April 28, 2013
- No pole award for Edwards: #17-Matt Kenseth won the pole for last weekend’s Sprint Cup event at Kansas Speedway, but he didn’t get to reap any of the benefits, after NASCAR penalized his team for using an underweight connecting rod in the engine of the #20 Toyota. The sanctioning body told Kenseth that his pole wouldn’t count toward eligibility for the 2014 Sprint Unlimited, the preseason exhibition race at Daytona for 2013 polesitters and previous winners of the race.
#99-Carl Edwards, who lost the pole to Kenseth by .017 seconds, figured Kenseth’s penalty might make him eligible for the 2014 Sprint Unlimited, but NASCAR president Mike Helton had a different point of view. “When I saw the news, I texted Mike Helton right away, and I said, ‘All right, cool, we’re in the (Unlimited) next year, right? We got the pole,’” Edwards said. “And he sent back, ‘LOL!’ I didn’t think it was that funny, but he thought it was funny. I think (Roush Fenway general manager) Robbie Reiser proceeded to ask him, and then (crew chief) Jimmy Fennig, and he got a good laugh out of it.”(NASCAR Wire Service), Kenseth won the pole at Richmond to put him back into the 2014 Sprint Unlimited.(4-28-2013) - Toyota recalls three Bowyer engines: A parts review by Toyota after #20-Matt Kenseth’s penalty led the manufacturer to pull three engines from Michael Waltrip Racing’s inventory as a precautionary move. All three engines recalled were earmarked for #15-Clint Bowyer. One was his engine for Saturday night’s race at Richmond; the other two were his primary and backup engines for Talladega. “We took every connecting rod in our inventory and removed anything that was too close for comfort,” Toyota Racing Development vice president David Wilson told The Associated Press. The review found that there was at least one connecting rod in each of the three Bowyer engines that left TRD uncomfortable in the wake of Kenseth’s issue. The issue began when the manufacturer shipped the connecting rod to TRD even though it was outside the tolerance the manufacturer allows on weight. It came with paperwork that clearly stated its weight, and that was missed by TRD employees. Now the manufacturer is backtracking to double-check everything in inventory while also reviewing its own quality control practices.(Associated Press)(4-28-2013)
- Ten years since Nadeau’s injury UPDATE: NASCAR’s annual spring visit to Richmond International Raceway marks the 10-year anniversary of Jerry Nadeau’s near fatal accident at the track. Nadeau crashed driver’s-side first into the outside wall between Turns 1 and 2 during a May 2, 2003, practice at Richmond. He was airlifted to Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in critical condition with a moderate to severe head injury, partially collapsed left lung, fractured shoulder blade and left-side rib-cage injuries. It took 20 days for Nadeau to regain full consciousness and begin to speak again, and four more before he was transferred to Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation to begin physical, occupational and speech therapy. Nadeau was in inpatient care until June 6, and in therapy until July 25. When NASCAR returned to Richmond in September that year, Nadeau made an emotional visit to VCU Medical Center to thank the medical staff. He went on to form World Karting Endurance at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and has done some driver coaching, but never raced again in NASCAR.(Associated Press)(4-27-2013)
UPDATE: Jerry Nadeau still draws an imaginary line down the middle of his body to describe the accident that changed his life 10 years ago this week. On one side of the line his body feels normal, on the other side it’s still numb. That’s the result of a brain injury sustained in practice for a NASCAR Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. His Chevy spun and hit the Turn 1 wall at 135 times the force of gravity. The line is also a kind of metaphor for a life that is a mixture of frustration and joy, courageous acceptance and occasional regret. Jerry Nadeau does not live in the past. He go-karts often with daughter Natalie, 10, born months before the crash. And he’s a proud father in the stands at her gymnastics meets. His marriage to Natalie’s mom ended the year after the accident, but he remarried last year to Maryana, a Ukrainian he met online. But if Nadeau doesn’t live in his glory days of racing, he remembers them. And though he’s accepted that his physical limitations ended his career at 33, it still frustrates him. “Things were going so well and to have it taken away, yeah, I have a lot of bad feelings over that,” Nadeau said. “It’s amazing how time flies. The toughest part, Nadeau says, is that a brain injury makes you feel like a different person. He adds that he’d rather have broken every bone in his body at once than have his mind altered. Unless things change, he not sure when or if he’ll be able work again. But he’s not sad. “I still love racing, everything about it, and would still be doing it if I could,” Nadeau said. “I had a great life in racing and met a lot of good people. But I’m a different person. I’ve moved forward and I’m trying to make the best of everything.”(Newport News Daily Press)(4-28-2013) - Race and Commercial Breakdown of the 2013 Toyota Owners 400 / Richmond: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Saturday’s race. Began recording the times at the Invocation of the race at 7:30 PM, and stopped at the waving of the checkered flag at 11:05 PM (all times are EST). Fox was the broadcast team for this event.
Total number of commercials: 116
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 67
Number of traditional commercials (not split-screen): 106
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 64
Number of ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials during race broadcast (split-screen): 10
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 8
Number of times Fox utilized ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials during this broadcast: 3
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 40
Total amount of time these brief promos take during broadcast: app. 5 min. 50 sec.
Start time to record race/commercial periods: 7:30 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 11:05 PM
Total minutes of complete race broadcast: 215
Minutes of race broadcast: 170
Minutes of traditional commercials (not split-screen): 45
Minutes of ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials (split-screen): 6
Number of missed restarts: 0
Number of ‘mystery cautions’ (debris not shown): 0
Total race brdcst time 170 Total comm. brdcst time 45
See links, other news and past races on the TV Commercials page.(4-28-2013) - Reserved Pit Road Camping package created for Cheez-It 355 at The Glen: Watkins Glen International unveiled a new camping area that allows fans to get closer to the action than ever before for the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen. The Reserved Pit Road Camping is located behind the Pit Terrace Grandstands and is just a few steps away from all the exciting NASCAR action on pit road. Reserved Pit Road Camping features a paved 20′ x 40′ space with water and electric. Guests will receive a reserved camping spot, four weekend Pit Terrace tickets and four Fan Walk passes for just $1,995. This package is perfect for a family or group of friends who want to make the most of their Cheez-It 355 at The Glen weekend. Fans interested should act fast as space in this area is very limited. A dedicated sales representative has been assigned to handle this exclusive area and is available by calling 607-535-2486 ext. 322. In addition to being the most exclusive campground in the infield, Pit Road Camping is also the last remaining infield camping option. All other infield spaces are sold-out for the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen. Limited space remains available in GEICO Caveman Unreserved Campgrounds and Family Camping outside the track.(WGI)(4-28-2013)
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