The Frontstretch Newsletter: October 29th, 2009
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October 29th, 2009
Volume III, Edition CCCXI
DON'T FORGET THE FRONTSTRETCH LIVE BLOG THIS SUNDAY!
Jimmie Johnson has a 118-point lead in the point standings after his second place finish on Sunday at Martinsville. However, Talladega's coming up, a track where -- as we all know -- anything can happen. Needless to say, the AMP Energy 500 should leave you amped up for some nail-biting action as NASCAR holds its final restrictor plate race of the year.
What? You say you're too busy watching Brett Favre's infamous return to Green Bay to tune in? Or are you just looking for a great group of people to watch the race with? Because either way, we're here to help. 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. The action starts at 12:45 PM 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
Best Buy to the No. 43 in 2010?
The AP's Jenna Fryer reported Wednesday that officials for Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM), speaking under the cloak of anonymity, have realigned their finances for 2010. Best Buy, currently a co-sponsor of the No. 19 driven by Elliott Sadler, will move over to the No. 43 for the 2010 season with A.J. Allmendinger at the controls.
Such a move would result in Sadler's other primary backer, Stanley Tools, becoming the sole primary sponsor of the No. 19. However, neither Best Buy nor Stanley Tools would provide full season sponsorship for either car. This would put RPM in the position of trying to find other companies that could sponsor those teams for individual races. While far from ideal, it's something the company has had reasonable success with so far in 2009: 'Dinger's No. 44 Dodge has had no fewer than a dozen primary sponsors in 32 starts this season.
Officials also confirmed the team is still in merger talks with Yates Racing, with a full-blown switch to Fords well underway. According to our own Tom Bowles, all sides remain optimistic the merger will go through, with Menard expected to stay in the No. 98 Ford and become the fourth team within the program.
New Ford FR9 engine won't be fully rolled out until 2010
SceneDaily.com is reporting that even though Ford's FR9 engine is debuting under the hood of David Ragan and Matt Kenseth's Roush Fenway Racing Fords, full-time use of the powerplant is unlikely until the middle of the 2010 season.
Why the delay? According to those in the know, teams are so focused on trying to get themselves set points-wise early in the season that developing a new engine would pose a distraction.
"We’d like to get it in some open competition before the end of the year, and then from there we’ll evaluate the engine parts and make some good decisions on moving into 2010," engine builder Doug Yates said on Wednesday. "But we probably won’t start out across the board next year. The beginning of the season is so critical to gain points and to secure your position that we’ll gain some more experience with it, then try to introduce it across the board sometime around midseason."
The main reason why Ford is debuting the new engine this weekend at Talladega, however, is that they want to have a baseline for the Daytona 500 in February, the one event early in 2010 where most if not all cars are expected to run it.
"The engine really looks great in both open and plate format, but for the start of the season we’re looking at starting at Daytona racing the FR9 – or at least qualifying with the FR9 – and for that reason we felt like Talladega was an important date for us, so that drove some of the decisions," Yates added.
The FR9 has been tested already at Daytona in restrictor plate configuration, but that was with the 60/64" plate (or 15/16"). The cars will race at Talladega with a 59/64" plate in an attempt to slow the cars down slightly.
Roush Fenway Racing announces Crew Chief Swap
On Wednesday, Roush Fenway Racing announced that the crew chiefs of their two full-time Nationwide Series cars, the Nos. 6 and 60, would switch teams starting with the O'Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway on November 7th. As a result of this swap, Mike Kelley will now head up the No. 60 Scotts/Save-a-Lot Ford driven by Carl Edwards, while Dan Stillman will be the crew chief on the No. 6 Discount Tire / Northern Tool Ford for David Ragan and Eric Darnell.
The main reasoning for the switch, according to RFR, is to strengthen both teams for 2010. While the cars have combined for a total of six wins this season, both will finish far behind the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 in the owner's championship and have struggled to compete with the JGR Toyotas. Busch's lead over Edwards and his No. 60 car stands at 215 with just three races remaining.
NASCAR Announces Nationwide Penalties, Fines From Memphis
On Wednesday, NASCAR announced multiple penalties stemming from a wild race weekend at Memphis.
The most publicized incident concerned Steven Wallace, who was fined $5,000 and placed on probation until December 31st for bumping into the No. 16 of Matt Kenseth on pit road after the race. Wallace was judged to have violated Section 12-1 of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Rulebook, the overarching "Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing" clause.
In addition, NASCAR announced penalties for the No. 49 team. Mark Green was penalized 25 driver points, while owner/crew chief Jay Robinson was docked 25 owner points for illegal alterations found in Opening Day inspection at Memphis on October 23rd. In addition, Jay Robinson was fined $2,500 and placed on probation until December 31st.
