Richard Petty Motorsports forms new Nationwide team

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Karen Pistone

Richard Petty Motorsports announced today the formation of a new NASCAR Nationwide Series team with driver Michael Annett and his long-time partner Pilot Flying J. The team will be run out of RPM’s Concord, N.C. race shop and will vie for the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship.

Annett, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, comes to Richard Petty Motorsports after spending last season at Rusty Wallace, Inc. He has posted 13 top-10 finishes in 105 Nationwide Series starts and drove to a ninth-place finish in the championship points standings last season.

Born into a family with a rich racing heritage, Annett began his own racing career in 2007 competing in the ARCA Series. In only his fourth start, Annett drove his Pilot Travel Centers machine to victory lane at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. He drove to victory once again in the ARCA Series the next season at Daytona International Speedway and also piloted an entry in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in eight events that season. In 2009, he moved to the Nationwide Series with Germain Racing and posted four top-10 finishes en route to a 10th-place effort in the point standings. He remained at Germain through 2010 and in 2011 competed for RWI.

Source: RPM Press Release

Review on NASCAR national series heading to Charlotte and Las Vegas Motor Speedways

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Karen Pistone

Race #: 31 of 36 (10-15-11)

Track Size: 1.5 miles

Banking/Corners: 24 degrees

Banking/Straights: 5 degrees

Frontstretch: 1,980 feet

Backstretch: 1,500 feet

Have you realized that with Jimmie Johnson’s win at Kansas Speedway, that placed Hendrick Motorsports knocking on the door to their 200th victory? Will the 200th victory happen at Charlotte Motor Speedway? You betch’ ya! Pretty much during the last ten races of the Chase, Johnson reveals his dominance – and will shine at the 1.5 mile Charlotte Motor Speedway Saturday night. Johnson carries six wins at Charlotte, tied for most all-time with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison and Hall of Fame nominee Darrell Waltrip. But for all those nay-sayers, he had a 28th place finish in May’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte because of engine problems.

Carl Edwards, on the other hand while holding a bit of gentleman luck, finished fifth at Kansas, but locked in the lead in points.

What about Brad Keselowski? Keselowski has turned up the heat by a few notches with his fellow Chase drivers. Keselowski surprised at Kansas Speedway with a third-place finish and moved on up to fourth in the standings, only 11 points behind leader, Carl Edwards.

It’s a tight race, and anything can happen. Drivers sitting in the top eight currently are: Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch.

Just 20 points separate eighth-place Kyle Busch and points leader Edwards.

Jamie McMurray won the Charlotte race last year, the only non-Chase driver to win one of the final 10 races last season.

Could another non-Chase driver be a repeat? It’s certainly possible, so watch out for Kasey Kahne as the prime candidate. Kahne has been the top finishing non-Chase driver in each of the last two races, and has three wins at Charlotte, including a sweep there in 2006.

NSCS takes on Charlotte Motor Speedway, Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. on abc.

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES

You do realize that Roush Fenway Racing is in a position to make NASCAR National Series History with possibly winning two different Championships in the same series in the season?

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. leads the driver championship standings. He’s 20 points in front of second-place Elliott Sadler with five races to go.

Friday night’s race marks the fourth and final NASCAR Nationwide Series “Dash 4 Cash” event of the 2012 season.

The highest finisher among Elliott Sadler, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Truex and Kenny Wallace will collect $100,000 on top of the race prize money.

Four drivers have been eligible for the bonus in each of the four “Dash 4 Cash” races during the season’s second half – Daytona, Iowa, Richmond and the finale at Charlotte. The first field at Daytona’s July race was set via the top four in driver points entering that event. For the next three “Dash 4 Cash” races, the field was set by the four highest finishers in those races among driver championship contenders. This quartet was decided by their finishes at Richmond last month: Stenhouse was third, Truex a career-best fourth, Wallace, fifth and Sadler, sixth.

The NNWS hits Charlotte Motor Speedway Friday night at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

The championship battle in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is down to a mere three points separating Austin Dillon from James Buescher with five races left.

Upcoming races at Talladega and Martinsville are already being pegged as the wild card events. It will be the first daytime race at the 1.5-mile tri-oval since 2002.

