Tag Archives: Camping World Truck Series

First time’s a charm for Scott Stenzel and MB Motorsports at Kansas Speedway

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Ty Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Allstate Chevrolet, races side by each against Scott Stenzel, driver of the No. 65 Making the Driver Chevrolet, in Stenzel's series debut during the NASCAR Camping World Series SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway on Saturday in Kansas City, Kan. Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

MB Motorsports has been competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series since its inaugural 1995 season and has built quite a legacy in the process. However, after missing the first two races of the 2012 season, it was time for a change.

The SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway was a first for many things for the MB Motorsports organization. For 17 consecutive seasons, MB Motorsports campaigned Ford F-150s. When the team rolled into Kansas Speedway, though, they unloaded a shiny new Chevy Silverado. Behind the wheel of the black #65 Making the Driver Chevy was rookie driver Scott Stenzel, who was making his very first NASCAR start. When the green flag dropped, MB Motorsports was in the field for the first time this season.

“We defined a victory this week by setting achievable goals for the team,” stated Mike Mittler team owner, “Our first goal was to make the race and our second was to finish the race. Today was a victory for MB Motorsports.” After qualifying 32nd the #65 Making the Driver Chevy Silverado was in the race and one goal was achieved. MB Motorsports accomplished their second goal when Stenzel piloted his way through the field to finish 23rd, bringing the truck home with nary a scratch on it.

“Working with a race team of this caliber has given me the confidence to push harder and focus even more,” said Stenzel. “We accomplished our goals as a team this week and hope to carry that momentum into the future.”

The next MB Motorsports race event is yet to be determined.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube:

MB Motorsports
www.mbracing.net

Twitter: @MBMotorsports
Yellow Stripes Making the Driver

www.makingthedriver.com

Scott Stenzel Racing
www.scottstenzel.com

 MB Motorsports Press Release 

Rookie Scott Stenzel brings ‘Yellow Stripes – Making the Driver’ to Kansas Speedway in NCWTS

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Graphic courtesy of Scott Stenzel

Scott Stenzel was born on July 28, 1980 in the southern part of Minnesota. Scott’s interest in racing began about the age of eight. Scott and his father built his first go-kart, but the only place to race was on his neighbor’s track in the backyard. At age 16 he finally was old enough to enter into the FASCAR racing league. Scott worked many jobs in order to make his dream of racing, happen. Scott was a part-time shelf stocker at a grocery store, a part-time laborer for his father’s marine removal and installation service, and worked night shifts at a food and dairy plant, all of which allowed him to save up enough money to race.

During his high school years Scott assembled three race cars, one for dirt and two for concrete. He did it with his own money, donated parts, the help of his friends and family, and various sponsors. Back during Scott’s first NASCAR K&N Series debut he had worked with Carl Edward’s spotter, Jason Hadlesky, where he kept him out of trouble and helped coach him about the lines and traffic at race speeds.

In 1999, before leaving for college to North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND, Stenzel sold everything from his racing cars to his racing gear – only keeping his driving suit. He eventually moved to Central Florida where he then attended Valencia Community College and Full Sail Real World Education in Orlando, FL.

After graduation from Full Sail, Scott started his own advertising and marketing company in the Orlando area called Digi Craft. This company services Universal Orlando Resort, Disney Adventures Magazine and specializes in print, web and video multimedia services.

Scott Stenzel (right) poses with other stilt performers in 2006. Photo courtesy of Scott Stenzel.

Scott also has another “hobby”- stilt walking. He stilt walks at special events wherever, and whenever, he can. Back in 2004, Scott had met Cart Edwards at the Daytona 500 while “stilt walking” for the event. Carl was intrigued and had invited Scott and his crew back to hang out at the motor home where they shared in conversation.

Had they left unknowingly that they’d be crossing paths once again…

SCOTT STENZEL’S RACING HISTORY
In December 2007, Stenzel attended Finish Line Racing School headed up by Mike Loescher. He graduated and Loesher approved him ready for ARCA RE/MAX series. Stenzel made his first ARCA RE/MAX series race during the Daytona International Speedway test that same month. He posted a speed of 50.599 seconds at 179.105 MPH which placed him 13 of 64 drivers.*

Scott drove a Bob Schacht prepared car in the December 2009 Daytona test for ARCA drivers and teams. Scott earned his license with full series approval to race the entire season. Stenzel tested in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and obtained his 2010 license during the Daytona test.*

In April 2010 Jeff Spraker (owner and operator of Spraker Racing Enterprises) fielded the #42 Ford Fusion for Scott Stenzel where he qualified 28th at Talladega Superspeedway for the ARCA RE/MAX presented by Menards 250. Stenzel finished in the 7th place position. He received the CGS Hard Charger award for passing the most cars during the race.*

Then the day came when Scott Stenzel would meet Charlie Patterson…

Charlie Patterson (l), Scott Stenzel (r). Photo courtesy of Scott Stenzel

The day Scott met Charlie Patterson, they happen to be at…yes, Daytona International Speedway. Scott wasn’t there to race, but rather to perform as a stilt walker for the Daytona 500 event. A friend introduced Charlie to Scott, who in the meantime, knelt down on his stilts to become eye to eye with Charlie – while impressing him with just that stunt alone – and added “and, by the way – Scott is a race car driver, too.”

Shocked as he sat upon hearing the news, Charlie was impressed and interested to hear more from Scott. As the day progresses, Charlie and Scott exchanged numbers and told Scott, “give me a call.”

A couple of weeks went by and Scott called Charlie at his home in Avon, Indiana. From their conversation, came the invite Scott will never forget.

