Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: September 10th, 2013

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

September 10th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXVIII
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Top News
by Phil Allaway and Summer Bedgood

Michael Waltrip Racing Penalized Heavily by NASCAR; Newman Replaces Truex In Chase


On Saturday night, Clint Bowyer spun out on his own with eight laps to go in the Federated Auto Parts 400.  The spin resulted in a caution that ultimately affected the outcome of the race.  In addition, Bowyer and teammate Brian Vickers were forced to pit after the green-flag came back out in order to ensure that Joey Logano would get into the Chase for the Sprint Cup on points and MWR driver Martin Truex, Jr. would earn the final Wild Card.

The gamesmanship was clear cut.  Fan outrage was palpable.  Michael Waltrip Racing's Facebook page was besieged by angry fans.  NASCAR released a statement Sunday night that simply said that they were investigating the circumstances.

On Monday night, NASCAR concluded their investigation and brought down the hammer on Michael Waltrip Racing for their tactics.

In a press release, NASCAR stated that Michael Waltrip Racing violated Section 12-4 of the Sprint Cup Series Rule Book, which refers to "Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing."  The penalties are nearly unprecedented.

All three of MWR's teams have been docked 50 owners points each.  Bowyer and Truex have also been docked 50 championship driver points.  Brian Vickers did not lose any driver points since he is not eligible to earn driver points in the Sprint Cup Series.

All of the point penalties were taken pre-points reset.  As a result, Bowyer will start the Chase 15 points behind leader Matt Kenseth.  Truex's penalty drops him from a tie for 12th with Ryan Newman to 17th.  Truex has thus been removed from the Chase.  Newman, who finished third on Saturday night, will claim the second Wild Card.  The No. 55 team drops from 19th to 22nd in owners' points as a result of penalty.

In addition, Ty Norris, Michael Waltrip Racing's Executive Vice President and General Manager (in addition to being the spotter for the No. 55) has been suspended indefinitely for his role in the collusion.  Michael Waltrip Racing as a whole has been fined $300,000, and all three crew chiefs (Brian Pattie for Bowyer, Scott Miller for Vickers, and Chad Johnston for Truex) have been placed on probation through December 31st.

Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's Vice President of Competition, issued a statement in the press release about their findings: "Based upon our review of Saturday night's race at Richmond, it is our determination that the MWR organization attempted to manipulate the outcome of the race," Pemberton said.  "As the sport's sanctioning body, it is our responsibility to ensure there is a fair and level playing field for all of our competitors and this action today reflects our commitment to that."

Team co-owner Michael Waltrip came to the defense of his team after the announcement in a statement:

"What occurred on the No. 55 radio at the end of Saturday night's race in Richmond was a split-second decision made by team spotter Ty Norris to bring the No. 55 to pit lane and help a teammate earn a place in the Chase," Waltrip wrote.  "We regret the decision and its impact.  We apologize to NASCAR, our fellow competitors, partners and fans who were disappointed in our actions.  We will learn from this and move on.  As General Manager, Ty Norris has been an integral part of Michael Waltrip Racing since its founding and has my and (co-owner) Rob Kauffman's full support."

Ty Norris, considered the mastermind of the collusion, took to Twitter to release his own statement.

"In the final laps, I made a call to pit the [No.] 55 to benefit a teammate," Norris tweeted.  "It was a split second decision made in the middle of a chaotic finish [that was] bad on [our] circumstances.  There was no time to think, just act.  Though it was to benefit MWR, it is now clear [that] it was to the detriment of the sport I love and have called home for the past 24 years.  I apologize to all who were affected by that decision in the greatest race for the Chase in its ten year history.  I have dedicated my life to this industry and value its integrity and understand the decision."

Note: Norris' statement, which was posted as a series of five tweets on Twitter, has been edited for clarity purposes only.

Ryan Newman To Richard Childress Racing In 2014

Ryan Newman will drive the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet at Richard Childress Racing next season. Newman, who is leaving the No. 39 car at Stewart-Haas Racing at season's end, will replace Jeff Burton, who announced his departure from RCR just last week.

