THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 28th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CLXXI
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Top News
by Tom Bowles
Truex Signs Extension To Stay With Michael Waltrip Racing
Martin Truex, Jr. is hoping 2012 won't be the last time he makes the Chase in the No. 56 NAPA Toyota. The driver, after months of negotiations is set to sign an extension to remain with his Michael Waltrip Racing team for the foreseeable future. As ESPN.com first reported, a press conference has been set up at Atlanta Motor Speedway Friday where the contract, his 2013 car and future plans will be officially unveiled. Owner Michael Waltrip, NASCAR President Mike Helton and NAPA executives are expected to be among those in attendance.
Both Truex's deal, as well as NAPA's was set to expire at the end of 2012. However, the driver has remained adamant throughout he wanted to stay a part of a program that currently has him fifth in points, just 52 behind leader Greg Biffle. Truex has 13 top-10 finishes this season, his most in five years and has a solid average finishing position of 11.2. While still winless, it's easily the closest he's been to visiting Victory Lane since joining Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in 2010.
Pilot Recovered From Tragic Helicopter Crash
The body of a helicopter pilot who was ferrying people to and from Bristol Motor Speedway has been recovered. After an extensive search-and-rescue effort, 64-year-old Bill R. Starnes of Blountsville, Tennessee was pulled from South Holston Lake three days after his helicopter lost control and crashed into it. At the time, Starnes was the only one on board.
An investigation into the crash continues while an autopsy will be performed on Starnes this week. The helicopter had just dropped off six passengers at the speedway, on Friday night when the crash occurred at approximately 10:30 PM.
NASCAR: No Penalty For Stewart
A helmet throw by Tony Stewart won't cost him in the point standings - or his wallet. NASCAR confirmed Monday the defending Sprint Cup champ won't be penalized for his actions after being involved in an incident Saturday night with Matt Kenseth at Bristol Motor Speedway. Stewart, whose car was eliminated from victory contention got out of the car and threw his helmet at Kenseth's No. 17 Ford. He later insinuated he would "run over Kenseth every chance I got" the rest of the season in retaliation for what he thought was a Kenseth error that left both cars spinning into the inside wall after battling for the lead.
Smoke ended up 27th in the race, his third straight finish outside the top 15. That's dropped him to 10th in the standings, just 16 ahead of Kasey Kahne for the final "points" position in the Chase.
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.
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Today's Featured Commentary
Sometimes the Ticket Sales Aren't All About the Racing, Even at Bristol
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady
Yep, Bristol's Night Race was awesome. Sitting in the exit of Turn 4, I was immersed in watching the drivers think their way through a new track and ultimately was delighted with the old-new-mini-Darlington.
But you've heard all this. By Tuesday, just about every NASCAR journalist out there has spun their own interpretation on the on-track extravaganza we all enjoyed on Saturday night. There's another side to Bristol which the television really doesn't adequately display -- it's the rest of the show. And let me tell you folks, the Cup race weekend is a really big show in these parts. Bigger than any other track I've been to.
For years and years I've been told that New Hampshire has the most campers of any track. I don't think so. Perhaps on track property, but in Bristol, TN you have to take into account Farmer Bob's acres, and the Earhart Campground, and the myriad of other front lawns and church parking lots that fill up by Saturday morning. Its stunning. Outside Gate 13, the closest terraced hills are adorned by a virtual high rise condominium built entirely out of RV's. Legions of fans were already in residence by Tuesday--when we finally parked our rig on the top of the Dragstrip.
Still, bringing in 100,000 tourists is old hat to NASCAR and to this small city in the hills of Tennessee. Nothing really new there, is there? Oh hold on. There's track hospitality, and then there's Bristol. At the Food City down Veterans Highway another patron--clearly a local--stopped us and welcomed us to town, complete with genuine smile and the soft southern drawl. Danny at Appalachian Tire helped us replace our spare tire after a blowout. Everywhere we went staff members sported NASCAR t-shirts, smiled and wished us a good race. Okay, in a tough economy an area might want to roll out the red carpet to garner a few extra dollars. Totally makes sense. But all this welcome felt like a bit more.
Bristol, the track and the city, threw their hearts into making sure every fan attending had a great time. From the tram drivers to the ticket takers I piled up the, "Have a good time, now," with each interaction.
Then there's Fan Fest, a daylong festival in downtown Bristol that culminates with the Hauler Parade. Really, it doesn't take an entire day to welcome NASCAR to town, but they did it anyway. Free food sampling, lots of great music, driver appearances, vendors...dazzling. Besides the aforementioned, Jerry Callwell opened the gates to the track so we could watch the haulers park in their tight spots in the infield. Fans new and old filled the section around us enjoying this slow motion spectacle.
We exchanged memories and knowledge, our northern accent always earning us a pleasant and interested, "So, where ya'll from?" That was Thursday. The weekend barely started and already I had added the Bristol area as one of the more pleasant tracks I have visited in my life.
Everywhere I turned another small touch of hospitality appeared that said not only did Bruton Smith fix the track surface, effort was also made to draw back the ticket holders that had been leaving as quickly as the TV ratings dropped with the aborted 2007 track reconfiguration. I could decide the grandiose welcome mat was a direct result, but honestly it didn't feel that way. Simply, SMI and Bristol tool a hard look at how things ought to be done and put those results into action.
I'm very thankful. Thankful for the fireworks on Thursday night (sorry for waking up your kids, drivers! Oh, wait! We're having a great time at the track. Not sorry.) The free track walk Wednesday night after the truck race. Fireworks on Saturday. A ticker tape celebration--snow! It wasn't snow, just confetti flying from the tip top of the grandstands, blanketing every smiling fan. The pre-race, starring Juan Pablo Montoya's "Great Balls of Fire" and Denny Hamlin's "Wobble".
Really, each addition to the usual NASCAR circus was executed with style and energy. The giant flag, parajumpers, the entire crowd singing "God Bless the USA".... Each time I think I've thought of every little extra I enjoyed, there's another one that pops up.
Except for the 45 minute traffic back-up I suffered through Sunday morning, my visit to Bristol Motor Speedway is filled with positive memories; the way a racing week ought to be. In fact when I combine the entire experience, including the awesome racing, I don't think it will long before the Bristol ticket will once again be an endangered species.
Sonya's Weekly Danica Stat
Bristol: NNS in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
Qualified: 34th
Finished: 9th (lead lap)
Points Position: 10th
Bristol: NSCS in the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
Qualified: 43rd (based on practice speed)
Finished: 29th (DNF, crash, 66 laps down)
Points Position: N/A (Not eligible to earn Sprint Cup points)
If you're wondering what else a Bostonian was thinking while she toured Bristol, TN, you can visit my blog at http://queensdomain.blogspot.com/
S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @laregna.
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Numbers Game: Irwin Tools Night Race
by Garrett Horton
2
Kevin Harvick has led a total of two laps in the last 15 races.
3
Denny Hamlin has three wins this season, with all of them coming on tracks where he has never won at previously.
4
The last four top-5 finishes Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has recorded have all been fourth-place efforts.
5th
Marcos Ambrose finished fifth at Bristol, marking the first time in his Sprint Cup series career that he has had three consecutive top-5 finishes.
7
Kurt Busch has failed to finish on the lead lap in the last 7 races.
11
Kevin Harvick, who placed in the top-5 in two of the first five races this year, has just one since, which was at Dover, 11 races ago.
12
Kyle Busch hasn't posted back-to-back top-10 finishes in his last 12 starts.
13
There were 13 cautions Saturday night at Bristol, easily the most in a race this year. The previous high had been the season opening Daytona 500 with ten, the only other race this year with double-digit caution flags.
19th
Greg Biffle finished 19th in Saturday's Irwin Tools Night Race. That was the highest finishing driver out of not only Roush Fenway Racing, but other powerhouse teams like Penske Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing.
20
Denny Hamlin picked up his 20th career victory Saturday night, moving him into a tie with Speedy Thompson for 35th most all time.
23rd
Michael McDowell, who has start and parked in all but three races he has qualified for this year, finished 23rd at Bristol, only four laps off the pace. It is his best finish so far this year, and has was his third best result in 103 Cup races he has entered.
26
Bristol pole sitter Casey Mears led 26 laps Saturday, the most laps he has led in a race since Kansas in 2008, when he lead 29 laps while driving for Richard Childress Racing.
139
Joey Logano led 139 laps Saturday, more than anyone else. The last time a driver was credited with leading the most laps at Bristol with a lower total than Logano's was Kurt Busch in March of 2004, when paced the field for 119 of the 500 laps run.
200
The car No. 11 has visited victory lane 200 times in the history of NASCAR, more than any other number. Car No. 43 is second most with 198 trips to the winner's circle.
Garrett Horton is a Contributor to Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at garrett.horton@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Garrett_Horton.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Five Points to Ponder: The Anger of Stewart and Sadler and the the Title Races They Could Derail
by Bryan Davis Keith
Who's Hot/ Who's Not in NASCAR: Bristol/ Atlanta Edition
by Brett Poirier
Darian Grubb: Ready for High Speed and Atlanta's Ever Changing Track
by Mike Neff
Five Points to Ponder: Wild Things On-Track Impact Bristol, the Chase
by Danny Peters
Couch Potato Tuesday: ESPN Fails to Carry Excitement to Cup Telecast
by Phil Allaway
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Jeff Gordon entered the 1995 NAPA 500 needing to finish only 41st or better to claim his first Winston Cup Championship. However, just to make it that much more of a sure thing, Hendrick Motorsports entered a fourth car, the No. 58, in the field. Jimmy Horton, who had subbed in the No. 17 for Darrell Waltrip after Waltrip broke his leg in 1990 at Daytona in a practice crash, was tapped to drive. However, when the race came around, Jeff Purvis was in the driver's seat. Why was this switch made?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: Mark Martin led 190 laps to claim victory in the 1991 Hardee's 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway while Dale Earnhardt was officially crowned Winston Cup Champion for the fifth time. However, another big announcement was made that weekend. What was it?
A: For lack of better words, Atlanta Motor Speedway unveiled a Master Plan for renovations to the facility. This effectively planned out most of what we see now at the track, including the quad-oval design, condominiums and such. Construction didn't really start for another couple of years, with the quad-oval being opened up in 1997.
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!
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Brad Morgan
-- Commentary Article by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Did You Notice?... by Tom Bowles
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite Frontstretch writers are back to discuss a variety of different topics. Among them: Whether Tony Stewart is really angry enough at Matt Kenseth to actually make good on his threats of retaliation, if Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race was enough to satisfy fans of the "Old Bristol," who is in line to win the Camping World Truck Series championship, and more.
Kevin's Corner by Kevin Rutherford
Probably the most infamous moment in Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race was Tony Stewart's helmet throw. Of course, this is nothing new in NASCAR. Kevin will talk about other helmet throwing instances in NASCAR history.
Frontstretch Top Ten by Jeff Meyer
We'll have a top ten list that will tickle your funny bone, guaranteed.
Open-Wheel Wednesday by Toni Montgomery
Toni's back with another look inside the Izod IndyCar Series ahead of this weekend's Baltimore Grand Prix.
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Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
The Frontstretch Newsletter: Stewart-Kenseth Rivalry Fires Up
THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 27th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CLXX
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Sprint Cup Race Recap: Bristol's Past Returns to Crown a New Winner
by Jeff Wolfe
The new Bristol is now the old Bristol.
And with it came some of the same antics Saturday night that made the .533-mile track one of the most entertaining on the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Track owner Bruton Smith had the famed-oval put back to its old style after the Spring race by grinding the top groove, and the result was a lot of drivers not only fighting for the same space, but also producing some fighting-like actions and words. The old track did produce a new winner as Denny Hamlin won his first race at Bristol. Hamlin made the winning pass, a slide job, on Carl Edwards with 39 laps to go for his third win of the season and 20th career victory. Hamlin, who drove the No. 11 car to its 200th career win, said the fact he could drive a slightly different groove than the rest of the field was a significant factor in his win.
"Really we were one of the only cars that could really make ground on the bottom," said Hamlin, who also joined Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart as the only drivers to win three races this season. "So the best car won tonight, no doubt about it. I felt like we were the only car that could really pass like we could, and at any given point it was tough to get around no matter who was in front of you, simply because of the high line was just typically the place you wanted to be."
Hamlin led five times for 70 laps as there were 22 lead changes among 13 drivers. Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano led the most laps, four times for 139 laps in front of an estimated crowd of 145,000, down from the 156,000 from last year. There were also 13 cautions for 87 laps, not a surprise to Hamlin since most cars were stuck using the high groove.
"There's nothing he (Smith) is going to do that's going to make us run the bottom, that's not the fastest way around the track," Hamlin said. "But it was the same thing; we were all running in the line, and just waiting on the next guy to screw up to get around.
"That's what you've got to do at the old Bristol and that's exactly what we had to race today. You couldn't just -- the slide job was an option to pass, which, you know, that's won us the race."
The front of the pack had been a bit of a strange place for Hamlin, who had dropped to tenth in the points standings coming into the race and had not finished in the top-10 since Indianapolis in late July. There was a point where Hamlin wasn't sure if he was even going to finish Saturday. He had a water temperature issue, and ended up losing almost all of the water.
"We had no water in the car," Hamlin said. "We were 300 degrees early on in the race and all of the gauges pegged, shooting water out like it's a superspeedway race and evidently we had an electrical fan, our radio fan go bad, and so we spewed most of our water out, and we hit the wall pretty good. We hit, landed on pit road and I told Darian, the more stuff we hit, the faster it went."
Hamlin was fast enough to finish ahead of second-place Jimmie Johnson, followed by Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers, Marcos Ambrose, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Logano, Kasey Kahne and Paul Menard.
Hitting the wall didn't work out as well for most drivers and that included defending Sprint Cup champion Stewart. He was battling for the lead with Matt Kenseth after a restart on lap 329, when Stewart elected not to pit and started second. Eventually, the two banged doors, sending Stewart into the wall. After climbing out of his No. 14 car, Stewart proved he had no injuries from the wreck by waiting for Kenseth and chucking his helmet at and hitting the No. 17 car. It continued a rivalry that goes back to their Nationwide (back then it was Busch) Series days when Kenseth booted Stewart for a win at Rockingham.
"I checked up twice to not run over him, and I learned my lesson there," said Stewart, who eventually returned the track and finished 27th. "I'm going to run over him every chance I've got from now 'til the end of the year – every chance I've got. We ran on the restart faster than him each lap, so we just learned our lesson that next time – just drive through him, not even be patient by him. We're not going to give him that chance again."
Kenseth, who finished 25th, didn't seem to understand the reason for Stewart's anger.
"'I guess he just wanted to do all the taking, so that's where we ended up,'' Kenseth said. Kenseth also mentioned that the two also had incidents at Sonoma and Indianapolis this year. "'I just said 'OK, that's fine. I'm just going to race you the same way you race me. Look, Tony is probably the greatest race car driver in the garage. I don't really have anything bad to say about Tony.''
There was nearly another helmet throw when Danica Patrick was on the lead lap and running 19th when she wasn't happy with Regan Smith's move that sent her into the wall and out of the race with 64 laps remaining. She waited for Smith to come back around, but only to wag a disapproving finger at the driver of the No. 78, hanging on to her helmet.
"'We were just racing hard, this is Bristol, this is why people love this track because you see a lot of that, you see tempers flare," Patrick said.
For Gordon, it was just like old times.
"I say they grind the whole place. It was awesome,'' Gordon said. ''It reminded me of old-school Bristol.''
The Sprint Cup teams travel next to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Advocare 500. Coverage begins at 7:00pm EDT Sunday night on ESPN.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 27th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CLXX
~~~~~~~~~~
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Bristol's Past Returns to Crown a New Winner
by Jeff Wolfe
The new Bristol is now the old Bristol.
And with it came some of the same antics Saturday night that made the .533-mile track one of the most entertaining on the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Track owner Bruton Smith had the famed-oval put back to its old style after the Spring race by grinding the top groove, and the result was a lot of drivers not only fighting for the same space, but also producing some fighting-like actions and words. The old track did produce a new winner as Denny Hamlin won his first race at Bristol. Hamlin made the winning pass, a slide job, on Carl Edwards with 39 laps to go for his third win of the season and 20th career victory. Hamlin, who drove the No. 11 car to its 200th career win, said the fact he could drive a slightly different groove than the rest of the field was a significant factor in his win.
"Really we were one of the only cars that could really make ground on the bottom," said Hamlin, who also joined Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart as the only drivers to win three races this season. "So the best car won tonight, no doubt about it. I felt like we were the only car that could really pass like we could, and at any given point it was tough to get around no matter who was in front of you, simply because of the high line was just typically the place you wanted to be."
