THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 14th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXCI
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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.
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Keselowski Snaps 37-Race Skid, Wins At Charlotte
by Justin Tucker
377 days. That is how long it has been since Brad Keselowski last visited Victory Lane. It was a victory that came at Dover and helped fuel Keselowski's run to the 2012 Sprint Cup Championship.
Fast forward over a year later, Keselowski failed to make the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup after a year of heartbreak and disappointment. On Saturday night in Charlotte, Keselowski finally felt the warm blow of Victory Lane again after finally outdueling Kasey Kahne with nine laps to go to score the victory in the Bank of America 500. Keselowski became the first non-Chaser since Kahne in 2011 to win a Chase race.
A relieved Keselowski spoke of his team's effort and about perseverance in Victory Lane.
"I never give up. I didn't qualify well. But I kept working my way forward. I knew we had a good car," said Keselowski.
He also spoke of his battle with Kasey Kahne for the race win.
"I love hard racing and there are a handful of guys who can't race hard and they freak out -- he's not one of them," Keselowski said about Kahne. "He's an excellent driver. He ran me hard but ran me clean and that is great racing. He did a hell of a job and deserves a lot of credit for it."
It appeared that Jimmie Johnson had all but sealed victory until a controversial caution with 27 laps to go sent the leaders to pit road. Johnson would come out third and be the first on four fresh tires. However, a terrible restart would shuffle the No. 48 back to seventh. Johnson would rally back to finish fourth after leading 130 laps on the night.
Johnson spoke after the race about the last restart.
"Evidently I was too close to him (Kahne) and in his way, and my car washed up a little bit," Johnson said. "A couple of guys were able to get inside of me. I just lost track position at that point, which was unfortunate. Once I got rolling again, I was fine, but I lost too much at that point."
Kasey Kahne led a race-high 138 laps in finishing second. It was Kahne's first top 10 finish of the 2013 Chase.
"Tonight was a good battle," he said. "[Keselowski] had four tires and I had two, and I did all I could, and he just got by me and cleared me."
Joining Keselowski and Kahne in the top 5 of Saturday night's Bank of America 500 were Matt Kenseth in third, the previously mentioned Jimmie Johnson in fourth, and Kyle Busch in fifth after a horrible weekend last week at Kansas.
Busch was anything but celebrating the top 5 after the race.
"Fifth place sucks. They say you need top-fives to win a championship, but when you're getting beat by guys in front of you, then we're just not good enough," Busch said. "I don't know what to do to be better. It's frustrating, but you know, should be happy with a fifth, but we're not."
Rounding out the top 10 from Charlotte on Saturday were Kevin Harvick in sixth, Jeff Gordon in seventh, and Ryan Newman in eighth. Denny Hamlin's ninth-place finish was his first top 10 since the first Pocono race, four months ago. Carl Edwards rounded out the top 10.
A look at Saturday's Bank of America 500 by the numbers. There were 24 lead changes among 11 different drivers. There were only four cautions for 20 laps, which kept the race pace at a quick 158.308 MPH.
Next week, the Sprint Cup Series heads to the ultimate chase wild card, Talladega Superspeedway for the Camping World RV Sales 500. The green flag at Talladega is scheduled for 2:20 PM ET next Sunday.
Justin Tucker is a Newsletter Contributor at Frontstretch. To reach Justin, please contact Newsletter Manager Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
Chase Point Standings: 1) Matt Kenseth 2225, 2) Jimmie Johnson -4, 3) Kevin Harvick -29, 4) Jeff Gordon -36, 5) Kyle Busch -37, 6) Greg Biffle -58, 7) Kurt Busch -59, 8) Clint Bowyer -63, 9) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -66, 10) Carl Edwards -67, 11) Joey Logano -75, 12) Ryan Newman -78, 13) Kasey Kahne -81.
Best of the Rest (14-23): 14) Brad Keselowski 874, 15) Jamie McMurray -2, 16) Martin Truex, Jr. -46, 17) Paul Menard -49, 18) Aric Almirola -78, 19) Marcos Ambrose -91, 20) Jeff Burton -94, t-21) Juan Pablo Montoya -102, t-21) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -102, 23) Casey Mears -240.
Non-Chase Point Standings (top-23): 1) Jimmie Johnson 1050, 2) Kevin Harvick -32, 3) Matt Kenseth -33, 4) Carl Edwards -56, 5) Kyle Busch -63, 6) Clint Bowyer -109, 7) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -110, 8) Jeff Gordon -111, 9) Kurt Busch -122, 10) Greg Biffle -127, 11) Joey Logano -152, 12) Ryan Newman -162, 13) Kasey Kahne -167, 14) Brad Keselowski -176, 15) Jamie McMurray -178, 16) Martin Truex, Jr. -222, 17) Paul Menard -225, 18) Aric Almirola -254, 19) Marcos Ambrose -267, 20) Jeff Burton -270, t-21) Juan Pablo Montoya -278, t-21) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -278, 23) Casey Mears -416.
