Posted on by Staff Report

On Tuesday, Sept. 15, and Wednesday, Sept. 16, drivers will participate in the Chase Across North America, a multi-city media tour, crisscrossing the nation to make special appearances and build excitement for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Markets include: Every Chase track market, Los Angeles, New York City and ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut.

 

Tuesday, Sept. 15

 

ESPN / Bristol, CT Headquarters

Driver: Kyle Busch  

Event Time: Noon – 6 p.m.  

Event Overview: Kyle Busch will spend the day on campus at ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. While onsite, he will appear live on SportsCenter at various times throughout the day and participate in interviews with ESPN.com, Marty and McGee, among others.

 

Chicago

Driver: Brad Keselowski  

Event Time: 10:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.  

Event Overview: Brad Keselowski will help Chicagoland Speedway announce a new Victory Lane tradition: A Chicago-style hot dog photo opportunity with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner. Keselowski will visit three iconic hot dog locations and rank the Chicago-style hot dogs, with media invited to join at each stop along the way.

 

New Hampshire

Driver: Joey Logano  

Event Time: 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Event Overview: Joey Logano will visit New Hampshire, home to the U.S. first presidential primary for the past 100 years, for a “campaign” stop in the Granite State. Logano will begin his quest for the title by “campaigning” throughout the southern New Hampshire area, visiting traditional key stops along the campaign trail.

Dover

Driver: Ryan Newman

Event Time: 11:15 a.m. – 2:25 p.m.

Event Overview: Newman will participate in a media luncheon with at the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, followed by two large pep rallies at Fred Fifer III Middle School in nearby Camden, Delaware. Each pep rally will include over 400 students, a cheerleading squad, school band and more, and will be emceed by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio host and Delaware native Mike Bagley.

 

Kansas

Driver: Jimmie Johnson  

Event Time: 6 – 8 p.m.

Event Overview: Jimmie Johnson and Kansas Speedway will visit the University of Kansas Hospital to visit with children in the Pediatric Wing. During his visit, Johnson will deliver Lowe’s Build & Grow kits and host an ice cream social with Blue Bunny for the children. On Wednesday, Johnson will participate in a media availability during the lunch break of the NASCAR open team test at Kansas Speedway. 

 

Charlotte/Greenville/Greensboro  

Driver: Matt Kenseth  

Event Time: 1 – 4 p.m.  

Event Overview: Matt Kenseth will travel from Charlotte to Greenville (SC) to Greensboro and back to Charlotte to kick off the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Throughout the day, he will participate in brief presentations, fan Q&As, autograph signings and media availabilities.

Talladega

Driver: Jamie McMurray

Event: Time: 10:45 a.m. – 2 p.m.  

Event Overview: McMurray will spend the day at Talladega Superspeedway, participating in the final hour of “NBC Day” during which time he’ll conduct a media Q&A over lunch. Following, McMurray will co-host an hour-long live radio show with WJOX and finish up the day painting a car is Tallaega’s Victory Lane with local elementary school students.  

Martinsville

Driver: Paul Menard

Event Time: 3 – 6 p.m.  

Event Overview: Menard will help Martinsville Speedway celebrate the kickoff of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in the City of Martinsville. Menard will be presented with a key to the city by the mayor and participate in a celebratory parade around downtown Martinsville, followed by a “happy hour” event at 37 East (restaurant).

 

Texas (Dallas)

Driver: Clint Bowyer

Event Time: 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.  

Event Overview: Clint Bowyer will make a surprise appearance to some of Texas Motor Speedway‘s best season ticketholders as selected by the track. Following the surprise visits, Bowyer and the season ticket holders will participate in media availability.
 

Homestead-Miami (Ft. Lauderdale)

Driver: Denny Hamlin  

Event Time: 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.  

Event Overview: Denny Hamlin will team up with Homestead-Miami Speedway and the Museum of Discovery and Science to host students from Broward County High School, where Hamlin and the students will participate in a variety of activities and exhibits at the Ft. Lauderdale museum.

 

Wednesday, Sept. 16

 

New York City

Driver: Jeff Gordon

Event Time: TBD

Event Overview: Gordon will participate in a national media tour around New York City.

 

Phoenix

Driver: Kurt Busch  

Event Time: 8 – 11 a.m.

