THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 19th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXXV
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Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 19th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXXV
~~~~~~~~~~
by Phil Allaway
NAPA Leaving MWR At End Of Season
Last week, we reported on the reactions from Michael Waltrip Racing's sponsors to the collusion that took place in the Federated Auto Parts 400. Needless to say, they weren't exactly pleased.
At the time, NAPA Auto Parts, primary sponsor of the No. 56 Toyota for Martin Truex, Jr., stated that they were launching their own review of their relationship with the race team. The results of the review would ultimately determine the relationship with MWR.
Early this morning, NAPA publicly announced their decision both on their Facebook page and in a press release. Simply put, it is curtains.
NAPA announced that they will be leaving the No. 56 team at the end of the season as a result of the Richmond fallout. They explained their reasoning in a release.
"NAPA announced today that, after due consideration, it has decided to end its sponsorship arrangement with Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) effective December 31, 2013," wrote Gaylord Spencer, NAPA Auto Parts' Vice President of Marketing Strategy. "As many of you are aware, NASCAR determined that MWR attempted to manipulate race results at Richmond, Virginia, on September 7, 2013. NASCAR assessed a large fine, deducted 50 points from each of the three MWR drivers in the race and suspended or banned other members of the MWR team."
"NAPA believes in fair play and we are very disappointed in the actions that led to the NASCAR penalties," Spencer continued. We have made NAPA' s decision known to MWR and posted a statement on our Facebook page. There will be significant media coverage and discussion among racing fans and we expect that our decision to terminate our sponsorship will generate additional attention. The decision was difficult, but we believe is the right thing to do. We appreciate in advance your support of our marketing efforts. We will continue to evaluate our future position as it relates to motorsports."
Racing Daily, a racing blog which first reported about the news Wednesday night on their Twitter feed, reported that NAPA could potentially be headed to Stewart-Haas Racing. There, they could serve as a sponsor for either Kevin Harvick (in addition to Budweiser and Outback Steakhouses, see below), or on the currently unnumbered fourth car that will be driven by Kurt Busch.
Shortly after NAPA made their announcement, Michael Waltrip Racing released a statement in response.
"Michael Waltrip Racing respects the decision NAPA announced today following the events at Richmond," the statement reads. "There is no doubt [that] the story of Michael Waltrip Racing begins with NAPA Auto Parts, but there are many more chapters yet to be written. MWR has the infrastructure and support of Toyota for three teams plus three Chase-caliber, race-winning drivers. With the support of our corporate partners, we are preparing to field three teams in 2014. MWR is a resilient organization capable of winning races and competing for the championship and that remains our sole focus."
"Michael Waltrip Racing respects the decision NAPA announced today following the events at Richmond," the statement reads. "There is no doubt [that] the story of Michael Waltrip Racing begins with NAPA Auto Parts, but there are many more chapters yet to be written. MWR has the infrastructure and support of Toyota for three teams plus three Chase-caliber, race-winning drivers. With the support of our corporate partners, we are preparing to field three teams in 2014. MWR is a resilient organization capable of winning races and competing for the championship and that remains our sole focus."
The announcement ends a 13-year relationship that the chain of auto parts stores has had with team owner Michael Waltrip, dating back to when Waltrip was named the driver of the No. 15 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. It also leaves Martin Truex, Jr.'s No. 56 with absolutely no primary sponsorship for the 2014 season (NAPA was one of the few full-season primary sponsors remaining in the Sprint Cup Series).
Outback Steakhouses to Remain with SHR For Two Races
On Wednesday morning, Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Outback Steakhouses, currently a sponsor on the No. 39 of Ryan Newman, will remain in Stewart-Haas Racing's family of sponsors. There will some changes, though.
With Ryan Newman leaving the team at the end of the season to take over Richard Childress Racing's No. 31, the sponsorship will be on Kevin Harvick's No. 4 Chevrolet. Outback Steakhouses will drop the number of primary sponsorship races from three to two for both 2014 and 2015. In addition, in the races that they are not serving as the primary sponsor, they will be on the No. 4 as an associate sponsor on the B-Post. The existing promotion where fans can get a free bloomin' onion if their car finishes in the top-10 the Monday after the race will continue.
Harvick is very happy to represent Outback Steakhouses starting in 2014.
"It's truly a privilege to represent the iconic Outback brand," Harvick said. "I'm certainly looking forward to making every Monday a 'Bloomin' Monday'."
