THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 4th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition CLI
----------------
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 4th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition CLI
----------------
Today's TV Schedule
Time Telecast Network
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. NASCAR RaceHub FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. NASCAR RaceHub FOX Sports 2*#
DVR Theater (Late Thursday Night/Early Friday Morning)
12:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. Pirelli World Challenge: Sonoma NBC Sports Network*# (from August 23-24)
4:00 a.m. - 5:30 a.m. Formula One Grand Prix of Belgium Free Practice No. 1 NBC Sports Live Xtra$
* - Tape Delayed
/ - Highlighted Coverage
# - Repeat Coverage
$ - Available via password-protected online streaming. Check with your internet and/or programming provider for availability.
Top News
by Phil Allaway and Summer Bedgood
by Phil Allaway and Summer Bedgood
Haas F1 Team Announces Scuderia Ferrari Partnership
On Wednesday, the recently renamed Haas F1 Team announced a partnership with Scuderia Ferrari for the team's entry into Formula 1 in 2016. Scuderia Ferrari will provide the debutant team with power units (the combined engine, generator and turbocharger), eight-speed gearboxes and technical support. Read more at Frontstretch
Nationwide to Sponsor Earnhardt Jr. At Richmond
Months ago, Frontstretch reported on the sponsorship deal that sees Nationwide Insurance bring their primary sponsorship over to Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.. On Wednesday afternoon, Nationwide Insurance officially unveiled their official paint scheme and their new Twitter feed, @Nationwide88. Read more at Frontstretch
Michael Waltrip to Compete on Dancing With The Stars
Over the previous 18 seasons of Dancing With The Stars on ABC, there have multiple athletes that have been featured on the show. 12 of the 18 seasons have been won by athletes. Those athletes have come from figure skating, speed skating, football, gymnastics and auto racing (Helio Castroneves in 2007). However, there has never been anyone on the show involved with NASCAR. That will change starting on September 15. On Wednesday, the full cast of celebrities for the 19th season of Dancing With The Stars was announced and Michael Waltrip Racing co-owner/part-time driver/TV personality Michael Waltrip is on the list of participants. Read more at Frontstretch
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400: 44 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 37 - Mike Bliss for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 40 - Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing
No. 66 - Joe Nemechek for Michael Waltrip Racing/Identity Ventures Racing
No. 93 - JJ Yeley for BK Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 32 - Travis Kvapil returns to the seat, replacing JJ Yeley.
No. 33 - David Stremme returns to the seat, replacing Ty Dillon.
No. 66 - Joe Nemechek returns to the seat, replacing Brett Moffitt.
No. 93 - JJ Yeley is in the seat, replacing Johnny Sauter.
Driver who must qualify on speed (top-36):
No. 75 - Clay Rogers for Beard Motorsports (No points). If Rogers qualifies on speed, he will make his Sprint Cup Series debut.
Drivers who have provisionals, but could fail to qualify:
No. 7 - Michael Annett for Tommy Baldwin Racing (30th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 23 - Alex Bowman for BK Racing (38th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 26 - Cole Whitt for Swan Racing/BK Racing (33rd in points, 25 attempts)
No. 32 - Travis Kvapil for Go FAS Racing (37th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 33 - David Stremme for Circle Sport (40th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 34 - David Ragan for Front Row Motorsports (32nd in points, 25 attempts)
No. 36 - Reed Sorenson for Tommy Baldwin Racing (34th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 37 - Mike Bliss for Tommy Baldwin Racing (48th in points, 5 attempts)*
No. 38 - David Gilliland for Front Row Motorsports (31st in points, 25 attempts)
No. 40 - Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing (35th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 66 - Joe Nemechek for Michael Waltrip Racing/Identity Ventures Racing (39th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 83 - Ryan Truex for BK Racing (41st in points, 25 attempts)
No. 93 - JJ Yeley for BK Racing (51st in points, 4 attempts)
No. 98 - Josh Wise for Phil Parsons Racing (36th in points, 25 attempts)
Not Entered:
No. 77 - Randy Humphrey Racing
No. 95 - Michael McDowell for Leavine Family Racing
Nationwide Series Virginia 529 College Savings 250: 43 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 5- Kevin Harvick for JR Motorsports
No. 20- Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22- Ryan Blaney 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
Driver Changes:
No. 10- Mike Bliss returns to the seat, replacing Jeff Green.
No. 14- Jeff Green returns to the seat, replacing Eric McClure.
