Tuesday, May 06, 2014

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Clint Bowyer's Big Day

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

May 6th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition LXIV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What To Watch: Tuesday

- Tuesday is traditionally penalty day in NASCAR, and we've got another taker.  Kasey Kahne got his time disallowed in qualifying Saturday after coming up light on the scales.  This violation appears to have occurred because of the ballast falling off the car.  That is an "improperly secured ballast" and is a no-no in NASCAR's eyes.  Look for a P2 or P3-level penalty later today or tomorrow to be levied against the Hendrick Motorsports team.

- Today is Day 1 of a two-day Goodyear tire test at Dover International Speedway ahead of the Autism Speaks 400.  In addition to three Sprint Cup teams, cars from the Nationwide, Camping World Truck and K&N Pro Series East will also be on hand to test tires for their individual series.

Today's TV Schedule
Time                                          Telecast                                                                                                                                                         Network
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM                   NASCAR RaceHub                                                                                                                                      FOX Sports 1
6:00 PM - 6:30 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
3:00 AM - 5:30 AM                  TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Monterey Grand Prix (Prototype/GT-Le Mans Race)                FOX Sports 1*# (from May 4)

Top News
by Greg Davis

Clint Bowyer Announces Landmark Extension With Michael Waltrip Racing

Michael Waltrip Racing
announced on Monday that the race team has signed multi-year contract extensions with sponsor 5-Hour Energy, driver Clint Bowyer, and crew chief Brian Pattie starting in 2015 for the No. 15 Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. There was no official word on the length or terms of the contract extensions in the release from MWR.

"This is big news for all of us," said Bowyer in a release announcing the move. "It creates great stability and excitement about what the next few years can bring. MWR is my racing home and continuing this relationship with 5-hour Energy was a high priority. It's time to put the paperwork in a drawer and focus on winning."

An eight-time winner in the Cup Series, Bowyer has been successful in the ride, making the Chase two years running while finishing second in the 2012 championship standings. The signing takes him off a Silly Season market expected to include big names like Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and potentially even Denny Hamlin.

"Since the first day 5-hour Energy, Clint and Brian showed up at MWR, we have been a contender for wins and championships. I am so thankful that we get to continue and add to what we have built," said co-owner Michael Waltrip in the release. "I am most happy for the employees of MWR who are the foundation of everything we do."

MWR has struggled a bit this season, with Bowyer still winless and sitting 18th in the championship standings. Teammate Brian Vickers sits 10th, also winless while a third, R&D team in partnership with Joe Nemechek and Jay Robinson Racing has been virtually invisible. However, 5-Hour Energy's extension is a major win, a virtual 180 from their near departure from the sport following "Spingate" and the resulting penalties/adjustments last September which had some within the company accusing NASCAR of favoritism towards certain drivers, teams, and sponsors.

Meanwhile, Bowyer and his new bride, Lorra, also announced on Monday that they are expecting the couple's first child.  On Twitter, Bowyer announced that Lorra "...went in to get one of those picture thingies (an ultrasound).  WHEW... good news.  It's got a dingy!"  That can be taken as a statement that the Bowyers will be having a baby boy.

Camping World Extends their Partnership with NASCAR and the Truck Series

As first reported by the Sports Business Journal on Monday, as well as our Newsletter national outdoor living and RV retailer Camping World has extended their deal with NASCAR as title sponsor of the Truck Series for seven more years.

The deal, which will carry the sponsorship to 2022, is said to total $5 million per year, which will account for media buys on Truck Series broadcasts as well as rights fees.  Also included in the Camping World sponsorship is the marketing of the Good Sam RV Roadside Assistance program, CarCash.com, and AutoMatch USA, all owned by Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis.

As Lemonis told NASCAR.com's Zach Albert, "It's a long time, but as I told somebody earlier, I don't want to be one of those companies that is a fly-by-night advertiser. You see a lot of people show up on a car or sponsor a race, and they're in for a year or two and then they're gone. They make a huge splash, and then they're gone. I want the fans to know, and I want NASCAR to know, that's just not us. We've paid our dues and now we're here to stay."

Since 2009, Camping World has been associated with the NASCAR Truck Series and according to Lemonis, the partnership between the two brands has "shocked him" and led to doubling Camping World's revenue over the last five years. Ratings for the series' marquee race, Daytona, were also up 11 percent this year as the series has been marketed well by FOX Sports 1.

