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Tag: Sprint Cup

  • Johnson Claims the Six Shooters in Texas

    Johnson Claims the Six Shooters in Texas

  • Penske Locks Second Team Into Next Round Of The Chase

    Penske Locks Second Team Into Next Round Of The Chase

  • Keselowski Opens Chase With a Shot Across the Bow

    Keselowski Opens Chase With a Shot Across the Bow

  • Will the Brickyard 400 Separate the Contenders from the Pretenders?

    Will the Brickyard 400 Separate the Contenders from the Pretenders?

    I don’t normally put a lot of stock into the notion that statistics can accurately foretell who will win a race. There are far too many variables in a sport where luck, the actions of another driver and even Mother Nature can conjure up the unlikeliest of winners. But some statistics are difficult to ignore.

    There have been 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway and 15 of those events were won by drivers who were past, future or reigning Cup champions.

    Jeff Gordon won the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 and captured his first Sprint Cup championship the next year. He followed that victory up with three more in 1998, 2001 and 2004 to go along with three more championships in 1997, 1998 and 2001.

    Gordon likes his chances of putting another win in the books this Sunday.

    “This weekend there’s no doubt I feel like this is the best chance that we’ve had at winning this race legitimately with the speed of the car as we’ve had in a very, very long time,” he said when he spoke with the media Friday.

    “It’s obvious that there’s some competitors out there that are going to be tough, including our teammates,” he continued. “But I think the preparation that we’ve put into it and what we’ve been working on since, you know, the break, and I mean leading into that really are things that we’re really, really excited about seeing what we have here today and during practice and this weekend. But yeah, this is definitely, from an overall strength of the team and speed of the car, this is by far the best chance we’ve had at winning in a long time.”

    Dale Earnhardt won the 1995 Brickyard 400 in 1995 famously saying that he was the first man to win it, an obvious reference to “Wonder Boy” Gordon’s win in the first race. The Intimidator was already a seven-time champ but this would prove to be his only win at Indianapolis.

    In addition to Gordon, today’s active full-time Cup drivers with multiple wins includes Tony Stewart with two (2005, 2007) and Jimmie Johnson with four victories in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2012. All three of these drivers have won multiple championships. If you take those impressive statistics I mentioned into account, this could be Stewart’s best chance to snag the win that has eluded him all season.

    In a teleconference last week, Stewart was asked his thoughts on the upcoming race.

    “If you can’t win the Daytona 500, this is the perfect second to get your first win for the year,” he responded. “So we were one of the teams that did the Goodyear test a couple weeks ago, and we felt like our car was pretty quick. So I was pretty excited about that. It’s just a matter of going back and trying to keep that speed in the car.”

    You also have to consider those champions who have yet to win the Brickyard 400 like Matt Kenseth who sits in fourth position in the standings but has no wins this season. Then there’s Brad Keselowski who has been on a tear lately with three number one finishes. Kurt Busch, 2004 champ, has one win this year but is 25th in the points standings. Another victory could give him some breathing room.

    Just to make things more interesting, here’s another statistic to bear in mind. The last 11 consecutive Sprint Cup races at Indianapolis have been won by Chevrolet, eight of those going to Hendrick Motorsports drivers.

    Whether you put your trust in statistics or Lady Luck, one thing is certain. The Brickyard 400 is one of the toughest races on the schedule and requires the same tenacity and skill that exemplifies a Sprint Cup Champion.

  • Carl Edwards And The AFLAC Duck Win At Sonoma

    Carl Edwards And The AFLAC Duck Win At Sonoma

  • McMurray Wins Coors Light Pole Award for Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway

    McMurray Wins Coors Light Pole Award for Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway

    Jamie McMurray won his second consecutive pole at Sonoma Raceway after a final run in the closing minutes of Knockout Qualifying with a track record qualifying speed of 96.350 mph. This is his third pole at Sonoma and his tenth series career pole.

    McMurray is the eleventh different pole winner this season and his qualifying speed set the eleventh track record this year.

