Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: Ron Hornaday Jr.

  • Kyle Busch Falls One Spot Short in Tying Ron Hornaday Jr.’s Record

    Kyle Busch Falls One Spot Short in Tying Ron Hornaday Jr.’s Record

    It was a case of ‘what could have been’ for the No. 51 driver of the Cessna Kyle Busch Motorsports machine. Busch was looking to tie Ron Hornaday Jr.’s all-time winning streak Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. However, the Las Vegas native will have to wait for another race.

    After starting fourth in the NC Education Lottery 200, Busch remained in the top 10 in both stages finishing sixth and second, respectively. While he was strong throughout the stages, it was the pit stops that ultimately cost him a shot at winning.

    “Pure talent, Busch said. “That’s about it. My pit crew did absolutely nothing to help me out tonight. My truck drove like crap. These splitters are absolutely horrendous. You can’t pass in traffic.”

    Busch suffered two pit road penalties for his crew being over the wall too soon. At the end of the day, he finished in the second position behind race winner Johnny Sauter. Busch will have to wait another day to earn career win number 51.

    “You can’t race alongside anybody,” Busch added. “You can get within five truck-lengths of no one. But somehow, someway, I was able to get back to the front. Had a blast.”

    By finishing second, he earned his third top five of the year.  He will have three more opportunities in 2018 to tie or surpass Hornaday’s record.

  • Hot 20 – A Southern night with the lady in black at Darlington

    Hot 20 – A Southern night with the lady in black at Darlington

    With the Southern 500 coming our way from Darlington this weekend, it seems like a good time to talk about tradition. The first one in the books was back in 1950, making it the oldest of the sport’s iconic events. Most of the time, it goes to someone who is in or will be in, the Hall of Fame. That number will only grow once Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson get in, along with a few other contenders I can think of.

    Bill Elliott won it three times. Gordon has six. Next year, the current driver of the No. 24 moves over to take over the No. 9 once driven by his daddy. Chase Elliott has the name and soon will have the number. William Byron takes over the former Gordonmobile.

    Ray Evernham never drove the race, but he was the man on the stand for four of Gordon’s victories. The soon to be Hall of Famer joins fellow inductees Ron Hornaday Jr., Ken Squier and Robert Yates as the event’s Grand Marshals.

    We hear that the No. 5 is about to go into mothballs, considering the No. 24, No. 48, and the No. 88 will soon be joined by the No. 9 in the stable of cars owned by Rick Hendrick. While Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s daddy won the race three times, this is the son’s last shot at claiming his first. An Earnhardt has appeared in Cup action every season since 1975. We might even see a cameo by the legacy of the legend next season, wife permitting. However, even if that was not the case, we could still have nephew Jeffery Earnhardt in the running.

    By the way, the Earnhardt NASCAR legacy at its highest division actually started on November 11, 1956 when Ralph Earnhardt finished second to Speedy Thompson in his Grand National debut at Hickory Speedway. Dale’s dad ran 51 races at the sport’s highest level. In fact, he finished ninth in the 1961 Southern 500.

    Tradition. Thanks to NASCAR’s capitulation to selling out its naming rights to corporate sponsors, we have few iconic stand alone events left. Talladega and Bristol are iconic tracks, but neither has a traditional branded event. If you are selective as to what races you win, there is the winter race in Daytona, the May contest in Charlotte, the summer run at Indianapolis, and Labor Day at Darlington.

    Win this Sunday’s Southern 500, and you will be remembered. Win your first of the season, and you will be rewarded with a place in the Chase.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (951 Pts)
    Tamed the track to tough to tame a year ago, but will she be a lady this year?

    2. KYLE LARSON – 3 WINS (845 Pts)
    Coming off a win and another Top Ten in his last two, I think the lad is doing alright.

    3. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (628 Pts)
    This week saw Genevieve’s first day of Grade One. That is a big deal.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 2 WINS (850 Pts)
    We need some love ‘em or hate ‘em guys out there. He sure in hell is not colorless.

    5. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (728 Pts)
    Then, there are some you just hate. I am hoping Momma Kay might disagree.

    6. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2 WINS (528 Pts)
    Life is not always a day at the beach…but sometimes it is.

    7. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (824 Pts)
    His idea of a wild card race to determine the last Chase spot is a good one. We call it Richmond.

    8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (753 Pts)
    Intentionally slow leaving pit road and you risk being sent to the back. Problem solved.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (623 Pts)
    One of next season’s sponsors will be Menards. Take that, Paul!

    10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (586 Pts)
    After a Daytona 500 and a Brickyard 400, another jewel would appear to be in order.

    11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (574 Pts)
    Newman and Dillon will sport autos that will remind us of a certain Wrangler of the 1980s.

