Thursday, February 21, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: February 22nd, 2013

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!

February 22nd, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XIX

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WHAT TO WATCH: FRIDAY

- Everything from Sprint Cup practice, to Nationwide qualifying, to the first Camping World Truck Series race of the year! There's so much going on in racing, we've copied our friend Phil Allaway's TV listings from Couch Potato Tuesday for your convenience...

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 Practice No. 5 SPEED
12:30 - 1:30 PM Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 Practice No. 6 SPEED
1:30 - 3:30 PM Camping World Truck Series Qualifying SPEED
3:30 - 5:30 PM Nationwide Series Qualifying ESPN2
7:00 - 7:30 PM NCWTS Setup SPEED
7:30 - 10:00 PM Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 SPEED

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Frontstretch Live: Don't miss out on our at-the-track coverage of Daytona Speedweeks! Tom Bowles is here, from now through Sunday and will be reporting on all the action from the sport's top three series. Follow along on Twitter at @TheFrontstretch and @NASCARBowles for everything you need to know!

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Top News
Harvick Takes Budweiser Duel #1 While Hamlin, Edwards, Bayne Wreck
by Tom Bowles

Kevin Harvick powered through the field, just before a round of green-flag pit stops to take the first of two Budweiser Duels at Daytona. He kept Greg Biffle a car length behind heading to the checkers to win with ease. Juan Pablo Montoya, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch rounded out the top-5 finishers.

Trevor Bayne, who had led the majority of the race up until that point ended up in the garage after the race's one and only wreck. Denny Hamlin, heading onto the backstretch lost control and collected Bayne, Carl Edwards, and Regan Smith to bring out a late caution that bunched up the field. Edwards and Bayne, who would have started 33rd or worse anyways will now go to the rear with backup cars.

Meanwhile, Harvick held on, pushing ahead of Biffle on the restart with four laps remaining. He then stayed out of the fray while everyone else battled behind him, flashing the speed that put him up front for 40 of 75 laps in the Sprint Unlimited. Now, he's going for a Speedweeks first: winning the Unlimited, Duels, and the Daytona 500 all in one weekend.

Pole sitter Danica Patrick, who was stout in the first few laps quickly settled into the back of the lead draft to "play it safe." While choosing not to start and park, as co-owner Gene Haas suggested she generally stayed out of risky situations and came home 17th, one of the final cars on the lead lap. Martin Truex, Jr., who was solidly inside the top 10 got penalized for having no right-side window. That opened the door for Scott Speed to officially transfer in, with 15th place. Brian Keselowski, whose car was off the pace from the start ran 23rd and will be one of the two drivers to DNQ for the 500.

The top line appeared to take command throughout most of the Duel, with single-file runs dominating the competition. "You put the fast car on the top," said Michael Waltrip, who finished 14th. "And they'll outrun the bottom every time."

"You've got to be precise in your moves," added Harvick, who led 23 of 60 laps. "If you get yourself in the wrong spot, you just can't go anywhere."

Budweiser Duel #1: Unofficial Results
Automatic Transfers
1) Kevin Harvick
2) Greg Biffle
3) Juan Pablo Montoya
4) Jimmie Johnson
5) Kurt Busch
6) Tony Stewart
7) Brad Keselowski
8) Casey Mears
9) Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
10) Joey Logano
11) Bobby Labonte
12) David Gilliland
13) Joe Nemechek
14) Michael Waltrip
15) Scott Speed
--
16) David Reutimann
17) Danica Patrick
18) Regan Smith
19) Martin Truex, Jr.
20) Denny Hamlin, one lap down
21) Brian Keselowski, two laps down (failed to qualify for Daytona 500)
22) Carl Edwards, DNF, wreck
23) Trevor Bayne, DNF, wreck

Kyle Busch Breaks Through, Wins Caution-Free Duel #2

Jeff Gordon was speeding to an easy victory in the second Budweiser Duel. Starting from the pole, he connected with teammate Kasey Kahne and appeared to have the fastest car.

Too bad he flashed some speed in the wrong place.

During a green-flag pit stop, Gordon was penalized for being too fast entering pit road, opening the door for others and allowing Kyle Busch to assert himself up front. Busch then hooked up with teammate Matt Kenseth in the draft, giving him a blocker for Kahne and others to win his second career Budweiser Duel unchallenged. Kahne jumped up to second, with help from fellow Chevrolet driver Austin Dillon while Clint Bowyer came home in fourth place. Kenseth, who got motored by on the final lap slid back to round out the top-5 finishers.

