DAV 200 entry list

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Staff Report

See which drivers will look to compete at Phoenix

Entry	#	Driver	Owner	Crew chief	Manufacturer	Sponsor
1	01	Landon Cassill	Johnny Davis	Dave Fuge	14 Chevrolet	TeamJDMotorsports.com
2	2	Brian Scott	Richard Childress	Phil Gould	14 Chevrolet	Whitetail
3	3	Ty Dillon	Richard Childress	Danny Stockman Jr	14 Chevrolet	Bass Pro Shops
4	4	Jeffrey Earnhardt	Gary Keller	Gary Cogswell	14 Chevrolet	teamjdmotorsports.com
5	5	Alex Bowman(i)	Rick Hendrick	Ernie Cope	14 Chevrolet	LINE-X Protective Coatings
6	6	Trevor Bayne	Jack Roush	Chad Norris	14 Ford	AdvoCare
7	7	Regan Smith	Kelley Earnhardt-Miller	Ryan Pemberton	14 Chevrolet	Fire Alarm Services
8	9	Chase Elliott	Dale Earnhardt Jr	Greg Ives	14 Chevrolet	NAPA AUTO PARTS
9	10	Jeff Green	Mark Smith	Todd Myers	14 Toyota	SupportMilitary.org
10	11	Elliott Sadler	J D Gibbs	Chris Gayle	14 Toyota	SportClips
11	14	Eric McClure	Mark Smith	Wes Ward	14 Toyota	Hefty Ultimate / Reynolds Wrap
12	16	Ryan Reed	Jack Roush	Seth Barbour	14 Ford	ADA Drive to Stop Diabetes presented by Lilly Diabetes
13	19	Mike Bliss	Mark Smith	Paul Clapprood	14 Toyota	TriStar Motorsports
14	20	Erik Jones(i)	Joe Gibbs	Kevin Kidd	14 Toyota	GameStop
15	22	Brad Keselowski(i)	Roger Penske	Jeremy Bullins	14 Ford	Discount Tire
16	23	Robert Richardson Jr	Robert Richardson Sr	George Church	14 Chevrolet	TBD
17	25	John Wes Townley(i)	Tony Townley	Mike Ford	14 Toyota	No. 25 Zaxby’s Toyota
18	28	J J Yeley	James Whitener	Steve Plattenberger	13 Dodge	Texas 28 Spirits Stage
19	29	Kelly Admiraal	Robby Benton	Keith Hinkein	14 Toyota	Swan Rentals, LTD
20	31	Dylan Kwasniewski	Steve Turner	Shannon Rursch	14 Chevrolet	Rockstar / FOE.com
21	39	Ryan Sieg	Rod Sieg	Kevin Starland	14 Chevrolet	RSS Racing
22	40	Matt Dibenedetto	Curtis Key Sr	Kyle Symington	14 Chevrolet	Curtis Key Plumbing
23	42	Kyle Larson(i)	Harry Scott Jr	Scott Zipadelli	14 Chevrolet	Cartwheel by Target
24	43	Dakoda Armstrong	Richard Petty	Philippe Lopez	14 Ford	WinField
25	44	Blake Koch	Mark Smith	Greg Conner	14 Toyota	Ingersoll Rand
26	46	Ryan Ellis	Curtis Key Sr	Gary Showalter	14 Chevrolet	Curtis Key Plumbing
27	51	Jeremy Clements	Tony Clements	Ricky Pearson	14 Chevrolet	All South Electric- Repairable Vehicles
28	52	Joey Gase	Jimmy Means	Tim Brown	14 Chevrolet	TBA
29	54	Kyle Busch(i)	J D Gibbs	Adam Stevens	14 Toyota	Monster Energy
30	55	Jamie Dick	Jimmy Dick	Mark Setzer	14 Chevrolet	Viva Auto Group
31	60	Chris Buescher	Jack Roush	Scott Graves	14 Ford	Roush Performance Parts
32	62	Brendan Gaughan	Richard Childress	Shane Wilson	14 Chevrolet	South Point
33	70	Derrike Cope	Mary Louise Miller	Bobby Burrell	14 Chevrolet	YOUTHEORY
34	74	Mike Harmon	Mike Harmon	Gary Ritter	12 Dodge	TBA
35	177	Brennan Newberry(i)	Jimmy Dick	Jason Miller	14 Chevrolet	Qore24
36	184	Chad Boat	Billy Boat	Dan Deeringhoff	14 Chevrolet	Vektor Vodka Chevrolet
37	87	Carl Long	Andrea Nemechek	Steven Gray	14 Chevrolet	Rick Ware Racing
38	93	Kevin Swindell	Gregg Mixon	Ken Evans	13 Dodge	JGL Racing
39	99	James Buescher	Robby Benton	Matthew Lucas	14 Toyota	Rheem

