Latest news from Dover

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Staff Report

Follow the latest news for all three NASCAR national series

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Tony Stewart wins the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks | Results | Standings

Read below for NASCAR news, and visit this page throughout the week for additional coverage.

Black-flagged

Instead of battling for the win, Jimmie Johnson ended up 17th after serving a drive-through penalty in the waning laps. And the five-time Sprint Cup Series champion said he absolutely planned on having a discussion with NASCAR about the situation. | Read the full story

 

How low can you go?

NASCAR ruled in post-race inspections on Sunday that the No. 2 Penske Racing Ford driven by Brad Keselowski was too low in the front. A follow-up will be made with the team this week. | Read the full story

 

Stewart wins first of 2013

After Jimmie Johnson was assessed a drive-through penalty for jumping the final restart — a sanction Johnson protested vehemently — Tony Stewart passed Juan Pablo Montoya on Lap 398 of 400 to win Sunday’s FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway. | Read the full story

 

Kenseth exits early

Matt Kenseth became the second Joe Gibbs Racing driver to suffer engine failure in the last two weeks, his day done after leading 29 laps of the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway. | Read the full story | Video

 

Logano wins at Dover

Joey Logano ended Kyle Busch’s stranglehold over the NASCAR Nationwide Series by winning the 5-hour Energy 200 on Saturday at Dover International Raceway. Logano, a former teammate of Busch’s in the Sprint Cup Series, won for the third time in a row at Dover and the third time there as a Nationwide driver. | Read the full story

 

Hamlin catching up

Denny Hamlin has an incentive that most other drivers do not for his strong showings the past two weekends. As he recovers from an injury that slimmed his chances of making the Chase, he is optimistic and motivated. | Read the full story

 

Autism outreach runs deep

Race sponsorship for this weekend’s FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks is especially near to NASCAR’s heart and an example of what the sport’s commitment to a cause can do. | Read the full story

Busch goes back-to-back

Kyle Busch wins his second consecutive NASCAR Camping World Truck race, surging late to take the Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway. For Busch, it was his 32nd victory in the series and his second this season. | Read the full story

Danica ‘honest’ with Stenhouse

Danica Patrick opened up about last weekend’s collision with boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the Coca-Cola 600, saying after some initial "silent moments," all was well between the two. She chalked up the contact that took out defending series champ Brad Keselowski to "just a racing accident." | Read the full story | Video: Late wreck at Charlotte

Youth mark to Wallace

Darrell Wallace Jr. eclipsed the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series youth record in winning his first career pole position at Dover International Speedway. The 19-year-old rookie for Kyle Busch Motorsports topped qualifying for the Lucas Oil 200, the series’ sixth race of the season. | Read the full story | Video highlights

Penske crew back at work

The Penske Racing crews for drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano returned their rosters to normal Friday at Dover International Speedway, as crew chiefs Paul Wolfe and Todd Gordon, plus team manager Travis Geisler reported for duty after serving out three-week suspensions. | Read the full story

Truex ready for more

Ever since he scored his first Sprint Cup win at Dover International Speedway in 2007, it’s been a Victory Lane drought for Martin Truex Jr. Revisit his breakthrough win in this week’s video installment of Throwback Thursday and read about the hot streak that has rallied him to ninth in the standings. | Read the full story

Don’t count out the champ

Brad Keselowski is winless and in 10th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings. Reason to panic? Not for the No. 2 team, which thrives on scrapping and clawing its way through the season. | Read the full story

Wallace gets full funding

One of the most talented young drivers in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Darrell Wallace Jr. has secured sponsorship for the remainder of the year after Good Sam announced it will fund 11 races. The next question: When will Wallace get his first win? | Read the full story

Power rankings

After another strong showing, Kurt Busch was the biggest mover in this week’s power rankings. Where did the No. 78 driver land? And which driver is new to the top five? Find out in this week’s power rankings. | Read the full story

Driver reports

Carl Edwards cut into Jimmie Johnson’s points lead with his showing in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Get news and info on the top 12 drivers in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup standings, plus five additional drivers that could make some noise. | Read the full story

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Posted on June 1, 2013 by

NASCAR founder’s great-grandson holds off K&N Pro Series West champ in Winston-Salem

Photo caption (left to right): Jim France, International Speedway Corporation chairman and vice chairman and executive vice president of NASCAR; two-time K&N Pro Series East race winner Ben Kennedy; Lesa France Kennedy, International Speedway Corporation CEO and vice chairperson of NASCAR; and Jeffrey Loch, CEO of G-Oil, celebrate Ben Kennedy’s win in the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C.

