THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 10th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition XXIII
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Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 10th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition XXIII
~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Seeking NASCAR Nationwide Series Writer
Do you have strong writing and communication skills and a passion for racing? If so, The Frontstretch is looking for YOU! We have an opening on our staff for a writer to focus on the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2014, including postrace coverage and a weekly column covering current storylines in the series. If you have extensive knowledge of the Nationwide Series, the ability to work on a deadline, and want to join a staff of passionate writers, please click HERE for application instructions. Show us what you've got!
FRONTSTRETCH FANTASY: GET IN THE GAME
Frontstretch's own Jeff Wolfe is once again running a private NASCAR Fantasy league this season on Yahoo! We'll have more of our writers onboard to compete against you. If you're interested, go here and create a Yahoo! account (if you don't already have one). Once that's completed, create your team and click on Join a Group. Then, click on Join a Private Group once there. Here, you'll have to enter our League ID and password. The League ID is 10532, and the password is "stenica." We hope to see you there!
Today's TV Schedule
Time Telecast Network
2:00pm - 5:00pm NASCAR RaceHub FOX Sports 1
5:00 - 5:30pm NASCAR America NBC Sports Network
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Keselowski Wins When Earnhardt Jr. Sputters
by Justin Tucker
Steve Letarte told Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the closing laps of Sunday's Kobalt 400, “If it runs out, stay on the track and coast to the finish.”
Unfortunately for Earnhardt Jr., Letarte's words would prove to be partially prophetic. On the final lap, the No. 88 Chevrolet would not completely run out of fuel, but stutter just a little bit coming off of Turn 2. That was all Brad Keselowski needed to scoot by to score the victory on Sunday Afternoon in Las Vegas.
With Sunday's win, Keselowski became the first Ford driver since Carl Edwards in 2010 to complete a race weekend sweep and most importantly would lock himself into the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup. A fact not lost on the 2012 series champion who missed the 2013 chase.
"Locked in the Chase early," Keselowski said. "I don't have to hear all that crap about not being in the Chase. It’s such a relief for myself and everyone on the team to get that win in early and being able to enjoy the racing opportunities that we have, rather than being stressed out about it.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s red hot 2014 season continued despite the heartbreak on the final lap. Earnhardt Jr. kept his No. 88 Mountain Dew Kickstart Chevrolet in contention all day, leading 51 laps while scoring his third consecutive top 2 finish to start the season. Earnhardt Jr. became just the fifth driver in history and first since Jimmie Johnson in 2006 to score three consecutive top 2 finishes to start a season. Earnhardt discussed the fuel gamble post-race.
"We weren't supposed to make it," Earnhardt said. "We were trying to save as much as we can and make it work, but we knew we were short. We wouldn't have finished second if we didn't have that strategy."
Joining Keselowski and Earnhardt Jr. in the top 5 of Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400 were: Paul Menard in third, pole sitter Joey Logano in fourth and Carl Edwards in fifth, making three Fords in the top 5.
Jimmie Johnson was sixth after being forced to rally after a bad restart with 41 to go. Ryan Newman was seventh, while Kasey Kahne finished eighth for his first top-10 of the year. Jeff Gordon was ninth and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-10.
A look at the Kobalt 400 by the numbers: There were 21 lead changes among ten different drivers. Only four cautions for 18 laps kept the race pace at 154.633 MPH, a record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Sprint Cup.
Next weekend, the Sprint Cup Series heads to the high banks of Thunder Valley and the Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500. The Green flag is scheduled for 1:13pm EDT.
Justin Tucker is a Newsletter Contributor at Frontstretch. To reach Justin, please contact Newsletter Manager Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
Chasing the Chase: Earnhardt Jr. Continues To Lead, But Barely
by Phil Allaway
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. running out of fuel on the final lap on Sunday took away his opportunity to win his first race on a 1.5 mile track since 2005. It also nearly cost him the points lead. However, getting back to the line in second allowed Earnhardt Jr. to hold onto the lead by just one point over Sunday's winner, Brad Keselowski. Jimmie Johnson is still within striking distance in third, with Joey Logano and Jeff Gordon close behind.
Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth are currently tied for sixth, while Denny Hamlin is in eighth. Ryan Newman made the biggest gain of anyone in the top-16, moving up six places to ninth. Kyle Busch is up four places to round out the top-10.
Point Standings (1-16): 1) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 133, 2) Brad Keselowski -1, 3) Jimmie Johnson -16, 4) Joey Logano -17, 5) Jeff Gordon -18, t-6) Carl Edwards -28, t-6) Matt Kenseth -28, 8) Denny Hamlin -32, 9) Ryan Newman -36, 10) Kyle Busch -38, 11) Jamie McMurray -40, 12) Greg Biffle -47, 13) Austin Dillon -49, t-14) Kevin Harvick -50, t-14) Kasey Kahne -50, t-16) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -53, t-16) Casey Mears -53.
Race Winners: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Daytona), Kevin Harvick (Phoenix), Brad Keselowski (Las Vegas)
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
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Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here: Las Vegas Edition
by Amy Henderson
Are you a fan of a driver from a smaller team? Do you ever see one of these guys on the race results and wonder how he got there? NASCAR's small teams may not get much airtime during the race broadcast, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about. Each week, Amy Henderson takes a peek into how the little guys fared in the race.
Underdog Selection No. 1: AJ Allmendinger for JTG-Daugherty Racing; started 18th, finished 18th
This team inked a deal with Richard Childress Racing in the offseason along with the No. 13 of Germain Racing, and for the first time in 2014, Allmendinger capitalized, taking the No. 47 to the top of the small team chart with his 18th-place, lead lap run. Allmendinger was the only small-team driver to finish on the lead lap this week as well. The intermediate tracks are where the adage that money buys speed is most true, and the smaller teams often struggle mightily. Even for Allmendinger in his improved equipment, the intermediates will have a learning curve this year as the team learns how to take advantage of the equipment and information they receive from RCR after years of relying on only their own notes.
Underdog Selection No. 2: Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing; started 34th, finished 20th
For Wood Brothers Racing, starting and parking has never been an option they're comfortable with, so they pick and choose their races, and it looks like Las Vegas was a solid choice for the No. 21 bunch. Bayne turned heads with his speed in Thursday's test session, and was solid, if not spectacular, on Sunday, gaining 14 spots from flag-to-flag and bringing home a top-20 finish. The six-figure payout that comes with the result will help build the program for the next race on their schedule, so they can continue to make the best of a difficult situation. It's easy to fall behind when you aren't at the track every week, and this team works hard to overcome that disadvantage.
Underdog Selection No. 3: Michael Annett for Tommy Baldwin Racing; started 38th, finished 29th
Annett comes to Tommy Baldwin Racing without a NASCAR win on his resume, but he brings needed sponsorship, and he has had some solid runs in the Nationwide Series, so it's easy to see why TBR put him in the seat. This week, Annett had a decent day. The rookie did what rookies need to do in the beginning—he made laps, gaining valuable experience with the car and in communication with his team, and that gives him a foundation on which to build. Annett was fourth-best in the small team class (Casey Mears finished a spot ahead, but his finish was well below his team's potential), and third among the Cup rookies to Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson—both of whom run for much wealthier operations.
Underdog Pick of the Week-Bristol I: David Ragan for Front Row Motorsports
My Las Vegas pick was Casey Mears, whose day ended with a disappointing 28th-place finish after his team could never get the car to handle to the driver's liking.
After two weeks out west, teams race close to home at the bullring in Bristol, Tennessee. Ragan is best known for his restrictor-plate skills, with good reason-he won at Talladega for this team last spring. But he's also decent at Bristol. He's only got one top-10 finish, but no full-time driver in this group has more than that, and Ragan's 23rd-place average is also best among the underdogs. Look for a solid run in the mid-20's…which is probably better than anyone else in this group will do.
Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs? Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during the race broadcasts? Amy has all the small teams covered each and every week in The Big Six. Be sure to check it out to see how your favorites fared!
Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here: Las Vegas Edition
by Amy Henderson
Are you a fan of a driver from a smaller team? Do you ever see one of these guys on the race results and wonder how he got there? NASCAR's small teams may not get much airtime during the race broadcast, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about. Each week, Amy Henderson takes a peek into how the little guys fared in the race.
Underdog Selection No. 1: AJ Allmendinger for JTG-Daugherty Racing; started 18th, finished 18th
This team inked a deal with Richard Childress Racing in the offseason along with the No. 13 of Germain Racing, and for the first time in 2014, Allmendinger capitalized, taking the No. 47 to the top of the small team chart with his 18th-place, lead lap run. Allmendinger was the only small-team driver to finish on the lead lap this week as well. The intermediate tracks are where the adage that money buys speed is most true, and the smaller teams often struggle mightily. Even for Allmendinger in his improved equipment, the intermediates will have a learning curve this year as the team learns how to take advantage of the equipment and information they receive from RCR after years of relying on only their own notes.
Underdog Selection No. 2: Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing; started 34th, finished 20th
For Wood Brothers Racing, starting and parking has never been an option they're comfortable with, so they pick and choose their races, and it looks like Las Vegas was a solid choice for the No. 21 bunch. Bayne turned heads with his speed in Thursday's test session, and was solid, if not spectacular, on Sunday, gaining 14 spots from flag-to-flag and bringing home a top-20 finish. The six-figure payout that comes with the result will help build the program for the next race on their schedule, so they can continue to make the best of a difficult situation. It's easy to fall behind when you aren't at the track every week, and this team works hard to overcome that disadvantage.
Underdog Selection No. 3: Michael Annett for Tommy Baldwin Racing; started 38th, finished 29th
Annett comes to Tommy Baldwin Racing without a NASCAR win on his resume, but he brings needed sponsorship, and he has had some solid runs in the Nationwide Series, so it's easy to see why TBR put him in the seat. This week, Annett had a decent day. The rookie did what rookies need to do in the beginning—he made laps, gaining valuable experience with the car and in communication with his team, and that gives him a foundation on which to build. Annett was fourth-best in the small team class (Casey Mears finished a spot ahead, but his finish was well below his team's potential), and third among the Cup rookies to Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson—both of whom run for much wealthier operations.
Underdog Pick of the Week-Bristol I: David Ragan for Front Row Motorsports
My Las Vegas pick was Casey Mears, whose day ended with a disappointing 28th-place finish after his team could never get the car to handle to the driver's liking.
After two weeks out west, teams race close to home at the bullring in Bristol, Tennessee. Ragan is best known for his restrictor-plate skills, with good reason-he won at Talladega for this team last spring. But he's also decent at Bristol. He's only got one top-10 finish, but no full-time driver in this group has more than that, and Ragan's 23rd-place average is also best among the underdogs. Look for a solid run in the mid-20's…which is probably better than anyone else in this group will do.
Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs? Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during the race broadcasts? Amy has all the small teams covered each and every week in The Big Six. Be sure to check it out to see how your favorites fared!
Amy Henderson is a Co-Managing Editor and a Senior Writer at Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at amy.henderson@frontstretch.com.
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Letter of the Race: Sunday's Kobalt 400 was brought to you by the letter "S," for Spread Out. With only four cautions to slow the pace, the field got spread out quickly in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily the best way to debut the new aerodynamic package on an intermediate track. It appears that it, much like many other things in Sprint Cup, is a work in progress. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Stories: Las Vegas
by Phil Allaway
William Clay Ford, Sr. DiesLetter of the Race: Sunday's Kobalt 400 was brought to you by the letter "S," for Spread Out. With only four cautions to slow the pace, the field got spread out quickly in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily the best way to debut the new aerodynamic package on an intermediate track. It appears that it, much like many other things in Sprint Cup, is a work in progress. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Stories: Las Vegas
by Phil Allaway
On Sunday, William Clay Ford, Sr., the oldest living grandson of Ford Motor Company Founder Henry Ford, and the current owner of the NFL's Detroit Lions died as a result of complications from pneumonia. Ford was 88 years old.
