The Frontstretch Newsletter: Weekend Racing Preview

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 30th, 2013

Volume VII, Edition CLXII

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What to Watch: Weekend Racing Schedule

Friday, August 30
Time    Telecast    Network

12:45 PM Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Press Conference: Kyle Larson widely expected to be announced as the new driver

3:00 PM - 4:30 PM    Sprint Cup Series Practice No. 1    FOX Sports 1
7:00 - 8:30 PM    Sprint Cup Series Qualifying    FOX Sports 1
9:00 - 10:30 PM    Nationwide Series Practice (tape delayed)    FOX Sports 2

Saturday, August 31
Time    Telecast    Network

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM    Nationwide Series Happy Hour    FOX Sports 2
3:00 - 4:00 PM    Sprint Cup Series Practice    FOX Sports 2
4:00 - 5:30 PM    Nationwide Series Qualifying    FOX Sports 2
6:00 - 7:00 PM    Sprint Cup Series Happy Hour    FOX Sports 2
7:30 - 10:30 PM    Nationwide Series Great Clips/Grit Chips 300    ESPN

Sunday, September 1
Time    Telecast    Network

1:00 - 2:00 PM    Firestone Indy Lights: Baltimore    NBC Sports Network
1:30 - 4:00 PM    Camping World Truck Series Chevy Silverado 250k    FOX Sports 1
2:00 - 5:00 PM    Izod IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Baltimore    NBC Sports Network
7:30 - 11:30 PM    Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500    ESPN

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Top News
by Beth Lunkenheimer

Hamlin Sprained Hand In Bristol Wreck

Add Denny Hamlin's name to drivers that were injured in a lap 448 wreck at Bristol Motor Speedway last Saturday night. The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota told SiriusXM's "Dialed In" show that his right hand got caught in the steering wheel during the same wreck that fractured Martin Truex, Jr.'s wrist.

"I couldn't get my finger out of the wheel quick enough before it spun, and it obviously took some ligaments with it," Hamlin said. "I feel this pain, and it's going to be tough. I tested on Monday and Tuesday in Chicago, and I couldn't put my thumb on the wheel."

Hamlin said he's currently wearing a splint on his thumb, and according to USA Today's Jeff Gluck. Joe Gibbs Racing spokesman Chris Helein insisted the hand is "just sprained." Hamlin's also said Truex's injury was much worse than his own.

"It's just a major jam, more ligament stuff," he said. "Mine will heal in no time. It's just a different severity of it."

It's unclear whether Hamlin will be forced to wear the splint on his hand this weekend in Atlanta.

Nik and Lijana Wallenda to Skywalk at Charlotte

Charlotte Motor Speedway announced Thursday that seventh-generation high-wire walkers Nik and sister Lijana Wallenda will perform a dual skywalk prior to the Bank of America 500 October 12th. Nik most recently made history by walking a wire 1,400 feet across a gorge near the Grand Canyon live on television.

"I am very excited to be returning to the Bank of America 500 for the second year in a row. I love the challenge of raising the bar to keep the fans on the edge of their seats," Nik said. "Since I come from a family of wire walkers, I figured I would up the ante by inviting my sister to join me high above the track. We are both very proud and honored to be a part of this NASCAR event and the unparalleled history of pre-race entertainment at Charlotte Motor Speedway."

The duo will start at opposite ends of a 460-foot 5/8-inch wire held 140 feet above pit road by two cranes. They will walk to the middle where they'll meet and continue to the opposite sides. Tickets are still available for the October race via www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS.

Whelen Modified Tour Driver Ryan Preece Docked for Bristol Infraction

NASCAR announced on Thursday that Ryan Preece's No. 16 Whelen Modified Tour team has been penalized for violations found in post-race inspection at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21st. The car was found in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-I (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules), and 20D-10.5A (Only a one-piece magnetic steel drive shaft with a minimum outside diameter of two (2) inches and a minimum thickness of 0.090 inch will be permitted: Drive shaft did not meet the minimum thickness.) Preece and owner Eric Sanderson were both docked six points, and crew chief Stanley "Sly" Szaban was fined $500 and placed on probation until October 30th. Additionally, Szaban has been suspended from the sport until the fine is paid.

Have news for Beth 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

EnjoyIllinois.com to Sponsor Truck Series at Chicagoland

Chicagoland Speedway announced on Wednesday that the Illinios Office of Tourism will serve as title sponsor for next month's Camping World Truck Series visit to the facility. The EnjoyIllinois.com 225 will run Friday night under the lights on the same day as Family Fun Night at the track. Tickets for the race start at $25, and kids under 12 are free in certain sections.

Nationwide Crew Member Reinstated

NASCAR announced earlier this week that the sanctioning body has reinstated former Nationwide Series crew member Robbie Harrison following his successful completion of the Substance Abuse Policy Road to Recovery Program. Harrison was indefinitely suspended on May 30th after being found in violation of NASCAR's substance abuse policy.

Montoya to Receive Award

Juan Pablo Montoya will be honored for his career in sports at the 26th Hispanic Heritage Awards in September at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.c. The Hispanic Heritage Foundation announced the award, designed to celebrate Hispanic cultural pride, contributions and accomplishments. The awards show will be broadcast on MundoFOX on Sunday, September 15th at 6:00 PM ET.

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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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Frontstretch Folio: AdvoCare 500

by Beth Lunkenheimer

The Sprint Cup Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for a Sunday night showdown this weekend. The AdvoCare 500 is the 25th race of the 2013 season and will be broadcast live on ESPN at 7:30 PM ET. The race can also be heard on your local MRN affiliate or SiriusXM Radio Channel 90. Drivers will compete for 325 laps (500.5 miles) en route to the checkered flag.

Records and Facts:

Geoffrey Bodine holds the track qualifying record with a lap of 197.478 mph for the 1997 NAPA 500. Bodine led just four laps before dropping back to a 33rd-place finish, 11 laps behind winner Bobby Labonte. Dale Jarrett finished nearly four seconds back, followed by Mark Martin. Jeff Green and Derrike Cope rounded out the top 5.

Denny Hamlin is the defending winner of the Labor Day race in Atlanta. Hamlin, who started seventh, led 105 laps and held on to the top spot in a green-white-checkered finish to snag the victory by 0.378 seconds over Jeff Gordon. Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex, Jr. and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top 5.

Track Facts:

Track / Race Length: 1.54-mile quad-oval; 500.5 miles (325 laps)
Pit Road Speed: 45 mph
Pace Car Speed: 55 mph
Seating: 99,000
Opened: 1960
Website: http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/atlmotorspeedway
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amsupdates

Pre-Race Schedule

Practices: Friday, August 30, 3:00 - 4:30 PM ET on FS1
Saturday, August 31, 3:00 - 3:55 PM ET on FS2
Happy Hour: Saturday, August 31, 6:00 - 6:50 PM ET on FS2
Qualifying: Friday, August 30 at 6:40 PM ET on FS1 at 7:00 PM ET

Race Day Forecast

Sunday: Scattered Thunderstorms; Chance of Rain 40%
High: 86
Low: 70

They Said It:

"I love Atlanta. It is one of my top-five favorite tracks. I always look forward to going there. We should have won it last year and obviously we didn't. I had a great run at Texas earlier this year. Atlanta is fun because you can run all over that place and the track changes throughout the night. You start the race running one groove and the next run you're running a different groove and then at the end of the race, you're running something totally different than you've ever run there before. Last year at the end of the race when I was leading, I was running a groove that I never thought I could run there. I was doing something totally different than I had ever done and it was working. We learned some things at the Goodyear tire test that I think are going to work so we can go get what we should have gotten last year." Martin Truex, Jr.

"We had a great run last week at Bristol, it was a lot of fun and we're looking forward to going and getting a win at Atlanta. We tested there, it went very well; it's one of my favorite race tracks and I've got a lot of great memories from there. It's a Subway weekend so we will be well fed at least, and hopefully we can get Subway another victory. We've got two more races before the chase starts so we're just having fun and going for wins." Carl Edwards

"[Atlanta] is a busy lap and a busy 500 miles there. You leave there spent, physically and emotionally, but it's awesome. The track has so much character to it. You can drive anywhere on the racetrack. That is what we like as drivers – to have options – and there are plenty of options there." Jimmie Johnson

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Keepin' It Short: The Biggest Race Week of Them All
by Mike Neff

We routinely highlight the big short track races that happen throughout the country in Keepin' it Short. There is no question that the Snowball Derby, the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300, the Chili Bowl and the Knoxville Nationals are some of the biggest races every year. There are plenty more that fall into the big category, but there is only one that can be called the biggest. This coming week, starting on Monday, is the biggest of them all. The IMCA Super Nationals at Boone Speedway is the biggest short track race of the entire racing season.

Every year, since 2008, the entry list for Boone has topped 800 cars. Last year the all-time record was set with 874 cars being entered. Pre-registration for this years Nationals is already over 400 cars from 22 states. Cars will compete in six different classes during the six days of competition. On Labor Day the Late Model feature is part of the Deery Brothers Summer Series and will start 24 cars double file. Sport Mods and Hobby Stocks will also run on Monday evening. Sport Mods, Hobby Stock and Sport Compacts will all race on Tuesday. Wednesday's race card will showcase Stock Cars, Sport Mods and Hobby Stocks. Thursday night is the first night of Modified racing when the Harris Modified Race of Champions joins the Sport Mods and Stock Cars. Friday again has Stock Cars, Sport Mods and Modifieds with the Mods in the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Saturday is the culmination: Stock Cars, Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks and Modifieds, with the IMCA Super Nationals XXXI Modified feature.

Last season the Modifieds had three Last Chance races and 15 Heats to set the 33-car field. When it is all said and done, over the six days of racing, there will be over 800 cars, 400 races and over $250,000 in prize money. If you are a short track racing fan or just want to experience an insane week of racing, Boone Speedway and the Super Nationals is the place to be. Many tracks struggle with preparation, but Boone has it down to a science. Every five races they tear up the track, water it and pack it back down. It takes them 15 minutes to completely re-work the track and have it ready for five more races. The track work alone is worth the trip to the heartland. After your Labor Day celebrations, pack it up and head to Boone. You won't be disappointed.

