Curiosity in the world: December 2012

Thursday, December 27, 2012

The Frontstretch Newsletter: December 27th, 2012

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
December 27th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCXXXVIII

Editor's Note: This will serve as the final edition of the Frontstretch Newsletter for 2012. We thank you for sticking with us for news and opinion! The next edition of the Newsletter will run on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013.

LEND YOUR SUPPORT TO VICTIMS IN THE WAKE OF THE SANDY HOOK TRAGEDY
After Friday's senseless shooting, Frontstretch sends its love and support to all of Newtown, CT as they grieve over the tragic Friday massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. That horror, the second-deadliest school incident in U.S. history claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians -- including 20 first-grade children. No matter what you think we should do from here, there's one fact we can all agree on: these victims' families need us to come together and help. There's plenty of ways you can do it, and here at Frontstretch we've found a great charity to recommend: a fund set up by indie rock band OneRepublic. Click here and find out how, with a few simple clicks of the mouse you can send money to help rebuild the lives of so many that were unfairly torn apart. And together, let's make a commitment this holiday season to find a way to stop the violence -- whatever your solution, don't hesitate to speak up and make your voice heard.

Top News From The Past Week

by Phil Allaway

Bayne Engaged

2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne is now officially off the market. On Sunday, Bayne tweeted a photo from a ski resort that featured himself and his girlfriend, Ashton Clapp, with an engagement ring on her finger. The photo was accompanied by the quote, "Ladies and gentlemen, she said yes!" Bayne's father confirmed the engagement to Knoxville's WATE 6. There is no word on when a wedding could be scheduled. We at Frontstretch congratulate the Bayne and Clapp families on their great news.

NBC to Bid for NASCAR TV Rights?

MRN Radio is reporting that NBC Sports, via their parent company Comcast, may be preparing for a new bid to reclaim TV rights to NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series for the second half of the season. (The TV contract, for races 14 through 36 on the Sprint Cup schedule is set to expire by the end of 2014). The move would be done mainly to try to beef up programming on Comcast's NBC Sports Network. That particular network has been hit hard recently by the NHL Lockout that could possibly cost the league their second full season to labor strife in eight years.

Turner Sports, NASCAR's most tenured media partner (since 1983) will more than likely submit a bid, as will ESPN. In order for Comcast to win the rights, they would likely have to significantly outbid both ESPN and Turner Sports. If they were able to win the rights, races would not be exclusive to the NBC Sports Network. Some races would air there, while others would be on NBC. Such a deal could transform the NBC Sports Network into a must-see destination for motorsports fans, much like ESPN was in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Comcast already has rights to the Izod IndyCar Series and Formula One for the NBC Sports Network. Robby Gordon's Stadium Super Trucks also has a TV deal with the network that starts in April, and the network also has rights to the Dakar Rally.

However, ESPN can offer much more exposure for the buck, not just with race telecasts, but with coverage on SportsCenter and their existing daily show dedicated to NASCAR, NASCAR Now. If they don't re-up, the vast majority of that coverage will disappear, much like the NHL's coverage did after they signed a deal with the then-Outdoor LIfe Network. In the NHL's case, their on-air presence was reduced to analyst Barry Melrose showing up on SportsCenter to analyze hockey highlights.

FOX already re-upped for an additional eight years (2015-2022) earlier this year well ahead of the exclusive negotiation window. Turner Sports and ESPN will be able to submit bids first; then, if one or both entities don't sign on the dotted line, Comcast would have a window to bargain.

DEI to Create Outdoor Recreation Center in Mooresville, NC

Recently, Dale Earnhardt's widow Teresa Earnhardt proposed a 317-acre outdoor retreat that would be built on wooded land on the current property of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. on North Carolina's Route 3. Currently, DEI's complex exists primarily as a museum (referred to on their website as a "showroom") and a place to buy Earnhardt souvenirs. In addition, the facility has meeting spaces that can be rented out for groups of 25-400 people.

The proposed outdoor facility would be an extension of the current offerings for private gatherings that DEI has at their Mooresville headquarters. The retreat would have riding trails for horseback riding, a paintball field, an archery range, and a fishing pond (which already exists). In addition, an endurance course would be included, along with an outdoor theater. It would not be open to the public. Instead, according to Earnhardt's lawyer, Ben Ellis, the site would be open only to those who purchase memberships, then make reservations with DEI. In addition, clubs and non-profits can get access to the facilities as well.

"One of the aims of (the) project is to enhance awareness of nature and natural settings," Earnhardt wrote in her filing to Iredell County's Department of Planning, Development and Transportation Services, according to the Mooresville Tribune.

Earnhardt's application was approved last Thursday by the Iredell County Board of Adjustment in a public hearing by a vote of 6-0, despite the opposition of local residents who were concerned about noise from the complex, and the traffic that would be generated on the fairly rural Route 3.

According to Dick Brolin of Piedmont Design Associates, the DEI property already has five miles of trails that are used for farming purposes. Those trails could be repurposed as the riding trails. In addition, parking for 300 cars will be installed on the property, along with stalls for 25-32 horses. Boarding of horses can be possible as well.

It is unclear when construction will start or the overall cost of the project. Earnhardt continues to be involved, at least in name only in the ownership of Chip Ganassi's Cup Series program with drivers Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.

TODAY AT THE FRONTSTRETCH:

DRIVER REVIEWS -- A FULL SCHEDULE IS UP! FIND THE ONES YOU MISSED AND GIVE US YOUR TAKE ON YOUR DRIVER'S FAVORITE SEASON.
OUT TODAY:

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: David Gilliland
by Vito Pugliese

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Carl Edwards
by Tom Bowles

Throwback Thursday: Owners Should Know Better Than Drivers
by Mike Neff

Throwback Thursday: How Technology Brought Busch Down
by Mike Neff

Also, check out these articles from last week:

Throwback Thursday: Top Ten NASCAR Driver Letters to Santa
by Kim DeHaven and Amy Henderson

Help From a Friend: How Casey Mears Is Saving Brian Vickers -- And Himself
by Amy Henderson

Dear Santa...
by the Frontstretch Staff

Mirror Driving: Ringing In The Holidays With NASCAR Nicknames...And Crossovers
by the Frontstretch Staff

FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1986, Hendrick Motorsports won the overall pole for the SunBank 24 at Daytona with their Lola-built Chevrolet Corvette GTP. However, they failed to even take the grid for the race. Why?

Check back next Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!

Last Monday's Answer:
Q. If you look at the results for the 1989 Daytona 500 on Racing-Reference, you'll notice that Eddie Bierschwale finished a career-best tenth in the race and led his only career laps in the Cup Series. Yeah, not so fast. Yes, Bierschwale started the race, but he didn't finish it. Who did?

A. Bierschwale started the race, but got out only a couple of laps in when Neil Bonnett's CITGO Ford caught fire, bringing out the first caution. When that happened, Bierschwale brought his Oldsmobile to pit road and Kyle Petty took over. Petty, who was supposed to be making his debut with the brand-new SabCo Racing team, failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 after getting caught up in a 14-car crash in the tri-oval during the first Twin 125. Ultimately, the wreck was responsible for drivers like former Great America Truck Racer Charlie Baker and J.D. McDuffie being able to race their way into the Daytona 500. Petty eventually finished 15 laps down in 17th, that day but it wasn't enough to get him into the race. Petty brought his sponsorship from Peak Antifreeze to the Bierschwale team.

