Groseclose's passion where rubber meets the road

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Zack Albert

Meet @nascartireguy and learn how he landed a job in the sport he loves

CONCORD, N.C. — David Groseclose carefully takes the 27-year-old photograph out of its frame for closer examination, making it easier to marvel at its full-circle nature. Back then, a 10-year-old David and his older brother, Jeff — both wearing Scouts uniforms — sidled up to an aspiring rookie driver named Brett Bodine to pose for a photograph at the boys’ home track, Bristol Motor Speedway.

When their father took that snapshot in 1988, none of the parties could have imagined that the younger Groseclose would one day report to Bodine. That day came in January 2014, when Groseclose, now 37, showed up for work at the NASCAR Research & Development Center as the sanctioning body’s lead tire engineer.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

For Groseclose — who appropriately tweets from the handle @nascartireguy — the position was the realization of a childhood dream, which took root from years of attending races at the Bristol track, just 10 minutes from his hometown of Blountville, Tennessee. When Groseclose stumbled upon the job listing, the enthusiasm was palpable.

"Tire engineer? What could be better?" he recalled telling his wife, Susan. "She said, ‘if you don’t apply for that job, I’m going to divorce you.’ "

It never came to that, Groseclose laughed. After an initial callback, Groseclose was on the phone with Bodine, leading to an interview with both him and Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR’s senior vice president of innovation and racing development.

RELATED: Go inside the NASCAR R&D Center

"David was exactly what we wanted; he had a passion for the sport," Bodine said last weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "As you know, to survive the work schedule and the workload of this sport, you’ve got to have a passion for it. You can’t treat this like a 9-to-5 job. During the interview process, I realized that. That’s what really made myself and Gene Stefanyshyn feel really good about hiring David."

Plenty of Groseclose’s passion stems from his long-running association with NASCAR as a fan, attending his first Bristol race at age 5 and — as best as he can recall — falling asleep by the halfway point, overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. He’ll be back Wednesday, overseeing an open test for Sprint Cup teams on the .533-mile track but also taking time to savor the homecoming in the Tennessee hills.

MORE: Teams get ready for Bristol test

In a year and a half on the job, Groseclose’s responsibilities have included scheduling and supervising all Goodyear tire tests, analyzing data and driver feedback to help fellow engineers make informed choices for selecting the right compound for a given track. Groseclose said he meets with Goodyear officials on a weekly basis, but that open communication with NASCAR’s tire partner is a daily process. He is also responsible for all sections of the NASCAR Rule Book regarding wheels and tires.

Groseclose’s diverse background includes seven years in the U.S. Navy, studies in the field of nuclear power and time spent on the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, but his current duties are a natural extension of his seven-year stint with Bridgestone, where he served as the lead development coordinator and engineer for street tires.

"Actually a lot of it transfers. Even though it’s a racing tire, the construction, the basics are the same," Groseclose said. "Every tire’s got a bead, every tire’s got body-ply, every tire’s got some type of belt. Now, passenger tires are steel belts and here they’re not. The tread’s a lot thicker on passenger tires because they’ve got to last a lot longer, but you can’t have that thick of a tread on a racing tire because it heats up too much. If it gets too hot, it’ll start coming apart.

"A lot of it’s the same, but parts of it are different because of the extreme conditions that racing tires have to go through."

In addition to his work experience, Groseclose continues to draw upon his upbringing as a NASCAR enthusiast in the R&D setting, with Stefanyshyn often asking him to put on his "fan hat" in discussions about improving competition. That role goes even further back; Groseclose’s actual fan hat from his youth was one loaded with souvenir pins, proudly displaying his status as a card-carrying member of the Harry Gant Fan Club.

Groseclose’s father attended Bristol’s second-ever race in its inaugural season with his father, watching Joe Weatherly edge Rex White in a battle of NASCAR Hall of Famers in the 1961 Southeastern 500. His parents remain season-ticket holders.

Now Groseclose shares his love of the sport with the next generation, his three young boys — ages 8, 5 and 3, with a fourth child on the way, due in December. The only difference is that now it’s not just a pastime for Groseclose, it’s part of his life’s work.

"I loved the job I had before. I worked with really good people and it was a great job," Groseclose said. "I had no inclination of changing jobs, but when your dream job comes up, you’ve got to do something, right?"

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Staff Report

A statistical look ahead to the 21st race of the Sprint Cup season

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Pocono Raceway in Pocono, Pennsylvania going into the WINDOWS 10 400 on August 2 (1:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN).

