THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 4th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition L
~~~~~~~~~~
What to Watch: Thursday
- Late tonight, Formula One's second race weekend of the season will get underway in Malaysia. Opening practice will not be televised, but Free Practice No. 2 will be covered starting at 2am late Thursday night/early Friday morning on the NBC Sports Network.
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Hamlin Still None Too Pleased With Logano, Desires Richmond Comeback
On Tuesday, ESPN aired a sit-down interview with Joey Logano, where he stated that he was sick of being everyone's pin cushion and was not going to hold back. He also stated that the crash in Fontana on the last lap of the Auto Club 400 was not intentional and that he had zero intention to injure Hamlin.
Denny Hamlin doesn't necessarily believe that statement.
On Wednesday, Hamlin talked to the media for the first time since his wreck back on March 24th. ESPN's Marty Smith showed Hamlin footage of Logano's interview on a laptop and simply asked him to respond. He pulled no punches.
"In my opinion, there was no doubt that [Logano] intended to run into us," Hamlin told Smith. "It was not 'I just made a mistake,' because he kept throttling until he finally ran into us. I'm not going to sit here and say that his intent was to hurt us and take us out of our season and wreck us, but it was to ensure we were not going to win that race. He's got to deal with the reprecussions of that when we race each other again."
Ultimately, what angered Hamlin the most was Logano's notion that the COT and Gen-6 have made drivers invincible.
"That is taking for granted what we do is just, that we're superman and we can't be hurt," Hamlin said. "That's why people don't wreck each other on 200 mile-per-hour racetracks, because this is what can happen. You've got to think about that as a driver. You can't just throw caution to the wind. Because no one's gotten killed in years, it's OK to just wreck someone at 200? It's not OK, because I have a daughter now. I'd like to do things with her when I get older. Don't take my health for granted just because you want to retaliate."
For now, Hamlin is wearing this carbon fiber back brace for the foreseeable future. He hopes that in the best-case scenario, the lightweight brace will allow him to heal quick enough to be able to return for Richmond in three weeks. That particular weekend is huge for Hamlin. Not only is Richmond one of his best tracks, it is his home track, located just 15 minutes from Midlothian, where he grew up. Hamlin also hosts the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway during the weekend.
Hamlin, who was still suffering from shortness of breath while talking to Smith, still believes that he could drive this weekend. However, he has to take his recovery one day at a time.
"I ask the doctor every time I see him, every other day, 'Are you sure I can't get in the car?'," Hamlin said. "Because, at this point, I feel like I could get in my car right now at Martinsville and win the race. I really feel like I could."
In the past, Hamlin might have been able to do just that. He could have gone out of his way to stay away from physicians who might bar him from driving, or disregarded their advice. There are plenty of examples of such decisions in NASCAR history. Now, Hamlin has to play the waiting game until his injuries heal to the point where Dr. Petty is comfortable with clearing him to return to the No. 11.
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 4th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition L
~~~~~~~~~~
What to Watch: Thursday
- Late tonight, Formula One's second race weekend of the season will get underway in Malaysia. Opening practice will not be televised, but Free Practice No. 2 will be covered starting at 2am late Thursday night/early Friday morning on the NBC Sports Network.
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Hamlin Still None Too Pleased With Logano, Desires Richmond Comeback
On Tuesday, ESPN aired a sit-down interview with Joey Logano, where he stated that he was sick of being everyone's pin cushion and was not going to hold back. He also stated that the crash in Fontana on the last lap of the Auto Club 400 was not intentional and that he had zero intention to injure Hamlin.
Denny Hamlin doesn't necessarily believe that statement.
On Wednesday, Hamlin talked to the media for the first time since his wreck back on March 24th. ESPN's Marty Smith showed Hamlin footage of Logano's interview on a laptop and simply asked him to respond. He pulled no punches.
"In my opinion, there was no doubt that [Logano] intended to run into us," Hamlin told Smith. "It was not 'I just made a mistake,' because he kept throttling until he finally ran into us. I'm not going to sit here and say that his intent was to hurt us and take us out of our season and wreck us, but it was to ensure we were not going to win that race. He's got to deal with the reprecussions of that when we race each other again."
Ultimately, what angered Hamlin the most was Logano's notion that the COT and Gen-6 have made drivers invincible.
