The Frontstretch Newsletter: June 26th, 2009

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Jun 25, 2009, 11:23:00 PM6/25/09
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THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
June 26th, 2009
Volume III, Edition CXIV

EDITOR'S NOTE: FRONTSTRETCH LIVE AT THE TRACK THIS WEEKEND!

One of the site's most popular writers, our own Amy Henderson will be tracking all the action at New Hampshire from inside the garage, giving you the stories you're looking for with a special edition of the Newsletter planned over the weekend. It all culminates on Sunday with her special participation in our LIVE blog during the Lenox Industrial Tools 301! It's three days of going the extra mile for you ... so we hope you enjoy it!

Today's Top News
by Kurt Smith

Ron Fellows To Drive For JR Motorsports In Nationwide Road Races

JR Motorsports announced on Thursday that road course ace Ron Fellows will be driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for the upcoming Nationwide races at Watkins Glen International and at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Fastenal will be the primary sponsor.

Fellows has three wins in the series at Watkins Glen and became the first Canadian to win on Canadian soil at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve last season.

"Ron is one of the best road racers of our time, plain and simple," said JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. "I've known Ron since 2001 when we raced the Corvette in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. It is an honor to have him drive our cars. I'm not sure there is anyone better at Watkins Glen, and what he did last year at Montreal was incredible."

Fellows joins several other drivers in the 21-race schedule for the team, including Scott Wimmer, Tony Stewart and Mark Martin.

Kahne, Newman To Compete In New Hampshire Modified Race

Sprint Cup regulars Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman, drivers of the No. 9 and No. 39 cars in the series, will be competing this weekend in the Whelen Modified Tour race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Both drivers will race against the series regulars. Last season, Newman won the pole and led 28 laps before getting caught up in an accident.

The New England 100 will take place at 1:00 PM on Saturday, June 27.

Subway Spokesman Jared Fogle To Be Grand Marshal In Daytona Nationwide Race

Daytona International Speedway announced on Thursday that Jared Fogle, the famous loser of 245 pounds who did so through eating Subway sandwiches, will be the grand marshal for the upcoming Subway Jalapeno 250.

Fogle celebrated his 10-year anniversary of keeping the weight off last season.

“I really appreciate the opportunity to be part of such an exciting event at NASCAR’s greatest venue with my friends from SUBWAY restaurants and Coca-Cola,” said Fogle. “I am sure it will be a night of action-packed NASCAR racing and a great way to kick off the Fourth of July weekend.”


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


It's Frontstretch Podcast Time!!!
Don't forget about Tom Bowles and Matt Taliaferro's Athlon / Frontstretch Podcast, sponsored this season by Wrigley's! Check out the newest edition by clicking here! Of course, if all else fails, you can always listen to us on iTunes for FREE! Search for our weekly show under "Athlon."


In Case You Missed It
by Kurt Smith

Infineon Ratings Down From 2008

Kasey Kahne’s surprise victory in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway was watched by 7% fewer viewers than last year’s event.

The TNT broadcast scored a 4.0 rating compared to 4.3 for last season. The race averaged 5.788 million viewers. TNT’s ratings for their Sprint Cup broadcasts this year are down an average of 9.3% from 2008.

Texas Motor Speedway “Smoke Show” Fantasy Camp Spots Still Available

Texas Motor Speedway announced on Tuesday that the “Smoke Show” fantasy driving camp at the track, featuring two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart, still has slots remaining, but they are going quickly. The event has been extended for two days in an effort to break the fundraising record of $262,000 last year.

Stewart will serve as host and mentor of the camp, which was created to raise funds for Speedway Children’s Charities. Fans will get the race experience, from a custom locker room to a victory lane celebration with confetti. Tony Stewart will take each participant on a two-seater ride around the track.

“The folks that came out last year for the ‘Smoke Show’ had a blast with Tony,” Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. “The fact that he wanted to expand the camp to two days this year is a testament to his generosity and passion for Speedway Children’s Charities.”

Interested fans can go to Texas Motor Speedway’s website: www.texasmotorspeedway.com.

Matt Carter Named New Driver Of Specialty Racing Nationwide Car

Specialty Racing announced on Wednesday that Matt Carter, third place finisher in the ARCA RE/MAX standings last season, will be replacing the recently released Brandon Whitt in the team’s No. 61 Nationwide Ford. Carter will debut with the team this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

"I want to thank Doug Taylor, Charles Shoffner and the entire Specialty Racing team for this opportunity," said Carter. "It has been awhile since I have been in the seat but I expect to get up to speed fairly quickly. I actually ran a Nationwide race with this team back in 2007 at Memphis so that will help all of us speed up the process."

Specialty Racing is currently 27th in owner points standings.

