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Veteran won six straight Coors Light Pole Awards at 1.54-mile track

Ryan Newman is in the midst of looking to lock down a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and the next track on the schedule, Atlanta Motor Speedway, is one where he starts out well. Newman has seven career Coors Light Pole Awards at the track, including six straight from 2003 to 2005 and his last pole at the track came in 2007. Last year, Newman finished in fifth place in the Labor Day weekend race at the 1.54-mile track.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

See where each driver finished the Bristol night race and what put them there

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1. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske
Logano saw the lead for the first time on Lap 104 after giving Matt Kenseth a bumper nudge. The hard-charging Team Penske driver proved his dominance as he was in a constant battle for the lead for a majority of the race. Logano led a total of 76 out of the 500 laps of the Irwin Tools Night Race earning his third victory of the season and his first at Bristol Motor Speedway. Before Saturday’s race, Logano had a best finish of fifth at Thunder Valley. Logano remains fourth in the Sprint Cup Series standings behind teammate Brad Keselowski. See how he held off his teammate in Final Laps.

2. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske
The Team Penske veteran had a strong showing at the Tennessee short track by leading a total of 46 laps. Keselowski consistently ran within the top five and was battling for the lead with teammate Logano for the last 50 laps of the race. Although it wasn’t the No. 2 driver’s best finish at Bristol, it was his fourth top-five finish at the track. See what Keselowski had to say after the race here.

3. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
Kenseth entered Thunder Valley as the defending champion of last year’s Irwin Tools Night Race and winless in the 2014 season. He left with one of those titles still intact. Kenseth’s winless season has been discussed for months and the opportunity to snag a victory in Saturday night’s race was in the palm of his hands as he led for a total of 62 laps. But his No. 20 Dollar General Toyota just couldn’t find the power to hold back Logano after he stayed out on late-race chance to pit. See Kenseth’s race highlights here.

4. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Under the competition caution on Lap 60 Johnson was caught speeding on pit road and had to restart at the tail end of the field to serve his penalty. Johnson received another pit road speeding penalty on Lap 132, and in disbelief crew chief Chad Knaus said, "There’s no way, it’s not possible." Although he spent a great deal of time serving his penalties, the No. 48 managed to catch up with the front runners to score a top-five finish, which was his first in nine races. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

5. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
While it wasn’t a win, a top-five finish for Kurt Busch might feel just as wonderful as a victory these days. After scoring a win early in the season at Martinsville, Busch went through a less-than-spectacular stretch before beginning to rebound. Busch fought hard at Bristol and stayed consistent throughout the race. See Busch’s race highlights here.

6. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
Bristol appears to be a favored track for Stenhouse Jr. as he scored his fifth top-10 of the season, two of which came at the Tennessee track. The Sprint Cup sophomore finished ahead of his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards for the second week in a row.

7. Carl Edwards, No. 99 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
After winning at Bristol in the spring, Edwards had high hopes of a season sweep going into Saturday’s Irwin Tools Night Race. On Lap 38 Edwards complained of looseness saying, "My car is not good at all … I’m tossing on entry." While his seventh-place finish wasn’t the best the No. 99 has seen at Bristol, it was the first time this season that all three Roush Fenway Racing drivers finished in the top 10 together. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

8. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
McMurray received a pit road penalty for speeding while exiting on Lap 132. On Lap 238, McMurray saw the lead for the first time when he overtook Kasey Kahne. McMurray led for a race-high 148 laps and was consistently running within the top five. The No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing driver had the necessary tools for a Bristol win, but getting caught in lap traffic tarnished his Victory Lane dreams. See what McMurray had to say after the race here.

9. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
It was a quiet night for Menard, who managed to avoid all on-track collisions as he turned the sharp corners of Bristol Motor Speedway. Menard earned his sixth top-10 finish at Thunder Valley, along with his 11th of the 2014 season. While the Richard Childress Racing driver may seem like he’s on the down low, he moved up two spots in the Sprint Cup standings to 15th. 

10. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
Biffle spent the majority of the race trying to find his rhythm as he ran in and out of the top 10. He reported numerous times about his "rock hard" tires that didn’t allow much wiggle room for turning. On Lap 372, Biffle got into some trouble and had the back of his car hanging off, resulting in him coming to pit road to have the bumper removed. For having an unscheduled pit stop, Biffle’s top-10 finish was a success and the fourth straight top 10 for Biffle. 

11. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
Harvick started the Irwin Tools Night Race as the polesitter and led the first 37 laps of the race. On Lap 161, Denny Hamlin was running first and Harvick spun him while he was racing for the lead, something the Stewart-Haas Racing driver took the blame for. In and out of the contention for the lead, Harvick was racing hard for the win at Bristol. On Lap 432, Harvick received a speeding penalty on pit road that set him back significantly. (See the video of the wreck here.)

12. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Gannassi Racing
In practice for Saturday’s Irwin Tools Night Race, Larson’s car looked like a strong contender as he led the field in the opening session. It was during the Coors Light Pole Qualifying that Larson spun out and suffered damage to the front-left and back-rear of the car. Larson switched to his backup car and had to start from the rear. While he was working his way through traffic on Lap 125, Brian Vickers got loose and got into Larson, causing a chain reaction as Aric Almirola and Kyle Busch suffered damage to their cars as well. Larson worked hard to redeem himself, but the early damage held the No. 42 back from reaching its full potential. 

13. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Newman remains one of the winless drivers in contention for a Chase position and is still winless at Bristol in his Sprint Cup career. The closest Newman has ever gotten to a win here was in 2004 when he came in second. His 13th-place finish still beats last year’s 16th so it’s a step in the right direction. 

14. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing
While road courses are Allmendinger’s strongest suit, he can still hold his own on short tracks. Allmendinger picked up his third straight top-15 finish after having just five in the first 21 races of 2014.

