Hendrick Motorsports drivers sit 1-2-3 in this week’s balloting
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Driver says he’s learned from late-race mishap at Pocono
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Brad Keselowski isn’t beating himself up in the aftermath of Sunday’s runner-up finish at Pocono.
What’s done is done. His focus, just like the series, moves on to Michigan International Speedway, site of Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
The ill-fated attempt to remove trash from the grille of his car, the sight of the No. 88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. racing by and into the lead linger, but not for long.
"I’m not going to say that I got over it right away," the Team Penske driver said Tuesday during a national teleconference, "because that’s not the case. But for me knowledge is power, and getting over something like that is knowing what I could have done better or should have done differently, researching those things and finding the answer … I think that’s where I find the ability to move on."
The opportunity for a second victory — he won earlier this season at Las Vegas — was missed, but Keselowski, 30, says he likes what he sees when he looks at his No. 2 team. Particularly those efforts and results of late.
"I think we’re two small steps away from, in my eyes, being a favorite," Keselowski said. "We need to be a little bit more consistent on pit road."
Changes in the group that go over the wall to service his Ford each week have been made twice, he said, once heading into the season and again within the past few weeks. The first was a major overhaul; the latest more of a tweaking.
"We don’t feel like we’re where we need to be," he said. "We’re not consistent enough and performing at the level we need to, and we’re committed to getting that better."
And while there have been no durability issues with the Roush Yates engines, "it appears pretty obvious to everyone right now that the Hendrick side is a bit above everyone else from a power level. We need to make a step to catch up with them," he said.
"I think if we can cross those two hurdles, I quite honestly feel like we can be the team to win it all this year."
The runner-up at Pocono was the second consecutive second-place finish for Keselowski. Fifth in points, he was second to Jimmie Johnson a week earlier at Dover.
Michigan, as close to a hometown track as there is for the Rochester Hills native, presents a unique opportunity for the 2012 Cup champion. In nine career Cup starts, he’s yet to win on the wide, fast 2-mile layout. A victory there would mean much.
In 2009, he won a NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Michigan, the weight of the accomplishment surprising even himself.
"You know, it’s one of the few moments I’ve had in my career where after I won a race I just had to sit down and be by myself just to kind of soak it all in," he said. "I remember that after I won … just literally locking myself in the bedroom of my motor home after the race and sitting at the edge of the bed and thinking about how awesome that was and what it meant to me and all those things, and that was a Nationwide race, that wasn’t a Cup race.
"I can only imagine what it would mean to me at the Cup level. I can tell you it wouldn’t be like any other win."
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Hedlesky fondly recalls first big-league opportunity with longtime car owner
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Jason Hedlesky was looking for an opportunity to compete in NASCAR.
What he got instead, he said, was the thrill of a lifetime.
Hedlesky, who today serves as spotter for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards, broke into NASCAR thanks to veteran car owner Junie Donlavey in December of 1998. For nearly six years, he served as team manager for the Richmond, Virginia-based Donlavey Racing.
"I was a Late Model racer in Michigan and when I came down (south), a mutual friend introduced us," Hedlesky told NASCAR.com Tuesday. "Junie offered me a job basically. It was right after (Dick) Trickle and (sponsor) Heilig-Meyers had left. He didn’t really have anything but a decent group of guys. I just wanted to race. Just wanted to drive race cars.
"He said, ‘Well if you hang out down here, you’ll be closer … than you would be back in Michigan.’
"I stayed and he was true to his word. We started running five or six ARCA races in 2000 and ’01-03; in ’02 he gave me a chance to drive his Cup car. So we ran (ARCA) and I was team manager on the Cup side. It was the most awesome time in my life."
Hedlesky made one start in the Cup series for Donlavey, qualifying 41st and finishing 43rd in the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2002.
NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series heads to the Irish Hills of Michigan this weekend for the first of two annual stops at Michigan International Speedway. The track is located approximately 15 miles west of Hedlesky’s hometown of Clinton, Michigan.