Race Winners: Jimmie Johnson (Daytona-1, Martinsville, Pocono-1, Daytona-2, Dover-2), Carl Edwards (Phoenix, Richmond-2), Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas, Kansas-1, Darlington, Kentucky, Bristol-2, Chicagoland, New Hampshire-2), Kasey Kahne (Bristol-1, Pocono-2), Kyle Busch (Fontana, Texas, Watkins Glen, Atlanta), Kevin Harvick (Richmond-1, Charlotte, Kansas-2), David Ragan (Talladega), Tony Stewart (Dover-1), Greg Biffle (Michigan-1), Martin Truex, Jr. (Sonoma), Brian Vickers (New Hampshire-1), Ryan Newman (Indianapolis), Joey Logano (Michigan-2), Brad Keselowski (Charlotte-2).
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here: Charlotte-2 Edition
by Amy Henderson
Editor's Note: This year, we're going to switch things up a little bit. Instead of just focusing upon one underdog (or underreported) car in the Secret Star section, we will point out three smaller teams that put up good finishes each week.
Underdog Selection No. 1: David Reutimann for BK Racing; started 36th, finished 26th
Chalrotte Motor Speedway was hell on the small teams this week. They fought handling, they fought horsepower, and while Reutimann was best in class, in 26th, it was still a tough day for the Florida native and his team, as the finish was a full four laps behind winner Brad Keselowski. Still, BK was in the news for the wrong reasons last week after teammate Travis Kvapil was arrested on charges stemming from an alleged domestic assault. Finishing at the top of the underdog heap with Reutimann puts the focus on the team where it belongs: on the racing.
Underdog Selection No. 2: Brian Scott for Circle Sport/Richard Childress Racing; started 19th, finished 27th
When Circle Sport puts a Richard Childress Racing development driver in the seat, manning the No. 33 it comes with RCR equipment. So, it should be no surprise that Scott ran better than this team often fares in what's really a pseudo-small team car. Scott was one of three drivers making their Cup debuts this week, and in the end, he was the top finisher among them.
Underdog Selection No. 3: Kyle Larson for Phoenix Racing; started 21st, finished 37th
Again, Larson benefitted from equipment that was not the usual fare from Phoenix, as Earnhardt Ganassi Racing provided a car for the driver who will take the wheel of the team's No. 42 next year. Larson's finish is far from indicative of how he ran, as it was a blown engine and not the driver's performance that made the No. 51 a backmarker this week. Larson climbed as high as 11th in the event, staying on the lead lap and was looking for a top-20 finish, not a top 15 before the car's engine had other ideas. Larson is absolutely fearless behind the wheel, and his debut was fun to watch as he battled with the veterans.
Underdog Pick of the Week-Talladega II: Casey Mears for Germain Racing
In this section, I'll give you my pick among the small teams to have a strong run in the upcoming race. I didn't get a pick in for Charlotte this weekend, but I'm back on track this week.
As Cup Series visits Talladega this week, it's hard to pick against the Front Row duo of David Ragan and David Gilliland, who finished 1-2 in the Spring event. But Mears has come tantalizingly close to top finishes, perhaps even wins, in several recent plate races, including last Fall's Talladega event, where he was headed to the front with Michael Waltrip, and it looked like he'd finish second at the worst. It was only Tony Stewart, who threw an ill-timed block that ended the run for both drivers on the final lap. This team knows they can win at this track, and they'll be out to prove it.
Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs? Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during the race broadcasts? Amy has all the small teams covered each and every week in The Big Six. Be sure to check it out to see how your favorites fared!
Kyle Larson entered the race on Saturday night with high expectations, as the phenom was making his Sprint Cup Series debut. Larson, who had just run an incredible race the night before, would start from the 21st position and was driving the No. 51 car for Phoenix Racing. In an impressive performance, he sliced through traffic and settled comfortably within the top 15, on the lead lap for a large portion of the event.
Unfortunately, the night would not turn out well for Larson. He would finish 37th after an engine failure caused him to retire from the race early.
Larson is driving as a rookie for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, full-time next season in the Cup Series. He'll take over the No. 42 car currently driven by Juan Pablo Montoya.
Summer Bedgood is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SummerBedgood.
