Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Denny Hamlin Cleared For... And How To Fight In NASCAR

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

April 30th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition LXX
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What To Watch: Tuesday


- Carl Edwards will be a special guest, making a third appearance on the syndicated talk show Kelly & Michael. Expected to talk everything from current NASCAR issues to his time as a "chauffeur," Edwards will join actor Robert Downey, Jr. as celebrities spending time on Tuesday's show.

- Matt Kenseth will hold a national media teleconference to discuss his current season, NASCAR's recent penalties against his team at Joe Gibbs Racing and plenty of other off-track topics. The driver of the No. 20 Toyota, following a 50-point penalty for an illegal engine after winning the race at Kansas sits 13th in points, 102 behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

- Tire testing for Goodyear will go on at Indianapolis this Tuesday and Wednesday. This test does not count against NASCAR's four allowed each team during the season. Trevor Bayne, Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski, Mark Martin and Tony Stewart are expected to be in attendance for Ford, Chevy, and Toyota.

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Top News

by Tom Bowles

Denny Hamlin Cleared For Talladega

Denny Hamlin will be returning to NASCAR competition this Sunday, if only for a few short minutes. Hamlin has been medically cleared to start Talladega, according to the driver's official Twitter feed and will run until the first caution of the race. Substitute driver Brian Vickers will then take over and run for the remainder of the event. According to NASCAR rules, all points will go to Hamlin, meaning the driver will begin his long, arduous task of climbing back into the championship Chase. As of now, the driver sits 29th in points, 71 behind 20th-place Kurt Busch and 126 outside the top 10. To be eligible for a "wild card," the winless Hamlin must at least make it up into the top 20, where he would currently have to win just once to make the field.

"I can not wait to get back in car," said the driver on his Twitter. "The smell of fuel and tires…"

Hamlin's status for Darlington and beyond remains unclear at this point. Substitutes for the driver of the No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota have scored two top-10 results in four starts, with Brian Vickers bringing home an eighth-place finish at Texas earlier this month.

ESPN May Scale Back On Nationwide Series

The Sports Business Journal is reporting this Tuesday ESPN may scale back on the Nationwide Series under the next television contract, set to begin in 2015. The Worldwide Leader In Sports, who has been the exclusive rightsholder since 2007 may only bid for the Nationwide races it does in conjunction with Sprint Cup events, claiming production savings as a reason for the change in philosophy.

Currently, ESPN does the full season of Nationwide events but for the season's first half, they send out a full crew, truck, and separate vendors that work on Saturdays while FOX or TNT does the main Sprint Cup coverage. A new contract, one where they're working a reduced schedule would result in millions saved, the same crew working both the Saturday and Sunday races only similar to what they do once ESPN picks up the Cup Series in July.

ESPN is expected to be one of several networks in negotiations for NASCAR rights fees this summer, where the second half of the Sprint Cup Series remains up for grabs after FOX's 13 events. NBC, Turner Sports, and perhaps even CBS are expected to make a bid for the property, while FOX and its FOX Sports 1 network may move in on the Nationwide Series.

News 'N' Notes

- Full ratings for Richmond aren't in yet, but the early numbers don't look promising. Saturday night's race earned just a 1.3 Nielsen rating in the crucial 18-to-49 age group advertisers covet, according to statistics accumulated by zap2it.com. That's down seven percent from Texas, a few weeks ago in what became the lowest-rated race for the Cup Series all season long. So far in 2013, it's been a mixed bag for television viewership; while Daytona numbers were way up, five of the other seven Cup races have been flat or suffered Nielsen ratings declines.

- Set your calendars for Wednesday, May 8th at 9:00 AM EST. That's when Matt Kenseth's appeal, regarding penalties for both himself and the No. 20 team of Joe Gibbs Racing will be heard. The driver was penalized 50 points last week for a connecting rod in his engine that was three grams lighter than allowed according to NASCAR rules. Crew chief Jason Ratcliff was fined $200,000, suspended six weeks while owner Joe Gibbs also had his owner's license suspended. Should the penalty hold, Gibbs - who lost 50 owner points as well in the incident - has also been prevented from accumulating additional points over the next six NASCAR events (excluding the All-Star Race). 

- Red Horse Racing drivers Timothy Peters and German Quiroga were among a group testing at Texas Motor Speedway Monday, in preparation for the Truck Series event to be held there June 7th. Kyle Busch Motorsports rookie Darrell Wallace, Jr. was with them; speeds for the three drivers were not released. Meanwhile, Nelson Piquet, Jr. was gathering information for Turner Scott Motorsports, on-track at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. That Truck Series event, which added an official sponsor Monday (Chevy Silverado) will be run on September 1st.

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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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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Today's Featured Commentary
NASCAR Forgot to Tell Them, "Keep it Clean, Boys"
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady
 
"Boys, have at it."

Brian France and Co. all agreed this ought to be the credo of NASCAR several years ago.  Collectively, the fan base proceeded to cheer.  At long last, our heroes would not be fined and suspended for failing to control their tongues in moments of extreme stress, or worry that rubbing a little too hard would sit them down for an inordinate amount of time.  Awesome.

However, it has come to my attention that while no official memo was issued to the competitors, they might have needed one when engaging in post-race spats.  Case in point: Nelson Piquet, Jr. electing to kick Brian Scott below the belt when they confronted each other after Friday night's Nationwide race.  The inadequate demonstration of Piquet's ultimate fighting skills was, to say the least, a little sad.  Not that Scott had wound up to land any sort of punch on his adversary's face, but kicking a guy is completely not cool.

On Saturday night, we observed a more sedate version of driver discontent when Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch pushed one another around the track on the cool-down laps.  They then exchanged words by their haulers, with fingers raised.  Nothing really dramatic, and we've seen much more physical displays by both of them in the past.  After they went their separate ways, they still had a couple choice words for the cameras, but overall the excitement was over.  Done.  The confrontation now fell into the "not much to talk about" pile.  Had they received the coaching on how to fight that Piquet and Scott haven't?  Hmmm...  and what would those unwritten, unspoken rules be if they did exist?

First and foremost, air your grievances face to face with your adversary.  Rubbing a fender on a caution lap is all well and good, but going farther and using your car as a weapon should just be plain illegal.  Ron Hornaday, Jr. let that little rule slip, of course when he decided he just had to take out Darrell Wallace, Jr. at Rockingham a few weeks back.  Besides incredibly dangerous to the one being punted, it's downright cowardly.  Hornaday earned his penalties. 

Even more in the wimp category is exchanging your viewpoints on Twitter.  Yep, Mr. Logano and Mr. Hamlin, I'm looking at the both of you.  If you're going to call somebody names, don't hide behind walls and your phone.  Man up, meet the guy who pissed you off at their car or hauler and vent. 

Second, if you want to be respected at all in the garage, take off your helmet.  It might seem counterintuitive, in the midst of the fight, especially when the other guy is swinging away and you've yet to get out of your cat. But it looks really lame when you're trying to get your two cents in and the other guy can't even dent your armor.  Anybody remember Harvick and Montoya at the Glen in 2007?  Both of them were so hopping mad, all they could do was push at each other's helmets.  Pointless!  And more than just a bit silly. 

Third, recall the lessons you were taught on the playground regarding fair play.  They were developed centuries ago by the gentlemen of this world who agreed upon a set of rules for the boxing ring to ensure a fair fight.  While kicking is not forbidden, striking below the belt certainly is.  I'm hoping Piquet's foot simply slipped and missed his intended target, but I've got my doubts.  Also, hitting somebody when they're already down is bad form. 

And, at long last, we forgive.  Before we enter into the ring (or in this case, the track) we shake hands and repeat the process at the end.  There should be respect for handling the whole matter in a mature and reasonable manner.

It all sounds easy, doesn't it, from the comfort of our offices and couches? However, I'm positive remembering these lessons isn't so simple when you've got a really good mad going and there's a trophy you've been denied.  That's why it's clear at this point, when we've already witnessed more than our fair share of fights this year, the drivers might need a little bit of guidance when deciding that revenge is on today's list of things to do.

By leaving the drivers to settle their scores without supervision, NASCAR did permit the fans to see more of the humanity that dwells within our heroes.  However, doing so did not benefit those superstars when we've seen the less savory portions of their character come to light.  What should Nelson Piquet, Jr. and company do in the future?  

Get angry, contemplate the just and righteous end to your nemesis and then, when you're good and ready get out of your car, walk up to his and invite him to settle your differences as men, face-to-face and with a sense of fair play.  But if you remember nothing else... please! Leave bringing him to his knees to the WWE. 

Kyle Larson Stats

Series: Nationwide
Track: Richmond
Car: No. 32 Cessna Chevrolet
Qualified: 18th
Finished: 8th
Points Standings: 10th

Series: Sprint Cars
Track: Port Royal Speedway
Car: No. 1K Abreau Vineyards
Started: 22nd
Finished:
17th
Points Standings: n/a

Want to follow Kyle Larson yourself?

