The Frontstretch Newsletter: November 5th, 2009

[Frontstretch.com]

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER 
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 5th, 2009
Volume III, Edition CCXIV

DON'T FORGET THE FRONTSTRETCH LIVE BLOG THIS SUNDAY!
Jimmie Johnson's sixth place finish at Talladega has given him a 184-point lead with just three races to go.  It appears that the race for the actual championship may be a coronation now -- but the rest of the Top 12 are very close.  Positions can jumble this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-miler where anything can happen ... and usually does.
 
Can't get to a television to watch the race?  Too busy watching Drew Brees torch the Panthers to switch over to ABC?  Well join your favorite Frontstretch writers for commentary, opinions, polls, and all kinds of other inside information you just can't get anywhere else as you follow the race LIVE from your computer instead.  The action starts at 2:45 PM EST on Sunday, so feel free to drop on by.  And remember, viewer posts are always welcome, so don't be shy -- participate!

 

Today's Top News
by Phil Allaway

Danica Patrick to sign with JR Motorsports

 

ESPN is reporting that Danica Patrick, currently the driver of the No. 7 Boost Mobile Dallara in the IndyCar Series, is close to signing a two-year deal to drive part-time in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports.  This deal would not conflict with Patrick's open wheel schedule, but begin what's expected to be a long-term transition to be a full-time driver in NASCAR by the end of her IRL contract.

 

If the deal is signed, Patrick would drive in around 12-13 Nationwide Series races next season and in 2011 for JR Motorsports in a car (likely the No. 5) sponsored by GoDaddy.com.  However, she would make her stock car debut in the ARCA Re/MAX Series opener at Daytona on February 6 (the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200) in order to gain approval from NASCAR for superspeedway racing.  If all goes well, she would move on to make her debut in the 300-mile Nationwide event held on February 13.  Otherwise, her debut would come the next weekend at Auto Club Speedway.

 

Sources believe that this deal is very close to being done and an announcement could be made in the next ten days.

 

NASCAR to implement Rookie Orientation in 2010

 

SceneDaily.com is reporting that NASCAR will hold a one day rookie orientation seminar in February for incoming rookies in NASCAR's top three touring series (Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and the Camping World Truck Series).  This program would focus on the rules and procedures of NASCAR (often considered difficult to understand), as well as adjusting to competition in the upper-most levels in stock car racing.

 

"It’s something we’ve been looking at [doing] for the last two or three years," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said on Wednesday.  "We looked at what all the other leagues do, and one thing we realized is there seems to be a lot of benefit both for the league and their participants [by having these experiences]."

 

The orientation will include Dr. David Black of Aegis Laboratories (the official drug testing lab for NASCAR) to discuss the ins and outs of NASCAR's Substance Abuse Policy.  Dr. Richard Lapchick of the University of Central Florida and the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports will also address the rookies about proper conduct.

 

In addition, track operators, veteran drivers, NASCAR's Medical Liaisons, and NASCAR Executives (including NASCAR CEO Brian France) will also be featured speakers.

 

As Poston mentioned above, this move puts NASCAR in line with other professional sports.  Both the NFL and NBA already have seminars that players (not just rookies) can attend that pertain to financial planning, personal conduct, and other issues.

 

Scotts to sponsor No. 99 for six races in 2010

 

Roush Fenway Racing announced on Wednesday that AFLAC, primary sponsor of the No. 99 Ford of Carl Edwards, has entered into a partnership with The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.  As a result of this partnership, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, The Scotts Company, will be the primary sponsor of the No. 99 in the Sprint Cup Series for six races during the 2010 season.

 

Those six races are the exhibition Budweiser Shootout at Daytona in February, as well as races at Atlanta and Bristol in March, Texas in April, and both the Crown Royal 400 (Richmond) and the Coca-Cola 600 in May.

 

Representatives of The Scotts Company could not be more pleased to continue their involvement with Roush Fenway Racing and Carl Edwards.

 

"The Scotts Company is thrilled to partner with Aflac, Carl Edwards and get back into Cup racing," Jim Shertzer, sponsorship manager for The Scotts Company said.  "Our company has a great relationship with Carl Edwards, and we’re excited to kick off Spring in Daytona in the Scotts Turf Builder car in 2010."

 

Even though this technically constitutes a "selling off" of races, AFLAC is pleased to be able to form this new partnership with The Scotts Company.

 

"Our involvement in NASCAR not only allows us to sponsor a premier driver in Carl Edwards, but also affords us the opportunity to team up with premier brands such as Scotts," AFLAC's Motorsports Marketing Manager Keith Farley said.  "This is truly a winning partnership for everyone involved."

Including the driver they're sponsoring, of course.

