The Frontstretch Newsletter: May 24th, 2012
1 view
Skip to first unread message
Frontstretch.com
May 24, 2012, 11:29:19 AM5/24/12
to The Frontstretch
THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 24th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition XCIII
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 24th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition XCIII
~~~~~~~~~~
Editor's Note: Frontstretch has a brand new, redesigned Facebook page. Click Here to "Like" Us and get a direct connect to all your Frontstretch favorites along with polls, interaction with fans and so much more.
Amy Henderson and Mike Neff are busy covering the Charlotte practices and press conferences, live as we speak! Follow their Tweets at @Writer_Amy, @MNeffShortTrack, and @TheFrontstretch.
Top News
by Phil Allaway
2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
On Wednesday afternoon, the NASCAR Hall of Fame announced their 2013 inductees. Compared to past years, it was a very close vote. The original voting actually resulted in a tie for the fifth and final spot. As a result, a sudden-death vote off between the two nominees was conducted in order to break the tie.
Inductees (percentage of vote in parentheses):
Herb Thomas - 1951 and 1953 NASCAR Grand National Champion (57 percent)
Leonard Wood - Legendary Crew Chief, Innovator of pit stops (57 percent)
Rusty Wallace - 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, 55 career victories (52 percent)
Cotton Owens - nine-time Grand National winner as a driver, 1966 NASCAR Grand National Championship winning car owner (50 percent)
Buck Baker - 1956 and 1957 NASCAR Grand National Champion (39 percent)
In addition, Fireball Roberts also earned 39 percent of the votes, but lost the revote.
Finally, the NASCAR Hall of Fame announced a brand new award, the Squier-Hall Award to commemorate media contributions to the sport. In the future, the award will be given to one media member per year. However, for 2013, the namesakes for the award, Ken Squier and Barney Hall, will both be given the award.
Squier has worked in multiple venues in regards to motorsports media. He has worked with MRN Radio in the past, but he is best known for on-air work with CBS from the late 1970's to 2000. It was Squier that helped convince CBS to televise the 1979 Daytona 500 live, flag-to-flag. Squier then joined up with then-current racer David Hobbs in the broadcast booth to call one of the most epic races in NASCAR history. Over the years, Squier called Cup races on CBS and TBS, and also called IMSA events on ESPN. He also created Motorweek Productions, a company that produced TBS' race broadcasts and Motor Week, a weekly racing magazine show that also aired on TBS in the 1980's.
Barney Hall is the longtime voice of NASCAR on MRN Radio, having been with MRN since it launched in 1970. He is known for a smooth, relaxed delivery in the booth and a generally kind demeanor.
The 2013 inductees will formally be enshrined at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on February 8, 2013 during a special that will air live on SPEED. This will be at the tail end of the annual Media Tour.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they still are subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600: 47 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 10 - Danica Patrick for Stewart-Haas Racing/Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 19 - Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 32 - T.J. Bell for FAS Lane Racing
No. 74 - Cole Whitt for Turn One Racing
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 32 - T.J. Bell returns to the seat, replacing Reed Sorenson. Bell brings sponsorship from Green Smoke and will race the distance.
No. 36 - Dave Blaney returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines. Blaney is back in his full-time ride after taking the exhibition race off.
No. 73 - David Reutimann is in the seat, replacing Travis Kvapil. BK Racing has annonuced they'll run a third car on a part-time basis for Reutimann in select events.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 19 - Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 23 - Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports*
No. 26 - Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30 - David Stremme for Inception Motorsports*
No. 33 - Stephen Leicht for LJ Racing
No. 49 - J.J. Yeley for Robinson-Blakeney Racing
No. 73 - David Reutimann for BK Racing
No. 74 - Cole Whitt for Turn One Racing*
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 95 - Scott Speed for Leavine Family Racing
No. 98 - Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing
Nationwide Series History 300: 46 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 17 - J.J. Yeley for Berryhill Racing
No. 18 - Denny Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 20 - Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 21 - Joey Coulter for Richard Childress Racing
No. 22 - Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 30 - James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33 - Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 38 - Kasey Kahne for Turner Motorsports
No. 42 - Josh Wise for Key Motorsports
No. 47 - Scott Speed for Team Motorsports Group
No. 54 - Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 75 - Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 08 - Kyle Fowler returns to the seat, replacing Tim Andrews.
