Wednesday, July 31, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: July 31st, 2013

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 31st, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXL

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Top News
by Amy Henderson and Tom Bowles

Duchardt Named GM at Hendrick

Hendrick Motorsports announced on Tuesday that Doug Duchardt will take the reins of the team in the newly-created role of Executive Vice President and General Manager.  Duchardt, who has been with the Hendrick operation since 2005, has been with the team for more than 80 race wins and five Sprint Cup Series championships.  In his new role with the organization, Duchardt will be in charge of directing all race-related operation at HMS, including overseeing engine leases and chassis built for other teams.  He will also oversee all four Hendrick Sprint Cup teams, the engine department, and any other personnel related to racing operations. Ken Howes will remain Vice President of Competition, reporting to Duchardt.

In an HMS press release, team owner Rick Hendrick said of Duchardt, "Doug has led by example from his first day with us.  We're in a competitive and ever-changing industry, and he brings a global view that will be critical to our long-term success. Doug shares the organization's values, understands the importance of relationships and has helped promote a culture of teamwork and communication. We know those are things he will lean on and grow in the years to come."

"I'm honored to work with this incredible team of people," added Duchardt Tuesday. "I will continue to focus on giving them the resources and opportunities they need to be successful. We have a winning tradition that all of us want to protect and build on, and I'm lucky to be in a position to contribute to those efforts."

44 Teams Will Attempt the Tricky Triangle

44 teams are on the entry list for this weekend's GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono raceway this weekend. There are a few changes to the usual lineup as well.  Alex Kennedy will pilot the No. 19 usually driven by Mike Bliss.  Tony Raines will drive the No. 33 for Circle Sport while Landon Cassill remains in the team's second No. 40 Chevrolet.  Cassill's team does not have enough owner points to qualify for a provisional start, so he will have to qualify in the top 36 on speed.  Other driver-team combinations to note include Mark Martin in the No. 55, Timmy Hill in the No. 32, and Brian Keselowski in the No. 52.

Kurt Busch Running IndyCar Finale?

Could one of NASCAR's stars be heading over to open-wheel... this season? The answer is yes, at least for a race if Kurt Busch has his way. The full-time driver of Furniture Row's No. 78 Chevrolet, currently in contention to make the Chase is chasing a deal to run the IndyCar season finale at Fontana in October. Contingent on funding, he hopes it's a springboard to bigger and better things in 2014; namely, running the Indianapolis 500 next May.

"I'd like to do an oval before Indy next year," he told Motor Racing Network Tuesday. Busch went on to say he'd feel "blind" if he didn't have at least one start before open-wheel's biggest race.

Andretti Autosport would own the ride the 2004 Cup champion would drive. Should Busch make the move, then run at Indy the following year he'd be the first driver since Robby Gordon in '04 to attempt the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

Busch's contract with FRR is also up after this season; however, the driver says a full-time move to IndyCar isn't being considered.

News 'N' Notes

- NASCAR announced some personnel changes Tuesday. Veteran crew chief Tony Glover, who once won Daytona 500s with Sterling Marlin in the 1990s has been named Technical Director for NASCAR Touring Series. Former crew chief Chris Wright has been named Director Of K&N Pro Series East, while Kip Childress assumes that role for K&N Pro Series West. Childress, who was Director of the East Series will replace Les Westerfield in that position.

- Tony Stewart, who still has a few unsponsored races left this season picked up Danica's sponsor to back him at Pocono. For the first time all year, GoDaddy will back the No. 14 Chevrolet in a paint scheme that will be black as opposed to Patrick's green.

Have news for Tom 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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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.

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Today's Featured Commentary
WTF Wednesdays
Marijuana Making Waves In Racing?
by Ellen Richardson

 

I am back and excited to return to my soapbox this week despite a rather disappointing weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  As many fans and motorsports-related media have continued to chat about this week, both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway were more than lackluster.  In fact, it was even a topic of debate on NASCAR Race Hub last night.

The funniest thing about race weekend at Indy was what actually made national news.  No, not the possibility of Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports kissing the bricks or even Ryan Newman stealing the opportunity from Johnson.  Instead, it was Mary Jane's presence outside of this legendary speedway.

According to USA Today, the Marijuana Policy Project, who is the nation's largest pro-marijuana legalization advocacy group, purchased space to air a video promoting this drug as less harmful than alcohol on a portable screen across from the Brickyard. 

After first learning of this story, I couldn't help but chuckle and think to myself "is this where the sport is heading now?"  Don't forget, fans, NASCAR started with illegal bootlegging before R.J. Reynolds Tobacco took this sport up the ranks.  Of course, both NASCAR and and IMS President Doug Boles have both denied having any connection to the advertisement, which appeared on a board in front of the American Legion Speedway 500 Post lodge across from the speedway.  The board's operator, Mike Estojak who was hired by Grazie Media in Ontario, Canada, also said that he was unaware of the message that would be running.  In fact, after learning of this public service announcement he made the decision to pull this ad, which many NASCAR fans most likely missed due to its limited run.

The best part of the whole ordeal, was both Crown Royal and Miller Lite were major sponsors of this weekend's Brickyard 400, which makes me wonder if the the primary reason for pulling this ad was not due to the worry of offending fans attending this race, but taking away from companies who paid a pretty penny to sponsor it?

Don't get me wrong, I am not condoning the use of this illegal substance or the promotion of it to race fans.  In fact,  as someone who has purchased ad space for a variety of clientele, I am always quick to research who both the seller and purchaser of this ad space really is.  That brings me to my point, which I guess I have danced around a bit.  Although denying any hand in this form of advertising near one of its speedways, I have to wonder if the serious decline in both fan attendance and viewership, although up slightly this weekend, had a somewhat small hand in not necessarily the purchase of this ad but the national coverage that ensued?

As some of my fellow Frontstretch.com writers and I were discussing yesterday evening, NASCAR has continued to see a decline in the kind of attention that was once received, which could lead to desperate moves like attracting risky advertisers of this nature.

So, as the debate continues on the value of NASCAR continuing to visit the Brickyard and what improvements should be made to this track in the future to assure continued fan interest, let's just hope that risks of this nature will continue to be shied away from instead of leaving us all wondering...WTF?

Ellen Richardson is a Newsletter Contributor for Frontstretch.com.  She can be reached via e-mail at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com. Follow her on Twitter @EllenNRich.

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

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Tweet 'N' Greet
by Kevin Rutherford

Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Kevin Rutherford will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.

So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...

@Tjmajors: Bad part is that there is dirt racing this good every weekend probably within 30 minutes of most peoples houses and they don't know it!

@stevearpin: Well she said yes!! I'm going to marry the most incredible girl I've ever met! @JYoger pic.twitter.com/3qwD90djXD

@KyleBusch: Has @ClintBowyer really been able to sit in the same chair for 2 hrs? This is HUGE people. Forget about the racing.

@23SpeedRacer (Spencer Gallagher): And a high school band is playing the anthem THIS IS THE GREATEST THING EVER #eldora #dirttrackin #TeamNorm

@DeLanaHarvick: This has that back in the day racin' feel! Hum... sold out, high energy, Wednesday night racin'.... might be on to something.

@dustinlong: #NASCAR … So who had lap 116 as first caution for an incident? Anyone? Anyone? Thought so. #AskMRN @MRNRadio

@RyanNewman39: Thank you @quickenloans for believing in me and the opportunity to represent your company. Today was a dream come true.

@KyleBusch: Thx 4 all the messages, so awesome 2 win here @IMS. Ready 2 go after it again today with the M&M's Camry.

@austindillon3: #eldora http://instagram.com/p/cOoDo9G8bl/

@AndyLally: Weird fact: Ryan Newman may be the first #NASCAR driver to ever grow up, graduate college and win a race all in the same state.

@ClintBowyer: Pretty sure that's the worst we've run in over a year. At least it wasn't one of the big races....Sorry gang! We WILL get It fixed.

@mw55 (Michael Waltrip): There would be more passing at Indy if the apron was paved like it use to be. A little flatter than the groove now and wider.

@MaxGresham: Last night was so much fun! Learned a lot and was amazed by how many great fans showed up! Y'all rocked the house! #letsdoitagain

@KyleLarsonRacin: Disappointed I didn't get the win tonight. Made one mistake and @austindillon3 capitalized. Congratulations on making history.

@Matt_Crafton: I was a little skeptical going in, but ended up having a good time at Eldora. #Eldora #dirtracing http://instagram.com/p/cMi-UbgTvD/

@JimmieJohnson: I loved the close up of Norm's single finger salute. #NormForPresident

@claygreenfield: The video of my battle with Norm has about 20,000 views right now with several postings combined. Glad 1-800-PAVEMENT is getting exposure

@J_Allgaier (Justin Allgaier): Quite possibly one of the coolest races I have ever attended!! #mudsummerclassic http://instagram.com/p/cLfBPBIRdh/

@BubbaWallace (Darrell Wallace Jr.): Dirt race...dirt face lmao http://instagram.com/p/cLOov7Cc8z/

@J_R_Fitzpatrick: Attention @NASCAR_Trucks you wanna get around @CTMPOfficial, you can have my help, #records #mostwins

@MartinTruexJr56: Thoughts and prayers for the Earnhardt family. Got to know uncle Randy well in my DEI days, if you ever shook his hand you would remember it

@Kenny_Wallace: I have thought this; "Humans NEVER use twitter to say Nice Things about #NASCAR, They use twitter to say BAD things"

@scottspeed: I guess if ur 89 ur out of luck!!! pic.twitter.com/MPtvLzXWBs

@JakeSnakeCrum: Why are there no classic @NASCAR programs & races on @netflix? Surely that's a marketable idea. I'd watch the classics on the tube.

