If you’re heading to Richmond International Raceway next weekend, you will get an extra treat – The Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown is set for Thursday, April 26th.
The Denny Hamlin Foundation was created in 2008 to aid in raising awareness and funding for Cystic Fibrosis research and treatment, as well as to support other not for profit corporations that focus on aiding children with debilitating illnesses.
Proceeds will benefit the Denny Hamlin Foundation, which supports organizations like the Children’s Hospital of Richmond, St. Jude’s Hospital and Victory Junction Camp. Tickets can be purchased at www.dennyhamlinfoundation.org.
This will be the foundation’s fifth year of running the Showdown. Seventy-five drivers, including over 50 of the best regional drivers, have been invited by The Denny Hamlin Foundation to qualify for the race, 52 cars will attempt to make the 36 car field. Twelve NASCAR stars will run the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown, a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model division race at Richmond International Raceway.
• Denny Hamlin
• Tony Stewart
• Kyle Busch
• Jeff Burton
• Michael Waltrip
• Joey Logano
• Aric Almirola
• Jason White
• Timothy Peters
• Chase Elliott
• Darrell Wallace Jr.
• Curtis Markham
The charity race will be a one-day event, featuring practice and qualifying PRIOR to the Blue Ox 100 and then will run FOLLOWING the Blue Ox 100 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race.
Thursday’s ticket for the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown is $25 and includes the Blue Ox 100. All seats are general admission and kids 12 and under are free with a ticketed adult.
The Joe Gibbs Racing teams of #18-Kyle Busch, #11-Denny Hamlin and #20-Joey Logano all face possible penalties after an issue was discovered in inspection Friday morning at Michigan before practice began.
Joe Gibbs Racing had unapproved- and unusually heavy – oil pans seized from its three NASCAR Sprint Cup cars Friday morning at Michigan International Speedway. Officially, the issue was that the oil pans had not been submitted for approval by NASCAR, a standard procedure for the thousands of parts and pieces on race cars. But a bigger issue ultimately might be weight. While a standard NASCAR Sprint Cup oil pan weighs about 4 pounds, the three taken off the Gibbs cars weighed an estimated 20-30 pounds apiece. Competitors contacted by SPEED.com and FOXSports.com said the heavy oil pans would allow the teams to remove weight elsewhere in the car and put it low and on the front of the car, which could provide a handling advantage, perhaps a substantial one.
Officials did not penalize JGR at the track but said in a statement, “All three teams face possible penalties for the infraction. “Chances are great (a penalty) wouldn’t involve points,” John Darby, Cup series director said. “NASCAR will discuss early next week if there will be any additional penalties assessed to these three teams.”
The new class for the Gillette Young Guns Class of 2011 will be introduced nationwide during the NFL Wildcard Playoffs this weekend.
Joining Hamlin and Busch (the only two from NASCAR) are Ryan Rice (Running back/Baltimore Ravens); Evan Longoria,(Third Baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays); Matt Ryan(Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons); and Carlos Gonzalez (Outfielder, Colorado Rockies).
Bret Michaels, former Poison front-man-turned-reality TV star of ―Celebrity Apprentice (Winner and Star of the New Hit VH1 show ―Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It) will kick into gear the headline event of NASCAR’s series-crowning Ford Championship Weekend on Sunday by serving as the Ford 400 Grand Marshal in delivering the most famous words in racing: ―”Gentlemen, start your engines!” as well as signing the National Anthem.
No stranger to NASCAR, his former band, Poison, sponsored Sprint Cup Series driver Derrike Cope in 2002.
Joining Michaels on the list of dignitaries for Ford Championship Weekend is professional wrestling star Bill Goldberg, who will serve as Honorary Race Chairman for Saturday night’s Nationwide Series Championship finale Ford 300. A former NFL player who went on to become a wrestling megastar, Goldberg also appeared on ―Celebrity Apprentice – alongside Michaels.
REMINDERS:
NASCAR Hauler Parade – American Airlines Arena to South Beach (3 pm)
The celebration of NASCAR’s series-crowning Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway will shift into high gear as a grand-arrival of NASCAR race-team “haulers”
convoy from American Airlines Arena (home to the Miami Heat) to Miami Beach to kick off the free two-day fan fest. The hauler procession is scheduled to include 30-plus haulers—including
those carrying the Top 12 Sprint Cup and Top 10 Nationwide cars in points standings—as well as Homestead-Miami Speedway’s Ford pace cars and additional partner vehicles for a red-carpet arrival at Lummus Park on South Beach (between 7th and 9th streets).