Event Overview: Kurt Busch will participate in the second annual “Breakfast With Champions” event with Phoenix International Raceway and The Heard Museum. Emceed by veteran motorsports reporter Ralph Sheheen, Busch will break down his picks in the Chase Grid for the invite-only audience that will include Phoenix area media and PIR partners.

Los Angeles

Driver: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Event: Time: Noon – 6 p.m.

Event Overview: Dale Earnhardt Jr. will participate in a media tour at the FOX Studios in Los Angeles, appearing on America’s Pregame Show, FOX Sports Live, among others. Following the visit to FOX, he will appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Full results from Richmond 

 

RICHMOND, Va. — Josh Berry, making just his third career start in NASCAR’s XFINITY Series, and his first at Richmond International Raceway, scored an impressive seventh-place finish during Friday night’s Virginia529 College Savings 250, rounding out an impressive evening for the JR Motorsports organization.

Defending series champion Chase Elliott picked up his first win of the season, and teammate Regan Smith finished sixth.

But the 24-year-old Berry, a Late Model standout from Hendersonville, Tennessee, garnered just as much attention as he consistently battled his way through the field in the organization’s No. 88 Chevrolet.

“I just struggled a little bit on restarts,” Berry said afterward. “I felt like it took me four or five laps to get going. Once we did, the car was really, really good.

“I’ve got a lot to learn (on pit road) and a lot to improve but I think each stop got a little bit better. We got blocked in on the last one, which hurt us for probably having a shot to win.

“After that, we were just trying to battle back. … I’m really proud of the team; they did a great job and brought a great car here this weekend, obviously, and made my learning curve a lot (shorter).”

Berry, who started fifth, was reeling in race leader Brian Scott when the fourth caution of the night appeared for an accident involving Jeremy Clements, ending a run of more than 80 laps under green.

Berry came off pit road fifth.

It was a scene repeated on two more occasions — Berry racing his way back inside the top five only to lose the track position after hitting pit road.

“It was a little bit frustrating, but at the same time I think it helped knowing some of those guys were going to come back to me,” Berry said. “I was more frustrated with myself because I felt I could have done a better job on the restarts holding positions. I felt like some of these guys that are regulars in the series out-hustled me on those first couple of laps. …

“I wish we didn’t have that last caution. But usually that happens … if I’m going to run more, I’ve got to improve on these restarts and we’ll have some more opportunities to win.”

It was Berry’s only XFINITY Series start with the team this season, and no additional starts are on his schedule. He’ll continue to compete in his Late Model entry, also fielded by JRM, through the remainder of the year.

In a pair of NXS efforts last season, Berry finished 12th at Iowa and 25th at Homestead.

Friday night’s effort was enough to bring multiple JRM employees by Berry’s pit stall after the race to offer congratulations.

RELATED: Dale Jr. pleased with JRM’s run at Richmond

“Josh did all we asked for really,” team co-owner Dale Earnhardt said. “I told him that when we came here with Jeffrey (Earnhardt) a couple of years ago, that Jeffrey was in the top-10 late in the race and had a great shot at a good finish and he did everything we asked him to do. And that’s what I expected of Josh. He did a great job.

“He showed his inexperience on and off pit road but with more racing and more opportunity he’s going to improve there. But he did showcase his ability and show that in a good car that he’s capable of running with these guys.”

Earnhardt Jr. said, he’d have no qualms about putting Berry in an XFINITY Series ride as soon as possible if the funding could be secured.

“We’d love to get him more opportunities to race; it just really comes down to finding a partner that wants to handle the expense of taking a car to the race track on the weekend,” he said. “I’m ready to race Josh every week. We’ve just got to find a partner that’s excited to be on board with Josh.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full series standings | Richmond results

The field is set for the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup following Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway, which was won by Matt Kenseth.

Aric Almirola fell short of qualifying for his second consecutive Chase. Almirola, who entered Richmond 29 points behind Clint Bowyer in 16th place, finished 17 points below the cut line after a fourth-place finish at Richmond.

Kasey Kahne, who like Almirola had a chance to qualify on points, finished 18th at Richmond and ended up 33 points below the cut line.

With Almirola and Kahne staying out, that meant the final Chase berths went to Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon, Paul Menard and Bowyer. Here’s how the field will be seeded entering the first Chase race next week at Chicagoland Speedway.

