The Frontstretch Newsletter: November 24th, 2009
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THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
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The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 24th, 2009
Volume III, Edition CCXXIX
Top News Stories
by Tom Bowles
Busch, Hornaday Claim Championships At First Ever Combined Nationwide/Truck Series Banquet
At 51, Ron Hornaday's set a record with four Truck Series titles, becoming the oldest champion in NASCAR history. At 24, Kyle Busch simply had a historic year all his own, rewriting the Nationwide Series record book by setting new marks in Laps Led (2,698), Top 10s (30), and points (5,682).
Both men were honored Monday night on the Americana Ballroom stage at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, the climax of the first combined Nationwide/Truck banquet in NASCAR history. It was a ceremony that also highlighted second through fifth in points in each division while handing out the Raybestos Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Driver Awards.
The MPD award was the biggest mystery, with Brad Keselowski and Ricky Carmichael getting the nod for Nationwide and Trucks, respectively. Carmichael's win was fairly impressive, as the freshman driver ran just a part-time schedule in a Kevin Harvick, Inc. Chevrolet and scored just two top 10 finishes. But the former AMA champ's fan base remained fiercely loyal, tipping the scales enough to score him the victory.
In contrast, Rookie of the Year was far less climactic for each series. Penske Nationwide driver Justin Allgaier erased any drama with a 20th place finish at Homestead, a run that gave him the nod over Brendan Gaughan. Over on the Trucks side, former Cup driver Johnny Sauter won with ease after opening up a 52-point lead over second-place Tayler Malsam.
Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Jason Leffler, and Mike Bliss were also given some face time on stage, as those Nationwide drivers were honored for their top 5 finish in the season standings. Ditto for Matt Crafton, Mike Skinner, Todd Bodine, and Colin Braun in the Truck Series, as Braun overtook Sauter in the final race to earn the fifth and final honor.
Homestead, Chase TV Ratings Down As Difficult 2009 Concludes
Johnson's history-making performance, in a perfect world, would be driving up fan interest in the sport.
Instead, the latest numbers show he's continuing to drive them away.
The title-clinching race at Homestead for the No. 48 pulled just a 3.2 overnight rating, down 13.5 percent from the same event one year ago. That concludes a dismal Chase for NASCAR in the Nielsens, with none of the ten playoff races posting increases over 2008. In fact, the final numbers show an overnight average of just 2.95, down 10.6 percent overall as the sport continues a slow but steady fan decline.
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!
Numbers Game: Ford 400
By Phil Allaway
2.632
In seconds, Denny Hamlin's margin of victory in Sunday's Ford 400.
Number of times winner Denny Hamlin led the Ford 400 Sunday.
Time it took to complete the Ford 400.
Drivers who failed to qualify for Sunday's race.
(No. 09 - David Stremme, No. 13 - Max Papis, No. 66 - Dave Blaney, No. 70 - Mike Skinner, No. 87 - Joe Nemechek)
7
Caution flags for a total of 31 laps at Homestead.
Victories for Jimmie Johnson during the 2009 season.
10
Penalties handed down by NASCAR during the running of the Ford 400.
18
Lead changes among ten drivers Sunday.
Joey Logano's finishing position, earning him Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors.
Number of cars on the lead lap at the end of Sunday's race.
39
Cars running at the end of the Ford 400.
Michael McDowell's finishing position Sunday in the Ford 400. He completed just 35 laps of the event before suffering overheating problems on his No. 36 Wave Energy Drink Toyota.
Career Cup wins for car owner Joe Gibbs after Denny Hamlin's trip to Victory Lane on Sunday, including nine this season.
Average race speed (in mph).
141
267
Laps in the Ford 400, equaling 400.5 miles.
Estimated crowd in attendance at Homestead.
$347,975
Denny Hamlin's purse for winning the Ford 400.
$5,413,645
Total purse for the Ford 400.
Phil Allaway is a Newsletter Contributor/Editor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached at phil.a...@frontstretch.com.
Today's Featured Commentary
Raking Up the Remains of the Race
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
By S.D. Grady
Well, golly…
The conclusion to the 2009 Sprint Cup season was…expected. I’ve tried really hard for the past 24 hours to come up with something clever and insightful to describe Jimmie Johnson’s historical year - but it simply isn’t there. Much like the remains of my flower garden, all that lingers of his accomplishments in my mind are pictures of Johnson doing what he does best.
A flower garden? Yeah…try and follow along.
