Wednesday, November 06, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: SUPER Wednesday Edition

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!

November 6th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CCVII

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Top News
by Tom Bowles

IRS, Montoya At Odds Over Taxes

Juan Pablo Montoya is in hot water over a reported $2.7 million he owes the federal government. That's what a new article at Forbes is claiming, with an assertion the driver failed to report $7.1 million in income as a race car driver employed by Chip Ganassi.

The controversy, like with Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves in IndyCar, appears to center around how much income Montoya has legitimately diverted offshore. Montoya had several companies set up, including a JPM Motorsport, Inc. that was based in the Bahamas since 1999. There seems to be some question as to whether personal income was funneled through those outside corporations in order to avoid paying U.S. taxes.

The driver, on his way out of NASCAR and into a new ride in IndyCar, ironically with Castroneves (who was acquitted of similar tax fraud charges), has disputed the findings. There's no word on when this situation will wind up in court.

AutoZone To Join Penske Racing

Penske and Joey Logano have signed an additional associate sponsor for next season. AutoZone, with over 5,000 locations across the U.S. has been signed to the C-Post of the No. 22 car for all 36 races. The company, which has dabbled with Nationwide Series sponsorship is stepping up to the Sprint Cup level for the first time.

"When you decide to enter into an agreement like this, you want to work with a company that everyone respects and that's what Penske Racing is, especially in the motorsports world," said Bill Rhodes, President and CEO of AutoZone. "We are all really excited to form this new partnership with Roger Penske and his first-class organization. Already from the beginning, they've made us feel very welcome. And to get to work with an up-and-coming driver and a car guy like Joey Logano is about as good as it gets."

Logano, ninth in the series standings this year is finishing up his first Chase appearance at the Cup level. Winning at Michigan in August, his 17 top-10 finishes are a new career high in his first year driving for Penske.

News 'N' Notes

- TV Ratings for Texas were up slightly, in line with how the Chase has fared so far this season. Sunday's Cup race scored a 2.6 Nielsen rating, up slightly over last year's 2.5 and pulled in nearly 4.2 million viewers. Overall, seven of the eight postseason races have posted year-to-year increases in both ratings and viewership compared to 2012.

- Mike Calinoff has announced he won't return as spotter for Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. next season. The owner of the website Popular Speed, Calinoff is perhaps best known for his work spotting for Matt Kenseth at Roush Fenway Racing. His plans for the 2014 season remain unknown at this time.


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
Sham, Sham: Did Driver Try To Fool the IRS?
WTF Wednesdays
by Ellen Richardson

As we near the end of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the drama that fans were hoping for may not be happening on track too often, but could we really ask for more off track?  Just when we thought we could make it through a week where competing drivers and teams can head to Phoenix without being in the proverbial hot water, we learn that Juan Pablo Montoya is under investigation for allegedly cheating the Internal Revenue Service out of 2.7 million dollars.

The current Earnhardt Ganassi driver who will hand over the reigns to rookie Kyle Larson next season, will compete this weekend in Phoenix while the IRS aims its sights on more than just the target displayed on Montoya's chest.

According to a recent report released by Forbes.com, the federal agency will be pursuing Montoya for unreported taxable income that the 38-year-old Colombian-born driver earned for his image and likeness in 2007 and 2008.  In fact, this report states that Montoya has offshore income from a Limited Liability company that he and his father created alongside a team of tax advisers and lawyers to "domesticate his foreign assets to the United States" while preparing to move to the United States in 2007.  This report also states that Montoya attempted "extra tax breaks for this company after purchasing an 8.7 million Lear Jet to fly to NASCAR races across the U.S."  What exactly does this all mean? 

While I find this developing story intriguing, I will be the first one to point out that I am not an expert when it comes to finances or even IRS laws so I looked to an expert.  After reviewing the Forbes report,  loan specialist and certified tax expert Joan Ross said that it appears that Montoya followed an avenue that many prominent sports professionals have relied on over the last few years.

"According to the IRS, Montoya was trying to hide income by putting it into a corporation that he and his father set up during his Formula One days in Monaco,"  said Ross.  "After deciding to move to the US they turned to the a haven for a lot of companies or those hoping to shield property and taxable income."

The most comical part of this whole story is that it is starting to sound all too familiar.  That's right, we have heard something very similar from Montoya's soon-to-be Penske Racing IndyCar teammate Helio Castroneves.  This popular open wheel driver, who was just 27 points away from this season's IndyCar championship, was acquitted on federal felony tax fraud charges in 2009. 

Now, four years later and here we are again with another driver who, instead of using his diversity to be a role model to others with similar dreams, is showing that he has the same heart of greed that so many professional athletes are falling victim to these days. 