    He spoke about the challenges of the new qualifying procedure, saying, “This Knockout Qualifying is just an emotional roller coaster, from not making it into the top twelve and then having to go out and bump your way in, to then being on the pole. There’s a lot of highs and lows that go into it.”

    McMurray hopes to translate this pole into a better finish than his previous two poles that resulted in disappointing finishes of 37th and 25th.

    “This race is about having good strategy and having a little bit of luck,” he explained. “It’s about not getting run into in Turn 4 or Turn 7 on a restart.  I’ve run enough races here that I’ve had every issue you could have.”

    He concluded by stating, “You have to put it all together. You have to have good strategy, you have to have a good car and you have to make good decisions as a driver.”

    AJ Allmendinger will start on the outside pole in second place. “

    I felt like I put in two good laps out there. You can nitpick and say I lost a little bit here and there but Jamie put in a hell of a lap, congrats to him,” Allmendinger said.

    McMurray’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, rookie Kyle Larson, qualified third. Larson was happy with his starting position but realizes that the race will provide an opportunity to improve and gain valuable experience.

    “I’ve still got a lot more to learn, especially when I get a few laps on the tires,’’ Larson said. “I struggle with that. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot throughout the race. I’ve just got to try to stay out of trouble.’’

    Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch round out the top five for Sunday’s starting lineup. Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers, Paul Menard and Joey Logano complete the top ten starting positions. Danica Patrick and Casey Mears will start in eleventh and twelfth, respectively.

    The teams were unsure what to expect with the new qualifying format at Sonoma but the two sessions ran smoothly with no on-track incidents. Surprisingly, no Hendrick Motorsports Cars advanced to the final round of top twelve drivers.

    Other notables who did not advance to the last session include Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle and Brad Keselowski.

    Television pre-race coverage for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race will begin at 2 p.m. ET on TNT.  The green flag start is scheduled for approximately 3:19 ET.

    Complete Starting Lineup for Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway

    1 1 Jamie McMurray 96.350 74.354
    2 47 AJ Allmendinger 96.088 74.557
    3 42 Kyle Larson # 95.942 74.670
    4 99 Carl Edwards 95.857 74.736
    5 41 Kurt Busch 95.704 74.856
    6 4 Kevin Harvick 95.655 74.894
    7 31 Ryan Newman 95.616 74.925
    8 55 Brian Vickers 95.574 74.958
    9 27 Paul Menard 95.528 74.994
    10 22 Joey Logano 95.417 75.081
    11 10 Danica Patrick 95.414 75.083
    12 13 Casey Mears 95.327 75.152
    13 2 Brad Keselowski 95.617 74.924
    14 20 Matt Kenseth 95.605 74.933
    15 24 Jeff Gordon 95.552 74.975
    16 11 Denny Hamlin 95.479 75.032
    17 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 95.461 75.046
    18 78 Martin Truex Jr. 95.451 75.054
    19 16 Greg Biffle 95.432 75.069
    20 18 Kyle Busch 95.378 75.112
    21 14 Tony Stewart 95.308 75.167
    22 48 Jimmie Johnson 95.296 75.176
    23 9 Marcos Ambrose 95.247 75.215
    24 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 95.136 75.303
    25 15 Clint Bowyer 95.044 75.376
    26 3 Austin Dillon # 95.028 75.388
    27 38 David Gilliland 94.992 75.417
    28 95 Michael McDowell 94.972 75.433
    29 43 Aric Almirola 94.897 75.492
    30 5 Kasey Kahne 94.865 75.518
    31 34 David Ragan 94.793 75.575
    32 26 Cole Whitt # 94.734 75.622
    33 98 Josh Wise 94.568 75.755
    34 83 Ryan Truex # 94.562 75.760
    35 51 Justin Allgaier # 94.491 75.817
    36 33 Alex Kennedy 94.147 76.094
    37 40 Timmy Hill – DC1 94.012 76.203
    38 23 Alex Bowman # 93.867 76.321
    39 44 David Mayhew – DC2 93.741 76.423
    40 36 Reed Sorenson 93.498 76.622
    41 32 Boris Said 93.377 76.721
    42 7 Michael Annett # 92.282 77.632
    43 66 Tomy Drissi 91.115 78.626

