THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 11th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition LV
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Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 11th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition LV
~~~~~~~~~~
Editor's Note: Yesterday's edition of "WTF Wednesday" about the NRA's sponsorship of Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway has received quite a lot of feedback from our readership. A few of our readers have asked if there will be an opportunity for a counterpoint to Ellen Richardson's opinion. The answer is yes. We are running a special second edition of Side by Side today where Richardson and Beth Lunkenheimer's viewpoints are presented. The piece can be viewed here.
What to Watch: Thursday
- Today, on-track activity is scheduled to start at Texas Motor Speedway. For the Sprint Cup Series, today will serve as an open test with no inspection. Cup cars will be running in two sessions from 1:00 - 3:00 PM CDT (2:00 - 4:00 PM EDT) and 3:30 - 5:00 PM CDT (4:30 - 6:00 PM EDT).
- The Nationwide Series will also have their opening practice session from 5:15-6:30 PM CDT (6:15 - 7:30 PM EDT). Neither the Sprint Cup or Nationwide sessions will be televised.
Top News
by Phil Allaway
2014 NASCAR Hall of Fame Nominees Announced
On Wednesday, the NASCAR Hall of Fame announced the 25 people that will be eligible for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame early next year in an announcement carried live on SPEED's NASCAR RaceHub and on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. As is more or less the norm, the 20 nominees from last year's voting who weren't inducted will get another crack. They are joined by five new candidates.
Those new candidates are as follows:
Dale Jarrett: 1999 Winston Cup Champion, won 32 races including three Daytona 500s (1993, 1996, 2000)
Maurice Petty: Master engine builder for Petty Enterprises. Built engines for the vast majority of Richard Petty's victories.
Larry Phillips: Won five NASCAR Weekly Series Titles, Midwestern short track racing legend with an unknown number of career victories.
O. Bruton Smith: Chairman and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Built Charlotte Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway, purchased Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway and Sonoma Raceway
Rex White: 1960 Grand National Champion, 28 career wins
2014 NASCAR Hall of Fame Returning Nominees
Red Byron: 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Champion
Richard Childress: Grand National/Winston Cup driver from 1969-1981. As a car owner, has won 101 races and six Sprint Cup championships
Jerry Cook: Six-time NASCAR Modified Champion, 342 career wins.
H. Clay Earles: Founder of Martinsville Speedway
Ray Fox: 14-time Grand National winner as a car owner, owned cars driven by David Pearson, Fred Lorenzen, Cale Yarborough, Buck Baker and others.
Tim Flock: Two-time Grand National Champion (1952, 1955). 39 career wins, record holder for most poles in a season (18).
Anne B. France: Wife of Bill France, Sr. Served as NASCAR's Secretary.
Rick Hendrick: NASCAR car owner from 1984-present. 212 Sprint Cup victories and ten Sprint Cup Championships.
Jack Ingram: Five-time NASCAR Champion (three Late Model Sportsman titles in the late 1970's, the 1982 Budweiser Late Model Championship and the 1985 Busch Grand National Title). 31 wins after February, 1982.
Bobby Isaac: 1970 Grand National Champion, won 37 races.
Fred Lorenzen: Two-time USAC Stock Car Champion, 26 Grand National wins, including the 1965 Daytona 500.
Raymond Parks: Championship-winning car owner for Red Byron in 1949.
Benny Parsons- 1973 Winston Cup Champion, won 21 races. Also worked in NASCAR TV as an analyst from 1984-2006.
Glenn "Fireball" Roberts: 33-time Grand National winner, including 1962 Daytona 500.
T. Wayne Robertson: Succeeded Ralph Seagraves as head of R.J. Reynolds' involvement in NASCAR.
Wendell Scott: Only African-American racer ever to win a Grand National race (Jacksonville, FL, December, 1963).
Ralph Seagraves: President of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's Special Event Operations, brought Winston to NASCAR as the title sponsor of the Winston Cup Series.
Curtis Turner: Helped to build Charlotte Motor Speedway with O. Bruton Smith, 17 career Grand National wins, including the 1956 Southern 500.
Joe Weatherly: Two-time Grand National champion (1962-1963), 25 career wins.
The 2014 finalists were selected by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, which is a 21-member panel. They consist of representatives of the NASCAR Hall of Fame (Winston Kelley and Buz McKim), NASCAR Officials (Brian France, Jim France, Mike Helton, Robin Pemberton, Steve O'Donnell, Jerry Cook, Paul Brooks and Ken Clapp) and Track Owners/Operators (Lesa France Kennedy (ISC CEO), Clay Campbell (Martinsville Speedway), Eddie Gossage (Texas Motor Speedway), Ed Clark (Atlanta Motor Speedway), Tony George (formerly of Indianapolis Motor Speedway), Denis McGlynn (Dover International Speedway), Looie McNally (Member of Pocono Raceway's Board of Directors), Dale Pinilis (Bowman-Gray Stadium), Jim and Barbara Cromarty (Riverhead Raceway, combined for one vote), Jody Deery (Rockford Speedway) and Robert Pressley (Kingsport Speedway).
