Tuesday, June 25, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Handling Racing Tragedy

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

June 25th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXIII
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What to Watch For: Tuesday

- Tuesday is normally teleconference day in NASCAR.  Today, NASCAR is offering a two-fer.  Nationwide Series points leader Regan Smith will talk to reporters, followed by Camping World Truck Series rookie contender Jeb Burton.

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Top News
by Tom Bowles

Labonte's Consecutive Starts Streak In Jeopardy

A former Sprint Cup Series champion, starting every race since the Daytona 500 in 1993 could see his impressive streak come to an end this week. Bobby Labonte, after a last-place finish with JTG Daugherty Racing at Sonoma finds himself out of the seat for the second time in three weeks at Kentucky. AJ Allmendinger, Saturday's Road America winner will get the ride in the second of a five-race deal to "evaluate" the organization's struggles on the Cup circuit.

After this race, Labonte will return to the seat of the No. 47 Toyota for races at Daytona, Loudon, and Indianapolis but the question remains where he'll drive on Saturday night. The last time 'Dinger took the seat, at Michigan Phoenix Racing had an opportunity in their No. 51 Chevrolet; that won't happen now, as Austin Dillon is scheduled to drive with proper sponsorship. As of Tuesday morning, Labonte is not on the entry list and pickings are slim for potential opportunities; most full-time rides are already accounted for. The only way to continue the streak, it seems would be to start-and-park with lower-tier teams like TriStar Motorsports' No. 19 or Jonathan Cohen's fledgling No. 44, currently driven by Scott Riggs.

Labonte's active streak, at 704 consecutive races on the Cup level is the second-longest on the Cup circuit to Jeff Gordon (705). Ricky Rudd holds the all-time record, with 788 set from February 1981 to the end of the 2005 season. During the streak, Labonte has won the 2000 Sprint Cup championship, 21 races and collected 115 top-5 finishes.

Newman To Richard Childress Racing?

Could Richard Childress be adding another team in 2014? FOX Sports' Lee Spencer is reporting Ryan Newman, a free agent who appears on the outs with Stewart-Haas Racing is the top choice to replace a departing Kevin Harvick for 2014. Harvick, who is leaving the No. 29 ride and is likely taking sponsors Budweiser, Rheem, and Jimmy John's with him has already been signed at SHR to, in effect replace Newman. With the organization unlikely to expand to four cars, that leaves the free agent with slim pickings and the RCR ride has become a potential option.

Childress, who has Jeff Burton and Paul Menard over the long-term, along with Austin Dillon moving up full-time in 2014 would love to grow back into a four-car program. Proper sponsorship would be needed for Newman, who has also reportedly made inquiries at Furniture Row Racing to see if a second team is an option. Driver Kurt Busch is signed through 2013, currently looking for other opportunities but seems unlikely to leave the RCR "family" as the team is heavily partnered with their engine and chassis support.

News 'N' Notes

- Daytona International Speedway is beefing up safety in advance of NASCAR returning for their annual July 4th racing weekend. A project to reinforce the security of crossover gates, over by the start/finish line has begun, with an expected completion time of about two weeks. It was this gate Kyle Larson hit, at a bad angle heading to the checkered flag that caused his car to disintegrate during the ending to February's Nationwide Series race. That wreck injured more than two dozen fans, sent major debris in the stands and led the sport to conduct one of its largest safety reviews since Dale Earnhardt, Sr.'s death in 2001.

- IndyCar star Graham Rahal has pulled out of an attempt to get a ride for the Nationwide Series race at Mid-Ohio. The 24-year-old, who was raised in nearby Columbus was interested in pairing his NASCAR debut with the inaugural race but proper sponsorship – and top-tier equipment – never materialized. The open-wheeler, currently 16th in the IndyCar standings claims he'll attempt to make the race next season.

Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.

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GOT A NASCAR QUESTION OR COMMENT? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
That's right; our Fan Q & A column is back once again in 2013. Send your question Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print on Thursday when she does her weekly column. It's all part of our daily mission to give back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat!

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Today's Featured Commentary
What To Do When Death Visits The Track
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady

The red and white Danish flag flew alone over the Le Mans podium at half mast. 

