Frontstretch Newsletter: Armani Williams To Make Truck Debut At Gateway

Published: Thu, 08/12/21

Frontstretch Newsletter: Aug. 12, 2021
Volume: XV, Edition CXLII

What to Watch: Thursday

- NASCAR teams are about to make their hauls to Indianapolis from North Carolina. If anything of note breaks, we'll have it for you at Frontstretch.

TV Schedule: Here

Around the World in Motorsports: Aug. 11

- David Gravel passed Knoxville Raceway regular Justin Henderson via a slide job with four laps to go to win the first preliminary A-main to Saturday night's 60th Annual NoS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey's General Store. Giovanni Scelzi was second, then Donny Schatz, Henderson and Justin Peck.

There are overall points for the weekend in play as well. Scelzi had the best night overall, qualifying second, gaining four spots in his heat and six in the feature en route to second. Our own Bryan Keith is not a fan of this format.

- In somewhat unusual news, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP announced that Maverick Vinales has been suspended for "unexplained irregular operation" of his motorcycle during the Grand Prix of Styria Sunday. Instead of replacing him for this weekend's Grand Prix of Austria, Vinales' No. 12 has simply been withdrawn.

The team's statement indicates that after they analyzed the data from Vinales' No. 12 on Sunday, they determined that Vinales rode in such a way that could have damaged his engine and endangered himself and others. Vinales finished 19th Sunday, more than a minute behind winner Jorge Martin.

Today's Top News:

Armani Williams Making Truck Debut at Gateway

Reaume Brothers Racing announced Thursday that Armani Williams will make his Camping World Truck Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway in the team's No. 33.

Photo is courtesy of our own Rick Lunkenheimer.

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

Newsletter Exclusive:

Frontstretch Line of the Week

From Thinkin’ Dirty: 2021 Knoxville Nationals Prelims

"Alright, I get the idea of attaching points to qualifying, heats and the features to make sure that every lap turned during Nationals competition means something. But there is no way you’re going to convince me that the winner of the night’s feature race should leave preliminary night third in points.

"Leave the points system alone, and write a clause in the rulebook that states if the prelim winner has fewer points than the points leader, they earn the same points as the points leader plus one. Of course, that shouldn’t be needed … winning the prelim should pay enough points to make the winner the leader.." - Bryan Keith, on the points system in use this week for the 60th Annual NoS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey's General Store, mentioned above in the Around the World in Motorsports section.

Today at Frontstretch:

Podcast: Jade Buford on Developing Big Machine Racing, Competing on American Ninja Warrior

with Jade Buford, Mike Neff and Davey Segal

2-Headed Monster: Did NASCAR Make the Right Call to Move Away From the Indianapolis Oval?

by Mark Kristl and Vito Pugliese

Dropping the Hammer: COVID Again Looms Over NASCAR

by Daniel McFadin

Truckin’ Thursdays: Meet the 2021 Truck Series Playoff Drivers, Part I

by Beth Lunkenheimer

Eyes on Xfinity: Move Over, Everyone. This Is Ty Gibbs’ World

by Brad Harrison

Nashville Showed IndyCar Promise. Let’s Give It Another Go

by Aaron Bearden

Thinkin’ Dirty: 2021 Knoxville Nationals Prelims

by Bryan Keith

Tomorrow at Frontstretch.com:

We'll have a preview of a busy weekend of racing in Indianapolis.

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