    12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (451 Pts)
    Sometimes when Hendrick makes an announcement, it is good news. Sometimes, it is not.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (437 Pts)
    When it comes to throwbacks, I still love the black Goodwrench…no offense Wrangler.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 711 POINTS
    Nothing can be finer than driving the number niner.

    15. MATT KENSETH – 703 POINTS
    Two ex-champs, one quality ride left. Does either get the chair when the music stops?

    16. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 700 POINTS
    Seven wins at Charlotte, Daytona, Indianapolis, and Talladega. Why not one at Darlington?

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 642 POINTS
    Would he wreck a rival to make the Chase? Maybe, if he was running second.

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 583 POINTS (1 Win)
    Thought he had a plan to get into the Chase, but the President pardoned Sheriff Joe instead.

    19. ERIK JONES – 574 POINTS
    Pocono (eighth), Watkins Glen (10th), Michigan (third), Bristol (second). His stock is rising.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 537 POINTS
    Whatever happens to the guy who fails to tighten a lug nut that costs his crew chief $10,000?

    The rest of the contenders

    21. TREVOR BAYNE – 470 POINTS
    22. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 416 POINTS
    23. PAUL MENARD – 408 POINTS
    24. TY DILLON – 395 POINTS
    25. CHRIS BUESCHER – 387 POINTS
    26. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 381 POINTS
    27. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 378 POINTS
    28. DANICA PATRICK – 352 POINTS
    29. DAVID RAGAN – 303 POINTS
    30. ARIC ALMIROLA – 268 POINTS
    31. MATT DIBENEDETTO – 264 POINTS
    32. COLE WHITT – 241 POINTS
    33. LANDON CASSILL – 241 POINTS

     

     

  • Crunching The Numbers: Chicagoland

    Crunching The Numbers: Chicagoland

    After a wild and controversial weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series at Richmond and for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in Iowa, all three series meet back up for another tripleheader weekend in Chicago as we’re getting down to 10 races or less in the championship race for each series.

    Sprint Cup Series – Geico 400

    26 races down. 10 to go. For the third straight year, Chicagoland kicks off the Chase for the Sprint Cup and can set the early tone for a successful Chase. Last season, Brad Keselowski won at this track and used the momentum gained from the victory here to carry himself all the way to the championship. Can one of the Chase contenders do the same this season? We’ll find out at the end of 400 miles on Sunday.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Jimmie Johnson 11 0 6 9 2 537 7.5 9.3
    Brian Vickers 6 0 1 3 1 12 5.8 9.5
    Clint Bowyer 7 0 1 6 0 8 15.0 10.1
    Kevin Harvick 12 2 6 7 0 282 18.8 10.5
    Jeff Gordon 12 1 6 7 1 134 12.1 12.1
    Mark Martin 12 1 1 5 0 239 15.5 12.6
    Matt Kenseth 12 0 2 4 1 348 17.1 12.8
    Kyle Busch 8 1 3 3 0 174 15.4 13.4
    Brad Keselowski 4 1 2 2 0 80 19.5 14.0
    Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 12 1 3 5 0 121 17.0 14.2

    Who To Watch: When it comes to excelling in races in the Chase, the first driver that usually comes to mind is five-time champion, Jimmie Johnson, so it should be no surprise that Johnson leads all active drivers in stats at Chicago. Despite never having won at Chicago, Johnson has six top fives, nine top tens, two poles, 537 laps led, and an average finish of 9.3 in 11 races.

    Brian Vickers will be running both the Sprint Cup race and the Nationwide Series race this weekend at Chicago and in six Cup races at the track, Vickers has a pretty good track record. In those six races, Vickers has one top five, three top tens, one pole, 12 laps led, and an average finish of 9.5.

    Others to keep an eye on include: Clint Bowyer, who will have a little added pressure on himself after what took place at and after Richmond last week, with one top five, six top tens, eight laps led, and an average finish of 10.1 in seven starts; Kevin Harvick, with two wins, six top fives, seven top tens, 282 laps led, and an average finish of 10.5 in 12 starts; and Jeff Gordon, with one win, six top fives, seven top tens, one pole, 134 laps led, and an average finish of 12.1 in 12 starts.

