Timeline of Austin Dillon Daytona wreck, reaction

Posted on July 14, 2015November 16, 2017 by Staff Report

July 5: Austin Dillon crashes at the Coke Zero 400

The dramatic final lap in the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola ended with a dangerous wreck involving Austin Dillon. The No. 3 was caught in a massive multi-car accident just after the field was taking the checkered flag. Dillon, surprisingly, walked away just fine but said he was prepared to “be really sore.” | Read the full story

July 5: Austin Dillon in his own words on Daytona crash

After much talk about Dillon’s wreck at Daytona, he finally was able to give a firsthand account of the accident and let everyone know that he was going to be just fine, physically and mentally. Austin was more concerned about the fans in the stands who were affected by the wreck. | Read the full story

July 5: Daytona president responds to wreck: ‘The fence worked’

Daytona International Speedway president, Joie Chitwood III, told reporters that following the Austin Dillon wreck, 13 spectators had to be seen by medical personnel. Chitwood said that, in terms of safety procedures, “we’ll learn from it, we’ll analyze it, and we’ll round up our engineering team and see if there’s any additional things we can learn to get better the next time.” | Read the full story

July 6: Johnson: ‘I’m shocked [he’s] even alive’

See Jimmie Johnson talk about being surprised Austin Dillon wasn’t seriously injured during a big wreck at Daytona. | Watch the video

July 6: Drivers react to dramatic wreck in Daytona finish

Watch Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Landon Cassill talk about the big crash on the final lap of the Coke Zero 400. | Watch their reactions

July 6: France responds to Daytona wreck: ‘Working to make racing safer and better’

Brian France spoke to SiriusXM Radio the Monday following the Daytona wreck stating that NASCAR is taking all precautionary measures possible. He said that NASCAR is working on solutions to avoid similar crashes in the future, at the organization’s R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina. | Read the full story

July 6: Ives breaks down moments after Dillon’s wreck

See exclusive footage of Austin Dillon’s scary crash and listen to Greg Ives break down the moments following, as as the No. 88 crew rushed to the No. 3 car’s aid. | Watch his interview

July 7: Ty Dillon‘s reaction to his brother’s wild wreck

Austin Dillon discusses his brother, Ty’s, reaction to the last-lap wreck at Daytona. | Hear what he said

July 7: Austin Dillon: ‘You feel like Superman’

Two days after the crash , Austin Dillon said that he was holding up well and feeling good. He said that he had seen the video multiple times and seen the replays. “It’s a wicked crash,” he said. | Read the full story

July 7: No Bull: Dillion explains post-wreck gesture

Austin Dillon had quite the grand entrance upon exiting his car after his emotional Daytona wreck and it left the public puzzled. He later explained his questionable gesture as a tribute to Lane Frost, who Dillon described as “one of the best bull riders of all time.” | Read the full story

July 7: O’Donnell: NASCAR looking at Dillon’s car

NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “The Morning Drive” and said that Dillon’s car and parts were at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, where they were under investigation. | Read the full story

July 8: Junior responds to Austin’s crash: ‘It’s an awful feeling’

Despite winning the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was more concerned about Austin Dillon than he was about celebrating in Vctory Lane. Junior admitted to being on the verge of tears the night of the wreck and wanted to make sure that everyone affected was OK. | Read the full story

July 8: 88 crew recalls frenzy to check on Dillon

Not only was Dale Earnhardt Jr. preoccupied with making sure that Austin was OK after the wreck but the entire No. 88 team was, as well. Junior’s team didn’t hold the typical post-race win celebration, but reacted with concern and worried emotions. | Read the full story

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Staff Report

NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee says No. 18 will battle for the title

With three championships in four years (1995, ’97, ’98) as Jeff Gordon‘s crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports, Ray Evernham knows what it takes to win titles. On Tuesday, he said Kyle Busch will not only make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup but will contend for the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Evernham made the prediction on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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Busch has two wins in the last three races but sits 87 points out of 30th place, a spot he needs to reach to qualify for NASCAR’s postseason and a shot at his first premier series title. Evernham believes he’ll reach that goal and make a run at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

"I’ll tell you one of the things that gets great athletes to step up even more is when you take something away from them that they live for," Evernham said. "I know Kyle, and I know how hard he worked to get back in shape and to get things done. He met all those goals and made it back ahead of schedule.

"I told you that I thought he could win multiple races. He’s done that. I’m not going to go out on a limb again, but I am going to tell you that that 18 car will be one of the final four at Homestead. Mark my words."

In seven previous playoffs, Busch’s best finish was fourth in 2013, and he’s finished four of those Chase season in 10th or worse. But Evernham says Busch himself and Joe Gibbs Racing have evolved into contenders for the organization’s first Sprint Cup title since 2005 and fourth overall.

