Posted on by

Smith will act as Jeff Gordon’s fill-in in the Coca-Cola 600 if need be

RELATED: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live

CONCORD, N.C. — Chase Elliott experienced another first on Saturday, but not the kind the Nationwide Series phenom would prefer to remember.

The JR Motorsports driver endured the worst outing in his brief, but otherwise bright career on NASCAR’s No. 2 series, struggling with a broken part in his car at Charlotte Motor Speedway and finishing well off the pace in 37th. It was easily the lowest finish this season for Elliott, who previously hadn’t placed outside the top 20, and it cost him the lead in the standings to boot.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

"Something wasn’t right from qualifying, from the beginning of the race, all the way until it broke. So I don’t know if something was wrong there, or if we were just that bad," Elliott said in the garage area after the History 300, won by Sprint Cup Series rookie Kyle Larson. "I want to say something was wrong, but we might have been that bad and had something break."

The primary beneficiary of Elliott’s misfortunate was his JR Motorsports teammate Regan Smith, who finished seventh Saturday to move back atop the standings. Smith led the series for five weeks earlier in the year before Elliott shifted to the top, and remains the only Nationwide driver to finish every race in the top 10. Smith leads Elliott Sadler by five points, with Elliott now 28 back in third.

"The points race doesn’t matter at all," Smith said. "Everybody talks about it, but it doesn’t matter at all until we get to 10 (races) to go. We get to 10 to go, then we’ll talk about it. Until then, it’s really not relevant."

Smith speaks from experience — he led the standings for 10 weeks early last season before ultimately finishing third in final points and watching Austin Dillon celebrate the championship. "If anyone knows how early it is," Smith said, "it’s me after last year."

Elliott had run in the top 10 until about midway through the race, when he felt like his front splitter kept hitting the track harder and harder. After the race he wondered if a jack screw in the suspension had come loose, but he wasn’t certain. His No. 9 team tried an adjustment on pit road, but eventually Elliott had to go to the garage for more extensive work. He returned to the track more than 20 laps down to the leader.

Elliott said he had fought the same problem in qualifying earlier in the day. "I don’t know exactly what it was, or why it broke, or how it broke, or when it started to break," he said. "We’ll address it and try to not to make that mistake again, and go to Dover (next week) and see what happens."

Elliott had entered the day two points ahead of Smith and Sadler in the Nationwide standings. The son of newly elected NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott had led the points for five consecutive race weekends, ever since his first career victory April 4 at Texas — the first of back-to-back triumphs in Fort Worth and in Darlington, where the 18-year-old became the youngest driver ever to record consecutive Nationwide wins, and the youngest ever to lead the standings on the circuit.

Saturday, though, brought his first finish of the season off the lead lap. "It’s just part of racing, man," Elliott said. "You’re going to have weekends like this, unfortunately. We’ve just got to go to Dover and put it behind us, and go and battle for a win up there. I’d be happy with that."

For Smith, the points lead proved a consolation of sorts — he was originally scheduled to be wheels-up on an airplane at 6 a.m. Sunday, bound for his first visit to the Indianapolis 500. Instead he’ll stay in Charlotte, where he’ll be the standby in the Coca-Cola 600 for Jeff Gordon, who cut short one Sprint Cup practice Saturday and then skipped another due to a recurrence of back spasms. JR Motorsports is affiliated with Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports team.

"This sounds bad, but I’d much rather be here at the 600, and given the circumstances, I’ll be ready if anything happens, if Jeff needs any help or anything like that," Smith said. "I want to make sure he’s healthy. I hate getting opportunities like that, so it’s a double-edged sword. You want to get in a car, especially a good car like that, but you don’t want to do it because of somebody else’s troubles."

Smith has been in this spot before, filling in for Hendrick driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. for two races in 2012 while Earnhardt was recovering from a concussion. He said Gordon’s team reached out to him before Nationwide qualifying Saturday, after which Smith went over to the Sprint Cup garage to sit in the No. 24 car to ensure everything fit.

"I’ll just prepare as if I’m racing," Smith said. "If I have to get in the car, then I’m prepared mentally. I’ll go about my normal night, get to bed about the same time. I won’t stay up all night playing video games or something stupid like that. Just go about it like I was getting ready for a normal race."