"I’ve got to thank BK Racing and absolutely everyone that made this possible to win here at Bowman Gray. I’m speechless over that."

—Ben Kennedy

Related: NASCARHomeTracks.com | Lap-By-Lap Recap | Results

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – History and heritage converged Saturday at Bowman Gray Stadium as Ben Kennedy took home the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East checkered flag in the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150.
Kennedy, the great-grandson of Bill France Sr., captured his second career K&N Pro Series East victory at one of the sport’s most historic tracks.

Not only was France the founding father of NASCAR, but he was also responsible for bringing auto racing to Bowman Gray in 1949.

Sixty-four years later, the two were reconnected.

Kennedy took the lead on Lap 125 and held it the balance of the 150-lap race for his third overall NASCAR victory. His first win came in 2012 in Tours, France in Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series action. His previous K&N Pro Series East triumph was earned on April 13 of this season at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla.

“Man, this is just awesome,” Kennedy said from Victory Lane. “I’ve got to thank BK Racing and absolutely everyone that made this possible to win here at Bowman Gray. I’m speechless over that.”

Dylan Kwasniewski crossed the line second with Brandon Gdovic third. Kenzie Ruston and Jesse Little brought home the top five.

Polesitter Brett Moffitt, who led from the start, suffered battery issues mid-race and may have been running underpowered when Kennedy overtook him for the deciding lead change on Lap 125. Moffitt had to pit for a battery change and eventually finished 13th.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 will air on SPEED on June 6 at 3 p.m. ET.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return to action on Friday, June 7 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa in the Casey’s General Stores 150 combination race with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.

For more results, audio, photos and information, go to hometracks.nascar.com.

READ MORE:

READ: Latest news
from Dover

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on June 1, 2013 by

Edwards, Liddell Score GT “Hat Trick” in Camaro; Miller, Nunez Win GX For Mazda

"It was mandatory [to win for Chevrolet in Detroit]. It was huge pressure for both of us. Starting from the pole, great deal, and we won the race."

—Max Angelelli

DETROIT (June 1, 2013) – Calling it a “mandatory” victory in the shadow of Chevrolet headquarters in downtown Detroit, Max Angelelli drove the No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP across the finish line 0.486 seconds ahead of 2012 Detroit winner Joao Barbosa to win the Chevrolet GRAND-AM 200 at Belle Isle.

The victory moved Angelelli and co-driver Jordan Taylor into the Daytona Prototype points lead by two points over No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP co-drivers Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney five races into the 12-race 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season.

Taylor started from the pole position and the car never dropped lower than second in the running order at any point in the two-hour race. Taylor put the No. 10 machine into the lead for good on Lap 33 of 61, one lap before he pitted and gave way to Angelelli.

It was the second consecutive Detroit victory for the Corvette DP and for Taylor, who earned a GT-class victory last year in a Camaro. It was Taylor’s fourth career Rolex Series class win and was the 23rd Rolex Series win for Angelelli.

"It was mandatory [to win for Chevrolet in Detroit]. It was huge pressure for both of us. Starting from the pole, great deal, and we won the race. I’m happy to say we delivered and we executed perfectly. The guys during the pit stop did an amazing job from P1 and it’s thanks to them.”

Barbosa and co-driver Christian Fittipaldi took second in the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP. Third went to No. 2 Starworks Motorsport Ford/Riley teammates Ryan Dalziel and Alex Popow, who led 16 laps.

The championship picture changed dramatically on the opening lap when Memo Rojas crashed the No. 01 Cessna-TELMEX BMW/Riley after contact from Gustavo Yacaman in the No. 6 Tuvacol Ford/Riley forced him to spin into the path of John Pew’s No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford/Riley. Rojas and co-driver Scott Pruett dropped from the Daytona Prototype points lead to fourth as a result.