Hamlin led five times for 70 laps as there were 22 lead changes among 13 drivers. Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano led the most laps, four times for 139 laps in front of an estimated crowd of 145,000, down from the 156,000 from last year. There were also 13 cautions for 87 laps, not a surprise to Hamlin since most cars were stuck using the high groove.
"There's nothing he (Smith) is going to do that's going to make us run the bottom, that's not the fastest way around the track," Hamlin said. "But it was the same thing; we were all running in the line, and just waiting on the next guy to screw up to get around.
"That's what you've got to do at the old Bristol and that's exactly what we had to race today. You couldn't just -- the slide job was an option to pass, which, you know, that's won us the race."
The front of the pack had been a bit of a strange place for Hamlin, who had dropped to tenth in the points standings coming into the race and had not finished in the top-10 since Indianapolis in late July. There was a point where Hamlin wasn't sure if he was even going to finish Saturday. He had a water temperature issue, and ended up losing almost all of the water.
"We had no water in the car," Hamlin said. "We were 300 degrees early on in the race and all of the gauges pegged, shooting water out like it's a superspeedway race and evidently we had an electrical fan, our radio fan go bad, and so we spewed most of our water out, and we hit the wall pretty good. We hit, landed on pit road and I told Darian, the more stuff we hit, the faster it went."
Hamlin was fast enough to finish ahead of second-place Jimmie Johnson, followed by Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers, Marcos Ambrose, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Logano, Kasey Kahne and Paul Menard.
Hitting the wall didn't work out as well for most drivers and that included defending Sprint Cup champion Stewart. He was battling for the lead with Matt Kenseth after a restart on lap 329, when Stewart elected not to pit and started second. Eventually, the two banged doors, sending Stewart into the wall. After climbing out of his No. 14 car, Stewart proved he had no injuries from the wreck by waiting for Kenseth and chucking his helmet at and hitting the No. 17 car. It continued a rivalry that goes back to their Nationwide (back then it was Busch) Series days when Kenseth booted Stewart for a win at Rockingham.
"I checked up twice to not run over him, and I learned my lesson there," said Stewart, who eventually returned the track and finished 27th. "I'm going to run over him every chance I've got from now 'til the end of the year – every chance I've got. We ran on the restart faster than him each lap, so we just learned our lesson that next time – just drive through him, not even be patient by him. We're not going to give him that chance again."
Kenseth, who finished 25th, didn't seem to understand the reason for Stewart's anger.
"'I guess he just wanted to do all the taking, so that's where we ended up,'' Kenseth said. Kenseth also mentioned that the two also had incidents at Sonoma and Indianapolis this year. "'I just said 'OK, that's fine. I'm just going to race you the same way you race me. Look, Tony is probably the greatest race car driver in the garage. I don't really have anything bad to say about Tony.''
There was nearly another helmet throw when Danica Patrick was on the lead lap and running 19th when she wasn't happy with Regan Smith's move that sent her into the wall and out of the race with 64 laps remaining. She waited for Smith to come back around, but only to wag a disapproving finger at the driver of the No. 78, hanging on to her helmet.
"'We were just racing hard, this is Bristol, this is why people love this track because you see a lot of that, you see tempers flare," Patrick said.
For Gordon, it was just like old times.
"I say they grind the whole place. It was awesome,'' Gordon said. ''It reminded me of old-school Bristol.''
The Sprint Cup teams travel next to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Advocare 500. Coverage begins at 7:00pm EDT Sunday night on ESPN.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
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Chasing the Chase: Three Clinch Chase Spots, but Wild-Card Picture Gets Wilder
by Jeff Wolfe
Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. clinched their places in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship, the sport's version of the playoffs that comprises the final ten races of the season. And while several other drivers all but clinched a spot many others are on the edge, either just inside or just outside a Chase spot. The top-10 drivers in the points standings, and the two drivers 11th through 20th in points with the most wins will make the Chase.
Getting back into the Chase for the moment as the 12th and final qualifier was Kyle Busch Saturday night. His seventh-place finish combined with Ryan Newman's 36th-place finish due to an accident caused by a flat tire, put Busch, who has one win this year, 13th in the standings. Newman also has one win this year, but dropped to 15th in the points standings and is now 19 points behind Busch. Jeff Gordon's third-place finish allowed him to move up to 14th in the points and he is 16 points behind Busch. Gordon also has one win this season.
Kasey Kahne is the first wild-card qualifier at the moment, as he has two wins and is 11th in points. Other drivers with one win this season and likely needing to win one of the last two races to make the Chase are Marcos Ambrose and Joey Logano. Ambrose finished fifth Saturday and is 16th in points, but he is 28 points behind Busch. Logano sits 18th in points and 69 points behind Busch.
Carl Edwards also still has a chance, but would need his first win of the year to have a chance to make it. Edwards, who finished 22nd Saturday, is 12th in points, five ahead of Busch. Without a win, Edwards would have to finish in the top-10, and he is 34 points behind 10th-place Tony Stewart.
Which brings us to another Chase scenario. Stewart is virtually guaranteed a place in the Chase because of his three wins this season. Drivers in the top-10 will be reseeded when the Chase begins based on their wins. However, the wild-card qualifiers will still remain 11th and 12th in the standings. If Stewart, who finished 27th Saturday, was to fall out of the top-10, he would lose the bonus points the wins provide. He is 16 points ahead of Kahne.
Another driver who could be jeopardizing a Chase spot is ninth-place Kevin Harvick. He does have a bit of a cushion with a 37-point margin over Kahne. But if Harvick was to fall out of the top-10 and Kahne goes inside, it would open the door for another of the current one-win drivers to make the Chase.
The final two races of the regular season at Sunday night at Atlanta, and then Sept. 8 at Richmond.
Standings: 1) Greg Biffle 849, 2) Jimmie Johnson -11, 3) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -15, 4) Matt Kenseth -26, 5) Martin Truex, Jr. -52, 6) Clint Bowyer -55, 7) Brad Keselowski -59, 8) Denny Hamlin -75, 9) Kevin Harvick -82, 10) Tony Stewart -103.
Wild Cards: Kasey Kahne, 2 wins, 11th in points; Kyle Busch, 1 win, 13th in points
Race Winners: Matt Kenseth (Daytona 500), Denny Hamlin (Phoenix, Kansas, Bristol 2), Tony Stewart (Las Vegas, Fontana, Daytona 2), Brad Keselowski (Bristol, Talladega, Kentucky), Ryan Newman (Martinsville), Greg Biffle (Texas, Michigan 2), Kyle Busch (Richmond), Jimmie Johnson (Darlington, Dover, Indianapolis), Kasey Kahne (Charlotte, New Hampshire), Joey Logano (Pocono 1), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Michigan 1), Clint Bowyer (Sonoma), Jeff Gordon (Pocono 2), Marcos Ambrose (Watkins Glen).
Tracking The Top 35: The Gap Breaches the Century Mark
The gap between the 35th and 36th place cars grew by 14 points after Saturday night's race at Bristol, putting the gap between 35th and 36th place at 102 points. The top-35 in points are guaranteed a starting spot in each week's race, and as has been the case since the first two months of the season, the margin remains a wide one.
The No. 36 car driven by Dave Blaney finished 36th, and that allowed the car owned by Tommy Baldwin Racing to gain six points and increase its lead over the No. 33 driven by Stephen Leicht, who finished 40th.
Here's your owners point standings around the all-important cutoff...
29) Front Row Motorsports (No. 38 - David Gilliland), 220 points ahead of 36th.
30) BK Racing (No. 93 – Travis Kvapil), 220 points ahead of 36th.
31) Front Row Motorsports (No. 34 - David Ragan), 204 points ahead of 36th.
32) BK Racing (No. 83 - Landon Cassill), 167 points ahead of 36th.
33) Tommy Baldwin Racing / Stewart-Haas Racing (No. 10 – Danica Patrick), 142 points ahead of 36th.
34) FAS Lane Racing (No. 32 – Ken Schrader), 121 points ahead of 36th.
35) Tommy Baldwin Racing (No. 36 – Dave Blaney), 102 points ahead of 36th.
36) Richard Childress Racing/LJ Racing (No. 33 – Stephen Leicht), 102 points behind 35th.
37) Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21 - Trevor Bayne), 126 points behind 35th.
38) Inception Motorsports (No. 30 – David Stremme), 143 points behind 35th.
39) Robinson-Blakeney Racing (No. 49 – Jason Leffler), 153 points behind 35th.
40) Phil Parsons Racing (No. 98 – Michael McDowell), 173 points behind 35th.
41) Front Row Motorsports (No. 26 - Josh Wise), 185 points behind 35th.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
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STAT OF THE WEEK: 13. That's the number of cautions at Bristol Saturday night, for 87 laps which marked the most yellow flags for any Sprint Cup race in 2012. In fact, it's the first time any Cup race has reached 10 or more cautions since the season-opening Daytona 500. So is the old Bristol back to stay? That number is also the most since the Spring of 2007, before any grinding, repaving, or reshaping of Thunder Valley. - Tom Bowles
~~~~~~~~~~
How Was The New Racetrack? A Few Sound Off On Bristol
"Very difficult to pass on — inaudible — over the years and we had a period of time where it was easy to run side-by-side and now a big effort to get it back to a single-file lane again. So in some ways it's the same, we are just racing on different parts of the racetrack." - Jimmie Johnson, finished second
"I think the combination of that rubber laid down up there which was a preferred groove and the left side tire that Goodyear brought here it seemed to each complement that more. This tire has less stagger and doesn't allow you to roll around the bottom of the racetrack. The only way you could pass was to dive on in there and slide job the guy. Sometimes you don't complete that, but if you don't complete that, it definitely will get you frustrated and lose positions and if you hit the guy, it's going to fire him up." - Jeff Gordon, finished third
"It was a rough night. It was difficult to pass and that's why you saw so many incidents and cautions. We took our share of licks, but managed to keep our car in one piece and finish on the lead lap." - Regan Smith, finished 16th
Kenseth On Tony Stewart...
"Look, Tony is probably the greatest race car driver in the garage. I don't really have anything bad to say about Tony. On the race track for years and years and years we've had tons of respect for each other and, for whatever reason this year, he ran me off the track at Sears Point and said he was sorry. It cost me seven spots in the finishing order and at Indy he was mad because he said I blocked him and I asked for five minutes of his time to clear the air and he wouldn't give it to me and pretty much just got cussed out and knocked my whole side off and put us in position to get wrecked, so I just said, 'OK, that's fine. I'm just gonna race you the same way you race me,' and he showed me how he was gonna race me down there, so I just did the same thing on the other end. So I don't know. If you look at it we did the exact same thing, it's just that he didn't lift so I don't really see where that's 100 percent my fault or problem."
Stewart On Matt Kenseth...
"We weren't that great of a race car. But we were definitely faster than that after that restart. I checked-up twice to not run over him (Kenseth) and I learned my lesson there; I'm going to run over him every him every chance I've got from now 'til the end of the year, every chance I've got."
~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud: 2012 Bristol Night Race Recap
by Bryan Keith
Pace Laps: A Sizzling Stewart-Kenseth Feud, Bump-And-Buzzkill & Open-Wheel Testing
by the Frontstretch Staff
IndyCar Race Recap: Penske Power Dominates in Sonoma
by P. Huston Ladner
Bristol's Best Intentions Turned Bizarre: Did The New Track Still Deliver?
by Mike Neff
The Bristol Hot Potato
by Tom Bowles
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Irwin Tools Night Race
by Amy Henderson
Nationwide Series Breakdown: Food City 250
by Bryan Davis Keith
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Mark Martin led 190 laps to claim victory in the 1991 Hardee's 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway while Dale Earnhardt was officially crowned Winston Cup Champion for the fifth time. However, another big announcement was made that weekend. What was it?
Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: The 1998 Food City 250 for the then-Busch Grand National Series was a war of attrition. Only seven drivers (winner Kevin Lepage, Phil Parsons, Dale Jarrett, Todd Bodine, Tim Fedewa, Ken Schrader and Wayne Grubb) managed to finish on the lead lap. There would have been more than that, but an incident took out a number of contenders late. What happened to cause this crash?
A: Robert Pressley described it thusly. "Buckshot Jones. That's all I can say." What happened is that there was a restart with ten laps to go. NASCAR decided to use the double-file restart, putting Jones at the front of the inside line (he was the first driver one lap down). Jones raced Pressley, who was second, hard into Turn 3, then tapped Pressley's left rear. Pressley overcorrected, then went into the wall with Tony Stewart. From here, the wreck was on. Nine cars were collected in the crash, seven of which were unable to continue. The crash can be seen in this clip.
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: Irwin Tools Night Race by Garrett Horton
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup by StarCoach Race Tours: Bristol / Atlanta Edition by Brett Poirier
With just two races left until the Chase, Brett takes a look at which drivers are in perfect position to make the field... and which ones are already taking a look ahead towards 2013.
This year, we have an interesting new weekly feature for our readers where we'll have a special guest stop by on a weekly basis to discuss the technical aspects of our sport.
The Yellow Stripe by Bryan Keith
Bryan is back with another commentary to make you think.
-----------------------------
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
Chasing the Chase: Three Clinch Chase Spots, but Wild-Card Picture Gets Wilder
by Jeff Wolfe
Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. clinched their places in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship, the sport's version of the playoffs that comprises the final ten races of the season. And while several other drivers all but clinched a spot many others are on the edge, either just inside or just outside a Chase spot. The top-10 drivers in the points standings, and the two drivers 11th through 20th in points with the most wins will make the Chase.
Getting back into the Chase for the moment as the 12th and final qualifier was Kyle Busch Saturday night. His seventh-place finish combined with Ryan Newman's 36th-place finish due to an accident caused by a flat tire, put Busch, who has one win this year, 13th in the standings. Newman also has one win this year, but dropped to 15th in the points standings and is now 19 points behind Busch. Jeff Gordon's third-place finish allowed him to move up to 14th in the points and he is 16 points behind Busch. Gordon also has one win this season.
Kasey Kahne is the first wild-card qualifier at the moment, as he has two wins and is 11th in points. Other drivers with one win this season and likely needing to win one of the last two races to make the Chase are Marcos Ambrose and Joey Logano. Ambrose finished fifth Saturday and is 16th in points, but he is 28 points behind Busch. Logano sits 18th in points and 69 points behind Busch.
Carl Edwards also still has a chance, but would need his first win of the year to have a chance to make it. Edwards, who finished 22nd Saturday, is 12th in points, five ahead of Busch. Without a win, Edwards would have to finish in the top-10, and he is 34 points behind 10th-place Tony Stewart.
Which brings us to another Chase scenario. Stewart is virtually guaranteed a place in the Chase because of his three wins this season. Drivers in the top-10 will be reseeded when the Chase begins based on their wins. However, the wild-card qualifiers will still remain 11th and 12th in the standings. If Stewart, who finished 27th Saturday, was to fall out of the top-10, he would lose the bonus points the wins provide. He is 16 points ahead of Kahne.
Another driver who could be jeopardizing a Chase spot is ninth-place Kevin Harvick. He does have a bit of a cushion with a 37-point margin over Kahne. But if Harvick was to fall out of the top-10 and Kahne goes inside, it would open the door for another of the current one-win drivers to make the Chase.
The final two races of the regular season at Sunday night at Atlanta, and then Sept. 8 at Richmond.
Standings: 1) Greg Biffle 849, 2) Jimmie Johnson -11, 3) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -15, 4) Matt Kenseth -26, 5) Martin Truex, Jr. -52, 6) Clint Bowyer -55, 7) Brad Keselowski -59, 8) Denny Hamlin -75, 9) Kevin Harvick -82, 10) Tony Stewart -103.
Wild Cards: Kasey Kahne, 2 wins, 11th in points; Kyle Busch, 1 win, 13th in points
Race Winners: Matt Kenseth (Daytona 500), Denny Hamlin (Phoenix, Kansas, Bristol 2), Tony Stewart (Las Vegas, Fontana, Daytona 2), Brad Keselowski (Bristol, Talladega, Kentucky), Ryan Newman (Martinsville), Greg Biffle (Texas, Michigan 2), Kyle Busch (Richmond), Jimmie Johnson (Darlington, Dover, Indianapolis), Kasey Kahne (Charlotte, New Hampshire), Joey Logano (Pocono 1), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Michigan 1), Clint Bowyer (Sonoma), Jeff Gordon (Pocono 2), Marcos Ambrose (Watkins Glen).