@ColemanPressley: I don't know how the family from 'home alone' missed their flight out of Chicago. All these flights are delayed all the time!

@KevinHarvick: Pretty intense stuff around here tonight! https://vine.co/v/hAlgJnh07i1
 
Kevin Rutherford is an Assistant Editor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at kevin.rutherford@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at@Surfwax83.

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ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand?  A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

IndyCar Round Table: Dixon Domination, ESPY Triumph, and Forward Momentum
by Toni Montgomery, Huston Ladner and Matt Stallknecht
by Tom Bowles

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q: The 2004 Pocono 400 was a rather decisive race that ultimately led to the introduction of Green-White-Checker situations to the then-NEXTEL Cup Series.  What happened?
 
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Tuesday's Answer:

Q: In 1988, Rick Mears won the pole for CART's Quaker State 500 at Pocono Raceway.  However, he didn't last too long before dropping out for the day.  What happened?

A: Admittedly, this was a rather unusual incident.  Phil Krueger crashed his No. 77 in the Tunnel Turn to bring out the caution. A number of drivers cut it very close to the safety crews helping Krueger. There were no replays of the incident, but it appears that Mears came up on the scene too fast, lost control and slid into the wall.  Mears was already laps down at the time due to suspension issues, so the wreck just ended a horrible day.

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

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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!

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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite Frontstretch writers are back to discuss a variety of weekly storylines. Topics this week include Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin, Eldora and more!

Frontstretch Fan Q&A by Summer Bedgood
Summer takes on your NASCAR questions and answers them to the best of her ability. Be sure to send your questions in if there's something that's been nagging at you and you might see your name in print.

Fantasy Insider by Jeff Wolfe
Jeff brings fantasy racing back to Frontstretch this season. The week, he has your best bets as you fill out your roster for Pocono.

Tech Talk by Mike Neff
Mike has a Sprint Cup Series crew chief stop by to talk about the technical side of NASCAR. This week, Jason Ratcliff checks in as the series heads off to Pocono.

Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth is back with all of the latest and greatest to come out of the Truck Series. This week, Beth looks at a variety of talking points as the series heads to Pocono Raceway.

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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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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: July 30th, 2013

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 30th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXXXIV
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What to Watch For: Tuesday

- Today concludes a two-day testing session at Watkins Glen International.  Five teams are in attendance, shaking down their cars for the Cheez-it 355 in a couple of weeks.  Those teams are Circle Sport, LLC (Ron Fellows), Front Row Motorsports (Michael McDowell in Josh Wise's car, along with David Gilliland), JTG-Daugherty (AJ Allmendinger) and Furniture Row Racing (Kurt Busch).

- Tuesday is also normally NASCAR teleconference day for the national media and today is no different.  This week's guest is K&N Pro Series regular Ryan Gifford, who is scheduled to make his Nationwide Series debut this week in Iowa for Richard Childress Racing.
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Top News
by Tom Bowles

ESPN, TNT Threw NASCAR Away?

Was NBC bidding for the second half of the NASCAR package all by itself? If so, it's a potentially embarrassing moment for the sports network, which paid a large chunk more for NASCAR rights from 2015-24 with their two main competitors sitting down and saying, "No thanks." That's what a Sports Business Daily article is claiming, detailing specific conversations Monday in which both ESPN and TNT, the sport's current television partners chose to opt out after the 2014 season long before the next deal was done.

According to the article, TNT informed NASCAR executives shortly after the July 4th holiday the 2014 season would be their last covering the sport. In the midst of their lowest-rated coverage under the current deal, the network felt future races were not worth the investment. ESPN, a few days later followed suit, claiming an aging fan base, sagging ratings and poor ad sales drove their decision to drop the sport.

In the end, their refusal proved meaningless with NBC swooping in and choosing to grab the rights. A 54 percent increase in payments, beginning with the 2015 season is designed to put NBC Sports Network on the map while executives hope through a variety of factors they can return the sport to the height of its popularity, in 2005.

TV Ratings For The Brickyard Up

ESPN's first Sprint Cup race of 2013 was a success in the Nielsens. The Brickyard 400 drew a 3.4 overnight, up 13% over last year's 3.0. Of course, the 2012 event was run opposite the Opening Weekend of the Olympics but the numbers still compare favorably to audiences of the race from the past six to seven years. A race that ran quickly - two hours, 36 minutes - helped minimize any problems from an event in which cars struggled to pass and two drivers dominated the proceedings up front.

The 3.4 overnight was also the best for the sport since FOX stopped covering in June. None of the TNT events drew higher than a 3.2 overnight (the Daytona event in July had a final rating of 3.5).

Raines In At CircleSport; Cassill To Run Second Car

Tony Raines is back in the Sprint Cup Series, at least for one event. At Pocono this weekend, CircleSport has put the veteran in its No. 33 Chevrolet while running full-time Landon Cassill in a second car, the No. 40 with sponsorship from Interstate Moving Services. Cassill debuted that car at Indianapolis, running 33rd and will continue to drive that car in a limited schedule of races as long as sponsorship permits.

Raines, a veteran of 169 Cup starts competed in seven Sprint Cup races last season, finishing two. He's no stranger to CircleSport, running for the team in the Spring races at Richmond and Talladega last year.

Tony Stewart Teases Mike Neff

Have you seen Smoke poke fun at one of our favorite Frontstretch personalities? Click here to see the YouTube clip that's gone viral this week. What do you think? Did Mr. Neff ask a silly question? Tell us... and by the way, all is well between Smoke and Neffy. They were laughing about this exchange 15 minutes after the fact. Remember, you can follow Neff at @MNeffShortTrack.

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
Tony Stewart: The Maker of NASCAR Headlines
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady

"He could be the next face of NASCAR!"

These words are spoken just about every year, with a new rookie class taking to the track.  I've said them often enough.  Somewhere in the pits walks a fresh new face with killer on-track talent and a penchant for saying something funny or snarky to the camera.  The media circus laps up the excitement and follows the phenom around, waiting for the next newsworthy activity.

In 1999, Tony Stewart was the new kid on the block, full of himself and equipped with an acerbic tongue.  NASCAR ate it up.  Time passed and our eagle eyes were rewarded with infield drama, shoving matches, finger pointing, punches, scores settled... you name it, Mr. Stewart did it.  He won 48 races, three championships, sported the orange Home Depot colors until he became synonymous with the sponsor and ultimately became known as one of the storied veterans of our sport.  But he wasn't really "The Face of NASCAR."

Other drivers won more races, more Cups and in general maintained their spot in the headlines more effectively than Smoke.  Mr. Stewart, well, he mellowed with age.  He discovered a quirky TV persona and shared his ass-grabbing penchant with the world.  No, he wasn't our poster boy, but certainly a member of the family.

In 2004, he bought Eldora -- the historical dirt track in tiny New Weston, OH -- and in 2009 formed Stewart-Haas Racing.  After driving almost every kind of car available on the planet and proving he could rub bumpers with the best of them, Tony appeared to want something more out of life.  Was it glory he was seeking?  To see his team's name carved into a Sprint Cup Trophy? 

Whatever the answers may be, one thing is clear: Tony Stewart loves every inch of the racing world.  He clearly has no inclination to retire into obscurity simply because he's done just about everything you can with four tires and a steering wheel.  His talents don't simply lie in going fast; he's a marketing master as well. And he knows what sells.

Eldora Speedway rocketed into the mainstream racing world with Stewart's charity race, "The Prelude to the Dream."  Year after year, it drew not only the best drivers in all forms of racing, but also built an avid paying audience beyond the dirt track grandstands.  His Sprint Cup team is now built around the polarizing and entirely sell-able persona of Danica Patrick.  Fans across America let other fans know they loved Stewart's dirt track promotions and they adored the GoDaddy girl in the green No. 10.  Tony could have been called King Midas.

And now, Mr. Stewart has achieved yet another level of success this past week with the arrival of the Camping World Truck Series at his beloved Eldora Speedway, paired with Ryan Newman's dominant performance at the world's most iconic raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Everywhere we looked this week, Smoke has been standing in the spotlight, living large and happy.

It is suddenly very clear, these past 14 years haven't been about putting Tony's sly grin on the face of NASCAR.  His career has been focused on elevating auto racing into a nation's consciousness.  His name has not become synonymous with NASCAR, but with fast cars and fun times.  He seems to have found the magic mix that our sanctioning body is so often looking for, yet struggles to locate: sheer fun.

What's even more exhilarating is that Tony's flight to the stars appears to have just started.  Tracks, drivers, events, winning, promotion, and most of all, forward momentum are driving his success.