The Whelen All-American National Points Battle

Lee Pulliam was looking to drive a dagger into the heart of his closest competition this week but, in the end it was Deac McCaskill who made a statement that he wasn't done in this fight yet. Pulliam ran four races this week, with two of them being head-to-head with McCaskill. When the checkered flags flew, Pulliam had zero wins, two top 5s and three top 10s which didn't add anything to his point total. McCaskill took the wins in both of the races that he ran against Pulliam while the point leader finished second and seventh. Unfortunately for McCaskill, both races were not full fields so he was only able to add six points to his season total, which leaves him 26 points behind Pulliam with the weeks running out. Third place Keith Rocco ran three races this week, notched a win, two top 5s and three top 10s. Rocco gained 11 points but at this point is an extreme longshot to win catch the top two and win the title. Ryan Preece held onto the fourth spot in the points with 15 points added to his total this week thanks to a win and three top 5s in the three races he ran. Tommy Lemons, Jr. climbed back to fifth in points, running four races and grabbing a win and improving his total to 678 points.

CE Falk ran two races this week and scored two top-5 finishes, which helped him leap over Chad Finchum, who dropped from fifth to eighth in the points. Craid Von Dohren notched a top 5 in his one race this week while Finchum didn't race. Burt Myers ran one race and added a top 10 which helped him hang onto ninth place in the standings. Duane Howard replaced Deke Shell for the final spot in the top 10. With less than a month to go in the race for the title, it is Pulliam's championship to lose.

Position Name Races Top 5s Top 10s Total Points

1) Lee Pulliam 41 22 35 38 792
2) Deac McCaskill 35 14 27 33 766
3) Keith Rocco 41 13 26 34 730
4) Ryan Preece 36 12 25 29 726
5) Tommy Lemons, Jr. 37 5 27 32 678
6) C E Falk III 27 7 24 24 673
7) Craig Von Dohren 20 5 15 18 673
8) Chad Finchum 25 6 15 21 668
9) Burt Myers 21 6 13 20 642
10) Duane Howard 20 9 12 15 637

