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Drivers support decision to make Busch Chase eligible

BUY: Rowdy Returns T-Shirt | RELATED: NASCAR grants Busch a Chase waiver

NASCAR competitors testing at Dover International Speedway on Wednesday said they have no qualms with NASCAR granting fellow Kyle Busch a waiver that keeps his Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup eligibility intact.

"We don’t have sick days in our sport," six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson said during a lunch break at the 1-mile track. "If you get injured in our industry, the repercussions are so big.

"Even though he is granted a waiver, you just look at what the team has been through – a couple of different drivers trying to develop the equipment and get it going, missed opportunities to win races. It’s a huge penalty to have an injury. If you can come back and win a race, you deserve to be in the Chase."

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Busch, driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota, missed the first 11 points races after breaking his right leg and fracturing his left foot in a crash in the season-opening XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

On Wednesday, NASCAR announced its decision to allow Busch to remain eligible, as long as he is in the top 30 in championship driver points standings following the season’s 26th race.

Busch announced on Tuesday that he would be back in the Sprint Cup car this weekend for Saturday’s Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, PRN, Sirius XM NASCAR).

MORE: Busch says All-Star event is ‘perfect’ for return

Under the rules, to be eligible for the Chase drivers must attempt to complete in the 26 points races leading up to the Chase. The 16-team field is comprised of the season’s winners and, if fewer than 16 drivers win at least one race, those highest in the points standings following the cutoff race.

Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano (Team Penske) said, "It’s not like he chose to skip races … that’s the difference.

"They don’t want to see someone win a race and say ‘alright, I’m good, I’m going to take four or five weeks off and enjoy it and not drive a race car.’ …

"Kyle is getting back in the car as soon as he possibly can to try to make the Chase. I think letting him do it is fine … that’s the way it should be. It’s not his fault he got hurt in the first place."

The possibility that Busch wins one of the remaining 15 "regular-season" races isn’t far-fetched. He has 29 career victories and has won one or more races for 10 consecutive seasons.

Climbing his way into the top 30 in points is another matter. Busch would likely need an average finish of at least 16th or to find himself in the top 30 after 26 races.

"I don’t know what he has to do to get in the top 30," Logano said. "… I think it’s well deserved; he’s worked hard to get back in the race car and if we race him for a championship at the end of the year, great. I’m not going to say it he shouldn’t have won it or something like that.

"Those are the rules that we’ve got … with the Chase, that you’re able to recover if something like that happens."

David Ragan, who filled in for Busch in nine races, said the NASCAR announcement simply provided Busch an avenue to attempt to qualify. The rest will be up to the driver and the team, led by crew chief Adam Stevens.

Ragan took over the reins of the car after Daytona (two-time Camping World Truck Series champion Matt Crafton stepped in at DIS) while 18-year-old Erik Jones made his Sprint Cup debut last weekend at Kansas with the team.

"He’s just eligible, obviously," Ragan said of Busch. "He’s still got to have a great season to make the Chase. He’s got to win a race, which isn’t easy to do, there are still a lot of good guys that haven’t won a race in quite some time; he’s got to score some pretty good points to get in the top 30.

"I think NASCAR made the right call and Kyle should be happy with that; if he can meet that criteria and make the Chase, he deserves to be in.

"If he can score those kind of points, be in the top 30 and win a race, (that’s) a chase team and (he’s) a Chase driver."

• Johnson, Logano and Ragan were among 12 drivers taking part in the open test at Dover. Also on hand were Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates), Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing), Danica Patrick (Stewart-Haas Racing), Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing), Casey Mears (Germain Racing), Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway Racing), Jeb Burton (BK Racing), Aric Almirola (Richard Petty Motorsports) and AJ Allmendinger (JTG Daugherty Racing).

Logano, Hamlin, Patrick and Allmendinger took part in a two-day Goodyear tire test at Dover prior to Wednesday’s team test.

• Johnson said while Dover and Charlotte appear vastly different, there are things his Hendrick Motorsports team could pick up during the Wednesday test that might be beneficial at CMS.

"We might not be able to learn and have the speed on the track today, but we’ll go home with some ideas … some things that didn’t work or did work and let our group at home stew on it," he said.

"It’ll help actually this weekend leading into Charlotte. Charlotte and Dover, oddly enough, do have very common sensations and loads and things through the race car. So this test … comes at a good time for us and we should be able to apply things to Charlotte."

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Get a breakdown of practice, qualifying and race formats for special weekend

RELATED: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race field in photos

 

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SPRINT FAN VOTE

– The winner of the Sprint Fan Vote will be announced in Victory Lane following the conclusion of the Sprint Showdown, and that driver will advance to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

RELATED: Patrick wins fan vote

NASCAR SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE

Garage Opens: Friday, May 15 at 7 a.m. ET; Saturday, May 16 at 1 p.m. ET

Final Practice: Friday, May 15 at 1:45-3:15 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1

Pit Road Practice: Friday, May 15 at 3:15 p.m.-3:25 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1

Qualifying: Saturday, May 16 at 7:10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1

– Three timed laps, including one four-tire pit stop

– There will be no pit road speeding penalty enforced for the four-tire pit stop. Aggregate total time will set the starting lineup for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

– A five-second penalty will be enforced for the following violations: too many crew members in contact with the pit service area; crew members over the wall too soon; throwing equipment; removing equipment; uncontrolled tire; running over equipment.

– Pitting outside the box will be a disqualification.

Race: Saturday, May 16 at 9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1

– Five segments.

– Segments 1 through 4 will be 25 laps each.

– Segment 5 will be 10 laps.