And as for the Indy 500? "Hopefully, I’ll be racing on Sundays someday soon," said Smith, a former Sprint Cup race winner himself. "Maybe when I’m old and have gray hair, I’ll go."

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView
Posted on by

Hendrick Motorsports driver suffering from back spasms; Smith on standby

RELATED: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live | Sign up for RaceView today

CONCORD, N.C. — Another Sprint Cup Series practice session still remained at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but the No. 24 car sat in its garage stall, parked for the rest of the day. And driver Jeff Gordon slipped away between two transporters, on his way out of the track.

That was the scene Saturday morning after the current points leader cut short a first practice and skipped a second following a recurrence of back spasms that placed his status for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 in jeopardy. Gordon first felt the discomfort Thursday evening during his final run in group qualifying, and received treatment Friday in the hopes of returning to form for practice Saturday. After 11 laps, he couldn’t take anymore.

"It was everything I could do to do that," Gordon said. "I just had to tell the team that I think it would be best if I sit out the rest of the day so that I can be prepared for this long, tough race that’s going to happen tomorrow.”

Gordon’s 11 laps were still enough to place the No. 24 car sixth in the session. The four-time champion left the track shortly afterward, while his team skipped final practice in order to fine-tune the vehicle for NASCAR’s longest race. Regan Smith, a Nationwide Series driver for JR Motorsports, which is affiliated with Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports team, will be on standby Sunday in case the five-time Charlotte race winner is forced out of the car. Gordon has never missed a race since his debut, a streak of 736 straight starts that’s the longest among active drivers.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

"He had some discomfort since Thursday night, and had been working on it trying to get it fixed up. We hadn’t put much thought into it, to be honest with you, and then after the first run (Saturday) we talked about how it was pretty detrimental physically for him to continue practice," crew chief Alan Gustafson said. "Fortunately, the guys did a great job on the car, and I don’t think there was much we were going to learn anyway. We’ve been here for a long time, got a good idea on what we need to race with. Glad the car was good, and made the decision pretty easy."

Gordon has battled back issues before, particularly in 2009 in the wake of a vicious accident on the road course at Watkins Glen International, and at one point the discomfort had him concerned for his career. But the 42-year-old has been feeling much better in recent years, and was enjoying a strong 2014 campaign that saw him win at Kansas Speedway two weeks ago and lead the Sprint Cup points for nearly two months. Gordon is in the care of Dr. Jerry Petty, a Charlotte-area neurosurgeon and spinal specialist who has worked with many NASCAR drivers.

"It’s unfortunate," Gordon said. "I’ve had some spasms in the past, but this one is a little bit different. And so, I just want to really be cautious and take care of it. It doesn’t do me any good to be in the car right now, especially when the car is as good as it is. It’s really about getting prepared for 600 miles tomorrow. I have no doubts that I can be in this car and be competitive tomorrow if I just take it easy over the next 24 hours.”

"This is something that he’s had before, that he has some experience with," Gustafson added. "He knew Thursday night — unfortunately, it was a familiar feeling — that this was not good, and he needs to do everything he can. He did all he could as far as treatment and rest and whatever’s required in hopes that today would be good to go. And I felt like today he thought he was going to be. But unfortunately, getting back in the car triggered discomfort."

This weekend brings the 20th anniversary of Gordon’s first victory at NASCAR’s top level, which came at Charlotte in 1994. His former crew chief Ray Evernham said Gordon is underrated for his toughness, which has helped to sustain the driver’s consecutive-start streak even during episodes of physical duress.

"We won one of the Southern 500s that we won — and we won four of them in a row — one of them, he’s throwing up in the car halfway. I’ve seen him drive oval races like Darlington sick, when it was 500 miles and Labor Day weekend and 120 degrees in the car, and I’ve also seen him finish road races with holes through the layers of skin. Through his glove, through his skin, just holes in his hand," said Evernham, now an advisor with Hendrick.

"His toughness is underrated. You don’t win 89 races and be in this sport 20 years without missing a race, knock on wood, without being trough. He’s not felt good, and there’s been times he’s been hurt in that car. But to me, I still say you have to keep an eye on the 24 (car) tomorrow night."