Twitter: @KyleLarsonRacin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KyleLarsonRacing
Website (under construction): http://kylelarsonracing.com/
Looking for a little history? Try... http://kylelarsonracing.net/

S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @laregna.
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Numbers Game: Toyota Owners 400
by Tom Bowles
 
0
Laps led by Aric Almirola this season in the Cup Series.

1
Driver on the Sprint Cup circuit riding a streak of three consecutive top-10 results. That's Almirola, whose solid performance has bumped him up to 11th in points and resulted in an eighth-place finish Saturday night.

1
Driver to complete every lap of every race this season. Jimmie Johnson? Nope. How about Richard Childress Racing's Paul Menard, whose worst finish is 21st at the season-opening Daytona 500.

2
Positions gained by Jeff Burton for his decision to stay out on old tires late in Saturday night's event. The result, a fifth-place finish was the first top 5 for the veteran at an unrestricted track since Phoenix in November 2011.

4
Total number of laps led by Kevin Harvick this season. Harvick, who led just three laps Saturday night had made it up front for just three of the last 19 Sprint Cup events before Richmond.

4
Consecutive Spring Richmond races won by Kyle Busch before Saturday night. Busch, who led 40 laps wound up 24th and saw his impressive streak come to an end.

10
Lead changes at Richmond, the fewest for any Cup Series event this season. For the first 253 circuits, only Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer led the race; neither one would get out front, though from that point on.

22

Laps led by Juan Pablo Montoya throughout all of 2012.

67
Laps led by Juan Pablo Montoya at Richmond Saturday night. Fourth place was the best performance for the Colombian, on track since a fourth at Martinsville in April of 2011.

24
Spots lost by Jamie McMurray in the final two laps of the race at Richmond. McMurray, on the outside of the front row for the green-white-checkered finish was pushed out of the groove on old tires and slid back to 26th.

36
Laps led by Kurt Busch at Richmond Saturday night. That's the most for the 2004 Cup champ since pacing the field for 57 circuits, at Phoenix driving Roger Penske's No. 22 Dodge in November 2011.

.634
The average margin of victory this season, through nine events. That's compared to 1.759 seconds last year, one of many reasons NASCAR is claiming the Gen-6 car has been more competitive than the older version this week.

49.9
Percent of cars running on the lead lap this year, through nine races as opposed to 38.2 the year before.

160
The number of Cup Series starts for Dave Blaney since he scored a top-10 finish at an unrestricted track. Blaney was ninth at Dover, in June 2008 before beginning his current slump; he does have a top-5 result from Talladega, in the Fall of 2011 as his lone highlight.

1,203
Number of additional green-flag passes we've had through nine races, compared to 2012 which averages out to about 134 more per event.

2,488

Number of laps Matt Kenseth is on pace to lead this season. His previous high, for any year was 1,132 during a four-win season of 2006.
 
Tom Bowles is the Editor-In-Chief of Frontstretch.  He can be reached via e-mail at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com.
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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 frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Racing to the Point: Everybody Loves Talladega! Don't They?
by Brett Poirier

Who's Hot / Who's Not In Sprint Cup: Richmond-Talladega Edition
by Brad Morgan


Going By the Numbers: Plate Racing's Best At Finishing In One Piece
by Kevin Rutherford

Five Points To Ponder: Politics Surrounding Short Tracks, Injuries, And Jeff Burton
by Danny Peters

Couch Potato Tuesday: Drawing The Line Between Sports Coverage And E!
by Phil Allaway


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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q:  In 1986, Bobby Hillin, Jr. claimed his one and only career win at Talladega in the oppressively hot Talladega 500.  Ricky Rudd is credited with a third-place finish, but he was not driving the car at the end of the race.  Who was, and why?

Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!

Monday's Answer:

Q:  For many years, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega had a Pontiac Le Mans that Phil Parsons crashed in the 1983 Winston 500 on display.  What happened to make that Le Mans into a museum piece?

A:  Parsons had contact with Darrell Waltrip exiting the tri-oval.  Both cars overcorrected and went into the wall head-on.  The force of the hit resulted in Parsons' car recoiling off the wall and entering into a series of barrel rolls before being hit by Ricky Rudd after it came to rest.  Parsons was uninjured, but the car was a wreck.  The crash can be seen here.

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
-- WTF Wednesday by Ellen Richardson
-- Tweet 'N' Greet by Kevin Rutherford
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!

~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Did You Notice? by Tom Bowles
Did You Notice... How the drivers that switched teams have done so far? Tom takes a look at first quarter report cards for drivers in new places, sagging TV ratings amongst the 18-to-49 crowd and more.

Penske Appeal Preview by Tom Bowles
Tom sets up the Penske appeal so you have an idea who, what, and how the organization will fight their multiple suspensions.

Open-Wheel Wednesday by Toni Montgomery
Toni returns with another look at the Izod IndyCar Series ahead of this weekend's annual assault on the Streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Side By Side: Single-Car Teams in Victory Lane? by Amy Henderson and Mike Neff
It's been nearly two seasons since a single-car team was able to break into Victory Lane at NASCAR's highest level, though a few have flirted with a win. Could we see one get back there this year?

Frontstretch Top 10 by the Frontstretch Staff
This week's topic: Top Ten Driver Excuses for Causing the Big One at Talladega. Our weekly list of NASCAR humor will have you giggling from your cubicle Wednesday morning.

NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After Richmond compiled by Michael Mehedin
Jimmie Johnson's king of the point standings, up by 43 over Carl Edwards in second. But did he maintain number one on our power rankings list? Experts you love from across the web, not just Frontstretch rank the drivers heading into Talladega as our weekly top 15 poll comes up for a vote once again.

Happiness Is... by P. Huston Ladner
Our resident Hawaiian gives us a little peace, love, and some tidbits to smile about following a wonderful weekend of racing competition across the globe.
-----------------------------
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Re: Pre-order - 'Diableries, Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell'

Thanks Thomas!  I would ask you to make one minor modification, please.  Could you modify the reference to the Smithsonian from "notorious" - which means shockingly bad, to something like, "world famous"?  It did give me a smile though. 
   Hope you are improving!  Feeling any better?  Hopefully you will be out of the hospital soon.
Best, paula


On Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 5:22 PM, Thomas Weynants <thomas.weynants@telenet.be> wrote:
Dear List members,

The best photo book from Hell is now available for pre-order online.
 
Diableries are an intriguing set of 19th. century humorous, satirical and political inspired 3-D photographs. These albumin stereo prints depict daily life in hell, a world inhabited by male skeletons and demons, often in contrast with provocative and surprisingly realistic women modeled in clay. Many of the images show political critique and satire on the Napoleonic regime.

Goto Visual Media to read a detailed review:
Allegiance to the Devil, even a book choice disclosing these rare stereo-photographs can be misleading. Two new titles on the subject are announced for 2013, however only one is worth to purchase or even look at. A detailed comparison of both publications clearly distinguish the work of the thorough researcher from "The work of Satan", so to speak. Read why http://www.visual-media.eu/publications_books_photo.html
'Diableries, Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell'
The review is based on a exclusive pre-publication preview of this forthcoming title announced for Halloween 2013.
Obviously, the only right choice is the forthcoming 'Diableries, Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell' by Denis Pellerin, Brian May and Paula Fleming.
Firstly because this book is based on more than a decade academic research by an established French photo historian & collector, Denis Pellerin. As a result, the important hidden meanings of these satirical images are explained for the majority of these 180 scenes from Hell. Pellerin has written several books and articles on 19th. century stereo photography and currently works on his PHD. For further details see the review.
 
All best,
 
Thomas
 

 
 

--
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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--
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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Monday, April 29, 2013

Pre-order - 'Diableries, Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell'

Dear List members,

The best photo book from Hell is now available for pre-order online.
 
Diableries are an intriguing set of 19th. century humorous, satirical and political inspired 3-D photographs. These albumin stereo prints depict daily life in hell, a world inhabited by male skeletons and demons, often in contrast with provocative and surprisingly realistic women modeled in clay. Many of the images show political critique and satire on the Napoleonic regime.

Goto Visual Media to read a detailed review:
Allegiance to the Devil, even a book choice disclosing these rare stereo-photographs can be misleading. Two new titles on the subject are announced for 2013, however only one is worth to purchase or even look at. A detailed comparison of both publications clearly distinguish the work of the thorough researcher from "The work of Satan", so to speak. Read why http://www.visual-media.eu/publications_books_photo.html
'Diableries, Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell'
The review is based on a exclusive pre-publication preview of this forthcoming title announced for Halloween 2013.
Obviously, the only right choice is the forthcoming 'Diableries, Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell' by Denis Pellerin, Brian May and Paula Fleming.
Firstly because this book is based on more than a decade academic research by an established French photo historian & collector, Denis Pellerin. As a result, the important hidden meanings of these satirical images are explained for the majority of these 180 scenes from Hell. Pellerin has written several books and articles on 19th. century stereo photography and currently works on his PHD. For further details see the review.
 
