THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
June 6th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XCIX
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Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
June 6th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XCIX
~~~~~~~~~~
What to Watch: Thursday
- The race weekend in Texas officially gets underway today for the Camping World Truck Series. The trucks will participate in two practice sessions from 12:30 - 1:45 PM and 2:15 - 3:30 PM. In addition, the field will be set starting at 7:00 PM tomorrow evening with qualifying. All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time; however, none of those sessions will be televised.
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Servia to Drive for Panther Racing for Two Races
On Wednesday, Panther Racing announced that Oriol Servia, most recently of satellite team Panther-DRR, will drive the main team's No. 4 National Guard-sponsored Dallara in this weekend's Firestone 550k at Texas Motor Speedway. In addition, the veteran will also drive at Iowa Speedway.
Servia, who was on the sidelines last week after Panther-DRR closed their doors for the year, is happy to get back on track this weekend.
"I couldn't be more excited about this opportunity," Servia said. "Firstly, it's a job, but it's with a team that I've been working with very closely for the last year. Not only do I know everybody that works there, but I know the potential for the National Guard car and the performance we've had will give us a chance to win. I'm especially honored because representing the National Guard is so much more special than any other sponsor, and I'm excited to be part of everything that partnership involves with the team."
Panther Racing Managing Partner John Barnes is pleased to have Servia on board.
"Oriol [Servia] has been part of our extended family for over a year now, so this will be a seamless transition for the National Guard team," Barnes said. "We know what Oriol is capable of, and our team is always happy to add a driver that can contend at any circuit on the IndyCar schedule. We're also excited to get him more integrated with the National Guard, as he's a perfect fit for their recruitment efforts in lots of diverse markets across the country."
Servia replaces Ryan Briscoe, who drove for Panther Racing last weekend in Detroit, putting together an average finish of 17th. Briscoe is currently scheduled to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for his regular team, Level 5 Motorsports. This weekend's race in Texas directly conflicts with the Le Mans Test Days, while Iowa conflicts with the 24-Hour race itself. There are also three additional conflicts between the Izod IndyCar Series and Briscoe's full-time ride in the American Le Mans Series: Pocono, Houston and Fontana.
Dell and JTG Daugherty Racing Team Up
Dell announced on Wednesday that JTG Daugherty Racing will be using Dell Rugged Laptops in order to help "manage the testing and tuning of its No. 47 Toyota Camry race car in harsh racetrack conditions and garage environments." In addition to the laptops, the team will also make use of Dell's Latitude 10 tablet to help manage race operations.
Dell's products will be in use at the track, and back at the team's shop. The overall goal will be to quickly collect performance data and make changes to driver Bobby Labonte's car based on that data in a much quicker and efficient fashion.
Joey Cohen, Labonte's Race Engineer, is very happy to have the technology available to him.
"We expose our Dell computers to so much dust, dirt and every imaginable particle at the track you can think of, and there's never a problem with any of the ports or keyboard functionality," Cohen said. "There may be instances where the rugged systems are dropped or banged, but we never have to worry about being out of a computer for a week. That's taken out of the equation and gives you peace of mind."
According to Dell's press release, the implementation of Dell products has allowed JTG Daugherty Racing to save days of preparation in car setup. Also, the "Rugged" line of computers is far stronger than a garden-variety laptop. The days of A.J. Foyt destroying a laptop in a fit of anger may be over.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Party In The Poconos 400 presented by Walmart: 43 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 35 - Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR
No. 35 - Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR
Driver Changes:
No. 19 - Jason Leffler returns to the seat, replacing Mike Bliss. Bliss will be racing for his full-time Nationwide Series ride out in Iowa.
No. 51 - AJ Allmendinger returns to the seat, replacing Austin Dillon. Allmendinger returns after running a limited schedule of IndyCar races for Roger Penske.
No. 19 - Jason Leffler returns to the seat, replacing Mike Bliss. Bliss will be racing for his full-time Nationwide Series ride out in Iowa.
No. 51 - AJ Allmendinger returns to the seat, replacing Austin Dillon. Allmendinger returns after running a limited schedule of IndyCar races for Roger Penske.
Since there are only 43 cars entered, no one will fail to qualify.
Nationwide Series Pioneer Hi-Bred 250: 41 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 22 - Joey Logano for Penske Racing
No. 42 - JJ Yeley for The Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 22 - Joey Logano for Penske Racing
No. 42 - JJ Yeley for The Motorsports Group, LLC
Driver Changes:
No. 4 - Daryl Harr returns to the seat, replacing Landon Cassill. Harr is running a handful of Midwest and West Coast standalone races, bringing sponsorship to the seat.