Team co-owner Tony Stewart is pleased to continue his organization's association with Outback Steakhouses.
"We're honored to have Outback Steakhouse continue its partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing," Stewart said. "Outback's reputation for quality food and great service is exceptional, and it's truly a pleasure to be associated with a company and a product that is admired by so many, including myself. We're looking forward to continuing our partnership on and off the racetrack."
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300: 43 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 30- Kevin Swindell 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. 55- Brian Vickers for Michael Waltrip Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR
No. 98- Johnny Sauter for Phil Parsons Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 30- Kevin Swindell is in the seat, replacing Cole Whitt. This will be Swindell's Sprint Cup Series debut.
No. 47- Bobby Labonte returns to the seat, replacing AJ Allmendinger.
No. 51- Michael McDowell is in the seat, replacing Justin Allgaier.
No. 95- Scott Riggs is in the seat, replacing Reed Sorenson.
No. 98- Johnny Sauter returns to the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
Since there are only 43 entries, no one will fail to qualify.
Nationwide Series Kentucky 300: 42 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 18- Joey Coulter for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 21- Dakoda Armstrong for Richard Childress Racing
No. 22- Ryan Blaney for Penske Racing
No. 33- Matt Crafton for Richard Childress Racing
No. 34- Jeb Burton for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 46- JJ Yeley for The Motorsports Group, LLC
Driver Changes:
No. 4- Kevin Lepage returns to the seat, replacing Landon Cassill.
No. 18- Joey Coulter is in the seat, replacing Matt Kenseth.
No. 21- Dakoda Armstrong returns to the seat, replacing Brendan Gaughan.
No. 22- Ryan Blaney returns to the seat, replacing Joey Logano.
No. 23- Harrison Rhodes returns to the seat, replacing Juan Carlos Blum.
No. 24- Ken Butler, III returns to the seat, replacing his brother Brett.
No. 33- Matt Crafton returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Harvick.
No. 34- Jeb Burton is in the seat, replacing James Buescher. If Burton qualifies, he will be making his Nationwide Series debut.
No. 44- Cole Whitt returns to the seat, replacing Chad Hackenbracht.
No. 54- Drew Herring returns to the seat, replacing Kyle Busch.
No. 74- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Kevin Lepage.
No. 79- Jeffrey Earnhardt returns to the seat, replacing Maryeve Dufault.
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- Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing
No. 18- Joey Coulter for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 21- Dakoda Armstrong for Richard Childress Racing
No. 34- Jeb Burton for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 42- Josh Wise for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46- JJ Yeley 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- Unknown driver for Mike Harmon Racing
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Not Entered:
No. 29- Kenny Wallace for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 37- Tanner Berryhill for Vision Racing
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
No. 98- Kevin Swindell for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
ARCA Racing Series Zloop 150: 31 cars entered
Driver Changes:
No. 06- James Swanson returns to the seat, replacing Wayne Peterson.
No. 0- Wayne Peterson returns to the seat, replacing James Swanson.
No. 15- Erik Jones returns to the seat, replacing Kyle Benjamin.
No. 17- Corey LaJoie returns to the seat, replacing Kyle Hadley.
No. 20- Tom Berte returns to the seat, replacing Caleb Armstrong (from Iowa).
No. 22- Will Kimmel returns to the seat, replacing Austin Wayne Self.
No. 29- Christopher Brown is in the seat, replacing Trevor Edwards.
No. 55- Taylor Ferns returns to the seat, replacing Caleb Armstrong (from Salem).
No. 68- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Michael Lira.
No. 69- Chris Bainey, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Will Kimmel.
No. 99- Steven Mathews is in the seat, replacing Chris Buescher.