This case study is a positive one as the sport now uses it to focus on replacing a key sponsor, Nationwide Insurance, for their second-tier division. According to SBJ's Tripp Mickle, those close to the search for a replacement claim that NASCAR is looking at national auto parts retailers like Advance Auto Parts and AutoZone and hope to announce a new naming rights sponsor in the second half of the year. 

Testing at Iowa Speedway Today

Five teams from the NASCAR Nationwide Series will test their cars at Iowa Speedway today from 10 AM - 12 PM and again from 1 PM – 6 PM, Central time. It's a good week to go prepare for future races as the series has an off week, letting the Truck Series take center stage Friday night in Kansas.

Participating in what NASCAR is calling a "confirmation test" of a few areas of the track prior to race week this month will be the No. 2 Chevy Camaro of Brian Scott for Richard Childress Racing; the No. 6 Ford Mustang of Trevor Bayne for Roush Fenway Racing; the No. 9 Chevy of Chase Elliott and Austin Theriault for JR Motorsports; the No. 22 Ford of Brad Keselowski for Team Penske; and the No. 54 Toyota Camry of Sam Hornish, Jr. for Joe Gibbs Racing.

In a first for the sport, NASCAR purchased the 7/8-mile, 30,000 seat, short track speedway last November from the Clement Family after some financial issues with the track which opened in 2006. The track was designed by NASCAR Hall of Famer, and current TV analyst, Rusty Wallace.

The testing session will be open for fan viewing on the backstretch of the track. All Nationwide Series teams will ascend on Newtown, Iowa on May 18th for the "Get to Know Newton" 250.

Fans' Names on the No. 11 - Hamlin, FedEx and Dover Team Up to Support Autism Speaks

This past weekend's winner at Talladega, Denny Hamlin's No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry will again be adorned with puzzle pieces featuring the names of thousands who support raising awareness of autism during the June 1st FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks.

For a donation of $11.00, fans signed up online via FedEx Racing's website to have their names as a part of Hamlin's special Autism Speaks paint scheme for the Dover race.

The national autism advocacy organization, raising awareness of the disorder, as well as funding for research, is a part of race week at Dover International Speedway, as well as a charity that has been supported by Hamlin and his sponsor FedEx for years.

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 2014. 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
There Should Be Simple Answers to These Simple Talladega Questions
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady

"Teacher! I have a question.  Who wins a NASCAR race?"

The fastest team will pass all the other cars and win.

"But on Sunday, Denny Hamlin's No. 11... was he really the fastest car?  I mean, he wasn't in front until the very end.  Seems like some other cars were faster."

Well, that was Talladega.  It is different.  You can't tell who will win at that track.

"Why is that?"

Uh, because it's a special track.  It's very steep and very fast.  So fast that NASCAR tries to slow down the cars in order to have a safer race.

"So, the cars don't go as fast as they can?"

No.  And sometimes a driver is so worried about wrecking on that incredibly fast track that he'll drop back so he'll miss any problems.

"Is that what Junior did?"

It appears that way.

"I guess he didn't wreck, but he didn't win, either."

No, he just kept his car in one piece.  That's very important.

"More important than winning?"

No.  Um.  Well.  Huh.  You always try to win.

"Except at Talladega."

Exactly!  Even qualifying makes the teams nervous.  Not everybody went as fast as they could.

"Is that why Brian Scott won the pole?"

Yes,  I believe so.

"So, if they don't even try to win the pole or the race, why do the teams go to Talladega?"

They have to.  NASCAR puts it on the schedule.  It's one of the fans' favorite tracks.

"Why?"

Well, it's entertaining, I guess, to see cars run three-wide and eight rows deep. Because there might be a wreck.

"Might be?  If there only might be a wreck, wouldn't they try to win harder?  To run faster?"

I guess I should say because there will be a wreck.  And a big one where cars might flip over or take out the fence or burst into flame...

"It sounds scary.  Not fun.  Someone could get hurt."

Yes, that would be why the teams don't want to get in the middle of all the excitement.

"So, the drivers don't try to qualify the fastest, they don't try to get up front as fast as they can and sometimes won't even try to win because it's a horrible track that all the competitors are petrified of."

That about sums it up.

"Teacher, why do we even go to such an awful place?"

I don't know.  I just don't know.

2014 Sonya Strictly by the Stats
Top Three Rookies for the 2014 Aaron's 499


1.) No. 42 Kyle Larson Started 29th, Finished 9th
2.) No. 3 Austin Dillon Started 5th, Finished 15th
3.) No. 7 Michael Annett Started 17th, Finished 16th

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: Aaron's 499
by Tom Bowles

0
Career wins for Greg Biffle in 23 Talladega starts. Biffle, who led a race-high 58 laps was second Sunday, still searching for his first restrictor plate win since taking the July 2003 Daytona race on fuel mileage as a Cup Series rookie.

