NASCAR Nationwide Series Crew Chief fined; Crew Chief, Car Chief placed on probation for infractions at Darlington Raceway

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Karen Pistone

NASCAR announced that NASCAR Nationwide Series crew chief Adam Stevens (No. 54 team) has been fined and placed on probation for violations during this past weekend’s event at Darlington Raceway. In addition, the team’s car chief Christopher Landis has been placed on probation for the remainder of the year.

Stevens has been fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Landis has likewise been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.

The rules violations referred to Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20-A of the rule book); 20A-2.1E (streamlining of the contours of the car, beyond what is approved by the series director will not be permitted. Installation of air directional devices, underpans, baffles, shields or the like beneath the car or the car’s hood and fender area, front firewall, floor, rear firewall area, rear deck and quarter panel area will not be permitted. If, in the judgment of NASCAR officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance, will not be permitted. Addition of body fillers of any type, to the underside of the body, chassis or suspension components will not be permitted. All cars must remain standard in appearance); 20A-3.10A (front upper bumper cover must be from the respective OEM manufacturer and must be approved by NASCAR. The front lower bumper cover and rear bumper cover must be from an approved manufacturer and must be approved by NASCAR. Once approved, the front lower bumper covers may be used on all approved models. NASCAR officials may use bumper covers provided by the respective manufacturer as a guide in determining whether a competitor’s bumper cover conforms to the specifications of the NASCAR rule book. Unless otherwise authorized by the series director, cutting and reshaping of bumper covers will not be permitted.)

The infractions were discovered during opening day inspection on May 9.

NASCAR PR

NASCAR driver appearances/autograph sessions for ‘Dega

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Karen Pistone

Thursday, May 2
Joey Logano
11:30 am
Wal-Mart
214 Haynes St.
Talladega, Ala.

Friday, May 3
Blake Koch, Robert Richardson, Jr, Johanna Long, Jamie Dick, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Travis Pastrana, Regan Smith, Parker Kligerman and Nelson Piquet
1:45 to 2:30 PM
Autograph session at Talladega Superspeedway. The autograph session will be held on the concourse area behind the OV Hill South grandstand sections D & E. Wristbands for the autograph session can be picked up for free from the Guest Services Office located at OV Hill South Grandstand, Section L. Driver participation is subject to change and without notice.

Donnie Allison
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Allison will be signing copies of his book, “Donnie Allison & As I Recall.”
International Motorsports Hall of Fame (adjacent to Talladega Superspeedway)

Team Chevy Stage
1:45 p.m.
Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon and Brian Scott
Richard Childress Racing

Elliott Sadler
4:30 p.m.
One Main Financial
704 A Battle Street East
Talladega, Alabama 35160

Rusty Wallace
6:30 p.m.
Miller Lite Infield Bar for “Champions Toast”
Talladega Superspeedway
Wallace will appear for a Q&A session and a toast.

Brad Keselowski
6:30 p.m.
Wal-Mart
165 Vaughn Lane
Pell City, Ala.

Brad Keselowski
7:45 p.m.
Miller Lite Infield Bar for “Champions Toast”
Talladega Superspeedway

Saturday, May 4
Michael Waltrip
9:30 a.m.
Signing autographs at the MWR merchandise trailer at Talladega Superspeedway.

Team Chevy Stage (Talladega Superspeedway)
Danica Patrick
10:00 a.m.
Q & A
Sunday, May 5
Michael Waltrip
9:25 a.m.
Aaron’s display in the sponsor midway at Talladega Superspeedway

Jamie McMurray
8:30 a.m.
Followed by an autograph session with the No. 1 Chevrolet SS pit crew at 8:45 a.m.

Kevin Harvick
10:20 AM
The Sprint Unlimited Experience at Talladega Superspeedway
Miss Sprint Cup will conduct the Q&A with Harvick

Danica Patrick to tour, award “Coke Zero Tailgate Champion” to best decorated campsite at ‘Dega

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Karen Pistone

Race fans! Have you heard the buzz? It’s time to get creative and dress up your campsite! Talladega Superspeedway is ready to start a new tradition and to show other tracks how to to party the right way!

