Posted on by

No. 12 driver and crew chief Greg Erwin seek redemption

The driver once spent a year relegated to a part-time vehicle, spending all those free weekends building a tree house for his daughters and watching races on television. The crew chief once spent eight months out of work, tinkering with a late model car in his garage and watching races on television. So when Sam Hornish Jr. and Greg Erwin were paired prior to this season, they felt like they had both come from the same place.

Few things motivate more powerfully than the quest for redemption, which rides along with Penske Racing’s No. 12 Nationwide Series car each time it takes to the track. Despite an Indianapolis 500 crown, Hornish was dismissed by many as another open-wheel driver who couldn’t make it in NASCAR. Despite three berths in the Chase for the Sprint Cup at Roush Fenway Racing, Erwin lost his job. But there they were Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, celebrating after a victory that overflowed with personal fulfillment, and might have been a warning shot to the rest of the field.

“Reminds me of some of my IndyCar days,” Hornish said of the experience, and that’s saying something given the way he ran roughshod through that series. It’s been a long time since then, and a lot of lean years in between. Hornish wasn’t ready for NASCAR’s top level when he made the jump from open-wheel cars, but Roger Penske put him in there anyway, and has regretted the move ever since. The climb back to respectability has been a long one, and has included pride-swallowing years like 2011, when Hornish competed only 13 times and spent more weekends at home than at the race track.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• View all articles
• View all videos
• View all photos

It takes a kindred soul to understand that kind of experience, to relate to taking a sizeable step backward without any guarantee of moving ahead again. Now, Hornish has clearly found one in Erwin, who won five races with Greg Biffle before things went sour at Roush. They hit it off immediately, these two guys with something to prove, their shared experiences more than making up for the differences in their age and background.

“As soon as I found out Greg was going to be over here, he sent me a text and we sat down and started talking. I haven’t had anybody that has been as dedicated as what he has,” Hornish said in Las Vegas after Saturday’s victory. “It makes me feel like good things are going to come. It makes me want to work harder, and all the guys on the team want to work harder too. It is great for us to all be hungry the way we are.”

Of course, desire can carry a team only so far. For Hornish, this has been a slow rebuild — a first NASCAR victory late in the 2011 season, then climbing to the fringes of championship contention last year, efforts that shored up sponsorship even if competitive gaps remained to be closed. “We sort of really dug in and got to talk to Sam a little bit and just found out where his cars needed to be better,” said Erwin, who borrowed chassis setup and shock configuration ideas from Penske’s Sprint Cup program. Thanks to an offseason manufacturer switch, Hornish’s car now also has a Ford engine, which powered Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to the last two Nationwide titles.

Then there’s Erwin himself, the kind of crew chief who radiates intensity, and is driving Hornish to work harder than he has before. “A lot of that comes from Greg and the motivation,” he said. Understandable, given what the two have in common. In talking about building a race team, driver and crew chief use the same metaphor — a puzzle in which all the pieces fit. Given what the No. 12 team has shown thus far in overcoming adversity at Phoenix and dominating the race at Las Vegas, it’s fair to say at least two of those pieces fit quite snugly indeed.

Now — what might that completed puzzle show at the end of the season? Granted, the Nationwide campaign is just three weeks old, but roughly half the season is contested on intermediate tracks like Las Vegas, where for one day Hornish looked unstoppable. And two-time series runner-up Elliott Sadler is among those who believes the Sin City speedway is a good barometer for potential success on similar layouts to come.

“I put a lot of stock in that,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said. “Vegas is always a good telltale of where you stack up, and where other teams stack up as far as intermediate tracks are concerned. Usually whoever runs at Vegas is going to run good when we get to Texas, and when we get to Darlington, and when we get to Charlotte and some of these first mile-and-a-halfs we get to. So to see how strong the 12 car was on Saturday shows us Penske has definitely prepared very well.”

The same could be said of JGR, which placed three cars in the top five — although none of them could catch Hornish, who holds a 19-point lead over Justin Allgaier, Brian Scott and Sadler heading to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. With no Chase to reconfigure the standings and no wild-card possibilities to fall back on, strong starts in the Nationwide Series are paramount. Just ask Hornish, who was slow out of the gate last season and couldn’t make up the difference on the championship contenders at the end.

Even more so than in Sprint Cup, these early results matter. Which is why Sadler sat down in the preseason with new crew chief Chris Gayle — formerly the top engineer on Kyle Busch’s No. 18 car — to emphasize that on the Nationwide tour, playoff season is already well under way.

