Posted on by Staff Report

R&D Center poring over data that came through in Daytona wreck

MORE: Dillon discusses how he is feeling | Exclusive video of wreck, 88 crew reacts

On Tuesday, the sports world was still buzzing about Austin Dillon‘s spectacular wreck on the last lap of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Meanwhile, NASCAR was busy investigating the incident for potential safety improvements.



NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s "The Morning Drive" and explained some of the processes that were taking place in reaction to the wreck, which Dillon walked away from after waving to fans to signal that he was OK.

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O’Donnell said Dillon’s car and all the parts were at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, where they were under investigation.


"The incident data recorder that we have will give us over 10,000 samples per second of that incident, and that goes for 20 seconds," O’Donnell said. "(The people at R&D) are going to be poring over that data, looking at what improvements we can make from the car. Two things you never want to see, how did it get up in the air and how did it get into the fence. Both of those we need to work on, and we are doing that."



O’Donnell said NASCAR also was concerned with the debris that entered the grandstand. Thirteen spectators were seen at the track after the accident. Eight declined treatment, four were treated at the track and one spectator was taken to a nearby hospital, treated and later released.



"And the second piece (of the investigation) is what can we do from a technology standpoint to keep any debris from going into the grandstand," O’Donnell said. "We know this is an inherently dangerous sport, but the fans go there to be entertained. So what we can do to lead in this area and come up with some new technology that will benefit the sport and especially the race track."



O’Donnell also was asked whether NASCAR planned any penalties for the crew members who rushed onto the track and went to check on Dillon.



"Nobody is going to be penalized," O’Donnell said. "We took some hard cards, and the reason for that is we want to have some conversations with those folks. Listen, we all applaud everybody who wants to run to a scene and help out. That’s something that I think is really cool about our industry in terms of people caring about their fellow athletes.



"We just want to talk about the safety aspect of it. We have got to dispatch our safety equipment; those folks are experts and to be able to get to Austin as quickly as possible, assess the scene. Any second we can’t do that because the car might be surrounded is a challenge."


O’Donnell addressed a couple of other topics during the radio show.



On what went into the decision to run the race Sunday night instead of Monday, O’Donnell said:



"I know Brian (France) said it, 10:45-to-11:15 we thought we’d back with green flag racing. We missed that a little bit. Definitely started a little later than we had hoped or wanted, but when you looked in the stands and how many people remained for the race, big night for NBC, folks had been there for a long, long time, we thought it was in our best interest, knowing it was a work day the next day, to try to get that in if there was any way possible."



And finally on whether the Coke Zero 400 would ever go back to being a daytime event:



"I don’t think so, the sport is so big now and there are so many partners that are involved. I think that worked for a time, and that was neat. I’ve lived in Florida for a long time and the showers are usually one hour and out of here. (The weather) was a bit unusual Sunday night. That’s a huge opportunity for us, for the fans who come, for our television partners, it was a big moment for the sport to be able to race on Sunday night. We have to take those opportunities when we can if we want to continue to grow the sport."

Posted on by Staff Report

Keep tabs on this weekend’s national series activity

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series all head to Kentucky Speedway this week. Here’s more info on how you can follow along all weekend.

RACES

Sprint Cup Series: Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts (Saturday, July 11, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM)
XFINITY Series: Kentucky XFINITY Series 30 (Friday, July 10, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, MRN, SiriusXM)
Camping World Truck Series: UNOH 225 (Thursday, July 9, 7:30 p.m. FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM)

 

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

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

RACE DAY

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

PRODUCTS

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

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA

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

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

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

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

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

        • Driver updates, cup standings, and biographies

        • Track infographics with key facts and history

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

FOX SPORTS GO

The Camping World Truck Series UNOH 225 will be available through FOX Sports GO; which is an online and mobile streaming product that allows subscribers of participating TV providers to watch live sports and shows from FOX, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Deportes.  FOX Sports GO is currently available for download on iTunes for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices or can be accessed online at FOXSportsGO.com. The app is also available via Google Play, Kindle Fire and from the Windows Store.

Access to programming in FOX Sports GO requires a pay TV subscription of FOX Sports 1 with a participating TV provider. Login credentials are the same username and password used to access online accounts with your TV provider. 

FANTASY

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

LIVE INTERVIEWS

PressPass: Watch exclusive post-race interviews.

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

Posted on by Staff Report

Cars will feature yellow windshield header, spoiler, valance and logo

BUY: Chase die-cast cars

Teams who make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will sport a special paint scheme for the second consecutive season. The teams provided feedback after the inaugural season with the new look and NASCAR has made adjustments based on those suggestions.

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Along with a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup logo and rounds (Challenger, Contender, Eliminator or Championship), taking the place of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series logo and NASCAR racecar decal, cars eligible for NASCAR’s playoffs will be highlighted in Chase yellow.

