Posted on by Staff Report

A Bluegrass State visit is on tap this weekend at Kentucky Speedway as the 1.5-mile track hosts a modest milestone — its 10th NASCAR Cup Series race.

Sunday’s Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart (2:30 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will cap a busy four-day stretch of racing with all three NASCAR national tours plus the ARCA Menards Series in action. None of the NASCAR events will have practice or qualifying before the green flag; ARCA will conduct a lone practice.

With plenty of miles ahead at the northern Kentucky facility, here’s a primer with helpful information for the 17th of a scheduled 36 Cup Series races this year.

RELATED: How to follow the races | Kentucky weekend schedule

TRACK DETAILS

Kentucky Speedway is a 1.5-mile oval, built by developer Jerry Carroll and opened for racing in 2000. The track, which sits less than five miles south of the Ohio River and the Indiana-Kentucky border, was acquired by Speedway Motorsports Inc., in 2008.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Kentucky Speedway was fully repaved and partially reconfigured ahead of the 2016 season, in part to shake up the racing but also to improve drainage and track-drying. Turns 1-2 were increased in banking (from 14 to 17 degrees) and reduced in width (from 74 to 56 feet); the surface in Turns 3-4 remained at 14 degrees of banking and a 74-foot width. The backstraight is 1,600 feet long, and the curved frontstretch has variable banking from 8-10 degrees.

The track first hosted the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series for its opening weekend in 2000, and Greg Biffle was the inaugural winner. Kevin Harvick prevailed in the first NASCAR Xfinity Series race a year later. Kentucky played host to its first Cup Series event in 2011, with Kyle Busch leading 125 of the 267 laps. Kentucky is also the site of Joey Logano’s first Xfinity Series win in 2008.

Saturday’s ARCA Menards Series event marks the tour’s first Kentucky race since 2017. The track also hosted the NTT IndyCar Series from 2000-2011.

STAGE LENGTHS

Stage 1 is set to end at Lap 80, Stage 2 at Lap 160, and the final stage is slated to conclude on Lap 267.

STARTING LINEUP

The NASCAR Cup Series race will be held without practice and qualifying as the sanctioning body tries to limit exposure for on-site personnel to control the spread of coronavirus. Sunday’s starting lineup will be determined by a random draw among groups in the team owner standings:

  • Positions 1-12: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 13-24: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 25-36: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 37-40: Open teams in order of owners points

Pit-stall selection is based on the finishing order from last Sunday’s event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

RULES PACKAGE

The 2020 NASCAR rules package for intermediate-sized tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to achieve a target of 550 horsepower. The cars will use aero ducts in addition to other aerodynamic devices to increase downforce.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Goodyear Racing will run the same tire for all three NASCAR national series events this weekend, a new tire set-up for Kentucky that was used at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — another intermediate-sized track — earlier this year. Goodyear updated the tire compound to increase left-side traction and altered the tire construction on both sides. The tire combination is also scheduled to be used at events at 2-mile Michigan International Speedway and 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway later this season.

The Cup Series event will also be run during the warmth of a Sunday afternoon, a change from previous Kentucky races held on Saturday evenings.

“Last year, we integrated a compound change to the right-side tire at Kentucky to increase wear, and have followed that up with a change to the left-side to add grip for this weekend,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “There are a couple areas of focus when we race at these tracks with ultra-smooth surfaces, like Kentucky, Texas and Michigan. One is to monitor the grip level from year to year so we keep up with the track aging process. The other is to manage the heat generated through the tires. The grip created by these tracks results in a lot of speed and that speed, in turn, leads to heat. Making sure we bring tires that wear and shed rubber helps dissipate that heat, and enables the tire run at a more optimal level.”

Each Cup Series team will have eight sets of tires allotted for Sunday’s 400. Xfinity Series teams will have five sets each in their Thursday and Friday events, and Gander Trucks teams will have four sets each for their Saturday evening race.

STATS TO KNOW

— Brad Keselowski reigns as Kentucky Speedway’s all-time wins leader in the NASCAR Cup Series with three victories. The Team Penske driver also has three Xfinity Series wins to his credit.

— Toyota leads all automakers with wins in five of the nine Cup Series races held at Kentucky. Ford has won twice at the Bluegrass State venue, with Chevrolet and Dodge scoring one Kentucky victory each.

— Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick have surged in recent weeks, combining to win seven of the 12 races since the sport returned in May after the coronavirus outbreak. The pair has also won in three consecutive Cup Series events and four of the last five. Kentucky is the lone oval track on the Cup Series schedule where Harvick has yet to win.

— Chase Elliott ranks fourth in the Cup Series in laps led this season, spending time up front in 12 of the 16 races. Kentucky, however, is the only Cup Series track where Elliott has not led a lap in his career.

— Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola enters Sunday’s race with a streak of five consecutive top-five finishes, a career-best. For Almirola to continue that string, he would need to achieve his first top-five day at Kentucky, where his best finish in seven starts is eighth place.

Source: NASCAR statistics, Racing Insights 

LIVE COVERAGE

Tune in to television coverage Sunday on FS1 (2:30 p.m. ET) or on the FOX Sports App. For full radio coverage from Kentucky Speedway, listen in to PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on-air. 

RELATED: Ways to follow the races

For a more interactive experience, head over to NASCAR.com or the NASCAR app to check out an enhanced Race Center, live Lap-by-Lap coverage, the customizable live leaderboard with Scanner and the return of Drive (featuring in-car cameras).

Be sure to set your lineup in Fantasy Live and make your picks in the NASCAR Finish Line App!

2019 RACE WINNER

Kurt Busch outmaneuvered his brother, Kyle, in a fender-scraping overtime finish to snag his first win with Chip Ganassi Racing. The elder Busch went from fourth to first in the two-lap OT shootout and led 41 of the 269 laps to score career win No. 31 in NASCAR’s top division, and a jubilant CGR crew rode the No. 1 Chevrolet into Victory Lane in an old-school celebration.

Kyle Busch finished just .076 seconds back in second place, with Erik Jones — a teammate of his at Joe Gibbs Racing — placing third.

RELATED: 2019 Quaker State 400 recap

ACTIVE KENTUCKY WINNERS

Brad Keselowski (three); Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. (two); Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth (one)

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials on Wednesday cleared Jimmie Johnson to return to competition this weekend at Kentucky Speedway.

The seven-time Cup Series champion self-reported a positive COVID-19 test last Friday, forcing him out of the circuit’s most recent race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He is set to return to the driver’s seat of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet in Sunday’s Quaker State 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in the Bluegrass State.

“My family is so grateful for the incredible love and support we’ve received over the last several days,” Johnson said in a team release. “I especially want to thank Justin Allgaier for stepping in for me at Indy and being a true pro. I’m excited about getting back to business with my team this weekend.”

RELATED: Every Jimmie Johnson victory

Johnson, 44, met the criteria established by NASCAR officials since the sport returned to action in May after the coronavirus outbreak. The requirements include two negative COVID-19 tests at least 24 hours apart, an absence of symptoms, and medical clearance from a physician.

According to Hendrick Motorsports, Johnson tested negative twice this week – on Monday and Tuesday – and was cleared by his physician Tuesday evening in accordance with NASCAR guidelines. The driver never experienced symptoms.

Following Johnson’s diagnosis, four Hendrick Motorsports crew members were tested for COVID-19 with all four receiving negative results, according to a team release. The No. 48 team will have its regular personnel roster for Sunday’s event at Kentucky

Johnson became the first NASCAR driver to reveal a positive coronavirus test. A member of Hendrick Motorsports’ road crew who had been in closer contact with Johnson was also self-quarantined after Johnson’s positive test.

Allgaier, an Xfinity Series regular for JR Motorsports, finished 37th Sunday at Indianapolis in an interim role in the No. 48 Chevy. His fill-in role ended after just 17 laps after he was snared by a multi-car tangle on pit road during the first round of stops.

The driver change ended Johnson’s streak of consecutive Cup Series starts at 663, a span that stretched back to his rookie season in 2002.

PHOTOS: Jimmie Johnson through the years

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials issued a suspension and a fine to a pair of Xfinity Series teams following last weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Race results

No. 44 Martins Motorsports crew chief Daniel Johnson has been suspended for the next NASCAR Xfinity Series points event, Thursday’s Shady Rays 200 at Kentucky Speedway (8 p.m. ET, FS1). Driver Tommy Joe Martins finished 35th at Indianapolis after losing his rear axle during the race, a violation of Section 12.5.2.7.4e of the NASCAR Rule Book, under “Loss or separation of improperly installed rear axle.”

