THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 18th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXXX
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Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 18th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXXX
~~~~~~~~~~
by Phil Allaway
Tyler Walker, Through Lawyer, Pleads Not Guilty to Drug Changes
The Spectrum of St. George, Utah is reporting that former Camping World Truck Series racer Tyler Walker and his accomplice, Raelle Hann McDonald, pleaded not guilty through their mutual attorney, Douglas Terry, to a host of charges. The charges stem from a three state high speed pursuit that took place on January 30th.
At that time, the Nevada Highway Patrol attempted to stop Walker for excessive speed and reckless driving after clocking Walker's BMW 7-series at 150 mph. A high speed pursuit began through Nevada, the short stretch of Interstate 15 in extreme Northwestern Arizona, and finally into Southwest Utah. There, Utah Highway Patrol troopers set up spike strips to stop the car. Despite running over the strips and briefly stopping, Walker continued the chase with the tires down to the rims, exceeding the 75 mph speed limit before finally coming to rest at Exit 6. Walker was apprehended after a brief foot bail, while McDonald was arrested at the car.
Both Walker and McDonald are facing multiple misdemeanor and felonies as a result of the chase. They both posted $10,000 bonds in January and are considered to be free on bail at the moment.
The drug charges all stem from a post-chase search of the BMW that turned up methamphetamine, marijuana, hashish and an open container of vodka. In addition, instruments to use illegal drugs ("drug paraphernalia") was also found in the car.
The next step in the proceedings is a review hearing for the case. That has been scheduled for September 5.
Gifford to Make Nationwide Series Debut at Iowa
Richard Childress Racing announced on Wednesday that NASCAR Drive for Diversity racer and K&N Pro Series East regular Ryan Gifford has been signed to drive the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro in the Nationwide Series at Iowa Speedway in August. Sponsorship will be provided by Menards and Rheem.
Gifford is very happy to take the next step in his NASCAR career.
"I'm thrilled that Menards and RCR are giving me the chance to race in my first Nationwide Series event," Gifford said in a press release. "Menards has done so much for young racers over the years and I'm proud to be able to represent them and their employees at Iowa Speedway. I can't thank them enough for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to showcase my racing skills."
Team owner Richard Childress is pleased to have Gifford join the team for Iowa.
"I have watched how hard Ryan has worked at the Team Dillon Racing shop and what he's been doing on the track the past few years," Childress said. "He had some good finishes racing in the K&N Series races for RCR a few years ago. I watched him race and win dirt track races with TDR and I've always been impressed with a driver's ability to race on dirt."
Gifford is currently in his fourth full season racing in the K&N Pro Series East for Revolution Racing. In 48 career starts, Gifford has 15 top-5 and 19 top-10 finishes. He earned his first career victory in the Blue Ox 100 at Richmond International Raceway prior to the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown. He is currently fourth in the points. The races that Gifford drove for RCR in the series occurred in 2009, before he joined Revolution Racing. In those four races, Gifford earned three top-5 and two second-place finishes. In addition, Gifford has raced for Team Dillon Racing in dirt late models on a part-time basis.
Ryan Newman to Drive Fifth Turner Scott Entry at Mudsummer Classic
On Wednesday, Turner Scott Motorsports announced a move that many observers felt had been coming for quite a while. Sprint Cup Series racer Ryan Newman has been tapped to drive a fifth Turner Scott Motorsports entry, the No. 34, in next Wednesday's CarCash Mudsummer Classic presented by CNBC Prime's The Profit. Sponsorship will be provided by a combination of Newman's existing sponsors WIX Filters and Oral-B. They will be joined by Aggressive Hydraulics.
Newman could not be happier to race at Eldora.
"I can't thank everyone at Oral-B, Aggressive Hydraulics, WIX Filter and Turner Scott Motorsports enough for this unique opportunity," Newman said. "This race is going to be something really special in NASCAR's history. I've always enjoyed racing in the Truck Series and to be able to get back and race on dirt with a truck, I think everyone will be in for a special treat. We were able to test at 311 [Speedway] and I thought everything went as planned and I know Chris [Carrier] and the rest of the Oral-B team will have a great truck prepared for the race at Eldora."
