THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 27th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition XXXVI
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What to Watch: Thursday
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 27th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition XXXVI
----------------
What to Watch: Thursday
- Today, Formula One teams get out on the track at Sepang Circuit to prepare for Sunday's Grand Prix of Malaysia. The first Free Practice session is scheduled for 10:00 PM EDT. It will not be televised. However, Free Practice No. 2 will be televised late tonight in DVR Theater (see below).
Today's TV Schedule
Time Telecast Network
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM NASCAR RaceHub FOX Sports 1
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM NASCAR America NBC Sports Network
11:30 PM - 12:00 AM The Grid NBC Sports Network
DVR Theater (Late Thursday Night/Early Friday Morning)
2:00 AM - 3:30 AM F1 Free Practice No. 2 NBC Sports Network
(Grand Prix of Malaysia)
Top News
by Phil Allaway
by Phil Allaway
Hamlin Officially Cleared to Race in Martinsville
Joe Gibbs Racing announced Wednesday Denny Hamlin has been medically cleared to return to the No. 11 FedEx Toyota this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Hamlin missed Sunday’s Auto Club 400 due to a sinus infection that was affecting his vision, causing NASCAR to keep him from competing in the race. Sam Hornish, Jr. was tapped 35 minutes before the green flag to drive in Hamlin’s place.
The race team also took the opportunity to expand on what actually happened to Hamlin in California last weekend.
According to JGR, Hamlin went to the Infield Care Center at Auto Club Speedway Saturday, complaining of eye irritation. He was checked out and released at that point. However, the treatment given didn’t help. By Sunday, Hamlin’s condition had worsened. A return trip to the Infield Care Center resulted in doctors refusing to clear Hamlin to race and the recommendation of a hospital visit.
While at the hospital, Hamlin was found to have a small piece of metal in his eye. Such an instance is not unprecedented for Sprint Cup drivers. For example, Neil Bonnett once got debris in his eye during the Winston 500 in 1987. Bonnett was able to remove the debris with the use of eye wash during a pit stop. In Hamlin’s case, doctors removed the piece of metal. A CT Scan was performed on Hamlin, which did not show anything else wrong with him. Hamlin was then released from the hospital and allowed to fly home to North Carolina that night.
On Monday, Hamlin went to the doctor for a checkup after the Fontana ordeal. That doctor prescribed rest and a follow-up on Wednesday. After the follow-up, Hamlin was declared healthy and able to resume normal activities.
Stremme To Drive For Circle Sport at Martinsville
On Wednesday, Circle Sport announced David Stremme will drive the team’s No. 33 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. It will be Stremme’s first Sprint Cup attempt since Richmond last September for Swan Energy's No. 30.
In addition, Stremme will have a sponsor brand new to NASCAR: Mace. In addition to their well-known deterrence sprays, Mace is also a manufacturer of emergency whistles, sonic blast alarms, sirens, home security systems and surveillance equipment.
Stremme, who has kept himself busy with a steady diet of dirt modified racing recently, is happy to be back in NASCAR.
“I am excited to return to racing in the Sprint Cup Series,” Stremme said. “The Circle Sport team has done a great job in building their race program and the success of the No. 33 car. And to be able to partner with Mace Brand and their charity initiatives this week make it even more special. They support very worthy organizations, which falls in line with what I have been involved with in my years of NASCAR racing. I look forward to a very successful weekend with this No. 33 Mace Chevrolet.”
Stremme has 11 career starts at Martinsville. His best finish at the Paperclip was a 15th in 2006.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series STP 500: 45 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 40 - Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing
No. 66 - Joe Nemechek for Michael Waltrip Racing/Identity Ventures Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 33 - David Stremme is in the seat, replacing Brian Scott. Timmy Hill was originally entered.
Driver who must qualify on speed (top-36):
No. 77 - Dave Blaney for Randy Humphrey Racing (49th in points, 4 attempts)
No. 95 - Michael McDowell for Leavine Family Racing (46th in points, 4 attempts)
Drivers towards the bottom of the provisional ladder:
No. 23 - Alex Bowman for BK Racing (36th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 30 - Parker Kligerman for Swan Racing (42nd in points, 5 attempts)
No. 32 - Travis Kvapil for Go FAS Racing (37th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 33 - David Stremme for Circle Sport, LLC (40th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 35 - David Reutimann for Front Row Motorsports (45th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 38 - David Gilliland for Front Row Motorsports (34th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 40 - Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing (35th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 66 - Joe Nemechek for Michael Waltrip Racing/Identity Ventures Racing (38th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 83 - Ryan Truex for BK Racing (43rd in points, 5 attempts)
No. 98 - Josh Wise for Phil Parsons Racing (39th in points, 5 attempts)
Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250: 39 trucks entered
Number Change:
- NTS Motorsports’ No. 24 changes to No. 9.
