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  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Cheez-It 355 at the Glen

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Cheez-It 355 at the Glen

    As the NASCAR community mourned the death of sprint car driver Kevin Ward Jr., which led to Tony Stewart’s decision not to participate at Watkins Glen, the racing did go on at one of the sport’s more challenging road courses.

    And with that overlay of respect for all involved in the tragedy, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 29th annual Cheez-It 355 at the Glen.

    Surprising: For at least two drivers, one with a powerhouse team and the other from a small operation, the race was all about power, from the four-time champion driver who lost it to the first-time winning driver who dug down deep to find the sheer willpower to get to Victory Lane.

    Jeff Gordon, whose sponsor Drive to End Hunger just announced their renewal for 2015, looked like the man to beat, scoring the pole position and leading laps early in the race. Then, inexplicably, Gordon’s No. 24 machine slowed on the track and he lost power, finishing a disappointing 34th and losing the points lead to teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    “I’ve got to get with the team and find out what caused it,” Gordon said. “It looks like we had a battery go dead, two batteries go dead. I didn’t see anything on the volts meter that stood out or anything really going on there that was alarming.”

    The other driver, AJ Allmendinger, drove the race of his life against Watkins Glen expert Marcos Ambrose, running on sheer willpower, as he was bound and determined to get his first ever win in the Sprint Cup Series.

    “I wasn’t going to let Marcos take that from me,” AJ Allmendinger, driver of the No. 47 Scott Products Chevrolet for JTG Daugherty Racing, said simply. “I’ve dreamed about this moment, and I’m not going to forget it.”

    Not Surprising: It is not often that the race winner pays homage to the track workers, but AJ Allmendinger did just that, recognizing those that had to make extensive repairs, not only to the Armco barriers but also to the pit road barrels, after two horrific crashes.

    The first crash involved Ryan Newman and Michael McDowell, resulting in almost a rebuild of fencing, and the second involved Denny Hamlin hitting the pit barriers hard. Track workers labored furiously making repairs for almost two hours after the serious damage from the two crashes.

    “For me to be able to have that race be so memorable about how it ended, for the fans, they were so great for staying around through all the red flags, the track workers did such a great job to fix the fence and everything,” the Dinger said. “It’s just a memorable day to go out there and remember everything that just happened.”

    Surprising: Just when you thought that Kyle Larson’s rookie mistake of missing the inner loop would lead to a surprisingly bad finish, the Rookie of the Year contender pulled it off once again, scoring a surprising top-five finish.

    “It was a really good day for us,” The driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet said. “We were terrible all weekend long. I was down on myself. It’s probably the most frustrated I’ve ever been with myself, aside from racing sprint cars in Pennsylvania.”

    “I can’t believe we finished top five,” Larson continued. “It feels like a win. I was hoping for a top 15 or top 20 going into today. I’m totally shocked and super excited.”

    Not Surprising: While it was not at all surprising that the No. 9 Ford of Marcos Ambrose was strong, taking the checkered flag in the runner up position, the Australian also had some Ford comrades with whom to celebrate. In fact, there were four Fords that finished in the top-ten at the Glen.

    “I left nothing on the table,” runner up Ambrose said. “We just came up a little short. I am just really proud of my Stanley team. We put a lot of effort into this race and really tried to win it. We won yesterday and came up one short today.”

    “I am glad Jimmy Fennig put us in a position to be up there for the win,” Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Kellogg’s/Cheez-It Ford and fifth place finisher, said. “I am sure like everyone up there that you want the last few laps to do over again. It was a blast and a lot of fun.”

    “That was crazy to say the least,” Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, said after finishing sixth. “We had about a fifth place car and had to go through a lot to get back to that point. We fought hard with this Shell Pennzoil Ford and put tires on it late and was very aggressive on the restarts and got a few spots back. I wish there were more laps. The tires were worth a few there at the end but I needed a few more laps there at the end.”

    “The racing was really good,” Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M Ford said after finishing eighth. “We were able to make up a lot of ground. It is aggressive and as people got more comfortable it got nuts. You just try to do the best you can and protect your position and race hard. That is about all you can do.”

    Surprising: Jimmie Johnson’s troubles continued to plague him, even at Watkins Glen. The six-time champion went for a dramatic spin late in the race, resulting in a 28th place finish. Although he has three wins to his credit and is solidly in the Chase, Johnson fell one position in the point standings, from sixth to seventh as a result.

    Not Surprising: Perhaps it was because he can relate to having to overcome adversity and seek redemption in the sport, but third place finisher Kurt Busch had nothing but praise for race winner AJ Allmendinger.

    “He won the race today in a fashion that everyone is proud of him for doing, to beat one of the best in the world at driving these stock cars,” the driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet said of race winner Allmendinger. “He deserves the trophy, and he had to pull from within. He had to dig in deep, and he had to believe in himself all the way through this.”

    “He’s put himself through all those mental challenges, and today he persevered. He didn’t break down and he brought home a victory, so we’re all very proud of him.”

    Surprising: Brakes, or the lack thereof, were responsible for some of the bigger crashes of the day, especially for Cole Whitt, who crashed his No. 26 Bully Hill Vineyards Toyota Camry surprisingly hard into the tire barriers, finishing 43rd.

    “It just seemed like something in the rear brakes faded or just actually just completely lost them going into (turn) one,” Whitt said. “It seemed like the front was trying to stop but the rear wasn’t at all and the pedal was just going to the floor on brakes. Not a whole lot you can do there. I was trying to get it turned but there was no way I was going to be able to.”

    “Sucks for the guys but I know we’ll rebound.”

    Past champion Brad Keselowski also suffered from tire issues, finishing a surprising 35<sup>th</sup> in his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford.

    “We had something in the brakes that broke,” Keselowski said. “At Watkins Glen you can’t run without brakes.”

    Not Surprising: Matt Kenseth, still without a win, continued his run of good points days, advancing one spot up to third, just 70 behind new points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kenseth was the top-finishing Toyota driver with a ninth-place result in the race at the Glen.

    “It was an okay finish,” the driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota, said. “Things didn’t pan out quite as we were hoping. But, overall not a terrible day.”

