Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 20th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XXXIX
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Top News
by Tom Bowles
Landon Cassill, BK Racing Embroiled In Lawsuit
Once a potentially potent combination, BK Racing and Landon Cassill are now involved in a different type of race together – to the courtroom. Cassill officially sued his former employers this week, claiming $205,000 in unpaid salary plus additional damages after being told his services would no longer be needed for 2013 on January 16th. Rather vocal shortly after the decision, claiming both in print and on the radio that he was still owed money, Cassill has made good on his threats to pursue those paychecks.
"I really hated to go the legal route but at the end of the day, I'm ultimately asking to be paid what I earned last season," he said in a statement. "I was excited to race for BK in 2013 and was disappointed when my contract was not renewed."
Cassill, just 23, now goes the legal route while aiming to continue his driving career full-time. The lawsuit, first reported in detail by the Sporting News claims a history of underpayment by BK Racing, a now second-year organization. Cassill, through a performance-based contract, had expected to earn a $500,000 minimum, but instead was only given $355,000. The two sides also dispute additional bonuses for services rendered (sponsor obligations, for example) that total around $60k.
BK Racing co-owner Ron Devine, who is vigorously defending the accusations, claims things never needed to get to this point.
"BK Racing and Mr. Devine had hoped to resolve those differences privately," Adam Ross, an attorney representing Mr. Devine told The Sporting News, "but Mr. Cassill obviously felt otherwise."
The court document also alleges that BK Racing intentionally kept Cassill from knowing his 2013 fate, instead making him think a full-time ride was waiitng for him before choosing David Reutimann as a replacement. That decision, made so late in Silly Season, kept Cassill from being considered for the majority of open rides on the circuit.
At the moment, both sides are struggling without each other. BK Racing has suffered three blown motors in the last two races alone; the No. 83 team, in particular, has finished worse every time out this year with Reutimann behind the wheel (16th, 25th, 34th, 39th). Meanwhile, Cassill has landed on his feet, somewhat, with underfunded Circle Sport Racing, but has yet to finish better than 32nd in three starts.
Kahne On Gen-6: It's All About The Tires
NASCAR's latest winner, in a wide-ranging press conference on Tuesday, praised its newest chassis but put the onus on Goodyear to fix the handling problems ailing the Gen-6. Kahne, who has finished second and first in the last two events, claimed the needed improvement on cookie cutters for these cars should continue to happen throughout 2013.
"I think Fontana is going to be a solid race," he said. "Better than what it's been before, because of the grip, entry at the corner that we have now. I think Fontana, you're usually off the gas for so long just waiting for your car to do something, and I think with the car this year, we should be able to be a lot more aggressive and really push harder than what we have before."
Kahne also claimed the car's done what "he's expected" for the majority of races this year – with Phoenix being the lone exception. In that event, a new tire compound was introduced, and he echoed comments made by crew chief Kenny Francis, along with other drivers, that the tires made a major impact on competitive performance out in the desert.
"To me, tires are such a huge part of what -- such a huge part of the race car and how it goes around the corner," he explained. "There's so much that goes into the tires, and Goodyear just -- they have a huge -- to me a huge responsibility to make sure that we're racing on the best tires we can, the safest tires, the best tires to create great side-by-side racing. I know they work really hard at it, but they have a big responsibility that they take on to have the tire for NASCAR. It's very meaningful."
Phoenix was a disappointment for Kahne, whose front-row start was squandered en route to a bout with the outside wall and a 19th-place finish. But ever since, he's been right on the money, leading a total of 223 laps while mastering the art of learning NASCAR's latest tweaks, ones which over the long run he insisted would make the racing better.
"With this car," he claimed, "so far this year at Bristol and in Las Vegas we've been able to really charge the corner and push a lot harder every lap of the race run, and I think it'll be the same way at Auto Club."
News 'N' Notes
- Martinsville Speedway, in early April, will give new meaning to NASCAR's "survival of the fittest." _Survivor_ host Marc Burnett, along with his wife. will give the command to start engines at the short track.
- No penalties for Sunday's Denny Hamlin – Joey Logano post-race altercation were handed down by NASCAR Tuesday. It appears the sanctioning body is content to, in this case, let "Boys, have at it" stay in place.