    Nationwide Series – Dollar General 300

    As the Nationwide Series heads to Chicago for the second time this season, Sam Hornish, Jr. still holds onto the points lead by 18 points over second place Austin Dillon. With only eight races remaining in the Nationwide Series schedule, the current four man race for the championship between Hornish, Dillon, Regan Smith, and Elliott Sadler is poised to go right down to the wire

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Austin Dillon 3 0 2 3 0 77 2.3 4.0
    Sam Hornish, Jr. 4 0 2 4 1 79 3.8 5.2
    Joey Logano 5 2 3 4 1 249 4.8 6.4
    Justin Allgaier 7 1 2 5 0 9 12.6 8.1
    Parker Kligerman 3 0 0 2 0 0 13.3 8.7
    Brian Scott 6 0 2 3 1 5 14.0 9.2
    Brian Vickers 5 0 4 4 0 3 7.2 9.2
    Matt Kenseth 7 0 3 4 0 62 11.0 11.4
    Michael Annett 7 0 1 3 0 2 17.7 12.0
    Kyle Larson 1 0 0 0 0 4 22.0 12.0

    Who To Watch: No surprise that the top two in points are also the top two statistically at Chicagoland. Austin Dillon, sitting second in points, holds the upper hand at this track with two top fives, three top tens, 77 laps led, and an average finish of 4.0 in three starts. Points leader Hornish isn’t far behind though, with two top fives, four top tens, one pole, 79 laps led, and an average finish of 5.2 in four starts.

    Others to keep an eye on Saturday afternoon include: Joey Logano, who will be driving the strong No. 22 Ford, with two wins, three top fives, four top tens, one pole, 249 laps led, and an average finish of 6.4 in five races; Justin Allgaier, with one win, two top fives, five top tens, nine laps led, and an average finish of 8.1 in seven races; and Parker Kligerman, with two top tens and an average finish of 8.7 in three starts.

    Camping World Truck Series – EnjoyIllinois.com 225

    With seven races remaining in the Camping World Truck Series schedule, points leader Matt Crafton, who has been Mr. Consistency this season, still holds a points lead of 37 points over defending series champion, James Buescher, as the series heads to Chicago. Without any drastic changes between now and Homestead, it looks like this championship is Crafton’s to lose. Time will tell if Buescher or any of the other series regulars can make any headway on Crafton’s points lead.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Kyle Busch 3 2 3 3 0 210 7.3 2.3
    Ron Hornaday 4 0 1 3 0 12 10.8 7.8
    Brendan Gaughan 2 0 1 1 0 83 11.5 8.0
    Matt Crafton 4 0 1 3 1 23 9.5 8.0
    Johnny Sauter 4 0 2 3 0 2 11.0 9.2
    James Buescher 4 1 1 1 0 6 9.0 11.0
    Ty Dillon 1 0 0 0 0 17 3.0 12.0
    Miguel Paludo 2 0 0 1 0 5 9.5 12.5
    Timothy Peters 4 0 1 2 0 8 16.0 12.5
    Joey Coulter 2 0 0 0 0 3 6.5 13.5

    Who To Watch: No surprise at who is tops statistically at Chicago in the Truck Series. In three races, Kyle Busch has two wins, three top fives, three top tens, 210 laps led, and an average finish of 2.3. Whichever driver has their sights set on Victory Lane will definitely have to go through Busch to get there.

    Others to keep an eye on are Ron Hornaday, Jr., with one top five, three top tens, 12 laps led, and an average finish of 7.8 in four races; Brendan Gaughan, with one top five, one top ten, 83 laps led, and an average finish of 8.0 in two starts; points leader Matt Crafton, with one top five, three top tens, one pole, 23 laps led, and an average finish of 8.0 in four starts; and Johnny Sauter, with two top fives, three top tens, two laps led, and an average finish of 9.2 in four starts.

  • Crunching The Numbers: Dover

    Crunching The Numbers: Dover

    After two weeks at home in Charlotte, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams pack up and head north to Dover, Delaware for a date with “The Monster Mile” at Dover International Speedway. For the first time since the season openers at Daytona in February, all three series will be at the same track for a rare tripleheader weekend.

    Sprint Cup Series – Fed Ex 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks

    The first of two visits for the Sprint Cup Series at Dover will feature the best drivers in the world talking on one of the toughest tracks on the circuit. The one mile concrete oval, which is one of the only two high banked concrete tracks on the schedule in addition to Bristol, is one of the reasons many have labeled this treacherous track as “Bristol on steroids”. This race, the 13th of the season, also marks the halfway point in the 26 race regular season, with 13 races remaining until the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup this fall.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Carl Edwards 17 1 8 12 0 532 15.0 8.3
    Jimmie Johnson 22 7 11 16 3 2318 9.7 8.6
    Jeff Gordon 40 4 15 22 4 2292 11.6 12.0
    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1 0 0 0 0 0 17.0 12.0
    Ryan Newman 22 3 6 11 4 842 9.5 12.1
    Mark Martin 53 4 24 32 5 1769 12.3 12.3
    Greg Biffle 21 2 6 10 1 463 11.7 12.4
    Aric Almirola 2 0 0 1 0 0 16.5 12.5
    Matt Kenseth 28 2 13 18 1 746 16.1 12.6
    Clint Bowyer 14 0 1 7 0 34 17.6 13.2

    Who To Watch: The best driver statistically at Dover? That would be none other than Carl Edwards. With his one win, eight top fives, 12 top tens, 532 laps led, and an average finish of 8.3 in 17 races, it’s no surprise that Edwards has earned the nickname of “Concrete Carl” for his prowess on tracks with a concrete surface.

