The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
June 17th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition CIV
Top News
Comcast And NASCAR In Talks For NNS Title Sponsorship Deal
As first reported by Tripp Mickle of the Sports Business Journal, NASCAR is in "advanced talks" with Comcast Xfinity for title sponsorship of what currently is the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The Nationwide Insurance title sponsorship ends after this season, as the brand has chosen to sponsor Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s No. 88 Sprint Cup car instead, as well as become an associate-level backer of the sport.
According to the SBJ article, discussions between the sanctioning body and Comcast have been developing for several months. Although the two parties have not yet reached any sort of agreement, sources claim they've claimed "frontrunner" status, in particular due to the ties the company has with the sport's new broadcast partner, NBC. NBC takes over coverage of NASCAR's second half in 2015 and any fees paid by Comcast Xfinity could be worked into their yearly marketing deal with the sport.
NASCAR wants $12-15 million per year for the title sponsorship of the sport's top developmental national touring series. Other than Comcast, NASCAR has reportedly spoken with automotive retail stores, Advanced Auto Parts and AutoZone about the opportunity. A deal for the series title sponsorship is expected to be completed and announced by the fall of this year.
Tire Testing at Indy Today
Goodyear and NASCAR continue testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today. Tire testing began on Monday featuring Sprint Cup Series veteran drivers. Participating in the testing sessions are the No. 14 Chevy SS, driven by Tony Stewart; Ryan Newman and the No. 31 Chevy SS; Joey Logano and the No. 22 Ford Fusion; the No. 16 Ford run by Greg Biffle; the No. 15 Toyota Camry tested by Clint Bowyer; and the No. 18 Toyota, prepped for Kyle Busch. The tire test is to prepare for the running of The Brickyard 400 at IMS on July 31st.
Stock car racing at the flat-banked, 2.5-mile IMS has been historically marred with tire issues, so these sessions are critically important to Goodyear and NASCAR to make sure tire selection is accurate. Testing is set to conclude this evening.
NASCAR Legend Ray Fox Passes Away at 98
Legendary NASCAR car owner, engine builder and car mechanic Ray Fox passed away Sunday at the age of 98. Fox, who lived in Daytona Beach, FL owned and built cars that were driven by such legends of the sport as Cale Yarborough, Buck Baker, David Pearson, Fred Lorenzen, and Junior Johnson.
Fox, who grew up in New Hampshire, won 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup (then NASCAR Grand National) victories, along with 16 pole awards over his career as an owner. He has been a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee for the past three years, but never selected. However, Fox was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2003.
News 'N' Notes
- TUSC regular and 2011 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year Andy Lally announced on his Twitter feed Monday that he will drive the No. 55 Chevrolet for Viva Motorsports with Frank Cicci in Saturday's Gardner Denver 200 Fired Up by Johnsonville. Lally had to raise money from a number of small sponsors in order to sell a team owner on the Nationwide Series seat out in Wisconsin. In four starts in the former Rolex Series at Road America, Lally finished third in an SRP-II prototype in 2001. Last year, he finished fifth in GT with Magnus Racing.
- TriStar Motorsports has announced that Mexican-born driver Carlos Contreras will drive the NASCAR Nationwide Series No. 44 car at Road America (6/23), Watkins Glen (8/9), and Mid-Ohio (8/16) this season for the race team. The 44-year-old Contreras was the first Mexican driver to start in any of the three NASCAR premier national series, running the NASCAR Camping World Trucks beginning in 1999.
- As reported by NASCAR RaceDay's Bob Dillner on FOX Sports 1, driver of the No. 99 in Sprint Cup Carl Edwards spoke with Richard Childress Racing about a deal for 2015, but ended up saying "No" to the team. There's still no word from Roush Fenway Racing on a contract to keep Edwards with Jack Roush and Ford.
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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 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!
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Today's Featured Commentary
Great Racing at Michigan - It's All a Matter of Perception
There's been many a year where I've teetered on the seesaw of loving or merely dismissing the racing at Michigan. In decades past, horsepower and engine durability was king at this two-mile track. With a wide racing surface combined with high banks, drivers could almost hold the pedal down all the way around. Who would win? It wasn't so much a who as a what. Whichever engine did not detonate was a fairly safe answer.
