THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 25th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCXV
-----------------
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Regan Smith to JR Motorsports in 2013
On Wednesday, JR Motorsports announced the signing of free agent Regan Smith to drive full-time in the Nationwide Series for 2013. There has also been a change in the organization's setup as well. Previously, the Nos. 7 and 88 have been full-time, while the No. 5 has been part-time. Now, the Nos. 5 and 7 will be full-time, while the No. 88 will run a part-time schedule with a multitude of different drivers behind the wheel.
Smith is very happy for his new opportunity.
"This is an extremely good opportunity for me," Smith said in a press release. "Dale Jr. and I first started talking about this several years ago, but the timing never matched up to where we could make it happen. Now it's time. I'm happy to be a part of this organization. I don't just want to win races. I want to be the team that dominates races and contends for the championship."
Sponsorship is still somewhat up in the air for Smith. During a brief phone interview on ESPN 2's NASCAR Now on Wednesday, Smith mentioned that he will be sponsored by TaxSlayer.com for part of the season. The rest of the schedule is still up for grabs.
As part of the deal, Smith will debut in the No. 5 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in the season-ending Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17th. Previously, Smith has started 102 races in the Nationwide Series, but none since he was with Ginn Racing in 2007. He has three career fifth-place finishes that came during the Ginn stint (both Nashville races, and the spring race at Charlotte). He also has six top-10 finishes and one career pole.
As noted above, JR Motorsports has full intentions of running two full-time cars. If sponsorship can be found, Cole Whitt would stay with the team and shift over to the No. 7 that is being vacated by Danica Patrick.
Swindell to drive for Biagi-DenBeste Racing in Two Races
Biagi-DenBeste Racing announced on Wednesday that they have signed part-time ARCA Racing Series campaigner Kevin Swindell to drive their No. 98 Shelby American Ford at Texas and Homestead. Swindell replaces regular driver Reed Sorenson.
Swindell is happy to get back into the Nationwide Series.
"I can't wait to get back behind the wheel of a Nationwide car," Swindell said to SPEED.com. "The Biagi-DenBeste team has done really well and had strong finishes in each race they have entered. I am excited to team up for Texas and Homestead."
Team owner Fred Biagi is also excited to have the potential future star in his car.
"We are really pleased to have Kevin in the car," Biagi said. "Right now, we are only interested in running races that we can do right and this will be a great baseline for 2013. We know Kevin can get it done. With his talent and the Swindell storied history in racing, we are expecting great things out of him.
Previously, Swindell has made four starts in the Nationwide Series. He has failed to finish in all four of them. Two of them were start-and-parks for Baker-Curb Racing in 2010. The other two ended in crashes, most infamously at Dover last year when Swindell, driving for the ailing Trevor Bayne, was taken out under unusual circumstances by Alex Kennedy.
Nationwide Series to Trois-Rivieres, Quebec?
Le Journal de Montreal is reporting (translated via Google) that the Nationwide Series could possibly stay in Quebec in 2013 despite not returning to Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. In order to do this, the series would move from Montreal to Trois-Rivieres, a city roughly 90 minutes northeast of Montreal.
According to the paper, Trois-Rivieres Mayor Yves Levesque has appointed Dominic Fugere, Chairman of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres, to represent the city in negotiations with NASCAR. In addition, the race weekend has already been moved back two weeks to August 16-18 for 2013. Such a move is important because the race is now on the weekend that the NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal was on earlier this year.
If the move were to come to pass, it would be the Nationwide Series' first-ever street course race, and the first street race for one of NASCAR's "National" Series since the then-Grand National Division's original visit to Watkins Glen in 1957. That particular race was contested on country roads situated in and around the property on which Watkins Glen International now sits. More recently, the now-K&N West Series raced on a street circuit in Tacoma, Washington in 1986, and the Featherlite Southwest Series raced on a street course in Downtown Los Angeles for two years (1999-2000). Also, the Canadian Tire Series has raced on street courses all over Canada as a support series to the Izod IndyCar Series. They would likely be the primary support to the Nationwide Series in Trois-Rivieres.
Previously, NASCAR was said to be looking at having a race for either the Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (formerly Mosport International Raceway) in Bowmanville, Ontario. However, that track has been deemed to not be up to NASCAR's standards.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series TUMS Fast Relief 500: 45 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 22- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
No. 91- Reed Sorenson for Humphrey-Smith Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 10- David Reutimann returns to the seat, replacing Danica Patrick.
No. 32- Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing Timmy Hill.
No. 33- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Cole Whitt.
No. 55- Brian Vickers returns to the seat, replacing Mark Martin.
