Ernie Cope to be Chase Elliott's crew chief in 2015

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Staff Report

Current pit boss Greg Ives moving to Sprint Cup with Dale Jr.

Chase Elliott‘s crew chief vacancy for the 2015 Nationwide Series season was filled on Monday.

JR Motorsports announced that veteran crew chief Ernie Cope will serve as the crew chief for the No. 9 team next season. Elliott’s current crew chief, Greg Ives, is making the move to the Sprint Cup Series to serve as Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s crew chief for the No. 88 team of Hendrick Motorsports next season as Steve Letarte heads to the broadcast booth with NBC.

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"It became clear rather quickly that the best option for Chase and the NAPA team next year is already in this building," JRM general manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller said in a release. "Ernie builds fast cars, has a good rapport with Chase, and is familiar with the inner-workings of our company. Hopefully that will create a seamless transition at the end of the year, and the No. 9 team will continue its championship form right into 2015."

Cope has been the crew chief for JRM’s third, part-time car this season, which has usually been the No. 5 car. He has three wins this season atop the pit box, two coming with Kevin Harvick and one with Kasey Kahne.

"Kevin and I have enjoyed a lot of success, and we’re not done yet," Cope said in a release. "There is a lot of racing left this year, but in putting the pieces together for 2015, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to compete the full race schedule."

Cope later added: "Chase Elliott is an extremely talented race car driver."

Cope and Elliott were paired together at Road America when Ives had to miss the race due to the birth of his third child. Elliott finished fourth.

A crew chief for the No. 5 team in 2015 has not yet been determined, according to the release.

In his rookie season, Elliott has nabbed three wins and currently leads the Nationwide Series point standings.

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Posted on August 18, 2014 by Staff Report

Two of his five career Sprint Cup wins at Thunder Valley came in 2009

Kyle Busch is the last driver to have completed a sweep of the Sprint Cup Series events at Bristol Motor Speedway. He did so in 2009, leading 446 of a possible 1,003 laps en route to the sweep. Busch is not the only driver to sweep both Sprint Cup events at Thunder Valley. Others that have done so: Fred Lorenzen (1964), David Pearson (1968), Bobby Allison (1972), Cale Yarborough (1974, 1976, 1977), Richard Petty (1975), Darrell Waltrip (1981, 1982, 1983), Dale Earnhardt (1985, 1987), Rusty Wallace (2000) and Kurt Busch (2003).

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Staff Report

See who will be in the field at Bristol on Wednesday

Entry	#	Driver	Owner	Crew chief	Manufacturer	Sponsor
1	00	Cole Custer	Gene Haas	Joe Shear	14 Chevrolet	Haas Automation
2	0	Ryan Ellis(i)	Kenneth Grimes	Michael Stewart	14 Chevrolet	Grimes Irrigation & Construction
3	101	Jake Crum	Sabrina Crum	TBA	13 Chevrolet	My Freedom Smokes
4	02	Tyler Young	Randy Young	Bryan Berry	14 Chevrolet	AKL Insurance Group/Randco/Young’s Building Systems
5	103	Michael Affarano	Michael Affarano	David McClure	13 Chevrolet	Won-N-Done
6	05	John Wes Townley	Tony Townley	Mike Beam	14 Toyota	Zaxby’s
7	6	Norm Benning	Norm Benning	Kevin Dargie	14 Chevrolet	TBA
8	07	B J McLeod	Ken Smith	Doug Weddle	13 Chevrolet	TBA
9	08	Jimmy Weller	Bobby Dotter	Jason Miller	13 Chevrolet	TBA
10	8	John Hunter Nemechek	Sidney Mauldin	Jerry Babb	14 Toyota	Smoke-N-Sear/SWM
11	9	Brennan Newberry	Joe Denette	Ryan McKinney	14 Chevrolet	Qore-24
12	10	Jennifer Jo Cobb	Jennifer Jo Cobb	Steve Kuykendall	12 RAM	Driven2Honor.org
13	13	Jeb Burton	Duke Thorson	Jeriod Prince	14 Toyota	Estes-Carolina Nut Company
14	17	Timothy Peters	Tom Deloach	Marcus Richmond II	14 Toyota	Red Horse Racing
15	19	Brad Keselowski(i)	Brad Keselowski	Doug Randolph	14 Ford	DrawTite
16	20	Gray Gaulding	Bob Newberry	Jeff Hensley	14 Chevrolet	Gemini Southern/Krispy Kreme
17	21	Joey Coulter	Maurice Gallagher Jr	Jeff Stankiewicz	14 Chevrolet	Allegiant Travel
18	23	Max Gresham	Maurice Gallagher Jr	Ryan London	14 Chevrolet	AmWins Group, Inc.
19	125	Justin Boston	William Venturini Sr	Billy Venturini	14 Toyota	ZLOOP
20	28	Bryan Dauzat	Jim Rosenblum	Bob Rahilly	14 Chevrolet	FDNY Racing
21	29	Ryan Blaney	Brad Keselowski	Chad Kendrick	14 Ford	Cooper Standard
22	30	Ron Hornaday Jr	Steve Turner	Doug George	14 Chevrolet	Rheem
23	31	Ben Kennedy	Steve Turner	Michael Shelton	14 Chevrolet	TBD
24	32	Ben Rhodes	Harry Scott Jr	Mike Hillman Jr	14 Chevrolet	Alpha Energy Solutions
25	133	Brandon Jones	Steve Turner	Shane Huffman	14 Chevrolet	Wolf Pack Rentals
26	35	Mason Mingus	Kevin Cywinski	Greg Tester	14 Toyota	811 Call Before You Dig
27	136	Blake Koch(i)	Beverly Mittler	Michael Mittler	13 RAM	Mitler Bros. Machine & Tool
28	50	T J Bell	Mark Beaver	Ken Evans	13 Chevrolet	Dedicated to Electrical Linemen
29	51	Kyle Busch(i)	Kyle Busch	Eric Phillips	14 Toyota	Dollar General
30	54	Darrell Wallace Jr	Kyle Busch	Jerry Baxter	14 Toyota	ToyotaCare
31	63	Justin Jennings	Michael Mittler	Michael Mittler	14 Chevrolet	Mittler Bros, LG Seeds, SK Soda
32	175	Caleb Holman	Charles Henderson	Darrell Holman	14 Chevrolet	Food Country USA-Gain Flings-Lopez Wealth Mgmt.
33	77	German Quiroga	Tom Deloach	Butch Hylton	14 Toyota	NET10 Wireless
34	180	Jody Knowles	Tracy Wallace	Wayne Hansard	09 Ford	Clayton Signs, Inc.
35	88	Matt Crafton	Rhonda Thorson	Carl Joiner	14 Toyota	Great Lakes Flooring/Menards
36	92	Corey Lajoie	Ricky Benton	Michael Hester	14 Ford	BTS Tire/ Goodyear Fleet HQ/ Wynns
37	98	Johnny Sauter	Mike Curb	Dennis Connor	14 Toyota	Nextant/Curb
38	99	Bryan Silas	Chris Baluch	Cal Boprey	14 Chevrolet	TBA