From here, the 25 nominees go on to Voting Day. On May 22nd, the 54-member Voting Panel will meet at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and begin deliberations. The panel consists of the 21 members of the Nominating Committee, plus media members, retired competitors, manufacturer representatives and industry leaders. Once the hours of deliberations are complete, the 54 members will vote. Finally, the Fan Vote is once again in play. To vote, go to this link and click on one of the 25 nominees.
Mudsummer Classic Format Announced
On Tuesday, NASCAR officially announced the format for the Midsummer Classic, the first-ever race on dirt for the Camping World Truck Series. The race, which will be held on Wednesday, July 24 at Eldora Speedway, will be the first major NASCAR race held on dirt since 1970.
The format is as follows. Much of qualifying will actually be relatively similar to the Prelude to the Dream. Instead of 25 teams being guaranteed to start, only 20 will be. There will be one round of single-car qualifying for two laps around the half-mile oval. The results of qualifying will then set the starting order for five heat races, with the caveat being that each heat have four locked-in trucks.
These heat races will be eight laps in length (caution flag laps will not count). The top-5 finishers will automatically transfer to the feature and fill starting positions 1-25. The remaining teams will move on to the Last Chance Qualifier, a 15-lap race (caution laps will not count). The top-4 finishers there will take up positions 26-29 on the grid. The 30th starting spot will be taken by either a past champion not already in the field, or the fifth-place truck in the LCQ.
The race itself will be 150 laps, split up into three segments of 60, 50 and 40 laps. At the end of each segment, teams will be able to change tires and work on the trucks. As a result, the Mudsummer Classic will be the first Camping World Truck Series race with breaks for pit stops since 1998.
These heat races will be eight laps in length (caution flag laps will not count). The top-5 finishers will automatically transfer to the feature and fill starting positions 1-25. The remaining teams will move on to the Last Chance Qualifier, a 15-lap race (caution laps will not count). The top-4 finishers there will take up positions 26-29 on the grid. The 30th starting spot will be taken by either a past champion not already in the field, or the fifth-place truck in the LCQ.
The race itself will be 150 laps, split up into three segments of 60, 50 and 40 laps. At the end of each segment, teams will be able to change tires and work on the trucks. As a result, the Mudsummer Classic will be the first Camping World Truck Series race with breaks for pit stops since 1998.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series NRA 500: 45 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 11 - Brian Vickers for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 19 - Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 35 - Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports
No. 51 - Austin Dillon for Phoenix Racing
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR
Driver Changes:
No. 11 - Brian Vickers is in the seat, replacing Mark Martin. Vickers will sub in the Fed Ex Toyota for the remainder of the time Denny Hamlin is sidelined with his back injury.
No. 32 - Timmy Hill returns to the seat, replacing Ken Schrader. Hill is running a limited schedule with the team while pursuing the Rookie of The Year Award.
No. 51 - Austin Dillon returns to the seat, replacing Regan Smith. AJ Allmendinger was originally entered in the car but has been replaced by the funded rookie.
No. 55 - Mark Martin returns to the seat, replacing Brian Vickers. Martin returns to his original car to continue his limited schedule of about 24 races.
Drivers who must qualify on speed (top-36 or better):
No. 19 - Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 44 - Scott Riggs for Xxxtreme Motorsports
Nationwide Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 300: 46 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 4 - Landon Cassill for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller
No. 5 - Kasey Kahne for JR Motorsports
No. 18 - Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22 - Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 27 - Michael McDowell for SR2 Motorsports
No. 33 - Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 42 - JJ Yeley for The Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 47 - Scott Riggs for The Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 54 - Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports/Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 88 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 00 - Michael McDowell is in the seat, replacing Jason White.
No. 4 - Landon Cassill returns to the seat, replacing Daryl Harr. Cassill qualified the No. 4 for Harr at Fontana.
No. 5 - Kasey Kahne returns to the seat, replacing Brad Sweet.
No. 15 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Juan Carlos Blum.
No. 23 - Robert Richardson, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Carl Long.
No. 27 - Jason White is in the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
No. 33 - Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Dakoda Armstrong.
No. 70 - Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines.
No. 74 - Kevin Lepage returns to the seat, replacing Mike Harmon.
No. 79 - Jeffrey Earnhardt returns to the seat, replacing Paulie Harraka.