Donlavey’s team only won one Cup race in 863 starts — Jody Ridley drove the familiar No. 90 Ford to the win at Dover in May of 1981. Between 1975 and ’90, however, Donlavey Racing finished 10th or higher in points nine times with drivers Dick Brooks, Ricky Rudd, Ridley and Ernie Irvan.
"He was just a tremendous human being," Hedlesky said. "I know everybody hears all the stories … he was just the most loyal, kind-hearted person you’d ever want to meet. And he gave so many guys like myself opportunities to get into the sport we love. Without him … I still have this 804 (Virginia) area code. I just called our old shop foreman and he said ‘You’ve still got the 804 area code.’ I said, ‘Without 804, I wouldn’t have a career.’ I’ve just always kept it."
The last two digits of Hedlesky’s phone number are 90, the team’s car number.
"I did that on purpose," he said. "I got this phone when I worked up there. To make it easy, I got the (xx)90 number. You can use the numbers anywhere today so I’ve just kept it. It wasn’t coincidence; it was easy to remember and easy to tell everybody at that time."
Now, it’s a reminder of one of the sport’s true treasures.
"Junie was just a great guy, a tremendous human being," he said. "Without a guy like him … the one thing that stands out to me is the love and the passion of the sport that Junie had. He just loved it. If we were in Daytona and there was an ARCA race or a Dash race … you’d think this guy might be bored by now, being in the sport 50-60 years, (but) he would still be on top of the truck with his headset on, listening to MRN and watching that race.
"He just absolutely had a passion and a love for the sport that I’ve not seen in any other human being. I think that’s why he decided he wanted to give chances to guys like me, maybe he sees that same desire, that same passion in your eyes and knows he has that opportunity to give.
"Getting my first opportunity with somebody like him, that had the greats drive for him — Buddy Baker, (Ken) Schrader, go back to a guy that hung around with Joe Weatherly and Curtis Turner, Big Bill (France). He could talk about every single one of them. …
"They don’t make them like that anymore."
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A statistical lookahead to the Sprint Cup Series’ first stop at Michigan this season
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DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, going into the Quicken Loans 400 on June 15th. TNT’s coverage begins at noon (ET).
MICHIGAN-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Military Salute Ford)
• Four wins, 10 top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 11.2
• Series-best Average Running Position of 8.3
• Series-best Driver Rating of 110.0
• 311 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• 1,261 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
• Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 177.840 mph
• Series-high 3,047 Laps in the Top 15 (86.1%)
• 849 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), second-most
Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
• Two wins, four top fives, nine top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 21.2
• Average Running Position of 15.5, 11th-best
• Driver Rating of 89.6, 11th-best
• 174 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
• 2,165 Laps in the Top 15 (61.2%), ninth-most
• 550 Quality Passes, 12th-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
• One win, four top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 16.5
• Average Running Position of 14.1, seventh-best
• Driver Rating of 92.0, seventh-best
• 137 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
• 1,249 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 177.018 mph, seventh-fastest
• 2,386 Laps in the Top 15 (67.4%), sixth-most
• 669 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard / Superman Chevrolet)
• Two wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 16.3
• Average Running Position of 12.8, sixth-best
• Driver Rating of 97.0, fifth-best
• 182 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
• 1,379 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 177.234 mph, fifth-fastest
• 2,347 Laps in the Top 15 (66.3%), seventh-most
• 749 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fastenal Ford)
• Two wins, nine top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 8.3
• Average Running Position of 10.2, third-best
• Driver Rating of 104.7, third-best
• 198 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
• 1,290 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 177.639 mph, fourth-fastest
• 2,925 Laps in the Top 15 (82.7%), second-most
• Series-high 850 Quality Passes
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)
• Two wins, 18 top fives, 25 top 10s; five poles
