THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Sept. 25, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition CLXVI
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Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Sept. 25, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition CLXVI
----------------
What to Watch: Thursday
Today's TV Schedule
Time Telecast Network
Time Telecast Network
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. NASCAR RaceHub FOX Sports 1
11:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Red Bull Global RallyCross: Los Angeles NBC Sports Network*# (from September 21)
* - Tape Delayed
/ - Highlighted Coverage
# - Repeat Coverage
Top News
by Phil Allaway and Amy Henderson
Grand Jury Decides Not To Indict Tony Stewartby Phil Allaway and Amy Henderson
On Wednesday, after two days of exposition, a grand jury in Canandaigua, New York voted to "no-bill" any potential charges against Tony Stewart in the wake of the death of Kevin Ward, Jr. at nearby Canandaigua Motorsports Park in August. A "no-bill" ruling means that Stewart will not face any criminal charges. Read more at Frontstretch
Yuengling Extends Partnership With RCR; Will Make Sprint Cup Debut In 2015
On Wednesday, Richard Childress Racing announced that they had reached a contract extension with D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., which sponsors Ty Dillon in the Naitonwide Series via their Yuengling Light Lager brand of beer. The brewery will be back in the soon-to-be Xfinity Series on the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro, and they will also sponsor a race for Dillon in a fourth RCR entry at one of the Pocono Sprint Cup races. Read more at Frontstretch
Retro Infinity to Sponsor Rick Ware Racing for Eight Events
Late Wednesday night, Rick Ware Racing announced that Timmy Hill will return to the No. 23 Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series for Saturday's 5-Hour ENERGY 200 at Dover International Speedway. Hill will also debut a new primary sponsor, Retro Infinity, Inc., a company that publishes classic video games on mobile devices.
The press release that RWR put out to announce the sponsorship only covers Dover. It's much more than that. Retro Infinity, Inc. put out their own release, dubbing their sponsorship the "RWR Retro Infinity Drive To Championship Weekend."
Retro Infinity will sponsor RWR entries in eight races comprising four different series. Those series are the Nationwide Series, the Camping World Truck Series, the Whelen Euro Series, and most interestingly, the Sprint Cup Series. Hill is just one of the drivers listed for the program, in addition to Stanton Barrett, Carlos Contreras and Kevin O'Connell, who have all raced for RWR this season in the Nationwide Series.
The press release that RWR put out to announce the sponsorship only covers Dover. It's much more than that. Retro Infinity, Inc. put out their own release, dubbing their sponsorship the "RWR Retro Infinity Drive To Championship Weekend."
Retro Infinity will sponsor RWR entries in eight races comprising four different series. Those series are the Nationwide Series, the Camping World Truck Series, the Whelen Euro Series, and most interestingly, the Sprint Cup Series. Hill is just one of the drivers listed for the program, in addition to Stanton Barrett, Carlos Contreras and Kevin O'Connell, who have all raced for RWR this season in the Nationwide Series.
Retro Infinity CEO Eric Mitchell is very excited about promoting his company in NASCAR.
"NASCAR provides an exciting environment in which to provide awareness and showcase our mobile gaming products, and we look forward to further enhancing the fan experience at home, at the track and on the go for these races," Mitchell said in a press release.
"NASCAR provides an exciting environment in which to provide awareness and showcase our mobile gaming products, and we look forward to further enhancing the fan experience at home, at the track and on the go for these races," Mitchell said in a press release.
The majority of Retro Infinity's sponsorship of RWR will be in the Nationwide Series where they will sponsor the team in five races (Dover, Kansas, Charlotte, Phoenix and Homestead). The team will also attempt the Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200 and the Sprint Cup Series Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville. Finally, O'Connell will compete in the Whelen Euro Series at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, France.
