November 2nd - November 6th, 2009
Don't miss this week's edition!
Frontstretch Podcast: Just how good is Jimmie Johnson?
Check in with Matt and Jay on their site at CareyandCoffey.com.
- 2008 Driver Review Schedule
Miss out on your favorite driver's report card / season preview? Just click the link above and you can find them all archived together! - This week on the Frontstretch!
Looking to see when and where your favorite columns (and columnists) pop up every week? Click here to find out all the details! - Advertise With Us!
Want your products and services to be a part of one of the fastest growing racing website on the net? Get all your questions answered about advertising here. - Write for Us
Think you have what it takes to write for the Frontstretch? Follow this link for more information on how you can become a weekly columnist for the site! - Driver Diary Schedule
Want to know when your favorite drivers are telling their latest stories to the Frontstretch? Check out the schedule link to figure out when Scott Speed, David Starr, James Buescher, and Kenny Wallace are stopping by.
|
| Subscribe to The Frontstretch Newsletter |
| Visit this group |
Well, it's been seven races since our victory at Martinsville. We've had our good runs and we've struggled a little, too, but we've only had two runs outside the top 15. Have we lived up to our expectations? I believe we have. We won a race and that was quite an honor for the whole team. The problem is that after you win a race you want to continue your winning ways, and that we haven't done. We had a shot at winning the race at Mansfield, Ohio, but it was just hard to pass there. I didn't want to win the race by moving somebody out of the way, so I chose to look at the big picture and we came out of there third. If we can just get our super speedway program where our short track program is, we'll be good.
It seems like we've been struggling on the bigger tracks – tracks that I've always run strong at through the years. We found a couple of issues that have been hurting us at the last two or three big race tracks. After the first two practice sessions we had at Michigan last week, on Saturday morning my crew chief, Jamie Jones, and some Toyota Engineers found a problem we were having causing me to get loose in the corner at these big tracks. I think we've got that problem solved, so I'm really looking forward to going to some of the other mile and a half tracks ahead of us, like Kansas in two weeks, because I think we will run much better.
But before we head off to Kansas, we have a race at the Milwaukee Mile this weekend. I'm looking forward to running at Milwaukee this weekend. It hasn't been one of my greatest tracks over the years, but I think we're capable of a top five finish. I have a great team and the way my truck has been handling on flat tracks here lately, I think we're going to be really competitive and I'm looking forward to it.
I'm also looking forward to the opportunity to improve our position in the points standings, but it's not going to be easy. If you want proof of how competitive this series is, just look at the points race. Right now I'm 9th, but I'm only 26 points out of 6th. In this series, you just need one bad race and you'll lose three or four spots. It just shows you how competitive it is. When you look at the points race, it says everything about the Craftsman Truck Series.
But I'm confident that with this team, we can work our way back up in the points. Working with this team has been fun and I'm having a ball. My crew chief, Jamie Jones, and my owners Jeff Hammond and Tom DeLoach, they are all just wonderful people. It's been such an honor to be employed by those guys. Then my crew, I just can't say enough about them. My guys are really cool to work with because they have the same attitude and the same passion and love for the sport that I have.
But lately I've discovered a new passion—being an uncle!! I'm so highly competitive and so into NASCAR and what we do, but when you spend time with your family it puts everything into perspective. It shows you just how little everything else is. It's awesome being an uncle. I love kids, so it's a neat deal.
But I also love winning, and that's exactly what I'm planning on doing this weekend at Milwaukee.
Do you want the chance to win a free Frontstretch T-Shirt, and are you really good at talking about NASCAR? Well, we have the perfect opportunity for you. Our staff will be giving away a free T-Shirt to the reader who makes the best post in our Frontstretch Forum between now and the end of the season. So, what makes a good post? It’s pretty hard to impress us, but here are some things we are looking for:
Does your post spark passionate reactions from other readers? Are you commenting on meaningful NASCAR-related events? Do your posts have substance? In other words, “Dale Jr. is the best driver ever” or “Danica Patrick is hot” will not cut it.
So go to the Frontstretch Forums, post early, post often, and post well! We’ll announce the winner following the final race of the season at Homestead.
©2000 - 2008 David Starr and Frontstetch.com. Thanks for visiting the Frontstretch!
