THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 15th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLII
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Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 15th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLII
~~~~~~~~~~
What to Watch For: Thursday
- Today, Hendrick Motorsports will be wrapping up a two-day test at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The goal is to prepare for the upcoming Chase for the Sprint Cup since New Hampshire hosts the second race of the Chase.
- Also today, the race weekend in Lexington, Ohio begins for the Nationwide Series with a massive five hours of open practice on the undulating 2.25 mile road course.
Top Newsby Phil Allaway
FOX Sports 1 Likely a Go At Launch for DirecTV, Dish Network and Time Warner Cable
Sports Business Daily's John Ourand is reporting that Time Warner Cable (and by extension, Bright House Networks), DirecTV and Dish Network are very likely to sign deals that will see FOX Sports 1 carried by these outlets when the channel launches at 6am Saturday. These four were the largest providers that had still not signed on the bottom line. Between them, they represent 47 million homes, or a shade over 54 percent of SPEED's previous reach.
Previously, FOX had reached deals with a number of other outlets that would have put the network in roughly 44 million homes. The additional moves will put FOX in line with the 90 million homes at launch boast that they made months ago.
McClure Out At Least For Mid-Ohio, Jeff Green to Drive
TriStar Motorsports announced on Wednesday that regular driver Eric McClure has been hospitalized, as a result, will be unable to drive this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports-Car Course. The team did not disclose why McClure was hospitalized, only stating that was an illness.
As a result, the team has tapped Jeff Green, who normally drives the No. 10 Toyota that start-and-parks each week, to drive the No. 14 Hefty/Reynolds Toyota until McClure is healthy enough to return. McClure's return is said to be week-to-week at the moment.
This is not the first time that Green has been tapped to fill in for McClure. Last season, McClure was injured in a vicious crash at Talladega. Green was called in to drive the No. 14 for five races while McClure recovered. In those races, Green earned three top-20 finishes.
McCall to Drive for RBR Enterprises at Bristol
On Wednesday, RBR Enterprises announced that former Robert Yates Racing development driver Matt McCall will drive the team's No. 92 Black's Tire Chevrolet next Wednesday at Bristol. It will be McCall's first major NASCAR start since 2006.
McCall is very happy to be able to get back behind the wheel.
"I am very excited to get this opportunity, especially at one of my favorite race tracks," McCall said. "Unfortunately, I don't have much time to race these days, but whenever I can, I am there! It's been a while since I got to race a truck. I can't wait to get back at it, go in circles and hopefully get a good finish for the RBR team."
The primary reason that McCall doesn't have time to race much is his day job. McCall is an engineer at Richard Childress Racing, working with the No. 31 team in the Sprint Cup Series.
For McCall, it will be his second attempt to race in the Camping World Truck Series. Ten years ago, McCall made one start for a family-owned team at Martinsville, finishing in 21st.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400: 44 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 14- Austin Dillon for Stewart-Haas Racing
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 33- Landon Cassill for Circle Sport, LLC
No. 35- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports
No. 51- Brendan Gaughan for Phoenix Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR
No. 98- Johnny Sauter for Phil Parsons Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 14- Austin Dillon is in the seat, replacing Max Papis.
No. 19- Mike Bliss returns to the seat, replacing Alex Kennedy.
No. 32- Timmy Hill returns to the seat, replacing Boris Said.
No. 33- Landon Cassill returns to the seat, replacing Ron Fellows.
No. 35- Josh Wise returns to the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
No. 47- Bobby Labonte returns to the seat, replacing AJ Allmendinger.
No. 51- Brendan Gaughan is in the seat, replacing Owen Kelly. AJ Allmendinger was originally entered in the car.
No. 55- Mark Martin returns to the seat, replacing Brian Vickers.
No. 87- Joe Nemechek returns to the seat, replacing Tomy Drissi.
