Sam Hornish Jr. won the Coors Light Pole Award Friday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, setting a track speed record as well.
Hornish Jr. wheeled his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet around the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course in Lexington, Ohio, at a track record-setting 96.755 mph in the opening session of qualifying. In the second and final session, with a fast lap of 96.374 mph, he sealed the first starting spot in the Mid-Ohio Challenge (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“The fact that we’re here. We’re as good as we have been, really, is hats off to RCR and all the people that work on the Rheem No. 2 car,” the polesitter said post-qualifying. “Right off the bat, this morning I was kind of worried about it being a little bit rusty. It’s been a little while since I’ve been on a road course.”
This marks Hornish’s eighth career pole and first of 2016.
Sharing the front row will be Owen Kelly, a road specialist who reached 95.877 mph in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
Ryan Blaney, (95.739 mph in No. 22 Team Penske Ford), Elliott Sadler (95.675 mph, No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) and Daniel Suarez (95.613 mph, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) completed the top five, respectively.
Statement from Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer on the Passing of Bryan Clauson
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 8, 2016) – “NASCAR extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Bryan Clauson, a passionate competitor whose love for racing fueled his unmatched positive spirit. He was a dear friend to many in the racing community, and he was loved and respected by all who knew him. He touched the lives of so many in our motorsports family, and his warm presence and relentless enthusiasm will be missed.”
Furniture Row Racing confirmed the worst kept secret in the NASCAR world of this past week in that Erik Jones will drive their second car in 2017.
Speaking in the media center at Watkins Glen International, the team announced that they would expand to a second full-time team starting in 2017. The car will be the No. 77 Toyota and will be driven by the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion.
“It’s all come together in the last month,” said team owner Barney Visser. “To find a driver like Erik, a sponsor like 5-hour Energy, along with our technical agreement with Gibbs, we think we’re going to be able to run right up where we need to run. We’re very excited to get it all pulled together here.”
“I was anxious for this day,” Jones said about the announcement. “I’m excited to be here. It’s cool to be a part of Furniture Row and with them growing, and along with 5-hour Energy too. A big company like that is cool this early in my racing career and something that I’ve always wanted. It’s a good feel all around. To see it come together in the past month or so has been a pretty cool experience for me. I have a lot left to do this year, but I’m excited for next year.”
Jones is signed to drive the car for just this season.
On the status of getting a charter, Visser said there are “several charters out there that we’re hearing are available. We’ve been looking at it some. We’re not exactly sure where we’re going to be on that. We are going to get a charter, but we’re not sure who we’re going to get it from yet.”
At the moment, no crew chief has been named to the team.
“We’re certainly looking to see what the best fits would be in starting that process,” said FRR President Joe Garone. “There’s a lot of those kinds of things ahead of us. We’ll start tackling that after this announcement.”
Carl Edwards will lead the field to the green flag for tomorrow’s race at The Glen.
The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota scored the pole for the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International after posting a time of 1:09.689 and a speed of 126.562 mph. It’s his 20th career pole in 431 career Sprint Cup Series starts, fourth of 2016 and second at Watkins Glen International.
Kyle Larson will start second in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet after posting a time of 1:09.871 and a speed of 126.233 mph. Tony Stewart will start third in his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet after posting a time of 1:09.902 and a speed of 126.177 mph. Matt Kenseth will start fourth in his No. 20 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 1:09.942 and a speed of 126.104 mph. Kyle Busch will round out the top-five in his No. 18 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 1:09.945 and a speed of 126.099 mph.
Denny Hamlin will start sixth in his No. 11 JGR Toyota. Joey Logano will start seventh in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Ryan Newman will start eighth in his No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. AJ Allmendinger will start ninth in his No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet. Jamie McMurray will round out the top-10 in his No. 42 CGR Chevrolet.
Michael McDowell will start 11th in his No. 95 Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet. Brad Keselowski will round out the top-10 in his No. 2 Penske Ford.
Landon Cassill didn’t post a time due to fuel pump issues and will start 40th.
With 40 cars entered, no one was sent home.
Twenty-one Chevrolet’s, 11 Ford’s and eight Toyota’s will comprise the 40-car field for tomorrow’s race.
AJ Allmendinger topped the chart in final Sprint Cup Series practice at Watkins Glen International.
The driver of the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 1:09.149 and a speed of 127.551 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was second in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 1:09.187 and a speed of 127.481 mph. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was third in his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford with a time of 1:09.222 and a speed of 127.416 mph. Kyle Busch was fourth in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 1:09.241 and a speed of 127.381 mph. Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five in his No. 20 JGR Toyota with a time of 1:09.296 and a speed of 127.280 mph.
