THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
January 23rd, 2012
Volume V, Edition V
SPRINT CUP MEDIA TOUR: DAY ONE. Attention, Frontstretch Readers! With the 2012 season gearing up, the Sprint Cup Media Tour is finally upon us and our website returns with full coverage. The Newsletter resumes its daily distribution, while writers Amy Henderson, Mike Neff, and Jay Pennell provide all the news and information you need directly from Charlotte.
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
January 23rd, 2012
Volume V, Edition V
SPRINT CUP MEDIA TOUR: DAY ONE. Attention, Frontstretch Readers! With the 2012 season gearing up, the Sprint Cup Media Tour is finally upon us and our website returns with full coverage. The Newsletter resumes its daily distribution, while writers Amy Henderson, Mike Neff, and Jay Pennell provide all the news and information you need directly from Charlotte.
What's On Tap On The Media Tour Today:
- Stewart-Haas Racing
- Joe Gibbs Racing
- Michael Waltrip Racing
Check out Frontstretch.com's Breaking News on the website, Amy's Twitter @Writer_Amy, Jay's Twitter @jaywpennell, our Twitter @TheFrontstretch and this Newsletter tomorrow for all the latest!
BREAKING: No Indy 500 For Patrick
Patrick will be running a limited schedule in Stewart-Haas Racing's No. 10 Chevrolet in 2012, preparing her for a possible full-time Sprint Cup ride in 2013 while going for the championship in the Nationwide Series. We'll have more on this story later today in both the Newsletter and on the website.
Check back next Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: In 2004, the Crawford Daytona Prototype made its Grand-Am debut in the Rolex 24. After racing in a very difficult event (it rained for most of the race, to the point that the race was red-flagged for hours), the No. 2 CITGO-sponsored Crawford was leading in the closing hours and basically had the race won. What happened that ultimately prevented the Crawford team from winning overall?
A: With 55 minutes left in the race, a check under the rear bodywork revealed a rear suspension issue on the No. 2 Crawford. With so little time remaining in the race, the team attempted to jury rig a fix using such old-school objects as a block of wood. Amazingly, this held, although it did subject Tony Stewart to having to drive on three wheels. Stewart did a herculean job keeping the car on-track until the suspension collapsed with 15 minutes to go. The collapse pitched Stewart into the outside wall on the backstretch and put the No. 2 out of the race, gifting victory to the ailing No. 54 Bell Motorsports Pontiac Doran.
-- Top News From The Past Week
by Phil Allaway
"Final" Speedweeks Rules Package Announced
On Friday, following three days of Daytona testing last week NASCAR announced the final specs for Sprint Cup Series cars for Daytona Speedweeks. According to SceneDaily.com's Bob Pockrass, the teams will use the same technical specs used on the third and final day of the Preseason Thunder test. That means that the 29/32nds of an inch restrictor plate will be used and the pressure release valve will be set at 25 psi. However, the front grille opening size has been increased to 50 square inches from the 40-inch opening on the final day of the test. This move was made because some of the teams were complaining about overheating in the pack drafts.
A final, major adjustment announced is a mandated extra two inches of height that will be added to the bottom of the rear bumper. Once again, the goal of this move is to put the grille flush to the bumper and increase the possibility of overheating from the two-car tandem draft.
Of course, these rules are still subject to change once the cars hit the track during official Daytona practice in February. NASCAR has full discretion to work with the rules package whenever they see fit.
Aspen Dental to Stewart-Haas Racing
Stewart-Haas Racing announced early this morning that they have signed Aspen Dental, a network of dental care providers, to a deal that will see the company serve as the primary sponsor in two races (the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona and the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 in New Hampshire) during the month of July. In addition, the company will serve as an associate sponsor for the other 34 races on the Sprint Cup schedule.
Team owner Tony Stewart is very happy about the additional sponsorship for his No. 39 team.
"We're proud to partner with a true leader in the dental industry," Stewart said. "With locations in 22 states across the country, this agreement gives us a huge, built-in following. We're going to do everything we can to deliver them a victory."
In addition to Aspen Dental's sponsorship on Ryan Newman's No. 39, the sponsorship agreement includes the right to "utilize Stewart promotionally." What that will ultimately entail is unclear, but commercials and print ads, along with Aspen Dental displays at races are definitely in play.
