Friday, August 17, 2012

The Frontstretch Newsletter: August 17th, 2012

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 17th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CLIV

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Top News
by Jeff Wolfe

Logano Decision Near

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Joey Logano said last week he had two choices on what his future may be next season. But according to an ESPN.com report by David Newton, one of Logano's choices, assumed to be his current ride with Joe Gibbs Racing, might not be wrapped up just yet.

Wednesday, Joe Gibbs said that nothing has been settled for Logano for 2013. Logano, who is 22, is a free agent after this season, and it is believed his other possible ride could come in the No. 22 of Roger Penske Racing. That ride became vacant when AJ Allmendinger violated NASCAR's substance abuse policy and he was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR and released from the No. 22 ride by Roger Penske. Sam Hornish, Jr. is currently in the No. 22 car as a temporary replacement.

"Everything is up in the air," Gibbs was quoted as saying about Logano.

Gibbs said he hoped to have an announcement in two weeks when the Sprint Cup cars run in Atlanta, the corporate base for one of Logano's main sponsors, Home Depot. Gibbs did not address the situation with the worst kept secret that Matt Kenseth would be coming to Gibbs Racing for 2013, presumably to drive the Home Depot car. With that change in place, there will be no Logano/Gibbs Cup connection without proper funding to field a fourth car.

Logano said last week that he hoped to have some finality within a few days or up to two weeks. That fits with the timeline of his likely second option; owner Roger Penske hoped to have a final decision on the No. 22 car by the Chase opener, which is at Chicagoland on Sept. 16. Currently, Logano sits 18th in points, and has one win this season in the June race at Pocono. He would most likely need a second victory to have a chance to make the Chase for the Championship for the first time in his young career.

Almirola and No. 43 pit crew give tuneup for Army Sergeant

Aric Almirola and the pit crew for his No. 43 team at Richard Petty Motorsports got some pre-race pit stop practice in Thursday in Michigan, but it wasn't on the team's Sprint Cup car. It was on the real vehicle driven by U.S. Army Sergeant Dennis Latowski. Almirola and his crew gave Latowski's personal vehicle and tuneup and safety inspection outside of Michigan International Speedway. Then, after the checkup, the team informed Latowski that, in conjunction with sponsor Eckrich, his name would be on Almirola's car for Sunday's race to show appreciation for the efforts that he and others in the U.S. military give to protect our country.

"What a great program we have going this year with Eckrich, drawing some much-needed attention to military families," Almirola said in a press release.  "Our guys are going to spend hours working on our Eckrich Ford this weekend.  But before we go under the hood of our race car, we wanted to come out here and do a tune-up for Dennis and his family as a way of saying thanks for everything they've gone through as a military family.  They're not quite ready to enter the race on Sunday, but our guys made sure they'll be safe on the road driving around town."

Almirola, who was born on a U.S. Air Force base, was happy to present Latowski and his family with a special VIP package to Sunday's event. Eckrich has donated over $200,000 to military families through its Operation Homefront program.

"We've really enjoyed giving these families an experience to remember," said Charles Gitkin, vice president, marketing, innovation and R&D for the John Morrell Food Group. "When it comes to military families, a lot of focus is often on the send-offs and the homecomings, but there's a lot of time in between when they often need a little extra support.  We're happy to work with Operation Homefront to help provide that."

Joe Gibbs Racing sues Trans-Lux for lack of payment

Sponsorship is hard enough to come by for NASCAR teams these days, so once a sponsor is signed and then allegedly doesn't deliver on the financial end of its commitment it can be a large blow to a team's finances. That's why Joe Gibbs Racing is suing Trans-Lux for an alleged lack of payment, according to a report on sportingnews.com. Trans-Lux, which is a manufacturer of scoreboards from high schools to professional sports, was the sponsor on Joey Logano's winning car in the Nationwide race at California earlier this season. Trans-Lux was also scheduled to be the sponsor for the Sprint Cup car of Denny Hamlin for at least one race later this year.

But now, it sounds like that probably won't be happening. The suit alleges that that Trans-Lux "breached the contract [with the race team] by failing to make various payments, when due." The two-page lawsuit, filed earlier this month, indicates damages to be more than $100,000, which is the minimum for the case to be heard in a superior court rather than a state district dourt.
 
