THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 12th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXV
~~~~~~~~~~
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 12th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXV
~~~~~~~~~~
What to Watch: Thursday
- Today is Chase Media Day at the Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. All 12 of the Chasers will be conducting press conferences and promoting the Chase. ESPN has 2.5 hours of live coverage from Chicago starting at Noon EDT. That period only covers the press conferences. In addition, there is a media availability time with IMSA President Scott Atherton where there might be an announcement about the USCR (announcing the 2014 schedule is unlikely, though), and NASCAR Contenders Live, a Fan Q&A hosted by Nicole Briscoe.
Top Newsby Phil Allaway and Summer Bedgood
Penske Racing Allegedly Struck a Deal with Front Row Motorsports in Richmond
The Associated Press is reporting that suspicious radio chatter that occurred last Saturday night from the No. 38 car driven by David Gilliland may suggest that Penske Racing struck a deal with the team to allow Joey Logano one more position on the racetrack. Logano was racing for a spot in the Chase and, having struggled all night, was in danger of missing the 12 car field.
The AP reports that Gilliland's spotter radioed to the crew that the No. 22 team of Logano wanted Gilliland's spot on the track and apparently said, "they'd probably be able to help us in the future."
What appears to be Frank Kerr, the crew of the No. 38 car, replies with, "You tell that spotter up there it better pay big."
The spotter then replied, "Yeah, it's not the spotter, it's the whole committee."
Kerry: "The committee knows what I've been asking for."
Spotter: "We've got the big dog (a reference to what is believed to be Roger Penske) and all his cronies."
Kerr: "Travis (Geisler? Penske Racing competition director) knows what I've been asking for."
Logano did eventually pass Gilliland on a restart and eventually finished 22nd.
There is no radio chatter on Logano's channel that mentions Front Row Motorsports, other than when Logano was told who he was racing for position. The AP says information they obtained shows that Gilliland slowed down by almost a second after Logano passed him.
After Logano had made the pass, the No. 38 spotter radioed to Gilliland, ""Good job, good job, man. Hopefully we'll get something out of that."
The report comes only a few days after NASCAR heavily penalized Michael Waltrip Racing for also attempting to manipulate the outcome of the race. Clint Bowyer is thought to have intentionally spun out towards the end of the race while Ryan Newman was leading, because a win by Newman would have meant Truex would have been out of the Chase. Similarly, Truex and Bowyer's teammate, Brian Vickers, was asked to come to pit road because Ty Norris radioed to Vickers, "We need that one point."
The penalties issued by NASCAR wound up knocking Martin Truex Jr. out of the Chase and replacing him with Ryan Newman.
In response to the Penske Racing allegations, NASCAR issued a statement saying: "NASCAR is aware of reports about the #22 and #38 radio communications at Richmond International Raceway and is looking into it, but has yet to see anything in full context that requires any action."
The Chase starts this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.
MWR's Sponsors Are None Too Pleased
After the bombshell revelations of the past few days, it should be of no surprise that Michael Waltrip Racing's sponsors would have a say in the situation. After all, the sponsor's logos are emblazoned all over the cars implicated in the collusion scandal. On Wednesday, sponsors NAPA Auto Parts and 5-Hour Energy officially chimed in on the issue. In NAPA Auto Parts' case, they're not exactly pleased.
"The actions taken by Michael Waltrip Racing this past weekend leading to the penalties assessed by NASCAR, are very concerning," a representative of NAPA Auto Parts wrote on the company's Facebook page. "We are disappointed that a partner associated with our organization would make such a significant error in judgment. In addition, we have launched our own review to determine the future of our partnership with Michael Waltrip's Racing team. The NAPA Auto Parts organization is proud of its long-standing NASCAR relationship. We share a passion with our customers for high quality racing and seek to determine the best course of action for our customers, NASCAR fans, and the NAPA organization."
In the case of 5-Hour Energy, they're not quite as expressive, but they're still concerned.
"Living Essentials, the makers of 5-hour ENERGY® shots, understands the disappointment NASCAR fans feel in regards to the actions taken by Michael Waltrip Racing at Richmond," a spokesperson wrote on 5-Hour Energy's Facebook page. "Living Essentials does not condone practices that violate NASCAR rules or the spirit of fair play. Living Essentials respects NASCAR's penalties against Michael Waltrip Racing, and is addressing its sponsorship relations internally. We appreciate your understanding and patience in this matter."
