THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Feb. 12, 2015
Volume IX, Edition IX
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Feb. 12, 2015
Volume IX, Edition IX
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What to Watch: Thursday- Today is NASCAR Media Day in Daytona. Drivers will be conducting interviews all day while FOX Sports 1 will provide four hours of live coverage. Be sure to follow @Frontstretch for any news on Twitter along with the website!
- The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards opens up the superspeedway portion of Speedweeks with two hours of practice from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
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Thursday's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.
Thursday's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.
Top News
by Phil Allaway
by Phil Allaway
Ryan Sieg, Uncle Bob's Announce 16-Race Sponsorship Deal
On Wednesday, RSS Racing announced the signing of Uncle Bob's Self Storage to a sponsorship deal that will see the company serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 39 Chevrolet in the XFINITY Series for 16 races. In addition, the company will serve as an associate sponsor for the remaining 17 races. Read more
RaceBuddy Available for All Sprint Cup Races for First time
On Wednesday, NASCAR announced that RaceBuddy, the online compliment to race broadcasts known for its streaming in-car cameras, will be available during every Sprint Cup race in 2015 for the first time, including those aired on network television. Read more
Entry List Update
Entry lists for the Sprint Unlimited and ARCA Racing Series Lucas Oil 200 presented by AutoZone can be seen here.
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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Today's Featured Commentary
Potts' Shots: Back For 2015
by John Potts
OK, here we go again. For some obscure reason, Tom Bowles and company have given me permission to contribute to this formidable website on a regular basis.
I can't promise to do a column every week, but I'll do my best to come up with something worth reading as often as I can. It may be a little off beat, or even off the beaten track, but maybe that's why some of my regular readers like to see it.
First off, I have been given permission to comment on IndyCar and NHRA racing, with the talented Toni Montgomery overseeing those subjects. I'll admit to not paying a whole lot of attention to NASCAR over the past year or so, but things may be looking up for this season.
I feel marginally qualified to write about open-wheel racing, having followed it all my life, and also on NHRA after helping with the operation of Indianapolis Raceway Park for the better part of fifteen years. One of the things that stretch of my life did was give me a great appreciation for drag racing as well as road racing, and it introduced me to a fantastic group of great people.
Being back in Indianapolis, I plan to spend some time at the Speedway checking things out, and I hope my observations are welcomed by the readers.
One of the nice things about this particular week is the way things have lined up. Football ended two weekends ago, then we had the NHRA opener, and this weekend things get rolling at Daytona International Speedway. Also, it's almost time for pitchers and catchers to report for Spring Training. Don't ya love it when a plan comes together?
I'd like to start out this first column of 2015 by paying tribute to a friend who recently lost a long fight with cancer.
Leo Taugher was the announcer for NHRA's North Central Division, and also handled Sportsman racing for a majority of the sanctioning body's national events.
Nobody cared more for the Sportsman racers, who are one step below the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and compete in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, than Leo. He made it his business to know everything he could about the drivers, car owners, and teams, and conveyed all that knowledge to those listening to him on the public address system.
I'll never forget his comment at my first U.S. Nationals after going to work at IRP in 1985. I was on the second floor of the Parks Tower on Thursday morning, because that's when they started in those days, and his unmistakable voice came over the P.A. as Sportsman time trials were about to start – "Hello, early birds, and welcome to the five-day war."
I had done a lot of oval announcing by then, along with my flagging, but suffice it to say I didn't know squat about being on the microphone for a drag race. Oh, I'd dabbled a bit in drag racing in my younger days (who of us didn't?), and I liked watching it, but announcing was a whole new ball game.
Over the next couple of years I learned from a lot of great ones – Bernie Partridge, Dave McClelland, Brian Olson, Bob Frey, and a host of others, but probably none more than Leo Taugher. Mainly because I worked with him two or three times a year, at our Sportsman race, the Nationals, our E.T. finals, and a National Open. I was greatly impressed with the way he did his homework, and I think his influence helped me when I was doing other disciplines.