No. 86 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Kevin Lepage.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00 - Michael McDowell for SR2 Motorsports
No. 01 - Mike Wallace for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller
No. 4 - Landon Cassill for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller
No. 10 - Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)*
No. 16 - Chris Buescher for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 18 - Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 27 - Jason White for SR2 Motorsports*
No. 42 - JJ Yeley for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46 - Chase Miller for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 47 - Scott Riggs for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 52 - Joey Gase for Jimmy Means Motorsports
No. 55 - Jamie Dick for Viva Motorsports
No. 70 - Johanna Long for ML Motorsports
No. 86 - Unknown driver for Deware Motorsports
No. 88 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports (Has second crack at the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 98 - Kevin Swindell for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200: 42 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19 - Joey Logano for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 30 - Kyle Larson for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 35 - Charles Lewandoski for Young's Motorsports
No. 92 - Clay Rogers for RBR Enterprises
No. 93 - Kenny Habul for RSS Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 07 - Chris Cockrum returns to the seat, replacing Grant Galloway.
No. 0 - Scott Saunders is in the seat, replacing Blake Koch. If Saunders qualifies, he will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 6 - Justin Lofton returns to the seat, replacing Devin Jones.
No. 19 - Joey Logano is in the seat, replacing Ross Chastain.
No. 30 - Kyle Larson returns to the seat, replacing Nelson Piquet, Jr. (The No. 30 this season is the No. 4 from 2012)
No. 84 - Chris Fontaine returns to the seat, replacing Robert Bruce.
No. 92 - Clay Rogers returns to the seat, replacing Scott Riggs.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 02 - Tyler Young for Young's Motorsports
No. 0 - Scott Saunders for JJC Racing*
No. 5 - Tim George, Jr. for Wauters Motorsports
No. 9 - Ron Hornaday, Jr. for NTS Motorsports (Has second crack at the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 13 - Todd Bodine for ThorSport Racing (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 19 - Joey Logano for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 21 - Spencer Gallagher for Gallagher Motorsports. If he qualifies, this will be Gallagher's Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 28 - Andy Seuss for FDNY Racing. If Seuss qualifies on speed, this will be his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 30 - Kyle Larson for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 35 - Charles Lewandoski for Young's Motorsports. If Lewandoski qualifies on speed, it will be his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 51 - Erik Jones for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 52 - Tyler Reddick for Ken Schrader Racing. If Reddick qualifies, it will be his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 54 - Darrell Wallace, Jr. for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 68 - Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Racing
No. 75 - Caleb Holman for Henderson Motorsports
No. 77 - German Quiroga for Red Horse Racing
No. 92 - Clay Rogers for RBR Enterprises
No. 94 - Chase Elliott for Hendrick Motorsports
*- Likely to Start-and-Park
Entered, but Already Withdrawn:
No. 24 - Kevin Harvick for NTS Motorsports. NTS Motorsports released a statement that said that the team's entry was an error and that they never intended to field the No. 24 at Rockingham.
No. 24 - Kevin Harvick for NTS Motorsports. NTS Motorsports released a statement that said that the team's entry was an error and that they never intended to field the No. 24 at Rockingham.
Not Entered:
No. 1 - Jonathan Davenport for Rick Ware Racing/MAKE Motorsports
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
NASCAR Hall of Fame Thoughts and NRA Sponsorship Defense
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
The 2014 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame were announced Wednesday in Charlotte, NC. It is the fourth year that the Hall will be inducting members, which means of the 25 names announced yesterday that there will be many left out in the cold for a second – or even fourth time. Which brings to the surface the real issue with the HOF process: Too few people being inducted at a critical juncture.
NASCAR is a unique sport in that many of our stars and who helped build the foundation of the sport are still alive. That being said, why are the pioneers of the sport being left to languish and only five people being brought in at a time? It's pretty silly that Lee Petty had to wait two years to get in the Hall of Fame, and that Cotton Owens sadly was unable to hold on long enough to be able to make it to his induction ceremony. This year we continue to see familiar names on the list: Tim Flock, Glenn "Fireball" Roberts, Curtis Turner, Red Byron, Ray Fox… seriously?
No offense to Rusty Wallace, but do we really need to be inducting guys right now that are only a few years removed from competition and in good health?
NASCAR really needed to be inducting ten people a year to help build the base for which to build the Hall around, and that would allow future inductees to complement the existing structure. NASCAR has a rich history of drivers, owners, crew chiefs, mechanics, marketing personnel, and media members – and that is just at the Cup level. The other divisions – Nationwide (i.e., Grand National, Sportsman, etc.), Modified, and one Series that could be considered an omission so far – the Truck Series. There is a fine line to balance, however, as NASCAR is unique in that many of its participants don't hang it up when they hit 40 – they're able to compete well into their 50's. (Or, in the case of Morgan Shepherd and James Hylton, their 70's.)