As of right now, both sponsors are assessing their sponsorships both internally and with Michael Waltrip Racing. If either sponsor makes a decision, we'll have that decision for you.
Johnson Wants Beefed-Up Officiating
In the wake of the events at Richmond, many race fans and members of the media have voiced concerns about the way that NASCAR officiates their races. On Wednesday, a five-time champion threw his hat into the ring.
In an interview with USA Today's Jeff Gluck, Jimmie Johnson suggested some significant changes to how races are run. First up, an automatic red flag if there there are any questionable circumstances.
"In my opinion, if there is a question they don't know, they need to stop the race immediately," Johnson said. "Red flag, pits are closed, figure it out and make the best judgment they can. Because trying to go back on Monday or Tuesday to fix the situation is just too much, and then I learn something about a ripple effect."
In regards to the restart issues from Richmond, Johnson believes that Edwards should have been called for jumping the last restart, and doesn't seem to understand why he wasn't.
""I'm told (Menard) brushed him before the restart zone and that allowed the jump to take place or something," Johnson said. ""It just baffles me that that's allowed. I was told it's crystal clear, black and white, when I had my issues earlier in the year [at Dover]. And then this is extremely gray."
Johnson believes that NASCAR set a precedent Friday night by not penalizing Brad Keselowski for jumping Brian Scott on a restart. As a result, anything that NASCAR says during a driver's meeting on the topic doesn't hold water.
Finally, Johnson says that NASCAR needs to bulk up Race Control.
"I do recognize it's tough to make all these calls, but it kind of comes back to my point that we know this stuff is going to happen," Johnson said. "Drivers are going to work the rules every which way they can. We need to properly officiate during the race. We've done an amazing job through officiating tech inspection and pre-(race) and post-(race) and what goes on, but the race calling itself, we need more officials. We need more people involved in the game."
Unlike the Izod IndyCar Series, where drivers often criticize Race Control (sometimes infamously), drivers in NASCAR bringing attention to officiating is relatively rare. However, counter to Johnson's recommendation that NASCAR add to their officiating, Gluck reported in his piece that NASCAR is planning to cut back on officials once the season ends.
Jeb Burton to Make Nationwide Debut at Kentucky
Early Thursday morning, Turner Scott Motorsports announced that Camping World Truck Series rookie Jeb Burton will make his Nationwide Series debut in the Feed The Children 300 at Kentucky Speedway on September 21. Burton will drive Turner Scott's part-time No. 34 Chevrolet, bringing along sponsorship from Arrowhead Electronic Cigarettes.
Burton is very happy to be able to make his Nationwide Series debut.
"I'm really thankful for this opportunity," Burton said. "I can't thank Arrowhead enough for their ongoing support. It's all about the experience and the opportunity. At the beginning of the season, I set a couple of goals for myself and racing in a Nationwide Series race was one of them. My Turner Scott Motorsports team is the hardest working group of guys in the garage, so I'm confident we'll give it all we've got at Kentucky Speedway."
Team co-owner Harry Scott, Jr. is pleased to bring Burton to the Nationwide Series.
"Jeb has shown an incredible amount of dedication this season," Scott said. "His passion and skill for racing is evident in his performance on the track. Providing Jeb with extra on-track experience is crucial for his career, and I couldn't be happier to give him an opportunity to race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Kentucky. I'm grateful to have Jeb, along with Arrowhead, as members of our Turner Scott Motorsports family and look forward to growing together."
Since the No. 34 is a part-time team, raced in a couple of events by Danica Patrick, Burton will have to get into the race on speed. Mike Hillman, Jr., Burton's regular crew chief in the Camping World Truck Series, will be atop the pit box to give Burton a familiar voice in his ear. Burton is currently fourth in Camping World Truck Series points with a victory at Texas Motor Speedway in June, three top-5 and eight top-10 finishes, in addition to three poles.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series GEICO 400: 43 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 30- Cole Whitt for Swan Racing
No. 33- Tony Raines for Circle Sport, LLC
No. 35- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports
No. 40- Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing/Circle Sport, LLC
No. 51- Ryan Truex for Phoenix Racing
No. 55- Brian Vickers for Michael Waltrip Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR
No. 95- Reed Sorenson for Leavine Family Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 30- Cole Whitt is in the seat, replacing David Stremme.