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

POCONO-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

· Two wins, 12 top fives, 16 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 12.421, eighth-best

· Average Running Position of 10.246, second-best

· Driver Rating of 105.9, third-best

· 332 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.733, second-fastest

· 2659 Laps in the Top 15 (77.0), second-most

· 774 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr (No. 88 MICROSOFT Chevrolet)

· Two wins, nine top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 15.900, 11th-best

· Average Running Position of 14.002, 10th-best

· Driver Rating of 92.6, ninth-best

· 102 Fastest Laps Run, third-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.237, eighth-fastest

· 2286 Laps in the Top 15 (63.3), eighth-most

· 727 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Carl Edwards (No. 19 STANLEY Toyota)

· Two wins, five top fives, eight top 10s

· Average finish of 15.500, 10th-best

· Average Running Position of 14.826, 13th-best

· Driver Rating of 94.2, eighth-best

· 176 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.224, ninth-fastest

· 2262 Laps in the Top 15 (62.6), 10th-most

· 712 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet)

· Six wins, 19 top fives, 31 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 9.650, second-best

· Average Running Position of 9.916, series-best

· Driver Rating of 103.5, fourth-best

· 169 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.625, fifth-fastest

· 2777 Laps in the Top 15 (76.9), third-most

· 885 Quality Passes, series-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota)

· Four wins, nine top fives, 13 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 11.889, seventh-best

· Average Running Position of 10.844, fourth-best

· Driver Rating of 108.3, series-best

· 437 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.806, series-fastest

· 2543 Laps in the Top 15 (79.3), series-most

· 685 Quality Passes, 10th-most

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

· Seven top fives, 11 top 10s

· Average finish of 10.600, fifth-best

· Average Running Position of 13.743, eighth-best

· Driver Rating of 91.9, 11th-best

· 63 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.159, 10th-fastest

· 2277 Laps in the Top 15 (63.0), ninth-most

· 789 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Kobalt Tools Chevrolet)

· Three wins, 11 top fives, 18 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 10.500, third-best

· Average Running Position of 10.487, third-best

· Driver Rating of 106.9, second-best

· 273 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.708, third-fastest

· 2774 Laps in the Top 15 (76.8), fourth-most

· 861 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Aquafina Chevrolet)

· Two wins, five top fives, eight top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 18.750, 13th-best

· Average Running Position of 14.622, 11th-best

· Driver Rating of 92.1, 10th-best

· 306 Fastest Laps Run, series-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.436, sixth-fastest

· 2199 Laps in the Top 15 (60.9), 11th-most

· 804 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford)

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

· Average finish of 13.400, ninth-best

· Average Running Position of 14.786, 12th-best

· Driver Rating of 90.8, 12th-best

· 96 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 161.894, 13th-fastest

· 852 Laps in the Top 15 (50.1), 13th-most

· 306 Quality Passes, 12th-most

Kyle Larson (No. 42 Suave Men Chevrolet)

· One top five, two top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 8.000, series-best

· Average Running Position of 12.672, seventh-best

· Driver Rating of 95.7, sixth-best

· 2 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.690, fourth-fastest

· 230 Laps in the Top 15 (71.9), seventh-most

· 87 Quality Passes, 13th-most

Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)

· One win, three top fives, five top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 16.583, 12th-best

· Average Running Position of 13.811, ninth-best

· Driver Rating of 88.9, 13th-best

· 61 Fastest Laps Run, second-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.097, 12th-fastest

· 1190 Laps in the Top 15 (56.6), 12th-most

· 456 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)

· One win, nine top fives, 14 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 10.500, fourth-best

· Average Running Position of 11.426, fifth-best

· Driver Rating of 95.3, seventh-best

· 36 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.135, 11th-fastest

· 2689 Laps in the Top 15 (74.4), fifth-most

· 883 Quality Passes, second-most

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)

· Two wins, 12 top fives, 22 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 10.600, sixth-best