No. 98- Johnny Sauter is in the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
Driver who must qualify on speed (top-36):
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
Drivers who are eligible for a provisional, but could still fail to qualify:
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing (41st in points, 8 attempts)
No. 32- Timmy Hill for FAS Lane Racing (37th in points, 22 attempts)
No. 33- Landon Cassill for Circle Point, LLC (36th in points, 22 attempts)
No. 35- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports (39th in points, 22 attempts)
No. 36- JJ Yeley for Tommy Baldwin Racing (35th in points, 22 attempts)
No. 83- David Reutimann for BK Racing (34th in points, 22 attempts)
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR (40th in points, 22 attempts)
No. 93- Travis Kvapil for BK Racing (38th in points, 22 attempts)
No. 95- Scott Speed for Leavine Family Racing (43rd in points, 11 attempts)
No. 98- Johnny Sauter for Phil Parsons Racing (42nd in points, 19 attempts)
Not Entered:
No. 40- Circle Sport, LLC/Hillman Racing
No. 52- Brian Keselowski for BK Motorsports
Nationwide Series Nationwide Children's Hospital 200: 42 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 5- Ron Fellows for JR Motorsports
No. 9- Marcos Ambrose for Richard Petty Motorsports
No. 18- Michael McDowell for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22- AJ Allmendinger for Penske Racing
No. 70- Tomy Drissi for ML Motorsports/JRR
Driver Changes:
No. 4- Kevin Lepage is in the seat, replacing Landon Cassill.
No. 5- Ron Fellows returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne.
No. 10- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Jeff Green. Green was entered in the car before McClure was pulled out for the weekend.
No. 14- Jeff Green returns to the seat, replacing Eric McClure. McClure has been hospitalized due to an undisclosed illness.
No. 15- Stanton Barrett returns to the seat, replacing Carl Long.
No. 18- Michael McDowell returns to the seat, replacing Matt Kenseth.
No. 22- AJ Allmendinger returns to the seat, replacing Brad Keselowski.
No. 33- Max Papis returns to the seat, replacing Brendan Gaughan.
No. 42- TJ Bell returns to the seat, replacing Josh Wise. Jason Bowles was originally entered in the car.
No. 44- Chad Hackenbracht returns to the seat, replacing Cole Whitt.
No. 46- Dexter Stacey is in the seat, replacing TJ Bell.
No. 52- Ryan Ellis returns to the seat, replacing Joey Gase.
No. 54- Owen Kelly returns to the seat, replacing Kyle Busch.
No. 70- Tomy Drissi is in the seat, replacing Tony Raines.
No. 73- Alx Danielsson is in the seat, replacing Derrike Cope. If Danielsson qualifies, he will make his Nationwide Series debut.
No. 74- Kevin O'Connell returns to the seat, replacing Carl Long.
No. 79- Jeffrey Earnhardt returns to the seat, replacing Bryan Silas.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00- Blake Koch for SR2 Motorsports*
No. 9- Marcos Ambrose for Richard Petty Motorsports
No. 10- Unknown driver for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 15- Stanton Barrett for Rick Ware Racing
No. 18- Michael McDowell for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 42- Jason Bowles for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46- T.J. Bell for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 52- Joey Gase for Jimmy Means Racing
No. 53- Andrew Ranger for NDS Motorsports
No. 73- Alx Danielsson for Creation-Cope Racing
No. 74- Kevin O'Connell for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 75- Kenny Habul for SunEnergy1, LLC Racing
No. 86- Tim Cowen for Deware Motorsports. If Cowen qualifies, he will make his Nationwide Series debut.
Drivers who must already start at the rear of the field:
No. 3- Austin Dillon for Richard Childress Racing (Jason Bowles will qualify the car)
No. 9- Marcos Ambrose for Richard Petty Motorsports (Ryan Truex will qualify the car)
Not Entered:
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
Camping World Truck Series Michigan National Guard 200: 31 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19- Joey Logano for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 50- Danny Efland for MAKE Motorsports
No. 51- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 84- Mike Harmon for Chris Fontaine, Inc./Mike Harmon Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 07- Chris Cockrum returns to the seat, replacing JJ Yeley.
No. 19- Joey Logano returns to the seat, replacing Ross Chastain.
No. 51- Kyle Busch returns to the seat, replacing Chad Hackenbracht.
No. 81- David Starr returns to the seat, replacing Ricky Ehrgott.
