Tuesday, March 11, 2014

The Frontstretch Newsletter: A Sprint Cup Veteran Returns

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

March 11th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition XXIV
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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!


What To Watch: Tuesday

- Tuesday is traditionally penalty day in NASCAR and there are a couple of Nationwide teams that could be hit this week.  JR Motorsports' No. 9, driven by Chase Elliott was busted for being too low in the left front corner in post-race inspection, which guarantees a P2 penalty at bare minimum.  Meanwhile, Team Penske had the right rear shock confiscated from Brad Keselowski's race-winning No. 22 Ford Mustang after the race.  It is unclear if that shock will necessitate a penalty.  Remember, since these offenses were discovered in post-race inspection, penalty modifiers could be in play if NASCAR determines that the infractions are P4 level or greater.

- Paul Wolfe, Brad Keselowski's crew chief will be a part of NASCAR's weekly Media Teleconference. Wolfe, after missing Phoenix for the birth of his first child returned in a big way at Vegas in helping lead the No. 2 Ford to Victory Lane.

Today's TV Schedule
Time                                     Telecast                                 Network
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM              NASCAR RaceHub             FOX Sports 1
5:00 - 5:30 PM                      NASCAR America               NBC Sports Network

Top News
by Greg Davis

Front Row Motorsports Adds Reutimann for Bristol

It was announced Monday that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran David Reutimann will join Front Row Motorsports to drive the No. 35 MDS Ford Fusion this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500.  Reutimann, 44, who has two career Sprint Cup victories, will have to post a good qualifying time to make the race, as the No. 35 machine is currently 46th in owner points.

So far this year, Front Row Motorsports has entered the No. 35 car in each of the three events (Daytona, Phoenix, and Las Vegas) with drivers Eric McClure and Blake Koch.  Koch finished 37th at Phoenix International Raceway, then failed to make the Kobalt Tools 400 last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway while McClure failed to qualify for the Daytona 500.

According to Front Row Motorsports' PR team, the deal with Reutimann is just for the Bristol race, and the No. 35 car does not have a set driver roster for the season, so future drivers for Sprint Cup dates are undetermined.

Reutimann lost his full-time ride with BK Racing at the end of 2013. He's been out of Cup Series racing since.

Ganassi Signs Nationwide Rookie Kwasniewski to Development Deal

At Las Vegas this past weekend, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced the team has entered into a development deal with Nationwide Series rookie standout and 2013 K&N Pro Series East Champion, Dylan Kwasniewski.

“I am extremely happy right now and thrilled to be getting this opportunity with Chip and the whole team," Kwasniewski said.  "I have wanted to do nothing but race for as long as I can remember, so this is a dream come true.  I look forward to being part of Chip’s organization and will hopefully be a key contributor to its future success.”  

Kwasniewski, who became the youngest NNS pole-sitter in Daytona history last month, is a full-time driver for Turner Scott Motorsports and the No. 31 Rockstar Energy/AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet Camaro. So will the signing mean a quick move to the Cup level come 2015?

On that one, the jury is still out. According to a statement put out by Chip Ganassi Racing, relating to the status of veteran driver Jamie McMurray with the team, “This is by no means connected to Jamie or to put any pressure on him." No indication was given as to whether the organization would one day expand to three Cup cars.

Ganassi also currently has young star Kyle Larson under contract as well as McMurray for the team on the Sprint Cup side.

NASCAR Sponsor, Freescale Has Missing Employees in Malaysian Airline Disappearance

As originally reported by Sporting News' Bob Pockrass, 20 employees of Freescale Semiconductor, a Texas-based tech company that serves as an exclusive provider to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, are missing after the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 over the weekend.  The Boeing 777 went missing on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China and still no sign of the flight, or survivors have been found in the Gulf of Thailand.  Freescale processors are inside of the electronic control modules that manage the fuel-injection system on board all Sprint Cup race cars.  The search for the 239 passengers of the flight is still underway.

