The Frontstretch Newsletter: July 3rd, 2009
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July 3rd, 2009
Volume III, Edition CXVI
EDITOR'S NOTE: FRONTSTRETCH LIVE AT THE TRACK THIS WEEKEND!
One of the site's most popular writers, our own Mike Lovecchio, will be tracking all the action at Daytona from inside the garage, giving you the stories you're looking for with a special edition of the Newsletter planned over the weekend. It all culminates on Saturday night with his special participation in our LIVE blog during the Coke Zero 400! This weekend, Mike will be going the extra mile for you ... so we hope you enjoy it
Today's Top News
by Phil Allaway
Mayfield Cannot Find Ride for Coke Zero 400
On Wednesday, the big news story in NASCAR was that Jeremy Mayfield had received an injunction from a Federal judge which allowed him to attempt to qualify for this weekend’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. However, there are some problems with that ruling.
First off, since the ruling came down on Wednesday and the cutoff to get to Daytona with a team and sign into the garage was Thursday afternoon at 3pm, Mayfield realized that he did not have enough time to get his own No. 41 Toyota down to Daytona from North Carolina. However, Mayfield did have a trump card that he could play. Mayfield requested permission from Gunselman Motorsports to drive their No. 64 Toyota at Daytona. Team owner Larry Gunselman may have been somewhat receptive to the offer, but according to ESPN’s Sportscenter, one-race sponsor Fred’s Hometown Discount Stores objected to the move, citing that they did not want to be involved with Mayfield.
Furthermore, ESPN reported on Thursday that Mayfield had requested the right to drive for no less than four teams this weekend at Daytona, only to be turned down by all four. The reasoning given was similar to the reason that Fred’s gave: They didn’t want to be associated with Mayfield.
Ragan Turns Quickest Lap of Sprint Cup Practice, and Nationwide Happy Hour at Daytona
David Ragan turned the fastest average speed during the first practice session for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway in his No. 6 UPS Ford with a lap of 190.714mph (47.05 secs).
Behind Ragan was the No. 07 of Casey Mears, the No. 26 of Jamie McMurray, the No. 20 of Joey Logano, and the No. 83 of Brian Vickers.
Ragan’s lap was turned at the very beginning of the practice session in a multi-car draft. As a result, the speeds turned in are not a real indication of speed for single-car qualifying to be held Friday afternoon.
Regan Smith, who timed in 34th, was the fastest of the “Go or Go Home” teams, followed by Brad Keselowski, Scott Speed, and Joe Nemechek. The two slowest teams, and thus, the teams most in danger of failing to qualify are the No. 64 of Mike Wallace and the No. 37 of Tony Raines.
Immediately after setting top time in Sprint Cup practice, Ragan went out in his No. 6 Discount Tire Ford and set the top speed in Nationwide Series Happy Hour with a lap of 182.626 mph. Following Ragan were the No. 87 of Joe Nemechek, the No. 40 of Scott Wimmer, and the No. 99 of Michael Waltrip with the No. 20 of Joey Logano rounding out the Top 5.
Towards the end of practice, there was a three car crash exiting Turn 4. The No. 66 of Steven Wallace tapped the No. 11 of Scott Lagasse, Jr., sending him spinning into the wall. The No. 34 of Tony Raines was also involved. Lagasse, Jr. will go to a backup car, while Wallace and Raines’ teams will repair their cars.
Problems at the Milwaukee Mile
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is reporting that all employees of The Milwaukee Mile have been laid off and the track office is at least temporarily shuttered. This is as a result of the track owing a significant amount of money to NASCAR for the staging of the recent Camping World Truck/Nationwide Series weekend at the 106 year old oval.
The newspaper has acquired documents claiming that track promoter Claude Napier and his Wisconsin Motorsports owe $1,878,228 to NASCAR to pay for the sanctioning fees for the two races held on June 20. In addition, the track also owes the Indy Racing League, parent company of the IndyCar Series, an undisclosed amount of money for holding the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt 225 at the track on May 31.
NASCAR knew going into the weekend that Napier could not afford to pay NASCAR’s fees prior to the race weekend. On Thursday, June 18, Napier signed an agreement stating that he did not have the appropriate funds on hand to pay the sanctioning fees due to NASCAR. As a result, NASCAR seized all the revenues that the track generated during the weekend to go towards the monies owed.
Napier admitted to the Journal-Sentinel on Thursday that he is currently looking for investors to buy into his company (Wisconsin Motorsports), but that he’s all on his own at the moment. As a result, the future of The Milwaukee Mile, not just as a venue for the NASCAR Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series, but as a race track is very cloudy.