Tracking The Top 35: The Gap Breaches the Century Mark
The gap between the 35th and 36th place cars grew by 14 points after Saturday night's race at Bristol, putting the gap between 35th and 36th place at 102 points. The top-35 in points are guaranteed a starting spot in each week's race, and as has been the case since the first two months of the season, the margin remains a wide one.
The No. 36 car driven by Dave Blaney finished 36th, and that allowed the car owned by Tommy Baldwin Racing to gain six points and increase its lead over the No. 33 driven by Stephen Leicht, who finished 40th.
Here's your owners point standings around the all-important cutoff...
29) Front Row Motorsports (No. 38 - David Gilliland), 220 points ahead of 36th.
30) BK Racing (No. 93 – Travis Kvapil), 220 points ahead of 36th.
31) Front Row Motorsports (No. 34 - David Ragan), 204 points ahead of 36th.
32) BK Racing (No. 83 - Landon Cassill), 167 points ahead of 36th.
33) Tommy Baldwin Racing / Stewart-Haas Racing (No. 10 – Danica Patrick), 142 points ahead of 36th.
34) FAS Lane Racing (No. 32 – Ken Schrader), 121 points ahead of 36th.
35) Tommy Baldwin Racing (No. 36 – Dave Blaney), 102 points ahead of 36th.
36) Richard Childress Racing/LJ Racing (No. 33 – Stephen Leicht), 102 points behind 35th.
37) Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21 - Trevor Bayne), 126 points behind 35th.
38) Inception Motorsports (No. 30 – David Stremme), 143 points behind 35th.
39) Robinson-Blakeney Racing (No. 49 – Jason Leffler), 153 points behind 35th.
40) Phil Parsons Racing (No. 98 – Michael McDowell), 173 points behind 35th.
41) Front Row Motorsports (No. 26 - Josh Wise), 185 points behind 35th.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
STAT OF THE WEEK: 13. That's the number of cautions at Bristol Saturday night, for 87 laps which marked the most yellow flags for any Sprint Cup race in 2012. In fact, it's the first time any Cup race has reached 10 or more cautions since the season-opening Daytona 500. So is the old Bristol back to stay? That number is also the most since the Spring of 2007, before any grinding, repaving, or reshaping of Thunder Valley. - Tom Bowles
~~~~~~~~~~
How Was The New Racetrack? A Few Sound Off On Bristol
"Very difficult to pass on — inaudible — over the years and we had a period of time where it was easy to run side-by-side and now a big effort to get it back to a single-file lane again. So in some ways it's the same, we are just racing on different parts of the racetrack." - Jimmie Johnson, finished second
"I think the combination of that rubber laid down up there which was a preferred groove and the left side tire that Goodyear brought here it seemed to each complement that more. This tire has less stagger and doesn't allow you to roll around the bottom of the racetrack. The only way you could pass was to dive on in there and slide job the guy. Sometimes you don't complete that, but if you don't complete that, it definitely will get you frustrated and lose positions and if you hit the guy, it's going to fire him up." - Jeff Gordon, finished third
"It was a rough night. It was difficult to pass and that's why you saw so many incidents and cautions. We took our share of licks, but managed to keep our car in one piece and finish on the lead lap." - Regan Smith, finished 16th
Kenseth On Tony Stewart...
"Look, Tony is probably the greatest race car driver in the garage. I don't really have anything bad to say about Tony. On the race track for years and years and years we've had tons of respect for each other and, for whatever reason this year, he ran me off the track at Sears Point and said he was sorry. It cost me seven spots in the finishing order and at Indy he was mad because he said I blocked him and I asked for five minutes of his time to clear the air and he wouldn't give it to me and pretty much just got cussed out and knocked my whole side off and put us in position to get wrecked, so I just said, 'OK, that's fine. I'm just gonna race you the same way you race me,' and he showed me how he was gonna race me down there, so I just did the same thing on the other end. So I don't know. If you look at it we did the exact same thing, it's just that he didn't lift so I don't really see where that's 100 percent my fault or problem."
Stewart On Matt Kenseth...
"We weren't that great of a race car. But we were definitely faster than that after that restart. I checked-up twice to not run over him (Kenseth) and I learned my lesson there; I'm going to run over him every him every chance I've got from now 'til the end of the year, every chance I've got."
~~~~~~~~~~
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
Hey Frontstretch Readers,
We are looking for someone who shares our enthusiasm for NASCAR and has an experienced background in web design. Specifically, we are looking for someone who can help maintain and enhance our website, increase our SEO, and upgrade our publishing platform while producing a limited amount of content throughout the season. This job presents a perfect opportunity for someone with a technical background, a person who wants their work to gain national exposure.
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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:
Thinkin' Out Loud: 2012 Bristol Night Race Recap
by Bryan Keith
Pace Laps: A Sizzling Stewart-Kenseth Feud, Bump-And-Buzzkill & Open-Wheel Testing
by the Frontstretch Staff
IndyCar Race Recap: Penske Power Dominates in Sonoma
by P. Huston Ladner
Bristol's Best Intentions Turned Bizarre: Did The New Track Still Deliver?
by Mike Neff
The Bristol Hot Potato
by Tom Bowles
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Irwin Tools Night Race
by Amy Henderson
Nationwide Series Breakdown: Food City 250
by Bryan Davis Keith
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Mark Martin led 190 laps to claim victory in the 1991 Hardee's 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway while Dale Earnhardt was officially crowned Winston Cup Champion for the fifth time. However, another big announcement was made that weekend. What was it?
Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: The 1998 Food City 250 for the then-Busch Grand National Series was a war of attrition. Only seven drivers (winner Kevin Lepage, Phil Parsons, Dale Jarrett, Todd Bodine, Tim Fedewa, Ken Schrader and Wayne Grubb) managed to finish on the lead lap. There would have been more than that, but an incident took out a number of contenders late. What happened to cause this crash?
A: Robert Pressley described it thusly. "Buckshot Jones. That's all I can say." What happened is that there was a restart with ten laps to go. NASCAR decided to use the double-file restart, putting Jones at the front of the inside line (he was the first driver one lap down). Jones raced Pressley, who was second, hard into Turn 3, then tapped Pressley's left rear. Pressley overcorrected, then went into the wall with Tony Stewart. From here, the wreck was on. Nine cars were collected in the crash, seven of which were unable to continue. The crash can be seen in this clip.
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: Irwin Tools Night Race by Garrett Horton
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup by StarCoach Race Tours: Bristol / Atlanta Edition by Brett Poirier
With just two races left until the Chase, Brett takes a look at which drivers are in perfect position to make the field... and which ones are already taking a look ahead towards 2013.
Five Points To Ponder by Danny Peters
Danny has his weekly edition of talking points to wrap up Bristol and get us ready for Atlanta.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
The Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series were each in action at Bristol Motor Speedway this week. How were the telecasts of these races? Find out in this week's TV Critique.
This year, we have an interesting new weekly feature for our readers where we'll have a special guest stop by on a weekly basis to discuss the technical aspects of our sport.
The Yellow Stripe by Bryan Keith
Bryan is back with another commentary to make you think.
-----------------------------
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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Friday, August 24, 2012
The Frontstretch Newsletter: August 24th, 2012
THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 24th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CLXIX
~~~~~~~~~~
Top News
by Jeff Wolfe
RPM Makes Pit Crew Switches for Ambrose, AlmirolaPresented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 24th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CLXIX
~~~~~~~~~~
Top News
by Jeff Wolfe
According a report from FoxSports.com's Lee Spencer, Richard Petty Motorsports announced they're changing up the pit crews for Marcos Ambrose's No. 9 team and Aric Almirola's No. 43 in hopes of helping performance for both drivers.
"We're trying to move things around to improve the performance on both teams," RPM Director of Operations Sammy Johns said.
The moves will include the swapping the rear tire changing combination of changer Justin Fiedler and carrier Eric Wallace from Ambrose's team with changer Kyle Power and carrier Blake Haugland from Almirola's team. Also, the teams will switch jackmen with as Rodney Fetters will move to the No. 43 team and Kevin Wing will move to the No. 9 team.
Ambrose finished fifth at Michigan last week after earning his second career Sprint Cup victory at Watkin Glen Aug. 12. Ambrose currently sits 17th in the points standings while Almirola is 21st.
ESPN To Move NASCAR Broadcast In Six Markets
ESPN announced Thursday afternoon that, due to conflicts with NFL teams in some markets, Saturday's Irwin Tools Night Race to different channels. Race coverage is scheduled to begin at 7 PM ET with the actual green flag scheduled for 7:48 PM on ABC.
However, in Buffalo, New York, Tulsa, Oklahome, Weslaco, Texas, and Quincy, Illinois, the race will be shown on ESPN. Also, in Detroit, WXYZ-TV will show the first part of the race on its digital tier 2 channel, then join the race in progress on its regular channel once the Detroit Lions preseason game ends. And in Rochester, New York, WHAM-TV will move the race to its digital tier 2 channel.
The ABC affiliates in Little Rock, Arkansas, Corpus Christi, Texas, and Omaha, Nebraska, will pre-empt NASCAR Countdown for local news, but will join the NASCAR broadcast at 7:30 PM ET.
Nationwide Crew Member Hess Suspended
NASCAR announced Thursday that Nationwide Series crew member Ryan Hess has been indefinitely suspended for violating the sanctioning body's substance abuse policy. Wednesday, Hess was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the 2012 NASCAR Rule Book .
Hess has been a member of the MacDonald Motorsports team for the past four years. According to a report on rantsports.com earlier this month, Hess has been a jack of all trades for the team. The Mooresville, N.C.-native is a mechanic along with being in charge of decals, tires, parts running, loading the hauler and being the gas man for the No. 81 car on race day.
Front Row Motorsports one of Inc. Magazine's fastest growing private companies
Front Row Motorsports has been named one of Inc. Magazine's 5000 fastest growing privately owned companies. According to a press release by Front Row Motorsports, the NASCAR Sprint Cup team was placed at No. 800 on the list. The team fields the No. 26 car driven by Josh Wise, No. 34 driven by David Regan and the No. 38 driven by David Gilliland..
According to the release, FRM has had 12 new primary sponsors for at least one race this season, and five of those sponsorships have turned into multi-race deals.
"We are selling sponsorship and raising corporate dollars in a time when very few teams are," said Robin Johnson, chief marketing office for FRM. "It's not a negative that companies are placing more scrutiny on their budgets. It just forces us to be smarter with how we go about building and executing our programs."
The team's cars have not been major factors on the track this season. Gilliland is 28th in the points standings, Ragan is 30th and Wise, a rookie, is 39th. Ragan has the team's only top-10 finish this season, a seventh at Talladega in April.
"Our team is focused on constant improvement both on the racetrack and in the marketplace" said Jerry Freeze, general manager who has been with FRM since 2009. "Being named to the Inc. 5000 is certainly a victory for us off the track and shows that we are capable of winning in corporate America. We're an interesting case study to look at - we've raced at least two teams full-time in the Sprint Cup Series since 2009. We're a team that came into the sport right as the economy started to take a turn for the worse. We've weathered the storm, so to speak. Being named to the Inc. 5000 is a nice way to be recognized for our hard work and resiliency."
Have news for The Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
by Amy Henderson
Tracking the Trucks: UNOH 200
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Regan Smith Driver Diary: Unhappy with Ambrose and the Berrier Impact
as told to Tony Lumbis
Four Burning Questions: Bristol Blunders and Walking Away
by Summer Bedgood
IndyCar In-Depth: GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma Preview
by Matt Stallknecht
~~~~~~~~~~
This Weekend on the Frontstretch
Nationwide Breakdown: NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge by Mike Neff
All the post-race analysis you need following Friday night's Nationwide Series race from Bristol.
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 1998 Food City 250 for the then-Busch Grand National Series was a war of attrition. Only seven drivers (winner Kevin Lepage, Phil Parsons, Dale Jarrett, Todd Bodine, Tim Fedewa, Ken Schrader and Wayne Grubb) managed to finish on the lead lap. There would have been more than that, but an incident took out a number of contenders late. What happened to cause this crash?
Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Thursday's Answer:
Q: Bristol has played host to multiple bumping matches over the years, and the 2001 Sharpie 500 was no different. Who got into it multiple times with each other during the race?
A: Interestingly enough, it was Johnny Benson and Brett Bodine. Benson was spun out early out of second exiting Turn 2, collecting John Andretti and Kurt Busch while collateral damage put Ron Hornaday and Jeff Green behind the wall for new radiators. Later in the race, Benson spun again and backed into the wall in Turn 1, ending his night.
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 Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Irwin Tools Night Race Recap by Jeff Wolfe
-- Secret Star and Stat of the Race by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Monday on the Frontstretch:
Thinkin' Out Loud: Pure Michigan 400 by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan is here with his overall thoughts about the action from Saturday night's race from Bristol.
Full Throttle by Mike Neff
Mike Neff brings his Wednesday newsletter commentary to the website with one of the hottest stories coming out of Michigan.
Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom brings back his weekly post-race commentary with all of the insight you need from a weekend of racing at Bristol.
Big Six: Irwin Tools Night Race by Amy Henderson
Looking for all you need to know leaving Saturday's event at Bristol? Amy has your who, what, when, where, why and how from a weekend of racing.
Pace Laps: Bristol Weekend by the Frontstretch Staff
In our newest column this season, we'll take a look at the biggest stories to keep an eye on in each series after the racing Bristol.
-----------------------------
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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In Case You Missed It
by Beth Lunkenheimer
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
~~~~~~~~~~
In Case You Missed It
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Junior Johnson's House Auctioned
Junior Johnson's house and accompanying 150-acre farm were auctioned earlier this month and sold for $2.3 million dollars. According to the Statesville Record and Landmark, Loretta Sides Shore, who owns Shore's Nursery said she had placed the winning bid in a sale that's scheduled to close this week. Shore says she and her husband will move in shortly following minor changes, however murals that adorn the walls will remain in place.
"I could just appreciate all the hand painting and murals," Shore said. "They took such great pains in building that house."
Johnson raised cattle on the farm but health issues forced him to give it up and move with his wife to Charlotte. The house went up for auction after it failed to sell at just under $5 million.
Miller Lite, Keselowski to Honor Rusty Wallace
Brad Keselowski's No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge will feature a special retro paint scheme in honor of 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Rusty Wallace. The car will feature an exact replica of the scheme Wallace used to sweep Bristol in 2000, including his 50th career win in the Food City 500 March 26th.
"Rusty had a tremendous ability to excel on short tracks and demonstrated that unique talent many times, especially at Bristol," Roger Penske said. "The 2000 season was really a special year for us there. I'm honored that we could help recognize Rusty's crowning achievement."
In 706 career starts, Wallace amassed 55 wins--37 with Penske Racing and seven at Bristol, 202 top 5s and 349 top-10 finishes.
"Being elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame is such an enormous honor. This sport has done so much for me and I hope that I can keep giving back to it for many years to come," Wallace said. "I couldn't think of a better place to be honored for my induction that Bristol Motor Speedway. I'm very proud of my record there; it's such a special venue where everyone wants to win."
Since moving to the Miller Lite Dodge at the beginning of the 2011 season, Keselowski has scored six wins, 19 top 5s and 27 top-10 finishes in 59 races.
~~~~~~~~~~
Keepin' It Short: Messing With Tradition
by Mike Neff
Martinsville Speedway has hosted the biggest race in Late Model racing for nearly 20 years in the fall. The best race car drivers from around the country converge on the historic half-mile track every year to not only chase the $25,000 first prize, but also a historic grandfather clock. For years the drivers have practiced and then qualified on Saturday, locking in the top 22 drivers for the Sunday feature race, however, this year that will change. Qualifying will technically not be held. Drivers will post some kind of a speed in a practice session on Saturday afternoon and then race in a heat race on Sunday. The cars who do not advance into the feature through heat races will run a 50 lap last chance qualifier, with 10 drivers advancing into the feature. Finally the feature will be run, but 50 laps shorter than the 200 that has been customary.
Change is hard to deal with and the Late Model community has been up in arms this week talking about the alteration to the qualifying process. The unintended consequences of the change will probably not be fully realized until at least the start of the Sunday feature if not years from now. The initial blush at the changes is people either love them or hate them.
One of the largest questions is going to be maintaining order within the rules during the practice session that is going to set the starting positions in the heat races. The infield at Martinsville will be full of cars from end to end and front to back. Keeping eyes on every car to make sure it enters the race track in a legal configuration is going to be a very difficult task. A car could end up with an oversized carburetor that allows it to rip off a few good laps and then come in and change to a legal one for whatever technical inspection will follow. Tires will be issued to teams before practice. Will there be a way to ensure they haven't been altered? It will be very difficult to have officials looking at some 100 cars simultaneously.