Since only 31 trucks are entered, no one will fail to qualify. However, these drivers must still qualify on speed:
No. 0- Chris Lafferty for JJC Racing*
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 16- Brett Moffitt for Hattori Racing
No. 50- Danny Efland for MAKE Motorsports
No. 84- Mike Harmon for Chris Fontaine, Inc./Mike Harmon Racing
No. 93- Chris Jones for RSS Racing*
*- Expected to Start-And-Park
Not Entered:
No. 30- Todd Bodine for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 38- Tony Raines for RSS Racing
No. 40- Todd Peck for Peck Motorsports
No. 59- Kyle Martel for Martel Motorsports
No. 82- Sean Corr for Empire Racing
Rolex Sports Car Series SFP Grand Prix: 27 cars entered in 3 classes
Daytona Prototype (DP) Entries: 14
No. 01- Scott Pruett/Memo Rojas for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
No. 2- Ryan Dalziel/Alex Popow for Starworks Motorsport
No. 3- Enzo Potolicchio/Stephane Sarrazin/Michael Valiante for 8 Star Motorsports
No. 4- Sebastien Bourdais/Emilio DiGuida for 8 Star Motorsports
No. 5- Joao Barbosa/Christian Fittipaldi for Action Express Racing
No. 6- Justin Wilson/Gustavo Yacaman for Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian
No. 8- Brendon Hartley/Pierre Kaffer/Scott Mayer for Starworks Motorsport
No. 9- Brian and Burt Frisselle for Action Express Racing
No. 10- Max Angelelli/Jordan Taylor for Wayne Taylor Racing
No. 42- Dane Cameron/Wayne Nonnamaker for Team Sahlen
No. 43- Joe and Will Nonnamaker for Team Sahlen
No. 60- Ozz Negri/John Pew for Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian
No. 90- Ricky Taylor/Richard Westbrook for Spirit of Daytona Racing
No. 99- Jon Fogarty/Alex Gurney for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing
Grand Touring (GT) Entries: 10
No. 31- Eric Curran/Boris Said for Marsh Racing
No. 44- Andy Lally/John Potter for Magnus Racing
No. 46- Mark Boden/Bryan Sellers for Fall-Line Motorsports
No. 57- John Edwards/Robin Liddell for Stevenson Motorsports
No. 61- Jeff Segal/Alex Tagliani for R. Ferri/AIM Autosport
No. 63- Alessandro Balzan/Leh Keen for Scuderia Corsa
No. 69- Emil Assentato/Anthony Lazzaro for AIM Autosport Team FXDD
No. 73- Patrick Lindsey/Patrick Long for Park Place Motorsports
No. 93- Michael Marsal/Unknown driver for Turner Motorsport
No. 94- Bill Auberlen/Paul Dalla Lana for Turner Motorsport
Grand Touring Experimental (GX) Entries: 3
No. 00- Joel Miller/Tristan Nunez for SpeedSource
No. 38- Dr. Jim Norman/Spencer Pumpelly for BGB Motorsports
No. 70- Tom Long/Sylvain Tremblay for SpeedSource
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Today's Featured Commentary
Summer is Officially Over with Silly Season in Full Swing
Summer is Officially Over with Silly Season in Full Swing
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
For a season that was not so silly thus far, things sure have gotten crazy the last week or so. First, it's made official that Newman won't be back at Stewart Haas Racing, then coincidentally Smoke snaps his twig in a sprint car crash. Max Papis is tabbed to sub for him, then Austin Dillion is announced as his replacement for Michigan – just as probably the biggest domino to fall thus far, Juan Pablo Montoya after seven seasons in the No. 42 at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing's Franchise Team – is out for 2014. Meanwhile at MWR, the worst kept secret in racing was confirmed when Brian Vickers got the nod with a two-year, fully sponsored season in the No. 55 Toyota.
To quote Charlton Heston in Planet of The Apes, "It's a maaaaaad house!!!!"