• Average finish of 12.5
• Average Running Position of 14.4, ninth-best
• Driver Rating of 89.8, ninth-best
• 159 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
• 2,195 Laps in the Top 15 (62.0%), eighth-most
• 609 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota)
• Two wins, five top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 15.0
• Average Running Position of 14.2, eighth-best
• Driver Rating of 89.7, 10th-best
• 98 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 176.841 mph, ninth-fastest
• 1,913 Laps in the Top 15 (60.9%), 11th-most
• 633 Quality Passes, ninth-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet)
• Four top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 16.8
• Average Running Position of 11.5, fourth-best
• Driver Rating of 101.4, fourth-best
• Series-high 357 Fastest Laps Run
• Average Green Flag Speed of 177.796 mph, second-fastest
• 2,583 Laps in the Top 15 (73.0%), fourth-most
• 691 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet)
• One win, seven top fives, nine top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 16.4
• Average Running Position of 15.6, 12th-best
• Driver Rating of 89.3, 12th-best
• 170 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
• 1,340 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 177.130 mph, sixth-fastest
• 2,033 Laps in the Top 15 (57.4%), 10th-most
• 665 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
• Two wins, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s
• Average finish of 9.6
• Average Running Position of 10.0, second-best
• Driver Rating of 105.6, second-best
• 164 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 177.665 mph, third-fastest
• 2,868 Laps in the Top 15 (81.0%), third-most
• 801 Quality Passes, third-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
• One win, 12 top fives, 20 top 10s
• Average finish of 11.7
• Average Running Position of 12.7, fifth-best
• Driver Rating of 95.9, sixth-best
• 100 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 177.009 mph, eighth-fastest
• 2,447 Laps in the Top 15 (73.3%), fifth-most
• 685 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Brian Vickers (No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota)
• One win, two top fives, eight top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 14.9
• Driver Rating of 91.5, eighth-best
• Average Green Flag Speed of 176.779 mph, 12th-fastest
History at Michigan International Speedway
• Michigan International Speedway sits on more than 1,400 acres in the "Irish Hills" of Southeastern Michigan. Ground-breaking took place on Sept. 28, 1967.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan was held June 15, 1969 — won by Cale Yarborough at a speed of 139.254 mph.
• The track was known as Michigan Speedway during the time Roger Penske was the primary owner (1996-99).
• The 2-mile speedway underwent a repave in 2012.
• There have been 89 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Michigan International Speedway since the first race there in 1969. Other than 1973, which had just one race, there have been two races each season since 1969.
• The first race was 500 miles in length; the second was scheduled for 600. The track was re-measured to 2.04 miles for the last race in 1970 and both races in 1971 – with the race distance being 402 miles. All other races have been scheduled for 400 miles.
• 366 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway; 269 in more than one.
• Bill Elliott leads the series in starts at Michigan with 61. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 42 starts.
• Donnie Allison won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Michigan in 1969 with a speed of 160.135 mph.
• 45 drivers have Coors Light poles at Michigan, led by David Pearson with 10. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with five.
• Six drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Michigan. David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Michigan with five; fall 1976 through 1978.
• Four active drivers have posted consecutive Coors Light poles at Michigan: Terry Labonte (1983 sweep), Bill Elliott (1984 sweep and 1988 sweep), Bobby Labonte (2003 sweep), and Brian Vickers (fall 2008 – 2009 sweep).
• Youngest Michigan pole winner: Joey Logano (08/16/2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 23 days).
• Oldest Michigan pole winner: Mark Martin (08/19/2012 – 53 years, 7 months, 10 days).
• 35 different NSCS drivers have won at Michigan International Speedway, led by David Pearson with nine wins; Greg Biffle leads all active drivers with four.
• Eight drivers have posted consecutive wins at Michigan International Speedway, including four consecutive by Bill Elliott (1985 sweep and 1986 sweep).
• Youngest Michigan winner: Joey Logano (08/18/2013 — 23 years, 2 months, 25 days).
