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NASCAR Will Use New Spoiler At Martinsville
posted by Jay Pennell
Wednesday March 17, 2010
During a press conference for the Sprint All-Star Race in Charlotte, N.C. today, NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton confirmed the Sprint Cup Series would officially make the transition to the rear spoiler beginning with the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at the Martinsville Speedway. Pemberton said 83 spoilers had been sent to the teams on Monday. Teams tested the new rear spoiler on Tuesday at the Talladega Superspeedway, where the cars reached speeds well over 200mph in the draft. Throughout the test, NASCAR tried different combinations of spoiler height and restrictor plate size. Next week there is a two-day (Tuesday and Wednesday) test planned at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, where over 50 teams are scheduled to participate. Along with the return of the rear spoiler, Pemberton explained NASCAR is still working on other changes to the aero package on the Sprint Cup cars that will go into effect at all the tracks, possibly starting as soon as Texas in April.
High speeds in Talladega at first CoT spoiler test
posted by Doug Turnbull
Tuesday March 16, 2010
The highly anticipated first official spoiler test for the Car of Tomorrow may be noteworthy for other reasons. In an attempt to break up the large packs of cars, a notorious characteristic for restrictor plate tracks like Talladega, NASCAR allowed teams to try plates with larger holes – they started with a record size plate of 66/64th of an inch before shortening to 62/64ths of an inch after speeds were listed as too high. Just how high did those speeds go? Sources tell Frontstretch.com that this change, combined with the replacement of the rear wing with the traditional spoiler and the lowering of the front edge of the rear quarterpanels on both sides of the race car, allowed cars to approach straightaway speeds of up to 208 mph and average laps over the 200 mph mark. To set a mark for comparison, Juan Pablo Montoya’s April 2009 Talladega pole speed was 188.171 mph. Since speeds were in the 200 mph range, the same source says that NASCAR may consider having teams change the gear ratios on the cars, instead of decreasing the plate holes going forward, so the packs will remain broken up. Interestingly enough, the higher speeds come in light of the infamous Brad Keselowski-Carl Edwards race car flipping episode at Atlanta Motor Speedway two weeks ago, Ryan Newman’s incredible end-over-end flip at Talladega last October, and Keselowski turning Edwards airborne into the Talladega frontstretch catchfence last April. Read Wednesday’s Frontstretch.com Newsletter for more details on the Talladega spoiler test.
Edwards Placed On Probation For Three Races
posted by Jay Pennell
Tuesday March 9, 2010
NASCAR President Mike Helton addressed the media Tuesday afternoon following Sunday’s late-race incident between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Well over 100 laps down, Edwards intentionally spun Keselowski through the tri-oval while Keselowski was running sixth. The No. 12 car lifted in the air and slammed the outside wall with the driver’s side window. NASCAR parked Edwards for his actions and ordered him to the NASCAR hauler for further discussion on the matter. Tuesday, Helton explained Edwards would be placed on probation for the next three races and the drivers and their teams would meet with NASCAR about the situation. “Following that incident we asked the driver of the 99 to visit us in the hauler, and we made it very clear to him that these actions were not acceptable and did go beyond what we said back in January about putting the driving back in the hands of the drivers,” Helton said. “We believe the driver of the 99 understands our position at this point.” For NASCAR, the biggest issue emerging from Sunday’s incident was the fact the No. 12 car lifted into the air. “But the bigger topic is the 12 car getting airborne at a mile-and-a-half track which we typically don’t see,” Helton said. “It’s been years since we’ve seen that. So a lot of our effort yesterday, today and until we find resolve to it is figuring out how it happened, why it happened and what we can do to prevent it from happening in the future.”
Keyed Up and Key Motorsports split
posted by Doug Turnbull
Saturday March 6, 2010
If missing the first three races to date was not enough drama for the No. 90 Keyed Up Motorsports Chevy team and Casey Mears, organizational upheaval may tip the scales. A member with the team tells Frontstretch.com that Raymond Key’s Cup operation, originally formed with ties to Curtis Key’s teams in the Nationwide and Truck Series, has become its own entity. As of Monday, the team began a move into Tommy Baldwin Racing’s old shop while planning to continue trying to qualify on Cup races. However, if sponsorship for the team fails to pan out, Keyed-Up may vie for a partial schedule similar to that of the Wood Brothers and only run about 12 races the rest of the year.
Wood Brothers running FR9 for now, Roush says no big problems with new motor
posted by Doug Turnbull
Saturday March 6, 2010
Ford’s new FR9 motor has not made a speedy entrance to the Sprint Cup Series, mainly because the Ford teams need adequate supplies from the engine parts vendors and not because of performance problems, says team owner Jack Roush. Claiming the engine will perform well over the long-term, he still expects the new design to be “the Ford engine of the future” and fully in use by the end of 2010. While his four Ford teams are not running the revamped engine, Roush revealed that the Wood Brothers Ford team will run the FR9 this weekend at Atlanta and in April at Texas. Beyond that, either Roush nor Ford officials have announced a set schedule for full or future implementation of the power plants.
