THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 15th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition LXXXI
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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.
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Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 15th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition LXXXI
~~~~~~~~~~
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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What to Watch For: Wednesday
- Martin Truex, Jr.'s foundation will hold their fourth annual Catwalk For A Cause, benefitting Levine Children's Hospital of Charlotte, NC. Held at the Michael Waltrip Racing shops, in nearby Cornelius the event is a combination of fun, fashion, and philanthropy, with a New York-style runway show displaying the latest Spring fashions. Tickets for the event, which starts at 6 PM ET can be purchased for as little as $75.
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Top News
by Tom Bowles
by Tom Bowles
MONDAY CORRECTION: A headline in Top News incorrectly listed a Penske Racing engine tuner as being injured in a "motorcycle" accident. As correctly reported in the story itself, the engine tuner was hit while riding a bicycle. We apologize for the error.
Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide Series Team Penalized
Kyle Busch's No. 54 car was hit with a series of penalties Tuesday over an improper nose discovered in pre-race inspection. Nationwide Series crew chief Adam Stevens was fined $10,000 for the infraction, which violated four sections of the NASCAR rulebook. Two of them are standard practice: 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules, detailed in Section 20A of the rulebook).
The other two violations, however, are where things get more specific. Officials claimed Section 20A-2.1E was broken, which refers to streamlining the contours of the car and illegally enhancing aerodynamic performance. Finally, there's Section 20A-3.10A, which claims the front upper and lower bumper covers must be from a manufacturer approved by NASCAR. The sanctioning body apparently felt that wasn't the case, believing the parts were modified as well.
Stevens will now be on probation, the rest of the season along with car chief Christopher Landis. However, no points were taken away in the owner's championship (Kyle Busch, by virtue of being a Cup driver does not score any points in Nationwide events.) The team still overcame the incident, dominating the event with Busch to score its series-leading fifth win of the season.
Body Of Missing Race Fan Found
A Talladega mystery was finally solved Tuesday, with a tragic ending. The body of 28-year-old Nick Bower, a race fan missing since May 4th was recovered a mile-and-a-half from NASCAR's 2.66-mile superspeedway in Alabama. Bower, who was camping with his girlfriend during the 'Dega race weekend was found in a creek around noon, a body of water that rose rapidly, according to witnesses during a period of thunderstorms on Saturday night the 4th. No foul play is suspected in the disappearance, although an official cause of death is pending an autopsy to be performed later this week.
"Family and Friends of Nick appreciate all the support, donations, search efforts, and mentions over the last week," said the family through an official statement released on Twitter. "Nick Bower was a great man who would help anyone in a time of need. Please help his family at this time and pray for them."
This incident is the latest in a string of weird, tragic occurrences to hit NASCAR fans at the track this year. Last month, at Texas a fan committed suicide with a gun in the infield at the 1.5-mile oval. That followed Daytona's Nationwide Series wreck, where debris from a last-lap crash injured well over two dozen spectators.
Testing Continues Across Multiple Racetracks
Tuesday was a busy day in NASCAR Nation, with cars and drivers testing at several racetracks across the country. Dover had the most on hand, with six Sprint Cup Series teams and five Nationwide Series ones testing for their May 31st – June 2nd race weekend. The three-car team of Stewart-Haas Racing, with drivers Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, and Danica Patrick were in attendance along with Germain Racing's Casey Mears. Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray, both with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing rounded out the Sprint Cup crowd, all of whom were impressed with the speed at the Monster Mile.
"Everywhere we've been with this car, it's been quite a bit faster than the car that we had last year," said Jamie McMurray. "Normally, at a test you can run faster than you can at the race. The track is clean, there's not a lot of rubber on it, so yeah, our speeds today have been quite a bit quicker than what we ran in race trim last year. It's got a lot of grip and the track is really fast."
New Hampshire Motor Speedway was also the site for extra practice, as a Goodyear tire test for the July race included drivers from all three manufacturers. Dave Blaney, Jeff Burton, and Jeff Gordon represented Chevrolet, Joey Logano held up the Ford banner solo while both Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth were there for Toyota. The 1.017-mile oval was chilly – the high, according to the National Weather Service was 59 degrees – but all indications are the test was productive in creating an effective compound for NASCAR's new Gen-6 chassis.
Finally, Kurt Busch and Trevor Bayne joined forces to conduct a test at Michigan International Speedway. "We're just trying to get a feel for the Goodyear tires," said Busch. "There's so many little things you have to learn with this car." Teams are also concerned about Michigan speeds, which after the repave last year rose to well above 200 miles an hour. Marcos Ambrose won the pole last June, driving the Gen-5 with an average speed of 203.241 MPH.
News 'N' Notes
- Two crew members from NASCAR teams were suspended indefinitely Tuesday for violating the sport's substance abuse policy. Lee Dodson, who worked for Clint Bowyer's team has been terminated following the public announcement. Nationwide Series crew member Frank Earnhardt was also named in the official NASCAR release, which claimed both men failed testing during the Darlington race weekend.