· Average Running Position of 12.223, sixth-best

· Driver Rating of 97.6, fifth-best

· 99 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.319, seventh-fastest

· 2619 Laps in the Top 15 (72.5), sixth-most

· 880 Quality Passes, third-most

	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Kevin Harvick	29	0	0	7	11	2	13.2	91.9
2	Joey Logano	13	2	1	3	5	1	15.6	88.9
3	Dale Earnhardt Jr	31	1	2	9	13	1	15.2	92.6
4	Jimmie Johnson	27	3	3	11	18	1	9.6	106.9
5	Martin Truex Jr	19	0	1	3	7	0	15.1	80.4
6	Brad Keselowski	11	0	1	3	4	0	13.7	90.8
7	Matt Kenseth	31	0	0	3	11	1	15.7	86.7
8	Kurt Busch	28	2	2	12	16	5	14.4	105.9
9	Jamie McMurray	25	1	0	0	7	3	19.3	73.1
10	Denny Hamlin	19	3	4	9	13	2	11.8	108.3
11	Jeff Gordon	45	2	6	19	31	5	10	103.5
12	Ryan Newman	27	2	1	9	14	3	12.4	95.3
13	Paul Menard	17	0	0	0	2	1	23.6	64.6
14	Kasey Kahne	23	2	2	5	8	3	17.6	92.1
15	Clint Bowyer	19	0	0	2	8	0	14.6	82.8
16	Carl Edwards	21	0	2	5	8	1	15.5	94.2

* – Based on last 21 races at Pocono Raceway (2005 – 2015).

Kyle Busch’s Chase Eligibility
30th	Justin Allgaier		317
Rank	Driver	Wins	Points	Points From 30th
31	Cole Whitt	0	314	-3
32	Kyle Busch	4	294	-23
33	Brett Moffitt #	0	266	-51
34	Alex Bowman	0	245	-72
35	Michael Annett	0	230	-87
36	Matt DiBenedetto #	0	205	-112
37	Josh Wise	0	186	-131
38	Michael McDowell	0	124	-193
39	Jeb Burton	0	111	-206
40	Alex Kennedy	0	71	-246
* To be eligible for the Chase, the driver must be in the top 30 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings following race number 26.

Pocono Raceway Data

Season Race #: 21 of 36 (08-02-15)

Track Size: 2.5-miles

Banking/Turn 1: 14 degrees

Banking/Turn 2: 8 degrees

Banking/Turn 3: 6 degrees

Frontstretch Length: 3,740 feet

Backstretch Length: 3,055 feet

Shortstretch Length: 1,780 feet

Race Length: 160 laps / 400 miles

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Pocono

Denny Hamlin………………………. 108.3

Jimmie Johnson…………………… 106.9

Kurt Busch………………………….. 105.9

Jeff Gordon………………………… 103.5

Tony Stewart…………………………. 97.6

Kyle Larson………………………….. 95.7

Ryan Newman……………………….. 95.3

Carl Edwards………………………… 94.2

Dale Earnhardt Jr…………………… 92.6

Kasey Kahne………………………… 92.1

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races (21 total) among active drivers at Pocono Raceway.

Qualifying/Race Data

2014 pole winner:

Kyle Larson, Chevrolet

183.438 mph, 49.063 secs, 08-01-14

2014 race winner:

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet

127.411 mph, (03:08:22), 08-03-14

Track qualifying record:

Kyle Larson, Chevrolet

183.438 mph, 49.610 secs, 08-03-14

Track race record:

Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet

145.384 mph, (03:26:21), 06-12-11

At Pocono Raceway:

History

· Opened in 1968 as a three-quarter-mile track, Pocono Raceway held the first race on the 2.5-mile track in 1971.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was in 1974 – won by Richard Petty, Dodge, 115.593 mph, 08/04/1974.

· The 2.5-mile track was repaved during the fall of 2011.

· 2012 marked the first season the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono were scheduled for 400 miles. Prior to 2012 all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races were 500 miles at Pocono Raceway.

Starts

· There have been 75 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono Raceway, one race from 1974 through 1981, and two per year since.

· 327 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway; 229 in more than one.

· Ricky Rudd leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in starts at Pocono with 55.

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 45 starts (eighth most all-time) at Pocono; followed by Tony Stewart with 33 starts.

· Denny Hamlin (19 starts) leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Pocono with a 6.632.

Poles

· 40 drivers have posted Coors Light poles at Pocono, led by Bill Elliott and Ken Schrader with five each; Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin lead all active drivers with three each.

· Buddy Baker won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Pocono in 1974 with a speed of 144.122 mph.

· Five drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Pocono. Bill Elliott holds the record for most consecutive poles at Pocono with three; fall 1984 and both races in 1985.

· Two active drivers have posted consecutive Coors Light poles at Pocono: Denny Hamlin (2006 sweep) and Joey Logano (fall 2011 and spring 2012).

· Youngest Pocono pole winner: Joey Logano (08/07/2011 – 21 years, 2 months, 14 days).

· Oldest Pocono pole winner: David Pearson (06/10/1984 – 49 years, 5 months, 19 days).

