Tests will take place at a wide variety of tracks

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Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company has set six springtime test dates for its NASCAR racing program.

The tests will take place at Sonoma Raceway, Michigan International Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Kentucky Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway. There is more info below on the dates and specific teams taking part in those tests.

"The tracks we currently have on the test schedule cover a variety of conditions. A couple of ovals that have been repaved recently, a couple that have not been paved in awhile, both asphalt and concrete surfaces and a road course," Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of race tire sales said in a release.

"We have a multitude of goals at these upcoming tests, including keeping up with changing track surfaces and staying in tune with NASCAR and the teams on car development under the 2014 rules package. Further expansion of our multi-zone technology will be an element for evaluation at several of these tests. As always, our primary focus will be to come out of these tests with a durable race package while giving teams the appropriate amount of grip."

Testing information:

Sonoma Raceway
Testing dates: March 25-26.
Teams scheduled to participate: No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota.

Michigan International Speedway
Testing dates: April 8-9.
Teams scheduled to participate: No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford, No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Kansas Speedway
Testing date: April 14.
Teams scheduled to participate: Specific teams TBD, but it will be one team per organization.

Dover International Speedway
Testing dates: May 6-7.
Teams scheduled to participate: No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, Chevrolet team TBD, as well as teams from the Nationwide, Camping World Truck and K&N Series.

Kentucky Speedway
Testing dates: May 20-21.
Teams scheduled to participate: Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series lineup TBD.

Chicagoland Speedway
Testing dates: June 10-11.
Teams scheduled to participate: TBD.

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Conley showed good speed in Friday’s practice sessions

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BRISTOL, Tenn. – Cale Conley, who has made 32 starts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, will attempt to make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The 21-year-old, a native of Vienna, W.Va., will pilot the No. 33 Chevrolet fielded by Richard Childress Racing.

Qualifying for the Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 presented by Lilly Diabetes is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. ET Saturday at the 0.533-mile track.

"We raced here last year (in the K&N Series), didn’t do as well as we wanted but … we finished," Conley said Friday at BMS.

"I learned that you’ve got a whole race here, and even if you go a lap down – at one point I think I went two laps down because I was in a backup car and it wasn’t quite ready – we ended up finishing 13th and on the lead lap after starting last. 

"So you can really chip away at it here, but you’ve got to keep your head up and stay aggressive. That’s for the K&N race. I don’t know … this (Nationwide effort) will be a whole new learning experience I’m sure."

Conley competed for his family-owned team in 2013, earning four top-five finishes and finishing 12th in points. He said he tested with RCR earlier this week at Nashville in preparation for this weekend’s race.

Nick Harrison will serve as crew chief. Camping World Truck Series regular Matt Crafton drove for the team last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, finishing 12th. 

"Overwhelming is the easy way to put it," Conley said of the transition to the Nationwide Series and the Bristol opportunity. "There’s so much newness to all of this … it’s going to make for some great memories some day. Hopefully I’m here for a long time, but this one will never be forgettable."

Because the team is outside the top 30 in owner points (it is currently 31st), Conley will have to qualify for the race based on speed. He was fifth fastest in Friday’s opening practice and 18th in the afternoon session.

Although he has competed in open-wheel (USAC and World of Outlaws), Conley said getting to NASCAR remains the focus. 

"Last year I turned 21; age-wise it’s time to get up there and start racing," he said. "We started looking at different options – what kind of things were going to be possible for us to try and get into that next level? 

"Through all the connections and the relationships we made in that search, this deal started to evolve. Six or seven days later it was a done deal and here we are. 

"I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this organization and learn what everybody here has to plug into my head and teach me. It’s been a pretty good ride so far."

And if he makes Saturday’s lineup?

"I just want to come out of here with a smile, and just learn as much as I can," he said. "I’d love to leave with my chin up high. I don’t want to lose any confidence.

"Stay strong and confident and roll through the weekend … get through this and stay focused for the next one. And hopefully come out with best result possible."

