Drivers honoring legends at Darlington

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Staff Report

Darlington Raceway will host the Bojangles’ Southern 500 this weekend. Numerous teams are participating in the throwback theme at the South Carolina track and paying homage to some of NASCAR’s most famous cars — and drivers.

Here’s how some of the cars looked originally, with footage of the vehicles driving around Darlington.

Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski‘s scheme is paying homage to Bobby Allison’s car in the 1983 Southern 500. | Watch old footage of Allison’s car in action

Austin Dillon

Austin Dillon is keeping it in the family and honoring grandfather Richard Childress. The paint scheme of the No. 3 Chevrolet is a tribute to Childress’ car during the 1979 Southern 500. | Watch old footage of Childress’ car in action

Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin‘s No. 11 JGR Toyota mirrors the car of NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough’s look from 1973. | Watch old footage of Yarborough’s car in action

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is honoring three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson and paying tribute to his car from the 1968 Southern 500. | Watch old footage of Pearson’s car in action

Chase Elliott

The No. 25 of Chase Elliott is one of the many cars getting a vintage makeover. Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet resembles the paint scheme of his father Bill Elliott‘s car from 1974. | Watch old footage Elliott’s car in action

Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson‘s No. 42 Chevrolet is going to replicate Kyle Petty’s Mello Yello look. | Watch old footage of Petty’s car in action

Clint Bowyer

As Clint Bowyer looks for a strong performance at Darlington in hopes to maintain his spot on the Chase Grid, his car will be rocking a pretty awesome paint scheme honoring the late Buddy Baker. Bowyer’s Toyota is similar to Baker’s No. 15 Ford from the 1974 Southern 500. | Watch old footage of Baker’s car in action

More videos

• Ward Burton’s iconic No. 22 car comes back to life this weekend at Darlington as his son, Jeb, will be sporting an almost identical paint scheme. | Watch the old footage of Ward Burton’s car in action

• Two-time Darlington winner, Sterling Marlin, is being honored at “The Lady in Black” by Landon Cassill. Cassill’s No. 40 Chevrolet will mirror Marlin’s paint scheme on his own No. 40. | Watch the old footage of Sterling Marlin’s with a Coors Light paint scheme he me

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. is contributing to the throwback weekend by paying homage to Cale Yarborough’s No. 15 car. | Watch the old footage of Yarborough’s car in action

• The No. 43 of Aric Almirola Almirola’s is in honor of Richard Petty’s 1972 Plymouth Roadrunner, the first time The King’s car featured sponsor STP with the Petty Blue and Day-Glo Red on the quarter panels. |Watch old footage of Petty’s iconic car

• Kasey Kahne‘s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is paying respect to one of the NASCAR greats, Geoff Bodine. | See the clip of Bodine’s car in action

• The throwback inspiration for the paint of Trevor Bayne‘s No. 6 Ford comes from Mark Martin‘s own No.6. Martin is a two-time Darlington winner. | Watch Martin’s memorable Ford in action

• Sam Hornish Jr. is, too, honoring Mark Martin in his No. 9 Winn Dixie Ford. | Watch more footage of Martin’s car in action

• The No. 41 Chevrolet of Kurt Busch has a familiar paint scheme as it is a replica of Jack Sprague’s No. 60. | Watch the No. 60 in action

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 31, 2015) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina going into the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on September 6 (7 p.m. ET on NBC).

DARLINGTON-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ortho Ford)

· Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 12.800, eighth-best

· Average Running Position of 10.597, fifth-best

· Driver Rating of 105.7, fifth-best

· 296 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.175, fifth-fastest

· 2642 Laps in the Top 15 (71.7), seventh-most

· 326 Quality Passes, second-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota)

· One win, two top fives, six top 10s

· Average finish of 13.600, 11th-best

· Average Running Position of 8.995, third-best

· Driver Rating of 106.1, fourth-best

· 236 Fastest Laps Run, third-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.348, third-fastest

· 3134 Laps in the Top 15 (85.1), third-most

· 374 Quality Passes, series-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr (No. 88 Valvoline Chevrolet)

