THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Sept. 14, 2015
Volume IX, Edition CLXII
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Sept. 14, 2015
Volume IX, Edition CLXII
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What to Watch: Monday- Today, a Goodyear Tire Test will begin at Kansas Speedway. Representatives from Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Petty Motorsports and BK Racing, in addition to Martin Truex, Jr. from Furniture Row Racing will be at the 1.5-mile tri-oval to test tires for the upcoming Chase race.
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Monday's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.
Paul Menard, RCR Renew Contract for 2016
Monday's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.
Top News
by the Frontstretch Staff
Matt Kenseth Reigns in Richmond; Chase Field Set
Matt Kenseth Reigns in Richmond; Chase Field Set
Saturday night, the Chase for the Sprint Cup field was set at Richmond. There were no drivers who moved in and out of the field despite a strong, last-ditch effort by Aric Almirola to take the victory. Instead, Matt Kenseth completely dominated the proceedings, leading all but 48 laps to win and gain a share of the post-reset points lead. Kyle Busch was second followed by pole sitter Joey Logano, Aric Almirola and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Read more
Michael McDowell Hits Safety Truck Under Caution in Richmond
Michael McDowell Hits Safety Truck Under Caution in Richmond
Bizarre things can happen in Sprint Cup races; the 2015 season is living proof. During a yellow Saturday night, Michael McDowell misjudged his car's position while drivers were preparing to pit, striking the left-rear corner of the safety truck. The truck's occupants were OK but McDowell cleaned out the right-rear corner of his Thrivent Financial Ford and was forced to retire. Read more
Chase Elliott Wins Virginia 529 College Savings 250
Friday night at Richmond, Chase Elliott took the lead on lap 168 from underdog Ross Chastain (who was on an alternate pit strategy). From there, Elliott held off the best of the XFINITY Series and a few good Sprint Cup regulars to take his first win of the year. Kyle Busch was second followed by Brian Scott, Joey Logano and Erik Jones. Read more
Paul Menard, RCR Renew Contract for 2016
Friday, Richard Childress Racing announced the renewal of Paul Menard's contract. As a result, Menard will return to the No. 27 Chevrolet in 2016. Menards Home Improvement Warehouses will continue to serve as the team's primary sponsor. 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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Chasing the Chase: The Chase is Set
by Phil Allaway
by Phil Allaway
Brad Keselowski was a little bit off Saturday night. His eighth-place finish was enough to maintain his position (fourth pre-reset, ninth afterwards) but he was clearly looking for more. Jimmie Johnson was right behind Keselowski in ninth. His four wins earlier in the season give him a share of the lead for the beginning of the Chase but Saturday night's run was a little better than recent weeks. He'll have a little more confidence now going to Chicagoland. Matt Kenseth's victory moved him up to sixth in the regular points but also gave him a share of the Chase points lead as well. He looks to be a significant threat for the title.
Martin Truex, Jr. was a victim of circumstance, smacking the wall early after getting in oil laid down by Reed Sorenson. From there, Truex trudged to a 32nd-place finish. It's the kind of run you cannot have in the actual Chase. Denny Hamlin had a decent night, leading some laps and finishing sixth, good enough to maintain his position in the points. Kurt Busch was strong early but later dropped out of the top 10 and got lapped on a long, green-flag run. He was never able to get that lap back and finished 15th. Jamie McMurray rounds out the top 10 in regular points and had to charge from 31st to finish 13th. Despite that ending, he ran as high as fourth during the race on merit.
Chase Point Standings: t-1) Jimmie Johnson 5012, t-1) Kyle Busch 5012, t-1) Matt Kenseth 5012, 4) Joey Logano -3, t-5) Kevin Harvick -6, t-5) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -6, t-5) Kurt Busch -6, t-5) Carl Edwards -6, t-9) Brad Keselowski -9, t-9) Martin Truex, Jr. -9, t-9) Denny Hamlin -9, t-12) Jamie McMurray -12, t-12) Jeff Gordon -12, t-12) Ryan Newman -12, t-12) Clint Bowyer -12, t-12) Paul Menard -12.
Regular Point Standings (1-16): 1) Kevin Harvick 978, 2) Joey Logano -30, 3) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -84, 4) Brad Keselowski -105, 5) Jimmie Johnson -126, 6) Matt Kenseth -154, 7) Martin Truex, Jr. -160, 8) Denny Hamlin -185, 9) Kurt Busch -197, 10) Jamie McMurray -221, 11) Carl Edwards -232, 12) Ryan Newman -240, 13) Jeff Gordon -241, 14) Clint Bowyer -262, 15) Paul Menard -268.
Drivers Outside the top 16 in the Chase: 25) Kyle Busch -464.
