The Frontstretch Newsletter SPECIAL EDITION: November 6th, 2010
Frontstretch.com
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November 6th, 2010
Volume IV, Edition CXLVI
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Kyle Busch Bests Todd Bodine on Late Restart to Score 7th Truck Win of 2010
by Bryan Davis Keith
Todd Bodine may as well engrave his name on the 2010 Camping World Truck Series title trophy, but Friday night presented the opportunity for the No. 30 team to steal a win from nemesis Kyle Busch on a track that Rowdy has come to dominate. And the stage was set, with Bodine leading the field when the caution flag flew for Lance Fenton's spin on lap 122, then keeping the lead through what would be the race's final cycle of pit stops. All the stars were aligned for what appeared to be a keynote victory in what's been a successful season for Germain Racing.
But a decision by Bodine to choose the outside line for the ensuing restart proved to be his undoing.
Passing "The Onion" with 21 laps to go, Busch used the gaffe to claim control and pull away for his seventh Truck Series win in fourteen starts this season. The costly mistake was easy to pinpoint; after all, a chilly night in Fort Worth coupled with a harder Goodyear tire kept much of the racing surface from rubbering in, even after two qualifying sessions and three practice sessions worth of track activity - a problem that made passing to the high side of the corners nearly impossible to complete. So while Bodine was able to stay door-to-door with Busch, it wasn't long before the No. 18 Truck was the one driving off into clean air.
Johnny Sauter, who actually managed to pass Busch on the high side earlier in the event, made quick work of Bodine and set to stalking the No. 18, who was continually switching lanes on the backstretch to break any sort of potential draft. Sauter was able on several occasions to get to Busch's bumper, but the Interstate Toyota was the one who never once got out of shape. So despite Sauter's best efforts, as well as a valiant charge by his teammate Matt Crafton (who after being forced to start in the rear for unapproved adjustments, rallied to finish third), Busch not only won but extended his lead in the owner standings to 72 markers over Germain Racing's No. 30 team. Bodine finished fourth, extending his driver points lead to 230 over Aric Almirola with only two races to go in the season, while Elliott Sadler rounded out the top 5.
The event was run in just under one hour and 40 minutes, with only four cautions, including Fenton's lap 122 spin, interrupting the action on-track. Johanna Long spun and made hard contact with the Turn 4 wall on the second lap; Austin Dillon blew a right front tire entering Turn 1 on lap 42; and Ron Hornaday was collected by Taylor Malsam as the pack was trying to avoid the wounded truck of Miguel Paludo, who had just slammed the Turn 2 wall on lap 53. Hornaday, incensed that Malsam did not slow in time to avoid his Truck, spun Malsam on the backstretch as he was coming to pit road for repairs.
For more in-depth analysis of Friday night's race, check out Beth Lunkenheimer's Tracking the Trucks column this Monday, only on Frontstretch.com.
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The Future Is Now for Elliott Sadler; Wins First Pole Since 2006
Much ado was made of Ford during morning practice sessions at Texas Motor Speedway, with powerhouse Roush Fenway Racing drivers Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth timing in first, second, and fourth on the speed charts. But when push came to shove during qualifying, it was a Ford of a different team - made up of a lame duck driver and a car that may not show up at the racetrack in 2011 - who brought home the pole.
That was none other than the No. 19 Richard Petty Motorsports car driven by
Elliott Sadler, who followed up a press conference only an hour
earlier announcing that he would be racing in the Nationwide Series
full-time for Kevin Harvick, Incorporated in 2011 with a scorching
pole run. How good was the 2004 Spring Texas winner? He topped second-place Greg Biffle by
two-and-a-half tenths of a second, also coming within a tenth of breaking
the track record with a speed of 195.397 miles an hour. It was the first Cup pole Sadler has sat on
since Talladega way back in the spring of 2006, the lead driver in a Ford contingent that included Biffle (2nd), Edwards (3rd),
and David Ragan (5th) inside the top 5. Juan Pablo Montoya was the only Chevrolet interloper, slotting the No. 42 Target Chevy in fourth.