All best,
 
Thomas
 

 
 

--
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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Sunday, April 28, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: April 29th, 2013

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 29th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition LXIX
~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Harvick Closes the Deal, Wins at Richmond
by Justin Tucker

Coming into the 2013 season the one word that could sum up Kevin Harvick's season outlook was uncertainty.

Harvick, who made the announcement last season that he would be leaving Richard Childress Racing at the end of 2013 for Stewart-Haas Racing, faced doubt and questions about his decision to leave the only organization he has ever known in his NASCAR career.  Many wondered if Harvick and the 29 team would fall victim to the "lame duck" label placed upon him by so many.

On Saturday night, Harvick answered all those questions by winning the Toyota Owners 400 for his third career victory on the .75 mile speedway.

Harvick would rocket through traffic on the final restart driving from seventh to the lead in the final two laps to score his 20th career NSCS win.

"Just shifted gears, hit the pedal and hoped for the best," Harvick said when he was asked about the final restart. "They all went high and I went low.  The seas kind of parted there.  They didn't get a very good restart, and my car launched.  I was able to take it three-wide, those guys all drove it in hard, and I was able to get by the next two.  I only had one to go by the time I got to the backstretch."

"That was vintage Kevin Harvick right there," crew chief Gil Martin said.

Pole sitter Matt Kenseth set the early pace on Saturday night by leading the opening 36 laps of the 400 lap event.  Kenseth, whose No. 20 team was crushed by NASCAR with penalties early this week for an engine failing secondary inspection after winning the STP 400 at Kansas last Sunday, would fight handling issues after halfway resulting in a seventh-place finish.  Kenseth would lead 140 of the 406 laps run on Saturday night.

Clint Bowyer came into Richmond off the heels of three consecutive top 5 finishes.  On Saturday night, he would score his fourth consecutive top 5 finish in as many races by finishing second.  Bowyer, who has proven to be one of NASCAR's best on the short tracks would prove to be strong all night long leading 113 laps and was never outside the top 10 in the running order at any point on Saturday.  With his second-place finish, Bowyer would move up to fifth in the NSCS standings.

Unquestionably, Juan Pablo Montoya had the run of the night.  To say the last three seasons have been full of frustration for the driver out of Columbia is an understatement.  On Saturday night, Montoya almost put three years of frustration to bed.  Montoya's No. 42 Chevrolet was one of the strongest cars in the field all night long, never running outside the top 10 at any point in the race and had the race in his grasp until Brian Vickers pounded the outside wall with four laps to go, bringing out the final caution of the night.  Montoya would then pit from the lead and drop back to sixth in the running order.  A bad restart ended any chance of victory, leaving him to settle for a fourth-place finish.  The fourth-place finish was Montoya's first top 5 in the last 75 races.

"I was like, 'Really? Really?," Montoya said about the caution.  He pounded his fist on the steering wheel when the yellow flag waved.  "That is what we needed," he said.  "I felt like last week we had a top-five car as well, but not quite a car to win.  I think this weekend, we came here and tested, and the guys did an amazing job, and we had a good car all weekend."

Jeff Burton would score his first top 5 of 2013 on Saturday night by finishing fifth at his home race track. The finish moved Burton up to 19th in the standings, 53 points out of tenth.

Richmond would prove to be unkind to Kyle Busch on Saturday night.  After winning the last four Spring races at Richmond International Raceway, many believed it was a near certainty that Busch would make it five in a row.  However, with 75 to go, those chances went up in smoke after Tony Stewart got loose entering Turn 1 and hit Jimmie Johnson, spinning both cars out.  Busch had nowhere to go and hit Johnson.  The resulting severe front end damage made his M&M's Toyota uncompetitive for the rest of the race.  Busch eventually finished 24th.

Brad Keselowski had a rough night at Richmond as well.  On lap 157 Keselowski would blow a right front tire, sending him into the outside wall.  After fighting back into the top 10, the current series champion's night would go south after dropping a cylinder with 23 laps to go, leaving him to settle for a 33rd-place finish.

It is not often you can finish 12th and extend your series points lead, but that is exactly what Jimmie Johnson did on Saturday.  After being caught up in two separate incidents, Johnson would wheel his No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet home to a 12th-place finish and extended his points lead to 43 over Carl Edwards.

It was a typical Richmond style race.  Close quarters racing and cautions near the end that would impact the race's outcome.  Plus, there was post-race fireworks between Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart during the cool down laps.  Kurt discussed the final restart after the race.

"We were hoping to be on the right sequence at the end," Kurt said.  "Some guys had older tires.  Some guys had newer tires.  We were in the mix.  A green-white-checkered at the end, it is just chaos.  Cars are everywhere.  People are beating and banging and shoving each other out of the way.  It's pretty wild."

The top 10 from Saturday night's Toyota Owners 400 were Harvick, Bowyer, Logano, Montoya, Burton, Edwards, Kenseth, Almirola, Kurt Busch, and Earnhardt Jr.

Next week the Sprint Cup Series heads to the ultra fast Talladega Superspeedway for the Aaron's 499. Green flag next Sunday is scheduled for 1:19 P.M. EST.

Justin Tucker is a Newsletter Contributor at Frontstretch. To reach Justin, please contact Newsletter Manager Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.

Chasing the Chase: Despite Issues Johnson's Lead Continues To Expand
by Phil Allaway

By all means, Jimmie Johnson did not have a good weekend in Richmond.  He qualified lousy and got caught up in a wreck late in the race.  However, he was able to move himself back up to 12th by the finish.  With some of his main competitiors also having issues, Johnson was able to increase his lead to 43 points over new second-place man Carl Edwards.  Edwards moved up four places in the stands by virtue of his sixth-place finish.  Kasey Kahne got caught up in a wreck with Mark Martin late in the race and finished a disappointing 21st.  This dropped him into a tie for third with teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who finished tenth.

Clint Bowyer's second-place finish moved him up three places to fifth in the standings, while Brad Keselowski's late engine woes dropped him three places.  Kyle Busch stayed in the seventh spot despite his poor finish, but he's had two consecutive bad weeks.  Greg Biffle had a terrible night, spinning early and damaging his No. 16 Ford.  He eventually finished 15 laps down in 36th, dropping four places in the standings as a result.

Kevin Harvick's come from behind victory boosted him back up into the top 10 in points.  He's now tied with teammate Paul Menard, who stayed out of trouble and finished 13th.  Menard has a 13 point lead on Aric Almirola for the final locked-in spot to the Chase.  Jamie McMurray rounds out the top 12 after freefalling from second to 26th on the green-white-checker due to old tires.

Standings: 1) Jimmie Johnson 343, 2) Carl Edwards -43, t-3) Kasey Kahne -46, t-3) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -46, 5) Clint Bowyer -53, 6) Brad Keselowski -59, 7) Kyle Busch -65, 8) Greg Biffle -71, t-9) Kevin Harvick -71, 10) Paul Menard -72, 11) Aric Almirola -85, 12) Jamie McMurray -98.

Best of the Rest: 13)
Matt Kenseth -102, 14) Jeff Gordon -108, 15) Martin Truex, Jr. -112, 16) Ryan Newman -114, 17) Joey Logano -115, 18) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -119.

Wild Cards: 1) Matt Kenseth (13th in points, 2 wins, but only one for bonus purposes), 2) Aric Almirola (11th in points, no wins)

Race Winners: Jimmie Johnson (Daytona, Martinsville), Carl Edwards (Phoenix), Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas, Kansas), Kasey Kahne (Bristol), Kyle Busch (Fontana, Texas), Kevin Harvick (Richmond).

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.

Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here: Richmond-1 Edition
by Amy Henderson

Editor's Note: This year, we're going to switch things up a little bit.  Instead of just focusing upon one underdog (or underreported) car in the Secret Star section, we will point out three smaller teams that put up good finishes each week.


Underdog Selection No. 1: AJ Allmendinger for Phoenix Racing; started 24th, finished 14th

Phoenix Racing continues to make the right moves and, despite a revolving door of drivers, is getting the finishes to show for it.  Sure, they're a Hendrick Motorsports affiliate, but not at the level some people think.  They run Hendrick chassis and engines, but in exchange they develop pit crew members for HMS…meaning they can be taken away, and they have run experimental engine or chassis packages in exchange for a discount. 

This week, they looked like several other small teams—a mid-pack effort.  Until, that is, they took a late race gamble to stay out on old tires before the green-white-checkered run.  While it didn't pay off with the top-5 finish they hoped for, they did steal about ten spots from where they had been running.  That makes the gamble a smart one; too often the smaller teams make the safe choice as a defensive move, and this time, Allmendinger and Co. went on the offense, and it paid off.  The team remains 15th in owner points, eight spots higher than the next single-car team.

