Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 12th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition XXV
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Frontstretch seeking NASCAR Nationwide Series Writer
Do you have strong writing, 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 post-race 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!
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Following safety concerns regarding NASCAR’s new qualifying format, the sanctioning body is introducing some changes in preparation for this weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Late Tuesday afternoon, a release from NASCAR fully detailed the changes. Teams will be allowed a single cool down unit to be connected through the right or left side hood flap, however the hood must remain closed. Additionally, two crew members will be allowed over the wall while cooling down. Previously, only one crewman could be over the wall.
“The qualifying is new to all of us and as we have said over the past several weeks, we are looking at it from all aspects,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's Vice President of Competition and Racing Development. “Following discussions, both internally and with others in the garage area, we moved quickly to make a few revisions that will be effective starting with our two national series events at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. We believe this will only enhance and improve what has demonstrated to be an exciting form of qualifying for our fans, competitors and others involved with the sport. Moving forward, we will continue to look at it and address anything else that we may need to as the season unfolds.”
The move comes after three weeks of NASCAR’s new knockout qualifying system, where multiple cars are allowed to make qualifying attempts at the same time instead of the traditional one-car-at-a-time procedure. Drivers and teams had complained that the new rules didn’t allow them to cool their engines down on pit road, and the cool-down laps caused a dangerous situation with slower cars staying on the track at the same time that other cars were running by them at much higher speeds.
The rule will begin this weekend in Bristol, a track that has a much narrower racing surface than Daytona, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.
Paul Wolfe featured on NASCAR Media Teleconference Call
Brad Keselowski’s Sprint Cup Series crew chief Paul Wolfe was the featured guest this week on the NASCAR Teleconference call. Wolfe spoke about a variety of topics, from the win to the Chase to the qualifying procedure and more.
Wolfe said that Sunday’s win at Las Vegas means a lot to the No. 2 Miller Lite team for a bunch of reasons, one of those being that they’re virtually now locked into the Chase for the Championship.
“Obviously it’s not a guarantee if multiple cars get a bunch of wins, but we feel good about that, and I think it was a good momentum builder for this team and kind of what we needed to get this season started off right,” he commented.
Wolfe added that it’s nice to show early that they’re one of the strong teams this year and will have a legitimate shot at the title after last year’s disappointment. Last year didn’t go as Keselowski and Wolfe planned as they missed the Chase for the Championship after struggling during the middle part of last season, including a big penalty after the spring race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Wolfe went on to say that tackling the rules and getting ahead this year shows the depth of the Penske organization and their ability to come out strong near the beginning of the season. He adds that now the challenge is to keep evolving and continuing to make gains so the team can remain near the top of the standings.
Wolfe was asked about Penske’s strength in the qualifying format this year as well, in which they’ve swept the front row at both Phoenix and Las Vegas with Keselowski and teammate Joey Logano. Wolfe feels that Penske has stood up to the challenge because of the teams ability to handle strategic situations.
“It’s not necessarily all about just putting together that one-lap speed, it’s putting together multiple runs and understanding how to make changes as you go from one round to the next round,” he commented. “We like the challenge of that, and that’s been something that is different than what qualifying has been in the past.”
The team heads to Bristol this weekend where Keselowski has two previous victories.
Mario Andretti to be Grand Marshal at Long Beach
INDYCAR officials announced today that Mario Andretti will be the grand marshal of the 40th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13th. Andretti won three IndyCar races in his career, as well as the 1977 Formula One race on the streets of Long Beach, California.
"It is totally appropriate to have Mario as grand marshal for our 40th race," Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, said. "Over the years, he has been an important part of our history and heritage, and we're happy to honor his contributions to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach."
"I raced for four decades on just about every course imaginable," Andretti said. "And I have been associated with the Grand Prix of Long Beach since its beginning in 1975. So I think I speak with authority when I say that it is by far the most successful street race ever staged in American motor racing history.
"Obviously, the fondest memories I have of the streets of Long Beach are my victories, but the entertainment and ambiance away from the track has also become classic. No one leaves Long Beach without vowing to come back. It is truly amongst the best I've ever seen and I'm proud to be serving as grand marshal this year."
This years' Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend, scheduled from April 10-13, features races for the IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights, the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, and the annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race.
Have news for Ashley and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
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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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The coming of spring is all about change and new hope, so it seems only natural to start the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season by pondering the current state of points and just how this year’s “Chase for the Championship” will take shape over the first 26 events on the circuit. Much has been said about Brian France’s new-and-improved, “winner-take-all” model of deciding a champion, but there’s been even more floated about regarding the pitfalls of this new system.
In a column published late last week, Nate Ryan of USA Today suggested that it is possible – reflecting NASCAR’s greatest and most deep-rooted fears – that a driver could go 0-for-36 and still be able to win the Sprint Cup title. Want proof? Consider the now-legendary factoid (so often heard on air and seen in print) that awarded Dale Earnhardt, Jr. the 2013 Sprint Cup championship if the new 2014 points system was in place last year.
It’s the title-winning seasons of Matt Kenseth (2003) and the late, great Benny Parsons (1973) that got NASCAR Nation to this state – those infamous one-win seasons that snag a championship but render NASCAR to last-page-of-the-sports-section media attention.
The point battle has always been a matter of mathematics and strategic efforts to manipulate the numbers: you sandbag in qualifying, you ride mid-pack in order to maintain position and keep your place in the standings, and you consider mediocre finishes “good point days” then set your sights on the next week. Hence, our current situation where victors receive an official “Sprint Cup Series race winner” decal and a place in the Chase come the post-season.
As a college professor, I spend much of my time evaluating success and crunching numbers. I am not the most astute with a calculator or computer (I was an English major!), but I dedicate multiple hours every week to the scoring and recording of student performances on essays, reading assignments, and exams. Those numbers then get thrown into a formula that converts said earned points into grades. This is the nature of what some critics might call antiquated education, but – for now, at least – this is the best and quickest way to record and chart student achievement. Given such a proven track record (pardon the pun), why don’t we use a similar method to determine the NASCAR Sprint Cup champion?
Here’s a slightly radical idea: Convert every driver’s race performance into a running average of accomplishment. You keep an on-going record of the driver’s average finish following each event. For goofs and giggles, you could even keep a record of said driver’s average starting position, too. Those two averages could then be crunched into a third average/score that blends both qualifying and race performance into one piece of numerical data. Call it “The Racing-Reference.info Approach”….
For the most part, the scoring system would look pretty much the same as it does now, but the changes that would occur would better reflect the overall/cumulative success of each driver and his or her team. Given the current top 8 in Sprint Cup points after last Sunday’s race at Las Vegas, my proposed system would put Joey Logano and Jeff Gordon in a tie for third with an overall average score of 9.35 (the average of their average starting position and their average finishing position) for the three events in 2014, while Jimmie Johnson would slide into fifth spot (down from third) with a score of 9.55 on the year.
The biggest move among this group would involve Denny Hamlin, whose overall average score of 12.65 on the season (an average start of 14.3 and an average finish of 11th for an overall average of 12.65 after three races) would bump him up into sixth overall, as opposed to his current eighth-place position in the Sprint Cup standings.
This nerdy modification to the point structure could still reward winning races by giving victorious drivers certain perks (breaking ties? An automatic spot in the Chase?), but this new system could also incorporate qualifying success and put a premium on starting as close to the front as possible each week (a benefit to drivers who qualify well but tend to fade late in the day). Given this adjustment, a driver like Joey Logano (with one pole) could jump ahead of Jeff Gordon (with no poles) in the rankings even though the two drivers have the same overall starting/finishing average for the year thus far.
And dare I suggest it? This kind of point system structure based on overall average of starting position and finishing position could be used during the entire 36 event schedule. No more “Chase for the Championship” and pressure to make the top ten (or twelve, or thirteen….) in points come the end of Race 26. Overall performance in both qualifying and races would be the key: win poles and/or races, and watch your running/cumulative average drop. As your average drops, watch your ranking in the point standings rise. No re-setting of the standings during the post-season and no elimination threat every three weeks as the series winds down to the final race at Homestead.