    Surprising: Danica Patrick was making quite the bear bond fashion statement after surviving an accident in practice, as well as one during the race. The driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet soldiered on in her bear-bonded race car to finish 21st, after gaining 22 spots

    “It was a tough day,” Patrick said. “It was a long race, but Gibson (Tony, crew chief) and the GoDaddy guys worked on the car and we got a 21st out of it, which isn’t bad with the weekend we had.”

    Not Surprising: Regan Smith, who was called on at the last minute to replace Tony Stewart in the race, summed up the situation best after an on-track incident at lap 81 caused him to finish 37th.

    “It’s my job to be able to drive a race car and it took me a little longer to get acclimated than I would have hoped it would and felt like at the end there I was finally starting to make some progress and I was able to get consistent with the car and understood the car a little better and what it was doing,” the substitute driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet said. “These guys build fast race cars at Stewart-Haas and I was thankful to get to get in one. Definitely not under the circumstances.”

    “My day really doesn’t matter right now,” Smith continued. “There are a lot of people more important than me at the moment; so we’re thinking about all those people and our prayers are with them.”

  • The Final Word – Dover is over and now to Pocono where Jimmie has not won for an entire year!

    The Final Word – Dover is over and now to Pocono where Jimmie has not won for an entire year!

    Even a ball player could appreciate Jimmie Johnson’s average at Dover, having gone 9 for 25 for a sweet .360 average. Sunday, Johnson led much of the way to lock down his second of the season. Brad Keselowski, who has a win, finished second while Matt Kenseth, who does not, was third. That fact should not be cause to worry at the moment, as Kenseth still has more points than anyone, even without a victory to his credit. If this keeps up, he might not need one.

    Tony Stewart needs a win to make the Chase, but a seventh place result was as good as it got. Kevin Harvick has two wins, but a flat as they came to green after a caution removed him from the lead and contention. Kurt Busch, who has a win and precious little else, was one back of Harvick, in 18th. As for Danica Patrick, if 25th is a decent day, she was better than decent by two positions.

    Some teams you expect to be better, some not. Not much is expected from the BK Racing trio of Cole Whitt (27th), Ryan Truex (32nd), and Alex Bowman (40th) and we were not surprised. We thought Roush would be running better, but Carl Edwards (14th) was as good as it got for those boys as circumstances left Greg Biffle (38th) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr (41st) all torn up. Hendrick may have won, but Penske had the better average with Keselowski and Joey Logano both in the Top Ten.

    When is all clear not all clear? Ask Clint Bowyer or, better yet, ask Kyle Busch. Seeking the weekend Dover three-peat, Busch was charging to the outside of Bowyer, but that is not what his spotter told him. It was clear to us that Rowdy was looking to the outside, only to wind up squeezed into the fence and out of the race. He had definite evil intentions aimed at his rival, but the guy he really should have wanted was high up in the grandstands. Oops.

    When is debris not really debris? It is not if you run over a chunk of concrete and reduce it in size by blasting it to chunks and dust. Ask Jamie McMurray, who was the beneficiary of the gift of masonry Ryan Newman kicked up just in front of him from the newly formed pothole. McMurray clobbered it but good to split his splitter and send him fence-ward. Interestingly enough, he was 16th at the time, yet finished 13th.

    While I shall miss FOX, I believe TNT’s coverage of NASCAR is the superior. Should we discover Pocono to be boring, yet we continue to watch primarily due to the entertainment provided by the announcers, then we have found folks who know how to do their job.

    Why don’t the New York Yankees play three of four games a month against minor league teams on national television? The reason is that would be stupid, but enough about Kyle Busch.

    As long as there are less than 16 race winners, wins lock you into the Chase while being the best in points will still get you there. Welcome to a world where Kurt Busch can lead Matt Kenseth in the standings, where a single victory trumps having more points than anybody else. That means that by this time next week, anyone from the top 36 could find themselves in the Chase by simply winning this Sunday at Pocono. Nothing to it.

     

    SWEET SIXTEEN
    1 Jimmie Johnson – 2 WINS – 436 Points
    2 Joey Logano – 2 WINS – 414
    3 Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS – 373
    4 Jeff Gordon -1 WIN – 461
    5 Carl Edwards -1 WIN – 438
    6 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 1 WIN – 429
    7 Kyle Busch – 1 WIN – 411
    8 Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN – 404
    9 Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN – 379
    10 Kurt Busch – 1 WIN – 241
    11 Matt Kenseth – 463 POINTS
    12 Kyle Larson – 377
    13 Ryan Newman – 374
    14 Brian Vickers – 366
    15 Paul Menard – 362
    16 Austin Dillon – 358

    CONTENDERS AND PRETENDERS
    17 Greg Biffle – 357
    18 Clint Bowyer – 350
    19 Kasey Kahne – 349
    20 Aric Almirola – 344
    21 A.J. Allmendinger – 337
    22 Tony Stewart – 336
    23 Marcos Ambrose – 331
    24 Jamie McMurray – 317
    25 Casey Mears – 301
    26 Martin Truex, Jr. – 289
    27 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 261
    28 Danica Patrick – 239
    29 Justin Allgaier – 223
    30 Michael Annett – 188

    PARTICIPANTS
    31 Cole Whitt – 181
    32 David Gilliland – 175
    33 Reed Sorenson – 165
    34 David Ragan – 158
    35 Alex Bowman – 156
    36 Josh Wise – 149

     

  • Alex Bowman: ‘Just a Normal 21 Year Old Turning Laps for a Living’

    Alex Bowman: ‘Just a Normal 21 Year Old Turning Laps for a Living’

    Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 23 Dr. Pepper Toyota for BK Racing, may be competing for Rookie of the Year honors in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but he describes himself as “just a normal 21 year old who gets to turn laps for a living.”

    Bowman, who hails from Tucson, Arizona, started his lap turning career on short tracks in his home state, graduating at the age of seven to driving quarter midgets. The young racer than progressed to USAC and at age 17, moved to stock car racing, first in the Pro Cup Series in 2010 and then in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2011, where he won the Rookie of the Year honors.

    Bowman moved to the ARCA Racing Series for two years and then made his Nationwide Series debut at Chicagoland Speedway where he finished 17th. He ran full-time in Nationwide in 2013 and got the call to move up to NASCAR’s elite series for the 2014 season.

    “As far as getting this deal, I got a phone call from Rick Carpenter that he wanted to talk and sat down with him and Mike and Ron Devine and I worked on it for a couple months,” Bowman said. “And we were able to put it together and go from there.”