No. 19- Hermie Sadler returns to the seat, replacing Mike Bliss.
No. 22- Ryan Blaney returns to the seat, replacing Joey Logano.
No. 23- Cody Ware returns to the seat, replacing Carlos Contreras.
No. 29- Kelly Admiraal returns to the seat, replacing Milka Duno.
No. 44- Will Kimmel returns to the seat, replacing Blake Koch.
No. 46- Matt Frahm returns to the seat, replacing Carl Long.
No. 74- Kevin Lepage returns to the seat, replacing Mike Harmon.
No. 87- Josh Reaume returns to the seat, replacing Chris Cockrum.
No. 91- Blake Koch is in the seat, replacing Jeff Green.
No. 93- Ryan Ellis returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Swindell.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 5- Kevin Harvick for JR Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 10- Mike Bliss for TriStar Motorsports
No. 17- Tanner Berryhill for Vision Racing
No. 29- Kelly Admiraal for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 33- Cale Conley for Richard Childress Racing
No. 46- Matt Frahm for The Motorsports Group*
No. 70- Derrike Cope for Derrike Cope Racing
No. 72- John Jackson for Carter Motorsports*
No. 74- Kevin Lepage for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 84- Chad Boat for Billy Boat Motorsports
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures*
No. 91- Blake Koch for TriStar Motorsports*
* - Expected to Start-and-Park
Entered, but Already Withdrawn:
No. 86- DRG Motorsports
Not Entered:
No. 25- John Wes Townley for Athenian MotorsportsNo. 98- David Ragan for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
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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 CommentaryJust A Cool Day At The Drags…
Potts' Shots
by John Potts
One of my goals after moving back to Indianapolis from Kentucky was to spend some time at the U.S. Nationals.
After an absence of almost 14 years, I was aching to see old friends, smell the nitromethane, and generally soak up the ambiance.
I managed to obtain a couple of full-event passes, and decided to pass on the experience of a lazy day at the world's biggest drag race to our readers.
If you're expecting a race report, stop right here. If you care about it, you've already seen the results. I was interested in just getting reacquainted with the atmosphere. Sure, ten hours of it was going to be televised, but trust me – it ain't at all like being there.
Got through the gate just in time to hear the call for Super Comp to the lanes for second round. First impulse – stay off the west side, the roads are going to be clogged with dragsters. Second impulse – he said second round, didn't he? Maybe there'll only be a hundred or so.
Then came a sprinkle and they sent them back for a while.
Strolling around (actually rolling around on my three-wheel cart), I was very happy with how the place looked. I can remember Jeff Burk, the editor of Drag Racing Online, saying years ago that sooner or later NHRA was going to have to realize that new paint was only going so far, and the place needed improving.
Jeff, they've made some really good strides.
First order was to cover the whole west side looking for teams I knew. Those I saw and recognized weren't around their trailers for the most part, but it was enjoyable. A lot of "my" old bracket racers are involved in this event. In fact, I have former junior dragsters driving Top Fuel, Comp, Super Stock, and one even running the place.
The driver of my handicapped van for the day was Becky, our daughter-in-law, and she said it was time for a funnel cake after that first lap. I opined that there should be a stand in the Winston Concourse. Then I realized there wasn't any "Winston" anymore, and wondered what they called it. Turned out it was just, "The Concourse." Well, I suppose that works.
I was a little troubled that there weren't more people wandering around. Here it is almost noon on Saturday, which used to be one of the biggest days, and it looked a little like Thursday. I wondered if it was threatening weather or the economy. Then I looked at the schedule and saw that the first nitro session wasn't until 4:00 p.m., and there was another one later in the evening. So Saturday is almost a repeat of Friday, huh?
Sure enough, the crowd started picking up around 1:30.
Just about that time I ran into Antron Brown, who was trying to get back to his pit area and stopping to sign an autograph or take a photo with anyone who asked. Last time I saw him in person, he was still on two wheels. Still a nice guy, said he was glad I was back. I said I was glad he was doing so well in Top Fuel.
Found Ray Skillman's pit area on the east side, just outside the pro pits. Ray is a mega-dealer in Indianapolis, and an old oval racing friend from my American Speed Association days as well as my 15 years helping to run what was then Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Had a good visit, and my principal observation was that Ray is rapidly becoming the Sportsman version of Don Schumacher. Ten total entries. Three in Competition Eliminator, Super Stock, and Stock, and one in Super Gas. Used to have one in Pro Stock Motorcycle, too. Turns out Wesley Wells' help and knowledge is more important on the cars.