– Teams may enter pit road during the yellow flag period between segments 1 through 4, but will not retain their running position.

– All laps (green flag and yellow flag) will count during Segments 1 through 4.

– Only green flag laps will count during segment 5.

– The running order at the completion of the fourth segment will be repositioned based on the average finish for the first four segments. Ties in average finish will be broken by finishing position in the fourth segment.

– All cars must then enter pit road for a mandatory four-tire pit stop.

– The order of cars returning to the track will determine the starting order of the fifth segment.

– Crews will be permitted to work on the cars if the race is stopped due to a red flag. However, all work must be performed on pit road or garage area only.

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A stats-based look ahead to the race where $1 million is on the line

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. going into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 16 (7 p.m. on FOX Sports 1).

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SPRINT ALL-STAR-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

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

·         Average finish of 10.4

·         Average Running Position of 8.8, fifth-best

·         Driver Rating of 83.5, fifth-best

·         48 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

·         320 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 179.918 mph, ninth-fastest

·         746 Laps in the Top 15 (80.2%), sixth-most

·         273 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), seventh-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Red Nose Day Toyota)

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

·         Average finish of 12.3

·         Average Running Position of 7.3, second-best

·         Series-best Driver Rating of 108.1

·         84 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

·         Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 181.329 mph

·         664 Laps in the Top 15 (79.0%), ninth-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Mountain Dew Baja Blast Chevrolet)

·         One win, five top fives, 12 top 10s

·         Average finish of 8.0

·         Driver Rating of 78.5, 11th-best

·         23 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

·         Series-high 372 Green Flag Passes

·         757 Laps in the Top 15 (81.4%), fifth-most

·         Series-high 298 Quality Passes

Carl Edwards (No. 19 ARRIS Toyota)

·         One win, four top fives, six top 10s; two poles

·         Average finish of 10.4

·         Average Running Position of 9.9, seventh-best

·         Driver Rating of 84.6, fourth-best

·         62 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

·         233 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 179.874 mph, 10th-fastest

·         676 Laps in the Top 15 (79.5%), seventh-most

·         203 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet)

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

·         Average finish of 10.0

·         Average Running Position of 8.5, third-best

·         Driver Rating of 82.1, eighth-best

·         62 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

·         310 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 180.490 mph, third-fastest

·         Series-high 836 Laps in the Top 15 (89.9%)

·         286 Quality Passes, third-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet)

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

·         Average finish of 9.9

·         Average Running Position of 10.5, 12th-best

·         Driver Rating of 82.4, sixth-best

·         31 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most

·         331 Green Flag Passes, third-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 179.927 mph, eighth-fastest

·         659 Laps in the Top 15 (70.9%), 10th-most

·         263 Quality Passes, eighth-most

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

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

·         Average finish of 6.2

·         Series-best Average Running Position of 6.9

·         Driver Rating of 104.2, second-best

·         Series-high 147 Fastest Laps Run

·         307 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 180.878 mph, second-fastest

·         825 Laps in the Top 15 (88.7%), second-most

·         278 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet)

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

·         Average finish of 11.7

·         Average Running Position of 10.5, 10th-best

·         Driver Rating of 81.3, ninth-best

·         53 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

·         315 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 180.143 mph, sixth-fastest

·         676 Laps in the Top 15 (72.7%), seventh-most

·         274 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)

·         One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles

·         Average finish of 6.2

·         Average Running Position of 8.7, fourth-best

·         Driver Rating of 88.3, third-best

·         47 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

·         325 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 180.049 mph, seventh-fastest

·         779 Laps in the Top 15 (83.8%), fourth-most

·         282 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)

·         Two top fives, three top 10s

·         Average finish of 8.8

·         Average Running Position of 10.5, 11th-best

·         Driver Rating of 78.2, 12th-best

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 180.366 mph, fifth-fastest

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 16 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race

 

Rank

Driver

Races

Poles

Wins

Top Fives

Top 10s

DNFs

Average Finish

Driver Rating

  
 

1

Kevin Harvick

14

0

1

3

8

3

9.9

82.4

  

2

Martin Truex Jr.

5

0

0

1

2

2

13.6

59.2

  

3

Jimmie Johnson

13

1

4

8

9

1

6.2

104.2

  

4

Joey Logano

4

0

0

2

3

1

8.8

78.2

  

5

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

15

0

1

5

12

1

8.0

78.5

  

6

Brad Keselowski

6

0

0

1

3

1

12.7

55.2

  

7

Matt Kenseth

14

2

1

6

11

1

6.2

88.3

  

8

Jamie McMurray

8

0

1

1

3

3

14.0

71.6

  

9

Jeff Gordon

21

0

3

6

9

5

10.0

82.1

  

10

Kasey Kahne

11

1

1

2

4

4

11.7

81.3

  

11

Aric Almirola

0

0

0

0

0

0

0.0

–

  

12

Paul Menard

1

0

0

0

0

0

16.0

58.1

  

13

Ryan Newman

13

1

1

3

7

4

10.1

75.6

  

14

Kurt Busch

13

0

1

5

7

3

10.4

83.5

  

15

Denny Hamlin

8

0

0

2

5

2

11.3

69.2

  

16

Clint Bowyer

6

0

0

0

1

0

14.2

54.8

  

* – Based on last 11 NASCAR Sprint All-Star races.