Underdog Selection No. 2: Bobby Labonte for JTG-Daugherty Racing; started 32nd, finished 19th

The JTG-Daugherty group has struggled a bit in 2013; though they've maintained the status quo, the improvement of several of their peers has left them a bit behind.  This team expected vast improvement over the last couple of years and had hoped to add a second car…but that hasn't happened. 

At Richmond, though, Labonte was one of several underdogs to remind us that RIR is still a drivers' track. He scored his first top-20 finish since Daytona and finished on his career Richmond average of 19th.  That's a good beginning, but now the question is whether this team can be a top-20 contender on a more regular basis.

Underdog Selection No. 3: David Ragan for Front Row Motorsports; started 20th, finished 20th

David Ragan hasn't made a lot of noise in 2013, but he did score his first top-20 at Richmond. Front Row Motorsports is another team who should be performing better by now, their fifth full season in the Sprint Cup ranks.  Ragan is a better driver than he's sometimes given credit for, and, if the equipment was there, should be able to be counted on for a handful of top-15 finishes and a top 10 here and there.  He does have a win at Daytona, and the restrictor plate tracks are his forte, so if he can avoid trouble, Talladega is a good chance for this team to capitalize on his talent and swing a little momentum their way.

Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs?  Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during the race broadcasts? Amy has all the small teams covered each and every week in The Big Six.  Be sure to check it out to see how your favorites fared!


Amy Henderson is a Co-Managing Editor and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.  She can be reached via e-mail at amy.henderson@frontstretch.com.  Follow her on Twitter at @Writer_Amy.

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Letter of the Race: Saturday night's Toyota Owners 400 was brought to you by the Letter S, for "snakebitten."  A number of drivers could have had excellent finishes, but simply fell victim to bad luck.  Juan Pablo Montoya prrobably would have won the race had Brian Vickers not crashed and brought out the caution.  Jimmie Johnson probably would have finished in the top 5 had he not been rubbed by an out of control Tony Stewart into a spin.  Brad Keselowski was on his way to a solid finish before his engine betrayed him.  - Phil Allaway

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Sidebar Kansas Stories
by Summer Bedgood

TRD Recalls Three Engines from No. 15 Team

According to the Associated Press, three Toyota engines have been recalled by the manufacturer from Clint Bowyer's No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing team.  This was in response to the penalty NASCAR issued to Matt Kenseth's No. 20 team after a connecting rod was found to be outside the tolerance per the NASCAR rulebook.

One of the engines recalled was in the plans to be used for last Saturday night's race in Richmond.

"We took every connecting rod in our inventory and removed anything that was too close for comfort," Toyota Racing Development vice president David Wilson told The Associated Press.

At least one connecting rod in each of the three engines raised red flags for Toyota.

Juan Pablo Montoya Sends Message in Richmond

With sponsor Depend on board for the night, Juan Pablo Montoya surprised many last Saturday night in Richmond, leading 67 laps and finishing fourth.  The finish was his first top 5 since the spring Martinsville race in 2011, and the most laps he's led since holding the top spot at Watkins Glen for 74 circuits.

While Montoya does have two career wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, he has yet to win on an oval.  His closest opportunity came at Indianapolis in 2009 when he led 116 laps.  A pit penalty prevented him from winning.

The top 5 in Richmond was his first one of the year.  He is currently 25th in points.

Busch Butts Head With Three Different Drivers

The typical Saturday night short track racing tempers were in the air following the Toyota Owners 400 in Richmond.  While battling for position at the end of the race, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart found each other in a precarious situation.  Stewart and Busch made contact on the track, and Stewart made clear his displeasure post-race.  The two exchanged words next to their haulers in the garage area after the race.

Kenseth, who was also battling with Busch at the end, also felt like Busch made some misguided moves at the end of the race.  Kenseth also nudged him slightly after the race, and Busch nudged him, though the two never said anything to each other on pit road or in the garage.

"He just destroyed my car after the race," Kenseth said in the garage post-race.  "I think it's probably a good thing he didn't come down here, because my boys are going to have to fix it and they're not too happy."

Finally, Martin Truex, Jr. was hooked by Busch during an earlier restart while the two were running towards the front.  Truex was none too pleased following the conclusion of the event.

"He just had us in a bad position and wouldn't let off the gas," Truex said.  "...I ran him hard, I ran him tight, but I gave him plenty of room.  He was driving in over his head trying to get a win, I guess."

Busch, however, was defensive of his racing.

"It was a free-for-all at the end," said Busch.  "Everybody was slamming everybody.  I'm getting hit from behind.  We got shucked out of there, too."

Busch finished ninth, while Stewart settled for 18th.  Kenseth was seventh, while Truex was 17th.

Summer Bedgood is an Assistant Editor for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SummerBedgood.

Quotes to Remember: Toyota Owners 400

"That was a heck of a first lap of the restart. I thought that the outside line might have the advantage because it had a couple of guys with new tires in the second row, and lined up on the outside. But the two tires – these cars drive a lot off the left rear – and we only took two tires, and they didn't get that great of restart but my car launched, and I was able to drive it in the first corner and hope for the best down there. I figured four, eight, 12…how many ever tires that were on the outside of me would be better than none. It all worked out, and here we are." - Kevin Harvick, winner

"We had a good car — we just didn't have a great car.  It seemed like we were just too tight on the throttle — it wouldn't quite turn and come up off.  It really got wild there at the end — I was just lucky enough to be on the bottom.  They started making holes up there in front of me and the seas parted, and I just followed suit behind (Kevin) Harvick.  It was a good run.  Thanks to Toyota for coming on board to sponsor this race — wish we could have won the Toyota race, but second's not bad." - Clint Bowyer, finished second

"Pissed off.  Everybody on the Depend Chevy this week did an amazing job. We had a great car. Same as last week, we had a great car. The pit crew redeemed themselves tonight. They did a great job all day, no mistakes. That is what we needed. We needed to come out of here and do with everybody smart, as he did. It is the luck of the draw. We restarted on the outside, and we were screwed." - Juan Pablo Montoya, fourth

"We were seventh there; thought I had the No. 22 (Joey Logano) beat before the caution came out. The caution came out and what the heck, we might as well try something. Luke (Lambert) made a good call there, and obviously new tires a lot better. But, worth a shot. We were going to maybe finish sixth without the caution so to pick up a spot from it was worth a shot." - Jeff Burton, finished fifth

"At a track like this track position is so important and we saw that at the end there. All in all it was a great night and we had a fast race car and some really hard racing. I had a blast and the middle 50-percent of the race or so was about as much fun as I've ever had at Richmond." - Carl Edwards, finished sixth

"It was up and down.  In the beginning of the race, we were real strong and in the middle of the race we probably had a fifth to sixth-place car or something like that.  We got it pretty good again.  That last restart, just being on the outside and the 78 (Kurt Busch) drove up through there and knocked my whole side off and put me in the marbles.  Just two laps, everybody is going to go for it and go for every hole they've got.  That's the best I could do so it looks like if I could have drawn the inside line instead of the outside line then maybe I could have ran second.  Just starting on the top you knew they were going to be three and four-wide and it was just tough." - Matt Kenseth, finished seventh

"That was incredible and a lot of hard work. Great day by our guys who never gave up. That is what it takes in this series. You can not give up. At one point we were almost a lap down. We were in big trouble and Todd Parrott made so many adjustments and kept making it better and better and better. There at the end we were a solid top seven car and I was really proud of that. That was a great run for us in the hometown of Smithfield and I am really proud of that." - Aric Almirola, finished eighth

"It was an awesome run just to be in the top-five all night. Just nice and steady, waiting for the race to come to us. We didn't make many adjustments on the Furniture Row car. We were hoping to be on the right sequence at the end. Some guys had older tires. Some guys had newer tires. We were in the mixed. A green-white-checkered at the end, it is just chaos. Cars are everywhere. People are beating and banging and shoving each other out of the way. It's pretty wild." _- Kurt Busch, finished ninth

"We fought the car all night long and finally got some track position back — we fought really hard for that.  It's a shame to get to where we were there and get spun.  A little bit disappointed, but that's the way it goes on short tracks I guess.  I'll remember if we get in that position again what I'll do to Kurt (Busch)." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished 17th

"We had just a solid day.  We started 20th and finished 20th.  You would look at that and think it was a slow day.  Actually at times we had a top-12, top-14 car, but when we were off-sequence on the leaders we were around 25th and 30th.  But we did a good job on pit road and we never gave up.  We worked hard all night, and maybe left a few spots on the table, but all in all it was a good night for us." - David Ragan, finished 20th

"Something broke in the engine. It was a long day but I felt we were going to get something out of it. We had a bad pit stop and then blew a tire and drove back up to the front. I thought I had a tire going down again and didn't and got the Lucky Dog and got back out there thinking we would still have a top-10 or top-five day. Then whatever happened with the engine. It was just one of those deals and a long day but we kept finding a way to get back through all the adversity but there was nothing we could do about the last one." - Brad Keselowski, finished 33rd

"We just got caught up in an accident.  The effort by these guys was tremendous.  We worked on this car all night, we were competitive and I think we were getting it better and better as the race went on.  Would have liked to have been in the mix there at the end." - Mark Martin, finished 38th

"This is so disappointing for us.  It appears we've blown an engine.  We've had fantastic power from Ford Racing and Roush Yates Engines so we can't complain.  It's just the racing gods aren't on our side this year.  We were fast tonight and ran top 10.  We are proud of that and will have to regroup and go to Talladega." - Marcos Ambrose, finished 42nd (Engine Failure)

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Race fans, do you love Frontstretch.com's coverage of NASCAR's top 3 series, IndyCar, Formula One and Short Track Racing? Do you want to read even more about your favorite sport? Then check out the industry's newest racing publication, Motorsport Illustrated News!, which is available both in print and in digital format! As one of our loyal readers, you'll receive 15% off any subscription when you use the coupon code fs2013.

