THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 6th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CLXXVIII
--
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Newman Resigns with Stewart-Haas Racing
ThatsRacin.com and the Charlotte Observer are reporting that Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army/Quicken Loans/Tornadoes/Outback Steakhouses/Haas Automation Chevrolet, has signed a one-year contract in order to continue driving for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2013. This basically guarantees that the organization will field three full-time entries next season for Newman, team co-owner Tony Stewart and 2013 Rookie of the Year contender Danica Patrick.
Newman and Stewart-Haas Racing had been in negotiations for a contract extension for weeks. Recently, both Stewart and Newman had stated that they were close to a new deal, but refused to give details.
Neither Stewart-Haas Racing nor Newman have commented as of yet on the new contract. However, there is a good chance that the deal could be announced as soon as this weekend in Richmond.
Pursuit Channel to Sponsor Front Row Motorsports at Richmond
On Wednesday, Front Row Motorsports announced that the Pursuit Channel, a satellite-only network that caters to outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen, will serve as a co-primary sponsor on the No. 38 Ford driven by David Gilliland this weekend in Richmond. They will be joined by Mossy Oak, a brand of camo wear for hunters.
Gilliland is very happy to have the Pursuit Channel on his No. 38 in Richmond.
"I consider myself an avid outdoorsman," Gilliland said. "I enjoy hunting and fishing and spending time outdoors. Mossy Oak makes some pretty cool patterns. Their camouflage will look good on our No. 38 Ford."
Pursuit Channel CEO Rusty Faulk is thrilled to join up with Front Row Motorsports.
"NASCAR fans strongly index with our target audience," Faulk said. "David Gilliland is a tremendous race car driver and representative for our brand. He appreciates the outdoor lifestyle, enjoys hunting and fishing and is a personality our viewers can identify with at multiple levels."
This is not the first time that either the Pursuit Channel or Mossy Oak has been involved in NASCAR. The Pursuit Channel served as a co-primary sponsor on Jason White's No. 23 truck back in 2010 for three races. White finished all three races in the top-10 with a best finish of fourth at Martinsville.
Mossy Oak served as an associate sponsor with Butch Mock Racing in the Winston Cup Series back in the late 1990's. They were partnered up with primary sponsor Remington Arms and Stren, a manufacturer of fishing line.
Grand-Am and American Le Mans Series Announces Merger for 2014
On Wednesday morning, Grand-Am Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series announced in a joint press conference in Daytona Beach that they will be merging their operations starting in the 2014 season. As a result, there will be one major sports car series in the United States for the first time since 1997. For 2013, the two series will continue to operate separately, but work together.
Jim France, founder of Grand-Am, will serve as the new combined organization's Chairman. Dr. Don Panoz, head of the American Le Mans Series, has accepted the position of Vice Chairman of the combined series. Current ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton will have a spot on the Board of Directors, along with Grand-Am's President and CEO, Ed Bennett, NASCAR Vice Chairman/Executive Vice President Lesa France Kennedy and NASCAR Vice President/Deputy General Counsel Karen Leetzow. This combined series does not have an official name as of yet.
In addition, the merger also included ALMS' sanctioning body, IMSA (International Motor Sports Association), ownership of Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia and Sebring International Raceway in Florida. Panoz also used to own Mosport International Raceway in Ontario, but that track was sold off to a group including Ron Fellows last year.
Many of the main principals involved are very pleased with the potential future of sports car racing in the United States.
"Today's announcement will transform sports car racing on this continent, along with having worldwide industry implications," said Bennett. "Aside from the organizations involved, everybody wins: drivers, teams, manufacturers, sponsors, tracks -- and most all, the fans."
"This merger will strengthen professional sports car racing beyond what either of our organizations could have achieved separately," Dr. Panoz said. "The American Le Mans Series was founded for the fans and I'm personally gratified that they will benefit greatly as we now work together with Grand-Am to take this sport to the level at which it belongs in the North American and international motorsports landscapes.
Since the two series have radically different equipment and classes, there will have to be some combining and/or elimination of classes. Also, there are new prototype rules coming down the pipe from the Automobile Club d'Ouest (ACO) for 2014 as well that may come into play. Discussion has centered upon the Daytona Prototypes and ALMS' P2 being combined into one class, with the DP's made faster. The ALMS' GT category is considered to be the most competitive on earth at the moment, while Grand-Am's GT class is more on the level of GT3 (GT3 Ferrari 458 Italias and Audi R8's, along with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup are currently legal, along with tube-framed Chevrolets and Mazdas). Also, Grand-Am is introducing a new class dubbed GX that will show off new technologies. Mazda has already committed to fielding entries in this class, but has not stated what they will be yet.
As for schedule length, the idea of a 12-race season comprised of the best events from each series was banded around during the press conference. However, such a season would make quite a few tracks unhappy. Between the two entities, 18 different tracks have sports car weekends scheduled for 2012 (Road America, Lime Rock Park, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course each hosted, or will host both series). The only definite for now is that the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona will be the first race of the combined series.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400: 45 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 22- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
No. 91- Reed Sorenson for Humphrey-Smith Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 10- David Reutimann returns to the seat, replacing Danica Patrick.
No. 32- Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing T.J. Bell.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 0- Mark Green for SS Motorsports. This is a brand-new team that is debuting at Richmond. If Green qualifies, it will be his Sprint Cup debut.
