Thursday, March 07, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: March 7th, 2013

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

March 7th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XXX
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Correction: In our Top News yesterday, we referred to Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) as being a sister company to NASCAR itself.  This is false.  The International Speedway Corporation, or ISC, is a sister company to NASCAR.  Speedway Motorsports, Inc. is completely independent of NASCAR.  We're sorry for the inconvenience.

Correction II: The wrong link was posted for our weekly NASCAR Writer Power Rankings. Here's the correct one.

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

Come back every Thursday, to the website to get Jeff's advice on who to pick for your team, all season long and see if you can beat your favorite staff members! More special announcements about this league to come.

What to Watch: Thursday


- Today, NASCAR is holding a test day for Sprint Cup teams at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  There will be two sessions of on-track activity, 8:30am-12:00pm PT (11:30am-3:00pm ET) and 12:30-3:30pm PT (3:30-6:30pm) ET.  Fans in the general vicinity of the track can view the testing for free in the grandstands.  They are also asked to park in the Blue Lot.

Top News

by Phil Allaway

Phil Parsons Racing Signs Ambient Edge to Sponsor No. 98 at Las Vegas

On Wednesday, Phil Parsons Racing announced that Ambient Edge Heating/Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, a company that sells and services heating and air conditioning units for commercial customers, will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 98 Ford Fusion this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  It is the company's very first NASCAR sponsorship.

Ambient Edge President Steven Lewis is very pleased to be involved with Phil Parsons Racing.

"Ambient Edge and all our customers are super-excited about our sponsorship of Michael McDowell's car this weekend in Las Vegas," Lewis said.  "We're a small, local company, so we're very happy to have this opportunity to participate in an event such as this.  We're looking forward to the race and can't wait to see our car racing against the best in motorsports."

McDowell is happy to have Ambient Edge on board as well.

"We're very proud to have Ambient Edge on our car at Las Vegas," McDowell said.  "I'm excited to help spread the word about their terrific company and all that they offer.  I'm looking forward to having them become part of the NASCAR family this weekend."

McDowell's only previous Cup starts in Las Vegas have been start-and-parks.  However, he does have a ninth-place finish at the 1.5 mile tri-oval in the Nationwide Series back in 2009 for JTG-Daugherty Racing.

Phil Parsons Racing is coming off of the team's best-ever finish, a ninth, in the Daytona 500.  However, the condensed build schedule for the new Gen6 car forced the team to skip Phoenix so that they would have the proper equipment to make a proper go at Las Vegas.

Husky Liners to Sponsor Brian Scott in Two Races

Richard Childress Racing (RCR) announced on Wednesday that Husky Liners, a manufacturer of all-weather products to protect the inside and outside of motor vehicles, has signed on to serve as a primary sponsor on the No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Brian Scott in the Nationwide Series for two races.  Husky Liners' yellow and black colors will be featured on the No. 2 in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 12, and the Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 23.

Scott is pleased to have Husky Liners as a sponsor on his team.

"It's great to have Husky Liners come onboard for the night races at Texas Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway," Scott said.  "Their products are proven to be durable and tough.  It's an honor to be able to represent a company like Husky Liners and hope to take them to Victory Lane with our team.

Husky Liners President Bob Tyler is very happy to move into the Nationwide Series.

"We're glad to continue our association with Richard Childress Racing this year," Tyler said.  "They've proven to be a valuable partner to Husky Liners as their fan base aligns with our customer base.  We look forward to bringing our brand to a whole new audience in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and given RCR's on track record, we'll be contending for wins."

Note Tyler's reference to continuing their relationship with the team.  Last year, Husky Liners served as the primary sponsor of RCR's No. 22 for driver Joey Coulter in the Camping World Truck Series for two races (Kansas and Talladega).  Coulter managed 14th-place finishes in both races.

Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night.  However, they are still subject to change.

Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 400: 44 cars entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19 -
Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 21 -
Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 51 -
Austin Dillon for Phoenix Racing
No. 87 -
Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR

Driver Changes:
No. 51 -
Austin Dillon is in the seat, replacing AJ Allmendinger. Dillon is part of a rotating stable of drivers for the team, gaining seat time as he prepares for a full-time transition to Sprint Cup in 2014.

Driver who must qualify on speed:
No. 19 -
Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing

Not Entered:
No. 44 -
Scott Riggs for Xxxtreme Motorsports (primary car totaled in Phoenix)

Nationwide Series Sam's Town 300: 43 cars entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 21 -
Brendan Gaughan for Richard Childress Racing
No. 22 -
Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 33 -
Ty Dillon for Richard Childress Racing
No. 42 -
J.J. Yeley for Team Motorsports Group
No. 54 -
Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports/Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 88 -
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports

Driver Changes:
No. 4 -
Danny Efland returns to the seat, replacing Daryl Harr.
No. 5 -
Brad Sweet is in the seat, replacing Jimmie Johnson.
No. 21 -
Brendan Gaughan is in the seat, replacing Joey Coulter.
No. 23 -
Robert Richardson, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Harrison Rhodes.
No. 33 -
Ty Dillon returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Harvick.
No. 40 -
Josh Wise returns to the seat, replacing Reed Sorenson.
No. 42 -
J.J. Yeley is in the seat, replacing Josh Wise.
No. 43 -
Reed Sorenson is in the seat, replacing Aric Almirola.
No. 51 -
Charles Lewandoski is in the seat, replacing Ryan Sieg.

Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 8 -
Scott Lagasse, Jr. for TeamSLR/Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 10 -
Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Has second crack at the Past Champions' Provisional)*
No. 21 -
Brendan Gaughan for Richard Childress Racing
No. 42 -
J.J. Yeley for Team Motorsports Group*
No. 46 -
Chase Miller for Team Motorsports Group*
No. 52 -
Joey Gase for Hamilton Means Racing
No. 54 -
Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports/Joe Gibbs Racing (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 55 -
Jamie Dick for Viva Motorsports
No. 60 -
Travis Pastrana for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 74 -
Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 88 -
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports (Has third crack at the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 92 -
Dexter Stacey for KH Motorsports
No. 98 -
Kevin Swindell for Biagi-DenBeste Motorsports

Not Entered:
No. 18 -
Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing

Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
 
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!

Today's Featured Commentary
Guns, Retirees Up Front And Faulty Restarts: What's Wrong With This Picture?
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese

So Jimmie Johnson is still miffed two days after getting smoked on a restart by Carl Edwards.  I think JJ's reaction reeks of sour grapes, considering that the No. 48 has had its share of questionable calls in the inspection area during the past 11 seasons and five championships.  That being said, I've never really understood the restart rules anyway.  Lines on wall, cones jammed in a fence, a restart area, a start/finish line, can't pass a guy unless it's on the right before the start/finish line, leader has to get to the line first, but what if he's slow or spins his tires...enough already.  You have a guy with a green flag, standing in a thing called THE STARTER'S STAND.  Have him wave the flag and the race starts.  If that doesn't work, use the caution lights.  When they go out, it's go time – just like in Formula One.  Last I checked, they don't seem to have an issue at their races with knowing when to accelerate.

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Much was made in NASCAR circles of Mark Martin winning the pole at 54 years of age at Phoenix last weekend.  Typically something like that would be front page news and something that captures the public's attention to rally around.  The fact that Martin has been doing it with regularity he has since breaking decade number five, it's almost become kind of expected.  Check back in six years or so after he wins the Coca-Cola 600 at 60, by then he should become a national phenomenon.  Also, just throwing it out here – don't be shocked if he wins the pole or the race at Las Vegas.  In fact, I'd put money on one or the other.  Or both.

