NASCAR Digital Media records historic day

Posted on February 24, 2014 by NASCAR Official Release

Fans flock to NASCAR’s second screen platforms to stay up to speed with Daytona 500

Daytona Beach, Fla. (Feb., 24, 2014) — A rain delay during the 56th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday — not to mention a second win in the Great American Race by NASCAR’s 11-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. — had fans flocking to NASCAR’s second screen products in huge numbers for updates and exclusive content. The heavy traffic resulted in record numbers for NASCAR Digital Media’s platforms since the sanctioning body regained control of its digital rights in 2013.

The combined year-over-year (YOY) increases in traffic on NASCAR.com, NASCAR Mobile, NASCAR RACEVIEW MOBILE and NASCAR’s mobile website during the Daytona 500 are as follows:
•    +39% in unique visitors
•    +61% total visits to the platform
•    +25% video views
•    +131% page views

"One of the most important things we learned in year one of the new platform was that more and more people are turning to mobile devices and second screen products to consume NASCAR content," said Colin Smith, managing director, NASCAR Digital Media. "Yesterday’s traffic is indicative of Earnhardt’s popularity as well as a testament to the enhancements we continue to make, both on mobile and NASCAR.com."

In addition, more fans logged onto NASCAR’s digital properties throughout the race weekend, starting with the Thursday’s Budweiser Duel and ending with Sunday’s Daytona 500. The combined increases in traffic to NASCAR.com, NASCAR Mobile, NASCAR RACEVIEW MOBILE and NASCAR’s mobile site from Thursday through Sunday this season compared to the same timeframe last season are as follows:
•    +10% in unique visitors
•    +18% in total visits
•    +44% in video views
•    +72% in page views

Finally, unexpected downtime during the 2014 Daytona 500 encouraged more fans to check NASCAR Mobile for on-track updates. The YOY increase in usage is as follows:
• +51% unique visitors
• +96% total visits

Additional NASCAR Digital Media highlights are as follows:

• NASCAR Digital Media’s platforms served up a total of 37 million page views from Thursday, Feb. 20 through Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, which is a 72% increase over 2013.

• The NASCAR Mobile and NASCAR RACEVIEW MOBILE apps have now recorded 2.9 million total downloads since their launch in 2013.

• Both apps combined received 235,000 new downloads the week of the 2014 Daytona 500.

• Fantasy entries are currently up +25% YOY against 2013.

NASCAR also saw success on the social media front during the 2014 Speedweeks. See below:

• Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014 marked the highest overall single-day social volume since NASCAR launched its Fan & Media Engagement Center (FMEC), up 67% YOY during race.

• The 2014 Daytona 500 generated more than 86,000 social posts for the 15 minutes around the checkered flag, which was the highest peak volume seen so far by FMEC — and up 76% YOY during the same period of last year’s Daytona 500.

• According to Nielsen SocialGuide, a total of 6.55 million people saw 623,000 tweets about the 2014 Daytona 500. On average, each person in the Twitter TV audience saw 10.65 tweets about the race, which is the highest per person average for any sport event on the same day. The 2014 Daytona 500 was the number two daytime sports event for the month of February ranked by Twitter TV audience and had more tweets than any episode of the 2014 Winter Olympics except the opening ceremony.

Tune in to the next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season race at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, March 2 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio™ and NASCAR RACEVIEW MOBILE on your mobile devices. Visit NASCAR.com for additional race day coverage.

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Posted on February 24, 2014 by Staff Report

Moments that changed the course of the Great American Race

DALE EARNHARDT JR. HOLDS OFF DENNY HAMLIN FOR DAYTONA 500 WIN

In a race that started in broad daylight and ended 42 minutes before midnight, and with a swatch of tape covering part of his grille, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the rain-interrupted 56th running of the Daytona 500 Sunday night at Daytona International Speedway.

Earnhardt was a car-length ahead of Denny Hamlin when NASCAR threw the seventh caution of the race a split second before Earnhardt crossed the finish line to win the Great American Race for the second time in his career.

‘BIG ONE’ STRIKES FOLLOWING LENGTHY RAIN DELAY

The intensity climbed in Sunday’s primetime version of the Daytona 500 following nearly a six and a half hour rain delay, which produced some of the best racing of the night, but it also sparked the perfect recipe for the dreaded "big one" at Daytona International Speedway.

After running 99 laps consecutively under the green flag following the red flag, chaos erupted on the frontstretch on Lap 146 when Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick drifted up the track and made contact with Brian Scott, who then made contact with Aric Almirola, which flared a chain-reaction incident that involved 13 cars total.

