Friday, April 10, 2015

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Austin Dillon Dominates XFINITY Practice

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Apr. 10, 2015
Volume IX, Edition LI
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What to Watch: Friday

- It's race day for the XFINITY Series at Texas Motor Speedway.  But, first, they must qualify.  There will be practice and qualifying for Sprint Cup as well prior to the O'Reilly Auto Parts 300.
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FRONTSTRETCH AT THE TRACK! We're at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend for Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series action. Follow our own Beth Lunkenheimer at @Beth_Frntstrtch for updates from Texas.  Also, be sure to check our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all the latest news, reaction, and results from a full day of racing, no matter your preference.
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This weekend's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.

Top News
by The Frontstretch Staff

Austin Dillon Tops Both XFINITY Practices

On Thursday, the XFINITY Series held their two practice sessions for tonight's O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.  Much like at Las Vegas, Austin Dillon has positioned himself as the man to beat.  He was the fastest driver in both sessions.  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: Duck Commander 500
by Rick Lunkenheimer

The Sprint Cup Series rolls into Texas Motor Speedway this weekend for its first Saturday night race of the season. Television coverage of the Duck Commander 500 begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX; the race can also be heard on your local PRN affiliate and SiriusXM channel 90. Drivers will compete for 334 laps (501 miles) en route to the checkered flag.

Records and Facts

Track Facts
Track / Race Length: 1.5-mile quad-oval / 501 miles (334 laps)
Pit Road Speed: 45 mph
Degree of Banking: 24 degrees
Frontstretch: 2,250 ft., 5 degrees of banking
Backstretch: 1,330 ft., 5 degrees of banking
Grandstand Seating: 122,377
Website: http://www.texasmotorspeedway.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/texasmotorspeedway
 Twitter: https://twitter.com/TXMotorSpeedway

Pre-race Schedule

Practice: Friday, April 10 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
Happy Hour: Friday, April 10 2:00 - 3:20 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
Qualifying: Friday, April 10 at 6:45 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1

VIPs:
Welcome: Willie Robertson
Top 10 Driver Intros: Jase Robertson
Grand Marshal / Command: Si Robertson
Honorary Starter / Wave Green Flag: Phil Robertson
Honorary Pace Car Driver: Alan Robertson
Invocation: Sadie Robertson
National Anthem: Reed Robertson

Race Day Forecast
Saturday: Scattered Thunderstorms; Chance of rain: 60%
High: 77
Low: 63

Best Bets: Top 10 Driver Ratings at Texas Motor Speedway (courtesy of NASCAR)

#20-Matt Kenseth 105.9
#48-Jimmie Johnson 105.7
#18-Kyle Busch 101.3
#16-Greg Biffle 100.9
#14-Tony Stewart 98.3
#99-Carl Edwards 95.9
#11-Denny Hamlin 93.5
#24-Jeff Gordon 93.2
#15-Clint Bowyer 91.4
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. 91.1

They Said It:
I'm feeling really good and really refreshed after the weekend off. I'm just really encouraged by the start of the season and how it's gone so far. We've been to pretty much every style of track now, so I'm feeling confident. I feel like we only have up to go as far as how new our relationship is as a team at this point." - Danica Patrick

"I'm really excited heading into Texas this weekend, and do some night racing. Texas has gotten to be pretty bumpy and rough on tires over the years, which always provides for some good racing." - Mike Bliss

"You have to be comfortable or you're not going to go fast. The more comfortable I am, the faster we go. This track, the grooves have moved around, especially in the last couple of years. We've seen the track get wider and it's made it to where you can move around on the racetrack and where you can run the top side or the bottom side. It's nice from a driver's perspective to be able to have that flexibility behind the steering wheel, knowing that if your car's not driving exactly the way you want it to, you can move around the racetrack and find a spot the car likes better." - Tony Stewart

Rick Lunkenheimer 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 Toni Montgomery

by the Frontstretch Staff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: The 2003 O'Reilly 300 was a coming out party for Brian Vickers, who led 87 of the 200 laps on the day.  However, his race quickly unraveled and went from the penthouse to the toilet in about 20 laps.  What happened?

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

Thursday's Answer:

Q: The inaugural race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway marked a career crossroads for Ricky Craven.  What happened to ultimately change the direction of the rest of his driving career?

A: During Friday practice, Craven spun and hit the wall hard, suffering a concussion.  This was the second big wreck that Craven had had in less than a year.  Ultimately, Craven sat out Texas and Bristol before returning.  However, post-concussion symptoms from Texas essentially curtailed his career in 1998.

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

On Frontstretch.com:
We'll have a series of post-race commentaries breaking down the Duck Commander 500, along with a recap of the Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana.
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