Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 10th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCIV
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Top News
by Brad Morgan
No Punishment for Busch
NASCAR has decided not to pursue disciplinary action against Kurt Busch after the driver ignored official orders to stop his vehicle following a lap 98 wreck Sunday during the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
"I got out of the car and surveyed the damage, saw that it could still roll so I jumped back in," Busch said after returning to the infield. "That is the competitor in me, which is the desire that I have and that is what gets misconstrued all the time."
The 2004 champion also stated that he never heard NASCAR's commands to stop the No. 51 Chevrolet because he didn't have his helmet on. On probation for several other incidents this season, including a verbal altercation with a media member that resulted in a one-race suspension, officials decided to move on rather than consider it a probation violation.
Busch will look for a clean start when he climbs into his new ride, the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Texas Hosts Tire Test
Several NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers participated in a Goodyear tire test scheduled at Texas Motor Speedway on Tuesday. The event was free to the public and featured drivers Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Paul Menard, as they tested the new 2013 cars.
According to Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's Vice President of Competition, the test was designed primarily to gauge how the cars react while drafting. Information for both the cars' handling and tire compounds were gathered from test results.
Gates were open from 9 AM through 5 PM and fans were allowed to bring coolers into the track. Spectators were also granted access to the garage area for a closer at the new Chevrolet SS, Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry.
Mike Rowe Welcomes Contest Winners to Charlotte
Mike Rowe is known as the host of the Discovery Channel series "Dirty Jobs", but he will soon be recognized for something else. The television personality will welcome two lucky winners of the Caterpillar "Your Company Name on the No. 31 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Car" promotion at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Bank of America 500 on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012.
The owners of Phillips & Jordan in Knoxville, Tenn. and All Mini Machine Services in Delta, British Columbia will have their company logos placed on Jeff Burton's No. 31 Chevrolet for the entirety of the race weekend after winning the Aug. 3-17, 2012 contest. They also received an all-expense paid trip to Charlotte and VIP passes to the all-important Chase event.
"What could be better than to put their logos on our race car for the experience of a lifetime at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend," said Greg Towles, Caterpillar's NASCAR Program Director. "The contest was a fun way to involve our loyal customers and give a great reward to the winners. We are excited to have Mike Rowe come out and give our guests his personal congratulations."
Burton currently sits 19th in the Sprint Cup standings following a 10th place finish at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday despite being involved in a 25-car accident. He has accumulated two top-5s and six top-10s during his 20th year of competition in NASCAR's premier series.
"It's cool to see a great partner like Caterpillar put together a promotion like this to reward their loyal customers," said Jeff Burton. "CAT is well known for rolling out the red carpet for its customers here at the track and it will be an exciting weekend for the winners."
News Bites
- Norm Benning's No. 57 team was penalized Tuesday for infractions found during opening day inspection at Talladega Superspeedway last week. The truck was found in violation of multiple sections of the 2012 rule book, including section 20B-2.3A: (any weight added to the truck must be bolted inside the body shell in an approved weight container and in a position acceptable to NASCAR Officials: Improperly attached weight to the truck bed cover). Crew Chief Ted Walters was also fined $5,000 and placed on probation until December 31st.
- NASCAR's Chase suffered through another disappointing week of ratings. Talladega, the fourth of ten postseason events registered just a 3.7 in the Nielsens, with 5.113 million viewers tuning in. While it's not as bad as the 13 percent decline at Dover, viewership was still down six percent.
Have news for Brad and 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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WRITE FOR US!
Hey Frontstretch Readers! Are you looking for a fast-growing website that can give you an opportunity to not only share your thoughts on racing, but have FUN doing it with a group of laid-back, dedicated personnel? Well, we have the place for you. Frontstretch is actively seeking 1-3 additional writers for both our newsletter and website to add to our dedicated staff. Follow this link for more information on how you can become a weekly columnist for the site and / or newsletter!