It would just be racing – as hard and as well and as consistently as possible – that’d put the best above the rest. Call it similar to the current system, but just different enough to give more drivers more hope.
Let’s admit it: there’s always the possibility that a champion will be short on wins according to NASCAR’s grand plan for the Sprint Cup Series. This system puts an emphasis on overall performance more than overall victories. One poor showing can be countered with an improved one, and that’s only fair; everyone deserves a chance to spring back after a bad week.
It’s just an idea, and a somewhat average one, at that….
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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...
@BMSUpdates (Bristol Motor Speedway): QUOTE: “You never know what you’re going to get at Bristol. I love it, I think everybody does. It’s a cool short track" - @MartinTruex_Jr
@bobpockrass: David Reutimann will drive the No. 35 Front Row Motorsports car at Bristol. #nascar
@nascar_wonka: If we want to start banning words, we should start with words like "offseason," "vortex theory," and "turn up."
@AllWaltrip (Darrell Waltrip): Good Morning America, twitterville, race fans, been in every time zone and a time change the last 3 weeks! Does anybody know what time it is?
@NASCARIllustr8d: With his @LVMotorSpeedway Brad @keselowski could buy 8,982 34-piece combination wrench sets from @KobaltTools. pic.twitter.com/7LPCJodjVo
@sergpena (Sergio Pena): Training hard in the gym this morning for Bristol! Can anyone say #GForces ?
@mw55 (Michael Waltrip): When autographing, we feel it's important for the signature to be legible right @AllWaltrip ? @peakauto #PEAKSCD pic.twitter.com/LTAjKETBoT
@nascarcasm: Dale Jr. broke Twitters again. #DailFailWhale #TheMockRun #nascar pic.twitter.com/D7jHkRW0gT
@MattYocum: Every team puts a little pit road reminder for every driver so they know who is pitting around them. @FOXSports pic.twitter.com/CTrWuM7RxL
@MattYocum: A little duct work and fans for brake and tire cooling. @FOXSports pic.twitter.com/OVUlTw49PS
@NASCARHomeTrack: Couldn’t get to Caraway for Andy Seuss’ #NWSMT win? Soon IMSA, AMA Pro & NASCAR will have you covered. #FansChoiceTV http://youtu.be/svyPU9np93o
@KyleBusch: Well... Let's just say I wish the race was only 130 laps long. That's why we have to race all the laps.
@DavidRagan: Congrats to @keselowski and everyone at @FordRacing. Good the see those blue ovals in victory lane! How bout that Fusion gas mileage?
@MattYocum: Pole winner going thru post qual inspection. @joeylogano pic.twitter.com/8uqwDBYceL
@dustinlong: #NASCAR … Dale Jr on crew chief status for next year: "There's been no discussion as far as I know.
@keselowski: Thanks man. You got Daytona, I get Vegas. seems fair. RT @DaleJr: Congrats @keselowski and the #2 team. Awesome weekend for @Team_Penske
@KevinHarvick: #FreakyFast @jimmyjohns car again... You'll have some parts fail in big time auto racing.. Proud of the whole @StewartHaasRcng team.
@DaleJr: Gotta stay positive and get em next week. Hate to run 2nd like that but we have a lot to be thankful for. #Fortunate #PositiveMojo #JrNation
@dustinlong: @DaleJr joins Richard Petty (1969 & '74) as 2nd driver in #NASCAR history 2 start year with three top-2 finishes in a row
@nascarcasm: #13 Geico car pits for 4 tires and boots and pants and boots and pants and boots and pants and boots and pants and... #nascar #lasvegas
@TimmyHillRacer: Here is a onboard video from the Test day here at Las Vegas. Neat view for those who may like a look. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMZUEMqksl4&feature=youtu.be …
@ArleneMartin: Going on a little trip with @markmartin & @MatthewC_Martin #springbreak pic.twitter.com/YrBnM4yO6O
@nascarcasm: I want Nur Ali back in NNS solely for the resulting confusion as we try to determine if he's cooling radiator or actually attempting a lap.
