THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
What To Watch: Tuesday
- The Champions Tour continues on Tuesday for Jimmie Johnson with a trip to Bristol, CT for the ESPN Car Wash. He'll be featured on multiple different platforms throughout the day, but the main piece will see Johnson guest host the 6 PM ET SportsCenter along with Lindsay Czarniak.
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Top News
While this will be the first full-time crew chief position for Rodden, it is not the first time that he has served as a crew chief. In 2007, Rodden served as Kahne's interim crew chief for four races after Kenny Francis was suspended for having illegal aerodynamic devices/enhancements. In those races, Kahne earned a pole at Las Vegas, but otherwise struggled.
Larson Penalized For Height Violation
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 19th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CCXVI
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 19th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CCXVI
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What To Watch: Tuesday
- The Champions Tour continues on Tuesday for Jimmie Johnson with a trip to Bristol, CT for the ESPN Car Wash. He'll be featured on multiple different platforms throughout the day, but the main piece will see Johnson guest host the 6 PM ET SportsCenter along with Lindsay Czarniak.
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Top News
by Phil Allaway
Keith Rodden Named Crew Chief For Jamie McMurray
Sunday's disappointing 30th-place finish for Jamie McMurray in Homestead was the last race for Kevin "Bono" Manion on top of the pit box before he leaves for Turner Scott Motorsports. After Manion announced his departure, the team went into a swoon.
It did not take long for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to find a replacement.
On Monday, EGR announced that Keith Rodden will take over as McMurray's crew chief, effective immediately. Rodden was most recently employed as the lead engineer on Kasey Kahne's No. 5 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports.
On Monday, EGR announced that Keith Rodden will take over as McMurray's crew chief, effective immediately. Rodden was most recently employed as the lead engineer on Kasey Kahne's No. 5 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports.
"We are very happy to get a crew chief that is the caliber of Keith," Ganassi said. "He brings a lot of great experience with him to our organization. We are building the foundation for what we believe will be long-term success in our NASCAR operation and Keith fits into those plans perfectly. I look forward to having him in the organization and leading the No. 1 team."
Rodden had plenty to say about his first full-time opportunity to be a crew chief.
"I am excited and appreciative for this opportunity and can't wait to be just a small piece of an excellent team that Earnhardt Ganassi Racing is building," Rodden said. "Chip has quality people and is also building great race cars. This team has shown that they can win races and compete at the highest level of this sport and I look forward to working with Jamie and everyone on the team as we work to prepare for the 2014 season."
"I am excited and appreciative for this opportunity and can't wait to be just a small piece of an excellent team that Earnhardt Ganassi Racing is building," Rodden said. "Chip has quality people and is also building great race cars. This team has shown that they can win races and compete at the highest level of this sport and I look forward to working with Jamie and everyone on the team as we work to prepare for the 2014 season."
While this will be the first full-time crew chief position for Rodden, it is not the first time that he has served as a crew chief. In 2007, Rodden served as Kahne's interim crew chief for four races after Kenny Francis was suspended for having illegal aerodynamic devices/enhancements. In those races, Kahne earned a pole at Las Vegas, but otherwise struggled.
Larson Penalized For Height Violation
On Saturday night, Kyle Larson tied his best-ever runner-up finish in the Nationwide Series, however Larson's No. 32 failed post-race inspection.
On Monday,NASCAR penalized the No. 32 team six driver and six owner points for the infraction. In addition, crew chief Trent Owens has been fined $10,000 and placed on probation until April 2, 2014. This probation would last through the first five races of next season.
On Monday,NASCAR penalized the No. 32 team six driver and six owner points for the infraction. In addition, crew chief Trent Owens has been fined $10,000 and placed on probation until April 2, 2014. This probation would last through the first five races of next season.
In their press release, NASCAR cited multiple violations of the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rule Book. These include Sections 12-1 (Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing), 12-4J (Any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment does not conform to rules), and 20A-12.8.1(B) (Failure to meet minimum front end height in post-race inspection).