Once the cars are on the track for their practice period, there comes the issue of blocking. The starting positions are going to be set by some kind of fast time, although initially it isn't sounding like it is going to be a single fast lap. If averages are being taken into consideration, and a car is well off of the pace, it could delay the car of one of the faster drivers and cost him a front row starting spot.
Once the heat races roll off on Sunday, you then have the issue of a back marker interfering with a leading car and wrecking him, costing him a position in the race. Drivers in one heat could pay someone in another heat to wreck the top one or two cars to eliminate them from competition. We're talking about the biggest race in Late Model competition. Eliminating the best cars would make it easier for another competitor to have a better shot at a win.
At the same time, this rule change will eliminate having cars that are set up solely for qualifying make the race. A car can't go out and stay competitive for 25 laps when it is set up for a handful of fast ones. The heat races should bring out the best of drivers and the best drivers should rise to the top of the hill.
When something isn't broken, you don't need to fix it, but that is what they're doing with the Virginia is for Racing Lovers' 300. In the end, it probably won't make much of a difference and all of this hand wringing is going to be for naught. We'll all find out at the end of October when the Late Models hit Martinsville the week before the NASCAR touring series races.
Whelen All-American Points Race
The National Championship race has hit the home stretch. It is less than a month until the points are finalized and the winner of the Whelen All-American National Championship is crowned. With that short period of time left, Lee Pulliam is still well ahead of second place and is now almost to the point where the goal is a perfect season rather than winning the title. Pulliam scored two more max point wins this past weekend and now has 20 total victories on the season. Pulliam is 27 points from the maximum 810 points and is 57 points ahead of Nate Monteith who is now in second. C.E. Falk, III has topped the 700 point barrier along with Ryan Preece. Keith Rocco's broken wrist has dropped him from second to fifth.
The top 10 has drivers from the North, South and Midwest with the difference in points less than 130 from first to tenth.
Position Name Races Wins Top 5s Top 10s Total Points
1. Lee Pulliam 29 20 24 25 783
2. Nate Monteith 27 10 20 23 726
3. C.E. Falk III 25 14 21 23 701
4. Ryan Preece 38 13 27 32 700
5. Keith Rocco 34 11 21 26 699
6. Ted Christopher 41 6 33 36 691
7. Tim Brown 24 8 13 18 672
8. Deac McCaskill 22 14 20 22 666
9. Jason O'Brien 26 5 18 24 657
10. Duane Howard 17 8 14 17 654
A driver's best 18 results through Sept. 16 are counted toward their states and national point totals, and the champions are decided on overall point total. Once a driver reaches 18 starts, their total would increase incrementally as they replace some poorer runs with better results.
Under the points structure for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, the race winner receives two points for every car in the event up to 20 cars. Second place receives two fewer points and so on through the field. Race winners receive an additional five points. For example, if 20 cars are in the field, the winner receives 45 points, second place 38 and third 36. If there are 15 cars, the winner receives 35 points, second 28 and third, 26.
ASA National Points Race
While Lance Gatlin finally spent a week at the track without going to Victory Lane, Shelby Stroebel continues to get it done at Meridian. He is now 13 for 13 and 15 total without a loss. The lack of car count at Meridian has still not killed Stroebel's chances as he continues to lead his region with the masses from I-44 breathing down his neck. Stroebel leads Matt Wallace, Mike Slone and Jim VanZandt while Michael Hale rounds out the top five in the Western Region.
For Gatlin, the loss did not unseat him from atop the East region where he is still the only driver with an average about four at this point in the season. Newport Speedway's Dennis Queen is leading the tight group that is chasing Gatlin along with Taylor Coffman from his track, who is fourth. Ryan Stiltner and Kevin Wolfe are keeping Gatlin honest at Lonesome Pine while they're third and fifth in the race.
Eastern Region
Position Name Average
1. Lance Gatlin 4.3944
2. Dennis Queen 3.8336
3. Ryan Stiltner 3.7508
4. Taylor Coffman 3.6258
5. Kevin Wolfe 3.5602
Western Region
Position Name Average
1. Shelby Stroebel 4.5261
2. Matt Wallace 4.0754
3. Mike Slone 4.0237
4. Jim VanZandt 3.7815
5. Michael Hale 3.6495
Throughout the season, drivers competing in the premiere divisions at eligible ASA Member Tracks are in the running for the 2012 ASA Member Track National Championship. In order to have a chance for the national title, a driver must first win their 2012 track championship.
Speednetdirect.com, for the fifth year in a row, will tabulate the National Championship standings. Using a proprietary formula that creates an average based on wins, finishing positions, number of cars passed, car counts and events. The driver who wins their track championship and has the highest average over the other ASA Member Track champions will win the 2012 ASA Member Track National Championship. Full standings are available at www.speednetdirect.com. Click on the ASA Member Track logo at the top of the page.
Weekend's Racing Schedule
Fri : Aug 24th – Castrol Raceway ; Edmonton :Alberta – World of Outlaws Sprint Cars
Fri : Aug 24th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – Limited Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – SK Lights
Fri : Aug 24th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – SK Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Five Flags Speedway ; Pensacola : FL – Pro Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Kokomo Speedway ; Kokomo : IN – AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars
Fri : Aug 24th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Hornets
Fri : Aug 24th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Legends
Fri : Aug 24th – Paducah International Raceway ; Paducah : KY – MARS Dirtcar Series Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – USRA Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – IMCA Stock Cars
Fri : Aug 24th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – WISSOTA Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Valley Speedway ; Grain Valley : MO – United Late Model Association Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Late Models x2
Fri : Aug 24th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Limited Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Madhouse Scramble Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – NDRA Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Open Wheel Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Mod Lites
Fri : Aug 24th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Nationals Preliminaries Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Salina Highbanks ; Salina : OK – Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints
Fri : Aug 24th – Delaware Speedway ; Delaware : Ontario – OSCAAR Super Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Final Points Night 358 Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Final Points Night Sportsman
Fri : Aug 24th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Super Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Stock
Fri : Aug 24th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – Street Stock
Fri : Aug 24th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI –IRA Outlaw Sprint Cars
Fri : Aug 24th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI –Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Castrol Raceway ; Edmonton :Alberta – World of Outlaws Sprint Cars
Sat : Aug 25th – I-30 Speedway ; Little Rock : AR – Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints
Sat : Aug 25th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – 305 Winged Sprints
Sat : Aug 25th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – 600 Mini Sprints
Sat : Aug 25th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Hobby Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Super Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Sportsman
Sat : Aug 25th – New Senoia Raceway ; Senoia : GA – Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Watermelon Capital Speedway ; Cordele : GA – Super Streets
Sat : Aug 25th – Grundy County Speedway ; Morris : IL – USAC Midwest Focus Midgets
Sat : Aug 25th – Grundy County Speedway ; Morris : IL – USAC Mopar D1 Stars
Sat : Aug 25th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Limited Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Kokomo Speedway ; Kokomo : IN – AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars
Sat : Aug 25th – Lawrenceburg Speedway ; Lawrenceburg : IN – Lucas Oil Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Sportsman
Sat : Aug 25th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – 34th Annual Pepsi Late Model Figure 8
Sat : Aug 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Hornets
Sat : Aug 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – Season Championship IMCA Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – Season Championship IMCA Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – Season Championship IMCA Stock Cars
Sat : Aug 25th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – Season Championship IMCA Sport Mods
Sat : Aug 25th – Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY – USDCS Dirt Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY – Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY – Outlaw Mini Cup
Sat : Aug 25th – Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY – Junior Mini Cup
Sat : Aug 25th – Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY – Baby Grand National Points
Sat : Aug 25th – Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY – Pro Challenge National Points
Sat : Aug 25th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Outlaws
Sat : Aug 25th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Strictly Stock
Sat : Aug 25th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Small Car Nationals Qualifier Late Model Sportsman
Sat : Aug 25th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Small Car Nationals Qualifier Pure Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Berlin Raceway ; Marne : MI – Outlaw Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – Outlaw Super Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – Super Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – Pro Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Championship Night Wissota Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Championship Night Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Championship Night Wissota Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Championship Night Wissota Super Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Championship Night USRA Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Season Championship Wissota Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Season Championship Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Season Championship Wissota Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Season Championship Wissota Super Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Super Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – NeSmith Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Back to School Bash ASA Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Back to School Bash Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Back to School Bash Lucky 21 Sportsman Doubleheader
Sat : Aug 25th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Back to School Bash Road Warriors
Sat : Aug 25th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Back to School Bash Chargers
Sat : Aug 25th – I-55 Raceway ; Pevely : MO – MARS Dirtcar Series Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – Weekly Series Championship Night Factory Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – Weekly Series Championship Night A-Mods
Sat : Aug 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – Weekly Series Championship Night B-Mods
Sat : Aug 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – Weekly Series Championship Night United Late Model Association Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Petty International Raceway ; River Glade : New Brunswick – Parts for Trucks Pro Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Junction Motor Speedway ; McCool Junction : NE – Super Late Model Racing Series
Sat : Aug 25th – Monadnock Speedway ; Winchester : NH – MRS Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – Sportsman
Sat : Aug 25th – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Red River Valley Speedway ; West Fargo : ND – USMTS National Championship Series
Sat : Aug 25th – Red River Valley Speedway ; West Fargo : ND – Super Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Southwest Speedway ; Dickinson : ND – Championship Night IMCA Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Southwest Speedway ; Dickinson : ND – Championship Night Wissota Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Steel Block Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Nationals Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Keith McNally Memorial Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Keith McNally Memorial Wissota Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Keith McNally Memorial Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – ARDC Midgets
Sat : Aug 25th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Sprint Cars
Sat : Aug 25th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Xcel 600 CCs
Sat : Aug 25th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 60th Anniversary 410 Sprints x2
Sat : Aug 25th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 60th Anniversary Thundercars
Sat : Aug 25th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Circuit Riverside Speedway ; Saint-Croix : Quebec – Can Am 200 ACT Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Circuit Riverside Speedway ; Saint-Croix : Quebec – Can Am 200 ACT Castrol Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Estevan Motor Speedway ; Estevan : Saskatchewan – IMCA Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Estevan Motor Speedway ; Estevan : Saskatchewan – IMCA Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Winchester Speedway ; Winchester : VA – World of Outlaws Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Cedar Lake Speedway ; New Richmond : WI – Elmer Cook Memorial Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Cedar Lake Speedway ; New Richmond : WI – Elmer Cook Memorial Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Cedar Lake Speedway ; New Richmond : WI – Elmer Cook Memorial Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – TNT Speedway ; Three Lakes : WI – Season Championships Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – TNT Speedway ; Three Lakes : WI – Season Championships Wissota Street Stocks
Sun : Aug 26th – Stafford Motor Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – PASS North Super Late Models
Sun : Aug 26th – Portland International Raceway ; Portland : OR – NASCAR K&N Pro West Series
Sun : Aug 26th – Huset's Speedway ; Brandon : SD – USMTS National Championship Series
Sun : Aug 26th – Madison International Speedway ; Oregon : WI – ARCA Racing Series
Wed : Aug 29th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Outlaws
Wed : Aug 29th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Rebels
Wed : Aug 29th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Renegades
Wed : Aug 29th – Fairmont Raceway ; Fairmont : MN – USMTS Hunt for the Casey's Cup Modifieds
Wed : Aug 29th – McKean County Raceway ; East Smethport : PA – World of Outlaws Late Models
Wed : Aug 29th – Grays Harbor Raceway ; Elma : WA – World of Outlaws Sprint Cars
Thu : Aug 30th – Highway 3 Raceway ; Allison : IA – USMTS Hunt for the Casey's Cup Modifieds
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
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Fantasy Friday: Irwin Tools Night Race
by Jeff Wolfe
As NASCAR's regular season winds down with just three races remaining, a number of drivers have a number of different agendas. For some, it's about making the Chase for the Championship, NASCAR's version of the playoffs. Guys like Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano and Marcos Ambrose are battling for the two wild-card spots and need either a win or top-5 finishes to make the Chase.
Others, guys solidly in the top 10, can simply go for the win. Guys like Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Brad Keselowski can experiment a little without the worry of not making the Chase. Or they can gamble a little and go for the win, too, with their high reward, low risk situation.
The Sprint Cup Series heads to the reconfigured Bristol Saturday night at 7 on ABC. Will the return to the old track bring back the beatin', bangin', helmet-throwing style that made Bristol famous? We'll find out for sure Saturday.
Top 5 Picks
Kyle Busch - He's just outside the Chase picture and needs at least a good finish, but more importantly a win. He's got five of them at Bristol, so he's a must pick here.
Jeff Gordon - It's pretty much win one of these next three races or miss the Chase for the four-time champion. He's also got five wins here and the return to the former track style could help him.
Brad Keselowski - He's been excellent lately, and it seems no matter what kind of track the Sprint Cup guys are on, the No. 2 is contending for a win. Keselowski has two wins at Bristol and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him at or close the front again.
Carl Edwards - Much like Gordon, he's desperate for a win. He has two of them at Bristol and since he's 12th in points now, a win would put him in the Chase heading into the final two regular season races.
Kevin Harvick - He's without a win this year and, in the past, hasn't been afraid to use his bumper to get by slower cars on the short tracks. He's also got a new / old crew chief this week in Gil Martin, so maybe familiarity will help him win for the third time at Bristol.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda - There were a lot of tough choices this week. I kept going back to Ryan Newman and I may regret not picking him. He's usually a good qualifier, which helps at Bristol, where track position is everything. He's been relatively good on short tracks, too, with an average finish of 11.9 since the beginning of the 2010 season.
ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP
Here's a look at how last week's picks fared at Michigan.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - 4th. He was solid for much of the day, though never really a threat to win.
Jimmie Johnson - 27th. He had it won, until his car decided to display its grenade engine in the final laps.
Greg Biffle - 1st. He said he would have caught Johnson before the end of the race. He was fast at the end for sure, so maybe the fastest car did win.
Carl Edwards - 6th. He was solid again, but the No. 99 really needs a win to make the Chase and he knows solid won't quite cut it.
Tony Stewart - 32nd. Also the victim of a Hendrick grenade engine in the early going.
Season Stats
115 Predictions
14 Wins
40 top 5s
54 top 10s
Grade for the week: B+. I thought I had the winner in Johnson, but still had it in Biffle. So, in the end, it was three of the top six, and easily could have been four of the top seven.
One last thing: At some tracks, it's true, qualifying is not a big deal. But that's not the case at Bristol. Of the 103 races there, the winner has started 10th or better 82 times, and 52 of the winners have come from the first four starting positions.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Folio: Irwin Tools Night Race
by Rick Lunkenheimer
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads back to Bristol Motor Speedway for the annual Saturday night showdown. The Irwin Tools Night Race is the twenty-fourth race of the 2012 season. Saturday's event will be broadcast live on August 25th, at 7:00 PM ET on ABC; the race can also be heard starting at 6:30 PM ET on PRN and SiriusXM Channel 90. The race will re-air Sunday, August 26 at 5:30 AM ET on ESPN2 and Wednesday, August 29 at 12:00 PM ET on SPEED Drivers will race for 500 laps (266.5 miles) before taking the checkered flag.
Records and Facts
Ryan Newman holds the track qualifying record of 128.709 (14.908 sec) set March 23, 2003 for the Food City 500. Newman failed to lead a single lap and finished 22nd, four laps down. Kurt Busch snagged the checkered flag that day ahead of Matt Kenseth. Bobby Labonte, Ricky Rudd and Greg Biffle rounded out the top 5.
Brad Keselowski is the defending winner of the Irwin Tools Night Race. The driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge started eighth and led 89 laps en route to a nearly one-second victory over Martin Truex, Jr. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top 5.
Track Facts
Track/Race Length: 0.533-mile concrete oval, 500 laps (266.5 miles)
Pit Road Speed: 30 mph
Degree of Banking: Progressive, 24 to 28 degrees
Frontstretch / Backstretch: 650 feet, banked 6 to 10 degrees
Grandstand Seating: 160,000
Pre-race Schedule
Practice: Friday, August 24, 12:00 - 2:00 PM ET on SPEED
Happy Hour: Friday, August 24 2:45 - 3:30 PM ET on SPEED
Qualifying: Friday, August 24 at 5:10 PM ET on ESPN2
Race Day Forecast
Sunday: Partly Cloudy, Chance of Rain 20%
High: 85
Low: 61
Say What?!?
