Posted on by Staff Report

Get event times, TV information and more for this weekend’s NASCAR action

This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and the NASCAR Nationwide Series is at Kentucky Speedway.

MORE: Full Chase coverage

All times ET

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20:

ON TRACK
— Noon-1:30 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, FOX Sports 1 (Get results)
— 3:30-5 p.m. ET, NASCAR Nationwide Series practice (Get results)
— 3:40 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1 (Get results)
— 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET, NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice, canceled due to bad weather

GarageCam
WATCH LIVE
— Sprint Cup: 11:30 a.m. ET

PRESS CONFERENCES:
WATCH LIVE
— 10:15 a.m. ET: Jeff Gordon
— 10:45 a.m. ET: Jimmie Johnson
— 11 a.m. ET: Matt Kenseth
— 11:15 a.m. ET: Kyle Busch

BUY TICKETS FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE, KENTUCKY

Click here to purchase Sprint Cup tickets.

Click here to purchase Nationwide Series tickets.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21:

ON TRACK

— 9:15-10:15 a.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, FOX Sports 2 (Get results)
— 11-11:50 a.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, FOX Sports 2 (Get results)
— 4:35 p.m. ET, NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (Get results)
— 7:30 p.m ET, Nationwide Series Kentucky 300 (200 laps, 300 miles), ESPNEWS (Get results)

PRESS CONFERENCES:
WATCH LIVE
Post-NNS race, TBD

BUY TICKETS FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE, KENTUCKY

Click here to purchase Sprint Cup tickets.

Click here to purchase Nationwide Series tickets.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22:

ON TRACK
— 2 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 (300 laps, 317.4 miles), ESPN on air at 1 (Get results)

PRESS CONFERENCES:
WATCH LIVE
Post-NSCS race, TBD

MORE:
Note: Links will be added as information becomes available.

BUY TICKETS FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE

Click here to purchase Sprint Cup tickets.

Sprint Cup: Season schedule | Standings | Entry list | Lineup | Pit stall assignments | Results
Nationwide: Season schedule | Standings | Entry list | Lineup | Pit stall assignments | Results
Camping World Truck: Season schedule | Standings

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READ: Kenseth wins at rainy Chicagoland

READ: Engine failure halts Logano’s fast Chase start

WATCH: Post-Race Reactions GEICO 400

WATCH: Final Laps: Kenseth takes Chicagoland
Posted on by Brad Norman

Series points leader not under contract for 2014; Blaney states case with victory

SPARTA, Ky. — Looking for his first NASCAR Nationwide Series championship this year, series points leader Sam Hornish Jr. is also searching for something else as he continues to pile up top-five finishes — a job for 2014.

Following a fourth-place finish in Saturday’s Kentucky 300, a result made possible by a brilliant save and recovery after nearly spinning out on Lap 186, the driver confirmed he’s not under contract to drive the No. 12 Penske Racing Ford next year.

"It’s not a fun thing to think about or talk about," Hornish said after climbing from his car on pit road at Kentucky Speedway. "It’s on your mind a little bit, but once you get in the car, you try to take care of business on the track.

"It’ll all make sense," he added. "It’s not a performance issue, it’s a sponsorship issue. Once it settles out and you see what happens with these sponsors … it’ll make sense. It’s nothing that we’ve done wrong on the race track."

The driver has an extensive history with team owner Roger Penske. Of Hornish’s 93 career Nationwide Series starts, all but one have come with Penske Racing. This is his second consecutive full-time Nationwide Series season in the No. 12 Ford, and his three full-time seasons in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series were all in a Penske car.

Prior to his NASCAR career, the former open-wheel standout had driven in IndyCar for Penske’s team from 2004-07.

Hornish’s search for a ride comes during the homestretch of his most successful NASCAR season to date. In 27 races this year, the driver has one win, 13 top-fives and 21 top-10s. He’s led the Nationwide Series points standings for six consecutive weeks, and his lead over second-place Austin Dillon is 15 points with six races remaining in 2013.

"Our focus is going to continue to be on winning this championship," Hornish said.

His points lead remained intact this weekend thanks to that save on one of the final restarts. It may have been the top highlight in a race full of them, from restarts fanning out to four-wide to late passes that left mere inches between vehicles speeding around the tri-oval at nearly 180 mph.