When I first purchased my home years ago, we were pleased to discover mature flowering shrubs throughout the property. The first spring, neighbors flocked to our yard to snap photos of their kids in front of the incredible forsythia. The yellow herald of the growing season was big back then. Now, it’s a massive hedge wrapping around the corner of the house where groundhogs and sparrows live. However, with time it no longer draws the attention it did then. We’ve become accustomed to its explosion of buds and the perfection of its wild mass.
Much like the No. 48’s fourth championship.
The first time Jimmie hoisted that Cup over his head, I joined in the chorus of, “It’s about time!” He clearly demonstrated everything physically and personally that NASCAR demanded in a spokesman. That easy smile charmed the cameras, and his killer focus on the track just blew away the competition. However, four years down the line, and it seems Jimmie’s perfection just isn’t making the dent in our attention span that it once did.
But…all things are not meant to be permanent.
It’s November, the month of my discontent. Most years, I find myself staring out the window at the leaden skies and a yard carpeted in way too many brown leaves. The flowers have long since faded into a tangled web of decaying vegetation. I direct my husband to have at it with the weed-whacker. We rake and compost, neaten and string the lights for the upcoming season. We shed the lingering effects of summer.
In Charlotte, the racing shops have emptied, too. Their inhabitants now escape to even warmer climates, clearing their heads in an effort to recoup. Before you know it, they'll be back as part of a new year, a new set of races, even a few new teams. So despite a season highlighted by more negative stories than inspirational ones, we are left with the reality that we inhabit an ever-changing world. Beneath the dry, crackling leftovers of Jimmie Johnson’s reign of perfection lurks the promise of tender, green drivers just waiting for the warm rays of Spring to arrive.
But right now ... winter is here. The glitter and noise of the track is gone, and both our televisions and our sofas will get a well-earned respite. The time has come for all of us to step back, hug our families, and reconnect with those things in life that are truly important. The anger, frustration, and disinterest in the 2009 year need to be dismissed, as they should be.
For soon enough, we’ll yearn for the roar of the engine and the pomp of pit road, just as I’ll be looking for those first crocuses popping through the snow. It's a trio of expected changes -- ones I feel will come with an unexpected turning of the tide in NASCAR competition.
You may not agree, especially right now ... but there will be. For all things, good or bad, must come to an end; and for each ending, there is a new beginning. That gives me great hope.
So from my humongous pile of leaves, I bid you adieu. Have a happy holiday season, and I will return with the first green flag of the new and, hopefully, improved 2010 NASCAR year.
S.D. Grady is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. She can be contacted at sonya...@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by Danny Peters
Talking NASCAR TV: Championship Overkill
by Phil Allaway
Running Their Mouth: Ford 400
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Q: In 1991, Tommy Kendall, subbing for the injured Kyle Petty, had a real shot at winning the Banquet Frozen Foods 300k at Sears Point Raceway. However, it all fell apart in the last four laps. What happened to Kendall?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: Currently, there are no drivers that have declared themselves eligible for the 2010 Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award. This is quite rare, but not unprecedented. When was the last time that this happened, and who was crowned Rookie of the Year?
A: The last time this happened was in 1992. That year, no one declared for Rookie of the Year at the beginning of the season. However, just four races in, Cale Yarborough fired Chad Little out of the No. 66 Phillips 66/TropArtic Motor Oil Ford after getting in the Big One in the Daytona 500, suffering engine problems in the TranSouth 500 at Darlington, and four mediocre finishes of 22nd or worse. Little was replaced by Bobby Hillin, Jr. for North Wilkesboro before Jimmy Hensley was tapped to drive for the rest of the season.
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- Full Throttle by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Did You Notice? by Tom Bowles
Now that the season's over, there are the usual assortment of odds and ends that need to be addressed. Tom is here to discuss them before taking off for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
The Mirror crew is at it again with their usual weekly roundtable debate. This week's topics include whether an asterisk should be placed on Jimmie Johnson's four consecutive Cup Series championships because of the Chase, NASCAR's handling of aggressive driving penalties at Homestead, the plight of the Nationwide Series in 2010, and more.
Jeff's weekly list based on the latest NASCAR controversy will start your morning off with a laugh -- guaranteed.
Poking fun at NASCAR superstars? It's second nature to Kurt, as he takes a look at some of the goofiest photos from Homestead that should never have made it to print.
Voice Of Vito by Vito Pugliese
Could the Brad Keselowski - Denny Hamlin incident at Homestead have been staged? Sounds a little ridiculous, doesn't it? But you might not feel the same way after Vito's latest column, a commentary you certainly don't want to miss.
Frontstretch Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Homestead by the Frontstretch Staff
Wondering where your favorite driver stands for 2010? Find out as our final top 15 poll of the year lets our experts vote on who's got the most momentum heading into the offseason.
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