Best of the Rest: 17) Aric Almirola (16th overall), 18) Kasey Kahne (17th overall) -16, 19) Kyle Larson (18th overall) -75, 20) Greg Biffle (19th overall) -82, 21) Austin Dillon (20th overall) -90, 22) AJ Allmendinger (21st overall) -137
Letter of the Race: Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 400 was brought to you by the letter "T," for "Trouncing." For the second straight year, the final race before the Chase was a complete anti-climax. No one could touch Matt Kenseth. Sure, he wasn't necessarily the best on restarts but he led all but 48 laps (and all but 11 in the second half of the race). No one was touching Kenseth unless something stupid happened. - Phil Allaway
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Quotes to Remember: Federated Auto Parts 400
compiled by Phil Allaway
"These guys gave me a great car – thanks to Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and all these guys standing behind me. They had the pit stops we needed, they kept us out front so we were really superb in the long run and we had to work for it pretty hard in the short run. I was disappointed to see that last caution, but I knew it was going to be tough. We were able to get the jump and get out front. Thanks a lot to Dollar General, Sprint, Dewalt, Toyota, TRD – we have great partners and we couldn't do it without them. Good way to go into the Chase." - Matt Kenseth, race winner
"I had fun running with Matt or trying to run with Matt. I could only do it for about 10 or 20 laps and then he'd just start driving away. His car was really, really good on the long runs so good job to those guys being in Victory Lane again for Joe Gibbs Racing. We had a fun night tonight. We fought hard, we battled a little bit there with some guys and had to work on our car but M&M's Crispy is back and I'm back and we're back in the Chase so... ready to rock and roll." - Kyle Busch, finished second
"It was a really great run for us tonight. I thought we were decent in practice but didn't think we would be that good. We weren't in the beginning part of the race but then, as we kept going I felt like we got our Shell Pennzoil Ford faster and Todd made great adjustments. We got behind on a strategy call when we stayed out and we hung pretty good and I think we were 10th at the end of that run and then worked our way back toward the front. We had a shot at the win at the end but those restarts. We don't know what the rules are on the restarts because they are different every week. One week it is not okay to jump the start and the next week it is OK to jump. I try to understand the rules but I can't figure it out. We will all be lost together."- Joey Logano, finished third
"I am disappointed for sure. We have a really great race team at Richard Petty Motorsports and great sponsors. We had Waffle House on the car tonight and I told all the guys if we won we would go get free waffles but we just came up short. I am really proud of all my guys. We worked our guts out all year long and tonight was no different. I feel we have overachieved this year and really maximized our results week in and week out. I am disappointed to come up a few spots short but we gave it all we had and that is all we can do. We will go race these last 10 races and try to get a victory. Winning is good no matter when it is, regardless of the Chase or not, we will try to go stink up the show and get some wins in the last 10 races." - Aric Almirola, finished fourth
"These guys gave me a great car – thanks to Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and all these guys standing behind me. They had the pit stops we needed, they kept us out front so we were really superb in the long run and we had to work for it pretty hard in the short run. I was disappointed to see that last caution, but I knew it was going to be tough. We were able to get the jump and get out front. Thanks a lot to Dollar General, Sprint, Dewalt, Toyota, TRD – we have great partners and we couldn't do it without them. Good way to go into the Chase." - Matt Kenseth, race winner
"I had fun running with Matt or trying to run with Matt. I could only do it for about 10 or 20 laps and then he'd just start driving away. His car was really, really good on the long runs so good job to those guys being in Victory Lane again for Joe Gibbs Racing. We had a fun night tonight. We fought hard, we battled a little bit there with some guys and had to work on our car but M&M's Crispy is back and I'm back and we're back in the Chase so... ready to rock and roll." - Kyle Busch, finished second
"It was a really great run for us tonight. I thought we were decent in practice but didn't think we would be that good. We weren't in the beginning part of the race but then, as we kept going I felt like we got our Shell Pennzoil Ford faster and Todd made great adjustments. We got behind on a strategy call when we stayed out and we hung pretty good and I think we were 10th at the end of that run and then worked our way back toward the front. We had a shot at the win at the end but those restarts. We don't know what the rules are on the restarts because they are different every week. One week it is not okay to jump the start and the next week it is OK to jump. I try to understand the rules but I can't figure it out. We will all be lost together."- Joey Logano, finished third
"I am disappointed for sure. We have a really great race team at Richard Petty Motorsports and great sponsors. We had Waffle House on the car tonight and I told all the guys if we won we would go get free waffles but we just came up short. I am really proud of all my guys. We worked our guts out all year long and tonight was no different. I feel we have overachieved this year and really maximized our results week in and week out. I am disappointed to come up a few spots short but we gave it all we had and that is all we can do. We will go race these last 10 races and try to get a victory. Winning is good no matter when it is, regardless of the Chase or not, we will try to go stink up the show and get some wins in the last 10 races." - Aric Almirola, finished fourth
"Tonight was a great effort by the guys, the whole group. We started off OK, and we identified issues the car had and Greg (Ives, crew chief) went right to work, and I even had some ideas that worked, so that was great. We worked on the car all night, kept getting better and better, and they got real aggressive and I was asking them to be aggressive. We don't got nothing to lose. It's good to do that and sort of ‑‑ that's how you got to be in the Chase, I think. You got to take chances, you're not going to sit there and top 10 them to death. I think you've got to be aggressive, and I think that maybe we can curtail tonight into some good runs going in right into the Chase, start off with a couple good runs and keep going." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished fifth
"No, I wasn't limited in the car at all. Just you really don't notice anything until you stop and that's the biggest thing is as soon as I stopped it's just feeling the throbbing. Feeling your heart beating in your knee. Just tightened up there towards the end, but we just didn't have a fast enough car to win today. We were close, but had a great run – one of the better runs we've had here in the last few years. I wish the car was a little bit faster but other than that I felt like in the car I wasn't limited and we ran as good as we could." - Denny Hamlin, finished sixth, on racing with a torn ACL
"Well, it was a really solid night for our 3M Chevrolet so I'm really proud of all the guys on this team. The car, the first car I was a little nervous, we were hovering around 21st, we made a slight adjustment and boom - we started going to the front. I don't know if we were a top‑5 car, but we were definitely a top‑10 car and finished seventh. Excited we finally had a solid night on pit road, on the racetrack, in the race car, communication. Everything was just really solid. That certainly gives us something to be excited about these next ten races and these guys have been working so hard. I know everybody works hard but they just haven't been getting the rewards of that hard work. It's nice to be in the Chase and take that relief and take that breath and now go reset and see what we can do over the next 10." - Jeff Gordon, finished seventh
"I could take off alright on restarts, we could go for a little bit and then I get so tight with the front, wouldn't turn, and I was having a couple other issues with brakes and stuff. But we tried to kind of fight through there, we got a lap down, and then once we didn't get the lucky dog, we ran in position for a while and we were too far back and we ended up two laps down. Matt was really good, Kenseth. Those guys were fast." - Kasey Kahne, finished 18th
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TODAY AT FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud – Matt Kenseth Storms Into the Chase While Paul Menard Survives
by Mike Neff
Kickin' the Tires: Roush Fenway Racing Disappoints by Missing the Chase
by Jerry Jordan
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 2015 Federated Auto Parts 400
by Amy Henderson
Up To Speed: Is This Joe Gibbs Racing's Championship To Lose?
by Summer Bedgood
Pace Laps: Ending Winless Streaks and Kickoff Media Tours
by the Frontstretch Staff
XFINITY Breakdown: Virginia 529 College Savings 250
by Summer Bedgood
Thinkin' Out Loud – Matt Kenseth Storms Into the Chase While Paul Menard Survives
by Mike Neff
Kickin' the Tires: Roush Fenway Racing Disappoints by Missing the Chase
by Jerry Jordan
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 2015 Federated Auto Parts 400
by Amy Henderson
Up To Speed: Is This Joe Gibbs Racing's Championship To Lose?
by Summer Bedgood
Pace Laps: Ending Winless Streaks and Kickoff Media Tours
by the Frontstretch Staff
XFINITY Breakdown: Virginia 529 College Savings 250
by Summer Bedgood
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:Q: The 2002 Tropicana 400 saw Michael Waltrip (fresh off his second career win at Daytona a week earlier) qualify fifth and run well at Chicagoland Speedway. Just after halfway, his race ended, but not how the results say it ended. What happened?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Friday's Answer:
Q: In the 2006 Emerson Radio 250 at Richmond, Kevin Grubb crashed on the frontstretch at the end of the first lap. This turned out to be his last NASCAR start because he was indefinitely suspended shortly afterwards. What happened to cause that?
A: Grubb suffered what appeared to be a concussion in the crash. He was out of sorts afterwards. While he was trying to reacquire his faculties, NASCAR officials sprung an unannounced drug test on Grubb (remember, Grubb had already been suspended once previously for failing a test). Given the physical condition that he was in, Grubb declined the test. NASCAR considered declining the test to be equal to failing. As a result, he was suspended.~~~~~~~~~~
COMING TOMORROW
COMING TOMORROW
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll have breaking news from Monday and S.D. Grady returns with Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View.
On Frontstretch.com:
Danny Peters returns with Five Points to Ponder after Saturday night's race in Richmond. -----------------------------
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©2015 Frontstretch.com
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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