• Oldest Michigan winner: Harry Gant (08/16/1992 — 52 years, 7 months, 6 days).
• Roush Fenway Racing has the most wins at Michigan in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 13: Mark Martin (four), Greg Biffle (four), Carl Edwards (two), Matt Kenseth (two) and Kurt Busch (one).
• Eight different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Michigan; led by Ford with 34 victories; followed by Chevrolet with 20.
• 17 of the 89 (19.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Joey Logano in 2013.
• The Coors Light pole position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (17) than any other starting position at Michigan International Speedway.
• 25 of the 89 (28%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from the front row: 16 from the pole and eight from second-place.
• 67 of the 89 (75.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Michigan have been won from a top-10 starting position.
• Six of the 89 (6.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Michigan was 32nd, by Mark Martin in the spring of 2009.
• Jeff Gordon leads the series in runner-up finishes at Michigan with eight; followed by Darrell Waltrip with seven.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough leads the series in top-five finishes at Michigan with 21; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 18.
• Mark Martin leads the series in top-10 finishes at Michigan with 31; followed by Bill Elliott with 29.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Michigan with a 9.292.
• Carl Edwards leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Michigan with an 8.316. Matt Kenseth (9.621) is the only other active driver with an average finish in the top 10.
• All active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Michigan International Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Tony Stewart won at Michigan in his third appearance, the fewest previous starts among the active NSCS winners.
• Kevin Harvick competed at Michigan International Speedway 19 times before winning in the fall of 2010; the longest span of any the active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.
• Among the active NSCS Michigan winners Kevin Harvick (19), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (17) Kyle Busch (13), Jeff Gordon (11), Brian Vickers (11) and Joey Logano (10) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win.
• Joe Nemechek leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Michigan without visiting Victory Lane at 40.
• Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway was the June 10, 2001 race won by Jeff Gordon over Ricky Rudd with a MOV of 0.085 second.
• There have been two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Michigan International Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): fall of 2011 (200/203); and fall of 2012 (200/201).
• Four of the 89 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was the event on 6/18/2006.
• Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway four times; most recently the spring of 2008 race.
• Three drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Michigan International Speedway: Jeff Burton (8/18/1996), J.J. Yeley (6/17/2007) and Marcos Ambrose (6/17/2012).
• Two active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver have posted their first career start at Michigan International Speedway: Carl Edwards (8/22/2004) and Landon Cassill (6/13/2010).
• Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Michigan with 954 laps led in 42 starts.
• Four female drivers have competed at Michigan International Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie, Robin McCall, Shawna Robinson and Danica Patrick. Of the four female drivers to compete at Michigan, Guthrie has the best finish (10th), but Patrick has the best average finish (18th).
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Rookie leads laps, scores top-five finish in first Cup start at Pocono
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LONG POND, Pa. — Kyle Larson proved to be quite a shifty character after all.
The same driver whose inexperience with gear-shifting led to blown engines in two test sessions and was required to drive a manual-transmission vehicle as his personal car looked like an old hand Sunday. Larson led seven laps and finished fifth in his Sprint Cup Series debut at Pocono Raceway, completing an impressive weekend that also saw him dominate an ARCA event.
"To be honest with you, I did miss a couple of shifts," said the Chip Ganassi Racing rookie. "Just twice, which is a lot better than it probably would’ve been if I didn’t practice shifting a whole lot. Surprisingly, it was only those two times when I was battling people when I was pretty excited, so I thought it was a good day."
Since the Nationwide Series does not compete at Pocono, Larson had never been to the 2.5-mile track until a test here the week before the race. Pocono is the only oval track that requires drivers to shift gears at speed, and Larson’s inexperience in that area led to a blown engine. At another test in Road Atlanta, it was the same story. Larson may have joked earlier in the week about being "the worst shifter in NASCAR" but within the No. 42 team, the concerns were real.
"It was a very serious concern," said crew chief Chris Heroy. "So he did good."
