THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
- Also today, Kurt Busch will be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to begin Rookie Orientation. In order to be cleared to practice during the month of May, Busch must pass the three stages, which require laps between 200-210 mph, 210-215 mph, then over 215 mph. He will be judged by his peers.
Top News
Andretti Autosport of the Verizon IndyCar Series announced Monday that their No. 26 Honda entry in the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500, piloted by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kurt Busch, will be sponsored by Suretone Entertainment. The Santa Monica, CA-based record label, management, and film company is owned by entertainment industry veteran Jordan Schur, the former President of Geffen Records. The car was officially unveiled during a ceremony and press conference on Monday morning at Andretti Autosport headquarters in Indianapolis.
In a statement from Andretti Autosport, Schur said, "We are honored to have Suretone Entertainment stand with Andretti Autosport and Kurt Busch in this historic event as Kurt enters his first Indianapolis 500 qualifying run, as well as attempts to become only the fourth driver in motorsport history to contest the 'Double'".
The 2004 Sprint Cup Series Champion Busch, 35, is set to take on the challenge of driving both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the same day on May 25th. Busch will join John Andretti, Robby Gordon, and Tony Stewart all-time in undertaking the daunting task of completing the "double," all while making his IndyCar debut.
NASCAR to Review Mears/Ambrose Post-Race Incident
Following the conclusion of Saturday night's Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway, driver of the No. 13 Chevy SS for Germain Racing, Casey Mears, and Marcos Ambrose, driver of the No. 9 Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports were involved in a physical altercation in the infield. The two drivers were battling for the 18th position on the track at the end of the race, bumping and driving hard on one another the entire night.
FOX Sports was able to catch the action on camera, with Mears pushing Ambrose, and Ambrose punching Mears, but was not able to get an interview or comment from either of the drivers, crew members, or PR reps during their post-race show late on Saturday. That's where we stood entering Monday morning
Yesterday, NASCAR stood by official word that they will be reviewing the incident to see if anyone on either of the teams will be penalized for the events that took place. However, NASCAR Vice President of Competition, Robin Pemberton was quoted as saying, "we don't think it was anything too severe". Mears did take some press interviews on Monday, including calling in as a guest on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio with Dave Moody and Angie Skinner, and on FOX Sports 1's NASCAR RaceHub show. Ambrose and RPM declined to comment on the incident Monday, but the two drivers did connect via a call and according to Mears, he and Ambrose "had a really good conversation".
Casey Mears and the No. 13 GEICO Chevy finished 18th in the race, while Ambrose and his No. 9 Stanley/DeWalt Ford finished in the 19th position at the end of the event.
Goodyear to Run Special Message to Troops on Tires
For the fifth consecutive year, NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear will be running the special "Support Our Troops" message on the sidewalls of tires for all three of the national NASCAR series next month. The special patriotic tires will get used during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 17th, as well as during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
The tires help to raise awareness and funds for the Support Our Troops Organization, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping boost morale among our Armed Forces stationed abroad.
News 'N' Notes
- Former NASCAR driver and current TV analyst Kyle Petty will kick off his 20th Annual Charity Ride Across America this weekend. The charity motorcycle ride raises funds and awareness for the Victory Junction Camp, a special camp created in 2004 for children suffering from chronic or life-threatening illnesses. The ride will begin in Carlsbad, California on May 3rd and conclude at Daytona Beach, Florida on May 10th. Among those riding in all or parts of the trip will be NASCAR personalities Richard Petty, Geoff Bodine, Donnie Alison, Rutledge Wood, and Sprint Cup driver Matt Kenseth.
- NASCAR premier national series title sponsor Sprint has officially announced that they will suspend all marketing activities as a sponsor of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. The announcement came after the allegations that Clippers Owner, Donald Sterling made racist comments after an audiotape was recently released to the public. Sprint joins seven other major sponsors of the basketball franchise that have decided to cease their sponsorships with the organization. The NBA is currently investigating the claims, and as of press time, no action has been taken against Sterling. However, there is a press conference scheduled for 2 PM ET this afternoon where NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will talk about the investigation and may levy some kind of a punishment.
