THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 3rd, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition XLI
----------------
What to Watch: Thursday
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 3rd, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition XLI
----------------
What to Watch: Thursday
- Today, the race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway officially begins. Nationwide Series teams will be on track for two practice sessions today. They will be from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM CT (6:00 PM - 7:00 PM ET) and 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM CT (7:30 PM - 9:00 PM ET). Neither of these practice sessions will be televised.
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
DVR Theater (Late Thursday Night/Early Friday Morning)
2:30 AM - 3:00 AM NASCAR Now ESPN 2
Top News
by Phil Allaway
by Phil Allaway
Horsepower Reductions Are Neigh For Sprint Cup
During an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Wednesday, the sport's Chairman and CEO, Brian France stated the sport is looking to make engine changes. As previously reported, the new package in the Sprint Cup Series will include reductions in both horsepower and speed. It's a series of modifications France says are needed in order to enhance the on-track product.
“We're going to make that happen, and that's part of the overall rules packages we design that hopefully control costs, hopefully make the racing better,” he said. “The engine is an integral part of that. We also have to be in step as much as possible with the car manufacturers, where they're going with technology and different things. It all has to come together, and that’s the next significant part of the rules package … The engine will get a significant change. I'm not going to say (for) '15, but we are certainly sizing that up. It's very important for us to get that right.”
This modification, if done in time for next season would be the second major adjustment to the cars in three years. As with previous evolutions, all the manufacturers will be fully involved in the process, similar to the current Gen-6 car that debuted in 2013.
“The approach that we took on the development of the Gen-6, we're using a very collaborative approach on really discussing what are the options, what are the ideas, and in the end, depending on where that ends up, it will impact how much work happens at the manufacturer versus the teams," said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President of Chevrolet Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The key is we keep the racing exciting, and then we make every resource we apply to the engines and the engine builds go as far as possible. That's really the key.”
Any changes made to the on-track product must positively affect the racing on intermediate tracks. That portion of Sprint Cup competition has suffered mightily over the past few seasons, despite taking up a large chunk of the schedule. France acknowledges that the product isn’t all the way there right now.
“[The Sprint Cup intermediate package is] probably 40 percent of where we want to be,” France said. “We've made some gains. Part of it is making the car easier to drive, better to drive. That’s part of it. But we're not, candidly, where we're going to be in a year or two.”
The new rules package with taller spoilers introduced for 2014 has placed higher loads on the tires, one of the reasons why wear issues were so prevalent at Auto Club Speedway. Texas Motor Speedway’s surface is now 16 years old and quite bumpy. As a result, some drivers, most notably Jeff Gordon, are fearing a recurrence of the Fontana tire woes this weekend. Goodyear is hoping that their DualZone technology, which debuted last season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, can help alleviate the problem; it'll be used at the track for Cup's 500-miler.
Hall of Fame Fan Vote Opens
On Wednesday, NASCAR officially opened the Fan Vote page for the 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame class. As in past years, fans will be asked to vote for five nominees they would most like to be included in the next Hall class. The top-5 vote getters will then comprise the Fan Ballot for the sixth induction. This ballot, once complete will represent the 55th vote in the overall process.
As a reminder to fans, here are the nominees for the 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Class, as announced on February 21st.
Buddy Baker - 19-time Grand National/Winston Cup winner
Red Byron - 1949 Strictly Stock Champion
Richard Childress - Six-time Cup champion car owner
Jerry Cook - Six-time Modified Champion
Bill Elliott - 1988 Winston Cup Champion; 44 career wins
Ray Fox - Legendary car owner and engine builder
Rick Hendrick - 14-time NASCAR Champion car owner (ten in Cup), 219 Cup victories
Bobby Isaac - 1970 Grand National Champion
Terry Labonte - Two-time Winston Cup Champion (1984, 1996)
Fred Lorenzen - 26-time Grand National winner
Raymond Parks - 1949 Strictly Stock Championship-winning car owner
Benny Parsons - 1973 Winston Cup Champion; Respected broadcaster
Larry Phillips - Five-time Whelen All-American Series Champion; Legend in late models
Wendell Scott - Trailblazer for African-American racers in NASCAR; Only African-American to win a race in what is now Sprint Cup
O. Bruton Smith - CEO of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., Built Charlotte Motor Speedway
Mike Stefanik - Nine-time NASCAR Champion (between Whelen Modified Tour and the now-K&N Pro Series East)
Curtis Turner - 17-time Grand National winner; Helped build Charlotte Motor Speedway
Joe Weatherly - Two-time Grand National Champion
Rex White - 1960 Grand National Champion
Robert Yates- Expert engine builder and Winston Cup Champion car owner
Like in past years, fans can vote as often as they want. The only rule is that voting is only open from now through Noon ET on May 20th. May 21st is the official Voting Day at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, where all 54 voters gather, discuss the candidates for hours, and then cast their ballots.