· Four top fives, nine top 10s

· Average finish of 11.200, sixth-best

· Average Running Position of 11.404, seventh-best

· Driver Rating of 94.3, eighth-best

· 110 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.954, ninth-fastest

· 2650 Laps in the Top 15 (71.9), sixth-most

· 312 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Carl Edwards (No. 19 ARRIS Toyota)

· Three top fives, seven top 10s

· Average finish of 13.100, ninth-best

· Average Running Position of 13.732, 11th-best

· Driver Rating of 91.0, 12th-best

· 151 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.807, 12th-fastest

· 2262 Laps in the Top 15 (61.4), 12th-most

· 287 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 3M Chevrolet)

· Seven wins, 19 top fives, 23 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 7.400, second-best

· Average Running Position of 7.629, series-best

· Driver Rating of 112.7, series-best

· 262 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.593, series-fastest

· 3356 Laps in the Top 15 (91.1), series-most

· 314 Quality Passes, third-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota)

· One win, four top fives, seven top 10s

· Average finish of 6.889, series-best

· Average Running Position of 8.644, second-best

· Driver Rating of 107.1, second-best

· 186 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.315, fourth-fastest

· 2849 Laps in the Top 15 (86.0), second-most

· 303 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John’s/ Budweiser Chevrolet)

· One win, four top fives, seven top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 16.300, 12th-best

· Average Running Position of 14.772, 12th-best

· Driver Rating of 93.1, 10th-best

· 167 Fastest Laps Run, second-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.885, 10th-fastest

· 2531 Laps in the Top 15 (68.7), ninth-most

· 267 Quality Passes, 10th-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

· Three wins, nine top fives, 12 top 10s

· Average finish of 8.800, third-best

· Average Running Position of 9.992, fourth-best

· Driver Rating of 106.8, third-best

· 256 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.443, second-fastest

· 2789 Laps in the Top 15 (75.7), fourth-most

· 291 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 HendrickRideAlong.com Chevrolet)

· Three top fives, four top 10s; four poles

· Average finish of 17.500, 13th-best

· Average Running Position of 10.665, sixth-best

· Driver Rating of 97.9, sixth-best

· 230 Fastest Laps Run, series-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.069, seventh-fastest

· 2597 Laps in the Top 15 (70.5), eighth-most

· 233 Quality Passes, 13th-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)

· One win, three top fives, ten top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 10.100, fourth-best

· Average Running Position of 13.487, 10th-best

· Driver Rating of 93.2, ninth-best

· 123 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.814, 11th-fastest

· 2382 Laps in the Top 15 (64.7), 11th-most

· 264 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)

· Seven top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 11.300, seventh-best

· Average Running Position of 11.409, eighth-best

· Driver Rating of 95.8, seventh-best

· 64 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.086, sixth-fastest

· 2778 Laps in the Top 15 (75.4), fifth-most

· 259 Quality Passes, 12th-most

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet)

· Four top fives, 12 top 10s

· Average finish of 10.900, fifth-best

· Average Running Position of 14.805, 13th-best

· Driver Rating of 88.1, 13th-best

· 105 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.791, 13th-fastest

· 2153 Laps in the Top 15 (58.4), 13th-most

· 311 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Martin Truex Jr (No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet)

· One top five, three top 10s

· Average finish of 13.111, 10th-best

· Average Running Position of 13.116, ninth-best

· Driver Rating of 92.1, 11th-best

· 127 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.992, eighth-fastest

· 2153 Laps in the Top 15 (65.0), 10th-most

· 278 Quality Passes, ninth-most

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 10 at Darlington Raceway

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Kevin Harvick	18	1	1	4	7	1	17	93.1
2	Joey Logano	6	0	0	0	2	1	23	77.9
3	Dale Earnhardt Jr	20	0	0	4	9	1	14.3	94.3
4	Brad Keselowski	6	0	0	1	2	0	14.3	84.7
5	Jimmie Johnson	16	0	3	9	12	1	8.4	106.8
6	Martin Truex Jr	9	0	0	1	3	0	13.1	92.1
7	Matt Kenseth	21	1	1	3	10	1	16	93.2
8	Kurt Busch	18	2	0	2	5	1	17.9	81.6
9	Denny Hamlin	9	0	1	4	7	0	6.9	107.1
10	Jamie McMurray	14	1	0	3	5	1	16.1	82.6

* – Based on last 10 races at Darlington Raceway (2005 – 2014).

