THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 5th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXV
~~~~~~~~~~
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 5th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXV
~~~~~~~~~~
Editor's Note: Due to issues beyond our control, we could not send out a Newsletter yesterday. However, we have combined the content from what would have been yesterday's Newsletter with today's Newsletter. As a result, we have WTF Wednesdays and Tweet n' Greet today for your pleasure. We hope you enjoy it and and we apologize for the inconvenience.
by Phil Allaway and Summer Bedgood
Jeff Burton Will Not Return To The No. 31 in 2014
Jeff Burton will be leaving Richard Childress Racing at the end of the 2013 season, a team where he was won four of his 21 career victories. Though sponsor Caterpillar is expected to stay behind, Burton and teammate Richard Childress both said the timing was right for the change.
"I strongly believe in the No. 31 team as to what we can achieve this year, and for the team in seasons to follow," Burton said. "However, the financial realities for next year were obvious to both Richard (Childress) and me. So, we talked about it and both made the decision to make this move for the team's future.
"We have been working hard to try and get all the funding in place to have four Sprint Cup teams in 2014," said Childress "With the date on the calendar getting closer to 2014, we just couldn't run partially funded teams next year. Knowing what Jeff's plans were in 2015, he and I worked out an agreement for him to step out of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet after this season. Jeff has been nothing but a professional driver, an asset to RCR and a great person for our organization since coming on board in 2005."
During a mid-day teleconference, Burton expressed interest in running a partial schedule next season, though it won't be with RCR. A driver highly speculated to race for RCR next season is Ryan Newman, who is leaving Stewart Haas Racing at season's end. Newman's name was already in the mix to race for RCR after it was announced that Kevin Harvick would be taking his seat at SHR.
Burton's last win with the team came in the fall race at Charlotte Motor Speedway back in 2008. Burton made the Chase for the Sprint Cup that season, but hasn't finished higher than 12th in the points since then. He is currently 22nd in points after 25 races this season with an average finish of 20th.
A possible driver lineup for RCR next year could be Austin Dillon in the No. 3 car, Paul Menard in the No. 27, and Ryan Newman in a third car. RCR has yet to make an announcement on their full driver lineup for the 2014 season.
Jeff Burton will be leaving Richard Childress Racing at the end of the 2013 season, a team where he was won four of his 21 career victories. Though sponsor Caterpillar is expected to stay behind, Burton and teammate Richard Childress both said the timing was right for the change.
"I strongly believe in the No. 31 team as to what we can achieve this year, and for the team in seasons to follow," Burton said. "However, the financial realities for next year were obvious to both Richard (Childress) and me. So, we talked about it and both made the decision to make this move for the team's future.
"We have been working hard to try and get all the funding in place to have four Sprint Cup teams in 2014," said Childress "With the date on the calendar getting closer to 2014, we just couldn't run partially funded teams next year. Knowing what Jeff's plans were in 2015, he and I worked out an agreement for him to step out of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet after this season. Jeff has been nothing but a professional driver, an asset to RCR and a great person for our organization since coming on board in 2005."
During a mid-day teleconference, Burton expressed interest in running a partial schedule next season, though it won't be with RCR. A driver highly speculated to race for RCR next season is Ryan Newman, who is leaving Stewart Haas Racing at season's end. Newman's name was already in the mix to race for RCR after it was announced that Kevin Harvick would be taking his seat at SHR.
Burton's last win with the team came in the fall race at Charlotte Motor Speedway back in 2008. Burton made the Chase for the Sprint Cup that season, but hasn't finished higher than 12th in the points since then. He is currently 22nd in points after 25 races this season with an average finish of 20th.
A possible driver lineup for RCR next year could be Austin Dillon in the No. 3 car, Paul Menard in the No. 27, and Ryan Newman in a third car. RCR has yet to make an announcement on their full driver lineup for the 2014 season.
Time Warner Cable to Sponsor Earnhardt Jr., Adds to Kahne's Schedule
As a result of sponsorship cutbacks from PepsiCo's Diet Mountain Dew and AMP Energy brands, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s No. 88 team was looking at a number of open races for the 2013 season. A sponsor that was supposedly new to the sport had been rumored to fill the remaining races.
On Wednesday, Hendrick Motorsports announced an extension of an existing sponsorship deal that will result in new primary sponsorship on Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88. Time Warner Cable, which already had a deal to sponsor Kasey Kahne's No. 5 for four races, expanded that relationship up to six races this season, next season, and 2015. In addition, Time Warner Cable will sponsor Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 in five races this season, starting with Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
Representatives of Time Warner Cable are very happy to expand their relationship with Hendrick Motorsports.
"We've been extremely happy with the results from our NASCAR initiatives," said Jeffrey Hirsch, Time Warner Cable's Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Residential Services. "The on-track performance of Hendrick Motorsports is well documented, but they've also put significant resources into building a world-class marketing operation. It's been a team effort, and we're seeing terrific exposure and return."
Team owner Rick Hendrick is happy to have Time Warner Cable expand their relationship with the race team.
"This is the second time in the last year that Time Warner Cable has expanded its commitment to Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR," Hendrick said. "We're now leveraging more of our assets, from both Hendrick Motorsports and Hendrick Automotive Group, to drive even greater value into what's been a very effective program. It's a terrific partnership that works on multiple levels.
For Time Warner Cable, their continuing relationship with Hendrick Motorsports is their first primary sponsorship in the Sprint Cup Series. However, the cable company has been involved with Hendrick Motorsports since 2006. Prior to that, Time Warner Cable served as an associate sponsor with Richard Jackson Motorsports in 1997.
In addition to this weekend, Time Warner Cable will serve as a primary sponsor on the No. 88 at Chicagoland, New Hampshire, Kansas and Charlotte. However, the team still has six open races remaining on the schedule, the first of which being Dover.
For Kahne, Wednesday's announcement means that he officially has full sponsorship on his No. 5 Chevrolet through the end of 2014, which is a welcomed relief for Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne has run the colors of HendrickCars.com in two races (Pocono-June and Daytona-July) where no other primary sponsorship was secured.