After spending time on Talladega Boulevard last year during her first trip to the 2.66-mile track, Patrick saw it to be “party central” for fans that featured fun, music, dancing, food, beverages and the most unique display of colorful creativity when it came to the décor of each campsite.

Plans are for Danica to award the “Coke Zero Tailgate Champion” trophy Saturday afternoon, at some point following the conclusion of the Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

FREE camping at Talladega Superspeedway. Photo by Sandi Goodall/Racingal.com

The most notorious strip of real estate in NASCAR, Talladega Boulevard, is an innovative corridor like no other and has been a mainstay in NASCAR circles since the track was built in 1969. The Mardi Gras-type atmosphere of The Boulevard, complete with strings of beads and shenanigans, is a NASCAR tradition that separates Talladega from other venues. It truly is a sight to behold how tents, RVs, trucks and trailers, with an abundance of ingenuity and creativity, can liven up a large crowd of people.

Racing returns to Talladega Superspeedway for the May 3-5 Aaron’s Dream Weekend. Secure your tickets at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or by calling 877-Go2-DEGA. This is more than a race…This is Talladega!

NASCAR announces Sprint Cup group qualifying for road courses

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Karen Pistone

NASCAR 4C(PRT)

NASCAR announced today that the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will implement the group-based road course qualifying procedure used in NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Touring Series competition during its road-course events at Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International. Under the new procedure, cars will qualify in groups instead of the traditional single-car qualifying runs held on oval race tracks.

The new qualifying rules for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at road courses are as follows:

·      Cars attempting to qualify will be divided into groups. The number of groups, and amount of cars in each, will depend on the number of cars that practice for the event.
·      Group assignments will be based on final practice times.
·      Each qualifying group will be on-track for a set period of time, determined by the Series Director.
·      A car’s best lap time during the group session will be the qualifying lap time of record.
·      A group’s time begins when the first car receives the green flag at the start/finish line.

The new format will debut with the Toyota Save-Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 23 and will return at Watkins Glen for the Cheez-ItTM 355 at the Glen on August 11.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Ron Hornaday Jr. penalized

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Karen Pistone

(April 17, 2013) – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Ron Hornaday Jr. has been penalized by NASCAR following his involvement in an on-track incident last Sunday at Rockingham Speedway.

Hornaday Jr., driver of the No. 9 truck, was found to have violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing. Altercation with another competitor on the race track during a caution period) of the 2013 rule book.

As a result of this violation, Hornaday Jr. has been fined $25,000, docked 25 championship driver points and placed on NASCAR probation until June 12.

Texas Motor Speedway: NASCAR Sprint Cup driver statistical advance

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Karen Pistone

Texas Motor Speedway Data

Season Race #: 7 of 36

Track Size: 1.5-miles

Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24 degrees

Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees

Frontstretch Length: 2,250 feet

Backstretch Length: 1,330 feet

Race Length: 334 laps / 500 miles

Qualifying/Race Data

2012 pole winner: Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 190.369 mph, 28.366 secs. 4-12-12

2012 race winner: Greg Biffle, Ford, 160.577 mph, (03:07:12), 4-14-12

Track qualifying record: Brian Vickers, Chevrolet, 196.235 mph, 27.518 secs. 11-3-06

Track race record: Greg Biffle, Ford, 160.577 mph, (03:07:12), 4-14-12

TEXAS-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)

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

· Average finish of 15.9

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 Gander Mountain Toyota)

· Three top fives, eight top 10s

· Average finish of 12.8

Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing/ Serta Chevrolet)

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

· Average finish of 14.1

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota)

· Five top fives, six top 10s

· Average finish of 14.9

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet)

· One win, three top fives, 12 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 13.6

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fastenal Ford)

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

· Average finish of 15.1

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Cromax Pro Chevrolet)

· One win, eight top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 16.1

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Dover White Chevrolet)

· Two wins, nine top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 9.3

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)

· Two wins, 12 top fives, 15 top 10s

· Average finish of 8.3

Mark Martin (No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota)

· One win, eight top fives, 13 top 10s

· Average finish of 13.9

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet)

· Two wins, six top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 12.7

Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota)

· One top five, seven top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 15.9

Did you Know?

