Posted on by Staff Report

Compare the No. 11 penalty with the biggest penalties in Sprint Cup Series’ history

RELATED: Hamlin, JGR hit with big penalties | Official NASCAR release | Crew chief analysis | JGR to appeal

After NASCAR officials discovered a "possible issue with several rear firewall block-off plates" at Indianapolis on Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 car (which finished in third), several penalties were handed down to Hamlin, his Joe Gibbs Racing team, his crew chief, Darian Grubb and his car chief, Wesley Sherrill.

Hamlin was docked 75 points in the drivers’ standings and 75 points in the series’ owners championship standings. In addition, Grubb was suspended for the next six Sprint Cup Series events and fined $125,000. Sherrill was also issued a six-race suspension. Both Grubb and Sherill will be on NASCAR probation for the next six months.

Here is a list of the toughest penalties NASCAR has handed out in the Sprint Cup Series. As you will see, this penalty is one of the most severe handed out by NASCAR in recent history.

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Michael Waltrip Racing | Richmond International Raceway, September 2013

Violation: Section 12-4: Actions detrimental to stock car racing.

Penalty: MWR’s three teams in the Sprint Cup Series (the No. 15, 55, 56) were penalized with the loss of 50 championship driver and 50 championship owner points, respectively.* These point penalties were assessed following the season’s 26th regular-season race and not after the seeding for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. That resulted in Martin Truex Jr. being eliminated from the second Wild Card spot in the playoff field. NASCAR also fined the MWR organization $300,000 and indefinitely suspended Ty Norris, MWR Executive Vice President/General Manager and spotter for the No. 55 car, for violating Section 12-4. The three crew chiefs — Brian Pattie (No. 15), Scott Miller (No. 55) and Chad Johnston (No. 56) — were all placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, July 2014

Violation: Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Section 20-2.1: Car body must be acceptable to NASCAR officials and meet the following requirements:
• K – Any device or ductwork that permits air to pass from one area of the interior of the car to another, or to the outside of the car, will not be permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, the inside of the car to the trunk area, or the floors, firewalls, crush panels and wheel wells passing air into or out of the car;
•  L – All seams of the interior sheet metal and all interior sheet metal to exterior sheet metal contact point must be sealed and caulked. This includes, but is not limited to, floors, firewalls, wheel wells, package trays, crush panels and any removable covers;
Section 20-3.4: All references to the inspection surface in sub-section 20-3.4 have been determined with the front lower edge of both main frame rails set at six inches and the rear lower edge of both main frame rails set at eight inches. For driver protection, all firewalls, floors, tunnels, and access panels must be installed and completely secured in place when the car is in competition;
Section 20-3.4.5: A rear firewall, including any removable panels or access doors, constructed using magnetic sheet steel a minimum of 22 gage (0.031 inch thick), must be located between the trunk area and the driver’s compartment and must be welded in place. Block-off plates/covers used in rear firewalls in place of blowers, oil coolers, etc., must be constructed of 22 gage (0.031 inch thick) magnetic sheet steel. Block-off plates/covers must be installed with positive fasteners and sealed to prevent air leakage. Carbon fiber or aluminum block-off plates/covers will not be permitted.

Penalty: Loss of 75 Cup Driver Points*

Carl Long, No. 146 | Lowe’s Motor Speedway, May 2009

Violation: Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Section 12-4-I: Any determination by NASCAR Officials that the Race Equipment used in the Event does not conform to NASCAR rules: Section 20-5.4A: Engine exceeded the maximum engine size of 358.000 cubic inch displacement.

Penalty: Loss of 200 Cup Driver Points.

Matt Kenseth, No. 20 | Kansas Speedway, April 2013

Violation: Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Section 12-4J: Any determination by NASCAR Officials that Race Equipment used in the Event does not conform to the NASCAR Rules detailed in Section 20 of the NASCAR Rule Book, or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the Event. Section 20-5.5.3E.: Only solid magnetic steel connecting rods with a minimum weight of 525.0 grams will be permitted. Connecting rod failed to meet the minimum connecting rod weight.

Penalty: Loss of 50 Cup Driver Points.*

 

Jeremy Mayfield, No. 12 | Talladega Superspeedway, April 2000

Violation: Section 12-4-A: Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Section 8-8: Fuel used by a Competitor that does not meet NASCAR specifications. Section 12-4-AA: Use of altered fuel or fuel other than the official fuel at the Event.