As for the transfer spots, Mike Bliss was black-flagged for a window net down early in the race which took the No. 19 out of contention. With Bliss first in line for a DNQ without a top-15 finish in the Duels that led to many teams running a conservative event. Just 13 of the 22 cars finished on the lead lap, as there were no caution flags and just six wound up in the lead draft at the finish. Josh Wise, who was in the final transfer spot of 16th place admitted that with his team and many others down on equipment, with the Gen-6 development it was critical not to tear up any sheet metal.

The race's only incident came during green-flag stops, around Lap 40 where Ryan Newman lost control trying to enter the pits. Only suffering minimal damage, he brought the No. 39 Chevy back around but lost too much time, slumping to 21st, two laps off the pace.

Busch averaged 193.966 miles an hour for the Duel, the second-fastest average speed in the history of the qualifying races.

Budweiser Duel #2: Results
Automatic Transfers
1) Kyle Busch
2) Kasey Kahne
3) Austin Dillon
4) Clint Bowyer
5) Matt Kenseth
6) Mark Martin
7) Paul Menard
8) Jeff Burton
9) Jamie McMurray
10) David Ragan
11) Marcos Ambrose
12) Jeff Gordon (already secured front row spot for 500)
13) Aric Almirola
14) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., one lap down
15) Dave Blaney, one lap down
16) Josh Wise, one lap down
--
17) Travis Kvapil, one lap down
18) Terry Labonte, one lap down
19) Michael McDowell, one lap down
20) J.J. Yeley, one lap down
21) Ryan Newman, two laps down
22) Mike Bliss, five laps down (failed to qualify for Daytona 500)

Daytona 500 Starting Lineup
Row 1
10 - Danica Patrick, Chevy
24 - Jeff Gordon, Chevy

Row 2
29 - Kevin Harvick, Chevy
18 - Kyle Busch, Toyota

Row 3
16 - Greg Biffle, Ford
5 - Kasey Kahne, Chevy

Row 4
42 - Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevy
33 - Austin Dillon, Chevy

Row 5
48 - Jimmie Johnson, Chevy
15 - Clint Bowyer, Toyota

Row 6
78 - Kurt Busch, Chevy
20 - Matt Kenseth, Toyota

Row 7
14 - Tony Stewart, Chevy
55 - Mark Martin, Toyota

Row 8
2 - Brad Keselowski, Ford
27 - Paul Menard, Chevy

Row 9
13 - Casey Mears, Ford
31 - Jeff Burton, Chevy

Row 10
88 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Chevy
1 - Jamie McMurray, Chevy

Row 11
20 - Joey Logano, Ford
34 - David Ragan, Ford

Row 12
47 - Bobby Labonte, Toyota
9 - Marcos Ambrose, Ford

Row 13
38 - David Gilliland, Ford
43 - Aric Almirola, Ford

Row 14
87 - Joe Nemechek, Toyota
17 - Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Ford

Row 15
26 - Michael Waltrip, Toyota
7 - Dave Blaney, Chevy

Row 16
95 - Scott Speed, Ford
35 - Josh Wise, Ford

Row 17
21 - Trevor Bayne, Ford (in on speed)
39 - Ryan Newman, Chevy (in on speed)

Row 18
11 - Denny Hamlin, Toyota (in on speed)
99 - Carl Edwards, Ford (in on speed)

Row 19
56 - Martin Truex, Jr., Toyota (owner points provisional)
*51 - Regan Smith (owner points provisional)

Row 20
*93 - Travis Kvapil, Toyota (owner points provisional)
*83 - David Reutimann, Toyota (owner points provisional)

Row 21
*32 - Terry Labonte, Ford (owner points provisional)
*36 - J.J. Yeley, Chevy (owner points provisional)

Row 22
*98 - Michael McDowell, Ford (owner points provisional)

Failed To Qualify: 19 - Mike Bliss, 52 - Brian Keselowski

* - Editor's Note:
There is confusion over the order of the provisionals in the lineup; in the past, they have been set by owner points but NASCAR's version initially had them set up for qualifying speed AFTER it was determined they qualify for a provisional. So, since McDowell had the second-fastest qualifying speed of the seven eligible drivers he was listed 38th, not 43rd and so on. The alternate lineup, if proven factual would have McDowell 38th, T. Labonte 39th, Smith 40th, J.J. Yeley 41st, David Reutimann 42nd, and Travis Kvapil 43rd. 