This Weekend's Racing Schedule

Friday    08/30/13    Batesville Motor Speedway    Batesville    AR    Nesmith Late Models
Friday    08/30/13    Stafford Motor Speedway    Stafford    CT    Valenti Modifieds
Friday    08/30/13    34 Raceway    West Burlington    IA    USAC Sprint Cars
Friday    08/30/13    Jacksonville Speedway    Jacksonville    IL    305 Winged Sprints
Friday    08/30/13    Jacksonville Speedway    Jacksonville    IL    Hornets
Friday    08/30/13    Jacksonville Speedway    Jacksonville    IL    Modifieds
Friday    08/30/13    Jacksonville Speedway    Jacksonville    IL    Stock Cars
Friday    08/30/13    Kankakee County Speedway    Kankakee    IL    I-Mods
Friday    08/30/13    Kankakee County Speedway    Kankakee    IL    Pro Late Models
Friday    08/30/13    Kankakee County Speedway    Kankakee    IL    UMP Modifieds
Friday    08/30/13    Kankakee County Speedway    Kankakee    IL    UMP Sport Compacts
Friday    08/30/13    Kankakee County Speedway    Kankakee    IL    UMP Stock Cars
Friday    08/30/13    Kankakee County Speedway    Kankakee    IL    UMP Super Late Models
Friday    08/30/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Factory Stocks
Friday    08/30/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Late Models
Friday    08/30/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Modifieds
Friday    08/30/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Pro-Crate Late Models
Friday    08/30/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Sport Compacts
Friday    08/30/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Mini Stocks
Friday    08/30/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    NELCAR Legends
Friday    08/30/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Outlaw Sportsman
Friday    08/30/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Pro Late Models
Friday    08/30/13    Oxford Plains Speedway    Oxford    ME    Street Stocks
Friday    08/30/13    Chateau Raceway    Lansing    MN    USMTS Modifieds
Friday    08/30/13    Jackson Speedway    Jackson     MN    ASCS Winged Sprints
Friday    08/30/13    Cleveland County Speedway    Lawndale    NC    FASTRAK Pro Late Models
Friday    08/30/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    Bombers
Friday    08/30/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    Mini Stocks
Friday    08/30/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    Sprint Cars
Friday    08/30/13    Ohsweken Speedway    Ohsweken    Ontario    Thunder Stocks
Friday    08/30/13    TBA    TBA    TBA    American Modified Series
Friday    08/30/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    USAC Midgets
Friday    08/30/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Friday    08/30/13    Manitowoc County Fairgrounds    Manitowoc    WI    Grand Nationals
Friday    08/30/13    Manitowoc County Fairgrounds    Manitowoc    WI    MSA 360 Sprints
Friday    08/30/13    Manitowoc County Fairgrounds    Manitowoc    WI    Street Stocks
Friday    08/30/13    Manitowoc County Fairgrounds    Manitowoc    WI    WDLMA Late Models
Friday    08/30/13    Oshkosh Speedzone    Oshkosh    WI    Dirt Devils
Friday    08/30/13    Oshkosh Speedzone    Oshkosh    WI    Grand Nationals
Friday    08/30/13    Oshkosh Speedzone    Oshkosh    WI    Modifieds
Friday    08/30/13    Oshkosh Speedzone    Oshkosh    WI    Sport Mods
Friday    08/30/13    Oshkosh Speedzone    Oshkosh    WI    Street Stocks
Friday    08/30/13    West Virginia Motor Speedway    Mineral Wells     WV    World of Outlaw Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    4-Cylinders
Saturday    08/31/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Bombers
Saturday    08/31/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Limited Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Open Wheel Modifieds
Saturday    08/31/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Stockers
Saturday    08/31/13    Dixieland Dirt Track    Cottonwood    AL    Vintage
Saturday    08/31/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Bombers
Saturday    08/31/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Challenge Cup Sprint Cars
Saturday    08/31/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    IMCA Modifieds
Saturday    08/31/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Pure Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Southwest Mod Lites
Saturday    08/31/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Super Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    Dwarf Cars
Saturday    08/31/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    Factory Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    Hornets
Saturday    08/31/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    Mini Sprints
Saturday    08/31/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    USRA Modifieds
Saturday    08/31/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    American Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    Mini Dwarfs
Saturday    08/31/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    Sport Mods
Saturday    08/31/13    Bakersfield Speedway    Bakersfield    CA    West Coast Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Calistoga Speedway    Calistoga    CA    USAC Western Classic Sprints
Saturday    08/31/13    Calistoga Speedway    Calistoga    CA    USAC Western States Midgets
Saturday    08/31/13    Calistoga Speedway    Calistoga    CA    USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
Saturday    08/31/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    4-Cylinders
Saturday    08/31/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    Hobby Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    Limited Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    Mini Cup
Saturday    08/31/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    MST
Saturday    08/31/13    Madera Speedway    Madera    CA    Toyota Sedans
Saturday    08/31/13    Placerville Speedway    Placerville    CA    360 Winged Sprints
Saturday    08/31/13    Placerville Speedway    Placerville    CA    Limited Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Placerville Speedway    Placerville    CA    Pure Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Jr. Stingers
Saturday    08/31/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Pro-4s
Saturday    08/31/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Sprint Cars
Saturday    08/31/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Street Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    UMP Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    UMP Modifieds
Saturday    08/31/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    UMP Sportsman
Saturday    08/31/13    Fairbury American Legion Speedway    Fairbury    IL    UMP Street Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Hornets
Saturday    08/31/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Lightning Sprints
Saturday    08/31/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Limited Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Modifieds
Saturday    08/31/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Street Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    Spoon 6-Shooters
Saturday    08/31/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Hornets
Saturday    08/31/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Limited Modifieds
Saturday    08/31/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Pro-Crate Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Terre Haute Action Track    Terre Haute    IN    USAC Sprint Cars
Saturday    08/31/13    Deer Creek Speedway    Spring Valley     MN    USMTS Modifieds
Saturday    08/31/13    Elko Speedway    Elko     MN    Bandoleros
Saturday    08/31/13    Elko Speedway    Elko     MN    Big 8 Cars
Saturday    08/31/13    Elko Speedway    Elko     MN    Legends
Saturday    08/31/13    Elko Speedway    Elko     MN    Power Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Elko Speedway    Elko     MN    Super Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Elko Speedway    Elko     MN    Thunder Cars
Saturday    08/31/13    Jackson Speedway    Jackson    MN    ASCS Winged Sprints
Saturday    08/31/13    LA Raceway    LaMonte    MO    ASCS Winged Sprints
Saturday    08/31/13    Lucas Oil Speedway    Wheatland    MO    A-Mods
Saturday    08/31/13    Lucas Oil Speedway    Wheatland    MO    MLRA Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    West Plains Motor Speedway    West Plains    MO    Nesmith Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Pure Stock 4 Cylinder
Saturday    08/31/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Pure Stock V-8
Saturday    08/31/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Super Stock 4 Cylinders
Saturday    08/31/13    County Line Raceway    Elm City     NC    Thunder & Lightning
Saturday    08/31/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Limited Sportsman
Saturday    08/31/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Micro Sprints
Saturday    08/31/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Renegades
Saturday    08/31/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Stock 4
Saturday    08/31/13    East Lincoln Speedway    Stanley    NC    Super Stock 4 Cylinders
Saturday    08/31/13    Friendship Motor Speedway    Elkin    NC    FASTRAK Pro Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Hickory Motor Speedway    Newton     NC    Bobby Isaac Memorial Whelen All-American Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Hickory Motor Speedway    Newton     NC    Limited Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Hickory Motor Speedway    Newton     NC    Street Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Hickory Motor Speedway    Newton     NC    Vintage Sportsman Racing Classics
Saturday    08/31/13    White Mountain Motorsports Park    North Woodstock    NH    PASS North Super Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Aztec Speedway    Aztec    NM    Championship Dirt Motorsports Super Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Southern New Mexico Speedway    Las Cruces    NM    Hornets
Saturday    08/31/13    Southern New Mexico Speedway    Las Cruces    NM    Sprint Cars
Saturday    08/31/13    Southern New Mexico Speedway    Las Cruces    NM    USRA Limited X-Modifieds
Saturday    08/31/13    Southern New Mexico Speedway    Las Cruces    NM    USRA Street Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Oakshade Raceway    Wauseon    OH    Sunoco American Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Portsmouth Raceway Park    Portsmouth    OH    Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Hermiston Super Oval     Hermison     OR    Bombers
Saturday    08/31/13    Hermiston Super Oval     Hermison     OR    Mini Stocks Invitational
Saturday    08/31/13    Hermiston Super Oval     Hermison     OR    Street Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Selinsgrove Speedway    Selinsgrove    PA    World of Outlaw Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    TBA    TBA    TBA    American Modified Series
Saturday    08/31/13    Thunderhill Raceway    Summertown    TN    Southern Regional Racing Series Super Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Texana Raceway Park    Edna    TX    Dwarf/Mod Lites
Saturday    08/31/13    Texana Raceway Park    Edna    TX    Hot Stock Trucks
Saturday    08/31/13    Texana Raceway Park    Edna    TX    Mini Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Texana Raceway Park    Edna    TX    Pure Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Texana Raceway Park    Edna    TX    Sport Mods
Saturday    08/31/13    Texana Raceway Park    Edna    TX    Street Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Langley Speedway    Hampton    VA    Whelen Southern Modifieds
Saturday    08/31/13    South Boston Speedway    South Boston    VA    Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    South Boston Speedway    South Boston    VA    Limited Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    South Boston Speedway    South Boston    VA    Pure Stock
Saturday    08/31/13    Virginia Motor Speedway    Jamaica    VA    Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Virginia Motor Speedway    Jamaica    VA    Limited Stock Car
Saturday    08/31/13    Virginia Motor Speedway    Jamaica    VA    Modifieds
Saturday    08/31/13    Virginia Motor Speedway    Jamaica    VA    Sportsman
Saturday    08/31/13    Wythe Raceway    Rural Retreat    VA    FASTRAK Pro Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    USAC Midgets
Saturday    08/31/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Saturday    08/31/13    Angell Park Speedway    Sun Prairie     WI    Badger Micro Sprints
Saturday    08/31/13    Angell Park Speedway    Sun Prairie     WI    POWRi Lucas Oil National Midgets
Saturday    08/31/13    LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway    LaCrosse    WI    Late Models
Saturday    08/31/13    LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway    LaCrosse    WI    Sportsman
Saturday    08/31/13    LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway    LaCrosse    WI    Thunderstox
Saturday    08/31/13    Manitowoc County Fairgrounds    Manitowoc    WI    Grand Nationals
Saturday    08/31/13    Manitowoc County Fairgrounds    Manitowoc    WI    MSA 360 Sprints
Saturday    08/31/13    Manitowoc County Fairgrounds    Manitowoc    WI    Street Stocks
Saturday    08/31/13    Manitowoc County Fairgrounds    Manitowoc    WI    WDLMA Late Models
Sunday    09/01/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Bombers
Sunday    09/01/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Challenge Cup Sprint Cars
Sunday    09/01/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    IMCA Modifieds
Sunday    09/01/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Pure Stocks
Sunday    09/01/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Southwest Mod Lites
Sunday    09/01/13    Canyon Speedway Park    Peoria    AZ    Super Stocks
Sunday    09/01/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    Dwarf Cars
Sunday    09/01/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    Factory Stocks
Sunday    09/01/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    Hornets
Sunday    09/01/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    Mini Sprints
Sunday    09/01/13    Tucson International Raceway    Tucson    AZ    USRA Modifieds
Sunday    09/01/13    Calistoga Speedway    Calistoga    CA    USAC Western Classic Sprints
Sunday    09/01/13    Calistoga Speedway    Calistoga    CA    USAC Western States Midgets
Sunday    09/01/13    Calistoga Speedway    Calistoga    CA    USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
Sunday    09/01/13    Santa Maria Speedway    Santa Maria    CA    West Coast Late Models
Sunday    09/01/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    B-Mods
Sunday    09/01/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Mini Stocks
Sunday    09/01/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Modifieds x2
Sunday    09/01/13    Meridian Speedway    Meridian    ID    Super 6 Sprint Cars
Sunday    09/01/13    DuQuoin State Fairgrounds    DuQuoin    IL    USAC Silver Crown
Sunday    09/01/13    Peoria Speedway    Peoria    IL    Lightning Sprints Nationals
Sunday    09/01/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    IMCA Sport Compacts
Sunday    09/01/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    MOWA Sprint Cars
Sunday    09/01/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    UMP Late Models
Sunday    09/01/13    Quincy Raceways    Quincy    IL    UMP Modifieds
Sunday    09/01/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    American Modified Series
Sunday    09/01/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    Spoon 6-Shooters
Sunday    09/01/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Hornets
Sunday    09/01/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Limited Modifieds
Sunday    09/01/13    Spoon River Speedway    Canton    IL    UMP Pro-Crate Late Models
Sunday    09/01/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    Street Stocks
Sunday    09/01/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Factory Stocks
Sunday    09/01/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Modifieds
Sunday    09/01/13    Tri-City Speedway    Pontoon Beach    IL    UMP Pro-Crate Late Models
Sunday    09/01/13    Tri-State Speedway    Haubstadt    IN    Modifieds
Sunday    09/01/13    Tri-State Speedway    Haubstadt    IN    MSCS Sprint Cars
Sunday    09/01/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    ARCA Trucks
Sunday    09/01/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Figure 8
Sunday    09/01/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Mini Modifieds
Sunday    09/01/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Mini Stocks
Sunday    09/01/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Pure Stocks
Sunday    09/01/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Sportsman
Sunday    09/01/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Street Stocks
Sunday    09/01/13    Kentucky Motor Speedway    Whitesville    KY    Thunder Stocks
Sunday    09/01/13    Dodge County Speedway    Kasson    MN    USMTS Modifieds
Sunday    09/01/13    LA Raceway    LaMonte    MO    ASCS Winged Sprints
Sunday    09/01/13    Monett Speedway    Monett    MO    MARS DIRTCar Late Models
Sunday    09/01/13    Magnolia Motor Speedway    Columbus    MS    Nesmith Late Models
Sunday    09/01/13    Aztec Speedway    Aztec    NM    Championship Dirt Motorsports Super Late Models
Sunday    09/01/13    Eldora Speedway    Rossburg    OH    Stock Cars
Sunday    09/01/13    Eldora Speedway    Rossburg    OH    Sunoco American Late Models
Sunday    09/01/13    Eldora Speedway    Rossburg    OH    UMP Modifieds
Sunday    09/01/13    Selinsgrove Speedway    Selinsgrove    PA    World of Outlaw Late Models
Sunday    09/01/13    Tazewell Speedway    Tazewell    TN    Southern All Stars Late Models
Sunday    09/01/13    Skagit Speedway    Alger    WA    USAC Northwest Ignite Midgets
Sunday    09/01/13    Angell Park Speedway    Sun Prairie     WI    Badger Micro Sprints
Sunday    09/01/13    Angell Park Speedway    Sun Prairie     WI    Legends
Sunday    09/01/13    Angell Park Speedway    Sun Prairie     WI    POWRi Lucas Oil National Midgets
Sunday    09/01/13    I-77 Raceway Park    Ripley    WV    Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
Monday    09/02/13    DuQuoin State Fairgrounds    DuQuoin    IL    ARCA
Monday    09/02/13    Greenville-Pickens Speedway    Greenville    SC    K&N Pro Series East
Monday    09/02/13    Evergreen Speedway    Monroe    WA    USAC Northwest Ignite Midgets
Monday    09/02/13    Grays Harbor Raceway    Elma    WA    World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Tuesday    09/03/13    Willamette Speedway    Lebannon    OR    World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Wednesday    09/04/13    Iredell County Fairgrounds    Troutman    NC    125 Mini Outlaw
Wednesday    09/04/13    Iredell County Fairgrounds    Troutman    NC    Beginner Box Stock Mini Outlaw
Wednesday    09/04/13    Iredell County Fairgrounds    Troutman    NC    Box Stock Mini Outlaw
Wednesday    09/04/13    Iredell County Fairgrounds    Troutman    NC    NBA Clone Go-Karts
Wednesday    09/04/13    Iredell County Fairgrounds    Troutman    NC    Open Mini Outlaw
Wednesday    09/04/13    Cottage Grove Speedway    Cottage Grove    OR    World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Thursday    09/05/13    Silver Dollar Speedway    Chico    CA    USAC Western Classic Sprints
Thursday    09/05/13    Silver Dollar Speedway    Chico    CA    USAC Western States Midgets
Thursday    09/05/13    Eldora Speedway    Rossburg    OH    Late Models – World 100
Thursday    09/05/13    Southern Oregon Speedway    Medford    OR    World of Outlaw Sprint Cars

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

~~~~~~~~~~

TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Laboring Over Atlanta Fantasy Picks? Look No Further...

by Jeff Wolfe

Four Burning Questions in Atlanta: Lame Duck Drivers and a White Hot Chase Race
by Matt Stallknecht

So Much To Think About At Summer's End
by Amy Henderson

Nuts for Nationwide: Dillon, Larson Jumps to Cup Are Founded, Not Rushed
by Kevin Rutherford

Frontstretch Foto Funnies: A Black and White Night
by the Frontstretch Staff

Voices From the Cheap Seats: Lower Attendance Leads to Better Experience at Bristol

by Jeff Meyer

~~~~~~~~~~

FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: For years, the now-ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards would run their season finale at Atlanta as the primary support to Cup.  The 1996 General Tire / Hoosier 500k was a wreckfest, for lack of better words, almost from the start.  Mickey Hudspeth, driving an ex-Brett Bodine Ford, qualified very well, but it went wrong in a big way shortly after the start.  What happened?

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

Q: Today, ESPN pit reporters always wear fire suits on pit road.  But, they didn't always do this.  What caused them to make the permanent change?

A: Back in 1989, the only points race each year that was televised on ABC was the Motorcraft 500 at then-Atlanta International Raceway.  ABC required pit reporters to wear regular suits in the pits (a ridiculous concept when you think of it today, but it was the actual truth).  In that race, Dr. Jerry Punch was covering a pit stop in Richard Petty's pit.  The team spilled a bit of fuel in his pit.  Suddenly, the No. 43 backfired, causing a big fire and singeing Punch's mustache.  At the time, ESPN pit reporters wore polo-style shirts and khakis.  Fire suits were made mandatory for ESPN's pit reporters starting two weeks later in Darlington, and they are still worn to this day.  Also, Punch's mustache was gone for good as well.