No. 4 - Danny Efland returns to the seat, replacing Daryl Harr.
No. 10 - Jeff Green returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Lepage.
No. 14 - Eric McClure returns to the seat, replacing Jeff Green. This is still tentative, and pending doctor approval.
No. 18 - Denny Hamlin returns to the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
No. 20 - Joey Logano returns to the seat, replacing Darrell Wallace, Jr.
No. 22 - Brad Keselowski returns to the seat, replacing Parker Kligerman.
No. 23 - Robert Richardson, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Jamie Dick.
No. 30 - James Buescher returns to the seat, replacing Steve Arpin.
No. 33 - Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Brendan Gaughan.
No. 38 - Kasey Kahne returns to the seat, replacing Brad Sweet.
No. 42 - Josh Wise returns to the seat, replacing Matt Frahm.
No. 47 - Scott Speed returns to the seat, replacing Tim Schendel.
No. 54 - Kyle Busch returns to the seat, replacing his brother Kurt.
No. 75 - Scott Riggs returns to the seat, replacing Mike Guerity.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00 - Angela Cope for SR2 Motorsports. This is a new second car for the small operation and it comes with sponsorship from Highland Wealth Advisors and Luichiny Shoes.
No. 10 - Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 15 - Blake Koch for Rick Ware Racing
No. 17 - J.J. Yeley for Berryhill Racing
No. 20 - Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 21 - Joey Coulter for Richard Childress Racing. If Coulter qualifies in the fourth RCR car, he will be making his Nationwide Series debut.
No. 39- Josh Richards for Go Green Racing
No. 42 - Josh Wise for Key Motorsports*
No. 46 - Chase Miller for Team Motorsports Group*
No. 47 - Scott Speed for Team Motorsports Group*
No. 50 - T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 52 - Joey Gase for Means Motorsports
No. 74 - Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75 - Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 89 - Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Racing Ventures
No. 98 - Reed Sorenson for Biagi-DenBeste Racing. If Sorenson can qualify on speed, it will mark the first start for the team since the end of 2006. Back then, the team ran the No. 4.
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Sacred Power Motorsports Aligns with NEMCO Motorsports
NEMCO Motorsports announced a new partnership with Sacred Power Motorsports (SPM) on Wednesday that will the Native American-owned motorsports and marketing firm entrance into the Nationwide Series. According to the official press release, the deal will begin with Sacred Power serving as the primary sponsor on Joe Nemechek's No. 87 Toyota in this Saturday's History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
After Charlotte, Sacred Power Motorsports will participate in at least five more Nationwide Series events in 2012 with Alex Kennedy and A.J. Russell. Based on the press release, it is unclear whether Kennedy and/or Russell would be taking Nemechek's place in the No. 87 for those races, or if NEMCO Motorsports and Sacred Power Motorsports would put together a second entry (No. 97) for those races.
The deal marks Sacred Power's first inroads into the Nationwide Series, but it is not their inaugural entry into NASCAR. They first got involved in NASCAR back in 2010 with Latitude 43 Motorsports and driver Boris Said, serving as Latitude 43's primary sponsor early in the season.
Last year, SPM entered the Camping World Truck Series late in the season with their own truck, the No. 73 Dodge. Russell made one start at Loudon. He started 31st and finished 26th, well off the pace. Shortly afterwards, SPM entered into a partnership with JJC Racing and driver/owner Jennifer Jo Cobb.
Kennedy, a New Mexico native, already has some experience racing in the Nationwide Series. He has 11 career starts, nine of which have come with R3 Motorsports (the other two were in 2010 for Baker-Curb Racing). His best finish was a 16th at Watkins Glen in 2010. Unfortunately, he might be best known for a crash at Dover last year where he tried to continue after spinning and drove directly into the path of Kevin Swindell's Ford.