I don't know that this story will all end in a huge pot o' gold for Tony Stewart.  I'm not sure that's what he's chasing.  I kind of doubt it.  But I'll tell you what won't surprise me...

When NASCAR goes knocking on his door and hires him as Director of Competition one day.   When that happens, it won't be his face we'll get to know so well, but perhaps a special brand of racing that Tony Stewart has a knack for finding. And if the past is any indication... the future of the sport would burn that much brighter.

In 1999, all we saw was a young eager driver ready to whoop the field's butt come Sunday afternoon.  Oh, how short-sighted we were.

Tony Stewart never was.

Kyle Larson Stat

Series: Nationwide Series
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Car: No. 32 Cessna Chevrolet
Qualified: 17th
Finished: 11th (lead lap)
Points Standings: 7th

Series: Camping World Truck Series
Track: Eldora Speedway
Truck: No. 30 Clorox Speedway
Qualified: 13th
Finished: 2nd (lead lap)
Points Standings: n/a (Ineligible for Points)

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 and runs a NASCAR blog called the S-Curves. 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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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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Numbers Game: Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 Powered by BigMachineRecords.com
by Tom Bowles

0
Cars who failed to finish Sunday's race. It was the first time since the Richmond "regular season finale" in September, 2008 the entire 43-car field took the checkered flag.

0
Cars who crashed in the Brickyard 400. It's the first time in the history of the event no one so much as spun out during the race.

1
Victory for Ryan Newman in four straight seasons on the Cup circuit. Among those who can't claim the same active streak: Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards.

1
Woman, all-time to start the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis after Danica Patrick took the green flag Sunday. She ran 30th.

2
Times rookie Timmy Hill stopped on track for fuel pump issues. He caused two of the three yellow flags in the race; the other was for Jeff Burton's mechanical problems (both men made it back out).

3
Races led by second-place point man Clint Bowyer all season. He led one lap at Indianapolis Sunday, during green-flag pit stops to go along with one at the Daytona 500 and 113 laps led at Richmond.

3
Top-5 finishes by Greg Biffle this season, the fewest of any driver currently in position to make the Chase. He ran 24th on Sunday.

4
Top-10 finishes by Juan Pablo Montoya this season, double his total from 2012. He was ninth Sunday at the Brickyard, a track where he's led a career high number of laps - 203 - in eight starts.

4
Hendrick-powered cars to finish inside the top 4. Stewart-Haas Racing had two of them - winner Ryan Newman and fourth-place Tony Stewart - while Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne were sandwiched in between. All four Hendrick Motorsports cars also ran inside the top 7 (Dale Earnhardt Jr., 6th; Jeff Gordon, 7th).

12
Races since Mark Martin last had a top-5 finish. He was third in the season-opening Daytona 500. His regular ride, the No. 55 car struggled on Sunday, running 23rd despite winning New Hampshire with Brian Vickers two weeks before.

14
Top-10 finishes by Jimmie Johnson this season, which leads all drivers.

23
Cars that finished on the lead lap Sunday despite just three caution flags.

32.0
Average finish of Bobby Labonte since first being replaced by AJ Allmendinger at JTG-Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger's average, during that same stretch is 20.5 in two starts running the No. 47 Toyota.

638
Laps led by Jimmie Johnson in the last eight races. That's a total higher than any other driver has led ALL SEASON with two exceptions: Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch.

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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ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Racing To The Point: NASCAR's Two Showcase Events Fall Short
by Brett Poirier

Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Indianapolis-Pocono Edition
by Brad Morgan

Going By The Numbers: Do Lame Duck Drivers Really Win More?
by Summer Bedgood

Five Points to Ponder: Chasing the Chase And Pocono Thrills
by Danny Peters

by Phil Allaway
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q:  In 1988, Rick Mears won the pole for CART's Quaker State 500 at Pocono Raceway.  However, he didn't last too long before dropping out for the day.  What happened?

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

Monday's Answer:

Q:  The 1995 Miller Genuine Draft 500 is best known as the one race in which Dale Jarrett claimed victory while driving the No. 28 for Robert Yates.  Late in that event, there was an incident that claimed the only DNF (Kenny Wallace) of the day due to crash damage.  What happened?

A: It is a little unclear, but it appears that Wallace and Robert Pressley had contact entering Turn 1.  Wallace spun, hit the wall, then hit it again head-on before spinning into the grass.  Pressley spun into the grass as well, where he was hit by Dave Marcis.  The crash 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
What season is this championship Chase shaping up to be like? Tom takes a look, touches on what could be done to fix Indy and what meaning, if any TNT and ESPN choosing to ditch NASCAR means for the sport.

Beyond the Cockpit: Mike Wallace as told to Phil Allaway
The driver of the No. 01 JD Motorsports with Gary Keller Chevrolet recently sat down with us to discuss the struggles of running for a small team that doesn't have everything, the joy of NASCAR, Chrissy Wallace's plight and more.

Side-by-Side: Ryan Newman's Future? by the Frontstretch Staff
This week, we pose a question about a driver's future in the Sprint Cup Series.  Will A Brickyard 400 Win Land Ryan Newman A Ride With A Top Team In 2014... Or Will He Still Be Standing At The Unemployment Line?  We'll have both sides of the issue for you to devour.

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 Wednesday by the Frontstretch Staff
Our open-wheel experts come together for a roundtable, discussing a number of issues pertinent to the Izod IndyCar Series ahead of this weekend's visit to Mid-Ohio.

NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 after Indianapolis compiled by Michael Mehedin
Jimmie Johnson continues to impress this season after nearly claiming another perfect finish before a bad final stop dropped him to second.  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 Pocono 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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Monday, July 29, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: July 29th, 2013

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 29th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXXXVII

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Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
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Home Sweet Home: Newman Realizes Dream, Wins At Indy
by Justin Tucker

Ryan Newman, like every child growing up in Indiana has dreamed of one day winning at historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Newman, a native of South Bend, Indiana, came into Sunday's Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 Powered by BigMachineRecords.com riding the wave of a 49-race winless streak that stretched back to Martinsville in April 2012.  After being informed two weeks ago that he would not return to Stewart-Haas Racing, Newman rose to the occasion on one of NASCAR's biggest stages and outdueled Jimmie Johnson down the stretch to win the Brickyard 400.

"I don't realize it yet.  It's a dream come true," Newman said. "It can't hit you all at once, it's not good enough.  It will take a week or so for it to sink in."

From the outset on Sunday, Newman and Johnson would prove to be the class of the field as they would combine to lead 118 of the 160 laps on Sunday afternoon.  It appeared for much of the late stages of the race that Johnson was well on his way to claiming his record fifth Brickyard win until a slow, four-tire pit stop with 27 laps to go allowed Newman to capitalize on Matt Borland's two-tire pit call down the stretch. Darting out in front, Newman would hold off Johnson by 2.657 seconds to claim his 17th career NSCS win.

Teammate and car owner Tony Stewart was ecstatic during post-race interviews.

"He just had an awesome weekend," Stewart said.  "I kept looking up the board and watching and I was scared to ask where he was at and how big of a lead he had.  I didn't want to jinx him.  Just really proud of him -- he's a great teammate and an even better friend."

Points leader Jimmie Johnson continued his amazing 2013 season on Sunday by leading 73 laps and finishing second.  Johnson extended his points lead over Clint Bowyer to 75 points, but was disappointed about letting another Indy win slip away.

"There's definitely disappointment there, but that's racing.  It happens," Johnson said.  "We win as a team, lose as a team.  There's been some late race mistakes on my behalf that have taken race wins away from us.  Granted, not a major event like this. We still ended up second."

Johnson's teammate Kasey Kahne brought his No. 5 Chevrolet home in the third spot while Stewart finished fourth.  Matt Kenseth rounded out the top 5. 

Hendrick-powered cars swept the top 4 spots in the running order on Sunday.

"We had pretty good power all day long, there were several scenarios where I noticed it," Stewart said. "That's what you expect from Hendrick."

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. rebounded from a loose wheel on lap 13 to finish sixth with teammate Jeff Gordon right behind him in seventh.  Joey Logano was eighth, Juan Pablo Montoya ninth, and Kyle Busch rounded out the top 10.

Here's a quick look at the Brickyard 400 by the numbers.  There were 20 lead changes among 12 drivers, while the average race speed was 153.485 MPH -- meaning the event was completed in just two hours, 36 minutes. There were only 3 cautions for 14 laps, none of which were for wrecks or debris.

Sunday's Brickyard 400 proved to be entertaining and one filled with high drama in the closing stages.  Once again, track position and pit stops would mean the difference in the end in determining who went to Victory Lane.

The Sprint Cup Series moves on to Pocono next weekend for the GoBowling.com 400.  Jimmie Johnson captured the first race at Pocono in June and looks for his second track sweep of 2013.  Green flag at Pocono is scheduled for 1:19 P.M. ET.

Justin Tucker is a Newsletter Contributor at Frontstretch. To reach Justin, please contact Newsletter Manager Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.