Darlington Three Year Average Finishes Of Drivers Currently 17th – 30th In The Standings

Points Pos.	Driver	3 Yr. Average Finish (2012 – 2014)
17	Aric Almirola	21.0
18	Kasey Kahne	20.7
19	Greg Biffle	10.0
20	Austin Dillon	11.0
21	Kyle Larson	8.0
22	Danica Patrick	27.0
23	Casey Mears	25.7
24	AJ Allmendinger	24.0
25	David Ragan	33.0
26	Sam Hornish Jr. *	0.0
27	Tony Stewart	9.0
28	Trevor Bayne *	0.0
29	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	19.0
30	Justin Allgaier	23.0

* Sam Hornish Jr. and Trevor Bayne have not made starts in the last three seasons at Darlington in the NSCS.

Statistical Advance

At Darlington Raceway:

History

· Darlington Raceway was built as a 1.25-mile paved superspeedway in 1949-1950.

· Darlington Raceway hosted the first 500-mile race in NASCAR history and the first on asphalt on Sept. 4, 1950 – 75 cars competed in the event – Curtis Turner won the pole at 82.034 mph, and the race was won by Johnny Mantz (Plymouth, 75.250 mph, 6:38:40).

· The track was re-measured to 1.375 miles in 1953.

· The track was re-configured to 1.366 miles following the spring race in 1970.

· The track was repaved in 1995.

· The 2005 race was the first Saturday night race at Darlington.

· The track was repaved again prior to the 2008 season.

Starts

· There have been 111 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway. The 1.366-mile track has hosted the fifth most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points paying races.

· 709 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway; 428 in more than one.

· NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Darlington with 65. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 34 starts; followed by Tony Stewart with 22.

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Darlington with a 6.824.

· Jeff Gordon (6.8), Ryan Newman (8.6) and Kasey Kahne (9.1) are the only active three drivers with an average starting position in the top 10.

· 125 different drivers have made NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career debut at Darlington Raceway.

Poles

· Curtis Turner won the inaugural Coors Light Pole Award at Darlington in 1950 in an Oldsmobile with a speed of 82.034 mph.

· 48 drivers have Coors Light poles at Darlington, led by David Pearson with 12. Kasey Kahne leads all active drivers with four.

· Nine drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Darlington. Kasey Kahne is the only active driver with consecutive Coors Light poles (2005-2006).

· David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Darlington with five (1975 – 1977).

· Youngest Darlington pole winner: Kurt Busch (09/02/2001 – 23 years, 0 months, 29 days).

· Oldest Darlington pole winner: David Pearson (09/06/1982 – 47 years, 8 months, 15 days).

· Eight drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup pole at Darlington Raceway: Cotton Owens (1957), Fred Lorenzen (1961), Bill Elliott (1981), Ken Schrader (1987), John Andretti (1995), Kurt Busch (2001), Elliott Sadler (2003) and Clint Bowyer (2007).

Wins

· 47 different drivers have won at Darlington Raceway, led by David Pearson with 10. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with seven wins; followed by his HMS teammate Jimmie Johnson with three.

· Six drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Darlington Raceway: Johnny Mantz (1950), Nelson Stacy (1961), Larry Frank (1962), Terry Labonte (1980), Lake Speed (1988) and Regan Smith (2011).

· Youngest Darlington winner: Kyle Busch (05/10/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 8 days).

· Oldest Darlington winner: Harry Gant (09/01/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 22 days).

· Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Darlington in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 14.