News 'N' Notes

by Tom Bowles

-
Josh Wise will start his first Daytona 500 with a new primary sponsor. Blockbuster Video has signed with Front Row Motorsports and Wise's No. 35 car, jumping on board with a one-race deal that ensures he'll have the money to go the distance. Combined with support from Cajun Industries, the sophomore brought them home proud with a 16th-place finish in his Duel, ensuring he'd have a starting spot in the big race.

Wise, despite 34 starts in Sprint Cup has completed only one event -- mostly hired as a start-and-parker. But Blockbuster is excited to give him the opportunity to go race.

"Blockbuster is excited to be part of the Front Row Motorsports team and NASCAR's 'Great American Race,'" said Mitch Weinraub, Product VP at Blockbuster, LLC in a press release.  "We are proud to play a lead role in bringing Josh Wise, a new and promising driver, to the premier racing circuit."

- Carl Edwards was rather low-key after crashing for fourth time in a Cup car since the start of 2013. None of them have been his fault, including Thursday's Duel incident where Denny Hamlin's car got loose and spun directly into his path.

"We have the black flag already and the race hasn't even started," he said Thursday. "We are getting it out of our systems."

"Well, we started it perfectly last year. We won the pole and everything was going smoothly and it was a terrible year. Hopefully, this is a sign that this will be a great year. This is the worst Speedweeks start I have ever had. I don't think I have crashed this many race cars in two years."

Edwards' team, with that much torn sheet metal will actually bring back their Sprint Unlimited car for the Daytona 500 Sunday. However, Edwards along with Trevor Bayne will move to the rear after bringing out backup cars for the race.

- Didn't catch the Duels live this Thursday? Chances are you'll have a better chance next year. Daytona announced its two qualifying races would move to primetime in 2014, televised by FOX in a move that's bound to add some extra twists to these events.

"To earn a coveted starting spot in the Daytona 500, the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will have to perform under the lights and in front of a primetime audience in the Budweiser Duel," said Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III. "Moving under the lights will add another dimension to Speedweeks."

It's the first time ever the qualifiers will be run in different weather conditions, a fact not lost on Duel 2 winner Kyle Busch.

"I'm a fan of the day race actually," he said. "Just being able to come down here on Thursday and be able to put in a good day's work, relax kind of the rest of the night. But if they're moving it to an evening race, kind of a twilight race, it will be cool for TV. Maybe that means bigger, better things, more ratings for us, which makes our sport bigger and better."

- Underdog Clay Greenfield raised eyebrows in the Truck Series by posting the fastest speed in Thursday night's Truck Series practice. Greenfield, whose No. 68 doesn't have a primary sponsor for the race hit the top of the charts with a 189.645 miles an hour average. Driving a Dodge, who pulled all manufacturer support following the 2012 season he's got the only Ram entered in the 39-car field.

Jeb Burton, who led the first practice was second followed by Miguel Paludo, newcomer Ryan Truex in his new entry for Turner Scott Motorsports and fellow rookie Brennan Newberry. Sean Corr, Scott Stenzel and Dusty Davis were the slowest of the go-or-go homers with qualifying scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
 
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FRONTSTRETCH FANTASY: GET IN THE GAME
Want to compete against some of your favorite Frontstretch writers this season? Our fantasy guru, Jeff Wolfe has created a Yahoo! league and wants you, our faithful readers to join in the fun with us. All you need is a Yahoo! ID and an internet connection. You then go through the following steps...

1) Sign in to Yahoo!, then go to http://racing.fantasysports.yahoo.com/auto
2) Create Your Team
3) Join our Group!
ID: 18909
Password: rickybobby2


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In Case You Missed It: Smaller News Stories Of Speedweeks
by Rick Lunkenheimer

I Am Second Sponsors Blake Koch at Daytona

SR2 Motorsports' primary driver is starting off the year with proper funding. Blake Koch, driving the No. 24 has picked up primary sponsorship from I Am Second for this weekend's Nationwide Series event at Daytona International Speedway. I Am Second is a movement with the purpose to inspire people from all walks of like to live for God and others before themselves. He'll also have associate sponsorship from Salt Life and Support Military while pursuing his first top-10 finish in 58 career series starts.