~~~~~~~~~~
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 Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2013 - The Hardest, Yet Easiest Choices Yet
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
On Wednesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC, the inductees for the 2013 Hall of Fame class were announced. Buck Baker, Cotton Owens, Rusty Wallace, Leonard Wood, and Herb Thomas were selected as this year’s selections, in what was a field filled with worthy candidates – a case could have been made for all who were nominated, yet few arguments against any of them.
Leonard Wood follows his brother Glen, who was part of the 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame class. As part of the legendary Wood Brothers Racing Team from Stuart, Virginia, Wood helped set the standard for mechanical excellence, attention to detail, and perfecting pit stops to the point where they were hired to service Jim Clark’s Lotus at the 1965 Indianapolis 500 – ultimately winning the greatest race on the planet. Jack Roush once recalled a time when he was so excited to share with Leonard Wood a carburetor tuning trick he came up with that improved fuel distribution and improved economy. Upon showing Leonard, he was quiet for a few seconds – then admitted to Roush that he had figured out the same trick ten years earlier.
Cotton Owens won over 100 races in the NASCAR Modified Tour in the 1950s before making the step up to full-fendered machines. He won nine races as a driver, finishing second in points in the 1959 season. While he was clearly a talented driver, it was as an owner and car builder that Owens shined. Fielding primarily Dodges during the factory fueled horsepower wars of the 1960s and 70s, he provided David Pearson with the equipment to win 15 races in 1966 and his first of three Grand National Championships. With Buddy Baker at the helm, his Dodge Charger Daytona was the first car to crack 200 mph around Talladega in March of 1970, at 200.447mph – in a car that put the “stock” in “stock car.” Owens just celebrated his 88th birthday this Monday, however sadly his wife Dot passed last month.
Rusty Wallace, the 1989 Winston Cup Champion, author of 55 wins, purveyor of doing that weird wrist thing before restarts, and responsible for deeming Cup cars as “hot rods” was also announced as a 2012 inductee. This was perhaps one of the few choices that could stir some controversy, but a legitimate choice nonetheless. Wallace was one of the last breed of drivers who was intimately aware of the setup of his car, and knew what adjustments to make – and would sometimes make them himself. Wallace is perhaps best known for spinning out Darrell Waltrip on the final lap of The Winston – the original All-Star Race at Charlotte in 1989, promoting Darrell Waltrip as a fan favorite following years of boos and jeers. Wallace, like fellow champions Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons (who also was nominated) has made a transition to broadcasting, and currently is a NASCAR commentator for ESPN.
Buck Baker is a driver who unless you have a deep understanding of the history of the sport, may have no clue who he is. Those who have followed the sport for some time may recognize the name, but likely have no idea how impressive of a record he compiled during his 26 year career. Baker was part of the golden age of NASCAR, making his mark during the mid to late 1950’s when the sport was still rooted in the south, a rough and tumble bunch who were helping to take a sport to national awareness, as well as engender the support of the automakers in Detroit. His 46 wins rank him 14th on the all-time wins list, and while his back-to-back titles in 1956 and 1957 were a first, perhaps more impressive is that they were bookended by runner-up title runs as well. The Buck Baker Racing School opened in 1980, which has an impressive list of graduates including Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Jeff Burton, and Ward Burton.
Herb Thomas is another name that many fans may not recognize, however if you happened to see the movie “Cars”, you will immediately recognize the car he is associated with, the Paul Newman-voiced character of Doc Hudson – The Fabulous Hudson Hornet. Thomas raced for ten years, amassing 48 wins and two championships in 1951 (the first as an owner and a driver) and 1953, as well as posting runner-up finishes in 1954 and 1956. In 1955 he was injured in a crash the forced him to sit out for six weeks, though he still managed to finish fifth in the season standings. Another hard crash in 1956 at a race in Shelby, NC effectively ended his career. Thomas won three Southern 500’s during his short career – the equivalent of the Daytona 500 before there was a Daytona International Speedway. His 20.85% winning percentage is just a tick behind Tim Flock’s 21.39% average as the highest of all-time.
