Monday, September 08, 2014

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Keselowski Dominates Richmond; Chase Is Set

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 8, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition CLIII
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Today's TV Schedule

Time                                   Telecast                                                                                      Network
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.         NASCAR America                                                                     NBC Sports Network
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.          NASCAR RaceHub                                                                     FOX Sports 1
6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.          The 10: NASCAR's Most Outrageous Moments                         FOX Sports 2#
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.          NASCAR RaceHub                                                                     FOX Sports 2*#

* - Tape Delayed
# - Repeat Coverage
NOTE: NASCAR America expands to one hour, through the Chase beginning with today's broadcast.
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Sprint Cup Race Recap: Keselowski Romps at Richmond, Newman and Biffle Chase Bound
by Justin Tucker

Before the 2014 season began, NASCAR introduced a brand-new 16 driver Chase format that had the potential to create drama and allow some surprises an opportunity to compete for the Sprint Cup Series championship.

Coming into Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 400 at the Richmond International Raceway, there were 17 drivers who were still eligible for a spot in the Chase provided they would have won on Saturday night.  Looking at past history, many believed this year's Richmond Fall race would provide many of the edge of your seat, high drama moments that the track has become famous for.

Someone obviously forgot to give Brad Keselowski the memo.

Keselowski, who started from the pole position, crushed the competition by leading a staggering 383 of 400 laps, including the last 274 circuits to score his series-leading fourth win of 2014.  More importantly, Keselowski also secured the number one seed heading into next week's Chase opener at Chicagoland Speedway.

"What a night," said Keselowski.  "Part of me, I pulled into Victory Lane and I pinched myself once to make sure I wasn't dreaming.  These are nights you don't forget as a driver and you live for.  The Miller Lite Ford Fusion was just flying, and this is I'm couldn't ask for a better way to enter the Chase than to win and take the first seed.  We're ready.  We want to run for another Cup.  We really feel like this team has it."

Kevin Harvick had the only car capable of competing with Keselowski, but that came early in the race as Harvick would lead the other 17 laps on the evening.  However, Harvick and the No. 4 team once again struggled on pit road, leaving Harvick to settle for a fifth-place effort.  Harvick made it clear his team needs to improve on pit road in order to a chance to win the championship.

"It's probably the biggest thing that we have to fix in order to contend for the championship," Harvick said.

Jeff Gordon finished second, Clint Bowyer came up just short of a Chase berth in third, while Jamie McMurray and Harvick rounded out the top-5.  Joey Logano finished sixth, Kurt Busch was seventh, and Jimmie Johnson was eighth.  Ryan Newman clinched a chase spot with a ninth-place finish, and Aric Almirola would round out the top-10.

What the race failed to deliver in drama was made up for with something totally bizarre as a fan, James Richard Dennis, managed to climb to the top of the turn 4 catchfencing, forcing NASCAR to throw the yellow flag. The man was taken into police custody and was charged with being drunk in public and disorderly conduct. The incident drew the ire of Denny Hamlin, who lost two laps due to the bizarre occurrence.

"If he wants to play in traffic, it's his problem," said Hamlin.

Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle managed to stay clean and secure chase berths after finishing ninth and 19th respectively.  Both drivers were relieved and talked about the struggle & pressure of trying to make the chase on points.

"I'll tell you what,'' Biffle said.  "When you're that far off, it's the hardest thing to drive.  It's the toughest thing I've ever had to do in my life.

"At the beginning of the race, we were a lot better than we were at the end.  We kept losing the handle and kept trying to adjust on it.  We weren't getting anywhere.  I just drove all I had ... to bring it home where I did.''

"We've shown a lot of consistency, and I think that can pay off at times with the exception of Homestead,'' Newman said.  "So if we make it that far, we'll hopefully have some improvements and a little bit of everything.

"The guys are doing a good job of having better pit stops. ECR is doing a much better job on the engine side. Everybody has stepped up, and it's time to step up even more now.''

High drama on pit road occurred post race as six time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson nearly collapsed post-race after suffering from dehydration.  Johnson was helped from his car by his No. 48 pit crew and was laid down and tended to with wet towels and fluids.  Johnson was then transferred to the Infield Care Center where he was treated and released 90 minutes later.

"Just got dehydrated in the car," Johnson explained.  "Not exactly sure what led to it; we will have to dig in and see what happened.  I started cramping when I got out of the race car.  Then when I was cramping, I was trying to stand up because I was fine when I sat down then I would stand up, I would get dizzy.  When I would sit back down, I would start to cramp again.  Just really dehydrated.  Ended up with five liters of IV in me.  I was definitely dry."