Including Almirola, Harvick and Scott, were the cars of Justin Allgaier, Marcos Ambrose, polesitter Austin Dillon, David Gilliland, Kasey Kahne, Parker Kligerman, Danica Patrick, Paul Menard, Michael Waltrip and Josh Wise.

Patrick, who led two laps in Sunday’s night "Great American Race," suffered the hardest blow of the casualties, hitting the outside wall hard in her No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet that ultimately resulted in a 35th-place finish. She climbed from her car dejected, but uninjured.

CONTACT BETWEEN RCR TEAMMATES SETS UP FRANTIC FINISH

On Lap 194, contact between Dillon and the No. 31 Chevrolet of RCR teammate Ryan Newman ignited a seven-car wreck in Turn 3 that set up the wild finish. Earnhardt, who was in the lead, ran over the swatch of Bear Bond (tape) from Newman’s car under the yellow and tried in vain to remove the tape by driving within inches of the pace car.

The NASCAR Wire Service contributed to this report.

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Staff Report

With Daytona 500 victory, Dale Earnhardt Jr. likely in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup

MORE:

Official news release | Changes explained | Chase Facts and FAQ | Social buzz | Bracket (PDF)
RELATED: Full coverage of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format changes

Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored his second Daytona 500 victory on a long, soggy Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, securing NASCAR’s biggest race on its grandest stage. But he also likely punched his ticket for another NASCAR Sprint Cup Series prize in the season-long fight.

Earnhardt became the first winner in the new format for determining the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup postseason format, virtually assuring the sport’s 11-time Most Popular Driver a berth in the playoffs.

NASCAR expanded the Chase field to 16 drivers during the offseason, making a victory in the 26-race regular season a near-clincher for the 10-race Chase.

"Yeah, (now) we don’t have to think about it," said Earnhardt, who placed fifth in the 2013 Sprint Cup standings. "If everyone is telling the truth, and we’ve won a race, we’re going to be in it. … We’re going for the jugular this year."

The Chase format will also include three stages of eliminations, culminating with a four-driver shootout in the season finale this November at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

But the more immediate impact of the offseason changes were felt in Victory Lane at Daytona.

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France reminded the 43 contestants in the pre-race drivers’ meeting that more long-term goals were at stake in in the season-opening event.

"Not only is this the most important day for NASCAR, the Daytona 500," France said, "it’s also the first chance, the first opportunity to punch your ticket for our version of the playoffs."

Earnhardt laid first claim to a playoff berth. Fifteen more spots are up for grabs in the regular season, starting next Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, 3 p.m. ET on FOX.

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Posted on February 24, 2014 by Nascar

Two-time Daytona 500 winner hungry for more success

MORE: Race recap | Dale Jr. joins Twitter | Follow his media tour
RELATED: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live | Sign up for RaceView today

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Appearing remarkably refreshed in spite of limited sleep, and with the prospect of a weeklong media tour staring him in the face, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he believes the time has come for he and his team to rise to the occasion.

"I think it’s our time. This is our year," the two-time Daytona 500 winner said Monday morning during the annual champion’s breakfast at Daytona International Speedway.

"Every year we’ve gotten marginally better," said Earnhardt Jr., now a 20-time winner in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series. “It just seems that we would continue to do that this year. We ain’t got far to go before we’re one of the best teams, if we’re not already.

"Being able to start the season with a win certainly solidifies my belief in our team. We ended last year finishing second (at Homestead); we were one of the best teams in the Chase, one of the more competitive teams when the season wrapped up. If we just continue on our path to improving, we don’t have far to go. We should be winning races. That’s the way I felt in the offseason. Then we come right out of the gate and win one."

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

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The victory certainly put Earnhardt Jr. in a strong position. With NASCAR’s new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format all but guaranteeing race winners a spot in the 10-race playoff, the road for the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team, led by crew chief Steve Letarte, suddenly got a lot smoother.

Sunday night’s win in the season-opening event snapped a 55-race winless streak by the sport’s most popular driver. But that doesn’t mean Earnhardt Jr. is easing off the throttle anytime soon.

"I’m going to fight every week," he said. "We’ve got a great opportunity to be already in the Chase. Going off last year’s points system we would have won the championship, so we know under this current format that we can do the job. So I feel real good about it."

Letarte, who will leave the pit box to join NBC in the television booth next season, said getting the win out of the way early could make for a much less stressful final year.