     

     

  • Johnson Finally Scores Michigan Victory

    Johnson Finally Scores Michigan Victory

  • Danica Patrick Scores Career Best Seventh Place Finish at Kansas Speedway

    Danica Patrick Scores Career Best Seventh Place Finish at Kansas Speedway

    Danica Patrick made history in her first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series when she became the first female driver to start from the pole in a Cup race at the Daytona 500 in 2013. She finished the race in eighth place capturing her first top-ten in only her 11th start in the series. Her next top-ten would prove to be elusive, taking another 46 starts to accomplish.

    Patrick began the 5-Hour Energy 400 at Kansas Speedway this past Saturday in the ninth position and ran competitively in the top-ten for most of the race. She completed the event in seventh place for her career best finish. Patrick was ecstatic.

    “I know that we haven’t had the best of times but its days like today that we work hard for,” she said. Patrick went on to say, “I’m just proud of everyone for working really hard and believing in me.”

    Patrick has had more than her fair share of detractors but her team has always stood behind her. Teammate Kevin Harvick may have given her the inspiration for her career best run at Kansas.

    “We talk a lot and I think for her it’s just the confidence in knowing exactly what the car is going to do,” Harvick said.

    “As we went through the weekend,” he continued, “she kept her track position on the restarts. That’s probably the biggest thing. But I guess the one thing I did tell her was just to quit thinking about it and smash the gas.”

    Harvick explained saying, “Sometimes your car is never going to be perfect and you just have to take what it’ll give you and expect that every time you pit, it’s going to be better, and if it’s not, you adjust and move on.”

    Patrick’s seventh place finish at Kansas puts her in elite company. She has the fourth best finish by women drivers in Cup Series history. Sarah Christian had a fifth place in 1949 at Heidelberg Raceway and a sixth place at Langhorne Speedway the same year. Janet Guthrie had a sixth place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in 1977.

    However for Danica Patrick, the biggest thrill of the race was something quite different.

    “I drove around the outside of the 48 on a restart,” she said proudly. “That was probably my most rewarding thing of the night. I say that with all the respect in the world because he’s Jimmie Johnson.”

    Patrick is currently 27th in the point standings, moving up two positions this week. It is only a slight improvement but it could be the motivation this team needs going forward.

    “I’ve always believed in myself,” Patrick says. “I’ve always believed that in the right situation, that I can do it.”

    There will be those who say this finish was a fluke that means little in the grand scheme of things while others will suggest that this could very well be a turning point in Patrick’s career. But if determination and faith in one’s abilities is any indication, we haven’t seen the last of Danica Patrick in the top-ten.

     

     

  • Gordon Takes Inaugural Night Race At Kansas

    Gordon Takes Inaugural Night Race At Kansas

    On the final set of pit stops, Jeff Gordon took the lead from Kevin Harvick during Saturday night’s 5-Hour Energy 400 at Kansas Speedway and was able to hold off Harvick by two car lengths at the finish line and capture his 89th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career victory.

    This was Gordon’s first win of the 2014 season and he is now virtually locked into the 2014 Chase. Gordon also extended his series points lead to 15 over Matt Kenseth.

    “I knew we had a fast race car. We have been bringing fast race cars every single weekend. It’s just given me so much confidence in the race cars and the race team. I have got to thank Axalta Coating Systems they are an awesome sponsor. When the lights went out we could still see this thing out there. Of course AARP Drive To End Hunger, Pepsi Max, Valvoline and Chevrolet. You know Kevin (Harvick) was tough. He was so strong I did not know if I could hold him off. I almost didn’t there at the end. I caught traffic. The car just got extremely loose on me and he was just coming. Luckily that was the checkered flag.” Gordon said.

    Since the win was heading into Mother’s Day, it will be a day of celebration with family.

    “I’ve got to say Happy Mother’s Day. What an amazing Mother’s Day present this is going to be. I can’t wait to see my wife Ingrid and my mom tomorrow. It’s going to be an amazing celebration. What a huge weight lifted off this team’s shoulders. We have been leading the points but we needed to get to victory lane and they proved they were capable of it. Great job by them.” Gordon added.