Charlie invited him to his home in Avon, IN so they can discuss Scott’s career more. Upon Scott’s excitement as well as heightened anxiety, Charlie threw out the “test” objective without warning.

“I want to see how well you can race,” Charlie stated.

A stunned Scott, feeling the pressure of being put on the spot to perform, replied, “well, I don’t have my driver’s suit, helmet or gloves with me…”

“No excuses,” Charlie said firmly, shaking his head.

Charlie ended up taking Scott to an indoor Karting complex where Scott will have to prove himself to Charlie. After several laps, Scott’s speed increased and kept increasing. Charlie was very impressed with what he was witnessing while Scott had proven himself… to a point.

CHARLIE PATTERSON
So what does Charlie Patterson bring to the table? Charlie has a history with racing… a GREAT, LONG history.

Charlie Patterson, circa: 1995. Photo by Jack Gladback/Stock Car Racing Magazine

Charlie Patterson started his motorsports career in 1958, at the age of 20. Patterson use to work and started out as a crewman for a Indy Racing team. He had then spent the next 30 years mastering the different skill levels from lead fuel man to crew chief. During 1969-1989, Charlie owned his own USAC Silver Crown & Midget racing teams. At times, Charlie would pilot his own midget car. He was also hired as a motorsports consultant and provided race cars for use in Paul Newman’s motion picture, “WINNING.”

Here are some highlights of Charlie’s career:

Developed “Gasoline Alley” – a commercial strip that houses over 80 Motorsports related businesses, national team headquartered and specialty shops.

Owned & operated “Patterson Driveshafts” supplying competition driveshafts to NASCAR Winston Cup (Sprint Cup) Craftsman Truck (Camping World) Series & NHRA Drag Racing Teams. Drivers and teams such as Penske, Junior Johnson, Richard Childress, Bud Moore and Dave Marcis used Patterson Drivershafts.

Established a special “Toastmaster’s” Chapter dedicated to the unique needs of Motorsports Industry, with emphasis on preparing young drivers for their rolls as spokespersons.

Co-hosted Indy 500 pre-race sports shows.

As I walked around the Daytona International Speedway garage area with Charlie, he introduced me to Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon, Brad Daughtery, just to name a few. I asked Charlie, “is there anyone you DON’T know here?” I, myself, was quite impressed.

THE SCOUT
Charlie Patterson has proven his ability to single out young men & women who posses the natural talent, star image and personality – both on and off the track. But what exactly does he look for in a driver? One must show the listed qualities below:

  • Competition record which ranks in the top 2% of the driver’s respective series.
  • Must be a proven team player with strong work ethics:
  • Demonstrate willingness to learn and to take instruction.
  • Posses unrelenting desire to win with a total commitment.
  • Displays a wholesome athletic image to fill the roll of sponsor/team spokesperson.
  • NO usage of drugs or alcohol
  • Clean, well groomed appearance
  • Articulate
  • Personal lifestyle is suitable for public recognition
  • Parental consent (if under age 18)
  • NO “excess baggage” – NO “backstage parents”, educational, occupational or age restrictions

Over time, Charlie and his company NexGen Motorsports, where he holds the rank of agent, scouts out new racing talent and Scott’s advertising and marketing firm, Digi Craft, joined forces to start a production of “Yellow Stripes – Making the Driver” which they are currently in search of a cable network to pickup. “Yellow Stripes – Making the Driver” is a documentary that has molded an aspiring driver into an official NASCAR racecar driver. NexGen Motorsports has been working with rookie Scott Stenzel for the last four years and has experienced successful runs in that time. One of Patterson’s recent achievements was bringing Stenzel to Mike Mittler, owner of MB Motorsports to race in this week’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway.

MB Motorsports has a rich racing heritage and a deeply rooted tradition of finding and developing young athletes into Championship caliber racecar drivers. They entered the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in its inaugural season in 1995 and have competed in the series every year since, making them the oldest and longest running team in the series. MB Motorsports has helped shape the careers of drivers including Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray, Regan Smith, Justin Allgaier and Kenny Wallace among others. Mike Mittler, President and GM of Mittler Brothers Machine & Tool, has dedicated his life to achieving greatness on and off track.

“Bringing new talent into the sport is what I do,” Mittler states, “with Scott, there is no question about his talent. It’s the addition of having a background in advertising and marketing that makes our relationship even stronger.

In order to prepare for his big NASCAR debut Scott has put in countless hours behind the wheel of his sim racing cockpit at the comfort of his home. There he’s been training with the pros at Sim Factory on their new beta version of trucks at Kansas Speedway as well as some iRacing with his racing buddies.

Scott Stenzel. Photo courtesy of Scott Stenzel Racing

Now, Scott will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the #65 Making the Driver Chevy Silverado truck owned by Mike Mittler at Kansas Speedway, the very same man who gave Carl Edwards his first series start.

Qualifying for the SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway begins April 21st at 9:30 AM Eastern and coverage begins at 1:30 PM Eastern live on SPEED.

Be sure to follow Scott Stenzel on Twitter at www.twitter.com/YellowStripesTV; Facebook – www.facebook.com/scottstenzelracing and YouTube – www.youtube.com/makingthedriver as well as these other media outlets:

MB Motorsports
www.mbracing.net

Yellow Stripes Making the Driver
www.makingthedriver.com

Scott Stenzel Racing
www.scottstenzel.com

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!!

