The Frontstretch Newsletter: August 4th, 2011 Edwards STAYS

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THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 4th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CXLIII
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Frontstretch sends its well wishes, prayers, and support to all our Southern U.S., Joplin, MO and Western Massachusetts fans affected by the swath of tornadoes over the past few weeks. To help out recovery efforts, text "GIVE" to 80888 to donate $10 towards disaster relief efforts in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Massachusetts and Missouri through the Salvation Army.

Breaking News
by Tom Bowles

Edwards To Stay At Roush Fenway Racing

After weeks of agonizing over whether to stay or leave, NASCAR's biggest free agent has decided his current home is where the heart is. Edwards re-signed with Roush Fenway Racing Thursday, ending months of speculation on whether he would bolt after the season and partner with rival Joe Gibbs Racing and their Toyotas.

“I sincerely appreciate the amazing opportunity that Jack Roush has given me in this sport and am honored to race for him,” said Edwards in a press release sent just within the past hour. “As an organization, Roush Fenway provides the resources I need to win, and as a driver, that’s the most important thing. We’re having a fun season on the race track as we’re leading the points and in great position for the Chase. That’s the result of a lot of hard work from the men and women at Roush Fenway, Ford Motor Company and Roush Yates Engines. I really enjoy competing with this group and looking forward to continuing that relationship into the future.”

Financial terms were not disclosed within the multi-year agreement, but multiple sources claimed Ford "upped the ante" in the final hours to ensure the deal got done.

“We are pleased with Carl’s vote of confidence in Roush Fenway and Ford,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford Racing. “This signals he believes he is with the right team and the right automaker to win races and championships. Now we can continue to focus on winning the 2011 championship.”

“Carl Edwards has achieved a level of success on and off track that would put him at the top of the list for any race team,” added Roush Fenway co-owner Jack Roush. “Carl and the No. 99 team are having a terrific season again this year, and we’re thrilled that our relationship will continue for many more.”

Sponsorship was not announced; the team is working on a multi-year deal with AFLAC to keep them in the fold as primary sponsor. Roush Fenway Racing is the only Sprint Cup team Edwards has ever known, racking up 19 victories in 249 starts with nine poles, 131 top-10 finishes and only 18 DNFs. He's got a runner-up points finish to his credit from 2008 and now will go, full-bore after Jimmie Johnson and others for the 2011 title.

What do you think about Carl Edwards' decision? Let us know with an email to frontstre...@googlegroups.com and we'll publish your comments in the Newsletter comment section tomorrow!

Today's Top News
by Phil Allaway

Brad Keselowski Injured at Road Atlanta Test

On Wednesday afternoon, Brad Keselowski was taken to an Atlanta hospital after crashing hard during a private test at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia.  Keselowski reported that his brakes failed at the end of the pit straightaway on the 2.54 mile road course at roughly 155 mph.  When that happened, Keselowski's No. 2 Dodge flew off-course and drove through the available run-off at Turn 1 before hitting the tire barrier at approximately 100 mph.  The force of the hit was enough to actually "move a section of the concrete wall behind the tires.":http://twitpic.com/60h5wz (Photo courtesy of the crack photographer Jimmie Johnson)

After the crash, Keselowski complained of lower back pain and injuries to both feet.  His left ankle, as you can see "here":http://yfrog.com/kivg6ccj is very swollen from the impact (Picture courtesy of Keselowski, and even he admits that its rather nasty to look at, viewer disrection advised, you've been warned).  Despite these injuries, Keselowski was able to walk away from the crash.

Despite the crash, Keselowski does still plan to race in Sunday's Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono Raceway.  His status for Saturday night's U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway is somewhat unclear.  Regardless, if the swelling does not go down in Keselowski's left ankle, substantial prep would have to be done in order to allow Keselowski to race.

Additionally, SPEED's NASCAR RaceHub reported Wednesday night that if Keselowski is unable to race, Parker Kligerman would drive the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge in Saturday night's U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway, while Sam Hornish, Jr. would drive the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Sunday in the Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono Raceway.  Even though it would be easier for Kligerman to drive the No. 2 since he would already be in Pocono for the Camping World Truck Series race, he is still only 20 years old (his 21st birthday is on Monday).   Because he is still underage, he cannot drive the No. 2 due to its alcohol sponsorship.