Entry List Update
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Duck Commander 500: 47 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 40 - Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing
No. 66 - Joe Nemechek for Michael Waltrip Racing/Identity Ventures Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 33 - Timmy Hill returns to the seat, replacing David Stremme. Hill is running a limited schedule for Circle Sport based on sponsorship.
Drivers who must qualify on speed (top 36)
No. 35 - David Reutimann for Front Row Motorsports (46th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 44 - JJ Yeley for Xxxtreme Motorsports (50th in points, 1 attempt, Post-Entry)
No. 77 - Dave Blaney for Randy Humphrey Racing (49th in points, 4 attempts)
No. 95 - Michael McDowell for Leavine Family Racing (45th in points, 5 attempts)
Drivers who have provisionals, but still could fail to qualify:
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing (42nd in points, 2 attempts)
No. 23 - Alex Bowman for BK Racing (36th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 30 - Parker Kligerman for Swan Racing (43rd in points, 6 attempts)
No. 32 - Travis Kvapil for Go FAS Racing (37th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 33 - Timmy Hill for Circle Sport (40th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 34 - David Ragan for Front Row Motorsports (35th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 38 - David Gilliland for Front Row Motorsports (34th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 66 - Joe Nemechek for Michael Waltrip Racing/Identity Ventures Racing (39th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 83 - Ryan Truex for BK Racing (41st in points, 6 attempts)
No. 98 - Josh Wise for Phil Parsons Racing (38th in points, 6 attempts)
Nationwide Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300: 41 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 5 - Kevin Harvick for JR Motorsports
No. 20 - Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22 - Ryan Blaney for Team Penske
No. 40 - Josh Wise for The Motorsports Group
No. 42 - Kyle Larson for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 54 - Kyle Busch for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 88 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 22 - Ryan Blaney returns to the seat, replacing Joey Logano. Blaney is splitting the seat with Penske's full-time Cup Series drivers in 2014.
No. 23 - Robert Richardson, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Carlos Contreras. Richardson returns to the seat for R3 at Texas, his home track.
No. 28 - Derek White is in the seat, replacing Mike Wallace. White, the owner of SB2 has brought sponsorship to the ride, partnering with the Gregg Mixon group while Wallace's future with the program is undetermined.
No. 74 - Mike Harmon returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Lepage. Harmon owns the car himself.
No. 87 - Kevin Lepage is in the seat, replacing Daryl Harr. Lepage is driving for Joe Nemechek while Nemechek focuses on the Cup program.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 10 - Blake Koch for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 17 - Tanner Berryhill for Vision Racing
No. 23 - Robert Richardson, Jr. for R3 Motorsports
No. 24 - Jason White for SR² Motorsports
No. 40 - Josh Wise for The Motorsports Group (No. 46 - Matt DiBenedetto for The Motorsports Group* is locked in)
No. 70 - Derrike Cope for Creation-Cope Racing
No. 74 - Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 76 - Tommy Joe Martins for Martins Motorsports
No. 84 - Chad Boat for Billy Boat Motorsports
No. 88 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions’ Provisional)
No. 93 - JJ Yeley for JGL Racing
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Not Entered:
No. 79 - Carl Long for Jimmy Means Motorsports
No. 91 - Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports
No. 98 - David Ragan for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
IMSA Introduces Officiating Rule Changes in the Wake of Sebring
After the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, fans and competitors were furious with IMSA over actual faux pas by officials that changed the result of the race, in addition to overly long full-course cautions. On Wednesday, IMSA made some changes to try to alleviate the issues.
These changes include a new, unique requirement that teams put their car number on their in-car cameras. That is in direct response to the error that saw Alex Job Racing’s No. 22 penalized for avoidable contact for an incident caused by the Porsche North American No. 912 at Sebring. It should be noted that while the No. 912 did not have its number on the roof cam, it did have a Michelin sticker. The No. 22 races in GT-Daytona, where Michelin tires are not allowed.