@KevinHarvick: Rodney needs one more radio!! Ha! Car was pretty good in p1 need a few tweaks still. http://instagram.com/p/lSjpP5RkGH/
@toyotaracing: View from inside @alexbracing's @bkracing_2383 @drpepper #Camry during #NASCAR testing at @LVMotorSpeedway pic.twitter.com/Fzk9vO1Jwz
@DaleJr: Every race Stevie Waltrip gives me a verse to put in my car as I buckle up. The Daytona 500 verse was ISAIAH 40:28-31 pic.twitter.com/v7X8WMjYlJ
@Kenny_Wallace: Just watched the movie "12 Years a Slave" I am emotionally wore out and it ripped my gut out, Just heart wrenching.
@StenhouseJr (Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.): Start of heat 1 http://instagram.com/p/lMBWn1L1nd/
@StenhouseJr: The boys are gettin ready to roll at the dirt track @JasonJohnsonRac will b on gas!! pic.twitter.com/A9P84FwQWU
@KrisJohnson_NI: Kinda wish I was in Vegas tonight. But surely saving money in the process.
@bryanmorgan0603: Hauler parade #NASCAR @JimmieJohnson pic.twitter.com/ppokUXqWa9
@99_RFRRacing: The #99 hauler cruisin' down the Las Vegas strip #haulerparade pic.twitter.com/D4GVx9ytf5
@JimmieJohnson: My little dare devil http://instagram.com/p/lLv1knEpW7/
@Kristen_Beat: Classic racing at it's best. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LueNWi3Gdj0 …
@joeylogano: Thanks for the cool custom jersey @NERevolution. They look great. It's my first soccer jersey. Good luck this season. pic.twitter.com/XiUphQztMu
@JamesBuscher: Forgot to post this yesterday... Stetson was helping me pack my suitcase! pic.twitter.com/XnWmAdKcHU
@MikeDavis88: Here, my daughter playing with the first three years of my career. http://instagram.com/p/lKX-x4F45x/
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Is NASCAR's Audience Getting Wrecked... By No Wrecks?
NASCAR Mailbox: Playoff Predictions ... Wait, Playoffs?! PLAYOFFS?!
The Frontstretch Five: Unsettling Trends In NASCAR
Did You Notice? ... Keep On Asking, And You Will Receive A Qualifying Sigh Of Relief
NASCAR National Power Rankings: Top 15 After Las Vegas
by David Smith
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA
Q: In the 2000 Food City 500, Dale Earnhardt had a great run early on, moving up from the 11th starting spot to take the lead. However, that led was short-lived. What knocked him off the point?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: The 1994 Food City 500 was a monument to attrition. A full 14 laps separated race winner Dale Earnhardt from tenth-place finisher Dave Marcis. A number of cars were sent behind the wall after a crash on Lap 209. What happened here?
A: Dale Earnhardt got in the back of pole sitter Chuck Bown in Turn 2. Bown tried to save the No. 12, but spun into the inside wall. Behind them, Ted Musgrave spun off the front of Terry Labonte. Labonte hit the brakes and got hit from behind by Kyle Petty and turned into the outside wall. Sterling Marlin, Brett Bodine, Todd Bodine, Rick Mast and Steve Grissom piled in. The crash can be seen here.
Even though a number of the drivers involved had significant damage, no one directly dropped out of the race due to this crash. Out of everyone involved, Marlin finished the highest (eighth, nine laps down). Grissom was 12th, 20 laps down, while Brett Bodine was 13th, 22 laps down. The others all spent significant time behind the wall. Only Mast, who crashed again 100 laps later, actually failed to finish.
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
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
Vito returns to the website this year with his unique views on everything racing.
Going by the Numbers by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin returns with a look at the statistical side of NASCAR.
Tech Talk by Mike Neff
Mike is back with your look at the technical side of NASCAR. This week, Kevin "Bono" Manion checks in just in time for the first short track race of the year.
Fantasy Insider by Jeff Wolfe
Jeff is back with your look at the best bets to fill your fantasy roster. This week, he's got the inside take on who to choose for Bristol.
Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth is back with your weekly look at the state of the Camping World Truck Series.
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