Brian Silas Picks Up Multiple Sponsors

Brian Silas and T3R2 Motorsports have snagged Lazer TroKar to serve as primary sponsor for the No. 99 Ford for tonight's Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250. The TroKar brand has "changed the perception and value of the fish-hook in the minds of today's discerning anglers." Additionally, World of Beer, a bad that "creates an atmosphere where patrons feel at home, as if they are visiting a neighbor and not just a neighborhood bar" will be prominently positioned on the side of this Truck. Both companies have just one-race deals with the team.

Silas posted a best finish of 16th at Las Vegas and Phoenix in his first full-time season in the Truck Series.

Driver Will Make Historic Start On Saturday

When Eric McClure hits the track in this weekend's Nationwide Series race from Daytona, he'll make his 200th career start in that division. McClure's Nationwide adventures began back in 2003 at Rockingham, posting a 26th-place finish. Since then, he's made at least one start every year, running the past few seasons full-time with sponsorship support from Hefty Trash Bags. In 199 career events, to date the driver of the No. 14 Toyota has posted a best finish of 15th twice (Talladega, 2008 and Kansas, 2012).

Sprint Cup driver Jimmie Johnson will also hit a milestone Sunday, making his 400th career start in NASCAR's top series. Johnson has made every race since the start of the 2002 season, a streak that will stretch to 397 with this year's Daytona 500.

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FRONTSTRETCH FANTASY: GET IN THE GAME
Want to compete against some of your favorite Frontstretch writers this season? Our fantasy guru, Jeff Wolfe has created a Yahoo! league and wants you, our faithful readers to join in the fun with us. All you need is a Yahoo! ID and an internet connection... go through the following steps:

1) Sign in to Yahoo!, then go to http://racing.fantasysports.yahoo.com/auto
2) Create Your Team
3) Join our Group!
ID: 11132
Password: rickybobby

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Keepin' It Short: The Battle Of The Beach Was NOT Short Track Racing
by Mike Neff

When the designers laid out the race track for the Battle at the Beach, it was obvious they had every intention of generating some contact among the combatants. The problem in all three of the feature races was that there wasn't just contact, there was intentional wrecking. The leader of all three features at the white flag ended up facing the wrong direction at some point on the final lap and none of them made it back to the checkered flag first. Many of the post-race interviews contained the same phrase: "That's Short Track racing!"

Um, no. Note to the future drivers of NASCAR's top series – short track racing involves rubbing, pushing and occasionally bumping your fellow competitors. If your actions result in a competitor's car facing the rest of the pack after you made contact with theirs, you have wrecked them and wrecking is not racing.

The winners of the three Battle at the Beach races led a grand total of four laps. Kyle Larson, who won the Late Model race on Monday night, got under C.E. Falk III's rear bumper off of four and did not lift until Falk was in the infield and he was across the line. Steve Park chased Mike Stefanik into turn one and, by the time he came out of turn two, was going to the outside of Stefanik's spinning race car. Park claimed he was pushed from behind but it seemed like he was already headed for the contact by the time Eric Goodale got into his rear bumper. Gray Gaulding followed the lead of his predecessors in the first two features but failed to make it back to the line first. Gaulding dumped Michael Self in turn two, got around his spinning car and then drove hard into turn three. Unfortunately he took it in too deep and slid high coming out of four. That opened the door for Cameron Hayley to slip by and score the win. In the end, the drivers who were poised to score one of the biggest wins of their career were all robbed of the opportunity by people not observing simple racing etiquette.

The beauty of short track racing is that the cars are in very close proximity. You can't get away from the pack because the track is short. Competing in such tight confines forces drivers to become better and more exacting in their car control. Contact is inevitable but the contact does not have to be so severe that the driver contacted loses control of his car. When a driver behind another car is faster, he can let the one in front know he's there and faster by giving a slight bump. If the car in front decides to keep the position and not move over, the driver behind can bump a little harder. That might move the car in front out of the groove -- at the least, it will make sure that the driver knows that there is a faster car behind him. The following driver can now put his nose underneath going into the corner and the driver in front can let him go or shut the door. Generally, depending on when this occurs in the race, the reaction by the driver in front will vary. If it is early in the race, the smart driver will move over and let the faster car by, planning to take the spot back later. Late in the race, the driver in front will block because it is too close to the end of the event. When that block occurs is when the time for the Bump and Run arrives.