Turner Scott Motorsports Penalized for Height Violation
On Wednesday afternoon, NASCAR announced penalties that have been levied on two of Turner Scott Motorsports' three full-time teams in the Nationwide Series. The No. 30 of Nelson Piquet, Jr. and the No. 32 of Kyle Larson each measured too low following Saturday night's Great Clips/Grit Chips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
NASCAR's response was to fine both crew chiefs (Pat Tryson on the No. 30 team and Trent Owens on the No. 32 team) $10,000 for the violation. No probation was levied, and no suspensions were announced. In addition, both drivers have been penalized six driver points, while team co-owner Harry Scott, Jr. has been docked six points per car.
In their explanation, NASCAR stated that both teams violated Sections 12-1 (Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing), 12-4J (Determination by NASCAR Officials that race equipment used in an event does not conform to rules) and 20A-12.8.1(B) (Car(s) failed to meet the minimum front end height requirement).
The penalty drops Larson from a tie for seventh in points with Brian Scott to ninth. Piquet drops from 11th to 12th.
Penalties Levied Against Sharp Gallaher Racing for CTMP Shenanigans
In addition to the Turner Scott Motorsports penalties, NASCAR also announced penalties against Sharp Gallaher Racing's No. 6 team stemming from the post-race incidents Sunday afternoon at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. Driver Mike Skeen was not disciplined in any way for his actions.
However, Crew Chief Bryan Berry was fined $2500. This is due to violations of Sections 12-1 (Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing) and 9-4 (Crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of team members). Specifically, the fine relates to one of Skeen's crewmembers attempting to pull Max Papis out of his truck after the race, and the confrontation that occurred afterwards.[
Kelly Heaphy, Skeen's girlfriend, was also fined $2500 by NASCAR for slapping Papis in the face following an interview with FOX Sports 1's Hermie Sadler. NASCAR deemed that Heaphy's actions were enough to result in the pulling of her hard card. However, since Heaphy does not have a hard card and was in the pits on a single weekend license, the card pulling could not happen. Instead, NASCAR will deny Heaphy access to all NASCAR events indefinitely.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400: 44 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 33- Tony Raines for Circle Sport, LLC
No. 35- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports
No. 40- Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing/Circle Sport, LLC
No. 51- Ryan Truex for Phoenix Racing
No. 55- Brian Vickers for Michael Waltrip Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR
No. 95- Reed Sorenson for Leavine Family Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 32- Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing Timmy Hill.
No. 33- Tony Raines returns to the seat, replacing Austin Dillon.
No. 51- Ryan Truex returns to the seat, replacing Mike Bliss.
No. 95- Reed Sorenson is in the seat, replacing Scott Speed.
Driver who must qualify on speed (top-36):
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing (45th in points, 22 attempts)
Driver who must have qualifying go off as planned to have a chance to qualify:
No. 40- Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing/Circle Sport, LLC (5 attempts)
No. 40- Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing/Circle Sport, LLC (5 attempts)
Drivers who can use a provisional, but still might fail to qualify:
No. 32- Ken Schrader for FAS Lane Racing (37th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 33- Tony Raines for Circle Sport, LLC (34th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 35- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports (39th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 36- JJ Yeley for Tommy Baldwin Racing (35th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 40- Landon Cassill for Hillman Racing/Circle Sport, LLC (44th in points, 5 attempts
No. 83- David Reutimann for BK Racing (36th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports/JRR (40th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 93- Travis Kvapil for BK Racing (38th in points, 25 attempts)
No. 95- Reed Sorenson for Leavine Family Racing (43rd in points, 14 attempts)
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing (42nd in points, 22 attempts)
Nationwide Series Virginia 529 College Savings 250: 42 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 5- Jamie McMurray for JR Motorsports
No. 18- Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22- Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 33- Ty Dillon for Richard Childress Racing
No. 54- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports/Joe Gibbs Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 00- Brett Butler is in the seat, replacing Blake Koch.
No. 5- Jamie McMurray is in the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne. Kahne was originally entered, but has chosen to focus on getting into the Chase this weekend, per Sporting News' Bob Pockrass.
No. 16- Ryan Reed returns to the seat, replacing Chris Buescher.
No. 18- Matt Kenseth returns to the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
No. 22- Brad Keselowski returns to the seat, replacing Joey Logano.
No. 24- Ryan Ellis is in the seat, replacing Ken Butler, III.
No. 33- Ty Dillon returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Harvick.
No. 44- Hal Martin returns to the seat, replacing Cole Whitt.
No. 70- Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines.
No. 73- Derrike Cope returns to the seat, replacing Alx Danielsson.
No. 74- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Mike Harmon.
No. 86- Ricky Ehrgott is in the seat, replacing Tim Cowen. If Ehrgott qualifies on speed, he will be making his Nationwide Series debut.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00- Brett Butler for SR2 Motorsports
No. 10- Chase Miller for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 16- Ryan Reed for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 18- Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 29- Kenny Wallace for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 42- Josh Wise for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 16- Ryan Reed returns to the seat, replacing Chris Buescher.
No. 18- Matt Kenseth returns to the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
No. 22- Brad Keselowski returns to the seat, replacing Joey Logano.
No. 24- Ryan Ellis is in the seat, replacing Ken Butler, III.
No. 33- Ty Dillon returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Harvick.
No. 44- Hal Martin returns to the seat, replacing Cole Whitt.
No. 70- Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines.
No. 73- Derrike Cope returns to the seat, replacing Alx Danielsson.
No. 74- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Mike Harmon.
No. 86- Ricky Ehrgott is in the seat, replacing Tim Cowen. If Ehrgott qualifies on speed, he will be making his Nationwide Series debut.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00- Brett Butler for SR2 Motorsports
No. 10- Chase Miller for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 16- Ryan Reed for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 18- Matt Kenseth for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 29- Kenny Wallace for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
No. 42- Josh Wise for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46- JJ Yeley for The Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 50- Danny Efland for MAKE Motorsports
No. 52- Joey Gase for Jimmy Means Racing
No. 55- Jamie Dick for Viva Motorsports
No. 73- Derrike Cope for Creation-Cope Racing
No. 74- Unknown driver for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 86- Ricky Ehrgott for Deware Racing Group
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
Not Entered:
No. 37- Matt DiBenedetto for Vision Racing
Camping World Truck Series Fan Appreciation 200 presented by New Holland: 36 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points: None
Driver Changes:
No. 07- Jimmy Weller returns to the seat, replacing Carl Long. Grant Galloway was originally entered in the truck.