Rest In Peace, Leo. We're gonna miss you.
I'd like to pass on congratulations to Drew Skillman, who made his Pro Stock racing debut in NHRA National Event competition at the Circle K Winternationals in Pomona last weekend. He made it all the way to the final round, and very, very few rookies have done that well in their first event. He has the satisfaction of knowing that he lost to one of the best in the game, Jason Line, in the final round.
Drew is the grandson of an old friend, Ray Skillman of Greenwood, Ind., the owner of several auto dealerships in the Indianapolis area as well as a former late model driver. I commented after last year's U.S. Nationals that Ray was getting so active in NHRA with enough cars that he was likely to become the Sportsman equivalent of Don Schumacher or John Force. Now he's involved in the pro ranks with Drew, and I couldn't be prouder of a friend.
Actually, I have reason to be proud of some of my "graduates" from the Junior Dragster program at IRP. We've got one former member driving Top Fuel in J.R. Todd, who's wheeling a car for Connie Kalitta, Randy Lyn Shipp and who knows how many others making their presence known in the Sportsman ranks, and one, Randy Simpson, who is now the general manager at Lucas Oil Raceway.
In IndyCar news, I suppose everyone's heard by now that the opening event in Brazil has been canceled. There's lots of conversation about this development on the message boards, but I have a take of my own on it.
Maybe some of this foreign money is beginning to fade away, or dry up completely. Not only IndyCar has been affected. Al-Anabi Racing of Qatar has pulled its sponsorship in NHRA, and I don't think it's just because the price of oil has dropped.
Well, it's good to be back, and we'll do our best to have something to talk about. One of the purposes of a regular column is to get the readers thinking, and maybe we'll at least be able to accomplish that.
OK, here we go again. For some obscure reason, Tom Bowles and company have given me permission to contribute to this formidable website on a regular basis.
I can't promise to do a column every week, but I'll do my best to come up with something worth reading as often as I can. It may be a little off beat, or even off the beaten track, but maybe that's why some of my regular readers like to see it.
First off, I have been given permission to comment on IndyCar and NHRA racing, with the talented Toni Montgomery overseeing those subjects. I'll admit to not paying a whole lot of attention to NASCAR over the past year or so, but things may be looking up for this season.
I feel marginally qualified to write about open-wheel racing, having followed it all my life, and also on NHRA after helping with the operation of Indianapolis Raceway Park for the better part of fifteen years. One of the things that stretch of my life did was give me a great appreciation for drag racing as well as road racing, and it introduced me to a fantastic group of great people.
Being back in Indianapolis, I plan to spend some time at the Speedway checking things out, and I hope my observations are welcomed by the readers.
One of the nice things about this particular week is the way things have lined up. Football ended two weekends ago, then we had the NHRA opener, and this weekend things get rolling at Daytona International Speedway. Also, it's almost time for pitchers and catchers to report for Spring Training. Don't ya love it when a plan comes together?
I'd like to start out this first column of 2015 by paying tribute to a friend who recently lost a long fight with cancer.
Leo Taugher was the announcer for NHRA's North Central Division, and also handled Sportsman racing for a majority of the sanctioning body's national events.
Nobody cared more for the Sportsman racers, who are one step below the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and compete in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, than Leo. He made it his business to know everything he could about the drivers, car owners, and teams, and conveyed all that knowledge to those listening to him on the public address system.
I'll never forget his comment at my first U.S. Nationals after going to work at IRP in 1985. I was on the second floor of the Parks Tower on Thursday morning, because that's when they started in those days, and his unmistakable voice came over the P.A. as Sportsman time trials were about to start – "Hello, early birds, and welcome to the five-day war."
I had done a lot of oval announcing by then, along with my flagging, but suffice it to say I didn't know squat about being on the microphone for a drag race. Oh, I'd dabbled a bit in drag racing in my younger days (who of us didn't?), and I liked watching it, but announcing was a whole new ball game.