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

by Mike Neff

Pace Laps:
by the Frontstretch Staff

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:
  For many years, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega had a Pontiac Le Mans that Phil Parsons crashed in the 1983 Winston 500 on display.  What happened to make that Le Mans into a museum piece?

Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Friday's Answer:
 
Q:  The 1986 Miller High Life 400 at Richmond is best known for the infamous crash involving Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip that gifted Kyle Petty his first career victory.  While Kyle might have been the only guy to walk out of Richmond happy on February 23, 1986, Ricky Rudd was not so happy, having lasted only 17 laps.  What happened to him in those 17 laps?

A:  Well, it was an eventful 17 laps for Rudd.  After an unrelated crash brought out an early caution, Rudd turned Lake Speed into the Turn 1 wall on the restart.  Gettting caught up high cost Rudd a number of spots.  Not even a lap after the next restart, Rudd was swept up into a pile-up in Turns 3 and 4 that involved roughly eight different drivers.  Both of the aforementioned incidents can be seen in this clip.

Both Rudd and Phil Parsons were eliminated in the second crash.  However, this wreck is more notable for a couple of other things that occurred.  One is Bill Elliott's car getting hung up on the guardrail.  The other is that oil went everywhere, completely blocking the vision of many drivers.  Some pitted to get their windshields cleaned.  Dale Earnhardt took advantage of his can-do attitude and reached a different solution to the problem.

Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take 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 Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Tom Bowles
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: Toyota Owners 400 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
 
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Five Points To Ponder by Danny Peters
Danny returns for his weekly edition of talking points, which will wrap up the action at Richmond and get us ready for Talladega.

Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series were in action at Richmond International Raceway.  How did ESPN and FOX fare with their telecasts?  Find out tomorrow.

Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Richmond-Talladega Edition by Brad Morgan
Brad gets us set for our second restrictor plate race of the year while tracking the trends of the past few weeks to see which drivers are on a tear... or tearing their hair out.

Speedy Discoveries
by Brett Poirier
Brett is back with another commentary to make you think.

Going By The Numbers by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin enlightens us with his weekly statistics column based on trends we've been seeing in the Cup Series so far this season.
-----------------------------
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2013 Frontstretch.com

Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: April 26th, 2013

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

April 26th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition LXVIII

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What To Watch: Friday

- Richmond is abuzz with action, as NASCAR's Nationwide and Cup Series cars take to the track in preparation for their 250 and 400-lap events, respectfully. A full TV schedule, straight from Phil Allaway's Couch Potato Tuesday is printed below; keep in mind the Nationwide race, while shown live has been moved to ESPNEWS due to NFL draft coverage.

(All times eastern)
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Sprint Cup Series Practice SPEED
2:30 - 3:30 PM Sprint Cup Series Happy Hour SPEED
4:00 - 5:00 PM Nationwide Series Qualifying ESPN2
5:30 - 7:00 PM Sprint Cup Series Qualifying SPEED
7:00 - 7:30 PM SPEED Center SPEED
7:00 - 7:30 PM NASCAR Countdown ESPNEWS
7:30 - 10:00 PM Nationwide Series ToyotaCare 250 ESPNEWS

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Top News
by Justin Tucker and Tom Bowles

Kyle Busch Wins Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown

Who says Joe Gibbs Racing teammates don't get along? Kyle Busch is certainly receiving gifts, from Denny Hamlin in the form of shiny trophies from winning the latter's annual charity event. Rowdy was romping through the field again at Richmond Thursday night, taking control at the race's midpoint and cruising during the latter stages to win the Showdown for the third time in the past six years. In a race that benefits the Denny Hamlin Foundation, created to help those with cystic fibrosis Busch had his late model hitting on all cyilnders down the stretch. Pulling away from fellow Cup driver David Ragan, in the final segment of the 75-lap race the outcome was simply never in doubt following a 5-minute break for pit stops prior to Lap 47. Ben Rhodes, Ronnie Bassett, Jr., and Garrett Campbell rounded out the top-5 finishers.

Other Cup drivers, including defending race champion Tony Stewart were in the field but never a factor up front. Smoke, actually extending his slumping start to 2013 into this race got wrecked before the halfway point and wound up 28th. Matt Kenseth, still distraught after a midweek penalty virtually negated his win at Kansas was never truly competitive, either; he finished 22nd.

Also on Thursday night, African-American driver Ryan Gifford won the first K&N Pro Series East race of his young career. Surviving a five-lap shootout, following a red flag he cruised home over Brandon Gdovic.

Todd Bodine Finds More Sponsorship, Keeps Ride Alive With Thorsport

Mattei Compressors and ThorSport Racing will once again team up in the Camping World Truck Series this season, supporting a former series champ. Mattei announced Thursday they will be the primary sponsor for Todd Bodine and the No. 13 Toyota Tundra at Charlotte Motor Speedway, keeping the truck on track for the series' next race: the North Carolina Education Lottery 200.

"Our experience at Daytona proved to us that sponsoring a race to promote the benefits of Mattei Air Compressors not only allowed us to promote and add excitement to our brand to thousands of race enthusiasts, but also to reach the Paint Body & Equipment (PBE) market, a primary focus for Mattei compressors," Mattei GM Jay R. Hedges said in a press release. "Hundreds of body shops around the U.S. use our AC Series Cabinet. This is ideal because Mattei provides clean, dry air critical to our PBE customers."

Mattei got a lot of airtime during that season-opening race, at Daytona where Bodine battled to an 11th-place finish. That's the truck's best result this season; bad luck has left the No. 13 team without a top-10 performance, struggling to 16th in points and in danger of closing up shop until Mattei stepped up to fund the effort.

The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 can been seen live on SPEED Friday, May 17th with NCWTS Setup beginning at 7 PM EDT. Bodine, 49, has never won at Charlotte in nine career starts.

Stefanyshyn to Lead Innovation and Racing Development

NASCAR announced on Thursday Morning that Gene Stefanyshyn has been named as the new Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development. Stefanyshyn will be based at the Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C.

A native of Ontario, Canada, Stefanyshyn will join NASCAR on May 13th, 2013 following a four-month search to fill the position. He will report directly to NASCAR President Mike Helton and will work closely with Senior V.P. of Racing Operations Steve O'Donnell and V.P. of Competition Robin Pemberton to advance technology within the sport's Gen-6 car, stay on top of creative changes and more.

Stefanyshyn worked in various capacities for General Motors over the last 30 years, most recently serving as the company's Executive Director of Global Product Development Quality where he managed 250 employees across four global regions.

"We are very pleased to have a globally proven leader the caliber of Gene Stefanyshyn join our management team and take the reins of innovation and racing development at NASCAR," NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said. "It has been a stated goal to raise the level of science and technology utilized throughout NASCAR to an entirely new level, and I'm confident that we have found the right leader in Gene to build on our very strong foundation. NASCAR's aim is to be a recognized leader when it comes to putting the best, most engaging product forward and this is another strong step in that direction."

Stefanyshyn also shared France's excitement about the chance to work within the top stock car series in the country.

"I have a strong passion for cars and respect the proud history of this great sport, so I'm thrilled at the opportunity of helping shape the future of NASCAR racing," he said. "I look forward to working with the team at NASCAR, each of the OEM partners, the race teams and drivers to raise performance levels across the board and to drive the sport to an even stronger leadership position in the future."

Stefanyshyn holds a B.S Mechanical Engineering degree from Kettering University in Flint, Michigan and holds an MBA from the University of Western Ontario. He and his wife Angela are the parents of two children, Ivanna and Mark.

