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Author: Angie Campbell

Sonoma Raceway Sprint Cup Preview – Just the Facts

With only 11 races remaining in the regular season, the action heats up as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels to Sonoma Raceway this weekend for some road course action in California.

Did you Know?

• The NSCS competes at Sonoma Raceway once each season. The first Cup race was held there in 1989.
• Ricky Rudd won the first race on June 11, 1989 at a speed of 76.088 mph.
• Rusty Wallace won the inaugural pole with a 90.041 mph lap.
• Danica Patrick is the only female NSCS driver that has competed at Sonoma Raceway.
• Dale Earnhardt won his only NASCAR road course race at Sonoma in 1995.
• The last 10 races have produced 10 different winners:

2005 – Tony Stewart
2006 – Jeff Gordon
2007 – Juan Pablo Montoya
2008 – Kyle Busch
2009 – Kasey Kahne
2010 – Jimmie Johnson
2011 – Kurt Busch
2012 – Clint Bowyer
2013 – Martin Truex Jr.
2014 – Carl Edwards

Winners and Losers:

• Kurt Busch has the best driver rating at Sonoma (106.5) followed by Jeff Gordon (103.4) and Tony Stewart (98.8).
• Gordon’s resume, however, may be the most impressive as he leads the series with nine road course wins, five at Sonoma and four at Watkins Glen. Although his last triumph was in 2006, this could be one of his best opportunities to bring home his first checkered flag of the season.
He is the only driver with consecutive wins at this track, with three victories between the years 1998-2000. Gordon is also the lone competitor to win from the pole more than once (1998, 1999 and 2004) and he leads the series with 14 top-five finishes at Sonoma.
• Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are at the other end of the spectrum. They have the dubious distinction of leading all active drivers with the most NSCS starts at Sonoma (15) with no wins to show for their efforts. A trip to Victory Lane would be huge for either driver but if their driver ratings at the track are any indication, Earnhardt (72.1) and Kenseth (75.4) are long shots at best.

Milestones:

• Brad Keselowski is set to make his 300th NSCS consecutive start on June 28 at Sonoma Raceway.
• If Kevin Harvick places in the top-two this Sunday, he will accomplish something that only one other driver in NSCS history has done by capturing 11 top-two finishes in the first 16 races of the season. Bobby Allison did so in 1972.
• Carl Edwards is tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 24 series career wins. A win at Sonoma would tie him with Joe Weatherly and Denny Hamlin who are 29th on the all-time wins list with 25.

Ten different drivers have secured their spot in the Chase with a victory this year. Will a new driver emerge victorious at Sonoma Raceway this weekend? Tune into the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on FOX Sports 1 Sunday, June 28 at 3 p.m. to find out.

June 25, 2015
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Chicagoland and Iowa

The NASCAR XFINITY Series travels to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend while the Camping World Truck Series heads to Iowa Speedway. Please check below for the full schedule.

All times Eastern.

Friday, June 19:

On Track:

11 a.m.-1:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series final practice – FOX Sports 2
3:30-4:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series practice – FOX Sports 2
5:45 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series qualifying – FOX Sports 2
7-7:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series final practice – FOX Sports 2
8:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 200 (200 laps, 175 miles)-FOX Sports 1

Saturday, June 20:

On Track:

5:15 p.m.: XFINITY Series qualifying – FOX Sports 2)
9:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Owens Corning AttiCat (200 laps, 300 miles) – FOX Sports 1

June 18, 2015
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Michigan and Gateway Motorsports Park

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series head to Michigan International Speedway this weekend while the Camping World Truck Series travels to Gateway Motorsports Park. Please check below for the full schedule.

All times Eastern.

Friday, June 12:

On Track:

11:30 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
1-2 p.m.: XFINITY Series practice – FOX Sports 1
2:30-3:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series final practice – FOX Sports 1
4:15 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 2

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

10:15 a.m.: Joey Logano
10:40 a.m.: Kyle Larson
1:45 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
2:15 p.m.: Clint Bowyer
2:30 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr. and Joe Garone
5:15 p.m.: Post NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying (time approx.)