Nashville to No Longer Host NASCAR Events

Dover Motorsports, Inc. announced on Wednesday that they will not seek any NASCAR race sanctions for the 2012 season at Nashville Superspeedway.  As a result, two Nationwide Series and two Camping World Truck Series events are now off for 2012.

Dover Motorsports, Inc. would have preferred not to make this decision.  However, economic reality made it a requirement.

"Nashville is a tremendous market filled with passionate race fans," said Cliff Hawks, Vice President and General Manager of Nashville Superspeedway.  "We have some extremely dedicated and talented employees who have made this track a great destination.  However, the reality is that after ten years of effort, we have to face the fact that without a Sprint Cup race and/or a significant change in the operating model for other events, we simply cannot continue."

There are multiple different options on the table regarding Nashville Superspeedway for Dover Motorsports, Inc.  The possibility of Dover Motorsports, Inc. putting the track and the 1400 acres of land it sits on for sale is out there. 

Regardless of what happens from here, Dover Motorsports, Inc. is still on the hook to pay off their bonds that allowed for the track's construction.  As of now, they still owe $21 million of the $25.9 million to Wilson County.  Those bonds are being repaid via property and sales taxes generated at the track.  Dover Motorsports, Inc. will continue to pay down those bonds with revenue from the track, or from the company's letter of credit.

Entry List Update:
Note:  These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night.  They are still subject to change.


Sprint Cup Series Good Sam RV Insurance 500:  47 cars entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 32-
Jason White for FAS Lane Racing
No. 38-
Travis Kvapil for Front Row Motorsports
No. 50-
T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 51-
Landon Cassill for Phoenix Racing
No. 60-
Mike Skinner for Germain Racing
No. 77-
Scott Wimmer for Robby Gordon Motorsports
No. 87-
Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports

Driver Changes:
No. 32-
Jason White is in the seat, replacing Mike Bliss.  White will be making his Sprint Cup Series debut.

Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 7-
Robby Gordon for Robby Gordon Motorsports
No. 30-
David Stremme for Inception Motorsports
No. 35-
Geoff Bodine for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 37-
Scott Speed for Front Row Motorsports/MaxQ Motorsports
No. 38-
Travis Kvapil for Front Row Motorsports
No. 46-
Erik Darnell for Whitney Motorsports
No. 50-
T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 55-
J.J. Yeley for Front Row Motorsports
No. 60-
Mike Skinner for Germain Racing
No. 66-
Michael McDowell for HP Racing, LLC
No. 77-
Scott Wimmer for Robby Gordon Motorsports
No. 87-
Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports

Nationwide Series U.S. Cellular 250:  43 cars entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 02-
Jamie Dick for Stott Classic Racing
No. 18-
Michael McDowell for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22-
Brad Keselowski for Penske Racing
No. 33-
David Mayhew for Kevin Harvick, Inc.
No. 39-
Joey Gase for Go Green Racing
No. 60-
Carl Edwards for Roush Fenway Racing

Driver Changes:
No. 23-
Robert Richardson, Jr. returns to the seat, replacing Dennis Setzer.
No. 30-
Mikey Kile returns to the seat, replacing James Buescher.
No. 33-
David Mayhew is in the seat, replacing Austin Dillon.  This will be Mayhew's Nationwide Series debut.
No. 39-
Joey Gase is in the seat, replacing Matt Frahm.  This will be Gase's Nationwide Series debut.
No. 41-
Carl Long returns to the seat, replacing Fain Skinner.
No. 42-
Tim Andrews returns to the seat, replacing Scott Wimmer.
No. 47-
Brian Keselowski is in the seat, replacing Charles Lewandoski.
No. 70-
Scott Wimmer returns to the seat, replacing David Stremme.

Since there are only 43 entries, no one will go home.  However, these teams must still qualify on speed:
No. 02-
Jamie Dick for Stott Classic Racing
No. 13-
Jennifer Jo Cobb for JJC Racing
No. 16-
Trevor Bayne for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 20-
Drew Herring for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 41-
Carl Long for Rick Ware Racing
No. 42-
Tim Andrews for Key Motorsports
No. 44-
Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports
No. 46-
Chase Miller for Key Motorsports
No. 47-
Brian Keselowski for Key Motorsports
No. 71-
Matt Carter for Rick Ware Racing
No. 74-
Mike Harmon for Harmon Motorsports
No. 75-
Johnny Chapman for Rick Ware Racing

Camping World Truck Series Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service 125:  29 trucks entered

Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 2-
Kevin Harvick for Kevin Harvick, Inc.
No. 18-
Kyle Busch for Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 32-
Mark Martin for Turner Motorsports

Driver Changes:
No. 07-
Chad McCumbee is in the seat, replacing Ricky Moxley.
No. 2-
Kevin Harvick returns to the seat, replacing Elliott Sadler.
No. 18-
Kyle Busch returns to the seat, replacing Josh Richards.
No. 32-
Mark Martin is in the seat, replacing Steve Arpin.
No. 66-
An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Ross Chastain.