    Right in Edwards tire tracks are the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. In 22 starts, Johnson has seven wins, 11 top fives, 16 top tens, three poles, 2318 laps led, and an average finish of 8.6. Gordon has 40 starts, with four wins, 15 top fives, 22 top tens, four poles, 2292 laps led, and an average finish of 12.0.

    Others to keep an eye on include former Dover winners Ryan Newman, with three wins and an average finish of 12.1; Mark Martin, with four wins and an average finish of 12.3; Greg Biffle, with two wins and an average finish of 12.4; and Matt Kenseth, with two wins and an average finish of 12.6.

    Nationwide Series – 5 Hour Energy 200

    Another race weekend and another field full of Cup regulars in the Nationwide Series. This time the Nationwide regulars outnumber the Cup regulars in the top 10 statistically at Dover. Could a Nationwide regular take the checkers on Saturday for the third time this year? The statistics point to that being a good probability.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Brian Vickers 5 1 3 4 0 105 6.6 6.2
    Joey Logano 8 2 4 5 2 465 4.9 6.5
    Reed Sorenson 11 0 6 10 0 7 12.1 7.2
    Austin Dillon 2 0 0 2 0 0 10.0 8.0
    Ty Dillon 1 0 0 1 0 0 3.0 8.0
    Kyle Busch 15 3 7 10 3 853 10.2 11.6
    Parker Kligerman 1 0 0 0 0 0 12.0 12.0
    Kasey Kahne 13 0 3 7 1 66 10.2 12.1
    Brian Scott 6 0 1 3 0 0 16.8 12.2
    Elliott Sadler 10 0 1 5 1 11 12.7 13.0

    Who To Watch: Brian Vickers heads up the list as the best statistically at Dover with one win, three top fives, four top tens, 105 laps led, and 6.2 average finish in five starts. The only Cup regular in the top five statistically at Dover, Joey Logano, has two wins, four top fives, five top tens, two poles, 465 laps led, and an average finish of 6.5 in eight starts. Reed Sorenson has six top fives, 10 top tens, seven laps led and an average finish of 7.2 in 11 starts. Next up are the Dillon brothers, Austin and Ty, who both have average finishes of 8.0 in a combined three starts.

    The majority of the season has seen Kyle Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing team dominating and winning race after race. If anyone wants to make it to Victory Lane, they will have to go through Busch, who has three wins, seven top fives, 10 top tens, three poles, 853 laps led, and an average finish of 11.6 in 15 races. Joe Gibbs Racing has won four of the last six Nationwide Series races at Dover and with a win this weekend, Busch would become the series wins leader at Dover, setting yet another record in the process.

    Camping World Truck Series – Lucas Oil 200

    The Dover tripleheader weekend kicks off with the Camping World Truck Series hitting the track for their race on Friday afternoon. This race has been known to produce more first time winners and rookie winners than repeat winners. If this continues to hold true, we could see one of the series many young guns make their first trip to Victory Lane.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Ty Dillon 1 0 0 1 0 0 6.0 6.0
    Joey Coulter 2 0 0 1 0 0 3.5 8.5
    David Starr 11 0 3 7 1 17 15.1 9.1
    James Buescher 4 0 1 3 0 0 14.0 10.2
    Kyle Busch 7 2 2 4 1 711 4.1 10.9
    Ron Hornaday, Jr. 8 1 3 5 1 275 5.8 11.1
    Justin Lofton 3 0 1 2 0 22 15.7 12.7
    Johnny Sauter 4 0 1 1 0 0 4.5 13.8
    Matt Crafton 12 0 2 7 0 16 17.5 13.8
    Timothy Peters 6 0 0 2 0 1 14.0 14.7

    Who To Watch: Both Kyle Busch, who will be attempting the tripleheader by running in all three series, and Ron Hornaday, Jr. are the only winners of this race in the field for Friday’s race. Others to keep an eye on that have had good runs at the track, but no wins include: Ty Dillon, who finished sixth in his lone start at the track last year; Joey Coulter, who has an average finish of 8.5 in two starts; David Starr, with an average finish of 9.1 in 11 starts; and series champion James Buescher, who has an average finish of 10.2 in four starts.

  • Crunching The Numbers: Charlotte All Star Weekend

    Crunching The Numbers: Charlotte All Star Weekend

    After tackling “The Lady in Black” at Darlington last weekend, NASCAR heads home for a two week home stand at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series taking center stage during All Star Weekend.