Chasing the Chase: Johnson Expands Lead Again After Rivals Struggle
by Phil Allaway

Jimmie Johnson had yet another chance on Sunday to put together a 48 Special at Indianapolis.  However, a lug nut on the right rear cost the No. 48 team four seconds on pit road, more than enough for Ryan Newman to claim the win.  However, Johnson still finished way ahead of his rivals.  As a result, his lead is now the biggest of the season at 75 points over Clint Bowyer, who used an alternate pit strategy that didn't work out and relegated him to a 20th-place finish.  Carl Edwards ran up front early on, but dropped back to a 13th-place finish.  While that allowed him to gain points on Bowyer, he still lost ground to Johnson.

Kevin Harvick also had an off day at Indianapolis on Sunday, finishing a distant 19th.  That was still enough to maintain fourth in points.  Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s sixth-place finish would normally be enough to gain him some positions.  However, Earnhardt Jr. entered Indianapolis nearly a full race out of fourth in the standings.  He's still 32 points behind Harvick.  Matt Kenseth had a good run to finish fifth and maintain sixth in points.

Kyle Busch finished a respectable tenth and kept his seventh spot in the standings.  Meanwhile, Greg Biffle struggled to a 24th-place finish, one lap down.  While it didn't cost him a position in the standings, he did lose 14 points to Kyle Busch.  Kasey Kahne is up one place to ninth in points after finishing a strong third in his Great Clips Chevrolet.  Finally, Jeff Gordon's seventh-place finish has allowed him to climb back into the top 10 in points.

Even though Gordon is back in the top-10, his margin for error is almost nothing.  Tony Stewart is just one point behind Gordon in 11th after finishing fourth on Sunday.  Thanks to his win earlier this year at Dover, Stewart is the No. 1 Wild Card at the moment.  Martin Truex, Jr., who lost a place in the standings Sunday after finishing 11th, is 12th in points and has the second Wild Card.

Point Standings (Top 10): 1) Jimmie Johnson 740, 2) Clint Bowyer -75, 3) Carl Edwards -85, 4) Kevin Harvick -92, 5) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -124, 6) Matt Kenseth -125, 7) Kyle Busch -130, 8) Greg Biffle -175, 9) Kasey Kahne -176, 10) Jeff Gordon -181.

Point Standings (11-20): 11) Tony Stewart -182, 12) Martin Truex, Jr. -186, 13) Brad Keselowski -187, 14) Kurt Busch -194, 15) Jamie McMurray -203, 16) Ryan Newman -206, 17) Aric Almirola -211, 18) Joey Logano -216, 19) Paul Menard -220, 20) Jeff Burton -241.

Wild Cards: 1) Tony Stewart (11th in points, one win), 2) Martin Truex, Jr. (12th in points, one win)

Currently Ineligible for Wild Card: 1) David Ragan (28th in points, one win)

Race Winners: Jimmie Johnson (Daytona-1, Martinsville, Pocono, Daytona-2), Carl Edwards (Phoenix), Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas, Kansas, Darlington, Kentucky), Kasey Kahne (Bristol), Kyle Busch (Auto Club, Texas), Kevin Harvick (Richmond, Charlotte), David Ragan (Talladega), Tony Stewart (Dover), Greg Biffle (Michigan), Martin Truex, Jr. (Sonoma), Brian Vickers (Loudon), Ryan Newman (Indianapolis)

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.

Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here: Loudon Edition
by Amy Henderson

Editor's Note: This year, we're going to switch things up a little bit. Instead of just focusing upon one underdog (or underreported) car in the Secret Star section, we will point out three smaller teams that put up good finishes each week.

Underdog Selection No. 1: AJ Allmendinger for Phoenix Racing; started 14th, finished 22nd

Indianapolis is one of the tracks where the disparity between the teams with money to burn and those without really shows, and this week was no exception, with not a single underdog to be found in the top 20.  Allmendinger was the best among his peers this week, with an excellent qualifying effort and a decent finish; considering rumors swirling around the No. 51, that's impressive enough.

Allmendinger almost pulled off an Indianapolis 500 win earlier this year; a seat belt malfunction is possibly the only reason that Allmendinger doesn't have a Borg-Warner trophy in his case right now. With that in mind, his top finish among the small teams in the NASCAR event shouldn't come as a surprise.

Underdog Selection No. 2: Casey Mears for Germain Racing; started 30th, finished 27th

Mears has a mixed record at Indy, with a pole and a top-10 finish but a 24.1 average finish.  He probably can also get some extra pointers from his uncle Rick Mears, who has four Indianapolis 500 wins, but after a downright rotten week at Loudon in which the No. 13 was collateral damage, destroyed in a spat between Marcos Ambrose and Kevin Harvick, Mears needed to bounce back more than anything.  And he did, for the most part, finishing 27th, which puts him second in class this week (the No. 33 finished one spot ahead of Mears, but when Austin Dillon drives it, it's a full-out RCR effort). he had a strong outing last time out at Pocono ,as well, so there's no reason to think this team is stuck in the doldrums.

Underdog Selection No. 3: Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing; started 28th, finished 28th

While it's become clear that Bayne's learning curve is a bit steeper than many thought it would be after the young driver won the 2011 Daytona 500, Bayne does a decent job for the Wood Brothers part-time team, and he's a careful driver who brings his cars home in one piece if he avoids other people's trouble. For a team with limited resources, that's important.  This team is making it work on a limited schedule, too; they have three top-20 finishes in their last four races, a solid effort from a team running only a handful of races.

Underdog Pick of the Week-Pocono II: Bobby Labonte for JTG-Daugherty Racing

In this section, I'll give you my pick among the small teams to have a strong run in the upcoming race. 

Last week's picks, AJ Allmendinger and Casey Mears, came home 22nd and 27th, first and third among their underdog peers, so I'm looking to get on a roll this week, and I think Labonte is the man to get it done.  He was the fourth-finishing underdog at Pocono in June, but has the highest overall average finish among this group at 20.1.  Plus, with recent team shakeups, he's got something to prove, and that could be the motivation to make Labonte best in class this week.

Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs? Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during the race broadcasts? Amy has all the small teams covered each and every week in The Big Six. Be sure to check it out to see how your favorites fared!

Amy Henderson is a Co-Managing Editor and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at amy.henderson@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Writer_Amy.
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Letter of the Race: Sunday's Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 Powered by BigMachineRecords.com was brought to you by the Letter M for "Miscue."  With very few cautions to reset the field and the vast majority of pit stops occurring under green, it was very important for teams to be perfect on pit road in order to have a chance to win.  Jimmie Johnson's pit crew was not perfect when it counted, and it cost them.  Yes, they waltzed out of Indianapolis with a 75-point lead in the standings, but they missed out on paydirt that could have helped them where they really count their money - the Chase. - Phil Allaway

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Sidebar Loudon Stories
by Summer Bedgood

Johnson, Pit Crew Make Rare Mistake in Indy

Jimmie Johnson was poised to win his fifth Brickyard 400 on Sunday, dominating a race that he was already highly favored to win.  As the laps wound down, he was already well on his way to pulling it off.

A four-tire stop by crew chief Chad Knaus, with right around 27 laps remaining seemed to be the right call, until an issue with the right rear tire turned what should have been a 13 second stop into 17 seconds.  Johnson lost valuable time on track and was running several seconds behind race leader Ryan Newman when pit stops cycled through.

Despite the fact that Johnson was able to cut a chunk of the deficit to Newman as the laps wound down, it was too steep of a hill to climb.  Johnson would finish second to Newman with just under three seconds separating the two of them.

"We have a lot to be proud of over the course of the weekend," Johnson said, still rebounding from the disappointment post-race. "We'll do the best to let it roll off our shoulders by (Monday) afternoon."

Johnson maintains a significant point lead in the standings, with 75 points separating himself and second-place Clint Bowyer.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Races With Heavy Heart, Finishes Sixth

It was a rough day for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on Sunday after having learned of the passing of a close family member prior to the race.

Randy Earnhardt, Earnhardt's uncle and the brother of the late Dale Earnhardt, Sr., passed away at the age of 60 after a long battle with cancer.  Earnhardt was close to Randy and expressed his grief after the race on Sunday.

"It is just very, very sad, but I am glad his suffering is over with," said Earnhardt.  "He is going to be missed.  He was awesome, such an awesome guy.  He kept things together (at DEI).  He was in charge of a lot of different things.  Mainly in charge of where every nut and bolt was.  He was accountable for everything.  After the racing, after I left and everything kind of went away, he stuck around.  He was loyal to Dad, and really looked after everything that was there and that was my Father's and what would have been important to him as far as material things.  Randy really looked after that.  It is tough.  It is part of life, and it is hard to get used to.  I am just glad his suffering is over with; he was having a real hard time.  I loved him dearly, and will miss him a lot."

Earnhardt's start to the race was tough, too.  Only 12 laps in, Earnhardt had to make an unscheduled pit stop for a loose lug nut that was suspected by crew chief Steve Letarte to have been loose even as the field came to green.

Afterwards, a luckily timed caution and some hard work allowed for Earnhardt to get back on cycle with the rest of the field, even though the untimely stop had left him off sequence for much of the first portion of the race.