 

"AFLAC and Scotts are two great companies that have supported me during my career," Edwards said on Wednesday.  "I earned my first Cup victory in a Scotts car, and am looking forward to driving for them again in the Sprint Cup Series in 2010."

 

Scotts previously sponsored Carl Edwards in the Sprint Cup Series during his first full season (2005) on a part-time basis.  Edwards earned his first career victory driving a Scotts-sponsored No. 99.  Since then, Scotts has been a co-primary sponsor on Edwards' Busch/Nationwide Series car with companies like Save-a-Lot and Henkel.

 

New team announces intentions to race Sprint Cup in 2010

 

HardcoreRaceFans.com is reporting that Raymond Key, the younger brother of Curtis Key (who fields the No. 40 Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series) has announced plans to field a Sprint Cup Series team in 2010.  The team, named Keyed Up Motorsports, would use the No. 90 and field Chevrolets for at least the first five races next season.

 

The team will operate as a sister squad to Key Motorsports, similar to the relationship between Prism Motorsports (Sprint Cup No. 66) and MSRP Motorsports (Nationwide Series Nos. 90 and 91).  Key Motorsports will provide technical support and shop space for the new team; however, unlike MSRP, the No. 90 will not start and park.

 

"I feel that Curtis and the Key Motorsports team have the technical knowledge and ability to make us competitive in the Sprint Cup Series," Raymond Key said on Wednesday.  "I am very happy with our progress so far, he has our cars cleared through the NASCAR inspection process and has the engine program up and running. Curtis has a great gift of organization."

 

The team will use cars purchased from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., with driver and sponsor announcements expected in the coming weeks.

 

New promoter at the Milwaukee Mile pulls out

 

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported on Tuesday that Historic Mile LLC, the group that acquired the rights to promote races at the Milwaukee Mile from the Wisconsin State Fair, has already dropped their bid to promote at the track due to a failure to reach a deal with NASCAR.  However, money required to put on the races at the Milwaukee Mile in June 2010 was not the primary issue.

Instead, the problem comes from NASCAR wanting any promoter to fully pay the delinquent seven-figure sum still owed from June's Nationwide / Camping World Truck Series weekend at the track.

 

"The proposed agreement with NASCAR had certain payment responsibilities, but we were unable to make the 2009 payments they wanted," Historic Mile LLC head Tony Machi said on Wednesday.  These payments were to total roughly $2.7 million.

 

Now, the Wisconsin State Fair board has two options.  The first, and more desirable option is to give promotion rights to a group led by Frank and Dominic Giuffre, who previously promoted the track from 1983-1991.  The Giuffre brothers also have funding from several backers, including John Menard, Chairman of the Menards Home Improvement Warehouse chain (and father of Sprint Cup driver Paul), so they could feasibly afford to pay the back fees NASCAR requires.  The other option is for the State Fair to promote the race themselves.

 

Have news for Phil and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashl...@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.

SPECIAL EDITOR'S NOTE: VITO'S WEEKLY COMMENTARY CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE FOR THIS ONE DAY ONLY! SCROLL DOWN TO "TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH" AND CLICK HIS LINK TO LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DANICA AND NASCAR IN 2010. IN ITS PLACE IN THE NEWSLETTER, WE GIVE YOU A SPECIAL LOOK AT THOMPSON IN TURN 5 -- TOMMY THOMPSON'S COMMENTARY YOU CAN SEE EVERY THURSDAY ONLY ON OUR WEBSITE.
 
Today's Featured Commentary
Complaining Aside: Restrictor Plate Racing Is Here To Stay
Thompson In Turn 5
By Tommy Thompson

Wow, has the anti-NASCAR restrictor plate hating crowd had a heyday this week. Their complaints followed more than the usual uneventful laps that were run and the not so unusual spectacular wrecks that occurred Sunday during the running of the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.  Once again, drivers criticized the restrictor plate form of racing that results in them running in tightly packed groups, one that inherently increases the likelihood of chain-reaction crashes.   Fans likewise chimed in with complaints that they believe would be remedied by either removing the plates or a combination of removing the plates and reducing the banking at the mammoth tracks that host the restrictor plate form of racing... Talladega and Daytona International Speedway.

However, the odds of an end to restrictor plate racing or a radical modification to the track configurations at either of the two superspeedways in the near future is about the same as Senate Democrats and Republicans finding unanimous common ground on healthcare reform.  Whether you like it or not ... it's just not going to happen anytime soon.

