Posted on by Nascar

Team’s race shop suffered major damage from last week’s fire

Photo credit: Leavine Family Racing

For at least the next two weeks, Leavine Family Racing will operate out of the Team Penske facility in Mooresville, North Carolina, according to an official with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series organization.
 
LFR, which fields the No. 95 Ford for driver Michael McDowell, has been forced to relocate due to damage from a fire last week that destroyed much of the back portion of the team’s shop, including four of its race cars.
 
Employees discovered the blaze upon their arrival at the shop, which is located behind Charlotte Motor Speedway, Friday morning and immediately notified authorities.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

The bulk of the race team had already arrived in Kansas City for this past Saturday night’s race at Kansas Speedway, where McDowell finished 36th.
 
"We are working out of the Porsche shop at Penske for the short term," Jeremy Lange, LFR vice president, said Monday. "They provided the space for us and it’s been very nice of them to come through in a pinch and offer their help.
 
"It’s not a long-term solution but it’s a short-term fix."
 
Team Penske is housed in a 400,000-plus square foot complex that currently serves as the base of operations for its Sprint Cup, XFINITY Series and IndyCar teams.
 
Lange said that the four vehicles destroyed were the team’s back-up cars. Those in the process of preparation for upcoming events at Charlotte Motor Speedway — this weekend’s Sprint Showdown and next week’s Coca-Cola 600 — were among those in the front of the building and were not damaged.
 
"Luckily enough our cars for Charlotte were already put together and wrapped," Lange said. "Now it’s going to come down to set-up and dyno and K-rig and getting the car ready for a race, not assembly. Which is a positive. If this had been weeks ago, it might be a different story.
 
"It’s never a good time … but we can work out of that shop with (our) resources. Basically what we have working out of there are our guys and the hauler, all the tools and parts and pieces that were in the hauler."
 
Crew chief Wally Rogers’ approach to the situation has been, "if we can do it at the race track we can do it in the shop," Lange said. "If we need something, we’ll get it (from our shop). We are doing what we can and taking what we need to get the job done for the Showdown and the 600."
 
Lange said a best-case scenario would be for the team to be able to return to its facility the week following the 600.
 
LFR does not run the full 36-race Sprint Cup schedule and isn’t slated to compete at the next three races (Dover, Pocono and Michigan) following the Charlotte events. With an off-weekend in the mix, the break should give the team four weeks to prepare for consecutive stops at Sonoma, Daytona and Kentucky.
 
"We were strategic in our approach with the schedule," Lange said. "We knew having those three races off allows Wally and the guys to get Sonoma, Daytona and Kentucky ready, which are three different cars for three different tracks. It’s not like we’re going to three mile-and-a-half tracks. It’s still a challenge but one that as a team … we’re not going to bow down to."
 
As news of the fire spread through the garage at Kansas Friday morning, LFR personnel began getting texts from other teams. Fellow owners and crewmen stopped by to personally offer assistance and ask about employees.
 
And it didn’t cease when the race was completed and teams headed back to their own headquarters. The entire NASCAR community, Lange said, has reached out to the team. Sponsorship partners K-Love and Thrivent Financial have offered support as well.
 
"It’s been tremendous," he said. "Other teams, drivers, just friends in the sport all reaching out, texting, asking a) ‘is everyone OK and b) what can we do to help you?’
 
"As a small team, it’s nice to know that we still get the same respect and love as the big teams, because as a small team, you’re kind of on your own little island in a sense. We don’t shy away from that, we like that. We like being under the radar. We also like that underdog role. I think this is no different than not making a race. We will overcome it and get better.
 
"This incident will not define our race team. We’re not missing a beat. We could have easily said, ‘hey, we’re not going to the Showdown.’ Wally doesn’t want to bow down from the challenge and we’re also committed to our partners. We said we’re going and we’re going to go."