No. 88- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Regan Smith.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 23- Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports*
No. 26- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30- David Stremme for Inception Motorsports
No. 33- Unknown driver for Circle Point, LLC
No. 37- J.J. Yeley for Tommy Baldwin Racing/MaxQ Motorsports*
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 91- Reed Sorenson for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 95- Scott Speed for Leavine Family Racing*
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing*
Not Entered:
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 79- Kelly Bires for Go Green Racing
Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200: 42 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 0- Blake Koch for JJC Racing
No. 2- Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 5- Josh Richards for Wauters Motorsports
No. 18- Brian Scott for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 27- Ryan Truex for Hillman Racing
No. 51- Denny Hamlin for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 92- Scott Riggs for RBR Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 07- Jeff Agnew returns to the seat, replacing Johnny Chapman.
No. 2- Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Tim George, Jr.
No. 5- Josh Richards is in the seat, replacing Aric Almirola.
No. 18- Brian Scott returns to the seat, replacing Kurt Busch.
No. 27- Ryan Truex is in the seat, replacing Cole Whitt. This will be Truex's Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 51- Denny Hamlin is in the seat, replacing German Quiroga.
No. 60- Peyton Sellers in the seat, replacing Chad McCumbee.
No. 92- Scott Riggs is in the seat, replacing Chad McCumbee.
No. 93- Tim George, Jr. is in the seat, replacing Chris Jones. This truck will serve as a fourth RCR entry, while using RSS Racing's No. 93 to lock George into the field.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 02- Tyler Young for Young Motorsports
No. 0- Blake Koch for JJC Racing*
No. 5- Josh Richards for Wauters Motorsports
No. 7- Parker Kligerman for Red Horse Racing
No. 8- Max Gresham for Eddie Sharp Racing
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 14- Brennan Newberry for NTS Motorsports
No. 35- Matt Merrell for Win-Tron Racing. If Merrell qualifies, he will be make his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 36- Grant Enfinger for Allgaier Motorsports
No. 38- Chris Jones for RSS Racing*
No. 51- Denny Hamlin for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 60- Peyton Sellers for Turn One Racing
No. 68- Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
No. 75- Caleb Holman for Henderson Motorsports
No. 81- David Starr for Billy Ballew Motorsports
No. 92- Scott Riggs for RBR Motorsports
No. 96- Todd Peck for Peck Motorsports
Not Entered:
No. 1- Donnie Neuenberger for Rick Ware Racing
No. 20- Rick Crawford for BRG Motorsports
No. 25- Brandon Knupp for Hillman Racing
No. 28- Wes Burton for FDNY Racing
No. 76- Ryan Hackett for Hackett Racing
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them 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. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
Today's Featured Commentary
Smith Signs With JR Motorsports & NASCAR Odds 'N' Ends
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
With just four races remaining in the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup, signs are starting to point to the No. 48 team resurrecting their horseshoe-up-their-backside luck that manifested itself during five-consecutive tiles earned from 2006-2010. After shortening the Lowe's Impala by about a foot at Kansas, Johnson and company rebounded to a ninth-place finish. While the No. 48 kept pace with the Blue Deuce of Brad Keselowski at seven points, there is one glaring omission that many have seemed to overlook: Chevrolet hasn't won a race in almost three months.
Their last win as August 5th at Pocono, and that was partly because it started pouring and Jeff Gordon won a rain-shortened race. Sure, Jeff had a string of seconds and thirds going early in the Chase, but wins are what count as Tony Stewart illustrated last year, winning the title on a tie-breaker. Martinsville is often the great equalizer, and there were four Chevrolets in contention for the win there in April when Clint Bowyer in his rogue Toyota went Divine Wind into Turn One on a Green White Checker restart. The No. 48 team's antics can't always be expected to work, as they got luck with both fuel conservation and keeping the rear end from getting knocked out of the car at Kansas.
Like Ricky Bobby so succinctly put things: If you're not first, you're last.
--
Regan Smith has been tabbed to be the next driver at JR Motorsports for 2012, replacing departing driver Danica Patrick as she makes the transition to full-time Cup driver, while Smith takes a step backwards of sorts down to the Nationwide Series. Kind of an interesting selection as it was Smith who when in the No. 78 at Bristol this summer, sent Danica Patrick spinning into the wall as she was working on a top-20 run in her first Cup race at Bristol.
The addition of Smith, with five full years of Cup experience under his belt should be a great asset to JR Motorsports, who have fielded cars for younger less experienced drivers such as Patrick, rookie Cole Whitt, and Aric Almirola. Don't forget however it was also Junior's teams that helped launch the careers of Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex, Jr. Smith appears to be taking the Elliott Sadler approach, taking a step back and re-establishing himself and win some races in an effort to attract a top Cup ride when it becomes available. That Hendrick Motorsports affiliation can't hurt either.