There will be a new system in place to cross-check cars involved in crashes in order to prevent incidences where the wrong car is penalized. In addition, video review equipment will be upgraded to high-definition. Finally, a third driver adviser will be added to Race Control to work with the Race Director (Paul Walter) and the two other driver advisers already in place to determine responsibility for on-track conflicts.
On the caution front, a new rule expediting pitting when only one prototype class is racing will cut full course caution length by at least one lap. The pits will now be opened for prototypes while the GT cars are performing their wavearound.
Speaking of wavearounds, there are new rules governing them as well. There will be no wavearounds in races less than 150 minutes in length. That will be first used at Long Beach on April 12. Races from 150 minutes to six hours (480 minutes) in length will not have wavearounds in the first hour or last 30 minutes of the race. After the first hour, there will only be one wavearound in a 90-minute stretch of the race.
Finally, in a move sure to make some fans happy, there will be increased usage of “debris yellows” for minor neutralization instances. Wavearounds would be possible here (if allowed under the criteria laid out above), but the pits would remain closed until the green comes back out. Stops for Emergency Service under Article 47.2.5.C of the IMSA Rules and Regulations would still be allowed under these circumstances, but would require an additional stop once the green came back out. Those stops cover cars with crash damage, mechanical issues, flat tire(s), or ones that are running out of fuel.
The new rules will be in effect for the Tequila Patron Sports Car Showcase at Long Beach on April 12.
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
The Critic's Annex: NBC Sports Group Announcements and Thoughts
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we have an additional forum for motorsports telecast discussion. As I stated in Tuesday's edition of Couch Potato Tuesday, ESPN's airing schedule is currently making it difficult to get enough episodes of NASCAR Now out there to make a viable critique. As a result, I have been forced to push back my look at NASCAR Now until at least next Thursday.
Secondly, NBC Sports Group announced a two-year deal to provide coverage of Red Bull Global Rallycross at nine of the series' ten events. These telecasts will all air on NBC. The sole exception is the round that is held as part of the X Games in Austin, Texas. That will be aired live on ESPN.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Open Wheel Wednesday: Botched Restarts, Pit Road Changes and This Year's Storylines
"Just absolutely ridiculous. I wrote about it in this week’s edition of Pace Laps. Basically, it doesn’t matter whether Power was telling the truth or if the other drivers were. There is clearly a massive gray area in the rules that allows a driver to essentially brake check the field on a restart. To me, that is a big problem." - Matt Stallknecht, on the IndyCar restart rules that caused the Andretti/Hawksworth crash at St. Petersburg
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Voice of Vito: Three Drivers That NASCAR Need Not Silence
by Vito Pugliese
Fantasy Insider: Get The Lowdown On The Lone Star Showdown
by Jeff Wolfe
Going By The Numbers: Five NASCAR Teams In Need Of A Texas Turnaround
Tech Talk: Matt Puccia On Martinsville, Aero, And Tires For Texas
as told to Mike Neff
Truckin' Thursdays: Musings From Martinsville
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Ashley McCubbin
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.
During an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Wednesday, the sport's Chairman and CEO, Brian France stated the sport is looking to make engine changes. As previously reported, the new package in the Sprint Cup Series will include reductions in both horsepower and speed. It's a series of modifications France says are needed in order to enhance the on-track product.
“We're going to make that happen, and that's part of the overall rules packages we design that hopefully control costs, hopefully make the racing better,” he said. “The engine is an integral part of that. We also have to be in step as much as possible with the car manufacturers, where they're going with technology and different things. It all has to come together, and that’s the next significant part of the rules package … The engine will get a significant change. I'm not going to say (for) '15, but we are certainly sizing that up. It's very important for us to get that right.”
This modification, if done in time for next season would be the second major adjustment to the cars in three years. As with previous evolutions, all the manufacturers will be fully involved in the process, similar to the current Gen-6 car that debuted in 2013.
“The approach that we took on the development of the Gen-6, we're using a very collaborative approach on really discussing what are the options, what are the ideas, and in the end, depending on where that ends up, it will impact how much work happens at the manufacturer versus the teams," said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President of Chevrolet Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The key is we keep the racing exciting, and then we make every resource we apply to the engines and the engine builds go as far as possible. That's really the key.”
Any changes made to the on-track product must positively affect the racing on intermediate tracks. That portion of Sprint Cup competition has suffered mightily over the past few seasons, despite taking up a large chunk of the schedule. France acknowledges that the product isn’t all the way there right now.