IN THE CHASE (Seeded by points and tiebreakers)
1. Jimmie Johnson, 2012 points
2. Kyle Busch, 2012
3. Matt Kenseth, 2012
4. Joey Logano, 2009
5. Kevin Harvick, 2006
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2006
7. Kurt Busch, 2006
8. Carl Edwards, 2006
9. Brad Keselowski, 2003
10. Martin Truex Jr., 2003
11. Denny Hamlin, 2003
12. Jamie McMurray, 2000
13. Jeff Gordon, 2000   
14. Ryan Newman, 2000
15. Paul Menard, 2000
16. Clint Bowyer, 2000

JUST MISSED THE CUT
Aric Almirola
Kasey Kahne

* Tiebreaker = Points are reset at 2,000 for the Chase with drivers getting three bonus points for each regular-season win. Ties are broken by runner-up finishes, third-place finishes, fourth-place finishes, and so on until a winner of the tiebreaker emerges.

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will all race this week at Chicagoland Speedway. Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series practices, qualifying sessions and races can also be watched on NBC Sports Live Extra. All events for the Camping World Truck Series can be found on FOX Sports 1. Check out the full schedule below. 


All times are ET

SUNDAY, SEPT. 20


SPECIAL EVENT (Watch live)

— 1 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver/Crew Chief Meeting

PRE-RACE SCHEDULE
—1:00:00 p.m.: NSCS Driver Crew Chief Meeting (Tent)
—1:15:00 p.m.: Concert by: Brett Eldredge (45 mins)
—2:30:00 p.m.: NSCS Drivers Introductions with NASCAR Special Awards
—3:00:00 p.m.: Intro Presentation of Colors: Associated Firefighters of Illinois Honor Guard
—3:00:20 p.m.: Invocation by: Glenn Spoolstra
—3:00:45 p.m.: Intro National Anthem
—3:01:00 p.m.: National Anthem: Jim Cornelison
—3:07:30 p.m.: “Drivers, Start Your Engines” by: NBA legend Jerry West and tennis legend Billie Jean King
—3:16:00 p.m.: Start of the myAFibRisk.com 400 (267 Laps, 400.5 Miles)

ON TRACK
— 3 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series myAFibRisk.com 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles), NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)

— 11:30 a.m.: Jim Campbell (Chevrolet U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports), Dave Pericak (Director, Ford Performance) and Ed Laukes (Vice President of Marketing, Performance and Guest Experience for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.)
— 6:15 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race

THURSDAY, SEPT. 17

SPECIAL EVENT
— 1 p.m.: Miss Sprint Cup live chat with Chase drivers


FRIDAY, SEPT. 18


ON TRACK
— 10 a.m.-12:25 p.m: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FOX Sports 1 (Results)
— 12:30-1:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)
— 2-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)
— 4:35 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1, CANCELED (rain), (Results, set by rule book)
— 6:45 p.m: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/Live Extra, CANCELED (rain). (Results, set by rule book)
— 8:30 p.m.: POSTPONED. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol E15 225 (150 laps, 225 miles), FOX Sports 1

GARAGECAM
— Noon: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
— 1:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series

PRESS CONFERENCES
— 11 a.m.: Danica Patrick
— 11:30 a.m.: Aric Almirola
— 12:15 p.m.: Chase Elliott
— 2:45 p.m.: Erik Jones
— 3 p.m.: Jerry West
— 3:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
— 7:45 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying
— 10:15 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race


SATURDAY, SEPT. 19:


ON TRACK
— 10:30 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol E15 225 (150 laps, 225 miles), FOX Sports 2 (Results)
— 1:30-2:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, CNBC/Live Extra (Results)
— 2:45 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)
— 4:30-5:20 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)
— 6 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Furious 7 300 (200 laps, 300 miles), NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)


PRESS CONFERENCES

— 10:15 a.m.: Daytona International Speedway announcement
— 12:30 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race
— 8:15 p.m.: Post-NASCAR XFINITY Series race

 
 

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: See the full weekend schedule | NBC Sports Live Extra


All times ET

Sunday, Sept. 13
3 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1
5:30 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane (re-air), FOX Sports 1
7 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane (re-air), FOX Sports 1
11:30 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN

Monday, Sept. 14
6 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lap (re-air), NBCSN
7 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lap (re-air), NBCSN
8 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lap (re-air), NBCSN
Noon, NASCAR 120, NBCSN
5:30 p.m., NASCAR America Live, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
2 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2