In addition to owning the Lions, Ford was the Chairman of Ford Motor Company's design committee from 1957-1989. In his role, Ford would be instrumental in the designs of many vehicles that competed in NASCAR, dating from the Galaxies and Fairlanes of the 1950's and 1960's all the way to the rounded Thunderbirds of the 1980's.
NASCAR issued a statement after the news was released.
"On behalf of the France family and everyone at NASCAR, our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Ford family on the passing of William Clay Ford Sr.," NASCAR CEO Brian France said. "He was a worthy successor not only to a great company but also a legacy – and he served both exceptionally well. The grandson of Henry Ford will be remembered as a man of style, for both the automobiles he built and the life he led. He was a giant … who forever will be missed."
NASCAR issued a statement after the news was released.
"On behalf of the France family and everyone at NASCAR, our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Ford family on the passing of William Clay Ford Sr.," NASCAR CEO Brian France said. "He was a worthy successor not only to a great company but also a legacy – and he served both exceptionally well. The grandson of Henry Ford will be remembered as a man of style, for both the automobiles he built and the life he led. He was a giant … who forever will be missed."
Ford Dealers and Ford Motor Company headquarters will lower their flags to half-staff for the next 30 days in the elder Ford's memory. In addition, funeral services for Ford will be done privately.
New Intermediate Track Rules Debut in Las Vegas
This past weekend saw NASCAR's new rules package for intermediate tracks make its debut in Las Vegas. After three days of practice and 400 miles of racing, there might be more work to do.
Complaints about being unable to handle in the pack were quite common on Sunday. Joey Logano dominated the first couple of runs on Sunday, but decided to take four tires under caution on Lap 46 while most everyone else took two. Logano came out of the pits in 12th and spent the rest of the race trying to get back to the front.
"We were really good in clean air, which everybody probably is, but in dirty air it’s a completely different car and really, really hard to drive," Logano said after the race. "[The new package] was tricky. It was very tough to move around and very tough to pass cars. Whenever I passed one I felt like I deserved a trophy because it was so hard."
"We were really good in clean air, which everybody probably is, but in dirty air it’s a completely different car and really, really hard to drive," Logano said after the race. "[The new package] was tricky. It was very tough to move around and very tough to pass cars. Whenever I passed one I felt like I deserved a trophy because it was so hard."
The new package was likely the primary reason why Dale Earnhardt, Jr. chose to try to gamble on fuel at the end of the race. He wouldn't have finished as well, otherwise.
"At least it felt like I was around eighth all day," Earnhardt Jr. said during his post-race press conference. "I just couldn't get any ground, and we fought the car all day. Just the air is so dirty behind everybody, the further back you get you've got less and less grip. Once we got the lead, it was like driving a Cadillac."
"At least it felt like I was around eighth all day," Earnhardt Jr. said during his post-race press conference. "I just couldn't get any ground, and we fought the car all day. Just the air is so dirty behind everybody, the further back you get you've got less and less grip. Once we got the lead, it was like driving a Cadillac."
It's unlikely that NASCAR wanted to increase the importance of clean air with the their new aero package that they spent so much time testing. As a result, expect more testing of new aero packages later this season.
Kevin Harvick Suffers Hub Failure
On Sunday afternoon, Kevin Harvick was well on his way to backing up his victory in Phoenix with another excellent run in Las Vegas. Harvick led 23 laps and was running second with 75 laps to go when the left front hub locked up on his Jimmy John's Chevrolet. The issue forced Harvick to the garage to replace the offending hub. Harvick eventually returned to the track and finished 30 laps down in 41st, ruining what was an excellent day.