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Today's Featured Commentary
Beth's Brief
NASCAR Made Right Call in Assessing No Further Penalty to Kurt Busch
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Once again, Kurt Busch stole the headlines at Talladega Superspeedway--first it was for the final race in his tenure with Phoenix Racing, but by the end of the day, it was all about NASCAR parking the driver of the No. 51 Chevrolet following a wreck. Just past the halfway point in Sunday's Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500, Busch was leading the race when he ran out of gas and was tapped by Jamie McMurray. The resulting spin into the infield retaining wall left the back end of his car significantly damaged but likely repairable. Not long after safety crews arrived to assist Busch, he re-fired the car and took off toward the garage area in hopes of getting back onto the track, but without his helmet on, he missed out on a command from NASCAR to stop on the track, a move that got him parked and called to the hauler to explain his actions.
"He made an effort to get back in the car and get back in the garage, and we felt like it put some of our folks in harm's way and we just talked to him about that," NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said Tuesday.
Back in the garage area, Busch was calm and collected despite having been knocked out of the lead in his final start for Phoenix Racing.
"I jumped back in and I remembered with these engines, they'll run with 20 percent fuel pressure to get it back to the garage. So I jumped back in," Busch said. "That's the competitor in me, that's the desire that i have, and that's what gets misconstrued all the time. And this is the way my life works.
"I'm not complaining. I put myself in a lot of these situations, but it's on to good things now moving forward," he continued. "I got all the bad luck out of the way. This year has been a great year to test me in every way."
Of course, like any polarizing driver, opinions have been running wild since the incident about whether Busch, who is on probation with NASCAR for the remainder of the season should have been penalized further. Fast forward to Tuesday, a day that has typically been designated for penalties to be handed down, and the verdict from the sanctioning body was that no additional penalties would be assessed.
But was it the right call? In a word, yes.
While I sat here scratching my head at why the driver of the No. 51 wouldn't have at least given the safety workers a heads up that he planned to go back to the garage for repairs, no one was injured in the incident. And despite having "ignored" a direct order from NASCAR, it wasn't an intentional move by any means. He simply didn't have his helmet on and didn't hear the request, and based on how cool and collected he was in the garage area later, it's likely if he had heard it, he would have stopped.
But what about his probation, you ask? Yes, NASCAR sent a message to Busch earlier this year when they suspended him and extended his probation for mouthing off to a reporter, but frankly, that message sank in. Since then, the 34-year-old has behaved around reporters and hadn't gotten in trouble until Sunday when he wanted to continue to race.
I'm sure there are plenty of people out there that feel like Busch should have been suspended for at least one race, if not the rest of the season, and my question to those people is why? He served his penalty when the team was forced to pack it in and head home early rather than repairing the car and getting back out on track. Sure, he's out of the points race, and losing what points he could have gained by returning to the track didn't hurt him as far as the standings go, but is there really a reason to tack on a penalty to one that had already been assessed?
The bottom line is that NASCAR made the right call in not penalizing Busch any further. After all, he was doing what any racer would want to do if they felt their car could be repaired enough to get back out on the track. Now, it's time for him to move on to his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet in preparation for a full season with the organization next year.
Author's Note: Be sure to check out Kevin's Corner this week as he takes a look at Kurt Busch's tenure with Phoenix Racing before he heads off to his new ride at Furniture Row Racing this weekend at Charlotte.
Beth Lunkenheimer is a Managing Editor for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via email at beth.lunkenheimer@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter @Beth_Frntstrtch.
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. It will run on Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Tweet 'N' Greet
by Summer Bedgood
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Summer Bedgood will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...
@ericmcclure: Asking everyone's prayers 4 Miranda. She's being admitted to hospital w/ Meningitis. We do not know what type yet, and its a scary time, but we know we serve a mighty God that can do great things.
@gbiffle (Greg Biffle): Testing Nashville with the 16 team and can't figure out why NW/Trucks don't race here anymore?? Fun track
@CandiceSpencer: When @KevinHarvick was asked to describe the problems at Richard Childress Racing, he replied, "I don't have enough time" #NASCAR
@bobpockrass: James Finch says he's talking with Regan Smith and AJ Allmendinger about driving car. Said he's focused right now on getting thru 2012.