"I think he’s focused," Evernham said. "I like the things that (crew chief) Adam Stevens does. I like the way he thinks. And I really feel that is going to be one of the major stories at the end of the year.

"I know he knocked almost a third of the points that he needed to get to 30th the other day. And if they keep up that momentum, which I really believe they will, I’m going to tell you that 18 car is going to be in the final four."

In the first year of NASCAR’s elimination-style Chase, Busch was caught in a wreck at Talladega Superspeedway and failed to advance from the 12-driver Challenger Round to the eight racers who made the Eliminator Round. He finished the 2014 season in 10th place in the points standings. The NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee likes the No. 18 team’s chances to go all the way to the Championship 4 because the driver and JGR have raised their game and will benefit from some of NASCAR’s recent rules changes.

"I think there was a level of immaturity, there was a part of a level in Joe Gibbs’ own organization that had a lot of mechanical failures in the Chase whether that was with the 18 or the 11… whether it was sway bar issues or different things and I think those things are behind him," Evernham said. "I think the Joe Gibbs organization realized that stuff. They looked at it. I think Kyle Busch is way more mature than he was at that time. I think the Toyotas have started late and been building.

"Sometimes you’ve got to realize that they’re behind to pick up momentum, and some of these aerodynamic rule changes I believe are going to fall into a guy’s driving style where a guy has to drive the car more and it’s a more physical race. Saturday night (at Kentucky) I thought was a very physical race, and I just think that all those things fall right into line for Kyle Busch."

Evernham pointed to Busch’s reaction to finishing third in last Friday’s XFINITY Series race as a sign of his maturity and focus.

"I’m sure he would have loved to have won it, but it did what it was supposed to do: give him an education on what he needed to do to win Saturday night, and that to me is just as important or more important than running the XFINITY races," Evernham said.

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Staff Report

After months of repairs, LFR back home at site of May fire

After a fire significantly damaged the Leavine Family Racing shop in May, the team is finally back in its old stomping grounds after months of repair.

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For the past few months Leavine Family Racing has been operating out of the Team Penske headquarters in Mooresville, North Carolina after dealing with the aftermath of the May fire that caused some major damages to their shop.

Upon their return, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race team partnered with Monitronics Security, "one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing home security alarm monitoring companies," according to a team release.

Monitronics will outfit the shop with a new, state-of-the-art security and fire monitoring system and be featured as an associate on the team’s No. 95 Ford Fusion at Chicagoland Speedway in September, Charlotte Motor Speedway in October and Texas Motor Speedway in November.

@walr2772 & crew are back at LFR shop. Long process but good to be back. Thank you all for the support #HomeSweetHome pic.twitter.com/RRuFdvNBZb

— LeavineFamilyRacing (@LeavineFamily95) July 14, 2015

The team, which fields the No. 95 Ford for driver Michael McDowell, has been a part-time competitor in NASCAR’s top division since 2011.

No one was hurt in the fire but the race cars weren’t so lucky. A total of four backup cars were damaged in the incident.

The 14-person LFR team said that most of the damages were in a storage area in the rear of the building, which is where the backup cars and some uniforms were stored.

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Staff Report

Driver will return to the No. 13 Chevrolet in 2016

Casey Mears has signed a contract extension to keep him with Germain Racing for the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Mears, 37, has been with Germain Racing since late in the 2010 season. During that time, he has one top-five finish and five top-10 finishes, all of which have come at restrictor-plate tracks.

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"I’m really happy to announce that Casey Mears is back in the No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS next year," team owner Bob Germain Jr. said in a release provided by the team. "He’s been an integral part of the team’s growth and success over the past 5 years and I am confident he can continue to help us move forward and reach our goals. We’ve come a long way as a team, and assembled a group of extremely talented people who enjoy working together. As the team owner, that’s really the thing I’m most proud of. And, of course, the long term support of GEICO has given us the stability we needed to make it all happen."

In his fifth full-time season with Germain, Mears is currently 20th in the Sprint Cup Series point standings.

"It’s really exciting to drive the No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS again in 2016," Mears said in a team release. "I think that it’s been a long time in the making here at Germain Racing, being competitive at the Cup level. It’s been a long process to get the GEICO program to where we are now. We are finally starting to see some of the benefits from all the hard work from the last four or five years. I’m very excited to carry on the GEICO relationship and to be a part of Germain Racing‘s continued growth."

In his 13 seasons in the sport’s top series, Mears has one win, which came in 2007 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600 with Hendrick Motorsports.

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Staff Report

Keep tabs on this weekend’s national series activity

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR XFINITY Series head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this week. Here’s more info on how you can follow along all weekend.

RACES

Sprint Cup Series: 5-hour ENERGY 301 (Sunday, July 19, 1:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, PRN, SiriusXM)
XFINITY Series: Lakes Region 200 (Saturday, July 18, 4 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, PRN, SiriusXM)

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Click here for on-track times, press conferences, leaderboards and GarageCam.

