The Frontstretch Newsletter: October 23rd, 2008
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October 23rd, 2008
Volume II, Edition CCIV
Today's Top News
Team Red Bull Harshly Penalized For Martinsville Rules Violations
by Bryan Davis Keith
After enjoying the most competitive short track run in the history of Team Red Bull, the No. 83 crew will find themselves without crew chief Kevin Hamlin for the rest of the 2008 season after NASCAR levied stringent penalties for rules violations at Martinsville.
In post-race inspection, the No. 83 car was found to have used sheet metal that did not meet minimum thickness requirements during their 11th place run. As a result, NASCAR stripped the team of 150 owner points as well as 150 driver points from Brian Vickers. The point penalty dropped Vickers out of the Top 15, all but eliminating him from any chance of catching 13th place David Ragan for "Best of the Rest" in the standings.
Crew chief Kevin Hamlin and car chief Craig Smokstad were also suspended indefinitely from NASCAR competition, with Hamlin being fined $100,000. Hamlin will be replaced atop the pit box by Red Bull's R&D manager Randy Cox for the immediate future.
Team GM Jay Frye issued a statement accepting full responsibility for the rules violations, and announced that Red Bull will not appeal the penalties.
Roush Fenway Racing's Nationwide, Truck Plans for 2009 Taking Shape
As Roush Fenway announced some future plans for its development teams to Scene Daily Wednesday, it turns out there's more double duty in Carl Edwards' future after all. The reigning Nationwide Series champ will again drive full-time in that series in 2009, attempting to score a second title in NASCAR's second-tier division. Edwards will not be joined by teammate David Ragan, however, as the sophomore Cup driver will scale back his schedule in other series next year.
Instead, the new addition to RFR's Nationwide roster will be current Truck driver Erik Darnell. Darnell will not run full-time in Nationwide competition, but is expected to run a number of races in the series next year. Owner Jack Roush did not rule out a return to Truck competition for Darnell, either, should a sponsor step up for his program. As it stands now, only the No. 6 truck of Colin Braun is shored up for that series in 2009 with sponsor Con-Way.
In all, Roush claims he's committed to run at least four full-time Nationwide cars in addition to a full-time Truck team next season. RFR also plans to try to get ARCA Re/MAX standout Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. into some Truck races next year. In a recent interview, Stenhouse stated he was unsure of what he would be driving for 2009, and no announcements have been made as to whether RFR will again campaign full-time in ARCA.
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Matt Taliaferro's way at matt.ta...@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. Fanning The Flames returns Thursday with a whole new set of Fan
Questions and Answers!
Today's Featured Commentary
What's Vexing Vito
He's Good Enough, He's Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Him: Johnson Would Make a Deserving Three-Peat Champ
by Vito Pugliese
But while many are critical of Johnson's street cred or accomplishments, there really isn't any reason to be.
It's ironic that the current Chase format came about to prevent runaway championship years like the ones that were had in 2000 and 2003. Since the new playoff-type procedure was instituted in 2004, Jimmie Johnson missed the championship the first year by a mere eight points, has won two consecutive titles, and all but assured himself a third. Fine system this turned out to be! Under the old format, Carl Edwards would trail Johnson by 113 points versus the 149-point advantage that Johnson has over Biffle in second. It seems the only person the Chase has benefited is Jimmie Johnson.
Ironically, the driver it has hurt is none other than teammate, mentor, and part owner, Jeff Gordon. Under the old rules, Gordon would have six championships.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Excuses are like lug nuts; everybody's got them. Lots of drivers can claim something took them out of the running for a title. Three of the marquee drivers of the 1990s -- Dale Earnhardt in 1989, Rusty Wallace in 1993, and Mark Martin in 1990 -- are prime examples of this. But what it all boils down to is this simple fact: the guy who wins the title at the end of the year is the Champion regardless of the system that was in place, who he was racing, or the circumstances surrounding it. None other than King Richard Petty always references "circumstance" because he is living proof of it. Sure, Petty could have won what would have been an eighth title and another ten wins had he not sat out the better part of the 1965 season, when Chrysler boycotted NASCAR's ban on the 426 Hemi. And what if he had went to drive for Hendrick Motorsports in the mid-80's when Rick offered him a ride? Moreover, would either Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt have won all of their championships had tragedy not struck and robbed us of drivers like Tim Richmond, Davey Allison, or Alan Kulwicki? What if Bill Elliott's team could have figured out how to get their Wonderbird around a short track in 1985?
The bottom line is there are many variables in stock car racing – almost as many as there are excuses. Should Jimmie Johnson win his third consecutive title, it should not be diminished due to the format or the competition he is running compared to what Cale Yarborough did in 1976-1978. There are a myriad of reasons why he shouldn't have won three, and there will be just as many reasons Johnson could go on to win four.