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: AdvoCare 500 by Mike Neff
Mike is back with his overall thoughts from Sunday night's race from Atlanta.

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

Commentary by TBA
One of the Frontstretch staff members stops by with their thoughts on Sunday night's action from Atlanta.

Big Six: AdvoCare 500 by Amy Henderson
Amy has your weekly look at the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How from a weekend of racing at Atlanta.

Pace Laps: Atlanta / Mosport 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 from Atlanta.

Nationwide Series Breakdown: Great Clips / Grit Chips 300 by Kevin Rutherford

Kevin has all the post-race analysis you need following Saturday night's Nationwide Series race from Atlanta.

Tracking the Trucks: Chevrolet Silverado 250 by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has all the post-race analysis you need following Sunday afternoon's Camping World Truck Series race from Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

IndyCar Breakdown: Grand Prix of Baltimore by Huston Ladner

Huston has all the post-race analysis you need following Sunday afternoon's IZOD IndyCar Series race from Baltimore.

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

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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The Frontstretch Newsletter: August 29th, 2013

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

~~~~~~~~~~

Top News
by Phil Allaway

Bobby Labonte Breaks Ribs in Bike Crash; Bliss In For Atlanta

Bobby Labonte's representation announced on Wednesday that Labonte was involved in a crash while riding his bicycle in Trinity, North Carolina.  No details were released as to what caused the crash.

Labonte was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with three broken ribs.  Labonte was held overnight for observation, but was released on Thursday.  In the meantime, Labonte will be forced to miss this weekend's AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Labonte, who was scheduled to drive the Phoenix Racing No. 51 this week, will be replaced by Mike Bliss.

Bliss was originally scheduled to drive the No. 19 Toyota for Humphrey-Smith Racing this weekend, however the team withdrew their entry on Thursday.

It's Official: Harry Scott, Jr. Purchases Phoenix Racing; Allgaier to Drive Three Races

On Wednesday morning, Phoenix Racing announced via press release that the team has indeed been sold.  The buyer is not all that much of a surprise.  Harry Scott, Jr., half of Turner Scott Motorsports, will be assuming control of the operation.  When it was announced that the team had a buyer, Scott was one of the most likely people to buy.

Scott is very happy to move into the Sprint Cup Series.

"This is a very proud day for me as I will have the opportunity to compete against the best teams in motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as the owner of Phoenix Racing," Scott said.  "I am going to build a championship contender with hard work, the right people and the right partners. This team has a great foundation thanks to the efforts of James Finch. There is a lot to build upon and I am looking forward to getting started."

In addition, the press release announced that Justin Allgaier, who is currently in his third year driving the No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet for Turner Scott Motorsports in the Nationwide Series, will make his Sprint Cup Series debut in the No. 51 Chevrolet at Chicagoland Speedway on September 10th.  BRANDT, which is based in Illinois, will provide primary sponsorship for that race, along with two additional events before the end of the year.

Allgaier is very happy to continue his working relationship with Scott in the Sprint Cup Series.

"I'm thrilled for the opportunity and grateful to Mr. Scott that he's asked me to drive for him in the No. 51 Chevrolet," Allgaier said.  "I love competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series but I must admit that making my debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be a special day for me."

Aside from the change in ownership and Allgaier being in the seat, not much will change with what is now Phoenix Racing.  The team will continue to run Chevrolets, use equipment from Hendrick Motorsports, and maintain their alliance with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing (they use EGR's seven-post rig).  Nick Harrison will stay on as crew chief, Steve Barkdoll will continue in his role as the team's General Manager, and the other 16 employees will keep their jobs.

Allmendinger Officially Offered No. 47 Seat For 2014

FOXSports.com's Lee Spencer is reporting that AJ Allmendinger has been officially offered the full-time seat in the No. 47 Toyota for the 2014 season.  JTG-Daugherty Racing co-owner Tad Geschickter confirmed that the contract has been offered, and Allmendinger confirmed separately.

Allmendinger was originally brought in starting at Kentucky in June to help evaluate the JTG-Daugherty Racing program, which was stagnating.  In three races, Allmendinger has a best finish in the car of tenth at Watkins Glen.  It is the No. 47 team's best finish of the entire season to this point.

For Allmendinger, this is just one more potential full-time deal that he has on the table for 2014.  Roger Penske has been impressed with Allmendinger's versatility in 2013, running in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Izod IndyCar and Rolex Sports Car Series and being competitive in all four of them.  Rumors have Penske offering Allmendinger a full-time ride in the Nationwide Series for next season.

Bobby Labonte, the team's current driver, who as noted above, will miss Atlanta due to broken ribs, has been offered another role within JTG-Daugherty Racing.  However, Labonte has not determined any plans for the 2014 season as of yet. As of press time, ESPN's Jim Noble reported on Twitter that Allmendinger had signed the contract, and an official announcement is expected Saturday from Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night.  However, they are still subject to change.

Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500: 44 cars entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 33- Austin Dillon for Circle Sport, LLC/Richard Childress Racing
No. 35- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports
No. 40- Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing/Circle Sport, LLC
No. 51- Mike Bliss for Phoenix Racing
No. 55- Brian Vickers for Michael Waltrip Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR

Driver Changes:
No. 32- Timmy Hill returns to the seat, replacing Ken Schrader.
No. 33- Austin Dillon returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines.
No. 47- AJ Allmendinger returns to the seat, replacing Bobby Labonte.
No. 51- Mike Bliss returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Truex.  Bobby Labonte was originally entered in the car, but had to be replaced following his bike crash.

Driver who must qualify on speed (top-36):
No. 19- Unknown driver for Humphrey-Smith Racing

Drivers who have provisionals, but are still at risk of failing to qualify:
No. 32- Timmy Hill for FAS Lane Racing (36th in points, 24 attempts)
No. 33- Austin Dillon for Circle Sport, LLC/Richard Childress Racing (37th in points, 24 attempts)
No. 35- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports (39th in points, 24 attempts)
No. 36- JJ Yeley for Tommy Baldwin Racing (35th in points, 23 attempts)
No. 40- Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing/Circle Sport, LLC (44th in points, 4 attempts)
No. 83- David Reutimann for BK Racing (34th in points, 24 attempts)
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR (41th in points, 24 attempts)
No. 93- Travis Kvapil for BK Racing (38th in points, 24 attempts)
No. 95- Scott Speed for Leavine Family Racing (43rd in points, 13 attempts)
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing (42nd in points, 21 attempts)

Nationwide Series Great Clips/Grit Chips 300: 42 cars entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 5- Kasey Kahne for JR Motorsports
No. 22- Joey Logano for Penske Racing
No. 33- Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 39- Ryan Sieg for RSS Racing
No. 54- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports/Joe Gibbs Racing

Driver Changes:
No. 00- Blake Koch returns to the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
No. 10- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Cole Whitt.  Jeff Green was originally entered in the car before Eric McClure declared himself out for Atlanta.
No. 16- Chris Buescher returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Reed.
No. 17- Tanner Berryhill returns to the seat, replacing David Starr.
No. 22- Joey Logano returns to the seat, replacing Brad Keselowski.
No. 24- Ken Butler, III returns to the seat, replacing Blake Koch.
No. 33- Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Ty Dillon.
No. 44- Cole Whitt returns to the seat, replacing Chad Hackenbracht.

Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00- Blake Koch for SR2 Motorsports*
No. 10- Unknown driver for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 16- Chris Buescher for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 17- Tanner Berryhill for Vision Racing
No. 37- Matt DiBenedetto for Vision Racing
No. 39- Ryan Sieg for RSS Racing
No. 42- Josh Wise for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 50- Danny Efland for MAKE Motorsports
No. 52- Joey Gase for Jimmy Means Racing
No. 55- Jamie Dick for Viva Motorsports
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures

Not Entered:
No. 15- Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing
No. 18- Drew Herring for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 21- Brendan Gaughan for Richard Childress Racing
No. 29- Kenny Wallace for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 46- JJ Yeley for The Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 86- Kevin Lepage for Deware Motorsports
No. 90- Martin Roy for DGR Motorsports
No. 91- Chase Miller for TriStar Motorsports
No. 98- Kevin Swindell for Biagi-DenBeste Racing

Camping World Truck Series Chevy Silverado 250k: 30 trucks entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 07- Carl Long for SS-Green Light Racing
No. 14- Max Papis for NTS Motorsports
No. 51- Chad Hackenbracht for Kyle Busch Motorsports

Driver Changes:
No. 07- Carl Long is in the seat, replacing Jake Crum.  Chris Cockrum was originally entered in the car.
No. 6- Mike Skeen is in the seat, replacing Justin Lofton.  This will be Skeen's Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 14- Max Papis is in the seat, replacing Kevin Harvick.  Note that the current No. 14 is the No. 24 that Harvick drove at Martinsville.
No. 19- Ross Chastain returns to the seat, replacing Brad Keselowski.
No. 39- Alex Guenette is in the seat, replacing Ryan Sieg.  This will be Guenette's Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 51- Chad Hackenbracht returns to the seat, replacing Kyle Busch.
No. 81- Derek White is in the seat, replacing David Starr.
No. 84- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Mike Harmon.

Since there are only 31 trucks entered, no one will fail to qualify.  However, these teams must still qualify on speed:
No. 0- Chris Lafferty for JJC Racing*
No. 6- Mike Skeen for Sharp Gallaher Racing
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 14- Max Papis for NTS Motorsports
No. 72- Martin Roy for DGR Motorsports (Camping World Truck Series debut)
No. 94- Chase Elliott for Hendrick Motorsports

*- Expected to Start-and-Park

Not Entered:
No. 02- Tyler Young for Young's Motorsports
No. 27- Jeff Agnew for Hillman Racing/Level 7 Racing
No. 33- Brandon Jones for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 45- Nate Monteith for DDK Motorsports
No. 52- Ken Schrader for Ken Schrader Racing
No. 68- Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
No. 75- Caleb Holman for Henderson Motorsports
No. 92- Matt McCall for RBR Enterprises
No. 93- Chris Jones for RSS Racing
No. 96- Ben Kennedy for Ben Kennedy Racing/Turner Scott Motorsports

Izod IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT: 24 cars entered

Driver Changes:
No. 4- Oriol Servia returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Briscoe.
No. 18- Stefan Wilson is in the seat, replacing James Davison.  This will be Wilson's Izod IndyCar Series debut.
No. 98- Luca Filippi returns to the seat, replacing JR Hildebrand.

Entries:
No. 1- Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 3- Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 4- Oriol Servia for Panther Racing
No. 5- EJ Viso for Andretti Autosport/Team Venezuela
No. 6- Sebastian Saavedra for Dragon Racing
No. 7- Sebastien Bourdais for Dragon Racing
No. 9- Scott Dixon for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10- Dario Franchitti for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 11- Tony Kanaan for KV Racing Technologies
No. 12- Will Power for Team Penske
No. 14- Takuma Sato for AJ Foyt Enterprises
No. 15- Graham Rahal for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 16- James Jakes for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 18- Stefan Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19- Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 20- Ed Carpenter for Ed Carpenter Racing
No. 25- Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27- James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport
No. 55- Tristan Vautier for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
No. 67- Josef Newgarden for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 77- Simon Pagenaud for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
No. 78- Simona de Silvestro for KV Racing Technologies
No. 83- Charlie Kimball for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 98- Luca Filippi for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian

Not Entered:
No. 97- Lucas Luhr for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing

American Le Mans Series Grand Prix of Baltimore: 33 cars entered in 5 classes

Prototype 1 (P1) Entries: 2
No. 6- Klaus Graf/Lucas Luhr for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing
No. 16- Chris Dyson/Guy Smith for Dyson Racing

Prototype 2 (P2) Entries: 4
No. 01- Anthony Lazzaro/Scott Sharp for Extreme Speed Motorsports
No. 02- Ed Brown/Johannes van Overbeek for Extreme Speed Motorsports
No. 551- Guy Cosmo/Scott Tucker for Level 5 Motorsports
No. 552- Ryan Briscoe/Marino Franchitti for Level 5 Motorsports

Prototype Challenge (PC) Entries: 6
No. 05- Jon 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- Bruno Junqueira/Alex Popow for RSR Racing/Starworks Motorsport
No. 18- Tristan Nunez/Charlie Shears for Performance Tech Motorsports
No. 52- Dane Cameron/Mike Guasch for PR1 Mathaisen Motorsports

Grand Touring (GT) Entries: 11
No. 06- Tom Kimber-Smith/Patrick Long for CORE Autosport
No. 3- Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen for Corvette Racing
No. 4- Oliver Gavin/Tom Milner for Corvette Racing
No. 17- Wolf Henzler/Bryan Sellers for Team Falken Tire
No. 23- Townsend Bell/Bill Sweedler 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- Joey Hand/Dirk Muller for BMW Team RLL
No. 62- Olivier Beretta/Matteo Malucelli for Risi Competizione
No. 91- Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens for SRT Motorsports
No. 93- Jonathan Bomarito/Kuno Wittmer for SRT Motorsports

Grand Touring Challenge (GTC) Entries: 9
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/Sean Edwards for NGT Motorsport
No. 44- Dion von Moltke/Sean Neiman for Flying Lizard Motorsports
No. 45- Nelson Canache/Spencer Pumpelly for Flying Lizard Motorsports
No. 66- Ben Keating/Damien Faulkner for TRG
No. 67- Marc Bunting/Unknown Driver for TRG
No. 68- Al Carter/Kevin Estre for TRG

Not Entered:
No. 0- Andy Meyrick/Katherine Legge for DeltaWing Racing Cars

 

Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.