"No, I haven't been sick," Johnson continued.  "I had a light week of training as well because I had planned on competing in my triathlon tomorrow morning.  Well rested, nutrition and all that was there.  It is really bizarre that I got hit as hard as I did tonight with dehydration.  I will have to dig in and see what happened."

A look at the Federated Auto Parts 400 by the numbers. There were four lead changes among two drivers and four cautions for 27 laps slowed the race pace to 104.702 MPH.

Next week, the Chase for the championship begins at Chicagoland Speedway with the first race under its new format. The MyAFibStory.com 400 goes green at 2:16 p.m. ET next Sunday.

Justin Tucker is a Newsletter Contributor at Frontstretch. To reach Justin, please contact Newsletter Manager Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com
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Chasing the Chase: Gordon Leads At End of Regular Season; Keselowski's Wins Gives Him Lead For Start of Chase
by Phil Allaway

On Saturday night, Jeff Gordon had a great night, spending the whole race inside the top 10 before finishing second to Brad Keselowski.  In the regular points, that run was good enough to extend his lead over teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who finished 12th, to 31 points.  However, with the cutoff, the points reset based upon the number of wins that each driver has earned.  Keselowski's victory on Saturday night meant that he is the only driver at this point of the season to have earned four victories.  As a result, he has sole possession of the points lead over three Hendrick Motorsports teammates.  Even with the new Chase format for 2014, wins are still worth three bonus points at the start of the Chase.

Chase Point Standings: 1) Brad Keselowski 2012, t-2) Jeff Gordon -3, t-2) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -3, t-2) Jimmie Johnson -3, t-2) Joey Logano -3, t-6) Kevin Harvick -6, t-6) Carl Edwards, t-8) Kyle Busch -9, t-8) Denny Hamlin -9, t-8) Kurt Busch -9, t-8) Kasey Kahne -9, t-8) Aric Almirola -9, t-8) AJ Allmendinger -9, t-14) Matt Kenseth -12, t-14) Greg Biffle -12, t-12) Ryan Newman -12.

Regular Point Standings (1-20): 1) Jeff Gordon 9142) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -31, 3) Brad Keselowski -844) Joey Logano -855) Jimmie Johnson -112, 6) Matt Kenseth -1177) Kevin Harvick -1268) Ryan Newman -1329) Carl Edwards -13710) Greg Biffle -16111) Clint Bowyer -16812) Kyle Larson -17713) Kasey Kahne -17914) Jamie McMurray -20815) Paul Menard -21316) Austin Dillon -21617) Kyle Busch - 22718) Brian Vickers -23319) Denny Hamlin -25520) Kurt Busch -263.

Outside of the top 20, but locked into the Chase: 22) Aric Almirola -28623) AJ Allmendinger -303.

Race Winners: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Daytona-1, Pocono-1, Pocono-2), Kevin Harvick (Phoenix, Darlington), Brad Keselowski (Las Vegas, Kentucky, Loudon, Richmond-2), Carl Edwards (Bristol-1, Sonoma), Kyle Busch (Fontana), Kurt Busch (Martinsville), Joey Logano (Texas, Richmond, Bristol-2), Denny Hamlin (Talladega), Jeff Gordon (Kansas, Indianapolis, Michigan-2), Jimmie Johnson (Charlotte, Dover, Michigan-1), Aric Almirola (Daytona-2), AJ Allmendinger (Watkins Glen), Kasey Kahne (Atlanta)

Key:
Green - Locked into the Chase via win(s) or points
Red - Failed to Make the Chase

Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.  Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.

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Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here: Richmond-2 Edition
by Amy Henderson

Are you a fan of a driver from a smaller team? Do you ever see one of these guys on the race results and wonder how he got there? NASCAR's small teams may not get much airtime during the race broadcast, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about. Each week, Amy Henderson takes a peek into how the little guys fared in the race and picks three who stood out.

Underdog Selection No. 1: AJ Allmendinger for JTG-Daugherty Racing; started 23rd, finished 23rd

Allmendinger is in the Chase, and he was the best of the small-team drivers at Richmond as well, though his 23rd-place finish wasn't the finish Allmendinger was hoping for to give him momentum for the Chase. He'll have his work cut out for him in the final ten races, but really, for a team from this group to simply get in is a huge accomplishment.

Underdog Selection No. 2: Reed Sorenson for Tommy Baldwin Racing; started 32nd, finished 24th

This team is looking a lot like Germain Racing a year or so ago—still searching for something most weeks, but showing definite and sustained improvement overall. They've gone from finishing in the mid-30's to having at least one car in the 20'smost of the time, and that's an important step forward. His week, Sorenson had a solid run, gaining eight spots and finishing second among the underdog drivers. Sorenson's teammate Michael Annett has been strong lately as well, but this week Sorenson stole a little of his thunder.