Penalty: Loss of 151 Cup Driver points.

 

Johnny Sauter, No. 70 | Lowe’s Motor Speedway, May 2008

Violation: Section 20-3.1.3A: Wing mounting locations were not as specified by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.

Penalty: Loss of 150 Cup Driver points.

Appealed: NASCAR Penalty upheld.

 

Scott Riggs, No. 66 | Lowe’s Motor Speedway, May 2008

Violation: Section 20-3.1.3A: Wing mounting locations were not as specified by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.

Penalty: Loss of 150 Cup Owner points.

Appealed: NASCAR Penalty upheld.

 

Brian Vickers, No. 83 | Martinsville Speedway, October 2008

Violation: Section 12-4-Q: Section 20-2.1D: Exterior sheet metal body parts did not meet the specified minimum thickness.

Penalty: Loss of 150 Cup Driver points.

 

Martin Truex Jr., No. 1 | Daytona International Speedway, July 2008

Violation: Section 12-4-Q: Section 20-3.8A: Roof of the car does not conform to the specifications of the NASCAR Rule Book.

Penalty: Loss of 150 Cup Driver points.

 

Travis Kvapil, No. 43 | Pocono Raceway, June 2010

Violation: Section 12-1: Section 12-4-J: Section 20-10.7J: Unapproved modification to valve stem hardware.

Penalty: 150 Cup Driver Points

 

Clint Bowyer, No. 15 | September 2010, New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Violation: Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Section 12-4-J: Any determination by NASCAR Officials that the Race Equipment used in the Event does not conform to NASCAR Rules: Section 20-3: The car body location specifications in reference to the certified chassis, does not meet the NASCAR-approved specifications.

Penalty: 150 Cup Driver Points

*These penalties are ranked according to their severity in proportion to the points system used at that time. NASCAR moved to a one-point-per-position format in 2011.

Posted on by Staff Report

First NASCAR national series event for FOX Sports 1 analyst since 2012

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Hermie Sadler will make his first NASCAR Nationwide Series start since 2010 and his first NASCAR national series start since 2012 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Sadler will drive the No. 19 Toyota Camry for TriStar Motorsports at Bristol in the Food City 300 (Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) and again at Richmond International Raceway in the Virginia529 College Savings 250 (Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

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Sadler’s car in both races will have Virginia Lottery as the primary sponsor as the car will promote the lottery’s "Let’s Play VA" events. As part of the "Let’s Play VA," lottery players and NASCAR fans will have the chance to join the No. 19 team as an honorary crew member and attend the NASCAR Awards banquet in Las Vegas as Sadler’s guest. Sadler has been an ambassador of the Virginia Lottery for more than 15 years.

"I am thankful to my friends at The Virginia Lottery and to Mark Smith and his staff at TriStar Motorsports for making this happen," Sadler said in a release. "Getting to race again on two of my favorite tracks, as well as promote some once in a lifetime opportunities from The Virginia Lottery, is exciting for me."

Check out the paint scheme he will run for both races below.

Sadler was the rookie of the year in 1993 in what is now known as the Nationwide Series. In 259 starts in the series, he has two wins. He has also made 64 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts and 15 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts in his career. Hermie’s younger brother, Elliott Sadler, is currently third in the Nationwide Series point standings.

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Posted on by Zack Albert

Grubb draws six-race ban, Hamlin tumbles in standings after Indy infractions

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NASCAR handed down heavy penalties to the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 team Tuesday for infractions found in a post-race inspection after Denny Hamlin drove to a third-place finish in last Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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NASCAR stripped the team of 75 points in the series’ owner championship standings and docked Hamlin 75 points in the drivers’ standings. The team also suspended crew chief Darian Grubb for the next six Sprint Cup events and fined him $125,000. Car chief Wesley Sherrill was also issued a six-race suspension; both Grubb and Sherrill will be on NASCAR probation for the next six months.

The most recent penalty falls under the heading of a P5-class infraction, according to the new NASCAR deterrence system. It is the most severe punishment issued under the new penalty structure, implemented during the offseason.

