The Frontstretch Newsletter: June 6th, 2013

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
June 6th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XCIX
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What to Watch: Thursday

- The race weekend in Texas officially gets underway today for the Camping World Truck Series.  The trucks will participate in two practice sessions from 12:30 - 1:45 PM and 2:15 - 3:30 PM.  In addition, the field will be set starting at 7:00 PM tomorrow evening with qualifying.  All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time; however, none of those sessions will be televised.

Top News
by Phil Allaway

Servia to Drive for Panther Racing for Two Races

On Wednesday, Panther Racing announced that Oriol Servia, most recently of satellite team Panther-DRR, will drive the main team's No. 4 National Guard-sponsored Dallara in this weekend's Firestone 550k at Texas Motor Speedway.  In addition, the veteran will also drive at Iowa Speedway.

 

Servia, who was on the sidelines last week after Panther-DRR closed their doors for the year, is happy to get back on track this weekend.

 

"I couldn't be more excited about this opportunity," Servia said.  "Firstly, it's a job, but it's with a team that I've been working with very closely for the last year.  Not only do I know everybody that works there, but I know the potential for the National Guard car and the performance we've had will give us a chance to win.  I'm especially honored because representing the National Guard is so much more special than any other sponsor, and I'm excited to be part of everything that partnership involves with the team."

 

Panther Racing Managing Partner John Barnes is pleased to have Servia on board.

 

"Oriol [Servia] has been part of our extended family for over a year now, so this will be a seamless transition for the National Guard team," Barnes said.  "We know what Oriol is capable of, and our team is always happy to add a driver that can contend at any circuit on the IndyCar schedule.  We're also excited to get him more integrated with the National Guard, as he's a perfect fit for their recruitment efforts in lots of diverse markets across the country."

 

Servia replaces Ryan Briscoe, who drove for Panther Racing last weekend in Detroit, putting together an average finish of 17th.  Briscoe is currently scheduled to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for his regular team, Level 5 Motorsports.  This weekend's race in Texas directly conflicts with the Le Mans Test Days, while Iowa conflicts with the 24-Hour race itself.  There are also three additional conflicts between the Izod IndyCar Series and Briscoe's full-time ride in the American Le Mans Series: Pocono, Houston and Fontana.

 

Dell and JTG Daugherty Racing Team Up

 

Dell announced on Wednesday that JTG Daugherty Racing will be using Dell Rugged Laptops in order to help "manage the testing and tuning of its No. 47 Toyota Camry race car in harsh racetrack conditions and garage environments."  In addition to the laptops, the team will also make use of Dell's Latitude 10 tablet to help manage race operations.

 

Dell's products will be in use at the track, and back at the team's shop.  The overall goal will be to quickly collect performance data and make changes to driver Bobby Labonte's car based on that data in a much quicker and efficient fashion.

 

Joey Cohen, Labonte's Race Engineer, is very happy to have the technology available to him.

 

"We expose our Dell computers to so much dust, dirt and every imaginable particle at the track you can think of, and there's never a problem with any of the ports or keyboard functionality," Cohen said.  "There may be instances where the rugged systems are dropped or banged, but we never have to worry about being out of a computer for a week.  That's taken out of the equation and gives you peace of mind."

 

According to Dell's press release, the implementation of Dell products has allowed JTG Daugherty Racing to save days of preparation in car setup.  Also, the "Rugged" line of computers is far stronger than a garden-variety laptop.  The days of A.J. Foyt destroying a laptop in a fit of anger may be over.

 

Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night.  However, they are still subject to change.

 

Sprint Cup Series Party In The Poconos 400 presented by Walmart: 43 cars entered

 

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 35 - Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR

 

Driver Changes:
No. 19 - Jason Leffler returns to the seat, replacing Mike Bliss. Bliss will be racing for his full-time Nationwide Series ride out in Iowa.
No. 51 - AJ Allmendinger returns to the seat, replacing Austin Dillon. Allmendinger returns after running a limited schedule of IndyCar races for Roger Penske.

 

Since there are only 43 cars entered, no one will fail to qualify.

 

Nationwide Series Pioneer Hi-Bred 250: 41 cars entered

 

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 22 - Joey Logano for Penske Racing
No. 42 - JJ Yeley for The Motorsports Group, LLC

 

Driver Changes:
No. 4 - Daryl Harr returns to the seat, replacing Landon Cassill. Harr is running a handful of Midwest and West Coast standalone races, bringing sponsorship to the seat.
No. 5 - Brad Sweet returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne. Sweet is running a limited schedule this season when Kahne's Sprint Cup commitments conflict.
No. 15 - Carl Long is in the seat, replacing Stanton Barrett. This team is expected to start and park.
No. 24 - Ken Butler, III is in the seat, replacing Jason White.  This will mark Butler's first Nationwide Series start since 2009.
No. 33 - Max Papis returns to the seat, replacing Ty Dillon. Papis will make his first oval racing start of the season.
No. 42 - TJ Bell is in the seat, replacing Josh Wise.  JJ Yeley was originally entered in the car but will be at Pocono for the Sprint Cup event.
No. 46 - Jason Bowles is in the seat, replacing JJ Yeley.
No. 52 - Tim Schendel returns to the seat, replacing Joey Gase.
No. 54 - Drew Herring is in the seat, replacing Kyle Busch.
No. 70 - Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines. Long's ML Motorsports team returns to the track.
No. 74 - Juan Carlos Blum returns to the seat, replacing Danny Efland.
No. 79 - Joey Gase returns to the seat, replacing Jeffrey Earnhardt.

 

Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00 - Blake Koch for SR2 Motorsports
No. 10 - Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)*
No. 15 - Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing
No. 29 - Kenny Wallace for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 42 - JJ Yeley for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46 - Jason Bowles for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 52 - Tim Schendel for Jimmy Means Motorsports
No. 70 - Johanna Long for ML Motorsports
No. 89 - Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
No. 92 - Dexter Stacey for KH Motorsports
No. 98 - Kevin Swindell for Biagi-DenBeste Racing

 

Not Entered:
No. 18 - Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 37 - Matt DiBenedetto for Vision Racing

 

Camping World Truck Series WinStar World Casino 400k: 33 trucks entered

 

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 51 - Chad Hackenbracht for Kyle Busch Motorsports

 

Driver Changes:
No. 07 - Chris Cockrum returns to the seat, replacing CJ Faison.
No. 51 - Chad Hackenbracht is in the seat, replacing Kyle Busch.  This will be Hackenbracht's Camping World Truck Series debut.

 

Since there are only 33 trucks entered, no one will go home.  However, these drivers still must qualify on speed:
No. 0 - Chris Lafferty for JJC Racing*
No. 02 - Tyler Young for Young's Motorsports
No. 10 - Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 57 - Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 63 - Justin Jennings for MB Motorsports
No. 84 - Mike Harmon for Chris Fontaine, Inc.
No. 93 - Chris Jones for RSS Racing*
No. 99 - Bryan Silas for T3R2
*- Expected to Start-and-Park

 

Not Entered:
No. 38 - Johnny Chapman for RSS Racing
No. 50 - Danny Efland for MAKE Motorsports
No. 59 - Kyle Martel for Martel Motorsports
No. 94 - Chase Elliott for Hendrick Motorsports

 

Izod IndyCar Series Firestone 550k: 24 cars entered

 

Driver Changes:
No. 4 - Oriol Servia is in the seat, replacing Ryan Briscoe.
No. 18 - Pippa Mann is in the seat, replacing Mike Conway.

 

Entries:
No. 1 - Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 3 - Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 4 - Oriol Servia for Panther Racing
No. 5 - E.J. Viso for Andretti Autosport
No. 6 - Sebastian Saavedra for Dragon Racing
No. 7 - Sebastien Bourdais for Dragon Racing
No. 9 - Scott Dixon for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10 - Dario Franchitti for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 11 - Tony Kanaan for KV Racing Technologies
No. 12 - Will Power for Team Penske
No. 14 - Takuma Sato for A.J. Foyt Enterprises
No. 15 - Graham Rahal for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 16 - James Jakes for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 18 - Pippa Mann for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19 - Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 20 - Ed Carpenter for Ed Carpenter Racing
No. 25 - Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27 - James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport
No. 55 - Tristan Vautier for Schmidt Peterson Racing
No. 67 - Josef Newgarden for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 77 - Simon Pagenaud for Schmidt Hamilton Racing
No. 78 - Simona de Silvestro for KV Racing Technologies
No. 83 - Charlie Kimball for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 98 - Alex Tagliani for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian

 

Not Entered:
No. 2 - AJ Allmendinger for Team Penske

 

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Pocono ARCA 200: 33 cars entered

 

Driver Changes:
No. 0 - Don Thompson is in the seat, replacing Wayne Peterson.

No. 15 - Erik Jones is in the seat, replacing Kyle Benjamin.
No. 17 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Josh Williams.
No. 22 - Will Kimmel will be in the seat, replacing Jonathan Ellen.
No. 40 - Dominick Casola will be in the seat, replacing Mark Meunier.
No. 55 - A.J. Henriksen will be in the seat, replacing Taylor Ferns.

 

Notable Entries:
No. 9 - Chase Elliott for Hendrick Motorsports
No. 15 - Erik Jones for Venturini Motorsports
No. 22 - Will Kimmel for Cunningham Motorsports
No. 23 - Spencer Gallagher for Gallagher Motorsports
No. 25 - Justin Boston for Venturini Motorsports
No. 32 - Mason Mingus for Win-Tron Racing
No. 43 - Kyle Martel for Martel Motorsports
No. 44 - Frank Kimmel for ThorSport Racing
No. 77 - Tom Hessert for Cunningham Motorsports
No. 82 - Sean Corr for Empire Racing
No. 90 - Grant Enfinger for Team BCR

 

Not Entered:
No. 68- Marty Asher for Kimmel Racing
No. 69- Kimmel Racing
No. 89- Nick Barstad for Win-Tron Racing

 

News n' Notes

 

- Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing announced that Banana Boat will serve as the primary sponsor on Jamie McMurray's No. 1 Chevrolet SS at Pocono Raceway this weekend.  In addition, Quaker State will serve as a co-primary sponsor on Paul Menard's No. 27 (along with Menards) at Pocono.