Zac Brown Band FREE Live Concert – South Beach ( 7 pm)
“Coca-Cola Fuels NASCAR Championship Drive” will feature a free concert headlined by Grammy-Award winning country music sensation Zac Brown Band. Created to thank fans as the 2010 season comes to a climax with NASCAR’s series-crowning Ford Championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 19-21), the show is scheduled to begin at 7 pm at Lummus Park (between 7th and 9th Streets) on South Beach.
PLUS ***** There will be live steaming of the concert on NASCAR.com at 8pm.
ADDITIONAL PACKAGES TO PURCHASE AVAILABLE
Coke Zero Fan Zone
NASCAR Nationwide Series Ford 300 November 20, 2010.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford 400 November 21, 2010
Includes:
- Buffet lunch and snacks
- Unlimited Coca Cola products
- 3 free beer coupons
(Must Present Valid Picture I.D.)
- Cash Bar
- Q&A Sessions with the Coca-Cola Racing Family of Drivers
- Door Prizes, Gifts, & Much More
Driver Appearances:
Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, & David Reutimann
Raffle Prizes:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. autographed Homestead-Miami Speedway memorabilia; Autographed Homestead-Miami Speedway memorabilia from NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and A.J. Allmendinger; 2011 Daytona 500 tickets; Two night stay at the Gaylord Palms resort in Orlando, FL; Tickets to Walt Disney World & Universal Studios; replica NASCAR hoods, and more!
Price:
Ford 400 – Sunday, November 21st:
$80.00 (grandstand ticket purchased separately)
Ford 300 – Saturday, November 20th:
$65.00 (grandstand ticket purchased separately)
THE DANICA SPECAL OFFER Ticket in the Danica Section for:
Sprint Cup Series Championship Race
Nationwide Series race
Exclusive Q & A Session w/Danica on Sat., Nov. 20 at 2pm
Includes contribution to HMS Foundation
Package options:
Row 1-4: $85
Rows 11-21: $125
Tickets for this historic Championship finale are available starting at $55 via
Glorious weather has always been the main attraction in Miami, with average yearly temperatures averaging 76F. Sun-kissed days feature bluer than blue skies, dotted with surreal cotton candy clouds. Gentle breezes keep things cool throughout the day, while sultry temperatures heat up a moon lit sky during the Miami evenings.
Race fans, welcome to South Florida!
So heading into Homestead-Miami, Hamlin, who finished 12th at Phoenix, saw his lead over second-place Johnson shrink from 33 points to 15. Harvick is third in the standings, 46 points behind Hamlin.
The only way points leader Denny Hamlin can guarantee a clinch of his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship is by either finishing second while leading the most laps or winning next Sunday’s season finale Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
Homestead, FL
Sunday, 1PM
ESPN
Race #: 36 of 36 (11-21-10)
Banking/Turns: 18-20° turns, 4° straight
Distance: 1.5 miles
Shape: Oval
STATS:
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.7
2010 Rundown
· Eight wins, 14 top fives, 18 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.9
· Led 20 races for 1,184 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, three top 10s
· Average finish of 10.6 in five races
· Average Running Position of 14.3, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 94.7, seventh-best
· 61 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 357 Green Flag Passes, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.236 mph, 10th-fastest
· 822 Laps in the Top 15 (61.5%), ninth-most
· 192 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), sixth-most
2 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.4
2010 Rundown
· Six wins, 16 top fives, 22 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.5
· Led 23 races for 1,314 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Three top fives, six top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.7 in nine races
· Average Running Position of 14.0, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 92.9, eighth-best
· 315 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.266 mph, eighth-fastest
· 956 Laps in the Top 15 (71.6%), fourth-most
· 190 Quality Passes, seventh-most
3 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.6
2010 Rundown
· Three wins, 15 top fives, 25 top 10s
· Average finish of 8.8
· Led 16 races for 357 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Four top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 8.4 in nine races
· Average Running Position of 10.0, third-best
· Driver Rating of 101.1, fourth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.423 mph, fifth-fastest
· 1,029 Laps in the Top 15 (77.0%), second-most
· 197 Quality Passes, fifth-most
TOP 3 FOLLOWING RACE 35 of 36
Driver Points Wins Poles Week Rating
1. Denny Hamlin 6,462 8 2 1 96.7
2. Jimmie Johnson 6,447 6 2 2 107.4
3. Kevin Harvick 6,416 3 0 3 97.6
DATA NOTEBOOK
· Since the inception of the current points system in 1975, only two drivers have made up a points deficit in the season finale: Richard Petty in 1979 (made up two points on Darrell Waltrip) and Alan Kulwicki in 1992 (made up 30 points on Davey Allison).