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 23- Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports*
No. 26- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30- David Stremme for Inception Motorsports
No. 33- Stephen Leicht for Circle Point, LLC
No. 37- J.J. Yeley for Tommy Baldwin Racing/MaxQ Motorsports*
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 91- Reed Sorenson for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing*
Not Entered:
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 49- Jason Leffler for Robinson-Blakeney Motorsports
No. 95- Scott Speed for Leavine Family Racing
Nationwide Series Virginia 529 College Savings 250: 46 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 08- Paulie Harraka for Randy Hill Racing/Go Green Racing
No. 18- Denny Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22- Ryan Blaney for Penske Racing
No. 30- James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33- Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 47- Stephen Leicht for Team Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 50- David Starr for MAKE Motorsports
No. 51- Ty Dillon for Richard Childress Racing
No. 54- Kurt Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 75- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 08- Paulie Harraka is in the seat, replacing Kyle Fowler.
No. 4- Jeremy Clements returns to the seat, replacing Danny Efland. This is actually the normal No. 51 team using the points from the No. 4 normally operated by JD Motorsports with Gary Keller.
No. 15- Carl Long returns to the seat, replacing Timmy Hill.
No. 20- Darrell Wallace, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Truex.
No. 22- Ryan Blaney returns to the seat, replacing Brad Keselowski.
No. 24- Derek White returns to the seat, replacing Benny Gordon.
No. 38- Brad Sweet returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne.
No. 39- Dexter Stacey is in the seat, replacing Matt Carter.
No. 41- Timmy Hill returns to the seat, replacing Fain Skinner.
No. 51- Ty Dillon returns to the seat, replacing Jeremy Clements. Note that this is actually a fourth entry for Richard Childress Racing.
No. 54- Kurt Busch returns to the seat, replacing his brother Kyle.
No. 60- Travis Pastrana is in the seat, replacing Trevor Bayne.
No. 70- Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines.
No. 71- Matt Carter returns to the seat, replacing Carl Long.
No. 99- Ryan Truex returns to the seat, replacing Travis Pastrana.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 08- Paulie Harraka for Randy Hill Racing/Go Green Racing
No. 10- Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 15- Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 17- Tanner Berryhill for Berryhill Racing
No. 20- Darrell Wallace, Jr. for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46- Chase Miller for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 47- Stephen Leicht for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 50- David Starr for MAKE Motorsports
No. 52- Joey Gase for Means Motorsports
No. 60- Travis Pastrana for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 71- Matt Carter for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 86- Kevin Lepage for Deware Motorsports
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Racing Ventures
Not Entered:
No. 00- Blake Koch for Ruch Motorsports/SR2 Motorsports
No. 98- Reed Sorenson for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
Today's Featured Commentary
Another One Bites The Dust at Roush Fenway Racing
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
With Tuesday's announcement making official what everybody has known for the past two months, 2003 Winston Cup Champion Matt Kenseth has left Roush Fenway Racing, and will be moving to Joe Gibbs Racing. To say that Roush Fenway is a talent vacuum might not be much of an understatement. Over the course of the past five years, consider the drivers that they have lost the likes of Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, and Matt Kenseth. Sponsorship has taken a hit as well, adding to the list of Office Depot, UPS, AAA, DeWalt, Crown Royal, and Carhartt.
And let us not forget TapouT and Jeremiah Weed...
Meanwhile, it has taken two years to find suitable sponsorship to field a Nationwide Series car for the 2011 Daytona 500 champion, yet have arranged a ride for a guy who is most famous for breaking his ankle the night before his first NASCAR start. As Ford's flagship – and really only self-sustaining team – RFR is still a force within NASCAR, but at a bit of a crossroads, one year removed from losing a championship by a tiebreaker.
Yes, the No. 17 team mustered a win in the Daytona 500 this year, and Greg Biffle is currently the Sprint Cup Series points leader. That being said, things just seem amiss with that organization. Carl Edwards has been a non-issue all season long, while undisclosed health problems with crew chief Bob Osborne conspired to prevent another shot at the title for the 99. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. is making the move to Cup in 2012, while Trevor Bayne will finally get a full-time Nationwide ride, after a year of battling an apparent lack of any funding - despite winning the biggest race in America, and following it up with a Nationwide win of his own after battling back from Lyme Disease.
The No. 6 car that started it all in 1988 is still in mothballs, and the sponsorship issue continues to rear its ugly head across all their cars beyond the good folks at 3M and Fastenal. Ford has been kicking in a good amount of money to keep the No. 17 team afloat this season, and is a big part of their Nationwide program. Next year does not appear to be much different, and when was the last time you saw a Roush machine in the Truck Series? Is Erik Darnell working in a car wash or something?.
Now Roush Fenway loses a 13-year veteran of the organization, and one of the stabilizing veteran voices within the team, alongside Jimmy Fennig and Robbie Reiser.
Roush's most recent loss is Joe Gibbs' gain. For a team that has accomplished a lot throughout its 20 seasons, one thing it has never really had is a stabilizing force among its driving core. Bobby Labonte was the last of the sort at JGR, but that was almost eight years ago – his last win coming in 2003. Yes, Tony Stewart delivered, but it was during the Home Depot days that Smoke truly earned his rough around the edges reputation, setting the tone for a sponsor censuring a driver. Denny Hamlin has had flashes of brilliance and moments of maturity – followed by periods of distress, bottle chucking, and self-doubt. Kyle Busch has essentially been the mirror image of Stewart – sans championships.
JJ Yeley? Uh…yeah. He drove for them once too.
While JGR has struggled the past couple of years with Busch's on-track antics and the No. 11 team coming unglued with two races to go in 2010, as well as the engine woes of their own last year – and this year's TRD TuRDS – Matt Kenseth might just prove to be one missing link to thrust them to a Hendrick Motorsports-level dynasty in the coming years.
