Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Category: Featured Headline

Featured headlines from SpeedwayMedia.com

Tifft on the XFINITY Pole at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala.– Matt Tifft will lead the field to the green flag for this afternoon’s race at Talladega.

The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota scored the pole for today’s NASCAR XFINITY Series Sparks Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway with a time of 52.857 and a speed of 181.168 mph.

It’s the first career pole for the 19-year old of Fairfax, Virginia.

Daniel Suárez will start second in his No. 19 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 52.951 and a speed of 180.846 mph. Austin Dillon will start third in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet after posting a time of 53.051 and a speed of 180.506 mph. Erik Jones will start fourth in his No. 20 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 53.092 and a speed of 180.366 mph. Ty Dillon will round out the top-five in his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet after posting a time of 53.136 and a speed of 180.217 mph.

Brendan Gaughan will start sixth in his No. 62 RCR Chevrolet. Ryan Reed will start seventh in his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Joey Logano will start eighth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Elliott Sadler will start ninth in his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. JJ Yeley will round out the top-10 starters in his No. 44 TriStar Motorsports Toyota.

Derrick Cope, Mike Harmon and Josh Reaume were the three drivers that failed to make the race.

[pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/N1609_STARTROW.pdf”]

April 30, 2016
Logano Fastest in Final Practice at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala.– Joey Logano topped the chart in final Sprint Cup Series practice at Talladega Superspeedway.

The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 48.785 and a speed of 196.290 mph. Ryan Blaney was second in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with a time of 48.798 and a speed of 196.238 mph. Chase Elliott was third in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 48.811 and a speed of 196.185 mph. Danica Patrick was fourth in her No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet with a time of 49.084 and a speed of 195.094 mph. Brian Scott rounded out the top-five in his No. 44 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford with a time of 49.107 and a speed of 195.003 mph.

Kasey Kahne was sixth in his No. 5 HMS Chevrolet. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was seventh in his No. 88 HMS Chevrolet. Trevor Bayne was eighth in his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Austin Dillon was ninth in his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Kurt Busch rounded out the top-10 in his No. 41 SHR Chevrolet.

Patrick posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 192.142 mph. Kahne was second at an average speed of 192.020 mph.

The Sprint Cup Series is back on track tomorrow afternoon at 12:30 p.m. ETwith qualifying for the GEICO 500.

[pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/C1610_PRACFINAL.pdf”]

April 29, 2016
Stewart Won’t Change Sunday Plans if it Goes Long Green

TALLADEGA, Ala.– Tony Stewart said how deep the race goes before the first caution will have no bearing on him getting out and giving way to a substitute driver.

During his media availability as part of a press conference with Danica Patrick, the driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet was asked if he would change his plan and run the entire race should the race go as long caution-free as it did last October.

“I still think the goal is going to be for when the first caution comes out,” Stewart said. “And if it means we go 80 laps or 100 laps or whatever, it’s not likely that the race will go that long without a caution, but if it does, the level of intensity is pretty sanitary at that point. It’s not really ramping-up yet. So, I don’t feel like there’s any danger in that. It’s later in the race when guys are really having to make things happen; that’s the part of the race when we really need to be out of the car. There will be ample time to get that caution to get us out. The good thing is that Talladega is so big that even if it’s 40 laps from the end of the race when Ty gets in it, he’s going to have enough time to do what he needs to do. Hopefully, it will happen sooner than later; and that way he can get into the flow of the race earlier than later and he’ll be fine. Everything that he’s done in our car this year has been awesome. I think he’s done a fantastic job and I think he’ll be fine this weekend as well.”

The plan is that Ty Dillon will hop into the car during the first caution of the race which will allow Stewart to be credited as the starting driver and receive the points from wherever Dillon finishes.

The decision to get out of the car stems from his doctors advising he do so to not risk re-injuring his spine.

Stewart suffered a burst fracture of his L1 vertebrae in a dune buggy wreck back in late January. After sitting out the first eight races, he made his return to competition in an 18th-place finish during last Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. He said afterward that he was having so much fun at his favorite track.

April 29, 2016
McMurray Fastest in First Practice

TALLADEGA, Ala.– Jamie McMurray topped the chart in the first Sprint Cup Series practice at Talladega Superspeedway.

The driver of the No. 1 Jamie McMurray was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 47.943 and a speed of 199.737 mph. Chase Elliott was second in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 47.945 and a speed of 199.729 mph. Kurt Busch was third in his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet with a time of 48.022 and a speed of 199.409 mph. Danica Patrick was fourth in his No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet with a time of 48.028 and a speed of 199.384 mph. Trevor Bayne rounded out the top-five in his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford with a time of 48.044 and a speed of 199.317 mph.