No. 6- Justin Lofton returns to the seat, replacing Mike Skeen.
No. 39- Ryan Sieg returns to the seat, replacing Alex Guenette.
No. 51- Erik Jones returns to the seat, replacing Chad Hackenbracht.
No. 81- Matt Kurzejewski is in the seat, replacing Derek White. This will be Kurzejewski's Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 84- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Martin Roy.
Since there are only 36 trucks entered, no one will fail to qualify. However, these teams must still qualify on speed:
No. 0- Chris Lafferty for JJC Racing*
No. 6- Justin Lofton for Sharp Gallaher Racing
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 12- Steve Smith. Smith is a dirt late model veteran best known for finishing second in the Eldora Million in 2001. This will be Smith's Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 27- Jeff Agnew for Hillman Racing/Team 7 Motorsports
No. 57- Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 63- Justin Jennings for MB Motorsports
No. 84- Unknown driver for Chris Fontaine, Inc./Mike Harmon Racing
No. 93- Chris Jones for RSS Racing*
No. 96- Ben Kennedy for Turner Scott Motorsports/Ben Kennedy Racing
No. 97- Steve Wallace for Adrian Carriers Racing
ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards Prairie Meadows 150: 30 cars entered
Driver Changes:
No. 02- Josh Williams returns to the seat, replacing Brad Smith.
No. 3- Karl Weber is in the seat, replacing Josh White.
No. 5- Bobby Gerhart returns to the seat, replacing Mark Littleton.
No. 10- Rick Clifton returns to the seat, replacing Tyler Speer.
No. 11- Kyle Weatherman returns to the seat, replacing AJ Fike.
No. 15- Kyle Benjamin returns to the seat, replacing Brennan Poole.
No. 17- Corey LaJoie returns to the seat, replacing Chris Windom. Currently listed as a TBA on ARCA's website.
No. 20- Caleb Armstrong is in the seat, replacing Tom Berte.
No. 22- Austin Wayne Self returns to the seat, replacing Tyler Reddick.
No. 40- David Sear is in the seat, replacing Dominick Casola.
No. 68- Michael Lira is in the seat, replacing Chris Bailey, Jr.
No. 88- Darin Matthews is in the seat, replacing Buster Graham.
No. 99- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Josh Williams.
Notable Drivers:
No. 02- Josh Williams for Williams Motorsports
No. 5- Bobby Gerhart for Bobby Gerhart Racing
No. 11- Kyle Weatherman for Fast Track Racing
No. 15- Kyle Benjamin for Venturini Motorsports
No. 17- Corey LaJoie for Roulo Brothers Racing
No. 20- Caleb Armstrong for Venturini Motorsports
No. 22- Austin Wayne Self 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. 44- Frank Kimmel for ThorSport Racing
No. 55- Taylor Ferns for Venturini Motorsports
No. 69- Will Kimmel for Kimmel Racing
No. 77- Tom Hessert for Cunningham Racing
No. 82- Mason Mitchell for Empire Racing
No. 90- Grant Enfinger for BCR Racing
Not Entered:
No. 01- Austin Rettig for Rettig Motorsports
No. 1- Michael Covington for Fast Track Racing
No. 16- Kelly Kovski for Allgaier Motorsports
No. 24- Spencer Montgomery
No. 34- Jason Basham for Basham Motorsports
No. 52- Ken Schrader for Ken Schrader Racing
No. 56- Devin Steele
No. 66- Ryan Unzicker for Hendren Motorsports
No. 71- Shane Cockrum
No. 89- Brad Dubil for Dubil Racing
Rolex Sports Car Series Continental Tire Sports Car Festival: 33 cars entered in 3 classes
Daytona Prototype (DP) Entries: 16
No. 01- Scott Pruett/Memo Rojas for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
No. 02- Scott Dixon/Dario Franchitti for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
No. 2- Ryan Dalziel/Alex Popow for Starworks Motorsport
No. 3- Enzo Potolicchio/Stephane Sarrazin/Michael Valiante for 8 Star Motorsports
No. 4- Sebastien Bourdais/Emilio DiGuida for 8 Star Motorsports
No. 5- Joao Barbosa/Christian Fittipaldi for Action Express Racing
No. 6- Justin Wilson/Gustavo Yacaman for Michael Shank Racing
No. 8- Brendon Hartley/Scott Mayer for Starworks Motorsports
No. 9- Brian and Burt Frisselle for Action Express Racing
No. 10- Max Angelelli/Jordan Taylor for Wayne Taylor Racing
No. 42- Dane Cameron/Wayne Nonnamaker for Team Sahlen
No. 43- Joe and Will Nonnamaker for Team Sahlen
No. 50- Byron Dafoor/Jim Pace for Alegra Motorsports (Highway to Help)
No. 60- Oswaldo (Ozz) Negri, Jr./John Pew for Michael Shank Racing
No. 90- Ricky Taylor/Richard Westbrook for Spirit of Daytona Racing
No. 99- Jon Fogarty/Alex Gurney for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing
Grand Touring (GT) Entries: 14
No. 03- Mike Hedlund/Johannes van Overbeek for Extreme Speed Motorsports
No. 18- Unknown drivers for Muehlner Motorsports America
No. 31- Eric Curran/Boris Said for Marsh Racing
No. 44- Andy Lally/John Potter for Magnus Racing
No. 46- Al Carter/Bryan Sellers for Fall-Line Motorsports
No. 57- Robin Liddell/John Edwards for Stevenson Motorsports
No. 61- Jeff Segal/Alex Tagliani for R. Ferri/Aim Autosport
No. 63- Alessandro Balzan/Leh Keen for Scuderia Corsa
No. 66- Brandon Davis/Darren Turner for TRG-Aston Martin Racing
No. 69- Emil Assentato/Anthony Lazzaro for AIM Autosport Team FXDD
No. 71- Charles Espenlaub/Charles Putnam for Park Place Motorsports
No. 73- Patrick Lindsey/Patrick Long for Park Place Motorsports
No. 93- Michael Marsal/Unknown driver for Turner Motorsport
No. 94- Bill Auberlen/Paul Dalla Lana for Turner Motorsport
Grand Touring Experimental (GX) Entries: 4
No. 00- Joel Miller/Tristan Nunez for Yellow Dragon Racing/SpeedSource
No. 11- Scott Dollahite/Jeff Mosing for SDR/Lotus Racing
No. 38- Dr. Jim Norman/Spencer Pumpelly for BGB Motorsports
No. 70- Tom Long/Sylvain Tremblay for SpeedSource
No. 52- Joey Gase for Jimmy Means Racing
No. 55- Jamie Dick for Viva Motorsports
No. 73- Derrike Cope for Creation-Cope Racing
No. 74- Unknown driver for Mike Harmon Racing
No. 86- Ricky Ehrgott for Deware Racing Group
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures
Not Entered:
No. 37- Matt DiBenedetto for Vision Racing
Camping World Truck Series Fan Appreciation 200 presented by New Holland: 36 trucks entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points: None
Driver Changes:
No. 07- Jimmy Weller returns to the seat, replacing Carl Long. Grant Galloway was originally entered in the truck.