Tuesday, Sept. 15
6 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBCSN
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBCSN
5 p.m., NASCAR America Live, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
3 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Wednesday, Sept. 16
6 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBCSN
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBCSN
5 p.m., NASCAR America Live, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7:30 p.m., NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special (re-air), NBCSN
2 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Thursday, Sept. 17
6 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBCSN
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBCSN
4:30 p.m., NASCAR America Live, NBCSN
5 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR K&N Series East: Richmond (tape), NBCSN
2 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Friday, Sept. 18
6 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBCSN
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBCSN
10 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FOX Sports 1
11 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBCSN
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBCSN
2 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN
8 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Setup, FOX Sports 1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol E15 225, FOX Sports 1

Saturday, Sept. 19
3:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol E15 225 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m., TUDOR United SportsCar Championship: Circuit of the Americas, FOX Sports 2
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, CNBC
2:45 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN
4 p.m., NASCAR America Live, NBCSN
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN
5:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Furious 7 300, NBCSN

Sunday, Sept. 20
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Day, FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR America Sunday, NBCSN
1:30 p.m., TUDOR United SportsCar Championship: Circuit of the Americas (re-air), FOX Sports 1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Countdown to Green, NBCSN
3 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series  myAFibRisk.com 400 , NBCSN
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN
11:30 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap (re-air), NBCSN
Midnight , NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1
2:30 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane (re-air), FOX Sports 1

 

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Complete race results | Updated standings | SHOP: Kenseth gear


RICHMOND, Va. – As they have all summer long, Joe Gibbs Racing continued its dominance on Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.

And this time, it was Matt Kenseth who was the unstoppable one.

Leading 352 of 400 laps in a race he owned from the outset, Kenseth pulled away from Kyle Busch after a restart with 18 laps left and won the Federated Auto Parts 400 by .951 seconds over his teammate.

Kenseth’s fourth victory of the season, tying him for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series lead with Jimmie Johnson and JGR teammate Kyle Busch, meant the 16 drivers who started the race in playoff-eligible positions stayed there.
 
Jamie McMurray (13th-place finisher), Jeff Gordon (seventh), Ryan Newman (20th), Clint Bowyer (10th) and Paul Menard (26th) all earned berths in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup based on position in the standings — without a victory between them.

Joey Logano ran third on Saturday night, followed by Aric Almirola, whose gallant bid to crack the Chase grid fell 17 points short of the final position claimed by Menard. Dale Earnhardt Jr. came home fifth.

The victory was Kenseth’s second at Richmond and the 35th of his career. Joe Gibbs Racing has won seven of the last nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, with Logano the only other driver to score a win during that stretch.

“Man, these guys gave me a great car,” Kenseth said. “Thanks to (crew chief) Jason (Ratcliff) and all these guys standing behind me. They had the pit stops we needed, held serve every time and kept us out in front.
 
“We were really superb in the long run. I had to work for it pretty hard in the short run. I was disappointed to see that last caution (called for debris on the backstretch on Lap 375). I knew it was going to be tough, but we were able to get the jump to get out front.”

RELATED: See who made the field for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
 
Emblematic of JGR’s dominance at Richmond was a restart on Lap 126. Hamlin surged from fourth to first on the restart lap, pulling his three teammates with him. The four Gibbs cars quickly separated from fifth-place Kyle Larson, establishing a gap of two seconds back to the No. 42.

It was akin to watching Prototypes streak away from GT Class cars at the Rolex 24 Hours sports car race at Daytona.

Kenseth overtook Hamlin for the top spot on Lap 139, but for 60 straight laps the JGR teammates ran 1-2-3-4, until McMurray (who had qualified for the Chase simply by taking the green flag to start the race) passed Carl Edwards for the fourth position on Lap 186.

The only suspense during that stretch came when Kenseth and Edwards rubbed fenders while fighting for position early in the run.

That brief fracas gave team owner Joe Gibbs an anxious moment.

“That’s the most nervous that I get in a race,” Gibbs said. “Tonight I saw them up there. I saw some beating and banging there. I saw a hand come out the window, and I wasn’t sure what it was showing for a minute or two. I got a little nervous there.
 
“I think that’s when I’m always the most nervous, when you got your cars up front and having a good night. Our guys, though, I think they all handled it the right way, it seems like. I know Matt came over the mic there and said his situation there with Carl, he kind of straightened that out, so I thought that was good.”

RELATED: Find out where drivers will be for Chase Across North America
 
Logano was the only non-JGR driver who could stay within hailing distance of Kenseth, but the ultimate third-place finisher stayed out on old tires for that restart on Lap 126 and did a creditable job holding the 10th spot before the fourth caution on Lap 209 gave him a chance to pit for fresh rubber.