According to RCR officials, Conley will also be in the No. 33 when the Nationwide Series heads to Darlington Raceway in early April.  

Should he qualify, he would become the first RCR driver to make his NNS debut at Bristol.

RCR fields fulltime NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams for drivers Austin Dillon, Paul Menard and Ryan Newman, as well as Nationwide series teams for Ty Dillon, Brendan Gaughan and Brian Scott.

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Crafton on standby for Menard at Bristol, Kenseth has backups ready for Fontana

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BRISTOL, Tenn. — Matt Kenseth says he has Sam Hornish Jr. and Jeff Burton waiting in the wings for next weekend’s action at Auto Club Speedway.

Officials with Richard Childress Racing and driver Paul Menard will likely lean on Matt Crafton once again should the need arise this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Both Kenseth and Menard are expecting additions to their respective families, and contingency plans have been put in place should the need to head to the hospital arise.

Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series teams are competing this weekend at BMS.

Last weekend at Las Vegas, Kenseth, driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota, joked that he simply instructed wife Katie to "wait until Monday" before giving birth to the couple’s third child. 

Friday morning at BMS, Kenseth said those plans might have to be scrapped.

"We kind of had to change that around a little bit, because it’s supposed to rain Sunday," Kenseth said Friday at BMS. "She was praying for Monday, so we had to change that to Tuesday if it’s going to be this week."

Told that the forecast wasn’t promising for Monday as well, Kenseth said, "I guess if we can’t race then we can still have her on Monday."

Hornish Jr., second in the Nationwide Series points standings last year, would fill in for Kenseth "in the Nationwide car," for next week’s race at Auto Club Speedway, according to Kenseth.

"And then, although Jeff Burton is not crazy about going to the west coast, he agreed to standby to practice or something if we needed that for a (Cup) session," Kenseth said.

Burton, who retired from full-time Cup competition at the end of the 2013 season, is running a limited schedule for Michael Waltrip Racing.

Crafton was also on standby for Menard last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

It will be the first child for Menard and his wife, Jennifer.

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Kyle Busch is schedule to roll out first in Nationwide Series qualifying

Saturday’s qualifying is scheduled to begin at 10:10 a.m. ET

# Car Driver Team
1 54 Kyle Busch(i) Monster Energy Toyota
2 74 * Kevin Lepage The30-DayFoundation.org Dodge
3 23 * Timmy Hill(i) Lilly Trucking of Virginia Chevrolet
4 46 * Matt Dibenedetto Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet
5 7 Regan Smith TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet
6 67 * Tommy Joe Martins # Cross Concrete Construction Dodge
7 42 Kyle Larson(i) Cartwheel Chevrolet
8 20 Matt Kenseth(i) GameStop / TitanFall Toyota
9 22 Ryan Blaney(i) Discount Tire / SKF Ford
10 52 Joey Gase Chevrolet
11 9 Chase Elliott # NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
12 17 Tanner Berryhill # bwp Bats Dodge
13 33 * Cale Conley(i) OKUMA Chevrolet
14 14 Eric McClure Hefty Ultimate / Reynolds Wrap Toyota
15 2 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet
16 55 * Jamie Dick VIVA Auto Group Chevrolet
17 10 * Blake Koch SupportMilitary.org Toyota
18 60 Chris Buescher # Ford EcoBoost Ford
19 99 James Buescher Rheem Toyota
20 51 Jeremy Clements AllSouthElectric.com Chevrolet
21 13 * Matt Carter Head Rush Clothing Toyota
22 28 Mike Wallace Dodge
23 43 Dakoda Armstrong # Fresh from Florida Ford
24 40 * Josh Wise(i) Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet
25 70 * Derrike Cope CharliesSoap.com Chevrolet
26 01 Landon Cassill teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet
27 44 Will Kimmel Ingersoll Rand Toyota
28 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford
29 3 Ty Dillon # Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet
30 39 Ryan Sieg(i) RSS Racing Chevrolet
31 31 Dylan Kwasniewski # Rockstar Chevrolet
32 19 Mike Bliss TriStar Motorsports Toyota
33 16 Ryan Reed # ADA Drive to Stop Diabetes Ford
34 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
35 11 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Toyota
36 5 Kevin Harvick(i) Armor Vienna Sausages Chevrolet
37 4 Jeffrey Earnhardt Flex Seal Chevrolet
38 93 * Carl Long JGL Racing Dodge
39 76 * Willie Allen Diamond Gusset Jeans Dodge
40 24 Ruben Garcia Be/More Friday Night Tykes Toyota
41 29 * Kelly Admiraal Swan Rentals Toyota
42 87 Joe Nemechek(i) Pettetgrillusa.com / SWM Toyota

* Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is scheduled to roll out first in Sprint Cup Series qualifying

Friday’s qualifying is scheduled to begin at 4:40 p.m. ET

No. Car Driver Team
1 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Nationwide Insurance Ford
2 27 Paul Menard Richmond / Menards Chevrolet
3 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet
4 7 Michael Annett # Pilot / Flying J Chevrolet
5 9 Marcos Ambrose STANLEY Ford
6 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota
7 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard Chevrolet
8 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet
9 99 Carl Edwards Kellogg’s / Frosted Flakes Ford
10 16 Greg Biffle Meguiar’s Ford
11 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford
12 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford
13 23 Alex Bowman # Dr Pepper Toyota
14 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet
15 31 Ryan Newman Quicken Loans Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge Chevrolet
16 47 AJ Allmendinger Bush’s Grillin’ Beans Chevrolet
17 35 David Reutimann MDS Transport Ford
18 24 Jeff Gordon Axalta Chevrolet
19 38 David Gilliland Long John Silver’s Ford
20 20 Matt Kenseth Home Depot / Husky Toyota
21 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford
22 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Chevrolet
23 40 Landon Cassill(i) CRC Brakleen Chevrolet
24 55 Brian Vickers Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
25 95 Michael McDowell K-Love Ford
26 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
27 77 Dave Blaney Ford
28 83 Ryan Truex # Borla Exhaust Toyota
29 66 Joe Nemechek(i) Land Castle Title Toyota
30 26 Cole Whitt # GEAR Speed Stick Toyota
31 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy – Get Found Chevrolet
32 48 Jimmie Johnson Kobalt Tools Chevrolet
33 51 Justin Allgaier # SEM Products Chevrolet
34 34 David Ragan Dockside Logistics Ford
35 3 Austin Dillon # Bad Boy Buggies / Realtree Chevrolet
36 36 Reed Sorenson Chevrolet
37 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s Chevrolet
38 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota
39 32 Travis Kvapil AskMore-GetMore.com Ford
40 33 Timmy Hill LittleJoesAutos.com Chevrolet
41 30 Parker Kligerman # Swan Energy Toyota
42 18 Kyle Busch Skittles Toyota
43 42 Kyle Larson # Target Chevrolet
44 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
45 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Chevrolet

* Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series, # rookie

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Elliott leads all rookies in the Nationwide Series, currently standing in fifth place

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Over the first three races of the 2014 season, NASCAR Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Chase Elliott has continued to make progress.

In the season-opening race at Daytona, the 18-year-old son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Bill Elliott, finished a respectable 15th. The following week he notched his first top 10 in the series, coming home ninth at Phoenix. Then last week, the younger Elliott posted his first top-five finish at Las Vegas, when he placed fifth.

If Elliott is able to continue his upward trajectory, its feasible that he could be celebrating in Victory Lane following Saturday’s Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 presented by Lilly Diabetes (2 p.m. ET on ESPN2) in his inaugural series visit to Bristol Motor Speedway.

"It’s going to be important to learn as much as we can to help build that notebook for the fall," Elliott said. "The past two races, my NAPA AUTO PARTS team has been getting into a nice rhythm and we want to build on our fifth-place finish at Vegas this weekend in Bristol."