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Perhaps the first casualties of the re-branding of SPEED to FOX Sports 1, will be the loss of Sunday night staples Wind Tunnel and SPEED Center.  As much as we are a NASCAR-centric site, nation, and fans, I have always looked forward and enjoyed the comprehensive motorsports coverage afforded by both of these programs.  Yes, I am one of those degenerates who get up at 5:00am on a Sunday to watch Formula One – or stays up until 3:00am to watch the races from Asia and Australia. You won't see World Superbike highlights on SportsCenter, and good luck getting any in-depth post-race analysis on IndyCar or NHRA in a timely fashion.

Whatever the outcome, please, for the love of God and all that is holy: No more Unique Whips.  No more Pinks. No more Pass Time.  Enough.

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Social media was all atwitter Tuesday, when it was revealed that the National Rifle Association will be the title sponsor of the Sprint Cup race there on April 13th.  How could NASCAR do this?!  I mean, the controversy of such a group, whose membership helps to promote firearms education, safety, and uh, protect the amendment that was deemed important enough to be ranked No. 2 when the country was founded, and…hmm…I guess that's it.  Again, it was a pretty transparent attempt by certain media outlets and their members to make a stink over something that is essentially a non-issue.  Call it a slow news day, deflection of attention from the sequester, or trying to gin up support for something that the majority of Americans oppose, it's a question nobody asked, and even fewer truly care about.

The argument against it is silly to begin with.  I mean, it's at Texas Motor Speedway, where you get a shotgun for winning the pole, and a pair of single-action .45 Long Colt revolvers to fire blanks into the air.  Petitions were gaining momentum a couple of months back to secede, and Texas typically does the opposite of what the rest of the country does – and is probably why it's one of the few financially stable states in the union.  On the flip side of the coin, would these same critics be up in arms of Planned Parenthood was sponsoring a race?  Or GLAD?

FBI statistics show there were nearly 20 million background checks in 2012 – that's a rather large audience of potential new members, many of whom may not be very familiar with the safe handling of firearms.  The NRA has seen record spikes in membership – up over 300,000 since the first of the year.  If they have the ability to sponsor a race and help promote the sport (those purses don't come out of thin air – or Federal funding), as well as their cause, so be it.  Besides, let's be honest: the few who threaten to not attend or not watch weren't going to anyway.

Some think it does nothing but reinforce the stereotype of NASCAR fans as a bunch of rednecks, with gun racks and pickup trucks.  This has been the same battle we've been fighting since Donnie, Cale, and Bobby were mud wrestling at Daytona in 1979 in front of the entire snowbound East Coast.  As much as NASCAR has tried to lure the casual fan in with doing whatever it can to disguise it to look like the NFL with headers the last decade, there is a core group that has kept things afloat, and the reason why it's still relevant.  The same ones who stand for the National Anthem, salute the military and law enforcement, go nuts for the fly-by, and represent the core of American values.  As far as I can tell, it's about as perfect of a sponsor as we're ever going to have in the sport.  Except of course maybe Anheuser-Busch, Miller, Coors, and RJ Reynolds, and Winston.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; who would've imagined such diverse items would ever be so irrevocably linked in our time…

Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer/Assistant Editor for Frontstretch.  He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.  Follow him on Twitter at @VitoPugliese.
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The Critic's Annex: Richard Petty: A Racer's Life
by Phil Allaway

Hello, race fans.  Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming.  Back during Speedweeks, SPEED aired a special about Richard Petty, NASCAR's all-time winningest driver  As you may remember, the show was scheduled to premiere after the Whelen All-American Series feature at the UNOH Battle at the Beach.  We all remember what happened at the end of that race.  Two weeks ago, I ranted here in the Newsletter about how SPEED made a bad decision to leave Daytona without even airing a post-race interview with Kyle Larson.  That's bush league and I hope SPEED doesn't do that for the 5.5 months that SPEED still exists as we know it.

However, after that anger-inducing coverage from Daytona, we still had a special to look at.  Let's see how SPEED did.

Apparently, the idea for Richard Petty: A Racer's Life came from an appearance that Petty did on NASCAR RaceHub last season which consisted of Petty talking about Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) while also spinning stories.  Steve Byrnes, who conducted the interview, openly wished that they could do a show that consisted of Petty stories.  More or less, that is what we have here.  Byrnes and Richard met at Richard's property to spin some stories about his life and times.