Newman will join Turner Scott Motorsports' full-time drivers James Buescher, Jeb Burton and Miguel Paludo, along with part-timer Kyle Larson at the track. Since the No. 34 has absolutely no points, Newman will have to qualify for the segmented 150-lap feature through the heat races. With a large entry expected, that is likely to be no easy feat.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Nationwide Series STP 300: 42 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 21- Dakoda Armstrong for Richard Childress Racing
No. 22- Joey Logano for Penske Racing
No. 33- Matt Crafton for Richard Childress Racing
No. 44- Chad Hackenbracht for TriStar Motorsports
No. 54- Joey Coulter for Kyle Busch Motorsports/Joe Gibbs Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 00- Ken Butler, III is in the seat, replacing Blake Koch.
No. 5- Brad Sweet returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne.
No. 21- Dakoda Armstrong returns to the seat, replacing Brendan Gaughan.
No. 23- Harrison Rhodes returns to the seat, replacing Stanton Barrett.
No. 24- Blake Koch returns to the seat, replacing Brett Butler.
No. 33- Matt Crafton returns to the seat, replacing Paul Menard.
No. 42- TJ Bell returns to the seat, replacing Josh Wise.
No. 46- Tim Schendel is in the seat, replacing JJ Yeley.
No. 54- Joey Coulter returns to the seat, replacing Kyle Busch.
No. 70- Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines.
No. 74- Kevin Lepage returns to the seat, replacing Mike Harmon. Juan Carlos Blum was originally entered in the car.
No. 79- Kyle Fowler is in the seat, replacing Jeffrey Earnhardt.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00- Ken Butler, III for SR2 Motorsports
No. 10- Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)*
No. 15- Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing
No. 17- Tanner Berryhill for Vision Racing
No. 21- Dakoda Armstrong for Richard Childress Racing
No. 37- Matt DiBenedetto for Vision Racing
No. 42- TJ Bell for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46- Tim Schendel for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 52- Joey Gase for Jimmy Means Motorsports
No. 74- Juan Carlos Blum for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
No. 92- Dexter Stacey for KH Motorsports
Not Entered:
No. 8- Ryan Preece for Tommy Baldwin Racing/TeamSLR
No. 16- Billy Johnson for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 18- Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 55- Jamie Dick for Viva Motorsports
American Le Mans Series Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix: 32 cars entered in five classes
Prototype 1 (P1) Entries: 3
No. 0- Katherine Legge/Andy Meyrick for DeltaWing Racing Cars
No. 6- Klaus Graf/Lucas Luhr for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing
No. 16- Tony Burgess/Chris McMurry for Dyson Racing
Prototype 2 (P2) Entries: 4
No. 01- Guy Cosmo/Scott Sharp for Extreme Speed Motorsports
No. 02- Ed Brown/Johannes van Overbeek for Extreme Speed Motorsports
No. 551- Marino Franchitti/Scott Tucker for Level 5 Motorsports
No. 552- Mike Conway/Scott Tucker for Level 5 Motorsports
Prototype Challenge (PC) Entries: 7
No. 05- Jonathan Bennett/Colin Braun for CORE Autosport
No. 7- Tomy Drissi/Rusty Mitchell for BAR1 Motorsports
No. 8- Chris Cumming/Kyle Marcelli for BAR1 Motorsports
No. 9- Duncan Ende/Bruno Junqueira for RSR Racing
No. 18- Tristan Nunez/Charlie Shears for Performance Tech Motorsports
No. 52- Mike Guasch/Unknown driver for PR1 Mathaisen Motorsports
No. 81- Mirco Schultis/Renger van der Zande for 8star Mishumotors
Grand Touring (GT) Entries: 10
No. 06- Tom Kimber-Smith/Patrick Long for CORE Autosport
No. 3- Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen for Corvette Racing
No. 4- Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner for Corvette Racing
No. 17- Wolf Henzler/Bryan Sellers for Team Falken Tire
No. 23- Townsend Bell/Leh Keen for Team West/AJR/Boardwalk Ferrari
No. 48- Marco Holzer/Bryce Miller for Paul Miller Racing
No. 55- Bill Auberlen/Maxime Martin for BMW Team RLL
No. 56- Dirk Müller/John Edwards for BMW Team RLL
No. 91- Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens for SRT Motorsports
No. 93- Jonathan Bomarito/Kuno Wittmer for SRT Motorsports
Grand Touring Challenge (GTC) Entries: 8
No. 11- Mike Hedlund/Jan Heylen for JDX Motorsports
No. 22- Jeroen Bleekemolen/Cooper MacNeil for Alex Job Racing
No. 27- Patrick Dempsey/Andy Lally for Dempsey Del Piero Racing
No. 30- Henrique Cisneros/Nicolas Armindo for NGT Motorsport
No. 44- Seth Neiman/Dion von Moltke for Flying Lizard Motorsports
No. 45- Nelson Canache/Spencer Pumpelly for Flying Lizard Motorsports
No. 66- Damien Faulkner/Ben Keating for TRG
No. 68- Unknown drivers for TRG
Not Entered:
No. 10- Mike Avenatti/Andrew Davis for Dempsey Del Piero Racing
No. 62- Olivier Beretta/Matteo Malucelli for Risi Competizione
News n' Notes:
- Turner Scott Motorsports announced that Navistar International will make it's debut on the No. 32 Chevrolet of Kyle Larson this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. The car will carry the orange and black colors of International Trucks.