    While Bowman is enjoying competing at the highest level of the sport, he is also enjoying being a part of one of the biggest rookie crops to grace the Cup Series.

    “It’s great as far as being in one of the largest classes of rookies,” Bowman said “You’ve seen some rookie classes ride around all year in the past but there is none of that this year.”

    “You’ve seen the class this year put on a heck of a show so far,” Bowman continued. “So I feel good about being a part of such a big class.”

    Bowman’s crew chief Dave Winston is also a rookie, and yes the pair have indeed made their share of rookie mistakes, from issues over the radio to issues on pit road.

    “My crew chief Dave, it’s his first year being a crew chief,” Bowman said. “So, we’ve both made our share of mistakes and we are both learning.”

    “It’s really funny when he tries to talk on the radio and he has never really talked on the radio before,” Bowman continued. “So, it’s these little short bursts of words that scramble together.”

    “I think we’re working together really well,” Bowman said. “He’s definitely a good crew chief and he has a really positive attitude, which goes throughout the whole team. It’s a big difference versus what I had last year. I’m really happy with how the guys gets along and how everybody works together.”

    “My biggest rookie mistake is that I’ve spun on pit road a couple of times,” Bowman admitted. “On pit road at Daytona and Kansas as well I spun. So, I need to work on that a little bit. So, that’s our biggest thing.”

    While Bowman has yet to spin at Dover, he admitted that he has yet to really master the Monster Mile.

    “It’s gone alright so far here at Dover,” Bowman said. “We unloaded okay but as practice went on, we made some changes and got going in the right direction. We weren’t too bad in the first practice but we will see how practices go and how we will be during the race.”

    Bowman has the utmost respect for Dover as he turns laps around the Monster Mile. But he cannot quite say that it is one of his favorite tracks just yet.

    “It’s one of the toughest places we go,” Bowman said. “It’s real physical. It’s a lot of fun but at the same time when you have a bad race car it’s a really long day.”

    “I like it more than a lot of places but at the same time, if you have a bad race car you’re probably going to hate it.”

    “If we get out of here with a top-30, that would be good,” Bowman said. “I’d be pretty happy with that.”

    While Bowman dreams, as do most rookie drivers, of winning races and competing for future championships, he has one unique hobby that sets him apart from his fellow Cup competitors.

    “I guess I’m not really a typical race car driver in that I don’t hang out with anybody in the sport or anything like that,” Bowman said. “Most of my friends have no clue about racing. I hang out with a lot of car people but not a lot of race car people.”

    “All my cars most of the garage would look at and be like, that’s stupid,” Bowman continued. “I’m into like the low cars. Everything I own is really low or really fast.”

    “It’s fun and is something that I’ve always been interested in,” Bowman said. That’s what all my friends do too.”

    “Other than that though I’m pretty much a normal 21 year old kid that gets to turn laps for a living.”

    Bowman will race with his other BK Racing teammates Ryan Truex and Cole Whitt. He will start in the 23rd position for the 45th annual FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks on Sunday, June 1st.

  • Swan Racing Lacking Sponsorship; Could Close Doors Soon

    Swan Racing Lacking Sponsorship; Could Close Doors Soon

    Swan Racing drastically stunned the racing community on Thursday after announcing their organization will be downsizing due to lack of sponsorship.

    ”The team has been unable to secure the kind of sponsorship required to effectively operate the team,” Swan Racing said in a statement. ”As a result, the team management is exploring every available option. We hope to be in position to provide a detailed update in the near future.”

    Brandon Davis, current owner of Swan Racing Company, bought the team in August of 2012 and did the classic start-and-park every weekend; however, this season he signed two young guns, Parker Kligerman and Cole Whitt, to a full-season, no start-and-park, deal.

    Davis partnered with former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski and famous rapper 50 Cent to help fund the operation. But, after multiple torn up racecars, it’s doubtful the team will even make it past the ninth race into the season.

    According to Motorsport.com, Ramsey Poston, Swan Racing’s spokesperson, explained that it was unlikely both cars, if even one, would be at Richmond International Raceway next weekend.

    The franchise released a multitude of employees on Thursday, according to multiple sources, and many of those are already seeking employment with other organizations.

    BK Racing, who already fields two-cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, is willing to add Whitt’s No. 26 to their every growing team, if Swan does close its doors.

    “My mission is to ensure @ColeWhitt races in every #NASCAR Sprint Cup event this season,” that remark was tweeted by Anthony Marlowe, Swan Racing co-owner.

    Nobody has alluded to anything about Kligerman’s future at Swan, but after he’s had four DNF’s it’s likely he’ll be the first driver released.

    SpeedwayMedia.com will continue to update the whole ordeal of the Swan Racing situation on our social media pages.

  • Swan Racing Finds Redemption in Budweiser Duels

    Swan Racing Finds Redemption in Budweiser Duels

    Things went bad in a big way for Swan Racing during Sprint Cup practice on Wednesday. Early on, Cole Whitt suffered a blown tire that caused his car to slam the outside wall, which resulted significant right side damage. As the team prepared to unload the back-up, a second wreck erupted in the tri-oval as practice resumed. Cole’s teammate Parker Kligerman ended up ripping a hole in the catch-fence before sliding upside down for a few hundred feet. With just one back-up between the two teams, Swan Racing was in a tough spot. With Parker’s car irreparable, they opted to fix Whitt’s wounded No. 26 Toyota Camry

    After working late into the night and early in the morning, they managed to make the car raceable. But the job was only half-done. Now, the two rookie drivers had to survive the duels and drive their way into The Great American Race.  Cole Whitt locked himself in with an 11th place finish, but teammate Parker Kligerman wasn’t so fortunate. After an apparent fuel pick-up issue on the final lap, he dropped out of a transfer spot and ended up 17th. That was not enough to make the show, so Parker had to sit and anxiously await the outcome of the second Duel. Whatever happened in that race would determine his fate.

    During the second race of the night, he tweeted “This is POSITIVELY the most nerve-wracking thing of my entire life. I’m ready for fatherhood after this. How hard can it be?” After the violent last lap wreck that sent Clint Bowyer flying through the air, NASCAR had to closely look at the video in order to determine the proper finishing positions for each driver. Parker once again tweeted, “No official word yet…. This is insane! C’mon @NASCAR…. We’re freaking out over here!”

