Frontstretch Newsletter: Aug. 13, 2020
Volume: XIV, Edition CV
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Around the World in Motorsports: Aug. 12
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- SRO America announced Wednesday that Circuit of the Americas will host a replacement race weekend from Sep. 17-20 to replace Watkins Glen on the schedule. The Watkins Glen weekend was officially cancelled earlier this week due to New York's strict rules that would have forced everyone in the paddock to submit to COVID-19 testing or serve a two-week quarantine.
- Grassroots Motorsports is reporting that Mazda's TCR program is now dead. Last October, the manufacturer announced a new TCR car based on the Mazda3 that would have debuted in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge back in January and guaranteed Bryan Ortiz a ride in one. Never happened. Now, the testing and development has been called off due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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- NTT IndyCar Series teams will be back on track today in Indianapolis for the second day of Indianapolis 500 practice. On-track activity will begin at 11:30 a.m. and will be streamed live on NBC Sports Gold's INDYCAR Pass.
- For NASCAR teams, preparation continues for this weekend's action in Daytona. If anything of note breaks, we'll have it for you at Frontstretch.
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| | Bubba Wallace Gains Sponsorship from Columbia Sportswear
Richard Petty Motorsports announced Wednesday that the team has reached a sponsorship deal with Columbia Sportswear. The clothing company will sponsor Bubba
Wallace at Dover, and in future races.
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| | Kevin Harvick Claims Pole for Daytona Road Course
Kevin Harvick had a near-perfect weekend at Michigan. That performance has granted him the pole position for Sunday's Go Bowling 235 in Daytona. Joe Gibbs
Racing's Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch start second through fourth, while Joey Logano will start fifth.
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| | James Hinchcliffe Rules 1st Day of Indianapolis 500 Practice
Andretti Autosport's James Hinchcliffe was fastest overall on the opening day of Indianapolis 500 practice with a lap at 224.526 mph. The day was split
between regular practice, rookie orientation and refresher courses.
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| | Alex Labbe, DGM Racing Penalties Rescinded
DGM Racing and Alex Labbe had their L2 penalty scrubbed from the record Wednesday after the team won their appeal. The panel determined that the team did not
violate NASCAR's testing rules.
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| | Austin Cindric Wins Xfinity Pole at Daytona Road Course
After winning the race and leading the most laps Saturday at Road America, Team Penske's Austin Cindric will start from the pole for Saturday's UNOH 188. Chase
Briscoe will be alongside with Noah Gragson in third. Ross Chastain and Justin Haley are fourth and fifth, respectively.
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| | Zane Smith Nabs Truck Pole for Daytona Road Course
By virtue of NASCAR's new formula to determine grids, GMS Racing's Zane Smith will start from the pole in Sunday's Sunoco 159 in Daytona. Christian Eckes will
start second, then Brett Moffitt, Austin Hill and Tyler Ankrum round out the top five.
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| | Entry List: 2020 General Tire 100
For Friday's 100-mile ARCA Menards Series race on the Daytona International Speedway's road course, there are 22 cars entered, a significant drop from rumored entries,
but still an increase from recent ARCA events.
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| | Bobby Labonte to Compete in SRX
The SRX series announced 2000 Cup champion Bobby Labonte as their fourth confirmed driver for their inaugural season on Wednesday, joining Tony Stewart, Paul Tracy and
Tony Kanaan.
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Photos are courtesy of Nigel Kinrade Photography and INDYCAR Media.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
From Earl Bamber Living Out Dream, Competing for Richard Childress in Xfinity at Daytona Road Course
"To be honest, it was always a goal of mine to drive for RCR. I’ve had a long association with them, and I always want to get into good equipment because you can be as good as you want to be as a driver, but you also need good equipment to be at the front. That’s super important, and my answer has always been, if you’re going to go do it, you
might as well do it properly." - Earl Bamber, on being exactly where he wants to be for his NASCAR debut this weekend.
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