Posted on by Nascar

News and notes from around the garage

RELATED: New rules for Darlington, 3 more tracks this season

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said a lot will be learned from this weekend’s race at Kentucky Speedway, but the Hendrick Motorsports driver doesn’t expect the different aero package to "reveal a lot of obvious answers on the way we need to go."
 
The Kentucky package will feature a shorter spoiler as well as changes to the splitter and splitter extension panel (radiator pan), moves that will lessen the amount of downforce on the cars by approximately 1,000 pounds, and, it is hoped, create an improved product on the track.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

Earnhardt, speaking Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, said not having a tire to match up with the low downforce package is the issue.
 
Sprint Cup Series teams will compete in the Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR).
 
"The tire is a bit better, but not quite enough," he said. "I think that is understood amongst NASCAR, ourselves and Goodyear. The Kentucky weekend won’t be a weekend we take a ton of stock in as far as what this package is really going to be able to lend us and if it would work somewhere else."
 
Goodyear officials already had produced the 2,200 tires needed for Kentucky before the decision to use the low downforce package was finalized. The tire that will be used does have more grip but was not used specifically with this package when teams tested there in April.
 
Steve O’Donnell, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer for NASCAR, told SiriusXM NASCAR that officials believe the change will be effective for the 1.5-mile track.
 
"We’re going to look at the measurements we look at every day: were there more passes, who was able to compete, how did the field look throughout the race, obviously fan measurements post-race," he said.

Goodyear Prepped for Darlington
 
Goodyear officials returned to Darlington Raceway on June 30 for a one-day tire test featuring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars running a low downforce package related to that which is being used this weekend at Kentucky.
 
Three drivers — Tony Stewart (Stewart-Haas Racing), Brad Keselowski (Team Penske) and Matt Kenseth (Joe Gibbs Racing) — took part in the test at the 1.366-mile track.
 
"The goal was to evaluate the low downforce package, similar to what is going to be run at Kentucky, and see if we couldn’t match a tire to that package," Greg Stucker, Director of Race Tire Sales for Goodyear, said Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.
 
"When I say match, I mean replace aero grip with mechanical grip. Try to basically do it one for one and we feel like we did that. It was between three quarters of a second and a second slower just with aero downforce reduction and we feel like we gave about three-fourths to a second back. That was our goal, to do it one for one."
 
Tuesday, NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell announced that a low-downforce package would indeed be used at Darlington.

However, the changes doesn’t mirror those being used this weekend at Kentucky — the spoiler will be 3-1/2 inches instead of 3-inches and the splitter will have a 1/4-inch leading edge.

The tire tested at Darlington features a softer compound as well as a construction change. Stucker said it was similar to the Kentucky right-side tire and the left-side tire used at Indianapolis.
 
"I think the drivers felt like they had plenty of grip," Stucker said. "We got them together about noon and made sure that it seemed like we were moving in the right direction … we left there feeling pretty good about our part of it. I think wear might be up a little bit with a softer package … but you would expect that."

Infractions Aplenty at Daytona
 
There were a season-high 65 penalties doled out during Sunday night’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, with the majority (35) for pitting before pit road was open.
 
That infraction isn’t unusual when multi-car crashes leave plenty of cars with damaged sheet metal, which definitely was the case at Daytona.
 
The overall total eclipsed the previous high mark of 43 set earlier this year at Martinsville Speedway.

Posted on by Nascar

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Jimmie Johnson said there is nothing unusual about his latest contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports and that the new, two-year deal mirrors that of primary sponsor Lowe’s.

Hendrick Motorsports officials announced two-year extensions, to run through 2017, with Johnson and Lowe’s on Monday. It was mentioned in the announcement that crew chief Chad Knaus had previously signed an extension to remain with the team through 2018.

Johnson, participating in an open test for Sprint Cup Series teams Wednesday at Kansas Speedway, said his contract is through ’17 but that it does not include a third-year option. That doesn’t mean it’s his last contract, however.

“Not that I’m aware of,” he said.

 

“Mine is a two-year deal and it parallels the Lowe’s extension,” he said. “I think the number has created some concern or questions among fans but my contracts have always really paralleled the length of time that the sponsor’s contract has been there.

“People can speculate, good or bad or whatever … there’s really nothing behind it. I’ve got two more years and hopefully in a year or so we will re-up with Lowe’s once again and extend longer.”