Gustafson said Gordon’s race victory at Kansas, which likely assures the driver a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup regardless of Sunday’s outcome, won’t figure into any decision as to whether he starts the 600. Smith tested Gordon’s car at Charlotte in January, so Gustafson said the team has a baseline setup for the standby driver in the event he is required to take over the vehicle.

Smith said he found out about the potential relief duty Saturday morning. Team officials indicated that there were no plans for Smith to drive the No. 24 car in final Sprint Cup practice, but that he would sit in the car to get his bearings in case he were needed.

"I’ve tested with those guys on quite a few different occasions over the offseason, and I told them whatever they need, I’m there for them," Smith said after Coors Light Pole Qualifying for the Nationwide Series. "Obviously, it’s a great race car, great team and the main thing is going to be Jeff making sure he’s healthy for whatever he needs to do the rest of the year."

But the plan remains for Gordon to be behind the wheel. "Our plan right now is for Jeff to come here, get in the car, start the 600 and finish it and win it. That’s what we’re going to try to do," the crew chief said.

"I think he’s extremely tough, and he’s extremely dedicated. He’s very competitive, and it’s difficult anytime to not be able to do your job based on physical requirements or something that’s personal. And I know that’s not easy for him, but I know tomorrow he’ll do anything he can to get it in go. These guys go through a lot physically, and he’s done it over a long period of time. His body’s taken a toll. It’s amazing that he’s in as good a shape as he’s in, and is in good a condition as he’s in week in and week out, and I’m sure he’ll fight through this the best he can."

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView
Posted on by

Team, driver will always shared cherished memory of Daytona 500 upset win

MORE: Bayne to drive in Sprint Cup in Roush in 2015
RELATED: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live | Sign up for RaceView today

CONCORD, N.C. — Trevor Bayne and the Wood Brothers will always have the Daytona 500.

"I was actually standing beside the trailer talking to them, and they pointed up at the Daytona 500 sticker and said, ‘That’s one thing that will never change. You got your first one here. I don’t care if you get 25 more, this was your first one, and we’re so glad to be a part of it,’" Bayne said Saturday morning. "Just to have that almost family-like support from them is incredible."

And indeed, that magical 2011 victory in the Great American Race will long define Bayne’s tenure with the No. 21, which will end after this season. The 23-year-old announced at Charlotte Motor Speedway that he will move to the Sprint Cup Series full-time next season with Roush Fenway Racing, which will revive its flagship No. 6 program and field a car backed by AdvoCare.

It all portends a bittersweet parting between Bayne and the Woods, who have raced together on a part-time basis since late 2010. Wood Brothers Racing co-owner Eddie Wood said the team would complete its 12-race 2014 schedule with Bayne, which includes Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. In the meantime it will consult with longtime partner Ford Motor Co. as well as sponsors Motorcraft and Quick Lane on a replacement for Bayne in 2015.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

"We haven’t started on any of that stuff yet. We’ll get into that later," Wood said. "We’ll run the rest of the year with Trevor, like we’d planned. That won’t change. We’ll figure it out later."

Although Bayne has been in the seat of the No. 21 since his Sprint Cup debut in 2010, he’s always been under contract to Roush, often running concurrent Nationwide Series campaigns in Roush Fenway equipment as he is this season. Asked Saturday if he’d like to see another of his young drivers in the Wood Brothers car next season, Jack Roush said he’d leave that decision up to the No. 21 team and support it either way.

"I’m not privy to all the discussions they have going on," Roush said. "Certainly, we’ve got two rookies that would be candidates for a part-time Cup program, if that suits their purpose. But they’re part of the Ford family, and now that Penske is part of the Ford family, in addition to the other Ford teams out there, I’m sure that Ford and Motorcraft and Wood brothers will look though the entire group of rookie drivers that are coming up that are available to them. If they come to the decision it’s one of our rookies, fine. If not, we’ll support them as we always have."

The Ford connection would seem to leave several possibilities for the Woods, from Roush Fenway Nationwide rookies Chris Buescher and Ryan Reed to Team Penske part-time Nationwide driver Ryan Blaney.

