The Frontstretch Newsletter: November 15th, 2012

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 15th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCXXX
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DONATE TO HELP HURRICANE SANDY VICTIMS
Millions are grappling with the effects from one of the more devastating hurricanes to hit the United States. If you're in an unaffected area, please consider donating to help others who will spend months rebuilding their lives and their homes after Sandy whipped onshore with winds of 80 miles an hour.  Call 1-800-RED-CROSS, visit redcross.org or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation today. Every little bit helps.

What to Watch: Thursday

- Tonight, SPEED premieres a new documentary, Kurt Busch: The Outlaw.  By all accounts, it is a very interesting piece.  Look for it at 8:00pm EST.

- In addition, today is Media Day for the 12 Chasers ahead of the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  The interviews and quotes will start slinging around Noon today.  SPEED is currently scheduled to show Media Day coverage right after Kurt Busch: The Outlaw at 9:00pm EST

Top News
by Phil Allaway

Jimmy Fennig to the No. 99, Chad Norris to the Nationwide Series for 2013

FoxSports.com's Lee Spencer is reporting that Jimmy Fennig, currently the crew chief on Matt Kenseth's No. 17 Fords, will move over to the No. 99 team and driver Carl Edwards for the 2013 Sprint Cup season.  Chad Norris, who took over the No. 99's pit box after Bob Osborne was forced to step aside due to health reasons, will move to the No. 60 team in the Nationwide Series.  As Frontstretch reported recently, that seat will likely be occupied by Travis Pastrana. 

Scott Graves, who currently works as Edwards' lead engineer and who made his debut as a crew chief in the Nationwide Series at Watkins Glen, will serve as Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.'s crew chief on the No. 17.

Car owner Jack Roush is excited about the swap.

"We are excited about this change on both fronts," Roush said.  "Pairing two highly successful veterans like Carl and Jimmy should be quite a matchup and it is our expectation based on what Jimmy has been able to accomplish with many high profile drivers, that it will provide the spark needed to get the No. 99 program and Carl back into championship form."

Edwards is currently 15th in Sprint Cup points with three top-5 and 13 top-10 finishes.  These are the worst stats of his career (his previous worst finish in points after running a full season was 12th in 2006).  In addition, he has not visited Victory Lane since last year's Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 68 races ago.

Leffler to Drive for Hillman Racing at Homestead

On Wednesday, Hillman Racing announced that Jason Leffler will take over the reigns of their No. 27 Chevrolet for Friday night's Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  Leffler replaces Ryan Truex, who finished a strong ninth last Friday night at Phoenix International Raceway, leading 22 laps along the way.

Team owner Mike Hillman, Sr. is happy to have Leffler onboard for this weekend.

"With the addition of Jason Leffler for this weekend's finale in Homestead, we're looking to build on the positive results and momentum from the past few weeks with Ryan Truex," Hillman said.  "I know Jason [Overstreet, crew chief] is looking forward to working with [Leffler] again from their days at Ultra Motorsports and his experience will undoubtedly be a benefit for the second truck with Travis Miller as he continues his development."

Leffler's No. 27 will carry sponsorship this weekend from Chesapeake, Virginia-based Little Joe's Autos, a dealership owned by Circle Point, LLC owner Joe Falk that primarily sells used cars.  In addition, the dealership's website notes that they also hold Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Isuzu franchises.  However, Isuzu pulled out of the U.S. passenger vehicle market in 2008 and Suzuki of America's recent bankruptcy filing may leave Little Joe's with only a weak Mitsubishi brand in the near future.

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

Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400: 47 cars entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 6- Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 22- Sam Hornish, Jr. for Penske Racing
No. 79- Reed Sorenson for Go Green Racing
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
No. 91- Jason Leffler for Humphrey-Smith Racing

Driver Changes:
No. 10- David Reutimann returns to the seat, replacing Danica Patrick.
No. 32- Ken Schrader returns to the seat, replacing Timmy Hill.
No. 79- Reed Sorenson is in the seat, replacing Kelly Bires.

Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 6- Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 19- Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 21- Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 23- Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports*
No. 26- Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30- David Stremme for Inception Motorsports
No. 33- Stephen Leicht for Circle Point, LLC*
No. 37- J.J. Yeley for Tommy Baldwin Racing/MaxQ Motorsports*
No. 79- Reed Sorenson for Go Green Racing*
No. 87- Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 91- Jason Leffler for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 98- Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing*

Entered, but Already Withdrawn:
No. 44- Xxxtreme Motorsports

Nationwide Series Ford EcoBoost 300:  48 cars entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 5- Regan Smith for JR Motorsports
No. 18- Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 21- Joey Coulter for Richard Childress Racing
No. 22- Ryan Blaney for Penske Racing
No. 30- Dakoda Armstrong for Turner Motorsports
No. 33- Brendan Gaughan for Richard Childress Racing
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Racing, LLC
No. 47- J.J. Yeley for Team Motorsports Racing, LLC
No. 54- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports

Driver Changes:
No. 08- Jeffrey Earnhardt is in the seat, replacing Paulie Harraka.
No. 4- Danny Efland returns to the seat, replacing Daryl Harr.
No. 5- Regan Smith is in the seat, replacing Ron Fellows.
No. 10- Mike Bliss returns to the seat, replacing Jeff Green.
No. 15- Timmy Hill returns to the seat, replacing Carl Long.
No. 19- Hal Martin returns to the seat, replacing Mike Bliss.
No. 20- Ryan Truex returns to the seat, replacing Brian Vickers.
No. 22- Ryan Blaney returns to the seat, replacing Brad Keselowski.
No. 23- Robert Richardson, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Jamie Dick.
No. 27- Andrew Ranger returns to the seat, replacing J.J. Yeley.
No. 30- Dakoda Armstrong is in the seat, replacing Jason Leffler.  This will be Armstrong's Nationwide Series debut.
No. 38- Brad Sweet returns to the seat, replacing Kasey Kahne.
No. 41- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Noel Dowler.
No. 70- Johanna Long returns to the seat, replacing Nur Ali and Timmy Hill.
No. 74- An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Mike Harmon.
No. 91- Jeff Green returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines.
No. 99- Kenny Wallace returns to the seat, replacing Alex Bowman.

Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00- Blake Koch for SR2 Motorsports/Ruch Motorsports*
No. 08- Jeffrey Earnhardt for Randy Hill Racing/Go Green Racing
No. 5- Regan Smith for JR Motorsports
No. 8- Scott Lagasse, Jr. for TeamSLR
No. 10- Mike Bliss for TriStar Motorsports
No. 20- Ryan Truex for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 21- Joey Coulter for Richard Childress Racing
No. 27- Andrew Ranger for GC Motorsports International
No. 41- Unknown driver for Rick Ware Racing
No. 42- Josh Wise for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 46- Chase Miller for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 47- J.J. Yeley for Team Motorsports Group, LLC*
No. 52- Joey Gase for Means Motorsports
No. 74- Unknown driver for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75- Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 86- Kevin Lepage for Deware Motorsports*
No. 91- Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports*
No. 98- Kevin Swindell for Biagi-DenBeste Racing

Not Entered:
No. 73- Derrike Cope
No. 89- Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Motor Ventures

Camping World Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200: 39 trucks entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 0- Blake Koch for JJC Racing
No. 5- Aric Almirola for Wauters Motorsports
No. 18- Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing

Driver Changes:
No. 07- Jeff Agnew returns to the seat, replacing Ross Chastain.
No. 08- Ross Chastain returns to the seat, replacing Todd Peck.
No. 5- Aric Almirola returns to the seat, replacing John King.
No. 18- Kyle Busch returns to the seat, replacing Brian Scott.
No. 20- Dusty Davis is in the seat, replacing Rick Crawford.
No. 25- Travis Miller is in the seat, replacing Stephen Leicht.
No. 27- Jason Leffler is in the seat, replacing Ryan Truex.
No. 74- Mike Harmon returns to the seat, replacing Brian Weber.
No. 93- Ryan Lynch is in the seat, replacing Dennis Setzer.

Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 0- Blake Koch for JJC Racing*
No. 01- Jake Crum for Crum Motorsports
No. 4- Kyle Larson for Turner Motorsports
No. 5- Aric Almirola for Wauters Motorsports
No. 7- Parker Kligerman for Red Horse Racing
No. 8- Max Gresham for Eddie Sharp Racing
No. 10- Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 20- Dusty Davis for BRG Motorsports
No. 25- Travis Miller for Hillman Racing
No. 38- Chris Jones for RSS Racing*
No. 51- German Quiroga for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 74- Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 81- David Starr for Arrington Racing
No. 82- Sean Corr for Empire Racing
*- Expected to Start-and-Park

Not Entered:
No. 19- David Mayhew for Brad Keselowski Racing
No. 35- Matt Merrell for Win-Tron Racing
No. 97- Jeff Choquette for Adrian Carriers Racing

Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
 
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com; and, if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when she does her weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Frontstretch Fan Q & A will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!

Today's Featured Commentary
Quick Shots for November 14th
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese

It used to be the greatest indictment of NASCAR after a controversial event was that it was "becoming just like big-time wrestling."  Which after this weekend's fracas at Phoenix International Raceway I say, "FINALLY."

Let's be honest.  Wrestling is awesome.  Back in the late 1990's when NASCAR was in its heyday and being thrust into the public conscious (FOX's Steel Chariots, anyone?), wrestling had hit its high water mark as well.  Whether you were into the WWF's Monday Night Raw or WCW's Monday Nitro, things didn't get much better; mix in Wrestlemania, Starrcade, Halloween Havoc, Royal Rumble, or any other Pay-Per-View special, and you have the perfect parallel to between that and whatever race was happening that particular weekend.  This past Sunday reminded us why we started watching NASCAR in the first place: a championship on the line, a three-way brand battle between Chevrolet, Dodge, and Toyota, and the classic battle of The Establishment vs. The Newcomer.

In a span of about two minutes, all of this degenerated into a guy fueled up on 5-Hour Energy trying to run down the AARP.  

The fines that followed were pocket change considering the driver's salaries and that the fine money goes into the point fund…meaning they'll probably just get most of it back at the end of the year.  Who knows, maybe it's still tax deductible too?

As has been proven yet again this year, the races worth watching and those that actually provided some the excitement and entertainment that drew us into racing to begin with, was provided by a short track. 

Yeah I know – calling a one-miler a short track is like calling a stockcar a stock car….deal with it.

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Entering the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend, all Brad Keselowski has to do is essentially not wreck the car, not run it out of gas, not have a pit penalty, or have some other bizarre set of circumstances befall the No. 2 team, and they will win the first Cup title for team owner Roger Penske.  In doing so, they he will also win the first championship at the wheel of a Dodge since Richard Petty in 1975.

And after doing that, Dodge will promptly exit the sport, Seinfeld-style, while Penske defects to Ford for 2013 and beyond.

This was a move I never quite understood, and as the season unfolded, I still fail to see the upside to this venture.  Had Dodge came to the game with a little more money and a couple of extra teams to help spread the burden of developing what is essentially the third generation of the COT, perhaps The Captain would not have set sail for the Blue Oval waters back in March.

Even more remarkable than switching car makes as you're about to break control from the General Motors and Hendrick headlock that has been on the sport since 2006, is the fact that Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite team are doing so as essentially a one-man band.  They have had three teammates in less than a year between Kurt Busch, AJ Allmendinger, and Sam Hornish, Jr. – all of which carried about its own swirl of controversy and distraction.  It's not that much different than what Richard Petty was doing in the mid-late 1970's either: there weren't a lot of Dodges back then, and the last real Charger rolled off the assembly line in 1974; that didn't stop The King and Chief from winning races and championships – even as mother Mopar was circling the drain and in desperate times.

For those who have followed motorsports for some time, or are familiar with the golden age of muscle cars, this is typical Chrysler.  Late to the party, go out with a bang, and give up just as you get it figured out.

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Getting back to Jeff Gordon's little freakout last weekend, there's somebody else who's actions were not exactly becoming of him – though not entirely unseen.

Call it incidental contact if you wish, but Jeff Burton's contact with Danica Patrick looked about as casual as it did when he hooked Jeff Gordon (total coincidence) at Texas a couple of years ago, which resulted in the shoving match between the two.  Patrick's half-spin and chicanery on the frontstretch resulted into a lot of mangled race cars, among them Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Paul Menard, and Mark Martin's fancy new lightweight/low center of gravity MWR in-house one off.

Nobody ever really thinks of going after Burton or getting into it with him after any such an incident.  Mainly because as The Mayor by the time you got to him, he'd start things off with a "well, let's take a look at how this all started…"…five minutes later, you'd forget when you were mad or even came over there in the first place.

Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer/Assistant Editor for Frontstretch.  He can be reached via e-mail at vito.pugliese@frontstretch.com.  Follow him on Twitter at @VitoPugliese.

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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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The Critic's Annex: Beyond 200: The Hendrick Motorsports Story
by Phil Allaway

, which will be hosted by Rick Hendrick himself.  Until then, I hope you enjoy the action this weekend in Phoenix.enn te y, BBwith aMouuyyyou I TujaoidsjioajdsoiadsjadsiojIIII o fineed caughto hapviewttnnn'ttoocovir Howiyjoy the or o FI
Hello, race fans.  Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where we take an additional look at motorsports-related programming that is available to the general public.  Last weekend, after the throw down known as the AdvoCare 500k, SPEED premiered a special about Hendrick Motorsports.  Now, some people were dismissing the show up front as a "Hendrick Motorsports infomercial."  I'm not willing to write off a show that quickly.  Let's take a look.

Technically, the special was commissioned in commemoration of Hendrick Motorsports' 200th victory in Sprint Cup, which occurred in the Bojangles' Southern 500 back in May.  Since then, the team has earned a few more victories to add to that total.  The goal of the show was to gather a number of Hendrick drivers, past and present, to talk about the organization's biggest memories.  Who was there?  Hendrick's currents drivers (Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Jeff Gordon), as well as former drivers Geoff Bodine (1984-1989, Darrell Waltrip (1987-1990), Ken Schrader (1988-1996) and Terry Labonte (1994-2007).

Hendrick himself hosts the special from inside of the Hendrick Heritage Museum at Hendrick Motorsports' sprawling complex.  From there, they started at the beginning.  A clip was shown of the formation announcement of the team from late 1983.  In the Together film from a couple of years ago, there was a little more footage shown of said press conference in which Hendrick fielded questions from the assembled media as well.

Shortly afterwards, the discussion shifted to the team's struggles due to lack of sponsorship.  Yes, they won their eighth race at Martinsville, but the team was almost dead by then.  Footage of Bodine talking to ESPN's Bob Jenkins via radio link-up from the garage area was shown.  At that time, the team didn't have a primary sponsor (Gambler Chassis Co. was on the hood, while Hendrick's own City Chevrolet was on the TV panel).  The team was broke and only went to Martinsville as a last gasp.  Hendrick is very thankful for Bodine's success that helped the team stay afloat until they got sponsorship.

From there, the discussion shifted to the rivalry between Bodine and Dale Earnhardt that marked much of the mid-1980's.  Let's just say that they didn't like each other much.  Hendrick was naturally pretty sick of his cars getting wrecked constantly by Earnhardt and (according to Bodine), he told him to do something about it or find a new ride.

Waltrip talked about his favorite Hendrick win, naturally the 1989 Daytona 500.  That should surprise nobody by now.  Afterwards, he wondered if Schrader was a bit sore (emotionally) from the defeat.  Schrader's answer:  At first, no.  He went to Victory Lane and joked around with Waltrip after CBS' telecast ended.  However, the day after the race was when it hit him.

Speaking of Schrader, he was probably the least successful of the drivers on the panel.  He had four wins for Hendrick Motorsports, but none after June, 1991.  However, Schrader is a great storyteller.  He's the kind of the guy that would be great to just sit with and listen to him tell stories about his career.  After his nasty crash at Talladega in 1995, Schrader talks about how a couple of days after the wreck, he was talking to a couple of Earnhardt's crewmembers.  One claimed that he felt sorry for Gordon since he was a complete wreck after the...wreck, while the other (Chocolate Myers) only felt sorry for Schrader because he wrecked.