No. 5 - Brad Sweet returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne. Sweet is running a limited schedule this season when Kahne's Sprint Cup commitments conflict.
No. 15 - Carl Long is in the seat, replacing Stanton Barrett. This team is expected to start and park.
No. 24 - Ken Butler, III is in the seat, replacing Jason White. This will mark Butler's first Nationwide Series start since 2009.
No. 33 - Max Papis returns to the seat, replacing Ty Dillon. Papis will make his first oval racing start of the season.
No. 42 - TJ Bell is in the seat, replacing Josh Wise. JJ Yeley was originally entered in the car but will be at Pocono for the Sprint Cup event.
No. 46 - Jason Bowles is in the seat, replacing JJ Yeley.
No. 52 - Tim Schendel returns to the seat, replacing Joey Gase.
No. 54 - Drew Herring is in the seat, replacing Kyle Busch.
No. 70 - Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines. Long's ML Motorsports team returns to the track.
No. 74 - Juan Carlos Blum returns to the seat, replacing Danny Efland.
No. 79 - Joey Gase returns to the seat, replacing Jeffrey Earnhardt.
No. 4 - Daryl Harr returns to the seat, replacing Landon Cassill. Harr is running a handful of Midwest and West Coast standalone races, bringing sponsorship to the seat.
No. 5 - Brad Sweet returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne. Sweet is running a limited schedule this season when Kahne's Sprint Cup commitments conflict.
No. 15 - Carl Long is in the seat, replacing Stanton Barrett. This team is expected to start and park.
No. 24 - Ken Butler, III is in the seat, replacing Jason White. This will mark Butler's first Nationwide Series start since 2009.
No. 33 - Max Papis returns to the seat, replacing Ty Dillon. Papis will make his first oval racing start of the season.
No. 42 - TJ Bell is in the seat, replacing Josh Wise. JJ Yeley was originally entered in the car but will be at Pocono for the Sprint Cup event.
No. 46 - Jason Bowles is in the seat, replacing JJ Yeley.
No. 52 - Tim Schendel returns to the seat, replacing Joey Gase.
No. 54 - Drew Herring is in the seat, replacing Kyle Busch.
No. 70 - Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines. Long's ML Motorsports team returns to the track.
No. 74 - Juan Carlos Blum returns to the seat, replacing Danny Efland.
No. 79 - Joey Gase returns to the seat, replacing Jeffrey Earnhardt.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00 - Blake Koch for SR2 Motorsports
No. 10 - Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)*
No. 15 - Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing
No. 29 - Kenny Wallace for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 42 - JJ Yeley for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46 - Jason Bowles for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 52 - Tim Schendel for Jimmy Means Motorsports
No. 70 - Johanna Long for ML Motorsports
No. 89 - Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
No. 92 - Dexter Stacey for KH Motorsports
No. 98 - Kevin Swindell for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
No. 00 - Blake Koch for SR2 Motorsports
No. 10 - Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)*
No. 15 - Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing
No. 29 - Kenny Wallace for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 42 - JJ Yeley for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46 - Jason Bowles for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 52 - Tim Schendel for Jimmy Means Motorsports
No. 70 - Johanna Long for ML Motorsports
No. 89 - Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
No. 92 - Dexter Stacey for KH Motorsports
No. 98 - Kevin Swindell for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
Not Entered:
No. 18 - Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 37 - Matt DiBenedetto for Vision Racing
No. 18 - Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 37 - Matt DiBenedetto for Vision Racing
Camping World Truck Series WinStar World Casino 400k: 33 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 51 - Chad Hackenbracht for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 51 - Chad Hackenbracht for Kyle Busch Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 07 - Chris Cockrum returns to the seat, replacing CJ Faison.
No. 51 - Chad Hackenbracht is in the seat, replacing Kyle Busch. This will be Hackenbracht's Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 07 - Chris Cockrum returns to the seat, replacing CJ Faison.
No. 51 - Chad Hackenbracht is in the seat, replacing Kyle Busch. This will be Hackenbracht's Camping World Truck Series debut.