Notable Entries:
No. 02- Josh Williams for Williams Motorsports
No. 5- Bobby Gerhart for Bobby Gerhart Racing
No. 9- Chase Elliott for Hendrick Motorsports
No. 15- Erik Jones for Venturini Motorsports
No. 17- Corey LaJoie for Roulo Brothers Racing
No. 22- Will Kimmel for Cunningham Motorsports
No. 23- Spencer Gallagher for Gallagher Motorsports
No. 25- Justin Boston for Venturini Motorsports
No. 32- Mason Mingus for Win-Tron Racing
No. 44- Frank Kimmel for ThorSport Racing
No. 55- Taylor Ferns for Venturini Motorsports
No. 77- Tom Hessert for Cunningham Motorsports
No. 82- Mason Mitchell for Empire Racing
No. 84- Chad Boat for Billy Boat Racing
No. 90- Grant Enfinger for BCR Racing
Not Entered:
No. 1- Blake Hillard for Hillard Racing
No. 10- Ed Pompa for Fast Track Racing
No. 11- Kyle Weatherman for Fast Track Racing
No. 18- Bill Catania for Catania Motorsports
No. 52- Ken Schrader for Ken Schrader Racing
No. 67- Kimmel Racing
American Le Mans Series International Sports Car Festival presented by Continental: 34 cars entered in 5 classes
Prototype 1 (P1) Entries: 3
No. 0- Katherine Legge/Andy Meyrick for DeltaWing Racing Cars
No. 6- Klaus Graf/Lucas Luhr for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing
No. 16- Tony Burgess/Chris McMurry 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- Ryan Briscoe/Scott Tucker for Level 5 Motorsports
No. 552- Guy Cosmo/Marino Franchitti/Scott Tucker for Level 5 Motorsports
Prototype Challenge (PC) Entries: 8
No. 05- Jon Bennett/Tom Kimber-Smith for CORE Autosport
No. 5- Ryan Dalziel/John Pew for Starworks Motorsport
No. 7- Tomy Drissi/Rusty Mitchell for BAR1 Motorsport
No. 8- Chris Cumming/Kyle Marcelli for BAR1 Motorsport
No. 9- Duncan Ende/Bruno Junqueira for RSR Racing
No. 18- Tristan Nunez/Charlie Shears for Performance Tech Motorsports
No. 52- Dane Cameron/Mike Guasch for PR1 Mathaisen Motorsports
No. 81- Mirco Schultis/Renger van der Zande for DragonSpeed
Grand Touring (GT) Entries: 11
No. 06- Patrick Long/Colin Braun 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/Joey Hand for BMW Team RLL
No. 56- John Edwards/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: 8
No. 11- Mike Hedlund/Jan Heylen for JDX Racing
No. 22- Jeroen Bleekemolen 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- Seth Neiman/Dion von Moltke for Flying Lizard Motorsports
No. 45- Nelson Canache/Spencer Pumpelly for Flying Lizard Motorsports
No. 66- Damien Faulkner/Ben Keating for TRG
No. 68- Jeff Courtney/Madison Snow for TRG
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.
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Today's Featured Commentary
Who Then Now? Furniture Row No. 78 Car Potential Pilots
Who Then Now? Furniture Row No. 78 Car Potential Pilots
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
With the revelation last week that Juan Pablo Montoya will not be assuming the seat of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet, but rather returning to the IZOD IndyCar Series driving for Roger Penske, speculations has surrounded who will replace Kurt Busch for the 2014 season. Since Busch and crew chief Todd Berrier have arrived at the Colorado-based team, Barney Visser's operation has been riding a Rocky Mountain High that it hasn't seen since Regan Smith won the 2011 Southern 500. With Busch exiting at season's end, they must now find a wheelman to replace The Outlaw.
Who then might be a candidate to take over the flat black Chevrolets?
Jeff Burton: This is probably the odds-on most logical choice. His handling of the announcement that he'd no longer be driving the No. 31 RCR Chevrolet this year was as you would expect from Burton: Conciliatory, classy, and cooperative. No pulling up railroad ties, salting the fields, and leaving a wake of destruction in his path. Burton understands he's not the future of RCR, however he can still play an important role in the operation and the development of Austin and Ty Dillon as their burgeoning Cup careers materialize. Furniture Row's RCR alliance is well-known, and this would be Spock-like logical. Besides, with nephew Jeb Burton waiting in the wings as he has shown much promise and progression in the Truck Series, this could just prove to be a family tradition in the making.
Bobby Labonte: It's hard to believe its been 13 years since Bobby Labonte won a Cup Championship. Even harder to believe it's been ten years since he's won a race. After leaving Joe Gibbs Racing, his stints with Petty Enterprises and JTG-Daugherty Racing have been less than inspired, and kind of an unseemly way for a champion to fade into the background. Might being the sole focus in a ride that has shown promise once a championship caliber driver is placed in the seat be just the jump-start his career needs – as well as providing Furniture Row some stable veteran leadership.