Neither Gibbs or Trans-Lux had comment on the case.

Have news for The Frontstretch?  Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.

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In Case You Missed It
by Beth Lunkenheimer

Paulie Harraka Taking Two Races Off

One of NASCAR's Truck Series rookies will be learning from the bench the next couple of weeks. Paulie Harraka, after a rough start to his rookie campaign will move to the sidelines in favor of Scott Riggs for the races at Michigan and Bristol in August. The 22-year-old driver, a recent Duke graduate has shown promise with the No. 5 of Wauters Motorsports, a first-year organization in their own right. But four DNFs for wrecks, in the last seven races combined with a tough luck incident to start off the season at Daytona have left the team with a lot of torn-up equipment to replace.

"Paulie has grown a tremendous amount as a racecar driver this season, without question," said Truck owner Wauters in announcing the move. "He has continually shown the work ethic and dedication to keep learning, and the halfway point in the season marks the perfect time to take a step back and analyze everything we've done together up to this point."

20th in the point standings, Harraka is without a top-10 finish and has led just two laps in 11 starts this season.

Scott Wimmer Seeking Sponsorship, Return To Sport In 2013
Former Cup Series driver Scott Wimmer is looking to hit the track full-time once again... in the Nationwide Series. Forming an alliance with local Wisconsin businessmen, the 30-something driver has formed a team called Wild Motorsports and is seeking sponsorship to get back in the game. All schedules would be sponsorship-based, but the goal is a few races this season with a "wait and see" attitude on 2013.

Wimmer has 226 career starts in the Nationwide Series, competing in 21 events for a variety of teams last season.

Kansas Repave Nearly Complete

ISC's latest repaving project is rapidly nearing a firm conclusion. The Kansas Speedway asphalt, fixed up for the first time since the track opened in 2001 is all but completed according to the track's website. The 1.5-mile oval just needs to tidy up pit road and the new "configuration" will be open for business in time for NASCAR's Chase race in October.

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Keepin' It Short: Sometimes, You Just Have To Shake Your Head
by Mike Neff

This has truly been a season of ups and downs for Lee Pulliam. OK, let's be a little more accurate with that statement: downs and ups. As everyone knows, Pulliam ended last season winning the biggest Late Model Stock Car race of the season at Martinsville, only to get himself suspended from NASCAR thanks to losing his cool with a chief rival at South Boston at the end of the year. He started this season riding the pine while everyone else was on the track shaking down their equipment and starting to accumulate points. Everyone, that is except Philip Morris, who was ready to start the season at South Boston and had the rug yanked out from under him two days before the opener. That's an important side note; with Morris out of the picture, when Pulliam returned to the track after his suspension, he started cranking out wins without much competition and now finds himself at the top of the national points and all but guaranteed of a title. As he pushes toward that championship, he headed to Caraway Speedway last weekend to attempt to add to his point total, but ended up being part of one of the biggest fiascos in local short track racing.

Not only did Pulliam pull his rig into Caraway, since South Boston and Motor Mile were both off, but several of his closest racing friends, and his crew chief, also rolled out cars for the festivities. The first race was setting up as a potential upset with Pulliam trailing Dan Moore by a substantial margin with the laps winding down. However, the caution flew for a car that stopped at the entrance to pit road which allowed Pulliam to close up the ground and grab the lead, and ultimately the win, on the subsequent restart. Whether the caution causing car did it on purpose or not is debatable, but the fact is it happened so Pulliam was one for two with the second feature looming. 

The second feature started similar to the first, with Pulliam in sixth place thanks to winning the first feature.  He made his way to the front more quickly but jumped a restart and was moved to the back of the field after a black flag. The flag took five laps to come out before it was shown to Pulliam, but in the end, it was the right call. Despite the setback, Pulliam charged his way back through the field and, as he got close to the front again, the insanity began. 