Since there are only 33 trucks entered, no one will go home. However, these drivers still must qualify on speed:
No. 0 - Chris Lafferty for JJC Racing*
No. 02 - Tyler Young for Young's Motorsports
No. 10 - Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 57 - Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 63 - Justin Jennings for MB Motorsports
No. 84 - Mike Harmon for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
No. 93 - Chris Jones for RSS Racing*
No. 99 - Bryan Silas for T3R2
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
No. 0 - Chris Lafferty for JJC Racing*
No. 02 - Tyler Young for Young's Motorsports
No. 10 - Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 57 - Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 63 - Justin Jennings for MB Motorsports
No. 84 - Mike Harmon for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
No. 93 - Chris Jones for RSS Racing*
No. 99 - Bryan Silas for T3R2
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Not Entered:
No. 38 - Johnny Chapman for RSS Racing
No. 50 - Danny Efland for MAKE Motorsports
No. 59 - Kyle Martel for Martel Motorsports
No. 94 - Chase Elliott for Hendrick Motorsports
No. 38 - Johnny Chapman for RSS Racing
No. 50 - Danny Efland for MAKE Motorsports
No. 59 - Kyle Martel for Martel Motorsports
No. 94 - Chase Elliott for Hendrick Motorsports
Izod IndyCar Series Firestone 550k: 24 cars entered
Driver Changes:
No. 4 - Oriol Servia is in the seat, replacing Ryan Briscoe.
No. 18 - Pippa Mann is in the seat, replacing Mike Conway.
No. 4 - Oriol Servia is in the seat, replacing Ryan Briscoe.
No. 18 - Pippa Mann is in the seat, replacing Mike Conway.
Entries:
No. 1 - Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 3 - Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 4 - Oriol Servia for Panther Racing
No. 5 - E.J. Viso for Andretti Autosport
No. 6 - Sebastian Saavedra for Dragon Racing
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 Technologies
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 - Pippa Mann for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19 - Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 20 - Ed Carpenter for Ed Carpenter Racing
No. 25 - Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27 - James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport
No. 55 - Tristan Vautier for Schmidt Peterson Racing
No. 67 - Josef Newgarden for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 77 - Simon Pagenaud for Schmidt Hamilton Racing
No. 78 - Simona de Silvestro for KV Racing Technologies
No. 83 - Charlie Kimball for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 98 - Alex Tagliani for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian
No. 1 - Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 3 - Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 4 - Oriol Servia for Panther Racing
No. 5 - E.J. Viso for Andretti Autosport
No. 6 - Sebastian Saavedra for Dragon Racing
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 Technologies
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 - Pippa Mann for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19 - Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 20 - Ed Carpenter for Ed Carpenter Racing
No. 25 - Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27 - James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport
No. 55 - Tristan Vautier for Schmidt Peterson Racing
No. 67 - Josef Newgarden for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 77 - Simon Pagenaud for Schmidt Hamilton Racing
No. 78 - Simona de Silvestro for KV Racing Technologies
No. 83 - Charlie Kimball for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 98 - Alex Tagliani for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian
Not Entered:
No. 2 - AJ Allmendinger for Team Penske
No. 2 - AJ Allmendinger for Team Penske
ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Pocono ARCA 200: 33 cars entered
Driver Changes:
No. 0 - Don Thompson is in the seat, replacing Wayne Peterson.
No. 0 - Don Thompson is in the seat, replacing Wayne Peterson.
No. 15 - Erik Jones is in the seat, replacing Kyle Benjamin.
No. 17 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Josh Williams.
No. 22 - Will Kimmel will be in the seat, replacing Jonathan Ellen.
No. 40 - Dominick Casola will be in the seat, replacing Mark Meunier.
No. 55 - A.J. Henriksen will be in the seat, replacing Taylor Ferns.
No. 17 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Josh Williams.
No. 22 - Will Kimmel will be in the seat, replacing Jonathan Ellen.
No. 40 - Dominick Casola will be in the seat, replacing Mark Meunier.
No. 55 - A.J. Henriksen will be in the seat, replacing Taylor Ferns.