Joe Gibbs Racing said in a statement that it planned to appeal the penalty, but that Grubb and Sherrill would begin serving their suspensions immediately, starting with this weekend’s event at Pocono Raceway.

The punishment moves Hamlin from 11th to 21st in the Sprint Cup standings. Though he missed a race earlier this season at Auto Club Speedway with an eye injury, Hamlin remains a virtual lock for a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs, thanks to his regular-season victory in May at Talladega Superspeedway.

In a statement announcing the ruling, NASCAR officials said the No. 11 Toyota violated four different sections of the NASCAR rule book, three pertaining to the body of the car — specifically the sealing and securing of all sheet metal and firewalls — and one for "actions detrimental to stock car racing." The rule book calls for a minimum of a 50-point penalty and $75,000 fine for a P5-level infraction, but an additional 25-point deduction and $50,000 fine were assessed because the violations were discovered during post-race inspection.

A NASCAR spokesperson announced the findings of the initial post-race inspection after Sunday’s Crown Royal presents the John Wayne Walding 400, saying there were "possible issues with several rear firewall block-off plates." If the block-off plates became detached during the race, it could allow air to flow from inside the car and potentially create more downforce.

After Sunday’s 400-miler, officials took the No. 11 car back to the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina for further investigation. Officials also took the race-winning Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet of Jeff Gordon and the JGR No. 18 Toyota of runner-up Kyle Busch back to the R&D Center for routine evaluation; no at-track issues were found on the top two finishing cars.

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Posted on by Nascar

Points leader scored his 90th career Sprint Cup on Sunday at the Brickyard

As well as his team had performed this year, Jeff Gordon wasn’t convinced the group truly was championship material. He wasn’t sure his team believed it either.
 
A victory in Sunday’s Crown Royal presents, The John Wayne Walding 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway changed all that.
 
Career win No. 90 came at one of the most storied venues in all of motorsports, so it’s easy to get caught up in the emotion of the moment. But Gordon seemed to speak from the heart when he said that the victory silenced any lingering questions.
 
"I think we saw we were the points leaders, we saw we won at Kansas," he said after winning for a record fifth time at the Brickyard, "but I don’t know if we believed we were capable of winning this championship this year, truly believed it.
 
"We do now. We’ve got to keep that fire in us, keep it going."

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While he’s been battling for championships throughout the majority of his 20-plus year career, his last Cup title came in 2001. Since then, others have dominated, either for a season or for longer. All three of Tony Stewart‘s titles have come since Gordon last captured the championship; Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson has won six during that time as well. Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski have also won one title apiece.
 
But Gordon has hardly slipped from view — while no more championship celebrations have come his way, he’s stacked up 32 more victories, passing such legendary drivers as Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip on the all-time win list.
 
If he’s more driven, he says it’s due to the influence of team owner Rick Hedrick and crew chief Alan Gustafson. While Hendrick has won championships with Gordon and Johnson, Gustafson is still searching for his first title as crew chief. Now a 17-time winner with four different drivers, he finished a career-best second atop the box with driver Mark Martin in 2009.
 
"These two guys … definitely played a big role," Gordon said of his car owner and crew chief. "… You feel like you’ve kind of won all that you could win, you’ve won four championships, then a guy like Jimmie Johnson comes along and starts dominating (and) you kind of lose the motivation.
 
"I think between conversations I’ve had with Rick, with Alan, coming so close, winning the championship, the drive that he has, that work ethic that he has, how good the race cars are, I don’t want to be the weak link. So it’s pushed me to give more, do more, work harder."
 
If there’s a difference between today and 20 years ago when he won his first Brickyard title, Gordon said it is the increased engineering that’s now involved in the sport — and the commitment that is required.
 
"It puts more pressure on you as a driver," he said. "You can’t make mistakes because they’ll show it to you. ‘Right here you didn’t get in the throttle. Right here you used too much brake. Right here you were too slow on pit road.’
 
"You have to be spot on, on top of your game."
 
A runner-up finish at Texas earlier this year propelled Gordon to the top of the points standings, and except for a brief, one-week stay at No. 2, he has held the position ever since.
 
He and his team will enter this week’s race at Pocono Raceway sporting a 24-point advantage over teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.
 
That combination of strength and consistency will likely bode well for the team in the coming weeks.
 
