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Full field analysis of all 43 cars in the Toyota/Save Mart 350

MORE: Full race results | Series standings | Chase Grid

1. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing.  Busch, running on fresh tires, chased down Jimmie Johnson in the final five laps to earn his first victory of the 2015 season and become Chase eligible, assuming he finishes the regular season in the top 30 in points. | WATCH: Pit strategy critical to win

2. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. The outside pole sitter followed his little brother across the finish line for the first time in a Cup race. | MORE: Brotherly 1-2 finish a ‘special moment’

3. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing.  Bowyer, the fastest driver in the first practice session, hit pit road under caution with 11 laps to go to get fresh tires for the final restart.

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 4. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick bounced back from an early pit miscue to earn his fourth top-five at Sonoma.

5. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske.  Logano slipped by a slowing competitor to hit pit road at just the right time on Lap 66 and held on for his ninth top-five this season. 

6. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson led a race-high 45 laps and initially paced the field on the final restart before being overwhelmed by competitors who took fresh tires during the previous stop. | MORE: No second-guessing for Johnson

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports.  Earnhardt rallied from his 20th starting spot to crack the top 10 by Lap 20 and earned his 10th top-10 of the year.

8. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne overcame an early vibration and picked up four spots on pit road with 10 laps to go.

9. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman claimed his seventh top-10 at Sonoma after avoiding a wreck on Lap 78.

10. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports.  Hornish’s team addressed an early brake issue and he went on to earn his second top-10 of the season.

11. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet. Chip Ganassi Racing. McMurray was running 16th within the first five laps when he reported a serious vibration, the result of a delaminated left-rear.

12. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. “I’m loose because I’m getting hit,” radioed Stewart, who struggled to make up ground after the final restart.

13. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard started from the rear after an engine change and worked with his team all race long to find grip.

14. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. The late-race decision to stop for tires didn’t hurt Almirola, who earned his first top-15 at a road course.

15. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing.  The Elk Grove, California, native lost one spot after pitting for fresh tires during the final caution period of the race.

16. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. It was a disappointing day for the sport’s winningest road course driver and nearby Vallejo native who made a late-race setup change to match his teammates Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. | MORE: Gordon reflects on final race at Sonoma

17. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Dillon slipped by a wrecking David Gilliland on Lap 22 and continued to climb through the field as his team helped him get more forward drive and side bite.

18. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. A loose right-rear wheel prompted Hamlin to make an unscheduled pit stop while running in the top 20 on Lap 17.

19. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. Keselowski started 10th for the first time at Sonoma, but couldn’t rally after getting loose and slipping in Turn 7 on Lap 43.

20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse lined up fourth for the final restart after staying out, but couldn’t hold off the teams on fresher tires.

21. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth was running 17th when he shredded his left-rear tire on Lap 45 and limped his way to pit road.

22. Cole Whitt, No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Whitt followed up his best Sonoma start with his best Sonoma finish.

23. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne, a Sonoma newcomer, returned to the lead lap after getting the Lucky Dog pass on the final caution period.

24. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick spun with seven laps to go and slipped from 22nd.

25. Alex Kennedy, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport. In his third Sonoma start, Kennedy stayed out of trouble on the way to his best finish at the California road course.

26. Boris Said, No. 32 Ford, Go FAS Racing. The road course ringer bounced around the middle of the field all day for the No. 32 team.

27. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing.  Biffle lined up 17th for the final restart but had to return to pit road for right-side tires after contact flattened his right-front.

28. Josh Wise, No. 98 Ford, Phil Parsons Racing. In his fourth Sonoma start, Wise claimed his best finish at the road course.

29. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing.  The Sonoma newbie was trying to get into his pit stall during the final caution period when he was weirdly turned around by one of the track sweepers. | MORE: Learn more about the incident

30. Justin Marks, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. The Rocklin, California, native earned his best Sonoma start in just his second career Cup outing.

31. Alex Bowman, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. A tight-handling condition turned into a tire concern for Bowman, who made an unscheduled green-flag stop at Lap 18.

32. Jeb Burton, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing. It was an educational day for the rookie, who improved his position after rolling off the grid 43rd.

33. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Annett started from the rear of the field after making an engine change and worked on the handling of his car en route to his best Sonoma finish.

34. Michael McDowell, No. 95 Ford, Leavine Family Racing. McDowell spun off-course in Turn 7 during the final three laps, but saved his car to keep the caution flag from coming out.

35. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Allgaier’s best career Sonoma start was dampened around Lap 65 when he ran out of fuel.

36. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Smith Motorsports. Cassill was awarded the Lucky Dog pass during the second caution period, but struggled to keep pace around Sonoma’s tight turns.

37. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. The pole winner was running eighth on Lap 52 when he radioed his team about an engine issue. "Don’t worry about (lap) times. We ain’t going to make it much longer. … I have no speed." | For more in-car audio, sign up for Scanner today

38. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears was sidelined by a broken rear axle housing while running 15th on Lap 99. | WATCH: See what happened to Mears

39. David Ragan, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Ragan was trying to keep Carl Edwards from winning seventh when Edwards lost control and hit Ragan, wrecking both competitors. | WATCH: Tough day for Ragan

40. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards was battling for seventh place when he hopped over the bumps and into the side of David Ragan, sending both competitors into the Turn 8 tire barrier. | MORE: Edwards tears up car in wreck with Ragan

41. J.J. Yeley, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing.  Yeley, in his seventh Sonoma start, spun exiting Turn 10 to bring out the caution flag on Lap 74.

42. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing.  Truex’s string of top-10s came to a halt after contact from David Ragan sent him spinning into the Turn 8 tire barrier on Lap 29. | MORE: Truex not happy with Ragan

43. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. After lining up 28th, Gilliland sustained a flat left-front tire and spun in Turn 10 on Lap 22.

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‘Two of the biggest names in Hollywood’ to develop scripted drama

RELATED: Roma Downey, Mark Burnett Q&A at Martinsville

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 29, 2015) — Roma Downey and Mark Burnett have joined forces in a deal with NASCAR® to develop a scripted television drama based on the legendary racing world. The series will weave exciting dramatic stories within the backdrop of this beloved sports franchise.

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"We have wanted to develop an original, scripted drama inside our sport for some time, but have been waiting to find the right partner," said Zane Stoddard, NASCAR vice president of entertainment marketing and content development. "Mark and Roma are two of the biggest, most well-respected names in Hollywood. They share our vision for this project and we are very excited to collaborate with them on the show."

"From the first time we got to attend NASCAR, we fell in love with their racing world. The teams, the drivers, the fans, it’s an electric atmosphere and is quintessentially American," said executive producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett.  "Now to be able to partner with NASCAR, Brian France and Zane Stoddard is a dream come true."

Burnett and Downey will serve as executive producers of the NASCAR series, along with Zane Stoddard.

Through 14 regular season races in 2015, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ broadcasts draw an average of 6.5 million viewers per event. Moreover, NASCAR delivers programming to dedicated viewers worldwide in more than 175 countries and territories in over 25 languages each week. 

Based in Los Angeles, NASCAR’s Entertainment Marketing and Content Development division develops and produces quality television, film and digital projects on behalf of the sport. The Entertainment Marketing and Content Development division seeks to access a younger and more diverse audience through the development of original content, the integration of NASCAR drivers into existing programming, and talent acquisition for races and industry events.

 

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Rick Gdovic unsure when team will run under new banner

The assets of the NASCAR XFINITY Series race team Viva Motorsports have been purchased by Brandon Gdovic‘s dad, Rick Gdovic, he told the Daily Press of Newport News, Virginia.

Rick Gdovic told the newspaper he purchased all of Viva’s stock-car racing assets last week and the team, under the Precision Performance Motorsports banner, will race out of Viva’s former shop in China Grove, North Carolina.

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The organization raced in the first 13 races of the season with Brandon Gdovic making two starts for the Jamie Dick-owned organization. His best finish was a 26th-place effort at Texas Motor Speedway in April.

Two weeks ago, after the Michigan race weekend, Viva Motorsports announced it was ceasing operations. Dick (five races) and Jeffrey Earnhardt (six races) also made starts for the team this year. At the time, a team release said that the assets had been purchased and the No. 55 car would appear in a handful of races.

Rick Gdovic told the newspaper that his son will be one of the drivers for the team and that they hope to run selected races over the course of the rest of 2015 with an eye on running the bulk of the 2016 schedule if additional sponsorship and drivers can be secured. The team will be sponsored by Pronius, American Messaging, WindStax and Gdovic’s own business, ComServe Verizon Wireless.

"We are excited about the purchase of Viva’s operation," Gdovic said. "They have continued to build race assets and a reputation over the past few years.

"We plan to continue their drive to become a top-level XFINITY Series operation that offers great value for our sponsorship partners, and another step up the ladder for our driver development program."

The purchase includes 12 cars as well as race engines, shop, office equipment and a hauler. The China Grove shop will also house the K&N Pro Series East cars of Gray Gaulding, who is part of PPM’s team in that series.

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See what’s coming this week to NASCAR.com

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

MONDAY: Zack Albert follows up on Jeff Gordon‘s final Sprint Cup race as a driver at his home track, Sonoma Raceway. … Find out everything you need to know about NBC’s NASCAR coverage as the network returns to racing this weekend at Daytona … @nascarcasm shares fake photo captions from the weekend that was at Sonoma Raceway.

TUESDAY: Kyle Busch won his way into a provisional Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berth on Sunday, and senior writer Kenny Bruce has reaction from the driver and his team on how they plan to crack the top 30 in points. … Power Rankings is back after a weekend off. … @nascarcasm has Busch’s Facebook page.