In the early laps of the Le Mans 24-Hour race, Allan Simonsen had lost his life in a vicious wreck.  His family mourned his passing, but encouraged the team and Le Mans organizers to carry on.  And they did.  One of the most iconic road races finished through fog, rain, sun and stars.  Many hours after the tragedy, trophies were awarded and teams celebrated.  Once again, men and machines had beaten the clock -- save one.

Not even two weeks ago Jason Leffler, a familiar face in the NASCAR ranks, perished at Bridgeport Speedway.  When his sprint car tumbled to a stop and his body was cut from the wreckage, the festivities were cut short for the night.  Nobody else took a green flag or hoisted a trophy.  While the reason for the cessation of activity was given as an impending curfew, not Leffler's death, it seemed appropriate that the lights would go dark. 

At the same time, I wasn't horrified that Le Mans continued after things took a tragic turn.

What is the right thing to do when the worst possible outcome does actually happen at a racetrack?  What are we supposed to do?  Should it matter that we're running an international spectacle such as history-rich Le Mans or perhaps the Indy 500?  At what point does a racer's life become more important than the reason he climbed into the cockpit? 

I don't wish to condemn or justify either Bridgeport or Le Mans' promoters.  I simply wished to raise the question, as it seems important in this moment.  Drivers are dying and I'm not entirely sure how we ought to be approaching the situation.

There's no doubt the race is the reason a driver chooses to live his life behind the steering wheel.  It is the chase of being better, faster, brighter than anybody else on the planet that urges a competitor forward with his foot on the pedal hard.  The thought of fear and even mortality departs with the drop of the green flag.  For a few moments or a couple hours, that person attempts to reach the heavens as only fabled gods could.

In the instant when fate snatches that dream away and replaces it with cold reality, it is like our collective dreams are shattered.  It is not just one driver, one person who no longer breathes, but the hearts of every human pauses with the loss of that life.

Right then, it is correct to stop and consider our losses.  But in doing so, inevitably the story of the driver's life comes to the fore, and we nod our heads.  He lived for the race.  This race.  Tonight. Now.  The thing that is truly immortal.

From our first breath, we pursue a life of worth and achievement; it is part of the human condition to continue to seek bigger and better things.  In doing so, we acknowledge there are things in this world which are larger than ourselves.  Such as... the race.

Every individual life is precious and cannot be duplicated.  It behooves one and all to embrace the time a person spends sharing his experiences with others, whether as a next door neighbor or a professional athlete.  At the same time, we must not halt our own pursuit of life's opportunities; in doing so, we lessen humanity's continued growth.

Ultimately, Le Mans did it right.  Remember the racer.  Remember the man. And race on.

Kyle Larson Stat

Series:
Nationwide Series
Track: Road America
Car: No. 32 Cottonelle Chevrolet
Qualified: 13th
Finished: 7th (lead lap)
Points Standings: 7th

Want to follow Kyle Larson yourself?

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

S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @laregna and on her Facebook page (she's an author, too!) at https://www.facebook.com/Author.SDGrady.
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Numbers Game: Toyota Save Mart 350
by Tom Bowles

0
Laps led by defending champ Clint Bowyer despite having one of the fastest cars in the field Sunday. The driver of the No. 15 Toyota, stuck in traffic most of the race was forced to settle for 5th.

0
Top-10 finishes in 14 Sonoma starts for Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the only track on the circuit where he has such a poor track record. That's why 12th for the No. 88 team Sunday felt like a win.

1
Career top-10 result for Truex, in seven starts before winning at Sonoma Sunday. He had never finished higher than eighth at the track.

2
Second-place finishes in the last three races for Jeff Gordon at Sonoma. He hasn't won there since the summer of 2006.

3
Drivers in the top 10 in points who have not won yet in 2013: Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Brad Keselowski.

4
Drivers who needed pit work and/or received extensive damage before the pace laps to the race were complete on Sunday: Paulie Harraka, Alex Kennedy, Bobby Labonte and Jacques Villeneuve.

4
Drivers making their Cup debut at Sonoma: Justin Marks, Harraka, Kennedy, and Victor Gonzalez, Jr. Marks did the best of this group, coming home in 30th place.

