The Frontstretch Newsletter: March 8th, 2011

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Mar 8, 2011, 8:42:12 AM3/8/11
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THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 8th, 2010
Volume V, Edition XXXIV
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Today's Top News
by Phil Allaway
 
Darrell Waltrip Inks Extension With FOX Sports

One of NASCAR’s more controversial analysts won’t be leaving the spotlight anytime soon.  Darrell Waltrip, the lead color commentator for FOX Sports racing coverage since 2001 signed a two-year extension to his contract Monday, aligning his contract with the end of the current TV deal that expires in 2014.

Waltrip, 64, has been involved with the network ever since hanging up his helmet as a driver in 2000. 

“Being part of the NASCAR on FOX team has given me an opportunity to share my passion and love for NASCAR,” he explained after signing his latest deal.  “I never thought there would be anything that could replace the thrill of driving race cars.  I was wrong.  Bringing that thrill to the fans at home every week is just as exciting!"

NASCAR Ratings Rise A Third Straight Week

For years, the Las Vegas race has been a crowd success story, even during an extended phase of sagging attendance and a down economy.  But Monday, the ratings finally backed up the in-person audience that was watching competition at one of the few Western superspeedways on the NASCAR circuit.  Posting a 5.3 television rating and 11 share, the numbers for Sin City’s Kobalt Tools 400 were up a startling 29 percent over last year’s 4.1/8.  Without Olympic hockey to contend with, these figures went up to far healthier numbers that were on par although a slight decrease from the Winter of 2009.

For the season, FOX is averaging a 6.3 rating and 13 share, up 17 percent over last year’s 5.4/11.  Those numbers (2011) are also on par with 2009.

Conway Releases Statement on Robby Gordon Incident

After a physical confrontation between drivers Robby Gordon and Kevin Conway in the garage on Saturday, Gordon’s been busy making his case to the media.  Today, it was Conway’s turn, releasing a statement on the incident and what was behind it:

"I don't mind stiff competition, but I want to make sure the hard facts are told.  First and foremost, I love being a part of NASCAR and have worked very hard to earn the privilege of competing in the Sprint Cup Series,” he said.  “On Friday night, Robby Gordon, who has a long history of issues in NASCAR decided to ambush me in the garage area at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, completely unprovoked.  Robby even confronted Joe Nemechek, my car owner, on pit road during Cup Series qualifying, shoving him and telling him that he was looking for me and going to assault me.  We have many witnesses, including a crew chief that signed a police report documenting the truth of his physical attack on me.
 
Situations like this are not good for our sport.  It's one thing if we were racing each other and I wrecked him or he wrecked me; that's an entirely different situation.

It's very unfortunate that he chose to physically attack me to address his rage.  Our fans, sponsors and NASCAR expect and deserve more from our competitors than this bullish, illegal behavior that was displayed by Robby against me."

For Gordon’s side of the story, he maintains the issue comes down to money: Conway owes him thousands of dollars and he will not relent until the debt is paid off.  Both drivers are struggling to find funding, and are likely to start and park in multiple events this season until sponsors has been found.

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.
 
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Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john....@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. Potts' Shots will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
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Numbers Game:  Kobalt Tools 400
by Brett Poirier

1
The number of drivers to record top-10 finishes in the first three races (Kurt Busch).
 
2
The number of Sprint Cup tracks Tony Stewart has not won at (Las Vegas, Darlington).
 
3
The number of wins for Carl Edwards in the last five Sprint Cup races.
 
4
The number of wins for Mark Martin in six career Nationwide Series starts at Las Vegas.
 
4th
The finishing position for Danica Patrick in the Nationwide Series race on Saturday. It was the best finish by a woman in NASCAR history in any of the top touring divisions.
 
6
The number of wins for Ford in Sprint Cup at Las Vegas after Edward’s win Sunday (Chevy has five).
 
6
The number of leaders in the Nationwide Series race at Las Vegas (There was one last week at Phoenix).
 
6th
The points position of Paul Menard in the Sprint Cup Series. He is the only Richard Childress Racing driver in the top 18.
 
9
The number of cars out of the race after 14 laps were run in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race (There was only one caution flag for a single-car accident).
 
14
The number of races Jeff Burton has finished at Las Vegas (all 14 Sprint Cup races at the track).
 
14
The number of pit-road penalties issued out by NASCAR during Sunday’s Sprint Cup race in Las Vegas (six for speeding).
 
16
The number of drivers within two laps of the lead at the completion of Saturday’s Nationwide Series race.
 
21
The number of lead changes among 14 different drivers during the Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas.
 
31
The number of caution flags thrown after three Sprint Cup events.
 
34
Jeff Burton’s spot in the Sprint Cup owner points after the first three races of the season.
 
38th
Pointer-leader after Phoenix Kyle Busch’s finish at Las Vegas after his engine expired.
 
49
The number of Nationwide Series victories for Mark Martin following his win on Saturday.
 
96
The number of wins for Mark Martin in NASCAR’s top three touring series.
 
355
The number of laps Tony Stewart had led in 12 previous starts at Las Vegas combined. He led a race-high 163 laps on Sunday.
 
$2,264
The difference in prize money betweek 23rd-place finisher Joe Nemechek (ran 193 laps) and 43rd place finisher Kevin Conway (ran 2 laps) in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race.
 
Brett Poirier is a Contributor to Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at brett....@frontstretch.com.
 
