Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines.
No. 71- Matt Carter is in the seat, replacing Scott Riggs.
No. 75- Charles Lewandoski is in the seat, replacing Matt Carter.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 08- Tim Andrews for Randy Hill Racing*
No. 09- Kenny Wallace for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 15- Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 17- Tanner Berryhill for Berryhill Racing
No. 42- Matt DiBenedetto 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- Tim Schendel for Means Motorsports
No. 71- Matt Carter for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75- Charles Lewandoski for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
Not Entered:
No. 86- Kevin Lepage for Deware Motorsports
Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 225: 40* trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 0- T.J. Bell for JJC Racing
No. 2- Brendan Gaughan for Richard Childress Racing
No. 86- Blake Koch for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 07- Johnny Chapman returns to the seat, replacing Jeff Agnew.
No. 0- T.J. Bell is in the seat, replacing Chris Lafferty.
No. 2- Brendan Gaughan returns to the seat, replacing Tim George, Jr.
No. 27- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Travis Miller.
No. 86- Blake Koch is in the seat, replacing Scott Riggs.
No. 92- Chad McCumbee is in the seat, replacing David Reutimann.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 0- T.J. Bell for JJC Racing*
No. 07- Johnny Chapman for SS-Green Light Racing*
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 57- Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 68- Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
No. 73- Rick Crawford for Tagsby Racing
No. 86- Blake Koch for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
No. 92- Chad McCumbee for RBR Motorsports
No. 93- Dennis Setzer for RSS Racing
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Editor's Note: According to Jennifer Jo Cobb on her Twitter page, six additional teams not seen here have filed post-entries to Saturday night's truck race. However, those entries are not publicly available as of this time. What is shown are the 34 known entries. The No. 0 is considered a post-entry and ineligible to earn owner points.
Izod IndyCar Series Edmonton Indy: 25 cars entered
Driver Changes: None
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 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 Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
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
ARCA Racing Series Ansell ActivArmr 150: 34 cars entered
Driver Changes:
No. 0- Brad Smith is in the seat, replacing Scott Null.
No. 10- Richard Harriman returns to the seat, replacing Rick Clifton.
No. 32- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Mason Mingus.
No. 35- Nelson Canache returns to the seat, replacing Tom Berte.
No. 53- Tim Andrews is in the seat, replacing Andrew Ranger.
No. 55- Kevin Swindell returns to the seat, replacing Erik Jones.
No. 66- Mark Thompson returns to the seat, replacing Nelson Canache.
Notable Entries:
No. 5- Bobby Gerhart for Bobby Gerhart Racing
No. 15- Ryan Reed for Venturini Motorsports
No. 16- Matt Lofton for Coulter Racing
No. 17- Chris Buescher for Roulo Brothers Racing
No. 22- Alex Bowman for Cunningham Motorsports
No. 25- Brennan Poole for Venturini Motorsports
No. 44- Frank Kimmel for ThorSport Racing
No. 52- Tom Hessert for Ken Schrader Racing
No. 53- Tim Andrews for NDS Motorsports
No. 55- Kevin Swindell for Venturini Motorsports
No. 58- Chad Hackenbracht for CGH Motorsports
Not Entered:
No. 3- Drew Charlson for Hixson Racing
No. 6- Mason Mitchell for Eddie Sharp Racing
No. 18- Fast Track Racing
No. 36- Grant Enfinger for Allgaier Motorsports
No. 41- Michael Simko for Hendren Motorsports
No. 64- Joseph Hughs for Jack Hughs Racing
No. 73- Dale Shearer for Shearer Racing
No. 90- Zach Ralston for Stringer Motorsports
No. 98- Chad Boat for Curb-Agajanian 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 19th
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
Hard Luck Harvick
All the NASCAR world was atwitter this week regarding Kevin Harvick's comments following the New Hampshire Nationwide Race. With 22 laps to go, he ran up on the (multiple) lapped car of Amber Cope. While she was passed by two other back markers on the outside in the middle of Turn 2 without issue, Harvick then decided to go low to get by her exiting the corner. Cope was pulling down to give way to the lap cars, however leader Harvick went where she was going, and had to slow up.
This broke his momentum and let a rapidly closing Brad Keselowski catch and pass him for the win. Harvick's post-race comments and ensuing Twitter back and forth with the Cope sisters Amber and Angela (they act as one – as all twins do) were peppered with comments from him that she doesn't belong out there, cost him the win, and was looking forward to the Cup race because the No. 24 car in that event would drive straight.