Kevin Harvick was sixth in his No. 4 SHR Chevrolet. Casey Mears was seventh in his No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet. Joey Logano was eighth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Kyle Larson was ninth in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Michael McDowell rounded out the top-10 in his No. 95 Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet.

Larson posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 195.541 mph. Logano was second at an average speed of 195.169 mph.

The Sprint Cup Series is back on track this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. ET for final practice.

[pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/C1610_PRAC1.pdf”]

April 29, 2016
Tifft Fastest in Final XFINITY Practice at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala.– Matt Tifft topped the chart in final XFINITY Series practice at Talladega Superspeedway.

The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 52.639 and a speed of 181.918 mph. Ty Dillon was second in his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 52.756 and a speed of 181.515 mph. Brandon Jones was third in his No. 33 RCR Chevrolet with a time of 53.098 and a speed of 180.346 mph. Daniel Suárez was fourth in his No. 19 JGR Toyota with a time of 53.110 and a speed of 180.305 mph. Jeremy Clements rounded out the top-five in his No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet with a time of 53.259 and a speed of 179.801 mph.

Ray Black Jr. was sixth in his No. 07 SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet. Austin Dillon was seventh in his No. 2 RCR Chevrolet. Erik Jones was eighth in his No. 20 JGR Toyota. Jeb Burton was ninth in his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford. Elliott Sadler rounded out the top-10 in his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

No driver posted a 10 consecutive lap average during the session.

The next time the XFINITY Series is back on track is tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. ET for qualifying for the Sparks Energy 300.

[pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/N1609_PRACFINAL.pdf”]

April 29, 2016
NASCAR Star Carl Edwards Going for Third Win at Talladega Superspeedway

Carl Edwards – who has won the last two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races – is now targeting a third win on Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Edwards has led the most laps in the past three contests. Now all shall see if he will take a checkered flag from Talladega, a track where he has not triumphed before.

This year, NASCAR granted the implementation of a lower downforce package for race cars. Edwards has long advocated that NASCAR implement a lower downforce, because lowering the downforce on a race car makes it more difficult to control, thus, emphasizing driver skill over car engineering expertise.

As expected, sports betting articles have reflected that Edwards’ performance has excelled under NASCAR’s new lower down-force aerodynamics package. Edwards tops the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings with two wins under his belt, as well as five top-five and eight top-ten finishes. The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver set records for green flag passes for the lead three times in the first nine races, and has only finished lower than seventh once.

The Talladega Superspeedway

Edwards is currently on top of his game. He has yet to face his greatest challenge – the 2.66 mile Tri-Oval of Talladega.

“Headed to Talladega to try to better our average finish there,” Edwards said. “We don’t have a win there, but the way our team has been running, I feel like I am on one of the best runs of my career. I’m having a real great time with my crew and these Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota’s are fast.”

The 36-year-old NASCAR driver struggled at Talladega throughout his career. In 23 starts at the oval, he has made three top-five and six top-ten finishes. His best performance on the track was finishing in third place in spring of 2013.

Talladega Superspeedway was built in 1969 and has 33 degrees of banking in the turns, and 18 degrees on the Tri-Oval. Talladega is a track that forces teams the installation of restrictor plates. These plates are devices that restrict the amount of air and fuel entering an engine’s combustion chamber, therefore limiting horsepower. Simply put, the plates limit the top speed of the race cars. The restrictor plates also increase aerodynamics in such a way that two race cars running together become much faster than one race car on its own. As a result, race cars on the Talladega track tend to run together in a large pack, only a few inches apart.

In spite of Edwards’ track record on Talladega, he says that he can draw his experience from the previous Daytona 500, the biggest Sprint Cup race of the year. This year’s restrictor plate race on the Daytona International Speedway saw Edwards rallying to finish in sixth place after sustaining heavy damage to his car. He said, “We ran well as a group in Daytona and we really worked great as a team together. Hopefully we can do that again and have similar results.”

All of the GEICO 500 action will go down on April 29 – May 1, 2016. If you want to get into the excitement of the race, check out hityah.com for the latest sports betting offers.

April 29, 2016
Wallace Fastest in First XFINITY Practice

TALLADEGA, Ala.– Darrell Wallace Jr. topped the chart in the first XFINITY Series practice at Talladega Superspeedway.

