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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

 

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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
Posted on by Nascar

Kansas run still marks Furniture Row’s 10th top-10 finish of 2015

RELATED: Full race results | Series standings | Chase Grid

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A late-race call for fuel only might have been "the worst thing you could have done there," said Martin Truex Jr., the driver who led more laps than anyone in Sunday night’s SpongeBob SquarePants 400.

Proof was on the race track, where Truex, 34, was unable to catch the folks in front of him or hold off those behind during a final six-lap shootout at Kansas Speedway.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

It was on the scoreboard, too, where the formidable No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet finally appeared in the ninth position. Instead of battling defending series champion and points leader Kevin Harvick for what might have been his third career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, Truex was left to mull over what could have been.

"We ended up being the last guy with no tires," Truex said of the call that brought him and a handful of others running low on fuel to pit road. "Everybody else behind us had two (tires) and they ate us up on the restart." 

Fuel mileage was already a concern for the front-runners when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. brought out the ninth and final caution of the race on Lap 256 of the 267-lap race.

Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing) and Truex Jr., running 1-2, were among those that hit pit road. Four others — eventual race winner Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch (SHR) and Jeff Gordon (HMS) did not and started up front.

Truex, taking fuel only, was first off pit road and restarted fifth with Harvick on his outside. With two fresh tires and fuel, Harvick charged toward the front; Truex, meanwhile, went nowhere.

"It was fun. … Bad finish, good run. What are you going to do?" Truex said on pit road.

"It was a good run for us. It was a lot of fun all night long to run like that. I’m just proud of all my guys to bring a fast car like that. It was disappointing to run like that and not be in position to win it there at the end, but on the flip side, what a great run for us. That’s a sign of things to come I think and we’ll just keep working hard."

Although winless, Truex sits second in points, 46 behind Harvick. Among the single-car teams competing each week, the FRR bunch is clearly the class of that field.

And it’s closed the gap on the bigger teams, as well.

"I’ve never come out on the right end of one of these fuel mileage deals and I hate when it comes down to that," he said. "We had a shot to win it there if that last caution didn’t come out. We were right there with Harvick, just saving a little bit of fuel and waiting until about 10 to go to really put the hammer down.

"It would have been nice to have raced him heads-up and see if we could have beaten him because I thought we had a shot at it. All in all, it was a good night, just not a great finish." 

Truex led five times for 95 laps.

Crew chief Cole Pearn made the call for fuel only, but Truex wasn’t about to take his team’s leader to task for the move.

"He’s taken gambles when he needed to that paid off, he’s been smart when he needed to, he’s done everything right," Truex said. "And tonight he just — he didn’t make the right call. …

"Hindsight is 20/20. He’s done a great job this year of calling races … and I just want to make sure that he doesn’t get his confidence down, because he’s been so good at it. Live and learn. He’ll learn from tonight and get better next time around, and he’s doing a great job."

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The 33-year-old driver to stay with team through 2020 season

SHOP: NASCAR gear | RELATED: Allmendinger inks multiyear deal with Kroger

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger has signed a five-year extension to remain with JTG Daugherty Racing, a move that will keep him in the No. 47 Chevrolet through the 2020 season.

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Allmendinger, 33, competed in nine Sprint Cup races with the team in 2013 before taking over the driving duties fulltime for the ’14 season. A victory at Watkins Glen International was his first in the Sprint Cup Series, the first for the organization and secured a berth in last year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
 
While he and the team failed to advance to past the opening Challenger Round of the Chase, his 13th-place points finish was a career best.

The team is co-owned by husband and wife Tad and Jodi Geschickter as well as former NBA star Brad Daugherty. It was recently announced that The Kroger Company had increased its funding for the single-car team, serving as primary sponsor for 17 races this season and 24 in ’16.

"It goes along with this Kroger deal and a lot of the companies we have," Allmendinger said of his contract extension during a press conference prior to Saturday night’s SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, Sirius XM). "… The great thing is we’ve got a lot of sponsors; the tough thing is trying to remember them all. My suit weighs like 12 pounds now. It’s a good problem to have.
 
"With that said, those sponsors are here long-term; Tad and I did a new deal through 2020 which to me was just a no-brainer. Tad and Jodi have been such a big influence on my life outside the race car. Inside the race car it’s great to have a job and be here for a long time but what they mean to me outside the car is family, people I consider some of my best friends. Kind of a renewed love of the sport they’ve given me, just a different outlook. … Tad handed me the contract and I flipped to the back page and signed it and said ‘here you go.’"
 
Allmendinger has 237 career starts in the Sprint Cup Series. He is also a two-time winner in the XFINITY Series.
 