Manufacturer	Wins
Chevrolet	41
Ford	28
Mercury	10
Oldsmobile	6
Dodge	5
Pontiac	5
Buick	4
Plymouth	4
Hudson	3
Toyota	3
American Motors Company	2

· 11 different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Darlington; led by Chevrolet with 41 victories; followed by Ford with 28 and Toyota has three.

· 20 of the 111 (18.02%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Darlington have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Kevin Harvick in last season’s event.

· NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson has won from the pole four times at Darlington – the series’ most.

· The Coors Light pole starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Darlington. The outside front row (second-place) has produced the second-most wins (17).

Wins

· 37 of the 111 (33.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Darlington have been won from the front row: 20 from first-place and 17 from second-place.

· 96 of the 111 (86.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Darlington have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· Six of the 111 (5.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Darlington have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Darlington is 43rd by Johnny Mantz in 1950 – the inaugural NSCS event.

· 13 drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Darlington; Dale Earnhardt (1989-1990) and Jeff Gordon (1995-1996) are tied for the series-most in consecutive wins at Darlington with three each.

· All seven active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Darlington Raceway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Among active drivers, Kyle Busch won at Darlington in the fewest previous appearances (three).

· Matt Kenseth competed at Darlington Raceway 19 times before winning last season; the longest span of any the six active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.

· Tony Stewart leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Darlington without visiting Victory Lane at 22.

Additional Finishing Position Stats

· Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty are tied for the series most runner-up finishes at Darlington with eight each. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in second-place finishes at Darlington with four.

· Richard Petty leads the series in top-five finishes at Darlington with 25. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 19; followed by Jimmie Johnson with nine.

· Bill Elliott leads the series in top-10 finishes at Darlington with 35. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 23; followed by Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart with 12 each.

· Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Darlington with a 6.889.

· Three active NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers have an average finish in the top 10 at Darlington: Denny Hamlin (6.8), Kyle Larson (8.0) and Jimmie Johnson (8.4).

Track/Event Specific Stats

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Darlington Raceway is the (03/16/2003) race won by Ricky Craven with a MOV of 0.002 second over Kurt Busch. The MOV is tied with the 2011 Talladega race as the closest finish in the NSCS since the inception using electronic timing and scoring.

· There have been four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races resulting in a green-white-checkered finish at Darlington Raceway: 2005 (367/370), 2011 (367/370), 2012 (367/368) and 2014 (367/374).

Additional Finishing Position Stats

· Eight of the 111 races at Darlington Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was the fall race of 2000.

· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Darlington Raceway five times; most recently was the fall race of 2004.

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Darlington with 1,744 laps led in 34 starts.

Female Competitor Stats

· Three female drivers have competed at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

Active Drivers	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Danica Patrick	38	31	5/12/2012
Danica Patrick	40	28	5/11/2013
Danica Patrick	33	22	4/12/2014
*Averages*	*37.0*	*27.0*
Inactive Drivers	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Janet Guthrie	26	16	9/5/1977
Shawna Robinson	42	42	3/17/2002

NASCAR in South Carolina

· There have been 221 NASCAR Sprint Cup races among 10 tracks in South Carolina.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Darlington Raceway	Darlington	111
Columbia Speedway	Columbia	43
Greenville-Pickens Speedway	Greenville	29
Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds	Spartanburg	22
Rambi Race Track	Myrtle Beach	9
Coastal Speedway	Myrtle Beach	2
Lancaster Speedway	Lancaster	2
Gamecock Speedway	Sumter	1
Hartsville Speedway	Hartsville	1
Newberry Speedway	Newberry	1

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held in the state of South Carolina was at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 4, 1950 – the event was won by Johnny Mantz in a Plymouth.

NASCAR In South Carolina

· 133 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as South Carolina.