“[The Sprint Cup intermediate package is] probably 40 percent of where we want to be,” France said. “We've made some gains. Part of it is making the car easier to drive, better to drive. That’s part of it. But we're not, candidly, where we're going to be in a year or two.”
The new rules package with taller spoilers introduced for 2014 has placed higher loads on the tires, one of the reasons why wear issues were so prevalent at Auto Club Speedway. Texas Motor Speedway’s surface is now 16 years old and quite bumpy. As a result, some drivers, most notably Jeff Gordon, are fearing a recurrence of the Fontana tire woes this weekend. Goodyear is hoping that their DualZone technology, which debuted last season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, can help alleviate the problem; it'll be used at the track for Cup's 500-miler.
Hall of Fame Fan Vote Opens
On Wednesday, NASCAR officially opened the Fan Vote page for the 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame class. As in past years, fans will be asked to vote for five nominees they would most like to be included in the next Hall class. The top-5 vote getters will then comprise the Fan Ballot for the sixth induction. This ballot, once complete will represent the 55th vote in the overall process.
As a reminder to fans, here are the nominees for the 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Class, as announced on February 21st.
Buddy Baker - 19-time Grand National/Winston Cup winner
Red Byron - 1949 Strictly Stock Champion
Richard Childress - Six-time Cup champion car owner
Jerry Cook - Six-time Modified Champion
Bill Elliott - 1988 Winston Cup Champion; 44 career wins
Ray Fox - Legendary car owner and engine builder
Rick Hendrick - 14-time NASCAR Champion car owner (ten in Cup), 219 Cup victories
Bobby Isaac - 1970 Grand National Champion
Terry Labonte - Two-time Winston Cup Champion (1984, 1996)
Fred Lorenzen - 26-time Grand National winner
Raymond Parks - 1949 Strictly Stock Championship-winning car owner
Benny Parsons - 1973 Winston Cup Champion; Respected broadcaster
Larry Phillips - Five-time Whelen All-American Series Champion; Legend in late models
Wendell Scott - Trailblazer for African-American racers in NASCAR; Only African-American to win a race in what is now Sprint Cup
O. Bruton Smith - CEO of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., Built Charlotte Motor Speedway
Mike Stefanik - Nine-time NASCAR Champion (between Whelen Modified Tour and the now-K&N Pro Series East)
Curtis Turner - 17-time Grand National winner; Helped build Charlotte Motor Speedway
Joe Weatherly - Two-time Grand National Champion
Rex White - 1960 Grand National Champion
Robert Yates- Expert engine builder and Winston Cup Champion car owner
Like in past years, fans can vote as often as they want. The only rule is that voting is only open from now through Noon ET on May 20th. May 21st is the official Voting Day at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, where all 54 voters gather, discuss the candidates for hours, and then cast their ballots.
Entry List Update
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Duck Commander 500: 47 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 40 - Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing
No. 66 - Joe Nemechek for Michael Waltrip Racing/Identity Ventures Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 33 - Timmy Hill returns to the seat, replacing David Stremme. Hill is running a limited schedule for Circle Sport based on sponsorship.
Drivers who must qualify on speed (top 36)
No. 35 - David Reutimann for Front Row Motorsports (46th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 44 - JJ Yeley for Xxxtreme Motorsports (50th in points, 1 attempt, Post-Entry)
No. 77 - Dave Blaney for Randy Humphrey Racing (49th in points, 4 attempts)
No. 95 - Michael McDowell for Leavine Family Racing (45th in points, 5 attempts)
Drivers who have provisionals, but still could fail to qualify:
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing (42nd in points, 2 attempts)
No. 23 - Alex Bowman for BK Racing (36th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 30 - Parker Kligerman for Swan Racing (43rd in points, 6 attempts)
No. 32 - Travis Kvapil for Go FAS Racing (37th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 33 - Timmy Hill for Circle Sport (40th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 34 - David Ragan for Front Row Motorsports (35th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 38 - David Gilliland for Front Row Motorsports (34th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 66 - Joe Nemechek for Michael Waltrip Racing/Identity Ventures Racing (39th in points, 6 attempts)
No. 83 - Ryan Truex for BK Racing (41st in points, 6 attempts)
No. 98 - Josh Wise for Phil Parsons Racing (38th in points, 6 attempts)
Nationwide Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300: 41 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 5 - Kevin Harvick for JR Motorsports
No. 20 - Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22 - Ryan Blaney for Team Penske
No. 40 - Josh Wise for The Motorsports Group
No. 42 - Kyle Larson for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 54 - Kyle Busch for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 88 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 22 - Ryan Blaney returns to the seat, replacing Joey Logano. Blaney is splitting the seat with Penske's full-time Cup Series drivers in 2014.
