The Frontstretch Newsletter: David Ragan to Sub for Kyle Busch
Frontstretch.com
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Feb. 25, 2015
Volume IX, Edition XIX
Wednesday's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.
by the Frontstretch Staff
Tracks Adding SAFER Barriers After Daytona Wreck
Tanner Berryhill Sidelined Due to Lack of Sponsorship
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH JOB: WEBMASTER
Frontstretch.com is looking for a talented and motivated individual to fulfill the role of the site's webmaster. The ideal candidate must be highly proficient in WordPress, as the site recently converted from Textpattern to WordPress as the content management system. The webmaster will assist with leftover conversion tasks, work with the management team to implement site enhancements and help troubleshoot problems as they arise. The candidate must also have a working knowledge of search engine optimization strategies to help improve search rankings for the site. Motorsports knowledge is preferred, but not required. The candidate should have on average at least 1-2 hours per week to devote to Fronstretch initiatives. If you are interested, please contact our Business Manager, Tony Lumbis at Tony....@gmail.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Professor of Speed
by Dr. Mark Howell
Dangerous events often require split-second decisions. Our instinctual “fight or flight” response is immediate and driven by our almost-subconscious assessment of a situation. Do I dig in or tear out? Do I lean forward or hang back?
As the question is posed within the memorable lyrics of The Clash: “Should I stay or should I go?”
Speedweeks
2015 involved multiple, often-hurried decisions, and a few of them went
above-and-beyond the usual on-track variety concerning race strategy.
Some of these decisions revolved around making the proper choices when
faced with an unexpected situation. As is the case with most “fight or
flight” kinds of events, these decisions were driven by gut instinct –
where reflexes replace reason in an attempt to do the right thing at the
right time.
These choices came down to David Hoots and Brian France.
David Hoots is Race Director for the Sprint Cup Series. He’s the man who makes the call on whether an event is running under green, under yellow, or under red. His decisions dictate the pace of a race, and his choices can ultimately affect the outcome, as we saw on Sunday afternoon when a last-lap yellow secured victory for Joey Logano. Whether either Kevin Harvick or Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a realistic chance to pass the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford is a topic for heated discussion, but no matter: the yellow light meant frozen positions and another win for Team Penske.
It all came down to Hoots making a split-second decision as cars made contact along the backstretch. Erring on the side of “competitor safety” trumped a dash for cash back to the finish line. At least there was an obvious reason for the yellow to come out. Consider the number of times “phantom cautions” have slowed races and altered the eventual course of events – seeing is truly believing when it comes to justifying the use of a yellow flag.
Seeing is also believing when it comes to suspending a driver suspected of wrongdoing, as well, as was the case when NASCAR pulled Kurt Busch from the No. 41 Chevy on the brink of “The Great American Race.” Once last-ditch appeals from the Busch camp failed on Saturday, NASCAR reaffirmed its decision to indefinitely suspend the 2004 Sprint Cup champion.
The collective “NASCAR” may have been making statements to the media, but it’s safe to assume that Brian France and Executive Vice President Steve O’Donnell were making the ultimate decisions about how to handle the mess. That’s why they make the big bucks, I guess….
So Kurt Busch is suspended until further notice on the basis of his not being openly accused, arrested, nor convicted of the charges arising from the lengthy domestic violence investigation. This affair has been a sordid and drawn-out one, to say the least, but what really prompted NASCAR’s decision? Was this incident a matter of Busch being truly implicated in the suspected activity, or was it a matter of throwing Busch under the bus in order to place NASCAR squarely in the proactive, do-the-right-thing, pro sports spotlight?
NASCAR has already been compared to the NFL regarding the ongoing threat of concussions and repeated brain injuries, so here was an opportunity for NASCAR to morally separate itself from America’s most popular sport. Never mind that the sanctioning body pretty much totally ignored the 2013 domestic violence case that resulted in the arrest of NCWTS driver Travis Kvapil. That was before Ray Rice’s violent behavior put domestic violence on the media map.
As with throwing a caution flag, the choice regarding Kurt Busch was in an effort to do the right thing at the right time given the circumstances at hand. Making such a decision is rarely clear-cut; there are always a myriad number of variables to consider, and sometimes the final decision is anything but popular. Just ask fans of Harvick and Junior about the last-lap yellow on Sunday, and you’ll likely get a sense of what I mean.
But there are decisions that do, in the long run, make sense. Erring in the name of competitor safety is always a good thing to do. So is waiting until situations are better explained and addressed more thoroughly, as in the case of Kurt Busch’s indefinite suspension. True or not, guilty or not: this decision seems to be the appropriate one.
Dr. Mark Howell is a contributor for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at mark....@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: In 1993, both races on the schedule for Atlanta's Spring race weekend were wiped out due to a massive blizzard. The Busch Grand National (now XFINITY Series) race was moved to November as part of the newly redubbed "Triple Championship Weekend." However, they were able to get qualifying in before the snows arrived. Eight months passing between qualifying and the race resulted in a jumbled grid once the race ran. Why?
COMING TOMORROW
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!
©2015 Frontstretch.com