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John Andretti News - November 2009
Bubble Breakdown: Andretti, Front Row Overcome Wreck to Lock Into Top 35 for 2010
Mike Ravesi · Monday November 23, 2009
Breaking down the Bubble:
With the waving of the checkered flag at Miami on Sunday evening, the 2009 NASCAR season came to a close after 36 points races and ten long months of racing. And John Andretti needed every one of those races to finally lock himself and his Front Row Racing’s No. 34 Chevrolet team into the top 35 and give themselves a locked in spot in not only the 2010 Daytona 500, but also the ensuing four events. To see how Andretti finally put away Scott Speed and his Red Bull Racing’s No. 82 Toyota, read on in your final Bubble Breakdown for 2009.
Focusing on the Bubble:
Well it wasn’t pretty but nothing that Front Row Motorsports has done all year has been. John Andretti moved from 40th to 28th before hitting the wall hard on lap 101. But John rebounded by winning the lucky dog award on laps 116, 155 and 193 to stay in touch with the lead lap and watch Scott Speed work his way back to him. With the damage to the car, the handling was never quite right but didn’t need to be as Andretti pretty much had to just finish the race as long as Scott Speed didn’t post a career day, which he didn’t. After the wreck John hovered around the low 30’s, eventually finishing 33rd and locking up the final spot in the top 35 by 96 points over Speed.
Full Story on FrontStretch.com
Andretti Finishes 33rd at Homestead, Clinches Top-35
Sunday, November 22, 2009
John Andretti and the Front Row Motorsports Team battled through more troubles to finish 33rd in the Ford 400, thus locking the #34 Taco Bell Chevrolet in the 35th position in Owner's Points.
It started early when Andretti complained of a tight race car. Even after making adjustments on pit road, the car remained tight until it finally went straight entering the turn, putting Andretti in the wall. The team made some quick repairs and that combined with some well timed cautions, enabled the team to stay close enough to finish 33rd, six spots behind the #82 of Scott Speed. Speed gained 18 points on Andretti, but it wasn't enough to overcome the 114 point deficit that he started the race with. The #34 team of Andretti finished with a 96 point cushion over the #82.
No news on Andretti's plans for 2010 (or Bob Jenkins' plans, for that matter). Rumor is that Travis Kvapil could be in the 37 car as a second full time team for FRM. Also this week, BAM Racing announced the return of the #49 Toyota Camry to full time contention in 2010. Both John Andretti and Ken Schraeder's names have been mentioned (and speculated as possible drivers), but no drivers have yet to be announced.
The racing season is over, but Silly Season is officially in full swing.
This Week's Race
November 20, 2009 - November 22, 2009
| Driver: | John Andretti |
| Team: | Front Row Motorsports |
| Car: | #34 Chevrolet Impala |
| Sponsor: | Taco Bell |
| Race: | Ford 400 |
| Track: | Homestead-Miami Speedway |
| Rank | Notes | |
| Race: | 33rd | 1 Lap Down |
| Happy Hour: | 39th | 33.580 sec / 160.810 mph / 39 Laps Run |
| Practice 2: | 39th | 33.329 sec / 162.021 mph / 18 Laps Run |
| Qualifiying: | 40th | 31.901 sec / 169.274 mph |
| Practice 1: | 39th | 31.810 sec / 169.758 mph / 23 Laps Run |
Bubble Breakdown:
Robby Gordon Clinches Spot In Top 35 As Speed, Andretti Stumble
Tracking The Top 35 In Owner Points · Mike Ravesi · Monday November 16, 2009
Bubble Breakdown:
To say it was a good news / bad news week for some of our bubble teams is an understatement. On the plus side, TRG Motorsports got a huge early Christmas present in the form of a signed contract from Bobby Labonte to drive for that team full-time in 2010. Labonte brings creditability along with a Past Champion’s Provisional meaning that unlike 2009, this team will compete in the Daytona 500. But news wasn’t so chipper at Robby Gordon Motorsports, who announced they only have enough sponsorship for eight races in 2010. The departure of longtime sponsor Jim Beam has left a huge hole in the financing that RGM needs full-time, and Robby insists he will not turn into a start and park team. And if that wasn’t enough news for you, we still have a race to get into the top 35 in the owner standings which remains unsettled. So read on to see if John Andretti and Robby Gordon could hang on to the last two spots in the top 35, or if Scott Speed could close the gap and give himself a reasonable shot next week at Miami.