"Our team has a lot of momentum and we've put together a nice string of finishes in the past few weeks. I'm pretty sure I'll be the only driver walking out during driver intros to a song recorded by a crew member. Kenyatta does a great job for us week in and week out changing tires. His new song 'Life In The Pits,' is a very creative piece that I think a lot of NASCAR fans will enjoy. I'd really like to post a nice run for Taco Bell this weekend. Bob [Jenkins] owns a lot of Taco Bell stores here in Tennessee, so it would be cool to put together a solid effort for all of his managers here in the Volunteer state." David Gilliland
"Bristol is one of those tracks that I get a little extra pumped up for. For me, I think that feeling gets a little stronger when you're talking about the night race at Bristol. There's just something special about that race. I knew it before I ever made it to the big-league level of the Sprint Cup Series but, the first time I was able to experience the night race as a competitor, it's almost indescribable. It's a place that gives you a big adrenaline rush. You can literally feel the energy around the track from the competitors and the fans that are just excited for 500 laps of racing at Bristol. There's really nothing quite like it." Kurt Busch
"Bristol to me is a man's racetrack and I respect that place so much. I think it takes a level of respect for it. From day one, the first day I walked in there, I respected it but I also wanted to win there. I wanted to prove to myself and others that I could be the man to win at a man's racetrack. So it's always been a challenge to me and it's one that, for some reason, has taken a piece of me somewhere deep inside and made it rise to the next level. I just love it for that reason. There are few things in life that can do that to anyone and Bristol is that place for me. To be on the cusp of three wins in a row there is something that was, and still is, beyond my wildest dreams. But here we are and we are going to do everything in our power to get it done in the Miller Lite Dodge this weekend." Brad Keselowski
Rick Lunkenheimer is a contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at rick.lunkenheimer@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
The Old Bristol? She Ain't Coming Back...But It's Not Just Because of the TrackJunior Johnson's house and accompanying 150-acre farm were auctioned earlier this month and sold for $2.3 million dollars. According to the Statesville Record and Landmark, Loretta Sides Shore, who owns Shore's Nursery said she had placed the winning bid in a sale that's scheduled to close this week. Shore says she and her husband will move in shortly following minor changes, however murals that adorn the walls will remain in place.
"I could just appreciate all the hand painting and murals," Shore said. "They took such great pains in building that house."
Johnson raised cattle on the farm but health issues forced him to give it up and move with his wife to Charlotte. The house went up for auction after it failed to sell at just under $5 million.
Miller Lite, Keselowski to Honor Rusty Wallace
Brad Keselowski's No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge will feature a special retro paint scheme in honor of 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Rusty Wallace. The car will feature an exact replica of the scheme Wallace used to sweep Bristol in 2000, including his 50th career win in the Food City 500 March 26th.
"Rusty had a tremendous ability to excel on short tracks and demonstrated that unique talent many times, especially at Bristol," Roger Penske said. "The 2000 season was really a special year for us there. I'm honored that we could help recognize Rusty's crowning achievement."
In 706 career starts, Wallace amassed 55 wins--37 with Penske Racing and seven at Bristol, 202 top 5s and 349 top-10 finishes.
"Being elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame is such an enormous honor. This sport has done so much for me and I hope that I can keep giving back to it for many years to come," Wallace said. "I couldn't think of a better place to be honored for my induction that Bristol Motor Speedway. I'm very proud of my record there; it's such a special venue where everyone wants to win."
Since moving to the Miller Lite Dodge at the beginning of the 2011 season, Keselowski has scored six wins, 19 top 5s and 27 top-10 finishes in 59 races.
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Keepin' It Short: Messing With Tradition
by Mike Neff
Martinsville Speedway has hosted the biggest race in Late Model racing for nearly 20 years in the fall. The best race car drivers from around the country converge on the historic half-mile track every year to not only chase the $25,000 first prize, but also a historic grandfather clock. For years the drivers have practiced and then qualified on Saturday, locking in the top 22 drivers for the Sunday feature race, however, this year that will change. Qualifying will technically not be held. Drivers will post some kind of a speed in a practice session on Saturday afternoon and then race in a heat race on Sunday. The cars who do not advance into the feature through heat races will run a 50 lap last chance qualifier, with 10 drivers advancing into the feature. Finally the feature will be run, but 50 laps shorter than the 200 that has been customary.
Change is hard to deal with and the Late Model community has been up in arms this week talking about the alteration to the qualifying process. The unintended consequences of the change will probably not be fully realized until at least the start of the Sunday feature if not years from now. The initial blush at the changes is people either love them or hate them.
One of the largest questions is going to be maintaining order within the rules during the practice session that is going to set the starting positions in the heat races. The infield at Martinsville will be full of cars from end to end and front to back. Keeping eyes on every car to make sure it enters the race track in a legal configuration is going to be a very difficult task. A car could end up with an oversized carburetor that allows it to rip off a few good laps and then come in and change to a legal one for whatever technical inspection will follow. Tires will be issued to teams before practice. Will there be a way to ensure they haven't been altered? It will be very difficult to have officials looking at some 100 cars simultaneously.
Once the cars are on the track for their practice period, there comes the issue of blocking. The starting positions are going to be set by some kind of fast time, although initially it isn't sounding like it is going to be a single fast lap. If averages are being taken into consideration, and a car is well off of the pace, it could delay the car of one of the faster drivers and cost him a front row starting spot.
Once the heat races roll off on Sunday, you then have the issue of a back marker interfering with a leading car and wrecking him, costing him a position in the race. Drivers in one heat could pay someone in another heat to wreck the top one or two cars to eliminate them from competition. We're talking about the biggest race in Late Model competition. Eliminating the best cars would make it easier for another competitor to have a better shot at a win.
At the same time, this rule change will eliminate having cars that are set up solely for qualifying make the race. A car can't go out and stay competitive for 25 laps when it is set up for a handful of fast ones. The heat races should bring out the best of drivers and the best drivers should rise to the top of the hill.
When something isn't broken, you don't need to fix it, but that is what they're doing with the Virginia is for Racing Lovers' 300. In the end, it probably won't make much of a difference and all of this hand wringing is going to be for naught. We'll all find out at the end of October when the Late Models hit Martinsville the week before the NASCAR touring series races.
Whelen All-American Points Race
The National Championship race has hit the home stretch. It is less than a month until the points are finalized and the winner of the Whelen All-American National Championship is crowned. With that short period of time left, Lee Pulliam is still well ahead of second place and is now almost to the point where the goal is a perfect season rather than winning the title. Pulliam scored two more max point wins this past weekend and now has 20 total victories on the season. Pulliam is 27 points from the maximum 810 points and is 57 points ahead of Nate Monteith who is now in second. C.E. Falk, III has topped the 700 point barrier along with Ryan Preece. Keith Rocco's broken wrist has dropped him from second to fifth.
The top 10 has drivers from the North, South and Midwest with the difference in points less than 130 from first to tenth.
Position Name Races Wins Top 5s Top 10s Total Points
1. Lee Pulliam 29 20 24 25 783
2. Nate Monteith 27 10 20 23 726
3. C.E. Falk III 25 14 21 23 701
4. Ryan Preece 38 13 27 32 700
5. Keith Rocco 34 11 21 26 699
6. Ted Christopher 41 6 33 36 691
7. Tim Brown 24 8 13 18 672
8. Deac McCaskill 22 14 20 22 666
9. Jason O'Brien 26 5 18 24 657
10. Duane Howard 17 8 14 17 654
A driver's best 18 results through Sept. 16 are counted toward their states and national point totals, and the champions are decided on overall point total. Once a driver reaches 18 starts, their total would increase incrementally as they replace some poorer runs with better results.
Under the points structure for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, the race winner receives two points for every car in the event up to 20 cars. Second place receives two fewer points and so on through the field. Race winners receive an additional five points. For example, if 20 cars are in the field, the winner receives 45 points, second place 38 and third 36. If there are 15 cars, the winner receives 35 points, second 28 and third, 26.
ASA National Points Race
While Lance Gatlin finally spent a week at the track without going to Victory Lane, Shelby Stroebel continues to get it done at Meridian. He is now 13 for 13 and 15 total without a loss. The lack of car count at Meridian has still not killed Stroebel's chances as he continues to lead his region with the masses from I-44 breathing down his neck. Stroebel leads Matt Wallace, Mike Slone and Jim VanZandt while Michael Hale rounds out the top five in the Western Region.
For Gatlin, the loss did not unseat him from atop the East region where he is still the only driver with an average about four at this point in the season. Newport Speedway's Dennis Queen is leading the tight group that is chasing Gatlin along with Taylor Coffman from his track, who is fourth. Ryan Stiltner and Kevin Wolfe are keeping Gatlin honest at Lonesome Pine while they're third and fifth in the race.
Eastern Region
Position Name Average
1. Lance Gatlin 4.3944
2. Dennis Queen 3.8336
3. Ryan Stiltner 3.7508
4. Taylor Coffman 3.6258
5. Kevin Wolfe 3.5602
Western Region
Position Name Average
1. Shelby Stroebel 4.5261
2. Matt Wallace 4.0754
3. Mike Slone 4.0237
4. Jim VanZandt 3.7815
5. Michael Hale 3.6495
Throughout the season, drivers competing in the premiere divisions at eligible ASA Member Tracks are in the running for the 2012 ASA Member Track National Championship. In order to have a chance for the national title, a driver must first win their 2012 track championship.
Speednetdirect.com, for the fifth year in a row, will tabulate the National Championship standings. Using a proprietary formula that creates an average based on wins, finishing positions, number of cars passed, car counts and events. The driver who wins their track championship and has the highest average over the other ASA Member Track champions will win the 2012 ASA Member Track National Championship. Full standings are available at www.speednetdirect.com. Click on the ASA Member Track logo at the top of the page.
Weekend's Racing Schedule
Fri : Aug 24th – Castrol Raceway ; Edmonton :Alberta – World of Outlaws Sprint Cars
Fri : Aug 24th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – Limited Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – SK Lights
Fri : Aug 24th – Stafford Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – SK Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Five Flags Speedway ; Pensacola : FL – Pro Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Kokomo Speedway ; Kokomo : IN – AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars
Fri : Aug 24th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Hornets
Fri : Aug 24th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Legends
Fri : Aug 24th – Paducah International Raceway ; Paducah : KY – MARS Dirtcar Series Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – USRA Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – IMCA Stock Cars
Fri : Aug 24th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Chateau Raceway ; Lansing : MN – WISSOTA Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Malden Speedway ; Malden : MO – Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Valley Speedway ; Grain Valley : MO – United Late Model Association Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Late Models x2
Fri : Aug 24th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Limited Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Madhouse Scramble Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Caraway Speedway ; Asheboro : NC – Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – NDRA Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Open Wheel Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Carolina Speedway ; Gastonia : NC – Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Mod Lites
Fri : Aug 24th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Nationals Preliminaries Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Salina Highbanks ; Salina : OK – Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints
Fri : Aug 24th – Delaware Speedway ; Delaware : Ontario – OSCAAR Super Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Final Points Night 358 Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Final Points Night Sportsman
Fri : Aug 24th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Late Models
Fri : Aug 24th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Street Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Black Hills Speedway ; Rapid City : SD – Super Stocks
Fri : Aug 24th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fri : Aug 24th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – IMCA Stock
Fri : Aug 24th – Mountain Creek Speedway ; Grand Prairie : TX – Street Stock
Fri : Aug 24th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI –IRA Outlaw Sprint Cars
Fri : Aug 24th – Oshkosh Speedzone Winnebago County Fairgrounds ; Oshkosh : WI –Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Castrol Raceway ; Edmonton :Alberta – World of Outlaws Sprint Cars
Sat : Aug 25th – I-30 Speedway ; Little Rock : AR – Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints
Sat : Aug 25th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – 305 Winged Sprints
Sat : Aug 25th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – 600 Mini Sprints
Sat : Aug 25th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Riverside International Speedway ; West Memphis : AR – Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Madera Speedway ; Madera : CA – Hobby Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Super Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – New Smyrna Speedway ; New Smyrna Beach : FL – Sportsman
Sat : Aug 25th – New Senoia Raceway ; Senoia : GA – Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Watermelon Capital Speedway ; Cordele : GA – Super Streets
Sat : Aug 25th – Grundy County Speedway ; Morris : IL – USAC Midwest Focus Midgets
Sat : Aug 25th – Grundy County Speedway ; Morris : IL – USAC Mopar D1 Stars
Sat : Aug 25th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Limited Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Peoria Speedway ; Peoria : IL – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Kokomo Speedway ; Kokomo : IN – AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars
Sat : Aug 25th – Lawrenceburg Speedway ; Lawrenceburg : IN – Lucas Oil Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Sportsman
Sat : Aug 25th – South Bend Speedway ; South Bend : IN – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – 34th Annual Pepsi Late Model Figure 8
Sat : Aug 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Hornets
Sat : Aug 25th – Speedrome ; Indianapolis : IN – Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – Season Championship IMCA Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – Season Championship IMCA Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – Season Championship IMCA Stock Cars
Sat : Aug 25th – Independence Motor Speedway ; Independence : IA – Season Championship IMCA Sport Mods
Sat : Aug 25th – Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY – USDCS Dirt Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY – Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY – Outlaw Mini Cup
Sat : Aug 25th – Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY – Junior Mini Cup
Sat : Aug 25th – Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY – Baby Grand National Points
Sat : Aug 25th – Corbin Speedway ; Corbin : KY – Pro Challenge National Points
Sat : Aug 25th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Outlaws
Sat : Aug 25th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Strictly Stock
Sat : Aug 25th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Small Car Nationals Qualifier Late Model Sportsman
Sat : Aug 25th – Hagerstown Speedway ; Hagerstown : MD – Small Car Nationals Qualifier Pure Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Berlin Raceway ; Marne : MI – Outlaw Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – Outlaw Super Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – Super Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Kalamazoo Speedway ; Kalamazoo : MI – Pro Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Championship Night Wissota Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Championship Night Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Championship Night Wissota Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Championship Night Wissota Super Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Deer Creek Speedway ; Spring Valley : MN – Championship Night USRA Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Season Championship Wissota Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Season Championship Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Season Championship Wissota Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – North Central Speedway ; Brainerd : MN – Season Championship Wissota Super Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Super Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – NeSmith Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Columbus Speedway ; Columbus : MS – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Back to School Bash ASA Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Back to School Bash Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Back to School Bash Lucky 21 Sportsman Doubleheader
Sat : Aug 25th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Back to School Bash Road Warriors
Sat : Aug 25th – I-44 Speedway ; Lebanon : MO – Back to School Bash Chargers
Sat : Aug 25th – I-55 Raceway ; Pevely : MO – MARS Dirtcar Series Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – Weekly Series Championship Night Factory Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – Weekly Series Championship Night A-Mods
Sat : Aug 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – Weekly Series Championship Night B-Mods
Sat : Aug 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway ; Wheatland : MO – Weekly Series Championship Night United Late Model Association Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Petty International Raceway ; River Glade : New Brunswick – Parts for Trucks Pro Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Junction Motor Speedway ; McCool Junction : NE – Super Late Model Racing Series
Sat : Aug 25th – Monadnock Speedway ; Winchester : NH – MRS Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – Sportsman
Sat : Aug 25th – Dunn Tire Raceway Park ; Lancaster : NY – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Red River Valley Speedway ; West Fargo : ND – USMTS National Championship Series
Sat : Aug 25th – Red River Valley Speedway ; West Fargo : ND – Super Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Southwest Speedway ; Dickinson : ND – Championship Night IMCA Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Southwest Speedway ; Dickinson : ND – Championship Night Wissota Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Steel Block Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Jackson County Speedway ; Jackson : OH – Nationals Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Keith McNally Memorial Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Keith McNally Memorial Wissota Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Emo Speedway ; Emo : Ontario – Keith McNally Memorial Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – ARDC Midgets
Sat : Aug 25th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Sprint Cars
Sat : Aug 25th – Big Diamond Speedway ; Minersville : PA – Xcel 600 CCs
Sat : Aug 25th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 60th Anniversary 410 Sprints x2
Sat : Aug 25th – Lincoln Speedway ; Abbottstown : PA – 60th Anniversary Thundercars
Sat : Aug 25th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Mountain Speedway ; St. John's : PA – Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Circuit Riverside Speedway ; Saint-Croix : Quebec – Can Am 200 ACT Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Circuit Riverside Speedway ; Saint-Croix : Quebec – Can Am 200 ACT Castrol Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Estevan Motor Speedway ; Estevan : Saskatchewan – IMCA Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Estevan Motor Speedway ; Estevan : Saskatchewan – IMCA Street Stocks
Sat : Aug 25th – Winchester Speedway ; Winchester : VA – World of Outlaws Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Cedar Lake Speedway ; New Richmond : WI – Elmer Cook Memorial Late Models
Sat : Aug 25th – Cedar Lake Speedway ; New Richmond : WI – Elmer Cook Memorial Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – Cedar Lake Speedway ; New Richmond : WI – Elmer Cook Memorial Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – TNT Speedway ; Three Lakes : WI – Season Championships Wissota Midwest Modifieds
Sat : Aug 25th – TNT Speedway ; Three Lakes : WI – Season Championships Wissota Street Stocks
Sun : Aug 26th – Stafford Motor Speedway ; Stafford Springs : CT – PASS North Super Late Models
Sun : Aug 26th – Portland International Raceway ; Portland : OR – NASCAR K&N Pro West Series
Sun : Aug 26th – Huset's Speedway ; Brandon : SD – USMTS National Championship Series
Sun : Aug 26th – Madison International Speedway ; Oregon : WI – ARCA Racing Series
Wed : Aug 29th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Outlaws
Wed : Aug 29th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Rebels
Wed : Aug 29th – Oxford Plains Speedway ; Oxford Plains : ME – Renegades
Wed : Aug 29th – Fairmont Raceway ; Fairmont : MN – USMTS Hunt for the Casey's Cup Modifieds
Wed : Aug 29th – McKean County Raceway ; East Smethport : PA – World of Outlaws Late Models
Wed : Aug 29th – Grays Harbor Raceway ; Elma : WA – World of Outlaws Sprint Cars
Thu : Aug 30th – Highway 3 Raceway ; Allison : IA – USMTS Hunt for the Casey's Cup Modifieds
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
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Fantasy Friday: Irwin Tools Night Race
by Jeff Wolfe
As NASCAR's regular season winds down with just three races remaining, a number of drivers have a number of different agendas. For some, it's about making the Chase for the Championship, NASCAR's version of the playoffs. Guys like Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano and Marcos Ambrose are battling for the two wild-card spots and need either a win or top-5 finishes to make the Chase.