No. 6- Justin Lofton returns to the seat, replacing Mike Skeen.
No. 39- Ryan Sieg returns to the seat, replacing Alex Guenette.
No. 51- Erik Jones returns to the seat, replacing Chad Hackenbracht.
No. 81- Matt Kurzejewski is in the seat, replacing Derek White. This will be Kurzejewski's Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 84- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Martin Roy.
Since there are only 36 trucks entered, no one will fail to qualify. However, these teams must still qualify on speed:
No. 0- Chris Lafferty for JJC Racing*
No. 6- Justin Lofton for Sharp Gallaher Racing
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 12- Steve Smith. Smith is a dirt late model veteran best known for finishing second in the Eldora Million in 2001. This will be Smith's Camping World Truck Series debut.
No. 27- Jeff Agnew for Hillman Racing/Team 7 Motorsports
No. 57- Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 63- Justin Jennings for MB Motorsports
No. 84- Unknown driver for Chris Fontaine, Inc./Mike Harmon Racing
No. 93- Chris Jones for RSS Racing*
No. 96- Ben Kennedy for Turner Scott Motorsports/Ben Kennedy Racing
No. 97- Steve Wallace for Adrian Carriers Racing
ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards Prairie Meadows 150: 30 cars entered
Driver Changes:
No. 02- Josh Williams returns to the seat, replacing Brad Smith.
No. 3- Karl Weber is in the seat, replacing Josh White.
No. 5- Bobby Gerhart returns to the seat, replacing Mark Littleton.
No. 10- Rick Clifton returns to the seat, replacing Tyler Speer.
No. 11- Kyle Weatherman returns to the seat, replacing AJ Fike.
No. 15- Kyle Benjamin returns to the seat, replacing Brennan Poole.
No. 17- Corey LaJoie returns to the seat, replacing Chris Windom. Currently listed as a TBA on ARCA's website.
No. 20- Caleb Armstrong is in the seat, replacing Tom Berte.
No. 22- Austin Wayne Self returns to the seat, replacing Tyler Reddick.
No. 40- David Sear is in the seat, replacing Dominick Casola.
No. 68- Michael Lira is in the seat, replacing Chris Bailey, Jr.
No. 88- Darin Matthews is in the seat, replacing Buster Graham.
No. 99- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Josh Williams.
Notable Drivers:
No. 02- Josh Williams for Williams Motorsports
No. 5- Bobby Gerhart for Bobby Gerhart Racing
No. 11- Kyle Weatherman for Fast Track Racing
No. 15- Kyle Benjamin for Venturini Motorsports
No. 17- Corey LaJoie for Roulo Brothers Racing
No. 20- Caleb Armstrong for Venturini Motorsports
No. 22- Austin Wayne Self 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. 44- Frank Kimmel for ThorSport Racing
No. 55- Taylor Ferns for Venturini Motorsports
No. 69- Will Kimmel for Kimmel Racing
No. 77- Tom Hessert for Cunningham Racing
No. 82- Mason Mitchell for Empire Racing
No. 90- Grant Enfinger for BCR Racing
Not Entered:
No. 01- Austin Rettig for Rettig Motorsports
No. 1- Michael Covington for Fast Track Racing
No. 16- Kelly Kovski for Allgaier Motorsports
No. 24- Spencer Montgomery
No. 34- Jason Basham for Basham Motorsports
No. 52- Ken Schrader for Ken Schrader Racing
No. 56- Devin Steele
No. 66- Ryan Unzicker for Hendren Motorsports
No. 71- Shane Cockrum
No. 89- Brad Dubil for Dubil Racing
Rolex Sports Car Series Continental Tire Sports Car Festival: 33 cars entered in 3 classes
Daytona Prototype (DP) Entries: 16
No. 01- Scott Pruett/Memo Rojas for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
No. 02- Scott Dixon/Dario Franchitti for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
No. 2- Ryan Dalziel/Alex Popow for Starworks Motorsport
No. 3- Enzo Potolicchio/Stephane Sarrazin/Michael Valiante for 8 Star Motorsports
No. 4- Sebastien Bourdais/Emilio DiGuida for 8 Star Motorsports
No. 5- Joao Barbosa/Christian Fittipaldi for Action Express Racing
No. 6- Justin Wilson/Gustavo Yacaman for Michael Shank Racing
No. 8- Brendon Hartley/Scott Mayer for Starworks Motorsports
No. 9- Brian and Burt Frisselle for Action Express Racing
No. 10- Max Angelelli/Jordan Taylor for Wayne Taylor Racing
No. 42- Dane Cameron/Wayne Nonnamaker for Team Sahlen
No. 43- Joe and Will Nonnamaker for Team Sahlen
No. 50- Byron Dafoor/Jim Pace for Alegra Motorsports (Highway to Help)
No. 60- Oswaldo (Ozz) Negri, Jr./John Pew for Michael Shank Racing
No. 90- Ricky Taylor/Richard Westbrook for Spirit of Daytona Racing
No. 99- Jon Fogarty/Alex Gurney for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing
Grand Touring (GT) Entries: 14
No. 03- Mike Hedlund/Johannes van Overbeek for Extreme Speed Motorsports
No. 18- Unknown drivers for Muehlner Motorsports America
No. 31- Eric Curran/Boris Said for Marsh Racing
No. 44- Andy Lally/John Potter for Magnus Racing
No. 46- Al Carter/Bryan Sellers for Fall-Line Motorsports
No. 57- Robin Liddell/John Edwards for Stevenson Motorsports
No. 61- Jeff Segal/Alex Tagliani for R. Ferri/Aim Autosport
No. 63- Alessandro Balzan/Leh Keen for Scuderia Corsa
No. 66- Brandon Davis/Darren Turner for TRG-Aston Martin Racing
No. 69- Emil Assentato/Anthony Lazzaro for AIM Autosport Team FXDD
No. 71- Charles Espenlaub/Charles Putnam for Park Place Motorsports
No. 73- Patrick Lindsey/Patrick Long for Park Place Motorsports
No. 93- Michael Marsal/Unknown driver for Turner Motorsport
No. 94- Bill Auberlen/Paul Dalla Lana for Turner Motorsport
Grand Touring Experimental (GX) Entries: 4
No. 00- Joel Miller/Tristan Nunez for Yellow Dragon Racing/SpeedSource
No. 11- Scott Dollahite/Jeff Mosing for SDR/Lotus Racing
No. 38- Dr. Jim Norman/Spencer Pumpelly for BGB Motorsports
No. 70- Tom Long/Sylvain Tremblay for SpeedSource
Have news for Phil, Summer 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!
