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
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Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 29th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXI
~~~~~~~~~~
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.
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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!
~~~~~~~~~~
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
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.
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
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.
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
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
"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:
by Jeff Wolfe
NASCAR Mailbox: As The Stewart-Haas Turns...
by Summer Bedgood
as told to Mike Neff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
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:
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.
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.
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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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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