Saturday, June 13:

On Track:

9-9:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
10:15 a.m.: XFINITY Series qualifying – FOX Sports 1
10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series final practice
Noon-12:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series final practice – FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Great Clips 250 Benefiting Paralyzed Veterans of America (125 laps, 250 miles) – FOX Sports 1
5:45 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series qualifying – FOX Sports 2
8:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol Presents the Drivin’ for Linemen 200 brought to you by Ameren (160 laps, 200 miles) – FOX Sports 1

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

11:15 a.m.: Cole Whitt and Nate Burleson
3:15 p.m.: Post NASCAR XFINITY Series race (time approx.)

Sunday, June 14:

On Track:

1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 (200 laps, 400 miles) – FOX Sports 1

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

9:15 a.m.: Brad Keselowski and Dave Pericak
10 a.m.: Ryan Newman, Mark Dantonio and Bill Emerson
4:15 p.m.: Post NASCAR Sprint Cup race (time approx.)

June 11, 2015
Hometown Son Trent Owens Shares Darlington Memories

Darlington Raceway is a rare gem in today’s NASCAR because it is unlike any other track on the circuit. It was built on land that once grew cotton and peanuts and shaped around a minnow pond, giving it a unique design and producing NASCAR’s first paved superspeedway.

The “Track Too Tough to Tame” was the site for an open NASCAR test session Wednesday. Aric Almirola and his crew chief Trent Owens were one of 12 Sprint Cup teams that participated.

Owens, who hails from Darlington, has racing in his DNA. His father, Randy Owens (Richard Petty’s brother-in-law), was only 20-years-old when he lost his life in a bizarre pit accident at Talladega while attempting to extinguish a fire on Richard Petty’s No. 43. A pressurized water tank exploded, killing him instantly. Trent was only four months old.

He followed in his father’s footsteps, working at Petty Enterprises as a teenager and eventually making his debut as a driver in NASCAR’s truck series in 2001. The following year he made six truck starts for Billy Ballew Motorsports, but the team lost its funding and Owen’s career took him on a different path.

From 2006-2013, Owens began working as a crew chief in the Busch/Nationwide Series (now XFINITY) with various teams including Braun Racing and Turner Scott Motorsports. He won with five different drivers in the series and served as crew chief for the 2013 Rookie of the Year, Kyle Larson. Owens also captured one win with Larson in the Camping World Truck Series along with a victory in the ARCA Series.

In 2014, when Owens got the call to move up to the Sprint Cup Series as crew chief for the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 car with driver, Aric Almirola, it was as if his life had come full circle.

“In a lot of ways,” Owens said, “I know he would be extremely proud and in a lot of ways I feel like I’m continuing what he was trying to do. Not knowing him, it is special that I’m working on the same car that he was working on.”

During a break from testing, Owens spoke about the special connection he has with Darlington.

When asked about his first memory of the track, he said, “It’s hard to remember exactly. I think the best thing for me was getting out of school early to come for qualifying on Thursdays. I always enjoyed that. I don’t think I’ve missed a race here and it’s hard to remember what year that may have been.

“It was cool that I lived in a town that, you know this racing deal, when you talk about family, we travel a lot, we don’t get to see our families so it was nice that I got to live in a town that my family got to actually come to a town I lived in and I got to visit them there. So I think that was one of the coolest things.”

As the team heads to Michigan this weekend, their focus is on improving from a 15th place car to a top-10 or top-five car. But in three months, when the team travels back to Darlington for the Southern 500, the emphasis will certainly be on winning. For this Darlington son, a victory with the No. 43 would be nothing short of a dream come true.

June 11, 2015
Martin Truex Jr. Celebrates Victory and Life after Pocono Win

The challenges of the last year and a half seemed to vanish as Martin Truex Jr. drove his No. 78 Chevy into victory lane after winning Sunday’s Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 at Pocono Raceway to end a 69-race winless streak. It was his third career Sprint Cup win, his first with Furniture Row Racing and the first for crew chief Cole Pearn.

But this victory was about so much more than mere numbers. Its significance transcends breaking a losing streak, leading the most laps or cementing his standing in the Chase. This was about beating the odds, both professionally and personally.

Last year was one of the lowest points in Truex’s life as he struggled with his new team managing only five top-five finishes the entire season. But Truex remained committed to the small single-car team led by owner Barney Visser. His biggest test, however, came as longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex underwent treatment for cancer.