Jeff Gordon Foundation To Hold Celebrity Bowling Tournament

The Jeff Gordon Foundation will be hosting the eighth annual “Gordon Celebrity Bowl” in Indianapolis on Thursday, July 23rd. The event, sponsored by Nicorette, will benefit the pediatric research at the Riley Hospital for kids in Indiana University.

Fans at the Foundation’s website can bid on a chance to field a team that bowls three games, each with a different celebrity. Celebrities tentatively slated to appear are fellow Cup drivers Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Sam Hornish Jr., as well as NASCAR commentators John Roberts and Jamie Little among others.

The winner will receive an autographed Nicorette diecast No. 24 car, along with other prizes for team members.

Kurt Smith is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached at kurt....@frontstretch.com.

Blue Smoke And Burnt Rubber : Chapter 10
A NASCAR Mystery
by S.D. Grady

Cody turned off the TV and tossed the remote to the foot of the bed.  She stared at the heavy beige curtains, closed against the glare of a beautiful June morning.  If she dared to pull the blinds back for a peak, the dude with muscles would appear in moments and serve up another fist to her stomach.

Sausage and eggs remained on the tv-tray, their aroma twisting her gut.  Three times a day, he delivered meals.  Twice a week a maid dropped a bag of clean laundry and sheets on the doorstep. 

She hated this.  The torment of her tedious, empty days drove her to writing columns of stats on the hotel stationary.  The filled notebooks took up the space on the bedside table where the phone should be.  The guy had even yanked the jack from the wall. 

The small frosted window high on the wall of the bathroom provided little light, and not nearly enough room to escape through.  Periodically, she contemplated the sizeable heating grate located next to the broken half-size fridge.  There might be enough room to squeeze into.  But where would it go?

And she doubted Mr. T-shirt and Muscles was actually that far away.  If she ran the shower, he always banged on her door after exactly 5 minutes.  Never enough time to execute any kind of desperate maneuver.

Desperate.

Pacing the now familiar confines of the stale room, Cody acknowledged something would have to happen soon.  Either she’d open the grate and take her chances or the Raleigh Police would come knocking on the door and take her.

A man was dead. 

The blood still stained her hands.

She sank into the rickety kitchen chair and wrapped her arms around her knees.  Smoke, fear, blood, screaming, dark, the stench of death…how had it happened?  How had any of it occurred?

She stared at the grate.  It emitted a low whoosh of metallic air, fighting with the must and dust that covered everything in this by-the-hour motel. 

For the thousandth time, she contemplated what she would do after obtaining her freedom, and this is where the great escape failed each time.

Go to the police…get arrested for murder.

Go to Fielding…get fired, get arrested for murder.

Go to Weaver…have the whole story splashed over every racing story on the planet and the whole murder thing.

Perhaps this is what the ever-present catch phrase on her performance evaluations meant…needs to improve initiative and self-confidence. 

If only something else would happen, taking the ultimate decision from her…

The air cut off, leaving only the tick of the ancient clock mounted over the headboard to fill the silence and the hours.

Cody sighed and continued to stare at the grate.

~~~

Vermont State Fairgrounds Speedway

Chris smiled at the little girl and handed her the glossy 5x7 of Danny O’Flynn.  She piped a near silent thank you, before trotting over to the table where Danny was scrawling his illegible autograph on the requisite 200 photos. 

The consummate flatterer, the driver winked at the girl before asking her name.  Chris watched the girl adjust her pink No. 74 hat, rocking back and forth on her heels.  Mom stood off to the side taking a photo with her cell-phone and swigging a Blue Peak Malt Beverage.

Next, came an aging veteran fan, sporting a faded Harry Garrison t-shirt and GSCA hat.  His headset hung on his belt, a ticket holder dangled from his neck and he held a ragged manila folder.  From its depths, he pulled five copies of a rookie glossy of Danny and headed over to the table.

Chris pulled his cell from his belt and checked the time.  Thirty minutes remained for the session.  Afterward, he needed to herd Danny to the infield for qualifying, collect Preston for his autograph session and do it all over again.  It would be a long afternoon.
“Chris Weaver?”

He turned to meet the questioning gaze of a tired looking detective holding up his ID.  Correction, FBI.  Chris read the badge and sighed.  “How may I help you…Agent Silverton?”

“I apologize for bothering you here, Mr. Weaver, but I have a few more questions regarding the disappearance of Miss Dunhurst.  Do you have a few minutes?  Somewhere we can talk?”

Absently, Chris held out a glossy for the next fan in line.  “Can we meet in an hour or two?  These guys have a schedule you can’t tinker with while at the track.  I’m the one to keep them on time.”

Silverton flipped open his mini spiral notebook and clicked a pen.  “That would be fine. I am a bit hungry.  I’ll grab lunch first.  Where can I meet you?”

“There’s a pizza stand outside the track gates that has some outdoor seating.  I can meet you there.”

The agent scribbled down the time and place, closed the notebook, clicked his pen, and walked away.

Chris watched the guy vanish in the crowd, the worn suit coat and brown loafers indicating this one took his job more seriously than his image.  Would more questions help?  What had Cody been involved in?  He didn’t understand how she could have been involved in any of the fuel tampering, engine snafus or tire mismatches from the first few races.  And actually killing somebody? 

No, this he didn’t understand.  But she was still missing, and he hoped the FBI could at least locate her.