No. 57 Stevenson Automotive Group Camaro GT.R co-drivers John Edwards and Robin Liddell earned their third straight GT-class victory and gave Chevrolet a Motor City sweep of DP and GT. Edwards and Liddell were buoyed by quick pit work to take the lead after starting fifth in class on the 2.36-mile street circuit.

"Hats off to the Stevenson guys,” Edwards said. “They really got us in the lead and I think you could see by the pressure I was getting at the end that if I had gone out in second place we probably wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you as winners. Those guys have done a fantastic job to give us three in a row.”

Jeff Westphal and Alessandro Balzan took second in GT in the No. 63 Motorola Mobility Ferrari 458 Italia, enabling Balzan to retain the lead in the class point standings. Third in class went to polesitter Max Papis and co-driver Jeff Segal in the No. 61 Ferrari of Ontario Ferrari 458.

Joel Miller and the No. 00 Visit Florida Racing Mazda 6 earned a second consecutive GX-class victory for the diesel-powered machine. It was the first career Rolex Series win for 17-year-old rising star Tristan Nunez, who co-drove to the win alongside Miller.

"Unfortunately, I missed out for the first Mazda win at Atlanta, but I was in [the American Le Mans Series race] in Long Beach getting my first street course experience,” Nunez said. “I think that helped in favor in this race. It’s so great for my first pro win to be alongside Joel Miller."

READ MORE:

READ: Latest news
from Dover

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on June 1, 2013 by

Prevents Kyle Busch from winning third straight Nationwide race

View full race results | Video: Final Laps

DOVER, Del. — In a race that was won by a choice on pit road, rather than by speed on the race track, Joey Logano parlayed a strategic late-race call into victory in Saturday’s 5-Hour Energy 200 Nationwide Series race at Dover International Speedway.

Logano trailed race leader Kyle Busch by five seconds with 40 laps left, but a two-tire pit stop under the fifth and final caution got Logano out front for a restart with 34 laps left, while a four-tire choice on the same pit stop buried Busch in traffic and changed the course of the race.

The victory was Logano’s first of the season, his third straight at the Monster Mile and the 19th of his career. Brian Vickers ran second, .576 seconds behind Logano. Matt Kenseth finished third, followed by Trevor Bayne. Busch passed Sam Hornish Jr. for the fifth spot in the closing laps.

"It feels great to get back in Victory Lane," Logano said. "This is my favorite race track. I love coming up to the Northeast — that’s where I’m from (Connecticut)…"

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"Really, the winning call was on that last pit stop, when (crew chief) Jeremy (Bullins) made an audible and decided to do two tires."

Bullins made the decisive call after observing that Busch was taking four and that there were enough other cars taking two tires to form a buffer between Logano and Busch.

Bullins said he made the snap decision as his crew was dropping the jack on the right side of the car.

"We had to let the jack man run around, but, luckily for us, there was still enough room for us to let the jack man come around the front of the car, leave pit road and still come out with the lead," Bullins said. "That was really the difference. It was late (making) the call, but that’s just the way it plays out, and a lot of times you have to make a split decision like that."

Kasey Kahne was an integral part of the third caution, on Lap 113, when he made Mike Wallace pay for repeatedly holding him up by punting Wallace’s car off Turn 2. Kahne used the opportunity to grab the race lead, thanks to a two-tire call under the yellow on Lap 114.

Kahne held off Busch after the restart on Lap 121, but a quick caution a lap later — after Reed Sorenson‘s Chevy stalled at the exit from pit road — gave Busch another shot at a restart on Lap 129. Busch cleared Kahne into Turn 1 on the restart lap and opened a lead of nearly one second.

But a caution for Dexter Stacey‘s spin off Turn 4 on Lap 161 turned the race upside-down.

Busch and Kahne took four tires on a Lap 163 pit stop under caution, while nine other lead-lap cars went with two-tire calls and came out ahead of Busch and Kahne, who restarted 10th and 11th, respectively.

Mired in traffic, Busch struggled to move forward, and Logano, who led the field to green on Lap 167, drove away.