· Kyle Larson (8/03/2014) and Casey Mears (8/1/2004) posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light poles at Pocono Raceway.

Wins

· 33 different drivers have won at Pocono Raceway, led by Jeff Gordon with six wins.

· Seven active drivers have multiple wins at Pocono: Jeff Gordon (6), Denny Hamlin (4), Jimmie Johnson (3), Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart (each have 2).

· Seven drivers have posted consecutive wins at Pocono Raceway all-time, including three consecutive by Bobby Allison (1982 sweep and spring 1983) and Tim Richmond (1986 sweep and spring 1987).

· Three of the seven drivers to win consecutive races at Pocono are active: Jimmie Johnson (2004 sweep); Denny Hamlin (2006 sweep and 2009 fall and 2010 spring races) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2014 sweep).

· Youngest Pocono winner: Joey Logano (06/10/2012 – 22 years, 0 months, 17 days).

· Oldest Pocono winner: Harry Gant (06/17/1990 – 50 years, 5 months, 7 days).

· Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Pocono in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 17: Jeff Gordon (six), Tim Richmond (three), Jimmie Johnson (three), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Kasey Kahne (one), Geoff Bodine (one) and Terry Labonte (one).

· Eight different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Pocono; led by Chevrolet with 31 victories; followed by Ford with 21 and Toyota has three.

· 13 of the 75 (17.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Joey Logano (June, 2012).

· 15 of the 74 (20%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono have been won from the first starting position; the most recent was Jimmie Johnson (June, 2013).

· The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (15) than any other starting position at Pocono Raceway.

· 24 of the 75 (32%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono have been won from the front row: 15 from the first starting position and nine from second-place.

· 53 of the 75 (70.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· Five of the 75 (6.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Pocono is 29th, by Carl Edwards in the spring of 2005.

· One active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver has posted his first career win at Pocono Raceway: Denny Hamlin (06/11/06).

· Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards are the only two active drivers to win at Pocono in their first appearances.

· Matt Kenseth leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Pocono without visiting Victory Lane at 31; followed by Kevin Harvick with 29.

Additional Finishing Position Stats

· Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Pocono with seven; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with six; followed by Kurt Busch with five.

· Mark Martin leads the series in top-five finishes at Pocono with 20; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 19; followed by Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart with 12 each.

· Mark Martin leads the series in top-10 finishes at Pocono with 34; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 31; followed by Tony Stewart with 22.

· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Pocono with a 9.630.

Track Specific Stats

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Pocono Raceway was the July 23, 2000 race won by Rusty Wallace over Jeff Burton with a MOV of 0.126 seconds.

· There have been three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Pocono Raceway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): spring of 2005 (200/201); fall of 2005 (200/203); spring of 2010 (200/204).

· Six of the 75 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was the event on 8/5/2012.

· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Pocono Raceway five times; most recently the spring of 2013.

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Pocono with 1,038 laps led in 45 starts.

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps completed at Pocono with 8,237 laps completed in 45 starts.

Female Competitor Stats

· Two female drivers have competed at Pocono Raceway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date	Driver Rating
Danica Patrick	22	37	6/7/2015	62.4
Danica Patrick	10	30	8/3/2014	41.4
Danica Patrick	16	37	6/8/2014	55.9
Danica Patrick	34	35	8/4/2013	52.2
Danica Patrick	30	29	6/9/2013	58.1
Averages	22.4	33.6		54.0

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Janet Guthrie	21	28	7/27/1980
Janet Guthrie	22	31	7/30/1978
Janet Guthrie	10	11	7/31/1977
Averages	17.7	23.3

NASCAR in Pennsylvania

· There have been 109 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races among nine tracks in Pennsylvania.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Pocono Raceway	Long Pond	75
Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne	17
Lincoln Speedway	New Oxford	7
Heidelberg Raceway	Pittsburgh	4
Reading Fairgrounds	Reading	2
Bloomsburg Fairgrounds	Bloomsburg	1
New Bradford Speedway	Bradford	1
Pine Grove Speedway	Shippenville	1
Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg	1

· 141 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Pennsylvania.

· Three of the 141 have won in NASCAR’s premiere series.

