The Frontstretch Newsletter - July 3rd, 2008
Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 3rd, 2008
Volume II, Edition CXXIV
Today's Top News
by Bryan Davis Keith
Franchitti Mulling Future, Full-Time Nationwide Series Ride After Closure Of Cup Team
Finding himself out of a ride now that the No. 40 Sprint Cup team of Chip Ganassi Racing has been shut down, Dario Franchitti has been presented several options from CGRFS officials as to his future in racing.
Co-owner Felix Sabates stated on Wednesday that Franchitti has been offered a ride in the IRL with CGRFS should he choose to return to his open-wheel roots. Said Sabates, "Chip [Ganassi] pretty much told him if he wanted to go to back to Indy that [he can] -- because it doesn't cost near as much money there as it does here [in NASCAR]. Over there, Chip is the Rick Hendrick of over here – so he can get a sponsor for an IRL car very easily."
Franchitti, however, has reportedly not reneged on his commitment to becoming a stock car driver, and CGRFS officials have offered Franchitti a full-time seat in the No. 40 Fastenal Dodge in the Nationwide Series. Franchitti has driven the No. 40 at most companion races on the Nationwide circuit this season, posting a best finish of sixth at Las Vegas. No decision has been made, but comments lean toward Franchitti making the move to stay within the stock car side of the organization.
"NASCAR is where I want to be," Franchitti said after his release. "I want to be successful here, and I certainly don't want it to end like this. I made a big commitment coming over here, and I'd like to get in an opportunity to be successful."
The No. 40 Nationwide Series team is within the Top 30 in series owner points, meaning Franchitti would have a guaranteed spot in the field should he choose to pursue the Nationwide deal full-time. Franchitti currently holds second place in the Nationwide Series rookie points, trailing only fellow CGRFS driver Bryan Clauson, who may find himself the odd man out should Franchtti take over the No. 40. Clauson ran the No. 41 part-time in the Nationwide Series earlier this season, but the team has recently not been run due to a lack of sponsorship.
JR Motorsports' No. 5 Crew Chief Fined for Improper Language
Chad Walter, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series, has been fined $10,000 for use of improper language during the televised broadcast of the Camping World RV Sales 200 this past Saturday. Walter, who was interviewed following a crash by his driver Landon Cassill in the garage area, used profanity in an interview as he expressed frustration over Bobby Hamilton, Jr.'s role in Cassill's accident.
Team owner Rick Hendrick and driver Landon Cassill were also each docked 25 owner and driver points respectively for the incident. As a result, the points penalty will drop the No. 5 car to 14th in the owner standings.
Walter remains on probation with the Nationwide Series, as he was placed on probation earlier in the season for a rules violation at the season-opening race at Daytona.
Still haven't joined the Frontstretch Forums? Here's a peek at what you're missing this week:
Weigh in on what you think of the incident between Juan Pablo Montoya and Kyle Busch.
Could the rumors of Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman going to Haas CNC Racing be true?
Click here to join the forums and tell us what you think. Don't miss out on a chance to share your opinion with a growing community of fans just like you!
What's Vexing Vito?
by Vito Pugliese
Well, this is good. Dario Franchitti, the 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner who is just seven months removed from clinching the IndyCar Series Championship, is now out of a ride in the Sprint Cup Series. To compound things, the team has closed up shop just days before teams arrive in Daytona to begin preparations for this weekend's Coke Zero 400. The culprit? Lack of sponsorship. Can you explain to me again how a driver with Franchitti's credentials, resume, and personality is struggling to find sponsorship for one of the flagship Dodge teams in this series?
Apparently, the state of the sport is not as strong as many would have us believe.
Earlier this week, Target Chip Ganassi Racing IndyCar Series driver Dan Wheldon announced that while he, at one time, had considered coming to NASCAR, those plans have since been shelved. Wow, I wonder why? Could it be that he would shy away from the opportunity to pilot such competitive machines as the No. 40 or No. 41 Dodges in the most competitive racing series on Earth? After years of asking Ganassi to let him make the move, Wheldon has suddenly changed his tune and said that he sees himself in the Target IndyCars for the next four years. Of course, those are cars, I might add, that win with great regularity -- something that cannot be said for Ganassi's efforts in the Cup Series.
Continuing along those lines, while there are other open-wheeled drivers who have had their issues this season (cough, Sam Hornish, Jr. cough), perhaps no one has struggled as mightily as Franchitti. In ten starts this year, he has just one finish better than 33rd, and has failed to qualify for two races on speed while missing five more to injury. Stats like that have relegated him to 41st position in points; that's actually really bad. It just goes to show that the Sprint Cup Series is, in fact, a meat grinder that shows no favoritism based on what you may have done in the past.