RACE DAY

• NSCS leaderboard
• NXS leaderboard
• NSCS Lap-by-Lap
• NXS Lap-by-Lap
• NSCS live standings

PRODUCTS

• RaceBuddy: Through the remainder of the season, NASCAR RaceBuddy will feature two (2) alternate live action camera angles, along with up to six (6) in-car cameras with different driver selections for each Sprint Cup race and four (4) for XFINITY races.
• RaceView: Watch virtual video of cars on track and listen to the scanner.
• RaceView Mobile: On your phone? Try RaceView here.
• Scanner: In-car audio only.
• Mobile Apps: Follow the leaderboards live from your device.

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA

Web stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
Mobile app: iOS/Android

NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs will provide racing fans with unparalleled interactive digital access to every NASCAR Sprint Cup series race, including exclusive camera angles, custom diver information, and insider track information.

• Multi-view options that bring fans inside the race, combining NBC Sports Group’s race simulcast and alternative camera angles, ranging from in-car views to various key track locations. For the Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on July 11, one specialty camera will offer an innovative speed shot from Turn 4, capturing the cars as they speed by.

• Dedicated full-view, on-board alternate cameras.

• Additional features on the desktop/laptop experience, bringing fans comprehensive race-day information to their fingertips, including:

• Driver updates, cup standings, and biographies

• Track infographics with key facts and history

NBC Sports Live Extra will stream NASCAR coverage on NBC and NBCSN via "TV Everywhere", giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store and Apple TV. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra.

FANTASY

• NASCAR Fantasy Live: Set your lineups, check your progress
• Streak to the Finish: Play in all three national series

LIVE INTERVIEWS

PressPass: Watch exclusive post-race interviews.

Stay tuned to NASCAR.com throughout the weekend for the latest news.

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Staff Report

Veteran driver will pilot No. 20 Toyota before calling it a career

RELATED: Buy Iowa tickets | HERMAN UNPLUGGED: The retirement edition

Kenny Wallace will make the final start of his NASCAR career at Iowa Speedway in the U.S. Cellular 250 Presented by New Holland (Aug. 1, 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, MRN, SiriusXM).

The race at Iowa will mark the end of a 26-year NASCAR career and will also serve as his series-record 547th career start in the series. The veteran driver will go behind the wheel of the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing at the short track. Wallace finished 23rd in the May race at Iowa and his race will be the third start of the season for the 51-year-old.

"To me, this isn’t a sad moment; I’m at a truly happy place in my life right now," Wallace said in a release from Rusty Wallace Incorporated. "After all, not too many guys get to have the privilege of being a NASCAR driver, especially for as long as I have. I really wanted to end my long career on a positive note and I’m very excited about our chances in Iowa. The No. 20 team is one of the best in the sport and I’m looking forward to having a chance to end my NASCAR career with a great finish. I really want to thank U.S. Cellular for helping me make that happen."

Wallace has made 344 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts in addition to 13 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. However, all nine of his national series wins have come in the XFINITY Series. In 1991, Wallace finished as the runner-up in the standings for that series. Heading into the Iowa race, Wallace has completed the most laps in XFINITY Series history with 101,673.

On the Sprint Cup side, Wallace’s best finishes were a trio of runner-up showings at Loudon (in 1999), Talladega (in 2000) and Rockingham (in 2001).

In addition to still competing every so often, Wallace has served as a NASCAR analyst for FOX Sports, appearing on FOX Sports 1’s "NASCAR RaceDay" and "NASCAR Victory Lane" programs. He also does a "Herman Unplugged" feature, offering his opinions on the hot topics in the sport, for NASCAR Illustrated that appears on NASCAR.com.

"Growing up as a kid and watching my Dad race in Rolla, Missouri, I never dreamed that I’d have the chance to do what I’ve done in my life," Wallace said. "I’ve had a long and successful career and I’ve been able to support my family doing what I love. To me, it doesn’t get any better than that. I’m really proud of everything that I’ve been able to accomplish in NASCAR.

"I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to turn my NASCAR driving career into another career doing something else I love — that’s working with FOX Sports on television. Those guys have been great to me and I get a lot of happiness from being able to educate the fans about the sport that I love. I’m going to stay involved in the sport through TV and I’m going to stay behind the wheel in my dirt cars, too.

"You know, everyone experiences change at some point and I’m honestly looking forward to opening the next chapter in my life. As always, I promise that I’m going to have a lot of fun doing it."

The No. 20 XFINITY Series car has seen five drivers take turns behind the wheel this season for JGR. Erik Jones has made nine starts, while Matt Kenseth has made three, Denny Hamlin has made two and Ross Kenseth and David Ragan have each made one start in the car. Jones won at Texas, while Hamlin won at Richmond in the car for crew chief Mike Wheeler.