Finally, a strategy call by Letarte put Earnhardt in premium position, setting up him up as high as fourth at one point.  Though their fuel and strategy didn't win them the race, it did pan out for a top-10 finish for the No. 88 team.

"I thought the strategy was good," said Earnhardt. "We had a loose wheel on the start of the race; that was weird to have a loose wheel then. We changed our strategy and made it work. The car had good speed."

The sixth-place finish was Earnhardt's 11th top 10 in 20 races this season.

Summer Bedgood is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SummerBedgood.

Quotes to Remember: Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com
compiled by Summer Bedgood

"Just stay green that was the biggest thing was I knew we had a good car.  Quicken Loans Chevrolet was good all day.  First of all, I have to thank Quicken, Outback, Wix Filters, Aspen Dental, Code 3, State Water Heaters, Haas Automation, Sprint for giving us this opportunity, an ice cold Coca-Cola and Chevrolet.  Starting on the pole and winning the race just an awesome day for us.  I've got to thank all the fans for coming out.  Matt Borland (crew chief) made an awesome call. I've won more races with him on old tires and out of gas than I have with four tires and the best car.  Hendrick horsepower was the main thing today.  Thank Tony Stewart and everybody at Stewart-Haas this is a dream come true for me I can't wait to get over and push my lips against those bricks." - Ryan Newman, finished first

"There is definitely disappointment there, but this is racing, that stuff happens.  I have given away a couple late in the race myself this year.  We win as a team we lose as a team, it's just how it is.  I wouldn't take another race team out there.  I'm very proud of this KOBALT Tools Chevrolet team and everything that goes into it.  Great day, Ryan (Newman) was fast all day long.  I can't take anything away from him.  At the beginning of the race he paced everything for a long time.  I think he got mired back in traffic for a while there. Towards the end of the race he worked his way back to the front and he was plenty fast.  A big hats off to Ryan and everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing." - Jimmie Johnson, finished second

"Yeah I think we did the whole race at times.  We just really got going at the end of the race.  We had a really fast Great Clips Chevrolet.  We kept falling back too far.  Just things happen and we got back and then you have to pass.  You get so far behind with track position here.  It takes a while to get back to the front.  The guys did a nice job, had a really fast car.  Great Hendrick horsepower was key and congrats to Ryan (Newman) he had a big weekend.  He deserved it and needed it." - Kasey Kahne, finished third

"I can't wait to give him a hug and congratulate him.  He has just done an awesome job all weekend getting on the pole and he was in the hunt all day.  He led early obviously and it was down to him and the No. 48 car that was easy to see.  I didn't know what the strategy was going to be at the end.  I just kept looking up at the board and watching. I was scared to ask where he was at and how big of a lead he had.  Finally, with three (laps) to go I couldn't wait any longer, I finally asked and wanted to know what was going on.  I just didn't want to jink him.  Just kept watching the jumbo trons every time we would come off of (turn) four and was watching to see where he was at.  Just really proud of him.  He's a great teammate he's an even better friend.  Just couldn't be happy for him, this is awesome, this is our home race.  Couldn't be any better than this." - Tony Stewart, finished fourth

"None of them are easy, but today was difficult.  We had really, really great pit stops from my Dollar General crew and Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) made a great call to get us some track position.  That's really what got us our top-five.  We didn't have a car that good today.  We were just off all weekend.  We never hit it exactly right.  Great adjustments for today.  Great adjustments during the race — with strategy and pit stops — got us a good finish out of the day." - Matt Kenseth, finished fifth

"I thought it was good.  We had good speed.  I thought the strategy was good.  We had a loose wheel on the start of the race; that was weird to have a loose wheel then.  We changed our strategy and made it work.  The car had good speed.  Right at the end, we were either running out of gas, or had a little bit of an engine problem the last two or three laps.  I almost lost another spot.  But the car just quit running at the end.  I don't know if it was out of fuel or what.  But the fuel pressure was good." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished sixth

"You had to fight extremely hard today.  It was just pit strategy and speed in the car and traffic it was not easy I can tell you that." - Jeff Gordon, finished seventh

"I was confused.  I didn't know what was going on but Todd did a good job making the calls today.  I feel like he gave us the opportunity to gain the track position we needed.  We just weren't quite as fast as we needed to be.  We led some laps but the 48 was just so fast plus he had new tires.  We lost a little there and then we had some issues on pit road today that cost us about three or four spots.  I feel like we could have finished in the top-five and am proud of the effort the guys put into this car.  We weren't really sure how we were going to be.  I am glad we got a decent finish again and hopefully we get these troubles out of the way and get back on a top-10 streak and makeup the points we've lost the last two weeks." - Joey Logano, finished eighth

"Yes, the strategies were kind of weird.  It kind of hurt us in track position.  Our car wasn't that good that good on the straight today; I don't know why.  We will have to look at it.  Even when I got a good run, it kind of bogged down.  Just really struggled with the balance.  We had a pretty competitive car at the beginning of the race, but it just couldn't seem to be able to keep up with the race track.  Everything I did, it still wouldn't turn at all, we all the entry stability." - Juan Pablo Montoya, finished ninth

"We called a two-tire stop and we had a hiccup on the right side and at that point you're going to leave pit road last so you might as well just sit in your box, take your four tires, make your adjustment and move on.  We could have left pit road a lot earlier, but we still would have been last.  We just took the time since we had a bobble — we just took the time to get the car where we wanted it and not try to race anyone.  The goal was to come down and have a right-side tire stop and beat people off pit road like we typically do.  We were off a little bit on pit road today and it cost us there.  The team did a great job and there at the end, Kyle (Busch) did a great job digging down deep.  I think we were 22nd with 40 (laps) to go and got a top-10 out of it.  With 40 to go if you had asked me, 'Would you be happy with a top-10?'  I would have told you, 'Yeah.'  I better not be disappointed now." - Dave Rogers, crew chief for Kyle Busch, finished tenth

"We did — it was a hell of a battle out there all day.  We had our hands full all day long — that's for sure.  Just kept fighting hard — kept fighting, fighting, fighting.  We didn't get a lot of cautions so we had to do a lot of it when the field was strung out and that made it tough.  We did have the one caution and we did get a real good restart and we were able to get a couple there.  Just had a decent car on the long runs — we weren't blazing fast by any means, but we were just steady.  We would get one or two or three (cars) every run.  The guys were really good on pit road and we got a couple there.  Just dug deep today and did what we had to do for the Chase deal." - Martin Truex Jr., finished 11th

"The early part of the race went real well.  We had track position.  This whole event track position was key.  It was very difficult for me to pass people.  We lost our track position on the restart and Tony made it four-wide.  I made the decision to not go down there and wreck everybody and that cost us a lot of track position. We made it back to 13th.  I am proud of my guys.  They brought a really good race car, but we just really struggled on some parts of the track that we don't normally struggle on." - Carl Edwards, finished 13th

"The 14th-place finish is unacceptable.  We were strong in practice but had trouble in the race running in traffic.  The car was loose and didn't have the traction that was needed on this track.  We've accomplished a lot thus far this season, but one area we need to improve upon is finishing strong.  No question we have to run better than we did today if we want to get into the top-10.  We are definitely capable of making it happen, but we need to have strong finishes in the next six races." - Kurt Busch, finished 14th

"That was definitely not the day we wanted.  It was an up and down day and the way the cycles ended it was down on the finish.  I don't think that was indicative of how we ran.  That has been the story of the year.  We were probably a fifth-to-tenth-place car, which isn't where we want to be and we know we have work to do to make our stuff faster, but we weren't a 21st-place car, it is just the way things worked out.  It has been one of those years where when we have a car that is fast enough to contend and win races, it turns into a strategy race and when we don't have car fast enough and we play strategy, it turns into a race like today where it was about speed.  We haven't been able to catch it the right way.  In reality, we would like to be fast everywhere but that hasn't been the case for us.  That is what we need to work on." - Brad Keselowski, finished 21st

"We were pretty crippled with an ill race car.  We weren't able to make any real significant improvements on it.  I think the team did a great job of battling.  Rodney (Childers, crew chief) had great pit strategy.  He did a great job of executing with what we had." - Mark Martin, finished 23rd

"You know it just wasn't anything special.  I just kind of kept with it and hoped to catch a break somewhere or that the car would get a lot better and it just kind of stayed real steady.  We took two tires on one of the stops and we got track position out of it, but unfortunately it just didn't run very well.  So, we tried something; it just didn't work and that's that.  It just was what it was.  When we came into this weekend, I said okay, I'm not going to try to take anything from the car that it doesn't really have and unfortunately that's what we had today; or that's what I had today." - Danica Patrick, finished 30th

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q:  The 1995 Miller Genuine Draft 500 is best known as the one race in which Dale Jarrett claimed victory while driving the No. 28 for Robert Yates.  Late in that race, there was an incident that claimed the only DNF (Kenny Wallace) of the day due to crash damage.  What happened?

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

Friday's Answer:

Q:  Later in the 1998 Brickyard 400, Jimmy Spencer suffered his second injury at Indianapolis. How did it happen and how badly was he hurt?