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 5 - John Wes Townley for Wauters Motorsports
No. 39 - Ryan Sieg for RSS Racing
No. 50 - Travis Kvapil for MAKE Motorsports
No. 93 - Jason White for RSS Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 07- Ray Black, Jr. is in the seat, replacing Michel Disdier. Black will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 8 - John Hunter Nemechek returns to the seat, replacing his father Joe. The two are sharing the ride this season.
No. 9 - Chase Pistone is in the seat, replacing Brennan Newberry. Chase is running a limited schedule this week.
No. 12 - Ted Minor is in the seat, replacing Steve Smith. If Minor qualifies, he will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 20 - Gray Gaulding is in the seat, replacing John King. Gaulding will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 32 - Ben Rhodes is in the seat, replacing Ryan Truex. Rhodes will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 51 - Erik Jones returns to the seat, replacing Kyle Busch. Jones is sharing the truck with Busch this season.
No. 74 - Alex Guenette is in the seat, replacing Chris Cockrum.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00 - Cole Custer for Stewart-Haas Racing. If Custer qualifies, he will make his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 02 - Tyler Young for Young’s Motorsports
No. 5 - John Wes Townley for Wauters Motorsports
No. 12 - Ted Minor for Cefalia Racing
No. 13 - Jeb Burton for ThorSport Racing
No. 23 - Spencer Gallagher for GMS Racing
No. 50 - Travis Kvapil for MAKE Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions’ Provisional)
No. 56 - Raymond Terczak, Jr. for Terczak Motorsports. If Terczak qualifies, he will make his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 63 - Justin Jennings for MB Motorsports
No. 66 - Josh Williams. If Williams qualifies, he will make his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 68 - Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Racing
No. 75 - Caleb Holman for Henderson Motorsports
No. 92 - Ross Chastain for RBR Enterprises
No. 93 - Jason White for RSS Racing
Not Entered:
No. 28 - Ryan Ellis for FDNY Racing
No. 40 - Todd Peck for Peck Motorsports
No. 58 - Parker Kligerman for BRG Motorsports
No. 60 - Charles Lewandoski for Turn One Racing
No. 82 - Sean Corr for Empire Racing
No. 84 - Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
Verizon IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: 22 cars entered
Number Changes:
- Andretti Autosport’s No. 1 changes back to No. 28.
- Andretti Autosport’s No. 5 changes to No. 34. The car will be run in cooperation with Conquest Racing.
- Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports' No. 55 changes to No. 7.
- KV Racing’s No. 78 switches to No. 17. The car will be run in cooperation with AFS Racing.
Driver Changes:
No. 2 - Juan Pablo Montoya is in the seat, replacing AJ Allmendinger.
No. 7 - Mikhail Aleshin is in the seat, replacing Tristan Vautier. Aleshin will be making his Verizon IndyCar Series debut.
No. 10 - Tony Kanaan is in the seat, replacing Alex Tagliani.
No. 11 - Sebastien Bourdais is in the seat, replacing Tony Kanaan.
No. 17 - Sebastian Saavedra is in the seat, replacing Simona de Silvestro.
No. 18 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Pippa Mann.
No. 20 - Mike Conway is in the seat, replacing Ed Carpenter.
No. 98 - Jack Hawksworth is in the seat, replacing J.R. Hildebrand. Hawksworth will be making his Verizon IndyCar Series debut.