Roush Fenway And Nationwide Team Up

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. will have a familiar brand sponsoring his race car come August at Bristol. Roush Fenway Racing and Nationwide Insurance announced on Thursday that the duo has agreed to a two-year partnership for primary backing on Stenhouse's No. 17 Ford Fusion in NASCAR's top series.

Stenhouse, a former two-time Nationwide Series champion will carry the insurance company's colors for three races in 2013 and four races in 2014. In addition, Nationwide will serve as an associate sponsor for all three Roush Fenway cars over the next two years.

"We've had a 15-year presence in NASCAR and this is the first time we've sponsored a car in any NASCAR series," said Matt Jauchius, chief marketing officer for Nationwide Insurance in announcing the move. "We built a solid relationship with Roush Fenway and two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion and Nationwide Insurance member, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and we're eager to carry that momentum forward and enhance our existing integrated NASCAR marketing platform."

Nationwide Insurance will be the primary sponsor for Stenhouse at Bristol in August, Richmond in September, and Talladega in October.

Have news for Justin 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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ADVERTISEMENT
Race fans, do you love Frontstretch.com's coverage of NASCAR's top 3 series, IndyCar, Formula One and Short Track Racing? Do you want to read even more about your favorite sport? Then check out the industry's newest racing publication, Motorsport Illustrated News!, which is available both in print and in digital format! As one of our loyal readers, you'll receive 15% off any subscription when you use the coupon code fs2013.


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In Case You Missed It
by Beth Lunkenheimer

Kenseth Speaks Out Against Penalties

The man whose win was all but taken away this week had plenty to say about NASCAR's officiating Thursday. Matt Kenseth, clearly distraught over what transpired at Kansas strongly maintained the consequences received for a bad connecting rod in the engine don't connect to how much of a competitive advantage the part actually gave his car.

"I think the penalties are grossly unfair," he explained to reporters. "I think it's borderline shameful. There's no argument the part was wrong. They weighed it and it was wrong. However, there is an argument that there certainly was no performance advantage. If you can find any unbiased, reputable, knowledgeable engine-builder and if they saw the facts, what all the rods weighed. The average weight of all the rods was well above the minimum -- 2.5 (grams) above the minimum at least. There was one in there that was way heavy. There was no performance advantage, there was no intent, it was a mistake. JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) had no control over it. Certainly, to crush Joe Gibbs like that -- to say they can't win an owner's championship with the 20 this year is just, I can't wrap my arms around that, it just blows me away. And the same with Jason Ratcliff (crew chief). I don't feel bad for myself at all, but for Jason and Joe [Gibbs], I just couldn't feel any worse. There's no more reputable, honest hard-working guys with good reputations more so than those two -- I feel really bad for them."

Kenseth went on to say he's uncertain how the appeals process will turn out, but he's supportive of the way his team is handling the situation. Sitting tied for 14th in points, now after the violation the road to the Chase just got ever so slightly harder.

Hamlin Considering Back Surgery

Denny Hamlin, not cleared medically for Richmond is considering in-season surgery that would delay his comeback another six to eight weeks. The driver, who has a history of back problems says the decision to go under the knife, relieving pain from bulging discs in his back would not happen unless he fails to get medical clearance for Darlington. In the meantime, doctors have given approval for the driver to start Talladega next week, riding around in the back until giving it up to relief driver Brian Vickers following caution one.

Keep in mind this timeline is not set in stone; a lot becomes dependent on how Hamlin's chances to make the Chase evolve over the next week or two. "Eventually, you have to know the point at which you're looking at improbabilities of making the Chase and just being smart about it," he said before joking, "If everyone keeps getting these penalties, I'm going to be the points leader soon."

Swan Racing Launches Swan Racing TV

Sprint Cup Series team Swan Racing launched Swan Racing TV on Thursday. The "reality show style" videos, designed to keep fans up to date on the off-track happenings with the organization, will run between three and six minutes long. The 32-week season is designed to give an inside look at the team, a tight-knit group and focus on individual crew members while they build up their organization internally. Fans interested should follow @SwanRacingTV, @SwanRacingCo, @DavidStremme and @SwanEnergyInc on Twitter.

Dominion Raceway To Sponsor Kvapil At Richmond

Dominion Raceway announced a partnership with BK Racing to sponsor the No. 93 Toyota driven by Travis Kvapil Saturday night. The proposed facility includes a 1/8-mile drag strip, a 4/10-mile oval and a two mile road course.

"Dominion Raceawy is the culmination of everything we have learned at Old Dominion Speedway, managing member Steve Britt said. "It's an extremely forward-thinking project, expands the fan experience greatly with modern facilities, interactive video and numerous venues, not all of which are motorsports, all designed for family fun and enjoyment. It's fabulous that Ron Devine and BK Racing were willing to work with us so closely on a Dominion Raceway Car for the Richmond Toyota Owners 400 race."

In eight races this season, Kvapil has a best finish of 22nd at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month. Having suffered three engine failures, the driver of the No. 93 Toyota sits 35th in points.

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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!


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Keepin' It Short: Another Chapter Of History Starts Saturday Night
by Mike Neff

There are legendary sports venues all over the world; some are still in use, while others are merely a shell of their former selves, and the final group is just, well completely gone. Of the arenas that are still in use, few of them are still in the same relative state as they were when they opened. Wrigley Field has lights and sky boxes added, for example. Fenway Park has seats on top of the Green Monster. Soldier Field has been completely renovated. But Bowman-Gray Stadium, aside from the endzone fieldhouse, is virtually the same as it was when it held its first NASCAR-sanctioned race in May of 1949.

The quarter-mile track at the venerable facility has hosted 29 Sprint Cup races, from 1958 through 1971, until NASCAR stopped staging Cup races at tracks less than a half-mile in length. They still host weekly shows from April until Winston-Salem State, the school whose campus houses the facility, begins playing football games on the field that sits inside the racing surface. It hosts four divisions regularly: Stadium Stock (a 4-cylinder class), Street Stock, Sportsman (a limited Late Model class) and the feature division, the Modifieds. While Modifieds are a staple of racing in the Northeast, they have never taken hold in the South except at Bowman-Gray. For 18 weeks, from the end of April until the end of August, the stands at Bowman-Gray will be packed with more people than any other weekly track will seat on an average night anywhere in the United States. Opening night will have 15,000 or more in the stands and the average race night will host 10,000 people.

The racing at The Stadium is hardly captivating. A completely flat quarter-mile track that was originally designed to be the running track for the local college is not ideal for side-by-side racing. Making the outside work at Bowman-Gray is about as hard as working a slide rule. The attraction at the Stadium, then is the atmosphere. The fans in the stands are as passionate as any race fans you will find anywhere. The factions in the stands are fiercely loyal to their favorite drivers and are not beyond trading insults and even blows to reinforce that loyalty. That passion, and the air of excitement that it creates is contagious. Spending a night in the stands at The Stadium can change a race fan for the rest of their lives.

This Saturday night, the green flag will fly for the first time in 2013. Another year of racing will see Tim Brown try and win yet another track championship, along with catching and passing Junior Miller on the all-time wins list (Brown needs five to tie, six to break the record). The Myers Brothers and their Dirty South legion of fans will try and keep Brown from having any success. The rebel fans that don't want to cheer for the big names will gravitate to Jonathan Brown, Lee Jeffreys, Danny Bohn and others. The support divisions have their own fans who are there to cheer on their favorite 4-cylinder drivers or Sportsman wheelmen. In the end, it is all about a love for racing and the men and women who pour their hearts and souls into the sport, both in the cars that run around the tight confines of Bowman-Gray and those who wear their allegiance on their sleeves in the stands, some 10,000 strong, every Saturday night all Summer.

So whether you come to Winston-Salem this Saturday night or another one between now and August 31st,  it is worth the trip to see a night of racing at The Stadium. Don't expect wide open, side-by-side competition, but know that you'll still go home worn out from a racing experience you'll never have anywhere else.

