THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 2nd, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXXXIII
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Which Cup Series drivers do you think will retire after the season? Click here to vote in our biggest daily poll. And don't miss our exclusive, one-on-one interview with Sebastien Bourdais in this week's Beyond The Cockpit.
Top News
by Tom Bowles
Piquet Penalized For Anti-Gay SlurA post on Instagram has landed Nelson Piquet, Jr. in instant trouble with NASCAR's upper brass. In response to a photo of Parker Kligerman, on September 25th the Brazilian driver "playfully" used an anti-gay slur in his comments, a slur which could be publicly seen on social media. In response, officials hit the driver with a $10,000 fine Tuesday, probation for the rest of the season and will require him to attend sensitivity training.
Listed among the rules Piquet violated were Sections 7-5 (NASCAR's Code Of Conduct) and the infamous 12-1 (Actions Detrimental To Stock Car Racing). NASCAR's Vice President, Steve O'Donnell, was firm in the sport's decisionmaking, claiming bluntly, "Piquet recently communicated an offensive and derogatory term that cannot be tolerated in our sport."
Reaction from Turner Scott Motorsports was swift. In a statement, the organization said, "Such remarks will not be tolerated at Turner Scott Motorsports. TSM expects those associated with the team to uphold professional standards that we can all be proud of. Nelson has assured the team that he has learned his lesson and he knows what it means to represent TSM."
Piquet followed with his own apology, explaining he "did not mean to hurt or offend anyone" by his remarks. "This has been a cultural learning experience," he continued, "That will make me a more sensitive person moving forward."
The penalty differed greatly from that of Jeremy Clements' earlier this season. Clements, who used a racial slur in private to an MTV reporter, was fined and then suspended for violating the sport's Code Of Conduct. In some ways, since Piquet's comment was available for public view one could argue Piquet's violation was worse.
Logano, Penske Racing Penalized For Dover Infraction
Failing post-race inspection at Dover has cost Saturday's winner Joey Logano along with his employer, Penske Racing. NASCAR Tuesday hit the team with a loss of six championship owner points, then fined crew chief Jeremy Bullins $10,000 as a result of the car being 1/16th of an inch too low.
In its ruling, NASCAR officials found the team in violation of three sections of the Nationwide Series rulebook. They are 12-1 (Actions Detrimental To Stock Car Racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to the NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20-A of the NASCAR rule book, or has been approved by NASCAR prior to the event); and 20A-12.8.1(B) (the car failed to meet the minimum front car heights).
Logano, who is not racing for points was allowed to keep the win and his prize money. Penske's No. 22 car still remains comfortably in front of the owner's championship, by 28 over Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 54 Toyota and has chosen not to appeal.
News 'N' Notes
- Germain Racing has announced they'll be making a switch from Ford to Chevrolet next season. Forming an alliance with Richard Childress Racing, the team will return otherwise intact with sponsorship from GEICO and driver Casey Mears. In its first year with Ford, the team did improve, with Mears a respectable 23rd in driver points. That's the second-best effort of any single-car team, behind Furniture Row Racing. Mears also has a lone top-10 finish, his best effort in the Cup Series in four years.
- Leavine Family Racing has announced they'll run a Nationwide Series team in a limited schedule this season, with an eye on making it a full-time operation in 2014. Michael McDowell and Reed Sorenson are among those expected to drive the car. There's no word as to whether that No. 95 team will be a start-and-park operation; the organization, with limited sponsorship has been mostly parking early on the Cup level. In 16 starts this season, the team has only completed three -- at the restrictor plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega.
- Ford has a new nose they've got approved for next season they hope will improve their fortunes on the Cup level for 2014. "The (wind-tunnel) results looked to be favorable," NASCAR Vice President Robin Pemberton told the Sporting News. "It doesn' t do anything aero-wise, but it just helps with the debris. It was inset more than the others. More times than not, it was harder for them to get the debris off the grille than the other makes."
- For a second straight week, NASCAR's Chase ratings ticked up. Dover posted a 2.4 rating, up from 2.2 last season which is a nine percent increase in the Nielsens. The overall audience was also up, from 3.58 million to 3.9 million for the 400-mile event out in Delaware.
Have news for Tom 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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Today's Featured Commentary
Inconsistency Reigns Over The Last Week In NASCAR
WTF Wednesdays
by Ellen Richardson
As the 2013 NASCAR season began to play out its final chapters this weekend, I couldn't help but wonder... will we ever see competition return to this sport? In fact, as I watched both Joey Logano and Jimmie Johnson dominate the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races, respectively, at Dover the first thought that came to my head was "there is no way that either these teams or NASCAR is playing fair."