Entries:
No. 2 - Juan Pablo Montoya for Team Penske
No. 3 - Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 7 - Mikhail Aleshin for Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports
No. 8 - Ryan Briscoe for NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 9 - Scott Dixon for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10 - Tony Kanaan for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 11 - Sebastien Bourdais for KV Racing/SH Racing
No. 12 - Will Power for Team Penske
No. 14 - Takuma Sato for A.J. Foyt Enterprises
No. 15 - Graham Rahal for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 17 - Sebastian Saavedra for KV Racing/AFS Racing
No. 18 - Unknown driver for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19 - Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 20 - Mike Conway for Ed Carpenter Racing
No. 25 - Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27 - James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport
No. 28 - Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 34 - Carlos Munoz for Andretti Autosport/Conquest Racing
No. 67 - Josef Newgarden for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 77 - Simon Pagenaud for Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports
No. 83 - Charlie Kimball for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 98 - Jack Hawksworth for Bryan Herta Autosport
Not Entered:
No. 4 - Panther Racing
No. 6 - Dragon Racing
No. 7 - Dragon Racing
No. 16 - James Jakes for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
IMSA Suspends Two For “Unjustifiable Risk” After Sebring
On Wednesday, IMSA issued a press release announcing the suspension of two drivers, Matteo Malucelli and Gaston Kearby, for what is stated as unjustifiable risk in response to two crashes during the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring on March 15. In addition, once the suspension is served, both Malucelli and Kearby will each serve a race on probation.
Malucelli’s suspension stems from a crash at the end of the third hour. Malucelli’s No. 62 GT-Le Mans class Ferrari F458 Italia lost control in Turn 1 and spun into the tire barriers. Malucelli then attempted to rejoin the track right in front of a pack of cars. He was hit by the GT-Daytona class No. 30 Porsche 911 GT America driven by Christina Nielsen for NGT Motorsport, putting both cars out on the spot. Malucelli was nearly hit from behind by the No. 007 Aston Martin driven by Al Carter, narrowly avoiding a near repeat of his crash from Daytona.
Kearby’s crash occurred almost three hours after Malucelli’s. Kearby spun his No. 87 PC challenger on his own in Turn 16. Upon trying to restart, Kearby attempted a snap spin in front of a pack of cars. He was speared by Alex Tagliani, driving a similar No. 08 for RSR Racing. Tagliani’s car then went into the tire barriers. Both cars were complete write-offs.
Earlier this week, Kearby apologized for the crash.
“To simply say ‘I’m sorry’ for what happened is an understatement,” Kearby said in a press release. “My sincerest apologies extend not only to the entire RSR team, crew, and of course, to Alex [Tagliani], but also to the BAR1 Motorsports team who worked their hearts out all weekend. I made a decision in the heat of the moment that cost two teams the race and put myself and others in jeopardy. Moving forward I am determined to take additional steps necessary to grow in my skills as a driver.”
Due to the Tudor United SportsCar Championship’s split schedules, each driver will serve their suspensions at different times. Malucelli will miss Round 3 at Long Beach in April. Risi Competizione has not named a driver to replace Malucelli as of yet. Kearby will miss Round 4 (Round 3 for the PC cars) at Laguna Seca in May. Also, according to Article 62.2.1.B of the 2014 IMSA Rules and Regulations, IMSA’s decision is conclusive and thus, cannot be appealed.
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
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!
The Critic's Annex: Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring
by Phil Allaway
by Vito Pugliese
Fantasy Insider: Hotdog Heartburn? Martinsville Madness To Upset Fantasy Standings
by Jeff Wolfe
Going By The Numbers: Turning Back Time To Find The Truth About Parity
Tech Talk: Tony Gibson Tackles The Tire Story, Danica, And Brakes For Martinsville
as told to Mike Neff
Truckin' Thursdays: A Trio Of Favorites With Something To Prove
by Beth Lunkenheimer
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 Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Ashley McCubbin
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson/TBA
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.
Joe Gibbs Racing announced Wednesday Denny Hamlin has been medically cleared to return to the No. 11 FedEx Toyota this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Hamlin missed Sunday’s Auto Club 400 due to a sinus infection that was affecting his vision, causing NASCAR to keep him from competing in the race. Sam Hornish, Jr. was tapped 35 minutes before the green flag to drive in Hamlin’s place.
The race team also took the opportunity to expand on what actually happened to Hamlin in California last weekend.
According to JGR, Hamlin went to the Infield Care Center at Auto Club Speedway Saturday, complaining of eye irritation. He was checked out and released at that point. However, the treatment given didn’t help. By Sunday, Hamlin’s condition had worsened. A return trip to the Infield Care Center resulted in doctors refusing to clear Hamlin to race and the recommendation of a hospital visit.