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 29th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition LIX
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 29th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition LIX
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What To Watch: Tuesday- Tuesday is traditionally penalty day in NASCAR, and there is quite the doozy for NASCAR to sift through this week. First on the list is that officials have vowed to investigate the Marcos Ambrose - Casey Mears incident from Saturday night. At the bare minimum, there will be a penalty levied at the man representing ECR Engines who sucker-punched Ambrose after Ambrose punched Mears. What is unclear is what will happen to the two drivers at the root of the conflict. We'll all find out together, updating our homepage with Breaking News if and when it comes out today.
- Also today, Kurt Busch will be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to begin Rookie Orientation. In order to be cleared to practice during the month of May, Busch must pass the three stages, which require laps between 200-210 mph, 210-215 mph, then over 215 mph. He will be judged by his peers.
Today's TV Schedule
Time Telecast Network
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM NASCAR RaceHub FOX Sports 1
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM NASCAR America NBC Sports Network
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM NASCAR RaceHub FOX Sports 2*#
DVR Theater (Late Tuesday Night/Early Wednesday Morning)
2:30 AM - 3:00 AM NASCAR Now ESPN2
Top News
by Greg Davis
Kurt Busch and Andretti Autosport Unveil Indy 500 CarAndretti Autosport of the Verizon IndyCar Series announced Monday that their No. 26 Honda entry in the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500, piloted by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kurt Busch, will be sponsored by Suretone Entertainment. The Santa Monica, CA-based record label, management, and film company is owned by entertainment industry veteran Jordan Schur, the former President of Geffen Records. The car was officially unveiled during a ceremony and press conference on Monday morning at Andretti Autosport headquarters in Indianapolis.
In a statement from Andretti Autosport, Schur said, "We are honored to have Suretone Entertainment stand with Andretti Autosport and Kurt Busch in this historic event as Kurt enters his first Indianapolis 500 qualifying run, as well as attempts to become only the fourth driver in motorsport history to contest the 'Double'".
The 2004 Sprint Cup Series Champion Busch, 35, is set to take on the challenge of driving both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the same day on May 25th. Busch will join John Andretti, Robby Gordon, and Tony Stewart all-time in undertaking the daunting task of completing the "double," all while making his IndyCar debut.
NASCAR to Review Mears/Ambrose Post-Race Incident
Following the conclusion of Saturday night's Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway, driver of the No. 13 Chevy SS for Germain Racing, Casey Mears, and Marcos Ambrose, driver of the No. 9 Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports were involved in a physical altercation in the infield. The two drivers were battling for the 18th position on the track at the end of the race, bumping and driving hard on one another the entire night.
FOX Sports was able to catch the action on camera, with Mears pushing Ambrose, and Ambrose punching Mears, but was not able to get an interview or comment from either of the drivers, crew members, or PR reps during their post-race show late on Saturday. That's where we stood entering Monday morning
Yesterday, NASCAR stood by official word that they will be reviewing the incident to see if anyone on either of the teams will be penalized for the events that took place. However, NASCAR Vice President of Competition, Robin Pemberton was quoted as saying, "we don't think it was anything too severe". Mears did take some press interviews on Monday, including calling in as a guest on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio with Dave Moody and Angie Skinner, and on FOX Sports 1's NASCAR RaceHub show. Ambrose and RPM declined to comment on the incident Monday, but the two drivers did connect via a call and according to Mears, he and Ambrose "had a really good conversation".
Casey Mears and the No. 13 GEICO Chevy finished 18th in the race, while Ambrose and his No. 9 Stanley/DeWalt Ford finished in the 19th position at the end of the event.
Goodyear to Run Special Message to Troops on Tires
For the fifth consecutive year, NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear will be running the special "Support Our Troops" message on the sidewalls of tires for all three of the national NASCAR series next month. The special patriotic tires will get used during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 17th, as well as during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
The tires help to raise awareness and funds for the Support Our Troops Organization, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping boost morale among our Armed Forces stationed abroad.