For Rick Ware Racing, Martinsville will not be their first foray into the Sprint Cup Series. In 2002, the team attempted a number of races with Carl Long, but failled to qualify for any of them. In 2012, the team attempted to move Timmy Hill up to Cup with sponsorship from Poynt, a mobile app. The team only managed to qualify for one race, Las Vegas. In that event, Hill crashed and finished 42nd.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series AAA 400: 43 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 32 - JJ Yeley for Go FAS Racing
No. 37 - Mike Bliss for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 40 - Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 32 - JJ Yeley returns to the seat, replacing Timmy Hill. Yeley is running a limited schedule in this car based on funding.
No. 44 - Timmy Hill is in the seat, replacing JJ Yeley. Hill is driving for the newly re-dubbed Team Xtreme Racing, formerly Xxxtreme Motorsports. This weekend will mark their first entry since June.
No. 66 - Joe Nemechek returns to the seat, replacing Mike Wallace. Nemechek is typically the main driver for this team.
Since there are only 43 cars entered, no one will fail to qualify.
Not Entered:
No. 77 - Corey LaJoie for Randy Humphrey Racing
No. 93 - Clay Rogers for BK Racing
Nationwide Series 5-Hour Energy 200: 40 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 20 - Justin Boston for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22 - Joey Logano for Team Penske
No. 33 - Cale Conley for Richard Childress Racing
No. 42 - Kyle Larson for Turner Scott Motorsports
No. 54 - Kyle Busch for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 80 - Alex Bowman for HRE Enterprises
No. 98 - Aric Almirola for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 10 - Kevin Lepage returns to the seat, replacing Jeff Green.
No. 14 - Jeff Green returns to the seat, replacing Eric McClure. Dover is Green's fifth and final scheduled race in the No. 14.
No. 22 - Joey Logano returns to the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
No. 23 - Timmy Hill returns to the seat, replacing Cody Ware. Robert Richardson, Jr. was originally entered in the car. Hill's return comes with a new sponsor, Retro Infinity Inc., a publisher of classic video games on mobile platforms.
No. 29 - Milka Duno returns to the seat, replacing Daniel Suarez. Duno will be making her Nationwide Series debut.
No. 31 - Dylan Kwasniewski returns to the seat, replacing Chase Pistone.
No. 42 - Kyle Larson returns to the seat, replacing Dylan Kwasniewski.
No. 54 - Kyle Busch returns to the seat, replacing Sam Hornish, Jr.
No. 80 - Alex Bowman is in the seat, replacing Ross Chastain.
Since there are only 40 cars entered, no one will fail to qualify. However, these teams must still qualify on speed:
No. 10 - Kevin Lepage for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 17 - Tanner Berryhill for Vision Racing
No. 29 - Milka Duno for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 33 - Cale Conley for Richard Childress Racing
No. 46 - Ryan Ellis for The Motorsports Group*
No. 70 - Derrike Cope for Derrike Cope Racing
No. 72 - Harrison Rhodes for Carter Motorsports*
No. 80 - Alex Bowman for HRE Enterprises
No. 89 - Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures*
No. 98 - Aric Almirola for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
Not Entered:
No. 5 - Austin Theriault for JR Motorsports
No. 13 - Carl Long for Carl Long Racing
No. 74 - Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing
Camping World Truck Series Rhino Linings 350k: 30 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 20 - Jason White for NTS Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 08 - Jimmy Weller returns to the seat, replacing Ray Black, Jr.
No. 8 - Joe Nemechek returns to the seat, replacing his son John Hunter Nemechek. John Hunter Nemechek is still too young to race at intermediate tracks.
No. 9 - Ron Hornaday, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Brennan Newberry. For Hornaday, Las Vegas marks his first of two races in the No. 9 with his Rheem sponsorship.
No. 20 - Jason White returns to the seat, replacing Gray Gaulding.
No. 23 - Spencer Gallagher returns to the seat, replacing Max Gresham.
No. 32 - Tayler Malsam returns to the seat, replacing Cameron Hayley.
No. 35 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Mason Mingus. The team has stated that they will continue to race for the rest of the year despite Mingus leaving the operation.