--
Richard Petty Motorsports has renewed its contract with Ford Motor Company for the 2013 season. Acting as essentially an assembly shop, the No. 43 and No. 9 cars will be sourcing cars from Roush Fenway Racing, and engines supplied by Roush-Yates. The Petty pair can take heart; even The Captain is sourcing engines through Roush next season when Penske Racing drops Dodge in favor of Ford.
Speaking of which, I'm still not entirely sold on this switch. In fact I am opposed to it on a number of levels. Look what Brad Keselowski and Paul Wolfe have been able to do as essentially a one car operation, with the No. 22 team working on its fourth driver in two years for 2013. Back when the announcement was made, Dodge was preparing to unveil its new 2013 CoT version 2.0, when the bomb was dropped.
Had Dodge been able to secure the services of a few more teams, they'd have the technology transfer and benchmarking they were looking for, as any of the new teams would have brought items of interest over from their previous manufacturers. Hopefully this is rectified quickly, as it just looks weird with three manufactures out there – and even more so when it's going to be Camaro and Mustang versus Camry in the Nationwide Series.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @VitoPugliese.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 25th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCXV
-----------------
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Regan Smith to JR Motorsports in 2013
On Wednesday, JR Motorsports announced the signing of free agent Regan Smith to drive full-time in the Nationwide Series for 2013. There has also been a change in the organization's setup as well. Previously, the Nos. 7 and 88 have been full-time, while the No. 5 has been part-time. Now, the Nos. 5 and 7 will be full-time, while the No. 88 will run a part-time schedule with a multitude of different drivers behind the wheel.
Smith is very happy for his new opportunity.
"This is an extremely good opportunity for me," Smith said in a press release. "Dale Jr. and I first started talking about this several years ago, but the timing never matched up to where we could make it happen. Now it's time. I'm happy to be a part of this organization. I don't just want to win races. I want to be the team that dominates races and contends for the championship."
Sponsorship is still somewhat up in the air for Smith. During a brief phone interview on ESPN 2's NASCAR Now on Wednesday, Smith mentioned that he will be sponsored by TaxSlayer.com for part of the season. The rest of the schedule is still up for grabs.
As part of the deal, Smith will debut in the No. 5 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in the season-ending Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17th. Previously, Smith has started 102 races in the Nationwide Series, but none since he was with Ginn Racing in 2007. He has three career fifth-place finishes that came during the Ginn stint (both Nashville races, and the spring race at Charlotte). He also has six top-10 finishes and one career pole.
As noted above, JR Motorsports has full intentions of running two full-time cars. If sponsorship can be found, Cole Whitt would stay with the team and shift over to the No. 7 that is being vacated by Danica Patrick.
Swindell to drive for Biagi-DenBeste Racing in Two Races
Biagi-DenBeste Racing announced on Wednesday that they have signed part-time ARCA Racing Series campaigner Kevin Swindell to drive their No. 98 Shelby American Ford at Texas and Homestead. Swindell replaces regular driver Reed Sorenson.
Swindell is happy to get back into the Nationwide Series.
"I can't wait to get back behind the wheel of a Nationwide car," Swindell said to SPEED.com. "The Biagi-DenBeste team has done really well and had strong finishes in each race they have entered. I am excited to team up for Texas and Homestead."
Team owner Fred Biagi is also excited to have the potential future star in his car.
"We are really pleased to have Kevin in the car," Biagi said. "Right now, we are only interested in running races that we can do right and this will be a great baseline for 2013. We know Kevin can get it done. With his talent and the Swindell storied history in racing, we are expecting great things out of him.
Previously, Swindell has made four starts in the Nationwide Series. He has failed to finish in all four of them. Two of them were start-and-parks for Baker-Curb Racing in 2010. The other two ended in crashes, most infamously at Dover last year when Swindell, driving for the ailing Trevor Bayne, was taken out under unusual circumstances by Alex Kennedy.
Nationwide Series to Trois-Rivieres, Quebec?
Le Journal de Montreal is reporting (translated via Google) that the Nationwide Series could possibly stay in Quebec in 2013 despite not returning to Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. In order to do this, the series would move from Montreal to Trois-Rivieres, a city roughly 90 minutes northeast of Montreal.
According to the paper, Trois-Rivieres Mayor Yves Levesque has appointed Dominic Fugere, Chairman of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres, to represent the city in negotiations with NASCAR. In addition, the race weekend has already been moved back two weeks to August 16-18 for 2013. Such a move is important because the race is now on the weekend that the NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal was on earlier this year.
