Friday, March 13, 2015

The Frontstretch Newsletter: The Phoenix Weekend Begins

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Mar. 13, 2015
Volume IX, Edition XXXI
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What to Watch: Friday

- Today, the Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series will be on-track for practice sessions.  While the Sprint Cup teams (provided they make it through the thorough pre-qualifying inspection) will qualify this evening, the Mexico Series will hold their season opener late tonight on the one-mile tri-oval.  Coverage will start at 10 p.m. on NBC Universo (formerly Mun2).
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This weekend's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.

Top News
by The Frontstretch Staff

Arrest Warrant Issued for NASCAR Team Owner John Cohen

A reversal of fortune has hit Team XTREME Racing owner John Cohen.  In addition to the ongoing issues in Georgia revolving around the theft of the team's trailer, dually truck and race car from a motel, NJ.com (the online arm of a number of New Jersey newspapers including Newark's Star-Ledger) is reporting that an arrest warrant has been issued for Cohen related to a previous civil lawsuit.  Read more

RAB Racing Withdraws from Phoenix to Re-evaluate Cup Program

According to NBC Sports' NASCAR Talk, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard has decided to withdraw from this weekend's CampingWorld.com 500k at Phoenix International Raceway so that they can take an overall look at their Sprint Cup program.  Read more

Ken Schrader Racing's 2015 ARCA Lineup Includes Ross Kenseth, More

On Thursday, Ken Schrader Racing announced their driver lineup for the 2015 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.  While Schrader himself will drive some races in the No. 52, he will be joined by returning drivers Clay Campbell and Matt Tifft, along with newcomer Ross Kenseth.  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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Frontstretch Folio: CampingWorld.com 500k
by Rick Lunkenheimer

The Sprint Cup Series rolls into Phoenix International Raceway this weekend for the fourth race on the schedule. The CampingWorld.com 500 will be broadcast live on FOX at 3:30 p.m. ET; it can also be heard on your local MRN affiliate or SiriusXM Channel 90. Drivers will compete for 312 laps (500km) en route to the checkered flag.

Records and Facts:

Kevin Harvick is the defending winner of this race. The driver of the No. 4 Chevrolet started 13th and swept both races at the one-mile oval en route to his first career championship. Harvick dominated, leading four times for a race-high 224 laps, and finished almost a half-second ahead of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top 5.

Joey Logano holds the track qualifying record at Phoenix, set last November. The driver of the No. 22 Ford set a lap of 142.141 mph in the first round of qualifying. He went on to start fourth and led 17 laps en route to a sixth-place finish.

Track Facts:

Track/Race Length: 1.0 - mile oval, 312 laps, 312 miles/500 km
Degree of Banking: Turns 1 - 2: 11 degrees; Turns 3 - 4: nine degrees
Frontstretch: Length: 1,179 feet, Banking: three degrees
Backstretch: Length: 1,551 feet, Banking: nine degrees
Pit Road Speed: 45mph
Grandstand seating: 55,000

Opened: 1964 (first NASCAR Sprint Cup event was in 1988)

Weather Forecast for Sunday:

Sunny

High: 89

Low: 60

Best Bets:

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Phoenix (courtesy NASCAR Wire Service)
No. 48 - Jimmie Johnson........................ 114.0
No. 4 - Kevin Harvick............................ 106.2
No. 24 - Jeff Gordon.............................. 100.5
No. 19 - Carl Edwards.............................. 99.2
No. 11 - Denny Hamlin............................. 96.6
No. 14 - Tony Stewart............................... 96.4
No. 2 - Brad Keselowski......................... 91.5
No. 16 - Greg Biffle.................................. 90.1
No. 31 - Ryan Newman............................. 87.9
No. 20 - Matt Kenseth.............................. 87.9

Say What ?!?:

"I would definitely classify Phoenix as the race track that's been the best to us over the last several years, especially last year winning both races. Just the track, especially since they repaved it has really fit what I like to do. It's got a lot of the old characteristics in (Turns) 3 and 4, and some new ones in 1 and 2. It's always one that you circle on the calendar as one you should be competitive at and hopefully running for a chance to win." - Kevin Harvick

"It means the world to me to be back in the car. It's been a tough situation the last few months, and I've gone through this with confidence knowing that I know the truth and that I never did any of the things that I was accused of. It was a complete fabrication. But it's unfortunate that my personal life crossed over and affected my business life, but I can't wait to get to the track, to see my team, to shake their hands and say thanks for the support, and to go out there and make my first lap this weekend." - Kurt Busch

"From the time I first went to Phoenix [International Raceway], I was really comfortable there. I really don't have a specific reason why I really like the track. The two ends of the track are completely different, and its key to get as much speed as you can through the middle of Turn One. Getting off of Turn Four and getting down the straightaway is really important too. It's more difficult to get the car setup at Phoenix because the ends are so vastly different." - Justin Allgaier

Rick is a Contributor and Photographer for Frontstretch. He can be reached at rick.lunkenheimer@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON FRONTSTRETCH:

by Joseph Wolkin

by Matt Stallknecht

by Amy Henderson

by Kevin Rutherford

by the Frontstretch Staff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: In 2001, John Andretti started on the outside pole at Phoenix and led a couple of laps early.  However, he fell victim to an incident that would not occur today at the track.  What happened?

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

Wednesday's Answer:

Q: In 1994, Petty Enterprises was struggling badly.  Putting Wally Dallenbach, Jr. in the No. 43 was supposed to benefit the team.  Unfortunately, the move coincided with the number of full-time teams increasing to 42 for the first time.  Failing to find pace early meant DNQs.  In August, Dallenbach was replaced by John Andretti and a series of good runs resulted.  Phoenix could have been another good race for Andretti, but he fell victim to circumstances.  What happened?

A: Early on the race, Rick Mast blew an engine at the end of the backstretch, covering the track with fluids.  The track became an all-skate and Andretti simply lost it, spinning and hitting the wall hard on the drivers' side.  The contact was hard enough that it managed to break the wall.  Jimmy Spencer also spun, but didn't hit anything and continued.  While there is no footage of the hit, the coverage of the incident can be seen here.  Andretti was undoubtedly sore, but walked away.  Two weeks later, he'd finish 13th at Atlanta.

COMING MONDAY
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll have recaps of both NASCAR races this weekend from Phoenix, along with any notable news that breaks.

On Frontstretch.com:
We'll have a series of post-race commentaries breaking down the CampingWorld.com 500k.
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