@JennaFryer: Regarding Montreal: Promoter stunned #NASCAR by 1st demanding a Cup race, then saying it wanted to run Nationwide at 9 am on a Sunday
@odsteve (Steve O'Donnell): To be clear to the fans in Montreal, we had every intention of returning in 2013.
@nateryan: Earnhardt Ganassi president Steve Lauletta also was confident that No. 1 of Jamie McMurray will be fully sponsored for 2013 season. #nascar
@jeff_gluck: Wow... RT @JennaFryer: Remember the apology from KyBu yesterday? It was because he camethisclose to Toyota saying "Peace out, dude."
@StacyStenhouse: Me and @StenhouseJr out last night! #bestbrotherever https://twitter.com/StacyStenhouse/status/254389096716308482/photo/1
@JennaFryer: Someone is pumped about that qualifying lap https://twitter.com/JennaFryer/status/254622261842178048/photo/1
@nateryan: Jimmie Johnson confirmed #nascar told drivers that 2013 qualifying will return to a provisional-style system with a random draw for order.
@nateryan: Jimmie Johnson prefers current format for quals order but said #nascar changed b/c random allows teams better management of tire allotment.
@DeLanaHarvick: #Godadgo http://img.ly/oaKw
@AJDinger: Really nice to be back at the track. Everyone was really nice. Thanks to all the fans for the well wishes on here and at the track
@DeLanaHarvick: And that my friends is 1 of many reasons why I'm happy we don't own a team anymore... All I saw was $$$$ gettin torn all to hell! #tkskeelan
@keselowski: Congrats @pkligerman
@kaseykahne: Great @NASCAR_Trucks race. Wish they could have raced to the line, that would have been a hell of a show!
@gbiffle: Proud of my little piggy Emma she won first prize in the Halloween contest!!!! https://twitter.com/gbiffle/status/254763850350604288/photo/1
@WendyVenturini: Caleb trick-or-treating at daddy's team driver @joeylogano who had Mars brand candy of course lol https://twitter.com/WendyVenturini/status/254770971976814592/photo/1
@mattkenseth: Congrats @RossKenseth and my @farmandfleet crew on winning the all American 400!!! #prouddad
@RossKenseth: Man this is awesome. Big thanks to @mattkenseth @FarmAndFleet and everyone who made this possible. Coolest place to win at
@pkligerman: Just finished all 175 txt messages... Craziness... Love to the people who made this possible. Much love to those who were audible. #NASCAR
@ericmcclure: Great news. Miranda is coming home! Still some rest/recovery ahead, but she's made remarkable progress. Thx 2 everyone for all the support
@joeylogano: So this tweet might be PG 13. But look what I signed today https://twitter.com/joeylogano/status/254961157805309953/photo/1
@StewartHaasRcng: Another photo of @NewmanKrissie and @RyanNewman39 with the family @TalladegaSuperS https://twitter.com/StewartHaasRcng/status/255004549453082624/photo/1
@conniemontoya: the girls learning to change tires! @jpmontoya #nascar https://twitter.com/conniemontoya/status/255007284642590720/photo/1
@SummerBedgood: #NASCAR should just go ahead and hire Kevin James as the official grand marshal.
@BigEarl48 (Earl Barban): My view today https://twitter.com/BigEarl48/status/255009051811930114/photo/1
@miranda_mcclure: Glad to be home! Still have to take antibiotics (precautionary) and I can't see the girls for a couple more days; but God is so good to me!!
@Writer_Amy (Amy Henderson): At most tracks, they have tearaway windshields. At Talladega, drivers need tearaway underwear... #NASCAR
@MartySmithESPN: Kurt Busch was saying on the radio before the wreck that he was out of gas. Then after he asks the team, "Guys, why am I out of gas?"
@jeff_gluck: Kurt Busch just took off with the safety workers leaning in the car. Team telling Kurt to stop, but he's not listening.
