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The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 23rd, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCXIII
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What To Watch: Tuesday
- After car owner Rick Hendrick jumped the gun Sunday morning in Kansas, expect today to officially be when Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is cleared to race in this weekend's TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Earnhardt Jr. is already listed on the entry list for this week's event. Last night, crew chief Steve Letarte tweeted, "Back in Concord after a great day of testing with
- This week's NASCAR media teleconferences feature Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Johnson will speak to the media after Sunday's impressive ninth-place comeback following a wreck off of Turn 2 midway through the Kansas event; Gordon ran one spot behind him in 10th. Both drivers have combined for 13 career wins at the next Sprint Cup track on the circuit: Martinsville.
Top News
by Tom Bowles
Earnhardt, Jr. Losing Major Sponsorship For 2013
NASCAR's Most Popular Driver is losing a large chunk of his funding for 2013. PepsiCo, which has backed the No. 88 team since Dale Earnhardt, Jr. inherited the seat in 2008 is cutting back its sponsorship program with Hendrick Motorsports. According to a Sports Business Journal report, Pepsi's deal for 2013 will consist of just five races only on the hood of the No. 88, adding two traditional races with Jeff Gordon's No. 24 (Pepsi branding) and one, TBD event for Kasey Kahne's No. 5. The deal, reported to be in the range of $10 million is less than half what the company had been giving to back Earnhardt for 20 points-paying events in 2012.
"The main takeaway for us is that we're continuing the relationship and partnership because we really value it," Heidi Sandreuter, the PepsiCo Senior Director of Sports Marketing told SBJ. "Moving forward, it's still about driving Diet Dew for Dale. Dale anchored Diet Dew this year for us, and that is huge. Sports and racing is what the brand is leveraging to increase awareness and trial."
Reports are the National Guard will expand its sponsorship to a 20-race deal for 2013. That would still leave a total of 13 additional events unsponsored, although both Hendrick and Earnhardt have confirmed talks with several companies are in the works. Hendrick, in a worst-case scenario does have the funding, through his Hendrickcars.com business and car dealerships to run the No. 88 out of his own pocket.
Earnhardt nearly lost 90 percent of his funding when Congress threatened to prevent branches of the military, like the National Guard from continuing their sports sponsorship deals. However, the bill was knocked down and the Guard quickly renewed with the No. 88 last summer. At the height of Earnhardt's popularity, combined with his transition into Hendrick Motorsports total backing on his Chevrolet had been reported to be as high as $40 million.
Allmendinger, Not Smith, To Drive No. 51 At Martinsville
AJ Allmendinger and Phoenix Racing will continue their partnership for at least one more week. Tuesday morning, the team announced that despite a previous commitment to Regan Smith they've tapped the 'Dinger to drive their No. 51 Chevy Sunday for the third consecutive race. Smith, likely released from Hendrick Motorsports as soon as this afternoon, once Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is cleared for competition will sit out this weekend instead in favor of the man who finished second to Ryan Newman at Martinsville this Spring.
"AJ has done a great job for us the last couple of weeks," Phoenix Racing general manager Steve Barkdoll said to Lee Spencer of FOXsports.com. "He hasn't gotten the breaks that he deserved. He runs well at Martinsville, so we would like to give him another shot."
Allmendinger was 24th and 35th in his first two events with this team. However, at Kansas he had the car running inside the top 5 at points before a flat right-front tire sent him slamming into the Turn 3 wall. The 30-year-old was suspended earlier this season from the Cup Series, then subsequently released from Penske Racing after a positive drug test for Adderall.
As Wreckage Clears, Danica And Landon Differ On How It Started
The day after totaling her No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet at Kansas, Danica Patrick remained furious with Landon Cassill over a series of moves she claimed caused the incident. There appears to be a rivalry brewing, as each side as given no indication they'll apologize for a wreck that left Patrick sitting inside the garage while Cassill went on, nearly unscathed to an 18th-place finish.
"He got into me on the front straight and said I was just in the way," the GoDaddy driver said after the event to SB Nation. "That's really no good reason to hit me. If it's one time, I can imagine it's frustration, but it's been quite a few times with him. At some point I have to stand up for myself so this doesn't happen with other people."