To say the least. Larson spend the latter stages of the race battling for position with polesitter and four-time Pocono winner Denny Hamlin, who ultimately edged the rookie for fourth. "I thought we were a little bit better than Denny at the end, but he did a good job holding me off," Larson said. "But I’ll take a top-five here at Pocono."
Particularly since that test here, Larson has been required by the Ganassi team to wheel a black, stick-shift Camaro around his home in North Carolina. As impressive as it was, Sunday’s performance doesn’t change anything on that front — Heroy said Larson will continue to drive the manual vehicle through the June 22 Sprint Cup event on the Sonoma Raceway road course, another facility where competitors also must shift gears.
Pocono, though, was major progress. Larson competed in the track’s Saturday ARCA event to gain more experience for the NASCAR race, and in both of them looked like a seasoned pro. "He’s come a long way," Heroy said. "From blowing a motor in testing, to finishing top-five here and leading some laps — that’s what we try to do. That’s what he’s done all year. You give him something to fix, and he fixes it. Really happy about it."
Saturday’s tune-up seemed to help. "I think I learned a little bit (from the ARCA race) that helped me through Turn 2," Larson said. "The ARCA car is a lot slower, so you have to roll a bit quicker, and I think I just took that into today a little bit. It seemed like I was rolling quicker through Turn 2 than I had been in the test I did last week and in all of practice this week. Also, the car was better, too, so I was able to roll with it quicker. Just a little bit of technical stuff."
Whatever it was, it worked, allowing Larson to maintain 10th in points. And once again a 21-year-old who some thought might not be ready for NASCAR’s top level continues to defy expectations.
"He’s a true talent," Heroy said. "We’re very lucky to have him. He’s done a great job for us. You hope for a driver like this. You always temper your excitement a little. But he’s everything. We’ve just got to get him a win now."
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See the full television listings for this week’s NASCAR programming
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All times ET
Monday, June 9
7:30 p.m., Empty Cup: Quest for the 1992 NASCAR Championship (re-air), FOX Sports 2
8 p.m., The 600: History of NASCAR’s Toughest Race (re-air), FOX Sports 2
11:30 p.m., Kurt Busch 36, NBC Sports Network
12:30 a.m. (Tues), NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2 a.m. (Tues.), NASCAR Now, ESPN2
Tuesday, June 10
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
2:30 a.m. (Wed.), NASCAR Now, ESPN2
Wednesday, June 11
7 a.m., NASCAR’s The List: Greatest Finishes (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 a.m., NASCAR’s The List: Legendary Drivers (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR’s The List (re-air), Memorable Moments, NBC Sports Network
8:30 a.m., NASCAR’s The List (re-air), Fights & Feuds NBC Sports Network
10 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Special (re-air), FOX Sports 1
11 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Texas (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
7:30 p.m., Empty Cup: Quest for the 1992 NASCAR Championship (re-air), FOX Sports 2
11:30 p.m. NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
12:30 a.m. (Thurs), NASCAR’s The List: Greatest Finishes (re-air), NBC Sports Network
1 a.m. (Thurs), NASCAR’s The List: Legendary Drivers (re-air), NBC Sports Network
1:30 a.m. (Thurs.), NASCAR’s The List: Memorable Moments (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2 a.m. (Thurs.), Kurt Busch 36 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2:30 a.m. (Thurs), NASCAR’s The List: Fights & Feuds (re-air), NBC Sports Network
Thursday, June 12
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
7 p.m., Kurt Busch 36 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 p.m., FOX Sports 1 on 1: Jimmie Johnson (re-air), FOX Sports 2
8 p.m., The 600: History of NASCAR’s Toughest Race (re-air), FOX Sports 2
10 p.m., Kurt Busch 36 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
1 a.m. (Fri.), NASCAR’s The List (re-air), Memorable Moments, NBC Sports Network
1:30 a.m. (Fri.), NASCAR’s The List (re-air), Fights and Feuds, NBC Sports Network
Friday, June 13
10 a.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series Race from Bowman-Gray (re-air), FOX Sports 1
11 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Practice, FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
2 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Final Practice, FOX Sports 1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