Gander Mountain to Sponsor Front Row Motorsports at Daytona
On Thursday, Front Row Motorsports announced in a press release that they had signed Gander Mountain to serve as the primary sponsor for their No. 37 Sprint Cup and No. 34 Nationwide entries this weekend at Daytona. The sponsorship is designed to draw attention to Gander Mountain’s new online firearms department and their online shipping features.
Gander Mountain is a retailer that sells outdoor recreation supplies, like camping gear, fishing gear, boating supplies, and services to help supplement those activities.
Team owner Bob Jenkins is happy for the opportunity.
“Gander Mountain is sure to have success with its launch of online firearms sales and free shipping program,” Jenkins said in the press release. “We intend to run strong and help spread the word at Daytona over this holiday weekend.”
Officially, this is a one-race deal, but with a strong performance in either race, future opportunities could be possible. Raines finished fourth at Talladega in the Aaron’s 312 back in April.
Have breaking news for the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashl...@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
It's Frontstretch Podcast Time!!!
Don't forget about Tom Bowles and Matt Taliaferro's Athlon / Frontstretch Podcast, sponsored this season by Wrigley's! Check out the newest edition by clicking here! Of course, if all else fails, you can always listen to us on iTunes for FREE! Search for our weekly show under "Athlon."
In Case You Missed It
by Kurt Smith
Loudon Cup Ratings Up
Kurt Smith is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached at kurt....@frontstretch.com.
Blue Smoke And Burnt Rubber
A NASCAR Mystery
by S.D. Grady
Blue Smoke and Burnt Rubber will return next week to the Frontstretch Newsletter. Be sure to check back next Friday and catch the next chapter of our NASCAR mystery!
S.D. Grady is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached at sonya...@frontstretch.com.
Frontstretch Folio: Coke Zero 400
by Kim DeHaven
The Sprint Cup Series visits the Sunshine State this weekend to race under the lights at the Daytona International Speedway. The Coke Zero 400 is the 18th race of the 2009 Sprint Cup season and will be broadcast live on Saturday, July 4th at 8:00 pm ET on TNT, with radio coverage by MRN affiliates nationwide. Competitors will make 160 circuits for 400 miles around the 2.5 mile superspeedway in their quest for the checkered flag.
Records and Facts
Bill Elliott holds the record for the fastest lap at Daytona International Speedway, posting a qualifying lap with a time of 42.783 seconds and a speed of 210.364 mph to win the pole for the 1987 running of the Daytona 500.
Cale Yarborough holds the record for the most poles recorded at Daytona International Speedway with 13; eight of those came in the summer race. Paul Menard won the pole for last year's event. Martin Truex, Jr. was the pole sitter in this year's Daytona 500.
Bobby Allison holds the record for the fastest 400 mile race run at Daytona International Speedway. He attained the record of 2 hours, 18 minutes, 21 seconds with an average speed of 173.473 mph on July 4, 1980 in the Firecracker 400.
Richard Petty holds the record for most victories at Daytona International Speedway with 10 wins, three of those coming in the summer race. Kyle Busch won the event last year. Matt Kenseth is the most recent winner at the track, winning this year's Daytona 500.
Track Facts
Track/Race Length: 2.5 mile tri-oval superspeedway, 160 laps, 400 miles
Pit Road Speed: 55 mph
Corners: Banked 31 degrees
Frontstretch: 3,800 feet
Straights: Banked 6 degrees
Tri-oval: Banked 18 degrees
Backstretch: 3,400 feet, Banked 3 degrees
Grandstand seating: 168,000
Pre-race Schedule (all times eastern)
Practice - Thursday, July 2 at 4:00 p.m. on SPEED
Happy Hour Practice - Thursday, July 2 at 6:30 p.m. on SPEED
Qualifying - Friday, July 3 at 4:00 p.m. on SPEED
VIPs
Grand Marshall/Command to start engines: Kyle Petty
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: John Schnatter, Founder of Papa John's
Say What?!?
"Daytona is random and it is going to be difficult for the drivers. It’s going to be hot, the track is going to be slick and the speeds are going to be high. The cars are not going to handle well. The night races make it a bit crazy anyway. There is going to be a lot of fireworks." - Marcos Ambrose
"Even though it is a night race it will be hot. The track will be slicker. Handling will be even more important. You might not see as big of a pack in the draft as you saw in February. But who knows. We’ll just race and try to be there at the end." - A.J. Allmendinger
Kim DeHaven is a Co-Publisher of Frontstretch.com. She can be reached at kim.d...@frontstretch.com.
