THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 9th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition LXXII
~~~~~~~~~~
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 9th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition LXXII
~~~~~~~~~~
What to Watch: Thursday
- Kurt Busch is scheduled to test an IndyCar at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Andretti Autosport starting today. This is the first time that Busch has driven a current-spec IndyCar, but it will not be the first time that he will be behind the wheel of an open-wheel racer. In 2003, Busch tested a Champ Car for the team currently known as Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at Sebring International Raceway.
Top News
by Phil Allaway and Summer Bedgood
Joe Gibbs Racing Receives Substantial Reductions at Appeal
Following a dominant win at Kansas Speedway a few weeks ago, Kenseth's car failed post-race inspection when it was found that a connecting rod was 2.7 grams below the minimum weight. Toyota Racing Development accepted the blame for the incident, claiming that the offending connecting rod was sourced from a European vendor.
Driver Matt Kenseth and owner Joe Gibbs had their points penalties reduced from 50 to 12 points. The reduction moves Kenseth from 11th up to fourth in points, 66 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.
Revised Sprint Cup Series Points after Talladega:
1. Jimmie Johnson 383
2. Carl Edwards -41
3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -59
4. Matt Kenseth -66
5. Clint Bowyer -67
6. Brad Keselowski -69
7. Kasey Kahne -84
8. Aric Almirola -90
9. Paul Menard -93
10. Kyle Busch -98
11. Greg Biffle -103
12. Kevin Harvick -107
t-13. Martin Truex, Jr. -114
t-13. Jeff Gordon -114
15. Jamie McMurray -116
16. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -127
17. Ryan Newman -141
18. Joey Logano -146
Current Wild Cards: 1. Kevin Harvick (12th in points, one win), 2. Greg Biffle (11th in points, no wins)
Crew chief Jason Ratcliff's suspension has also been dropped from seven races to one, though he will still be forced to pay the $200,000 fine.
Not all of the penalties were reduced, however. Toyota Racing's manufacturer points penalty was increased from five points to seven.
All other penalties were dropped, including the suspension of Joe Gibbs' owners license, the loss of bonus points for the Chase earned at Kansas Speedway, and the loss of eligibility into the Sprint Unlimited garnered from the pole at Kansas Speedway.
JGR has accepted the penalties and will not appeal further.
JGR has not announced who will replace Ratcliff this weekend in Darlington.
The appeal was heard by Mark Arute of Stafford Motor Speedway, Dover Motorsports CEO Denis McGlynn, and former car owner Jack Housey.
NASCAR cannot appeal the revised penalties.
Brian France's Divorce Settlement Documents Officially Unsealed
In a story that we at Frontstretch have been following for the last couple of years, Wednesday saw something that NASCAR CEO Brian France has been fighting against publicly revealed. The formerly sealed documents pertaining to his divorce from ex-wife Megan France have been made available to the public after a number of media organizations sued to have the documents made public. They give an idea of just how wealthy of a man that France is, in addition to the inner workings of the conflict between Brian and Megan.
According to the documents, as of 2005, France had a net worth of $564 million. His holdings included real estate in various places and stock. This was before former CEO Bill France, Jr. (Brian's father) had passed away. As a result, the statement noted that France was in line to inherit "substantial wealth" from his parents that would have added significantly to his wealth.
However, despite this wealth, Brian has apparently not lived up to the divorce agreement that he reached with his ex-wife. At the time, he was required to pay Megan $9 million up front, alimony of $32,000 a month for ten years, and child support of $10,000 a month. Documents revealed that Brian failed to pay Megan a required $3 million that was due at the beginning of 2009. Also, Brian failed to pay $52,000 in "governess expenses" from August 2008-February 2009.
The reasons for the failure to pay despite easily having the funds to do so? Revenge, and anger over how Megan spends money.
"Brian has demanded that I make the children available whenever and wherever he desires," Megan France alleged in an affidavit in 2011. "He expects me and the children to be at his beck and call regardless of the specific terms of the agreement."