"That is taking for granted what we do is just, that we're superman and we can't be hurt," Hamlin said. "That's why people don't wreck each other on 200 mile-per-hour racetracks, because this is what can happen. You've got to think about that as a driver. You can't just throw caution to the wind. Because no one's gotten killed in years, it's OK to just wreck someone at 200? It's not OK, because I have a daughter now. I'd like to do things with her when I get older. Don't take my health for granted just because you want to retaliate."
For now, Hamlin is wearing this carbon fiber back brace for the foreseeable future. He hopes that in the best-case scenario, the lightweight brace will allow him to heal quick enough to be able to return for Richmond in three weeks. That particular weekend is huge for Hamlin. Not only is Richmond one of his best tracks, it is his home track, located just 15 minutes from Midlothian, where he grew up. Hamlin also hosts the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway during the weekend.
Hamlin, who was still suffering from shortness of breath while talking to Smith, still believes that he could drive this weekend. However, he has to take his recovery one day at a time.
"I ask the doctor every time I see him, every other day, 'Are you sure I can't get in the car?'," Hamlin said. "Because, at this point, I feel like I could get in my car right now at Martinsville and win the race. I really feel like I could."
In the past, Hamlin might have been able to do just that. He could have gone out of his way to stay away from physicians who might bar him from driving, or disregarded their advice. There are plenty of examples of such decisions in NASCAR history. Now, Hamlin has to play the waiting game until his injuries heal to the point where Dr. Petty is comfortable with clearing him to return to the No. 11.
See The Marty Smith Interviews: Hamlin
Mayfield Fails to have Search Warrant Invalidated
On Wednesday, former Sprint Cup owner/driver Jeremy Mayfield was back in Catawba County Court after filing a motion to have the search warrant that was executed on his former property in 2011. The County Court rejected the motion, which allows for the basis for most of the charges that Mayfield is facing to stand. As a result, Mayfield is still likely to go to trial on possession of stolen goods charges, methamphetamine possession, and other charges.
According to WBTV, Catawba County Sheriff's Lieutenant Aaron Turk obtained the search warrant after speaking with an informant, later identified as John Franklin. This is the same John Franklin who died last year in a motorcycle crash while fleeing from police. Franklin's death led to a number of charges against Mayfield being dismissed due to the star witness dying.
Mayfield's attorneys argued that as a convicted felon who was still committing illegal acts while helping the police, Franklin was an unsuitable informant. As a result, Turk should have found someone else to corroborate Franklin's statements before seeking a search warrant.
There is currently no set date for Mayfield's case to come to trial. However, that date should be set within a matter of weeks.
Gander Mountain to Sponsor Clint Bowyer at Texas
On Wednesday, Michael Waltrip Racing announced that Gander Mountain, a chain of outdoor specialty stores, will serve as the primary sponsor on Clint Bowyer's No. 15 Toyota in the NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 13th. In addition, Bowyer will carry a special gun safety message on the hood of his car. That message states, "With Rights Comes Responsibility; Secure Your Firearms," referencing the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Bowyer is very happy to have Gander Mountain onboard for Texas.
"Anyone who knows me knows I love to hunt and be outdoors," Bowyer said. "I'm partnering with Gander Mountain because we both believe that with rights, comes responsibility. Most people think they are responsible firearm owners, but we want to make sure that when firearms are stored, they are secured and locked up - meaning with gun safes and trigger locks."
The sponsorship is tied into a firearm responsibility campaign that Gander Mountain is launching on Friday. There will be links on Gander Mountain's website to a responsibility pledge for safe gun ownership and the company will strongly encourage accountability of gun owners.
"As a leading outdoors retailer, Gander Mountain is committed to the mandate of responsible firearms ownership and the importance of guarding against firearms getting into the hands of the underaged, untrained and unauthorized," said Steve Uline, Gander Mountain's Executive Vice President of Marketing. "We believe that with rights comes responsibility. For existing firearms owners and those considering becoming an owner, personal responsibility is paramount. Even in the case of owners who understand the importance of responsibility, everyone should take the opportunity to revisit the security of their firearms."
For Gander Mountain, this will not be their first time sponsoring a Sprint Cup team. Previously, Gander Mountain sponsored the short-lived Stavola-Labonte Racing team back in 2010. In addition, they have also sponsored cars fielded by Front Row Motorsports.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change up to race time.