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©2012 Frontstretch.com

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Sunday, December 23, 2012

Re: HAPPY MERRY

Dear Thomas,

Have a great holiday season!

best

Machiko

Friday, December 21, 2012

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

HAPPY MERRY

The World will not end on Friday 21 J

2013 will be the year of Morieux and the Devil

HAPPY MERRY

Thomas

www.visual-media.eu

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Frontstretch Newsletter: 12/18 -- NASCAR Updates About Busch, Townley, Tragedy

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
December 18th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCXXXVII

Editor's Note: Remember, the Frontstretch Newsletter has scaled back over the offseason! The next scheduled edition, due to the holidays will NOT post until Thursday, December 27th -- plan accordingly! Perhaps a special one, between now and then if major news breaks but otherwise Christmas now takes center stage.

To our readers,

This holiday season comes with a heavy heart in America. Everyone on staff, from editors on down sends their deepest sympathies to the victims of the Newtown, CT tragedy that claimed so many innocent lives. Out of respect for their loss, which has caused a nation to grieve our NASCAR content was put on hold for a few days while we processed and debated matters far more important. Please consider a donation to the fund below as we all seek to let this community in crisis know we'll be there for them, every step of the way as they rebuild.

All the best this holiday season to you and your family.

Sincerely,

Tom Bowles

Editor-In-Chief

BREAKING NEWS NOW: Kyle Busch Back To Joe Gibbs Racing In Nationwide Series? Kligerman To Drive No. 77 For KBM In 2013

by Tom Bowles and Mike Neff

On the heels of a major announcement by Kyle Busch Motorsports Tuesday, signing Parker Kligerman to drive their No. 77 entry in the Nationwide Series it turns out there's a driver he'll be replacing -- the owner himself. Multiple sources tell Frontstretch.com Kyle Busch is prepared to go Nationwide Series racing behind the wheel for 2013, but with Joe Gibbs Racing, leaving his operation a one-car outfit while trying to return to his winning ways in the sport's second-tier division.

Busch, with a car number TBD (either 54 or 18) will bring sponsor Monster Energy to the Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide outfit. Like full-time entries Brian Vickers (No. 20) and Elliott Sadler (No. 11), Busch will receive support from JGR engines and chassis in-house while pursuing a limited schedule of races (20-24). Sources claim the move was pushed not by the sponsor but by Gibbs, who wanted Busch to race under his roof if pursuing Nationwide Series competition in 2013.

Busch struggled in all levels of NASCAR in 2012, but nowhere was his slump more evident than the Nationwide Series. Running 22 events for his self-owned KBM operation, he went winless for the first time since his 2003 debut in that division while posting just nine top-5 finishes. How much of a change was there in Busch's competitiveness? Last season, he finished off the lead lap six times in those 22 starts, equal to his total from the previous _three years_ in that category. During that same three-year span, Busch won 30 times and collected 64 top-5 finishes.

While Busch moves back home, he's left the keys to the KBM castle with Parker Kligerman for 2013. Driving a No. 77 Camry with sponsorship TBA, Kligerman moves up from the Truck Series after finishing fifth in that division's championship in 2012. Forced to ride-hop between Brad Keselowski Racing and Red Horse Racing midseason, he ended the year on a tear -- four top-5 results, including a win at Talladega in the season's final five events.

There's no word at this time on the future of Mike Beam, who led the KBM effort in 2012 or sponsorship for Kligerman. Sources have the funding for the driver, who was announced as full-time secured for just half the 33 races at this point.

Top News From The Past Week

by Phil Allaway

NASCAR Holds Test Session at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Last week, NASCAR held an open two-day test at Charlotte Motor Speedway. For many teams, it was the first time that they had a chance to test out their new 2013 race cars, dubbed by NASCAR as "Gen 6" chassis.

However, the weather played a major factor in the test. Both days saw on-time track wiped out due to precipitation, while each featured unseasonably cold weather for North Carolina. With temperatures barely getting out of the 40s (especially on Day 2), speeds were up.

Last Tuesday saw Jeff Burton turn in the fastest lap of the day during the Morning session with an average speed of 190.833 mph. Kevin Harvick was second, followed by Austin Dillon, who was subbing in the No. 27 for Paul Menard. Kasey Kahne was fourth, while Joey Logano was fifth in his Shell/Pennzoil Ford. The session started roughly a half-hour late due to a wet track.

In the afternoon session, Regan Smith was quickest in the No. 24 (subbing for Jeff Gordon) at an average speed of 190.215 mph. Denny Hamlin was second, followed by Matt Kenseth. Harvick was fourth and Juan Pablo Montoya rounded out the top 5.

On Wednesday, the cool, moist weather threatened once again. However, the speeds continued to escalate. Kahne turned in the fastest overall lap of the test during the morning session at 193.771 mph. That lap was faster than the track record (193.708 mph) set by Greg Biffle back in October. Kahne was still fastest in the afternoon session, but the rains returned and ended the offseason action after just 30 minutes of post-lunch track time.

For Hamlin, the test did not come without issues. 30 minutes into the morning session, Hamlin smacked the wall with the right side of his Toyota Camry. Hamlin was OK, but his car was done for the test.

Generally, drivers had a positive reaction surrounding the new cars.

"I felt really good in traffic," Kasey Kahne told NASCAR.com's David Caraviello. "I didn't really have a problem passing the car in front of me ... I think just having a nice, balanced race car like we've had for the last day and a half has helped. I didn't have a problem passing cars at all."

"You're going through the corners a lot faster than what we did before, because you're in the gas a lot more," Joey Logano said. "I think at certain tracks you will [break track records], and certain tracks you won't. It's interesting. ... With it being cooler out today, we're going even faster, so you take all of that with a grain of a salt. I think speeds will be up. I think there is definitely some possibility for track records being broke, but we have to kind of wait and see what the package is going to be when it's all said and done here from NASCAR."

Part of the reason that the cars felt more balanced were the rules specs given to teams by NASCAR. During the test, teams were running with spoilers measuring 7.25 inches tall, the largest ever outside of Daytona and Talladega. In addition, the splitter is a little bigger as well. As a result, the cars have more downforce than the outgoing COT's.

Frontstretch Senior Writer Amy Henderson was on hand for the test; for more on her take, check out Nine Things Learned From the December Charlotte Test. Also, check out our Facebook page for photos from the test session.

Front Row Motorsports Confirms 2013 Lineup

On Wednesday, Front Row Motorsports announced their 2013 driver lineup. There will be few changes from the 2012 season.

David Ragan will return to the No. 34 Ford, while David Gilliland will be back in the No. 38 and Josh Wise will return to the No. 26. The only difference will be that Wise will have what the team is calling a "more competitive schedule of race entries." MDS Transport will return to sponsor the No. 26 for the full season, one in which Wise start-and-parked for the majority of the schedule.

Team owner Bob Jenkins is happy with his team's stability and how it could translate to the upcoming 2013 season.

"You often see a lot of young teams going through a lot of changes trying to make it in the Sprint Cup Series," he said. "We've been fortunate that we've had a lot of stable partners, people who believe in our approach and are seeing year-to-year improvements as a result of that approach."

David Ragan, who scored just two top-10 finishes last season does remain confident going into his second year in the No. 34.

"There's always a learning curve whenever something new is thrown into the mix, whether it's a new driver, new crew chief, new car or new team members," Ragan said. "We have a new Ford Fusion for 2013, which I'm really excited about, so it will be really important and really helpful that all the other variables aren't changing. My crew chief, Jay Guy, and I built a great working relationship last year and that will help us be better this coming year."