Separately, No. 22 Team Penske crew chief Brian Wilson was fined $5,000 after the Team Penske car was missing one lug nut on post-race check. Driver Austin Cindric piloted the No. 22 to a fifth-place finish.

Posted on by Staff Report

Zach Price, rear tire changer for the No. 12 Team Penske Ford of Ryan Blaney, continues the recovery process following a leg injury sustained early in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“Zach Price continues to recover at home from a lower left leg injury sustained following Sunday’s pit road incident at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Curtis Thompson will serve as rear tire changer for the No. 12 this weekend at Kentucky,” Team Penske announced in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

A pit-road pileup on Lap 15 halted the 160-lap NASCAR Cup Series race at the 2.5-mile speedway after several cars created a road block at the entrance of pit road. Price was struck while changing right-side tires on the No. 12 Team Penske Ford when the No. 15 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet of Brennan Poole was pushed into Blaney’s car.

Price was show on camera giving a thumbs-up and a smile to the rest of his No. 12 team crew members while being loaded onto an ambulance via stretcher. After a visit to the infield care center, Price was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation before flying home with the rest of the team.

Blaney finished 32nd in Sunday’s race after a crash in Stage 2 forced him to retire from the race.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace has signed a personal services agreement with Beats by Dr. Dre, the company announced Monday night.

Beats by Dre was scheduled to make the announcement later in the week, but in a show of support for Wallace following President Trump’s tweet Monday morning, the decision was made to release the news earlier than anticipated.

NBA Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, another athlete representing the Beats by Dre brand, was one of the first to congratulate Wallace.

 

According to Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern, the partnership is solely between Wallace and the company, not Richard Petty Motorsports.

Posted on by Press Release

July 7, 2020: Developer 704Games and publisher Motorsport Games have officially released the Gold Edition of NASCAR Heat 5 today on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X and on PC via Steam for $69.99. The Gold Edition provides players with exclusive content featuring NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart, the NASCAR Heat 5 Season Pass (containing four DLC packs), and in-game cash to kick-start your team. The game’s Standard Edition will be available on Friday, July 10, for $49.99.

NASCAR Heat 5 delivers the ultimate NASCAR video game experience, with 34 authentic tracks across the country in single player, two-player split screen, and online multiplayer for up to 40 racers. Along with cover star Chase Elliott, NASCAR Heat 5 includes all the official teams, cars and drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series, as well as the NASCAR Xfinity Series™, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series™, and Xtreme Dirt Series.

New to NASCAR Heat 5 are several gameplay additions and enhancements, as well as the franchise’s deepest Career Mode ever, with improved statistics and more customization choices than ever before. The game also adds online challenges and a new Testing Mode, letting you perfect your setup for each track.

The NASCAR Heat video game franchise powers the first-ever NASCAR esports league on consoles, the eNASCAR Heat Pro League. The league features 28 of the best players representing real-life NASCAR teams like Hendrick Motorsports GC, Team Penske eSports, Gibbs Gaming, and more competing for a prize pool of over $200,000.

Motorsport Games partnered with MAVTV Motorsports Network, the only cable television network in the U.S. dedicated solely to motorsports, to broadcast highlights from the eNASCAR Heat Pro League throughout Season 2, going on now. For more information, visit www.nascarheat.com/enascar-heat-pro-league.

Also new to the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, Fanatec was recently announced as the official steering wheel partner for the esports championship. The ClubSport Steering Wheel, officially licensed by NASCAR, from Fanatec elevates the driving experience with its realistic 350 mm diameter, sturdy aluminum structure, and genuine Alcantara grip.

To stay up to date with the latest news about NASCAR Heat follow the game on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Posted on by Zack Albert

President Trump on Monday asked on Twitter if an apology was forthcoming from NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace for his alleged role in what he termed a “hoax” two weeks ago at Talladega Superspeedway, adding that the sanctioning body’s decision to ban the confederate flag has hurt television ratings for its events.

None of these claims are true.

Wallace, the lone Black driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, embraced a widespread show of support from the stock-car racing industry and his fellow drivers two weeks ago after the discovery of a noose at his team’s assigned stall at Talladega Superspeedway. The rest of the Cup Series driver roster stood shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with Wallace on Talladega’s pit road after a crew member for his Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 team reported the noose’s presence to NASCAR officials that weekend.