9 p.m., 100,000 Cameras: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (re-air), FOX Sports 1
2:30 a.m. (Sat.), NASCAR’s The List, Greatest Finishes, NBC Sports Network
3 a.m. (Sat.), NASCAR Sprint Cup 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, June 14
8 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (re-air), FOX Sports 2
8:30 a.m., 24 Hours of Le Mans, FOX Sports 1
9:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, FOX Sports 2
10:30 a.m., 100,000 Cameras: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (re-air), FOX Sports 2
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, ESPN2
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Final Practice, FOX Sports 2
1:30 p.m., NNS Countdown, ESPN
2 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Michigan, ESPN
4 p.m., 24 Hours of Le Mans, FOX Sports 2
5 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 2
6:30 p.m., 24 Hours of Le Mans, FOX Sports 2
6 p.m., Kurt Busch 36 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Final Practice (re-air), FOX Sports 1
8 p.m., NCWTS SetUp, FOX Sports 1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Gateway, FOX Sports 1
11 p.m., Kurt Busch 36 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2 a.m. (Sun.), 24 Hours of Le Mans, FOX Sports 2
Sunday, June 15
6 a.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Michigan (re-air), ESPN2
7:30 a.m., 24 Hours of Le Mans, FOX Sports 2
9 a.m., Empty Cup: Quest for the 1992 NASCAR Championship (re-air), FOX Sports 1
9:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
11 a.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FOX Sports 1
Noon, NSCS Countdown to Green, TNT
1 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Michigan, TNT
5:30 p.m., NASCAR’s The List (re-air), Memorable Moments, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR’s The List (re-air), Fights and Feuds, NBC Sports Network
6:30 p.m., Kurt Busch 36 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1
10:30 p.m., Kurt Busch 36 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
3 a.m. (Mon.), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Gateway, FOX Sports 1
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2012 series champ posts second straight runner-up finish
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LONG POND, Pa. — It was one of those split-second decisions that you can tell right away if you’ve made the right move or not.
For Brad Keselowski, it wasn’t.
Leading Sunday’s Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway with five laps to go, the 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion was forced by a piece of debris on his grille that was taxing his engine to make the heavy choice of charging forward, hoping to make it another dozen miles without his motor blowing up, or to risk track position by letting off the gas in an effort to remove it.
Keselowski decided to fall back and hope for the best, not quite realizing the No. 88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. was as close as it was. Earnhardt passed the No. 2 Team Penske Ford and cruised into Victory Lane for his second win of 2014, saddling Keselowski with his second-straight bittersweet, runner-up finish.
"I don’t think (the debris) came off (the grille). I’d have to see what it looked like before and after, but it was definitely a mistake," said Keselowski, who moves up to the top five in the standings for the first time since leaving Fontana. "It was one of those things, I thought I was going to get passed because I was really down on power down the straightaway, so I don’t know. … I knew it was going to break and we were going to get passed. I was trying to make whatever move I could do to help clean it off and I’m not sure I did enough to make a difference, but I made enough of a difference to lose the lead in the process."
With the obvious speed the No. 2 car had, Keselowski did note that he was looking forward to when the series returns to the Tricky Triangle August 3 for the GoBowling.com 400, adding that he was really proud of the speed his team brought to the race track.
It was clear, however, that he knew he let his second win slip away, wearing his dejection solemnly on the sleeve of his red and white firesuit.
Considering it was Keselowski who picked up his first win of the season at Las Vegas in a reversal of fortunes contrary to Sunday’s result — when it was Earnhardt who gave it away when he ran dry on the final laps for a runner-up finish — the Hendrick Motorsports driver can sympathize with his former JR Motorsports driver, but he wasn’t about to help him out, either.