The latest chapter in a long history of bellyaching before and after a restrictor plate race took a new twist when NASCAR issued a last minute ban on drivers pushing one another through the high-banked turns, complete with a threat of penalty for any driver that did not comply to the on-the-fly rule.  The decision the sanctioning body arrived at no doubt was made in the interest of safety, but it was also one that met with resentment by many drivers who believe that they should not be told how to drive their race cars.  It's a resentment that now appears to have manifested in an undetermined amount of protest during the race, marking lap after lap in a single-file formation and unwilling to race side-by-side in hope of improving their position.

Well score one for the drivers, as NASCAR should not have told racers how to race.  It is solely the responsibility of each individual driver to be competitive and decide how to gain the best possible finish they can muster given their ability and the quality of their equipment.  In short, they're supposed to go as fast as they can ... because that’s what they get paid to do.  That’s what the fans pay to see.

Sitting in the grandstands this April for the Aaron’s 499 in the closing laps, I was caught by surprise when Carl Edwards, being pushed by Brad Keselowski, seemed to come out of nowhere to take the lead in the last lap.  At the time, I did not comprehend that what I was witnessing was the newest wrinkle in restrictor plate racing – that of hooking up and pushing the competitor in front all the way around the track.  However, that is the newest tactic in superspeedway racing that first brought us the slingshot move, then bump drafting.  The maneuver is in its own way every bit as exciting, and certainly requires as much skill as previous versions of plate racing technique.

Let’s not assume, though, that all drivers were enthused about the newfound tactic.  Word in the garage is that an undetermined number of them had qualms about the practice, and (while they won't admit it publicly) several confronted NASCAR president Mike Helton following the epidemic of pushing in the turns during practice leading up to Sunday’s event.  Who the driver(s) might have been is unknown, but judging from comments two days prior to the race made by four-time Sprint Cup Champion Jeff Gordon, he very well could have been one that voiced his displeasure. 

“That’s what I don’t understand – I thought there were no-bump zones or something like that.  The reason why that’s working and happening is because NASCAR is allowing the cars to push one another through the corners.  So, until they crack down on that, I think you’re going to see it come down to two guys locking up together like that, pushing one another, and then trying to figure how to decide it among themselves,” Gordon said.

That type of worry is nothing new, as Talladega and Daytona naturally have a habit of making drivers nervous.  It always has.  Since the walkout in the inaugural race in 1969 of the sport's biggest stars of the day to today, the mega-fast facility has been fraught with danger.  Before the implementation of restrictor plate racing, speeds had increased until, in 1987, Bill Elliott ran qualifying laps at Daytona of better than 210 mph and close to 213 mph at Talladega.  That, in addition to a horrific crash at the Alabama facility, signaled the beginning of plate racing to slow down the cars as speeds were becoming unmanageable.

In 2004, Rusty Wallace tested his famous Miller Lite No. 2 Penske Dodge at Talladega without the carburetor restrictor plate and turned a lap with straightaway speeds of 228 mph, with an average speed of 221 mph around the 2.66-mile track.  Said Wallace, “I bet we could be running speeds of 235 mph if we spent time tweaking.”  Left unfettered, one can only imagine what speeds today’s Sprint Cup teams would be capable of producing. 

Yet here is the assessment by Wallace of the prospects of running without restrictor plates after climbing from his "Blue Deuce" that day. 

"I’ll tell you this – there is no way we could be out there racing at those speeds,” he offered.  “It was neat to be out there by myself, but it would be insane to think we could have a pack of cars out there doing that.”

“It was a hell of a deal that I will remember for the rest of my life.  We’d all been wondering what it would be like to run at Talladega without the plates – and now we know.”

Insane probably sums up any thought of allowing NASCAR teams to run at a superspeedway without mechanically governing top speeds.  All the safety improvements that NASCAR has undertaken aside, they know that they have very little to offer in protection for drivers wrecking at 220 mph or more.

So, restrictor plate racing was the only answer that NASCAR was able to come up with to limit speeds. Of course, in doing so their answer to the problem created the situation that we find ourselves in now... pack racing.  However, that change has worked well for the sport's fan base, creating a unique and highly entertaining form of competition.

In fact, fans can scream and holler and feign disgust with plate racing all they want, but it’s still the best show in town.  The skilled darting and jockeying for position in close quarters, at 195 mph, keeps folks at the track on their feet and viewers at home on the edge of their couches.  The final ten laps at the Darlington and Talladega races four times a year are still the most exhilarating 40 laps of auto racing on the NASCAR schedule. 

The only way the sport will make drastic changes to the racing at Daytona and Talladega is when fans no longer show interest in attending and watching the style of racing those two venues produce.  Then, and only then will they consider investing the tens of millions of dollars that it would cost to reduce the banking to accommodate non-restrictor plate racing at acceptable speeds.