 

- Xxxtreme Motorsports announced on Wednesday that their No. 44 Ford will carry sponsorship this weekend at Pocono from Brabble, a new social media app that will allow users to share content with each other via text, video, audio or pictures.  The app launched on May 4th.

 

For Brabble, this is their first entry into NASCAR, but not their first sports sponsorship.  Last month, the start-up announced a personal sponsorship of Welterweight boxer Robert Guerrero, who sported the app's logo on his trunks during his recent loss to Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

 

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.

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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Today's Featured Commentary
Restart Redux, TRD IEDs, and Effed-Up Fords
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese

With all of the hand-wringing over Jimmie Johnson's botched restart at Dover last weekend, and whether or not Juan failed to start, or Jimmie didn't give it back in time, there has been one point ignored throughout this discussion: the leader has to be the first car to the line.  Was Juan the first one there?  No.  Did the flagman display the green yet?  No.  He jumped the start, game over, end of discussion. Even Superman steps on his cape and ends up in a trash can sometimes.  And if Johnson really did try to give the spot back, why didn't be make some sort of noticeable gesture, like pull low on the backstretch and lift for a second?  He had the fastest car in the field, racing against eighth and ninth-place cars on two tires; aerodynamics be damned, the No. 48 was fast enough to mow through them even with only a few laps remaining.  And as for J.J.'s "¼ throttle" comment, both teams run the same engines, so if he was at 25% power, I'd say Chip and Felix aren't exactly getting their money's worth in the motor department.

 

**********

Whatever your opinion may be of Kyle Busch, you can always count on him to not tow the company line.  Following the latest experience with TRD IEDs at Dover, Matt Kenseth said they knew what the issue was and they would fix it.  When Busch was giving his comments on the engines, he stated they were "time bombs" and they knew it, as told to them by TRD.  When told of Kenseth's comments, Busch became more adamant. 

 

"No, they CAN'T fix it, that is what they're telling us," Kyle said.  "Matt's getting wrong information.  It's an issue where there are dirt particles that aren't visible to the naked eye, and that's where the fatigue is setting in."

 

The issue here of dirt particles sounds to be a metallurgical shortcoming within the casting process. TRD contends they will be making updates this weekend at Pocono; that could be anything from heavier valvetrain parts, less valve lift, lower RPM, less power, more longevity... with the consequence of possibly getting smoked on the straightaways.  Then again, fifth is better than 35th, so let's see how it all plays out.  One thing in their favor; Pocono is now 400 miles, not 500 like it used to be.

 

Regardless, this slump is yet another string of issues revolving around Toyota engines since their arrival in the past five or six years.  First, it was Michael Waltrip's team discovered coating their intake with a sterno-gel like substance, then it was trying to cheat a NASCAR chassis dyno session with magnets under the gas pedal (loved that one), then you had Matt Kenseth's engine with a rod slightly out of spec, while in the past four races, at least one Toyota engine has come apart.  To be fair, the Ford engine has had their share of troubles as well, with Trevor Bayne, Michael McDowell, and Joey Logano all suffering powerplant woes.  But the Toyota troubles seem to be happening to top teams and with cars that are either dominating the race or in contention to win.

 

Kyle Busch has good reason to be upset.  In 2011, when the decision was made that JGR would switch to TRD for 2012 and beyond, Busch elected to keep his in-house engines, while the No. 20 and 11 teams went with TRD.  In 2012, Busch missed The Chase due to – you guessed it – engine failures, but during the Chase races, enjoyed the best ten-race span of his career.  Had he made the Chase, he would have ended up top 5 in points last season.  So here we are, right before the Summer Stretch, and already the No. 18 has experienced two engine failures, as has teammate Matt Kenseth.  Sitting eighth in points, Busch knows he's only another hand grenade away from being 15th, setting up the same scenario as last year, despite already posting two wins this season.

 

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Paul Wolfe, just off a six-race suspension for unapproved rear end modifications that weren't "in the spirit of the rules" (whatever that means), returned to Dover and was rewarded with a six-point deduction and a $25,000 fine.  Post-race inspection revealed something had broken in the front end, and the nose was too low.  Wolfe, however will not face further suspension, and will remain on probation until December 31st.  So he's on probation…gets a fine…is still on probation, but faces no further actions.  Reminds me of that Dale Jr. "Who sent the text?" commercial.  Of note, Keselowski's No. 2 Fusion was the highest finishing Ford on the day.

 

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Two weeks ago, Kevin Harvick had to be wondering if he should use his new SHR contract as a coaster.  A few days later, he's trying to soak up the coffee ring around it.  Does this mean that Stewart-Haas is out of the woods?  Hardly.  However, Pocono is a big motor track, and Hendrick engines certainly aren't hurting for horsepower – however, I think you can still pencil in a Toyota for the win.  Joey Logano won last year in a JGR Toyota by moving Mark Martin's MWR Toyota out of the way with three laps to go, plus Denny Hamlin has four of his 22 career wins there.

 

**********

Speaking of Ford, someone sound the alarm in Dearborn.  The Fusion, for all of its "it looks like an Aston Martin!" hoopla, is running like the proverbial Filet-O-Fish singing sea dweller of McDonald's ads.  The gap-mouthed guppies have been out to lunch most of the year, be it due to the huge frontal area and recessed grille – that both Chevrolet and Toyota eschewed for stickers – or a lack of power between the fenders. Despite the praise heaped on the FR9 engine upon its arrival two years ago, it has not proven to be much of a boon in 2013.  If it is making extra power, it's getting gobbled up by either drag, or the tires not doing what they should.

 

When Penske Racing dropped Dodge following their Championship season of 2012, and Nationwide title in 2010, many wondered how things would pan out.  Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards posted their best runs early this year, and at either restrictor plate tracks or short tracks – Edwards' Phoenix victory and David Ragan's slingshot move at Talladega are Ford's only triumphs.  Other than that, rewards have been pretty sparse.  Sure, Edwards is second in points and Keselowski has five top-5 finishes and eight top-10s – his tenth-place standing due in part to 31 points' worth of deductions due to penalties from Texas and Dover. But the lack of speed and laps led is glaring for both.  The next Ford driver in the standings is Aric Almirola in 12th, with four top-10s – except his last three finishes have been 20th, 33rd, and 18th.

 

As Greg Biffle said during a teleconference on Wednesday, it appears to be a "systematic problem" hampering the Roush Fenway franchise, much like in 2010. Back then, it was bassackwards simulation software that was throwing them for a loop.  This year, it could be a combination of things, or one issue in particular. Whatever the cause, Biffle said that major changes are coming at Pocono and more so at Michigan International Speedway next weekend to help correct what's wrong.  MIS makes the most sense; after all, Edsel Ford always shows up for that one, and positioned in the Big Three's backyard, nobody wants to upstaged in Brooklyn, particularly Jack Roush.

 

One thing in their favor is the addition of Penske Racing under the Blue Oval umbrella.  In 2010, it was RPM to the rescue, with their improved front end geometry that helped uncover the root of the Roush issues.  This year, it might be The Captain's crew uncorking things for the Cat in The Hat.

Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer/Assistant Editor 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: FOX Season Wrap-Up

by Phil Allaway

Hello, race fans.  Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming.  Originally, I planned to bring you a look at last weekend's Chevrolet Duals at Detroit presented by Quicken Loans, which aired on ABC.  I still plan to do that in a rare IndyCar tripleheader critique here in the Newsletter next week.  However, my Couch Potato Tuesday critique ran way long, so I couldn't give my readers my overall thoughts on the FOX season.

 

I should state that I technically do not have a minimum or maximum word count for the Tuesday column.  The editors do get a little nervous once I go over 3,000 - 3,200 words.  However, with the overall FOX thoughts included, Tuesday's column exceeded 4,600 words -- a little much to put into one piece.

 

Admittedly, I wrote much of what you're about to read back in May after a reader accused me in the comments of a past critique as being "...either clueless or drinking the Kool-Aid," while referencing a piece by S.D. Grady here in the Newsletter from a few weeks ago.  Granted, it was a two-sentence post, but I felt compelled to reply out of generalized anger.  Here it goes.

 

Joe,

If you're referring to the piece that S.D. Grady wrote for Tuesday's Newsletter, then yes, I read it because I'm the Newsletter Manager.  I edited the piece.  For those of you who do not recall that particular edition of Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View, she suggested a $5 pay-per-view fee to watch races uninterrupted by commercials. 

 

Such a thing would only work if the regular telecasts were still available on over-the-air television or cable, with the much-maligned commercials.  I still think that the cost would be a lot more than that per week.  You would be looking at $250 a season, minimum.  DirecTV offered NASCAR HotPass free for their subscribers mainly because they couldn't make money off the offering, no matter what they did.  Note that the Daytona 500 was traditionally a free preview day when iNDemand still had NASCAR In Car, so I'm assuming that would continue here as well.

 

However, let's take that suggestion and expand it to it's natural conclusion, which would be pay-per-view only races.  Let's face some facts here.  You remember the Prelude to the Dream telecasts from Eldora, right?  Those telecasts are on a fairly small scale compared to what a typical FOX Sprint Cup race production is.  It still cost $24.95 to order.  Mind you, that's with a lot of people donating their time to the effort, foregoing pay.

 

Now compare that to their weekly telecasts, which have 200-300 people at the track every week.  I'm assuming that they spend $10 million a week to cover the series at a minimum.  I believe a Cup race today on Pay-Per-View (if it were the only outlet for it) with the present level of production would be $70 per purchaser, or more.  Heck, it was $50 in 1988 when they did Pocono on PPV (Bobby Allison's career-ending crash occurred in that event).  NASCAR would have to charge that in order to recoup their production costs and make a profit for themselves off the substantially reduced audience.