“I wanted him to understand we’re in our Chase now,” said Sadler, defending champion of Bristol’s spring Nationwide event. “I know it’s not called that, but our Chase format starts at Daytona. We don’t get to make up points after 26 races and everybody gets tied back together. So we wanted to get off to a good start. Two years ago I finished 38th at Daytona and felt like it took me until April or May to get back in contention. Last year, we got started off really good … and just felt more relaxed and felt like we could do more things as a race team the entire season.”

The bottom line: Hornish’s run in Las Vegas could be a precursor of things to come, and teams that start strong often have an edge in the Nationwide Series, where it’s more difficult to gain ground later on. So much of NASCAR is chemistry and momentum, and the No. 12 team clearly has both, all of it generated by a driver and a crew chief who share a common bond. “We have had a couple hits the last few years that have made us hungry for things,” Hornish said, speaking for both himself and Erwin. Suddenly, all those idle weekends seem a very long time ago.

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

We apologize. We are having technical issues with our comment sections and fan community and it is temporarily unavailable. We are actively working on these issues and hope to have it up and running soon. We are also working on enhancements to provide a better forum for our fans. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.

Posted on by NASCAR Wire Service

Event raises awareness, over a million dollars

Tuesday night’s aptly coined "Speeding for a Cure" event — a charitable endeavor between NASCAR and Autism Speaks — raised $1.2 million for children and families affected by autism.

Held at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and his wife Amy co-chaired the annual event with a distinct NASCAR flare, benefitting Autism Speaks and The Gillen Brewer School, a school dedicated to helping children with special needs.

"In our lifetime, we have a responsibility to be a part of something beyond our own self-interests for the betterment of society and the world," said Amy France during last night’s event. Brian and Amy announced a special donation of $250,000 on behalf of the Luke and Meadow France Foundation, established in 2010 in honor of their children.

"…We have a responsibility to be a part of something beyond our own self-interests for the betterment of society and the world."

— Amy France, wife of NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France

Hosted by ESPN personality Mike Tirico, the event featured a NASCAR-heavy guest list that included defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, Michael Waltrip, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., Parker Kligerman, Kyle Larson, Nelson Piquet Jr., Brad Sweet and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison.

The gala marked Autism Speaks and The Gillen Brewer School’s fifth partnership with a professional sports league for the annual event. Previous partners included MLB in 2012, NHL in 2011, NBA in 2010, and NFL from 2006 to 2009.

Last night’s event was the most recent example of the ongoing relationship between NASCAR and Autism Speaks. The spring race at Dover International Speedway has benefitted Autism Speaks each season since 2007, with the Autism Speaks puzzle piece gracing the hood of Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota in the 2012 edition.

Joining Brian and Amy France as co-chairs of the event were Autism Speaks Co-Founders Suzanne and Bob Wright, Mel Karmazin, Chairman Emeritus at Gillen Brewer Henry Schacht; former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue; and Honorary Co-chair and last year’s winner of the annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Lorri Unumb, Vice President, State Government Affairs, Autism Speaks.

"NASCAR has had a consistent connection to autism, not only through our race in Dover but also through our industry members and drivers who have related children affected by the disorder and through support from The NASCAR Foundation," Brian France stated at the event.

With one in every 88 children in the U.S. diagnosed with autism, organizations like Autism Speaks, The Gillen Brewer School and NASCAR hope that by collaborating together they can make the world a little better for those children and their families that are affected by autism.

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

We apologize. We are having technical issues with our comment sections and fan community and it is temporarily unavailable. We are actively working on these issues and hope to have it up and running soon. We are also working on enhancements to provide a better forum for our fans. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.

Posted on by Jason Lofing

Gilliland beats Crawford, Huffman at Daytona to start 2013 season

Adam Gilliland held-off Jared Crawford in a door-to-door battle to the checkered flag as the field wrecked behind them to win the season opener of the 2013 NASCAR iRacing.com Series World Championship at Daytona International Speedway. The win is Gilliland’s first victory in just five career NiSWC starts. “I had an amazing car in both qualifying trim and race trim.  I can’t thank (teammates) Matt Whitten and John Ritchey enough,” said Gilliland.

The series debut of the Gen-6 Chevrolet SS and Ford Fusion came down to a one lap shootout with Gilliland on the inside line being pushed by Tyler Hudson and Crawford on the outside pushed by Brad Davies. Gilliland looked to be the odd man out against teammates Crawford and Hudson after losing his teammate Whitten to an accident earlier in the race.

Hudson’s Ford quickly pushed Gilliland out to a half-car lead, with Crawford and Davies holding strong on the outside. Things started to get interesting when Hudson lost contact with Gilliland in the middle of Turns 3 and 4 coming to the checkers. This gave Crawford a big run coming off of Turn 4, which Gilliland barely blocked. Davies tried to take advantage by shooting the gap in the middle but got turned sideways which triggered a massive crash.