    Harvick led 119 laps but had to settle for a second place finish after he ran out of gas getting onto pit road and Gordon was able to take advantage.

    “Well, the car was really fast. We just had to overcome a lot tonight, getting caught on pit road both times under green flag pit stops,” Harvick explained. “Then there at the end, we ran out of gas coming to pit road there, and I was looking at the fuel pressure gauge instead of the tach and lost a bunch of time down pit road and off of pit road, wound up getting stuck behind the 24. The car was really tight, and then I found a groove that worked for me way up the racetrack, and I caught him, and then I slipped and lost everything I had gained and then gained it all back and just ran out of laps at the end.”

    Although he was unable to capture another victory, Harvick was satisfied with their overall result.

    “I think we had a good night, he said.”You can’t win them all. For me, I made a mistake at the end and felt like that’s probably what cost us the chance to stay in front of the 24. But the 24 was good all night, and the 48 was good when he was out front, and we got in the back of the pack and couldn’t go anywhere.  It came down to track position, and those guys executed a little bit better than I did.”

    Kasey Kahne finished in third place followed by Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to round out the top five.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Hot 20 – The [place sponsor name here] 400 in Kansas is where the stars will shine Saturday night

    Hot 20 – The [place sponsor name here] 400 in Kansas is where the stars will shine Saturday night

    Kansas is not as sexy as Talladega, I admit. It is not a Daytona, a Darlington, and it is no Indianapolis. I think having the race named after a series of sponsors instead of seeking a real identity might have something to do with that. Still, some big names have been among the 16 winners there since they first started up the engines back in 2001.

    Jeff Gordon won the first two there, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, and Matt Kenseth all have a pair. Three years ago, Brad Keselowski made it nine victories for past or future kings of the clutch at the venue. Tony Kanaan won there in 2005, a year after claiming the IndyCar crown. Sam Hornish Jr, who was IndyCar royalty before trying his luck in NASCAR, won there in an open wheel contest. Both Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon have done it twice. Of ten IndyCar races run at Kansas between 2001 and 2010, the last six were claimed by one who was a champion.

    In short, this track is a haven for racing’s blue bloods. Despite its lack of an identity, Saturday night’s NASCAR contest will be claimed by a driver who matters. In fact, of the last 21 Cup and IndyCar races run there, the only non-champions went by such names as Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, and Greg Biffle. That is a trio of pretty damned impressive names, if you ask me. Simply put, the winner this weekend is not going to be Danica Patrick. If she does, then I suggest we start watching her more closely and with an entirely different perspective.

    A win at Kansas would do wonders for Stewart, who is sitting winless at 21st in the official standings. Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, and Martin Truex Jr could use the boost, as they are all mired well beyond the 16th and final Chase place.

    As for determining simply the best this season, we leave the points untouched other than to reward a race winner 22 additional points. Wins and consistency both have value as we eliminate the need for gimmicks, such as the Chase. Kyle Busch remains out hottest on the year, though Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Joey Logano, and even the winless duo of Gordon and Kenseth are within 21 points of our leader after ten events. With the gap between first and second each week between 25 and 28 points, either of those latter two would vault to the front by just returning to Victory Lane this Saturday night.

     

    1.  Kyle Busch (1 win) 365 points
    2. Carl Edwards (1 win) 350
    3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  (1 win) 350
    4. Joey Logano  (2 wins) 349
    5. Jeff Gordon 347
    6. Matt Kenseth  344
    7. Brad Keselowski (1 win) 316
    8. Denny Hamlin (1 win) 314
    9. Jimmie Johnson  304
    10. Kevin Harvick  (2 wins) 300
    11. Greg Biffle  300
    12. Ryan Newman  299
    13. Brian Vickers  297
    14. Kyle Larson  286
    15. Austin Dillon  281
    16. A.J. Allmendinger  279
    17. Marcos Ambrose  268
    18. Paul Menard  265
    19. Clint Bowyer  261
    20. Kasey Kahne  252