 

If it went that way, you'd likely get a suite of channels with your purchase in order to create a setup similar to RaceBuddy without the horrid lag that makes it impossible for me to use it these days.  Of course, at that price point, it would be a very tough sell, so they would offer a season-long package at say, $800 - $1,000 a year (I know, it sounds looney, but with the equivalent of a Super Bowl telecast every week, it's plausible to me).  I'd still pay it so I could critique for the site, but the bills would be rather onerous.

 

I ask you this, Joe.  Would you be willing to pay that $70 a week, or $800 a year, to watch the Cup Series without commercials?

 

Personally, if that was the only way I could watch, and I weren't critiquing, no. This series isn't worth paying $800+ a year in addition to what we're already putting out for pay TV just to watch the races.  It would all but kill the series. Sadly, I don't think it would increase ratings anywhere near as much as you'd think.

 

Also, I take offense to the rest of your notions.  I am not clueless.  I pay way too much attention to these race telecasts and take way too many notes to be clueless.  Generally, I don't talk about commercials on here because I feel that I can't do anything about them.  It's not my fault that FOX signed a nine-figure deal to cover the series for eight years.  Their goal is to make money off their investment.  Sadly, commercials are one of the best ways to do it.  Having said that, they do need to plan their breaks a little better.  I'm still not a fan of the Mid-Race Report taking up an entire segment in which we all but don't see any racing in that time, then FOX immediately going to commercial afterwards.

I'd argue that the rain delays [at Talladega] meant that FOX made some extra money.  I do feel the need to comment about commercials once they get out of hand.  The treatment at Talladega did irritate me (Ex: You've been on-air for seven hours, and we're taking another break?  Rat farts!).

 

I also don't think that you get the point of this long-running series of articles.  The point is not to completely tear everyone to shreds and urinate on them, like some people think.  Yelling doesn't help anything.  It just results in people not taking you seriously.  While some people believe that tearing people apart is what I actually do (and I've got the angry e-mails to prove it), my goal here is to educate about the flaws of race telecasts, and yes, give dap when they deserve to get dap. 

 

I also prefer not to fire people en masse, like some of my readers wish I did.  Alternatively, I prefer to make changes with the current personnel.  Thank you, and have a pleasant tomorrow.

 

I have not been easy on FOX this season.  Much of the year has been a rehashing of all of the issues that we've seen over the last couple of years, along with some new ones.  The roving reporter setup with Jeff Hammond is ridiculous and continuously irritates me.  I don't think it benefits the broadcast in any way.  It's talent gone to waste.  It was a change that didn't need to be made.

I also think that FOX does focus on a few drivers too much.  In the rare instance that Michael Waltrip races, FOX gives him an unusual amount of coverage.  Darrell Waltrip has a lot of respect for Kyle Busch, and sometimes the coverage tilts in that direction.  I think a lot of that is based around how Busch has a somewhat similar style to when Darrell was in his prime.  Also, there is the front-end bias, but it isn't as bad as what we've seen from ESPN on their Nationwide telecasts to this point.

 

In reality, I think that if they just had to have Michael Waltrip in the Hotel, then Hammond should have been made into the fourth pit reporter.  As you've seen, he's basically become the de facto driver interviewer during the race, and he's decent there.  Problem is, FOX believed that they couldn't replace the retiring Dick Berggren (Mike Joy has stated something very similar to this on-air in the past).  While Berggren's a tough dude to replace, they actually hurt their own telecast just to honor him.  He's not a vain guy (as far as I know, since I've never met him).  He's a well-respected reporter in the garage, but I don't think he really relished the spotlight.  For 2014, FOX should replace the Roving Reporter role with a fourth pit reporter.  That fourth person should either be Hammond, someone like Wendy Venturini, or they could hire someone from outside FOX.

 

I've noted numerous times this season that FOX criminally underuses their pit reporters.  They're some of the most experienced reporters on pit road these days (I don't believe Byrnes and Yocum have missed a FOX Cup race, while Voda replaced Jeanne Zelasko in 2005), but they can't show their aptitude.  That hurts everyone involved with the telecast.  Also, more pre-race interviews, please. 

 

Apparently, FOX has this idea that if they have a number of pre-race interviews on their pre-race show, there's no reason for fans to watch NASCAR RaceDay Fueled by Sunoco on SPEED.  As a result, I have to watch the pre-pre-race show to get the basic information I should get on a regular pre-race show.  Remember, not everyone gets SPEED (soon to be FOX Sports 1).  Others don't want to deal with the tone on that show, which can vary wildly within the same segment.  I believe that FOX is doing a disservice to their viewers by not airing more interviews.

 

Speaking of Michael Waltrip, he needs to go not just because he isn't very good in his roles, but because he's hopelessly biased.  You all know why that is so.  I just don't like the idea of an active car owner in the series being full-time on the telecasts and disseminating all that information.  I feel like it could be an unfair advantage for MWR.  On the other hand, Chris Myers is not as irritating as he used to be.  There isn't much of the ridiculous "We kid because we care" stuff that agitated fans in the past.  There is a different dynamic in play, though.  Most of the time, Hammond is pretty serious, despite the fact that he would do some strange stuff early on in FOX's tenure (2002-2003 or so).  As a result, Myers had to be a little zanier, much to viewer's chagrin.  With Michael there, Myers is the straight man, which is more normal for him.

 

As much respect as I have for Erin Andrews, she probably hurt her career at Daytona with her complete lack of knowledge of the sport.  Preparation is everything in television, believe me.  As of this writing, I do not know if she'll be back for the Daytona 500 next year.  If she is, I recommend that FOX give her a crash course and not just throw her to the wolves.

 

McReynolds is supposed to be the technically-minded booth member, but he's more stats-based than anything now (especially when he's on TNT, starting next week).  Perhaps he's evolved into that role since he's been away from working on the cars for so long.  Regardless, that's something Mike Joy could do and add to the telecast.  As for the weather addiction, that happens.  I still find the borderline denial of weather issues to be concerning, though. (Ex: "I'm going to tell you how we do things here.  I know that you (McReynolds is referring to FOX 29 Meterologist Caitlin Roth here) have forecasted a 40 percent chance of rain.  But, that's a 60 percent chance that it won't rain."  That is a direct quote from NASCAR RaceDay Fueled by Sunoco this past Sunday.)  Granted, the crews don't want to think about it because of the extra work that would result from it.  With 200-300 people at the track, changing all those travel arrangements is nothing short of a nightmare.  Hence, why you have people react that way.  I still believe that it's a disservice to fans.

 

Joy is underused and often stuck having to play to McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip's strengths, which do not necessarily match his own.  Having said that, the trio do seem to get along really well and have chemistry that can only really come from working together for 13 partial seasons.

 

Finally, Darrell basically has his own shtick by this point that he's honed for the last decade-plus.  For those of us who live in Upstate New York (or in Southwest Florida), it is Billy Fuccillo-annoying at times.  Sometimes, I just have to throw my hands up in the air and say, "What can I do about this?"  He's entrenched and can basically do whatever he wants since he's considered to be the primary booth draw.  The interviews that Darrell does seem to only be with his friends in the garage.  Granted, they're not bad, but I'd like to see him interview someone he wasn't close with.  We've had the same one-on-one with Kyle Busch for two years now.

 

I hope you liked this look back at FOX's season.  Next week, I'll be back with an IndyCar tripleheader from Detroit and Texas.  Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Texas, Pocono, Iowa and Montreal.

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

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

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Race fans, do you love Frontstretch.com's coverage of NASCAR's top 3 series, IndyCar, Formula One and Short Track Racing? Do you want to read even more about your favorite sport? Then check out the industry's newest racing publication, Motorsport Illustrated News!, which is available both in print and in digital format! As one of our loyal readers, you'll receive 15% off any subscription when you use the coupon code fs2013.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week

From Beyond the Cockpit: Travis Pastrana Learning Curves, Bright Cars and X Games

"When you're with a smaller team or you're at a test by yourself, you feel like nobody on the face of the earth can drive faster than you. You feel like, 'I am driving the piss out of this thing' but when you have teammates you can see that they're gaining on you coming into the corner or through the center or on the way off or braking more or less. Carl has been awesome. We are almost identical in size so we use the same sized seat and don't have to make any adjustments. He'll fire off a pretty good lap, ok, amazing laps, which are usually better than mine when I've been driving all day. It is good, though, because I have the telemetry to go off of which is unmatchable compared to anything else that we could have done before." - Travis Pastrana, on being able to test.
~~~~~~~~~~

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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:

Tech Talk: Tech Talk: Observations Heading Into Pocono
by Mike Neff

Mirror Driving: Wild Card Battles, Right Calls And Probation Problems
by Mark Howell

Fantasy Insider: Tricky Questions For The Tricky Triangle

by Jeff Wolfe

NASCAR Mailbox: NASCAR Mailbox: Penalties, Patching Things Up, and Peeved Drivers
by Summer Bedgood

Truckin' Thursdays: Texas Is A Veteran's Chance To Shine
by Beth Lunkenheimer

~~~~~~~~~~

FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q:  Prior to the introduction of SAFER Barriers, Pocono Raceway's outside walls were made exclusively of boiler plate (Flat metal, for lack of better words).  The 1989 AC Spark Plug 500 had two separate incidents that led to the introduction of concrete outside walls in the turns.  What happened? 

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

Wednesday's Answer:

Q:  After the nasty crash involving Steve Park and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on the first lap of the 2002 Pennsylvania 500, Pocono Raceway made some changes to make the track safer for competitors. What were they?