· 117 of the 133 (87.9%) South Carolina drivers have competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

· 10 drivers from South Carolina have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; seven have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Driver	NSCS	NXS	NCWTS
David Pearson	105	1	0
Cale Yarborough	83	0	0
Cotton Owens	9	0	0
Tiny Lund	5	0	0
James Hylton	2	0	0
Johnny Allen	1	0	0
Joe Eubanks	1	0	0
Larry Pearson	0	15	0
Jason Keller	0	10	0
Butch Lindley	0	6	0

Milestones – 2015 Season – Race 25

DRIVER	HAS	NEEDS	MILESTONE	DESCRIPTION
DRIVER	HAS	NEEDS	MILESTONE	DESCRIPTION
Jeff Gordon	785	3	788th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Consecutive Starts	In three starts Jeff Gordon will tie Ricky Rudd (788 consecutive starts) for the series all-time lead in consecutive starts.
Tony Stewart	578	1	579th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Start	Stewart can tie Buck Baker (579 starts) for 23rd on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts list.
Clint Bowyer	349	1	350th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Start	Bowyer is tied with Ned Jarrett for 69th on the all-time NSCS starts list, one start behind Denny Hamlin in 68th (350 starts).
Cole Whitt	74	1	75th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Start	Whitt is 225th on the all-time NSCS starts list, one start behind Casey Atwood in 224th (75 starts).
Jimmie Johnson	74	2	76th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win	Jimmie Johnson is eighth on the all-time NSCS wins list, two wins behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt in seventh (76 wins).
Tony Stewart	48	2	50th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win	Stewart is 13th on the all-time NSCS wins list, two wins behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett in 12th (50 wins).
Carl Edwards	24	1	25th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win	Edwards is 31st on the all-time NSCS wins list, one win behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. , Joe Weatherly and Denny Hamlin tied for 28th (25 wins).
Denny Hamlin	99	1	100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top-Five Finish	Hamlin is 38th on the all-time NSCS top-five list, one top five behind Geoff Bodine in 37th (100 top fives).
Tony Stewart	299	1	300th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top-10 Finish	Stewart is 17th on the all-time NSCS top-10 finishes list, two top 10s behind James Hylton in 16th (301 top 10s).
Jeff Gordon	24,831	169	25,000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Laps Led	Gordon can become the sixth driver in NSCS history to lead 25,000 laps; joining Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson and Bobby Allison.
Matt Kenseth	9,748	252	10,000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Laps Led	Kenseth can become the 16th driver in series history to lead 10,000 or more laps.
Kevin Harvick	7,969	31	8,000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Laps Led	Kevin Harvick can become the 24th driver in series history to lead 8,000 or more laps.
#43 car	199	1	200 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Wins	The No. 43 car is second on the all-time NSCS wins list, five wins behind the No. 11 car in first (204). The last win for the No. 43 car came at Daytona last season.
Chevrolet	749	1	750th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win	Chevrolet will attempt to post the manufacturer’s 750th win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this weekend. Chevrolet leads the series in wins.

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 1, 2015) — The No. 10 team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has been assessed a P3 level penalty for having a non-engine electronic component in the truck during the event on August 30 (Section 20.18.13.b). Driver Jennifer Jo Cobb has been fined $5,000, plus an additional $2,500 for an infraction occurring while on probation (Section 12.5.2 – Recurrence Multipliers).

Posted on August 31, 2015 by

RELATED: Updated Chase Grid | Driver standings

We hope you enjoyed some rest and relaxation during the off week for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series. Because starting this week things are about to get real — real fast.

With just two races remaining until the field for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is set, there are still some spots up for grabs. Ten drivers are locked into postseason berths, but that means six openings are still available — five if you’re penciling in Kyle Busch, who has four 2015 wins but is 29th in points.

Of the winless drivers who’d be in the Chase if it started today (Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman Paul Menard, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer), which one is most likely to lose his spot? Conversely, of the drivers currently outside the top 16, who is most likely to win their way into the postseason party?

NASCAR.com editors George Winkler and Maggie MacKenzie are here to give their opinions. Check out their take, then vote in our poll and let us know your view in the comments section below.

Winkler: Hey Maggie, hopefully the pressure won’t get to you like it might get to some of these drivers. These are tense times indeed. One driver I’m skeptical about making the Chase is Paul Menard. Despite his heartwarming hometown win in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Road America, Menard has visited Victory Lane only once in his Sprint Cup Series career.

