THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Sept. 10, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition CLV
~~~~~~~~~~
What to Watch: Wednesday
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Sept. 10, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition CLV
~~~~~~~~~~
What to Watch: Wednesday
- Today, the Chase Media Tour continues. NASCAR is sending the Chasers all over the continent to promote the Chase For The Sprint Cup at all ten venues, five other major cities, and ESPN Headquarters. Here is the master list of places that drivers have been sent to.
Los Angeles: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Mexico City: Carl Edwards
San Antonio: Kurt Busch
Toronto: Jeff Gordon
New York: Jimmie Johnson
ESPN Car Wash: Kevin Harvick
Chicagoland Speedway: Kyle Busch
New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Kasey Kahne
Dover International Speedway: Greg Biffle
Kansas Speedway: AJ Allmendinger
Kansas Speedway: AJ Allmendinger
Charlotte Motor Speedway: Brad Keselowski
Talladega Superspeedway: Joey Logano
Martinsville Speedway: Ryan Newman
Texas Motor Speedway: Matt Kenseth
Phoenix International Raceway: Denny Hamlin
Homestead-Miami Speedway: Aric Almirola
Harvick is doing the ESPN Car Wash, which entails spending an entire day at ESPN Headquarters doing interviews and other activities for multiple outlets. Harvick was live on SportsCenter this morning, between 9:35 a.m. and 9:55 a.m. in the new Digital Center 2. There will be one more interview today, outside with a Budweiser No. 4, airing from 1:35 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. ESPN analyst Ricky Craven will also be on the show to help preview the Chase. In addition, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon are set to appear on SportsCenter via satellite at 2:40 p.m. and 5:40 p.m., respectively Unlike Harvick's appearances, Busch and Gordon's will air on ESPNEWS. Nicole Briscoe will be anchoring SportsCenter and conducting these interviews.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., meanwhile is a guest on tonight's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC. In the Eastern Time Zone, the show starts at 11:35 p.m. Check your local listings for the start time in your market.
Jimmie Johnson has a number of scheduled appearances in New York. He's already appeared on NBC's Today Show and Live With Kelly and Michael. Later today, Johnson is scheduled to appear on CNBC's Power Lunch at 1:30 p.m. before capping off an incredibly busy day by being a guest on tonight's episode of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon at 11:30 p.m.
Today's TV Listings
Time Telecast Network~~~~~~~~~~
Top News
by Ashley McCubbin
Stewart-Haas Racing Swaps No. 4 and No. 14 Pit Crews
Stewart-Haas Racing announced Tuesday that it has swapped the Nos. 4 and 14 pit crews, effective immediately, beginning with the first race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. Kevin Harvick, who's made the Chase in the No. 4 car now gets a new crew for the final ten races. For most of the season, Harvick has lost spots on pit road, causing public tension as potential victories have slipped away due to bad track position. Following the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway two weeks ago, Harvick criticized his pit crew after they lost the race off pit road each time to either Joe Gibbs Racing's Matt Kenseth or Denny Hamlin. Read more at Frontstretch.
Parker Kligerman to Test Indy Lights for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Tuesday, Parker Kligerman announced that he will test an Indy Lights car for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports during the Mazda Road to Indy "Chris Griffis Memorial Test" this weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kligerman had his sights set on running the full Sprint Cup Series schedule this season; however, he was left without a ride eight races in when his team, Swan Racing, shut its doors due to lack of funding. Since then, Kligerman has been searching for a ride, in any form of motorsports and may have found a home in open wheel... Read more.
Tweaker Energy Shots to Sponsor Mike Bliss at Chicagoland
TriStar Motorsports announced that Tweaker Energy Shots will sponsor Mike Bliss' No. 19 Camry in this weekend's NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Chicagoland Speedway. It marks the second time this season that Tweaker Energy Shots has sponsored Bliss. Read more.
Rheem Motorsports Says Ron Hornaday Had Funding
As the ongoing battle within Steve Turner, Harry Scott, Jr. and Turner Scott Motorsports continues, a new twist has been added to the puzzle. TSM announced last week that they had shut down the No. 30 truck team, driven by Ron Hornaday, Jr. due to lack of funding. However, Rheem Motorsports Managing Director Ed Raniszeski told SiriusXM Speedway that he was stunned to hear of the team closing. Read more.