The penalty does not cost Larson a spot in the final point standings. He will remain in eighth. There is currently no word on whether Turner Scott Motorsports plans to appeal the ruling.
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.
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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!
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Today's Featured Commentary
Putting Out the Fire: NASCAR Finally Got It Right
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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
Putting Out the Fire: NASCAR Finally Got It Right
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady
Boom! Smoke, flame, and pieces of tire flew in all directions. Paul Menard's No. 27 now sat on pit road at a distinctly odd angle. There was scurrying as the fire extinguisher was picked back up and safety crews came running to put out the fire.
All in all, what looked to be extremely dramatic and dangerous boiled down to a closed pit road and a lot of smoke. Had this been 2001, the end result of a burst right-rear tire that blew the wheel off would have probably sent a bunch of the No. 27 pit crew to the hospital. 2002 was the first year that NASCAR mandated all over-the-wall gangs must wear helmets and fire suits. Before that, you may have had some gloves and knee pads with your Dickies and button down sponsor-ridden shirt, but little other protection. At times, it makes you wonder how they survived...
I can just see Matt Kreuter, the gas man, without the full-face helmet and flame-retardant apron bending over the smoldering shredded tire just before it went off and getting a face full of flaming rubber and brake fluid. Now that's a third-degree burn you don't want to meet. And that's what we call progress.
2013 has been a sobering year, reminding us that despite all the safety innovations brought about in the past decade in NASCAR and other series, racing is still inherently dangerous. Dario Franchitti just announced this week that, after his horrendous wreck in Houston, he will be not be returning to IndyCar because he can't risk another head or spinal injury. Tony Stewart had to sit down for almost half of the 2013 Sprint Cup season after he suffered a compound fracture to his leg--we hope to see him back in the car at Daytona. Denny Hamlin has been struggling to overcome back injuries all year, but did so in sterling fashion this past Sunday at Homestead. While those stories all have an ultimately happy ending, let's not forget Jason Leffler, who lost his life during a dirt race back in June.
You'll note all these injuries are drivers. However, the life of a crew member can be equally hazardous on pit lane. 3400 lb. cars approach their pits anywhere between 35 and 65 mph--plenty fast to kill a pedestrian. The crew members then carry onto the road a can of flammable fuel, two air guns with pressurized lines that will eject lug nuts fast enough to put a dent in somebody's leg, four wheels weighing over 35 lbs. a piece, and the random wrench or hammer. And then on the rare occasion, their car pulls a stop while it's engulfed in flames. That is not exactly what I'd call a safe working environment.
But really, after Sunday's one-alarm blaze, we can say that NASCAR does have the right personnel, training and equipment in place now. Nobody expected the tire to explode, but when it did, within moments, safety crew members and trucks were present, the driver got out of the car, and the pit crew was all accounted for without any apparent injuries. Excellent job!
During a year-long season where we are given many reasons to complain about our sport, it is truly refreshing to see such an incident as this explosion be able to be brushed aside as nothing more than a curiosity during the last race of the season. Maybe it took NASCAR far too long to implement some of our safety regulations, but I can never regret having them in place now.
Author's note: Thanks to all my loyal readers who pipe up to agree or disagree with me all season long. Thanks for all the silent ones, too. Your voices help me find mine. Have a wonderful off-season! I'm already looking forward to February.
Kyle Larson Stat
Series: Nationwide
Track: Homestead-Miami
Car: No. 32 Target Chevrolet
Qualified: 8th
Finished: 2nd (Note: During post-race inspection, the car was found to be too low on the front. The team was docked six driver's and owner's points, and crew chief Trent Owens was fined $10,000 and put on probation until April 2, 2014)
Points Standings: 8th
Boom! Smoke, flame, and pieces of tire flew in all directions. Paul Menard's No. 27 now sat on pit road at a distinctly odd angle. There was scurrying as the fire extinguisher was picked back up and safety crews came running to put out the fire.
