Jeff Gordon not focused on specific position

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Nascar

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 September 11, 2015 by Nascar

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 September 11, 2015 by Holly Cain

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 September 11, 2015 by Holly Cain

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.

“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.”

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Holly Cain

RICHMOND, Va. — By NASCAR standards it’s been a kumbaya season in the Sprint Cup ranks — no pit road confrontations, no egregious fender bending, no wrestling in the garage or fingers in the face.

“We beat the hell out of each other in the motorhome lot,” Toyota driver Clint Bowyer joked. “No, really. That’s how Denny Hamlin hurt his knee. You didn’t know that?”

All kidding aside, drivers are expecting the intensity to ramp up exponentially beginning with Saturday night’s regular-season finale here at Richmond International Raceway and continue into the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoff push beginning next week at Chicagoland Speedway.

The elimination format NASCAR instituted last year helped create a new intensity, and that resulted in several high profile, hot-tempered incidents. Normally mild-mannered Matt Kenseth was so angry after the fall Charlotte race he tackled Brad Keselowski in the garage. Weeks later, Jeff Gordon confronted Brad Keselowski on Texas Motor Speedway pit road in an epic shoving match caught on live television.

And those are just some of the headline-grabbing incidents that we know about it.

“I think after last year’s Chase, everybody had to calm down a little bit in the offseason,” Ryan Newman explained Friday morning before opening practice for the Federated Auto Parts 400. “It’s probably been a little tamer this first 25 races, just kind of watching, because people are giving and taking and not being quite as aggressive. I saw a little bit more of that (aggressiveness) at Darlington (last week) than I thought I was going to see and there were quite a few guys that typically when you’d get underneath somebody, they’d let you go. And that didn’t happen last week.

“So, I think it’s building; especially going into the Chase. But I think the Chase itself is what really lit that fire. There was a lot of fuel in the air last year, and that Chase lit that fire. I think there is potential for that to happen again.”

Saturday night’s race presents ample opportunity for hurt feelings, bruised egos and desperate maneuvering. Two preseason championship contender picks, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson, need help to earn a Chase berth (Larson must win the race outright). Fifteenth-ranked Paul Menard and 16th-ranked Bowyer are still vulnerable in the points standings and will be racing for their postseason hopes.

“Everybody is on different agendas,” Bowyer said. “I think this weekend could be the first step in some wild activity on the race track and it will only progress from there.

“The pressure cooker definitely heats up, just like (NASCAR) intended it to in this Chase, and that’s when you guys (in the media) started getting blisters on your fingers writing stories. I think that’s going to be the case again. It just seems like there’s no time, there’s nothing — no period of the Chase that it’s a comfortable moment where you can ride a little bit.

“It’s always crunch time, and you’ve got to go.”

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Staff Report

NASCAR Health and Wellness

Medical Insurance

-Three Medical Plans through Aetna designed for the employee to find the best fit for their family and lifestyle
-Optional Health Savings Account (With the selection of a high deductible plan)
-Integrated Pharmacy Benefit including a Healthy Actions Savings Plan designed to offer company paid and/ or discounted medications used to treat certain chronic conditions

Employee Wellness

NASCAR is dedicated to the health and well-being of its employees. We have an evolving Wellness Program that offers exciting benefits year-round!

-On-site Health Biometric Screenings
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-Individualized mobile health app
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-Lunch and Learn Seminars
-Programs used to manage chronic conditions, maternity management, and access to a 24-hour nurse line
-Discounts offered on vitamins, massage therapy, Acupuncture, gym memberships, workout equipment, and more
-Employee communications designed to educate the employee and their family on a broad range of health, emotional, and financial wellness topics
-Yearly Health Fair (Alternating between Daytona & Charlotte)
-Monthly healthy fruit promotion

Dental Insurance

Comprehensive coverage offered through Aetna including dental cleanings covered at 100%.

Vision Insurance

Broad coverage through EyeMed including eye exams covered at 100% and discounts on LASIK.

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Employees can elect to participate in Flexible Spending Accounts through pre-tax payroll contributions. This includes a Medical Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care Spending Account, and Qualified Commuter Spending Accounts.

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NASCAR provides full time employees automatic coverage equal to their annual salary.

Voluntary Life Insurance

Employees have the option to purchase additional life insurance for themselves and eligible dependents.

Ancillary Coverage

To expand employee’s options in supplemental insurance, NASCAR offers voluntary coverage through Aflac with a Cancer Indemnity Policy.

