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Category: NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series

  • Ford Friday California Advance (Kenseth)

    FORD FAST FACTS:

    • Ford has the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at Auto Club Speedway among manufacturers with 10 and has won at least one race in each of the last nine years. That streak is on the line this weekend after Jimmie Johnson won the first Auto Club race earlier this season.

    • All three Ford Chase drivers have NSCS victories at Auto Club Speedway. Matt Kenseth leads the way with three while Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards have one apiece. In addition, current Ford drivers Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler also have wins at this speedway.

    • Matt Kenseth leads all drivers at Auto Club Speedway in Top 10 finishes with 12, including his seventh-place run in the first NSCS race here earlier this season.

    • There are 12 Fords at Auto Club Speedway attempting to make Sunday’s race. All but two of those cars are guaranteed spots in the starting field. David Gilliland will be trying to get the No. 38 Taco Bell Ford in on speed, as will Patrick Carpentier in the No. 26 Air National Guard Fusion.

    As mentioned above, Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford Fusion, has the most Top 10 finishes among all drivers at Auto Club Speedway with 12. Kenseth, who also has three wins at the track, spoke about his success here before today’s practice.

    MATT KENSETH – No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford Fusion – DO YOU THINK THERE IS SOME SORT OF ETIQUETTE BETWEEN CHASERS AND NON-CHASERS, LOOKING BACK ON LAST WEEK’S BUSCH-REUTIMANN ISSUE? “I didn’t really see what went down last week, so I can’t comment on that, but, in my opinion, I think you race the same all year. I think you should race everybody the same whether they’re in the chase or not in the chase.

    I think you try to show people respect all year because everybody has the same right to be out there, whether they’re first in points or last in points.” THAT BEING SAID, ARE THERE CERTAIN PEOPLE ON THE TRACK THAT YOU’RE MORE AWARE OF AND TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM BECAUSE YOU FEEL SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN? “No. I race the same all year, honestly, no matter where you are in the points. If it came down to the last week or something like that and you’re the point leader by a bunch, you’re probably gonna be a little bit more careful, but, other than that, as competitive as it is I think you race as hard as you can all year. Everybody has the same right to be out there. Everybody is out there racing for wins and have their own particular responsibilities.”

    AS A CHASER DO YOU WORRY ABOUT SOMETIMES RUBBING FENDERS WITH A NON-CHASER, KNOWING THEY COULD POSSIBLY RUIN YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES? “I don’t want to ruin any race. No matter where you are in the points they’re all big races. I think you go out there and you’re gonna race whatever your style is all the time. I don’t think that really changes. You still have to race hard all the time because it’s so competitive that you can’t just go out and think about not knocking a fender off. You go out there and think about trying to get to the front.”

    DO YOU CONSIDER THIS THE KIND OF TRACK THAT CAN HELP YOU GET BACK UP IN THE POINTS? “Where we are, we’ve got to gain some significant points on the leader every week to get back in it and have a realistic shot. I think our performance has been picking up a little bit lately, we just have to get a whole race put together.

    We’ve been struggling with that a little bit. There were times last week where I thought we were very competitive but we didn’t finish it off. This has been a pretty good track for us in the past, so, hopefully we can be competitive from the time we get on the track this morning all the way through Sunday when we’re done and get a good finish. So that’s really what I’m more focused on is just trying to get back up with the leaders and be competitive so we can get in a really good position to win some races.”

    IS THERE A SPECIFIC POINT IN THE RACE WHERE YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO IMPROVE? “Our adjustments have just not been good enough to keep up with the track for whatever reason. Last week, the worst we ran the whole race was our last run and you can’t do that because you’re not gonna get the finishes. Lately, there have been a lot of long, green-flag runs at the end and you’ve got to have your car handling right and do the right things at the end of the race. On the last pit stop we came out ahead of Jimmie Johnson and he finished second and we finished seventh without a caution, so we just haven’t been doing the right things to keep up on whatever it is – track conditions or adjustments. That’s probably my fault for not knowing what I need for adjustments. I’m trying to give them the best feedback I can and hope that we do the right things on the car in the pits to get it running better.”

    WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO DO WELL AT CHARLOTTE? “Track position has been really important there since the introduction of this car with the spoiler and that pavement. The pavement has a lot of grip and even though the track gets pretty wide, it’s a real fast track and kind of hard to pass so track position is real important. You’ve got to be in position the last couple of stops.”

    WHAT’S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FALL AND SPRING RACE THERE? “I don’t think there’s much of a difference.”

    WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR ANYBODY TO BEAT THE 48? “You’ve got to prove you can beat them. I’ve said it for five years, they’re the best team out there and somebody has to beat them and knock them down before you can say they’re not the best team. Everybody says, ‘Oh, they don’t have momentum. They’re not running as good.’ Well, as soon as somebody shows they can beat them, I’ll believe it.”

    WHAT TRACK ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT THE MOST OF THE TRACKS LEFT? “Honestly, for me I worry about all of them. I’ve really just been focused on Fontana this weekend and then trying to get back on track here and get a good finish.”