    Sprint Cup Series

    With 11 points paying races behind them, the Sprint Cup Series heads into one of the wildest races of the year as the Sprint All Star Race is upon us once again. The non-points race that is all for the trophy, bragging rights, and a nice payday of a possible two million dollars for the winner, leads to some brash moves by drivers to get to the front and take the checkers. Since the drivers don’t have to worry about points, the phrase “Bring me the trophy or bring me the steering wheel” perfectly explains a driver’s mindset heading into this race. To add to the drama, the race will have a new format that makes running up front an even more important factor and this race should be a great one not to be missed when these drivers strap in and go for the win on Saturday night.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Joey Logano 2 0 1 2 0 11.5 5.5
    Matt Kenseth 12 1 5 9 2 9.3 6.3
    Jimmie Johnson 11 3 7 7 1 9.1 6.6
    Marcos Ambrose 1 0 0 1 0 18.0 7.0
    Tony Stewart 14 1 8 9 0 11.1 7.7
    Dale Earnhardt Jr 13 1 4 10 0 14.2 8.3
    Ryan Newman 11 1 3 7 1 8.8 9.3
    Jeff Gordon 19 3 6 9 0 8.6 9.5
    Kevin Harvick 12 1 2 3 0 8.6 10.5
    Kurt Busch 11 1 4 6 0 8.1 10.8

    Who To Watch: While any of the drivers who run the Sprint All Star Race have a chance to win, a few stick out above the rest and the driver with the highest average finish among All Star Race participants may surprise you. That driver is Joey Logano, who has an average finish of 5.5 in two starts. Following close in Logano’s steps are last weekend’s winner at Darlington, Matt Kenseth, and five time Sprint Cup champion, Jimmie Johnson. Kenseth has one win, five top fives, nine top tens, one pole, and an average finish of 6.3 in 12 starts. Johnson is close behind with three wins, seven top fives, seven top tens, one pole, and an average finish of 6.6 in 11 starts.

    Although not in the top ten of drivers with the best average finish in the Sprint All Star Race, Kyle Busch is another driver to keep an eye on this weekend. Busch has two top fives, three top tens, three poles, and an average finish of 12.4 in seven starts. However, Busch does have four DNF’s in those seven starts. As long as Busch can keep his car in one piece, he could capture his first win in the Sprint All Star Race this weekend.

    Camping World Truck Series

    The Camping World Truck Series heads into Charlotte this weekend for Friday night’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200, ending a nearly month long hiatus in the schedule. Several Sprint Cup Series regulars will be running the race along with the Truck Series regulars, which driver will come out on top? After 200 miles, we’ll have our answer.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Kyle Busch 7 4 5 6 2 335 5.4 3.6
    Ron Hornaday, Jr. 8 2 6 6 0 170 7.6 6.8
    Jeb Burton 1 0 0 1 0 0 21.0 8.0
    Justin Lofton 3 1 1 1 0 44 17.3 9.7
    Matt Crafton 10 1 2 7 0 29 12.6 9.8
    Ty Dillon 1 0 1 1 1 25 1.0 10.0
    James Buescher 4 0 2 2 0 26 7.8 10.5
    Joey Coulter 2 0 0 1 0 0 13.0 11.5
    Dakoda Armstrong 1 0 0 0 0 0 24.0 13.0
    Todd Bodine 9 0 4 4 0 18 14.4 14.0

    Who To Watch: Sprint Cup regular Kyle Busch could have another one of his weekend sweeps if the statistics are to be believed on his career in the Truck Series at Charlotte. In seven starts, Busch has four wins, five top fives, six top tens, two poles, 335 laps led, and an average finish of 3.6. Multi-time Truck Series champion, Ron Hornaday, falls in behind Busch with two wins, six top fives, six top tens, 170 laps led, and an average finish of 6.8 in eight starts. Others to keep an eye on include: Jeb Burton, making his second Charlotte start after finishing in the top ten in his first start last year; Justin Lofton, who has one win, one top five, one top ten, 44 laps led, and an average finish of 9.7 in three starts; and Matt Crafton, who won the last race in the Truck Series before this weekend and has an average finish of 9.8 and one win in 10 starts.

  • Crunching The Numbers: Kansas

    Crunching The Numbers: Kansas

    After a trip to the Lone Star State for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and a visit to “The Rock” for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last weekend, both series join up this weekend in America’s Heartland for a weekend of racing at Kansas Speedway. After being reconfigured in 2012, the track has become super fast and should provide two great races for the race fans in the Midwest.