"I think the reason we’re leading the points is because I believe we’re the best team," Gordon said.
 
That doesn’t always mean his team has the best car on the track, he said, adding, "there have been times when I felt we needed a little bit more."
 
But at Indy, "we had the best car and the best team, no doubt about it."
 
And that, he said, "tells me if you can do it here, you can do it anywhere.
 
"It’s certainly going to be a huge confidence boost for this team. We recognize the significance of this."

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Chat with fans while following the Pocono and Iowa action

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Trio of JGR cars finish in top four at Indianapolis

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — The three drivers and several executives of Joe Gibbs Racing stood in a circle on pit road Sunday, clearly buoyed by an effort that placed the team’s trio of cars in the top five at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Never mind Jeff Gordon, off to the side kissing the bricks in celebration of his record-setting fifth career victory on the storied oval.

Indeed, teams in the Sprint Cup Series were again left chasing Hendrick Motorsports horsepower, as Gordon led the final 17 laps Sunday to finish off a convincing triumph at the Brickyard. But the Gibbs group had plenty to be happy about as well, given that the team finished second, third, and fourth in an event where many contending teams begin rolling out new equipment with one eye on the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Kyle Busch finished second, Denny Hamlin third and Matt Kenseth fourth, marking the first time JGR has placed three cars in the top four of a single event since Hamlin, Busch and former Gibbs driver Joey Logano placed first, second and fourth, respectively, in September of 2010 at Richmond. Although JGR has won just twice this season — and the last was Hamlin’s victory in early May at Talladega — the show of force may have offered a preview of what’s to come.

"Our focus all year has been to build the best race cars we could for September, because that’s when it really, really counts. You can lead the regular season. You can have 10 wins before the Chase starts. If you have one bad race or you don’t run as well for those first three races of the Chase, you’re out," said Hamlin, referring to the elimination format to be used for the first time in this year’s revised Chase.

"So our biggest thing is trying to time this correctly, and trying to get our cars to run well in the fall when it really, really counts. So we’re starting to turn the corner, I feel like, for that reason. We’ve been working hard to try to run well all year. We really have. We’ve been off. But our cars are starting to turn that corner and become more competitive, obviously."

This time a year ago, Kenseth had four wins on his own, and was on his way to a career-best seven. This season he’s the only Gibbs driver still winless, emblematic of a JGR team that’s been competitive every week but typically hasn’t had enough to break through. Meanwhile, Gordon’s victory Sunday was the seventh of the season for Hendrick, while Team Penske has prevailed five times behind drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano — leading everyone to wonder if those two organizations will ultimately clash in the Chase.

Gibbs, which also won with Busch in March at Fontana, has lingered as almost the forgotten team, despite the fact that Kenseth pushed Jimmie Johnson all the way to Homestead in the title race a season ago. JGR hasn’t shown that kind of form with across-the-board consistency this season, but Indianapolis — a notoriously difficult layout with sharp corners and long straightaways that can really tax the car — provided a hint that it may be yet to come.

"All the guys at Joe Gibbs Racing have worked really hard the past few months in trying to make better race cars, TRD guys making better horsepower. It all paid off good today," Busch said Sunday, referring to Toyota Racing Development, which manufacturers engines for JGR.

"We were able to come home 2‑3‑4 for JGR as an organization. We’re proud of that. You certainly see the guy out there in front of you beating you, and you know you’ve got a lot of speed to gain. Those guys were really, really fast. I don’t think he even went 80 percent the whole last run of the race and was driving away from us. We have a lot of big areas to gain big speed in, then a bunch of little areas to gain a little bit of speed, too. We have to continue to work on that and get better."

That guy, of course, is Gordon, who Sunday seemed able to overtake at will, and offered further evidence of which engine manufacturer leads the pack.

"We’re still way behind in the horsepower department," Hamlin said. "But we’re getting our cars better. Once we get the horsepower better, we’ll win a lot of races."

In fairness, they’ve been far from mediocre. Hamlin has finished eighth or better in his past three starts. Kenseth has now placed fourth in three of his last four races. And Busch has now been runner-up in the last three Sprint Cup events on unrestricted tracks. According to the driver of the No. 18 car, Indianapolis only reinforced a recent trend.