With only 29 entries, no one will go home.  However, these teams still must qualify on speed:
No. 28-
Wes Burton for FDNY Racing
No. 38-
Mike Garvey for RSS Motorsports
No. 57-
Norm Benning for Norm Benning Racing
No. 84-
Chris Fontaine for Chris Fontaine, Inc.

Izod IndyCar Series Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio:  27 cars entered

Driver Changes:
No. 17-
Martin Plowman is in the seat, replacing Raphael Matos.  This will be Plowman's Izod IndyCar Series debut.

Entries:
No. 06-
James Hinchcliffe for Newman/Haas Racing
No. 2-
Oriol Servia for Newman/Haas Racing
No. 3-
Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 4-
JR Hildebrand for Panther Racing
No. 5-
Takuma Sato for KV Racing Technologies
No. 6-
Ryan Briscoe for Team Penske
No. 7-
Danica Patrick for Andretti Autosport
No. 9-
Scott Dixon for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10-
Dario Franchitti for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 12-
Will Power for Team Penske
No. 14-
Vitor Meira for AJ Foyt Racing
No. 17-
Martin Plowman for AFS Racing
No. 18-
James Jakes for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19-
Sebastien Bourdais for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 22-
Justin Wilson for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 24-
Ana Beatriz for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 26-
Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27-
Mike Conway for Andretti Autosport
No. 28-
Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 34-
Sebastian Saavedra for Conquest Racing
No. 38-
Graham Rahal for Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 59-
EJ Viso for KV Racing Technologies
No. 67-
Ed Carpenter for Sarah Fisher Racing
No. 77-
Alex Tagliani for Sam Schmidt Motorsports
No. 78-
Simona de Silvestro for HVM Racing
No. 82-
Tony Kanaan for KV Racing Technologies
No. 83-
Charlie Kimball for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing

Have news for Phil and The Frontstretch?  Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.a...@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
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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, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
~~~~~~~~~~~
 
What's Vexing Vito
by Vito Pugliese
 
Anti-climatic Climax

So the big story the last couple of months was where would Carl Edwards eventually land.  No, not his signature back flip after winning a race, but where he’d be driving in 2012 and beyond.  While atop the Sprint Cup Series standings for the better part of the season, it would make sense that Edwards return to where he started his Cup career with Roush Fenway Racing in mid 2004.  After all, Ford Racing dangled a might big carrot out in front of him, stating publicly that it was an unprecedented offer they’ve never extended to anybody else.

Just ask Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, and Mark Martin.

In New Hampshire, rumors swirled that Edwards was going with Gibbs, and would be the new driver of the Home Depot Toyota, displacing Joey Logano.  Nothing was confirmed or denied, as has been Edwards' style during the negotiation process.  However at Indianapolis this weekend when he was asked about his teammate’s future, Greg Biffle replied, “Sooner or later, he’s going to have to say that he’s not coming back….” – with a pregnant pause.  I guess that kind of clears things up a little bit.  That and the report by Lee Spencer of FoxSports.com that Edwards will be making $8 million a year at JGR, plus a $10 million signing bonus.  There is also a press conference scheduled during race weekend in Atlanta in September, which just so happens to be the headquarters of Home Depot.

Now if Edwards would just hurry up and leak the story to somebody so the rest of the guys looking for rides in 2012 can get a move on, it would be in the best interests of everybody.


If you can’t Dodge it…

While testing the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge at Road Atlanta Wednesday in anticipation of next weekend’s trip to the road course in Watkins Glen, Brad Keselowski experienced brake failure, drilling through a tire barrier and colliding with a non-safer barrier at 100 mph. It could have been worse; he was going 155 mph before he slowed down a little bit.  Keselowski was airlifted to a hospital and has a strained back, lacerated foot, and an ankle that looks like it is housing a softball.  Another testament to the CoT as well as the kinds of cars prepared by Penske Racing.  It was at Pocono last year that Kurt Busch had a nasty impact on the backstretch into an earth embankment, along with Elliott Sadler.  It was Sadler who got the worst of the deal, while Busch was able to come out of the care center with a typically witty and curt Kurt remark.

Always one to try to put a positive spin on something, Dodge would be wise to gain some mileage from both of the incidents to promote the safety of the Dodge Charger.  After all, at 4200 lbs, the Charger weighs more than most crossovers and small SUVs.  Porkola.

Another One Bites The Dust

It was announced on Wednesday that Nashville  Superspeedway would not be hosting another NASCAR race, at least for the 2012 season.  A victim of the shrinking economy, declining attendance and ticket package purchases, and never having landed a Cup date, Nashville joins the likes of other NASCAR tracks that fans had come to know and love on the Nationwide side.  Tracks like Gateway, Memphis, South Boston, Myrtle Beach, and Rockingham just to name a few.  One more great racetrack, one less awesome trophy, and no more Pastor Joe Nelms pre-race invocations that would nearly cause everybody in attendance to get born again and rise up like Elwood Blues.

The biggest question I have is what suck track is going to end up with Nashville’s dates?  For the love of God, please do not let it be Suckcagoland or at Fontucky, Caliboringya.  If Darlington gets it, that would be fine.  The Rock was resurfaced and has nice grandstands.  We only go to Atlanta once a year now, maybe it’s time to blow the dust of the ATL more than once every 12 months?
 
Vito Pugliese is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.  He can be reached via e-mail at vito.p...@frontstretch.com.

Today's Featured Commentary
Nashville Superspeedway’s Closure Leaves The Music City Singing The Blues
Shakedown Session
by Brody Jones

Back in 2001, the Nashville Superspeedway opened to a sold-out crowd of 55,000 enthusiastic NASCAR fans.  There were plans for the facility to include a 5/8 mile asphalt short track and a dirt track on the complex as well.  Yes, everything seemed fine and dandy for NASCAR fans in the Music City.  But fast-forward ten years and the once bright outlook had become gloomier than Johnny Cash’s final music recordings.  The stands were less than half-full for both Nationwide races this year and the less said about the attendance of the Camping World Truck Series races, the better.  Which begs the question what could have prompted the track to decline NASCAR dates in 2012?

The first thing that worked against the Superspeedway was the fact it was not in the metropolitan Nashville area like the Fairgrounds had been.  NASCAR fans in Davidson County have never entirely forgiven the sanctioning body for removing the annual NASCAR dates at the beloved Fairgrounds Speedway for the Superspeedway that was located in-between Lebanon and Murfreesboro.  That ruffled a few feathers from the get go.

Another things to consider on why the track met what appears to be its ultimate demise was the lack of exciting action at the track.  The 1.33 mile concrete oval differed very little from all the other different “cookie-cutter” tracks such as Kentucky, Gateway International, Kansas, Chicagoland, and others that had popped up within a ten-year span.  Most of the races featured Cup drivers spanking the Nationwide regulars to Kingdom Come and fans found it hard to get excited over the racing there compared to the Fairgrounds.  Plus, the unbearable heat of the June and July dates in recent years certainly did little to help the track’s cause.