The Bump and Run can take two forms. First, heading into a corner, the driver behind hits the leading driver square in the bumper and pushes him into the corner hard enough that he'll go up the track and open the bottom groove. The second form is when the lead car is already in the corner. This is a much more delicate process. The trailing driver gives a nudge to the left rear of the leading car which will break him loose and force him to catch his car, washing up the track and opening the bottom groove. This move can much more easily result in the lead car spinning out. Either move is designed to get the lead car out of the way and allow the trailing car to pass. The key is not wrecking the car in front which, for some reason, has become less and less important on short tracks over the last few years.

My personal opinion is that this primarily stems from two things. The preponderance of SIM racing leagues and races, and US Legends/INEX racing. I've never been a big supporter of SIM racing. I will not deny that it does serve some purpose in preparing racers to compete on real race tracks. However, it also teaches racers nothing of the effort needed to build an actual racecar. When a SIM racer's car rolls down the front stretch and the wheels and bumpers fly everywhere, all they have to do is hit the reset button and they're right back in action. Not having to spend days rebuilding a car, scraping to put together the money to make it possible, enduring the exhaustion and pain of working tirelessly on every nut and bolt of a car is completely lost on a SIM racer.

In the INEX world, all one needs to do is walk by the INEX/US Legends parts trailer on any given race day. The stack of bumpers is taller than most of the racers involved. Teams by replacement bumpers by the dozen and can go through one or two in every race depending on the skill level of their driver. Fenders are almost as numerous and are easily replaced on legends and bandolero cars. The result is drivers learn to drive through and over people instead of working around them. Setting up and passing a car, or possibly executing the proper bump and run is replaced by dumping and punting cars to get them out of the way -- damn the consequences.

Short track racing is still the greatest form of sport and entertainment on the planet, but it is heading down a slippery slope that is not going to be easy to rebound from. Sanctioning bodies are going to have to start looking very hard and very sternly at drivers and legislate rough driving out of the grass root levels of racing. If they don't, it won't be long before short track racing and professional wrestling become indistinguishable from each other.

This Weekend's Race Schedule

Friday    02/22/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    ASCS Winged Sprints
Friday    02/22/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    X-Mods
Friday    02/22/13    Bubba Raceway Park    Ocala    FL    Winternationals USAC Amsoil National Sprint Cars
Friday    02/22/13    East Bay Raceway Park    Tampa    FL    Winternationals 360 Sprints
Friday    02/22/13    East Bay Raceway Park    Tampa    FL    Winternationals Mini Sprints
Friday    02/22/13    New Smyrna Speedway    New Smyrna Beach    FL    28th Annual Richie Evans Memorial Tour-type Modifieds
Friday    02/22/13    New Smyrna Speedway    New Smyrna Beach    FL    World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Pro Late Models
Friday    02/22/13    New Smyrna Speedway    New Smyrna Beach    FL    World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Pro Trucks
Friday    02/22/13    New Smyrna Speedway    New Smyrna Beach    FL    World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Super Late Models
Friday    02/22/13    Volusia Raceway Park    Barberville    FL    UNOH Winternationals SDS Big Block Modifieds
Friday    02/22/13    Volusia Raceway Park    Barberville    FL    UNOH Winternationals World of Outlaw Late Models
Friday    02/22/13    Royal Purple Raceway    Baytown    TX    USMTS Modifieds
Saturday    02/23/13    Central Arizona Raceway    Casa Grande    AZ    IMCA Modifieds
Saturday    02/23/13    Central Arizona Raceway    Casa Grande    AZ    Pure Stocks
Saturday    02/23/13    Central Arizona Raceway    Casa Grande    AZ    Southwest Mod Lites
Saturday    02/23/13    Central Arizona Raceway    Casa Grande    AZ    Super Stocks
Saturday    02/23/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    ASCS Winged Sprints
Saturday    02/23/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    Hornets
Saturday    02/23/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    Mini Sprints
Saturday    02/23/13    Tuscon International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    ASCS Winged Sprints
Saturday    02/23/13    Bubba Raceway Park    Ocala    FL    Winternationals USAC Amsoil National Sprint Cars
Saturday    02/23/13    East Bay Raceway Park    Tampa    FL    Winternationals 360 Sprints
Saturday    02/23/13    East Bay Raceway Park    Tampa    FL    Winternationals Mini Sprints
Saturday    02/23/13    New Smyrna Speedway    New Smyrna Beach    FL    FASCAR Triple Crown Championship Super Late Models
Saturday    02/23/13    New Smyrna Speedway    New Smyrna Beach    FL    World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Pro Late Models
Saturday    02/23/13    New Smyrna Speedway    New Smyrna Beach    FL    World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Pro Trucks
Saturday    02/23/13    New Smyrna Speedway    New Smyrna Beach    FL    World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Tour-type Modifieds
Saturday    02/23/13    Volusia Raceway Park    Barberville    FL    UNOH Winternationals SDS Big Block Modifieds
Saturday    02/23/13    Volusia Raceway Park    Barberville    FL    UNOH Winternationals World of Outlaw Late Models
Saturday    02/23/13    Royal Purple Raceway    Baytown    TX    USMTS Modifieds
Saturday    02/23/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    Factory Stocks
Saturday    02/23/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    Limited Modifieds
Saturday    02/23/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    Sprint Cars
Saturday    02/23/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    Street Stocks
Saturday    02/23/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    USRA Modifieds
Thursday    02/28/13    Southern New Mexico Speedway    Las Cruces    NM    Legends
Thursday    02/28/13    Southern New Mexico Speedway    Las Cruces    NM    USRA Modifieds
Thursday    02/28/13    Southern New Mexico Speedway    Las Cruces    NM    USRA Street Stocks

