THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Oct. 15, 2015
Volume IX, Edition CLXXXV
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Oct. 15, 2015
Volume IX, Edition CLXXXV
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What to Watch: Thursday
- Today is pull-in day for all three series racing this weekend at Kansas Speedway. There will be no on-track activity.
Top News
by the Frontstretch Staff
NASCAR to Use Low Downforce Package in 2016
by the Frontstretch Staff
NASCAR to Use Low Downforce Package in 2016
Wednesday afternoon, NASCAR officially announced the 2016 rules package for the Sprint Cup Series. It largely follows the low downforce package used at Kentucky and Darlington but with a change in radiator pan size. Additional changes to restrictor plates and fire suppression systems were also announced. Read more
NASCAR Penalizes 11 Teams After Charlotte
NASCAR Penalizes 11 Teams After Charlotte
Last weekend in Charlotte was quite busy in technical inspection. 11 teams copped warnings for various issues; Tony Stewart's team earned three warnings and must pick their pit last as punishment. Brad Keselowski will get the second-to-last pit stall as his team reached their fourth warning. Also, Kyle Busch's No. 54 XFINITY Series team had their appeal heard. The fine was reduced from $12,500 to $8,500 and probation was waived; however, the point penalty remains. 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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Today's Featured Commentary~~~~~~~~~~
Thoughts on Additional Drivers Coming Through the Ranks
Potts' Shots
by John Potts
Well, Joey Logano did about as good a job stinking up the Charlotte race Sunday as Kevin Harvick did the previous week at Dover.
I can remember a friend of mine saying back in the day, "Every so often somebody learns something or gets their whole package together and just blows everybody else away." Can't remember ever having seen it shown so clearly two weeks in a row.
I was interested in the mind games that are apparently coming into play now… for example, on the TV broadcast they reported that Joey or somebody on his crew had said they now knew what the No. 4 team had so they could turn their horses loose.
You'll never convince me that they deliberately laid down at Dover just to see how good somebody else was anymore than you'll convince me Harvick laid down Sunday. That being said, the No. 4 team now definitely knows what Logano's bunch has.
Every week is different, though, just as every track is different. If it wasn't for the drama that the current Chase format has put into the situation the last two races wouldn't have been worth watching.
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I was particularly taken by the comments from Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kyle Busch after both of them had some traction problems and got into the wall shortly after a restart. Both had been involved in early crashes, but the situation which really ruined their days came following a caution, brought on when Justin Allgaier's car covered the track with oil on the 182nd lap.
Both contended that the upper groove in the first and second turns wasn't checked by NASCAR officials and there was still oil. Junior banged off the outside wall on the 191st trip around and that apparently didn't get anyone's attention because Busch got into the fence more than 40 laps later.
Well, Joey Logano did about as good a job stinking up the Charlotte race Sunday as Kevin Harvick did the previous week at Dover.
I can remember a friend of mine saying back in the day, "Every so often somebody learns something or gets their whole package together and just blows everybody else away." Can't remember ever having seen it shown so clearly two weeks in a row.
I was interested in the mind games that are apparently coming into play now… for example, on the TV broadcast they reported that Joey or somebody on his crew had said they now knew what the No. 4 team had so they could turn their horses loose.
You'll never convince me that they deliberately laid down at Dover just to see how good somebody else was anymore than you'll convince me Harvick laid down Sunday. That being said, the No. 4 team now definitely knows what Logano's bunch has.
Every week is different, though, just as every track is different. If it wasn't for the drama that the current Chase format has put into the situation the last two races wouldn't have been worth watching.
---
I was particularly taken by the comments from Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kyle Busch after both of them had some traction problems and got into the wall shortly after a restart. Both had been involved in early crashes, but the situation which really ruined their days came following a caution, brought on when Justin Allgaier's car covered the track with oil on the 182nd lap.
Both contended that the upper groove in the first and second turns wasn't checked by NASCAR officials and there was still oil. Junior banged off the outside wall on the 191st trip around and that apparently didn't get anyone's attention because Busch got into the fence more than 40 laps later.
Earnhardt was four laps down, sitting 28th at the finish with Busch one lap behind in 20th.
Junior commented, "It's a single-lane racetrack and then there's oil on the top lane. We try to make anything happen and you put yourself in the fence. Thanks, NASCAR for cleaning that up."
He added, "They put speedy-dry where they thought there was oil, but I don't know I went around the speedy-dry where they laid it on the track and man, I flew into the fence and ran over all kinds of fluid out there closer to the wall than where their speedy-dry was. I couldn't see it and maybe the shadows were giving them a hard time also…"
Junior commented, "It's a single-lane racetrack and then there's oil on the top lane. We try to make anything happen and you put yourself in the fence. Thanks, NASCAR for cleaning that up."
He added, "They put speedy-dry where they thought there was oil, but I don't know I went around the speedy-dry where they laid it on the track and man, I flew into the fence and ran over all kinds of fluid out there closer to the wall than where their speedy-dry was. I couldn't see it and maybe the shadows were giving them a hard time also…"
NASCAR maintained that they looked everywhere, including putting people on the ground and walking the area where drivers contended there was oil. I know this scenario is a tough one and I've been involved in some similar situations myself. It was always my policy to be safe rather than sorry and to prolong the caution a few laps just to be sure we didn't miss anything. It's particularly difficult to spot oil at night and I've see track crews mount fog lamps down low on their truck bumpers to make the oil shine.
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I'm sorry to report that this column will be my last for awhile. As I said last week, I've got a health problem that needs to be resolved. Whether it will be or not, as one of my friends said, is all in God's hands. The only thing bothering me about that statement is that it is what Robert E. Lee said at Gettysburg in 1863.
I'll continue to cover what events I can for Frontstretch, and I want to thank Tom Bowles and everybody else for putting up with my writing.
See you when I can.
John Potts is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at john.potts@frontstretch.com.
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Editor's Note: The Critic's Annex will run tomorrow.
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"There are a lot of them. I don't know which one of my favorites that I can share. I am certainly fortunate to have a boss like him that I can hang out with and have fun away from the track along with having fun at the track." - Regan Smith, on stories about hanging out with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
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"There are a lot of them. I don't know which one of my favorites that I can share. I am certainly fortunate to have a boss like him that I can hang out with and have fun away from the track along with having fun at the track." - Regan Smith, on stories about hanging out with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
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TODAY AT FRONTSTRETCH:
by Matt McLaughlin
by Aaron Bearden
by Toni Montgomery
as told to Mike Neff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 2003, David Green took his third win of the season in the Mr. Goodcents 300 at Kansas Speedway. However, it was Michael Waltrip that was the dominant driver that day. What took Waltrip out of the race?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: Here's a random question. In 2001, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a passenger in his Budweiser Chevrolet for a good chunk of the fall. What was it?
A: Back then, one of the most popular movies in theaters was Cast Away, a film that featured Tom Hanks on a deserted island. In the film, he spends a significant amount of time with a volleyball named "Wilson." The team created their own Wilson and put it in Earnhardt Jr.'s car.
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COMING TOMORROW
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll cover breaking news from Kansas and preview this weekend's action.
On Frontstretch.com:
We'll have a suite of great columns to prep you for this weekend's action.
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©2015 Frontstretch.com
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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
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