No. 23 - Robert Richardson, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Carlos Contreras. Richardson returns to the seat for R3 at Texas, his home track.
No. 28 - Derek White is in the seat, replacing Mike Wallace. White, the owner of SB2 has brought sponsorship to the ride, partnering with the Gregg Mixon group while Wallace's future with the program is undetermined.
No. 74 - Mike Harmon returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Lepage. Harmon owns the car himself.
No. 87 - Kevin Lepage is in the seat, replacing Daryl Harr. Lepage is driving for Joe Nemechek while Nemechek focuses on the Cup program.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 10 - Blake Koch for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 17 - Tanner Berryhill for Vision Racing
No. 23 - Robert Richardson, Jr. for R3 Motorsports
No. 24 - Jason White for SR² Motorsports
No. 40 - Josh Wise for The Motorsports Group (No. 46 - Matt DiBenedetto for The Motorsports Group* is locked in)
No. 70 - Derrike Cope for Creation-Cope Racing
No. 74 - Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 76 - Tommy Joe Martins for Martins Motorsports
No. 84 - Chad Boat for Billy Boat Motorsports
No. 88 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for JR Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions’ Provisional)
No. 93 - JJ Yeley for JGL Racing
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Not Entered:
No. 79 - Carl Long for Jimmy Means Motorsports
No. 91 - Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports
No. 98 - David Ragan for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
IMSA Introduces Officiating Rule Changes in the Wake of Sebring
After the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, fans and competitors were furious with IMSA over actual faux pas by officials that changed the result of the race, in addition to overly long full-course cautions. On Wednesday, IMSA made some changes to try to alleviate the issues.
These changes include a new, unique requirement that teams put their car number on their in-car cameras. That is in direct response to the error that saw Alex Job Racing’s No. 22 penalized for avoidable contact for an incident caused by the Porsche North American No. 912 at Sebring. It should be noted that while the No. 912 did not have its number on the roof cam, it did have a Michelin sticker. The No. 22 races in GT-Daytona, where Michelin tires are not allowed.
There will be a new system in place to cross-check cars involved in crashes in order to prevent incidences where the wrong car is penalized. In addition, video review equipment will be upgraded to high-definition. Finally, a third driver adviser will be added to Race Control to work with the Race Director (Paul Walter) and the two other driver advisers already in place to determine responsibility for on-track conflicts.
On the caution front, a new rule expediting pitting when only one prototype class is racing will cut full course caution length by at least one lap. The pits will now be opened for prototypes while the GT cars are performing their wavearound.
Speaking of wavearounds, there are new rules governing them as well. There will be no wavearounds in races less than 150 minutes in length. That will be first used at Long Beach on April 12. Races from 150 minutes to six hours (480 minutes) in length will not have wavearounds in the first hour or last 30 minutes of the race. After the first hour, there will only be one wavearound in a 90-minute stretch of the race.
Finally, in a move sure to make some fans happy, there will be increased usage of “debris yellows” for minor neutralization instances. Wavearounds would be possible here (if allowed under the criteria laid out above), but the pits would remain closed until the green comes back out. Stops for Emergency Service under Article 47.2.5.C of the IMSA Rules and Regulations would still be allowed under these circumstances, but would require an additional stop once the green came back out. Those stops cover cars with crash damage, mechanical issues, flat tire(s), or ones that are running out of fuel.
The new rules will be in effect for the Tequila Patron Sports Car Showcase at Long Beach on April 12.
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Critic's Annex: NBC Sports Group Announcements and Thoughts
by Phil Allaway
This week will not be an actual critique, but a look at some telecast news. And we have a couple of news pieces from NBC Sports Group.
Firstly, NBC announced their 13-race Verizon IndyCar Series schedule Wednesday for 2014. The length should not be of any surprise. However, there are two notable facts couched within here.
The Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway, on June 7 will be the lone race on the schedule that will air on CNBC. The reason for the move is more than likely due to the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. As per the NHL's ten-year deal with NBC and NBC Sports Network, the NBC Sports Network provides extensive coverage of the playoffs, including two games of the Stanley Cup Finals. Having the race on CNBC, a basic channel in almost every cable, satellite and telco system, will likely put the race into more homes. The result would be a potential expansion of the audience for one of IndyCar's biggest races of the year. We'll have to see if that happens.
The Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway, on June 7 will be the lone race on the schedule that will air on CNBC. The reason for the move is more than likely due to the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. As per the NHL's ten-year deal with NBC and NBC Sports Network, the NBC Sports Network provides extensive coverage of the playoffs, including two games of the Stanley Cup Finals. Having the race on CNBC, a basic channel in almost every cable, satellite and telco system, will likely put the race into more homes. The result would be a potential expansion of the audience for one of IndyCar's biggest races of the year. We'll have to see if that happens.
Secondly, a new personality will be in the booth this year. NBC Sports Network announced Paul Tracy will join the broadcast for six Verizon IndyCar Series races in 2014. He will be replacing Wally Dallenbach, Jr. in those events. Tracy's first race will be the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13, the season debut for NBC Sports Network. Beyond Long Beach, Tracy's schedule is unclear.
Tracy doesn't have any TV credits here in the United States. However, he does have some experience as an analyst for Canadian race broadcasts. If Tracy's broadcast booth demeanor is anything at all like his driving days, then I think you're really going to enjoy having "The Thrill From West Hill" in your living room.
According to the press release, Dallenbach is cutting back on analyst duties in order to help his daughter Kate launch her own stock car racing career. He will still appear in selected races on NBC Sports Network during 2014. It is unclear which races those will be. Also, there is no word as to how Dallenbach's cutback decision will affect his other analyst gig for Sprint Cup with Turner Sports. I feel like it won't at all since it's a six-week Summer Series, but I'm not sure. I will reach out to Turner Sports for an answer and provide it in a future write-up.
Tracy doesn't have any TV credits here in the United States. However, he does have some experience as an analyst for Canadian race broadcasts. If Tracy's broadcast booth demeanor is anything at all like his driving days, then I think you're really going to enjoy having "The Thrill From West Hill" in your living room.
According to the press release, Dallenbach is cutting back on analyst duties in order to help his daughter Kate launch her own stock car racing career. He will still appear in selected races on NBC Sports Network during 2014. It is unclear which races those will be. Also, there is no word as to how Dallenbach's cutback decision will affect his other analyst gig for Sprint Cup with Turner Sports. I feel like it won't at all since it's a six-week Summer Series, but I'm not sure. I will reach out to Turner Sports for an answer and provide it in a future write-up.
Like last year, there will be conflicts between NBC Sports Network's coverage of the Verizon IndyCar Series and Formula One. Leigh Diffey will be unable to cover all of the IndyCar races. The conflicts appear to be Canada (conflicts with Texas), Great Britain (conflicts with Pocono), Germany (conflicts with the doubleheader in Toronto), and Belgium (conflicts with Sonoma). Bob Varsha and Brian Till, normally with FOX Sports for their IMSA coverage, will sub for Diffey in selected races.
Townsend Bell, despite being a regular analyst in the broadcast booth, is still racing full-time for AIM Autosport in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. There are schedule conflicts for him as well. The doubleheader in Houston is a direct conflict with the Sahlen's Six Hours at the Glen, while Iowa conflicts with TUSC's Canadian Tire Motorsports Park round and Sonoma conflicts with VIR.
As a result of these issues, David Hobbs and Steve Matchett will also be available to substitute in the analysts' chair in selected races.
Finally, Kelli Stavast, who is already on NBC Sports Group's payroll as a reporter on NASCAR America (and will work the pits on their NASCAR race coverage starting in 2015) will serve as a pit reporter for Verizon IndyCar Series races this season. She joins returning pit reporters Jon Beekhuis, Kevin Lee, Robin Miller and Marty Snider. Don't expect them all to work at the same time, because that would be a bit of overkill.
As a result of these issues, David Hobbs and Steve Matchett will also be available to substitute in the analysts' chair in selected races.
Finally, Kelli Stavast, who is already on NBC Sports Group's payroll as a reporter on NASCAR America (and will work the pits on their NASCAR race coverage starting in 2015) will serve as a pit reporter for Verizon IndyCar Series races this season. She joins returning pit reporters Jon Beekhuis, Kevin Lee, Robin Miller and Marty Snider. Don't expect them all to work at the same time, because that would be a bit of overkill.