Depending on which side of the fence you reside in the Lee Pulliam fan camp, you either think Caraway was trying to give him the win or screw him out of it. Either way, the subsequent events were simply bizarre. Caraway has a rule that, when the caution flag flies, the field reverts to the last lap completed by ALL cars. As a result, it can be two laps from the most recently completed lap that the field reverts back to. Now whether that math wreaked havoc with the person running the scoreboard or not, no one will ever really know. However, over the next roughly hour of racing, the green flag flew several times, along with the caution, and the lap counter went up and down like a seven-year-old on a trampoline. 

Pulliam passed cars and then had them put back in front of him, then gained spots back, then lost them, all while race cars were being destroyed and tempers were flaring. Finally Pulliam got alongside race leader Ryan Wilson as the field was coming out of turn four and he tried to make a move on the leader. Contact was apparently made and Pulliam's car ended up crumpled against the inside wall. Some people blamed Wilson while others blamed Pulliam. In the end, it is pretty hard for the car in front to spin the car behind so it will take some explaining for Wilson to really be tagged with the blame in this incident. 

Fortunately for Pulliam, he did win a race and add another handful of points to his season total. Unfortunately, his favorite car is now in need of a front clip. It will be intriguing to see if it is still as dominant once it hits the track again with the new metal hanging off of the front. 

Racing is a passionate sport for fan and driver alike. When there is confusion on the race track and a situation where people are trying to manipulate systems, it can get very heated and controversial.  After Pulliam wins the National Championship, he can look back on this weekend's race and laugh but, until then, it is going to be a burr under his saddle.

Whelen All-American National Points Race

Lee Pulliam continues to dominate the National Championship point race, notching another maximum point win this past weekend. Pulliam now has 18 wins which means he's at the maximum number of victory bonus points. He is still 42 points shy of a perfect season with roughly a month left to score points. Nate Monteith is now second in the point race thanks to Keith Rocco still recovering from his dislocated/broken wrist. Monteith is 52 points behind Pulliam and still has eight wins to go before he maxes out on bonus points for wins. Monteith is going to be hard pressed to close the gap completely but he can certainly make things interesting over the next few weeks.

C.E. Falk is now 81 points in arrears to Pulliam. Of late, he's been spending as much time driving a truck in the Camping World Truck Series as he has running a Late Model, so his shot at the title is most likely done. For all intents and purposes, this is down to a two-horse race, with Pulliam currently holding a near Secretariat lead over the field.

Position Name Races Wins Top 5s Top 10s Total Points

1. Lee Pulliam 27 18 22 23 768
2. Nate Monteith 25 10 18 21 716
3. Keith Rocco 32 11 21 25 699
4. C.E. Falk III 24 13 20 22 687
5. Ted Christopher 39 6 31 34 683
6. Ryan Preece 36 11 25 30 672
7. Tim Brown 23 8 13 17 668
8. Deac McCaskill 21 13 19 21 655
9. Jason O'Brien 23 5 15 21 641
10. Duane Howard 16 8 13 16 616

ASA National Points Championship

This past weekend saw one of the two big winning streaks in the ASA come to an end as Nate Monteith invaded Lonesome Pine Raceway and knocked off Lance Gatlin to score the win and take home the bounty that was hanging over Gatlin's head. The victory streak may have come to an end but Gatlin is still hanging onto the point lead in the Eastern region for the ASA. Gatlin, meanwhile is hanging on for all he's worth against the onslaught from Newport Speedway.

In the Western region, Shelby Stroebel continues to get it done at Meridian Speedway. He notched his 12th win of the season and 14th consecutive going back to last fall. Stroebel knows he's fighting a tough battle over car count against the gang from I-44. Stroebel is the lone top-5 representative who does not compete at Lebanon I-44 speedway.