Even after being blocked, Crawford still had enough momentum to get alongside Gilliland, but ran out of racetrack as the two Chevies crossed the stripe.

Crawford finished just .020 seconds back in second with only a nose separating him from victory lane. Landon Huffman slid across the line for third, Matt Bussa came home forth and Brandon Kettelle finished fifth.

The evening started off with an extremely tight and surprising qualifying session which saw Whitten and Alex Warren sharing the front row.  The entire field was separated by just .053 seconds. Last year’s Daytona pole winner Thomas Lewandowski started way back in thirty-first with two-time NiSWC defending champion Ray Alfalla rolling-off a lowly thirty-seventh.

Even more shocking was the fact that last year’s championship runner-up, Michael Conti, failed to qualify, dealing a damaging blow to his championship hopes.

The action started early when outside pole sitter Warren spun on Lap Six, collecting Alfalla in the process. Alfalla had looked very strong in the early going, moving up quickly from his starting spot before the crash.  The two-time defending series champion had to settle for a forty-second place finish and, like Conti, has basically already used-up his “drop week” in the scoring.

"I had an amazing car in both qualifying trim and race trim.  I can’t thank (teammates) Matt Whitten and John Ritchey enough."

— Adam Gilliland

After the restart on Lap 10, the next 60 laps were run under the green flag. With 90 laps remaining on the restart, many drivers thought they could potentially make it on fuel by splitting the online race into two 45 lap runs. Gilliland and Whitten, however, needed another caution and it looked for awhile that they would not get one. The racing was fairly calm throughout the pack despite 37 lead changes.

The two leaders finally got their yellow on Lap 70 when Steve Sheehan spun and hit the wall. This allowed Gilliland and Whitten to pit for the fuel they needed without losing touch with the pack, though they would have to fight back through the field.

When the green dropped again the two-some wasted no time in driving right back to the front.  It looked like the race was going to come down between the two of them, but Whitten was involved in a multi-car wreck on Lap 87 when Patrick Baldwin got a little too aggressive with the side drafting down the back straightaway.

This left Gilliland to fend for himself as the racing got very intense up front.  A couple times, the lead pack was three wide for multiple rows including the battle for the lead. Things got crazy again on Lap 95 when Kettelle scrubbed the wall and got sideways in Turn 3, sending John Gorlinsky, Brian Schoenburg and others spinning and crashing. This set up the one lap dash to the checkers that saw Gilliland nose-out Crawford.

With Daytona in the rear view mirror drivers are left to regroup and move on to next week’s race Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With 1.5 mile tracks making up the bulk of the 18 race schedule, Vegas will be a great barometer as to which cars are strong and who needs to work more on setups.

While Gilliland, Crawford and the rest of the top five finishers at Daytona are off to a fast start, others such as Alfalla and Conti desperately need to right the ship before they dig themselves to deep a hole. Make sure to tune into iRacing Live and MRN.com next Tuesday night at 9 pm eastern to catch who strikes it rich in Sin City!

Fin Pos Driver Start Pos Car # Interval Laps Led Average Lap Time Fastest Lap Time Fast Lap# Laps Comp Pts Status
1 Adam Gilliland 3 81 0 40 57.171 43.607 93 100 48 Running
2 Jared Crawford 15 83 -0.02 7 57.159 43.605 93 100 43 Running
3 Landon Huffman 35 75 -0.331 0 57.135 43.592 93 100 41 Running
4 Matt Bussa 23 34 -0.344 0 57.15 43.621 93 100 40 Running
5 Brandon Kettelle 17 80 -0.35 0 57.16 43.687 76 100 39 Running
6 Tyler D Hudson 19 1 -0.406 6 57.158 43.721 22 100 39 Running
7 Jon Adams 33 84 -0.512 0 57.141 43.578 93 100 37 Running
8 Peter Bennett 26 69 -0.622 0 57.151 43.588 93 100 36 Running
9 Derek Crone 6 7 -0.72 0 56.975 43.52 77 100 35 Running
10 Chad Coleman 7 28 -0.808 0 57.173 43.699 93 100 34 Running
11 Andrew Fayash III 42 77 -0.865 0 57.135 43.716 93 100 33 Running
12 Carson McClelland 10 24 -0.87 0 57.171 43.748 93 100 32 Running
13 Brandon Schmidt 39 3 -1 0 57.134 43.594 93 100 31 Running
14 Brad Davies 18 11 -1.042 0 56.727 43.714 76 100 30 Running
15 Jason Karlavige 12 60 -1.151 5 57.171 43.581 93 100 30 Running
16 Landon Harrison 43 89 -1.313 0 57.132 43.811 80 100 28 Running
17 Casey Malone 16 92 -1.366 0 57.17 43.831 78 100 27 Running
18 Matt Whitten 1 18 -1.406 20 57.187 43.62 77 100 27 Running
19 Philipp Geiss 28 66 -1.604 0 57.288 43.763 20 100 25 Running
20 Byron Daley 22 93 -1.821 0 57.167 43.758 78 100 24 Running
21 Carson Downs 34 97 -1.883 0 57.154 43.666 77 100 23 Running
22 Michael J Johnson 32 39 -2.22 0 57.161 43.486 79 100 22 Running
23 Robert Hall 21 30 -3.02 2 57.181 43.737 77 100 22 Running
24 Brian Schoenburg 36 55 -5.154 0 57.184 43.569 94 100 20 Running
25 Chad J Laughton 20 26 -5.826 0 55.651 43.529 92 100 19 Running
26 Patrick Baldwin 5 52 -5.837 10 57.447 43.698 76 100 19 Running
27 Joshua Laughton 29 40 -6.684 0 57.206 43.229 94 100 17 Running
28 Kevin King 14 29 -7.187 0 57.186 43.229 94 100 16 Running
29 Cody Byus 4 27 -7.659 0 57.245 43.379 93 100 15 Running
30 Nick Ottinger 13 5 -8.229 0 57.243 43.648 77 100 14 Running
31 Marcus Lindsey 11 1 -1 L 0 57.732 43.93 91 99 13 Running
32 Alex Ciambrone 40 2 -1 L 0 56.667 43.451 80 99 12 Running
33 Steve Sheehan 27 6 -3 L 1 59.55 43.529 2 97 12 Running
34 Joey Brown 9 12 -3 L 0 57.057 44.009 2 97 10 Running
35 John Gorlinsky 41 21 -5 L 1 54.751 43.548 83 95 10 Running
36 Dustin Montgomery 25 8 -6 L 0 56.886 43.532 80 94 8 Running
37 Josh Berry 30 91 -6 L 0 56.474 43.535 78 94 7 Running
38 Alex Warren 2 82 -9 L 0 01:01.6 44.215 3 91 6 Running
39 Richard Dusett 8 96 -10 L 2 54.533 43.794 82 90 6 Running
40 Danny Hansen 38 20 -13 L 0 56.071 43.729 77 87 4 Running
41 Thomas Lewandowski 31 16 -15 L 1 52.189 43.533 81 85 4 Running
42 Ray Alfalla 37 2 -16 L 0 01:08.0 43.495 2 84 2 Running
43 Paul Kusheba 24 32 -36 L 5 49.982 43.663 2 64 2 Disconnected

___________________________________________________________________________________________

We apologize. We are having technical issues with our comment sections and fan community and it is temporarily unavailable. We are actively working on these issues and hope to have it up and running soon. We are also working on enhancements to provide a better forum for our fans. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.

Posted on by

Driver will be on NASCAR probation until Sept. 13.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR has reinstated driver Jeremy Clements upon the successful completion of stipulations following his indefinite suspension from NASCAR on Feb. 27 for violating the sanctioning body’s Code of Conduct policy. Clements will be on NASCAR probation until Sept. 13, 2013.

"As part of the requirements for reinstatement, Jeremy Clements participated in an individualized program with Dr. Richard Lapchick and his staff at the National Consortium for Academics and Sports," said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. "In Dr. Lapchick and his staff’s judgment, Jeremy has successfully completed the program. We’re pleased that Jeremy has taken these important steps and will return to racing starting this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway."

___________________________________________________________________________________________

We apologize. We are having technical issues with our comment sections and fan community and it is temporarily unavailable. We are actively working on these issues and hope to have it up and running soon. We are also working on enhancements to provide a better forum for our fans. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.

Posted on by Staff Report

Sprint Cup Series drivers to voice characters on ‘The Cleveland Show’

FOX is continuing its NASCAR action on Sunday even after the finish of the Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol. Three top drivers will appear in cartoon form on the channel’s "The Cleveland Show." Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart will all take to a cartoon Richmond International Speedway in the episode, which airs Sunday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Watch a preview of the episode below.

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

We apologize. We are having technical issues with our comment sections and fan community and it is temporarily unavailable. We are actively working on these issues and hope to have it up and running soon. We are also working on enhancements to provide a better forum for our fans. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.

Posted on by Staff Report

Take a look back at the race and track history with some noteworthy numbers

0.064   The closest margin of victory in the Sprint Cup series in spring 2007 when Kyle Busch won over Jeff Burton.

1   win for Tony Stewart (fall 2001).

2   The number of females who have made Cup starts (Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick).

3   green-white checkered finishes (2007 – 500/504; 2008 – 500/506; 2009 – 500/503).

6.775  The best average starting position (Jeff Gordon).

10   different drivers have posted consecutive poles (Fireball Roberts – 1962; Fred Lorenzen – 1963; Richard Petty – 1967/68; Bobby Allison – 1972; Cale Yarborough – 1973, 1977, 1980; Darrell Waltrip – 1981; Geoff Bodine – 1986; Mark Martin – 1995, 1996, 2009; Rusty Wallace – 1998; Jeff Gordon – 2002).

11   The car number with the most number of wins (19 – most recent Denny Hamlin in 2012).

12   drivers have won consecutive races (Darrell Waltrip – 1981-1984; Fred Lorenzen – 1963, 1964; David Pearson – 1968; Bobby Allison – 1972; Cale Yarborough 1974, 1976, 1977; Richard Petty – 1975; Dale Earnhardt – 1985, 1987; Alan Kulwicki – 1992; Rusty Wallace – 2000; Kurt Busch – 2003-04; Kyle Busch – 2009; Brad Keselowski – 2011-12).

14   drivers from Tennessee have won at least one race in one of NASCAR’s top three series.

19   The age of the youngest pole winner (Joey Logano – 19 years, 9 months, 25 days).

21   The age of the youngest winner (Kyle Busch – 21 years, 10 months, 23 days).

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• View all articles
• View all videos
• View all photos

22   The race winner has started from the pole 22 times. The last time this happened was Carl Edwards in the fall race of 2008.

26   races have included Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

28   races passed before Jeff Burton headed to Victory Lane (spring 2008).

34   races have been won from the front row (pole – 22; outside pole – 12).

37   times Richard Petty finished in the top 10.

40   races Bobby Labonte has started without going to Victory Lane.

45   different drivers have poles at Bristol (Mark Martin and Cale Yarborough have nine each).

48   The age of the oldest winner (Dale Earnhardt – 48 years, 3 months, 30 days).

54   The age of the oldest pole winner (Harry Gant – 54 years, 7 months, 17 days).

57   starts have been made by Terry Labonte, the most for any Cup driver.

102   drivers in NASCAR history have called Tennessee home.

102.3   is Kyle Busch’s driver rating (best in the series).

104   NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races have been held at Bristol (two every season since 1961).

128.709   miles per hour is the track qualifying record, held by Ryan Newman, set in the spring race of 2003 (14.908 sec).

165   Sprint Cup races have been held in Tennessee (Bristol Motor Speedway, Chattanooga International Raceway, Kingsport Speedway, Nashville Speedway, Smokey Mountain Raceway & Tennessee-Carolina Speedway).

1960   was the year groundbreaking took place for Bristol Motor Speedway (then known as Bristol International Speedway) took place, which was then an exact half mile.

6,584   The number of laps in the top 15 for Jeff Gordon (series high).

 


___________________________________________________________________________________________

We apologize. We are having technical issues with our comment sections and fan community and it is temporarily unavailable. We are actively working on these issues and hope to have it up and running soon. We are also working on enhancements to provide a better forum for our fans. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.

Posted on by Staff Report

___________________________________________________________________________________________

We apologize. We are having technical issues with our comment sections and fan community and it is temporarily unavailable. We are actively working on these issues and hope to have it up and running soon. We are also working on enhancements to provide a better forum for our fans. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.

Posted on by Staff Report

How are you watching the races at Bristol? Find out how to get the latest from wherever you are using the table below

WATCHING AT HOME?
GOING TO THE RACE?
GOING MOBILE?
PLAYING FANTASY?

Even if you’re not at the track, you can keep up with all the live action on TV and at NASCAR.com. (All times Eastern, unless noted.)

Watch practices and the race on TV:

SPRINT CUP SERIES:

Friday, March 15:

Practice on SPEED, noon

Coors Light Pole qualifying on SPEED, 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 16:

Practice on SPEED, 9 a.m.

Final practice on SPEED, noon

Sunday, March 17:

Food City 500 on FOX, 1 p.m.

NATIONWIDE SERIES:

Friday, March 15:

Practice on SPEED, 10:30 a.m.

Final practice on SPEED, 2 p.m.

Saturday, March 16:

Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300 on ESPN2, 2 p.m.

Get inside the garage:

GarageCam will be live streaming on Friday, March 15 from the Nationwide garages at 10 a.m. and the Sprint Cup garages at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Keep an eye on the media center:

Press Pass will have live news conferences. All times local.

Friday, March 15

Trevor Bayne | 9 a.m.

Jimmie Johnson | 11 a.m.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 11:15 a.m.

Post Sprint Cup qualifying | 4:30 p.m.

Want more?

Get lap-by-lap updates on NASCAR.com during practice laps, qualifying and races.

Re-live the race:

Watch race highlights from your favorite driver and top moments shortly after the race using Race Replay  delivered by FedEx Racing.

Keep the fun going:

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart will be making cartoon appearances on FOX’s "The Cleveland Show" at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Want to attend the races this weekend? Buy tickets to the Food City 500 and Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300.

Know the track:

Check out our Bristol Motor Speedway track page to take a video tour of the track and explore the best fan views.

Want to meet a driver?

Here is a list of appearances. (List subject to change, all times local.)

Friday, March 15:

Eric McClure autograph session | 5 p.m.

David Ragan autograph session | 5 p.m.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. autograph session | 5:30 p.m., wristband required

Kevin Harvick autograph session | 5:30 p.m., wristband required

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. autograph session | 5:30 p.m., wristband required

Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton Q&A session | 5:45 p.m.

Danica Patrick Q&A session | 6 p.m.

Kasey Kahne autograph session | 6 p.m., wristband required

Trevor Bayne autograph session | 6:30 p.m., wristband required

Bobby Labonte autograph session | 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 16:

Justin Allgaier | Bristol Club, 12:15 p.m.

Travis Pastrana | Guest Welcome Village, 9:10 a.m.

Sunday, March 17:

Clint Bowyer | Guest Welcome Village, 9 a.m.

David Ragan | Guest Welcome Village, 9:30 a.m.

Jeff Burton | Bristol Club, 10 a.m.

Danica Patrick Q&A session | Bristol Club, 9:45 a.m.

Matt Kenseth | Guest Welcome Village, 9:45 a.m.

Kevin Harvick | Bud Tap Room, 10 a.m.

Jeff Gordon | Pepsi Max Half-Mile Club, 10:15 a.m.

Kurt Busch | Guest Welcome Village, 10:20 a.m.

Brad Keselowski Q&A session | Bristol Club, 10:20 a.m.

Kasey Kahne | Pit Road Party Zone, 10:30 a.m.

Get packing:

The weather in Bristol is:

Click for Bristol, Tennessee Forecast

Built in 1960, Bristol Motor Speedway will host the first short-track race with the Generation-6 car. The Food City 500 will feature 500 laps on the half-mile track.

Keep all eyes on the race:

With RaceView Premium and NASCAR RaceView Mobile ’13, formerly RaceView 360, you can watch live, virtual 3-D video with in-car audio as well as national radio broadcasts, telemetry data and real-time stats.

Follow from anywhere:

NASCAR Mobile ’13: This new app is free to download with an upcoming in-app subscription for premium content including live driver audio, live advanced leaderboards and live alternate camera angles (when available).

Buddy system:

Watch live enhanced coverage with 10 HD cameras, a live chat and live standings for this week’s Nationwide series races with RaceBuddy.

Play NASCAR FANTASY LIVE:

Don’t forget to do your research and set your lineup.

Expert tip of the week:

At Bristol, patience will earn a top 10, but aggression will win. Or is the other way around? This week, load up on drivers who know when to give and when to take — with an emphasis on "take." Get more tips from Dan Beaver’s fantasy blog.

Keep up with the latest:

Use our weekly Driver Reports for a quick breakdown of how each driver is looking. Also each week, our writers vote on which drivers are making moves. Read the resulting driver Power Rankings to help power up your lineup.

Last year’s top three finishers:

1. Jeff Gordon

2. Clint Bowyer

3. Ryan Newman

See the complete results from last year’s event here.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

We apologize. We are having technical issues with our comment sections and fan community and it is temporarily unavailable. We are actively working on these issues and hope to have it up and running soon. We are also working on enhancements to provide a better forum for our fans. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.

Posted on by Holly Cain

As ‘parents first,’ NASCAR Chairman & CEO and his wife host event to help special NYC school

Continuing in the tradition shared by America’s other major league sports organizations from the NFL to the NBA, NASCAR will host one of the most significant Autism Speaks fundraisers in the country Tuesday at New York City’s iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Aptly called "Speeding For a Cure,” the benefit — hosted by NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and his wife Amy — will raise money for the Autism Speaks organization, specifically New York’s The Gillen Brewer School, which specializes in learning and health-related disabilities for children in pre-school through elementary school. 

"We’re all parents first. So the fact, the NASCAR Foundation has its focus on children, and the fact I’m a father and Amy is a mother, by definition it strikes your heart whenever we’re around children who need something to go right in their life."

–NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France

"The sport is big enough with enough reach to be in step with the other major sports leagues in this country to chair a big night and raise the kind of money you need to, to make this school and the cure more possible," Brian France said.

As parents first, and as philanthropists, the Frances felt an immediate and heart-tugging connection to the students at Gillen Brewer during a visit there earlier this month. They hope this school can be a national model of help and hope.

While interacting with a young boy at the school, Amy France saw firsthand the potential and promise that the right resources and educational focus can provide for any child affected by this condition.

"There was a really sweet moment in which I was speaking with a little boy, who was older than my children, probably about 5 or 6," Amy France shared. "He was working on something and I was giving him some encouragement. I said, ‘Did anyone help you with that?’ And he said, in a really confident tone, ‘No, I used the power of my mind.’

"I just thought that was so sweet, and I was so encouraged by his confidence in his own capabilities and capacities. 

"For him to have such confidence, I thought to myself, ‘We need to be more confident in this area,’" said France, noting that only 8 percent of the children who apply to Gillen Brewer School are accepted because of a lack of funding.

"We need to be invigorated, energized and to have hope and retain a lot of faith because there is a lot of capacity and potential in these children affected by autism."

Even though the Frances have no direct family connection to autism, they are keenly aware that their 2 1/2-year old twins, Luke and Meadow, are precisely the age many autistic children are first diagnosed. 

"To be quite honest, I became more interested in educating myself about autism when I was pregnant because I am aware of, quite frankly, an epidemic we have," Amy France explained. "One in 88 children and one in 54 boys are now diagnosed on the spectrum. So I took the time to educate myself, and through that process, I found myself saying, ‘There has to be something we can do.’

"We have to dedicate resources, time and energy to finding out the underlying reason for autism and how to effectively work with autistic children.

"We don’t have autistic children, but I am a parent, so I feel impacted by it. These children are going to be in our schools, in our communities. So we are all affected on some level or another."

Not only are the Frances hosting this event, but the NASCAR Foundation — whose work is primarily focused on children and family causes — and the Frances, personally, will be making what Brian France calls a "significant" donation to the cause.

The 2012 Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award winner, Lorri Unumb, is another co-chair of the event and a member of the NASCAR community with a connection to autism. Her son is the namesake of "Ryan’s Law," a bill enacted by 32 states to require insurance companies to cover treatments for autism.

Last year, the NASCAR Foundation donated $100,000 to the Autism Academy of South Carolina in honor of Unumb.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison along with some of today’s stars such as Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Nelson Piquet Jr., Kyle Larson and Darrell Wallace Jr. also will be attending the gala and supporting the cause.

These drivers will join the Frances in their sincere and heartfelt motivation to make a difference.

"I am a big supporter of the school," Amy France said. "I strongly believe in education and research in the area of autism, and I think this is an area we need to be more aggressive in, in terms of providing more resource and research. It’s been incredibly rewarding and I am very happy to be a part of it."

For the Frances and the NASCAR community, this hits home at a very fundamental level.

"We’re all parents first," Brian France said. "So the fact, the NASCAR Foundation has its focus on children, and the fact I’m a father and Amy is a mother, by definition it strikes your heart whenever we’re around children who need something to go right in their life.

"To be able to help in some small way is a big deal to us and a big deal to the sport. That’s what we’ve got to be about."

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and wife Amy visit students at The Gillen Brewer School.

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and wife Amy visit Gillen Brewer Head of School Donna Kennedy and her students.

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and wife Amy visit Gillen Brewer Head of School Donna Kennedy and her students.

Posted on by

There’s heat at the top between Jimmie and Brad, while some big names drop down significantly

Driver                    Change            High/Low            Last race

         

1. Jimmie Johnson    

  

Outlook: The rivalry between Johnson and Keselowski grows stronger as each week passes, but for now the five-time Sprint Cup champion holds rank on the reigning champ here — as well as in the standings.
Standings: 1st, 129 points

2. Brad Keselowski

  

Outlook: Keselowski is tracking down Johnson in the standings and inches closer in the voting for these rankings each week, receiving two first-place votes to Johnson’s three. Last year’s winner at Bristol, Keselowski could be sitting atop the standings and the rankings this time next week.
Standings: 2nd, 124 points

3. Matt Kenseth           

  

Outlook: Kenseth appears to be back on track after taking his first victory for Joe Gibbs Racing at Las Vegas on Sunday — on his birthday, no less. He still has a few guys to leap-frog in the standings, but he could get there.
Standings: 7th, 93 points

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

  

Outlook: Junior is always successful at Daytona, but he’s maintained his hot start through the first three races of the season on three very different tracks. It could be a sign of things to come, as 2013 is looking like a positive one for the Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Standings: 3rd, 119 points

5. Kasey Kahne              

  

Outlook: Despite being so far down in the standings, Kahne’s rise in the rankings can be pinned on the fact that he truly dominated Sunday’s race, leading 114 of 267 laps on the way to a runner-up finish.
Standings: 14th, 77 points

Related Links:

Entry list for Food City 500

Video: Race Rewind — Kobalt Tools 400

Reserved Kenseth lets loose after win

Second-place Kahne finds solace in speed

Video: Mobil 1 Driver of the Race

Post-Kobalt Tools 400 driver reports

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Carl Edwards           

  

Outlook: Edwards followed up his monumental victory at Phoenix with a top-five finish at Las Vegas, injecting himself into the points conversations convincingly. Looks like he could be here to stay.
Standings: 5th, 98 points

7. Denny Hamlin            

  

Outlook: It was a tumultuous week for Hamlin, having been the talk of the race at Phoenix for his masterful maneuvering, then being fined for disparaging comments and finally settling for a 15th-place finish at Vegas. It’s tough to tell where he’ll go from here.
Standings: 4th, 102 points

8. Kyle Busch            

  

Outlook: Busch ran one of the most complete races of the season by any driver on Sunday, picking off cars one by one (and sometimes a few at a time) and eventually moving up from his starting position of 13th to lead for 27 laps and finish fourth. 
Standings: 17th, 72 points

9. Tony Stewart         

  

Outlook: Despite an 11th-place finish at Vegas, defending race-winner Stewart and his team are all struggling at the moment, with Smoke averaging a 20th-place finish after three races.
Standings: 18th, 72 points

10. Clint Bowyer          

  

Outlook: One of the many victims of race condtion differences from practice, Bowyer’s Toyota experienced handling issues on Sunday and never stood a chance.
Standings: 9th, 89 points

11. Kevin Harvick         

  

Outlook: After crashing in Daytona and finishing out of the top 10 last week, Harvick will gladly take a ninth-place finish to get things picked back up.
Standings: 19th, 68 points

12. Greg Biffle           

  

Outlook: Biffle started strong with a convincing sixth place finish at Daytona, but with two consecutive 17th spots, Biffle could be more ordinary than extraordinary.
Standings: 8th, 93 points

13. Jeff Gordon          

  

Outlook: The Car of Tomorrow wasn’t entirely friendly to Gordon and with just one start resulting in a finish greater than top 20, the Gen-6 might not be either.. Standings: 13th, 79 points

14. Martin Truex Jr.

  

Outlook: Truex Jr. had a rough go of it at Daytona but has finished 14th and 11th the past two weeks, which is just about where we expect him to be. Maybe even a little better.
Standings: 22nd, 64 points

15. Paul Menard          

  

Outlook: Menard has actually stayed above average so far in 2013. He’s currently in a prosperous position in the standings and it isn’t totally crazy to think he could stay right there. Then again, it’s not totally sane, either.
Standings: 12th, 82 points

16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.    

  

Outlook: Stenhouse has shown nothing yet this season that leads us to believe he’ll be more than a middle-of-the-pack driver, but for a 22-year-old learning Sprint Cup racing, that isn’t the worst thing in the world.
Standings: 11th, 87 points

17. Aric Almirola       

  

Outlook: Hey, alright. Almirola’s finished in a worse spot each week consecutively, but no worse than 16th. The No. 43 car is showing some promise. 
Standings: 10th, 88 points

18. Joey Logano        

  

Outlook: It’s certainly not the best comparison, but some reason it feels natural to measure Logano next to Stenhouse, and vice versa. Logano may have won the battle with a 12th-place finish Sunday, but Stenhouse is winning the war.
Standings: 15th, 76 points

19. Ryan Newman         

  

Outlook: Again, Stewart-Haas cars are having a tough time out there. Newman endured technical problems for the second week in a row and has quite the hole to dig out of because of it.
Standings: 31st, 50 points

20. Marcos Ambrose   

  

Outlook: He had a nice recovery from a potential spinout, but other than that Ambrose drove a particularly unremarkable race on Sunday. And his finish — 22nd — reflects that.
Standings: 16th, 74 points

       

In the rearview

 

Note: These rankings have been determined by a poll that included writers Kenny Bruce, Holly Cain, David Caraviello and Zack Albert, and video host Alan Cavanna. Tell us what you think about the Power Rankings. Use the hashtag #NASCARPOWER.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

We apologize. We are having technical issues with our comment sections and fan community and it is temporarily unavailable. We are actively working on these issues and hope to have it up and running soon. We are also working on enhancements to provide a better forum for our fans. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.