Driver	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
Dick Linder	3	0	0
Jimmy Spencer	2	12	1
Mark Donohue	1	0	0

MILESTONES – Pocono Raceway

DRIVER	HAS	NEEDS	MILESTONE	DESCRIPTION
DRIVER	HAS	NEEDS	MILESTONE	DESCRIPTION
Tony Stewart	574	1	575th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start	Stewart will attempt to tie Geoff Bodine (575) for 24th on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career starts list.
Kurt Busch	524	1	525th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start	Busch will attempt to post his 525th start, he is 33rd on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career starts list.
Greg Biffle	449	1	450th Consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start	Biffle will attempt to post his 450th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series consecutive start. Biffle is ranked seventh on the NSCS active consecutive starts list.
Kyle Busch	374	1	375th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start	Busch will attempt to tie Ward Burton (375) for 59th on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career starts list.
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).
Jeff Gordon	24,828	172	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	9,598	402	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	7,922	78	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 July 28, 2015 by Staff Report

Chat with race fans during the Iowa and Pocono action

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Pat DeCola

Kevinharvick

So, about that time Kevin Harvick matched the number of top-fives earned in his 2014 championship season just 20 races into the 2015 season … yeah.

KyleBusch

RELATED:
Harvick upbeat after Indy

Joeylogano

-1

With four wins in five races, nobody is as hot as Kyle Busch right now. The only reason he hasn’t surpassed Kevin Harvick in this space is because the reigning champ has been racing right there with him.

JimmieJohnson

-1

RELATED:

Busch takes Indy

Martintruex jr

Joey Logano has six top-five finishes in the past seven races, which he recognizes says a lot about how strong his team is – but the Team Penske driver wants wins.

DaleEarnhardt Jr.

-2

BradKeselowski

-2

Tough to say what happened to Johnson and Co. at the Brickyard, but it was a down day for Hendrick Motorsports overall. With another good track for the organization coming up, they’ll look to reboot things and get back on track.

Kurtbusch

-1

RELATED:

Johnson on expiring contract

Mattkenseth

Truex notched his first top 10 since Michigan when he finished fourth at Indy and now heads to the site of his sole win of the season. Good mojo.

DennyHamlin

As we all know, Junior swept Pocono last season. Earnhardt Jr.’s third win of 2015 could very well be at the Tricky Triangle.

Jamiemcmurray

RELATED:

Junior, Kahne collide

Jeffgordon

-2

Keselowski nearly pulled off quite a feat and used an alternate strategy contend for the Brickyard 400 win from a 31st starting position, but cautions didn’t fall the way he needed and his plan was foiled, despite leading 17 laps.

Carledwards

Busch has been consistently well-above average this season, finishing worse than 15th just a single time. Oh, and he’s the most recent pole winner at Pocono.

Ryannewman

Kenseth has remained steady at ninth overall in these Power Rankings, but that’s just what Kenseth is – steady. His past three races, he’s finished fifth, sixth and seventh.

Kaseykahne

-1

Hamlin’s poor finishes seem to be fading into the past and he’s starting to emerge as a legitimate candidate for more race wins, he just has to earn them. Pocono (four wins) could be a start.

Paulmenard

McMurray hasn’t finished in the top 10 since rolling off back-to-back-to-back seventh-place finishes, the second of which was at Pocono.

ClintBowyer

What a drag. In Jeff Gordon’s final Brickyard 400, a run-in with Clint Bowyer cut short any hopes of finding Victory Lane and, in fact, created perhaps Gordon’s most frustrating day of the season.

Greg Biffle

RELATED:

Gordon kisses Brickyard goodbye

Aricalmirola

-3

Sunday’s pole-winner led 20 laps but couldn’t capitalize on a late restart and fell back significantly. Still, the speed Edwards has shown in recent weeks – coupled with the success of that teammate of his who keeps landing in Victory Lane – is encouraging.

Kylelarson

Newman wrecked out of the year’s first Pocono race and he’d be well-advised to not do so again, given his shaky-at-best handle of a Chase spot right now.

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Nascar

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will be looking to get a jump on the competition for next month’s annual night race at Bristol Motor Speedway as several teams are scheduled to take part in an open test this Wednesday at the 0.533-mile track.

Team Penske driver Joey Logano, the defending winner of the Irwin Tools Night Race, heads up a list that includes Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Roush Fenway Racing), Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates), David Ragan (Michael Waltrip Racing), Paul Menard (Richard Childress Racing), Carl Edwards (Joe Gibbs Racing), Danica Patrick (Stewart-Haas Racing), Ryan Blaney (Wood Brothers Racing), Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports) and Aric Almirola (Richard Petty Motorsports). The list of teams testing is subject to change.

A two-day Goodyear tire test previously scheduled for Monday and Tuesday has been canceled.