Have news for Ashley and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip. And be sure to visit the website for more news, delivered 24/7!
~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Hold My Beer...
Professor of Speed
by Mark Howell
Everything happens for a reason, or so they say….
But then how does that explain the behavior of a fan at Richmond last Saturday night who climbed to the top of the catchfence near turn 4 and put not only his own safety, but the safety of Sprint Cup drivers circling the track below, at risk in what could have become tragic circumstances?
Maybe the tragedy already occurred. Maybe the man's actions were motivated by the quality of the competition he paid to see.
Consider the facts as we know them. Friday's running of the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 in the Nationwide Series was yet another edition of "The Kyle Busch Show." Busch led all 250 laps in a thrashing of the field. File this race under "Ho Hum"…
Then, on Saturday night, Brad Keselowski dominated the Federated Auto Parts 400 in the Sprint Cup Series. "Bad Brad" kept the Blue Deuce atop the field for 383 of the 400 circuits, swapping the front spot four times with one other driver (Kevin Harvick). Given Kyle Busch's performance on Friday, Brad Keselowski's run the following night looked positively competitive – another car actually took the lead a whole two times!
No wonder James Dennis climbed the fence with about seventy laps to go…
Not to say that Dennis the Menace didn't have a little liquid courage to spur him on. Most spectator misbehavior begins with the popping of a top; it's not too long before a "Hey, y'all; watch this!" moment ensues. I don't mean to rain on Mr. Dennis' alcohol-soaked parade at Richmond, but the only thing he did right was to pull his stunt at a track where most folks along the frontstretch could see his ascent to NASCAR folklore.
NASCAR Nation is loaded with fans (pardon the pun) who lack better judgment when 1) they're seated near a cooler of beer and 2) watching a race that's so boring getting smashed is actually a positive alternative. Who wants to recollect a dull weekend at the track when you can relive drunken exploits through hilarious stories told by your family and friends?
As a native of northeastern Pennsylvania, I've spent most of my racing life around Pocono Raceway. Given that Pocono has been vilified in recent years for hosting dull events – so much so that Cup races there have been shortened by 40 laps – it should be no surprise that fans at the "Tricky Triangle" have been known to get a tad loose (in the non-racing vernacular). While that doesn't say much about the current quality of racing in NASCAR, it does say a lot about how "mainstream" society regards NASCAR fans.
Many longtime citizens of NASCAR Nation will remember the fan who jumped the fence at Pocono back in 1993 and ran onto the track surface in front of Davey Allison and Kyle Petty. After dodging Winston Cup cars traveling 160 miles per hour, the man – Pennsylvania native Chad Kohl – ran and hid in a nearby swamp until arrested by police.
Kohl told police, according to several newspaper reports, that he overindulged on Coors Light before jumping the fence and getting up close and personal to the action. Hey, maybe it was the media attention Kohl received that inspired the brand to sponsor Sterling Marlin about a decade later...
Then, there was the woman who removed all of her clothing in order to meet Dale Earnhardt Sr. It was 1996, and I was shooting photos at Pocono for my 1997 book about NASCAR. Guys in the media lounge were laughing about this woman who staggered up to the fence near the garage area and started talking to a man in a GM Goodwrench crew shirt. The woman was a huge Earnhardt fan and she was willing to "do anything" to meet her favorite driver.
After assessing the situation, the man in the Goodwrench shirt made her a deal: if she removed all of her clothes right there, he'd take her to meet the Intimidator. The woman drunkenly complied, but never got to meet her hero. It turned out the man in the Goodwrench shirt only changed oil at a GM Goodwrench service center; he wasn't on Earnhardt's pit crew, but his work shirt sure looked a lot like the ones the No. 3 team wore. Another less than shining moment for NASCAR Nation...
