Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished sixth at Phoenix in the rain-shortened Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500.

    “Having already clinched my spot,” Gordon said, “I didn’t have to sweat the finish. I’m not the only driver who can say this, but ‘I handled my business at Martinsville.’”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fourth at Phoenix and claimed his spot in the Chase finale at Homestead. Busch will vie with Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. for the Sprint Cup title.

    “I signed an extension to keep M&M’s and Mars products on my car for the next several seasons,” Busch said. “You’ll see their names on the front of my car, the top of my car, and yes, the back of my car, so I’ll continue to be called a ‘candy ass’ by fellow drivers and fans alike.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished second at Phoenix to lock up his spot in the finale at Homestead.

    “Thanks to the rain,” Harvick said, “my reign continues.

    “I will do anything to win my second Sprint Cup championship. And I mean that in the most literal sense. Whatever it takes, I will do it. That includes wrecking myself and wrecking others. I’m such a talented driver, I can do those things separately.”

    4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex punched his ticket to Homestead with a 14th-place finish at Phoenix.

    “I made it,” Truex said, “and I didn’t even have to win or wreck Trevor Bayne intentionally to do so.”

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished eighth at Phoenix, posting his 19th top 10 of the year.

    “Matt Kenseth met with Brian France after returning from a two-race suspension,” Hamlin said. “I’m sure what France told Matt was ‘quintessential B.F.,’ which is essentially the same as ‘quintessential B.S.’”

    6. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt won the rain-shortened Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500.

    “The skies opened,” Earnhardt said, “and for some drivers, the door closed. That’s the nature of Mother Nature when it comes to stock car racing.”

    7. Joey Logano: Logano finished third in the rain-shortened Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500 at Phoenix. Needing a win to advance, Logano will have to wait until next year to seek his first Sprint Cup championship.

    “This was supposed to be my year,” Logano said, “but things got turned around when I ‘turned around’ Matt Kenseth.”

    8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished ninth at Phoenix and finished eighth in the point standings.

    “We didn’t put a single Penske Racing driver in the finale at Homestead,” Keselowski said. “But we might put a single Joe Gibbs Racing driver into the wall at Homestead.”

    9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished seventh despite suffering a drive-through penalty for jumping the start of the Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500.

    “You can’t beat the pole sitter to the starting line,” Busch said. “Much like I did when I accused Patricia Driscoll of being an assassin, I ‘jumped the gun.’”

    10. Carl Edwards: Edwards came home 12th at Phoenix and finished fifth in the points standings, just missing out on eligibility for the championship at Homestead.

    “Who’s wrecked more Chase hopes?” Edwards said. “The rain, or Matt Kenseth?”

  • Race update: There Will Be a Chase Race at Phoenix Tonight

    Race update: There Will Be a Chase Race at Phoenix Tonight

    We’ll decide who’s going to the championship finale at Homestead under the lights at Phoenix International Raceway Sunday night. It will be televised on NBCSN.

    The race was originally scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET but was postponed due to rain. After hours of rain showers, drying the track, more rain showers, people tweeting their favorite Jeff Gordon moments and more rain, we’re getting closer to starting the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500.

    According to the latest radar, we’re good to race for the rest of the night with no more significant precipitation heading the way of Jeff Gordon Raceway.

    As of right now, track drying is proceeding accordingly and we should get going shortly with a projected start time of approximately 9 p.m. When this race does get underway, there will be a competition caution on lap 40. Pit road speed is 40 mph and the fuel window is roughly 80 laps.

    In the unlikely event this race doesn’t get underway tonight, it will be run tomorrow. NASCAR has not yet set a definite time for the race if it is postponed until Monday.

    Jimmie Johnson, who won the pole position in qualifying Friday, will lead the field to green. The Chase drivers will take the green flag in the following order: Kurt Busch, 2nd; Carl Edwards, 4th; Martin Truex Jr., 5th; Kevin Harvick, 8th; Kyle Busch, 10th; Gordon, 11th; Joey Logano, 14th; Brad Keselowski, 18th.

    Jeff Gordon is the only driver who has secured his berth in the final race at Homestead next week which will determine the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, leaving seven drivers to compete for the remaining three spots.

    The race will be broadcast on NBCSN with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

     

  • Race Update: Cup Race at Phoenix Under a Weather Delay

    Race Update: Cup Race at Phoenix Under a Weather Delay

    Today’s race at Phoenix is under a weather delay.