What does this all mean for the principles involved and where might they all land? Here is my humble opinion of what happens, why, and how:
Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14: Austin Dillon ends up subbing for Smoke in races that do not conflict with his Nationwide title pursuit? Why you ask? Because the same sponsor that is on the flanks of the 14, also once belonged on his Camping World Truck Series Championship winning firesuit. His younger brother Ty is also carrying the Bass Pro Shops black and red on his rig, so at this point, it's a family affair. Gets Austin some prime seat time, and helps to further strengthen this bond that seems to be brewing between SHR and RCR. With the way Austin has progressed, putting him in a Cup car full-time next year or the year after is not a stretch.
Richard Childress Racing No. 29: Ryan Newman ends up here. RC said as much that Newman is the front runner in his mind to take over the car vacated by Kevin Harvick. Newman allegedly has Quicken Loans as a sponsor, which is good since The King of Beers is going with Harvick to the new No. 4 (i.e., No. 39) team that was Newman's. Wherever he goes, look for crew chief Matt Borland to follow. He and Newman simply work brilliantly together.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing No. 42: Ready? Kurt Busch. Mind blowing, I know. Why? Hard to say, call it a gut feeling, a hunch, woman's intuition…however most of it is linked to Kurt's recent IndyCar test a couple of months ago, and his sudden desire to run the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double on Memorial Day. He may have been in purgatory last year in the No. 51, managing to get in just about as much trouble as he did during the final dark days at Penske Racing, however what he's done thus far at Furniture Row Racing is nothing short of remarkable.
If I was Kurt (which I'm not…or…am I…), I'd stay in the No. 78 and keep things rolling, and make that team your own. However, I still think Kurt wants a prime-time ride and opportunities outside of stock cars, and Ganassi's IndyCar program offers him just that.
Furniture Row Racing No. 78: If Kurt Busch bolts and does not resign with the flat black 78, this could be a home for AJ Allmendinger to land. TRD had met with Furniture Row recently, though it is unclear if anything beyond talking was accomplished. Allmendinger has done a few races in the No. 47, and JTG-Daugherty Racing desperately needs a parent operation to help funnel some technology their way. On the flip side, JTG could very well switch to Chevrolet, and align itself with Furniture Row Racing and RCR. Either way, despite his transgressions from last year, AJ Allmendinger is most certainly not through with NASCAR.
Now all of this is contingent upon a few things. With Kurt, all of this goes out the window if for some reason Dodge is to get back into the fold and Andretti Autosport suddenly decides to build a NASCAR empire. Both look unlikely at this time, much to the chagrin of Mopar fans everywhere. As if the lack of anything affordable made between 1962 and 1974 still plauges them, they have to contend with not having a Charger, Challenger, or driver to pull for. And by "they", I mean, "me"….
Many have suggested that Mark Martin would be the perfect fit in the No. 42, to split time with Kyle Larson, and help mentor him along – preventing him from being Loganofied at such an early age. Martin's Yoda-like fostering would most certainly benefit the budding Jedi Larson; and keep in mind that the crew chief on the No. 42, Chris Heroy, was Martin's lead engineer at Hendrick Motorsports in 2009 when he won five races, and just missed a shot at a Championship after getting put on his lid on the last lap at Talladega.
Larson just turned 21 a couple of weeks ago, and has 12 Top 10s in his first 21 Nationwide Series starts, and captured his first Truck Series win in his first start this year at Rockingham, backing it up with a second-place finish at Eldora. Does that mean he's ready to supplant a guy with seven Formula One Grand Prix wins, CART championship, plus an Indy 500 win to his name?
No offense to Brendan Gaughan and Alex Bowman, but Jimmy Vasser and Michael Schumacher they're not.
Most importantly in this scenario, is this something Mark Martin wants to even tackle? Yeah, the guy remains beyond motivated – and potential teammate Jamie McMurray was the driver once announced to be replacing him in the No. 6 at Roush oh – eight years ago – before Kurt Busch decided he was going to drive the Penske Deuce out of the blue. But at 54 years old and having made quite a home, impression, and difference at Michael Waltrip Racing, who seems interested in keeping him around in some capacity. He seems perfectly happy driving what and when he wants to, and doing weighted dips and deadlifts five days a week; does he really want to throw himself into a new system?
Besides, the last time I checked, that No. 6 car is still mothballed; and every Martin fan with a rusty Valvoline saw blade six license plate or faded Winn-Dixie 60 shirt would like to see that happen.