    The official word finally came down, and the No. 30 Lending Tree Toyota Camry of Parker Kligerman was in the show, via the car’s 2013 owner’s points position. Parker said that sitting there and waiting helplessly was “one of the worst feelings of my life.” Here’s more from PK:

    “Pretty big change, eh?  We’ll start there.  Obviously that was a letdown yesterday, as I said to a lot of people here.  One of the most interesting moments of my life, sliding on your roof.But my guys worked incredibly hard.  I know you hear that a lot, pretty cliché.  You don’t understand, we obviously had our second car hurt.  Our guys were trying to put a backup in it, had a Cole’s seat in it.  We had to take that seat out.  Redo everything.  We get in the Duel, in the last lap running ninth with Lending Tree onboard, who just came onboard the morning before, suddenly start to have the fuel issue we had and see the grasp that we had on both cars making the 500 slip away from us, it was one of the worst feelings of my life. Then the worst feeling would be watching that race right there, and I was not a fan of any driver in that race at all throughout the whole thing.  Thankfully it all worked out.”

    Parker went on to quote 1976 Formula 1 World Champion James Hunt, when asked about luck…“I don’t believe in bad luck.  It only brings bad luck.”

    Cole Whitt described the last lap frenzy of the first Duel as he muscled his way into the Daytona 500:

    “I think we were nose to tail for quite a bit there towards the end.  I tried to shuffle Alex out – no offense – it’s the nature of the beast. We were coming down to the end, wanted to get ourselves in.  I didn’t want to be the last car in line.  I was there for a second.  I kind of side-drafted him, put him last in line.  Then made a move later, shuffled myself out.  Maybe a little karma to myself. Alex is a good friend of mine.  We’ve come up through the Sprint car ranks together. Everything focused at the end.  I was trying to get in.  I don’t know where Alex was behind me coming to the last lap.  I tried to pick the best line I could.  I knew guys pulling down to the bottom, it would take a while for them to pull up that speed they needed when they were pulling from the top groove, trying to suck up.  People were losing guys behind them. I gave the 14 a pretty big shove on the last lap to make sure our run was going to be as strong as possible to the line.  Tried to stay hammer down. I didn’t even know if we were in by the time we crossed the finish line.  It was a nail-biter for sure.”

    Cole Whitt will start the Daytona 500 in 23rd and Parker Kligerman 41st. Swan Racing finished 22nd with Michael Waltrip in the 2013 Daytona 500, and look to improve on that effort this year with a second car and two new faces behind the wheel.

  • NASCAR BTS: Kevin Hamlin is Calling All the Shots

    NASCAR BTS: Kevin Hamlin is Calling All the Shots

    While many in the garage area are busy juggling a multitude of responsibilities, this week’s NASCAR Behind the Scenes (BTS) focuses on Kevin Hamlin, who is calling all the shots from the spotter’s stand to watching over young drivers starting out in their careers.

    Hamlin currently spots for NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne, as well as up and coming drivers Jeb Burton and Brad Sweet. He has also taken over responsibilities for guiding the career of Cole Whitt, who has recently progressed through the ranks to the Cup level.

    Hamlin, however, did not start out in these roles until after having his own career as a driver himself, honing his craft in the Pacific Northwest. And for Hamlin, racing indeed has been in his blood.

    “It is a family thing,” Hamlin said. “Both my parents drove, so I was born into it.”

    “My mom and dad met at a speedway way back when, so I spent my weekends there growing up as a kid,” Hamlin continued. “I raced quarter midgets and then late models and had some success doing that.”

    “I won two championships in the NASCAR Northwest Series and then married my high school sweetheart, conned her into moving to North Carolina six months later, and we chased the dream.”

    Hamlin continued to pursue his racing career in North Carolina, from an ARCA deal arranged by Brendan Gaughan to a driver development deal with Chip Ganassi Racing. It was then his career took an interesting turn.

    “By the time I knew my contract was up and I was doing a lot of start and parks and test driving (I’ve got more laps in a Cup car than I do a Nationwide car or Truck), I decided I wanted to be more involved in a team aspect than race,” Hamlin said. “While I was racing I was also spotting for John Andretti and Travis Kvapil and getting my feet wet at this higher level.”

    “That turned into a deal with Clint Bowyer and then Ty Dillon,” Hamlin continued. “And then I went over to Kasey (Kahne) when he was looking for a guy and it has been a good year and a half so far.”

    Spotting for Kasey Kahne has led to a whole additional level of calling the shots in his career as Hamlin has developed his relationship with the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver. In fact, he said that the chemistry between them came about almost immediately based on the type of spotting he had done previously for Clint Bowyer.

    “I think Clint Bowyer, when I spotted for him, made me into the way I spot now,” Hamlin said. “Clint wanted a lot of information, where other guys are running, where he is getting beat, etc.”

    “So, when I did those first few races for Kasey, I just spotted the way I did for Clint and I told him if he needed anything different that we would figure it out as we go,” Hamlin continued. “But he liked what I gave him and it clicked right away.”

    “We’ve developed a lingo to where even if I feel like I’m not on my ‘A’ game for whatever reason, he still knows enough the way I do it to know where other cars are around him at all times,” Hamlin said. “Honestly with Kasey it’s been really easy and for whatever reason we hit the ground running.”

    Hamlin, like all spotters, has had to learn a different way to call the shots for his driver as a result of what happened at Richmond prior to the Chase. And for Hamlin, life became more complicated but also a bit quieter as well.

    “The spotter’s role has changed,” Hamlin said. “The spotter’s role isn’t clear high, clear low and wreck in turn two anymore.”

    “Maybe that’s the way it used to be but the role has really developed into letting the driver know where other guys are at, when they are pitting, and trying to work out strategy,” Hamlin continued. “There was a lot of talking back and forth on the digital radio about what you wanted to do with that.”

    “It’s a lot quieter for me now that I don’t have the digital because of what happened in Richmond. “

    Thankfully, Hamlin’s worst experience calling the shots was not with current driver Kasey Kahne. But it was so bad, however, that it actually became a You Tube video of how not to react on the spotter’s stand.

    “My worst spotting experience was at Bristol with Clint,” Hamlin said. “There was a big wreck getting into (turn) three and I got him through the wreck but stupid me said we’re clear, clear, whew and they were wrecking again right in front of him and Clint ran right into that.”