The driver of the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 49.768 and a speed of 192.413 mph. Ryan Reed was second in his No. 16 RFR Ford with a time of 49.783 and a speed of 192.355 mph. Ty Dillon was third in his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 49.920 and a speed of 191.827 mph. Matt Tifft was fourth in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 49.961 and a speed of 191.670 mph. Austin Dillon rounded out the top-five in his No. 2 RCR Chevrolet with a time of 50.241 and a speed of 190.601 mph.

Brandon Jones was sixth in his No. 33 RCR Chevrolet. Blake Koch was seventh in his No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. Chase Elliott was eighth in his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Erik Jones was ninth in his No. 20 JGR Toyota. Daniel Suárez rounded out the top-10 in his No. 19 JGR Toyota.

John Wes Townley, who finished 12th in his No. 05 Athenian Motorsports Chevrolet, posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 184.942 mph. The XFINITY Series is back on track this afternoon at 1:25 for final practice.

[pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/N1609_PRAC1.pdf”]

April 29, 2016
Two-Round Qualifying Format Returns Saturday to Talladega Superspeedway for The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GEICO 500 & NASCAR XFINITY Series Sparks Energy 300

Part of an Action-Packed Saturday That Features Sparks Energy 300 Race and Big & Rich, Featuring Cowboy Troy, Infamous Saturday Night Concert

TALLADEGA, AL – NASCAR’s “Two-Round” qualifying procedure will be in effect this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway when both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) and the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) return to the biggest and baddest track on the planet this Saturday, April 30.

Qualifying for both the Sparks Energy 300 and GEICO 500 will consist of two rounds that will feature every driver taking one timed lap around the 2.66-mile tri-oval during the first round. The drivers with the 12 fastest lap speeds will advance to the second round. The top-12 starting positions for both races will be determined by the fastest lap speed in the second round, while positions 13 and beyond will be established off the first-round speeds.

NASCAR officials will send cars onto the track at predetermined intervals, resulting in a constant flow of drivers making qualifying runs. The action on the track will never stop, except for the 10-minute break between rounds. There will be a new pole winner for this year’s GEICO 500 as Jeff Gordon, who retired at the end of last season, led the field to the green flag a year ago. Austin Dillon, grandson of 12-time Talladega winning car owner Richard Childress, captured the top spot for last year’s Sparks Energy 300.

“Talladega is a fantastic venue to watch a race,” said track Chairman Grant Lynch. “We believe that no matter what form of racing we showcase, it’s the best in all of motorsports. We encourage race fans to get here early Saturday to enjoy all the fun and excitement on and off the track for a full day of fun.”

Qualifying for the Sparks Energy 300 is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. CDT with qualifying for the GEICO 500 set for 11:30 a.m. CDT. The action continues at 2 p.m. CDT with the start of the Sparks Energy 300.

The action-packed day concludes Saturday evening at the intersection of Eastaboga and Talladega Boulevards for Talladega’s traditional infield concert, headlined by country duo Big & Rich, Featuring Cowboy Troy. Country Music’s best-kept secret, Eric Lee Beddingfield, is set to open the event at 7:30 p.m. The best part about the concert is that admission is free with the purchase of a Sunday race ticket for the GEICO 500 (starting at 12:00 p.m. CDT).

For ticket information, including many upgrade opportunities, for the GEICO 500, Sparks Energy 300 and General Tire 200 events, log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA.

About Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega Superspeedway is NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), most banked (33 degrees), and longest (2.66 miles), as well as the most fun and fan-friendly, offering up hundreds of acres of free camping, amazing kids ticket prices and special offers for military members and college students. The historic venue, built in 1969, is NASCAR’s “Party Capital” thanks to the track’s infamous infield, which features the traditional Saturday Night Concert and the world renowned Talladega Blvd, home of the “Big One on the Blvd” party. It is the site of the most comfortable seats in motorsports, large video viewing boards (a new initiative planned for future implementation at all ISC tracks) lining the frontstretch and endless activities for fans throughout its event weekends. Talladega Superspeedway’s next NASCAR weekend is set for April 29–May 1 with the ARCA Racing Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (GEICO 500). Log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 877-Go2-DEGA for more information.

April 28, 2016
NASCAR Updates Lug Nut Rules

By Staff report | NASCAR.com

NASCAR has made updates to the rule book regarding lug nuts, effective immediately.

In a memo sent to teams Monday, the sanctioning body informed organizations that they will be expected to have all five lug nuts installed in a safe and secure manner throughout all national series events.

Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition issued an official statement.

“NASCAR has been closely monitoring the aggressive strategies on pit road. Safety is an area we do not take lightly, as our record has clearly indicated. It’s important for us to have a system in place immediately for addressing lug nut installation while we also work alongside the industry to develop the best long-term solution.”

Any identification of missing lug nut(s) on a wheel will result in the following penalties for Sprint Cup Series teams:

If found pre-race, it counts as an unapproved adjustment and the team will have to start at the tail of the field and must make a correction immediately.

Tires intended for race use without all five lug nuts glued to the wheel results in a written warning and must be corrected immediately. If found post-race, the first offense is a minimum of $20,000 fine and crew chief suspension for one race and probation. Multiple offenses will result in escalated penalties.

Penalties are as follows for NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series teams.

NXS: Post-race (P3 penalty) First offense: minimum of $10,000 fine, crew chief suspension for one race and probation.

NCWTS: Post-race (P3 penalty) First offense: minimum of $5,000 fine, crew chief suspension for one race and probation.

April 25, 2016
ISC Names New Chief Operating Officer Joie Chitwood III and Announces Chip Wile as New Track President of Daytona

International Speedway Corporation Names New Chief Operating Officer Joie Chitwood III
Announces New President of Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – April 25, 2016 – International Speedway Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select Market: ISCA; OTC Bulletin Board: ISCB) (“ISC”) today announced that Joie Chitwood III, Executive Vice President, ISC and President of Daytona International Speedway, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer of ISC. Concurrently, the Company announced that Chip Wile, President of Darlington Raceway, has been promoted to President of Daytona International Speedway.

“Joie has played a tremendous role in the success of our flagship racetrack at Daytona International Speedway since 2010,” stated ISC CEO Lesa France Kennedy. “Most recently, his leadership of the DAYTONA Rising project, while simultaneously operating the facility, has demonstrated his operational acumen.”

Chitwood moves into the newly-formed role of COO following oversight of the Company’s largest development to-date – the $400 million transformation of Daytona International Speedway into the world’s first motorsports stadium, along with the 2010 repave of the Speedway. In his new position, Chitwood will oversee ISC enterprise facility operations, along with strengthening key industry initiatives.

“Joie’s promotion is well deserved and reflects his achievements and increased role in the Company’s future,” said John Saunders, President of ISC. “He brings a distinct passion, creativity, and drive to this new role and we look forward to his contributions.”

Wile, promoter of one of NASCAR’s most successful events of the 2015 season – the Bojangles’ Southern 500, will transition from leadership of Darlington Raceway to President of Daytona International Speedway. In just two years as President of Darlington Raceway, Wile transformed the facility’s identity and impact on and off the track. He spearheaded a five-year strategy to reinvent Darlington Raceway with an inaugural Throwback Campaign during NASCAR’s return to Darlington on Labor Day weekend, in addition to re-engaging the local community hosting nearly 15 annual events. In his new role, Wile will oversee promotion and operation of the new motorsports stadium beginning with its first major event, the Country 500 over Memorial Day weekend, followed by the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola.

“Chip personifies the ideal track president being someone who values relationship building as the catalyst for collaboration and promotion,” stated Kennedy. “He not only operates with a fan-first mentality, but is deeply community-focused and a real team player, all of which will serve him well in this new role.”

About ISC

International Speedway Corporation is a leading promoter of motorsports activities, currently promoting more than 100 racing events annually as well as numerous other motorsports-related activities. The Company owns and/or operates 13 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities, including Daytona International Speedway® in Florida (home of the DAYTONA 500®); Talladega Superspeedway® in Alabama; Michigan International Speedway® located outside Detroit; Richmond International Raceway® in Virginia; Auto Club Speedway of Southern CaliforniaSM near Los Angeles; Kansas Speedway® in Kansas City, Kansas; Phoenix International Raceway® in Arizona; Chicagoland Speedway® and Route 66 RacewaySM near Chicago, Illinois; Homestead-Miami SpeedwaySM in Florida; Martinsville Speedway® in Virginia; Darlington Raceway® in South Carolina; and Watkins Glen International® in New York.

The Company also owns and operates Motor Racing NetworkSM, the nation’s largest independent sports radio network and Americrown Service CorporationSM, a subsidiary that provides catering services, and food and beverage concessions. In addition, the Company has a 50 percent interest in the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway. For more information, visit the Company’s Web site at www.internationalspeedwaycorporation.com.

April 25, 2016