1
Career points-paying win, on a plate track for Denny Hamlin after Sunday. Hamlin had been 0-for-33 on the Cup circuit before cashing in at Talladega.

2
Straight top-6 finishes for AJ Allmendinger. It's the first time in the history of JTG Daugherty Racing, around on the Cup level since 2009 they've been in the top 6 two races in a row.

3
Finishes of 23rd or worse for Jimmie Johnson in the last four races. Johnson, who spun out on his own Sunday has gone 0-for-10 on Victory Lane to start the 2014 Sprint Cup season.

4
Wrecks total at Talladega Sunday that caused caution flags -- involving 26 of the 43 cars on the grid.

5
Chevrolets in the top 10 Sunday, the most of any manufacturer.

6
Career top-10 finishes for Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. after Sunday's 10th place at Talladega. Half of those have come at restrictor plate tracks (Daytona and Talladega).

6
Laps led on Sunday by Danica Patrick. It's the first time she's led a Cup race other than the 2013 & '14 Daytona 500s.

7
Laps down Jamie McMurray and Brad Keselowski were after being involved in the first caution of the day. McMurray wound up getting six Lucky Dogs, finishing the race one lap back in 29th while Keselowski fell short, consistently behind McMurray by about a lap or so and wound up spinning out in front of the field.

8
Caution flags at Talladega for 31 laps, the most since the Fall of 2011.

11
Finishing position of Landon Cassill, a career-best for both him and Hillman Racing in Cassill's 125th Sprint Cup start. The No. 40 car ran Sunday's race unsponsored.

16
Finishing position of rookie Michael Annett, for Tommy Baldwin Racing, his career best on the Cup level.

19
Races since local favorite Dale Earnhardt, Jr. last visited Victory Lane at Talladega, in the Spring of 2004. Since starting his career 5-for-10 at the racetrack he's followed it up with an 0-for-19 performance, 26th on Sunday despite leading 26 laps.

48
Lead changes Sunday at Talladega, the most of any race this year.

$131,145
Money Kasey Kahne won at Talladega for finishing eighth.

$148,871
Money teammate Jimmie Johnson won Sunday for running 23rd.

$5,579,663
The purse for Sunday's race, the largest in Talladega history. A healthy purse is generally indicative of a healthy crowd -- the stands, while cut down to 78,000 seats appeared filled to the brim for this race.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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:  Kansas Speedway was a last minute addition to this year's TUDOR United SportsCar Championship schedule, along with the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.  However, the teams that have to haul out to Kansas are not pleased with the race.  Why is that?

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

Monday's Answer:


Q:  In the 2003 Mr. Goodcents 300, Michael Waltrip dominated the proceedings, leading 140 of the 200 laps.  However, he ended the day in the garage.  What happened?

A:  Waltrip had the race won when he blew a right front tire in the tri-oval and hit the outside wall.  The Aaron's Chevrolet then grinded to a halt in the grass on the inside of Turn 1.  The crash can be seen here.  Waltrip was out on the spot and finished in 24th.

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 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 TBD
On the heels of Mike Neff's strong column denouncing IndyCar's road course race, we provide a rebuttal and the positives for such a major change.

Beyond The Cockpit: Doug Yates  as told to Mike Neff
With the Sprint Cup Series facing a horsepower reduction in 2015, one of Ford's top engine men sits down and explains how much the speeds - and the racing - could be affected. It's an interview you don't want to miss.

Did You Notice?...
by Tom Bowles
Is Jimmie Johnson really in trouble? Tom delves into that, Camping World's big commitment, the latest Silly Season concerns and more in his list of small but pertinent observations about the sport.

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 Talladega
compiled by Michael Mehedin
Despite crashing and finishing 39th, Jeff Gordon held on to the points lead by the slimmest of margins. But did the draft 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.
-----------------------------
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

--
--
Feel free to forward this newsletter if you have any friends who loves
NASCAR and great NASCAR commentary. They can subscribe to the Frontstetch by visiting http://www.frontstretch.com/notice/9557/.
 
If you want to stop your Frontstretch Newsletter subscription, we're sorry
to see you go. Just send an email to
TheFrontstretch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com from the address that you
recieve the Frontstretch Newsletter.

---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Frontstretch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to thefrontstretch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

No comments:

Post a Comment