Back in 2010, I wrote here in the Newsletter about Petty Blue, a 91 minute documentary that NASCAR put out on DVD that covered the history of the Petty family.  I thought that it was a nice documentary, but too short.  The 40 minutes of deleted scenes could have been fit into the main documentary, but I guess NASCAR felt that it dragged a little (or, they thought fans didn't want to see a slightly gelatinous 87 year old Andy Granatelli).  I preferred that piece to Together: The Hendrick Motorsports Story, which had been released earlier that year.

The one aspect of the story that really stood out in Petty Blue is the fact that they really didn't talk much about Richard, Lynda, and their family away from the track all that much.  SPEED's special more or less fills in a lot of holes left from Petty Blue.

In the special, Richard describes how he met Lynda, who was a local teenage girl in Randleman, where they both lived.  Richard had quite the reputation as a rabble rouser and was not necessarily the most popular chap around.  Lynda stated that she more or less ignored him because she thought he was too old for her, a fair statement to make.  Despite the age difference, the couple were married before Lynda even finished high school.

Before I continue, it must be stated that yes, Lynda appeared in this special.  However, all the interview footage with her was taped in 2009 before her recent health problems (possibly during the filming of Petty Blue).  At that time, she was still quite spry, sharp as a tack and good for a nice quip every once in a while.  Since then, she has fought cancer and strokes.  For lack of better words, she's been weakened by the constant health scares.  She's still hanging in there, but she needs constant medical care.  It's obvious from the special that it hurts Lynda's children to see her like that.

The Pettys had four children and all four appeared on the show and gave their memories of Richard.  Due to his schedule, he wasn't around all that much.  It appears that he also delegated the vast majority of the parenting/child rearing to Lynda.  Richard never disciplined his children, but it appears that he didn't to.  If'in the children crossed Lynda, well, there would be problems.

The show brought some interesting stories to note.  Richard admitted that he missed the birth of his only son, Kyle.  He had driven Lynda to the hospital when she went into labor, then played the waiting game for a few hours.  He then left to work on the race car and came back.  Thinking that nothing was going to happen, he went home and went to bed.  By the next morning, Kyle had been born and Richard missed it.  Also of note, Lynda was apparently punched in the face by her doctor because she wouldn't stop screaming during her labor.  I'm a TV critic, not a doctor, but that has to be some kind of violation of the Hippocratic oath.  I don't care that it was 1960, that's not right.

A portion of the show was dedicated to the various injuries that Petty suffered during his 35 year career in the Grand National/Winston Cup Series.  Let's just say that Petty was about as beaten up on a regular basis as an NFL player.  Richard detailed when he and his team devised an improved cast in 1988 so that he could race in the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond the week after his barrel roll in the Daytona 500.  It should be noted that Richard picked up his final top-5 finish in that race.

A significant amount of time was spent on the deaths at the track that the Pettys have been tied to.  The first of these was the drag racing crash that killed a little boy back in 1965.  In Petty Blue, the incident was relegated to the Deleted Scenes, but it got a lot of focus here.  Granted, anyone involved in racing in the mid-1960's had to have a strong stomach for that kind of stuff since death was all too common at the track, but that incident profoundly affected Richard.  Still seems to now, almost 48 years later.

Another terrible incident that got covered was the death of Randy Owens, Lynda's baby brother and a pit crew member at the time.  It seems like Kyle took Randy's death harder than anyone else.  However, that makes sense since he was right there just a couple of feet away from the exploding water tank.  Remember that Kyle was only 15 years old at the time this went down.  Honestly, I have no clue how the heck Kyle was even in the pits at the time, but that's besides the fact.  An incident like that can scar a teenager, especially if he really can't talk to anyone about it.