***************
At what point does Jeff Gordon remember he's Jeff Gordon, stops running into stuff, quits getting run into, and starts winning races and rattling off a few Top 5s in a row here or there? This has gone on far too long and is getting to the point where it's not even surprising anymore.
Vito's Stone Cold Pick of the Week for MIS? Kasey Kahne. It was dumb luck he didn't win in June; and by dumb I mean, he had the fastest car and while leading, had a tire go IED in the middle of Turn 2. All of this however goes out the window if Carl Edwards wins.
The Ford guys have been saying, "wait and see" the last couple of weeks, and they said the same thing a few months ago before Biffle won at MIS. Jack Roush loves to show up and show out at Michigan International Speedway, and Edsel Ford doesn't show up to just any racetrack – but he does at this one. As important as this race is for the manufacturers to win, it's even more important to Jack that Toyota NOT win here.
For a season that was not so silly thus far, things sure have gotten crazy the last week or so. First, it's made official that Newman won't be back at Stewart Haas Racing, then coincidentally Smoke snaps his twig in a sprint car crash. Max Papis is tabbed to sub for him, then Austin Dillion is announced as his replacement for Michigan – just as probably the biggest domino to fall thus far, Juan Pablo Montoya after seven seasons in the No. 42 at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing's Franchise Team – is out for 2014. Meanwhile at MWR, the worst kept secret in racing was confirmed when Brian Vickers got the nod with a two-year, fully sponsored season in the No. 55 Toyota.
To quote Charlton Heston in Planet of The Apes, "It's a maaaaaad house!!!!"
What does this all mean for the principles involved and where might they all land? Here is my humble opinion of what happens, why, and how:
Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14: Austin Dillon ends up subbing for Smoke in races that do not conflict with his Nationwide title pursuit? Why you ask? Because the same sponsor that is on the flanks of the 14, also once belonged on his Camping World Truck Series Championship winning firesuit. His younger brother Ty is also carrying the Bass Pro Shops black and red on his rig, so at this point, it's a family affair. Gets Austin some prime seat time, and helps to further strengthen this bond that seems to be brewing between SHR and RCR. With the way Austin has progressed, putting him in a Cup car full-time next year or the year after is not a stretch.
Richard Childress Racing No. 29: Ryan Newman ends up here. RC said as much that Newman is the front runner in his mind to take over the car vacated by Kevin Harvick. Newman allegedly has Quicken Loans as a sponsor, which is good since The King of Beers is going with Harvick to the new No. 4 (i.e., No. 39) team that was Newman's. Wherever he goes, look for crew chief Matt Borland to follow. He and Newman simply work brilliantly together.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing No. 42: Ready? Kurt Busch. Mind blowing, I know. Why? Hard to say, call it a gut feeling, a hunch, woman's intuition…however most of it is linked to Kurt's recent IndyCar test a couple of months ago, and his sudden desire to run the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double on Memorial Day. He may have been in purgatory last year in the No. 51, managing to get in just about as much trouble as he did during the final dark days at Penske Racing, however what he's done thus far at Furniture Row Racing is nothing short of remarkable.
If I was Kurt (which I'm not…or…am I…), I'd stay in the No. 78 and keep things rolling, and make that team your own. However, I still think Kurt wants a prime-time ride and opportunities outside of stock cars, and Ganassi's IndyCar program offers him just that.
Furniture Row Racing No. 78: If Kurt Busch bolts and does not resign with the flat black 78, this could be a home for AJ Allmendinger to land. TRD had met with Furniture Row recently, though it is unclear if anything beyond talking was accomplished. Allmendinger has done a few races in the No. 47, and JTG-Daugherty Racing desperately needs a parent operation to help funnel some technology their way. On the flip side, JTG could very well switch to Chevrolet, and align itself with Furniture Row Racing and RCR. Either way, despite his transgressions from last year, AJ Allmendinger is most certainly not through with NASCAR.
Now all of this is contingent upon a few things. With Kurt, all of this goes out the window if for some reason Dodge is to get back into the fold and Andretti Autosport suddenly decides to build a NASCAR empire. Both look unlikely at this time, much to the chagrin of Mopar fans everywhere. As if the lack of anything affordable made between 1962 and 1974 still plauges them, they have to contend with not having a Charger, Challenger, or driver to pull for. And by "they", I mean, "me"….