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Posted on August 18, 2014 by Zack Albert

Stefanyshyn: ‘We’re testing quite a wide gamut here’

BROOKLYN, Mich. — The path toward an even more competitive brand of racing in NASCAR’s top series took its first steps Monday at Michigan International Speedway as a select group of teams tested potential options for the 2015 rules package.

Six configurations were scheduled Monday at the 2-mile track with NASCAR and teams gathering data for potential new rear differential gear changes, aerodynamic enhancements, horsepower optimization and a driver-adjustable track bar. The teams were also scheduled to make runs in a low-downforce package with Goodyear tires featuring a compound with more grip.

The possible setup changes were explored in a variety of track conditions, including simulated races with single- and double-file starts, solo runs and traditional practice sessions. Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development, said that the emphasis of the single-day test was on the intermediate-sized tracks that dominate the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.

"We’re testing quite a wide gamut here," Stefanyshyn said. "We’re looking for basically a fan-centric type of direction. Fans have said they like a lot of passing, they like a lot of side-by-side, they like a lot of lead changes, and so that’s what we’re endeavoring to do."

Michigan was chosen as the site of Monday’s test for a handful of reasons, Stefanyshyn said. Teams have expressed a desire to have a rules package in place by early September, so the timing of Monday’s test fits that window; making the test a part of an extended race weekend helps with cost and efficiency; and NASCAR opted to visit a track that’s not used in the remainder of the 2014 Sprint Cup schedule to avoid giving the 10 teams at the test a competitive advantage.

Among the early changes that would be most noticeable to fans were the use of dive planes, fin-like blades in front of the cars’ front fenders. The aerodynamic device is often seen in other forms of motor sports — such as touring cars and sports cars, including in IMSA’s TUDOR United SportsCar Championship — and could potentially help trailing cars in disturbed (or "dirty") air remain more competitive.

"Essentially with dive planes, it’s a tool if we talk about the lead car, the lead car creates a wake that the trail car has to drive into, so what the dive planes do — particularly in the low area — they take this wake and really clean it up so that the trail car has a much more predictable balance in the car. …. So it’s really a way to put more predictability into the trail car so he can stay closer."

The middle part of the day was devoted to engine optimization, testing out three different power levels — the current 850 horsepower, then testing in steps down to 800 and 750. Stefanyshyn said the power drops would be emulated Monday through the use of restrictor plates, but that a more formal solution would be in place for 2015 if the change is adopted.

A possible decrease in horsepower could combine with a potential rules package that would add aerodynamic drag to the car, which would lower top-end speed at a venue like Michigan, where Jeff Gordon registered a staggeringly fast lap of 206.558 mph — the seventh-fastest qualifying lap in series history — in winning the Coors Light Pole Award on Friday. Stefanyshyn said series officials didn’t have a target speed in mind for the new rules, but that any intent would be to promote better racing.

"There’s no denying the fact that our speeds have picked up and that marches hand in hand with the power as it’s developed over the years, and so we look at the cars essentially in our form, race cars that look like passenger cars, right?" he said. "They’ve somewhat changed in shape, they somewhat mirror what the manufacturers are doing, and the power has crept up. So we think by looking at this issue and being open-minded to investigate it, we believe we’ll make the racing better, but we’ll also deal with this speed issue which has been continuing to creep up and up."

The latter part of the day was scheduled to explore the option of giving drivers the ability to adjust their car mid-race, thereby altering the car’s handling characteristics. Such a change would break ground for NASCAR, which has historically not adopted the in-car driver aids used in other forms of motorsports.

"We’ve been somewhat hesitant to throw all kinds of adjustability on the car. We like kind of the pure, historic form of our racing, so we march very cautiously here, careful as we do these things," Stefanyshyn said. "Our thinking is we allow them to change things in the pits, so now we’re going to investigate whether giving that control to the driver so that he can bring his car into better trim if he’s not set up right. … There’s a technical piece of it, but then there’s the human piece of it in the drivers and how well they feel comfortable with it and that type of thing. This is something that we need to ask them for their opinions on that."

Gordon, who backed up his blazing speed with his third victory of the season in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400, said before the race that the opportunity to make in-race adjustments from the cockpit was an enticing one.

"I think it’s sort of a reaction to the change we have," Gordon said. "We have so much of a change in traffic behind other cars. The balance changes so much that we’re trying to figure out how we can adjust that balance when we get behind cars and then to help passing and make the races more exciting and more competitive than they already are. And that’s a step toward that. So, that would be great. I’d love to know how much adjustment you’re going to get.

"I always go back to adjustments that I used to have in open-wheel cars and I used to dial myself right out of being competitive," Gordon added with a laugh. "So, I want to make sure they don’t allow me to have too much adjustment or if they do, I’m going to make sure the team tells me how far I can go with it."

A handful of teams had issues early on. Matt Kenseth missed a shift, leading to engine failure in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota, Danica Patrick brushed the wall with her Stewart-Haas Racing No. 10 Chevrolet, and Jamie McMurray was briefly in and out of the garage with a mechanical issue on the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 1 Chevy.

Patrick said her early test runs with different rear gearing and aero alterations didn’t produce dramatic changes, with only slightly slower speeds and improved drivability with a higher-downforce package. She said she was eager to sample more of the potential enhancements in traffic before the day’s end.