"Anybody that knows me they see my passion that I have, I always try to go out there and try to be better," he said. "It pushes me and my life every day. This race team, I really take everything to heart because I know how hard (they) work, what they give us and the effort they put into this race team. And I think sponsors see that too."
 
Allmendinger enters tonight’s race at Kansas Speedway 19th in points. He has two top-10 finishes in 10 starts this season.

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Erik Jones leads 151 laps, but runs dry with five to go

RELATED: Full race results | Updated series standings

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Matt Crafton didn’t have the fastest truck in Friday night’s Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway, but he had the best feel for fuel mileage and what his crew chief would call their lucky fuel cell. The result was Crafton’s seventh series career victory.
 
With truck after truck pulling to the inside of the 1.5-mile Kansas oval over the last five laps with empty fuel cells, Crafton cruised over the finish line with only a few drops of fuel left in his ThorSport Racing Toyota Tundra.
 
"It was not the winning truck," Crafton said after getting to Victory Lane. "We were definitely a second-place truck."

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The truck that obviously was the fastest was the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra of rookie Erik Jones. It led 151 of 167 laps and was comfortably in the lead with four laps to go.
 
But it was also one of those trucks which ran short of fuel at the end. It wound up 11th.
 
"It just sucks – we had by far the best truck," Jones said after the race. "We were up to an 11-second lead at one point and it’s just so terrible for these guys when we bring that fast of a truck. We couldn’t bring the win home and I saved as much as I could most of the run. The 19 (Tyler Reddick) made us run pretty hard. Being eight laps short, I don’t know how the 88 (Crafton) made it. It’s too bad, we’ll have to bring another fast truck next weekend to Charlotte and we’ll go get a win there."

RELATED: Jones dominating run goes dry
 
Also running out of fuel while in contention for the victory in the final laps after Jones dropped out were Reddick and Daniel Suarez.
 
The victory was the second of the season for Crafton, the defending series champion, and his second in the last three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Kansas. That made him the first driver to win more than once at the track located on the far west side of Kansas City.
 
"I heard somebody say that to me before the race," Crafton, who led a total of six laps, said of the Kansas landmark win. "I said, ‘Two times.’"
 
The victory allowed Crafton to pad his points lead to 17 points over Reddick as he attempts to win a third-straight series championship.
 
"You’ve got to be close enough to sneak one out once in a while," Crafton said. "I’ve lost some like this so every once in a while when you steal one I don’t feel too bad about it."
 
After the race, Crafton’s crew chief, Carl Joyner gave credit to a particular fuel cell which he said has given his trucks better fuel mileage for some reason.
 
Sprint Cup regular Ryan Newman, driving a truck owned by former Kansas Sprint Cup race winner Joe Nemechek and making his first truck series start since 2013, finished second.
 
Newman was in the seat as a favor to Nemechek, who is in the process of grooming his son John Hunter for the ride.
 
"Trying to teach John Hunter a little bit of what I’ve experienced on pit road, how to get everything you possibly can," Newman said. "But that wasn’t my main goal. My goal was to come here and win."
 
Johnny Sauter finished third. Rounding out the top five were veteran Timothy Peters and rookie Cameron Hayley.
 
Jones, who won the pole earlier in the day with a lap at 179.396 mph, led the first 43 laps.
 
For the first 30 or so laps of those, Crafton stayed close to the young driver from Michigan. But then Jones began to pull away. On Lap 38, Jones’ lead over Crafton was four seconds.
 
But on Lap 41, a caution flag waved and on the ensuing stops, Crafton beat Jones out of the pits to take the lead.
 
On Lap 48, back came Jones to take the lead and once out in clean air again, he began to pull away. On Lap 60, his lead was 2.9 seconds. He would lose that margin – and the lead – as he was beat out of the pits after yellow flag stops that began on Lap 67 by Newman.
 
But on the restart, he left Newman behind. By Lap 88, Jones’ lead was six seconds. By Lap 105, it was over 10 seconds on Newman.
 
On Lap 109, the caution waved again and, once again, Jones’ lead was erased as he was beaten off pit road by Reddick, who was involved in a crash with his Brad Keselowski Racing teammate and started the race from the back in his backup truck.
 
But once again the restart, Jones moved back to the front and began to move to a seemingly comfortable lead.
 
But only seemingly.
 
"I didn’t know how short we were, but I knew the fuel window," Jones, who will make his first Sprint Cup Series start Saturday night in Kansas, said. "I knew we had to save and I couldn’t give the lead up to the 19 (Tyler Reddick) at that point. If a caution would have come out – losing track position is so big this year, if we would have lost the lead then we would have never been able to get it back. It’s just a shame. I saved as much as I could there later on and it just wasn’t enough. Eight laps short, we just couldn’t do it. We had a fast Tundra and it’s just a shame we couldn’t bring it home for these guys."