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  • Drivers Expect Lower Downforce Package Race to be Similar to Michigan

    Drivers Expect Lower Downforce Package Race to be Similar to Michigan

    SPARTA, Ky. — Despite the unknowns going into this weekend in the Bluegrass State, drivers say this weekend’s race will be similar to Michigan.

    During media availabilities yesterday at Kentucky Speedway, three drivers were asked how they feel the lower downforce package will affect the racing we’ll see in the Quaker State 400. A common response was that it will be similar to what we saw in last month’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

    “I don’t know if it will have a different affect here than it has everywhere else, concerning the repave,” Keselowski said in his availability. “In general, the cars at Michigan were really, really loose behind someone. I would expect that to be the same and I would expect turns three and four to really, really be a challenge because it’s such a finesse corner already. Then you add the lower downforce package to it and it’s really gonna be a hold-onto-your-butt corner.”

    He added that he’s “not sure I can fully answer that until the race is over. Hindsight is a lot better vision.”

    Asked the same question during his availability, Austin Dillon said he thinks “you will see similar racing that you saw at Michigan. I think getting underneath a car is going to be the hardest part. I think you will be able to run closer to guys, but exit off the corner will be tough. Carrying speed off of Turn 4 is going to be tough like Brad was saying. Entering (Turns) 3 and 4 will be a challenge and then exiting beside somebody. But, with all the grip I think it will be very similar to any package that is out there because you have a lot of grip right now. Hopefully, it does present some passing lanes as we move throughout the weekend and create a strong race for us.”

    Carl Edwards said “It’s really hard to tell. We talked about this at Daytona. The lower downforce package, if you go from where we were a year ago to where we are now with what they call the 2016 package, it’s been a marked improvement and that much better. We’ve been able to race better and the passing. I believe the lower downforce package is another step in the right direction. It’s tough to be able to determine that at Michigan, or here at Kentucky with a new surface – it’s really hard to get a guess of how that package will race at a place like Texas or maybe Phoenix or Homestead. I really believe we are going in the right direction.”

    He also added that the idea of trying the lower downforce package at a track with a more abrasive surface like Darlington has “been brought up and the biggest thing is the drivers, NASCAR, team owners all have to agree – ‘Hey we feel okay trying this here.’”

    “The only worry, and I think everyone, drivers, NASCAR, everybody worries that it’s going to be hard to determine how it would work at a place like Darlington or Texas or Homestead where there’s a little bit different grip level,” Edwards added. “Heck, we’re moving in the right direction. We’re trying these things that were on our wish lists a couple of years ago. If you go out there and look at the size of that spoiler and splitter, this is the stuff we were all as a group begging for. I just really appreciate NASCAR doing it. It’s only going to get better.”

  • Suárez Fastest in Final XFINITY Practice at Kentucky

    Suárez Fastest in Final XFINITY Practice at Kentucky

    SPARTA, Ky. — Daniel Suárez topped the chart in final XFINITY Series practice at Kentucky Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 28.901 and a speed of 186.845 mph. Erik Jones was the second fastest in his No. 20 JGR Toyota with a time of 28.918 and a speed of 186.735 mph. Ryan Blaney followed in third in his No. 12 Team Penske Ford with a time of 28.972 and a speed of 186.387 mph. Kyle Busch was fourth in his No. 18 JGR Toyota with a time of 28.973 and a speed of 186.380 mph and Ty Dillon rounded out the top-five in his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 29.116 and a speed of 185.465 mph.

    Blake Koch was sixth in his No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet while Austin Dillon was seventh in his No. 2 RCR Chevrolet. JJ Yeley was eighth in his No. 44 TriStar Motorsports Toyota. Elliott Sadler was ninth in his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top-10 in his No. 22 Penske Ford.

    Busch posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 184.768 mph. Blaney was second at an average speed of 183.828 mph. Suárez was third at an average speed of 182.307 mph.

    The XFINITY Series is back on track Friday at 4:45 p.m. for qualifying.

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  • Suárez Claims the Truck Pole at Kentucky

    Suárez Claims the Truck Pole at Kentucky

    SPARTA, Ky. — Daniel Suárez will lead the field to the green flag in tonight’s Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota scored the pole for the Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 after posting a new track record time of 29.511 and a speed of 182.983 mph. It’s his first pole in 21 career starts in the Camping World Truck Series, first of 2016, his fifth top-10 start of the season and first pole in two races at Kentucky.

    Brett Moffitt will start second in his No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota after posting a time of 29.535 and a speed of 182.834 mph. William Byron will start third in his No. 9 KBM Toyota after posting a time of 29.590 and a speed of 182.494 mph. Daniel Hemric will start fourth in his No. 19 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford after posting a time of 29.598 and a speed of 182.445 mph. Tyler Reddick will round out the top-five starters in his No. 29 BKR Ford after posting a time of 29.627 and a speed of 182.266 mph.