In second place in the waning laps, Hornish Jr. wiggled hard while trying to catch the No. 22 Ford of eventual winner Ryan Blaney. The car dipped low onto the apron after getting loose, then shot up to the top of the track before Hornish straightened it out before hitting the wall — or before being hit by the drivers on the top line.

A caution flag came out on the next lap when Parker Kligerman‘s Toyota was sent hard into the outside wall after contact from Reed Sorenson, and Hornish regrouped on the final restart. His No. 12 weaved in and out of traffic over the final nine laps to gain three spots and get back into the top five.

"I didn’t expect it to be that loose," Hornish said. "We got aggressive there and had to save it, but thankfully salvaged a decent night."

Hornish’s near-spin almost took out Blaney, who was driving Penske’s other Nationwide Series car — the 22. The victory for Blaney was his first in the series, and he became the fourth driver to win in that vehicle this year, joining Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and AJ Allmendinger.

The 19-year-old Blaney is a regular in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and he’s also a Penske Racing developmental driver. With a seat that appears to be opening up next year, Blaney nearly sounded like a man going through a job interview following his victory — a victory which would help his case should the team consider promoting the driver.

"You never know what’s going to happen in the offseason," Blaney said when asked if he anticipated driving for Penske in the Nationwide Series next year. "(This win) definitely doesn’t hurt. It would be a privilege to be able to run for this 22 team, or even the 12 car for that matter. They are both running so strong, with Sam leading the driver points and (the 22) leading the owner points.

"It would be a privilege to run for (crew chief) Jeremy (Bullins) full time. Hopefully we can make that happen in ’14. I really hope so."

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WATCH: Chase Chat:
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Inaugural season will showcase new series in 12 events at premium venues

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Continuing its commitment to revolutionize sports car racing in North America, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) today announced a 12-race schedule for the 2014 debut season of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship starting with the 52nd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 25-26.

“We have created a premium schedule for sports car fans, taking our new championship to some of the best road racing facilities in North America,” said IMSA CEO Ed Bennett. “Our event lineup also underscores the cooperative spirit of the merger between the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón (ALMS). The ‘best of both worlds’ approach, our shared guidepost throughout the merger process, is certainly evident when you look at the 2014 schedule.

“We had many interested parties but for 2014, we only considered facilities from our 2013 Rolex Series and ALMS schedules. That was in fairness to our existing track partners, who have been such strong supporters of both series. The first TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season will feature iconic tracks deeply rich in history. We are very proud of this group of 12 facilities which have been selected for the inaugural season.”

Illustrating the post-merger synergy is the fact that the 2014 lineup features four race tracks currently on the Rolex Series schedule, four that are on the current ALMS schedule and four that are on both series’ 2013 slates.

In addition, preseason test sessions have been set for Nov. 16-17 at Sebring International Raceway and Nov. 19-20 at Daytona International Speedway. The test sessions will be open to all four classes of cars that will compete in the new championship: Prototype, Prototype Challenge, GT Le Mans and GT Daytona. Session schedules will be announced in the near future.

The 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship schedule rundown:

Jan. 25-26: Daytona International Speedway … The 52nd running of the Rolex 24 will be perhaps the most significant sports car race in the history of North America, as the debut event for the new championship.

March 15 Sebring International Raceway … The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring fueled by Fresh From Florida – North America’s oldest sports car race – will be run for the 62nd time. … For the first time since 1998, the Daytona and Sebring endurance classics will be part of the same series and under the same sanctioning (IMSA). … Previously the ALMS’ premier event.

April 12 Long Beach … Longtime ALMS street race again in conjunction with IZOD IndyCar Series. … Prototype and GT Le Mans classes will compete in one of the largest and most important consumer markets (Southern California) for nearly all TUDOR United SportsCar Championship stakeholders.

May 4 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca … Historic Monterey, California circuit considered hallowed ground for sports car racing. … On both series’ schedules this season.

May 31: Detroit Belle Isle … Also a companion street-race event to IndyCar. … Will feature the Prototype, Prototype Challenge and GT Daytona classes. … The Rolex Series has raced at Detroit the last two years; previously, the ALMS was part of the Detroit weekend. The “Motor City” is home to many of the auto manufacturers participating in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship plus numerous supplier partners.