In the meantime, restrictor plate racing will continue largely unchanged.  Accommodations will be made to address the issue of competitors pushing one another through the turns.  Drivers will still complain and proclaim their dislike for the racing -- but when push comes to shove, they'll still be out on the track itself competing.

Yet there is no doubt that drivers, if they had their druthers, would prefer not to race at Daytona and Talladega.  Fans, though, are like "rubberneckers" that slow down to see what is going on when passing emergency vehicles on the opposite side of the road.  Sure, people complain about them, but when they pass those flashing lights, they, too, slow down and look -- even though they know they shouldn’t. 

Why?  Well, because it’s interesting and is something out of the ordinary.  Just like restrictor plate racing.

And... that’s my view from Turn 5.

Tommy Thompson is a Senior Writer at frontstretch.com.  He can be reached at thomasmt...@msn.com.

Listen In To Frontstretch On iTunes!
Tune in every Thursday afternoon to the Inside Racing Podcast presented by Wrigley's to get the inside dish on the week’s racing news. The Frontstretch’s Matt Taliaferro and Tom Bowles break down last week’s events, discuss current issues within the sport, and take a look ahead to this weekend’s upcoming race. With host Braden Gall keeping things in order for segments like Tom's Track Talk, Matt's Hot Laps, and more, it's an action-packed, fast-paced 30 minutes of racing debate. So if you’re tired of the cleaned-up, glossed-over network coverage, Inside Racing presented by Wrigley's is the place for you — Matt and Tom ask all the tough questions and provide the politically incorrect answers you seek. Look for our podcast on iTunes under the keyword: Athlon.
 
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Enter The Era Of DaniCAR: Patrick To Join JR Motorsports In 2010
by Vito Pugliese

One Day After Talladega, NASCAR Announces Awards For "Listening To The Fans"
by Jeff Meyer

Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: A Trojan Horse?
by Matt McLaughlin

Fanning The Flames: Talladega's Biannual Brouhaha And Griese's Racist Remark
by Matt Taliaferro

Fantasy Insider: Three-Race Sprint To The Finish Starts At Texas
by Bryan Davis Keith and Mike Neff

Hey, Frontstretch Readers!
Do you want the chance to win a free Frontstretch T-Shirt, and are you really good at talking about NASCAR? Well, we have the perfect opportunity for you. Our staff will be giving away a FREE T-Shirt to the reader who makes the best post in our Frontstretch Forum between now and the end of the season. So, what makes a good post? It's pretty hard to impress us, but here are some things we are looking for:

Does your post spark passionate reactions from other readers? Are you commenting on meaningful NASCAR-related events? Do your posts have substance? In other words, "Dale Jr. is the best driver ever" or "Danica Patrick is hot" will not cut it.
 
So go to the Frontstretch Forums, post early, post often, and post well! We'll announce the winner following the final race of the season at Homestead.

FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q. During the 1998 race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, there were some issues in turns 1 and 2 with the race track.  What were they, and who paid for those issues?

Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Wednesday's Answer:
Q. The 1998 Texas 500 was the scene of a vicious crash that nearly ended the career of Greg Sacks, who was driving the No. 98 Thorn Apple Valley Meats Ford for Cale Yarborough Motorsports.  What happened here?

 

A:  On lap 136, Sacks ran into the left rear quarterpanel of the slower No. 7 of Geoff Bodine entering turn 1.  The contact got both Sacks and Bodine loose.  Bodine recovered and continued on, but Sacks overcorrected, and the car shot into the outside wall, eventually hitting it flush to the passenger side.  It was an absolute brutal hit for Sacks.  Afterwards, the car came back down the banking and hit the inside wall fairly hard.  The car eventually came to rest on the apron.  Track crews had to cut Sacks out of the car and take him to the hospital.  He suffered several broken ribs and injuries to his spinal nerves in the crash that actually nearly killed him.  It took until 2004 before Sacks started another Cup Series race. 

 

If you haven't seen it, the wreck can be viewed at 5:57 of this clip on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfgLKJ28a4Q.
 
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 tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Kurt Smith
-- In Case You Missed It by Kurt Smith
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, Phil and Mike's Spoiler Picks, the "mystery" continues, and more!
 
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Driven To The Past by John Potts
Our famous former racing vet tells us the solution to solving plate racing at Talladega and Daytona may involve a little trip down Memory Lane in both car construction and the thought process of the powers that be.

Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Pointed commentary from one of our site's veteran writers.

Happy Hour by Kurt Smith
With the equivalent of a driver protest at Talladega this Sunday, is a full-fledged union far behind? Kurt takes a look at their next move following the latest restrictor plate debacle.

Tearing Apart The Trucks by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth's back with another round of news and commentary for the Truck Series, prepping for Friday night's WinStar World Casino 350K.
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