FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES
NASCAR on FOX Hits Fontana for Auto Club 400 Sunday at 2:30 PM ET
WhatIfSports Predicts Kansas Will Raise 2013 National Champion Trophy
Rosenthal: U.S. Mindset on WBC Needs to Change
FOX SPORTS GETS NASCAR’S TASTE OF HOLLYWOOD AT FONTANA – The stars of NASCAR are out as FOX Sports heads to the West Coast for the Auto Club 400 on Sunday, March 24 (2:30 PM ET) from Fontana, CA. Following a steady start to the season, Kasey Kahne made noise last week with his win at Bristol, moving up seven places to seventh in the standings. Kahne and the rest of the Sprint Cup Series field chase new leader Brad Keselowski as we head to California.
Coverage begins with the FOX NASCAR SUNDAY prerace show hosted by Chris Myers, providing up-to-the-minute reports, live interviews with drivers, crewmen and officials shaping the day’s action and analysis from Darrell Waltrip and Michael Waltrip.
Once the green flag drops, race announcer Mike Joy is alongside analysts Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds to call all the twists and turns on the track while Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda and Matt Yocum patrol the pits for reports on teams and pit stops. FOX Sports’ Jeff Hammond serves as the network’s roving analyst, taking fans from the garages to pit road and everywhere in between.
For instant updates during the week from the entire NASCAR on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NASCARONFOX
HAMMOND: CHAMP KESELOWSKI AMONG THOSE WHO ARE SURPRISING SO FAR – NASCAR on FOX analyst Jeff Hammond is talking surprises in 2013 and says that despite being the defending Sprint Cup Champion, Brad Keselowski’s early performance has been an unexpected surprise. “I am surprised to see Brad Keselowski this strong, this early and leading our points race. I know Brad’s a very confident individual, but I don’t think even he could have imagined coming off a championship year with all the requirements that are asked of a champion representing our sport, to change manufacturers and already be leading the points. I don’t think it could be any better than it is right now in that No. 2 camp.”
For more from Hammond on the hot starts of Keselowski, Paul Menard and Dale Earnhardt Jr., click here: http://on-msn.com/YYBUoq
DW: DRIVERS STARTING TO CATCH UP TO THE GEN-6 CARS – NASCAR on FOX analyst Darrell Waltrip feels that the Gen-6 car brought the magic back to Bristol: “I knew last Friday during practice and qualifying that we were setting the stage for something special on Sunday when Kyle Busch took a 3,300-pound stock car and blistered a lap of 14.81 seconds in qualifying. This new NASCAR Sprint Cup Generation 6 car is doing everything these guys are asking it to do. The rub is these guys are still learning what to ask it to do. Yes, the potential is there, but like we’ve been saying since the beginning of the season, the teams and drivers need to catch up to the car. There’s no doubt, this thing is going to continue to evolve.”
For more from DW on Bristol and what the race means going forward click here: http://on-msn.com/YYvgi2
McREYNOLDS: THE TRACK GETS PERSONAL – Former teammates Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano have taken their battle to Twitter and the track at Bristol. NASCAR on FOX analyst Larry McReynolds knows that these two will tango once again but hopes the bad blood doesn’t boil over this weekend at the Auto Club 400: “I know race fans are asking if there will be payback in California this weekend. I, for one, sure hope not. With the speeds these cars will be running on Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, no one wants to see any kind of retribution take place. Following this weekend’s race in California we have a week off for Easter and then head right back to the short track at Martinsville Speedway. If there is a vendetta or a payback coming, Martinsville will be the spot.”
For more from McReynolds on the Hamlin-Logano rivalry click here: http://on-msn.com/YYvkOK
WHATIFSPORTS.COM PREDICTS KANSAS TO WIN IT ALL – WhatIfSports.com predicts that the Kansas Jayhawks will become the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Champions when the final game is played on April 8th from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. WIS computers simulated the tournament 1,001 times factoring individual statistics, roster trends, injuries and players’ average minutes per game. The system predicts that this year’s Final Four will be Louisville, Gonzaga, Kansas and Indiana with Gonzaga and Kansas meeting in the championship game. WhatIfSports.com, a site fully integrated into FOXSports.com on MSN, specializes in online sports simulations and fantasy-style games. With their custom sports simulators, users can match teams from any era and not only see a final score, but also view complete play-by-play summaries of each game. Games are simulated using proprietary technology that incorporates statistical data, past performances and ratings into a complex game engine.
ROSENTHAL SAYS U.S. MINDSET ON WBC NEEDS TO CHANGE – MLB on FOX analyst Ken Rosenthal writes that the U.S. took a half-hearted approach to the World Baseball Classic: “It’s the mindset that needs to change, from the major league clubs to the Team USA manager and players. Maybe the urgency can never be what it is for Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic. But Brandon Phillips put it best, saying, ‘You see how everybody’s passion is totally different than our country’s.’ Right now, the U.S. approach is too half-hearted.”
U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM READIES FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS – The international break is upon us as the U.S. Men’s National Team prepares for its two World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica, and then against Mexico. FOX Soccer looks to capture the conversation online around these crucial matchups. FOX Soccer News is heading the content with previews, postgame analysis and round table discussions with Grant Wahl contributing to tonight’s show at 10:00 PM ET before his presence in Commerce City, Colorado for the first U.S. game. Additionally, FOXSoccer.com is set to provide complete coverage of the games and stories of the week with more previews as well as editorial content and live match commentary on Twitter (@FOXSoccerTrax). Fans can follow all the action on Facebook (Facebook.com/FOXSoccer) and also on Twitter (@FOXSoccer) with trivia questions and prize giveaways using the hashtag #SoccerMadness.
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