~~~

Chris located Agent Silverton sitting under a striped umbrella, the remains of a large pepperoni pizza shoved to the side.  He slid onto the bench across from the older man.  “What can I do for you, today?”

“Uh, thanks for coming.  I’m beginning a new investigation into the events surrounding Miss Dunhurst’s disappearance.  My superiors have asked me to expand inquiries into certain aspects of the GSCA.”

“Expand inquiries?”

The agent pulled the familiar notebook from his breast pocket, placed a pair of wire-rimmed glasses on his crooked nose and began thumbing through the well-worn pages.  “To the best of your knowledge, what was Miss Dunhurst’s duties for Mr. Fielding?”

Chris sipped at the soda he bought on his way over to the pizza stand.  “She was his assistant.”

“Well, you are considered the assistant to Brad Van Lytton…what do you do?”
 
Chris laughed.  “Just about anything he needs.  PR, driving, personal errands, maintaining contacts…you name it.  The teams are more like family than a business, most of the time.  We spend more hours at the shop, on the road and at the track than with our real families.  I make sure Mr. Van Lytton’s life doesn’t unravel at the edges…sort of.”

Silverton rubbed at his nose, still flipping through the book.  “Is that what Miss Dunhurst does?  Keeps Mr. Fielding’s live from unraveling?”

“I don’t really know.  You’d be better off asking somebody else in Fielding’s office.”

“Would she have contact with sponsors, contracts, officials and other high ranking individuals within the Grand Stock Car Association?”

Chris shrugged.  “Of course.  Even I do, and most of the time I just feel like a gopher…uh, Agent Silverton, right?”

“Yes?”

“How are these questions going to help find Cody?”

Pale blue eyes devoid of mirth raked over Chris’ inquiring gaze.  “We are of the opinion that Miss Dunhurst’s disappearance wasn’t necessarily due to foul play.  My department is seeking evidence regarding possible criminal activities within the GSCA, and unfortunately, it doesn’t look good for Miss Dunhurst.”


S.D. Grady is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached at sonya...@frontstretch.com.


Frontstretch Folio: Lenox Industrial Tools 301
by Kim DeHaven

The Sprint Cup Series visits New England this weekend to attack the flat track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  The Lenox Industrial Tools 301 is the 17th race of the 2009 Sprint Cup season and will be broadcast live on Sunday, June 28th at 2:00 PM EST on TNT, with radio coverage by MRN affiliates nationwide.  Competitors will make 301 circuits for 318.485 miles around the 1.058-mile oval in their quest for the checkered flag.


Records and Facts
Ryan Newman holds the record for the fastest lap at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, posting a qualifying lap with a time of 28.561 seconds and a speed of 133.357 mph to win the pole for the 2003 running of the Sylvania 300.


Newman also holds the record for the most poles at NHIS, taking the top spot four times. Patrick Carpentier was the pole sitter in last year's event.


Jeff Burton holds the record for the fastest race run at New Hampshire.  He attained the record of 2 hours, 42 minutes, 35 seconds with an average speed of 117.134 mph on July 13, 1997 in the Jiffy Lube 300.


It's also Burton who holds the record for most victories at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with four, winning in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. Kurt Busch won this event last year, while Greg Biffle won here in September.


Track Facts
Track/Race Length:  1.058-mile oval, 300 laps, 317.4 miles
Pit Road Speed: 45 mph
Corners: Banked 12 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,500 feet, 2 degrees
Backstretch: 1,500 feet, 2 degrees
Grandstand seating: 95,491
 

Pre-race Schedule (all times Eastern)
Practice - Friday, June 26, 12:00 - 1:30 pm on SPEED
Qualifying - Friday, June 26 at 3:10pm on SPEED
Practice - Saturday, June 27, 9:00 - 9:50 pm on SPEED
Happy Hour Practice - Saturday, June 27, 11:45am - 12:45pm on SPEED


VIPs
National Anthem : Lindsey Graham, Miss New Hampshire 2009
Canadian National Anthem : Denise Doucette


Say What!?!
"I don’t know why I like [New Hampshire] so much. I guess I am just naturally comfortable there. The Bahre family built a really cool track and the Speedway Motorsports people will make it even better. I hope they don’t ever change the configuration. I like it just the way it is now." - Reed Sorenson


"I think all of us enjoy going to New Hampshire. It’s different. It’s in a part of the country we don’t get to too very often. When I do get some free time I plan to get some lobster and enjoy the nice cool weather." - Elliott Sadler


Kim DeHaven is a Co-Publisher of Frontstretch.com. She can be reached at kim.d...@frontstretch.com.