The No. 20 team enters the New Hampshire race weekend fourth in the owner standings for the XFINITY Series. Hamlin will pilot the car at the Magic Mile.

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Zack Albert

Analyzing what happened and where things go from here

Saturday night’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race with a new, lower-downforce rules package prompted almost as many questions as it answered at Kentucky Speedway, but in a good way. Based on its early reviews, the opening act could lead to potentially much wider use later this season and beyond.

The blight of frequent rain severely curtailed practice time on the 1.5-mile track, making a small sample size even smaller before the rules package’s race-time application in the Quaker State 400. Despite the scheduling difficulties, the weekend was capped by the most compelling intermediate-track race of the season.

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What was learned? What’s next? Who benefited the most? Measuring outcomes or making predictions from Saturday night’s show isn’t an easy task, one that would benefit from the help of a Magic 8-Ball to provide the answers.

With that, let’s give it a shake:

It is decidedly so: Passing increased — a lot. What the package yielded was the most competitive event in the track’s history, based on the number of lead changes and widespread passing — more than double that in the previous year’s Kentucky race — throughout the pack. Chalk some of the statistics up to a track-record 11 caution periods and the frantic restarts — with three- and four-wide racing — that followed, but the rules package deserves the bulk of the credit.

You may rely on it: Separation was still prevalent once drivers settled into a green-flag run, but the advantages of undisturbed "clean air" for a leading car was not nearly as pronounced. The decreased downforce prevented cars from being glued to the race track, placing an emphasis on driver control. With that factor at a premium and perfectly consistent lap times not easy to achieve, overtaking came more into play.

Ask again later: The next stop for the reduced-downforce package comes Sept. 6 at Darlington Raceway, but with what’s expected to be a crucial variable — a softer tire. Goodyear’s production run of Kentucky tires was already complete by the time last weekend’s rules change was announced, preventing a more exact match. By getting the downforce and tire compounds in sync for Labor Day weekend, the verdict on the rules package may be even more conclusive.

MORE: Several tracks to see new rules packages in 2015

Cannot predict now: Are further changes coming? Could the package be used in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs? Possibly. Some crew chiefs expressed that NASCAR could go even further in chopping downforce, but that more will be learned with the softer tire compound at Darlington. As for the Chase, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said last week that, "all options for us are still on the table." A rules change for the playoffs could be considered drastic, but the precedent for making bold moves has already been set midseason at Kentucky.

Outlook good: Two teams stood out from the rest in benefiting from the new package — Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske. Their half-dozen cars made a clean sweep of the top six, leading all but five laps Saturday night. Race winner Kyle Busch was the most dominant, setting the pace for 163 of the 267 laps, but the show of strength didn’t dampen the quality of the racing, both up front and in the pack.

Reply hazy, try again: For whatever reason, Chevrolet teams in general struggled to find the right combination. Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon drove the top-finishing Chevy to seventh place in his last Kentucky start.

Don’t count on it: NASCAR innovation standing pat? Not in this new era, where the decision-makers in the sanctioning body’s R&D center actively seek feedback from drivers, whether in an organized council or otherwise. Their willingness to adapt and change injected life into Saturday night’s racing, and the promise of track-specific packages offers even more potential.

Signs point to yes: Based on the reaction of most drivers and most fans through social media, Saturday’s race may best be remembered as a key building block to an improved on-track product on intermediate-sized tracks. Third-place finisher Denny Hamlin may have stated it best: "This is what race car driving’s all about. And I feel like now it’s back in the driver and crew chief’s hands to get their car handling like it’s supposed to, not just an arms race of who builds the fastest cars in the shop."

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Nascar

Entering New Hampshire, three-time champion currently sits 28th in points

While it seems as if everyone else has been on Tony Stewart retirement watch, Tony Stewart has been on "What the hell can we do to get better?" watch.

Halfway through the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Stewart, 44, has yet to score his first top-five finish. He has a single top 10. And he’s 28th in points as the series prepares to head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Sunday’s 5-hour ENERGY 301 (1:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM).

His past two seasons have been abbreviated. Stewart suffered a broken leg in ’13 and missed the final 15 races; last year his involvement in an on-track fatality left him sidelined for three races.

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This year brought a new rules package featuring lower downforce and less horsepower, changes to which admits he has yet to adapt.

So while some wonder just how much longer he will continue to compete, Stewart says he is much more concerned with how he can get back to the form that saw him win three series titles (2002, ’05, ’11) and 48 races.

"Right now I’m just trying to figure out how to get my car working, to be honest with you," Stewart said during a national teleconference on Tuesday when asked about career longevity. "To me, I don’t care how we get there. I don’t care if it takes one week or if it takes six weeks to get there, the main thing is just getting there.

