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  • Kurt Busch Wins the TOYOTA OWNERS 400

    Kurt Busch Wins the TOYOTA OWNERS 400

    Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Chevrolet, had a strong car all day long and came out on top in the TOYOTA OWNERS 400. After leading 291 laps in dominating fashion, Busch secures his second Richmond win in 29 starts here.

    Kevin Harvick in the No.4 Chevrolet completed the 1-2 Stewart-Haas finish by coming in second, 0.755 seconds behind his teammate.

    Rounding out the top five are Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray, and Joey Logano.

    NASCAR returns to Richmond International Raceway September 11-12 for a doubleheader weekend featuring the Federated Auto Parts 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series race. April ticket holders may renew their tickets by May 4. Tickets go on sale to the general public May 22.

    Stay up to speed by “Liking” us on Facebook and following us on Twitter @RIRInsider. Don’t forget to add ‘ririnsider’ on Snapchat!

  • Rain Moves Toyota Owners 400 to Sunday

    Rain Moves Toyota Owners 400 to Sunday

    April 25, 2015 Holly Cain/NASCAR.com

    RICHMOND, Va. – The Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway scheduled for 7 p.m. ET Saturday night has been postponed to 1 p.m. ET on Sunday due to inclement weather. FOX will carry the race.

    Saturday night’s rain out was not a huge surprise to the NASCAR teams who have learned to practice amateur meteorology themselves and saw the forecast earlier in the week.

    NASCAR officials said that Saturday night’s decision was made after assessing weather forecasts and consulting with government and law enforcement officials. Unlike last weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, forecasts did not provide any suitable window of opportunity for precipitation to end and to dry the track.

    Rain began around noon Saturday and picked up intensity shortly before the driver/crew chief meeting at 5 p.m. – two hours before the green flag.

    “I know it’s a rough day,” RIR track president Dennis Bickmeier said during the meeting, acknowledging the threat of delays. “Thank you for hanging with us.”

    And while the rainout is aggravating and inconvenient the drivers have come to accept it as a part of the job. Persistent showers last week at Bristol Motor Speedway meant several race stoppages before the checkered flag finally fell almost 10 hours later.

    “It is tough a lot of times because you have your whole routine in the morning you go through with appearances and drivers meeting and do all your stuff and then you sit and wait,” pole-sitter Joey Logano said. “At that point you start to relax again. It just changes a little bit. It is like any other athlete. You get in your mode and do the same thing every week before the race or before a game and when it rains it kind of throws you off a little bit.

    “Usually by the time you get back in the car, they give you enough warning the race is about to start and you get your head back straight again and off you go. Usually it isn’t that big of an effect for what we do.”

    Knowing that it’s going to rain, however, doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to prepare for the race. Moving the race from night to day or day to night creates an extra challenge for crew chiefs.

    “Even if it does rain and I know there’s a possibility I guess it would be a day race which might change it a little bit.” last week’s Bristol winner Matt Kenseth said. “It might bring it more back to your notes for [practice] today than what your typical adjustments are for night time.

    “Like I said, for me I don’t have a really good handle or feel on how this track changes from day to night during a race and all that, so [crew chief] Jason [Ratcliff] probably does a lot better than me.

    “For me, it’s always kind of a guess. I’m not sure what I’m going to get when the race starts. Whenever I’m pretty confident I know what the track is going to do, it seems like my car goes the other way. Just kind of leave that up to Jason and the guys to figure out.”

    From a practical level, Sprint Cup Series Managing Director Richard Buck told the drivers there would be a competition caution on Lap 50 of the 400-lap event. The race would be legal with 201 laps completed, but NASCAR always tries to finish its races, as it did last week at Bristol, including a green-white-checkered finish after a red flag for rain.

    And the Air Titan track drying machines have greatly shortened the time it takes to get the track race ready.

    “When this place gets the rubber washed off of it, it is really, really fast for a little bit,” second-year driver Kyle Larson said. “But then it wears out tires quicker. You have to think about that kind of stuff. I’m sure we will have a competition caution at some point so you have to be patient at the beginning of the race. And the track will change a whole bunch throughout the whole race.”

  • Denny Hamlin Dominates XFINITY Series Race at Richmond

    Denny Hamlin Dominates XFINITY Series Race at Richmond

    RICHMOND, Va.—Domination must be contagious.