Front Row Motorsports elected to skip last week's open test session at Charlotte Motor Speedway. However, the team plans to be at Daytona International Speedway from January 10-12 to attend the annual Preseason Thunder.

Other than MDS Transport, Front Row Motorsports did not announce any sponsorships in their release. House-Autry Mills, which sponsored the No. 38 team for a couple of races in 2012, has already left the team in favor of a limited schedule with JTG-Daugherty Racing. However, the team is still negotiating sponsorship deals with announcements for the 2013 season upcoming; Peanut Patch, it was announced on Tuesday will back Ragan and the No. 34 for four events.

McDonald's to Expand Sponsorship of Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing No. 1 in 2013

As the World Turns...Left is reporting that in the wake of Bass Pro Shops leaving Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing's No. 1 team and moving over to Stewart-Haas Racing's No. 14, McDonald's will step up their sponsorship of the team in order to fill some of the gaps. According to EGR's Jeff Dowling, the fast food chain would step up their commitment to the team, but that he didn't know just to what extent. The team will officially announce McDonald's full commitment to the team on January 23rd during the NASCAR Media Tour.

In 2012, McDonald's was the second biggest primary sponsor for the No. 1 team. Their red, yellow and black colors were on the No. 1 for 13 races during the season. Driver Jamie McMurray's best finish with the McDonald's colors was a seventh at Bristol in March. This run ultimately was McMurray's best finish of the whole 2012 season.

When Bass Pro Shops moved their primary backing over to the No. 14, they stated that they would still be open to providing some kind of support to the No. 1 team. It appears that it could still be possible for that scenario to occur. Dowling claims that the team is working on a deal with Bass Pro Shops to retain the outdoor supply chain as an associate sponsor with the team for the full season, with the possibility of one race as a primary sponsor. Such a move would effectively create a sponsorship swap, due to the fact that Bass Pro Shops served as an associate sponsor on Tony Stewart's No. 14 in 2012 while also serving as the primary sponsor of Ryan Newman's No. 39 Chevrolet at Talladega in May.

SPEED Announces Performer of the Year Finalists

On Friday, SPEED announced their finalists for the Performer of the Year Award, an award given to the all-around best driver in all of motorsports in a given year. The winner will receive the Mario Andretti Trophy, a 100-pound bronze sculpture on top of a wooden base. Andretti himself will award the trophy to the winner.

There are 16 finalists for this year's award. They come from 13 different series and seven different countries.

Finalists:

Brad Keselowski - 2012 Sprint Cup Series Champion

Ryan Hunter-Reay - 2012 Izod IndyCar Series Champion

Sebastien Vettel - 2012 World Drivers Champion (Formula One)

Fernando Alonso - 2012 WDC Runner-Up

Antron Brown - 2012 NHRA Top Fuel Champion

Kyle Larson - Versatile racer in World of Outlaws, NASCAR K&N Pro Series and Camping World Truck Series

Donny Schatz - 2012 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Champion

Sammy Swindell - Legendary sprint car driver

Sebastien Loeb - Nine-time and defending WRC Champion

Jorge Lorenzo - 2012 motoGP Champion

Casey Stoner - Retiring motoGP legend

Max Biaggi - Retiring motoGP/World Superbike legend

Josh Hayes - 2012 AMA Pro Superbike Champion

Ryan Villopoto - 2012 AMA Supercross Champion

Scott Pruett - 2012 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype co-champion (with Memo Rojas)

Andre Lotterer - Lead driver of Toyota's factory prototype program

The Performer of the Year Award is voted on by a 23-member panel. This panel includes legendary racers Andretti, Darrell Waltrip, Dan Gurney, Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, Scott Russell Tommy Kendall and Dorsey Schroeder, in addition to TV personalities Dave Despain, Leigh Diffey, Bob Varsha and Ralph Sheheen. SPEED writers Robin Miller, Tom Jensen and Marshall Pruett also have votes. Finally, a number of SPEED producers experienced in motorsports have votes as well. The winner will be announced on January 27th as part of a special episode of SPEED Center after the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Townley Joins Red Horse Racing

Red Horse Racing announced on Tuesday that John Wes Townley will join the team for the 2013 Camping World Truck Series. Townley will take over driving duties in the No. 7 truck, with Mike Beam serving as crew chief. The No. 7 competed on a part-time basis in 2012, visiting victory lane twice, with John King at Daytona in February and with Parker Kligerman at Talladega in October.

Townley, 22, will be sponsored in all 22 races by Zaxby's, a restaurant chain for which Townley's father is the CEO. Townley competed in 21 Camping World Truck Series races for RAB Racing in 2012, posting two top-10 finishes, including a career-best eighth place at Pocono. He brings a career average finish of 20.6 with him to Red Horse Racing.

"I'm a competitive race car driver, and I want to race and compete for wins," said Townley in a RHR press release Tuesday. "Red Horse Racing has worked hard and continues to excel in the truck series. The success that this Red Horse Racing organization was able to accomplish last season, is the same success we are looking forward to next year."

The addition of the Georgia native brings stability to a team that struggled for sponsorship in 2012. Team Owner Tom DeLoach hopes that pairing him with Beam, who has led teams in all three NASCAR national divisions for more than 30 years, will help Townley mature as a driver. "John showed vast improvement on the track this past season. Red Horse Racing is eager to move him to the next level in his racing career," DeLoach explained Tuesday. "Pairing him with Mike Beam is a great way to give John the insight from Mike's impressive background. We had a fantastic 2012 season and we are anxious to see what 2013 will hold.

Beam began his NASCAR crew chief career in 1981 as head wrench for Kyle Petty in the Sprint Cup Series. He has three wins at that level and a combined 22 victories in the Nationwide and Truck Series. Most recently, Beam served as crew chief for Kurt and Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, for the 2012 season, winning once with Kurt Busch.

Beam says he's looking forward to helping Townley take his career to the next level. "The Truck Series proved to be the most competitive series in 2012. I want to be a part of that, and be a part of one of the top-tiered teams in the series. Playing an integral part in John's career is important to me and I'm anxious to see our results," said Beam.

Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.

--------------------------

The Eyes Have It!

In this fun Facebook feature, we post a photo of a driver inside a helmet, and ask you to identify which driver it is based only on the eyes. Last Monday's photo was none other than Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski!

Congratulations to Harry Colby, the first reader to correctly identify Keselowski in the photo.

Other readers with the correct answer include: Nikki Nash, Mike Jones, Lucia Bush, Gail Bannister, Kristian Aliexo and Betsy Ware.

Other guesses included Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Ryan Newman, Jerry Nadeau, Rick Mast, Martin Truex, Jr., Kurt Busch, Joe Nemechek, and Michael Waltrip.

Our second photo last week featured Matt Kenseth.

Tom Bone had the first correct guess, congratulations, Tom! Melissa Johnson, Toni Teel-Hopper, Pam Johnson, Robert Snyder, Eileen Veach-Ginger, Rita McDonald, Frank Lopes, and Rogers Andrea were also correct.

Michael McDowell was also guessed.

We will run a new photo each week (sometimes twice!) throughout the offseason, and list the readers with the correct answer here in our newsletter (Facebook rules prohibit us giving a prize, but hey—at least you'll get your name in lights!). Go to our Facebook page to join the fun!