Sprint Cup Series STP Gas Booster 500: 44 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 35- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports
No. 51- Regan Smith for Phoenix Racing
No. 55- Brian Vickers for Michael Waltrip Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR
Driver Changes:
No. 11- Mark Martin is in the seat, replacing Denny Hamlin.
No. 32- Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing Timmy Hill.
No. 51- Regan Smith returns to the seat, replacing AJ Allmendinger.
No. 55- Brian Vickers returns to the seat, replacing Mark Martin.
Drivers who must qualify on speed (meaning qualify in the top-36):
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250: 40 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 24- Kevin Harvick for NTS Motorsports
No. 30- Nelson Piquet for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 92- Scott Riggs for RBR Enterprises
No. 93- Kenny Habul for RSS Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 07- Grant Galloway is in the seat, replacing Chris Cockrum. This will be Galloway's Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 1- Jonathan Davenport will be in the seat, replacing Dusty Davis. If Davenport qualifies on speed, it will be his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 6- Devin Jones will be in the seat, replacing Justin Lofton. Lofton will be in Phoenix for the first race of Robby Gordon's Stadium Super Trucks. This will be Jones' Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 30- Nelson Piquet, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Truex.
No. 50- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Rick Crawford. Jonathan Davenport was originally entered in this truck. Due to the apparent partnership between MAKE Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing (as of yet, unannounced), this entry may be withdrawn.
No. 51- Erik Jones is in the seat, replacing Kyle Busch. This will be Jones' Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 93- Kenny Habul is in the seat, replacing Jason White. This will be Habul's Camping World Truck Series debut.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 1- Jonathan Davenport for Rick Ware Racing/MAKE Motorsports
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- Ross Chastain for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 24- Kevin Harvick for NTS Motorsports
No. 30- Nelson Piquet, Jr. for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 51- Erik Jones for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 54- Darrell Wallace, Jr. for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 68- Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
No. 75- Caleb Holman for Henderson Motorsports
No. 77- German Quiroga for Red Horse Racing
No. 92- Scott Riggs for RBR Enterprises
No. 94- Chase Elliott for Hendrick Motorsports. If Elliott qualifies on speed, it will be his Camping World Truck Series debut.
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Not Entered:
No. 33- John King for Eddie Sharp Racing
No. 63- Scott Stenzel for MB Motorsports
No. 82- Sean Corr for Empire Racing
Izod IndyCar Series Honda Grand Prix of Alabama: 26 cars entered
Driver Changes:
No. 2- AJ Allmendinger is in the seat, replacing Ryan Briscoe.
Entries:
No. 1- Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 2- AJ Allmendinger for Team Penske
No. 3- Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 4- JR Hildebrand for Panther Racing
No. 5- EJ Viso for Team Venezuela/Andretti Autosport/HVM
No. 7- Sebastien Bourdais for Dragon Racing
No. 9- Scott Dixon for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10- Dario Franchitti for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 11- Tony Kanaan for KV Racing Technology
No. 12- Will Power for Team Penske
No. 14- Takuma Sato for A.J. Foyt Enterprises
No. 15- Graham Rahal for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 16- James Jakes for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 18- Ana Beatriz for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19- Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 20- Ed Carpenter for Ed Carpenter Racing
No. 22- Oriol Servia for Panther-DRR
No. 25- Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27- James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport
No. 55- Tristan Vautier for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
No. 67- Josef Newgarden for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 77- Simon Pagenaud for Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports
No. 78- Simona de Silvestro for KV Racing Technology
No. 83- Charlie Kimball for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 98- Alex Tagliani for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian
Rolex Sports Car Series Porsche 250: 29 cars entered (13 DP, 13 GT, 3 GX)
Daytona Prototype (DP) Entries:
No. 01- Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
No. 2- Ryan Dalziel and Alex Popow for Starworks with Alex Popow
No. 3- Enzo Potolicchio and Stephane Sarrazin for 8Star Motorsports
No. 5- Christian Fittipaldi and Brian Frisselle for Action Express Racing