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Entry	#	Driver	Owner	Crew chief	Manufacturer	Sponsor
1	1	Jamie McMurray	Felix Sabates	Keith Rodden	14 Chevrolet	LIFTMASTER
2	2	Brad Keselowski	Roger Penske	Paul Wolfe	14 Ford	Miller Lite
3	3	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress	Gil Martin	14 Chevrolet	Cheerios
4	4	Kevin Harvick	Tony Stewart	Rodney Childers	14 Chevrolet	Budweiser
5	5	Kasey Kahne	Linda Hendrick	Kenny Francis	14 Chevrolet	Farmers Insurance
6	7	Michael Annett	Tommy Baldwin	Kevin Manion	14 Chevrolet	Accell Construction
7	9	Marcos Ambrose	Richard Petty	Drew Blickensderfer	14 Ford	STANLEY
8	10	Danica Patrick	Tony Stewart	Daniel Knost	14 Chevrolet	GoDaddy
9	11	Denny Hamlin	J D Gibbs	Darian Grubb	14 Toyota	FedEx Ground
10	13	Casey Mears	Bob Germain	Bootie Barker III	14 Chevrolet	No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS
11	14	Tony Stewart	Margaret Haas	Chad Johnston	14 Chevrolet	Mobil 1/ Bass Pro Shops
12	15	Clint Bowyer	Rob Kauffman	Brian Pattie	14 Toyota	5-Hour Energy
13	16	Greg Biffle	Jack Roush	Matt Puccia	14 Ford	Sherwin Williams
14	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	John Henry	Michael Kelley	14 Ford	Cargill/Fry’s
15	18	Kyle Busch	Joe Gibbs	Dave Rogers	14 Toyota	Petcare
16	20	Matt Kenseth	Joe Gibbs	Jason Ratcliff	14 Toyota	Dollar General
17	22	Joey Logano	Walter Czarnecki	Todd Gordon	14 Ford	Shell Pennzoil
18	23	Alex Bowman	Ron Devine	Dave Winston	14 Toyota	Dumb & Dumber To
19	24	Jeff Gordon	Rick Hendrick	Alan Gustafson	14 Chevrolet	Axalta
20	26	Cole Whitt	Anthony Marlowe	Randy Cox	14 Toyota	16T fuelxx/Tapout Muscle Recovery
21	27	Paul Menard	Richard Childress	Justin Alexander	14 Chevrolet	Richmond / Menards
22	31	Ryan Newman	Richard Childress	Luke Lambert	14 Chevrolet	Caterpillar
23	32	Joey Gase(i)	Frank Stoddard Jr	Clinton Cram	14 Ford	Zimmer.com
24	33	Ty Dillon(i)	Joe Falk	Nick Harrison	14 Chevrolet	No. 33 Charter Communications Chevrolet SS
25	34	David Ragan	Bob Jenkins	Derrick Finley	14 Ford	TACO BELL
26	36	Reed Sorenson	Allan Heinke	Todd Parrott	14 Chevrolet	Flasr.com Chevrolet
27	37	Mike Bliss(i)	Tommy Baldwin	Tommy Baldwin	14 Chevrolet	TBA
28	38	David Gilliland	Brad Jenkins	Jay Guy	14 Ford	LONG JOHN SILVER’S
29	40	Landon Cassill(i)	Michael Hillman	Mark Hillman	14 Chevrolet	TBA
30	41	Kurt Busch	Gene Haas	Tony Gibson	14 Chevrolet	Haas Automation
31	42	Kyle Larson	Chip Ganassi	Chris Heroy	14 Chevrolet	Target
32	43	Aric Almirola	Richard Petty	Trent Owens	14 Ford	Farmland
33	47	A J Allmendinger	Tad Geschickter	Brian Burns	14 Chevrolet	GLAD Trash Bags
34	48	Jimmie Johnson	Jeff Gordon	Chad Knaus	14 Chevrolet	Lowe’s Patriotic
35	51	Justin Allgaier	Harry Scott Jr	Steve Addington	14 Chevrolet	BRANDT
36	55	Brian Vickers	Michael Waltrip	Billy Scott	14 Toyota	Aaron’s Dream Machine
37	66	Mike Wallace(i)	Jay Robinson	Scott Eggleston	14 Toyota	TBA
38	175	Clay Rogers	Mark Beard	Darren Shaw	14 Chevrolet	Beard Oil
39	78	Martin Truex Jr	Barney Visser	Todd Berrier	14 Chevrolet	Furniture Row
40	83	J J Yeley(i)	Ron Devine	Joe Williams	14 Toyota	Dumb & Dumber to
41	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr	Rick Hendrick	Steve Letarte	14 Chevrolet	Kelley Blue Book
42	95	Michael McDowell	Bob Leavine	Wally Rogers	14 Ford	KLOVE Radio
43	98	Josh Wise	Mike Curb	Gene Nead	14 Chevrolet	Phil Parsons Racing
44	99	Carl Edwards	Jack Roush	James Fennig	14 Ford	Fastenal

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Posted on November 3, 2014 by Staff Report

Five drivers must win to advance to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship

FULL CHASE COVERAGE

• Chase hub page
• Chase Grid games
• #MyChaseNation

Below are the finishes each driver needs in Sunday’s race at Phoenix International Raceway (3 p.m. ET on ESPN) to guarantee a spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, regardless of the finish of any other driver:

Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin: 11th or better; 12th and at least one lap led; 13th and most laps led

Ryan Newman: 9th or better; 10th and at least one lap led; 11th and most laps led

Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick only control their own destiny by winning Sunday at Phoenix.