I couldn't have been more on target. After leading 106 laps of the 5-hour Energy 200, at Dover International Speedway, Logano's No. 22 Hertz Mustang failed postrace inspection after officials found that the ride height was too low on both sides of the car, giving this Sprint Cup regular the clear advantage over those drivers who are competing in this series with the hopes to someday find their way to the top. In fact, NASCAR's newest rising star, Kyle Larson, had his hopes for a win on Saturday crushed by yet another Penske Racing rule violation this season, forced to watch Logano and his team celebrate in Victory Lane. It was a historic fourth straight win at the track; unfortunately, it will always come with an asterisk.
The small consolation for Larson, and others to this story is that Penske Racing's No. 22 NASCAR Nationwide Series team was penalized on Tuesday, resulting in the loss of six championship series car owner points while crew chief, Jeremy Bullins, was fined $10,000. I am glad that another team has been penalized for winning based on bending the rules. However, I am starting to wonder why NASCAR doesn't truly play fair and take away Logano's win?
Yes, I know that I have continued to bring up short track racing at NASCAR's home tracks this season, but I can't think of a better outline for this sport's bigwigs to start following. Don't get me wrong; even little local speedways bend the rules at times for their favorite or most popular drivers. However... the clear rule for most is if a winning car is found to be illegal, following the race the win is stripped. W (Why in this instance) TF doesn't NASCAR understand how simple and much more fair this policy is?
Speeding ahead to Sunday's AAA 400, I can't help but scream "Unfair!" Is it me, or did this race have just the right kind of so called late-race "debris caution" to give Five-Time or, as I like to refer to him, NASCAR's Golden Boy, just the kind of win to boost his championship hopes? Without it, Clint Bowyer or another driver had a strong chance to steal a dominating performance away on fuel mileage. Instead... it's the No. 48 team, this time setting a record for most ever wins at Dover. Hmm.
As I continue to watch NASCAR digging a giant hole for themselves, another rather entertaining look into their strange penalty-decision-making process also arose on Tuesday when Nelson Piquet, Jr. was fined $10,000 for a homophobic slur directed at a fellow driver. Are you kidding me – a slap on the wrist? Does anyone remember Jeremy Clements being suspended earlier this season for a similar slur? A NASCAR Senior Vice President justified this suspension stating that "NASCAR has a Code of Conduct that's explicitly spelled out in the 2013 NASCAR Rule Book, and we fully expect our entire industry to adhere to that Code." If this policy is actually the case, why not issue the same fair penalty for both drivers?
Of course, these inconsistencies are just a small example of some of the wild and unfair NASCAR storylines unfolding this season. The question now remains... can this sport ever find a way to look away from the almighty dollar and find a way back to somewhat fair and justified competition? Letting the race play out on its own, along with taking the win away from those who cheat would be two solid steps in that direction.
P.S. -- I would like to congratulate and wish luck to a well-deserving Kyle Larson. The up-and-coming driver will make an early leap into the Sprint Cup Series with a debut in Phoenix Racing's No. 51 Target Chevy in the Bank of America 500, at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 12th. What a justified way to rectify last Saturday's crazy misfortune!
Ellen Richardson is a Newsletter Contributor for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via e-mail at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com. Follow her on Twitter @EllenNRich.
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GOT A NASCAR QUESTION OR COMMENT? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
That's right; our Fan Q & A column is back once again in 2013. Send your question Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print on Thursday when she does her weekly column. It's all part of our daily mission to give back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat!
That's right; our Fan Q & A column is back once again in 2013. Send your question Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print on Thursday when she does her weekly column. It's all part of our daily mission to give back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat!
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Tweet 'N' Greet
by Kevin Rutherford
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Kevin Rutherford will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...
by Kevin Rutherford
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Kevin Rutherford will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...
@JimmieJohnson: Thanks everyone, the #Lowes48 team did an awesome job once again. #MaxPoints #6Pack
@TimothyPeters17: What an awesome night!!! So proud of my @RedHorseRacing team!!! Thx for all the messages! Can't wait to see my family! @toyotaracing @PartsPlusHQ
@landoncassill: Also, I'm pretty convinced if they wouldn't have thrown the checkers in that Nationwide race Saturday, we would still be in a green-flag run
@Kenny_Wallace: Can you believe @JimmieJohnson has shut our government down? #BlameJJ HA HA! ..... "@MatthewDillner: Govt Shutdown. Hmmm.
@BubbaWallace (Darrell Wallace Jr.): What a night last night, Stoked for my guys! We are so close! Excited for the last 5 coming up.