WEDNESDAY: It’s 10 races until the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and Kathy Sheldon and Jessica Ruffin debate whether Jimmie Johnson or Kevin Harvick is the favorite to win the 2015 title. … Check out the Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series patriotic paint schemes that will be on track this Fourth of July weekend. …The Dirty Air podcast makes its debut. … Senior writer Kenny Bruce gets you caught up on all competition aspects of the sport with his weekly Tech Talk story as NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell weighs in on Sonoma weekend on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

THURSDAY: Driver Reports welcomes Kyle Busch to the fold. Senior writer Holly Cain tells you want to expect at Daytona this weekend as it stages a race in the middle of DAYTONA Rising, the reimagining of an American icon … Take a #TBT look at NBC’s first race and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s first Daytona Sprint Cup win in 2001. … "From the Vault" looks back as Jeff Gordon beats Dale Earnhardt for his first restrictor plate win 20 years ago at Daytona.

FRIDAY: The Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series have two practices apiece, starting at 2 p.m. ET. … We’ll also have eight of the best tweets that you may have missed from the previous week. … Mobil 1 presents GarageCam, which takes you inside the Sprint Cup and XFINITY garages.

Also coming this week: Patriotism is on parade and see the best photos in our special gallery.  … Coors Light Pole Qualifying for the Sprint Cup Series is on Saturday afternoon. Get the live leaderboard at 4:35 p.m. ET and follow Sunday’s race on NBC with a live leaderboard, RaceBuddy and RaceView.

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How to follow NBC’s coverage, starting at Daytona

MEET: NBC’s booth | NBC’s pre-race team

When NASCAR heads back to the World Center of Racing this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, NBC Sports’ landmark coverage of NASCAR racing will begin anew.

The media franchise is set to show its first races since 2006, beginning with Saturday’s XFINITY Series Subway Firecracker 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN), followed by Sunday’s Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola Sprint Cup Series event (7:45 p.m. ET, NBC). The events wave the green flag over NBC Sports Group’s 10-year chapter as the home of NASCAR’s championship run, and NBC Sports’ production team in Daytona will employ a crew of more than 195 personnel, 70 cameras, 80 microphones, 150,000 feet of cable and a wide collection of other tools to deliver the action.

Here’s what you need to know.

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Broadcast team

Booth: Rick Allen (play-by-play), accomplished race announcer; Jeff Burton (analyst), 21-time Sprint Cup Series winner and Steve Letarte (analyst), Daytona 500-winning crew chief

Pit road studio: Krista Voda (host of pre- and post-race coverage), veteran NASCAR broadcaster; Dale Jarrett (analyst), NASCAR Hall of Famer and Kyle Petty (analyst), 8-time Sprint Cup Series winner

Pit road reporters: Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast

Features reporter: Rutledge Wood

Lead motorsports writer: Nate Ryan

How to find NBC Sports Network

 

Take NASCAR on NBC with you

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 Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on July 5, 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.

Key metrics surrounding NBC Sports Group’s upcoming NASCAR coverage
1  Helicopter providing aerial footage

2  Open-air infield set locations for NBC Sports’ pre- and post-race coverage

3  Daytona 500 victories captured by pre-race analyst Dale Jarrett

5  Trucks that comprise "Peacock One", NBC Sports’ state-of-the-art, mobile production unit group, designed in partnership with Game Creek Video 

12  Members of NBC Sports NASCAR on-air broadcast team on site at Daytona

16  Race Analyst Steve Letarte’s age when he took a job sweeping the floors at Hendrick Motorsports

18  Robotic cameras, some with high speed heads capable of tracking cars topping 200 mph

19  NASCAR XFINITY Series races slated to air on NBC and NBCSN this season

20  NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on NBC and NBCSN this season

21 Number of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races won by race analyst Jeff Burton

23  HDK 4300 cameras with 4K capabilities

24  On-board cameras imbedded within Sprint Cup Series cars

70  Total cameras on site including: in-car, robotic, hard, hand-held, studio, jib, SSM, booth, beauty, pit, aerial, and grass cameras

80  NBC Sports microphones placed throughout Daytona International Speedway 

195  NBC Sports Group personnel on-site in Daytona Beach, Florida

250+  NASCAR AMERICA shows on NBCSN since the weekday news and highlights program’s debut after the 2014 Daytona 500   

150,000  Feet of fiber cable (more than 28 miles), surrounding Daytona International Speedway

Details of NASCAR and NBC partnership

On July 23, 2013, NASCAR and NBC Sports Group reached a comprehensive agreement that grants NBCUniversal exclusive rights to the final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR XFINITY Series events, select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events and other live content, beginning this coming 4th of July weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

With this partnership, NBC’s 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race schedule includes a designation as the exclusive home to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, when the elite national series races through its final 10 events of the season. The Chase culminates with the season-ending championship event, which returns to network television in 2015 for the first time since 2009. Of NBC Sports Group’s 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, seven will be carried on NBC annually, with 13 airing on NBCSN. Four of NBC Sports Group’s 19 NASCAR XFINITY Series races will air on NBC, with 15 airing on NBCSN.

NASCAR AMERICA is NBCSN’s weekday 30-minute news and highlights program dedicated to America’s fascination with speed and stock car racing, and features regular appearances by NBC Sports’ NASCAR experts, as well as a rotation of guest analysts.