Notable Entries:
No. 9 - Chase Elliott for Hendrick Motorsports
No. 15 - Erik Jones for Venturini Motorsports
No. 22 - Will Kimmel for Cunningham Motorsports
No. 23 - Spencer Gallagher for Gallagher Motorsports
No. 25 - Justin Boston for Venturini Motorsports
No. 32 - Mason Mingus for Win-Tron Racing
No. 43 - Kyle Martel for Martel Motorsports
No. 44 - Frank Kimmel for ThorSport Racing
No. 77 - Tom Hessert for Cunningham Motorsports
No. 82 - Sean Corr for Empire Racing
No. 90 - Grant Enfinger for Team BCR
No. 9 - Chase Elliott for Hendrick Motorsports
No. 15 - Erik Jones for Venturini Motorsports
No. 22 - Will Kimmel for Cunningham Motorsports
No. 23 - Spencer Gallagher for Gallagher Motorsports
No. 25 - Justin Boston for Venturini Motorsports
No. 32 - Mason Mingus for Win-Tron Racing
No. 43 - Kyle Martel for Martel Motorsports
No. 44 - Frank Kimmel for ThorSport Racing
No. 77 - Tom Hessert for Cunningham Motorsports
No. 82 - Sean Corr for Empire Racing
No. 90 - Grant Enfinger for Team BCR
Not Entered:
No. 68- Marty Asher for Kimmel Racing
No. 69- Kimmel Racing
No. 89- Nick Barstad for Win-Tron Racing
No. 68- Marty Asher for Kimmel Racing
No. 69- Kimmel Racing
No. 89- Nick Barstad for Win-Tron Racing
News n' Notes
- Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing announced that Banana Boat will serve as the primary sponsor on Jamie McMurray's No. 1 Chevrolet SS at Pocono Raceway this weekend. In addition, Quaker State will serve as a co-primary sponsor on Paul Menard's No. 27 (along with Menards) at Pocono.
- Xxxtreme Motorsports announced on Wednesday that their No. 44 Ford will carry sponsorship this weekend at Pocono from Brabble, a new social media app that will allow users to share content with each other via text, video, audio or pictures. The app launched on May 4th.
For Brabble, this is their first entry into NASCAR, but not their first sports sponsorship. Last month, the start-up announced a personal sponsorship of Welterweight boxer Robert Guerrero, who sported the app's logo on his trunks during his recent loss to Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
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!
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Today's Featured Commentary
Restart Redux, TRD IEDs, and Effed-Up Fords
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
With all of the hand-wringing over Jimmie Johnson's botched restart at Dover last weekend, and whether or not Juan failed to start, or Jimmie didn't give it back in time, there has been one point ignored throughout this discussion: the leader has to be the first car to the line. Was Juan the first one there? No. Did the flagman display the green yet? No. He jumped the start, game over, end of discussion. Even Superman steps on his cape and ends up in a trash can sometimes. And if Johnson really did try to give the spot back, why didn't be make some sort of noticeable gesture, like pull low on the backstretch and lift for a second? He had the fastest car in the field, racing against eighth and ninth-place cars on two tires; aerodynamics be damned, the No. 48 was fast enough to mow through them even with only a few laps remaining. And as for J.J.'s "¼ throttle" comment, both teams run the same engines, so if he was at 25% power, I'd say Chip and Felix aren't exactly getting their money's worth in the motor department.
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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!
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Today's Featured Commentary
Restart Redux, TRD IEDs, and Effed-Up Fords
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
With all of the hand-wringing over Jimmie Johnson's botched restart at Dover last weekend, and whether or not Juan failed to start, or Jimmie didn't give it back in time, there has been one point ignored throughout this discussion: the leader has to be the first car to the line. Was Juan the first one there? No. Did the flagman display the green yet? No. He jumped the start, game over, end of discussion. Even Superman steps on his cape and ends up in a trash can sometimes. And if Johnson really did try to give the spot back, why didn't be make some sort of noticeable gesture, like pull low on the backstretch and lift for a second? He had the fastest car in the field, racing against eighth and ninth-place cars on two tires; aerodynamics be damned, the No. 48 was fast enough to mow through them even with only a few laps remaining. And as for J.J.'s "¼ throttle" comment, both teams run the same engines, so if he was at 25% power, I'd say Chip and Felix aren't exactly getting their money's worth in the motor department.
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Whatever your opinion may be of Kyle Busch, you can always count on him to not tow the company line. Following the latest experience with TRD IEDs at Dover, Matt Kenseth said they knew what the issue was and they would fix it. When Busch was giving his comments on the engines, he stated they were "time bombs" and they knew it, as told to them by TRD. When told of Kenseth's comments, Busch became more adamant.
"No, they CAN'T fix it, that is what they're telling us," Kyle said. "Matt's getting wrong information. It's an issue where there are dirt particles that aren't visible to the naked eye, and that's where the fatigue is setting in."
The issue here of dirt particles sounds to be a metallurgical shortcoming within the casting process. TRD contends they will be making updates this weekend at Pocono; that could be anything from heavier valvetrain parts, less valve lift, lower RPM, less power, more longevity... with the consequence of possibly getting smoked on the straightaways. Then again, fifth is better than 35th, so let's see how it all plays out. One thing in their favor; Pocono is now 400 miles, not 500 like it used to be.