Schrader also talked about the infamous time that he took Earnhardt Jr. out to "an adult establishment" (Hendrick's words) when he was underage.  Long story short, he got him drunk as heck.  Afterwards, Earnhardt wanted to get Schrader.

Terry Labonte talked about his big wreck at Phoenix in 1996 (the one that we referred to a trivia question last week), which was caused by a hung throttle entering Turn 3.  A rarely seen camera shot from just behind the wall in Turn 4 captured the incident perfectly (it did not make TNN's broadcast of the race back then).  Labonte then described how he took shots in his hand to numb it so that he could race in Phoenix.  His doctors did warn him that he may need to have surgery.  Labonte simply accepted that.

The idea of sharing information was brought up.  Today, this is a normal thing.  However, in the late 1980's, there was a lot of resistance to such a thing at every level of the team.  The late Randy Dorton played a big role in that when he unified the engine department.  He also dabbled in crew chiefing, despite apparently being clueless about basic car setup.

The idea of having a "Dream Team" was dismissed due to Waltrip's struggles for the first two years he was with the team.  Simply too many egos butting heads to work out.

I was confused over Gordon's explanation of how Earnhardt Jr. seemed so young to him when Earnhardt introduced them to each other.  Gordon is only three years older than Earnhardt Jr. is.  Couldn't have been that stark of a difference (Earnhardt Jr. claims he was 20 when he met Gordon, which would have been around 1995, when Gordon was going for his first Winston Cup).

One of the more interesting parts of the show was when Gordon talked about Hendrick taking him in briefly after his breakup with his ex-wife.  Basically, that was like reliving high school for him.  Granted, by this time, Gordon would have been in his early 30's after Brooke gave him the boot (and tried to take him for all he was worth in Divorce Court).  Car owners taking drivers into their homes during times of need is nothing new in NASCAR, and Hendrick and his wife, Lynda, were there for Gordon.

Naturally, the 2004 plane crash did get quite a bit of discussion on the show.  However, it didn't get anywhere near as much time as it did in the Together film.  There, the crash and fallout took up nearly half the film.  Here, it was a segment or so.  A strange story having to do with Earnhardt Jr.'s head bleeding was quasi-related to that because he was hanging out with Ricky Hendrick (a good friend of his) when he fell and apparently busted himself up.  At the track, Earnhardt Jr. wore a red bandana after this occurred.

Finally, the current and past drivers were split up in order to describe the Hendrick mentality.  What came out of this is that Hendrick laid the foundation for much of the team's current success in the early years of the team.  Hendrick appears to be a different kind of car owner, one that cares about everyone that works for him from the drivers to the people sweeping the floors.  As a result, everyone appears to be quite grateful to Hendrick for their successes (Waltrip is a notable exception because he was already a three-time champion before going to Hendrick).

I wish this program was longer than an hour.  Hendrick Motorsports is currently in their 29th season in the Sprint Cup Series and there really is a lot more to tell about the organization.  Being the kind of guy that loves some minutiae, I'd like to know if the team was really considering switching the No. 25 from Chevrolet to Pontiac in 1997.  I wish I could have heard a little bit about Tim Richmond.  Unfortunately, he's not here anymore and cannot speak for himself.  I also wish that Ricky Rudd was there (drove the No. 5 from 1990-1993).  That guy is a ghost these days, but I'm sure he would have had at least something interesting to add to the proceedings.

Hendrick worked out fine as a quasi-host.  Obviously, he knew what he was talking about because he had lived through it.  However, it was very apparent from the beginning just how much all eight members of the panel respect him.

If anyone was underused here, it was Kasey Kahne.  That was probably due to the fact that he's the newb of the bunch.  However, I feel like he could have added more to the show.  Maybe he did, but it got cut out in post-production.

Thank you for checking out my write-up of Beyond 200: The Hendrick Motorsports Story.  Next week, I'll have a look at SPEED's newest documentary, Kurt Busch: The Outlaw.  Since we will not be running an edition of the Frontstretch Newsletter next week on Thanksgiving, the critique will be running next Wednesday.  Until then, I hope you enjoy this weekend's action from Homestead and Austin.

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.

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Frontstretch Line of the Week

From Mirror Driving: Final Word On The Brawl, Crawling To A Title And Caution Controversy

"It only benefits the Marketing Department at Stewart-Haas. They have more time to create a grandmaster plan for Harvick."- Phil Allaway, on who wins from Kevin Harvick's move to Stewart-Haas for 2014.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Speeding Through Summer: Trucks And Tempers
by Summer Bedgood

Professor Of Speed: When Art Imitates Life
by Mark Howell

Truckin' Thursdays: The Secret To Red Horse Racing's 2012 Success
by Beth Lunkenheimer

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q:  In 1996, defending Busch Grand National Champion Johnny Benson only made one Busch appearance at Homestead.  Unfortunately, this one-off did not last very long.  What happened?

Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Wednesday's Answer:

Q:  In 2002, the main story at Homestead was the battle for the championship between Tony Stewart and Mark Martin. However, third-place starter Jimmy Spencer made a rather spectacular exit from the race on Lap 195. What happened?

A:  Spencer had a excellent final race in the Target Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, staying in the top-5 all day.  However, his car suddenly became out of control loose.  It turned out that Spencer had a flat right rear tire.  On Lap 195, the tire went down right at the end of the frontstretch.  Spencer's car then immediately swapped ends and went hard into the outside wall.  The hit caused a large fire that appeared to burn a credentialed photographer standing near the wall.  The crash can be seen at the 3:35 mark of this clip.  Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach, Jr. have the call for NBC.

Spencer climbed out of his Dodge Intrepid without assistance and walked away, but his car was a complete write-off.

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 Jeff Wolfe
-- In Case You Missed It by Beth Lunkenheimer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!

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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Four Burning Questions: Homestead by Matt Stallknecht
We'll help prepare you for the Ford EcoBoost 400, the final race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

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 as the teams get ready for Homestead this weekend.

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

Formula One Fridays by Andy Hollis
Andy returns with another look at the World Championship as the teams prepare for this weekend's Grand Prix of the United States at the brand new Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas.

Dakoda Armstrong Driver Diary as told to Beth Lunkenheimer
Dakoda returns for the final time this season to talk about some of the more interesting aspects of his past month ahead of his Nationwide Series debut.
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The Frontstretch Newsletter: November 14th, 2012

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 14th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCXXIX

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DONATE TO HELP HURRICANE SANDY VICTIMS
Millions are grappling with the effects from one of the more devastating hurricanes to hit the United States. If you're in an unaffected area, please consider donating to help others who will spend months rebuilding their lives and their homes after Sandy whipped onshore with winds of 80 miles an hour.  Call 1-800-RED-CROSS, visit redcross.org or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation today. Every little bit helps.

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Top News
by Brad Morgan

Trucks Possibly Headed To Dirt Track In 2013

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series may be headed for a place that none of the three major touring series have visited in the modern era.

Multiple sources have reported that the trucks will run at Eldora Speedway, a nationally famous, half-mile clay oval next season.  The Rossburg, Ohio based circuit is owned by Sprint Cup Series star Tony Stewart, who regularly hosts races at the track he purchased from original owner Earl Baltes in 2004.

"The rumor about the trucks, trust me I would be ecstatic--if we could get any NASCAR race at Eldora that would be great," Stewart said last month.  "It has been brought up in conversation but that is about as far as it has come right now."

Since the two-time champion issued that statement, it appears that NASCAR has become more serious in the pursuit to secure a race date for the venue, although no official announcement has been made.

With approximately 20,000 seats, the track could realistically accommodate a Camping World Truck Series event; but with no permanent on-site medical center, there are additional issues that need to be resolved.  According to Charlotte Observer writer Jim Utter, NASCAR officials are, however willing to bypass a rule that requires all sanctioned oval tracks to install SAFER barriers, another component that Eldora doesn't include.