Statistical Advance

Charlotte Motor Speedway Data

Track Size: 1.5 miles

Banking Turns: 24 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees

Frontstretch: 1,980 feet

Backstretch: 1,500 feet

Top 10 All-Star Driver Ratings 

Kyle Busch…………………………. 108.1

Jimmie Johnson…………………… 104.2

Matt Kenseth………………………… 88.3

Carl Edwards………………………… 84.6

Kurt Busch……………………………. 83.5

Kevin Harvick………………………… 82.4

Jeff Gordon………………………….. 82.1

Kasey Kahne………………………… 81.3

Dale Earnhardt Jr.………………….. 78.5

Joey Logano………………………… 78.2

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 NASCAR Sprint All-Star races (10 total).

2014 Race Winner:

Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet

100.517 mph, (01:20:35), 05-16-14

2014 Showdown Winner:

Clint Bowyer, Toyota

117.711 mph, (00:30:35), 05-16-14

2014 Showdown Runner-Up:

AJ Allmendinger

2014 Sprint Fan Vote Winner:

Josh Wise

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race:

Notebook

·         There have been 30 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race was in 1985.

·         29 have been held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 1986, the event was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and won by Bill Elliott. That season was also the first year for what is now known as the Sprint Showdown.

·         92 drivers have run in at least one NASCAR Sprint All-Star race, with 76 competing in more than one.

·         Mark Martin has participated in 24 races, more than any other driver. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in Sprint All-Star starts with 21, followed by Tony Stewart with 16.

·         There have been 20 different winners of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race.

·         Jimmie Johnson (2003, 2006, 2012 and 2013) leads the series with the most NASCAR Sprint All-Star race wins with four.

·         Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990 and 1993) and Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997 and 2001) are the only three-time winners of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race.

·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip won the inaugural NASCAR Sprint All-Star race in 1985 at an average speed of 161.184 mph.

·        The race has featured a field that ranged from 10 drivers in 1986 to 27 in 2002. Last season’s field had 22 participants.

·         Davey Allison (1991 and 1992), Terry Labonte (1988 and 1999) and Mark Martin (1998 and 2005) are the only other drivers to post multiple victories in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race.

·        Davey Allison (1991, 1992) and Jimmie Johnson (2012, 2013) are the only drivers to ever win consecutive NASCAR Sprint All-Star races.

·         Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2000) and Ryan Newman (2002) are the only drivers to win the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race in their rookie season.

·         Jeff Gordon is the youngest winner of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at 23 years, 9 months and 18 days (1995).

·         Mark Martin is the oldest NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race winner at 46 years, 4 months and 12 days (2005).

·         Jimmie Johnson leads the series among active drivers in average finish in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race with a 6.154; followed by Matt Kenseth with a 6.214.

·         Seven active drivers have an average finish in the top 10 for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Jimmie Johnson (6.1), Matt Kenseth (6.2), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8.0), Tony Stewart (8.4), Joey Logano (8.7) Kevin Harvick (9.9) and Jeff Gordon (10.0).

·         Terry Labonte won the inaugural Coors Light pole for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race in 1985.

·         16 drivers have won Coors Light poles for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race, led by Bill Elliott with four. Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with three. Carl Edwards has won the last two consecutive poles for the Sprint All-Star Race (2013, 2014).

·       Four drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race: Davey Allison (1991, 1992) Bill Elliott (1997, 1998), Kyle Busch (2011, 2012) and Carl Edwards (2013, 2014).

·         The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race has been won from the pole position four times; the first three came in consecutive years: Dale Earnhardt (1990) and Davey Allison (1991 and 1992). Kurt Busch posted the fourth win from the pole in 2010.

·         The front row starting positions and fourth-place are the three most proficient starting positions in the field, producing more winners (four each) than any other starting positions in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

·         Eight of the 30 (26.7%) NASCAR Sprint All-Star races have been won from the front row: four from the pole and four from second-place.

·         17 of the 30 (56.7%) NASCAR Sprint All-Star races have been won from a top-five starting position.

·         21 of the 30 (70%) NASCAR Sprint All-Star races have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·         Two of the 30 (6.7%) NASCAR Sprint All-Star races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

·         The deepest in the field a NASCAR Sprint All-Star race winner has started was 27th, by Ryan Newman in 2002.

·         Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won eight NASCAR Sprint All-Star races (most all-time): Jimmie Johnson (four: 2003, 2006, 2012, 2013), Jeff Gordon (three: 1995, 1997, 2001) and Terry Labonte (one: 1999).

·          Several other active teams have won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Richard Childress Racing and Roush Fenway Racing have four (4) NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race titles each, and Team Penske has two (2). Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, the Wood Brothers, Richard Petty Motorsports and Stewart Haas Racing each have one Sprint All-star win.  

·         All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers – Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne – have won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, making HMS the only multi-car team to have a complete roster of former NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race champions – note: Earnhardt Jr. and Kahne won while driving for other teams.

·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top-five finishes in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race with nine; followed by Tony Stewart (eight) and Jimmie Johnson (eight).

·        Bill Elliott leads the series in top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race with 13; followed by Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 12 each. Matt Kenseth has 11 top-10s.

·      Five drivers have won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same year: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990, 1993), Rusty Wallace (1989), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997, 2001) and Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2013).

·         In 2008, Kasey Kahne became the first driver to get into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race by the Sprint Fan Vote and go on to win the event.

·         There have been 10 different Sprint Fan Vote winners in the last 10 years of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

·       Dale Earnhardt Jr.
is the only driver in event history to win the NASCAR Sprint All-Star
Race (2000), Sprint Showdown (2012) and Sprint Fan Vote (2011).

·         Seven times from seven different drivers has the winner of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race gone on to win the Coke Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway the following weekend: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Davey Allison (1991), Dale Earnhardt (1993), Jeff Gordon (1997), Jimmie Johnson (2003), Kasey Kahne (2008) and Kurt Busch (2010).