15. Jeff Burton, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
Driving for Tony Stewart for the second-consecutive week, Burton seemed comfortable in the No. 14 Chevrolet at Bristol. Burton ran as high as fourth place in the Irwin Tools Night Race. On Lap 425, Burton complained of "chattering tires" but after a few adjustments was able to hold onto a top-15 finish as he battled with Jeff Gordon for position. 

16. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Gordon’s biggest competitor Saturday night was consistency. The No. 24 would run great for a few laps and then would start to fall apart. "I can’t figure this place out tonight. It was a comfortable run before, then the rubber (on track) changed everything," Gordon said. Gordon said post-race that he overshot his pit stall on one stop which resulted in a four-tire change rather than a two. The Sprint Cup veteran claims this was a large factor that hurt their finish. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

17. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
Bowyer sustained a small amount of front-left damage after the No. 55 of Brian Vickers got loose and caused a chain reaction of several drivers getting into each other. After that, it was a matter of working through the damage and making adjustments on pit road that scored Bowyer his top-20 finish. 

18. Michael McDowell, No. 95 Ford, Leavine Family Racing
After giving the invocation in pre-race ceremonies, McDowell was able to take advantage of the beneficiary position a couple of times in the Irwin Tools Night Race on Saturday as he drove his way to the best Bristol finish of his Sprint Cup Series career and his second-best of 2014. (McDowell earned a seventh-place finish in July at Daytona.)

19. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports
Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Allgaier had a smooth run at Bristol, just not smooth enough to run up front. The young gun is still seeking his first top-10 finish and still adjusting to life in a Cup car. With mild tweaks throughout the race, Allgaier’s 19th-place finish was his fifth finish inside the top 20 this season and third in the last four races.

20. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing
Pit strategy is a major reason why the No. 78 finished 20th on Saturday. On Lap 196 while the leaders pitted, Truex Jr. stayed out and held onto a sixth-place position at the start of the green flag. Although Truex Jr. dropped in position from there, the boost allowed him to claim his 12th top-20 finish of 2014.

21. Brian Vickers, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
On Lap 125 Vickers got loose and got into Kyle Larson, causing a chain reaction as Aric Almirola and Kyle Busch suffered damage to their cars. While others involved in the wreck dropped out of the race early, Vickers was able to fight through the damage and finish. (See the video of the wreck here.)

22. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Racing
Besides a small amount of contact made on pit road and minimal left-rear damage, Cassill earned his third-best finish of 2014 and best finish at a non-restrictor plate track this season. Starting 39th, Cassill was under the radar as he drove his way to his 22nd-place finish.

23. David Ragan, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
After starting 29th, Ragan claimed a finishing position of just one notch better than last week’s at Michigan International Speedway. Receiving a free pass under caution, Ragan earned his fourth straight top-25 finish this season.

24. Reed Sorenson, No. 36 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing
In the spring race at Bristol Sorenson earned a 28th-place finish. With not much practice on short tracks between then and now, Sorenson upped his finishing position by four. While he remains winless in his Sprint Cup Series career, the No. 36 driver heads to his hometrack of Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend seeking improvement.

25. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
Starting 32nd, Gilliland was able to pilot his No. 38 Ford to a 25th-place finish that pushed him into the top 30 in the Sprint Cup Series standings. Gilliland finished 22nd in the spring race. 

26. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing
Mears avoided the major wrecks for a 26th-place finish, just one position ahead of his finish in the spring race. Mears started 43rd and managed to push his way into the top 30. With small adjustments, the No. 13 team is slowly but surely making improvements.

27. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
Patrick was running 29th when she spun in Turn 2 bringing out the fifth caution of the race. It looked as if rookie Alex Bowman got into the back of her car to cause the spin. Patrick’s 27th-place finish wasn’t her best at the short track; her top finish was 18th in the spring race.

28. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Starting 26th, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate couldn’t find his groove on the short track. Earlier in the season, Dillon was on the edge of a top 10 when he finished 11th after starting in the same position as Saturday’s race. It was difficult for Dillon to stay on the lead lap, and he never got the opportunity to claim the beneficiary position. 

29. Josh Wise, No. 98 Chevrolet, Phil Parsons Racing
Wise started 30th and on Lap 69 spun in Turn 2 collecting J.J. Yeley. Never quite recovering, the No. 98 driver did manage to earn his third-best finish at Bristol.

30. Cole Whitt, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing
Whitt started from the rear after making contact with the wall during Friday’s Coors Light Pole Qualifying. The rookie attempted to drive through traffic, but couldn’t make any significant movement. Whitt finished 10 spots better than his Cup debut at the track in the spring.

31. David Stremme, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport
The one-car team improved 10 spots from where it started the race as Stremme moved up six positions in the Sprint Cup Series standings following Saturday night’s race.

32. Alex Bowman, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing
Two unscheduled pit stops held rookie Alex Bowman back from pushing ahead in the field. Bowman started 27th, but the free pass he received wasn’t enough to give him the edge he needed to move forward. Bowman finished 32nd in both Bristol races this season.

33. J.J. Yeley, No. 32 Ford, Go FAS Racing
Yeley was collected on Lap 69 when the No. 98 of Josh Wise spun in Turn 2. Yeley’s best finish at Thunder Valley came in 2007 when he crossed the checkered flag 13th.

34. Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
Ambrose was six laps down on Lap 375 when he smacked the inside wall bringing out the eighth caution. Ambrose came in for repairs but was forced to go behind the wall as the No. 9 needed extensive work done. The Richard Petty Motorsports driver was viewed as a bit of sleeper entering this race, which surely ended in disappointment for the No. 9 team.

35. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Kahne took a gamble on Lap 196 as the fifth caution came out for Michael Annett’s spin. The No. 5 stayed out on the track as others pitted and was able to lead for a total of 40 laps before Jamie McMurray took the lead on Lap 239. Frustrated with lap traffic, Kahne never saw the lead again. The No. 5 later suffered splitter damage and headed behind the wall shortly before Lap 400 and returned at Lap 415.

36. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
Under the competition caution on Lap 60, Busch was caught speeding on pit road and had to restart at the tail end of the field to serve his penalty. On Lap 125, Brian Vickers got loose and hit Aric Almirola, who spun out of control and made contact with Busch’s No. 18 as he passed by. Busch’s right-rear was coming apart and he told his crew, "I’m not going o be able to drive it, just so you know." (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.) And later, "Out of the whole wreck we got the worst of it." Busch’s night didn’t get much better from there as he attempted to race on with his sustained damage, only to call it a night around Lap 455. (See the video of the wreck here.)

37. Ryan Truex, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing
Truex started to experience what his crew thought was rear-end-housing issues so they brought the No. 83 behind the wall only to find a blown engine. Truex’s 37th-place finish is his best at Bristol.

38. Michael Annett, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing
On Lap 195, Annett got into the wall bringing out the fifth caution of the race. Annett was able to recover and make his way to pit road with minimal damage.

39. Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Earnhardt Jr. was running in the top five when he got caught up in the wreck between Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick as they were fighting for the lead. Earnhardt Jr. suffered major damage to the left side of his car, as most of the sheet metal had been torn away. The No. 88 returned to the track on Lap 285 briefly before calling it a night and finishing 39th. (See the video of the wreck here.)

40. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
Hamlin was leading when Harvick spun him. Hamlin got out of his car and threw his HANS device at the No. 4 car, clearly frustrated that his night had gone horribly wrong. Hamlin suffered major damage to his No. 11 car and did not return to the race, ultimately finishing 40th. (See the video of the wreck here.)

41. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
Almirola was forced to his backup car after smacking the wall in Friday’s Coors Light Pole Qualifying. As he was working his way up through traffic, Brian Vickers got loose on Lap 125 and sent Almirola into the wall. Almirola was running 28th at the time of the wreck. With the extensive damage done to the No. 43 he was forced to call it a night. (See the video of the wreck here.) 

42. Brett Moffit, No. 66 Toyota, Jay Robinson Racing
Making his debut at Bristol and just his third Sprint Cup start this season, Moffitt was filling in for Joe Nemechek. The 22-year-old started 31st in the field, but was out from the race after just 78 laps due to engine issues. It was his worst finish of the season so far.

43. Dave Blaney, No. 37 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing
Only on the track for a total of 37 laps, Blaney did not make much of an impact. This was Blaney’s 26th start at Bristol and the fourth time he finished in last place at Thunder Valley.

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Posted on by Nascar

Jeff Burton, Regan Smith lauded for fill-in roles in Tony Stewart’s absence

MORE: Complete coverage of Tony Stewart incident

Tony Stewart missed his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race this past weekend, and Greg Zipadelli doesn’t know when his driver, and close friend, will be back behind the wheel.
 
UPDATE: Stewart to return at Atlanta

In the meantime, Stewart’s No. 14 team Stewart-Haas Racing team continues to prepare for each week’s race. Maybe for the three-time Sprint Cup champion, maybe for another driver such as Jeff Burton, the driver of record for the group these past two weekends during Stewart’s absence. Regan Smith filled in for the team at Watkins Glen.
 
"It’s just an emotional roller coaster all week, you know what I mean?" Zipadelli said after Saturday night’s Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. "It is what it is.
 
"We do the best we can with what we’ve got right now. We’ll keep praying, keep our fingers crossed that we get the boss back sooner rather than later."

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Stewart has not competed in a Sprint Cup race since Aug. 3 when he finished 36th at Pocono Raceway. Less than a week later, on Aug. 9, driver Kevin Ward Jr. was killed when he was struck by Stewart’s winged sprint car during an event at Canandaigua (New York) Motorsports Park.
 
An investigation by the Ontario County (New York) Police Department is on-going.
 
Zipadelli, Stewart’s crew chief for a decade when the two were paired at Joe Gibbs Racing, is vice president of competition at SHR, and oversees the operation of the No. 14 entry as well as the No. 4 of Kevin Harvick, the No. 10 of Danica Patrick and the No. 41 of Kurt Busch.
 
Burton, winner of 21 Sprint Cup races and headed to NBC Sports in 2015, finished 15th at BMS after running in the top 10 for much of the second half of the race.
 
Damage to the front end of his car eventually negated a shrewd pit call that put him fourth in the running order. It was a better result than the previous week when a broken tail pipe was the culprit for a 37th-place finish, but a missed opportunity as well.
 
"They ran 10th to 15th basically all night," Zipadelli said of the team. "They’re still learning each other; got that damage and killed the grille and that got them behind a little bit there and didn’t realize it on that long, green flag run and lost a lot of spots."
 
Burton’s experience and his demeanor have been a big help as the team has worked its way through these past few weeks, according to Zipadelli.
 
"He’s been so calm and cool, and getting these guys as much good feedback as he can," he said. "You couldn’t ask for a better guy to get in the car.
 
"It’s big shoes to fill, you know? He did a really nice job, he’s done a really classy job the last couple of weeks and that’s what we needed.
 
"This team needed that, somebody that would be there for them and work through these tough times."
 
Stewart missed the final 15 races of the 2013 season after suffering a broken leg while competing in a sprint car race in Iowa. He returned to NASCAR competition in February.