The Bristol race will be one of the final three opportunities for drivers to earn one of the 16 positions in this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup, which kicks off Sunday, Sept. 20 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.

Drivers already assured of a Chase berth (by starting the remaining non-Chase races) are six-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick) and teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., defending Sprint Cup champ Kevin Harvick (SHR) and Kurt Busch (SHR).

The BMS session will be the 10th such opportunity for teams to test and gather data under NASCAR’s 2015 National Series Unified Testing Policy. The sanctioning body no longer allows private team testing for any of its national touring series.

The Irwin Tools Night Race is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 22 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR).

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Nascar

RELATED: Full race results | Updated standings

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — NASCAR officials say the results of the high drag package used in Sunday’s Crown Royal presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard will have to be broken down, studied and examined before any determination about the success, or lack of it, can be fully understood.

Those competing in the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have already formed their opinion.

“I think we were all expecting there to be more drafting than there was,” 2012 Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski (Team Penske) said. “I don’t think the draft was much different than last year and the penalty for being behind someone in the corner was more significant.”

Keselowski finished 10th and led 17 laps on the day.

There were a significant number of lead changes, 16 in the 164-lap race, but the majority took place as teams cycled through green-flag pit stops or inherited the lead by staying out under the caution flag as they worked various fuel strategies.

“It’s terrible, that’s what I think,” Matt Kenseth (Joe Gibbs Racing), said. “You just can’t pass. Yeah, you can run up on the straightaway a little bit, but you can’t run though the corner with anything.”

NASCAR debuted a high drag package for Sunday’s race, one that featured a taller spoiler (measuring 9 inches high) and other aerodynamic changes to the cars. The hope was that the larger spoiler would provide more side-by-side racing, perhaps enhance drafting, and lessen the advantage enjoyed by the lead car. A similar package is scheduled for next month when the series travels to Michigan International Speedway.

But except for the few laps following restarts, drivers said they were mostly unable to race side-by-side for much of the event.

“I just didn’t like the way a car would drive loose behind other cars and tight in front of other cars,” Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kurt Busch said after his eighth-place finish. “That’s opposite of normal. And it really seemed odd the way they raced. I wish there was more of a draft, but those only pop up on restarts.”

Race winner Kyle Busch isn’t sold on the package, either, although he said there were some positives to take away from the experience.

“When I was by myself, I felt like (it) was a really good race car,” Busch, a winner of the last three Sprint Cup races, said. “I felt like I had the car to beat.

“But then when you got back in traffic, whether you were behind a guy or behind a group of cars, you were horrible. It was just absolutely so hard to handle in traffic.

“It’s not sometimes such a bad thing, but you don’t want to feel like you’re going off into the corner and you’re going to crash every time. … You want to have some sort of security. I think there’s something to be learned from today. I’m not sure it’s the right combination exactly, but I think there’s some benefits to it.”

None of the upcoming 10 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races will be contested on tracks where the high drag package is a viable option.

A lower downforce package, used at Kentucky Speedway recently, will be tweaked and used at Darlington later this year. But NASCAR officials have said there are no current plans to use that platform in the Chase.

“I didn’t like it as much as what we had at Kentucky, but it was something different,” JGR’s Denny Hamlin said. “We needed to try something different and it was an experiment. I just prefer the other (package). I think this makes too big of a wake for the car.”

Teams tested here at Indy in April, but not with the high drag package.

“To come back and have to race something different was a huge undertaking for the teams for a huge science project that probably didn’t really change that much,” said third-place finisher Kevin Harvick (SHR). “But everybody tried real hard, and in the end, I think our goal is more drafting and more pack racing, so we’ll see if we can get to that.”