Afterwards, Harvick was actually nonchalant about the failure.
"It’s hard to complain. These guys on this Jimmy John’s Chevrolet have given me cars that are good every week," Harvick said. "Just a little parts failure there and... we will figure out the cause of it and try to just keep that from happening. Every week is a new notebook for us. I really think as we get established and get some foundation for our set-ups and just the little things this team is going to be dangerous."
On Sunday afternoon, Kevin Harvick was well on his way to backing up his victory in Phoenix with another excellent run in Las Vegas. Harvick led 23 laps and was running second with 75 laps to go when the left front hub locked up on his Jimmy John's Chevrolet. The issue forced Harvick to the garage to replace the offending hub. Harvick eventually returned to the track and finished 30 laps down in 41st, ruining what was an excellent day.
Afterwards, Harvick was actually nonchalant about the failure.
"It’s hard to complain. These guys on this Jimmy John’s Chevrolet have given me cars that are good every week," Harvick said. "Just a little parts failure there and... we will figure out the cause of it and try to just keep that from happening. Every week is a new notebook for us. I really think as we get established and get some foundation for our set-ups and just the little things this team is going to be dangerous."
The new Chase rules that all but lock anyone who wins a race into the Chase have taken some of the pressure off of Harvick. However, Harvick being this laid back could be dangerous for the rest of the field.
Elliott, Keselowski Have Issues Post-Race Saturday
On Saturday, Brad Keselowski won the Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. You can read our breakdown of the race here. After the race, NASCAR confiscated the right rear shock from Keselowski's winning Discount Tire Ford for further inspection. It is unclear if anything will come out of the confiscation. If a penalty is
In addition, Chase Elliott's No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet failed post-race inspection after finishing fifth. Unlike the Sprint Cup Series, there are still post-race height measurements in the Nationwide Series. In Elliott's case, the No. 9 measured too low in the left front corner. It is unclear as to why this occurred. Regardless, the JR Motorsports team will be looking at a penalty later this week.
For both teams, the penalty will depend on what level NASCAR determines the penalty to be in their new Deterrance System. If the infraction is considered to be P4 or higher, then post-race penalty escalators will come into play.
For both teams, the penalty will depend on what level NASCAR determines the penalty to be in their new Deterrance System. If the infraction is considered to be P4 or higher, then post-race penalty escalators will come into play.
Quotes to Remember: Kobalt 400
compiled by Phil Allaway
"Yeah, I mean, it's just a common theme throughout American motorsports. The cars continue to get harder and harder to drive in traffic as they make more downforce and as the engineers and all those guys continue to really hone in on these cars and find ways to make them create more downforce, and that's just ‑‑ it's something that's happening through all of motorsports, not just NASCAR. You're seeing the same thing in F1 and beyond.
It's making it very difficult to drive the cars in traffic, and it makes the cars very easy to drive by themselves. It's just part of the evolution of racing, and maybe not necessarily what we want to see happening from a fan perspective, but it's just where the competitors are taking the racing.
We'll see where that goes from here." - Brad Keselowski, race winner
"I think everybody has seen that over the last couple of weeks, that this format has definitely allowed teams to gamble like we have.
You know, it did pay off. Not the ultimate prize, but we did run second. We weren't going to ‑‑ as much as you want to win, and believe me, we were out there trying to win, you do take pride in a good performance, a good finish, and we weren't going to run in the top 5 if we hadn't have used that particular strategy, if we'd have run the same strategy as our competitors we would have probably run just inside the top 10 where we were all day.
At least it felt like I was around eighth all day. I just couldn't get any ground, and we fought the car all day. Just the air is so dirty behind everybody, the further back you get you've got less and less grip. Once we got the lead, it was like driving a Cadillac." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished second
"Just had a really solid car all day and all weekend, really. Started on Thursday, felt like in race practice Thursday we were really strong, switched over to qualifying trim Friday and still the car drove good, we just didn't have any speed, so wound up qualifying 21st.