If the move were to come to pass, it would be the Nationwide Series' first-ever street course race, and the first street race for one of NASCAR's "National" Series since the then-Grand National Division's original visit to Watkins Glen in 1957. That particular race was contested on country roads situated in and around the property on which Watkins Glen International now sits. More recently, the now-K&N West Series raced on a street circuit in Tacoma, Washington in 1986, and the Featherlite Southwest Series raced on a street course in Downtown Los Angeles for two years (1999-2000). Also, the Canadian Tire Series has raced on street courses all over Canada as a support series to the Izod IndyCar Series. They would likely be the primary support to the Nationwide Series in Trois-Rivieres.
Previously, NASCAR was said to be looking at having a race for either the Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (formerly Mosport International Raceway) in Bowmanville, Ontario. However, that track has been deemed to not be up to NASCAR's standards.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series TUMS Fast Relief 500: 45 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 22- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
No. 91- Reed Sorenson for Humphrey-Smith Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 10- David Reutimann returns to the seat, replacing Danica Patrick.
No. 32- Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing Timmy Hill.
No. 33- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Cole Whitt.
No. 55- Brian Vickers returns to the seat, replacing Mark Martin.
No. 88- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Regan Smith.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 23- Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports*
No. 26- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30- David Stremme for Inception Motorsports
No. 33- Unknown driver for Circle Point, LLC
No. 37- J.J. Yeley for Tommy Baldwin Racing/MaxQ Motorsports*
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 91- Reed Sorenson for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 95- Scott Speed for Leavine Family Racing*
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing*
Not Entered:
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 79- Kelly Bires for Go Green Racing
Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200: 42 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 0- Blake Koch for JJC Racing
No. 2- Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 5- Josh Richards for Wauters Motorsports
No. 18- Brian Scott for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 27- Ryan Truex for Hillman Racing
No. 51- Denny Hamlin for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 92- Scott Riggs for RBR Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 07- Jeff Agnew returns to the seat, replacing Johnny Chapman.
No. 2- Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Tim George, Jr.
No. 5- Josh Richards is in the seat, replacing Aric Almirola.
No. 18- Brian Scott returns to the seat, replacing Kurt Busch.
No. 27- Ryan Truex is in the seat, replacing Cole Whitt. This will be Truex's Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 51- Denny Hamlin is in the seat, replacing German Quiroga.
No. 60- Peyton Sellers in the seat, replacing Chad McCumbee.
No. 92- Scott Riggs is in the seat, replacing Chad McCumbee.
No. 93- Tim George, Jr. is in the seat, replacing Chris Jones. This truck will serve as a fourth RCR entry, while using RSS Racing's No. 93 to lock George into the field.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 02- Tyler Young for Young Motorsports
No. 0- Blake Koch for JJC Racing*
No. 5- Josh Richards for Wauters Motorsports
No. 7- Parker Kligerman for Red Horse Racing
No. 8- Max Gresham for Eddie Sharp Racing
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 14- Brennan Newberry for NTS Motorsports
No. 35- Matt Merrell for Win-Tron Racing. If Merrell qualifies, he will be make his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 36- Grant Enfinger for Allgaier Motorsports
No. 38- Chris Jones for RSS Racing*
No. 51- Denny Hamlin for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 60- Peyton Sellers for Turn One Racing
No. 68- Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
No. 75- Caleb Holman for Henderson Motorsports
No. 81- David Starr for Billy Ballew Motorsports
No. 92- Scott Riggs for RBR Motorsports
No. 96- Todd Peck for Peck Motorsports
Not Entered:
No. 1- Donnie Neuenberger for Rick Ware Racing
No. 20- Rick Crawford for BRG Motorsports
No. 25- Brandon Knupp for Hillman Racing
No. 28- Wes Burton for FDNY Racing
No. 76- Ryan Hackett for Hackett Racing
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them 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. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
Today's Featured Commentary
Smith Signs With JR Motorsports & NASCAR Odds 'N' Ends
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
With just four races remaining in the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup, signs are starting to point to the No. 48 team resurrecting their horseshoe-up-their-backside luck that manifested itself during five-consecutive tiles earned from 2006-2010. After shortening the Lowe's Impala by about a foot at Kansas, Johnson and company rebounded to a ninth-place finish. While the No. 48 kept pace with the Blue Deuce of Brad Keselowski at seven points, there is one glaring omission that many have seemed to overlook: Chevrolet hasn't won a race in almost three months.
Their last win as August 5th at Pocono, and that was partly because it started pouring and Jeff Gordon won a rain-shortened race. Sure, Jeff had a string of seconds and thirds going early in the Chase, but wins are what count as Tony Stewart illustrated last year, winning the title on a tie-breaker. Martinsville is often the great equalizer, and there were four Chevrolets in contention for the win there in April when Clint Bowyer in his rogue Toyota went Divine Wind into Turn One on a Green White Checker restart. The No. 48 team's antics can't always be expected to work, as they got luck with both fuel conservation and keeping the rear end from getting knocked out of the car at Kansas.