June 29: Watkins Glen International … The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen endurance event in Watkins Glen, New York has been a staple on the Rolex Series schedule. … Event started in 1968 and for many years was part of IMSA’s former Camel GT Series.

July 13: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park … Historic Bowmanville, Ontario circuit – currently amid a massive renovation project – is retained from the ALMS schedule.

July 25: Indianapolis Motor Speedway … Brickyard Grand Prix will again join the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend for third consecutive year, with Friday-at-dusk finish. … Previous two years was part of Rolex Series schedule.

Aug. 10: Road America … Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin track has been on both ALMS and Rolex Series schedules. … Hosted historic event this season when both series raced there on the same weekend.

Aug. 24: Virginia International Raceway … Danville, Virginia track has fervent fan following and an ALMS race next month. … Formerly part of the Rolex Series schedule. … Event will have a combined GT Le Mans/GT Daytona race and another race featuring the Prototype Challenge class.

Sept. 20: Circuit of The Americas … Spectacular year-old road racing facility in Austin, Texas hosted the Rolex Series in the spring this season and is hosting the ALMS and FIA World Endurance Championship this weekend.

Oct. 4: Road Atlanta … The Petit Le Mans, traditional 10-hour or 1,000 mile ALMS season finale at the storied Braselton, Georgia road course. … Event will retain its status as a link with the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

With three circuits (Long Beach, Detroit Belle Isle and Virginia International Raceway) on the 2014 schedule not having all four TUDOR United SportsCar Championship classes competing, each class (Prototype, Prototype Challenge, GT Le Mans and GT Daytona) will race 11 times next season.

“This is, without a doubt, the best sports car schedule in the history of North America,” said IMSA President and COO Scott Atherton. “When we announced the merger plans last year, we immediately envisioned a dream schedule, one that our industry and, most importantly, our fans would embrace. Although it wasn’t easy, we feel like we have arrived at just that. There were so many options to consider and we could have added more events, but we had to ensure that we didn’t over-tax our industry. So, we stuck to our plan of going with the ‘best of the best’ and capped the lineup at 12 events.

“This lineup will have it all – historic road courses, major market street circuits and two of the most spectacular superspeedways in the world, Daytona and Indy. And it also will have the continent’s new jewel – Circuit of the Americas. Overall, a dream schedule, indeed.”

2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Schedule

Date Event

Jan 25-26 Daytona International Speedway

Mar 15 Sebring International Raceway

Apr 12 Long Beach Street Circuit

May 4 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

May 31 Detroit Belle Isle

Jun 29 Watkins Glen International

Jul 13 Canadian Tire Motorsports Park

Jul 25 Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Aug 10 Road America

Aug 24 Virginia International Raceway

Sep 20 Circuit of The Americas

Oct 4 Road Atlanta

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Newman wins seventh career Coors Light Pole at Loudon

MORE: Full coverage of the Chase for the Sprint Cup | Lineup

LOUDON, N.H.—Before Friday’s qualifying session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Ryan Newman quipped that he would give 100 percent on both laps—a reference to the edict NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France announced last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.

As it turned out, Newman wasn’t kidding. On his first circuit, he broke the track record Kasey Kahne had set earlier in the session. On the second lap, Newman broke the record he had set 28 seconds earlier.

To be exact, Newman toured the Magic Mile in 27.904 seconds (136.497 mph) to shatter the mark of 135.922 mph established by Brad Keselowski in July. Kahne (136.082 mph) and third-place qualifier Jeff Gordon (136.063 mph) also beat the previous record.

Kurt Busch qualified fourth at 135.868 mph, followed by Martin Truex Jr. at 135.636 mph, as Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers claimed the top four starting positions for Sunday’s Sylvania 300, the second event in the Chase.

Chase driver Joey Logano will start sixth and Paul Menard seventh. Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle, all competing for the Cup title, claimed the eighth through 10th starting positions, respectively.

"Everything about qualifying weighs in to having a better chance in the race, with the pit selection and with track position to start and, obviously, knowing you have a fast race car," said Newman, who won his seventh Coors Light pole award at the 1.058-mile speedway, a track he termed the "birthplace of track position," where a strong qualifying effort is especially helpful.

"We’ll see what we can do with our Quicken Loans Chevrolet tomorrow in race trim. We’ve been in qualifying trim the entire day, so I’m pretty sure and pretty confident we can make it all pay off."

The pole was Newman’s second of the season and the 51st of his career, ninth on the all-time list. A win Sunday wouldn’t be the first time Newman has converted a pole into a victory at New Hampshire. He won from the top starting spot during his 2002 rookie season and again in 2011.

Mere minutes after taking the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole, Newman claimed the Coors Light Pole Award for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour F.W. Webb 100 with a 29.475-second lap. It was his fifth tour pole, all of which have come at New Hampshire. He’ll lead the field to green tomorrow at noon ET, live on FOX Sports 2.

Unlike Newman, whose first and second laps were both good for the pole, Gordon picked up speed considerably from his first lap to his second, but not by design.

"When I went into the run and took off from pit road, I was really going to try to get it done on the first lap," said Gordon, who is making the most of his 11th-hour addition to the Chase after manipulation of the outcome of the final regular-season race at Richmond knocked him out of the 10-race playoff, unfairly, in NASCAR’s view.

"I came off Turn 4 (approaching the green flag) just wiggling and sliding, and I thought, ‘OK, maybe I can make up for it in (Turns) 1 and 2, and then off of 2 really bad, and at that point, it was just all about regrouping and trying to put a second lap together."

Gordon succeeded beyond his expectations.

"I was shaking when I got out of the car," Gordon said, “because that first lap was so hairy and on the edge that, the second lap, I had to really try to get the car to run really straight and no make any mistakes, but I knew we had a lot of ground to make up.

"When they said I was third, I was really excited, because I knew we certainly weren’t anywhere close to that on the first lap."

The remaining five Chase drivers filled the following positions on the grid: Jimmie Johnson 11th, Kyle Busch 12th, Clint Bowyer 16th, Dale Earnhardt Jr. 17th and Carl Edwards 26th. Edwards tagged the outside with the right rear of his car on his first lap, requiring the repair of cosmetic damage before Saturday’s practice.

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WATCH: Chase Chat:
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Colombian driver reflects as seven-year run in stock cars ends

LOUDON, N.H. — Juan Pablo Montoya‘s tenure as a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver may quickly be coming to a close, but don’t expect that to impact how he’ll handle his No. 42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Or at any of the remaining races, for that matter.

For Montoya, who will be departing NASCAR to return to his roots in the IndyCar Series driving for Team Penske, nothing changes.

Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the No. 42 Target car, arrives for a Gillette shave-off with his pit crew at the NASCAR Sprint Cup at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 22, 2013.

"I think I’m going to approach (the next nine races) the same way," he said Friday. "I think making the announcement doesn’t change anything on the way I’ve been driving the car; I drive the car always as hard as I can."

The move comes on the heels of EGR announcing late last month that 21-year-old NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduate Kyle Larson would helm the No. 42 Chevy next season, leaving Montoya without a ride. With his future up in the air, the Bogota, Colombia native fielded calls regarding opportunities across the globe, finally accepting an offer from Roger Penske on Monday.

"It was a no-brainer to run for Roger, absolutely. By his trade, he runs the biggest and most successful team in the U.S., probably the world. To be able to run for that organization is something else," Montoya said. "The first conversation was me. We had a lot of casual conversations, to put it that way. When it got serious, it only took a day (to get a deal done)."

Now that his fate is sealed for next season, it opens up the discussion of how to view Montoya’s seven-year stint as a full-time Cup driver. Speed never seemed to be an issue for him — after learning the ropes his first two seasons, Montoya’s career-high 18 top-10 finishes in 2009 led to his first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berth. At age 33 and enough experience under his belt to know his way around a stock car, by all means the momentum gained from that season should have carried him to even more success — but it didn’t, for various reasons.

"This year, we had the speed to make the Chase easily, but when you’re running second, for example, at Sonoma and you run out of gas and you finish 36th? Come on. When you go Talladega and your car doesn’t start after the rain delay. When you end up with the shifter in your hand in California or when the fuel pump goes. Just mechanical issues, that’s four," said Montoya, who missed the Chase again this year after coming out of Richmond in 19th place.