There will come a point when the classes are a bit thin, but right now we should be focusing on those who built the sport, and are still able to tell the stories and have their faces, voices, and presence known while they are still able to.
With that said, my class of 2014 is pretty straight forward: Curtis Turner, "Fireball" Roberts, Benny Parsons, Tim Flock, and Maurice Petty.
Curtis Turner was a character and the thing of legend – a lumber baron turned driver, turned track owner. You can thank him and a 4" Smith & Wesson K-Frame for the Charlotte Motor Speedway being built. Fireball Roberts was NASCAR's first superstar, and original super speedway master – even though his nickname had more to do with his pitching prowess than speed. It was injuries sustained in a horrific fiery crash at Charlotte in 1964 that initiated the first steps toward fire safety in NASCAR – fire retardant suits, fuel cells, and fire suppression systems, archaic as they were, can be attributed to the passing of Roberts.
Benny Parsons gets in by winning a Championship (1973), a Daytona 500 (1975), and perhaps more so his work as an analyst for over 20 years with ESPN and NBC. Try to find anybody who has a negative thing to say about BP – not possible. Tim Flock was another early pioneer whose 9.5 finish average ranks second only to Herb Thomas, won two championships (1952, 1955) and also has the distinction of having raced with a monkey on-board – Jocko Flocko – and won. Flock and Turner, however were long blacklisted by NASCAR. Turner got the axe for attempting to form a Driver's Union… Flock for supporting it.
As for Maurice Petty – "Morris," as his brother Richard would say – his record speaks for itself. Chief was the mechanical mastermind behind the majority of those 200 wins, as well as some of his father's later victories. Keep in mind that he, too sat idle during the 1965 season when NASCAR outlawed Chrysler's 426 Hemi until it was a regular production option. Another year of wrenching and competing and the stats would be even more gaudy and dominating for both he and his brother. As it stands, he was the engine builder for all seven of Richard Petty's championships – including that one in 1979 when they switched from Mopars to Chevrolets and Oldsmobiles.
Some have countered that Ray Evernham should be nominated if Maurice Petty was, as well as Smokey Yunick. Both should be in the Hall of Fame as well – and I believe one day they will. However, Ray is still a relatively young man, and Smokey has since passed. Again, this brings into the issue with establishing the foundation first with those who built the ground for the sport that we are, in some ways, in the process of rebuilding after a rough few years.
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We had quite a response to our Wednesday newsletter piece penned by Ellen Richardson. Editor's Note: At the bottom of today's Newsletter, there are some of the responses from readers to Wednesday's piece by Ellen. While many wish to eschew the topic due to its political nature, I feel it's one that deserves some frank discussion as it transcends politics, as it is woven into the fabric our nation, our daily lives, and well-being.
As I wrote a few weeks back, the NRA's sponsorship of the event is innocuous at best. They aren't promoting bringing weapons into the track, or setting up something outside the track where you can create your own Victory Lane celebration, cracking off rounds into the air wearing a ten-gallon hat. After reading some of the comments received, I began to wonder if some people thought that The Onion really was a legitimate news source, after I referenced their article last week regarding Denny Hamlin's "broke spine bone."
If anything, it is a bit ironic where most of the anti-gun sentiment and legislation has originated from in recent years. The NRA was originally established to ensure that after the Civil War, that those of us in northern states could actually safely handle and shoot effectively. Many were unprepared and not competent with a rifle, and despite having more material and manpower, nearly lost the republic to superior riflemen.
During World War II, the NRA offered its shooting ranges to the government, helped collect thousands of rifles to supply to the British to repel a feared Nazi invasion, as well as coordinated with U.S. industries to establish security and safety protocols. Today, the NRA works closely with law enforcement to train officers in the safe and effective use of their duty pistols. Having worked as a reserve Sheriff's deputy, I can attest to the benefit of these programs, particularly for those who have never held a weapon before.
So for those that have stated they aren't going to watch the race because the NRA is sponsoring it Saturday night, try actually taking a look at what they actually promote and endorse for yourself, as well as the opinion of somebody who has actually worked alongside law enforcement, and can speak to the benefits of the programs that they promote.
Besides, when something does go wrong and you need help, who do you place a call to – the guys and gals without guns?
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: Porsche 250
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. Last week, while the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series were both racing in Ridgeway, Virginia, there was a tripleheader at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Now, I've already covered NBC Sports Network's telecast of the Izod IndyCar Series race from Sunday afternoon. That was pretty good. On Saturday afternoon, Grand-Am's Rolex Sports Car Series took center stage.