No. 6- Antonio Pizzonia and Gustavo Yacaman for Michael Shank Racing
No. 8- Brendon Hartley and Scott Mayer for Starworks with Alex Popow
No. 9- Joao Barbosa and Burt Frisselle for Action Express Racing
No. 10- Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor for Wayne Taylor Racing
No. 42- Dane Cameron and Wayne Nonnamaker for Team Sahlen
No. 43- Joe and Will Nonnamaker for Team Sahlen
No. 60- John Pew and Michael Valiante for Michael Shank Racing
No. 90- Ricky Taylor and Richard Westbrook for Spirit of Daytona Racing
No. 99- Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing
Grand Touring (GT) Entries:
No. 18- Dion von Moltke for Muehlner Motorsports America
No. 31- Eric Curran and Boris Said for Marsh Racing
No. 44- Andy Lally and John Potter for Magnus Racing
No. 52- Unknown drivers for APR Motorsport
No. 57- John Edwards and Robin Liddell for Stevenson Motorsports
No. 59- Andrew Davis and Leh Keen for Brumos Racing
No. 61- Max Papis and Jeff Segal for R.Ferri/AIM Autosport
No. 63- Alessandro Balzan and Alessandro Pier Guidi for Scuderia Corsa
No. 69- Emil Assentato and Anthony Lazzaro for AIM Autosport Team FXDD
No. 72- Mike Skeen and Mike Vess for Park Place Motorsports
No. 73- Patrick Lindsey and Patrick Long for Park Place Motorsports
No. 93- Michael Marsal and Gunter Schaldach for Turner Motorsport
No. 94- Bill Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana for Turner Motorsport
Grand Touring Experimental (GX) Entries:
No. 00- Joel Miller and Tristan Nunez for Yellow Dragon Racing/SpeedSource
No. 38- Dr. Jim Norman and John Tecce for BGB Motorsports
No. 70- Tom Long and Sylvain Tremblay for SpeedSource
Not Entered:
No. 03- Mike Hedlund and Johannes van Overbeek for Extreme Speed Motorsports
No. 19- Eduardo Costabal and Eliseo Salazar for Muehlner Motorsports America
No. 27- Emmanuel Anassis and Anthony Massari for BTE Sport
No. 71- Chuck Cole, Jason Hart and James McCutchen for Park Place Motorsports
No. 76- Nic Jonsson and Tracy Krohn for Krohn Racing
No. 77- Jon Bennett and Colin Braun for Doran Racing
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
Today's Featured Commentary
Hamlin's Spine Bone, Logano's Indifference, and Healthy Hot Dogs
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
With the Sprint Cup Series back in action this weekend at Martinsville, so then has the next stage in the feud between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin.
Logano in an interview with ESPN's Marty Smith, said that he's not going to get walked on anymore (by any driver), and while that he had no intention (or knowledge) that Hamlin had been injured immediately after the accident and resulting fracas on pit road with Tony Stewart, he declared it as unintentional and simply the product of hard, last lap racing.
Hamlin, vertical once again and back in North Carolina spoke with Nate Ryan of the USA Today and offered his assessment that while the crash was not malicious – was most definitely intentional.
"How is it not intentional? It's not like he got loose because I took air off him," Hamlin said. "I saw him getting closer, and I moved up the track. He was just going to keep going until he ran into us. Whatever happened after that, I'm sure he didn't mean to wreck or get me hurt, but he meant to run into us, there's no doubt. He didn't get loose with the back (of the car). He drove into us with the front. That's a guy seeing I was going to get the better of him that week. He wasn't going to let that happen. He hit the gas until he hit something."
What has been missing from the war of words between Logano and Hamlin the last few weeks has been humility. Hamlin before the race at Fontana did say in an interview with Claire B. Lang on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that he had would have rather he had not gotten the "I don't usually see him", and felt that things would work themselves out. What also has been missing from the discussion is Hamlin's physical status. Although he his mobile, he does have to wear a back brace, has trouble breathing, and was in substantial pain the first few days after the accident.
You can dumb it down by calling it a fractured vertebrae, but as The Onion – the satirical news site – deemed it in their Sports headline, it was indeed a "busted spine bone."
Hamlin's injury has him up and walking around, but had the injury occurred in an inch or so over, he'd be in a wheelchair the rest of his life. Having just had a daughter two months ago, coupled with the pain of having to rehab a spinal injury, the impact to his season and career, the indifference implied by Logano has made it a more bitter pill to swallow.
Subbing this weekend for Hamlin will be Mark Martin, who has won twice at the track that bears his name (kind of), in 1992 and 2000. Thursday evening the announcement was made by JGR that Martin would be in the No. 11 car for the duration of Hamlin's recovery, but by Friday afternoon, that plan fell apart as it was reported that sponsor Aaron's had nixed the idea, as even though Martin may not be planning to be in the car for 2014, he is the driver that they wish to have in the seat for the foreseeable future.