Prior to this weekend, Elliott has competed at the .533-mile short track three times, including the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event in August 2013 where he finished fifth. He placed 10th in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race in 2012. In his first race at the track — in the X-1R Pro Cup Series — Elliott came home with a fifth-place showing.

He is currently fifth in the standings, only 14 points behind leader Regan Smith. In the rookie race, Elliott leads all rookies with Ty Dillon in second (-four).

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Numbers prove Rowdy’s success at Thunder Valley

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Dominance. In the annals of sports lore, what constitutes a feat of pure dominance?

How about when New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen threw the only perfect game in World Series history against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956 … the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team dominated the college ranks in the 1960s, losing only twice in four years … the Miami Dolphins put together a perfect 17-0 season that ended with a Super Bowl victory … the 1992 U.S. Olympics basketball "Dream Team" steamrolled the competition on their way to the gold medal in Barcelona, Spain … the 1985-86 Boston Celtics went 40-1 in home games en route to the NBA title.

All of these are fine examples, but when it comes to NASCAR and today’s drivers and race tracks, there is no better pairing than Kyle Busch and Bristol Motor Speedway.

While Busch doesn’t have the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories at the .533-mile track nestled in the mountains of Northeast Tennessee — that honor belongs to NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip with 12 — it is easy to see why he’ll be a favorite to win Sunday’s Food City 500 (1 p.m. ET on FOX).

"When they changed the track starting at the end of 2007, I just really took to it right away," said Busch, who has a record 15 victories at Bristol across all three of NASCAR’s national series. "I really liked it and I’ve been fast there, but also I’ve had great race cars from Joe Gibbs Racing. 

"It’s just a fun race track no matter what series I’m running there." 

In 18 starts in NASCAR’s premier series at Bristol, Busch has compiled five wins, eight top-fives, 12 top-10s and 1,431 laps led. The victories and laps led are personal bests for the Las Vegas native. Kurt Busch (Kyle’s older brother) and Jeff Gordon are the only other two active drivers with five wins at the track. 

The younger Busch has a series-best Driver Rating of 101.8, and series-highs in most laps led (1,431) and fastest laps (585). 

Since 2006, he has finished outside the top 20 only once — a 32nd-place finish in March 2012. Over the past nine years, his average finish at the track is 9.9. His average since the track was repaved following the 2007 season is 8.1.

His first Bristol win came March 2007 in a green-white-checkered finish. He followed that up with a Bristol sweep in 2009. His last two wins at the track came in August 2010 and March 2011. Since his last win, he has two top-six finishes, including a runner-up performance in the March 2013 event.

In the first three races of 2014, Busch has eclipsed the 100 Driver Rating figure and collected fastest laps run in each; however, he only has one top-10 finish to show for his efforts – a ninth at Phoenix. He finished 19th at Daytona and 11th last weekend in his hometown. He’s currently 10th in the standings, 38 points behind leader Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Busch is approaching a major series milestone, one that could come this Sunday. If he leads 140 or more laps — an accomplishment he’s achieved four times at Bristol, most recently in March 2011 — he will become the 15th driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history to lead 10,000 laps.

In August 2010, Busch pulled off the rare hat trick by becoming the first driver in NASCAR history to win all three national series events at the same track. Rightfully so, it’s his most memorable moment at the track.

"We won the Truck race on Wednesday night, backed it up with Nationwide race Friday and took home the Cup race on Saturday night," Busch said. "It’s something that’s never been done in the 16 years there have been three series and it hasn’t been done in the four years since I did it. There could be a chance for me to do it again." 

Busch’s Bristol success extends beyond the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He’s visited Victory Lane six times in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and four times in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

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Seven-time winner at Track to Tough Too Tame, sponsor meet fans, donate to food bank

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In advance of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon visited the "Track Too Tough to Tame" and a local food bank on Thursday

Gordon greeted and thanked fans who purchased the track’s AARP Drive to End Hunger ticket package. Some of the nearly 100 fans in attendance waited over 12 hours to purchase the AARP package, which will include a race-day question-and-answer session with Gordon. The seven-time Darlington winner also took one fan, Clea Smith of Rockingham, N.C., for a pace-car ride around the 1.333-mile egg-shaped oval.

