Friday, October 24, 2014

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Martinsville Race Weekend Underway

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Oct. 24, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition CLXXXVII

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What to Watch: Friday
- On-track action begins at Martinsville Speedway. The Sprint Cup Series will have a single practice session from 12 - 1:20 p.m. ET in preparation for qualifying for Sunday's Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 at 4:40 p.m. ET.

- The Camping World Truck Series has two practice sessions scheduled. The first will run from 1:40 - 2:30 p.m. ET, while the second session will run prior to Cup qualifying from 3 - 4:25 p.m. ET.

FRONTSTRETCH AT THE TRACK:
Writer on-site: Amy Henderson
Twitter feeds to follow: @Frontstretch, @Writer_Amy

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Weekend TV Schedule
compiled by Phil Allaway

Friday, October 24

Time                                           Telecast                                                                                    Network
NOW - 1:30 p.m.                     Sprint Cup Series Practice No. 1                                              FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m - 2:30 p.m.                Camping World Truck Series Practice No.  1                           FOX Sports 1
2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.               NASCAR Live                                                                          FOX Sports 1
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.               Camping World Truck Series Happy Hour                              FOX Sports 1
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.               Sprint Cup Series Qualifying                                                   FOX Sports 1

Saturday, October 25

Time                                            Telecast                                                                                    Network
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.              Sprint Cup Series Practice No. 2                                               FOX Sports 1
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.            Camping World Truck Series Qualifying                                    FOX Sports 1
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.            NASCAR Live                                                                            FOX Sports 1
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.              Sprint Cup Series Happy Hour                                                  FOX Sports 1
1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.                NCWTS Setup                                                                           FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.                Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200                                  FOX Sports 1

Sunday, October 26

Time                                            Telecast                                                                                   Network
3:00 a.m. - 5:00 a.m.                motoGP World Championship Grand Prix of Malaysia             FOX Sports 1
9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.                The 10: NASCAR's Most Outrageous Moments                       FOX Sports 1#
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.              NASCAR RaceHub Special                                                      FOX Sports 1#
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.            NASCAR RaceDay                                                                   FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.              Moto3: Malaysia                                                                       FOX Sports 1*
1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.                NASCAR Countdown                                                               ESPN
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.                Moto2: Malaysia                                                                       FOX Sports 1*
1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.                Sprint Cup Series Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500           ESPN
4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.                Formula DRIFT: Showdown, Part No. 1                                  NBC Sports Network*/ (from September 12)
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.                Monster Energy Cup: Las Vegas                                            FOX*/# (from October 18)
8:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.                NASCAR Victory Lane                                                            FOX Sports 1*

DVR Theater (Late Sunday night/Early Monday morning)
12:30 a.m. - 2:30 a.m.             Sprint Cup Series Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500            ESPN2*/# (from October 26)
3:00 a.m. - 4:00 a.m.               FIA World Endurance Championship Six Hours of Fuji           FOX Sports 1*/ (from October 12)
4:00 a.m. - 5:00 a.m.               Moto2: Malaysia                                                                      FOX Sports 1*# (from October 26)
5:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m.               motoGP World Championship Grand Prix of Malaysia           FOX Sports 1*/# (from October 26)

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Top News
by Beth Lunkenheimer

Texas Motor Speedway, Levy Restaurants Unveil Hawg Heaven Bacon Nachos

Thursday, Texas Motor Speedway and Levy Restaurants teamed up to unveil a new, bacon-infused product that will be featured during the AAA Texas 500 weekend at the 1.5-mile oval. According to the release on the speedway's website, Hawg Heaven Bacon Nachos feature four forms of bacon all in one dish: white nacho bacon cheese sauce, chunks of hickory smoked bacon, candied bacon and bacon powder. Read more.

Brendan Gaughan, Richard Childress Racing Renew For 2015

Richard Childress Racing and South Point Hotel & Casino announced they have renewed their partnerships with Brendan Gaughan for the 2015 XFINITY Series season. 2014 marked Gaughan's return to the Nationwide Series full-time after spending a year in the Truck Series, and he's been successful, scoring two victories for the team. The partnership between RCR and South Point began in 2012 through a combined, part-time effort in the Nationwide and Truck series. Read more.

Junior Johnson Honorary Pace Car Driver at Martinsville

Martinsville Speedway announced Thursday that Junior Johnson once again will be directly involved in the race festivities. The two-time winner at the paperclip will serve as honorary pace car driver for Sunday's Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500. Read more.