Speaking of racing dynasties, there is a third organization that plays into this merry go round of wheel holders. Joey Logano was announced shortly after as the new driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil machines for 2013. Sam Hornish, Jr. was apparently still under consideration for the ride – or a third team at Penske – but it's Logano who will fill the void left by the suspended AJ Allmendinger, and departed Kurt Busch.
It's engineering in reverse, as Penske Racing is starting to mirror Joe Gibbs Racing in a way.
As Penske moves to Ford for 2013, they are no longer going to be supplying their own engines, but becoming yet another customer of the Roush-Yates motor mill. Penske engines have never hurt for power or reliability, and this may just be a stop-gap solution until they can evaluate their own engine program. While one could point to Tony Stewart using leased engines to power his way to a third championship in 2011, it has been engine problems galore for the No. 18 this year that has him hanging onto Chase eligibility by a thread.
With Logano, you have another driver with boatloads of talent and ability who just wasn't able to get it done at Gibbs. The fresh start at Penske and different dynamic within that team may work to his benefit.
When JGR landed the next Jeff Gordon, they did probably the silliest thing possible: stick him in a championship car with a championship crew chief – and expected him to pick up where Tony Stewart left off. Had they followed the Hendrick Motorsports model of new car, new team, new crew chief and let them grow together, the outcome may have been more positive. Instead, Logano was left to try to fill Stewart's shoes and girthy seat.
At Penske, Joey Logano will be teamed with Brad Keselowski, who has risen to prominence in NASCAR in the last 12 months, progressing from upstart to contender, and now a prime-time player as The Chase prepares to start after Saturday night in Richmond. Sponsor Shell should love him, following their fortunes with a pair of hot-tempered types in Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, as well as the public relations disaster that was Allmendinger's "What's-an-Adderall?" admission. He'll have a driver close to his own age to help motivate him to compete, and no ghosts or icons to live up to. He won't be the third wheel within the organization either, and Keselowski now has a teammate he can rely on and draw from – something that has been missing with Busch's untimely demise within The Captain's ranks.
Of these three teams, who stands to gain the most form these changes? Joe Gibbs Racing is the big winner by far, while Penske Racing is in a bit of a transition. I'd almost call it a tie if they had stuck with Dodge and they were able to add a few more teams, but I believe the move to Ford will end up being a bit of a detriment, despite the celebration of "benchmarking" within the Penske organization. This leaves one team out to lunch, and I feel that's Roush Fenway Racing. Championship drivers don't grow on trees and in this day and age, sticking around for more than three years is nothing short of a minor miracle.
Each year it seems a little of the soul of Roush Fenway Racing is whittled away, and Matt Kenseth is another part of that storied history that has been allowed to walk out the door.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @VitoPugliese.
~~~~~~~~~~
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 6th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CLXXVIII
--
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Newman Resigns with Stewart-Haas Racing
ThatsRacin.com and the Charlotte Observer are reporting that Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army/Quicken Loans/Tornadoes/Outback Steakhouses/Haas Automation Chevrolet, has signed a one-year contract in order to continue driving for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2013. This basically guarantees that the organization will field three full-time entries next season for Newman, team co-owner Tony Stewart and 2013 Rookie of the Year contender Danica Patrick.
Newman and Stewart-Haas Racing had been in negotiations for a contract extension for weeks. Recently, both Stewart and Newman had stated that they were close to a new deal, but refused to give details.
Neither Stewart-Haas Racing nor Newman have commented as of yet on the new contract. However, there is a good chance that the deal could be announced as soon as this weekend in Richmond.
Pursuit Channel to Sponsor Front Row Motorsports at Richmond
On Wednesday, Front Row Motorsports announced that the Pursuit Channel, a satellite-only network that caters to outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen, will serve as a co-primary sponsor on the No. 38 Ford driven by David Gilliland this weekend in Richmond. They will be joined by Mossy Oak, a brand of camo wear for hunters.
Gilliland is very happy to have the Pursuit Channel on his No. 38 in Richmond.
"I consider myself an avid outdoorsman," Gilliland said. "I enjoy hunting and fishing and spending time outdoors. Mossy Oak makes some pretty cool patterns. Their camouflage will look good on our No. 38 Ford."
Pursuit Channel CEO Rusty Faulk is thrilled to join up with Front Row Motorsports.
"NASCAR fans strongly index with our target audience," Faulk said. "David Gilliland is a tremendous race car driver and representative for our brand. He appreciates the outdoor lifestyle, enjoys hunting and fishing and is a personality our viewers can identify with at multiple levels."
This is not the first time that either the Pursuit Channel or Mossy Oak has been involved in NASCAR. The Pursuit Channel served as a co-primary sponsor on Jason White's No. 23 truck back in 2010 for three races. White finished all three races in the top-10 with a best finish of fourth at Martinsville.
Mossy Oak served as an associate sponsor with Butch Mock Racing in the Winston Cup Series back in the late 1990's. They were partnered up with primary sponsor Remington Arms and Stren, a manufacturer of fishing line.
Grand-Am and American Le Mans Series Announces Merger for 2014
On Wednesday morning, Grand-Am Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series announced in a joint press conference in Daytona Beach that they will be merging their operations starting in the 2014 season. As a result, there will be one major sports car series in the United States for the first time since 1997. For 2013, the two series will continue to operate separately, but work together.
Jim France, founder of Grand-Am, will serve as the new combined organization's Chairman. Dr. Don Panoz, head of the American Le Mans Series, has accepted the position of Vice Chairman of the combined series. Current ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton will have a spot on the Board of Directors, along with Grand-Am's President and CEO, Ed Bennett, NASCAR Vice Chairman/Executive Vice President Lesa France Kennedy and NASCAR Vice President/Deputy General Counsel Karen Leetzow. This combined series does not have an official name as of yet.