However, before we start, SPEED made an announcement just last week pertaining to their Rolex Series coverage. They have announced the addition of Darren Law to their on-air crew as a pit reporter starting at the next round at Road Atlanta. According to SPEED's press release, Law's function on the Rolex Series and CTSCC broadcasts will be to cover half of the pit lane, interview drivers and team members, and provide insight based on his own perspective and experience.
Based on the release, Law's addition to the roster might just be a one-off. Although it doesn't actually say in the article, Grand-Am's Road Atlanta round is the only conflict on the schedule between ALMS and Grand-Am. Brian Till, who normally serves as a pit reporter on Grand-Am telecasts, will be in Long Beach to work on ESPN's ALMS broadcast, which is currently scheduled to air via tape delay on ABC on April 21st (John Hindhaugh and Jeremy West will provide commentary for ESPN3's live coverage via password-protected streaming).
Up until the end of last season, Law was a regular in the Daytona Prototype class, driving for Brumos Racing and later Action Express Racing. He competed in this year's Rolex 24 at Daytona for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, where he finished seventh, 14 laps down. With that said, onto the critique.
As many of you are aware of, SPEED's airing of the Barrett-Jackson Auction from Palm Beach, FL played havoc with basically everything SPEED was scheduled to air last weekend. No offense, but these auctions just do not appeal to me. I don't have a problem with the one at WestWorld in Scottsdale, AZ. That doesn't conflict with anything other than the latest Dumbest Stuff on Wheels marathon. Here, it drives me nuts.
Mike Joy and Bob Varsha are regular participants in the Barrett-Jackson broadcasts, and thus spent time out at the auction. That is why Rick Allen did play-by-play for Sprint Cup Qualifying on Friday. Varsha took over Joy's hosting duties for Saturday in Palm Beach. That created a conflict since Varsha is the play-by-play man for SPEED's Grand-Am coverage. What did they do? They had Calvin Fish move over from the analyst's chair to the play-by-play role. Tommy Kendall, who has more TV experience than you'd think, was tapped as the replacement analyst in the booth.
Also of note, the auction bumped the race from a live broadcast, which is so annoying, especially with Twitter around. The race rolled off at approximately 12:45pm local time on Saturday (the CTSCC race followed at 4:00 pm). However, due to the auction, the race was not scheduled to air until 5:30pm EDT on Sunday. Due to the STP Gas Booster 500 at Martinsville running long, the telecast didn't even start until 5:55.
The telecast started off with a look at the big stories in the Daytona Prototype and Grand Touring classes coming out of Austin. There was also a brief interview with Andy Lally, who was nudged off the road late in the race and lost his chance to win because of it. There was no video shown of the bump during the Austin race (mainly because SPEED didn't have any) but Magnus Racing provided SPEED with the proof.
Likely the biggest TV story out of the telecast was Fish's debut as a play-by-play man. It appears that his strategy from the broadcast was to mainly use the knowledge that he has from the years spent covering the series, translating that knowledge into commentary. The result was actually not bad. Fish was probably the best choice out of SPEED's existing Grand-Am commentators to sub for Varsha.
The telecast seemed to be more focused on the Daytona Prototype class, especially earlier in the event. While yes, the Daytona Prototypes are the top class in the Rolex Series, they don't usually get the amount of focus that they received on Saturday. I was quite lost as to what was going on in GT and GX for most of the race. That's a shame.
I'm fairly convinced that the high focus on the Daytona Prototype class was one of the reasons why there was absolutely no footage of Michael Marsal's crash into the Armco barrier. All we know about the crash is that Marsal radioed to his crew and claimed that he spun into the Armco after being hit by a Daytona Prototype. We did get aftermath footage, but nothing else. That's not so good. I don't blame Fish for that, but I'd argue that it was a production decision.
Post-race content was typical for a Rolex Series race. There were checks of the unofficial results for the Daytona Prototype, GT and GX classes. There were also interviews with the winning Daytona Prototype (Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli) and GT (Robin Liddell and John Edwards) drivers, along with the Daytona Prototype runner-ups (Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney). There were also checks of the point standings before SPEED left the air.
Overall, I didn't really enjoy the race telecast as much as I typically do. It wasn't Fish's fault, as I thought he did just fine for his debut in the play-by-play role. Kendall, who has worked in the broadcast booth before on Grand-Am races (he usually shows up to do the Rolex 24 at Daytona) was interesting to listen to. There was also a fair amount of interplay between him and Dorsey Schroeder, who were longtime adversaries on-track in IMSA and Trans-Am in the 1980s and 1990s.
My issues lay in how the race was covered. It was a lot more restrictive than normal, and I just didn't like the feel. Even though the race aired as if it was happening in real time, it still seemed tape delayed. That's just not the feel I want.
I hope you enjoyed this look at the Porsche 250. Next week, we'll be back with another interesting telecast to break down and take a look at. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Texas, Rockingham and Shanghai.
The Critic's Annex: Porsche 250
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. Last week, while the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series were both racing in Ridgeway, Virginia, there was a tripleheader at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Now, I've already covered NBC Sports Network's telecast of the Izod IndyCar Series race from Sunday afternoon. That was pretty good. On Saturday afternoon, Grand-Am's Rolex Sports Car Series took center stage.
However, before we start, SPEED made an announcement just last week pertaining to their Rolex Series coverage. They have announced the addition of Darren Law to their on-air crew as a pit reporter starting at the next round at Road Atlanta. According to SPEED's press release, Law's function on the Rolex Series and CTSCC broadcasts will be to cover half of the pit lane, interview drivers and team members, and provide insight based on his own perspective and experience.
Based on the release, Law's addition to the roster might just be a one-off. Although it doesn't actually say in the article, Grand-Am's Road Atlanta round is the only conflict on the schedule between ALMS and Grand-Am. Brian Till, who normally serves as a pit reporter on Grand-Am telecasts, will be in Long Beach to work on ESPN's ALMS broadcast, which is currently scheduled to air via tape delay on ABC on April 21st (John Hindhaugh and Jeremy West will provide commentary for ESPN3's live coverage via password-protected streaming).
Up until the end of last season, Law was a regular in the Daytona Prototype class, driving for Brumos Racing and later Action Express Racing. He competed in this year's Rolex 24 at Daytona for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, where he finished seventh, 14 laps down. With that said, onto the critique.
As many of you are aware of, SPEED's airing of the Barrett-Jackson Auction from Palm Beach, FL played havoc with basically everything SPEED was scheduled to air last weekend. No offense, but these auctions just do not appeal to me. I don't have a problem with the one at WestWorld in Scottsdale, AZ. That doesn't conflict with anything other than the latest Dumbest Stuff on Wheels marathon. Here, it drives me nuts.
Mike Joy and Bob Varsha are regular participants in the Barrett-Jackson broadcasts, and thus spent time out at the auction. That is why Rick Allen did play-by-play for Sprint Cup Qualifying on Friday. Varsha took over Joy's hosting duties for Saturday in Palm Beach. That created a conflict since Varsha is the play-by-play man for SPEED's Grand-Am coverage. What did they do? They had Calvin Fish move over from the analyst's chair to the play-by-play role. Tommy Kendall, who has more TV experience than you'd think, was tapped as the replacement analyst in the booth.
Also of note, the auction bumped the race from a live broadcast, which is so annoying, especially with Twitter around. The race rolled off at approximately 12:45pm local time on Saturday (the CTSCC race followed at 4:00 pm). However, due to the auction, the race was not scheduled to air until 5:30pm EDT on Sunday. Due to the STP Gas Booster 500 at Martinsville running long, the telecast didn't even start until 5:55.
The telecast started off with a look at the big stories in the Daytona Prototype and Grand Touring classes coming out of Austin. There was also a brief interview with Andy Lally, who was nudged off the road late in the race and lost his chance to win because of it. There was no video shown of the bump during the Austin race (mainly because SPEED didn't have any) but Magnus Racing provided SPEED with the proof.
Likely the biggest TV story out of the telecast was Fish's debut as a play-by-play man. It appears that his strategy from the broadcast was to mainly use the knowledge that he has from the years spent covering the series, translating that knowledge into commentary. The result was actually not bad. Fish was probably the best choice out of SPEED's existing Grand-Am commentators to sub for Varsha.
The telecast seemed to be more focused on the Daytona Prototype class, especially earlier in the event. While yes, the Daytona Prototypes are the top class in the Rolex Series, they don't usually get the amount of focus that they received on Saturday. I was quite lost as to what was going on in GT and GX for most of the race. That's a shame.
I'm fairly convinced that the high focus on the Daytona Prototype class was one of the reasons why there was absolutely no footage of Michael Marsal's crash into the Armco barrier. All we know about the crash is that Marsal radioed to his crew and claimed that he spun into the Armco after being hit by a Daytona Prototype. We did get aftermath footage, but nothing else. That's not so good. I don't blame Fish for that, but I'd argue that it was a production decision.
Post-race content was typical for a Rolex Series race. There were checks of the unofficial results for the Daytona Prototype, GT and GX classes. There were also interviews with the winning Daytona Prototype (Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli) and GT (Robin Liddell and John Edwards) drivers, along with the Daytona Prototype runner-ups (Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney). There were also checks of the point standings before SPEED left the air.
