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Home , 2008 Samsung 500, 2011 Samsung Mobile 500, 2013 Auto Club 400, Brian Vickers, Cole Whitt, David Reutimann

NEwS JOURNAL — April 4, 2012 — C-5

If you have a question or comment, write: NASCAR This Week, c/o The Gaston Gazette, P.O. Box 1538, Gastonia, NC 28053 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. You can also send your NASCAR questions to Monte on Facebook at Facebook.com/monte-dutton and at Twitter.com/MonteDutton. Please specify you are submitting them for the NASCAR This Week page. Sprint Cup Samsung Mobile 500 7 p.m., Saturday, April 14 SPRINT CUP NATIONWIDE CAMPING WORLD TRUCK TEXAS DATA Race: Samsung Mobile 500 Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 Race: Good Sam Roadside April 14 Nov. 4 Nationwide Series Where: , Fort Where: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Assistance 200 O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, Worth (1.5 mi.), 334 laps/501 miles. Worth (1.5 mi.), 200 laps/300 miles. Where: Rockingham (N.C.) FINISH START 8 p.m., April 13 When: Saturday, April 14. When: Friday, April 13. Speedway, (1.017 mi.), 200 Last year’s winner: Matt Last year’s winner: , laps/203.4 miles. PIT ROAD Kenseth, Ford. Ford. When: Sunday, April 15. 1 TU N R Truck Series R N U 4 Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200, Qualifying record: , Qualifying record: Jeff Green, Last year’s winner: Not T Chevy, 196.235 mph, Nov. 13, Chevy, 193.493 mph, April 5, 2002. applicable (first race). 12:30 p.m., April 15 2006. Race record: , , Qualifying record: None. Race record: , Chevy, 151.707 mph, April 5, 2008. Race record: None. 152.705 mph, Nov. 6, 2011. Last week: For the first time this Last race: Not only did Kevin T U 3 Last week: Ryan Newman was year, a Sprint Cup regular won a Harvick dominate Martinsville’s Kroger R N N R the surprise winner at Martinsville Nationwide race. , in a 250. Almost the entire race consisted 2 T U Speedway after a first-turn spin Toyota, won at of Harvick running first in one Chevy � It’s NASCAR’s great recurring involving , in Fontana, Calif., on March 24. and second in another. theme. All order breaks down in and opened the door to The season’s first four races went to Harvick led 248 of 250 laps, James Distance:...... 1.5-mile oval Length of frontstretch:. ....2,250 ft. the waning laps as the checkered victory. Newman’s Chevy held off A.J. drivers who do not compete regularly Buescher finished third and Justin 5º 24º fl ag approaches. Allmendinger’s in an overtime at the Cup level. Lofton fourth. They also drove Chevys. Length of backstretch:. ....1,330 ft. finish. Banking in Banking in � ’s dream op- straights Miles/Laps: .....501 mi. = 334 laps turns 1-4 portunity at has been a nightmare to date. Six races into the season, he’s 31st in points. V RYAN NEWMAN SPRINT CUP SERIES No. 39 U.S. ARMY/OUTBACK � The only driver unaffected by E the Goody’s Fast Relief 500’s clos- R ing scenes was Jr., who was third before the leaders S crashed in turn one and wound up U fi nishing in that position. S � shares Earnhardt Jr. Reutimann owner points with , whose next Sprint Cup race is EARNHARDT JR. VS. REUTIMANN scheduled to be at Darlington on Dale Earnhardt Jr. was critical of David Reuti- May 12. The team must be in the mann, whose car coasted down the front straight top 35 in order to assure Patrick and caused the caution flag that essentially cost a spot in that race. That’s why Hendrick Motorsports a victory in the Goody’s Reutimann was on the track, 79 Fast Relief 500. “It doesn’t seem like there laps behind. could be a logical reason for him (Reutimann) � to end up stopped on the track,” Earnhardt said. Points leader Greg Biffl e has Reutimann said: “They gave me the black flag. fi nished sixth or better in four of We were coming to pit road, and it shut off. And six races so far. In both the other that’s as far as I could go.” two, he fi nished 13th. NASCAR This Week’s Monte Dutton � Overtime lengthened the gives his take: “The caution flag certainly threw a Goody’s Fast Relief 500 to 15 monkey wrench into the outcome of the race.” extra laps, making it the longest race ever run at , the sport’s oldest track and the only one that has hosted races in every NASCAR season. Taking Stock In Stock Cars � thought This Week welcomes letters to the editor, he should have been second, but please be aware that we have room for only not seventh, on the fi nal restart. a few each week. We’ll do our best to select NASCAR offi cials supposedly set the best, but individual replies are impossible the order by “freezing the fi eld” due to the bulk of mail received. Please do not based on the fi nal “loop” reading send stamped and self-addressed envelopes before the caution fl ag waved. The with your letters, which should be addressed to: “loops” are placed at intervals NASCAR This Week, The Gaston Gazette, P.O. around the track. Box 1538, Gastonia, N.C. 28053. � All three of NASCAR’s major Dear NASCAR This Week, touring series are off on Easter On the day I read the letter by Tom B. Bodine weekend. Only one more open Cup Sr., with which I totally agreed, I got the latest weekend remains. issue of Hot Rod magazine. In it was an article � Auto Club Speedway’s race titled “When NASCAR Mattered.” It stated that ran 71 laps short due to rain. Hot Rod used to cover NASCAR until “stock