No. 36 - Scott Stenzel returns to the seat, replacing Justin Jennings.
No. 63 - Justin Jennings returns to the seat, replacing JR Heffner.
Since only 30 trucks are entered, no one will fail to qualify. However, these teams must still qualify on speed.
No. 0 - Caleb Roark for JJC Racing*
No. 7 - Brian Ickler for Red Horse Racing
No. 15 - Mason Mingus for Billy Boat Motorsports
No. 23 - Spencer Gallagher for GMS Racing
No. 36 - Scott Stenzel for MB Motorsports*
* - Expected to Start-and-Park
Not Entered:
No. 00 - Cole Custer for Stewart-Haas Racing
No. 57 - Ted Minor for Norm Benning Racing
No. 86 - Brandon Brown for Brown Motorsports
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Today's Featured CommentaryPotts' Shots for the Week of September 22
Potts' Shots
by John Potts
The biggest story this week, of course, is that Tony Stewart will not face any charges from the incident in New York. I think the best statement came from Tony himself, and I'm sure everyone has heard or read it by now. He emphasized that we shouldn't forget that a young man lost his life.
I said at the beginning that I didn't think Tony would ever be the same. I still believe that.
I've been an admirer and fan of Roger Penske for more than 50 years now. I watched him drive a Pontiac in a USAC stock car race on the road course at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and also saw him drive his "envelope-bodied" Cooper in another road race there.
That Cooper was a harbinger of things to come – we should have all realized at the time that this was one of the most innovative people involved in racing. Sort of a road racing version of Smokey Yunick.
The car was a damaged Cooper Formula One machine, I understand, that Penske's people rebuilt and put the body on. It was bad fast. From the picture I found in my files, it ran in the D Modified class in SCCA, and let's just say their officials made them do some changing. For one thing, the seat was in the center of the car, and they wanted it offset, and also wanted a passenger seat included to make it fit the letter of the rules. If I recall correctly, Penske moved the seat off-center by an inch or so and then put a pad on the other side.
Roger said once that "Luck is where preparation meets opportunity," and it seems as if the Chase is starting to show just how prepared his NASCAR operation is. I recall at the time he started that effort, he told people not to expect his team to tear up the circuit from the start, because he realized just how much talent there was down there. I remember reading a book by his most famous driver, the late Mark Donohue, entitled, "The Unfair Advantage." Mark wrote that the unfair advantage was preparation.
That team was successful at Indianapolis, as well as in Can-Am, and a number of other circuits. They proved that it didn't matter if they were running a Lola, a Camaro, or a Javelin. Penske even had some success in NASCAR with a Matador.
One of his innovations in road racing was a knockoff hub that fit over the five lug nuts on a wheel and removed them all at once. SCCA took a dim view of that one.
I was lucky enough to meet him at Atlanta when ASA ran a combined program with CART, and I thanked him for making it possible for us to run there. Every time we ran with them after that, usually Atlanta or Michigan, he stopped me and asked if I was having fun in that flagstand.
Looks like the Captain could be on his way to his first NASCAR championship.
Speaking of road racing, that discipline lost a former great one last week with the passing of Dr. Dick Thompson. I'll always remember him as the driver of the original Stingray back in the early 60s. Everybody seemed to be wondering when GM would adopt that body style for the Corvette, and they did it in two stages. The rear end went on the 1962 'Vette, and the front followed the next year.
I found a photo of that one, too.
I want to thank everyone who forwarded Happy Birthday wishes to me on Facebook this week. I turned 76 on Wednesday, and I think I got a message from everybody I ever waved a flag over, announced their name, or even met casually. Nearly all of them were involved in racing.
Well, there was one from an old pal who served at Misawa AB in Japan with the 6921st Radio Group (Mobile) back in the late 50s, but he and his wife are race fans, too.
I usually get 50 or 60 e-mails a day, most of them having to do with motorsports. By late Wednesday afternoon, the count was over 450.