Vickers, the 2003 Nationwide Series champion, mirrored Logano’s tire strategy on the final caution and left the track with the satisfaction of a runner-up finish — but with an unsated hunger for a victory.

"Today was a good run for us," said Vickers, who is in his inaugural Nationwide season with Joe Gibbs Racing. "As much as I want to win, I can’t deny that. We’ve got to take those moments when they come. Starting with a new team, a new organization, a new crew chief, a new everything this year, it’s most certainly taken us a little bit of time, probably a little longer than we wanted to really get into the rhythm of things."

READ MORE:

READ: Latest news
from Dover

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on June 1, 2013 by Holly Cain

Hamlin has been one of the series’ hottest racers since returning from a back injury

Related: Schedule | Lineup | Pit assignments | Fantasy update

DOVER, Del. — Denny Hamlin is cautiously optimistic and highly motivated — a combination that whether intended or not, is proving a successful strategy for him since returning from a four-race layoff to mend a broken back.

Hamlin has been one of the hottest drivers in the Sprint Cup Series the past month — scoring top-five finishes in his first two full races back and winning the pole for Sunday’s FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway (1 p.m. ET, FOX) — the second straight week he topped qualifying.

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Hamlin was runner-up at Darlington his first complete race back and led laps again last week in NASCAR’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. It has been his best two-race combination of the season and the first time he has had back-to-back top-fives since last August when he won consecutive races at Bristol, Tenn., and Atlanta.

Yet as encouraging as these statistics are, Hamlin — a perennial Chase contender — is still reticent to put himself back in elite company just yet.

"I think there’s been a lot of things that have helped us perform the way we have the last couple weeks," Hamlin said. "It’s almost too small of a sample size to draw a conclusion that we are strong. I think we get past here (Dover) and in a few more weeks if we have all top-fives then I’d say that things are looking good for us."

"I knew that I was going to have to do what I needed to do to be better when I got back," Hamlin said, "Obviously, when you have some time off you can either rest and relax or you can go to work and figure out what you can do to be a better race car driver. I think I’m better now than I was beforehand. I think that’s helped our performance."

It has been part philosophical shift and part practical application for Hamlin, who says he began studying film — much like a football player — during his downtime, and thinks that has benefitted his qualifying performances.

"I think that when you’re motivated like we are right now and knowing what we have to do to make the Chase, I think that helps," Hamlin said. "The qualifying, studying … all those things help.

“Whether it’s a hundredth of a second here and there, you add it all up and you got something at the end that you can win with.

"I think you’ve got to identify your weaknesses. I mean you’re not going to just get magically better at a place unless your crew chief magically hits a setup and you’re great. I think that the only way a crew chief is going to do that is if you give him the right information. I don’t know that I’ve given the right information throughout my career.

"The competition is so good now that you have to do everything you can to get an edge on anyone. So, I just try to go that extra mile."

Before Hamlin’s last-lap accident at California — he wrecked with Joey Logano while they were racing for the win — Hamlin was ranked fourth in the standings.

He missed the next four races diagnosed with a compression fracture in the L1 vertebra (lower back) and is now 24th in the championship standings — 53 points behind 20th-place Tony Stewart — entering Sunday’s race.

He must finish in the top-20 in points and collect at least a win or two to stand a chance at one of the two Chase for the Sprint Cup Wild Card berths.
And now at the halfway mark before the 12-driver Chase field is set, there is palpable urgency to Hamlin’s task.

"I think our only play is to be aggressive," Hamlin said. "I think that to come here and try to get a points day is irrelevant because if we don’t win then we’re really not accomplishing much.

"I feel like we’re hitting our stride," Hamlin said. "We’re running really well at all different types of race tracks.

"Overall, I’m pretty happy. We still need to get those race wins. Not going to panic because we got some great race tracks ahead of us."

READ MORE:

READ: Latest news
from Dover

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on June 1, 2013 by Holly Cain

Nationwide Series driver to get married on Tuesday

View full race results | Video: Final Laps

DOVER, Del. — Trevor Bayne continually wiped the sweat off his forehead after climbing out of his No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Ford at Dover International Speedway. And no, it had nothing to do with him being nervous about his wedding this Tuesday.

