*THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER Presented by Frontstretch.com
**The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!*
September 30th, 2008
Volume II, Edition CLXXXVII
*
Today's Top News
Menard To Leave DEI, Smith To Follow?
**by Tom Bowles
*Late Monday, the Associated Press broke the story that Paul Menard is set
to leave Dale Earnhardt, Inc. following the 2008 season. Menard will
supposedly sign with Yates Racing for 2009, taking his father's primary
sponsorship with him as part of a package deal.
The 28-year-old Menard has struggled in two full seasons on the Cup level,
with just one Top 10 finish in 67 career starts with DEI. This year, the No.
15 Chevrolet has a best finish of 11th at Michigan, but Menard sits 28th in
the point standings with just one Top 20 finish in his last 11 starts. Other
than Menard's first career pole in Daytona, the team has struggled to gel
after bringing new crew chief Doug Randolph over from Petty Enterprises,
failing to improve dramatically over a disappointing rookie performance in
'07.
Yates Racing has struggled to find sponsorship funding this season, and has
utilized the resources of both Roush Fenway Racing and Ford in order to keep
their team afloat. Menard's presence secures them funding for at least one
full-time team in 2009, but will mean the axe for either Travis Kvapil or
David Gilliland if enough sponsorship isn't found to expand to three cars.
In the meantime, contraction is now almost a certainty for Dale Earnhardt,
Inc., who now must find sponsors for Menard's No. 15, Regan Smith's No. 01,
and Aric Almirola's No. 8. A source tells Frontstretch.com Smith's No. 01
has been floated around to possible investors, and it's almost a certainty
Smith will not return to the team in 2009.
Menard and DEI could not be reached for comment at this late hour. Stayed
tuned to Frontstretch.com for the latest information on this breaking story.
*
Kyle Petty Done For Good In The No. 45?*
*by **Phil Allaway*
Far down the final results sheet at Kansas, Kyle Petty is listed 41st in a
Petty Enterprises Dodge. Not much seemed notable of the disappointing
finish, on par with the difficult season both he and the team have suffered
through in 2008. It's the worst slump of Petty's career, one he was hopeful
to start turning around the rest of this season.
Turns out he may never get that chance.
The Winston-Salem [North Carolina] Journal is
reporting<http://www.independenttribune.net/sports/index.php/sports/article/has...>that
Kyle Petty likely drove his final race for Petty Enterprises on Sunday
at Kansas Speedway. The only race that Petty was scheduled to drive in for
the remainder of the season was the Checker/O'Reilly 500K at Phoenix in
November, but public comments in the *Journal *from Kyle's wife, Patti, may
well pull that offer off the table.
Patti Petty had strong words for the organization, accusing PE in no
uncertain terms of trying to remove Kyle Petty from his ride the last three
years. It is unclear in the article as to whom "they" is referring to, but
it is likely pointing fingers at race team management, including Vice
President of Racing Operations Robbie Loomis -- who ascended to his current
position at the same time Patti Petty claims the problems began.
But whoever it is that believes that Kyle is holding back Petty Enterprises
by continuing to drive, it's not Wells Fargo, his sponsor. According to
Patti, the San Francisco-based bank is going to "stay with Kyle, whatever he
does." The company has enough funding in place for a 12-race deal with
whatever organization Petty signs with.
Terry Labonte and Chad McCumbee will likely finish out the season in the No.
45, but the outlook for 2009 looks unclear. McCumbee, Michael McDowell and
A.J. Allmendinger have been interviewed as potential full-time replacements
for next season, but a decision isn't expected for at least the next few
weeks.
This summer, the Pettys sold a controlling interest in the company to the
investment firm Boston Ventures, and it's unknown how much of a percentage
they still own.
*Mike Skinner Replaces Allmendinger In The No. 84 At Talladega; Said Driving
The No. 08*
Fresh off of the teams' best-ever finish (ninth) at Kansas, the entry list
for this weekend's AMP Energy 500 still lists a driver change for the No. 84
Toyota. Mike Skinner is now listed for Team Red Bull's second entry, with
A.J. Allmendinger unofficially ousted from the car. No word as of yet out
of TRB, but an announcement is expected later this week in which Skinner and
rookie Scott Speed will split the ride for the remainder of the season.
Other notables from the entry list include Boris Said listed as the driver
of the No. 08 FUBAR Dodge for E & M Motorsports. It is unclear as of yet
whether this is an outright effort from E & M or a collaboration with Said's
No Fear Racing team, which usually runs the No. 60 No Fear Ford with Roush
Fenway Racing support.