    Parker Kligerman will start sixth in his No. 05 Athenian Motorsports Chevrolet. Kyle Busch will start seventh in his No. 18 KBM Toyota. Matt Crafton will start eighth in his No. 88 ThorSport Racing Toyota. Ben Rhodes will start ninth in his No. 41 TSR Toyota. Christopher Bell will round out the top-10 starters in his No. 4 KBM Toyota.

    Cameron Hayley will start 11th in his No. 13 TSR Toyota. Cole Custer will round out the 12 drivers that made the final round of qualifying in his No. 00 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

    No car was sent home.

    Eighteen Chevrolet’s, three Ford’s and 11 Toyota’s will comprise the field for tonight’s race.

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  • Jones Fastest in Third XFINITY Practice at Kentucky

    Jones Fastest in Third XFINITY Practice at Kentucky

    SPARTA, Ky. — Erik Jones topped the chart in third XFINITY Series practice at Kentucky Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the third practice session with a time of 28.754 and a speed of 187.800 mph. Daniel Suárez was second in his No. 19 JGR Toyota with a time of 28.816 and a speed of 187.396 mph. Kyle Busch was third in his No. 18 JGR Toyota with a time of 28.864 and a speed of 187.084 mph. Ty Dillon was fourth in his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 29.285 and a speed of 184.395 mph. Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-five in his No. 12 Team Penske Ford with a time of 29.418 and a speed of 183.561 mph.

    JJ Yeley was sixth in his No. 44 TriStar Motorsports Toyota. Brad Keselowski was seventh in his No. 22 Penske Ford. Austin Dillon was eighth in his No. 2 RCR Chevrolet. Darrell Wallace Jr. was ninth in his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Justin Allgaier rounded out the top-10 in his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

    Allgaier was the only driver to post a 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 181.457 mph.

    The XFINITY Series is back on track one last time Thursday evening at 7 p.m. for final practice.

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  • Edwards Fastest in First Cup Practice at Kentucky

    Edwards Fastest in First Cup Practice at Kentucky

    SPARTA, Ky. — Carl Edwards topped the chart in first Sprint Cup Series practice at Kentucky Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 28.962 and a speed of 186.451 mph. Kyle Busch was second in his No. 18 JGR Toyota with a time of 29.004 and a speed of 186.181 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was third in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 29.155 and a speed of 185.217 mph. Denny Hamlin was fourth in his No. 11 JGR Toyota with a time of 29.176 and a speed of 185.084 mph. Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top-five in his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 29.191 and a speed of 184.989 mph.

    Austin Dillon was sixth in his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was seventh in his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Chris Buescher was eighth in his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford. Chase Elliott was ninth in his No. 24 HMS Chevrolet. Greg Biffle rounded out the top-10 in his No. 16 RFR Ford.

    Johnson posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 181.441 mph. Elliott was second at an average speed of 180.897 mph.

    The Sprint Cup Series is back on track Friday at 11 a.m. for their second practice.

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  • Erik Jones Fastest at Kentucky in Second XFINITY Practice

    Erik Jones Fastest at Kentucky in Second XFINITY Practice

    SPARTA, Ky. — Erik Jones topped the chart in second XFINITY Series practice at Kentucky Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 28.994 and a speed of 186.245 mph. Daniel Suárez was second in his No. 19 JGR Toyota with a time of 29.247 and a speed of 184.634 mph. Kyle Busch was third in his No. 18 JGR Toyota with a time of 29.291 and a speed of 184.357 mph. Brad Keselowski was fourth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford with a time of 29.475 and a speed of 183.206 mph. Austin Dillon rounded out the top-five in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 29.476 and a speed of 183.200 mph.

    Justin Allgaier was sixth in his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Cole Custer was seventh in his No. 88 JRM Chevrolet. Ryan Blaney was eighth in his No. 12 Team Penske Ford. Brennan Poole was ninth in his No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Blake Koch rounded out the top-10 in his No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet.

    Justin Marks, who’s fastest single lap was 18th fastest, was the only driver to post a 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 179.116 mph.

    The XFINITY Series is back on track later this afternoon at 4:00.

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  • Austin Dillon Fastest in First XFINITY Practice at Kentucky

    Austin Dillon Fastest in First XFINITY Practice at Kentucky

    SPARTA, Ky. — Austin Dillon topped the chart in first XFINITY Series practice at Kentucky Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 28.761 and a speed of 187.754 mph. Kyle Busch was second in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 28.882 and a speed of 186.958 mph. Erik Jones was third in his No. 20 JGR Toyota with a time of 28.892 and a speed of 186.903 mph. Ty Dillon was fourth in his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet with a time of 28.962 and a speed of 186.451 mph. Daniel Suárez rounded out the top-five in his No. 19 JGR Toyota with a time of 29.018 and a speed of 196.091 mph.

    Cole Custer was sixth in his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Brennan Poole was seventh in his No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Brandon Jones was eighth in his No. 33 RCR Chevrolet. Elliott Sadler was ninth in his No. 1 JRM Chevrolet. Justin Allgaier rounded out the top-10 in his No. 7 JRM Chevrolet.

    Ty Dillon was the only driver to post a 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 183.382 mph.

    The XFINITY Series is back on track Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. for their second of four practice sessions.

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  • Changes Made to Kentucky Speedway

    Changes Made to Kentucky Speedway

    SPARTA, Ky. — The repave wasn’t the only change made to the racing surface at Kentucky Speedway.

    It was announced back in early-January that the 1.5-mile facility would undergo its first repave in its 17-year history. In addition, they changed the degree of the banking in Turns 1 and 2, narrowed the width of the turns, improved drainage and added over 3,000 feet of SAFER barrier.

    The repave was completed in May. In total, 17,000 tons of asphalt was poured to form the new surface by Ohio Valley Asphalt. The asphalt used is a “standard” racing asphalt mix that’s been tweaked to “age the track” faster.

    The finished product was 29,700 feet of added drainage pipes, an addition of 3,200 feet of SAFER barrier for a total of 11,300 feet, all added by Southern Bleacher and Seal Pro. The pit exit lane and apron in Turns 1 and 2 were widened from 14 to 30-feet, Turns 1 and 2 were narrowed from 74 to 56 feet and banking increased from 14 to 17 degrees both of which were done by Baker’s Construction Services.

    The changes in Turns 1 and 2 were done because the previous pit exit lane was very narrow and made merging back onto the racing surface difficult.

    “Modifying Turns 1 and 2 will present an exciting challenge to the drivers while addressing issues of the track surface, SAFER barrier, and drainage will improve safety, which is always our  paramount concern,” said Mark Simendinger, general manager of Kentucky Speedway.

    After blistering was seen during a tire test held at the track in mid-June, Goodyear has decided to bring harder tires for use during the race weekend.

  • Hamilton Out-Duels Rosberg in Austria

    Hamilton Out-Duels Rosberg in Austria

    Nico Rosberg attempted to stop Lewis Hamilton’s pass on him going into Turn 2, but the block backfired, he lost his front wing and his teammate and main rival for the championship drove on to score the victory in the Austrian Grand Prix.

    It’s the 47th win in Formula 1 for the driver of the No. 44 Mercedes AMG Petronas car, first at the Red Bull Ring, 250th by a British driver, fifth by a British driver at the circuit and 94th career podium.

    Max Verstappen, who had been leading the race near the end, earned his third career podium finish and first for Red Bull Racing at their home circuit with a runner-up finish in his No. 33 RBR car. Kimi Räikkönen rounded out the podium in his No. 7 Scuderia Ferrari. It’s his 84th career podium finish.

    Rosberg brought his wounded No. 6 Mercedes car home to a fourth-place finish. Daniel Ricciardo rounded out the top-five in his No. 3 RBR car.

    Jenson Button brought his No. 22 McLaren-Honda home to a sixth-place finish. Romain Grosjean finished seventh in his No. 8 Haas F1 Team Ferrari. Carlos Sainz Jr. finished eighth in his No. 55 Toro Rosso Ferrari. Valtteri Bottas finished ninth in his No. 77 Williams Martini-Mercedes. Pascal Wehrlein rounded out the top-10 in his No. 94 Manor Racing Mercedes.

    Esteban Gutiérrez brought the other Haas car home 11th.

    Sebastian Vettel was leading the race when he suffered a right-rear tire blowout and hit the wall on the pit straight. He finished the race unclassified.

    Rosberg leaves Austria with an 11-point lead over Hamilton in the drivers’ championship. Mercedes leaves still leading the constructors’ championship.

  • 2017 Camaro Announced for NASCAR XFINITY Series

    2017 Camaro Announced for NASCAR XFINITY Series

    Sixth-generation Camaro bodywork debuts next February at Daytona

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.  – As the Camaro marks the 50th anniversary of its introduction this year, Chevrolet announced today the sixth-generation Camaro SS will serve as the model for Chevrolet race cars in the NASCAR XFINITY Series ™, starting next season.

    The updated Camaro race car was shown today at Daytona International Speedway ahead of tomorrow’s Subway Firecracker 250 Presented by Coca-Cola. The official racing debut comes next February at the 2017 season’s NASCAR XFINITY Series kickoff race at Daytona.

    “For the past 50 years, Camaro has played a key role in Chevrolet’s racing success in winning races and championships,” said Mark Kent, director, Chevrolet Racing. “We look forward to further success with the new Camaro SS in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.”

    Computational fluid dynamics analysis, as well as traditional full- and reduced-scale wind-tunnel development, was used to refine the shapes of the unique upper nose and hood of the new 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series Camaro SS.

    The fifth-generation Camaro was introduced into the NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2013.

    The NASCAR XFINITY Series showcases some of the world’s most talented drivers and the stars of tomorrow – all creating defining moments that help make their name and ignite legacies. Chevrolet drivers have captured five NASCAR XFINITY Series checkered flags so far in 2016, bringing Chevrolet’s tally to 408 victories in the modern era since 1982 – and contributing to the most manufacturer titles in NASCAR history.

    “Racing improves the breed and helps us design better cars for the showroom,” said Kent. “That’s why Chevrolet is on the track week after week, year after year.”

     

    Team Chevy racing photos are available at:


    About Chevrolet:
    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.