While at the hospital, Hamlin was found to have a small piece of metal in his eye. Such an instance is not unprecedented for Sprint Cup drivers. For example, Neil Bonnett once got debris in his eye during the Winston 500 in 1987. Bonnett was able to remove the debris with the use of eye wash during a pit stop. In Hamlin’s case, doctors removed the piece of metal. A CT Scan was performed on Hamlin, which did not show anything else wrong with him. Hamlin was then released from the hospital and allowed to fly home to North Carolina that night.
On Monday, Hamlin went to the doctor for a checkup after the Fontana ordeal. That doctor prescribed rest and a follow-up on Wednesday. After the follow-up, Hamlin was declared healthy and able to resume normal activities.
Stremme To Drive For Circle Sport at Martinsville
On Wednesday, Circle Sport announced David Stremme will drive the team’s No. 33 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. It will be Stremme’s first Sprint Cup attempt since Richmond last September for Swan Energy's No. 30.
In addition, Stremme will have a sponsor brand new to NASCAR: Mace. In addition to their well-known deterrence sprays, Mace is also a manufacturer of emergency whistles, sonic blast alarms, sirens, home security systems and surveillance equipment.
Stremme, who has kept himself busy with a steady diet of dirt modified racing recently, is happy to be back in NASCAR.
“I am excited to return to racing in the Sprint Cup Series,” Stremme said. “The Circle Sport team has done a great job in building their race program and the success of the No. 33 car. And to be able to partner with Mace Brand and their charity initiatives this week make it even more special. They support very worthy organizations, which falls in line with what I have been involved with in my years of NASCAR racing. I look forward to a very successful weekend with this No. 33 Mace Chevrolet.”
Stremme has 11 career starts at Martinsville. His best finish at the Paperclip was a 15th in 2006.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series STP 500: 45 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 40 - Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing
No. 66 - Joe Nemechek for Michael Waltrip Racing/Identity Ventures Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 33 - David Stremme is in the seat, replacing Brian Scott. Timmy Hill was originally entered.
Driver who must qualify on speed (top-36):
No. 77 - Dave Blaney for Randy Humphrey Racing (49th in points, 4 attempts)
No. 95 - Michael McDowell for Leavine Family Racing (46th in points, 4 attempts)
Drivers towards the bottom of the provisional ladder:
No. 23 - Alex Bowman for BK Racing (36th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 30 - Parker Kligerman for Swan Racing (42nd in points, 5 attempts)
No. 32 - Travis Kvapil for Go FAS Racing (37th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 33 - David Stremme for Circle Sport, LLC (40th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 35 - David Reutimann for Front Row Motorsports (45th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 38 - David Gilliland for Front Row Motorsports (34th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 40 - Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing (35th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 66 - Joe Nemechek for Michael Waltrip Racing/Identity Ventures Racing (38th in points, 5 attempts)
No. 83 - Ryan Truex for BK Racing (43rd in points, 5 attempts)
No. 98 - Josh Wise for Phil Parsons Racing (39th in points, 5 attempts)
Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250: 39 trucks entered
Number Change:
- NTS Motorsports’ No. 24 changes to No. 9.
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 5 - John Wes Townley for Wauters Motorsports
No. 39 - Ryan Sieg for RSS Racing
No. 50 - Travis Kvapil for MAKE Motorsports
No. 93 - Jason White for RSS Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 07- Ray Black, Jr. is in the seat, replacing Michel Disdier. Black will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 8 - John Hunter Nemechek returns to the seat, replacing his father Joe. The two are sharing the ride this season.
No. 9 - Chase Pistone is in the seat, replacing Brennan Newberry. Chase is running a limited schedule this week.
No. 12 - Ted Minor is in the seat, replacing Steve Smith. If Minor qualifies, he will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 20 - Gray Gaulding is in the seat, replacing John King. Gaulding will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 32 - Ben Rhodes is in the seat, replacing Ryan Truex. Rhodes will be making his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 51 - Erik Jones returns to the seat, replacing Kyle Busch. Jones is sharing the truck with Busch this season.