In addition, the merger also included ALMS' sanctioning body, IMSA (International Motor Sports Association), ownership of Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia and Sebring International Raceway in Florida. Panoz also used to own Mosport International Raceway in Ontario, but that track was sold off to a group including Ron Fellows last year.
Many of the main principals involved are very pleased with the potential future of sports car racing in the United States.
"Today's announcement will transform sports car racing on this continent, along with having worldwide industry implications," said Bennett. "Aside from the organizations involved, everybody wins: drivers, teams, manufacturers, sponsors, tracks -- and most all, the fans."
"This merger will strengthen professional sports car racing beyond what either of our organizations could have achieved separately," Dr. Panoz said. "The American Le Mans Series was founded for the fans and I'm personally gratified that they will benefit greatly as we now work together with Grand-Am to take this sport to the level at which it belongs in the North American and international motorsports landscapes.
Since the two series have radically different equipment and classes, there will have to be some combining and/or elimination of classes. Also, there are new prototype rules coming down the pipe from the Automobile Club d'Ouest (ACO) for 2014 as well that may come into play. Discussion has centered upon the Daytona Prototypes and ALMS' P2 being combined into one class, with the DP's made faster. The ALMS' GT category is considered to be the most competitive on earth at the moment, while Grand-Am's GT class is more on the level of GT3 (GT3 Ferrari 458 Italias and Audi R8's, along with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup are currently legal, along with tube-framed Chevrolets and Mazdas). Also, Grand-Am is introducing a new class dubbed GX that will show off new technologies. Mazda has already committed to fielding entries in this class, but has not stated what they will be yet.
As for schedule length, the idea of a 12-race season comprised of the best events from each series was banded around during the press conference. However, such a season would make quite a few tracks unhappy. Between the two entities, 18 different tracks have sports car weekends scheduled for 2012 (Road America, Lime Rock Park, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course each hosted, or will host both series). The only definite for now is that the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona will be the first race of the combined series.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400: 45 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 22- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
No. 91- Reed Sorenson for Humphrey-Smith Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 10- David Reutimann returns to the seat, replacing Danica Patrick.
No. 32- Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing T.J. Bell.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 0- Mark Green for SS Motorsports. This is a brand-new team that is debuting at Richmond. If Green qualifies, it will be his Sprint Cup debut.
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 23- Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports*
No. 26- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30- David Stremme for Inception Motorsports
No. 33- Stephen Leicht for Circle Point, LLC
No. 37- J.J. Yeley for Tommy Baldwin Racing/MaxQ Motorsports*
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 91- Reed Sorenson for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing*
Not Entered:
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 49- Jason Leffler for Robinson-Blakeney Motorsports
No. 95- Scott Speed for Leavine Family Racing
Nationwide Series Virginia 529 College Savings 250: 46 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 08- Paulie Harraka for Randy Hill Racing/Go Green Racing
No. 18- Denny Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22- Ryan Blaney for Penske Racing
No. 30- James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33- Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 47- Stephen Leicht for Team Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 50- David Starr for MAKE Motorsports
No. 51- Ty Dillon for Richard Childress Racing
No. 54- Kurt Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 75- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 08- Paulie Harraka is in the seat, replacing Kyle Fowler.
No. 4- Jeremy Clements returns to the seat, replacing Danny Efland. This is actually the normal No. 51 team using the points from the No. 4 normally operated by JD Motorsports with Gary Keller.
No. 15- Carl Long returns to the seat, replacing Timmy Hill.
No. 20- Darrell Wallace, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Truex.
No. 22- Ryan Blaney returns to the seat, replacing Brad Keselowski.
No. 24- Derek White returns to the seat, replacing Benny Gordon.
No. 38- Brad Sweet returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne.
No. 39- Dexter Stacey is in the seat, replacing Matt Carter.
No. 41- Timmy Hill returns to the seat, replacing Fain Skinner.
No. 51- Ty Dillon returns to the seat, replacing Jeremy Clements. Note that this is actually a fourth entry for Richard Childress Racing.
No. 54- Kurt Busch returns to the seat, replacing his brother Kyle.
No. 60- Travis Pastrana is in the seat, replacing Trevor Bayne.
No. 70- Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines.
No. 71- Matt Carter returns to the seat, replacing Carl Long.
No. 99- Ryan Truex returns to the seat, replacing Travis Pastrana.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 08- Paulie Harraka for Randy Hill Racing/Go Green Racing
No. 10- Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 15- Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 17- Tanner Berryhill for Berryhill Racing
No. 20- Darrell Wallace, Jr. for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46- Chase Miller for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 47- Stephen Leicht for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 50- David Starr for MAKE Motorsports
No. 52- Joey Gase for Means Motorsports
No. 60- Travis Pastrana for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 71- Matt Carter for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 86- Kevin Lepage for Deware Motorsports
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Racing Ventures
Not Entered:
No. 00- Blake Koch for Ruch Motorsports/SR2 Motorsports
No. 98- Reed Sorenson for Biagi-DenBeste Racing
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
Today's Featured Commentary
Another One Bites The Dust at Roush Fenway Racing
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
With Tuesday's announcement making official what everybody has known for the past two months, 2003 Winston Cup Champion Matt Kenseth has left Roush Fenway Racing, and will be moving to Joe Gibbs Racing. To say that Roush Fenway is a talent vacuum might not be much of an understatement. Over the course of the past five years, consider the drivers that they have lost the likes of Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, and Matt Kenseth. Sponsorship has taken a hit as well, adding to the list of Office Depot, UPS, AAA, DeWalt, Crown Royal, and Carhartt.