Nine of the 14 active NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who have won at Texas Motor Speedway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Texas in their first appearance; Carl Edwards, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman all won in their second appearance at TMS.
2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski (11/02/2008) and Trevor Bayne (11/07/2010) made their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career starts at Texas Motor Speedway.
There have been three NSCS green-white-checkered finishes at Texas Motor Speedway: fall 2006, spring 2008 and fall 2012.
Youngest Texas winner: Ryan Newman (3/30/2003 – 25 years, 3 months, 22 days).
Oldest Texas winner: Dale Jarrett (4/1/2001 – 44 years, 4 months, 6 days).

Chase Contenders

The Top 12 Following Race 6 of 36

Driver	Points	Wins	Poles	Week	Rating
1. Jimmie Johnson	231	2	1	3	116.5
2. Brad Keselowski	225	0	0	2	103.7
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.	219	0	0	1	98.9
4. Kyle Busch	203	1	1	6	107.9
5. Kasey Kahne	199	1	0	7	105.1
6. Greg Biffle	199	0	0	5	89.6
7. Carl Edwards	193	1	0	4	87.4
8. Clint Bowyer	179	0	0	14	91.9
9. Paul Menard	179	0	0	8	80.2
10. Matt Kenseth	172	1	0	11	110.4
11. Joey Logano	167	0	0	9	90.3
12. Jeff Gordon	164	0	0	18	92.1

He’s baaack! Carl Edwards back in ESPN Broadcast Booth for three NASCAR Nationwide Series races

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Karen Pistone

Photo courtesy of ESPN.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards will return to the ESPN broadcast booth as an analyst for the next three races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Edwards will join lap-by-lap announcer Allen Bestwick and analyst Andy Petree in the booth to call the 300-mile race at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night, April 12, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Edwards also will call races at Richmond International Raceway on Friday night, April 26 and at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, May 4 (2:30 p.m. on ESPN). In each case, Edwards will compete in the next day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the same track.

Carl Edwards made his debut in the ESPN booth last year, calling Nationwide Series races at Darlington Raceway and Kentucky Speedway. Moving to the booth was a progression in broadcasting for Edwards, who had been doing post-race analysis for ESPN SportsCenter during ESPN’s portion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule the previous two seasons.

Edwards, who drives for Roush Fenway Racing, stopped competing in NASCAR Nationwide Series races last season after racing fulltime in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series the previous seven years. He was the Nationwide Series driving champion in 2007, and earned the 2011 series owner’s championship for Roush Fenway Racing, but decided to concentrate his efforts on the Sprint Cup Series exclusively beginning last season.

JR Motorsports fills empty NNS seat at RIR with family

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Karen Pistone

Jeffrey Earnhardt – photo by Sandi Goodall / Racingal.com

JR Motorsports has announced that Jeffrey Earnhardt, nephew to team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. and fourth-generation racer to make first start for family-owned team, will drive the team’s No. 5 Chevrolet in the April 26 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway. The announcement was made on JRM 360, a weekly video series housed on the team’s official website, JRMracing.com.

“Richmond happens to be one of the few races that neither Kasey Kahne nor Brad Sweet are scheduled to drive the No. 5 car because it’s not a Great Clips-sponsored race. Dale and I were discussing our options for that weekend,” stated Kelley Earnhardt Miller, general manager of JR Motorsports. “It was his idea to put Jeffrey in the car and let him drive our equipment. I loved the idea, and everyone in the company – as soon as they heard it – did too. It’s only a one-race deal but something that could really help Jeffrey if he does well.”

Watch announcement

Jefferey Earnhardt on the response from fans: “My phone has been blowing up. The response has been incredible. I received a lot of text messages and tweets from people in NASCAR, and the fans have been great. Between my grandfather, my dad, and Dale Jr., there is such a huge fan base that is very supportive of my family. I just appreciate the opportunity. I can’t wait. I wish the Richmond race weekend was tomorrow.”

NOTES

Jeffrey Earnhardt is only the second fourth-generation racer to compete in NASCAR’s top touring divisions. Adam Petty was the first.

The 23-year-old Earnhardt is son to Kerry Earnhardt (NASCAR racer from 1998-2009), grandson to seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. (1975-2001), and great-grandson to 1956 NASCAR Sportsman champion Ralph Earnhardt (1956-64).

Jeffrey Earnhardt has competed in 14 career Nationwide Series races. He made his first start on Aug. 8, 2009, at Watkins Glen International.

Jeffrey Earnhardt has competed in four of five Nationwide Series races in 2013 for Archie St. Hilaire and Go Green Racing. He recorded a season-best 20th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway on March 2.

This will mark Jeffrey Earnhardt’s first-ever race with JR Motorsports.

Jeffrey Earnhardt’s racing résumé also includes 10 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, all of which came in 2010 and 2011.

Richmond International Raceway has been a hotbed for Earnhardt success. Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. each have six wins at the three-quarter-mile facility. (Dale Sr.: CUP – Feb. 24, 1985; NNS – Sept. 6, 1986; CUP – March 8, 1987; CUP – Sept. 13, 1987; CUP – Sept. 9, 1990; CUP – Feb. 24, 1991). Dale Jr.: NNS – Sept. 11, 1998; NNS – Sept. 10, 1999; CUP – March 6, 2000; NNS – Sept. 6, 2002; CUP – March 15, 2004; CUP – May 6, 2006).

The No. 5 Chevrolet is typically occupied by Kasey Kahne or Brad Sweet as part of a 28-race Great Clips-sponsored package. Jimmie Johnson is the only other driver to race the No. 5 this year (Phoenix on March 2).

JR Motorsports PR

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver stats: MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Karen Pistone

NASCAR Pre-Race: Fox – 12:30pm
TV Race Coverage: FoxSports, 1:00pm
Scheduled Green Flag (approx): 1:13pm
Practices: Friday, April 5, 12:00 – 1:30 pm on SPEED
Happy Hour ‘Final’ practice: Saturday, April 6, 11:45am – 12:45pm on SPEED at 11:30pm
Qualifying: Friday, April 5 at 3:40 pm on SPEED at 8:00pm

Martinsville Speedway Data

Season Race #: 6 of 36

Track Size: 0.526-mile

Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 12 degrees

Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 12 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 0 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 0 degrees

Frontstretch Length: 800 feet

Backstretch Length: 800 feet

Race Length: 500 laps / 263 miles

Qualifying/Race Data
2012 pole winner: Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 97.128 mph, 19.496 secs. 3-30-12
2012 race winner: Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 78.823 mph, (3:26:12), 4-01-12
Track qualifying record: Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 98.083 mph, 19.306 secs. 10-21-05
Track race record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 82.223 mph, (3:11:55), 9-22-96

MARTINSVILLE-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 RK Motors Toyota)

· Two top fives, eight top 10s

· Average finish of 14.0

Jeff Burton (No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)

· One win, 10 top fives, 16 top 10s

· Average finish of 15.0

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)

· Seven top fives, eight top 10s

· Average finish of 16.8

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

· 10 top fives, 14 top 10s

· Average finish of 13.0

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)

· Seven wins, 25 top fives, 32 top 10s; seven poles

· Average finish of 7.1

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet)

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

· Average finish of 16.7

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

· Seven wins, 15 top fives, 19 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 5.5

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)

· Three top 10s

· Average finish of 12.2

Mark Martin (No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota)

· Two wins, 12 top fives, 25 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 13.3

Jamie McMurray (No. 1 Novo Nordisk Chevrolet)

· One top five, 10 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 17.0

Ryan Newman (No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet)

· One win, seven top fives, 11 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 13.6

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)

· Three wins, nine top fives, 15 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 13.7

Chase Contenders

The Top 12 Following Race 5 of 36

Driver	Points	Wins	Poles	Week	Rating
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.	199	0	0	2	102.2
2. Brad Keselowski	187	0	0	1	103.5
3. Jimmie Johnson	183	1	0	3	110.2
4. Carl Edwards	164	1	0	8	89.8
5. Greg Biffle	164	0	0	5	90.8
6. Kyle Busch	163	1	1	10	105.7
7. Kasey Kahne	159	1	0	7	103.6
8. Paul Menard	154	0	0	9	82.5
9. Joey Logano	146	0	0	12	93.0
10. Denny Hamlin	145	0	1	6	99.5
11. Matt Kenseth	141	1	0	13	109.6
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	139	0	0	11	74.7

History

· Opened in September 1947 by H. Clay Earles, Martinsville, originally a dirt track, is one of the oldest continuously-operating race tracks in the United States.

· The first NASCAR-sanctioned race at Martinsville was on July 4, 1948.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was Sept. 25, 1949.

· The track was paved in 1955.

· The first 500-lap event at Martinsville was in 1956.

· Concrete corners were added atop asphalt in 1976.

Car By the Number – Drivers – (Years)

o No. 43 – Richard Petty (1960, ’62, ’63, ’67 sweep, ’68, ’69 sweep, ’70, ’71, ’72 sweep, ’73, ’75 and ’79); John Andretti (1999)

o No. 11 – Cale Yarborough (1974, ’76, ’77 sweep, ‘78); Darrell Waltrip (1981, ’82, ’83, ’84); Geoff Bodine (1990 sweep); Denny Hamlin (2008, ’09, ’10 sweep)

o No. 2 – Dale Earnhardt (1980); Rusty Wallace (1993, ‘94 sweep, ’95, ’96 and ‘04)

o No. 24 – Jeff Gordon (1996, ’97, ’99, ’03 sweep and ’05 sweep)

o No. 48 – Jimmie Johnson (2004, ’06, ’07 sweep, ’08, ’09, ’12)

o No. 3 – Ricky Rudd (1983); Dale Earnhardt (1985, ’87, ’88, ’91, ’95)

Did You know?

This weekend will be Danica Patrick’s first attempt at Martinsville Speedway. If she makes the event, she will become the first female driver to compete at Martinsville in the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Tony Stewart (4/18/1999) and Scott Riggs (4/10/2005) won their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light poles at Martinsville Speedway.
Ryan Newman competed at Martinsville Speedway 20 times before winning in the spring of 2012; the longest span of any the 10 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.
Jeff Gordon has participated in the most NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Martinsville Speedway without a DNF (40).
Mike Bliss (09/27/1998), Travis Kvapil (10/24/2004), Michael McDowell (3/30/2008) and Scott Speed (10/19/2008) made their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career starts at Martinsville Speedway.
Youngest Martinsville pole winner: Ricky Rudd (4/26/1981 – 24 years, 7 months, 14 days).
Oldest Martinsville pole winner: Morgan Shepherd (4/26/1987 – 45 years, 6 months, 14 days).

NASCAR Statistical Advance: Auto Club 400

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Karen Pistone

Season Race #: 5 of 36
Track Size: 2-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 14 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 14 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 11 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 3 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 3,100 feet
Backstretch Length: 2,500 feet
Race Length: 200 laps / 400 miles

SPEED’s NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show: 12:30 pm/et

NASCAR Pre-Race: Fox – 2:30pm/et
TV Race Coverage: FoxSports, 3:00pm/et

Scheduled Green Flag (approx): 3:16pm/et

Practices

Friday, March 22, 2:30 – 3:30 pm/et, TV-SPEED Saturday, March 23, 12:30 – 1:25 pm/et, TV-SPEED

Happy Hour ‘Final’ practice: Saturday, March 23, 3:30 – 4:20pm/et, TV-SPEED

Qualifying

Friday, March 22 at 7:10 pm/et, TV-SPEED, re-air scheduled at 11:00pm/et.

Qualifying/Race Data
2012 pole winner: Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 186.403 mph, 38.626 secs. 03-23-12
2012 race winner: Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 160.166 mph, (1:36:39), 03-25-12
Track qualifying record: Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 188.245 mph, 38.248 secs. 02-25-05
Track race record: Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 160.166 mph, (1:36:39; rain shortened), 03-25-12

AUTO CLUB-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Window Film Ford)

· One win, four top fives, six top 10s

· Average finish of 17.2

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

· Two top fives, seven top 10s

· Average finish of 10.8

Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing-Serta Chevrolet)

· One win, four top fives, nine top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 12.7

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota)

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

· Average finish of 11.3

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Subway Ford)

· One win, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 8.7

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)

· Three wins, 10 top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 11.8

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota)

· One top five, four top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 18.5

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet)

· One win, four top fives, nine top 10s

· Average finish of 15.5

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

· Five wins, 12 top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 5.4

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet)

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

· Average finish of 14.9

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)

· Three wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s

· Average finish of 10.3

Mark Martin (No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota)

· One win, six top fives, 10 top 10s

· Average finish of 13.6

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)

· Two wins, six top fives, 12 top 10s

· Average finish of 13.5

Chase Contenders

The Top 12 Following Race 4 of 36

Driver	Points	Wins	Poles	Week	Rating
1. Brad Keselowski	166	0	0	2	110.0
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.	157	0	0	3	101.7
3. Jimmie Johnson	151	1	0	1	117.4
4. Clint Bowyer	128	0	0	9	88.9
5. Greg Biffle	126	0	0	8	89.9
6. Denny Hamlin	125	0	0	4	99.0
7. Kasey Kahne	124	1	0	14	105.2
8. Carl Edwards	124	1	0	5	87.7
9. Paul Menard	118	0	0	12	81.7
10. Kyle Busch	115	0	1	17	95.2
11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	115	0	0	11	76.9
12. Joey Logano	104	0	0	15	84.5

HISTORY

· Groundbreaking for California Speedway, as Auto Club Speedway was originally known, took place in November 1995.

· The first race at Auto Club Speedway was a NASCAR K&N Pro Series, West race won by Ken Schrader on June 21, 1997.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 22, 1997 and won by Jeff Gordon.

· September 2004 was the first night race at Auto Club Speedway and that also was the first year both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series ran two races in a season there.

· The track name was changed to Auto Club Speedway (ACS) in February 2008.

· Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Auto Club Speedway with nine, followed by Roush Fenway Racing with seven.
· Youngest ACS winner: Kyle Busch (09/04/2005 – 20 years, 4 months, 2 days).

· Oldest ACS winner: Rusty Wallace (04/29/2001 – 44 years, 8 months, 15 days).

· Jimmie Johnson leads the series in runner-up finishes at Auto Club Speedway with five; followed by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon with four.

· Jimmie Johnson lead the series in top-five finishes at Auto club Speedway with 12; followed by Jeff Gordon (10) and Matt Kenseth (eight).

· Jimmie Johnson leads the series in top-10 finishes with 14; followed by Matt Kenseth (13), Carl Edwards (12) and Tony Stewart (12).

· Jeff Burton and Bobby Labonte lead the series with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway without visiting Victory Lane at 23.
· This weekend will be Danica Patrick’s first attempt at Auto Club Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Stats compiled from NASCAR Media

Racingal.com

A NASCAR Fan Blog by Karen Pistone

Tag Archives: Racing

NASCAR Nationwide Series Crew Chief fined; Crew Chief, Car Chief placed on probation for infractions at Darlington Raceway

NASCAR driver appearances/autograph sessions for ‘Dega

Danica Patrick to tour, award “Coke Zero Tailgate Champion” to best decorated campsite at ‘Dega

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Ron Hornaday Jr. penalized

Texas Motor Speedway: NASCAR Sprint Cup driver statistical advance

He’s baaack! Carl Edwards back in ESPN Broadcast Booth for three NASCAR Nationwide Series races

JR Motorsports fills empty NNS seat at RIR with family

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver stats: MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

NASCAR Statistical Advance: Auto Club 400