But, perhaps the biggest reason the track did not succeed lies squarely on the shoulders of Dover Motorsports, Inc. management.  Dover Motorsports, Inc. opened Memphis Motorsports Park, Gateway International Raceway, and Nashville Superspeedway all around the same time in an attempt to build a miniature empire of their own along the lines of the  International Speedway Corporation (owned by the France family) and Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (owned by Bruton Smith).  The initial ventures into these markets went well thanks, in part, to the fact that NASCAR was on an upward trend.

But when the sport started suffering its recent woes on and off the track, those problems hit the Nationwide and Truck Series head-on and nowhere were these problems more evident than at the Dover Motorsports, Inc. tracks.  The fact that these tracks had to survive on standalone races for their revenue and all the problems associated with the Nationwide Series in particular caused each of the Dover Motorsports, Inc. tracks, one-by-one, to all fall by the wayside.  Of course, the fact that Dover Motorsports, Inc. did very little, if any, promotion for their tracks and failed to follow through with the original grandiose plans for the Superspeedway did little to drum up support for the track in the long run.

Now the big question is where does this leave the city of Nashville with its rich NASCAR heritage dating back to the 1950’s in terms of its future in motorsports?  The ideal solution everyone would like to see happen is the Nationwide Series returning to the recently re-opened Fairgrounds Speedway.  But, even with former NASCAR drivers Bobby Hamilton, Jr. and Chad Chaffin leading the track, the fact remains that after the severe flooding that hit Nashville and factoring in the facilities not being up to date, that dream is still a bit of a long-shot, even with prominent Nashville-area citizens Darrell Waltrip and Sterling Marlin leading the charge for the Fairgrounds to be put back on the NASCAR schedule.

However, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean has seemingly done everything he could possibly do to make sure the roar of race engines is never heard again at the Fairgrounds.  He has tried to pass several ordinances against the track and done everything short of driving a wrecking ball to the facility itself.  In the end, the future of NASCAR in Nashville is highly leaning on whether the Fairgrounds can be brought up to current NASCAR facility standards and whether or not the wrecking ball can be stopped long term from tearing down one of racing’s most historic land-marks.

But even if this is the swan song for NASCAR in the “Music City,” the fans of Nashville should try to remember the positive things that came out of the Nashville area.  The Waltrips cut their teeth at the Fairgrounds, along with Sterling Marlin and his son, Steadman (even his daughter, Sutherlin, raced some at the Fairgrounds), the late Bobby Hamilton, Sr., his son Bobby Jr., Chad Chaffin, Joe Buford, the late Andy Kirby, and Willie Allen, just to name a few names that got their start racing in the Music City.  That is the one thing Nashville has going for it is the rich history that helped spur the growth of NASCAR into what it is today.

Brody Jones is a Website Contributor to Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at brody...@frontstretch.com.
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The Critic's Annex:  Ansell Protective Gloves 200
by Phil Allaway

Hello, race fans.  Welcome back to the Critic's Annex, where I provide additional critiques for races that simply cannot fit in the regular critique.  Last week, Marion County hosted a sextuple-header of racing.  I've already covered the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series races at Lucas Oil Raceway in the regular critique.

However, the night before the Camping World Truck Series teams rolled in, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards had their own 200 lap race.  It was pretty exciting to watch in it's own right.

SPEED provided coverage Thursday night from Clermont, Indiana, but they did it via tape-delay.  The race actually started a little after 7pm, but SPEED chose to run their typical Thursday night edition of NASCAR RaceHub.  I don't really understand the move.  I guess RaceHub gets higher ratings than ARCA races, perhaps?  With the exception of last year's Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona when Danica Patrick made her stock car racing debut, ratings for ARCA telecasts are generally very difficult to find.  I guess it would explain why the series has dropped down to barely ten broadcasts a year.  They're barely on television any more than they were in the late 1990's.

Following RaceHub, SPEED brought viewers a mini pre-race show.  That consisted of a recap of qualifying (held about three hours before the race started), and interviews with the front row starters (Ty Dillon and Ryan Blaney).  After a break, there was the command to start engines, then the start of the race.

During the event, a lot of the coverage was focused on the frontrunners.  If you were running below seventh or eighth, you were invisible.  Having said that, there was some decent racing up front.

The tape-delay led to some quirky coverage.  For example, the first yellow came out due to Benny Chastain spinning out in Turn 1.  There was no replay shown of the accident, which occurred during a commercial break.  This originally led me to believe that SPEED's cameras missed it, like what actually happened Saturday night during the Nationwide race (still inexcusable for ESPN, but I digress).  

Turns out that SPEED either didn't have the time to show a replay of what happened, or didn't feel like it because they did have footage.  Remember that whenever SPEED televises an ARCA race, Chastain's No. 75 always has an in-car camera (that is, if his No. 75 is in the race).  SPEED just decided to hold the footage until a race recap on Lap 115.  I don't get it.  That is patently ridiculous.  Its even worse knowing that Chastain was eliminated in another wreck (with Kenzie Ruston) before that recap even aired.  That is most definitely something that I do not want SPEED to repeat ever again, regardless of what track they're at.