No. 32- Timmy Hill returns to the seat, replacing Ken Schrader.
No. 51- Justin Allgaier is in the seat, replacing Ryan Truex. This will be Allgaier's Sprint Cup Series debut.
Entered, but Already Withdrawn:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
Since there are only 43 cars entered, no one will fail to qualify.
Nationwide Series Dollar General 300: 43 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 15- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing
No. 18- Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22- Joey Logano for Penske Racing
No. 33- Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 44- Chad Hackenbracht for TriStar Motorsports
No. 54- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports/Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 88- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 00- Blake Koch returns to the seat, replacing Brett Butler.
No. 5- Brad Sweet returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne.
No. 10- Jeff Green returns to the seat, replacing Chase Miller.
No. 14- Eric McClure returns to the seat, replacing Jeff Green. McClure tweeted early Wednesday morning that he has been officially cleared to return to the driver's seat.
No. 15- Scott Riggs returns to the seat, replacing Carl Long.
No. 22- Joey Logano returns to the seat, replacing Brad Keselowski.
No. 23- Juan Carlos Blum is in the seat, replacing Robert Richardson, Jr.
No. 24- Brett Butler returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Ellis.
No. 33- Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Ty Dillon.
No. 44- Chad Hackenbracht returns to the seat, replacing Hal Martin.
No. 74- Kevin Lepage returns to the seat, replacing Carl Long.
No. 79- Maryeve Dufault is in the seat, replacing Jeffrey Earnhardt.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00- Blake Koch for SR2 Motorsports*
No. 10- Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)*
No. 15- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 18- Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 29- Kenny Wallace for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 37- Matt DiBenedetto for Vision Racing
No. 42- Josh Wise for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46- JJ Yeley for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 52- Joey Gase for Jimmy Means Racing
No. 74- Kevin Lepage for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 88- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
No. 98- Kevin Swindell for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
Entered, but Already Withdrawn:
No. 73- Derrike Cope for Creation-Cope Racing
Not Entered:
No. 16- Ryan Reed for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 55- Jamie Dick for Viva Motorsports
No. 86- Ricky Ehrgott for Deware Racing Group
Camping World Truck Series EnjoyIllinois.com 225: 35 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19- Brad Keselowski for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 50- Danny Efland for MAKE Motorsports
No. 51- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 81- Kenny Wallace for Billy Ballew Motorsports
No. 92- Scott Riggs for RBR Enterprises
Driver Changes:
No. 19- Brad Keselowski returns to the seat, replacing Ross Chastain.
No. 30- Ben Kennedy is in the seat, replacing Todd Bodine.
No. 51- Kyle Busch returns to the seat, replacing Erik Jones.
No. 81- Kenny Wallace returns to the seat, replacing Matt Kurzejewski.
No. 92- Scott Riggs returns to the seat, replacing Matt McCall.
Since only 35 trucks are entered, no one will fail to qualify. However, these teams must still qualify on speed:
No. 02- Tyler Young for Young's Motorsports
No. 07- Jimmy Weller for SS-Green Light Racing
No. 0- Chris Lafferty for JJC Racing*
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 27- Jeff Agnew for Hillman Racing/Level 7 Racing
No. 30- Ben Kennedy for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 57- Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 63- Justin Jennings for MB Motorsports
No. 84- Mike Harmon for Chris Fontaine, Inc./Mike Harmon Racing
No. 92- Scott Riggs for RBR Enterprises
No. 93- Chris Jones for RSS Racing*
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Not Entered:
No. 12- Steve Smith
No. 33- Brandon Jones for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 94- Chase Elliott for Hendrick Motorsports
No. 96- Ben Kennedy Racing
No. 97- Steve Wallace for Adrian Carriers Racing
Have news for Phil, Summer 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!
~~~~~~~~~~
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
Add Penske To The Richmond 'Funny Business' ... But Was It?
Add Penske To The Richmond 'Funny Business' ... But Was It?
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
Prior to the start of Saturday night's Richmond race, NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton reminded drivers to not put NASCAR in a position to make balls and strikes calls, as they would likely not go in their favor.
