The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
April 22nd, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition LIV
Top News
Updates on the Future of the Swan Racing Organization
After officially announcing last week that the future of the Statesville, NC-based race teams that compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, was uncertain, there has been no formal update from Swan Racing on the continued future of the organization. However, Monday it was reported by Bob Pockrass of the Sporting News that driver of the No. 26 car, Cole Whitt still did not have a ride for the upcoming Toyota Owners 400 NSCS race at Richmond this Saturday.
Swan Racing, the organization that fields the No. 26 and No. 30 Toyota Camry's for series rookies Cole Whitt and Parker Kligerman, has reportedly had issues with securing long-term sponsorship for the two teams leading to financial turmoil. Currently, Whitt sits 33rd in NSCS standings, while Kligerman sits 38th in the points standings. The two have both had career starts, and solid finishes in the NNS and NCWTS in the past, but have struggled to have any success this season at the Sprint Cup level- with the best finish for Swan Racing being an 18th place finish for the No. 26 car of Cole Whitt at California last month.
Brandon Davis, majority owner of Swan Racing set no timetable on when the organization would announce their future plans, but indicated in their announcement that operations of the two car team would have to be re-evaluated moving forward if sponsorship could not be secured.
But on Thursday, asreported by Dave Moody of SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, team employees of Swan Racing were informed on Thursday (4/17) that the team was suspending operations, and that many of the employees were already seeking opportunities elsewhere with other teams in the sport.
Suarez To Make Nationwide Debut at Richmond
Joe Gibbs Racing announced on Tuesday morning that NASCAR Toyota Series and K&N Pro Series East driver Daniel Suarez will make his Nationwide Series debut in Friday night's ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond International Raceway. Sponsorship will be provided by Silent Circle and Telcel.
Suarez is thrilled to have the opportunity to race for Joe Gibbs Racing at Richmond.
"I'm excited for the opportunity to make my NASCAR Nationwide Series debut," Suarez said in a press release. "I want to thank Telcel and Silent Circle for believing in me and making this a reality. I can't wait for Friday night in Richmond."
JGR President J.D. Gibbs is very excited to have an up and coming talent such as Suarez in the fold.
"Daniel is certainly someone that has proven to have a lot of talent and we are thrilled this was able to come together and allow him to make his debut at Richmond," Gibbs said. "I think it's exciting when you look at the young talent our sport has right now and we certainly feel that Daniel is going to be part of the future for NASCAR."
For Suarez, the 2014 season has been very successful so far. He started tke K&N Pro Series East season with two wins in three days in New Smyrna Beach, FL and Daytona Beach, FL (as part of the UNOH Battle at the Beach). Despite a crash at Bristol, Suarez still ranks second in points behind Ben Rhodes. In the Toyota Series, Suarez came from behind to win the season opening Toyota 120 at Phoenix International Raceway in front of all the Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams. Another win in Chiapas and a second-place finish at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez's oval gives him a nine point lead over Antonio Perez.
This will be a very busy weekend for Suarez. With the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown moving to South Boston Speedway this year, the K&N Pro Series East Blue Ox 100 will be held immediately after the conclusion of the Nationwide Series ToyotaCare 250. In addition, the Toyota Series will have their fourth race of the season at the Autodromo de Monterrey in Suarez's hometown on Sunday.
Trucks Testing at Charlotte
The trucks of NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series tested at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Monday, and will conclude testing tonight.
Among those testing at the at the 1.5 mile quad oval track, is NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie, Mason Mingus, and the No. 35 Toyota Tundra for Win-Tron Racing. The 19 year old has a best finish of 28th to start the season off this year at Daytona.
In addition to Win-Tron, multiple teams were also testing including GMS Racing's No. 21 and 23 trucks, Brad Keselowski Racing and the No. 29 truck, and Red Horse Racing testing their No. 17, 7 and 77 trucks at the speedway.
The NCWTS returns to action on Friday, May 9th in Kansas for the SFP 250.
Denny Hamlin's Charity Short-Track Race Set for Thursday Night
Virginia- native, and driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NSCS, Denny Hamlin, is again hosting his annual charity short-track event dubbed the "Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown", which is set to take place this Thursday night (4/24). Unlike past years when the event was held at Richmond International Raceway, the event will be moved to South Boston Speedway instead.
The special exhibition late model event is held each year to support the Denny Hamlin Cystic Fibrosis Research Lab at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University. The start-studded event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in the fight against cystic fibrosis, and the search for a cure.