Perhaps the most fitting announcement is the creation of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. Squier’s commentary calling that first live, flag-to-flag Daytona 500 telecast in 1979 is one of the most endearing moments of our sport’s history, as well as his color commentary during races that helped lend credibility to NASCAR as a legitimate professional motorsport – not the southern stereotype that many have had of the stockcar racing. Barney Hall is best known as the voice of MRN, his calm steady voice broadcasting racing to the masses before every race was televised.
Growing up and living in Michigan before my family had cable, MRN was pretty much the only way to get any sort of motorsports coverage – short of the three races a year that CBS would televise – or waiting for my Dad’s weekly copy of Southern MotoRacing to arrive in the mail. It goes without saying that more than a few fans have likely muted the television at one time or another, and let Barney Hall and his crew call the race.
NASCAR media personalities would do best to listen to Barney Hall and dial up some YouTube videos of Ken Squier calling races; they set the gold standard by which all others should be measured by, and if you’re going to copy somebody, copy the best. Being part of the NASCAR media, these are two of the guys that you look up to when you want to see how to do things right, be it interviewing a driver, or reporting a story, or interacting with other members of the media.
I’ve often said it would be fitting that during the Daytona 500 they should invite Squier and Hall into the booth to call a few laps out of deference and respect. The Detroit Tigers did this with Ernie Harwell his final few years. Our sport, the fans, and those who are carrying on in their footsteps would be a lot better off for it.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.p...@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
Editor's Note: Frontstretch has a brand new, redesigned Facebook page. Click Here to "Like" Us and get a direct connect to all your Frontstretch favorites along with polls, interaction with fans and so much more.
Amy Henderson and Mike Neff are busy covering the Charlotte practices and press conferences, live as we speak! Follow their Tweets at @Writer_Amy, @MNeffShortTrack, and @TheFrontstretch.
Top News
by Phil Allaway
2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
On Wednesday afternoon, the NASCAR Hall of Fame announced their 2013 inductees. Compared to past years, it was a very close vote. The original voting actually resulted in a tie for the fifth and final spot. As a result, a sudden-death vote off between the two nominees was conducted in order to break the tie.
Inductees (percentage of vote in parentheses):
Herb Thomas - 1951 and 1953 NASCAR Grand National Champion (57 percent)
Leonard Wood - Legendary Crew Chief, Innovator of pit stops (57 percent)
Rusty Wallace - 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, 55 career victories (52 percent)
Cotton Owens - nine-time Grand National winner as a driver, 1966 NASCAR Grand National Championship winning car owner (50 percent)
Buck Baker - 1956 and 1957 NASCAR Grand National Champion (39 percent)
In addition, Fireball Roberts also earned 39 percent of the votes, but lost the revote.
Finally, the NASCAR Hall of Fame announced a brand new award, the Squier-Hall Award to commemorate media contributions to the sport. In the future, the award will be given to one media member per year. However, for 2013, the namesakes for the award, Ken Squier and Barney Hall, will both be given the award.
Squier has worked in multiple venues in regards to motorsports media. He has worked with MRN Radio in the past, but he is best known for on-air work with CBS from the late 1970's to 2000. It was Squier that helped convince CBS to televise the 1979 Daytona 500 live, flag-to-flag. Squier then joined up with then-current racer David Hobbs in the broadcast booth to call one of the most epic races in NASCAR history. Over the years, Squier called Cup races on CBS and TBS, and also called IMSA events on ESPN. He also created Motorweek Productions, a company that produced TBS' race broadcasts and Motor Week, a weekly racing magazine show that also aired on TBS in the 1980's.
Barney Hall is the longtime voice of NASCAR on MRN Radio, having been with MRN since it launched in 1970. He is known for a smooth, relaxed delivery in the booth and a generally kind demeanor.
The 2013 inductees will formally be enshrined at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on February 8, 2013 during a special that will air live on SPEED. This will be at the tail end of the annual Media Tour.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they still are subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600: 47 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 10 - Danica Patrick for Stewart-Haas Racing/Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 19 - Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 32 - T.J. Bell for FAS Lane Racing
No. 74 - Cole Whitt for Turn One Racing
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 32 - T.J. Bell returns to the seat, replacing Reed Sorenson. Bell brings sponsorship from Green Smoke and will race the distance.