On Monday evening, NASCAR not only called a strike but ejected them from the game, as Martin Truex, Jr. was removed from Chase contention following a 50 point fine brought about by the coordinated efforts of Michael Waltrip Racing's Nos. 15 and 55 teams to manipulate the outcome of the race. Their actions affected the winner of the race, and the Chase fates of three drivers. With NASCAR on the precipice as it has been the past five years, it was not something that could have – nor should it – let go unpunished.
The now infamous "Frontstretch Flop" by Clint Bowyer to bring out a caution with six laps to Truex back into Chase contention, was obvious and could not be tolerated, despite of the claims of "lack of proof" – though Bowyer's interview with Ricky Craven had him squirming in his chair like Nicholas Cage in "8mm." The intercepted radio traffic and in-car footage from Bowyer's car has quickly become the Zapruder film of NASCAR, indicting a complicit driver in Bowyer and crew chief Brian Pattie.
I call it The "Training Day" Doctrine. As Alonzo told Officer Hoyt, it's not what you know, it's what you can prove.
The resulting 50 point fine knocked Truex out of the Chase, with Norris suspended indefinitely. Norris' communication to Brian Vickers to make an unnecessary pit stop because they needed a point was also part and parcel of Truex making the field, by moving Joey Logano into the mix, displacing Gordon.
It was just as blatant as the move executed in 2011 by RCR to send Paul Menard around to help get Kevin Harvick a win heading into The Chase. What was worse, MWR also had to get Brian Vickers in on the action as well, to make an unnecessary pit stop to give Joey Logano one more car to race, and a 79mph last lap speed. The leaders at the time were running 120-123mph lap times. On the final restart, Newman's new SHR teammate Mark Martin was in fourth position and could have made things very difficult for both Truex and Joey Logano, but ran his line and allowed the faster cars to race for the Chase spots amongst themselves.
Memo to teams attempting a similar strategy: if you're going to come up with a secret code to tell your driver to spin out, maybe come up with one a little better than itching your arm (after all, scratching your arm would be the proper instruction…). Still, I guess it's still better than a start and park team using "vibration" for a lap 5 exit from competition. Clint Bowyer's post-race interview avoiding eye contact, reciting a series of events that didn't happen, and changing the subject halfway through his answer was not exactly Oscar-worthy either.
Don't get me wrong: we all know that team orders have been a part of racing for quite some time, and to its credit, has been less of an issue with NASCAR than any of the other major racing series – Formula One being the primary example. What's worse is that there was such overwhelming evidence both audio, visual, and empirical timed data to confirm that the outcome of the race was manipulated.
When team cars became the norm in NASCAR in the mid 1990's, it was the "what if…" scenario that has been playing itself out for five days now.
Now word comes down that NASCAR is investigating radio traffic that indicates Joey Logano's No. 22 Penske Racing team was trying to work a deal with fellow Ford team Front Row Motorsports and David Gilliland to move over and let them have a spot. Some are trying to draw a moral equivalency between the two -- and look beyond desperate doing so. If a driver elects to yield a position to another for whatever reason, that's their call. Trading 20th position for 19th is worth just as many points as leading a lap -- and how often do drivers trade the lead so they can both get a bonus point during the season? That is a far cry from dictating who wins the race, and the championship outcomes of three different drivers by intentionally halting the race and leaving the racing surface.
It's a bit ironic that the discussion surrounding the events of the past few days, in part stems from NASCAR's desire to gain legitimacy with both the core fans and casual fans. This current scenario is in part fostered by Green White Checker restarts and the the nature of the Chase itself --inspired to create drama and a playoff-type atmosphere in the fall. Had this been before 2004, the race would have been over, with Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman in The Chase - and Newman with two race wins versus one.
Another culprit? The Mario Kart points system now used, where it is one point per position, no matter where you are running. Had this been under the previous tiered systems, where the points difference per position would start at five, go to four, then three as you worked your way lower through the field. I recall Tony Stewart's reaction to the change a few years ago, saying it would be great because it would be easy for a driver and team to calculate during a race.
Perhaps too easy?
If the championship was still a season-long cumulative contest, this would be a non-issue and never have even happened in the first place. That does not excuse the legitimacy of competition being impugned, and fans hard-earned dollars buying tickets for a tainted product. While consistency has not exactly been a hallmark of NASCAR rulings, despite the "gray area" that affects everything from car design, on-track activity, and driver conflicts, their response to this incident has been firm, fair, and unquestionable.