The No. 49 team was judged to have violated Sections 12-1 (Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing), 12-4-l (A determination that any equipment does not conform to standards), and 20A-12-4B (Washers used to conceal slotted holes in the Lower A-Frame spring bucket).
The No. 70 team (ML Motorsports) was also caught with this same violation at Memphis. As a result, crew chief Chris Rice was fined $2,500 and placed on probation until December 31st. In addition, driver Shelby Howard was docked 25 driver points, and team owner Mary Louise Miller was docked 25 owner points.
As the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season winds down, there has been little in the way of bombshell reports, earth-shattering developments, or anything garnering more than a passing interest the last few weeks in the world of stock car racing. What used to constitute Silly Season has come and gone, and what we’re left with is whether or not a handful of what might be Richard Petty-owned cars will look like Fords this weekend.
Especially this week, as Jimmie Johnson continues to roll over his competition like a Panzer through Paris encumbered and en route to his fourth consecutive championship, the news items have been very slow in coming. In truth, the most interesting thing to happen to the latter half of this season is Talladega itself, and if you read many of the articles and columns this week, most of it has to do with races of yesteryear -- not the one three days from now.
Having said that, there were a few snippets of interest this week that caught my attention…
- ABC Sports announced they would be suspending college football commentator Bob Griese over his comment that Juan Pablo Montoya was not in the top 5 in points because he was out “having a taco”. The remark earned Griese a week off, as well as a dressing down no doubt from the brass at ABC Sports. I just hope that his suspension was the result of him making a bad joke, rather than one that might be construed as “insensitive”.
First of all, Montoya is Colombian, not Mexican, so the parallel being drawn is a shaky one at best. Montoya brushed off the comment promptly, not because he was taking the high road, but in my view because he probably didn’t care and felt embarrassed for the guy for marking a dopey comment on television.
Remember, the only thing worse than a joke in poor taste is a joke that has no frame of reference.
But what if I were to come up in the topic of conversation on a major network, and my absence was chalked up to “having a pizza” or “whacking someone out” due to my Italian heritage. Would the person making the joke be benched for a week? Doubtful at best.
Trust me, growing up in the suburbia that is Western Michigan with a name like Vito, I’ve heard enough references to The Godfather as well as mafia and marinara jokes to last me a lifetime. So in my opinion, people need to lighten up... A LOT ... and drop the self-important and aggrandizing PC nonsense altogether. If you’re offended by something like that, go seek professional help because you likely suffer from NPD – Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Not everything is a hate crime, and not every comment endured should scar you for eternity or lower your self-esteem to the point that you start looking for a chair and an extension cord.
Want to know how normal people of different backgrounds used to communicate, needle, and joke around with each other? Go rent Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino – everybody would be a lot better off for it.
To add a little twist of coincidence (not irony – which in itself is ironic), Texas Motor Speedway announced Tuesday that Juan Pablo Montoya will help celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a special paint scheme on his No. 42 Target Chevy for the Dickies 500. That happens to be the same week Griese comes back from exile! You can see it live at 3:15 PM EST on Sunday, November 8th on ABC.
- Was there anything more ridiculous than Kyle Busch and Joey Logano appearing on WWE Monday Night Raw this week? A combined weight of 275 pounds entered the ring to stand toe-to-toe with The Big Show and Chris Jericho, issuing their matches for the night while trying not to get wrestled to the mat themselves. While doing so, both were clad in their race day fire suits, which made me wonder... if there was a Nomex unitard made by Simpson or Alpinestars, would they wear them?
Not so sure we need to see that, actually -- I’m sorry I brought it up.
Moving on, Kyle looked a little wooden and laconic in his delivery all night, which I guess explains why they didn’t have Jimmie Johnson on hand to do it. It was kind of funny, though, that the one moment Kyle did look very natural and relaxed was while antagonizing the crowd in Buffalo for their illustrious history of sporting failures.
See, I knew his act would pay off someday.
- What may have gone unnoticed this week was a statement by John Andretti, defending why the entire field was allowed to rocket towards him as his car sat crippled at the start / finish line for nearly the entire last lap of the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville.
"It wasn't a bad call," Andretti said in a statement released Monday. "To me, I wasn't in a great position, but I wasn't in an overly dangerous position. NASCAR focuses on the race itself, and they want to see the winner come across the finish line. It's probably the call I would've made. I would've gotten out of the way if I could've. But I had a couple of issues. The car was too damaged."
Where to begin with this one. If the car is too damaged to move under its own power, should that not be readily visible and cause for the yellow flag to come out? The race itself was never really in doubt, and short of a NASCAR Thunder 2003 full-throttle corner attempt by Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin had the race in hand -- and it wasn’t as if there was championship points hanging in the balance that would have made a difference in the final ¼ of a mile.