Overall, I didn't really enjoy the race telecast as much as I typically do. It wasn't Fish's fault, as I thought he did just fine for his debut in the play-by-play role. Kendall, who has worked in the broadcast booth before on Grand-Am races (he usually shows up to do the Rolex 24 at Daytona) was interesting to listen to. There was also a fair amount of interplay between him and Dorsey Schroeder, who were longtime adversaries on-track in IMSA and Trans-Am in the 1980s and 1990s.
My issues lay in how the race was covered. It was a lot more restrictive than normal, and I just didn't like the feel. Even though the race aired as if it was happening in real time, it still seemed tape delayed. That's just not the feel I want.
I hope you enjoyed this look at the Porsche 250. Next week, we'll be back with another interesting telecast to break down and take a look at. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Texas, Rockingham and Shanghai.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond the Cockpit: Casey Mears On The Best He's Ever Been, Helmets, & Real Horsepower
"The first time I had to do that was probably one of the hardest things I ever did. I mean, I grasped the concept. I understood that as a whole, it was better for our team and for our program, but the first time I ever did that, I just thought, 'What am I doing? What are we doing here?'" - Casey Mears, on being forced to start-and-park due to lack of funding.
~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond the Cockpit: Casey Mears On The Best He's Ever Been, Helmets, & Real Horsepower
"The first time I had to do that was probably one of the hardest things I ever did. I mean, I grasped the concept. I understood that as a whole, it was better for our team and for our program, but the first time I ever did that, I just thought, 'What am I doing? What are we doing here?'" - Casey Mears, on being forced to start-and-park due to lack of funding.
~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Ellen Richardson and Beth Lunkenheimer
NASCAR Fanmail Frenzy: Hall of Fame Nominee Reactionby Summer Bedgood
Fantasy Insider: Finding Love In The Lone Star State
by Jeff Wolfe
Truckin' Thursdays: Crafton Set to Break Record at Rockingham
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Tech Talk: Darian Grubb Sizes Up Substitutes And Texas-Sized Concerns
by Mike Neff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Late in the inaugural Interstate Batteries 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, Todd Bodine was leading the race while driving in relief of Ricky Craven (Craven was injured in a practice crash). Bodine was in position to claim the win, but it wasn't meant to be. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: In 1998, Texas Motor Speedway had issues in Turns 1 and 2. What were they, and did they adversely affect anyone?
A: There was a very unusual water seepage problem that occurred during Pole Qualifying on Friday afternoon, the result of heavy rains leading up to the race. The seepage occurred roughly where the current bumps are in Turns 1 and 2. Derrike Cope and Lake Speed crashed during qualifying because of the track default. Cope ended up failing to qualify due to the crash.After the race, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. announced a renovation of the track that ditched the original two tracks in one design once and for all. The renovation cost well over $100 million.
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 Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Frontstretch Folio: Texas Motor Speedway by Beth 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: Texas by Matt Stallknecht
Matt gets your engines revved up for 2013 with a preview of this weekend's NRA 500.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with a look at some of the smaller teams in the Sprint Cup Series and their struggles to compete on the highest levels of the sport.
Nuts For Nationwide by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin has another interesting look at the series ahead of tomorrow night's O'Reilly Auto Parts 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 No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet returns to talk about the last month on and off the track.
-----------------------------
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! Note that comments that are published here may be edited. This is not done to change opinions in any way whatsoever. Instead, it is done for clarity purposes and to correct spelling.
Linda Coleman writes:
I love to watch my races!! It is my Sunday. My husband tells all that I belong to the church of NASCAR! If our grandchildren are here during the race, I have to record the race because if something happens to Dale Jr., the really
bad words come flying out of my mouth! So as you might guess, I will miss watching the Texas race, but that is all I can do, I don't have any money to give to anyone now, and lord knows NRA has a bunch, so I will do the only thing I can, and not watch the race, nor record it. I'll so miss it though. Good Luck Jr.!!
Karl writes:
I appreciate you point of view but why cannot NRA sponsor a race as well as a number of other NFP corporations? We need to be acutely aware of the way the Federal Government is taking away our rights. They say; "oh no one wants to take away your guns!" Don't believe it. What they mean is "we don't have the power to take away your guns; right now!" If they could, believe me, they would.. Handguns cause the most deaths by far and they are high on the list to be banned...
Wally Shiffett writes:
©2013 Frontstretch.com
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! Note that comments that are published here may be edited. This is not done to change opinions in any way whatsoever. Instead, it is done for clarity purposes and to correct spelling.
