Friday, October 14, 2016

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Kansas Underway

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Oct. 14, 2016
Volume X, Edition CLXXXII
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What to Watch: Friday


- Today is a full day of on-track action at Kansas Speedway.  The Sprint Cup Series has practice and qualifying, the XFINITY Series has all their practices and the ARCA Racing Series has a one-day show culminating in the Kansas 150 tonight.

FOLLOW THE FRONTSTRETCH THIS WEEKEND AT KANSAS THROUGH OUR COLLEAGUE:

Summer Bedgood ( @SummerBedgood)

Also, don't forget to follow our 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
 
Potential 2017 Cup Series Rules Leaked?

Motorsport.com's Lee Spencer is reporting that Sprint Cup teams have been sent a list of proposed new rules for 2017.  The potential changes include decreased downforce, a smaller restrictor plate at Daytona and Talladega, and rear end/suspension changes that would eliminate post-race swerving.  Read more

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Frontstretch Folio: Hollywood Casino 400
by Phil Allaway

This weekend, the Sprint Cup Series returns to Kansas for the fifth race of the Chase.  Coverage of the Hollywood Casino 400 begins with NASCAR America Sunday at 1 p.m.  Coverage jumps to NBC at 1:30 for Countdown to Green, while the green flag should fly around 2:15, weather permitting.  Radio coverage will be provided by local MRN radio affiliates and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Records and facts

The finish of last year's Hollywood Casino 400 was rather over the top.  Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth were fighting hard for the lead when Logano was forced into the outside wall.  Contact was made in turn 1, resulting in Kenseth spinning out.  On the restart, Logano held off the pack to take the victory.  Denny Hamlin was second, followed by Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch.  Kenseth ended up 14th.

All-time, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are the winningest drivers at Kansas Speedway with three apiece.  Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth have two.

Track Facts
Track / Race Length: 1.5-mile tri-oval, 267 laps (400.5 miles)
Banking: 17-20 degrees

Frontstretch: 2,721 ft., banked 10 degrees

Backstretch: 2,207 ft., banked 5.5 degrees

Grandstand Seating: 74,000

Pit Road Speed: 45 mph
Pace Car Speed: 55 mph
Opened: 2001

Website: http://www.kansasspeedway.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/kansasspeedway

Remaining Pre-Race Schedule:

Practice No. 1: Friday, October 14, 1 - 2:25 p.m. on NBCSN

Qualifying: Friday, October 14, 6 p.m. on NBCSN

Practice No. 2: Saturday, October 15, 11 - 11:50 a.m. on NBC Sports App/Live Extra

Happy Hour: Saturday, October 15, 1:30 - 2:20 p.m. on NBCSN

Say What?!

"It's definitely a little bit different just for the fact the (corner) entries are a little different than at most places. Turns 3 and 4 remind me of turns 3 and 4 at Chicagoland Speedway, but there's a lot more grip and a lot fresher asphalt than what Chicagoland has nowadays. It's a very high-speed racetrack. You run the middle to the bottom of the racetrack. But I'm sure, as time goes on, that the groove will move back up. But, for right now, it's very fast and very sensitive to your line and, with all the speed and how tricky the entrance is into turn 1, you can miss your line easily. So, you have to be very specific about where you put your car and pay attention to what you're doing." - Kevin Harvick

"I love Kansas. It's one of my favorite places to go. Snap Fitness is going to be on board for their fourth race this season and that's a really good venue for them. We've done Kansas before with them. Their CEO is coming out, and they've got a really good franchisee in the area that's a good champion of the brand. So, we enjoy having them on the car for that race. It's also a cool race because it's not far from home (Iowa) for me, so my parents can come out. Kansas is a race I always look forward to... I feel like the track has changed a lot since the repave. When we first went out there, it was really single-groove, really edgy. And it's still that way an awful lot, but the groove opens up during the race. It's just really fast and you carry a lot of speed through the corners." - Landon Cassill

"I definitely don't look at Kansas as a stellar racetrack for me. I feel like it's a very unique repave and the way the asphalt feels there to me is a little different than a lot of racetracks. I think I still have a lot to figure out at Kansas. I'm happy we got to run a Cup race there this year. I learned a few things and hopefully that will help going back. I lean on my teammates a lot, really for any of the races in general, but definitely at Kansas which is a place I haven't run at a lot. Jimmie (Johnson) has had a lot of success there over the past couple of years having won a race and I think a lot of that can help. I'm also always leaning on Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) any way I can. He's been a huge help all year long and I appreciate everything he has done for me to get going." - Chase Elliott

Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at ashland10@mail.com.
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TODAY ON FRONTSTRETCH:

by Zach Catanzareti

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: Much like Fuji's first F1 race in 1976, F1's return in 2007 was marred by heavy rains and fog.  However, that particular race is probably best known for a collision between future teammates.  What happened?

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

Thursday's Answer:
 
Q:  Fuji Speedway hosted the first World Championship event in Japan back in 1976.  It was the season finale and should have settled the James Hunt-Niki Lauda championship battle on the track.  While the race happened, it wasn't really decided on-track.  Why?

A: Anyone who saw the recent film Rush will recognize this.  The weather for the Grand Prix of Japan at Fuji was atrocious.  As you can see here, rain, fog, and spray made it quite dangerous.

Niki Lauda pulled out of the race a couple of laps in, stating that the conditions were unsafe.  James Hunt had to finish fourth or better to win the title.  For most of the race, he was leading or running in the top 3 until a tire issue forced a stop.  Hunt then moved back to up to third to claim the world title.

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COMING MONDAY
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll have recaps of the Sprint Cup and XFINITY series races from Kansas.  In addition, we'll also cover other news that breaks.

On Frontstretch.com:
We'll have a series of post-race commentaries analyzing this weekend's action at Kansas Speedway.
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