"We’re going to keep working hard and keep pushing to try to find that. With the way this (Chase) format is … all it takes is one good race for us to get in. If we can find whatever it is that we’ve been missing … one race can change our whole season. That’s the driving force every week."

Stewart has won at least one race on 21 of the 23 tracks currently hosting Sprint Cup events, a mark surpassed only by four-time series champ Jeff Gordon. His wins are spread out among the various venues — at times he’s been as strong on the 1.5-mile tracks as on the road courses. He’s a five-time winner on the restrictor-plate tracks, and many of his victories been earned on short tracks.

He hasn’t won, however, in his last 59 starts, last visiting victory lane at Dover International Speedway in June of 2013 while paired with crew chief Steve Addington.

Chad Johnston has been calling the shots for the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 team since the start of 2014. Stewart still believes in his crew chief.

"I don’t feel like he’s what’s holding us back," he said. "There’s something about the way this package is that just doesn’t suit my driving style. It’s a scenario that when you drive for so long, you’re used to one thing … coming into this year and taking the amount of horsepower they took out was a pretty radical change for the Cup Series.

"I think it was more the horsepower reduction than it was anything that I feel like has hurt me this year. I’ve grown up driving high‑horsepower cars, high power‑to‑weight ratio cars. This hasn’t been what I’m used to feeling."

RELATED: Drivers give package rave reviews

Because he hasn’t found that balance and feel for which he is searching, Stewart said it would be unwise to look to him for an opinion on NASCAR’s latest rules change, a lower downforce package used this past weekend at Kentucky Speedway. A version of the package will also be used later this year at Darlington Raceway.

As an owner (Stewart is co-owner of SHR), any changes that, "put better races on is in all of our best interests," he said.

"The part that’s hard for the teams is the process … changing this, changing that. All that cost comes out of our pockets. It doesn’t come out of NASCAR’s pocket. NASCAR decides they want to change something (and) we’re the ones that have to spend the money to do it.

"I think all of the owners will do whatever’s in the best interest of making it better. I just would like to see NASCAR share some of that expense versus saying, ‘Hey, we got an idea, we want to try this,’ then the teams have to spend all the money to do it."

For now, though, Stewart has more pressing concerns.

"I feel like every weekend, it’s the weekend we’re going to find it," he said. "It’s disheartening, takes the wind out of your sails when you realize you haven’t found it that week. …

"It’s not strictly about a win. If we get our car working and win a race because we have our car working well, it definitely can turn the season around. With this format, it can change everything.

"That’s your reason not to give up. That’s your reason to keep fighting every week and show up at the track with the same attitude you did the week before. You can go out there, win the race, (and) get everything going."

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Nascar

Intermediate track hosts opening event of 10-race Chase in September

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup doesn’t begin for another 10 weeks at Chicagoland Raceway, but a dozen teams are scheduled to be at the 1.5-mile track later this week for an open team test.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Hendrick Motorsports), Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing), Sam Hornish Jr. (Richard Petty Motorsports) and J.J. Yeley (BK Racing) are participating in a two-day Goodyear tire test Monday and Tuesday.

They will be joined by Kyle Larson (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates), Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway Racing), Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing), Ryan Blaney (Wood Brothers Racing), Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing), Kurt Busch (Stewart-Haas Racing), Clint Bowyer (Michael Waltrip Racing) and Brad Keselowski (Team Penske) for the open test.

On Tuesday morning, Earnhardt Jr. tweeted that Hornish tested a high downforce package on Monday while a low downforce package was scheduled to be run on Tuesday.

Test day2. Heard @SamHornish tested @NASCAR high downforce package yesterday. We start day2 with the low downforce package. #RunninInCircles

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) July 14, 2015

While a lower downforce rules package similar to that used this past weekend at Kentucky Speedway isn’t expected to be in play when the series competes at Chicago in September, any additional testing with the setup on the 1.5-mile track would give both Goodyear and the teams additional data going forward.

RELATED: France sees improvement in racing at Kentucky

At Daytona International Speedway earlier this month, Earnhardt Jr. said he was open to trying a different aero package for Chicago while testing.

"I think it’s a great idea to go there and take whatever package they would like to try," the Hendrick Motorsports driver said. "Because it’s a great opportunity … we will be there three full days."

Earnhardt said implementing the lower downforce package for the test didn’t necessarily mean the package would be used in the opening Chase race.

"We will go through and see what happens up until the Chase with these different packages they want to try and then maybe come to a decision to change something in the Chase," he said. "But until then nothing in the Chase is really going to change as far as I’ve been told. I feel comfortable about that."

A similar rules package will be in play when the series travels to Darlington Raceway in September, and a high drag package is scheduled for races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway later this year.

The rules package in place for Saturday’s race at Kentucky featured a shorter spoiler as well as changes to the splitter and splitter extension panel.