This Weekend's Racing Schedule

Friday    04/26/13    Jacksonville Speedway    Jacksonville    IL    POWRi Lucas Oil National Midgets
Friday    04/26/13    Jacksonville Speedway    Jacksonville    IL    POWRi Speedway Motors 600 Outlaw Micro Sprints
Friday    04/26/13    Jacksonville Speedway    Jacksonville    IL    Street Stocks
Friday    04/26/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Factory Stocks
Friday    04/26/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Late Models
Friday    04/26/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Modifieds
Friday    04/26/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Pro-Crate Late Models
Friday    04/26/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Sport Compacts
Friday    04/26/13    Gas City I-69 Speedway    Gas City    IN    USAC Midwest Dirt Ignite Midgets
Friday    04/26/13    Gas City I-69 Speedway    Gas City    IN    USAC Sprint Cars
Friday    04/26/13    Attica Raceway Park    Attica    OH    Sunoco American Late Models
Friday    04/26/13    Salina Highbanks Speedway    Salina    OK    World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Friday    04/26/13    Thunderbird Speedway    Muskogee    OK    MARS DIRTCar Late Models
Friday    04/26/13    Smoky Mountain Speedway    Maryville    TN    World of Outlaw Late Models
Friday    04/26/13    Boyd Raceway    Boyd    TX    ASCS Winged Sprints
Friday    04/26/13    Kennedale Speedway Park    Kennedale    TX    USMTS Modifieds
Friday    04/26/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    Factory Stocks
Friday    04/26/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    Limited Modifieds
Friday    04/26/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    Sprint Cars
Friday    04/26/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    Street Stocks
Friday    04/26/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    USRA Modifieds
Friday    04/26/13    Oshkosh Speedzone    Oshkosh    WI    Dirt Devils
Friday    04/26/13    Oshkosh Speedzone    Oshkosh    WI    Grand Nationals
Friday    04/26/13    Oshkosh Speedzone    Oshkosh    WI    Modifieds
Friday    04/26/13    Oshkosh Speedzone    Oshkosh    WI    Sport Mods
Friday    04/26/13    Oshkosh Speedzone    Oshkosh    WI    Street Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    4-Cylinders
Saturday    04/27/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Bombers
Saturday    04/27/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Limited Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Open Wheel Modifieds
Saturday    04/27/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Stockers
Saturday    04/27/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Vintage
Saturday    04/27/13    Riverside International Speedway    West Memphis    AR    600 Mini Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Riverside International Speedway    West Memphis    AR    ASCS Winged Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Riverside International Speedway    West Memphis    AR    Stock Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Challenge Cup Sprint Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Mini Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Southwest Mod Lites
Saturday    04/27/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    USAC Southwest Sprint Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    Cocopah Speedway    Yuma    AZ    Factory Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Cocopah Speedway    Yuma    AZ    IMCA Modifieds
Saturday    04/27/13    Cocopah Speedway    Yuma    AZ    IMCA Sport Mods
Saturday    04/27/13    Cocopah Speedway    Yuma    AZ    Pro Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Cocopah Speedway    Yuma    AZ    Street Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    CDCRA Dwarf Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    Mini Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    Sport Mods
Saturday    04/27/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    Sprint Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    USAC West Coast Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Lucas Oil I-10 Speedway    Blythe    CA    ASA Trucks
Saturday    04/27/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    4-Cylinders
Saturday    04/27/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    Hobby Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    MST
Saturday    04/27/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    Open Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    Sport Mods
Saturday    04/27/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    Toyota Sedans
Saturday    04/27/13    Placerville Speedway    Placerville    CA    410 Winged Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Placerville Speedway    Placerville    CA    Midget Lites
Saturday    04/27/13    34 Raceway    Burlington    IA    305 Sprint Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    34 Raceway    Burlington    IA    4-Cylinders
Saturday    04/27/13    34 Raceway    Burlington    IA    IMCA Modifieds
Saturday    04/27/13    34 Raceway    Burlington    IA    IMCA Stock Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    34 Raceway    Burlington    IA    Mod Lites
Saturday    04/27/13    34 Raceway    Burlington    IA    Sport Mods
Saturday    04/27/13    Knoxville Raceway    Knoxville    IA    305 Winged Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Knoxville Raceway    Knoxville    IA    360 Winged Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Knoxville Raceway    Knoxville    IA    410 Winged Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    UMP Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    UMP Modifieds
Saturday    04/27/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    UMP Sportsman
Saturday    04/27/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    UMP Street Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Highland Speedway    Highland    IL    UMP Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Highland Speedway    Highland    IL    UMP Modifieds
Saturday    04/27/13    Highland Speedway    Highland    IL    UMP Pro Crate Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Highland Speedway    Highland    IL    UMP Sport Mods
Saturday    04/27/13    Highland Speedway    Highland    IL    UMP Street Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Macon Speedway    Macon    IL    POWRi Lucas Oil National Midgets
Saturday    04/27/13    Macon Speedway    Macon    IL    POWRi Speedway Motors 600 Outlaw Micro Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Hornets
Saturday    04/27/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Lightning Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Limited Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Modifieds
Saturday    04/27/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Street Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    Spoon 6-Shooters
Saturday    04/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Hornets
Saturday    04/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Limited Modifieds
Saturday    04/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Modifieds
Saturday    04/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Pro-Crate Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Lincoln Park Speedway    Putnamville    IN    USAC Sprint Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    Montpelier Motor Speedway    Montpelier    IN    USAC Midwest Dirt Ignite Midgets
Saturday    04/27/13    Plymouth Speedway    Plymouth    IN     USAC 600 Mini Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Cedar Ridge Speedway    Morgantown     KY    American Modified Series
Saturday    04/27/13    Federated Auto Parts Raceway    Pevely    MO    World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    Lucas Oil Speedway    Wheatland    MO    A-Mods
Saturday    04/27/13    Lucas Oil Speedway    Wheatland    MO    B-Mods
Saturday    04/27/13    Lucas Oil Speedway    Wheatland    MO    Factory Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Lucas Oil Speedway    Wheatland    MO    ULMA Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Pure Stock 4 Cylinder
Saturday    04/27/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Pure Stock V-8
Saturday    04/27/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Super Stock 4 Cylinders
Saturday    04/27/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Limited Sportsman
Saturday    04/27/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Micro Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Renegades
Saturday    04/27/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Stock 4
Saturday    04/27/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Super Stock 4 Cylinders
Saturday    04/27/13    Hickory Motor Speedway    Newton     NC    Limited Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Hickory Motor Speedway    Newton     NC    Renegades
Saturday    04/27/13    Hickory Motor Speedway    Newton     NC    Street Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Hickory Motor Speedway    Newton     NC    Whelen All-American Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Roadrunner Speedway    Carlsbad    NM    USAC National Quarter Midgets
Saturday    04/27/13    Eldora Speedway    Rossburg    OH    FWD Compacts
Saturday    04/27/13    Eldora Speedway    Rossburg    OH    Stock Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    Eldora Speedway    Rossburg    OH    UMP Modifieds
Saturday    04/27/13    Southern Oklahoma Speedway    Ardmore    OK    USMTS Modifieds
Saturday    04/27/13    Tri-State Speedway    Pacola    OK    MARS DIRTCar Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Duck River Raceway Park    Wheel    TN    Modified Street Bomber
Saturday    04/27/13    Duck River Raceway Park    Wheel    TN    Openwheel
Saturday    04/27/13    Duck River Raceway Park    Wheel    TN    Outlaw Pony
Saturday    04/27/13    Duck River Raceway Park    Wheel    TN    Pure Pony
Saturday    04/27/13    Duck River Raceway Park    Wheel    TN    Rookie Pony
Saturday    04/27/13    Duck River Raceway Park    Wheel    TN    Street Stock Bomber
Saturday    04/27/13    Duck River Raceway Park    Wheel    TN    Super Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Duck River Raceway Park    Wheel    TN    Two Barrel Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Tazewell Speedway    Tazewell    TN    World of Outlaw Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Music City Quarter Midget Racing Association    Hermitage    TN     Jr. Honda Quarter Midget
Saturday    04/27/13    Music City Quarter Midget Racing Association    Hermitage    TN     Light 160 Quarter Midget
Saturday    04/27/13    Music City Quarter Midget Racing Association    Hermitage    TN     Sr. Honda Quarter Midget
Saturday    04/27/13    Houston Motorsports Park    Houston    TX    Bandoleros
Saturday    04/27/13    Houston Motorsports Park    Houston    TX    Ecostocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Houston Motorsports Park    Houston    TX    Legends
Saturday    04/27/13    Houston Motorsports Park    Houston    TX    NASCAR BWFS Coke Trucks 2X
Saturday    04/27/13    Houston Motorsports Park    Houston    TX    NASCAR Fiesta Modifieds 2X
Saturday    04/27/13    Houston Motorsports Park    Houston    TX    NASCAR Stock Cars 2X
Saturday    04/27/13    Texana Raceway Park    Edna    TX    Dwarf/Mod Lites
Saturday    04/27/13    Texana Raceway Park    Edna    TX    Hot Stock Trucks
Saturday    04/27/13    Texana Raceway Park    Edna    TX    Mini Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Texana Raceway Park    Edna    TX    Pure Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Texana Raceway Park    Edna    TX    Sport Mods
Saturday    04/27/13    Texana Raceway Park    Edna    TX    Street Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Motor Mile Speedway    Radford    VA    Limited Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Motor Mile Speedway    Radford    VA    Mod 4
Saturday    04/27/13    Motor Mile Speedway    Radford    VA    Street Stock
Saturday    04/27/13    Motor Mile Speedway    Radford    VA    U-Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    Motor Mile Speedway    Radford    VA    Whelen All-American Late Models 2X
Saturday    04/27/13    Evergreen Speedway    Monroe    WA    ASA Northwest Sprint Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    360 Winged Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    410 Winged Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    Outlaw Hornets
Saturday    04/27/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    Sportsman Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    Wenatchee Valley Speedway    Wenatchee    WA    Apple Blossom 200 PASS Super Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    Wenatchee Valley Speedway    Wenatchee    WA    Pro Four Alliance
Saturday    04/27/13    Wenatchee Valley Speedway    Wenatchee    WA    Pure Stocks
Saturday    04/27/13    Wenatchee Valley Speedway    Wenatchee    WA    WESCO Winged Sprints
Saturday    04/27/13    I-77 Raceway Park    Ripley    WV    Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    I-77 Raceway Park    Ripley    WV    Mini-Wedges
Saturday    04/27/13    I-77 Raceway Park    Ripley    WV    Mod Lites
Saturday    04/27/13    I-77 Raceway Park    Ripley    WV    Modifieds
Saturday    04/27/13    I-77 Raceway Park    Ripley    WV    Ohio Valley Sprint Cars
Saturday    04/27/13    I-77 Raceway Park    Ripley    WV    Semi-Late Models
Saturday    04/27/13    I-77 Raceway Park    Ripley    WV    Semi-Mods
Sunday    04/28/13    Stafford Motor Speedway    Stafford    CT    Whelen Modifieds
Sunday    04/28/13    Knoxville Raceway    Knoxville    IA    Hobby Stocks
Sunday    04/28/13    Knoxville Raceway    Knoxville    IA    Modifieds
Sunday    04/28/13    Knoxville Raceway    Knoxville    IA    Sport Mods
Sunday    04/28/13    Knoxville Raceway    Knoxville    IA    Stock Cars
Sunday    04/28/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    IMCA Northern Sport Mods
Sunday    04/28/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    IMCA Sport Compacts
Sunday    04/28/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    IMCA Stock Cars
Sunday    04/28/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    UMP Late Models
Sunday    04/28/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    UMP Modifieds
Sunday    04/28/13    Salem Speedway    Salem     IN    ARCA
Sunday    04/28/13    Terre Haute Action Track    Terre Haute    IN     USAC Silver Crown
Sunday    04/28/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Mini Stocks
Sunday    04/28/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Outlaw Sportsman
Sunday    04/28/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Pro Late Models
Sunday    04/28/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Street Stocks
Sunday    04/28/13    Roadrunner Speedway    Carlsbad    NM    USAC National Quarter Midgets
Wednesday    05/01/13    Ogilvie Raceway    Ogilvie    MN    USMTS Modifieds
Wednesday    05/01/13    Millbridge Speedway    Salisbury    NC    125 Mini Outlaw
Wednesday    05/01/13    Millbridge Speedway    Salisbury    NC    Beginner Box Stock Mini Outlaw
Wednesday    05/01/13    Millbridge Speedway    Salisbury    NC    Box Stock Mini Outlaw
Wednesday    05/01/13    Millbridge Speedway    Salisbury    NC    NBA Clone Go-Karts
Wednesday    05/01/13    Millbridge Speedway    Salisbury    NC    Open Mini Outlaw
Thursday    05/02/13    Rice Lake Speedway    Rice Lake     WI    USMTS Modifieds