The cooling system in Bayne’s car wasn’t working properly in the 90-degree Dover heat.

Despite the intense conditions inside the cockpit, Bayne motored to a fourth place finish in the 5-Hour ENERGY 200 — his third fourth-place of the season and second consecutive top-10.

The showing moved him up to 10th in the Nationwide Series championship, only 37 points behind fifth-place Austin Dillon.

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“I was really proud of these guys and the car they gave me,’’ Bayne said. “We’ve had a few bad runs but now a couple good ones and we’ve got to keep I going. Eventually it will get us to victory lane.

“I’m really pumped,’’ Bayne said grinning. “I was hoping to win my last race as a single man, although I guess I’m not really single at this point.

“Maybe I’ll get the first as a married man at Iowa (next week).’’

THREE IN A ROW

Rookie Kyle Larson collected his third consecutive top-10 finish on Saturday — his fourth in the past five races and sixth of the season. But even the 20-year old admitted it was a tough day inside the car with the extreme heat.

“It’s definitely the hottest I’ve raced in this year, maybe ever in my career racing,’’ Larson said.

“If I’m ever gonna race in the Cup series I gotta get used to this. So just gotta keep training hard. … Well, I really don’t really train, but keep racing and learn how to deal with the heat a little better.’’

Larson leads the Rookie standings and is ninth overall in the championship ahead of a very solid rookie class including Alex Bowman (11th), Nelson Piquet Jr. (13th), Jeffrey Earnhardt (19th) and Dexter Stacey (23rd).

READ MORE:

READ: Latest news
from Dover

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on June 1, 2013 by Holly Cain

Will runner-up finish be turning point for season?

View full race results | Video: Final Laps

DOVER, Del. — For the past few weeks, Brian Vickers’ No. 20 Dollar General Toyota team has focused on improving everything from the way they start a race weekend, the way they unload from the truck and the way they perform in practice and qualifying.

And on Saturday, the finishes caught up.

Vickers posted a season-best runner-up showing to Joey Logano in the 5-Hour ENERGY 200 at Dover International Speedway, his second top-five effort in the last three races. The finish was good enough to move him up two positions in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings to third. Now, he trails second place Sam Hornish Jr. by 15 points.

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While Vickers is a two-time Sprint Cup Series winner and the 2003 Nationwide Series champion, on a Joe Gibbs Racing organization that’s currently the reigning Nationwide owners champ, the team assembled for Vickers this year is a spanking new combination, from driver to crew chief to pit crew. So the second-place effort was a big step forward, if not a long time coming.

“Starting with a new team and organization, new crew chief, new everything, it’s taken a little bit longer than we would have liked," Vickers said. “At the end of the race we’ve always been decent, that’s been the case. All in all, what we’ve really been working on is unloading closer and the last five weeks we’ve steadily improved on that. That’s where we’ve made our biggest gains. We just need to keep going in that direction.”

The half-second that Vickers trailed Logano across the finish line was actually about the closest racing up front on the day. At one point — just past midway — leader Kyle Busch and second place Kasey Kahne held a nearly 5-second edge on the rest of the field. And Vickers was closing in during the closing laps.

“We just needed a little bit more, one spot more,’’ Vickers said. “These guys deserve a win and we were so close.

“Maybe if we could have got out in the lead there on the restart (with 34 laps remaining) we could have held them off. We were both pretty close to even. He (Logano) was a little better on the short run and but starting on the inside was a little bit of a disadvantage there on the final restart.’’

Vickers’ five top-five finishes — including three third-place efforts — is a series best, and the two drivers in front of him in the standings, points leader Regan Smith and Hornish, are the only two full-time Nationwide drivers with victories this season.

“I think pleased, but not satisfied is the probably the best way to describe it,’’ Vickers said of the day. “Really proud of the guys. On one hand very excited, because it was a great points day for the Dollar General team. But on the other hand, we want to win.’’

"We need to chip back away at the points where we’re really racing towards the championship. Man, I want to get these guys a win.’’