A:  If you remember, Park and Earnhardt, Jr. spun into a single-strand Armco guardrail that was wimpier than you'd see on a two-lane highway.  Pocono Raceway replaced those weak guardrails with a three-strand guardrail backed up by an earthen bank.  However, the introduction of paved runoff and inside SAFER Barriers on the Long Pond and North Straightaways after the track's repave for last year resulted in the removal off of many of these guardrails.  They can still be seen on the inside of Turns 1 and 3, though.

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 Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Frontstretch Folio: Pocono by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!

~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Four Burning Questions: Pocono by Matt Stallknecht
Matt will get your engines revved up for 2013 with a preview of this weekend's FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.

IndyCar InDepth by Toni Montgomery
Coming off of an interesting doubleheader at Belle Isle Park, Toni previews Saturday night's return to Texas Motor Speedway.

Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another intriguing Friday commentary.

Nuts For Nationwide by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin has another interesting look at the Nationwide Series as they take a week off prior to the 5-Hour Energy 200 at Dover International Speedway.

Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.

Special Column TBA

-----------------------------
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!
©2013 Frontstretch.com

 

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The Frontstretch Newsletter: June 5th, 2013

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
June 5th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XCVIII

~~~~~~~~~~

Top News
by Tom Bowles

No. 2 Car Penalized, Wolfe Avoids Suspension

Brad Keselowski, Roger Penske, and the No. 2 Ford team caught a break Tuesday when NASCAR chose not to suspend their crew chief, Paul Wolfe, for breaking the rules while on probation. Wolfe, whose current "punishment" lasts through December 31st was in the spotlight after his Miller Lite Ford measured in as too low during post-race inspection at Dover.

As expected, NASCAR responded to the violation by docking Keselowski six driver points, Penske six owner points and fining Wolfe $25,000. Claiming the team broke Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that race equipment does not conform to NASCAR rules), and 20-12.8.1B (minimum car height) of the current rulebook, the penalty is consistent with what's been handed down in the past. However, since officials insisted the failure was due to a broken part, not "intentionally circumventing the rules," Wolfe escaped a possible one-race suspension from the incident. Penske Racing, in a short statement indicated they would not appeal.

Keselowski's points hit drops him to 10th in the standings, 104 behind leader Jimmie Johnson and just eight in front of Jeff Gordon for the final points-related spot in the Chase. The reigning champion, winless in 2013, is squarely on the bubble midway through the regular season.

TRD's Lee White Announces Retirement, Scales Back Immediately

One of Toyota's top minds behind the scenes is officially wrapping up his career. Lee White, who has been with Toyota Racing Development for 15+ years is stepping back from his role as President and GM, effective immediately, to deal with family health-related issues. White will remain on board as a special advisor to the company, employed through the remainder of 2013, before officially calling it quits.

"I have been planning and working toward retirement at the end of this race season in December," he said in an official release. "I have been offered and accepted an opportunity to perform a reduced amount of duties from my home office. This generous arrangement afforded to us by the company will allow me to attend to personal family priorities."

White's tenure with Toyota, which began in 1997, has seen him play a part in 1,000 race victories and 250 championships across all major racing series. Holding responsibility for all TRD activities in North America, from engine development to sanctioning body relations, he's one of the most respected executives in the industry, widely credited as a main reason the company has had such a successful transition to NASCAR.

"Lee has contributed enormously to Toyota Motorsports in his 15 years with TRD. His leadership has resulted in victories and championships in a broad spectrum of racing series," said Toyota Group Vice President and General Manager Bill Fay. "He's had an impressive career and his day-to-day leadership will be missed. We offer Lee and Lynn our support and best wishes."

White, who holds two U.S. National and World F.I.A. speed records as a driver, worked for Roush Racing and Newman-Haas Racing, among others, in an engineering capacity before moving to Toyota. A replacement for him, in the front offices has not been named.

Fellows Tapped To Run Both Road Course Races

One of NASCAR's road course veterans will be employed at Sonoma and Watkins Glen once more. Canadian Ron Fellows, who hasn't run in Sprint Cup since 2011, has been hired by Circle Sport Racing to drive their No. 33 Chevrolet in those events. Canadian Tire will sponsor the effort, with additional support from AER Manufacturing that should give the 53-year-old enough funding to be competitive.

"I'm really excited about driving the No. 33 Chevy SS," said Fellows.  "Joe Falk and his team have a great relationship with Richard Childress Racing, and with the opportunity to test the new generation Sprint Cup car at tracks on the NASCAR schedule, it was a deal I felt I wanted to be a part of and so did Canadian Tire."

With 23 series starts spanning two decades, almost all of them at the two aforementioned tracks Fellows will look to improve upon his best career finish of runner-up. Circle Sport will simply take a top-20 finish; so far this season, their best is 22nd with regular driver Landon Cassill at Talladega.

"To have a driver of Ron's experience and ability behind the wheel of the No. 33 Canadian Tire Chevrolet at the road course events is another milestone in our program," said team owner Joe Falk.  "Ron's longtime affiliation with GM Racing and our relationship with RCR (Richard Childress Racing) made this possible, and we're looking forward to giving Ron the opportunity to add to the list of his accomplishments in his racing career."

The organization has an information sharing deal with RCR along with limited engine and chassis support.

News 'N' Notes

-    Nationwide Series crew member Robert S. Harrison was suspended by NASCAR indefinitely Tuesday for violating the sport's substance abuse policy. His team affiliation was not announced and was unavailable at press time.

-    SR2 Motorsports said Tuesday they'll run a unique, brother-brother combination with Ken Butler, III and Brett Butler for five races apiece in the Nationwide Series, with the possibility of additional starts in 2014. The two, who already have 39 starts to their credit, have yet to score a top-10 finish in either Nationwide or Trucks. The duo has family-owned backing as Ken Butler recently stepped down from his role as COO of Aaron's Rents, a prominent NASCAR sponsor currently affiliated with Michael Waltrip Racing.

Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.

~~~~~~~~~~

ADVERTISEMENT

Race fans, do you love Frontstretch.com's coverage of NASCAR's top 3 series, IndyCar, Formula One and Short Track Racing? Do you want to read even more about your favorite sport? Then check out the industry's newest racing publication, Motorsport Illustrated News!, which is available both in print and in digital format! As one of our loyal readers, you'll receive 15% off any subscription when you use the coupon code fs2013.

~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Featured Commentary

TNT's Latest Gimmick: Deal or Dud?

WTF Wednesdays

by Ellen Richardson

Fox wrapped up its coverage of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series last Sunday during the FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks, at Dover International Speedway.  As this series rolls into the mountains of Pocono, PA, TNT will take over with what they have promoted as an "All Access" portion of the 2013 season.

Despite a drop in ratings following Sunday's race (down three percent from last year and the lowest for the Spring race since a rainout back in 2007) as well as four of the final races on Fox, this network completed their 2013 Sprint Cup Series coverage with a seven percent ratings increase over last year's coverage.

Now it is up to TNT to take the reins to assist NASCAR in its effort to increase fan attention and, based on past experience against Fox, this network will have its work cut out for them.

As a part of its efforts, TNT is reintroducing the world of reality television to NASCAR.  This "All Access" segment will give fans an inside look into what it takes for each featured driver and their team to prepare for the upcoming race. TNT is also planning to air an additional feature each week that includes an off the track look into a Sprint Cup driver's life. 

Craig Barry, senior vice president and executive director for Turner Sports, said that this network is "hoping that these segments will give fans a deeper, insightful look at the driver, the teams and what goes on week to week."

"I think that this type of television, this all-access, fly-on-the-wall type television is becoming more and more prevalent in what we do."

While this backstage pass has some fans buzzing, I don't feel this effort will give TNT the significant increase in television ratings that it is aiming for.  I am also disappointed in the drivers selected for these segments. 

According to a recent Turner Sports release, TNT will follow Denny Hamlin and his Joe Gibbs Racing team through their preparations for this Sunday's Party in the Poconos.  Hamlin will be followed by Brad Keselowski (Michigan), Juan Pablo Montoya (Sonoma) and Kurt Busch (Kentucky), among others. 

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will also be the first driver featured off the track.  TNT's Ralph Sheehan will visit with Earnhardt, Jr. at his Whisky River restaurant as well as at his Car Graveyard. 

Choosing popular drivers, who have continuously been highlighted by the media over the last couple of years, is a more than apparent grasp at trying to increase ratings and pad pockets than giving fans a chance to have a closer look into the lives of these drivers. 

If you truly want to give fans a backstage pass into these teams and drivers, why not give them a chance to vote on the drivers and teams that they would like to see featured or go one step further by inviting a special fan to be a guest team member throughout the week with the featured team? While I applaud TNT's efforts to try and increase ratings, unless NASCAR fans are truly involved, this form of NASCAR reality television will fall into the same black hole as all of the other past attempts.

If this sport, along with its fan attendance and television ratings, are truly going to make a comeback it is up to more than the networks.  Although I could be risking a fine in saying this, it is time for NASCAR to improve both racing as well as overall fan access. 

Bring back the days where competition was true competition and every team had a chance to win versus domination by the teams with the most funding.  Bring back the days where drivers would spend hours with fans and these fans would have the "behind the scenes" tour inside the tracks, garages, etc.  Keep great analysts like Mike Joy, Jeff Hammond and the less brainwashed Darrell Waltrip calling the show versus jumping from network to network throughout the season.

In other words, stop the gimmicks and let's get back to racing!! WTF?

Ellen Richardson is a Newsletter Contributor for Frontstretch.com.  She can be reached via e-mail at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com. Follow her on Twitter @EllenNRich.