Quotes to Remember: Bank of America 500
compiled by Summer Bedgood
"It was just a never-give-up night. We had a lot of struggles tonight. We didn't qualify well, but we kept working our way forward. I knew we had a good car. I'm not sure we were as good as the 48 or the 5. I never got to really race them until the end and they had two tires, so I think we were probably pretty even. When Paul made the call to take four tires and I saw we were that close to the front, I knew we could get them." - Brad Keselowski, race winner
"Our Dollar General Camry was really pretty competitive. We were off at the start of the race. On about the fourth run Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) found some adjustments that really woke it up for me. Felt like we were pretty competitive after that. It was just hard to gauge off of the front few cars because we were just never there. It was pretty competitive — I felt like I got a good restart there on that last one. I just feel bad because Jason put us in a perfect spot to win the race — my pit crew did a good job and I just couldn't do it." - Matt Kenseth, finished third
"Down in [turns] one and two, just in the dirty air I pushed the No. 5 off into [turn] one. He didn't get the best restart and something to do with that combo got me off the bottom and a couple of cars got into the side of me. If we could have come out second, which was really close with the No. 24 and start on the front row I think it would have been a much different result for us, but it didn't happen. We led some laps tonight, had a good car. I'm not sure what happened in the points, but I know it's awfully tight up there right now." - Jimmie Johnson, finished fourth
"That's about as good as we are — is fifth-place. Pretty frustrating. But all in all a great night for the M&M's Toyota. We certainly got a top-five — which is good. We should be happy about that, but when it's time for championship time that's not what you need — we need wins and we can't win." - Kyle Busch, finished fifth
"Yeah, we got a decent finish, but our car was terrible all night. I just have to thank all my Jimmy John's guys for working hard and keeping the car on the lead lap. Then, just the restart went our way there at the end and we were able to get a decent finish out of it. We survived." - Kevin Harvick, finished sixth
"I don't know about that. It was a solid night. I was really good out front there in the beginning. We really struggled all day on Friday and tonight we could just not get it to take off good and then be good on the long runs. It looked like some guys were maybe a little bit freer than us on the shorter runs, but we were still able to maintain some good lap times and then be good on the long runs. It was a solid effort. It was a great call there to try to make two (tires) work. Our car was just way too tight to be able to do it. We lost a few more positions than I was hoping. But it was still solid." - Jeff Gordon, finished seventh
"We struggled all night on the short run. Our Quicken Loans Chevrolet was really good as the run went on; it would come to life 20 or 25 laps into the run. But by then, we'd lost track position and couldn't get it back. We weren't able to capitalize on the speed we had in the car. Matt Borland (crew chief) kept adjusting on the car all night, but we couldn't get it where we needed it to be. At the end of the day, we came home eighth, which means we'll pay 10 mortgages for 10 fans thanks to the 'Bring it Home' sweepstakes, and Monday will be a Bloomin' Monday at Outback Steakhouse." - Ryan Newman, finished eighth
"It was a long night. Congratulations to Brad for putting a Ford in Victory Lane. He did a good job, but we just struggled all night. We're fortunate to finish tenth. I hate to say that, but we just weren't very good. It was really hard to pass, but not for everybody. Some people could make it happen, so I have to say that as far as how the tire drove and all that stuff, I'd say this was better and more fun to drive. This is my kind of race track. It's aging, but we just couldn't make anything happen." - Carl Edwards, finished tenth
"Man, when it isn't your day it just isn't your day. We should have had a top-five, but something happened under the hood with about 30 (laps) to go and it just killed us. We were looking so good. I nursed it there at the end. Brian (Pattie, crew chief) told me he really wants to race this car in Texas, so we did all we could not to wreck the car. If it's as good at Texas as it was tonight. then Texas could be a lot of fun." - Clint Bowyer, finished 11th
"I'm not happy with how it went, but I'm happy with the finish. We weren't very good. We were better than I thought we were gonna be, so I guess it's a positive. We just can't seem to make any changes that change the car, and then when we make an adjustment that we collectively come up with to loosen it up, it tightens it up, so I don't know. We've got to figure these cars out is the issue. We don't have a handle on how we need to adjust throughout the race, but we ran in the top 16 all night, so I think that's a positive. We haven't done that all year long, so we ran there all race and finished there, so that was a positive for us, but we still have a lot of work to do." - Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished 13th
"We lost the handling of the car and it was a struggle the entire night. We had an upbeat feeling about tonight after two strong practices on Friday but nothing really materialized for us to make a charge. It's disappointing to finish where we did (14th) after having a number of solid runs on the mile-and-a-halfs, including last week's runner-up finish in Kansas. Next week we'll give it another go in the Wonder bread car at Talladega." - Kurt Busch, finished 14th
"We didn't have a great starting spot with our GoDaddy Chevy, and as always at these mile-and-a-halfs, track position is really important just because how tough it is to run in traffic and as a result... pass. It really was just a little tight the first couple of runs and then man, I don't know what else we could have done to fix the balance. All we needed really was track position and more yellows so we could get back on the lead lap. The team did a really great job of working through practices and my pit crew did an awesome job of getting me out in record time. We just needed track position." - Danica Patrick, finished 20th
"We had a top-5 car tonight and had someone get into us. It cost us a lot. The NAPA Toyota just got too tight and we had to wait for a caution to get it repaired. Once we did, it was back to running top-5 times, but it was too late to get back onto the lead lap. We tried, that's for sure. We gambled at the end, but with three (laps) to go, we ran out of gas. I want to thank Chad (Johnston, crew chief) and the guys for giving me a good car tonight. We just got ran into and it made for a tough night." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished 22nd
"Man, that was a tough night for our Aaron's Dream Machine. Early in the race, it didn't feel like a race car. It was like there was something broken. But we made a ton of changes and got it running pretty decent there at the end. Wish we could start the race again because I know we would run better." - Brian Vickers, finished 25th
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud: Charlotte-2 Sprint Cup Race Recap
The Big Six: Questions Answered Following The Bank of America 500
by Phil Allaway
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 14th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXCI
~~~~~~~~~
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.