    IS THE FR9 ENGINE COMING ON AT THE RIGHT TIME? “I think the engine has been helping a little bit. I think there’s still some room for improvement and Doug knows that – everybody knows that – because we’ve only been working on it for six months or a year, whereas we worked on that old engine forever. I think it’s certainly an advantage and it’s better than what we had, plus they keep getting it better.”

    DO YOU THINK IT WILL RUN PARTICULARLY WELL HERE IN FONTANA?

    “I hope so. Fontana and Michigan are big horsepower race tracks, but they’re also big handling race tracks as well. It’s real similar to Michigan, so if you perform well there, hopefully you’ll perform okay here.”

  • TUMS-tastic MOMENTS IN MARTINSVILLE HISTORY

    (This is the first in a series of memorable moments in the 63-year history of Martinsville Speedway. This TUMS moment, as remembered by Dale Inman, focuses on the 1969 spring event won by Richard Petty).

    RICHARD PETTY NEEDED RELIEF HELP, LATE-RACE RALLY FOR 1969 WIN

    MARTINSVILLE, Va. (Oct. 8, 2010) – Retired crew chief and 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee nominee Dale Inman says all of Richard Petty’s 15 Martinsville Speedway victories are memorable, but it’s the 1969 win on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ shortest track that stands out in his mind.

    NOTE: TUMS is the sponsor of the TUMS Fast Relief 500, the sixth race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 24.

    Petty drove a Ford that year and in the April 27 race NASCAR’s winningest driver needed relief. In fact, Petty said he almost passed out once during the event. James Hylton stepped in and piloted the No. 43 from lap 399 until lap 447.

    “James tore both front fenders off the car and got us behind,” Inman recalled. “We had to put Richard back in the car, and we won that race.”

    Petty’s victory in the 1969 Virginia 500 was his first in nearly three months. He led four times for 65 laps, including the final 39, in the 500-lap race. David Pearson, with Cale Yarborough driving in relief, finished second, three seconds behind Petty.

    “It was always big going up there because of the success we had and that grandfather clock they had as the trophy,” said Inman, who traveled to Martinsville with Lee Petty when the track was dirt. “You always wanted to win the clock.

    “Martinsville was always tough. Back then, one of the big things was to protect your brakes and keep grease circulating in the rear ends. They’re not that big of an issue now because they’ve come so far. A lot of that stuff is about bullet proof now. Now, the big thing is to keep your nose clean and keep the fenders on the car.

    “Richard won so many races there [the most of any NASCAR Sprint Cup driver] that people would always tell us they bet we would be glad to get back to Martinsville. However, it was always a challenge there because it was so tough on brakes, wheel bearings and the rear end.”

    Inman noted the half-mile track was only about 50 miles from their Randleman, N.C., home, so the Martinsville race was always “like a family gathering”. In fact, before NASCAR began requiring the cars to remain in the garage after the teams arrived, Inman said they would practice on Friday, take the race car home, work on it that night, and then return to the track with it on Saturday.

    “My wife Mary and our kids would come up on race day with Lynda and Richard in the station wagon,” Inman said. “They would have food in the trunk of the car and we’d eat out of the trunk. The last time I ate out of the trunk of a car was at Martinsville with Leonard Wood and his wife. I remember it was after a race and it was just me and the two of them. Always think of that when I go to Martinsville.”

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  • NASCAR Chase For The Sprint Cup: Busch Brothers Have Their Sights Set on Title

    NASCAR Chase For The Sprint Cup: Busch Brothers Have Their Sights Set on Title

    Like most racing families, the Busch brothers grew up living and breathing the racing lifestyle. With the guidance of their father Tom, a winner of several NASCAR sanctioned events, Kurt and Kyle spent a majority of their time in the family garage being taught how to repair and build race cars.

    Both brothers got their first driving lessons at the age of six, driving a go-kart in the cul-de-sac of their Las Vegas neighborhood. At one point early on in their careers, Kyle at the age of ten, served as a crew chief for brother Kurt and his dwarf car team.

    Although growing up in the same house and cutting their teeth on the same local race track, the Busch brothers as we know them today, are very separate and different people.

    Kurt, seven years older than his brother Kyle, had his first racing experience at Pahrump Valley Speedway in a dwarf car. After winning the Auto Zone Elite Division Southwest rookie of the year honors in 1998, he went on to win the series championship the very next year. The championship led to Kurt’s tryout for Roush Racing’s Gong Show, which he won and earned a spot in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ride.

    In the No. 99 Exide Batteries truck, Kurt won four races and finished second in the points to teammate Greg Biffle. Kurt made his debut in the now Sprint Cup Series in 2000, after taking over for Chad Little in Dover.

    He started off his rookie season in 2001 at Daytona, where after making contact with Dale Earnhardt, he was given the one-finger salute by the intimidator just hours before the tragic events on the last lap of the race that took Earnhardt’s life.

    The rest is history for the quiet Kurt, who has gone on to win 22 times in the Cup series and capture the 2004 championship- the first year of the Chase format.

    The younger Kyle began his driving career in 1998, just after his 13th birthday, and from then until 2001, earned 65 wins in legends cars and two track championships at the legendary Las Vegas Bullring.