No. 74 - Alex Guenette is in the seat, replacing Chris Cockrum.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00 - Cole Custer for Stewart-Haas Racing. If Custer qualifies, he will make his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 02 - Tyler Young for Young’s Motorsports
No. 5 - John Wes Townley for Wauters Motorsports
No. 12 - Ted Minor for Cefalia Racing
No. 13 - Jeb Burton for ThorSport Racing
No. 23 - Spencer Gallagher for GMS Racing
No. 50 - Travis Kvapil for MAKE Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions’ Provisional)
No. 56 - Raymond Terczak, Jr. for Terczak Motorsports. If Terczak qualifies, he will make his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 63 - Justin Jennings for MB Motorsports
No. 66 - Josh Williams. If Williams qualifies, he will make his Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 68 - Clay Greenfield for Clay Greenfield Racing
No. 75 - Caleb Holman for Henderson Motorsports
No. 92 - Ross Chastain for RBR Enterprises
No. 93 - Jason White for RSS Racing
Not Entered:
No. 28 - Ryan Ellis for FDNY Racing
No. 40 - Todd Peck for Peck Motorsports
No. 58 - Parker Kligerman for BRG Motorsports
No. 60 - Charles Lewandoski for Turn One Racing
No. 82 - Sean Corr for Empire Racing
No. 84 - Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
Verizon IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: 22 cars entered
Number Changes:
- Andretti Autosport’s No. 1 changes back to No. 28.
- Andretti Autosport’s No. 5 changes to No. 34. The car will be run in cooperation with Conquest Racing.
- Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports' No. 55 changes to No. 7.
- KV Racing’s No. 78 switches to No. 17. The car will be run in cooperation with AFS Racing.
Driver Changes:
No. 2 - Juan Pablo Montoya is in the seat, replacing AJ Allmendinger.
No. 7 - Mikhail Aleshin is in the seat, replacing Tristan Vautier. Aleshin will be making his Verizon IndyCar Series debut.
No. 10 - Tony Kanaan is in the seat, replacing Alex Tagliani.
No. 11 - Sebastien Bourdais is in the seat, replacing Tony Kanaan.
No. 17 - Sebastian Saavedra is in the seat, replacing Simona de Silvestro.
No. 18 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Pippa Mann.
No. 20 - Mike Conway is in the seat, replacing Ed Carpenter.
No. 98 - Jack Hawksworth is in the seat, replacing J.R. Hildebrand. Hawksworth will be making his Verizon IndyCar Series debut.
Entries:
No. 2 - Juan Pablo Montoya for Team Penske
No. 3 - Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 7 - Mikhail Aleshin for Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports
No. 8 - Ryan Briscoe for NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 9 - Scott Dixon for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10 - Tony Kanaan for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 11 - Sebastien Bourdais for KV Racing/SH Racing
No. 12 - Will Power for Team Penske
No. 14 - Takuma Sato for A.J. Foyt Enterprises
No. 15 - Graham Rahal for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 17 - Sebastian Saavedra for KV Racing/AFS Racing
No. 18 - Unknown driver for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19 - Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 20 - Mike Conway for Ed Carpenter Racing
No. 25 - Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27 - James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport
No. 28 - Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 34 - Carlos Munoz for Andretti Autosport/Conquest Racing
No. 67 - Josef Newgarden for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 77 - Simon Pagenaud for Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports
No. 83 - Charlie Kimball for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 98 - Jack Hawksworth for Bryan Herta Autosport
Not Entered:
No. 4 - Panther Racing
No. 6 - Dragon Racing
No. 7 - Dragon Racing
No. 16 - James Jakes for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
IMSA Suspends Two For “Unjustifiable Risk” After Sebring
On Wednesday, IMSA issued a press release announcing the suspension of two drivers, Matteo Malucelli and Gaston Kearby, for what is stated as unjustifiable risk in response to two crashes during the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring on March 15. In addition, once the suspension is served, both Malucelli and Kearby will each serve a race on probation.
Malucelli’s suspension stems from a crash at the end of the third hour. Malucelli’s No. 62 GT-Le Mans class Ferrari F458 Italia lost control in Turn 1 and spun into the tire barriers. Malucelli then attempted to rejoin the track right in front of a pack of cars. He was hit by the GT-Daytona class No. 30 Porsche 911 GT America driven by Christina Nielsen for NGT Motorsport, putting both cars out on the spot. Malucelli was nearly hit from behind by the No. 007 Aston Martin driven by Al Carter, narrowly avoiding a near repeat of his crash from Daytona.
Kearby’s crash occurred almost three hours after Malucelli’s. Kearby spun his No. 87 PC challenger on his own in Turn 16. Upon trying to restart, Kearby attempted a snap spin in front of a pack of cars. He was speared by Alex Tagliani, driving a similar No. 08 for RSR Racing. Tagliani’s car then went into the tire barriers. Both cars were complete write-offs.
Earlier this week, Kearby apologized for the crash.