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Gordon comes up short in final race in home state

SONOMA, Calif. — The finality of his last race at Sonoma Raceway — his last NASCAR event in his home state of California — hit home for Jeff Gordon before the engine ever fired on his No. 24 Chevrolet Sunday. Pre-race commemorations and a rousing welcome from a healthy crowd in driver introductions drove the point home.

During the race itself, though, the deeper personal significance was secondary to the heat of the battle and what the result meant to his final championship run.

"It would’ve been emotional if I was over in Victory Lane," Gordon joked as Kyle Busch celebrated his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win of the season. "Coming into today, seeing all the 24 flags, driver introductions was kind of overwhelming and it was cool. I hadn’t really thought about it since then. You get in the race and you get so focused on the race that you don’t think about anything other than just trying to get the best finish that you can, but I’ve got a lot of friends and family out here and they’re here because this is my last race here. That means a lot to me, and then a good day overall other than we didn’t get a better finish."

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The four-time champion’s Golden State swan song in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 featured a little taste of everything — a flat tire, a pit-road penalty, a major handling adjustment and a bold strategy play from crew chief Alan Gustafson near the finish. The composite result was a 16th-place finish for Gordon, who couldn’t overcome the combination of factors to make his Sonoma farewell sweeter.

Gordon spent most of the 110-lap race’s first half among the top five, but he pitted the No. 24 Chevy on Lap 51 as his handling began to deteriorate. As he returned to the track, his Hendrick Motorsports crew told him that the left-front tire was cut and low on air pressure. "Still something’s not right, but I’ll make the best of it," Gordon answered through the team radio.

But the car’s feel didn’t drastically improve, and by Lap 76 during the race’s third caution period, Gustafson took the time for an extra-long pit stop to remove the No. 24’s spring rubbers to emulate the setup of Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson, who wound up leading the most laps Sunday.

"That’s the opposite of what we usually race here," Gustafson said of the altered setup. "The stuff we had unfortunately wasn’t very good today and we improved it. Just part of the exercise was learning to see what we were off on. We had a flat left-front during the middle of the race which got us behind. If we wouldn’t have had that, we could’ve executed and kept our car up front and probably got a top-10, but just rough right now. Got to fight through it."

Whether it was the effect of the lengthy stop or the subsequent penalty to his team for throwing equipment over the pit wall, the visit left Gordon at the back of the pack in 26th place for the restart that followed. Gordon inched back into the top 20, but when the race’s final yellow flag emerged with 11 laps remaining, Gustafson opted to keep his driver on the track to help him move up the leaderboard.

Gordon lined up third for the seven-lap sprint to the finish, but wasn’t able to make the gained ground pay off. He slipped to his 16th-place finishing position on well-worn tires.

"I just tried to make something happen there at the end and who knows, we may have lost a spot or two because of it," Gustafson said, "but trying to make a big reward, it didn’t work out that way. That’s part of it. You’ve got to try. You can’t just sit on it."

The bigger reward beyond Sunday’s checkered flag would be the virtually automatic berth into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs that accompanies it. Busch was the latest to potentially punch his ticket, though he’ll need to finish the regular season in the top 30 in Sprint Cup driver points to officially enter playoff contention.

The turn of events left Gordon in the 14th of 16 spots on the provisional Chase gird, third-best of the five winless drivers this season who are in playoff position. With 10 races remaining before the Chase field is set, Gordon said it’s too early to let scoreboard-watching or panic alter the No. 24 team’s approach.

"We’re just trying to go out and perform the best we can every weekend," Gordon said. "I’ve always said, it’s not about making the Chase, it’s about being a factor in the Chase, and while there is meaning to being in it, we want to be more than just in it. So we’ve got some improving to do, we know that. We’re working on it. I really thought we were going to be good today, and I don’t know how good Kyle really was, but he certainly was good when it counted at the end."

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A statistical look ahead to the 17th race of the Sprint Cup season

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 29, 2015) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida going into the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola on July 5 (7:45 p.m. ET on NBC).

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DAYTONA-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Greg Biffle (No. 16 CHEEZ-IT Ford)

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

·         Average finish of 19.2

·         Average Running Position of 17.1, 10th-best

·         Driver Rating of 81.8, 12th-best

·         85 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

·         4,132 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 190.161 mph, sixth-fastest

·         1,978 Laps in the Top 15 (52.7%), ninth-most

·         2,382 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 12th-most

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota)

·         Three top fives, nine top 10s

·         Average finish of 15.5

·         Average Running Position of 17.5, 11th-best

·         Driver Rating of 84.0, 10th-best

·         82 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

·         3,939 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 190.212 mph, second-fastest

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

·         11 top fives, 14 top 10s

·         Average finish of 17.5

·         Average Running Position of 15.8, seventh-best

·         Driver Rating of 90.5, third-best

·         71 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most

·         3,864 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most

·         2,161 Laps in the Top 15 (60.9%), sixth-most

·         2,724 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota)

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

·         Average finish of 19.1

·         Series-best Average Running Position of 12.8

·         Series-best Driver Rating of 96.2

·         85 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

·         4,023 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 190.207 mph, third-fastest