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A stat-based look ahead to the Sprint Cup Series stop at Atlanta

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — With the regular season coming to an end, winless drivers are feeling a strong sense of urgency for a victory – and the spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup that goes with it. Below are the statistics of a number of those drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia going into the Oral-B USA 500 on August 31 (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

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ATLANTA-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
 
Marcos Ambrose (No. 9 STANLEY Ford)
·         One top 10
·         Average finish of 20.3
·         Average Running Position of 20.5, 23rd-best
·         Driver Rating of 68.1, 23rd-best
·         8 Fastest Laps Run, 34th-most
·         739 Green Flag Passes, 19th-most
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 170.119 mph, 23rd-fastest
·         876 Laps in the Top 15 (33.4%), 22nd-most
·         208 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 21st-most
 
Greg Biffle (No. Ortho Fire Ant Killer Ford)
·         Three top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
·         Average finish of 15.9
·         Average Running Position of 13.7, 11th-best
·         Driver Rating of 91.3, 11th-best
·         237 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
·         993 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 170.998 mph, 13th-fastest
·         3,301 Laps in the Top 15 (67.3%), sixth-most
·         518 Quality Passes, sixth-most
  
Clint Bowyer (No. 15 SpeedDigital.com Toyota)
·         Five top 10s
·         Average finish of 19.8
·         Average Running Position of 15.7, 16th-best
·         Driver Rating of 84.8, 15th-best
·         76 Fastest Laps Run, 15th-most
·         865 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 171.054 mph, 11th-fastest
·         2,444 Laps in the Top 15 (57.5%), 15th-most
·         358 Quality Passes, 17th-most
 
Austin Dillon (No. 3 Dow Chevrolet)
·         Average finish of 19.0
·         Average Running Position of 20.6, 24th-best
·         Driver Rating of 67.3, 24th-best
·         1 Fastest Laps Run, 44th-most
·         86 Green Flag Passes, 45th-most
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 169.903 mph, 26th-fastest
·         1 Laps in the Top 15 (.3%), 47th-most
·         1 Quality Passes, 43rd-most
 
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Home Depot Husky Toyota)
·         Eight top fives, 14 top 10s
·         Average finish of 12.7
·         Average Running Position of 12.8, seventh-best
·         Driver Rating of 96.5, fifth-best
·         190 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
·         1,018 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 171.262 mph, sixth-fastest
·         3,415 Laps in the Top 15 (69.7%), fifth-most
·         528 Quality Passes, fourth-most
 
Jamie McMurray (No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet)
·         Four top 10s
·         Average finish of 20.0
·         Average Running Position of 19.2, 22nd-best
·         Driver Rating of 73.7, 22nd-best
·         Series-high 1,145 Green Flag Passes
·         1,965 Laps in the Top 15 (40.1%), 18th-most
·         407 Quality Passes, 15th-most
 
Paul Menard (No. 27 Duracell/Menards Chevrolet)
·         One top five, three top 10s
·         Average finish of 20.7
·         Average Running Position of 23.3, 27th-best
·         Driver Rating of 63.6, 26th-best
·         899 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
·         827 Laps in the Top 15 (21.1%), 24th-most
·         208 Quality Passes, 21st-most
 
Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
·         Two top fives, seven top 10s; seven poles
·         Average finish of 17.7
·         Average Running Position of 18.6, 20th-best
·         Driver Rating of 74.1, 21st-best
·         1,077 Green Flag Passes, third-most
·         1,742 Laps in the Top 15 (35.5%), 19th-most
·         346 Quality Passes, 19th-most
 
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pros Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
·         Three wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole
·         Average finish of 11.7
·         Average Running Position of 11.4, third-best
·         Driver Rating of 100.2, third-best
·         800 Green Flag Passes, 16th-most
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 171.240 mph, seventh-fastest
·         3,231 Laps in the Top 15 (70.6%), seventh-most
·         490 Quality Passes, 10th-most
 
Martin Truex Jr. (No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet)
·         Two top fives, four top 10s; one pole
·         Average finish of 20.3
·         Average Running Position of 11.7, fourth-best
·         Driver Rating of 91.4, 10th-best
·         890 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 171.359 mph, fourth-fastest
·         3,517 Laps in the Top 15 (76.8%), fourth-most
·         559 Quality Passes, second-most
 

Atlanta Motor Speedway Data

Season Race #: 25 of 36 (08-31-14)
Track Size: 1.54-miles
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 24 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 24 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 2,332 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,800 feet
Race Length: 325 laps / 500.5 miles
 
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Atlanta
Jeff Gordon………………………… 105.6
Jimmie Johnson…………………… 104.8
Tony Stewart……………………….. 100.2
Carl Edwards………………………. 100.0
Matt Kenseth………………………… 96.5
Denny Hamlin……………………….. 96.2
Kurt Busch……………………………. 94.5
Kyle Busch…………………………… 94.4
Dale Earnhardt Jr…………………… 93.3
Martin Truex Jr………………………. 91.4
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races (15 total) among active drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
 
Qualifying/Race Data
2013 pole winner:
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford
189.688 mph, 29.227 secs. 08-30-13
 
2013 race winner:
Kyle Busch, Toyota
135.128 mph, (03:42:14), 08-30-13
 
Track qualifying record:
Geoffrey Bodine, Ford
197.478 mph, 28.074 secs. 11-15-97
 
Track race record:
Bobby Labonte, Pontiac
159.904 mph, (03:07:48), 11-16-97
 
 

 

Atlanta Motor Speedway:
History
·     Originally called Atlanta International Raceway, the track was then a 1.5-mile paved speedway.
·     The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta was on July 31, 1960, won by Fireball Roberts from the pole.
·       The track was re-measured to 1.522 miles in the spring of 1970.
·       It was renamed Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1990.
·       The track layout was reversed and the track was re-configured to 1.54 miles between the two races in 1997.
Notebook
·       There have been 106 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the first race there in 1960. Until 2010 there have been two races per year except 1961, which had three. This year marks the third season with only one event.
·     544 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway; 364 in more than one.
·       Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Atlanta with 65. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 40 starts, followed by Joe Nemechek with 37.
·       Fireball Roberts won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Atlanta in 1960 with a speed of 133.870 mph.  
·      47 drivers have Coors Light poles at Atlanta, led by Buddy Baker and Ryan Newman with seven each.  
·       Winning consecutive Coors Light poles has happened eight times at Atlanta, among six drivers.
·      Ryan Newman holds the record for most consecutive poles at Atlanta with six; spring of 2003 through 2005.
·         Youngest Atlanta pole winner: Terry Labonte (03/15/1981 – 24 years, 3 months, 27 days).
·       Oldest Atlanta pole winner: Harry Gant (11/14/1993 – 53 years, 10 months, 4 days).