@KyleLarsonRacin: Got my pre Daytona car and my post race Daytona car pic.twitter.com/KxCiE5xaK1
@ClintBowyer: Very difficult to get that comfortable while stretching certain regions without breaking a little wind. #Yoga
@DanicaPatrick: I have some yoga pants you can borrow @ClintBowyer.
@KurtBusch: Golf✅ afternooner✅chainsaw✅...I'm writing this date down. I've got my man card back
@AndyLally: To offer me solutions is to offer me alternatives AND I DECLINE!!.... The government loves them some REM
@scottspeed: The F word has more ;) RT @GoogleFacts: The word "set" has 464 definitions, the most of any word in the English language.
@Mc_Driver (Michael McDowell): P.2 Then we can all go back to being robots to accommodate fans and sponsors. Not agreeing with actions but let's stop the nonsense.
Kevin Rutherford is an Assistant Editor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at kevin.rutherford@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @surfwax83.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
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 frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Tom Bowles
by Huston Ladner
NASCAR Writer Power Rankings: Top 15 After Dover II
compiled by Michael Mehedin
Happiness Is... Swan Songs, Silly Season, And A True Title Battle
compiled by Michael Mehedin
Happiness Is... Swan Songs, Silly Season, And A True Title Battle
by the Frontstretch Staff
Top Ten NASCAR-Themed Casino Games You Might (Hopefully Not) See At Kansas
by the Frontstretch Staff
Beyond the Cockpit: Sebastien Bourdais Dishes On His Past, Present, And Future
Top Ten NASCAR-Themed Casino Games You Might (Hopefully Not) See At Kansas
by the Frontstretch Staff
Beyond the Cockpit: Sebastien Bourdais Dishes On His Past, Present, And Future
by Phil Allaway
by Amy Henderson and Mark Howell
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the 2005 United Way 300 at Kansas Speedway, Reed Sorenson finished in sixth position. However, it wasn't exactly the cleanest run. What happened with Sorenson early in the race?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: The Reliant Park circuit (formerly known as Jagflo Speedway) that the IZOD IndyCar Series will be racing at this weekend was not the first attempt at a street race in Houston. For four years, CART ran an event in Downtown Houston near then-Enron Field. Unfortunately, the first race was overshadowed by rain and a controversial incident. What happened?
A: The Team Kool Green teammates were racing for the lead on the tricky street course when Tracy attempted a dive to the inside of Franchitti at the end of the seven-block long backstretch. Franchitti came down on Tracy at the end of the straight and essentially put Tracy in the wall, ending his day. The crash can be seen here.
Tracy was OK, but very angry. He believed that team owner Kim Green was favoring Franchitti over him, so once he drove back to the pits, he jumped out and went after Green in a somewhat bizarre instance. Eventually, cooler heads prevailed.
Tracy was OK, but very angry. He believed that team owner Kim Green was favoring Franchitti over him, so once he drove back to the pits, he jumped out and went after Green in a somewhat bizarre instance. Eventually, cooler heads prevailed.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite Frontstretch writers are back to discuss a variety of weekly storylines. Among them: the title Chase, Dover's "Earnhardt" ending and a look ahead to Kansas this Sunday.
Frontstretch Fan Q&A by Summer Bedgood
Summer takes on your NASCAR questions and answers them to the best of her ability. Be sure to send your questions in if there's something that's been nagging at you and you might see your name in print.
Fantasy Insider by Jeff Wolfe
Jeff brings fantasy racing back to Frontstretch this season. The week, he has your best bets as you fill out your roster for Kansas.
Tech Talk by Mike Neff
Mike has a Sprint Cup Series crew chief stop by to talk about the technical side of NASCAR.
Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth is back with all of the latest and greatest storylines to come out of the Truck Series. This week, Beth takes a look at the biggest moments in the season so far.
-----------------------------Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite Frontstretch writers are back to discuss a variety of weekly storylines. Among them: the title Chase, Dover's "Earnhardt" ending and a look ahead to Kansas this Sunday.
Frontstretch Fan Q&A by Summer Bedgood
Summer takes on your NASCAR questions and answers them to the best of her ability. Be sure to send your questions in if there's something that's been nagging at you and you might see your name in print.
Fantasy Insider by Jeff Wolfe
Jeff brings fantasy racing back to Frontstretch this season. The week, he has your best bets as you fill out your roster for Kansas.
Tech Talk by Mike Neff
Mike has a Sprint Cup Series crew chief stop by to talk about the technical side of NASCAR.
Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth is back with all of the latest and greatest storylines to come out of the Truck Series. This week, Beth takes a look at the biggest moments in the season so far.
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2013 Frontstretch.com
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