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What to Watch: Monday
- Today, there will be a closed test session at Charlotte Motor Speedway where each of the manufacturers will test new packages that could be used starting next year. Two teams will represent each manufacturer (Michael Waltrip Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing for Toyota, Roush Fenway Racing and Wood Brothers Racing for Ford, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and Richard Childress Racing for Chevrolet). We'll have news about today's test in tomorrow's edition of the Frontstretch Newsletter.
- Frontstretch owner, Tom Bowles, will make his debut for FOX Sports 1's program the Crowd Goes Wild! Tune in at 5 PM ET to see his on-air NASCAR analysis post-Charlotte.
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Keselowski Snaps 37-Race Skid, Wins At Charlotte
by Justin Tucker
377 days. That is how long it has been since Brad Keselowski last visited Victory Lane. It was a victory that came at Dover and helped fuel Keselowski's run to the 2012 Sprint Cup Championship.
Fast forward over a year later, Keselowski failed to make the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup after a year of heartbreak and disappointment. On Saturday night in Charlotte, Keselowski finally felt the warm blow of Victory Lane again after finally outdueling Kasey Kahne with nine laps to go to score the victory in the Bank of America 500. Keselowski became the first non-Chaser since Kahne in 2011 to win a Chase race.
A relieved Keselowski spoke of his team's effort and about perseverance in Victory Lane.
"I never give up. I didn't qualify well. But I kept working my way forward. I knew we had a good car," said Keselowski.
He also spoke of his battle with Kasey Kahne for the race win.
"I love hard racing and there are a handful of guys who can't race hard and they freak out -- he's not one of them," Keselowski said about Kahne. "He's an excellent driver. He ran me hard but ran me clean and that is great racing. He did a hell of a job and deserves a lot of credit for it."
It appeared that Jimmie Johnson had all but sealed victory until a controversial caution with 27 laps to go sent the leaders to pit road. Johnson would come out third and be the first on four fresh tires. However, a terrible restart would shuffle the No. 48 back to seventh. Johnson would rally back to finish fourth after leading 130 laps on the night.
Johnson spoke after the race about the last restart.
"Evidently I was too close to him (Kahne) and in his way, and my car washed up a little bit," Johnson said. "A couple of guys were able to get inside of me. I just lost track position at that point, which was unfortunate. Once I got rolling again, I was fine, but I lost too much at that point."
Kasey Kahne led a race-high 138 laps in finishing second. It was Kahne's first top 10 finish of the 2013 Chase.
"Tonight was a good battle," he said. "[Keselowski] had four tires and I had two, and I did all I could, and he just got by me and cleared me."
Joining Keselowski and Kahne in the top 5 of Saturday night's Bank of America 500 were Matt Kenseth in third, the previously mentioned Jimmie Johnson in fourth, and Kyle Busch in fifth after a horrible weekend last week at Kansas.
Busch was anything but celebrating the top 5 after the race.
"Fifth place sucks. They say you need top-fives to win a championship, but when you're getting beat by guys in front of you, then we're just not good enough," Busch said. "I don't know what to do to be better. It's frustrating, but you know, should be happy with a fifth, but we're not."
Rounding out the top 10 from Charlotte on Saturday were Kevin Harvick in sixth, Jeff Gordon in seventh, and Ryan Newman in eighth. Denny Hamlin's ninth-place finish was his first top 10 since the first Pocono race, four months ago. Carl Edwards rounded out the top 10.
A look at Saturday's Bank of America 500 by the numbers. There were 24 lead changes among 11 different drivers. There were only four cautions for 20 laps, which kept the race pace at a quick 158.308 MPH.
Next week, the Sprint Cup Series heads to the ultimate chase wild card, Talladega Superspeedway for the Camping World RV Sales 500. The green flag at Talladega is scheduled for 2:20 PM ET next Sunday.
Justin Tucker is a Newsletter Contributor at Frontstretch. To reach Justin, please contact Newsletter Manager Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
Chasing the Chase: Charlotte Race Kept Standings Stable
by Phil Allaway
by Phil Allaway
As compared to the swings that we saw in Kansas, Saturday night's Bank of America 500 saw very few changes in the points. Everyone more or less stood pat.
Matt Kenseth finished third on Saturday night, but with Jimmie Johnson directly behind. Both drivers led a lap, but not the most laps, so Kenseth gained a grand total of one point. Kenseth's margin is four points going into Talladega. Kevin Harvick finished sixth and is still 29 points back, ready to pounce.
Matt Kenseth finished third on Saturday night, but with Jimmie Johnson directly behind. Both drivers led a lap, but not the most laps, so Kenseth gained a grand total of one point. Kenseth's margin is four points going into Talladega. Kevin Harvick finished sixth and is still 29 points back, ready to pounce.
Jeff Gordon is still fourth in the standings after another top-10 finish. Kyle Busch is just one point behind Gordon in fifth after a "frustrating" fifth-place finish. Greg Biffle is still in sixth, but his 16th-place finish meant that he lost quite a bit of ground to the leaders in front of him.