Thanks…
Folks, it's been an incredible career, and I'm still finding ways to be involved. There were times when I didn't think I'd make to 30, and some folks who saw me work Figure 8 races from the track had the same opinion.
I've been privileged to meet people that I could only have dreamed I would know, and I'm eternally grateful.
No less so to those who wished me well this week.
John Potts is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at john.potts@frontstretch.com.
The biggest story this week, of course, is that Tony Stewart will not face any charges from the incident in New York. I think the best statement came from Tony himself, and I'm sure everyone has heard or read it by now. He emphasized that we shouldn't forget that a young man lost his life.
I said at the beginning that I didn't think Tony would ever be the same. I still believe that.
I've been an admirer and fan of Roger Penske for more than 50 years now. I watched him drive a Pontiac in a USAC stock car race on the road course at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and also saw him drive his "envelope-bodied" Cooper in another road race there.
That Cooper was a harbinger of things to come – we should have all realized at the time that this was one of the most innovative people involved in racing. Sort of a road racing version of Smokey Yunick.
The car was a damaged Cooper Formula One machine, I understand, that Penske's people rebuilt and put the body on. It was bad fast. From the picture I found in my files, it ran in the D Modified class in SCCA, and let's just say their officials made them do some changing. For one thing, the seat was in the center of the car, and they wanted it offset, and also wanted a passenger seat included to make it fit the letter of the rules. If I recall correctly, Penske moved the seat off-center by an inch or so and then put a pad on the other side.
Roger said once that "Luck is where preparation meets opportunity," and it seems as if the Chase is starting to show just how prepared his NASCAR operation is. I recall at the time he started that effort, he told people not to expect his team to tear up the circuit from the start, because he realized just how much talent there was down there. I remember reading a book by his most famous driver, the late Mark Donohue, entitled, "The Unfair Advantage." Mark wrote that the unfair advantage was preparation.
That team was successful at Indianapolis, as well as in Can-Am, and a number of other circuits. They proved that it didn't matter if they were running a Lola, a Camaro, or a Javelin. Penske even had some success in NASCAR with a Matador.
One of his innovations in road racing was a knockoff hub that fit over the five lug nuts on a wheel and removed them all at once. SCCA took a dim view of that one.
I was lucky enough to meet him at Atlanta when ASA ran a combined program with CART, and I thanked him for making it possible for us to run there. Every time we ran with them after that, usually Atlanta or Michigan, he stopped me and asked if I was having fun in that flagstand.
Looks like the Captain could be on his way to his first NASCAR championship.
Speaking of road racing, that discipline lost a former great one last week with the passing of Dr. Dick Thompson. I'll always remember him as the driver of the original Stingray back in the early 60s. Everybody seemed to be wondering when GM would adopt that body style for the Corvette, and they did it in two stages. The rear end went on the 1962 'Vette, and the front followed the next year.
I found a photo of that one, too.
I want to thank everyone who forwarded Happy Birthday wishes to me on Facebook this week. I turned 76 on Wednesday, and I think I got a message from everybody I ever waved a flag over, announced their name, or even met casually. Nearly all of them were involved in racing.
Well, there was one from an old pal who served at Misawa AB in Japan with the 6921st Radio Group (Mobile) back in the late 50s, but he and his wife are race fans, too.
I usually get 50 or 60 e-mails a day, most of them having to do with motorsports. By late Wednesday afternoon, the count was over 450.
Thanks…
Folks, it's been an incredible career, and I'm still finding ways to be involved. There were times when I didn't think I'd make to 30, and some folks who saw me work Figure 8 races from the track had the same opinion.
I've been privileged to meet people that I could only have dreamed I would know, and I'm eternally grateful.
No less so to those who wished me well this week.
John Potts is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at john.potts@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to another rousing edition of the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. This week, I've got a two-fer for you. Today, we'll be covering both ESPN's telecast of the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 and the broadcast of the Beijing ePrix. Both races had their moments. Let's get right into it.VistiMyrtleBeach.com 300
On Saturday night, the Nationwide Series returned to action at Kentucky Speedway. There were no Sprint Cup drivers in the field, meaning that the Nationwide regulars would be the focus of the broadcast. Unfortunately, college football intervened in multiple ways.