For the past few years, life has been a little more uncertain, and well, boring. With fresh pavement and new aero packages, what was once a pinnacle of the summer racing season became a shadow of the cookie cutters, presenting NASCAR with another lengthy parade.
This last Sunday? Well, I highly suspect that the Quicken Loans 400 as seen on TV looked an awful lot like those past five years. What I saw from high over Turn 1? Something else entirely, but admittedly colored by the NASCAR tourist in me. Yes, I still saw leaders that widened the gap over the pack almost immediately upon gaining clean air. Horsepower was definitely king. Longevity? It did not play into the afternoon so much. By Lap 170, I was still counting 39 cars on the track.
However, where the real difference in my perception of Father's Day being just another racing afternoon versus this was really great racing lay in the sensation of speed I personally experienced, how I could see the really fast cars nearly drifting out of Turn 4 with their noses aimed down the track and yes, the four and five-wide competition that marked restarts. It was plain as day to me that the early race wrecks were direct results of a hot track -- much slicker than what the drivers encountered during practice and qualifying. Everybody needed a moment to get their feet under them. And the wrecks in Turn 4, you could see them happening a mile away -- literally. Like a slow motion disaster film, all of them had their tires just a little bit above the groove, and instead of turning, their cars kept going straight until the back end decided it wanted to catch up with the front.
In short, we were presented with a drivers' track. Yes, there was still all those things that irk the NASCAR fan parked on their couch, but like so many other facilities I've visited, there's often an "X" factor that just doesn't translate on our little big screens. Michigan is deceptive in its apparent simple equation of power and speed, but in reality is tempered by a quickly maturing surface requiring a deft hand behind the wheel.
Besides all the Sunday excitement, there was the comparison I was able to make among the ARCA, Nationwide and Cup competition. The abilities of the drivers and machines has never been more clear to me than at this weekend event.
In the ARCA series, the leaders were able to lap the first cars within three circuits, setting the pace for the rest of the feature. Not everybody brought a competitive motor to the show. The pitch of Austin Theriault's hummed, whereas the No. 40 sputtered mightily. For the teams, this event was more a case of racing the track instead of the other cars. Could they actually achieve speed? Have their engine last the entire 100 laps? And manage to stay out of the way of the leaders, whose closing rate was petrifyingly fast? The Corrigan Oil 200 held up the AAA card as expected, but gave me a baseline to compare everything else on Saturday and Sunday.
The next day, the crowd was treated to a stellar show of hungry, young stars eager to strut their stuff. About two-thirds of the Nationwide field was able to run in a competitive manner -- making the machine less of a contributor to the show. Side-by-side action punctuated the entire afternoon. Those making a dash for the trophy were easily able to trade off the lead, over and over. The wide racing surface was more like a playground for Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt, Paul Menard and Chase Elliott. Perched over the exit of Turn 4, we were propelled out of our seats numerous times. Not out of alarm for a wreck, but while urging our drivers forward once again. We strolled back to our RV giddy with a well-fed racing fan's excitement.
Next, with the wide-eyed wonder of Saturday providing the rose-colored glasses, Sunday popped up sunny and hot. A perfect day for a race, if you ever saw one. After climbing around Victory Lane and signing the start/finish line, I was simply ready for a great show. And it didn't disappoint. No, the Cup race wasn't of the same thrilling ilk as the NNS. But I now watched 43 cars pile into Turn One -- all of them able to make a challenge. Cars and drivers elbowed their way forward.
It wasn't like ARCA, where only a couple of cars could go fast. Not like the NNS, either with only a few drivers able to handle their beasts. Nope, the Cup race brought together the best of man and machine on a track ready to stand up to anything they brought. The machines were muscled down the stretch four-wide, just avoiding the grass. High in the turns, they struggled to pass. It wasn't easy; there were no gimmes.
That means, I am now firmly on the "love" side for Michigan. It's a big track, deceptively simple in its generous dimensions and welcoming banking, but providing more of a puzzle to the best teams in NASCAR than we fans tend to allow. So when the circus returns to MIS in August, I'll be tuning in on my television. And when they show the overhead shots of the track, talking about two-second leads, I'll recall all the things that combine to still make Michigan one of the most exciting tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit.