Kurt Busch is one point behind Biffle in seventh. However, handling problems dropped Kurt off of the lead lap and he was unable to make it up due to the lack of cautions. Clint Bowyer is up one spot to eighth after an 11th-place finish, while Dale Earnhardt, Jr. dropped back to ninth. Like many other drivers, Earnhardt Jr. was good early on, but lost the handle as the race continued on.
Carl Edwards is up to tenth in the points after finishing tenth. However, he did not seem to have anything for the leaders. Edwards jumped over Joey Logano, who spent a chunk of the night in the 20's before moving up to an 18th-place finish. Ryan Newman is 12th in points, just three points behind Logano after another top-10 finish. Finally, Kasey Kahne continues to round out the Chasers after leading the most laps on Saturday night and finishing second.
Chase Point Standings: 1) Matt Kenseth 2225, 2) Jimmie Johnson -4, 3) Kevin Harvick -29, 4) Jeff Gordon -36, 5) Kyle Busch -37, 6) Greg Biffle -58, 7) Kurt Busch -59, 8) Clint Bowyer -63, 9) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -66, 10) Carl Edwards -67, 11) Joey Logano -75, 12) Ryan Newman -78, 13) Kasey Kahne -81.
Best of the Rest (14-23): 14) Brad Keselowski 874, 15) Jamie McMurray -2, 16) Martin Truex, Jr. -46, 17) Paul Menard -49, 18) Aric Almirola -78, 19) Marcos Ambrose -91, 20) Jeff Burton -94, t-21) Juan Pablo Montoya -102, t-21) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -102, 23) Casey Mears -240.
Non-Chase Point Standings (top-23): 1) Jimmie Johnson 1050, 2) Kevin Harvick -32, 3) Matt Kenseth -33, 4) Carl Edwards -56, 5) Kyle Busch -63, 6) Clint Bowyer -109, 7) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -110, 8) Jeff Gordon -111, 9) Kurt Busch -122, 10) Greg Biffle -127, 11) Joey Logano -152, 12) Ryan Newman -162, 13) Kasey Kahne -167, 14) Brad Keselowski -176, 15) Jamie McMurray -178, 16) Martin Truex, Jr. -222, 17) Paul Menard -225, 18) Aric Almirola -254, 19) Marcos Ambrose -267, 20) Jeff Burton -270, t-21) Juan Pablo Montoya -278, t-21) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -278, 23) Casey Mears -416.
Race Winners: Jimmie Johnson (Daytona-1, Martinsville, Pocono-1, Daytona-2, Dover-2), Carl Edwards (Phoenix, Richmond-2), Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas, Kansas-1, Darlington, Kentucky, Bristol-2, Chicagoland, New Hampshire-2), Kasey Kahne (Bristol-1, Pocono-2), Kyle Busch (Fontana, Texas, Watkins Glen, Atlanta), Kevin Harvick (Richmond-1, Charlotte, Kansas-2), David Ragan (Talladega), Tony Stewart (Dover-1), Greg Biffle (Michigan-1), Martin Truex, Jr. (Sonoma), Brian Vickers (New Hampshire-1), Ryan Newman (Indianapolis), Joey Logano (Michigan-2), Brad Keselowski (Charlotte-2).
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here: Charlotte-2 Edition
by Amy Henderson
Editor's Note: This year, we're going to switch things up a little bit. Instead of just focusing upon one underdog (or underreported) car in the Secret Star section, we will point out three smaller teams that put up good finishes each week.
Underdog Selection No. 1: David Reutimann for BK Racing; started 36th, finished 26th
Chalrotte Motor Speedway was hell on the small teams this week. They fought handling, they fought horsepower, and while Reutimann was best in class, in 26th, it was still a tough day for the Florida native and his team, as the finish was a full four laps behind winner Brad Keselowski. Still, BK was in the news for the wrong reasons last week after teammate Travis Kvapil was arrested on charges stemming from an alleged domestic assault. Finishing at the top of the underdog heap with Reutimann puts the focus on the team where it belongs: on the racing.
Underdog Selection No. 2: Brian Scott for Circle Sport/Richard Childress Racing; started 19th, finished 27th
When Circle Sport puts a Richard Childress Racing development driver in the seat, manning the No. 33 it comes with RCR equipment. So, it should be no surprise that Scott ran better than this team often fares in what's really a pseudo-small team car. Scott was one of three drivers making their Cup debuts this week, and in the end, he was the top finisher among them.
Underdog Selection No. 3: Kyle Larson for Phoenix Racing; started 21st, finished 37th
Again, Larson benefitted from equipment that was not the usual fare from Phoenix, as Earnhardt Ganassi Racing provided a car for the driver who will take the wheel of the team's No. 42 next year. Larson's finish is far from indicative of how he ran, as it was a blown engine and not the driver's performance that made the No. 51 a backmarker this week. Larson climbed as high as 11th in the event, staying on the lead lap and was looking for a top-20 finish, not a top 15 before the car's engine had other ideas. Larson is absolutely fearless behind the wheel, and his debut was fun to watch as he battled with the veterans.