~~~~~~~~~~
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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Burton Bows Out, Smoke Rises, and Martin's Move to SHR
Burton Bows Out, Smoke Rises, and Martin's Move to SHR
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
So while the entire world was complaining about nothing really happening for Silly Season about a month ago, you sure got your fill the last four weeks. The latest move has Jeff Burton exiting RCR and the No. 31 Caterpillar team, whom he has driven for since 2005. Burton joined RCR midway through the 2004 season, after vacating the No. 99 Roush Fords he had piloted since 1996. Burton has been winless since 2008, when he won two races and finished sixth in the point standings. Since then it's been one uninspired season after another: 17th, 12th, 20th, 19th, and 22nd in points with no wins and a smattering of Top 5 Finishes.
"I strongly believe in the No. 31 team as to what we can achieve this year, and for the team in seasons to follow," Burton said in a press release. "However, the financial realities for next year were obvious to both Richard and me. So we talked about it and both made the decision to make this move for the team's future."
Burton's replacement in the No. 31 will be Ryan Newman. Richard Childress had mentioned weeks ago that he would be his top pick of the drivers available at the time, and while there has been some fretting over how Newman was ushered out of SHR, this actually plays very well into his favor. I wouldn't say that Newman played a second fiddle to Tony Stewart at SHR, but with Danica Patrick coming on board and the guy's name on the door having won a title two years ago, there's only so much that can be prioritized. Newman was arguably the most productive member of the bunch this year, after Matt Borland re-assumed the crew chief role he held during their most successful years with Penske Racing.
With Kevin Harvick exiting and Austin Dillon moving up to Cup next year, it will be rejuvenating on a number of levels at RCR. With Kevin Harvick having been in the No. 29 car for 12 years and Burton with the organization for nearly a decade, a change of scenery within the company and some new blood should help revitalize a team that has seen its fair share of tension over the years.
This latest move marks a shifting tide within the NASCAR landscape as well. It's early September now, and Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte, and Mark Martin - 82 wins and a Cup title between them - do not have rides in place or announced yet for 2014.
***************
A number of topics were discussed during Tony Stewart's press conference on Tuesday. Smoke Will Roll – err – Rise event was his first public appearance since a sprint car accident a month ago sent a driveshaft into his leg, breaking it in two places. Not the least of which that was covered was the move by Gene Haas to secure the services of Kurt Busch for 2014, and his impromptu move to expand the infrastructure and for the 2004 champion.
While it was originally portrayed as a power play by the money guy, while the talent was laid up with a bum wheel, Stewart defused the situation by explaining it was more of a case of Haas making off the cuff remarks about if Tony didn't like the move he could, "get out of the building."
"We sat with him last Monday and said, 'Listen, what are you going to say when you go down there tomorrow?' He's like, 'I'll just wing it.' I'm like, 'No, you can't do that. Speaking from experience, you can't just wing it when you get down there.' He called me two days later, and he goes, 'Nan, you were right.' He read what was written and realized that you've got to think about it or more than just shooting from the hip with it."
***************
While the talk centered mostly around his injury, the recovery period, and the expectation that he will be back in the car at Daytona in February, he also mentioned the newest member of the team and one who he hopes will stick around next year – Mark Martin.
Martin was in discussions with Stewart before his accident for 2014, and will likely do some testing for SHR, as well as provide some assistance for Danica Patrick. While Martin made a point of saying, "Danica Patrick doesn't need a coach. She already knows how to drive," he can help translate information from her to crew chief Tony Gibson. Gibson was Martin's crew chief during the 2008 season, one he had some of the most fun with during his career, and felt he called some of the best races among those he has worked with. As he told me at Michigan International Speedway a couple of weeks ago, "I work well with and understand the engineers, and can help communicate that to some of these younger drivers who might not know what to ask, or what it is they're looking for."
It was Martin who originally stopped Patrick after an early exit at Dover at a 2010 Nationwide Series race, where he provided her a bit of a revelation: the team needs to get the car so the front end does what she's asking of it. Patrick later that year spent a day with Martin during a test session at Charlotte Motor Speedway, shadowing him as he helped her then JR Motorsports team establish a baseline and tune her car for the October Nationwide Series race.
Another fun fact linking the GoDaddy.com-sponsored duo: Martin's last Nationwide Series win at Las Vegas in 2011, was the site of Patrick's best NASCAR finish to date -- a fourth-place result.
One other dimension that Martin brings to the table: a bit of stabilizing veteran influence. Martin always worked well with Kurt Busch at Roush Racing – essentially trading teams with him for the 2002 season. Martin has thought very highly and spoken well of both Busch brothers and their talent, and should the powder keg of Smoke, Happy, and The Outlaw start to get out of hand, he might end up being the one who's able to help reign those personalities in. With Stewart needing to put a bit more focus on physical fitness as he begins the rehab portion of his therapy, it's hard to imagine a better example and mentor in that regard, than Mark Martin.
So while the entire world was complaining about nothing really happening for Silly Season about a month ago, you sure got your fill the last four weeks. The latest move has Jeff Burton exiting RCR and the No. 31 Caterpillar team, whom he has driven for since 2005. Burton joined RCR midway through the 2004 season, after vacating the No. 99 Roush Fords he had piloted since 1996. Burton has been winless since 2008, when he won two races and finished sixth in the point standings. Since then it's been one uninspired season after another: 17th, 12th, 20th, 19th, and 22nd in points with no wins and a smattering of Top 5 Finishes.
"I strongly believe in the No. 31 team as to what we can achieve this year, and for the team in seasons to follow," Burton said in a press release. "However, the financial realities for next year were obvious to both Richard and me. So we talked about it and both made the decision to make this move for the team's future."
Burton's replacement in the No. 31 will be Ryan Newman. Richard Childress had mentioned weeks ago that he would be his top pick of the drivers available at the time, and while there has been some fretting over how Newman was ushered out of SHR, this actually plays very well into his favor. I wouldn't say that Newman played a second fiddle to Tony Stewart at SHR, but with Danica Patrick coming on board and the guy's name on the door having won a title two years ago, there's only so much that can be prioritized. Newman was arguably the most productive member of the bunch this year, after Matt Borland re-assumed the crew chief role he held during their most successful years with Penske Racing.
With Kevin Harvick exiting and Austin Dillon moving up to Cup next year, it will be rejuvenating on a number of levels at RCR. With Kevin Harvick having been in the No. 29 car for 12 years and Burton with the organization for nearly a decade, a change of scenery within the company and some new blood should help revitalize a team that has seen its fair share of tension over the years.
This latest move marks a shifting tide within the NASCAR landscape as well. It's early September now, and Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte, and Mark Martin - 82 wins and a Cup title between them - do not have rides in place or announced yet for 2014.
***************
A number of topics were discussed during Tony Stewart's press conference on Tuesday. Smoke Will Roll – err – Rise event was his first public appearance since a sprint car accident a month ago sent a driveshaft into his leg, breaking it in two places. Not the least of which that was covered was the move by Gene Haas to secure the services of Kurt Busch for 2014, and his impromptu move to expand the infrastructure and for the 2004 champion.
While it was originally portrayed as a power play by the money guy, while the talent was laid up with a bum wheel, Stewart defused the situation by explaining it was more of a case of Haas making off the cuff remarks about if Tony didn't like the move he could, "get out of the building."
"We sat with him last Monday and said, 'Listen, what are you going to say when you go down there tomorrow?' He's like, 'I'll just wing it.' I'm like, 'No, you can't do that. Speaking from experience, you can't just wing it when you get down there.' He called me two days later, and he goes, 'Nan, you were right.' He read what was written and realized that you've got to think about it or more than just shooting from the hip with it."
***************
While the talk centered mostly around his injury, the recovery period, and the expectation that he will be back in the car at Daytona in February, he also mentioned the newest member of the team and one who he hopes will stick around next year – Mark Martin.
Martin was in discussions with Stewart before his accident for 2014, and will likely do some testing for SHR, as well as provide some assistance for Danica Patrick. While Martin made a point of saying, "Danica Patrick doesn't need a coach. She already knows how to drive," he can help translate information from her to crew chief Tony Gibson. Gibson was Martin's crew chief during the 2008 season, one he had some of the most fun with during his career, and felt he called some of the best races among those he has worked with. As he told me at Michigan International Speedway a couple of weeks ago, "I work well with and understand the engineers, and can help communicate that to some of these younger drivers who might not know what to ask, or what it is they're looking for."
It was Martin who originally stopped Patrick after an early exit at Dover at a 2010 Nationwide Series race, where he provided her a bit of a revelation: the team needs to get the car so the front end does what she's asking of it. Patrick later that year spent a day with Martin during a test session at Charlotte Motor Speedway, shadowing him as he helped her then JR Motorsports team establish a baseline and tune her car for the October Nationwide Series race.
Another fun fact linking the GoDaddy.com-sponsored duo: Martin's last Nationwide Series win at Las Vegas in 2011, was the site of Patrick's best NASCAR finish to date -- a fourth-place result.
One other dimension that Martin brings to the table: a bit of stabilizing veteran influence. Martin always worked well with Kurt Busch at Roush Racing – essentially trading teams with him for the 2002 season. Martin has thought very highly and spoken well of both Busch brothers and their talent, and should the powder keg of Smoke, Happy, and The Outlaw start to get out of hand, he might end up being the one who's able to help reign those personalities in. With Stewart needing to put a bit more focus on physical fitness as he begins the rehab portion of his therapy, it's hard to imagine a better example and mentor in that regard, than Mark Martin.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @VitoPugliese.
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Additional Featured Commentary
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.
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...
@chaseelliott: ..Was some really hard racing for the win and I feel like most guys would take a chance on the bottom as well.
@tydillon: Hard day truck was great it all comes back around but most of all can't thank my good buddy @maxpapis for the all help proud to be a friend!
@maxpapis: I made many mistake in my life and racing but always lived up to them The one of #6 was just amateur ... Without me he would be head on wall
@gerspeed1 (German Quiroga): This is hilarious, I don't know who is taking me pictures with out my shirt. . Lol @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/ORcLn5CPo8
@ericmcclure: Well, not cleared to race at RIR but told i have a fighting chance 4 Chicago next week...
@driverRyanReed: Hey @Ryan_Truex thanks for leaving your @oakleys in my car. It's pretty sunny today. 👍
@SamHornish: Sir mix-a-lot had no idea pic.twitter.com/grOaXUi3O8
Kevin Rutherford is an Assistant Editor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at kevin.rutherford@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at@Surfwax83.
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Additional Featured Commentary
Is Smoke Blowing the Same?
WTF Wednesdays
by Ellen Richardson
As this constantly on the go writer took some much needed R&R this Labor Day weekend, I have to say that I was extremely pleased with the way that the racing excitement heated up. With much of the over-publicized news being centered around the CWTS post-race incident involving the dislocation of Max Papis' jaw, as well as the 2013 Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship, I have to wonder why much of our fellow motorsports media are not completely bent out of shape and wondering WTF following Tony Stewart's press conference on Tuesday?
In fact, I was on the edge of my seat wondering how Stewart would respond to the recent announcement about Stewart-Haas Racing founder and co-owner Gene Haas deciding to hire Kurt Busch to compete in a fourth car for this rapidly expanding race team in 2014.
Just a few short weeks ago, many longtime NASCAR fans were given the disappointing news that SHR driver Ryan Newman would be left wondering where his next ride would come from after the 2013 season, or if he would be left standing in the unemployment line along with many other Americans. As the news broke, team co-owner Tony Stewart said that he "truly wished that this team were able to facilitate four teams at this time, but are just not able to do so in 2014."
Here we are almost two months later, and suddenly this team not only has the funding for a fourth car next season, but also the money necessary to hire a new driver. After Haas made his big announcement about Kurt Busch being hired as the newest member of SHR in 2014, I fully expected an often explosive Tony Stewart to blow his top realizing what a fool this whole thing makes him out to be. With Haas also making this deal official just as Stewart began the recovery process for his broken leg also seems very suspicious, hence my awaiting the rarely tight lipped Stewart to express his real thoughts during his first live media appearance since the recent injury that ended his 2013 race season.
What was Stewart's response? I am disappointed to say, he broke down and agreed with Haas' last minute decision and said that it wasn't as dramatic as he had originally made it sound to the media and that he and Gene's relationship has not been negatively affected by this decision. In fact, Stewart stood up for his co-owner, saying, "Gene is not used to having partners and is a self made success story. He just didn't think about talking to me about this until it got further along." After hearing Smoke blow some of his own corporate sized smoke, I couldn't help but want to scream...WTF?
Excuse me, Tony, but wasn't it you who gave Ryan Newman the lame duck reasoning that he wouldn't be returning to Stewart-Haas racing in 2014 due to lack of funding to add a fourth car to the team next season? After all of this, no one seemed to have the gall to ask Stewart the most hard hitting question of them all. You say that you and current Stewart-Haas driver, Ryan Newman are friends and that the decision to let him go was bittersweet, how about having to go back now and tell him that your team would rather continue on the publicity train started by its addition of Danica Patrick this season than actually go after race wins?
Granted, I know that Kurt Busch has had talent in the past and that he may be able to bring this team a win next season, but the whole way this decision has gone down and watching a team owner and driver who used to enjoy standing his ground fall into the same corporate rut that is seriously destroying NASCAR has left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
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.
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: Didn't start well but my team did a great job throughout the race and gave me a good car in the end! Proud of everyone and I thank all of u!
@KevinHarvick: Great night with the @badboybuggies car!!! Always fun to win!!!@chaseelliott: Truly hate winning a race in a rough fashion like that, but we had an awesome truck with an opportunity for the win. I do feel like the
@Ryan_Truex: Always knew my brother was a badass but tonight has really opened my eyes. Competing for the win after 300 laps at Atlanta with broken wrist
@AndyLally: VERY interesting things. Keep your hands off chicks...RT @RyanEversley Hearing some interesting things continued after the slap went down...
@dennyhamlin: Mad max on road courses.. Lol
@J_Allgaier (Justin Allgaier): I don't think I've ever seen a female smack a driver after a race..... That was impressive!!
@Kenny_Wallace: We talked and we will HUG at RIR ....."@mikemulhern: Atlanta: has Felix S arrived yet to talk with Kenny W? what was that all about anyway?
@KurtBusch: By the way-it didn't take me 1.5hrs 2put together Tony's scooter, it just took Eddie Jarvis that long to figure out how to break it down-lol
@BubbaWallace (Darrell Wallace Jr.): Rookie of the day award goes to @ryanblaney22...thanks to @joeylogano for the tow lol http://instagram.com/p/dxPNYiicyG/
@TimmyHillRacer: I got the chance to make my first laps on a dirt track today! What a blast! Thanks Ted with @reallycheapwood for making this happen!!!
@joeylogano: How I spent my afternoon #handcramp pic.twitter.com/dGzsAm3KtJ
@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): Skittles are being used to make drugs?!?! Kids are crazy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Critic's Annex: Izod IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Baltimore Presented by SRT
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. While the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series were racing in Atlanta and trying out the new dual zone tires from Goodyear, and the Camping World Truck Series meandered their way onto SportsCenter for the first time in ages (for the wrong reasons), there was some wrecking to be had in Baltimore.
Ok, maybe that's not the best thing in the world. Having been to Baltimore in the past six weeks, I have no idea how IndyCars and ALMS sports cars can realistically race on the bumpy streets around the Inner Harbor. It is ridiculously bumpy, even for regular street cars. The track is narrow in places, and prone to stack-ups. The ALMS race Saturday was effectively cut in half due to a start crash. The Muscle Milk Pickett Racing P1 HPD prototype took the overall lead with 15 minutes to go and held on to win. Who did they pass for the win? The No. 3 Corvette in the GT class. That shouldn't happen, but it gives you an idea of just how screwy that race was (over a two hour distance, a grand total of 41 laps were completed).
Ok, maybe that's not the best thing in the world. Having been to Baltimore in the past six weeks, I have no idea how IndyCars and ALMS sports cars can realistically race on the bumpy streets around the Inner Harbor. It is ridiculously bumpy, even for regular street cars. The track is narrow in places, and prone to stack-ups. The ALMS race Saturday was effectively cut in half due to a start crash. The Muscle Milk Pickett Racing P1 HPD prototype took the overall lead with 15 minutes to go and held on to win. Who did they pass for the win? The No. 3 Corvette in the GT class. That shouldn't happen, but it gives you an idea of just how screwy that race was (over a two hour distance, a grand total of 41 laps were completed).
Sunday's race on the Streets of Baltimore did not see a start-line crash, or a red flag. However, it did take over two hours to run, had multiple incidents, and some interesting battles. How did the NBC Sports Network do in covering it? Let's take a look.
Pre-race coverage had a heavy focus on the pit incident that occurred at Sonoma where Scott Dixon hit a tire carrier for Will Power while leaving the pits on his final stop. The penalty that resulted from that contact undoubtedly affected the outcome of the race. To that degree, NBC Sports Network conducted interviews with the drivers and strategists involved, showed replays of the events and discussed the consequences.
However, they also went deeper. They discussed the new rule that was issued last week that specifically addressed crews either placing themselves or equipment in the way of competitors in the pits. They also found examples of similar circumstances in the pits over the past three years that didn't necessarily involve Penske Racing or Chip Ganassi Racing. The conclusion: What happened in Sonoma was dangerous, but not necessarily unprecedented. It's just the first time that a penalty resulted from the shenanigans. I thought that they did a good job going in-depth and explaining it. The only thing they didn't note in their explanation was the whole issue of IndyCar (or Sonoma Raceway) not painting lines to clearly show the pit box boundaries, something that was just plain stupid and I'm sure will be required from now on. They were properly denoted in Baltimore.