“To simply say ‘I’m sorry’ for what happened is an understatement,” Kearby said in a press release. “My sincerest apologies extend not only to the entire RSR team, crew, and of course, to Alex [Tagliani], but also to the BAR1 Motorsports team who worked their hearts out all weekend. I made a decision in the heat of the moment that cost two teams the race and put myself and others in jeopardy. Moving forward I am determined to take additional steps necessary to grow in my skills as a driver.”
Due to the Tudor United SportsCar Championship’s split schedules, each driver will serve their suspensions at different times. Malucelli will miss Round 3 at Long Beach in April. Risi Competizione has not named a driver to replace Malucelli as of yet. Kearby will miss Round 4 (Round 3 for the PC cars) at Laguna Seca in May. Also, according to Article 62.2.1.B of the 2014 IMSA Rules and Regulations, IMSA’s decision is conclusive and thus, cannot be appealed.
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Critic's Annex: Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at available motorsports programming. While NASCAR was putting on a couple of shows at Bristol Motor Speedway, the Tudor United SportsCar Championship was in Sebring, Florida for their second race of the year. There was a lot of stupidity that went on during the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, which resulted in the race covering less distance than races back in the 1960s. How did FOX Sports do in covering the event? Let's take a look.
Unfortunately for viewers, less than a quarter of the live race telecast was actually aired on television. Everything after 3 PM was streamed on IMSA.com. Granted, it was a full telecast, but most viewers would prefer to watch a race on television. Sports car fans are used to this treatment since ALMS races were streamed on ESPN3.com for much of the last couple of years. They would eventually air on tape delay on either ABC or ESPN2.
Pre-race content was somewhat limited on FOX Sports 1. There were four pre-race interviews (literally one driver per class) and booth introductions before the command was given. Since Sebring is such a long race, FOX Sports 1/IMSA.com had two commentary teams in the booth. One was the normal team of Bob Varsha, Dorsey Schroeder and Calvin Fish. The other was comprised of Brian Till, Justin Bell and Tommy Kendall.
With 63 cars on the grid, there was a lot of action on track. FOX Sports did a pretty good job bringing it all to viewers. Having no less than 14 cars with in-car cameras definitely helped as well.
Unfortunately, the race will be best remembered for the stupidity that occurred therein. We're talking about a race in which over five hours was run under yellow. After awhile, the substandard driving began to irritate the broadcasters. When Gaston Kearby spun out in Hour 6 (see clip in Top News), the booth seemed to know what was coming next. Everyone said something along the lines of "here we go again." Sure enough, Kearby committed a stupid act behind the wheel and caused a huge wreck, which he has now been suspended for. It's good that the booth is allowed to make stands along those lines. The on-track demeanor of some of the drivers during this race was deplorable.
In regards to the screw-up that may or may not have cost Alex Job Racing's No. 22 the GT-Daytona class win, there was video of the incident that made the broadcast. The footage clearly showed the No. 912 GT-Le Mans class Porsche 911 RSR hitting the No. 49 Ferrari and spinning it out. Officials clearly screwed up and penalized the wrong car. At the time, the booth was completely confident that the No. 912 would get a stop and hold for avoidable contact. That penalty never came for the No. 912. There was little to no discussion of the penalty for the No. 22 because they literally couldn't find anything for the team to be penalized for. And for good reason, since there wasn't anything to find. However, FOX Sports should have talked with Job and gotten the skinny on the issue (Note: It is possible that they tried to get an interview with Job, but Job was so ticked off that he declined to go on camera). Perhaps, they could have helped officials see that the No. 22 had nothing to do with the incident. As it stands, Job was reportedly not allowed to see the footage of the incident that got his car penalized until after they'd already brought the car in to serve the stop and 80-second hold. Once that happened, the officials realized that they had royally screwed up, but did nothing to fix their mistake.
There was a decent amount of post-race coverage. FOX Sports/IMSA provided interviews with the winners in each class along with checks of the unofficial results and point standings as well. There was also a quick check of the Tequila Patron Endurance Cup points as well.
Overall, the telecast was pretty good. We generally got a lot of coverage and the on-track action (when people weren't being stupid) was really pretty solid. Unfortunately, just slightly more than 2.5 hours of the race was live on TV. That's a tough road with ISP's beginning to clamp down on streaming. Even if it meant that a chunk of the race had to air on FOX Sports 2 (which has its own availability issues), more of this race should have aired on TV live. Having a condensed version of the race run on FOX Sports 1 at 8 AM the next morning is not necessarily the best way to make good.