I commented on the fact that he had expanded into Comp, and Ray said, "Yeah, we're still crazy."
Well, he's got a good leader in that program in the form of David Rampy.
I suppose it won't be long before you'll see as many cars with "Ray Skillman" on them as we used to see that said "Winnebago."
Antron was really the only big name I talked to, but I didn't try hard. Don't get me wrong, I love the pros, but I REALLY love the Sportsman racers. Maybe that comes from helping oversee the bracket program at this place for all those years, plus the feeling I have for short track weekly racers.
I learned in those 15 years that racers are just racers, and most of them are really good people. I don't care if they go straight, turn left, or turn left and right, it's the people who make this racing thing so much fun.
And I really believe the Sportsman racers have more fun than the pros.
Oh yeah, there was a drag race going on, too.
I was impressed with the new grandstand on the east side. Tried to get to the handicapped seating area near the starting line, but was politely told that general admission tickets used the area in front of that stand down track.
To tell you the truth, I'd much rather watch at about 600 feet than at the starting line. I think you see the race develop better from there. And when the pros are running, there aren't nearly as many photographers in your way. While I was there, I suggested digging a two-foot trench behind the wall for the photographers, just low enough so they could shoot over the wall. Nobody took me seriously, but that wasn't unusual. We watched about 30 pairs go down in the first round of Comp, one of my favorite classes. I got a kick out of explaining the index system to Becky, along with how you could get hit with a CIC adjustment if you went too far under – assuming they haven't really changed it. Glad I didn't have to explain Super Stock and Stock, which amounts to bracket racing where you can dial under, except when two cars in the same class come up and all bets are off – heads up.
Rampy won, Drew Skillman won. Ray red-lighted.
Back out into the crowd to soak up more atmosphere.
On the way out, heard somebody call my name. Turned around, and there stood Janet Kosky. "Mike, get out here!" she yelled. Two old friends from Pennsylvania who I loved to hang out with. Said they were back for the first time in a while.
Like I said, it's the people who make it fun.
Well, the facility looks great, and there have been some good improvements. The only thing that has degenerated to a degree is the road course, but it's still a good road for average travel and walking. Just wouldn't be much for racing, and I don't think NHRA is much concerned about it.
I want to thank Lucas Oil Raceway and NHRA for making an old man feel welcome, and people like Ray Skillman, Wesley Wells, Antron Brown, Mike Lewis, Randy and Jackie Shipp, Randi Lyn Shipp, the Koskys, Paul Powell, Randy Simpson, of course the incomparable Linda Vaughn, and some I'm probably forgetting for making me feel like I was actually remembered.
John Potts is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at john.potts@frontstretch.com.
One of my goals after moving back to Indianapolis from Kentucky was to spend some time at the U.S. Nationals.
After an absence of almost 14 years, I was aching to see old friends, smell the nitromethane, and generally soak up the ambiance.
I managed to obtain a couple of full-event passes, and decided to pass on the experience of a lazy day at the world's biggest drag race to our readers.
If you're expecting a race report, stop right here. If you care about it, you've already seen the results. I was interested in just getting reacquainted with the atmosphere. Sure, ten hours of it was going to be televised, but trust me – it ain't at all like being there.
Got through the gate just in time to hear the call for Super Comp to the lanes for second round. First impulse – stay off the west side, the roads are going to be clogged with dragsters. Second impulse – he said second round, didn't he? Maybe there'll only be a hundred or so.
Then came a sprinkle and they sent them back for a while.
Strolling around (actually rolling around on my three-wheel cart), I was very happy with how the place looked. I can remember Jeff Burk, the editor of Drag Racing Online, saying years ago that sooner or later NHRA was going to have to realize that new paint was only going so far, and the place needed improving.
Jeff, they've made some really good strides.
First order was to cover the whole west side looking for teams I knew. Those I saw and recognized weren't around their trailers for the most part, but it was enjoyable. A lot of "my" old bracket racers are involved in this event. In fact, I have former junior dragsters driving Top Fuel, Comp, Super Stock, and one even running the place.
The driver of my handicapped van for the day was Becky, our daughter-in-law, and she said it was time for a funnel cake after that first lap. I opined that there should be a stand in the Winston Concourse. Then I realized there wasn't any "Winston" anymore, and wondered what they called it. Turned out it was just, "The Concourse." Well, I suppose that works.