Over the decades, I've seen shirtless fans wearing hollowed-out watermelons over their heads like masks, and I've seen impromptu mud bog races in infields that needed police intervention to stop the show. My mother and father were flipped off by a little boy at Atlanta back in the late 1980s, and I watched (in 2002) as a grade school-aged boy strolled with his parents through a Las Vegas casino at 11 p.m. – the boy dressed from head to toe in Viagra race team apparel.
Hence the way people tend to respond to NASCAR. Poor television ratings and decreased attendance aside, stories like that of James Dennis at Richmond last weekend make mainstream acceptance of our sport even harder to achieve. There's a stereotype of NASCAR fans that is difficult to overcome whenever a spectator goes and does something stupid in front of the media. Toss in today's smartphone society, and now everyone's a reporter capable of filming bad behavior, then posting it almost immediately for all who are interested to see.
Not that NASCAR corners the market on fans behaving badly, but it seems like drunkenness matches drafting whenever the sport pitches its tent. If NASCAR wants to regain the prominence it enjoyed during its glory days of the 1990s, it can start by paying closer attention to the fans in the stands.
Or maybe NASCAR can start by giving fans more to watch once the green flag drops…
Dr. Mark Howell is a contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at mark.howell@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Have a keen eye for racing news and want to show off your chops in front of an international audience? Frontstretch is looking for news writers to join our staff! We're looking for writers who can help us break and report on news from inside the racing community, from fielding press releases to going out and getting the story yourself. Interested applicants should email frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com with your name, contact info and three audition pieces -- two news stories taken from the day's breaking stories and one column/commentary piece. Please email Frontstretch with any questions.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tweet 'N' Greet
by Allen Bedgood
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Allen Bedgood will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
@TheDalyPlanet (John Daly): I still think "Chase For The Golden Modem" would be perfect. #NASCAR @XFINITYSports
@Brendan62 (Brendan Gaughan): Ummm... Hey @JEarnhardt1, how's the bumper boats going? @RIRInsider http://instagram.com/p/si8ynNo8DP/
@J_Allgaier (Justin Allgaier): THIS is the only thing that makes weekends @ashleyallgaier and Harper don't travel with me bearable!… http://instagram.com/p/si-bBzoRTm/
@miguelpaludo: I miss racing, travel, national anthem, green flags, cautions, @NASCAR in general, but I'm grateful for my family and my life. 😉
@BradParrott: For all the tire changers that go over the wall each week. Remember you can't do it without someone putting a tire on for you #teamwinsraces
@catchfence: Nickelodeon teams up with NFL, MLS and NASCAR for NickSports -- New Primetime Sports-Themed Block http://bit.ly/1Bbkho1 #NASCAR #NNS
@bobpockrass: Scuderia Ferrari will supply Haas F1 Team with power unit, gearbox and overall technical support when Haas team debuts in 2016. #nascar
@DaleJr: "That box you ordered came today." #MmmmBeer pic.twitter.com/CHxEa9bstJ
@JennaFryer: Newest member of the sticker collecting club. @kaseykahne pic.twitter.com/WaHSahtF9g
@Riceman61 (Doug Rice): Am I the only one that loves watching storms come in off the ocean? pic.twitter.com/fOHvVi9A7M
@BubbaWallace (Darrell Wallace, Jr.): I'm the one to read instructions later... but I thought it was simple. Win you're in.. Lose you're out. Points do still matter?? #imlost
@tomjensen100: My view for the long night ahead pic.twitter.com/HQsKBHmqrU
@TrentCherry: This is why you race! pic.twitter.com/bCE5VfbiBZ
@Drive2EndHunger: Last day of meal packing! 6,600 on first shift! #Ideasat50 pic.twitter.com/97FiRP8sda
@nascarcasm: Say what you will - this guy's #RIRselfie will totally kick ass. #nascar #richmond pic.twitter.com/UKyWT8dMeE
@jaywpennell: Updated with driver reaction: Fan causes caution by climbing fence at @RIRInsider http://bit.ly/1wcWHo7 #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/CobUcmYXUe
@Jeff_Gluck: Fence climber charged w/being drunk in public and disorderly conduct. Track says it will review security measures. #NASCAR
@ReedSorenson36: Proud of all my @TBR_Racing guys. What a solid night no mistakes and we had a good car! @toddparott @SGolembeski @Doug_Campbell36
@SamanthaBusch: Guys leaving track saying how Kyle sucks looking 4 a ride w/o knowing it's us. Kyle out window - "If I didn't suck so much, I'd give u a ride"
@JoeyLogano: It's go time for this 22 team and we are ready. Let's do this! #MyChaseNation #NASCAR
@roushfenway: Chase bound! #DR1VEN #NASCAR instagram.com/p/sob8fRCFUp/
@FedEx: The #FedEx11 and @dennyhamlin are Chase bound! #DennyNation pic.twitter.com/dwgOUrRQlL
@BobPockrass: Jimmie Johnson treated for dehydration after Richmond race. He calls cramping "bizarre" for him: http://dlvr.it/6qwSxX #nascar
@racinwithjason (Jason Remillard): So @donovanjmcnabb, Now that @JimmieJohnson has fainted after a race, can you say #NASCAR drivers are athletes? You used to puke in games.