- This Sunday, the Grand Marshal gig will go to the stars of G.I. Joe: Retaliation. D.J. Cotrona and Adrianne Palicki will give the command at Fontana
Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Today's Featured Commentary
Young Guns Weekend At Bristol Motor Speedway
by Ellen Richardson
by Ellen Richardson
As the first short track race for both the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup seasons has drawn to a close, there were so many hot topics of the weekend, including the track, tire issues and rivalries flaring up, but for me, the excitement of the weekend wasn't just the short track racing, something I enjoy quite a bit. It was watching NASCAR's "young guns" find some redemption after a rough start to their 2013 season.
As Dale Jarrett stated during the prerace show for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Jeff Foxworthy's Grit Chips 300, "Every driver that comes here wants to visit Victory Lane." Of course every driver would like to be in Victory Lane at every track, but the numerous challenges that face drivers at the World's Fastest Half-Mile make a win or almost win that much more special.
Despite a rocky start to his debut season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, rookie Kyle Larson proved that he can overcome any challenge thrown his way with an "almost win" on Saturday. Not impressed with how his car was handling in practice, Larson said that he would have been satisfied with a top-10 finish in this race. After starting 12th, this new NASCAR young gun was able to wait patiently in the top 10 before weaving his way into the top 5 with 100 laps remaining. As if he could hear his praises being sung from the ESPN race analysts, Larson continued to climb through the field before challenging race winner Kyle Busch to the kind of knock down, drag out fight to the finish that short tracks are often famous for.
Despite coming up short of the win by just 0.023 of a second, Larson gave Busch a run for his money, which resulted in the second-closest finish at Bristol ever in a Nationwide race. After working with this talented driver during his championship season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, I continue to be amazed at his driving talent as well as his never being too proud to acknowledge the hard working team that gave him this opportunity.
"I was really happy with the race at Bristol." said Larson. "Although we didn't practice very good, my crew worked really hard for two days to put me in a position to win at the end."
Capping off an exciting Bristol weekend, a long-time NASCAR young gun also proved that he was a force to be reckoned with in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Food City 500.
Much like Larson, Kasey Kahne had a difficult start to his 2013 season with a 36th-place result in the season opener at Daytona, followed by a top 20 in Phoenix. Kahne's season took an upswing in Las Vegas, with a runner-up finish to Matt Kenseth. After 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series attempts, Kahne was finally able to "seal the deal" at a track that has long plagued this past open-wheel driver.
Lining up second, next to Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series race winner, Kahne proved that he had the car that was the class of the field on Sunday by avoiding many of the issues that plagued other drivers and never falling out of the top five. After a furious short-track duel with Brad Keselowski in the final green-flag laps, Kahne was able to pull away for the win.
Much like many of the fans and young up-and-coming drivers who have watched Kahne's rise to fame, Larson was quick to congratulate a driver whose footsteps he hopes to follow. As Larson tweeted to Kahne following this race, "that trophy will look nice in your new house good job."
I'll continue to keep my eyes on these and other talented young drivers throughout the 2013 season and hope to see their success continue.
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GOT A NASCAR QUESTION OR COMMENT? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
That's right; our Fan Q & A column is back once again in 2013. Send your question Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print on Thursday when she does her weekly column. It's all part of our daily mission to give back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat!
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Tweet 'N' Greet
by Kevin Rutherford
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Kevin Rutherford will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...
@joeylogano: Hey @dennyhamlin great job protecting that genius brain of yours by keeping your helmet on.
@dennyhamlin: @joeylogano Why's that.. What would u do?
@joeylogano: @dennyhamlin: Show you some love and appreciation.
@dennyhamlin: @joeylogano Need my address?
@dennyhamlin: Last time I checked he had my cell and direct message button to choose from if he's got a problem.. Otherwise hush little child.
@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): After today, I think we need a new catch phrase. #TwitterHaveAtIt
@BubbaWallace (Darrell Wallace Jr.): Man as a teammate of DH I just hope joey will still invite me over to his cookouts :/
@bscottracing (Brian Scott): I like feuds in #nascar. I think we should turn them into charity boxing matches to raise $$$ for good causes and settle the score...