“If they can run faster than that, they can have it,” quipped Sadler immediately after his time trial run. “We have a lot of folks here from Stanley this weekend, so that was a good start” to what the veteran made reference to during his KHI press conference as “the new chapter of our lives.”
Also notable on what was a tremendous day for Ford (who, in all, grabbed five of the top-10 starting positions) was the confidence being exuded by the Roush Fenway Racing Chase contenders -- all of whom seem to have found their long lost stride at a track they dominated as early as two years ago.
Said Carl Edwards of his lap, “It feels real, real fast. I was hooping and hollering after I crossed the stripes because I thought it was the pole. I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if I had run any faster than that.”
Greg Biffle's remarks
were more telling. “We learned a little bit," he said. "[But] what I care
about right now is that we are in great shape for Sunday."
Of the three true title contenders, Jimmie Johnson qualified 17th after after running top-10 all throughout practice. Denny Hamlin qualified a distant 30th, but isn't too worried; he won the spring event earlier this year after starting 29th. The biggest question mark is that of third-place Kevin Harvick, who was mired outside the top 25 in practice before timing in 26th. Said Harvick earlier in the morning, though, “we worry more about the race.”
J.J. Yeley, Scott Riggs,
Michael McDowell, Jeff Green, Josh Wise and Brian Keselowski all
failed to qualify. Of those who did make the field, Brad Keselowski will have to go to a backup car
after a spin through the infield grass in practice did massive damage
to the front end of his Dodge. Andy Lally also spun in practice but
avoided contact with the wall.
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Hometown Hero James Buescher Caps Banner Day for Turner Motorsports With NNS Pole
Fresh off a huge announcement that the Turner Motorsports organization will field a minimum of three entries in both the Truck and Nationwide Series for 2011, James Buescher gave the NASCAR community a taste of what Hendrick motors will do for a team. Going out during knockout qualifying, the Plano, TX native stole the top starting position from provisional polesitter Kevin Harvick to score his first Nationwide Series pole since Memphis in the fall of 2008. Harvick will start second for Saturday's race, with Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer rounding out the top 5.
Buescher's performance was the highlight of what was a stellar qualifying session for those outside the top 30 in owner points; David Gilliland, Stanton Barrett, Jeremy Clements, Trevor Bayne and Dennis Setzer all scored top-15 starting positions in go-or-go-home cars. For Barrett, who will start 11th, the effort in his first Nationwide Series start since Road America back in June marks his best qualifying result since an 11th-place start at Charlotte last spring. “You gotta believe man, you gotta believe in your people” the Rick Ware Racing crew echoed to their driver after he posted his fast lap.
While Alex Kennedy endured the worst wreck of Friday's two practice sessions for the Nationwide Series after appearing to clip the apron in Turn 4, no damaged car was talked about more than Brad Keselowski's. Ducking low to dodge Kennedy's spinning race car, Keselowski ran hard into the infield grass and damaged the front nose of his No. 22 Dodge. The team made repairs and allowed the current Nationwide Series points leader to qualify 16th, his worst time trial effort since Kentucky back in June. It's still not all that bad considering the grand scheme of things, though; by finishing 21st or better, Keselowski will clinch the 2010 Nationwide Series championship.
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Today's Top News
by Bryan Davis Keith
Allgaier, Sadler Announce New Nationwide Series Homes for 2011
Two of the biggest pieces of NASCAR's Silly Season still in play fell into place on Friday afternoon. As speculated, Justin Allgaier will be leaving Penske Racing for a new home with Turner Motorsports, joining Reed Sorenson and Jason Leffler in pursuit of the 2011 Nationwide Series championship. Sponsorship details were not made available for Allgaier (Leffler will continue with longtime sponsor Great Clips while Sorenson will go full-time with Dollar General after racing for the company for the majority of the 2010 season), but team owner Steve Turner confirmed that even if it means drivers shuffling between cars, Allgaier will run for the championship.