    “So, he chewed me quite heavily for that and guys on the No. 33 team were a rough group back then and they were jabbing me about that too,” Hamlin continued. “I learned until your driver gets with that pace car, your head is still on a swivel trying to watch what is happening.”

    “So, that is one of my most memorable not so fun experiences.”

    Although spotting for Kahne and others keeps Hamlin very busy, he also is calling the shots in a whole new area of the sport, helping to look after the social and digital properties of several drivers, as well as the careers of several upstarts.

    “While I work for Hendrick spotting, my day job is working for Fuel Sports Management group, which is Kasey’s agent and they represent a bunch of different drivers,” Hamlin said. “And I also look after young drivers since I’ve had experience looking out for drivers like the next Kyle Larson.”

    “I’m the competition end guy where there are others who are better at the contracts and business aspect,” Hamlin continued. “So, it’s a good little mixture of what we’ve got going.”

    “My role there has also progressed into working with Cole Whitt’s day to day stuff.”

    “I helped put together the deal with TriStar Motorsports for him and with Swan Racing,” Hamlin said. “So, I’m trying to grow as a day-to-day manager for a Cup driver and trying to learn the business side of the sport as well.”

    “As much as I love spotting, am I going to be doing it in fifteen years? I don’t know,” Hamlin continued. “So, you have to have something to do during the week to help support the family.”

    “That’s where that new role came in.”

    Hamlin is most excited about calling the shots in one other area, that of his family and being with his wife, daughter and son.

    “There is a lot going on but it’s nice because if I’m done at three o’clock on Tuesday, I’ll pack up my computer and head home and I can work at home,” Hamlin said. “I have that option so I can see my kids and hang out with my wife and still do that family time thing that is so important.”

    “We travel so much that it can really wear on you being away from the family.”

    And where would race fans be most surprised to see Hamlin ultimately calling the shots?

    “I’m really good at coloring,” Hamlin said with a sly grin. “My daughter Grace, who is five, and my son who is three, like to color.”

    “My wife is a stay-at-home mom and works her tail off,” Hamlin continued. “So, for me to just come home and hang out and color is fun.”

    “You get me a ‘My Little Pony’ picture and Grace and I can hammer that bad boy out.”

    For more information about how Kevin Hamlin is calling the shots behind the scenes or for any expert coloring advice, follow him on Twitter @KevinHamlin.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Geico 400 at Chicagoland

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Geico 400 at Chicagoland

    After a wild week of penalties, shakeups to the Chase line up, and a lengthy rain delay to boot, here is what else was surprising and not surprising in the first race of the Chase, the Geico 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

    Surprising:  While it was surprising that the race was run in its entirety, albeit into the wee hours of the night, the biggest surprise was the impact of the change from day to night on the engines, forcing two of the Chasers right into the basement of the standings as a result.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, and Joey Logano, behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford for Penske Racing, both had catastrophic engine failures, finishing 35th and 37th respectively.

    Even more devastating, Logano lost six positions in the standings to the 12th spot and Junior lost four positions falling to the newly formed 13th Chase position. Both are not only in the basement spots in the standings but also over 50 points behind leader Matt Kenseth.

    “I’m pretty angry,” Logano said after dropping out of the race. “That was such a fast race car but unfortunately the motor blew up.”

    “It is a bummer to have it in the Chase when you are running for a championship,” Logano continued. “It just wasn’t our day I guess.”

    “I’m not really sure if it was motor or transmission, but it has got us sitting on the sidelines,” Junior said. “Something broke there in the motor.”

    “It’s tough,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It’s going to be really hard to win a championship this far behind.”

    Not Surprising:  Coach and team owner Joe Gibbs not surprisingly reacted as a proud papa when it came time to visit one of his drivers in Victory Lane and the other in the runner up role.

    JGR racer Matt Kenseth scored his first ever win at Chicagoland and his career best sixth win for the season while Kyle Busch missed the weekend sweep by just one position, bringing his JGR Toyota home in the second spot.

    “We won the race tonight,” Gibbs said. “We were one and two there.”

    “My wife probably said it best, she said it’s like having babies, they’re all great,” Gibbs continued. “That’s the way you feel about it.”

    Surprising:  Two future Stewart Haas Racing teammates and yes, lame duck Chase contenders both, had a surprisingly good battle going between the two of them late in the race, with Kevin Harvick finishing third and Kurt Busch finishing fourth.

    “Yeah we had a lot of fun,” the driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Designate a Driver Chevrolet, said. “Came up a couple short, but a good day.”

    “Yeah, we had a battle with Harvick and we brought our Chevy home in fourth,” Kurt Busch said. “Top fives are what it’s all about in the Chase so one down and nine to go.”

    Not Surprising:  He’s back……After a four-week downward spiral of twentieth place finishes or worse, Jimmie Johnson and team No. 48 got their mojo back, finishing top-five and representing the Hendrick Motorsports in the third position in the Chase standings, just eleven points behind the leader.

    Even more impressive, although not surprising, the No. 48 bunch had to overcome two problematic episodes on pit road to regain their forward momentum.

    “From a jack failing to a call on pit road for a lug nut that was not supposedly on, and a variety of issues, it was a great comeback,” Johnson said. “We wanted to finish better of course, but we’re very proud of all the hard work from Hendrick Motorsports, Chad Knaus, and this No. 48 Lowe’s race team.”

    “We’re off to a good start.”

    Surprising:  Apparently a little off-track action was all that was needed to score another surprising top-10 finish, at least for Rookie of the Year contender Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    “We started the race and thought we were in big trouble,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “Luckily after the rain delay, it kind of helped our car turn a little bit better and we were able to get an eighth place finish.”

    “Yes, we went to Sonic,” Stenhouse Jr. continued, describing his drive-through rain delay adventure. “Gave me a little bit of energy.”

    “Took a nap and really played it out well.”

    Not Surprising:  For someone who came to the Chase party a bit late and who also may have been up a bit past his veteran bedtime, Jeff Gordon was not only wired after his sixth place finish, but he looked like he could actually run another race or two.

    “Well, that was an incredible accomplishment,” the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, said after his top ten finish which propelled him into the seventh spot in the Chase standings. “It just shows how much fight this team has in them.”

    “Can’t wait to get to this next race,” Gordon continued. “Where is it? Loudon? We’re ready!”

    Surprising:  Although not in the Chase, the reigning champ had a surprisingly good run, scoring the highest finish for the Ford Camp at Chicagoland. Brad Keselowski, driver of the Blue Deuce, took the checkered flag in the seventh position.

    “I think we were probably a top-five car,” Keselowski said. “I don’t know if I had anything for the 20 or 18.”

    “It was hard to tell because we never got a shot to find out.”

    Not Surprising:  In addition to Logano’s engine failure, the other Ford Chasers did not fare well either. Carl Edwards, in the No. 99 Fastenal Ford, finished 11th and Greg Biffle, behind the wheel of the No. 16 Post-It Ford Fusion, finished 16th.

    “There are a couple of things I wish I could take back,” Edwards said. “We were just missing something at this style of race track.”

    “That was a rough night,” Biffle said. “We had major issues.”

    “That wasn’t our best night.”

    Surprising:  Young up and coming driver Cole Whitt had a surprisingly fiery Cup debut for Swan Racing. His No. 30 Swan Racing/Lean 1 Toyota, had an engine failure that resulted in quite the fire ball.

    “It just jumped out of gear on the front stretch and blew up,” Whitt said. “It’s not the debut I was looking for at Swan Racing but I look forward to continuing to work with them.”

    Not Surprising:  After a cut tire resulted in a 32nd place finish, it was not surprising that Juan Pablo Montoya announced that he would be ending his NASCAR career at the end of the 2013 season and heading back to the IndyCar Series.

    Montoya will be racing for the Captain, Roger Penske, joining teammates Will Power and Helio Castroneves back in the open wheel ranks.

    “I’m really excited,” JPM said. “If you really dream of any ideal position for a driver, and you could say, you could race for Penske, I think that would be No. 1.”

    “And you know ‑‑ when I heard and it was announced that I wasn’t going to be in the 42 car next year, my No. 1 choice was going to be in a winning car,” Montoya continued. “I really want to be in a winning car.”

    Surprising:  In spite of spinning twice, Justin Allgaier loved every minute of his 27th place run in his Cup debut with Phoenix Racing in the No. 51 Brandt Chevrolet.

    “There have been a lot of drivers who have come through and raced in the sport’s top tier,” Allgaier said. “For me, it’s a cool feeling to know my name will go on that list of drivers to run a Sprint Cup Series race.”

    “There are so many names of guys that I looked up to and respected,” Allgaier continued. “I’m excited to get there.”

    Not Surprising:  In spite of the rain delay, with the red flag lasting five hours, ten minutes and 21 seconds, at least one driver recognized that the fans were the real heroes at Chicagoland Speedway.

    “Matt (Borland, crew chief) and the guys were able to discuss strategy with the break we had, and they made some good adjustments once we went back racing,” Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet said. “I’m glad we were able to get the whole race in.”

    “And I’ve got to thank the fans that stuck it out to see the finish.”

  • Cole Whitt ‘Just Thankful for the Opportunity’ at Swan Racing

    Cole Whitt ‘Just Thankful for the Opportunity’ at Swan Racing

    Cole Whitt is getting the opportunity to jump into the No. 30 Toyota for Swan Racing, making his debut at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. And for this young, up and coming racer, he sees this as an opportunity that he is not just thankful for, but one that he has been waiting for all of his life.

    “This is a big deal,” Whitt said after the announcement was made. “I’m grateful to Swan Racing to be able to go out there and show what I’m able to do in the next few races and maybe into 2014.”

    Whitt will be replacing veteran David Stremme, who has driven every race for Swan Racing this season, with the exception of the Daytona 500.

    “We welcome Cole Whitt to Swan Racing as the team builds for the future,” Brandon Davis, team owner, said. “Cole is a very talented driver with a bright future and we are eager to see him compete for Swan Racing.”

    Whitt, who is just 22 years of age, credited his hard work in the Nationwide Series this year with having garnered this new opportunity to be in the Swan Racing ride. The driver, who competed for TriStar Motorsports, has two top-10 finishes to his credit, including an 8th place at Road American and an 8th place at Watkins Glenn.

    Whitt admitted that this new opportunity came about very quickly, in fact just a few weeks ago when the series was in Atlanta.

    “That was the first I heard about it and they wanted to move pretty quick,” Whitt said. “They wanted to make a change which I think says a lot about the team because they want to grow.”

    “They want to become a top Cup team and be competitive,” Whitt continued. “And it says a lot about what they think of me if they want to grow their team with me.”

    “It’s pretty cool to see a team step out and try to step up their program.”

    Whitt has a five race deal with Swan Racing, including his debut at Chicagoland and also stints at Kansas, Charlotte, Talladega and Phoenix.

    “I feel comfortable at Chicagoland and any of the big, fast tracks,” Whitt said. “I like the mile and a half tracks and the high banked tracks so that style fits what I enjoy racing on.”

    “I’ve run there before in the Nationwide car and I don’t remember how we finished but I do remember being fast in practice,” Whitt continued. “So, I feel comfortable about where we’re going and I’m looking forward to it.”

    Whitt acknowledged that he has his work cut out for him in more ways than one, from competing with the top dogs in the sport to getting adjusted to a whole new crew chief and team.

    “It’s tough anytime to step into a ride like this where you’re going up against the best guys and the best teams in the sport,” Whitt said. “The hardest part is obviously going into a brand new team with guys I’ve never worked with and to try to establish that communication.”

    “I’d say one of the toughest parts is that this team is still growing and I’m still growing as a driver,” Whitt continued. “But the fact that we can grow together and become really strong means everything to me.”

    Whitt is definitely looking forward to working with his new crew chief Steven ‘Bones’ Lane. And he also takes comfort in the fact that Tony Eury Jr., with whom Whitt worked during his stint at JR Motorsports, is with Swan Racing as well.

    ‘Bones’ is there and I’ve heard a lot about him through Kevin Hamlin,” Whitt said. “He seems laid back, has a good attitude and really wants to go fast which is how I am.”

    “I think we’ll get along good and hopefully we’ll be able to establish our lingo quick,” Whitt continued. “That’s the biggest thing is to talk about what you’re feeling about the car.”

    “It’s easy to talk about loose or tight but the hardest part is to talk to the crew chief about how much of an adjustment needs to be made to get the car the way you want it,” Whitt said. “Hopefully, we can establish that pretty quick and I’m looking forward to working with him.”

    “Tony Eury Jr. is there too and I’ve worked with him before so that will help.”

    Whitt also understands that he is joining the team smack dab in the middle of the Chase for the Sprint cup championship run for these last remaining races of the season. And although not one of the Chase contenders, Whitt expressed his confidence and even a bit of swagger as he described how he would handle that pressure.

    “If I got a car capable of running up there with those guys, then I feel we deserve a spot to be racing with them,” Whitt said. “I’m going to be running as hard as I can to try to go forward.”

    “But if we’re not having a good day, then I don’t want to be in the way,” Whitt continued. “That’s part of anytime that you’re getting lapped because you always give the leaders the spot and try to help them out.”

    “But if we’re up there legitimately racing for position, we’re going to take all we can get.”

    Although still very young in his racing career, Whitt has a maturity beyond his years when he describes the lessons that he has already learned in the sport he loves.

    “I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned in racing is not just the on-the-track stuff but I’ve grown up a lot in the past year and this season,” Whitt said. “And a big lesson learned is just to have fun and to remember why I got into racing in the first place.”

    “All of us are very blessed to be involved in this sport,” Whitt continued. “Getting to do what we love to do for a living is a big blessing.”

    “Obviously, I’m very competitive and I let that get ahold of me sometimes but at the same time I’ve learned to have fun and enjoy the moments that you get to have,” Whitt said. “Helping my new team step up is what excites me the most.”

    “I just am thankful for the opportunity and hoping to make the most of it for these guys.”

  • Crunching The Numbers: Atlanta

    Crunching The Numbers: Atlanta

    After three nights of battling in the bullring that is Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend, the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series head to Atlanta Motor Speedway for Labor Day weekend and more racing under the lights on the fast 1.5 mile speedway. With a track surface that is old and worn, having not been repaved since its reconfiguration in 1997, the track has gotten rave reviews from drivers who enjoy slipping and sliding around on the worn out asphalt. The Sprint Cup Series will have their shot at the track on Sunday night, while the Nationwide Series takes to the track the night before for their race.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – Advocare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway

    Only two races remain until the cut-off for the Chase for the Sprint Cup and the points standings heading into this weekend’s race are still as tight as they were prior to Bristol. After having a 77 point lead just two weeks ago, Jimmie Johnson’s points lead has shrunk to 18 points over second place Clint Bowyer after finishes of 40th and 36th in the past two races. Both Johnson and Bowyer are locked into the Chase and with his win last weekend at Bristol, Matt Kenseth locked himself into the Chase as well. Several drivers are fighting for the remaining Chase berths, with only 24 points separating Kasey Kahne in eighth with defending champion Brad Keselowski in 11th. Two other former Sprint Cup champions, Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon, are lurking just behind Keselowski, only six and 11 points back, respectively. The fight to make the Chase is going to come right down to the wire and how these drivers perform at Atlanta will go a long way in helping their Chase fortunes.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Jimmie Johnson 21 3 11 13 0 440 8.6 11.1
    Jeff Gordon 39 5 16 25 2 1280 12.3 11.9
    Dale Earnhardt Jr 25 1 8 11 2 632 16.2 12.5
    Matt Kenseth 24 0 8 14 0 253 21.6 12.7
    AJ Allmendinger 7 0 0 2 0 1 27.9 14.4
    Carl Edwards 15 3 8 10 0 345 10.3 15.1
    Greg Biffle 18 0 3 9 1 291 12.5 16.0
    Denny Hamlin 13 1 2 5 1 314 13.4 16.2
    Brian Vickers 15 0 1 7 0 8 16.2 16.4
    Jeff Burton 35 0 8 14 0 104 25.3 16.5

    Who To Watch: After two dismal finishes in the past two weeks, Jimmie Johnson has to be happy to be heading to Atlanta this weekend since his stats at the 1.5 mile track are tops in the series. In 21 starts, Johnson has three wins, 11 top fives, 13 top tens, 440 laps led, and an average finish of 11.1.

    Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., fall in second and third with their stats at Atlanta. Gordon has 39 starts, with five wins, 16 top fives, 25 top tens, two poles, 1280 laps led and an average finish of 11.9. In 25 starts, Earnhardt Jr., has one win, eight top fives, 11 top tens, two poles, 632 laps led, and an average finish of 12.5.

    Besides the Hendrick Motorsports contingent, others who run well at Atlanta include: Five-time winner in 2013, Matt Kenseth, with eight top fives, 14 top tens, 253 laps led, and an average finish of 12.7 in 24 starts; A.J. Allmendinger, with two top tens, one lap led, and an average finish of 14.4 in seven starts; Carl Edwards, with three wins, eight top fives, 10 top tens, 345 laps led, and an average finish of 15.1 in 15 starts; and Greg Biffle, with three top fives, nine top tens, one pole, 291 laps led, and an average finish of 16.0 in 18 starts. 

    NASCAR Nationwide Series – Great Clips/Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway

    With 10 races remaining in the Nationwide Series schedule, the points standings remain tight after Bristol with just 39 points separating the top five in points and the gap for Sam Hornish, Jr. over second place Austin Dillon sitting at just six points. None of the top five in points has been able to win at Atlanta heading into this weekend, so if any of the championship contenders find themselves in Victory Lane or find trouble on Saturday night, the points standings could be shaken up once again.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Austin Dillon 1 0 0 1 0 0 9.0 6.0
    Joey Logano 2 0 0 2 0 0 10.5 6.0
    Cole Whitt 1 0 0 1 0 0 12.0 8.0
    Kevin Harvick 11 1 6 8 0 376 8.2 8.5
    Justin Allgaier 4 0 1 2 0 15 20.0 10.2
    Kasey Kahne 11 0 4 7 1 95 10.5 10.6
    Sam Hornish Jr 2 0 0 1 0 1 5.5 12.0
    Kyle Busch 9 0 5 6 3 490 3.4 13.9
    Michael Annett 4 0 0 1 0 0 23.5 16.2
    Brian Scott 3 0 0 0 0 0 21.3 17.0

    Who To Watch: With the points lead up for grabs, Austin Dillon has to be happy to be at Atlanta this weekend since he has the best stats of the series at the track. In his lone start at Atlanta last season, Dillon started ninth and finished sixth.