Remember that it was an incident virtually identical to this one that prompted the no-racing-back-to-the-line back in 2003 -- when Dale Jarrett was sitting helpless in the middle of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It also was reminiscent of the final lap at NHMS six weeks ago, when A.J. Allmendinger’s car was sitting idle near the start / finish line after a wreck on the last lap. That one actually did almost affect the outcome of the race, as Denny Hamlin nearly drilled the back of Mark Martin’s car as he neared the stripe.
Well, the whole point of not racing back to the yellow is to prevent cars from being struck by the entire field racing back to the line... which was the deciding circumstance in each instance. Meanwhile, at Talladega in recent years, if there was a wreck a mile and a half away on the final lap, the yellow comes out and the field is frozen. I can still hear the late Benny Parsons declaring loudly as Elliott Sadler tumbled down the backstretch, end over end for half a mile in 2003: “That is why we don’t race back to the line!”
So if you don’t want to hear it from somebody like me, just listen to BP.
What is needed in these caution flag / racing back to the line situations is common sense and consistency. If you’re sitting on the start / finish line impeding 40 cars with 900hp, maybe throw that yellow rag in the air. And if you throw it for a foam drink cozy, a 3,400 lb car with a guy inside of it should be reason enough.
Now, if said car is a mile away and stuck in a mud bog, you’re probably OK letting them race to the line. But cars flipping upside down and on fire at Daytona... freeze the field. Car stuck 75 yards off the track stuck in the kitty litter…well, you get the idea.
But with the way these rules are constantly made to fit the circumstances, it starts to look…well, like wrestling. How ironic NASCAR and WWE were in the news this week after all...
Now, with all of that unpleasantness behind us, I am genuinely looking forward to Talladega and the AMP Energy 500 this weekend. For no matter how miserable a season may be going for your driver, or how predetermined the outcome for the title may seem at the moment, you can always count on this track to produce some great racing, unforgettable moments, and fodder for discussion for weeks and sometimes even years to come.
At the very least, it should give me something good to talk about in this space next Thursday. 'Cause right now ... there's not very much news to go on.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.
Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: A Tale Of Two Tracks
by Matt McLaughlin
Fanning The Flames: Taking Chad Knaus Away, Loosening Lugnuts, And Chase Venting
by Phil Allaway
BSNews: NASCAR To File Suit Over "Spin 'N' Crash" Raceway
by Jeff Meyer
Griese's Comments Uncalled For, But Situation Handled Well By All Involved
by Tommy Thompson
Fantasy Insider: Guiding Your Team Through The Big One To Talladega Success
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.
Note: Today's trivia question was provided by Buzztime. Be sure to visit buzztime.com to battle against others in trivia challenges about NASCAR and all of your favorite sports!
Q. The Camping World Truck Series officially started back in 1995. The series, then known as the NASCAR SuperTruck Series presented by Craftsman, had 20 races, mainly on short tracks with no race longer than 200 miles on the schedule. In addition, the series brought the Halftime Break and the GWC into a major touring series for the first time.
Who was the series' first champion?
Wednesday's Answer:
Q. Today, NASCAR has only four manufacturers (Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota and Dodge). However, in the past, teams used cars from many more manufacturers (in fact, the record for most manufacturers represented in a Cup race is 15). Which manufacturer claimed victory in the very first Daytona 500 in 1959?
A: Lee Petty won the 1959 Daytona 500 behind the wheel of an Oldsmobile. In that Daytona 500, nine different manufacturers were represented (DeSoto, Edsel, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Ford, Studebaker, Dodge, and Mercury). That number could really be considered ten, as well, because the Thunderbird was considered to be a separate manufacturer at the time.
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:
NASCAR Driver Diary: Kenny Wallace as told to Amy Henderson
Our famous former racing vet shares more memories from the good ol' days. This week, John explains the old "ASA Crossover" move, a scenario which made the modern-day job of the stop-and-go paddle guy in the pits seem like it's a walk in the park.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Pointed commentary from one of our site's veteran writers.
Happy Hour by Kurt Smith
In a news cycle dominated by Chasers, Kyle Busch has remained largely out of the spotlight ... until this week. With a pending crew chief change bringing his season back to the forefront, Kurt Smith takes a look at the recent failures of the No. 18 team and how despite the recent shakeup, Talladega offers both he and Steve Addington one final shot at redemption together.
Tearing Apart The Trucks by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth's back with another round of news and commentary for the Truck Series, prepping for their final restrictor plate race of the season with Saturday's Mountain Dew 250.
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