·         Series-high 2,488 Laps in the Top 15 (70.1%)

·         2,869 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Nationwide Stars and Stripes Chevrolet)

·         Three wins, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 13.1

·         Average Running Position of 14.1, second-best

·         Driver Rating of 91.9, second-best

·         89 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

·         4,353 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 190.086 mph, 10th-fastest

·         2,475 Laps in the Top 15 (66.0%), second-most

·         2,968 Quality Passes, second-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet)

·         Six wins, 13 top fives, 20 top 10s; four poles

·         Average finish of 16.6

·         Average Running Position of 14.3, third-best

·         Driver Rating of 88.0, fifth-best

·         4,157 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most

·         2,274 Laps in the Top 15 (60.6%), fifth-most

·         2,709 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)

·         Four top fives, five top 10s

·         Average finish of 18.7

·         Average Running Position of 15.4, sixth-best

·         Driver Rating of 87.7, seventh-best

·         82 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

·         4,018 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 190.154 mph, seventh-fastest

·         1,901 Laps in the Top 15 (56.1%), 12th-most

·         2,444 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet)

·         Three wins, 10 top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles

·         Average finish of 17.5

·         Average Running Position of 14.6, fourth-best

·         Driver Rating of 87.9, sixth-best

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 190.067 mph, 12th-fastest

·         2,378 Laps in the Top 15 (63.4%), third-most

·         2,753 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Great Clips-Shark Week Chevrolet)

·         Two top fives, eight top 10s

·         Average finish of 19.4

·         Average Running Position of 16.6, ninth-best

·         Driver Rating of 83.3, 11th-best

·         71 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most

·         4,572 Green Flag Passes, second-most

·         2,001 Laps in the Top 15 (53.3%), seventh-most

·         2,825 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 DeWalt Made In The USA Toyota)

·         Two wins, six top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 17.8

·         Average Running Position of 15.3, fifth-best

·         Driver Rating of 89.9, fourth-best

·         80 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

·         2,277 Laps in the Top 15 (60.7%), fourth-most

·         2,556 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)

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

·         Average finish of 18.3

·         Average Running Position of 16.5, eighth-best

·         Driver Rating of 85.8, ninth-best

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 190.144 mph, eighth-fastest

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet)

·         Four wins, nine top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 18.5

·         Driver Rating of 86.6, eighth-best

·         76 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

·         1,958 Laps in the Top 15 (52.2%), 10th-most

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 10 at Daytona International Speedway

 

Driver

Races

Poles

Wins

Top Fives

Top 10s

DNFs

Average Finish

Driver Rating

  
 

1

Kevin Harvick

28

1

2

7

12

3

16.2

81.6

  

2

Martin Truex Jr.

20

1

0

0

2

4

22.5

76.7

  

3

Joey Logano

13

0

1

3

4

2

18.3

85.8

  

4

Jimmie Johnson

27

2

3

10

13

6

17.5

87.9

  

5

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

31

1

3

12

18

3

13.1

91.9

  

6

Brad Keselowski

12

0

0

2

3

4

21.8

75.5

  

7

Jamie McMurray

25

0

2

3

5

8

23.7

79.5

  

8

Kasey Kahne

23

0

0

2

8

5

19.4

83.3

  

9

Matt Kenseth

31

1

2

6

14

5

17.8

89.9

  

10

Kurt Busch

28

0

0

11

14

1

17.5

90.5

  

* – Based on last 21 races at Daytona International Speedway.


Daytona International Speedway Data

Season Race #: 17 of 36 (07-05-15)

Track Size: 2.5-mile

Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 31 degrees

Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 31 degrees

Banking/Straights: 3 degrees

Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees

Frontstretch Length:  3,800 feet

Backstretch Length:  3,000 feet

Race Length: 160 laps / 400 miles

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Daytona

Kyle Busch…………………………… 96.2

Dale Earnhardt Jr…………………… 91.9

Kurt Busch.…………………………… 90.5

Matt Kenseth………………………… 89.9

Jeff Gordon………………………….. 88.0

Jimmie Johnson…………………….. 87.9

Denny Hamlin……………………….. 87.7

Tony Stewart…………………………. 86.6

Joey Logano………………………… 85.8

Clint Bowyer…………………………. 84.0

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races (21 total) among active drivers at Daytona International Speedway.

Qualifying/Race Data

2014 pole winner:

David Gilliland, Ford

199.322 mph, 45.153 secs 07-04-14

 

2014 race winner:

Aric Almirola, Ford

130.014 mph, (02:09:13), 07-06-14

 

Track qualifying record (July race):

Cale Yarborough, Ford

203.519 mph, 44.222 secs 07-02-86

 

Track race record (July race):

Bobby Allison, Mercury

173.473 mph, (02:18:21), 07-04-80

 

AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY:

History

·       Groundbreaking for Daytona International Speedway was Nov. 25, 1957. The soil underneath the banked corners was dug from the infield of the track and the hole filled with water. It is now known as Lake Lloyd.