    Sprint Cup regular Joey Logano, driving the dominant No. 22 Ford this weekend, falls in just behind Dillon with two top tens in two starts, giving him an average finish of 6.0.

    Others to keep an eye on include: Cole Whitt, with an eighth place finish in one start at the track; Kevin Harvick, with one win, six top fives, eight top tens, 376 laps led, and an average finish of 8.5 in 11 starts; Justin Allgaier, with one top five, two top tens, 15 laps led, and an average finish of 10.2 in four starts; Kasey Kahne, with four top fives, seven top tens, one pole, 95 laps led, and an average finish of 10.6 in 11 starts; and points leader Sam Hornish, Jr., with one top ten, one lap led, and an average finish of 12.0 in two starts.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park

    With the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series headlining at Atlanta, the Camping World Truck Series heads to Canada for their inaugural race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park near Toronto, which also is the first race for the series outside of the United States and marks the return to a road course for the first time since 2000. This race is basically a toss-up since only one driver in the field, Ron Hornaday Jr., has previous Truck Series road course experience, so this will be an interesting race to see who will become the inaugural race winner. The Trucks will take to the track for their race on Sunday afternoon, prior to the Sprint Cup Series race from Atlanta later that night.

  • Crunching The Numbers: Sonoma & Road America

    Crunching The Numbers: Sonoma & Road America

    That time of the year has come again when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series head for the first road courses of the season in Sonoma, CA and Elkhart Lake, WI, respectively. Many of the road course races in recent memory have turned into races that resemble short track races than the follow the leader races of old and this weekend’s events should be more of the same beating and banging all the way to the finish. Add in the addition of so called “road course ringers” and the road courses make for very entertaining races.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

    This weekend marks the annual trip to California Wine Country and Sonoma Raceway’s lone Sprint Cup date. With the advent of double file restarts, this race has become a must see event due to the narrow course that these drivers are trying to navigate while running two wide. That factor often leads to cars being spun off course and tempers flaring among the drivers. In addition to that, the Sprint Cup Series will debut group based qualifying this weekend and this will also be the Sonoma debut for the Gen6 car, which throws more uncertainty into this race that has not seen a repeat winner in the past eight races.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Jeff Gordon 20 5 12 16 5 450 7.4 8.6
    Clint Bowyer 7 1 4 5 0 73 17.1 9.7
    Tony Stewart 14 2 5 9 1 82 11.1 10.9
    Marcos Ambrose 5 0 2 4 1 46 5.0 12.8
    Ryan Newman 11 0 2 5 0 11 10.8 12.9
    Juan Pablo Montoya 6 1 1 4 0 9 18.8 13.2
    Jimmie Johnson 11 1 4 6 0 85 16.0 13.8
    Greg Biffle 10 0 2 4 0 9 16.4 14.9
    Kevin Harvick 12 0 3 4 0 10 16.7 16.1
    Joey Logano 4 0 0 2 1 5 11.8 17.0

    Who To Watch: Four-time Sprint Cup champion, Jeff Gordon, has proven himself to be one of the best on road courses, especially at Sonoma, with five wins, 12 top fives, 16 top tens, five poles, 450 laps led, and an average finish of 8.6 in 20 races.

    2012 winner, Clint Bowyer, has also proven his mettle at Sonoma with one win, four top fives, five top tens, 73 laps led, and an average finish of 9.7 in seven races.

    Others who run well on the road course include: Tony Stewart, with two wins, five top fives, nine top tens, one pole, 82 laps led, and an average finish of 10.9 in 14 races; Road course ace Marcos Ambrose who has yet to win at Sonoma, but has two top fives, four top tens, one pole, 46 laps led, and an average finish of 12.8 in five races; Ryan Newman, with two top fives, five top tens, 11 laps led, and an average finish of 12.9 in 11 races; 2007 winner, Juan Pablo Montoya, with one win, one top five, four top tens, nine laps led, and an average finish of 13.2 in six races; and Jimmie Johnson, with one win, four top fives, six top tens, 85 laps led, and an average finish of 13.8 in 11 starts.

    NASCAR Nationwide Series – Johnsonville Sausage 200 at Road America

    For just the fourth time, the Nationwide Series will be making the trek to Wisconsin to take on the daunting 4.048 mile road course, the longest on the circuit. The field will be full of drivers who have never raced at the track or only have one start, leaving the field wide open for a new winner. With none of the Sprint Cup regulars attempting the double and a few “ringers” joining the field, the odds are high that one of the Nationwide regulars will find themselves in Victory Lane for the third race in a row.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Nelson Piquet, Jr. 1 1 1 1 1 19 1.0 1.0
    Reed Sorenson 1 1 1 1 0 1 12.0 1.0
    Brendan Gaughan 1 0 1 1 0 0 6.0 3.0
    Owen Kelly 1 0 1 1 0 0 9.0 5.0
    Sam Hornish, Jr. 1 0 1 1 0 3 8.0 5.0
    Cole Whitt 1 0 0 1 0 0 14.0 9.0
    Elliott Sadler 2 0 1 1 0 0 10.0 9.5
    Brian Scott 3 0 0 1 0 10 13.3 12.0
    Max Papis 2 0 1 1 0 1 3.5 13.5
    Blake Koch 1 0 0 0 0 0 24.0 14.0

    Who To Watch: With a win and a pole in his only race at the track last season, Nelson Piquet, Jr. is at the top of the list statistically of the drivers who have competed at Road America. Piquet led 19 laps en route to victory last season and is looking to become the first repeat winner at the track in the short history that the Nationwide Series has there.

    The only other driver in the field with a win is Reed Sorenson, who along with his one win has one top five, one top ten, one lap led and an average finish of 1.0 in one start.

    Others who run well at Road America, but have yet to win include: Brendan Gaughan, with a third place finish in his lone start; Owen Kelly, piloting Kyle Busch’s No. 54, with a fifth place finish in one start; Sam Hornish, Jr., currently sitting second in points, with a fifth place finish in one start; Cole Whitt, who recently returned to the Nationwide Series, with a ninth place finish in one start; and Elliott Sadler, who is the highest ranking driver with more than one start and has one top five and one top ten in his two starts at the track.