"There are two ends of the spectrum that work — speedway style, flat-out, and easy to drive — but I don’t think it’s fair to have all the racing like that," Patrick said. "It’s entertaining at speedways, but we need tracks that are dedicated to getting the car really fast. Tracks like Atlanta, Homestead where you slide around a lot, it makes for passing, too. I think we need to figure out how to make the cars transition from beginning to end of run. That creates passing."

The full list of drivers and teams involved in the test:

— Aric Almirola (Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford)
— Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota)
— Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet)
— Matt Kenseth (Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota)
— Brad Keselowski (Team Penske No. 2 Ford)
— Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates No. 1 Chevrolet)
— Paul Menard (Richard Childress Racing No. 27 Chevrolet)
— Danica Patrick (Stewart-Haas Racing No. 10 Chevrolet)
— Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Roush Fenway Racing No. 17 Ford)
— Brian Vickers (Michael Waltrip Racing No. 66 Toyota)

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Brad Norman

SHR driver has had two runner-up finishes, four top-10s in past four races

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Throughout the first half of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Kevin Harvick‘s No. 4 team was defined by having some of the fastest cars every week — and also some of the most inconsistent performances on pit road.

Whether it was a loose wheel that ruined his Coca-Cola 600 chances, a miscommunication on fuel at Sonoma or stops that dragged and dragged for a variety of reasons, Harvick’s stretch of bad luck on the track was equaled only by his perils on pit road.

The recent month-long stretch since the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returned from its off week, though, has seen Harvick in the same super-fast cars — but without the issues that had so plagued this team throughout the first 19 races.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

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The team’s improvement was on display again Sunday in the Pure Michigan 400, where Harvick ran up front the entire day and logged his fifth second-place finish of the season. It was also his fourth consecutive runner-up at Michigan International Speedway, which ties a Sprint Cup Series record at a track (Dale Jarrett also did it at Rockingham in 1996 and 1997).

"For us, we’ve had some moments where we’ve been kind of sporadic, inconsistent, fast one week, fast the next week, make mistakes, have something go wrong," Harvick said in the media center. "The pit crew, they’ve done a good job in stepping up, and had a great month. Right now it’s kind of like we get to start over. We’ve been able to fix a lot of things."

Fixing a lot of things isn’t just about Harvick’s pit crew, either. It also deals with the driver himself.

Throughout the hard times to start the season — and times were indeed hard despite two wins in the first eight races — Harvick had, on occasion, vociferously voiced his frustrations over the radio as crew chief Rodney Childers patiently played the role of the foil on those occasional outbursts.

The radio the past four weeks has been relatively quiet. Even when Harvick had to pit early at Watkins Glen for a crew member to remove two weighted bean bags that were inadvertently left in the car, he didn’t blow up.

"I think I’ve tried to do a better job at handling situations," Harvick said. "I think we’ve all worked together a little bit longer, and going back to these tracks for a second time, know what we want in our cars. There’s just a lot of things that are different as we came back from the break. We were able to have a lot of discussions, set some goals. It’s hard to set goals when everything is brand new. … (So) it’s been a little bit different for all of us to have fast cars every week and feel you’re in contention to win just about every race.

"It took myself and Rodney a little while to get used to that, how to handle it, whether it be from tech inspection, the criticism, whatever it may be — it’s just been different. We just have a better handle on everything."

In the four events since the Sprint Cup Series returned to the track, Harvick has two runner-up finishes and four total top-10s. He’s started every event inside the top 10 as well.

With three regular-season races remaining before the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field is set, it’s the type of measured consistency — sprinkled with bursts of dominance — that the No. 4 both needs and expects for NASCAR’s 10-race postseason.

"The main focus for our team has been consistency heading into the Chase," Harvick said. "When you have a solid day, finish it off. Those are the things we’ve been able to do.

"Obviously you want to win, but all in all we had some different goals that are as important leading into the Chase. It’s just about having all your ducks in a row when we get to Chicago (for the Chase opener). When something goes wrong, they’re not going to let you start over."

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Posted on August 18, 2014 by

A statistical look ahead to the night race at Bristol

Statistical Advance: Analyzing the IRWIN Tools Night Race

2014 Chase Grid Outlook

Pos.

Drivers

Wins

Points

Chase Bonus Pts

1

Jeff Gordon

3

816

9

2

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

3

813

9

3

Brad Keselowski

3

733

9

4

Jimmie Johnson

3

686

9

5

Joey Logano

2

714

6

6

Kevin Harvick

2

687

6

7

Carl Edwards

2

679

6

8

Kyle Busch

1

620

3

9

Denny Hamlin

1

589

3

10

Aric Almirola

1

556

3

11

AJ Allmendinger

1

556

3

12

Kurt Busch

1

543

3

13

Matt Kenseth

0

709

0

14

Ryan Newman

0

679

0

15

Clint Bowyer

0

672

0

16

Greg Biffle

0

660

0

Outside Looking In

17

Kasey Kahne

0

651

0

18

Austin Dillon

0

638

0

19

Kyle Larson

0

636

0

20

Marcos Ambrose

0

616

0

21

Paul Menard

0

614

0

22

Brian Vickers

0

598

0

23

Jamie McMurray

0

596

0

24

Casey Mears

0

543

0

25

Tony Stewart

0

537

0

26

Martin Truex Jr.

0

516

0

27

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

0

476

0

28

Danica Patrick

0

445

0

29

Justin Allgaier

0

400

0

30

Michael Annett

0

364

0

Green = Locked into the Chase, provided they attempt to qualify for the remaining four races

Orange = No wins, Inside the current Chase Grid’s top 16 – Currently in the Chase, not locked in

Red = Inside the current top 30 in points, outside of the Chase cutoff

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 18, 2014) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee going into the IRWIN Tools Night Race on August 23 (7:30 p.m. ET on ABC).