    Six days after Joey Logano led all 300 laps in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Bristol, Denny Hamlin led 248 of 250 circuits in winning Friday night’s ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond International Raceway.

    The only two laps that spoiled a Hamlin no-hitter were Brian Scott’s dive bomb off Turn 4 to lead Lap 154 by inches and Elliott Sadler’s contrarian fuel strategy, which allowed him to lead Lap 226 during a cycle of green-flag pit stops before Hamlin, on fresh tires, roared back past him on Lap 227.

    Aside from those fleeting moments, however, it was no contest.

    “He was so fast—we had nothing for him,” said Logano, who could keep Hamlin in sight for five or six laps after a restart, only to have the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota drive away. “We had a second-place car. That’s where it was, just second place.

    “I know what it feels like to be on the other end of the butt-whipping now. It’s not as much fun from this side. But congrats to them. They deserved it, obviously. We didn’t have a shot.”

    In winning the 12th NASCAR XFINITY Series race of his career, his first of the season and his third at Richmond, Hamlin held leads as large as 6.5 seconds and crossed the finish line 3.719 seconds ahead of Logano, with just eight cars on the lead lap.

    Regan Smith was third, followed by Erik Jones, Chase Elliott, and rookie Daniel Suarez, as Joe Gibbs Racing placed three drivers in the top six (Hamlin, Jones and Suarez).

    The victory was the 100th for Toyota in the XFINITY Series.

    “The 100th XFINITY win for Toyota—that’s a big one,” Hamlin said. “I was able to get the 100th [NASCAR Sprint] Cup win at Loudon a few years ago for those guys and JGR. This is a big win for everyone. I’m glad to be working with Wheels again (crew chief Mike Wheeler). He put a rocket under us tonight.”

    Given the way he ran on Friday, Hamlin seemed fully recovered from the neck spasms that sidelined him during last Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Bristol.

    Quick action by emergency workers prevented a potential tragedy on pit road during pit stops under the second caution of the race.

    A spark ignited spilled fuel behind the car of Brendan Gaughan, engulfing rear tire changer Anthony O’Brien in a fireball that was quickly extinguished, Nevertheless, O’Brien, Gaughan’s fueler, Josh Wittman, and Clifford Turner, a crew member from Eric McClure’s team were taken to a local hospital for treatment and observation as a result of the incident.

    Note: Series leader Ty Dillon finished ninth and holds an eight-point lead over second-place Elliott, the defending series champion. Chris Buescher, who entered the event tied with Dillon, finished 20th and fell to third in the standings, 11 points back.

  • Back in Action: Defending TOYOTA OWNERS 400 Champion Wins Crispy M&m’s Pole Qualifying

    Back in Action: Defending TOYOTA OWNERS 400 Champion Wins Crispy M&m’s Pole Qualifying

    Defending TOYOTA OWNERS 400 champion Joey Logano leads the pack in Crispy M&M’s Pole Qualifying and now tastes the sweet reward of sitting on the pole for tomorrow night’s TOYOTA OWNERS 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway. Logano laid down a lap of 127.071 mph.

    Denny Hamlin joins Logano on the front row with a speed of 126.796 mph. Kurt Busch, AJ Allmendinger, and Kevin Harvick complete the top five.

    Tickets are still available for the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Come see Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and all your favorite drivers battle it out short track style under the lights. NASCAR’s best are looking to secure a win and move one step closer to competing for the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Tickets are still available, and start at $40. Children 12 and younger are $25 off the adult price in ALL grandstands. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here, calling 866-455-7223, or visiting a ticket booth at RIR.

    Don’t forget tickets for children 12 and younger are $25 off the adult price in EVERY grandstand. Want to put your feet to RIR’s pavement? Every fan who has a ticket to the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 can be a part of Track Takeover powered by Nationwide. If you’re a fan, you’re invited to become a part of RIR history when you sign the Start/Finish line and participate in interactive and educational displays. Take a stroll on the very pavement your favorite drivers will be racing on and enjoy Q&As with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Chase Elliott, live music from Eric Lee Beddingfield, and more! Tickets can be purchased by clicking here, by calling 866-455-7223, or visiting a ticket booth at RIR.