Over the next couple of years I learned from a lot of great ones – Bernie Partridge, Dave McClelland, Brian Olson, Bob Frey, and a host of others, but probably none more than Leo Taugher. Mainly because I worked with him two or three times a year, at our Sportsman race, the Nationals, our E.T. finals, and a National Open. I was greatly impressed with the way he did his homework, and I think his influence helped me when I was doing other disciplines.
Rest In Peace, Leo. We're gonna miss you.
I'd like to pass on congratulations to Drew Skillman, who made his Pro Stock racing debut in NHRA National Event competition at the Circle K Winternationals in Pomona last weekend. He made it all the way to the final round, and very, very few rookies have done that well in their first event. He has the satisfaction of knowing that he lost to one of the best in the game, Jason Line, in the final round.
Drew is the grandson of an old friend, Ray Skillman of Greenwood, Ind., the owner of several auto dealerships in the Indianapolis area as well as a former late model driver. I commented after last year's U.S. Nationals that Ray was getting so active in NHRA with enough cars that he was likely to become the Sportsman equivalent of Don Schumacher or John Force. Now he's involved in the pro ranks with Drew, and I couldn't be prouder of a friend.
Actually, I have reason to be proud of some of my "graduates" from the Junior Dragster program at IRP. We've got one former member driving Top Fuel in J.R. Todd, who's wheeling a car for Connie Kalitta, Randy Lyn Shipp and who knows how many others making their presence known in the Sportsman ranks, and one, Randy Simpson, who is now the general manager at Lucas Oil Raceway.
In IndyCar news, I suppose everyone's heard by now that the opening event in Brazil has been canceled. There's lots of conversation about this development on the message boards, but I have a take of my own on it.
Maybe some of this foreign money is beginning to fade away, or dry up completely. Not only IndyCar has been affected. Al-Anabi Racing of Qatar has pulled its sponsorship in NHRA, and I don't think it's just because the price of oil has dropped.
Well, it's good to be back, and we'll do our best to have something to talk about. One of the purposes of a regular column is to get the readers thinking, and maybe we'll at least be able to accomplish that.
John Potts is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at john.potts@frontstretch.com.
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The Critic's Annex: FOX Sports Hires A "Rules Guru"
by Phil Allaway
If you read Tuesday's edition of Couch Potato Tuesday at Frontstretch, you may have seen that I was not planning on writing anything for the Critic's Annex this week. Well, FOX Sports went and changed my plans by making an announcement Tuesday evening after we had already published the piece.
At that time, they announced the hiring of Andy Petree, most recently of ESPN, to serve as the network's grandmaster of the rules. I thought it was an interesting move. Now, Petree's a very knowledgeable chap, someone who knows his stuff. Then, I wondered, why?
This company is one that still has Jeff Hammond under contract. Why the deuce do they need to hire someone from outside of the company to do what Hammond probably could do without any problems? Perhaps Hammond wanted to step back from being on the road, which he's done pretty much for the last 35 years in various roles and capacities. If so, I don't blame him. That's a lot of time to be away from your friends and family. As it stands, Hammond will appear on NASCAR RaceHub on a regular basis as an in-studio analyst, but it's unclear if he'll travel to races.
Much like how Ricky Craven will be to NASCAR as Barry Melrose is to the NHL on SportsCenter, Petree will be to NASCAR coverage on FOX as Mike Pereira is to the NFL on FOX. He'll be called upon to explain all the various rules infractions that are bound to come up this season. Without the NASCAR officials over the wall, it won't be as easy to tell as it has been in the past, which is probably why FOX wanted an "expert" opinion.
In addition, the new NASCAR officiating system has been designed with TV in mind. When NASCAR announced the new changes, they mentioned that the TV partners will have access to the 45 cameras that will be in use as part of the system. Petree will be called upon to explain the penalties when they're issued in an easy to understand manner. I have no doubt that Petree will do quite well in the role, but I just don't know how it's going to work. Is Petree going to be in the booth with Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip doing this analysis? Or is he going to be in a secluded location, like FOX Sports' studios in Charlotte or Los Angeles? Of note, FOX uses both scenarios with their NFL broadcasts.
