THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Feb. 23, 2015
Volume IX, Edition XVII
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Feb. 23, 2015
Volume IX, Edition XVII
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What to Watch: Monday- After the conclusion of Speedweeks Sunday, Monday is a prep day back at the shops for this weekend's action in Atlanta. Many teams will be off-loading piles of scrap metal from their transporters.
- Joey Logano's race-winning Shell/Pennzoil Ford will be placed in the former Daytona 500 Experience, where it will sit for the next year and welcome those coming to the track to buy tickets.
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Monday's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.
Top News
Monday's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.
Top News
by the Frontstretch Staff
Joey Logano Wins Daytona 500
For much of the race Sunday, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson were in control, leading for nearly 400 miles. However, when the time to go came, Joey Logano was at the forefront. Logano charged past Johnson and Denny Hamlin on lap 191, then managed to hold off the pack on a green-white-checkered finish to claim his first Daytona 500 victory. Read more
Ryan Reed Claims First XFINITY Series Win in Wreck-Marred Alert Today Florida 300
Sophomore Ryan Reed was able to blast past Brad Keselowski on the final lap entering turn 3 and held on to claim victory in the Alert Today Florida 300, the season-opening race for the XFINITY Series. Chris Buescher completed a Roush Fenway Racing one-two, while Ty Dillon was third. Read more
Kyle Busch Suffers Compound Fracture in XFINITY Series Crash, Out Definitely
Kyle Busch was forced to miss Sunday's Daytona 500 and will be out indefinitely after suffering a compound fracture of his lower right leg and a fractured mid-left foot in a crash late in Saturday's Alert Today Florida 300. Busch had contact with Erik Jones, spinning him out, but lost control and slid over paved and grassed-over runoff before hitting the unprotected inside wall nearly head-on. Busch managed to climb from his car himself, but then collapsed in pain. Read more
Chitwood, Daytona Beach Promise New SAFER Barriers
Chitwood, Daytona Beach Promise New SAFER Barriers
After Kyle Busch's huge wreck in Saturday's XFINITY Series season opener, Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III held an emotional press conference in the Media Center. There, he stated that they had failed from a safety perspective. The wall Kyle Busch hit was immediately covered up with tire barriers for the Daytona 500, while a SAFER Barrier initiative will begin today. Read more
Have news for The Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
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Chasing the Chase: Logano First to Lock Into Chase
by Phil Allaway
With only one race completed, the point standings are relatively easy to compile. Race winner Joey Logano is the point leader by virtue of his victory on Sunday. He is also the first driver to procure his spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, barring a rare change of circumstances (17+ drivers winning in the regular season, Logano getting hurt, etc.). Kevin Harvick is second, but he has to share that with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. since Earnhardt Jr. led laps and Harvick didn't. Denny Hamlin is fourth after his fourth-place finish.
Jimmie Johnson is fifth, followed by Casey Mears with another great run to start the season. Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex, Jr. are tied for seventh, while Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle are tied for ninth. David Gilliland in 11th is two points out of the top 10.
Point Standings (1-16): 1) Joey Logano 47, t-2) Kevin Harvick -5, t-2) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -5, 4) Denny Hamlin -6, 5) Jimmie Johnson -7, 6) Casey Mears -8, t-7) Clint Bowyer -10, t-7) Martin Truex, Jr. -10, t-9) Kasey Kahne -12, t-9) Greg Biffle -12, 11) David Gilliland -14, t-12) Sam Hornish, Jr. -15, t-12) Michael Annett -15, 14) Austin Dillon -17, 15) Aric Almirola -18, 16) David Ragan -20.