    Kyle competed in the Craftsman Truck Series in 1996 at the age of 16, but after events at Auto Club Speedway during a companion event for CART and their world championship, he was ejected from the track by CART officials who didn’t allow drivers under the age of 18 to compete. Kyle in fact, was the reason NASCAR mandated that all drivers be over the age of 18, which went in to effect just weeks after the events at California.

    After graduating early with honors from Durango High School to focus on his racing career, Kyle signed a driver development contract with Hendrick Motorsports in 2003—driving in seven ARCA races in their No. 87 Ditech entry and winning his first two races at Nashville Superspeedway and Kentucky Speedway.

    During the following two years, Kyle competed in the Nationwide Series and won five times, claiming the series record for most wins by a rookie, and finishing second in points behind Martin Truex Jr.

    The 2005 season marked Kyle’s move to the Sprint Cup Series and his first opportunity to race again his older brother, where he replaced NASCAR legend Terry Labonte in the #5 car and won two times on the way to capturing Rookie of the Year honors. Since then, the fiery and sometimes controversial driver has captured 19 wins and set new records along the way.

    After taking different avenues to get to where they are today, the two very different Busch brothers have found themselves in the midst of competing for the very same title in 2010. Due to their age difference, Kurt and Kyle had never competed in the same series until 2005, where both began driving against each other in the Sprint Cup Series.

    With a seemingly wide-open Chase this season, this may arguably the first time that both brothers have an equal chance to capture the season ending championship, but don’t expect the brothers to necessarily play nice when the heat of the title chase is at it’s hottest.

    Rewind back to 2007, where Kurt and Kyle were amidst a battle between each other during the All-Star Race, where Kurt didn’t give his brother any room—which sent both drivers into the wall and their cars being towed away by a wrecker. After the incident, the brothers didn’t talk for nearly seven months, and it wasn’t until a Christmas wish from their Grandmother for them to get along, did the two finally settle their differences.

    With six races left in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, and competitors finding themselves out of contention for the title after each race, it will be interesting to see if the two brothers play nice around each other, or if there may be another tense Christmas dinner for the Busch family.

    For the latest NASCAR talk and information, follow Kyle on Twitter: @TheKyleBrandt

  • Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson Bring Courage and Hope to Fontana

    Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson Bring Courage and Hope to Fontana

    NASCAR, like almost all sports, is based on competition. It’s all about the team with the fastest car, the best setup, the most points and wins. As human beings we love competition. This is exactly why we pick a favorite driver, a favorite car. It gives us a reason to watch on Sunday – to see our driver beat the other 42 guys on the track.

    While there may be that one guy that you would just love to see lose more than the others, there is no denying that just being out there takes a great deal of courage.

    At this Sunday’s Pepsi 400 televised on ESPN from Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Edwards and Johnson will bring a different kind of courage to the racetrack – Beads of Courage.

    Developed in 2005, the Arizona-based nonprofit, international program provides innovative, arts-in-medicine supportive care programs for children coping with serious illness.

    Inspired by her clinical practice and time spent as a camp nurse at a Paul Newman Hole in the Gang Camp, Jean Baruch started Beads of Courage, Inc.

    She says that the joy children received through making things with beads and by wearing them and sharing them with their friends intrigued her. Baruch then translated this into a meaningful intervention that would help kids acknowledge their courage and with the financial support of family and friends, she piloted the program at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in 2004 and it has been a huge success ever since.

    The program provides children with a strand on which to place their beads, a bead color guide and a membership card.

    The “beads of courage” serve as symbols of courage that mark a milestone in the child’s particular path of treatment. The child is given a bead for each milestone, such as a first hospital visit or radiation treatment.

    The beads provide the children with a tangible way of recording and telling their stories of survival.

    Beads of Courage has partnered with hospitals across the United States, New Zealand and Japan and has lent their support to over 10,000 children in need.

    The program’s success will be all the more evident on Sunday as the program’s logo will be featured on the “TV panel,” or rear panel of the No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion driven by Edwards.

    As part of the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and Samsung’s Helmet of Hope, the logo will also be seen on the helmet of Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet.

    Launched in 2008, Johnson’s Helmet of Hope was started to provide fans and media members with the chance to nominate a charity of their choice to be featured on Johnson’s helmet during the Pepsi 400 race at Auto Club Speedway.

    This year’s program focuses on children in need in the U.S. and provides ten selected charities with a $10,000 grant and a spot on the “helmet of hope.”

    Beads of Courage was nominated by Becca Gladden, of Insider Racing News, and was chosen by the program to be featured during Sunday’s race.

    Edwards first discovered the Beads of Courage program while visiting the Aflac Cancer Center in Georgia, a hospital that utilizes the Beads of Courage program.

    Just like Baruch, the colorful beads and the joy they brought to the children intrigued the Sprint Cup driver.

    During his visit to the hospital, Edwards was given a strand of beads from a child named Dalton to wear for luck. At that Sunday’s race, Edwards wore his “beads of courage” and went on to win the race.

    In showing their support for the Aflac Children’s Cancer Center of Atlanta and Beads of Courage, the No. 99 Aflac Racing car will have a new paint scheme for Sunday’s race, featuring the logos of both organizations.