    Stay up to speed by “Liking” us on Facebook and following us on Twitter and Instagram @RIRInsider. Don’t forget to add ‘ririnsider’ on Snapchat to get behind-the-scenes content on race weekend!

  • Hometown Hamlin Takes the Pole for the ToyotaCare 250

    Hometown Hamlin Takes the Pole for the ToyotaCare 250

    Denny Hamlin laid down a hot lap in NASCAR XFINITY Series Pole Qualifying for tonight’s ToyotaCare 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series at Richmond International Raceway. Hamlin led the way with a speed of 124.069 mph.

    Joey Logano joins Hamlin on the front row with a speed of 124.018 mph. Erik Jones, Aric Almirola, and Brian Scott complete the top five for tonight’s main event.

    Tickets are still available for tonight’s ToyotaCare250, starting at $35. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with a ticketed adult in general admission areas. To purchase, click here or call 866-455-7223.

    Need more NASCAR action in your life? That’s great because the NASCAR weekend continues at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, April 25, with the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Come see Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and all your favorite drivers battle it out short track style under the lights. NASCAR’s best are looking to secure a win and move one step closer to competing for the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

    Don’t forget tickets for children 12 and younger are $25 off the adult price in EVERY grandstand. Want to put your feet to RIR’s pavement? Every fan who has a ticket to the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 can be a part of Track Takeover powered by Nationwide. If you’re a fan, you’re invited to become a part of RIR history when you sign the Start/Finish line and participate in interactive and educational displays. Take a stroll on the very pavement your favorite drivers will be racing on and enjoy Q&As with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Chase Elliott, live music from Eric Lee Beddingfield, and more! Tickets can be purchased by clicking here, by calling 866-455-7223, or visiting a ticket booth at RIR.

    Stay up to speed by “Liking” us on Facebook and following us on Twitter and Instagram @RIRInsider. Don’t forget to add ‘ririnsider’ on Snapchat to get behind-the-scenes content on race weekend!

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Richmond International Raceway

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Richmond International Raceway

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the XFINITY Series head to Richmond International Raceway this weekend while the Camping World Truck Series is off but will return May 8 at Kansas.

    All times Eastern.

    Friday, April 24:

    On Track:

    8:15-10:25 a.m.: XFINITY Series final practice
    11 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
    1-2:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series final practice – FOX Sports 1
    3:45 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1
    5:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1
    7:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series ToyotaCare 250 – FOX Sports 1 (250 laps, 187.5 miles)  (Scheduled Green Flag: 7:46 p.m. – Time approximate)

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    10 a.m.: Matt Kenseth
    10:15 a.m.: Kyle Larson
    12:40 p.m.: Elliott Sadler
    3 p.m.: Richmond Region Tourism, Henrico County and RIR announcement
    3:15 p.m.: Joey Logano
    6:45 p.m.: NSCS post-qualifying – Time approximate
    9:45 p.m.: NXS post-race – Time approximate

    Saturday, April 25:

    On Track:

    7 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 – FOX (400 laps, 300 miles) (Scheduled Green Flag: 7:14 p.m. – Time approximate)

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    4:30 p.m.: American Ethanol with Austin Dillon and NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Brent Dewar
    9:45 p.m.: NSCS post-race – Time approximate

     

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  • Matt Kenseth Wins Epic Bristol Battle

    Matt Kenseth Wins Epic Bristol Battle

    April 19, 2015, Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — In a race delayed and interrupted by rain, and ended in overtime, Matt Kenseth broke a drought of more than a year’s standing in Sunday’s Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    In a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race that went 11 laps past its scheduled distance of 500 laps — making it the longest race in the history of the 0.533-mile short track — Kenseth crossed the finish line 0.287 seconds ahead of Jimmie Johnson, who recovered from a succession of issues to claim the runner-up finish.

    Kenseth, who inherited the top spot when Kurt Busch pitted from the lead under the ninth caution on Lap 477, stayed out front the rest of the way. He was three car lengths ahead of third-place finisher Jeff Gordon when Carl Edwards got loose underneath Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet and ignited the wreck that brought out caution No. 11 and demolished Busch’s Chevy in the process.

