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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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Fanning the Flames: France Was NASCAR's Guiding Force
NASCAR Fan Q & A · Matt Taliaferro · Wednesday June 6, 2007
It was a dark time for NASCAR in the early 1970s. A lag in Detroit's factory support left capable wheelmen without full-time jobs on stock car racing's premier circuit. Without top name drivers, sponsorship was drying up, car counts were down, and the ticket-buying fan had no reason to show up with the level of competition drying out. On top of all that, the nation was running dry itself, on the verge of a budding energy crisis. The problems rang through loud and clear: Big-time stock car racing was in a deep recession.
These were the conditions of the sport when Bill France, Jr. was appointed President of NASCAR in 1972. It could be joked that nepotism has its disadvantages, too. Well, in France’s case, the disadvantage was that his father had handed him the reins at a time of great need; with no time to sit and adjust to the job, the younger France had no time to waste in attempting to solve the issues of the day.
RJR Reynolds' Winston brand had come on board as the series sponsor in late 1971 and if they were to get their money's worth, the schedule had to be streamlined. Events were cut significantly to 31, as no driver had run a full slate of 48 races in the two prior seasons. Gone were the dirt tracks and 100-milers; only the big 250-mile shows were deemed marketable, anyway. With a more manageable schedule and a standard set of rules, names like Cale Yarborough and Bud Moore, as well as factory-backed Chevy and Ford teams, returned by the mid-1970s. With them came the grandstand crowds, along with a growing respect for the man appointed to be in charge of it all.
NASCAR’s escalating popularity convinced ABC to air the second half of the Daytona 500 live in '74 and CBS to air tape-delayed, edited races throughout the ensuing seasons. With the TV exposure came the sponsors; with the sponsors came the money, and with the money came promotion, advertising and competition. The transformation was complete. Bill France, Jr. had straightened the sport's four-wheel slide — without over-correcting — and had NASCAR barreling forward once again.
Of course, the events of the ‘70s culminated in a breakthrough 1979 Daytona 500. With the help of Ken Squier, France had worked a deal with CBS to televise the entire event live, the first time any network had attempted flag-to-flag coverage of the race. Well, I don't have to tell you the amazing events that transpired that Sunday. Track resurfacing resulted in record speeds, a snowstorm kept people glued to their couches, and the final-lap wreck on the backstretch led to a nation captivated, witnessing both Richard Petty's victory and the infamous fight that followed. The race was such a success that its ratings — 16 million people watched — were not surpassed until 2002.
From there, the sport never looked back.
Of course, Bill France, Jr. did not singlehandedly organize, formalize, shape or mold the sport of stock car racing into what it is. He did, however, guide it through its darkest days, only to see it emerge a more profitable, entertaining, and competitive sport. For that, we should all be grateful.
On to our questions of the week. Let's hear from ya out there. The address, as always, is matt.taliaferro@frontstretch.com.
Q: Before Casey Mears and Martin Truex, Jr., who were the last two drivers to score their first career wins in back-to-back weeks? — Ethan C.
A: I had a feeling someone would ask this. Technically, Jerry Nadeau and Michael Waltrip were the last drivers to accomplish the feat. However, Nadeau's win came while driving for Rick Hendrick in the 2000 season finale at Atlanta, while Michael Waltrip's was secured in the fateful 2001 Daytona 500.
For true back-to-back first-time victories, we have to dig back to 1999, when a 28-year-old rookie named Tony Stewart won at Richmond on September 11th and Joe Nemechek, driving the — wait for it — Felix Sabates-owned BellSouth Chevy took the checkers the following week at Loudon.
Q: Surprise, surprise…Kurt Busch shows his true colors once again! And he could not have picked a more deserving target in Stewart. The pit road altercation where he almost ran over a crewman was inexcusable. Doesn't this warrant a suspension? He used his car as a weapon! — Alex C.
A: I feel like I'm on the verge of caving on this one, but I don't believe it warrants a suspension. I think it was a stupid move on Kurt's part and he should get both the points docking and a fine, but I'm a little tired of NASCAR's over-penalizing.
Regardless of my opinion, it looks as though he will have to sit out Pocono, which is a shame considering he's been stout there over the last three races. But as the old saying goes, “Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.” It should make for an entertaining show at Eldora, huh?
Q: I was so saddened to hear of Bill France, Jr.'s death this week. Love or hate NASCAR for what is has become, you can't deny the monumental role he played in its growth from regional pastime to national obsession. — Sarah E.
A: Well said, Sarah. I never knew the man personally and I've only followed the sport since the early ‘80s, but I know what it was then and what it became by the time of his retirement as president and CEO in 2000. Therefore, I know of his legacy and admire him for his leadership and vision. I also thank him for being the driving force behind a sport that has kept me thoroughly entertained for 25 years.
Editor’s Note : For all the latest news and information concerning the death of Bill France, Jr. click here for all that Frontstretch has to offer on this immeasurable loss for the sport.
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