@NASCARBowles (Tom Bowles): For @KurtBusch, sad but poetic way to end time with Phoenix Racing. Great effort + bad luck = rollercoaster ride that never worked. #NASCAR
@Writer_Amy: The issue with Kurt driving away is the safety workers were at his car-someone not in a roll cage could have been seriously hurt #NASCAR
@tomjensen100: HUGE CRASH ON LAST LAP. STEWART UPSIDE DOWN!!!
@NASCAR_Realtime: Sad way to end such an entertaining race. #Nascar
@NewmanKrissie: Holy hell
@NewmanKrissie: Ryan finished 9th!!!
@KimBurton31: Omg. Please tell me it is really over. That is so horrible to watch.
@Writer_Amy: What i hate about that is the guys who race clean ALL day and got caught in that. #NASCAR This kind of racing is BS.
@NewmanKrissie: HATE these places!!!!"@EarnhardtKelley: No way this was gonna end up good. Always this way at plate races."
@CandiceSpencer: What did @Gbiffle see? "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me, it was the craziest thing I've ever been involved in in my life" P5 #NASCAR
@LorraP (Lorra Podsiadlo): I honestly wish the fans knew what that feels like!!!!!! It's the worst feeling in the world!!!!
@SSpakeESPN (Shannon Spake): This garage is littered with wrecked race cars. Scary end to the race.
@CitizenKBA: You won't hear this, oh, ever again, but Tony Stewart ruined Michael Waltrip's day.
@jeff_gluck: All through the garage, you can hear the sound of saws cutting torn sheet metal from cars. Damaged cars everywhere like disaster movie.
@ClintBowyer: Shit!!! Was where I wanted to be and it just wasn't meant to be. I will say I love Matt Kenseth but he should've been penalized for blocking
@JimmieJohnson: We finished a plate race!! #6pack
@KevinHarvick: Run up front all day and wreck coming to the checked running 3rd... Welcome to 2012 and thank god it's almost over..
@keselowski: Someone needs to make a t-shirt that says, "I survived Talladega Guaranteed at-least 43 customers. #nascar
@dcaraviello: Johnson on ride back with Dale Jr.: "He stopped for me, and I said, 'Man, I'll steal a ride.' Then he was hauling ass. I was like, come on!"
@Regan_Smith_: Glad to walk away from FRR with a top 5… win would've been cooler but we didn't have fuel pressure before that last green flag, had to pit
@Regan_Smith_: Excited to hop in the 51 Phoenix Chevy next week, good group of guys. Going to miss all the 78 guys as well.
@SummerBedgood: Reading drivers say fans liked the crash pisses me off. There were hardly any wrecks the entire day and fans loved it. #NASCAR
@twoninereyes: Attn if u area of Anniston airport roush plane just took off w cargo door open. Luggage everywhere. #lookmomnewcrewshirt"
@MikeCalinoff: Leaving Talladega. My seatbelt is on, my tray table is up, my electronic devices are (almost) off and my luggage is still on the plane.
@JimmieJohnson: Thanks for the lift Jr http://instagram.com/p/QgK2sLkpQz/
@KevinHarvick: All this talk about Dega this morning cracks me up... This race has been this way since restricter plates were put on. #oldnews
@2Spotter: There's a misconception here: Big packs don't CAUSE big wrecks. Drivers do.Then there's a big wreck. Equal cars go equal speed= big packs
@2Spotter: Removing the plates WILL NOT get rid of big packs ....just make the packs faster...See previous tweet. Equal cars go same speed =big pack
@NASCARBowles: For those saying #NASCAR fans are loving this stuff - attendance at 'Dega Sunday was 88,000. It was 155,000 for that race just 5 years ago.
@KevinHarvick: Here's the deal people gripe about tandems, packs, & they will gripe about the plates off..Its Daytona & Talladega no matter the rules.