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GOT A NASCAR QUESTION OR COMMENT? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
That's right; our Fan Q & A column is back once again in 2013. Send your question Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print on Thursday when she does her weekly column. It's all part of our daily mission to give back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat!

~~~~~~~~~~

Tweet 'N' Greet
by Kevin Rutherford

Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Kevin Rutherford will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.

So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...

@kylebusch: Should b pleased w top 5 but not. We had a bump stop start to fail at lap 200 and it was terrible at the end. Just want to win for my guys!

@jpmontoya: Well made it home. The @Energizer car was fast all day. So close but still too far. If we keep running like this some wins are coming!!

@dennyhamlin: Sorry we couldn't get a win tonight.. Just never had the speed it took to run with those guys. Still a solid day #makethechase

@joeylogano: Whooooooooooooo

@BubbaWallace (Darrell Wallace, Jr.): Damn, what a run today! That close....bad luck struck at the end, LR Spring Rubbers fell out. I was hanging on! We will get us one soon!

@chaseelliott: Just can't make mistakes like that, I've got to put us in better positions at the end. We're gettin there thanks to @Aarons_Inc.

@RossChastain: That was the hardest race of my career. To top it off I about wadded her up coming 2 pit road. Got busted for speeding. Lesson learned.

@hockensomething (Chad Hackenbracht): Two in a row for no.51 @KBMteam truck, looking to make it three next week at @TXMotorSpeedway #ncwtsdebut

@tbayne21 (Trevor Bayne): We may have gotten the golf cart stuck on the way to dinner... #worthit #hungrymen #shortcut http://instagram.com/p/Z9bhVLwuic/

@KevinHarvick: .@KeelanHarvick tipping it on back!! @DierksBentley pic.twitter.com/S6qfghyAax

@Kenny_Wallace: THANK YOU @USCellular for sponsoring me at BOTH @NASCAR_NNS Races in IOWA, I am humbled to have a BIG Sponsor pic.twitter.com/S5dOnMrhAi

@Ryan_Truex: Well, I guess the cats out of the bag. So pumped to be working with Richard Petty. The king! Dream come true #nascar

@claygreenfield: A lot of ppl talking about the front row of today's race. Row 16 could be pretty exciting also #Harmon #Cobb

@pkligerman: When young girls look at u and smile and giggle or turn away laughing. #EgoBoost Or #SomethingsOnMyFace

@DanicaPatrick: My name is danica and I am a Pinterest-holic.....proud to say this tweet wasn't a re-pin. Baby steps.

@JimmieJohnson: Yes it's my fault @Twitter crashed... #BlameJJ

@55MarkMartin: I didn't know you were such a funny guy @BrianLVickers You should come by more often.

 
Kevin Rutherford is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at kevin.rutherford@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at@Surfwax83.

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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 frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.

~~~~~~~~~~

TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Did You Notice?... The Underdogs Deserve A Shot, Too

by Tom Bowles

Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun in Detroit!
by Toni Montgomery

NASCAR Writer Power Rankings: Top 15 After Dover I

compiled by Michael Mehedin

Happiness Is... Surprise Endings

by Huston Ladner

Side By Side: Will Denny Hamlin Make the Chase?

by Kevin Rutherford and Jeff Wolfe

Beyond the Cockpit: Travis Pastrana Learning Curves, Bright Cars and X Games

by Mike Neff

Top Ten Rejected NASCAR Collectibles

by the Frontstretch Staff

~~~~~~~~~~

FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q: After the nasty crash involving Steve Park and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on the first lap of the 2002 Pennsylvania 500, Pocono Raceway made some changes to make the track safer for competitors.  What were they?
 
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Tuesday's Answer:

Q: In the 1991 Miller Genuine Draft 500 at Pocono, a rash of early cautions kept the field bunched together.  When that happens, something usually has to give.  Ernie Irvan didn't really give an inch to anyone in Turn 3.  What happened because of this move?

A: Ernie Irvan and Hut Stricklin were battling for the lead on a restart when Irvan ran up to Stricklin's Raybestos Brakes Buick and tapped him.  Stricklin spun in front of the field exiting Turn 3.  Ultimately, eight cars were involved in the crash.  Richard Petty ran over the front ends of his son Kyle and Ricky Rudd's cars, catching some air in the process.  The crash can be seen here.

Most drivers ultimately continued after the wreck.  Stricklin still managed to finish fourth in the rain-shortened race, one of his best runs of 1991.  The crash was just one more strike that his peers held against Irvan, who had infamously caused the Big One at Talladega back in May.

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 Phil Allaway
-- What's Vexing Vito by Vito Pugliese
-- Critic's Annex by Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, the Line of the Week and more!

~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite Frontstretch writers are back to discuss a variety of different subjects. On tap this week are Denny Hamlin's Chase chances, championship hopes and so much more.

Frontstretch Fan Q&A by Summer Bedgood
Summer takes on your NASCAR questions and answers them to the best of her ability. Be sure to send your questions in if there's something that's been nagging at you and you might see your name in print.

Tech Talk by Mike Neff
Mike has a Sprint Cup Series crew chief stop by to talk about the technical side of NASCAR. This week, Steve Letarte stops by with a few thoughts as the series heads off to Pocono.

Fantasy Racing by Jeff Wolfe
Jeff brings fantasy racing back to Frontstretch this season. The week, he has your best bets as you fill out your roster for Pocono.

Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer

Beth is back with all of the latest and greatest to come out of the Truck Series. This week, Beth takes a closer look at the drivers she thinks have the best chance to pull off a surprise victory at Texas Motor Speedway.

-----------------------------
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!
©2013 Frontstretch.com

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The Frontstretch Newsletter: June 4th, 2013

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
June 4th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XCVII

~~~~~~~~~~

What to Watch For: Tuesday

- Tuesday is traditionally penalty day in NASCAR and Penske Racing could be hit with another one on the No. 2 after Brad Keselowski's Miller Lite Ford measured too low in the front end in post-race inspection.  Normally, this is grounds for a six-point penalty, but with a number of people on the team, including crew chief Paul Wolfe currently on probation from Texas, suspensions could happen once again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Top News

by Tom Bowles

Whitt, Hackenbracht Switch Roles For Weekend

Chad Whitt, following a 16th-place finish with TriStar Motorsports in his debut has earned himself a second opportunity. Driving their No. 44 Toyota, he'll slide behind the wheel this weekend at Iowa while previously signed driver Chad Hackenbracht goes elsewhere. Hackenbracht, who will take over the ride in a limited schedule later in 2013 has also signed a multi-race deal with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series. He'll debut in the No. 51 Truck, replacing Busch instead at Texas on Friday night.

Hackenbracht, who was initially planning on "double dipping" was admonished by NASCAR due to his inexperience and potential for missing the driver's meeting while going back and forth between racetracks. That left the opening for Whitt, a former full-timer in the Nationwide Series who's been searching for a ride in 2013 after being let go by JR Motorsports. He had been working at TriStar as a mechanic before this substitution opportunity came up pre-Dover; he responded with the best finish for the team so far this season.

Kenny Wallace Earns Two-Race Sponsorship

One of the Nationwide Series' longtime veterans will strap back behind the wheel again this weekend at Iowa. Kenny Wallace, driving for RAB Racing announced a two-race sponsorship deal from U.S. Cellular this week that will also apply to the second race at the 7/8th-mile oval on August 3rd.

"In an effort to show our continued support for the U.S. Cellular 250, we decided to steer our involvement with Kenny to the race track," said Kathy Hust, Mid-Central Region Vice President for U.S. Cellular in a press release. "We look forward to seeing his #29 car with U.S. Cellular logos zoom around Iowa Speedway's track."

Wallace, 49, has raced twice this season with a best finish of 29th at Charlotte. Brother Mike is a full-timer in this division, driving for JD Motorsports in the No. 01 Chevrolet.

News 'N' Notes

- The Monster Mile failed to dial up Monster TV ratings for FOX. Dover posted just a 3.5 overnight, down three percent from last year and the lowest for the Spring race since a rainout back in 2007. That means four of the final five races on FOX suffered ratings decreases; the other one, Darlington remained stagnant. Overall, it was a disappointing year for the network as heavy gains in the Daytona 500 petered out over the rest of the 13-race schedule; overall viewership will likely remain flat with 2012 numbers.

- NASCAR, early Tuesday is claiming Brad Keselowski's crew chief, Paul Wolfe, will likely escape additional discipline for the No. 2 car coming in too low during post-race inspection. Officials have been quoted in multiple publications as saying since the infraction was due to a parts failure, not a gray area-type violation it's a different area of the rulebook and the crew chief will not be held accountable for additional crimes while on probation.

Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.

~~~~~~~~~~

GOT A NASCAR QUESTION OR COMMENT? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
That's right; our Fan Q & A column is back once again in 2013. Send your question Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print on Thursday when she does her weekly column. It's all part of our daily mission to give back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat!

~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Featured Commentary

Opening the Floodgates at Dover: Not Handling Fan Security in NASCAR

Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View

by S.D. Grady

Dover International Speedway made a mistake on Sunday -- at least, according to fans stuck in long lines waiting to enter the grandstands.  They spent too much time inspecting backpacks and coolers, to the point some waited up to an hour in 85 to 90-degree heat.  Many fans worried they would not see the green flag, although they had left twenty minutes to navigate security prior to the start of the race.  But, not to worry.  After much caterwauling in the ranks, somebody on the inside saw the problem and opened the gates, and in the process made the decision not to thoroughly check the bags of the hundreds -- perhaps thousands -- of fans who were now running late.

What?

It's a story that makes you scratch your head, especially with the stands filled to just 40-50 percent capacity on Sunday. To cover their collective asses, Dover then issued an apology to the fans that things didn't go quite the way they should have and the track would do better next time. 

Well done!  Not.

Look, we've all been in those crazy long lines waiting to enter a major sporting or entertainment venue.  If I'm heading to Fenway Park, I know not to bring anything but myself unless I want the close attention of an intimidating security guard.  While a few beach balls usually make their way past the moat dragons, I am fairly certain that between the metal detectors and professional security guards at the gates, I am sitting in a reasonably safe environment.  Lots of folks are stopped for a frisk and a more detailed perusal of pocket lint.

At a NASCAR track, not so much.  Even after the decision to closely inspect bags came into play due to the 9/11 wake-up call, I know for a fact that with a little timing and minimal effort, sneaking contraband into almost any track isn't that difficult, even to this day.  Umbrellas always pop up during rain delays.  I see glass bottles at almost every event.  I've never seen a metal detector at any gate, nor have I actually seen any fan frisked.  So sneaking a weapon onto the property just can't be that hard.  In fact, when I pause at the table to open my cooler, the 17-year-old decked out in a track T-Shirt "looking in my bag" is usually more interested in the gossip she's exchanging with a friend.  If she was faced with a 9mm staring her in the face...what would she do?

No, despite the long list of things you can't bring to the track, I cannot for one moment truly believe that any kind of serious security has been enacted at any venue I've visited over the past twelve years.

Is it needed?  Despite the fact I love my personal freedom, and despise even the gentle intrusion into my cooler on race day, I have to say yes.  The Boston Marathon bombings reminded us of that fact far too well.

If you're going to have security checkpoints, they should be accomplishing something.  They shouldn't be manned by the local high school softball team.  Standards must be maintained, even when the lines are long.  I'm sorry, deciding that the whole process is taking too long and we should just abandon ship completely undermines the point of the security gates.

There were lots of things wrong at Dover's gates on Sunday, but the intention to thoroughly inspect every bag entering the venue wasn't one of them.  And NASCAR fans shouldn't expect the half-assed attempts at security that many of the tracks employ to continue. 

It's on us fans, too, to ensure everybody has a great time on race day.  By arriving early, adhering to the list of permissible items and cooperating with track staff, it can make the security check bearable.

On the other hand, when Dover decided to make some changes to their procedures, they needed to communicate that to the fans.  Our staffer, Jeff Wolfe, who went as a fan to attend with his son said it was the worst he's ever seen at Dover.  I've been twice and can't recall the checkpoint being any different from any other track, perhaps even with shorter lines.  I can't recall having my backpack/cooler thoroughly checked.

But it wasn't just Dover that screwed up on Sunday.  It's also the pattern of indifference that every NASCAR track has employed over the past decade and the fans for coming to expect such useless bag inspections at the gate that must shoulder some of the blame, as well.

We need to fix this problem, one way or the other.  Either leave off with the inspections all together, and let the hordes bring whatever they want.  Every fan can then elect if they wish to venture out without Big Brother. Or decide that security means security and get together on procedures that are not only effective, but efficient.

Let's hope this irritating snafu is all the wake-up call NASCAR needs to make some serious decisions, and soon.  I don't want to see another Boston Bombing happen at a race and for that to be the impetus for the changes required.

Kyle Larson Stat

Series: Nationwide
Track: Dover
Car: No. 32 Vizio/Hulu Chevrolet
Qualified: 15th
Finished: 10th (lead lap)
Points Standings: 9th

Want to follow Kyle Larson yourself?

Twitter: @KyleLarsonRacin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KyleLarsonRacing
Website (under construction): http://kylelarsonracing.com/
Looking for a little history? Try... http://kylelarsonracing.net/

S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @laregna.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Numbers Game: FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks

by Tom Bowles

1

The number of top-5 finishes for Brad Keselowski since starting the season with four straight. He was fifth at Dover, the best run for him and his team since a third at Bristol in March.

2

Top-5 finishes for Juan Pablo Montoya this season after Dover's second-place finish. That's also the number of top-5 results he scored in 2011 & 2012 combined.

3

The number of DNFs and wins for Matt Kenseth this season. He's had two engine failures, including Sunday at Dover and wrecked out one time (Bristol - March).

4

Cautions for debris or "fluid" on the track at Dover Sunday, one more than the number for actual on-track incidents (three).

5

Straight races led by Kurt Busch. It's a record for his Furniture Row Racing team and his best streak since driving for Roger Penske back in 2011.

5

DNFs for Travis Kvapil this season after blowing an engine at Dover. He's gone behind the wall for repairs in all but four races this season.

6

The number of consecutive top-20 finishes for rookie Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. after running 13th on Sunday. The freshman has quietly been no lower than 18th since contending to win Kansas back in April.

7

The number of races since Danica Patrick has had a lead-lap finish. She was 24th Sunday, nearly wrecked twice in the first 25 laps before making an unscheduled stop for handling issues and wound up four laps off the pace. The last time the GoDaddy car was on the lead lap was Martinsville in April; she finished 12th.

18

The number of Dover races since Jimmie Johnson finished lower than 16th. He was 17th in the FedEx 400, his worst result at the Monster Mile since crashing out and winding up 32nd in the Spring of 2004.

24

Laps led by Tony Stewart this season before winning the race at Dover. He only led three laps en route to victory Sunday.

480

Number of laps led by Kyle Busch the last three races out of a possible 1,167. That's 41.1 percent of all laps run; he's failed to win any of those events.

1,461

Laps led by Martin Truex, Jr. since his lone Cup Series win, at Dover back in the Spring of 2007. He paced the field for two circuits Sunday before blowing his engine about three-quarters of the way through the event.

$120,863

Money won by 36th-place Ryan Newman after wrecking out with David Gilliland with a little over 100 laps to go in Dover.

$114,365

Money won by ninth-place Mark Martin, who ran the whole distance at Dover and finished on the lead lap.

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 ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Love Him Or Hate Him: Jimmie Johnson Still Is The Class Of NASCAR
by Brett Poirier

Who's Hot / Who's Not In Sprint Cup: Dover-Pocono Edition
by Brad Morgan

Going By The Numbers: Imagining The NNS Without Cup Regulars
by Kevin Rutherford

Five Points to Ponder: TRD And Keselowski Trip While 'Dinger Runs Into Trouble
by Danny Peters

Couch Potato Tuesday: SPEED's Monster Coverage
by Phil Allaway

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q:  In the 1991 Miller Genuine Draft 500 at Pocono, a rash of early cautions kept the field bunched together.  When that happens, something usually has to give.  Ernie Irvan didn't really give an inch to anyone in Turn 3.  What happened because of this move?

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

Monday's Answer:

Q:  The 1993 Champion Spark Plug 500 marked Jeff Gordon's very first trip to Pocono Raceway.  However, it was not a happy journey.  What happened to Gordon early on in the race that ruined his day?

A:  Gordon qualified very well in his DuPont Chevrolet, but ended up on the outside of Turn 3 after eventual race winner Kyle Petty made a passing maneuver an early restart.  Hut Stricklin tried to follow Petty past, but contact between the two resulted in Gordon spinning out and backing hard into the outside wall.  The crash can be seen here.

Gordon went behind the wall for repairs and eventually returned to the race.  He would finish in 28th, 87 laps down.  Stricklin had to stop for front end repairs after the contact and eventually finished a lap down in 13th.

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 Tom Bowles
-- WTF Wednesday by Ellen Richardson

-- Tweet 'N' Greet by Kevin Rutherford
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!

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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Did You Notice? by Tom Bowles

Did You Notice the underdogs deserve their place in the sun, too? Tom grades their seasons, talks restart procedure and more in this weekly list of small but important observations about the sport.

Side By Side: Denny Hamlin and the Chase by Kevin Rutherford and Jeff Wolfe

After his injury on the final lap of the Auto Club 400, this has been one of the bigger ongoing stories in the Sprint Cup Series. This week, we're going to just put it out there.  After a dismal showing at Dover, will Denny Hamlin make the Chase in 2013?  We'll have both sides of the issue available for your pleasure.

Beyond the Cockpit: Travis Pastrana as told to Mike Neff

Mike Neff sits down with the former Rally America Champion and X-Games Gold Medalist to talk about his continuing transition to racing in NASCAR full-time.

Frontstretch Top 10 by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite writers are back with their Wednesday dose of NASCAR humor that leaves you laughing. Don't miss out!

Open-Wheel Wednesday by Toni Montgomery
Toni's on the docket for this week and Belle Isle's doubleheader is on the agenda. Did IndyCar have a breakthrough weekend with this format or are there still major changes to be made? She'll have a breakdown of what worked and what didn't out in Michigan.

NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After Dover compiled by Michael Mehedin
Jimmie Johnson's restart blunder cost him the chance at another 48 special.  However, he still has a 30-point lead over Carl Edwards in second. Did he maintain number one on our power rankings list? Experts you love from across the web, not just Frontstretch rank the drivers heading into Pocono as our weekly top 15 poll comes up for a vote once again.

Happiness Is... by P. Huston Ladner

Don't let your life sink into the pits. Huston looks at the bright side of racing stories we've seen in the past seven days.

-----------------------------
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The Frontstretch Newsletter: June 3rd, 2013

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
June 3rd, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XCVI

~~~~~~~~~

 

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Sprint Cup Race Recap: Stewart Wins Controversy-Filled Race At Dover
by Justin Tucker

To say 2013 hasn't been a banner year for Tony Stewart is an understatement.  Coming into this weekend's FedEx 400 at Dover, Stewart had only recorded two top 10s in the season's first 12 races and looking at his recent past, Dover didn't look like the place for improvement.  Before Sunday's race, Stewart had recorded five consecutive finishes of 20th or worse at the Monster Mile.

Good thing for him history doesn't always have to be repeated. On Sunday, some strong pit strategy and a controversial call led to Victory Lane for Stewart as he would score his first win in 30 races, dating back to 2012.
 
"Our guys at our shop have been digging," Stewart said.  "None of these guys get down.  We have been down, but they haven't gotten down.  That is what carries you to days like today."
 
To win it, Smoke needed a little dose of good fortune that came in the form of the race's final caution. Until then, Jimmie Johnson appeared to be heading for a record eighth Dover win until controversy arose, following a final round of stops where the No. 48 dropped to second, behind Juan Pablo Montoya.  On lap 382, which proved to be the race's final restart, Johnson got a major advantage over Montoya, who appeared to spin his tires.  NASCAR quickly waved the black flag at Johnson for jumping the start, forcing him to serve a pass through penalty.  That resulted in Johnson leaving Dover with a 17th-place finish, his worst at the track in nine years and angrily stewing over what might have been.