I was a little troubled that there weren't more people wandering around. Here it is almost noon on Saturday, which used to be one of the biggest days, and it looked a little like Thursday. I wondered if it was threatening weather or the economy. Then I looked at the schedule and saw that the first nitro session wasn't until 4:00 p.m., and there was another one later in the evening. So Saturday is almost a repeat of Friday, huh?
Sure enough, the crowd started picking up around 1:30.
Just about that time I ran into Antron Brown, who was trying to get back to his pit area and stopping to sign an autograph or take a photo with anyone who asked. Last time I saw him in person, he was still on two wheels. Still a nice guy, said he was glad I was back. I said I was glad he was doing so well in Top Fuel.
Found Ray Skillman's pit area on the east side, just outside the pro pits. Ray is a mega-dealer in Indianapolis, and an old oval racing friend from my American Speed Association days as well as my 15 years helping to run what was then Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Had a good visit, and my principal observation was that Ray is rapidly becoming the Sportsman version of Don Schumacher. Ten total entries. Three in Competition Eliminator, Super Stock, and Stock, and one in Super Gas. Used to have one in Pro Stock Motorcycle, too. Turns out Wesley Wells' help and knowledge is more important on the cars.
I commented on the fact that he had expanded into Comp, and Ray said, "Yeah, we're still crazy."
Well, he's got a good leader in that program in the form of David Rampy.
I suppose it won't be long before you'll see as many cars with "Ray Skillman" on them as we used to see that said "Winnebago."
Antron was really the only big name I talked to, but I didn't try hard. Don't get me wrong, I love the pros, but I REALLY love the Sportsman racers. Maybe that comes from helping oversee the bracket program at this place for all those years, plus the feeling I have for short track weekly racers.
I learned in those 15 years that racers are just racers, and most of them are really good people. I don't care if they go straight, turn left, or turn left and right, it's the people who make this racing thing so much fun.
And I really believe the Sportsman racers have more fun than the pros.
Oh yeah, there was a drag race going on, too.
I was impressed with the new grandstand on the east side. Tried to get to the handicapped seating area near the starting line, but was politely told that general admission tickets used the area in front of that stand down track.
To tell you the truth, I'd much rather watch at about 600 feet than at the starting line. I think you see the race develop better from there. And when the pros are running, there aren't nearly as many photographers in your way. While I was there, I suggested digging a two-foot trench behind the wall for the photographers, just low enough so they could shoot over the wall. Nobody took me seriously, but that wasn't unusual. We watched about 30 pairs go down in the first round of Comp, one of my favorite classes. I got a kick out of explaining the index system to Becky, along with how you could get hit with a CIC adjustment if you went too far under – assuming they haven't really changed it. Glad I didn't have to explain Super Stock and Stock, which amounts to bracket racing where you can dial under, except when two cars in the same class come up and all bets are off – heads up.
Rampy won, Drew Skillman won. Ray red-lighted.
Back out into the crowd to soak up more atmosphere.
On the way out, heard somebody call my name. Turned around, and there stood Janet Kosky. "Mike, get out here!" she yelled. Two old friends from Pennsylvania who I loved to hang out with. Said they were back for the first time in a while.
Like I said, it's the people who make it fun.
Well, the facility looks great, and there have been some good improvements. The only thing that has degenerated to a degree is the road course, but it's still a good road for average travel and walking. Just wouldn't be much for racing, and I don't think NHRA is much concerned about it.
I want to thank Lucas Oil Raceway and NHRA for making an old man feel welcome, and people like Ray Skillman, Wesley Wells, Antron Brown, Mike Lewis, Randy and Jackie Shipp, Randi Lyn Shipp, the Koskys, Paul Powell, Randy Simpson, of course the incomparable Linda Vaughn, and some I'm probably forgetting for making me feel like I was actually remembered.
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 edition of the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports programming. While Kevin Harvick was completely dominating the Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Verizon IndyCar Series came on-air from Auto Club Speedway for their season finale. More on that scheduling a little later. How well did the NBC Sports Network cover the race? Let's dive in.Since Saturday night's MavTV 500 was the last race of the season, NBC Sports Network chose to expand IndyCar Central to a full hour. Content-wise, the move was simply not necessary at tall. The show dragged terribly at times. The real reason why they expanded it was to allow for the sun to go down. As a result, the command to start engines didn't occur until around 10:15 p.m. EDT. That's really late for an East Coast audience just to get to the start of the race. It's part of the reason why I've always been skeptical about West Coast night races.