Another strange instance was when Matt Crafton was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop on lap 53 for tires.  Viewers could see Crafton's No. 88 Ford (sponsored by Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper and Menards) coming into the pits as SPEED was going off to a break.  I'm surprised that no mention was made of Crafton (who was running well at the time) pitting before the break.  The fact that it wasn't mentioned until five laps after they returned from break was even more mind-boggling.  Also, Rick Allen mentioned that Crafton had pitted during the break when we saw him pit before it.  Not good.

SPEED's tape-delay allowed them to artificially adjust how much time is missed during commercial breaks.  After some of the breaks, as little as a lap passed.  However, one normal length break resulted in viewers missing 15 laps, or roughly double what we would have missed in real time.  There was simply no rhyme or reason to what SPEED was doing.


Granted, SPEED's broadcast wasn't without a classic interview or two.  After he was eliminated in a chain-reaction crash on a restart, Tim George, Jr. stated that Chad Hackenbracht had too much NOS in either himself or his car (probably himself).  That made me chuckle a bit.  George, for his part, kept a highly positive attitude after the wreck on TV, and on Twitter.

Post-race coverage was relatively brief.  There were interviews with winner Dillon and second-place finisher James Buescher.  There was also a quick check of the point standings (which Dillon is absolutely dominating at the moment) before SPEED left the air.

As you've read above, SPEED gave viewers a rather disjointed ARCA broadcast.  At times, SPEED sticks the ARCA Racing Series telecasts with a "B-Team" production crew instead of the regulars, but I haven't seen production values like this since about 2001, when Speedvision aired tape-delayed races on Wednesday nights.  Back then, that was how the series got all 20 or so races televised.

Despite the substandard production values, Allen and Phil Parsons brought their typical game to the broadcast booth.  Even though the coverage was very much focused on the frontrunners, there was plenty of enthusiasm to go around.

I hope you enjoyed this look at SPEED's telecast of the Ansell Protective Gloves 200.  Stay tuned for another edition of the Annex in next Thursday's edition of the Frontstretch Newsletter.  What will be covered there is somewhat dependent on how SPEED sets up their combination ARCA and Camping World Truck Series telecast Saturday afternoon.  If it is one combined broadcast with similar production values, then I will cover those two races together in a special doubleheader section in Tuesday's critique.  In that case, the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio will be covered here.  If not, the ARCA race will be seen in this space.  Until then, enjoy the action this weekend in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Newton, Iowa, and Lexington, Ohio.

Phil Allaway is a Senior Writer and the Newsletter Manager for Frontstretch.com.  He can be reached via e-mail at phil.a...@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week


Phil Allaway:  They should take the time and do it right. However, you might create one of those 10 lap cautions to fix the lineup, like at Rockingham at 1995. You guys remember that one, right?

Brody JonesYeah, that was like Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown times a thousand.
 
Have a nominee for Line of the Week? Email Phil Allaway at phil.a...@frontstretch.com and you may see yourself in this space next week!
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
 
MPM2Nite: So What Happened While I Was Gone?
by Matt McLaughlin
 
by John Potts
  
Don't Assume Anything...
by Jeff Meyer

Fantasy Insider: Gordon Has Momentum Entering Pocono
by Brett Poirier
~~~~~~
Get THE ANNUAL, 2011 Racing Preview for your mobile device.
Go to Frontstretch.com and click on "The Annual" link on the right side to order and download this special issue that includes: Track Information, Driver profiles and In-Depth Features.
~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:  Pocono Raceway used to be one of the big stops for NASCAR's Sportsman Division prior to the class's disbandment in 1995 due to a series of serious and/or fatal crashes.  What was notable about the series' cars?
 
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Wednesday's Answer:
 
Q:   In 1990, Harry Gant won the Miller Genuine Draft 500 at Pocono Raceway.  At the time, something about this race set an all-time Winston Cup record.  What was it?
 
A:   Due to 13 cautions flying for 44 laps and no green flag segment lasting longer than 31 laps, the race ended with 22 drivers still on the lead lap.  That was an all-time Winston Cup record to that point.

Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee:  Take 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 by Summer Dreyer
-- Keepin' It Short by Mike Neff
-- In Case You Missed It by Brett Poirier
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
 
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
  
Four Burning Questions:  Pocono-2 by Mike Lovecchio
Mike is back with a preview of the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series races in Pocono this weekend, along with the Nationwide race in Iowa.

Holding A Pretty Wheel
by Amy Henderson
Amy returns with another intriguing commentary heading into Pocono.
 
Goin' Green by Garrett Horton
Garrett returns with more commentary and insight.
 
Tearing Apart The Trucks by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has an interesting commentary ahead of the series making their second visit to Pocono Raceway.
 
Driver Diary: Casey Mears as told to Amy Henderson
The driver of the No. 13 GEICO Toyota returns for another interesting look at the past month on and off the track.
-----------------------------
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