FRONTSTRETCH LINE OF THE WEEK
The Best Line From A Story You Need to See
From Ten Points To Ponder After ... Martinsville by Tommy Thompson
2. And Then There Was One? – On the heels of Dodge pulling out of the Craftsman Truck Series earlier this year, Ford Motor Company has followed suit and opted to discontinue financial support for its CTS teams in 2009. The news leaves Toyota and the ailing GM brand Chevrolet as the only two auto manufacturers supporting race teams in the CTS.
So
basically, the Craftsman Truck Series, which is also losing Craftsman
as the series sponsor at season's end, is one financially strapped
automaker away from becoming the Toyota Tundra Truck Series.
There's only four races left in the Chase countdown, and Jimmie Johnson appears to have the title all but locked up. But don't let that keep you from the Athlon / Frontstretch Podcast Presented by Pepsi. Patrick Snow, Matt Taliaferro, and Tom Bowles will argue whether Johnson should be considered among the all-time greats, while discussing the pullouts of Ford and Dodge from the Truck Series and a surprising rumor revolving around one of NASCAR's Big Four. Finally, we'll set our sights on the 1.5-mile oval at Atlanta this weekend and make some (in)valuable predictions!
Unsure when to tune in for the podcast? Well, the newest version usually comes out by Thursday night and gets archived at racetalkradio.com each Friday. Download us by heading over to http://www.athlonsports.com/racing/inside-racing-powered-by-pepsi, and don't forget to listen in on iTunes each week!! We're under "Athlon Racing Podcast."
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS, BE A NASCAR RACING EXPERT!
How, you ask? The answer is simple: read up on the teams and drivers you love the most, right here on Frontstretch.com! Every day, Kim DeHaven and her helpers Beth Lunkenheimer and Tony Lumbis post reams of PR from teams across the NASCAR-o-sphere. Here's just a sample of the race reports for this week's featured races.
Driver Previews!
M&M's Racing: Kyle Busch Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Advance and Team Report
Brad Keselowski -- NNS Memphis Preview
Johnny Benson Atlanta Motor Speedway Preview
Mmmmm, Tasty Double Duties....
JOEY LOGANO - First Taste of NASCAR Double Duty
Looking to get into racing? Well here's your chance!
2009 ASA Late Model Series Registration Now Open.
Want More?
Sprint Cup | Nationwide Series | Craftsman Truck | Tracks PR | ARCA, IRL and more
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Beyond The Cockpit: Bill Elliott On NASCAR's Future And His Present Challenges
by Mike Neff
Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: Going Back To The Drawing Board
by Matt McLaughlin
Fanning The Flames: Miscellaneous Questions As The Season Hits Its Stretch Run
by Matt Taliaferro
Reader's Comment Inadvertently Reveals The Problem With Jimmie Johnson
by Jeff Meyer
Fantasy Picks 'N' Pans: Will Jimmie's Chase March Yield Your Team Atlanta Gold?
by Bryan Davis Keith and Mike Neff
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q. John Potts, Frontstretch's own walking trivia answer sends us this question: What do Jen Biederman, Dana Gilhooley, and Judy Fleming have in common?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday Answer
Q. Tom Pistone, Fireball Roberts, Curtis Turner, and Glen Wood all won races held in this pro football team's stadium. Name the team.
A. Once again, our own John Potts fleshes out a story from the answer to this question. The pro football team is the Chicago Bears, so of course, the stadium is Soldier Field. John sent me a picture of the track, and it's posted here. It jogged his memory a bit, and he'll tell you about a story about Andy Granatelli and a fake accident this week in John's Driven to the Past column. Only on the Frontstretch!
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 tri...@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
Coming Tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter
-- Top News from Kurt Smith
-- In Case You Missed It from Kurt Smith
-- Kim DeHaven's Frontstretch Folio for the Pep Boys Auto 500
-- Trivia, links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Driven To The Past by John Potts
No need to source his tales of past racing glory: John IS the source as Frontstretch's resident flagging expert. Tune in Friday as John tells a story from today's trivia question.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy's latest commentary takes us back to a tragic past, remembering the Hendrick plane crash and recognizing how it's shaped the organization four years after the fact.
Happy Hour : The Official Journalist Of NASCAR by Kurt Allen Smith
This week, Kurt tackles the issue of whether Cale Yarborough and Jimmie Johnson should even be compared as the latter approaches a historic milestone.
Nuts For Nationwide by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan checks out the diversity of talent suddenly making its way to the final standalone Nationwide Series race of the season. And keep your eyes out for a bonus column linked within about a completely different topic -- the life of a Nationwide Series underdog! It's a double dip for NASCAR's No. 2 series, only on the Frontstretch!
Driver Diary : Rick Crawford as told to Toni Montgomery
Rick gives all the latest updates as his season winds down driving the No. 14 Circle Bar Racing Ford.
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