Regardless, this slump is yet another string of issues revolving around Toyota engines since their arrival in the past five or six years. First, it was Michael Waltrip's team discovered coating their intake with a sterno-gel like substance, then it was trying to cheat a NASCAR chassis dyno session with magnets under the gas pedal (loved that one), then you had Matt Kenseth's engine with a rod slightly out of spec, while in the past four races, at least one Toyota engine has come apart. To be fair, the Ford engine has had their share of troubles as well, with Trevor Bayne, Michael McDowell, and Joey Logano all suffering powerplant woes. But the Toyota troubles seem to be happening to top teams and with cars that are either dominating the race or in contention to win.
Kyle Busch has good reason to be upset. In 2011, when the decision was made that JGR would switch to TRD for 2012 and beyond, Busch elected to keep his in-house engines, while the No. 20 and 11 teams went with TRD. In 2012, Busch missed The Chase due to – you guessed it – engine failures, but during the Chase races, enjoyed the best ten-race span of his career. Had he made the Chase, he would have ended up top 5 in points last season. So here we are, right before the Summer Stretch, and already the No. 18 has experienced two engine failures, as has teammate Matt Kenseth. Sitting eighth in points, Busch knows he's only another hand grenade away from being 15th, setting up the same scenario as last year, despite already posting two wins this season.
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Paul Wolfe, just off a six-race suspension for unapproved rear end modifications that weren't "in the spirit of the rules" (whatever that means), returned to Dover and was rewarded with a six-point deduction and a $25,000 fine. Post-race inspection revealed something had broken in the front end, and the nose was too low. Wolfe, however will not face further suspension, and will remain on probation until December 31st. So he's on probation…gets a fine…is still on probation, but faces no further actions. Reminds me of that Dale Jr. "Who sent the text?" commercial. Of note, Keselowski's No. 2 Fusion was the highest finishing Ford on the day.
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Two weeks ago, Kevin Harvick had to be wondering if he should use his new SHR contract as a coaster. A few days later, he's trying to soak up the coffee ring around it. Does this mean that Stewart-Haas is out of the woods? Hardly. However, Pocono is a big motor track, and Hendrick engines certainly aren't hurting for horsepower – however, I think you can still pencil in a Toyota for the win. Joey Logano won last year in a JGR Toyota by moving Mark Martin's MWR Toyota out of the way with three laps to go, plus Denny Hamlin has four of his 22 career wins there.
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Speaking of Ford, someone sound the alarm in Dearborn. The Fusion, for all of its "it looks like an Aston Martin!" hoopla, is running like the proverbial Filet-O-Fish singing sea dweller of McDonald's ads. The gap-mouthed guppies have been out to lunch most of the year, be it due to the huge frontal area and recessed grille – that both Chevrolet and Toyota eschewed for stickers – or a lack of power between the fenders. Despite the praise heaped on the FR9 engine upon its arrival two years ago, it has not proven to be much of a boon in 2013. If it is making extra power, it's getting gobbled up by either drag, or the tires not doing what they should.
When Penske Racing dropped Dodge following their Championship season of 2012, and Nationwide title in 2010, many wondered how things would pan out. Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards posted their best runs early this year, and at either restrictor plate tracks or short tracks – Edwards' Phoenix victory and David Ragan's slingshot move at Talladega are Ford's only triumphs. Other than that, rewards have been pretty sparse. Sure, Edwards is second in points and Keselowski has five top-5 finishes and eight top-10s – his tenth-place standing due in part to 31 points' worth of deductions due to penalties from Texas and Dover. But the lack of speed and laps led is glaring for both. The next Ford driver in the standings is Aric Almirola in 12th, with four top-10s – except his last three finishes have been 20th, 33rd, and 18th.
As Greg Biffle said during a teleconference on Wednesday, it appears to be a "systematic problem" hampering the Roush Fenway franchise, much like in 2010. Back then, it was bassackwards simulation software that was throwing them for a loop. This year, it could be a combination of things, or one issue in particular. Whatever the cause, Biffle said that major changes are coming at Pocono and more so at Michigan International Speedway next weekend to help correct what's wrong. MIS makes the most sense; after all, Edsel Ford always shows up for that one, and positioned in the Big Three's backyard, nobody wants to upstaged in Brooklyn, particularly Jack Roush.
One thing in their favor is the addition of Penske Racing under the Blue Oval umbrella. In 2010, it was RPM to the rescue, with their improved front end geometry that helped uncover the root of the Roush issues. This year, it might be The Captain's crew uncorking things for the Cat in The Hat.
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.