Brad Keselowski was sixth in his No. 2 Team Penske Ford. Michael McDowell was seventh in his No. 95 Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet. Chase Elliott was eighth in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Jeff Gordon was ninth in his No. 88 HMS Chevrolet and Carl Edwards rounded out the top-10 in his No. 19 JGR Toyota.
Busch posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 124.854 mph. Hamlin was second at an average speed of 124.353 mph followed by Keselowski was third at an average speed of 124.348 mph.
Martin Truex Jr. topped the chart in first Sprint Cup Series practice at Watkins Glen International.
The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 1:09.513 and a speed of 126.883 mph. Denny Hamlin was second in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 1:09.810 and a speed of 126.343 mph. Casey Mears was third in his No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet with a time of 1:10.058 and a speed of 125.896 mph. Carl Edwards was fourth in his No. 19 JGR Toyota with a time of 1:10.193 and a speed of 125.654 mph. Kyle Busch rounded out the top-five in his No. 18 JGR Toyota with a time of 1:10.199 and a speed of 125.643 mph.
Joey Logano was sixth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Brad Keselowski was seventh in his No. 2 Penske Ford. AJ Allmendinger was eighth in his No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet. Kurt Busch was ninth in his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet. Kyle Larson rounded out the top-10 in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.
Keselowski posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 124.223 mph. Edwards was second at an average speed of 124.194 mph. Ryan Blaney, whose fastest single lap was 25th fastest, was third at an average speed of 123.401 mph.
The NASCAR on Reddit community is holding a charity drive in honor of longtime group moderator Amy Branch, who passed away last month following the Kentucky race. Branch, who went by the name “beezwacks” in the group, served as something of a go-between between the group and several of NASCAR’s personalities, leading to regular interactions from individuals such as Brad Keselowski, Ryan Ellis, and Monday’s Pocono winner Chris Buescher.
In lieu of flowers, group moderator /u/51rogue3 published a post linking The National Alliance on Mental Illness, an organization that accepts donations in a person’s memory, for community members who wish to donate. In the post, /u/51rogue3 spoke of Branch’s work in the NASCAR community.
“Amy worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this sub the best it could be and she left it in a much better way than when she first arrived. But her work isn’t done here, not by a long shot. In her passing, she has presented us with the opportunity to help others, to make a difference in other people’s lives.”
Fellow group moderator /u/ClarksonianPause spoke of the charity drive, stating that mental illness affects millions of Americans and is sadly stigmatized rather than supported.
“While the outpouring of love and support may have come too late for Amy, it may not be for others. One of her final wishes was that we help others experiencing the same pain as her, with the hopes that maybe we could prevent a similar tragedy for another family. In her passing, like she did in her life, her selfless nature and love for others know no bounds.”
Following her passing, outpourings of grief and condolences came from all over the NASCAR world. Camping World Truck Series driver Jordan Anderson, a highly active member in the NASCAR on Reddit community, sported a decal (pictured above) to commemorate Branch on his Bolen Motorsports truck for the event at Eldora Speedway on July 20.
For those interested in donating to NAMI or donating in Branch’s memory, the site can be found here.
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA (August 2, 2016) – Darlington, South Carolina received a visit from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Danica Patrick on Tuesday to help promote Darlington Raceway’s upcoming Bojangles’ Southern 500.
Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet, cooked lunch for the media at South of Pearl restaurant in Darlington and also paid a visit to the Darlington County School District to promote the upcoming Sept. 2-4 race weekend. South of Pearl is a traditional restaurant reminiscent of the southern charm that Darlington has brought to the Pee Dee region for decades.
“Darlington Raceway is a great track I’ve liked racing at for many years,” Patrick said. “I love to cook, so to prepare southern dishes for the media was something I really enjoyed. I was also proud to visit the Darlington County School District and support them with their back-to-school initiatives.”
Patrick cooked a southern-style lunch for the media that included pulled pork BBQ and ribs with a variety of salads and sides. She cooked with local chef Dale Barth, who owns and cooks at local establishments Red Bone Alley and Town Hall, which are two favorites in Florence.
Patrick also visited the school district where she helped pack food bags for the Carolina’s Kids organization. She also participated in a Q&A for fans that donated a backpack to the district.
The Tradition Continues on Labor Day weekend as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500® is set for Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016 (NBC, MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90). The NASCAR XFINITY Series VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200 will race Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016. (NBC, MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90). You can keep up with all of the latest news from Darlington Raceway at DarlingtonRaceway.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DarlingtonRaceway and on Twitter at Twitter.com/TooToughToTame.
CONCORD, N.C. (Aug. 2, 2016) – Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports, has not been cleared by physicians to compete in at least the next two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events as he continues to recover from a concussion. He will miss the races at Watkins Glen International (Aug. 7) and Bristol Motor Speedway (Aug. 20).