Underdog Selection No. 3: Justin Allgaier for HScott Motorsports; started 27th, finished 28th

Allgaier was third among the small team drivers again this week, but it wasn't his best race; Allgaier finished a spot lower than he started and, like everyone else on this list, generally struggled all night.

Underdog Pick of the Week-Chicago: Casey Mears for Germain Racing

My Richmond pick was also Mears, who qualified at the top of the charts for the small teams in 22rd but fought ahis car all night in the race to finish just 31st. I'm giving Mears a shot at redemption this week, though, on the strength of a top 5, two top 10's, and a pole at Chicagoland Speedway. His average finish is lower than a couple other underdogs, but the overall numbers are in Mears' favor.

Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs? Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during the race broadcasts? Amy has all the small teams covered each and every week in The Big Six. Be sure to check it out to see how your favorites fared!

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Letter of the Race: Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 400 was brought to you by the Letter R for "Runaway."  While a lot of fans may not want to admit it, races at Richmond International Raceway since the last repave have been known to have a completely dominant driver controlling the proceedings.  We got that in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races last weekend. - Phil Allaway

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Sidebar Stories: Richmond
by Phil Allaway

Drunk Race Fan Interrupts Race

Sadly, one of the biggest stories that happened Saturday night had absolutely nothing to do with the on-track action.  With around 75 laps to go, James Richard Dennis scaled the catchfence in Turn 4 and sat on top of the overhang.  It is officially unclear why Dennis chose to do it, although Dennis did appear inebriated.

Video from a spectator in the stands shows Dennis raising both arms to the crowd from atop the fence as Henrico County Sheriff's deputies are shouting for him to come down.  Eventually, the deputies talked the 42-year-old down right as NASCAR threw the caution.  Dennis climbed down under his own power before being detained, then arrested by local authorities.

Dennis has been charged with being drunk in public and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.  In Virginia, disorderly conduct is considered a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of $2,500, or both.  The public intoxication charge would result in a fine of up to $250, but only if it is a first offense for Dennis. If Dennis has previous drug and/or alcohol crimes on his record, then a penalty equal to the disorderly conduct charge could be levied.

Johnson Treated For Dehydration Following Race

This past weekend at Richmond International Raceway was quite hot and humid.  Daytime temperatures, when it was not raining, generally ended up in the 90s.  Humidity was also quite high, creating uncomfortable dewpoints.  Under normal circumstances, Sprint Cup racecars are quite warm and drivers lose a significant amount of weight during events.  Saturday night's race was that little bit tougher than normal.

Following the finish of Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 400, Jimmie Johnson exited his racecar and immediately began cramping up and showing signs of dizziness.  After attempting to lay down to soothe the symptoms with no success, Johnson was taken to the Infield Care Center for treatment.  There, Johnson received five liters of fluids via IV and rested for approximately 90 minutes before being released.

Afterwards, Johnson addressed the gathered media on his situation.

"Just got dehydrated in the car," Johnson explained.  "Not exactly sure what led to it; we will have to dig in and see what happened.  I started cramping when I got out of the race car.  Then when I was cramping, I was trying to stand up because I was fine when I sat down then I would stand up, I would get dizzy.  When I would sit back down, I would start to cramp again.  Just really dehydrated.  Ended up with five liters of IV in me.  I was definitely dry."

Johnson is no slouch when it comes to endurance.  The six-time champion is known to do 20-mile runs as part of his training.  He also competes in triahlons.  In face, Johnson was scheduled to compete in a triathlon on Sunday.  Johnson had been prepping his body for that triathlon in addition to Saturday night's race.  However, the dehydration cancelled those plans.

Quotes to Remember: Federated Auto Parts 400
compiled by Phil Allaway

"What a night. Part of me, when I pulled into Victory Lane I pinched myself once to make sure I wasn't dreaming. These are nights you don't forget as a driver and you live for. The Miller Lite Ford Fusion was just flying. I couldn't ask for a better way to enter the Chase than to come in with a win and take the first seed and we're ready. We want to run for another Cup. We really feel like this team has it. Team Penske is really clicking. Four hundredth win for Team Penske and I just feel so lucky to have such an incredible team and car like we did tonight, and to be able to execute and not have any bad luck. We've had plenty of bad luck over the last few weeks, but, wow, what a night." - Brad Keselowski, race winner

"Had a really good night; had a really fast car. The team did a good job; our pit crew did an amazing job gaining of maintaining what we had. I thought at times there was a chance we could maybe get up there and contend for the win. But after the third or fourth stop, we just couldn't make the car any better. We got to the best we could be which was third or fourth place car."- Jamie McMurray, finished fourth