As invested as he is to the success and well-being of the sport as an owner, driver, spokesman, and commentator, Michael Waltrip cannot be privy to the integrity of the sport being called into question, particularly at this critical juncture where things are starting to turn around attendance and ratings wise. This coupled with the demise of SPEED, and NBC returning as a broadcast partner in 2015, the events of Saturday night were nothing less than the old standby used for fines since 1948: Section 12-4-A – Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing. Then again, this is a sport that is rooted in the manufacture and distribution of illegal substances, tax evasion, and eluding law enforcement.
While I disagree with the tactics and the-ends-justifies-the-means mentality of this, I think by Homestead it will prove to be a moot point. Ryan Newman was 14th in points, and Martin Truex, Jr. 12th in points entering the race. There has been absolutely nothing about either of their performances this year that remotely resembles a championship contending race team. While Martin Truex's performance the last couple of weeks has certainly been manned up driving hurt, the No. 56 team always acts like they're playing from behind, or waiting for something awful to happen.
Newman nuking his team on TV immediately afterward the race and sub-par pit stop wasn't exactly the mark of a champion either – or a guy who's sticking around next year.
Trading a 12th place team for one in 14th should not put the other 11 teams better than them on notice. The only caveat to this is that in the past four years, Ryan Newman has wins at New Hampshire, Martinsville, and Phoenix – though three races do not a champion make. I will say however, it looks like Clint Bowyer got the last word in on the feud between him and Jeff Gordon that reached a garage-sprinting crescendo at Phoenix in November of 2012.
Which by the way, many seem to be glossing over with how Gordon manipulated Bowyer's championship quest last year, intentionally wrecking him at Phoenix, as Brad Keselowski narrowly passed through. This of course after his teammate Jimmie Johnson stuck it in the wall, seriously compromising his title chances.
Gordon himself I feel has been a bit precious about things the last few days – as if there was never anything of question ever raised about the 24's performance during the 1995-1999 seasons. He hasn't won a race this year, and under a non-Chase scenario, he'd still be 11th in points, one point behind Logano (with Logano winning the tie-breaker too by the way – so don't start with the Front Row Motorsports conspiracy with Gilliland pulling over), 92 points out.
After all of this drama has blown over and the green flag falls in Chicago on Sunday (which it will…some MLBer will get popped for steroids, or some NFL player will get caught smoking weed on a traffic stop), and everybody has things turned up to 11, the teams to beat are still going to be the 48, 20, 18, and 5 – in that order. They've shown the most consistent speed this year, and their teams don't wilt under pressure or make excuses. The 78 and 22 will make things interesting early on, but I'm not convinced they're ready to make that step yet to a true title contending team.
As long as the true championship contending teams show up and are ready to focus on the task at hand in Chicago, I don't see this lasting much longer. As much time and energy that has been expended over this the past few days will be exhausted by the time that the casual fan is setting their fantasy football line up. That is of course unless Jeff Gordon wins. Which at that point I think he'll just start rioting.
Prior to the start of Saturday night's Richmond race, NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton reminded drivers to not put NASCAR in a position to make balls and strikes calls, as they would likely not go in their favor.
On Monday evening, NASCAR not only called a strike but ejected them from the game, as Martin Truex, Jr. was removed from Chase contention following a 50 point fine brought about by the coordinated efforts of Michael Waltrip Racing's Nos. 15 and 55 teams to manipulate the outcome of the race. Their actions affected the winner of the race, and the Chase fates of three drivers. With NASCAR on the precipice as it has been the past five years, it was not something that could have – nor should it – let go unpunished.
The now infamous "Frontstretch Flop" by Clint Bowyer to bring out a caution with six laps to Truex back into Chase contention, was obvious and could not be tolerated, despite of the claims of "lack of proof" – though Bowyer's interview with Ricky Craven had him squirming in his chair like Nicholas Cage in "8mm." The intercepted radio traffic and in-car footage from Bowyer's car has quickly become the Zapruder film of NASCAR, indicting a complicit driver in Bowyer and crew chief Brian Pattie.
I call it The "Training Day" Doctrine. As Alonzo told Officer Hoyt, it's not what you know, it's what you can prove.