News 'N' Notes
- Former NASCAR driver and current TV analyst Kyle Petty will kick off his 20th Annual Charity Ride Across America this weekend. The charity motorcycle ride raises funds and awareness for the Victory Junction Camp, a special camp created in 2004 for children suffering from chronic or life-threatening illnesses. The ride will begin in Carlsbad, California on May 3rd and conclude at Daytona Beach, Florida on May 10th. Among those riding in all or parts of the trip will be NASCAR personalities Richard Petty, Geoff Bodine, Donnie Alison, Rutledge Wood, and Sprint Cup driver Matt Kenseth.
- NASCAR premier national series title sponsor Sprint has officially announced that they will suspend all marketing activities as a sponsor of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. The announcement came after the allegations that Clippers Owner, Donald Sterling made racist comments after an audiotape was recently released to the public. Sprint joins seven other major sponsors of the basketball franchise that have decided to cease their sponsorships with the organization. The NBA is currently investigating the claims, and as of press time, no action has been taken against Sterling. However, there is a press conference scheduled for 2 PM ET this afternoon where NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will talk about the investigation and may levy some kind of a punishment.
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.
~~~~~~~~~~
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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Can You Believe We Watched Another Great Race?
~~~~~~~~~~
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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Can You Believe We Watched Another Great Race?
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady
Can you believe four tires went down during Saturday night's Toyota Owners 400?
Uh, yeah. Were you expecting something different? This year, Goodyear has brought tires that consistently wear to just about every track. Teams have been forced to run within the setup guidelines if they want a full fuel stop. So watching Cole Whitt, Reed Sorenson and Clint Bowyer's machines go up in flames after their tires failed... I wasn't shocked at the failures. A little alarmed at the consistent display of flame, perhaps but not that it mattered as in the end, everyone came out in one piece. Stickers now don't automatically mean success if you don't setup your car right.
Can you believe Clint Bowyer booted Kyle Larson in the opening lap?
Despite the muttering and general boos erupting from the booth, I was not one of those shocked that an experienced veteran known for his scrappy style of driving dove into the tiny opening Larson ignored for a split second. Nor was I stunned that neither did the rookie just roll over and let the guy with more laps drive right through. Was that a rookie mistake on Larson's part? Yes, for expecting the cars starting behind him to remain there through the first turn while he sorted out how his No. 42 would handle that night. There was no dirty pool here, just hard racing. So, yeah, I can believe it!
Can you believe Jeff Gordon didn't win... again?
As much as it pains me to say, yes I can. The entire NASCAR nation has aptly identified Gordon's Achilles heel: restarts. What happened in the final 50 laps of the race? Three restarts, including a pit stop that shuffled the No. 24 back from the front row. As soon as Matt Kenseth passed Gordon with his No. 20 that suddenly came to life, the day was more or less over for the four-time champ. No amount of stellar driving was going to save the day. Has he still earned the points lead? You better believe it. So it's only a matter of time and timing now. One of these races, we'll get a long green run at the end. Gordon will be there to rule the day.
But what about those final nine laps? Can you believe the beating and banging and general excitement found among Keselowski, Gordon, Kenseth and Logano?
Oh, you mean the three Sprint Cup champions and a young man finally coming into his own, fighting tooth and nail for a short track win? That scraping and scrambling? Because all four of them are known for their gentlemanly driving styles?
Yes, I can.
If we've learned one thing this year, great racing and great races are still part of our sport. Fortunately, NASCAR seems to have stumbled onto the magic mix of tire, machine and drivers to produce exciting race after race. This season has been the kind of competition that taught me to love auto racing.
Any week, at any track, anything could happen to anyone. Freak mechanical failures, tires giving up forcing teams to truly manage their rubber, and pilots pushed to the limit by a field of competitive drivers. The fact that I first became enamored by NASCAR in the 1980s only further communicates how important the blend of parity and brilliance is to the avid viewer. We need wheelmen with the abilities of superheroes and cars that actually will crumble when push comes to shove.