5
Drivers from outside the United States in the race Sunday. They were: Gonzalez (Puerto Rico), Villeneuve (Canada), Ron Fellows (Canada), Montoya (Colombia) and Ambrose (Australia).

8
Road course "ringers" invading the Cup Series Sunday. None of those "subs," who specialize in these types of races did better than 18th (Boris Said).

18
Laps led by Marcos Ambrose Sunday, NASCAR's full-time driver who is also arguably its strongest road course specialist. He'd led only one lap this season prior to Sonoma.

30.0
Juan Pablo Montoya's average finish in his last three Sonoma starts. The Colombian, who has exceptional talent on the road courses actually hasn't finished inside the top 5 at this track since winning his rookie year (2007).

218
Races since Martin Truex, Jr.'s last win, at Dover in June of 2007. Only Bill Elliott (226) had a longer drought in between victories, from Darlington's Southern 500 to the Homestead season finale of 2001. Of note: that Southern 500 victory was also the last on the Cup level for legendary car owner Junior Johnson.

$124,915
Money won by Kasey Kahne at Sonoma for finishing sixth.

$127,383

Money won by Kyle Busch after being used like a pinball, spun out twice and limping home a lap down in 35th.

Tom Bowles is the Editor-In-Chief of Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Racing To The Point: Where's The Development In The Development Series?
by Brett Poirier

Who's Hot / Who's Not In Sprint Cup: Sonoma-Kentucky Edition
by Brad Morgan


Going By The Numbers: Chase Berths Wide Open With 10 Races Left
by Kevin Rutherford

Five Points to Ponder: Helton, MWR, Kes, AJ, And Iowa
by P. Huston Ladner

Couch Potato Tuesday: TNT Goes Through Some Struggles At Sonoma
by Phil Allaway


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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q:  Unfortunately, parking has been an ongoing issue at Kentucky.  The inaugural Quaker State 400 was plagued by the track failing to procure enough land to park cars for 120,000 fans, plus a terrible traffic procedure.  The first races at the track had a slightly different issue.  What was it?

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

Monday's Answer:


Q:  Kentucky Speedway may not have the longest history in NASCAR, but it's still had some notable moments, like the finish of the 2002 Kroger 300.  Todd Bodine won, but how did he do it?

A:  Bodine led the race on the final restart with three laps to go, but promptly lost it to Greg Biffle.  Bodine used the remaining laps to run Biffle back down, then made a nice move to the outside exiting Turn 4 on the final lap.  The two drivers bumped multiple times in the tri-oval before Biffle spun.  Bodine was able to just beat Biffle to the line to claim the win for Herzog Motorsports.  The finish can be seen here.

Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!

Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:

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

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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:


Did You Notice? by Tom Bowles
Did You Notice... how the balance power has been shaped by NASCAR's Gen-6? Tom takes a look at who's had the edge, along with a long list of other small, but important observations on the NASCAR circuit.

Side By Side: Kyle Busch vs. Carl Edwards? by Amy Henderson and Summer Bedgood
This week, we discuss conduct after potentially controversial on-track incidents.  Kyle Busch had some strong words for Carl Edwards after Edwards spun the No. 18 late in the race at Sonoma.  Was Busch overreacting to the situation, or was Edwards out of bounds?  We'll have both sides of the issue available for your pleasure.

Frontstretch Top 10 by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite writers are back with their Wednesday dose of NASCAR humor that leaves you laughing. Don't miss out!

Open-Wheel Round Table by the Frontstretch Staff
We've reached the halfway point of the Izod IndyCar Series season.  Join Matt, Huston and Toni as they break down the action thus far in 2013 and what to look for in the second half of the season.

NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After Sonoma compiled by Michael Mehedin
Jimmie Johnson lost just a little bit more of his points lead on Sunday at Sonoma.  However, did he maintain number one on our power rankings list? Experts you love from across the web, not just Frontstretch rank the drivers heading into Kentucky as our weekly top 15 poll comes up for a vote once again.

Happiness Is... by P. Huston Ladner
Don't let your life sink into the pits. Huston looks at the bright side of racing stories we've seen in the past seven days.
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