A: With six laps to go, Jeff Green had contact with Spencer's left rear corner, spinning Spencer hard into the wall, left front first.  The wreck can be seen here.

Spencer suffered a shoulder injury in the crash and was forced to take relief from Boris Said the next weekend in Watkins Glen.  He also later sat out Bristol and allowed Ted Musgrave to take his place.

Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take 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 Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Tom Bowles
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: Crown Royal presents the Samuel Deeds 400 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!

Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
 
Five Points To Ponder by Danny Peters
Danny returns for his weekly edition of talking points, which will wrap up the action at Indianapolis and get us ready for Pocono.

Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Indianapolis-Pocono Edition by Brad Morgan
Brad gives up something to look forward to going into Indianapolis. He's tracking the trends of the past few weeks to see which drivers are on a tear... or tearing their hair out.

Racing To The Point by Brett Poirier
Brett is back with another commentary to make you think.

Going By The Numbers by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin enlightens us with his weekly statistics column based on trends we've been seeing in the Cup Series so far this season.

Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series were both in action at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, the Camping World Truck Series was in Eldora. How were these races broadcasted? You'll have to check out Tuesday's column to find out.
-----------------------------
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Posted by Curious ... at 11:10 AM 0 comments

Thursday, July 25, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: July 26th, 2013

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 26th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXXXVI

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What to Watch: Weekend Racing Schedule

Friday, July 26
Time    Telecast    Network

10:30 AM - 11:30 PM    Nationwide Series Happy Hour    SPEED
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM    Sprint Cup Series Practice No. 1    SPEED

Saturday, July 27
Time    Telecast    Network

9:00 - 11:00 AM    Sprint Cup Series Happy Hour    ESPN 2
12:00 - 2:00 PM    Nationwide Series Qualifying    SPEED
2:00 - 4:00 PM    Sprint Cup Series Qualifying    ESPN
4:30 - 7:00 PM    Nationwide Series Indiana 250    ESPN

Sunday, July 28
Time    Telecast    Network

8:00 - 10:00 AM    Formula One Grand Prix of Hungary    NBC Sports Network
1:00 - 5:00 PM    Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 powered by BigMachineRecords.com    ESPN

~~~~~~~~~~

Top News
by Justin Tucker

Allgaier Denies Phoenix Racing Rumors

Turner Scott Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier, running full-time in the Nationwide Series has been reported by several sources to be moving up to Sprint Cup within the next few months. However, late this week in a mild surprise he's denied any such move is imminent, claiming a connection to the No. 51 Chevrolet in the Cup Series, recently sold to an unnamed buyer is factually inaccurate. James Finch, the current owner of Phoenix Racing confirmed last week that he had sold the team but did not reveal its buyer. An announcement was to be made early this week but so far nothing has been released by any party regarding the deal.

Speculation has centered around Allgaier, who drives the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet for TSM in the Nationwide Series, as a driver handpicked by the new owner (reported to be Harry Scott). However, he says nothing has been brought to his attention regarding the potential move to NASCAR's top series.

"Since this has come out, I have not even talked to Harry (Scott, Jr., co-owner Turner Scott Motorsports). Obviously anything that would happen to put me in a Cup car, I'm all for it.," Allgaier said. "I've been 22 years in racing and that's been my ultimate goal. But at the same time, I can't stand here today and say I've got anything planned for the future."

The 27-year-old Riverton, Illinois native has three career wins in 159 starts in the Nationwide Series for two main employees: Turner Scott Motorsports and Penske Racing. Allgaier also won the 2008 ARCA Series championship and is currently in the hunt for his first Nationwide Series title, trailing points leader Sam Hornish, Jr. by only 22 heading to Indianapolis on Saturday.

Allgaier admits his focus has been torn from the track to his personal life, too as his wife Ashley is set to give birth to their first child in four weeks.

"It's obviously my goal to get to the Cup level," Allgaier said. "I've got 14 Nationwide races left and a baby due in four weeks, and I'll be honest with you, that's been my focus moving forward at this point."

Scott, who has been rumored as the leading potential buyer for Phoenix Racing, said last Wednesday night that he had nothing to announce in regard to the deal but hoped to know whether things were finalized in the next 30 days.

Have news for Justin 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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~~~~~~~~~~

In Case You Missed It
by Beth Lunkenheimer

Starr to Pilot No. 55 in Nationwide Series at Indy

David Starr has joined Viva Motorsports with Frank Cicci for Saturday afternoon's Indiana 250 Nationwide Series race at Indianapolis. He'll pilot the No. 55 Striping Technologies Chevrolet will additional backing from about a dozen companies.

"Ever since I was a little boy I've been watching the Indianapolis 500," Starr said. "To have support giving me this opportunity to drive the Striping Technologies No. 55 Chevy Camaro at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a dream come true."

Starr will make his first Nationwide Series start of 2013 this weekend. He has 25 series starts and a best finish of 17th at Texas Motor Speedway in 2001.