    Also, in honor of their commitment to the cause and in celebration of the Aflac Duck’s 10th birthday, Aflac has announced that they will support Beads of Courage with the creation of the Wingman Bead.

    According to the Aflac Racing website, the Aflac Duck has come to symbolize Aflac’s focus on pediatric cancer treatment and research.

    “Who doesn’t love the Aflac Duck?,” said Baruch, “He is fun, and a highly visible iconic symbol. I personally think he looks great wearing Beads of Courage.”

    The hope behind the Wingman Bead is that it will serve as a reminder to kids that they are never alone in their fight for life.

    On Sunday, Edwards and the entire Aflac Racing Team will wear the Wingman Bead as a symbol of their support and a reminder to the children that they are never flying solo.

    By visiting www.beadsofcourage.org, for just a $5 donation anyone can sponsor a Wingman Bead for a child coping with a serious illness. For $25 donors will provide five children with a Wingman Bead and will also receive their own bead as a reminder of their generous donation.

    Each bead is packaged with an Encouragement Book that explains the meaning behind the Wingman Bead and provides the children with fun activities for those long hospital stays.

    “Our hope is to get a Wingman Bead to every child in the Beads of Courage program” says Baruch.

    Hopefully with the help of Aflac Racing, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and Samsung’s Helmet of Hope and the thousands of race fans at Sunday’s Pepsi 400 at Auto Club Speedway, every child in the program will have a Wingman.

    “We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring the Beads of Courage program to NASCAR once again in honor of all the kids we support, many who are also motorsports fans,” explains Baruch.

    She further explains that having Beads of Courage recognized by NASCAR sends a strong message of support to the children – a message that they have an entire audience supporting them in their journey of life and treatment, a flock of wingmen so to speak.

  • Kentucky Familly Wins Virginia is for Lovers Ultimate Fan Sweepstakes, Trip To Martinsville Speedway

    Jennifer Woosley can’t remember when she entered the Virginia is for Lovers
    Ultimate Fan Sweepstakes, but she sure is glad she did enter. So is her
    husband Ted and their two young children.
           
    The Louisville, KY, race fan was selected from thousands of entries as the
    grand prize winner of the Virginia Is For Lovers Ultimate Fan Sweepstakes
    sponsored by the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Martinsville Speedway.
           
    The Woosley  family won an all-expense paid trip to Martinsville Speedway for
    the TUMS Fast Relief 500 weekend. The package includes airfare for four, car
    rental, use of an RV parked in the Champions Overlook above the backstretch of
    Martinsville Speedway, groceries for the week and a private meet-and-greet
    with a Sprint Cup driver.
           
    “When they called me about winning, it was nine in the morning. They said
    ‘congratulations’ and I was thinking ‘is it my birthday?’ They told me I had
    won and I said ‘who is this again’,” said Jennifer.
           
    “We were really excited. My kids were jumping up and down. They’ve never flown
    and have never been to a race before.”
            
    Ted and Jennifer have been to “a couple of Cup races” before, but the entire
    family watches most every week on television. Jennifer says she is a Dale Jr.
    fan and Ted is a Jimmie Johnson fan. The children, ages nine and 12, just like
    the excitement of the sport.
           
    “Like you do so many times, I entered this contest and never thought about it
    again,” said Jennifer.
           
    And now she’ll never forget it.

    Tickets for the TUMS Fast Relief 500 begin at $25 and range to $77.

    Tickets to the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on October 23
    are $30 in advance, with children 12 and under admitted free.

    Tickets for Farm Bureau Pole Day, which features practice and qualifying for
    both the Kroger 200 and the TUMS Fast Relief 500, are $15, children 12 and
    under admitted free.

  • SpeedwayMedia News and Bits NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

    SpeedwayMedia News and Bits NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

    Here is NASCAR News and Bits: For the Pepsi Max 400 from Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA

    ** The Pepsi Max 400 will be televised on Sunday October 10 at 2:00p.m. on ESPN, with the drop of the green flag scheduled for 3:00p.m. The race will also be aired on MRN radio and Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 128. This weeks race schedule prior to Sunday: Friday- Practice 12:00-1:30 p.m. with Qualifying at 3:40 p.m., Saturday- Practice 10:30-11:15a .m. and 11:50-12:50 p.m.. (all times local)

    ** Three drivers are looking at setting some milestones at Auto Club Speedway. Jeff Gordon driver of the No.24 Dupont Chevrolet, Bobby Labonte driver of the No.09 Phoenix Construction/Graceway Chevrolet, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. driver of the No.88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevrolet are in pursuit of notable top-10 finishes. Gordon No. 275, Labonte No. 200, and Earnhardt Jr. No. 150. Sunday will also mark Earnhardt’s 36th birthday.

    ** Two-time Grammy winner Kenny Logins will perform a pre-race concert at Auto ClubSpeedway on Sunday, then sing the National Anthem. Fans attending the Pepsi MAX 400 also can enjoy Viva La Fiesta, part of Hispanic Heritage Month.The group will perform at the track’s DiscoverIE FanZone. Quintanilla also will be an honoraryrace official.