Austin Hill To Attempt Martinsville Truck Series Debut

Ricky Benton Racing Enterprises announced early Thursday morning that K&N Pro Series East driver Austin Hill will attempt to make his Camping World Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. Hill, who won twice this season in K&N, is set to pilot the No. 92 BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors / Goodyear FleetHQ / A&D Welding / Wynn's Ford for Saturday's Kroger 200. Read more.

Have news for Beth and Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.

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Frontstretch Folio: Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500
by Brad Morgan

The Sprint Cup Series travels back to Martinsville Speedway for the 33rd race of the 2014 season on Sunday, Oct. 26. Television coverage of the Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN; your local Motor Racing Network (MRN) affiliate or SiriusXM Channel 90 will have the radio broadcast. Drivers will compete for at least 500 laps (263 miles) before the checkered flag waves.

Records and Facts

Kurt Busch fended off Brad Keselowski's attempt at retaliation and then beat Jimmie Johnson to the checkered flag for his only victory of the season in March.

Danica Patrick is the only female to compete in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Martinsville.

Drivers have won Cup races at Martinsville from the pole on 21 occasions; that's more than any other starting spot over 131 events.

Track Facts

Track Length:
0.526-mile paperclip-shaped oval
Pit Road Speed: 30 mph
Degree of Banking: 12 degrees
Frontstretch: 800 ft., 0 degrees of banking
Backstretch: 800 ft., 0 degrees of banking
Grandstand Seating: 61,000
Website: https://www.martinsvillespeedway.com/?homepage=true
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MartinsvilleSpeedway
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MartinsvilleSwy

Pre-race Schedule

Practices:
Friday, October 24, 12:00 - 1:20 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
Saturday, October 25, 9:00 - 9:50 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
Happy Hour: Saturday, October 25, 12:00 – 12:50 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
Qualifying: Friday, October 24 at 4:40 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1

VIPs

Grand Marshal / Command:
Richard Petty
Honorary Pace Car Driver: Junior Johnson
Honorary Starter / Wave Green Flag: Mixed Martial Arts star Miesha Tate
National Anthem: University of North Carolina Marching Tar Heels
Flyover: Warbirds Flyover Team

Race Day Forecast

Sunday:
Clear
High: 75
Low: 45

They Said It:

"Somebody asked me 'isn't it great to not be involved in all the drama?', but that can change in one lap at Martinsville. That place can get pretty rough. We'll just go there and do what we do and try to do the best we can." - Carl Edwards

"This is obviously our best track left in the Chase and it's going to be a key part of whether we are part of the championship picture at Homestead or not. So, I think that this is a pivotal weekend for us. If we don't get a win, we've got to get a top-5 finish to give ourselves a chance." - Denny Hamlin

"Martinsville Speedway is a fun track to drive when you have a car that allows you to look out the front window. If you are spending too much time looking in the mirror and can't get in the corner, you are going to have a nightmare of a day. We had a decent test at Martinsville last week that answered some of the questions we had so I hope we can be one of those teams up front and in contention for the win." - Ryan Newman

Brad Morgan is a senior writer for Frontstretch. Email him at brad.morgan@frontstretch.com.

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Keepin' It Short: Crowning a National Champion in Arkansas
by Mike Neff

The 27th Annual Comp Cams Short Track Nationals is underway at I-30 Raceway in Little Rock, Ark. Four nights of racing action began on Wednesday with the Short Track Nationals Open, an event that pays $2,000 to win. It is followed by two nights of qualifying races Thursday and Friday with $15,000 to win, $2,500 to start Nationals running on Saturday night. Over 70 ASCS Sprint Cars will be tearing around the high-banked, quarter-mile clay oval of I-30 Raceway.

In Wednesday night's preliminary action, Aaron Reutzel started in the third position and grabbed the lead on the fourth lap of the "A" main. He never looked back from that point, darting through multiple restarts and lapped traffic to take the victory. Reutzel's win was his third feature win in a row at I-30 as he beat Stevie Smith, Dalton Davis, Derek Hagar and Zach Pringle to secure the first provisional for Saturday night's main event.

Thursday's qualifying round saw 36 drivers take the to track at I-30 in an effort to qualify for Saturday's "A" main. The top three finishers in each feature race held on Thursday and Friday will be locked into Saturday's Nationals finale. They will run in the Dash for Cash on Saturday to set the starting lineup of the first three rows for the feature.