Okay, let's pump the brakes here on this one, as this seemed to dominate the racing landscape the first few days of this week.
First of all, if the other cars that were in sight of Harvick made it by cleanly on the outside, why didn't he follow suit? Second, if he was so fast, why didn't he catch Keselowski's No. 22 Dodge Challenger over the next 20 miles? Kes won by .717 seconds, or about four car lengths. He was never really seriously challenged after edging by Harvick.
Harvick then went on to say he had no idea who was driving the No. 24 car. Wow, so as a competitor and a former team owner, you have just zero interest in who you're competing against? Wasn't that the whole point of Cup regulars racing in the lower feeder series, to help the new drivers learn from the best, show them the ropes, and keep them from making mistakes on the track? If you don't know who you're racing against, that's kind of on you.
No, you're not a babysitter, but come on, at least know who is in what car. You're in a motorhome all weekend, like you can watch X-Men: First Class THAT many times....
No, Amber Cope is not at Danica Patrick's level just yet. Heck she might only be at Dan Patrick's level in a racecar at this stage of her game. That being said, should we really be that upset about a Cup regular showing up to a Nationwide event and getting bent because he got roughed up a little and ended up losing to…another Cup regular? Isn't that the reason you guys don't get points anymore? The bottom line is, he still had nearly ten percent of the race to catch the winner and didn't get it done, and could have followed the other cars who passed her without incident – including winner Brad Keselowski.
Too bad, so sad, nice work forgetting to say hi to your wife and newborn at home, and instead whining about a Nationwide race.
Osborne Steps Down
With Bob Osborne stepping down as Carl Edwards crew chief, citing undisclosed health concerns, might Roush Fenway Racing be losing another key cog in the machine? Osborne and Edwards have won 18 races together, tied for last year's Sprint Cup Championship, and finished second as well in 2008, ultimately felled by a failed ignition box at Charlotte during The Chase. Longtime Roush Nationwide crew chief Chad Norris assumes the role, and looks to salvage the 2012 season, while preparing for the 2013 season and the next generation Car of Tomorrow.
We've seen this migration before of veteran crew chiefs within the Roush empire throughout the years pull back from race day duties to management roles. Steve Hmiel, an original architect of Roush Racing's early years, did so before moving into management roles with DEI and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, as has Robbie Reiser, Matt Kenseth's longtime crew chief. Jimmy Fennig received a bit of a breather in 2006 heading up their Busch Series efforts.
The last several months have been trying for Osborne, having narrowly lost the title on a tie breaker to Tony Stewart, then losing his father before the start of the 2012 season. Best wishes to Bob Osborne in taking the time to get things right in his world. They're just race cars, and aren't going to come visit you in the hospital if you're sick.
Make Way For….Kurtonio DiBuschelli?
One rumor that seems to be gathering momentum is that of Andretti Autosport fielding a NASCAR team in 2013, with Dodge as the manufacturer and engine supplier (purchased from Penske), with Kurt Busch as the driver. Busch was a key part of Dodge's NASCAR involvement, essentially carrying the brand on his back until Brad Keselowski came on the scene in 2010 with this Nationwide title, and last year with his three wins and wildcard Chase appearance.
There aren't many Italians competing in NASCAR these days, save for Joey Logano and Max Papis. So how would Busch fair driving for another legend of open wheeled competition?
It's actually a pretty good match if you think about it. Being Italian, we routinely lose it, scream, cuss, and get emotional….just like Kurt has been wont to do. There's even a Facebook page dedicated to this – I'm Not Yelling, I'm Italian, That's How We Talk. He just needs to learn how to talk with his hands more.
Come to think of it, maybe that's why we haven't fared so well in NASCAR; we keep taking our hands off the wheel to describe to the crew chief what the car needs in the middle of the race...
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
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The Critic's Annex: Prairie Meadows 200
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans, and welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at available motorsports-related programming. At Iowa Speedway this past weekend, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards served as the main support for the Camping World Truck Series. We're a far cry from 2001, when every race would be televised on the network. Quality might be substantially different from race to race, though.
