THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
- Richard Petty Motorsports has a special event scheduled, near their shops in North Carolina where they're scheduled to announce a new sponsor for Marcos Ambrose in 2014. The driver, crew chief Drew Blickensderfer and team principals will be speaking to reporters about their future.
- Tuesday, typical NASCAR teleconference day for the national media has a pair of Chase drivers on tap. Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle will be available to speak with reporters. Biffle, especially is in the eye of the storm after Sunday (see below) following a postrace confrontation with Chase co-leader Jimmie Johnson.
Top News
McDowell signs with Leavine Family Racing
Michael McDowell will be moving into a new Sprint Cup ride come 2014. The journeyman driver, who has spent the majority of the last four seasons start-and-parking for Phil Parsons, will leave the No. 98 team for Leavine Family Racing. The 28-year-old, who has run the distance in just 15 of his last 124 Cup starts, hopes that changes driving the No. 95 car, a small team based out of Texas with big aspirations to grow into a Sprint Cup contender.
"This is an extremely good opportunity for me," said the driver in a press release announcing the move. "[Owner] Bob [Leavine] and I first started talking about the possibilities months ago. I'm happy to be a part of this organization."
McDowell did drive for the team once this season, during the Sprint All-Star Race preliminary event in May and finished a respectable 14th. This year, he's earned one top-10 finish for PPR, out of six races completed with a ninth in February's Daytona 500. His five starts in the Nationwide Series, for Joe Gibbs Racing have been slightly better; he's got a pole and a second-place finish, highlighted on his resume which both occurred at Mid-Ohio this summer.
"Michael gets the most out of his car, no matter what he's driving or who he's driving for," claimed new owner Leavine. "He takes care of his cars and gets good finishes. With his experience and ability, we feel he can excel in our equipment."
The plan for the No. 95 team is to run its Cup car full-time, next season as well as make selected Nationwide Series starts. So far in 2013, they've struggled at the Cup level, finishing just three of 18 events with drivers Scott Speed, Reed Sorenson and Scott Riggs. The team has a best result of ninth, earned this April by Speed at Talladega.
Brian Vickers Speaks On 2014
Despite a recent health setback, Brian Vickers remains confident he'll be driving a Sprint Cup car by February 2014. Speaking out on Sunday in Martinsville, the Michael Waltrip Racing veteran explained the precautionary measure was necessary, keeping him out of the No. 55 Toyota for the season's final five races due to the potential of disastrous side effects blood thinner medicine could provide.
"As long as I can promise my doctors that I will not crash, then they're fine with me racing," he joked. "Unfortunately, there's a lot of moving parts in a car that I can't control and 42 competitors that I can't control."
Vickers went on to say catching the clot early was key in ensuring a quick recovery. As a result, the medication can be restricted to just three months before he can return to a normal lifestyle. That puts him well on pace to be ready well before Daytona Speedweeks.
"I like to snow ski," he explained while justifying his desire to keep racing full-time. "I like to ride motorcycles. I like to skydive. I like to do a lot of things that most doctors wouldn't agree with, period.
"[And] I want to win a Sprint Cup championship."
Criminal Charges Dismissed In Mike Harmon – Jennifer Jo Cobb Case
A long-running dispute over stolen equipment has ended in Mike Harmon's favor, at least in criminal court. Theft charges from the state of North Carolina, at the behest of Jennifer Jo Cobb were dropped Monday, freeing Harmon and financial partner David Novak from further penalties. Harmon was free on bond, while Novak was never arrested in conjunction with a confusing case in which Cobb's trailer, along with trucks and equipment were taken as "back payment" for funds owed to Novak and Harmon for their former investment in her No. 10 Camping World Truck Series team.
As for the criminal charges, North Carolina prosecutors released a short statement explaining their decision. "After careful review of all evidence in the case," they said, "Including, but not limited to, financial records, personal correspondence, tax records, legal filings and corporate filing, the State concludes the charges cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. In particular, the elements of intent and ownership of the property in question cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The alleged conduct and issues raised are more appropriate for civil litigation. In addition, the prosecuting witness no longer wishes to pursue criminal charges."