Help us make our Facebook page more awesome!
Hey race fans! We're looking to make out Facebook page bigger and better in 2013. We'd like to hear from you, our readers, more about what you'd like to see on our page. Would you like to see polls, trivia, and other items? How about Q & A sessions with our writers? More games, a caption contest? Something else? We want to make Frontstretch Race Page the best Facebook destination for race fans!

If there is something you would like to see added to our page? Please either post on our Facebook wall or email Amy at amy.henderson@frontstretch.com and let us know what you want to see in 2013.

TODAY AT THE FRONTSTRETCH:

DRIVER REVIEWS -- A FULL SCHEDULE IS UP! FIND THE ONES YOU MISSED AND GIVE US YOUR TAKE ON YOUR DRIVER'S FAVORITE SEASON.
OUT TODAY:

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Aric Almirola
by Matt Stallknecht

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Marcos Ambrose
by Mark Howell

Underdog City: Evaluating Cup's Smaller Teams In 2012
by Kevin Rutherford

And check out our articles from last week as well:

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
by Summer Dreyer

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Martin Truex, Jr.
by Brett Poirier

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Tony Stewart
by Jeff Wolfe

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Jeff Gordon
by S.D. Grady

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Kevin Harvick
by Tom Bowles

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Greg Biffle
by P. Huston Ladner

Nine Things Learned From the December Charlotte Test
by Amy Henderson

Mirror Driving: If You Were NASCAR King For A Day... And King Of The Unemployed
by the Frontstretch Staff

Throwback Thursday: Matt McLaughlin's The Way We Were
by Matt McLaughlin

FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: If you look at the results for the 1989 Daytona 500 on Racing-Reference, you'll notice that Eddie Bierschwale finished a career-best tenth in the race and led his only career laps in the Cup Series. Yeah, not so fast. Yes, Bierschwale started the race, but he didn't finish it. Who did?

Check back next Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!

Last Monday's Answer:
Q. In the 1986 First Union 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Rick Knoop crashed D.K. Ulrich's No. 6 Chevrolet in Turns 3 and 4 and put himself out of the race. However, no yellow was thrown for the incident despite Knoop's car coming to rest in harm's way. How was the car removed from danger despite being under green?

A. Believe it or not, NASCAR dispatched a tow truck to the beginning of pit road, where Knoop's Chevrolet was hooked up and hauled away to safety while the race continued under green. The incident can be seen in this clip. Such a move would never happen now (or then), but the tactic was used because NASCAR had no provisions to close pit road at the time. When the caution would come out, cars would fly onto the unrestricted pit road for stops even before the pace car picked up the field. The wreck ultimately led to NASCAR allowing for provisions to close pit road as early as the fall of 1987.

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 Thursday, December 27th in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more ... including our 2011 Driver Reviews!

Coming this week at Frontstretch:
2012 Driver Reviews by the Frontstretch Staff
Our driver reviews will continue this week with some more driver reviews from competitors in the Sprint Cup Series. Remember, the top-35 drivers in 2012 Sprint Cup points will be reviewed, as well as the top-5 in Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series points.

DRIVER REVIEWS -- A FULL SCHEDULE IS UP! FIND THE ONES YOU MISSED AND GIVE US YOUR TAKE ON YOUR DRIVER'S FAVORITE SEASON.

Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Every Wednesday, throughout the offseason your favorite experts will convene to discuss some major NASCAR issues of 2012 -- and what the series faces heading into 2013.

Throwback Thursdays by the Frontstretch Staff
Come back, every Thursday to read some of your favorite articles from Frontstretch writers through the years! It's amazing how many predictions came true, what great features have long-term staying power and the beauty of our writers in crafting an incredibly story, start to finish. From Amy Henderson through Matt McLaughlin, we've got the best from our vault to keep you entertained this offseason.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Re: Illusions in Motion, Media Archaeology of the Moving Panorama and Related Spectacles

Op maandag 5 november 2012 10:59:51 UTC+1 schreef Thomas Weynants het volgende:

Dear List members,

Forthcoming from MIT Press, 'Illusions in Motion, Media Archaeology of the Moving Panorama and Related Spectacles' by Erkki Huhtamo.
http://www.visual-media.eu//publications_books_pre-film.html
Follow the link with information about this new title on Jussi Parikka's MACHINOLOGY website.
Best wishes,
Thomas

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Visual Media displays a very wide field of wondrous devices which opens a lot of opportunities for research and discovering in the field of Media Archeology.
To find out, visit the online Archeological Media_Museum of Early Visual Media.
http://www.visual-media.eu

All requests are welcome via this group.

Thomas Weynants
thomas@visual-media.eu
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REVALUING THEATRICAL HERITAGE - CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

REVALUING THEATRICAL HERITAGE - CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

An international conference held by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University in association with Artesis University College with support from Stad Kortrijk and the FWO-Vlaanderen, Kortrijk (Belgium), 22-23 January 2013

Despite eye-opening discoveries, exhibitions and performances, many valuable holdings of theatrical heritage continue to linger in oblivion. A stunning exemplar is the recently unearthed ‘Dubosq collection’ at the Schouwburg Kortrijk: a near-complete ensemble of drops, flats and props from the Belle Époque. How do such time capsules affect our understanding and appreciation of historical staging practices? Under which conditions should these vulnerable, excessively rare artifacts be preserved and manipulated? And which challenges and opportunities arise from their reuse on the modern stage?

REVALUING THEATRICAL HERITAGE aims to address these and related issues from a broader perspective. Scholars, performers, directors, conservators and administrators will share experiences and results of recent projects and work in progress. There will be sessions dedicated to novel methods, historically informed productions of opera, archives, endangered and restored architecture, scenography, and puppetry.

This conference will host the modern world premiere of Johann Christian Bach's Artaserse (1760) performed by the Antwerp Conservatoire in an authentic Comédie-Française set (1913) restored by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp.

Visit the website for the symposium organised by prof. Bruno Forment.

http://www.theatricalheritage.be

Thomas Weynants
www.visual-media.eu

Online Media Archaeology
www.media-museum.eu

Photographer - Collector - Fantasmagore
* Member of "The Magic Lantern Society of Great-Britain"
* Member of "The Ephemera Society of Great-Britain"

Google Group Media Archaeology:
Early Visual & Time-Based Media Techniques
http://groups.google..com/group/visual-media

- Pre-Cinema: Optical Toys, Magic Lanterns, etc
- Phantasmagoria (Death in pre-film)
- Conjuring Arts, Physique Amusante & Illusions
- 19th.Century Photography
- Early Film & Animation Film
- Mechanical Television before 1935
- Fairground & Circus Arts
- Mechanical Theatre & Theatrum Mundi

Monday, December 10, 2012

The Frontstretch Newsletter: December 11th, 2012

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
December 11th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCXXXVI

Editor's Note: Remember, the Frontstretch Newsletter has scaled back to a weekly edition over the offseason! The next scheduled edition will run on Monday, December 17th.

What to Watch For This Week:

- NASCAR is holding a two-day test session for Sprint Cup Series teams on Tuesday and Wednesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This will serve as the first official test session since NASCAR handed down the official rule package for the "Gen 6" race cars that will be racing in 2013. Our own Amy Henderson will be live at the test to bring you updates on Tuesday. According to Charlotte Motor Speedway, fans can also view the testing free of charge on both days. The Ford Grandstand on the frontstretch will be open at 8:30am for fans to observe from. The track only asks that fans enter the facility through Gate 5b near the Main Ticket Office.