There was supposed to be a 30-minute edition of NASCAR Countdown prior to the race. I have no clue what that would have looked like. Why? A lightning delay, this time in the Texas State-Illinois game, resulted in ESPNEWS airing that game from Champaign, Illinois until halftime before switching to the race in Kentucky. By that time, the slot for Countdown was over and the telecast went straight to the opening ceremonies.
Before we go on, yes, the race was on ESPNEWS. Like last year, it was done because ABC, ESPN and ESPN 2 were all showing college football games. As a result, Saturday night's race was one of the lowest rated races of the year. It bites, simple as that. Next year, this race will air on NBC Sports Network. While they do show some college football, a scenario like Saturday night is very unlikely.
There was supposed to be a 30-minute edition of NASCAR Countdown prior to the race. I have no clue what that would have looked like. Why? A lightning delay, this time in the Texas State-Illinois game, resulted in ESPNEWS airing that game from Champaign, Illinois until halftime before switching to the race in Kentucky. By that time, the slot for Countdown was over and the telecast went straight to the opening ceremonies.
Before we go on, yes, the race was on ESPNEWS. Like last year, it was done because ABC, ESPN and ESPN 2 were all showing college football games. As a result, Saturday night's race was one of the lowest rated races of the year. It bites, simple as that. Next year, this race will air on NBC Sports Network. While they do show some college football, a scenario like Saturday night is very unlikely.
For the last Nationwide Series standalone race of the year, we got the duo of Dave Burns and Ricky Craven in the booth once again. In all honestly, having those two in the booth gives ESPN broadcasts a whole different feel than normal. I wouldn't describe it as laid back, because it's not. It's as if the network doesn't have an agenda that has to be followed to a T. The booth conversation between Burns and Craven just seems more natural than what we normally get.
If you watch SportsCenter after Sprint Cup races on ESPN, you'll get a general idea of what Craven's like in the booth. Informative, almost to a fault. If he has an issue, it is that he explains things a little too often. While it doesn't irritate me, I wouldn't be surprised if it annoyed some viewers. You do learn things when Craven is in the booth. For instance, Craven described having a one-on-one conversation (for the first time) with Cale Conley prior to the race in which he learned about the RCR development driver and made use of that knowledge in the telecast. Knowing that Conley finished a career-best sixth, it was a good move. I have no doubt that ESPN's on-air personalities have conversations with drivers along the lines of what Craven did on a weekly basis. It's all part of their telecast preparation. They just don't publicize them like Craven did.
Not having the Cup drivers around meant a somewhat more inclusive telecast than normal. I'd argue that ESPN probably should have done a second Up to Speed segment during the race, though. Also, we saw some unusual stuff. For example, during the first round of stops, we saw a replay that indicated that one of Joey Gase's tire carriers dropped his tire prior to going over the wall. That's a first. I cannot recall seeing that before.
The only major gripe I had with the broadcast is that it seemed that the booth was a little slow on the trigger when it came to incidents in the second half of the race. Viewers could see the crashes that eliminated Eric McClure and Sam Hornish, Jr. in real time. They weren't necessarily centered on-screen, but you could easily tell what was going on. Burns and Craven didn't say anything until the wreck was over, though. I would have also liked to know what put Landon Cassill. We do know that the final caution was thrown due to a tire carcass from Cassill's car. ESPN showed the JD Motorsports crew changing the offending right rear tire. Then, we see Cassill getting pushed back to the garage. According to the results, Cassill dropped out due to a "vibration," but the interliner was up when Cassill got back to the pits. Something might be fishy here. Must have been one heck of a vibration to make you retire from a race with nine laps to go while on the lead lap.
