THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Feb. 28, 2015
Volume IX, Edition XXI
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Feb. 28, 2015
Volume IX, Edition XXI
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What to Watch: Friday- Today, the official race weekend begins in Atlanta for all three of NASCAR's series. All three series will have practice sessions today, in addition to Sprint Cup Qualifying, which more than likely will not involve huge wrecks.
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This weekend's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.
This weekend's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.
Top News
by The Frontstretch Staff
by The Frontstretch Staff
Jeff Gordon, Jamie McMurray Top Testing Charts at Atlanta Motor Speedway
On Thursday, Atlanta Motor Speedway hosted the first of a series of open tests that will be held on Thursdays this season instead of traditional private test sessions. Jamie McMurray turned in the fastest lap of the day during the first session with a time of 28.943 seconds (191.549 mph). Jeff Gordon was quickest in the afternoon session. Read more
Cole Whitt Snags Atlanta Sponsorship
On Thursday, Front Row Motorsports announced that Rinnai, a manufacturer of tankless water heaters, will serve as the primary sponsor of Cole Whitt's No. 35 Ford this weekend at Atlanta. Read more
Richard Petty Motorsports, Biagi-DenBeste Racing Continue XFINITY Partnership
On Thursday, Richard Petty Motorsports and Biagi-DenBeste Racing announced an extension to the partnership in the XFINITY Series that the two teams formed late last season. The team is scheduled to compete in 16 races in 2015 with Aric Almirola and Sam Hornish, Jr. sharing the seat at bare minimum. Read more
Timmy Hill Gets Make Motorsports Truck Ride at Atlanta
On Thursday, Timmy Hill announced on his Twitter feed that he will be driving the No. 1 Chevrolet for MAKE Motorsports in Saturday's Hyundai Construction Equipment 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sponsorship for the truck was not announced. 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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FRONTSTRETCH JOB: WEBMASTER
Frontstretch.com is looking for a talented and motivated individual to fulfill the role of the site's webmaster. The ideal candidate must be highly proficient in WordPress, as the site recently converted from Textpattern to WordPress as the content management system. The webmaster will assist with leftover conversion tasks, work with the management team to implement site enhancements and help troubleshoot problems as they arise. The candidate must also have a working knowledge of search engine optimization strategies to help improve search rankings for the site. Motorsports knowledge is preferred but not required. The candidate should have on average at least 1-2 hours per week to devote to Fronstretch initiatives. If you are interested, please contact our Business Manager, Tony Lumbis at Tony.Lumbis@gmail.com.
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Sunday's QukTrip Folds of Honor 500 will be the 108th Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the first race held in the spring since 2010. 14 of the previous 107 races have been won from the pole, but the feat has only been pulled off twice in the last 20 years.
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
FRONTSTRETCH JOB: WEBMASTER
Frontstretch.com is looking for a talented and motivated individual to fulfill the role of the site's webmaster. The ideal candidate must be highly proficient in WordPress, as the site recently converted from Textpattern to WordPress as the content management system. The webmaster will assist with leftover conversion tasks, work with the management team to implement site enhancements and help troubleshoot problems as they arise. The candidate must also have a working knowledge of search engine optimization strategies to help improve search rankings for the site. Motorsports knowledge is preferred but not required. The candidate should have on average at least 1-2 hours per week to devote to Fronstretch initiatives. If you are interested, please contact our Business Manager, Tony Lumbis at Tony.Lumbis@gmail.com.
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Frontstretch Folio: QuikTrip Folds of Honor 500
by Phil Allaway
This weekend, the Sprint Cup Series officially opens the 2015 season with the Daytona 500. The race will be broadcast live on FOX on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 1:00 p.m. ET; it can also be heard on your local Performance Racing Network affiliate or SiriusXM channel 90. Drivers will compete for 325 laps (500.5 miles).
Records and Facts
Kasey Kahne is the defending winner of the QuikTrip Folds of Honor 500. Last season, the race, known as the Oral-B USA 500, was held the night before Labor Day in early September. Kasey Kahne, who had had a mediocre season to that point as compared to his three Hendrick Motorsports teammates, started tenth and managed two great restarts on GWC's to go from seventh to the lead at the white flag. From there, Kahne held off Matt Kenseth to claim his one and only victory of 2014 and a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
This weekend, the Sprint Cup Series officially opens the 2015 season with the Daytona 500. The race will be broadcast live on FOX on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 1:00 p.m. ET; it can also be heard on your local Performance Racing Network affiliate or SiriusXM channel 90. Drivers will compete for 325 laps (500.5 miles).
Records and Facts
Kasey Kahne is the defending winner of the QuikTrip Folds of Honor 500. Last season, the race, known as the Oral-B USA 500, was held the night before Labor Day in early September. Kasey Kahne, who had had a mediocre season to that point as compared to his three Hendrick Motorsports teammates, started tenth and managed two great restarts on GWC's to go from seventh to the lead at the white flag. From there, Kahne held off Matt Kenseth to claim his one and only victory of 2014 and a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Sunday's QukTrip Folds of Honor 500 will be the 108th Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the first race held in the spring since 2010. 14 of the previous 107 races have been won from the pole, but the feat has only been pulled off twice in the last 20 years.