The resulting 50 point fine knocked Truex out of the Chase, with Norris suspended indefinitely. Norris' communication to Brian Vickers to make an unnecessary pit stop because they needed a point was also part and parcel of Truex making the field, by moving Joey Logano into the mix, displacing Gordon.
It was just as blatant as the move executed in 2011 by RCR to send Paul Menard around to help get Kevin Harvick a win heading into The Chase. What was worse, MWR also had to get Brian Vickers in on the action as well, to make an unnecessary pit stop to give Joey Logano one more car to race, and a 79mph last lap speed. The leaders at the time were running 120-123mph lap times. On the final restart, Newman's new SHR teammate Mark Martin was in fourth position and could have made things very difficult for both Truex and Joey Logano, but ran his line and allowed the faster cars to race for the Chase spots amongst themselves.
Memo to teams attempting a similar strategy: if you're going to come up with a secret code to tell your driver to spin out, maybe come up with one a little better than itching your arm (after all, scratching your arm would be the proper instruction…). Still, I guess it's still better than a start and park team using "vibration" for a lap 5 exit from competition. Clint Bowyer's post-race interview avoiding eye contact, reciting a series of events that didn't happen, and changing the subject halfway through his answer was not exactly Oscar-worthy either.
Don't get me wrong: we all know that team orders have been a part of racing for quite some time, and to its credit, has been less of an issue with NASCAR than any of the other major racing series – Formula One being the primary example. What's worse is that there was such overwhelming evidence both audio, visual, and empirical timed data to confirm that the outcome of the race was manipulated.
When team cars became the norm in NASCAR in the mid 1990's, it was the "what if…" scenario that has been playing itself out for five days now.
Now word comes down that NASCAR is investigating radio traffic that indicates Joey Logano's No. 22 Penske Racing team was trying to work a deal with fellow Ford team Front Row Motorsports and David Gilliland to move over and let them have a spot. Some are trying to draw a moral equivalency between the two -- and look beyond desperate doing so. If a driver elects to yield a position to another for whatever reason, that's their call. Trading 20th position for 19th is worth just as many points as leading a lap -- and how often do drivers trade the lead so they can both get a bonus point during the season? That is a far cry from dictating who wins the race, and the championship outcomes of three different drivers by intentionally halting the race and leaving the racing surface.
It's a bit ironic that the discussion surrounding the events of the past few days, in part stems from NASCAR's desire to gain legitimacy with both the core fans and casual fans. This current scenario is in part fostered by Green White Checker restarts and the the nature of the Chase itself --inspired to create drama and a playoff-type atmosphere in the fall. Had this been before 2004, the race would have been over, with Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman in The Chase - and Newman with two race wins versus one.
Another culprit? The Mario Kart points system now used, where it is one point per position, no matter where you are running. Had this been under the previous tiered systems, where the points difference per position would start at five, go to four, then three as you worked your way lower through the field. I recall Tony Stewart's reaction to the change a few years ago, saying it would be great because it would be easy for a driver and team to calculate during a race.
Perhaps too easy?
If the championship was still a season-long cumulative contest, this would be a non-issue and never have even happened in the first place. That does not excuse the legitimacy of competition being impugned, and fans hard-earned dollars buying tickets for a tainted product. While consistency has not exactly been a hallmark of NASCAR rulings, despite the "gray area" that affects everything from car design, on-track activity, and driver conflicts, their response to this incident has been firm, fair, and unquestionable.
As invested as he is to the success and well-being of the sport as an owner, driver, spokesman, and commentator, Michael Waltrip cannot be privy to the integrity of the sport being called into question, particularly at this critical juncture where things are starting to turn around attendance and ratings wise. This coupled with the demise of SPEED, and NBC returning as a broadcast partner in 2015, the events of Saturday night were nothing less than the old standby used for fines since 1948: Section 12-4-A – Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing. Then again, this is a sport that is rooted in the manufacture and distribution of illegal substances, tax evasion, and eluding law enforcement.
While I disagree with the tactics and the-ends-justifies-the-means mentality of this, I think by Homestead it will prove to be a moot point. Ryan Newman was 14th in points, and Martin Truex, Jr. 12th in points entering the race. There has been absolutely nothing about either of their performances this year that remotely resembles a championship contending race team. While Martin Truex's performance the last couple of weeks has certainly been manned up driving hurt, the No. 56 team always acts like they're playing from behind, or waiting for something awful to happen.