The windshield header, front valance and — new for 2015 — rear spoiler of each of the cars will carry the color. In 2014, the roof number was Sprint yellow as well, but the teams will keep their regular paint scheme atop their cars.

Chase-eligible drivers also will receive a unique Winner decal for each win they accumulate during the Chase rounds.

RELATED: Chase Grid

Through the first 16 races of the season, 10 drivers have all but clinched spots in the 10-race championship battle. In Chase Grid order, those drivers are six-time champion Jimmie Johnson, reigning champion Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2004 champion Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., 2012 champion Brad Keselowski, 2003 champion Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards.

BUY: Chicagoland tickets

The first race of The Chase and the first chance to see the special schemes will be at Chicagoland Speedway on Sept. 20 (3 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, MRN, SiriusXM).

Posted on by Nascar

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Darlington, Indianapolis, Michigan, Richmond join Kentucky in seeing changes

RELATED: Tech Talk: Lots to be learned at Kentucky

A low downforce rules package similar to that scheduled for use by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams this weekend at Kentucky Speedway will be run in September at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, according to Steve O’Donnell, Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer for the sanctioning body.

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In addition, teams will compete with a higher drag rules package at both Indianapolis Motor Speedway later this month as well as Michigan International Speedway in August.

This weekend’s Kentucky aero package features a shorter spoiler (reduced from 6 inches to 3-1/2 inches) and a splitter extension panel (radiator pan) reduction from 38 inches to 25 inches. The splitter will have 1-3/4 inches less overhang that what has previously been used this season.

Combined, the aero changes are expected to lessen the amount of downforce on the cars by approximately 1,000 pounds.

Teams have a four-hour extended practice scheduled for Wednesday at Kentucky to acclimate themselves to the new package.

"The ideal package for us is matching the tire with lower downforce, and when we looked at the schedule, the most ideal venue for that was Darlington, so we feel like we have the lead time for Goodyear to come in and build that specific tire, so that’s why we moved forward on the Darlington package," O’Donnell said.

While the Darlington setup will be similar to that slated for this weekend’s Quaker State 400, there are differences. The spoiler will be 3-1/2 (instead of 3 inches) inches and the splitter will feature a 1/4-inch leading edge. There is no change in the size of the splitter extension panel (25 inches).

Although the tires used this weekend at Kentucky were not tested at the 1.5-mile track with the lower downforce platform during an April tire test, Goodyear officials were able to determine a tire for the Darlington package during a one-day test last week with drivers Tony Stewart (Stewart-Haas Racing), Matt Kenseth (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Brad Keselowski (Team Penske).

For Indy and Michigan, the aero package will feature a 9-inch spoiler and 1-inch wicker bill; a rear fascia extension panel similar to that currently used for superspeedway events; a 2-inch leading edge on the splitter; and a 43-inch splitter extension panel.

Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon set the track qualifying record at Michigan last year with a lap of 206.558 mph. The high drag package scheduled for use is expected to slow speeds by nearly 10 mph.

"You’ll see some significant mile‑per‑hour differences," O’Donnell said. "That’ll change depending on single-car (runs) and the draft, but I think we’re looking at over 200 (mph) before and kind of the 191 range that we’d be looking at now."

Gordon was asked about high-drag changes for this past weekend while at Daytona International Speedway.

"I think it is obvious to all of us that (Indy) is one of the hardest places we have to pass," the Hendrick Motorsports driver said.

"I think we are all in favor of trying a low downforce package and we want to try the opposite of that; I think Indy and Michigan are good tracks to try that out. We will just have to see what happens. …

"If we can get the speeds right, then what it is going to do is create a really massive hole in the air for you to draft up to down the straightaway. Those are long straightaways at both of those tracks. The question is still what is going to happen when you are behind another car through a corner.

"The magic is there, we just have to figure out how to pull it off."

Indy is a 2.5-mile track while MIS is a 2-mile venue.

O’Donnell said additional track time would be added to the race-weekend schedule at those venues affected by the rules changes.

"There won’t be earlier test dates (at the individual tracks)," he said. "It’ll be built into the race weekend like Kentucky. … Michigan you can see us add an hour, hour and a half practice time. Same thing around Indy."

There are no scheduled aero changes for the upcoming race at Richmond International Raceway, the final race before the start of this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, however Goodyear will not return with a multi-zone tread compound tire that had been used there recently.

"I think all of this shows that we remain committed to putting the best racing on in the world, and each of these, including Kentucky this weekend, I think shows everybody that we’ve got several components that make up a rules package each week, and they can certainly be adjusted, and we will do that if we can do something that we believe will improve the racing for the fans at each track," O’Donnell said.

The changes are not currently scheduled for use at any tracks hosting Chase races.

Posted on by Nascar

News and notes from around the garage

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

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

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Not that I’m aware of,” he said.

