Frontstretch Newsletter: Denny Hamlin, Austin Cindric Claim Talladega Poles

Published: Wed, 04/21/21

Frontstretch Newsletter: April 21, 2021
Volume: XV, Edition LVIII

What to Watch: Wednesday

- Tonight is the second round of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series at the virtual Talladega Superspeedway. There will be look-ins during today's edition of NASCAR RaceHub on FOX Sports 1. Live coverage of the event begins at 7 p.m.

- The Goodyear tire test at Nashville Superspeedway is wrapping up today. This is why Kurt Busch and Chase Briscoe are not entered in tonight's Pro Invitational race (see below). Christopher Bell will try to make it, but has Ty Gibbs waiting in the wings just in case. We'll have a recap of the race tonight and anything else that breaks at Frontstretch.

TV Schedule: Here

Around the World in Motorsports: April 21

- The SRO announced earlier this morning that the start of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia Powered by AWS season has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season was scheduled to start Memorial Day weekend with a doubleheader at Sepang Circuit in Malaysia.

As part of the announcement, the race weekends scheduled for Sepang Circuit (two), Chang International Circuit in Thailand and Japan's Twin Ring Motegi have been cancelled, which covers through the first full weekend of August. There is no set time for the season to begin at the moment, but they hope to start sometime in the second half of 2021.

- The FIA announced a new set of rules for an Electric GT class of racing this morning. The plan is for "direct manufacturer involvement" with regulations designed to allow free expression by manufacturers, but at the time, keep costs within reason.

The cars will be somewhat similar in overall performance to current GT3 cars. Maximum power will be 430 kW (~576 horsepower), but with better acceleration. It would mean that they would have substantially more horsepower on tap than Formula E cars. A form of fast charging would be implemented to allow for longer races.

Finally, manufacturers would be free to choose between dual and quad-motor designs for their cars. Two and four-wheel drive designs will also be allowed.

As of now, these cars will not race against existing GT3 cars. Instead, they will be the basis for a new GT World Championship. Such a series has not been officially announced yet. However, that is not ready to be announced at this time.

Today's Top News:

Denny Hamlin on Cup Pole at Talladega

As a result of another dominant near miss Sunday in Richmond, Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin will start on the pole for Sunday's GEICO 500. Joey Logano starts second, then Martin Truex Jr., William Byron and Alex Bowman.

Chris Buescher Adds AutoTempest Sponsorship

Roush Fenway Racing announced Tuesday that AutoTempest will serve as the primary sponsor of Chris Buescher's No. 17 Ford in two upcoming races.

Live Fast Motorsports Honors Red Farmer with Special Paint Scheme at Talladega

Live Fast Motorsports announced Tuesday that they will have a new sponsorship at Talladega from the Long-Lewis Foundation. The Long-Lewis Foundation is the charitable arm of the Long-Lewis chain of car dealerships, long-time sponsors of Red Farmer, whose career will be remembered on McLeod's No. 78.

Austin Cindric Obtains Xfinity Pole at Talladega

Austin Cindric will continue his strong form with another start from the pole in Saturday's Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega. Daniel Hemric starts second, followed by Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson and Justin Haley.

Keelan Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Among Talladega iRacing Pro Invitational Entries

Tonight is the second round of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series and there are some interesting entries. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back, while Keelan Harvick (who is currently recovering from a karting crash) is entered as well.

Entry List: 2021 General Tire 200

For Saturday's ARCA Menards Series General Tire 200 at Talladega, there are currently 29 cars entered. Longtime series regular Thomas Praytor returns with the No. 9, while part-time Truck competitor Ryan Huff has his own car.

Photos are courtesy of Nigel Kinrade Photography, Chris Graythen of Getty Images and Christian Koelle.

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

Today at Frontstretch:

Part-Time Pains: Kaz Grala Talks Cup Racing at Talladega, Future NASCAR Goals

as told to Joy Tomlinson

Did You Notice?: Denny Hamlin Letting Dominant NASCAR Season Slip Through His Fingers

by Tom Bowles

Frontstretch 5: NASCAR Cup Drivers Who Can Rejuvenate Sluggish Seasons with Talladega Win

by Jesse Johnston

NASCAR Mailbox: Why Can't Jennifer Jo Cobb Race at Talladega?

by Davey Segal

IndyCar Techbench Tuesday: Streets of St. Petersburg

by Christopher DeHarde

F1 Midweek: Lando Norris Leading the McLaren Rise; Adieu to the Canadian Grand Prix?

by Ava Ladner

Tomorrow at Frontstretch.com:

We'll dive into the Xfinity Series ahead of Saturday's Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway.

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