No. 36 - Dave Blaney returns to the seat, replacing Tony Raines. Blaney is back in his full-time ride after taking the exhibition race off.
No. 73 - David Reutimann is in the seat, replacing Travis Kvapil. BK Racing has annonuced they'll run a third car on a part-time basis for Reutimann in select events.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 19 - Mike Bliss for Humphrey-Smith Racing*
No. 21 - Trevor Bayne for Wood Brothers Racing
No. 23 - Scott Riggs for R3 Motorsports*
No. 26 - Josh Wise for Front Row Motorsports*
No. 30 - David Stremme for Inception Motorsports*
No. 33 - Stephen Leicht for LJ Racing
No. 49 - J.J. Yeley for Robinson-Blakeney Racing
No. 73 - David Reutimann for BK Racing
No. 74 - Cole Whitt for Turn One Racing*
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports*
No. 95 - Scott Speed for Leavine Family Racing
No. 98 - Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing
Nationwide Series History 300: 46 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 17 - J.J. Yeley for Berryhill Racing
No. 18 - Denny Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 20 - Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 21 - Joey Coulter for Richard Childress Racing
No. 22 - Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 30 - James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33 - Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing
No. 38 - Kasey Kahne for Turner Motorsports
No. 42 - Josh Wise for Key Motorsports
No. 47 - Scott Speed for Team Motorsports Group
No. 54 - Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 75 - Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 08 - Kyle Fowler returns to the seat, replacing Tim Andrews.
No. 4 - Danny Efland returns to the seat, replacing Daryl Harr.
No. 10 - Jeff Green returns to the seat, replacing Kevin Lepage.
No. 14 - Eric McClure returns to the seat, replacing Jeff Green. This is still tentative, and pending doctor approval.
No. 18 - Denny Hamlin returns to the seat, replacing Michael McDowell.
No. 20 - Joey Logano returns to the seat, replacing Darrell Wallace, Jr.
No. 22 - Brad Keselowski returns to the seat, replacing Parker Kligerman.
No. 23 - Robert Richardson, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Jamie Dick.
No. 30 - James Buescher returns to the seat, replacing Steve Arpin.
No. 33 - Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Brendan Gaughan.
No. 38 - Kasey Kahne returns to the seat, replacing Brad Sweet.
No. 42 - Josh Wise returns to the seat, replacing Matt Frahm.
No. 47 - Scott Speed returns to the seat, replacing Tim Schendel.
No. 54 - Kyle Busch returns to the seat, replacing his brother Kurt.
No. 75 - Scott Riggs returns to the seat, replacing Mike Guerity.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 00 - Angela Cope for SR2 Motorsports. This is a new second car for the small operation and it comes with sponsorship from Highland Wealth Advisors and Luichiny Shoes.
No. 10 - Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 15 - Blake Koch for Rick Ware Racing
No. 17 - J.J. Yeley for Berryhill Racing
No. 20 - Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 21 - Joey Coulter for Richard Childress Racing. If Coulter qualifies in the fourth RCR car, he will be making his Nationwide Series debut.
No. 39- Josh Richards for Go Green Racing
No. 42 - Josh Wise for Key Motorsports*
No. 46 - Chase Miller for Team Motorsports Group*
No. 47 - Scott Speed for Team Motorsports Group*
No. 50 - T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 52 - Joey Gase for Means Motorsports
No. 74 - Mike Harmon for Mike Harmon Racing*
No. 75 - Scott Riggs for Rick Ware Racing*
No. 89 - Morgan Shepherd for Shepherd Racing Ventures
No. 98 - Reed Sorenson for Biagi-DenBeste Racing. If Sorenson can qualify on speed, it will mark the first start for the team since the end of 2006. Back then, the team ran the No. 4.