"I don’t know that you pin it on one race," Busch said. "I finished second at Kentucky, Loudon and here. We had some good races going. It would be certainly more beneficial to pick up some trophies, take some trophies home, get some of those benefits for the Chase. Three second places, that’s 11 extra points that you miss out on. That sucks pretty big for the Chase and for those bonus points. But, you know, if we keep going that way, then things will pay off sooner or later. We’ll start winning some."

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Posted on by NASCAR Wire Service

Check out the lineup of NASCAR programming for the week

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All times ET

Monday, July 28
3:30 p.m., NASCAR’s The List: Famous Families (re-air), NBC Sports Network
4 p.m., NASCAR’s The List: Rookie Seasons (re-air), NBC Sports Network
4:30 p.m., NASCAR’s The List: Iconic Cars (re-air), NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6:30 p.m., NASCAR’s The List: Tracks (re-air), NBC Sports Network
6:30 p.m., Empty Cup: Quest for the 1992 NASCAR Championship (re-air), FOX Sports 2
7 p.m., TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Race at Indianapolis (re-air), FOX Sports 2
8:30 p.m., Empty Cup: Quest for the 1992 NASCAR Championship (re-air), FOX Sports 1
9 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 1
2:30 a.m. (Tue.), NASCAR’s The List: Dale Earnhardt Sr. Moments (re-air), NBC Sports Network

Tuesday, July 29
Noon, NASCAR K&N Pro Series Race at Columbus (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
 
Wednesday, July 30
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
 
Thursday, July 31
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
3 a.m. (Fri.), TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Race at Indianapolis (re-air), FOX Sports 1
 
Friday, August 1                                        
11 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series Race at Columbus (re-air), FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., Empty Cup: Quest for the 1992 NASCAR Championship (re-air), FOX Sports 1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Final Practice, FOX Sports 2
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Final Practice (re-air), FOX Sports 1
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub Special (re-air), FOX Sports 1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (re-air), FOX Sports 1
2:30 a.m. (Sat.), NASCAR’s The List: Greatest Finishes (re-air), NBC Sports Network
3 a.m. (Sat.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice (re-air),
FOX Sports 1
4:30 a.m. (Sat.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (re-air), FOX Sports 1
 
Saturday, August 2
6 a.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series Race at Columbus (re-air), FOX Sports 2
9 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, ESPN2
10 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice, ESPN2
12:30 p.m., NCWTS SetUp, FOX Sports 1
1 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Pocono, FOX Sports 1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, ESPN
7:30 p.m., NNS Countdown, ESPN
8 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series  Race at Iowa, ESPN
4:30 a.m. (Sun.), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Pocono (re-air), FOX Sports 1
 
Sunday, August 3
6 a.m., Empty Cup: Quest for the 1992 NASCAR Championship (re-air), FOX Sports 2
6:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (re-air), FOX Sports 2
9 a.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series Race at Colorado, FOX Sports 1
10 a.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FOX Sports 1
Noon, Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Race at Indianapolis, FOX Sports 1
Noon, NSCS Countdown, ESPN
1 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Pocono, ESPN
7 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1
7:30 p.m., The 10 Greatest Truck Series Moments (re-air), FOX Sports 2
8 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Pocono (re-air), FOX Sports 2
2:30 a.m. (Mon.), NASCAR’s The List: Famous Families (re-air), NBC Sports Network
3 a.m. (Mon.), Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Race at Indianapolis (re-air), FOX Sports 1
3:30 a.m. (Mon.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Pocono (re-air), ESPN2
4 a.m. (Mon.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Pocono, ESPN Deportes

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No one was hurt after two planes bump each other late Sunday night

A pair of NASCAR team-chartered planes collided on the taxiway at Concord Regional Airport late Sunday night.

According to a report from the Charlotte Observer, a Joe Gibbs Racing plane bumped a parked Stewart-Haas Racing plane as teams were returning to the Charlotte area after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the wing of the JGR plane clipping the tail of the parked SHR plane.

Spokesmen for both teams confirmed that the two planes made contact on the taxiway Sunday night and no one was injured.

"Last night at Concord Regional Airport, an empty and parked SHR plane was hit by another plane as it was parking," said a representative for Stewart-Haas Racing. "The plane’s wing touched the tail of the parked SHR plane. No one was hurt."