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Short Term Disability Insurance coverage is provided at 60% of salary. Long Term Disability coverage is provided at 60% of salary once Short Term Disability is exhausted.

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Employees may contribute up to 75% of their salary and receive a NASCAR match of 100% up to the first 4% the employee contributes with no vesting schedule! The Plan offers the opportunity to make both non-Roth (pre-tax) and Roth (after-tax) contributions. We offer a variety of investment options to choose from through Charles Schwab, our 401(k) Plan Administrator. To help you with those tough investment decisions, employees can access Guided Choice to receive personalized investment advice. In addition, we offer financial education seminars to employees.

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The Company recognizes that from time to time, an employee will need time off for illness or injury and business or personal needs. All regular, full time employees are eligible for six (6) days per year calendar year of paid sick/personal time (prorated based on hire date in first calendar year).

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Posted on September 11, 2015 by Staff Report

Just how dominant has Kyle Busch been since returning from injuries suffered in the season-opening NASCAR XFINITY Series race? This dominant:

SPRINT CUP SERIES

Starts: 14
Wins: 4
Top fives: 5
Top 10s: 8
Laps led: 528
Average finish: 12.1

XFINITY SERIES

Starts: 7
Wins: 3
Top fives: 7
Top 10s: 7
Laps led: 360
Average finish: 2.0

CAMPING WORLD TRUCK TRUCK

Starts: 3
Wins: 2
Top fives: 3
Top 10s: 3
Laps led: 101
Average finish: 1.3

COMBINED

Starts: 24
Wins: 9
Top fives: 15
Top 10s: 18
Laps led: 989

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Staff Report

RELATED: Full Richmond lineup

A week after missing the cut to advance to Round 2 at Darlington Raceway, Kyle Busch earned the Coors Light Pole after topping qualifying on Friday afternoon at Richmond International Raceway.

Busch topped the first (122.277 mph) and third rounds of qualifying, with his third round speed of 122.073 mph besting Joey Logano (122.017 mph) by one one-hundredth of a second, time-wise. Logano topped the second session with the best speed of qualifying — 122.349 mph.

Three of Busch’s five victories at Richmond have been won from the pole.

Making his 200th career start, Brian Scott (121.968 mph) will start third, followed by the JR Motorsports duo Regan Smith (121.808 mph) and Josh Berry (121.540 mph).

Morgan Shepherd failed to make the 40-car field.

The Virginia 529 College Savings 250 gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET with coverage on NBCSN/Live Extra as well MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Staff Report

Three-time Richmond International Raceway winner Kevin Harvick led the final Sprint Cup Series practice on Friday afternoon ahead of Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 regular-season finale (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN).

Harvick, the defending series champion, knocked a fellow three-time RIR winner off the top of the leaderboard in Dale Earnhardt Jr. late in the session with a best speed of 125.430 mph, accompished on a mock qualifying run.

Several others then pushed the Hendrick Motorsports driver down the board with runs of their own, as Kyle Busch (125.348 mph), Jimmie Johnson (125.273 mph), Kasey Kahne (125.226 mph) and Kurt Busch (124.942 mph) rounded out the top five.

Defending race-winner Brad Keselowski struggled to find speed through most of the session, with his best lap time of 21.659 seconds (124.677 mph) not coming until the tail end of his 67 laps. It was a solid lap, however, placing him ninth overall.

Kyle Larson led the opening session with a best speed of 125.535 mph, but dropped off significantly, not running a lap better than 124.229 mph in his second-session-high 68 laps to place 17th.

Coors Light Pole Qualifying is set to start at 5:45 p.m. ET (NBCSN).

RELATED: Full results from Practice 1

Knowing his only way into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup can come by way of a win in Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400, Larson got a good start to his weekend by topping opening Sprint Cup Series practice at Richmond International Raceway on Friday.

Larson, currently 19th in points and on the outside of the Chase looking in, topped the leaderboard with a best speed of 125.535 mph. If Larson winds up in Victory Lane at the Virginia track, it’ll not only be his first Cup win — it’ll give him an automatic berth to the sport’s playoffs.

Casey Mears was second on the board at 125.412 mph, followed by Keselowski (125.058 mph), Harvick (124.815 mph) and Kyle Busch (124.694 mph), to round out the top five.

Denny Hamlin, battling a torn ACL in his right knee after an accident while playing basketball earlier in the week, was 18th at 123.598 mph. The Virginia native has two wins at the short track.

Hoping to make his first career Sprint Cup Series start, Jeffrey Earnhardt was 43rd on the chart at 120.187 mph.