NSCS, NNS stats heading into Texas; NCWTS heads back to ‘The Rock’

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Race #: 7 of 36 (04-09-12)
Track Size: 1.5 miles
Race Length: 501 miles
·     Banking/corners: 24 degrees
·     Banking/straights: 5 degrees
·     Frontstretch: 2,250 feet
·     Backstretch: 1,330 feet

Qualifying/Race Data
2011 pole winner: David Ragan, 189.820 mph, 28.448 seconds
2011 race winner: Matt Kenseth, 149.231 mph, 4-9-11)
Track qualifying record: Brian Vickers, (196.235 mph, 27.518 seconds, 10-21-05)
Track race record: Tony Stewart, (152.705 mph, 11-6-11)

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES – SATURDAY, 7:30 P.M. ET, FOX

Roush Fenway Racing has two cars in the top four and all three in the top 12. Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth (along with Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr.) is 12 points behind teammate and points leader Greg Biffle while last season’s standings runner up Carl Edwards is 12TH. Kenseth and Biffle are two of only three drivers to have three top-five finishes. (Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the other.)

Momentum aside, the Roush stable has good reason to look forward to this weekend. Kenseth won this race last season, and Roush has eight victories at Texas overall – more than twice the second-place owner on the TMS wins list.

But then there’s Denny Hamlin. Hamlin swept the two Texas race in 2010, so past success is prevalent. And not he has a not-so-secret weapon: Darian Grubb. Grubb won last year’s Texas Chase race with driver Tony Stewart.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been stuck on win No. 18 for 135 races. Could this weekend’s site finally signal the end?

Earnhardt nabbed his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Texas Motor Speedway on April 2, 2000. So there’s good memories, and great momentum.

He has three top-three finishes (and four top 10s overall), which has moved him to second in the points. The last time he was this high in the points late in the season was 2008, the season he last won. The last time Earnhardt held the points lead was October 2004.

Of course, an Earnhardt win this weekend would be extra special. Hendrick Motorsports has a mini-win drought on its hands – 12 races have passed since its last win. The organizations next victory would be No. 200.

Michael Waltrip Racing still has three drivers in the top 10 in owner points and two in the top nine in the driver standings. Martin Truex Jr. is one of four drivers with four top-10 finishes, along with Biffle, Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson.

Greg Biffle (No. 16 Filtrete Ford)

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

·         Average finish of 17.2

 

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-hour Energy Toyota)

·         Three top fives, seven top 10s

·         Average finish of 13.0

Kurt Busch (No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Inc. Chevrolet)

·         One win, three top fives, 11 top 10s

·         Average finish of 14.5

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota)

·         Four top fives, five top 10s

·         Average finish of 16.2

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew / National Guard Chevrolet)

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

·         Average finish of 14.1

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fastenal Ford)

·         Three wins, five top fives, six top 10s

·         Average finish of 15.5

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)

·         One win, seven top fives, 10 top 10s; two poles

·         Average finish of 16.8

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Office / March of Dimes Toyota)

·         Two wins, five top fives, eight top 10s

·         Average finish of 10.2

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet)

·         Three top fives, eight top 10s

·         Average finish of 12.9

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet)

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

·         Average finish of 10.2

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Best Buy Ford)

·         Two wins, 10 top fives, 13 top 10s

·         Average finish of 8.7

Mark Martin (No. 55 Aaron’s Best of the Best Toyota)

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

·         Average finish of 13.7

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1 / Office Depot Chevrolet)

·         Two wins, five top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 12.6

History

· Construction began in 1995.

· The first NASCAR race was a NASCAR Nationwide Series event on April 5, 1997.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was on April 6, 1997.

Notebook

· There have been 22 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway, one per season from 1997 through 2004 and two races per year since 2005.

· Four drivers have competed in all 22 Texas races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin.

· Jeremy Mayfield was the first pole winner, in 1998. Qualifying for the inaugural race in 1997 was canceled.

· Jeff Burton won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

· 16 drivers have scored poles, led by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon with two.

· 16 drivers have won races, led by Carl Edwards, with three. Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart and Jeff Burton each have two wins.

· 16 of 22 races have been won from a top 10 starting position. Only one has been won from the pole – Kasey Kahne in 2006.

· Matt Kenseth started 31st en route to his victory at Texas in 2002, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started.

· Both Jeff Burton (1997) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2000) scored their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Texas, and 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne made his first series start at Texas (11/07/10).

· Martin Truex Jr. (11/04/07) and David Ragan (04/09/11) scored their first series poles at Texas.

· Matt Kenseth (8.7) is the only active driver to average a top-10 finish at Texas.

· Jimmie Johnson (9.2) is the only active driver to average a top-10 starting position at Texas.

· Roush Fenway Racing leads all owners in victories, with eight. Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports have three wins each.

· There has been two season sweeps, by Carl Edwards in 2008 and Denny Hamlin in 2010.

· Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Texas Motor Speedway winner: Ryan Newman (03/30/2003 – 25 years, 3 months, 22 days).

· Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Texas Motor Speedway winner: Dale Jarrett (04/01/2001 – 44 years, 4 months, 6 days).

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES – FRIDAY, 8:30 P.M. ET, ESPN2

After a two week break in the schedule, the wait is finally over as the NASCAR Nationwide Series returns this week at Texas Motor Speedway. An added bonus: it’s the first night race of the season.

This race features one of the more star-studded fields thus far in 2012. Joining regulars like standings leader Elliott Sadler, Danica Patrick, reigning series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and talented rookies Austin Dillon and Cole Whitt are six top double-duty drivers led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. (who also is Patrick and Whitt’s team owner), Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch.