A crewmember from Matt Kenseth‘s No. 20 Dollar General Toyota team tweeted a photo of the incident.

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Posted on by Staff Report

Driver will defend title at Iowa, then fly to Pocono for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race

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Brad Keselowski will compete in Saturday night’s U.S. Cellular 250 presented by New Holland (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Iowa Speedway. Keselowski is the defending race winner.

The 2010 Nationwide Series champion and the 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion won the Nationwide Series first race at Iowa in 2009.

"Having a driver of Brad’s talent in the race will make the full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers elevate their game," Iowa Speedway President Jimmy Small said in a release. "Iowa Speedway definitely suits his driving style and he really likes this place."

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Keselowski will pull double duty this weekend as he will drive his No. 2 Ford at Pocono Raceway for Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race, the GoBowling.com 400 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN).

He did the same thing last year as he competed in both events, taking a 1,000-mile flight from Pennsylvania and overcoming a pit road violation and a faltering engine to win the race at Iowa. He followed that up with a sixth-place finish in the 2013 GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono.

During a test at the track in May, Keselowski had nothing but great things to say about Iowa Speedway and why he likes racing there.

"The design and the layout is one of the few tracks that has a great balance between what the drivers like and the fans like. Drivers want a track where you can run and not spin out all the time for no reason, and they like the smaller tracks but not too small.

"This track is 7/8 of a mile so it’s smaller but no so small you’re on top of everybody. And I think drivers like that."

In six Nationwide Series starts this year, Keselowski has two wins and six top-five finishes. He won his last start in the series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 12.

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Organization heads straight to road course test from Indianapolis

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UPDATE: From a JTG Daugherty tweet, AJ Allmendinger was fastest during the test and broke the track record during testing.

With its eyes on getting both of its drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoff field, Richard Petty Motorsports drivers Marcos Ambrose and Aric Almirola went straight from Indianapolis Motor Speedway to Watkins Glen International for a two-day test at the road course.

Almirola already has a leg up on a Chase spot with his win in the rain-shortened Coke Zero 400 at Daytona earlier this month. Ambrose has two Sprint Cup Series victories at the Glen (2011, 2012) along with five top-three finishes in six starts at the venue.

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The goal of the test is to help both drivers collect as much information as they can to prepare the best setup possible for the Sprint Cup Series race at the road course on August 10.

With the new Chase format, if Ambrose can score his third win in the past four Sprint Cup races at Watkins Glen, he will practically be in the 16-driver playoff field. Ambrose has yet to qualify for the Chase in his Sprint Cup career.

Ambrose told reporters that Watkins Glen reminded him a lot of his hometown in Tasmania.

"I really love coming up to this part of the world and the track itself is one of the great tracks in the world. Whenever you come here you realize the tire that Goodyear brings and the car that we have and the style of the track that it is, it all just blends together really well."

The drivers were able to get some track time on Monday but rain appeared for a bit in the morning and again in the afternoon. Testing will continue at the 2.45-mile road course on Tuesday.

Besides the RPM duo, AJ Allmendinger (JTG Daugherty Racing), Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing), Austin Dillon and Ty Dillon (Richard Childress Racing) are also taking part in the two-day test. Max Papis was there as well.

Allmendinger won two road course events last season in the Nationwide Series and won the pole at Sonoma in June. He has an average finish of 9.2 at Watkins Glen. Truex Jr. won at Sonoma last year and has five top-10 finishes in eight starts at The Glen. Austin Dillon is making his first Cup start at the venue, while Ty Dillon is getting some Cup seat testing for RCR as he preps for his first Sprint Cup start at Atlanta next month. A Nationwide Series rookie, Ty Dillon has not yet made a national series start at Watkins Glen in his career.

Truex told reporters that the win-and-in qualification for the Chase is why he and his Furniture Row Racing team made the trip for testing.

"That’s why we’re here testing, honestly. We feel like this is a place where I can get it done, this is a place I feel like we can win as a team and so that’s why we’re here testing, to try and get that little bit of an advantage and so we’re prepared when we come back here the best we can be."

Ambrose, Allmendinger, Truex Jr. and Austin Dillon do not have a win this season. Through 20 races, only Dillon would get in the Chase based on the current standings.

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