~~~~~~~~~~

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!

~~~~~~~~~~

Frontstretch Folio: Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at The Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com
by Beth Lunkenheimer

The Sprint Cup Series heads to the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. The Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at The Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com is the 20th race of the 2013 season and will be broadcast live on ESPN at 12:00 PM ET. The race can also be heard on your local MRN affiliate or SiriusXM Radio Channel 90. Drivers will compete for 160 laps (400 miles) en route to the checkered flag.

Records and Facts:

Casey Mears holds the track qualifying record at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a speed of 186.293 mph for the 2004 Brickyard 400. Mears led just two laps before dropping to a 26th-place finish in the event. Jeff Gordon won the race under caution, grabbing the victory over Dale Jarrett. Elliott Sadler brought home third, while Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart rounded out the top 5.

Jimmie Johnson is the defending winner of the Brickyard 400. After starting sixth, Johnson led 99 of 160 laps en route to a nearly five-second victory over Kyle Busch. Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top-5 performers.

Track Facts:

Track / Race Length: 2.5-mile quad-oval; 160 laps (400 miles)
Seating: 235,000
Opened: 1909
Website: http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IndianapolisMotorSpeedway
Twitter: http://twitter.com/IndyTalk

VIPs

Command to Start Engines: Mary Hulman George
National Anthem: Winner of Season 3 of the "The Voice", Cassadee Pope

Pre-Race Schedule

Practice: Friday, July 26, 11:35 AM - 1:00 PM ET on SPEED
Happy Hour: Saturday, July 27, 9:00 - 11:00 AM ET on ESPN2
Qualifying: Saturday, July 27 at 2:10 PM ET on ESPN

Race Day Forecast

Saturday: Sunny
High: 73
Low: 58

They Said It:

"I'm glad to finally be back in the seat of the No. 32 OXYwater Ford this week in Indianapolis. The Brickyard 400 is one of the biggest races in the world and I am so blessed to be a part of it. I raced the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year in the inaugural race for the Nationwide Series, which was an incredible learning experience, but it also allowed me to soak in the incredible amount of history this track has." Timmy Hill

"With the group I'm with, led by Brian Pattie, I really believe that we can win anywhere and winning at the Brickyard would be huge. We've definitely proven that we can run up front and the consistency has been there, but I definitely see a win for the 15 team right around the corner. Both our teammates have made it to Victory Lane – there have been a lot of Toyotas in Victory Lane this year and it's our time. Hopefully, we can get that done at Indy and if not we'll head to the next one and try to do it there." Clint Bowyer

"Indy's an important race, it's a big deal. It's a big race that comes just past the midpoint of our season and we're putting a lot into it. Hopefully, we can have a great day and come out of there with a good finish. It's very difficult getting around there. [The track] wasn't built for a stock car. That's the interesting part about going there. It's kind of narrow and pretty flat and just unique. It's fun going there but it always presents its own challenges. But we've made some really big strides in our program this year with Frank Kerr, my crew chief. Tracks that, in the past, have been challenging for us, we're making gains on and getting better finishes. So, I'm eager to get to Indy and see what we can do." David Gilliland

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Keepin' It Short: Being Part of History ... Again
by Mike Neff

For the second time in less than a year and a half, I've had the pleasure to participate in covering a historic race from a NASCAR perspective. Last year. it was the return of NASCAR competition to Rockingham Speedway after an eight-year absence. This week, it is the return of NASCAR National Touring Series racing to dirt. Eldora Speedway, one of the most famous dirt tracks in the world, and the property of Tony Stewart, hosted the Camping World Truck Series and some 24,000 fans who wanted to watch them race.

Putting on a NASCAR event is a monumental effort. People don't just show up with those big stock car haulers, unload and put on the show. There are processes and improvements and investments and procedures that all have to be implemented before the first race vehicle or fan can come through the front or back gate. At both Eldora and Rockingham, a huge amount of the labor and effort that goes into making all of the necessary things occur falls into the hands of volunteers. Both venues hold not only historic significance but a truly special place in the hearts of the people who care about them. As a result, thousands of man hours are donated to make events the size of a Truck Series race go off smoothly.

Roger Slack, the General Manager at Eldora, noted just some of the things that had to be accomplished after the announcement occurred about this race last November. Not only did a Media Center and Mobile Emergency Department have to be set up, created to handle the 130 credentialed media members and any sort of medical situation that arose during the event, the Safety Trucks had to be upgraded. Eldora's safety trucks were perfectly acceptable for all of the events they host, but NASCAR wanted them to have crew cabs. They also needed four-wheel drive wreckers. The only company making four-wheel drive wreckers is Jerr-Dan, and the only tracks who had them are Michigan, Kentucky and Charlotte. Therefore, the wreckers had to be borrowed and delivered to the track. Wireless access had to be set up, programs printed, merchandise designed, new signage painted, approved and installed. All of those things were accomplished with just seven full-time employees - that's right, seven - and a whole lot of help.

The same was true at Rockingham. The press box was repainted by hand. The wireless network was reworked and beefed up. Lights were changed in the scoreboard and suites. Toilets and plumbing were checked and repaired. All were done by a handful of employees and a group of people with a passion for, not just short track racing, but short track racing at their racetrack. With that in mind, Slack couldn't have been more thankful to the people in the surrounding counties and further away who helped in a myriad of ways to make the weekend a success.

With all of that work, the racing still had to be good or it would have all been for naught. Talking with people before the race, it certainly sounded like the track was setting up to be rock hard and dry, which would not lend itself to passing. I don't have to tell a race fan that no passing does not make for a very good race event. When the heat races unfolded, the fears were becoming realized as all five races rolled off with something like two passes total occurring in all of them. The Last Chance Qualifier was run and it didn't look any better. Four of the top five finishers started in the top 5. The polesitter, J.R. Heffner, suffered a mechanical failure which knocked him out of the event or all five of the transfer trucks would have started in the top 5. However, that all changed when the green flag flew on the feature.

Not only did the first 55 laps run caution free, only to be stopped by debris, but Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon were knifing through the field on the way to the front, executing picture perfect slide jobs without really causing any discomfort for the person they were passing. There were people in four distinct grooves running all over the track, making passes, challenging for spots, basically racing like the event was about to end. The frenetic pace was only paused six times for cautions, five of which had little to do with contact. The end result was a tremendous race with contact occurring all through the field but no one being roughed up enough to be upset about it.

There were a few hiccups; it wasn't a perfect day. The programs sold out, although Slack informs me that there were more programs sold Wednesday than they had the previous two years in total. The time spent on cautions to get the field lined up, especially when it was after a segment where the drivers were supposed to retain their positions, was excessive. However, most of that probably was on NASCAR and not the track.

In the end, the day was historic and positive for many reasons. It brought NASCAR back to dirt, exposed thousands of fans who weren't dirt fans to dirt racing, and it shined a very bright spotlight on short track competition. Now, if the sanctioning body can just maintain the momentum, putting more races on short tracks in all three of the national series we'll be all set.

The Whelen All-American National Championship Battle

The weather is heating up and so is the battle for the Whelen All-American Series National Championship. Lee Pulliam wasn't socked by weather this week and was able to add another victory to the ledger, putting him at 17 for the season. One more win for the defending champ and he'll be maxed out on victory bonus points. As for now, he's 57 points away from a perfect season, but it is going to take some full field wins for him to increase his point total very much over the final month and a half of the year. Deac McCaskill also notched a win this past weekend and closed the gap on Pulliam back to eight points, where it was three weeks ago. Keith Rocco continues to lurk in the shadows, sitting third and hoping for an opening from the top two. Rocco raced three times this past week, not scoring a win but added three top 5 finishes, along with 16 points to his season total. Tommy Lemons also ran this past weekend, posting a top-5 finish and adding eight more points to his season tally as well. C.E. Falk didn't run this past weekend but still holds onto fifth in the standings.

In a neat twist, Jason Myers has joined his brother Burt in the top 10 in national points and looks to be making the battle for North Carolina state champion a family affair. Between the two of them, the Myers have won nine races at Bowman-Gray this year, a full half of all of the races contested. Jason now sits in 10th place, just 55 points behind his brother. Myers' entry into the top 10 knocked Anthony Anders out for this week.

Postion Name Races Wins Top 5s Top 10s Total Points

1.    Lee Pulliam 30 17 27 28 753
2.    Deac McCaskill 27 11 21 26 745
3.    Keith Rocco 30 10 19 25 690
4.    Tommy Lemons Jr. 27 4 21 25 665
5.    CE Falk III 22 7 19 19 653
6.    Ryan Preece 26 8 17 21 652
7.    Burt Myers 18 6 12 17 606
8.    Todd Ceravolo 20 1 14 20 565
9.    Chad Finchum 20 3 10 16 555
10.    Jason Myers 18 3 10 16 551

This Weekend's Racing Schedule

07/26/13    Deer Creek Speedway    Spring Valley     MN    5rd Annual World Modified Dirt Track Championships USMTS Modifieds
07/26/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    UMP Modifieds
07/26/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    UMP Sportsman
07/26/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    World of Outlaw Late Models
07/26/13    Jacksonville Speedway    Jacksonville    IL    Hornets
07/26/13    Jacksonville Speedway    Jacksonville    IL    Modifieds
07/26/13    Jacksonville Speedway    Jacksonville    IL    MOWA Sprint Cars
07/26/13    Jacksonville Speedway    Jacksonville    IL    Stock Cars
07/26/13    Manitowoc County Fairgrounds    Manitowoc    WI    Grand Nationals
07/26/13    Manitowoc County Fairgrounds    Manitowoc    WI    MSA 360 Sprints
07/26/13    Manitowoc County Fairgrounds    Manitowoc    WI    Street Stocks
07/26/13    Manitowoc County Fairgrounds    Manitowoc    WI    WDLMA Late Models
07/26/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Late Models
07/26/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Modifieds
07/26/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Street Stocks
07/26/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Super 6 Sprint Cars
07/26/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Super Stocks
07/26/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    Bombers
07/26/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    Mini Stocks
07/26/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    Sprint Cars
07/26/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    Thunder Stocks
07/26/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Mini Stocks
07/26/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Outlaw Sportsman
07/26/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Pro Late Models
07/26/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Street Stocks
07/26/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Wicked Good Racers
07/26/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    Factory Stocks
07/26/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    Limited Modifieds
07/26/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    Street Stocks
07/26/13    RPM Speedway    Crandall    TX    USRA Modifieds
07/26/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    Summer Nationals 360 Winged Sprints
07/26/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    Summer Nationals Dwarf Car Challenge
07/26/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    Summer Nationals Outlaw Hornets
07/26/13    Smoky Mountain Speedway    Maryville    TN    Southern Nationals – Dirt Late Models
07/26/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    Spoon 6-Shooters
07/26/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Hornets
07/26/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Limited Modifieds
07/26/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Modifieds
07/26/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Pro-Crate Late Models
07/26/13    Stateline Speedway    Busti    NY    Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
07/26/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Factory Stocks
07/26/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Late Models
07/26/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Modifieds
07/26/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Pro-Crate Late Models