If two or more Eliminator 8 drivers are tied after Phoenix, the tie-breaker will go to the driver with the best finish in the three Eliminator Round races. Here is how the Eliminator 8 drivers have fared in each of the first two races in this round:

Points Pos.	Driver	Martinsville	Texas
1	Joey Logano	5	12
2	Denny Hamlin	8	10
3	Ryan Newman	3	15
4	Jeff Gordon	2	29
5	Matt Kenseth	6	25
6	Carl Edwards	20	9
7	Brad Keselowski	31	3
8	Kevin Harvick	33	2

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Posted on November 3, 2014 by Staff Report

Meet Heather, Official NASCAR Fan Council member of the month

Name: Heather

Current City: Schaumburg, Illinois

Hometown: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Member since: 2008

Getting to know Heather

Q: Why did you join the Official NASCAR Fan Council?

"To be able to share my thoughts and opinions on the great sport of NASCAR and give a voice for the fans."

Q: What comes to mind when you think of NASCAR? What’s your favorite NASCAR memory?

"Technology, innovation and speed! Getting to see my favorite driver Jeff Gordon win at Chicagoland Speedway in 2006."

Q: Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?

Driver: "Jeff Gordon"

Track: "Daytona"

Q: If you could go to any NASCAR race/track, where would you go?

"Bristol"

Q: Tell us about your family. Do you have children and/or pets?

"Three children, two boys and a girl."

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

"Enjoy the outdoors, watch sports and spend time with my kids."

Q: What’s your dream car?

"1963 Corvette Stingray"

From all of us at NASCAR, we thank Heather for her continued support and look forward to hearing from her in 2014!

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Staff Report

A statistical look ahead the final race of the Eliminator Round

RELATED: Follow your picks in the Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –Below is a look at the Eliminator 8 – and beyond – at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona going into the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 on November 9. ESPN’s coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET and the race is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.

FULL CHASE COVERAGE

• Chase hub page
• Chase Grid games
• #MyChaseNation

PHOENIX-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

1 – Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 106.8

2014 Rundown

· Five wins, 16 top fives, 21 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 11.4

· Led 21 races for 976 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· Two top fives, five top 10s

· Average finish of 15.9 in 11 races

· Average Running Position of 15.1, 12th-best

· Driver Rating of 83.7, 15th-best

2 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.8

2014 Rundown

· One win, six top fives, 16 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 14.8

· Led 16 races for 289 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

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

· Average finish of 11.3 in 18 races

· Average Running Position of 11.7, sixth-best

· Driver Rating of 97.1, seventh-best

· 237 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

· 4,134 Laps in the Top 15 (72.6%), seventh-most

3 – Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.9

2014 Rundown

· Four top fives, 15 top 10s

· Average finish of 13.0

· Led 7 races for 41 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· One win, eight top fives, 10 top 10s; four poles

· Average finish of 18.2 in 24 races

· Average Running Position of 15.1, 11th-best

· Driver Rating of 87.7, 11th-best

· 821 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most

· 4,031 Laps in the Top 15 (67.1%), ninth-most

· 539 Quality Passes, second-most

4 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 109.3

2014 Rundown

· Four wins, 13 top fives, 21 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 10.6

· Led 25 races for 922 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· Two wins, 11 top fives, 21 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 11.3 in 31 races

· Average Running Position of 10.3, third-best

· Driver Rating of 99.9, third-best

· 237 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.692 mph, eighth-fastest

· 4,874 Laps in the Top 15 (81.2%), second-most

· 450 Quality Passes, sixth-most

5 – Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.1

2014 Rundown

· 12 top fives, 20 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 13.7

· Led 20 races for 529 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

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

· Average finish of 17.2 in 24 races

· Average Running Position of 15.9, 15th-best

· Driver Rating of 86.3, 12th-best

· 173 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most

· 835 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.506 mph, 11th-fastest

· 3,616 Laps in the Top 15 (60.2%), 10th-most

· 449 Quality Passes, seventh-most

6 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fastenal Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 81.3

2014 Rundown

· Two wins, seven top fives, 14 top 10s

· Average finish of 14.5

· Led 11 races for 135 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· Two wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 12.1 in 20 races

· Average Running Position of 12.6, eighth-best

· Driver Rating of 99.9, fourth-best

· 367 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.784 mph, fourth-fastest