Penalties Upheld Against No. 57 Truck Team

The National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel Tuesday upheld penalties against the No. 57 Camping World Truck Series team after considering the team's appeal.  Norm Benning owns and drives for the team.

The penalties were issued due to violations of Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing; Section 12-4J: (any determination by NASCAR Officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20B of the NASCAR Rule Book, or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the Event); Section 20B-2.3A: (any weight added to the truck must be bolted inside the body shell in an approved weight container and in a position acceptable to NASCAR Officials: Improperly attached weight to the truck bed cover) after the team failed its opening-day inspection on Oct. 4 prior to the Fred's 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Talladega Superspeedway.

The panel enforced the original $5,000 fine to crew chief Ted Walters and will keep him on probation until Dec. 31.  But, the No. 57 team has the right to appeal the decision to the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer for a final verdict.

Brian France Speaks on Panel about Social Change

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France joined National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner David Stern on a panel Tuesday at Yankee Stadium to speak about how sports can influence social change.

At Beyond Sport United: Sports Teams for Social Change, France and Stern focused on how their leagues can benefit the communities around them by using available resources in a more responsible manner.

"The mission of Beyond Sport is critically important," said France. "I look forward to collaborating with our friends from other sports to find ways that we can work together to galvanize our respective industries in an effort to make a substantive impact on the lives of local communities and fans of sport throughout the world."

France has plenty of experience with Beyond Sport, having spoken at their social summit in London prior to the Summer Olympics this year.  NASCAR is a founding member of the coalition that also includes Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, the Women's National Basketball Association, and the National Basketball Association.

"Beyond Sport United is an event born out of the idea that professional sports teams, as heroic brands with historic resonance, have the profound ability to be hubs of positive influence and resource within their communities," said Nick Keller, founder of Beyond Sport. "What impressed me at our London event was how much of what NASCAR was doing to drive social change here in the U.S. resonated with a global audience."

The Chairman was also joined by fellow racing personalities like NASCAR Foundation Board Member Rusty Wallace and Dr. Michael Lynch, NASCAR's managing director of green innovation.

Phoenix Ratings Fall Slightly Over 2011

This weekend's AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix saw rating slip slightly over last year.  The race received a 3.3 household share, which is the same as 2011, but the 2.8 rating overall, which translates into 4.423 million viewers, is down by about 343,000 total viewers compared to last year.

The 2012 number was higher than the 2.5 rating the race pulled in 2010.  Ratings have been down over 2011 in eight of the nine Chase races; only Chicago pulled in more fans through a year-to-year comparison.

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

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WRITE FOR US!
Hey Frontstretch Readers! Are you looking for a fast-growing website that can give you an opportunity to not only share your thoughts on racing, but have FUN doing it with a group of laid-back, dedicated personnel?  Well, we have the place for you. Frontstretch is actively seeking 1-3 additional writers for both our newsletter and website to add to our dedicated staff. Follow this link for more information on how you can become a weekly columnist for the site and / or newsletter!

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Today's Featured Commentary
Beth's Brief
Stewart Will Reach Milestone At Homestead, But His Place In History Already Assured
by Beth Lunkenheimer

This weekend, while Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson settle the Sprint Cup Series championship, 2011 champion Tony Stewart will make his 500th career start. In 499 races to date, the driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet has racked up 47 wins, 174 top 5s, 282 top 10s and three championships. And while those numbers are impressive, they only begin to scratch the surface of what has been a pretty spectacular career.

Stewart started his Sprint Cup life behind the wheel of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac with a bang, qualifying on the outside pole for the 1999 Daytona 500. Though he was relegated to a 28th-place finish, 19 laps behind the leaders, he wasn't one of the 15 cars that failed to finish that race. His rookie season only got better from there. Stewart became the first rookie in history to win three races in a single season, while snagging the Rookie of the Year title and a solid fourth-place result in the final point standings. The 1999 season began the still active 14-year streak of at least one race won in every season.

Stewart's first career win came that year at Richmond International Raceway, where he led 333 of 400 laps en route to victory lane before snapping up back-to-back victories at Phoenix and Homestead in the final few weeks of the year. And if that wasn't enough, 1999 marked the first year Stewart ran the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. He finished ninth and fourth in the two races, respectively. Though he skipped running both races in 2000, he was right back to the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in 2001 where he finished sixth and third.

After becoming the driver to win the most races during the 2000 season with six trips to victory lane, Stewart once again won three events in 2001. Fast forward to 2002, where Stewart started off the season on the wrong foot. Having started sixth in the Daytona 500, he completed just two laps before his engine let go, forcing him to settle for a dismal last-place finish, but Stewart was undeterred and snagged a fourth-place result at Rockingham the following week, jumping 19 spots in the standings. And from there he continued to climb his way back to the top before eventually grabbing the points lead following a solid runner-up finish to Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in October. Stewart went on to grab his first career championship by 38 markers over Mark Martin in a season that saw him snag three wins, 15 top 5s and 21 top 10s.

With just two victories, the 2003 season marked his worst points finish at the time in his career of seventh, and he following up in 2004 with two more wins and a sixth-place result in the standings. And that brings us to 2005, a year that was likely the best in his career until last season, but more on 2011 later. In the second year using the Chase system implemented by NASCAR in hopes of rewarding wins more than consistency, Stewart found himself as the number one seed for the Chase after the checkered flag flew over Richmond to end the "regular" season.

Having scored five victories in a span of seven races from Sonoma to Watkins Glen in the middle of the year, Stewart saw a 185-point lead over Greg Biffle shrink to just five markers thanks to the points reset. But that didn't deter the then-driver of the No. 2 Home Depot Chevrolet. He went on to post three runner-up finishes, seven top-10 results an an average finish of 8.7 en route to his second championship in four years.

Fast forward again to the 2008 season when Joe Gibbs Racing made the switch to Toyotas after having run Chevrolets for the previous five years. My husband told me not long after the announcement that he expected Stewart to bolt just as quickly as he could to get back behind the wheel of a Chevrolet. And he was right: in mid-2008, it was announced that Stewart had been let out of the final year of his contract with JGR to pursue other opportunities, something that shouldn't have come as a surprise given his loyalty to Chevrolet.

From there, Stewart became a co-owner at Haas CNC Racing and the team was renamed to Stewart-Haas Racing. The minute the announcement that Stewart would become an owner-driver with a team that hadn't exactly posted stellar numbers previously, speculation began about whether how he would perform in his first year as an owner. He headed to victory lane, but it wasn't until the 14th race of the year at Pocono he became the first owner-driver to score a points-paying win since Ricky Rudd had accomplished the feat back in 1998. Stewart went on to grab four wins, 15 top 5s and 23 top 10s, and while he was never a threat to win the championship, it was a season that was more than anyone--except perhaps Stewart and his loyal fans--could have imagined.

But one of the brightest shining moments of Stewart's career came last season. He went winless through 26 races and even stated in late August "it really doesn't matter whether we make the Chase or not because we are going to be occupying a spot in the Chase that somebody else that actually can run for a championship is going to be trying to take because our stuff is so bad right now." Little did he know that would all change for the better. Stewart went on to visit victory lane five times in the last ten races en route to a points tie with Carl Edwards, one that Stewart came out on top of thanks to those wins.

Of course with all of the highlights comes plenty of attention both good and bad, and Stewart's career has not been without incident. But the bottom line is that Tony Stewart has had one heck of a career and still has plenty of time to add to his numbers. And I'm sure he'd love nothing more than to head to victory lane this weekend in his 500th race.

Beth Lunkenheimer is a Managing Editor for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via email at beth.lunkenheimer@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter @Beth_Frntstrtch.

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Frontstretch Poll Results
We asked you to answer the following question in our Facebook poll on Monday: Who, if anyone, should be penalized for Sunday's late-race melee at Phoenix?

44.4% said Jeff Gordon only
22.2% said the pit crews only
22.2% said everyone involved: Bowyer, Gordon, and the crews
11.1% said nobody

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The Eyes Have It!
In our newest Facebook feature, we posted a photo of a driver inside a helmet, and asked you to identify which driver it was based only on the eyes.  Monday's photo was Ryan Newman. 