@KevinHarvick: They don't hate it just like to bitch any chance they get. "@Adamh2988: @KevinHarvick I love the plate racing why does everyone else hate it
@SamanthaBusch: Pic w Snoop he said to make sure Kyle gives him a ride in the race car one day! http://instagram.com/p/Qim8ItS6ic/
@WendyVenturini: Proof!! Pole! It was close! https://twitter.com/WendyVenturini/status/255460713567514624/photo/1
@gbiffle: That was one of the craziest wrecks I've ever seen out my windshield!!!! Glad everyone was ok and just amazing I was able to get through it
@BubbaWallace: Just so everybody knows, I will NOT b back in a NNS car this year. I had 4, tried to my best every race. I have 2 East races left, that's it.
@Beth_Frntstrtch (Beth Lunkenheimer): Hard to believe today is 2 years since @ShaneHmiel's nasty wreck. I remember the fear that day and the pride I've had watching his recovery.
@BubbaWallace: And by all means didn't mean 4 that tweet 2 sound like I'm giving up...shoot no! The man upstairs has the controller. I'm just sittin back!
@jim_utter: #NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega received a 3.7 rating on ESPN, down 5 percent from last season. Average audience 5.1 million
@MartySmithESPN: NASCAR just told me there will be no additional penalties for Kurt Busch regarding the incident Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.
@NASCAR_Wonka: Kurt won't be further penalized because he's known to drive without using his head,so driving without a helmet is really nothing new #NASCAR
Summer Bedgood is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via email at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter @SummerBedgood.
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Frontstretch Fan Poll Results
Race fans, you voted on the Talladega race our Facebook poll, and the results are in!
We asked: Race fans, what did YOU think about the race at Talladega this weekend?
85.7% answered "It was terrible—that wasn't racing!"
14.3% answered "It was great—now THAT was real racing at its finest!"
Nobody chose "It was okay, but the big crash was the only real action."
Be sure to vote on our new poll about NASCAR's decision on Kurt Busch at Talladega! We'll publish the results on Friday along with the best comments you leave for us! To vote, simply go to our Facebook page to find the poll.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
IndyCar 2012 Season Review: Teams
by Toni Montgomery, Huston Ladner and Matt Stallknecht
Top Ten Things Funnier Than Tony Stewart Being a "Finely Tuned Athlete"
by Jeff Meyer
NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Talladega-2
compiled by Summer Bedgood
Did You Notice? ... Inconsistency Rules -- The Message And The Track -- Plus Who's Got That Cookie-Cutter Edge?
by Tom Bowles
Champion, Interrupted: Kurt Busch's Phoenix Racing Tenure
by Kevin Rutherford
Mirror Driving: The Winds Of Change... Or Not?
by the Frontstretch Staff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the 1995 All Pro Bumper to Bumper 300, any realistic chance for Chad Little to win the Busch Grand National Championship came to an end early in the race. What happened?
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Professor Of Speed by Mark Howell
Our professor of racing history "has at it" with another column pertinent to the sport at large. This week, Mark takes a look at the comments from several drivers following Talladega and how they reflect on the sport as a whole.
Frontstretch Fan Q&A by Summer Bedgood
Summer takes on your questions and answers them to the best of her ability. Be sure to send your questions in if there's something that's been nagging at you and you might see your name in print.
Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth is back this year on a new night, but it's the same great commentary you've come to enjoy on NASCAR's Truck Series! This week, Beth has a collection of off-week thoughts and observations with the series in its final extended break before the season ends.
Other Columns TBD
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Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2012 Frontstretch.com
-- @CandiceSpencer: When @KevinHarvick was asked to describe the problems at Richard Childress Racing, he replied, "I don't have enough time" #NASCAR
@bobpockrass: James Finch says he's talking with Regan Smith and AJ Allmendinger about driving car. Said he's focused right now on getting thru 2012.
@JennaFryer: Regarding Montreal: Promoter stunned #NASCAR by 1st demanding a Cup race, then saying it wanted to run Nationwide at 9 am on a Sunday
@odsteve (Steve O'Donnell): To be clear to the fans in Montreal, we had every intention of returning in 2013.
@nateryan: Earnhardt Ganassi president Steve Lauletta also was confident that No. 1 of Jamie McMurray will be fully sponsored for 2013 season. #nascar
@jeff_gluck: Wow... RT @JennaFryer: Remember the apology from KyBu yesterday? It was because he camethisclose to Toyota saying "Peace out, dude."