·         The record for lead changes in a NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is 10 in 2004. Last season’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race had nine lead changes.

·      The record for different leaders in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is nine in 2002. Last season’s race had six different leaders.

·       The series best Driver Rating performance by a NASCAR Sprint All-Star race winner was Carl Edwards posting a 141.7 in 2011.

·         Top 3 leaders in Driver Rating for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Kyle Busch (108.9), Jimmie Johnson (103.9) and Matt Kenseth (88.9).

·         11 of the 17 drivers qualified to compete in the 2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race have captured the event title.  Those 11 drivers have a combined 16 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race victories.

·         Roush Fenway Racing has fielded at least one entry in every NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race from 1990-2014, however no RFR drivers are currently eligible for this season’s event and will need to transfer in via the Sprint Showdown or winning the Sprint Fan Vote.

·         Kyle Busch has made nine NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race starts without a victory, the most of any eligible driver.  His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin has made eight (8) starts, the second-highest total among drivers looking for win No. 1.

·         Greg Biffle has qualified for 11 consecutive NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race events (2004-2014), however he isn’t currently qualified for the race.  It is the longest active streak among drivers not currently in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race field.

·         The six drivers qualified for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race looking for their first win in the event are Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, AJ Allmendinger and Aric Almirola.

·         Chevrolet (17) and Ford (10) have combined to win 27 or the 30 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race events – the remaining three belong to Dodge (two) and Pontiac (one).  Toyota is looking for its first event title.

·         Among those eligible for the 2015 event Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jamie McMurray each have career wins in both the Sprint Showdown qualifier and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

·         Martin Truex Jr. is the only driver in the Sprint Showdown field with multiple victories in the qualifying race (2007, 2010).

·         No driver has ever won the Sprint Showdown and advanced to win the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

·         Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards are the only three drivers who have won each the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the Sprint Fan Vote.  Kahne won the vote and event in 2008, Earnhardt Jr. won the race in 2000 and Sprint Fan Vote in 2011. Carl Edwards won the Sprint Fan Vote in 2010 and the Sprint All-Star Race in 2011.

·         Josh Wise (2014), Danica Patrick (2013), Bobby Labonte (2012) and Martin Truex Jr. (2005) are the only drivers in the 2015 Sprint Fan Vote who have previously won the fans’ transfer position.

·         No driver has ever won multiple Sprint Fan Vote awards.

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Wins List

Year    Driver                      Year        Driver

1985    Darrell Waltrip       2000        Dale Earnhardt Jr.

1986    Bill Elliott                2001        Jeff Gordon

1987    Dale Earnhardt      2002        Ryan Newman

1988    Terry Labonte        2003        Jimmie Johnson

1989    Rusty Wallace        2004        Matt Kenseth

1990    Dale Earnhardt      2005        Mark Martin

1991    Davey Allison        2006        Jimmie Johnson

1992    Davey Allison        2007        Kevin Harvick

1993    Dale Earnhardt      2008        Kasey Kahne

1994    Geoff Bodine         2009        Tony Stewart

1995    Jeff Gordon           2010        Kurt Busch

1996    Michael Waltrip     2011        Carl Edwards

1997    Jeff Gordon           2012        Jimmie Johnson

1998    Mark Martin            2013        Jimmie Johnson

1999    Terry Labonte        2014        Jamie McMurray

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Hendrick Motorsports pit coach Chris Burkey: ‘It’s a grueling time’

On Saturday night, hundreds of fire suit-clad crew members will line pit road for the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Less than 20 hours later, some of the same crew members will be standing on pit road once more, but at a race track 1,024 miles away – Iowa Speedway.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

With their jobs revolving around 12-second pit stops that encompass lightning-fast movement and strength, the life of a NASCAR pit crew member is taxing both mentally and physically. And the growing trend of crew members pitting multiple series– sometimes at different tracks – tacks on another element of exhaustion.

"The guys know it’s a grueling time when you have a non-companion race like that," Hendrick Motorsports pit crew coach Chris Burkey said, referring to this weekend’s bi-city Sprint Cup and XFINITY races at Charlotte and Iowa. "So you kind of have to get mentally prepared for a late night at the All-Star Race and having to get up early in the morning (Sunday)."

Burkey oversees the development of the Hendrick Motorsports pit crews of Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne on a daily basis at the team’s campus in Concord, North Carolina. A former NFL scout for the Miami Dolphins, Burkey also manages the recruiting process of bringing new talent to the pits through the organization’s pit crew developmental program, which grooms young athletes into eventual Sprint Cup pit performers.

But since his arrival at Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, Burkey has noticed a shift in the pit crew industry, as more and more Sprint Cup veteran crew members are pitting lower series’ vehicles in addition to their Cup duties. This is a change from the old method of the newer, less experienced pit performers pitting the lower series’ rides.

"You have a developmental team or a backup team trying to pit against some Cup teams," Burkey explained. "It’s very hard to beat teams like that. We’re in the world of wins so we just felt like we needed to join suit."

"…We knew we were probably going to have to shift that way at some point, especially with the caliber of drivers that JRM (JR Motorsports) is putting in their cars."

Hendrick Motorsports tends to keep most of its crews in the family, servicing Hendrick-affiliated JR Motorsports. This season, the No. 5 crew of Kasey Kahne is pitting the No. 9 XFINITY car for reigning series champion Chase Elliott. Similarly, the No. 24 crew for Jeff Gordon has performed pit stops for the No. 88 Chevrolet, an XFINITY ride that is driven by team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., as well as Sprint Cup veterans Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne. At Iowa, the 2014 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion, Ben Rhodes will pilot the car.