Despite the lack of winning success for pole winners, the last five Atlanta races and 16 of the last 18 have been won from a top 10 qualifying spot. The other two were won from 11th. Qualifying is paramount.
Only four Atlanta races have been won from further back than 24th on the grid. Three of those fourth occurred in a two year period from 1999-2001. The other time was when Dale Earnhardt pulled off the feat for Rod Osterland in 1980.
Track Facts
Track/Race Length: 1.54 mile quad-oval; 325 laps (500.5 miles)
Banking: 24 degrees
Frontstretch: 2,332 ft., banked five degrees
Backstretch: 1,800 ft., banked five degrees
Grandstand Seating: 75,000
Website: http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlmotorspeedway
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amsupdates
VIPs
Grand Marshal / Command: Major Dan Rooney (Founder and CEO of Folds of Honor)
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: TBA
Honorary Pace Car Driver: Gavin DeGraw
National Anthem: TBA
Flyover: TBA
Pre-race Schedule
Practice: Today, 1 p.m. - 2:25 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
Track Facts
Track/Race Length: 1.54 mile quad-oval; 325 laps (500.5 miles)
Banking: 24 degrees
Frontstretch: 2,332 ft., banked five degrees
Backstretch: 1,800 ft., banked five degrees
Grandstand Seating: 75,000
Website: http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlmotorspeedway
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amsupdates
VIPs
Grand Marshal / Command: Major Dan Rooney (Founder and CEO of Folds of Honor)
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: TBA
Honorary Pace Car Driver: Gavin DeGraw
National Anthem: TBA
Flyover: TBA
Pre-race Schedule
Practice: Today, 1 p.m. - 2:25 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
Qualifying: Today, 5:45 - 7:15 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
Happy Hour: Saturday, Feb. 21, 12 - 1:20 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
Race Day Forecast
Sunday: Cloudy, 50 percent chance of Showers
High: 48
Low: 42
They Said It
"What you do at Atlanta is solely based on what you and your team can do with your racecar, not what drafting line you're in or how the car behind you is going to affect your next move. Once we get away from Daytona, everything kind of settles into a groove. We're back in the weekly grind.Atlanta is a track where you don't really worry about what everybody else's car is doing. You worry about what your car is doing. You're racing the racetrack. You're not racing everybody else. It's a good opportunity to get back into the swing of things." - Tony Stewart
Race Day Forecast
Sunday: Cloudy, 50 percent chance of Showers
High: 48
Low: 42
They Said It
"What you do at Atlanta is solely based on what you and your team can do with your racecar, not what drafting line you're in or how the car behind you is going to affect your next move. Once we get away from Daytona, everything kind of settles into a groove. We're back in the weekly grind.Atlanta is a track where you don't really worry about what everybody else's car is doing. You worry about what your car is doing. You're racing the racetrack. You're not racing everybody else. It's a good opportunity to get back into the swing of things." - Tony Stewart
"The surface at Atlanta [Motor Speedway] is old and worn out which has given the track a lot of character. It's one of the fastest mile-and-a-half tracks that we go to during the season and that makes for great racing. Getting the car comfortable in the cool temperatures will be key for me. I'm used to going to Atlanta when it's really hot and humid out, so the car will handle a lot differently this weekend. With NASCAR's new rules, Thursday will be the first time that we have tested this season. Obviously, whatever we learn during the test will be crucial for this weekend and the other mile-and-a-half tracks on the schedule." - Justin Allgaier
"I just love the abrasiveness of the racetrack. It still has a lot of speed for the first three or four laps, but then it has a lot of fall-off and a lot of bumps that give it character. As a driver, you just love the challenge that comes with racing at Atlanta. This is always one that I circle on my calendar as a favorite and I look forward to racing here in Atlanta this weekend." - Kevin Harvick
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON FRONTSTRETCH:
by Joseph Wolkin
by Matt Stallknecht
by Amy Henderson
by Kevin Rutherford
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
COMING MONDAY
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1996, Jack Sprague competed in the final two races of the Cup season in a No. 52 Pedigree-sponsored Pontiac owned by Rick Hendrick. Hendrick Motorsports has always been a Chevrolet team in NASCAR with the exception of this brief experiment. Why did they field a Pontiac here?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: Aside from his third-place finish in the Daytona 500, Ricky Craven had a very rough first half of 1997 that culminated in his injuries in Texas that eventually derailed his career. Atlanta was no different as Craven was eliminated early. What happened?
A: Craven was nothing more than a victim here. A lap earlier, Jeremy Mayfield had blown an engine in turn 2, putting fluid down. Ted Musgrave appeared to hit the oil and go up the track. Once he recovered, he was out of the groove and spun, hitting the wall. Rusty Wallace also hit the wall after contact from Jeff Burton. Musgrave came to rest in the groove and Craven had nowhere to go but right into the passenger side of Musgrave's Ford. The blown engine and resulting wreck can be seen here.
Musgrave and Craven walked away from the crash uninjured. However, both were done for the day. Rusty Wallace drove back to pit road for repairs, but the team could not properly repair the right front corner. He would eventually retire from the race as well.
COMING MONDAY
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll have recaps of all three NASCAR races this weekend from Atlanta, along with any notable news that breaks.
On Frontstretch.com:
We'll have a series of post-race commentaries breaking down the QuikTrip Folds of Honor 500.
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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
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