THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
June 25th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition C
Today's TV Schedule
Top News
by the Frontstretch Staff
New Hampshire Motor Speedway announced on Tuesday that the Nationwide Series race scheduled for Saturday July 12th will be called the Sta-Green 200."Sta-Green is a leader in its field by achieving incredible results without cutting corners," Jerry Gappens, executive vice president and general manager of the speedway said. Read more.
CorvetteParts.net To Sponsor Chad Boat and Travis Kvapil At Kentucky
CorvetteParts.net announced on Tuesday that they will be sponsoring both Chad Boat and Travis Kvapil in this weekend's events at Kentucky Speedway. Chad Boat will have CorvetteParts.net on the quarter panels of his No. 32 Chevrolet Camaro for Billy Boat Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series John R. Elliott Hero Campaign 300 on Friday night. Read more.
Have news for Ashley and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Today's Featured Commentary
Once again, the National Football League is taking competitor safety to a new level of national attention, and it seems like a suitable issue for NASCAR to consider, as well. Safety is a serious matter, and ignoring it possesses far greater – and more negative – connotations.
The issue involves new research into more easily combating, diagnosing, and possibly treating brain injuries and/or head trauma. Concussions have been front page news for the past few years, and only recently has NASCAR paid relevant attention to this medical concern. The NFL's recent announcement regarding a diagnostic tool to be used in football helmets seems tailor-made for use by NASCAR. Given the nature of the injuries studied by this emerging technology, Brian France should be both very interested and very involved. Allow me to explain….
This newer research into brain trauma is focused on what scientists refer to as rotational acceleration. When an athlete suffers a head impact, he/she not only experiences a linear acceleration (front-and/or-rear), but also a rotational form of the movement (side-to-side). The brain, encased within the skull and tethered by nerves to the spinal column, will both rock and twist when affected by violent forces during a tackle or a collision. Such impacts are commonplace in sports like football and ice hockey, but they also pose threats to the safety of race car drivers, as well.
Think about the consequences of a wild spin. Consider the damage possible when a stock car slaps against the outside retaining wall. Observe whenever a car hits a tire barrier or flies side-over-side when barrel-rolling down a straightaway; each of these events puts massive strain on the driver's head and brain. Wearing a HANS (Head and Neck Support) device might be considered a good way to protect against bad injuries, but these pieces of equipment only restrain the driver's head from moving – they do nothing to keep the driver's brain from moving inside the skull. It is the sudden strain of brain movement that damages nerve connections and creates neurological injury.
And think about how often we see cars slide, spin, and experience side impacts during NASCAR events. Even the slightest stress against the driver's brain can, over time and repeated occurrences, cause trauma leading to neurological damage. Violent rolling wrecks like the one Ryan Newman experienced during the 2003 Daytona 500 are excellent examples of just how rotational acceleration can pose a threat to a driver's head and brain safety. Sure, Newman walked away from such an accident and managed to race the following weekend, but just how much trauma did his brain suffer from its twisting and turning inside a 3400-pound whirling dervish?
Unfortunately this kind of brain injury is overshadowed by its more insidious counterpart, better recognized as linear acceleration. Linear acceleration is the kind of brain trauma that kills quickly – it's what ended the lives of NASCAR drivers like Neil Bonnett, Rodney Orr, Kenny Irwin, Jr., Adam Petty, and Tony Roper. Linear acceleration also prompted NASCAR to require use of the aforementioned HANS device following Dale Earnhardt's death at Daytona in 2001.
The problem is that a racing accident almost always involves two forms of head trauma: the linear kind AND the rotational variety. While linear acceleration makes for tragic headlines and mass mourning, it is rotational acceleration that stealthily results in neurological impairment after many seasons behind the wheel.
According to medical research, even mere millimeters of brain movement from highly-common occurrences of rotational acceleration can lead to nerve damage. As explained by Dr. Robert Cantu, a neurosurgeon at Boston University's School of Medicine: "'Because most hits are off-center and because our heads are not square, most of the accelerations in the head are going to be rotational.'" (quoted in Popular Science, August 2013)
Simply put: even the slightest of impacts can cause significant injury.
While much of this data has been known for years, taking measures to protect against such injuries has been slow going. As I have written here before, it took NASCAR until 2014 to begin monitoring for possible brain trauma (and if it was not for multiple concussions suffered by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., it is quite likely that NASCAR would continue to ignore the problem). Such actions may look proactive on the sanctioning body's part, but that is not the case.
Ask drivers like Bobby Allison, Steve Park, Ernie Irvan, and Jerry Nadeau about monitoring for brain trauma caused by rotational acceleration, and you will likely hear a much different story. That's all the more reason for NASCAR to get in line with the NFL and its emerging research methods.
What's there to lose by not getting involved? A lot, I'd say….
Mark Howell is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at mark.howell@frontstretch.com.