Today's Featured Commentary
Love 'Em Or Hate 'Em
Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View
by Mike Neff
 
Editor's Note:  Mike Neff and S.D. Grady have swapped articles just for this week due to a schedule conflict.  S.D. will be back tomorrow with Full Throttle.  Next week will see the normal setup return.
 
The sport of automobile racing has always evoked deep feelings within its fans both for the sport and for individual participants within the sport.  Over the years, the icons of the sport have always seen a dichotomy amongst the fans.  The fans of the big names have always been intensely loyal, and the detractors of the top drivers are equally vehement in their dislike.  Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhadt, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon and now Jimmie Johnson have all been divisive forces among the NASCAR fan base over the years.  This past weekend’s Nationwide race was a microcosm of the love/hate relationship of fans in the NASCAR world.
 
Kyle Busch was heading towards making another mockery of a race when he was caught back in the pack due to the vagaries of some pit stop strategy.  On a restart, Busch made a bold move from the top of the track to the bottom, but his actions caught Brad Keselowski by surprise.  The result was Busch making a move to avoid contact which ended up causing him to contact the infield grass and lose control of his car.  The resulting contact with the inside wall knocked Busch out of the race and provided his detractors with a prime opportunity to cheer for the bad luck that befell their antagonist while Busch’s fans were forced to bemoan what might have been.
 
As the race continued toward its conclusion, it became apparent that fuel strategy was going to play a role in deciding the outcome.  One leader after another had to peel off for a splash of gas and the ultimate leader was Keselowski, another driver who has truly developed a love/hate following among the fans.  He is especially antagonistic towards the growing legion of Busch backers.  The white flag went into the air and it seemed as though the victory was in Keselowski’s hands but, as he began to set up for Turn 1, the right front tire on his Dodge went flat and he was propelled into the outside wall, ending his hopes for a win, although he was able to continue on for a third-place finish. The Busch fans who, just 70 laps earlier had their hopes for a win dashed, would now be able to cheer for the failure of their Nationwide nemesis.  The pendulum of emotion swung from the bottom to the top for Busch’s fans in the blink of an eye as the end arrived early for Mr. Keselowski.
 
While Busch and Keselowski embody the divisions between fans of NASCAR, the other driver who gained quite a bit of attention on Saturday embodies even greater dissension, not only among NASCAR fans, but among racing fans in general, open wheel vs. stock car, and fans of female vs. male drivers.  Danica Patrick scored the highest finish in history by female driver in a NASCAR national touring series race. Pit strategy allowed her to have the fuel to make it to the finish and secure a fourth-place finish.  Few drivers have come into the sport with such a polarizing effect on the fan base as Patrick has and her continued improvement this season has been fuel for the ongoing fire of debate between her detractors and her supporters.  Her naysayers will point out that once again her best result in an auto race was because of fuel strategy, but her supporters can rest assured that she put herself in the position by driving well and earning the finishing spot.
 
There are a myriad of reasons that people follow automobile racing, but the torrent of human emotions that can be brought forth from a single event is one of the underlying foundations that continues to make it one of the most popular sports in the world.  The simple act of going around in circles seems so trivial when viewed in the framework of the rest of the goings on in the world, but all of the pieces involved in making the cars go around, and the joy and excitement that those cars bring out of every fan who sits in the stands and every fan who watches on television are undeniable, whether the feelings evoke love, or hate.

Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at mike...@frontstretch.com.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
 
The Yellow Stripe:  Ten Observations And Questions On The Season So Far
by Danny Peters
by Phil Allaway
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:  Our week of random trivia questions continues.  As you may or may not know, Hendrick Motorsports was active in sports car racing back in the 1980's, both in the GTO and Camel GT (GTP) classes.  Hendrick fielded what was known as the Corvette GTP in the Camel GT class, dubbed as such because it shared some resemblance with a C4 Chevrolet Corvette.  Who actually built the Corvette GTP?

Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Monday's Answer:
Q:   One of the 18 tracks that hosted races during the inaugural season of the NASCAR SuperTruck Series by Craftsman (now the Camping World Truck Series) was I-70 Speedway in Odessa, Missouri.  The track was a high-banked half-mile oval with a kink in the backstretch.  But, that is not what we're asking about.  Prior to the trucks racing at I-70, the track was experimenting with their walls.  What was placed next to the walls in the turns?

A:   Like Flemington Speedway, I-70 Speedway experimented with styrofoam blocks next to the outside walls in the turns in an attempt to cut down on severe damage to race cars.  It was also likely done to help cut down on stress on the wall itself, which was already showing its age.  The blocks can be seen in this clip from the 1993 Wynn's Missouri 250 for the ASA AC-Delco Challenge Series.
 
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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Hey Frontstretch Readers - We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look how NASCAR, it's affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from TBA
-- Full Throttle by S.D Grady
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
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Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Mirror Driving by the Frontstretch Staff
The Mirror crew is at it again with more talking points to debate.
 
Voice of Vito by Vito Pugliese
This week, Vito looks at drivers who came up big in Las Vegas, just in the nick of time.
 
Frontstretch Top Ten by Jeff Meyer
Our weekly list based on the latest NASCAR controversy will start your morning off with a laugh -- guaranteed.

Top 15 Power Rankings by the Frontstretch Staff
Which driver came out of Phoenix on top of our 2011 Power Rankings chart? Jimmie Johnson? Denny Hamlin? Kevin Harvick? Kurt Busch?  Someone else? Find out who our select Frontstretch experts have labeled as this week's favorite heading into March 20th's Jeff Byrd 500 presented by Food City.
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Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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!
©2011 Frontstretch.com

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