Each manufacturer in the Nationwide Series has won at least one of the last eight races dating back to the last three events of 2011 (Ford – 2, Dodge – 2, Chevy – 3, Toyota – 1).

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES – SUNDAY, 1 P.M. ET, SPEED

After an absence of eight years, NASCAR roars back into Rockingham Speedway for Sunday’s Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 Presented by Cheerwine (SPEED, live, 1 p.m. EDT). NASCAR’s last visit to “The Rock” – a 1.017-mile track that opened in 1965 – came in 2004. The race featured a final lap, last-turn duel between Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne. The latter driver came up 0.010 seconds short in just his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Kahne will compete in the event driving a Turner Motorsports Chevrolet following his primary duties in Saturday night’s Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Brad Sweet is due to practice and qualify Kahne’s truck. Todd Bodine is the only other NASCAR winner in the field of more than 40 entries having won a pair of NASCAR Nationwide Series races, most recently in 2001.

Source: NASCARMedia

 

2002 Daytona Champion making NCWTS debut at Daytona International Speedway

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Hillman Racing today on January 26th that 2002 Daytona 500 Champion Ward Burton will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut behind the wheel of the No. 27 Hillman Racing Chevrolet with funding from State Waters Heaters in next month’s season-opening NextEra 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Hillman Racing is making its NASCAR debut this season, but the organization is anything but new to the sport.  Team owner Mike Hillman Sr. played a key role in the founding of Germain Racing and was the architect of the group’s two NASCAR championships in 2006 and 2010. Hillman acquired the championship-winning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series assets following the conclusion of the 2011 season and is set to embark as the owner and general manager of Hillman Racing for the 2012 season.

In 375 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, Burton has posted fives wins, seven poles and 24 top-five and 82 top-10 finishes. Burton also has four NASCAR Nationwide Series victories, seven poles, 23 top-five and 50 top-10 finishes in 161 starts.

In addition to Burton, a driver development program is being established for Jeb Burton, the 19-year-old son of Ward. Since making his last NASCAR start, Burton has been using that time to focus on helping his son Jeb develop his racing career and his conservation efforts with The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation. Being the son of NASCAR’s 2002 Daytona 500 winner, it would be natural to think that Jeb Burton would have the hope of someday becoming a professional race car driver like his dad. Jeb has been racing since he was a kid, starting in go- karts and racing his way through the ranks in ASA and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, and now at 19, he is ready to step into one of NASCAR’s top tier racing series with Hillman Racing in No. 27 Chevrolet Silverado, sporting the same number that he has been racing in his Late Model division.

 Source: Hillman Press Release

NASCAR at Chicagoland Speedway: Let the Chase begin

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Chicagoland Speedway

Sunday, Sept. 18

2 p.m. (ET)

ESPN, 1 p.m. (ET)

400.5 miles (267 laps)

THE CHASE

Beginning this weekend, most eyes will be focused on the 12 drivers who qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. While the remainder of the 43-car field won’t be forgotten completely, the “outsiders” only hope for recognition comes in form of one word: spoiler.

Nothing can completely salve the sting of missing the Chase, but a win – and taking a few points away from the anointed 12 drivers – certainly can make a driver’s day.

While spoilers accumulated 10 wins from 2004-06, their successes have been few and far between over the past four seasons. Just three non-Chase qualifiers went to Victory Lane from 2007-10:

• Jamie McMurray won at Charlotte Motor Speedway a year ago.

• McMurray was victorious at Talladega Superspeedway in 2009.

• Greg Biffle was the Kansas winner in 2007.

Chicagoland offers hope to the non-qualifiers. The track’s past two winners, David Reutimann and Mark Martin, failed to qualify for this year’s Chase.

Five past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions fill spots, however, three names often come up during the “future champion” discussion are also vying for 2011 crown: Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin.

No. 11 Denny Hamlin, 2010 Champion runner-up, races at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the final race of the season in 2010. Photo credit: Sandi Goodall/Racingal.com

Following is a rundown of the Top 12 drivers racing for the title of NASCAR Champion in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. All are multi-time winners, and each have conquered at least two of the 10 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup tracks.

Kyle Busch: The top seed with 2,012 points (he owns the tiebreaker over Kevin Harvick via his two runner-ups vs. Harvick’s zero), Busch has six career wins at the upcoming 10 tracks. He scored the third-most points in the Race to the Chase – the 10 races preceding the Chase.

Kevin Harvick: Boasts momentum with his Richmond win, and Chase know-how thanks to his near-championship Chase last season. Has eight wins and a Driver Rating of 86.6 at the next 10 tracks.

Jeff Gordon: Has 31 wins at the next 10 tracks, more than any other driver. His Driver Rating of 97.7 at the next 10 ranks second, and he scored 392 points over the last 10 races, more than any other driver.

Matt Kenseth: A champion in 2003, Kenseth has seven wins and a Driver Rating of 91.9 at the next 10 tracks.

Carl Edwards: A whiz at intermediate tracks, so figure on a solid showing (five tracks in the Chase are 1.5 miles in length). He has seven wins at the upcoming 10 tracks.

Jimmie Johnson: Won the deal five consecutive times. Need we say more? Yes, and we do below.

Kurt Busch: Won the first ever Chase in 2004. It was also the closest (eight points), a nod to his championship mettle. He has eight wins at the remaining 10 tracks.

Ryan Newman: Newman has sneaky momentum. Scored six top 10s in the Race to the Chase. Newman also has 10 wins at the upcoming 10 tracks, which ranks tied for fourth-most among Chase drivers.