    Sprint Cup Series

    The Sprint Cup Series will make its 15th appearance at Kansas this Sunday, but only the second race since last year’s reconfiguration. With new track records being set last fall on the new track and the Gen6 making its Kansas debut, this race should be a good one to keep an eye on to see just what will happen when the STP 400 goes green on Sunday.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Jimmie Johnson 13 2 5 11 3 547 10.6 8.0
    Greg Biffle 13 2 7 9 1 346 15.2 9.5
    Brad Keselowski 6 1 2 3 0 17 17.0 9.8
    Carl Edwards 11 0 4 8 0 72 18.5 10.8
    Jeff Gordon 14 2 8 10 0 208 11.6 11.0
    Tony Stewart 14 2 6 9 0 152 18.1 11.7
    Kevin Harvick 14 0 1 6 0 83 19.9 12.9
    Clint Bowyer 9 0 1 4 0 48 15.2 14.0
    Kasey Kahne 11 0 2 5 3 78 11.0 15.0
    Mark Martin 14 1 2 5 1 212 16.4 15.3

    Who To Watch: As is the case at the majority of tracks the Sprint Cup Series visits, Jimmie Johnson is at the top of the board once again with two wins, five top fives, 11 top tens, three poles, an average start of 10.6, and an average finish of 8.0 in 13 starts. However, Johnson does have some competition in the Ford camp with drivers Greg Biffle, Brad Keselowski, and Carl Edwards having average finishes of 9.5, 9.8, and 10.8, respectively. Biffle also has two wins at the track with Keselowski taking the win once. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart also join Johnson and Biffle in the two win club at Kansas. One last driver to keep an eye on would be Dale Earnhardt Jr, due to the fact that this race would be his first start on the reconfigured track after missing last year’s race with a concussion that all started in a wreck while tire testing on this very track last summer.

    Camping World Truck Series

    The Camping World Truck Series’ 13th race at Kansas will feature the series debut on the new reconfiguration, as the track was reconfigured after the series lone race at the track last spring. This should level the playing field for the Trucks, as all of the teams will be trying to get a handle on the new track for the first time.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Kyle Busch 1 0 0 1 0 0 11.0 6.0
    James Buescher 4 1 2 2 0 104 7.8 8.2
    Ty Dillon 1 0 0 1 0 0 5.0 9.0
    Johnny Sauter 4 1 2 3 0 112 8.0 9.0
    Todd Bodine 9 1 4 6 0 108 16.3 9.4
    Joey Coulter 2 0 1 1 0 1 7.5 9.5
    Ron Hornaday Jr 8 1 3 5 3 265 8.0 9.8
    Miguel Paludo 2 0 0 1 0 1 14.0 11.5
    Brendan Gaughan 8 0 1 5 0 17 21.6 12.2
    Dakoda Armstrong 1 0 0 0 0 1 20.0 15.0

    Who To Watch: With a top ten finish in his lone start at the track, Kyle Busch is at the top of the heap as far as stats at Kansas. Four former winners at Kansas, James Buescher, Johnny Sauter, Todd Bodine, and Ron Hornaday join Busch as ones to watch in the SFP 250 on Saturday. Also, keep an eye on Ty Dillon, who also has a top ten start and finish in one start at the track.

  • NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Practice at Rockingham Speedway

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Practice at Rockingham Speedway

    Kyle Larson led the first practice session for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Rockingham Speedway with a top speed of 144.31. Ryan Blaney was a close second at 144.127. Ty Dillon, Timothy Peters and Ron Hornaday Jr. completed the top five.

    Larson will have to qualify his No. 30 Chevrolet on time tomorrow. Hornaday Jr. will also have to qualify on time in the No. 9 Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevrolet.

    Joey Coulter, Max Gresham, Matt Crafton, Johnny Sauter and Jeb Burton rounded out the top ten.

    Final practice was led by Chase Elliott. David Starr had the second best time followed by points leader Johnny Sauter in third place. Ryan Blaney and Matt Crafton were fourth and fifth respectively. Darrell Wallace Jr. was sixth in the afternoon session. Erik Jones, Jeb Burton, Kyle Larson and Todd Bodine completed practice in positions seven through ten.

    Sauter, who won the first two races of the season, will be going for a record three consecutive victories.

    “This is a great way to start the year off with two in a row and I couldn’t be prouder,” said Sauter.

    Burton claimed his first pole last week in Martinsville and captured a career best third place finish. He’s hoping to keep the momentum going with another single digit finish at The Rock.

    Qualifying will be held Sunday at 11:05 a.m. followed by the ‘North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock.’  Track president Andy Hillenburg will give the command, “Drivers, start your engines,” at 2:10 p.m. The green flag is set to drop at 2:18 p.m.