    After a brief delay because of a late shower, a far cry from the 3-hour, 58-minute hiatus that came after the first 22 laps, Kenseth pulled away on a green-white-checkered-flag restart and was unchallenged to the finish, as Johnson got past Gordon for second.

    The victory was Kenseth’s fourth at Bristol, his most at any track, and the 32nd of his career. Kenseth broke a 51-race winless streak dating to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September 2013. The win all but locks up Kenseth’s spot in the Chase.

    “It feels good to be back here,” Kenseth said, sitting at the dais for the winner’s press conference. “Really, honestly, it does, it wears on you a little bit. We had such a good 2013 (seven victories), we came a little short of the ultimate prize there, but we had such a great season, and last year there were some races we had some chances to win and just things wouldn’t line up for us.

    “We just couldn’t get it to happen. Tonight was kind of the opposite. Everything worked out. We had a good car on the short run, not so good on the last 40 or 50 laps of the run, and we had all them cautions and short runs at the end that really benefited us.”

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ran fourth, followed by Ryan Newman. Danica Patrick was ninth, recording her second top-10 of the year and the sixth of her career, breaking a tie with Janet Guthrie for most ever by a female driver.

    Johnson’s second-place finish was an adventure. The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet survived two wrecks and a lost lap (which he regained as the highest scored lapped car under caution for debris on Lap 344).

    Johnson first sustained damage when Kurt Busch’s car twitched underneath him in Turn 3 and sent Johnson’s Chevrolet spinning.

    “Yeah, the first half of the race or first third of the race I was behind the 24 (Gordon), and we just worked our way up through the field and things went pretty smoothly,” said Johnson, who started 28th after a lackluster qualifying effort. “I had a very fast race car and felt like we were going to have a strong night. And then one of the restarts midway through the race, the 41 (Busch) — I don’t know what happened — but he lost control, got into me.

    “I went into the outside wall in Turn 3, and a caution came out. We had a fair amount of damage to the right rear quarter panel. I didn’t think I hit that hard, but after I got out of the race car and saw the damage, no wonder it didn’t drive very good after that, and we needed two or three pit stops to get the quarter panel pushed back down so there was some sideforce on the back of the car on corner entry and once we did that, we weren’t as good as we were at the start of the race but still very competitive.

    “(Crew chief) Chad (Knaus) called for two (tires) late in the race. That picked us up a few more spots, and then I think the last two restarts I was in the outside lane, and that helped me out quite a bit. Wild night, but glad to get it in.”

    If Kenseth’s winless streak ended, so did the productive streaks of three other drivers. Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. all had posted top 10s in each of the first seven Cup races this season, but all three drivers had major issues on Sunday.

    Logano slammed into Penske teammate Brad Keselowski after Keselowski lost control on a slick track on Lap 18. After extensive repairs, Logano finished 40th.

    Truex’s Chevrolet experienced a bad vibration, then a loose wheel. He finished 29th, seven laps down.

    Harvick was unable to avoid the wrecked car of David Ragan after contact between Johnson and Jeb Burton started a melee on lap 310. Harvick, who led 184 laps before the accident, spent 43 laps in the garage for repairs and came home 38th.

    Nevertheless, Harvick, Logano and Truex hold the top three positions in the series standings. Harvick leads Logano by 30 points and Truex by 33. Johnson is fourth, 56 points back.

     

  • Matty’s Picks 2015: Bristol – Part 1

    Matty’s Picks 2015: Bristol – Part 1

    It has been a couple weeks since you’ve heard from me, and I couldn’t pick a better track to make my return on. Not only is it one of the best venues on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit, but its one of the best venues in all of sports. From the 160,000 seats, to the extreme banking, to the tiny pit stalls, to the extreme speeds for a short track, Bristol is a bucket list race for any NASCAR fan, despite the claims that the racing was ruined in 2007 when the track was re-paved and progressive banking added. If you’re a fan of racing, Bristol Motor Speedway is on your list.

    I watched my first race at Bristol Motor Speedway in August of 2002, amongst a sold out crowd of over 150,000 when I watched Jeff Gordon execute the bump and run on Rusty Wallace with three laps remaining in the Sharpie 500. I happened to be sitting with a Rusty Wallace fan at the time, who was not happy with the move, but later on admitted if the roles were reversed, Wallace would have done the same thing. It’s just the way things went back then, if you were not on the bottom, you were losing positions. With the progressive banking, drivers are using all parts of the track to improve their position. The top side can be as good as the bottom, and the middle groove offers a safe haven for drivers with ill-handling cars that will not make it to the bottom or for those without the courage to run up next to the wall.