Tony Stewart: Only driver to win the championship in both the Chase era (2005) and pre-Chase era (2002). Stewart has 16 wins over the next 10 tracks, and a third-best Driver Rating of 97.7.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: The reigning eight-time Most Popular Driver had only one top 10 in the Race to the Chase. But his 10 wins over the next 10 tracks rank tied for fourth among Chase drivers.

Brad Keselowski: Scored the second-most points in the Race to the Chase (362), and scored six top 10s in the last seven races.

Denny Hamlin: Was last year’s championship runner-up, and held the lead going into the season finale at Homestead. Rolls into the Chase with three consecutive top 10s.

This year’s regular season packed punch to the tune of competitive balance and record-breaking competition.

Here’s a few notable facts and figures…

- 15 different winners, most through 26 races since 2003.

- 5 first time winners (Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith, David Ragan, Paul Menard, Marcos Ambrose)

- 16 different Coors Light Pole winners, most through 26 race since 2005

- An average of 13 different leaders per race, most through 26 races in series history

- An average of 28 different leaders per race, most through 26 races in series history

- 16 races had a margin of victory under a second, most through 26 races since 2001. That includes Talladega’s MOV of .002 seconds, which tied the closest finish since the inception of electronic scoring in 1993.

NATIONWIDE SERIES

Chicagoland Speedway

Saturday, Sept. 17

3:30 p.m. (ET)

ESPN2, 3 p.m. (ET)

300 miles (200 laps)

Justin Allgaier, the inaugural summer race winner at Chicago in June and who’s from Riverton, Ill., will head back home in hopes of turning his inconsistent finishes over the last 13 races, to yet another victory. He’s had two did not finish (DNF) results since June, including a dry fuel cell while leading on the final lap of a green-white-checkered finish at Road America that cost him a certain victory. He’s had three top-10 finishes in his last four races, including a ninth at Richmond. In three career series starts at Chicago, he has two top-10 finishes in addition to the June win.

ROUSH VS JOE GIBBS

No. 60 NWS Fastenal Ford of Carl Edwards goes through inspection at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2010. Photo by Sandi Goodall/Racingal.com

Joey Logano will be in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota instead of Kyle Busch, while Ryan Truex drives the No. 20. Kyle Busch has only three more NASCAR Nationwide Series races left on his 2011 schedule – Charlotte, Texas and Homestead-Miami, while Carl Edwards will compete in each of the seven remaining races.

Only 48 points separate Joe Gibbs Racing Roush Fenway Racing for Owner Titles.

The No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford and is on pace to capture the record-setting fourth consecutive series owner title for Joe Gibbs Racing. JGR has won the last three.

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

Chicagoland Speedway

Friday, Sept. 16

8 p.m. (ET)

SPEED, 7:30 p.m. (ET)

225 miles (150 laps)

Count on what’s become a bitter struggle for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owners’ championship to continue at Chicagoland Speedway. Kevin Harvick Inc.’s standings leading No. 2 Chevrolet and Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 18 Toyota are separated by 36 points. Both organizations are hoping to extend winning streaks in Friday night’s race.

• Harvick, who sat out the Sept. 2 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, has won his past three starts at Pocono Raceway, Michigan International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. A KHI truck has won each of the past four races • Ron Hornaday Jr. having notched career victory No. 49 won in Atlanta.

• Busch is a two-time defending winner of the Fast Five 225. He enters the race virtually untouched in a variety of Loop Data categories. Busch, with a Driver Rating of 148.2, leads or shares the lead in 10 of the rating’s components. In 2009, Chicago was Busch’s second of five wins in consecutive starts for Billy Ballew Motorsports.

• The two trucks have dominated the 2011 season with five drivers posting a combined 12 victories.

Ron Hornaday has one more task to close out and that is his one victory away from capturing his 50th NCWTS win – a feat no one else has accomplished. Hornaday finished third at Chicagoland in 2010.

Source: NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

NASCAR driver appearances, autograph sessions for Friday and Saturday in Atlanta

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Friday, September 2, 2011

Dakoda Armstrong

3:00pm

Q&A session on the Chevrolet Stage located near Gate 14 in the midway display area

ESPN Analyst Tim Brewer

7:15pm

Q&A session on the Coca-Cola Fan Stage located behind the Earnhardt grandstand next to Gate 15 at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Ricky Carmichael & James Buescher

4:00pm

Q&A session on the Chevrolet Stage located near Gate 14 in the midway display area at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Austin Dillon & Joey Coulter

3:30pm

Q&A session on the Chevrolet Stage located near Gate 14 in the midway display area at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Ron Hornaday & Blake Feese

2:15pm

Q&A session on the Chevrolet Stage located near Gate 14 in the midway display area at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Justin Loftin & Johanna Long

3:45pm

Q&A session and sign autographs at the Coca-Cola Fan state at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Eric McClure

12:00 -1:00pm

Walmart

135 Willow Lane

McDonough, GA.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Drivers

4:00 – 5:00pm

Autograph session at Atlanta Motor Speedway concourse underneath the Earnhardt grandstands.

David Reutimann

4:00 – 5:00pm

Signing autographs at the Michael Waltrip Racing merchandise hauler located in the display area at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Elliott Sadler

3:00 – 4:00pm

OneMain Financial branch

1525 N. Expressway

Griffin, GA.

Johnny Sauter

3:15pm

Q&A session on the Chevrolet Stage located near Gate 14 in the midway display area at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton, Justin Marks & Dakoda Armstrong

4:00pm

Q&A session on the Coca-Cola Fan Stage located behind the Earnhardt grandstand next to Gate 15 at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Martin Truex Jr.

3:55 – 4:15pm

Appearing at Schick Get Fresh mobile display located in the midway at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Autographs will be guaranteed for the first 40 fans in line.

Aric Almirola

5:15 – 5:45

Signing autographs at the JR Nation merchandise hauler located in the fan concourse area at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Trevor Bayne, Ricky Stenhouse, Timmy Hill, Blake Koch, Austin Dillon, James Buescher, Joey Coulter, Chase Elliott, Max Gresham, Sergio Pena & Alex Bowman

1:00pm

Autograph session in the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office. The first 150 fans ages 16 and under will get to participate in the “Future Stars for Future Fans” autograph session.

Atlanta Motor Speedway President and General Manager Ed Clark

4:00pm

Q&A session at the Coca-Cola Fan Stage at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Rick Crawford & Ron Hornaday Jr.

Scheduled to participate in the Lee Fields Memorial 150 at Mobile International Speedway located in Irvington, AL. Grandstand admission for Saturday night is $15 for adults, $14 for seniors, $12 student 12-17, $7 for military, $5 for children 6-11 and ages 5-and-under are free when accompanied by adult. Racing is set to start at 7:30pm local time. For a full schedule of events and more information, visit the Mobile International Speedway website.

Austin Dillon

10:00am – 12:00pm

Bass Pro Shops

5000 Bass Pro Blvd.

Macon, GA.

Chase Elliott, Max Gresham, Sergio Pena & Alex Bowman

2:15pm

Q&A session at the Coca-Cola Fan Stage at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Inductees; Mike Head, Rex White and Randy Payne

5:15pm

Scheduled to appear at the Coca-Cola Fan Stage at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Miss Sprint Cup

3:40pm

Q&A session at the Coca-Cola Fan Stage at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Labor Day weekend means a lot of racin’, Wildcard Clinchin’ at Atlanta Motor Speedway

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Ooops! In case you noticed, Kevin Harvick’s name wasn’t included among those who will compete for the Sprint Cup championship in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Saturday night at Bristol. However, NASCAR’s subsequent review of the points standings showed that Harvick’s three victories and 782 points, ties him with Jeff Gordon for fifth in the Cup standings. Harvick is 110 points ahead of one-time winner Denny Hamlin, who currently occupies the second wild-card position behind three-time winner Brad Keselowski. Even if Harvick finishes last in the next two races (scoring two points) and Hamlin wins both and leads the most laps (scoring 96 points), Harvick will get the wild card because of his higher finish in the standings. And don’t rule out that Harvick will likely cement a top-10 berth in this Sunday night’s AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

So we are down to two races before the complete 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is set, seedings and all. After race No. 26 at Richmond International Raceway, the top-10 drivers in points will fill out the first portion of the 12-driver Chase. Spots 11 and 12 go to those drivers outside the top 10 with the most victories, provided they are in the top 20. The Wild Card tiebreaker is points position.

Here are the clinch scenarios going into the weekend…

Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon: Both 93 points ahead of 11th, Harvick and Gordon can guarantee a top-10 spot with at least a finish of 40th; or 41st and at least one lap led; or 42nd and the most laps led.

Ryan Newman: Currently 73 points ahead of 11th, Newman can guarantee a top-10 spot with at least a finish of 20th; or 21st and at least one lap led; or 22nd and the most laps led.

Kurt Busch: Currently 60 points ahead of 11th, Busch can guarantee a top-10 spot with at least a finish of seventh; or eighth and at least one lap led; or ninth and the most laps led.

Both Dale Earnhardt Jr. (39 points ahead of 11th) and Tony Stewart (21 points ahead) can both mathematically reach that 49-point threshold. No specific finish guarantees a spot.

These are Wild Card clinching possibilities for this weekend, but all depends on finishes from various competitors on Sunday.

All three of NASCAR’s national series and six of its seven touring series will race this weekend.

THINGS TO WATCH FOR

• Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson sit in a points tie for the number one spot, a points lead that officially goes to Busch because of his series-leading four wins.

• Ryan Newman, known for his qualifying prowess, is looking to win his eighth career pole. Currently, Newman is tied with NASCAR great Buddy Baker, a driver for whom Newman has great admiration.

• The two-time champion finished 28th at Bristol after starting 42nd. Clearly, it wasn’t one of Stewart’s best races. But last year’s race at Atlanta was – he ‘smoked’ the field, leading 176 laps. Could Atlanta be Stewart’s first win of 2011, knocking out the Sprint Summer Showdown contenders at their shot of winning $3 Million?

• Sprint’s unique bonus program comes to an end this weekend, and it sets up to be an intriguing finale. The winners of Indianapolis (Paul Menard), Pocono (Brad Keselowski), Watkins Glen (Marcos Ambrose), Michigan (Kyle Busch) and Bristol (Keselowski again) are all eligible to win the $3 million bonus at Atlanta.

If one of those drivers wins Sunday’s race, a million dollars will be split evenly between the driver, the driver’s charity and one lucky fan. If Keselowski wins, the $1 million will be split evenly among two fans.

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has led for the last four weeks, but his advantage has slowly trickled down during that span. He was 12 points in front of Peachtree City’s favorite son Reed Sorenson four races ago; Stenhouse now has a precarious five-point lead over second-place Elliott Sadler. Sorenson is 10 points back in third.

Stenhouse holds 21 bonus points – for leading a lap and leading the most laps in a race.