· There have been 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Homestead, one per season since 1999.
· Five drivers have competed in all 11 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Elliott Sadler and Tony Stewart.
· David Green won the first pole, in 1999.
· Tony Stewart won the inaugural race, in 1999.
· There have been nine different pole winners. Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson lead all drivers, with two.
· There have been eight different race winners, led by Greg Biffle, with three.
· Jack Roush has won six races, most among owners.
· The race has been won from the pole twice: Bill Elliott (2001) and Kurt Busch (2002).
· The race has been won from a top-10 starting position eight of 11 times.
· Denny Hamlin won last season from the 38th starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
· Three active drivers have averaged a top-10 finish: Carl Edwards (6.5), Jeff Gordon (9.5) and Kevin Harvick (8.4).
QUALIFYING/RACE DATA
2009 pole winner: Jimmie Johnson (173.919 mph, 31.049 seconds)
PHOENIX — NASCAR has inspected the cars the three championship contenders plan to race in next week’s season finale.
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston says the cars for Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick were inspected in the North Carolina research and development centre this week.
The cars were measured to make sure they fit the templates ahead of the Nov. 21 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
NASCAR says it was a precautionary measure during the tightest Chase for the Sprint Cup championship since the format was introduced in 2004.
Points leader Hamlin goes into Sunday’s race at Phoenix with a 33-point lead over Johnson. Harvick is 59 points out.
Need a breather after that awesome, wild race at Texas Motor Speedway this past weekend? Too bad. There are two races left and this is one of the closest championship battles ever to decide.
After two races at two big tracks, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series shifts gears to the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway this Sunday for the Kobalt Tools 500. Only 59 points separate the top-three drivers – Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick. That’s the second-closest margin between the top three with two races left in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup era (2004-Present).
You’ll have to go back a bit to find the last time Jimmie Johnson failed to hold the points lead at this juncture in the season. In each of his four championship seasons, Johnson was atop series standings with two races to go.
But not this year.
That lead belongs to Denny Hamlin and I don’t think he’s giving it up to Johnson, or anybody else for that matter.
Here’s some history Hamlin will like hearing: the points leader with two to go has won the championship every season in the Chase era (2004-2009). The last time the points leader with two races remaining failed to win the championship was 1992, when Bill Elliott relinquished an 85-point advantage to Alan Kulwicki.
Below is a look at how the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field has performed at Phoenix International Raceway, going into the Kobalt Tools 500 this Sunday, Nov. 14.
1 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.6
2010 Rundown
· Eight wins, 14 top fives, 18 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.9
· Led 19 races for 994 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
· Five top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.6 in 10 races
· Average Running Position of 12.8, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.2, eighth-best
· 116 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 123.025 mph, seventh-fastest
· 2,199 Laps in the Top 15 (69.0%), ninth-most
· 226 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), seventh-most
2 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.3
2010 Rundown
· Six wins, 15 top fives, 21 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.7
· Led 23 races for 1,314 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
· Four wins, nine top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 4.9 in 14 races
· Series-best Average Running Position of 4.9
· Series-best Driver Rating of 123.7
· Series-high 406 Fastest Laps Run
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 123.580 mph
· Series-high 3,357 Laps in the Top 15 (95.9%)
· 280 Quality Passes, fourth-most
3 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.5
2010 Rundown
· Three wins, 15 top fives, 24 top 10s
· Average finish of 8.9
· Led 16 races for 357 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
· Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 15.0 in 15 races
· Average Running Position of 12.0, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 94.6, 10th-best
· 145 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· 394 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
· 2,443 Laps in the Top 15 (69.8%), sixth-most
The Chase Is On
The Top 3 following race 34 of 36
Driver Pts Wins Poles Week Rating
1. Denny Hamlin 6,325 8 2 2 95.6
2. Jimmie Johnson 6,292 6 2 1 107.3
3. Kevin Harvick 6,266 3 0 3 97.5
SUMMARY:
The one-mile track might be his best. Johnson has won four of the last six races there, and has finished in the top five in each of the last eight. His Driver Rating of 123.7 is by far the best in the series.
But points leader Denny Hamlin and third-place Kevin Harvick are pretty strong there as well. Hamlin has five top fives in 10 starts at Phoenix; Harvick has two victories there in 15 starts.
Notebook
· There have been 28 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, one per season from 1988-2004 and two each season since.
· Geoffrey Bodine won the first pole in 1988.
· There have been 18 different pole winners, led by Ryan Newman with four.
· Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon are the only drivers to win consecutive poles. Newman won three straight (2002-04), while Gordon won the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007.