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: FOX Season Wrap-Up
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. Originally, I planned to bring you a look at last weekend's Chevrolet Duals at Detroit presented by Quicken Loans, which aired on ABC. I still plan to do that in a rare IndyCar tripleheader critique here in the Newsletter next week. However, my Couch Potato Tuesday critique ran way long, so I couldn't give my readers my overall thoughts on the FOX season.
I should state that I technically do not have a minimum or maximum word count for the Tuesday column. The editors do get a little nervous once I go over 3,000 - 3,200 words. However, with the overall FOX thoughts included, Tuesday's column exceeded 4,600 words -- a little much to put into one piece.
Admittedly, I wrote much of what you're about to read back in May after a reader accused me in the comments of a past critique as being "...either clueless or drinking the Kool-Aid," while referencing a piece by S.D. Grady here in the Newsletter from a few weeks ago. Granted, it was a two-sentence post, but I felt compelled to reply out of generalized anger. Here it goes.
Joe,
If you're referring to the piece that S.D. Grady wrote for Tuesday's Newsletter, then yes, I read it because I'm the Newsletter Manager. I edited the piece. For those of you who do not recall that particular edition of Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View, she suggested a $5 pay-per-view fee to watch races uninterrupted by commercials.
If you're referring to the piece that S.D. Grady wrote for Tuesday's Newsletter, then yes, I read it because I'm the Newsletter Manager. I edited the piece. For those of you who do not recall that particular edition of Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View, she suggested a $5 pay-per-view fee to watch races uninterrupted by commercials.
Such a thing would only work if the regular telecasts were still available on over-the-air television or cable, with the much-maligned commercials. I still think that the cost would be a lot more than that per week. You would be looking at $250 a season, minimum. DirecTV offered NASCAR HotPass free for their subscribers mainly because they couldn't make money off the offering, no matter what they did. Note that the Daytona 500 was traditionally a free preview day when iNDemand still had NASCAR In Car, so I'm assuming that would continue here as well.
However, let's take that suggestion and expand it to it's natural conclusion, which would be pay-per-view only races. Let's face some facts here. You remember the Prelude to the Dream telecasts from Eldora, right? Those telecasts are on a fairly small scale compared to what a typical FOX Sprint Cup race production is. It still cost $24.95 to order. Mind you, that's with a lot of people donating their time to the effort, foregoing pay.
Now compare that to their weekly telecasts, which have 200-300 people at the track every week. I'm assuming that they spend $10 million a week to cover the series at a minimum. I believe a Cup race today on Pay-Per-View (if it were the only outlet for it) with the present level of production would be $70 per purchaser, or more. Heck, it was $50 in 1988 when they did Pocono on PPV (Bobby Allison's career-ending crash occurred in that event). NASCAR would have to charge that in order to recoup their production costs and make a profit for themselves off the substantially reduced audience.
If it went that way, you'd likely get a suite of channels with your purchase in order to create a setup similar to RaceBuddy without the horrid lag that makes it impossible for me to use it these days. Of course, at that price point, it would be a very tough sell, so they would offer a season-long package at say, $800 - $1,000 a year (I know, it sounds looney, but with the equivalent of a Super Bowl telecast every week, it's plausible to me). I'd still pay it so I could critique for the site, but the bills would be rather onerous.
I ask you this, Joe. Would you be willing to pay that $70 a week, or $800 a year, to watch the Cup Series without commercials?
Personally, if that was the only way I could watch, and I weren't critiquing, no. This series isn't worth paying $800+ a year in addition to what we're already putting out for pay TV just to watch the races. It would all but kill the series. Sadly, I don't think it would increase ratings anywhere near as much as you'd think.
Also, I take offense to the rest of your notions. I am not clueless. I pay way too much attention to these race telecasts and take way too many notes to be clueless. Generally, I don't talk about commercials on here because I feel that I can't do anything about them. It's not my fault that FOX signed a nine-figure deal to cover the series for eight years. Their goal is to make money off their investment. Sadly, commercials are one of the best ways to do it. Having said that, they do need to plan their breaks a little better. I'm still not a fan of the Mid-Race Report taking up an entire segment in which we all but don't see any racing in that time, then FOX immediately going to commercial afterwards.
I'd argue that the rain delays [at Talladega] meant that FOX made some extra money. I do feel the need to comment about commercials once they get out of hand. The treatment at Talladega did irritate me (Ex: You've been on-air for seven hours, and we're taking another break? Rat farts!).