"I figured since the majority of the 5 guys had pitted Chase before, last year, they understand how he comes in the pit box, they understand how he does things," Burkey said. "… Which means a lot because there’s no learning curve on that car there.

"… And then take the 24 – and the 24 being more of the veteran group… Keep the more established group with those stable veteran drivers week-in-and-week-out and give them an opportunity to perform for those drivers."

Burkey said the extra stops for these veteran crew members has benefited them for the subsequent Cup race. Any extra practice time is crucial for athletes whose performance is measured in spans of 12-second stops on pit road.

"You don’t want to say (the XFINITY or Truck race is) a practice because you want to perform, but it gives them those extra reps leading into the Sunday race," Burkey said. "When you go to a place like Phoenix, Vegas where you have very slick pit boxes, it gives them the Saturday reps to get accustomed to that and get used to that instead of showing up on Sunday and all of a sudden ‘oh wow, I forgot we have slick pit boxes here, don’t push too hard.’ So a lot of the teams have used those Saturday reps as kind of a tuning-up for the Sunday Cup race."

But despite the increasing double duty on pit road for Cup crew members, Burkey said Hendrick Motorsports‘ developmental program won’t condense as a result.

"I think it will still continue to grow," Burkey said. "We’re always still looking for solid, quality back-ups. You can never have too many because just when you think you have too many, you have four injuries and you don’t have enough … It will always help us."

Posted on by Holly Cain

JGR driver missed 11 points races, will suit up Saturday

RELATED: Drivers react | Timeline of Busch’s injury, recovery | What has Busch been up to?

Let there be no doubt that Kyle Busch is ready to be back.

Asked what he missed most in the three months he’s been recovering from injury, he didn’t hesitate.

"The biggest thing I missed is being able to hold up trophies and being in Victory Lane,” Busch said Tuesday in a conference call with the national racing media to announce his return to the seat of the No. 18 Toyota Camry in Saturday’s Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (9 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM).

Busch received medical clearance from his doctors and NASCAR on Monday. He has yet to make a start this season after suffering a compound fracture in his right leg and a broken left foot in the Feb. 21 season-opening XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

RELATED: See Baby Busch’s nursery

The shorter All-Star race and its segment-and-break format was enticing for the return, Busch said.

"I think it’s a great race to come back to, it’s shorter and it’s a non-points event and there’s mandatory cautions after every 25 laps so it gives you an opportunity to take a breather, take a rest and that will all help me make adjustments to myself as well as being behind the wheel of the 2015 Camry for the first time because I haven’t had the opportunity to race at all in this aero package," Busch said.

" … For me, getting into the All‑Star Race I felt like was a good idea just based of the fact of being able to get in, get behind the wheel, being able to go 200 miles an hour again, get a small taste of it, make sure everything is good, the body is good, everything is fine, which I anticipate it to be.

"If there’s things I need to work on, maybe I can work on during the week to get myself a little bit more prepared for the 600 coming up to the longest one. I definitely would have said coming back for the 600 is going to be really, really tough. That’s why I feel like the All‑Star Race is the perfect advantage to be able to come back. "

MORE: @nascarcasm imagines the texts Kyle received with news of return

While NASCAR has given Busch the green flag to compete, it has not ruled yet on whether Busch would receive a medical exemption to challenge for the championship should he otherwise qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. (UPDATE: NASCAR grants Busch Chase waiver)

The rules state a driver must at least attempt to qualify for all 26 regular-season races to be eligible to earn a berth. A driver earns a Chase berth by winning a race and being ranked among the top 30 in the points standings, with the remaining slots filled by the highest-ranking driver in the Sprint Cup standings. (RELATED: How Busch can earn his way to playoffs)

There are 15 races remaining for Busch to score a victory and gather enough points to break into the top 30. The maximum number of points a driver can earn each weekend is 48 — and that includes winning a race and leading the most laps.

The current 30th-place driver is Tony Stewart, who has 179 points through the first 11 races.

"I know there’s been some good dialogue on the subject but I’m not aware that there’s a decision made at this point,” Busch said. "As I mentioned last month, I’d love to race for a win and a spot in the Chase. I believe the top-30 rule makes a lot of sense.

"For me, in my mind, it was intended for someone in my situation, for someone who has a car and team and sponsor set to run the entire year for a championship. I think it was set up to try and keep guys from just trying to grab a win at a road course or restrictor-plate track or something like that.

"We’ll see what happens. That’s in (NASCAR’s) hands and we’ll see what the decision is."

Should Busch receive a medical exemption, he has reason to be optimistic about his playoff chances. He has wins on 10 of the 13 tracks left to set the Chase field, including both road courses, Sonoma Raceway (one) and Watkins Glen International (two).

In fact, 19 of Busch’s 29 career Sprint Cup wins have come on the 13 remaining regular-season venues. He has four wins alone at Richmond, which hosts the regular season finale, and five at Bristol.

Busch has shared the recovery process with his fans on social media during the past three months, showing the evolution from hospital bed to wheelchair to standing alone. And in the last two weeks Busch finally got behind the steering wheel again, testing a late model at a North Carolina short track.

"Well, it was shaking the rust off for me, but also just proving that I can handle brake pressures, clutch, all that stuff with the foot, making sure the leg wouldn’t tense up or spasm or anything in the race car being locked in sort of a particular angle,” Busch explained. "The test went really well. It worked good to simulate as much of the racing situations as we could. I ran over 300 laps in the first lap down in Greenville‑Pickens (S.C.). The brake pressure I felt was probably comparable most to Dover, Charlotte being lighter than what Dover would be."