  • Hornaday Scores 50th Career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Victory

    Hornaday Scores 50th Career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Victory

    Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet started from the pole in the Kentucky 225 at a cold Kentucky Speedway. Dillon won the pole with a track record speed of 179.868 mph. Ron Hornaday started second in the No. 2 Hollywood Casino Chevrolet driving for Kevin Harvick, Inc.

    During the first half of the race cautions were frequent, with the race seeing 7 caution flags early on. Josh Richards, driving the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota brought out the first caution when he spun and hit the wall hard on lap 2 of the 150 lap race. On lap 51 the No. 7 of Miguel Paludo spun collecting the No. 29 of of Parker Kligerman and the No. 9 of Max Papis.

    After the half way mark the race settled into a long green flag run and drivers were forced to make  pit stops under green with about 20 laps to go.  Dillon had built up a large lead and it looked as if he would run away with yet another victory. Hornaday and his team had other plans, however, and came out of the green flag pit stop cycle with the lead. Dillon caught Hornaday once in traffic late in the race, but Hornaday was able to hold him off and score the win in his Kevin Harvick, Inc. Chevrolet.

    The win was the Hornaday’s 50th career victory and is the most wins, overall, in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Hornaday’s victory was his third win of the season. Dillon finished in 2nd , James Buescher finished 3rd in the No. 31, with Nelson Piquet Jr. 4th and Brian Ickler 5th in the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota.

    Dillon’s second place finish helped him retain his lead in the series point standings by three points over James Buescher with five races left to run in the season. Hornaday is now fifth, 42 points out of the lead in the championship standings.

    Drivers trading the lead throughout the night included Hornaday, A. Dillon, Nelson Piquet Jr. in the No. 8, and Timothy Peters in the No. 17. Todd Bodine finished 7th, with Austin Dillon’s brother Ty finishing 18th after running out of fuel late in the race. The race was Ty’s debut in the series also driving a Richard Childress Racing truck.

    Unofficial Race Results
    Kentucky 225, Kentucky Speedway
    ==============================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    ==============================================
    1 2 2 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet 48
    2 1 3 Austin Dillon Chevrolet 43
    3 8 31 James Buescher Chevrolet 42
    4 3 8 Nelson Piquet Jr. * Chevrolet 41
    5 4 18 Brian Ickler Toyota 40
    6 16 4 Ricky Carmichael Chevrolet 38
    7 12 5 Todd Bodine Toyota 38
    8 10 60 Cole Whitt * Chevrolet 37
    9 20 98 Dakoda Armstrong Chevrolet 35
    10 14 81 David Starr Toyota 34
    11 5 6 Justin Lofton Chevrolet 33
    12 35 32 Blake Feese Chevrolet 32
    13 9 22 Joey Coulter * Chevrolet 31
    14 17 13 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet 31
    15 24 33 Cale Gale Chevrolet 29
    16 25 92 Clay Rogers Chevrolet 28
    17 13 17 Timothy Peters Toyota 28
    18 15 121 Ty Dillon Chevrolet 26
    19 18 62 Brendan Gaughan Toyota 25
    20 36 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb Dodge 0
    21 32 57 Norm Benning Chevrolet 23
    22 23 66 Ross Chastain Chevrolet 22
    23 6 88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet 21
    24 19 23 Jason White Chevrolet 20
    25 21 7 Miguel Paludo * Toyota 19
    26 29 93 B.J. McLeod Chevrolet 18
    27 30 7 John King Toyota 18
    28 22 9 Max Papis Toyota 16
    29 7 29 Parker Kligerman * Dodge 15
    30 34 168 Clay Greenfield Dodge 0
    31 28 87 Chris Jones Chevrolet 13
    32 26 138 Mike Garvey Chevrolet 0
    33 27 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet 11
    34 11 151 Josh Richards Toyota 10
    35 31 174 Mike Harmon Ford 0
    36 33 127 Brent Raymer Chevrolet 0

  • Kyle Busch Spanks Truck Field at New Hampshire

    Kyle Busch, driving the No. 18 Toyota/Traxxas Toyota, spanked the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a dominant win in the 16th annual running of the F. W. Webb 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]This was Busch’s 30th career win in 99 Truck races and he now ranks second on the all-time series wins list. Busch also achieved another record, leading 165 laps, the most ever in a 175 lap Truck race at New Hampshire.

    This was Busch’s 104th national series win. And with that domination, Busch also scored a perfect driving rating of 150.

    “We just had a great truck,” Busch said in the understatement of the race. “We worked hard and I want to say ‘hi’ to my wife who is working at home in Charlotte.”

    “It was fun for us but probably not for others.”

    Busch not only dominated the field but he also started from the pole, his 12th in 99 the Truck Series competition. Rowdy Busch was so dominant that only six trucks finished on the lead lap.