- ESPN is also premiering season review programs for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series on Thursday. The 2012 Nationwide Series Season Review will air at 3:00pm EST, while the 2012 Sprint Cup Season Review will follow at 3:30pm EST

Top News From The Past Week

by Phil Allaway

Brad Keselowski Wins 2012 4th Quarter Driver of the Year; Full Year Award

The National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) announced on Thursday that 2012 Sprint Cup Series Champion Brad Keselowski has won the 2012 Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award on the strength of his first Sprint Cup Championship. In addition, for his performance in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Keselowski was also voted the Fourth Quarter Driver of the Year as well.

Keselowski was thrilled when notified of the award.

"To be honored with the 2012 Driver Of The Year is a great way to cap off our championship season," Keselowski said in a press release. "The list is definitely a 'Who's Who' in the history of racing. It gives me great pride to see my name there with the likes of Mark Donohue and Mario Andretti, drivers who have transcended one particular discipline or series, and are considered some of the best to ever sit in a race car."

Keselowski earned 18 of the 19 first-place votes in the year-long vote (Izod IndyCar Series Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay received the other first-place vote) in what amounted to a runaway. The quarterly vote was just about as much of a runaway with Keselowski earning more than double the votes of any other driver. Antron Brown, who became the first African-American to win a championship in Top Fuel, the NHRA's top division, and Jimmie Johnson, finished second and third.

NMPA Announces 2013 NMPA Hall of Fame Inductees

Also on Thursday, the NMPA announced their inductees to the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame, which is located on the grounds of Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. The late Jim Hunter, who served NASCAR in an executive role as well as a track president, will be inducted in January. He will be joined by the late Dr. Joseph Mattioli, co-founder of Pocono Raceway, and legendary broadcaster and owner of the Thunder Road Speed Bowl in Barre, Vermont, Ken Squier.

Induction to the NMPA Hall of Fame is conducted by the NMPA membership, which includes writers, TV personalities that cover motorsports, and credentialed photographers that also cover motorsports. Unlike the NASCAR Hall of Fame, where is no minimum amount of votes required for entry, a candidate must receive votes from 65 percent of voters in order to be inducted.

Hunter was the top vote getter, earning 89 percent of the vote, while Dr. Mattioli and Squier just barely reached the minimum 65 percent threshold. Former Sprint Cup Championship-winning crew chief Ray Evernham and former racer Dick Thompson also received votes, but fell short of the required number for induction.

Hunter, Mattioli and Squier will be officially inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame on January 19, 2013 during a ceremony in Charlotte, North Carolina. This induction dinner is held as part of the annual Media Tour that Charlotte Motor Speedway will once again be hosting.

Inception Motorsports Purchased; Hmiel and Eury, Jr. Hired As Crew Chief and Competition Director

For the past season and a half, David Stremme has struggled to be able to race in the Sprint Cup Series. During that time, he has been driving for (and co-owning) the No. 30 Toyotas for Inception Motorsports, a team that was apparently funded by outside investors based out of New England. However, those investors couldn't find the team enough backing to keep them from having to start-and-park in a number of races. Now, the start-and-parking is over.

Last week, it was announced that Inception Motorsports had officially been acquired by Brandon Davis, CEO of Colorado-based oil and gas company Swan Energy, Inc. Davis, himself a dirt modified racer, has stated that Swan Energy will sponsor the No. 30 Toyotas for the 2013 season and will not be starting-and-parking.

Davis is very excited about the former Inception Motorsports' future.

"Swan Racing is here to race competitively every week – the days of starting and parking are over," Davis said. "I am confident that we are putting together the personnel to one day produce a championship contender."

To that end, Davis has already made his first move, signing veteran crew chief and team manager Steve Hmiel to serve as Swan Racing's Director of Competition. To race fans, Hmiel is likely most recognizable from his time in the early-to-mid 1990's at Mark Martin's crew chief at then-Roush Racing. However, Hmiel has over 30 years of experience in Sprint Cup racing. Most recently, Hmiel was the Director of Competition at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.

Hmiel is quite happy to be back in the fold and is optimistic about what Swan Racing can accomplish in 2013.

"This is a great opportunity to build a team from the ground up," Hmiel said last week. "Brandon [Davis] is completely committed to winning; he has a long-term vision. I am excited to be part of it."

Former team co-owner Stremme will stay behind the wheel of the No. 30. With the burden of partial team ownership and a situation similar to that of Rick Crawford at Circle Bar Racing (not necessarily owning the team in full, but running the team's day-to-day operations) off his head, he can now focus on his driving. On that end, Stremme is looking forward to 2013 and what it can bring for him.

"I have spent a lot of time with Brandon this year and I can tell you he is here to win," Stremme said. "I have never been so excited for a new season as I am for 2013. I'm ready to get started now.

"The team has transformed itself virtually overnight," Stremme continued on Monday. "It's hard to believe just how different this team is in such a short period of time. This is how you build success from the ground up; you hire quality people, put their experience to work and execute on race day. Lets go racing."

Finally, in late breaking news, Swan Racing announced that Tony Eury, Jr. has been signed to serve as Stremme's new crew chief. Eury replaces Steve Lane, who will persue new opportunities outside of Swan Racing.

Eury Jr. is happy to be involved with the revamped No. 30 team.

"I am really impressed with the team Swan Racing is building and I am proud to be part of it," Eury said on Monday. "I am looking forward to working with David Stremme behind the wheel and with competition director Steve Hmiel."

Previously, Eury Jr. was heavily involved with JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. After leaving Hendrick Motorsports' No. 88 team, Eury Jr. served as the crew chief on Danica Patrick's GoDaddy-sponsored No. 7 Chevrolet. However, Eury Jr. was relieved of his duties in favor of Ryan Pemberton back in September.

Davis' purchase of Inception Motorsports also includes Inception Motorsports' points from 2012. The team managed to finish the season 38th in owners points, while only finishing five races all season. The team did have plans to run more races to completion, but were eliminated due to crashes (during the race, and in the case of Watkins Glen, practice, blown engines and mechanical woes). The team's best finish was a 24th at Indianapolis. The provisional system that is probable to return for the 2013 season will likely force Stremme to race into the Daytona 500.

Swan Energy officially joined the team as a sponsor at Talladega in October. There, Stremme was able to race the full distance, finishing two laps down in 33rd. The team planned to go the distance at Martinsville, but an early blown tire put Stremme in the wall and out of the race.

Brian Scott to Drive No. 2 for RCR in Nationwide Series

On Thursday, Richard Childress Racing (RCR) announced that they have signed Brian Scott to a multi-year contract to drive the team's No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro in the Nationwide Series. Scott will replace Elliott Sadler, who left the team at the end of 2012 in order to move over to Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). Since Sadler will be driving the No. 11 at JGR, the move amounts to an effective driver swap between the two teams. Scott will be sponsored by Shore Lodge, a mountain resort located in McCall, Idaho.

Scott is very happy to continue his career in the Nationwide Series at RCR.

"I am thrilled to have this opportunity to drive the No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the Nationwide Series," Scott said in an RCR press release. "RCR has proven over the past 13 years that it can build and prepare winning cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and has for a variety of drivers. I just want to be the next name on that list. Our goals for 2013 are going to be set at a high level and we are going to do everything within our power to achieve those goals. On a personal level I think I am going to fit in really well. Richard Childress and a lot of the people affiliated with RCR are avid outdoorsmen and that matches my background as well."

Team owner Richard Childress is also happy to have Scott onboard.

"Brian is a strong young talent and we look forward to him, Phil [Gould] and the entire No. 2 Shore Lodge team adding their part to RCR's history of success in the NASCAR Nationwide Series," Childress said. "The fact that Brian is an avid outdoorsman only makes it an even better fit. We're also proud to welcome Shore Lodge to our family of partners. The Scott family knows what it takes to create a tradition of excellence so we look forward to making our program a success both on the track and off."

With Sadler behind the wheel, the No. 2 Chevrolet, sponsored by OneMain Financial (which followed Sadler to JGR) visited Victory Lane four times in 2012. Sadler also earned 15 top-5 and 24 top-10 finishes, along with four poles. Only a late season swoon kept Sadler from winning the championship.

For Scott, even though the stats might say otherwise, 2012 was a slightly less competitive season than in 2011. He finished a career-best 11th in points and earned a career-best 11 top-10 finishes. However, his average finish was two positions worse than in 2011, mainly due to two more DNF's and a number of in-race spins.

An added wrinkle in the No. 2 team's plans for 2013 is the promotion of Phil Gould to the crew chief slot. Gould, who served as car chief on the No. 2 team in 2012, replaces Luke Lambert, who returns to Sprint Cup to serve as Jeff Burton's crew chief on the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet.

Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.

--------------------------

The Eyes Have It!

In this fun Facebook feature, we post a photo of a driver inside a helmet, and ask you to identify which driver it is based only on the eyes. Last Monday's photo was none other than Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski!

Congratulations to Harry Colby, the first reader to correctly identify Keselowski in the photo.

Other readers with the correct answer include: Nikki Nash, Mike Jones, Lucia Bush, Gail Bannister, Kristian Aliexo and Betsy Ware.

Other guesses included Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Ryan Newman, Jerry Nadeau, Rick Mast, Martin Truex, Jr., Kurt Busch, Joe Nemechek, and Michael Waltrip.

Our second photo last week featured Matt Kenseth.

Tom Bone had the first correct guess, congratulations, Tom! Melissa Johnson, Toni Teel-Hopper, Pam Johnson, Robert Snyder, Eileen Veach-Ginger, Rita McDonald, Frank Lopes, and Rogers Andrea were also correct.

Michael McDowell was also guessed.

We will run a new photo each week (sometimes twice!) throughout the offseason, and list the readers with the correct answer here in our newsletter (Facebook rules prohibit us giving a prize, but hey—at least you'll get your name in lights!). Go to our Facebook page to join the fun!

Help us make our Facebook page more awesome!
Hey race fans! We're looking to make out Facebook page bigger and better in 2013. We'd like to hear from you, our readers, more about what you'd like to see on our page. Would you like to see polls, trivia, and other items? How about Q & A sessions with our writers? More games, a caption contest? Something else? We want to make Frontstretch Race Page the best Facebook destination for race fans!

If there is something you would like to see added to our page? Please either post on our Facebook wall or email Amy at amy.henderson@frontstretch.com and let us know what you want to see in 2013!

Frontstretch LIVE at Charlotte Tuesday
Need your racing fix? Amy Henderson will be at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday as teams test the new 2013 race cars. Be sure to follow her (@Writer_Amy) as well as @TheFrontstretch on Twitter and our Facebook page for information, comments, and photos from the test.

TODAY AT THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Driver Reviews will begin again tomorrow and last through the rest of the month.

And check out our articles from last week as well:

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Brad Keselowski
by S.D. Grady

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Clint Bowyer
by Kevin Rutherford

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Jimmie Johnson
by Amy Henderson

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Kasey Kahne
by Brett Poirier

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Denny Hamlin
by Danny Peters

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Matt Kenseth
by Tony Lumbis

MPM2Nite: The NASCAR Season That Wasn't, Part I -- What To Make Of The Champ
by Matt McLaughlin

MPM2Nite: The NASCAR Season That Wasn't, Part II -- Tying Up Loose Ends
by Matt McLaughlin

Pace Laps: Competitive Concerns and Season Wrap-Ups
by the Frontstretch Staff

FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the 1986 First Union 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Rick Knoop crashed D.K. Ulrich's No. 6 Chevrolet in Turns 3 and 4 and put himself out of the race. However, no yellow was thrown for the incident despite Knoop's car coming to rest in harm's way. How was the car removed from danger despite being under green?

Check back next Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!

Last Monday's Answer:
Q. The 1992 Nissan Grand Prix of Atlanta was dominated by the No. 2 Jaguar XJR-14 driven by Davy Jones. However, the race is more well-known for a couple of wrecks. Who were in these crashes and what happened?

A. While Davy Jones drove off to an easy victory, both of the Nissans driven by Chip Robinson and Geoff Brabham had huge crashes. Early in the going, Robinson appeared to blow a left rear tire at roughly 190 mph entering a right kink on the backstretch. The blowout ripped the rear bodywork off the car and sent Robinson into a slip. The Nissan briefly took flight before landing and hitting an earthen bank. The impact threw the car into a couple of rolls, ultimately coming to rest in the middle of the track. Robinson clambered out and walked away uninjured, but the car was destroyed. Robinson's crash can be seen at the 5:55 mark of this clip. Larry Nuber and Bill Adam have the call.

For Brabham, contact on the initial start of the race put him behind the 8-ball. However, the No. 83 Nissan was back up towards the front when another left rear tire failure caused a spin. This occurred at the bottom of a hill at the end of the backstretch called "the hole" (Since then, the hole has been replaced by a chicane). The tire failure spun Brabham into the tires on the uphill run to the bridge corner. The impact flipped Brabham's car onto its roof, where it skidded to rest underneath the bridge. Crash aftermath and replays can be seen in this clip. Like Robinson, Brabham walked away not only thanks to track crews, but also due to the help of his own crewmembers who had run up to the scene to help.

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Re: Stereo Diableries 3-D Cards reproductions in full color - Stereoscopic adventures in Hell.

Thanks Thomas for yet another most valuable Newsletter.
Happy Christmas and New Year,

David

David G Burder, BSc, FRPS, FBIPP.
Technical Director.

www.3Dimages.co.uk

3D Images Ltd
31 The Chine.
Grange Park.
London . N21 2EA

Tel: 020 8 364 –0022. Also 020 8 364 -0104. Fax: 020 8 364 1828.

"A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man
who stops a clock to save time" Henry Ford
David

On 09/12/2012 16:23, "Thomas Weynants - Media Archaeology -" <thomas.weynants@telenet.be> wrote:

Stereo Diableries 3-D Cards reproductions in full color
Available now !!!

Dear List members,

Currently available from ‘The London Stereoscopic Company’ is a set of 12 (+2) stereo Diableries reproduced in wonderful color, quality & 3-D experience.
This set is published to announce the definitive book on the subject, see below.

Don’t’ wait too long to order your 12 card (+ 2) set since this wonderful project is a limited edition!
Order from http://www.londonstereo.com/shop_home3-diableries.html
Ordering will help in the expansion of the project to publish possibly even more Diablerie stereo cards.
See: http://www.londonstereo.com/news.html and more information on the reproductions.

A perfect replica stereoscope ‘The Owl’, designed by Brian May to view these images is available too.