Other entry list changes were previously announced. Mike Wallace will drive
the No. 33 for RCR with primary sponsorship from longtime team associate
sponsor Realtree Camouflage. Meanwhile, Sterling Marlin will also resume his
part-time restrictor plate effort, attempting to qualify James Finch's No.
09 Miccosukee Chevrolet. Tony Raines will again be behind the wheel of the
No. 70 for Haas CNC Racing, while Terry Labonte will drive the No. 45 for
Petty Enterprises. Lastly, Ken Schrader is back in the driver's seat,
running the No. 96 DLP Toyota for Hall of Fame Racing.
*
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*Today's Featured Commentary
Saying Goodbye to Paul Newman—Actor, Philanthropist and Racer
**Sitting in the Stands : A Fan's View
by S. D. Grady*
*
*Paul Newman died last Friday, September 26th, at the age of 83 after a
battle with lung cancer.
Such is the usual line I'll read in the Celebrity News and Notes section of
my local paper. But what made the death of this Hollywood star make me stop
and think on his life? It's many things… his astounding performances in
numerous movies from the past fifty years, the invasion of the "Newman's
Own" food label in the local supermarkets; but last, and certainly not least
in this racing fan's view, was his devotion to and participation in auto
racing.
Part and partial of the intrigue of NASCAR, solely from a fan's point of
view, is the incredible array of personalities that litter the cockpits, pit
boxes, and offices of this sport. Maybe Jeff Gordon currently tops the
charts in active driver wins, poles, championships, and just about any other
stat you care to come up with, but the coverage of Sunday's races simply
wouldn't be as interesting without Darrell Waltrip's "Boogity, boogity!,"
Kenny Wallace's incredible giggle, or visiting with track owners sporting
names like Humpy Wheeler. There are backflips, climbing fences, discussions
of bologna burgers, and annoying gophers called Digger that show up
regardless of how competitive things are each week.
Because I find all this pomp entertaining, I will also wander over to the
local racing scene to find what kind of show might be happening -- or even
leave the Speed Channel on when F-1 and the Indy cars are running. Let's
face it, I'm a car girl. I just plain like their noise, their shape, the
excitement they can generate and most of all, I like those around the world
who are car people, too. Once you start speaking the language of
motorsports, you gain entrance into a world of joie de vive, suddenly able
to recognize the desire to make mechanical things go fast in those you meet.
Thus, where Paul Newman may have impinged upon my consciousness as a young
girl while I watched him in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "The
Sting," and "Cool Hand Luke," it was not until I became aware of him as a
racer in the '80's that he was elevated into really-cool-person status.
Suddenly, he became a little less part of the silver screen and more
accessible to me, the racing fan.
Of course, Mr. Newman took the passion he imbued in his on-screen
performances and poured it into his cars equally well -- regardless of
whether he was a driver or an owner. There have been a number of celebritiy
wheelmen that stepped into the unstable world of Pro-Am racing, only to
disappear in the anonymity of time. Just a select few have managed to find
the kind of success that heralded just about any enterprise in which Mr.
Newman invested his time and energy.
He held four SCCA national driving titles, drove in the 24 Hours of LeMans,
won the 24 Hours of Daytona in '95, and competed at the age of 80 at Daytona
in '05. Besides his incredibly successful Newman/Haas/Lanigan F-1 and IRL
teams, Newman explored the world of racing as few others have, loving every
minute of whatever new discovery he'd uncover. He was a sensation, a star,
somebody to watch and savor.
He also had the most incredible grin and devastating pair of blue eyes; but
in my world, it's the memories I have of him on pit wall and behind the
wheel that made him something far more enthralling.
For me and so many others, Newman was, simply, a car guy. And he'll be
missed.*
*
*S.D. Grady is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com; her Fan's View column
appears every Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter. She can be contacted
at sonya.gr...@frontstretch.com.*
*
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?*
Send them Matt Taliaferro's way at matt.taliafe...@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!
*Numbers Game : Camping World RV 400*
*by Kim DeHaven*
*
**0.280 *
Jimmie Johnson's margin of victory over Carl Edwards in the Camping World RV
400.
*2*
Drivers who failed to qualify for Sunday's race.
(No. 00 - Michael McDowell; No. 08 - Johnny Sauter)
*
2 hours, 59 minutes, 56 seconds*
Time it took to complete the Camping World RV 400.
*5*
Number of times winner Jimmie Johnson led Sunday's race.
*5*
Wins and 17 Top 10 finishes in 2008 for Camping World RV 400 winner Jimmie
Johnson.