- James Hinchcliffe, driving for Andretti Autosport posted the top speed in Tuesday's six-hour practice session for open-wheel's crown jewel, the Indy 500. During conditions where the track temperature reached 130 degrees, easily the warmest it's been during the month of May this year Andretti's organization boiled over with success. Marco Andretti was third quick, posting a speed of 223.570 miles an hour while Ryan Hunter-Reay snuck into fifth.
34 driver/car combinations ran laps during the day, the latest assurance Bubble Day will be busy this weekend. Only 33 cars will qualify for the 500-mile main event.
Top 10 Speeds: Day 4
R = Rookie
1) 25 - James Hinchcliffe, Chevrolet, 224.210 MPH.
2) 4 - J.R. Hildebrand, Chevrolet, 223.652.
3) 25 - Marco Andretti, Chevrolet, 223.570.
4) 3 - Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 223.556.
5) 1 - Ryan Hunter-Reay, Chevrolet, 223.332.
6) 5 - E.J. Viso, Chevrolet, 223.138.
7) 21 - Josef Newgarden, Honda, 223.123.
8) 26 - Carlos Munoz (R), Chevrolet, 223.110.
9) 22 - Oriol Servia, Chevrolet, 222.093.
10) 2 - AJ Allmendinger (R), Chevrolet, 222.005.
Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Today's Featured Commentary
Time To Rev Up The All-Star Race Before Everyone Falls Asleep
WTF Wednesdays
WTF Wednesdays
by Ellen Richardson
As this Saturday Night's All-Star race approaches and Fox's 2013 Saturday Night Sprint Cup race television ratings continue to plummet (3.5 overnight following the Southern 500 – second lowest in 2013), my thoughts have been on how this event can and needs to be improved for future success. Before I get into my ideas, I am asking each fan reading this to think about what you consider a NASCAR All-Star.
In my mind an All-Star in any form of motorsports, including NASCAR, is one that not only wins but who works hard to learn every aspect of the sport, dreams every day of getting in the next car that will go fast, and is willing to put in any and all effort to achieve his or her dream.
Thinking about this definition, does that really paint a picture of only those drivers competing in the Sprint Cup Series? The answer is a resounding no.
While I look up to many of the Sprint Cup drivers who worked hard to get where they are today--those who did anyway--what about those hard working drivers that compete in the other two top NASCAR series? With that vein, what about those hard working Sprint Cup Series pit crews who are now going to be left out of the All-Star weekend due to what was reported by Yahoo Sports as "limited funding"?
Being promoted as the "Biggest Night in NASCAR", the current NASCAR All-Star race has continued to discount and leave out the hard working drivers and teams who compete in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series.
If the NASCAR All-Star race is truly the "Biggest Night in NASCAR" why wouldn't you allow all three of your top-series a chance to compete? I realize that this would be a near impossibility for all three full-series to compete in one night, it wouldn't be so far-fetched for an all weekend event.
Think Daytona Speed Week on steroids! In fact, my ideal All-Star Weekend would not only give Sprint Cup drivers as well as Speedway Superstar singers a chance to shine, but those drivers who won races last season in the Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series that should compete in their own All-Star races throughout the weekend. I would also give fans from each series a chance to vote in one new rookie driver to be entered into each race.
The biggest stipulation for each would be that Sprint Cup Series drivers could not compete in either of these additional races. This is whether they qualified for the Sprint Cup Series All-Star race or not.
If possible, I would even have a short track late model shootout All-Star race on the quarter-mile oval, located on the speedway's front straightaway. I would even add to the excitement of this race by having each competitor choose a Sprint Cup driver to serve as his or her crew chief. This would be a great way for these drivers to be true All-Star mentors to those with high hopes to someday compete on their level. Not to mention being rewarded with the type of major financial award that these already wealthy Sprint Cup Series drivers receive following Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series race. I believe these teams could use this kind of money a little more than Cup drivers?
Let's not forget the pit crews who pour blood, sweat and tears into assisting these drivers with their success. Allow the fans who view each race to tweet their selections for the hardest working pit crew for each series. The winners would receive their own trophies and financial awards. This team would also receive first pit selection for the 2014 events.
As I come to a conclusion on what I hope to be an All-Star idea, I wanted to give fans a chance to also chime in on something that Danielle Trotta said on NASCAR Race Hub Tuesday night, regarding the All-Star race. As she explained the new rules for this Saturday Night's race, Trotta mentioned that the one item that remains constant is that "the competition is between NASCAR's best drivers."
One question for you Danielle, why do we have three top-series in NASCAR if only the best drivers are in the Sprint Cup Series? WTF?
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GOT A NASCAR QUESTION OR COMMENT? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
That's right; our Fan Q & A column is back once again in 2013. Send your question Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print on Thursday when she does her weekly column. It's all part of our daily mission to give back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat!