Posted on by

Strategy play to stay on older tires late pays off for six-time Cup champ

RELATED: Full race results | Updated series standings | SHOP: Winner’s gear

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Thanks to a brief but wild Kansas spring storm and the long delay it produced, Jimmie Johnson on Sunday became the first Sprint Cup driver to win a race on Mother’s Day since 2007.

Johnson, who is pursuing a record-tying seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship this season, held off Kevin Harvick over the final six laps to win Sunday morning’s SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Johnson’s victory — which was recorded just after midnight local time because of a delay of 2 hours and 16 minutes — was his third of the season and his third at the 1.5-mile Kansas oval.

"It was a long, hard night," Johnson, who led just 10 laps and who spun out unassisted early in the race, said in Victory Lane. "Once we got up front, we were able to hang on."

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

All-time premier series wins

Rank Driver Wins
1. Richard Petty 200
2. David Pearson 105
3. Jeff Gordon 92
4t. Bobby Allison 84
4t. Darrell Waltrip 84
6. Cale Yarborough 83
7. Dale Earnhardt 76
8. Jimmie Johnson* 73
9. Rusty Wallace 55
10. Lee Petty 54

*200 top-5 finishes is 12th all time
*300 top-10 finishes is 17th all time

Reminded about what day it was when he finally took the checkered flag, Johnson said,  "I just want to wish Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. My mother and especially my wife Chani (Johnson, wife), hopefully she is still awake. I wish she was here. I wish my girls were here too, but I will be home tonight and we will have some fun tomorrow."

Harvick, who led 53 laps, finished second in his Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.

Third was Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Fourth was another Hendrick driver, Jeff Gordon, while pole-sitter Joey Logano was fifth in a Team Penske Ford. 

The victory was the 73rd of the six-time champion’s career. It came thanks to some late-race strategizing by teams who had cars and drivers at the front of the field. 

Harvick appeared to be headed toward his third victory of the season as the laps wound down after he took the lead on a restart lap with 55 laps to go. The defending series champion had a lead of over 1 second with 14 laps to go and nobody appeared fast enough to close that gap let alone get around him.

But with 12 laps to go, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s Roush Fenway Racing Ford clipped the outside wall to bring out the final caution.

Harvick and all but four others — Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon — pitted as they were iffy on fuel. Harvick also opted to take two right-side tires.

After the restart with six to go, the race became a three-driver affair as Johnson, Earnhardt and Harvick, who restarted sixth, edged away from the field.

The decision by Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus turned out to be a winner – even though they had less rubber than did Harvick. Harvick never got close enough to Johnson to take a final shot at a pass.

Johnson said the decision to not pit was a split-second, gut-feeling kind of thing and it was mostly his.

"I could tell he (crew chief Chad Knaus) was having a hard time making the decision," Johnson said. "I’m kind of running through the events in my mind.  We have two wins, we are locked in the Chase, and we are here to win a race, let’s gamble. Let’s go for it. Sure enough it paid off. A few more laps I think the No. 4 (Harvick) would have had me. He was awfully strong. Obviously being on right side tires would have been an advantage for him. We had just enough time to get this Lowe’s Chevrolet to Victory Lane. Just very proud of the team and the effort that has gone into it. We have great race cars. I wish we would qualify a little better on Friday’s that would make life a lot easier for us."

Harvick said he wasn’t mad about his team’s decision to pit. 

"I’ve been on the other side of this deal where the cars aren’t running good and you don’t have a chance to win," he said. "We won a championship on pit calls and tires and everything fell our way. We’ve had a lot of things go our way and we’ve had a lot of things work."

Harvick did insist, however, he had the faster car regardless of the outcome.

 "He wasn’t that strong," Harvick said of Johnson. "He was just trying to run right in front of our car so for those first few laps when you’re pushing like that it really takes the air off the front of the car and it gets the chatter in the front end and it snaps around. But that was the strategy they took and it worked out for them."