Today, the series only gets roughly ten race telecasts a year. Most of these are races where the series supports a NASCAR series. Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and Toledo are exceptions to that rule, though. Friday night was the sixth SPEED broadcast of the year, and the first of four weeks of ARCA in a row on SPEED.
As is the norm, Rick Allen and Phil Parsons were in the booth for SPEED. However, they were briefly joined by special guest Joey Coulter during the race. Unlike when Justin Allgaier showed up at Talladega and tried to steal the show for himself, Coulter was very quiet in the booth. It should be noted that, like Allgaier, Coulter had a personal interest in the race due to the fact that Coulter's family fields a full-time entry in the series.
Coulter's time in the broadcast booth was basically spent watching the action. He talked a bit about his No. 22 truck when he first arrived, then sat back and watched the race. It was like someone told Coulter "Don't say a word unless Rick [Allen] or Phil [Parsons] specifically address you." Allen tried to involve Coulter in the discussion a couple of times, but the input was minimal. Finally, Coulter left the booth after 53 laps.
Pre-race coverage was fairly minimal. Once again, there were no pre-race interviews, not even taped ones. Allen and Parsons did a little pre-race analysis from the broadcast booth, then they showed a special historical piece to help celebrate ARCA's 60th anniversary. This one was centered upon Benny Parsons' relatively brief time spent in the series and the series in the early 1970's. Since Phil is Benny's younger brother, he talked a little bit about what the series has meant to the Parsons family. It was nice, but I really wish that they could have made those pieces into something like a half-hour or full-hour special. I think it would be a little more palatable to watch that way (and more informative).
Race coverage was decent. There was a pretty good amount of racing for position shown for viewers. Also, Allen and Parsons were able to successfully port their commentary style from the Camping World Truck Series telecasts to the ARCA races. However, there were some scroll issues during the race. Whenever the top line of the scroll expanded to show who was in a battle for position, the lap counter vanished. This occurred multiple times during the telecast. However, when the top line shrunk back to normal, the counter would be back like nothing happened.
After the race, there was a moment of shenanigans when Matt Lofton spun in Turn 1 after the checkered flag after contact from Ryan Reed. SPEED showed a replay of this and the general theme in the booth was "why the deuce did this happen?" SPEED should have followed up on this because the incident looked pretty intentional. I know at my local short track, doing that would be grounds for a DQ. However, it appears that no punishment was taken.
Post-race coverage was actually a little more substantial than normal. SPEED provided viewers with five post-race interviews, along with an interview with the winning crew chief (Paul Andrews). There was also a check of the unofficial results (but no point check) before SPEED left the air.
I hope you enjoyed this look at SPEED's telecast of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Prairie Meadows 200. Next week, we'll be back with another race to critique. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Joliet and Edmonton.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond the Cockpit: Brad Keselowski on Racing Cars, Reputation...and Fireworks
"I would say that when there are people that say I'm too aggressive that means I'm doing it just right!" - Brad Keselowski's matter of fact response to a question about perception of his driving style.
~~~~~~~~~~
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: Remembering Davey Allison - Part One
by Matt McLaughlin
The Critic's Annex: Prairie Meadows 200
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans, and welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at available motorsports-related programming. At Iowa Speedway this past weekend, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards served as the main support for the Camping World Truck Series. We're a far cry from 2001, when every race would be televised on the network. Quality might be substantially different from race to race, though.
Today, the series only gets roughly ten race telecasts a year. Most of these are races where the series supports a NASCAR series. Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and Toledo are exceptions to that rule, though. Friday night was the sixth SPEED broadcast of the year, and the first of four weeks of ARCA in a row on SPEED.
As is the norm, Rick Allen and Phil Parsons were in the booth for SPEED. However, they were briefly joined by special guest Joey Coulter during the race. Unlike when Justin Allgaier showed up at Talladega and tried to steal the show for himself, Coulter was very quiet in the booth. It should be noted that, like Allgaier, Coulter had a personal interest in the race due to the fact that Coulter's family fields a full-time entry in the series.
Coulter's time in the broadcast booth was basically spent watching the action. He talked a bit about his No. 22 truck when he first arrived, then sat back and watched the race. It was like someone told Coulter "Don't say a word unless Rick [Allen] or Phil [Parsons] specifically address you." Allen tried to involve Coulter in the discussion a couple of times, but the input was minimal. Finally, Coulter left the booth after 53 laps.