Previously, Aspen Dental served in a similar capacity with Rusty Wallace Racing starting at the end of 2010, serving as a part-time primary sponsor and full-time associate on both the Nos. 62 and 66 cars. In that race, Brendan Gaughan started 11th and finished eighth. Last season, Aspen Dental served as the primary sponsor of the part-time No. 64 entry for four races, earning a top performance of 18th, twice with David Reutimann at the wheel.
Kenny Wallace to Attempt Daytona 500 for RAB Racing
RAB Racing with Brack Maggard announced on Saturday that they will attempt to make their Sprint Cup Series debut when regular Nationwide Series driver Kenny Wallace attempts to qualify for the Daytona 500. Primary sponsorship will be provided by American Ethanol, one of the team's major backers on their Nationwide car last season.
Wallace is very excited about this opportunity to return to the Sprint Cup Series.
"The Daytona 500 is the race I grew up watching every year as a kid in St. Louis. Its a very important race to me," Wallace said. "I take this opportunity very seriously. I want to thank everyone at RAB Racing for working so hard in preparing this American Ethanol Toyota Camry. Earning a starting spot in this year's Daytona 500 would be a dream come true, not only for myself, but also for Robby and everyone else that's worked so hard to make this a reality. Speedweeks is my favorite time of year, and I can't wait to get down there in just another couple of weeks."
Team owner Robby Benton is also convinced that now is the time to try their luck with Sprint Cup.
"I find myself and our team in a position I certainly did not anticipate, announcing that we are going to attempt to make our Sprint Cup Series debut in the 2012 Daytona 500," Benton said. "Obviously, this is where any NASCAR team sets their goals, but for a team as young as ours to have the opportunity to take the next step is very humbling, and to be doing so with Kenny Wallace makes it that much more meaningful. This will be the greatest challenge we've faced as a team to this point, but we're ready for it. It'll be interesting to see how things unfold and if we're fortunate enough to earn a starting spot, it'll be the culmination of a great deal of dedication and effort by everyone that has ever been a part of RAB Racing with Brack Maggard."
Benton is right in saying that the team faces an uphill battle in attempting to quailfy for the Daytona 500. Unless the team works out some type of deal to acquire owner from someone not attempting the race, they will have to either qualify on speed or race their way into the event. However, in Wallace, the organization has a driver who has accomplished that task before. In 2008, Wallace raced a second car for Furniture Row Racing, the No. 87, into the Daytona 500 through the Gatorade Duels. Once there, Wallace ran well until losing the engine after 141 laps and finishing last.
Busch Brothers to Share Nationwide Ride
On Thursday, Kyle Busch Motorsports publicly announced their Nationwide Series program for the 2012 season. Kyle and Kurt Busch will share the No. 54 Toyota Camry, while Monster Energy will provide full-season primary sponsorship. Neither driver is eligible for the Nationwide Series drivers' championship, but the team will be attempting to win the owner's championship.
According to the press release, the team will not acquire owner points from another source, thus requiring the team to qualify on speed for the first five races. As a result, Kyle will drive in the first five races due to the fact that he is a past champion (2009). After Fontana, the brothers will alternate the seat with Kurt driving 20 races, although a full schedule of who will drive the car at certain events has not been released as of yet.
Kurt Busch, who will drive this car in addition to a small schedule in Phoenix Racing's No. 1, is excited about this new opportunity to drive with his brother.
"Kyle has done an impressive job in building this race team and I'm proud to be a part of it," Kurt Busch said. "He won a Truck Series Owner's Championship in his first year and his team has kept on winning ever since. Now, it's moving into the Nationwide Series, where the bar will remain high. His expectations are the same as mine, and we know each other better than anyone. We're driven to win, and with Monster Energy driving us, we'll be a tough team to beat."
Team owner Kyle Busch is pleased for his organization to be making the move up.
"Since debuting in NASCAR, Kyle Busch Motorsports has had the goal to add a championship-caliber Nationwide Series team to our organization," Kyle Busch said. "With today's announcement of Monster Energy as primary sponsor and my brother Kurt as the second driver, we've accomplished that goal. The Monster Energy team of athletes consists of champion performers united by a desire to be the best. Kurt and I share that same desire and will settle for nothing less than adding a NASCAR Championship to the long list of achievements for one of the strongest brands in the world."
Unfortunately, there is a downside to this deal. Monster Energy is a longtime sponsor of Ricky Carmichael, dating back to his days in the AMA. According to an interview with SiriusXM Speedway's Dave Moody on Friday, Carmichael was blindsided by the deal that put the Busch brothers in the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota.
"I had a handshake [deal] with the CEO of Monster Energy," Carmichael said on Friday. "But the weekend of Texas (Motor Speedway), it went away. We were good to go, but when Kyle had his issue (at Texas), it all went sideways."
Carmichael continued on to state that by Texas, he had already notified Turner Motorsports that he would not be returning for 2012 with Kyle Busch Motorsports as the likely destination. However, Carmichael came to find out that he was not the only driver under consideration for the gig. Instead, he was one of roughly eight drivers that were being considered. Carmichael considers the events at Homestead-Miami Speedway that led to Kurt Busch being fired from Penske Racing as the final straw for any potential deal that he could have had with Kyle Busch Motorsports.
For 2012, Carmichael is now without a sponsor (more or less), and without a ride. He is currently trying to put together a small program for himself to race, but admits that "its tough when you get the rug pulled out from under you in late December." For 2013, he plans to return to NASCAR full-time.
"Final" Speedweeks Rules Package Announced
On Friday, following three days of Daytona testing last week NASCAR announced the final specs for Sprint Cup Series cars for Daytona Speedweeks. According to SceneDaily.com's Bob Pockrass, the teams will use the same technical specs used on the third and final day of the Preseason Thunder test. That means that the 29/32nds of an inch restrictor plate will be used and the pressure release valve will be set at 25 psi. However, the front grille opening size has been increased to 50 square inches from the 40-inch opening on the final day of the test. This move was made because some of the teams were complaining about overheating in the pack drafts.
A final, major adjustment announced is a mandated extra two inches of height that will be added to the bottom of the rear bumper. Once again, the goal of this move is to put the grille flush to the bumper and increase the possibility of overheating from the two-car tandem draft.
Of course, these rules are still subject to change once the cars hit the track during official Daytona practice in February. NASCAR has full discretion to work with the rules package whenever they see fit.
Aspen Dental to Stewart-Haas Racing
Stewart-Haas Racing announced early this morning that they have signed Aspen Dental, a network of dental care providers, to a deal that will see the company serve as the primary sponsor in two races (the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona and the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 in New Hampshire) during the month of July. In addition, the company will serve as an associate sponsor for the other 34 races on the Sprint Cup schedule.
Team owner Tony Stewart is very happy about the additional sponsorship for his No. 39 team.
"We're proud to partner with a true leader in the dental industry," Stewart said. "With locations in 22 states across the country, this agreement gives us a huge, built-in following. We're going to do everything we can to deliver them a victory."
In addition to Aspen Dental's sponsorship on Ryan Newman's No. 39, the sponsorship agreement includes the right to "utilize Stewart promotionally." What that will ultimately entail is unclear, but commercials and print ads, along with Aspen Dental displays at races are definitely in play.
Previously, Aspen Dental served in a similar capacity with Rusty Wallace Racing starting at the end of 2010, serving as a part-time primary sponsor and full-time associate on both the Nos. 62 and 66 cars. In that race, Brendan Gaughan started 11th and finished eighth. Last season, Aspen Dental served as the primary sponsor of the part-time No. 64 entry for four races, earning a top performance of 18th, twice with David Reutimann at the wheel.
Kenny Wallace to Attempt Daytona 500 for RAB Racing
RAB Racing with Brack Maggard announced on Saturday that they will attempt to make their Sprint Cup Series debut when regular Nationwide Series driver Kenny Wallace attempts to qualify for the Daytona 500. Primary sponsorship will be provided by American Ethanol, one of the team's major backers on their Nationwide car last season.
Wallace is very excited about this opportunity to return to the Sprint Cup Series.
"The Daytona 500 is the race I grew up watching every year as a kid in St. Louis. Its a very important race to me," Wallace said. "I take this opportunity very seriously. I want to thank everyone at RAB Racing for working so hard in preparing this American Ethanol Toyota Camry. Earning a starting spot in this year's Daytona 500 would be a dream come true, not only for myself, but also for Robby and everyone else that's worked so hard to make this a reality. Speedweeks is my favorite time of year, and I can't wait to get down there in just another couple of weeks."