Almirola posted his best finish of the year, but it wasn’t enough.

“I’m really proud of all my guys,” Almirola said. “We worked our guts out all year long, and tonight was no different. I feel we’ve overachieved this year and really maximized our results week in and week out.
 
“I’m disappointed to come up a few spots short, but we gave it all we had, and that is all we can do. We’ll go race these last 10 races and try to get a victory.”
 
Notes: Roush Fenway Racing failed to place a car in the Chase for the first time in the organization’s history… McMurray and Menard earned Chase positions for the first time in their careers… Newman made the Chase without a victory for the second straight year… In his final season as a full-time Sprint Cup driver, Gordon qualified for his 11th Chase in 12 tries…The most bizarre moment of the race went to Michael McDowell, who grazed a safety truck in Turn 3 as the cars circulated under caution and ripped the right rear quarter panel off his car.


Contributing: NASCAR.com staff

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Tonight’s complete lineup | Chase-clinching scenarios for Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. – Jeff Gordon can clinch a spot in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with a finish of 17th or better in Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Richmond International Raceway.

But take nothing for granted. While 17th doesn’t seem to be too daunting of a task, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has failed to do that in three of his last six starts.

Maybe that’s why Gordon said he doesn’t choose to focus on a specific position, particularly 17th. He’s been in similar situations. It’s certainly not his first rodeo, or race.

“I am just coming here like every other member of my team,” Gordon, a four-time series champion, said Friday at Richmond, “and focused on doing our job to try and win the race and get a solid night and finish.

“I really believe if we can execute, which has been one of our challenges this year, then I don’t think that is an issue.”

Eleven of this year’s 16 Chase spots are spoken for, and Jamie McMurray‘s first appearance in the 10-race playoff will be secured as soon as the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates driver takes the green flag.

Should Gordon lead a lap, his required finishing position falls to 18th; should he lead the most laps, he could finish 19th and clinch. He line up 23rd for Saturday night’s race.

“Throughout my career, every time I went into a race and someone said that I have to finish 17th or better, we usually hovered around 18th all night,” Gordon, 44, said.

That being the case, the focus is on a somewhat better finish, “top-five, top-10.

“And if we execute we can be a solid enough of a team to where we don’t have to worry about that.”

Forty-five of Gordon’s 786 career starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have come on Richmond’s .75-mile layout. He’s a two-time Richmond winner, but the last victory came 15 years ago. And the track isn’t one of his strongest – among active tracks it’s No. 17 on the list in terms of average finishing position.

Gordon has finished second in two of his last three Richmond starts. Saturday night, he’ll suit up for the final time for an event here – his career shifts from the car to the television booth beginning in 2016.

On the line is a berth in the Chase. Gordon has made 10 of 11, second to only teammate Jimmie Johnson and his 11-for-11 perfect record.

“It’s a great short track, and … one that I have always enjoyed,” Gordon said. “I haven’t always had great runs here, but some years we just nail it, really dominate and run up front. Others years we struggle a little bit.

“It’s just the challenging nature of a short track … and the competition.”

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Hamlin tears ACL, expected to keep racing

RICHMOND, Va. — Denny Hamlin, saddled with a torn ACL suffered earlier this week while playing basketball, mustered only the 18th-fastest time during Friday’s opening practice for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Richmond International Raceway.

The day’s final session didn’t prove any more promising for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver – he logged the 42nd-fastest time as teams switched from race trim to qualifying setups. He will start 25th in Saturday night’s race.

But if there was concern, Hamlin hid it well after hobbling into the media center Friday afternoon at RIR.

“In the car I’m as comfortable as any place that I am,” Hamlin said. “Obviously the swelling is the biggest issue. It hurts mobility and it kind of shuts down my quad so there are challenges there. But in the car we ran 15 or 20 consecutive laps, which isn’t a whole lot, but it was fine then.”

Twice a winner at Richmond, Hamlin’s team limited the number of times the 34-year-old was required to enter and exit his car during Friday’s two practice efforts. Other than a crutch to keep weight off his right knee, which he said he hopes to discard soon, the focus has been on the performance of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

“I don’t have any limitations other than I can’t fully walk on my own,” he said. “… I’ve got to start rehabbing as quick as possible to make sure that I can get my leg working properly so I can walk without having those buckling moments like I had in 2010. I’ll work on that.”