Underdog Pick of the Week-Talladega II: Casey Mears for Germain Racing
In this section, I'll give you my pick among the small teams to have a strong run in the upcoming race. I didn't get a pick in for Charlotte this weekend, but I'm back on track this week.
As Cup Series visits Talladega this week, it's hard to pick against the Front Row duo of David Ragan and David Gilliland, who finished 1-2 in the Spring event. But Mears has come tantalizingly close to top finishes, perhaps even wins, in several recent plate races, including last Fall's Talladega event, where he was headed to the front with Michael Waltrip, and it looked like he'd finish second at the worst. It was only Tony Stewart, who threw an ill-timed block that ended the run for both drivers on the final lap. This team knows they can win at this track, and they'll be out to prove it.
Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs? Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during the race broadcasts? Amy has all the small teams covered each and every week in The Big Six. Be sure to check it out to see how your favorites fared!
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Letter of the Race: Saturday night's Charlotte race was brought to you by the letter "D," for Debris. Without a late-race yellow for an unseen (at least, on TV) piece of metal on the backstretch, the No. 48 team and Jimmie Johnson could have coasted to a record-setting seventh Charlotte victory. Instead? They wound up back in fourth while Brad Keselowski had a good luck charm thrown his way. Just goes to show how much those "safety concerns" really can matter when it comes to the outcome of a NASCAR race. - Tom Bowles
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Sidebar Stories: Charlotte
by Summer Bedgood and Amy Henderson
Kyle Larson Fails to Finish Debut RaceLetter of the Race: Saturday night's Charlotte race was brought to you by the letter "D," for Debris. Without a late-race yellow for an unseen (at least, on TV) piece of metal on the backstretch, the No. 48 team and Jimmie Johnson could have coasted to a record-setting seventh Charlotte victory. Instead? They wound up back in fourth while Brad Keselowski had a good luck charm thrown his way. Just goes to show how much those "safety concerns" really can matter when it comes to the outcome of a NASCAR race. - Tom Bowles
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Sidebar Stories: Charlotte
by Summer Bedgood and Amy Henderson
Kyle Larson entered the race on Saturday night with high expectations, as the phenom was making his Sprint Cup Series debut. Larson, who had just run an incredible race the night before, would start from the 21st position and was driving the No. 51 car for Phoenix Racing. In an impressive performance, he sliced through traffic and settled comfortably within the top 15, on the lead lap for a large portion of the event.
Unfortunately, the night would not turn out well for Larson. He would finish 37th after an engine failure caused him to retire from the race early.
Larson is driving as a rookie for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, full-time next season in the Cup Series. He'll take over the No. 42 car currently driven by Juan Pablo Montoya.
RCR, Germain Form Technical Alliance
On Friday, Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Germain Racing announced a technical alliance for 2014 that will see Casey Mears return to the Chevrolet camp with the No. 13 GEICO machine. The alliance, similar to the partnership RCR formed with Furniture Row Racing for 2013, will mean that the No. 13 team will run for their third manufacturer in four seasons. The organization had previously switched, from Chevy to Ford prior to the 2012 Daytona 500.
For Mears, it's a homecoming of sorts. He raced for RCR in 2008 and '09, experiencing moderate success until funding for the then-fourth RCR Cup team dried up. He also has a Cup win with Chevrolet in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600.
"We have worked with Casey before and he's a very talented driver," said RCR owner Richard Childress Friday. "We look forward to working with him and his crew chief 'Bootie' Barker. We are [also] very pleased to have a team like Germain Racing become our partner. Bob (Germain) and his team have been very committed to this sport and worked hard to improve every year."
Germain, who has fielded teams in all three of NASCAR's national touring series, including two Camping World Truck Series championship seasons, is ecstatic over the new deal. With his team having its best year in Cup, scoring a top-10 finish with Mears while putting the driver 23rd in the season championship, he feels this partnership will keep this organization moving forward.
"Richard Childress and RCR have an extremely competitive program with a long history of winning races and championships," he said. "They have great people and tremendous resources, which will allow us to continue to improve our GEICO team's performance in 2014 and beyond."
Both Mears and sponsor GEICO are signed through 2014, giving the program stability headed into the offseason. In 375 Sprint Cup Series starts, Mears has one win, 12 top 5s, and 47 top 10s. He also has two top-15 points finishes.
On Friday, Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Germain Racing announced a technical alliance for 2014 that will see Casey Mears return to the Chevrolet camp with the No. 13 GEICO machine. The alliance, similar to the partnership RCR formed with Furniture Row Racing for 2013, will mean that the No. 13 team will run for their third manufacturer in four seasons. The organization had previously switched, from Chevy to Ford prior to the 2012 Daytona 500.
For Mears, it's a homecoming of sorts. He raced for RCR in 2008 and '09, experiencing moderate success until funding for the then-fourth RCR Cup team dried up. He also has a Cup win with Chevrolet in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600.