The Birmingham office of the FBI launched an investigation, later determining that no hate crime had been committed against Wallace and that the garage pull had been tied into a noose since last fall’s events at the Alabama track. That prompted conspiracy theories and other allegations of wrongdoing on social media accusing NASCAR and/or Wallace of falsifying the timeline of events.

NASCAR President Steve Phelps addressed those charges at a press conference June 25, stating: “Bubba Wallace and the 43 team had nothing to do with this.”

Wallace responded later Monday with his own statement, encouraging his followers to “keep your head held high” and saying in part that “always deal with the hate being thrown at you with LOVE! Love over hate every day. Love should come naturally as people are TAUGHT to hate. Even when it’s HATE from the POTUS. Love wins.”

Trump’s mention of the “Flag decision” refers to NASCAR’s June 10 decision to ban the confederate flag from its events and properties. That resolution came days after Wallace advocated for its removal and days after NASCAR drivers banded together for a video message speaking out for social justice in the wake of the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and others in the Black community.

Trump’s claim of “lowest ratings EVER” is false, unsupported by the facts of recent TV ratings data. NBC Sports on Monday said the NASCAR Cup Series’ Sunday event averaged a total audience of 4.37 million viewers, a 46 percent increase from last year’s Indianapolis Motor Speedway race and a 32 percent rise over the Daytona event held on the same weekend last year. Michael Mulvihill, FOX Sports executive vice president in charge of research and Nielsen ratings analysis, said his network’s ratings were up 8 percent since NASCAR racing resumed in May after the coronavirus outbreak.

NASCAR released its own statement Monday afternoon, saying “We are proud to have Bubba Wallace in the NASCAR family and we commend his courage and leadership. NASCAR continues to stand tall with Bubba, our competitors and everyone who makes our sport welcoming and inclusive for all racing fans.”

A spokesperson also reiterated the stance made by NASCAR President Steve Phelps on June 25: “Bubba has done nothing but represent this sport with courage, class and dignity and he stood tall for what he believes in.”

Posted on by Data Skrive

Brandon Brown finished 11th in the Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Saturday.

Brown’s result added 31 points to his season total.

Brown started in 24th position. The fifth-year driver has four top-10 finishes in his career.

The Woodbridge, Virginia native began the race at his career mark of 23.9, but finished 11 places ahead of his career average of 22.3.

Brown took on a field of 38 drivers on the way to his 11th-place finish. The race endured five cautions and 15 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 13 lead changes.

Chase Briscoe earned the win in the race, and Justin Haley took second. Noah Gragson crossed the finish line third, AJ Allmendinger brought home fourth, and Austin Cindric rounded out the top five.

After Cindric won Stage 1, Briscoe grabbed control and won Stage 2 before taking the checkered flag.

Brandon Brown Driver Page | Get Brown Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Jeremy Clements finished 13th in the Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Saturday.

Clements’ result added 25 points to his season total.

Clements started in 21st position. The 15th-year driver has one career victory, with four top-five finishes and 22 results inside the top 10.

The Spartanburg, South Carolina native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting four spots higher than his career mark of 25.1 and completing the race 11 places ahead of his 23.5 career average finish.

Clements raced against a field of 38 drivers on the way to his 13th-place finish. The race endured five cautions and 15 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 13 lead changes.

Chase Briscoe took the checkered flag in the race, and Justin Haley followed in second. Noah Gragson placed third, AJ Allmendinger brought home fourth, and Austin Cindric grabbed the No. 5 spot.

After Cindric won the first stage, Briscoe seized control and won Stage 2 before taking the checkered flag.

Jeremy Clements Driver Page | Get Clements Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Noah Gragson finished third in the Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Saturday.

Gragson’s top five finish, the eighth time he has achieved that result this year, added 39 points to his season total.

Gragson started in eighth position. The third-year driver has tallied two career victories, with 18 top-five finishes and 34 results inside the top 10.

The Las Vegas, Nevada native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting one spot higher than his career mark of 9.4 and completing the race four places ahead of his 7.2 career average finish.

Gragson’s third-place finish was against 38 other drivers. The race endured five cautions and 15 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 13 lead changes.

Chase Briscoe earned the win in the race, followed by Justin Haley in second place. Behind Gragson’s third-place finish, AJ Allmendinger brought home fourth, and Austin Cindric took the No. 5 spot.

After Cindric won Stage 1, Briscoe grabbed control and won Stage 2 before taking the checkered flag.

Noah Gragson Driver Page | Get Gragson Gear | Race Center