2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Champion Max Gresham will make his NASCAR national series debut at Las Vegas. He will compete in the No. 66 Chevrolet fielded by Turn One Racing. Gresham scored two wins and nine top-five finishes this season in the K&N Pro Series East Series.

NCWTS hits Las Vegas 3:30 p.m. Saturday on SPEED.

Information compiled by NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

NASCAR Chase standings, driver stats heading to Kansas Speedway

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Karen Pistone

Race #: 30 of 36 (10-9-11)
Track Size: 1.5 miles
Banking/Corners: 15 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 10.4 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Frontstretch: 2,685 feet
Backstretch: 2,207 feet

Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Kasey Kahne (174.844 mph, 30.920 seconds)
2010 race winner: Greg Biffle, 138.077 mph, 10-03-10)
Qualifying record: Matt Kenseth (180.856 mph, 29.858 seconds, 10-08-05)
Race record: Greg Biffle (138.077 mph, 10-03-10)

After three races in the Chase, Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards technically sit 1-2 in the points – though both are tied at the top with 2,122 points. It’s the first tie for the points lead since after the first Chase race in 2008.

Heading into Kansas, Brad Keselowski, now sixth in points, conquered Kansas during the series’ first visit in June, leading nine laps and besting the field with solid fuel mileage strategy. t was his first victory with Penske Racing, and the first of third wins on the season. During the post-race interviews, Keselowski mentioned how his goal was to make the Chase. Will he repeat and move up getting ever so closer to the NASCAR Championship? What about Greg Biffle? Biffle has two wins at Kansas, and has finished in the top 10 in each of the last five races (and in the top five in four of the last five). He is one of three active driver who average a top-10 finish at Kansas: (Biffle, 8.3; Jeff Gordon, 8.1; Jimmie Johnson, 9.1).

Current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings leader – Austin Dillon – will attempt to make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut this weekend at Kansas Speedway at the age of 21.

Drive History for Kansas in Point Standings after Dover

1 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet)
· One top five, four top 10s
· Average finish of 14.3 in 11 races

2 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 AFLAC Ford)
· Three top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 11.4 in eight races

3 – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
· Two wins, five top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 11.9 in 11 races

4 – Kurt Busch (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge)
· Three top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 18.1 in 11 races

5 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
· One win, three top fives, eight top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 9.1 in 10 races

6 – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
· One win, one top five, one top 10
· Average finish of 12.3 in three races

7 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Crown Royal Ford)
· Two top fives, five top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 19.3 in 11 races

8 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&Ms Toyota)
· One top 10
· Average finish of 22.4 in eight races

9 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
· Two wins, eight top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 8.1 in 11 races

10 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet)
· One top five, five top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 17.5 in 11 races

11 – Ryan Newman (No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
· One win, three top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 17.3 in 11 races

12 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota)
· Two top fives, two top 10s
· Average finish of 15.7 in seven races

History

· Groundbreaking was held on May 25, 1999.

· The official opening of Kansas Speedway was in 2001, with the first events being an ARCA race and a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race on the same day – June 2.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was Sept. 30, 2001.

Notebook

· There have been 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Kansas

since the track opened in 2001.

· All of the races have been scheduled for 267 laps.

· 10 drivers have competed in all 11 races at Kansas.

· Jeff Gordon won the first two NASCAR Sprint Cup races.

· Jason Leffler won the first pole in September 2001.

· Eight different drivers have won poles, led by Jimmie Johnson with three.

· Eight different drivers have posted victories, led by Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart (each with two).

· Seven of the 11 races have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· Two drivers have won from the pole: Joe Nemechek in 2004 and Jimmie Johnson in 2008.

· The furthest back in the field that a race winner started was 25th, by Brad Keselowski earlier this season.

· Three active drivers with more than one start have averaged a top-10 finish: Greg Biffle (8.3), Jeff Gordon (8.1) and Jimmie Johnson (9.1).

· Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in top fives (eight) and top 10s (nine). Gordon’s only two non-top 10s were a 39th in 2006 and a 13th in 2004.

· Seven of the 11 races that ended under green had a margin of victory under one second. The 2007 race ended under caution.