BRISTOL-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Greg Biffle (No. 16 Hire Our Heroes Ford)

· Six top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 12.0

· Average Running Position of 13.1, sixth-best

· Driver Rating of 93.7, sixth-best

· 325 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 115.319 mph, seventh-fastest

· 6,652 Laps in the Top 15 (69.9%), third-most

· 497 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), seventh-most

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

· Five wins, seven top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 14.8

· Average Running Position of 14.4, 10th-best

· Driver Rating of 90.7, eighth-best

· 356 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

· 903 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 115.286 mph, eighth-fastest

· 5,859 Laps in the Top 15 (61.6%), ninth-most

· 509 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Doublemint Toyota)

· Five wins, eight top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 10.9

· Average Running Position of 13.0, fifth-best

· Driver Rating of 101.7, third-best

· Series-high 598 Fastest Laps Run

· 848 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 115.413 mph, fourth-fastest

· 6,278 Laps in the Top 15 (66.0%), fifth-most

· 491 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fastenal Ford)

· Three wins, five top fives, eight top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 15.2

· Average Running Position of 14.7, 12th-best

· Driver Rating of 89.3, 11th-best

· 397 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 115.198 mph, 11th-fastest

· 6,024 Laps in the Top 15 (63.3%), seventh-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet)

· Five wins, 16 top fives, 24 top 10s; five poles

· Average finish of 12.2

· Average Running Position of 9.8, second-best

· Driver Rating of 100.6, fourth-best

· 419 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

· 846 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 115.469 mph, third-fastest

· Series-high 7,730 Laps in the Top 15 (81.2%)

· 596 Quality Passes, second-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)

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

· Average finish of 15.5

· Average Running Position of 14.5, 11th-best

· Driver Rating of 90.7, ninth-best

· 387 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

· 893 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 115.250 mph, 10th-fastest

· 5,192 Laps in the Top 15 (61.0%), 12th-most

· 429 Quality Passes, 12th-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet)

· One win, nine top fives, 12 top 10s

· Average finish of 14.3

· Average Running Position of 13.3, seventh-best

· Driver Rating of 90.3, 10th-best

· 327 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most

· 964 Green Flag Passes, third-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 115.390 mph, fifth-fastest

· 5,943 Laps in the Top 15 (62.5%), eighth-most

· 463 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

· One win, seven top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 15.4

· Average Running Position of 13.7, eighth-best

· Driver Rating of 91.2, seventh-best

· 496 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

· 6,361 Laps in the Top 15 (66.8%), fourth-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet)

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

· Average finish of 17.0

· Driver Rating of 88.9, 12th-best

· 424 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

· 944 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 115.175 mph, 12th-fastest

· 5,245 Laps in the Top 15 (55.1%), 11th-most

· 521 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)

· Three wins, 11 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 12.5

· Average Running Position of 10.4, third-best

· Driver Rating of 102.7, second-best

· 508 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 115.505 mph, second-fastest

· 7,689 Laps in the Top 15 (80.8%), second-most

· Series-high 602 Quality Passes

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Wurth Ford)

· Two wins, three top fives, three top 10s

· Average finish of 14.3

· Average Running Position of 12.6, fourth-best

· Driver Rating of 95.9, fifth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 115.331 mph, sixth-fastest

Kyle Larson (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)

· One top 10

· Average finish of 10.0

· Series-best Average Running Position of 7.5

· Series-best Driver Rating of 104.5

· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 116.048 mph

Bristol Motor Speedway Data

Season Race #: 24 of 36 (08-23-14)

Track Size: 0.533-miles

Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24-28 degrees

Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24-28 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 4-8 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 4-8 degrees

Frontstretch Length: 650 feet

Backstretch Length: 650 feet

Race Length: 500 laps / 266.5 miles

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Bristol

Kyle Larson…………………………. 104.5

Matt Kenseth……………………….. 102.7

Kyle Busch…………………………. 101.7

Jeff Gordon………………………… 100.6

Brad Keselowski……………………. 95.9

Greg Biffle……………………………. 93.7

Jimmie Johnson…………………….. 91.2

Kurt Busch……………………………. 90.7

Denny Hamlin……………………….. 90.7

Kevin Harvick………………………… 90.3

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (19 total) among active drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway

Qualifying/Race Data

2013 pole winner:

Denny Hamlin, Toyota

128.969 mph, 14.878 secs. 08-22-13

2013 race winner:

Matt Kenseth, Toyota

90.279 mph, (2:57:07), 08-22-13

Track qualifying record:

Denny Hamlin, Toyota

129.991 mph, 14.761 secs. 03-14-14

Track race record:

Charlie Glotzbach, Chevrolet

101.074 mph, (2:38:12), 07-11-71

At Bristol Motor Speedway:

History

· Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960. The track was an exact half-mile.

· First NASCAR Sprint Cup race was July 30, 1961; Jack Smith won the event (with relief from Johnny Allen).

· In the fall of 1969, the track was reshaped and re-measured to .533-miles.

· The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.

· The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.

· The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992.

· The name changed to Bristol Motor Speedway in May 1996.

· The track was resurfaced between races in 2007, and the turns were ground down in 2012 to eliminate part of the progressive banking.

Notebook

· There have been 107 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway since the first race in 1961, two races each season.

· All races have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps.

· 431 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol; 296 in more than one.

· NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Bristol with 60. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 43 starts.

· Fred Lorenzen won the inaugural Coors Light pole with a speed of 79.225 mph.

· 47 different drivers have poles at Bristol, led by Mark Martin and Cale Yarborough with nine each. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with five.

· The race winner has started from the pole 22 times, the most productive starting position. The last driver to win from the pole was Carl Edwards, in the night race of 2008.

· Four drivers have won from the pole position multiple times: Bobby Allison (1972 twice), Cale Yarborough (1973, 1977 twice, 1980), Darrell Waltrip (1981 twice, 1982) and Rusty Wallace (1991, 1993, 1999, 2000).

· 10 different drivers have posted consecutive poles at Bristol Motor Speedway; Mark Martin is the only of the 10 to win four consecutive poles at Bristol: Fireball Roberts (swept 1962), Fred Lorenzen (swept 1963), Richard Petty (1967-’68), Bobby Allison (swept 1972), Cale Yarborough (swept 1973; swept 1977; swept 1980), Darrell Waltrip (swept 1981), Geoff Bodine (swept 1986), Mark Martin (swept 1995-1996– all four races; and swept 2009); Rusty Wallace (swept 1998), Jeff Gordon (swept 2002) and Denny Hamlin (fall 2013, spring 2014).

· Jeff Gordon leads (active drivers) the series in average starting position at Bristol with a 7.442.

· Youngest Bristol pole winner: Joey Logano (3/21/2010 – 19 years, 9 months, 25 days) – his first series career pole.

