Frontstretch Newsletter: Hendrick Motorsports Cops Fine For Wind Tunnel Fine; Castroneves, Hinchcliffe In for Harvest GP

Published: Fri, 09/25/20

Frontstretch Newsletter: Sept. 25, 2020
Volume: XIV, Edition CXXXVI

Around the World in Motorsports: Sept. 24-25

- In the opening Free Practice session in Sochi Friday morning, Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas was quickest with an average speed of 137.821 mph around the 3.634-mile Sochi Autodrom. Bottas' lap was a half-second faster than Renault's Daniel Ricciardo . Red Bull's Max Verstappen was third, then the Racing Points of Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll. Lewis Hamilton dealt with locking up wheels throughout the session and could only manage 19th on the chart.

The session did have two incidents. First, McLaren's Carlos Sainz Jr. spun and hit the barriers in turn 7. Later, Williams' Nicholas Latifi spun into the Tec-Pro Barriers in Turn 10 and significantly damaged his car.

- Bottas was quickest again in Free Practice No. 2 with a lap at 139.890 mph, more than a quarter of a second faster than Hamilton, who finally put down a good lap. Ricciardo was third fastest, followed by the McLarens of Sainz and Lando Norris.

What to Watch:

- Today, we've got action in Las Vegas as the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series playoffs continue with the World of Westgate 200. Coverage begins with NASCAR RaceDay - NGROTS Edition at 8 p.m. on FOX Sports 1.

Also, don't forget to follow our Twitter page, @Frontstretch as well for updates from Las Vegas!

TV Schedule: Here

Today's Top News:

Hendrick Motorsports Fined for Too Much Wind Tunnel Time

NASCAR fined Hendrick Motorsports $100,000 Thursday after it was discovered that the organization had exceeded the allowable 80 hours of wind tunnel time for 2020.

Helio Castroneves Replaces Oliver Askew for Indy Road Course Doubleheader

Arrow McLaren SP announced Thursday that Oliver Askew has been ruled out of the INDYCAR Harvest GP due to concussion-like symptoms. Helio Castroneves has been tapped to replace him.

James Hinchcliffe Rejoins Andretti Autosport for Rest of 2020

Andretti Autosport announced Friday that James Hinchcliffe will replace Zach Veach in the team's Gainbridge-sponsored No. 26 for the remainder of the NTT IndyCar Series season, starting with the INDYCAR Harvest GP.

Ryan Vargas, TikTok Team Up for Rest of Xfinity Season

JD Motorsports and Ryan Vargas announced that TikTok, the social media app, will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 6 Chevrolet with Vargas behind the wheel for the remainder of the 2020 season.

Carson Hocevar Joining Niece Full Time for 2021

Niece Motorsports announced Thursday that 17-year old Carson Hocevar will drive full-time for the team in the 2021 Camping World Truck Serie season. Note that Hocevar will turn 18 in late January, so he will be eligible to race at every circuit once the 2021 season begins.

Charlotte Motor Speedway to Host Fans for Bank of America 400

The State of North Carolina has cleared Charlotte Motor Speedway to operate at up to 7% capacity for the upcoming Bank of America ROVAL 400 weekend. This equates to a little more than 5000 people per day.

Photos are courtesy of Nigel Kinrade Photography, NASCAR Media and Joe Skibinski of INDYCAR Media.

Have news for Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com with a promising lead or tip.

Newsletter Exclusives:

Frontstretch Folio: South Point 400

by Phil Allaway

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series will make their third September visit to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Coverage of the South Point 400 will start with NASCAR America Sunday at 5 p.m. on NBCSN. That is followed up by Countdown to Green at 6:30. The green flag is scheduled to fly around 7:10 p.m. The event can also be heard on your local PRN affiliate or SiriusXM Channel 90. Drivers will compete for 267 laps (400.5 miles) en route to the checkered flag.