    ** A NASCAR hauler parade is scheduled tostart at 6 p.m. PT from Citizens Bank Arena andvisit Fontana, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga before ending at the Auto Club Speedway garages.** Local schools will be in session Friday when hundreds of local middle school students will spend a day at the speedway to learn about the applications of math and science in racing. Speakers will include Gillian Zucker, president of Auto Club Speedway, Dr. Gary Thomas, San Bernido County Superintendent of schools and Diandra Leslie-Pelecky, Ph.D., author of the “Physics of NASCAR: How to make Steel + Gas + Rubber= Speed.”

    ** Auto Club Speedway’s Stater Bros.Racefest will take place from 5–9 p.m. PT Thursday in the track’s FanZone with an even dozen NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers slated to attend. The event also includes a freestyle motocross stuntshow with Rockstar Metal Mulisha, live music, rides and games.

    ** More than 40 couples will marry or renew vows prior to the Pepsi MAX 400. Gillian Zucker will officiate with Michael Waltrip serving as groomsman and Miss Sprint Cup as maid of honor.

  • Hot 20 over the past 10 – It’s been three months since Carl has had a bad finish

    Hot 20 over the past 10 – It’s been three months since Carl has had a bad finish

    June 27th. It was the first race in New Hampshire and Carl Edwards finished 25th. It would be the last time he ran outside the top dozen before the boys headed to California for this Sunday’s fourth race of the ten event Chase. Over that span Edwards has not yet won, but has ten Top Tens to his credit. If only he could finish on top once or twice, the title could wind up his. Then again, maybe he won’t even need it.

    Officially, Edwards is 53 points behind Jimmie Johnson in the Chase, but Carl has been hot for more than three months. The big question is if he can continue to be so to the end, or is the big chill about to begin?

    Here is how things stand for our hot 20 after the past ten events…

    *Chasers in bold

    1 (1) – Carl Edwards – 1532 pts
    Hasn’t had a bad finish in over three months.
    5 (3) – Jamie McMurray – 1374 pts
    If not for those six times 30th or worse this season.

    2 (7) – Kevin Harvick – 1421 pts
    On pace to have the best season of his career

    3 (2) – Kyle Busch – 1400 pts
    A dream machine turned Kansas into a nightmare

    4 (4) – Tony Stewart – 1394 pts
    Has left over a hundred Chase points on the table

    6 (5) – Jeff Burton – 1327 pts
    Too bad about those last 130 miles.

    7 (9) – Ryan Newman – 1314 pts
    Not bad for only leading 31 laps all season.

    8 (10) – Jimmie Johnson – 1313 pts
    Thinks California is the place they ought to be.
    11 (6) – Juan Pablo Montoya – 1285 pts
    Must be thrilled that he is not in Kansas anymore.

    9 (8) – Jeff Gordon – 1296 pts
    Whenever he feels down he just thinks of Mark and Junior.

    10 (17) – Greg Biffle – 1293 pts
    Keeping within the top 15 each week would sure help.

    12 (13) – Matt Kenseth – 1254 pts
    Jack must be a happy man with three in the top ten at Kansas
       �
    16 (16) – A.J. Allmendinger – 1173 pts
    Has ran well since the Chase; too bad he is not in it.

    13 (11) – Denny Hamlin – 1235 pts
    Not good, not bad, just was what it was.

    14 (15) – Kurt Busch – 1226 pts
    Sure glad he didn’t tick off Reutimann.

    15 (12) – Clint Bowyer – 1186 pts
    Forget the title, he is fighting just to have dinner.

    17 (20) – Joey Logano – 1115 pts
    Tired of Ambrose and his baby kangaroo jokes.

    18 (21) – Mark Martin – 1097 pts
    After six straight outside top 15, has been inside the last two.

    19 (18) – Martin Truex Jr – 1096 pts
    Four straight 20th or worse.

    20 (22) – Marcos Ambrose – 1063 pts
    Loves singing Six White Boomers to Logano.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson followed his win at Dover with a runner-up at Kansas, second only to race winner Greg Biffle. Johnson also took the lead in the Sprint Cup point standing, and leads Denny Hamlin by eight.

    “Our last two results have erased the disappointment of our race at New Hampshire,” Johnson said. “With a win and a runner-up, as well as the points lead, you could say we put that first Chase race, as well as the Chase field, ‘behind us.’”

    2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin struggled with handling in the Price Chopper 400, finishing 12th and tumbling from the lead in the point standings. Hamlin, who led Jimmie Johnson by 35 entering the race, now trails the four-time defending champion by eight.

    “I guess it’s fitting,” Hamlin said, “that one week after the bottom fell out for Clint Bowyer, the ‘top’ fell out for me.

    Now, Kevin Harvick and I have supposedly made up from our incident at Dover. And people want to know what’s wrong with NASCAR. I’ll tell you what’s wrong—feuds that last only a week. A quick solution? Put Brad Keselowski in the Chase field.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 16 laps and finished third in the Price Chopper 400, as Chase drivers occupied to top seven spots. Harvick improved two places in the point standings to third, and trails Jimmie Johnson by 30.

    “Believe me,” Harvick said. “Of all people, I know what ‘striking distance’ is, and we’re well within striking distance. Although I wouldn’t dare do the things to Jimmie Johnson that I’ve done to Denny Hamlin.