"I think this is going to make a much more relaxing summer hopefully with the new points system and all, and we can go out and get some wins," he said.

"This race is such a big deal. … You grow up in racing and the Daytona 500, maybe the Indy 500, maybe Le Mans, that’s like the three that’s the world of racing. To think we have the chance to win it, the whole thing’s pretty surreal.

"I mean, what races do you still celebrate the next day? You have a breakfast, and keep getting trophies and jackets. I’m just proud of the team that we’ve assembled, they’re a great group of guys (and) they deserve most of the credit. They built a great race car, Dale drove a great race."

Team owner Rick Hendrick signed Earnhardt Jr. prior to the 2008 season and has felt the brunt of the Junior Nation wondering when its driver was going to contend for wins and titles.

Winning the Daytona 500, he said, buys him a bit of a reprieve.

"I get six days that the Earnhardt fans don’t ask me ‘when’s he going to win again?’" Hendrick said. "So I’ve got a vacation until Phoenix."

Hendrick called the 56th running of the Daytona 500 "a perfect race."

"He drove the wheels off the car every lap, Stevie called the perfect race, pit stops were perfect, T.J. (Majors) did a unbelievable job up there spotting.

"I think back to the first (time) when we came down here and (Earnhardt Jr.) won the qualifier and then the Shootout and we thought we were going to win the 500. But (last night) was a great night, great for the sport, great for the fans and I’m glad to be a part of it."

• How did the most recent Daytona 500 winner spend his evening?

"I was taking pictures and doing media until 3 (a.m.) or so probably," Earnhardt Jr. said of his media obligations. "The team was having most of the fun. When I got over there they were out of ‘spirits’ so we found some more. We just sat around and talked about how cool it was, just punching each other in the shoulder until about 4. Then I had to hang it up. I was hitting the wall. I knew I needed to at least get an hour (sleep) before I could come up here and talk with any kind of sense. And I knew I had a long day.

"The guys got to have some fun last night but we probably won’t really be able to hang loose, raise hell until we go home or we go to Vegas. Most of the crew will travel from Phoenix to Vegas so we might have some fun out there."

• Following today’s breakfast, Earnhardt Jr. headed to New York City for more media obligations, and will travel to Bristol, Conn., for appearances on ESPN.

From there, it’s on to Austin, Texas, Las Vegas and then on to Phoenix for the season’s second race.

"I’m looking forward to it," he said. "I’m going to enjoy it. We won a big race and we put a lot of effort into it. And I’m going to make sure everybody hears about it."

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Posted on February 24, 2014 by Nascar

Check out the stats for the drivers in the second race of the Sprint Cup Series season

RELATED: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona going into The Profit on CNBC 500 on March 2. FOX’s coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET and the race is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)

· Five top fives, seven top 10s

· Average finish of 13.9

· Average Running Position of 14.8, ninth-best

· Driver Rating of 91.6, ninth-best

· 286 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

· 793 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.243 mph, 10th-fastest

· 3,242 Laps in the Top 15 (56.9%), 11th-most

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

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

· One win, five top fives, 12 top 10s

· Average finish of 13.5

· Average Running Position of 10.6, fourth-best

· Driver Rating of 98.0, seventh-best

· 287 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.351 mph, seventh-fastest

· 3,953 Laps in the Top 15 (73.4%), sixth-most

· 386 Quality Passes, 10th-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Skittles Toyota)

· One win, three top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 13.5

· Average Running Position of 12.0, seventh-best

· Driver Rating of 97.4, eighth-best

· 248 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

· 794 Green Flag Passes, third-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.364 mph, sixth-fastest

· 4,505 Laps in the Top 15 (79.1%), third-most

· Series-high 527 Quality Passes

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Subway Ford)

· Two wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 12.3

· Average Running Position of 12.7, eighth-best

· Driver Rating of 100.0, third-best

· 354 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.439 mph, fourth-fastest

· 3,865 Laps in the Top 15 (67.9%), eighth-most

· 399 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 PEPSI MAX Chevrolet)

· Two wins, 10 top fives, 20 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 11.5

· Average Running Position of 10.5, third-best

· Driver Rating of 99.4, fourth-best

· 222 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.337 mph, eighth-fastest

· 4,563 Laps in the Top 15 (80.1%), second-most

· 410 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota)

· One win, eight top fives, nine top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 10.9

· Average Running Position of 11.7, sixth-best

· Driver Rating of 98.2, sixth-best

· 237 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.400 mph, fifth-fastest