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Tweet 'N' Greet
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Allen Bedgood will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
@JamesBuescher - What a whirlwind yesterday was! Welcome to the world Presley Mercedes! pic.twitter.com/Wox2W5tMrJ
@DaleJr - Got a 2015 Tahoe rental this weekend. Pretty impressive inside and out.@TeamChevypic.twitter.com/2PL7he3Shn
@2Spotter - I wonder if I can make Uncle Kracker change his name. I'm thinking its offending. #Ridiculous#Redskins
@snapfitness - Here's a closer look of the car@landoncassill will be driving. #SnapNation what do you think of our new ride? pic.twitter.com/c7E5RHsTBr
@LVMotorspeedway - #TBT: Where it all began...@KurtBusch at the Dirt Track at LVMS in '97. #Outlaw pic.twitter.com/e6bP9nOWc1
@landoncassill - Nice to come home to a @stayfurnished apt, downtown, easy to get into, and safe. We are counting down the days to a completed house reno
@gassigirl88 - Beautiful view of @RaceSonoma from the air... pic.twitter.com/SbGCUA0C6h
@DaleJr - RT "@ZebsterBC: How much influence does a driver have on the design of the colors & graphics on the car?" Depends on how cool your owner is.
@Brendan62 - Been so long I can barely remember the truck wins RT@pepsipanther24 @Brendan62 how does this weeks win rank against your truck series wins?
@WendyVenturini 0 Things got real for@StewartHaasRcng. Plane windshield shattered in flight! All ok!Team being diverted to JGR, HMS planes at fuel stop in TX
@RodneyChilders4 - Still can't believe the dang caution came out when we were 3 corners from hitting pit road.. So aggravated..
@TonyStewart - Long day today. Stepped on my **** again!
@Jeff_Gluck - Quiet Track, Sonoma.#NASCAR @ Sonoma Raceway Turn 11 http://instagram.com/p/pkUSnAtXhJ/
@CrewChiefNSCS17 - Had a solid day going, then it went to #@$/....... really proud of @StenhouseJr and our team. Get knocked down, get back up.
@Josh_Wise - Long day@RaceSonoma, we were plagued by fuel pressure issues all day. We will get it figured out and go on to the next one
@ericmcclure - To me...auto racing and baseball have more variables & abilities to humble participants than any other sport.
@ArleneMartin - I really hate thieves..... It looks like someone stole my credit card number to a major dept store & had a really good time!
@KeselowskiBrian - Saturday, Sunday and now Monday. Lots done in a few days. A lot to do yet but getting close everyday pic.twitter.com/SOp6C3gzrw
@RodneyChilders4 - Excited to go to@KySpeedway this weekend.. Track has a lot of character and a few grooves for some good racing.. #NASCAR #nightracing
@KurtBusch - He's a good little shot @TheMiniOutlaw pic.twitter.com/ZgTbIgs3EI
@ClintBowyer - 108 degrees in the desert. Fun @Toyota shoot, but glad to be outta there ready for some lake time!
@BMSUpdates - TEAM LEADER: @RCR27PMenard continues to carry the banner for@RCRracing in 2014. Read More »http://bit.ly/1lo0sV0
@Just_AP - Ship it.#kentuckybound @NASCAR_Trucks pic.twitter.com/C4NURS0pm8
@CopaCavanna - Really cool time-lapse of how post-race inspection works. Watch it and learn a lot. Worth your time >>http://bit.ly/1q4w1G7
@MattYocum - Going to be fun@TonyStewart LIVE on @SiriusXMNASCAR Wed 7PM. Two newest members of Twitter@DaleJr and Smoke.#AskSmoke twitter ?'s /Calls
@LowesRacing - The 48/88 shop celebrates each win with a commemorative mini champagne bottle! pic.twitter.com/oDB4R3Gqoc
@PennyRice57 - Happy Anniversary@Riceman61 36 years later and the adventure continues! Love you!
@MikeHoag88 - @DaleJr filming for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center on what it's like dealing with a concussion injury.pic.twitter.com/WyQMfkoAQD
@BrianLVickers - Really enjoyed an extra few days out west with some of my friends. Can't argue with wine tastings & golf!! On to @KySpeedway this week
@RyanBlaney22 - My new cuff links are on point. And a tad on the dark side. pic.twitter.com/ZtB5H8oPZv
@GEICOracing - GEICO @PPIHC driver @layneschranz is literally on top! P1 after first practice! Nice job! #pikespeakhillclimb pic.twitter.com/i8a2AX0CEZ
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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 ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
NASCAR Mailbox: Naughty Neighbor Gives NASCAR Fans A Bad Name
Beyond The Pool: Tyler Clary Aims To Jump From Swimming To NASCAR
Top 15 Power Rankings After Sonma
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA
Q: Back in 2005, Greg Biffle was a threat to win almost whenever he showed up to race in a Busch Series event. The Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway was no exception. Biffle lead laps and ran in the top-10 all night. However, his race ended short of the scheduled distance. What happened?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Foyt was out on the spot. Hamilton Jr. required substantial repairs behind the wall, but eventually got back out on track to finish 36th. Sprague and Lewis continued after basic repairs on pit road. Sprague finished a lap down in 16th, while Lewis was a lap down in 11th. During the yellow, the rains came to Kentucky Speedway and ultimately ended the night. The remainder of the race was run on Sunday afternoon.
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 triviaanswer@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Potts' Shots by John Potts
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Voice of Vito by Vito Pugliese
Vito returns to the website this year with his unique views on everything racing.
Kevin returns with a look at the statistical side of NASCAR.
Tech Talk by Mike Neff
Mike is back with your look at the technical side of NASCAR. This week, Matt Puccia checks in as the teams transition from a road course to night racing at Kentucky Speedway.
Fantasy Insider by Jeff Wolfe
Jeff is back with your look at the best bets to fill your fantasy roster. This week, he preps you for your best bets as we head into Kentucky.
Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth returns with your weekly look at the state of the Camping World Truck Series.
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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