Top 35 Spoiler Picks : Daytona (Coke Zero 400)
by Phil Allaway and Mike Ravesi
Well, fans, the general trend of the picks competition has held firm so far this season. That form is as follows: Phil takes four consecutive weeks, then Mike runs off four in a row to tie the score. Rinse and repeat. Last week, Week 17 of our competition, worked out just like weeks one and nine did. Phil took the victory to take a one race lead (9-8) over Mike.
Phil's Loudon Picks:
55 Michael Waltrip- Finished 24th
77 Sam Hornish, Jr.- Finished 8th
Average Finish: 16
Mike's Loudon Picks:
78 Regan Smith- Finished 27th, 1 lap down
96 Bobby Labonte- Finished 21st
Average Finish: 24
Neither Phil nor Mike will be able to ride on the coattails of Sam Hornish, Jr.'s performance this weekend because his eighth place finish allowed him and his team to climb into the Top 25 in points. However, there are still plenty of good choices available to our prognosticators. Let's see what they have cooking up for this week.
Mike's Daytona Picks:
09 Brad Keselowski- An obvious choice here. Keselowski, the surprise winner of the last Sprint Cup restrictor plate race (Aaron's 499, Talladega), has plenty of momentum on his back. Another top 10 finish last weekend at Loudon, thanks to pit strategy will definitely help his case. As will the Hendrick engines for qualifying on Friday. However, Keselowski DNQ'd for the Daytona 500 driving the No. 09 back in February, so that must be watched carefully.
6 David Ragan- Ragan has struggled terribly this year, and Sunday was just another instance of bad luck. Ragan was an innocent victim in the big wreck on lap 174. Of course, at Daytona, there is always a chance that the big one will occur. When it does, it is likely that more than eight cars will be involved. Luckily, Ragan can take note that of the four restrictor plate races, the "Big One" typically occurs the least often in the 400 miler at Daytona.
Phil's Daytona Picks:
29 Kevin Harvick- Yes, Harvick has once again slipped out of the top 25 as a result of getting caught up in the Truex crash on lap 174 at Loudon. As many of you already know, Harvick is a former Daytona 500 champion (February 2007, ironically, his last win in the Sprint Cup Series). He can get the job done on the 2.5 mile restricted tri-oval.
55 Michael Waltrip- Despite getting caught up in a wreck during the race that smashed up the rear of the NAPA Toyota, Waltrip finished a decent 24th at Loudon and ran better than that during the event, even after the crash. Phil's making him his second pick because of Waltrip's two Daytona 500 wins (granted, the 2003 victory was rain-shortened, but it still counts).
Have comments on Phil's and Mike's picks of the week -- or want to submit some fan picks of your own? Email them at mra...@yahoo.com and ashl...@mail.com to let them know what you think!
FRONTSTRETCH FANTASY RACING
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Kurt Smith
by Amy Henderson
by Bryan Davis Keith
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q. Richard Petty scored his 200th Cup win at Daytona in 1984. But he wasn't driving for Petty Enterprises... Who was the car owner for that famous victory?
Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Thursday's Answer:
Q. What legendary driver's practice crash prior to the 400-mile race in 1990 left him in a hospital bed for that year's race, forcing him to miss several more events to recuperate? Here's a clue: he drove for Rick Hendrick at the time.
A. In July of 1990, Darrell Waltrip suffered a devastating crash that caused him to miss the Pepsi 400 - one of several races he was forced to skip en route to going winless for the first time since 1974.
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!
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Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Coke Zero 400 Recap by Phil Allaway
-- Secret Star of the Race: The Best Run You Never Saw by Tom Bowles
-- Big Six: Coke Zero 400 by TBD
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, Stat of the Week, and more!
Monday on the Frontstretch:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Daytona by Matt McLaughlin
Matt's got all the post-race analysis and NASCAR water cooler fodder you need to know after the Sprint Cup Series goes plate racing at Daytona
.
Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom willll have his take on the biggest story coming out of Daytona this weekend in his weekly post-race commentary.
Five Points To Ponder by Mike Lovecchio
Mike has five things you shouldn't have missed from the last week in NASCAR racing, including highlights from our live race blog as he dissects all the NASCAR action from Daytona.
Mike tracks all the action in and around the Top 35 in his weekly column that investigates how teams battling for that all-important spot fared at Daytona.
Sprint Cup Rookie Report by Tony Lumbis
Tony will have all your post-Daytona race analysis for all the Sprint Cup freshmen in his weekly rookie report.
Bryan breaks down all the action from the Nationwide Series race at Daytona.
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 edi...@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
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