I'm honestly surprised that Gillian Zucker and everyone at Auto Club Speedway were so receptive to the August 30th date for the race. Labor Day weekend is just not a good time to have a race in Fontana. NASCAR found that out the hard way when they rotated the second date from Rockingham to Fontana in 2004. Temperatures of over 100 degrees are quite common that time of year. Crowds stayed away, eventually forcing a switch to October before the track was cut back down to one race a year. Also, the sun was already known to be an issue as well. Qualifying on Friday was held in 104 degree weather at 1 p.m. local time, for what reason, I couldn't even tell you. Let's face facts, getting people to come out to a race in these conditions is very difficult. It may be dry heat, but it's like being in a furnace. It also should be noted that even with the conditions that the race took place in Saturday, there were hotter races when the Cup Series was in Fontana Labor Day weekend. One year saw temperatures during the race reach 107 degrees.
The sad truth is that by listening to The Boston Group last year, INDYCAR cost themselves what could have eventually become a marquee race. Last year, the MavTV 500 was held in mid-October. That is just about perfect for the Verizon IndyCar Series in the Inland Empire. Temperatures are far more tolerable on average (In mid-October, high temperatures in Fontana are in the 80's, although it can still get over 100 in rare instances). Also, the sun sets earlier, so INDYCAR wouldn't be forced to wait until after 10 p.m. EDT just to start the race. Instead of keeping that setup, they decided to contract the schedule so that it would be over before the NFL season starts, while still insisting that the season end in Fontana. Heck, just the schedule contraction in general irritated me. Also, on a somewhat unrelated note, the same report from The Boston Group suggested the creation of the Indianapolis Grand Prix.
What was the result of the schedule move? Another championship race that barely anyone drove out to go see. Granted, it probably wasn't as sparsely attended as the 2010 finale at Homestead, which reported drew about 3,000 people and got no promotion, but the place looked empty during the race. That's not going to work. With the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule still up in the air, its currently unclear when the race will be run next year. I don't think they're going to dump Auto Club Speedway, but the status quo cannot work.
The focus was clearly on the championship battle between Will Power, Helio Castroneves and tangentially, Simon Pagenaud. However, they should not have led with the championship battle. I'd argue that the crash that Mikhail Aleshin had on Friday night in practice was more important at the moment and should have led the show. As it stands, it was not referenced until 12 minutes in. The replay of the crash was shown a couple of times, then we saw reaction to the crash from three drivers (Scott Dixon, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Charlie Kimball, who just so happened to be in the wreck as well). After that was done, Leigh Diffey updated viewers on Aleshin's condition. The order given above is scrambled up from what it probably should have been. At the bare minimum, Diffey should have talked about Aleshin's condition before cutting to the drivers' quotes.
As you know, the race ended up being nearly caution-free. In a scenario such as that, a TV network must show as much racing for position as they possibly can so that the action doesn't look boring. NBC Sports Network actually did a decent job with it. While there was a good amount of focus given to the championship race, viewers did see a good amount of racing for position. We got "Through the Field" updates on drivers. The event was not focused in on one or two drivers, like it could have been. I did grouse a bit with the constant cuts to Liz Power having a nervous breakdown in the pits during the second half of the race. I'll just come right out with it. I don't care about Liz Power's reactions here. I didn't watch a five-hour telecast to see what she thinks about the on-track action. I want to see that action. Another gripe is that we never really saw what happened to put Carlos Huertas out. There was no follow-up by the pit reporters. The official result sheet says that he pulled out due to "driver illness" after 21 laps. However, Huertas was 16 mph off the pole in qualifying and 10 mph behind Will Power, who qualified 21st. I wouldn't be surprised if INDYCAR parked Huertas. During the livestreamed coverage of qualifying on Friday, IMS Radio play-by-play commentator Paul Page mentioned that Huertas' pace was suspect in qualifying (his first lap on the clock was at under 200 mph for an average). If Huertas didn't pick up the pace, INDYCAR would be within their rights to park him, something that hasn't been done since 2012.
The race going the full 250 laps with only one caution meant that a number of storylines that were integral to the 2013 MavTV 500 didn't play a significant role. The dust that plagued teams last year did not play a role. Teams did have Shop-Vacs on standby just case they were needed, but I don't believe anyone used them. Engines were surprisingly not an issue (that one is a shocker to me, although Graham Rahal did change on prior to the race).