· 4,124 Laps in the Top 15 (68.7%), eighth-most

· 435 Quality Passes, ninth-most

7 – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.2

2014 Rundown

· Six wins, 15 top fives, 18 top 10s; five poles

· Average finish of 13.2

· Led 27 races for 1,540 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· Three top fives, four top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 15.7 in 10 races

· Average Running Position of 14.9, 10th-best

· Driver Rating of 88.9, 10th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.711 mph, fifth-fastest

8 – Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 108.7

2014 Rundown

· Three wins, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s; eight poles

· Average finish of 13.6

· Led 25 races for 1,819 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· Five wins, eight top fives, 12 top 10s

· Average finish of 11.8 in 23 races

· Average Running Position of 10.2, second-best

· Driver Rating of 103.9, second-best

· 386 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

· 771 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.868 mph, second-fastest

· 4,646 Laps in the Top 15 (77.4%), fourth-most

· 446 Quality Passes, eighth-most

9 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 Petcare Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.1

2014 Rundown

· One win, nine top fives, 15 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 16.5

· Led 15 races for 453 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· One win, three top fives, 12 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 13.3 in 19 races

· Average Running Position of 11.8, seventh-best

· Driver Rating of 97.7, sixth-best

· 253 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

· 835 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.704 mph, seventh-fastest

· 4,802 Laps in the Top 15 (80.0%), third-most

· Series-high 562 Quality Passes

10 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.7

2014 Rundown

· Four wins, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s

· Average finish of 12.3

· Led 16 races for 379 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· Two wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s

· Average finish of 16.4 in 24 races

· Average Running Position of 16.3, 16th-best

· Driver Rating of 86.0, 13th-best

· 822 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.500 mph, 12th-fastest

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

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.9

2014 Rundown

· Four wins, 11 top fives, 19 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 14.8

· Led 17 races for 1,310 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· Four wins, 14 top fives, 18 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 6.3 in 22 races

· Series-best Average Running Position of 6.9

· Series-best Driver Rating of 116.5

· Series-high 609 Fastest Laps Run

· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 126.185 mph

· Series-high 5,319 Laps in the Top 15 (88.6%)

· 533 Quality Passes, third-most

12 – AJ Allmendinger (No. 47 GLAD Trash Bags Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 70.8

2014 Rundown

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

· Average finish of 19.7

· Led 5 races for 68 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· Two top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 16.7 in 10 races

· Average Running Position of 16.9, 18th-best

· Driver Rating of 80.4, 19th-best

13 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 Sherwin Williams Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 78.6

2014 Rundown

· Three top fives, 10 top 10s

· Average finish of 15.9

· Led 7 races for 110 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· Five top fives, seven top 10s

· Average finish of 14.0 in 21 races

· Average Running Position of 14.7, ninth-best

· Driver Rating of 91.0, ninth-best

· 288 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

· 825 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.564 mph, 10th-fastest

· 3,395 Laps in the Top 15 (56.5%), 11th-most

· 408 Quality Passes, 11th-most

14 – Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.1

2014 Rundown

· One win, six top fives, 10 top 10s

· Average finish of 19.5

· Led 14 races for 219 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· One win, five top fives, 12 top 10s

· Average finish of 14.6 in 23 races

· Average Running Position of 10.9, fifth-best

· Driver Rating of 96.7, eighth-best

· 290 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.644 mph, ninth-fastest

· 4,174 Laps in the Top 15 (73.3%), sixth-most

· 411 Quality Passes, 10th-most

15 – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.7

2014 Rundown

· One win, three top fives, 11 top 10s

· Average finish of 17.7

· Led 12 races for 218 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

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

· Average finish of 17.8 in 20 races

· Average Running Position of 18.8, 22nd-best

· Driver Rating of 79.9, 20th-best

· 160 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most

16 – Aric Almirola (No. 43 Farmland Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 72.2

2014 Rundown

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

· Average finish of 21.6

· Led 5 races for 23 laps

Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

· Average finish of 18.6 in seven races

· Average Running Position of 17.5, 21st-best

· Driver Rating of 74.2, 24th-best

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2014 Eliminator 8 at Phoenix International Raceway

	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Joey Logano	11	0	0	2	5	2	15.9	83.7
2	Denny Hamlin	18	1	1	8	9	0	11.3	97.1
3	Ryan Newman	24	4	1	8	10	4	18.2	87.7
4	Jeff Gordon	31	3	2	11	21	3	11.3	99.9
5	Matt Kenseth	24	1	1	5	9	3	17.2	86.3
6	Carl Edwards	20	3	2	7	12	1	12.1	99.9
7	Brad Keselowski	10	1	0	3	4	1	15.7	88.9
8	Kevin Harvick	23	0	5	8	12	0	11.8	103.9

* – Based on last 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway (2005 – 2014).