*- Expected to Start-and-Park
Sacred Power Motorsports Aligns with NEMCO Motorsports
NEMCO Motorsports announced a new partnership with Sacred Power Motorsports (SPM) on Wednesday that will the Native American-owned motorsports and marketing firm entrance into the Nationwide Series. According to the official press release, the deal will begin with Sacred Power serving as the primary sponsor on Joe Nemechek's No. 87 Toyota in this Saturday's History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
After Charlotte, Sacred Power Motorsports will participate in at least five more Nationwide Series events in 2012 with Alex Kennedy and A.J. Russell. Based on the press release, it is unclear whether Kennedy and/or Russell would be taking Nemechek's place in the No. 87 for those races, or if NEMCO Motorsports and Sacred Power Motorsports would put together a second entry (No. 97) for those races.
The deal marks Sacred Power's first inroads into the Nationwide Series, but it is not their inaugural entry into NASCAR. They first got involved in NASCAR back in 2010 with Latitude 43 Motorsports and driver Boris Said, serving as Latitude 43's primary sponsor early in the season.
Last year, SPM entered the Camping World Truck Series late in the season with their own truck, the No. 73 Dodge. Russell made one start at Loudon. He started 31st and finished 26th, well off the pace. Shortly afterwards, SPM entered into a partnership with JJC Racing and driver/owner Jennifer Jo Cobb.
Kennedy, a New Mexico native, already has some experience racing in the Nationwide Series. He has 11 career starts, nine of which have come with R3 Motorsports (the other two were in 2010 for Baker-Curb Racing). His best finish was a 16th at Watkins Glen in 2010. Unfortunately, he might be best known for a crash at Dover last year where he tried to continue after spinning and drove directly into the path of Kevin Swindell's Ford.
~~~~~~~~~~
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 Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2013 - The Hardest, Yet Easiest Choices Yet
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
On Wednesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC, the inductees for the 2013 Hall of Fame class were announced. Buck Baker, Cotton Owens, Rusty Wallace, Leonard Wood, and Herb Thomas were selected as this year’s selections, in what was a field filled with worthy candidates – a case could have been made for all who were nominated, yet few arguments against any of them.
Leonard Wood follows his brother Glen, who was part of the 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame class. As part of the legendary Wood Brothers Racing Team from Stuart, Virginia, Wood helped set the standard for mechanical excellence, attention to detail, and perfecting pit stops to the point where they were hired to service Jim Clark’s Lotus at the 1965 Indianapolis 500 – ultimately winning the greatest race on the planet. Jack Roush once recalled a time when he was so excited to share with Leonard Wood a carburetor tuning trick he came up with that improved fuel distribution and improved economy. Upon showing Leonard, he was quiet for a few seconds – then admitted to Roush that he had figured out the same trick ten years earlier.
Cotton Owens won over 100 races in the NASCAR Modified Tour in the 1950s before making the step up to full-fendered machines. He won nine races as a driver, finishing second in points in the 1959 season. While he was clearly a talented driver, it was as an owner and car builder that Owens shined. Fielding primarily Dodges during the factory fueled horsepower wars of the 1960s and 70s, he provided David Pearson with the equipment to win 15 races in 1966 and his first of three Grand National Championships. With Buddy Baker at the helm, his Dodge Charger Daytona was the first car to crack 200 mph around Talladega in March of 1970, at 200.447mph – in a car that put the “stock” in “stock car.” Owens just celebrated his 88th birthday this Monday, however sadly his wife Dot passed last month.
Rusty Wallace, the 1989 Winston Cup Champion, author of 55 wins, purveyor of doing that weird wrist thing before restarts, and responsible for deeming Cup cars as “hot rods” was also announced as a 2012 inductee. This was perhaps one of the few choices that could stir some controversy, but a legitimate choice nonetheless. Wallace was one of the last breed of drivers who was intimately aware of the setup of his car, and knew what adjustments to make – and would sometimes make them himself. Wallace is perhaps best known for spinning out Darrell Waltrip on the final lap of The Winston – the original All-Star Race at Charlotte in 1989, promoting Darrell Waltrip as a fan favorite following years of boos and jeers. Wallace, like fellow champions Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons (who also was nominated) has made a transition to broadcasting, and currently is a NASCAR commentator for ESPN.