Earnhardt underwent further evaluation today at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program. The driver said Monday on his weekly “The Dale Jr. Download” podcast that he continues to experience issues with balance and gaze stabilization.
“We have a break in the schedule after Watkins Glen, so the extra week of recovery time will certainly be a benefit,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “Dale will be back when he’s ready, and we’re looking forward to that happening, but the priority continues to be his health and well-being. We’ll keep our focus on that and let the doctors guide us.”
Jeff Gordon will be the team’s substitute driver at the Watkins Glen road course, where he will make his 800th career NASCAR Cup start, and Bristol. He is NASCAR’s all-time leader with nine road course victories, including four at Watkins Glen. The four-time series champion, who has five wins at Bristol, has made all 799 of his career Cup starts while driving for car owner Hendrick.
Gordon, who will turn 45 on Thursday, also filled in for Earnhardt on July 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Aug. 1 at Pocono Raceway. Alex Bowman drove for the No. 88 team July 17 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
While pole sitter Nico Rosberg got a horrible start, teammate Lewis Hamilton got an excellent start and put on a dominating performance as he scored the victory at the Hockenheimring.
“Well first, let me start with a big thank you to all the fans that have come out today in Germany,” Hamilton said on the podium. “To see so many people here is very sportsman from the people here. I got a lot of flags out here. I just appreciate you all coming here.
“What a race. What a great start. My engineers did a fantastic job. The balance was amazing and it was just about keeping it cool and looking after the engine. I’m just so happy I could up here for Mercedes-Benz, who I’ve been with since I was 13. So this is a very proud position for me to be in.”
It’s his 49th career win in Formula 1, sixth of the season, third in the German Grand Prix, second at the Hockenheimring and 96th career podium finish.
Daniel Ricciardo came home second in his No. 3 Red Bull Racing car.
“It was a race of strategy at first,” Ricciardo said on the podium. “It was really close on the first corner with myself and Max (Verstappen). He had a good run on the outside. On the super soft’s (tires), I was much more comfortable and we had good pace for the last half of the race. We really capitalized on a good day. We had a good day. Obviously, we couldn’t win, but second and third isn’t too bad.”
Daniel Ricciardo celebrates his podium finish by chugging champagne from his shoe. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
He decided to celebrate his runner-up finish by chugging champagne from his shoe during the podium celebration.
Max Verstappen rounded out the podium in his No. 33 Red Bull.
“We had a good start. From there on, I think the pace was pretty good. I was enjoying it. We chose to do two different strategies on the car, so I let Daniel by. From there on, we played really well as a team. To get a double-podium out of it was the main target and to score more points than Ferrari. That’s what we definitely did today.”
It’s his fourth of the season and third in the last four races. This completed the first double-podium finish for Red Bull since the 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Rosberg brought his No. 6 Mercedes AMG Petronas car home to a fourth-place finish.
“The start, yeah, we lost the race at the start definitely,” Rosberg said of his start following the race. “Just massive wheel-spin. I don’t understand it. It’s not something I foresaw.”
Compounding his lousy start was a five-second time penalty he was handed halfway through the race after running Verstappen off the track limits at the hairpin.
“Just a great battle and a great move I thought,” Rosberg said of the incident with Verstappen. “I was really happy about it and I didn’t expect a penalty at all. The penalty came through and that was very surprising.”
He was asked if his move on Verstappen was “too much on the edge” like his run-in with teammate Hamilton in Austria.
“Well, according to them (race stewards), yes. It was too much on the edge, but I don’t think so.”
Sebastian Vettel rounded out the top-five in his No. 5 Scuderia Ferrari.
Kimi Räikkönen finished sixth in his No. 7 Ferrari. Nico Hülkenberg’s No. 27 Sahara Force India Mercedes was the last car to finish on the lead lap in seventh. Jenson Button finished eighth in his No. 22 McLaren Honda. Valtteri Bottas finished ninth in his No. 77 Williams Martini Racing Mercedes. Sergio Pérez rounded out the top-10 in his No. 11 Force India Mercedes.
The two Haas F1 drivers finished 11th (Esteban Gutiérrez) and 13th (Romain Grosjean).
Felipe Massa and Felipe Nasr were the only retirements from the race.
Hamilton leaves Germany with a 19-point lead over Rosberg in the drivers’ championship standings.
Mercedes leaves with a 159-point lead over Red Bull in the constructors’ championship standings.
Formula 1 goes on its annual summer holiday during the month of August. For the next two weeks, teams are forbidden from being in the shops and doing any work on the cars.
“I won’t be going skydiving, but definitely relaxing,” Hamilton said of his plans for the summer holiday. “I’ll have my dogs with me and with family and friends. I think the whole team, everyone back at the factory and everyone here that works so hard this season, they all need a break. We all need a break. So I think I think it’s really well earned.”
F1 returns to action on August 28th for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