Megan added that if she doesn't agree to Brian's demands, he punishes her in various ways, including withholding money that, according to their divorce settlement, would rightfully be hers. It should also be noted that Megan is the primary caretaker of their two children, and prefers to live near Charlotte, North Carolina. Brian lives near Daytona Beach, Florida.
In addition, Brian stated in court documents that Megan had "...spent a staggering amount of money" over the years on her friends and family and that he was unhappy with it. Finally, Brian alleges that Megan breached their confidentiality agreement by discussing their settlement with friends and "making disparaging statements about him."
NASCAR has officially stated that they will not comment on the document release.
Gibbs Sponsor Ceases Sales
Wednesday did not bring 100 percent good news for Joe Gibbs Racing. Wrigley announced that they are pulling the caffeinated Alert Energy gum off the market temporarily. The product removal is in respect to the Food and Drug Administration's current investigation into foods with caffeine added to them and whether they are safe for the general public, and in particular, children.
At Talladega, Sadler was supposed to run Alert Energy's purple and orange colors on his No. 81 Toyota. However, the team made a wrap change at the track to Doublemint. Sadler was the sole driver to miss the field for Sunday's Aaron's 499 due to qualifying being rained out. It is currently unclear as to whether this will affect Sadler's one remaining Cup race in the No. 81.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change right up to race day.
Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 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. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR
Driver Changes:
No. 32- Timmy Hill returns to the seat, replacing Terry Labonte.
No. 55- Mark Martin returns to the seat, replacing Michael Waltrip.
Drivers who must qualify in the top-36:
No. 52- Brian Keselowski for Hamilton-Means Racing
Drivers most at risk of failing to qualify, but could still have a provisional available:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing (44th in owners' points)
No. 32- Timmy Hill for FAS Lane Racing (38th in owners' points)
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR (40th in owners' points
No. 93- Travis Kvapil for BK Racing (39th in owners' points)
No. 95- Scott Speed for Leavine Family Racing (41st in owners' points)*
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing (42nd in owners' points)*
Not Entered:
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
Nationwide Series VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200: 43 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 00- Michael McDowell for SR2 Motorsports
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- Joey Logano for Penske Racing
No. 23- Harrison Rhodes for R3 Motorsports/Rick Ware Racing
No. 33- Ty Dillon 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
Driver Changes:
No. 00- Michael McDowell returns to the seat, replacing Blake Koch.
No. 16- Chris Buescher returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Reed.
No. 23- Harrison Rhodes returns to the seat, replacing Robert Richardson, Jr.
No. 52- Joey Gase returns to the seat, replacing Donnie Neuenberger.
No. 54- Kyle Busch returns to the seat, replacing Joey Coulter.
No. 79- Kyle Fowler is in the seat, replacing Jeffrey Earnhardt.