It is the second knee injury for Hamlin, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee five years ago. An eye injury sidelined him for one race last season while a neck problem forced him out of the car during a rain delay at Bristol earlier this year. In 2013, he missed four races after suffering an L1 compression fracture in an on-track accident at Auto Club Speedway.

CAIN: Should drivers limit extracurriculars?

“Some of it’s bad luck,” Hamlin said of his injuries. “I think it’s part of just being active; you have accidents. There are a lot of guys that do a lot of active things on Saturdays that get hurt and it doesn’t necessarily get (written) about because they try to hide it, but I feel like the things I do (involve) less risk. I’ve just had a real stroke of bad luck when it comes to some of the injuries that I’ve had.”

Thanks to a win earlier this year at Martinsville Speedway, Hamlin is one of 11 drivers already locked in for this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. NASCAR Sprint Cup series teams kick off the 10-race next weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.

Currently, there are no plans to have a relief driver on hand for Hamlin for Saturday night’s race.

Surgery to repair the knee likely won’t occur until the season has been completed.

“I thought about it, but I think that we were pretty confident that … either way I would be the same inside the car,” he said of having the surgery during the season. “It’s really just to improve life outside the car.

“Obviously I’m going to go through the next 10 weeks and can’t do any running or … anything active. … Other than that there just isn’t a benefit to do it right now especially you don’t know how you’re going to react recovery-wise.”

Hamlin said he doesn’t anticipate scaling back his athletic endeavors outside the car once his knee is repaired and healed, adding, “My activities really aren’t that dangerous.

“It just seems like I have had some freak accidents over the last few years that’s gotten us, but I don’t think there’s been anything that’s kept us from being competitive on the race track.

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Full weekend schedule | Starting lineup | Live weather updates

 

What: Federated Auto Parts 400

Where: Richmond International Raceway, 0.75-mile oval in Richmond, Va. 

When: Saturday, Sept. 12; 7:30 pm ET.

TV/Radio: NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Distance: 400 laps, 300 miles.

Pit road speed: 40 mph

Caution car speed: 45 mph

Fuel window: 108 laps

Competition caution: Lap 40


On the front row:  Joey Logano won his fifth pole position of the season — his second at Richmond — putting his No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford out front with a lap of 126.470 mph around the three-quarter mile track. Matt Kenseth will start his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota alongside Logano after leading the first two qualifying rounds. Penske and JGR split the first two rows with Logano’s teammate, defending race winner Brad Keselowski starting third and Kenseth’s JGR teammate Kyle Busch rolling off fourth.

Fastest in practice: Ford and Toyota may start on the front row, but Chevrolet dominated practice. Kyle Larson paced the opening practice posting the fastest lap of the day at 125.535 mph in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet ahead of Casey Mears and Keselowski. Kevin Harvick‘s No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet was fastest in the final practice ahead of Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Keselowski recorded the best 10-lap consecutive run of 122.138 mph in the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford.

Last year’s winner: Keselowski dominated the race, leading 383 of the 400 laps and easily collecting his fourth win of the season. With Keselowski running so strong up front it really became a chase for second place, which was won by Jeff Gordon. Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five. Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle clinched the final two Chase positions based on points standings.

On the line: This is the final race to set the 16-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff field. Five drivers — McMurray, Newman, Gordon, Paul Menard and Bowyer — are winless but ranked among the top 16 in points. Bowyer, in 16th, holds a 29-point advantage over Aric Almirola and is only 10 points behind 15th-place Menard. Two preseason favorites, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson, need to win the race to earn a berth. Larson was the top qualifier of those on the Chase bubble not currently locked in and will start 11th in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet.

Clinch Scenarios: Regardless of who wins at Richmond, McMurray will clinch a Chase position merely by starting the race. Newman will earn a berth by finishing 31st or better, Gordon by finishing 17th or better and Menard by finishing ninth or better.

If there is a repeat season winner, then McMurray, Newman and Gordon will clinch a position just by starting the race. Menard would need to finish 38th or better and Bowyer would need to finish 28th or better.

First Time’s a Charm: Richmond has been a gracious venue when it comes to scoring your first Sprint Cup victory. Tony Stewart (1999) and Kasey Kahne (2005) both got their first Sprint Cup victories here. 