    I will save you all the grief of reading through my last few weeks of finishes, and let you know that I am sitting fourth in the CNY Sports Fans group and 12,044th on the FoxSports Fantasy Auto Leaderboards. I will let you know that I’ve finished second and third the last two weeks on my trek out of the basement.

    (more…)

  • Joey Logano Leads All 300 Laps In Record Win At Bristol

    Joey Logano Leads All 300 Laps In Record Win At Bristol

    BRISTOL, Tenn.—Joey Logano was enjoying such a perfect day at Bristol Motor Speedway that the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford kept expecting something to go wrong.

    It never did.

    Logano led all 300 laps of Saturday’s Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 at the .533-mile short track, a record for laps led in a NASCAR XFINITY Series race. It was the first time a driver led every lap in a single race since Kyle Busch accomplished the feat in winning the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond on Sept. 5, 2014.

    The victory was Logano’s second of the season, his second at Bristol (and his second straight dating back to his last start at Thunder Valley in 2012) and the 23rd of his career.

    “I’ve never led every single lap in a race before—what a fast Discount Tire Ford!” Logano said in Victory Lane. “Gosh, that’s amazing. You’re waiting for something to go wrong. It’s such a fast car, and with late cautions and all that stuff, you’re like ‘All right, where am I going to blow this thing?’

    “Those are the ones you’re just nervous throughout the whole race—but what a fast car. (Crew chief) Greg Erwin and all this team here … it was a perfect day. I can’t ask for any more out of them.”

    A caution for Jeremy Clements’ contact with the Turn 2 wall brought out the eighth and final caution of the race on Lap 280, but after a restart on Lap 288, Logano pulled away to beat rookie Daniel Suarez to the finish line by 1.172 seconds.

    Suarez notched the best finish of his XFINITY Series career. Chris Buescher ran third, followed by polesitter Erik Jones and Ty Dillon. Buescher and Dillon are tied for the series lead, 12 points ahead of reigning series champion and sixth-place finisher Chase Elliott in third.

    Early in the race, Kevin Harvick posed the only realistic threat to Logano’s supremacy, but a pit road speeding penalty under caution on Lap 175 sent Harvick to the rear of the field, and the driver of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet never recovered.

    Even after stopping for fresh tires under the final caution, Harvick was unable to make up ground. He restarted seventh with 13 laps left and finished seventh, providing plenty of food for thought for NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chiefs who will have to make tire calls in Sunday’s Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes (1 p.m. ET on FOX).

    During the 66-lap green-flag run that preceded the final caution, Suarez took over second place from Jones and began to gain on Logano. But Logano’s car had a maneuverability edge in traffic and was able to keep Suarez comfortably behind him.

    “At one point in that run I was thinking, ‘Man, maybe I can take it,’” said Suarez, whose finish was the highest ever by a Mexican-born driver in the XFINITY Series. “I just started thinking about the big picture, and it looked like at one point of that run that maybe for 20 laps or after 10 laps, we were a little bit faster than him (Joey Logano).

    “Later in the run we started getting a little too tight in the center, so we killed a little of the momentum off the corner, and it looked like he kept the same speed. Maybe he wasn’t super faster than us, but he was a little bit faster. Really, he had a lot of experience and he was able to pass traffic a little faster and with more confidence than me, and at that point he made a good gap between us.”

    NASCAR XFINITY Series Race – Drive to Stop Diabetes 300
    Bristol Motor Speedway
    Bristol, Tennessee
    Saturday, April 18, 2015