   ·    43 different NSCS drivers have won at Atlanta Motor Speedway, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt with nine wins. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with five.  
·  11 drivers have posted consecutive wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Marvin Panch (1965 sweep), Bobby Allison (1972 sweep), David Pearson (1973 sweep), Richard Petty (1974 fall, 1975 spring), Cale Yarborough (1980 fall, 1981 spring), Bill Elliott (1985 sweep; 1992 sweep), Dale Earnhardt (1989 fall, 1990 spring; 1995 fall, 1996 spring), Bobby Labonte (1997 fall, 1998 spring), Jeff Gordon (1998 fall, 1999 spring), Carl Edwards (2005 sweep), Jimmie Johnson (2007 sweep)
·      Youngest Atlanta winner: Kyle Busch (03/09/2008 – 22 years, 10 months, 7 days).
·    Oldest Atlanta winner: Morgan Shepherd (03/20/1993 – 51 years, 5 months, 8 days).
·       The Wood Brothers have the most wins at Atlanta in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 12: Cale Yarborough (three), David Pearson (three), Marvin Panch (two), Neil Bonnett (two) A.J. Foyt (one) and Morgan Shepherd (one). Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are tied for the second most wins at Atlanta with 11 each.
·     Nine different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Atlanta; led by Chevrolet with 37 victories; followed by Ford with 29. Toyota has three wins at Atlanta.
·       14 of the 106 (13.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Kasey Kahne in 2006.
·     The fifth starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (15) than any other starting position at Atlanta Motor Speedway; the most recent was Jeff Gordon in 2011.   
·       26 of the 106 (24.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta have been won from the front row: 14 from the pole and 12 from second-place.
·       60 of the 106 (56.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Atlanta have been won from a top-five starting position.
·       84 of the 106 (79.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Atlanta have been won from a top-10 starting position.
·   Seven of the 106 (6.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
·      The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Atlanta is 39th, by Bobby Labonte in the fall of 2001.
·    No driver has swept the weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway across all three NASCAR national series. Two drivers have won in multiple NASCAR national series in the same weekend at Atlanta: Carl Edwards (2005, NSCS/NNS); (fall 2008, NSCS/NNS) and Kyle Busch (spring 2008, NSCS/NCWTS)
·     Dale Earnhardt and David Pearson lead the series in runner-up finishes at Atlanta with seven each; Jeff Gordon leads all active driverswith five.
·     Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top-five finishes at Atlanta with 26; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 16.   

  
   ·         Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Atlanta with 33; Jeff Gordon leads all active driverswith 25.

·         Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Atlanta with a 7.571.
·         Tony Stewart leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at 11.654.
·     Nine of the 10 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Atlanta Motor Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Kevin Harvick won at Atlanta in his first appearance (2001). Carl Edwards won in his second appearance (2005).      
·    Denny Hamlin competed at Atlanta Motor Speedway 12 times before winning in the spring of 2012; the longest span of any the 10 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.
·       Among the 10 active NSCS Atlanta winners Denny Hamlin (12) is the only driver to have made 10 or more attempts before his first win.
·     Joe Nemechek leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Atlanta without visiting Victory Lane at 37; followed by Matt Kenseth with 25.
·      Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway was the March 11, 2001 race won by Kevin Harvick over Jeff Gordon with a MOV of 0.006 second.
·         There have been three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): fall of 2007 (325/329); spring of 2010 (325/341) and fall of 2012 (325/327).
·         Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway five times; most recently the fall of 2010.   
·         One active driver has posted his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Terry Labonte (3/15/1981).
·         Two active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career start at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon (11/15/1992) and Martin Truex Jr. (10/31/2004).
·         Two active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Kevin Harvick (3/11/2001) and Carl Edwards (3/20/2005).
·    Cale Yarborough leads all drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Atlanta with 3,283 laps led in 47 starts. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in laps led at Atlanta with 1,297.    
·       Three female drivers have competed at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie, Shawna Robinson and Danica Patrick.
Driver
Starting Position
Finishing Position
Date
Danica Patrick
21
21
9/1/2013
Danica Patrick
23
29
9/2/2012
Janet Guthrie
19
16
11/6/1977
Janet Guthrie
23
10
3/19/1978
Janet Guthrie
34
30
3/20/1977
Shawna Robinson
31
34
3/10/2002
 
NASCAR in Georgia
·         There have been 165 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races among12 different tracks in Georgia.
Track Name
City
NSCS
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton
106
Augusta International Speedway
Augusta
12
Lakewood Speedway
Atlanta
11
Savannah Speedway
Savannah
10
Middle Georgia Raceway
Macon
9
Central City Speedway
Macon
7
Valdosta 75 Speedway
Valdosta
3
Jeffco Speedway
Jefferson
2
Oglethorpe Speedway
Savannah
2
Augusta International Raceway
Augusta
1
Columbus Speedway
Columbus
1
Hayloft Speedway
Augusta
1
 
·    178 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Georgia; 15 have won at least once in one of NASCAR’s national series.
·     11 of the 178 have posted at least one victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. 
·         Bill Elliott (five wins) is the only Georgia native to have won at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. 
Driver
NSCS
NNS
NCWTS
Bill Elliott
44
1
0
Tim Flock
39
0
0
Jack Smith
21
0
0
Fonty Flock
19
0
0
Bob Flock
4
0
0
Frank Mundy
3
0
0
David Ragan
2
2
0
Gober Sosebee
2
0
0
Harold Kite
1
0
0
Sam McQuagg
1
0
0
Jody Ridley
1
0
0
Reed Sorenson
0
4
0
Chase Elliott
0
3
1
Buckshot Jones
0
2
0
Ronald Cooper
0
1
0
 

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Driver of No. 1 leads race-high 148 laps but can’t get back out front

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BRISTOL, Tenn. — Jamie McMurray has won some of the biggest races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.
 