The two drivers were battling for position, near the back of the pack when the aggression occurred -- Patrick's response was to tap the No. 83 heading into Turn 1 and wreck both cars. Cassill, who tweeted Monday, "I have 104 unread text messages. Some of them are tweets, but you get the point" has refused to back off his stance that Patrick's style of racing was over the line.
"If you're going to make it three-wide and pass somebody, you've got to back it up," he said to SB Nation. "But she didn't. She goes under there, and then she's sliding up the racetrack and then jacks up the field, gets in the way. Then she lets two cars go by, and when I get underneath her, she crowds me. So I was like, 'No! I've been faster than you all day,' so I was going to move her. And I did."
"I didn't hit her because she was in my way and I wanted to pick on her, I hit her because she was driving like an idiot for 30th."
Patrick's car was the one scheduled to race in Texas next weekend; now, they'll pull out a backup car for her next Cup Series attempt.
- Championship contender Brad Keselowski will join Jamie McMurray in a Goodyear tire test held Wednesday at Phoenix Raceway. The two wheelmen will help develop a compound to be used at the series' 500-kilometer race there in two weeks.
- Matt Merrell, an ARCA Series winner at Berlin last season will make his Truck Series debut Sunday at Martinsville Raceway. Merrell, a 27-year-old Texan will drive for Win-Tron Racing in a No. 35 Chevrolet Silverado; if successful, the team hopes to increase their presence into a limited schedule on the Truck level next season. Owner Kevin Cywniski has competed on the Truck level in the past, most recently with Scott Wimmer in 2009 before Turner Motorsports bought into his operation.
Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
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GOT A NASCAR QUESTION OR COMMENT? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
That's right; our Fan Q & A column has a new sheriff in town. Send your question Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print on Thursday when she does her weekly column. It's all part of our daily mission to give back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat!
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Today's Featured Commentary
Tenth Place is Pretty Good for Patrick...or Not
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady
Sonya's Weekly Danica Stat
Kansas: NNS in the No. 7 Tissot/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
Qualified: 13th
Finished: 10th (running, lead lap)
Points Position: 10th
OK boys and girls, it's time. I did my job. I let Miss Patrick run her season without comment, and now we get to see just where it got us. She sits tenth in driver points for the Nationwide Series, and has remained there for the vast majority of the season, which over in Cupland will get you seated on stage in Vegas. But this isn't Cup and there aren't a herd of drivers competing for points in the NNS. Only 13 have started all 30 races thus far into the season, and Danica has earned her 10th-place standing.
On paper, it looks pretty good. In reality, it's a less than a stunning result. Her teammate, Cole Whitt, running in the trademarked No. 88 sits in seventh in the driver rankings, having earned 171 more points than the much-discussed female. Cole has been appearing pretty stout throughout the year, and yet I don't hear any Cup teams knocking down his doors with plans for instant elevation to the premiere series. And that's because he's not amazing. Not yet.
Now, there is one running the "AAA"-level series who will make his full-time debut in the Cup Series in 2013, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. With one series trophy under his belt, and a second quite possible before the year ends, it is easily understood how he can be expected to rocket to stardom. Stenhouse has the chops, has shown us his talent and taken home the hardware to prove it. He has earned his rookie spot in the Roush No. 17 for next year, and I do expect great things from him.
Danica Patrick remains, in my opinion, mostly where she began the year. She is adequate, but not stellar. The much-discussed learning curve is not a steep one, but rather a lazy slope. While she brings much-needed sponsor dollars with her, I can't see her lasting in the Sprint Cup series or even NASCAR, for that matter. If Stewart-Haas Racing wants a back-of-the-pack machine representing their stable, all should be happy. However, with the No. 14 and No. 39 more than competitive, I just don't see mediocrity as something Mr. Stewart will settle for.
She will have a two-year grace period in Cup: one for her "rookie" year and a second to see if there will be improvement. After 2014, I expect Danica to be able to attract rides in the second or third-tier teams who are willing to sell ad space on their machines in exchange for a seat. She may yet win a race, on one of those odd fuel mileage shuffles or skirting past the "Big One" at Daytona. But that is all.
I'm still glad to see the fairer sex making its way into the sport, and love hearing the girls mix it up in all the series I watch. I just want fair expectations to be set for all competitors and allow the fan base of auto racing to call an elephant an elephant when it walks across the street.
After spending eight years in the national spotlight piloting either open-wheel or stock cars, Danica Patrick has proven she can run with the pack -- just not lead it.
