THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Apr. 30, 2015
Volume IX, Edition LXV
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What to Watch: Thursday
- Today is the beginning of the race weekend in Talladega. ARCA Racing Series haulers began pulling into the infield at 7 a.m. this morning. Later today, Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series haulers will park as well. XFINITY teams have six hours to work on their cars and go through inspection as well.
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Thursday's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.
Top News
by the Frontstretch Staff
by the Frontstretch Staff
Thirteen Teams Take Part in Test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
On Wednesday, NASCAR held an open test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sprint Cup teams to check out the new rules package on the 2.5 mile oval. 13 teams from as many different organizations took to the track to gather some data. Read more
GoDaddy Leaving Danica Patrick, NASCAR After 2015
GoDaddy announced on Wednesday that they have decided to leave NASCAR at the end of the 2015 season. As a result, Danica Patrick is left without a primary sponsor for her car going into 2016, despite running much better so far this season. Read more
Brett Moffitt Returns to the No. 34 at Kansas
Brett Moffitt Returns to the No. 34 at Kansas
With David Ragan's move to Michael Waltrip Racing for the balance of the sesason after Talladega, Front Row Motorsports has made another move to bolster their lineup. Brett Moffitt, who previously drove for the team earlier this season, will return to the No. 34 starting at Kansas. Read more
Ty Dillon to Race No. 33 Cup Entry at Michigan in June
Ty Dillon to Race No. 33 Cup Entry at Michigan in June
On Tuesday, Richard Childress Racing announced that XFINITY Series regular Ty Dillon will drive the No. 33 Chevrolet in conjunction with Circle Sport at Michigan in June. Sponsorship will be provided by Nexium, a heartburn medication. Read more
Jeff Gordon to Drive Indy 500 Pace Car
Jeff Gordon to Drive Indy 500 Pace Car
During a break in Wednesday's open test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, track officials announced that Jeff Gordon will serve as the honorary pace car driver for the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race next month. Read more
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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 its 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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Today's Featured Commentary
Thoughts on Kurt Busch's Win, IRP and Terminology Differences
Potts' Shots
by John Potts
Nice to see Kurt Busch make it to victory lane at Talladega last weekend. To be honest, I haven't been a big fan of his, but I feel like he got a rotten deal over that experience with the ex-girlfriend. I think NASCAR was correct in making him eligible for the Chase, since they suspended him before any charges were ever filed.
And yes, I'm still waiting for them to take action against Travis Kvapil for his incident in which he pleaded guilty to domestic violence a few years back. I guess it'll never happen because NASCAR is apparently refusing to believe the incident ever happened.
Kurt has been strong from the moment he stepped back into that 41 car, and his success seems to justify Gene Haas' judgement in putting him there in the first place and bankrolling the team on his own since there wasn't a sponsor available.
Nothing succeeds like success, and I can't understand why somebody hasn't jumped at the chance to put their name on that car, because it's been up front continually and getting lots of TV exposure.
Now, the talk of maybe making his little brother eligible for the Chase is another matter.
I'm told NASCAR feels like it's their fault he's out with serious injuries, since there wasn't a SAFER barrier where he hit that wall at Daytona. OK, understand that. However, as another writer pointed out this week, there's a big difference between missing a few weeks and missing half the season.
--
My comments about the oval track at what is now Lucas Oil Raceway Park brought something else to mind this week. Something I've had on file since I copied it a couple of months back.
I don't ordinarily take very seriously much of what Michael Waltrip says, but I saved his response to a question from Jeff Gluck of USA Today because it had to do with one of my favorite places.
The question was, "If someone paid you $5 million to design a new racetrack and gave you an unlimited budget, what kind of track would you build?"
Michael responded, "I would probably build somewhere between a half-mile and three-quarter-mile track. It would be sort of like (then) Indianapolis Raceway Park. When I was a kid, that was my favorite track. And I loved that race — the Kroger 200. To go there and win it (in 1989) — for the masses, it's way down the list of crap I actually accomplished. But for me, it's way up there. Because I'm like, 'That's probably the greatest short track race in America.' I like that track because the banking encourages folks to run out next to the wall, but then there's a flat where you can cut to the bottom. So I'd want a version of that. It's pretty distinct — the difference between the banking and the flat — and there are ways to cut across it."
That night in 1989, he was on his game, and ran the top as well as it could be run.
And I agree, Michael, it was probably the best short track race on the schedule. A vote of the writers covering the entire series bore that out a couple of times.
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Watching the Formula 1 race from Bahrain last week, I got a kick out of a radio transmission from one of those elite drivers. They're required to do their radio communication in English, and at one point this driver's crew wanted to know if he had any problems.
His response was a classic, "I seem to have a non-compliant car."
That's a perfect example of the difference between Formula 1 and NASCAR. One of the good ol' boys would have responded, "Yeah, this SOB ain't handlin'."