Overall, that's a bit of a mess. The core group from last year is back, ready for more action but substitutions will run rampant. You'll see pit reporters switching off weekends this season, while NBC will never have more than three at a track, especially with 22-23 teams doing the full season. The conflicts result in the series never really having a solid team in place to cover their races, which isn't necessarily good.
People like familiarity with their race broadcasts. Take FOX's NASCAR coverage for example. Say what you want about the Waltrips being there, because believe me, I see the gripes every week and there is no way that FOX doesn't at this point. Regardless, the broadcast booth for Sprint Cup has not changed at all since FOX gained rights in 2001. Pit reporter changes have been minimal for the amount of time involved. With the exception of Michael Waltrip, everyone's been on the telecast for at least eight years. As a result, we're used to this group.
The amount of swaps that will be seen this year on NBC Sports Network's IndyCar telecasts, by comparison may be similar to Season 4 (1992-93) of American Gladiators. For the uninformed, prior to this season, many of the most popular gladiators (Nitro, Gemini, Blaze, etc.) were fired after attempting to get a small piece of the hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue generated from American Gladiators merchandise from show producers. Dan Clark (Nitro) stated in his autobiography, Gladiator: A True Story Of 'Roids, Rage, And Redemption that it was the biggest mistake of his life. The show that year ended up with the weakest Gladiator corps of any of the original seven seasons, along with the strongest contenders. Scores went through the roof.
People like familiarity with their race broadcasts. Take FOX's NASCAR coverage for example. Say what you want about the Waltrips being there, because believe me, I see the gripes every week and there is no way that FOX doesn't at this point. Regardless, the broadcast booth for Sprint Cup has not changed at all since FOX gained rights in 2001. Pit reporter changes have been minimal for the amount of time involved. With the exception of Michael Waltrip, everyone's been on the telecast for at least eight years. As a result, we're used to this group.
The amount of swaps that will be seen this year on NBC Sports Network's IndyCar telecasts, by comparison may be similar to Season 4 (1992-93) of American Gladiators. For the uninformed, prior to this season, many of the most popular gladiators (Nitro, Gemini, Blaze, etc.) were fired after attempting to get a small piece of the hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue generated from American Gladiators merchandise from show producers. Dan Clark (Nitro) stated in his autobiography, Gladiator: A True Story Of 'Roids, Rage, And Redemption that it was the biggest mistake of his life. The show that year ended up with the weakest Gladiator corps of any of the original seven seasons, along with the strongest contenders. Scores went through the roof.
Secondly, NBC Sports Group announced a two-year deal to provide coverage of Red Bull Global Rallycross at nine of the series' ten events. These telecasts will all air on NBC. The sole exception is the round that is held as part of the X Games in Austin, Texas. That will be aired live on ESPN.
Six of the nine telecasts will be aired live. The exceptions are the season opener in Barbados on May 18, which will be held as part of the Top Gear Festival Barbados and aired the next weekend, along with the final two races of the season in Seattle and Las Vegas. The Seattle round will be aired the next day, while the Las Vegas round, which is scheduled for a Wednesday night in November, will be delayed for 11 days and aired on a Sunday afternoon.
As opposed to ESPN, NBC Sports Network seems to be de-emphasizing the "Extreme" quotient of the series and playing it more straight. RallyCross veteran Tes Sewell will be handling play-by-play commentary. He will be joined by the aforementioned Bell.
However, conflicts abound once again for Bell. The Detroit round is a direct conflict with the IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio. Meanwhile, the Daytona and Los Angeles rounds are both conflicts with Bell's TUSC duties (in Daytona's case, it conflicts with both TUSC and IndyCar). The Charlotte round is the same weekend as the Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but since the TUSC race is Friday evening, Bell would be able to commentate. No reference was made in the press release to any kind of a substitute analyst for those three events.
As opposed to ESPN, NBC Sports Network seems to be de-emphasizing the "Extreme" quotient of the series and playing it more straight. RallyCross veteran Tes Sewell will be handling play-by-play commentary. He will be joined by the aforementioned Bell.
However, conflicts abound once again for Bell. The Detroit round is a direct conflict with the IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio. Meanwhile, the Daytona and Los Angeles rounds are both conflicts with Bell's TUSC duties (in Daytona's case, it conflicts with both TUSC and IndyCar). The Charlotte round is the same weekend as the Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but since the TUSC race is Friday evening, Bell would be able to commentate. No reference was made in the press release to any kind of a substitute analyst for those three events.