Race Winners: Joey Logano (Daytona)
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Quotes to Remember: Daytona 500
compiled by Phil Allaway
"About as cool as I thought it would feel. I think as a kid, any young racer dreams of winning the Daytona 500. It's the biggest race we have all year and you're down here for two weeks and there's just so much buildup coming up to this race and with the qualifying and the Duels you get out there, it's the first time you're racing in a couple months, so there's a lot of anxiety and a lot of nerves before the race. To be able to pull that car into Victory Lane and see my team there and see my family and my friends... everyone was here, so it couldn't be any better. It's an amazing feeling. I can't really put it into words. It's something you can't describe. I keep re-living over and over again what it was like down the back straightaway when I came off of turn 2 and I was looking in the mirror. I saw them crashing and I'm like, 'OK, keep my foot in it here,' and you hope there's a caution but I think even then, they weren't close enough to really be able to make a run. You have a split-second after the caution came out and you think about it and you're like, 'Did we win?' And then it's straight chaos after that. It's an amazing feeling. I'm fortunate to get to race for Roger and Shell and Pennzoil and Todd Gordon over here. He's [the] fricking man. I'm just the lucky guy that drives this thing." - Joey Logano, race winner
"I made a really bad decision on that restart with 19 to go. I made a poor choice and you can't afford to do that. I got shuffled back and lost a ton of spots. I had one of the best cars out there and that gave me a ton of confidence to keep digging. We were able to get back up to third place. It's really disappointing because the Nationwide team gave me the best car and we should have won the race. I'm just really disappointed that I didn't do everything I needed to do. I'm definitely glad we came home safe." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished third
"With about 10 to go, I thought we were in position to win the Daytona 500. I wish we were in Victory Lane right now but with plate racing you honestly have no clue what's going to happen. First and foremost, our Lowe's Chevrolet is in one piece on pit lane so that's a positive for the day. It was a great effort from everyone at Hendrick Motorsports and on the 48. Our line just did not go on the restart at the end. I looked up in the mirror at a big gap and knew we were in trouble, especially with the outside line as tight as they were to one another." - Jimmie Johnson, finished fifth
"It is not comfortable. There is a difference in being comfortable and actually liking it. I like it because I feel like I can dictate a little more what the car does. I think if I'm in the outside lane I'm kind of stuck to one thing. If I'm on the bottom, I'm stuck to one thing. But if I'm in the middle it gives me the option to make my car do different things and makes it a little bit easier. It's not really the safest place to be or the easiest place to be, but it definitely works well for us." - Casey Mears, finished sixth, on racing in the middle of a three-wide pack
"I feel good about [our Speedweeks performance]. This isn't a guarantee that we'll run real good all season long. But with the things we did over the winter, the testing we did toward the end of last year, the momentum we gained and the team changes we made, I feel really good about our stuff and what we're going to do. We'll have to see how we do at Atlanta. We're looking forward to going there. It's one of my favorite tracks and we'll see if we can't come out of there about seven spots better." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished eighth
"You can't describe it from the seat. It's just the most intense thing you've ever done or thought of doing times 10. Your teeth are gritted, you're just hanging on to the wheel and it's intense, but a lot of fun. I enjoy it and I thought it was great racing, a clean race. There weren't a lot of accidents and everybody raced really hard, so I hope the fans enjoyed it." - David Gilliland, finished 11th, on the final ten laps of the race
"It was a learning curve. The first half we just rode around and tried to learn, learn, learn. I made a mistake – I had a pretty good surge up top and I tried the bottom and shuffled myself all the way to the back. I should have had a little better finish there at the end, but it is what it is." - Matt Crafton, finished 19th
"Actually had a very strong car and I had a lot of fun. I just didn't pick the right lines there at the end – it just didn't work. We got far enough back that it made it kind of hard to get back to the front. I had fun – I really did. Had a great car and we didn't tear anything up – just had a good time." - Carl Edwards, finished 24th
"For some reason, I'm still smiling and enjoying every moment of it. Obviously, I enjoyed the first half a lot more than the second half. What an amazing car we had. Just out there in the front with our Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet just controlling the race. Had one restart where I started on the outside and just couldn't get our line going. We got shuffled back and kind of played catch up from that point on. This was an amazing week and an amazing day. I am just in a different place that is so foreign to me, but so incredible. To just be taking it all in and enjoying every moment. Yeah, right now I'm a little bit sad this is my final Daytona 500, but I'm more upset we didn't have a shot at winning there at the end." - Jeff Gordon, finished 33rd
"No. It just broke, but when it broke I knew it broke because it broke pretty big, which is a shame for the Miller Lite Ford. It is what it is. We had a good car. We were in position in the top 5, top 10 and was just kind of counting down some laps and getting ready for a crazy finish, and just wanted to be there for it, but, unfortunately, that's not gonna happen." - Brad Keselowski, finished 41st (Blown Engine)
"When it got three-wide that particular lap, it got away from me, and I got out of the gas and couldn't even get the front end caught up when I got out of the gas. I'm not sure if Ryan (Blaney) wasn't there, I still was going to hit the fence." - Tony Stewart, finished 42nd (Crashed Out)
"About as cool as I thought it would feel. I think as a kid, any young racer dreams of winning the Daytona 500. It's the biggest race we have all year and you're down here for two weeks and there's just so much buildup coming up to this race and with the qualifying and the Duels you get out there, it's the first time you're racing in a couple months, so there's a lot of anxiety and a lot of nerves before the race. To be able to pull that car into Victory Lane and see my team there and see my family and my friends... everyone was here, so it couldn't be any better. It's an amazing feeling. I can't really put it into words. It's something you can't describe. I keep re-living over and over again what it was like down the back straightaway when I came off of turn 2 and I was looking in the mirror. I saw them crashing and I'm like, 'OK, keep my foot in it here,' and you hope there's a caution but I think even then, they weren't close enough to really be able to make a run. You have a split-second after the caution came out and you think about it and you're like, 'Did we win?' And then it's straight chaos after that. It's an amazing feeling. I'm fortunate to get to race for Roger and Shell and Pennzoil and Todd Gordon over here. He's [the] fricking man. I'm just the lucky guy that drives this thing." - Joey Logano, race winner