    And speaking of Hamlin, we’ve mended our differences. At least that’s what we’re telling everyone. The truth is, our truce involves one simple agreement….to disagree.”

    4. Jeff Gordon: Gordon posted his first top-5 finish since Chicagoland with a fifth at Kansas, his 11th top 5 of the year. Still winless in his last 58 races, Gordon jumped three places in the Sprint Cup point standings to fifth, and trails Jimmie Johnson by 58.

    “I firmly believe someone could win the Cup without winning a race,” Gordon said. “Of course, there are several other things one can do without winning a race. I know, because everything I’ve done in the last two years has been done without winning a race.”

    5. Greg Biffle: Biffle raced to a dominating win in the Price Chopper 500, leading 60 laps on the way to his second win of the year. Back in the title hunt, Biffle is now in eighth, 85 points back.

    “The No. 16 Sherwin-Williams Ford was perfect late in the race,” Biffle said. “We may not have been fastest at the start, but we were fastest when it counted. Just call my car the ‘High Plains Swifter.”

    6. Carl Edwards: Edwards started 31st and hit the top 10 midway through the race at Kansas, leading two laps on his way to a sixth-place finish, his 16th top-10 result of the year. He is now fourth in the point standings, 53 out of first.

    “Although I’m from Columbia, Missouri,” Edwards said, “I consider Kansas my home track. But, as my winless streak can attest, even at home I can’t be a visitor to Victory Lane.”

    7. Kyle Busch: Busch made contact with David Reutimann early at Kansas, causing Reutimann to spin. Later in the race, with Busch running in the top 10, Reutimann struck back, sending the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota into the wall. Busch dropped to 22nd after the accident, and eventually finished 21st, one lap down. He fell four places to seventh in the point standings, and trails Jimmie Johnson by 80.

    “If my name wasn’t ‘Busch,’” Busch said, “Reutimann would have never retaliated. It’s difficult to swallow being wrecked by a driver who’s not even in the Chase. Reutimann stuck his nose in where it didn’t belong. You’d think I would deserve a break. I guess some free passes don’t come as easily as others.”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch, in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, finished a disappointing 13th at Kansas, undone by handling conditions at a track where he’s traditionally struggled. Busch dropped two spots to sixth in the point standings, 70 behind Jimmie Johnson.

    “The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge just wasn’t fast enough to challenge for the win,” Busch said. “Unlike my brother Kyle, I didn’t need another car to hinder my Chase chances. The one I was driving handled that fine on its own.

    But I‘m surprised David Reutimann wrecked Kyle. Will I seek revenge on behalf of Kyle. Will I take the ‘2’ to tango? Unlikely. I’ve been called many things by many people, but never a ‘nepotist.’”

    9. Tony Stewart: Stewart led four times for a race-high 76 laps in the Price Chopper 400, but trouble on late restarts cost him a shot at the win. He finished fourth, and now trails new points leader Jimmie Johnson by 127 points.

    “127 points is not an impossible deficit to make up,” Stewart said. “With a rash of failed inspections and a outbreak of practice session feuds, I could be back in business. In actuality, though, the deck is ‘Smoke-stacked’ against me.”

    10. Jeff Burton: Late-race handling problems prevented Burton from scoring in the top 5, and he instead settled for a disappointing 18th-place run at Kansas. Burton fell two places in the points to ninth, and trails Jimmie Johnson by 101 points.

    “We’re 101 off the lead,” said Burton, “which doesn’t seem so bad considering there are seven races remaining. But, upon further inspection, that large of a deficit doesn’t really appeal to me.”

  • Toyota NASCAR Notes & Quotes II California October

    TOYOTA TALK: Busch and Hamlin Enjoy California

    Truex Likes Return to NNS Racing

    Win Kyle’s Tundra

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: This year, Toyota drivers have combined for 10 wins, 32 top-five results, 64 top-10 finishes and five poles after 29 of 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) races … Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch are currently competing in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship playoff … Hamlin is second (-8 points) and Busch is fourth (-80 points) in the current Chase standings after three of 10 races … Owner and driver Robby Gordon grew up in Orange, Calif. … The 10 Sponsafier2 finalists will be announced this Friday (Oct. 8) with the grand prize winner to be named at the Phoenix race in November.

    KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Do you enjoy racing at California’s Auto Club Speedway? “I like California. It’s real wide and it’s kind of flatter than Michigan, so it’s a little harder to get a h old of, but you can really spread out. In the spring we saw guys all the way down at the white line and we saw guys all the way up at the wall. It seemed to be a really good race. It will be a really fun race track. It’s widened out and it’s become where you can race all over it, and with the race being as long as it is, you need to take a lot of time working through traffic and being able to have a good car and all that. It’s the same thing every week. We just hope for a solid day and that our efforts will put us good enough.”

    DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Are you looking forward to racing at Auto Club Speedway? “Any big track is good for us at this point. We’re getting ready to get into a swing of a lot of big 1.5-mile, two-mile race tracks and I feel like that was really our ‘bread and butter’ through the summer months. I feel like we’re definitely heading into some tracks that are definitely in our favor.” What does it take to be successful at Auto Club Speedway? “California is a multi-groove race track, but it’s just a track where you have to setup your car on one specific line because when you run the top your car changes a whole lot different than what it is on the bottom. Our goal is to get up there and if we’re going to run the top in practice we have to commit to it in the race. It’s very line sensitive track and the restarts are obviously interesting there because of the draft.”

    DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Are you looking forward to putting Kansas behind you and finishing the season on a high note? “It has been a good season and we need to finish out the season on a strong point and get to the good of it. We’ve had some really good race cars and haven’t had good finishes so we need to finish out as strong as we can to give our guys a little momentum during the off-season. As they’re building cars and updating things, it makes the winter go by a lot better when you finish out strong.”

    NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: This year, Toyota drivers have combined for 15 wins, 62 top-five results, 123 top-10 finishes and 15 poles after 29 of 35 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) races … Joey Logano’s victory at Kansas enabled Toyota to clinch its third consecutive NNS manufacturer championship (2008-2010) and seventh manufacturer’s title (four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series trophies 2006-2009) overall since entering NASCAR in 2004 … In 20 NNS starts this year, Logano has two wins, 11 top-five finishes, 19 top-10 results and six pole positions … Reed Sorenson has six NNS starts at Auto Club Speedway with four top-15 results and his No. 32 team has had four top-10 finishes in the last four races at the two-mile oval … Toyota driver Jason Leffler is originally from Long Beach, Calif. … Following a fifth-place result in Kansas, two-time NNS champion (2004 & 2005) Martin Truex Jr. will compete in Fontana this weekend.

    MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 99 Torrent Toyota Camry, Diamond Waltrip Racing How does it feel to be back competing in the Nationwide Series? “It feels good. It’s just fun to run upfront. I’ve got to thank Diamond-Waltrip and everybody there for this opportunity. The Bechtel’s (team co-owners) and everybody who puts this race car together. It is a lot of fun. I hadn’t run one of these cars in probably five years and I remember how much fun it was. I’m looking forward to California. I’m looking forward to Ryan (Truex) running a few more races. He did a fine job (at Kansas) and I’m real proud of what he was able to do.”

    STEVE WALLACE, No. 66 5 Hour Energy Drink Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing Is Auto Club Speedway a track you enjoy? “Auto Club Speedway is a track that I didn’t really like a few years ago, but recently, I feel like I’ve started to understand what it takes to go fast there and we’ve had a few top-10s there lately to prove it. Looking at Auto Club overall, it’s a momentum track just like everywhere else we go and having big time horsepower is huge there. Outside of the track, it’s always fun visiting Los Angeles. A lot of our sponsors are out there, guys like Toyota and Oakley — even the guys at Troy Lee Designs who paint my helmets — so it’s definitely a trip that I’m looking forward to making.”

    REED SORENSON, No. 32 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Braun Racing Are you looking forward to racing with the No. 32 team at Auto Club Speedway? “I’m looking forward to returning to Auto Club Speedway with the Nationwide Series. This will be my first time there with the Dollar General team. They run really well there and had a top-10 with (Brian) Vickers earlier in the season and a second-place finish last fall. I know we had some bad luck last weekend in Kansas, but we are definitely looking to bounce back and get the finish that we know this No. 32 team is capable of, and that’s first.”

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: This year, Tundra drivers have combined for 12 wins, 46 top-five results, 97 top-10 finishes and nine poles after 20 of 25 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races … Todd Bodine (first), Aric Almirola (second), Timothy Peters (fifth), Mike Skinner (eighth), David Starr (ninth) and Justin Lofton (10th) are in the top-10 in the NCWTS point standings with five races remaining … Bodine leads second-place Almirola in the point standings by 262 points … Toyota is currently 13 points ahead of Chevrolet in the NCWTS manufacturer’s point standings … The NCWTS has two more weekends off before returning to action at Martinsville Speedway, October 23 … The Kyle Busch Foundation is giving away Busch’s own Toyota Tundra and the winner will also receive a free trip to the NASCAR race weekend at Phoenix International Speedway … Raffle tickets are $18 and the winner will be drawn Nov. 1 … Go to www.winkylestundra.com for more information on the raffle.

    TODD BODINE, No. 30 Germain.com Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing How do you determine when to be conservative on the track and when to be aggressive? “Who you’re racing around, what part of the race it is, what position you’re in — you take all those things into consideration. How you’re truck is handling, what kind of truck it is, these are just things you have to think about and realize when you’re out there and just be aware of your surroundings and your situation and you make your determination of what you can do from there.”

    KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports How is the ‘Win Kyle’s Tundra’ contest helping to support the Kyle Busch Foundation? “We can’t thank Toyota enough for partnering up with the Kyle Busch Foundation and helping to support a lot of deserving children’s homes. Not only is it a great cause to support, but some lucky fan is going to win a really cool looking Toyota Tundra.”

    TOYOTA DRIVER ROSTER — Auto Club Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup Series David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Camry Robby Gordon, No. 7 ExtenZe Camry Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Office Camry Casey Mears, No. 13 GEICO Camry Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&M’s Camry Joey Logano, No. 20 Home Depot Camry Marcos Ambrose, No. 47 Little Debbie Camry Mike Bliss, No. 55 Prism Motorsports Camry Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Camry Landon Cassill, No. 64 Gunselman Motorsports Camry Jason Leffler, No. 66 Prism Motorsports Camry Scott Speed, No. 82 Red Bull Camry Reed Sorenson, No. 83 Red Bull Camry Joe Nemechek, No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Camry NASCAR Nationwide Series Jeremy Clements, No. 04 Toyota Camry Ricky Carmichael, No. 10 Monster Energy Camry James Buescher, No. 11 Toyota Camry Michael Annett, No. 15 Pilot Flying J Coffee Camry Kyle Busch, No. 18 NOS Energy Drink Camry Joey Logano, No. 20 GameStop Camry Reed Sorenson, No. 32 Dollar General Camry Jason Leffler, No. 38 Great Clips Camry Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 Loan Star Title Loans Camry Steve Wallace, No. 66 5 Hour Energy Camry Martin Truex Jr., No. 99 Torrent Toyota Camry

  • Harvick’s Crew Captures Tissot Pit Road Award at Kansas

    Kevin Harvick’s crew won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race (Oct. 3) at Kansas Speedway.

    It was the first pit road win of the season for the No. 29 team, which will receive $5,000 from Tissot plus a Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph watch.

    Harvick’s No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on pit road during the Price Chopper 400 — 194.316 seconds.

    “At Richard Childress Racing, we take great pride in our effort on pit road, and we strive to spend the least amount of time in the pits as possible,” said Matt Clark, director of human performance and leadership development. “The No. 29 team implemented great strategy at Kansas on Sunday, and their efforts were rewarded with this award and a solid top-five finish.”

    Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 team leads the Tissot standings with four wins. The crews for Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray are tied for second with three wins each. There are seven Cup races remaining in 2010.

    The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver.

    For Tissot, “In touch with your time” is far more than an advertising claim. This phrase expresses the brand’s DNA; its proven dedication to being perfectly in tune with the technology and tastes of each era. Tissot has been growing and developing its tradition of innovation since 1853. From the early days to the present, in its home in Le Locle in the Swiss Jura mountains, Tissot has translated craftsmanship and precision into stylish timepieces now sold in over 150 countries around the world. Special materials, advanced functionality and meticulous design detail join forces to create the luxury of accessibility. Today, Tissot is a member of the Swatch Group, the world’s largest watch producer and distributor of Swiss watches, as well as official timekeeper and partner of NASCAR®, FIBA, AFL, CBA, MotoGP and the World Championships of Cycling, Fencing and Ice hockey. The tradition of innovation lives on, keeping closely in touch with the times.

    2010 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award Standings

    Pos Team No. Pit Crew For Wins Prize Money

    1 24 Jeff Gordon 4 $20,000

    T2 18 Kyle Busch 3 15,000

    T2 17 Matt Kenseth 3 15,000

    T2 1 Jamie McMurray 3 15,000

    T5 56 Martin Truex Jr. 2 10,000

    T5 00 David Reutimann 2 10,000

    T5 14 Tony Stewart 2 10,000

    T5 33 Clint Bowyer 2 10,000

    T9 42 Juan Pablo Montoya 1 5,000

    T9 12 Brad Keselowski 1 5,000

    T9 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1 5,000

    T9 39 Ryan Newman 1 5,000

    T9 2 Kurt Busch 1 5,000

    T9 26 Boris Said 1 5,000

    T9 16 Greg Biffle 1 5,000

    T9 29 Kevin Harvick 1 5,000

    2010 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award Winners

    Daytona, 2/14 Juan Pablo Montoya Team

    Fontana, 2/21 Jeff Gordon Team

    Las Vegas, 2/28 Martin Truex Jr. Team

    Atlanta, 3/7 Martin Truex Jr. Team

    Bristol, 3/21 Brad Keselowski Team

    Martinsville, 3/29 Clint Bowyer Team

    Phoenix, 4/10 Matt Kenseth Team

    Texas, 4/19 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team

    Talladega 4/25 David Reutimann Team

    Richmond, 5/1 Ryan Newman Team

    Darlington, 5/8 Jamie McMurray Team

    Dover, 5/16 Matt Kenseth Team

    Charlotte, 5/30 Jeff Gordon Team

    Pocono, 6/6 Kyle Busch Team

    Michigan, 6/13 Kurt Busch Team

    Sonoma, 6/20 Boris Said Team

    Loudon, 6/27 Jeff Gordon Team

    Daytona, 7/3 Jeff Gordon Team

    Chicago, 7/10 Jamie McMurray Team

    Indianapolis, 7/25 Jamie McMurray Team

    Pocono, 8/1 Greg Biffle Team

    Watkins Glen, 8/8 Kyle Busch Team

    Michigan, 8/15 Tony Stewart Team

    Bristol, 8/21 David Reutimann Team

    Atlanta, 9/5 Tony Stewart Team

    Richmond, 9/11 Matt Kenseth Team

    Loudon, 9/19 Clint Bowyer Team

    Dover, 9/26 Kyle Busch Team

    Kansas, 10/3 Kevin Harvick Team