"It’s funny. From where we were in points before the Chase, if we had 100 more points, we’re like sixth in points. You know you’re going to have problems and we’re going to have (races like) Pocono when I screw up and you’re going to have your mistakes here or there but we just had so many that it’s like, really? Can we just stop bleeding? I mean, honestly. It was hard."

Juan Pablo Montoya gets smooth shaven at a Gillette shave-off at the NASCAR Sprint Cup on September 22, 2013.

After the announcement was made Monday, Montoya noted that he’s gotten a lot of support through texts and calls, but mostly from his friends in IndyCar. Still, his contributions to NASCAR weren’t at all disregarded by his Cup Series colleagues and a pair of former champions are excited to see what he can accomplish next season.

"Being here in these types of cars and the struggles that you have in these types of cars with lack of grip, all the different tracks, how competitive it is among the cars and teams that are out there — (I’m anxious to see) how that experience is either going to enhance or hinder him going back to the IndyCar Series," said Jeff Gordon during his media availability Friday. "One thing that’s always been true — still is — for Juan, he’s a fantastic race car driver."

Gordon’s teammate and five-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson agreed.

"It’s only been a couple times, but I’ve had a chance to see him on a high-downforce car and on a road course, which would be in the Grand-Am series and my opinions and ability to race with him and his car knowledge of a stock car is one thing. You go to a lighter downforce car on a road course in general and watch Juan do his thing, I mean he blisters everybody."

While a return to IndyCar certainly seemed like a natural direction for Montoya to take once the writing was on the wall with Larson, jumping into another Cup ride wasn’t ruled out. He considered opportunities from several organizations and was actually pretty deep into contract talks to replace Kurt Busch in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevy after the 2004 champion moves to Stewart-Haas Racing next season, but talks were tabled once Penske came calling.

"There were a few offers here, there were a few offers in Europe, really everywhere. It was fun to see how much interest there was around, but when you have an offer to race for Roger Penske, I mean, you can’t turn that down."

The door is certainly not closed for a potential return for Montoya to Sprint Cup Series racing, especially if he only ran a pair of races a year on the road courses where his two career wins came (Sonoma 2007, Watkins Glen 2010). But one thing’s for sure, no matter what kind of car he’s in beyond 2014, Montoya will always be an aggressive, hard-nosed, full-force driver.

"I just don’t know how to drive the car any other way. I drive the hell out of it and that’s it. That’s what I’ve always done."

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Posted on by Staff Report

No. 33 Crafton leads in the first Nationwide practice at Kentucky, Dillon follows in second

SPARTA, Ky. — Matt Crafton paced the field in the opening — and only — NASCAR Nationwide Series practice session Friday at Kentucky Speedway, which was shortened by 45 minutes due to rain.

The opening session was scheduled to go from 3:30 p.m. ET to 5 p.m. ET, but was yellow-flagged at 4:15 p.m. for rain. It began to pour soon after cars were called off the track. 

Track drying got underway at approximately 4:45 p.m. ET, but additional storms moved into the area, dumping more precipitation on the freshly dried track at 6:10 p.m. ET. That forced the cancellation of the planned 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET second practice. 

Saturday’s Kentucky 300 is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, with qualifying at 4:35 p.m. ET that same day. Track officials said Friday’s planned second practice will not be rescheduled for Saturday morning.

Either way, Crafton is looking for his third top-10 finish in his third Nationwide Series starts. Earlier this year, Crafton placed third at Kentucky and 10th at Chicagoland Speedway.

With the Camping World Truck Series off until next weekend’s event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, five drivers from that series are in Nationwide Series cars at for Saturday’s Kentucky 300 (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS). In addition to Crafton, Ryan Blaney was ninth in the opening session with a lap of 171.293 mph in his No. 22 Ford, and Joey Coulter was 10th in the No. 18 Toyota (171.23 mph).

The opening session was scheduled to go from 3:30 p.m. ET to 5 p.m. ET, but was yellow-flagged at 4:15 p.m. for rain. It began to pour soon after cars were called off the track.

Austin Dillon, currently second in the points standings, finished behind Crafton in second place. Running his familiar No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet for Richard Childress, Dillon turned in a speed of 173.410 mph.

Brian Scott also topped 173 mph, and at 173.077, finished third on the grid. 

Nationwide Series regulars Brian Vickers (172.983 mph) and Kyle Larson (172.315 mph) rounded out the top five. 