Mike Neff is a Senior Writer and the Short Track Reporter for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at mike.neff@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MNeffShortTrack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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!

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Thinkin' Out Loud: NASCAR's Budweiser Duel 150s
by Tom Bowles

The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Budweiser Duels at Daytona
by Amy Henderson

Voices From the Cheap Seats: Sex, Lies and Video Tape in NASCAR
by Jeff Meyer

Four Burning Questions: Can Happy Harvick Make Daytona History?
by Matt Stallknecht

Nuts For Nationwide: 2013 Season Preview, Part Two
by Kevin Rutherford
~~~~~~~~~~

FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q:  As you may remember, Davey Allison had an unusual crash early on in the 1989 Daytona 500 where he spun into the earthen bank separating the track from Lake Lloyd and performed one slow roll.  During the caution after Allison's crash, another unusual incident occurred.  What happened?

Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Thursday's Answer:

Q: In 1985, Lake Speed finished second in the Daytona 500 for RAHMOC Racing driving their No. 75 Pontiac with sponsorship from Nationwise Auto Parts.  When did Nationwise join up with the team?

A: Nationwise signed with the RAHMOC team literally the night before the race.  As a result, the team ran a white car with light blue Nationwise decals in the race.  After Speed finished second to the all-dominating Bill Elliott, Nationwise signed on for the full season, and ultimately 1986 as well.

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 Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Daytona 500 Race Recap by TBA
--
Daytona 500 News 'N' Notes, Quotes To Remember, Stat Of The Week & More by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!


~~~~~~~~~~

This Weekend on the Frontstretch:

Tracking The Trucks & Nationwide Series Recap
by Tom Bowles
Tom, at Daytona will give you all the info you need to know about the major races for NASCAR's other top three series.

Monday on the Frontstretch:


Thinkin' Out Loud: Daytona 500 by Matt McLaughlin
Our popular, longtime columnist, now semi-retired comes back to tell you everything you needed to know about the 500 miles of action from Daytona this Sunday.

Commentary
by Summer Bedgood
Summer takes a look at one of the biggest stories to come out of the 55th running of the Great American Race.

Big Six: Daytona 500 by Amy Henderson
As NASCAR's Super Bowl concludes, get in-depth with the 500 by finding out Who, When, What, Where, Why and How things happened during the race weekend.

Pace Laps: Post-Daytona by the Frontstretch Staff
Get yourself set for the week ahead, major racing series by series, with the biggest news story you should be focused on that spins forward from Speedweeks.

Full Throttle by Mike Neff
Fresh off a week at Daytona, Mike will use his inside knowledge to wrap up one of Speedweek's sidebar stories that developed before and through the 500.

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