Did a few adjustments from yesterday, felt like we ended happy hour good, did a few adjustments overnight, anticipating the track was going to be a little bit hotter, slicker, kind of played into our favor, and really had a solid car from the green flag. We tightened it up a little bit the first couple runs, then we freed it back up and kind of bounced back and forth. Felt like we had definitely a top 3 car and at times the best car. It was cool going up and passing Jimmie for the lead and passing him for a few laps, but just proud of my guys. We're clicking really well, we got a couple new engineers and of course Slugger is back for our fourth our fifth year working together, so a good group of guys. Our pit crew's pit stops were awesome." - Paul Menard, finished third
"We probably didn’t deserve to finish fifth, so I’m pretty happy with that finish. The guys did a great job with strategy. It was a big weekend for Ford. With the loss of Mr. Ford this weekend, if we couldn’t be in victory lane I’m really proud that a Ford was in victory lane both days. Brad did a great job. We’re all thinking of the Ford family and the Bolin family. We lost Ed Bolin this weekend too, a great supporter of NASCAR." - Carl Edwards, finished fifth
"It was a good comeback for our Caterpillar Chevrolet. I think that’s about the race car that we had. There were times when we could be a little bit quicker toward the end of a run. It was a good effort for the team and it was a good points day. If we keep running like that, we’ll put it in the top 5 and if we do that, we’ll win. I’m just proud of the guys and everybody from Caterpillar and Chevrolet and RCR. Everybody did a good job. I can’t wait for the summer because [the cars are] stuck too good right now." - Ryan Newman, finished seventh
"We were just kind of off. We just kind of struggled most of the weekend. We got some decent track position there -- just couldn’t really go anywhere. We were just about where we were. It was about all we could do. We just got to get them better." - Matt Kenseth, finished tenth
"We had a really up and down day with our M&M’s Peanut Camry. We started off getting blocked in the pits and had to come from the back. The car was too loose on the first run and we tightened it up and it was really fast for awhile. But, we kept adjusting on it to try and help the tight in the center of the corner and it was just getting looser and looser, especially on the last run. Just disappointing when we looked like we had a good car earlier in the race." - Kyle Busch, finished 11th
"We were better than 14th, no question about that. We ran in the top-10 for most of the race but lost track position at the end. We decided to take two (right-side) tires and fuel on the final pit stop. We felt that was the right call at the time but it didn't turn out to be the right strategic decision. Some teams took a gamble and took fuel only and some didn't even take fuel. It was a gamble for them but it paid off. Those are very tough calls to make. On the bright side this was our best performance as a team, much better than last week at Phoenix. We had good pit stops all day and I really like the gains we made this weekend." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished 14th
"The thing that comes to mind is that lucky dog at the end. We were racing the 47 hard, but I thought the 2 had already got by the 66 so I didn’t think it was extremely urgent to get by him. I kind of ran behind him for a couple laps and I went to the top and as soon as I cleared him the caution came out but the loop was before that. I was really frustrated that I didn’t try to roll the top a lap sooner to try and get by him. I was working on him, but I should have maybe gone to the top sooner. That’s not a bad run for us. If we can knock out top-20s being a part-time team, and we had a tough day on pit road today. The guys worked hard, but we had a couple rough stops. I felt like we had a 15th-place car at times and passed quite a few cars today, so I’m happy with how the car ran." - Trevor Bayne, finished 20th
"Well, that stinks. We were looking at at least a top-five finish there. On that restart there at the end, people were checking up and once things got rolling, I had some damage on the right side and I had to pit for tires. I feel bad. My guys worked so hard and we were good all weekend. We had a good qualifying run and the 5-hour ENERGY Toyota was fast in practice. It’s just a shame." - Clint Bowyer, finished 23rd
"It’s hard to tell right now it looks like the left-front hub is locked shut and the car just kind of lost the handling the last 15 or 20 laps. It started to get really loose which makes sense with that left-front brake dragging like that. Just have to thank everybody on this team they have done a great job and our Jimmy John’s Chevrolet was ‘Freaky Fast’ again. Just got to keep doing what we are doing and everything will be fine with cars like that." - Kevin Harvick, finished 41st
It's making it very difficult to drive the cars in traffic, and it makes the cars very easy to drive by themselves. It's just part of the evolution of racing, and maybe not necessarily what we want to see happening from a fan perspective, but it's just where the competitors are taking the racing.