Western Region Points

Position, Name, Average
1. Shelby Stroebel 4.0929
2. Matt Wallace 3.9134
3. Mike Slone 3.7320
4. Jim Vanzandt 3.5192
5. Brian Brown 3.2599

Eastern Region Points

Position, Name, Average
1. Lance Gatlin 3.8680
2. Dennis Queen 3.8336
3. Taylor Coffman 3.6258
4. Wayne Webb 3.3872
5. Taylor Nesbitt 3.3825

Weekend Race Schedule

Fri : Aug 17th – Batesville Motor Speedway ; Batesville : AR – 20th Annual Comp Cams Topless 100 Lucas Oil Late Models
Fri : Aug 17th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – Late Models
Fri : Aug 17th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – Limited Late Models
Fri : Aug 17th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – SK Lights
Fri : Aug 17th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – SK Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – New Senoia Raceway ; Senoia : GA – USCS 600 Sprint Cars
Fri : Aug 17th – New Senoia Raceway ; Senoia : GA – USCS Outlaw Thunder Sprint Cars
Fri : Aug 17th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Hornets
Fri : Aug 17th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Legends
Fri : Aug 17th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Roadsters
Fri : Aug 17th – Dixie Motor Speedway ; Birch Run : MI – CRA Super Series
Fri : Aug 17th – Winston Speedway ; Rothbury : MI – World of Outlaws Late Models
Fri : Aug 17th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – USRA Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – IMCA Stock Cars
Fri : Aug 17th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – WISSOTA Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 17th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Late Models
Fri : Aug 17th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 17th – River Cities Speedway ; Grand Forks : ND – World of Outlaws Sprint Cars
Fri : Aug 17th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Late Models
Fri : Aug 17th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 17th – Toledo Speedway ; Toledo : OH – ARCA Gold Cup
Fri : Aug 17th – Toledo Speedway ; Toledo : OH – Main Event Super Late Models
Fri : Aug 17th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Emo Fall Fair Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Emo Fall Fair Wissota Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Emo Fall Fair Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 17th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – 358 Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Sportsman
Fri : Aug 17th – Creek County Speedway ; Sapulpa : OK – Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints 
Fri : Aug 17th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Sprint Cars
Fri : Aug 17th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 17th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Super Stocks
Fri : Aug 17th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Stock
Fri : Aug 17th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – Street Stock
Fri : Aug 17th – Langlade Speedway ; Antigo : WI – Late Models
Fri : Aug 17th – Langlade Speedway ; Antigo : WI – Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Manitowoc County Fairgrounds ; Manitowoc : WI – Wisconsin Dirt Late Models
Fri : Aug 17th – Manitowoc County Fairgrounds ; Manitowoc : WI – Sprint Cars
Fri : Aug 17th – Manitowoc County Fairgrounds ; Manitowoc : WI – Street Stock
Fri : Aug 17th – Mississippi Thunder Speedway ; Fountain City : WI – USMTS Hunt for the Casey's Cup Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI –IMCA Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI –IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fri : Aug 17th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI –Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – Huntsville Speedway ; Huntsville : AL – Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – Huntsville Speedway ; Huntsville : AL – Outlaw Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Huntsville Speedway ; Huntsville : AL – Sportsman
Sat : Aug 18th – Mobile International Speedway ; Irvington : AL – Super Stock Trucks
Sat : Aug 18th – Montgomery Motor Speedway ; Montgomery : AL – Show Me The Money Pro Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Batesville Motor Speedway ; Batesville : AR – 20th Annual Comp Cams Topless 100 Lucas Oil Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – 305 Winged Sprints 
Sat : Aug 18th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – 600 Mini Sprints 
Sat : Aug 18th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Hobby Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – Perris Auto Speedway ; Perris : CA – USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
Sat : Aug 18th – Stockton 99 Speedway ; Stockton : CA – SRL Southwest Tour Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Pro Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – E-Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – New Senoia Raceway ; Senoia : GA – USCS 600 Sprint Cars
Sat : Aug 18th – New Senoia Raceway ; Senoia : GA – USCS Outlaw Thunder Sprint Cars
Sat : Aug 18th  – Waycross Motor Speedway ; Waycross : GA – Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Illinois State Fairgrounds ; Springfield : IL – ARCA Racing Series
Sat : Aug 18th – Illinois State Fairgrounds ; Springfield : IL – USAC Silver Crown
Sat : Aug 18th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Limited Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Sportsman
Sat : Aug 18th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Hornets
Sat : Aug 18th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Late Model Figure 8
Sat : Aug 18th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Stocks Figure 8
Sat : Aug 18th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – IMCA Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – IMCA Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – IMCA Stock Cars
Sat : Aug 18th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – IMCA Sport Mods
Sat : Aug 18th – Upper Iowa Speedway ; Decorah : IA – USMTS Hunt for the Casey's Cup Modifieds
Sat: Aug 18th - Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY - Late Model
Sat: Aug 18th - Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY - Sportsman
Sat: Aug 18th - Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY - Pure Street
Sat: Aug 18th - Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY - Mini Stock
Sat: Aug 18th - Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY - Outlaw Mini Cup
Sat: Aug 18th - Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY - Baby Grand
Sat: Aug 18th - Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY - Pro Challenge
Sat : Aug 18th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Rebels