In addition to Hamlin, this year's lineup already includes NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, and David Ragan. Also committing to appear will be Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series drivers, Elliott Sadler, Timothy Peters, and Jeb Burton. Additional drivers are set to be announced this week, in the days leading up to the event.
For more information on the event and for tickets, visit dennyhamlinfoundation.org
News 'N' Notes
- DRG Motorsports announced on Monday that Bubba Burger will sponsor the veteran driver Joe Nemechek and the No. 86 Nationwide Series car at Richmond International Raceway this coming weekend. Bubba Burger will also be onboard the No. 86 Chevrolet Camaro for select NNS races throughout the remainder of the season.
- Circle Sport has announced that veteran driver David Stremme will be behind the wheel of the No. 33 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Richmond. Virginia-based Newtown Building Supplies will be sponsoring the car.
- NSCS driver Kasey Kahne and sponsor Farmers Insurance have announced that they will be running a special paint scheme at Talladega Superspeedway next month to thank teachers across the nation. The initiative called "Thank-A-Million Teachers" will be on the hood of the No. 5 Hendrick Mortorsports Chevrolet SS for the 'Dega race for Kahne. The team will also run the special paint scheme for Kansas and Charlotte during the month of May.
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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
Running in the Footsteps of the Giants: Local Racing at the Big Tracks
For an entire weekend, the garages were silent. Well, at least as far as FOX and ESPN were concerned. The NASCAR circus paused in their nationwide tour for a moment to enjoy the holiday weekend with friends and family. In our sport, that runs on a seemingly endless schedule from February to November, this opportunity to take a breath is valuable for everybody that packs their bags week after week. I completely agree that the Easter Bunny 500 should be the only major NASCAR event during this well-timed hiatus.
However, not every garage was quiet. And the roar at your local racing event is one that is truly welcome on this family focused weekend.
Saturday dawned a bright and breezy day in New England. And guess what? Since I was on vacation, the husband and I were free to do whatever we wanted! On a Saturday! It was just our luck that New Hampshire Motor Speedway was hosting their first racing weekend of the year. The Legends were tackling the road course, along with the North East Mini Stock Tour. Over in the parking lot, young adults packed the makeshift drifting course, testing the limits of their personal machines. And in yet another corner of the track, children rolled their Bandolero's out of small trailers, while parents sported t-shirts and jackets cheering on their own future NASCAR stars.
Okay, fine, there weren't any flyovers, Nashville headliners or even a single person sitting in the massive grandstands. But there were still pace cars, track safety workers and that indefinable air of focus and fun we always find in a NASCAR garage. The smell of a burnt rear end, a whiff of unburned fuel and stacks of tires littered the pits. On occasion you even encountered the smoke from the grill where "the best burgers in New Hampshire" can be had.
But beyond all that racing goodness, there was also the relaxed atmosphere of a backyard party. Families and friends got together to revel in their love of all things four-wheeled--because you don't have to wear a white button up shirt at your local track. Jeans and a greasy sweatshirt work just fine. Nobody looks askance at the bumper with stitches drawn on it. We all know what it means. You earned those stripes in the only way that matters: with your foot down and your hands on the wheel.
When NASCAR takes a break so that they can celebrate, it lets the plebeian racing fan time to pursue their own dreams. For nothing ignites the dream of winning it all like sitting in your own beat-up racecar, running the turns a little too wide, and finally taking the checkers to the wild cheers of your fellow competitors.
Whether you bring home millions or sink your paycheck into your own shade tree creation, on this weekend only one thing mattered: living the good life with your friends and family.
I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend, too.
2014 Sonya Strictly by the Stats
The Winners from NHMS 04/19/14
North East Mini Stock Tour: No. 88 Emerson Cayer
Legends: No. 77 Doug Stevens
Granite State Bandolero Series: Braden Langille
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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Editor's Note: Numbers Game will return next week.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Before Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway was renovated into the current Richmond International Raceway, the place was known for quirky incidents. Neil Bonnett had one of these strange crashes in 1985. What happened?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: In the 1986 Miller High Life 400, Harry Gant is listed as dropping out of the race after completing 29 laps due to overheating. How did Gant acquire his overheating issue?
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Open-Wheel Wednesday by Toni Montgomery
Did You Notice?... by Tom Bowles
Tom is back with his array of quick hits of small observations around the world of NASCAR.
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.
Frontstretch Fan Q&A 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!
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!
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