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The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
by the Frontstretch Staff
Entry List: Sylvania 300
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Kentucky Speedway hosts the final standalone race of the season for the XFINITY Series Saturday night. With the Chase in full swing, JJ Yeley is the only Cup driver making the trip from New Hampshire to compete. 41 cars are currently entered. Read more
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Take Away All the NASCAR Crazy and We Still Have Cars - That's A Great Thing
Sitting in the Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady
When you take away late-race cautions, dubious restarts, and tempers flaring post-race you are still left with one thing: a race. Cars spin round the track, the air is filled with the ambrosia of unburnt fuel, tires shred, and engines roar. It's the heartbeat of a car enthusiast. You could remove the driver from the seat, rip off the decals, spray over the fancy paint jobs, fire the team of identically dressed mechanics and you would still have the car.
Yesterday, I did one of my favorite things; I dropped off the RV at our spot in New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Once we leveled the thing, we were ready to climb back in the truck but waited a moment. In the distance, we heard that symphony that will draw any racing fan out into the light — engines revving and wheels squealing. So, we walked down to the track.
In an empty parking lot the local car club had cones, fencing and tires set up for a drifting track. Cars with cracked fenders and wings were lined up amongst a mish-mash of tires and tools while jean-clad backsides poked out of engine compartments. There was not a sparkling decal or pressed button-up shirt to be seen anywhere. I didn't even see a trailer! These rides arrived as is and ready to rumble. What we saw was the heart of the American sports car scene.
We watched some of them attempt to do the Tanner Foust dance but few could actually execute. That's OK. Watching amateurs drift is like watching your four-year-old discover the joy of rolling down a grass-covered hill. The engines run up through the gears, the car slams into the turn and joy bubbles out of the move in the form of smoke. Occasionally, it'll break free and spin out, but that doesn't mean you stop. Why should you? There's this awesome asphalt playground set aside just for you and your car. Take advantage!
After we spent some time grinning like fools with everybody else at the meet, we wandered into the track proper. The Legends and Bandoleros were holding a race. In the pits, we were greeted by a familiar sight. Cars lined up for tech inspection, just like in Chicago. Teams bustled around—some with logoed T-shirts and others not. This race wasn't quite as formal a deal as a Sprint Cup event; you're talking thousands of dollars invested in your team vs. millions. Still, at the heart of day, it's all the same. Car people were using the track for everything it is intended for.
When the big boys come to town at the end of the week, we'll introduce the media to the mix. Broadcasts that feature music videos and manufactured drama will overshadow exactly the reasons that we turn on the TV in the first place. Those are cars lined up on pit road waiting for the command to be given. Once the engines turn over and the field rolls off, everybody in the stands will rise. We'll wave our hats, hold our breath and wait on that first green flag to drop.
That's when the magic happens. The numbers and names vanish for an instant and we become children for that first lap. A car rushes by. The joy we feel cannot be contained. It's not about competition, it's just about watching a near-perfect piece of machinery do everything it physically can.
We all mutter, "Wow." Fans, drivers, head wrenches and gas men, we're all the same in that moment. We're just car people doing what we love to do. Is there any better thing in the world?
Sonya's Scrapbook
This week, Jeff Gordon will eclipse one more record that may never be broken again. He will have started in 789 consecutive Sprint Cup races, a streak that dates all the way back to Richard Petty's last start: Atlanta in November of 1992. Gordon's never had a day off for a cold, sore back or family emergency. Since NASCAR now has much more stringent policies regarding concussions, I truly believe this time will be the last Iron Man record set. However, I think we ought to take a moment to think back on the man who Gordon is ousting from the spot: Ricky Rudd.
I loved watching Rudd. Aggressive, he held an acerbic tongue and was one of the last do-or-die competitors out there. His bright orange No. 10 shall always be one of my favorite cars and teams.
S.D. Grady is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch and runs a NASCAR blog called the S-Curves. She can be reached via email at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @laregna and on her Facebook page (she's an author, too!) at https://www.facebook.com/Author.SDGrady.
0
Cars who failed to finish at Chicagoland. In fact, no one even experienced a mechanical failure of any kind that put them behind the wall for a time. It's the first time in track history that's ever happened in a Sprint Cup event (dating back to 2001).
1
Win for Denny Hamlin all-time at Chicagoland. It was his first victory since Martinsville in early spring.
2
Non-Chase drivers to finish inside the top 10 Sunday: Kyle Larson and Aric Almirola.
3
Points scored by regular season point leader Kevin Harvick Sunday. Harvick has now plummeted to dead last in the 16-driver Chase field.
4
Number of Chasers to finish off the lead lap Sunday. They are Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard, Harvick and Clint Bowyer.
5
The number of laps led by Denny Hamlin after the final restart in order to win Sunday's race at Chicagoland.
6
Straight top-10 finishes for Joey Logano. He was sixth at Chicagoland.
12
Spots lost by Jeff Gordon after the final caution flag and ensuing restart, where the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet claimed he spun his tires. Those points lost leave him just three above the Chase cut line heading to New Hampshire.
17
Lead changes at Chicagoland, one fewer than the same race last season.
19
Races in between top-5 finishes for Ryan Newman. Newman, fourth at Chicagoland had not run that well since a fifth at Bristol back in April.
30
Gap between Aric Almirola and Kasey Kahne for "Best of the Rest" after Sunday's action. Almirola is hoping to hold onto 17th in points.
34.1
Average number of green-flag laps in Sunday's race before a caution was thrown.
50%
Of cautions thrown Sunday that were for debris. One stopped a 117-lap green-flag run and the other came with just eight laps remaining.
$122,025
Money won by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by finishing 12th Sunday at Chicagoland.
$126,690
Money won by Kevin Harvick by finishing 42nd Sunday at Chicagoland.
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Old School vs. New School NASCAR: On Display
by Tom Bowles
Beside the Rising Tide: If I Ran the Chase
by Matt McLaughlin
Who's Hot and Who's Not in NASCAR: New Hampshire Edition
Five Points: When Push Comes to Shove
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Monday's Answer:
Q: Formula One makes their yearly visit to Suzuka Circuit this weekend. The 3.6-mile, figure-8 road course always puts on an interesting show but one of the most unusual races was the 1989 Grand Prix of Japan. Here, both stewards and wrecking came into play. What happened?
A: After chasing teammate/points leader Alain Prost for the entire race, Senna drove to the inside at the Casio Triangle to make a move for the lead on lap 47 of 53. What happened next is up to interpretation, but what is obvious is that the two collided and slid off course. Prost retired immediately while Senna asked for (and received) a push start since he was in a dangerous position. The wreck can be seen in this clip.~~~~~~~~~~
COMING TOMORROW
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