So look for that glowing GoDaddy No. 10 on the track at your favorite Sprint Cup event in 2013. It will be there with the world's most recognizable poster girl behind the wheel. Just don't go looking for her in Victory Lane.
Author's Note: I've finally made it to Facebook! Come visit with me at http://facebook.com/Author.SDGrady
S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @laregna.
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Numbers Game: Hollywood Casino 400
by Garrett Horton
0
Kevin Harvick has not scored a top-10 result in a single Chase race this year. His best finish has been an 11th, occurring three times.
1
Kyle Busch has just one combined victory in all three of NASCAR's divisions this year after averaging almost 21 since the beginning of the 2008 season.
2
Martin Truex, Jr. finished second in both Kansas races this season. In his seven previous races at the track, he had never posted a top-10 finish.
2
Two drivers have finished inside the top 15 in all six Chase races this year: Brad Keselowski and Kasey Kahne.
14
There were 14 cautions in Sunday's running of the Hollywood Casino 400, the most yellow flags in a race this season.
24
Matt Kenseth's 3rd of win of 2012 marked his 24th career win, joining Kurt and Kyle Busch for 26th most all-time.
69
Aric Almirola led 69 laps on Sunday, which was not only a career high for a race -- it also eclipsed his previous best for an entire season, which was 56 in 2008.
$78,907
Michael McDowell, who finished last in Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Kansas, collected $78,907 for completing just seven laps. This was more than any other driver in the Kansas Nationwide race with the exception of Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., who was Saturday's winner.
Garrett Horton is a Contributor to Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at garrett.horton@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Garrett_Horton.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
An Ode to Martinsville: The Short Track That Could
by Danny Peters
Who's Hot/Who's Not in NASCAR: Kansas/Martinsville Edition
by Brett Poirier
Logano Is The Whammy While Bad Production Decisions Hurt ESPN
by Phil Allaway
Five Points to Ponder: Paving Potholes, Danica's Dustup and Spec Cars
by Bryan Davis Keith
Tech Talk: NASCAR Eyes In The Sky Equals A Full-Time Job
by Mike Neff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1996, Turn One Racing team owner Stacy Compton made his Winston Cup Series debut at Martinsville by qualifying a stunning ninth for the Spring race. As Compton was mainly a late model racer at the time, how did the team he was racing for at the time acquire Cup Series equipment?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: In the 1990 Goody's 500 at Martinsville, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Ricky Rudd and Ken Schrader had an excellent day, leading a combined 156 laps. However, this race ended in the worst possible way for the duo. What happened?
A: Pretty much the worst possible thing happened to Rudd and Schrader on the backstretch. They wrecked each other. The duo were bumping and banging each other for the lead on Lap 290, exiting Turn 2 when one of those bumps got Rudd loose. As a result, Rudd turned into Schrader and both cars were guided into the inside wall hard. The crash can be seen in this Winston Cup Replay that aired as part of ESPN's telecast of the infamous 1991 Goody's 500. Both Schrader and Rudd were out on the spot after leading over half the race up to that point.
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 Brad Morgan
-- Beth's Brief by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Did You Notice?... by Tom Bowles
Tom returns with a series of "quick hit" discussion points. Among them: what the loss of Earnhardt, Jr.'s sponsorship means, what a difference a year makes for Brian Vickers, and what history tells us about the rest of the Chase.
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite Frontstretch writers are back to discuss a variety of different subjects. This week's topics include whether the reconfiguration of Kansas Speedway made for a better race, whether the Camping World Truck Series should be experimenting with things like dirt track racing, whether Martinsville is do-or-die for Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin and more.
Sprint Cup Power Rankings compiled by Summer Bedgood
Did Sunday's on-track action and wrecking significantly shake up our Power Rankings? You'll have to check it out in order to see where the drivers stand going into Sunday's TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Kevin's Corner by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin's back with another interesting commentary.
Frontstretch Top Ten by Jeff Meyer
We'll have a top ten list that will tickle your funny bone, guaranteed.
Open-Wheel Wednesday: Season Review Roundtable by the Frontstretch Staff
With the driver and team reviews now complete, it is time for our Izod IndyCar Series writers to take some time to discuss some of the biggest stories of 2012 -- as well as some of the biggest ones thus far in the offseason.
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