Perhaps the most bummed driver as a result of the finish was Furniture Row Racing‘s Martin Truex Jr. His No. 78 Chevrolet was clearly the fastest on the track for the vast majority of the race. It led a race-best 95 laps.

But his team felt it needed to pit for fuel during the final caution. On the restart, it became obvious they had made the wrong call.

Truex finished ninth. 

"We should have either stayed out or took new tires," Truex said. "We probably did the worst thing you could have done there with just staying out and getting gas only because we ended up being the last guy with no tires. Everybody else behind us had two and they ate us up on the restart."

MORE: Video recap | Dale discusses Hamlin incident

Posted on by

In first Sprint Cup start, driver of the No. 18 led a lap, spent time in top five

RELATED: Full race results | Series standings | Chase Grid

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Erik Jones turned plenty of heads in his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start, but a promising run was derailed after he smacked the wall on Lap 196 of the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

Jones, running in the top five, was fending off the hard-charging — and eventual race winner — Jimmie Johnson, who praised the efforts of the 18-year-old over the No. 48 team radio, when the No. 18 Toyota got loose and hit the outside wall.

"I just lost it," Jones said while standing next to his crew, feverishly attempting repairs. "I’d never gotten that loose all night. Just stepped out and went over the edge. I don’t know why; I didn’t expect it. Have to learn from it and get better. We had a good M&M’s Camry up to that point.

"I learned a lot. We were fast and we had good speed."

Jones, subbing in for injured driver Kyle Busch, returned to the track on Lap 212, 23 laps down. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin was involved in a wreck right before he returned to the track, allowing him to finish 40th to Hamlin’s 41st-place finish. Jones also led a lap; his first in the Sprint Cup Series.
 
"It’s too bad, we had such a good night going," he said. "It’s just a matter of trying to get a little bit better on my end and figuring out where the limit is. Unfortunately, we found it there."

It was the second straight evening in which Jones endured heartbreak. The NASCAR Next alum was enjoying a dominant run on Friday night in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Toyota Tundra 250, leading 151 laps before he ran out of gas and settled for an 11th-place finish for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
 
With a goal of a top-15 finish for Saturday, knowing that he was on pace to exceed those expectations and failed because of a mistake could rattle a driver. Yet it was clear Jones was unfazed and focused.
 
"We had good speed. It definitely makes me confident we can go run with these guys and I’m excited for my next opportunity, whenever that is. It was a good night overall. A lot to learn and a lot to take from it."
 
And that’s exactly how Jones has to look at this opportunity. While Saturday was his first start, the Michigan native got his first taste of Sprint Cup racing a few weeks ago when he filled in for an aching Hamlin after a lengthy rain delay at Bristol Motor Speedway.
 
Driving a Cup car at that age is a true sink-or-swim test — just ask Joey Logano, a former JGR product — and while Jones didn’t quite stay afloat, he certainly didn’t drown.
 
"I learned a lot about racing in traffic and racing with these guys and how the air works," Jones said. "Unfortunately, I wish I could’ve finished it out, but we definitely had a top-10 car, it’s just a shame we couldn’t get the result. Not a bad night overall. We’ll get a little bit better and try again."
 
While Jones has yet to say officially if his Cup schedule extends beyond Kansas, he may have let slip a little hint that we could see him behind the wheel of the 18 when the series comes home to Charlotte the next two weeks.


"We’ll try to get a little better next week."

Posted on by

News and notes for the entire 43-car field from the SpongeBob SquarePants 400

RELATED: Full race results | Series standings | Chase Grid

1. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson rallied from a rocky start and took the lead with 10 laps to go after opting not to pit when the final caution flag waved. Johnson leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with three wins and remains third in the points. | Watch: ‘Six-Time’ holds off Harvick

2. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Despite a loose handling car, Harvick led 53 laps at Kansas to eclipse the 1,000-laps led mark this season and maintain the points lead

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Junior capitalized on the beneficiary rule during the third caution period and spent the remainder of the race running in the top 15. | Watch: Junior discusses incident with Hamlin

4. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon posted his second top-five result of the season despite struggling with a lack of rear grip throughout the race.

5. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. The polesitter was only temporarily stalled by two pit road penalties and recorded a race-high 147 green-flag passes en route to his sixth top five of the season.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

6. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth picked up a bonus point after leading Lap 81 during green-flag stops. He later spun on the backstretch on Lap 130, but recovered for a top 10. | Watch: Kenseth’s spin collects ‘Smoke’

7. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. An early vibration was a distant memory by the end of the race for Keselowski, who posted the fastest lap of the race on Lap 136 (189.237 mph).

8. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Busch consistently reported a loose handling condition, but held on to lead 20 laps and continue his ascent in the points. He now ranks 14th.

9. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing. The team’s late-race pit strategy backfired on Truex, who led a race-high 95 laps before opting to make a fuel stop under caution with 10 laps to go. Truex remains second in the points and has 10 | Related: Truex thinks better things still to come

10. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. A chassis change under caution on Lap 126 might have taken a little extra time, but it was just what Newman needed as he rallied from 25th to earn his seventh top 10 of the year.

11. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola just missed his first top-10 result of the year and picked up a spot to now rank 11th in the points, matching his Kansas finish.

12. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Biffle told his crew he needed more rear grip, so with 70 laps to go the team made big chassis adjustments, pulling shim and rear wedge during a stop under caution.

13. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. A native of nearby Joplin, Missouri, McMurray spent the first half of the race running inside the top 10 before a loose handling condition emerged.

14. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger, who recently inked a five-year extension with JTG Daughtery, made an unscheduled pit stop on Lap 148 after an engine tear-off sheet adhered itself to his car’s grille, prompting overheating. | Related: AJ signs new deal with JTG

15. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. During the last 11 laps, Larson dropped from fifth as the handling on his No. 42 Chevrolet swung from loose to tight.

16. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Hornish continually improved his car’s ability to get into the turns thanks to slight tweaks made with the driver-adjustable track bar, netting a top-20 finish in the first race under new crew chief Kevin Manion.

17. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. The outside polesitter reported a vibration while running 12th on Lap 161, and that issue persisted into the closing stages of the race.

18. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard spent the majority of the race running inside the top 15 before a tire violation during his final stop sent the car to the rear of the field.

19. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears lauded his pit crew for its performance as he rallied from a set of bad tires to score his best Kansas result in six years.

20. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing.  The Columbia, Missouri, native was leading the field with 90 laps to go, but roughly 50 laps later had to make an unscheduled pit stop for a vibration.

21. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing.  The Emporia, Kansas, native was running middle of the pack when he spun to bring out the sixth caution flag of the night.

22. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Dillon pitted for fuel on Lap 255 just as the final caution flag waved, and was put one lap down with 11 laps to go.

23. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Annett rebounded from a starting spot of 43rd to earn his best finish this year on a 1.5-mile track.

24. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse, who made contact with a spinning Clint Bowyer on Lap 185, later hit the wall himself to bring out the ninth caution flag.

25. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. Coming off his best finish of the year (18th at Talladega), DiBenedetto scored his best 1.5-mile result thanks to being the beneficiary at a mid-race caution.

26. Ty Dillon, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport. Making his Kansas debut and his first start on a true 1.5-mile oval in the Sprint Cup Series, Dillon qualified 32nd before posting his best finish of the year.

27. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Wholesale changes to the No. 10 Chevy during a Lap 121 pit stop helped Patrick break even at Kansas.

28. Josh Wise, No. 98 Ford, Phil Parsons Racing. Wise managed his second-best Kansas finish even though he was rear-ended on Lap 120 when he slowed to avoid a wrecking competitor.

29. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Smith Motorsports. Cassill recorded his best 1.5-mile showing of the season after rolling off the grid 41st.

30. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Allgaier turned in the best Kansas effort of his career despite serving a pit road penalty with 58 laps to go.

31. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing.  Bayne sustained damage to his Ford’s nose after making contact with a competitor during the Lap 201 restart.

32. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Gilliland was among a handful of drivers to make a green-flag stop with 17 laps left when it appeared the race would be decided by fuel-mileage.

33. David Ragan, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Recently named the No. 55 replacement driver for the remainder of the season, Ragan spun to a stop in the soggy infield on Lap 120 after contact.

34. Brett Moffitt, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. The MWR developmental driver sustained front-end damage after making contact with a slowing Tony Stewart on Lap 130.

35. Cole Whitt, No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Whitt, in his fourth Kansas start, made hard contact with the wall on Lap 120.

36. Michael McDowell, No. 95 Ford, Leavine Family Racing. McDowell nearly matched his best Kansas finish despite an early pit road speeding penalty.

37. J.J. Yeley, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. Yeley spun off Turn 4 within seconds of teammate Jeb Burton on Lap 8 thanks to a loose handling condition.

38. Joey Gase, No. 32 Ford, Go FAS Racing. Gase improved upon his 42nd starting spot in his second Kansas appearance and his first 1.5-mile outing of the season.

39. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart had just returned to the lead lap, when he got into the wall and was rear-ended after Matt Kenseth‘s spin jammed up the field.

40. Erik Jones, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. The NASCAR Next alum ran as high as sixth in his first official Cup start, but had his night cut short when he just lost the car coming off the corner on Lap 196. | Watch: Jones wrecks after losing control

41. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin limped to pit road after he blew a tire and ran into the Turn 1 wall on Lap 208. | Related: Hamlin not happy with NASCAR decision

42. Jeb Burton, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing. Burton spun twice in the first 100 laps to bring out two caution flags, but he saved his car both times.

43. Alex Bowman, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Bowman was running 30th when he radioed an ignition issue to his team on Lap 18 and reported to pit road.

Posted on by Staff Report

Get full lineup of NASCAR programming for the week

RELATED: See the full weekend schedule

All times ET

Monday, May 11
10 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SpongeBob SquarePants 400 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Tuesday, May 12
4:30 p.m., NASCAR America: States of NASCAR #6, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Wednesday, May 13
4:30 p.m., NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special (re-air), NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
11 p.m., NASCAR K&N Series West: Tucson (tape), NBC Sports Network

Thursday, May 14
4 a.m., NASCAR Masters of the Clock: The Legend of Martinsville (re-air), FOX Sports 1
3 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice, FOX Sports 1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FOX Sports 1
9 p.m., Uncompromising: Kevin Harvick, FOX Sports 1
9:30 p.m., 100,000 Cameras: Talladega, FOX Sports 1
10 p.m., NASCAR Masters of the Clock: The Legend of Martinsville (re-air), FOX Sports 1

Friday, May 15
3 a.m., Uncompromising: Kevin Harvick (re-air), FOX Sports 1
3:30 a.m., 100,000 Cameras: Talladega (re-air), FOX Sports 1
4 a.m., NASCAR Masters of the Clock: The Legend of Martinsville (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5 a.m., The 10: Greatest Soundbites in NASCAR History (re-air), FOX Sports 1
11 a.m., Uncompromising: Kevin Harvick (re-air), FOX Sports 1
11:30 a.m., 100,000 Cameras: Talladega (re-air), FOX Sports 1
Noon, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown final practice, FOX Sports 1
1:45 p.m., NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race final practice, FOX Sports 1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FOX Sports 1
4 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown, FOX Sports 1
8 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Setup, FOX Sports 1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NC Education Lottery 200, FOX Sports 1

Saturday, May 16
3 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NC Education Lottery 200 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5:30 a.m., The 10: Greatest Charlotte Moments (re-air), FOX Sports 1
2 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown (re-air), FOX Sports 2
3 p.m., 100,000 Cameras: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (re-air), FOX Sports 2
3:30 p.m., The 10: NASCAR’s Wildest Throwdowns (re-air), FOX Sports 2
4 p.m., The 10: Greatest Soundbites in NASCAR History (re-air), FOX Sports 2
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NC Education Lottery 200 (re-air), FOX Sports 2
7 p.m., NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, FOX Sports 1
9 p.m., NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, FOX Sports 1

Sunday, May 17
9 a.m., Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge: Mazda Raceway (tape), FOX Sports 1
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (re-air), FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: XFINITY, FOX Sports 1
2 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series 3M 250, FOX Sports 1
8 p.m., The 10: Greatest Drivers in NASCAR History (re-air), FOX Sports 2
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown (re-air), FOX Sports 2
9:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (re-air), FOX Sports 2

 

Posted on by

Character paint schemes, merchandise sales help make Kansas weekend a hit

SHOP: SpongeBob SquarePants 400 gear
RELATED: See the SpongeBob SquarePants character-inspired paint schemes

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The SpongeBob SquarePants 400.
 
When Nickelodeon announced in March that it would be sponsoring the Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on May 9 and naming the event after its highest rated series ever, chances are you either chuckled, scratched your head, had your eyes light up or some combination of the three.
 
Now that we’ve had a chance to soak up all of the Bikini Bottom goodness like a sponge, it’s time to assess how it all went down.
 
In a word: swimmingly.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

PHOTOS: Best images from the SpongeBob SquarePants 400

"Between the race teams, NASCAR.com and the social media feeds; the great thing about social media is you can instantly see what people are thinking. I think some of the purists are like ‘This is stupid,’ but you’re always going to get that. I’d say like 90 percent of the comments have been like ‘This is the coolest thing; I’m going to watch,’" said Anthony DiCosmo, VP of Sports Marketing for Nickelodeon.

"Even Nickelodeon, all of the social media, we’ve taken over. And the kids are saying ‘Oh, I dream to drive this car.’ And they’re going to be meeting these drivers for the first time inside the Nickelodeon world, outside of the context of traditional racing, which hopefully will get them to be like, ‘Wow, this is kind of cool, let me find out more.’


"I think when you look at the collective social chatter that you’ll see around this race and what the pulse point is … I think you’re going to see a significant spike (in a younger audience)."

That younger audience came out in full force on Saturday, packing the stands and jockeying for position during pre-race driver introductions just to get a glimpse of the SpongeBob and Patrick Star mascots that were on hand. Such full force all weekend, in fact, that all of the SpongeBob merchandise at Kansas Speedway sold out — on Friday.
 
While Mr. SquarePants and Mr. Star’s likenesses were patrolling the infield, the real-life Squidward Tentacles — SpongeBob’s surly, clarinet-playing neighbor, in case you haven’t seen the show — was on hand as a race ambassador.


"I love it" Rodger Bumpass said, in full Squidward intonation. "I’m really jazzed about being here. It’s backstage. It really is. An average person doesn’t get that opportunity. Whenever I get to work on a movie, you go on the lots; even though there’s nothing going on, there’s sound stages, there’s a sense of history, there’s a sense of what’s been done here and … (NASCAR) is just eye-opening and wonderful."
 
It’s been a great experience for Bumpass – though he felt snubbed that another character, "Plankton," is painted on two cars to his one, on Casey Mears‘ No. 13 — and the SpongeBob immersion is obvious from the six total cars this weekend sporting paint schemes (in both the Sprint Cup and Camping World truck Series) and nearly the entire speedway all "SquarePants’ed-out."
 
Clearly, "SpongeBob SquarePants" is a cartoon that transcends Saturday mornings and can carry a major sporting event – and carry it well. It’s because the show, which has seen a catalogue of 189 episodes and two feature-length films, isn’t just for kids.


