Tuesday, April 05, 2016

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Bobby Pierce Returns to the Camping World Truck Series

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Apr. 5, 2016
Volume IX, Edition XLIV
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FRONTSTRETCH JOBS: SALES & BRANDING MANAGER

Frontstretch is seeking a dynamic, creative self-starter to head our sales team. The individual would be responsible for the following:
– Engaging new partners and taking the lead in brokering agreements for sales & advertising across all Frontstretch outlets: Website, Newsletter, Podcast, and video content
– Responding to exposure inquiries from potential advertisers
– Working with our social media team to enhance the marketing and branding experience for our advertising clients

The position will be a direct report to our Business and Financial Manager, a position that also will work closely with the Majority Owner and Social Media team. A fast-growing website whose writers have won multiple NMPA Awards, the Frontstretch is well-positioned for success in 2016 and has a healthy audience of over seven figures per year. The role, while initially commission-based offers a generous percentage and perks down the road for this startup company. Frontstretch management has, in many cases been in place for nearly a decade before becoming a for-profit website and we're excited to welcome the right person into this family atmosphere.

Interested parties should email tbowles81@yahoo.com with a short note on why they're interested and their current resume.
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What to Watch: Tuesday
 
- Today, preparations continue for the action this weekend.  We'll have anything that breaks today at Frontstretch, in addition to the entry lists for this weekend's races in Texas.
 
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Today's TV Listings can be found here.

Top News
by the Frontstretch Staff
 
Bobby Pierce Set for Truck Series Return with MB Motorsports

MB Motorsports announced Monday that dirt racer Bobby Pierce will return to the No. 63 Chevrolet for at least three races in 2016.  He is currently signed to race at Kansas, Dover and Charlotte.  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
Snacking at a NASCAR Race: Is It as Awesome as Advertised?
Sitting in the Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady

Oh yeah, yet another enjoyable race.  We had competition on a tiny paperclip, some beatin', some bangin', and a few dozen mentions of the legendary Martinsville hot dog.  That went along with melting tire beads, brake failures and the appearance of a freight train. But no matter what else is happening, discussions of the $2.00 treat pervade the broadcasts from the Virginia hills.  That's as it should be.  No matter what track you visit, food and beverage always are a main feature of any NASCAR fan's weekend.

Now, whether you adore the taste of the town or not is entirely a matter of personal opinion.  When I visited Martinsville a few years back, I did my duty and filled up a tray with a half-dozen dogs.  I unwrapped them, licked my lips and prepared for NASCAR nirvana....

It didn't happen.  I am sorry to say the snappy, pink sausages did not win me over.  Yes, at two bucks they are possibly the best deal at any venue I've visited.  And with their popularity I can certainly appreciate that they probably pay for a huge percentage of the weekend's concession sales.  But, no, the Martinsville dog did not have me swooning in my seat.  However, that's not to say there weren't plenty of other opportunities to indulge.  There usually are.  The menu does vary as you travel across the country, but there are some staples to be found wherever you go.

My personal favorite treat is a waffle cone filled with Bruster's black raspberry chocolate chunk ice cream at NHMS.  Perhaps it's the magical combination of a day at the track, but I swear I can't find such scrumptious ice cream anywhere else.

In Las Vegas, I vote for the kettle corn.  I'm always willing to find out what the giant line is for when no other vendor has people waiting.  So, I got in line in front of the pop-up tent.  Twenty minutes later, I was munching down on sweet, salty, melt-in-your-mouth, hot out-of-the-kettle popcorn.  I will never forget that bag of corn.  Absolutely divine.

Now, at Martinsville I did have a memorable meal but we had to do a bit of driving to find the fan recommendation.  The Checkered Pig was well worth the effort.  Again, let those lines work for you!  At lunch time, we had to wait about twenty minutes to get a table at the bustling BBQ spot.  However, everything on our plates was awesome, service was friendly and the bottle of sauce we took home was just as great months later.

Further south, we visited Darlington.  The hauler parade gave us ample opportunity to munch on lots of local offerings.  However, nothing beat the half-peck of tiny peaches I picked up at the farmers' market.  Sometimes simple is best.

In Bristol, I did attempt cheesy grits at a local diner.  The jury is still out on this one.  Based on the fact I love corn in almost any other iteration, I'm stumped as to why I haven't met a grit that got my taste buds dancing.  On the other hand, there was moonshine available at the track.  The plastic collectible mason jar that the Mountain Dew 'shine was served in remains an a wonderful reminder of an awesome night.

Not every track serves up memorable food.   Atlanta may have permanently harmed my enjoyment of cheesesteak, for example.  That was not cheese served over the meat.  It couldn't have been!  Michigan, Pocono and Dover all have left my race weekend taste memory blank as well.  I know I ate there, of course but I can't tell you what version of burger, pizza or BBQ I may have eaten in a race-induced frenzy.  I firmly believe I simply didn't find that one vendor who stands out from all the others.

So, now I have to ask.  What is your favorite racing meal when at the track? I want to be prepared for when I visit your neck of the woods.

Something Shiny

Wait! Was that the No. 47 finishing right behind Kyle Busch on Sunday?  Yes, it was.  I guess the days of cheering for the underdog are not over yet.  Go, AJ Allmendinger!

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.

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Numbers Game: STP 500

by Tom Bowles


0
Laps led by second-place finisher AJ Allmendinger this season. Allmendinger, the Martinsville runner-up has two top-10 finishes, sits 12th in the standings but is now the highest driver in points who hasn't led a lap.

-1
Net gain or loss of positions for Joey Logano from where he's started this season. Logano, who won the pole at Martinsville did lose ten spots Sunday en route to finishing 11th.

1
Victory at Martinsville for Kyle Busch in 22 career Sprint Cup starts. Busch, who broke his "goose egg" Sunday at the paperclip-shaped oval now just has three active tracks on the circuit where he hasn't won: Charlotte, Kansas, and Pocono.

2
Top-5 finishes for Austin Dillon this season, including a career-best fourth on Sunday. Dillon had two career top-5 finishes combined in his first two seasons on the circuit.

3
Straight top-15 results for the No. 14 car normally driven by Tony Stewart. That includes a seventh by Brian Vickers on Sunday. It's the first time since the spring of 2014 (Stewart) that this car has strung three top 15s in a row together.

4
Wins in the first six races for Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch's victory was for JGR Sunday; Denny Hamlin has also won for that team (Daytona 500). Jimmie Johnson, meanwhile has won twice for HMS.

5
Top-10 finishes for Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Carl Edwards this season to lead all drivers on the Cup circuit.

10
Laps led by Paul Menard Sunday. They were the first laps led for Menard at Martinsville, who's been a full-timer on the Sprint Cup circuit for a decade now. (His eighth-place finish was a career best at the track)

16th
Finishing position for Danica Patrick Sunday, a season best.

20
Positions lost by Kasey Kahne over the course of Sunday's race. Kahne, who started on the outside of the front row was a lap down within the first 85 circuits and wound up 22nd, a lap off the pace. 

40
Cars who started Sunday's race at Martinsville. It was just the second time in six races NASCAR had a full 40-car grid this year (since reducing the number from 43 at the start of the 2016 season).

51
Caution laps at Martinsville Sunday. That's the fewest for a race there since the Fall of 1996.

Tom Bowles is the Editor-in-Chief of Frontstretch.  He can be reached via e-mail at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY AT FRONTSTRETCH:

by Phil Allaway

by Matt McLaughlin


by Tom Bowles

TODAY AT ATHLON SPORTS:

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: In 2001, Robert Pressley had a real up and down season.  He had his best career finish (a second) at Chicagoland Speedway in July.  Then, you have races like Texas, where he qualified well, but had a short day.  What happened to put him out?

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

Monday's Answer:

Q:  The 1998 Texas 500 was a bit of a wreckfest, similar to the inaugural event a year earlier. During the race, Greg Sacks' career nearly came to end with a nasty crash in turn 1.  But he wasn't the only Cup Series driver to wind up hurt that weekend. What happened to force Mike Skinner to miss the next three races later on in the event?

A: Skinner appeared to blow a right front tire in turn 4 as his Lowe's Chevrolet went hard into the outside wall.  The No. 31 then grinded along before hitting the wall hard again in the quad-oval and knocking the windshield out of the car.  Coverage of the crash can be seen here.

Skinner got out of the car under his own power, but he was in significant pain.  Just a couple of weeks earlier, he had been hurt at Atlanta in a somewhat similar crash and this incident only exacerbated the injuries.  Morgan Shepherd and Mike Dillon filled in while Skinner recovered.

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COMING TOMORROW
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll have more NASCAR news to report and Dr. Mark Howell returns with his weekly Professor of Speed column.

On Frontstretch.com:
Clayton Campbell is in this week for Joseph Wolkin to answer your questions in NASCAR Mailbox. Also, Chris Buescher stops by to chat about his rookie season in our weekly Beyond The Cockpit feature.
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