@kaseykahne: New centerpiece for the new house http://instagr.am/p/W-84ZQBVUn/
@Kenny_Wallace: Empty seats are a old story move on
@dylankracing (Dylan Kwasniewski): Goodbye Bristol! I'm glad I could win at a track as great as this. We got the race in just in time to get http://instagr.am/p/W8HR1XTKow/
@Elliott_Sadler: Just got the best phone call from Coach.. Tuff day but I truly am blessed to be with him and his race team... We will be back
@mattdracing (Matt DiBenedetto): I will be starting the #37 Keller Williams realty/accelerate credit repair dodge in about 25 races this year starting at Richmond in may!
@KyleLarsonRacin: Wow what a day! Had a blast got close to my first NNS win. Thanks to my team @TSMotorsports for working extremely hard to get me that good!!
@paulieharraka: Here's the news: @Crackle has come on board and I will be racing in the @NASCAR_NNS race this wknd! Follow @Crackle and thank them for me!
@AndyLally: Im having trouble with my pics.. I dont know who has been training hard and who has been slacking... Is Chewbacka fat now? Can R2 take him?
@DavidStremme: Well that's a wrap for today. Have to get up early meaning 630 to head to the shop. See how many other drivers are doing that. #oldschool
@landoncassill: #dearsanta pic.twitter.com/DFRshIiSST
@TimmyHillRacer: My brother @Tyler_Hill_ and I are taking full advantage of the free Bloomin' Onion at Outback! Thanks Ryan Newman for making our night lol
@RyanBlaney22: What's that Boston fans? You need some aloe for that burn caused by the excessive HEAT?!?!?
Kevin Rutherford is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at kevin.rutherford@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Surfwax83.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Did You Notice? ... Who Has Something to Prove, Underdogs Overachieving and Quick Hits
by Tom Bowles
NASCAR Writer Power Rankings: Top 15 After Bristol I
compiled by Michael Mehedin
Side By Side: Should Interlopers Cut Series Regulars a Break?
by Amy Henderson and Mark Howell
Beyond the Cockpit: Mark Sibla and the Business of INDYCAR
by Toni Montgomery
Top 10 Excuses For Spinning Someone Out On A Short Track
by the Frontstretch Staff
Open Wheel Wednesday: Shouldn't IndyCar Be Hyping The Season A Bit More?
by Huston Ladner
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The K&N Pro Series West races at Auto Club Speedway have often featured spectacular incidents. In the 2006 Relocate Here 200 by San Bernardino County, Rogelio Lopez had such a wreck on the backstretch. What happened?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: Jeremy Mayfield won the 2000 NAPA Auto Parts 500 at California Speedway. However, the win actually hurt Mayfield significantly in the points standings. Why?
A: After winning the race, Mayfield got up on the roof of his No. 12 Mobil 1 Ford to celebrate in Victory Lane. Unfortunately, this move dented the roof and caused the car to fail post-race inspection. Granted, NASCAR admitted it was an accident and didn't penalize him for it, but it did lead to some of the more ridiculous moves that NASCAR tried to prevent it in the future. The most ridiculous of those moves was the PVC pipe being held up to the driver's window in Victory Lane to prevent drivers from getting on the roof.
However, the previous race in Talladega two weeks earlier came back to haunt the No. 12 team. The engine in the car Mayfield drove in the DieHard 500 was found to have an illegal fuel additive. As a result, NASCAR docked 151 points as a penalty. In essence, it was a DQ (but he kept his 14th-place finish), plus an additional 25 points. Up until Carl Long's 200 point penalty for his illegal engine in the Sprint Showdown, it was the largest penalty in Cup Series history.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite Frontstretch writers are back to discuss a variety of different subjects. This week's topics include the Joey Logano / Denny Hamlin dust-up, top drivers who find themselves struggling and so much more!
Frontstretch Fan Q&A by Summer Bedgood
Summer takes on your questions and answers them to the best of her ability. Be sure to send your questions in if there's something that's been nagging at you and you might see your name in print.
Tech Talk: Steve Letarte by Mike Neff
In this week's look at the technical side of NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s crew chief, Steve Letarte, stops by to talk tires, fuel mileage
Fantasy Racing by Jeff Wolfe
Jeff brings fantasy racing back to Frontstretch this season. This week, he takes a look at your best bets for picking your roster out for Auto Club Speedway.
Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth is back with all of the latest and greatest to come out of the Truck Series as the series continues on an extended break.
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