"I’m hearing a lot of parents say that this is the one cartoon show that they’ll gladly sit and watch with their kids. Funny is funny, for any age. There’s no age limit for (Spongebob)," Bumpass said. "You get the people that are watching SpongeBob that are getting into teens; to connect them with this, I think it’s a great transition into the motorsports world."
 
One of the most prevalent storylines from early SpongeBob episodes dealt with him trying — and failing spectacularly over and over again — to get his boating license.
 
So, how would SpongeBob fare if he took his boat to a NASCAR track?
 
"I was telling the drivers, ‘If you really want to go fast, do what I do,’ " Bumpass said. "Pretend that SpongeBob is behind you taking his boating exam … again. You will fly, believe me."

Posted on by Staff Report

Racing in Kansas has resumed after wet weather stopped the race

RELATED: Live weather updates from Kansas

Saturday night’s SpongeBob SquarePants 400 (FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM) at Kansas Speedway was delayed by rain with 98 laps completed but racing resumed after a red flag period of two hours and 16 minutes.

Drivers were called back to their cars around 10:30 p.m. ET and engines were re-fired at 10:58 p.m. ET. Shortly thereafter, the green flag waved and racing resumed.

The 267-lap, 400.5-mile race, No. 11 of 36 Sprint Cup Series points events, got underway with a green flag time of 7:36 p.m. ET. However, rain hit the track after the race’s third caution on Lap 94 near 8:35 p.m., and after a yellow flag period, NASCAR officials threw the red flag and brought cars down pit road.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

The Air Titan track-drying system was quickly deployed to get the track race-ready.

Polesitter Joey Logano led the opening 29 circuits, but gave way to Kurt Busch for the next 20 laps. Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick took the point position from there for seven laps. Martin Truex Jr. was then out front for 22 laps. Brad Keselowski,  Matt Kenseth and Erik Jones also held the lead briefly as the field cycled through pit stops that ultimately put Truex back out in front.

At the time of the delay, the top 10 running order was: Truex, Harvick, Busch, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Larson, Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and Jamie McMurray.

Logano would have been in the top 10 at the delay but he was hit with a penalty for having his crew go over the wall too soon during his four-tire stop.

Jones is making his first career Sprint Cup Series start. He filled in for Denny Hamlin at Bristol Motor Speedway in April after Hamlin suffered neck spasms. Jones is in 11th place.

There was a competition caution at Lap 25 to check tire wear on the cars at the 1.5-mile track.

Alex Bowman had ignition issues and went to the garage just before the competition caution.

In the early moments of the race, Jimmie Johnson nearly spun out, but the six-time champion was able to save it.
 
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this evening’s weather forecast for the area calls for a chance of precipitation at 40 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts are possible if thunderstorms occur.
 
Earlier this year, the start of the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was delayed for nearly one hour by rain. That event was eventually run in its entirety with Jimmie Johnson collecting the win. There were also lengthy rain delays last month at Bristol Motor Speedway that twice delayed a race eventually won by Matt Kenseth.

Two weeks ago, storms in the Richmond, Virginia area pushed the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway back from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon.

–NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola contributed to this report.

Posted on by Staff Report

Get the on-track times for everything this weekend

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are at Charlotte Motor Speedway, while the NASCAR XFINITY Series heads to Iowa Speedway. Check out the full schedule below.

All times are ET

SUNDAY, MAY 17:

RUN OF SHOW
1:30:00: Driver introductions
2:02:00: Intro Presentation of Colors by Iowa National Guard
2:02:20: Invocation by Randy Danley, Iowa Speedway Ministries
2:02:45: Intro National Anthem (30×50 American flag unfurled on ballfield Turn 1 side of stage TBD)
2:03:00: National Anthem by Zack Williams, Ankeny, Iowa
2:04:30: Fly-by TOT: Six planes from KC Flight Formation Team (Turn 4 to Turn 1)
2:09:30: "Drivers, Start Your Engines" by Tracinda Yaw, Plant Manager, 3M Knoxville
2:16:30: Green flag: 3M 250 (250 laps, 218.75 miles)