Qualifying for the Chase based on points is a dangerous way to live, especially when you consider Menard is just plus-19 points from the cutoff line. Throw in the fact Menard hasn’t had much success at Darlington or Richmond (one top-10 finish in 25 races combined) and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him fall out of contention.

MacKenzie: George, looks like we, once again, find ourselves in a head to head debate. You’re right, tense times are upon us with the Chase looming in the near future and drivers are scrambling in last chance efforts to earn a coveted Chase berth. The clock is certainly ticking and I’m starting to feel the pressure — are you?

You’ve got a valid point about Menard and although I do think it is likely for him to fall out of the top 16, I’m going to have to pick a different driver. I think Clint Bowyer will be losing his spot before Menard does. Bowyer currently sits in the last spot on the grid, 17 points behind Jeff Gordon in the 15th position.

Bowyer’s safest bet for securing a spot in the Chase would be with a win since getting points is clearly not his forte this season. Unfortunately, the odds are against the driver of the No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota as he hasn’t visited Victory Lane since 2012 at Charlotte.

Winkler: There’s no clear choice outside of the top 16 for a driver making it into the Chase. It’s going to take a special day and a pressure-packed win for any of them to get the job done.

Kasey Kahne came through with the equivalent of a ninth-inning home run last year when he qualified for the Chase with a win at Atlanta in the second-to-last race of the 2014 regular season, and he could be the one to do it again.

Even though there’s no reason to look at his recent performances and feel confident about the pick, there are some silver linings. He finished sixth at Richmond earlier this season, and he has a driver rating of 104.00 in the past five years at Darlington.

MacKenzie: Ah, I like where you are going with this one, George. Although I don’t think any driver outside of the grid has a great chance of entering the top 16, I, too, think Kahne could go for the repeat and get himself a last-minute win. And how great of a story would that make?

The Hendrick Motorsports driver has been pretty vocal about how disappointing the past few races have been for him and he knows he needs a win. He has proven that he can work well under pressure after last year’s Atlanta win so I say that if there is any driver who can snag a last-minute victory, it would be Kahne.

MORE: Kahne knows he must win to earn Chase berth

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Staff Report

See what’s coming this week to NASCAR.com

Here’s what you’ll see on NASCAR.com this week:

MONDAY: Senior writer Kenny Bruce discusses the origins of the Darlington throwback program … George Winkler and Maggie MacKenzie debate about which driver is most likely to crash the Chase field, and which one is most likely to fall out.

TUESDAY: Kyle Larson gets honest about his Chase chances … We’ll talk about the Southern 500 returning to Labor Day weekend … Then with football season quickly approaching, RJ Kraft draws up some great comparisons and talks about which drivers are similar to some of the NFL’s quarterbacks … We will revisit all the throwback paint schemes set for Darlington in a gallery … @nascarcasm drafts up a Facebook page using his wit and comedic puns.

WEDNESDAY: Paint schemes will be on display this weekend at Darlington Raceway, and we’ll have them all in Paint Scheme Preview … As Kevin Harvick holds the points lead and has secured himself a Chase berth, senior writer Holly Cain wonders if he is even better this year than he was last year … High 5 presents the best NASCAR content from around the web.

THURSDAY: Driver Reports is back this week and highlights the 16 drivers who currently have a spot in the Chase … Kathy Sheldon drafts up some Darlington dreams from drivers before they are set to hit the track on Friday for practice.

FRIDAY: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR XFINITY Series gets on track at Darlington Raceway with a couple of practices … 8 Tweets highlights the best from social media in the past week.

Also coming this week: Kenny Bruce will cover Bill Elliott getting inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame on Thursday.

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Nascar

The idea was to start slow and build on this year’s initial effort.

But based on the reaction from teams, drivers, sponsors and others in the industry, Darlington (S.C.) Raceway officials might want to raise their goals going forward.

This week’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 NASCAR weekend is the kickoff of a five-year plan to celebrate the history and heritage of the legendary race track.