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.

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Hey Frontstretch Readers! While NASCAR has been hard at work for almost three months now, we've been working hard on our own project, designed especially for you. With the help of webmaster Marc LeMay, We're getting close to debuting our brand new website, so we'd like to share a little taste of what you can expect. Click here to see just a few of the special projects we've been working on!

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Frontstretch Folio: Toyota Owners 400
by Beth Lunkenheimer


The Sprint Cup Series heads to Richmond International Raceway this weekend for a Saturday night showdown. The Toyota Owners 400 is the ninth race of the 2013 season and will be broadcast live on FOX at 7:30 PM ET. The race can also be heard on your local MRN affiliate or SiriusXM Radio Channel 90. Drivers will compete for 400 laps (300 miles) en route to the checkered flag.

Records and Facts:

Brian Vickers holds the track qualifying record, posting a lap of 129.983 mph for the 2004 Chevy American Revolution 400. Vickers led the first 32 laps before fading to eighth that night, slotting in behind race winner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Earnhardt beat Vickers, plus his future teammate Jimmie Johnson, by nearly 1.5 seconds. Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top 5.

Kyle Busch is the defending winner of this race, leading just 32 laps en route to his only victory in the 2012 season. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished second followed by Tony Stewart, who had led 118 of the night's 400 laps. Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne rounded out the top 5.

Track Facts:


Track / Race Length:
0.75-mile oval, 400 laps, 300 miles
Frontstretch: 860 feet, banked 8 degrees
Backstretch: 1,290 feet, banked 2 degrees
Grandstand Seating: 97,912
Pit Road Speed: 45 mph

Pre-Race Schedule

Practice:
Friday, April 26, 12:00 - 2:00 PM ET on SPEED
Happy Hour: Friday, April 26, 2:30 - 3:30 PM ET on SPEED
Qualifying: Friday, April 26 at 5:35 PM ET on SPEED

VIPs

Grand Marshal / Command:
Toyota owner Carlton Walker
National Anthem: United States Marine Corps Drum Corps
Flyover: 3 North American T-28 Trojans

Race Day Forecast

Sunday:
Mostly Sunny
High: 72
Low: 49

They Said It:

"[Richmond is] not one of my favorite tracks, it is my favorite track. It's the perfect-sized track for a Cup race. The other short tracks we run--Bristol and Martinsville--they're cool in their own right, but there's a lot of congestion at those two tracks. But at Richmond, it just seems like that extra quarter-mile, and that three-quarter-mile shape and how wide the groove gets there, allows for good racing. It seems like we have to race ourselves and race the racetrack versus racing each other a lot of times. You do have to race each other, obviously, but there are a lot of times during the race when you have the flexibility to move around on the racetrack and try to find a spot your car likes better than somewhere else. A lot of times on a short track, you don't have the flexibility. You're more narrowed down with what groove you're going to be in. It is literally the favorite track of mine on the circuit." Tony Stewart

"I am so excited to be heading to Richmond this weekend representing the upcoming NASCAR Day. This is a great charity that all the members of our sport, as well as our fans, get to participate in. Hopefully our No. 36 Chevy will help to bring more awareness to the fans this weekend when we race under the lights." JJ Yeley

"I'm ready to roll into Richmond. I consider Richmond my home track with me being from southern Maryland and I would love nothing more than putting on a good show for my friends and family. We made leaps and bounds at Kansas Speedway and I'm looking to carry that speed right into Richmond. I thought the entire weekend at Kansas was phenomenal speed wise but a late race problem cut our day short. With the bad luck in the rear view mirror, I am looking for another strong showing on the short track of Richmond." Timmy Hill

Beth Lunkenheimer is a Managing Editor for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via email at beth.lunkenheimer@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Beth_Frntstrtch.

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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:


Four Burning Questions: Richmond - Can Tony Stewart Right The Ship?
by Matt Stallknecht

by Amy Henderson
by Jeff Meyer
by Tom Bowles
by Kevin Rutherford

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: The 1986 Miller High Life 400 at Richmond is best known for the infamous crash involving Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip that gifted Kyle Petty his first career victory.  While Kyle might have been the only guy to walk out of Richmond happy on February 23, 1986, Ricky Rudd was not so happy, having lasted only 17 laps.  What happened to him in those 17 laps?

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

Q: In 1989, Phoenix Racing earned their best-ever start in the Cup Series when Butch Miller qualified their No. 51 Chevrolet on the outside pole at Richmond.  However, the day ended terribly.  What happened?

A: Miller was still running a respectable tenth when he spun in Turn 4 and came to rest in the middle of the track.  Rick Wilson, driving the No. 4 Kodak Oldsmobile for Morgan-McClure Motorsports, ran square in the back of Miller essentially at speed after getting blocked out by Darrell Waltrip.  The result was a big fireball.  The crash can be seen here. Both Miller and Wilson exited their cars under their own power.  However, Wilson appeared to suffer a lower extremity injury in the crash.  He limped away from the car before members of his pit crew carried him over the pit wall.  Wilson still raced the next week at Dover, though.

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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Monday on the Frontstretch:

Thinkin' Out Loud: Toyota Owners 400 by Mike Neff
Mike is back with his overall thoughts from Saturday night's race from Richmond.

Commentary
by Summer Bedgood
Summer takes a look at one of the biggest stories to come out of Richmond.

Commentary by TBA
One of the Frontstretch Staff members will stop by with their thoughts on Saturday night's action from Richmond.

Big Six: Toyota Owners 400 by Amy Henderson
Amy has your weekly look at the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How from a weekend of racing at Richmond.

Pace Laps: Richmond Weekend by the Frontstretch Staff
It's back again this season! The staff gets together to help you catch up on the latest and greatest going on in each series coming out of a weekend at Richmond.

Nationwide Series Breakdown: Toyota Care 250 by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin has all the post-race analysis you need following Friday evening's Nationwide Series race from Richmond.
-----------------------------
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!

©2013 Frontstretch.com

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