Congratulations to Chad Cole, the first reader to correctly identify Newman in the photo.

Other readers with the correct answer include: Corey Casagrande, Connie Snow, Gayle Lewis, Doug Heveron, Newman Nation, Yvonne Leonard, Cheryl Hryn, Kelly O'Brien, John Dosch, Chad Van Vossen, Jon Haney, Pam Johnson, Lucia Bush, Son Vol, and Wendy Nelson.

Other guesses included Kasey Kahne, AJ Allmendinger, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, and Mark Martin.

We will run a new photo each Monday and Wednesday throughout the offseason, and list the readers with the correct answer here in our newsletter (Facebook rules prohibit us giving a prize, but hey—at least you'll get your name in lights!).  Go to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Frontstretch) to join the fun!

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Tweet 'N' Greet
by Summer Bedgood

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

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

@ivandebosch (Ingrid Vandebosch): 6 years ago today I married the love of my life! The best thing that ever happened to me :)

@NASCAR_Realtime: Appears the exit polls show a correlation w #NASCAR's declining ratings. Vast majority of Obama supporters are young, educated or a minority

@NASCAR_Realtime: Those r the same demographics #NASCAR has seen sharp declines in (young & college grads) or has never been able to engage (minorities).

@JeffGordonWeb: Amazing life amazing wife @ivandebosch! 6 wonderful yrs! 2 beautiful, healthy children and a lot of great memories. Happy Anniversary!

@truckpits (Ray Dunlap): 4 different race team GM's tell me that the election results squash potential sponsorship deals for 2013. That's bad news....

@dcaraviello (David Caraviello): Dates are set for #NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona: Jan. 10-12, with cars on track (weather permitting) from 9 am-5 pm each day.

@Amanda_Speed: Totally just caught @scottspeed singing on camera....... Lmao!!!!!!! http://telly.com/44ECH

@stevearpin: Had a big list of sponsors to follow up on if Romney got elected last night, guess I'll slip that book away and keep digging! #fb

@Ryan_Truex: Ill be going in circles competitively "@mechmax: @Ryan_Truex Can you posssibly tell us your 2013 plans yet ? thank you."

@DanicaPatrick: So wonderful and exciting to hear @DrBobParsons say I was going to be in both @GoDaddy Super Bowl spots! How lucky am I?!!!

@MStall41 (Matt Stalknecht): Rumor Alert: #NASCAR may ditch the planned low downforce package for the 2013 cars and is looking at a high downfoce package and 100 less HP

@JamieLittleESPN: Someone is realllly excited to go to his first race! @NASCARESPN pic.twitter.com/cxNDDBZx

@MartySmithESPN: @JimmieJohnson: "I want to be considered the greatest driver ever to sit in a stock car."

@tomjensen100: ESPN reporting @kevinharvick moving to @stewarthaasrcng in 2014.

@Kenny_Wallace: BIG Congrats @bscottracing That was a WIN I was Happy to see :)

@jaywpennell: Same thing ruined @Elliott_Sadler's title hopes last year, sent him to a backup today & ruined his title hopes today. Tough deal. #NASCAR

@ClintBowyer: I'm absolutely sick for my buddy @Elliott_Sadler!!!!!!!!!!

@StacyStenhouse: @StenhouseJr finishes 3rd he will have to finish 16th or better in Miami to clench the championship! #proudsister way to go @CrewChief6NNS

@keselowski: Big thanks to the 22 @DiscountTire nationwide team for a great season. Wishing @RyanBlaney22 the best as he closes out the year next week.

@Elliott_Sadler: No tweet can express my thoughts..but love my team and their hearts..headed to Homestead with open mind..one more battle

@Elliott_Sadler: Also want to thank @Brendan62 on how he raced me today... HE is a good teammate and I wish him all the best next year...

@Team_Onion (Todd Bodine): My nephew Matt is a physician in the Army. Todds Dad was in the Army and my Dad the Marine Cor. Thanks to ALL Military Past and Present

@DeLanaHarvick: Thank you to all the veterans for all the sacrifices you've made for me and our great country!

@jeff_gluck: Funny story: @pops1981 got tackled to the ground by security at Richmond after Clint won...they thought he was a fan trying to get on track.

@jeff_gluck: The other spotters laughed at Bowyer's dad for getting tackled and the only people who vouched for him were Roger Penske and Rob Kauffman.

@mattkenseth: A big thanks to all our veterans! #freedom

@mattkenseth: I just got to the drivers meeting, I wonder what the points would be if the race ended now?

@bobpockrass: Sam Hornish Jr is signed to do full Nationwide season in 2013 for Penske, Roger Penske says. #nascar

@CrewChief6NNS (Mike Kelley): Toughest part of my job, is points racing w a driver as aggressive and fast as @StenhouseJr . Love when we can turn him loose! #hesbadass!

@scottspeed: U stay classy Jeff Gordon!!!! Good lord

@Brett_Griff (Brett Griffin): If you're gonna be an ass in the car stand up and be one outside of it. That's all Ima say about it. Be a man...

@TheOrangeCone: New 5-Hour Energy commercial: "5-Hour Energy, when you need to kick Jeff Gordon's ass."

@AlexBRacing (Alex Bowman): 5 hour energy, when I need to run down Jeff Gordon. -Clint Bowyer

@RutledgeWood: I have a feeling that Jeff Gordon fans love him more than ever, and Clint Bowyer just became a whole lot of people's NEW driver

@jim_Utter: kudos to the camera guy who kept up with Clint Bowyer through the garage

@Mc_Driver (Michael McDowell): All I know @5HourEnergyGuy must work because @ClintBowyer had some steam left in him even after a long race day. At least a 7 min mile pace

@AJDinger (AJ Allmendinger): Might want to get some tv cameras at the airport just in case they arrive there at the same time. Lol

@JamesBuescher: Should had thrown the caution there... Big wreck because of a small one...

@Mother_Function: Bad ass!!! http://twitpic.com/bcgskm

@AJDinger: Can we just take half the money that was spent on that last lap and carry it over to @PhoenixRacing51 for next year and go racing please!

@JennaFryer: "Who won the fight? I mean the race?" Hamlin asks.

@mw55 (Michael Waltrip): Tough day.

@Elliott_Sadler: That's why some people respect @JimmieJohnson .. Gave an honest and great interview after the frustrating day he had.. #greatrespect

@CandiceSpencer: '@Keselowski is furious with the double standard that drivers say he has a death wish and others go out and wreck the field #NASACR

@jeff_gluck: The NASCAR head honchos just walked into the hauler where Bowyer and Gordon are inside. They should high-five them for the publicity.

@jeff_gluck: NASCAR explaining why it didn't call caution: We didn't see any fluid at the time. Easy to look back now.

@kaseykahne: Sounded like I missed a brawl. Congrats @KevinHarvick on the win!

@jelledge81 (Jimmy Elledge): I have seen Jeff Gordon start 3 fights with his helmet and Hans still on. At least @ClintBowyer was ready to brawl!!

@Patricia_AFF (Patricia Driscoll): Spoke w/ #outlaw and he's sore and got the wind knocked out of him but is ok!!! He said he just kept going to the finish line:) #thankGod

@DeLanaHarvick: Keelan finally got to go to victory lane!!!  Haha!! He was in his PJs & I was in sweat pants for the long flight home... #keepinitreal

@Brett_Griff: I can confirm @ClintBowyer has been invited to compete in the 4 x 100 men's relay.

@Brett_Griff: And all you jackasses replying Clint deserved it... You don't try and kill somebody because you made contact racing hard. Again, lame.

@joeylogano: When I was young I thought @JeffGordonWeb was the best driver. Now I've lost a lot of respect for him. #verydumb

@dennyhamlin: Great turnaround week for our FedEx team.. 1 more to go! On another note. The 24 should be parked! He took out 5 cars in that BS!

@ivandebosch (Ingrid Vandebosch): @dennyhamlin BTW it was CB that started the BS

@dennyhamlin: "@ivandebosch: "@dennyhamlin BTW it was CB that started the BS" love ya Ingrid but your man was wrong. He wrecked trying to wreck 15 first

@JeffGordonWeb: I'll say the same thing I told @NASCAR & media. Reached my limit, tired of getting run into by 15. Sorry to the other guys involved.