If you'd like to watch the action at Sebring, IMSA has posted the full race on YouTube in three parts. They can be seen here, here and here.
If you'd like to watch the action at Sebring, IMSA has posted the full race on YouTube in three parts. They can be seen here, here and here.
That's all for this week. Next week, we'll have a look at NASCAR Now. Is the show still providing good content despite being a lame duck? You'll find out on April 3rd. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Martinsville, St. Petersburg and Kuala Lampur.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Brendan Gaughan Driver Diary: Getting Stronger, Vegas, and Fat Irish
"Fortunately for us, my grandfather passed away very quickly. He had no pain, no cancer, none of the things we all hope we don’t get. My grandfather died of old age at 93-years old. You can’t ask for anything better than that. He had an amazing life. He did things that will never be able to be done again. He saw things that we wish we could tell all the stories about. He was pretty damn cool. He even got to hang out with the Rat Pack — that’s the epitome of cool. Maybe kids today don’t even know who they are, but I’m old enough to know that there was nobody cooler in the world than the Rat Pack, and he got to hang with them. It was a sad day for Las Vegas, but as a family, we were happy that it was peaceful and we were all there with him."- Brendan Gaughan, on his late grandfather, Jackie Gaughan.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Voice of Vito: Going For Broke A Recipe For Disaster?Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Brendan Gaughan Driver Diary: Getting Stronger, Vegas, and Fat Irish
"Fortunately for us, my grandfather passed away very quickly. He had no pain, no cancer, none of the things we all hope we don’t get. My grandfather died of old age at 93-years old. You can’t ask for anything better than that. He had an amazing life. He did things that will never be able to be done again. He saw things that we wish we could tell all the stories about. He was pretty damn cool. He even got to hang out with the Rat Pack — that’s the epitome of cool. Maybe kids today don’t even know who they are, but I’m old enough to know that there was nobody cooler in the world than the Rat Pack, and he got to hang with them. It was a sad day for Las Vegas, but as a family, we were happy that it was peaceful and we were all there with him."- Brendan Gaughan, on his late grandfather, Jackie Gaughan.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Vito Pugliese
Fantasy Insider: Hotdog Heartburn? Martinsville Madness To Upset Fantasy Standings
by Jeff Wolfe
Going By The Numbers: Turning Back Time To Find The Truth About Parity
by Kevin Rutherford
Tech Talk: Tony Gibson Tackles The Tire Story, Danica, And Brakes For Martinsville
as told to Mike Neff
Truckin' Thursdays: A Trio Of Favorites With Something To Prove
by Beth Lunkenheimer
by Brendan Gaughan
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 2006 Goody's 250 is the most recent appearance at Martinsville Speedway for what is now the Nationwide Series. Darrell Waltrip made his last NASCAR start in a Dodge entered by brother Michael (Darrell struggled and finished 28th). However, something else that was supposed to happen did not come to pass. What was it?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: In the 1996 Hanes 500, Stacy Compton shocked the establishment by qualifying ninth for his Cup Series debut at Martinsville. Where did Compton's equipment come from for that attempt?
A: Compton was driving a Chevrolet Monte Carlo that had used in 1995 by A.G. Dillard Racing. This was the team that ran the No. 31 Hardee's Chevrolet in Winston Cup from 1994-95. Hardee's left at the end of 1995 after scaling back some of their sponsorship during the season and no replacement could be found. As a result, the team's equipment was put up for auction. Compton's car owner bought a couple of the cars.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 Ashley McCubbin
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
A collection of your favorite writers are back to discuss a number of pertinent issues in NASCAR. Topics this week include the tire issues in Fontana, Denny Hamlin's medical issues, the chances for a sixth straight different winner to start the season, and more.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson/TBA
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.
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.
Pictures can lead to a thousand laughs; join us in our weekly dose of humor that comes from those candid moments at the track.
Nuts For Nationwide by Kelly Crandall
Kelly returns during the Nationwide off week to bring us up-to-date on NASCAR's second-tier series.
Happiness Is... by P. 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.
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.
IndyCar Preview: St. Petersburg by Huston Ladner
Huston will have a preview of this Sunday's Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the opening round of the Verizon IndyCar Series.
-----------------------------
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©2014 Frontstretch.com
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!
©2014 Frontstretch.com
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