He and team owner Joe Gibbs have maintained from the very beginning that there was no rush on the recovery — that everyone has been committed to a cautious and safe healing taking precedence.

And Busch joked even after getting medical clearance from the doctor, team and NASCAR, "I don’t know that I convinced my wife 100 percent yet. It’s a process." 

On the practical side, however, Busch said even his doctors were impressed with the speed and thoroughness of his recovery.

"I think as far as physical shape and working out, I’ve been doing therapy three, sometimes four and five days a week, so I feel like I’m well ready to go and the cardio aspect is there and the physical aspect is all well there,” Busch said.

He likened the pedal pressure he felt testing the car to being about the same pressure he has felt doing leg presses in physical therapy.

"There’s probably some soreness there, but I wouldn’t call it pain," Busch said. "In my mind, if I had to say the thing that concerns me the most and it would only be on a 2-factor out of a scale of 1-10 is the amount of walking I have to do between the hauler and the car and pit road for qualifying, but (qualifying) won’t be an issue this week for the All-Star Race. … Being in the car I felt really good in the late model tests.

"My feet and legs, everything works good inside the race car. It’s just the amount of time standing on my feet, they tend to get tired a little more quicker than they used to.”

During his first few races back, Busch said his Joe Gibbs Racing team will have 18-year old Erik Jones on stand-by to fill in if necessary. Jones was one of three drivers — along with Matt Crafton and David Ragan — who substituted for Busch this season. The rookie Jones made his first Cup start last weekend at Kansas Speedway, qualifying Busch’s Toyota 12th and running among the top 10 before a late-race accident relegated him to a 40th-place finish.

RELATED: Erik Jones smacks wall, ruining Kansas run

May is a big month for Busch even beyond his impending return to racing. He celebrated his 30th birthday on May 2, and he and wife Samantha are expecting their first child, a son, in the coming weeks.

Busch said the baby is actually due on May 22, but acknowledged the possibility of it being born this weekend, coinciding with the Sprint All-Star Race. With Jones already on stand-by and with the race taking place near their home in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area, Busch said he felt very comfortable with the situation.

INSIDE GROOVE: Samantha Busch reveals baby nursery

"If she goes into labor my plan is always to be there for the birth," Busch said. "The good thing about Charlotte is we have more flexibility being here than if we were on the other side of the country. We’ll see what happens the next few days."

Posted on by Staff Report

Keep tabs on the activity at both tracks this weekend

This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be rounding laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, the NASCAR XFINITY Series will take to Iowa Speedway for the series’ first standalone event of the season.

The Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown, in which two drivers will transfer to the Sprint All-Star Race field, will be held on Friday, May 15, at 7 p.m. ET, with coverage on FOX Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM. The Sprint All-Star Race, which will see the winning driver take home $1 million dollars, will be on Saturday, May 16 with coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM.

The Camping World Truck Series NC Education Lottery 200 is on Friday, May 15, at 8:30 p.m. ET with coverage on FOX Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM.

The XFINITY Series 3M 250 is on Sunday, May 17 at 2 p.m. with coverage on FOX Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM.

For more information on track times, press conferences and GarageCam, you can check out the full weekend schedule.

We know you may not have the time to watch the race action without any interruptions, so if you’re on the go, here’s how to keep up with all the action this weekend.

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NASCAR.com’s live Sprint Cup Series leaderboard, XFINITY Series leaderboard and Camping World Truck Series leaderboard update in real-time and offer constant text updates of lead changes, cautions, strategies, strong runs and everything in between. From the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series leaderboard, fans can also access live standings. On the go? Download the NASCAR Mobile app to follow the leaderboards live from your device.

Lap-by-Lap will keep you caught up even if you can only take a peek here and there. Check in to read back through all the laps you’ve missed, or keep an eye on the feed for real-time race updates.

We’ll also send race updates via Twitter through the official @NASCAR and @NASCARStats handles.

RaceBuddy will have enhanced views and coverage for the Sprint Cup Series with 10 HD live race views, including up to eight in-car cameras, two mosaic views, live leaderboard and interactive chat.

Haven’t tried RaceView yet? If you sign up, you’ll get virtual videos of cars on the track from various angles and hear what your favorite team is saying over the radio in the Sprint Cup Series races. Use it as a second screen or as your only screen. Just want to scan the radios? You can have that too with Scanner (formerly RaceView Audio) for all three series. On a mobile device? Get RaceView Mobile here.

Mobile users can also download NASCAR Connect, a game from OneUp Sports that allows users to play other fans with race predictions for some off-track competition while drivers battle it out on the track.

Live Press Pass video streams will keep the NASCAR action rolling even after the winner goes in and out of Victory Lane. Catch interviews with the top finishers and series champions immediately following the checkered flag for both national series events, and stay tuned to NASCAR.com throughout the week for the latest news.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Entire team shares joy of Talladega win

RELATED: Junior eager to compete in Coca-Cola 600

CONCORD, N.C. — One by one, Hendrick Motorsports employees took their places Tuesday afternoon, forming a receiving line that reached into the deeper regions of the Nos. 48 and 88 shop. Rarely has being single-file meant so much to a NASCAR team.

With each movement forward, a resounding signal came from the Hendrick Victory Bell, a relatively new but already rich tradition. Each blast from the bell’s clapper helped trumpet the No. 88 team’s most recent Talladega Superspeedway triumph — resounding in its own right — courtesy of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt himself stood at the end of the line, individually congratulating each team member for the win nine days earlier. It was a moment to see Junior not as the 40-year-old son of anointed stock-car royalty or as NASCAR’s most popular driver, but as merely another member of the team.