Many have suggested that Mark Martin would be the perfect fit in the No. 42, to split time with Kyle Larson, and help mentor him along – preventing him from being Loganofied at such an early age. Martin's Yoda-like fostering would most certainly benefit the budding Jedi Larson; and keep in mind that the crew chief on the No. 42, Chris Heroy, was Martin's lead engineer at Hendrick Motorsports in 2009 when he won five races, and just missed a shot at a Championship after getting put on his lid on the last lap at Talladega.
Larson just turned 21 a couple of weeks ago, and has 12 Top 10s in his first 21 Nationwide Series starts, and captured his first Truck Series win in his first start this year at Rockingham, backing it up with a second-place finish at Eldora. Does that mean he's ready to supplant a guy with seven Formula One Grand Prix wins, CART championship, plus an Indy 500 win to his name?
No offense to Brendan Gaughan and Alex Bowman, but Jimmy Vasser and Michael Schumacher they're not.
Most importantly in this scenario, is this something Mark Martin wants to even tackle? Yeah, the guy remains beyond motivated – and potential teammate Jamie McMurray was the driver once announced to be replacing him in the No. 6 at Roush oh – eight years ago – before Kurt Busch decided he was going to drive the Penske Deuce out of the blue. But at 54 years old and having made quite a home, impression, and difference at Michael Waltrip Racing, who seems interested in keeping him around in some capacity. He seems perfectly happy driving what and when he wants to, and doing weighted dips and deadlifts five days a week; does he really want to throw himself into a new system?
Besides, the last time I checked, that No. 6 car is still mothballed; and every Martin fan with a rusty Valvoline saw blade six license plate or faded Winn-Dixie 60 shirt would like to see that happen.
***************
At what point does Jeff Gordon remember he's Jeff Gordon, stops running into stuff, quits getting run into, and starts winning races and rattling off a few Top 5s in a row here or there? This has gone on far too long and is getting to the point where it's not even surprising anymore.
Vito's Stone Cold Pick of the Week for MIS? Kasey Kahne. It was dumb luck he didn't win in June; and by dumb I mean, he had the fastest car and while leading, had a tire go IED in the middle of Turn 2. All of this however goes out the window if Carl Edwards wins.
The Ford guys have been saying, "wait and see" the last couple of weeks, and they said the same thing a few months ago before Biffle won at MIS. Jack Roush loves to show up and show out at Michigan International Speedway, and Edsel Ford doesn't show up to just any racetrack – but he does at this one. As important as this race is for the manufacturers to win, it's even more important to Jack that Toyota NOT win here.
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The Critic's Annex: Cheez-It 355 At The Glen
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. Last weekend, I was in Watkins Glen covering the action for Frontstretch. As a result, I did not get to do my usual critique. However, just because I'm on a press credential doesn't mean that I don't pay attention to the telecasts. Also of note, Watkins Glen doesn't have a press box, and the Writer's Workroom in the Media Center is below the grade of pit road. So, we're dependent on the TV telecasts (and Sprint Vision, which is live and roughly 12 seconds ahead of ESPN's telecast) to actually tell visually what the deuce is going on.
Sunday's edition of NASCAR Countdown with what amounted to the only story that mattered last week, that being Tony Stewart's injury. Dr. Jerry Punch described the injury that Stewart suffered (and the surgeries designed to fix it) while taking a Sharpie to some random dude's leg. I have no idea who he talked into serving as his model for that. At the end, Dr. Punch stated that full recovery from the injury would not likely occur until after the season ends (4-7 months). Whether Stewart will be out of the car for that long is unclear. I found Dr. Punch's piece quite interesting. Also of note, a media member in the workroom mentioned having a similar injury to Stewart's many years ago. He claimed that it took him six months before he could walk again.
In addition to Dr. Punch's piece, there was a montage of clips of fans and various drivers talking about Stewart and his driving ethic. Admittedly, injuries are very rare these days in the Sprint Cup Series. However, A lot of the discussion this week made it sound like Stewart's dead, when he's really just stuck at home watching TV since he's out of the hospital now. We've had injuries in the series before, and we'll have more injuries in the future. It's a part of racing.