Yes, I know that this sport requires money to be at the top – ehem, Hendrick Motorsports – but this story has now got me wondering if it's only the tip of the iceberg?  In fact, I can't help but wonder when the other shoe will drop and we will be hearing more stories of this nature as the expense of NASCAR as well as other forms of motorsports continues to skyrocket.

The silver lining in all of this is knowing that those who cheat – even cheat the IRS – usually end up getting caught instead of relying on the fans to clean up their mess up in the long run.  Can you say WTF? 

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!

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Numbers Game: AAA Texas 500
by Tom Bowles

0
Laps led by anyone in Tony Stewart's No. 14 car since Stewart went out with a broken leg. Mark Martin, Max Papis, and Austin Dillon have combined for just one top-10 finish in 13 starts.

1
Victory by Jimmie Johnson at intermediate tracks this season. He's now won at least one race at 1.5-to-2-mile ovals every season of his 12-year career.

2
Straight seasons Jimmie Johnson has left Texas with a seven-point lead. Last season, he had it only to lose the championship to Brad Keselowski (Phoenix – blown tire, Homestead – faulty rear gear).

3
Drivers capable of taking the Chase lead to Homestead. Johnson has a seven-point edge on Matt Kenseth, but Kevin Harvick, mathematically is 40 points out and could assume the point if both have early trouble on Sunday.

4
Top-10 finishes by Brad Keselowski in eight Chase races. That's the most by any driver not currently competing for the season title.

5
Runner-up finishes for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. this season with Hendrick Motorsports (he was second Sunday). It's the most top-2 results he's ever had in one year driving the No. 88 car.

6
Top-5 finishes over the Chase for Jimmie Johnson. It's the most of any driver.

7
DNFs at Texas Sunday. Four were for engine failures, including Chaser Carl Edwards.

8
Chasers to finish inside the top 10 at Texas Sunday.

44
What the point lead for Jimmie Johnson would be, heading to Phoenix without the Chase for the Championship. Matt Kenseth would still be in second place.

133
Distance created, in nine races, between points leader Johnson and 13th-place Chase man Kasey Kahne. Kahne would be 15th in points, 223 behind without the benefit of the Chase.

255
Laps led by Jimmie Johnson at Texas. No one else led more than 38.

$129,760
Money won by Greg Biffle for finishing 12th.

$139,736
Money won by Jeff Gordon for finishing 38th.


Tom Bowles is the Editor-In-Chief for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter @NASCARBowles

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Today's Featured Commentary
Hey, NASCAR! 36 Races is Five Too Many
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady

Hey!  Lookie there!  Jimmie Johnson won... again.  And, according to the experts, he's pretty much sewn up the Sprint Cup Championship for 2013.  That is, if he can keep the forever placid Matt Kenseth off his tail... sound like a familiar storyline? Either way, unless you're a No. 48 or No. 20 fan, the season is pretty well done for you.  We have two more weeks to look at our heroes before winter descends. But do we have two more weeks to actually cheer for our guys?

With ESPN ensuring we've lived the Chase, and nothing but the Chase since the beginning of September, we now get it.  It's all about the trophy at the end of the year, and a bit like the hockey playoffs, it's taking an eternity to make that final, predetermined declaration.  The Chase has been a two-man race since we departed Dover, five weeks and a sports eternity ago.  For if there's nothing so well-known in our must-have-it-now world, Americans get a little antsy when nothing changes.

What does this reality all mean?  We're tired and cranky of being spoon-fed a weekly program that declares the most unexpected could happen any minute... when we know well and good it won't.  The lack of unpredictability has, in fact become predictable.

Now, there are two races left.  Neither Phoenix nor Homestead are considered "wild cards" to Kenseth or Johnson.  We've got a short track and a cookie cutter.  Both pilots are well able to beat either venue into the dust.  It's most likely we'll see them both finish in the Top 5. After Homestead, one of them will hoist the silver trophy over their head, and right now, I wish NASCAR would just finish it.  

I've tried scouring the headlines looking for 2014 stories to spin forward, but they virtually don't exist.  We are mired in the swamp of tales that have been all playing out since August: Larson and Dillon will be our rookies next year, Allmendinger snagged a return ride, Vickers is struggling with his health, Truex and MWR are on the outs -- but that's OK, because Martin's got a new home at the No. 78. I'm not even discussing the stagnant Chase field.

We've been working these stories since February, and we know all the answers.  There's nothing new!  Does this mean 36 races is too many?  That having the longest season in competitive sports isn't the heaven-sent thing we often think it is?  Most likely.

I found the season-ending Whelen Modified race at Thompson on my DV-R over the weekend.  It was nice to wrap up the year, crown a champ and embrace the fact that, with the changing of the leaves, the cars get parked in their garages while I pull out Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations.  There's time to take a breath and think of the way-off Spring.  Winter's blizzards are nearly here; there's time to crank up the soup pot and rake some leaves.