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"I think he just likes to be really in tune with his guys," said Travis Peterson, in his first year as an engineer for the No. 88 operation. "He’s obviously a huge figure and everybody sees that side of him, but I think he likes to just be his regular self and be buddies with everyone who’s on his team, just to know you on a more personal level.

"He wants everyone to enjoy it and have a good time. He doesn’t want it to be such a strict job. He wants everybody to enjoy racing, since for us, it’s not a real job — it’s what we enjoy doing. We just make our hobby into a career."

Earnhardt shook every hand Tuesday to extend what was already a raucous celebration of his sixth career victory at Talladega. There was enough bell-ringing to make churches envious, but there was also the personal touch of heartfelt appreciation at the end of the line.

Since Earnhardt has an ownership stake in the Hendrick-affiliated JR Motorsports team, he’s already comfortable keeping tabs on racing operations from the shop floor. But beyond the ownership connection, there’s humility that transcends his at-track stardom.

"I don’t think it’s the ownership. It’s just his personality," said Rob Lopes, the No. 88 Chevrolet’s tire specialist. "He’s one of us, he knows what it takes and what goes into this deal. He knows it’s not just him, he knows it’s not just us — it’s a whole team thing and he know that without us, there is no him and without him, there is no us. It’s just ‘us.’ "

Lopes has been with the team since 2011, the year that HMS president Marshall Carlson first broached the idea for a Victory Bell tradition, taking a page from college football’s playbook with the creation of unique trophies for rivalry games. In the five years since, Hendrick cars have scored 41 wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

When the ritual was first created, Earnhardt was in the midst of a career-long slump that spanned more than three seasons. On the other side of the shop, stablemate Jimmie Johnson had just polished off the last of his five consecutive Sprint Cup championships for the No. 48 team.

Over the last two seasons, the division of success has balanced out somewhat, but the competitive fire hasn’t. Each team wants its place at the bell’s side. The fact that Tuesday’s celebration happened to take place within earshot of the office of Chad Knaus, Johnson’s crew chief, wasn’t lost on the No. 88 crew.

"In here, we’re one. But at the end of the day, we’re also competitors," said Adam Jordan, the No. 88 team’s interior mechanic. "We work together, but man, I really want to beat Chad Knaus every single day of the week. He just gets pissed when we beat him and vice versa."

Said Lopes: "It’s probably the healthiest competition out there, but it’s also the best-oiled two-car team you’re going to see. This building here has been referred to as one team that fields two cars, and that’s the way we treat each other."

After the shop portion of the ceremony was complete, the Victory Bell was off for the rest of its journey, hitting virtually every office on Hendrick Motorsports‘ sprawling 100-plus-acre campus. Fittingly, Earnhardt did the driving, turning the upright controls that helped the wagon’s go-kart wheels find their way around.

Peterson was able to celebrate atop the pit box — by his own admission, excitably so — at the track two weekends ago. But seeing the Victory Bell make its usual rounds, clanging all the while, brought home the team concept — from the engine and machine shop all the way through accounting and human resources — as the celebration touched all corners of the company.

"When you’re traveling, you get to experience it going to Victory Lane, being part of the intense moments of the race, but watching on TV is just not the same," Peterson said. "Being able to bring this around and get everybody involved is great for everyone who is here on the weekdays while we’re gone and keeps grinding on the cars."

WATCH IT AGAIN: Full race replay of Talladega, other races

Earnhardt handed a gift to each crew member as he exchanged greetings Tuesday afternoon. Inside each packet was a team-specific sticker commemorating the victory for each team member.

To hear the team members tell it, the celebration rarely deviates from its structured schedule, save for perhaps the recognition for winning the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s crown jewel race. While a certain amount of routine goes into each Victory Bell celebration, Lopes said savoring the spoils while adding another chapter to the team’s winning heritage never gets old.

"Any race, you don’t ever take a win for granted because you never know when your next one is going to be and you never know when your last one is going to be," Lopes said. "So you treat them all special. The bigger milestone races, sure, they might hold a little bit more light up to it, but … a win’s a win. The points are the same. The stickers that they put on next to a driver’s name, they aren’t a different color for a different race, they’re all the same.

"A win’s a win — we’ll take it."

Posted on by Zack Albert

Youngest national series winner will be age-eligible to run full time next season

RELATED: NASCAR’s future is bright … and young

Cole Custer was one of five returning members back for an encore with the unveiling of the 2015-16 NASCAR Next class of up-and-coming drivers on May 5. 

In the year-plus since being tapped to the youth initiative, Custer said he’s benefited from the extra visibility that the program provides. Landing a prized spot with JR Motorsports, co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., hasn’t hurt.

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The 17-year-old Custer said he’s learned plenty about the sport’s inner workings from his NASCAR Next participation, especially in dealing with media requests as his profile rises. But he suggests there may be some carryover in the confidence category as well.

"We’re definitely going to have more hype going into our future races because of this, but it’s something that’ll bring some momentum going into the races, too," Custer said. "Just being talked about — you’re known now. I think it definitely helps you going in."

When JR Motorsports announced in January that it would expand its racing program in to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Custer was selected for a 10-race slate. Though his truck resume spanned just nine career starts at the time, one of those was a comeback victory from the pole position last September at New Hampshire, making him — at 16 years, 7 months and 28 days old — the youngest winner in one of NASCAR’s three national series. 

The triumph — and the potential for more in the years ahead — made team owners take notice.

"It’s definitely jump-started it," Custer said of the win’s impact on his career. "We had a real good run there at Loudon and that was a real key thing in trying to progress in a different series and with different teams, meeting new people. I think it was just something that was real important for me."