The primary feature of Countdown was a sit-down conversation that Marty Smith conducted with Kevin Harvick. Here, Harvick talks quite a bit about trying to be more than the replacement for Dale Earnhardt in the car. Apparently, a fair number of people still see him as that, even after 12 years. Looney tunes, I tell you. If he were still alive, I'm sure that Earnhardt would have long since retired. He'd still be active in the sport, but long retired from driving. The upcoming departure from Richard Childress Racing was referenced, but not focused on all that much. I thought it was ok. It was interesting to see Harvick talk about still being in Earnhardt's shadow after all these years. I could definitely understand that if this were still 2001 or 2002, but now, it seems crazy.
Also, there was another episode of "The Real Juan," which focused on the importance of sitting down for meals and who you eat with. I suppose that's no different than many other families.
During the race, I noticed a lot of dead air from the broadcast booth, more than normal. This drew the attention of at least a couple of my readers, who tweeted me to ask what the deuce. I do understand that some silence can bulid suspense and capture the mood, but there seemed to be too much of it.
ESPN made an unfortunate move to show the replay of Brad Keselowski's spin in Turn 1 on Lap 15. As a result, they missed showing Jeff Gordon's crash live. I'd argue that it was more bad luck than anything else. They took a chance and paid for it. Speaking of replays, there were none shown for the incident involving Brian Keselowski in Turn 10. Apparently, Brian got hit by Ron Fellows, which caused his spin. I'm not sure because we never saw a replay. We just saw the No. 52 stopped perpendicular to the direction he should have been going. Weak.
In regards to Michael McDowell's failure, he did try to pull behind the wall at the pit out end of pit road, as Dale Jarrett reference. This happened during a commercial. Watkins Glen has only one place to pull behind the wall and go to the garage, and it's before the start-finish line. It almost seems like he was going to pull behind the wall, then drive up behind the pits to the garage. The teams do use that space to drive back up after their qualifying runs, but not during races. I've seen work be done on cars behind the wall down there before, but not for a long time. Also, that was fairly close to where McDowell was pitted. This was shown on Sprint Vision, but not replayed on ESPN. The blown tire and smoke that brought the yellow out occurred after he got booted out of where he parked.
Since the race ended relatively close to the end of ESPN's timeslot, post-race coverage was relatively brief. There were interviews with the top-3 finishers and a brief check of the point standings before leaving the air. It says a lot that ESPN was gone before the post-race press conferences even started.
I thought that ESPN's telecast on Sunday was ok. We saw a fair amount of racing for position during the race. Aside from the unusually high amount of dead air early in the race, I didn't really have any issues with the on-air personalities. My main issue is that we seemed to miss a lot of things. I have no clue what the heck happened to get Victor Gonzalez, Jr., Tomy Drissi or Landon Cassill involved in the big wreck that brought out the red flag. We never saw any of that. The replays only showed what happened to Travis Kvapil and Fellows. Also of note, I was in the garage waiting to get a word with McDowell about his track bar mount failure when that wreck occurred. I ended up piggybacking off Ford Racing's Dan Zacharias after the MRN Radio guys that were going to interview him left.
That's it for this week. This weekend will see Sprint Cup and the Camping World Truck Series racing at Michigan International Speedway, while the Nationwide Series makes their first ever trip to Mid-Ohio. Here's some abbreviated listings.
