Wednesday, November 02, 2016

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Trevor Bayne to Race for Roush Fenway Racing Through 2019

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Nov. 2, 2016
Volume X, Edition CXCV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What to Watch: Wednesday

- Today is penalty day in NASCAR.  Look for the typical assortment of warnings to be assessed.  We'll have that and more for you later today at Frontstretch.

~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday's TV Schedule can be found here.

Top News
by the Frontstretch Staff

Trevor Bayne, AdvoCare Extend Cup Deal

On Wednesday, Roush Fenway Racing announced that Trevor Bayne has re-signed with Roush Fenway Racing through the end of the 2019 season.  AdvoCare will continue to serve as the team's primary sponsor.  Read more

Hamlin Receives Written Warning at Martinsville

On Wednesday, NASCAR released a very thin Penalty Report from Martinsville.  In it, Denny Hamlin and Trevor Bayne were given warnings.  Matt DiBenedetto's car flunked the laser three times, losing practice in the process.  Read more

Acura Announces 2017 NSX GT3 Driver Lineup

On Tuesday, Acura announced their factory drivers for Pirelli World Challenge and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.  Ozz Negri, Andy Lally, Katherine Legge and Jeff Segal will race the new NSX GT3 full-time in IMSA, while Ryan Eversley and Peter Kox would race full-time in Pirelli World Challenge.  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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Featured Commentary
What Do We Do Now?
Professor of Speed
by Mark Howell
 

I worry a lot. About everything.

As a parent, I worry about my kids. How they're doing in school. How they're getting along with their friends. How they're getting along with those who aren't their friends. What do they need in order to be their best as human beings?

As a college professor, I worry about my students. Are they grasping the material? Are they understanding my lectures and assignments? Am I assessing their work properly? How are they managing their time? How are they managing their finances? How are they managing their parents' finances? What might they need for success?

As a motorsports writer, I worry about my work. Am I covering a particular topic clearly enough? Am I creative enough? Is the topic relevant to my audience? Who, in fact, IS my audience? Where are motorsports headed amidst the clutter of other, more traditional forms of athletic competition?

That's why I'm worrying about the current state of NASCAR.

My worries have little to do with the elimination format of the postseason. That approach seems to have added a much-needed element of tension to the Chases for the Championships – I use the plural because we're seeing three different postseasons unfolding this year for the first time. Nor do my worries have to do with the changing of the guard we're presently experiencing. As recognized names like Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon step away from the Sprint Cup Series (sort of), we welcome the younger hotshoes who are taking their places. Drivers like Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Erik Jones and William Byron are proof positive that NASCAR's future is secure, as far as talent is concerned.

The worries I have concern the new Sprint Cup title sponsor and what it will (or will not) bring to the sport. I'm also worried about the obvious emergence of team-based, on-track strategies like what we saw from Joe Gibbs Racing at Talladega recently. Perhaps my greatest worry right now, after his latest win at Martinsville, is that Jimmie Johnson is locked into the "final four" for Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami.

I'm worried that this year's Sprint Cup title run will be a race for second place.

I know Johnson has yet to win a Cup race at the track, but I also know that the No. 48 team now has three weeks during which to prepare an outstanding piece of top-notch equipment. Given "Six-Time's" history of running well on intermediate-sized speedways, there's no reason to doubt his chances of finally parking his Chevrolet in Victory Lane.

Hendrick Motorsports may have faded a bit during the middle part of the season, but there's no sign of such lackluster performances now. Even after a shunt with Denny Hamlin and, at one point, inadvertently losing his car's electrical system, Johnson still found his way to the Winner's Circle. Jimmie's victory tied him with Jeff "Never Say Never" Gordon for nine career Martinsville grandfather clocks.

Did I mention that Jimmie is now also eligible to run for his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup championship? The championship that would tie Johnson with Hall-of-Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt?

So, in truth, maybe I AM actually worried about the elimination format of the postseason….
Did I mention that I tend to worry a lot?

At least I can worry from afar; I'm not one of the drivers who's now scrambling for one of the three remaining spots in the "final four". I'm not dealing with team politics and in-shop competition. The screws just turned a little bit tighter at the offices of Joe Gibbs, Roger Penske, and Tony Stewart-Gene Haas.

If I were working for one of those teams, I'd be worried about the fact that seven doesn't go into three very easily.

About the only guy who's got little to worry about is Jimmie Johnson….

Dr. Mark Howell is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.  He can be reached via e-mail at mhowell@nmc.edu.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

by Dustin Albino

compiled by Aaron Bearden

~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: The 2004 Silverado 350k at Texas Motor Speedway was marred by a huge crash involving Bill Lester and David Reutimann.  What happened?

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

Tuesday's Answer:

Q:  Greg Biffle may have avoided elimination in the first crash of the night back in 1998 at Texas (see below) but he ultimately could not make it the distance before being taken off on a wrecker.  What happened?

A: With 21 laps to go, Biffle was battling Wayne Anderson for second when Anderson lost control exiting turn 2.  Anderson's No. 84 spun and tapped Biffle, spinning Biffle down the track.  Biffle hit Mike Wallace, then the inside wall.  Toby Porter was also collected.  The wreck can be seen here.

Biffle, Anderson and Porter were all out on the spot, but walked away from the track.  Wallace had significant damage, but drove back to pit road, got some repairs and finished on the lead lap in 12th.

~~~~~~~~~~
COMING TOMORROW
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll have any news that breaks in the world of NASCAR, plus we'll take a look at NASCAR Seasons: 2001.

On Frontstretch.com:
Toni Montgomery returns with her weekly look at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Nitro Shots.
---------------------------
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!
©2016 Frontstretch.com

--
--
Feel free to forward this newsletter if you have any friends who loves
NASCAR and great NASCAR commentary. They can subscribe to the Frontstetch by visiting http://www.frontstretch.com/notice/9557/.
 
If you want to stop your Frontstretch Newsletter subscription, we're sorry
to see you go. Just send an email to
TheFrontstretch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com from the address that you
recieve the Frontstretch Newsletter.

---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Frontstretch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to thefrontstretch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

No comments:

Post a Comment