 |
 |
 |
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. |
||
 |
Check in with Matt and Jay on their site at CareyandCoffey.com.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Subscribe to The Frontstretch Newsletter |
| Visit this group |
Miss out on your favorite driver's report card / season preview? Just click the link above and you can find them all archived together!
Side By Side: Should Johnson's Indy Win Have An Asterisk?
Amy Henderson and Jeff Meyer · Tuesday July 21, 2009
Editor’s Note : The following is a special edition of Frontstretch’s Side By Side. Occasionally throughout the season, two of your favorite Frontstretch writers will duke it out in a debate concerning one of NASCAR’s biggest stories. Don’t let us be the only ones to speak our minds, though…be sure to read both sides and let us know what you think about the situation in the comment section below!
Today’s Question: Given NASCAR’s tire debacle in last year’s Brickyard 400, should Jimmie Johnson’s win have an asterisk by it in the record book?
Asterisk, My…Uh, Foot
Amy Henderson
The asterisk. It’s a pretty symbol, sitting there on the computer keyboard, just above the 8. It looks like a little flower, or maybe a star, or an x doing cartwheels because it’s so happy. It’s all girly and dreamy and stuff.
Insidious little bastard.
The asterisk isn’t quite the innocent little symbol that it looks like. It is defined as “a small starlike symbol (*), used in writing and printing as a reference mark or to indicate omission, doubtful matter, etc.” It is occasionally used in the sports record books — Roger Maris had one next to his home run total for years after he surpassed Babe Ruth’s single season home run record because Maris enjoyed a longer season than Ruth had. That asterisk was the subject of a hot debate for years — a warning of just how much controversy a symbol can create.
NASCAR has managed to avoid the asterisk over the years, but now some would like to see one added to the 2008 version of one of NASCAR’s most prestigious races, the Allstate 400 At the Brickyard. The reason The Symbol has been suggested is that the finishing order rundown doesn’t exactly tell the story of the race — a debacle where NASCAR threw a caution flag about every ten laps as tires failed left and right. Everybody had to pit under every caution, because the tires were so bad. There was little, if any passing on the racetrack because nobody could push the cars to their limits as the tires met their limit much sooner. Jimmie Johnson took the checkers and kissed the bricks by virtue of a great last pit stop and dash to the finish.
Enter the asterisk. Some would like to see one beside Johnson’s name from here to eternity because of the tire debacle. The race wasn’t a real contest, nobody could race on the tires, it wasn’t fair. So toss an asterisk in the record books!
That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
Johnson won the race, under circumstances every team was facing, by getting off pit road first on the last caution. How many times a year does a team win by getting off pit road first at the right time? More than that one. The team made the situation work better for them than anyone else that day, making it pretty much just like… every other NASCAR race without a weird tire issue.
The bigger problem is, that if NASCAR puts an asterisk next to that race because of unusual circumstances, how many other races will need one, too, because the drivers didn’t get to race for it, or there were circumstances surrounding the win. What about situations like Las Vegas in 2008, where the race winner failed post-race inspection for an infraction that could well have given a significant competitive advantage? If anything, those races are more deserving of an asterisk, because they were won by less than legal tactics. But there has been little call for this.
Jimmie Johnson kissed the bricks after last year’s Brickyard 400, but given the number of competition cautions that day, should the win have an asterisk by it?.
And what of the situations that can arise every week that can mean the drivers can’t really race for the win — rain-shortened races and races that end under caution? It’s not really different than what-happened at Indianapolis last year. Should David Reutimann and Joey Logano forever have an asterisk beside their first Cup wins because of circumstances completely beyond their control, and where their pit strategy grabbed wins they would not likely have otherwise seen? Should Dale Earnhardt’s Daytona 500 victory be marked by The Symbol because the final laps were run under caution, and well, those other guys never had a chance to race him for the win?
Be careful what you wish for.