Denis Pellerin's long awaited definitive book ‘Diableries Stereoscopic adventures in Hell’ will be available from summer 2013.
Read more on http://www.media-archaeology.eu/publications_books_photo.html

Diableries are an intriguing set of humorous 19th century colored stereo albumin photographs depicting everyday life in hell.
Original Diableries are rare to find and this set is reproduced using the best original copies known, preserved in the collection of Brian May.
Where necessary some of the images where digitally restored by the use of diableries from the Visual Media collection.
The result is a set of great quality, today virtually impossible to find in their original vintage version.

Co-authors in this devilish book and replica stereo card project are Brian May (photo collector, doctor in astronomy, Queen’s guitarist) and Paula Fleming (American photographic expert).

Preceding the 2013 press announcement (summer 2013) the ‘National Stereoscopic Association’ (NSA) recently published a thrilling article on the research for this forthcoming publication. A copy of this issue can be ordered from the National Stereoscopic Association strwld@teleport.com
See: http://www.stereoworld.org/stereoWorld.php

Read more about the Diableries at:
http://www.londonstereo.com/diableries/index.html (great online Diablerie project to accompany the book & cards)
http://www.visual-media.eu/diableries.html (Visual Media’s Diablerie pages)
http://www.media-archaeology.eu/publications_books_photo.html. (NSA Diableir article announcement)

Best wishes and enjoy a Diabolically Christmas and New Year!,
(See the 1/2 diablerie sepia card of ‘New Year in Hell’ in the Visual Media collection)

Thomas
www.visual-media.eu <http://www.visual-media.eu>

Stereo Diableries 3-D Cards reproductions in full color - Stereoscopic adventures in Hell.

Stereo Diableries 3-D Cards reproductions in full color

Available now !!!

Dear List members,

Currently available from ‘The London Stereoscopic Company’ is a set of 12 (+2) stereo Diableries reproduced in wonderful color, quality & 3-D experience.

This set is published to announce the definitive book on the subject, see below.

Don’t’ wait too long to order your 12 card (+ 2) set since this wonderful project is a limited edition!

Order from http://www.londonstereo.com/shop_home3-diableries.html

Ordering will help in the expansion of the project to publish possibly even more Diablerie stereo cards.

See: http://www.londonstereo.com/news.html and more information on the reproductions.

A perfect replica stereoscope ‘The Owl’, designed by Brian May to view these images is available too.

Denis Pellerin's long awaited definitive book ‘Diableries Stereoscopic adventures in Hell’ will be available from summer 2013.

Diableries are an intriguing set of humorous 19th century colored stereo albumin photographs depicting everyday life in hell.

Original Diableries are rare to find and this set is reproduced using the best original copies known, preserved in the collection of Brian May.

Where necessary some of the images where digitally restored by the use of diableries from the Visual Media collection.

The result is a set of great quality, today virtually impossible to find in their original vintage version.

Co-authors in this devilish book and replica stereo card project are Brian May (photo collector, doctor in astronomy, Queen’s guitarist) and Paula Fleming (American photographic expert).

Preceding the 2013 press announcement (summer 2013) the ‘National Stereoscopic Association’ (NSA) recently published a thrilling article on the research for this forthcoming publication. A copy of this issue can be ordered from the National Stereoscopic Association strwld@teleport.com

See: http://www.stereoworld.org/stereoWorld.php

Monday, December 03, 2012

The Frontstretch Newsletter: December 3rd, 2012

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
December 3rd, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCXXXV

Editor's Note: Remember, the Frontstretch Newsletter has scaled back to a weekly edition over the offseason! The next scheduled edition will run on Monday, December 10th.

Top News From The Past Week

by Phil Allaway

NASCAR Celebrates Champions' Week; Awards Distributed

This past week, the Sprint Cup Series' best descended on Las Vegas, Nevada for four days of awards, forums and special events to mark the end of the 2012 Sprint Cup season. Champion Brad Keselowski was feted at the banquet and in addition to the Sprint Cup, received a 1/12th scale golden car trophy, a work of art that is considered to be priceless.

However, Keselowski was not the only driver who left Nevada significantly richer than before. On Thursday afternoon, the NMPA's annual Myers Brothers Luncheon was held. Here, additional awards are handed out to drivers. The winners were as follows.

Myers Brothers Award (for outstanding contributions to stock car racing): Jeff Gordon
NASCAR NMPA Most Popular Driver Award: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (tenth consecutive year)
Buddy Shuman Award (for playing a key role in continued growth and success of Sprint Cup): Ken Squier
NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award: Mars, Inc.
3M Lap Leader Award (for leading the most laps for the year): Jimmie Johnson
American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award: Jimmie Johnson
Coors Light Pole Award (for the most poles): Jimmie Johnson
DirecTV Crew Chief of the Year Award: Matt Puccia, for Greg Biffle's No. 16
Freescale Wide Open Award: Matt Kenseth
Goodyear Tires Award (Champion): Brad Keselowski
MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Year Award: Shane Parsnow for Hendrick Motorsports' No. 48 team
Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award: Michael Waltrip Racing No. 56 pit crew
Mobil 1 Driver of the Year Award: Denny Hamlin
MOOG Steering & Suspension Problem Solver of the Year Award: Steve Addington, Crew Chief for Tony Stewart
Sunoco Diamond Performance Award (Champion): Brad Keselowski
Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award ($50,000): Stephen Leicht
USG Improving the Finish Award: Tony Stewart
Champion Sponsor Award: SABMiller, via Miller Lite
Champion Crew Chief: Paul Wolfe

2013 Camping World Truck Series Schedule Announced; Eligibility Rules Change

On Wednesday, NASCAR officially announced the 2013 Camping World Truck Series schedule on a conference call in Las Vegas. The schedule will remain at 22 races in length, beginning in Daytona and ending in Homestead. Also, all races will be aired live on SPEED/Fox Sports 1 (the name change is likely to occur at some point during the 2013 season after March). However, there are a few changes of note.

The Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (formerly known as Mosport International Raceway) will be on the schedule for the first time on September 1st, as previously announced. However, that race will officially be joined by a Wednesday night race at Eldora Speedway, the very first race on dirt for the series. That race will run with a reduced field of 30 trucks (as opposed to 36). Also, the format for Eldora is still up in the air. NASCAR is said to like the idea of heat races for the event to replace traditional one-truck qualifying.

The Canadian race replaces Atlanta on the schedule. Also, Kentucky loses their September race. The only visit that the series will make to Sparta, Kentucky in 2013 is in late June as the tertiary series for the Sprint Cup race weekend. The ARCA Racing Series is due to take the series' place in September.

Also of note, NASCAR has made a rule change regarding their minimum age rule in the Camping World Truck Series. Effective at the beginning of 2013, the minimum age limit will be lowered to 16, but only for road courses and tracks 1.1 miles in length or less. Such a policy mirrors rules in effect in the ARCA Racing Series. The 18-year minimum came into effect for 2002 after a 16-year old Kyle Busch's presence at then-California Speedway caused issues with promoters and with Philip Morris, who was sponsoring the CART race that weekend via their Marlboro brand. The rules saw Busch spend a year in ASA before returning to NASCAR in 2003.