Nuts and Bolts: Biffle has the most starts (26) among active drivers without a win at Richmond. … The pole position has produced the most winners (23) of any starting position, but 78 percent of the winners here have started from a top-10 position on the grid. Clint Bowyer‘s victory in 2008 from the 31st starting position is the farthest back a winner has ever come from. … Jimmie Johnson (2007) is the last driver to sweep Richmond races in a season. … Kyle Busch has the best average finishing position (7.3) of any driver in the field.

They said it: “We don’t really have anything to lose. We are on the offense. There is nothing for us to lose so we are going to throw everything we have at it and see what happens.” – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Smithfield Foods Ford, who enters the race ranked 17th, 29 points out of the final Chase qualifying position.

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Chase-clinching scenarios for Richmond

 

RICHMOND, Va. – NASCAR’s most eligible free agent Clint Bowyer was all smiles and chuckles Friday morning while meeting with the NASCAR media before opening practice for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) regular-season finale at Richmond International Raceway.

“It’s that time of the year right? It’s fun times, a cool race track,” Bowyer said. “From the first time I ever came here I remember making laps around here thinking, ‘Man, this is a perfect size race track.’ It’s always raced well and I’ve always had a lot of fun as we’re making laps around here. “Couldn’t think of a better place to come to try to seal the deal and get ourselves into this Chase. It’s something that I’m very proud of having a shot at being a part of it and looking forward to the races after that.”

The perennially ebullient Bowyer has maintained a brave face and optimistic outlook despite having an uncertain future – both in the near and long-term. His Chase berth and championship quest is unique among the title contenders. He is simultaneously hoping to mount a championship run while looking for a new job.

Bowyer’s first priority is making the 16-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs. Saturday night’s race will settle the postseason grid, and he holds the most tenuous position — the 16th and final spot with a 29-point edge over 17th place Aric Almirola.


Beyond this weekend, Bowyer needs to find a new team as his Michael Waltrip Racing organization granted his release for 2016 and announced it would not be fielding Sprint Cup cars beyond this season.

And to Bowyer’s credit, his phone has been ringing.


RELATED: Bowyer says future ‘uncertain’ after MWR news


“It’s humbling the people that have reached out and been interested in me, but truth be told man, look what we’re in the middle of,” Bowyer said. “Timing is good that it’s ahead and not the end of the year that you’re finding this out, but nonetheless it’s pretty crunching times right here and it’s like I told them, ‘I don’t want to use the word ‘back burner,’ but let’s just take a timeout right here for a couple weeks and take care of business.’ That’s kind of what we did this week.”

Bowyer joked that he expects a minimum of “27 different scenarios and not one less” as the rumor mill hits full speed predicting where he will wind up next year.

However, in the meantime, Bowyer’s commitment and focus remains on the quest for the Sprint Cup, something he nearly won in 2012 when he finished second to Brad Keselowski.

He insists keeping that focus is easier then you’d think.

“The racer in you – that’s what I love about this sport – the competitive racing nature of it just prevails,” he said. “Obviously people have families to provide for and a future to worry about but they’re doing so. … They’re working on their futures and that’s exactly what I intended for them and hoped that they would do. All the while still digging as hard as they can and getting our cars where they need to be to compete for a championship.”

Bowyer said there was never a formal discussion or sit-down meeting with his No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota team. But he did take the initiative to speak with them informally as a group and remind them their performance and efforts right now have never been more important to their careers. A Chase berth and postseason success could mean all the difference.

“I said, ‘Listen, our futures together are uncertain, mine included, but the one thing I can say is if we come together here and work our butts off we can be a part of this Chase together and that’s only going to build all of our brands so we can go out and be best we can be and get the best opportunity for someone to hire us.’ “

There is precedent for a happy ending.

Carl Edwards qualified for and finished ninth in the Chase with Roush Fenway Racing last year — despite announcing in July he was leaving the team.

Even more dramatically, crew chief Darian Grubb led Tony Stewart to five wins in the 10 Chase races en route to the 2011 championship despite the two agreeing to part ways before the Chase schedule began.

That’s the kid of motivational example Bowyer is counting on for his team, too.

“At that point it’s going to go one of two ways,” Bowyer said of receiving the initial news about the MWR split. “Everyone was so tense and under so much pressure all season long, so it was like, ‘Listen guys, let’s hit the re-set button, focus on the task at hand and go get this for all of us.

“You’ve got to end that worry and say something to get that turned around so everyone can have confidence and that momentum. It charged them up and certainly our results in the last month and a half have shown that.”