Points Pos.	Driver	Martinsville	Texas
1	Joey Logano	5	12
2	Denny Hamlin	8	10
3	Ryan Newman	3	15
4	Jeff Gordon	2	29
5	Matt Kenseth	6	25
6	Carl Edwards	20	9
7	Brad Keselowski	31	3
8	Kevin Harvick	33	2

Phoenix International Raceway:

History

· Construction was completed in January 1964. The facility consisted of a one-mile oval and a 2.5-mile road course.

· Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix on Nov. 6, 1988.

· The first spring race was held on April 23, 2005 and also the first night race, which was won by Kurt Busch.

· The track underwent its first repave in 2011. The construction began in March and concluded in September of that year.

· The following changes were made during the construction period (March – Sept., 2011):

o Widened the frontstretch from 52 to 62 feet

o Reconfigured pit road with the installation of concrete pit stalls

o Pushed the dog-leg curve between Turn 2 and Turn 3 out 95 feet

o Tightened the turn radius of the dog-leg from 800 to 500 feet

o Implemented variable banking to ensure the immediate use of two racing grooves, including 10-11 degree banking between Turn 1 and Turn 2; 10-11 degree banking in the apex of the dog-leg; and 8-9 degree banking in Turn 4

Notebook

· There have been 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, one per season from 1988-2004 and two each season since.

· 194 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix; 139 in more than one.

· Mark Martin leads series in starts at Phoenix with 34; followed by Jeff Gordon with 31.

· Geoffrey Bodine won the first pole in 1988 at a speed of 123.203 mph (29.220 sec.).

· There have been 20 different Coors Light pole winners, led by Ryan Newman with four.

· Youngest Phoenix pole winner: Kyle Busch (4/22/06 – 20 years, 11 months, 20 days).

· Oldest Phoenix pole winner: Mark Martin (03/03/13 – 54 years, 1 month, 22 days).

· Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards are the only drivers to win consecutive poles. Newman won three straight (2002-04), while Gordon won the fall of 2006 and the spring of 2007. Edwards won the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011.

· Denny Hamlin (November, 2005) and AJ Allmendinger (April, 2010) won their first career Coors Light poles at Phoenix International Raceway

· There have been 23 different NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winners at Phoenix, eight have won more than once, led by Eliminator Eight driver Kevin Harvick, with five – (’06 spring race and Chase race, ’12 Chase race, ‘13 Chase race and ’14 spring race).

· The eight drivers have won more than once at Phoenix: Kevin Harvick leads the series in wins with five followed by Jimmie Johnson (four), Davey Allison (two), Jeff Burton (two), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Jeff Gordon (two) Carl Edwards (two) and Mark Martin (two).

· Of the eight drivers with multiple wins at Phoenix International Raceway, Mark Martin is the only driver to win in two different manufacturers: Ford (1993) and Chevrolet (2009).

· Five drivers have won consecutive races at Phoenix: Davey Allison (1991,1992); Jeff Burton (2000, 2001); Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003, 2004); Kevin Harvick (swept 2006) and (2013 Chase race – Spring race 2014); Jimmie Johnson is the only one of the five to win three consecutive races (fall 2007, swept 2008).

· Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Phoenix with nine, followed by Roush Fenway Racing with seven.

· Four of the 36 (11.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix have been won from the Coors Light pole: Jeff Gordon (spring 2007), Jimmie Johnson (fall 2008), Mark Martin (spring 2009) and Carl Edwards (fall 2010).

· Seven of the 36 (19.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix have been won from the front row: four from the pole and three from second-place.

· 17 of the 36 (47.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix have been won from a starting position inside the top 10.

· 19 of the 36 (52.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.

· 3 of the 36 (8.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· Jimmie Johnson leads the series in average finish at Phoenix with a 6.273; he is the only active driver with an average finish inside the top 10.

· Ricky Rudd won the 1995 race from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.

· Matt Kenseth won the 2002 race from the 28th-place starting position, the furthest back an active race winner has started.

· Two perfect Driver Ratings of 150.0 have been recorded at Phoenix, Kurt Busch in April of 2005 and Kevin Harvick in November of 2006.

· Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Phoenix International Raceway winner: Kyle Busch (11/13/2005 – 20 years, 6 months, 11 days).

· Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Phoenix International Raceway winner: Mark Martin (04/18/2009 – 50 years, 3 months, 9 days).

· Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Phoenix with five; followed by Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart with three each.

· Jimmie Johnson lead the series in top-five finishes at Phoenix with 14; followed by Mark Martin with 12 and Jeff Gordon with 11.

· Alan Kulwicki (11/6/1988) and Bobby Hamilton (10/27/1996) are the only two drivers to post their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career win at Phoenix International Raceway.

· 21 of the 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Phoenix participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Alan Kulwicki (11/6/1988) and Tony Stewart (11/7/1999) are the only two drivers to win at Phoenix in their first appearance.

· Jeff Gordon competed at Phoenix International Raceway 16 times before winning (4/21/2007); the longest span of any the 23 winners.