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Updated Chase Grid | Full results from Watkins Glen

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

MORE: Brake woes ruin Gordon’s day

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

RELATED: Stewart’s day ends early at the Glen

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

Posted on by Staff Report

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

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

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

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

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

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

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

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 16 at Kentucky Speedway

 

Driver

Races

Poles

Wins

Top Fives

Top 10s

DNFs

Average Finish

Driver Rating

  
 

1

Kevin Harvick

4

0

0

0

2

0

11

95.2

  

2

Dale Earnhardt Jr

4

1

0

2

2

0

12.8

90.7

  

3

Jimmie Johnson

4

1

0

1

4

0

7

116.6

  

4

Joey Logano

4

0

0

1

2

0

12.2

94.7

  

5

Martin Truex Jr

4

0

0

0

2

0

13

84.0

  

6

Jamie McMurray

4

0

0

1

1

1

22.5

76.5

  

7

Brad Keselowski

4

1

2

2

3

0

10.5

116.1

  

8

Kurt Busch

4

0

0

0

2

0

11.5

89.4

  

9

Matt Kenseth

4

0

1

2

4

0

4.5

107.2

  

10

Jeff Gordon

4

0

0

1

4

0

7.2

95.4

  

11

Kasey Kahne

4

0

0

1

2

0

8.5

98.9

  

12

Denny Hamlin

4

0

0

1

1

2

22.8

85.2

  

13

Paul Menard

4

0

0

0

0

0

20.2

74.5

  

14

Ryan Newman

4

0

0

2

2

1

13.8

90.2

  

15

Clint Bowyer

4

0

0

1

1

1

19.2

83.3

  

16

Aric Almirola

3

0

0

0

0

1

26.7

67.4

  

* – Based on last four races at Kentucky Speedway.

Kentucky Speedway Data

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

Track Size: 1.5-miles

Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 14 degrees

Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 14 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 8 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 8 degrees

Frontstretch Length:  1,662 feet

Backstretch Length:  1,600 feet

Race Length: 200 laps / 300 miles

 

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Kentucky

Kyle Busch…………………………. 124.3

Jimmie Johnson…………………… 116.6

Brad Keselowski………………….. 116.1

Matt Kenseth……………………….. 107.2

Kasey Kahne………………………… 98.9

Jeff Gordon………………………….. 95.4

Kevin Harvick………………………… 95.2

Joey Logano………………………… 94.7

Dale Earnhardt Jr.………………….. 90.7

Ryan Newman……………………….. 90.2

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

Qualifying/Race Data

2014 pole winner:

Brad Keselowski, Ford

188.791 mph, 28.603 secs. 06-28-14

2014 race winner:

Brad Keselowski, Ford

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

Track qualifying record:

Brad Keselowski, Ford

188.791 mph, 28.603 secs. 06-28-14

Track race record:

Brad Keselowski., Dodge

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

At Kentucky Speedway:

History

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

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

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

Starts

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

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

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

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

Poles

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

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

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

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

Wins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Additional Finishing Position Stats

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

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

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

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

 

Track Event Stats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Female Competitor Stats

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

 

Driver

Starting Position

Finishing Position

Date

Danica Patrick

29

23

6/30/2013

Danica Patrick

10

21

6/28/2014

Averages

19.5

22.0

 

NASCAR in Kentucky

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

Track Name

City

NSCS

Kentucky Speedway

Sparta

4

Corbin Speedway

Corbin

1

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

Driver

NSCS

NNS

NCWTS

Jeremy Mayfield

5

0

0

Michael Waltrip

4

11

1

Tommy Thompson

1

0

0

Jeff Green

0

16

0

David Green

0

9

0

 

Milestones – Kentucky Speedway

 

HAS

NEEDS

MILESTONE

DESCRIPTION

DRIVER

Michael McDowell

174

1

175th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start

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

Danica Patrick

99

1

100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career Start

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

Jimmie Johnson

74

2

76th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win

Jimmie Johnson is eighth on the all-time NSCS wins list, two wins behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt in seventh (76 wins).

Tony Stewart

48

2

50th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win

Stewart is 13th on the all-time NSCS wins list, two wins behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett in 12th (50 wins).

Matt Kenseth

32

1

33rd NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win

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

Carl Edwards

24

1

25th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win

Edwards is 31st on the all-time NSCS wins list, one win behind Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joe Weatherly and Denny Hamlin tied for 28th (25 wins).

Jeff Gordon

24,826

174

25,000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Laps Led

Gordon can become the sixth driver in NSCS history to lead 25,000 laps; joining Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson and Bobby Allison.

Matt Kenseth

9,598

402

10,000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Laps Led

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

Kevin Harvick

7,788

212

8,000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Laps Led

Kevin Harvick can become the 24th driver in series history to lead 8,000 or more laps. 

#43 car

199

1

200 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Wins

The No. 43 car is second on the all-time NSCS wins list, five wins behind the No. 11 car in first (204). The last win for the No. 43 car came at Daytona last season.

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY: Darlington tickets

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

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

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

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

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