James Buescher: The 2012 Truck Series Champion and winner of the Nationwide race at Daytona I feel has been a bit overlooked. He's been gaining ground on Matt Crafton in the Trucks for the last five weeks, and his side-draft pass on Kyle Busch to win at Michigan a few weeks back was no rookie move. He might be ready to take the next step, though it would seem most likely he'd follow along a Hendrick affiliated path given Turner's association with HMS – and they're moving into the Cup Series with Justin Allgaier in what used to be the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolets. However since he's in the Chevrolet camp, and if the team is looking to build long-term around a driver, his qualifications and potential seem like a solid deal.
Mark Martin: At first glance this might be a perfect fit for this team. Martin has proved to turn around and make an impact at the last three organizations he's been with since leaving Roush Fenway Racing at the end of the 2006 season. An aborted part-time schedule nearly resulted in a Cup title in 2009, and Michael Waltrip Racing suddenly had three contending cars with the arrival of he and Clint Bowyer in 2012. Even though Batesville is closer to Boulder than Mooresville is, don't see this happening. Martin seems ready to move onto the next phase of his career, and his mentoring role with Stewart-Haas and testing for Tony Stewart might be where he's most comfortable. Besides, lifting weight in thin air probably takes a lot out of you.
David Ragan: The former Roush prodigy who seemed to always be on the cusp of breaking through and making The Chase has been with Front Row Motorsports the past few years, after sponsorship for the former No. 6 flagship was unable to be secured. Naturally, Ragan finally won a race in his last season with Roush, and since has been biding his time with the small Ford team. He put the racing world on notice he's a Cup-worthy contender, with his out of nowhere move on former Roush teammate Matt Kenseth to win at Talladega earlier this year. He's as good as a superspeedway driver as there is, and if Furniture Row wants to make some headlines with a Daytona 500 win – here's your guy.
With the revelation last week that Juan Pablo Montoya will not be assuming the seat of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet, but rather returning to the IZOD IndyCar Series driving for Roger Penske, speculations has surrounded who will replace Kurt Busch for the 2014 season. Since Busch and crew chief Todd Berrier have arrived at the Colorado-based team, Barney Visser's operation has been riding a Rocky Mountain High that it hasn't seen since Regan Smith won the 2011 Southern 500. With Busch exiting at season's end, they must now find a wheelman to replace The Outlaw.
Who then might be a candidate to take over the flat black Chevrolets?
Jeff Burton: This is probably the odds-on most logical choice. His handling of the announcement that he'd no longer be driving the No. 31 RCR Chevrolet this year was as you would expect from Burton: Conciliatory, classy, and cooperative. No pulling up railroad ties, salting the fields, and leaving a wake of destruction in his path. Burton understands he's not the future of RCR, however he can still play an important role in the operation and the development of Austin and Ty Dillon as their burgeoning Cup careers materialize. Furniture Row's RCR alliance is well-known, and this would be Spock-like logical. Besides, with nephew Jeb Burton waiting in the wings as he has shown much promise and progression in the Truck Series, this could just prove to be a family tradition in the making.
Bobby Labonte: It's hard to believe its been 13 years since Bobby Labonte won a Cup Championship. Even harder to believe it's been ten years since he's won a race. After leaving Joe Gibbs Racing, his stints with Petty Enterprises and JTG-Daugherty Racing have been less than inspired, and kind of an unseemly way for a champion to fade into the background. Might being the sole focus in a ride that has shown promise once a championship caliber driver is placed in the seat be just the jump-start his career needs – as well as providing Furniture Row some stable veteran leadership.
James Buescher: The 2012 Truck Series Champion and winner of the Nationwide race at Daytona I feel has been a bit overlooked. He's been gaining ground on Matt Crafton in the Trucks for the last five weeks, and his side-draft pass on Kyle Busch to win at Michigan a few weeks back was no rookie move. He might be ready to take the next step, though it would seem most likely he'd follow along a Hendrick affiliated path given Turner's association with HMS – and they're moving into the Cup Series with Justin Allgaier in what used to be the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolets. However since he's in the Chevrolet camp, and if the team is looking to build long-term around a driver, his qualifications and potential seem like a solid deal.
Mark Martin: At first glance this might be a perfect fit for this team. Martin has proved to turn around and make an impact at the last three organizations he's been with since leaving Roush Fenway Racing at the end of the 2006 season. An aborted part-time schedule nearly resulted in a Cup title in 2009, and Michael Waltrip Racing suddenly had three contending cars with the arrival of he and Clint Bowyer in 2012. Even though Batesville is closer to Boulder than Mooresville is, don't see this happening. Martin seems ready to move onto the next phase of his career, and his mentoring role with Stewart-Haas and testing for Tony Stewart might be where he's most comfortable. Besides, lifting weight in thin air probably takes a lot out of you.