Like Ricky Bobby so succinctly put things: If you're not first, you're last.
--
Regan Smith has been tabbed to be the next driver at JR Motorsports for 2012, replacing departing driver Danica Patrick as she makes the transition to full-time Cup driver, while Smith takes a step backwards of sorts down to the Nationwide Series. Kind of an interesting selection as it was Smith who when in the No. 78 at Bristol this summer, sent Danica Patrick spinning into the wall as she was working on a top-20 run in her first Cup race at Bristol.
The addition of Smith, with five full years of Cup experience under his belt should be a great asset to JR Motorsports, who have fielded cars for younger less experienced drivers such as Patrick, rookie Cole Whitt, and Aric Almirola. Don't forget however it was also Junior's teams that helped launch the careers of Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex, Jr. Smith appears to be taking the Elliott Sadler approach, taking a step back and re-establishing himself and win some races in an effort to attract a top Cup ride when it becomes available. That Hendrick Motorsports affiliation can't hurt either.
--
Richard Petty Motorsports has renewed its contract with Ford Motor Company for the 2013 season. Acting as essentially an assembly shop, the No. 43 and No. 9 cars will be sourcing cars from Roush Fenway Racing, and engines supplied by Roush-Yates. The Petty pair can take heart; even The Captain is sourcing engines through Roush next season when Penske Racing drops Dodge in favor of Ford.
Speaking of which, I'm still not entirely sold on this switch. In fact I am opposed to it on a number of levels. Look what Brad Keselowski and Paul Wolfe have been able to do as essentially a one car operation, with the No. 22 team working on its fourth driver in two years for 2013. Back when the announcement was made, Dodge was preparing to unveil its new 2013 CoT version 2.0, when the bomb was dropped.
Had Dodge been able to secure the services of a few more teams, they'd have the technology transfer and benchmarking they were looking for, as any of the new teams would have brought items of interest over from their previous manufacturers. Hopefully this is rectified quickly, as it just looks weird with three manufactures out there – and even more so when it's going to be Camaro and Mustang versus Camry in the Nationwide Series.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @VitoPugliese.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
Hey Frontstretch Readers,
We are looking for someone who shares our enthusiasm for NASCAR and has an experienced background in web design. Specifically, we are looking for someone who can help maintain and enhance our website, increase our SEO, and upgrade our publishing platform while producing a limited amount of content throughout the season. This job presents a perfect opportunity for someone with a technical background, a person who wants their work to gain national exposure.
If you are interested, contact frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com. Please include references to your past work in your e-mail.
--
The Critic's Annex: Petit Le Mans on ESPN3
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we provide you with write-ups on motorsports-related programming. While the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series were both racing at Kansas Speedway and having quite the time keeping themselves out of the walls, the American Le Mans Series was at Road Atlanta for their season finale, the ten hour or 1000 mile Petit Le Mans.
However, before we start, it should be noted that V8 Supercars Australia has posted the complete race telecast of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on their YouTube page. It can be found here. It was an excellent race and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Having said that, I doubt that my readers will watch the entire five hour clip since it's, you know, five hours long (and change). With that done, onto the critique.
As noted in Tuesday's regular critique on Frontstretch, this will be the final time that the 1000 mile endurance classic will only be aired live on the internet. No offense to commentators John Hindhaugh and Jeremy West, but I just don't want this to be the only way I can watch an endurance race live. ESPN 3 just does not cut the mustard. The picture quality of the live telecasts are appalling. Yes, they claim that quality is determined by bandwidth and computer power right there in their streams (this shows up when you move your cursor over the picture quality meter, which you cannot adjust), but it shouldn't be a problem now.
ESPN has had multiple years to work out these issues. The online network has been available since 2005 (it launched as ESPN360.com, and started airing live telecasts around 2007). In all honesty, the quality hasn't gotten any better. In fact, with the move towards graphics optimized for HD, it's gotten worse. Now, you can't really read anything on screen during the live telecast. I don't understand why this is so. ESPN's got more money than almost any other non-broadcast media entity on the planet. I don't understand why they can't seem to improve their online product. As of now, the picture quality is better on SPEED2, or the races streamed on YouTube by series such as the V8 Supercars and the FIA GT1 World Championship. Thankfully, the telecast picture was better with the replay functions, but still not the best.
ESPN appeared to be a little late in activating the live stream. This was originally scheduled to begin at 11:15am, moved back to 11:30 and eventually started a minute after that. There were just a couple of pre-race interviews with Corvette Racing driver Jan Magnussen and 2012 IMSA GT3 Cup Champion Sean Johnston. After that, there was a little pre-race analysis, then right to the green flag.