Focusing on the Bubble:
With both John Andretti and Scott Speed posting better finishes over the last six races, one would have expected a similar trend to continue from these two drivers at Phoenix. Yet not only did Speed and Andretti start 37th and 42nd, respectively, but they also finished 33rd and 34th in a difficult weekend for both. Neither got off to fast starts, and both were caught up in wrecks that weren’t their faults. After a multi-car pileup made mincemeat out of his Chevrolet, Andretti spent a lot of time trying to get his car somewhat drivable — if you want to call it that. Once he was able to get back out, he was many laps down with a car he couldn’t do anything with. But despite finishing over 40 laps behind, by being able to continue he picked up five valuable spots in the race.
Speed didn’t fare much better. He also was involved in a wreck of someone else’s doing, and drove around all afternoon with stuff hanging off his car — not an ideal scenario when you’re trying to get into the top 35 with just two races left. As a result, Scott wound up nine laps down and ahead of Andretti by just one position. So another golden opportunity for Speed to take advantage of Andretti’s bad luck officially fell by the wayside. John now leads by 114 points with one race to go, and you can pretty much start chilling the champagne at Front Row Motorsports.
Full Story at FrontStretch.com
John Andretti Finishes 34th at Phoenix
Sunday, November 15, 2009
John Andretti battled through damage incurred in an early accident to finish 34th in the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500. It appeared that the damage was minor after Andretti just clipped the #55 of Michael Waltrip, but the Front Row Motorsports team determined that the #34 Taco Bell Chevy had bent a centerlink and tie rod. The team made the necessary repairs in the garage, but at the cost of over 40 laps.
Andretti finished the race 44 laps down, but only one position behind the #82 of Scott Speed. This puts the #34 Team in great position to clinch the 35th position on Owner's Points next week at Homestead. Andretti enters the final race of the season with a 114 point cushion over 35th.
This Week's Race
November 13, 2009 - November 15, 2009
| Driver: | John Andretti |
| Team: | Front Row Motorsports |
| Car: | #34 Chevrolet Impala |
| Sponsor: | Taco Bell |
| Race: | Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500(k) |
| Track: | Phoenix International Raceway |
| Rank | Notes | |
| Race: | 34th | 44 Laps Down (Accident Damage) |
| Happy Hour: | 43rd | 28.172 sec / 127.786 mph / 29 Laps Run |
| Practice 2: | - | Cancelled due to rain |
| Qualifiying: | 42nd-OP | 27.532 sec / 130.757 mph |
| Practice 1: | 44th | 27.528 sec / 130.776 mph / 19 Laps Run |
Two Races Left To Lock Up Top 35 Spot
Posted by: BGerhart on Nov 12, 2009 - 06:15 PM
As the season comes to an end, much focus is on will win the championship. But at the other end of the standings is another important battle. It’s the race to get into the top 35, which guarantees the teams a starting spot in the first five events of the 2010 season, including the Daytona 500.
Three teams are susceptible to falling out, or moving into, the top 35 with two races to go. The two teams trying to hold on to the bubble spots are Robby Gordon Motorsports and the No. 7 Robby Gordon-owned/driven Chevrolet which is 34th in the standings, 41 points ahead of Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing and the No. 34 Teresa Earnhardt-owned Chevrolet driven by John Andretti in 35th.
Team Red Bull Racing and the No. 83 Dietrich Mateschitz owned Toyota driven by Scott Speed is currently 36th — 117 points behind 35th.
Full Story on PaddockTalk.com
Top 35 Can Be Tough To Crack
Thursday, November 12, 2009
By Buzz Cutler
Rowdy.com
It dawned on me this morning that not only are there just two races left until the Championship trophy is hoisted aloft, but there are just two races left until the final owner wtandings are determined.
Of course, the Top 35 in those standings determines which cars receive guaranteed starts for the first five events of 2010. Figuring the drama of a Top 35 battle would be a lot more compelling than the seeming inevitability of the Championship fight, it was with great anticipation that I perused the Sprint Cup Owner Standings. The hoped for drama was, alas, nowhere to be found …
33. No. 98, 2818 points
34. No. 7, 2647 points, -171
35. No. 34, 2606 points, -41
36. No. 82, 2489 points, -117
It seems unlikely that any of this will change substantially over the course of the Phoenix and Homestead-Miami races. The Paul Menard, Robby Gordon and John Andretti rides seem firmly in, while the Scott Speed car seems pretty much out.
Full Story on SportingNews.com
Andretti Finishes 24th at Texas
Sunday, November 8, 2009
After a weekend that started with multiple engine problems, John Andretti pulled out a 24th place finish in the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. The #34 Taco Bell Chevrolet started 41st and through a series of off-cycle pit stops, gained a total of 17 positions throughout the race. Numerous other cars ran out of fuel in the last few laps, but fuel strategy kept Andretti in the hunt until the checkered flag flew.