·        The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona was a 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, 1959 – won by Bob Welborn.

·        The first summer race at Daytona International Speedway was held on July 4, 1959 – won by Fireball Roberts (140.581 mph).

·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty won his 200th career race on July 4, 1984 at Daytona.

·       Lights were installed in the spring of 1998. However, the July race was delayed until October that year due to thick smoke from wildfires. The second Daytona race has been held under the lights ever since.

·         The track underwent a repave in 2010.

Starts

·        There have been 136 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona International Speedway since the track hosted its first race in 1959:  57 have been 500 miles, 52 were 400 miles and four 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifier races that were point races.

·        445 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series July race at Daytona International Speedway; 277 in more than one.

·         Richard Petty leads the series in July race starts at Daytona with 32. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 22 starts – this weekend will be Gordon’s final start at Daytona.

·       Four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series active drivers have made their first career start at Daytona International Speedway, though none were during the July race: Tony Stewart (2/14/99), Casey Mears (2/16/03), Kasey Kahne (2/15/04), Brendan Gaughan (2/15/04) Danica Patrick (2/27/12), Alex Bowman (2/23/14), Michael Annett (2/23/14).


Poles

·         Fireball Roberts won the inaugural Coors Light pole for the July race at Daytona in 1959 with a speed of 144.997 mph. 

·         38 drivers have Coors Light poles at Daytona for the July event, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough with eight.

·         Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in Daytona July race poles, with two. Gordon started first in 2007 due to qualifying being cancelled as well.

·      Three drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles for the July race at Daytona: Cale Yarborough (1970-’71; 1980-’81, 1983-’84), Sterling Marlin (1991-’92) and Dale Earnhardt (1994-’95).

·         Youngest Daytona July race pole winner: Jeff Gordon (07/06/1996 – 24 years, 11 months, 2 days); all-time track record belongs to Austin Dillon (02/23/2014 – 23 years, 9 months, 27 days).

·         Oldest Daytona pole winner: Mark Martin (07/02/2011 – 52 years, 5 months, 23 days).

·        Six active drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Daytona International Speedway: Greg Biffle (2/15/04), Kevin Harvick (7/6/02), Jimmie Johnson (2/17/02), Paul Menard (7/5/08), Danica Patrick (2/24/13) and Austin Dillon (2/23/2014).       

Wins      

Drivers who have swept both races (Daytona 500 and the July race) at Daytona:

Fireball Roberts – 1962 (Daytona 500, Firecracker 250)

Cale Yarborough – 1968 (Daytona 500, Firecracker 400)

LeeRoy Yarborough – 1969 (Daytona 500, Firecracker 400)

Bobbie Allison – 1982 (Daytona 500, Firecracker 400)

Jimmie Johnson – 2013 (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola)

35 different drivers have won the July race at Daytona International Speedway, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson with five wins. Tony Stewart leads all active drivers with four; followed by Jeff Gordon with three.   

·    Five drivers have posted consecutive wins in the July race at Daytona International Speedway, including three consecutive by David Pearson (1972 – 1974).

·         Tony Stewart (2005-’06) is the only active driver to win consecutive July races at Daytona.

·       Youngest Daytona July race winner: Kyle Busch (07/01/2008 – 23 years, 2 months, 3 days); all-time track record – Trevor Bayne (02/20/2011 – 20 years, 0 months, 1 day).

·       Oldest Daytona July race winner: Bobby Allison (07/04/1987 – 49 years, 7 months, 1 day); all-time track record – Bobby Allison (02/14/1988 – 50 years, 5 months, 23 days).

·         The Wood Brothers have the most wins at Daytona in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 15; followed by Hendrick Motorsports with 13.

·        

Seven different manufacturers have won the July NSCS race at Daytona:

Manufacturer

Daytona July Race Wins

Chevrolet

18

Ford

17

Mercury

7

Dodge

5

Pontiac

5

Buick

3

Toyota

1

Eight of the 56 (14.2%) July NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Kevin Harvick in 2010.

·         The Coors Light pole is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (eight) than any other starting position in the July race at Daytona International Speedway.    

·         15 of the 56 (26.7%) July NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona have been won from the front row: eight from the pole and seven from second-place.

·         41 of the 56 (73.2%) July NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Daytona have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·         Four of the 56 (7.1%) July NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Daytona is 42nd, by Tony Stewart in the 2012 July race.

·         Four active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at Daytona International Speedway; two were during the July race: Trevor Bayne (2/20/11), Greg Biffle (7/5/03), David Ragan (7/2/11) and Michael Waltrip (2/18/01).

·         Greg Biffle won the July race at Daytona in his first appearance.     

·       Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Daytona with 710 laps led in 45 starts. 

·       Tony Stewart leads the series among active drivers in laps led in the July race at Daytona with 369; followed by Jeff Gordon with 318 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 243.

·         Fewest laps led by a July race winner at Daytona are one lap led by Jimmy Spencer in 1994. The fewest laps led by an active July race winner at Daytona are three laps led by Jamie McMurray in 2007.

