Friday, April 01, 2016

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Time to Bump and Bang at Martinsville, Vickers Shows Early Pace

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Apr. 1, 2016
Volume X, Edition XLII

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NEW POSTING: SALES & BRANDING MANAGER

Frontstretch is seeking a dynamic, creative individual 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. Serious inquiries only. 

What to Watch: Friday


- Today, the Sprint Cup, Camping World Truck and Verizon IndyCar Series return to the track for practice ahead of their races this weekend.  Qualifying for Sprint Cup and the Verizon IndyCar Series is scheduled for today, while Truck qualifying is Saturday morning.
FOLLOW THE FRONTSTRETCH THIS WEEKEND IN MARTINSVILLE FROM OUR COLLEAGUES:
 
Amy Henderson (@Writer_Amy)
Mike Neff (@MNeffShortTrack)
Zach Catanzareti (@ZachRacing)

 
and our own Twitter page, @Frontstretch as well for updates!
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This weekend's TV Schedule can be found
here.

Top News
by The Frontstretch Staff

Chip Ganassi Racing XFINITY Series Crew Member Dies at 34

Chip Ganassi Racing announced on Thursday that Ryan Shea, Car Chief of the team's No. 42 entry in the XFINITY Series, died in his sleep Wednesday at his North Carolina home.  Shea was 34 years old.  Read more
 
Brian Vickers Tops Opening Cup Practice in Martinsville
 
Earlier this morning, the Sprint Cup Series ventured onto the .526 mile oval for 80 minutes of practice.  Once the dust cleared, Stewart-Haas Racing's Brian Vickers was fastest with a lap of 19.485 seconds (97.182 mph).  Denny Hamlin was second fastest, followed by Joey Logano, Ryan Newman and Kyle Larson.  Trevor Bayne crashed during the session and will have to qualify in a backup car with no laps on it later today.  Read more
 
William Byron Paces Opening Truck Practice in Martinsville
 
In an opening practice session delayed by a wet track, rookie William Byron was quickest in his Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota with a lap of 19.868 seconds (95.309 mph).  Timothy Peters was second quickest, followed by Kyle Busch, Johnny Sauter and Cole Custer.  Read more

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Frontstretch Folio: STP 500
by Phil Allaway

This weekend, the Sprint Cup Series returns to action after a week off for Easter with the series' first short track race of the season at Martinsville Speedway.  Drivers will race for 263 miles (500 laps) around the 0.526 mile paperclip-shaped oval.  The race can be seen on FOX Sports 1 starting at 1 p.m. EDT (the Green Flag is scheduled to fly around 1:50 p.m.).  It can also be listened to on MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Records and facts

Last year, Denny Hamlin passed teammate Matt Kenseth with 28 laps to go and held on to claim the win, clinching his spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup as a result.  Team Penske teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano were second and third.  Kenseth had to settle for fourth, while David Ragan, subbing for the then-injured Kyle Busch, was fifth.

Jimmie Johnson is the most successful active driver at Martinsville by virtue of his former teammate Jeff Gordon's retirement.  Johnson has eight career wins at the short track and the best average finish of anyone that will be on the grid this week (7.5).  Denny Hamlin has five Martinsville wins, while Tony Stewart (not competing due to injury) has three.

All-time, Richard Petty has the most wins at Martinsville with 15 career victories.  Darrell Waltrip is second with 11.  Jeff Gordon is third with nine.  Johnson is fourth with eighth, while Rusty Wallace has seven.  Dale Earnhardt and Cale Yarborough each have six wins

Track Facts
Track / Race Length: 0.526 mile paper-clip shaped oval, 500 laps (263 miles)
Banking: 12 degrees

Straightaways: 800 ft, no banking

Grandstand Seating: 55,000
Pit Road Speed: 30 mph
Pace Car Speed: 35 mph
Opened: 1947

Website: http://www.martinsvillespeedway.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MartinsvilleSpeedway

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MartinsvilleSwy

Pre-Race Schedule:

Practice 1: Friday, April 1, 11 a.m. - 12:20 p.m. on FOX Sports 1

Qualifying: Friday, April 1, 4:15 p.m. on FOX Sports 1
 
Practice: Saturday, April 2, 10 a.m. - 10:55 a.m. on FOX Sports 1

Happy Hour: Saturday, April 2, 1 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. on FOX Sports 1

Say What?!

"Everyone's had a good week to rest and we are ready to get back at it and what a place to get back at it- Martinsville. It's such a great track.  Man, I've been close there so many times, it seems like.  I think we were leading a couple of years ago with like 40 laps to go and had trouble in the pits.  The track can change from the time you practice to the race.  That's part of the balancing act.  You have to be set up to handle that change.  If you are too free or tight in practice, it's only going to get worse in the race." - Clint Bowyer

"I ran the first Martinsville Cup race last year. And I learned really quickly that it is a rough track to race at. It's just really tough. It's not the same as a Saturday night short track event. When you get that many laps and that many cars, you can't go anywhere. It's really tough to pass. It's really tough to move around. But, I love short track racing, and I'm hoping that what I learned last time will apply this time around and we'll be able to be a little bit better and try to get a top-20 or top-15 run there.
 
"It's mentally and physically challenging. I remember my knee hurt from pushing the brake pedal a thousand times during the day as hard as you do there. That was the big thing for me. It can be very exhausting, but it can also be a great racetrack to go have fun at. We'll have CSX back on our No. 34 Ford Fusion with the 'Play It Safe' campaign. It might get bumped and bruised a bit, but we're going to try to keep our car safe and push it toward the front." - Chris Buescher

"Martinsville is a difficult half-mile track that I have struggled at in the past. I definitely feel more comfortable there and can give the needed feedback to get our Fastenal Ford dialed in. It's a long race which I have to remind myself to stay patient. I think if we can keep our Fastenal Ford clean and not get caught up in a wreck then we should be able to have a solid finish at Martinsville." - Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.

Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.

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TODAY ON FRONTSTRETCH:

by Zach Catanzareti
by Amy Henderson
as told to Mike Neff
 
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: In the 2004 Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville, Jeff Gordon led a race-high 180 laps from the pole.  He was running second just after halfway when the unforeseen occurred.  What happened that ultimately cost him the win?

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

Thursday's Answer:

Q: In 1998, Bobby Hamilton led 379 laps en route to his second win at Martinsville and the final Winston Cup win for Morgan-McClure Motorsports.  He didn't exactly need any help getting that victory, but he got some on Friday afternoon.  What happened?

A: During qualifying on Friday afternoon, it started raining lightly before Hamilton was due to go out on track.  Right after Johnny Benson qualified on a slightly wet track (and ended up taking a provisional as a result), NASCAR threw the red flag.  After the track was dried and ridded of fluids, Hamilton was the first driver out on track and he proceeded to win the pole.

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COMING MONDAY
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll have recaps of the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series events from Martinsville Speedway.  There will also be an update on the points and any other news that breaks this weekend.

On Frontstretch.com:
We'll have a series of post-race commentaries breaking down this weekend's action in Martinsville.

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