News ‘N’ Notes
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NASCAR K&N Pro Series West driver Kelly Admiraal will be making his first start of the season in the Nationwide Series this weekend, at Bristol Motor Speedway when the 18-year-old standout will take the wheel of the No. 29 Swan Rentals Toyota Camry for RAB Racing. According to RAB, Admiraal will be in the seat of the No. 29 car in other races throughout 2014 as well.

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The Richard Petty Museum has moved the collection of artifacts and exhibits for NASCAR’s winningest driver back to Level Cross, NC — the site of the Petty family compound and the original facility for Petty Enterprises. The museum had been located in Randleman, NC, the home of the Victory Junction Gang Camp, since 2003. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday evening.  

Have news for Greg and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.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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Today's Featured Commentary
Excitement in NASCAR: Hoping for the Long Odds
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady

Fancy that.  Brad Keselowski won the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, zipping past Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in a heartbreaking fuel mileage scenario.  Were you surprised?  I mean, after the dominant day Kes had Saturday in the Nationwide Series and just about never leaving the Top 5 on Sunday?  Sometimes, finishes are just meant to be and the surprise factor we wish came into play more often, well, just doesn't.

Then again, if we stop and think about it, the odds are we are almost never going to be shocked come Sunday afternoon.  While we keep plunking our quarters into the slot machine, like gambling junkies, we have this faint hope that the lights will start flashing and bells begin to ring.  How sweet it is when that actually happens.  However, sports are real life, and - like the busses dropping off the multitudes at the casinos - the vast majority of the time, nobody on that ride is going home with an unexpected pile of coin in their pockets.  For this sport, my friends, is NASCAR.

The winners in the first three races of the 2014 season are Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski.  All three of them pilot cars which are built by teams with multi-million dollar stables.  Not only do Miller Lite, Jimmy John's and the National Guard expect to see their cars in Victory Lane, so do the millions of stock car fans.  In fact, the top-5 finishers in all three events also hail from the rarified atmosphere of NASCAR Championship teams.  In short, we haven't seen a single shocking moment in the past few weeks.

When was the last time we actually did?

For the past year or so, I've often wondered if my brain has devolved into mush as it has failed to engage with the current Sprint Cup Season.  It's not my brain.  It's the results of our sport.  In all of 2013, the only two surprise visitors to Victory Lane were David Ragan and Jamie McMurray.  However, when you take into consideration that those wins were at Talladega, the plate race "wild card" kind of negated any excitement generated there.

We did have the Richmond Chase controversy.  And I can still get more than a little excited when I discuss the events.  People cheated (like that's anything new around here) and our sanctioning body actually tried to make it all better.  The fact that those attempts were paltry and eventually not heartfelt simply underlined the fact that NASCAR is very happy with the status quo.  Thrilled!  Dancing in the streets, last I heard.  They can be found with slings on arms sore from patting themselves on the back.

Even the guys in the booth, generating highlight reels for NASCAR ads have had to rely on screen shots from more than a year ago.  When will Tony throwing his helmet at Kenseth's car in Bristol get old?  Shortly, I'm hoping.

So, here we are, heading off to Thunder Valley.  The odds-makers are back at work trying to generate some excitement while we put on our short-track hats.  Yes, we'll have high-banks and some rim-riding.  Pit road will be too tight.  Cars will bounce off one another.  And when all is said and done, a driver from Hendrick, Gibbs, Roush, RCR or Penske will most likely take home the hardware.  Wow.  What are the odds that could happen?

That's what I thought.

But you never know.  Maybe this time, we're due for the big payout.  We can hope!  I'll pull that one-armed bandit just one more time.  See you on Sunday.
 