With Scott Speed finishing 18th, Andretti lost 18 points to the #82 in the battle for 35th position in the Owner's Points. Front Row Motorsports heads to Phoenix next week with a 117 point advantage over the 36th position.
Front Row Motorsports plans to run two cars in 2010; driver talks continue
By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor Sunday, November 08, 2009
(SceneDaily.com)
FORT WORTH, Texas – Front Row Motorsports plans to field two NASCAR Sprint Cup cars full time in 2010, but who will drive them is still to be determined, team owner Bob Jenkins said Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.
Jenkins also said the team likely will change manufacturer from its current Chevrolet. He wouldn’t name which manufacturer the team was going to use.
“We’ve identified a lot of areas of our program where we can improve without spending a ton of money,” Jenkins said. “I think [2010] is going to be a good year for us. … The economy has helped our team. Our business model is not built [around] a $20 million sponsor. People have become available, equipment has become available.”
As far as drivers, Jenkins said he has been happy with John Andretti keeping the No. 34 team in the top 35 in owners points. It is 35th with a 135-point cushion on the Red Bull Racing No. 82 team of Scott Speed. The No. 37 car has attempted 25 Cup races this year, while the No. 34 Nationwide team is 19th in owner points and Tony Raines is 12th in the driver standings.
Whether Andretti and Raines return remains to be seen. Travis Kvapil and David Stremme are the drivers most often mentioned as potential candidates for that ride.
“We’ve talked to six guys, plus we’re pretty happy with John and Tony,” Jenkins said. “It’s not like we’re looking to change across the board or anything. We’ve talked to all the usual suspects. We’re going to try to narrow it down over the next couple of weeks. We haven’t had any serious discussions with anybody.
“I’m pretty loyal to the guys that we have. I want to get through this season, see where things stand, take a breath and then figure out what we want to do. It’s been hard to be critical because John has done exactly what we’ve asked him to do. Same thing with Tony. I don’t know if you will see any dramatic changes, but we will add the second [full-time] car next year.”
Jenkins also plans to continue the Nationwide program, but that will depend on funding.
“If somebody would have told me at the beginning of the season my Cup team would be in the top 35 and I’d have a top-20 Nationwide team, I’d be pleased,” Jenkins said. “Not ecstatic, but pleased. I feel like what we’ve done and what we’ve had to do it with, I think these guys have done a phenomenal job.”
Full Story on SceneDaily.com
This Week's Race
November 6, 2009 - November 8, 2009
| Driver: | John Andretti |
| Team: | Front Row Motorsports |
| Car: | #34 Chevrolet Impala |
| Sponsor: | Taco Bell |
| Race: | Dickies 500 |
| Track: | Texas Motor Speedway |
| Rank | Notes | |
| Race: | 24th | 3 laps down |
| Practice 3: | - | Did not practice |
| Practice 2: | 43rd | 30.315 sec / 178.130 mph |
| Qualifiying: | 41st | 29.003 sec / 186.188 mph |
| Practice 1: | 47th | 30.381 sec / 177.743 mph (blown engine) |
John Andretti Comments on Jimmie Johnson's Chase Domination
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Is Johnson Creating A NASCAR Legacy? Opinions Vary On Effects Of No. 48 Team's Winning Ways
The sports world is currently not lacking any top story lines. Two major-market teams are battling for the World Series crown. The Boston Celtics are attempting to break the single-season win record in the NBA and are off to an undefeated start. The Bowl Championship Series is gridlocked with seven teams currently without a loss. Finally, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is staring down history, but is anyone appreciating the monumental achievements happening with Jimmie Johnson and his Hendrick Motorports crew?
If and when Johnson is crowned NASCAR Sprint Cup champion this month, many fans will stand up and cheer. Others will boo. But some might just sit back and yawn. The clinching of a fourth-straight championship is an historical accomplishment. How big is this feat in the landscape of today’s sports world?
Drivers Bobby Labonte, John Andretti and Alli Owens comment on the debate:
Bobby Labonte, Driver No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet and President of Breaking Limits:
"It’s huge what this team has done. If you’re a fan of the sport you are amazed by it. A casual fan, they probably go to the races or watch them on TV because they want to see an exciting race. They want to be on the edge of their seat on that last lap. They may or may not have a driver that they root for, but they love the racing. So, for those who say it's getting boring to see Jimmie winning all the time, sure, I can see where they're coming from. I can appreciate that they want to mix things up a bit.