No. 92- Dexter Stacey returns to the seat, replacing Tim Andrews.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00- Michael McDowell for SR2 Motorsports
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. 15- Stanton Barrett for Rick Ware Racing
No. 16- Chris Buescher for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 17- Tanner Berryhill for Vision Racing
No. 18- Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
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. 73- Derrike Cope for Derrike Cope Racing
No. 92- Dexter Stacey for KH Motorsports
Not Entered:
No. 34- Danica Patrick for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 37- Matt DiBenedetto for Vision Racing (announced)
No. 55- Jamie Dick for Viva Motorsports
No. 85- Bobby Gerhart for Bobby Gerhart Racing
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Tequila Patron presents American Le Mans Series Monterey: 36 cars entered in five classes
Prototype 1 (P1) Entries:
No. 0- Katherine Legge and Andy Meyrick for DeltaWing Racing Cars
No. 6- Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing
No. 12- Nick Heidfeld and Neel Jani for Rebellion Racing
No. 16- Chris Dyson and Guy Smith for Dyson Racing
Prototype 2 (P2) Entries:
No. 01- Guy Cosmo and Scott Sharp for Extreme Speed Motorsports
No. 02- Ed Brown and Johannes van Overbeek for Extreme Speed Motorsports
No. 551- Ryan Briscoe and Scott Tucker for Level 5 Motorsports
No. 552- Marino Franchitti and Scott Tucker for Level 5 Motorsports
Prototype Challenge (PC) Entries:
No. 05- Jon Bennett and Colin Braun for CORE Autosport
No. 7- Tomy Drissi and Rusty Mitchell for BAR1 Motorsports
No. 8- Chris Cumming and Kyle Marcelli for BAR1 Motorsports
No. 9- Duncan Ende and Bruno Junqueira for RSR Racing
No. 18- Tristan Nunez and Charlie Shears for Performance Tech Motorsports
No. 52- Luis Diaz and Mike Guasch for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports
No. 81- Mirco Schultis and Renger van der Zande for DragonSpeed Mishumotors
Grand Touring (GT) Entries:
No. 06- Tom Kimber-Smith and Patrick Long for CORE Autosport
No. 3- Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen for Corvette Racing
No. 4- Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner for Corvette Racing
No. 17- Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers for Team Falken Tire
No. 23- Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler for Team West/AJR/Boardwalk Ferrari
No. 48- Marco Holzer and Bryce Miller for Paul Miller Racing
No. 55- Bill Auberlen and Maxime Martin for BMW Team RLL
No. 56- Dirk Muller and John Edwards for BMW Team RLL
No. 62- Olivier Beretta and Matteo Malucelli for Risi Competizione
No. 91- Dominik Farnbacher and Marc Goossens for SRT Motorsports
No. 93- Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer for SRT Motorsports
Grand Touring Challenge (GTC) Entries:
No. 10- Michael Avenatti and Andrew Davis for Dempsey Del Piero Racing
No. 11- Mike Hedlund and Jan Heylen for JDX Racing
No. 22- Jeroen Bleekemolen and Cooper MacNeil for Alex Job Racing
No. 27- Patrick Dempsey and Andy Lally for Dempsey Del Piero Racing
No. 30- Henrique Cisneros and Nick Tandy for NGT Motorsport
No. 44- Unknown drivers for Flying Lizard Motorsports
No. 45- Unknown drivers for Flying Lizard Motorsports
No. 66- Damien Faulkner and Ben Keating for TRG
No. 68- Unknown drivers for TRG
No. 99- Ted Ballou and Cort Wagner for Competition 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.
~~~~~~~~~~
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
Charting The Suspendables and Expendables
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
When it was made known that Penske Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing were going to appeal their respective penalties, many were skeptical of the outcome. After all, National Stock Car Racing Commission Chief Appelate Officer John Middlebrook has connections to GM! He's friends with Rick Hendrick! Penske fields Fords! Gibbs is nearly guilty of treason running Toyotas!
In actuality what happened was after failing in the initial appeal, Middlebrook reduced the initial fines imposed by NASCAR in the final appeal to those that most feel reasonable, equitable, and within the scope of the infractions in question. Penske Racing will get their crew chiefs, car chiefs, and team manager back after three weeks instead of seven.
Joe Gibbs Racing had their fine reduced from 50 points to 12, a six-race suspension for crew chief Jason Ratcliff will now just be one, the wins and pole count towards the title and next year's Sprint Unlimited – and Joe Gibbs is eligible for owner's points. Satisfied with that result, JGR declined to appeal the rulings any further.
Which begs the question: Why not make Middlebrook the one in charge of issuing penalties in the first place? Whoever is on the panel that decides such things, they apparently have a greater grasp of the parts, pieces, and processes involved than the guillotine of points, prize money, and personnel that has been wielded in recent years.