We'll see where that goes from here." - Brad Keselowski, race winner
"I think everybody has seen that over the last couple of weeks, that this format has definitely allowed teams to gamble like we have.
You know, it did pay off. Not the ultimate prize, but we did run second. We weren't going to ‑‑ as much as you want to win, and believe me, we were out there trying to win, you do take pride in a good performance, a good finish, and we weren't going to run in the top 5 if we hadn't have used that particular strategy, if we'd have run the same strategy as our competitors we would have probably run just inside the top 10 where we were all day.
At least it felt like I was around eighth all day. I just couldn't get any ground, and we fought the car all day. Just the air is so dirty behind everybody, the further back you get you've got less and less grip. Once we got the lead, it was like driving a Cadillac." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished second
"Just had a really solid car all day and all weekend, really. Started on Thursday, felt like in race practice Thursday we were really strong, switched over to qualifying trim Friday and still the car drove good, we just didn't have any speed, so wound up qualifying 21st.
Did a few adjustments from yesterday, felt like we ended happy hour good, did a few adjustments overnight, anticipating the track was going to be a little bit hotter, slicker, kind of played into our favor, and really had a solid car from the green flag. We tightened it up a little bit the first couple runs, then we freed it back up and kind of bounced back and forth. Felt like we had definitely a top 3 car and at times the best car. It was cool going up and passing Jimmie for the lead and passing him for a few laps, but just proud of my guys. We're clicking really well, we got a couple new engineers and of course Slugger is back for our fourth our fifth year working together, so a good group of guys. Our pit crew's pit stops were awesome." - Paul Menard, finished third
"We probably didn’t deserve to finish fifth, so I’m pretty happy with that finish. The guys did a great job with strategy. It was a big weekend for Ford. With the loss of Mr. Ford this weekend, if we couldn’t be in victory lane I’m really proud that a Ford was in victory lane both days. Brad did a great job. We’re all thinking of the Ford family and the Bolin family. We lost Ed Bolin this weekend too, a great supporter of NASCAR." - Carl Edwards, finished fifth
"It was a good comeback for our Caterpillar Chevrolet. I think that’s about the race car that we had. There were times when we could be a little bit quicker toward the end of a run. It was a good effort for the team and it was a good points day. If we keep running like that, we’ll put it in the top 5 and if we do that, we’ll win. I’m just proud of the guys and everybody from Caterpillar and Chevrolet and RCR. Everybody did a good job. I can’t wait for the summer because [the cars are] stuck too good right now." - Ryan Newman, finished seventh
"We were just kind of off. We just kind of struggled most of the weekend. We got some decent track position there -- just couldn’t really go anywhere. We were just about where we were. It was about all we could do. We just got to get them better." - Matt Kenseth, finished tenth
"We had a really up and down day with our M&M’s Peanut Camry. We started off getting blocked in the pits and had to come from the back. The car was too loose on the first run and we tightened it up and it was really fast for awhile. But, we kept adjusting on it to try and help the tight in the center of the corner and it was just getting looser and looser, especially on the last run. Just disappointing when we looked like we had a good car earlier in the race." - Kyle Busch, finished 11th
"We were better than 14th, no question about that. We ran in the top-10 for most of the race but lost track position at the end. We decided to take two (right-side) tires and fuel on the final pit stop. We felt that was the right call at the time but it didn't turn out to be the right strategic decision. Some teams took a gamble and took fuel only and some didn't even take fuel. It was a gamble for them but it paid off. Those are very tough calls to make. On the bright side this was our best performance as a team, much better than last week at Phoenix. We had good pit stops all day and I really like the gains we made this weekend." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished 14th