It made me remember an interview with Jim Clark at Indianapolis on a practice day at Indianapolis back in the 60s. The track announcer wanted to know how his Lotus was working, and he replied, "Well, we're having a problem with understeer, or as they like to say here in the States, it's pushing."
For those who haven't heard it, as Neil Bonnett once explained, "pushing" or "tight" is when you can see the wall before you hit it.
Actually, I was kind of surprised that Clark didn't say, "…here in the colonies."
On a similar note, I heard an explanation on a television program last week as to why we here in the colonies race counter-clockwise on ovals.
I can't speak for the accuracy of it, but these people said it was because one of the men who introduced horse racing to this country (a Kentuckian, by the way) was so anti-English that he refused to do it the way they did over there.
Figures.
Nice to see Kurt Busch make it to victory lane at Talladega last weekend. To be honest, I haven't been a big fan of his, but I feel like he got a rotten deal over that experience with the ex-girlfriend. I think NASCAR was correct in making him eligible for the Chase, since they suspended him before any charges were ever filed.
And yes, I'm still waiting for them to take action against Travis Kvapil for his incident in which he pleaded guilty to domestic violence a few years back. I guess it'll never happen because NASCAR is apparently refusing to believe the incident ever happened.
Kurt has been strong from the moment he stepped back into that 41 car, and his success seems to justify Gene Haas' judgement in putting him there in the first place and bankrolling the team on his own since there wasn't a sponsor available.
Nothing succeeds like success, and I can't understand why somebody hasn't jumped at the chance to put their name on that car, because it's been up front continually and getting lots of TV exposure.
Now, the talk of maybe making his little brother eligible for the Chase is another matter.
I'm told NASCAR feels like it's their fault he's out with serious injuries, since there wasn't a SAFER barrier where he hit that wall at Daytona. OK, understand that. However, as another writer pointed out this week, there's a big difference between missing a few weeks and missing half the season.
--
My comments about the oval track at what is now Lucas Oil Raceway Park brought something else to mind this week. Something I've had on file since I copied it a couple of months back.
I don't ordinarily take very seriously much of what Michael Waltrip says, but I saved his response to a question from Jeff Gluck of USA Today because it had to do with one of my favorite places.
The question was, "If someone paid you $5 million to design a new racetrack and gave you an unlimited budget, what kind of track would you build?"
Michael responded, "I would probably build somewhere between a half-mile and three-quarter-mile track. It would be sort of like (then) Indianapolis Raceway Park. When I was a kid, that was my favorite track. And I loved that race — the Kroger 200. To go there and win it (in 1989) — for the masses, it's way down the list of crap I actually accomplished. But for me, it's way up there. Because I'm like, 'That's probably the greatest short track race in America.' I like that track because the banking encourages folks to run out next to the wall, but then there's a flat where you can cut to the bottom. So I'd want a version of that. It's pretty distinct — the difference between the banking and the flat — and there are ways to cut across it."
That night in 1989, he was on his game, and ran the top as well as it could be run.
And I agree, Michael, it was probably the best short track race on the schedule. A vote of the writers covering the entire series bore that out a couple of times.
--
Watching the Formula 1 race from Bahrain last week, I got a kick out of a radio transmission from one of those elite drivers. They're required to do their radio communication in English, and at one point this driver's crew wanted to know if he had any problems.
His response was a classic, "I seem to have a non-compliant car."
That's a perfect example of the difference between Formula 1 and NASCAR. One of the good ol' boys would have responded, "Yeah, this SOB ain't handlin'."
It made me remember an interview with Jim Clark at Indianapolis on a practice day at Indianapolis back in the 60s. The track announcer wanted to know how his Lotus was working, and he replied, "Well, we're having a problem with understeer, or as they like to say here in the States, it's pushing."
For those who haven't heard it, as Neil Bonnett once explained, "pushing" or "tight" is when you can see the wall before you hit it.
Actually, I was kind of surprised that Clark didn't say, "…here in the colonies."
On a similar note, I heard an explanation on a television program last week as to why we here in the colonies race counter-clockwise on ovals.
I can't speak for the accuracy of it, but these people said it was because one of the men who introduced horse racing to this country (a Kentuckian, by the way) was so anti-English that he refused to do it the way they did over there.
Figures.
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: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
by Phil Allaway
Welcome back to the Annex. This week, we have a slightly happier situation to talk about as opposed to last week with the death of Steve Byrnes, something that no one wanted to happen. Instead, we have some Verizon IndyCar Series action from Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.
Pre-race coverage was fairly straight forward. Viewers got to see a number of interviews from a number of the potential favorites. There was no real standout feature of the day, though. There was a conversation with Scott Dixon where the primary focus was the fact that he stinks at the beginning of the season. Prior to Long Beach, that was holding for 2015 as well. Ultimately, it really wasn't all that memorable.