@StacyStenhouse: Me and @StenhouseJr out last night! #bestbrotherever https://twitter.com/StacyStenhouse/status/254389096716308482/photo/1
@JennaFryer: Someone is pumped about that qualifying lap https://twitter.com/JennaFryer/status/254622261842178048/photo/1
@nateryan: Jimmie Johnson confirmed #nascar told drivers that 2013 qualifying will return to a provisional-style system with a random draw for order.
@nateryan: Jimmie Johnson prefers current format for quals order but said #nascar changed b/c random allows teams better management of tire allotment.
@DeLanaHarvick: #Godadgo http://img.ly/oaKw
@AJDinger: Really nice to be back at the track. Everyone was really nice. Thanks to all the fans for the well wishes on here and at the track
@DeLanaHarvick: And that my friends is 1 of many reasons why I'm happy we don't own a team anymore... All I saw was $$$$ gettin torn all to hell! #tkskeelan
@keselowski: Congrats @pkligerman
@kaseykahne: Great @NASCAR_Trucks race. Wish they could have raced to the line, that would have been a hell of a show!
@gbiffle: Proud of my little piggy Emma she won first prize in the Halloween contest!!!! https://twitter.com/gbiffle/status/254763850350604288/photo/1
@WendyVenturini: Caleb trick-or-treating at daddy's team driver @joeylogano who had Mars brand candy of course lol https://twitter.com/WendyVenturini/status/254770971976814592/photo/1
@mattkenseth: Congrats @RossKenseth and my @farmandfleet crew on winning the all American 400!!! #prouddad
@RossKenseth: Man this is awesome. Big thanks to @mattkenseth @FarmAndFleet and everyone who made this possible. Coolest place to win at
@pkligerman: Just finished all 175 txt messages... Craziness... Love to the people who made this possible. Much love to those who were audible. #NASCAR
@ericmcclure: Great news. Miranda is coming home! Still some rest/recovery ahead, but she's made remarkable progress. Thx 2 everyone for all the support
@joeylogano: So this tweet might be PG 13. But look what I signed today https://twitter.com/joeylogano/status/254961157805309953/photo/1
@StewartHaasRcng: Another photo of @NewmanKrissie and @RyanNewman39 with the family @TalladegaSuperS https://twitter.com/StewartHaasRcng/status/255004549453082624/photo/1
@conniemontoya: the girls learning to change tires! @jpmontoya #nascar https://twitter.com/conniemontoya/status/255007284642590720/photo/1
@SummerBedgood: #NASCAR should just go ahead and hire Kevin James as the official grand marshal.
@BigEarl48 (Earl Barban): My view today https://twitter.com/BigEarl48/status/255009051811930114/photo/1
@miranda_mcclure: Glad to be home! Still have to take antibiotics (precautionary) and I can't see the girls for a couple more days; but God is so good to me!!
@Writer_Amy (Amy Henderson): At most tracks, they have tearaway windshields. At Talladega, drivers need tearaway underwear... #NASCAR
@MartySmithESPN: Kurt Busch was saying on the radio before the wreck that he was out of gas. Then after he asks the team, "Guys, why am I out of gas?"
@jeff_gluck: Kurt Busch just took off with the safety workers leaning in the car. Team telling Kurt to stop, but he's not listening.
@NASCARBowles (Tom Bowles): For @KurtBusch, sad but poetic way to end time with Phoenix Racing. Great effort + bad luck = rollercoaster ride that never worked. #NASCAR
@Writer_Amy: The issue with Kurt driving away is the safety workers were at his car-someone not in a roll cage could have been seriously hurt #NASCAR
@tomjensen100: HUGE CRASH ON LAST LAP. STEWART UPSIDE DOWN!!!
@NASCAR_Realtime: Sad way to end such an entertaining race. #Nascar
@NewmanKrissie: Holy hell
@NewmanKrissie: Ryan finished 9th!!!
@KimBurton31: Omg. Please tell me it is really over. That is so horrible to watch.