Team owner Robby Benton is also convinced that now is the time to try their luck with Sprint Cup.
"I find myself and our team in a position I certainly did not anticipate, announcing that we are going to attempt to make our Sprint Cup Series debut in the 2012 Daytona 500," Benton said. "Obviously, this is where any NASCAR team sets their goals, but for a team as young as ours to have the opportunity to take the next step is very humbling, and to be doing so with Kenny Wallace makes it that much more meaningful. This will be the greatest challenge we've faced as a team to this point, but we're ready for it. It'll be interesting to see how things unfold and if we're fortunate enough to earn a starting spot, it'll be the culmination of a great deal of dedication and effort by everyone that has ever been a part of RAB Racing with Brack Maggard."
Benton is right in saying that the team faces an uphill battle in attempting to quailfy for the Daytona 500. Unless the team works out some type of deal to acquire owner from someone not attempting the race, they will have to either qualify on speed or race their way into the event. However, in Wallace, the organization has a driver who has accomplished that task before. In 2008, Wallace raced a second car for Furniture Row Racing, the No. 87, into the Daytona 500 through the Gatorade Duels. Once there, Wallace ran well until losing the engine after 141 laps and finishing last.
Busch Brothers to Share Nationwide Ride
On Thursday, Kyle Busch Motorsports publicly announced their Nationwide Series program for the 2012 season. Kyle and Kurt Busch will share the No. 54 Toyota Camry, while Monster Energy will provide full-season primary sponsorship. Neither driver is eligible for the Nationwide Series drivers' championship, but the team will be attempting to win the owner's championship.
According to the press release, the team will not acquire owner points from another source, thus requiring the team to qualify on speed for the first five races. As a result, Kyle will drive in the first five races due to the fact that he is a past champion (2009). After Fontana, the brothers will alternate the seat with Kurt driving 20 races, although a full schedule of who will drive the car at certain events has not been released as of yet.
Kurt Busch, who will drive this car in addition to a small schedule in Phoenix Racing's No. 1, is excited about this new opportunity to drive with his brother.
"Kyle has done an impressive job in building this race team and I'm proud to be a part of it," Kurt Busch said. "He won a Truck Series Owner's Championship in his first year and his team has kept on winning ever since. Now, it's moving into the Nationwide Series, where the bar will remain high. His expectations are the same as mine, and we know each other better than anyone. We're driven to win, and with Monster Energy driving us, we'll be a tough team to beat."
Team owner Kyle Busch is pleased for his organization to be making the move up.
"Since debuting in NASCAR, Kyle Busch Motorsports has had the goal to add a championship-caliber Nationwide Series team to our organization," Kyle Busch said. "With today's announcement of Monster Energy as primary sponsor and my brother Kurt as the second driver, we've accomplished that goal. The Monster Energy team of athletes consists of champion performers united by a desire to be the best. Kurt and I share that same desire and will settle for nothing less than adding a NASCAR Championship to the long list of achievements for one of the strongest brands in the world."
Unfortunately, there is a downside to this deal. Monster Energy is a longtime sponsor of Ricky Carmichael, dating back to his days in the AMA. According to an interview with SiriusXM Speedway's Dave Moody on Friday, Carmichael was blindsided by the deal that put the Busch brothers in the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota.
"I had a handshake [deal] with the CEO of Monster Energy," Carmichael said on Friday. "But the weekend of Texas (Motor Speedway), it went away. We were good to go, but when Kyle had his issue (at Texas), it all went sideways."
Carmichael continued on to state that by Texas, he had already notified Turner Motorsports that he would not be returning for 2012 with Kyle Busch Motorsports as the likely destination. However, Carmichael came to find out that he was not the only driver under consideration for the gig. Instead, he was one of roughly eight drivers that were being considered. Carmichael considers the events at Homestead-Miami Speedway that led to Kurt Busch being fired from Penske Racing as the final straw for any potential deal that he could have had with Kyle Busch Motorsports.
For 2012, Carmichael is now without a sponsor (more or less), and without a ride. He is currently trying to put together a small program for himself to race, but admits that "its tough when you get the rug pulled out from under you in late December." For 2013, he plans to return to NASCAR full-time.
Congratulations To One Of Our Own
Finally this Monday, congratulations are in order to our Senior Writer John Potts. Potts, for his decades of work in motorsports was one of several selected for the 2012 class of the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame. Potts joins the following list of inductees which include 2012 NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip:
- Allan and Donald Barker of Louisville, Sports Car Club of America road racing champions.
- Collings Downes of Louisville, APBA boat racing team owner.
- Butch Krieger of Louisville, drag racing and tractor pull announcer.
- Joseph Reynold (Joie) Ray Jr. of Louisville, ground-braking oval track sprint car racer.
- John Potts of London, long-time track and sanctioning body official.
- Tommy Thompson of Louisville, NASCAR pioneer driver and oval track owner.
- Darrell Waltrip of Owensboro, three-time NASCAR champion.
- Wayne and Jim Williams of Valley Station, drag strip builders and operators.
- Woosley, Sharp and Reynolds of Winchester, NHRA championship dragster team.
We are so thankful for all John has done for us and look forward to celebrating this great honor with him! You can congratulate the longtime Frontstretch writer by emailing him at john.potts@frontstretch.com.
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
Just in case you missed them, we have completed our annual Driver Reviews. If you'd like to review them, JUST HEAD HERE AND YOU'LL FIND THEM ALL LISTED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE.
Just in case you missed them, we have completed our annual Driver Reviews. If you'd like to review them, JUST HEAD HERE AND YOU'LL FIND THEM ALL LISTED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE.
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: There have been quite a few Daytona Prototype chassis manufacturers over the past nine seasons. However, the manufacturer whose Daytona Prototype was used the least in the Rolex Sports Car Series was Chase. What car was the Chase designed to look like?
Q: There have been quite a few Daytona Prototype chassis manufacturers over the past nine seasons. However, the manufacturer whose Daytona Prototype was used the least in the Rolex Sports Car Series was Chase. What car was the Chase designed to look like?
Check back next Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: In 2004, the Crawford Daytona Prototype made its Grand-Am debut in the Rolex 24. After racing in a very difficult event (it rained for most of the race, to the point that the race was red-flagged for hours), the No. 2 CITGO-sponsored Crawford was leading in the closing hours and basically had the race won. What happened that ultimately prevented the Crawford team from winning overall?
A: With 55 minutes left in the race, a check under the rear bodywork revealed a rear suspension issue on the No. 2 Crawford. With so little time remaining in the race, the team attempted to jury rig a fix using such old-school objects as a block of wood. Amazingly, this held, although it did subject Tony Stewart to having to drive on three wheels. Stewart did a herculean job keeping the car on-track until the suspension collapsed with 15 minutes to go. The collapse pitched Stewart into the outside wall on the backstretch and put the No. 2 out of the race, gifting victory to the ailing No. 54 Bell Motorsports Pontiac Doran.
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!
Hey, Frontstretch Readers!
We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look at how NASCAR, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
Coming Friday, January 27th in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Rolex 24 Pole Qualifying Recap by Phil Allaway
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Coming This Week at The Frontstretch:
Epic Rolex 24 Preview by Phil Allaway
With Frontstretch having a presence this weekend at the Rolex 24 in Daytona Beach, we'll bring you a comprehensive preview of the twice-around-the-clock race.
Turning Back The Clock: 2003 Rolex 24 at Daytona by Phil Allaway
Also, in anticipation of the big race, we'll also bring a write-up of a classic Rolex event.
Hey, Frontstretch Readers!
We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look at how NASCAR, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
Coming Friday, January 27th in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Rolex 24 Pole Qualifying Recap by Phil Allaway
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Coming This Week at The Frontstretch:
Epic Rolex 24 Preview by Phil Allaway
With Frontstretch having a presence this weekend at the Rolex 24 in Daytona Beach, we'll bring you a comprehensive preview of the twice-around-the-clock race.
Turning Back The Clock: 2003 Rolex 24 at Daytona by Phil Allaway
Also, in anticipation of the big race, we'll also bring a write-up of a classic Rolex event.
Plus Media Tour coverage, the return of Mirror Driving, Tom Bowles' columns (finally) and so much more!
------------------------------
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©2012 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!
©2012 Frontstretch.com
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