Crawford says truck team is 'close' on sponsorship
posted by Doug Turnbull
Saturday March 6, 2010
While never a standout in the Camping World Truck Series, Rick Crawford has experienced moderate success over his long career in NASCAR’s third-tier. After losing sponsorship at the end of 2009, his Circle Bar Racing team finds itself on the ropes, wondering how many races the future may hold. The veteran Crawford, though, remains optimistic a deal is imminent. “I would say we’re pretty close on signing a sponsor for the 2010 season and 2011 and beyond. [Not starting 2010 with a sponsor] was a matter of losing a sponsor late last year and [the prospective sponsor] getting its marketing efforts done. We’ve got the contracts ready; we’re waiting to get that signed.” Crawford started 2010 with a DNF at Daytona, placing 28th.
Justin Marks Wins The ARCA Race!
posted by Thomas Bowles
Saturday February 27, 2010
Justin Marks won a rain-shortened event at Palm Beach Saturday, collecting his first ever win in the series. Robb Brent, Blake Koch, Tom Hessert III, and Steve Arpin rounds out the top 5. Stay tuned to Frontstretch.com for plenty of post-race coverage on both the website and our Newsletter.
Looking For ARCA Coverage? We Got It!
posted by Thomas Bowles
Saturday February 27, 2010
While the ARCA race at Palm Beach may not be televised … we’ve got you covered. Our own Bryan Davis Keith is at Palm Beach all weekend and will be posting news, commentary, and features from the Florida road course both on the website and in our newsletter. Don’t miss out! And don’t forget, our own Tom Bowles is spending the weekend in Vegas, too … so we’ve got you covered from all angles. Just another reason why we’re the best seat at the track and the best view on the ‘net!
Carter Simo still plans 2010 Cup races
posted by Doug Turnbull
Friday February 19, 2010
One story lost in the shadow of Speedweeks in Daytona was the absence of Carter Simo Racing’s No. 08 car. Much of the team’s equipment was put up for auction Tuesday; however, a source tells Frontstretch.com the operation still plans to field a car in 2010, with a limited schedule of races TBD. CSR may also try and field a car for the Talladega ARCA race in April; until then, most of the team’s employees have been temporarily released and are working for other teams in the sport. In mid-2009, team owner John Carter bought the assets of beleaguered owner/driver Jeremy Mayfield, using the newly purchased equipment and Toyotas to field entries in five races with two-time champion driver Terry Labonte. Equipment issues kept the team from cracking the top 30 in those races. Road course ringer Boris Said also wielded No. 08 Fords last year at both road course races, scoring the team’s season-best finish of 24th at Infineon. Later on that season, Said and longtime partner Mark Simo split, creating the newly-named Carter Simo racing with Labonte behind the wheel. On Tuesday, CSR only placed the equipment purchased from Mayfield on the block, including five Toyotas, a race hauler, and other pit equipment and tools. However, the source says that the team still owns three old Yates chassis and an old Ganassi piece (all of which they converted to Dodges last year) in the shop, with plans on returning to the track midseason pending sponsorship. The move is similar to what happened with Carter Simo last year, in which they took a four-month break between Daytona and Infineon while preparing to race at specific tracks. CSR, which still splits its time between its shops in Charlotte and in Toccoa, Georgia, just has to modify the top of the noses on their cars before returning to the track, due to a minor, lightly-discussed rules change before the season. As for CSR’s 2009 drivers and whether they will return to the team, Boris Said currently is driving the No. 26 for Bill Jenkins’ Latitude 43 Motorsports, and is working on a long-term deal that should remove him as an option. Terry Labonte is also out of the running; he and former owner Bill Stavola formed Stavola Labonte Racing in 2009, but are currently sidelined due to a lack of sponsorship. According to sources, Labonte was offered but initially turned down a return to the No. 08. A John Carter-owned car did participate in the ARCA race at Daytona on February 6th. Former CSR driver James Hylton borrowed a car from Carter, then leased it to driver Jill George for the race. But George infamously crashed the No. 48 roof-first into the wall just 25 laps into the 80-lap Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, finishing 31st in the 43 car field.
Parrott In As Crew Chief For Kenseth
posted by Jay Pennell
Wednesday February 17, 2010
Less than a week into the 2010 season and Roush Fenway Racing has already made a switch at the crew chief position. News broke on Wednesday that Todd Parrott would take over atop the pit box for the No. 17 team with driver Matt Kenseth, replacing Drew Blickensderfer. The Kenseth-Blickensderfer combination won last year’s Daytona 500 and backed it up by winning the next weekend at the Auto Club Speedway. Despite their strong start out of the box, the No. 17 team failed to live up to expectations in 2009, scoring seven top-5s, 12 top-10s and failing to make, along with missing the Chase. Now after an 8th place finish in Sunday’s Daytona 500, Blickensderfer is headed to the Roush Fenway Racing R&D Department and Parrott is taking over as crew chief. |
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Talladega. The name itself sends chills down the spines of many NASCAR fans, as the track is remembered as much for its horrific wrecks as its exciting finishes. Whether it be Kenny Schrader’s barrel roll in 1995’s Diehard 500, or 1993 which featured not only Neil Bonnett’s airborne adventure into the catch fence, but maybe the most memorable of all Talladega wrecks, Rusty Wallace’s flipping barrel roll across the start finish line.
