The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
February 19th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition IX
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Top News
For the second straight year, NASCAR constructed a temporary track on the Daytona International Superstretch and hosted a pair of races. However, this year's version of the track was a little shorter at 3/8ths of a mile instead of 4/10ths.
The first race featured the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Doug Coby was the victor. Second place was Jason Myers, followed by Luke Fleming, Ryan Preece, and Burt Myers. Coby made the pass on the final restart to take the win ahead of Jason Myers.
Ryan Preece started on the pole and pulled out to the early lead, holding off all challenges on the ensuing restarts. With eight laps to go, Preece closed in on the lapped car of Dave Sapienza. Sapienza moved to the bottom to yield to the leaders, and kept the car pointed forward as he headed for Turn 1. Preece was attempting to make a move around Sapienza when Sapienza slid up into Preece. Sapienza spun while Preece sustained heavy left rear damage.
Preece remained as the leader with a bent left rear and stayed out for the final restart with four to go. As the field went through turn one, Patrick Emerling would spin out of second while Coby would sneak underneath Preece for the lead. Coby then held on the rest of the way, holding off Jason Myers. Fleming finished third after restarting in seventh, followed by the stricken Preece and Burt Myers.
Daniel Suarez scores K&N East UNOH Battle of the Beach for Second Straight Win
Daniel Suarez dominated his second straight NASCAR K&N East Series event, as he took the victory in the UNOH Battle of the Beach. He also won the season opener at New Smyrna Speedway on Sunday night.
Suarez took the lead on lap 32 and didn't look back as he held off the challenges from Austin Hill and Brandon McReynolds.
Hill finished second after a thrilling battle on the final laps with McReynolds. McReynolds finished third as he gets set to run the full NASCAR K&N West Series schedule for Bill McAnally Racing. McReynolds' teammate Nick Drake finished fourth with two-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Champion Lee Pulliam in fifth. Pulliam came back for a top five finish after going for a spin on lap 64.
Fans, DEI Mark Anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's Death
On February 18th, 2001, Dale Earnhardt died as a result of injuries in a last lap crash in the Daytona 500. February 18th, 2014 marks the 13th anniversary of the of the driver known as "The Intimidator".
Earnhardt is remembered for his accomplishments on track, including seven Sprint Cup Series championships and his memorable 1998 Daytona 500 victory. Considered one of the greatest drivers of all-time, fans loved Earnhardt's aggressive nature on track. Off the track, he is remembered for his contributions to the sport as a spokesman and a direct mediator between NASCAR's executives, the drivers, and the fans.
News 'n Notes
- Team Chevy released a statement saying that the Chevrolet pace car which caught fire during the 2014 Sprint Unlimited was due to the electrical kit that is in the trunk. The kit controls the caution lights on the pace car throughout the race
- CRC Industries announced that they will sponsor Landon Cassill's No. 40 Hillman Racing Chevrolet for two races - Phoenix and Auto Club Speedway in March. CRC Industries makes a variety of chemicals that are used in the automotive, marine, aviation and electrical industries, most notably products like Brakleen.
- GO FAS Racing announced that motivational speaker Michael Alden will be an associate sponsor for the No. 32 Ford driven by Terry Labonte in the Daytona 500.
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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
Like most sports fans, I approach each new season with complex and diverse feelings. While part of me is excited about the prospect of a new year and all of the new opportunities it so often brings, I also feel anxious about the possibilities of just what might come to pass. Perhaps it's a reflection of how I live my life, or maybe it's a condition that's been shaped by a lifetime in-and-around a sports culture. I can never tell, but it happens every spring when Speedweeks roll around.
Part of me, embarrassingly enough, feels like a skeptic. I felt that way last February as NASCAR Nation reveled in the news that Danica Patrick – both a woman and a Sprint Cup Series rookie – had put her Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet on the pole for the Daytona 500. A highly-recognized, first-year NSCS driver with an inconsistent record qualifies fastest for the largest race of the year? While such an accomplishment was well-worth celebrating, part of me felt slightly doubtful as to the authenticity of her qualifying effort.
Call me a conspiracy-theorist, but as a motorsports historian, my mind flashed back to stories regarding the legendary Barney Oldfield. As I have written in previous essays for Frontstretch.com, Oldfield used to smash track (and world) records for various distances with alarming consistency. While racing fans were thrilled by the "Speed King's" talents behind the wheel, decades of research by various writers unearthed the fact that Oldfield's successes were more a matter of a loyal employee with a quick stopwatch finger than of his expertise with two or three-lap scrambles against the clock.
Hence my suspicions when Danica Patrick, perhaps the most recognized racing driver in America, suddenly found herself atop the scoring pylon for "The Great American Race" last year. The skeptic in me felt that her qualifying run was a little too good to be true, especially given the supposedly controlling nature of NASCAR as many have suspected over the years. Should pure coincidence make me feel suspicious regarding the outcome of qualifying?