- ESPN announced on Wednesday that Travis Pastrana will drive a special paint scheme to promote the upcoming X Games in Los Angeles at Indianapolis and Iowa. Pastrana is scheduled to compete in the RallyCross competition at the X Games (held in nearby Irwindale) on August 5, the day after the Iowa event.
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Editor's Note: What's Vexing Vito will return next week.
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The Critic's Annex: Town Fair Tire 100
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we provide an additional look at motorsports-related programming. Race weekends at Loudon are usually some of the most crowded on the entire Sprint Cup calendar. Fans that come out to the 1.058 mile oval can expect more than just Cup and Nationwide races. This past weekend was no different. The weekend started Thursday evening with a round of the Global RallyCross Championship on a modified course using part of the road course, pit road, the frontstretch and Turn 1. Tanner Foust had the main feature won, but he blew it in the final turn.
On Saturday, prior to the Nationwide race, there was a somewhat traditional 100 mile race for Whelen Modifieds. The Modifieds seem to be a universal favorite at SPEED, but how well did they cover the race? Let's take a look.
On Saturday, prior to the Nationwide race, there was a somewhat traditional 100 mile race for Whelen Modifieds. The Modifieds seem to be a universal favorite at SPEED, but how well did they cover the race? Let's take a look.
Normally, SPEED would have Mike Joy in the broadcast booth to commentate. However, he was off this past weekend due to family issues. Instead, Ralph Sheheen handled the play-by-play coverage. Sheheen was joined by Bob Dillner. Races like this particular one really show up how overrepresented the Northeast can be on NASCAR telecasts. Joy is originally from Connecticut, while both Sheheen and Dillner are originally from New York. Dick Berggren, who was also surprisingly absent from the telecast (but not absent from the track since there was a roast of Berggren the night before the race), is also from New England.
Pre-race coverage consisted of interviews with points leader Ryan Preece and Mike Stefanik. Of course, since this was the first Modified telecast since the UNOH Battle at the Beach, they had to rehash the final lap wreck that cost Stefanik the win there, and the infamous interview, complete with Stefanik's epic scowl to end all scowls.
What always seems to come out in these Modified telecasts is that the people that are assigned to the telecasts seem to have this undying love for the series. I'm not sure whether this is equal to the fans' desire for the series on SPEED, but it's always good to see. I am currently unsure of the ratings for Modified races (information on those particular ratings is notoriously difficult to find), but it appears to be better than expected. Perhaps that has allowed FOX to pick up one additional Modified race for this season (Thompson). I think that NASCAR should look at getting another package for the remainder of the Modified season once again, similar to what they did in 2010 with Versus (now the NBC Sports Network).
The revamped FOX cable networks will air the UNOH Perfect Storm 150 live at Bristol on August 21. However, that race is scheduled to air on FOX Sports 2. Let's just say that we're a little more than a month from then, and basically no one's even heard about that channel. That is likely to be a rebooted Fuel. The September race from New Hampshire will also be live on FOX Sports 2, while the Thompson race will be tape-delayed by two weeks and will air on FOX Sports 1.
The revamped FOX cable networks will air the UNOH Perfect Storm 150 live at Bristol on August 21. However, that race is scheduled to air on FOX Sports 2. Let's just say that we're a little more than a month from then, and basically no one's even heard about that channel. That is likely to be a rebooted Fuel. The September race from New Hampshire will also be live on FOX Sports 2, while the Thompson race will be tape-delayed by two weeks and will air on FOX Sports 1.
It still remains to be seen just how much motorsports coverage will actually air on FOX Sports 2, or anything else for that matter. Fuel, which FOX Sports 2 will replace, currently airs a lot of UFC-specific programming. Some of that is probably going to stay. Beyond that is anyone's guess.