Since the race ran long Saturday night, there was shortened post-race coverage prior to the network switching to SportsCenter. That's one of those "it happens" things. Can't do anything about it.
Overall, I enjoyed the race a lot more than typical ESPN races. I wish the normal ESPN telecasts were more like what we had Saturday night as opposed to what we normally get. The alternate booth setups have always been relatively interesting since ESPN's return to NASCAR in 2007. Before Craven, we had Randy LaJoie and his no-nonsense approach to commentary that worked really well. Yes, LaJoie was working with Marty Reid, but Reid was more on his game in 2007 and 2008.
Overall, I enjoyed the race a lot more than typical ESPN races. I wish the normal ESPN telecasts were more like what we had Saturday night as opposed to what we normally get. The alternate booth setups have always been relatively interesting since ESPN's return to NASCAR in 2007. Before Craven, we had Randy LaJoie and his no-nonsense approach to commentary that worked really well. Yes, LaJoie was working with Marty Reid, but Reid was more on his game in 2007 and 2008.
Beijing ePrix
In the middle of the night (our time) about ten days ago, a new era in motorsports began. The FIA held the very first ePrix on a small street circuit laid out around Olympic Park landmarks, most notably the "Bird's Nest" and the Beijing National Aquatics Center (the "Water Cube"). This critique will be partially about the telecast and partially about the series and vehicles themselves.
Watching the race on television is somewhat akin to going to an indoor go-kart center and watching the fastest go-karts racing there, then jacking them up on steroids. Granted, compared to most racing series, that isn't necessarily saying all that much. The Formula e cars are far from quiet. You'll know when they're coming. However, watching the race shows that the technology still has a long way to go. At best, Formula e will go down as an early adopter series, launched before the technology really necessary to make the series take off was available. Battery swapping, a technology that Tesla is trying to develop, would be ideal for this series. Unfortunately, the Dallara-designed Formula e car is not conducive to such a setup, so car swapping it is for now. Speaking of the car swapping, the Beijing circuit had one of the more unusual pit lane configurations I've ever seen. It's what you would get if you combine the pit setup at The Springfield Mile for ARCA, pit road for the old IMSA street races in Columbus from the 1980's and service parks from the WRC into one.
The broadcasts have Jack Nicholls on play-by-play, who I believe is quite solid. Even though exceeding 100 mph was fairly rare on the 2.14 mile, 20 turn street course, the action was somewhat fast and most definitely furious at times. Nicholls came prepared for that action. He was able to make racing that was relatively staid actually sound quite exciting.
Nicholls' booth partner is Dario Franchitti, multiple-time Champion of the now-Verizon IndyCar Series. Franchitti doesn't have very much TV experience. As a result, I must look at his booth work under the lens of a newcomer. I look at his performance as a starting point here. That starting point is ok. Franchitti's performance didn't stand out as good or bad. He had some good moments, most notably when talking about the rather ridiculous move that Nicolas Prost made on Nick Heidfeld on the final lap that resulted in Heidfeld's massive crash.
The weakest link of the on-air trio is Nicki Shields, who is the presenter/pit reporter for the series. I rarely say anything like what I'm about to say in critiques because it comes off like I'm angling for the person's job. I could do Shields' job better than she did in Beijing. As a auto racing reporter that covers the local dirt racing scene in Upstate New York, I have to conduct somewhat off-the-cuff post-race interviews with drivers. When I started, I actively decided to stay away from asking drivers "How does it feel?" all the time. That's all Shields does here. If that's all she's going to do as a pit reporter, they would be better off having Shields just present the broadcast and help out with some of the science involved (she has some background with it) and leave the on-air interviews to someone else. Having said all that, based on her bio, she has very limited TV experience. She's only been presenting (the English equivalent of hosting) shows for less than a year. Hopefully, with some time on the broadcasts, she should improve.