2014 Sonya Strictly by the Stats
Top Three Rookies for 2014 Quicken Loans 400
1.) No. 42 - Kyle Larson Started 12th, Finished 8th
2.) No. 51 - Justin Allgaier Started 17th, Finished 16th
3.) No. 7 - Michael Annett Started 37th, Finished 21st
S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch and runs a NASCAR blog called the S-Curves. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @laregna and on her Facebook page (she's an author, too!) at https://www.facebook.com/Author.SDGrady.
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Numbers Game: Quicken Loans 400
by Tom Bowles
0
Laps led by Roush Fenway Racing Sunday, at a Michigan track where they've won eight times and entered the race defending champs (Greg Biffle). Last season, RFR led 92 of 400 Cup laps run at MIS.
1
Michigan win in 25 career starts for Jimmie Johnson. There are only four tracks left on the current Cup schedule where Johnson hasn't won: Kentucky, Watkins Glen, Chicagoland, and Homestead.
2
Top-5 finishes for Paul Menard this season, including a fourth at Michigan. The rest of Richard Childress Racing has yet to earn one (Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon, and rookie Brian Scott).
3
Second-place finishes in the last five races for Kevin Harvick. He has not won during that same stretch.
4
Laps led Sunday for Brad Keselowski, whose four straight top-10 finishes (including three of third or better) have lifted him up to fifth in Cup Series points.
5
Consecutive races won by Hendrick Motorsports. (Jimmie Johnson has three, Kasey Kahne zero, while Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. have one apiece). It's the first time HMS has matched that streak on the Cup level since 2007.
6
Laps led, in total for Joe Gibbs Racing the last two weeks. They scored a total of one top-10 finish, combined at Pocono and Michigan (Denny Hamlin, Pocono).
7
Chevrolets in the top 10 at Michigan, including six of the first seven finishers. Only Brad Keselowski (fourth - Ford), Joey Logano (ninth - Ford), and Clint Bowyer (10th – Toyota) broke their stranglehold at the top.
8
Cautions for 36 laps at Michigan. It's the fourth time in the last five races at MIS there have been exactly eight yellow flags.
9
Straight top-20 finishes for rookie Kyle Larson, including an eighth on Sunday. He's been the top-finishing Sprint Cup freshman in all but one (Coca-Cola 600).
10
Sprint Cup winners in 15 races this season. However, the sport has now been without a "new" visitor to Victory Lane since the Coca-Cola 600 Memorial Day Weekend (Jimmie Johnson).
10
Point positions lost by Brian Vickers after running 42nd or worse in two of the last three races. Vickers' engine blew at Dover and then, during the first lap at Michigan he wrecked on his own. Vickers now sits 18th, on the outside of the Chase looking in as of now.
13
Different leaders at Michigan, due to mostly pit strategy over the course of 400 miles, accounting for 25 lead changes.
204.557
Pole speed for Michigan in MPH, a new track record and the fastest on the Sprint Cup circuit this season.
$126,650
Money won by Kasey Kahne Sunday for finishing fifth.
$130,801
Money won by Austin Dillon Sunday for finishing 30th.
Tom Bowles is the Editor-in-Chief of Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Sometimes in the past, teams would voluntarily choose not to make the trip out to Sonoma. Instead, they would allow a Winston West team to use their number and points. Melling Racing did it on two occasions (1992 with Bill Schmitt and 1997 with Jeff Davis). Why was this procedure done?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: For Joe Nemechek, Sears Point Raceway (now Sonoma Raceway) was always a hard nut to crack. After 16 starts, Nemechek's average finish is just 29.5 (his best finish is 11th in 2000). Early in his Cup career, Nemechek fell victim to the same issue in consecutive years in Sonoma. What happened?
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Ashley McCubbin
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Open-Wheel Wednesday by Huston Ladner
Did You Notice?... by Tom Bowles
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 Michigan compiled by Michael Mehedin
Jimmie Johnson is on a roll once again. How did Sunday's action affect the rankings? Find out how your favorite national experts voted, laughing along with their one-liners in the latest update of our weekly NASCAR poll.
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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