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES

This year upon his return to Kanas, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – who celebrated his 24th birthday on Oct. 2, has a 22-point lead over second-place Elliott Sadler in the driver championship standings.

The 2010 Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders are Timmy Hill and Blake Koch, with Koch holding off Hill by only two points. Hill and Koch may need to consider a third contender for the rookie title. Ryan Truex, who was the odds-on-favorite to win the award at the start of the season, has worked his way back in to the conversation thanks to a late-season surge with his new team, Joe Gibbs Racing. Although Truex may not have enough time to overtake the rookie lead, but his recent results have been eye-opening. Since joining JGR at Chicago last month, he has finished no lower than 13th in those four races – including a career-best fourth at Richmond and an eighth-place last week at Dover.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, James Buescher, will compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Kansas for Turner Motorsports. It will be his eighth NNS start this season.

This is an open week for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Sereis.

Ron Hornaday Jr. has accomplished just about everything possible in the NCWTS during his 14-year career – by clinching his 50th victory at Kentucky Speedway – and a record four series championships. Winning an unprecedented fifth series championship seems very unlikely at this point, Hornaday sits in fifth place, 42 points out of the championship. Hornaday has three wins (Texas, Atlanta & Kentucky) this season. He has led an impressive 9,386 laps in his truck series career.

Austin Dillon holds a two point lead in the NCWTS standings over James Buescher.

Next race for the NCWTS:

Oct. 15th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway / 3:30 p.m. on SPEED

Source: NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications/NASCAR Media

NASCAR Nationwide, Camping World Truck Series’ head to Nashville this weekend

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Karen Pistone

NASCAR Nationwide Series

Federated Auto Parts 300

Nashville Superspeedway

Saturday, July 23

7 p.m. (ET)

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

Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90

Distance: 300 miles (225 laps)

Elliott Sadler, the current points leader, is seven points ahead of second-place Reed Sorenson and 18 points ahead of third place Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

And don’t forget the most coveted trophies amongst drivers in all of NASCAR’s national series is the custom Sam Bass Gibson Les Paul guitar trophy that is awarded to the winner at Nashville Super Speedway.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Lucas Deep Clean 200

Nashville Superspeedway

Friday, July 22

8 p.m. (ET)

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

Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90

Distance: 200 miles (150 laps)

Drew Herring, who will drive the No. 18 Toyota at Nashville this weekend, knows he’s fortunate to be able to race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. However, Herring also knows that there is more to life than just getting to race; like getting to live it. Herring is still pursuing his racing dreams despite nearly losing his life in a hunting accident when he was just 17 years old. Herring and a number of friends were out raccoon hunting when a wild raccoon, scared by another hunter’s shot, came out of a tree right on top of Herring and several of his friends. As everyone tried to scrabble out of the way of the wild animal, Herring and a friend ran into each other and lost their balance, falling to the ground. When they hit the ground, his friend’s .22-calibur discharged, shooting Herring through the side. The bullet hit Herring’s stomach, colon and pancreas. Fortunately, after spending nine days in the hospital, Herring made a full recovery. Now, he’s back on track to go after his passion, racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, while celebrating life each and every day.

HISTORY

Johnny Benson is the only titleholder with two Sam Bass Gibson Les Paul guitar trophies .

• The past three winners – Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Benson – captured Nashville Superspeedway’s late-summer race on the way to the series champion’s table in Miami Beach.

• Mike Bliss, his face seriously rearranged after chasing a fly ball into the outfield fence during the previous day’s driver/media softball game, won both Nashville and the championship in 2002.

• Bobby Hamilton was the track’s 2004 winner and series champion.

• Travis Kvapil, the 2003 champion, won Nashville’s 2007 race.

Bodine and Ron Hornaday Jr. are the only NCWTS concrete track winners expected to compete in the Lucas Deep Clean 200.

Source: NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

Voting opens for 2011 Most Popular Driver in NASCAR’s Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Karen Pistone

Thought I’d better bring this to your attention:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 7, 2011) – For the fourth consecutive year, fans can vote online for the 2011 Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Twitter hashtags: #NNSMPD, #NCWTSMPD).

Voting begins today and runs through Nov. 17, prior to the season-ending race for both national series at Homestead-Miami Speedway during Ford Championship Weekend.

This year, fans have dedicated sites on NASCAR.com to vote. For the NASCAR Nationwide Series, fans can go to www.NASCAR.com/nnsmpd and to www.NASCAR.com/ncwtsmpd for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Fans may vote once per day leading up to the Nov. 17 deadline.

To be eligible to receive votes, drivers must have selected either the NASCAR Nationwide Series or NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to receive 2011 driver championship points. Additionally, drivers must have attempted at least half of each series’ races this season.

The winners will be announced at the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards Banquet. The combined post-season gala will again take place in South Florida at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel on Monday, Nov. 21.

With eligibility tied to their selected series for points, a new Most Popular Driver will be crowned in both series this year. Brad Keselowski, the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion, earned a record-setting third consecutive series Most Popular Driver award via fan vote following last season. Kenny Wallace also has three Most Popular Driver awards in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, though not consecutively. Narain Karthikeyan captured the most votes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to earn that series’ Most Popular Driver honor in 2010.

Press Pelease – NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

Bayne released from Mayo Clinic; Chris Buescher to sub, again, at Darlington for NNWS

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Karen Pistone

Press Release from Roush-Fenway Racing

Concord, N.C. (May 5, 2011) – Roush Fenway Racing’s Trevor Bayne has been released from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. after being admitted last week for testing and evaluation. The 20-year old Daytona 500 winner will continue to be monitored closely by the Mayo Clinic team. He is expected to return to his NASCAR racing duties with both Roush Fenway Racing in the Nationwide Series and the Wood Brothers in the Sprint Cup Series this season. He will not, however, be in the No. 16 Roush Fenway Nationwide Series entry this weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. No timeframe has been set for Bayne’s return at this point.

“Trevor Bayne was seen by a team of Mayo Clinic specialists where he underwent a series of tests and consultations over the last week,” said Mayo Clinic neurologist Brian Crum, M.D. “He was admitted after suffering from nausea, fatigue and vision impairment. Since his admission, the nausea and fatigue have abated, and the vision impairment continues to be treated with medication, and is showing significant improvement.

“This symptom appears to be the result of an inflammatory condition. Further assessments will be made over the next couple of weeks. His condition is not life threatening or career-ending. We expect he will continue to improve, though the timeframe for his return to racing is unknown at this point. He will continue to be followed closely by his Mayo Clinic team.”

Chris Buescher, who drove the No. 16 Roush Fenway NNS entry last week at Richmond, will again fill in for Bayne this weekend at Darlington. Team officials are unsure of Bayne’s status for next week’s Nationwide Series race at Dover (Del.) International Speedway but are hopeful for his return for that race.

Jenifer Jo Cobb refuses to “start and park”; feud erupts with 2nd Chance Motorsports

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Karen Pistone

Apparently something very important was left out of the meeting Jennifer Jo attended with the crew of 2nd Chance Motorsports on Friday. Just prior to the start of Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide race, Scotts EZ Seed 300 at Bristol, Jennifer Jo found out she was to run a couple of laps and then park the car, saving it for the following week at Fontana.

Jennifer Jo refused and climbed out of the car prior to taking to the track.

Click on the link below to read the article in full from NASCAR.com regarding the feud between Jennifer Jo Cobb and 2nd Chance Motorsports team owner, Rick Russell regarding the start and park…. or in other words, NASCAR Nationwide Series version of “he said, she said.”

Cobb, 2nd Chance part ways after Bristol conflict

Mark Martin proves he’s the conservative for Sam’s Town 300

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Karen Pistone

Mark Martin in Victory Lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after winning the Sam's Town 300.Credit: Getty Images

What a race yesterday’s Nationwide Series had at Las Vegas Motor Speedway! It came down to fuel mileage – and Mark Martin showed he’s the one who knew how to conserve.

After race leader Brad Keselowski cut a tire and hit the wall on the final lap of the Sam’s Town 300, Martin cruised to the checkered flag, posting his 49th Nationwide victory.

After falling more than two laps down earlier in the race, Danica Patrick rallied to finish fourth, breaking the record that was held for 62 years for a female driver in one of NASCAR’s top three series. Patrick’s previous best finish was 14th at Daytona in February.

NASCAR show-down at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Karen Pistone

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
Kobalt Tools 400
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Sunday, Mar. 6
3 p.m. (ET) FOX, 2:30 p.m. (ET)
400.5 miles (267 laps)

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads t Las Vegas. Jeff Gordon won there in 2001, so I’m thinking there’s a possibility of a back-to-back visit to Victory Lane this weekend.

A few threats are lurking in the background with good Daytona 500 finishes and solid Phoenix runs. Some to watch this coming weekend will be:

• Jeff Gordon: Obviously

• Jimmie Johnson: Although predictable, Johnson often struggles at restrictor plate tracks, such as Daytona, but he comes back big. Johnson has four wins at Las Vegas, more than any other driver.

• Ryan Newman: Newman was strong at Daytona, leading the most laps (37) – only to finish 22nd. A fifth-place finish at Phoenix posts Newman eighth in points. Newman has four top 10s in five races at Las Vegas.

• Denny Hamlin: The 2010 championship runner-up followed up a 21st place at Daytona, and finished with an 11th at Phoenix. Hamlin has three top 10′s in five Vegas races.

O’ Brother Where Art Thou?
Points leader Kyle leads older brother Kurt by three points going into their home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s the first time family members have held the top two spots since after the 1988 Daytona 500 when the Allisons (father Bobby and son Davey) did it.

Kyle won the 2009 Las Vegas race; Kurt’s best finish at Vegas was third in 2005.

This coming Friday, Mar. 4 will mark the 50th anniversary of Wendell Scott, the first African-American competitor to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race. NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series cars will carry a commemorative decal on their B-posts this weekend to reflect on the life of the Danville, Va. driver’s first start – Spartanburg, S.C. Fairgrounds Speedway in 1961. He finished 17th. Driving a Dodge owned by a Las Vegas dentist, Scott finished 12th in his final start, the 1973 National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His best season was in 1966 when Scott competed in 45 races and finished sixth in the championship standings. Scott died at age 69 in 1990.

If that’s not enough, here’s a marinade for your brain: AJ Allmendinger has placed the iconic Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 in 4th in points; Bobby Labonte, driver for JTG/Daughtery Racing is 7th in points; Mark Martin’s next pole will be his 50th. If he does it, he’ll be the eighth driver in series history with at least 50 poles. Will he do it this weekend?

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is coming off two consecutive record-breaking races. The most recent, at Phoenix, featured a track-best 28 lead changes. Will Las Vegas be next?

And finally, race fans will be seeing and hearing special guests singer Matt Gross who will perform a pre-race concert while Kristen Hertzenberg, from Phantom of the Opera, will sing the national anthem.

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
Sam’s Town 300
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Saturday, Mar. 5
3 p.m. (ET)
ABC, 2:30 p.m. (ET)
300 miles (200 laps)

Other changes to look for is Mark Martin will returning to the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Martin will be running a limited schedule this season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Turner Motorsports also running Auto Club Speedway, Michigan and Kentucky.

Some notes going into Saturday’s Nationwide Series race, the Sam’s Town 300:

• Martin’s last two series victories came at Las Vegas in 2005 and 2008.

• Martin is tied with Jeff Burton for the most series wins at Las Vegas (three each).

• Martin is tied with Matt Kenseth for the most series poles at Las Vegas (two each).

• Martin has made five series starts at Las Vegas posting three wins, four top fives, five top 10s and two poles.

Pastrana-Waltrip Racing announces sponsorship for 2011 Nationwide races

Posted on January 22, 2011 by Karen Pistone

Photos credited: Getty Images

Pastrana-Waltrip Racing announced last evening Pastrana will drive the No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing in seven Nationwide Series races this season. This will also include a mid-summer debut in Indianapolis designed to bridge NASCAR with the ESPN X Games. Pastrana plans to compete in at least 20 races in 2012.

Boost Mobile and longtime Pastrana sponsors Red Bull, DC Shoes and Nixon celebrated the partnership last evening at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. Pastrana received a Samsung Mobile handset from Boost Mobile to use as his official phone for the race season.

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