· Oldest Bristol pole winner: Harry Gant (8/27/1994 – 54 years, 7 months, 17 days).

· 41 different drivers have won at Bristol, led by Darrell Waltrip (12). Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch each have five wins, the most among active drivers.

· Junior Johnson leads the series in car owner wins at Bristol with 16; Rick Hendrick, Roger Penske and Jack Roush are tied among active car owners for the most wins at Bristol with 10 each.

· 12 drivers have won consecutive races at Bristol led by Darrell Waltrip with seven consecutive victories from 1981-1984. The other 11 are Fred Lorenzen (1963-1964 sweep), David Pearson (1968 sweep), Bobby Allison (1972 sweep), Cale Yarborough did it twice (1974 sweep and four straight from 1976-1977), Richard Petty (1975 sweep), Dale Earnhardt also did twice (1985 sweep and 1987 sweep), Alan Kulwicki (1992 sweep), Rusty Wallace (2000 sweep), Kurt Busch (2003 sweep and 2004 spring race), Kyle Busch (2009 sweep), and Brad Keselowski (2011 fall-2012 spring).

· Youngest Bristol winner: Kyle Busch (03/25/2007 – 21 years, 10 months, 23 days).

· Oldest Bristol winner: Dale Earnhardt (08/28/1999 – 48 years, 3 months, 30 days).

· Eight different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Bristol; led by Chevrolet with 43 victories; followed by Ford with 34. Toyota is ranked fifth among Manufacturers with six wins at Bristol.

· 35 of the 107 (33.0%) races at Bristol have been won from the front row: Pole position (22 wins); second-place (13 wins).

· 85 of the 107 (32.7%) races have been won from a top-10 starting position; including 53 from the first four spots.

· Five of the 107 (4.6%) races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 38th, by Elliott Sadler; in 2001.

· Richard Petty leads the series in runner-up finishes at Bristol with 10; Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers with four.

· Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty lead the series in top-five finishes at Bristol with 26 each. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 16.

· Richard Petty has 37 top-10 finishes at Bristol, more than any other driver. Jeff Gordon leads the series among active drivers in top-10 finishes with 24.

· Kyle Busch leads the series (active drivers) in average finish at Bristol with a 10.895.

· Seven of the last 10 races have ended with a Margin of Victory of less than a second at BMS.

· There has been four green-white-checkered finishes at Bristol – all four were the spring race: 2007 (500/504); 2008 (500/506); 2009 (500/503); 2014 (500/503).

· Two of the 107 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was the event on 3/31/1996.

· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway three times; most recently August 25, 2012.

· Kurt Busch posted his first series career win at Bristol (2002), and Joey Logano won his first pole at Bristol (2010).

· Joe Nemechek leads the series (active drivers) with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Bristol without visiting Victory Lane with 38.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol was the 3/25/2007 race won by Kyle Busch with a MOV of 0.064 second.

· Two female drivers have made NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Bristol: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Janet Guthrie	21	11	4/17/1977
Janet Guthrie	9	6	8/28/1977
Danica Patrick	43	29	8/25/2012
Danica Patrick	41	28	3/17/2013
Danica Patrick	22	26	8/24/2013
Danica Patrick	36	18	3/16/2014

· Four car numbers have produced eight or more Bristol NSCS wins:

Car Number – (Number of Wins) – Most Recent Win

o No. 11 – (19 wins) – Denny Hamlin, 2012

o No. 2 – (12 wins) – Brad Keselowski, 2012

o No. 17 – (eight wins) – Matt Kenseth, 2006

o No. 3 – (eight wins) – Dale Earnhardt, 1999

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Posted on August 17, 2014 by

Four-time champ holds on after passing Logano on final restart

BROOKLYN, Mich.—So much for restarts being a problem for Jeff Gordon.

The four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion broke away after a late caution to win Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Gordon, who faced questions about his struggles on restarts earlier this season, passed Joey Logano at the start of Lap 183 and kept his Chevrolet in front when Logano got next to him on the following lap. Logano fell back after falling out of a draft and Gordon never was challenged again as he rolled to his third series victory of the season.

His win at Indianapolis last month followed a similar script.

"I thought he had a good start, but I had one, too," Gordon said. "It’s pretty nice to have the last two wins come down to restarts.

"Those restarts are so crucial but also intense because of the speed we’re carrying here."

The pole winner went to victory lane at MIS for the third time—his first since June 2001—and collected the 91st win of his career. He also gave Hendrick Motorsports, which saw Jimmie Johnson win here in June, a sweep of this year’s races at the track closest to General Motors Corp’s world headquarters.

Kurt Busch hit the Turn 2 wall shortly after a Lap 178 restart and the ensuing yellow flag bunched the field for a final sprint to the finish.

"I wish the last caution didn’t come out," said Logano, who started second and led a race-best 86 laps. "I thought we had a better shot at it.

"I won every single restart I was on the front row except the last one."

Kevin Harvick was second for the fourth straight race here, followed by Paul Menard, Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt, who started the day with a four-point series lead on Gordon, dropped to second after the checkered flag.

"We had a solid day but the 24 (Gordon) just had a little more speed than us," Harvick said.

Gordon had a little more speed all weekend. He set a new track record with a 206.558 mph qualifying lap and was the only car faster than 200 mph in Saturday’s final practice session. He led 68 laps and seemed to keep the car wherever he wanted on the track throughout the race.

Owner Rick Hendrick said Gordon’s performance reminded him of the driver as a young man, but added he felt his experience and patience have served him well all season.

"There’s got to be some advantages to being 43 out there," said Gordon, who is seeking his first series title since 2001. "I’d like to think patience and using your head is one of them."

The victory was Hendrick Motorsports’ ninth of the season and the team left the track with three of the top four spots in the standings. Kasey Kahne is nine points out of the final spot in the Chase with three races remaining.

The longest of the race’s eight caution periods came midway through the afternoon when rookie Kyle Larson‘s Chevrolet struck the Turn 4 wall and caught fire. Crews needed 11 laps to clean up the debris.

The slowdown helped Johnson, who started 30th and broke the shifter in his Chevy early in the race. The long caution period allowed his crew to replace it and he ended the day ninth.