 

Additional Finishing Position Stats

·         Buddy Baker leads the series in runner-up finishes in the July race at Daytona with five; followed by Richard Petty and Sterling Marlin with four. Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch lead all active drivers with two each.

·         NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the series in top-five finishes in the July race at Daytona with 13; followed by Richard Petty with 12. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with seven.   

 

Additional Finishing Position Stats

·         David Pearson leads the series in top-10 finishes in the July race at Daytona with 19; followed by Dale Earnhardt with 18. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 11.

·         Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Daytona with a 9.926.

·         Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Daytona with a 13.065.

·         Kurt Busch leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Daytona without visiting Victory Lane at 28.

 

Female Competitor Stats

·       Five female drivers have competed in the July event at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie, Christine Beckers, Lella Lombardi, Patty Moise and Shawna Robinson. Below they are ordered by best finish:

Driver

Starting Position

Finishing Position

Date

Danica Patrick

29

8

7/6/2014

Danica Patrick

11

14

7/6/2013

Shawna Robinson

27

40

7/6/2002

Patty Moise

35

39

7/1/1989

Patty Moise

33

26

7/2/1988

Janet Guthrie

36

11

7/4/1978

Christine Beckers

37

37

7/4/1977

Janet Guthrie

20

40

7/4/1977

Lella Lombardi

29

31

7/4/1977

Janet Guthrie

33

15

7/4/1976

 

Track Event Stats

·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway for the July race was the July 7, 2007 race won by Jamie McMurray over Kyle Busch with a MOV of 0.005 second.

·     Four of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series July races have resulted with a green-white-checkered finish at Daytona International Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): 2008 (160/162), 2010 (160/166), 2011 (160/170) and 2013 (160/161).

·         Only two of the 56 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series July races at Daytona International Speedway has been shortened due to weather conditions: 1) July 6, 1996 – the race was called on Lap 117, 43 circuits shy of the 160 scheduled laps and 2) July 6, 2014 – the race was called on Lap 112.     

·         Qualifying for the July race has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway three times: 2007, 2009, and 2010.    


NASCAR in Florida

·         There have been 178 NASCAR Sprint Cup races among eight tracks in the state of Florida.

·      The first NASCAR premiere series race in the state of Florida was held at the Daytona Beach & Road Course in 7/10/1949. The 40 lap event was by won Red Byron (Oldsmobile, 80.883 mph).

Track Name

City

NSCS

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach

136

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Homestead

16

Daytona Beach & Road Course

Daytona Beach

10

Palm Beach Speedway

W. Palm Beach

7

Speedway Park

Jacksonville

6

Five Flags Speedway

Pensacola

1

Golden Gate Speedway

Tampa

1

Titusville-Cocoa Speedway

Titusville

1

 

·       174 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Florida; 10 of the 174 (6.3%) have recorded at least one victory in NASCAR national series competition.

·       Of the eight Florida native drivers who have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, only Fireball Roberts, LeeRoy Yarborough and Aric Almirola have won the July race at Daytona International Speedway.

Driver

NSCS

NXS

NCWTS

Fireball Roberts

33

0

0

LeeRoy Yarbrough

14

0

0

Marshall Teague

7

0

0

Joe Nemechek

4

16

0

Bobby Johns

2

0

0

David Reutimann

2

1

1

Aric Almirola

1

1

2

Shorty Rollins

1

0

0

Rick Wilson

0

2

0

Joey Coulter

0

0

1


MILESTONES – Daytona International Speedway

 

 

DRIVER

HAS

NEEDS

MILESTONE

DESCRIPTION

Aric Almirola

124

1

125th Consecutive NSCS Start 

Almirola is 18th on the active consecutive NSCS starts list. 

Landon Cassill

49

1

50th Consecutive NSCS Start 

Cassill is 25th on the active consecutive NSCS starts list.

Martin Truex Jr.

349

1

350th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start

Truex is tied with NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett for 67th on the all-time NSCS career starts list, eight starts behind Dick Brooks (357) in 66th.

Trevor Bayne

74

1

75th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start

Bayne is tied with Mike Alexander for 224th on the all-time NSCS career starts list, one start behind Casey Atwood (75) in 223rd.

Brendan Gaughan

49

1

50th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start

Gaughan is ranked 277th on the all-time NSCS 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).

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).

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

24

1

25th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win

Earnhardt Jr. is tied with Carl Edwards for 30th on the all-time NSCS wins list, one win behind Joe Weatherly and Denny Hamlin in 29th (25 wins).

Carl Edwards

24

1

25th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win

Edwards is tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 30th on the all-time NSCS wins list, one win behind Joe Weatherly and Denny Hamlin in 29th (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.

Matt Kenseth

9,597

403

10,000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Laps Led

Kenseth can become the 16th driver in series history to lead 10,000 or more laps. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

7,954

46

8,000 NSCS Laps Led

Earnhardt can become the 23rd 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

Busch brothers finish 1-2 at California road course

RELATED: Full race results | Updated series standings | SHOP: Busch gear

SONOMA, Calif. — Check the box. Kyle Busch has a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.