For Martin, his week off means heading to a track where after one particular rough weekend in practice remarked if he won, he'd run through the grandstands in his underwear. It also is a bit of an oxymoron between Martin and Martinsville - one known for his new brutal workout routines engineered for him by The Strength Guys, the other known for angina-inducing pink hot dogs shoveled down like Joey Chestnut.
If you're a fan of the man in the 55, all is not lost however. In spring of 2010, Martin posted a Top 10 finish in the No. 5 Hendrick Chevrolet he was driving at the time. Prior to that in the fall of 2010, he finished second, nearly catching Denny Hamlin of all people by the finish. Martin was involved in an incident on the frontstretch that saw the rear of the car elevated a few inches after it backed into the wall. Whether or not it was a function of downforce or anger, Martin drove up through the field in the final 97 laps of green flag racing after making up his lap, and got within a couple of car lengths of Hamlin by the finish. Martin also has a history of bringing a spark to whatever car and team he works with for the first time no matter who they are or in what series – it'd be hard to find a better super sub in sport.
It's probably for the best as well, as Martin is not exactly the biggest fan of the racing at Talladega, which over the years has seen him experience the heights of success (winning the fastest ever 500 mile NASCAR race in 1997) hurtling towards the infield, impaling his car into a guard rail and flimsy chain linked fence (1994), and championship-killing season wrecks (2002 and 2005). Or as his wife Arlene put it in a tweet to ESPN's David Newton when he quipped to her getting a bonus trip to Talladega in the Spring, "Hell will freeze over."
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: Ryan Hunter-Reay: An American Champion
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. For this week's edition, there were quite a few choices for me to write about. However, I chose to cover NBC Sports Network's special on Ryan Hunter-Reay, the defending Izod IndyCar Series Champion.
This particular 30-minute show premiered on March 21st, prior to the season opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida. However, circumstances at the time did not allow me to properly cover the piece for last week's edition of the Annex. Now, I bring you the delayed look at NBC Sports Network's Hunter-Reay show.
Admittedly, I was expecting something more along the lines of a season recap from Hunter-Reay's perspective when I first heard about the show. That is not what we got here. Instead, there was a brief recap of Hunter-Reay's charge to the championship in the second half of the 2012 season, including clips from the races in Baltimore and Fontana. Honestly, such a setup would give someone just watching the show on a DVR vibes as if the NBC Sports Network pulled a fast one and started the show 20 minutes early. Of course, that was not the case.
After the brief recap, the show cuts to early December in Indianapolis, just prior to the Izod IndyCar Series Banquet. Andretti Autosport is unveiling their 2013 liveries and Hunter-Reay is a bit apprehensive about giving up the No. 28, knowing what the number represents (the number of people currently suffering from cancer). However, he slowly warms to the idea. Also, there's a humorous moment when he tries to put on his championship ring, but it won't fit.
We see Hunter-Reay trying to write his championship speech, which he would recite on stage at the banquet, while muttering that he has no clue how he would have been able to do it if the banquet was the day after the last race. This is a reference to the Izod IndyCar Series' plan for 2011. Had the Izod IndyCar World Championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway gone off without a hitch, the plan was to have the banquet on Monday, October 17th, 2011 in Las Vegas. After what ultimately happened, everyone skipped town as soon as they could and the banquet was cancelled. Hunter-Reay and his wife, Beccy Gordon (Robby's sister), talk about how he's going to set up his speech, while also talking about Beccy's ongoing pregnancy (apparently, she feels like she's carrying a beach ball).
Finally, we get to the banquet itself. Hunter-Reay handles interviews with gathered media members (which seem to be from local affiliates in Indianapolis), and talk to various IndyCar personalities. Then, it's the moment of truth. Speech time. It seems to go ok. Hunter-Reay's teammates rushed the stage partway through to give him the "Teammate of the Year Award," which was literally the Table 28 marker. Finally, Hunter-Reay thanked his parents, Beccy and remembered Dan Wheldon.
The show closed with Hunter-Reay talking about his newborn son, Ryden, who was born on December 28th, during Spring Training at Sebring International Raceway. At that time, I suppose that he was still getting used to the idea of being a father. However, he was still very happy and content with his home life. Regardless, he knows that everyone else wants his butt on a platter in 2013, so he's trying as hard as he possibly can to repeat.