David Ragan: The former Roush prodigy who seemed to always be on the cusp of breaking through and making The Chase has been with Front Row Motorsports the past few years, after sponsorship for the former No. 6 flagship was unable to be secured. Naturally, Ragan finally won a race in his last season with Roush, and since has been biding his time with the small Ford team. He put the racing world on notice he's a Cup-worthy contender, with his out of nowhere move on former Roush teammate Matt Kenseth to win at Talladega earlier this year. He's as good as a superspeedway driver as there is, and if Furniture Row wants to make some headlines with a Daytona 500 win – here's your guy.
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.
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The Critic's Annex: Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. This week, we take a look at Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans, which looks at the build up to Le Mans for Dempsey and his race team.
However, before we do that, there's some TV related news to mention. Earlier this week, FOX Sports 1 announced that NASCAR RaceHub will be expanded back to an hour in length starting next week. The show was cut to a half-hour a month ago after the switchover from SPEED to FOX Sports 1. Admittedly, I never got around to critquing the half-hour version of NASCAR RaceHub, but from what I could tell, the show just flew by as a half-hour show. It's meant to be a full hour.
Also of note, I noted in the TV listings in this week's critique that the World Endurance Championship (WEC) race from Austin this weekend would be aired live on FOX Sports 1. This is not the case. The series itself received bad information. Instead, FOX Sports 1 will air a 52 minute highlighted version at a date that is to be determined. With that done, on to the critique.
However, before we do that, there's some TV related news to mention. Earlier this week, FOX Sports 1 announced that NASCAR RaceHub will be expanded back to an hour in length starting next week. The show was cut to a half-hour a month ago after the switchover from SPEED to FOX Sports 1. Admittedly, I never got around to critquing the half-hour version of NASCAR RaceHub, but from what I could tell, the show just flew by as a half-hour show. It's meant to be a full hour.
Also of note, I noted in the TV listings in this week's critique that the World Endurance Championship (WEC) race from Austin this weekend would be aired live on FOX Sports 1. This is not the case. The series itself received bad information. Instead, FOX Sports 1 will air a 52 minute highlighted version at a date that is to be determined. With that done, on to the critique.
I should state before I begin that this will be a critique of the first episode of the four-episode mini-series, which just concluded Wednesday night. It is the first series off of Velocity that I have critiqued for this column.
Currently, Dempsey races when he can in the American Le Mans Series. He cannot do it full-time because of his acting responsibilities, but if he's available for races, he's there. In ALMS, he races in the Grand Touring Challenge (GTC) with Andy Lally as his co-driver. While he races a Porsche 911 GT3 in ALMS, it is a far cry from the car he would race at Le Mans.
Currently, Dempsey races when he can in the American Le Mans Series. He cannot do it full-time because of his acting responsibilities, but if he's available for races, he's there. In ALMS, he races in the Grand Touring Challenge (GTC) with Andy Lally as his co-driver. While he races a Porsche 911 GT3 in ALMS, it is a far cry from the car he would race at Le Mans.
The show starts out by comparing Dempsey to actor-racers of the past, like Paul Newman, James Garner and Steve McQueen. These men wanted to race, but do it in a way that they would garner respect from their peers. I suppose that's the best way to go, but it takes a long time to garner that respect. Ultimately, the show tries to compare Dempsey's racing to Newman's. Dempsey does have the advantage here in that he was a little younger than Newman when he started racing, although he also got into higher-profile racing much quicker than Newman did.
Originally, Dempsey's plan for Le Mans was to have at it with a P2 prototype. To that end, they took delivery of a Lola B12/87 chassis. Unfortunately, this was right about the time that Lola Cars, then owned by former Cup Series car owner Martin Birrane, went bankrupt (again). As a result, the team was essentially on their own with the race car, never a good thing. Parts were an issue the whole time the team ran the car, along with the usual teething issues.
There is mention of the rather substantial insurance that ABC has forced Dempsey to take out on himself, three times the price that other drivers pay. In addition, the insurance requires that Dempsey drive a closed-top car. It's onerous for him, but the move towards closed-top prototypes in general over the past few years has benefited him.
It appears that if you ask Dempsey, he'd much rather be a racer-actor than an actor-racer. However, his acting pays his bills and gets sponsors for his team, so it's a necessary evil. Unfortunately, the acting does get in the way of Dempsey being able to improve his driving to the best of his ability. For example, two years ago at the Rolex 24, Dempsey was roughly two seconds a lap slower in the No. 40 Mazda RX-8 than his teammates.
