The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 12th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition CXXXIV
Top News
Stewart-Haas: Still No Decision on Tony Stewart Running Michigan
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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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AJ Allmendinger's Win Gave Us Hope When All Is Dark
Do you need a hug? Here! Have a hug! Is there somebody else who needs a hug? Hugs for all!
What an absolutely joyous feeling that spread across NASCAR Nation as AJ Allmendinger celebrated his very first Sprint Cup victory. I giggled as he embraced the official handing him the checkered flag, and then shed a tear when AJ announced repeatedly, "We won a Sprint Cup race!" It felt good to celebrate.
Then it didn't feel right, as the darker emotions of Sunday morning swept over me again.
Still, AJ's moment in the sun could not be stopped. Roger Penske and Richard Childress arrived in Victory Lane to share in more back-thumping, hand-pumping hugs. No, it was OK to smile and celebrate, for Allmendinger has not always walked in the light. He had his struggles -- losing his ride at Penske after testing positive for a banned substance two years ago. The 'Dinger deserved his trophy -- fighting off the true road course ringer, Marcos Ambrose all through Sunday's Cheez-It 355 At The Glen. This driver had faced the worst of public judgment, fought his own demons, and finally grabbed a spot in the firmament of Sprint Cup Winners. Nobody handed him this joy. He fought for it.
After all is said and done, that was a quintessential NASCAR moment, and at the same time, a fine example of the human story.
Perhaps because of the wondrous ending to Allmendinger's struggles, I kept returning to the place in which Tony Stewart remains.
All through the endless coverage of the tragedy at Canandaigua, I knew this moment was not the time for judgment. I was not there. I do not have all the information needed to know what truly happened at the moment that Kevin Ward, Jr. lost his life. It was time for grief, tears, and support for those that it personally impacted. I struggled to come to terms with how Tony must be feeling, how he would be feeling the next day, week and all the years to come. Regardless of what may come to pass in the courts and tabloids, Tony Stewart now has a path to walk, and he'll walk it alone.
At this point, I don't care whether the No. 14 will make the Chase, or if Stewart-Haas Racing will face financial straits due to public backlash. That is of no importance in this world.
One man lost his life, another is left with the reality he was involved with that death. There will be an eternity for a battle of self-doubt and unanswerable questions. How does one ever find peace after such a horrific incident?
Perhaps AJ Allmendinger found the answer in some small way. No, what Allmendinger did that brought down the world upon his head is not nearly as earth-shattering, but it was his personal battle. AJ looked in that dark place most of us prefer to avoid. He faced down what must have felt like the worst thing that ever happened to him and climbed back out of the shadows. He held to hope.
It is early yet, and still I'm wishing that everybody touched by the terrible passing of Kevin Ward, Jr. can cling to hope. For even in the darkest moments, when anger and sorrow dim all around, we must look for better times when we can see the light once again -- when we will share hugs with the entire world. Today, I'm thanking AJ for reminding me that we can hope. Everybody can.
2014 Sonya Strictly by the Stats
Top Three Rookies for 2014 Cheez-Its 355
1.) No. 42 Kyle Larson - Started 23rd, Finished 4th (1st in RoTY standings)
2.) No. 3 Austin Dillon - Started 31st, Finished 16th (2nd in RoTY standings)
3.) No. 51 Justin Allgaier - Started 15th, Finished 17th (3rd in RoTY standings)
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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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: For Todd Bodine, the 1993 Champion Spark Plug 400 was a huge opportunity. Bodine qualified sixth fastest for only his third career Winston Cup start (the first outside of Watkins Glen). However, it went bad really quick. What happened?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: The weekend of the 1994 GM Goodwrench 400 at Michigan is best known for Ernie Irvan's near-fatal crash in practice on Saturday morning. Irvan's injury effectively eliminated Earnhardt's only real competition for the championship. A good way to completely assert control over the proceedings would have been to finish strongly at Michigan. That didn't happen. What occurred that knocked Earnhardt out of the race?
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 the Frontstretch Staff
Did You Notice?... by Tom Bowles
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's back from vacation and ready to once again answer 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 Watkins Glen compiled by Michael Mehedin
Jeff Gordon lost the points lead on Sunday after electrical issues took him out of contention. Does that also mean a free fall in the Power Rankings? Not necessarily. Find out how your favorite experts voted in the latest edition of our weekly 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!
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