~~~~~~~~~~

Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Featured Commentary
Smoke Haas Risen, Kurt Busch Rebirth, and Truex's Trials

What's Vexing Vito

by Vito Pugliese

Amid the Stewart-Haas Racing revelation that Kurt Busch will be joining the fray next year, one voice has been conspicuously silent – and invisible. Tony Stewart was last seen being loaded onto a stretcher and into an ambulance to tend to his broken leg.  But since then, Stewart has not made any appearances or interviews.  Which leaves many wondering: why?  I remember Ernie Irvan and Geoff Bodine speaking from their hospital beds after coming perilously close to punching out permanently, while Stewart has been silent – perhaps for the first time ever – for over three weeks now.

The #SmokeWillRise thing is cool and a nice gesture, but why the reclusiveness? Come on bro; it's a broken leg, not polio.

Speak on it Tony, your fans, followers, and everybody would like to hear from you, even if you don't want to talk about sprint car racing or new buildings popping up at the shop.  Perhaps this is all an elaborate set up for his comeback; a new, improved Stewart, in shape, yoked up, and ready to go for Daytona in February.  I just hope he doesn't use this as an excuse to completely go off the grid, and come back looking like Ron Burgundy after he got fired for issuing his unsavory sign-off to San Diego.  Stay Classy, Smoke.

***************

Which brings us to the 400 lbs gorilla in the room.  We know the story as told to the media; Gene Haas went over Stewart's head and elevated leg to sign Kurt Busch, after Ryan Newman got the boot, and no fourth team was a possibility at SHR.  Part of it I'm buying, some of it – a bit skeptical.  Okay, he's the "money guy," but does he really make decisions in a vacuum?  I don't know about you, but the only time I've heard his name come up in the last five years is either to the right of a hyphen next to Stewart, or related to his two-year prison sentence for tax fraud.

Bottom line, he's built a very successful business and not by accident. I believe  the driver decision came down to a cost and investment equation, equaling performance and potential.  Let's look at the facts:

Kurt has a championship (2004), more wins (24 to Newman's 17), and wasn't exactly driving the most competitive car the past year and a half.

Since 2005, Newman has never won more than one race in a year, and went winless in 2006, 2007, and 2009.  He won the Daytona 500 in 2008 on a two-lap restart, by way of a big push from Kurt Busch.  Wins in 2010 and 2012 were courtesy of extra-lap green white checker finishes, while Indy and Loudon in 2011 were legit drubbings en route to victory.  Since 2006, Newman has finished tenth or better twice –tenth in 2011 (when teammate Stewart won five out of ten races and the Sprint Cup) and ninth in 2009.

Kurt Busch…well what can you say?  If anything, he will get you some air time and is entertaining to say the least.  Win wise, he has yet to win this year or last, but won a pair of races from 2009-2011, and was essentially the only Dodge team in the field in 2010-11.  He's posted Chase finishes of tenth, fourth, and seventh, and two 11th place results in 2010 and 2011, since 2005.  Last year in the No. 51, he nearly won Sonoma with the rear end housing sliding side to side several inches in every turn after he clipped the tires in Turn 11 – bolted down for the first time at the track.  This season he's gone Greg Jennings in Madden, and put the team on his back, dough -- bringing what was a fledgling far-flung team into championship contention.

Yeah I know, he's had a bit of a reputation for being a blow hard the past few years, but think how many great moments we would have been deprived of?  So he's cussed out a few people and it got caught on camera; it's not like he punched a baby or something.  Come to think of it, he really hasn't done anything Tony Stewart hasn't done besides carpet F-bomb the radiowaves.

Is Busch a better fit than Newman?  You'll never hear anybody accuse him of laying down or not trying, or getting comfortable with things.  He's been with three organizations in three years, and can provide another perspective to SHR than maybe Newman could not.  Busch, Harvick , and Stewart all have similar qualities and characteristics – quick tempers, quick wit, and something to prove in their respective rides.

***************

Things at MWR were looking up a few weeks ago, now I'm not so sure. Mark Martin leaves to go sub for Tony Stewart, allowing Brian Vickers to take over the ride he'll assume in 2014.  No problems there.  Then, crew chief Rodney Childers announces he's leaving, while Martin Truex, Jr. breaks his wrist and his Chase contention got put on notice.  Clint Bowyer did clinch a Chase birth (taking a shot in the door in the process), while Vickers was able to earn his fourth Top 10 in ten starts, with a fourth-place finish.  Was it just Bristol, or a harbinger of things to come?

This Sunday night's 500-miler in Atlanta will be pivotal for this team.  Toyota continues to work its way back to maximum horsepower without coming apart as they were earlier in the year, while Truex will need to make sure Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, and Jeff Gordon don't win a race – or that Joey Logano and his Michigan win fall from tenth.

No pressure.

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The Critic's Annex: TitanRoof 135

by Phil Allaway

Hello, race fans.  Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming.  Last week, the Whelen Modifieds held their annual combination race at Bristol Motor Speedway.  The race was aired live on FOX Sports 2, which I'll admit bites.  I'll explain below.

Last week, Time Warner Cable was preparing for an update for their Explorer settop boxes.  The result of it is that I no longer get a number of SD channels.  Instead, I only get their HD equilvalents.  I have no clue why they did this.  Also, for some reason, FOX Sports 2 was included in this even though we don't have an HD feed of FOX Sports 2.  So, I couldn't watch the race on my TV.

Time Warner Cable also has a mobile app and viewing available on the internet.  Let's just say the only way I could watch Wednesday night's Modified race was by watching on my iPhone.  And, for some reason, that's in HD, but I can't get the channel in HD on my TV.  It makes no sense.

Ok, cable provider rant over.  FOX Sports 2 provided a time shifted broadcast, much like we normally see with Sprint Cup Qualifying sessions.  The time shifting allowed FOX Sports 2 to avoid showing much of the rain delay that delayed the start of the race (and ultimately led to the race being shortened).  There was a pre-race interview with Ryan Preece before the action got underway.

FOX Sports 2 had Mike Joy and Bob Dillner in the booth for the race.  With those two, you have a couple of very knowledgeable people when it comes to the Modifieds.  Good choice.

FOX Sports 2's coverage was fairly decent.  We saw a good amount of racing for position, and not too much focus was given to Ryan Newman, the token Sprint Cup regular in the field.

However, the time shifting started to get really obvious later in the race.  For example, the seventh yellow flew for a spin involving Jeremy Gerstner on Lap 98.  They go to commercial after showing a replay.  They come back out, they've already restarted, had another wreck (involving Luke Fleming), and now they're restarting from that.  It bites, man.