"But as a driver, of course, I can definitely respect and appreciate what that 48 team has accomplished. They haven't won three straight championships by being lucky. They've got a great program. It’s as close to a dynasty as you’re ever going to see in NASCAR for a long time. You have to appreciate it now and not 40 years from now reading it in a book."
John Andretti, Driver, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet: "There have been guys who have won seven, but there is nobody who has won four in a row. In the history of NASCAR, it’s unprecedented. Jimmie Johnson is already immortalized from his performance, but this will put him in a class all by himself. It’s like Richard Petty’s 200 wins; it’s a class that will probably always have only one person in it.
"I don’t think that any kind of domination is what the fans look back at and say, ‘That was great.’ They look back at the driver, team, and organization and see that they were doing everything better than everybody else. That is the case at this point based on the current system.
"Jimmie is still easily a championship contender under any point system, but winning under the old point system might not be the case. There is good and bad under any scenario, and Jimmie Johnson has found a way to dominate the chase, and it brings it into question."
Full Story on PaddockTalk.com
TRG Motorsports Looking to Finish 2009 Strong
Mike Ravesi · Monday November 2, 2009
Talladega. The name itself sends chills down the spines of many NASCAR fans, as the track is remembered as much for its horrific wrecks as its exciting finishes. Whether it be Kenny Schrader’s barrel roll in 1995’s Diehard 500, or 1993 which featured not only Neil Bonnett’s airborne adventure into the catch fence, but maybe the most memorable of all Talladega wrecks, Rusty Wallace’s flipping barrel roll across the start finish line.
Whatever memory ‘Dega conjures for the fans, it’s certain that while Halloween was on Saturday, the scariest part of the weekend for NASCAR’s 43 drivers was Sunday afternoon. For the teams outside the top 35, the race poses a tricky mix of having to get a good finish to maintain a chance to race their way into a guaranteed starting spot with driving a smart enough race to actually finish. And of course, a good deal of luck is needed also. So read on to see which of our bubble drivers had lady luck smiling down on them last Sunday and which ones were not so lucky, becoming victims of Talladega’s legendary “Big One.”
Focusing on the Bubble:
John Andretti did exactly what he had to do, almost. The Front Row Motorsports team ran a very smart race, hanging around the back of the field to avoid any possible carnage that generally occurs around mid-pack at the big restrictor plate events. They played the strategy game perfectly by staying out to lead a lap under green during pit stops and pick up five bonus points while watching Scott Speed race in harm’s way trying to get every position he could as he attempts to catch the No. 34 team. And while running in the back, they were able to drive through the five car wreck that happened with just a few laps to go and were running in the top 10 on the final restart.
It was perfect, except for the fact they didn’t have enough gas to get to the end. Coming to the green, Andretti’s No. 34 Chevrolet sputtered and he pulled high and out of line to let the field go by as his gas tank ran dry. He did manage to get the car around and finish on the lead lap, albeit in the 23rd position. It was made even better when coming to the checkered flag, the No. 82 Red Bull Racing Toyota driven by Scott Speed was involved in a wreck, relegating that team to the 27th spot. The result was Andretti extending his lead over Speed to 135 points with just three races to go.
Full Story on FrontStretch.com
Andretti Posts 23rd Place Finish at Talladega
Sunday, November 1, 2009
John Andretti wheeled the #34 Window World Chevrolet to a 23rd place finish in the Amp Energy 500, despite having a fuel issue on the final restart. Andretti and the Front Row Motorsports team were able to avoid the carnage and finish on the lead lap at Talladega. Andretti restarted in the outside of the third row on the Green-White-Checkered restart, but fell out of line when his car sputtered.
Andretti finished four spots in front of the #82 of Scott Speed and that combined with the five bonus points for leading a lap in the race, was able to increase his lead in the Owner's Points by 17, bringing the cushion for the 35th spot to 135.
This Week's Race
October 30, 2009 - November 1, 2009
| Driver: | John Andretti |
| Team: | Front Row Motorsports |
| Car: | #34 Chevrolet Impala |
| Sponsor: | Window World |
| Race: | Amp Energy 500 |
| Track: | Talladega Superspeedway |
| Rank | Notes | |
| Race: | 23rd | Lead lap |
| Qualifiying: | 35th (Owner's Points) | Cancelled due to rain |
| Practice 2: | - | Did not practice |
| Practice 1: | 21st | 50.097 sec / 191.149 mph |
Image courtesy of Window World