Having a more professional commentary team, in addition to network television coverage will help Red Bull Global Rallycross reach a much larger audience than previously possible. It should be interesting to see how it works out, and I will definitely critique one of NBC's Red Bull Global RallyCross telecasts later this season.
For Frontstretch readers, there will be at least a couple of familiar faces in the races there. Travis Pastrana, who ran full-time in the Nationwide Series last year, will contest the full Red Bull Global Rallycross season in a Subaru WRX, along with former full-time Sprint Cup driver Scott Speed. Former ARCA racer Steve Arpin is in the series in a Ford Fiesta ST, as well as Nelson Piquet, Jr. In addition, you have RallyCross veterans, grandmasters of stunt driving (Ken Block) and crossover athletes from other action sports such as Bucky Lasek and Dave Mirra.
For Frontstretch readers, there will be at least a couple of familiar faces in the races there. Travis Pastrana, who ran full-time in the Nationwide Series last year, will contest the full Red Bull Global Rallycross season in a Subaru WRX, along with former full-time Sprint Cup driver Scott Speed. Former ARCA racer Steve Arpin is in the series in a Ford Fiesta ST, as well as Nelson Piquet, Jr. In addition, you have RallyCross veterans, grandmasters of stunt driving (Ken Block) and crossover athletes from other action sports such as Bucky Lasek and Dave Mirra.
That's all for this week. Next week, I will bring you the critique of NASCAR Now. For April 17th, I will bring you a critique of the Pirelli World Challenge telecast from St. Petersburg. Until then, enjoy this weekend's races from Texas Motor Speedway and Bahrain International Circuit.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Open Wheel Wednesday: Botched Restarts, Pit Road Changes and This Year's Storylines
"Just absolutely ridiculous. I wrote about it in this week’s edition of Pace Laps. Basically, it doesn’t matter whether Power was telling the truth or if the other drivers were. There is clearly a massive gray area in the rules that allows a driver to essentially brake check the field on a restart. To me, that is a big problem." - Matt Stallknecht, on the IndyCar restart rules that caused the Andretti/Hawksworth crash at St. Petersburg
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Vito Pugliese
Fantasy Insider: Get The Lowdown On The Lone Star Showdown
by Jeff Wolfe
Going By The Numbers: Five NASCAR Teams In Need Of A Texas Turnaround
by Kevin Rutherford
Tech Talk: Matt Puccia On Martinsville, Aero, And Tires For Texas
as told to Mike Neff
Truckin' Thursdays: Musings From Martinsville
by Beth Lunkenheimer
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the 1998 Pronto Auto Parts 400k, Jack Sprague dominated much of the proceedings, leading 96 of 167 laps. However, he was taken out of contention with a little more than 30 laps to go. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: In the 1999 Coca-Cola 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, Adam Petty earned his very first top-5 starting position. Unfortunately, that was the peak of his weekend. How did his day come to an end?
A: Petty had slipped back into the mid-20s prior to the halfway and was dealing with a car that didn't want to handle. Shortly after a restart, Petty got out of the groove entering Turn 1. He tried to catch the Spree Chevrolet multiple times, but was unable to do so. The car snapped around and backed into the wall, putting Petty out on the spot. The crash 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 Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Ashley McCubbin
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
A collection of your favorite writers are back to discuss a number of pertinent issues in NASCAR. Topics this week include the Kurt Busch - Brad Keselowski conflict at Martinsville, Denny Hamlin's medical issues, Camping World Truck Series storylines from Sunday, and more.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.
Frontstretch Foto Funnies by the Frontstretch Staff
Pictures can lead to a thousand laughs; join us in our weekly dose of humor that comes from those candid moments at the track.
Pictures can lead to a thousand laughs; join us in our weekly dose of humor that comes from those candid moments at the track.
Nuts For Nationwide by Kelly Crandall
Kelly returns during the Nationwide off week to bring us up-to-date on NASCAR's second-tier series.
Happiness Is... by P. Huston Ladner
Don't let your life sink into the pits. Huston takes a look at the racing stories from the last seven days that should leave you smiling.
Don't let your life sink into the pits. Huston takes a look at the racing stories from the last seven days that should leave you smiling.
-----------------------------
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©2014 Frontstretch.com
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2014 Frontstretch.com
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