Back in the mid-to-late 1990's, it was referred to as "the call". While folks at NASCAR vehemently denied its existence, I knew some drivers and race team members who swore that the Fickled Finger of Fortune had been pointed directly at chosen teams whose success was deemed necessary in the then-Winston Cup Series. As a journalist of sorts, I will call upon my First Amendment rights to not divulge my sources, but I can attest to the claim that a team owned by a legendary figure in NASCAR was in danger of losing valuable sponsorship from a recognized fast food franchise. The team hadn't won, nor had the sponsor received much by way of serious media attention, so "the call" (as I was told) went out in order to help this particular team visit Victory Lane. This Winston Cup operation ran an oversized engine – handily overlooked by NASCAR inspectors, it was suggested – to win two highly visible superspeedway races. With all parties involved satisfied by the results, the sponsor remained in NASCAR and is still part of the sport all these twenty or so years later.
Hence my surprise to see that Austin Dillon and the famous No. 3 were atop the scoring pylon after pole qualifying this last weekend. While folks crowed about seeing the late Dale Earnhardt's legendary number back in front at Daytona, once again the skeptic in me raised a somewhat suspicious eyebrow. What a wonderful way to welcome the number three back into NASCAR's top division, complete with its family legacy and historic significance! The event smacked of divine providence as fortune smiled down upon the rookie Dillon and his brand new Chevrolet.
Was I being skeptical? Was I simply jealous of Brian France's good luck as the curtain rose on yet another Sprint Cup season? Was I losing what's left of what used to be a pretty sharp mind? Conspiracy theories aside, was I seeing yet another grand plan from the hallowed halls of NASCAR?
Not that NASCAR fixed things to have the famous No. 3 take the pole position for next week's race, but starting upfront in the Daytona 500 is a great way to earn intense media attention for an entire week (see Dillon's ESPN Car Wash yesterday). Most pole sitters get a couple of days of recognition for their achievement, but fast qualifier for "The Great American Race" is interviewed, photographed, and talked about for seven days prior to the main event. If a popular name or famous car was going to make a huge splash in NASCAR's media pond, starting out front in the Daytona 500 would be the best way to do so.
I'm not saying qualifying at Daytona has received the "Oldfield" treatment in recent years, but I'm just thinking that recent pole winners have brought big stories to big media markets all to NASCAR's advantage. One way to catch huge audiences is to use good bait, and these stories over the past two Speedweeks have been a promoter's dream. Maybe Brian France just has impeccable timing….
France has often mentioned his desire to see the Chase for the Championship result in what he's called "Game Seven" moments -- those last ditch efforts where an entire season comes down to the final laps of the final race. Look to the newly-revamped Chase format if you want evidence of France's vision. Perhaps what we've seen in the past two years of Daytona 500 qualifying could be called "Movie-of-the-Week" moments: a gut-wrenching rise to greatness against the odds to snatch success from the jaws of possible failure. The movie concludes with one of those universal "feel good" endings where the crowd cheers wildly as the underdog lifts his/her trophy and smiles proudly for the cameras. Am I reading too much into all this stuff? Maybe I am….
Another huge part of me is a card-carrying romantic idealist. That side of my nature looks to the last two years of Daytona 500 qualifying and says "It's shaping up to be an amazing season where anything is possible!"
Really? I guess, ultimately, it's all in how you call it….
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Tweet 'N' Greet
by Allen Bedgood
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, Allen Bedgood 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...
@SamanthaBusch: Just bought this picture, love it! So much truth to it! http://instagram.com/p/kgEABcy6hf/
@odsteve (Steve O'Donnell): Just catching up on a Twitter, congrats to @austindillon3 and @MartinTruex_Jr on an historic run today @DISupdates front row! #NASCAR
@SamHornish: It's a rough job but someone has to do it. Little man is a chill as they come. For now! pic.twitter.com/3BMixd4Wnk
@bobdillner: Crashes, yelling, pushin' & shovin' during #Modifieds at #SmyrnaWS tonight. Now that's the Smyrna I know! #NASCAR
@KurtBusch: 85th birthday for my grandma 🎂 pic.twitter.com/GvQW9f0pJ3
@J2Mayfield (Jeremy Mayfield): Catch @ShanaMayfield & I on @TheRacinNation w/ @pourme & Darrell this Tues. Lots to talk about. #NoMoreRadioSilence
@BMR_NASCAR (Bill McAnally): Gave it our best tonight but didn't finish quite where we wanted to. On to Daytona for the UNOH beach battle Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/gERxlv9VA9
@AshleyAllgaier: Feature is about to roll... Go dada go!! @j_allgaier http://instagram.com/p/kgEm7bxQIX/
@gbiffle (Greg Biffle): So proud of how hard my guys worked in the last few months to qualify 3rd we wanted the front row but happy we have a 500 winning car
@joeycoulter: Real proud of my friend & #floridawheelman @97patrickstar drove a smart race and passed a lot of cars! pic.twitter.com/uDBhOtWEw5
@fr78racing (Furniture Row Racing PR account): Truex's new helmet honoring our men and women of the #armedforces - pic.twitter.com/FMjzMgohrv
@GrantEnfinger: She's home safe! Thanks @Casite1922 and everyone at Team BCR pic.twitter.com/DEnZPwNUUD
@ericmcclure: Fun w/end with @FrontRowNASCAR guys. Look forward to rest of week & trying to make the big show in @HeftyBrands @ReynoldsWrap car.