And let us not forget TapouT and Jeremiah Weed...
Meanwhile, it has taken two years to find suitable sponsorship to field a Nationwide Series car for the 2011 Daytona 500 champion, yet have arranged a ride for a guy who is most famous for breaking his ankle the night before his first NASCAR start. As Ford's flagship – and really only self-sustaining team – RFR is still a force within NASCAR, but at a bit of a crossroads, one year removed from losing a championship by a tiebreaker.
Yes, the No. 17 team mustered a win in the Daytona 500 this year, and Greg Biffle is currently the Sprint Cup Series points leader. That being said, things just seem amiss with that organization. Carl Edwards has been a non-issue all season long, while undisclosed health problems with crew chief Bob Osborne conspired to prevent another shot at the title for the 99. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. is making the move to Cup in 2012, while Trevor Bayne will finally get a full-time Nationwide ride, after a year of battling an apparent lack of any funding - despite winning the biggest race in America, and following it up with a Nationwide win of his own after battling back from Lyme Disease.
The No. 6 car that started it all in 1988 is still in mothballs, and the sponsorship issue continues to rear its ugly head across all their cars beyond the good folks at 3M and Fastenal. Ford has been kicking in a good amount of money to keep the No. 17 team afloat this season, and is a big part of their Nationwide program. Next year does not appear to be much different, and when was the last time you saw a Roush machine in the Truck Series? Is Erik Darnell working in a car wash or something?.
Now Roush Fenway loses a 13-year veteran of the organization, and one of the stabilizing veteran voices within the team, alongside Jimmy Fennig and Robbie Reiser.
Roush's most recent loss is Joe Gibbs' gain. For a team that has accomplished a lot throughout its 20 seasons, one thing it has never really had is a stabilizing force among its driving core. Bobby Labonte was the last of the sort at JGR, but that was almost eight years ago – his last win coming in 2003. Yes, Tony Stewart delivered, but it was during the Home Depot days that Smoke truly earned his rough around the edges reputation, setting the tone for a sponsor censuring a driver. Denny Hamlin has had flashes of brilliance and moments of maturity – followed by periods of distress, bottle chucking, and self-doubt. Kyle Busch has essentially been the mirror image of Stewart – sans championships.
JJ Yeley? Uh…yeah. He drove for them once too.
While JGR has struggled the past couple of years with Busch's on-track antics and the No. 11 team coming unglued with two races to go in 2010, as well as the engine woes of their own last year – and this year's TRD TuRDS – Matt Kenseth might just prove to be one missing link to thrust them to a Hendrick Motorsports-level dynasty in the coming years.
Speaking of racing dynasties, there is a third organization that plays into this merry go round of wheel holders. Joey Logano was announced shortly after as the new driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil machines for 2013. Sam Hornish, Jr. was apparently still under consideration for the ride – or a third team at Penske – but it's Logano who will fill the void left by the suspended AJ Allmendinger, and departed Kurt Busch.
It's engineering in reverse, as Penske Racing is starting to mirror Joe Gibbs Racing in a way.
As Penske moves to Ford for 2013, they are no longer going to be supplying their own engines, but becoming yet another customer of the Roush-Yates motor mill. Penske engines have never hurt for power or reliability, and this may just be a stop-gap solution until they can evaluate their own engine program. While one could point to Tony Stewart using leased engines to power his way to a third championship in 2011, it has been engine problems galore for the No. 18 this year that has him hanging onto Chase eligibility by a thread.
With Logano, you have another driver with boatloads of talent and ability who just wasn't able to get it done at Gibbs. The fresh start at Penske and different dynamic within that team may work to his benefit.
When JGR landed the next Jeff Gordon, they did probably the silliest thing possible: stick him in a championship car with a championship crew chief – and expected him to pick up where Tony Stewart left off. Had they followed the Hendrick Motorsports model of new car, new team, new crew chief and let them grow together, the outcome may have been more positive. Instead, Logano was left to try to fill Stewart's shoes and girthy seat.
At Penske, Joey Logano will be teamed with Brad Keselowski, who has risen to prominence in NASCAR in the last 12 months, progressing from upstart to contender, and now a prime-time player as The Chase prepares to start after Saturday night in Richmond. Sponsor Shell should love him, following their fortunes with a pair of hot-tempered types in Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, as well as the public relations disaster that was Allmendinger's "What's-an-Adderall?" admission. He'll have a driver close to his own age to help motivate him to compete, and no ghosts or icons to live up to. He won't be the third wheel within the organization either, and Keselowski now has a teammate he can rely on and draw from – something that has been missing with Busch's untimely demise within The Captain's ranks.
Of these three teams, who stands to gain the most form these changes? Joe Gibbs Racing is the big winner by far, while Penske Racing is in a bit of a transition. I'd almost call it a tie if they had stuck with Dodge and they were able to add a few more teams, but I believe the move to Ford will end up being a bit of a detriment, despite the celebration of "benchmarking" within the Penske organization. This leaves one team out to lunch, and I feel that's Roush Fenway Racing. Championship drivers don't grow on trees and in this day and age, sticking around for more than three years is nothing short of a minor miracle.
Each year it seems a little of the soul of Roush Fenway Racing is whittled away, and Matt Kenseth is another part of that storied history that has been allowed to walk out the door.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @VitoPugliese.
~~~~~~~~~~
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The Critic's Annex: Catching Speed
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we provide additional discussion and critique of motorsports-related programming. Honestly, its been a tough week. Never thought a water bottle would provoke so much conversation and anger.