Barber Park brought on NBC Sports Network's first booth change of the season. Both Leigh Diffey and Townsend Bell were back from Long Beach, but they were joined by Steve Matchett, normally of the the Formula 1 telecasts. Matchett is normally the technical guy, but he doesn't seem to have anywhere near as much technical knowledge about IndyCar as he does about Formula 1. Unfortunately, that removes the greatest advantage of having Matchett in the booth.
That doesn't mean its a bad thing to have Matchett out there. It just tempers what he can do. He is familiar with a number of the drivers since a number of them have either raced in Formula 1 or in one of the immediate feeder series. Also, as a former pit crew member with Benetton, he can tell what's going on during the stops better than anyone.
During the race, there was quite a bit of good racing for position, especially in the second half of the event. Usually, Barber Park races for the Verizon IndyCar Series are somewhat processional. NBC Sports Network is generally pretty good on the INDYCAR broadcasts at finding the battles and showing them to viewers and Sunday was no exception. The battles make the race more exciting to watch.
I did take note that the booth does not seem to have much of an opinion of Francesco Dracone, the driver who has replaced Justin Wilson in the No. 19 for Dale Coyne Racing this year. Early on, they reported on a spin that Dracone had in turn 5. Audio from Dracone's radio indicated that his crew noted that it was a "good catch." Apparently, he did the same thing in the morning warm-up.
Later in the race, the booth (especially Bell) got on Dracone for holding the pack up and not moving over to let them pass. They seemed to be operating under the opinion that Dracone was a lap down and being a bad backmarker, much like Olivier Grouillard did when he was driving for Tyrrell back around 1992.
I made a note of this on Twitter during the race that the booth was screwing up. Yes, Dracone isn't the fastest guy of the grid (he's pretty much the slowest), but those were actually battles for position. Dracone had every right to do what he did on Sunday. Later on, the booth actually had to correct themselves and note that Dracone was on the lead lap and that he had the right to race drivers like James Hinchcliffe straight-up.
Post-race coverage was quite expansive, even though the race took nearly two hours to run. Viewers got eight varied driver interviews that explained most of the race's primaruy stories from the point of view of the drivers, in addition to checks of the results, points, and some analysis.
Overall, I enjoyed watching Sunday's Verizon IndyCar Series race on BNBC Sports Network. Especially towards the end of the event, the action was really exciting and the booth made the event that much better. Aside from the instance I mentioned above with Dracone, everyone did a great job. On that note, I'm not sure how long Dracone's going to be in the No. 19. It's not on the level of when Dale Coyne Racing fielded Milka Duno for her final year in the series and spent the entire year trying not to mention her. They at least have a driver profile of Dracone on the team's website. Regardless, it's still going to be a tough year for the rook.
I hope you enjoyed this look at NBC Sports Network's telecast of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Next week, I'll be back with a look at the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown. Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Talladega, Spa and Monterey.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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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"One rule that does help the single-car teams, though not the multi-car organizations among the underfunded, is the testing rule that allows an organization to send just one car and driver to NASCAR's open tests. For the multi-car teams, that means each driver is limited in the tests he can attend, while a single-car operation can send their driver to multiple sessions, which allows them to draw more information." - Amy Henderson, on how the smaller teams can actually benefit from the rule changes for 2015...that is if they make the effort to go.
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
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COMING TOMORROW
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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
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From The Frontstretch Five: Things That Make You Go… Huh?"One rule that does help the single-car teams, though not the multi-car organizations among the underfunded, is the testing rule that allows an organization to send just one car and driver to NASCAR's open tests. For the multi-car teams, that means each driver is limited in the tests he can attend, while a single-car operation can send their driver to multiple sessions, which allows them to draw more information." - Amy Henderson, on how the smaller teams can actually benefit from the rule changes for 2015...that is if they make the effort to go.
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TODAY AT FRONTSTRETCH:
by Beth Lunkenheimer
by P. Huston Ladner
by Toni Montgomery
by Joseph Wolkin
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Past races at Talladega have plagued by disappointed fans throwing beers (or, at Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s suggestion, toilet paper) onto the track in disgust after races that ended inappropriately. However, there has also been an occasion that the Spring race at Talladega has been put under caution early on due to such ridiculous behavior. Name the year that this happened.
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: In the 2002 Aaron's 499, Kenny Wallace finished 21st in a DEI-built Aaron's Chevrolet owned by Michael Waltrip. However, Wallace didn't really finish there. Was happened to cause Wallace to be sent back?
A: Kenny Wallace actually came over the line in fifth. However, coming to the white flag, Wallace went below the yellow line while passing Sterling Marlin and Jeff Burton. That's not allowed. Since the infraction occurred so close to the end of the race, NASCAR moved Wallace to the end of the lead lap. The infraction can be seen here.
COMING TOMORROW
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll have a recap of Thursday's breaking news for you.
On Frontstretch.com:
We'll have some burning questions to consider heading into Talladega.-----------------------------
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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