"It was great to see all the fans show up today and support Darlington Raceway. It was a really fun event," Gordon said. "Darlington [Raceway] is one of my favorite tracks. I always enjoy this place and have had a lot of success here in my career. I’m excited to come back here in a few weeks and hopefully get another Bojangles’ Southern 500 victory."

Gordon also visited The Lord Cares, a local food bank in Darlington. The AARP Foundation, sponsor of his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS, made a $5,000 donation to the organization. Track partner Bojangles’ also donated a truckload of non-perishable food items.

"We can’t thank Jeff Gordon, the AARP Foundation, Darlington Raceway and Bojangles’ enough for what they did for our food bank," said Kevin Cauley, president of the board for The Lord Cares. "I can’t express how much his visit meant to us and the volunteers that put in so much time to make this food bank a success."

The AARP Foundation will benefit from every AARP Drive to End Hunger ticket package sold with a $10 donation for every $89 package sold. In addition to the Q&A with Gordon in the driver’s meeting tent on April 12, fans will get a Pearson grandstand ticket and a scanner rental.

Packages can still be purchased by calling 866-459-7223 or by visiting DarlingtonRaceway.com.
 
"This was a great event that accomplished many of our goals as a racetrack," Darlington Raceway President Chip Wile said. "We always enjoy putting events like this together which gets our great fans excited about Darlington Raceway and gives us an opportunity to reinvest in our local community. I would also to thank our great partner Bojangles’ for continuing to support all of the events at our great raceway."

Photo credit: Harrelson Photography / The AARP Foundation’s donation to The Lord Cares food bank in Darlington, S.C. From left to right: The Lord Cares president of the board Kevin Cauley, Jeff Gordon, Chip Wile and the Lady in Black Kaitlyn Bailey.

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This marks the fourth consecutive year for the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks event

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Dover International Speedway announced Thursday that the Autism Speaks foundation will return as a presenting sponsor for its upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race June 1.

The agreement marks the fourth straight year for the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks event and the eighth straight year for the partnership between the Monster Mile and the charitable organization. 

Through the collaboration, the track will offer special Autism Speaks Day at the Races tickets in a sensory friendly area for families affected by autism.

Denny Hamlin won the Coors Light Pole Award for the race last season, driving a No. 11 Joe GibbsRacing Toyota with a special Autism Speaks paint scheme.

Drivers in all three NASCAR national series in the tripleheader weekend again will help to raiseawareness with Autism Speaks decals on their vehicles; 66 drivers participated in the campaign last season.

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Kenseth’s wife, Katie, expecting couple’s third child soon

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth has contingency plans in place for next weekend’s races at Auto Club Speedway as he and his wife, Katie, await the birth of their third child.

Kenseth told the Motor Racing Network during an event Wednesday at Martinsville Speedway that, if he needed to leave the track, Jeff Burton would be on standby for the Sprint Cup event. Sam Hornish Jr. would be his fill-in driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Katie Kenseth is expecting the birth of the couple’s third daughter in about two weeks. During media availabilities last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Matt Kenseth quipped about how he would avoid needing a replacement driver: "I just told her to have it on Monday," he said.

Burton, a veteran with 21 Sprint Cup wins in more than 20 years of racing, is competing on a part-time basis this season for Michael Waltrip Racing before making the transition to the broadcast booth with NBC Sports in 2015. Burton and Kenseth are former teammates, having both raced together for Roush Fenway Racing.

Hornish, last year’s runner-up in the Nationwide Series, has a part-time schedule for Joe Gibbs Racing, driving in select races to spell Kyle Busch in the No. 54 Toyota. Kenseth is scheduled for part-time duty this season in JGR’s No. 20 entry in the Nationwide Series.

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