RELATED: What we learned from Kentucky race, rules package

While weather problems forced the cancellation of a scheduled extended practice on Wednesday at Kentucky, as well as qualifying on Friday, the 267-lap race featured a record number of green-flag passes throughout the field.

Steve O’Donnell, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer for NASCAR, didn’t completely close the door on the possibility of an aero change for any of the 10 Chase races, five of which will be contested on 1.5-mile tracks, when speaking with members of the media last week, saying, "All options for us are still on the table."

"Our position today is that these are the race packages and this is kind of where we’re at for ’15, but as those conversations take place over the next couple weeks, that could change," he said.

Monday morning on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, O’Donnell said, however, that there were no plans to implement different aero packages for Chase races.

"We’re going to stick with our plan," he said. "This was something that we developed with the garage area. What are the specific races that we can target together? Everybody feels really good about the plan that we have in place so we’ll continue on that path. We’re learning a lot this week as well as we take all the data from Kentucky. …

"There were some reasons why we picked the race tracks we did from a (preparation) standpoint, and (we) feel like we want to stick to the plan right now."

The opening Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20 at Chicagoland Speedway (3 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, MRN, SiriusXM). The other nine Chase races will be contested at: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Staff Report

A statistical look ahead to the 19th race of the 2015 Sprint Cup season

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 13, 2015) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire going into the 5-hour ENERGY 301 on July 19 (1:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN).

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NEW HAMPSHIRE-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota)

· Two wins, four top fives, seven top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 14.500, 10th-best

· Average Running Position of 12.335, eighth-best

· Driver Rating of 95.0, eighth-best

· 245 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.934, seventh-fastest

· 3760 Laps in the Top 15 (69.9), eighth-most

· 498 Quality Passes, 10th-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota)

· One win, seven top fives, ten top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 14.050, ninth-best

· Average Running Position of 13.375, 11th-best

· Driver Rating of 94.7, ninth-best

· 232 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.801, 11th-fastest

· 3975 Laps in the Top 15 (66.5), 10th-most

· 532 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

· Three wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s

· Average finish of 17.500, 12th-best

· Average Running Position of 14.294, 13th-best

· Driver Rating of 88.1, 13th-best

· 187 Fastest Laps Run, second-best

· 3529 Laps in the Top 15 (59.0), 13th-most

· 548 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr (No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet)

· Seven top fives, 14 top 10s

· Average finish of 13.350, seventh-best

· Average Running Position of 11.743, sixth-best

· Driver Rating of 97.1, sixth-best

· 251 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.100, fifth-fastest

· 4435 Laps in the Top 15 (74.2), fourth-most

· 625 Quality Passes, third-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet)

· Three wins, 16 top fives, 22 top 10s; four poles

· Average finish of 10.700, third-best

· Average Running Position of 7.680, series-best

· Driver Rating of 107.3, series-best

· 457 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.292, series-fastest

· 5266 Laps in the Top 15 (88.1), series-most

· 676 Quality Passes, series-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota)

· Two wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s

· Average finish of 10.500, second-best

· Average Running Position of 11.406, fifth-best

· Driver Rating of 103.2, third-best

· 320 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.064, sixth-fastest

· 3936 Laps in the Top 15 (73.2), fifth-most

· 570 Quality Passes, fourth-most

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

· One win, six top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 13.750, eighth-best

· Average Running Position of 12.288, seventh-best

· Driver Rating of 93.1, 10th-best

· 219 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.890, ninth-fastest

· 4002 Laps in the Top 15 (66.9), ninth-most

· 465 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

· Three wins, ten top fives, 18 top 10s

· Average finish of 10.950, fifth-best

· Average Running Position of 11.144, fourth-best

· Driver Rating of 102.1, fourth-best

· 432 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.193, third-fastest

· 4758 Laps in the Top 15 (79.6), second-most

· 626 Quality Passes, second-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet)

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

· Average finish of 18.050, 13th-best

· Average Running Position of 14.160, 12th-best

· Driver Rating of 91.3, 12th-best

· 340 Fastest Laps Run, series-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.891, eighth-fastest

· 3781 Laps in the Top 15 (63.2), 12th-most

· 534 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)

· One win, four top fives, seven top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 11.000, sixth-best

· Average Running Position of 12.985, ninth-best

· Driver Rating of 95.6, seventh-best

· 229 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.866, 10th-fastest

· 2147 Laps in the Top 15 (65.3), 11th-most

· 336 Quality Passes, 12th-most

Kyle Larson (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)

· Two top fives, two top 10s

· Average finish of 2.500, series-best

· Average Running Position of 10.730, third-best

· Driver Rating of 99.1, fifth-best

· 14 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.217, second-fastest

· 443 Laps in the Top 15 (72.9), sixth-most

· 51 Quality Passes, 13th-most

Ryan Newman (No. 31 Quicken Loans Chevrolet)