Buck Baker is a driver who unless you have a deep understanding of the history of the sport, may have no clue who he is. Those who have followed the sport for some time may recognize the name, but likely have no idea how impressive of a record he compiled during his 26 year career. Baker was part of the golden age of NASCAR, making his mark during the mid to late 1950’s when the sport was still rooted in the south, a rough and tumble bunch who were helping to take a sport to national awareness, as well as engender the support of the automakers in Detroit. His 46 wins rank him 14th on the all-time wins list, and while his back-to-back titles in 1956 and 1957 were a first, perhaps more impressive is that they were bookended by runner-up title runs as well. The Buck Baker Racing School opened in 1980, which has an impressive list of graduates including Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Jeff Burton, and Ward Burton.
Herb Thomas is another name that many fans may not recognize, however if you happened to see the movie “Cars”, you will immediately recognize the car he is associated with, the Paul Newman-voiced character of Doc Hudson – The Fabulous Hudson Hornet. Thomas raced for ten years, amassing 48 wins and two championships in 1951 (the first as an owner and a driver) and 1953, as well as posting runner-up finishes in 1954 and 1956. In 1955 he was injured in a crash the forced him to sit out for six weeks, though he still managed to finish fifth in the season standings. Another hard crash in 1956 at a race in Shelby, NC effectively ended his career. Thomas won three Southern 500’s during his short career – the equivalent of the Daytona 500 before there was a Daytona International Speedway. His 20.85% winning percentage is just a tick behind Tim Flock’s 21.39% average as the highest of all-time.
Perhaps the most fitting announcement is the creation of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. Squier’s commentary calling that first live, flag-to-flag Daytona 500 telecast in 1979 is one of the most endearing moments of our sport’s history, as well as his color commentary during races that helped lend credibility to NASCAR as a legitimate professional motorsport – not the southern stereotype that many have had of the stockcar racing. Barney Hall is best known as the voice of MRN, his calm steady voice broadcasting racing to the masses before every race was televised.
Growing up and living in Michigan before my family had cable, MRN was pretty much the only way to get any sort of motorsports coverage – short of the three races a year that CBS would televise – or waiting for my Dad’s weekly copy of Southern MotoRacing to arrive in the mail. It goes without saying that more than a few fans have likely muted the television at one time or another, and let Barney Hall and his crew call the race.
NASCAR media personalities would do best to listen to Barney Hall and dial up some YouTube videos of Ken Squier calling races; they set the gold standard by which all others should be measured by, and if you’re going to copy somebody, copy the best. Being part of the NASCAR media, these are two of the guys that you look up to when you want to see how to do things right, be it interviewing a driver, or reporting a story, or interacting with other members of the media.
I’ve often said it would be fitting that during the Daytona 500 they should invite Squier and Hall into the booth to call a few laps out of deference and respect. The Detroit Tigers did this with Ernie Harwell his final few years. Our sport, the fans, and those who are carrying on in their footsteps would be a lot better off for it.
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at vito.p...@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
Hey Frontstretch Readers,
We are looking for someone who shares our enthusiasm for NASCAR and has an
experienced background in web design. Specifically, we are looking for someone
who can help maintain and enhance our website, increase our SEO, and upgrade our
publishing platform while producing a limited amount of content throughout
the season. This job presents a perfect opportunity for someone with
a technical background, a person who wants their work to gain national
exposure.
If you are interested, contact frontstre...@googlegroups.com. Please include
references to your past work in your e-mail.