**********
With that being said, NASCAR has opted not to fine Ryan Newman after the late race accident at Talladega saw another car end up in his lap, in about the same spot he had a blowover a couple of years back. Newman's comment that, "They can't get their heads out of their asses far enough to keep them on the race track, and that's pretty disappointing. I wanted to make sure I get that point across. Y'all can figure out who 'they' is." NASCAR was not happy with the remarks, but said they opted not to fine him because he "did not disparage the racing product."
Uh, what? So Denny Hamlin is fined for saying the cars aren't racing like the used to – yet – , but Newman tells the sanctioning body on TV to get their heads out of their ass, and he gets a thank you for not trashing the sport? At this rate, I can only imagine what will happen the next time Johnny Sauter thanks Jesus for a win and a safe race…
**********
While David Ragan was sailing past former teammates Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth for the win on the final lap at Talladega last Sunday, I couldn't help but marvel at yet another talent Roush Fenway Racing has allowed to walk out the door and find success in recent years. After he got the boot from the No. 26 in 2009, Jamie McMurray promptly won the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 -- while just missing out on the Southern 500 and Coca-Cola 600. Matt Kenseth left the only home he had known after 13 seasons this year, and already has two wins, and has dominated all but a few races thus far. To think that they almost lost Carl Edwards a couple of years ago as well, should be a splash of wake up water to RFR.
Between losing sponsorships, foundation laying personnel, and mothballing iconic car numbers, the days of it being simply Roush Racing seem eons ago. Sure, Nationwide titles are nice, but Cup wins are what make headlines and reign in the sponsorship and top talent. What was supposed to be a marketing boon and sponsorship bonanza has nearly gone bust in recent years, between shutting down cars, losing drivers, losing a title on a tie-breaker, and chasing their tails for almost two years with faulty simulation software.
**********
David Ragan's win at Talladega will go down as one of the greatest finishes in that track's history. If you have a few minutes, check out my compilation of the 10 Most Amazing Talladega Finishes -- there is a new one that needs to be added shortly.
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.
In addition, Brian stated in court documents that Megan had "...spent a staggering amount of money" over the years on her friends and family and that he was unhappy with it. Finally, Brian alleges that Megan breached their confidentiality agreement by discussing their settlement with friends and "making disparaging statements about him."
NASCAR has officially stated that they will not comment on the document release.
Gibbs Sponsor Ceases Sales
Wednesday did not bring 100 percent good news for Joe Gibbs Racing. Wrigley announced that they are pulling the caffeinated Alert Energy gum off the market temporarily. The product removal is in respect to the Food and Drug Administration's current investigation into foods with caffeine added to them and whether they are safe for the general public, and in particular, children.
At Talladega, Sadler was supposed to run Alert Energy's purple and orange colors on his No. 81 Toyota. However, the team made a wrap change at the track to Doublemint. Sadler was the sole driver to miss the field for Sunday's Aaron's 499 due to qualifying being rained out. It is currently unclear as to whether this will affect Sadler's one remaining Cup race in the No. 81.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change right up to race day.
Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 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. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR
Driver Changes:
No. 32- Timmy Hill returns to the seat, replacing Terry Labonte.
No. 55- Mark Martin returns to the seat, replacing Michael Waltrip.
Drivers who must qualify in the top-36:
No. 52- Brian Keselowski for Hamilton-Means Racing
Drivers most at risk of failing to qualify, but could still have a provisional available:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing (44th in owners' points)
No. 32- Timmy Hill for FAS Lane Racing (38th in owners' points)
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR (40th in owners' points
No. 93- Travis Kvapil for BK Racing (39th in owners' points)
No. 95- Scott Speed for Leavine Family Racing (41st in owners' points)*
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing (42nd in owners' points)*
Not Entered:
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
Nationwide Series VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200: 43 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 00- Michael McDowell for SR2 Motorsports
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- Joey Logano for Penske Racing
No. 23- Harrison Rhodes for R3 Motorsports/Rick Ware Racing
No. 33- Ty Dillon 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
Driver Changes:
No. 00- Michael McDowell returns to the seat, replacing Blake Koch.
No. 16- Chris Buescher returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Reed.
No. 23- Harrison Rhodes returns to the seat, replacing Robert Richardson, Jr.
No. 52- Joey Gase returns to the seat, replacing Donnie Neuenberger.
No. 54- Kyle Busch returns to the seat, replacing Joey Coulter.
No. 79- Kyle Fowler is in the seat, replacing Jeffrey Earnhardt.
No. 92- Dexter Stacey returns to the seat, replacing Tim Andrews.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00- Michael McDowell for SR2 Motorsports
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. 15- Stanton Barrett for Rick Ware Racing
No. 16- Chris Buescher for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 17- Tanner Berryhill for Vision Racing
No. 18- Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
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. 73- Derrike Cope for Derrike Cope Racing
No. 92- Dexter Stacey for KH Motorsports
Not Entered:
No. 34- Danica Patrick for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 37- Matt DiBenedetto for Vision Racing (announced)
No. 55- Jamie Dick for Viva Motorsports
No. 85- Bobby Gerhart for Bobby Gerhart Racing
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Tequila Patron presents American Le Mans Series Monterey: 36 cars entered in five classes
Prototype 1 (P1) Entries:
No. 0- Katherine Legge and Andy Meyrick for DeltaWing Racing Cars
No. 6- Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing
No. 12- Nick Heidfeld and Neel Jani for Rebellion Racing
No. 16- Chris Dyson and Guy Smith for Dyson Racing
Prototype 2 (P2) Entries:
No. 01- Guy Cosmo and Scott Sharp for Extreme Speed Motorsports
No. 02- Ed Brown and Johannes van Overbeek for Extreme Speed Motorsports
No. 551- Ryan Briscoe and Scott Tucker for Level 5 Motorsports
No. 552- Marino Franchitti and Scott Tucker for Level 5 Motorsports
Prototype Challenge (PC) Entries:
No. 05- Jon Bennett and Colin Braun for CORE Autosport
No. 7- Tomy Drissi and Rusty Mitchell for BAR1 Motorsports
No. 8- Chris Cumming and Kyle Marcelli for BAR1 Motorsports
No. 9- Duncan Ende and Bruno Junqueira for RSR Racing
No. 18- Tristan Nunez and Charlie Shears for Performance Tech Motorsports
No. 52- Luis Diaz and Mike Guasch for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports
No. 81- Mirco Schultis and Renger van der Zande for DragonSpeed Mishumotors
Grand Touring (GT) Entries:
No. 06- Tom Kimber-Smith and Patrick Long for CORE Autosport
No. 3- Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen for Corvette Racing
No. 4- Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner for Corvette Racing
No. 17- Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers for Team Falken Tire
No. 23- Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler for Team West/AJR/Boardwalk Ferrari
No. 48- Marco Holzer and Bryce Miller for Paul Miller Racing
No. 55- Bill Auberlen and Maxime Martin for BMW Team RLL
No. 56- Dirk Muller and John Edwards for BMW Team RLL
No. 62- Olivier Beretta and Matteo Malucelli for Risi Competizione
No. 91- Dominik Farnbacher and Marc Goossens for SRT Motorsports
No. 93- Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer for SRT Motorsports
Grand Touring Challenge (GTC) Entries:
No. 10- Michael Avenatti and Andrew Davis for Dempsey Del Piero Racing
No. 11- Mike Hedlund and Jan Heylen for JDX Racing
No. 22- Jeroen Bleekemolen and Cooper MacNeil for Alex Job Racing
No. 27- Patrick Dempsey and Andy Lally for Dempsey Del Piero Racing
No. 30- Henrique Cisneros and Nick Tandy for NGT Motorsport
No. 44- Unknown drivers for Flying Lizard Motorsports
No. 45- Unknown drivers for Flying Lizard Motorsports
No. 66- Damien Faulkner and Ben Keating for TRG
No. 68- Unknown drivers for TRG
No. 99- Ted Ballou and Cort Wagner for Competition 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.
~~~~~~~~~~
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
Charting The Suspendables and Expendables
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
When it was made known that Penske Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing were going to appeal their respective penalties, many were skeptical of the outcome. After all, National Stock Car Racing Commission Chief Appelate Officer John Middlebrook has connections to GM! He's friends with Rick Hendrick! Penske fields Fords! Gibbs is nearly guilty of treason running Toyotas!
In actuality what happened was after failing in the initial appeal, Middlebrook reduced the initial fines imposed by NASCAR in the final appeal to those that most feel reasonable, equitable, and within the scope of the infractions in question. Penske Racing will get their crew chiefs, car chiefs, and team manager back after three weeks instead of seven.
Joe Gibbs Racing had their fine reduced from 50 points to 12, a six-race suspension for crew chief Jason Ratcliff will now just be one, the wins and pole count towards the title and next year's Sprint Unlimited – and Joe Gibbs is eligible for owner's points. Satisfied with that result, JGR declined to appeal the rulings any further.
Which begs the question: Why not make Middlebrook the one in charge of issuing penalties in the first place? Whoever is on the panel that decides such things, they apparently have a greater grasp of the parts, pieces, and processes involved than the guillotine of points, prize money, and personnel that has been wielded in recent years.
**********
With that being said, NASCAR has opted not to fine Ryan Newman after the late race accident at Talladega saw another car end up in his lap, in about the same spot he had a blowover a couple of years back. Newman's comment that, "They can't get their heads out of their asses far enough to keep them on the race track, and that's pretty disappointing. I wanted to make sure I get that point across. Y'all can figure out who 'they' is." NASCAR was not happy with the remarks, but said they opted not to fine him because he "did not disparage the racing product."
Uh, what? So Denny Hamlin is fined for saying the cars aren't racing like the used to – yet – , but Newman tells the sanctioning body on TV to get their heads out of their ass, and he gets a thank you for not trashing the sport? At this rate, I can only imagine what will happen the next time Johnny Sauter thanks Jesus for a win and a safe race…
**********
While David Ragan was sailing past former teammates Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth for the win on the final lap at Talladega last Sunday, I couldn't help but marvel at yet another talent Roush Fenway Racing has allowed to walk out the door and find success in recent years. After he got the boot from the No. 26 in 2009, Jamie McMurray promptly won the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 -- while just missing out on the Southern 500 and Coca-Cola 600. Matt Kenseth left the only home he had known after 13 seasons this year, and already has two wins, and has dominated all but a few races thus far. To think that they almost lost Carl Edwards a couple of years ago as well, should be a splash of wake up water to RFR.
Between losing sponsorships, foundation laying personnel, and mothballing iconic car numbers, the days of it being simply Roush Racing seem eons ago. Sure, Nationwide titles are nice, but Cup wins are what make headlines and reign in the sponsorship and top talent. What was supposed to be a marketing boon and sponsorship bonanza has nearly gone bust in recent years, between shutting down cars, losing drivers, losing a title on a tie-breaker, and chasing their tails for almost two years with faulty simulation software.
**********
David Ragan's win at Talladega will go down as one of the greatest finishes in that track's history. If you have a few minutes, check out my compilation of the 10 Most Amazing Talladega Finishes -- there is a new one that needs to be added shortly.
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Critic's Annex: Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300
The Critic's Annex: Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at available motorsports-related programming. While we had a full 25 or so hours of coverage from Talladega last week (if that's an exaggeration at all, it isn't much of one, sadly), the Izod IndyCar Series made their yearly pilgrimage to Sao Paulo, Brazil for an advertised 300 kilometers of racing. Historically, the race has been rather...chaotic. At best. Let's see how NBC Sports Network did with their fourth telecast from Brazil.
For the NBC Sports Network, Sao Paulo creates a number of logistical issues. If you remember when the Nationwide Series raced in Montreal and Mexico City, ESPN took their whole production team out of the country to cover those races. Not so here. Rede Bandeirantes, or "Band," continues to be the host broadcaster for the race. For the third year in a row, Kevin Lee was the only on-air personality for the NBC Sports Network to make the trip to Sao Paulo. Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell and Jon Beekhuis were in the booth, with Robin Miller providing "special comments." Gotta say this about Miller. He's a waste of space here. He just doesn't add much.
IndyCar Live started off with a recap of the weekend up to that point (practice, qualifying), which resulted in an explanation why so many notable drivers were in the back (James Jakes stopped with a fire on track, stopping one of the sessions and prohibiting a number of drivers from setting times).
In a short piece, Takuma Sato talks about how he gauges the opportunity to attack behind the wheel. Turns out, Sato's quite the calculating fellow, even though it doesn't look like it at times.
Bell talked about how he signed a deal with Panther Racing to drive a second (or third) car, depending on how you look at it, in the Indianapolis 500. He'll drive a car sponsored by Sunoco and the upcoming IndyCar-based film, Turbo. Viewers saw Bell doing his five-hour long seat fitting, and signing his contract to drive.
There was also a "ProfessorB" piece where Jon Beekhuis showed viewers the inner workings of a seven-post shaker rig at the Dallara plant in Italy. This is a nice piece not just for IndyCar fans, but for NASCAR fans as well in that the Dallara seven-post is an older machine that is not built into a surface plate. As a result, Beekhuis could show the viewers just what each post does. Obviously, there is a post for each wheel. The other three are uses to simulate track surfaces, elevations, downforce and more. I thought that it was a very educational piece. Many fans consider the seven-post machines to be some kind of black magic, or something that costs team multiple times the car of building a race car.
NBC Sports Network did not show the command to start engines. It occurred while they were in commercial. That kinda bites, but I want to say that Band might now air it. Can't show what your host broadcaster won't show.
Band's footage has improved over the past couple of years. The first time I watched the race on TV, someone in the production truck thought it would be a good idea to quickly zoom in and out on a particular car repeatedly. That kind of stuff gave me a literal headache. Today, they are better in that regard (I like to think that the NBC Sports Network saw some of that coverage and asked Band to stop it, but I'm not sure). However, one thing that is very evident is that Band is far less inclusive of a broadcaster than the NBC Sports Network is.
All the incidents during the race seemed to occur out of sight and could only be seen via replay. Despite most of the coverage being centered on those at the front of the field, there were some camera angles that made it a little hard to actually see the action, especially on the long straight that runs up to Turn 11. Perhaps that could be attributed more to the track layout than directly to Band, though.
Post-race coverage was a little bit shrunken as compared to the typical NBC Sports Network broadcast. This was because of Lee being the only on-air personality on site in Sao Paulo. Lee conducted interviews with the top-3 finishers (James Hinchcliffe, Sato and Marco Andretti). There were checks of the unofficial results and point standings, and replays of the final couple of laps and post-race analysis from the booth before the NBC Sports Network left the air.
As you can tell, Brazil continues to be a stripped effort for the NBC Sports Network. The coverage of the race is simply not up to the standard that the network sets for the rest of the season. However, they do the best that they can. Band has improved to the point where they can be considered "decent," even though I do believe they are biased towards the Brazilian racers that are in the field.
I hope you liked this look at the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300. Tune in next week for another look at motorsports-related programming. Until then, enjoy this weekend's racing from Darlington and Monterey.
For the NBC Sports Network, Sao Paulo creates a number of logistical issues. If you remember when the Nationwide Series raced in Montreal and Mexico City, ESPN took their whole production team out of the country to cover those races. Not so here. Rede Bandeirantes, or "Band," continues to be the host broadcaster for the race. For the third year in a row, Kevin Lee was the only on-air personality for the NBC Sports Network to make the trip to Sao Paulo. Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell and Jon Beekhuis were in the booth, with Robin Miller providing "special comments." Gotta say this about Miller. He's a waste of space here. He just doesn't add much.
IndyCar Live started off with a recap of the weekend up to that point (practice, qualifying), which resulted in an explanation why so many notable drivers were in the back (James Jakes stopped with a fire on track, stopping one of the sessions and prohibiting a number of drivers from setting times).
In a short piece, Takuma Sato talks about how he gauges the opportunity to attack behind the wheel. Turns out, Sato's quite the calculating fellow, even though it doesn't look like it at times.
Bell talked about how he signed a deal with Panther Racing to drive a second (or third) car, depending on how you look at it, in the Indianapolis 500. He'll drive a car sponsored by Sunoco and the upcoming IndyCar-based film, Turbo. Viewers saw Bell doing his five-hour long seat fitting, and signing his contract to drive.
There was also a "ProfessorB" piece where Jon Beekhuis showed viewers the inner workings of a seven-post shaker rig at the Dallara plant in Italy. This is a nice piece not just for IndyCar fans, but for NASCAR fans as well in that the Dallara seven-post is an older machine that is not built into a surface plate. As a result, Beekhuis could show the viewers just what each post does. Obviously, there is a post for each wheel. The other three are uses to simulate track surfaces, elevations, downforce and more. I thought that it was a very educational piece. Many fans consider the seven-post machines to be some kind of black magic, or something that costs team multiple times the car of building a race car.
NBC Sports Network did not show the command to start engines. It occurred while they were in commercial. That kinda bites, but I want to say that Band might now air it. Can't show what your host broadcaster won't show.
Band's footage has improved over the past couple of years. The first time I watched the race on TV, someone in the production truck thought it would be a good idea to quickly zoom in and out on a particular car repeatedly. That kind of stuff gave me a literal headache. Today, they are better in that regard (I like to think that the NBC Sports Network saw some of that coverage and asked Band to stop it, but I'm not sure). However, one thing that is very evident is that Band is far less inclusive of a broadcaster than the NBC Sports Network is.
All the incidents during the race seemed to occur out of sight and could only be seen via replay. Despite most of the coverage being centered on those at the front of the field, there were some camera angles that made it a little hard to actually see the action, especially on the long straight that runs up to Turn 11. Perhaps that could be attributed more to the track layout than directly to Band, though.
Post-race coverage was a little bit shrunken as compared to the typical NBC Sports Network broadcast. This was because of Lee being the only on-air personality on site in Sao Paulo. Lee conducted interviews with the top-3 finishers (James Hinchcliffe, Sato and Marco Andretti). There were checks of the unofficial results and point standings, and replays of the final couple of laps and post-race analysis from the booth before the NBC Sports Network left the air.
As you can tell, Brazil continues to be a stripped effort for the NBC Sports Network. The coverage of the race is simply not up to the standard that the network sets for the rest of the season. However, they do the best that they can. Band has improved to the point where they can be considered "decent," even though I do believe they are biased towards the Brazilian racers that are in the field.
I hope you liked this look at the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300. Tune in next week for another look at motorsports-related programming. Until then, enjoy this weekend's racing from Darlington and Monterey.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
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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 Five Points to Ponder: Firsts, Families And Failing Pit Crews
"You never forget your first love. Whether it's a high school sweetheart, a faithful old hunting dog, or a fickle race track in South Carolina with a contrary disposition. And, if you happen to be a race car driver there's no victory so sweet, so memorable, as whipping Darlington Raceway."- The late Dale Earnhardt, on Darlington Raceway.
~~~~~~~~~~
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:
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 Five Points to Ponder: Firsts, Families And Failing Pit Crews
"You never forget your first love. Whether it's a high school sweetheart, a faithful old hunting dog, or a fickle race track in South Carolina with a contrary disposition. And, if you happen to be a race car driver there's no victory so sweet, so memorable, as whipping Darlington Raceway."- The late Dale Earnhardt, on Darlington Raceway.
~~~~~~~~~~
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: