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Johnson is also the only driver to post four consecutive wins at Charlotte

Jimmie Johnson has the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins among active drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway with six. He is also the only driver to post four consecutive victories at the track (winning both Cup races at the venue in 2004 and 2005). Johnson also has 11 top-five finishes and 15 top-10 finishes in 24 Cup races at Charlotte. With Johnson nearing the points lead in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, will he be able to use his favorable history at Charlotte to take the lead?

 

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Logano finishes fourth, Biffle 13th

With the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway being the fourth race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup this season, drivers’ outcomes and triumphs are becoming more crucial to their chances for the Cup.

Chase rookie Joey Logano led the Coca-Cola Racing Family with a fourth-place finish at Kansas Speedway and for the first time since the start of the Chase, he was able to move up in the standings.

Fellow Chaser Greg Biffle made his way though traffic on Sunday after starting 26th and eventually finished 13th. Unfortunately, his hard effort to make it into the top 10 wasn’t recognized in the standings and he saw no change this week.

A roundup of the Coca-Cola Racing Family in order of how they finished at Kansas:

Joey Logano (No. 22)

Penske Racing, Ford

Recap: The Chase rookie jumped two positions in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup to 10th. Logano saw his first top-five finish at Kansas by finishing fourth. 
Quotable: "It was pretty crazy out there. Every restart you had to be so aggressive to pass people because that was your best shot to pass them and everyone realized it. There wasn’t much grip out there and everyone was doing that and you are going to have a crash. We proved that fact multiple times today. Everyone did a good job on the Shell Pennzoil Ford and gave me a really fast car and I feel like if you put it in the lead it was going to win the race but if you put it fourth it was going to finish fourth. It was hard to pass cars and I really feel like the 48 was probably the fastest car out there. Todd did a good job calling the race and trying to figure out the strategy. I couldn’t imagine trying to call a race like this. It is nuts because one minute you are first and the next you are 15th and you hope you cycle out to the lead at the end."
His standing: Logano is 10th in the standings with 2,124 points.
Outlook: Moving forward, Logano has seen three top-five finishes at Charlotte and will need to have more performances like Kansas in order to get back to a more competitive playing field with the other Chase contenders.

Greg Biffle (No. 16)

Roush Fenway Racing, Ford 

Recap: Biffle qualified 26th for the Hollywood Casino 400, but unfortunately for the Roush Fenway Racing team, a 13th-place finish will have to do. Biffle saw no change in the standings this race, while a handful of his fellow Chase contenders saw positive movement.
Quotable: "We weren’t very good all weekend. I am really happy with a 13th-place finish to be honest with you. We fought hard to get that. I drove hard and we had about a 30th-place car and finished 13th with it, so I am pretty happy with that."
His standing: Biffle is sixth in the standings with 2,139 points. 
Outlook: Biffle knows he has to step it up. Even though they fought hard for 13th, they will have to fight even harder at Charlotte to start making an impact in the standings.

Denny Hamlin (No. 11)

Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota 

Recap: Qualifying 10th, Hamlin had as good as a chance as any other driver to come out on top. However, his performance at Kansas (23rd) and at the past few races can only make you wonder if Hamlin has lost hope in trying to prove himself.
Quotable: Hamlin was unavailable for comment.
His standing: Hamlin is 25th in the standings with 573 points.
Outlook: Hamlin has yet to claim a win at Charlotte in his Sprint Cup career, but he did win the pole earlier this year and eventually finished fourth. Perhaps a quick reminder of what he’s capable of will motivate him to be more aggressive on the track. 

Ryan Newman (No. 39)

Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet 

Recap: Everything was going fine for Newman in the Hollywood Casino 400 until Lap 136 when No. 51 Justin Allgaier made contact with Newman on a spin out and sent both drivers to the garage with significant damage.
Quotable: "There’s not much to say other than we were in the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught up in an accident not of our making."
His standing: Newman is 12th in the standings with 2,110 points.
Outlook: The best part about hitting rock bottom is there’s no where to go but up. In Newman’s case, just about anything could be better than his 35th-place finish at Kansas and perhaps he could see his first win at Charlotte Motor Speedway next weekend. 

Danica Patrick (No. 10)

Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet 

Recap: Patrick’s day at Kansas ended early after she got loose on the first lap and slammed into the wall. This was Patrick’s 100th Sprint Cup Series career start, but a combination of new tires and unfortunate handling sent her to the garage and eventually out of the race with a 43rd-place finish.
Quotable: "I knew that, going into the race based on practice and everything we’ve seen from practice in Cup to the Nationwide race, losing grip was going to be not that hard to do," Patrick said. "And so — I said that before the race even — I said make sure that we’re on top of who is on my door and who is behind me. And I knew all that was going to be happening on the start. And I had enough momentum to go to the middle because I got a run on the car in front of me but I had to wait past the start-finish line. I lifted going into Turn 1 and all I can say is that, you know, I didn’t try and do anything. I just found myself sideways in the middle of the corner and that was it."
Her standing: Patrick is 28th in the standings with 530 points. 
Outlook: Going into Charlotte, Danica’s best finish at that track is 29th. There is plenty of room for improvement, especially if she wants a shot at Rookie of the Year against beau, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Tony Stewart (No. 14)

Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet 

Recap: Stewart missed his ninth consecutive race this past weekend and watched Mark Martin pilot his No. 14 Chevrolet to a 22nd-place finish. Stewart is still nursing his broken leg and won’t return in 2013.
His standing: Stewart is 24th in the standings with 594 points.

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Newman falls the hardest in the Chase standings

Updated standings | Full coverage

Three up

Three down

FULL SERIES COVERAGE
 • View all articles
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Pos.

Driver

Pts back

+/-

1.

Matt Kenseth

—

0

2.

Jimmie Johnson

-3

0

3.

Kevin Harvick

-25

+1

4.

Jeff Gordon

-32

+1

5.

Kyle Busch

-35

-2

6.

Greg Biffle

-44

0

7.

Kurt Busch

-47

+2

8.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

-54

+2

9.

Clint Bowyer

-55

-1

10.

Joey Logano

-59

+2

11.

Carl Edwards

-60

0

12.

Ryan Newman

-73

-5

13.

Kasey Kahne

-83

0

IN THE GREEN

Kevin Harvick (Change: 4th to 3rd)
After winning the Coors Light Pole going into the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, Harvick went all the way to Victory Lane on Sunday. It was Harvick’s first pole since 2006 and a career-first win at Kansas. His successful night upped him one position in the standings to third, taking Kyle Busch’s spot. Harvick led 138 laps in the 267-lap race and now sits 25 points behind Chase leader Matt Kenseth. 

Kurt Busch (Change: 9th to 7th)
With a rocky start to the weekend, Busch pulled through and finished second. Busch spun out in Saturday’s practice, which resulted in heavy damage and the need for his backup car. Because of this, Busch started in the rear and had to weave his way through traffic to make it into the top five for the first time at Kansas. Busch moved up two positions and now sits in seventh behind Greg Biffle with 2,136 points. 

Joey Logano (Change: 12th to 10th)
For the first time since the start of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Logano experienced positive movement in the standings. Jumping two positions to 10th, Logano placed fourth, his first top-five finish at Kansas. Moving forward, the Chase rookie will need to have more days like Sunday in order to get back to a more competitive playing field with the other Chase contenders.

IN THE RED

Kyle Busch (Change: 3rd to 5th)
Perhaps it was karma from the previous day’s Nationwide Series race or just the fact that Kansas has never been Busch’s strongest track. Whatever the case, Busch experienced nothing but hard times during the Hollywood Casino 400. It started in Saturday’s practice when, just like his brother, he spun out and hit the wall, causing him to have to resort to his backup car and eventually starting in the rear. Busch blames the track and the new Goodyear tires, but whatever the reasoning might be, he dropped back two spots in the standings to fifth. Perhaps he’ll see a happier ending at Charlotte and get back into his top-three placement once again. 

Clint Bowyer (Change: 8th to 9th)
The last time Bowyer was at Kansas Speedway he finished in the top five for the second time in his career, but this time around he wasn’t so successful. Qualifying 22nd in the field, Bowyer just couldn’t make any waves in the playing field and eventually finished 14th, sandwiched right in between Chase contenders Biffle (13th) and Kasey Kahne (15th). He now holds ninth in the Chase standings with 2,128 points, just one point behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

Ryan Newman (Change: 7th to 12th)
With the most dramatic fall in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, Newman drops five positions to 12th. Entering the race seventh in the standings, 48 points behind leader Kenseth, Newman was just at the wrong place at the wrong time when No. 51 Justin Allgaier’s car got loose and smacked into Newman, leaving not only his car, but his Chase standings position significantly damaged. Looking ahead, Newman has a history at Charlotte Motor Speedway of taking the pole — nine times to be exact — but not holding onto that lead spot. He’ll need to reverse that trend in order for him to have a chance at the Cup.

MISSED CHANCES

Jimmie Johnson (No change)
Johnson knows what a win at Kansas Speedway feels like. He’s seen Victory Lane there twice — in 2008 and 2011 — but this time he settled for sixth after starting in the third position. Although his spot in the Chase standings remained unscathed, he missed a golden opportunity to take the lead from Kenseth had he come out on top in the Hollywood Casino 400. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Change: 10th to 8th)
For the second week in a row Earnhardt Jr. climbed the standings, this time, two positions to eighth. Leading for 10 laps, Earnhardt Jr. was in a constant battle with his fellow Chase contenders to stay in the top five. With zero wins this season, Earnhardt keeps coming up short at the end. Trailing 54 points behind leader Kenseth, the seasoned driver will look for a win at Charlotte, or at the very least more positive movement in the standings.


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Win at Kansas moves Harvick into third place in points standings

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Meet Kevin Harvick, the Rodney Dangerfield of NASCAR racing.

More than anyone else in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Harvick uses "them-versus-us" psychology to get the most out of his prodigious driving talent.

After Harvick won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole in seven years Friday at Kansas Speedway, he was asked whether that achievement was a statement to those who had called the Chase a three-man race between Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.

Harvick went straight into his "I don’t get no respect" routine, talking not about Friday’s accomplishment but about his first meeting with reporters before February’s Daytona 500.

"To be honest with you, I walked into media day, and there were two people standing in line to conduct interviews, so from day one of this year, everybody’s kind of written us off," Harvick said.

Then he returned to present tense.

"We’re three races into the Chase, and it is what it is," Harvick continued. "We’ve done our thing and put ourselves in position to just go out and race and enjoy it."

Why does Harvick feel reporters have discounted his chances for a first NASCAR Sprint Cup title? Because Harvick is a lame duck at Richard Childress Racing this year, having announced plans to join Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of the season.

Lame ducks don’t win NASCAR Sprint Cup championships. That, at least, is the conventional wisdom in the garage and in the press room.

But don’t tell Harvick that. And don’t tell him that the rest of the world isn’t out to get him. Those sorts of thoughts get his blood up, and for Harvick, that’s a good thing.

Harvick had plenty of reason to think everything from NASCAR to the forces of nature were conspiring against him at Kansas. After dominating the early stages of the race, Harvick brought his No. 29 Chevrolet to pit road on Lap 82 of 267, handing the lead to Jimmie Johnson.

During the cycle of pit stops, NASCAR called a caution for debris in Turn 3, debris that turned out to be a piece of duct tape. The caution buried Harvick in 25th place for a restart on Lap 92. On the team radio, Harvick left little doubt how he felt about the timing of the yellow.

An astute call by crew chief Gil Martin to keep Harvick on the track under caution put the 29 back in the lead for a restart on Lap 146. Martin was hoping for a long green-flag run, but a grass fire on the bank outside Turn 1 covered the track with smoke, caused another caution and foiled his plans.

Despite the adversity, Harvick persevered and won the race, notching his third victory of the season and moving into third place in the standings, 25 points behind Kenseth, the Chase leader.

In a calmer moment after the race, Harvick explained his feelings.

"Obviously, the first thing you think of is, ‘Man, I got screwed up there,’ or ‘Somebody is screwing us,’ and they were just calling the race," he said. "And us sitting in the car… it’s frustrating sitting on the pit box or sitting watching the race.

"You always think everybody is out to get you. But, luckily, today it all worked out."

That doesn’t mean that, next time, Harvick won’t think the world is out to get him again. That’s not a chip on his shoulder — it’s a two-by-four, and if you rile him, he’ll swat you with it.

If you tell Harvick he can’t do something, he’ll try twice as hard to prove you wrong.

So don’t tell the hardcore racer from Bakersfield, Calif. that lame ducks can’t win championships.

And don’t tell Harvick he’s out of contention in the Chase.

Unless you want him to win it.

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Posted on by Staff Report

Sprint Cup teams to fine-tune, develop intermediate-track rules

RELATED: Full Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage

NASCAR will continue to develop its intermediate track package with a test scheduled at Charlotte Motor Speedway after the upcoming Sprint Cup Series event at the 1.5-mile facility.

NASCAR announced Monday that it will hold a Sprint Cup test at Charlotte on Monday, Oct. 15. Cars will be on the track from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. ET, and the goal will be research and development on the circuit’s mile-and-a-half track rules package.

Before this season, NASCAR and its manufacturer partners implemented the Generation-6 car, which contained a number of stylistic elements designed to strengthen the ties with respective passenger models. The vehicle also featured new performance characteristics including higher rear grip and lighter overall weight, which has translated into record speeds at many tracks.

Next week’s test will continue the development of that platform on intermediate tracks. Officials said that aerodynamic enhancements, chassis ride heights and drafting scenarios would be among the components to be tested.

"They have a couple of wickers that they’re going to put on the car, and they have a much larger spoiler that they’re going to try. I haven’t seen everything, but until you go try the stuff on the track, it’s hard to give your opinion," Jamie McMurray said last week at Kansas Speedway.

"I like the idea that they’re trying, and they’re trying some, I would say, off-the-wall ideas and stuff that you would think would never happen in NASCAR. So it will be interesting after that test to see how that works out, and try all the ideas that they have."

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Team: ‘Proactive measure’ should not affect his 2014 return

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Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart underwent a third surgery on his right leg Monday morning according to the Stewart-Haas Racing team, which characterized the procedure as a "proactive" measure.

The operation, performed at a North Carolina hospital, was to "examine and close a wound on his shin." The team said it is not expected to impact Stewart’s potential return date at the beginning of the 2014 season.

Stewart, who broke his right tibia and fibula in a sprint car crash Aug. 5 in Oskaloosa, Iowa, had previous surgeries in the days immediately after the accident to stabilize and clean the injury and then a second operation for doctors to insert a metal rod inside the tibia to achieve proper anatomical position.

Stewart will remain hospitalized overnight Monday for observation.

Veteran Mark Martin filled in for Stewart in the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet this Sunday at Kansas, finishing 22nd. Martin will drive the car for the remainder of the season with the exception of the Oct. 20 race at Talladega, Ala., where NASCAR Nationwide Series points leader Austin Dillon will handle driving duties.


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‘It’s not Goodyear’s fault’ says race-winner Kevin Harvick

RELATED: Full Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — NASCAR and Goodyear officials will meet Tuesday to discuss, among other things, tire selection for this past weekend’s Hollywood Casino 400.

The meeting wasn’t scheduled in light of driver comments following the season’s 30th Sprint Cup Series race.

"We meet with Goodyear every Tuesday," Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said following Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway.

"We’ll download everything — Goodyear’s side of it as well as what team information we can give everyone. … We’ll kind of get a better feel for it then."

Goodyear officials provided teams with a new tire combination for the 1.5-mile track, utilizing the same multi-zone technology that produced tires used last month at Atlanta. The Kansas package consisted of a more tractive compound on the left side to provide more grip while the right was a combination of a harder inner shoulder with the same compound used at Kansas earlier this year on the outside.

The combination was verified earlier this year during a mid-July test, and all teams were allowed to test here on Thursday before the weekend’s regularly scheduled activities got underway.

Spins by Kyle and Kurt Busch on Saturday resulted in both drivers having to go to backup entries for Sunday’s race. Five-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson also spun during practice, as did points leader Matt Kenseth. Concerns were voiced.

But while Sunday’s race saw a record number of caution flags (15), several drivers said the track’s still-new surface was the culprit, not the tire.

"I think the issue is the pavement and the things they keep repaving these race tracks with that put Goodyear in a box," race-winner Kevin Harvick said.