This year, we really haven't had all that much in the way of specials to cover like in past seasons. I have all the past Critic's Annex entries on my laptop and I see (in addition to races I can't fit in Couch Potato Tuesday) pieces on NASCAR-produced DVD's, the movie Senna (which I saw in an independent movie house, then went home and wrote about), that one episode of South Park that lampooned NASCAR, Jimmy Spencer's old show "What's the Deal?," that ridiculous Mountain Dew-financed short film "The Legend of Hallow-dega," and others.
This week, ESPN somewhat quietly premiered Catching Speed to little fanfare on ABC. Here in the Albany, NY market, the show aired at 2:00pm Sunday afternoon prior to the AdvoCare 500. Also, on my cable box, this was listed as simply "NASCAR Special." Catching Speed only showed up if you clicked on "Info." According to information put out about the show, it is designed to show viewers how Clint Bowyer's team prepares to race. How was it? Let's find out.
Just based on the opening montage, it should be apparent that this was shot in the run-up to the Crown Royal 400 at the Brickyard in July. Clips of Bowyer driving around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the yard of bricks were right in the opening.
The show starts off with an introduction to Michael Waltrip Racing and their No. 15 team. Footage was shown from the unveiling of the team held last October at Kansas Speedway, and Bowyer's press conference when they announced the deal. Michael Waltrip and Ty Norris explained their rationale in bringing Bowyer into the fold.
The show then transitioned into a look at the season for the No. 15 team up to date. This was interspersed with sound bites from Bowyer, Norris, Waltrip and crew chief Brian Pattie. Eventually, the season review climaxed with Bowyer's win in Sonoma.
After the first break, we finally get into the actual car and team preparations. First off is a Director's meeting on Monday, led by Norris. Here, the higher-ups with the team discuss the upcoming week. Basically, this is setting out everything that has to happen, not just with the car, but with PR, appearances and such.
We see the pit crew meet up and watch tapes of their pit stops and evaluate themselves. MWR has a setup for this type of activity that rivals many Division I colleges. They do the sessions in what looks like a lecture hall with stadium seating. Following the tape session, the crew goes out for what they term "light exercise." In this case, it means swimming at a local indoor pool in Huntersville, NC.
Next up is the Fabrication department. Here, viewers are given a step-by-step process by which a Sprint Cup chassis is built, starting with basically loose roll bars. After the roll cage is installed, the body is next. The team has their own NASCAR-approved templates that they use in order to make sure that the car is legal. Following nearly a week in fabrication, the car spends a couple of days in the paint and body shop. Once all of the windows and duct work is installed, then "final assembly" takes place. This means engine installation, transmission installation and other crucial parts.
Meanwhile, Bowyer is busy relaxing on his day off by going fishing with a friend. Afterwards, he takes time to race his John Deere Gator vehicle around a dirt oval on his property. It should be noted that John Deere is a sponsor of the program. Hence, their wares show up quite a bit.
Tuesday, we're treated to a trip to the wind tunnel to gather aerodynamic information on the car Bowyer was scheduled to drive at Indy. Meanwhile, we see the pit crew practicing outside of the shop. We hear from a couple of the crewmembers, plus their coach about how important their practices really are to getting Bowyer back on track as quick as possible.
Wednesday brings on the Pre-Competition meeting, where the crew chiefs and team managers from all three teams meet in order to prepare everyone for what they're going to see in Indianapolis. Honestly, I don't think this particular meeting is all that different from an ESPN conference call on Tuesday afternoon. They discuss race trends over multiple years, track conditions, past setups and such just like NASCAR TV personalities do. The only difference is that they're not planning a telecast, but a race weekend.
The Pit Crew has a usual workout that is admittedly Crossfit-ish. The Gator vehicles are back again (gotta get that product placement!), but they're being used as exercise devices. Finally, we see a little bit of the truck being packed up to drive to Indianapolis.
Saturday is Practice and Qualifying day at the track. Footage of Bowyer on track is shown, along with radio chatter about how the car is handling. Let's just say that Bowyer was none too pleased with his car. Frustration then sets in amongst everyone.
Qualifying wasn't much better than practice, as Bowyer turned in the 33rd fastest time. Afterwards, footage is shown of a post-qualifying meeting in one of the motorcoaches at the track. Members of all three MWR teams are present and take the time to share notes and see if they can help each other out.
Finally, we come to race day. We see footage of ESPN's Jim Noble interviewing Bowyer in front of his hauler, clearly a bit nervous about the upcoming race. However, before he gets to the race, he has appearances to do. In one of the suites, Bowyer meets with guests from one of his sponsors and signs some autographs.
Meanwhile, the team has a big meeting in the garage to go over setups for the cars and general preparation. Very important for the upcoming race. For the race, there was a mix of radio chatter and race footage, along with various sound bites used in order to describe Bowyer's run to 15th, including his early wreck.
The show appears to be the natural progression from ESPN's Racing Shotgun: Kyle Busch show from 2010, and the features that followed individual Chasers around later that season. However, while Racing Shotgun was centered on the somewhat random stuff that Kyle Busch did along with his then-fiancé Samantha prior to the first Chase race, this is far more focused on Bowyer's team. In fact, while Bowyer does appear in a fair amount of the show, he takes a back seat here.
I did find the constant Gator pimping to be quite annoying and somewhat distracting. Its like they were in every scene. I'd like to think that those vehicles are always around the MWR shop and at the track, but I doubt it. The Gator was being used in Indianapolis in place of a normal golf cart. Got news for you guys. The teams don't transport those golf carts themselves. An outside vendor does that (same with the pit boxes, although the teams do transport the boxes that are in their garages). I'd argue that using a Gator instead of a normal golf cart might screw things up a little. I've done enough races on credential to be able to tell you whether or not I've seen teams using them. Believe me, they're not. Everyone uses regular carts, just some of them have bigger wheels than others.