 

Lowe’s has been the primary sponsor of the No. 48 Chevrolet since Johnson moved into Sprint Cup competition in 2002.

Johnson, who turns 40 on Sept. 17, is attempting to become just the third driver in the history of the Sprint Cup Series to win seven championships, a mark currently held by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. He is the only driver to win five consecutive titles (2006-10), and his 74 career victories is just two shy of Earnhardt’s 76 career total.

The re-signing of Knaus didn’t have any bearing on his own contract talks with team owner Rick Hendrick, according to Johnson.

“No, ideally we wanted everything done and together and announced at the Lowe’s industry meeting that takes place in January,” he said. “So (by) January ’15 we wanted to have that done.

“The contract did change a little bit between Rick and I, and with the automotive side it just took a while to get everything in place for that.”

Auto dealership ownership, similar to that done with teammate Jeff Gordon earlier in his career, was reportedly a part of the latest contract extension.

“They got Chad’s done and out of the way and finally got mine done,” he said. “Once we got busy racing, we were focused on racing and forgot about the contract because we’re all three so secure with our situation.

“To be honest, it’s just a very casual situation — sponsor, team, driver, I think we all feel highly committed together … it just happened a little later than … what we had in mind.”

Hendrick Motorsports teams have won 11 premier series championships and 237 races since debuting in NASCAR in 1984.

In addition to Johnson, the organization, located in Concord, N.C., also fields Sprint Cup Series entries for drivers Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne.

Gordon, a four-time series champion, will retire from driving at the end of 2015 and will be replaced by defending NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott.

Earnhardt Jr. is signed through the ’17 season, Kahne through ’18.

Johnson, Earnhardt Jr. and Gordon are among this year’s 16 drivers competing in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, which kicks off this weekend with the myAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR).

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Updated Chase Grid | Full results from Watkins Glen

 

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are NASCAR’s most dominant road course racers and needed a strong showing — ideally a victory — in Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at the Glen to boost their tenuous 2015 playoff outlook.

 

Instead their shared history at the world famous road course would also include a similarly disappointing afternoon of rights and lefts. Stewart, the Glen’s all-time winningest driver, finished last in the 43–car field. Gordon, the all-time laps leader, finished 41st.

 

The good news? Most of the other winless drivers they are competing against in the points standings for a Chase bid also struggled mightily.

 

Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kasey Kahne finished 42nd. And Jamie McMurray was 40th on the leaderboard. The results were particularly costly in the standings since four-race winner Kyle Busch cracked into top-30 in points and has seized a Chase berth if he remains there through the four races remaining to set the 16-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field.

 

“It’s disappointing, but I mean right now I just feel like we can’t afford to have these kinds of finishes if we are going to make the Chase,” said Gordon, who had brake problems early on Sunday and spent four laps in the garage while his team made repairs.

 

“I have no idea where we are right now in points or how all that worked out, but just when you think you get something that is going to go your way and something like this happens. We just keep fighting and digging and try to get the finishes that we need to get ourselves solidly in there.”

MORE: Brake woes ruin Gordon’s day

 

Eleven drivers have wins this season — and all of them except Kyle Busch have clinched Chase berths. That leaves five other points positions as the standings are now.

 

Heading into next week’s race at Michigan, McMurray holds the first of the five points positions currently Chase eligible, followed by Paul Menard, Gordon, Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer. Kasey Kahne‘s poor finish plus Busch’s good finish at the Glen, knocked Kahne out of the Chase Grid and behind 16th-place Aric Almirola in the standings.

 

McMurray held a 97-point cushion inside the top-16 entering the weekend and now holds only a 73-point edge. Gordon had been just behind McMurray, but now trails Paul Menard by two points.

 

Newman, who made it all the way to the final round of the playoffs without a victory in 2014, is only 22 points behind McMurray and Bowyer, only 23 back.

 

Stewart’s situation was a little more dire. Ranked well out of the top-16, back in 26th place, his best chance to qualify for the Chase is with a victory.

 

RELATED: Stewart’s day ends early at the Glen

Stewart’s third-place starting position in the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy this weekend was his best of the season, but the car suffered a mechanical failure with 34 laps remaining.

 

Still Stewart, a five-time race winner here, left the track feeling encouraged.

 

“I guess for me it’s (the) big picture,” Stewart said. “The way our season has been we’ve picked up. Indy we picked up, Pocono we picked up, we picked up here … in qualifying at all three places for sure.

 

“At the end of the day the results won’t show it, but I think for us it’s — granted it’s three totally different disciplines and packages and all that — but I feel like we are starting to gain some momentum. Like I said, it won’t show it at the end of the day on the results, but I feel good about our weekend.”

Posted on by Staff Report

A statistical look ahead to the 18th race of the Sprint Cup season

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (July 6, 2015) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky going into the Quaker State 400 on July 11 on NBCSN at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

KENTUCKY-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
 
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota)
·         One win, three top fives, four top 10s
·         Average finish of 4.500, series-best
·         Average Running Position of 5.270, series-best
·         Driver Rating of 124.3, series-best
·         139 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 172.614, series-best
·         1003 Laps in the Top 15 (93.9), series-most
·         99 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
·         Two top 10s
·         Average finish of 11.500, eighth-best
·         Average Running Position of 13.430, 12th-best
·         Driver Rating of 89.4, 11th-best
·         21 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 171.179, 13th-fastest
·         603 Laps in the Top 15 (56.5), 12th-most
·         112 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr (No. 88 NATIONWIDE Chevrolet)
·         Two top fives, two top 10s; one pole
·         Average finish of 12.750, 10th-best
·         Average Running Position of 12.607, eighth-best
·         Driver Rating of 90.7, ninth-best
·         32 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 171.518, 10th-fastest
·         633 Laps in the Top 15 (59.3), 11th-most
·         106 Quality Passes, ninth-most
 
Carl Edwards (No. 19 COMCAST MINIONS Toyota)
·         One top five, one top 10
·         Average finish of 15.750, 12th-best
·         Average Running Position of 12.755, ninth-best
·         Driver Rating of 87.2, 12th-best
·         20 Fastest Laps Run, second-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 171.201, 12th-fastest
·         662 Laps in the Top 15 (62.0), 10th-most
·         107 Quality Passes, eighth-most
 
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet)
·         One top five, four top 10s
·         Average finish of 7.250, fourth-best
·         Average Running Position of 12.069, seventh-best
·         Driver Rating of 95.4, sixth-best
·         41 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 171.777, seventh-fastest
·         736 Laps in the Top 15 (68.9), seventh-most
·         140 Quality Passes, fourth-most
 
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota)
·         One top five, one top 10
·         Average finish of 22.750, 13th-best
·         Average Running Position of 18.688, 13th-best
·         Driver Rating of 85.2, 13th-best
·         34 Fastest Laps Run, series-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 172.252, third-fastest
·         558 Laps in the Top 15 (52.2), 13th-most
·         87 Quality Passes, 13th-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet)
·         Two top 10s
·         Average finish of 11.000, seventh-best
·         Average Running Position of 10.600, fifth-best
·         Driver Rating of 95.2, seventh-best
·         17 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 171.767, eighth-fastest
·         884 Laps in the Top 15 (82.8), fourth-most
·         133 Quality Passes, fifth-most
 
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Pro Services Chevrolet)
·         One top five, four top 10s; one pole
·         Average finish of 7.000, third-best
·         Average Running Position of 6.292, second-best
·         Driver Rating of 116.6, second-best
·         127 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 172.573, second-fastest
·         963 Laps in the Top 15 (90.2), third-most
·         142 Quality Passes, third-most
 
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 LIFTMASTER Chevrolet)
·         One top five, two top 10s
·         Average finish of 8.500, fifth-best
·         Average Running Position of 12.879, 11th-best
·         Driver Rating of 98.9, fifth-best
·         64 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 172.039, fifth-fastest
·         709 Laps in the Top 15 (66.4), eighth-most
·         145 Quality Passes, second-most
 
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
·         One win, two top fives, four top 10s
·         Average finish of 4.500, second-best
·         Average Running Position of 9.208, third-best
·         Driver Rating of 107.2, fourth-best
·         79 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 172.189, fourth-fastest
·         972 Laps in the Top 15 (91.0), second-most
·         181 Quality Passes, series-most
 
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)
·         Two wins, two top fives, three top 10s; one pole
·         Average finish of 10.500, sixth-best
·         Average Running Position of 10.234, fourth-best
·         Driver Rating of 116.1, third-best
·         171 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 171.863, sixth-fastest
·         840 Laps in the Top 15 (78.7), fifth-most
·         88 Quality Passes, 12th-most
 
Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil/AutoTrader Ford)
·         One top five, two top 10s
·         Average finish of 12.250, ninth-best
·         Average Running Position of 11.292, sixth-best
·         Driver Rating of 94.7, eighth-best
·         25 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 171.579, ninth-fastest
·         669 Laps in the Top 15 (62.6), ninth-most
·         101 Quality Passes, 10th-most
 
Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
·         Two top fives, two top 10s
·         Average finish of 13.750, 11th-best
·         Average Running Position of 12.857, 10th-best
·         Driver Rating of 90.2, 10th-best
·         14 Fastest Laps Run, third-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 171.476, 11th-fastest
·         776 Laps in the Top 15 (72.7), sixth-most
·         113 Quality Passes, sixth-most

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 16 at Kentucky Speedway

 

Driver

Races

Poles

Wins

Top Fives

Top 10s

DNFs

Average Finish

Driver Rating

  
 

1

Kevin Harvick

4

0

0

0

2

0

11

95.2

  

2

Dale Earnhardt Jr

4

1

0

2

2

0

12.8

90.7

  

3

Jimmie Johnson

4

1

0

1

4

0

7

116.6

  

4

Joey Logano

4

0

0

1

2

0

12.2

94.7

  

5

Martin Truex Jr

4

0

0

0

2

0

13

84.0

  

6

Jamie McMurray

4

0

0

1

1

1

22.5

76.5

  

7

Brad Keselowski

4

1

2

2

3

0

10.5

116.1

  

8

Kurt Busch

4

0

0

0

2

0

11.5

89.4

  

9

Matt Kenseth

4

0

1

2

4

0

4.5

107.2

  

10

Jeff Gordon

4

0

0

1

4

0

7.2

95.4

  

11

Kasey Kahne

4

0

0

1

2

0

8.5

98.9

  

12

Denny Hamlin

4

0

0

1

1

2

22.8

85.2

  

13

Paul Menard

4

0

0

0

0

0

20.2

74.5

  

14

Ryan Newman

4

0

0

2

2

1

13.8

90.2

  

15

Clint Bowyer

4

0

0

1

1

1

19.2

83.3

  

16

Aric Almirola

3

0

0

0

0

1

26.7

67.4

  

* – Based on last four races at Kentucky Speedway.

Kentucky Speedway Data

Season Race #: 18 of 36 (07-11-15)

Track Size: 1.5-miles

Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 14 degrees

Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 14 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 8 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 8 degrees

Frontstretch Length:  1,662 feet

Backstretch Length:  1,600 feet

Race Length: 200 laps / 300 miles

 

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Kentucky

Kyle Busch…………………………. 124.3

Jimmie Johnson…………………… 116.6

Brad Keselowski………………….. 116.1

Matt Kenseth……………………….. 107.2

Kasey Kahne………………………… 98.9

Jeff Gordon………………………….. 95.4

Kevin Harvick………………………… 95.2

Joey Logano………………………… 94.7

Dale Earnhardt Jr.………………….. 90.7

Ryan Newman……………………….. 90.2

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (four total) among active drivers at Kentucky Speedway.

Qualifying/Race Data

2014 pole winner:

Brad Keselowski, Ford

188.791 mph, 28.603 secs. 06-28-14

2014 race winner:

Brad Keselowski, Ford

139.723 mph, (02:51:59), 06-29-14

Track qualifying record:

Brad Keselowski, Ford

188.791 mph, 28.603 secs. 06-28-14

Track race record:

Brad Keselowski., Dodge

145.607 mph, (02:45:02), 06-30-12

At Kentucky Speedway:

History

·         In 1998, the track broke ground in Sparta, Kentucky, and opened as a 1.5-mile speedway in 2000.

·         The original owners, Jerry Carroll and four other investors owned the track until 2008, when current owners, Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased the facility.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was held in 2011 – won by Kyle Busch.

Starts

·       There have been four NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Kentucky Speedway since the first race in 2011 – one race per season.

·         60 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway; 45 in more than one.

·         28 different drivers have made all four series starts at Kentucky Speedway.

·       Brad Keselowski leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in Average Starting Position at Kentucky with a 5.75; followed by Kyle Busch with a 6.25.

Poles

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying at Kentucky was cancelled due to weather. The starting line-up was set per the Rule Book – Kyle Busch started from first.

·         Brad Keselowski (2014), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2013) and Jimmie Johnson (2012) are the three drivers that have won Coors Light poles at Kentucky.

·         Youngest Kentucky pole winner: Brad Keselowski (06/28/2014 – 30 years, 4 months, 16 days).

·         Oldest Kentucky pole winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (06/30/2013 – 38 years, 8 months, 20 days).

Wins

·      Three different NSCS drivers have won at Kentucky Speedway: Kyle Busch (07/09/2011), Brad Keselowski (06/30/2012 and 6/28/2014) and Matt Kenseth (6/30/2013).

·         Brad Keselowski leads the series in wins at Kentucky with two.  

·         Youngest Kentucky winner: Kyle Busch (07/09/2011 – 26 years, 2 months, 7 days).

·         Oldest Kentucky winner: Matt Kenseth (06/30/2013 – 41 years, 3 months, 20 days).

·         Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske are tied for the series lead in wins at Kentucky with two each: Joe Gibbs Racing (2011, 2013); Team Penske (2012, 2014).

·        Three different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Kentucky: Toyota (2011, 2013), Dodge (2012) and Ford (2014).

·       Brad Keselowski is the only driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky from the Coors Light poles (2014).

·        Kyle Busch won the inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky from the first starting position. Due to the qualifying session being cancelled for the 2011 race, it was not from the Coors Light pole.

·        Two of the four (50.0%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Kentucky have been won from the front row – both from the first starting position (2011, 2014).

·        Three of the four (75%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Kentucky have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·  The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Kentucky is 16th, by Matt Kenseth in 2013.


·  The  fewest laps led in a single race by an eventual NSCS winner at Kentucky is 38 laps by Matt Kenseth in 2013.

·  The most laps led in a single race by an eventual NSCS winner at Kentucky is 199 laps by Brad Keselowski in 2014.

Additional Finishing Position Stats

·         Four different drivers have posted NSCS runner-up finishes at Kentucky:  David Reutimann (2011), Kasey Kahne (2012), Jamie McMurray (2013) and Kyle Busch (2014).

·         14 different drivers have posted top-five finishes at Kentucky led by Kyle Busch with three; followed by Brad Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, and Ryan Newman with two each.    

·         19 different drivers have posted top-10 finishes at Kentucky led by Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth with four each.

·         Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch are tied for the series among active drivers in Average Finishing Position at Kentucky with a 4.5 each. Jimmie Johnson (7.0), Jeff Gordon (7.2), and Kasey Kahne (8.5) are the other active drivers with an average finish in the top 10.

 

Track Event Stats

·       Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Kentucky Speedway was the July 9, 2011 race won by Kyle Busch over David Reutimann with a MOV of 0.179 second.

·      None of the four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Kentucky Speedway have resulted with a green-white-checkered finish.

·    None of the four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Kentucky Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions.     

·      Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Kentucky Speedway once; the 2011 race.

·       The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky produced the most lead changes (20) at the 1.5-mile track. The fewest lead changes were in the 2013 race at Kentucky (11).  

·     The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky produced the most different leaders (12) at the 1.5-mile speedway. The fewest leaders in a NSCS event at Kentucky were last season’s race with three.   

·         Brad Keselowski leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Kentucky with 346 laps led in four starts.

Female Competitor Stats

·         Danica Patrick is the only female driver to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Kentucky Speedway.

 

Driver

Starting Position

Finishing Position

Date

Danica Patrick

29

23

6/30/2013

Danica Patrick

10

21

6/28/2014

Averages

19.5

22.0

 

NASCAR in Kentucky

·         There have been five NASCAR Sprint Cup races among two tracks in Kentucky.

Track Name

City

NSCS

Kentucky Speedway

Sparta

4

Corbin Speedway

Corbin

1

·         42 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Kentucky; three have posted wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Driver

NSCS

NNS

NCWTS

Jeremy Mayfield

5

0

0

Michael Waltrip

4

11

1

Tommy Thompson

1

0

0

Jeff Green

0

16

0

David Green

0

9

0

 

Milestones – Kentucky Speedway

 

HAS

NEEDS

MILESTONE

DESCRIPTION

DRIVER

Michael McDowell

174

1

175th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start

McDowell is 145th on the all-time NSCS career starts list, two starts behind Walter Ballard and Regan Smith (176 each) in 143rd.

Danica Patrick

99

1

100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start

Patrick is 191st on the all-time NSCS career starts list, one start behind Bruce Hill (100) in 190th.

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).

Matt Kenseth

32

1

33rd NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win

Kenseth is tied with Dale Jarrett for 22nd on the all-time NSCS wins list, one win behind Fireball Roberts in 21st (33 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.

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY: Darlington tickets

Country Music Hall of Famer Tanya Tucker will sing the national anthem at the Bojangles’ Southern 500 (Sept. 6, 7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM), Darlington Raceway announced Monday.

The Nashville legend will join fellow stars from the 1970s, pre-race concert band Grand Funk Railroad, as the South Carolina track returns its signature race to its original Labor Day weekend date.

“We are excited to have country music icon Tanya Tucker perform our National Anthem for the Bojangles’ Southern 500,” track president Chip Wile said in a track release. “Tanya Tucker has been a mainstay in Nashville since the early 1970s. Her rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner will be a can’t-miss for our great race fans.”

Tucker’s hits include Alex Harvey’s “Delta Dawn,” Dallas Frazier’s “What’s Your Mama’s Name” and David Allan Coe’s “Would You Lay With Me (In A Field Of Stone)” as well as “Texas (When I Die),” “San Antonio Stroll” and “Here’s Some Love”.

In addition to a grandstand ticket, fans can get closer to the stars of music and racing by purchasing a pre-race access pass for $45. The pass will provide stagefront access for the Grand Funk Railroad concert as well as an up-close view of driver introductions.

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Driver reaction varies after Indianapolis

 

One day after NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams employed a new high drag aerodynamic package at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the sanctioning body’s vice chairman said series officials were still processing its net effect.


Mike Helton, appearing Monday morning on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, acknowledged several drivers’ criticisms of the new rules for Sunday’s Crown Royal Presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard, but said officials at the NASCAR Research & Development Center would take time to measure its overall performance.
 
“I think we’re only 18 hours or so from the finish of that race, so we’re digesting the signs from it,” Helton told SiriusXM. “The fans and the industry saw the race unfold as we did, and there were certainly some components of it, the balance of competition, the opportunities that this package presented for the drivers to perform were of benefit. We’ve heard the expressions of some of the drivers that didn’t like some of characteristics of the package, and we can absorb all the science and the data that we collect, including talking to the industry, the drivers, the crew members and the competition departments of the teams and the car owners to take all of that now and absorb it.
 
“That’s part of the reason we created this specific package for Indianapolis was to see the characteristics of it, knowing that there’s a lot of personalities in the garage area that have different opinions, and they know they have different opinions, but it’s on NASCAR to come up with the one that we put in front of the fans on each individual race track each weekend. So we’ll take time.”
 
Drivers participated using a raised, 9-inch-tall rear spoiler and other aero devices to increase drag in the hopes of promoting closer racing at Indianapolis, a 2.5-mile track where passing has historically been a tricky task. Statistically, the result was fewer green-flag passes overall, and one more lead change than the previous year’s Brickyard race (16 vs. 15), but four fewer than the 20 registered in 2013.
 

The Indianapolis race was the next puzzle piece in the series’ potential move toward track-specific aero packages. A similar high drag package is scheduled to be used next month at 2-mile Michigan International Speedway, and last month was marked by a successful debut of a low downforce package at 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway.
 
NASCAR fans’ reception of the changes has spanned the gamut from welcome to wary or resistant. Helton acknowledged the mixed reviews, clarifying the goals behind the rules shifts.
 
“That’s fair, and we should do a better job of explaining why we’re doing this,” Helton said. “First and foremost, it’s just to build the most competitive type of motorsports that we can build. We want our product on the race track to be pleasing to the fans and that means close competition. You can walk through the garage area and ask 15, 20 different people what close competition means and you’ll get 15 different opinions of it, but all of them agree that it’s passing, balance of competition, being able to work your way through the field — everybody agrees on those elements, but how do you get there is on us. It’s on NASCAR as the regulatory body of the sport to figure out the rules package.”
 
Helton indicated that trying out new rules packages in real race conditions instead of in traditional test sessions has been a learning process, but a beneficial one in terms of analyzing performance. Helton also said he expects steps toward the proper balance to continue to evolve through collaborative efforts.
 