I also don't think that you get the point of this long-running series of articles. The point is not to completely tear everyone to shreds and urinate on them, like some people think. Yelling doesn't help anything. It just results in people not taking you seriously. While some people believe that tearing people apart is what I actually do (and I've got the angry e-mails to prove it), my goal here is to educate about the flaws of race telecasts, and yes, give dap when they deserve to get dap.
I also prefer not to fire people en masse, like some of my readers wish I did. Alternatively, I prefer to make changes with the current personnel. Thank you, and have a pleasant tomorrow.
I have not been easy on FOX this season. Much of the year has been a rehashing of all of the issues that we've seen over the last couple of years, along with some new ones. The roving reporter setup with Jeff Hammond is ridiculous and continuously irritates me. I don't think it benefits the broadcast in any way. It's talent gone to waste. It was a change that didn't need to be made.
I also think that FOX does focus on a few drivers too much. In the rare instance that Michael Waltrip races, FOX gives him an unusual amount of coverage. Darrell Waltrip has a lot of respect for Kyle Busch, and sometimes the coverage tilts in that direction. I think a lot of that is based around how Busch has a somewhat similar style to when Darrell was in his prime. Also, there is the front-end bias, but it isn't as bad as what we've seen from ESPN on their Nationwide telecasts to this point.
In reality, I think that if they just had to have Michael Waltrip in the Hotel, then Hammond should have been made into the fourth pit reporter. As you've seen, he's basically become the de facto driver interviewer during the race, and he's decent there. Problem is, FOX believed that they couldn't replace the retiring Dick Berggren (Mike Joy has stated something very similar to this on-air in the past). While Berggren's a tough dude to replace, they actually hurt their own telecast just to honor him. He's not a vain guy (as far as I know, since I've never met him). He's a well-respected reporter in the garage, but I don't think he really relished the spotlight. For 2014, FOX should replace the Roving Reporter role with a fourth pit reporter. That fourth person should either be Hammond, someone like Wendy Venturini, or they could hire someone from outside FOX.
I've noted numerous times this season that FOX criminally underuses their pit reporters. They're some of the most experienced reporters on pit road these days (I don't believe Byrnes and Yocum have missed a FOX Cup race, while Voda replaced Jeanne Zelasko in 2005), but they can't show their aptitude. That hurts everyone involved with the telecast. Also, more pre-race interviews, please.
Apparently, FOX has this idea that if they have a number of pre-race interviews on their pre-race show, there's no reason for fans to watch NASCAR RaceDay Fueled by Sunoco on SPEED. As a result, I have to watch the pre-pre-race show to get the basic information I should get on a regular pre-race show. Remember, not everyone gets SPEED (soon to be FOX Sports 1). Others don't want to deal with the tone on that show, which can vary wildly within the same segment. I believe that FOX is doing a disservice to their viewers by not airing more interviews.
Speaking of Michael Waltrip, he needs to go not just because he isn't very good in his roles, but because he's hopelessly biased. You all know why that is so. I just don't like the idea of an active car owner in the series being full-time on the telecasts and disseminating all that information. I feel like it could be an unfair advantage for MWR. On the other hand, Chris Myers is not as irritating as he used to be. There isn't much of the ridiculous "We kid because we care" stuff that agitated fans in the past. There is a different dynamic in play, though. Most of the time, Hammond is pretty serious, despite the fact that he would do some strange stuff early on in FOX's tenure (2002-2003 or so). As a result, Myers had to be a little zanier, much to viewer's chagrin. With Michael there, Myers is the straight man, which is more normal for him.
As much respect as I have for Erin Andrews, she probably hurt her career at Daytona with her complete lack of knowledge of the sport. Preparation is everything in television, believe me. As of this writing, I do not know if she'll be back for the Daytona 500 next year. If she is, I recommend that FOX give her a crash course and not just throw her to the wolves.
McReynolds is supposed to be the technically-minded booth member, but he's more stats-based than anything now (especially when he's on TNT, starting next week). Perhaps he's evolved into that role since he's been away from working on the cars for so long. Regardless, that's something Mike Joy could do and add to the telecast. As for the weather addiction, that happens. I still find the borderline denial of weather issues to be concerning, though. (Ex: "I'm going to tell you how we do things here. I know that you (McReynolds is referring to FOX 29 Meterologist Caitlin Roth here) have forecasted a 40 percent chance of rain. But, that's a 60 percent chance that it won't rain." That is a direct quote from NASCAR RaceDay Fueled by Sunoco this past Sunday.) Granted, the crews don't want to think about it because of the extra work that would result from it. With 200-300 people at the track, changing all those travel arrangements is nothing short of a nightmare. Hence, why you have people react that way. I still believe that it's a disservice to fans.