@JimmieJohnson: Well damn... not the day we wanted. On to Homestead and anything can happen down there. #6pack

@JamieLittleESPN: Remember I'm only 13 weeks removed from having a baby! I haven't sprinted like that in a long time! Outta breath...hahaha!!

@Rocky_Ryan (JGR Spotter): I wonder, should we take off before or after @JeffGordonWeb and @ClintBowyer 's planes?

@ivandebosch: I am not saying it is right to wreck someone! That is not OK! It is also NOT ok to push people aside and disrespect them.

@KyleBusch: Tough ending, I had a really fast car today n wanted to win it for my guys. Crazy end of the race. Always better to watch when it's not u.

@HermieSadler: As a parent of a special needs child, I don't like the word retard, but I'm smart enough to know the context in which @ClintBowyer meant it

@KevinHarvick: Yep that just happened!! We win!!

@Brett_Griff: We pour our hearts and souls into our jobs and this sport. We work endless hours and weekends. Emotion sometimes trumps all. Wheels up!

@dennyhamlin: if you guys and gals don't like my OPINION you are more than welcome to unfollow. I only follow ppl I like. You should do the same

@keselowski: Hmm Don't recall that. You might wanna Check transcript. @dennyhamlin: hey 24 fans.. @keselowski said worse things than me... go get em

@joeylogano: To all the 24 fans. I'm not disrespecting a 4 time champ, A 4 time champ disrespected me today

@Elliott_Sadler: Fans always want drivers to speak their mind... So be careful to criticize what we say just because it doesn't support your favorite driver

@Elliott_Sadler: Twitter is so cool for all fans to be able to read the raw emotion of your favorite or least favorite driver... Think it brings fans closer

@AllWaltrip (Darrell Waltrip): folks, don't criticize these guys, this is a very emotional sport, it's been a long season, you're running on adrenaline, things happen

@dennyhamlin: On another note.. I'm on a plane with a 2-time daytona 500 champ, 2 time superbowl winning coach, and a player with a superbowl ring as well

@bobpockrass: Gordon fined $100,000 and penalized 25 pts .. .Pattie fined $25,000 ... Keselowski fined $25,000 for having cell phone in car. #nascar

@Kerry_Tharp: .#NASCAR communicated to drivers and teams after Daytona 500 that they were not to have cell phones in cars while on race track

@dcaraviello: Penalty will drop Jeff Gordon to 11th place in Sprint Cup standings, 115 behind the leader. Martin Truex Jr. will move up to 10th.

@2Spotter: A true SMH moment.......

@Writer_Amy (Amy Henderson): Plenty of drivers have posted photos/video from cell phones in their cars this year with no fine. @keselowski only one fined for it...hmmmmm

@darrenrovell: If NASCAR has arrived, garnering cheap attention w/fights isn't worth much. Having a twitter friendly champion (@keselowski)? worth more.

@AllWaltrip: I really think #JeffGordon was lucky, thought they would park him, don't get all revved up, intentionally wrecked #ClintBowyer, he said so!

@DeLanaHarvick: Man o man there's a lotta drama and controversy in nascarland today...Pretty stoked it has nothing to do with @KevinHarvick at all! #hotdamn

@JennaFryer: Mid-Ohio marks #NASCAR's return to Ohio for first time since Trucks were at Mansfield in 2008. Nationwide sched is 33 races.

@jeff_gluck: Next season will be the first time since 2004 that the Nationwide Series will have all of its races in the United States. #NASCAR

@dcaraviello: Mid-Ohio is new #NASCAR Nationwide venue for 2013. It's a 2.4-mile, 15-turn course with a wicked fast main straight feeding into a hairpin.

@odsteve (Steve O'Donnell): Lots of ? About cell phones-after Daytona we told teams not to carry in car per rule book-We have most liberal social media policy in sports

@odsteve: Fine was not about tweeting-was about device in car. Hope Brad tweets away-just outside car on pit road if we are red flagged

@odsteve: Will send some tweets/photos from Miami this week-Thanks for the follows and all the comments this year. Great to get fans input! #NASCAR

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

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Did You Notice? ... A Quality Champion, Resistance To Change And Quick Hits
by Tom Bowles

Small Move, Big Gain for IndyCar?
by Huston Ladner

Top 10 Alternative Punishments For Jeff Gordon
by Tom Bowles and Amy Henderson

NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Phoenix II
compiled by Summer Bedgood

Mirror Driving: Final Word On The Brawl, Crawling To A Title And Caution Controversy
by the Frontstretch Staff

One More Chance: Who Could Win Among NASCAR's Winless
by Kevin Rutherford

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: In 2002, the main story at Homestead was the battle for the championship between Tony Stewart and Mark Martin. However, third-place starter Jimmy Spencer made a rather spectacular exit from the race on Lap 195. What happened?

Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Tuesday's Answer:

Q: The 2000 Pennzoil 400 is best known as the race where Bobby Labonte clinched his only Winston Cup Championship. However, for PPI Racing, it was an absolute worst-case scenario for them. What happened?

A: Basically, they wrecked each other less than 25 laps into the race. Scott Pruett, driving the No. 32 Tide Ford, had a run on Andy Houston in the No. 96 Ford (a part-time team that was prepping for a full assault on Winston Cup for 2001) entering Turn 3. There appeared to be slight contact between Pruett and Houston and both cars went hard into the wall as a result.  The crash can be seen at the 26:00 mark of the telecast. Both drivers were out of the race on the spot. Houston was credited with a 42nd-place finish, while Pruett was classified in last.

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

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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Professor Of Speed by Mark Howell
Our professor of racing history "has at it" with another column pertinent to the sport at large. This week, Mark turns his attention to the big screen and takes a look at the striking resemblance between one of the characters in "Wreck It Ralph" and Danica Patrick.

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

Truckin' Thursdays by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth is back this year on a new night, but it's the same great commentary you've come to enjoy on NASCAR's Truck Series! This week, she takes a look at what's behind the success Red Horse Racing has found this season.

Two Special Columns TBD

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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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The Frontstretch Newsletter: 2013 Nationwide Series Schedule

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 13th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCXXVIII
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DONATE TO HELP HURRICANE SANDY VICTIMS
We are two full weeks past Hurricane Sandy's initial impact on the East Coast.  However, the suffering continues and help is still needed.  If you're in an unaffected area, please consider donating to help others who will spend months rebuilding their lives and their homes after Sandy whipped onshore with winds of 80 miles an hour.  Call 1-800-RED-CROSS, visit redcross.org or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation today. Every little bit helps.
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Top News
by Tom Bowles

2013 Nationwide Series Schedule Announced

NASCAR's second-tier division is now officially set for next season. The Nationwide Series released its 33 races for 2013 with a press conference in Columbus, Ohio that also helped to highlight the sport's newest addition: Mid-Ohio Raceway. The 2.4-mile facility, which has played host to plenty of Indy and sports car races is just one hour, 15 minutes from Nationwide's headquarters -- where the schedule announcement was held -- and will add the Nationwide Series to its list next year as a third road course, joining Watkins Glen and Road America.

"With Mid-Ohio on the schedule, the NASCAR Nationwide Series has another opportunity to lead the way at a new venue," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR Senior Vice President of racing operations in a release announcing the move. "This gives us the opportunity to bring the series' signature side-by-side racing to a new fan base, and build enthusiasm among race fans that have yet to experience the unparalleled experience of attending a NASCAR event."

Mid-Ohio will replace Montreal, left off the Nationwide Series schedule for 2013 with no Canadian replacement. It was previously reported here Trois-Rivieres, Quebec would be added as a third road course but funding to support the event reportedly did not materialize, leading to a breakoff in negotiations. That, along with the Ohio/Nationwide connection caused NASCAR to look in another direction; several venues up north are under consideration to add to the Truck Series schedule for next season.