· Three wins, seven top fives, 16 top 10s; seven poles

· Average finish of 15.150, 11th-best

· Average Running Position of 13.142, 10th-best

· Driver Rating of 91.8, 11th-best

· 169 Fastest Laps Run, third-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.770, 12th-fastest

· 4342 Laps in the Top 15 (72.6), seventh-most

· 504 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet)

· Three wins, 14 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 10.947, fourth-best

· Average Running Position of 10.290, second-best

· Driver Rating of 106.9, second-best

· 412 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.104, fourth-fastest

· 4347 Laps in the Top 15 (76.6), third-most

· 557 Quality Passes, fifth-most

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 16 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

	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	28	1	1	6	14	0	13.9	93.1
2	Jimmie Johnson	26	0	3	10	18	1	10.3	102.1
3	Joey Logano	13	0	2	3	5	2	17.9	77.2
4	Dale Earnhardt Jr	31	0	0	7	14	4	15.3	97.1
5	Martin Truex Jr	18	0	0	3	6	1	14.4	86.3
6	Brad Keselowski	11	3	1	4	7	0	11	95.6
7	Jamie McMurray	24	0	0	4	6	3	20.5	70.4
8	Kurt Busch	28	0	3	7	11	1	16.1	88.1
9	Matt Kenseth	30	0	1	7	15	1	13.3	85.7
10	Jeff Gordon	40	4	3	16	22	2	11.4	107.3
11	Denny Hamlin	18	0	2	7	11	0	10.5	103.2
12	Kasey Kahne	22	0	1	3	8	3	17	91.3
13	Paul Menard	16	0	0	0	0	0	23.7	61.4
14	Ryan Newman	26	7	3	7	16	3	13.8	91.8
15	Clint Bowyer	18	1	2	4	7	1	14.5	95.0
16	Aric Almirola	9	0	0	1	2	0	19.6	64.8

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data

Season Race #: 19 of 36 (07-19-15)

Track Size: 1.058-mile

Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 2 to 7 degrees

Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 2 to 7 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 1 degree

Banking/Backstretch: 1 degree

Frontstretch Length: 1,500 feet

Backstretch Length: 1,500 feet

Race Length: 301 laps / 318.46 miles

Top 10 Driver Rating at New Hampshire

Jeff Gordon………………………… 107.3

Tony Stewart……………………….. 106.9

Denny Hamlin………………………. 103.2

Jimmie Johnson…………………… 102.1

Kyle Larson.…………………………. 99.1

Dale Earnhardt Jr.………………….. 97.1

Brad Keselowski……………………. 95.6

Clint Bowyer…………………………. 95.0

Kyle Busch…………………………… 94.7

Kevin Harvick………………………… 93.1

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (20 total) among active drivers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Qualifying/Race Data

2014 pole winner:

Kyle Busch, Toyota

138.130 mph, 27.574 secs. 07-11-14

2014 race winner:

Brad Keselowski, Ford

108.741 mph, (02:58:03), 07-13-14

Track qualifying record:

Brad Keselowski, Ford

140.598 mph, 27.090 secs. 09-21-14

Track race record:

Jeff Burton, Ford

117.134 mph, (02:42:35), 07-13-97

New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

History

· Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway, as New Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally named, was Aug. 13, 1989.

· The 1.058-mile oval is located on approximately 1,200 acres; the multi-use complex is the largest sports facility in New England.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was on July 11, 1993 – won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace.

· Speedway Motorsports, Inc. agreed to purchase New Hampshire International Speedway from Bob and Gary Bahre on January 11, 2008 and then renamed the track New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Starts

· There have been 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; one per year from 1993 through 1996 and two per year since.

· 160 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire; 129 in more than one.

· Jeff Gordon has competed in all 40 races at New Hampshire – the only driver to accomplish the feat.

· Only one active championship contending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver has made their first career start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Joey Logano (9/14/08).

· Three drivers will attempt to make their series debuts at New Hampshire this weekend: Trevor Bayne, Matt DiBenedetto and Brett Moffitt.

· Ryan Newman leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at New Hampshire with an 8.692.

Poles

· Mark Martin won the inaugural Coors Light pole at New Hampshire in 1993 with a speed of 126.871 mph.

· 18 drivers have Coors Light poles at New Hampshire, led by Ryan Newman with seven.

· Four active drivers have multiple poles at New Hampshire: Ryan Newman (seven), Jeff Gordon (four), Brad Keselowski (three) and Kyle Busch (two).

· Five drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at New Hampshire: Ken Schrader (1997 sweep); Jeff Gordon (1998-1999); Rusty Wallace (1999-2000); Ryan Newman (twice – 2003-2004 and 2011 sweep); Juan Pablo Montoya (2009-2010).

· Youngest New Hampshire Coors Light pole winner: Brian Vickers (07/17/2005 – 21 years, 8 months, 23 days).