As part of the celebration, race teams will feature throwback paint schemes on their cars.

Concessions will include items that haven’t been on the menu in decades — fried green tomatoes, sausage perlo and pimento cheese sandwiches.

The annual Southern 500 parade, idled since the early ’90s, returns.

Even ticket prices (for renewal customers) were given the throwback treatment — $18 seats in the Colvin Grandstands, which is located on the original frontstretch of the 1.336-mile track.

But it’s the paint schemes that have everyone buzzing. More than 30 of the 43 entries lining up are expected to carry the special one-race look.

That’s quite a few more than officials originally anticipated.

“Our goal,” Darlington Raceway President Chip Wile told NASCAR.com, “was eight to 10.

“This is a five-year platform; this isn’t a one-year deal. We felt like if we could get eight or 10 teams on board to really showcase what we’re trying to accomplish, we felt like in 2016 we could get more, in 2017 we would get more and so on. But the response that we’ve gotten from everyone in the industry has been incredible.

“Everybody can rally around this idea, everyone from licensing to NASCAR to the team itself to the Hall of Fame. Everybody has a piece and a role in this weekend and they’re all excited.”

Darlington was the first paved speedway greater than 1 mile in length to feature NASCAR events, hosting its first race in 1950. The Southern 500 quickly became one of the “crown jewel” races of the circuit, and it was run on Labor Day, or the weekend preceding the official holiday, from ’50 through 2003.

This year, the event returns to its long-held spot on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.

Shortly after taking over the reins of the track, Wile said he met with, International Speedway Corp. vice president and chief marketing officer, Daryl Wolfe to begin developing a plan to generate interest in the event, the only Sprint Cup Series race currently hosted by the track.

“We started talking about, ‘OK, how do we differentiate Darlington from the rest of the stops on the schedule?'” Wile said.

“Obviously what we have here is the history and heritage of Darlington. We started brainstorming ideas. We got a focus group together that consisted of people in the industry — teams, NASCAR, ISC — and really vetted through the concept. Everybody agreed that it was a great idea, that it was something that the sport needed, so we went to work.”

The era the track is celebrating this year runs from 1970 through ’74, Wile said, but “for the teams we just wanted them to celebrate something in the past. It could be from five years ago or it could be something from 50 years ago.

“We felt like in order to be authentic to what we’re trying to accomplish, we had to be able to reference data or artwork from a specific era,” he said. “After talking to our focus group, we felt like the 1950s and ’60s the sport was just getting its legs and there wasn’t as much data to reference. So the start of the modern era of NASCAR started in 1970 so we felt like the first year we will celebrate 70-74.”

The pre-race concert will feature Grand Funk Railroad, which earned its first No. 1 single on the Billboard chart in ’73. Country music’s Tanya Tucker will sing the national anthem. “Two very iconic early ’70s artists that are going to be a part of our weekend and really tie it all together,” Wile said.

“I really believe what’s happening here is something that could begin a new tradition,” Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “The race itself and the track is all about tradition and history and we lean on its history and tradition to promote the event. This is possibly a new chapter for it to promote and market that tradition and history. And an opportunity for the drivers, teams and owners, everybody as a group to tip your cap to some of the things that each of you like about the past — maybe a driver or paint scheme or something like that.

“I think it’s really cool. It’s something that you would imagine sitting around with your buddies going ‘You know what would be awesome?’ But you’d never think … ‘Well, that’ll never happen but it would be really cool if it did.’

“Well it’s happening and it’s a pretty cool thing that it’s being embraced by so many people.”

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Staff Report

Jennifer Jo Cobb wrecked during Friday’s final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and FOX’s TV cameras caught her pulling a cell phone out of her mangled No. 10 Chevrolet.

NASCAR hasn’t allowed drivers to have cell phones in their vehicles since 2012 — when Brad Keselowski tweeted during a red flag in the Daytona 500.

The sanctioning body typically announces penalties on Tuesday, so we could learn if Cobb will face sanctions at that time.