"You know, (Brad and I) are good friends and you hate to see a guy have to lose a race in a manner like that, but I’m excited that we won," said Earnhardt, whose two wins and 476 points put him one point ahead of teammate Jimmie Johnson in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings and atop the Chase Grid.
"I know that he would have definitely rather lost it to me than a few other guys out there that he’s not best of buddies with, and we’re competitive — as we race year after year, we become more competitors than we are friends, and that’s just the natural cycle of it.
"But I still felt bad for him, and definitely he had it won. We weren’t going to get to him. He was in good shape, and that had to have been a very challenging decision to make. That temperature must have been really high because knowing Brad, if it was 270 or 270 (degrees) he keeps his foot in it and just races it on out. And now, hindsight is a little different, knowing the grille — the debris didn’t come off the grille and he made it to the end, that can be hard on him and he can beat himself up."
Keselowski will have another shot next weekend to avoid a third-straight runner-up finish at his home track Michigan International Speedway. The 30-year-old’s first four starts at the track saw four sub-20 finishes, but he’s improved, averaging a finish of 8.4 in his last five starts at the two-mile track.
That said, it’ll be hard to think about next week until teams hit the track Friday. For now, this one stings.
"He’s young enough, good enough, he’s going to have plenty of opportunities to get his wins and enjoy more success in the sport," Earnhardt said. "He’ll get over this one over time, but yeah, it’s got to be pretty difficult, I’m sure."
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New vantage points being offered for fans attending the Great American Race
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Tickets for the 57th running of NASCAR’s most prestigious race — the Daytona 500 — go on sale Tuesday, June 10 with new vantage points among the offerings.
Tickets, which begin at $65 for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season opener, will include spots among the 40,000 new seats added nearest Turn 1 at Daytona International Speedway as part of the DAYTONA Rising renovation project. Tickets go on sale Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET.
In addition to tickets for the Great American Race, fans may also purchase tickets for all the events of Budweiser Speedweeks, the two-week festival of speed in Daytona Beach that includes the Sprint Unlimited exhibition for the Sprint Cup tour and officially kicks off the season for all three NASCAR national series.
"The Daytona 500 is the pinnacle of racing excitement, creating our sport’s most memorable moments while crowning the legends of NASCAR each and every year," said Joie Chitwood III, Daytona International Speedway president. "In 2015, fans can enjoy all the pageantry and thrill of ‘The Great American Race’ in person, and preview some of the new amenities. … All of Daytona Rising debuts in 2016 and the best way for fans to guarantee their spot for the grand opening is to be here next year and get on the renewal list early."
Special offers include reduced pricing on tickets for children 12 years old and under. Fans may also pre-purchase weekend infield camping for the Sprint Unlimited weekend before the Daytona 500, infield car parking packages for the Rolex 24 at Daytona for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, and hospitality packages and pre-race/fan zone passes for all Speedweeks events.
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Biffle’s only win last season was at Michigan International Speedway
Greg Biffle, currently 14th in the Sprint Cup Series standings, remains in contention but probably needs to win at least one of the next dozen races to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field. Based on history, Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway might be Biffle’s best shot at visiting Victory Lane. The 44-year-old Roush Fenway Racing driver won last year’s Quicken Loans 400, after starting 19th, and won on the same track the season before. Four of Biffle’s 19 career wins on the Sprint Cup circuit are at MIS. In 22 career starts at Michigan, Biffle has 10 top-five finishes.