"The thing that comes to mind is that lucky dog at the end. We were racing the 47 hard, but I thought the 2 had already got by the 66 so I didn’t think it was extremely urgent to get by him. I kind of ran behind him for a couple laps and I went to the top and as soon as I cleared him the caution came out but the loop was before that. I was really frustrated that I didn’t try to roll the top a lap sooner to try and get by him. I was working on him, but I should have maybe gone to the top sooner. That’s not a bad run for us. If we can knock out top-20s being a part-time team, and we had a tough day on pit road today. The guys worked hard, but we had a couple rough stops. I felt like we had a 15th-place car at times and passed quite a few cars today, so I’m happy with how the car ran." - Trevor Bayne, finished 20th
"Well, that stinks. We were looking at at least a top-five finish there. On that restart there at the end, people were checking up and once things got rolling, I had some damage on the right side and I had to pit for tires. I feel bad. My guys worked so hard and we were good all weekend. We had a good qualifying run and the 5-hour ENERGY Toyota was fast in practice. It’s just a shame." - Clint Bowyer, finished 23rd
"It’s hard to tell right now it looks like the left-front hub is locked shut and the car just kind of lost the handling the last 15 or 20 laps. It started to get really loose which makes sense with that left-front brake dragging like that. Just have to thank everybody on this team they have done a great job and our Jimmy John’s Chevrolet was ‘Freaky Fast’ again. Just got to keep doing what we are doing and everything will be fine with cars like that." - Kevin Harvick, finished 41st
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud: Kobalt 400 from Las Vegas
by Mike Neff
Pace Laps: Danica Patrick As The Highest Finishing SHR Car, Qualifying Shake-Ups in IndyCar & More
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Kobalt 400
by Amy Henderson
NASCAR on the Right Track with New Aero Package, but More Can Still be done
by Aaron Creed
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1990, Davey Allison beat out Mark Martin by just a bumper to win the Food City 500. However, there was a confrontation after the race in the infield. Why?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: In 2000, Chilean racer Eliseo Salazar was a early contender at the 2000 Vegas Indy 300 in the Indy Racing Northern Lights Series, leading 27 laps in his Rio Casino-sponsored No. 11 for AJ Foyt Enterprises. However, he was eliminated from the proceedings early on. What happened?
A: Salazar was running in third on Lap 119 when Sarah Fisher, who was second, spun suddenly exiting Turn 4. Salazar was left with nowhere to go but right into Fisher, and then the outside wall. The crash can be seen here.
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1990, Davey Allison beat out Mark Martin by just a bumper to win the Food City 500. However, there was a confrontation after the race in the infield. Why?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: In 2000, Chilean racer Eliseo Salazar was a early contender at the 2000 Vegas Indy 300 in the Indy Racing Northern Lights Series, leading 27 laps in his Rio Casino-sponsored No. 11 for AJ Foyt Enterprises. However, he was eliminated from the proceedings early on. What happened?
A: Salazar was running in third on Lap 119 when Sarah Fisher, who was second, spun suddenly exiting Turn 4. Salazar was left with nowhere to go but right into Fisher, and then the outside wall. The crash can be seen here.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take 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 Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Greg Davis
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: Kobalt 400 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Five Points to Ponder by Danny Peters
Danny returns for his weekly edition of talking points, which will wrap up the action in Las Vegas and get us ready for Bristol.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series were in Nevada to race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Were the telecasts of these events "up to snuff?" Find out in this week's TV Critique.
We'll take a look at which drivers are sitting pretty after three races -- and who wants to race close to home
Racing to the Point by Brett Poirier
Brett is back with another commentary to make you think. This week, Brett talks Jeff Gordon's restart woes.
Voices From The Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Jeff's back with another interesting opinion piece.
-----------------------------
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©2014 Frontstretch.com
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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©2014 Frontstretch.com
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