Much like Formula One, we're dealing with a World Feed setup here. Everyone sees the same action. I found that the telecast was ok when it came to covering races for position on track. The focus was not necessarily centered on the front of the field, but the majority of the action we saw was there. It did have a '90s feel in that if you weren't at the front, you were a ghost. Also, there are series-specific on-screen graphics. I'd argue that the graphics are not the best. Obviously, it's going to look better on a 66 inch TV, but I don't critique on a TV of that size. Instead, I use a 32 inch TV. As a result, a lot of the graphics were hard to make out because they were too small. Also, the color choices weren't the best (white on pastel blue, white on yellow for yellow flag graphics).
During the race, the broadcast would play this strange music that wouldn't sound out of place on SiriusXM Channel 53 (SiriusXM Chill, a station that specializes in mellow electronic music and groove-based down tempo music) at three different points in the race. Those points were at the start, the car change, and with a couple of laps to go. I found it distracting and that it added nothing to the broadcast. I hope the FIA chooses not to add that treatment to Formula 1 races in the future.
Overall, Beijing was a rough start for the FIA Formula E Championship. I believe that the broadcasts will improve as the season continues on and the principals get used to their roles.
I hope you enjoyed this double feature from Kentucky and Beijing. Next week, I'll be back with a 13 month update on FOX Sports 1 and 2. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Dover and Las Vegas.
I hope you enjoyed this double feature from Kentucky and Beijing. Next week, I'll be back with a 13 month update on FOX Sports 1 and 2. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Dover and Las Vegas.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer at Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond the Cockpit: Driver or Crew Chief, Mike Neff Knows Speed
"Never a dull moment, that is for sure. You never quite know what to expect. He keeps everyone on their toes around here." - Mike Neff, on what it's like to work for John Force.
~~~~~~~~~~
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 tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond the Cockpit: Driver or Crew Chief, Mike Neff Knows Speed
"Never a dull moment, that is for sure. You never quite know what to expect. He keeps everyone on their toes around here." - Mike Neff, on what it's like to work for John Force.
~~~~~~~~~~
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 tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY AT FRONTSTRETCH:
by Kevin Rutherford
by Beth Lunkenheimer
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Prior to the concrete surface being laid down at Dover for 1995, the then-Dover Downs International Speedway had an asphalt surface with sealer. Why was the track constantly sealed?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: Prior to the introduction of the "White Lightning" concrete surface at Dover, the track had a propensity for caution. The 1992 Peak Performance 500 was no exception. Dick Trickle had started seventh and was running well just past halfway. However, his race came to an end before the three-fifths mark of the event. What happened?
A: Trickle appeared to get loose exiting turn 2 and backed into the wall. Trickle then spun across the track and threw up a smokescreen. From there, it was on. A total of eight cars were involved. The crash can be seen here.Although he did drive back to the garage, Trickle was out on the spot, along with Richard Petty and Chad Little. Rick Mast, Jimmy Means, Hut Stricklin and both Darrell and Michael Waltrip spent time in the garage before resuming.
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!
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Staff
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Staff
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Friday Faceoff by the Frontstretch Staff
Our new feature returns, a shorter, easier-flowing version of Mirror Driving with answers from a greater number of the staff you know and love.
Happiness Is... by P. Huston Ladner
Don't let your life sink into the pits. Huston takes a look at the racing stories from the last seven days that should leave you smiling.
Don't let your life sink into the pits. Huston takes a look at the racing stories from the last seven days that should leave you smiling.
Frontstretch Foto Funnies by the Frontstretch Staff
Pictures can lead to a thousand laughs; join us in our weekly dose of humor that comes from those candid moments at the track.
Pictures can lead to a thousand laughs; join us in our weekly dose of humor that comes from those candid moments at the track.
Nuts For Nationwide by Joseph Wolkin
Joseph returns to bring us up-to-date on NASCAR's second-tier series as they return to the track this weekend in Dover.
Creed's Corner by Aaron Creed
On a new day, Aaron returns to talk shop as NASCAR heads for a weekend in Dover and Las Vegas.
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©2014 Frontstretch.com
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
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