Sat : Aug 18th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Strictly Stock
Sat : Aug 18th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – 32nd Annual Ernie D's, Shorty Bowers/Bull Durham Championship Topless Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Seekonk Speedway ; Seekonk : MA – MRS Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – USAC Midwest Focus Midgets
Sat : Aug 18th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – USAC Mopar D1 Stars
Sat : Aug 18th – Merritt Raceway ; Lake City : MI – World of Outlaws Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Wissota Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Wissota Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Wissota Super Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – USRA Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – Elko Speedway ; Elko : MN – ASA Midwest Tour Elko 125
Sat : Aug 18th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Wissota Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Wissota Street Stocks 
Sat : Aug 18th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Wissota Super Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Super Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – NeSmith Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – ASA Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Sportsman 
Sat : Aug 18th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Road Warriors
Sat : Aug 18th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Chargers
Sat : Aug 18th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – Factory Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – A-Mods
Sat : Aug 18th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – B-Mods
Sat : Aug 18th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – United Late Model Association Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – Tommy Druar/Tony Kankowiak Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – TQ Midgets
Sat : Aug 18th – Concord Motorsports Park ; Concord : NC – Late Models Twin 50s
Sat : Aug 18th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Limited Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Hickory Motor Speedway ; Newton : NC – Street Stock
Sat : Aug 18th – Southwest Speedway ; Dickinson : ND – IMCA Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – Southwest Speedway ; Dickinson : ND – Wissota Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – Riverside Speedway ; Antigonish : Nova Scotia – Parts for Trucks Pro Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Emo Fall Fair Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Emo Fall Fair Wissota Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Emo Fall Fair Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – Lawton Speedway ; Lawton : OK – Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints 
Sat : Aug 18th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Xcel 600 CCs
Sat : Aug 18th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Thunder Cars
Sat : Aug 18th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 410 Sprints
Sat : Aug 18th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 358 Sprints
Sat : Aug 18th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Sport Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Factory Stocks
Sat : Aug 18th – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve ; Montreal : Quebec – NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
Sat : Aug 18th – Cleveland Speedway ; Cleveland : TN – Southern All Star Dirt Super Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Motor Mile Speedway ; Radford : VA – Late Models 
Sat : Aug 18th – Motor Mile Speedway ; Radford : VA – Limited Sportsman
Sat : Aug 18th – Shenandoah Speedway ; Shenandoah : VA – Late Models
Sat : Aug 18th – Shenandoah Speedway ; Shenandoah : VA – Sportsman
Sat : Aug 18th – South Boston Speedway ; South Boston : VA – PASS South
Sat : Aug 18th – Cedar Lake Speedway ; New Richmond : WI – Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – TNT Speedway ; Three Lakes : WI – Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 18th – TNT Speedway ; Three Lakes : WI – Wissota Street Stocks
Sun : Aug 19th – Illinois State Fairgrounds ; Macon : IL – ARCA Racing Series
Sun : Aug 19th – Winchester Speedway ; Winchester : IN – Top Speed Modifieds
Sun : Aug 19th – Nobles County Speedway ; Worthington : MN – Hunt for the USMTS Casey's Cup
Sun : Aug 19th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Super Late Models
Sun : Aug 19th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – NeSmith Late Models
Sun : Aug 19th – Magnolia Motor Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Street Stocks
Sun : Aug 19th – Nodak Speedway ; Minot : ND – World of Outlaws Sprint Cars
Sun : Aug 19th – Thunder Mountain Speedway ; Bottineau : ND – Season Championship Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sun : Aug 19th – Thunder Mountain Speedway ; Bottineau : ND – Season Championship Sport Stocks
Sun : Aug 19th – Angell Park Speedway ; Sun Prairie : WI – USAC MOPAR National Midgets
Tue : Aug 21st – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – DIRT 358 Modifieds
Tue : Aug 21st – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – Street Stocks
Tue : Aug 21st – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI – Wisconsin Dirt Late Models
Tue : Aug 21st – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI – Badger Modified Tour
Tue : Aug 21st – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI – IMCA Sport Modifieds
Wed : Aug 22nd – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Outlaws
Wed : Aug 22nd – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Rebels
Wed : Aug 22nd – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Renegades
Wed : Aug 22nd – Bristol Motor Speedway ; Bristol : TN – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Wed : Aug 22nd – Bristol Motor Speedway ; Bristol : TN – NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
Wed : Aug 22nd – Manitowoc County Fairgrounds ; Manitowoc : WI – Manitowoc County Fair Wisconsin Dirt Late Models
Wed : Aug 22nd – Manitowoc County Fairgrounds ; Manitowoc : WI – Manitowoc County Fair Sprint Cars
Wed : Aug 22nd – Manitowoc County Fairgrounds ; Manitowoc : WI – Manitowoc County Fair Street Stock
Thu : Aug 23rd – Highland Speedway ; Highland : IL – MARS Dirtcar Series Late Models
Thu : Aug 23rd – Kokomo Speedway ; Kokomo : IN – AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars
Thu : Aug 23rd – Lebanon Valley Speedway ; West Lebanon : NY – DIRTCar Big-Block Modifieds
Thu : Aug 23rd – Kingsport Speedway ; Kingsport : TN – CARS Pro Cup Series
Thu : Aug 23rd – Volunteer Speedway ; Bulls Gap : TN – 9th Annual Scorcher Lucas Oil Late Models

Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.

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Fantasy Friday: Pure Michigan 400
by Jeff Wolfe

Often times in sports, after an athlete has three or four seasons of experience, we make concrete evaluations about their performance. We have a past history to base our current thoughts and future assumptions on... and that's not all bad. We need something to go on.

However, who's not to say that athletes can evolve their talents and become even better?

One of those perceptions in NASCAR falls on some of the road racing specialists. For a few years now, Marcos Ambrose has been considered one such expert. He confirmed that assumption with the second road win of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career Sunday at Watkins Glen. But the deal with Ambrose is simple: He drives the entire schedule for a B-level team, Richard Petty Motorsports. So, he's been working to shake the stigma that he's a good driver only on road courses as he is in his fourth full season of Sprint Cup competition. His highest finish in the final point standings was 19th for JTG Daugherty Racing in 2009.

But if he really wants to put that road-racer only idea to rest, Ambrose's got four races left in NASCAR's regular season to prove it. The Tasmanian put himself in position to make the sport's version of the playoffs, the Chase for the Championship, with Sunday's win. If he can capture one of these next four races, that'll put him in position to grab one of the two "wild card" spots remaining for the Chase. The top 10 in points are guaranteed a position, while the two drivers 11th through 20th in points with the most wins will secure the final two. Kasey Kahne is the lone driver outside the top 10 with two wins.

That leaves a big scramble for the final position. Ambrose sits 44 points behind current final wild-card qualifier Ryan Newman, meaning his best shot will be to notch another win. He has six top-10 finishes this season, including a ninth in the June race at Michigan, where the No. 9 Ford started on the pole. At the other three tracks left, he has one career top-5 result and three top 10s at Bristol, one top 10 at Atlanta and one top five and two top 10s at Richmond, the final race of the regular season.

"Definitely the best track for us coming up would be Michigan, after having such good speed there in the first race," Ambrose said on a conference call Tuesday. "Then I traditionally go pretty well at Bristol as well.  I've had a lot of really good runs there. Though I have yet to get a victory around Bristol, I feel that's a good place for us to potentially surprise a lot of folks and come through for another win."

Ambrose's average finish on road courses is 7.4, that's no surprise. But at all other types of tracks, his best average finish is 19th on short tracks. So, there it is. The road course numbers don't lie.