Race coverage would switch repeatedly between the five classes that were on-track. None of the classes had more than 12 entries (there were 42 overall), so this was done relatively easily. In ALMS, the top class (P1) usually only has three entries. At Road Atlanta, it was these three, plus the Rebellion Racing Lola-Toyota. That class got a fair amount of focus, but P2 likely got more (there was more action and everyone didn't have substantial problems).
However, the GT classes are where most of the action is in ALMS, so a lot of the focus was centered. We generally saw almost everything of note that happened in all the classes. However, there were some things that were missed. For example, I have no clue what happened to put the No. 60 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia into the wall exiting Turn 1 at the four-hour mark. My best guess is that he ran wide on entry, but that's only because a bunch of other drivers did the same thing at some point during the race. We also didn't get a definitive view of the whole incident between Lucas Luhr (No. 6 HPD ARX-03a Honda for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing) and Peter LeSaffre (No. 34 Green Hornet Racing Porsche 911). All the replays were completely centered on Luhr's No. 6. I understand that it was done like this because Luhr was leading overall at the time, but it looked like LeSaffre took a pretty good hit on an unprotected concrete wall (then again, so did Luhr). Thankfully, LeSaffre walked away from the crash (he later refused a request from ESPN for an interview).
Hindhaugh and West were not alone in the broadcast booth during the 1000 mile event. Damien Faulkner, the aforementioned LeSaffre's teammate at Green Hornet Racing, joined the duo in the booth to talk a little about the race and some of the more technical aspects of driving. I found him to be a little wordy. To give a NASCAR comparison, Faulkner in the booth is a little like Justin Allgaier when he shows up in the broadcast booth during ARCA races. He strikes me as the kind of guy who likes to show off his knowledge. I'll admit that I'm the same way. It's why I do trivia nights. However, being excessively wordy means that you effectively take over a telecast. Not exactly the best thing to do when you're simply a guest.
Later on in the race, ALMS President Scott Atherton showed up to give his thoughts on the race and of the future of sports car racing. This is somewhat typical for the big races (Ex: He'll always show up at some point during the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring telecast as well). On Saturday, Atherton talked quite a bit about the merger and how it will affect sports car racing. It's completely unofficial as of now, but it can be assumed that the Petit Le Mans will have a place on the combined ALMS-Rolex Series schedule in 2014, along with the confirmed Rolex 24 at Daytona and (more than likely) Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring. Atherton sounded kinda "jacked up," especially since the series also announced their 2013 schedule during the race weekend, along with their deal to televise Sebring and the Petit Le Mans on SPEED next year.
Speaking of SPEED, there was a point made to confirm that Sebring in March would be on SPEED. However, Petit Le Mans in October will air on a "FOX Sports Media Group" network. Also, the schedule graphic simply used the FOX Sports Media Group logo and not SPEED's. Might be a bit of a clue as to when the supposed relaunch will occur. Gotta be honest with you. I cannot remember FOX Sports using the FOX Sports Media Group name before a couple of weeks ago.
After nine hours of racing, ESPN brought viewers what I would consider to be typical post-race coverage for ALMS. The unofficial results were shown for each class, along with interviews with the class winners. The championship was only still in play in P1 and P2, so an interview with the championship winning team was on tap as well. However, in P2, the champion (Scott Tucker) also won the race, so one interview sufficed for both there. After the interviews were done, there was a check of the Michelin Green X Challenge standings. That competition is a little difficult to describe here, so I'll spare you the specifics. Has to do with driving as fast as possible while being the most efficient. Finally, Hindhaugh and West wrapped up the telecast with some post-race analysis before signing off.
Overall, ESPN produced a pretty good telecast. It just isn't the best to watch live because of the picture quality issues mentioned above. I greatly prefer the live commentary on ESPN3 to the crew led by Brian Till that does the tape-delayed telecasts (in this case, the tape-delayed telecast aired Sunday afternoon on ABC). Hindhaugh and West are quite knowledgeable and love sports car racing (especially Hindhaugh). They're a joy to listen to while watching the race. For next year (unless something changes), they'll be down to just five ALMS races for ESPN3. In addition to the two races on SPEED, there will be three live races (Lime Rock, Road America and CTMP (Mosport)) on ESPN 2 that will likely use the Till team in the booth.