2013 Camping World Truck Series Schedule

February 22       Daytona International Speedway
April 6                Martinsville Speedway
April 14              Rockingham Speedway
April 20              Kansas Speedway
May 17               Charlotte Motor Speedway
May 31                Dover International Speedway
June 7                Texas Motor Speedway
June 27              Kentucky Speedway
July 13               Iowa Speedway
July 24               Eldora Speedway (Dirt)
August 3             Pocono Raceway
August 17           Michigan International Speedway
August 21           Bristol Motor Speedway
September 1      Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (Mosport, road course)
September 8      Iowa Speedway
September 13    Chicagoland Speedway
September 28    Las Vegas Motor Speedway
October 19         Talladega Superspeedway
October 26         Martinsville Speedway
November 1       Texas Motor Speedway
November 8        Phoenix International Raceway
November 15      Homestead-Miami Speedway

Penske Offers Stewart Indianapolis 500 Ride?

During Friday night's Sprint Cup Series Banquet at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, Champion car owner Roger Penske made an interesting offer to Tony Stewart. Penske laid it out on the table publicly and explicitly during his acceptance speech for the owner's championship.

"Where's [Tony] Stewart?," Penske asked. "How about doing the double at Indy this year? You available?"

At the time, everyone thought that it was a well-timed quip. Laughter filled the ballroom. However, Penske was quite serious.

"If he wants to do the double, I'd put him in it," Penske continued. "We've talked about it before. I guess I made it official tonight."

If Stewart were to take Penske's offer, it would satisfy one of the conditions that most drivers from outside of the Izod IndyCar Series would have before coming in. When former IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard offered a $5 million bounty to any outsider to come in and win the IndyCar World Championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last year, most everyone of note that didn't already have a conflict declined because they felt they wouldn't be in a competitive car. With Penske, Stewart would not have that problem.

Another problem that would be averted is a manufacturer conflict. Even though Penske will be racing Fords in NASCAR in 2013, his team runs Chevrolet engines in the Izod IndyCar Series (Penske was instrumental in convincing Chevrolet to return to the series).

If Stewart were to sign on, it would not be the first time that he has raced in the Indianapolis 500, or the first time he would attempt the double (running the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day). Stewart has attempted the feat twice before (1999 and 2001). In 1999, Stewart finished the 500 four laps down in ninth, then flew to Charlotte and finished fourth in the 600. In 2001, Stewart finished sixth in a Ganassi entry at Indianapolis, then flew to Charlotte and finished third (the only time that a driver has managed to finish all 1100 miles). Stewart's best finish in the Indianapolis 500 was a fifth in the twice-delayed 1997 running.

Paludo to Return to Turner Motorsports No. 32 in 2013

On Monday morning, Turner Motorsports officially announced that Miguel Paludo will return to the No. 32 Chevrolet that he drove throughout the 2012 season. Sponsorship will once again be provided by Stemco Duroline. The official press release also announced that Jeff Hensley will continue on in his role as Paludo's crew chief.

Paludo is very pleased to return to Turner Motorsports for his second year in the No. 32.

"I am very happy to announce that I will be returning to Turner Motorsports for 2013," Paludo said. "I joined Turner Motorsports because I believed that it was an organization where I could race competitively, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to continue to compete for what was, without a doubt, the most successful team in our series in 2012."

In 2012, Paludo enjoyed his most successful season in the Camping World Truck Series, finishing tenth in points with one top-5 finish (fifth at Homestead) and five top-10's. Paludo also picked up his first career pole at Daytona in February. In addition, Paludo made his first two career starts in the Nationwide Series at Road America and Watkins Glen, finishing in 29th and 13th, respectively.

Paludo will be joined by Jeb Burton at least in Turner Motorsports' Camping World Truck Series stable for 2013. The team is planning on running three or four trucks full-time in 2013. Look for more announcements later this month as to what will happen with the rest of the squad. The team is also still working on signing additional sponsorship for the No. 32 team to supplement Paludo's existing backing from Stemco Duroline.

Erik Jones wins the Snowball Derby

16-year old part-time ARCA Racing Series contender Erik Jones dominated much of the second half of Sunday's 46th running of the Snowball Derby in his first attempt. However, he was beaten out of the pits by visiting Sprint Cup regular Kyle Busch with 22 laps to go. Once the race restarted, Jones pressured Busch and was able to get by on Lap 283. From there, Jones pulled away to claim his first career Snowball Derby victory.

In Victory Lane, Jones appeared to be in shock.

"We just beat NASCAR star Kyle Busch," Jones told the Pensacola News-Journal's Chuck Corder. "I can' believe it. Guys race for this championship for a lifetime and don't get it. And for me, my first time, to get it? It's amazing."

Part-time Camping World Truck Series driver Jeff Choquette finished second, while Busch was third. Jeff Fultz finished fourth, while defending champion Chase Elliott rounded out the top-5.

For Busch, it was a controversial race. Just after halfway, Busch had contact with TJ Reaid while battling for the lead. Reaid crashed and collected a number of other drivers, including Elliott. Busch was subsequently sent to the rear for causing the wreck. Afterwards, Busch took responsibility.

"I blame myself for giving them the opportunity to make that call," Busch said after the race. "We were [racing hard] and I was on the outside of, I think, the No. 99 [Casey Smith]. I stepped on the gas with the edge to the corner and T.J. didn't go right away. I hit him. I tried to check up and get off him, but he lost it and stacked up a lot of good cars and I hate it for those guys."

Reaid, who is a former driver for Busch's late model team, later confronted members of Busch's pit crew, then gave an expletive-laden interview over the PA system at the track. A later wreck resulted in Steve Wallace giving Busch the finger on pit road, then (according to Speed51.com) throwing a hammer at Busch's No. 51.

Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.

TODAY AT THE FRONTSTRETCH:

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Brad Keselowski
by S.D. Grady

2012 NASCAR Driver Review: Clint Bowyer
by Kevin Rutherford

Pace Laps: Competitive Concerns and Season Wrap-Ups
by the Frontstretch Staff

FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 1992 Nissan Grand Prix of Atlanta was dominated by the No. 2 Jaguar XJR-14 driven by Davy Jones. However, the race is more well-known for a couple of wrecks. Who were in these crashes and what happened?

Check back next Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!

Wednesday's Answer:
Q. Eddie Irvine didn't exactly make many friends when he first entered Formula One. He was famously punched by Ayrton Senna after racing him inappropriately while a lap down at Suzuka in 1993. After the 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix, Irvine was suspended for three weeks. Why did this happen?

A. Irvine was judged to be solely to blame for a four-car crash involving himself, Jos Verstappen, Eric Bernard and Martin Brundle. Brundle's McLaren was slow on track while Irvine in a Jordan was fighting for position with Verstappen's Benetton. Both drivers then approached Bernard's Ligier and swung to the left to avoid. However, Irvine pushed Verstappen to the grass, triggering a huge wreck that can be viewed here.

Curiosity in the world

Thursday, December 27, 2012

The Frontstretch Newsletter: December 27th, 2012

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Re: HAPPY MERRY

Friday, December 21, 2012

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

HAPPY MERRY

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Frontstretch Newsletter: 12/18 -- NASCAR Updates About Busch, Townley, Tragedy

Monday, December 17, 2012

Re: Illusions in Motion, Media Archaeology of the Moving Panorama and Related Spectacles

REVALUING THEATRICAL HERITAGE - CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Monday, December 10, 2012

The Frontstretch Newsletter: December 11th, 2012

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Re: Stereo Diableries 3-D Cards reproductions in full color - Stereoscopic adventures in Hell.

Stereo Diableries 3-D Cards reproductions in full color - Stereoscopic adventures in Hell.

Monday, December 03, 2012

The Frontstretch Newsletter: December 3rd, 2012

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