· There have been 20 different race winners, led by Jimmie Johnson, with four. Johnson has won four of the last six races. Mark Martin (spring 2009) and Ryan Newman (spring 2010) won the other races in that span.
· The race has been won from the pole three times: Jeff Gordon (spring 2007), Jimmie Johnson (fall 2008) and Mark Martin (spring 2009).
· The race has been won from a top-10 starting position in 14 of 28 events.
· Denny Hamlin won his first career pole in November 2005. AJ Allmendinger won his first career pole earlier this season.
· Ricky Rudd won the 1995 race from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
· Mark Martin has 12 top-five finishes, more than any other driver. Martin (8.7) and Jimmie Johnson (4.9) are the only active drivers who average a top-10 finish.
· Three of the last four races have ended with a margin of victory under one second.
· Two perfect Driver Ratings of 150.0 have been recorded at Phoenix. Kurt Busch did it with his win in April of 2005, and Kevin Harvick did it in November of 2006.
Phoenix International Raceway Data
Race: 35 of 36 (11-14-10)
Take a virtual lap around Phoenix International Raceway:
Track Size: 1 mile
· Banking/1 and 2: 11 degrees
· Banking/3 and 4: 9 degrees
· Banking/Frontstretch: 3 degrees
· Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
· Frontstretch: 1,179 feet
· Backstretch: 1,551 feet
Driver Rating at Phoenix
Jimmie Johnson 123.7
Mark Martin 102.3
Jeff Gordon 101.1
Kurt Busch 98.7
Carl Edwards 98.6
Greg Biffle 96.2
Tony Stewart 96.2
Denny Hamlin 95.2
Kyle Busch 94.8
Kevin Harvick 94.6
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-10 races (11 total) at Phoenix.
Qualifying/Race Data
2009 pole winner: Martin Truex Jr. (135.120 mph, 26.643 seconds)
2009 race winner: Jimmie Johnson (110.486 mph, 11-15-09)
Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (135.854 mph, 26.499 seconds, 11-5-04)
Track race record: Tony Stewart (118.132 mph, 11-7-99)
Pit Window: Approximately 70-78 laps, based on fuel mileage.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series crowned Brad Keselowski its 2010 champion, but there’s still a heated owner’s title to decide. Keselowski’s No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge currently trails the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota by 81 points going into Saturday’s Wypall* 200 powered by Kimberly-Clark Professional at Phoenix.
With a 230-point lead over Aric Almirola in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings it would appear Todd Bodine has the driver’s championship in the bag with two races remaining on the schedule.
Not so fast says Almirola.
In the last 11 races, Almirola has scored 11 straight top-10 finishes. He has outrun Bodine on four different occasions.
Despite Bodine finishing outside the top-10 on two different occasions in the last 11 races, he has found victory three times. Bodine has his sights set on a second career championship.
Expect for the battle to continue to as the series heads to Phoenix International Raceway. He can clinch the title this Friday night in the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix.
The 12 drivers that will compete in the 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field pose after the Air Guard 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR
Congratulations to Denny Hamlin for winning the Air Guard 400 last night at Richmond International Raceway, as well as clenching the No. 1 seed in the Chase.
Point standings as of right now for the Chase contenders:
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) has plenty of reasons for optimism as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series arrives at Pocono Raceway for this Sunday’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. So do Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge), Kyle Busch (No 18 M&M’s Toyota) and Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet).
Adding to the dynamics, the conclusion of Sunday’s race marks the completion of the fifth of 10 races that make up the Race to the Chase. Only five races will remain for drivers to make it into the top 12 of the standings, which would make them eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
After June’s series stop at Pocono, Hamlin was in Victory Lane for the fourth time in 2010, and had jumped from fifth to third in the series standings. It also was his fourth career Pocono win, tying him
with Gordon as the leading active Pocono race winners. Hamlin seems to have a charmed relationship with the unorthodox track, a triangle formed by three turns of different radius and three different lengths of straight-aways.
Up next:
The Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500
Pocono Raceway
(2.5-mile triangle)
Sunday, August 1
1 p.m. (ET)
200 laps/500 miles
ESPN, Noon (ET)
2009 Winner: Denny Hamlin
Friday—Practice, 12-1:30 p.m. and Qualifying, 3:40 p.m.
Saturday—Practice, 9-9:50 a.m. and 11:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m
►Sunday Marks Pennsylvania’s 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Event
This week’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 will be the 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series race held in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Sunday’s event also is the 66th series
event at Pocono Raceway.
Bill Elliott is the all-time leading Pocono race winner with five victories there. Jeff Gordon
and Denny Hamlin lead active drivers with four wins. Inactive drivers with four Pocono wins in-
clude Tim Richmond, Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip.