PHOTOS: Meet the NASCAR Next Class of 2015

Custer carried the flag for JRM in the organization’s Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway in March, springing into the lead with five laps left in regulation before late-race contact shuffled him back in the finishing order. While 16th place wasn’t the favored result, the performance — bookended by a front-row starting spot and leading laps late — was encouraging.

Custer said there’s pressure that goes along with the expectations. He also indicated he hopes the team can handle both.

"For sure. They expect championships and wins at that program. That’s the deal there," Custer says. "We definitely want to go out there and win every single weekend, and we think we have the capability of it." 

Custer’s schedule this season is a partial one, in part because of a NASCAR-mandated age limit of 18 years old for tracks longer than 1.25 miles. Though he’ll be free to compete virtually unrestricted when he turns 18 next January, he said his 2016 plans are still in the formative stages.

"We’re not fully sure right now," Custer said. "We’re really focused on this year and trying to succeed but we’ll see. Hopefully, I would love to run full-time for them, but we’ll see in the future. I think there’s a lot of different things that happen, and we’ll see."

MORE: Learn more about NASCAR Next

 

Posted on by Nascar

Allgaier discusses cautions, Charlotte to have new tires and more

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Justin Allgaier says he understands the concern voiced about the timing of caution flags in the past two weeks, but said Tuesday from his team’s shop in Spartanburg, South Carolina, that he has no issues with how the end of the races have been officiated.

"Obviously if you are the car that everybody’s screaming by, you’re probably going to have a lot greater issue with it," the HScott Motorsports driver said.

Two weeks ago at Talladega after Carl Edwards crashed on the final lap of the GEICO 500, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver was critical of the lack of a caution flag being thrown for his incident as well as how others reacted after his No. 19 Toyota slid down onto the apron then shot back up on the racing surface.

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Several cars, including Allgaier’s, were still at speed and with no caution being thrown shot past Edwards’ out-of-control entry.

"I saw the crash, and I’ve seen enough crashes in that regard with the way that it happened to know that they don’t (normally) come back onto the race track," Allgaier said.

"When I came into the sport, the answer was always lock it down and turn to the left, that was always the big deal. In my mind, and seeing what happened to Carl, I felt like the way the circumstances were playing out that that’s what was going to happen."

Edwards’ teammate, Denny Hamlin, voiced similar concerns this past weekend after he was involved in a crash at Kansas Speedway.

"I keep spinning out, I keep hitting the wall and I can’t figure out why everyone is still coming at 200 (mph), and I look and the green light is still on," Hamlin said afterward.

"They didn’t throw a caution until seven seconds after I wrecked. Luckily nobody hit us. They’ll continue to monitor the situation is what they’ll say."

On Monday, Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing development officer, said officials hoped to speak with Hamlin this week.

Officials did throw the caution at Talladega when a multicar incident occurred just moments after Edwards’ spin.

"My spotter had already done a great job calling the wreck out, the back straightaway wreck had already happened, so obviously the attention had already moved to that because there were more cars involved," Allgaier said.

"The first wreck was kind of buttoned up and we’d already kind of written it off. I think when I got there I wasn’t at full speed by any means but I wasn’t (going) 50 mph, either."

On larger tracks such as Talladega where drivers often would have enough time to slow their cars before making their way back around to the scene of an incident, officials lean toward allowing the race to finish under green-flag conditions when it’s the last lap of the race. If the crash is severe, then getting emergency vehicles dispatched to the scene takes precedence.

If a crash brings out the yellow flag before the leader has taken the white flag (signifying one lap remaining), officials will make up to three attempts at a green-white-checkered finish.

RELATED: NASCAR’s racing flags and what they mean

Allgaier says that’s important for the fans.

"I look at the IndyCar finishes that end under yellow. They had one earlier this year I think, and I think everybody would have loved to have seen it … finish under green.

"For us, we get three attempts. If you can’t figure out in three attempts, we probably don’t need to finish it. But I feel like if I was a fan paying money to see a race, I’d like to see it end under green."

New Right-Side Tires for Charlotte

A Goodyear tire test in March has resulted in a change to the right-side tires for teams competing in this weekend’s Sprint All-Star Race (May 16, 7 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM) as well as next weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 (May 24, 6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM).

The new tire contains a multi-zone tread, according to Goodyear. The outboard 10 inches of the tire features the same compound used at Charlotte Motor Speedway last season.

Aric Almirola (Richard Petty Motorsports), Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports), Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing) and J.J. Yeley (BK Racing) participated in the tire test.

The left-side tire is the same as that used in ’14.

Teams competing at CMS in Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NC Education Lottery 200 (May 15, 8:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1 , MRN, SiriusXM) will use the same tire set-up as those in Sprint Cup.

XFINITY Series teams competing this weekend in Iowa in the 3M 250 (May 17, 2 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM) will have the same left-side tire set-up as last season, but it will be paired with a new right-side configuration.

Kansas Penalty Totals

NASCAR officials meted out 30 penalties during the running of Saturday night’s SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas, flagging teams most often for pitting before pit road was officially open. It’s a common occurrence during events as teams typically hit pit road early to repair damage as soon as possible, knowing that the violation will result in re-starting the race at the back of the field. It’s a loss of track position that, in most cases, they’ve already lost.

J.J. Yeley and the No 23 team became the first to be penalized this season for pitting after already having taken the wave-around. The infraction occurred on Lap 100. The penalty was the loss of one lap.

There have been 30 or more penalties handed down in seven of this year’s 11 Sprint Cup races.