Thursday, August 15
Time Telecast Network
2:00am-2:30am NASCAR Now ESPN 2
6:00pm-7:00pm NASCAR RaceHub SPEED
Thursday, August 15
Time Telecast Network
2:00am-2:30am NASCAR Now ESPN 2
6:00pm-7:00pm NASCAR RaceHub SPEED
11:00pm-1:00am ARCA Racing Series Primera Plastics 200 NBC Sports Network
Friday, August 16
Time Telecast Network
3:00am-3:30am NASCAR Now ESPN 2
12:00pm-1:30pm Sprint Cup Series Practice No. 1 SPEED
2:00-3:30pm Camping World Truck Series Happy Hour SPEED
3:30-5:30pm Sprint Cup Series Qualifying SPEED
5:30-7:30pm Trackside SPEED
Saturday, August 17
Time Telecast Network
8:30am-9:30am Sprint Cup Series Practice No. 1 FOX Sports 1
9:30-11:00am Nationwide Series Qualifying ESPN 2
9:30-11:00am Camping World Truck Series Qualifying FOX Sports 1
11:00am-12:30pm Sprint Cup Series Happy Hour FOX Sports 1
12:00-12:30pm? NCWTS Setup FOX Sports 1
12:30-2:30pm Camping World Truck Series Michigan National Guard 200 FOX Sports 1
2:00-2:30pm NASCAR Countdown ESPN
2:30-6:00pm Nationwide Series Nationwide Children's Hospital 200 ESPN
3:00-5:00pm Continential Tire Sports Car Challenge: Road America FOX Sports 2*/
4:00-~6:45pm Continential Tire Sports Car Challenge: Kansas SPEED2.com$
8:00-11:00pm Rolex Sports Car Series SFP Grand Prix FOX Sports 2
Sunday, August 18
Time Telecast Network
9:00am-10:00am NASCAR Now, Pre-Race ESPN 2
10:00am-12:00pm NASCAR RaceDay Fueled by Sunoco FOX Sports 1
12:00-1:00pm NASCAR Countdown ESPN
1:00-4:30pm Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400 ESPN
7:00-8:00pm NASCAR Victory Lane FOX Sports 1*
Monday, August 19
Time Telecast Network
4:30pm-5:00pm NASCAR RaceHub FOX Sports 1
*- Tape Delayed
/- Highlighted Coverage
$- Available via password-protected streaming. Check with your programming and/or internet service provider for availability.
The question mark represents an unclear schedule from FOX Sports on their website. Based on the weekend schedule, I think NCWTS Setup will air here.
I will provide you with critiques of the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series for Tuesday's edition of Couch Potato Tuesday at Frontstretch. However, if by some bad luck that FOX Sports 1 is not available for me on Saturday, then a critique of the ARCA race from Berlin Raceway, which airs tonight at 11pm on the NBC Sports Network will run in it's place. Next week's Critic's Annex will cover either the ARCA race, or Saturday's SFP Grand Prix at Kansas Speedway.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
ADVERTISEMENT
Race fans, do you love Frontstretch.com's coverage of NASCAR's top 3 series, IndyCar, Formula One and Short Track Racing? Do you want to read even more about your favorite sport? Then check out the industry's newest racing publication, Motorsport Illustrated News!, which is available both in print and in digital format! As one of our loyal readers, you'll receive 15% off any subscription when you use the coupon code fs2013.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
"Our biggest issue is that we never show up to the track consistently. If we showed up more, for the driver, the crew and the race car, we would get better. I always tell people that when we come to the track, it feels like we're two years behind everybody. When we leave the track, we're two months behind. So, we gain a lot of time. The problem is that it takes the whole track time during the weekend to really learn that much, and then we're still behind when we leave. When we come back and it's two months later, we've lost it all again." - Brian Keselowski on his struggles at the race track.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Jeff Wolfe
NASCAR Mailbox: Humpy's Hardline Approach
by Summer Bedgood
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Ward Burton won the pole for the 1999 Pepsi 400 presented by Meijer at then-Michigan Speedway and was a strong contender early on. However, Burton's day ended way too early. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: In the 1998 Pepsi 400 presented by DeVilBiss, Mark Martin raced with a heavy heart to a fourth-place finish. Why was he racing with a heavy heart?
A: Just prior to the race weekend, Martin's father Julian was killed in a plane crash. Ultimately, Martin wanted to win the race in his father's honor.
~~~~~~~~~~
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:
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.
Nuts For Nationwide by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin has another interesting look at the Nationwide Series prior to this weekend's Nationwide Children's Hospital 200 from the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
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: Kyle Larson as told to Amy Henderson
The driver of the No. 32 Turner Scott Motorsports Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series returns to talk about the past month, on and off the track.
-----------------------------
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2013 Frontstretch.com
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2013 Frontstretch.com
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