Linda Coleman writes:
I love to watch my races!! It is my Sunday. My husband tells all that I belong to the church of NASCAR! If our grandchildren are here during the race, I have to record the race because if something happens to Dale Jr., the really
bad words come flying out of my mouth! So as you might guess, I will miss watching the Texas race, but that is all I can do, I don't have any money to give to anyone now, and lord knows NRA has a bunch, so I will do the only thing I can, and not watch the race, nor record it. I'll so miss it though. Good Luck Jr.!!
Karl writes:
I appreciate you point of view but why cannot NRA sponsor a race as well as a number of other NFP corporations? We need to be acutely aware of the way the Federal Government is taking away our rights. They say; "oh no one wants to take away your guns!" Don't believe it. What they mean is "we don't have the power to take away your guns; right now!" If they could, believe me, they would.. Handguns cause the most deaths by far and they are high on the list to be banned...
Thanks for listening and don't be confused!
Joe Tinney writes:
Without the NRA we wouldn't have any guns ( re; Gander Mountain). I'm 77 and have seen them save us for many years. Please quit analyzing and be happy with the much needed sponsorship.
Without the NRA we wouldn't have any guns ( re; Gander Mountain). I'm 77 and have seen them save us for many years. Please quit analyzing and be happy with the much needed sponsorship.
Wally Shiffett writes:
Yours is one point of view. But what about what has been, from its start, the fan base of NASCAR? Quite honestly, I believe that in the last ten years, our sport has been pandering to the pop-culture; looking for acceptance from the "global-warming, cosmopolitan, anti-good ole boy elitists" that continually bash and find fault with the patriotic, free-market and faith-based heritage that is so well represented in the NASCAR world.
That's not to say that hailing from moon-shining, heat-packing, flag-waving roots is a litmus test that all fans must pass. But our sport does have this healthy respect for where it came from.
Not being a NRA member or even a gun owner at this time, I only see the Texas race's sponsor as a customer that the promoters believe fairly matches the demographics of their customers. Beyond that, it's a business decision, not a political statement.
I respect your opinion. I hope you respect mine.
David Lee writes:
Ellen Richardson, I don't think you've got your head in the sand, but where you do have it is dark and smelly. Your commentary in today's issue of the Frontstretch Newsletter is total crap. If you don't think Obama and his bunch of zombies in Washington, D.C. are out to take away guns in this country, then either you are not paying attention or you, too, are a member of the walking dead. The NRA has every right to sponsor this race to get its message out against the onslaught of the liberal news stories that are out there. I'm proud of them for sponsoring it, and I'll probably join the NRA when I get to the track on Saturday. The way the news is reported today, one must think that these guns just get up and start firing, just like cars start slamming into each other. Both are inanimate objects, controlled by people. I have never been so mad after reading an article on Frontstretch. I watch NASCAR and read related stories to get away from the madness going on in this world, and I don't want to read your political opinions. Keep your commentary to NASCAR, and I'll keep reading.
Ellen Richardson, I don't think you've got your head in the sand, but where you do have it is dark and smelly. Your commentary in today's issue of the Frontstretch Newsletter is total crap. If you don't think Obama and his bunch of zombies in Washington, D.C. are out to take away guns in this country, then either you are not paying attention or you, too, are a member of the walking dead. The NRA has every right to sponsor this race to get its message out against the onslaught of the liberal news stories that are out there. I'm proud of them for sponsoring it, and I'll probably join the NRA when I get to the track on Saturday. The way the news is reported today, one must think that these guns just get up and start firing, just like cars start slamming into each other. Both are inanimate objects, controlled by people. I have never been so mad after reading an article on Frontstretch. I watch NASCAR and read related stories to get away from the madness going on in this world, and I don't want to read your political opinions. Keep your commentary to NASCAR, and I'll keep reading.
John Saunders writes:
My opinion is just totally different from yours. I carry a weapon everyday. Many people in this state do!! If you people want gun control in your state, go for it. It will never pass in KY. Don't try to force a federal law on me and the rest of this state.....I am disappointed that NRA would waste that sponsorship money on such narrow mined people!! I am slowly coming to the conclusion nascrap fans and writers are not too bright. I read this newsletter for racing NEWS, NOT your opinions.
My opinion is just totally different from yours. I carry a weapon everyday. Many people in this state do!! If you people want gun control in your state, go for it. It will never pass in KY. Don't try to force a federal law on me and the rest of this state.....I am disappointed that NRA would waste that sponsorship money on such narrow mined people!! I am slowly coming to the conclusion nascrap fans and writers are not too bright. I read this newsletter for racing NEWS, NOT your opinions.
©2013 Frontstretch.com
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