2014 Sonya Strictly by the Stats
Top Three Rookies for 2014 The Profit on CNBC 500

1)
No. 3 - Austin Dillon, started fourth, finished 16th
2) No. 42 - Kyle Larson, started 17th, finished 19th
3) No. 7 - Michael Annett, started 38th, finished 29th

S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch and runs a NASCAR blog called the S-Curves. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @laregna and on her Facebook page (she's an author, too!) at https://www.facebook.com/Author.SDGrady.
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Numbers Game: Kobalt 400
by Tom Bowles

0
Wrecks during the race on Sunday. It’s the first time since 2000 that the Cup race at Vegas (which was rain-shortened) had no crashes during the event.

1
Top-5 finishes in nine starts for Roush Fenway Racing this season (fifth, Carl Edwards, Vegas). Last year, they’d already won once with Edwards (Phoenix).

2
Drivers with top-5 finishes in all three races so far in 2014: Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

2
Straight DNQs for Landon Cassill after starting the year off with a 12th at Daytona. That’s despite his No. 40 team picking up additional funding from Fuhu.

3
Of 4 Hendrick drivers who have finished every race this season inside the top 10: Earnhardt, Jr., Johnson and Jeff Gordon.

4
Drivers to lead at least 44 laps Sunday: Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Earnhardt Jr., and Keselowski, who led the most laps in Vegas with 53.

5
Drivers from Team Penske or Hendrick Motorsports in the top 5 of Sprint Cup points.

6
Of 8 rookie candidates who finished outside the top 20 at Vegas. Only Austin Dillon (16th) and Kyle Larson (19th) broke through.

7
Months since Tony Stewart finished inside the top 10 in a Cup Series race. He was ninth at Pocono days before injuring his leg last August; he’s struggled in his 2014 return, running a disappointing 33rd on Sunday.

8
Of Sunday’s top-10 spots taken up by Richard Childress Racing, Hendrick Motorsports or Team Penske. In all, they’ve combined for 22 of 30 possible top-10 finishes this season.

19
Spots gained by Matt Kenseth Sunday, tied with Marcos Ambrose for the most of any driver. Last year’s Vegas winner battled from 29th spot to finish 10th.

21
Lead changes at Las Vegas, the third time in the last four years this race has had 20 or more.

154.633

Average speed for Sunday’s race, a new record for Las Vegas.

$69,590

Amount Josh Wise won for running 42nd in Sunday’s race.

$114,623

Amount Kevin Harvick won for running 41st in that same event.

Tom Bowles is the Editor-In-Chief of Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Danny Peters
by Brad Morgan
by Jeff Meyer
by Phil Allaway

Partner Link from Athlon Sports:

by Tom Bowles

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

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?

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

Monday's Answer:


Q:  In 1990, Davey Allison beat out Mark Martin by just a bumper to win the Valleydale Meats 500.  However, there was a confrontation after the race in the infield.  Why?

A:  On the final lap of the race, there was contact between Ricky Rudd and Sterling Marlin, who were racing each other for third.  Marlin spun exiting Turn 2 and hit the inside wall, while Rudd continued on to finish in third (Marlin slumped to seventh).  The incident can be seen here.  Marlin's post-race interview can be seen here.

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 Tom Bowles
-- Professor Of Speed Mark Howell stops by
-- Tweet 'N' Greet by Allen Bedgood
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!

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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:


Did You Notice? by Tom Bowles
Do NASCAR fans need "contact" in order to stay engaged? Or "drama?" Tom's back with his usual assortment of NASCAR observations, as well as quick hits heading to Bristol.

Frontstretch Five by Amy Henderson
Amy is back with another interesting column.

Frontstretch Fan Q&A by Summer Bedgood
Summer takes on your NASCAR questions and answers them to the best of her ability. Be sure to send your questions in if there's something that's been nagging at you and you might see your name in print.

Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 after Las Vegas compiled by Michael Mehedin
We're through three races, and big swings in the rankings are still possible.  Can Dale Earnhardt, Jr. keep his spot on top of the weekly poll?  Check out the Power Rankings in order to find out how your favorite national experts voted.
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