Series points leader Sam Hornish Jr. was the first Ford in the field, taking seventh place in his No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts machine with a speed of 171.898 mph. 

Also in the top 10 were Justin Allgaier (sixth, 171.117 mph) and Parker Kligerman (eighth, 171.325 mph).

Saturday’s Kentucky 300 is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, with qualifying at 4:35 p.m. ET that same day. Track officials said Friday’s planned second practice will not be rescheduled for Saturday morning.

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Posted on by Staff Report

Kahne places second in practice run

MORE: Full coverage of the Chase for the Sprint Cup | Practice results

LOUDON, N.H. — Three-time New Hampshire Motor Speedway winner Kurt Busch led the opening practice session for the Sylvania 300, besting a litter of Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers near the top of the leaderboard on Friday.

Making a mock qualifying run late in the practice, Busch’s time of 28.244 seconds around the one-mile oval gave him a best speed of 134.853 mph.

Kasey Kahne placed second, running the 29th of his 30 laps with a speed of 134.477 mph to narrowly edge fellow Chase contenders Ryan Newman (134.439 mph), Jeff Gordon (134.368 mph) and Kyle Busch (134.302 mph), who rounded out the top five.

Looking to make the most of a lost season that saw him miss the Chase for the first time in his career, Denny Hamlin (134.212 mph), was sixth. The rest of the top 10 was filled with Chase drivers in Joey Logano (134.165 mph), Kevin Harvick (134.032 mph) and Jimmie Johnson (133.981 mph), along with Martin Truex Jr. (133.990 mph), who initially had made the Chase field but was eventually replaced by Newman.

Points leader Matt Kenseth (133.886 mph) was 12th, while Greg Biffle‘s 22nd position on the chart made him the slowest Chase driver in practice.

Clint Bowyer (133.905 mph, 11th) brushed the wall slightly but, apart from a light, cosmetic scrape, his car was not damaged.

Juan Pablo Montoya, who announced earlier this week that he would be leaving NASCAR at season’s end to take a Penske Racing ride in the IndyCar Series, was 14th.

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Posted on by Nascar

MWR driver doesn’t dismiss idea of racing elsewhere in 2014

MORE: Waltrip discusses ‘rocky couple of weeks’ | NAPA, MWR to part ways

LOUDON, N.H. – Martin Truex Jr. said he is willing to give Michael Waltrip Racing officials time to get their house in order, but didn’t dismiss the idea that he could be racing elsewhere in 2014.
 
"We’ve got to look at all our options," Truex Jr. said Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, moments after his qualifying lap for Sunday’s Sylvania 300. "There isn’t a whole lot out there; it’s awful late in the season.
 
"We’ve got to look at everything we can to make sure I can be in a race car next year."
 
A day earlier, NAPA, the primary sponsor on the No. 56 team for which Truex drives, announced it would sever its relationship with MWR in light of penalties handed down following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond earlier this month.

MWR was fined $300,000 and its three drivers – Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers – were penalized 50 points apiece for what NASCAR officials said was an attempt to manipulate the end of the race.
 
The points deduction resulted in Truex Jr. losing his position in this year’s Chase For The Sprint Cup.
 
"The circumstances about the way I feel are the same as last week," he said. "Obviously it’s more complicated now. … We’ve got nine races left to focus on getting this NAPA car in victory lane and that’s what we’re going to do."
 
Truex Jr. won at Sonoma Raceway earlier this year for his second career win at the Cup level. He was poised to make his third appearance in the Chase.
 
NAPA officials have not said if the company, which has been in the sport since the mid-1990s, would remain as a sponsor or leave the series altogether. Truex Jr. said he has a solid relationship with the company, and it was possible that NAPA could join him if he were to go elsewhere. Nothing has been discussed, however.
 
"We do have a great relationship," he said. "This has all happened so fast.  They’re going to need a little time for the dust to settle and figure out what their next move is – we’ll just have to wait.
 
"I guess it’s an option … I feel like I’ve represented them well. I know they’re happy with the job I’ve done on and off the race track. We’ll just see where that leads, but honestly right now I have no idea what’s going to happen."
 
While Truex Jr. was not implicated in any of the wrongdoing that occurred at Richmond, he said he held no hard feelings toward his teammates. Decisions were made "in the heat of battle … that were wrong.
 
"And I’m trying to deal with the consequences," he said. "We can’t go back in time and undo anything. I’ve moved on from it. I’m just focused on the future, the next nine races with this group, trying to do the best job we can there and obviously trying to figure out what I’m going to do next year."
 
Earlier Friday, team co-owner Michael Waltrip said he would not stand in his driver’s way should Truex Jr. decide to go elsewhere. All he asked for, Waltrip said was "a little time to try to figure this out and he agreed to that.
 
"If he came to me tomorrow and said I’ve got a deal to go do something, then obviously I would not hold him back," Waltrip said. "His support and loyalty for our organization has been amazing."

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Posted on by Nascar

A wholistic approach, adaptation to the Gen-6 car made the team stronger for this year’s competition

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Kyle Busch scored the second most points during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2012.
 
There was only one problem. Busch wasn’t one of the 12 drivers competing for the series’ championship.
 
A 16th-place finish at Richmond International Raceway wasn’t the only reason — merely the final straw that left the Joe Gibbs Racing driver on the outside, 13th in a field of 12 and, in something of a rarity, with only one win to count toward a potential Wild Card.
 
"We could have just quit," Busch said Thursday during an appearance at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. "We could have loaded up and just floundered through the rest of the year."
 
Clearly, that wasn’t the case.

Instead, Busch, crew chief Dave Rogers and the rest of the No. 18 team went to work, racing for a title that wasn’t there, but racing just the same.
 
The world of NASCAR often sends mixed signals: Momentum gained at the close of a season can be carried over into the next might be true. But what about all those folks who finish second in the championship tilt, yet wilt the following year?
 
The only way to know what will happen is to let it happen. And that’s what Busch and his team have done.
 
Joe Gibbs Racing, which fields entries for Busch as well as teammates Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin, was quick to adapt to the new Generation 6 car that debuted in 2013. Kenseth leads the points standings heading into this weekend’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Busch is second, eight points behind. The two have combined for 10 wins through 27 races this year.
 
"I don’t know that there’s anybody better than Kyle anywhere," Kenseth said earlier this week. "I certainly don’t think I am."
 
Busch said the team continues to benefit from last year’s setback, gaining confidence and using those lessons to build a stronger program.
 
The benefits are easy to see. Busch seems more relaxed; Rogers appears less stressed.
 
"I think it just comes from last year, learning how to react while not being in the Chase," Busch said. "There was no pressure on the line. We hammered through the final 10 … ran really strong.
 
"…The pressure is certainly going to mount, I would say (at) Texas, Phoenix, Homestead. That’s definitely going to be the time of the season that there are going to be some tense moments that I’m not used to."
 
Failures can often plant seeds for great learning experiences.
 
"And we learned a ton of lessons in the Chase last year," Rogers said. "There’s a lot of pressure to be in the Chase, there’s a lot of pressure (when you’re) not in it, too.
 
"That was a miserable part of our lives, not being able to compete for the championship. You learn a lot about yourself."
 
Busch has been in the Chase before — twice as the top seed. He’s never finished higher than fifth, however.
 
Maybe for that reason, he’s taking a different approach this year, "not paying attention," he said, "to any previous stats.
 
"I’m running this Chase as differently as I’ve ever done because I’ve never been a champion," he said. "We’ll see if it works."
 
If Busch is looking at things a bit differently these days, Rogers is as well. Knowing he had a championship-caliber driver had been both a blessing and a curse. If the most talented driver isn’t winning, is it the car? Is it the team?
 
"I think that was one thing that used to hold me back," Rogers said. "You have Kyle Busch driving your car and you have so much respect for him. You used to have cars that weren’t capable of winning the race and you’d go home dejected. ‘Man, I’ve got the best driver; I need to give him the car. It’s all on me.’
 
"Well, you realize that in a way that’s being awful selfish. What we have now is a unified race team. We’re all trying to do our best; I try to give Kyle my best every week; he tries to give me his best … every member of the team does that.
 
"This year I think we’ve done a good job of not putting any one of us on a pedestal. We just try to perform as a cohesive group and it’s a lot more fun to race like that. It’s a way to take that pressure off. Because it’s there. I know everyone knows how good my driver is. We all know that. I’ve had to make a conscious effort not to put that undue pressure on myself."
 
His team knows it can perform down the stretch, he said, "because we did it last year."
 
Busch is no less confident, although he acknowledges the glare of the Chase spotlight can impact performance. Expectations can fade under the harsh light of reality.
 
Or they can flourish.
 
"Last year we ran well. We proved that we could do it," Busch said. "We just weren’t under the pressure. This year will be different."

 

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Posted on by Nascar

Team owner says he’s eager to regain trust, Truex free to leave

Related: NAPA parts ways with MWR

LOUDON, N.H. — The blue and yellow NAPA logos were impossible to miss as Michael Waltrip stood on the rear steps of the No. 56 transporter Friday morning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
 
These are turbulent times for Michael Waltrip Racing, co-owned by Waltrip and Rob Kauffman. Fallout from Richmond, the final race before the start of this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, continues to materialize weeks after the fact. The debris field is large and threatens to grow larger.

It was the first time Waltrip publicly addressed the week’s most recent news that the auto parts supplier is leaving MWR at season’s end. A contract extension is now nullified by questionable late-race decisions and the penalties that followed.
 
Yet to be determined is whether Martin Truex Jr., driver of organization’s No. 56 Toyota, will depart as well.
 
Yet to be determined is whether additional funding can be obtained, a necessity if MWR hopes to continue to field three teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
 
And yet to be determined is what action, if any, the group’s other primary sponsors — 5-Hour Energy and Aaron’s — might possibly take. According to Waltrip, Scott Henderson, president of 5-Hour, will be in attendance for Sunday’s Sylvania 300 here at NHMS. The arrival was pre-planned; the topic of discussion likely wasn’t.
 
Waltrip said Friday that he wouldn’t hold Truex Jr., back, and if the 33-year-old sought work and opportunity elsewhere, such a split would be amicable.
 
"We asked if we could have a little time to try to figure this out and he agreed to that," Waltrip said of his conversation with Truex Jr. "If he came to me tomorrow and said I’ve got a deal to go do something, then obviously I would not hold him back. His support and loyalty for our organization has been amazing. He drove some kind of crappy cars when he first got to our shop. We were able to build those cars better, make them faster and he’s been able to be a race-winning Chase guy. I owe him a lot for his loyalty and his passion for our team.
 
"I wouldn’t hold him back from doing something that he wanted to do but what I would like him to do is hang around so we can attract a sponsor and keep him in our cars."
 
Kauffman has provided partial funding for one of the team’s cars this year, with his RK Motors group sponsoring Clint Bowyer‘s No. 15 in races not covered by 5-Hour Energy.
 
Although he has been out of the country, Kauffman responded via Twitter on Friday, noting that the organization is still trying to assess the situation.
 
"It’s early," the co-owner said. "We will see what options develop."
 
Waltrip said the focus going forward is to find sponsorship and work to regain the trust of the fans whohave supported him throughout his career.
 
"Fortunately … the infrastructure is to have three cars and the support from Toyota (is) for three cars," he said.
 
"The other two cars are fully funded. … We’ll just look at trying to get additional sponsorship and race that car. That’s our focus … that’s our plan as of now."
 
NAPA officials "felt like the events of the last 10 days have spiraled out of control a bit," he said, when asked about conversations with the longtime sponsor. NAPA is one of only a few companies that fully sponsor a Cup team for an entire season.
 
"They felt like what we were involved with and NASCAR penalized for was more than they were comfortable with dealing with," Waltrip said. "They worked hard to try to find a way to hang around. …
 
"They weren’t overly thrilled with the way the whole situation was handled, that played into a part of it, but we put them in that position. We put them in a bad spot. They’ve certainly been there for me when I didn’t make races, had problems and wasn’t competitive. …
 
"I have nothing but praise and thanks for them. Aaron’s and Toyota, our key partners, they are the reason we have a team.
 
"We didn’t have a master plan in order to manipulate the (Richmond) race. That wasn’t even discussed in any way, shape or form. You earn your trust; we disappointed some fans and we’re going to work our butts off to gain that trust back."

MORE:

READ: Kenseth wins at rainy Chicagoland

READ: Engine failure halts Logano’s fast Chase start

WATCH: Post-Race Reactions GEICO 400

WATCH: Final Laps: Kenseth takes Chicagoland