Others, guys solidly in the top 10, can simply go for the win. Guys like Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Brad Keselowski can experiment a little without the worry of not making the Chase. Or they can gamble a little and go for the win, too, with their high reward, low risk situation.
The Sprint Cup Series heads to the reconfigured Bristol Saturday night at 7 on ABC. Will the return to the old track bring back the beatin', bangin', helmet-throwing style that made Bristol famous? We'll find out for sure Saturday.
Top 5 Picks
Kyle Busch - He's just outside the Chase picture and needs at least a good finish, but more importantly a win. He's got five of them at Bristol, so he's a must pick here.
Jeff Gordon - It's pretty much win one of these next three races or miss the Chase for the four-time champion. He's also got five wins here and the return to the former track style could help him.
Brad Keselowski - He's been excellent lately, and it seems no matter what kind of track the Sprint Cup guys are on, the No. 2 is contending for a win. Keselowski has two wins at Bristol and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him at or close the front again.
Carl Edwards - Much like Gordon, he's desperate for a win. He has two of them at Bristol and since he's 12th in points now, a win would put him in the Chase heading into the final two regular season races.
Kevin Harvick - He's without a win this year and, in the past, hasn't been afraid to use his bumper to get by slower cars on the short tracks. He's also got a new / old crew chief this week in Gil Martin, so maybe familiarity will help him win for the third time at Bristol.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda - There were a lot of tough choices this week. I kept going back to Ryan Newman and I may regret not picking him. He's usually a good qualifier, which helps at Bristol, where track position is everything. He's been relatively good on short tracks, too, with an average finish of 11.9 since the beginning of the 2010 season.
ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP
Here's a look at how last week's picks fared at Michigan.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - 4th. He was solid for much of the day, though never really a threat to win.
Jimmie Johnson - 27th. He had it won, until his car decided to display its grenade engine in the final laps.
Greg Biffle - 1st. He said he would have caught Johnson before the end of the race. He was fast at the end for sure, so maybe the fastest car did win.
Carl Edwards - 6th. He was solid again, but the No. 99 really needs a win to make the Chase and he knows solid won't quite cut it.
Tony Stewart - 32nd. Also the victim of a Hendrick grenade engine in the early going.
Season Stats
115 Predictions
14 Wins
40 top 5s
54 top 10s
Grade for the week: B+. I thought I had the winner in Johnson, but still had it in Biffle. So, in the end, it was three of the top six, and easily could have been four of the top seven.
One last thing: At some tracks, it's true, qualifying is not a big deal. But that's not the case at Bristol. Of the 103 races there, the winner has started 10th or better 82 times, and 52 of the winners have come from the first four starting positions.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
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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.
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Frontstretch Folio: Irwin Tools Night Race
by Rick Lunkenheimer
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads back to Bristol Motor Speedway for the annual Saturday night showdown. The Irwin Tools Night Race is the twenty-fourth race of the 2012 season. Saturday's event will be broadcast live on August 25th, at 7:00 PM ET on ABC; the race can also be heard starting at 6:30 PM ET on PRN and SiriusXM Channel 90. The race will re-air Sunday, August 26 at 5:30 AM ET on ESPN2 and Wednesday, August 29 at 12:00 PM ET on SPEED Drivers will race for 500 laps (266.5 miles) before taking the checkered flag.
Records and Facts
Ryan Newman holds the track qualifying record of 128.709 (14.908 sec) set March 23, 2003 for the Food City 500. Newman failed to lead a single lap and finished 22nd, four laps down. Kurt Busch snagged the checkered flag that day ahead of Matt Kenseth. Bobby Labonte, Ricky Rudd and Greg Biffle rounded out the top 5.
Brad Keselowski is the defending winner of the Irwin Tools Night Race. The driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge started eighth and led 89 laps en route to a nearly one-second victory over Martin Truex, Jr. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top 5.
Track Facts
Track/Race Length: 0.533-mile concrete oval, 500 laps (266.5 miles)
Pit Road Speed: 30 mph
Degree of Banking: Progressive, 24 to 28 degrees
Frontstretch / Backstretch: 650 feet, banked 6 to 10 degrees
Grandstand Seating: 160,000
Pre-race Schedule
Practice: Friday, August 24, 12:00 - 2:00 PM ET on SPEED
Happy Hour: Friday, August 24 2:45 - 3:30 PM ET on SPEED
Qualifying: Friday, August 24 at 5:10 PM ET on ESPN2
Race Day Forecast
Sunday: Partly Cloudy, Chance of Rain 20%
High: 85
Low: 61
Say What?!?
"Our team has a lot of momentum and we've put together a nice string of finishes in the past few weeks. I'm pretty sure I'll be the only driver walking out during driver intros to a song recorded by a crew member. Kenyatta does a great job for us week in and week out changing tires. His new song 'Life In The Pits,' is a very creative piece that I think a lot of NASCAR fans will enjoy. I'd really like to post a nice run for Taco Bell this weekend. Bob [Jenkins] owns a lot of Taco Bell stores here in Tennessee, so it would be cool to put together a solid effort for all of his managers here in the Volunteer state." David Gilliland
"Bristol is one of those tracks that I get a little extra pumped up for. For me, I think that feeling gets a little stronger when you're talking about the night race at Bristol. There's just something special about that race. I knew it before I ever made it to the big-league level of the Sprint Cup Series but, the first time I was able to experience the night race as a competitor, it's almost indescribable. It's a place that gives you a big adrenaline rush. You can literally feel the energy around the track from the competitors and the fans that are just excited for 500 laps of racing at Bristol. There's really nothing quite like it." Kurt Busch
"Bristol to me is a man's racetrack and I respect that place so much. I think it takes a level of respect for it. From day one, the first day I walked in there, I respected it but I also wanted to win there. I wanted to prove to myself and others that I could be the man to win at a man's racetrack. So it's always been a challenge to me and it's one that, for some reason, has taken a piece of me somewhere deep inside and made it rise to the next level. I just love it for that reason. There are few things in life that can do that to anyone and Bristol is that place for me. To be on the cusp of three wins in a row there is something that was, and still is, beyond my wildest dreams. But here we are and we are going to do everything in our power to get it done in the Miller Lite Dodge this weekend." Brad Keselowski
Rick Lunkenheimer is a contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at rick.lunkenheimer@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Amy Henderson
Tracking the Trucks: UNOH 200
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Regan Smith Driver Diary: Unhappy with Ambrose and the Berrier Impact
as told to Tony Lumbis
Four Burning Questions: Bristol Blunders and Walking Away
by Summer Bedgood
IndyCar In-Depth: GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma Preview
by Matt Stallknecht
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This Weekend on the Frontstretch
Nationwide Breakdown: NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge by Mike Neff
All the post-race analysis you need following Friday night's Nationwide Series race from Bristol.
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 1998 Food City 250 for the then-Busch Grand National Series was a war of attrition. Only seven drivers (winner Kevin Lepage, Phil Parsons, Dale Jarrett, Todd Bodine, Tim Fedewa, Ken Schrader and Wayne Grubb) managed to finish on the lead lap. There would have been more than that, but an incident took out a number of contenders late. What happened to cause this crash?
Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Thursday's Answer:
Q: Bristol has played host to multiple bumping matches over the years, and the 2001 Sharpie 500 was no different. Who got into it multiple times with each other during the race?
A: Interestingly enough, it was Johnny Benson and Brett Bodine. Benson was spun out early out of second exiting Turn 2, collecting John Andretti and Kurt Busch while collateral damage put Ron Hornaday and Jeff Green behind the wall for new radiators. Later in the race, Benson spun again and backed into the wall in Turn 1, ending his night.
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!
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Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Irwin Tools Night Race Recap by Jeff Wolfe
-- Secret Star and Stat of the Race by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Monday on the Frontstretch:
Thinkin' Out Loud: Pure Michigan 400 by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan is here with his overall thoughts about the action from Saturday night's race from Bristol.
Full Throttle by Mike Neff
Mike Neff brings his Wednesday newsletter commentary to the website with one of the hottest stories coming out of Michigan.
Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom brings back his weekly post-race commentary with all of the insight you need from a weekend of racing at Bristol.
Big Six: Irwin Tools Night Race by Amy Henderson
Looking for all you need to know leaving Saturday's event at Bristol? Amy has your who, what, when, where, why and how from a weekend of racing.
Pace Laps: Bristol Weekend by the Frontstretch Staff
In our newest column this season, we'll take a look at the biggest stories to keep an eye on in each series after the racing Bristol.
-----------------------------
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Thursday, August 23, 2012
The Frontstretch Newsletter: August 23rd, 2012
THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 23rd, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CLXVIII
--
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Peters Goes Flag-to-Flag to Win UNOH 200
Timothy Peters took the lead from pole-sitter Cale Gale on the very first lap of the event and simply could not be touched. Peters led all 204 laps on his way to his second Camping World Truck Series victory of the season. Parker Kligerman finished second, creating a Red Horse Racing 1-2. Ross Chastain finished a career-best third.
This was the first time that a driver led every lap in a Camping World Truck Series race since Ron Hornaday pulled the feat off at the now-closed 7/16ths of a mile Louisville Motor Speedway in 1997. It was the second time that year Hornaday had gone flag-to-flag, having done the same at Bristol. For more, check out this week's edition of Truckin' Thursdays at Frontstretch.
Menard Penalized for Illegal Modifications
NASCAR impounded the No. 27 Menards Chevrolet for a random teardown at the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina following Sunday's Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International. During that teardown, NASCAR found that the frame rails had been manipulated. This is a no go.
Normally, when teams make unauthorized modifications on pieces that are laser-measured, the hammer will be dropped on that team and hard. On Wednesday, NASCAR announced big penalties for the No. 27.
Crew Chief Slugger Labbe has been fined $100,000, suspended through October 3 and placed on probation through the end of the year. As a result, Labbe will miss six races. Car Chief Craig Smokstad has also been suspended for the next six weeks and placed on probation through the end of the year. Crew member Grant Hutchens will also have to serve a six-race suspension and has been been placed on probation until the end of the year. Finally, Menard has been penalized 25 driver points, and owner Richard Childress has been penalized.
In their press release, NASCAR stated that the No. 27 team violated Sections 12-1 (Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing), and 12-4K of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series Rule Book. Section 12-4K refers to equipment that has already been certified by NASCAR being modified illegally. In this case, the modification was done to the frame rails in an attempt to fool NASCAR's inspectors.
The penalty drops Menard from 15th to 16th in points, 77 points out of tenth. Team owner Richard Childress has already indicated that he plans to appeal the ruling. As a result, Labbe, Hutchens and Smokstad will likely all be in Bristol this weekend.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Irwin Tools Night Race: 47 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 10- Danica Patrick for Tommy Baldwin Racing/Stewart-Haas Racing
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 22- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 49- Jason Leffler for Robinson-Blakeney Motorsports
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
No. 91- Reed Sorenson for Humphrey-Smith Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 10- Danica Patrick returns to the seat, replacing David Reutimann.
No. 19- Mike Bliss returns to the seat, replacing Jason Leffler.
No. 32- Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing T.J. Bell.
No. 55- Brian Vickers returns to the seat, replacing Mark Martin.
No. 98- Michael McDowell returns to the seat, replacing Mike Skinner.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 26- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30- David Stremme for Inception Motorsports
No. 33- Stephen Leicht for LJ Racing
No. 37- J.J. Yeley for Front Row Motorsports/MaxQ Motorsports
No. 49- Jason Leffler for Robinson-Blakeney Motorsports
No. 79- Kelly Bires for Go Green Racing*
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 91- Reed Sorenson for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 95- Scott Speed for Leavine Family Racing
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing
Not Entered:
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
Nationwide Series Food City 250: 45 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 18- Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22- Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 30- Nelson Piquet, Jr. for Turner Motorsports
No. 33- Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 38- Kasey Kahne for Turner Motorsports
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 50- David Starr for MAKE Motorsports
No. 54- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 75- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing
No. 99- John Wes Townley for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
Driver Changes:
No. 00- Blake Koch is in the seat, replacing Derek White (from Watkins Glen).
No. 08- Tim Andrews returns to the seat, replacing Louis-Phillipe Dumoulin.
No. 4- Danny Efland returns to the seat, replacing Daryl Harr.
No. 15- Carl Long returns to the seat, replacing Chris Cook.
No. 18- Joey Logano returns to the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
No. 22- Brad Keselowski returns to the seat, replacing Jacques Villeneuve.
No. 23- Robert Richardson, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Dexter Stacey.
No. 24- Benny Gordon returns to the seat, replacing Derek White (from Montreal).
No. 30- Nelson Piquet, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Alex Tagliani.
No. 33- Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Brendan Gaughan.
No. 36- Ryan Blaney returns to the seat, replacing Bobby Santos, III.
No. 38- Kasey Kahne returns to the seat, replacing Brad Sweet.
No. 39- Josh Richards returns to the seat, replacing Tim Andrews.
No. 42- Josh Wise returns to the seat, replacing Blake Koch.
No. 50- David Starr is in the seat, replacing T.J. Bell.
No. 52- Joey Gase returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Ellis.
No. 60- Trevor Bayne returns to the seat, replacing Billy Johnson.
No. 70- Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Joe Nemechek.
No. 87- Joe Nemechek returns to the seat, replacing Alex Kennedy.
No. 99- John Wes Townley returns to the seat, replacing Patrick Carpentier.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00- Blake Koch for SR2 Motorsports
No. 08- Tim Andrews for Randy Hill Racing
No. 10- Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)*
No. 15- Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 36- Ryan Blaney for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46- Chase Miller for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 47- Matt DiBenedetto for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 50- David Starr for MAKE Motorsports
No. 52- Joey Gase for Means Motorsports
No. 60- Trevor Bayne for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 71- Matt Carter for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 75- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 86- Kevin Lepage for Deware Motorsports*
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Racing Ventures
Not Entered:
No. 26- John Young for Apex Racing
No. 27- Andrew Ranger for GC Motorsports International
No. 53- Eric Curran for NDS Motorsports
No. 59- Kyle Kelley for Kelley Motorsports
No. 75- Kenny Habul for SunEnergy1 Racing, LLC
Izod IndyCar Series GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma: 27 cars entered
Driver Changes:
No. 83- Charlie Kimball returns to the seat, replacing Giorgio Pantano.