Active drivers with three Pocono wins include Bobby Labonte and Geoff Bodine (No. 36 Tommy
Baldwin Racing Chevrolet). Inactive drivers with three Pocono wins include Bobby Allison
and Dale Jarrett.
►Junior could find his way into top 12 for the 2010 Chase
With good performances over the next six races, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/
National Guard Chevrolet) could find his way into the top 12 in the series standings which
would earn him a 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berth.
Earnhardt’s struggles last Sunday at Indianapolis widened the gap between himself and a
place in the top 12. In the process of posting an Average Running Position of just 18.4, Earnhardt was collected in the late-race accident of Juan Pablo Montoya, and dropped him to a 27th-place finish.
Arriving at Indianapolis, Earnhardt was only 15 points outside the top 12. After the event, he
dropped to 14th in points, 93 points outside the Chase cutoff. Earnhardt’s best career day so far at Pocono came in 2007, when he won the Coors Light Pole Award and finished second in the August event. Rebounding with that type of day at Pocono following last week’s disappointment would go a long way to bringing an optimistic outlook back to Earnhardt and the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team.
► Crossing Over to the inaugural NCWTS race at Pocono Raceway
At least three full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers will be crossing over to the other
side of the garage at Pocono Raceway this weekend.
Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Ford), and Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Stanley Ford) have entered Pocono’s inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event, the Pocono Mountains 125, Saturday.
Hamlin will drive the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota; Kahne the No. 18 Kyle
Busch Motorsports/Toyota Dealers Toyota, and Sadler the No. 2 Kevin Harvick Inc./Grand
Touring Vodka Chevrolet Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) has plenty of reasons for optimism as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series arrives at Pocono Raceway for this Sunday’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. So do Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge), Kyle Busch (No 18 M&M’s Toyota) and Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet). Adding to the dynamics, the conclusion of Sunday’s race marks the completion of the fifth of 10 races that make up the Race to the Chase. Only five races will remain for drivers to make it into the top 12 of the standings, which would make them eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. After June’s series stop at Pocono, Hamlin was in Victory Lane for the fourth time in 2010, and had jumped from fifth to third in the series standings. It also was his fourth career Pocono win, tying him with Gordon as the leading active Pocono race winners. Hamlin seems to have a charmed relationship with the unor- thodox track, a triangle formed by three turns of different radius and three different lengths of straight-aways. He scored his first and
The Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 Pocono Raceway (2.5-mile triangle) Sunday, August 1 1 p.m. (ET) 200 laps/500 miles ESPN, Noon (ET) 2009 Winner: Denny Hamlin Friday—Practice, 12-1:30 p.m. and Qualifying, 3:40 p.m. Saturday—Practice, 9-9:50 a.m. and 11:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m
►Sunday Marks Pennsylvania’s 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Event This week’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 will be the 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Sunday’s event also is the 66th series event at Pocono Raceway. Bill Elliott is the all-time leading Pocono race winner with five victories there. Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin lead active drivers with four wins. Inactive drivers with four Pocono wins in- clude Tim Richmond, Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip. Active drivers with three Pocono wins include Bobby Labonte and Geoff Bodine (No. 36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet). Inactive drivers with three Pocono wins include Bobby Allison and Dale Jarrett.
►Junior could find his way into top 12 for the 2010 ChaseWith good performances over the next six races, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/ National Guard Chevrolet) could find his way into the top 12 in the series standings which would earn him a 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berth. Earnhardt’s struggles last Sunday at Indianapolis widened the gap between himself and a place in the top 12. In the process of posting an Average Running Position of just 18.4, Earnhardt was collected in the late-race accident of Juan Pablo Montoya, and dropped him to a 27th-place finish. Arriving at Indianapolis, Earnhardt was only 15 points outside the top 12. After the event, he dropped to 14th in points, 93 points outside the Chase cutoff.
Earnhardt’s best career day so far at Pocono came in 2007, when he won the Coors Light Pole Award and finished second in the August event. Rebounding with that type of day at Pocono following last week’s disappointment would go a long way to bringing an optimistic outlook back to Earnhardt and the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team.
► Crossing Over: At least three full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers will be crossing over to the other side of the garage at Pocono Raceway this weekend.
Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Ford), and Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Stanley Ford) have entered Pocono’s inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event, the Pocono Mountains 125, Saturday. Hamlin will drive the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota; Kahne the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports/Toyota Dealers Toyota, and Sadler the No. 2 Kevin Harvick Inc./Grand Touring Vodka Chevrolet Chevrolet.
#24-Jeff Gordon, 5000, -50