But the next four weeks will be Ambrose's chance to show us that the numbers on the other types of courses don't entirely tell the truth, either. When it comes to your roster, take heed of that; sometimes, down the stretch of the regular season you'll have some unexpected surprises shedding their labels and contending for victories you would have never expected.

THIS WEEK'S PICKS

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - He broke his four-year, 143-race winless streak here in June, so it would be difficuilt to not pick him here as he's got two wins at Michigan.

Jimmie Johnson - It's hard to believe he's never won at this place. He does have four top-5 finishes and he could very well get the winning thing taking care of Sunday.

Greg Biffle - He's been quiet lately, but there he sits second in the point standings going to a place where the Roush cars typically perform well. He's got two wins here and could make it three.

Carl Edwards - Last year's runner-up desperately needs a win to have a shot to make the Chase and this is a good place for him to do it. He has two wins at Michigan and an average finish of 8.4 at the track.

Tony Stewart - He has just one win at Michigan, but 11 top fives. He's still trying to become the first driver to win four races this season.

Shoulda, woulda, coulda - It was difficult to not pick Matt Kenseth this week. He's third in the points, with two wins at Michigan and an average finish of 9.4. I may regret not making him one of my top five.

ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP

Here's a look at how last week's picks fared at Watkins Glen.

Tony Stewart  - 19th. Was running second until he spun late in the race, putting him well back in the field.

Marcos Ambrose - 1st. There were high expectations for him on the road course, and he didn't disappoint in that thrilling final lap. 

Jeff Gordon - 21st. He was poised for a top-10 finish until the final turn, oil-aided slip and slide show.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - 28th.  Also poised for a top-10 finish until a late wreck left him well pack in the pack.

Kurt Busch - 31st. Early mechanical issues ended any chance he had of having a good day.

Here's a look at my results after 22 races and 110 picks.

13 wins, 38 top 5s, 51 top 10s

Grade for the week: C. Saved only by having the race winner. It wasn't that all of my picks weren't fast, it's just that they ran into trouble at some point, pushing them back into the field.

One last thing: With Jimmie Johnson now in the points lead, he has been in first place in the points at least one week in each of the last nine seasons. That's the longest stretch for any driver since 1975.

Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.

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Frontstretch Folio: Pure Michigan 400
by Rick Lunkenheimer

This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads back to Michigan International Speedway for the second time this year. The Pure Michigan 400 is the twenty-third race of the 2012 season, of 36 scheduled events on the Cup Series docket. Sunday's event will be broadcast live on August 19th, at 12:00 PM ET on ESPN; the race can also be heard starting at 12:00 PM ET on MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90. The race will re-air Monday, August 20th at 2:00 AM ET on ESPN2 and Wednesday, August 22nd at 12:00 PM ET on SPEED. Drivers will race for 200 laps (400 miles) before taking the checkered flag.

Records and Facts

Ryan Newman holds the track qualifying record of 194.242 mph (37.069 sec) set June 18, 2005 for the Batman Begins 400. Newman led just three laps that day before settling into a 15th-place finish. Greg Biffle snagged the checkered flag, edging ahead of Tony Stewart over the final few circuits. Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards rounded out the top-5 finishers.

Dale Jarrett holds the record for the fastest race run at Michigan with an average speed of 173.997 mph (2:17:56) in the Kmart 400 Presented by Castrol Super Clean on June 13, 1999. Jarrett started sixth that day but dominated, leading 150 of 200 laps en route to his second of four wins in his championship season. Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Ward Burton and Bobby Labonte rounded out the top 5 in a race that ran caution free.

Kyle Busch is the defending winner of the fall race at Michigan. After starting 17th, he led just 22 laps en route to a half-second victory over Jimmie Johnson. Brad Keselowski, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman rounded out the top 5.