Entries:
No. 2- Ryan Briscoe for Team Penske
No. 3- Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 4- J.R. Hildebrand for Panther Racing
No. 5- E.J. Viso for KV Racing Technologies
No. 6- Katherine Legge for Dragon Racing
No. 7- Sebastien Bourdais for Dragon Racing
No. 8- Rubens Barrichello for KV Racing Technologies
No. 9- Scott Dixon for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10- Dario Franchitti for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 11- Tony Kanaan for KV Racing Technologies with SH Racing
No. 12- Will Power for Team Penske
No. 14- Mike Conway for AJ Foyt Enterprises
No. 15- Takuma Sato for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 17- Sebastian Saavedra for AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport
No. 18- Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19- James Jakes for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 20- Ed Carpenter for Ed Carpenter Racing
No. 22- Oriol Servia for Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 26- Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27- James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport
No. 28- Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 38- Graham Rahal for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 67- Josef Newgarden for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 77- Simon Pagenaud for Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports
No. 78- Simona de Silvestro for Lotus-HVM Racing
No. 83- Charlie Kimball for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 98- Alex Tagliani for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
Today's Featured Commentary
Vexing Vito: Harvick's Hard Bargain, Busch's Bad Moment And Tricks Of The Trade
by Vito Pugliese
The team and crew chief merry-go-round at RCR continues, with Shane Wilson out as Kevin Harvick's head wrench starting this Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Gil Martin will return to the role he held last year as Harvick's signal caller, before being reassigned as the Competition Director for their Nationwide programs. Harvick currently sits eighth in the standings with no wins, just 44 points ahead of 11th place with three races remaining. A bad finish at Bristol could put him in the precarious position of missing the Chase, with tenth-place Denny Hamlin and 11th-place Kasey Kahne both having victories. It also highlights the inability for RCR to put a team together for Harvick that either he or the crew chief can cope with.
In 2009, RCR swapped the teams and crew chief of Harvick's then-pit boss Todd Berrier with the Gil Martin-led team of Casey Mears. They did so despite having won two races earlier that season with Berrier, seemingly enjoying good chemistry with Harvick on a team that made the Chase. Then, in October of 2010 following the fall Martinsville race, Childress swapped the pit crews of Bowyer and Harvick mid-Chase, reacting after some pit road foul-ups had resurfaced. Harvick was just 62 points out at that stage, under the old points system that awarded a maximum of 195 points for winning. Bowyer had won the opening race of the playoffs that year at Loudon but was fined 150 points for a controversial post-race measurement that effectively ended his chances before they began.
So why is Kevin Harvick virtually impossible to keep a team together with? Could it be his ultra-critical comments and complete lack of leadership over the radio? While Harvick did win four races last year, and was the points leader for the regular season and first Chase race, he did go through a stretch from 2007-2010 where, if not for green-white-checker restrictor plate wreckfests, he'd have one non-plate track victory.
Four years with one legit non video-game finish win? Please, again, show me your primadonna credentials.
Harvick also leads the series in getting choke-slammed onto hoods (Carl Edwards in 2008), and was rumored to be virtually out the door after burning a number of bridges at RCR throughout the years in 2009. Harvick ended up remaining, merging his KHI Nationwide team with RCR this season to become even more dependent on the No. 29 ride. Weirdly enough, while the RCR Nationwide teams of Elliott Sadler and Childress' grandson Austin Dillon have flourished under the new environment the Cup program has struggled mightily. Part of the problem appears to follow the departure of Competition Director Scott Miller, the man who now heads up Michael Waltrip Racing -- one of the most consistent and competitive operations in 2012.
I feel sorry for Martin in a way. He had a good gig going working with the Nationwide teams who are on the verge of a championship and Rookie of The Year honors with Dillon. Instead, he gets to endure the abuse and berating of who might be the most miserable and unsupportive driver in all of NASCAR. Just because there is a tiny No. 3 on the driver's door doesn't mean you have the No. 3's pull there, Captain Combover...
--
Brad Keselowski made allusions to the Hendrick Motorsports cars running trick rear ends as the reason for their speed and dominance lately at intermediate-sized tracks following this past Sunday's Pure Michigan 400 at MIS. Jimmie Johnson was leading handily with seven laps remaining before his engine promptly laid down and exploded with five laps left. Kasey Kahne, who was second rebounded after a lap 64 accident that saw him pile into Mark Martin and Juan Pablo Monotya, then spin down through the infield grass.
Three of the last four downforce wins have been HMS cars, with dominating performances from Kasey Kahne at Kansas, and Jimmie Johnson's outside lane pass on Keselowski to win the Brickyard 400.
"There's parts and pieces on the car that are moving after inspection that makes the cars more competitive," Keselowski said after the race. "Some guys have it, some don't. There's a question as to the interpretation of the rule. Penske Racing errs on the safe side because we don't want to be the guys that get the big penalty."
Its usually about this time of year that teams start rolling out the new pieces and evaluating what will work come Chase time, and the No. 48 team is no exception. It was October of last year where Chad Knaus instructed Johnson to crack up the back of the car had he won, and several years ago at Dover, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. remarked over the radio that the No. 48 looked like a monster truck from behind, courtesy of some trick shocks that were quickly made illegal once NASCAR inspected them.
I can see where Keselowski would be leery of bending the rules and having something turn up during inspection. After all, it was at Loudon last year when the No. 22 of Kurt Busch was late getting through tech and not on the grid until the engines fired. That triggered a caught on camera outburst to ESPN reporter Jamie Little, as well as an observed meltdown during driver introductions that many teams warned their drivers about prior to the green flag flying. Another blow up with Dr. Jerry Punch that was a YouTube sensation following the season finale at Homestead brought about Busch's dismissal from Penske Racing.
Probably best to play it on the safe side, and check with NASCAR first....avoid any potential ugly on-air incidents or 150-point/car-confiscating fines.
--
Should the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team and Kyle Busch miss The Chase this season, they can likely look at Michigan as the reason why. Busch skipped Saturday's Happy Hour to fly to Montreal to drive his No. 54 Monster Energy entry in the Nationwide race. The choice was described as a "business decision," with Busch needing to honor a sponsor commitment for his Kyle Busch Motorsports team. Once there, Busch drove to a lackluster 13th-place finish, disappointing considering he was the defending race champion. Now, he'll desperately needing a victory to secure a "wild card" spot in the Chase in three weeks.
After the race at MIS Sunday, Crew Chief Dave Rogers took the blame, saying he put the wrong shock package under the No. 18.
Perhaps if Busch was there to drive the car in final practice, they would have discovered this and put the right shock package under it. After all, Busch is one of the few drivers who is adept at chassis tuning and providing accurate mechanical input to the team. Besides, hasn't Busch proved enough in Nationwide by winning the most races in Series history? Hasn't it been the No. 18 team's failure to have a complete, solid, Championship-contending Chase that has always drawn his ire and negative comments?
I understand he's running his own operation and sometimes you have to do what the sponsor requests… but come on, a Nationwide race in Quebec? Is Monster the official energy drink of secession or something? Like you couldn't get Boris Said or another road race ace to man the controls for that weekend. I'm sure Rusty still has some trail-braking chops left in him, and would have gladly squeezed through the window hole.
Perhaps when committing to races for the year with Monster he was looking at the races on the schedule and was figuring which ones he could conceivably miss. If not for the last lap oil incident at Watkins Glen – or the three races in a row with failures of TRD supplied engines (which were brought in lieu of the JGR engine program for increased reliability…) – Busch would not be in the position that he's in now. Whatever the case, if you're a Cup driver, you're a Cup driver, and that should be your main focus.
Besides, after getting benched by M&M's for a race last year following the Truck Series wreck at Texas, I would be more concerned with their status than running the Nationwide car north of the border.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @VitoPugliese.
~~~~~~~~~~
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 23rd, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CLXVIII
--
Top News
by Phil Allaway
Peters Goes Flag-to-Flag to Win UNOH 200
Timothy Peters took the lead from pole-sitter Cale Gale on the very first lap of the event and simply could not be touched. Peters led all 204 laps on his way to his second Camping World Truck Series victory of the season. Parker Kligerman finished second, creating a Red Horse Racing 1-2. Ross Chastain finished a career-best third.
This was the first time that a driver led every lap in a Camping World Truck Series race since Ron Hornaday pulled the feat off at the now-closed 7/16ths of a mile Louisville Motor Speedway in 1997. It was the second time that year Hornaday had gone flag-to-flag, having done the same at Bristol. For more, check out this week's edition of Truckin' Thursdays at Frontstretch.
Menard Penalized for Illegal Modifications
NASCAR impounded the No. 27 Menards Chevrolet for a random teardown at the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina following Sunday's Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International. During that teardown, NASCAR found that the frame rails had been manipulated. This is a no go.
Normally, when teams make unauthorized modifications on pieces that are laser-measured, the hammer will be dropped on that team and hard. On Wednesday, NASCAR announced big penalties for the No. 27.
Crew Chief Slugger Labbe has been fined $100,000, suspended through October 3 and placed on probation through the end of the year. As a result, Labbe will miss six races. Car Chief Craig Smokstad has also been suspended for the next six weeks and placed on probation through the end of the year. Crew member Grant Hutchens will also have to serve a six-race suspension and has been been placed on probation until the end of the year. Finally, Menard has been penalized 25 driver points, and owner Richard Childress has been penalized.
In their press release, NASCAR stated that the No. 27 team violated Sections 12-1 (Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing), and 12-4K of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series Rule Book. Section 12-4K refers to equipment that has already been certified by NASCAR being modified illegally. In this case, the modification was done to the frame rails in an attempt to fool NASCAR's inspectors.
The penalty drops Menard from 15th to 16th in points, 77 points out of tenth. Team owner Richard Childress has already indicated that he plans to appeal the ruling. As a result, Labbe, Hutchens and Smokstad will likely all be in Bristol this weekend.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Irwin Tools Night Race: 47 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 10- Danica Patrick for Tommy Baldwin Racing/Stewart-Haas Racing
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 22- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 49- Jason Leffler for Robinson-Blakeney Motorsports
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
No. 91- Reed Sorenson for Humphrey-Smith Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 10- Danica Patrick returns to the seat, replacing David Reutimann.
No. 19- Mike Bliss returns to the seat, replacing Jason Leffler.
No. 32- Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing T.J. Bell.
No. 55- Brian Vickers returns to the seat, replacing Mark Martin.
No. 98- Michael McDowell returns to the seat, replacing Mike Skinner.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 26- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30- David Stremme for Inception Motorsports
No. 33- Stephen Leicht for LJ Racing
No. 37- J.J. Yeley for Front Row Motorsports/MaxQ Motorsports
No. 49- Jason Leffler for Robinson-Blakeney Motorsports
No. 79- Kelly Bires for Go Green Racing*
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 91- Reed Sorenson for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 95- Scott Speed for Leavine Family Racing
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing
Not Entered:
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
Nationwide Series Food City 250: 45 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 18- Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22- Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 30- Nelson Piquet, Jr. for Turner Motorsports
No. 33- Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 38- Kasey Kahne for Turner Motorsports
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC
No. 50- David Starr for MAKE Motorsports
No. 54- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 75- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing
No. 99- John Wes Townley for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard
Driver Changes:
No. 00- Blake Koch is in the seat, replacing Derek White (from Watkins Glen).
No. 08- Tim Andrews returns to the seat, replacing Louis-Phillipe Dumoulin.
No. 4- Danny Efland returns to the seat, replacing Daryl Harr.
No. 15- Carl Long returns to the seat, replacing Chris Cook.
No. 18- Joey Logano returns to the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
No. 22- Brad Keselowski returns to the seat, replacing Jacques Villeneuve.
No. 23- Robert Richardson, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Dexter Stacey.
No. 24- Benny Gordon returns to the seat, replacing Derek White (from Montreal).
No. 30- Nelson Piquet, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Alex Tagliani.
No. 33- Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Brendan Gaughan.
No. 36- Ryan Blaney returns to the seat, replacing Bobby Santos, III.
No. 38- Kasey Kahne returns to the seat, replacing Brad Sweet.
No. 39- Josh Richards returns to the seat, replacing Tim Andrews.
No. 42- Josh Wise returns to the seat, replacing Blake Koch.
No. 50- David Starr is in the seat, replacing T.J. Bell.
No. 52- Joey Gase returns to the seat, replacing Ryan Ellis.
No. 60- Trevor Bayne returns to the seat, replacing Billy Johnson.
No. 70- Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Joe Nemechek.
No. 87- Joe Nemechek returns to the seat, replacing Alex Kennedy.
No. 99- John Wes Townley returns to the seat, replacing Patrick Carpentier.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00- Blake Koch for SR2 Motorsports
No. 08- Tim Andrews for Randy Hill Racing
No. 10- Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)*
No. 15- Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 36- Ryan Blaney for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46- Chase Miller for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 47- Matt DiBenedetto for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 50- David Starr for MAKE Motorsports
No. 52- Joey Gase for Means Motorsports
No. 60- Trevor Bayne for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 71- Matt Carter for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 75- Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 86- Kevin Lepage for Deware Motorsports*
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Racing Ventures
Not Entered:
No. 26- John Young for Apex Racing
No. 27- Andrew Ranger for GC Motorsports International
No. 53- Eric Curran for NDS Motorsports
No. 59- Kyle Kelley for Kelley Motorsports
No. 75- Kenny Habul for SunEnergy1 Racing, LLC
Izod IndyCar Series GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma: 27 cars entered
Driver Changes:
No. 83- Charlie Kimball returns to the seat, replacing Giorgio Pantano.
Entries:
No. 2- Ryan Briscoe for Team Penske
No. 3- Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 4- J.R. Hildebrand for Panther Racing
No. 5- E.J. Viso for KV Racing Technologies
No. 6- Katherine Legge for Dragon Racing
No. 7- Sebastien Bourdais for Dragon Racing
No. 8- Rubens Barrichello for KV Racing Technologies
No. 9- Scott Dixon for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10- Dario Franchitti for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 11- Tony Kanaan for KV Racing Technologies with SH Racing
No. 12- Will Power for Team Penske
No. 14- Mike Conway for AJ Foyt Enterprises
No. 15- Takuma Sato for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 17- Sebastian Saavedra for AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport
No. 18- Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19- James Jakes for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 20- Ed Carpenter for Ed Carpenter Racing
No. 22- Oriol Servia for Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 26- Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27- James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport
No. 28- Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 38- Graham Rahal for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 67- Josef Newgarden for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
No. 77- Simon Pagenaud for Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports
No. 78- Simona de Silvestro for Lotus-HVM Racing
No. 83- Charlie Kimball for Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 98- Alex Tagliani for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian
Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
Today's Featured Commentary
Vexing Vito: Harvick's Hard Bargain, Busch's Bad Moment And Tricks Of The Trade
by Vito Pugliese
The team and crew chief merry-go-round at RCR continues, with Shane Wilson out as Kevin Harvick's head wrench starting this Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Gil Martin will return to the role he held last year as Harvick's signal caller, before being reassigned as the Competition Director for their Nationwide programs. Harvick currently sits eighth in the standings with no wins, just 44 points ahead of 11th place with three races remaining. A bad finish at Bristol could put him in the precarious position of missing the Chase, with tenth-place Denny Hamlin and 11th-place Kasey Kahne both having victories. It also highlights the inability for RCR to put a team together for Harvick that either he or the crew chief can cope with.
In 2009, RCR swapped the teams and crew chief of Harvick's then-pit boss Todd Berrier with the Gil Martin-led team of Casey Mears. They did so despite having won two races earlier that season with Berrier, seemingly enjoying good chemistry with Harvick on a team that made the Chase. Then, in October of 2010 following the fall Martinsville race, Childress swapped the pit crews of Bowyer and Harvick mid-Chase, reacting after some pit road foul-ups had resurfaced. Harvick was just 62 points out at that stage, under the old points system that awarded a maximum of 195 points for winning. Bowyer had won the opening race of the playoffs that year at Loudon but was fined 150 points for a controversial post-race measurement that effectively ended his chances before they began.
So why is Kevin Harvick virtually impossible to keep a team together with? Could it be his ultra-critical comments and complete lack of leadership over the radio? While Harvick did win four races last year, and was the points leader for the regular season and first Chase race, he did go through a stretch from 2007-2010 where, if not for green-white-checker restrictor plate wreckfests, he'd have one non-plate track victory.
Four years with one legit non video-game finish win? Please, again, show me your primadonna credentials.
Harvick also leads the series in getting choke-slammed onto hoods (Carl Edwards in 2008), and was rumored to be virtually out the door after burning a number of bridges at RCR throughout the years in 2009. Harvick ended up remaining, merging his KHI Nationwide team with RCR this season to become even more dependent on the No. 29 ride. Weirdly enough, while the RCR Nationwide teams of Elliott Sadler and Childress' grandson Austin Dillon have flourished under the new environment the Cup program has struggled mightily. Part of the problem appears to follow the departure of Competition Director Scott Miller, the man who now heads up Michael Waltrip Racing -- one of the most consistent and competitive operations in 2012.