@Writer_Amy: What i hate about that is the guys who race clean ALL day and got caught in that. #NASCAR This kind of racing is BS.
@NewmanKrissie: HATE these places!!!!"@EarnhardtKelley: No way this was gonna end up good. Always this way at plate races."
@CandiceSpencer: What did @Gbiffle see? "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me, it was the craziest thing I've ever been involved in in my life" P5 #NASCAR
@LorraP (Lorra Podsiadlo): I honestly wish the fans knew what that feels like!!!!!! It's the worst feeling in the world!!!!
@SSpakeESPN (Shannon Spake): This garage is littered with wrecked race cars. Scary end to the race.
@CitizenKBA: You won't hear this, oh, ever again, but Tony Stewart ruined Michael Waltrip's day.
@jeff_gluck: All through the garage, you can hear the sound of saws cutting torn sheet metal from cars. Damaged cars everywhere like disaster movie.
@ClintBowyer: Shit!!! Was where I wanted to be and it just wasn't meant to be. I will say I love Matt Kenseth but he should've been penalized for blocking
@JimmieJohnson: We finished a plate race!! #6pack
@KevinHarvick: Run up front all day and wreck coming to the checked running 3rd... Welcome to 2012 and thank god it's almost over..
@keselowski: Someone needs to make a t-shirt that says, "I survived Talladega Guaranteed at-least 43 customers. #nascar
@dcaraviello: Johnson on ride back with Dale Jr.: "He stopped for me, and I said, 'Man, I'll steal a ride.' Then he was hauling ass. I was like, come on!"
@Regan_Smith_: Glad to walk away from FRR with a top 5… win would've been cooler but we didn't have fuel pressure before that last green flag, had to pit
@Regan_Smith_: Excited to hop in the 51 Phoenix Chevy next week, good group of guys. Going to miss all the 78 guys as well.
@SummerBedgood: Reading drivers say fans liked the crash pisses me off. There were hardly any wrecks the entire day and fans loved it. #NASCAR
@twoninereyes: Attn if u area of Anniston airport roush plane just took off w cargo door open. Luggage everywhere. #lookmomnewcrewshirt"
@MikeCalinoff: Leaving Talladega. My seatbelt is on, my tray table is up, my electronic devices are (almost) off and my luggage is still on the plane.
@JimmieJohnson: Thanks for the lift Jr http://instagram.com/p/QgK2sLkpQz/
@KevinHarvick: All this talk about Dega this morning cracks me up... This race has been this way since restricter plates were put on. #oldnews
@2Spotter: There's a misconception here: Big packs don't CAUSE big wrecks. Drivers do.Then there's a big wreck. Equal cars go equal speed= big packs
@2Spotter: Removing the plates WILL NOT get rid of big packs ....just make the packs faster...See previous tweet. Equal cars go same speed =big pack
@NASCARBowles: For those saying #NASCAR fans are loving this stuff - attendance at 'Dega Sunday was 88,000. It was 155,000 for that race just 5 years ago.
@KevinHarvick: Here's the deal people gripe about tandems, packs, & they will gripe about the plates off..Its Daytona & Talladega no matter the rules.
@KevinHarvick: They don't hate it just like to bitch any chance they get. "@Adamh2988: @KevinHarvick I love the plate racing why does everyone else hate it
@SamanthaBusch: Pic w Snoop he said to make sure Kyle gives him a ride in the race car one day! http://instagram.com/p/Qim8ItS6ic/
@WendyVenturini: Proof!! Pole! It was close! https://twitter.com/WendyVenturini/status/255460713567514624/photo/1
@gbiffle: That was one of the craziest wrecks I've ever seen out my windshield!!!! Glad everyone was ok and just amazing I was able to get through it
@BubbaWallace: Just so everybody knows, I will NOT b back in a NNS car this year. I had 4, tried to my best every race. I have 2 East races left, that's it.
@Beth_Frntstrtch (Beth Lunkenheimer): Hard to believe today is 2 years since @ShaneHmiel's nasty wreck. I remember the fear that day and the pride I've had watching his recovery.