Cobb was fined and placed on probation earlier this year when she walked onto the racing surface at Dover International Speedway following an on-track incident.

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Staff Report

Four-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon has always been at the front of the field, both on the track and off it, particularly when it comes to his charitable work.

Between the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation, which funds medical research and programs that offer cancer treatments for kids, and AARP’s Drive to End Hunger campaign, which raises money to feed seniors who don’t have enough to eat, Gordon’s efforts have helped many people, both young and old.

WebMD announced recently that the Hendrick Motorsports driver has been nominated as a candidate for their 2015 People’s Choice Health Hero award, alongside actresses Christina Applegate, Glenn Close and Carrie Fisher.

To vote for Gordon, click here. The winner will be announced on November 5.

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Staff Report

Gamers and NASCAR fans are coming together with the latest venture with EA’s Real Racing 3 franchise. EA is teaming up with NASCAR, and the partnership will incorporate an experience surrounding the upcoming Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 12.

Players will be able to choose a team and race alongside some of the NASCAR greats (Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch), in the hopes of becoming a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion.

Cars that players will get to choose from will include real world sponsors and paint schemes from Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske.

Those who play the latest update of the game — even street racers and pros — will get to learn about actual racing skills such as drafting, slingshot passing and navigating around a pack of cars (in a 43-car field, to be exact).

Real Racing 3 can be downloaded for free at the App Store, Google Play and Amazon apps.

Posted on August 30, 2015 by

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – Two weeks ago in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Alex Tagliani got turned out of the lead by Regan Smith and lost his shot at a win.

Today in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Tagliani had a chance to be the one doing the turning.

Heading into Turn 5B on the final lap, Tagliani says he was in a position to push Erik Jones aside and claim victory for himself. But he didn’t. Instead, Tagliani held back as Jones cruised to his second win of the season and vaulted to the top of the NCWTS point standings.

“If I would have stayed where I was he would have been gone in (Turn) 5B,” Tagliani said. “I don’t drive that way. I just want to continue the trend.”

Tagliani thought he would have time to take one more clean shot at Jones through the final series of turns, but a broken third gear took that chance away.

“It shredded completely,” he said. “It was pretty much good all race. I felt a couple of times it was kind of scratchy on the downshift, but no sign it was going to be bad. As soon as I put third gear on the back straight, it just went.

“I put it in fourth and it just kind of limped all the way back home.”

The 19-year-old Jones felt the pressure from veteran road course racer Tagliani down the stretch, but maintained his concentration to become the first driver to lead the entire last lap of a NCWTS race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

“It was a blast,” Jones said of the race. “It was nerve-wracking. It’s a little intense when you’ve got a guy like that running you down for 15 laps.”

It turned out that Jones and Tagliani had shared a parade truck before the race and had a philosophical discussion about racing with respect. Tagliani told Jones he knew he was in a heated points battle and that Jones didn’t have to worry about him trying the same thing Smith had done to him at Mid-Ohio.

“We had a pretty long talk about racing people the way you want to be raced,” Jones said. “I’ve never been one to want to move somebody to win a race, and he hasn’t, either. It’s nice to see that respect, especially from a veteran like that to me.

“It’s not something he had to do. It means a lot to me that he did.”

Jones worked hard to improve his road course craft coming into this weekend. Time spent at a pair of driving schools paid off, as did a strong effort by the team to improve their truck.

“We had a good truck last year, and we were able to do some improving on our Tundra to get it to where it needed to be for this year,” Jones said. “I was able to improve on myself and fix some of my mistakes this year as well and get a little bit better.”

Matt Crafton finished in second place, which keeps him second in the point standings behind Jones, who now holds a three-point advantage. Tyler Reddick, the standings leader entering the race, placed 19th and is now third (15 points behind Jones) in the championship hunt.

Ben Kennedy, Daniel Hemric, and Tagliani rounded out the top five in Sunday’s race.

Cole Custer mounted one of the strongest challenges to Jones in the late going, but contact between he and Tagliani took him out of the running with 11 laps to go. He ended up in 10th.