@KenzieRuston: Kenzie did become the first female to lead a NASCAR K&N Race under green. (PR)
@TheAlexHayden: Wow! Augusta National removed Eisenhower tree from the 17th due to the extensive damage it received from the ice storm. Sad day for golf.
@RodneyChilders4: Really appreciate effort by everyone @StewartHaasRcng New body already on the car from last night. One team, one goal.
@Elliott_Sadler: In case anybody keeping count... There is a million people at Downtown Disney.. Holy cow this place is packed!!!
@RodneyChilders4: The deer have enjoyed us leaving them alone for a few days…. pic.twitter.com/OMNU47QTwL
@RutledgeWood: I just wish there was a quick & simple way to cook bacon into a tiny bowl shape. Oh well. A guy can dream, right?
@WendyVenturini: Some drivers going home. Some going to test their race cars. We are staying in FL...going to Disney Cars hotel and then the parks!
@bobpockrass: Austin Dillon made it a sweep of the day as he won his dirt modified race tonight. #nascar
@nascarcasm: AUSTIN DILLON JUST WON THE BOBSLED OMG SO RIGGED. #Sochi2014 #nascar
@JenJoCobb: And here is out Daytona International Speedway Press Release! http://www.cobbracingteam.com/Press/releases/2014DayPR.pdf …
@mikejoy500: A battery pack in trunk for the roof-mounted caution lights shorted out, caught fire. "RT @GHnTx: cause of pace car fire during unlimited.?"
@3___BillyO (Spotter for Brian Scott): Headed home for a few days in NC be back at it on Wed. Drafting practice
@woodbrothers21: Lineup for the Duels on Thursday night. pic.twitter.com/KLrcd0XGOI
@TBayne21 (Trevor Bayne): Definitely not a reflection of our @woodbrothers21 car! Bad headwind down the backstretch in qualifying for us took a lot of speed out!
@TBayne21: We'll be ready to go on Wednesday! Wish the duels were starting now!
@JimmieJohnson: I hope to see you at the track again @brendon310. I can tell you're hooked, wheeling a car at 165mph does that to a guy.
@Matt_Crafton: Dirt RT @jrodprince: New Smyrna or Volusia? #DecisionsDecisions
@Kenny_Wallace: Thanks .... RT@noahspop14: for those who saw Kenny run I hope you made time to see him after. Always takes time to chat. Kenny is NASCAR.
@LarryMac28: Congrats to Goodyear celebrating 60 years in NASCAR & #Drafting the entire time with drivers! Go to: http://YouTube.com/Goodyear w/ @KevinHarvick
@GoodyearRacing: We're celebrating #60Years in #NASCAR this week with some #TireTalk: Did you know the 1st Gdyr tire used in NASCAR was our Police Special?
@NASCAR_FDN: #quoteoftheweek: "Receiving love is great. Giving love is even better." - Art Hochberg
@ThePostman68 (Steve Post, MRN): There are nights you will remember for the rest of your life: last night was one of those watching Steve Kinser win the @worldofoutlaws race
@JosephNASCAR (Joseph Wolkin): Looks like Blake Koch will be in the No. 35 car for @FrontRowNASCAR at Phoenix and Las Vegas #NASCAR
@DavidGilliland: Excited to have @BlakeKochRacing as a teammate for some up coming races! Welcome!!!
@DickBerggren: As Steve Kinser nears his 60th birthday, he's on a farewell tour running the full WoO schedule. Last night, he won Volusia WoO Sprints
@JDMotorsports01: I bet @JEarnhardt1 can't wait to get in this! We're excited and ready to get @DISupdates! pic.twitter.com/hPyO2mTOot
@austindillon3: Just want to thank everyone for all the support great start long way to go #Allin
@LarryMac28: Very honored to be inducting Ricky Rudd tonight into Daytona Beach Stock Car HOF The driver I got first win with Watkins Glen 1988 #classact
@AndyHallESPN: "She's not been around long enough to learn how to race," R Petty on @DanicaPatrick on #ESPN @SportsCenter #NASCAR
@PhoenixRaceway: PIR is proud to announce @AZLottery has returned as a track partner in 2014!
Allen Bedgood is a Newsletter Contributor and Photographer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via email at allen.bedgood@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter @bedgood15.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
The Frontstretch Five: Ways NASCAR Might Be Different If Dale Earnhardt Was Here
by Amy Henderson
NASCAR Writer Power Rankings: Pre-Season Top 15
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Joe Nemechek won the 1992 Busch Grand National Championship by just three points over Bobby Labonte. However, his season started in a very painful fashion. What happened?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: In 2007, James Hylton attempted to become the oldest man ever to qualify for the Daytona 500 in a former RCR Chevrolet. With a few laps to go, Hylton was actually in position to do it before dropping back. What caused him to drop down the order?
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 Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Tech Talk by Mike Neff
Beth is back with your weekly look at the state of the Camping World Truck Series. This week, she shakes off the offseason rust and previews the upcoming season.
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!
©2014 Frontstretch.com
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