"I'm very pleased Richard and I were able to put this deal together for me to drive RCR's No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet," Newman said. "About five years ago, Richard and I talked about me joining RCR before I signed with my current team, but things just didn't work out. However, we were able to make it happen this time and I'm looking forward to the next chapter of my career. RCR has a long history of winning races and championships, and I want to add to that tradition."

Newman just barely missed the Chase in Saturday night's cutoff race, due in large part to a controversial spin by Clint Bowyer. Bowyer is accused of spinning his car on purpose in order to give hist teammate Martin Truex Jr. a better opportunity to make the Chase next year; however, penalties announced Monday night put Newman back inside the 12-member Chase field.

Newman's departure from SHR was filled with controversy as well. Newman was essentially the odd man out at SHR because team owner Tony Stewart claimed that the team did not have the resources to field four cars next year. With Kevin Harvick, Danica Patrick, and Stewart already signed for the team, Newman was forced to find a ride elsewhere. However, after Stewart was injured in a sprint car accident last month, co-owner Gene Haas penned a deal for Kurt Busch to leave Furniture Row Racing for SHR. Now, there will be four cars at the team in 2014, but Newman will not be one of them.

Newman has 17 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories, including the 2008 Daytona 500. He is currently 14th in the standings with one win and is expected to finish out the year with his current team. No additional sponsors, besides Caterpillar were announced but current backer Quicken Loans is expected to come on over to RCR as a primary sponsor.

Have news for Phil, Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.

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

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Today's Featured Commentary
Who Is Left to Cheer For in This Rigged Chase?
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady

I was always the naive one.  On the T-Ball field, I cheered for all my teammates.  It didn't matter to me that we missed the ball half the time, or that Jimmy was faster than the rest of us.  I truly just wanted to get out there and play.  When the other teams beat us (yes, way back when we were permitted to actually lose), I did the cheer with everybody else, congratulating those that performed better on that day.  The way it was explained to me, this was good sportsmanship -- the best ones at hitting/running/fielding would take home the trophy.  No hard feelings were exchanged and certainly, it was inconceivable to this six-year old that anybody would even try to cheat the system.  Why bother?  Didn't they all just want to play like me?  That was nineteen seventy-something.   

This is now.

And yet, all these years later I still can't get my head around the thought process that results in somebody spending the time to engineer the outcome to a sporting event.

Just like then, I still want to cheer for somebody.  I want to cheer for the best, brightest, youngest, smartest... fastest.  Unless, of course my fickle adult brain has decided for some amorphous reason I find the best, brightest, etc. to be uninteresting.  Enter Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, and Carl Edwards.

Here we are, entering Week 1 of the Chase and either my integrity or disinterest has me wondering what the heck I am supposed to do now?  Who in the final top 12 of NASCAR is left to cheer for?

With the race fixing led by Michael Waltrip Racing, I am spending this week disillusioned and rather put out.  Besides the fact that my perennial favorite, Jeff Gordon has been left standing on the sidelines, I am looking at the current lineup and am having difficulty finding a horse to back for the Chase.  For this fan, this outcome is horrible.

But for the sake of argument, we'll run down the line and see what shakes out.

Kasey Kahne
: Well, he's cute.  But for whatever reason, I've never been on the "Squee! It's Kasey Kahne!" wagon.  I won't be cheering for him.

Kurt Busch
: Do I really have to explain this one?  Yes, good for Furniture Row.  I can even summon a "Good for you!" cheer for Kurt.  But... I can't pull for him.  Not yet. Give me another year or two to adjust.

Dale Jr.:  Having always lived in the other camp across from the Earnhardts, I can only summon a desultory "Hurray for Jeff's teammate!" cheer.

Clint Bowyer: NASCAR's myopic interpretation of audio and video basically "cleared" the No. 15 of any intentional spin.  Bullshit.  He did it, team orders or not.  That was underhanded and not in the Good Sportsmanship Handbook I was given in Kindergarten.  In my opinion, Bowyer should be sitting out the remainder of 2013, maybe even 2014.

Greg Biffle:  Try as I might, cheering for Biffle just sort of seems unexciting.

Joey Logano: Another benefactor of Bowyer's spin.  While Joey has finally been showing us some of his Sliced Bread ability of late, I'm afraid I will spend the rest of this season begrudging him the Chase spot.

Carl Edwards: He would not have won that race without Bowyer's antics.  Another one I usually can cheer for that I will be snubbing for no good reason.  I'm that upset.