ON TRACK
— 2 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series 3M 250 (250 laps, 218.75 miles), FOX Sports 1 (Get results)

THURSDAY, MAY 14:

ON TRACK
— 3-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice, FOX Sports 1 (Get results)
— 7-8:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FOX Sports 1 (Get results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 2:15 p.m.: Cameron Hayley, Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter

GARAGECAM (Watch live)
— 2:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series

FRIDAY, MAY 15:

ON TRACK
— noon-1:40 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown final practice, FOX Sports 1 (Get results)
— 1:45-3:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race final practice, FOX Sports 1 (Get results)
— 4:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown Qualifying, FOX Sports 1 (Get results)
— 5:45 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1 (Get results)
— 7:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown (20 laps/20 laps), FOX Sports 1 (Get results)
— 8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NC Education Lottery 200, FOX Sports 1 (134 laps, 201 miles) (Get results)

MISS SPRINT CUP LIVE CHAT (Watch live)
— 12:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon live chat with Miss Sprint Cup Madison Martin

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— noon: Doug Rice with Joey Logano
— 3:25 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
— 3:40 p.m.: Kasey Kahne and Keith Rodden
— 3:55 p.m.: Kyle Busch
— 7:45 p.m. (approx.): NSCS Sprint Showdown Post Race Press Conference
— 10:45 p.m. (approx.): NCWTS Post Race Press Conference

GARAGECAM (Watch live)
— 1:15 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series

SATURDAY, MAY 16:

ON TRACK
— 10-10:55 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series practice (Get results)
— noon-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice (Get results)
— 5:45 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (Get results)
— 7:10 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Qualifying (three laps with pit stop and a four tire change), FOX Sports 1 (Get results)
— 9 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race (25 laps/25 laps/25 laps/25 laps/10 laps), FOX Sports 1 (Get results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 10:45 p.m. (approx.): NSCS Post Race Press Conference

Posted on by Nascar

Read the notes NASCAR provides during the driver’s meeting

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

NASCAR SPECIAL AWARDS

Award Driver
Coors Light Pole Award Joey Logano
3M Lap Leader Dale Earnhardt Jr.
American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Duralast Brakes "Brake in the Race" Award Jeff Gordon
Freescale Wide Open Award Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Ingersoll Rand Power Mover Award Kurt Busch
Mahle Engine Builder of the Race Award Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Mobil 1 Command Performance Driver of the Race Award Sam Hornish Jr.
Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race Award Paul Menard
Sherwin-Williams Fastest Lap Award Carl Edwards
Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award Matt DiBenedetto

RACE TIME

Event Time (ET)
Driver Introductions 6:40 p.m.
Pre-race prep: Tires, interior & remove generators 6:50 p.m.
Line up crews — facing the flag 7:19 p.m.
Invocation 7:20 p.m.
National Anthem 7:21 p.m.
Command to start engines 7:37 p.m.

SPECIAL INFORMATION

Number of Laps 267 laps
Competition yellow Lap 25
Pit Road Speed 45 mph
Caution Car Speed 55 mph
Pit Road Speed Begins 240 feet before the first pit box
Pit Road Speed Ends 100 feet past the last pit box
Minimum Speed 32.46 seconds
Exiting the Pits (Blend Line) Keep all four tires below the white line until the exit of Turn 2, past the grass on the drivers’ left
Fuel Pit Stalls 1-22 Sunoco pumps in the NCWTS garage
Fuel Pit Stalls 23-43 Sunoco pumps in the NSCS garage
Enter Victory Lane From NSCS garage exit gate
Post-Race 2-6 stop in pit stalls 28-32
All Others Double file at 28, against the grass

NEXT WEEK

Event Track/Day/Time (ET)
Next week NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
Hauler parking 7 p.m. ET, Thursday, May 14
Garage opens 7 a.m. ET, Friday, May 15
First practice Noon ET, Friday, May 15