Looking at the special is just one more reminder of just how much NASCAR has grown over the past 20 years. MWR has a palatial complex in Cornelius, NC for their teams. We're well past the days of teams prepping Cup cars in outbuildings behind the owner's house. Of course, debutant team SS Motorsports might dispute that with their maiden effort this weekend at Richmond, but their effort is far from the norm these days.
Since Bowyer wasn't necessarily the focus of the piece, we got to meet a number of MWR employees at the shop and on the pit crew. Much like NFL players, these important people might as well be ghosts at times. It was great to have them on the show to help explain the goings on with the team. They made the show quite enjoyable to watch.
Honestly, I don't really believe that most race fans understand why the heck a team needs 200 employees to be even remotely competitive in Sprint Cup (MWR apparently has about 250). With the shear amount of stuff that goes on with the team (including a number of things like CNC machining that didn't even make the show) at the shops. A show like this can go a long way to showing fans what really goes on behind the scenes. ESPN did a really good job with it, then proceeded to not publicize it very well. If this were the 1970's, 2:00pm Sunday afternoon on ABC would be an excellent place to premiere the show. Nowadays, not so much. This show needed more promotion so that more people could see it.
That's all for this week. Next week, we'll be back with another interesting critique for you to enjoy. Until then, enjoy the racing this weekend from Laguna Seca, Monza and Richmond.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Bristol-2
"Keselowski's paint scheme must have been so confusing to the drunks in Bristol. The only thing that would have made it more perfect would have been a bump and run from Jeff Gordon. We all know now that that didn't happen but just imagine ... a bunch of wasted, shirtless rednecks sitting in the stands squinting at that No. 2, wondering when the clock went back 10 years. Priceless."- Summer Bedgood, on Brad Keselowski last weekend in Bristol.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
--
The Critic's Annex: Catching Speed
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we provide additional discussion and critique of motorsports-related programming. Honestly, its been a tough week. Never thought a water bottle would provoke so much conversation and anger.
This year, we really haven't had all that much in the way of specials to cover like in past seasons. I have all the past Critic's Annex entries on my laptop and I see (in addition to races I can't fit in Couch Potato Tuesday) pieces on NASCAR-produced DVD's, the movie Senna (which I saw in an independent movie house, then went home and wrote about), that one episode of South Park that lampooned NASCAR, Jimmy Spencer's old show "What's the Deal?," that ridiculous Mountain Dew-financed short film "The Legend of Hallow-dega," and others.
This week, ESPN somewhat quietly premiered Catching Speed to little fanfare on ABC. Here in the Albany, NY market, the show aired at 2:00pm Sunday afternoon prior to the AdvoCare 500. Also, on my cable box, this was listed as simply "NASCAR Special." Catching Speed only showed up if you clicked on "Info." According to information put out about the show, it is designed to show viewers how Clint Bowyer's team prepares to race. How was it? Let's find out.
Just based on the opening montage, it should be apparent that this was shot in the run-up to the Crown Royal 400 at the Brickyard in July. Clips of Bowyer driving around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the yard of bricks were right in the opening.
The show starts off with an introduction to Michael Waltrip Racing and their No. 15 team. Footage was shown from the unveiling of the team held last October at Kansas Speedway, and Bowyer's press conference when they announced the deal. Michael Waltrip and Ty Norris explained their rationale in bringing Bowyer into the fold.
The show then transitioned into a look at the season for the No. 15 team up to date. This was interspersed with sound bites from Bowyer, Norris, Waltrip and crew chief Brian Pattie. Eventually, the season review climaxed with Bowyer's win in Sonoma.
After the first break, we finally get into the actual car and team preparations. First off is a Director's meeting on Monday, led by Norris. Here, the higher-ups with the team discuss the upcoming week. Basically, this is setting out everything that has to happen, not just with the car, but with PR, appearances and such.
We see the pit crew meet up and watch tapes of their pit stops and evaluate themselves. MWR has a setup for this type of activity that rivals many Division I colleges. They do the sessions in what looks like a lecture hall with stadium seating. Following the tape session, the crew goes out for what they term "light exercise." In this case, it means swimming at a local indoor pool in Huntersville, NC.
Next up is the Fabrication department. Here, viewers are given a step-by-step process by which a Sprint Cup chassis is built, starting with basically loose roll bars. After the roll cage is installed, the body is next. The team has their own NASCAR-approved templates that they use in order to make sure that the car is legal. Following nearly a week in fabrication, the car spends a couple of days in the paint and body shop. Once all of the windows and duct work is installed, then "final assembly" takes place. This means engine installation, transmission installation and other crucial parts.
Meanwhile, Bowyer is busy relaxing on his day off by going fishing with a friend. Afterwards, he takes time to race his John Deere Gator vehicle around a dirt oval on his property. It should be noted that John Deere is a sponsor of the program. Hence, their wares show up quite a bit.
Tuesday, we're treated to a trip to the wind tunnel to gather aerodynamic information on the car Bowyer was scheduled to drive at Indy. Meanwhile, we see the pit crew practicing outside of the shop. We hear from a couple of the crewmembers, plus their coach about how important their practices really are to getting Bowyer back on track as quick as possible.
Wednesday brings on the Pre-Competition meeting, where the crew chiefs and team managers from all three teams meet in order to prepare everyone for what they're going to see in Indianapolis. Honestly, I don't think this particular meeting is all that different from an ESPN conference call on Tuesday afternoon. They discuss race trends over multiple years, track conditions, past setups and such just like NASCAR TV personalities do. The only difference is that they're not planning a telecast, but a race weekend.