@JimmieJohnson: Thanks for all of the messages. I'm feeling much better thanks to the great staff in the Infield Care Center.
@KyleLarsonRacin: Had a lot of fun racing you at the end tonight @aric_almirola we were both sliding around a bunch!
@jeff_gluck: Quiet Track, Richmond. #NASCAR http://instagram.com/p/sogqThNXgl/
@MattWeaver_SBN: It's playoff time. The Grid has been set. Onwards to Chicago. pic.twitter.com/MUPhvg79Ox
@mw55 (Michael Waltrip): I'm happy where I am, surrounded by great people. Life is good. Thanks for giving it all you got every weekend @MWRteam
@Spotter_Tab (Tab Boyd): One of the many reasons I like Saturday night races... I get to cook bacon on Sunday morning! Mmmmmmmm pic.twitter.com/okPs8UIcG9
@DaleJr: #GameDay kicks. #HTTR pic.twitter.com/M8fDqZ8YSB
@benrhodes: What to do after winning the #KNEastChampionship.......... Pre-Cal homework.
@DanicaPatrick: Goooooo bears! http://t.co/vvW8fmc6VP
@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): One of my favorite parts of winning - being on twitter afterwards and seeing unsolicited pics of how #2crew fans celebrated. 😄😊😂😅
@ClintBowyer: Insult to injury!!! Got home to watch football today, lightning struck chimney, blew rock everywhere. Smoked all my TVs and electronics.
@ClintBowyer: pic.twitter.com/5aglt7Glow
@keselowski: Takes NASCAR fan survey, recommends @KyleBusch It is a Monday...
@ryanellisracing: Finally got that blue check mark! #verified pic.twitter.com/qoBD0kWt4E
@pkligerman: Was a good effort @Giants ... We can tidy some things up and set a better tone for the rest of the year... Good days ahead! #GoGiants
@EliGoldBama: Here I am breaking in Dink Cook's new custom bass. Maybe I'll be invited to join Toby Keith's Easy Money Band pic.twitter.com/oYzgVQa4Tu
@PPistone: There are few sportscasters that make me think twice about watching an event but I have to say Chris Berman is on that list
@austindillon3: Yahoo please help me I need stat corrections if not my life is over I lost to my girlfriend the first week in #FF pic.twitter.com/ffpbdiROlI
@landoncassill: I may not look like #CarlEdwards with my shirt off, but @snapfitness is getting me there. Here's my #NASCAR workout. http://y2u.be/utXX91i-B7c
@EmilyKozel: Hats off to @CGRTeams, the #SoundGarage was a phenomenal event and a very creative idea. Hope to experience it again next year! #NASCAR
@epaigewhite: Watching @keselowski play Madden 15 and yelling to the TV "omg you're embarrassing me!!" "Dude you're terrible you missed it by 20 yds!"
@TonyOldMan10 (Tony Gibson): Good morning from Homestead FLA, time to do a little testing pic.twitter.com/ZwwrDJguhb
@JennaFryer: Parker Kligerman to test an Indy Lights car for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports during Mazda Road to Indy test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
@GermainRacing: On Tuesdays, well, Fridays seem very far away. pic.twitter.com/iBsyk9SGar
@RyanJNewman: Giving the girls their first bow lesson! pic.twitter.com/MYdRM6d0B1
@bobpockrass: Johnson said today they found that warm air was blowing into his helmet Saturday night.