· Six drivers have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Phoenix: Jeff Gordon (16), Ryan Newman (15), Kasey Kahne (14), Denny Hamlin (13), Carl Edwards (12) and Rusty Wallace (11).

· Joe Nemechek leads the series (active drivers) with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Phoenix without visiting Victory Lane with 28.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Phoenix was the (4/10/2010) race won by Ryan Newman with a MOV of 0.13 seconds.

· Two drivers have won at Phoenix and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same season: Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009); Dale Earnhardt (1990).

· Danica Patrick is the only female driver that has made a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Phoenix International Raceway.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Danica Patrick	33	36	3/2/2014
Danica Patrick	32	33	11/10/2013
Danica Patrick	40	39	3/3/2013
Danica Patrick	37	17	11/11/2012

· Car numbers that have produced three or more Phoenix wins:

Car Number – Drivers – (Years)

o No. 48 – Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009)

o No. 99 – Carl Edwards (2010 and 2013) and Jeff Burton (2000, 2001)

o No. 29 – Kevin Harvick (2006 sweep, 2012 and 2013)

o No. 5 – Mark Martin (2009), Kyle Busch (2005) and Terry Labonte (1994)

NASCAR in Arizona

· There have been 41 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races among three tracks in Arizona.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale	36
Arizona State Fairgrounds	Phoenix	4
Tucson Rodeo Grounds	Tucson	1

· 32 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Arizona.

· None of the drivers from Arizona have won a race in NASCAR’s three national series.
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Posted on November 2, 2014 by

Incident involving three Chase drivers under investigation

NASCAR will study film of the post-race fight involving Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski and a host of crew members, but according to Robin Pemberton, the sanctioning body’s senior vice president of competition and racing development, NASCAR has no issue with the incident that caused it.

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"I think it was hard racing, and this is a contact sport,” Pemberton said of Keselowski’s up-the-middle attempt pass on the next-to-last restart, a move that left Gordon with a cut tire and diminished championship chances.

"You look at what drivers are trying to do. We had a couple shots at a green-white-checkered finish, and everybody was going for it. Nobody was leaving anything behind."

The brawl itself is a different story. NASCAR will review the incident in its entirety and decide if penalties are warranted. Keselowski already is on probation from post-race actions three weeks ago at Charlotte.

"We knew the (new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup) format was going to put a lot of pressure on people to perform and make aggressive moves and decisions out there on the race track," Pemberton said. "You could see the result of that after the race.

"We’re going to take our time. We’ve got a lot of film to review and things like that. The important thing is to make the right decision at the end of the day."

Pemberton says NASCAR draws the line when drivers and crew members come to blows.

"You shouldn’t punch somebody," he said. "Everybody gets together, and when you’re holding onto each other and grabbing and this, that and the other, that’s one thing. When punches are landed, that’s a different scenario…

"We have a lot of work to do this week."

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Posted on November 2, 2014 by RJ Kraft

All eight drivers within 18 points of each other with no spots locked up

Several late-race cautions in the AAA Texas 500 involving Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers have left a very tight and jumbled points picture with all eight drivers separated by 18 points as the series heads to Phoenix International Raceway for the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 (Nov. 9, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN).

On top of that, non-Chase driver Jimmie Johnson won the race on a second green-white-checkered attempt, which means at least three of the four Championship Round drivers will be determined by points.

Jeff Gordon, who was the points leader entering the race, held the race lead late but contact with Brad Keselowski on the first green-white-checkered attempt led to a flat left rear tire and an angry four-time champion. Gordon finished the race in 29th place and had some words for Keselowski that led to a scuffle.

The crews for both drivers got involved and so did Kevin Harvick, who shoved Keselowski.

Gordon holds the final Championship Round transfer spot by one point.

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CHASE BUBBLE

Pos.	Driver	+/-
1	Joey Logano	+13
2	Denny Hamlin	+13
3	Ryan Newman	+11
4	Jeff Gordon	+1
5	Matt Kenseth	-1
6	Carl Edwards	-1
7	Brad Keselowski	-5
8	Kevin Harvick	-6

Joey Logano spent much of the afternoon in the top 10 but had to overcome a lengthy pit stop (26 seconds) due to an issue with lugnuts. The extended pit stop dropped Logano back to 22nd place, and he later spun out, bringing out a caution on Lap 305. He rebounded to finish 12th and is now tied for the Chase points lead with Denny Hamlin.

Polesitter Matt Kenseth looked strong early on and led 59 laps on the day. However, a mishap on a Lap 254 pit stop in which a lugnut fell off and was then wedged in the hub cost him an 18.3 second stop that dropped the Joe Gibbs Racing driver from fourth to 18th. He worked his way back up to first thanks to some strong pit work and a decision to stay out on a Lap 297 caution. But then some contact on a late restart on Lap 309 left him with some damage and he had to pit, restarting in 25th place with nine laps to go. Kenseth finished in 25th place and is now one point behind Gordon for the final transfer spot.