Elliott Sadler also revealed his plans for 2011, announcing that he will drive a No. 2 Chevrolet full-time for Kevin Harvick, Incorporated full-time starting at Daytona next February. Sadler, who has driven a limited number of Truck races for the organization this year, will have sponsorship for 29 races from Citi Financial. The arrangement is a reunion of sorts, as Sadler was one of the first drivers Citi sponsored when they entered NASCAR racing with Robert Yates Racing back in 2005.
For more analysis of these breaking news stories, check out Bryan Davis Keith's feature on what the signings mean for the 2011 Nationwide Series.
News and Notes
- Joe Nemechek's No. 87 Cup car is sporting decals for NEMCO Motorsports' current Nationwide Series sponsor, HostGator.com. No word yet on whether Nemechek's No. 87 Cup car will run the full 500 miles this coming Sunday following their first complete race of the season at Talladega. Nemechek timed his way into Sunday's field and will start 34th.
- One of the surprising sights of the day, Brendan Gaughan was spotted in the Cup Series garage before qualifying on Friday afternoon, speaking to team members outside the TRG Motorsports hauler - a team he'll run with at Phoenix Raceway next week. Gaughan, who unlike Rusty Wallace, Incorporated teammate Steve Wallace has yet to confirm his plans for 2011, does bring sponsor dollars from South Point Resort, while TRG Motorsports is looking for backing as TaxSlayer.com will be leaving the organization to sponsor JR Motorsports next season.
- Michael Annett confirmed to Frontstretch Friday that he intends to return to Nationwide Series racing in 2011, and that longtime sponsor Pilot Travel Centers will be returning to back him in their current capacity next season. Annett, who has spent the last two seasons driving for Germain Racing, said that while he is not sure what team he will be driving for next year, that he fully intends to remain in the Nationwide Series until he enjoys enough sustained success to justify a move to the next level. Annett is currently 12th in Nationwide Series points this season, with two top-10 finishes to his credit. He will start Saturday's NNS race at Texas from the 35th position after struggling in qualifying; Annett told his team "there's something with our cars that when we need throttle, we can't run."
- Jennifer Jo Cobb has secured sponsorship from Lilly's Cosmetics for the season finale race at Homestead, a deal that came about, according to the driver, as a result of her team's presence week after week in the Truck garage. Cobb also noted that her team will be returning for next season's Truck Series opener at Daytona, but that the decision to run full-time in 2011 or to scale back and focus on select races will be made contingent on sponsorship.
Have news for The Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashl...@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Nationwide Series the Real Winner At Texas - At Least for One Day
by Bryan Davis Keith
Voices From The Heartland: BSNews! Real NASCAR News Only Slightly Altered
by Jeff Meyer
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Frontstretch.com would like to thank Star Coach Race Tours for their hospitality at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Our Frontstretch staff who attended the race was welcomed to take advantage of Star Coach's state-of-the-art motor homes, food, and beverage all from the convenience of the track infield. The best part is that fans can take advantage of this unique service as well! Visit www.starcoachracetours.com for more information about their all-inclusive race weekend packages! We know you'll love the experience!
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Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- AAA 500 Race Recap
-- Big Six: AAA 500 by Amy Henderson
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, Stat of the Week and more!
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Monday on the Frontstretch:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: AAA Texas 500 by Matt McLaughlin
Matt will be here with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday afternoon's 500-miler in Texas.
The Cool-Down Lap by Doug Turnbull
Another Monday morning commentary to make you sit up and take notice.
Fact or Fiction by Mike Lovecchio
Mike takes a look at the biggest stories of the weekend and analyzes them in a way only he knows how to.
Running Their Mouth: AAA Texas 500 by Summer Dreyer
Did he really say that? You bet he did! Summer brings you the most interesting, unusual, and downright crazy quotes to come from the drivers after Sunday afternoon's race from Texas.
Bubble Breakdown: Tracking The Top 35 In Car Owner Points by Brock Beard
Brock takes a look at the backmarkers battling for the 35th and final "locked in" spot and sees how their performances pay off at Texas.
Tracking the Trucks: Winstar World Casino 350k by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has all the post-race analysis you need after Friday night's Camping World Truck Series race from Texas.
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