Kevin Harvick: You know, Harvick may just get a new fan.

Kyle Busch: See the entry for his brother.  If he does win this thing, he'll be bowing to an empty grandstand and silent crowd.

Jimmie Johnson: No Six-time, I beg of you!

Matt Kenseth: We did this one other year.  Remember?  No?  Neither do I.

And then, there was Ryan Newman.  Smoke's unlikely team to sneak into the Chase.  Newman had the race in Richmond lined up and was ready to race his way into the Chase when Bowyer executed his spin.  For no other reason, besides sweet revenge I'm hoping the No. 39 will up and execute all the way to Homestead.  I've never been fond of the Bloomin' Onion, but I'm looking for a few free ones before the end of the year in the hopes that justice will prevail once and for all.

NASCAR tried to look wise in issuing penalties on Monday night.  Well, they managed to get halfway there. The cheaters got their wrists slapped; they didn't get kicked off the field. There's a difference.

The little girl on the T-Ball field is still sitting in the dugout, very upset.

Kyle Larson Stat

Series:
Nationwide Series
Track: Richmond International Raceway
Car: No. 32 Snickers Bites Chevrolet
Qualified: 18th
Finished: 14th
Points Standings: 9th

Want to follow Kyle Larson yourself?

Twitter: @KyleLarsonRacin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KyleLarsonRacing
Website (under construction): http://kylelarsonracing.com/
Looking for a little history? Try... http://kylelarsonracing.net/

S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch and runs a NASCAR blog called the S-Curves. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @laregna and on her Facebook page (she's an author, too!) at https://www.facebook.com/Author.SDGrady.
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Numbers Game: Federated Auto Parts 400
by Tom Bowles

In light of Monday's Breaking News, Numbers Game will appear in the Newsletter tomorrow. Be sure to look for it!

Tom Bowles is the Editor-In-Chief of Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Trying To Work As A Team Gets Michael Waltrip Racing In Trouble
by Mike Neff
by Brad Morgan
by Phil Allaway

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q:  Earlier in the same IndyCar race, mentioned in Monday's question, Airton Dare was having a great run in A.J. Foyt's Harrah's-sponsored No. 14.  However, the day ended in tears.  What happened?

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

Monday's Answer:


Q:  In 2002, the then-Firestone Indy Racing League was fully entrenched in its pack racing era.  The Delphi Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway marked a milestone for the series.  What was it?

A:  The race marked the closest finish in the history of the series.  Sam Hornish, Jr. was just able to beat Al Unser, Jr. to the line by .0024 of a second to claim the win on his way to his second consecutive championship.  The final few laps of the race, which saw the 11 lead lap finishers all within a second of each other, can be seen here.

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

Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:

-- Top News from Tom Bowles
-- WTF Wednesday by Ellen Richardson
-- Tweet 'N' Greet by Kevin Rutherford
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!

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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:


Did You Notice?... by Tom Bowles
Tom has reaction on one of the biggest decisions to hit NASCAR in its 64-year history. Plus, the fate of Rockingham, Carl Edwards' faulty restart?, and so much more.

Side-by-Side: NASCAR's Big Decision by the Frontstretch Staff
This week, we pose a question about Monday's big news.  
Did NASCAR make the right call on the penalties to Michael Waltrip Racing, effectively putting Ryan Newman in the Chase?  We'll have both sides of the issue for you to devour.

Frontstretch Top 10 by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite writers are back with their Wednesday dose of NASCAR humor that leaves you laughing. Don't miss out!

Open-Wheel Wednesday by Matt Stallknecht
Matt returns with an article about the Izod IndyCar Series as the series continues it's month-long break prior to Houston.

NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 after Richmond compiled by Michael Mehedin
After the Chase reset, Matt Kenseth now has the lead in the standings, while Jimmie Johnson lost the rest of his points lead Saturday night.  Who ended up number one on our power rankings list? Experts you love from across the web, not just Frontstretch rank the drivers heading into Chicagoland as our weekly top 15 poll comes up for a vote once again.

Happiness Is... by P. Huston Ladner
Don't let your life sink into the pits. Huston looks at the bright side of racing stories we've seen in the past seven days.
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