But it also continues a trend in NASCAR of sponsorship dollars being in short supply -- and often woefully inadequate. It's a pretty sad state of affairs when cars that have been running routinely well, such as the Yates Racing entries of David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil, have been sporting blank quarterpanels at most tracks this season or have scraping by on one-off sponsorships just to get to the next race. With the No. 40 car, we have a team that just a few years ago was contending for titles and leading the points with just a handful of races remaining with Sterling Marlin -- and now, they are closing up shop and laying off over 70 employees. Considering a driver of Franchitti's caliber, along with the recent strong showing from the twin Yates entries, it speaks volumes about the cost to compete in this sport. For a sport that thrives and exists on sponsor dollars -- so much so that upwards of $22 million is needed to even show up to all the events and make the show with a competitive car -- this could prove to unravel even further and amongst even more teams as the season rolls on.
FRONTSTRETCH LINE OF THE WEEK
The Best Line From A Story You Need to See
From Did You Notice? ... Kyle Busch Throws Away The Win, NASCAR's Discrimination Lawsuit Stalemate, And Jeremy Mayfield: MIA by Tom Bowles
Did You Notice? … That there hasn't been much printed about the Mauricia Grant diversity lawsuit as of late? That's because there's not much to say … because no one's talking.
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 Coke Zero 400.
Driver Previews!
Dodge Motorsports NSCS Coke Zero 400 Advance
Clorox Team Hope Patience Turns Into Speed At Daytona
Trent Snyder returns to the site of his two Feature Wins that led him to the 2007 ASALMS North Title!
Maybe someday, they'll be able to send moving pictures and sound through thin air!
Racefans To Receive Event Information And Multi-Media Messages Via Bluetooth And Wi-Fi During Coke Zero 400 Weekend
This just in! Favre returns to the Packers and Earnhardt returns to the No. 8... oh, wait. Never mind.
Kerry Earnhardt to Drive Dale Earnhardt Inc. No. 8 Chevy in July Daytona Nationwide Race
Nothing to do with racing, but helpful advice from our friends at 3M nonetheless.
Simple Tips for Improving Fuel Mileage Can Add Up to Roughly 10 Percent Savings per Tank
Want More?
You can always see all the PR reports by going to your favorite site on the net, Frontstretch.com!
Frontstretch On The Radio:
Join Frontstretch's Tom Bowles and Matt Taliaferro for their weekly version of the Frontstretch.com / Athlon Sports Racing Podcast Powered By Pepsi. This week, Tom and Matt will be joined by host Patrick Snow as they go the extra mile to figure out whose fuel held up in New Hampshire ... and whose tank got filled up with tears of sadness instead of raindrops. Together, we'll figure out Dario Franchitti's future, the ghosts of Silly Seasons Past, and if you're lucky, you might walk away with a prediction or two for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona.
Unsure when to catch 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."
And if you're up for it, we're always looking to hear from the fans; be sure to write in and give feedback at inside...@athlonsports.com! Tell us a topic we haven't been chatting about, and we'll be sure to mention it on the air. Of course, the two individual hosts can also be reached at tom.b...@frontstretch.com and matt.ta...@frontstretch.com.
BSNews! DEI Announces New Stable of Drivers For 2009 ... And Other Bits From The Newsroom Floor
by Jeff Meyer
Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: Blow This Mother Up And Start Over With A New Stock Car Racing Series
by Matt McLaughlin
Fanning The Flames : Breaking Down TNT's Wide Open Coverage
by Matt Taliaferro
Tearing Apart The Trucks : Tony Stewart Driving For Randy Moss? It's Possible
by Beth Lunkenheimer
According To Bruton Smith, New Hampshire Offers Bright Future ... Not A Means To An End
by Amy Henderson
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA
Q. Cup level drivers have come to us from all but one continent, Antartica. Who was the only driver that hailed from Africa to start a NASCAR Cup race?
Check back here tomorrow for the answer. Only in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer
Q. This owner gave his driver a Rolls Royce for winning a race. Who was he?
A. Owner Felix Sabates gave driver Kyle Petty a Rolls Royce after Petty won the 500 lap race at Rockingham, NC, on March 4, 1990.
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!
Tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
Be sure to check in with Kim this week when she lays out the facts this week from Daytona!
Kurt Smith looks back at a week full of news that you might not have seen ... but is important nonetheless.
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. Great stories from NASCAR's past, every Friday on the Frontstretch.
Holding A Pretty Wheel
by Amy Henderson
Amy shares with us her experience as a member of Kenny Wallace's pit crew last weekend in New Hampshire.
Happy Hour : The Official Journalist Of NASCAR
by Kurt Allen Smith
Kurt's edgy commentary returns as the perfect way to finish off your Friday NASCAR fix.
Driver Diary : Rick Crawford
by Rick Crawford
Rick talks over the latest news on and off the track as the driver of the No. 14 Circle Bar Ford in the Truck Series.
Fantasy Picks 'N' Pans: Daytona
By Bryan Keith & Mike Neff
Don't let the extra mile take your team down for the count! Bryan and Mike are here to give you everything you need to know about stocking your team for the high banks at Daytona.
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? Well, it's as easy as replying directly to this newsletter email, or sending an email to edi...@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
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