    Rain showers have put the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway scheduled to start at 2:45 p.m. Eastern time on hold.

    The latest radar shows the rain is breaking up, but more is on the way from the southwest.

    Weather.com has the chance of rain ranging between 15 and 20 percent until 7:00 Eastern.

    The sun has emerged from the clouds and the air titans are on track at the moment. We expect the race to get underway and finished tonight. Television coverage will be moved to NBCSN

     

  • Johnson Leads First Practice at Phoenix

    Johnson Leads First Practice at Phoenix

    Jimmie Johnson topped the charts Friday at Phoenix International Raceway.  The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 25.383 and a speed of 141.827 mph.

    Kyle Larson was second in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 25.391 and a speed of 141.783 mph followed by Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kurt Busch who was third in his No. 41 Chevrolet with a speed of 141.571 mph. Carl Edwards was fourth in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a speed of 141.448 mph while Jamie McMurray rounded out the top-five in his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a lap time of 25.475 and a speed of 141.315 mph.

    Kevin Harvick was sixth in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, Kasey Kahne was seventh in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Martin Truex Jr. was eighth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was ninth in his No. 88 HMS Chevrolet and Kyle Busch rounded out the top-10 in his No. 18 JGR Toyota.

    Joey Logano finished 11th. Brad Keselowski finished 17th. Jeff Gordon was the lowest-finishing Chase driver in 25th.

    The driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, however, topped the chart with the best 10 consecutive lap average at 136.389 mph.

    The Sprint Cup cars are back on track later for qualifying at 6:45 p.m.

    NSCS Practice 1
    Phoenix International Raceway
    28th Annual Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, November 13, 2015 @ 01:27 PM US

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
    1 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet 25.383 141.827 11 14 —.— —.—
    2 42 Kyle Larson Target Camo Chevrolet 25.391 141.783 19 19 -0.008 -0.008
    3 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 25.429 141.571 23 23 -0.046 -0.038
    4 19 Carl Edwards Stanley Toyota 25.451 141.448 29 29 -0.068 -0.022
    5 1 Jamie McMurray Sherwin Williams Chevrolet 25.475 141.315 10 16 -0.092 -0.024
    6 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet 25.523 141.049 15 18 -0.140 -0.048
    7 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet 25.541 140.950 18 22 -0.158 -0.018
    8 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 25.559 140.851 7 14 -0.176 -0.018
    9 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nationwide Chevrolet 25.570 140.790 12 12 -0.187 -0.011
    10 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Crispy Toyota 25.576 140.757 37 38 -0.193 -0.006
    11 22 Joey Logano Pennzoil Ford 25.595 140.652 23 29 -0.212 -0.019
    12 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Cargill Ford 25.608 140.581 25 28 -0.225 -0.013
    13 3 Austin Dillon Bad Boy Buggies/Realtree Chevrolet 25.610 140.570 22 23 -0.227 -0.002
    14 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 25.613 140.554 23 23 -0.230 -0.003
    15 47 AJ Allmendinger Fry’s/Clorox Chevrolet 25.641 140.400 19 22 -0.258 -0.028
    16 11 Denny Hamlin FedEd Express Toyota 25.646 140.373 24 24 -0.263 -0.005
    17 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 25.661 140.291 2 14 -0.278 -0.015
    18 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 25.667 140.258 25 25 -0.284 -0.006
    19 20 Erik Jones(i) Dollar General Toyota 25.668 140.252 25 25 -0.285 -0.001
    20 16 Greg Biffle Jardiance Ford 25.680 140.187 20 20 -0.297 -0.012
    21 27 Paul Menard Duracell/Menards Chevrolet 25.703 140.061 17 20 -0.320 -0.023
    22 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Global Mining Chevrolet 25.744 139.838 21 21 -0.361 -0.041
    23 14 Tony Stewart Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet 25.754 139.784 34 38 -0.371 -0.010
    24 13 Casey Mears GEICO Military Chevrolet 25.774 139.676 27 27 -0.391 -0.020
    25 24 Jeff Gordon Pepsi Chevrolet 25.785 139.616 21 27 -0.402 -0.011
    26 43 Aric Almirola United States Air Force Ford 25.796 139.557 22 23 -0.413 -0.011
    27 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota 25.884 139.082 21 21 -0.501 -0.088
    28 55 David Ragan Aaron’s Online Dream Machine Toyota 25.909 138.948 25 26 -0.526 -0.025
    29 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Go Bowling/G1GABLAST Ford 25.921 138.884 22 27 -0.538 -0.012
    30 83 Matt DiBenedetto # VooDoo Barbeque Toyota 25.997 138.478 12 13 -0.614 -0.076
    31 40 Landon Cassill(i) Interstate Moving Services Chevrolet 26.027 138.318 30 31 -0.644 -0.030
    32 34 Brett Moffitt # Dockside Ford 26.029 138.307 26 30 -0.646 -0.002
    33 7 Alex Bowman Nikko RC/Toy State Chevrolet 26.094 137.963 21 23 -0.711 -0.065
    34 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 26.129 137.778 12 16 -0.746 -0.035
    35 38 David Gilliland Love’s Travel Stops Ford 26.192 137.447 17 18 -0.809 -0.063
    36 26 JJ Yeley(i) Maxim Toyota 26.212 137.342 22 25 -0.829 -0.020
    37 35 Cole Whitt Ford 26.244 137.174 14 22 -0.861 -0.032
    38 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 26.312 136.820 20 24 -0.929 -0.068
    39 23 Jeb Burton # Dr Pepper Toyota 26.431 136.204 32 33 -1.048 -0.119
    40 98 Ryan Preece Xyience Ford 26.499 135.854 23 23 -1.116 -0.068
    41 33 Ryan Ellis(i) Science Logic Chevrolet 26.771 134.474 31 31 -1.388 -0.272
    42 32 Joey Gase(i) R Factor 2 Ford 26.977 133.447 19 19 -1.594 -0.206
    43 62 Timmy Hill(i) Prairie Auto Credit/Financial Concepts Chevrolet 27.614 130.369 11 16 -2.231 -0.637
    *Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

    Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
    Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
    1 24 Jeff Gordon 4 13 136.389
    2 14 Tony Stewart 2 11 135.959
    3 18 Kyle Busch 2 11 135.809
    4 15 Clint Bowyer 1 10 134.809
    5 46 Michael Annett 1 10 132.747
    6 98 Ryan Preece 11 20 131.079

    Note: Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished ninth in the AAA Texas 500, earning his 19th top-10 result of the year.

    “I was given two ponies by Texas Motor Speedway as a retirement gift,” Gordon said. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with them. As a soon to be retiree, I reckon I will just put them out to pasture.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano blew a left-rear tire on lap 4, and the resulting damage sent the No.22 to the garage for major repairs. He finished 40th, 60 laps down, and will need a win at Phoenix to be among the final four eligible to win the Cup at Homestead.

    “Matt Kenseth was not on the track,” Logano said. “I never thought this statement would ever be uttered, but ‘You take away Matt Kenseth, you take away all the excitement.’”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick recovered from two blown tires to finish third in the AAA Texas 500. He is third in the Sprint Cup points standings.

    “I also had to keep my hand on the shifter,” Harvick said. “That was to keep the car from popping out of gear. That goes to show that when Kevin Harvick faces adversity, he overcomes it. That was the case at Dover—I was backed into a corner, so I backed into a wall.”

    4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fourth at Texas and holds the second spot in the points standings.

    “Sammy Hagar gave a pre-race concert in the Texas Motor Speedway infield,” Busch said. “I believe he was staring straight at me when he sang ‘I Can’t Drive 55.’”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole and dominated, leading 312 of 334 laps, but lost the victory when Jimmie Johnson passed him for the lead late. Keselowski is sixth in the points standings.

    “I’ll likely need a win to advance,” Keselowski said. “My Penske teammate Joey Logano faces the same situation. We could finish 1-2. If that happens, one of us could be taking it home, while the other would be going home.”

    6. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished fifth in the AAA Texas 500, posting his seventh top 5 of the year.

    “NASCAR suspended Matt Kenseth for two races,” Edwards said. “Matt seemed to be enjoying himself, sitting at home, watching the race, and sending sarcastic tweets. I don’t think NASCAR can suspend him for wrecking Twitter.”

    7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex lost his power steering while battling for the lead late in the race, and managed to hold on for an eighth-place finish.

    “I’m fourth in the points standings,” Truex said. “If I hold that position, I’ll likely have a spot in the finale at Homestead. That would mean a lot for our team because the Furniture Row Racing team certainly deserves a seat at the table.”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished seventh in the AAA Texas 500, and is seventh in the points standings.

    “I’m on the brink of elimination,” Busch said. “That’s what Joey Logano said when he saw Matt Kenseth behind him at Martinsville. It’s also what a soon-to-be-assassinated mark says when my ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll puts the crosshairs on the target.”

    9. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt finished sixth at Texas, posting his 21st top 10 of the year.

    “I’ve got top-10 finishes in the last three races,” Earnhardt said. “And that reminds me, you should try Diet Mountain Dew’s new flavor, ‘2 Little, 2 Late.’ It’s bittersweet.”

    10. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson passed Brad Keselowski on lap 331 and won his third straight race at Texas.

    “I may not be eligible for the Cup,” Johnson said, “but a win is a win is a win.”

  • Johnson Fires the Six Shooters Deep in the Heart of Texas

    Johnson Fires the Six Shooters Deep in the Heart of Texas

    Jimmie Johnson denied Brad Keselowski a date with immortality by stealing the victory in Texas on Sunday.

    The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet led only six laps on his way to scoring his 75th career victory, fifth win of the season and sixth at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Johnson said that he “just kept pressure on him (Keselowski). I could see that he was really tight and that was the first I had seen him that vulnerable all day. I just kept the pressure on him, kept searching for line. He saw me coming on the top and protected it. I just kept trying to put pressure on him hoping for a mistake. He got real loose off of Turn 2 and I had a big run down the backstretch and drove it in really far into Turn 3 hoping to hear clear. Once I did I knew I was home free.”

    The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford led 312 of the 334 laps on his way to getting passed for the win and finishing runner-up.

    “The 48 car had mega turn that last run and I couldn’t keep the turn and it kept pushing real bad. I did everything I could to hold him off, but he was way faster that last run. Their team did a hell of a job and found speed and my team did a hell of a job too. We led 300-some laps and these debris yellows always favor someone and it wasn’t our day for them to favor us. I am still very proud of our effort today. We will have a great shot at winning next week. We really needed to win this one and I know I gave it my all,” said Keselowski.

    Kevin Harvick led 11 circuits on his way to rounding out the podium in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet. Kyle Busch led one lap and finished his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in fourth. Carl Edwards rounded out the top-five in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished sixth followed by Kurt Busch in seventh. Martin Truex Jr. finished eighth, Jeff Gordon finished ninth and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top-10.

    Joey Logano was the only Chase driver outside the top-10. A flat tire 11 laps into the race relegated him to a 40th-place finish.

    Jeff Gordon leaves Texas with a two-point lead over Kyle Busch. Harvick leaves in third place, three points behind the leader. Martin Truex Jr. leaves Texas in fourth, six points back. Carl Edwards is fifth in the standings, 13-points back. Keselowski leaves in sixth place, 25 points behind Gordon. Kurt Busch is seventh (-34) and Logano leaves at the bottom of the title contender  rankings, 69 points back.

    Now mathematically unable to race his way in next week, the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford must win at Phoenix in order to race for the championship at Homestead.

    “Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. We will be ready for Phoenix. This team is strong, Logano said.

     

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – AAA Texas 500
    Texas Motor Speedway
    Fort Worth, Texas
    Sunday, November 08, 2015

        1. (8) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 334, $462976.

        2. (1) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 334, $394391.

        3. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 334, $280475.

        4. (3) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 334, $242766.

        5. (13) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 334, $170575.

        6. (10) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 334, $171240.

        7. (7) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 334, $157615.

        8. (23) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 334, $160910.

        9. (18) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 334, $172351.

        10. (27) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 334, $158556.

        11. (26) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 334, $156576.

        12. (6) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 334, $153326.

        13. (20) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 334, $120440.

        14. (21) Brian Scott(i), Chevrolet, 334, $127748.

        15. (14) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 334, $142973.

        16. (11) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 334, $116140.

        17. (30) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 334, $137398.

        18. (24) Aric Almirola, Ford, 334, $143526.

        19. (12) Greg Biffle, Ford, 333, $137148.

        20. (16) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 333, $120765.

        21. (28) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 333, $113540.

        22. (19) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 333, $137240.

        23. (15) David Ragan, Toyota, 333, $132079.

        24. (32) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 332, $130910.

        25. (36) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 331, $104265.

        26. (17) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 330, $126123.

        27. (39) Cole Whitt, Ford, 330, $115398.

        28. (43) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 330, $120587.

        29. (41) David Gilliland, Ford, 329, $108340.

        30. (35) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 329, $103130.

        31. (37) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 329, $99915.

        32. (40) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 329, $99690.

        33. (34) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 329, $99473.

        34. (33) Michael McDowell, Ford, 328, $99240.

        35. (38) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 328, $99040.

        36. (42) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, 326, $98810.

        37. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Accident, 304, $126510.

        38. (9) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 304, $111852.

        39. (29) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 296, $134355.

        40. (4) Joey Logano, Ford, 268, $132988.

        41. (31) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Engine, 236, $81780.

        42. (22) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, Accident, 52, $104994.

        43. (25) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, Accident, 26, $74280.

  • Keselowski Grabs the Pole at Texas

    Keselowski Grabs the Pole at Texas

    Brad Keselowski will lead the field to the green flag on Sunday. The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford won the pole with a time of 27.421 and a speed of 196.929 mph.

    Keselowski said that his “Wurth Ford Fusion has been really good since we unloaded. Very similar to where we were at Kansas, really fast in practice and really fast in qualifying. But we just need that to say with us in the race and we didn’t get that in Kansas.” He also joked that he’s glad to “have the first pit stall and we get to keep it this time. We are really excited about the race Sunday.”

    Kevin Harvick was second with a time of 27.552 and a speed of 195.993 mph.

    Harvick said that he practically “ran the same speed in all three rounds there. Didn’t quite have the raw speed in the first round, but this is a racetrack where you want the car to keep going as long as you can. Felt like we had a good start to our race trim practice today and going to have a good spot to start on Sunday.”

    Kyle Busch was third with a time of 27.591 and a speed of 195.716 mph.

    He said that while he doesn’t “need to win, we would love to win. I feel like this is a good opportunity for us to have a really good day and for us to score a victory. We come to every race trying to win and this one’s no different. I hope that Texas will bode well for us and we can score that win. If not, a solid top-five finish is exactly what we need. That’s where we need to be at the end of the day and carry on that momentum and go into Phoenix and hope for another solid day there.”

    Joey Logano qualified fourth with a time of 27.633 and a speed of 195.419 mph. Kyle Larson rounded out the top-five with a time of 27.644 and a speed of 195.341 mph.

    Erik Jones, driving in place of the suspended Matt Kenseth, will make his second career Sprint Cup Series start from the sixth starting position.

    Jones said that his qualifying run was “a really good effort for us. We made the final round at Kansas as well so it’s cool to make the final round in both our starts. We’ll see where it goes from here, obviously we’ve got a long ways to go yet for Sunday, 500 miles. This definitely helps everybody’s confidence a little bit for that.”

    Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top-10.

    Carl Edwards qualified 13th followed by Jeff Gordon, who locked himself into the championship race at Homestead with a win last Sunday at Martinsville, qualified 18th. Martin Truex Jr. was the lowest qualifying Chase driver in 23rd.

    Joey Gase and Reed Sorenson failed to qualify for the race.

    Complete Starting Lineup for the AAA Texas 500:

    1. Brad Keselowski
    2. Kevin Harvick
    3. Kyle Busch
    4. Joey Logano
    5. Kyle Larson
    6. Erik Jones
    7. Kurt Busch
    8. Jimmie Johnson
    9. Denny Hamlin
    10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    11. Danica Patrick
    12. Greg Biffle
    13. Carl Edwards
    14. Clint Bowyer
    15. David Ragan
    16. Kasey Kahne
    17. Casey Mears
    18. Jeff Gordon
    19. Ryan Newman
    20. Paul Menard
    21. Brian Scott
    22. Tony Stewart
    23. Martin Truex Jr.
    24. Aric Almirola
    25. Ryan Blaney
    26. Austin Dillon
    27. Jamie McMurray
    28. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    29. Trevor Bayne
    30. AJ Allmendinger
    31. Alex Bowman
    32. Sam Hornish Jr.
    33. Michael McDowell
    34. JJ Yeley
    35. Brett Moffitt
    36. Landon Cassill
    37. Michael Annett
    38. Matt DiBenedetto
    39. Cole Whitt
    40. Jeb Burton
    41. David Gilliland
    42. Ryan Preece
    43. Justin Allgaier
  • Bristol Night Race Has a New Sponsor

    Bristol Night Race Has a New Sponsor

    Bristol’s night race will have a new sponsor next season.

    Bristol Motor Speedway announced that Bass Pro Shops and the National Rifle Association will co-sponsor next year’s night race. It will be titled the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race.

    “NASCAR fans love racing, hunting and the outdoors and we are excited to spotlight them together in Bristol,” said Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops. “Located in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountain region, the Night Race is the perfect venue for us to celebrate our shared love of the outdoors and the importance of protecting natural resources for future generations.”

    The partnership makes sense with East Tennessee being home to great lakes for fishing and mountains for hunting.

    Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager for Bristol Motor Speedway, commented that the famous “nature of The Night Race and the natural beauty of our region create the perfect opportunity to highlight conservation on a national stage. Hunters and sporting enthusiasts attend NASCAR races in droves. We share the same customers and that makes this a well-suited partnership.”

    Richard Childress, team owner of Richard Childress Racing, stated that fans and members of the NRA “treasure their freedom and outdoor heritage, and the Night Race is where we go to celebrate that love of freedom, love of the shooting sports, and love of the great outdoors. It’s an electrifying race and an exciting way to celebrate the American values we share and the legacy we preserve for young sportsmen and hunters all across this great nation.”

    Since it’s opening in 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway has been among the premier venues in NASCAR. It’s been home to some of the most famous finishes, crashes and fistfights in its 54 years on the NASCAR rotation. While there are those who’ll say Bristol isn’t as great as it was long ago, I will argue until the day I die that the changes made to Bristol in 2007 and 2012 have made the racing at Bristol better than it was long ago.

    I loved Bristol when I attended my very first NASCAR race there in 2003 and I’ve loved it since attending at least one Bristol race every year since. Take it from someone who lives in the East Tennessee area, you don’t want to miss a race at Bristol. Even if you attend a race here once, it’s worth every penny.

    Tickets to both this race and next April’s Food City 500 can be purchased by calling (855) 580-5525 or visiting BristolTix.com. It’s not just a race, “It’s Bristol Baby!”

  • Keselowski Heads First Practice Session at Texas

    Keselowski Heads First Practice Session at Texas

    Brad Keselowski topped the chart in the first practice session on Friday at Texas Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 27.403 and a speed of 197.059 mph. Kevin Harvick placed his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet with a time of 27.492 and a speed of 196.421 mph. Carl Edwards showed his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 27.516 and a speed of 196.249 mph. Kyle Larson brought his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet to fourth with a time of 27.533 and a speed of 196.128 mph. Joey Logano rounded out the top-five in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford with a time of 27.551 and a speed of 196.000 mph.

    Jamie McMurray finished his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in sixth. Ryan Blaney finished his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in seventh. Erik Jones, driving in place of the suspended Matt Kenseth, finished his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in eighth. Greg Biffle finished his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford in ninth. Kurt Busch rounded out the top-10 in his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.

    Kyle Busch finished 11th, Jeff Gordon finished 19th and Martin Truex Jr. was the lowest-finishing Chase driver in 20th.

    The Sprint Cup cars are back on track this evening for qualifying at 6:45.

    NSCS Practice 1
    Texas Motor Speedway
    11th Annual AAA Texas 500
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, November 06, 2015 @ 01:58 PM Eastern
    ===========================================
    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
    ===========================================
    1 2 Brad Keselowski Wurth Ford 27.403 197.059 7 7 —.— —.—
    2 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet 27.492 196.421 8 8 -0.089 -0.089
    3 19 Carl Edwards Sport Clips Toyota 27.516 196.249 18 18 -0.113 -0.024
    4 42 Kyle Larson Target Plaid Chevrolet 27.533 196.128 24 24 -0.130 -0.017
    5 22 Joey Logano AAA Insurance Ford 27.551 196.000 20 20 -0.148 -0.018
    6 1 Jamie McMurray Cessna Chevrolet 27.566 195.893 17 17 -0.163 -0.015
    7 21 Ryan Blaney(i) Snap-On Tools Ford 27.568 195.879 7 7 -0.165 -0.002
    8 20 Erik Jones(i) DeWalt Toyota 27.593 195.702 21 21 -0.190 -0.025
    9 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 27.613 195.560 7 9 -0.210 -0.020
    10 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 27.635 195.404 19 19 -0.232 -0.022
    11 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Crispy Toyota 27.639 195.376 18 18 -0.236 -0.004
    12 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet 27.658 195.242 17 17 -0.255 -0.019
    13 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota 27.664 195.200 8 10 -0.261 -0.006
    14 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet 27.672 195.143 8 8 -0.269 -0.008
    15 15 Clint Bowyer Maxwell House Toyota 27.680 195.087 16 16 -0.277 -0.008
    16 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 27.707 194.897 11 11 -0.304 -0.027
    17 3 Austin Dillon Dow Packaging/H-E-B Chevrolet 27.711 194.868 7 7 -0.308 -0.004
    18 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Sonic Ford 27.728 194.749 9 9 -0.325 -0.017
    19 24 Jeff Gordon Axalta Chevrolet 27.729 194.742 20 20 -0.326 -0.001
    20 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 27.736 194.693 7 9 -0.333 -0.007
    21 31 Ryan Newman Quicken Loans Chevrolet 27.742 194.651 14 14 -0.339 -0.006
    22 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet 27.754 194.567 9 9 -0.351 -0.012
    23 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger/Scott Products Chevrolet 27.765 194.489 19 19 -0.362 -0.011
    24 55 David Ragan Aaron’s Online Dream Machine Toyota 27.770 194.454 17 17 -0.367 -0.005
    25 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 27.780 194.384 10 10 -0.377 -0.010
    26 27 Paul Menard Schrock/Menards Chevrolet 27.783 194.363 13 13 -0.380 -0.003
    27 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 27.815 194.140 20 22 -0.412 -0.032
    28 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fastenal Ford 27.815 194.140 7 7 -0.412 -0.000
    29 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 27.943 193.251 11 11 -0.540 -0.128
    30 33 Brian Scott(i) Shore Lodge Chevrolet 27.943 193.251 5 7 -0.540 -0.000
    31 7 Alex Bowman Nikko RC/Toy State Chevrolet 28.004 192.830 17 17 -0.601 -0.061
    32 26 JJ Yeley(i) Overture Promotions Toyota 28.089 192.246 9 9 -0.686 -0.085
    33 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 28.104 192.143 23 23 -0.701 -0.015
    34 95 Michael McDowell Tommy Williams Drywall Ford 28.237 191.238 10 10 -0.834 -0.133
    35 34 Brett Moffitt # Visit Dallas Ford 28.241 191.211 21 21 -0.838 -0.004
    36 23 Jeb Burton # Dr Pepper/Estes Toyota 28.288 190.894 9 9 -0.885 -0.047
    37 51 Justin Allgaier Texas Lottery Chevrolet 28.300 190.813 20 20 -0.897 -0.012
    38 35 Cole Whitt Moen Ford 28.350 190.476 15 19 -0.947 -0.050
    39 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 28.404 190.114 12 12 -1.001 -0.054
    40 38 David Gilliland Love’s Travel Stops Ford 28.415 190.040 14 16 -1.012 -0.011
    41 40 Landon Cassill(i) CRC/O’Reilly Auto Parts Chevrolet 28.424 189.980 32 32 -1.021 -0.009
    42 83 Matt DiBenedetto # Dustless Blasting Toyota 28.555 189.109 11 11 -1.152 -0.131
    43 32 Joey Gase(i) Zak Products/Donate Life Texas Ford 28.767 187.715 14 14 -1.364 -0.212
    44 62 Reed Sorenson Toyota 28.846 187.201 9 9 -1.443 -0.079
    45 98 Ryan Preece Xyience Chevrolet 29.075 185.727 24 24 -1.672 -0.229

    Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
    * No driver ran 10 consecutive laps during this practice.
    *Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

     

  • AAA Texas 500 Preview

    AAA Texas 500 Preview

    Leave the car at home this weekend, hop on your trusty steed and ride out west because NASCAR is riding into the Lonestar State.

    This week, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Fort Worth, Texas for the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. It will be the 34th race of the season, eighth of the Chase and second of the Eliminator Round.

    I’m just going to say this up front. If you expect to see a good race at Texas, don’t. Speaking only for myself, Texas is near the bottom of my list of favorite tracks. I’ve seen very few races that could pass as good here. I’ve seen so much nothing here over the years that I’ve set my expectations for Texas at zero. The aero package we used this year didn’t make it any better.

    The only thing that gives me hope that this will be worth watching is that it’s the middle race of this round. As we’ve seen the last two years, the middle race of the Challenger, Contender and Eliminator Rounds have the biggest water-cooler moments.

    The powder keg erupted on pit road last year at Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)
    The powder keg erupted on pit road last year at Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington /Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)

    New Hampshire last year had the second half wreck fest, Charlotte had the hauler scuffle between Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski and Texas had the pit road brawl involving Jeff Gordon and his crew fighting Keselowski and his crew.

    This season we saw Kevin Harvick dominate Loudon before running out of gas with two laps to go and needing to win Dover to advance and then we had Joey Logano turning Kenseth to win Kansas.

    Each race of this year’s Chase has given us moments to talk about for days (be it good or bad) and that alone gives me hope that Texas will be watchable.

     

    (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)
    Kevin Harvick will look to fire the six-shooters in Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington /Getty Images for TMS)

    Kevin Harvick

    Kevin Harvick enters the weekend at 9/2 as the odds-on favorite (Vegas Insider). While he’s been dominant this season, his stats at Texas are hit or miss. He’s finished in the top-10 in 52 percent of his 25 starts, has 13 top-10 finishes in 25 starts, but he has only finished in the top-five in 20 percent of his starts (five top-five finishes in 25 starts). He’s also only led 104 laps at Texas in his career and until this past April, he never led more than two laps in a single race. In his last two starts at Texas, Harvick has finished runner-up in both and led 96 laps when NASCAR was last in Denton County, Texas. Expect to see the driver of the No. 4 Chevrolet to be up front on Sunday.

     

    Joey Logano will look to climb out of the points deficit he's in. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)
    Joey Logano will look to climb out of the points deficit he’s in. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for TMS)

    Joey Logano

    Next is the 5/1 driver that’s been on the biggest hot streak as of late, Joseph Tomas Logano. His stats at Texas technically aren’t stellar (only five top-five and five top-10 finishes in 14 starts) but his five races at Texas with Team Penske have been among his best of any track. In his last five races, he’s finished fifth, third, first, 12th and fourth. That’s an average finish of fifth. While he’s only led 159 laps at Texas, 129 of those were in the last five races. In the nine intermediate races this season, Logano has a 5.1 average finish. With a 37-point hole to dig out of and Phoenix being Harvick’s playground, expect the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford to race like hell for the checkered flag Sunday.

     

    Look for "Bad Brad" to make some noise this Sunday. Photo Credit: Barry Albert
    Look for “Bad Brad” to make some noise this Sunday. (Photo Credit: Barry Albert)

    Brad Keselowski

    Next at 6/1 is Brad Keselowski. Like Logano, his career stats at Texas aren’t great. With only five top-10 finishes and three top-five finishes, you might be quick to write him off. However, in his last five starts, he’s finished ninth, sixth, 15th, third and fifth. That’s a 7.3 average finish. He’s led 273 laps in his career, 164 in the last four races. While he’s not toward the top of my picks to win, I’d expect to see him near the front Sunday.

     

    Jimmie Johnson will look to fire off the six-shooters again this weekend. (Photo by Sarah Glenn/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)
    Jimmie Johnson will look to fire off the six-shooters again this weekend. (Photo by Sarah Glenn/Getty Images for TMS)

    Jimmie Johnson

    Finally, we come to the driver who’s both 6/1 and the all-time wins leader at Texas Motor Speedway. His name is Jimmie Kenneth Johnson. In 24 starts, he’s finished in the top-five in half of his starts and 75 percent in the top-10. In the last seven races, he’s finished second, first, sixth, first, 25th, first and first. He’s also won the last three fall races at Texas, and in pretty dominant fashion. In the five races he led a lap in, he led  no fewer than 128 laps. His laps led total in each race has been 156, 168, zero, 255, zero, 191 and 128. That’s an average of 128 laps. I know Johnson hasn’t been up front much since winning at Dover in May and he’s only led 41 laps since Daytona in July, but my money is on the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to continue his streak of being the only driver to have won at least one Chase race every year.

     

    To find out who’ll fire off the six-shooters in victory lane, tune into the AAA Texas 500 Sunday at 2:00 p.m. on NBC. The radio broadcast can be heard on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM radio (subscription required). You’ll hear Doug Rice, Mark Garrow and Wendy Venturini in the booth, Rob Albright and Pat Patterson in the turns and Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan, Jim Noble and Steve Richards on pit road. The lineup is always subject to change.