· 3,894 Laps in the Top 15 (72.4%), seventh-most

· 382 Quality Passes, 11th-most

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

· Four wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s

· Average finish of 12.3

· Average Running Position of 10.7, fifth-best

· Driver Rating of 101.3, second-best

· 308 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

· 743 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.482 mph, third-fastest

· 4,334 Laps in the Top 15 (76.1%), fourth-most

· 418 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

· Four wins, 14 top fives, 17 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 6.3

· Series-best Average Running Position of 6.9

· Series-best Driver Rating of 116.7

· Series-high 574 Fastest Laps Run

· 722 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most

· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 125.835 mph

· Series-high 5,009 Laps in the Top 15 (88.0%)

· 498 Quality Passes, second-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Home Depot Husky Toyota)

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

· Average finish of 17.4

· Average Running Position of 16.1, 12th-best

· Driver Rating of 86.1, 11th-best

· 172 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

· 789 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.166 mph, 11th-fastest

· 3,344 Laps in the Top 15 (58.7%), 10th-most

· 409 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford)

· Two top fives, three top 10s

· Average finish of 17.1

· Driver Rating of 85.9, 12th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.280 mph, ninth-fastest

Ryan Newman (No. 31 Quicken Loans Chevrolet)

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

· Average finish of 18.7

· Average Running Position of 15.3, 10th-best

· Driver Rating of 87.1, 10th-best

· 768 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most

· 3,723 Laps in the Top 15 (65.4%), ninth-most

· 487 Quality Passes, third-most

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)

· One win, eight top fives, 12 top 10s

· Average finish of 12.0

· Average Running Position of 10.2, second-best

· Driver Rating of 99.2, fifth-best

· 220 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most

· 716 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.493 mph, second-fastest

· 4,146 Laps in the Top 15 (77.0%), fifth-most

· 440 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Chase Contenders

The Top 16

Following Race 1 of 36

Driver	Points	Wins	Poles	Rating
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.	48	1	0	133.1
2. Denny Hamlin	43	0	0	113.8
3. Brad Keselowski	42	0	0	117.1
4. Jeff Gordon	40	0	0	102.7
5. Jimmie Johnson	40	0	0	101.2
6. Matt Kenseth	38	0	0	98.2
7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	37	0	0	72.0
8. Greg Biffle	37	0	0	94.1
9. Austin Dillon	36	0	1	83.4
10. Casey Mears	34	0	0	80.8
11. Joey Logano	34	0	0	104.1
12. Kevin Harvick	31	0	0	85.1
13. Jamie McMurray	30	0	0	73.8
14. Bobby Labonte	29	0	0	46.2
15. Reed Sorenson	28	0	0	69.3
16. Carl Edwards	28	0	0	87.0

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Winners List:

Winner Track_________ ________________

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Daytona International Speedway

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2014 Top 10 at Phoenix International Raceway

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	23	0	2	6	10	3	17	84
2	Denny Hamlin	17	1	1	8	9	0	10.9	98.2
3	Brad Keselowski	9	0	0	2	3	1	17.1	85.9
4	Jeff Gordon	30	3	2	10	20	3	11.5	99.4
5	Jimmie Johnson	21	2	4	14	17	0	6.3	116.7
6	Matt Kenseth	23	1	1	5	9	3	17.4	86.1
7	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	2	0	0	0	0	0	14	72.9
8	Greg Biffle	20	0	0	5	7	1	13.9	91.6
9	Austin Dillon	0	0	0	0	0	0	–	–
10	Casey Mears	19	0	0	0	0	4	26.2	61.1

* – Based on last 18 races at Phoenix International Raceway (2005 – 2013).

Phoenix International Raceway:

History

· Construction was completed in January 1964. The facility consisted of a one-mile oval and a 2.5-mile road course.

· Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix on Nov. 6, 1988.

· The first spring race was held on April 23, 2005 and also the first night race, which was won by Kurt Busch.

· The track underwent its first repave in 2011. The construction began in March and concluded in September of that year.

· The following changes were made during the construction period (March – Sept. 2011):

o Widened the frontstretch from 52 to 62 feet

o Reconfigured pit road with the installation of concrete pit stalls

o Pushed the dog-leg curve between Turn 2 and Turn 3 out 95 feet

o Tightened the turn radius of the dog-leg from 800 to 500 feet

o Implemented variable banking to ensure the immediate use of two racing grooves, including 10-11 degree banking between Turn 1 and Turn 2; 10-11 degree banking in the apex of the dog-leg; and 8-9 degree banking in Turn 4

Notebook

· There have been 35 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, one per season from 1988-2004 and two each season since.