Who's going to win it all in 2014? I haven't a freakin' clue. There's no dominance out there, just awesome competition.
Can I believe a great year of racing is actually happening? I still haven't entirely bought into the genius of the current model. But I'm well on my way!
P.S. - If the Waltrip Brothers ever say, "Are you kidding me?" again, I may shoot my television.
2014 Sonya Strictly by the Stats
Top Three Rookies for 2014 Toyota Owners 400
1) No. 42 Kyle Larson - Started 1st, Finished 16th
2) No. 51 Justin Allgaier - Started 31st, Finished 21st
3) No. 3 Austin Dillon - Started 27th, Finished 27th
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Numbers Game: Toyota Owners 400
by Tom Bowles
0
Laps led by pole sitter Kyle Larson after getting turned by Clint Bowyer in the first turn of the first lap of Richmond. The talented rookie, despite multiple top-5 finishes has yet to lead a lap on the Cup level in 2014.
1
Number of Toyotas who led a race named after the manufacturer. Only Matt Kenseth made it up front, leading 35 laps until passed by Joey Logano late for the victory.
2
Wins for Joey Logano in 2014, after Richmond which is a new career high for the driver over a single season.
3
Drivers who have completed every lap in 2014 through nine events: Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards. Edwards' streak was in jeopardy, following an unscheduled green-flag stop for a flat tire but he used a wavearound, then a Lucky Dog to fight back. (Edwards ran ninth).
4
Cautions for "debris" or "competition" out of the nine thrown at Richmond.
5
Drivers inside the current top 10 in points who haven't won a race. That includes the top 2, Gordon and Kenseth along with eighth-place Jimmie Johnson, ninth-place Ryan Newman and tenth-place Brian Vickers.
6
Finishing position for AJ Allmendinger, the best Cup run for him since he ran second, in the Spring of 2012 at Martinsville driving for Penske Racing. For the No. 47 car, as mentioned yesterday it was the best performance since Bobby Labonte ran fourth with the team in the 2011 Daytona 500.
6.8
Average finish of Jeff Gordon through the first nine races, good enough to lead the points and all other NASCAR drivers in this category.
8
Races for rookie Austin Dillon since his lone top-10 finish of the season, a ninth in the season-opening Daytona 500. He was a mediocre 27th Saturday night.
20.3
Average finish for Denny Hamlin in his last three Richmond starts. Before that, his average finish at the track was a sizzling 7.3 for his career.
24
Drivers to finish on the lead lap Saturday night. Only Martinsville (25) had more.
27
Drivers with at least one top-10 finish this season after Martin Truex, Jr. earned his first (10th) at Richmond.
64
Points between 25th-place Kurt Busch in the standings and 31st-place David Ragan, leaving the driver relatively safe. Each winner this season must remain inside the top 30 in driver points to stay eligible for a Chase bid.
$54,180
Amount earned by Reed Sorenson for running 42nd after his car lost a tire and then subsequently caught on fire.
$91,071
Amount earned by Clint Bowyer for running dead last after his car did roughly the exact same thing. Anyone notice a difference between NASCAR's upper and lower class?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Can you believe four tires went down during Saturday night's Toyota Owners 400?
Uh, yeah. Were you expecting something different? This year, Goodyear has brought tires that consistently wear to just about every track. Teams have been forced to run within the setup guidelines if they want a full fuel stop. So watching Cole Whitt, Reed Sorenson and Clint Bowyer's machines go up in flames after their tires failed... I wasn't shocked at the failures. A little alarmed at the consistent display of flame, perhaps but not that it mattered as in the end, everyone came out in one piece. Stickers now don't automatically mean success if you don't setup your car right.
Can you believe Clint Bowyer booted Kyle Larson in the opening lap?
Despite the muttering and general boos erupting from the booth, I was not one of those shocked that an experienced veteran known for his scrappy style of driving dove into the tiny opening Larson ignored for a split second. Nor was I stunned that neither did the rookie just roll over and let the guy with more laps drive right through. Was that a rookie mistake on Larson's part? Yes, for expecting the cars starting behind him to remain there through the first turn while he sorted out how his No. 42 would handle that night. There was no dirty pool here, just hard racing. So, yeah, I can believe it!