The remaining qualifiers from Thursday and Friday will redraw for eight Showdown races on Saturday night. Double passing points will be in effect for the night with the points being added to the totals from qualifying to determine the top eight in total points. Those eight drivers will fill in spots seven through 14 in the Nationals "A" main.

The next 36 drivers in points will make up the fields for the three "B" mains on Saturday night. The rest of the competitors will fill out three "C" mains. The top finishers from the Cs will advance to the Bs, where the top two finishers from each of the three Bs will fill in spots 15 through 20. The remaining spot in the field is reserved for the highest finisher among the top 4 from Wednesday night's open who has not already advanced into the "A" main.

2014 marks the 27th year for the Short Track Nationals and the list of previous winners is long and distinguished. Steve Kinser won the inaugural event in 1988 and duplicated the feat in 1989. He added a third title in 1991. Sammy Swindell took the win in 1990 then, after a 21-year absence grabbed trophies in 2011 and '13. The event was rained out in 1992. John Gerloff was victorious in 1993 and Terry Gray grabbed the trophy in 1994. Gary Wright was the Nationals champ in 1995 before becoming the only four-time winner by adding wins in '99, 2003 and '04. Pete Butler scored the victory in 1996. Wayne Johnson was the first under the checkered in 1997, while Tim Crawley took the trophy home in '98. Mike Ward was the winner in 2000 while Jason Sides is the '01 champ. Paul McMahan was the top dog in 2002 and a decade later in '12. Tim Montgomery grabbed the top spot in 2005. Jason Johnson stood in Victory Lane in 2006. Jason Myers won the following year in 2007. Tony Bruce Jr. went back-to-back in 2008 and '09, while Brad Sweet landed the title in '10.

A ticket for Friday night is $20 while you can get in the door Saturday for $28. Pit passes are $30 for Friday and $35 for Saturday. If you can't make it to Little Rock this weekend, you can catch the action on pay-per-view at www.shorttracknationals.com.

This week's racing schedule can be found here.

Mike Neff is a senior writer for Frontstretch. Feedback can be sent to mike.neff@frontstretch.com.

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TODAY ON FRONTSTRETCH:

by the Frontstretch Staff

by Amy Henderson

by Joseph Wolkin

by the Frontstretch Staff

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA

Q:
The 1999 NAPA AutoCare 500 at Martinsville is likely best known for the fact that Jeff Gordon won with debutante crew chief Brian Whitesell after Ray Evernham left to head up Dodge's testing for their 2001 return to Cup.  However, the race also contained quite the series of events involving two particular drivers.  What happened?

Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!

Thursday's Answer:

Q:
Chuck Bown claimed his last victory in the Busch Grand National Series at Martinsville in 1993.  However, the method by which he earned the lead was a little controversial.  What happened?

A: Bown was racing Todd Bodine for the lead with 45 laps to go when the two collided in turn 3.  Bodine spun out, while Bown continued on.  The spin can be seen here.  While Bodine's Fiddle Faddle Chevrolet was only slightly damaged, he fell to the rear of the lead lap.  Bodine was never able to make up much ground, finishing 11th despite leading the most laps (125).

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 Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 Race Recap by Justin Tucker
-- Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here by Amy Henderson
-- Sidebar Stories: Martinsville by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch Columns and More!

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This Weekend on Frontstretch:

Four Burning Questions: Martinsville by Matt Stallknecht
Matt covers all the big stories and questions heading into the schedule's shortest track, Martinsville.

Tracking the Trucks by Amy Henderson
Amy has all the post-race analysis you need following Saturday's Truck Series race from Martinsville.

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Monday on Frontstretch:

Thinkin' Out Loud: Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500
by Mike Neff
Mike covers all the details and post-race analysis from Martinsville.

Big Six: Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 by Amy Henderson
Amy tackles the who, what, when, where, how and why from Martinsville.

Pace Laps: All Racing Series by the Frontstretch Staff
Our staff keeps you posted on all the racing action that occurred over the weekend.
 
Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom returns to tackle one of the most important storylines post-Martinsville.
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Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!

"I recently attended the Sprint Cup race at Chicago and admittedly it's been awhile. The noise from the cars approach deafening. No longer a deep-throated roar but rather, an irritating scream that is most definitely damaging the fans' hearing. I found myself watching the infield TV to keep up with the race as the announcer (if there was one) couldn't be heard. I couldn't even talk to my friend seated next to me without screaming in his ear."
Harley Farkle
"Lost in Space"


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