· 186 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix; 138 in more than one.

· Mark Martin leads series in starts at Phoenix with 34; followed by Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte with 30 each.

· Geoffrey Bodine won the first pole in 1988 at a speed of 123.203 mph (29.220 sec.).

· There have been 19 different Coors Light pole winners, led by Ryan Newman with four.

· Youngest Phoenix pole winner: Kyle Busch (4/22/06 – 20 years, 11 months, 20 days).

· Oldest Phoenix pole winner: Mark Martin (03/03/13 – 54 years, 1 month, 22 days).

· Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards are the only drivers to win consecutive poles. Newman won three straight (2002-04), while Gordon won the fall of 2006 and the spring of 2007. Edwards won the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011.

· Denny Hamlin (November, 2005) and AJ Allmendinger (April, 2010) won their first career Coors Light poles at Phoenix International Raceway.

· There have been 23 different NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winners at Phoenix, eight have won more than once, led by Jimmie Johnson, with four – (’07 Chase race, ’08 spring race and Chase race, ’09 Chase race).

· The eight drivers who have won more than once at Phoenix: Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick lead the series in wins(four each), Davey Allison (two), Jeff Burton (two), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Jeff Gordon (two) Carl Edwards (two) and Mark Martin (two).

· Of the eight drivers with multiple wins at Phoenix International Raceway, Mark Martin is the only driver to win in two different manufacturers: Ford (1993) and Chevrolet (2009).

· Four of the 35 (11.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix have been won from the Coors Light pole: Jeff Gordon (spring 2007), Jimmie Johnson (fall 2008), Mark Martin (spring 2009) and Carl Edwards (fall 2010).

· Seven of the 35 (20%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Phoenix have been won from the front row: four from the pole and three from second-place.

· 17 of the 35 (48.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Phoenix have been won from a starting position inside the top 10.

· Jimmie Johnson leads the series in average finishes at Phoenix with a 6.3; he is the only active driver with an average finish inside the top 10.

· Ricky Rudd won the 1995 race from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.

· Matt Kenseth won the 2002 race from the 28th-place starting position, the furthest back an active race winner has started.

· 18 of the 35 (51.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Phoenix have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.

· 3 of the 35 (8.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Phoenix have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· Five drivers have won consecutive races at Phoenix: Davey Allison (1991,1992); Jeff Burton (2000, 2001); Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003, 2004); Kevin Harvick (swept 2006); Jimmie Johnson is the only one of the five to win three consecutive races (fall 2007, swept 2008).

· Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Phoenix with nine, followed by Roush Fenway Racing with seven.

· Two perfect Driver Ratings of 150.0 have been recorded at Phoenix, Kurt Busch in April of 2005 and Kevin Harvick in November of 2006.

· Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Phoenix International Raceway winner: Kyle Busch (11/13/2005 – 20 years, 6 months, 11 days).

· Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Phoenix International Raceway winner: Mark Martin (4/18/2009 – 50 years, 3 months, 9 days).

· Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Phoenix with five; followed by Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart with three each.

· Jimmie Johnson leads the series in top-five finishes at Phoenix with 14.

· Alan Kulwicki (11/6/1988) and Bobby Hamilton (10/27/1996) are the only two drivers to post their first NASCAR Sprint Cup career win at Phoenix International Raceway.

· 21 of the 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who have won at Phoenix participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Alan Kulwicki (11/6/1988) and Tony Stewart (11/7/1999) are the only two drivers to win at Phoenix in their first appearance.

· Jeff Gordon competed at Phoenix International Raceway 16 times before winning (4/21/2007); the longest span of any the 23 winners.

· Six drivers have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Phoenix: Jeff Gordon (16), Ryan Newman (15), Kasey Kahne (14), Denny Hamlin (13), Carl Edwards (12) and Rusty Wallace (11).

· Bobby Labonte leads the series (active drivers) with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Phoenix without visiting Victory Lane with 30.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Phoenix was the April 10, 2010 race won by Ryan Newman with a MOV of 0.13 seconds.

· Two drivers have won at Phoenix and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same season: Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009); Dale Earnhardt (1990).