Now, attention turns to a civil case between Cobb, Harmon and Novak scheduled for the courts in Kansas on November 20th. Cobb is still seeking damages there for the loss of equipment, which she estimates to be hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the meantime, both parties plan to finish their seasons driving for their respective teams in Camping World Trucks.
Unfortunately, neither side has been successful on the racetrack. Cobb has finished just five Truck races this season, driving her No. 10 full-time with a best result of 17th. She's got nine DNFs, four DNQs and sits 26th in the Truck Series standings. Harmon, meanwhile hasn't run inside the top 20 with his self-owned Nationwide Series team since a 17th at Daytona back in February. In ten starts, running the Truck Series as a driver he has yet to crack the top 20.
News 'N' Notes
- Greg Biffle, one day after a Twitter apology to Jimmie Johnson laid fairly low Monday while both drivers continued to cool it after a dramatic Martinsville post-race confrontation. The following is a transcript of what transpired, courtesy Bob Pockrass and the Sporting News:
Biffle: "Hey, you tore my bumper off, you [expletive]."
Johnson: "I was inside of you."
Biffle: "You [expletive] ran in the back of me."
Johnson: "I was inside of you."
Biffle: "You better watch it." (begins to walk away)
Johnson (grabs Biffle's arm): "If you want to talk about it, we can talk about it."
Biffle: "We just did. [Expletive] man, I had to go all the way to the back."
Biffle's anger came from a ripped rear bumper that caused him an extra stop and cost him a shot at a rare Martinsville top 5. He wound up ninth in the race while Johnson finished fifth. Johnson, for his part had no additional comment Monday either.
- Clint Bowyer, speaking at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Monday joked over the ongoing Kevin Harvick – Richard Childress feud. "That's a divorce," he said to a group of reporters. "That's like her taking not only the furniture and the silverware — she took the dog, too. (Harvick) didn't get the animal, I would say."
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 29th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CCII
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 29th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CCII
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What To Watch: Tuesday- Richard Petty Motorsports has a special event scheduled, near their shops in North Carolina where they're scheduled to announce a new sponsor for Marcos Ambrose in 2014. The driver, crew chief Drew Blickensderfer and team principals will be speaking to reporters about their future.
- Tuesday, typical NASCAR teleconference day for the national media has a pair of Chase drivers on tap. Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle will be available to speak with reporters. Biffle, especially is in the eye of the storm after Sunday (see below) following a postrace confrontation with Chase co-leader Jimmie Johnson.
Top News
by Tom Bowles
McDowell signs with Leavine Family Racing
Michael McDowell will be moving into a new Sprint Cup ride come 2014. The journeyman driver, who has spent the majority of the last four seasons start-and-parking for Phil Parsons, will leave the No. 98 team for Leavine Family Racing. The 28-year-old, who has run the distance in just 15 of his last 124 Cup starts, hopes that changes driving the No. 95 car, a small team based out of Texas with big aspirations to grow into a Sprint Cup contender.
"This is an extremely good opportunity for me," said the driver in a press release announcing the move. "[Owner] Bob [Leavine] and I first started talking about the possibilities months ago. I'm happy to be a part of this organization."
McDowell did drive for the team once this season, during the Sprint All-Star Race preliminary event in May and finished a respectable 14th. This year, he's earned one top-10 finish for PPR, out of six races completed with a ninth in February's Daytona 500. His five starts in the Nationwide Series, for Joe Gibbs Racing have been slightly better; he's got a pole and a second-place finish, highlighted on his resume which both occurred at Mid-Ohio this summer.
"Michael gets the most out of his car, no matter what he's driving or who he's driving for," claimed new owner Leavine. "He takes care of his cars and gets good finishes. With his experience and ability, we feel he can excel in our equipment."