@BubbaWallace: And by all means didn't mean 4 that tweet 2 sound like I'm giving up...shoot no! The man upstairs has the controller. I'm just sittin back!
@jim_utter: #NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega received a 3.7 rating on ESPN, down 5 percent from last season. Average audience 5.1 million
@MartySmithESPN: NASCAR just told me there will be no additional penalties for Kurt Busch regarding the incident Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.
@NASCAR_Wonka: Kurt won't be further penalized because he's known to drive without using his head,so driving without a helmet is really nothing new #NASCAR
Summer Bedgood is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via email at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter @SummerBedgood.
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Frontstretch Fan Poll Results
Race fans, you voted on the Talladega race our Facebook poll, and the results are in!
We asked: Race fans, what did YOU think about the race at Talladega this weekend?
85.7% answered "It was terrible—that wasn't racing!"
14.3% answered "It was great—now THAT was real racing at its finest!"
Nobody chose "It was okay, but the big crash was the only real action."
Be sure to vote on our new poll about NASCAR's decision on Kurt Busch at Talladega! We'll publish the results on Friday along with the best comments you leave for us! To vote, simply go to our Facebook page to find the poll.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
IndyCar 2012 Season Review: Teams
by Toni Montgomery, Huston Ladner and Matt Stallknecht
Top Ten Things Funnier Than Tony Stewart Being a "Finely Tuned Athlete"
by Jeff Meyer
NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Talladega-2
compiled by Summer Bedgood
Did You Notice? ... Inconsistency Rules -- The Message And The Track -- Plus Who's Got That Cookie-Cutter Edge?
by Tom Bowles
Champion, Interrupted: Kurt Busch's Phoenix Racing Tenure
by Kevin Rutherford
Mirror Driving: The Winds Of Change... Or Not?
by the Frontstretch Staff
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the 1995 All Pro Bumper to Bumper 300, any realistic chance for Chad Little to win the Busch Grand National Championship came to an end early in the race. What happened?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: The 1996 UAW-GM Quality 500 featured a wild crash involving Ernie Irvan and Robby Gordon that brought out a red flag (Gordon broke the inside wall exiting Turn 2). However, the DEI Chevrolet that Robby was driving was not the normal ride for the team (they were sponsored by Racing for Kids Magazine at the time). Where did DEI get the car that Robby thoroughly thrashed in the race?
A: DEI acquired the use of Joe Nemechek's No. 87 for the race after the team lost their only car in practice. The car was partially repainted (a picture of Spider-Man was on the hood), but it was quite obvious that it was a Burger King Chevrolet. For Nemechek fans, he failed to qualify for the 500-mile race in his own equipment.
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!
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: The 1996 UAW-GM Quality 500 featured a wild crash involving Ernie Irvan and Robby Gordon that brought out a red flag (Gordon broke the inside wall exiting Turn 2). However, the DEI Chevrolet that Robby was driving was not the normal ride for the team (they were sponsored by Racing for Kids Magazine at the time). Where did DEI get the car that Robby thoroughly thrashed in the race?
A: DEI acquired the use of Joe Nemechek's No. 87 for the race after the team lost their only car in practice. The car was partially repainted (a picture of Spider-Man was on the hood), but it was quite obvious that it was a Burger King Chevrolet. For Nemechek fans, he failed to qualify for the 500-mile race in his own equipment.
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 Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Professor Of Speed by Mark Howell
Our professor of racing history "has at it" with another column pertinent to the sport at large. This week, Mark takes a look at the comments from several drivers following Talladega and how they reflect on the sport as a whole.
Frontstretch Fan Q&A by Summer Bedgood
Summer takes on your questions and answers them to the best of her ability. Be sure to send your questions in if there's something that's been nagging at you and you might see your name in print.
Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth is back this year on a new night, but it's the same great commentary you've come to enjoy on NASCAR's Truck Series! This week, Beth has a collection of off-week thoughts and observations with the series in its final extended break before the season ends.
Other Columns TBD
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