All in all, what looked to be extremely dramatic and dangerous boiled down to a closed pit road and a lot of smoke. Had this been 2001, the end result of a burst right-rear tire that blew the wheel off would have probably sent a bunch of the No. 27 pit crew to the hospital. 2002 was the first year that NASCAR mandated all over-the-wall gangs must wear helmets and fire suits. Before that, you may have had some gloves and knee pads with your Dickies and button down sponsor-ridden shirt, but little other protection. At times, it makes you wonder how they survived...
I can just see Matt Kreuter, the gas man, without the full-face helmet and flame-retardant apron bending over the smoldering shredded tire just before it went off and getting a face full of flaming rubber and brake fluid. Now that's a third-degree burn you don't want to meet. And that's what we call progress.
2013 has been a sobering year, reminding us that despite all the safety innovations brought about in the past decade in NASCAR and other series, racing is still inherently dangerous. Dario Franchitti just announced this week that, after his horrendous wreck in Houston, he will be not be returning to IndyCar because he can't risk another head or spinal injury. Tony Stewart had to sit down for almost half of the 2013 Sprint Cup season after he suffered a compound fracture to his leg--we hope to see him back in the car at Daytona. Denny Hamlin has been struggling to overcome back injuries all year, but did so in sterling fashion this past Sunday at Homestead. While those stories all have an ultimately happy ending, let's not forget Jason Leffler, who lost his life during a dirt race back in June.
You'll note all these injuries are drivers. However, the life of a crew member can be equally hazardous on pit lane. 3400 lb. cars approach their pits anywhere between 35 and 65 mph--plenty fast to kill a pedestrian. The crew members then carry onto the road a can of flammable fuel, two air guns with pressurized lines that will eject lug nuts fast enough to put a dent in somebody's leg, four wheels weighing over 35 lbs. a piece, and the random wrench or hammer. And then on the rare occasion, their car pulls a stop while it's engulfed in flames. That is not exactly what I'd call a safe working environment.
But really, after Sunday's one-alarm blaze, we can say that NASCAR does have the right personnel, training and equipment in place now. Nobody expected the tire to explode, but when it did, within moments, safety crew members and trucks were present, the driver got out of the car, and the pit crew was all accounted for without any apparent injuries. Excellent job!
During a year-long season where we are given many reasons to complain about our sport, it is truly refreshing to see such an incident as this explosion be able to be brushed aside as nothing more than a curiosity during the last race of the season. Maybe it took NASCAR far too long to implement some of our safety regulations, but I can never regret having them in place now.
Author's note: Thanks to all my loyal readers who pipe up to agree or disagree with me all season long. Thanks for all the silent ones, too. Your voices help me find mine. Have a wonderful off-season! I'm already looking forward to February.
Kyle Larson Stat
Series: Nationwide
Track: Homestead-Miami
Car: No. 32 Target Chevrolet
Qualified: 8th
Finished: 2nd (Note: During post-race inspection, the car was found to be too low on the front. The team was docked six driver's and owner's points, and crew chief Trent Owens was fined $10,000 and put on probation until April 2, 2014)
Points Standings: 8th
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: Ford EcoBoost 400
by Phil Allaway
1
Exploded right-rear wheel from Paul Menard's car. Rubber from an earlier blown tire wrapped around the rear axle and caught fire late in Sunday's race. Upon coming to pit road, the entire wheel blew off the car, ripping a hole in the bottom of the trunk. Truly a scary situation.
4
Top-5 finishes for Denny Hamlin in 2013. It is a career low, trumping the five that he earned in 2011.
5.1
Jimmie Johnson's average finish in the ten Chase races. Hard to make ground on him when you have to run that well just to break even.
6
6
Championships for Jimmie Johnson after Sunday. And to think that there could be more on top of that coming soon.
7
7
Chasers who finished in the top 10 on Sunday.
14
Championships in NASCAR's National Series for Hendrick Motorsports (11 in Cup, two in Trucks and one in Nationwide).
137
137
Points separating Jimmie Johnson from 13th-place Carl Edwards in the Chase points.
144
Laps that Matt Kenseth led Sunday at Homestead, a race-high.
$5,359,325
$5,359,325
Total purse of Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400.
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: Staying In The Car Was Right Move For Hamlin
by Brett Poirier
by Brad Morgan
by Phil Allaway
Five Points to Ponder: A Feel-Good Champ, Franchitti Says Farewell and Dillon's New Pressure
Five Points to Ponder: A Feel-Good Champ, Franchitti Says Farewell and Dillon's New Pressure
by Danny Peters
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 2003 Grand Prix of Brazil is best known for the crashes involving Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso that brought the race to a premature end. However, Giancarlo Fisichella was initially denied his maiden Formula One victory. Why?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: The 1993 Grand Prix of Brazil is considered to be one of Ayrton Senna's greatest victories. Driving an inferior McLaren MP4/8, Senna outlasted the competition and the conditions to claim the win. However, archrival Alain Prost in the all-conquering Williams Renault FW15 was not so lucky. What put him out of the race?
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 2003 Grand Prix of Brazil is best known for the crashes involving Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso that brought the race to a premature end. However, Giancarlo Fisichella was initially denied his maiden Formula One victory. Why?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: The 1993 Grand Prix of Brazil is considered to be one of Ayrton Senna's greatest victories. Driving an inferior McLaren MP4/8, Senna outlasted the competition and the conditions to claim the win. However, archrival Alain Prost in the all-conquering Williams Renault FW15 was not so lucky. What put him out of the race?
A: Brazil is home to some wild weather. Part way through the race, it started raining. Since thunderstorms can come and go quickly, it's not always advisable to stop immediately for wet tires. However, this shower was extremely strong.
Senna made the right decision to pit for wets before the rain got really bad. However, Prost decided to stay out and hope that the skies cleared. He almost got there. However, at the height of the storm, Christian Fittipaldi spun his Minardi at the end of the pit straight. Prost stomped on his brakes and hydroplaned right into Fittipaldi before beaching the car in a trap. The whole sequence can be seen here.
Prost was ok, but he was done for the day. Prost's demise gave the lead to Damon Hill, who was making only his fourth Grand Prix start. Hill had stopped for wets prior to Prost's crash and was way ahead of Senna. However, Senna ran down Hill, took the lead and pulled away to take his first win of the year.
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 Brad Morgan
-- 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:
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Phoenix by Michael Mehedin
Jimmie Johnson may have given himself a very good chance to win his sixth title in Homestead this weekend, but is he tops in our power rankings? Maybe, maybe not. Johnson will need the most votes from our panel of web experts to take charge of our weekly top 15.
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Phoenix by Michael Mehedin
Jimmie Johnson may have given himself a very good chance to win his sixth title in Homestead this weekend, but is he tops in our power rankings? Maybe, maybe not. Johnson will need the most votes from our panel of web experts to take charge of our weekly top 15.
Open-Wheel Wednesday: Driver Reviews, Part 1 by the Frontstretch Staff
This week, we start our look back at the 2013 Izod IndyCar Series season by looking at individual drivers. We'll have entries for every full-tme driver in the series
Side By Side: Johnson's Legacy by Amy Henderson and Jeff Wolfe
Jimmie Johnson claimed his sixth championship on Sunday in the last eight years. However, our question of the week doesn't really talk about the now. It talks about the future. Will Jimmie Johnson be remembered as the best ever in Cup racing when his career is over? 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. This week, the staff looks back on some of the greatest moments of the 2013 season.
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.
Beyond the Cockpit: Frank Stoddard by Amy Henderson
Having spent plenty of time atop Jeff Burton's pit box through many of his career wins, Frank Stoddard knows a thing or two about being a crew chief. Amy sat down with Stoddard at Martinsville earlier this season to talk about wearing multiple hats for FAS Lane Racing.
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©2013 Frontstretch.com
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