cars Martinsville’s ran 15 laps long due lost their stockness.” The article made several to overtime. points with which many of us agree. � The current “cars (?)” bear no resemblance to Another controversial topic stock cars, production cars, and have no compo- was why NASCAR offi cials kept nents in common with them. Not even the lug nuts. the green fl ag out as Reutimann’s They are in fact “soulless blobs lacking relevance Chevy limped down the front to anything, anywhere except within NASCAR.” straight for what seemed like NASCAR officials say they have gone to the generic forever. Most drivers preferred car in the name of safety. I would venture to say to criticize Reutimann instead of that most people who watch a race watch it on TV, NASCAR afterward. and I doubt you could tell the difference between 100 mph and 200 mph with the cars running in close proximity to each other. I, for one, would much rather see a real car at 100 mph. NASCAR officials 2012 POINTS STANDINGS John Clark/NASCAR This Week have gone politically correct with these “so-called Sprint Cup Series Pts. Sunday marked Ryan Newman’s first Martinsville victory. The Purdue graduate has won 16 Sprint Cup races at 11 different tracks in his career. cars” and their mandated harmony. In the name 1. 226 of equality they have destroyed innovation. Teams 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 6 can’t experiment with new ideas or changes 3. Tony Stewart - 12 to improve their cars. This forced equality has - 12 destroyed the sport. … - 12 Robert Freeman Jr. Martin Truex Jr. - 12 Bonnerdale, Ark. 7. - 16 Thanks for letting us know how you feel. NASCAR 8. Ryan Newman - 24 Newman’s Own has realized the error of its ways in regard to generic 9. Clint Bowyer - 34 car designs. In 2013, the next-generation chassis 10. Jimmie Johnson - 37 will have much more brand identity. Stock cars? 11. Carl Edwards - 47 Stewart-Haas driver takes NASCAR’s oldest track Not literally. Those days are never coming back, but 12. Brad Keselowski - 51 By Monte Dutton nature of his victories. making the cars look more like production models is a step in the right direction. NASCAR This Week “I just try to spread them out,” he quipped. “I could Nationwide Series MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Martinsville Speedway races win a bunch of races, but for me it’s more important to 1. 214 just kind of spread it out and let other guys win once in tend to be won by acknowledged masters of NASCAR’s 2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - 18 a while. shortest track, but it wasn’t too much of a surprise that The Intimidator’s Last One 3. - 27 “What do you want me to say? That’s just the way it all the latest to visit the .526-mile track’s victory lane 4. - 34 works.” A runner-up finish was easily enough to wrap up 5. Sam Hornish Jr. - 54 for the first time was Ryan Newman. Newman is well-known for his qualifying prowess, Dale Earnhardt’s seventh and final (then) Winston 6. - 63 Cup championship on Nov. 13, 1994, at Atlanta In his career, Newman, from South Bend, Ind., has though he hasn’t won a pole since September 2011 in 7. - 66 won at the Sprint Cup level 16 times. Those 16 victories Motor Speedway. won the 8. - 70 New Hampshire. That was his 49th career pole. He quali- 500 but finished a whopping 444 points behind have occurred at 11 different tracks. fied fifth at Martinsville. Earnhardt in the points standings. Earnhardt drove 9. - 88 “I think there are 42 other drivers who say this place 10. - 95 “We were not a dominant race car,” Newman said. the only Chevy among the top seven finishers, with owes them one,” Newman said after winning the “But we put ourselves in contention and pulled it off.” the other six all in Ford Thunderbirds. Goody’s Fast Relief 500. “That’s the nature of this paper- was third, fourth, Mike Wallace fifth, Camping World Truck Series Newman’s victory occurred exactly 19 years after Alan clip race track.” sixth and seventh. 1. John King 82 Kulwicki, the 1992 Winston Cup champion, perished in a (Source: racing-reference.info) 2. - 1 The sharp curves at each end of NASCAR’s oldest track plane crash. Like Newman, Kulwicki earned an engineer- - 1 set Martinsville apart. ing degree in college. Kulwicki was, in fact, the only Cup 4. Ty Dillon - 4 The race was already in overtime when the top three champion to date with a four-year college degree. 5. Jason White - 8 cars — driven by Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Clint “I remember this day 19 years ago when I was in high Mmmmm, Money 6. - 13 Bowyer — crashed in the first turn of the 505th lap. New- school,” Newman said. “He was an inspiration for me. He Answer trivia questions about M&M’s and the 7. - 16 man managed to avoid the melee and held off A.J. All- was part of the reason why I chose to (study engineering) M&M’s racing team correctly for a $100 gift card 8. Nelson Piquet Jr. - 21 mendinger to win a race that eventually ran 15 laps past and follow through with my racing career at the same time.” and other prizes. Winners will be determined 9. Ron Hornaday - 24 its scheduled distance. Newman earned his degree, in vehicle structural engi- from a random drawing of all correct entries. The 10. Todd Bodine - 25 entry deadline is April 13. To enter, visit www. Newman, 34, joked when asked about the diverse neering, from Purdue University. SpeedwayMedia.com.