A Lap 26 crash that began with Danica Patrick‘s spin in Turn 1 collected eight other cars, including Matt Kenseth, who started the day third in the Sprint Cup standings but still needing a victory to guarantee a spot in the new Chase for the Sprint Cup Series format.

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Posted on August 17, 2014 by Staff Report

See where each driver finished the Pure Michigan 400 and what put them there

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1. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Jeff Gordon had a fast car in practice and qualifying, and that didn’t change on race day. He spent most of the race battling for the lead against Joey Logano, leading 68 laps against Logano’s 86. He was up front once again on a Lap 184 restart — one of Gordon’s admitted weak spots — when crew chief Alan Gustafson told him to "go hard." The green flag proved he’d finally learned to keep Logano — who Gordon said was "screwing up the restarts" — at his heels.

2. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
Harvick was happy with the way his car was driving for the early laps of the race, but told his crew "it just doesn’t have speed." They must have found it for him, because Harvick was right there in the mix with Joey Logano and Jeff Gordon shortly after. Harvick took advantage of a faltering Joey Logano to sneak into second place on the final restart.

3. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske
For much of the race, it was Logano vs. Gordon. Both the driver and his crew brought their A-game for the event near manufacturer Ford’s hometown, Detroit. The No. 22 had the fastest driver time and crew time for four-tire pit stops with 50 laps to go. He led 86 laps, the most of the race, but couldn’t pull ahead on the restart when it mattered most, barely holding on to third place. (For more pit stop stats, subscribe to RaceView.)

4. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Paul Menard took advantage of the Lap 184 restart to put his name in contention for the win, edging into Logano’s place in a battle with Gordon and Harvick. He ran his fastest lap of the race on Lap 188, maneuvering all over the track to get into the top five for the fourth time this season.

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
An early incident on pit road between Kyle Larson and Earnhardt wasn’t how either driver imagined starting off the race. Earnhardt had worked his way up near the top 10 from his 25th-place starting position when the extra time spent on pit road repairing the damage sent him back to the tail of the field. The challenge wasn’t too much for Earnhardt to overcome, as evidenced by his series-best 11th top-five finish of the season.

6. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
Once again, Clint Bowyer earned a solid finish without much fanfare. He moved steadily forward from his starting position of 19th, avoiding any accidents en route and moving up one position to 10th in the points standings. If he does get into the Chase, however, the No. 15 crew will need to perform a bit better: Among four-tire pit stops, the average total time for the team was 41.3 seconds, 15th-best. (For more pit stop stats, subscribe to RaceView.)

7. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
Hamlin just couldn’t get the right setup under him in the Pure Michigan 400. "We just seem to get freer as we go," he said over the radio. His crew did their best to help him out, nailing one four-tire pit stop in 12.6 seconds — second-best among caution stops. The top-10 finish seals the deal for the No. 11 team in the Chase, so long as they attempt to qualify for the remaining regular season races. (For more pit stop stats, subscribe to RaceView.)

8. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske
When Keselowski blew a tire while leading on Lap 168, he was the first to know what happened. "Flat," he said over the radio as soon as you heard the pop. As he nursed his car back to pit road, he was already assessing the damage for his crew. He had not yet made his final pit stop, so his team was able to repair the car, put on four tires and add Sunoco Green E15 while under yellow. He fought his way back into the top 10 using his restart prowess. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

9. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
There was colorful language aplenty on the No. 48 pit box when crew chief Chad Knaus realized the cars behind Johnson weren’t following him down pit road under the race’s fourth caution. He’d pit with the lead and restart 21st. "We (expetive) it up there, Jimmie. Sorry," Knaus told his driver. Johnson then lost his shifter handle, requesting a vice grip from his crew. Once he got it, he was a distracted driver until following the advice of his crew chief: Don’t worry about the shifter; it’s not worth a crash. They replaced the shifter halfway through the race, putting Johnson at the rear on a Lap 109 restart, but leave it to Six-Time to salvage a top 10 anyway. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

10. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
It wasn’t the day Greg Biffle was hoping for to get him into the Chase, but he did manage to slide into 10th place with a few laps to go. The team will head to Bristol with their eighth top 10 of the season, but their best chance for a win behind them. "Better, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do here," crew chief Matt Puccia said as Biffle passed the checkered flag. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

11. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Newman led three laps under the competition caution after his team took a gamble on staying out, one of three times at the point for 14 laps led. Unfortunately, six-time Champion Jimmie Johnson also made that decision, and Newman’s lead was short-lived. With a desperate need to keep his points total as high as possible to make the Chase, Newman found himself battling Johnson once again with five laps to go, but was unable to hold him off. In the aftermath, he watched Greg Biffle take the final spot in the top 10.

12. Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
Coming off a heartbreaking runner-up finish at Watkins Glen, Ambrose’s best track to get a win and into the Chase, he came to Michigan looking for redemption. His Pure Michigan 400 finish was his fourth-best at the track, following up a disappointing 25th earlier in the season. He started 20th in both races.

13. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing
With only five better performances so far this season, Allmendinger’s confidence boost from last week’s win at Watkins Glen served him well at Michigan. His average finish at the track is 20.3, and his top-15 finish in the Pure Michigan 400 was enough to lock him into the Chase if he attempts to qualify for the remaining Sprint Cup events.

14. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
Gaining their driver positions on more than one pit stop, McMurray’s No. 1 crew was close to being number one among average pit stop times. Both crew and driver were third-best on average times, for a total of 39.1 seconds — behind only top-five finishers Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick. (For more pit stop stats, subscribe to RaceView.)

15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
It’s not often Stenhouse finishes ahead of Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards, but the No. 17 avoided the wreck that ensnarled nine cars on Lap 25. The sophomore was able to remain steady in the front half of the pack ahead of some of the sport’s seasoned veterans.

16. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Kahne is one of the winless drivers who is desperately looking for a victory. He looked like he was in a position to have it, running in second when Brad Keselowski hit the wall and brought out a caution flag. But in the myriad of restarts, Kahne couldn’t keep his Chevy up front, resulting in another race where he was left to watch a teammate in Victory Lane.

17. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing
A free pass on Lap 175 gave Mears his 14th finish of the season on the lead lap, and extends his streak of doing so to three. Considering his starting position of 26th and his move to 24th place in the Sprint Cup Series standings, the day highlights steady improvement by the No. 13 team.

18. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
Patrick was the driver least impacted when she spun out and collected eight other cars on Lap 25 of the 200-lap race. She was on the lead lap at the race’s halfway point, while the rest of the cars involved in the wreck were many laps down. She was in the beneficiary position on the final restart, getting back onto the lead lap with 20 to go and finishing there — the last car to do so. (See video of the wreck here.)

19. Brian Vickers, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
Vickers was running in the top 20 when he spun in Turn 4. His car managed to avoid collecting any others, but took a nosedive into the grass. He lost a right rear tire, as well, so when he went to pit road, it was all hands on deck. "Anyone with a helmet on" over the wall was the call from crew chief Billy Scott. The quick repairs with 25 laps to go were enough to keep Vickers in the top 20. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

20. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
It may not have been a lead-lap finish, but Almirola’s top-20 performance was enough to clinch him a top-30 spot in the Sprint Cup Series points standings. Combine that with his one win, and he’s got himself a ticket to the Chase, so long as he attempts to qualify for the rest of the races this year.

21. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
Gilliliand’s 21st-place finish ties his second-best performance of the year, notched earlier this season at Sonoma. He was only one spot away from tying his best result, at 20th-place at Richmond. Considering Gilliliand’s average finish at Michigan is 28.9 — including this week’s result — it’s certainly a good number for the team.

22. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Dillon was wheeling a strong charge toward the front of the pack, and his pit crew weren’t going to be the ones to hold him back. Dillon gained eight positions on a two-tire pit stop halfway through the race, putting him in the top 10. A lot of the pit credit should go to the driver himself. Halfway through the race, Dillon had the best average time on pit road with 25 seconds. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender couldn’t hold on out front, though, ending his day in 22nd. (For more pit stop stats, subscribe to RaceView.)

23. Carl Edwards, No. 99 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
The one thing Carl Edwards asked for during the warm-up laps didn’t come true. "Alright, guys, have some fun today. I appreciate everyone here from Roush, my family," he said over the radio. Unfortunately, instead of having fun, the team struggled to their third-worst running finish of 2014, two laps down, after battling pit road issues. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

24. David Ragan, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
With his finish this weekend, Ragan has improved on his starting position in the last five races — a streak that would be longer if he hadn’t crashed in Daytona as the race came to a close. With results that seem to be on an upward swing — the No. 34 hasn’t finished in the 30s the past three races — Ragan should be able to beat his earlier Bristol finish of 31st next weekend.

25. Cole Whitt, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing
In his second start at Michigan, Whitt bettered his first attempt by three positions. When considering his starting position — 36th — it seems the BK Racing driver has gotten a handle on the track in a Cup car pretty quickly. His average finish of 26.5 makes it his second-best oval, next to Pocono.

26. Alex Bowman, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing
He may not have been racing for the same position, but Bowman learned a lot about speed from Joey Logano at Michigan. "That 22 is hauling the mail," Bowman noted to his spotter. "Been like that all day," his spotter responded. On Lap 174, Brian Vickers and he made contact, bringing out a caution. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

27. Reed Sorenson, No. 36 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing
The No. 36 team earned its third finish in a row inside the top 30 at Michigan, even with a starting position of 40th. That’s a five-spot improvement over an earlier finish at the track from the same starting position, and Sorenson’s best finish at the track since 2010.

28. Josh Wise, No. 98 Chevrolet, Phil Parsons Racing
It took a lot of maneuvering for the spotter of the No. 98 to get Josh Wise to pit road from the outside as Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne and others continued to pass in the second round of green-flag pit stops. It wasn’t any easier for the team on pit road, earning a speeding penalty and having to serve a pass-through. Wise was stunned to hear the charges, telling his crew chief, "There is NO WAY unless the RPMs are wrong." Clocked speeding in three places, Wise decided to keep his pit road speed to 4200 RPMs, instead of his usual 4600. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

29. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Racing
Cassill had to start at the rear of the field due to an engine change, but made the most of it, driving through the field as the race went on. In his earlier trip to the track, Cassill started 39th and finished 35th. The improved finish could be in part due to other competitors’ bad luck, but the driver avoided hitting anything himself.

30. JJ Yeley, No. 38 Toyota, BK Racing
As a last-minute substitute for a concussed Ryan Truex, Yeley did all the team could ask, producing his best result so far this season among the seven Cup races in which he’s competed. In fact, it was the team’s second-best effort in 22 races this year.

31. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
One second he was racing for the lead, the next he was sucked into the wall while Joey Logano rushed by. Busch tried to keep pushing forward with a smoking right rear tire, but as debris flew in his wake, the No. 41 headed to pit road. An attempt at repairs didn’t go well for the team. "Can I limp it around?" Busch asked. He couldn’t, and the Stewart-Haas Racing team spent the final laps of the race in the garage. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

32. Travis Kvapil, No. 32 Ford, FAS Lane Racing
There were a few things Kvapil wasn’t happy about at Michigan. One was track debris thrown on the track by "some genius;" the other was a pit road penalty that sent Kvapil back down pit road on Lap 115. He still was able to improve on his 38th-place qualifying run, however. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

33. Dave Blaney, No. 37 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing
Despite working on the No. 37 during pit stops, Dave Blaney wasn’t happy with the car he was driving. "It just keeps getting looser," he lamented over the radio to his team. He still managed to gain some positions in the last 50 laps, however, moving up from 35th on Lap 150 to a finish of 33rd. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

34. Alex Kennedy, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport
A surprise on the best average pit time for four-tire stops was the No. 33 team. A 16.9 second-stop was the sxith-best four-tire crew change time of the race, putting the one-car team above some of the better-equipped names in the sport. (For more pit stop stats, subscribe to RaceView.)

35. Joe Nemechek, No. 66 Toyota, NEMCO Racing
He hasn’t qualified for every race this season, but when he has, Nemechek has finished steadily in the 30s and 40s. He only has one better finish at Michigan in his past 11 races there, though, so this result is on the stronger side for him.

36. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing
A mixture of less time to prepare and more bad luck on the track led to another poor finish for Truex. He couldn’t avoid the pile-up with Danica Patrick, Trevor Bayne, Justin Allgaier and Michael Annett, sending him to pit road with a left side tire down, a beat-up car and a lot of work do to. (See video of the wreck here.)