Also, as much as fans might not want to admit, going to the electronic system will mean that penalties are going to be fairly cut-and-dry, at least on pit road. A good chunk of the usage for analysts like Pereira and CBS' Mike Carey comes from the fact that there's a lot of subjective calls in football. What do you call and what do you let go? That's where Pereira and Carey make their money. With the new system, about the only aspect of races left that are like that are restarts and the yellow line rule at plate tracks. I do believe Petree will have a field day with the no tandem drafting rules in the XFINITY Series. Since that rule was instituted at the beginning of last year, NASCAR has done a terrible job at showing what is acceptable and what isn't. But other than that... will reporting on "cut-and-dry" be necessary over time?
Also, as much as fans might not want to admit, going to the electronic system will mean that penalties are going to be fairly cut-and-dry, at least on pit road. A good chunk of the usage for analysts like Pereira and CBS' Mike Carey comes from the fact that there's a lot of subjective calls in football. What do you call and what do you let go? That's where Pereira and Carey make their money. With the new system, about the only aspect of races left that are like that are restarts and the yellow line rule at plate tracks. I do believe Petree will have a field day with the no tandem drafting rules in the XFINITY Series. Since that rule was instituted at the beginning of last year, NASCAR has done a terrible job at showing what is acceptable and what isn't. But other than that... will reporting on "cut-and-dry" be necessary over time?
Ultimately, we'll have to wait and see how Petree's new role works over the first couple of weeks of the season. If it goes well, expect to see NBC Sports follow suit and hire someone prior to the start of their season in July.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer at Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer at Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Beyond The Cockpit: JJ Yeley Talks BK Racing And Big New Opportunities
"It's gonna be a lot of fun. I met Jeb for the first time last week, when we were at the shop getting ready for Daytona, and he's a very talented young driver with a lot of experience on his side (with his family). He's going to be quick to learn because of (father) Ward, with his experience and I think (uncle) Jeff will be there to help as well. He's going to have that knowledge and he's determined to go out there and be competitive," - JJ Yeley on new BK Racing teammate Jeb Burton.
"It's gonna be a lot of fun. I met Jeb for the first time last week, when we were at the shop getting ready for Daytona, and he's a very talented young driver with a lot of experience on his side (with his family). He's going to be quick to learn because of (father) Ward, with his experience and I think (uncle) Jeff will be there to help as well. He's going to have that knowledge and he's determined to go out there and be competitive," - JJ Yeley on new BK Racing teammate Jeb Burton.
TODAY AT FRONTSTRETCH:
by P. Huston Ladner
by Toni Montgomery
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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: Daytona International Speedway was one of the first tracks to pave over a large chunk of infield grass exiting turn 4 in the spring of 1984. Why was this move done?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: The ARCA Racing Series has traditionally accompanied the Sprint Cup Series at Daytona on Sprint Unlimited weekend. Some of the races have been runaways, while others have been wreck-strewn. The 1993 ARCA 200 was both. A big wreck eliminated a good chunk of the field in the opening laps, including some of the potential contenders. Jeff Purvis was essentially untouchable all day on the way to the win. What was Purvis' trump card that he used to his advantage in the race?
A: Purvis' trump card is that the team he was driving for at the time, Phoenix Racing, had a very close relationship with Morgan-McClure Motorsports. As a result, the team would use former Morgan-McClure cars in ARCA races. For the 1993 ARCA 200, Purvis was driving the very car that Ernie Irvan used to win the 1991 Daytona 500.
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COMING TOMORROW
COMING TOMORROW
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll have a recap of NASCAR Media Day in Daytona, while ARCA gets out on the track for the first practice of Speedweeks.
On Frontstretch.com:
Friday Faceoff returns with a season preview-style conversation about what's ahead in NASCAR for 2015.
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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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