Reed Sorenson, a huge Atlanta Falcons fan, is ready for some football. He’ll be at practice Tuesday afternoon and will attend their game against the Baltimore Ravens Thursday night with his No. 32 crew chief Trent Owens and car chief Shannon Rursch. The group will be guests of Falcons’ GM Thomas Dimitroff and have the opportunity to join the team on the field for pre-game warm-ups. The No. 32 team will return the favor on Saturday, hosting three Falcon Pro-Bowlers – fullback Ovie Mughelli, running back Michael Turner and wide receiver Roddy White – for the race.

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

Ryan Newman will return to NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition for the first time since 2009 Atlanta to honor the life of his friend – Beau Slocumb. Newman and Turner Motorsports will honor the life of Slocumb, a former TMS employee, with a special paint scheme featuring the No. 08, Slocumb’s car number during his racing career.

Slocumb began his career racing Legends cars and climbed the professional ladder through the late model ranks, earning 131 feature wins in Legends and late model competition, eventually making his mark in the ARCA series.

Slocumb lost his battle with cancer last spring. He was 26. All the money received by Turner Motorsports from the NCWTS event will be donated to Slocumb’s widow (Jessica) to assist with medical expenses.

Timothy Peters finds himself in the mix for the NCWTS title, only 15 points behind current leader Johnny Sauter. In the last month, Peters has rebounded from six consecutive finishes outside the top-10 to five finishes inside the top-10, including a victory at Lucas Oil Raceway and a second place finish at Michigan.

In the meantime, Todd Bodine remains the only driver currently competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series who won during the 2010 season still searching for a victory in 2011.

Source: NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

Fan info for Kentucky Speedway for this weekend’s inaugural Sprint Cup Quaker State 400

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Well, well, well…. WELCOME TO KENTUCKY!!!

There’s yet to be racing history made at this 1.5 mile tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky as this is the long-awaited and much-anticipated debut of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series takes place at Kentucky Speedway this Saturday night in the Quaker State 400. The NASCAR Nationwide Series has been visiting here since 2001 and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, since 2000.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will run Thursday night, in the UNOH 225. The NASCAR Nationwide Series will run Friday night, in the Feed The Children 300.

Harvick’s seventh-place finish, combined with Carl Edwards’ 37th place run at Daytona, gave Harvick the points lead for the first time since last September after Atlanta, heading into Kentucky.

There are no stats to post for Kentucky Speedway but according to the Nationwide series stats, the driver to watch out for is Joey Logano. He has won three consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Kentucky, all from the pole – the first driver in series history to do that.

Notice was posted by Kentucky Speedway that all 107, 000 grandstand seats and campground areas are sold out. Fans can still take advantage of the speedway’s Pit Road Club that offers an infield view of the race action from behind pit road wall or $60 standing room only tickets that will provide access to the Turn 1 and Turn 4 concourses. Fans still seeking race week campsites can visit http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com and click “Camping” for a listing of campgrounds offering last minute options within walking distance of the speedway and in the surrounding area.

Both can be purchased by phone at 888-652-7223 and 859-578-2300 or by visiting the speedway corporate offices at 1 Speedway Drive in Sparta, Ky., just off Interstate 71 Exit 57 and state Highway 35.

HAULER PARADE

Race week festivities begin Wednesday, July 6, when NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team haulers visit Cincinnati, Ohio, Lexington, Ky., and Louisville, Ky.

Roush Fenway Racing (RFR) haulers will visit Fourth Street Live! in downtown Louisville from 11:30 a.m., to 1:00 p.m.; Cincinnati fans can meet Mayor Mark Mallory while viewing Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing team haulers at the corner of Fifth St., and Race St., near the Millennium Hotel from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; and Lexington, Ky., will play host to 35 to 40 haulers at Hamburg Place at 2350 Grey Lag Way from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., before they depart on a 12-mile parade that will traverse the city by way of Sir Barton Way, Winchester Rd., Midland Ave., E. Main St., and Newtown Pike.

ABOUT THE TRACK:

Capacity 107,000

Owner Speedway Motorsports, Inc.

Broke ground July 18, 1998

Opened June 16, 2000

Construction cost $153,000,000

Major events:

Indy Racing League:

Kentucky Indy 300

Kentucky 100

NASCAR:

Quaker State 400

Feed the Children 300

UNOH 225

Built Ford Tough 225

Tri-oval

Surface Asphalt

Length 1.5 mi (2.4 km)

Turns 4

Banking Turns: 14°

Tri-Oval: 8–10°

Straight: 4°

RACE SCHEDULE:

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

UNHO 225 (225 miles / 150 laps)

Practice: Wed. 6 P.M./ 10 A.M. Thurs.

Qualifying: 3:03 P.M./et. Thursday, SPEED

RACE: Thursday night, SPEED at 8 P.M.

NASCAR Nationwide Series

Feed the Children 300 (300 miles / 200 laps)

Practice: Thurs. 6:10 P.M./ 9 A.M. Fri.

Qualifying: 3:30 P.M./et. Friday, SPEED

RACE: Friday night, 7:30 P.M. /et., ESPN

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Quaker State 400 (400 miles / 267 laps)

Practice: Thurs. 11:05 P.M./ 4 A.M. Thurs./11:30 A.M. Fri/1:30 P.M. Fri., SPEED

Qualifying: 5:00 P.M./et. Friday, SPEED

RACE: Saturday night, 7:30 P.M. /et., TNT

TV:

Darrell Waltrip sets the stage for the first Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway in a one-hour SPEED special on Saturday at 3 pm ET.

Kentucky Speedway currently has TWO passes available for race fans to purchase:

FAN ZONE PASS – $50/NCWTS; $75/NNWS ; $100/NSCS

Provides access to the infield area surrounding Victory Lane and Pit Road until one hour prior to the start of each race. Must posses race ticket in addition to Fan Zone Pass. All children enjoying Fan Zone and Prerace Fan Zone access must possess a race ticket and be accompanied by a paying adult.

PRE-RACE FAN ZONE PASS – $150*

*Available ONLY for the July 9th Sprint Cup race

Same amenities as above for the Fan Zone – however – this pass will get you closer to the stage for the pre-race concert by Clay Walker.

Altercation between Richard Childress, Kyle Busch being looked at by NASCAR

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Will this fall under “Boys have at it?”

Richard Childress had an altercation with Kyle Busch in the garage area after the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway, sources confirmed Saturday night. Multiple sources say “Childress took matters into his own hands.”

The altercation happened in the garage area about 30 minutes after the conclusion of the race, according to the sources, who indicated that Childress initiated the altercation. Childress likely was upset that late in the race, Richard Childress Racing driver Joey Coulter and Busch had a tight battle for fifth with contact on the final lap. Busch tapped Coulter on the cool-down lap following the race.

According to sources, Richard Childress took off his watch and handed it to his grandson, Austin Dillion, before approaching the driver. Childress initiated the altercation without a discussion, placing Busch in a headlock and punching him two or three times. Busch then went to the ground in a defensive position, but Childress attempted to punch Busch again after he rose.

This obviously isn’t the first time Busch has had an issue with someone related to Richard Childress Racing. Busch has found himself in several disagreements with RCR’s Kevin Harvick, including a notable incident at Darlington in which Busch moved Harvick’s car on pit road to try and avoid getting punched.

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp confirmed that NASCAR was looking into the rumors of an altercation following the Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway.

More to come.

Local ‘Doverite’ to be honored by KBM on Friday

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Local Dover resident, 10-year old Olivia Barnett will be honored by Kyle Busch Motorsports, this Friday at Dover International Speedway. Barnett was selected as the winner of the “Riding Shotgun with Kyle Busch Motorsports” essay contest for the Greater Dover area. Barnett’s name and picture will adorn the area above the passenger side window of Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Traxxas Toyota Tundra for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway this Friday, May 13. In addition, Dover International Speedway has provided Barnett and her parents with passes to attend Friday’s race.

Barnett, a student at Holy Cross School in Dover had her essay chosen among submissions from children age 5-12 in the Greater Dover area. The contest called for children to submit an essay of 150 words or less that described an experience and/or achievement that occurred within the past 12 months and affected their lives in a positive way. Barnett’s essay described her experience raising money for young children with leukemia and how it taught her that true happiness comes from giving back to others.

A motivational letter that Kyle Busch received during the off season from Kyle Savoie (sa-VOY), a 12-year old fan, inspired Busch to develop a program that will recognize children for experiences and achievements that had a positive effect on their lives. To recognize Kyle Savoie for inspiring the contest, a decal with his name and picture adorned the area above the passenger window of the No. 18 Dollar General Toyota Tundra driven by Busch in the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18.

Dover is the second of 10 races throughout the 2011 season that an essay contest winner will follow in Savoie’s footsteps and “Ride Shotgun” with Kyle Busch Motorsports. The other races scheduled are Kansas (June 4), Kentucky (July 7), Michigan (Aug. 20), Bristol (Aug. 24), Chicagoland (Sep. 16), Talladega (Oct. 22), Texas (Nov. 4) and Homestead-Miami (Nov. 18).

Below is the list of rules and eligibility for the essay contest:

Essay Topic: In 150 words or less, describe an experience and/or achievement that occurred in the last 12 months that has affected your life in a positive way.

Eligibility: Children age five to 12 who reside in the United States are eligible.

Markets and Essay Deadline: The winning essay will be selected 14 days prior to each race. Sorry but entries submitted after the deadline (deadline in parentheses) will not be considered due to time constraints. Nashville (April 8, 2011), Dover (April 29, 2011), Kansas (May 21, 2011), Kentucky (June 23, 2010), Michigan (August 6, 2011), Bristol (August 10, 2011), Chicago (September 2, 2011), Talladega (October 8, 2011), Texas, (October 21, 2011), Homestead-Miami (November 4, 2011)

Prize: One winner in each race market will have their name and a 2.5” x 3.5” photo displayed above the passenger side window of the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra for the selected race. Within six weeks of the completion of the race, the winner will receive an autographed 8” x 10” photo of the No. 18 KBM Toyota Tundra from the race in which their name appeared on the truck.

Submitting entries: Entries can be submitted via email essay@kylebuschmotorsports.com or mailed in to:

Kyle Busch Motorsports

351 Mazeppa Rd.

Mooresville, N.C. 28115

Attn: “Riding Shotgun” Essay Contest

In addition to your essay and 2.5” x 3.5” photo*, please be sure to include the following information: ‘*Parent or legal guardian must approve submission of the contestant’s photo. By submitting a photo, parent or legal guardian grants Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) the right to display submitted photo and child’s name on the No. 18 Toyota Tundra and the company website and/or marketing materials. Photos will become the property of KBM and will not be returned to the contestant. No purchase is necessary to submit an entry.

Name:

Age:

Parent or Guardian Name:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

Contact Phone:

School:

Closest NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Track:

For more details on the “Riding Shotgun With Kyle Busch Motorsports” essay contest, go to KyleBuschMotorsports.com/ridingshotgun.com

Source: KBM