    1. (2) Joey Logano(i), Ford, 300, $61795.
    2. (9) Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, 300, $50774.
    3. (14) Chris Buescher, Ford, 300, $43677.
    4. (1) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 300, $44885.
    5. (16) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 300, $34701.
    6. (13) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 300, $33566.
    7. (6) Kevin Harvick(i), Chevrolet, 300, $25998.
    8. (4) Brian Scott, Chevrolet, 300, $31857.
    9. (8) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 300, $31635.
    10. (12) Elliott Sadler, Ford, 300, $34382.
    11. (17) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 300, $31080.
    12. (7) Darrell Wallace Jr. #, Ford, 300, $30979.
    13. (21) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 299, $30878.
    14. (11) John Wes Townley(i), Chevrolet, 297, $30828.
    15. (20) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 297, $31152.
    16. (3) Austin Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 297, $24702.
    17. (23) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 296, $30652.
    18. (29) David Starr, Toyota, 296, $30601.
    19. (33) Cale Conley #, Toyota, 296, $30500.
    20. (25) Mike Bliss, Toyota, 295, $30950.
    21. (24) Ryan Reed, Ford, 294, $30574.
    22. (32) Blake Koch, Toyota, 294, $30319.
    23. (22) Dakoda Armstrong, Ford, 294, $30268.
    24. (28) Todd Bodine, Chevrolet, 293, $30192.
    25. (27) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 293, $30291.
    26. (26) Eric McClure, Toyota, 291, $30066.
    27. (18) Ross Chastain #, Chevrolet, Engine, 273, $30016.
    28. (19) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, Brakes, 268, $29940.
    29. (31) Harrison Rhodes #, Chevrolet, 260, $29889.
    30. (10) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 252, $29634.
    31. (5) Denny Hamlin(i), Toyota, 229, $23128.
    32. (35) Peyton Sellers #, Chevrolet, Electrical, 227, $28992.
    33. (15) JJ Yeley, Toyota, Accident, 206, $28876.
    34. (37) Timmy Hill(i), Toyota, Engine, 198, $28841.
    35. (39) Mike Harmon, Dodge, Suspension, 106, $22800.
    36. (38) Carlos Contreras, Chevrolet, Brakes, 60, $20646.
    37. (36) Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, Fuel Pump, 55, $19646.
    38. (30) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Brakes, 41, $18646.
    39. (34) Jeff Green, Toyota, Vibration, 28, $17646.
    40. (40) Derek White, Dodge, Electrical, 11, $16646.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 87.218 mph.
    Time of Race: 01 Hrs, 50 Mins, 00 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.172 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 8 for 48 laps.
    Lead Changes: 1 among 1 drivers.
    Lap Leaders: 0; J. Logano(i) 1-300.
    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): J. Logano(i) 1 time for 300 laps.
    Top 10 in Points: C. Buescher – 258; T. Dillon – 258; C. Elliott – 246; D. Wallace Jr. # – 236; R. Reed – 220; E. Sadler – 215; B. Gaughan – 211; R. Smith – 211; B. Scott – 205; D. Suarez # – 202.

  • Matt Kenseth Wins Coors Light Pole at Bristol

    Matt Kenseth Wins Coors Light Pole at Bristol

    April 17, 2015, Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service

    BRISTOL, Tenn.—If history repeats itself on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway, Matt Kenseth won’t have a problem with it.

    The last time Kenseth won a pole at the high-banked .533-mile short track—back in 2005—he followed with a victory in the race.

    In Friday’s time trials at Thunder Valley, with a lap at 128.632 mph (14.917 seconds) Kenseth earned the 14th Coors Light Pole Award of his career, his second at Bristol and his first of the season.

    And that’s a good omen for a driver who hasn’t won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race since his seven-victory debut season with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2013.

    Kenseth edged two-time Bristol winner Brad Keselowski (128.442 mph) for the top starting spot by .022 seconds. Carl Edwards (128.322 mph) qualified third, his best effort of the season so far, and reigning series champion Kevin Harvick (128.211 mph) will start fourth in Sunday’s Food City 500to Support Steve Byrnes (1 p.m. on FOX).

    Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano (who was fastest in each of the first two rounds of knockout qualifying), Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne earned the fifth through eighth spots on the grid, as all of the top eight qualifiers are former Bristol winners.

    “We need to be able to go out and win races,” Kenseth said. “Last year and so far this year haven’t been particularly great for JGR. I think we’ve had two wins that weren’t plate races in the last year and a half as a company.

    “So, obviously, as a company, we’ve got to get running better. … We’ve just got to keep working on it, and I’ve certainly got to be better. I need to do a better job, and I know that. I work at getting better every week, and I have, I think, since the first day I came into this sport.”