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Staff Report

Driver	No.	From	To
Richard Petty	10	08/12/1967	10/01/1967
Richard Petty	6	07/14/1971	08/08/1971
Bobby Allison	5	05/30/1971	06/23/1971
Dale Earnhardt	4	03/29/1987	04/26/1987
Bill Elliott	4	03/01/1992	03/29/1992
Harry Gant	4	09/01/1991	09/22/1991
Jeff Gordon	4	07/26/1998	08/16/1998
Jimmie Johnson	4	10/21/2007	11/11/2007
Mark Martin	4	08/08/1993	09/05/1993
David Pearson	4	04/03/1966	04/11/1966
David Pearson	4	05/05/1968	05/18/1968
Billy Wade	4	07/10/1964	07/19/1964
Darrell Waltrip	4	09/27/1981	11/01/1981
Cale Yarborough	4	09/12/1976	10/03/1976
Kyle Busch	3	07/11/2015	07/26/2015
Bobby Allison	3	10/29/1967	11/12/1967
Bobby Allison	3	07/09/1972	07/23/1972
Bobby Allison	3	09/05/1983	09/18/1983
Buck Baker	3	05/13/1956	05/25/1956
Dale Earnhardt	3	08/22/1987	09/13/1987
Jeff Gordon	3	09/15/1996	09/29/1996
Jeff Gordon	3	11/01/1998	02/14/1999
Bobby Isaac	3	04/03/1969	04/08/1969
Jimmie Johnson	3	10/16/2004	10/31/2004
Junior Johnson	3	06/05/1958	06/15/1958
Junior Johnson	3	08/13/1961	08/27/1961
David Pearson	3	08/08/1968	08/18/1968
David Pearson	3	04/15/1973	05/06/1973
David Pearson	3	05/30/1976	06/20/1976
Richard Petty	3	07/28/1974	08/11/1974
Richard Petty	3	03/16/1975	04/06/1975
Richard Petty	3	09/15/1968	09/29/1968
Richard Petty	3	09/13/1970	09/30/1970
Richard Petty	3	03/07/1971	03/21/1971
Richard Petty	3	04/15/1971	04/25/1971
Richard Petty	3	08/15/1962	08/21/1962
Richard Petty	3	04/21/1963	05/02/1963
Richard Petty	3	04/30/1966	05/10/1966
Richard Petty	3	07/13/1967	07/23/1967
Dick Rathmann	3	05/04/1952	05/18/1952
Fireball Roberts	3	04/07/1957	04/19/1957
Herb Thomas	3	09/08/1951	09/23/1951
Herb Thomas	3	06/27/1954	07/04/1954
Rusty Wallace	3	10/09/1988	10/23/1988
Rusty Wallace	3	04/04/1993	04/25/1993
Rusty Wallace	3	06/05/1994	06/19/1994

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Staff Report

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

MONDAY: Indianapolis was the first instance of the new high drag package being used, and drivers shared their opinions on it … The Rundown will once more feature how all 43 drivers in the field fared … Weekend in GIFs will recap all the best action from the track, in GIF form.

TUESDAY: This week’s Power Rankings presented by Outback is sure to get a shakeup, and Kyle Busch may be in contention for the No. 1 spot … @nascarcasm gives us his best with two funny ideas — Kyle Busch‘s mock Facebook page post-race, and a list of Jeff Gordon‘s crappiest retirement gifts.

WEDNESDAY: New paint schemes will be on display at Pocono and Iowa, and we’ll have them all in Paint Scheme Preview … Senior writer Kenny Bruce gets into the nitty-gritty of the sport with Tech Talk … Bruce will also be at Bristol to cover the open test … High Five highlights the best five pieces of NASCAR content from around the web.

THURSDAY: Driver Reports highlights the 16 drivers currently on the Chase Grid, and how they fare at Pocono … Pocono has had plenty of noteworthy moments at the track, and we’ll look at a crazy Dale Earnhardt Jr. wreck for #TBT.

FRIDAY: The Sprint Cup Series gets on track at 11 a.m. ET, and we’ll have full coverage from a busy day at the track … 8 Tweets You Might Have Missed highlights the best from social media over the past week.

Also coming this week: Should stock cars race on dirt? Brad Norman and Kathy Sheldon debate after a successful weekend at Eldora … We’ll tell you who can clinch a spot in the Chase at Pocono, and how.

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Holly Cain

No. 24 Hendrick driver talks disappointing finish, recaps career at Indy

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — It was an emotional final start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Jeff Gordon, but not for the reasons he expected.

Just 50 laps into Sunday afternoon’s Crown Royal presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard, Gordon’s famed No. 24 Chevrolet was involved in an accident, a chain reaction spin into the wall that badly damaged Gordon’s car while the original cars involved — Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne — were able to motor on relatively undamaged.

The Speedway’s favorite son and five-time winner Gordon, however, spent nearly an hour in the garage while his team frantically made his car drivable again and he returned to the race with only 40 laps remaining.

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Gordon won the first Brickyard 400 in 1994, but this year he was scored 42nd out of 43 cars in his last — 54 laps down to winner Kyle Busch.

"Just disappointed with the way the day went,” Gordon said on pit road after the race. "I feel like we showed up here with a car that had some speed in it. Then we didn’t qualify very good and that was disappointing.