Since this was a 30-minute show, including commercials, there really wasn't a whole lot of content here. The speech prep and recitation took up almost two segments of the show, leaving little else to cover. I would have liked to know more about our reigning Izod IndyCar Series Champion. What does he do when he isn't racing? I suppose child rearing takes up a good amount of that time now, but there's just nothing here. From the show I watched, all I learned is that he's a new father, and he's a wreck when it comes to writing speeches. That's not a whole lot to go on. Sadly, the lack of exposure for the series' drivers has been an ongoing issue for years. You never heard much about Wheldon before he died. I thought he was a very skilled driver and well-respected, but didn't really know much else about him. It was only after he died that I read about his borderline OCD tendencies, his unfailing friendliness, and just how much he was beloved by anyone involved with the series. For lack of better words, the guy was exquisite, and most fans didn't know it. That's a shame.
We also didn't hear from many people other than Hunter-Reay on the show. The only people that were given on-air interview time here were Hunter-Reay, Gordon, Michael Andretti (Hunter-Reay's boss, for lack of better words), and Tony Kanaan, who talked about Hunter-Reay in the final segment. The whole show just left me wanting more content. It just wasn't satisfying.
I hope you liked this look at Ryan Hunter-Reay: An American Champion. Check out next Thursday's edition of the Frontstretch Newsletter for another edition of the Critic's Annex. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Barber Park and Martinsville.
The Critic's Annex: Ryan Hunter-Reay: An American Champion
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. For this week's edition, there were quite a few choices for me to write about. However, I chose to cover NBC Sports Network's special on Ryan Hunter-Reay, the defending Izod IndyCar Series Champion.
This particular 30-minute show premiered on March 21st, prior to the season opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida. However, circumstances at the time did not allow me to properly cover the piece for last week's edition of the Annex. Now, I bring you the delayed look at NBC Sports Network's Hunter-Reay show.
Admittedly, I was expecting something more along the lines of a season recap from Hunter-Reay's perspective when I first heard about the show. That is not what we got here. Instead, there was a brief recap of Hunter-Reay's charge to the championship in the second half of the 2012 season, including clips from the races in Baltimore and Fontana. Honestly, such a setup would give someone just watching the show on a DVR vibes as if the NBC Sports Network pulled a fast one and started the show 20 minutes early. Of course, that was not the case.
After the brief recap, the show cuts to early December in Indianapolis, just prior to the Izod IndyCar Series Banquet. Andretti Autosport is unveiling their 2013 liveries and Hunter-Reay is a bit apprehensive about giving up the No. 28, knowing what the number represents (the number of people currently suffering from cancer). However, he slowly warms to the idea. Also, there's a humorous moment when he tries to put on his championship ring, but it won't fit.
We see Hunter-Reay trying to write his championship speech, which he would recite on stage at the banquet, while muttering that he has no clue how he would have been able to do it if the banquet was the day after the last race. This is a reference to the Izod IndyCar Series' plan for 2011. Had the Izod IndyCar World Championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway gone off without a hitch, the plan was to have the banquet on Monday, October 17th, 2011 in Las Vegas. After what ultimately happened, everyone skipped town as soon as they could and the banquet was cancelled. Hunter-Reay and his wife, Beccy Gordon (Robby's sister), talk about how he's going to set up his speech, while also talking about Beccy's ongoing pregnancy (apparently, she feels like she's carrying a beach ball).
Finally, we get to the banquet itself. Hunter-Reay handles interviews with gathered media members (which seem to be from local affiliates in Indianapolis), and talk to various IndyCar personalities. Then, it's the moment of truth. Speech time. It seems to go ok. Hunter-Reay's teammates rushed the stage partway through to give him the "Teammate of the Year Award," which was literally the Table 28 marker. Finally, Hunter-Reay thanked his parents, Beccy and remembered Dan Wheldon.
The show closed with Hunter-Reay talking about his newborn son, Ryden, who was born on December 28th, during Spring Training at Sebring International Raceway. At that time, I suppose that he was still getting used to the idea of being a father. However, he was still very happy and content with his home life. Regardless, he knows that everyone else wants his butt on a platter in 2013, so he's trying as hard as he possibly can to repeat.