However, they also went deeper. They discussed the new rule that was issued last week that specifically addressed crews either placing themselves or equipment in the way of competitors in the pits. They also found examples of similar circumstances in the pits over the past three years that didn't necessarily involve Penske Racing or Chip Ganassi Racing. The conclusion: What happened in Sonoma was dangerous, but not necessarily unprecedented. It's just the first time that a penalty resulted from the shenanigans. I thought that they did a good job going in-depth and explaining it. The only thing they didn't note in their explanation was the whole issue of IndyCar (or Sonoma Raceway) not painting lines to clearly show the pit box boundaries, something that was just plain stupid and I'm sure will be required from now on. They were properly denoted in Baltimore.
Izod IndyCar Series races on the NBC Sports Network are known for being probably the most inclusive major race broadcasts on television, and Sunday was no exception to this rule. Despite the tightness of the 2.04 mile Baltimore circuit, there was quite a bit of racing for position and the NBC Sports Network did a good job covering much of it. The racing at the front of the field was actually top-notch in the second half of the race. Simon Pagenaud's pass for the win was thrilling to watch.
An underrated pass for position was the one that Charlie Kimball pulled on Helio Castroneves late in the race. Yes, Castroneves was struggling at the time, but Kimball got on Castroneves' left side going into the Turn 3 hairpin. That's a 35 mph right-hand turn. Kimball kept pace with Castroneves on the contrarian line, then took the spot for good at the next turn. We saw this excellent pass live.
I will state that the crashing in the second half of the event did test the commentators' patience, if only because they want to see good racing just as much as the viewing audience at home and the people at the track. I guess I don't blame them since there was a stretch of three consecutive restarts where the field couldn't make it through Turn 1 before a wreck happened. The resulting cautions swallowed up nearly 20 laps.
I do have a couple of gripes with the coverage, though. One is that I have no clue what the deuce happened to James Jakes to put him out. Prior to the race, Leigh Diffey stated that he thought that Jakes was someone to watch for the race, despite him starting 23rd. However, he was out after five laps, apparently due to gearbox failure. I never heard anything about him dropping out on the broadcast until nearly halfway. There was also quite a bit of dead air on Lap 37 when NBC Sports Network was returning from a side-by-side break. If you're looking for an explanation for that, my guess is that the commentators were thinking that EJ Viso was going to wreck an entire pack of cars due to his lack of pace. This did not happen, but it did make for a somewhat awkward 15-20 seconds of airtime.
Post-race coverage was quite extensive, despite the race running over it's timeslot. NBC Sports Network provided eight driver interviews, along with interviews with Rob Edwards (Race Strategist for winner Simon Pagenaud) and Sarah Fisher (car owner for Josef Newgarden). There were also checks of the unofficial results and point standings before they left the air.
Overall, I really liked the coverage from Baltimore. It's not often that I watch an IndyCar street race three times, but I had to in this case. Time Warner Cable is partially to blame because I lost all sound from my cable box following one of those Emergency Alerts. I was forced to reboot my cable box in the middle of the race, which caused me to miss roughly 15-20 minutes of the race live. I had to go back and watch it again later. The third watch through was when I took my notes. At least it was an exiting three watches.
NBC Sports Network's commentators were pretty much spot on all afternoon. They were lively and very much into the action on track. I couldn't be happier, and IndyCar's pretty pleased as well. Also of note, IndyCar announced that NBC Sports Network saw a 54 percent year-to-year increase in ratings for Baltimore. That's always good news. Unfortunately, IndyCar can't capitalize on the ratings increase because they're off for a month prior to Reliant Park (Houston). That track is just about as bumpy as Baltimore, but hasn't shown in the past to be as competitive. We'll see how it goes.
That's it for this week. I hope you enjoyed this look at Sunday's 75-lap Baltimore Grand Prix presented by SRT. Stay tuned next week for another interesting race that will be covered in this space. I'm currently undecided as to which race it will be. The options are either the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards' Prairie Meadows 150 at Iowa Speedway (FOX Sports 1), Formula One's Grand Prix of Italy from Monza with special analyst Mario Andretti in the booth (NBC Sports Network), or the Rolex Series' Continental Tire Sports Car Festival from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (FOX Sports 1). Regardless, I hope you enjoy this weekend's action from Richmond, Newton, Iowa, Monza, Italy, and Salinas, California.
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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Frontstretch Line of the Week
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
"I'm on INDYCAR's side on this one. They made the right call and they could have used any number of infractions. What I liked is that they came out and were aggressive in establishing rules for pit road going forward." - P. Huston Ladner, on IndyCar's decision about the pit issues in Sonoma.
~~~~~~~~~~
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Jeff Wolfe
NASCAR Mailbox: Owners Points, Outlaws, And Onto Greener Pastures
by Summer Bedgood
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Even though Dale Earnhardt finished eighth in points and finally won the Daytona 500, 1998 was generally a forgettable year for him. The Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 was just one example of a miserable night. What happened?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Monday's Answer:
Q: The 1997 Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 may be best known as the race where Kenny Irwin, Jr. made a huge splash in his debut, qualifying on the front row and finishing ninth. However, he did have a hand in causing a wreck. What happened?
A: Irwin and Jeff Burton were battling for position early on when it appeared that Irwin chopped the Exide Batteries Ford. Burton spun in Turn 2. Meanwhile, defending race champion Ernie Irvan ran over Mark Martin from behind, spinning both drivers out and collecting Kyle Petty, Steve Grissom and Sterling Marlin. Everyone continued afterwards. A small clip of the crash from the George Michael Sports Machine can be seen here.
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
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Justin Tucker
-- In Case You Missed It by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
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 prior to this weekend's Virginia 529 College Savings 250 from Richmond International Raceway.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Frontstretch Foto Funnies by the Frontstretch Staff
Pictures can lead to a thousand laughs; join us in our weekly dose of humor that comes from those candid moments at the track.
Driver Diary: Brendan Gaughan as told to Amy Henderson
The driver of the No. 62 South Point Casino & Resort Chevrolet in the Camping World Truck Series returns to talk about the past month, on and off the track.
-----------------------------
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
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