Loudon is known for close racing and constant changing of positions in Modified races. We saw a lot of battling for position, but most of it was shown only at the very front of the field. To be fair, Saturday's race had a record number of lead changes. However, most of the first 40 laps of the race was essentially Ted Christopher vs. Rowan Pennink. ThiTs was a race with 32 starters, mind you.
Also of note, SPEED advertised this particular race as being a live telecast. It was not. SPEED aired the race in a somewhat similar fashion to how they air Sprint Cup Series qualifying. This has been described as a "time-shifted" telecast in the past. Bites if you're the kind of person that follows races on Twitter since the race in real time ended while we were watching red flag coverage with 25 laps to go. Also of note, the time shifting resulted in the race going over its two hour time slot. Heck, I thought that was too long a slot for the race, but I was wrong. A number of fans that were watching this race likely switched over to NASCAR Countdown on ABC at 3:00pm, missing the end of the race.
I thought that Sheheen did a pretty good job in the broadcast booth on Saturday. He had plenty of enthusiasm for the action on-track, and I can't complain about that. Having said that, it just wasn't the same without Joy. As for Dillner, I really prefer him in the pits as opposed to in the broadcast booth. He's been in and out of there on SPEED telecasts for the last decade or so.
The coverage was definitely centered on the Whelen Modified Tour regulars, which is also good to see. Ryan Newman was in the field, and I didn't feel that he was given any special treatment. Perhaps the fact that he wasn't anywhere near as dominant as in the past helped SPEED's case here. It was just an enjoyable broadcast to watch in general. Having said that, my guess is that Saturday's race was probably better in person than it was on TV.
I hope you liked this look at the Town Fair Tire 100. Next week, I'll be back with a look at ESPN's telecast of the American Le Mans Series' Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix. Until then, enjoy this weekend's racing from Mosport and Joliet.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
ADVERTISEMENT
Race fans, do you love Frontstretch.com's coverage of NASCAR's top 3 series, IndyCar, Formula One and Short Track Racing? Do you want to read even more about your favorite sport? Then check out the industry's newest racing publication, Motorsport Illustrated News!, which is available both in print and in digital format! As one of our loyal readers, you'll receive 15% off any subscription when you use the coupon code fs2013.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
"Racing involves speed and when objects are traveling at speed and they run into items that aren't moving it can do damage to a car. However, the incessant cautions for debris that, at least based on what they showed on TV, was nothing more than large pieces of tire slag outside of the racing groove is simply frustrating for both fans and drivers. There is a constant stream of rubber coming off of race tires during events and sometimes it accumulates under cars and falls off in a large piece. It isn't metal and it isn't going to cut a tire. The sanctioning body needs to let the drivers race and stop trying to make the race track a pristine environment." - Mike Neff on Sunday's five debris cautions at Loudon.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Jeff Wolfe
NASCAR Mailbox: Higher Bills, NASCAR In The Mainstream, And Senior Drivers
by Summer Bedgood
Truckin' Thursdays: Miguel Paludo on Iowa, Eldora And A Little Down Time
by Beth Lunkenheimer
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the 2004 Delphi Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, Buddy Rice led 39 laps and was right up in the hunt late in the race. However, his race ended in the wall. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: Canadian Tire Motorsports Park is one of the fastest circuits in the United States. However, much like Watkins Glen, it is lined with Armco barriers around much of the course. That Armco took a significant hit from Luke Hines' Porsche during the ALMS race there in 2010. What happened?
A: Hines, driving the No. 48 Miller-Barrett Racing Porsche, was hip checked off the Mario Andretti Straightaway by the No. 8 Drayson Racing Lola driven by Jonny Cocker. Hines went hard into the Armco, ripping up approximately 60 feet of guardrail and wasting the Porsche. Hines walked away from the crash, which can be seen here.
The wreck actually occurred with about 46 minutes of racing left. However, due to the fact that the repairs would take longer than the time remaining, ALMS decided to call the race complete at that point.
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.
Nuts For Nationwide by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin has another interesting look at the Nationwide Series prior to the STP 300 from Chicagoland Speedway
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Frontstretch Foto Funnies by the Frontstretch Staff
Pictures can lead to a thousand laughs; join us in our weekly dose of humor that comes from those candid moments at the track.
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Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2013 Frontstretch.com
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2013 Frontstretch.com
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