"I like and I think they like the idea of taking young drivers and helping give them some experience in the Cup," said Roush president Steve Newmark. "I’m sure Ford and the Wood Brothers will look at all their options, and they will have them, because I know in the past we’ve even had veteran drivers reach out to them. If you look at how they’ve evolved over the last couple of years, they’ve focused on assisting the overall Ford camp. It’s actually been a lot of fun to watch, to see the cohesion between all the Ford teams."

But those decisions are still to come. "We’ll be talking with our sponsors … and see what they want to do, what they have in mind," Wood said. "But this is all kind of brand new. We’ll figure it out. It’s all good."

In the meantime the team readies for its final eight races with Bayne, whose Daytona 500 victory is one of three top-10 finishes he’s posted in the No. 21 car. Both sides understood going in that the relationship was for a limited time, given that Bayne’s stated career goal was always to race Sprint Cup cars full-time for Roush. That took longer than Bayne envisioned, allowing him to foster a tighter relationship with the Woods.

"We knew going in, when Trevor drove those first few races for us that he was actually Jack’s driver," Wood said. "It just worked out for us that he could drive for us, and we just hoped it could last as long as it could. We were fortunate it lasted as long as it did. I’m happy for Trevor. He’s going to get to run all the races. It’s working out. I’m happy for him."

Bayne said at the announcement that if he looked a little teary-eyed, it was because he had just come from the No. 21 truck and breaking the news to Wood Brothers co-owners Eddie and Len Wood.

"It’s been such a ride with the 21 guys," Bayne said. "They’ve become part of the family, and I’ve become part of their family. You think about the history we’ve had together over the last three or four years, and it’s always hard to make a change. But this is such a great change. Really, just their support is what made me almost want to tear up, because they were telling me how much they’re behind me and how much they appreciate what I’ve done."

Standing above it all, though, is Bayne’s Daytona 500 victory, which was the Woods’ first win at NASCAR’s top level since Elliott Sadler prevailed at Bristol in 2001.

"The Daytona victory will be something that will probably be the biggest moment in our lives and his," Eddie Wood said. "I don’t think either one of us will ever top that — the way it all happened, just like it was meant to be. Racing with Trevor is always fun. It’s upbeat. It’s always that way. Trevor is what you see. There’s no other agenda. Trevor loves to race. He’s just a good kid. He’s what you want. I’m just happy for him."



MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView
Posted on by

Twenty-one-year-old shows poise, control in taking History 300

RELATED: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live

CONCORD, N.C. — Once Kyle Larson made a breathtaking pass for the lead just past the midpoint of Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the outome was all but decided.

Larson led the last 56 laps and 82 of the last 83 to win for the first time at Charlotte, the second time this season and the second time in 43 starts in the series.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

Larson passed Brad Keselowski in traffic on Lap 118 and stayed out front the rest of the way, save for one circuit during a cycle of green-flag pit stops that ran from Lap 140 through Lap 144. Ultimately, Keselowski finished second after a heated late-race battle against polesitter Kyle Busch for that position.

“It was about perfect for us,” Larson said of his afternoon at the track. “It was nice looking in the rear-view mirror and seeing them get smaller and smaller each lap. It’s not very often that you see the 22 (Keselowski) and the 54 (Busch) get smaller in your mirror. 

“So it just shows how great of a car we had. The pit crew did an awesome job every stop we had. We had a great green-flag stop, too, so hats off to everyone on the team for making this win possible.” 

Busch held third, followed by Kevin Harvick and Brian Scott. Matt Kenseth, Regan Smith, Trevor Bayne, Chris Buescher and Ty Dillon completed the top 10. 

With Chase Elliott running over debris and hitting the wall on Lap 87, leading to a 37th-place result, Smith took over the series lead by five points over Elliott Sadler, who came home 12th, the last driver on the lead lap. 

Elliott dropped to third in the standings, 28 points behind his JR Motorsports teammate. 

“Kyle and I had a great race — Kyle Busch,” Keselowski said. “Kyle Larson was just gone. He was pretty fast, just little bit better than us both in the corners and the straights… We need a little bit more, but we we’re running good, we’ve got a lot to be proud of, and we’ll move on.”

Busch fought a loose handling condition for most of the race and summed up his run succinctly. 

“I was wrecking loose all day — just trying to hang on,“ Busch said, whose car was transported back to the Joe Gibbs Racing shop for repairs after hitting the wall in Thursday’s practice. “I was lucky to finish.” 