    “These guys on this Kyle Busch Motorsports team did a great job,” Busch said. “We unloaded a little bit off but we just had to get the feel where I liked it.”

    “I felt really good with it,” Busch continued. “To be able to qualify first and set sail on our own agenda really meant a lot.”

    Eric Phillips, Busch’s crew chief, agreed wholeheartedly with his driver.

    “Like Kyle said, we were off a little bit so we tried something different,” Phillips said. “We made steady progress through both practices and then the truck was pretty good the rest of the weekend.”

    Busch acknowledged that he has had other dominating performances, such as leading every lap at Phoenix in the Nationwide race earlier in the year.

    “I never thought of that actually,” Busch said. “I think I led 190 or 192 laps of a Nationwide race here too one time.”

    “So, that’s cool,” Busch said. “Certainly Phoenix and Loudon, when I can hit it right, I can hit it right. I’m really, really good.”

    Young Austin Dillon, in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, ran second for most of the race to Busch. And that is exactly where he finished.

    This was Dillon’s second top-10 finish in three races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He also now leads the point standings by just two over James Buescher.

    “We were in there every lap,” Dillon said. “We even got to lead a lap which was good for our points deal.”

    “Championship has been on our mind all year,” Dillon said. “I feel like we’ve had a great truck to beat each and every week.”

    “We’re finally stringing some finishes together.”

    Kevin Harvick, behind the wheel of the No.2 JEGS Chevrolet, came in third. Although his fifth top-10 finish in six races at New Hampshire, Harvick was frustrated with the racing.

    “It was like a parade,” Harvick said. “It was a terrible race with everybody following each other around.”

    “I got stuck behind the 88 there and lost half a track,” Harvick lamented. “It was just really hard to pass.” Track position was king.”

    Ron Hornaday, Jr., driving the No. 33 Cooked Perfect Meatballs Chevrolet, finished fourth and Johnny Sauter, in the No. 13 SafeAuto/Carrier Chevrolet, rounded out the top five.

    Miguel Paludo, behind the wheel of the No. 7 Stemco Duroline Toyota, was the top-finishing Sunoco rookie. Paludo started from the 15th position and ended the race in the 10th spot.

    “It was a good day for us,” Paludo said. “The two tires in the end was a better call for us. I’m proud of our guys and I’m proud to be in the top ten in a race like this.”

    Joey Coulter, driving the No. 22 RCR Graphics Center Chevrolet , was probably the most frustrated driver on the ‘Magic Mile.’ Coulter qualified third, was moving his way up through the pack, and even led a lap in the race.

    Unfortunately, Coulter was penalized twice for being too fast on pit road and finished his race in the 11th position.

    Matt Crafton, James Buescher, Todd Bodine, Timothy Peters and rookie Miguel Paludo rounded out the top ten finishers, sixth through tenth respectively, in the F. W. Webb 175.

     

    Unofficial Race Results
    F.W. Webb 175, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/truckseries/race.php?race=19
    ==============================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    ==============================================
    1 1 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 0
    2 4 3 Austin Dillon Chevrolet 43
    3 2 2 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 0
    4 5 33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet 40
    5 14 13 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet 39
    6 10 88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet 38
    7 8 31 James Buescher Chevrolet 38
    8 11 5 Todd Bodine Toyota 37
    9 9 17 Timothy Peters Toyota 35
    10 15 7 Miguel Paludo * Toyota 34
    11 3 22 Joey Coulter * Chevrolet 34
    12 12 62 Brendan Gaughan Toyota 32
    13 7 6 Justin Lofton Chevrolet 31
    14 16 81 David Starr Toyota 30
    15 18 60 Cole Whitt * Chevrolet 29
    16 17 151 German Quiroga Toyota 28
    17 34 23 Jason White Chevrolet 27
    18 19 29 Parker Kligerman * Dodge 26
    19 22 4 Ricky Carmichael Chevrolet 25
    20 13 9 Max Papis Toyota 24
    21 23 32 Blake Feese Chevrolet 23
    22 21 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet 22
    23 26 261 Wes Burton Ford 21
    24 6 8 Nelson Piquet Jr. * Chevrolet 20
    25 32 57 Norm Benning Chevrolet 19
    26 31 173 Austin Russell Dodge 18
    27 20 170 Jeff Agnew Chevrolet 17
    28 25 66 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 0
    29 24 93 Josh Wise Chevrolet 0
    30 30 7 Butch Miller Chevrolet 14
    31 28 296 Todd Peck Chevrolet 13
    32 27 87 Chris Jones Chevrolet 0
    33 29 174 Mike Harmon Ford 0
    34 33 175 Bobby Santos Chevrolet 0
    35 36 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb Ford 0