Here’s how the day went for the other Chase drivers at Texas:

Denny Hamlin: The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had a quiet day and gambled on a two-tire stop to take the lead on a pit stop under caution on Lap 224. That didn’t work out too well for him as he dropped to 13th by Lap 232. Overall, he stayed out of trouble, which as we saw late was important, and placed 10th.

Ryan Newman: The quiet contender had a tire rub late that forced him to pit on Lap 322. He restarted in 21st place but was able to score a 15th place finish and is in a good spot heading to Phoenix.

Carl Edwards: Edwards struggled all day to find speed and was two laps down in the race several times. Somehow, when the dust settled Edwards finished the race in ninth place and heads to Phoenix one point out of the final transfer spot.

Brad Keselowski: A gutsy pit call to stay out during the sixth caution of the race led to Keselowski taking the lead. He led 22 laps on the afternoon and finished third; his contact with Gordon set off a post-race melee between the two drivers, their crews and others.

Kevin Harvick: Making his 500th career Sprint Cup start, Harvick ran in the top five for much of the day but only led two laps. He was right there at the end, though, trying to find a way to get closer to Johnson for the win but ultimately couldn’t get by. He was also involved in the skirmish with Keselowski on pit road.

The four drivers that would advance to Homestead as of now would be: Logano, Hamlin, Newman and Gordon.

The four drivers that would be eliminated would be: Kenseth, Edwards, Keselowski and Harvick.

The final race of the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will be the Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway (Nov. 9, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN). For the drivers in a big hole on points, they need to look no further than what Keselowski did in the final race of the Contender Round at Talladega Superspeedway. Keselowski won the GEICO 500 to advance to the next round when a win was the only way he could advance in the Chase.

  Following the Phoenix race, four drivers will advance to the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 16, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN). Each advancing driver will see their point total reset to 5,000 and the driver that finishes the highest among the four finalists will win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

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Posted on November 2, 2014 by

Wins third straight November race at Texas as Chasers fight

FORT WORTH, Texas — It happens every fall, at least in recent years.

Jimmie Johnson won the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway for the third straight year, holding off runner-up Kevin Harvick and third-place Brad Keselowski after Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 went to two overtimes.

The action in the second race of the Chase’s Eliminator Round was scintillating enough, but it couldn’t match the intensity of a post-race brawl on pit road that left Keselowski and Jeff Gordon bruised and bloodied.

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Johnson, who was eliminated from the Chase two weeks ago at Talladega, led the field to the green flag on Lap 340, the second attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag finish, with Keselowski to his outside. As both drivers rolled through the first two corners wide open, Johnson inched ahead, ultimately clearing Keselowski’s Ford and pulling away.

Harvick passed Keselowski for second place but couldn’t catch Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet, which crossed the finish line .513 seconds ahead of Harvick’s No. 4 car.

But it was the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish that caused all the controversy and helped to scramble the Chase standings with only next Sunday’s event at Phoenix International Raceway (3 p.m. ET on ESPN) left to determine which four drivers race for the series championship Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Gordon was the race leader at the time and picked the outside lane for a restart on Lap 335 with Johnson to his inside. Keselowski restarted third and tried to split the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers—in what Harvick would later call “bulldoze mode”—and ran out of room.

Contact from Keselowski’s car cut Gordon’s left rear tire, causing Gordon to spin on the backstretch, which in turn brought out the record 13th caution of the race. Gordon finished 29th and dropped from first to fourth in the Chase standings, just one point clear of 25th-place finisher and Coors Light Polesitter Matt Kenseth in fifth.

“We drove down into Turn 1, and he just decided to body-slam us and cut our left-rear tire,” an irate Gordon said after wading through a mass of crewmen to get to Keselowski. “It ruined our night. It ruined our chances, ruined our night, might have even ruined our Chase hopes.

“It’s just uncalled for. I had to show my displeasure. It got ugly down there, obviously, and you know that’s all right. A lot of things are going to happen in the next couple of weeks.”

If Gordon had issues with the way Keselowski raced him, the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford was unapologetic.

“I’m not trying to dish out something that I couldn’t take myself,” Keselowski said. “But these guys have their own code, and they race differently than that. That’s their right. We’ll go through these battles. I’ve gone through them before and come out stronger. I’ll go through them again and come out stronger, a better race car driver.

“But what I’m not going to do is back down. I’m not going to get in the spot where I was in 2013 where, you know, I tried to be exactly what they all wanted me to be, because what they want me to be is a loser, and I’m not here to lose. I’m here to win. That means I’m going to have to drive my car, harder, stronger, faster than everybody out there. That’s what I feel like I did today.”

In Victory Lane, savoring his fourth win of the season, his record fourth victory at Texas and the 70th of his career, Johnson could only shake his head at the unplanned fireworks after the race.