In heavy traffic, Larson whipped past Keselowski on Lap 118, holding his No. 42 Chevrolet wide open in spectacular fashion through Turns 3 and 4 as Keselowski’s Ford was blocked by lapped cars in the lower lanes. 

“I thought, if I could catch Brad in a bad spot in traffic, I could use it (the high line) to my advantage, and that’s kind of what happened,” Larson said. “I saw a lot of lapped traffic ahead of us, and he had yet to try the top, or as high as I was going. 

“He got kind of hung up behind them, and I had a clear lane up above. It may not have looked that clear on TV, but there was quite a bit of room up there for me. It was a pretty awesome move… That was kind of the move of the race.”

With Keselowski saving fuel during the latter stages of the long green-flag run, Larson opened an advantage of nearly four seconds, but Keselowski whittled three seconds off the margin by pitting under green on Lap 141, two laps earlier than Larson.

On fresh tires, Larson stretched his lead back to more than two seconds before NASCAR called a caution on Lap 169 for debris in Turn 3. All lead-lap cars came to pit road for four tires on Lap 171, with Larson retaining the top spot, trailed by Harvick (who gained one position), Keselowski and Busch (who picked up two spots on the exchange of pit stops).

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView
Posted on by Staff Report

Three years after losing left leg in Afghanistan, Dwyer wins race in home state

On May 22, 2011, U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Liam Dwyer was clearing a compound in Afghanistan when he stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (I.E.D.) and lost his left leg.

Two days after the three-year anniversary, Staff Sgt. Dwyer — who drives with a custom-made prosthesis that begins above his left knee — joined co-driver Tom Long in winning the two-hour, 30-minute IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race at Lime Rock in a Mazda MX-5 prepared by Freedom Autosport.

"Home track, Memorial Day, my Alive Day … surreal does not describe the jubilation I’m feeling right now."

—U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Liam Dwyer on winning IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race at Lime Rock Park

When military members narrowly escape a fatal injury, they refer to the day as their Alive Day. On Saturday, the Waterbury, Connecticut native celebrated his Alive Day in Victory Lane at his home track.
 
"Home track, Memorial Day, my Alive Day … surreal does not describe the jubilation I’m feeling right now," said Staff Sgt. Dwyer, who grew up in nearby Litchfield, Conn.

"Memorial Day is not a day that I take lightly. I know exactly what it means to myself and to my fellow service members. To be here in Connecticut, at Lime Rock, at my home track, a place I’ve camped at before … I can’t explain how awesome this feels right now."

After racing at the amateur level, Staff Sgt. Dwyer made his professional debut in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge on May 3 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Behind the wheel, he keeps contact with the clutch pedal via a bracket and Velcro strap, enabling him to race without needing any hand controls or additional modifications.
 
In addition to losing his left leg, Staff Sgt. Dwyer suffered severe injuries to his other limbs and took shrapnel to his abdomen and torso. Four other Marines were also injured in the explosion. Still active in the military, Staff Sgt. Dwyer undergoes up to five hours of rehab a day at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
 
"I was told by a therapist at Walter Reed that I wouldn’t be able to drive a stick-shift again, so obviously that leads into racing," Staff Sgt. Dwyer said. "I’ve had therapists there at the hospital that have driven me and have pushed me. I’ve had great people around me that have supported me."
 
"Mazda took me right under their wing. Two years ago, I met them. Freedom Autosport, they’re the guys I met two years ago that are giving me this opportunity. They’re the guys that are guiding me, and they’re the guys that are giving me the confidence to get out here and do this."

Freedom Autosport is so named because of its support for the U.S. armed forces. The team is a dedicated contributor to the Wounded Support Fund, which benefits wounded Marines and sailors in need upon return from Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Dwyer joined the Marines in October of 2000, inspired by the bombing of U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole. After boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina in January of 2001, he was deployed to Iraq. As the turret gunner of a Humvee, Staff Sgt. Dwyer was hit by an I.E.D., and the left side of his body was peppered with shrapnel.