"It’s not Goodyear’s fault; they have to make a tire that’s not going to blow out. So when you’re running an average of 187 or 185, whatever the average speed is, they have to make the tire durable."

Four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon called the racing surfaces on newly paved tracks "too smooth."

"We don’t want bumps," Gordon said. "I’m not talking about bumps. I’m talking about the abrasiveness of the race track. It doesn’t dissipate heat, doesn’t wear the tires … all it does is cause friction and heat and failures and then Goodyear has to build a very hard, durable tire."

The Kansas surface was repaved last year, between the facility’s two Cup dates.

Gordon said he "applauded" Goodyear’s efforts, saying the supplier is "doing the best they can."

"To me, it’s really the surface," he said. "We’re paving these race tracks with what we’re paving new highways with. This is not a highway — it’s a race track and it’s a race car and a racing tire."

Not everyone was as understanding. Kenseth called the conditions "the worst I’ve raced in in I don’t know how long.

"This right side tire was obviously not the answer," he said after an 11th-place finish. "I’m sure Kevin (Harvick) is happy, but other than that, I think everybody kind of struggled with it."

Kenseth described the right side tire used previously as "fine" but said the addition of the left, with more grip, would have been the same combination that resulted in tire issues at Michigan.

"And they were worried about that," he said. "So they took grip away from the right side. Well, we should have just run what we ran last time, or else put the softer left and just leave the other right on.

"This right was just really unpredictable."

Kyle Busch, involved in a pair of separate incidents on Sunday, called the track "the worst race track I’ve driven on" and the tires "the worst tires I’ve ever driven on."

"Track position is everything. You can’t do anything unless you’re out front," he said.

It was, Harvick said, "like driving on a razor blade."

It was difficult and treacherous and the cars were a handful.

Temperatures that started out in the high 80s on Thursday had plummeted into the upper 50s by Sunday, adding to the concern.

"What you don’t know," Darby said, "is if it was a typically 80-, 85-degree day, would it have been perfect? You don’t know that."

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WATCH: Final Laps:
Harvick wins at Kansas

READ: Kansas curse
hits Busch again

WATCH: Kenseth, Logano
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into wall on opening lap
Posted on by Staff Report

See who’s who for 32nd annual Dollar General 300

Click here for NASCAR Nationwide Series entry list for the Dollar General 300 from Charlotte Motor Speedway.


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Sold-Out ‘BBQ Pit Stop With Dale Jr.’ Event Fetches More Than $23,000 In Live Auction Of Earnhardt Jr. Items

FORT WORTH, Texas (Oct. 4, 2013) – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s pit stops traditionally consist of four Goodyear tires and Sunoco fuel, but on Thursday evening his pit-stop service included fueling up with brisket, chicken, ribs, pork chops and jalapeno sausage.

Earnhardt Jr., visiting the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex to promote the upcoming AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, played host to a sold-out “BBQ Pit Stop with Dale Jr.” fan event to benefit Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter at Hard Eight Pit BBQ in Roanoke, Texas.

Earnhardt Jr., who has developed a passion for BBQ cooking, toured the family-owned restaurant’s huge BBQ fire pits with Hard Eight Pit BBQ Owner & President Chad Decker and the duo shared their BBQ tips with more than 130 guests in attendance, all while helping raise more than $32,000 for Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter.

“Every time I come to Texas, it’s always fun,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “You guys (Texas Motor Speedway fans) are so welcoming and just make me feel like part of the family.”

A visit by NASCAR’s most popular driver to Roanoke, nicknamed the “Unique Dining Capital of Texas,” included a hero’s welcome as throngs of fans lined North Oak Street of downtown Roanoke for Earnhardt Jr.’s arrival. Led by a police escort, AAA Texas 500 Chevrolet Camaro pace car and Wild Asphalt Circus vehicles, Earnhardt Jr. rode in the bed of a Texas Motor Speedway Chevrolet Silverado similar to NASCAR pre-race parade laps, waving to fans as well as curious onlookers en route to Hard Eight Pit BBQ.

Roanoke Mayor Scooter Gierisch officially welcomed Earnhardt Jr. to his quaint town of 6,500 by presenting him with a key to the city and a special proclamation that announced Oct. 3, 2013, as “Dale Earnhardt Jr. Day.”  