With the asterisk comes the connotation that the win was “not as good” as a race won the old-fashioned way; under green. A win is a win, and doesn’t deserve The Symbol unless it was gained by illegal means. This was not the case at Indianapolis last summer. While most race fans will agree that Goodyear’s lack of preparation should have been a crime, it wasn’t. No team had a competitive advantage, and the race winner had the best pit stop when it counted. Sure, it was an incredibly disappointing race — frankly, it sucked. But that wasn’t the race winner’s fault. He simply raced under the same conditions as everybody else and crossed the finish line first. You can’t throw The Symbol on the results page simply because it was a crappy race. If you did, every winner at Fontana would have to have one…
An asterisk next to a winner’s name shouldn’t ever happen because the race was terrible and drivers couldn’t race to the checkers like we all want to see every week. With it’s negative connotation, it should be reserved for those who take the win by less-than-legal means, not for those who take honest advantage of a less-than-ideal situation and grab a win. Anyone could have won Indy by winning the race off pit road last year. Jimmie Johnson did. Crappy race? Yes. But an asterisk? Nope. Not by a long shot, because it opens up a can of worms that not even NASCAR wants (or needs) to touch, and has the potential to leave the record books dotted with that rotten little symbol — and that wouldn’t be pretty at all.
YES! There should be an asterisk next to Johnson’s ’08 Brickyard win
Jeff Meyer
Amy, you ignorant sl……nah, just kidding! What I meant to say is, Amy is a huge Jimmie Johnson fan; of course she doesn’t want an asterisk by his win! All kidding aside, in most instances I would agree with Amy. This, however, is a special case.
To set the record straight, I am not a huge fan of the asterisk for a couple of reasons. First of all, when you see an asterisk, you then have to break your train of thought and search for the second asterisk, hopefully at the bottom of the page you are reading (if the editors remembered to put it in at all to find the meaning of the first one). The second reason is that, if you put an asterisk by one race for something, people will be clamoring for asterisks for all sorts of things such as “ * race was run on the second Monday of the month which is traditionally (insert winner’s name here) best day to race according to his horoscope.” Last year’s debacle at Indy is a special case, however. The short and simple reason that I believe there SHOULD be an asterisk is because NASCAR controlled the ENTIRE race.
Before all you folks out there start whining about rain-shortened races and whatnot, let me assure you, I do not think an asterisk should be attached to those. Rain-shortened races are just as legitimate a win as a race run the full length. Last year’s Brickyard race COULD have been a legitimate race IF NASCAR had handled the situation differently. Unfortunately, they did not, thus warranting an asterisk. What NASCAR should have done with that race is simple — as I will explain.
First of all, NASCAR officials knew going in that the tires were going to be a problem, thus the reason for the first scheduled “competition” caution. So far so good, and being the gracious chap that I am, I will even go so far as to give NASCAR the second scheduled stop, but that is as far as I am willing to go. From the second“competition’“caution on out, NASCAR dropped the ball, BIG TIME!
After the second scheduled stop, NASCAR had all the information that it needed. It was obvious that the tires would only last so many laps! How many times did they need to know that? After the second NASCAR scheduled caution, the officials should have told all the teams – “well, there ya have it. You’ve ALL had a chance to see how the tires are reacting, now it is up to you to deal with it!”
If NASCAR had done that, all the teams would have been on equal ground, much the same as they are when there is approaching weather that threatens to shorten a race after the halfway point. Does NASCAR stop the race every ten minutes to make sure all the teams are aware that rain is approaching? No, they do not.
In this case, NASCAR chose to act as an overprotective mother and assume that the teams were unable to make their own call as to when to get tires, even after NASCAR demonstrated the limitations of said tires in no uncertain terms.
If NASCAR is going to schedule the cautions during an entire race, taking the decision making process away from the teams, where is the competition in that? At least with a rain-shortened race, EVERY team is on the same level and can decide if they want to gamble or not. They could have done the same with tires.
Before y’all start yelling about “safety” and how we are talking about tires that could blow out and kill someone, let me remind you – these guys are professionals, they make that decision all the time! Think about it; with the product that Goodyear has been bringing to the game the last couple of years, it’s not often that a tire will outlast a tank of gas anyway!
Yes, there should be an asterisk by Jimmie Johnson’s win last year at the Brickyard that reads *
*NASCAR-sanctioned tire testing event.
It sure as heck wasn’t a “race!!!”
Contact Amy Henderson
Contact Jeff Meyer
LOOKING FOR FREE NASCAR NEWS AND COMMENTARY SENT RIGHT TO YOUR INBOX?
Well, you’ve come to the right place. The Frontstretch Newsletter is back in action for 2010, giving you more of the daily news, commentary, and NASCAR features from your favorite writers you know and love. Don’t waste another minute – click here to sign up and get all the information you need. We’re here to make sure you start 2010 off on the right foot … so make sure you jump on for the ride!
©2000 - 2008 Amy Henderson and Jeff Meyer and Frontstetch.com. Thanks for visiting the Frontstretch!