Can you believe Jeff Gordon didn't win... again?
As much as it pains me to say, yes I can. The entire NASCAR nation has aptly identified Gordon's Achilles heel: restarts. What happened in the final 50 laps of the race? Three restarts, including a pit stop that shuffled the No. 24 back from the front row. As soon as Matt Kenseth passed Gordon with his No. 20 that suddenly came to life, the day was more or less over for the four-time champ. No amount of stellar driving was going to save the day. Has he still earned the points lead? You better believe it. So it's only a matter of time and timing now. One of these races, we'll get a long green run at the end. Gordon will be there to rule the day.
But what about those final nine laps? Can you believe the beating and banging and general excitement found among Keselowski, Gordon, Kenseth and Logano?
Oh, you mean the three Sprint Cup champions and a young man finally coming into his own, fighting tooth and nail for a short track win? That scraping and scrambling? Because all four of them are known for their gentlemanly driving styles?
Yes, I can.
If we've learned one thing this year, great racing and great races are still part of our sport. Fortunately, NASCAR seems to have stumbled onto the magic mix of tire, machine and drivers to produce exciting race after race. This season has been the kind of competition that taught me to love auto racing.
Any week, at any track, anything could happen to anyone. Freak mechanical failures, tires giving up forcing teams to truly manage their rubber, and pilots pushed to the limit by a field of competitive drivers. The fact that I first became enamored by NASCAR in the 1980s only further communicates how important the blend of parity and brilliance is to the avid viewer. We need wheelmen with the abilities of superheroes and cars that actually will crumble when push comes to shove.
Who's going to win it all in 2014? I haven't a freakin' clue. There's no dominance out there, just awesome competition.
Can I believe a great year of racing is actually happening? I still haven't entirely bought into the genius of the current model. But I'm well on my way!
P.S. - If the Waltrip Brothers ever say, "Are you kidding me?" again, I may shoot my television.
2014 Sonya Strictly by the Stats
Top Three Rookies for 2014 Toyota Owners 400
1) No. 42 Kyle Larson - Started 1st, Finished 16th
2) No. 51 Justin Allgaier - Started 31st, Finished 21st
3) No. 3 Austin Dillon - Started 27th, Finished 27th
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Numbers Game: Toyota Owners 400
by Tom Bowles
0
Laps led by pole sitter Kyle Larson after getting turned by Clint Bowyer in the first turn of the first lap of Richmond. The talented rookie, despite multiple top-5 finishes has yet to lead a lap on the Cup level in 2014.
1
Number of Toyotas who led a race named after the manufacturer. Only Matt Kenseth made it up front, leading 35 laps until passed by Joey Logano late for the victory.
2
Wins for Joey Logano in 2014, after Richmond which is a new career high for the driver over a single season.
3
Drivers who have completed every lap in 2014 through nine events: Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards. Edwards' streak was in jeopardy, following an unscheduled green-flag stop for a flat tire but he used a wavearound, then a Lucky Dog to fight back. (Edwards ran ninth).
4
Cautions for "debris" or "competition" out of the nine thrown at Richmond.
5
Drivers inside the current top 10 in points who haven't won a race. That includes the top 2, Gordon and Kenseth along with eighth-place Jimmie Johnson, ninth-place Ryan Newman and tenth-place Brian Vickers.
6
Finishing position for AJ Allmendinger, the best Cup run for him since he ran second, in the Spring of 2012 at Martinsville driving for Penske Racing. For the No. 47 car, as mentioned yesterday it was the best performance since Bobby Labonte ran fourth with the team in the 2011 Daytona 500.
6.8
Average finish of Jeff Gordon through the first nine races, good enough to lead the points and all other NASCAR drivers in this category.
8
Races for rookie Austin Dillon since his lone top-10 finish of the season, a ninth in the season-opening Daytona 500. He was a mediocre 27th Saturday night.