Joy is underused and often stuck having to play to McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip's strengths, which do not necessarily match his own. Having said that, the trio do seem to get along really well and have chemistry that can only really come from working together for 13 partial seasons.
Finally, Darrell basically has his own shtick by this point that he's honed for the last decade-plus. For those of us who live in Upstate New York (or in Southwest Florida), it is Billy Fuccillo-annoying at times. Sometimes, I just have to throw my hands up in the air and say, "What can I do about this?" He's entrenched and can basically do whatever he wants since he's considered to be the primary booth draw. The interviews that Darrell does seem to only be with his friends in the garage. Granted, they're not bad, but I'd like to see him interview someone he wasn't close with. We've had the same one-on-one with Kyle Busch for two years now.
I hope you liked this look back at FOX's season. Next week, I'll be back with an IndyCar tripleheader from Detroit and Texas. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Texas, Pocono, Iowa and Montreal.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond the Cockpit: Travis Pastrana Learning Curves, Bright Cars and X Games
"When you're with a smaller team or you're at a test by yourself, you feel like nobody on the face of the earth can drive faster than you. You feel like, 'I am driving the piss out of this thing' but when you have teammates you can see that they're gaining on you coming into the corner or through the center or on the way off or braking more or less. Carl has been awesome. We are almost identical in size so we use the same sized seat and don't have to make any adjustments. He'll fire off a pretty good lap, ok, amazing laps, which are usually better than mine when I've been driving all day. It is good, though, because I have the telemetry to go off of which is unmatchable compared to anything else that we could have done before." - Travis Pastrana, on being able to test.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
ADVERTISEMENT
Race fans, do you love Frontstretch.com's coverage of NASCAR's top 3 series, IndyCar, Formula One and Short Track Racing? Do you want to read even more about your favorite sport? Then check out the industry's newest racing publication, Motorsport Illustrated News!, which is available both in print and in digital format! As one of our loyal readers, you'll receive 15% off any subscription when you use the coupon code fs2013.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond the Cockpit: Travis Pastrana Learning Curves, Bright Cars and X Games
"When you're with a smaller team or you're at a test by yourself, you feel like nobody on the face of the earth can drive faster than you. You feel like, 'I am driving the piss out of this thing' but when you have teammates you can see that they're gaining on you coming into the corner or through the center or on the way off or braking more or less. Carl has been awesome. We are almost identical in size so we use the same sized seat and don't have to make any adjustments. He'll fire off a pretty good lap, ok, amazing laps, which are usually better than mine when I've been driving all day. It is good, though, because I have the telemetry to go off of which is unmatchable compared to anything else that we could have done before." - Travis Pastrana, on being able to test.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Jeff Wolfe
NASCAR Mailbox: NASCAR Mailbox: Penalties, Patching Things Up, and Peeved Drivers
by Summer Bedgood
Truckin' Thursdays: Texas Is A Veteran's Chance To Shine
by Beth Lunkenheimer
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Prior to the introduction of SAFER Barriers, Pocono Raceway's outside walls were made exclusively of boiler plate (Flat metal, for lack of better words). The 1989 AC Spark Plug 500 had two separate incidents that led to the introduction of concrete outside walls in the turns. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: After the nasty crash involving Steve Park and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on the first lap of the 2002 Pennsylvania 500, Pocono Raceway made some changes to make the track safer for competitors. What were they?
A: If you remember, Park and Earnhardt, Jr. spun into a single-strand Armco guardrail that was wimpier than you'd see on a two-lane highway. Pocono Raceway replaced those weak guardrails with a three-strand guardrail backed up by an earthen bank. However, the introduction of paved runoff and inside SAFER Barriers on the Long Pond and North Straightaways after the track's repave for last year resulted in the removal off of many of these guardrails. They can still be seen on the inside of Turns 1 and 3, though.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: Pocono by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Pocono by Matt Stallknecht
Matt will get your engines revved up for 2013 with a preview of this weekend's FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.
IndyCar InDepth by Toni Montgomery
Coming off of an interesting doubleheader at Belle Isle Park, Toni previews Saturday night's return to Texas Motor Speedway.
Coming off of an interesting doubleheader at Belle Isle Park, Toni previews Saturday night's return to Texas Motor Speedway.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.
Nuts For Nationwide by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin has another interesting look at the Nationwide Series as they take a week off prior to the 5-Hour Energy 200 at Dover International Speedway.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Special Column TBA
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Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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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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