@bobpockrass: The 48 team was using a newer cool-air system for Johnson's helmet and will go back to the one it used to use.
@JebBurtonRacing: At a Terminal in Chicago with @estesexpress Employees! pic.twitter.com/EobnVI2W19
@3widemiddle (Chris Lambert): @MikeCWheeler proved he's Cup CC ready, @Spdrmky11 is still one of the best car chiefs in the biz, and Beckman is a jack of all trades.
@3widemiddle: But it's Chase time and we are stronger w/our WHOLE team together! Welcome back @dariangrubb & car chief Wesley Sherrill. Let's do this!
Allen Bedgood is a photographer and newsletter contributor for Frontstretch. He can be reached via email at allen.bedgood@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter @AllenBedgood.
~~~~~~~~~~
GOT A NASCAR QUESTION OR COMMENT? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
That's right; our Fan Q & A column is back once again in 2014. Send your question Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print on Wednesday when she does her weekly column. It's all part of our daily mission to give back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat!
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Did You Notice? … NASCAR Racing Against Its Roots
by Tom Bowles
Jimmie Johnson Is Human? Who Knew!
by Summer Bedgood
Voices From The Cheap Sets: Chase Begins Countdown to the End
by Jeff Meyer
NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Richmond
compiled by Mike Mehedin
2014 IndyCar Driver Reviews
by Matt Stallknecht, P. Huston Ladner and Staff
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA
Q: In 2002, Kevin Harvick won the Tropicana 400 for his second straight win on the then-new 1.5-mile tri-oval. However, it was not easy as part of Harvick's day was spent facing the wrong way. What happened?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: The inaugural Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway marked the beginning of the end of Mike Skinner's tenure in the No. 31, driving for Richard Childress Racing through no fault of his own. What happened?
A: Skinner was running fourth early in the race when he blew a right front tire entering turn 1. Skinner's Lowe's Chevrolet went hard into the outside wall and rode the wall with flames coming out from under the hood before the car came to rest. The crash can be seen here.
Skinner had crashed on Friday and was already sore from that crash, and according to Richard Childress, the wreck mentioned above knocked him out briefly. Skinner was also complaining of issues with his neck and legs, needing multiple safety crew members to support his walk to the ambulance from his stricken car. Skinner sat out the next four weeks to mend from his injuries while Robby Gordon subbed and had the pace to win at Watkins Glen before the telemetry box burst into flames and put him out. Once returning, Skinner only lasted five more races before he was canned in favor of Gordon.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to triviaanswer@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Phil Allaway
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Potts' Shots by John Potts
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Voice of Vito by Vito Pugliese
Vito returns to the website this week with his unique views on everything racing. This week, Vito investigate the Stewart-Haas Racing crew swap and how it might play out both internally and throughout the Chase.
Going by the Numbers by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin returns with a look at the statistical side of NASCAR.
Tech Talk by Mike Neff
Mike is back with your look at the technical side of NASCAR. This week, Jason Ratcliff checks in en route to Chicagoland Speedway for the first race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Fantasy Insider by Jeff Wolfe
Jeff is back with your look at the best bets to fill your fantasy roster. This week, he sets you up for success as we head into Chicagoland.
Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth returns with your weekly look at the state of the Camping World Truck Series. This week, Beth takes a closer look at comments from Rheem Motorsports Managing Director Ed Raniszeski and how it pertains to the ongoing Turner Scott Motorsports saga.
~~~~~~~~~~
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
--
Feel free to forward this newsletter if you have any friends who loves
NASCAR and great NASCAR commentary. They can subscribe to the Frontstetch by visiting http://www.frontstretch.com/notice/9557/.
If you want to stop your Frontstretch Newsletter subscription, we're sorry
to see you go. Just send an email to
TheFrontstretch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com from the address that you
recieve the Frontstretch Newsletter.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Frontstretch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to thefrontstretch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
No comments:
Post a Comment