20.3
Average finish for Denny Hamlin in his last three Richmond starts. Before that, his average finish at the track was a sizzling 7.3 for his career.
24
Drivers to finish on the lead lap Saturday night. Only Martinsville (25) had more.
27
Drivers with at least one top-10 finish this season after Martin Truex, Jr. earned his first (10th) at Richmond.
64
Points between 25th-place Kurt Busch in the standings and 31st-place David Ragan, leaving the driver relatively safe. Each winner this season must remain inside the top 30 in driver points to stay eligible for a Chase bid.
$54,180
Amount earned by Reed Sorenson for running 42nd after his car lost a tire and then subsequently caught on fire.
$91,071
Amount earned by Clint Bowyer for running dead last after his car did roughly the exact same thing. Anyone notice a difference between NASCAR's upper and lower class?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Danny Peters
by Brad Morgan
by Jeff Meyer
by Phil Allaway
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: For Buddy Baker, the 1991 DieHard 500 was an interesting race. Late in the event, he spun out Rick Mast in the tri-oval, triggering a blowover for the Skoal Classic Oldsmobile. Earlier in the race, Baker triggered another issue on-track. What happened?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: Much of Michael Waltrip's success (and all of his career victories) have come in restrictor plate races. However, in the first restrictor plate race at Talladega in 1988, his day ended in a rather stomach-churning way. What happened?
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: For Buddy Baker, the 1991 DieHard 500 was an interesting race. Late in the event, he spun out Rick Mast in the tri-oval, triggering a blowover for the Skoal Classic Oldsmobile. Earlier in the race, Baker triggered another issue on-track. What happened?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: Much of Michael Waltrip's success (and all of his career victories) have come in restrictor plate races. However, in the first restrictor plate race at Talladega in 1988, his day ended in a rather stomach-churning way. What happened?
A: Right after a restart, Waltrip went hard into the wall exiting Turn 2 and rode the wall to the middle of the backstretch. In a rare instance, the steering column broke in the crash as well. The crash can be seen here.
ESPN having in-car cameras in Waltrip's Country Time Pontiac showed a clearly dazed Waltrip following the hit. Once stopped, Waltrip immediately got out of the car and proceeded to violate the edict that your momma taught you as a child ("Look both ways before you cross the street."). Waltrip didn't do it intentionally. He was so dazed that he didn't realize that the track was still hot. He was done for the day, but he did not miss a race. At the time, there were four weeks between Talladega and the next points race at Charlotte (three weeks to The Winston). That was enough time for Waltrip to recuperate.
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
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Tom Bowles
-- Professor of Speed by Dr. Mark Howell
-- Tweet 'N' Greet by Allen Bedgood
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Open-Wheel Wednesday by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Open-Wheel Wednesday by Mike Neff
Our open-wheel staff returns for 2014 with their weekly column! This week, our own Mike Neff has a column about the new Indianapolis Grand Prix, scheduled to be held on May 10th.
The 2012 Sprint Cup Series Champion stops by for a very interesting conversation. Any topic is fair game.
Did You Notice?... by Tom Bowles
Did You Notice that Kyle Larson missed an opportunity Saturday night to assert himself in the Championship hunt?, Also, how NASCAR reacts to the Marcos Ambrose - Casey Mears saga and turbulent times for Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. are among other major storylines on the NASCAR circuit Tom takes a look at.
The Frontstretch Five by Amy Henderson
Amy steps up with 1,2,3,4,5 reasons you should be concerned about something going on in NASCAR this week.
NASCAR Mailbox by Summer Bedgood
Summer returns for her weekly session of answering questions from you, our loyal fans. Do you have a question or comment for Summer? Don't be shy. Just send her an email (summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com) and you might just see your name in print!
NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After Richmond compiled by Mike Mehedin
Jeff Gordon held on to the points lead by the slimmest of margins, but did the bumping and banging scramble our power rankings? Find out how your favorite national experts voted, laughing along with their one-liners in the latest update of our weekly NASCAR poll.
-----------------------------
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©2014 Frontstretch.com
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