Newman nuking his team on TV immediately afterward the race and sub-par pit stop wasn't exactly the mark of a champion either – or a guy who's sticking around next year.
Trading a 12th place team for one in 14th should not put the other 11 teams better than them on notice. The only caveat to this is that in the past four years, Ryan Newman has wins at New Hampshire, Martinsville, and Phoenix – though three races do not a champion make. I will say however, it looks like Clint Bowyer got the last word in on the feud between him and Jeff Gordon that reached a garage-sprinting crescendo at Phoenix in November of 2012.
Which by the way, many seem to be glossing over with how Gordon manipulated Bowyer's championship quest last year, intentionally wrecking him at Phoenix, as Brad Keselowski narrowly passed through. This of course after his teammate Jimmie Johnson stuck it in the wall, seriously compromising his title chances.
Gordon himself I feel has been a bit precious about things the last few days – as if there was never anything of question ever raised about the 24's performance during the 1995-1999 seasons. He hasn't won a race this year, and under a non-Chase scenario, he'd still be 11th in points, one point behind Logano (with Logano winning the tie-breaker too by the way – so don't start with the Front Row Motorsports conspiracy with Gilliland pulling over), 92 points out.
After all of this drama has blown over and the green flag falls in Chicago on Sunday (which it will…some MLBer will get popped for steroids, or some NFL player will get caught smoking weed on a traffic stop), and everybody has things turned up to 11, the teams to beat are still going to be the 48, 20, 18, and 5 – in that order. They've shown the most consistent speed this year, and their teams don't wilt under pressure or make excuses. The 78 and 22 will make things interesting early on, but I'm not convinced they're ready to make that step yet to a true title contending team.
As long as the true championship contending teams show up and are ready to focus on the task at hand in Chicago, I don't see this lasting much longer. As much time and energy that has been expended over this the past few days will be exhausted by the time that the casual fan is setting their fantasy football line up. That is of course unless Jeff Gordon wins. Which at that point I think he'll just start rioting.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @VitoPugliese.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Critic's Annex: Prairie Meadows 150
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take a look at additional motorsports-related programming. While the stupidity was going down in Richmond, there was some pretty good action on tap at Iowa Speedway. The ARCA Racing Series held a 150-lap race on the 7/8ths of a mile D-shaped oval that was quite the show. The event aired live on FOX Sports 2. How did they do? Let's take a look.
Since the ARCA race was the primary support event to Sunday's Fan Appreciation 200 presented by New Holland, FOX had their Camping World Truck Series production crew on site for the event. We basically had the truck on-air crew, minus Danielle Trotta for the race.
Pre-race coverage was relatively brief. Rick Allen and Phil Parsons previewed the race from the broadcast booth and talked about the young gun Kyle Benjamin, who became the youngest winner in series history in front of a sparse crowd at Madison International Speedway. There was also an interview with points leader Frank Kimmel.
Early on, there was some good racing up front and FOX Sports did a good job bring it to us. Also, unlike during their Truck telecast on Sunday, there were replays of incidents. This was a major gripe that I had in Tuesday's critique.
During the race, 2009 series champion Jusitn Lofton joined Allen and Parsons as a special guest analyst. I found Lofton to not be all that bad. He generally let Allen and Parsons do their jobs, but when he could, Lofton would chime in with ancedotes. It wasn't bad by any means. Lofton wasn't trying to take over the telecast like Justin Allgaier has in the past.
During the race, 2009 series champion Jusitn Lofton joined Allen and Parsons as a special guest analyst. I found Lofton to not be all that bad. He generally let Allen and Parsons do their jobs, but when he could, Lofton would chime in with ancedotes. It wasn't bad by any means. Lofton wasn't trying to take over the telecast like Justin Allgaier has in the past.
I will note that FOX Sports showed a side-by-side replay on Lap 93 of some of the action involving Spencer Gallagher and Mason Mingus just after a restart. It begs the question. Why can we get it here, but not on Truck telecasts? Also of note, the scroll appeared twice once again. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why. I don't understand why that keeps happening, though. Not much changed graphically on race telecasts since the switchover from SPEED other than colors.