(Center) Tom Long and Staff Sgt. Liam Dwyer celebrate Street Tuner class win at Lime Rock Park. (Left) Stevan McAleer and Chad McCumbee finished second. (Right) Tyler McQuarrie and Marc Miller finished third.

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView
Posted on by Staff Report

After sweeping Charlotte races in 2013, qualifying has Busch’s eyes set on third straight

RELATED: History 300 lineup

Kyle Busch‘s No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was dominant in Nationwide Series qualifying, sweeping all three rounds ahead of Saturday’s History 300 (2:45 p.m. ET, ABC) at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch will lead the field to green in the event after topping out at 183.094 mph in the final round of group qualifying. He paced the first two rounds of qualifying, leading the first session at 180.832 mph and the improving in the second at a 182.162 mph clip. It’s his second career Nationwide pole at Charlotte, where he has eight career victories — the most at any track in his NNS career. He swept both races last year.

Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski will start alongside Busch on front row after pulling his lap at a 182.655 mph best speed. Kyle Larson (182.199 mph) and Dylan Kwasniewski (181.788 mph) will fill out Row 2, while Kevin Harvick (181.543 mph) and Brian Scott (180.898 mph) will start on Row 3.

Points leader Chase Elliott (179.892 mph) will start ninth.

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView
Posted on by Staff Report

See where drivers will pit for the History 300

RELATED: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live

The pit stall assignments are out for Saturday’s History 300 (2:45 p.m. ET, ABC) at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

Polesitter Kyle Busch has chosen the pit stall closest to the exit on pit road. Busch has eight Nationwide Series wins at Charlotte, including victories in the last two Nationwide races at the 1.5-mile track. Busch has no one in front of him on pit road.

Brad Keselowski, who will start on the front row next to Busch, also has an pit stall with an opening in front of it. Regan Smith, Matt Kenseth and Chris Buescher also have the same luxury.

Brendan Gaughan chose the pit stall closest to the pit road entrance.

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView
Posted on by Staff Report

Busch tops charts but wrecks in final practice; will switch to backup car

RELATED: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live | Sign up for RaceView today

Saturday’s First Practice | Results

Still in search of his first Charlotte Motor Speedway victory, Carl Edwards might have the car that’ll finally bring him to Victory Lane at the 1.5-mile track, as the No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford topped the leaderboard in Saturday’s early practice.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

Edwards’ quick run with a best speed on 192.802 mph, notched on his first of 22 laps, extends a good morning for Roush after the organization kicked off the day by announcing that Trevor Bayne would be in the No. 6 Sprint Cup Series ride full-time in 2015.

JTG Daugherty Racing’s AJ Allmendinger was next on the charts at 192.383 mph, followed by Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. (192.280 mph), Hendrick Motorsports driver and six-time champion Jimmie Johnson (192.260 mph) and Team Penske‘s 2012 champion Brad Keselowski (192.109 mph). All drivers in the top five posted their best time on their first lap.

Johnson is Coors Light Pole Award winner and will lead the field to green in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX).

Series points leader Jeff Gordon — who won the last points-paying race at Kansas Speedway two weeks ago — was sixth on the charts at 191.659 mph, achieved on his fourth lap. Kyle Busch ran 37 laps and pulled into the garage seventh at 191.618 mph.

Kyle Larson (191.083 mph) was the fastest rookie at 12th.

Defending race-winner Kevin Harvick was 19th at 190.443 mph in new Stewart-Haas Racing ride. Sprint All-Star Race winner Jamie McMurray was 23rd at 189.633 mph.

Final practice | Results

On his first lap around Charlotte Motor Speedway in Saturday’s final practice for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX), Kyle Busch set the pace at 188.640 mph.

On his second, his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was sent careening into the wall, forcing him to a backup car and the back of the pack for the start of tomorrow night’s race. He qualified seventh.

Joey Logano was second fastest, pulling into the garage with 31 laps under his belt and a best speed of 188.265 mph. Danica Patrick, who qualified fourth, was third at 187.846 mph.

Greg Biffle (187.663 mph) and Coors Light Pole Award winner Jimmie Johnson (187.656 mph) rounded out the top five, while defending race-winner Kevin Harvick (187.428 mph was sixth.

Carl Edwards, who was fastest in the earlier session on Saturday, was seventh at 187.422 mph.