Track Facts

Track/Race Length: 2.0-mile D-shaped oval, 200 laps (400 miles)
Pit Road Speed: 45 mph
Degree of Banking: 18 degrees
Frontstretch: 3,600 feet, banked 12 degrees
Backstretch: 2,242 feet, banked 5 degrees
Grandstand Seating: 108,000

VIPs
Grand Marshal / Command: Kid Rock
Honorary Starter / Wave Green Flag: Detroit Radio Host Paul W. Smith
National Anthem: Ride Records singer-songwriter Steve Azar

Pre-race Schedule
Practices: Friday, August 17, 12:30 - 2:00 PM ET on SPEED
Saturday, August 18, 8:30 - 9:25 AM ET on SPEED
Happy Hour: Saturday, August 18, 11:10 - 11:55 AM ET on SPEED
Qualifying: Friday, August 17 at 4:10 PM ET on SPEED

Race Day Forecast
Sunday: Isolated Thunderstorms, Chance of Rain 30%
High: 75
Low: 52

Say What?!?

"I am looking forward to going back to Michigan. It was incredible how smooth and fast the track was for the first race on the new surface in June. We had a decent car there and had a top-15 finish, but we know that we can be better. We tested in Nashville this week to try a few things to take back to Michigan. The guys on this Bass Pro Shops team have been working hard and putting in lots of extra hours to make this team better and we are looking forward to seeing all of that effort pay off." Jamie McMurray

"I don't think I've ever been more eager to get back to the race track. Sunday at 'The Glen' was amazing. Our No. 9 Stanley team worked so hard to give us a second straight win on that course and it was just so gratifying to go back to Victory Lane. It took a lot of bumping and banging, and even a little off-roading on that last lap, but we got there and it felt fantastic. Now we get to go back to Michigan where we had a fast Stanley Ford a couple of months ago. I've been saying that our big step needs to be winning on an oval, and I think we're very close. I think the momentum from winning last week is definitely on our side and might be just what we need to push us to the front for another 'W.'" Marcos Ambrose

"I have more confidence going into Michigan that I ever had going into a race in my career. The only reason we left the test early in Michigan is because we felt that strongly about how good our Furniture Row / Farm American Chevrolet was." Regan Smith

Rick Lunkenheimer is a contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at rick.lunkenheimer@frontstretch.com.

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

by Andy Hollis
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q: The 2003 GFS Marketplace 400 is undoubtedly best known for the Kurt Busch-Jimmy Spencer rivalry coming to a head, resulting in Spencer punching Busch after the race and getting suspended for Bristol. However, the event also had a big crash in Turn 2 involving Kenny Wallace and Todd Bodine. What happened?

Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Thursday's Answer:
 
Q: The 2000 Pepsi 400 presented by Meijer is best known as being the one event in which Dale Earnhardt raced against two of his sons (Dale Jr., and Kerry, who drove Dave Marcis' No. 71).  However, Kerry's Realtree Chevrolet was not one of Marcis' cars. Where did the chassis come from?

A: Kerry Earnhardt's Realtree Chevrolet, although it was painted up to resemble Marcis' normal ride, was actually a car from Richard Childress Racing. That is not necessarily a surprise since Dale Earnhardt and Richard Childress each had very strong friendships with Marcis throughout their careers. Marcis had been known to do some of Dale's testing, used a Childress car for restrictor plate events, and even raced Dale's backup car on at least one occasion.

Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!

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Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Pure Michigan 400 Race Recap by Jeff Wolfe
-- Secret Star and Stat of the Race by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
 
Monday on the Frontstretch:

Thinkin' Out Loud: Pure Michigan 400 by TBA
Overall thoughts about the action from Sunday afternoon's race from Michigan.

Full Throttle by Mike Neff
Mike Neff brings his Wednesday newsletter commentary to the website with one of the hottest stories coming out of Michigan.

Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom brings back his weekly post-race commentary with all of the insight you need from a weekend of racing at Michigan.

Big Six: Pure Michigan 400 by Amy Henderson
Looking for all you need to know leaving Sunday's event in Michigan? Amy has your who, what, when, where, why and how from a weekend of racing.

Pace Laps: Michigan / Montreal Weekend by the Frontstretch Staff
In our newest column this season, we'll take a look at the biggest stories to keep an eye on in each series after the racing out in Michigan and Montreal.

Nationwide Breakdown: NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge by Bryan Davis Keith
All the post-race analysis you need following Saturday afternoon's Nationwide Series race from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Tracking the Trucks: VFW 200 by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has all the post-race analysis you need following Saturday afternoon's Camping World Truck Series race from Michigan.

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