"It's really special. We've got an opportunity to do that, so I'm really excited about it. But we don't want to be just happy to be in the Chase. We want to go and execute for the next 10 weeks and we're gonna have to be flawless, we know that for the next 10 weeks to have a shot, but we're up to the challenge. We got two good weeks under our belt with Top-10 finishes and going into the Chase with a lot of momentum, I feel like. I don't feel like we have a lot of pressure. I think we're major underdogs, so we're gonna let it all hang out for these next 10 weeks and see what happens." - Aric Almirola, finished tenth

"Yes, I am only thinking about the last race. I wasn't really happy with our performance tonight, but it wasn't too awful, but it was just real frustrating to see all those guys in front of me struggling late in the race, and not be able to do anything. Our car was struggling as well. I was struggling. that was kind of frustrating. We've had an awesome year, and we are going to take this entire week building up to Chicago and the first Chase race to really prepare ourselves mentally. Steve (Letarte. crew chief) has a lot invested, and I do to, so does the whole team. Everybody is very focused and ready to go. We're going to get together this week and make sure everybody knows what is their job, and who is going to lead us on into Chicago. Hopefully we can have a good result there, and start it off nice there. Last year we got in a hole really quick with engine trouble and all that. We just want to go up there and have a real strong run, and come out of there real comfortable." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished 12th

"It's tough, but we all have to get better as a company and where that comes from we don't know. If we could have figured that out a while ago, trust me we'd be running better. The guys are working hard -- I can't say enough about my guys , all the 20 (Matt Kenseth) team, the 11 (Denny Hamlin) team -- they're all putting in the hours and doing everything they can it's just we're not reaping the benefits of that yet. There's still 10 more weeks to go and maybe we will." - Kyle Busch, finished 14th

"I drove so hard and we just missed the setup. It was clear that our whole company did – Carl, Ricky and myself were way off tonight, which is frustrating because five Top-10s in a row put us in this position, but tonight was not pretty. I drove as hard as I could and it was enough to get us in. I knew I needed to be in the Top 20 and, like I said, it was all I could do." - Greg Biffle, finished 19th

"First of all, congrats to Ford for having five Fords in the Chase. That was an awesome run by Brad and those guys. I know Greg and he said that was the toughest thing he's ever done and I'm telling you it had to be because we were struggling. We just missed the setup. A year ago we won this race with our Kellogg's Ford and we went on to finish last in the Chase. Hopefully, tonight's poor performance will bode well for the final 10 races. We'd love to get our Fastenal Ford to Victory Lane at Homestead. We tested at Chicago. We feel like we've got something that could be good and hopefully it is." - Carl Edwards, finished 22nd

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Thinkin' Out Loud: Richmond - The Chase is Set, Brad Keselowski Dominates and a Drunk on a Fence
by Mike Neff

Pace Laps: Congenial Richmond, KyBu Nationwide, Other Stuff
by the Frontstretch Staff
by Aaron Creed

From the weekend:

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:
  The inaugural Hills Bros. 300 at Chicagoland Speedway is best known for Jimmie Johnson earning his one and only Nationwide Series win.  For Cup regular Steve Park, the day was over before it really got going.  What happened?

Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Friday's Answer:
 
Q:  In the 2008 SunTrust Indy Challenge, Conquest Racing's Jaime Camara came from the back of the field to 12th, then took advantage of pit strategy to lead 44 laps.  Camara was having a career night at the short track, but it ended early.  What put him out?

A:  Camara was running in third with 84 laps to go when he simply lost control all by himself exiting Turn 4 and backed into the outside wall.  The crash can be seen here.

Camara was out on the spot.  However, due to the attrition that had already occurred in the event, Camara was still credited with a 14th-place finish.  The Richmond race is tied with Mid-Ohio for Camara's best Verizon IndyCar Series finish.  He has not raced in the series since the end of 2008.

Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take 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 triviaanswers@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!

Coming Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Ashley McCubbin
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: Federated Auto Parts 400 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
 
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Five Points To Ponder by Danny Peters
Danny is back with his usual look at five storylines to follow this week after Richmond.

Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Richmond-Chicagoland Edition by Brad Morgan
We'll take a look at which drivers are looking good as the series shifts into Chase mode.

Racing to the Point by Brett Poirier
Brett returns with another interesting commentary that'll make you think. This week, it's about who can win the Chase title and why... with a little humor involved.

Voices From The Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Jeff returns with his typical blend of sarcastic humor tilted towards one of NASCAR's controversial issues.

Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
The Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series were both in action at Richmond International Raceway last weekend.  How were these two races covered by ESPN?  Check out our weekly TV critique to find out.
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