READ MORE:

READ: Latest news
from Dover

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on June 1, 2013 by Holly Cain

Many are affected, but all pitch in to effort of spreading awareness

DOVER, Del. — Race sponsorship for this weekend’s FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks is especially near to NASCAR’s heart and an example of what the sport’s commitment to a cause can do.

With nominations for the 2013 Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award due by June 14 (submit them at NASCAR.com/foundation) the 2012 winner Lorri Unumb is at Dover International Speedway this weekend on behalf of Autism Speaks explaining what a difference NASCAR and this award can make to an organization.

“It’s hard for me to express actually the impact the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award has had on my life,’’ Unumb said. “My husband and I founded the Autism Academy of South Carolina, which was the recipient of a $100,000 charitable donation from the NASCAR Foundation.

“So just the financial impact alone has been incredible but more than that, I’ve had a continuing relationship with NASCAR and the NASCAR Foundation,’’ continued Unumb, whose 12-year son Ryan has autism.

"It just means so much to the autism community."

— NASCAR on FOX coordinating producer Artie Kempner

“That’s why I’m here today. The platform it has raised for Autism has been incredible. I really encourage other people to apply for it.’’

NASCAR’s commitment to autism awareness includes an official partnership with Autism Speaks. NASCAR Chairman Brian France and his wife, Amy, co-chaired the “Speeding for a Cure Gala” that benefitted the organization earlier this year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

And while the familiar blue puzzle piece logo for Autism Speaks will be prominently displayed around the race track this weekend, it is an important cause to many in the garage all year long.

The condition — which affects one in 88 children — has directly affected many associated with the sport, including driver Jamie McMurray whose niece has autism. NASCAR on FOX coordinating producer Artie Kempner has a teenage son with autism, who will be attending the race Sunday.

“He is so excited about it,’’ Kempner said. “This partnership with Dover Motorsports and Autism came together in 2007 and now FedEx came on board the last three years and it just means so much to the autism community.’’

“The awareness is that much greater because of that. Autism is not a foreign word to people now. You’ve got families that don’t feel it’s a hopeless situation as it was considered 15 years ago.

“To be involved with NASCAR is an incredible opportunity because the NASCAR community gets behind what the NASCAR drivers get behind and drivers like Jamie and Hermie and Elliott Sadler, who are impacted.

“I’m just tickled we’re talking about autism on a great NASCAR weekend.’’

READ MORE:

READ: Latest news
from Dover

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on June 1, 2013 by Staff Report

Team signs him to participate in two road-course events this season

For the first time since a failed drug test cost him a Sprint Cup ride last year, AJ Allmendinger will be in a stock car for Penske Racing.

Allmendinger, who has been participating in a part-time schedule with the Team Penske IndyCar program, will drive the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang in two NASCAR Nationwide Series road-course events, June 22 at Road America and Aug. 17 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

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“I’ve always really enjoyed the road-course racing in NASCAR, so to get the opportunity to compete in two events in the Nationwide Series with Penske Racing is amazing,” Allmendinger said.

Allmendinger lost his ride in the No. 22 Sprint Cup Series car for Penske last year because of the failed drug test. Suspended by NASCAR, Allmendinger completed the sanctioning body’s Road to Recovery program and has competed in four Cup races in the No. 51 for Phoenix Racing. His best finish this season was 11th in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

"He is a great talent on road courses and has been doing a great job for Team Penske already this year in the IZOD IndyCar Series," team owner Roger Penske said. "With his stock car experience and his road-course experience, we think this is the perfect opportunity for him and for the team.”

Allmendinger has eight career starts in the Nationwide Series, the last coming in 2008 in Phoenix.

READ MORE:

READ: Latest news
from Dover

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on June 1, 2013 by Staff Report

Coors Light Pole Award Winner Austin Dillon gets his pick of pit stalls

Just like Denny Hamlin in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Austin Dillon won his second consecutive Coors Light Pole Award in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, taking the top spot at Dover International Speedway.

The second-fastest qualifier, Sam Hornish Jr., picked Stall 18 behind the second stall opening on pit road. Third-fastest Kyle Busch picked Stall 10 behind the first pit stall opening on pit road.

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