“This came from input throughout the industry,” Helton said. “We’re not necessarily the architects of all this (on) our own, but it came from the collaboration that we’ve got now with teams and drivers and manufacturers and the car owners to come up with a way to do this. It’s not universally acceptable, but it’s majority acceptable, and most people feel like this is a good opportunity for NASCAR to figure out the future of what goes on the race track. But everybody agrees that close, competitive racing, being able to pass — that’s important for us to continue to deliver on.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

DARLINGTON, S.C. — All the retro-themed activity surrounding Darlington Raceway‘s return to its familiar Labor Day place on the NASCAR schedule has taken some of the attention away from another notable throwback.

To July.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will drop the flag on Round 2 for the reduced-downforce rules package in Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Whether it recreates the same mesmerizing racing that highlighted Round 1 — July 11 at Kentucky Speedway — remains a wild-card with just two races before the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs begin.

NASCAR mandated the rules package with a reduced rear spoiler and other aero changes for a debut at Kentucky’s 1.5-mile layout, producing the most competitive race in the series’ brief five-year history at the Bluegrass State track. But because of the quick turn between the rules change and race day, the event was conducted with a mismatched tire that left drivers yearning for a softer compound.

RELATED: Low downforce package makes Darlington debut

With enough lead time for production, Goodyear has a tire with greater grip in place for Darlington’s treacherous 1.366-mile circuit — a similar-sized track, but a far different environment than Kentucky.

“I think there’s more initial grip maybe than I guess what we had at Kentucky,” said Paul Wolfe, crew chief for the Team Penske No. 2 Ford driven by Brad Keselowski. “Obviously, the speeds drop off quite a bit, which is what we all were expecting and hoping for. The cars drive reasonable. It’s not like they’re out of control or anything like that.

“Track temps are pretty darn hot obviously where we’re at right now. That’ll cool off for the race Sunday night, but overall considering the track conditions for Darlington, fairly pleased how the cars are driving.”

NASCAR tested here with the current 2015 rules package June 9-10, then returned for a test June 30 with the reduced-downforce setup. The 43-car field will race with a spoiler height decreased from 6 inches to 3.5, 1.75 fewer inches of overhang on the front splitter, and a splitter extension panel trimmed from 38 to 25 inches.

Teams were allowed to use data-acquisition devices during Friday’s practice sessions to help get a jump on the package. The changes created a noticeable difference after just the first of two 115-minute practice sessions for Jeff Gordon, a seven-time winner here.

“It’s much better,” Gordon said. “I still can’t help but reminisce about my earlier years here with a more abrasive track and a tire that just had tremendous grip for about one and a half laps, and then tremendous fall-off. We still don’t have that. This tire is pretty hard in comparison to that. And I don’t think you’re really going to be worrying about wearing tires out this weekend. But there is some fall-off.

“There’s no doubt the grip is down. So, trying to find the balance of the cars seems to be pretty tricky. The cars are freer in, tighter in the middle, and free off, which is kind of like of what we fought at Kentucky. But, I liked it there and so far I’m enjoying it here.”

The feel was also noteworthy for Aric Almirola, giving the Richard Petty Motorsports throwback No. 43 a whirl in the early going.

“In practice I ran around a few other cars and the balance doesn’t change that much when you are behind another car so I am happy about that,” Almirola said. “As a race car driver, that is what we want. We want to be able to lift off the gas, use the brake pedal and actually drive the race cars, not just run wide open and steer around the race track. We don’t want the car to drastically change balance when you catch another car. I feel like that is what we have here and it is very similar to what we had in Kentucky.”

Darlington has reverted to its abrasive nature since its most recent repave in 2007, but still has newer asphalt than Kentucky, which hasn’t repaved in full since it opened in 2000. But Darlington also has plenty of grit from the South Carolina sandhills that assist in accelerating tire wear.

The rules package made for three- and four-wide racing on restarts at Kentucky, but also allowed movement among the pack by placing a renewed emphasis on the driver. Darlington’s narrow groove won’t allow the pack to fan out in wide groups on restarts, but could the increase in passing make an encore?

“It’s hard to say based off just one practice, but when you start seeing tire degradation like we did there, I want to believe that it’s going to be a little better racing and that there’s going to be more opportunities to pass cars,” Wolfe said. “The worse your car handles, the more it starts to fall off. That’s opportunity for the cars that may be handling a little better and drivers that manage their cars better, I think it opens up opportunities there which will promote the passing that we’re all hoping for.”