Having Paul Tracy with Townsend Bell in the broadcast booth instead of Wally Dallenbach, Jr. makes for a different type of booth commentary that I admittedly like quite a bit. Both pull in their past experiences as drivers to give viewers a better idea of what the drivers are experiencing. Having said that, neither Tracy or Bell can really commiserate with the current style of racing at Auto Club Speedway. Tracy only raced there during his CART days. Those races were nothing like what goes on today. Bell only raced at Auto Club Speedway once (2004). In 2004, the IndyCar Series treated the then-California Speedway as an intermediate track and required teams to run a second element on the rear wing.
Unlike last years' race, which saw a number of wrecks and mechanical issues that dropped the number of finishers into the single digits, Saturday night's race saw only one caution for a spin. As a result, the race finished way ahead of schedule. As a result, we got nearly a hour of post-race coverage to go with the pre-race coverage. Now, post-race coverage was going to be longer than normal anyway due to the trophy presentation, but I don't think that NBC Sports Network thought they were going to have an hour to fill. During that time, we got interviews with eight drivers (Will Power got multiple interviews, since he's the champion). There were also checks of the unofficial results and final point standings. Then, we had the presentation, complete with selfies (yes, that happened) and interviews with Power's wife and mother on the stage.
Overall, NBC Sports Network did a decent job covering the season finale for the Verizon IndyCar Series. There was good action on the track and a lot of good content coming from the pits. The race having significantly less fireworks as compared to last year likely did affect the actual telecast, but not in a negative fashion. The only aspect of the five-hour telecast that I disliked was the placement of the update on Aleshin's situation in pre-race coverage, mentioned above. As far as I'm concerned, that's a big story involving driver injury and so much more that should trump championship hype for a few minutes. Admittedly, the lack of updates on Aleshin's medical condition is a little frustrating. I'm sure Aleshin has fans both here in North America and back in Europe that want to know if their driver's going to be ok. Schmidt Peterson Motorsports tweeted Tuesday that Aleshin awoke and apparently requested a Venti Raspberry Latte from Starbucks. That's the most recent update. Aleshin did send congrats to Power for winning the championship as well. He admits that he's lucky to be alive after the crash.
I hope you enjoyed this look at the MavTV 500 from Auto Club Speedway. Next week, I will be covering the Bakersfield 150 from Kern County for the K&N West Series. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action in Richmond and Monza.
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: Darrell Wallace, Jr.
"I think it is doing a good job. This sport is really hard. You can't expect to come in here and win right off the bat. It takes a while to get used to it so it is cool to see Daniel (Suarez) get some wins this year. Sergio (Pena) got a win this year so it is steadily bringing in talent and trying to progress them upward so I'd say it is working" - Darrell Wallace, Jr., on the NASCAR Drive for Diversity
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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: Darrell Wallace, Jr.
"I think it is doing a good job. This sport is really hard. You can't expect to come in here and win right off the bat. It takes a while to get used to it so it is cool to see Daniel (Suarez) get some wins this year. Sergio (Pena) got a win this year so it is steadily bringing in talent and trying to progress them upward so I'd say it is working" - Darrell Wallace, Jr., on the NASCAR Drive for Diversity
~~~~~~~~~~
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:
as told to Mike Neff
by Kevin Rutherford
by Beth Lunkenheimer
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. drove to Victory Lane in the 2002 Funai 250 at Richmond while driving a No. 8 Chevrolet with the Looney Tunes character Gossamer (the red hair monster that wears hi-tops) on the hood. However, the race is likely best known for a huge crash for Derrike Cope. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: The 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 is probably best known as the race where Sterling Marlin lost his points lead due to an early crash. Terry Labonte had a very good lap in qualifying to place fifth on the grid, but his race did not last long. What happened?
A: On Lap 16, Labonte ended up on the inside of a three-wide situation on the backstretch with Todd Bodine and Tony Stewart. Bodine and Labonte had contact, resulting in both drivers spinning out. While Bodine simply did a 360, Labonte backed hard into the wall and came to a halt in the middle of the track. The crash can be seen here.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 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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite Frontstretch writers are back to discuss a number of pertinent issues including the recent test of potential rule changes for 2015 at Michigan, Hendrick Motorsports potentially bogarting the entire Chase for themselves, Daniel Suarez's move into the Nationwide Series and more.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.
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 Kelly Crandall
Kelly returns to bring us up-to-date on NASCAR's second-tier series as they return to the track this weekend at Michigan.
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.
-----------------------------
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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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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