Whatever memory ‘Dega conjures for the fans, it’s certain that while Halloween was on Saturday, the scariest part of the weekend for NASCAR’s 43 drivers was Sunday afternoon. For the teams outside the top 35, the race poses a tricky mix of having to get a good finish to maintain a chance to race their way into a guaranteed starting spot with driving a smart enough race to actually finish. And of course, a good deal of luck is needed also. So read on to see which of our bubble drivers had lady luck smiling down on them last Sunday and which ones were not so lucky, becoming victims of Talladega’s legendary “Big One.”
Focusing on the Bubble:
John Andretti did exactly what he had to do, almost. The Front Row Motorsports team ran a very smart race, hanging around the back of the field to avoid any possible carnage that generally occurs around mid-pack at the big restrictor plate events. They played the strategy game perfectly by staying out to lead a lap under green during pit stops and pick up five bonus points while watching Scott Speed race in harm’s way trying to get every position he could as he attempts to catch the No. 34 team. And while running in the back, they were able to drive through the five car wreck that happened with just a few laps to go and were running in the top 10 on the final restart.
It was perfect, except for the fact they didn’t have enough gas to get to the end. Coming to the green, Andretti’s No. 34 Chevrolet sputtered and he pulled high and out of line to let the field go by as his gas tank ran dry. He did manage to get the car around and finish on the lead lap, albeit in the 23rd position. It was made even better when coming to the checkered flag, the No. 82 Red Bull Racing Toyota driven by Scott Speed was involved in a wreck, relegating that team to the 27th spot. The result was Andretti extending his lead over Speed to 135 points with just three races to go.
Around the bubble:
Robert Yates Racing No. 98 Ford Fusion driven by Paul Menard/NEMCO Motorsports No. 87 Toyota driven by Joe Nemechek: So much for my prediction from last week. After proclaiming strong runs from these two teams, they managed to get tangled up just four laps into the race, ending their days in 42nd and 43rd positions.
TRG Motorsports No. 71 Chevrolet driven by Bobby Labonte: What a nice run for this team. With the possibility of teams folding, perhaps they can yet find themselves in the top 35 when Daytona rolls around in February. Labonte never led, but did get as high as second several times in the first third of the race. The veteran driver then faded a bit as the racing got dicey, but made his move back to the front late and was able to avoid the two late wrecks on the way to his first top 10 finish with TRG Motorsports.
Bubble Chatter:
“They’re gonna wreck here in a minute so hang on.” No. 34 team spotter
“Hey tell Marcos he has damage to the rear of his car and if he lets me by the two of us could probably go faster.” Michael Waltrip
“This is gonna put us in our window so be sure and pack her full of fuel. And we’re gonna come in with one to go to top off. No wait, we’ll just come in with one to go that way we don’t get nothing tore up in the pits.” No. 34 crew chief Steven Lane
Jamie McMurray’s first win in 86 races locked the No. 26 into the Top 35 in owner’s points, but because of NASCAR’s four car per team rule, the team will be closed and its owners points handed off to another team pending NASCAR’s approval.
“Uh, look out, big crash ahead of ya.” No. 55 team spotter
“I think we’re out guys, yeah we’re out.” No. 34 team spotter on lap 189
“Yeah guys I am fine but they gotta get me outta here I gotta (explicative) like a race horse.” Ryan Newman sitting upside down in his race car. I know he’s not a bubble driver but I found it amusing and with spotters dominating the radio during the race the chatter is a little thin this week.
Who’s in and who’s out:
Despite the 10th place finish posted by Bobby Labonte, TRG Motorsports has been eliminated from top 35 contention this year. This means the only driver able to still race their way in is the No. 82 of Scott Speed. Locking themselves into the top 35 last Sunday were the Nos. 26, 19, 12, 77, 43 and the 6. The No. 26 team will be shut down to comply with NASCAR’s four team cap, thus those owner points will be available to the highest bidder pending NASCAR approval.
What to expect at Texas:
NASCAR moves from one big fast track to another when they head to Texas Motor speedway next week. Paul Menard is looking very forward to it and so is John Andretti. Menard had one of his best weekends at Texas last time around as the No. 98 Ford Fusion qualified in the top five and posted a 13th place finish. Andretti likes it for two reasons. One is his No. 34 Front Row Racing team ran a solid race and came home in the 26th spot in the spring. The other is that Scott Speed, the driver chasing him for the 35th position in the owner standings, didn’t make the race back in April. In his only other race at Texas, Speed posted just a 33rd place finish, meaning the team is now going to really need to pull the rabbit out of the hat if they are going to catch Andretti this year.
So there you have it, another bubble breakdown. Tune in next Monday to see if John Andretti can not only pretty much seal the deal with the top 35, but also make up the now just 50 points he’s behind Robby Gordon for the 34th spot. And don’t forget to check out Friday’s newsletter and the head-to-head bubble picks. So until next Monday, so long from the bubble!
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