Truex was inspired by her strength, saying, “She showed me what she was made of and I was like, wow, if she can do that then I can do this, this is easy.”

This season has seen a resurgence of Truex’s career, perhaps sparked by Pollex’s remission. The couple hugged after he climbed out of his car and one can only imagine the myriad of emotions they experienced in that brief moment, particularly since Truex lost his grandmother this week.

“Sherry is here healthy and is excited as I am and everything is going well for her,” said Truex.

“It never gets any better than this,” he exclaimed. “It takes time to heal things especially with what Sherry and I went through. This just kind of makes you forget all about it. Tomorrow we are still going back to normal life. We always try to remember that and be ourselves and remember why we are here and how lucky we are to be doing this. I just feel super blessed to be with this group of guys. They are super impressive and I’m just proud to drive cars for them.”

Truex’s win was popular within the NASCAR community. Even second place finisher, Kevin Harvick, said, “If you’re going to lose to somebody today, that’s a great person to lose to.”

“You look at everything, personally and professionally Martin and Sherry have dealt with,” he continued, “and you have to be super-happy for them. To see them have that bright spot is something I think the whole garage will support and be happy with.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. agreed, saying, “I’m just happy for him. I know he’s been through a lot of stuff, both inside the car and outside the car the last several years. He’s been able to get into a good opportunity with good people. He’s got a team that believes in him. They’ve come a long way over the last several years.”

Truex was humbled by the support of his fellow competitors.

“It means a lot, it really does, because there’s going to come a time when racing and where you finish in races doesn’t matter,” Truex said. “What’s going to matter is kind of the legacy you leave and how people look at the person that you are. So that means a ton to me to have that respect, and, honestly, it’s kind of humbling.”

Sometimes winning isn’t everything. Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. Today was one of those days.

June 8, 2015
Tyler Reddick Emerging as Championship Contender

In his first full-time season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 19-year-old Tyler Reddick has emerged as one of NASCAR’s rising stars. He captured his second win of the season at Dover International Speedway last Friday and moved into second place in the series point standings, 11 points behind leader Matt Crafton.

This was Reddick’s second start at Dover. He finished eighth last year in his debut at the track after experiencing some physical discomfort when his leg fell asleep during the event.

“After what happened to myself last year, not knowing a lot about the g-forces in the corners here, I was kind of green when it came to asphalt racing,” he explained. “We had a top-five truck last year, and to have something like that impede our progress in what would have been our first top five, to have something like that mess up what could have been potentially a breakout day for us, are the things you can’t have happen in racing.”

Instead of dwelling on past mistakes, Reddick used it as motivation.

“I really wanted to come back here and run really strong,” he said, “just like I want to run strong every given race. But (last year) gave me a little bit of extra fuel for the fire, and I knew I had to run good here, and we did.”

The victory highlighted what has been an impressive showing this year beginning with Reddick taking home the checkered flag in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

For owner Brad Keselowski, it was confirmation that the team had championship potential.

“We’re really serious about this championship effort,” Keselowski said after the win at Daytona. “Tyler finished out the 2014 season with a record that was strong enough to make a legitimate run for the championship. We knew it. We had this conversation. We defined even another level from that to really feel good about this year. We felt like we’re doing that.

“But to prove it right out the gate at Daytona, he emphasized, “that’s really proving it. This was such a big day. Obviously it’s a big day for Tyler and Doug, but it’s a huge day for our team and a statement being able to win the opening race.”

As the season has progressed, Reddick has solidified his standing as a championship contender. In six starts, he has driven his No. 19 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford to five top-fives. With an average finish of 4.8 and an imposing 113.0 driver rating this season, Reddick’s talent cannot be denied and that talent is what drew Keselowski to the young driver.

“Tyler is a winner. He won before I ever worked with him,” Keselowski said, referring to Reddick’s victory in his first start in the K&N Pro Series race at Rockingham Speedway in 2012.

“But to go along with that,” he said, “patience is kind of earned by a driver by having a strong work ethic, meticulous and well put together mental attitude. Tyler’s had that all along.”

The 2015 season has just begun and anything can happen between now and the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. But don’t be surprised if Reddick continues to be a factor in the months moving forward. If the first third of the season is any indication, you may not have seen the last of Reddick in victory lane.

June 4, 2015
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Pocono and Texas

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway this weekend while the Camping World Truck Series travels to Texas Motor Speedway. The XFINITY Series is off but will return June 13 at Michigan. Please check below for the full schedule.

All times Eastern.

Thursday, June 4:

On Track:

5:30-6:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series practice
7:30-8:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series final practice

Friday, June 5:

On Track:

Noon-1:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
4:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series qualifying – FOX Sports 1
6:15 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Qualifying – FOX Sports 1
9 p.m.: WinStar World Casino 400 – FOX Sports 1 (Green Flag 9:19 p.m. approx.)

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

10:30 a.m.: Jimmie Johnson
2:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
3 p.m.: Joey Logano
3:15 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5:45 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying (time approx.)

Saturday, June 6:

On Track:

9-9:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series final practice – FOX Sports 1

Sunday, June 7:

On Track:

1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 (160 laps, 400 miles) – FOX Sports (Green Flag 1:20 p.m. approx.)

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

9:15 a.m.: Kyle Larson
3:45 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race (time approx.)

June 4, 2015
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Looking for Three-Peat at Pocono

Dale Earnhardt Jr. heads to Pocono Raceway with winning on his mind. Last year he swept both NASCAR Sprint Cup events at the 2.5-mile track, becoming only the seventh driver in track history to accomplish this feat. The stakes are even higher this weekend as he attempts to capture a third straight victory. Only two drivers have won three consecutive races at Pocono; Bobby Allison (1982 – 83) and Tim Richmond (1986-87).

Earnhardt has an average finish of 2.5 over the last four races at Pocono and is hopeful that trend will continue Sunday in the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400.

“It seems like guys that run well at Pocono can sustain it. I’ve seen guys sweep there and we were able to do it last year. I like the track, and we have run well there since the repave. I anticipate us being competitive again and hopefully getting three in a row,” Earnhardt said.

If you consider Hendrick Motorsports’’ record at Pocono, Earnhardt has even more reason to be confident, although one of the most significant threats to a three-peat may come from within the organization.

Hendrick Motorsports’ drivers have won the last five races at Pocono and their 17 victories at the track are the most of any team. Seven different drivers have won for HMS including Tim Richmond, Geoff Bodine, Terry Labonte, Gordon, Kahne, Johnson and Earnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt has seven top-five finishes this season, one win at Talladega and is currently ranked fifth in the point standings. However, the revamped No. 88 team, with new crew chief Greg Ives, has struggled with inconsistency. Last week at Dover Earnhardt had to start from the rear after replacing a broken gear. He was able to move up through the field, but a penalty for speeding on pit road resulted in a disappointing 14th place finish.

This weekend at Pocono, Earnhardt’s greatest challenge will be putting last week’s mistakes behind him. A focused driver, crew chief and pit crew could be all that stands between him, his second victory of the season and that coveted three-peat.

It could also be the beginning of another sweep and the opportunity to add his name to the record books. No driver has ever swept Pocono twice, but Earnhardt will have some competition as Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin compete with him to be the first to do so.

June 3, 2015
The World According to NASCAR

The world of NASCAR exists in its own bubble where the usual rules do not apply. The “winning is everything” motto is considered not only acceptable but trumps everything else. If you buy into it, all the normal rules of society do not apply. Bring up the concept of fairness in racing and you will more likely than not be greeted with laughter. If you complain about a driver roughing up a competitor on the track, you will be met with “rubbing is racing.”

Not even teammates are off limits when the checkered flag is in sight because everyone knows that “second place is just the first loser.” Whatever you do, never utter the words, “It’s not whether you win or lose it’s how you play the game.” NASCAR fans take their racing seriously.

Do you have a problem with cheating? Then NASCAR is probably not your preferred weekend entertainment. Cheating is a time-honored tradition in the sport because all racers know that “rules are meant to be broken.” To be fair, there will be penalties if those rules are broken. But the all-important wins are never taken away regardless of the infraction, so it’s really a matter of risk versus reward and as we’ve established, winning is everything.

If you truly want to understand racing and the concept of fairness in racing, Smokey Yunick has the answer. The renowned mechanic, car owner and crew chief had a knack for thinking outside the lines.

“Trying to figure out NASCAR’s rule book threw me at first,” he said. “Then, after studying the rules from all sides, I realized I’d made a colossal mistake. I’d been reading the rule book to see what it said. And all along what I should have been doing was finding out what it didn’t say. After I started doing that, racing became fun in a big way.”

Perhaps, in the end, it’s all about perspective. NASCAR is a sport that throws all of our traditional conventions out the window to entertain us with a “ride on the wild side.” If you’re looking for role models on the track, you’re looking in the wrong place.

May 30, 2015
Johnson Looking for Number 10 as Gordon, Truex and Stewart Fight for First

As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Dover International Speedway this weekend for the 13^th points race of the season, 30-odd drivers are hoping to get lucky and snare the win that will catapult them into the Chase for the Sprint Cup. But for one driver, the stakes are even higher.

Jimmie Johnson already has three wins this year, but a win at this particular track would be significant for an entirely different reason. He currently has nine wins at Dover, a track record, but one more victory would place him in an elite group of NASCAR drivers. Only four drivers have won 10 or more races at a single track and they are all members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Richard Petty won 15 races at Martinsville and North Wilkesboro, 13 at Richmond, 11 at Rockingham and 10 at Daytona. Darrell Waltrip won 12 events at Bristol, 11 at Martinsville and 10 at North Wilkesboro. Dale Earnhardt had 10 victories at Talladega and David Pearson claimed 10 checkered flags at Darlington.

Johnson is the defending spring race winner and has the best driver rating of the top 16 at Dover, but he will also have some problems to overcome. On Wednesday NASCAR announced penalties for three Sprint Cup teams, including a written warning for the No. 48 team.

This marked the second written warning in two consecutive races, making it a P1 penalty. As a result, the team will have one of the last two picks for pit stalls at Dover, regardless of how Johnson qualifies.

Johnson reflected on racing at Dover, saying, “I’d have to say Dover is probably one of the most technical tracks we go to. Setup is key. Communication between driver and crew chief is key. At Dover, you have such loading characteristics, as you’re on the straightaway and kind of lunge off the corner, that you can draw some similarities between Dover and Charlotte. Dover isn’t easy, but it just suits my driving style and I love it.”

One of Johnson’s chief competitors will be teammate Jeff Gordon whose last win was at Dover in September, giving him five victories at the Monster Mile, second to Johnson among active drivers. Gordon also joins Hall of Famers Petty (7), Bobby Allison (7) and Pearson (5), with five wins or more at Dover.

Gordon spoke about the obstacles the 24 team would face this weekend.

“We won the race in September here last year, but this is a different rules package with reduced horsepower,” he explained. “We’re going to be carrying more speed through the center of the corners this year, and the car will need to ‘rotate’ so you can get back in the gas quickly.”

Martin Truex Jr. is second in the point standings and it’s hard to imagine there is anyone who wants a win more. He led the most laps in the previous two races at Kansas and Charlotte and has three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes this season, but victory has been elusive. He hopes to change that this weekend.

Truex considers Dover his home track and it was the site of his first Sprint Cup win in 2007.

“Dover has always been special to me,” said Truex. “Even when we went through some hard times last year, we still managed to pull off strong results at Dover. There’s just something about that place that makes me feel both confident and comfortable.”

Tony Stewart has only one top-10 finish this year and is barely hanging on in 30th place in the point standings, but one win could turn it all around. Although he has been successful at Dover, Stewart and the No. 14 team have found the track to be one of their most challenging venues on the circuit.

“Dover is probably the track where we have struggled the most,” he said, “which certainly made the 2013 win that much sweeter. It was the one track that we always had to look at and say, ‘This is one that we have to figure out and do better if we’re going to have a shot at this.’ We have to survive there. What we did there that year helped us out for our next two races at Dover but, even with the win, we have some work to do.”

Stewart has three wins at Dover including his last Sprint Cup victory in June 2013. That win broke a 30 race winless streak. As Stewart rolls into Dover this weekend, it seems only fitting that the three-time champ experience a little déjà vu as he seeks his next checkered flag.

May 29, 2015