"I made a really bad decision on that restart with 19 to go. I made a poor choice and you can't afford to do that. I got shuffled back and lost a ton of spots. I had one of the best cars out there and that gave me a ton of confidence to keep digging. We were able to get back up to third place. It's really disappointing because the Nationwide team gave me the best car and we should have won the race. I'm just really disappointed that I didn't do everything I needed to do. I'm definitely glad we came home safe." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished third
"With about 10 to go, I thought we were in position to win the Daytona 500. I wish we were in Victory Lane right now but with plate racing you honestly have no clue what's going to happen. First and foremost, our Lowe's Chevrolet is in one piece on pit lane so that's a positive for the day. It was a great effort from everyone at Hendrick Motorsports and on the 48. Our line just did not go on the restart at the end. I looked up in the mirror at a big gap and knew we were in trouble, especially with the outside line as tight as they were to one another." - Jimmie Johnson, finished fifth
"It is not comfortable. There is a difference in being comfortable and actually liking it. I like it because I feel like I can dictate a little more what the car does. I think if I'm in the outside lane I'm kind of stuck to one thing. If I'm on the bottom, I'm stuck to one thing. But if I'm in the middle it gives me the option to make my car do different things and makes it a little bit easier. It's not really the safest place to be or the easiest place to be, but it definitely works well for us." - Casey Mears, finished sixth, on racing in the middle of a three-wide pack
"I feel good about [our Speedweeks performance]. This isn't a guarantee that we'll run real good all season long. But with the things we did over the winter, the testing we did toward the end of last year, the momentum we gained and the team changes we made, I feel really good about our stuff and what we're going to do. We'll have to see how we do at Atlanta. We're looking forward to going there. It's one of my favorite tracks and we'll see if we can't come out of there about seven spots better." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished eighth
"You can't describe it from the seat. It's just the most intense thing you've ever done or thought of doing times 10. Your teeth are gritted, you're just hanging on to the wheel and it's intense, but a lot of fun. I enjoy it and I thought it was great racing, a clean race. There weren't a lot of accidents and everybody raced really hard, so I hope the fans enjoyed it." - David Gilliland, finished 11th, on the final ten laps of the race
"It was a learning curve. The first half we just rode around and tried to learn, learn, learn. I made a mistake – I had a pretty good surge up top and I tried the bottom and shuffled myself all the way to the back. I should have had a little better finish there at the end, but it is what it is." - Matt Crafton, finished 19th
"Actually had a very strong car and I had a lot of fun. I just didn't pick the right lines there at the end – it just didn't work. We got far enough back that it made it kind of hard to get back to the front. I had fun – I really did. Had a great car and we didn't tear anything up – just had a good time." - Carl Edwards, finished 24th
"For some reason, I'm still smiling and enjoying every moment of it. Obviously, I enjoyed the first half a lot more than the second half. What an amazing car we had. Just out there in the front with our Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet just controlling the race. Had one restart where I started on the outside and just couldn't get our line going. We got shuffled back and kind of played catch up from that point on. This was an amazing week and an amazing day. I am just in a different place that is so foreign to me, but so incredible. To just be taking it all in and enjoying every moment. Yeah, right now I'm a little bit sad this is my final Daytona 500, but I'm more upset we didn't have a shot at winning there at the end." - Jeff Gordon, finished 33rd
"No. It just broke, but when it broke I knew it broke because it broke pretty big, which is a shame for the Miller Lite Ford. It is what it is. We had a good car. We were in position in the top 5, top 10 and was just kind of counting down some laps and getting ready for a crazy finish, and just wanted to be there for it, but, unfortunately, that's not gonna happen." - Brad Keselowski, finished 41st (Blown Engine)
"When it got three-wide that particular lap, it got away from me, and I got out of the gas and couldn't even get the front end caught up when I got out of the gas. I'm not sure if Ryan (Blaney) wasn't there, I still was going to hit the fence." - Tony Stewart, finished 42nd (Crashed Out)
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager as well as a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY AT FRONTSTRETCH:
by Amy Henderson
by Jerry Jordan
by the Frontstretch Staff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
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!
©2015 Frontstretch.com
Q: Unlike FOX Sports' NASCAR pit reporters, ESPN requires all pit reporters to wear firesuits in the pits. The reason for the move dates back to a race at Atlanta in 1989. What happened?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Friday's Answer:
Q: In 1994, Michael Waltrip had one of the best cars in the Goody's 300 at Daytona, running for much of the race in the lead group. However, a rather bizarre instance put him back in the pack and out of the hunt. What happened?
A: Waltrip was running third when half of his rear spoiler blew off of his Pennzoil Pontiac entering turn 1. Waltrip kept on truckin' for a lap and held on to his position before dropping back. The spoiler can be seen flying through the air here.
Racing-reference.info lists Waltrip's reason for failing to finish as an engine problem. However, Waltrip did not continue in the race after coming into the pits to address the spoiler failure.
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COMING TOMORROW
COMING TOMORROW
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll have breaking news including the release of the entry lists for all three NASCAR races this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
On Frontstretch.com:
We'll have Danny Peters' Five Points quick shot look at the Daytona 500, a look at Kevin Harvick's booth debut in Couch Potato Tuesday and more.
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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!
©2015 Frontstretch.com
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