Records and facts

Last year's South Point 400 was the first race of the Round of 16 as opposed to the start of the Round of 12. The man on the move early on was Joey Logano. Starting 22nd, Logano was already up to the lead by lap 34. He would ultimately led a race-high 105 laps.

The final stage saw Kevin Harvick come to the front and led entering the final round of stops. Following the usual swapping of positions that comes with green-flag pit stops, Harvick regained the lead. However, Martin Truex Jr. was right on his tail. Truex was able to sweep past with 20 laps and pulled away to take the victory. Harvick finished second, followed by Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney. The top 10 finishers were all playoff contenders.

Jimmie Johnson has the most victories all-time at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with four, including three in a row from 2005-2007. His most recent win there was in 2010. Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski both have three wins at Las Vegas, while Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. each have two..

Track Facts
Track / Race Length: 1.5-mile tri-oval, 267 laps (400.5 miles)
Banking: 24 degrees

Frontstretch: 2,275 ft, banked 9 degrees

Backstretch: 1,572 ft., banked 5 degrees

Grandstand Seating: 81.000
Pit Road Speed: 45 mph
Pace Car Speed: 55 mph
Opened: 1996

Website: http://www.lvms.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LVMotorSpeedway

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LVMotorSpeedway

Say What!

"I used to put more stress on myself to win there, no doubt. I never knew if winning there would happen for me and it’s neat I’ve been able to win in all three series at Vegas. There is stress going into those events. For myself, I was able to get that done in 2009 there at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway to get into victory lane. That felt good. To able to go back there years after and go out there and race, and not have to worry about the stress of winning that race, you still want to win. We want to win every single one of them. That’s a fact. Overall, when you come into your hometown, and we watched this place get built from nothing, it means that extra more to you and it would be great if we could get back to victory lane this weekend with our M&M’S Camry." - Kyle Busch

"Las Vegas has always been a great place to race. I have had some highs and lows there – which is fitting since it’s the gambling capital of the world. Winning the 150th for Hendrick Motorsports was one of the best memories over the years. I love to go out there and cycle on a Saturday afternoon and there are so many great places to experience the area close by the track. We didn’t have anything go our way last weekend in Bristol. It’s frustrating, but we have to stay optimistic. I feel in my heart we can win one of these last races. We just need some luck." - Jimmie Johnson

"As a driver, you always look forward to going back to a track you visited earlier in the year. You have a chance to look at what you did well and where you want to improve. With Las Vegas being the second race of the season this year, we were able to have a decent run, but we've made a lot of improvements since then and have really built up our mile-and-a-half program. I'm ready to go out and get a better finish than we had in February.

"I'm excited to have Speedy Cash on board our No. 38 Ford Mustang this weekend. They were one of the first partners I worked with at Front Row Motorsports last year, and it's been great to see their partnership with the team evolve and grow this year. They make it super easy - particularly in our current pandemic situation - to get cash and use their services. I'm looking forward to giving them a good run at Las Vegas." - John Hunter Nemechek

Phil Allaway is the Frontstretch newsletter manager. He can be reached at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Photo is courtesy of Nigel Kinrade Photography.

Today at Frontstretch:

Friday Faceoff: Is Bristol a Good Place for a Cutoff Race?

by the Frontstretch Staff

4 Burning Questions: Like Mike

by Michael Finley

Holding a Pretty Wheel: When NASCAR’s Instant Gratification Isn’t So Gratifying After All

by Amy Henderson

Fire on Fridays: Jeremy Mayfield Mends Friendship With Ray Evernham, Is ‘On the List’ of Potential SRX Drivers

by Michael Massie

Driver Vs. Driver: Rookies — Ryan Newman Vs. Jimmie Johnson

by Amy Henderson and Jesse Johnston

NASCAR 101: Most Wins in a Cup Season in the Modern Era

by Kevin Rutherford

Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings Forecast: 2020 South Point 400

by Joy Tomlinson

Tomorrow at Frontstretch.com:

Are you looking for a full breakdown of Sunday's South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway? We'll have you covered with Thinkin' Out Loud.

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