    If Kenseth is to capitalize on his pole position, his team will have to improve the handling of the No. 20 Toyota in race trim.

    “You have to be able to stay on your tires for a long time,” the 2003 series champion said. “You have to have good balance at the end of the run. You have to be pretty fast at the beginning of the run so you don’t give up spots on restarts—it is hard to pass later the run.

    “I wasn’t really thrilled with the way my car drove in race trim (in practice) today, but in qualifying trim it would run a fast lap. So I certainly think we’ve got some work to do (in Saturday’s practice).”

    So does Jimmie Johnson. Last week’s Texas winner didn’t survive the first elimination in qualifying and will start 28th in Sunday’s race. In fact, Kahne was the only Hendrick Motorsports driver to advance to the final round in Friday’s time trials.

    David Ragan continued his solid effort in relief of injured Kyle Busch, qualifying 11th in the No. 18 JGR Camry.

    Note: Brendan Gaughan and Ron Hornaday Jr. failed to make the 43-car field.

    Complete Starting Lineup:

    POS. CAR # DRIVER SPONSOR BEST SPEED BEST TIME BEHIND
    1 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General 128.63 14.917 Leader
    2 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite 128.44 14.939 0.022
    3 19 Carl Edwards COMCAST BUSINESS 128.32 14.953 0.036
    4 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s/ Budweiser 128.21 14.966 0.049
    5 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight 127.42 15.059 0.142
    6 22 Joey Logano AutoTrader 127.32 15.071 0.154
    7 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation 126.87 15.124 0.207
    8 5 Kasey Kahne Great Clips 126.83 15.129 0.212
    9 27 Paul Menard Sylvania / Menards 126.83 15.129 0.212
    10 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s 126.61 15.155 0.238
    11 18 David Ragan Snickers Extreme 126.44 15.176 0.259
    12 3 Austin Dillon Dow 126.26 15.197 0.28
    13 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr MOUNTAIN DEW DEWSHINE 127.08 15.099 0.182
    14 42 Kyle Larson Target 127.07 15.1 0.183
    15 51 Justin Allgaier Auto Owners Insurance 126.56 15.161 0.244
    16 78 Martin Truex Jr Furniture Row/Visser Precision 126.5 15.168 0.251
    17 40 Landon Cassill TBA 126.43 15.177 0.26
    18 31 Ryan Newman WIX 126.09 15.218 0.301
    19 95 Michael McDowell Thrivent Financial 125.95 15.235 0.318
    20 47 AJ Allmendinger Bush’s Beans 125.94 15.236 0.319
    21 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 125.83 15.249 0.332
    22 83 Matt DiBenedetto Dustless Blasting 125.8 15.253 0.336
    23 24 Jeff Gordon 3M 125.61 15.276 0.359
    24 55 Brett Moffitt Aaron’s Dream Machine 125.2 15.326 0.409
    25 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr Zest Ford Fusion 126.38 15.183 0.266
    26 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy 126.33 15.189 0.272
    27 13 Casey Mears No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS 126.3 15.192 0.275
    28 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s 126.15 15.211 0.294
    29 23 J.J. Yeley Dr. Pepper “I’m a Pepper” 126.05 15.223 0.306
    30 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield 125.82 15.25 0.333
    31 6 Trevor Bayne Advocare Ford Fusion 125.8 15.253 0.336
    32 38 David Gilliland MDS Transport 125.63 15.274 0.357
    33 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford Fusion 125.55 15.283 0.366
    34 26 Jeb Burton MaximFantasySports.com 125.51 15.288 0.371
    35 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing 125.45 15.295 0.378
    36 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J 125.16 15.331 0.414
    37 15 Clint Bowyer 5-Hour Energy 125.02 15.348 0.431
    38 34 Chris Buescher CSX / Play It Safe 125.02 15.348 0.431
    39 9 Sam Hornish Jr Nature Blast 124.94 15.358 0.441
    40 7 Alex Bowman TBA 124.56 15.405 0.488
    41 32 Mike Bliss KEEN PARTS/VISONE RV 124.13 15.458 0.541
    42 35 Cole Whitt Tweaker Energy Shots 124.05 15.468 0.551
    43 33 Alex Kennedy Media Cast 123.61 15.523 0.606