Except NASCAR hasn't released us, yet.  We are still tied to the week-in and week-out grind while we wait for two stunningly talented drivers to decide who gets to sit at the head table in Vegas.

Perhaps I'm an impatient person, but I'm also just one of millions of bored fans  sorely tempted to switch the channel when we see the No. 48 take the lead one more time. It's no wonder Texas had to bring in a three-ring circus in order to sell tickets to the big show.

There's certainly nothing new happening on the track.

Kyle Larson Stat

Series:
Nationwide
Track: Texas
Car: No. 32 NTT Data Chevrolet
Qualified: 16th
Finished: 9th (lead lap)
Points Standings: 9th

Want to follow Kyle Larson yourself?

Twitter: @KyleLarsonRacin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KyleLarsonRacing
Website (under construction): http://kylelarsonracing.com/
Looking for a little history? Try... http://kylelarsonracing.net/

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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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...

@JimmieJohnson: A well executed weekend. #Lowes48

@tydillon: Been an awesome couple days #veryblessed pic.twitter.com/IS3G57Jfyw

@pkligerman (Parker Kligerman): Booom.. That was a good debut. So grateful of the oppurtunity from @SwanRacingCo .. Hopefully will get more chances in the future! #NASCAR

@mw55 (Michael Waltrip): I finished 2nd to @JimmieJohnson. Once.

@JeffGordonWeb: Broke our momentum but not our fight & spirit. On to Phoenix and Homestead! #Team24

@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): The car in front of me. @KrisJohnson_NI: @keselowski Who's your biggest rival these days? Curious to know."

@markmartin: AssHat RT @53ChevyGuy: @RyanJNewman @markmartin Winner is the one man enough to put Jimmie in the wall. There is no winner today.

@Kenny_Wallace: I am sure we are ALL SHOCKED by @markmartin "AWESOME TWEET" tonight, BUT it's about time! GO Mark!

@DanielHemric: #havefaith http://instagram.com/p/gRdjebsPJM/

@austindillon3: Sorry to hear about Marcy Scott. Prayers are with her and her family. She was always fun to work with & talk to.

@DanicaPatrick: In girlfriend mode up on @StenhouseJr pit box for the @NASCAR_NNS race!

@ericmcclure: I look forward 2 being back in the car next week and announcing our future plans soon. Thanks for all of the support. I appreciate all y'all

@TimmyHillRacer: Only 1 race left in my Sprint Cup rookie season. Looking forward to end it on a high note in Phoenix! Cya in 2 days!pic.twitter.com/F8B5SFeMaN

@AndyLally: This is the first time I have ever seen every @Nascar sanctioned series represented on one banner.pic.twitter.com/Li1sULeZuP

@BubbaWallace (Darrell Wallace Jr.): thanks little man.... #unclebubba http://instagram.com/p/gT_loHCc4D/

@KevinHarvick: Getting ready to unleash this animal!!! http://instagram.com/p/gQ3iIJxkG0/

@DarylHarr: I thought all American bills were the same size? pic.twitter.com/Mu1YC6FfuY

@bscottracing (Brian Scott): Bad news: I just found out I have cenosillicaphobia.... :-(

@Ryan_Truex: Is there any driver or object at a race track that there isn't a parody account for?

@23SpeedRacer (Spencer Gallagher): I see you driving 
Round town with the girl I love 
And I'm like, haiku

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:

by Huston Ladner

by Huston Ladner
by Mike Neff


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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: In the 2000 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500k at Phoenix International Raceway, Ken Schrader had all the elements in place for a good day.  He qualified a season-best sixth, his best effort of the whole season.  Plus, he was at a track where he had won a number of times in the past.  However, his day turned miserable pretty quick.  What happened?

Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!

Monday's Answer:

Q: The 1997 Phoenix 200 for the Indy Racing League is best known for Jim Guthrie scoring an upset victory after mortgaging his future to be able to compete.  However, one of the strongest drivers in the field was Kenny Brack, who was making his series debut in place of the injured Davy Jones.  Unfortunately for the young talent, Brack's strong run came to an end early.  What happened?

A: rack was leading on Lap 146 when he just lost it entering Turn 3.  Brack backed his Monsoon-sponsored No. 4 into the wall hard, ending his day. Brack walked away, but his G-Force chassis was trash.

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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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite Frontstretch writers are back to discuss a variety of weekly storylines. This week's topics include the tight championship battles across the board, NAPA's potential to follow Truex and more.

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 Phoenix.

Tech Talk: Darian Grubb by Mike Neff
Mike has a Sprint Cup Series crew chief stop by to talk about the technical side of NASCAR. This week, Darian Grubb checks in as the series prepares for the final two races of the season.

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, Miguel Paludo stops by to dish on the season so far, Diabetes Awareness Month and so much more!

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©2013 Frontstretch.com

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