"Even though we weren’t good at the start we made up some spots and I thought we were going to be in a position to make some gains. I don’t know if we had a winning car or top-five car but I was looking forward to see what we did have.

"Not the day we wanted to have. We had a great car all weekend, didn’t start the race off great, but I thought we were making some headway on it."

As Gordon spoke with a small group of reporters on pit road, just behind the crowd sitting along the front grandstands starting loudly chanting, "Jeff, Jeff, Jeff … " and Gordon turned around and flashed a big grin and wave that was received with huge cheers.

They love Gordon here.

The speedway is located only a half hour away from tiny Pittsboro, Indiana, where Gordon’s family moved their teenage racing prodigy from California to advance his racing career — and where on Thursday a parade was held in Gordon’s honor.

"The fans have been absolutely amazing not only this weekend but throughout the last 22 years and I appreciate it so much,” Gordon said. "For the last 22 years they’ve been cheering. Indiana is such a special place to me. We wouldn’t be here today if not for Indiana and racing here. I always hoped I could do something special here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and I have gotten to do that."

Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles only half-joked addressing the pre-race drivers meeting that there was a definite sentimental favorite this year.

He suggested to the other drivers that they should "move over and let the three Hoosiers (Gordon, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman) battle it out themselves."

Gordon smiled at the idea and raised his hand with a thumbs up.

The adoration and admiration for the four-time NASCAR Cup champ is always apparent when he races here. But this weekend — and in particular on race day — it was tangible and abundant.

Five hours before the green flag dropped there was a large crowd lined up against a chain link fence near the garage stalls, people waiting with cameras ready to take a photo — and cheer wildly — as Gordon’s No. 24 Chevy rolled through the normally mundane routine of pre-race inspection.

Nearby, about 40-50 people stood outside Gordon’s garage just behind the speedway’s pit road. Lucas Farmer, 20, and his father Barry wore matching, brightly colored Jeff Gordon hats intent on getting the perfect selfie photo and video in front of the garage stall.

The Farmer family, from Paris, Tennessee — home to the "world largest fish fry" they proudly explained — made the trip to Indianapolis as their "big" and only summer vacation. It’s the first NASCAR race they’ve ever attended although dad, son, mother Stephanie and 18-year-old daughter Libby have been longtime, loyal Gordon fans.

"If Jeff could win this, it would be a dream come true for us,” Barry Farmer explained.

"I just couldn’t imagine anything better,” Lucas agreed.

Unfortunately for the Farmer family and so many in the grandstands Sunday afternoon, the fairytale ending was a little more complicated than that.

"The last eight years have really been feast or famine, either we win or a have problem,” Gordon said. "Unfortunately, we didn’t end up on top, but congratulations to Kyle Busch he’s on a heckuva roll right now.

"We won this thing last year, won it five times, so I can’t be too greedy or disappointed, it’s been an amazing career here. The fans have been absolutely amazing not only this weekend but throughout the last 22 years and I appreciate it so much."

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Holly Cain

No. 4 SHR driver led a race-high 75 laps, finishes third

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Kevin Harvick led a race-high 75 laps but not the final one in Sunday’s Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard and if there is a silver lining to the disappointment, he still remains first in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series points standings, a hefty 69 points ahead of the guy (Joey Logano) he finished behind in the race and second in the Chase grid behind Jimmie Johnson thanks to his two wins and points accumulation.

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Harvick’s No. 4 Chevrolet paced the field four times and for much of the day looked well on its way to handing the reigning Sprint Cup champ his second Brickyard 400 trophy. But late race restarts proved his undoing and he finished third behind race winner Kyle Busch and Logano. Ironically a 1-2 finish for Toyota and Ford after 12 consecutive wins by Chevrolet.

Obviously disappointed by the final outcome, Harvick was still philosophical and upbeat after the race.

"We had a great day," he said. "I think everybody did a great job, just in that second or third-to-last restart where the 22 (Logano) and 18 (Busch) were able to get hooked up and kind of drive by us and I lost control of the race there and didn’t really have what I wanted on the restarts.

Fellow Chevrolet driver and fourth place finisher Martin Truex Jr. took responsibility for part of Harvick’s woes.

"Just feel a little bad for Kevin (Harvick) there," Truex said. "I kind of screwed him. I was trying to push him, just mistimed it. It’s hard to see the lines down there when you are behind a guy.

"I just totally forgot to ask my spotter for help and a heads up when we were getting 5-10 feet from that line. I feel bad I messed him up a bit there. I kind of messed Kyle (Busch) up on the last one too and he still won."