Gateway Motorsports Park hosts its first NASCAR national series event since 2010
| Entry | # | Driver | Owner | Crew chief | Manufacturer | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
00 |
Cole Custer |
Gene Haas |
Joe Shear |
14 Chevrolet |
Haas Automation |
|
2 |
0 |
TBA |
Kenneth Grimes |
Joe Cobb |
14 Chevrolet |
The Parkway Hotel |
|
3 |
02 |
Tyler Young |
Randy Young |
Bryan Berry |
14 Chevrolet |
Randco/Young’s Building Systems |
|
4 |
5 |
John Wes Townley |
Richard Wauters |
Richard Wauters |
14 Toyota |
Zaxbys |
|
5 |
07 |
Ray Black Jr |
Ken Smith |
Doug Weddle |
13 Chevrolet |
ScubaLife/NASE Worldwide |
|
6 |
8 |
John Hunter Nemechek |
Sidney Mauldin |
Jerry Babb |
14 Toyota |
TBD |
|
7 |
08 |
Jimmy Weller |
Bobby Dotter |
Jason Miller |
13 Chevrolet |
TBA |
|
8 |
9 |
Chase Pistone |
Joe Denette |
Ryan McKinney |
14 Chevrolet |
NTS Motorsports |
|
9 |
10 |
Jennifer Jo Cobb |
Jennifer Jo Cobb |
Steve Kuykendall |
14 RAM |
TheParkwayHotel.com |
|
10 |
112 |
Ted Minor |
Joseph Cefalia |
Garry Stephens |
13 Chevrolet |
TBA |
|
11 |
13 |
Jeb Burton |
Duke Thorson |
Jeriod Prince |
14 Toyota |
Estes-Carolina Nut |
|
12 |
17 |
Timothy Peters |
Tom Deloach |
Marcus Richmond II |
14 Toyota |
Red Horse Racing |
|
13 |
19 |
Tyler Reddick |
Brad Keselowski |
Doug Randolph |
14 Ford |
DrawTite |
|
14 |
20 |
Gray Gaulding |
Bob Newberry |
Jeff Hensley |
14 Chevrolet |
Krispy Kreme / Gemini Southern |
|
15 |
21 |
Joey Coulter |
Maurice Gallagher Jr |
Jeff Stankiewicz |
14 Chevrolet |
TBA |
|
16 |
29 |
Ryan Blaney |
Brad Keselowski |
Chad Kendrick |
14 Ford |
Cooper Standard |
|
17 |
30 |
Ron Hornaday Jr |
Steve Turner |
Doug George |
14 Chevrolet |
Rheem |
|
18 |
31 |
Ben Kennedy |
Steve Turner |
Michael Shelton |
14 Chevrolet |
TBD |
|
19 |
32 |
Tayler Malsam |
Harry Scott Jr |
Mike Hillman Jr |
14 Chevrolet |
Outerwall |
|
20 |
35 |
Mason Mingus |
Kevin Cywinski |
Mark Rette |
14 Toyota |
Call 811 |
|
21 |
136 |
Scott Stenzel |
Beverly Mittler |
Michael Mittler |
14 RAM |
Mitler Bros. Machine & Tool |
|
22 |
50 |
T J Bell |
Mark Beaver |
Randy Dean II |
13 Chevrolet |
Electrical Linemen |
|
23 |
51 |
Erik Jones |
Kyle Busch |
Eric Phillips |
14 Toyota |
ToyotaCare |
|
24 |
54 |
Darrell Wallace Jr |
Kyle Busch |
Jerry Baxter |
14 Toyota |
Make IN America |
|
25 |
57 |
Norm Benning |
Norm Benning |
Kevin Dargie |
14 Chevrolet |
TBA |
|
26 |
63 |
Justin Jennings |
Michael Mittler |
Michael Mittler |
14 Chevrolet |
LG Seeds-Mittler Bros. Machine & Tools |
|
27 |
77 |
German Quiroga |
Tom Deloach |
Butch Hylton |
14 Toyota |
NET10 Wireless |
|
28 |
88 |
Matt Crafton |
Rhonda Thorson |
Carl Joiner |
14 Toyota |
Ideal Door-Menards |
|
29 |
98 |
Johnny Sauter |
Mike Curb |
Dennis Connor |
14 Toyota |
Smokey MTN-Curb Records |
|
30 |
99 |
Bryan Silas |
Chris Baluch |
Cal Boprey |
14 Chevrolet |
TBA |
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