The plan for the No. 95 team is to run its Cup car full-time, next season as well as make selected Nationwide Series starts. So far in 2013, they've struggled at the Cup level, finishing just three of 18 events with drivers Scott Speed, Reed Sorenson and Scott Riggs. The team has a best result of ninth, earned this April by Speed at Talladega.
Brian Vickers Speaks On 2014
Despite a recent health setback, Brian Vickers remains confident he'll be driving a Sprint Cup car by February 2014. Speaking out on Sunday in Martinsville, the Michael Waltrip Racing veteran explained the precautionary measure was necessary, keeping him out of the No. 55 Toyota for the season's final five races due to the potential of disastrous side effects blood thinner medicine could provide.
"As long as I can promise my doctors that I will not crash, then they're fine with me racing," he joked. "Unfortunately, there's a lot of moving parts in a car that I can't control and 42 competitors that I can't control."
Vickers went on to say catching the clot early was key in ensuring a quick recovery. As a result, the medication can be restricted to just three months before he can return to a normal lifestyle. That puts him well on pace to be ready well before Daytona Speedweeks.
"I like to snow ski," he explained while justifying his desire to keep racing full-time. "I like to ride motorcycles. I like to skydive. I like to do a lot of things that most doctors wouldn't agree with, period.
"[And] I want to win a Sprint Cup championship."
Criminal Charges Dismissed In Mike Harmon – Jennifer Jo Cobb Case
A long-running dispute over stolen equipment has ended in Mike Harmon's favor, at least in criminal court. Theft charges from the state of North Carolina, at the behest of Jennifer Jo Cobb were dropped Monday, freeing Harmon and financial partner David Novak from further penalties. Harmon was free on bond, while Novak was never arrested in conjunction with a confusing case in which Cobb's trailer, along with trucks and equipment were taken as "back payment" for funds owed to Novak and Harmon for their former investment in her No. 10 Camping World Truck Series team.
As for the criminal charges, North Carolina prosecutors released a short statement explaining their decision. "After careful review of all evidence in the case," they said, "Including, but not limited to, financial records, personal correspondence, tax records, legal filings and corporate filing, the State concludes the charges cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. In particular, the elements of intent and ownership of the property in question cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The alleged conduct and issues raised are more appropriate for civil litigation. In addition, the prosecuting witness no longer wishes to pursue criminal charges."
Now, attention turns to a civil case between Cobb, Harmon and Novak scheduled for the courts in Kansas on November 20th. Cobb is still seeking damages there for the loss of equipment, which she estimates to be hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the meantime, both parties plan to finish their seasons driving for their respective teams in Camping World Trucks.
Unfortunately, neither side has been successful on the racetrack. Cobb has finished just five Truck races this season, driving her No. 10 full-time with a best result of 17th. She's got nine DNFs, four DNQs and sits 26th in the Truck Series standings. Harmon, meanwhile hasn't run inside the top 20 with his self-owned Nationwide Series team since a 17th at Daytona back in February. In ten starts, running the Truck Series as a driver he has yet to crack the top 20.
News 'N' Notes
- Greg Biffle, one day after a Twitter apology to Jimmie Johnson laid fairly low Monday while both drivers continued to cool it after a dramatic Martinsville post-race confrontation. The following is a transcript of what transpired, courtesy Bob Pockrass and the Sporting News:
Biffle: "Hey, you tore my bumper off, you [expletive]."
Johnson: "I was inside of you."
Biffle: "You [expletive] ran in the back of me."
Johnson: "I was inside of you."
Biffle: "You better watch it." (begins to walk away)
Johnson (grabs Biffle's arm): "If you want to talk about it, we can talk about it."
Biffle: "We just did. [Expletive] man, I had to go all the way to the back."
Biffle's anger came from a ripped rear bumper that caused him an extra stop and cost him a shot at a rare Martinsville top 5. He wound up ninth in the race while Johnson finished fifth. Johnson, for his part had no additional comment Monday either.
- Clint Bowyer, speaking at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Monday joked over the ongoing Kevin Harvick – Richard Childress feud. "That's a divorce," he said to a group of reporters. "That's like her taking not only the furniture and the silverware — she took the dog, too. (Harvick) didn't get the animal, I would say."
Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Martinsville: Where NASCAR Still Lives in Its Roots
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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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Martinsville: Where NASCAR Still Lives in Its Roots
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady
There were cold nights and bright, sunny days. We climbed the grassy hill, crossed the railroad tracks and wandered under the Turn 3 and 4 stands. Here we found kettle corn, a new 2014 Impala to climb in and a few other distractions before entering the actual track. We walked the frontstretch, getting the feel of the place. Smaller than NHMS, but there's an air of comfort here in Martinsville. The venue has seen just about everything, and time has allowed it to mellow a bit. There's no need for neon lights or binoculars here.
It's a reminder of where NASCAR just about began. A place where it remains, still.
That was April. But there are intangibles that linger with a visitor. While watching Sunday's Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 and savoring Jeff Gordon's 88th career win, there were other things I enjoyed about the broadcast. I laughed at Kasey Kahne chewing up the painted grass, gave some serious thought about what the track could do with those seats covered up on the backstretch and grinned when the train rolled by. I didn't mind getting woken up at odd hours while we were there. It just added to the experience of everything Martinsville.
When the field came to the green, two-wide and 21 deep I still couldn't help but wonder how they managed to cram so many cars on such a small track. And why aren't there more people filling the grandstands? Martinsville is one amazing place at which to savor a race.
That's what actually setting foot onto one of our storied tracks garners the rabid NASCAR fan, a sense of perspective. How little, flat, steep, sharp, slippery, or old the place seems. What it looks like from the level of the driver's cockpit. The smell and sounds particular to this location while recognizing the familiar army that travels with the circuit. How high the stands crowd in the racing surface, or at a larger track, where the asphalt blends in with an open horizon.
When we turn on the TV, the cameras provide us an eagle's eye version of the arena. Sweeping shots of nearby hills and the crowds of RVs vie for space with the NASCAR logo on your screen. Once the action on-track begins, the angle focuses and we begin to block out all that is unique to this week, this time. You begin to lose touch...
I am a short track girl at heart. In my travels to the different ones up and down the East Coast, it's only reinforced my love for rubbin' and bumpin' through building memories while sitting in the stands. There's immediacy to the competition when an engine turns over, when you feel the rumble through the aluminum you're sitting on. It's where the smell of unburned fuel stings your nose and the cloud of a victor's burnout chokes you with smoke. This type of track is when the visceral passion for auto racing takes over your heart. It's emotion that can't be reproduced on TV, no matter how big your screen is or how loud the surround sound becomes.
Neither can the experience of a day at a short track be duplicated at a superspeedway. I have enjoyed trips to several giant ovals, and mostly what I remember from the day of the actual race is how hot/cold/wet and even bored I was. It's not until I'm climbing through the garages do I find the desire to touch, inhale and smile has been fulfilled.
And yet, there's something alluring to the NASCAR tourist when selecting a giant destination, too. Daytona, Charlotte and Indy all sparkle in the sun. They stand over everything in their immediate vicinity, trumpeting to one and all that this race is the big time. They emit that "I'm going to Disney" sort of call to the NASCAR fan. It's the ultimate place; one where all the legends came from and return to. Can't you hear them spouting the thank you's to the sponsors? See the balloons float into the sky? There are practically angels singing as you approach.
But can you really touch your heroes from the top of the tower? The roar of the engines lessens, the enticement of a beer calls, you check your smartphone... and in our new T-Shirts, we become part of the corporate monster that is NASCAR. The experience in these stainless steel venues blends with the 21st Century image our sanctioning body works so hard to maintain. That's when the grease, shredded sheet metal and gnarled hands of the crews loses their significance, their history.
Tracks like Martinsville made this sport. It's down at the fence line where the wind from a speeding machine will blow your hair back and vibrate the earth beneath your feet. You can pick up a marble flung by a shredding tire. Your shoes might get grated by the worn asphalt. It's racing. It's here. Within reach.
What does it all mean? When you're thinking about the negative things that the current state of our sport will surely engender, don't forget that there is still a place that has pretty much ignored the sleeker offices down in Charlotte and Daytona. Racing in Martinsville is still about driving hard, smart, and maybe pushing your neighbor into the wall. One visit to a short track will remind you why you fell in love with the sport all over again, and why auto racing is still the best show on earth.
There were cold nights and bright, sunny days. We climbed the grassy hill, crossed the railroad tracks and wandered under the Turn 3 and 4 stands. Here we found kettle corn, a new 2014 Impala to climb in and a few other distractions before entering the actual track. We walked the frontstretch, getting the feel of the place. Smaller than NHMS, but there's an air of comfort here in Martinsville. The venue has seen just about everything, and time has allowed it to mellow a bit. There's no need for neon lights or binoculars here.
It's a reminder of where NASCAR just about began. A place where it remains, still.
That was April. But there are intangibles that linger with a visitor. While watching Sunday's Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 and savoring Jeff Gordon's 88th career win, there were other things I enjoyed about the broadcast. I laughed at Kasey Kahne chewing up the painted grass, gave some serious thought about what the track could do with those seats covered up on the backstretch and grinned when the train rolled by. I didn't mind getting woken up at odd hours while we were there. It just added to the experience of everything Martinsville.
When the field came to the green, two-wide and 21 deep I still couldn't help but wonder how they managed to cram so many cars on such a small track. And why aren't there more people filling the grandstands? Martinsville is one amazing place at which to savor a race.
That's what actually setting foot onto one of our storied tracks garners the rabid NASCAR fan, a sense of perspective. How little, flat, steep, sharp, slippery, or old the place seems. What it looks like from the level of the driver's cockpit. The smell and sounds particular to this location while recognizing the familiar army that travels with the circuit. How high the stands crowd in the racing surface, or at a larger track, where the asphalt blends in with an open horizon.
When we turn on the TV, the cameras provide us an eagle's eye version of the arena. Sweeping shots of nearby hills and the crowds of RVs vie for space with the NASCAR logo on your screen. Once the action on-track begins, the angle focuses and we begin to block out all that is unique to this week, this time. You begin to lose touch...
I am a short track girl at heart. In my travels to the different ones up and down the East Coast, it's only reinforced my love for rubbin' and bumpin' through building memories while sitting in the stands. There's immediacy to the competition when an engine turns over, when you feel the rumble through the aluminum you're sitting on. It's where the smell of unburned fuel stings your nose and the cloud of a victor's burnout chokes you with smoke. This type of track is when the visceral passion for auto racing takes over your heart. It's emotion that can't be reproduced on TV, no matter how big your screen is or how loud the surround sound becomes.
Neither can the experience of a day at a short track be duplicated at a superspeedway. I have enjoyed trips to several giant ovals, and mostly what I remember from the day of the actual race is how hot/cold/wet and even bored I was. It's not until I'm climbing through the garages do I find the desire to touch, inhale and smile has been fulfilled.
And yet, there's something alluring to the NASCAR tourist when selecting a giant destination, too. Daytona, Charlotte and Indy all sparkle in the sun. They stand over everything in their immediate vicinity, trumpeting to one and all that this race is the big time. They emit that "I'm going to Disney" sort of call to the NASCAR fan. It's the ultimate place; one where all the legends came from and return to. Can't you hear them spouting the thank you's to the sponsors? See the balloons float into the sky? There are practically angels singing as you approach.
But can you really touch your heroes from the top of the tower? The roar of the engines lessens, the enticement of a beer calls, you check your smartphone... and in our new T-Shirts, we become part of the corporate monster that is NASCAR. The experience in these stainless steel venues blends with the 21st Century image our sanctioning body works so hard to maintain. That's when the grease, shredded sheet metal and gnarled hands of the crews loses their significance, their history.
Tracks like Martinsville made this sport. It's down at the fence line where the wind from a speeding machine will blow your hair back and vibrate the earth beneath your feet. You can pick up a marble flung by a shredding tire. Your shoes might get grated by the worn asphalt. It's racing. It's here. Within reach.
What does it all mean? When you're thinking about the negative things that the current state of our sport will surely engender, don't forget that there is still a place that has pretty much ignored the sleeker offices down in Charlotte and Daytona. Racing in Martinsville is still about driving hard, smart, and maybe pushing your neighbor into the wall. One visit to a short track will remind you why you fell in love with the sport all over again, and why auto racing is still the best show on earth.
S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch and runs a NASCAR blog called the S-Curves. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @laregna and on her Facebook page (she's an author, too!) at https://www.facebook.com/Author.SDGrady.
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Numbers Game: Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500
by Tom Bowles
0
Points separating championship leaders Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth in the standings with three races left. It's officially the closest competition, seven races into the Chase since NASCAR adopted the playoff system in 2004.
1
Top-10 finish for Kasey Kahne during the Chase. Everyone else has at least two.
2
Top-5 finishes in the last six years for Roush Fenway Racing cars at Martinsville. Maybe that's why Matt Kenseth had so much trouble there? Greg Biffle, in ninth was the best RFR could do this time around.
3
Laps apiece made up by Michael McDowell and Travis Kvapil through NASCAR's "Lucky Dog" policy. It happened during a series of cautions, midrace to bring both men back onto the lead lap. In the end, both were unable to stay there; Kvapil fell to 24th, one lap behind while McDowell finished two laps back in 26th.
4
Chasers inside the top 5 on Sunday. So far Talladega is the only race, out of seven this postseason where the top 5 was comprised of three Chasers or less.
5
Drivers within one race's worth of points for the lead with three races left. Jeff Gordon can come out on top, at Texas if he wins, then leads the most laps while Johnson and Kenseth finish 24th or worse (while failing to lead a single circuit). For Harvick, use the same scenario and replace 24th with 25th. For Kyle Busch, he would need both men on top to run 33rd or worse, along with Harvick to run fifth or worse and Gordon to finish outside the top 5.
6
Laps led by Elliott Sadler Sunday. It's the first time he's been up front, during a Cup race since Talladega in the Fall of 2010.
7.1
Jeff Gordon's average finish during the Chase. During the regular season, that number ballooned to 15.5.
8
Years since Kurt Busch earned a top-10 finish at Martinsville; he was sixth during the 2005 Fall race there. Overall, he's got just four top 10s in 27 career starts, a mediocre average finish of 21.5 and just one career victory at the track.
14.5
Average finish for Danica Patrick at Martinsville this season. Only at Daytona (11.0) did she perform better.
15
Sprint Cup victories by Richard Petty at Martinsville, a career total that leads all drivers. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, the active career leaders have just eight apiece.
33
Gordon's winless streak in the Cup Series, officially snapped at Martinsville Sunday. He last won at the Homestead season finale in 2012. As for Martinsville, it had been eight years since Gordon's last win at the facility (Fall 2005).
111
Total number of laps run under caution at Martinsville. That's the most for any Sprint Cup race in six years. (There were 21 cautions, for 127 laps in the Fall 2007 Martinsville event).
169
Laps led by Matt Kenseth, during a 13-year career in the Cup Series at Martinsville prior to Sunday.
202
Laps led by Matt Kenseth in Sunday's race, the most of any driver.
573
Cup starts since Ken Schrader last visited Victory Lane. The former Hendrick Motorsports driver hasn't won since June 1991 at Dover, yet survived in the Cup Series for over two decades in a long list of top-tier rides. Schrader, who was 28th at Martinsville in the No. 32 Ford will retire, at age 58 next month at Homestead.
$101,060
Money won by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for finishing eighth.
$105,408
Money won by Ryan Newman for finishing 38th. Did I mention Newman started 17th while Earnhardt started 12th? And neither driver led a lap? NASCAR's purse structure continues to confuse…
Tom Bowles is the Editor-In-Chief of Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Racing To The Point: What Does The Future Hold For Vickers?
by Brett Poirier
by Brad Morgan
by Phil Allaway
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The night before the Indy Racing League race mentioned in yesterday's trivia question, the then-Craftsman Truck Series held their first-ever race at Texas Motor Speedway. Jack Sprague won the pole for the Pronto Auto Parts 400k. However, when the race came around, Sprague was all the way in the back with his time disallowed. What happened?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: The inaugural True Value 500k for the Indy Racing League is best known for the scoring issues that led to the wrong driver (Billy Boat) in Victory Lane and Arie Luyendyk (the rightful victor) being the recipient of a pimp slap from A.J. Foyt.
However, the ridiculousness at the end may have been quite a bit different had another incident not happened. What was it?
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The night before the Indy Racing League race mentioned in yesterday's trivia question, the then-Craftsman Truck Series held their first-ever race at Texas Motor Speedway. Jack Sprague won the pole for the Pronto Auto Parts 400k. However, when the race came around, Sprague was all the way in the back with his time disallowed. What happened?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: The inaugural True Value 500k for the Indy Racing League is best known for the scoring issues that led to the wrong driver (Billy Boat) in Victory Lane and Arie Luyendyk (the rightful victor) being the recipient of a pimp slap from A.J. Foyt.
However, the ridiculousness at the end may have been quite a bit different had another incident not happened. What was it?
A: Boat only inherited the lead when Tony Stewart blew an engine and crashed with two laps to go. Interestingly enough, Boat was off the pace towards the end of the race and ESPN2's commentators thought he was having issues. At the time that Stewart blew his engine, he had a 20 second lead on Boat. The incident can be seen here.
Ultimately, Luyendyk would still have won because he had actually run three laps that USAC failed to score (in the official results, Luyendyk is credited as the only driver on the lead lap). The only difference here is that John Menard might have been a little more understanding about the situation than Foyt. As for USAC, the Indy Racing League severed their relationship shortly afterwards.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Tom Bowles
-- WTF Wednesday by Ellen Richardson
-- Tweet 'N' Greet by Kevin Rutherford
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Did You Notice? by Tom Bowles-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Is there both a blessing and a curse behind Darrell Wallace, Jr.'s latest victory? Tom Bowles expands on that point, updates the Silly Season picture and more in his long list of small but important observations surrounding NASCAR's top three series.
Beyond The Cockpit: Daniel Hemric as told to Mike Neff
Saturday saw an up-and-coming talent out of the late model and Legends ranks make his Camping World Truck Series debut at Martinsville. Prior to his debut, our own Mike Neff sat down with the 22-year old to talk about his new opportunity.
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Martinsville by Michael Mehedin
Matt Kenseth's second-place finish Sunday brought him equal with Jimmie Johnson, but is he equal with Johnson in the poll? Maybe, maybe not. Kenseth will need the most votes from our panel of web experts to take charge of our weekly top 15.
Side By Side: Should Harvick Finish The Year With RCR? by Kevin Rutherford and TBA
Should Richard Childress have released Kevin Harvick immediately following Harvick's comments after Saturday's Truck Series race? Our experts debate and YOU vote as to which side wins in our weekly feature.
Frontstretch Top Ten by the Frontstretch Staff
Tickle your funny bone with this weekly racing list that gets you laughing every Wednesday.
Happiness Is... by Huston Ladner
Don't let your life sink into the pits. Huston takes a look at the racing stories from the last seven days that should leave you smiling.
Editor's Note: Open-Wheel Wednesday will have a special roundtable, moving the column to Thursday for this week only. Stay tuned for this end-of-season edition!
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