In regards to Adam (Kyle's late son), Kyle doesn't really think of what could have been on the race track anymore.  Instead, he talked in simpler terms in regards to his son.  If he were still alive, Adam would now be 32 years old.  We'll just assume that he would have been in the prime of his career in Sprint Cup for the sake of this argument.  Instead of wondering if Petty Enterprises would still be around if Adam didn't die and whether he would have a title, Kyle wondered if Adam would be married by now and if he had kids of his own.  Obviously, I can't answer such a question, but that's perfectly understandable.

As for the former Petty Enterprises, it's now Petty's Garage, a facility that restores cars of all shapes, forms and ages.  We take a look at some of the cars (mainly Mopar products) in the shop there.  The craftsmanship is considered to be world class.  For example, the Petty blue Dodge Challenger convertible was recently on display at Continental Tire's booth at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.  Richard's long-term plans include moving the Richard Petty Museum, currently in Randleman, to an expanded Petty's Garage in Level Cross.

Overall, it was a pretty interesting piece to watch.  It filled in quite a few of the holes that Petty Blue left from 2010.  The ideal Richard Petty documentary would probably be a combination of the two shows, but this is the more personal of the two.  It was obvious from watching that all four Petty children have a lot of respect for their father, despite him not always being around.  Byrnes did a pretty good job steering the conversation, then staying out of the way and letting Richard tell the stories, which is important in a piece like this.  You have to know when to take charge, and when to stay out of the way, and Byrnes did that here.

I hope you liked this look at Richard Petty: A Racer's Life.  Stay tuned next week, where I plunge into the depths of DVR Theater to look at NASCAR Now.  Until then, enjoy this weekend's action in Las Vegas.

Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.  He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.  Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.

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Frontstretch Line of the Week


From Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Phoenix-1 Race Recap

"
Well, that was my second guess. My first one was it looked like someone had gorged themselves on pasta and Mad Dog 20/20 while dropping acid, causing him to puke."- Matt McLaughlin, on the paint scheme on Landon Cassill's No. 33 on Sunday.  Cassill's car was advertising sponsor Moon Shine Attitude Attire's new Wildfire Camouflage.
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ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand?  A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!  Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Mirror Driving: What Will Label Sin City A Gen-6 Success Story
by the Frontstretch Staff

NASCAR Mailbox: New Viewership, Start-And-Park, and Public Perceptions
by Summer Bedgood

NASCAR Fantasy Insider: Are You Ready To Roll The Dice In Las Vegas?
by Jeff Wolfe

Truckin' Thursdays: Three Drivers To Watch One Race Into 2013
by Beth Lunkenheimer

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q:  Up until 2002, Ricky Hendrick was an up-and-coming driver in the then-Busch Series.  However, Las Vegas was the beginning of the end of his career as a driver.  What happened?

Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Wednesday's Answer:

Q:  Matt Kenseth started from pole and led early in the Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas, back in 2001.  However, he wasn't in contention at the finish.  What happened to take him out of the running?

A:  On Lap 76, while battling for second-place, Kenseth was run over from behind by future teammate Greg Biffle exiting Turn 2.  The contact was enough to lift the tires of Kenseth's Visine Chevrolet off the ground and spin him into the wall.  Biffle spun as well.  The crash can be seen at the "55:40 mark of this clip".  Biffle continued on and finished second, while Kenseth spent time behind the wall and was relegated to a 32nd-place finish.

Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee:  If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs!  If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE! 

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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Tom Bowles
-- In Case You Missed It by Rick Lunkenheimer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!


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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:


Four Burning Questions: Las Vegas by Matt Stallknecht
Matt gets your engines revved up for 2013 with a preview of this weekend's Kobalt Tools 400.

Holding A Pretty Wheel
by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.
 
Nuts For Nationwide by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin takes over this column for 2013 with a preview of Saturday's Sam's Town 300.

Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.

Driver Diary: Justin Allgaier as told to Mike Neff
The driver of the Nationwide Series No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet joins us to talk about his offseason and the first couple of races of 2013.
-----------------------------
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©2013 Frontstretch.com

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