Kyle Larson was again the fastest rookie at 186.541 mph.

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView
Posted on by Zack Albert

2011 Daytona 500 champion to move up full time to Sprint Cup in 2015

MORE: Woods prepare to say goodbye to Bayne
RELATED: Roush Fenway Racing page | Play NASCAR Fantasy Live | Sign up for RaceView today

CONCORD, N.C. — Roush Fenway Racing carries some uncertainty into 2015 with Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards both in contract years. Saturday morning, the longtime Ford team took a step toward securing its future while resurrecting a storied tradition from the past.
 
Roush Fenway announced that former Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne will be promoted to a full-time ride in stock-car racing’s top division for the 2015 season. In doing so, the team will bring back the No. 6 that adorned Jack Roush’s cars when he first broke into NASCAR in 1988.
 
Bayne, who currently drives Roush’s No. 6 full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, initially connected with the team in the fall of 2010 and began a part-time Sprint Cup schedule with the Roush Fenway-affiliated Wood Brothers team the following season. Saturday, he made a large jump in his career path, a move he called "the biggest news I’ve ever had in my life."

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

"We’ve been through a lot of ups-and-downs, but he and his organization from day one has said our goal was to get to Sprint Cup," said Bayne, who will carry his current AdvoCare sponsorship to the next level. "We always wondered when that day was gonna be. There were times when it felt like things were moving really fast and times where we had to really bite down and be patient, but one thing has stayed constant and that’s Jack … and everybody else at Roush Fenway Racing that have been committed to me and my career."
 
The move signals a potential expansion to a four-car Roush Fenway stable that currently includes veterans Biffle and Edwards and second-year driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. But with two star drivers in the final years of their contracts, Roush hesitated to say for certain whether he would reach the NASCAR-mandated four-car maximum.
 
"Our plans for 2015 are still in a state of flux," Roush said. "Certainly the fact we’ve taken the No. 6 indicates that we have our plans open for a fourth car, but it’s still in a state of flux. We’ll have more to announce on that later."
 
Roush Fenway president Steve Newmark echoed his boss’ thoughts, declining to have the negotiations play out in public.
 
"They are two of the most high-profile guys that have been with us for a long time," Newmark said, "but the way that we do business — and we’ve made the commitment to our drivers and we’ve always done it this way — is that the contract negotiations go on behind closed doors and there’s no merit for us either way to do that out in the media. So my hope is that we’ll have something on both of those in the near future."
 
Bayne, 23, has two career Nationwide victories and currently ranks fifth in the Nationwide standings. Though 2015 will mark his first full Sprint Cup season, he’s hardly a rookie. In just his second Sprint Cup start, Bayne claimed a Daytona 500 victory driving the Woods’ famed No. 21 Ford. He has a total of 50 starts in NASCAR’s highest division.
 
While Wood Brothers team officials indicated that Bayne would complete the rest of his part-time 2014 slate in the No. 21, Newmark hinted that he and general manager Robbie Reiser would likely try to get an early start on Bayne’s No. 6 program toward the end of the year.
 
"I have a suspicion that Robbie will be in my office early next week, saying ‘all right, how many races are we going to run at the end of the year to prep him,’ " Newmark said. "Now the nice thing is from the Trevor perspective, is that unlike some of the other drivers, like Ricky when he came up, is that Trevor’s gotten a lot of experience in Cup. … There’s not the same necessity to do that to give Trevor experience because he’s been on the track with the Cup cars — in fact, he’s been running pretty well with them — but I still think that you’ll see us try to position something where you’ll see the 6 roll out the latter part of this year."
 
When the car number does return to the Sprint Cup fold, it will be the first time since Stenhouse piloted a No. 6 Roush Fenway car in his initial big-league starts in 2012. Mark Martin was most synonymous with the number, achieving 35 of his 40 victories in the No. 6.
 
Stenhouse inherited the team’s No. 17 when Matt Kenseth left the team, but Roush said the importance of the No. 6 pervaded the organization even in its absence from the track.
 
"I remember when I started with Mark Martin in 1988 and NASCAR gave us the No. 6," Roush said. "Of course, we had trials and tribulations, we were up-and-down that year and actually won our first race in 1989.  I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it, but as we’ve gone through the years — 26 years this fall — this No. 6 DNA has worked its way throughout the organization. It’s been really great to think about getting the No. 6 back on the track."
 
