THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 24th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXCIX
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Top NewsPresented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 24th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXCIX
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by Phil Allaway
Last week, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Roush Fenway Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing planned a three-day test at Texas Motor Speedway in order to prepare for the AAA Texas 500, which will be run on November 3rd. However, the entire test was washed out due to rain on both Monday and Tuesday. Richard Childress Racing was already scheduled to hold a two-day test this Tuesday and Wednesday, by themselves, but they were now joined by the other four teams, creating a large-scale test session. For the most part, it was a very good practice for all teams involved.
For championship contender Matt Kenseth? Not so much.
Kenseth's test at Texas lasted a grand total of nine laps on Tuesday before he blew a tire and crashed hard into the wall. Afterwards, the No. 20 team packed up and returned to North Carolina, leaving the title contender none too pleased.
"We just had a tire problem and crashed, so we're done for the test," Kenseth said. "When you run nine laps and one blows apart for no reason, that's always a cause for concern, for sure."
Luckily, in Kenseth's case the car that he crashed was not the car that he planned on racing in Texas. That Toyota was back at the shop, safe and sound.
Kenseth's issues were the only tire failure issues encountered during the three-day test. However, the test did show that tire wear could be an issue. The tire compound, already set by Goodyear is actually wearing quite a bit on the 1.5 mile quad-oval. Kevin Harvick stated that the tires on his No. 29 would completely wear out after 35-40 laps, which is short of a full fuel run. The tires that will be used in Texas are the same compound that was used in April. There were no tire failures during the race then. However, it's not all bad. Carl Edwards seemed to like the rubber.
"Next Sunday is going to be a really great race and it's because of that racetrack," said Edwards. "It's because right now, you can drive in the corner, turn that car sideways and either run the very bottom or you can run right up against the fence and the track is taking rubber. Whatever is going on with the Goodyear tire and the way that this asphalt at Texas has aged, it's letting the rubber stick to the racetrack. As it sticks to the racetrack, that part of the track gets slick so people move up and find different grooves and then, when it all gets slick, it starts over again and everyone goes back to the bottom. This is the type of racing that I like to participate in and I hope the fans enjoy it. That's rare right now with all the new surfaces out there. This is as good as it gets."
No speeds were reported during the test. Expect high speeds during qualifying next week, but a significant dropoff during the race.
LaJoie Placed on Probation For Inappropriate Tweet
NASCAR announced on Wednesday that Corey LaJoie has been placed on probation after posting an inappropriate tweet on Twitter last week. He will have to attend sensitivity training as prescribed by NASCAR.
In their statement, NASCAR stated that LaJoie is being penalized for "an insensitive and intolerable communication" posted on Twitter on October 15. The tweet, which has since been deleted, suggested that the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) should conduct a cavity search on a man wearing a turban.
Wednesday afternoon, LaJoie tweeted out a statement.
"I am very sorry for those offended by my recent remark," LaJoie tweeted. "It was an immature & insensitive comment. I am upset with myself and how this has affected what has been a very positive year in my career."
This incident marks the second time this season that NASCAR has penalized a driver for comments on social media. Earlier this season, Nelson Piquet, Jr. was forced to attend sensitivity training after using a homophobic slur in the comments section of an Instagram picture that Parker Kligerman posted.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500: 43 cars entered
Number Change:
Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43 changes to No. 41 to honor NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee Maurice Petty.
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 30 - Cole Whitt for Swan Racing
No. 33 - Tony Raines for Circle Sport, LLC
No. 35 - Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports
No. 40 - Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing/Circle Sport, LLC
No. 51 - Kyle Larson for Phoenix Racing
No. 55 - Elliott Sadler for Michael Waltrip Racing
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR
No. 95 - Reed Sorenson for Leavine Family Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 32 - Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing Terry Labonte. Schrader is running a limited schedule for FAS Lane with sponsorship from Federated Auto Parts.
No. 33 - Tony Raines returns to the seat, replacing Landon Cassill. Tony Raines and Cassill are simply switching rides within the same Circle Sport/Hillman Racing partnership.
No. 40 - Landon Cassill returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines. Cassill and Tony Raines are simply switching rides within the same Circle Sport/Hillman Racing partnership.
No. 51 - Kyle Larson returns to the seat, replacing Justin Allgaier. Larson is running a limited schedule, with Phoenix in partnership with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing as he prepares for a full Cup Series schedule in 2014.
No. 55 - Elliott Sadler is in the seat, replacing Michael Waltrip. Sadler will finish out the year in the No. 55, replacing Brian Vickers, who is out due to a blood clot.
Since there are only 43 cars entered, no one will fail to qualify.
Not Entered:
No. 12 - Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200: 38 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 1 - Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing
No. 14 - Kevin Harvick for NTS Motorsports
No. 51 - Denny Hamlin for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 84 - Bradley Riethmeyer for Chris Fontaine, Inc./Rick Ware Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 1 - Carl Long is in the seat, replacing Timmy Hill. It's unknown if he'll run the distance, as this Truck has been brought out for a very limited schedule this season.
No. 6 - Daniel Hemric is in the seat, replacing Justin Lofton. If he qualifies, Hemric will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 14 - Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Max Papis. It's Harvick's potentially second start of the season, with this team in the Truck Series; he'll be carrying sponsorship from Anderson's Maple Syrup.
No. 51 - Denny Hamlin is in the seat, replacing Kyle Busch. Hamlin won the Truck Series race at Martinsville last Fall in this Truck.
No. 84 - Bradley Riethmeyer is in the seat, replacing Mike Harmon. Riethmeyer will be making his first Truck Series start in five seasons.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 1 - Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing
No. 6 - Daniel Hemric for Eddie Sharp Racing
No. 10 - Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 14 - Kevin Harvick for NTS Motorsports
No. 21 - Spencer Gallagher for Gallagher Motorsports
No. 22 - John Hunter Nemechek. If he qualifies on speed, Nemechek will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 27 - Jeff Agnew for Hillman Racing/Team 7 Motorsports
No. 30 - Ben Kennedy for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 33 - Brandon Jones for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 75 - Caleb Holman for Henderson Motorsports
No. 92 - Scott Riggs for RBR Enterprises
No. 93 - Chris Jones for RSS Racing*
No. 94 - Chase Elliott for Hendrick Motorsports/Turner Scott/Bill Elliott
Entered, but Already Withdrawn:
No. 78 - BJ McLeod
Not Entered:
No. 20 - Parker Kligerman for BRG Motorsports
No. 35 - Mason Mingus for Win-Tron Racing
No. 50 - Danny Efland for MAKE Motorsports
No. 63 - Scott Stenzel for MB Motorsports
No. 68 - Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Motorsports
No. 82 - Sean Corr for Empire Racing
No. 83 - Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
* - Expected to start and park
Have news for Phil, Summer and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Talladega Fallout and Drug Test Callout
Talladega Fallout and Drug Test Callout
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
After seeing the wreck on the final lap of last weekend's Truck race at Talladega, it brought to the surface again – at least for me – the role of Cup drivers participating in lower-tier series. Seeing Kyle Busch hit a concrete retaining wall (breaking it in the process) and sitting on the track afterwards among the chaos and carnage was probably unsetting for many fans – as it would also be probably for JGR, Toyota, and Mars. In 2011. it was an incident in a Truck race at Texas Motor Speedway that saw Kyle Busch suspended for the balance of the weekend.
At the time, Busch was 57 points out of the lead, and while it obviously cost the No. 18 team any shot at the championship that year, it almost cost him a sponsor – and his ride. With Kyle's Truck Series team, I understand why he's running it; he's building a race team to have a stake in the sport after he's done driving. I don't begrudge him that.
Unfortunately, with this latest incident, his participation in what is a developmental series could have accelerated that move to the sidelines substantially. As important as a Cup title is to Busch, once it gets to this time of year, especially at tracks where the danger level increases substantially, it might be time to reconsider having another driver take over during The Chase.
********************************************
Another week, and another NASCAR personality has failed a random drug screening. Todd Parrott failed a random drug test and was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR – and then released from Richard Petty Motorsports. It was a bit different than the last time a situation like this one occurred with AJ Allmendinger in 2012, though.
"I was in a dark moment and it happened," Parrott told host Eli Gold on MRN's NASCAR Live broadcast. Parrott did not confirm what banned substance he took that caused the failed test.
Gold then asked Parrott during "NASCAR Live'' if it was a longtime issue or something that happened recently which led to this failure.
"It's just something that happened and my number came up," Parrott said. "Not a whole lot I can say. I feel bad about it, I'm sorry for it and I'm ready to move on."
Whenever you see the headline pop up or I get an e-mail regarding news of these incidents, I can't help but think of guys like Jeremy Mayfield, Shane Hmiel and the late Kevin Grubb as to where they would be if they did not have the issues with substance abuse that they did. With Mayfield, I was always quick to give him the benefit of the doubt, as he's an affable and likeable character – but then you see stories regarding stolen property, pulling out from a warehouse in a semi-truck in the wee hours of the morning and other unsavory accusations.
When a team releases an individual, it isn't because they don't like him or don't care for them. The financial health of the operation and all of those who work there is directly affected as it is a business model that is built upon, depending on the pockets of usually one or two companies. Personal feelings get put aside; in the end, it's just business. RPM did what it had to do; they shouldn't be criticized for moving forward.
In the meantime, here's hoping for the best for Todd Parrott – and his return to the sport.
******************************************
I know this horse has been beaten to death already this week, and enraged the nucleus of Junior Nation, but as far as throwing the caution flag on the final lap of the race at Talladega on Sunday, after the Dillon/Mears incident, I could not help but harken back to the 2007 Daytona 500. The track was completely blocked, cars upside down, on fire, and tumbling through the infield while cars were still hammer down, headed for the finish line. NASCAR did not throw the flag as the wreck started, as they were trying to allow the two leaders to race to the line for the win of the biggest race in the Series – and possibly the world at that time. That delay resulted in the leader racing differently than he may have otherwise after seeing the accident – knowing the rule regarding freezing the field and racing back to the line.
On Sunday, we had a two-car incident – one of which was being driven out of the spin and never came to rest, while the field had already passed. I think NASCAR's immediate concerns were obviously A) The well-being of Casey Mears, B) Fan safety. There were parts flying everywhere and, even though sparsely occupied, there were several people seated in that section along the backstretch. But what about this additional thought? C) NASCAR did not want to affect the outcome of the championship further, with another melee down in Turns 3 or 4, or coming to the line as we saw the day before in the Truck Series race.
It's a shame that the fans were not able to see another great Talladega race to the finish line, but that also again raises the issue of having such a historically wild and violent race in The Chase. Personally, I love Talladega, and had it been me in the tower, I would have let the race continue. However, if we're going to get gun shy about letting the race finish with 1.25 miles left to go, perhaps it is time to jockey the schedule around and look at replacing a wild card plate track with another one that is more safe, like Bristol or a road course.
After all, if the field isn't allowed to race for the win with the track basically clear – what's the point of having the race in the first place?
After seeing the wreck on the final lap of last weekend's Truck race at Talladega, it brought to the surface again – at least for me – the role of Cup drivers participating in lower-tier series. Seeing Kyle Busch hit a concrete retaining wall (breaking it in the process) and sitting on the track afterwards among the chaos and carnage was probably unsetting for many fans – as it would also be probably for JGR, Toyota, and Mars. In 2011. it was an incident in a Truck race at Texas Motor Speedway that saw Kyle Busch suspended for the balance of the weekend.
At the time, Busch was 57 points out of the lead, and while it obviously cost the No. 18 team any shot at the championship that year, it almost cost him a sponsor – and his ride. With Kyle's Truck Series team, I understand why he's running it; he's building a race team to have a stake in the sport after he's done driving. I don't begrudge him that.
Unfortunately, with this latest incident, his participation in what is a developmental series could have accelerated that move to the sidelines substantially. As important as a Cup title is to Busch, once it gets to this time of year, especially at tracks where the danger level increases substantially, it might be time to reconsider having another driver take over during The Chase.
********************************************
Another week, and another NASCAR personality has failed a random drug screening. Todd Parrott failed a random drug test and was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR – and then released from Richard Petty Motorsports. It was a bit different than the last time a situation like this one occurred with AJ Allmendinger in 2012, though.
"I was in a dark moment and it happened," Parrott told host Eli Gold on MRN's NASCAR Live broadcast. Parrott did not confirm what banned substance he took that caused the failed test.
Gold then asked Parrott during "NASCAR Live'' if it was a longtime issue or something that happened recently which led to this failure.
"It's just something that happened and my number came up," Parrott said. "Not a whole lot I can say. I feel bad about it, I'm sorry for it and I'm ready to move on."
Whenever you see the headline pop up or I get an e-mail regarding news of these incidents, I can't help but think of guys like Jeremy Mayfield, Shane Hmiel and the late Kevin Grubb as to where they would be if they did not have the issues with substance abuse that they did. With Mayfield, I was always quick to give him the benefit of the doubt, as he's an affable and likeable character – but then you see stories regarding stolen property, pulling out from a warehouse in a semi-truck in the wee hours of the morning and other unsavory accusations.
When a team releases an individual, it isn't because they don't like him or don't care for them. The financial health of the operation and all of those who work there is directly affected as it is a business model that is built upon, depending on the pockets of usually one or two companies. Personal feelings get put aside; in the end, it's just business. RPM did what it had to do; they shouldn't be criticized for moving forward.
In the meantime, here's hoping for the best for Todd Parrott – and his return to the sport.
******************************************
I know this horse has been beaten to death already this week, and enraged the nucleus of Junior Nation, but as far as throwing the caution flag on the final lap of the race at Talladega on Sunday, after the Dillon/Mears incident, I could not help but harken back to the 2007 Daytona 500. The track was completely blocked, cars upside down, on fire, and tumbling through the infield while cars were still hammer down, headed for the finish line. NASCAR did not throw the flag as the wreck started, as they were trying to allow the two leaders to race to the line for the win of the biggest race in the Series – and possibly the world at that time. That delay resulted in the leader racing differently than he may have otherwise after seeing the accident – knowing the rule regarding freezing the field and racing back to the line.
On Sunday, we had a two-car incident – one of which was being driven out of the spin and never came to rest, while the field had already passed. I think NASCAR's immediate concerns were obviously A) The well-being of Casey Mears, B) Fan safety. There were parts flying everywhere and, even though sparsely occupied, there were several people seated in that section along the backstretch. But what about this additional thought? C) NASCAR did not want to affect the outcome of the championship further, with another melee down in Turns 3 or 4, or coming to the line as we saw the day before in the Truck Series race.
It's a shame that the fans were not able to see another great Talladega race to the finish line, but that also again raises the issue of having such a historically wild and violent race in The Chase. Personally, I love Talladega, and had it been me in the tower, I would have let the race continue. However, if we're going to get gun shy about letting the race finish with 1.25 miles left to go, perhaps it is time to jockey the schedule around and look at replacing a wild card plate track with another one that is more safe, like Bristol or a road course.
After all, if the field isn't allowed to race for the win with the track basically clear – what's the point of having the race in the first place?
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @VitoPugliese.
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Editor's Note: Phil Allaway has this Thursday off from critiquing! The Critic's Annex will return next week.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
ADVERTISEMENT
Race fans, do you love Frontstretch.com's coverage of NASCAR's top 3 series, IndyCar, Formula One and Short Track Racing? Do you want to read even more about your favorite sport? Then check out the industry's newest racing publication, Motorsport Illustrated News!, which is available both in print and in digital format! As one of our loyal readers, you'll receive 15% off any subscription when you use the coupon code fs2013.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
"We understand who we're racing against. We understand when we're running real well, who we're racing against and how much money they have. We kind of thrive on beating those guys that have a lot of money. That way when we go into meetings (with potential sponsors) we can show these companies that if we had more money, we could do even a better job. It's about building relationships. This stuff takes time." - Tommy Baldwin, Jr., on his team's goals at the track.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Jeff Wolfe
NASCAR Mailbox: Parrott Popped, Hinchcliffe Dropped And Aero Push Stopped
by Summer Bedgood
Truckin' Thursdays: Talladega Winners And Losers Going Forward
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Tech Talk: Last Week's Winner "Bono" Manion Makes Us Ready For Martinsville
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Tech Talk: Last Week's Winner "Bono" Manion Makes Us Ready For Martinsville
by Mike Neff
by the Frontstretch Staff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 1997 Hanes 500 is best known for Jeff Burton winning after Rusty Wallace was black-flagged for jumping the final restart, from the lead. What set up that controversial call?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: Rusty Wallace led 53 laps and earned a third-place in the 1995 Goody's 500 at Martinsville. However, it wasn't all that easy for the veteran. What happened to knock him out of the lead early in the race?
A: Wallace was leading when he came up to lap Ward Burton. After multiple laps, he got past the No. 22 MBNA Pontiac. However, Burton gave Wallace a bump in Turn 4 and spun out Wallace. Wallace then lit up the tires and hit Burton when he tried to drive past. The crash can be seen here.
Both cars continued without incident. Wallace ended up third, while Burton finished six laps down in 21st.
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 Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Martinsville by Matt Stallknecht
How will Sprint Cup's final short track event of the season turn out? Matt gives us a preview while looking at four major storylines the race weekend at Martinsville should provide.
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Martinsville by Matt Stallknecht
How will Sprint Cup's final short track event of the season turn out? Matt gives us a preview while looking at four major storylines the race weekend at Martinsville should provide.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary. This week, Amy takes a look at the three rookie contenders at the Cup level and how their seasons have gone. What can we learn from the performances of Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Danica Patrick, and even Timmy Hill?
Nuts For Nationwide by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin has another interesting look at the Nationwide Series as they take a break prior to the stretch run.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Frontstretch Foto Funnies by the Frontstretch Staff
Pictures can lead to a thousand laughs; join us in our weekly dose of humor that comes from those candid moments at the track.
Formula 1 Fridays by Andy Hollis
Andy returns to give us an excellent look into Formula One ahead of this weekend's Grand Prix of India at the Buddh International Circuit.
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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