"We have worked with Casey before and he's a very talented driver," said RCR owner Richard Childress Friday. "We look forward to working with him and his crew chief 'Bootie' Barker. We are [also] very pleased to have a team like Germain Racing become our partner. Bob (Germain) and his team have been very committed to this sport and worked hard to improve every year."
Germain, who has fielded teams in all three of NASCAR's national touring series, including two Camping World Truck Series championship seasons, is ecstatic over the new deal. With his team having its best year in Cup, scoring a top-10 finish with Mears while putting the driver 23rd in the season championship, he feels this partnership will keep this organization moving forward.
"Richard Childress and RCR have an extremely competitive program with a long history of winning races and championships," he said. "They have great people and tremendous resources, which will allow us to continue to improve our GEICO team's performance in 2014 and beyond."
Both Mears and sponsor GEICO are signed through 2014, giving the program stability headed into the offseason. In 375 Sprint Cup Series starts, Mears has one win, 12 top 5s, and 47 top 10s. He also has two top-15 points finishes.
Summer Bedgood is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SummerBedgood.
Quotes to Remember: Bank of America 500
compiled by Summer Bedgood
"It was just a never-give-up night. We had a lot of struggles tonight. We didn't qualify well, but we kept working our way forward. I knew we had a good car. I'm not sure we were as good as the 48 or the 5. I never got to really race them until the end and they had two tires, so I think we were probably pretty even. When Paul made the call to take four tires and I saw we were that close to the front, I knew we could get them." - Brad Keselowski, race winner
"Our Dollar General Camry was really pretty competitive. We were off at the start of the race. On about the fourth run Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) found some adjustments that really woke it up for me. Felt like we were pretty competitive after that. It was just hard to gauge off of the front few cars because we were just never there. It was pretty competitive — I felt like I got a good restart there on that last one. I just feel bad because Jason put us in a perfect spot to win the race — my pit crew did a good job and I just couldn't do it." - Matt Kenseth, finished third
"Down in [turns] one and two, just in the dirty air I pushed the No. 5 off into [turn] one. He didn't get the best restart and something to do with that combo got me off the bottom and a couple of cars got into the side of me. If we could have come out second, which was really close with the No. 24 and start on the front row I think it would have been a much different result for us, but it didn't happen. We led some laps tonight, had a good car. I'm not sure what happened in the points, but I know it's awfully tight up there right now." - Jimmie Johnson, finished fourth
"That's about as good as we are — is fifth-place. Pretty frustrating. But all in all a great night for the M&M's Toyota. We certainly got a top-five — which is good. We should be happy about that, but when it's time for championship time that's not what you need — we need wins and we can't win." - Kyle Busch, finished fifth
"Yeah, we got a decent finish, but our car was terrible all night. I just have to thank all my Jimmy John's guys for working hard and keeping the car on the lead lap. Then, just the restart went our way there at the end and we were able to get a decent finish out of it. We survived." - Kevin Harvick, finished sixth
"I don't know about that. It was a solid night. I was really good out front there in the beginning. We really struggled all day on Friday and tonight we could just not get it to take off good and then be good on the long runs. It looked like some guys were maybe a little bit freer than us on the shorter runs, but we were still able to maintain some good lap times and then be good on the long runs. It was a solid effort. It was a great call there to try to make two (tires) work. Our car was just way too tight to be able to do it. We lost a few more positions than I was hoping. But it was still solid." - Jeff Gordon, finished seventh
"We struggled all night on the short run. Our Quicken Loans Chevrolet was really good as the run went on; it would come to life 20 or 25 laps into the run. But by then, we'd lost track position and couldn't get it back. We weren't able to capitalize on the speed we had in the car. Matt Borland (crew chief) kept adjusting on the car all night, but we couldn't get it where we needed it to be. At the end of the day, we came home eighth, which means we'll pay 10 mortgages for 10 fans thanks to the 'Bring it Home' sweepstakes, and Monday will be a Bloomin' Monday at Outback Steakhouse." - Ryan Newman, finished eighth
"It was a long night. Congratulations to Brad for putting a Ford in Victory Lane. He did a good job, but we just struggled all night. We're fortunate to finish tenth. I hate to say that, but we just weren't very good. It was really hard to pass, but not for everybody. Some people could make it happen, so I have to say that as far as how the tire drove and all that stuff, I'd say this was better and more fun to drive. This is my kind of race track. It's aging, but we just couldn't make anything happen." - Carl Edwards, finished tenth
"Man, when it isn't your day it just isn't your day. We should have had a top-five, but something happened under the hood with about 30 (laps) to go and it just killed us. We were looking so good. I nursed it there at the end. Brian (Pattie, crew chief) told me he really wants to race this car in Texas, so we did all we could not to wreck the car. If it's as good at Texas as it was tonight. then Texas could be a lot of fun." - Clint Bowyer, finished 11th
"I'm not happy with how it went, but I'm happy with the finish. We weren't very good. We were better than I thought we were gonna be, so I guess it's a positive. We just can't seem to make any changes that change the car, and then when we make an adjustment that we collectively come up with to loosen it up, it tightens it up, so I don't know. We've got to figure these cars out is the issue. We don't have a handle on how we need to adjust throughout the race, but we ran in the top 16 all night, so I think that's a positive. We haven't done that all year long, so we ran there all race and finished there, so that was a positive for us, but we still have a lot of work to do." - Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished 13th