“I’m really humbled,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I want to thank the citizens of Roanoke for allowing me to come here. This is the kind of town we like to come and visit when we’re traveling to all these different race tracks and staying in the motor coaches every weekend. These are the kinds of places we like to get out to because this place is just like home, it’s a small town. It’s just like Mooresville (N.C.) to me.”

Earnhardt Jr., a passionate grill master when he is not behind the wheel of his No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet, made the perfect student for Decker’s BBQ 101 demonstration. To make sure Earnhardt Jr. looked the part of an official grill master, Decker presented him with a customized black chef’s coat that featured the driver’s iconic No. 88 and “Pit Master” embroidered on the back, Texas state flag on the sleeve and the Hard Eight Pit BBQ logo and Jr. on the front.

His lessons included a tour of Hard Eight Pit BBQ’s massive fire pits and grill that featured an array of smoked meats, including brisket, ribs and steaks. Earnhardt Jr. also got into the action as he learned how Hard Eight Pit BBQ grills its signature rib eye with onions to perfection.  

“We cook some brisket and do ribs every once in a while,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “We’ve had a lot of good and bad results, but that’s what it’s about. I enjoy it because it is real similar to preparing a race car for a weekend of racing. There is a right way to do it and there are steps and a process. I enjoy it, plus it is something that lasts the entire day. You start in the morning getting the smoker ready and you are cooking the meat for hours on end. It’s something you get your friends and families together and enjoy an entire day.”

Earnhardt Jr. fans traveled from as far as Houston and Baytown for the one-of-a-kind event and Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas was a big winner thanks to their support. Guests had an opportunity to purchase charity raffle tickets for an opportunity for the ultimate upgrade of their seats and join Earnhardt Jr. for dinner at his personal table. Dana Kirby, of Keller; Pam Bailey, of Addison; Shelley Head, of Gainesville; Randy Kleam of Bridgeport; and Ann Clark and Judie Kochenower, of Houston, were the big winners as they got to rub elbows with Earnhardt Jr. in addition to other VIP perks for the evening.

A live auction brought in more than $23,000 for the SCC-Texas Chapter for only a handful of unique items, including an autographed, race-used Goodyear tire from his No. 88 Chevrolet that ran in April’s Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway; pre-race parade laps with him for the upcoming AAA Texas 500; autographed racing shoes and an autographed vintage Earnhardt Jr. 1998 NASCAR Busch Series No. 3 ACDelco championship car die-cast.

The most sought-after auction item proved to be the opportunity to serve as an “Honorary Pit Crew Member” for Earnhardt Jr. at the Nov. 3 AAA Texas 500. The experience, courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports, included access to the drivers’ meeting, private tour of the No. 88 hauler, pit crew shirt, pre-race photo with Earnhardt Jr. by his car, and watching a portion of the AAA Texas 500 from Earnhardt Jr.’s pit box. With the experience selling for $8,500, Earnhardt Jr. doubled down and offered a second “Honorary Pit Crew Member” experience to the other bidder that lost out and sold the pair for $17,000.

A trip to Texas Motor Speedway remains one of Earnhardt Jr.’s favorite stops on the NASCAR schedule considering the historical significance the 1.5-mile speedway has played in his career. Texas Motor Speedway was the site for his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series victories, coming in the 2000  DIRECT500  and 1998 Coca-Cola 300, respectively.

Texas Motor Speedway has served as one of his stronger tracks throughout the course of his 15-year career in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Along with his victory in 2000, he has earned 12 top-10 finishes, which places him in a tie for fourth-most all time among Sprint Cup Series drivers.

“This place has always been special to me having won the first races down here in the Nationwide Series and the Cup Series,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Texas is a great race track. We’ve had great success here. The surface of the race track has aged really well and the drivers really appreciate that. You can use all kinds of different grooves in the corners.”

Earnhardt Jr. was asked if Texas Motor Speedway would be a strong candidate in the future to host the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale for the crowning of the champion.

“I think it would be exciting,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “This is a great market here for us. We always seem to get great support from this area. The fans have really latched on to the race track and made it their own. I think it would be awesome if the season ended here. It’s tough to pick the perfect track at the end of the year, but Texas is definitely on that list.”