Beyond the addition of Mid-Ohio, the schedule has minimal change with 33 races, 27 of them companion events with Sprint Cup. Mid-Ohio will be run on August 17th, joining Road America, Chicagoland Speedway (July), Kentucky Speedway (September) and two dates at Iowa Speedway as the Series' lone standalone venues. On the weekend of NASCAR's Brickyard 400, in Indianapolis the feeder series will also continue to race at the large, 2.5-mile oval for the second straight year rather than at Indianapolis Raceway Park down the street.

2013 Nationwide Series Schedule

2/23                  Daytona International Speedway                                                          

3/2                    Phoenix International Raceway                                                              

3/9                    Las Vegas Motor Speedway                                                                

3/16                  Bristol Motor Speedway                                                                                  

3/23                  Auto Club Speedway                                                                            

4/12                  Texas Motor Speedway                                                                        

4/26                  Richmond International Raceway                                                          

5/4                    Talladega Superspeedway                                                                    

5/10                  Darlington Raceway                                                                              

5/25                  Charlotte Motor Speedway                                                                    

6/1                    Dover International Speedway                                                              

6/8                    Iowa Speedway                                                                                    

6/15                  Michigan International Speedway                                                          

6/22                  Road America                                                                                      

6/28                  Kentucky Speedway                                                                            

7/5                    Daytona International Speedway                                                          

7/13                  New Hampshire Motor Speedway                                                          

7/21                  Chicagoland Speedway                                                                        

7/27                  Indianapolis Motor Speedway                                                              

8/3                    Iowa Speedway                                                                                    

8/10                  Watkins Glen International                                                                    

8/17                  Mid-Ohio                                                          

8/23                  Bristol Motor Speedway                                                                                  

8/31                  Atlanta Motor Speedway                                                                      

9/6                    Richmond International Raceway                                                          

9/14                  Chicagoland Speedway                                                                        

9/21                  Kentucky Speedway                                                                            

9/28                  Dover International Speedway                                                              

10/5                  Kansas Speedway                                                                                

10/11                Charlotte Motor Speedway                                                                    

11/2                  Texas Motor Speedway                                                                        

11/9                  Phoenix International Raceway                                                              

11/16                Homestead-Miami Speedway          

Gordon Fined, Docked 25 Points For Clint Bowyer Wreck

It didn't take NASCAR long to react to the Jeff Gordon - Clint Bowyer brouhaha at Phoenix. Monday afternoon, Gordon was fined $100,000, docked 25 points and placed on probation through the rest of the year for his role in starting the fracas, intentionally slamming into Bowyer's car through Turns 3 and 4 with a move that wrecked them both, along with innocent bystanders Joey Logano and Aric Almirola. Car owner Rick Hendrick was also hit with a loss of 25 owner points, deductions with drop the team to 11th in the Cup Series owner and driver standings, respectively.

Crew chief Alan Gustafson was also placed on probation, found in violation of Section 9-4A in the NASCAR rulebook where the crew chief assumes responsibility of his driver, car owner, and team members. On Bowyer's side, crew chief Brian Pattie received a similar infraction, with came with the same probation along with a $25,000 fine. The fine for Pattie was presumably because his team started the brawl inside the garage area, creating an altercation with No. 24 team members and Gordon once he stepped out of his damaged vehicle.

Of note, Bowyer, who went on a dead sprint to confront Gordon and then had some racy postrace interviews was not fined or punished for his role. Both he and Gordon will be allowed to race at Homestead this weekend in any of NASCAR's top three series without penalty.

Once the consequences were finalized, both sides issued statements in response to the penalty. On the No. 24 car's side, Gordon did not respond on Twitter but did his talking through an official statement in tandem with his team owner.

"I've always respected Jeff for standing his ground," said owner Hendrick. "We also respect that NASCAR needs to police the sport and send a message when situations like this occur. It's been a great year, and we're going to put our focus on finishing in a positive way this weekend."

"I take responsibility for my actions on the racetrack," added Gordon. "I accept NASCAR's decision and look forward to ending the season on a high note at Homestead."

As for the No. 15 team's side, Michael Waltrip Racing released a statement which read: "We accept the penalties announced by NASCAR today and look forward to finishing what has been a breakthrough season for Michael Waltrip Racing." Waltrip is previously on the record as discussing how the brawl did not live up to the professional standards established by MWR through the years. Bowyer, for his part joked on Twitter about first pulling a hamstring, then the benefits of having 5-Hour Energy to respond to a situation like Sunday's incident.

"And if anyone ever doubted @5HourEnergyGuy, yesterday's activities should be proof of potential," he said. "Mixed with pissedoffness it's unreal!!!!!!"

Keselowski Fined $25,000 For Having Phone In Car

In a surprising move Monday, NASCAR also fined championship contender Brad Keselowski $25,000 for having his cell phone inside the No. 2 Dodge. The penalty, which was based in part on Section 20-6.7A (cars and drivers will not be permitted to carry onboard computers, automated electronic recording devices, electronically actuated devices, power distribution modules, power conditioners, micro-processors, recording devices, electronic digital memory chips, traction control devices, digital readout gauges and the like, even if inoperable or incomplete) also comes with probation through December 31st. Keselowski had carried his cell phone previously in the car, including the infamous tweets at the Daytona 500 under red flag conditions but had not been penalized for in-car communications from it until now.

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 A NASCAR QUESTION OR COMMENT? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
That's right; our Fan Q & A column has a new sheriff in town. Send your question Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print on Thursday when she does her weekly column. It's all part of our daily mission to give back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat!
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Today's Featured Commentary
If You're Bored with NASCAR Now, You Might Want to Get a Checkup
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady

I'm betting a simple thing this week:  You're having a really good time chewing over the events of the past Phoenix weekend.   If there's a fan out there who has decided they'd rather be at the dentist office rather than deliberate on who was right, who was wrong, the timing of flags, the fickleness of Lady Luck and whether the fines and points dedections were right...well, I think they just might be dead.

As we've enjoyed/endured the Chase, much has been said of the cookie-cutter tracks and their inevitable impact on the final outcome of the Sprint Cup Championship.  However, all along this little voice in the back of my head just kept saying, "Wait for Phoenix." 

Nobody did.  Much of NASCAR Nation had already handed JJ a premature sixth Cup going into this weekend as Johnson continued to stick to his straight line to Chase success.  Brad Keselowski did insist on staying in his shadow, kind of stepping on Five-Time's heels as we went along.  There were poles and victories for the pair, the sort of racing that lulls you to sleep on your couch or simply gets you to say, "You know, I've got leaves to rake."  We think of something--anything!--to distract us.  Wash the dog, take the recycling out, study how to deep-fry a turkey; you know, the really important things in life.

But along came Phoenix.  The weekend dawned bright and chilly.  Crews and media grumbled about early morning practices and broadcasts while they wondered where the desert heat might have gotten to.  Cars began to slide into the wall, as driver after driver tried to nail down how to navigate that troublesome kink off of Turn 2.   Backups were pulled out and tempers started to shorten. 

The Championships were all on the line, and now they had a flat-track, funky corners, hard tires and a little bit of anxiety all rolled into one.  Something had to give.  And give it did.

In the Trucks with three laps to go, James Buescher slid into the wall, putting a dent in his lead for the Series Championship.  For Nationwide, Elliot Sadler just plain out wrecked in the closing laps of his race, pretty much handing Stenhouse Jr. a consecutive series trophy, unless the young gun self-detonates in Florida next week. 

Then along came Sunday and the Cup boys.  We knew nothing was a given.  Those running for the titles this week seemed to be having rough days, and the track wasn't being kind to anybody.  Jimmie, starting in 24th, and Brad, seated a tad more comfortably in 14th on the starting grid, had their work cut out for them.  The green flag dropped and so did our attention.

For about 230 laps life progressed much as we expected.  The field strung out, Kyle Busch did his best to remind us he really should have been in the Chase and our Chasers quietly logged their time.  If you fast-forwarded through the race, you didn't miss anything. Until...