· Danica Patrick is the only female driver that has made a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Phoenix International Raceway.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Danica Patrick	37	17	11/11/2012
Danica Patrick	40	39	3/3/2013
Danica Patrick	32	33	11/10/2013

· Car numbers that have produced three or more Phoenix wins:

Car Number – Drivers – (Years)

o No. 48 – Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009)

o No. 99 – Carl Edwards (2010 and 2013) and Jeff Burton (2000, 2001)

o No. 29 – Kevin Harvick (2006 sweep, 2012 and 2013)

o No. 5 – Mark Martin (2009), Kyle Busch (2005) and Terry Labonte (1994)

Phoenix International Raceway Data

Season Race #: 2 of 36 (3-2-14)

Track Size: 1-mile

Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 10-11 degrees

Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 8-9 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 3 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 8-9 degrees

Frontstretch Length: 1,179 feet

Backstretch Length: 1,551 feet

Race Length: 312 laps / 500 Kilometers

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Phoenix

Jimmie Johnson………………….. 116.7

Kevin Harvick……………………… 101.3

Carl Edwards……………………… 100.0

Jeff Gordon………………………….. 99.4

Tony Stewart………………………… 99.2

Denny Hamlin………………………. 98.2

Kurt Busch…………………………… 98.0

Kyle Busch………………………….. 97.4

Greg Biffle…………………………… 91.6

Ryan Newman…………………….. 87.1

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races (18 total) among active drivers at Phoenix International Raceway.

Qualifying/Race Data

2013 pole winner: Mark Martin, Toyota, 138.074 mph, 26.073 secs. 3-1-13

2013 race winner: Carl Edwards, Ford, 105.187 mph, (03:00:15), 3-3-13

Track qualifying record: Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 139.222 mph, 25.858 secs. 11-8-13

Track race record: Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 118.132 mph, (2:38:28), 11-7-99

NASCAR in Arizona

· There have been 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup races among three tracks in Arizona.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale	35
Arizona State Fairgrounds	Phoenix	4
Tucson Rodeo Grounds	Tucson	1

· 32 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Arizona.

· None of the drivers from Arizona have won a race in NASCAR’s three national series.

MORE:

READ: Austin Dillon wins
Daytona 500 pole

WATCH: Big wreck ends
Budweiser Duel 2

WATCH: Massive wreck
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READ: Official Daytona 500
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Posted on February 23, 2014 by

Drivers, crews have to fight losing their edge during the break

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Editor’s note: Chris Rice, crew chief for the No. 99 Rheem Toyota for RAB Racing and driver James Buescher in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has joined us for the Daytona 500. Here is his first-person analysis on how Sunday’s rain delay impacts the Great American Race:

Every day I get up, before I go to the race track, I watch the weather or the radar. Religiously. I have three different weather apps on my phone.

When it rains, the first big thing that, as a crew chief, you have to worry about is pit crew because they’re going to go eat, relax and get out of the zone. As far as the race car goes, as long as water doesn’t get in the cowl or the gas, it’s going to be OK.

Daytona is not as bad as somewhere like a mile-and-a-half track or short track, where rain washes all the rubber off the race track. This place, you don’t wear the tires like you do at someplace else.

The driver, he starts off mentally focused on the race and then all of a sudden, it rains. So he does the same thing as the pit crew, he has something to eat, he takes a break. Once he gets his focus back, it’s just like riding a bike. You get back in the rhythm and that comes back pretty quick. That’s why they’re professionals.

Our crew chief strategy doesn’t really change. You have the fuel windows that you have to hit that dictate your strategy anyway. This is not going to change that much, this rain.

The big thing that rain hurts that people don’t think about is scheduling for Phoenix. When the green flag drops at Daytona, it’s a race to get to the checkered flag at Homestead. Now your guys are there from 7 o’clock in the morning and you’re already two hours or more behind. It just goes on and on. That’s more of a kicker than anything else. You’re always on a schedule.

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Posted on February 23, 2014 by

Driver had qualified second, but started at rear of field

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Martin Truex Jr. went to bed Saturday night thinking the next afternoon would present his best-ever chance of winning the Daytona 500. Unfortunately for the Furniture Row Racing driver, he never got the opportunity to find out.

Truex’s Daytona 500 ended after just 30 laps Sunday, when smoke began emanating from the rear of the No. 78 car. The ensuing failure knocked Truex out of the race, one week after he had secured a front-row starting spot for the event. The No. 78 hauler packed up and left the speedway during a rain delay.

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"The car was just so good," Truex said in the garage area before his hauler left. "We were just riding around, biding our time, trying to be patient, because you’ve got to get to the end of this thing. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be."

The Furniture Row team is affiliated with Richard Childress Racing and uses Earnhardt Childress Racing engines. But Truex believed something — perhaps debris on the race track — knocked the oil pump belt off his car.

"Typically, that belt comes off, you’ve got about two seconds to shut it off before it blows up," Truex said. "Just didn’t get enough warning."

Truex had one of the fastest cars in Daytona 500 practice, and last week qualified second behind Coors Light Pole Award winner Austin Dillon to claim a front-row starting spot for the Great American Race. But a wreck in his qualifying event Thursday night forced him to a back-up car and required that he drop to the rear before the green flag. Not long after the start, his engine went as well.

"Definitely a shame, definitely a tough break for this race team — they built a great race car," he said. "I guess the only good news is, we’ve got a pretty strong piece to race next time, because it’s pretty darn good."

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Posted on February 23, 2014 by Holly Cain

Engine problems result in 35th-place finish in Daytona 500

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Before Sunday’s Daytona 500 — Tony Stewart‘s first Sprint Cup race in six months — many wondered how the three-time Sprint Cup Series champ’s healing broken leg would hold up to the demands of the sport’s biggest race.

Turns out, his leg wasn’t the problem. His car was.

Stewart first reported to his team there was a problem on his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet just before the race’s midpoint. He noticed the gauges showed his car was experiencing a fuel pick-up problem and so he pit for the crew to see if it could make quick repairs.

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After he returned to the track, it became apparent the car would require more extensive work. And after going down several laps early, he went to the garage where the team replaced the whole fuel cell.
 
So after waiting out a six-hour mid-race rain delay, having to start the 500 from the rear of the grid for changing his engine before qualifying, and then enduring a sickly car, Stewart finished his first race back in 35th place — 26 laps behind winner Dale Earnhardt Jr.
 
After the race, Stewart sat for a few moments inside his car collecting himself while fans in the garage screamed encouragement: "You’ll get ’em next week, Tony."
 
Then he climbed out, spoke briefly to crew members and when asked how he felt on the night, simply responded, "I feel like I got kicked in the (midsection)."
 
Stewart-Haas Racing Vice President of Competition Greg Zipadelli spoke with Stewart at more length. It was a difficult night for the entire four-car SHR operation. Danica Patrick was collected in a crash and Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch had several close calls as well, ultimately finishing 13th and 21st, respectively.
 
"Really any race today is so important, but you put so much emphasis on the Daytona 500 and you work all winter and try to build a little momentum heading to these other race tracks," Zipadelli said. "Today was a rough day for us, but we’re strong people and we’ll keep digging and hopefully we can rally back."

Zipadelli confirmed that Stewart passed his first racing test with no physical issues.
 
"Not at all, (his leg) was never (a concern)," Zipadelli said. "I’m proud of him for how hard he worked to put himself back in there. I feel really bad. I feel like we let him down."
 
Racing legend A.J. Foyt, Stewart’s good friend, made the trip from his Texas home to Daytona Beach to be trackside and show his support of the fellow former open-wheel champion. The two — who share the famed No. 14 — spent time together catching up Saturday in Stewart’s motorcoach.
 
"I just told him, try to be there at the end of the day if you want to win this race," Foyt said. "And Tony said he agreed with me. I’m pulling for him."
 
Foyt continued with a smile: "I said, you know Tony, when I was hurt so bad I came back and sat on the front row at Indy (500). He told me he qualified 10th (for Sunday’s Daytona 500) so I told him, that shows you I was a lot better at my comeback. Now you’ve got to win."
 
Foyt also said he completely understands why Stewart continues to race outside his day job as an owner/driver in NASCAR’s premier series. Stewart was injured Aug. 5 in a sprint car race in Iowa and required three surgeries to repair his right leg.
 
"Life is very short and if you can’t do what you want to do in life, what’s the use of living," Foyt said. "He loves sprint cars like I did. I did about the same things he’s doing. I never got hurt doing it and he did. It’s just one of the unfortunate things.

"He’ll be back and he’ll win."

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Posted on February 23, 2014 by Holly Cain

One year after making Daytona history, Patrick caught in 13-car pileup

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Danica Patrick emerged from the Daytona International Speedway care center looking equal parts stunned and dejected after being involved in a 13-car accident on lap 145 of the Daytona 500 — a race she led earlier in the night.

Her No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet led two laps just before the race’s midpoint following a six-hour rain delay. It was while Patrick was safely biding her time a little farther back in the pack, preparing for a final pit stop, that she was collected in the accident on the frontstretch.

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Kevin Harvick, Brian Scott and Aric Almirola collided while racing three-wide, causing Almirola’s car to spin across the track and tap Patrick’s car, which spun and impacted a portion of the wall where there was no safer barrier at a nearly 45-degree angle.

"I was worried because when I first hollered to her, she didn’t say anything, then the second time, she finally got on the radio," said Patrick’s crew chief, Tony Gibson, after helping his crew push their badly damaged No. 10 from its garage stall to the team’s transporter as the waning laps of the race roared nearby.

“It made me kind of nervous. That’s the worst kind of hit you can take right there. It looks like everything did its job, all the stuff NASCAR does on the safety side. It still scares you when you see that kind of hit."

Patrick demurred when asked if that was the hardest hit she’d had in NASCAR. She was more disappointed not to have a shot at a good finish in a race in which she contended for a win the previous year.

“I felt like everything was going pretty well so it’s just upsetting, a culmination of sitting around all day,’’ Patrick said, her voice low taking only two questions from reporters outside the care center.

“It’s a bummer, but that’s kind of the excitement of speedway racing — that anything can happen. It was unfortunate I was on the short end of the accident but that’s the kind of thing that happens.’’

Of the 13 cars involved, only Patrick, Almirola and Michael Waltrip were unable to continue.

Almirola, who drives Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 43 Ford Fusion, said it was simply a matter of people deciding to turn up the intensity late in the race.

“The track has a lot more grip, so people are taking a lot more risks, and the cars drive a lot better at night, so two- and three-wide is usually not a problem,’’ Almirola said. “I think somebody got loose up under me and the next thing I knew I was pounding the fence.’’

For Patrick, it was the culmination of a hard-knocks Speedweeks. Her car lost an engine during an early practice session, sentencing her to the rear of the grid for both the Duel 150-mile qualifying race and the Daytona 500 for changing engines before qualifying.

It was a far cry from last year’s Daytona 500, when she became the first woman to win the pole in NASCAR’s biggest race and the first to lead a lap. She equaled the latter feat Sunday night, but was clearly more frustrated not to be around at the end after overcoming a pit road incident with Petty’s other driver Marcos Ambrose and having to race forward from the rear of the field.

Gibson, a veteran crew chief, was more philosophic about the whole day and pleased with the experience his second-year Cup driver gained. He said the team leaves for next week’s stop in Phoenix encouraged.

“We were set up at the end there for a gas-and-go, but just got caught up in somebody else’s mess,’’ Gibson said. “That’s the product of this deal. She did an awesome job.

“I know she’s disappointed and I know she’s banged up pretty good. As long as she’s OK that’s all that mattered.

“I’ve been through this so many times. It sucks, but Matt Kenseth blew up here last year and almost won a championship. It hurts but everybody here’s going to have a problem. It’s hard to make up Daytona, but it can be done.”

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READ: Earnhardt Jr. wins
wild Daytona 500

WATCH: Dale Jr.
in Victory Lane

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READ: Official Daytona 500
race results

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Holly Cain

Driver had tire issues early, was knocked out of race in late wreck

RELATED: Full race results | Series standings

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — This wasn’t how rookie Kyle Larson had hoped to spend his first laps in the Daytona 500. Then, after hitting the wall in the opening laps and then running off track 20 laps later following another tire problem, he was knocked out of the race for good after a 10-car wreck late in Sunday’s opener.

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Heavy rains forced NASCAR to park the cars on pit road with a red flag on Lap 38. The No. 42 team thought the break may actually benefit the group, allowing them to regroup and brainstorm any further repairs for his Chevrolet.

The FOX television analysts suggested the two problems were related and speculated that a suspension piece was cutting the tires.

The 21-year-old Californian qualified 16th for his first Daytona 500 and was even considered a dark horse to win by many despite his inexperience in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and on the famous Daytona high banks.

But his Chevrolet tagged the outside wall early, forcing him to pit for tires and putting him a lap down. He pitted again on Lap 22 to replace another tire after a flat tire bounced his car into the infield grass briefly.

"Made a slight mistake on Lap 1, so we have some work to do to get back on the lead lap," Larson said during the red-flag rain delay. "But, I’m confident in the team and I know they have a plan to get the car fixed when we get back out there."

Larson got one of his two lost laps back and his No. 42 was 42nd in the race when the red flag came out.

He had worked his back through the field following a red-flag period of six hours, 20 minutes and 41 seconds. Past the three-quarters mark in the race, though, Larson and fellow Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Austin Dillon swapped paint, with Larson taking the brunt and having to take his car to the garage.

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