The Pit Crew has a usual workout that is admittedly Crossfit-ish. The Gator vehicles are back again (gotta get that product placement!), but they're being used as exercise devices. Finally, we see a little bit of the truck being packed up to drive to Indianapolis.
Saturday is Practice and Qualifying day at the track. Footage of Bowyer on track is shown, along with radio chatter about how the car is handling. Let's just say that Bowyer was none too pleased with his car. Frustration then sets in amongst everyone.
Qualifying wasn't much better than practice, as Bowyer turned in the 33rd fastest time. Afterwards, footage is shown of a post-qualifying meeting in one of the motorcoaches at the track. Members of all three MWR teams are present and take the time to share notes and see if they can help each other out.
Finally, we come to race day. We see footage of ESPN's Jim Noble interviewing Bowyer in front of his hauler, clearly a bit nervous about the upcoming race. However, before he gets to the race, he has appearances to do. In one of the suites, Bowyer meets with guests from one of his sponsors and signs some autographs.
Meanwhile, the team has a big meeting in the garage to go over setups for the cars and general preparation. Very important for the upcoming race. For the race, there was a mix of radio chatter and race footage, along with various sound bites used in order to describe Bowyer's run to 15th, including his early wreck.
The show appears to be the natural progression from ESPN's Racing Shotgun: Kyle Busch show from 2010, and the features that followed individual Chasers around later that season. However, while Racing Shotgun was centered on the somewhat random stuff that Kyle Busch did along with his then-fiancé Samantha prior to the first Chase race, this is far more focused on Bowyer's team. In fact, while Bowyer does appear in a fair amount of the show, he takes a back seat here.
I did find the constant Gator pimping to be quite annoying and somewhat distracting. Its like they were in every scene. I'd like to think that those vehicles are always around the MWR shop and at the track, but I doubt it. The Gator was being used in Indianapolis in place of a normal golf cart. Got news for you guys. The teams don't transport those golf carts themselves. An outside vendor does that (same with the pit boxes, although the teams do transport the boxes that are in their garages). I'd argue that using a Gator instead of a normal golf cart might screw things up a little. I've done enough races on credential to be able to tell you whether or not I've seen teams using them. Believe me, they're not. Everyone uses regular carts, just some of them have bigger wheels than others.
Looking at the special is just one more reminder of just how much NASCAR has grown over the past 20 years. MWR has a palatial complex in Cornelius, NC for their teams. We're well past the days of teams prepping Cup cars in outbuildings behind the owner's house. Of course, debutant team SS Motorsports might dispute that with their maiden effort this weekend at Richmond, but their effort is far from the norm these days.
Since Bowyer wasn't necessarily the focus of the piece, we got to meet a number of MWR employees at the shop and on the pit crew. Much like NFL players, these important people might as well be ghosts at times. It was great to have them on the show to help explain the goings on with the team. They made the show quite enjoyable to watch.
Honestly, I don't really believe that most race fans understand why the heck a team needs 200 employees to be even remotely competitive in Sprint Cup (MWR apparently has about 250). With the shear amount of stuff that goes on with the team (including a number of things like CNC machining that didn't even make the show) at the shops. A show like this can go a long way to showing fans what really goes on behind the scenes. ESPN did a really good job with it, then proceeded to not publicize it very well. If this were the 1970's, 2:00pm Sunday afternoon on ABC would be an excellent place to premiere the show. Nowadays, not so much. This show needed more promotion so that more people could see it.
That's all for this week. Next week, we'll be back with another interesting critique for you to enjoy. Until then, enjoy the racing this weekend from Laguna Seca, Monza and Richmond.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Bristol-2
"Keselowski's paint scheme must have been so confusing to the drunks in Bristol. The only thing that would have made it more perfect would have been a bump and run from Jeff Gordon. We all know now that that didn't happen but just imagine ... a bunch of wasted, shirtless rednecks sitting in the stands squinting at that No. 2, wondering when the clock went back 10 years. Priceless."- Summer Bedgood, on Brad Keselowski last weekend in Bristol.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Potts' Shots: Rainy Days in ASA, Kenny's Cussing, and Butch's Bad Break
by John Potts
Professor Of Speed: The Last Lap of a Long Season
by Mark Howell
Truckin' Thursdays: 11 Winners Down, Who's Next?
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beyond the Cockpit: Engine Guru Doug Yates On NASCAR Past, Present & Future
as told to Mike Neff
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1998, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. picked up his first career Richmond victory in the Busch Series Autolite Platnium 250. However, this race had a big wreck early on. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: The 1999 Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 at Richmond International Raceway is best known as the race in which then-rookie Tony Stewart picked up his first career Cup victory. However, for Terry Labonte, the race barely even got going for him before he was done for the night. What happened?
A: On Lap 57, Labonte blew a right-front tire entering Turn 1. The car basically went straight into the wall, doing a signifcant amount of damage to the No. 5. The crash can be seen at the 1:40 mark of this clip. Labonte was ok, but the car was thrashed. The team could not fix the car, so Labonte was credited with a 43rd-place finish.Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Jeff Wolfe
-- In Case You Missed It by Nick Schwartz
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Richmond by Summer Bedgood
Summer returns to help prepare you for the final run to the Chase this weekend in Richmond.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another interesting Friday commentary.
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece on the Nationwide Series to prepare you for Friday night's Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Driver Diary: Dakoda Armstrong as told to Beth Lunkenheimer
Dakoda returns to talk about his past month on and off the track.
-----------------------------
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