Pre-race coverage was fairly minimal. Once again, there were no pre-race interviews, not even taped ones. Allen and Parsons did a little pre-race analysis from the broadcast booth, then they showed a special historical piece to help celebrate ARCA's 60th anniversary. This one was centered upon Benny Parsons' relatively brief time spent in the series and the series in the early 1970's. Since Phil is Benny's younger brother, he talked a little bit about what the series has meant to the Parsons family. It was nice, but I really wish that they could have made those pieces into something like a half-hour or full-hour special. I think it would be a little more palatable to watch that way (and more informative).
Race coverage was decent. There was a pretty good amount of racing for position shown for viewers. Also, Allen and Parsons were able to successfully port their commentary style from the Camping World Truck Series telecasts to the ARCA races. However, there were some scroll issues during the race. Whenever the top line of the scroll expanded to show who was in a battle for position, the lap counter vanished. This occurred multiple times during the telecast. However, when the top line shrunk back to normal, the counter would be back like nothing happened.
After the race, there was a moment of shenanigans when Matt Lofton spun in Turn 1 after the checkered flag after contact from Ryan Reed. SPEED showed a replay of this and the general theme in the booth was "why the deuce did this happen?" SPEED should have followed up on this because the incident looked pretty intentional. I know at my local short track, doing that would be grounds for a DQ. However, it appears that no punishment was taken.
Post-race coverage was actually a little more substantial than normal. SPEED provided viewers with five post-race interviews, along with an interview with the winning crew chief (Paul Andrews). There was also a check of the unofficial results (but no point check) before SPEED left the air.
I hope you enjoyed this look at SPEED's telecast of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Prairie Meadows 200. Next week, we'll be back with another race to critique. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Joliet and Edmonton.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond the Cockpit: Brad Keselowski on Racing Cars, Reputation...and Fireworks
"I would say that when there are people that say I'm too aggressive that means I'm doing it just right!" - Brad Keselowski's matter of fact response to a question about perception of his driving style.
~~~~~~~~~~
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: Remembering Davey Allison - Part One
by Matt McLaughlin
Potts' Shots: Bluegrass Boondoggle And How To Put The 'Sprint' In Cup
by John Potts
Dollars And Sense: Fortune 500's NASCAR Connection
by Jesse Medford
Truckin' Thursdays: Peeling Back The Onion - Inside Todd Bodine's 200th Start
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Professor Of Speed: The Junk In The Trunk
by Mark Howell
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 2000 Grand Prix of Germany is best known for current Izod IndyCar Series driver Rubens Barrichello coming from 18th on the grid to win his first career race. However, a very quirky incident occurred that changed the entire complexion of the race. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: This weekend, Formula One returns to the Hockenheimring for the Grand Prix of Germany. The current circuit was first used in 2002. However, the older circuit provided a completely different type of racing. Why?
A: As compared to today's 2.842 mile circuit, the previous track was 4.2 miles long and wove through the forest. After the first corner, there was a flat-out run into the trees before the Jim Clark Chicane (Clark died in a crash near there in 1968). This was followed by another flat-out run to the Ostkurve, another chicane. A third run up to top gear preceded the Ayrton Senna Chicane, the only left-right-left chicane (the others were right-left-right). The old course rejoined the current one on the run down to the Stadium section. Due to the high speed sections, teams would use the lowest downforce settings, similar to what you would see at Monza. Slipstreaming was also very important as well, as drivers could reach over 215 mph during the lap.
After the current configuration opened in 2002, the old sections were chopped up and allowed to "return to nature." This is something that continues to irritate race fans to this day.
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:
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy's back with another commentary.
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 Sunday's STP 300.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Driver Diary: Regan Smith as told to Tony Lumbis
Regan returns to discuss his past month on and off the track.
Izod IndyCar Series Preview: Edmonton by Matt Stallknecht
Matt previews Sunday afternoon's Edmonton Indy at City Centre Airport.
-----------------------------After the current configuration opened in 2002, the old sections were chopped up and allowed to "return to nature." This is something that continues to irritate race fans to this day.
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:
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy's back with another commentary.
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 Sunday's STP 300.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Driver Diary: Regan Smith as told to Tony Lumbis
Regan returns to discuss his past month on and off the track.
Izod IndyCar Series Preview: Edmonton by Matt Stallknecht
Matt previews Sunday afternoon's Edmonton Indy at City Centre Airport.
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