The Phoenix pixie jumped out and grabbed onto Johnson's car, melted a bead and slammed the No. 48 into the wall.  Yep, time to wake up people.  His quietly and carefully constructed Chase points lead vanished in a puff of smoke, quite literally.  Meanwhile, those who remained on the track were getting really tired of slipping up the track off of Turn 2.  If somebody lingered on your outside, it didn't help your aero one bit.  Fenders started to meet as the cautions began to mount up.  This is one little track where cautions do act like rabbits.

What happened?  I'm sure you know, but it makes for good telling.  ESPN didn't always show it, but Mr. Gordon and Mr. Bowyer did spend an inordinate amount of time next or near to one another during the late laps of the race.  One may have cut the other off as he passed and slipped up in front of his year-long adversary.  Side by side, their cars tried mightily to share the same real estate, and ultimately Mr. Gordon decided he didn't want to play anymore.  His fender was dinged, his tire didn't have white letters on it anymore and by golly, that No. 15 was going to pay for it.  Jeff lined up the 5-Hour Energy machine in his sights and aimed...and missed.  Well, sort of.  The attempt put his No. 24 in the wall.  But he was so not done.  If his car was finished, he was ready to make sure Bowyer's was, too.

Gordon waited.  Eventually the No. 15 made it back around the track and Gordon took him out.  Completely and totally premeditated.  Bowyer's car burst into flames, as did the tempers on his team.  In the pits, Gordon climbed from his car only to be jumped by those lying in wait for him.  Mayhem!  Drama! Clint Bowyer sprinted through the garage area, not to be outdone by the four-time champion in the getting-the-last-word department.  Police officers sprouted up, NASCAR officials jumped into the melee.  But what about back on the track?

It was kind of funny that the red flag was thrown while the cameras remained fixed on the brawl in the garage.  You'd think they halted the race so we could watch Gordon fight.  But no, the reality was that the four-car pileup, thanks to shortened tempers, had dumped oil just about everywhere.

This fracas should have been enough to leave us something to talk about.  But we weren't done!  On the GWC restart, Jeff Burton tried to cut through the dogleg but only succeeded in killing Danica Patrick's car.  As she drove around the bottom, the No. 10 put down something akin to an oil slick used by 007.  No yellow was thrown and ultimately the predictable happened.

More calamity as the field hit the slick coming out of Turn 4.  Ryan Newman, Patrick, Martin, Menard, Kurt Busch and...wait for it...Brad Keselowski all met one another after losing traction in the oil.  Newman spent his time in the wreck as the pinball, while Patrick tried to drive over his hood.  Mark Martin slammed both sides of his No. 55.  Basically, we were awarded a very ugly finish.

Oh! And there was a winner.  Mr. Kevin Harvick did break his 44-race losing streak, after passing Kyle Busch with just eight laps to go on a restart.  Yes!  Little Keelan got to visit Victory Lane for the first time.

Usually we're done with the excitement after the checkers fly.  But no.  With one of the most respected veteran drivers in the garage pulling a complete boner, every driver had to add their two-cents to the circus.  Bleeps and bloops and pixalated mouths appeared to cover the replies to the questions of, "Tell us how you feel about that finish!"

I am entertained.  I've rewound the final 70 laps of the event several times over as I and family members tried to dissect what happened.  I am not bored, there's no way I could be.  I am completely and totally psyched for the final race of the season. 

Will Keselowski suffer a random mechanical failure?  Will Bowyer take out Gordon just for the fun of it?  Will NASCAR leave the yellow flag alone, even after the track gets littered by cars and thoroughly visible debris?

We've always said anything can and will happen in NASCAR.  It was awesome to see that axiom come true one more time, and at one of the most ignored venues on the circuit.  Never count out the little gem in the desert, Phoenix almost never disappoints. It certainly didn't this time!

Author's Note:  I've finally made it to Facebook!  Come visit with me at http://facebook.com/Author.SDGrady

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: AdvoCare 500k
by Garrett Horton

0
Kurt Busch has failed to win a race this year, and if he is unable to take the checkered flag at Homestead, it would snap a streak of ten consecutive season with at least one win.  It is currently the third longest active streak behind Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson, and is tied for the 12th longest streak of all-time.

3
Chevy has now won the last three races after going 11 events without a trip to Victory Lane.

6
Six of the top-10 finishers were involved in the big wreck on the final lap.

6.08
The average number of cautions per race this year.  The most was 14 at Kansas last month and the fewest number of yellows was at the rain-shortened Fontana event this spring, when the only caution came out for precipitation. 

8
Kyle Busch has failed to win in the last eight races in which he led the most laps, five of which have come this year.  The last time he won after the leading the most laps was in the inaugural Kentucky race last season.

8.86
Jimmie Johnson's average finish in the 23 races this year he has started tenth or better.

9
Jimmie Johnson failed to lead a lap on Sunday, ending a nine-race streak of leading at least one lap.

9.1
Brad Keselowski's average finish in the ten races he has started tenth or higher this year.

10.04
Brad Keselowski's average finish in 25 races this year where he has started outside the top-10.

13.5
Jimmie Johnson's average finish in 12 races this year where he has started outside the top-10.

15
Brad Keselowski will be your 2012 Sprint Cup champ as long as he finishes 15th or higher at Homestead, regardless of what Jimmie Johnson does.  Keselowski is looking to become just the second driver in NASCAR history to win both a Nationwide and Sprint Cup title.  Bobby Labonte (Nationwide in 1991, Cup in 2000) is the only driver to have accomplished this feat.

18
The worst lead lap finish Brad Keselowski has this year was an 18th in the June race at Pocono.

28
The most laps led Jimmie Johnson has led in a single Homestead event.

38
Harvick's win on Sunday snapped a 38-race winless streak for the Richard Childress Racing organization.  RCR's last win came a little over a year ago, when Clint Bowyer took the checkered flag at Talladega.

1359
Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch have combined to lead 1359 laps in the nine Chase races this year.  No other driver has led that many laps all year.

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:

Double Standards in Play As Gordon Avoids a Deserved Suspension
by Danny Peters

Who's Hot/Who's Not in NASCAR: Phoenix/Homestead-Miami Edition
by Brett Poirier

Couch Potato Tuesday: Fracas Coverage Good, Focus Again Hurts ESPN
by Phil Allaway

Five Points to Ponder: The Latest Failings of a Failed Sanctioning Body
by Bryan Davis Keith

Tech Talk: Making a Car Stick in the Florida Sun with Bob Osborne
by Mike Neff
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:  The 2000 Pennzoil 400 is best known as the race where Bobby Labonte clinched his only Winston Cup Championship.  However, for PPI Racing, it was an absolute worst-case scenario for them.  What happened?
 
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Monday's Answer:

Q:  The now-Camping World Truck Series officially held their first points race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 1996, which was won by Dave Rezendes.  However, that was not the first time that trucks took to the "Mini-Indy" version of Homestead's 1.5 mile oval.  When was the first time, and who won?

A:  The first time that the trucks took to Homestead's 1.5 mile rectangle was in November, 1995.  It was a short demonstration race of only ten trucks for 20 laps, held immediately after the Homestead 150 for the Goody's Dash Series (primary support to the Busch Grand National Jiffy Lube Miami 300).  The race was necessary since the trucks didn't race on an oval longer than Phoenix in their entire inaugural season.  Geoff Bodine won the event in what turned out to be an excellent race.

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
-- Beth's Brief 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
Tom returns with a series of "quick hit" discussion points.

Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
Your favorite Frontstretch writers are back to discuss a variety of different subjects.  This week's topics include whether the penalties that NASCAR levied on Monday were appropriate, whether it's a good idea to Harvick to sign with Stewart-Haas so early for 2014, the points races going into Homestead, and more.

Sprint Cup Power Rankings compiled by Summer Bedgood
Did Sunday's on-track action significantly shake up our Power Rankings according to our experts?  You'll have to check it out in order to see where the drivers stand going into Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Kevin's Corner by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin is back with another interesting commentary.

Frontstretch Top Ten by the Frontstretch Staff
We'll have a top ten list that will tickle your funny bone, guaranteed.

Open-Wheel Wednesday by P. Huston Ladner
Huston returns with another interesting commentary about the Izod IndyCar Series.
-----------------------------
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