Since this was a 30-minute show, including commercials, there really wasn't a whole lot of content here. The speech prep and recitation took up almost two segments of the show, leaving little else to cover. I would have liked to know more about our reigning Izod IndyCar Series Champion. What does he do when he isn't racing? I suppose child rearing takes up a good amount of that time now, but there's just nothing here. From the show I watched, all I learned is that he's a new father, and he's a wreck when it comes to writing speeches. That's not a whole lot to go on. Sadly, the lack of exposure for the series' drivers has been an ongoing issue for years. You never heard much about Wheldon before he died. I thought he was a very skilled driver and well-respected, but didn't really know much else about him. It was only after he died that I read about his borderline OCD tendencies, his unfailing friendliness, and just how much he was beloved by anyone involved with the series. For lack of better words, the guy was exquisite, and most fans didn't know it. That's a shame.
We also didn't hear from many people other than Hunter-Reay on the show. The only people that were given on-air interview time here were Hunter-Reay, Gordon, Michael Andretti (Hunter-Reay's boss, for lack of better words), and Tony Kanaan, who talked about Hunter-Reay in the final segment. The whole show just left me wanting more content. It just wasn't satisfying.
I hope you liked this look at Ryan Hunter-Reay: An American Champion. Check out next Thursday's edition of the Frontstretch Newsletter for another edition of the Critic's Annex. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Barber Park and Martinsville.
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 Did You Notice? ... Five Teams Looking To Save Their Season Five Races In
"Left with no viable alternative, RPM had to stick with Ford in 2013 only to be knocked down the ladder two more pegs. With Penske Racing now sharing engines, with Roush Fenway plus the past success of Brad Keselowski on board RPM is like the red-headed stepchild they have to help because Daddy Ford said so. It's hard to be a third-tier operation now, within a Blue Oval crowd that has its limits and say you're going to make the postseason."- Tom Bowles, on Richard Petty Motorsports' chances to contend, given their current status in Ford's hierarchy.
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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 tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Mirror Driving: Unpredictability And Unusual Circumstances
by the Frontstretch Staff
Frontstretch Fan Q&A: Tempers, Anyone?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 Did You Notice? ... Five Teams Looking To Save Their Season Five Races In
"Left with no viable alternative, RPM had to stick with Ford in 2013 only to be knocked down the ladder two more pegs. With Penske Racing now sharing engines, with Roush Fenway plus the past success of Brad Keselowski on board RPM is like the red-headed stepchild they have to help because Daddy Ford said so. It's hard to be a third-tier operation now, within a Blue Oval crowd that has its limits and say you're going to make the postseason."- Tom Bowles, on Richard Petty Motorsports' chances to contend, given their current status in Ford's hierarchy.
~~~~~~~~~~
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:
Mirror Driving: Unpredictability And Unusual Circumstances
by the Frontstretch Staff
by Summer Bedgood
Fantasy Insider: Martinsville Spring Break-Outs
by Jeff Wolfe
Truckin' Thursdays: Chase Elliott Sets Out to Carve His Own Legacy
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Tech Talk: Shane Wilson Sets Up Short Track Racing From All Sides
by Mike Neff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the 1997 Goody's Headache Powders 500 at Martinsville, Jeff Gordon dominated the action, leading 431 laps on his way to victory. However, it wasn't all easy for the eventual champ. What happened while he was attempting to lap slower cars?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: In 1998, Bobby Hamilton won the pole for the Goody's Headache Powders 500 at Martinsville, then dominated the race to win. But what happened Friday afternoon immediately before his qualifying run?
A: Immediately before Hamilton's run, it began to rain while Johnny Benson was qualifying his Cheerios Ford. Let's just say that Benson wasn't too pleased since the moisture adversely affected his run, and he wasn't granted a re-run. After a delay, Hamilton went right out and put himself on the pole.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: Auto Club 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:
IndyCar Preview: Barber Park by Toni Montgomery
Toni takes a look at the Izod IndyCar Series ahead of their race at Barber Motorsports Park.
Four Burning Questions: Martinsville by Matt Stallknecht
Matt gets your engines revved up for 2013 with a preview of this weekend's Auto Club 400.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.
Nuts For Nationwide by Kevin Rutherford
With the Nationwide Series taking another week off, Kevin has another interesting look at the series.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Driver Diary: Jeb Burton as told to Beth Lunkenheimer
The driver of the No. 4 Arrowhead Chevrolet in the Camping World Truck Series returns to talk about what happened during the long break after Daytona and looks ahead to race No. 2 at Martinsville.
-----------------------------
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
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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