Since the event actually ended quite a bit earlier than scheduled, there was a bunch of post-race coverage. FOX Sports conducted eight post-race interviews and provided checks of the unofficial results and point standings. There was also time for post-race analysis from Allen and Parsons in the broadcast booth before FOX Sports left air the air at the scheduled time.
This was a race in which there was a surprising amount of action at the front of the field. Very enjoyable to watch. However, at the same time, there was so much action at the front that a number of guys didn't really get mentioned on the telecast that should have, like Mason Mitchell. Yes, Mitchell got interviewed after the race, but it seems like that was the only time he was mentioned all night.
Overall, FOX Sports gave viewers an exciting telecast. There was a lot of good racing for position and we got to see much of it. Without stupidity like the Chase to deal with, watching this race was refreshing in a way. Lofton was an interesting one-time addition to the booth. He was informative, but not polarizing, which is generally what I want out of a guest analyst.
That's all for this week. Check out next week's edition of the Critic's Annex, where we'll have a look at Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans, a look at Dempsey's run up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans back in June. Until then, enjoy this weekend's racing in Joliet.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Race fans, do you love Frontstretch.com's coverage of NASCAR's top 3 series, IndyCar, Formula One and Short Track Racing? Do you want to read even more about your favorite sport? Then check out the industry's newest racing publication, Motorsport Illustrated News!, which is available both in print and in digital format! As one of our loyal readers, you'll receive 15% off any subscription when you use the coupon code fs2013.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
ADVERTISEMENT
Race fans, do you love Frontstretch.com's coverage of NASCAR's top 3 series, IndyCar, Formula One and Short Track Racing? Do you want to read even more about your favorite sport? Then check out the industry's newest racing publication, Motorsport Illustrated News!, which is available both in print and in digital format! As one of our loyal readers, you'll receive 15% off any subscription when you use the coupon code fs2013.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
"So did NASCAR drop the hammer and make MWR pay dearly for its sins? Even though it sounds that way, some folks in and around the sport are grumbling that Monday night's penalties – while glaringly severe – failed to address the elephants still stomping around the garage area: The arbitrary nature of NASCAR justice and the overall structure of The Chase for the Championship. The Battle of Richmond last Saturday night may have been MWR's at 'shock and awe', but instead it was an offensive maneuver just waiting to be bungled." - Dr. Mark Howell, on NASCAR's Penalties to MWR
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
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:
by Jeff Wolfe
NASCAR Mailbox: The C Word, BLab's Ribs, And TK To JGR?
by Summer Bedgood
by the Frontstretch Staff
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 2003, Bobby Labonte was having a mediocre day at Chicagoland Speedway, running 19th, one lap down. However, with a little more than 50 laps to go, his day went straight to the toilet. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Monday's Answer:
Q: Back in the late 1990s, Christian Elder was considered to be a star of the future in NASCAR. With the backing of Great Clips, Elder came to the then-Busch Series in 2001 to run a limited schedule for Akins-Sutton Motorsports (after multiple purchases, this is now Turner Scott Motorsports). However, Elder's NASCAR career came to an end at Chicagoland Speedway in 2002. What happened?
A: During qualifying for the Tropicana Twister 300, Elder lost control of his Great Clips Ford in Turn 3, overcorrected, and went hard into the outside wall, right front first. The crash can be seen here.
Elder suffered a broken collarbone and a concussion in the crash, which did not actually end his racing career. Later on, Elder resurfaced in SPEED World Challenge, racing a Mazda Protege in the Touring Car class. However, he never fully recovered from the head injury. Elder was subscribed Methadone to treat his injury and the medication caused an accidental toxicity issue, which killed him in 2007.
~~~~~~~~~~
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. This week, she's talking about what needs to be done by all parties involved in order to minimize damage from the ongoing issues at Richmond
Nuts For Nationwide by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin has another interesting look at the Nationwide Series prior to this weekend's Dollar General 300 from Chicagoland Speedway.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Frontstretch Foto Funnies by the Frontstretch Staff
Pictures can lead to a thousand laughs; join us in our weekly dose of humor that comes from those candid moments at the track.
Driver Diary: Michael Annett as told to Kevin Rutherford
The driver of the No. 43 Pilot/Flying J Ford 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
No comments:
Post a Comment