07/26/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Sport Compacts
07/26/13    US 36 Raceway    Cameron    MO    POWRi Lucas Oil National Midgets
07/27/13    34 Raceway    Burlington    IA    305 Sprint Cars
07/27/13    34 Raceway    Burlington    IA    4-Cylinders
07/27/13    34 Raceway    Burlington    IA    IMCA Modifieds
07/27/13    34 Raceway    Burlington    IA    IMCA Stock Cars
07/27/13    34 Raceway    Burlington    IA    Mod Lites
07/27/13    34 Raceway    Burlington    IA    Sport Mods
07/27/13    Autodrome Drummond    Drummondville    Quebec    World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
07/27/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    American Stocks
07/27/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    Ford Focus Midgets
07/27/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    Hobby Stocks
07/27/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    Modifieds
07/27/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Challenge Cup Sprint Cars
07/27/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Mini Sprints
07/27/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Pure Stocks
07/27/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Southwest Mod Lites
07/27/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    USAC Southwest Sprint Cars
07/27/13    Caraway Speedway    Asheboro    NC    UARA-Stars Late Models
07/27/13    Colorado National Speedway    Dacono    CO    K&N Pro Series West
07/27/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Late Models
07/27/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Pure Stock 4 Cylinder
07/27/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Pure Stock V-8
07/27/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Super Stock 4 Cylinders
07/27/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Thunder & Lightning
07/27/13    Deer Creek Speedway    Spring Valley     MN    6rd Annual World Modified Dirt Track Championships USMTS Modifieds
07/27/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    4-Cylinders
07/27/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Bombers
07/27/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Limited Late Models
07/27/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Open Wheel Modifieds
07/27/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Stockers
07/27/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Vintage
07/27/13    Duck River Raceway Park    Wheel    TN    KMSA Mini Stocks
07/27/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Late Models
07/27/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Limited Sportsman
07/27/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Micro Sprints
07/27/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Renegades
07/27/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Stock 4
07/27/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Super Stock 4 Cylinders
07/27/13    Elko Speedway    Elko     MN    Bandoleros
07/27/13    Elko Speedway    Elko     MN    Big 8 Cars
07/27/13    Elko Speedway    Elko     MN    Legends
07/27/13    Elko Speedway    Elko     MN    Power Stocks
07/27/13    Elko Speedway    Elko     MN    Super Late Models
07/27/13    Elko Speedway    Elko     MN    Thunder Cars
07/27/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    UMP Modifieds
07/27/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    UMP Street Stocks
07/27/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    World of Outlaw Late Models
07/27/13    Hagerstown Speedway    Hagerstown    MD    Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
07/27/13    Hermiston Super Oval     Hermison     OR    Columbia River Legends
07/27/13    Hermiston Super Oval     Hermison     OR    Mini Stocks
07/27/13    Hermiston Super Oval     Hermison     OR    Super Late Models
07/27/13    Highland Speedway    Highland    IL    UMP Late Models
07/27/13    Highland Speedway    Highland    IL    UMP Modifieds
07/27/13    Highland Speedway    Highland    IL    UMP Pro Crate Late Models
07/27/13    Highland Speedway    Highland    IL    UMP Street Stocks
07/27/13    Knoxville Raceway    Knoxville    IA    305 Winged Sprints
07/27/13    Knoxville Raceway    Knoxville    IA    360 Winged Sprints
07/27/13    Knoxville Raceway    Knoxville    IA    410 Winged Sprints
07/27/13    LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway    LaCrosse    WI    Late Models
07/27/13    LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway    LaCrosse    WI    Sportsman
07/27/13    LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway    LaCrosse    WI    Thunderstox
07/27/13    Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis    Clermont    IN    USAC Silver Crown
07/27/13    Macon Speedway    Macon    IL    MOWA Sprint Cars
07/27/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    4-Cylinders
07/27/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    Hobby Stocks
07/27/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    Limited Late Models
07/27/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    Mini Cup
07/27/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    MST
07/27/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    Toyota Sedans
07/27/13    Magic Valley Speedway    Twin Falls     ID    ASA Pro Trucks
07/27/13    Magic Valley Speedway    Twin Falls     ID    Intermountain Outlaw Modified Series
07/27/13    Magic Valley Speedway    Twin Falls     ID    Legends
07/27/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Late Models
07/27/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Mountain Dew Winged Sprints
07/27/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Super 6 Sprint Cars
07/27/13    Montgomery Motor Speedway    Montgomery    AL    Buzz
07/27/13    Montgomery Motor Speedway    Montgomery    AL    Mini Modifieds
07/27/13    Montgomery Motor Speedway    Montgomery    AL    Street Stock
07/27/13    Montgomery Motor Speedway    Montgomery    AL    Super Stock/Truck
07/27/13    Montgomery Motor Speedway    Montgomery    AL    Vintage Nationals
07/27/13    Motor Mile Speedway    Radford    VA    Limited Late Models
07/27/13    Motor Mile Speedway    Radford    VA    Mod 4
07/27/13    Motor Mile Speedway    Radford    VA    Street Stock
07/27/13    Motor Mile Speedway    Radford    VA    U-Cars
07/27/13    Motor Mile Speedway    Radford    VA    Whelen All-American Late Models 2X
07/27/13    Placerville Speedway    Placerville    CA    360 Winged Sprints
07/27/13    Placerville Speedway    Placerville    CA    Limited Late Models
07/27/13    Placerville Speedway    Placerville    CA    Pure Stocks
07/27/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    Summer Nationals 360 Winged Sprints
07/27/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    Summer Nationals Dwarf Car Challenge
07/27/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    Summer Nationals Outlaw Hornets
07/27/13    Southern New Mexico Speedway    Las Cruces    NM    Hornets
07/27/13    Southern New Mexico Speedway    Las Cruces    NM    UMP Late Models
07/27/13    Southern New Mexico Speedway    Las Cruces    NM    USRA Modifieds
07/27/13    Southern New Mexico Speedway    Las Cruces    NM    USRA Street Stocks
07/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    Spoon 6-Shooters
07/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    Spoon 6-Shooters
07/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Hornets
07/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Hornets
07/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Limited Modifieds
07/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Limited Modifieds
07/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Modifieds
07/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Modifieds
07/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Pro-Crate Late Models
07/27/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Pro-Crate Late Models
07/27/13    Talladega Short Track    Talladega     AL    Southern All Stars Late Models
07/27/13    Tazewell Speedway    Tazewell    TN    Southern Nationals – Dirt Late Models
07/27/13    Valley Speedway    Grain Valley     IL    POWRi Lucas Oil National Midgets
07/27/13    Virginia Motor Speedway    Jamaica    VA    Late Models
07/27/13    Virginia Motor Speedway    Jamaica    VA    Limited Stock Car
07/27/13    Virginia Motor Speedway    Jamaica    VA    Modifieds
07/27/13    Virginia Motor Speedway    Jamaica    VA    Sportsman
07/28/13    Angell Park Speedway    Sun Prairie     WI    Badger Micro Sprints
07/28/13    Angell Park Speedway    Sun Prairie     WI    Badger Midgets
07/28/13    Angell Park Speedway    Sun Prairie     WI    Legends
07/28/13    Cornwall Motor Speedway    Cornwall    Ontario    World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
07/28/13    Double X Speedway    California    MO    ASCS Winged Sprints
07/28/13    Highland Speedway    Highland    IL    UMP Kidzmods
07/28/13    Highland Speedway    Highland    IL    Vintage Cars
07/28/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Figure 8
07/28/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Mini Modifieds
07/28/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Mini Stocks
07/28/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Pure Stocks
07/28/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Sportsman
07/28/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Street Stocks
07/28/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Thunder Stocks
07/28/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    IMCA Northern Sport Mods
07/28/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    IMCA Sport Compacts
07/28/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    IMCA Stock Cars
07/28/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    UMP Late Models
07/28/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    UMP Modifieds
07/29/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    358 Modifieds
07/29/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    Bombers
07/29/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    Mini Stocks
07/29/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    Sprint Cars
07/30/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    Thunder Stocks
07/30/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
07/30/13    Shawano Speedway    Shawano    WI    World of Outlaw Late Models
07/31/13    Kankakee County Speedway    Kankakee    IL    UMP Modifieds
07/31/13    Kankakee County Speedway    Kankakee    IL    UMP Sport Compacts
07/31/13    Kankakee County Speedway    Kankakee    IL    UMP Stock Cars
07/31/13    Millbridge Speedway    Salisbury    NC    125 Mini Outlaw
07/31/13    Millbridge Speedway    Salisbury    NC    Beginner Box Stock Mini Outlaw
07/31/13    Millbridge Speedway    Salisbury    NC    Box Stock Mini Outlaw
07/31/13    Millbridge Speedway    Salisbury    NC    NBA Clone Go-Karts
07/31/13    Millbridge Speedway    Salisbury    NC    Open Mini Outlaw
07/31/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    4-Cylinder
07/31/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Ladies Full-Size
07/31/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Outlaw Full Size
07/31/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Sport Trucks
08/01/13    Belleville High Banks    Belleville    KS    USAC Silver Crown
08/01/13    Cedar Lake Speedway    Richmond    WI    World of Outlaw Late Models
08/01/13    Knoxville Raceway    Knoxville    IA    360 Nationals ASCS Winged Sprints
08/01/13    Knoxville Raceway    Knoxville    IA    ASCS Winged Sprints

Mike Neff is a Senior Writer and the Short Track Reporter for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at mike.neff@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MNeffShortTrack.

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Nuts for Nationwide: Could Eldora Spell Good Things To Come For This Series?
by Kevin Rutherford

Four Burning Questions At The Brickyard: Indy Favorites And Lame Duck TV Partners
by Matt Stallknecht

by Jeff Meyer

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: Later in that same Brickyard 400, Jimmy Spencer suffered his second injury at Indianapolis. How did it happen and how badly was he hurt?

Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Thursday's Answer:

Q: Jeremy Mayfield was one of the early contenders to win the 1998 Brickyard 400.  However, Mayfield ended the day in the garage and in some pain.  What happened?

A: Mayfield was running in second when he appeared to cut a right front tire.  The cut tire put Mayfield into the outside wall exiting Turn 1 hard. The car then spun and hit the wall head-on.  The crash can be seen here.

Mayfield was very sore after the crash, but came back onto the track to run more laps.  He eventually pulled off and was credited with a 42nd-place finish.  Larry Gunselman was on standby to relieve Mayfield at Watkins Glen a week later, but his services were not required.

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! 

~~~~~~~~~~

Monday on the Frontstretch:

Thinkin' Out Loud: Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at The Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com by Mike Neff
 Mike is back with his overall thoughts from Sunday afternoon's race from Indianapolis.

Commentary by Summer Bedgood
Summer takes a look at one of the biggest stories to come out of Indianapolis.

Commentary by Tom Bowles
Our Editor-In-Chief stops by with their thoughts on Sunday afternoon's action from Indianapolis.
Big Six: Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at The Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com by Amy Henderson
Amy has your weekly look at the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How from a weekend of racing at Indianapolis.

Pace Laps: Indianapolis Weekend by the Frontstretch Staff
It's back again this season! The staff gets together to help you catch up on the latest and greatest going on in each series coming out of a weekend of racing in Indianapolis.

Nationwide Series Breakdown: Nationwide Series 250 by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin has all the post-race analysis you need following Saturday afternoon's Nationwide Series race from Indianapolis.

-----------------------------
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