· Oldest New Hampshire Coors Light pole winner: Bill Elliott (07/21/2002 – 46 years, 9 months, 13 days).

· Brad Keselowski (9/19/10) is the only active driver to post his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Wins

· 24 different drivers have won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, led by Jeff Burton with four.

· Eight active drivers have multiple wins at NHMS: Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart (each have three); Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano (each have two)

· Two drivers have posted consecutive wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (2003 sweep) and Kurt Busch (2004 sweep).

· Youngest New Hampshire winner: Joey Logano (06/28/2009 – 19 years, 1 month, 4 days).

· Oldest New Hampshire winner: Mark Martin (09/20/2009 – 50 years, 8 months, 11 days).

· Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at New Hampshire in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with nine; followed by Roush Fenway Racing (seven), Team Penske (six), Joe Gibbs Racing (six) and Richard Childress Racing (four).

· Five different manufacturers have won at New Hampshire; led by Chevrolet with 18 victories; followed by Ford (13), Toyota (four), Dodge (three) and Pontiac (two).

· Jeff Burton is the only driver to win the July race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway three consecutive years in a row (1997, ’98 and ’99)

· Five of the 40 (12.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Ryan Newman in 2011.

· The Coors Light pole is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (five) than any other starting position at New Hampshire.

· Eight of the 40 (20%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire have been won from the front row: five from the pole and three from second-place.

· 22 of the 40 (55%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at New Hampshire have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· Nine of the 40 (22.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at New Hampshire is 38th, by Jeff Burton in 1999.

· The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at New Hampshire is 32nd, by Kurt Busch in the summer of 2003.

· Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at New Hampshire without visiting Victory Lane at 31; followed by Jamie McMurray and Casey Mears (24 starts each).

· Three active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Ryan Newman (9/15/02), Clint Bowyer (9/16/07) and Joey Logano (6/28/09).

Additional Finishing Position Stats

· Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are tied for the series lead in runner-up finishes at New Hampshire with five each.

· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at New Hampshire with 16; followed by Tony Stewart with 14 and Jimmie Johnson with 10.

· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-10 finishes at New Hampshire with 22; followed by Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson with 18 each.

· Jimmie Johnson leads NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at New Hampshire with an 10.269.

· All 14 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winners at New Hampshire Motor Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Ryan Newman and Joey Logano won at New Hampshire in their second appearance.

Track Specific Stats

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was the July 1, 2007 race won by Denny Hamlin over Jeff Gordon with a MOV of 0.068 second.

· 17 of the 33 (51.5%) NSCS races scored by electronic scoring at New Hampshire Motor Speedway have had a Margin of Victory less than a second.

· Four of the 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races have resulted with a green-white-checkered finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): 2006 (300/308), 2013 (301/302), 2014 (301/302) and the Chase race 2014 (300/303).

· Four of the 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was June 28, 2009 – the race was called on Lap 273, 28 circuits shy of the 301 scheduled laps.

· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway five times: fall 2001, summer 2003, fall 2004, fall 2008 and summer 2009.

· Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at New Hampshire with 1,371 laps led in 40 starts.

· Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps completed at New Hampshire with 11,666 laps completed in 40 starts.

Female Competitor Stats

· Danica Patrick is the only female driver that has competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Date	Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Driver Rating
9/21/2014	Danica Patrick	18	19	79.7
7/13/2014	Danica Patrick	29	22	60.9
9/22/2013	Danica Patrick	21	27	57.1
7/14/2013	Danica Patrick	32	37	47.7
Averages		25.0	26.3	61.35

NASCAR in New Hampshire

· There have been 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in New Hampshire, all at NHMS.

Track Name	City	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
New Hampshire Motor Speedway	Loudon	40	28	17

· 15 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as New Hampshire; Jamie Aube is the only one of the 15 to record a victory in NASCAR national series competition. Aube won July 12, 1987 at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, ME; it was his only start that season.

Milestones – New Hampshire Motor Speedway

DRIVER	HAS	NEEDS	MILESTONE	DESCRIPTION
DRIVER	HAS	NEEDS	MILESTONE	DESCRIPTION
Jeff Gordon	779	1	780th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start	Gordon will attempt to tie Michael Waltrip (780) for ninth on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career starts list.
Michael McDowell	174	1	175th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start	McDowell is 145th on the all-time NASCAR sprint Cup Series career starts list; two starts behind Walter Ballard in 144th (176)
Sam Hornish Jr.	149	1	150th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start	Hornish is 160th on the all-time NASCAR sprint Cup Series career starts list; one start behind Cotton Owens in 159th (150)
Denny Hamlin	49	1	50th Consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start	Hamlin is 26th on the active consecutive NSCS career starts list, two starts behind Landon Cassill (51) in 25th.
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	24,826	174	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	7,788	212	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.