Then, we had the race shortening issue.  Joy and Dillner (along with the rest of the broadcast crew) were advised of the possible cutoff for shortening the race during their production meeting at 2:30pm that day.  No one bothered to tell the drivers this.  It sounds like Joy and Dillner assumed that NASCAR would pay the teams the common courtesy of a heads-up during the Driver's Meeting.  However, they were wrong.  None of the teams knew that a shortening was possible until NASCAR decided to do it.  Not cool.  I don't blame Joy or Dillner here.  I blame NASCAR.

Joy defended what happened on Twitter after the race, claiming what I've already said above.  He's not in the wrong in that case.  However, Justin Bonsignore stated that the drivers were not given the heads-up.  Instead, they were told just before the restart from the ninth caution (George Brunnhoelzl III's second spin) that it would be ten laps to go, and that if a caution flew, there would be one GWC.  This was when the viewers were notified of the move.  However, Joy referenced the possibility of it going down a fair bit before that.  I'm not happy with NASCAR about that move.  Regardless, Joy had to apologize for assuming that NASCAR did their job.  It's really sad that I have to write this, but it's the truth (also, that's not what Joy said, but what I believe).

Due to the time constraints, there was a very limited amount of post-race coverage.  FOX Sports 2 interviewed winner Mike Stefanik (minus the infamous scowl) in Victory Lane before his crew could even show up.  I'm assuming that NASCAR told him over the radio to move his festive buns there as fast as possible for TV purposes.  And that was it for post-race coverage.  No point standing updates for either tour and unofficial results were in the scroll.

Unfortunately, FOX Sports can't do much about the rain.  The slot for the TitanRoof 150 to run in is tight to begin with.  I feel like without the rain, getting everything in might have been tough with ten yellows.  FOX Sports did a decent job covering the action and the booth knowledge always shines here.  With Joy and Dillner, two men that have spent a bunch of time around the beastly creatures known as Modifieds, new viewers to the series can learn quite a bit about the series.  It is an exciting series that sadly isn't shown on TV much.  Perhaps the new deals that start up in 2015 will help the Modifieds.

That's all for this week.  Next week, I'll be back with a look at NBC Sports Network's Izod IndyCar Series coverage from Baltimore.  Until then, enjoy the action from Hampton, GA, Baltimore and Ontario.

Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.

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Frontstretch Line of the Week

From Five Points To Ponder: Counting Points And Tales Of Redemption

"They can't put us down and can't keep us down. This team is awesome. We deserve to make this Chase and if we keep doing this on days that they're trying to put us down, we deserve it."  - Joey Logano, on his Chase chances.

~~~~~~~~~~

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Laboring Over Atlanta Fantasy Picks? Look No Further...

by Jeff Wolfe

NASCAR Mailbox: As The Stewart-Haas Turns...
by Summer Bedgood

Truckin' Thursdays: Favorites Headed Into the Unknown At Mosport
by Beth Lunkenheimer

Tech Talk: Goodyear Engineer Sizes Up Atlanta

as told to Mike Neff

~~~~~~~~~~

FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q:  Today, ESPN pit reporters always wear fire suits on pit road.  But, they didn't always do this.  What caused them to make the permanent change.

 

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

Wednesday's Answer:

Q:  In 1993, the Motorcraft 500 was postponed one full week due to what's become known as Superstorm '93, a massive blizzard that paralyzed much of the Eastern United States. The race was scheduled to be televised on ABC.  However, they chose not to return for the rescheduled race.  Who ended up televising the event?

A: ABC ended up being replaced by TNN for the event.  This was the one and only time that TNN ever televised a Cup race from Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Morgan Shepherd claimed his fourth and final Cup Series win in the race, held six days later than scheduled during what was originally supposed to be an off-weekend.

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 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!

~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.

IndyCar In Depth by Matt Stallknecht
Matt returns with a preview of this week's Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT from Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Nuts For Nationwide by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin has another interesting look at the Nationwide Series prior to this weekend's Great Clips/Grit Chips 300 from Atlanta Motor 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.

Driver Diary: Justin Allgaier as told to Mike Neff

The driver of the No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series returns to talk about the past month, on and off the track.

-----------------------------
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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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The Frontstretch Newsletter: August 26th, 2013

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

~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~

Breaking News: Kurt Busch to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014; Official Announcement Tuesday

by Phil Allaway

Multiple news outlets are reporting this morning that Kurt Busch has signed a multi-year contract to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing in a new fourth team starting in 2014. Sponsorship for the currently unnumbered team is currently unknown. However, Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Gene Haas stated last week that he was willing to run Busch with the logos of Haas Automation, his own personal company.

Busch is very happy to make the move over to Stewart-Haas Racing.

"This is the situation that every driver wants to be in," Busch told FoxSports.com's Lee Spencer. "To have an owner like Gene Haas calling and asking you to come and race how you know how to race and that is to win. Gene is giving me that opportunity."

Busch will finish out the 2013 season in the No. 78 Chevrolet for Furniture Row Racing. After a 31st-place finish at Bristol, Busch is currently 12th in points, six out of the top 10.

The official announcement will be Tuesday afternoon at 2 pm. It has been described as an announcement of a team expansion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Kenseth Claims Irwin Tools Night Race, Chase Berth
by Justin Tucker

Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway saw a scene that we have seen play out twice before already in 2013, Matt Kenseth having to hold off a surging Kasey Kahne in coming to the checkers in the closing laps of a race.  At Las Vegas in March and Kansas in April, Kenseth held off furious charges from Kahne to claim those races.  Saturday night, Kenseth would once again hold off Kahne to claim his series-leading fifth victory of the season.  Kenseth's victory clinched him at the bare minimum, a Wild Card entry into the Chase for the Sprint Cup

Kenseth's victory on Saturday night would come far from easy.  After being tagged with a pit road speeding penalty in the early stages of the race, Kenseth would have to rally his No. 20 Toyota back through the field on a night that saw it tough to pass, but Kenseth would be up to the task getting his Toyota back to the front of the field leading a race high 149 laps.  Nursing tires well older than the rest of the field, Kenseth would have to rely on his veteran experience to hold off Kahne's No. 5 Chevrolet.  Kahne made two moves in the closing laps on the bottom to try to get by the No. 20, but Kenseth in the high line would prevail on both occasions.  On the final lap, Kahne could not close the distance enough and Kenseth was able to claim the victory.

An excited Kenseth spoke of the victory and racing Kahne in the closing laps after the race.

"Kasey's as good as they get and he's a clean driver," Kenseth said.  "He raced as hard as he could, we ran out of room off (turn) four, we were both digging as hard as we could to try to get it.  Kasey's just an unbelievable talent, he wanted it bad.  We raced as hard as we could race and used every inch of race track."

On the other side of the coin Kahne was disappointed with a strong second-place effort.

"I don't know," sighed Kahne, winner of the spring race at Bristol.  "I just ... I think at the end of the day, I just don't wreck people.  I just didn't get it done and I'm upset with myself for not figuring out how to win.  I needed a win bad, but I also needed a finish.  I just basically ran as hard as I could, tried to pass him two different times and ran on his bumper and hoped he'd screw up, and he really never did."

Joining Kenseth and Kahne in the top 10 of Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race was Juan Pablo Montoya in third, Brian Vickers with another strong Bristol run in fourth, and Joey Logano coming off the heels of his win at Michigan fifth.  Paul Menard would come home sixth, Jeff Gordon with his chase hopes on the line would score a seventh-place finish, Marcos Ambrose in eighth, Greg Biffle ninth, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would round out the top 10.

Many of the race favorites would experience tough nights at Bristol on Saturday.  Jimmie Johnson would fight an ill-handling car all night long, never getting his No. 48 higher than 12th before getting caught up in an incident with David Reutimann on lap 360.  After repairs behind the wall, Johnson settled for a 36th-place finish, 60 laps down. 

Carl Edwards had the dominant car for much of the race on Saturday night, leading 119 laps on the evening.  However, a valve spring issue on lap 387 would prematurely end Edwards' bid for his second win of the season, leaving Edwards with a 39th-place finish at night's end.  Brad Keselowski would take a crushing blow to his chase hopes after being caught up in a seven car wreck on lap 448.  Keselowski would limp his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford home to a 30th-place finish.  Ryan Newman was caught up in the same lap 448 wreck as Keselowski and would finish 21st, three laps down.  Luckily, Newman was able to hold on to the second Wild Card for the Chase at night's end. 

Kurt Busch appeared for the early part of the race to be the man to beat but a wheel hub issue would take Busch out of contention for the win.  Busch would finish a disappointing 31st, dropping him from ninth to 12th in the standings, six points out of the top 10.

Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol was typical Bristol.  True short track beating and banging and drivers running out of patience.  Track position and pit strategy would play a huge role all night in determining the race outcome.  A look at Saturday's race by the numbers shows that there was 16 lead changes among ninth different drivers with Kenseth leading the most laps with 149, 11 cautions for 74 laps slowed the race pace dramatically to 90.279 MPH.  Along with Kenseth, Clint Bowyer also secured his spot in the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup.

With only two races to go before the chase and hopes hanging in the balance, the Sprint Cup Series heads to the Atlanta Motor Speedway for the AdvoCare 500. Green flag is set for 7:46 P.M. ET Sunday night.

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's Wreck Creates a Real Two Man Race At The Top
by Phil Allaway

Surprisingly, Jimmie Johnson's issues continued Saturday night at Bristol.  This time, a crash that was not of his own making put the Lowe's Chevrolet behind the wall for repairs.  Johnson came back and finished 60 laps down in 36th, but the damage had been done.  Clint Bowyer couldn't fully capitalize because of his own crash and fuel mileage issues, but his 14th-place finish closed the margin down to just 18 points, the closest that it has been since Texas in April.  Carl Edwards failed to capitalize at all since his engine expired just after Johnson's crash.  He actually lost a couple of points to Johnson and is now 35 points behind Bowyer.

Kevin Harvick maintained the fourth spot in the standings, but he came out of Bristol a bit upset after getting taken out in a crash with a little more than 50 laps to go.  Kyle Busch thought that he had a good chance at taking all three races at Bristol.  He won the first two, but spun out in qualifying.  That sentenced him to a start at the rear of the field.  Busch got up to 11th, but never led a lap.  Race winner Matt Kenseth is only three points behind Busch and managed to lock up a Wild Card berth at the bare minimum.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had to deal with fuel issues towards the end of the race, but ran well to finish tenth and hold onto seventh in the standings.  Meanwhile, Kasey Kahne's second-place finish boosted him right back into the Chase in eighth.  Greg Biffle is up one place to ninth after a consistent top-10, while Joey Logano returns to the top-10 following his fifth-place finish.

Brad Keselowski once again slipped out of the top-10 as a result of getting caught up in the big crash caused by Denny Hamlin's flat tire.  He is four points behind Logano.  Kurt Busch also slipped out of the top-10, but that was due to a hub failure early in the race while running up front.  He is six points out of tenth in 12th.

 
Point Standings (Top 10): 1) Jimmie Johnson 821, 2) Clint Bowyer -18, 3) Carl Edwards -53, 4) Kevin Harvick -61, 5) Kyle Busch -82, 6) Matt Kenseth -85, 7) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -107, 8) Kasey Kahne -120, 9) Greg Biffle -123, 10) Joey Logano -136.

Driver Point Standings (11-20): 11) Brad Keselowski -140, 12) Kurt Busch -142, 13) Jeff Gordon -147, 14) Martin Truex, Jr. -158, 15) Ryan Newman -162, 16) Jamie McMurray -174, 17) Paul Menard -183, 18) Aric Almirola -205, 19) Tony Stewart -227, 20) Jeff Burton -229.

Owner Point Standings (11-20): 11) 2- Penske Racing -140, 12) 78- Furniture Row Racing -142, 13) 14- Stewart-Haas Racing -144, 14) 24- Hendrick Motorsports -147, 15) 56- Michael Waltrip Racing -158, 16) 39- Stewart-Haas Racing -162, 17) 1- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing -174, 18) 27- Richard Childress Racing -183, 19) 55- Michael Waltrip Racing -184, 20) 43- Richard Petty Motorsports -205.

Driver Wild Cards: 1) Martin Truex, Jr. (14th in points, one win), 2) Ryan Newman (15th in points, one win)

Owner Wild Cards: 1) 14- Stewart-Haas Racing (13th in points, one win), 2) 56- Michael Waltrip Racing (15th in points, one win)

Currently Ineligible for Wild Card: 1) Tony Stewart (19th in points, one win), 2) David Ragan (26th in points, one win)

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

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: Bristol 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: David Ragan for Front Row Motorsports; started 17th, finished 12th

What makes Ragan's 12th-place finish so impressive?  For one, Ragan was the only small-team representative to finish the race on the lead lap.  Or how about this: the finish was Ragan's second-best at the bullring by two spots, and that includes his tenure with Roush Fenway Racing.  Ragan, who's been accused of being impatient and "a dart without feathers" on more than one occasion, did what many of his underdog counterparts (and even the points leader) couldn't.  He stayed out of trouble and finished the race without any major incidents.  It sounds simple, but at Bristol, where things can change in an instant, it's easy to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Ragan is 26th in driver points, good enough for second among the small-team drivers.  Casey Mears still leads this group by a healthy margin, but Ragan could make a run at him if Mears stumbles or gets caught in someone's trouble as he did Saturday.

Underdog Selection No. 2: David Stremme for Swan Racing; started 38th, finished 17th

Stremme came within 50 laps of the same kind of clean, keep-on-digging finish that Ragan had on Saturday night…and then Brian Vickers and Danny Hamlin happened.  The two tangled on a late restart and Stremme was one of three underdogs to get collected in the aftermath.  But despite a torn-up race car, Stremme kept it together to finish a very respectable 17th—21 spots better than his starting spot.  It's his best finish since Talladega and by far his best on a track where restrictor plates aren't used.

This first-year team continues to impress with their steady improvement and commitment to being competitive.  Many people questioned whether they would even be around by August, let alone running well and finishing every race.                                                                                                              

Underdog Selection No. 3: Landon Cassill for Circle Sport; started 33rd, finished 23rd

When Circle Sport added a second team, Cassill was moved into the No. 40 as an insurance policy in qualifying, and despite bouncing between the new ride and the No. 33 this month, Cassill has been solid.  He's the kind of driver many fans would like to see in a top ride, just to see what he's really capable of, because he's overachieving for this team on a weekly basis. 

Cassill finished three laps down at Bristol, but for an underfunded team at that track, that's not bad.  He came home ten spots ahead of where he started, and kept his nose clean. That's what this team needs, and Cassill seems to be getting it done despite the obstacles the team faces.

Underdog Pick of the Week-Atlanta: 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.

I didn't do too badly last week considering my pick, David Stremme, got caught in a crash not of his doing.  He still came away with a top 20 and third among the underdogs. 

Now it's on to Atlanta, one of those intermediate tracks that chews up underfunded teams and spits them out.  Despite my doubts about his team's commitment to him as the season closes out, Bobby Labonte's six wins—tops among all active drivers—are just too much to overlook.  His average finish is also tops among all the underdogs with more than one start, so even though his team isn't up to speed, Labonte is as good as anyone at this track.

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: Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race was brought to you by the Letter B for "Bad Luck."  We had an unusually high number of notable drivers run into problems at Bristol.  From Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and others getting caught up in wrecks, to Kurt Busch's hub issues and Carl Edwards' valve spring failure, a number of drivers made the short commute home from Eastern Tennessee in a surly mood. - Phil Allaway

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Sidebar Bristol Stories
by Summer Bedgood

Clint Bowyer Clinches Chase Berth

Despite finishing fourteenth after running out of fuel in the waning laps of the Irwin Tools Night Race, Clint Bowyer officially clinched a spot in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup.  He joins Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson as the only drivers who are guaranteed a Chase berth.

The night was an up-and-down one for Bowyer and his No. 15 team, who led 50 laps and was leading when contact from the lapped car of Travis Kvapil sent Bowyer spinning.  Bowyer sustained some damage from the No. 47 of Bobby Labonte and had to restart in the back of the pack.  Eventually, he worked his way back up into the top 10 and, for the most part, stayed there until he ran out of fuel.

"I'm extremely proud of the guys -- they got it fixed back up," said Bowyer.  "We went out there and gave it everything we had and just came up short.  Then we ran out of gas there at the end."

Bowyer is currently second in the Sprint Cup Series standings and is 18 points behind points leader Jimmie Johnson. This will be Bowyer's fifth appearance in the Chase since joining the Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2006.

Busch Falls Short of Bristol Sweep

After winning the Truck Series and Nationwide Series race at Bristol leading up to Saturday, Busch went into the Irwin Tools Night Race looking to sweep the entire weekend for the second time in his career.

He would ultimately fall short.  After crashing in qualifying, Busch would be forced to start from the rear of the field.  Although Busch would eventually work his way into the top 10 and stayed there for much of the race, Busch would eventually finish 11th.

Busch was not a factor for the win at all, failing to lead even one lap.

"Bittersweet," said crew chief Dave Rogers.  "In the end I think I should be satisfied with almost a top 10, but truthfully I'm really discouraged.  Because it's still Kyle Busch, and it's still Bristol.  He's one of the best there ever was here.  Obviously, the equipment JGR is producing is good enough to win."

Busch has three wins this season, and sits fifth in points with 82 points separating him from leader Jimmie Johnson.

Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick Clash in Bristol

Bristol did not fail to live up to the temper tantrum reputation that it has come to be known for in the NASCAR community.  With around 52 laps left in the Irwin Tools Night Race, Hamlin made contact with Brian Vickers that cut his right front tire.  Hamlin rode right up into the high line and oncoming traffic and a huge wreck ensued.

One of the drivers involved was Kevin Harvick.  Both Hamlin's and Harvick's cars were destroyed, and a frustrated Harvick pulled his damaged racecar into Hamlin's pit box. Hamlin drove his car onto pit road and pushed Harvick out of his box.  While the NASCAR officials threw a red flag, Harvick got out of his car at the entrance to pit road and walked over to Hamlin's car.  The two had a quick discussion and told their sides of the story.

"I just saw the No. 11 shoot across the race track," said Harvick.  "It looked like he was trying to swerve at somebody.  He said the No. 56 got into him and so I just wanted to know what happened."

Hamlin recounted the story to the media post-race.

"He (Kevin Harvick) was under the impression that I caused it," Hamlin said.  "He didn't see the replay.  I talked to him.  Luckily, we were able to talk right away and hash it out.  The 55 (Brian Vickers) just cut down on us right in the middle of the straightaway and it cut my right front tire.  I'm just in the car and a steering wheel holder at that point.  It caused a huge accident.  It sucks, but I didn't cause it.  I was one of the guys who got cut off.  We can't catch a break.  We were as solid of a car as we were today — we had a car that could run in the top-five and I thought we were better than the 5 (Kasey Kahne).  Who knows what would have happened.  We cannot catch a break.  You've got to laugh at it at this point.  It's somewhat humorous."

Hamlin and Harvick finished 28th and 34th, respectively.