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Tweet 'N' Greet
by Kevin Rutherford
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Kevin Rutherford will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...
@mattkenseth: Wow, what a week! #Team20GOT A NASCAR QUESTION OR COMMENT? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
That's right; our Fan Q & A column is back once again in 2013. Send your question Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print on Thursday when she does her weekly column. It's all part of our daily mission to give back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat!
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Tweet 'N' Greet
by Kevin Rutherford
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Kevin Rutherford will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...
@KyleBusch: U wont b missed RT @courthousedeb: I have decided if @KyleBusch is running @nns races I am not going to watch. Ruining series for regulars
@mattkenseth: Glad to have today behind us so we can get our focus back on racing. I respect NASCAR and the appeals process, I feel like they got it right
@TravisPastrana: Got my Darlington stripe.. bad day at the office. Was still able to limp it across the finish but not what we wanted pic.twitter.com/PczL22tvG1
@DavidRagan: This sport will humble u quick! Had a cooling issue late in the race and couldn't finish the last few laps. Proud of @FrontRowNASCAR team.
@Tim_Andrews_: Thoughts n prayers with my buddy @jsclark91. He was hit on his bicycle in Richmond on Saturday. Get better soon friend
@RossChastain: Some of the media & politics of this sport amaze me.
@ClintBowyer: Little bit worried, the boys tell me we're going to jail and having a drink. This sounds like a horrible idea!!!
@dennyhamlin: I think sports deliberately didn't schedule any games on Mother's Day night just to keep the women happy.
@JakeSnakeCrum: Feels awesome knowing I'll be racing at Charlotte with a new sponsor. Details on wraps for now, but I can't wait to get back on the track!
@TimGeorgeJr: WOW. The car that wrecked me @SoBoSpeedway57 WON. It always stinks to get wrecked, but when you have a car that can win it's even worse
@ericmcclure: Great to see Denny Hamlin back in his car after the injury. I know what he feels like....minus the winning :)
@scottspeed: Just downloaded sim city 5 on the MacBook for my 9hr flight to Europe! After Juliet falls asleep it's on!! ;)
@jpmontoya: Finished with Pilates and Pilates finished with me LOL. Everything hurts but fun.
@joeycoulter: Did I miss the instant when it all of a sudden got incredibly complicated to put carry on bags in an overhead bin? #comeonpeople
@kaseykahne: Thank you Apple store. I have all my contacts again so no more jokes will work @ClintBowyer
@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): The older I get, the better "Days of Thunder" becomes.
@Kenny_Wallace: My wife stole my change I saved for 5-6 years $706 bucks to Help pay for our Cruise. #MissouriFrugal pic.twitter.com/OfuVMqojvQ
@DakodaArmstrong: I'm a @selenagomez fan and not ashamed of it her new song has been stuck in my head the last 2 days and its awesome
@AndyLally: Give a man a gun, he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, he can rob the world!
Kevin Rutherford is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at kevin.rutherford@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at@Surfwax83.
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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 frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Amy Henderson
by Ellen Richardson and Jeff Wolfe
by the Frontstretch Staff
by Huston Ladner
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Here's an easy one. Mark Martin won The Winston in 1998 with a last-lap pass. How did that last-lap pass occur... and who did he drive by?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: The 1992 Winston was the first All-Star Race in primetime. To mark the occasion, TNN did something very rare during the Winston Open. What was it?
A: TNN chose to have Buddy Baker, driving the No. 47 Kanawha Insurance Oldsmobile for Derick Close Racing, serve as an in-race reporter. While that doesn't necessarily sound groundbreaking, it was here. TNN chose to talk to Baker under green, an example of which can be heard in this clip. Granted, such a practice used to be quite common on the Seven Network's telecasts from Bathurst in the 1980s, but it is something that was almost never done in the United States.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite Frontstretch writers are back to discuss a variety of different subjects, from Johnny Sauter's future momentum in the Truck Series to whether Kasey Kahne needs to tackle some "Shrubbery" this Saturday. Things are sure to get entertaining as they debate the latest and greatest in NASCAR!
Frontstretch Fan Q&A by Summer Bedgood
Summer takes on your NASCAR questions and answers them to the best of her ability. Be sure to send your questions in if there's something that's been nagging at you and you might see your name in print.
Tech Talk by Mike Neff
Mike has a Sprint Cup Series crew chief stop by to talk about the technical side of NASCAR. This week, Matt Puccia, head wrench for Greg Biffle at Roush Fenway Racing stops by with a few thoughts about the upcoming All-Star Race.
Fantasy Racing by Jeff Wolfe
Jeff brings fantasy racing back to Frontstretch this season. This week, with no points-paying race on the agenda he stops to ponder this year's surprises, disappointments, and dark horses on fantasy rosters across the country in 2013.
Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
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©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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