I feel sorry for Martin in a way. He had a good gig going working with the Nationwide teams who are on the verge of a championship and Rookie of The Year honors with Dillon. Instead, he gets to endure the abuse and berating of who might be the most miserable and unsupportive driver in all of NASCAR. Just because there is a tiny No. 3 on the driver's door doesn't mean you have the No. 3's pull there, Captain Combover...
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Brad Keselowski made allusions to the Hendrick Motorsports cars running trick rear ends as the reason for their speed and dominance lately at intermediate-sized tracks following this past Sunday's Pure Michigan 400 at MIS. Jimmie Johnson was leading handily with seven laps remaining before his engine promptly laid down and exploded with five laps left. Kasey Kahne, who was second rebounded after a lap 64 accident that saw him pile into Mark Martin and Juan Pablo Monotya, then spin down through the infield grass.
Three of the last four downforce wins have been HMS cars, with dominating performances from Kasey Kahne at Kansas, and Jimmie Johnson's outside lane pass on Keselowski to win the Brickyard 400.
"There's parts and pieces on the car that are moving after inspection that makes the cars more competitive," Keselowski said after the race. "Some guys have it, some don't. There's a question as to the interpretation of the rule. Penske Racing errs on the safe side because we don't want to be the guys that get the big penalty."
Its usually about this time of year that teams start rolling out the new pieces and evaluating what will work come Chase time, and the No. 48 team is no exception. It was October of last year where Chad Knaus instructed Johnson to crack up the back of the car had he won, and several years ago at Dover, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. remarked over the radio that the No. 48 looked like a monster truck from behind, courtesy of some trick shocks that were quickly made illegal once NASCAR inspected them.
I can see where Keselowski would be leery of bending the rules and having something turn up during inspection. After all, it was at Loudon last year when the No. 22 of Kurt Busch was late getting through tech and not on the grid until the engines fired. That triggered a caught on camera outburst to ESPN reporter Jamie Little, as well as an observed meltdown during driver introductions that many teams warned their drivers about prior to the green flag flying. Another blow up with Dr. Jerry Punch that was a YouTube sensation following the season finale at Homestead brought about Busch's dismissal from Penske Racing.
Probably best to play it on the safe side, and check with NASCAR first....avoid any potential ugly on-air incidents or 150-point/car-confiscating fines.
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Should the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team and Kyle Busch miss The Chase this season, they can likely look at Michigan as the reason why. Busch skipped Saturday's Happy Hour to fly to Montreal to drive his No. 54 Monster Energy entry in the Nationwide race. The choice was described as a "business decision," with Busch needing to honor a sponsor commitment for his Kyle Busch Motorsports team. Once there, Busch drove to a lackluster 13th-place finish, disappointing considering he was the defending race champion. Now, he'll desperately needing a victory to secure a "wild card" spot in the Chase in three weeks.
After the race at MIS Sunday, Crew Chief Dave Rogers took the blame, saying he put the wrong shock package under the No. 18.
Perhaps if Busch was there to drive the car in final practice, they would have discovered this and put the right shock package under it. After all, Busch is one of the few drivers who is adept at chassis tuning and providing accurate mechanical input to the team. Besides, hasn't Busch proved enough in Nationwide by winning the most races in Series history? Hasn't it been the No. 18 team's failure to have a complete, solid, Championship-contending Chase that has always drawn his ire and negative comments?
I understand he's running his own operation and sometimes you have to do what the sponsor requests… but come on, a Nationwide race in Quebec? Is Monster the official energy drink of secession or something? Like you couldn't get Boris Said or another road race ace to man the controls for that weekend. I'm sure Rusty still has some trail-braking chops left in him, and would have gladly squeezed through the window hole.
Perhaps when committing to races for the year with Monster he was looking at the races on the schedule and was figuring which ones he could conceivably miss. If not for the last lap oil incident at Watkins Glen – or the three races in a row with failures of TRD supplied engines (which were brought in lieu of the JGR engine program for increased reliability…) – Busch would not be in the position that he's in now. Whatever the case, if you're a Cup driver, you're a Cup driver, and that should be your main focus.
Besides, after getting benched by M&M's for a race last year following the Truck Series wreck at Texas, I would be more concerned with their status than running the Nationwide car north of the border.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @VitoPugliese.
~~~~~~~~~~
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--
The Critic's Annex: UNOH Perfect Storm 150
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where I take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. Normally, this piece covers a race telecast that runs the weekend prior that I simply could not fit into the regular critique. Not so this week. While the Camping World Truck Series raced last night in a rather short 200-lap race (it was done in about 80 minutes), the Whelen Modified Tour and the Whelen Southern Modified Tour had a combination race that served as the preliminary event on the docket.
As of right now, last night's UNOH Perfect Storm 150 is the only Modified race scheduled to be televised at all in 2012, at least according to the listings at NASCAR Home Tracks, NASCAR's website for the regional divisions (K&N East and West, the Canadian Tire Series, etc.). That, of course, is a dang shame, simple as that. Some of the best races out there involve these two Modified series, especially the two races each year at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
For a race like this one, SPEED tends to bring out their most knowledgeable personalities about the class. No shooting the race and recording commentary in post-production here. Mike Joy and the semi-retired Dick Berggren were in the broadcast booth for SPEED. This is easily the best duo to have upstairs for a race like this. Joy doesn't spend a lot of time in the Northeast these days, but still has lots of information about the series and their drivers. Berggren is also well-versed in Modified racing. The duo was a joy to listen to. They're both very enthusiastic about this type of racing and it shows in their commentary.
Prior to the race, there was a pre-race interview with Mike Stefanik and a recap of qualifying, where Donny Lia busted up the "Mystic Missile" and was forced to race Todd Szegedy's backup car (Note: If you're wondering who Tim Connolly, who drove the No. 24 for SR2 Motorsports in the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen is, he drove the aforementioned Missile back in the 1990's and was very successful). Now, this race was advertised as being aired live. However, I believe that the race was time-shifted, at least early on. The red flag for the big pileup was reported as being 13 minutes long. It seemed more like five minutes. Mind you, there was a commercial in there, but it wasn't an eight-minute break. However, the various yellows and two red flags (three if you count the Halftime Break) pushed the race long, so it was completely live by the end.
During that first yellow, SPEED showed pictures of some old-school Modifieds from Stafford Motor Speedway and Waterford Speedbowl (a couple of short tracks in Northeast Connecticut that are within 30 miles of each other). Those pictures from between the 1940's and 1960's showed off the old days of Modified racing. In reality, there really wasn't all that much of a difference between pavement and dirt Modifieds until the mid-to-late 1970's.
Joy explained that the main reason why the race had a Halftime Break is so that teams didn't need to spend extra money on ultra-fast pit crews. That's fine and all. However, Bob Dillner probably should not get in the way of the jackman during a stop. I feel like Szegedy's jackman was about to give Dillner a forearm shiver while he was trying to do an interview. While I have no problem with doing interviews during the Halftime Break, you have to be aware of your surroundings. Can't get in the way of the crews doing their work. I'd argue that that's day one-type stuff.
Also of note, SPEED did have their scroll in use for the race. However, it was only there part-time. As a result, Joy and Berggren had to keep viewers informed of the running order audibly, something that happens only sparingly in telecasts that are usually covered here. Luckily, both Joy and Berggren are longtime veterans of race commentary, so they were able to take care of that without a problem.
Since the race ran so long, post-race coverage was limited. There was an interview with the winner, Ron Silk, along with a check of the Unofficial Results before SPEED moved on to NCWTS Setup.
As sad as this sounds, the Modifieds are the only series in NASCAR (at least the only series that are still around) that have not benefitted from SPEED's commitment to NASCAR. The two series received limited coverage on the network via tape delay, than got farmed out to Versus (now the NBC Sports Network). You might remember those telecasts as being the ones where Jimmy Spencer served as an expert analyst (yes, he's a former champion in Modifieds, but he's also Jimmy Spencer). Versus didn't return for 2011, so the series got limited coverage on SPEED and I'm confident that 2012 will be the least televised season in over 20 years for the series.
As a result of this lack of coverage, SPEED's telecast took an educational slant. Yes, I'm familiar with the series, but a lot of race fans no longer are. Some of the drivers (Szegedy, Lia, Stefanik) have raced in the upper levels of NASCAR in the past. Lia won the Camping World Truck Series Ohio 250 at Mansfield Motorsports Park in 2008, while Szegedy nearly got crushed by a giant orange in 2004 at Chicagoland Speedway. Ryan Newman is Ryan Newman.
I did enjoy watching the race on SPEED. However, it seems like even though the Camping World Truck Series race (the UNOH 200) was right after this event, some of the production staff that SPEED had at the track chose not to work the telecast. I know they only had two in-car cameras, which meant that one controller from BSI could take a powder break, but it seems like half the replay officials were out enjoying a pizza or something. A number of the incidents in the race didn't even have any replays to help viewers figure out what the deuce happened. Since there was so much going on in the race, Joy and Berggren were often focusing on something else when these wrecks happened.
That's all for this week. Check out next week's edition of the Critic's Annex, when I'll take a look at the NBC Sports Network's telecast of the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma from Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California. Until then, enjoy the racing this weekend from Bristol and Sonoma.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Potts' Shots: How To Flag On A Road Course
"I also recall having to black flag a Ferrari at an open practice once for taking the wrong route. Only problem was, I picked up the wrong flag; the car owner was understandably furious. Turned out he wasn't as mad as the Italian driver, though who stormed up to me and shouted, "You gave-a me de meat-a-ball!"" - John Potts, on an occasion when he screwed up while flagging at Indianapolis Raceway Park's road course.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
--
The Critic's Annex: UNOH Perfect Storm 150
by Phil Allaway
Hello, race fans. Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where I take an additional look at motorsports-related programming. Normally, this piece covers a race telecast that runs the weekend prior that I simply could not fit into the regular critique. Not so this week. While the Camping World Truck Series raced last night in a rather short 200-lap race (it was done in about 80 minutes), the Whelen Modified Tour and the Whelen Southern Modified Tour had a combination race that served as the preliminary event on the docket.
As of right now, last night's UNOH Perfect Storm 150 is the only Modified race scheduled to be televised at all in 2012, at least according to the listings at NASCAR Home Tracks, NASCAR's website for the regional divisions (K&N East and West, the Canadian Tire Series, etc.). That, of course, is a dang shame, simple as that. Some of the best races out there involve these two Modified series, especially the two races each year at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
For a race like this one, SPEED tends to bring out their most knowledgeable personalities about the class. No shooting the race and recording commentary in post-production here. Mike Joy and the semi-retired Dick Berggren were in the broadcast booth for SPEED. This is easily the best duo to have upstairs for a race like this. Joy doesn't spend a lot of time in the Northeast these days, but still has lots of information about the series and their drivers. Berggren is also well-versed in Modified racing. The duo was a joy to listen to. They're both very enthusiastic about this type of racing and it shows in their commentary.
Prior to the race, there was a pre-race interview with Mike Stefanik and a recap of qualifying, where Donny Lia busted up the "Mystic Missile" and was forced to race Todd Szegedy's backup car (Note: If you're wondering who Tim Connolly, who drove the No. 24 for SR2 Motorsports in the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen is, he drove the aforementioned Missile back in the 1990's and was very successful). Now, this race was advertised as being aired live. However, I believe that the race was time-shifted, at least early on. The red flag for the big pileup was reported as being 13 minutes long. It seemed more like five minutes. Mind you, there was a commercial in there, but it wasn't an eight-minute break. However, the various yellows and two red flags (three if you count the Halftime Break) pushed the race long, so it was completely live by the end.
During that first yellow, SPEED showed pictures of some old-school Modifieds from Stafford Motor Speedway and Waterford Speedbowl (a couple of short tracks in Northeast Connecticut that are within 30 miles of each other). Those pictures from between the 1940's and 1960's showed off the old days of Modified racing. In reality, there really wasn't all that much of a difference between pavement and dirt Modifieds until the mid-to-late 1970's.
Joy explained that the main reason why the race had a Halftime Break is so that teams didn't need to spend extra money on ultra-fast pit crews. That's fine and all. However, Bob Dillner probably should not get in the way of the jackman during a stop. I feel like Szegedy's jackman was about to give Dillner a forearm shiver while he was trying to do an interview. While I have no problem with doing interviews during the Halftime Break, you have to be aware of your surroundings. Can't get in the way of the crews doing their work. I'd argue that that's day one-type stuff.
Also of note, SPEED did have their scroll in use for the race. However, it was only there part-time. As a result, Joy and Berggren had to keep viewers informed of the running order audibly, something that happens only sparingly in telecasts that are usually covered here. Luckily, both Joy and Berggren are longtime veterans of race commentary, so they were able to take care of that without a problem.
Since the race ran so long, post-race coverage was limited. There was an interview with the winner, Ron Silk, along with a check of the Unofficial Results before SPEED moved on to NCWTS Setup.
As sad as this sounds, the Modifieds are the only series in NASCAR (at least the only series that are still around) that have not benefitted from SPEED's commitment to NASCAR. The two series received limited coverage on the network via tape delay, than got farmed out to Versus (now the NBC Sports Network). You might remember those telecasts as being the ones where Jimmy Spencer served as an expert analyst (yes, he's a former champion in Modifieds, but he's also Jimmy Spencer). Versus didn't return for 2011, so the series got limited coverage on SPEED and I'm confident that 2012 will be the least televised season in over 20 years for the series.
As a result of this lack of coverage, SPEED's telecast took an educational slant. Yes, I'm familiar with the series, but a lot of race fans no longer are. Some of the drivers (Szegedy, Lia, Stefanik) have raced in the upper levels of NASCAR in the past. Lia won the Camping World Truck Series Ohio 250 at Mansfield Motorsports Park in 2008, while Szegedy nearly got crushed by a giant orange in 2004 at Chicagoland Speedway. Ryan Newman is Ryan Newman.
I did enjoy watching the race on SPEED. However, it seems like even though the Camping World Truck Series race (the UNOH 200) was right after this event, some of the production staff that SPEED had at the track chose not to work the telecast. I know they only had two in-car cameras, which meant that one controller from BSI could take a powder break, but it seems like half the replay officials were out enjoying a pizza or something. A number of the incidents in the race didn't even have any replays to help viewers figure out what the deuce happened. Since there was so much going on in the race, Joy and Berggren were often focusing on something else when these wrecks happened.
That's all for this week. Check out next week's edition of the Critic's Annex, when I'll take a look at the NBC Sports Network's telecast of the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma from Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California. Until then, enjoy the racing this weekend from Bristol and Sonoma.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Potts' Shots: How To Flag On A Road Course
"I also recall having to black flag a Ferrari at an open practice once for taking the wrong route. Only problem was, I picked up the wrong flag; the car owner was understandably furious. Turned out he wasn't as mad as the Italian driver, though who stormed up to me and shouted, "You gave-a me de meat-a-ball!"" - John Potts, on an occasion when he screwed up while flagging at Indianapolis Raceway Park's road course.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Potts' Shots: How To Flag On A Road Course
by John Potts
Professor Of Speed: A Mindful Mind Full
by Mark Howell
Truckin' Thursdays: Through Ups And Downs, Red Horse Racing Remains Red Hot
by Beth Lunkenheimer
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Bristol has played host to multiple bumping matches over the years. The 2001 Sharpie 500 was no different. Who got into it multiple times with each other during the race?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: For Geoff Bodine, the 1997 Goody's Headache Powders 500 was actually a pretty good race. Bodine managed to avoid the various wrecks and came home on the lead lap in ninth. However, he lost something important during the race. What was it?
A: Bodine lost his Crew Chief during the race. Pat Tryson, now at Front Row Motorsports, literally up and quit during the race, leaving Bodine to serve as his own crew chief for the rest of the night. Apparently, Tryson was unhappy with how orders were being given with the team, so he just walked away. ESPN's Bill Weber can be heard describing what happened at the 9:10 mark of this clip.Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Jeff Wolfe
-- In Case You Missed It by Nick Schwartz
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Bristol by Summer Bedgood
The race weekend is already underway in Bristol, but Summer will help prepare you for the remainder of Bristol's slate of night races.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy returns this week with another interesting Friday commentary.
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece on the Nationwide Series to prepare you for Friday night's Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
Driver Diary: Regan Smith as told to Tony Lumbis
Regan returns to discuss his past month on and off the track. Should be interesting since Todd Berrier has taken over as crew chief since his last entry.
-----------------------------
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