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver is a former Daytona 500 winner. He has won the Brickyard 400. He’s won the Sprint All-Star Race. He’s also won the fall race at Charlotte (twice), the summer race at Daytona and has a pair of wins at Talladega.

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He has not won the night race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Saturday night, he came close.
 
"It’s tough because I’ve gotten to win all the big races so far and this is the one race that’s on my bucket list," McMurray said after leading 148 laps before finishing eighth.
 
"If I could win one more race in my career, the night race at Bristol is it."
 
McMurray, 38, was able to hold off the advances of Matt Kenseth (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Joey Logano (Team Penske) for much of the second half of the 500-lap event. He put four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon a lap down with less than 150 laps remaining.
 
"Dude, that 1 is the leader?" Gordon asked crew chief Alan Gustafson over the radio. "… He’s just flying on the bottom (of the track)."
 
McMurray was still leading at Lap 432 when the caution appeared for debris. Because four teams stayed out under the yellow flag, McMurray, who pitted, restarted fifth. He was unable to work his way back to the front in the closing laps.
 
"It really didn’t have anything to do with the pit call as much as my car just got really tight the last 100 laps and I was really hanging on for 40 of those laps just staying ahead of Matt and Joey," McMurray said. "It seemed like I could get through lapped traffic a little bit better. But as the top rubbered in the last time I just couldn’t rotate the middle like I could early in the race."
 
McMurray jumped three spots in the points standings, to 16th, with the finish. A win would go a long way to securing a bid in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, which will consist of 16 teams.
 
"Getting to make the Chase, you just want to go run well every week," he said. "It’s pretty awesome to lead all those laps tonight and have that good of a car."
 
Much of the credit, he said, goes to crew chief Keith Rodden, the former engineer who took over the helm of the No. 1 team this season. Even if Rodden has a tendency to make wholesale changes the night before a race.
 
"We talked last night in the motorhome lot and we changed everything on our car," McMurray said. "I laughed because I’m not real sure why we practice, because on Saturday night he tends to change a lot of stuff. He does an amazing job to come up with a really nice setup.
 
"That was definitely the best car I’ve had all year long. It’s just about putting the race together all at the right time. And we had the best car, I felt like for the first three quarters of the race."

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Several drivers still looking for ticket to the Chase lost on late-lap gamble

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BRISTOL, Tenn. — Two ends of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series spectrum were on the same strategy late in Saturday’s Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
 
On one side, there was two-win Carl Edwards staying out following a Lap 432 caution flag that sent nearly all of the leaders down pit road.

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The other faction consisted of winless drivers Matt Kenseth, Kyle Larson and Paul Menard, who all came to the same conclusion — that the opportunity to restart up front and have a real shot at a win was more valuable than getting fresh tires or making adjustments.
 
So it was those four, with Kenseth in the lead on the outside lane, that led the field to green on Lap 434 and set the stage for a dramatic conclusion on a dramatic night in which Joey Logano eventually caught Kenseth as the others slipped back.
 
"It was a discussion," Kenseth said of the dialogue with crew chief Jason Ratcliff about the late call. "We were still talking about it all the way to the cone. Jason told me to pit, and I decided at the last second to stay out. We were looking over some stats this morning and talking and I wasn’t sure with the way (Ratcliff) said it … I just felt like he was wanting a little input from me, so I just stayed out."
 
Kenseth had the backing of his crew chief as well. He radioed that he didn’t think the No. 20 team stood a chance to pick up its first win of the season by staying out.
 
"I’m all in, brother," Ratcliff replied.
 
Kenseth’s third-place finish matched his best showing of the year on a night where all three Joe Gibbs Racing cars looked strong, but only the No. 20 was running at the end.
 
As for the other winless drivers, Menard and Larson needed a victory for more tangible reasons. They both entered Bristol outside of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field and were — and remain — in win-or-else mode.
 
Coming off a 43rd-place finish at Michigan last week, Larson started at the back after wrecking in qualifying and had to drive through the field. He scraped the wall a couple of times, avoided a separate wreck and was running in the top five with a chance at the checkered flag with 50 laps to go.
 
"That is the hardest that I’ve ever raced," Larson said after the 500-lap event. "I made our whole team have to work really hard with wrecking in qualifying. I had a few run-ins today and … I guess I’m happy with 12th. That is probably about as good as we were."

Between Larson and Menard, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender is in the best position to seriously challenge for a postseason spot.
 
He’s 26 points behind Greg Biffle, currently the 16th seed in the Chase Grid, with two regular-season races remaining. It’s a tall order to make up, but Larson’s strategy for the final two races basically takes points out of the equation — it’s win or nothing.
 
That’s exactly why he stayed out late at Bristol, and it’s a mindset that will manifest itself next week at Atlanta as well.
 
"I think 26 behind Biffle is a long way to go for two races. Hope for some bad luck for him," Larson said. "But we need to go out there and get a win, like we tried to do tonight."

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All 16 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers to be featured

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR® announced today that NASCAR After The Lap sponsored by Ford, Coca-Cola, and Sprint will return to Las Vegas for its sixth-consecutive year. Since its debut in 2009, NASCAR After The Lap has earned the reputation with fans as the must-see event during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week™. This year’s show returns to the Pearl Palms Concert Theater inside the Palms Casino Hotel on Thursday, December 4 at 5 p.m. PT.