As mentioned above, Dempsey's fame helps the team gets sponsorship, but forces outside of his control can affect that sponsorship, just like any other team. Dempsey's team originally snagged sponsorship from Trina Solar, a Chinese company that manufactures solar panels. Unfortunately, the industry went in the toilet not too long afterwards, meaning that the backing didn't last. Still, Dempsey is put in the position of basically having to stump for them, as seen here where he represents them at a trade show in Orlando, then at some other appearances. Unenviable at best. It says a lot after an appearance when Dempsey says something along the lines of "I'm going to get drunk now."
Once we get through the talk about Dempsey as a driver, the show goes in-depth on the first two races that Dempsey Racing attempted with the Lola B12/87, which were Laguna Seca and Lime Rock last year. The descriptions of the weekend were quite descriptive, detailing the various gremlins and issues that the Dempsey Racing team had with the new Lola and Dempsey himself learning how to drive a prototype (he'd never raced one prior to Laguna Seca). Very informative. The completionist in me really likes the approach taken. Also, some fan apparently pulled the kill switch during the Fan Walk at Lime Rock? Ouch. Sometimes, you just can't win.
I found the whole show to be quite interesting and very easy to get into. I also thought that the show's focus was going to be a little more limited. The series takes place over a period of 15 months. I went in thinking that it was going to be more along the lines of following the team for eight months, but the approach taken by Velocity allows for the full story of Dempsey Racing over the past couple of seasons.
There were a number of "talking heads" that were on the show to help tell the story. These people included Dempsey's wife Jillian, Sam Posey, John Hindhaugh, Skip Barber, Joe Foster, and more. Posey and Barber were mainly there to talk about Newman. If there's anything I don't really like here, it is the constant comparisons to Newman. It's a little much. Despite that, if you get Velocity (not a guarantee), I highly recommend the show. It's worth a watch.
I hope you enjoyed this look at the first episode of Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans. Next week, I'll be back with another race that will be critiqued. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action in Austin, Loudon, Singapore and Sparta.
There were a number of "talking heads" that were on the show to help tell the story. These people included Dempsey's wife Jillian, Sam Posey, John Hindhaugh, Skip Barber, Joe Foster, and more. Posey and Barber were mainly there to talk about Newman. If there's anything I don't really like here, it is the constant comparisons to Newman. It's a little much. Despite that, if you get Velocity (not a guarantee), I highly recommend the show. It's worth a watch.
I hope you enjoyed this look at the first episode of Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans. Next week, I'll be back with another race that will be critiqued. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action in Austin, Loudon, Singapore and Sparta.
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
"We'll never know if the Air Titan would have sped up the drying process and helped to get the race started closer to on time, or helped it to resume faster because International Speedway Corporation and the tracks continue to play a game of keep away in the their sandbox." - P. Huston Ladner, on the Air Titan situation
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Jeff Wolfe
NASCAR Mailbox: Fallout from Richmond Redux Continues to Spill Over
by Summer Bedgood
Truckin' Thursdays: Harry Scott, Jr. on Larson's Future, Buescher's Championship Hopes and Phoenix Racing's Future
by Beth Lunkenheimer
by Beth Lunkenheimer
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 2003 Sylvania 300 at then-New Hampshire International Speedway was won by Jimmie Johnson. However, an incident in the race led to a substantial change in NASCAR rules. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: The 2000 Dura Lube/KMart 300 is best known for the use of restrictor plates to slow the cars, and Jeff Burton winning after leading all 300 laps. With the one-inch restrictor plates that NASCAR mandated, what kind of RPMs were the teams turning during the race?
A: Officially, the answer depends. In 2000, there was no gear rule like we have today. Teams were free to use whatever gear they thought would get the job done. However, there was a general range where the options fell. These options resulted in a range in fourth gear at top speed of anywhere from 8000-8300 rpms, which was down roughly 700-1000 rpms from an unrestricted engine of the era.
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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. This week, Amy will cover how MWR's tactics are screwing over the one driver meant to benefit, Martin Truex, Jr.
Nuts For Nationwide by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin has another interesting look at the Nationwide Series prior to this weekend's Kentucky 300 at Kentucky 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: Kyle Larson as told to Mike Neff
The driver of the No. 32 Snickers Bites Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series returns to talk about the past month, on and off the track.
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
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