“I saw a little bit on the big screen going down the back straightaway,” said Johnson. “I would definitely have to go to the tape and watch and see what happened there. I know that second-to-last restart, I got hit from behind and I know Brad got to my outside, and I guess in the process of running into me and getting to the outside lane he ruffled some feathers.

“Just an exciting night for us. We had a very fast race car, led a lot of laps (191 of 341). Those cautions at the end, one restart would help me, the other would hurt me—and in the end we got it done.”

The wild action at Texas, which saw 12 of the 13 cautions occur after the halfway point, left the Chase wide open, with all eight eligible drivers within an 18-point range.

Joey Logano recovered from a spin to finish 12th and shares the Chase lead with Denny Hamlin, who ran 10th. Ryan Newman is third in points, two behind Logano and Hamlin, after a 15th-place finish that could have been better, but for a tire rub resulting from contact on a late restart.

Gordon is fourth, 12 out of the lead and one point ahead of Kenseth and Carl Edwards, who rallied from two laps down, avoided the bumping and banging on the track and finished an unlikely ninth. Keselowski heads to Phoenix seventh in the standings, 17 points out of first place and one point ahead of Harvick in eighth.

With at least three of the four championship-eligible positions in the final race to be determined on points, none of the eight drivers goes to Phoenix with any degree of security.

Notes: Kyle Busch’s bid for a Texas weekend sweep of NASCAR’s top three series fizzled early. The winner of Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and Saturday’s Nationwide Series event was lapped by Johnson on Lap 125, but he recovered to finish fourth. … Kenseth became the all-time lap leader at Texas Motor Speedway during the opening run, leading the first 53 laps and 59 all told to bring his career total at Texas to 834, surpassing Tony Stewart’s 801.

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Posted on November 2, 2014 by Staff Report

Moments that changed the course of the 34th race of the 2014 season

JOHNSON HOLDS ON FOR WIN AFTER SECOND GREEN-WHITE-CHECKERED

It happens every fall, at least in recent years.

Harvick passed Keselowski for second place but couldn’t catch Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet, which crossed the finish line .513 seconds ahead of Harvick’s No. 4 car.

KESELOWSKI BUMPS GORDON AND CUTS A TIRE

It was the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish that caused all the controversy and helped to scramble the Chase standings with only next Sunday’s event at Phoenix International Raceway (3 p.m. ET on ESPN) left to determine which four drivers race for the series championship Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Gordon was the race leader at the time and picked the outside lane for a restart on Lap 335 with Johnson to his inside. Keselowski restarted third and tried to split the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers — in what Harvick would later call "bulldoze mode" — and ran out of room.

"We drove down into Turn 1, and he just decided to body-slam us and cut our left-rear tire," an irate Gordon said after wading through a mass of crewmen to get to Keselowski. "It ruined our night. It ruined our chances, ruined our night, might have even ruined our Chase hopes.

"It’s just uncalled for. I had to show my displeasure. It got ugly down there, obviously, and you know that’s alright. A lot of things are going to happen in the next couple of weeks."

If Gordon had issues with the way Keselowski raced him, the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford was unapologetic.

"I’m not trying to dish out something that I couldn’t take myself," Keselowski said. "But these guys have their own code, and they race differently than that. That’s their right. We’ll go through these battles. I’ve gone through them before and come out stronger. I’ll go through them again and come out stronger, a better race car driver.

"But what I’m not going to do is back down. I’m not going to get in the spot where I was in 2013 where, you know, I tried to be exactly what they all wanted me to be, because what they want me to be is a loser, and I’m not here to lose. I’m here to win. That means I’m going to have to drive my car, harder, stronger, faster than everybody out there. That’s what I feel like I did today."

WILD NIGHT LEADS TO TIGHT POINTS FIGHT

The wild action at Texas, which saw 12 of the 13 cautions occur after the halfway point, left the Chase wide open, with all eight eligible drivers within an 18-point range.

With at least three of the four championship-eligible positions in the final race to be determined on points, none of the eight drivers goes to Phoenix with any degree of security.

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Staff Report

No. 22 spins with 31 laps to go, but rallies

Joey Logano, one of the eight drivers still in contention in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, spun out on Lap 303 of Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. It didn’t ruin his day, however.

The driver of the No. 22 Ford, who ran among the top 10 most of the day, fell back to 26th after his spin. A spate of late cautions, though, allowed him to make up ground and finish a respectable 12th.

Logano entered the race third in the Chase standings, and had top-five finishes in six of the previous seven races — including wins at Kansas and New Hampshire. He fell out of the top four in the standings following the spin, although an ensuing caution on Lap 313 allowed Logano to regain ground.

Instead of tumbling out of the top four in the standings, he now shares the points lead with Denny Hamlin — Logano is ranked first because he owns the tiebreaker.

Logano’s career-high five wins this season rank second on the Sprint Cup Series circuit behind Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski (six).

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