While the driver lineup may be limbo, a full year of sponsorship has been confirmed for AdvoCare, a health, wellness and nutrition company based in Plano, Texas. AdvoCare becomes one of just a handful of full-time Sprint Cup sponsors in the face of a challenging economic climate.
 
"We’re excited about running for a championship this year in Nationwide and enjoying the rest of this season, but we’re really excited about going to Sprint Cup next year," said Mike Vaught, AdvoCare’s director of sponsorships. "It will be a great branding opportunity for our company and we can’t wait to get to that point."

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView
Posted on by Nascar

Reigning champ has yet to fully adjust to new, tighter setup rules package

RELATED: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live | Sign up for RaceView today

CONCORD, N.C. — It’s not his best chance at victory, merely his next best chance at victory.

Jimmie Johnson doesn’t need any reminders. He knows his Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet has failed to make its way into the winner’s circle this season, an unusual occurrence for a driver and team that have won six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, including five in a row from 2006-10.

He also knows that during many of those championship runs, Charlotte Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, has been a safe haven of sorts. Six of his 66 career Cup wins have come at the 1.5-mile facility, including three in the 400-lap endurance contest held on the eve of the Memorial Day holiday.

His average finishing position of 11.6 at CMS isn’t one of his best — but that’s more of a sign of how incredibly strong he has been at other venues. Among his peers, his Charlotte results are third best.

The race may be longer this week, he said, but "it’s not tremendously different anymore.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

"The big thing you need to stay aware of," Johnson said, "is the track changing. That’s the biggest issue that we’ll deal with — starting in the day and finishing late at night.

"I think maybe toward the start of my career we were a little bit worried about equipment and managing equipment. But those all seem to be distant memories now and you can really run every lap like it’s the last."

While the cars may be closer to bulletproof, driver fitness has become more important. That’s one area where Johnson shines. A week earlier, he began his morning by winning his age group in a local triathlon, hours before heading to CMS to compete in the annual Sprint All-Star race.

"Drivers’ fitness and hydration is kind of a player in there … and you might see a little bit of fatigue at the end," Johnson, 38, said. "I feel like I’ve got that base covered if it does come down to that.

"You’ve got a lot of opportunities to work on your car and that’s what I’ll tell myself all night long. If things don’t go our way, if we’re caught in the pits when a caution comes out, or something doesn’t work in our favor, you’ve got 100 more miles to sort things out. A 500-mile race is already long. And now you’ve got 100 more to work on it. You’ve just got to keep your head in the game and focus on being in the game longer."

Offseason rule changes have re-defined chassis setups, which in turn have allowed some teams to get up to speed quicker.

It’s a puzzle Johnson and Knaus have yet to solve, although his previous starts this season haven’t been as bad as one might be led to believe. He enters this week’s race, the 12th of 36, seventh in points.

"Yeah, that’s definitely what we’ve been dealing with," Johnson said when asked if the tighter set-ups have proven problematic.

"We develop a balance of a car in practice by ourselves in single car runs; and then in traffic situations (we) find that balance is just too uncomfortable to drive. So we’re trying to trade off single-car speed versus how the car handles in traffic.

"I do like a loose race car … and yes, I’m not the best driver of a tight race car. A lot of tools have been taken away from us to help the car turn. So it’s something that I’m trying to adapt to and sort out.

"There are always different challenges in this sport and I know that we’ll get it."

Whether that takes place this weekend or not remains to be seen. But for now, Johnson clearly likes his chances.

For the first time this year, he will start from the pole, having raced his way to the top spot on Thursday with a final-session lap of 194.911 mph.

Alongside will be Team Penske‘s Brad Keselowski, the 2012 Cup champion. Hendrick teammate Kasey Kahne, Stewart-Haas Racing‘s Danica Patrick and Clint Bowyer of Michael Waltrip Racing will start third through fifth.

Points leader Jeff Gordon, ailing from back spasms on Saturday, chose to sit out the day’s final practice, and will begin his quest for a sixth Charlotte victory from the 27th starting spot.

Defending race winner Kevin Harvick will start 11th.

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView