 |
 |
 |
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!
Is NASCAR Ready For The Fire And Flesh That Danica Would Bring?
Thompson In Turn 5 · Tommy Thompson · Thursday September 10, 2009
If the rumors are to be believed, and there is no reason to believe that they should not, Danica Patrick, the darling of the IndyCar Series, is ready to test the waters in NASCAR. The questions that remain at this point are simply when, where, and with whom the only female in history to win an IndyCar event will land for her apprenticeship in stock car racing.
But there’s a second, more pertinent question, as well that no one is talking about: Is NASCAR itself ready for “Danica-mania?”
What does seem fairly clear is that Danica is not ready to chuck her day job as an IndyCar driver quite yet, pursuing a new career in NASCAR slowly with possible starts in ARCA, the Camping World Truck Series, and later the Nationwide Series before considering the gigantic jump to Sprint Cup. Armed with sponsorship, Patrick should be able have no problems finding owners within any of those divisions, and it is being reported that Kevin Harvick, Inc. is willing and able to integrate her into its successful Truck Series program. The Dale Earnhardt / Rick Hendrick partnership of JR Motorsports no doubt would also be willing to accommodate the IndyCar Series’ most recognizable driver should she be in need of a Nationwide Series seat.
Of course, Patrick coming to NASCAR-talk is nothing new, and has been an experiment that I have wholeheartedly endorsed and invited. Patrick has absolutely nothing to lose in attempting a move to the nation’s most popular and profitable motorsports series — and she knows it. Should the 28-year-old fail, she will still have her open-wheel career as long as she can be semi-competitive and remain a fan draw. However, should this woman succeed and become a viable competitor at the Sprint Cup level, any fame and fortune Patrick has made up to now will pale in comparison to what she would gain in NASCAR.
Two-time Sprint Cup Champion, Tony Stewart, who seems to be the go-to-guy for information concerning Danica’s move to NASCAR, believes that her motives are deeper than just financial. Said Stewart, who is the only credible source confirming that Danica is, in fact, working towards a career in NASCAR: “She’s looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘Hey, this is what I want to do. It looks like fun. It looks like a lot of work, but it looks like fun. She doesn’t have some misguided idea that it’s going to be easy doing it. She wants to do it the right way. She has the intention of doing everything right.”
OK, maybe a race schedule about twice as long and wheeling race cars about twice as large looks like fun to Patrick, but don’t for one minute believe that this woman doesn’t understand the move could also further fatten her checking account!
In a Frontstretch Turn 5 article published in mid-June, NASCAR: A Tough Decision For Danica, it was pointed out clearly that any decision to take on NASCAR would be greatly based on how it would benefit her financially. That article provided the following Danica Patrick quotes:
“NASCAR has so many viewers and so many partners. There are lots of options [for drivers] inside and outside the car. And it looks like fun. Oval racing always is fun. It’s kind of like the Indy 500 event weekend [each race.]”
Danica is ready for NASCAR racing, but is NASCAR ready for the brashness and “branding” that is Danica?
Patrick continued, “The most important thing is to put myself in a situation where I can win as many races as possible, run up front, and be competitive. There’s also the brand side. Just being able to make the most of it as an athlete and endorser of products by gaining exposure and, in due time, exploring things outside of racing.”
Clearly, for Danica racing might be racing, but… it’s a business for her as well!
And how Danica is conducting her business and developing her “brand” is a question that NASCAR and its fans will have to decide whether they’re ready for. Never before has this series, with its short list of females that have competed at the sanctioning body’s highest level, ever experienced a lady with the fire and temper that Danica has at times exhibited during her IRL career. Likewise, no driver, male or female, has so blatantly marketed his or her sexuality like the petite and attractive Patrick.
More than once Patrick, regardless of her finishing position in a race, has garnered the largest share of publicity after altercations with fellow drivers. Perhaps her most memorable incident actually happened following a practice session, with her temper boiling over at Mid-Ohio towards fellow female driver Milka Duno in the pits. During that public display of anger, a simple disagreement turned into a shrill yelling match between the two women as well as full-fledged entertainment for sports broadcasts nationwide. No punches were exchanged in last July’s incident, but Milka did make a couple of futile attempts to snap a towel at Patrick’s face in a YouTube clip viewed by over half a million.
Perhaps stock car racing and NASCAR could survive and even thrive in a “catfight” between Danica and a fellow female competitor (if there was one), but the fiery driver does not limit her challenging and confrontational antics to those of her own gender. In June of 2007, Danica was brazen enough to confront 2005 IndyCar Series Champion and Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon following an on-track incident and got physical, grabbing and shoving her rival in the process. Wheldon, to his credit, did not retaliate physically.
Then, too, there was the infamous “High Noon” stroll down pit lane at Indianapolis during last year’s 500 after tangling with Ryan Briscoe in a pit road incident. The visibly angry Patrick appeared ready for battle with the Penske driver; however, IndyCar officials ultimately prevented her from entering Briscoe’s pit area before any confrontation could occur. Still, Patrick’s pit road display remains THE story of the 2008 Indianapolis 500.
So far, Patrick has been able to get away with her temper tantrums. But would the result be the same should she compete in NASCAR? Not unlike the IndyCar Series, tempers do from time to time turn physical in stock car racing — but rarely does either driver allow another to manhandle them without defending themselves. So should Danica tee-off on a fellow competitor in NASCAR, does that driver still have the unwritten physical right to defend himself… or should Ms. Patrick be exempt from retribution?
The question may seem trite and insignificant, but it is one that every driver, knowing Patrick’s past history, should consider. It is not a situation that they have probably had to contemplate in their career, yet with a brazen, confident, and successful woman in the lineup, suddenly their world could change in an instant. Just imagine, if you will, Danica attempting to manhandle a short-fused driver such as Kevin Harvick. Would such a driver be out of line to physically react, or would they be best advised to shirk away from the confrontation? Better yet, would their temper allow them to even make that decision?
A more problematic situation confronting NASCAR should Patrick become a visible part of the sports scene is also the direction her “branding” is taking. Entering a sport known for hawking its family values, it seems that Patrick has determined to date that she should sell “sexiness” as part of her national marketing appeal. Indeed, those that have seen her GoDaddy commercials could not have missed the sexually suggestive tone. In fact, the latest rumor has the 5’ 2” Patrick posing nude for the upcoming issue of ESPN The Magazine (no doubt “tastefully” done). The driver, of course, is already no stranger to such racy photographs, gracing the pages of last year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
Nude photos in NASCAR? How is that going to jive with a sport that embraces, Mom, apple pie, and pre-race prayers?
We don’t yet know the answer, but it’s all part of the overall impact this move could bring in the coming weeks and months. At least there’s one thing we can say for sure; should Danica prove capable of competing in the Sprint Cup Series, things will be interesting… to say the least.
And… that’s my view from Turn 5.
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 Tommy Thompson and Frontstetch.com. Thanks for visiting the Frontstretch!