I hope you liked this look at Saturday's stream of the 15th running of the Petit Le Mans. Check out next week's edition of the Annex, when I'll give my annual critique of SPEED and DirtVision's telecast of the VP Small Engine Fuels 200 from Syracuse. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Martinsville and India.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From IndyCar Round Table: Drama Behind The Scenes And 2013
"In Tony's eyes, "What's best for the series" is equivalent to "I want to run the show." I firmly believe, however, that Tony really is convinced that he is in the right on all issues related to IndyCar."- Matt Stallknecht, on Tony George's latest attempts to try to control IndyCar Racing.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Frontstretch Fan Q & A: Sorting Out NASCAR Fact From Fiction--
The Critic's Annex: Petit Le Mans on ESPN3
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we provide you with write-ups on motorsports-related programming. While the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series were both racing at Kansas Speedway and having quite the time keeping themselves out of the walls, the American Le Mans Series was at Road Atlanta for their season finale, the ten hour or 1000 mile Petit Le Mans.
However, before we start, it should be noted that V8 Supercars Australia has posted the complete race telecast of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on their YouTube page. It can be found here. It was an excellent race and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Having said that, I doubt that my readers will watch the entire five hour clip since it's, you know, five hours long (and change). With that done, onto the critique.
As noted in Tuesday's regular critique on Frontstretch, this will be the final time that the 1000 mile endurance classic will only be aired live on the internet. No offense to commentators John Hindhaugh and Jeremy West, but I just don't want this to be the only way I can watch an endurance race live. ESPN 3 just does not cut the mustard. The picture quality of the live telecasts are appalling. Yes, they claim that quality is determined by bandwidth and computer power right there in their streams (this shows up when you move your cursor over the picture quality meter, which you cannot adjust), but it shouldn't be a problem now.
ESPN has had multiple years to work out these issues. The online network has been available since 2005 (it launched as ESPN360.com, and started airing live telecasts around 2007). In all honesty, the quality hasn't gotten any better. In fact, with the move towards graphics optimized for HD, it's gotten worse. Now, you can't really read anything on screen during the live telecast. I don't understand why this is so. ESPN's got more money than almost any other non-broadcast media entity on the planet. I don't understand why they can't seem to improve their online product. As of now, the picture quality is better on SPEED2, or the races streamed on YouTube by series such as the V8 Supercars and the FIA GT1 World Championship. Thankfully, the telecast picture was better with the replay functions, but still not the best.
ESPN appeared to be a little late in activating the live stream. This was originally scheduled to begin at 11:15am, moved back to 11:30 and eventually started a minute after that. There were just a couple of pre-race interviews with Corvette Racing driver Jan Magnussen and 2012 IMSA GT3 Cup Champion Sean Johnston. After that, there was a little pre-race analysis, then right to the green flag.
Race coverage would switch repeatedly between the five classes that were on-track. None of the classes had more than 12 entries (there were 42 overall), so this was done relatively easily. In ALMS, the top class (P1) usually only has three entries. At Road Atlanta, it was these three, plus the Rebellion Racing Lola-Toyota. That class got a fair amount of focus, but P2 likely got more (there was more action and everyone didn't have substantial problems).
However, the GT classes are where most of the action is in ALMS, so a lot of the focus was centered. We generally saw almost everything of note that happened in all the classes. However, there were some things that were missed. For example, I have no clue what happened to put the No. 60 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia into the wall exiting Turn 1 at the four-hour mark. My best guess is that he ran wide on entry, but that's only because a bunch of other drivers did the same thing at some point during the race. We also didn't get a definitive view of the whole incident between Lucas Luhr (No. 6 HPD ARX-03a Honda for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing) and Peter LeSaffre (No. 34 Green Hornet Racing Porsche 911). All the replays were completely centered on Luhr's No. 6. I understand that it was done like this because Luhr was leading overall at the time, but it looked like LeSaffre took a pretty good hit on an unprotected concrete wall (then again, so did Luhr). Thankfully, LeSaffre walked away from the crash (he later refused a request from ESPN for an interview).
Hindhaugh and West were not alone in the broadcast booth during the 1000 mile event. Damien Faulkner, the aforementioned LeSaffre's teammate at Green Hornet Racing, joined the duo in the booth to talk a little about the race and some of the more technical aspects of driving. I found him to be a little wordy. To give a NASCAR comparison, Faulkner in the booth is a little like Justin Allgaier when he shows up in the broadcast booth during ARCA races. He strikes me as the kind of guy who likes to show off his knowledge. I'll admit that I'm the same way. It's why I do trivia nights. However, being excessively wordy means that you effectively take over a telecast. Not exactly the best thing to do when you're simply a guest.
Later on in the race, ALMS President Scott Atherton showed up to give his thoughts on the race and of the future of sports car racing. This is somewhat typical for the big races (Ex: He'll always show up at some point during the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring telecast as well). On Saturday, Atherton talked quite a bit about the merger and how it will affect sports car racing. It's completely unofficial as of now, but it can be assumed that the Petit Le Mans will have a place on the combined ALMS-Rolex Series schedule in 2014, along with the confirmed Rolex 24 at Daytona and (more than likely) Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring. Atherton sounded kinda "jacked up," especially since the series also announced their 2013 schedule during the race weekend, along with their deal to televise Sebring and the Petit Le Mans on SPEED next year.
Speaking of SPEED, there was a point made to confirm that Sebring in March would be on SPEED. However, Petit Le Mans in October will air on a "FOX Sports Media Group" network. Also, the schedule graphic simply used the FOX Sports Media Group logo and not SPEED's. Might be a bit of a clue as to when the supposed relaunch will occur. Gotta be honest with you. I cannot remember FOX Sports using the FOX Sports Media Group name before a couple of weeks ago.
After nine hours of racing, ESPN brought viewers what I would consider to be typical post-race coverage for ALMS. The unofficial results were shown for each class, along with interviews with the class winners. The championship was only still in play in P1 and P2, so an interview with the championship winning team was on tap as well. However, in P2, the champion (Scott Tucker) also won the race, so one interview sufficed for both there. After the interviews were done, there was a check of the Michelin Green X Challenge standings. That competition is a little difficult to describe here, so I'll spare you the specifics. Has to do with driving as fast as possible while being the most efficient. Finally, Hindhaugh and West wrapped up the telecast with some post-race analysis before signing off.
Overall, ESPN produced a pretty good telecast. It just isn't the best to watch live because of the picture quality issues mentioned above. I greatly prefer the live commentary on ESPN3 to the crew led by Brian Till that does the tape-delayed telecasts (in this case, the tape-delayed telecast aired Sunday afternoon on ABC). Hindhaugh and West are quite knowledgeable and love sports car racing (especially Hindhaugh). They're a joy to listen to while watching the race. For next year (unless something changes), they'll be down to just five ALMS races for ESPN3. In addition to the two races on SPEED, there will be three live races (Lime Rock, Road America and CTMP (Mosport)) on ESPN 2 that will likely use the Till team in the booth.
I hope you liked this look at Saturday's stream of the 15th running of the Petit Le Mans. Check out next week's edition of the Annex, when I'll give my annual critique of SPEED and DirtVision's telecast of the VP Small Engine Fuels 200 from Syracuse. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Martinsville and India.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From IndyCar Round Table: Drama Behind The Scenes And 2013
"In Tony's eyes, "What's best for the series" is equivalent to "I want to run the show." I firmly believe, however, that Tony really is convinced that he is in the right on all issues related to IndyCar."- Matt Stallknecht, on Tony George's latest attempts to try to control IndyCar Racing.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Summer Bedgood
Beyond the Cockpit: Ricky Taylor
as told to Phil Allaway
Professor Of Speed: Once Upon A Time In NASCAR
by Mark Howell
Truckin' Thursdays: Debuting Drivers, A Winless Hornaday And Paludo's Martinsville Breakdown
by Beth Lunkenheimer
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 2002 Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville Speedway came down to a duel between Kurt Busch and Johnny Benson for the win. Benson appeared to have the better car at the end of the race, but Busch was able to hold off for the win. Benson never gave Busch the bumper during this duel. Why?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: The 2001 Old Dominion 500 (run on a Monday due to rain) is probably best known for Ricky Craven earning his first career win by just edging Dale Jarrett in a duel complete with casual contact. How did Craven get the lead with less than 30 laps to go?
A: Craven was running a strong third late in the race when Bobby Hamilton executed a bump-and-run in Turn 2 to take the lead away from Kevin Harvick. However, this move cost both drivers some momentum. Craven was able to get to the inside and create a three-wide situation on the backstretch. When the drivers reached Turn 3, Harvick, angered by Hamilton's bump-and-run, retaliated and spun out Hamilton. Craven slipped into the lead and was able to hold off a hard-charging Dale Jarrett for the win. The whole instance can be seen here.Hamilton was forced to pit for new rubber after the spin, and eventually finished 13th. Harvick was put in the penalty box for a lap due to rough driving for his move, something that NBC's Allen Bestwick did not really agree with (today, with the "Boys, have at it" rule in effect, it is doubtful that Harvick would have been penalized). With only 17 laps remaining at the restart, Harvick could only get back to a 22nd-place finish.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Jeff Wolfe
-- In Case You Missed It by Nick Schwartz
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Martinsville by TBA
We'll help prepare you for the TUMS Fast Relief 500, Race No. 7 in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another interesting Friday commentary.
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece on the Nationwide Series as the teams enjoy their final off-week of the season..
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Formula One Fridays by Andy Hollis
Andy returns with another look at the World Championship as the teams prepare for this weekend's Grand Prix of India at the Buddh International Circuit.
Kenny Wallace Driver Diary as told to Amy Henderson
Kenny returns to talk about some of the more interesting aspects of his past month.
-----------------------------
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