FOR SELECTION - KaseySERVICE Kahne & MOST creates OF ALL SAVINGS a busy - scheduleCOME SEE THE for FOLKS himself AT � Who’s hot: Ryan By Monte Dutton Twice Kahne has won poles this year. “There are advantages of running Newman’s victory NASCAR This Week On neither occasion did he lead a lap. USAC and stuff like that. Learning great means that Stewart- MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Kasey Kah- greatest year, Kahneh hasn’th ’ finishedfi i h d Different styles and ‘whatnot’ — Dale car control and driving on dirt and Haas Racing has ne is going to have his hands full. better than 14th. He reported engine won half the past Earnhardt Jr. made his way to NAS- things like that help you a lot. I didn’t 16 races over two Kahne, struggling so far in his first trouble in his No. 5 Chevy less than 100 CAR’s top series by working his way up have any dirt experience at all … but I seasons. ... Brad season at Hendrick Motorsports, isn’t laps into the Goody’s Fast Relief 500, through the paved short tracks of the think it helps a lot as far as developing Keselowski disputed going to get rusty. He’s competing at and sure enough, the engine expired South. Jimmie Johnson began racing car control. But there are advantages his ninth-place fi nish Texas Motor Speedway in a Nation- ® Keselowski completely on the 315th lap, the oil off-road. Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon that come from driving a but still picked up wide Series race on Friday night, April sending Kahne’s car into a spin as he Chevy Runs Deep four positions in are among many who began racing stock car as far as the size of the car and points (to 12th). 13, a Sprint Cup race on Saturday night tried to get it to pit road. USAC open-wheel cars. the weight of the car and how similar it I-75 PARKWAY and a Camping World Truck Series “I’m upset that we haven’t run great Asked about the subject, Earnhardt is chassiswiseEXIT and 41 whatnot.” � Who’s not: race at , in this year, but we’re great on Friday and FROM MANCHESTER said: “I think I would’ve gone the same A proud momentLONDON — Matt TO Kenseth Late-race mayhem , on Sunday afternoon. Saturday,” Kahne said. “We were fast route, just because of the area I came was asked if192 he BYPASS thought thatCORBIN his wife cost “I’ve always liked racing at Rock- again today, and we have the . So from and where I wanted to be that I having given birth to two daughters his 200th victory as I-75 TINCHER-WILLIAMS ingham,” Kahne said. “When I saw it when it’s our time, we will be ready to EXIT 38 an owner. ... Busch didn’t want to get too far away from had anythingN to do with “women tak- wasn’t on a Cup race day, and it wasn’t take advantage of it.” brothers placed 33rd my family. Midget (car) racing and that ing over the sport.” ONE MILE SOUTH ON US 25 Hendrick (Kurt) and 36th (Kyle) on a day I couldn’t do it, I thought it Kahne said his latest misadventure kind of stuff isn’t very popular in North Honest. It was a question. at Martinsville. would be pretty fun.” “was a small engine problem that Carolina, so I would’ve done the same Predictably, Kenseth said he didn’t US 25 SOUTH OFSix races LONDON into what figured KYto be his• MON.turned into a- big FRI. one.” 8 AM - thing.7 PM; SATURDAY 8know AM how to- answer6 PM it. (606) 864-5790 TOLL FREE 1-800-447-1508 www.tincherwilliamschevrolet.com