 

"We certainly had the winning car," Johnson said. "We'll have to come back and do it in the Fall."

 

Debates reigned supreme over the call, but NASCAR Vice President Robin Pemberton made it clear after the race: Johnson was in front of the leader at the start/finish line, which is against the NASCAR Rulebook and chose not to give the spot back to the No. 42. So with Johnson out of the picture for the win, it was down to Montoya and Stewart, who was surging with fresher tires after a series of pit strategy calls by crew chief Steve Addington got him "off sequence" from what the rest of the drivers were doing and earned him all-important track position.  With three laps to go, Stewart powered past Montoya on the outside of Turn 3 and never looked back, recording his 48th NSCS win after spending much of the day running around 15th place.  The shocking turnaround moved him to 16th in points and, more importantly, put him in possession of one of the two "wild card" positions for the Chase.  Montoya, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. rounded out the top 10.

Engines proved to be one huge story of the FedEx 400 at Dover as Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex, Jr. both of whom were in the top 10 in points entering the day, would make early exits from the event due to blown engines.  For Truex, the ailing powerplant dropped him to 14th in points, erasing all the gains from Charlotte the week before. Both were strong contenders in-race, running inside the top 5 all day until horsepower dealt them a bad hand.

 

Tough luck also came in a different form for Brad Keselowski, who had his crew chief Paul Wolfe back on the pit box for Sunday's race and brought home a fifth-place finish.  Unofficially, Keselowski moved up to eighth in points.  However, during post-race inspection, Keselowski's No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion was found to be too low.  Any penalties for the No. 2 team will likely be announced on Tuesday.
 
Up until Johnson's late surge, the race was all about the three-car Joe Gibbs Racing trio of Kyle Busch, Kenseth, and polesitter Denny Hamlin, who came into Sunday's race needing a huge day.  On Friday, Hamlin would win his second pole in as many weeks and would prove to be a contender, overcoming missing pit road during a green-flag stop to work his way back into the top 5 runners.  Unfortunately, a blown right front tire with about 20 laps to go ended all hopes of a much-needed win and would relegate him to a 34th-place finish.  The DNF is damaging to Hamlin's Chase hopes, as he now sits 122 points out of 10th and 74 points out of 20th.  It appears as if Hamlin absolutely has to win two races and stay out of trouble in order for him to have any hopes of a "wild card" at the end of the 26-race regular season.

As for Busch, he outright dominated the race at times, swapping the lead with Kenseth for almost all of the race's first 200 laps. In total, the No. 18 Toyota was out in front for 150 of them but, as has been the case so often in recent weeks the handling deteriorated on the car in the second half. A frustrated Busch, who struggled to give feedback to his crew at times was forced to settle for fourth and watched helplessly, late in the race as Johnson surged past him to the front. The No. 48 car, which nearly fell a lap down early after starting 24th was saved by a timely debris caution, on Lap 79 and then slowly worked his car into shape the rest of the day. When Kyle and brother Kurt Busch fell behind, due to handling or poor pit strategy calls that cleared the way for Johnson to go on cruise control until the controversial ending that became the postrace talk of the garage.

"I feel bad for Jimmie because I don't think that's what he deserved," said winner Stewart. "You know, you work hard all day to put yourself in a position to try to win the race at the end.  You don't want it coming down to a decision that NASCAR has to make.  But there can be some adjustments made to the restart zone. My opinion, if you lengthen that restart zone and give the leader more flexibility of where they pick the restart up at, it takes away that opportunity for the second-place guy to take advantage of the restarts."

 

The race had seven cautions for 32 laps, resulting in an average speed of 123.172 miles an hour for the 400-mile event. Next week, the Sprint Cup Series heads to its most unique oval, Pocono Raceway, for the Party in the Poconos 400.  Green flag is scheduled for 1:18 P.M. EDT on TNT.

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

Chasing the Chase: Johnson's Jump Start Renders Race A Near Push For Edwards
by Phil Allaway

After a tough start to the race, Jimmie Johnson was actually in position to not only win, but waltz out of Dover with another perfect day for the 48.  However, a black flag for jumping the final restart relegated Johnson to a 17th-place finish.  The result doesn't hurt Johnson all that much in the standings, as Carl Edwards had an off day, finishing in 14th with a Roush Fenway group that usually shines at Dover.  As a result, Johnson lost only two points of his lead.  Despite what he described as a bad weekend, Clint Bowyer survived that crazy ending to climb to sixth; he moved up one place in the points to third as a reward.

 

Matt Kenseth looked like an early favorite to win on Sunday.  He was one of the only drivers that could run with Kyle Busch until the engine blew on the Dollar General Toyota, putting him out for the day.  Kenseth dropped from third to a tie for fourth in points with Kevin Harvick, who had another good run to finish eighth.  Just one point behind Kenseth and Harvick is Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in sixth; NASCAR's Most Popular Driver was angry about his car's handling all day but was still able to sneak home in 10th place.

 

Kasey Kahne ran well on Sunday, but just plain lost control of his Farmers' Insurance Chevrolet late in the going and backed into the Turn 2 wall.  The damage was moderate, but more than enough to render Kahne uncompetitive.  Limping home to a 23rd-place finish, that cost him two places in the standings.  Brad Keselowski scratched his way up to fifth, by comparison which allows him to move up to eighth in points.  However, Keselowski's car measured too low in the front end in post-race inspection.  Potential penalties could be coming as soon as Tuesday.

 

Kyle Busch had the car to beat early in the race, but faded in the second half of the event to a fourth-place finish.  However, that was still enough to slot Busch back inside the top 10 in points; he's up to ninth.  Paul Menard, who finished 20th, but spent much of the day hovering around 25th, rounds out your top 10 in the championship Chase.

Standings: 1) Jimmie Johnson 473, 2) Carl Edwards -30, 3) Clint Bowyer -50, t-4) Matt Kenseth -74, t-4) Kevin Harvick -74, 6) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -75, 7) Kasey Kahne -81, 8) Brad Keselowski -98, 9) Kyle Busch -99, 10) Paul Menard -102.

Best of the Rest: 11) Jeff Gordon -112, 12) Aric Almirola -119, 13) Greg Biffle -120, t-14) Martin Truex, Jr. -130, t-14) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -130, 16) Tony Stewart -135, 17) Kurt Busch -136, 18) Joey Logano -138, 19) Jamie McMurray -141, t-20) Ryan Newman -150, t-20) Jeff Burton -150.

Wild Cards: 1) Tony Stewart (16th in points, one win), 2) Jeff Gordon (11th in points)

Currently Ineligible for Wild Card: 1) David Ragan (27th in points, one win)

Race Winners: Jimmie Johnson (Daytona, Martinsville), Carl Edwards (Phoenix), Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas, Kansas, Darlington), Kasey Kahne (Bristol), Kyle Busch (Fontana, Texas), Kevin Harvick (Richmond, Charlotte), David Ragan (Talladega), Tony Stewart (Dover)

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.

Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here: Dover Edition
by Amy Henderson

Editor's Note: This year, we're going to switch things up a little bit. Instead of just focusing upon one underdog (or underreported) car in the Secret Star section, we will point out three smaller teams that put up good finishes each week.

Underdog Selection No. 1: Casey Mears for Germain Racing; started 17th, finished 16th

 

The good thing about Mears' finish on Sunday is that it's where this team is capable of finishing—they're a 15th-to-20th place team just about everywhere, save the cookie cutters, and even there, they're capable of it sometimes.  Mears and Company have had absolutely terrible luck since they finished 16th at Martinsville in April -- they've been wrecked or had mechanical gremlins just about every week — but Dover was indicative of how they can run.

 

Many small teams look at their standing amongst their peers rather than the overall points as an indication of how their season is going, and despite the rash of bad luck, this team is strong.  Mears leads all small-team drivers in Sprint Cup points this year, sitting 25th overall.  Considering that there are richer organizations behind the No. 13, it's been a good year thus far.  A few more runs like this week and it could be a great one for this bunch.

 

Underdog Selection No. 2: Bobby Labonte for JTG-Daugherty Racing; started 26th, finished 21st

 

Labonte is perhaps the quietest threat among the small team group each week.  You rarely hear about him in a broadcast, because he's neither doing nothing above expectations nor causing on-track issues.  Yet Labonte was the best among all small team drivers in points in 2012, finishing the year a quiet 23rd.  He's lost a few spots this year, sitting 28th overall and behind Mears and David Ragan among his immediate peers; however, Labonte is still an asset to a growing program.

 

Why?  Simple—he finishes in one piece unless it's someone else's fault and he provides solid feedback.  Labonte's best years might be behind him, but he's still a Cup champion, something that the rest of the underdogs can't claim.

 

Underdog Selection No. 3: Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports; started 41st, finished 25th

 

A year ago, Wise's team was parking early each week, and the best finish Wise could muster in 2012 was a 30th place. That means he's really learning to go the distance in a long race for the first time this year.  His 25th-place result at Dover was the second-best of his career (his best finish was 19th at Talladega) and he seems to be learning how to race at this level fairly well.  He hasn't caused very many problems on the track, and he's been steady.  Because Wise isn't eligible for Sprint Cup points (he declared his eligibility in the Nationwide Series) his standing is a moot point.  Wise isn't at the level of his FRM teammates yet, but he's showing some talent to one day get there.

Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs? Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during the race broadcasts? Amy has all the small teams covered each and every week in The Big Six. Be sure to check it out to see how your favorites fared!

Amy Henderson is a Co-Managing Editor and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at amy.henderson@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Writer_Amy.