Top 35 Spoiler Picks : New Hampshire (Lenox Industrial Tools 301)
by Phil Allaway and Mike Ravesi


Last Sunday's race at Infineon Raceway was a wild and woolly affair full of bumping and rubbing.  Oh yes, and those double file restarts that nobody would shut up about.  However, we now have an tie in our competition.  Mike has evened up the score at eight.  If one were to graph the scores so far, it would look a little like a sine curve.  Makes your high school Math teacher proud.  Before we get into this week's picks, let's review the results from last week in Sonoma.

Mike's Picks:

19 Elliott Sadler- Finished 10th
55 Patrick Carpentier- Finished 11th

Average Finish:  10.5

Phil's Picks:

7 Robby Gordon- Finished 36th
71 David Gilliland- Finished 32nd

Average Finish:  34

Both of Phil's picks were plagued by bad luck and wrecks all weekend, while Mike's picks were steady runners on Sunday (for the most part).  At a place like Infineon Raceway, being steady and careful pays significant dividends.  However, New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire is a completely different beast, unique in its own way.  Of course, our overlords of the guesstimation treat Loudon like any other race, so here we go with this weeks' picks.

Mike's Loudon Picks:

78 Regan Smith- Smith has done the last four races at New Hampshire and has generally not been the best out there, but he has shown improvement.  23rd last fall is his best effort at the New England track.

96 Bobby Labonte- Labonte has five top 5 finishes in New Hampshire, including a second place finish from the pole in the Dura Lube/Kmart 300 in September, 2000 (the race where the cars ran with restrictor plates).  Labonte also has 10 prior top 10 finishes at the track.

Mike believes that both of these picks will finish on Sunday in the 12-19 range.  Typically, that is more than enough to win this competition for the week, but we'll see if this happens.

Phil's Loudon Picks:

55 Michael Waltrip- Yes, Waltrip finished second in this race last year via pure luck, but it's worth betting on.  It's very unlikely that Waltrip can repeat last year's finish, but a top 20 is definitely within the realm of possibility.

77 Sam Hornish, Jr.- Hornish has been running quite well lately, but a couple of incidents put him out of the top 25 in owners' points after Sunday's race at Infineon.  Last season, Hornish's best run at Loudon was a lowly 30th, but 2009 is a new year for both Penske and Hornish.


Have comments on Phil's and Mike's picks of the week -- or want to submit some fan picks of your own? Email them at mra...@yahoo.com and ashl...@mail.com to let them know what you think!


FRONTSTRETCH FANTASY RACING
At Frontstretch.com, it's never too late to get in on the fantasy fun!  There are still chances to win in our Game of Tomorrow, Frontstretch 4Play, NASCAR Knockout, and even our new salary cap game, Hat Dance Dynasty.  Just because you missed out at the start of the season doesn't mean you have to stay on the sidelines... Click here to get involved today!
 
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

 

FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q. Of the four drivers that have competed in every Cup race held at New Hampshire, only one has not won an event there.  Name him.
Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!


Thursday's Answer:
Q.  Four drivers have competed in every Cup race held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  Name them.
A. Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, and Joe Nemechek

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 Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Recap by Phil Allaway
-- Secret Star of the Race: The Best Run You Never Saw by Tom Bowles
-- Big Six: Lenox Industrial Tools 301 by Amy Henderson
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, Stat of the Week, and more!


Monday on the Frontstretch:

Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: New Hampshire by Matt McLaughlin
Matt's got all the post-race analysis and NASCAR water cooler fodder you need to know after the Sprint Cup Series goes flat track racing, short track style at New Hampshire
.
Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom willll have his take on the biggest story coming out of New England this weekend in his weekly post-race commentary.

Five Points To Ponder by Mike Lovecchio
Mike has five things you shouldn't have missed from the last week in NASCAR racing, including highlights from our live race blog as he dissects a full slate of NASCAR action in Memphis and New Hampshire.

Bubble Breakdown by Mike Ravesi
Mike tracks all the action in and around the Top 35 in his weekly column that investigates how teams battling for that all-important spot fared at New Hampshire.

Sprint Cup Rookie Report by Tony Lumbis
Tony will have all your post-New Hampshire race analysis for all the Sprint Cup freshmen in his weekly rookie report.

Nationwide Series Breakdown: Camping World RV Sales 200 by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan breaks down all the action from the Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire.

Tracking The Trucks: MemphisTravel.com 200 by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has all the post-race analysis as the Trucks beat and bang at Memphis.

--------------------------------

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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!
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