That simple statement hardly plumbs the depth of emotion Kyle Busch was feeling after winning Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

In the first-ever 1-2 finish in the series by the Busch brothers, Kyle Busch beat Kurt Busch to the finish line by .532 seconds to win for the first time since returning from an 11-race absence because of a broken right leg and left foot sustained in a Feb. 21 accident at Daytona International Speedway.

"First Busch brothers 1-2, boys," Kyle Busch exulted on his radio after taking the checkered flag. "Mom and Dad should be proud."

On Lap 106 of 110, Kyle Busch muscled Jimmie Johnson out of the way and took the lead on the way to his second victory at the 1.99-mile road course and the 30th of his career. Johnson had stayed out on old tires while Busch joined a parade to pit road for new rubber after the left rear wheel assembly separated from Casey Mears Chevrolet to cause the fifth and final caution of the race on Lap 99.

Johnson led the field to a restart on Lap 104, but the cars with fresh tires soon asserted their superiority, with Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, reigning series champion Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano all following Kyle Busch in putting the six-time champion behind them.

Kyle Busch restarted seventh and got past Bowyer, the eventual third-place finisher, soon thereafter in heavy traffic at the top of the hill in Turn 2. Two laps later, he passed Johnson for the lead. 

All told, 46 races had passed since Kyle Busch last went to Victory Lane in NASCAR’s premier series, including the 11 he missed because of the Daytona injuries. Busch last won at Fontana, Calif., on Mar. 23, 2014. The victory extends his streak of winning at least one race per year to 11 years.

More significant, the triumph gives Busch the first element he needs to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Busch also must finish in the top 30 in the series standings after 26 races in order to maintain his eligibility for NASCAR’s playoff.

With the win, Busch gained two positions in the standings to 37th, 136 points behind 30th-place Cole Whit with 10 races left in the regular season.

"Yeah, we have our work cut out for us," he said. "We knew we did in the beginning (after returning to competition five races ago), and I knew we put us in the hole in points. It’s unfortunate that we’ve had a couple crashes (in recent events at Dover and Michigan).

"As much as I can do, that’s what we’re going to do. Adam Stevens, this is his first win as a Cup crew chief, so this is pretty special. My wife is here, she flew in this morning. So it’s awesome to have her with us today. Brexton (Busch’s newborn son) is at home, though. He didn’t want to fly six hours, so we let him stay at home this time. This is so cool."

Kurt Busch led a race-high 43 laps but spent too much time getting past Bowyer in the closing laps to have a realistic chance to catch his brother. But his disappointment at finishing second was trumped by empathy for the ordeal Kyle has endured this season.

"It was emotional," Kurt Busch acknowledged. "I know he’s been through quite a bit; to have your leg broken, your foot shattered, to never (before) be injured and out of the car … I don’t know what that feels like, but I do know that working with Tony Stewart and having him go through rehab, rehab is very difficult, and it is a mental challenge.

 "And I’m very proud of Kyle for what he’s done to get back in the car as soon as he did get back in the car, and then to be competitive at a track with hard, hard braking and to use his left foot to drive to victory lane, I’m very proud of him."

Then Kurt’s competitive juices took over, and he added, tongue-in-cheek, "I just wish I could have one more lap to get to his bumper, but I think he didn’t want to see an extra lap."

Posted on by Staff Report

FOX NASCAR analyst embraces Joy, Waltrip after final broadcast together

RELATED: McReynolds: ‘Sunday is going to be very tough’

The end of the FOX NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race broadcast season on Sunday was also the end of an era for one of the longest-running broadcast teams in sports television history.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
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Larry McReynolds bid farewell to the booth and his mates, race announcer Mike Joy and fellow analyst Darrell Waltrip, following the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.  

RELATED: ‘Rowdy’ wins with late surge

"I have to say I feel like the most blessed man on earth to stand beside you guys for 15 years," McReynolds said after FOX Sports 1 signed off with its 16th and final race of 2015.

Last month, FOX announced that four-time champion Jeff Gordon would join Joy and Waltrip in the booth in 2016, replacing McReynolds.

"Love you, brother," Waltrip said as McReynolds embraced him and Joy.

On a "FOX Sports Live" post-race report, Joy said he still planned to work with McReynolds next season.

"We’re going to add Jeff Gordon to the booth," Joy said. "I’m going to keep Larry real close for all his race strategy beginning in 2016."

RELATED: Gordon to transition into booth

On Friday, McReynolds told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that the race and the transition ahead would be difficult for him.

"I’m looking forward to my next role whenever we kind of get our arms around what that’s going to be with FOX, but it’s probably going to be very tough the next three days," McReynolds said. "But especially when that producer comes in our ear on Sunday and says, ‘The booth is clear.’ "

The two-time winner of the Daytona 500 as a crew chief will continue to serve as an analyst on FOX Sports 1’s weekday "NASCAR Race Hub" program as well as its "NASCAR RaceDay" and "NASCAR Victory Lane" shows for the rest of the season.

McReynolds also took a page from Gordon’s playbook and tweeted on Saturday that he is not retiring.