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The expanded field of challengers competing in the new format of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup means attendees will be treated to more drivers than ever before. All 16 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contenders will be in attendance. ESPN’s Marty Smith will return as the show’s host and will again facilitate a spirited and unpredictable dialogue.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the iconic Ford Mustang, fans entering the NASCAR After The Lap sweepstakes will have the opportunity to win a 2015 Ford Mustang GT. NASCAR fans can enter for a chance to win by visiting www.NASCARafterthelap.com through November 16. Additionally, two winners will receive an all-inclusive VIP trip for two to NASCAR After The Lap, including roundtrip airfare, hotel, ground transportation and VIP event access.

"Over the last six years as event sponsor, Ford has shared some incredible moments with our NASCAR drivers," said Tim Duerr, motorsports marketing manager for Ford Racing. "The NASCAR After The Lap sweepstakes remains to be an effective way to engage NASCAR fans, giving them a chance to not only win a trip to Las Vegas but an opportunity to leave with a brand-new 2015 Ford Mustang GT."

During the last three weeks of the sweepstakes – fans entering will have an opportunity to become an instant winner. Ford, Coca-Cola, and Sprint will offer up to five pairs of race tickets to attend the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"For the sixth consecutive season, Coca-Cola is proud to partner with NASCAR on this annual celebration of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season," said Ben Reiling, director of motorsports for Coca-Cola North America Group. "The new Chase format promises to deliver an exhilarating finish to the season and we anticipate the momentum will carry over to this year’s show, producing even more unforgettable moments for our drivers and fans."

Coca-Cola would also like to invite fans to "Open Happiness" for children in need when tickets for the event go on sale September 15. Tickets are priced at $20 each and all proceeds will benefit The NASCAR Foundation™, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that raises funds to support children’s charities and important causes throughout the nation. Fans can visit www.NASCARafterthelap.com to purchase tickets. For fans unable to attend NASCAR After The Lap, NASCAR.com will offer a live stream of the event.

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Collaboration launches 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR today will unveil the biggest, most engaging marketing campaign in the history of the sport to promote the all new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™. At the heart of the effort is a collaboration with ESPN that features five original television spots, an educational video, and an extensive social media push that will rally fans, teams, tracks, and partners around The Chase® like never before.

The national marketing initiative will underscore the drama and excitement of NASCAR’s premier series’ new 10-race playoff format unveiled earlier this year.

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"We made a bold decision at the beginning of the season to make our Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup all about winning," said Brent Dewar, NASCAR chief operating officer. "Now that we’re just weeks away from the start of The Chase, NASCAR, working closely with ESPN, is going to market with a creative platform that is just as innovative and reflective of how important this moment is for our sport."

The creative team tapped the star power of some of the sport’s most compelling drivers and was inspired by their respective legions of loyal fans. The most integrated marketing effort the sanctioning body has ever put forth highlights the passion, language and motifs of competition — establishing drivers, automotive manufacturers and their corresponding teams as unique "nations," with the fans as their loyal followers.

The fully integrated collaboration between NASCAR and ESPN is the first of its kind with a broadcast partner for the sanctioning body. Working with one agency, Ogilvy & Mather New York, NASCAR and ESPN achieve a singular vision and narrative that will extend from the track to the race broadcast.

"The campaign celebrates this bold and transformational moment in NASCAR’s history, taking fans along for the ride and accentuating the drama and intensity of the new elimination format as each round unfolds." said Scott Parker, vice president of marketing at ESPN.

The first creative element to be released was an online video titled "Spreading the Word," which NASCAR drivers Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch shared across social media on Aug. 18. The two-minute video educates fans about the new Chase format, introduces The Chase Grid and begins to call together the drivers’ nations.

Today, the first of five spots will be released, which follows the teams, drivers and fans from every corner of NASCAR as they gear up for The Chase. Subsequent 30-second spots will be released for each round of The Chase. The spots, which will air throughout NASCAR’s postseason on ESPN and ABC, include the voices of Marty Smith, Allen Bestwick, Nicole Briscoe, Ryen Russillo, Jamie Little, Barney Hall, Scott Van Pelt, Mike Greenberg, Brad Daugherty and Rusty Wallace. The Chase kicks off at Chicagoland Speedway on Sept. 14 (2 p.m. ET on ESPN).

Fans, drivers, teams and sponsors are invited to pledge their allegiance to their favorite Chase drivers by sharing content on social media using the hashtag #MyChaseNation. Lucky fan winners will be picked to have their Twitter handle featured on their favorite driver’s car at select races during The Chase.

Additionally, The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup marketing will include at-track signage as well as print and digital promotional assets that will allow tracks, team sponsors and NASCAR Official Partners to extend the campaign theme. Tying the concept together are unique flags that represent each Chase driver and their nation. The flags will be woven into the various campaign elements, including digital banners and fan memorabilia, among others, and will serve to rally fans and inspire spirited rivalry.

In January, NASCAR announced that The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will be expanded for 2014 and beyond to include 16 drivers, and divided into four rounds — the Challenger Round, Contender Round, Eliminator Round and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. A race win in the first three rounds automatically qualifies a driver for the next round.

NASCAR will crown its 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion at the Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 16 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN). The top finisher among the four remaining Chase drivers will win the championship.

To view the education video "Spreading the Word," click here

To view the first television spot "Hype," click here.

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Holds off Penske teammate Keselowski for first-ever win at heralded track

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BRISTOL, Tenn. — Joey Logano believes he has the car, and Team Penske believes they have the team, to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
 
Logano took the lead from Matt Kenseth with 44 laps remaining and scooted to his third Sprint Cup victory of the season in Saturday’s IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
 
"We can win the championship. We’ve showed it at every kind of race track. We’ve just got to keep doing it," said Logano, 24, who held off his Penske teammate Brad Keselowski in the final laps.
 
"What a year we’re having. I’m having so much fun. The past six or seven races have been unbelievable."