Editor's Note: The Critic's Annex will return next week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: All-Star Race Recap
"A week after his team’s 200th victory, Rick Hendrick enjoyed the seventh All-Star victory his teams have managed to amass. Rather unwisely, Hendrick then decided he’d like to climb onto the No. 48 car for a post-victory ride. Hendrick is no spring chicken and he’s become… well, let’s put this politely, “portly.” It’s a wonder he didn’t end up a long red skid mark along the frontstretch, and my guess is he goes with boxers rather than briefs for the next few days." - Matt McLaughlin, on Rick Hendrick hitching a ride on Jimmie Johnson's winning car Saturday night. I love the usage of the word "portly" here. Also, no word as to the 200-time winning car owner's choice in underpants. Perhaps the infamous gnomes raided his dresser.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony....@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
MPM2Nite: NASCAR's Summer Of Discontent
by Matt McLaughlin
Editor's Note: The Critic's Annex will return next week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: All-Star Race Recap
"A week after his team’s 200th victory, Rick Hendrick enjoyed the seventh All-Star victory his teams have managed to amass. Rather unwisely, Hendrick then decided he’d like to climb onto the No. 48 car for a post-victory ride. Hendrick is no spring chicken and he’s become… well, let’s put this politely, “portly.” It’s a wonder he didn’t end up a long red skid mark along the frontstretch, and my guess is he goes with boxers rather than briefs for the next few days." - Matt McLaughlin, on Rick Hendrick hitching a ride on Jimmie Johnson's winning car Saturday night. I love the usage of the word "portly" here. Also, no word as to the 200-time winning car owner's choice in underpants. Perhaps the infamous gnomes raided his dresser.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony....@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
MPM2Nite: NASCAR's Summer Of Discontent
by Matt McLaughlin
Dollars And Sense: NASCAR Dumps Jump Co. As Ad Agency
by Jesse Medford
Potts' Shots: New Car Nuances And Goodbye To An Old Friend
by John Potts
Professor Of Speed: The Twitter NASCAR Revolution - A Trivial Pursuit?
by Mark Howell
Truckin' Thursdays: A Look Back at Five Different Victors
by Beth Lunkenheimer
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: For 1993, there were significant changes made to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 500. Name them.
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: In 2000, Matt Kenseth passed Bobby Labonte with 26 laps to go and held on to score his first career victory in the Coca-Cola 600. However, there was another winless driver who was very strong on that night. Who was it, and what ultimately knocked him clean out of contention?
A: During the race, Jerry Nadeau was a strong contender in his Michael Holigan-sponsored No. 25 Chevrolet (the car had a special Coast Guard paint scheme for this race). Nadeau led 115 laps and was up front when the race was red flagged due to rain just past halfway. However, right about the time the red flag came out, Nadeau lost a cylinder. Much of the rest of the event was a struggle as the engine continued to weaken until it finally blew with 41 laps to go. The expiration can be seen at the 1:30 mark of this clip. Nadeau was credited with a 38th-place finish.
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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Jeff Wolfe
-- In Case You Missed It by Nick Schwartz
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Coke 600 Edition by Summer Dreyer
Summer is back with a four-part look at some interesting stories as we look forward to Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy's back with another interesting commentary.
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece on the Nationwide Series ahead of their race Saturday in Charlotte.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
IndyCar Series Preview: Indianapolis 500 by Danny Peters
Danny takes a look at what to expect in Sunday's Indianapolis 500, scheduled to be run in record heat.
Driver Diary: Dakoda Armstrong as told to Beth Lunkenheimer
The driver of the No. 98 EvenFi.com Toyota returns to discuss the past month as his rookie season in the Camping World Truck Series continues.
-----------------------------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!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Jeff Wolfe
-- In Case You Missed It by Nick Schwartz
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, trivia, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Coke 600 Edition by Summer Dreyer
Summer is back with a four-part look at some interesting stories as we look forward to Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Amy's back with another interesting commentary.
Friday Fast Forward Into NASCAR's Future by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan returns with another interesting commentary piece on the Nationwide Series ahead of their race Saturday in Charlotte.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Our Tennessee transplant returns with another interesting take on recent events.
IndyCar Series Preview: Indianapolis 500 by Danny Peters
Danny takes a look at what to expect in Sunday's Indianapolis 500, scheduled to be run in record heat.
Driver Diary: Dakoda Armstrong as told to Beth Lunkenheimer
The driver of the No. 98 EvenFi.com Toyota returns to discuss the past month as his rookie season in the Camping World Truck Series continues.
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!
©2012 Frontstretch.com
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages