Friday, March 06, 2015

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Previewing A Weekend In Las Vegas

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Mar. 6, 2015
Volume IX, Edition XXVI
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What to Watch: Friday

- Today, the race weekend begins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series.  700 miles of racing is on tap.
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This weekend's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.

Top News
by The Frontstretch Staff

Read Statements Pertaining to the Kurt Busch No Bill Decision

Yesterday, the Delaware Department of Justice announced they will not charge Kurt Busch in the wake of the incident that occurred last September in his motorcoach at Dover International Speedway.  In response, a number of statements have been released pertaining to the matter.  Read more
Axalta Coating Systems to Sponsor Regan Smith in Boyd Gaming 300

On Thursday, JR Mototrsports announced that Axalta Coating Systems will serve as the primary sponsor of Regan Smith's No. 7 in the XFINITY Series this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  The company, best associated with Jeff Gordon in the Sprint Cup Series, is normally an associate sponsor with JR Motorsports.  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: Kobalt Tools 400
by Rick Lunkenheimer

The Sprint Cup Series rolls into Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for the third race on the schedule. The Kobalt Tools 400 will be broadcast live on FOX at 3:30 p.m. ET; it can also be heard on your local PRN affiliate or SiriusXM Channel 90. Drivers will compete for 267 laps (400.5 miles) en route to the checkered flag.

Records and Facts:

Brad Keselowski heads in Vegas as the defending winner of this race. He started second and led 53 laps en route to his first of six wins on the year. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished second, followed by Paul Menard. Joey Logano and Carl Edwards rounded out the top 5.

Jimmie Johnson has the most wins in Las Vegas with four victories in 13 starts. He also boasts an average finish of 9.2. Last year, Johnson led 34 laps and finished sixth.

Joey Logano holds the track qualifying record at Las Vegas, set last march at 193.278 mph. After starting on the pole, Logano led 44 laps en route to a fourth-place finish behind teammate Brad Keselowski.

Track Facts:

Track/Race Length: 1.5 mile oval, 267 laps, 400.5 miles
Frontstretch: 2,275 feet, banked nine degrees
Backstretch: 1,572 feet, banked nine degrees
Banking: 20 degrees
Grandstand Seating: 142,000
Pace Car Speed: 55 mph
Pit Road Speed: 45 mph
Opened: 1996 (First Cup race held in 1998)
Website: http://www.lvms.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LVMotorSpeedway
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LVMotorSpeedway

VIPs

Grand Marshal / Command: TBA
Honorary Starter / Wave Green Flag: TBA
Honorary Pace Car Driver: TBA
National Anthem: Rascal Flatts
Flyover: TBA

Best Bets:

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Las Vegas
No. 48 - Jimmie Johnson........................ 113.6
No. 24 - Jeff Gordon.............................. 103.7
No. 20 - Matt Kenseth.............................. 98.1
No. 16 - Greg Biffle.................................. 97.9
No. 19 - Carl Edwards.............................. 97.8
No. 14 - Tony Stewart............................... 97.1
No. 4 - Kevin Harvick.............................. 94.5
No. 88 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr........................ 91.5
No. 5 - Kasey Kahne.............................. 88.1

Note: Kyle Busch has a 103.4 driver rating but will not be racing as he continues to recover from the injuries he sustained at Daytona.

Race Day Forecast:

Sunday: Partly Cloudy

High: 75

Low: 50

Say What ?!?:

"Driving the Kobalt car for the Kobalt 400 adds some pressure and (crew chief) Chad (Knaus) and I really don't like to see someone else in Victory Lane with our sponsor. We have an incredible partnership and I'd love to win it for them this weekend. It would be really special." -Jimmie Johnson

"The last time we were at Las Vegas, our Miller Lite Ford Performance Fusion and Discount Tire Ford Mustang swept the weekend. I'd love to do that again, but since we are only running the (Sprint) Cup race we'll have to do our best to make the most of that one. It is always fun coming out to Las Vegas – the track is great and we draw a great crowd too." - Brad Keselowski

"We have all the momentum on our side and it's obviously a fantastic way to start the season. Our theme this season is to believe in ourselves. We have all the tools to be a championship team and these past two races have been an example of how we want this season to go." - Ty Dillon

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, Jeff Gordon claimed victory in the UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  For Jeff Burton, his day went to heck within two laps.  What happened?

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

Wednesday's Answer:

Q: The inaugural CarQuest 420k for the then-Craftsman Truck Series at Las Vegas was dominated by two men: Jack Sprague and Ernie Irvan.  While Sprague won the race, Irvan's day ended early.  What happened?

A: Irvan was leading the race with 30 laps to go in his own No. 28 Ford (co-owned by Mark Simo) when the engine began emitting puffs of smoke and losing power.  The loss of power allowed Sprague to make the pass for the win on lap 147.  Since Irvan's No. 28 was a part-time team (Bryan Reffner was driving the team's full-time No. 44), the team decided that it wasn't worth it to continue and packed it in.

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

On Frontstretch.com:
We'll have a series of post-race commentaries breaking down the Kobalt Tools 400.
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