*7*
Caution flags for a total of 25 laps at Kansas.
*
10*
Points that Jimmie Johnson leads Carl Edwards by in the NASCAR Sprint Cup
point standings.
*16*
Lead changes among 10 drivers Sunday.
*18*
Number of penalties handed out by NASCAR during the running of the Camping
World RV 400.
*29th*
Patrick Carpentier's finishing position, earning him Raybestos Rookie of the
Race honors for the seventh time this season.
*32*
Positions gained by Carl Edwards in the Camping World RV 400 to win the USG
Improving the Finish Award.
*
38*
Career wins for Jimmie Johnson in 248 starts.
*
42*
Cars running at the end of the Camping World RV 400; 17 of those finished on
the lead lap.
*43rd*
Martin Truex, Jr.'s finishing position Sunday in the Camping World RV 400.
He completed 229 laps before losing the transmission in his Bass Pro Shops /
Tracker Boats Chevy.
*124*
Laps led by Camping World RV 400 winner Jimmie Johnson.
*
133.549 *
Average race speed (in mph).
*
173*
Career Cup wins for Rick Hendrick after Jimmie Johnson's trip to Victory
Lane on Sunday.
*267*
Laps in the Camping World RV 400, equaling 400.5 miles.
*311
*Points Kyle Busch trails championship leader Jimmie Johnson by after a 28th
place finish at Kansas. Busch began the Chase in first, 40 points ahead of
Johnson; now, he's fallen to 12th.
*
100,000*
Estimated crowd in attendance at Kansas.
*$364,411*
Jimmie Johnson's purse for winning the Camping World RV 400.
*$6,134,923*
Total purse for the Camping World RV 400.
*TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
**
From Sandstone To Sterling: The Top 10 Trophies In
NASCAR*<http://www.frontstretch.com/dpeters/20598/>
** </>
*by Danny Peters**
Nepotism In Reverse: Kyle Petty's Days Coming To A Close At Petty
Enterprises?* <http://www.frontstretch.com/vpugliese/20602/>
*by Vito Pugliese**
Who's Hot / Who's Not In Sprint Cup: Camping World 400
Edition*<http://www.frontstretch.com/mlovecchio/20600/>
*by Mike Lovecchio*
*
Talking NASCAR TV: The Chase Gets Chased Off The Air On Non-NASCAR ESPN
Shows* <http://www.frontstretch.com/dturnbull/20587/>
*by Doug Turnbull**
Running Their Mouth: Camping World RV
400*<http://www.frontstretch.com/blunkenheimer/20586/>
*by Beth Lunkenheimer*
*
**FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA
**Q. He was the last driver that competed in the Grand National Circuit --
which, by definition, was prior to NASCAR's Modern Era -- to win a
championship*.
*Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
**Monday's Answer**
**Q. *He was the first Cup Champion to never have started a Cup race prior
to the modern era.
*A. *Dale Earnhardt started his first Cup level race in the 1975 World 600
on May 25th. Earnhardt went on to win his first Winston Cup in 1980,
becoming the first driver to win a Winston Cup Championship after racing at
the Cup level only in the modern era.
*
**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 *by Bryan Davis Keith*
-- *Mike Neff*'s Full Throttle Commentary
-- Trivia, links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
*
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:*
*Top 15 Power Rankings* *by The Frontstretch Staff; compiled by Mike Neff*
Did a Kansas tornado blow your driver right down our Top 15 poll, or did it
lift him up to new heights as he contends for the series title? See who our
writers voted in this week, only on the Frontstretch!*
Frontstretch Top Ten* *by Jeff Meyer*
Don't miss another one of Jeff's hilarious Top Ten lists that'll be sure to
leave you laughing the day away at work.
*Mirror Driving* *by the Frontstretch Staff *
This week, the staff's got you covered with concerns over Kansas' possible
second date, a debate over the term "lame duck," and concern whether Camping
World, Kevin Harvick, and the Craftsman Truck Series may be a little too
much for just one company to take.
*Did You Notice...** by Tom Bowles*
…that one of the most promising rookies to come down the pike in quite
awhile won't be eligible for Rookie of the Year in 2009? Well, you would
have if you had checked out *Did You Notice...* last Wednesday. If you
didn't, don't make the same mistake twice! Check out Did you Notice...
Wednesday, only on the Frontstretch. *
Thompson In Turn 5** by Tommy Thompson*
Another rousing commentary by one of the Frontstretch's senior writers.
*------------------------------------------------------------
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(c)2008 Frontstretch.com
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