Logano has finished no worse than sixth in any of the last five races, but took special pride in winning at the track known as "The World’s Fastest Half-Mile."
 
"It’s just the baddest mama jama race track ever built," said Logano, who just two years ago was struggling with a loss of confidence at Joe Gibbs Racing.
 
"At that point, I would never think I’d have a year like this," he said. "That’s why the mental side of this is just as important as the physical side. But I’m happy I went through all that. It’s made me what I am now and made me aware of how I have to be, mentally, to win these things."
 
It was a big weekend for both Penske and Ford Racing, with Keselowski winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event in a truck he owns, Ryan Blaney winning for Penske in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race and Logano and Keselowski finishing 1-2 in the main event.
 
"I think we’re legitimate threats to win a championship this year and I’m proud of that," said Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup champion and the ‘old man’ of the group at 30. "To have all three drivers win races, I think that’s a testament to how bright the future is. I think the results speak for themselves. We’ve just got to keep rolling."
 
This weekend also brought the first Ford Racing sweep of a NASCAR weekend series since 2006, when Mark Martin won in Truck and Matt Kenseth won both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at Bristol. Ford’s nine Sprint Cup victories this season are its most since 2008, when the manufacturer won 11 times.
 
Like Logano, Keselowski has three victories this season. The difference between the two drivers on Saturday was minimal.
 
"I think our two cars were really, really equal," Keselowski said. "Whoever got out front and got the clean air first was going to win the race and Joey was able to do that.
 
"The last lap I just dive-bombed it in there on a prayer, kind of hoping it would stick or he would slip or something would happen for me. It made it look cool but it really wasn’t that close."
 
Team Penske Executive Vice President Walt Czarnecki couldn’t be happier with the way things are working out with his team in its second year with Ford.
 
“When Joey came on board, we told him, ‘There’s no No. 1; there’s no No. 2. Everybody’s equal.’ We all contribute, we all have the same access to information, the same access to resources. I think it’s really been demonstrated in the performance of the team this year with six wins."
 
Saturday,  Logano had fresher tires than Kenseth, who elected not to pit under caution when he took the lead from Jamie McMurray during the race’s ninth caution on Lap 433 of 500.
 
McMurray, who led a race-high 148 laps, said his car "got really tight" in the final 100 laps and settled for eighth place. "As the track rubbered up, it just didn’t suit our car as much as it did the other guys’," he said.
 
McMurray remains one of a handful of drivers who now need a victory at either Atlanta or Richmond to have any realistic chance of making the Chase.
 
Clint Bowyer (17th) and Greg Biffle (10th) remained on the positive side of the points bubble for non-winners. Kyle Larson (12th) trails Biffle by 26 points, and Kasey Kahne is 33 points behind Biffle for the 16th and final Chase spot.
 
Kahne Led 40 laps but suffered recurring issues with his right front wheel and finished 35th on Saturday. Denny Hamlin, who ended up 40th, was as upset as Kahne was disappointed.
 
Hamlin was leading the race when Kevin Harvick sent him spinning on Lap 162. Dale Earnhardt Jr. side-swiped Hamlin on the way by, putting both Hamlin and Earnhardt (39th) behind the wall and ending promising runs.

"It was a misjudgment. He knows better. He made a mistake," said Hamlin, who fired a piece of his HANS device off the rear end of Harvick’s car as the new leader circled the track. "He thinks he knows everything. I just wish I had some kind of car left to show him the favor back."
 
Harvick led the first 37 laps from the pole but finished 11th. Jeff Gordon, shooting for a third consecutive victory, finished 16th while his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson overcame a pair of early-race speeding penalties to finish fourth.

 

The Sprint Cup Series regular season has just two more races, including the Oral-B USA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway next Sunday (Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN).

 

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Moments that changed the course of the 24th race of the 2014 season

PENSKE 1-2 FINISH AS TEAM SWEEPS WEEKEND

Joey Logano took the lead from Matt Kenseth with 44 laps remaining and scooted to his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory of the season in Saturday’s IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
 
Logano had fresher tires than Kenseth, who elected not to pit under caution in taking the lead from Jamie McMurray during the race’s ninth caution which came out on Lap 433 of 500.
 
Logano’s Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski finished second despite a last-lap bid to pass Logano on the inside. Penske won Friday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race with Ryan Blaney, and Keselowski earned a victory in Thursday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event for a weekend sweep at Bristol.

UPS

HAMLIN SPUN OUT OF LEAD, COLLECTS DALE JR.

Denny Hamlin has no problem being wrecked for the lead on the last lap at Bristol Motor Speedway. When the race is 100 laps away from even reaching the halfway point? He has a problem.

That was the case Saturday in the Irwin Tools Night Race, when Kevin Harvick turned Hamlin on the frontstretch during Lap 161, sending Hamlin’s race-leading No. 11 Toyota spinning up high into Turn 1 in a wreck that also collected Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Hamlin went from first place to out of the race for good, the anger boiling in his mind before manifesting itself in the form of a toss of his HANS device toward Harvick’s No. 4 Chevrolet.
 
"I’m trying to think of when I’ve been this mad in the past. Maybe never," Hamlin said after being checked and cleared from the infield care center. "I wish I had some kind of car left so I could show him the favor back. He’s a good driver. He knows better.
 
"Mistakes happen in racing. Obviously, I believe Kevin made a mistake."

ALMIROLA WRECKED AFTER CHAIN REACTION
Aric Almirola, who started at the rear of the field in a backup car and improved 21 spots, got spun out on the 126th lap of the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway after being collected in a wreck.

Brian Vickers got into the back of Kyle Larson, causing a chain reaction that also did damage to the cars of Kyle Busch, Larson and Clint Bowyer.

"I’m OK, just disappointed," Almirola said. "What an amazing race car these guys brought me — two of them — and to go out like that is certainly disappointing, but that’s racing at Bristol — you get caught up in other peoples’ wrecks."