37. Jeff Burton, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
Burton seemed to be getting a good handle on the car usually driven by Tony Stewart when started sensing a smell of what he told his crew was an electrical fire. He came back after a pit stop when the smoke became too much, and after looking under the hood, the team decided to bring the No. 14 to the garage for a brief repair. The 14 was back on the track, and Burton salvaged a finish not of his making. (For more pit stop stats, subscribe to RaceView.)

38. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
After getting caught up in the Lap 25 wreck, Kenseth looked like he was in bad shape. Without a win, the driver needed to get a win, or at least keep as many points as he could. Instead, he spent several laps in the garage trying to repair his car. Thirty laps later, he was back out on the track, but the damage been done. (See video of the wreck here.)

39. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
Three laps into the Pure Michigan 400, Kyle Busch — then running 19th — got into the wall in Turn 1. After some debate over the radio, the team headed to the garage for repairs. Busch did his best to come back from an early disadvantage, but he spent too many laps off the track to gain much. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

40. Michael Annett, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing
Annett was another one of the drivers involved in the nine-car wreck on Lap 25, spending almost a quarter of the race in the garage working on repairs. He was unable to finish, with vibration as the reason for his third DNF this year. (See video of the wreck here.)

41. Trevor Bayne, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing
Bayne also fell victim to the Lap 25 traffic jam, spending half the first quarter of the race in the garage. He didn’t make it back on the track until Lap 69, long after Matt Kenseth, who was involved in the same wreck. (See video of the wreck here.)

42. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports
Allgaier seemed to sustain the most damage in the Lap 25 incident. He was in the garage for 72 laps, returning to the track in the last position on the leaderboard but moving up a spot when Kyle Larson was unable to finish the wreck. (See video of the wreck here.)

43. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Gannassi Racing
Larson wasn’t miffed by a pit-road collision with Dale Earnhardt Jr. that caused some damage to his front left. He spent some extra time repairing the damage on pit road, and was on his way back up the field when he slammed into the wall amid a flaming No. 42. He appeared to be waiting for official word to exit the car when his crew told him to get out, as the car was on fire. "Did he blow a right front or something?" Crew chief Chris Heroy asked over the radio. He did, and the result ended Larson’s day. (For more driver-crew chief in-race audio, subscribe to RaceView.)

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Posted on August 17, 2014 by Staff Report

Moments that changed the course of the 23rd race of the 2014 season

GORDON’S RESTART BEATS LOGANO FOR WIN

Jeff Gordon passed Joey Logano on a restart with 17 laps to go and held off the field to win the Pure Michigan 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

Gordon has 91 career wins on the premier circuit, which ranks first among active drivers and third all-time. It was the third time he’s won at Michigan, and the first time in over 13 years.

Kevin Harvick placed second, 1.413 seconds behind Gordon; Logano finished third, Paul Menard fourth and points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fifth.

Logano led a race-high 86 laps and Gordon led 69 of the 200 laps.

Gordon became the fourth driver this season to win three Sprint Cup races, joining Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski.

DANICA PATRICK, 8 OTHERS INVOLVED IN WRECK

A nine-car wreck on a Lap 26 restart that was triggered by Danica Patrick getting loose sent three competitors to the garage early in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400.

Battling for position with Jeff Burton, who is driving the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, Patrick got sideways and slid down the track in Turn 2, setting off a chain reaction.

Justin Allgaier rammed Patrick’s No. 10 Chevy, with Michael Annett and Trevor Bayne stacking up behind.

Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., JJ Yeley and Travis Kvapil were also caught up in the incident, which produced the third caution flag of the day at Michigan International Speedway.

Kenseth, Bayne and Allgaier were forced to wheel their vehicles behind the wall for extensive repairs. Patrick and Truex stayed on pit road for their respective fixes.

KYLE BUSCH’S EARLY CRASH TAKES HIM OUT OF CONTENTION

Kyle Busch‘s tough run of luck in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series extended to a third rocky week Sunday with an early scrape with the wall at Michigan International Speedway.

Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota snapped loose and into the Turn 4 wall shortly after the start of Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400. His car then went high in Turns 1 and 2 to bring out the race’s first caution period in just the fourth of 200 laps.

Busch, who started 24th in the 43-car field, brought the car directly behind the wall to the garage. After debriefing with his crew, Busch jumped in with a drill to help the team with repairs.

Busch returned to the race in last place, 25 laps off the leader’s pace. After scoring runner-up finishes in three out of four races from late June to late July, Busch is left with the prospect of logging three consecutive lackluster finishes. He started this month with a 42nd place after engine failure at Pocono Raceway and followed it with a 40th-place effort after sustaining damage at Watkins Glen.

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Staff Report

Joe Gibbs Racing driver fights to keep up with Hendrick power

Denny Hamlin clinched a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Michigan International Speedway, but Hamlin was more concerned with seeking out Dale Earnhardt Jr. following the Pure Michigan 400 on Sunday.

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Finishing seventh, his fifth top-nine result in the last six races, Hamlin was pleased with his car in the four turns at the 2-mile oval.

"I’ve got a screaming fast car in the corners," Hamlin said in his car early in the race. "It’s just blowing everybody away."

But on the straightaways, the No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing struggled to keep up so he did all he could to find an advantage.

"I’m trying to fight — do everything I can — to keep up with the Hendrick engines," Hamlin said after the race. "I’m side-drafting down the straightaway, trying to do everything I can. Not things I frown upon when I see other drivers do them. We’re trying to do everything we can to keep our track position.

"He (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) got a little upset that I was side-drafting and so he kind of crowded me up to the wall in turn four. I was a little disappointed, but that’s part of it. You talk about it, get it worked out and move on."

Following their pit-road confrontation, Earnhardt, who finished fifth, admitted to moving Hamlin up the track and explained why he did it.

"Yeah, I ran him up the track a little bit early in the race," Earnhardt said. "It was way, way early, and he didn’t like it too much. I mean, I’ve been run up the track too, and I didn’t like it either."

The two Chase-bound drivers will square off again later this week, seeking their second wins in the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC). For Hamlin, it would be a second win in the last three years in August in Thunder Valley. Earnhardt would celebrate the 10th anniversary of his last night race win with a victory.

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