"We lost the handling of the car and it was a struggle the entire night. We had an upbeat feeling about tonight after two strong practices on Friday but nothing really materialized for us to make a charge. It's disappointing to finish where we did (14th) after having a number of solid runs on the mile-and-a-halfs, including last week's runner-up finish in Kansas. Next week we'll give it another go in the Wonder bread car at Talladega." - Kurt Busch, finished 14th
"We didn't have a great starting spot with our GoDaddy Chevy, and as always at these mile-and-a-halfs, track position is really important just because how tough it is to run in traffic and as a result... pass. It really was just a little tight the first couple of runs and then man, I don't know what else we could have done to fix the balance. All we needed really was track position and more yellows so we could get back on the lead lap. The team did a really great job of working through practices and my pit crew did an awesome job of getting me out in record time. We just needed track position." - Danica Patrick, finished 20th
"We had a top-5 car tonight and had someone get into us. It cost us a lot. The NAPA Toyota just got too tight and we had to wait for a caution to get it repaired. Once we did, it was back to running top-5 times, but it was too late to get back onto the lead lap. We tried, that's for sure. We gambled at the end, but with three (laps) to go, we ran out of gas. I want to thank Chad (Johnston, crew chief) and the guys for giving me a good car tonight. We just got ran into and it made for a tough night." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished 22nd
"Man, that was a tough night for our Aaron's Dream Machine. Early in the race, it didn't feel like a race car. It was like there was something broken. But we made a ton of changes and got it running pretty decent there at the end. Wish we could start the race again because I know we would run better." - Brian Vickers, finished 25th
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud: Charlotte-2 Sprint Cup Race Recap
by Mike Neff
by Phil Allaway
Keselowski Cleans Up, No Crisis Here... Which Means No One Should Freak Out
by Summer Bedgood
Closing The Deal: One NASCAR Champ's Sudden Achilles Heel
by Tom Bowles
Pace Laps: Adding Alliances, Taking Breaks And Anticipating Recoveries
by the Frontstretch Staff
Want The Real NASCAR? It's Still Out There
by Mike Neff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Dale Earnhardt dominated the 1990 DieHard 500 at Talladega to earn his third restrictor plate victory of the season. However, there was a mystery incident on the last lap of the race. What happened?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: As a result of maneuvering by then-new Charlotte Motor Speedway GM Humpy Wheeler, Janet Guthrie was procured a ride for the 1976 World 600. However, Guthrie was having trouble getting up to speed with an evil-handling Chevrolet Laguna that was 16 mph off the pace of the eventual pole speed. Who did Guthrie's USAC car owner get to turn some laps in Guthrie's car and give his opinion about it?
A: According to Guthrie's autobiography, Janet Guthrie; A Life At Full Throttle, Guthrie's USAC car owner, Rolla Vollstedt, arranged for Cale Yarborough, who went on to win the Winston Cup championship that year for Junior Johnson, to take some laps in Guthrie's No. 68 and get a read on the car. Yarborough went out on track and was only able to equal what Guthrie could do.
Afterwards, Johnson came over to discuss Guthrie's car with Yarborough. After what Guthrie described as a "...brief, low, incomprehensible conversation," Johnson told his chief mechanic to give Guthrie's team a proper setup. This allowed Guthrie the proper speed (nearly ten mph faster than in practice) to qualify on Row 14. Guthrie ultimately finished 15th, 21 laps down after dealing with a broken header, and a transmission that kept jumping out of gear.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take 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 Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Tom Bowles
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: Bank of America 500 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Coming Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Tom Bowles
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: Bank of America 500 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Five Points To Ponder by Danny Peters
Danny returns for his weekly edition of talking points, which will wrap up the action at Charlotte and get us ready for Talladega.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Charlotte-Talladega Edition by Brad Morgan
Brad gives up something to look forward to going into Talladega. He's tracking the trends of the past few weeks to see which drivers are on a tear... or tearing their hair out.
Racing To The Point by Brett Poirier
Brett is back with another commentary to make you think. This week, he looks at Brad Keselowski's missing the Chase... which is causing all of us to miss out on a little something.
Going By The Numbers by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin enlightens us with his weekly statistics column based on trends we've been seeing in the Cup Series so far this season.
Brad gives up something to look forward to going into Talladega. He's tracking the trends of the past few weeks to see which drivers are on a tear... or tearing their hair out.
Racing To The Point by Brett Poirier
Brett is back with another commentary to make you think. This week, he looks at Brad Keselowski's missing the Chase... which is causing all of us to miss out on a little something.
Going By The Numbers by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin enlightens us with his weekly statistics column based on trends we've been seeing in the Cup Series so far this season.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series both raced at Charlotte Speedway. How did ESPN do last weekend? Find out in our weekly TV critique.
-----------------------------Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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©2013 Frontstretch.com
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