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: Irwin Tools Night Race
compiled by Summer Bedgood

"I think Kasey (Kahne) was getting tired of battling me.  Kasey's just an unbelievable talent — we've finished first-second a couple times this year.  He wanted it bad.  We raced as hard as we could race and used every inch of race track.  I had just enough to hold it — just enough fuel and just enough tires.  Really have to thank Dollar General and this whole team — so proud of this team behind me.  Man, we won the Bristol night race — this is so awesome." - Matt Kenseth, race winner

"Well, we felt like we left something here in the spring.  We felt like we had a good car here.  You never know how these things are going to turn out, but we were looking forward to coming back to Bristol and getting another opportunity to do that.  We weren't as good as we hoped we would be when we unloaded or hit the track on Friday, but we made a lot of changes.  Guys did a lot of good adjustments on the car.  Car had some speed tonight as Matt (Kenseth) mentioned.  He said he put me in a box.  He put himself in a box and dug his way right out of it.  He did a good job on 200-plus-lap right-side tires.  I told him we got our money's worth out of everything.  His air-conditioner quit, so we got the money's worth out of that one, money's worth out of the tires, maybe half a gallon left of fuel there at the end.  Everything worked out for us right to the end, and it was the same old Bristol — dramatic finish right at the end." - Jason Ratcliff, winning crew chief

"We had a really good Farmers Insurance Chevrolet.  We were fast.  Kenny (Francis, crew chief) made a great call to get the tires and not worry about fuel and I just didn't get it done.  I didn't win.  I had the better car.  The guys did a great job in the pits and I feel bad [that] I didn't win.  We needed this.  It would have been big for us.  But, we ended up second.  It was still a good points day and we'll try to get one in Atlanta." - Kasey Kahne, finished second

"Our Target Chevy was strong all day.  When we restarted I started gaining on him.  I thought 'oh we are looking pretty good here'.  I tried running the top in (Turns) 3 and 4 and it was so way dirty and I lost a bit of ground there and started kind of equalizing.  I just kept getting tighter and tighter, so it didn't happen.  That was all we had, believe me." - Juan Pablo Montoya, finished third

"It's a lot of hard work and no one giving up on this Aaron's team — these guys did a good job.  We were way, way too tight to start the race and we lost a little bit of track position.  We were the last car not to pit on the last pit stop and that was a dangerous position to be in.  We lost a lot of track position.  It gave us an opportunity to work on the race car.  The guys made a great call and a lot of good calls through the race to make the car a lot better.  We had an incredible car there at the end.  Once we got to fourth, I was really hoping for a caution because I think we would have given Matt (Kenseth) a run for his money, but congratulations to those guys.  I have the opportunity to work with Dollar General and I'm happy for that whole group.  Really proud of this Aaron's team — it was a great night for us." - Brian Vickers, finished fourth

"That was the hardest fought top five I've ever had in my life.  We had a right-front knocked in once.  We got blocked in by the 11 once.  We got a piece of garbage on the front.  Every time this happened we had to go all the way to the back, so we came from the back three times to get a top-five finish.  They can't put us down and can't keep us down.  This team is awesome.  We deserve to make this Chase and if we keep doing this on days that they're trying to put us down, we deserve it.  I'm just really proud of everybody on this Shell/Pennzoil Ford team.  They're all excited about this top five.  I feel like I had the winning car all night.  I feel like I had the fastest car and the only car that could really pass people.  We went from 20th there with 40 or 50 to go to finishing fifth.  We're proud of that." - Joey Logano, finished fifth

"That's two top-10s in two weeks and we've got to take that.  We've had a good few weeks here and I've just got to thank everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports for giving me the opportunity to run like that.  We didn't start off great and we didn't finish great handling-wise, but we fought hard all night and got some track position at the end that really helped us a lot." - Marcos Ambrose, finished eighth

"Yeah, I think so because, to be honest with you, we weren't all that great right off the truck.  We were a little bit tight and I had to drive the heck out of it and run it right on the edge to get any speed out of it.  Things worked out for a top-10 and some of the guys we were racing had trouble too, so it will probably end up being OK for us." - Greg Biffle, finished ninth

"We had a good car especially at the end.  I'm real happy with the speed we had, just we weren't sure about making it on fuel.  The No. 15 ran out and he was even saving as much as we were.  Just a risk we couldn't take.  Just a risk we couldn't take tonight, but gave up about maybe five points there and hopefully just making sure we got the fuel to finish the race and getting a 10th-place finish will pay off for us here in the next couple of weeks." - Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished tenth

"It was a pretty good day for us.  We had a fast Peanut Patch Ford, but we had to work hard for it all night.  The guys in the pits did a good job.  We dodged a couple wrecks and got a little bit of damage.  It kind of looks like we just ran a race at Darlington.  It was a lot of fun and a top-15 finish is an improvement from our qualifying spot.  It was a good day.  We always want more, but we'll learn from it and move on to Atlanta." - David Ragan, finished 12th

"Man, our car was so fast.  I felt like we had a shot at winning and then I got spun out there by a lapper of all things.  When I got hit up there, it hit that left-front tire and the car never turned the center as good the rest of the night.  Extremely proud of the guys — they got it fixed back up.  We went out there and gave it everything we had and just came up short.  Then we ran out of gas there at the end." - Clint Bowyer, finished 14th

"We struggled at the beginning of the race hitting the racetrack really, really bad.  Then I screwed us up in the pits.  Pitted long, and we weren't able to get it rectified before the tires got changed, which put us a lap down.  We still didn't have the car fixed yet, so we continued to work on the car and at about halfway, we got the car pretty competitive.  At that point, we had taken a gamble and lost a couple more laps by pitting under the green, and then having a caution come out on the lap where we came back out.  We had some tough luck and a few things that we could've done better, but we were pretty fast at the end.  That's why I go home feeling good about it because we were able to improve the car and get it competitive and that's hard to do with the short pit stops that we get here.  The guys did a good job.  I think we'll be better.  Our practice time was so short yesterday and we had so much trouble, we just needed another day to be ready for tonight, really." - Mark Martin, finished 20th

"Overall, I would honestly say we are still on a good streak of running strong.  There is nothing you can do about getting into the wall and having damage.  We came back as best as we could and made the car as good as it was at the end.  That is a positive.  My goal honestly in my mind is like 'man if we can come away with a top 30 with having these problems then that is alright' and we finished 26th through attrition and staying out of trouble.  We will take it and move on." - Danica Patrick, finished 26th

"He (Kevin Harvick) was under the impression that I caused it.  He didn't see the replay.  I talked to him.  Luckily, we were able to talk right away and hash it out.  The 55 (Brian Vickers) just cut down on us right in the middle of the straightaway and it cut my right front tire.  I'm just in the car and a steering wheel holder at that point.  It caused a huge accident.  It sucks, but I didn't cause it.  I was one of the guys who got cut off.  We can't catch a break.  We were as solid of a car as we were today — we had a car that could run in the top-five and I thought we were better than the 5 (Kasey Kahne).  Who knows what would have happened.  We cannot catch a break.  You've got to laugh at it at this point.  It's somewhat humorous." - Denny Hamlin, finished 28th

"I said every team is worried and concerned.  If you're not in right now, I don't care if you're running eighth or you're running 13th, every team is worried and concerned – not just mine." - Brad Keselowski, finished 30th

"Yeah, I guess we had a right-rear hub fail where the studs pulled through or they weren't tightened or assembled.  I don't know just a right-rear hub failure.  Now we have to go back and diagnosis that.  When you are 20 laps down there is nothing you can do.  We just rode around and we are down, but we are not out.  I guess at the end of the race, we gained a bunch of points back with guys having trouble.  My thoughts all through the race were we just have to go to Atlanta and Richmond and win them both." - Kurt Busch, finished 31st

"I just saw the No. 11 shoot across the race track.  It looked like he was trying to swerve at somebody.  He said the No. 56 got into him and so I just wanted to know what happened." - Kevin Harvick, finished 34th

"I'm doing fine, just disappointed.  Honestly, I didn't see anything.  They just started jamming up and I just tried to follow the 29 (Kevin Harvick) through and we got smashed in the fence a couple times.  Just frustrating, we had a great car all night long.  We ran towards the front all night, but just didn't have enough gas to make it to the end there and had to pit.  Once you get in the back here towards the end, they start wrecking and you're an innocent victim.  Just frustrated right now because we had a good car and we didn't deserve that tonight." - Martin Truex Jr., finished 35th

"We will definitely come back next week and do all we can.  We had a decent finish.  Last week I really thought we had a shot to win and had an engine failure.  This racing stuff happens.  Luckily, we had a big points lead that we can kind of deal with right now.  We've locked into the Chase.  We certainly want to clean things up and have some great finishes rolling into the Chase.  We'll keep after it, and be back again next week.  We'll go to Atlanta and do all we can there.  And then Richmond.  I feel like we had a really good test.  There is still a lot of racing left.  And once the Chase starts, it is its own animal.  So, we'll just wait and see what happens during those ten (races)." - Jimmie Johnson, finished 36th

"I didn't have any warning.  I've just got to thank all the guys.  That's the most fun I've had in a race car in a long time.  Jimmy did a great job.  The car was almost perfect and the engine ran awesome until it broke.  We had great pit stops and I think we've got some good things to get forward to.  This is what we needed, a race like this – with the engine aside – I think we were the dominant car here tonight. We've got some good races coming up." - Carl Edwards, finished 39th

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Thinkin' Out Loud: Bristol Night Race Recap
by Mike Neff

The Big Six: Questions Answered After The Irwin Tools Night Race
by Amy Henderson

Clean Race Speaks Volumes About Kahne's Character
by Summer Bedgood

Nationwide Breakdown: Food City 250

by Mike Neff

IndyCar Recap: GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma
by P. Huston Ladner

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: Geoff Bodine's 1994 season was encapsulated by dominant victories, engine failures and huge crashes.  At Atlanta, Bodine qualified fourth and led 34 laps.  However, the race ended with his 15th DNF of the year.  What happened?

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

Friday's Answer:

Q:  At the 1993 Food City 250, Robert Pressley had a pretty good race weekend, for the most part.  He qualified third and led 42 laps in the race.  However, the finish was not what he desired.  What happened?

A: On Lap 120, Pressley got in the back of Richard Lasater in Turn 3, spinning Lasater into the wall.  Pressley was tapped from behind by Rodney Combs and spun himself.  Pressley was then hit by Tracy Leslie, who was driven into Pressley's No. 59 by Chuck Bown.  To top things off, Pressley's rear end hit Combs again, dislodging the rear decklid.  The crash can be seen here.

Pressley ended up puncturing his radiator in the crash and had to go behind the wall for repairs.  He would eventually return to the race and finished 21st, 44 laps down.  Lasater was out on the spot, while Combs and Leslie were eliminated in later crashes.  Bown, despite significant damage in this crash, still managed to finish fifth.

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: Irwin Tools Night Race 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 Bristol and get us ready for Atlanta.

Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Bristol-Atlanta Edition by Brad Morgan
Brad gives up something to look forward to going into Atlanta. 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. This week, The focus is on Roger Penske and the gambles he's taken to get his team where they are today.

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, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series were all in action at Bristol Motor Speedway.  How did ESPN and FOX Sports 1 do last weekend?  Find out in our weekly TV critique.

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