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Letter of the Race: Sunday's FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks was brought to you by the Letter R, for "Rare."  Jimmie Johnson qualifying back in 24th and getting lapped prior to his first pit stop is very rare at Dover.  Getting black-flagged for jumping the restart is also incredibly unusual for the multiple-time Sprint Cup Champion.  He's unhappy with NASCAR's decision, but you can bet he'll definitely bounce back pretty soon.  - Phil Allaway

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Sidebar Dover Stories
by Summer Bedgood

Final Restart Causes Controversy

 

Jimmie Johnson was in prime position to win Sunday's race, starting second alongside Juan Pablo Montoya on the final restart after just getting beat out of the pits. With a faster car and a stronger running position most of the day, it was almost a given.

 

However, a penalty from NASCAR for a restart violation would leave Johnson wanting more.  As the pace car headed onto pit road, Montoya and Johnson entered the restart zone.  Suddenly, Johnson accelerated, seemingly leaving Montoya and the rest of the pack behind.  NASCAR said that Johnson jumped the restart and forced him to serve a pass through penalty.

 

Johnson, however, disagreed with the call. 

 

"I was half-throttle for the whole frontstretch," said Johnson.  "And at some point, I gotta go.  In this situation, NASCAR has the judgment to decide if you jumped it or not.  But I'm like, he's (Juan Pablo Montoya) is not even going.  So I'm not sure if his car broke or if [it was] off power or spun the tires.  I don't know.  So I'm running half-throttle down the frontstretch waiting for him and he never comes.  So at that point, we got back going.  Chad (Knaus, crew chief) even told me on the radio that something had happened and that I should just take off and not worry about it.  And then, we were called on it.  So, a bummer way to lose a race.  We certainly had the winning car."

 

Montoya, who went on to finish second, claims he did nothing wrong and that it was Johnson who mistimed the restart.

 

"Jimmie was laying off about just nearly a car length from me, and I knew he was trying to jump the start," said Montoya.  "And I backed off a little bit for us to line up, and he didn't want to do it." The Colombian also complained immediately after the green flag, on the radio pre-penalty Johnson was at fault for what happened.

 

The five-time Sprint Cup champion ultimately finished in the 17th position, one lap down, and lost an opportunity for what would have been a record-setting eighth Dover victory.

 

David Gilliland, Ryan Newman Butt Heads in Dover

 

A long day for both drivers came to an end on lap 301 on Sunday when Ryan Newman tapped the left rear of David Gilliland, sending them both crashing onto the inside wall on the backstretch.

 

Newman, who was already frustrated with the day after dealing with power steering issues inside his No. 39 Chevrolet, had made contact with Gilliland a couple of laps before and the two of them had been racing aggressively for several laps leading up to the incident.

 

Both drivers were racing for position at the time, leading to tempers boiling over after the contact. While Newman declined comment, Gilliland offered up his side of the story, claiming he leaned into Newman's window and shouted, "What were you thinking?"

 

"We just got wrecked," Gilliland said.  "It is a shame.  I am real proud of Front Row Motorsports and Frank Kerr, my crew chief.  We had a fast race car and a great run going and unfortunately someone lost their patience a little bit and we got wrecked.  It is too bad but that is just the way it goes, I guess."

 

Newman and Gilliland finished 36th and 37th, respectively.  Both drivers were treated and released from the infield care center after the incident.

 

Engine Issues Surface, Again, For TRD

 

Once again, the Toyota Racing Development engines put a hamper on a few of the teams competing in Sunday's FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.  Both Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex, Jr., who led laps, were forced to retire from the race early due to motor issues. Kenseth's engine expired after 159 laps while Truex's lasted 279.

 

"Something broke in the engine," said Kenseth in the garage.  "Man, it's disappointing.  I mean I feel like JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) has three of the strongest teams in the garage.  It seems like we got the best cars out there — or equal to the best cars.  But, you know you have to finish these things.  Obviously, there's been some issues in that department.  Got a lot of faith in them guys.  They'll get it figured out.  I want to thank Dollar General and Toyota and the Home Depot.  I had a great car today.  Pretty disappointed to be standing here."

 

Truex, who is still searching for his second career win and felt like he had a good shot this weekend in Dover, was equally disappointed.

 

"Something let go in the motor," said Truex.  "Just dropped a cylinder and started smoking all at once.  Same thing happened to the 20 (Matt Kenseth), it looked like.  Obviously, we both have the same engine manufacturer.  Pretty disappointing.  We had a great race car today.  The NAPA Toyota was really good.  We were one or two adjustments away there from having something for them.  We were really good on long runs.  Little too tight on the short runs.  Damn, I wish we could have made it to the end."

 

Kenseth finished 40th, while Truex wound up 38th.

Summer Bedgood is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SummerBedgood.

Quotes to Remember: FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks
compiled by Summer Bedgood

"We must have broken a right front bump stop or something.  To finish fourth with that shows you what kind of piece we had.  I think we had something.  As soon as Jimmie (Johnson) got to me there about — just past halfway — that's when it took a dump on us.  I hate it.  It's just everything every week." - Kyle Busch, finished fourth

 

"We drove hard all day, we just didn't have the speed needed to go win the race but we had the speed we needed to have a solid day.  The guys did a great job executing today.  It is cool to see Tony (Stewart) win, he did a hell of a job driving that thing and it was a good race.  I was having fun watching them, but I wish I could have gotten up there.  It was another solid day, but we want to win too so we will keep working to find a little more speed and get up there." - Brad Keselowski, finished fifth

 

"Not very good, we got a pretty decent finish but we just didn't run very good all weekend long.  Definitely need to go back and do our homework and figure some things out for our 5-Hour ENERGY Toyota." - Clint Bowyer, finished sixth

 

"We fought all day basically trying to get a Lucky Dog after that flat tire. We would get one back and then go down two and then get one back. We were basically trying to get three laps back, for the most part. I was just proud of the effort of my guys today. This weekend, I thought we were going to finish about 15 laps down today. We weren't any good in practice and Todd and all the guys did a good job making it better for me. By the end, it was a top-five car and we just ran out of time. We were trying to pass as many as I could during the restart but it was so aero tight behind these cars. I feel like that we could have finished in the top-five but considering where we were, we will take that day." - Joey Logano, finished seventh

 

"Our Jimmy John's Chevy was good one run, really loose one run and really tight the next run.  At the end, we were just loose and tight.  Then, the run before on two tires really loose.  We hung in there and got a solid top 10." - Kevin Harvick, finished eighth

 

"It was a really great effort by our team.  Our Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota had more potential at the end than we were able to show.  We didn't quite get it adjusted for the changing track conditions, but it was awesome even as it was.  It would have been even better if we could have got it adjusted out.  Great, great team effort today and I'm really proud of the guys — we're making progress." - Mark Martin, finished ninth

 

"Yeah, it was real hot, but we knew that going into the race.  We made our car better.  I felt like we had a real strong car the last half of the race.  We just couldn't get track position, couldn't pass.  We were faster than the guys in front of us at the end, but just couldn't pass." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished tenth

 

"We just all struggled and I think there is some systemic problem with our car.  It is good that we all went the same speed so that at least we know.  When three different groups run the same speed and it is not fast enough, it means that we are doing a good job making the car as fast as it can go, but it is up to all of us now to identify exactly where we are missing it.  We will address it.  We have time before the Chase starts.  Now, it is just time to buckle down and work." - Carl Edwards, finished 14th

 

"We just struggled all day long. We were loose and we need to figure out a way to find more grip. I was proud of the guys, they never gave up all day. We kept trying to get it dialed in, we just couldn't get the grip that we needed. Our whole problem today was not having the grip that we needed to keep up with some of those other guys out there, but we will go to work on it and get ready for Pocono." - Aric Almirola, finished 18th

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Thinkin' Out Loud: Dover Sprint Cup Race Recap
by Mike Neff

Pace Laps: Toyota Triumphs, Troubles And The Dark Side To Driver Development
by the Frontstretch Staff

IndyCar Recap: Belle Isle Doubleheader
by Matt Stallknecht

The Big Six: Questions Answered After Dover's FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks
by Amy Henderson

Montoya Making Hay: EGR On the Rebound And Eyeing NASCAR Wins Once Again
by Summer Bedgood

 

Tracking the Trucks: Lucas Oil 200

by Beth Lunkenheimer

 

Nationwide Breakdown: 5-Hour Energy 200

by Tom Bowles

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q:  The 1993 Champion Spark Plug 500 marked Jeff Gordon's very first trip to Pocono Raceway.  However, it was not a happy journey.  What happened to Gordon early on in the race that ruined his day?

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

Friday's Answer:

Q:  Jimmie Johnson picked up his first of seven Dover victories in the 2002 MBNA Platinum 400, just holding off Bill Elliott in the process. However, Mark Martin, who was one of the early favorites, ended up on the hook. What happened?

A: Martin was enjoying a comfortable lead over Johnson when Ryan Newman and Steve Park collided in front of him.  Park spun up and backed into the Turn 2 wall, while Newman spun and blocked the groove.  Martin went below Newman and locked up his tires, leaving him unable to avoid hitting Park.

That crash bent Martin's Viagra Ford, but it was only just the beginning.  The damage from the crash rendered the No. 6 a complete handful.  Martin eventually took the car to the garage for additional repairs.  He returned to the race, then pulled out once again.  He was credited with a 41st-place finish.

Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take 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 Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Tom Bowles
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!

Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

 

Five Points To Ponder by Danny Peters
Danny returns for his weekly edition of talking points, which will wrap up the action at Charlotte and get us ready for the Party In The Poconos 400 presented by Walmart at Pocono Raceway.

Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series were in action at Dover International Speedway.  FOX marked the end of their 13th season in Sprint Cup.  How were the telecasts of these races? Find out tomorrow.

Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Dover-Pocono Edition by Brad Morgan
Brad gets us set for Pocono while tracking the trends of the past few weeks to see which drivers are on a tear... or tearing their hair out.

Racing To The Point by Brett Poirier
Brett is back with another commentary to make you think.

Going By The Numbers by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin enlightens us with his weekly statistics column based on trends we've been seeing in the Cup Series so far this season.

Special Column TBA

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