Tag: sprint cup series

Kyle Busch Will Return to NASCAR Competition at Sprint All-Star Race

“I’m back.”

Kyle Busch made the statement on his Twitter page Tuesday morning, announcing his return to NASCAR competition. He included a video (below) which shows him as he gloves up, zips into his M&Ms firesuit and walks out of his hauler in full racing gear. The video ends with the words, #Rowdy Returns May 16.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was sidelined before the Sprint Cup season began after an accident in the season-opening XFINITY event at Daytona International Speedway sent his car into a non-SAFER barrier wall. Busch suffered a compound fracture of his right leg and a fractured right foot.

Busch has received medical clearance from NASCAR to resume racing, beginning Saturday night in the Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He addressed the media via a teleconference Tuesday afternoon to discuss his recovery.

“Today is an exciting day,” he began,”one that not a lot of folks would have thought possible that night in February down in the hospital in Daytona. Thanks to the good Lord, a tremendous medical team both in Daytona and of course Dr. Anderson here in Charlotte, the incredible support of my wife Samantha, my family and friends, everyone in the NASCAR community, and the many fans.

“I’m happy to say I plan to be back in the No. 18 M&M Toyota Camry for the Sprint All-Star Race this weekend. I want to thank everybody for their patience. It’s not an easy process and not a process that always has a clear-cut path either.”

Busch’s preparations for getting back behind the wheel of his No. 18 Toyota included testing in his late model cars.

“I was cleared to get out of the boot a couple weeks ago and was cleared to test my late model,” he said. “That test went really well. I was able to come back again and test again last week at Hickory. My medical team was there with me and then declared I was cleared to get back in the car again for the All-Star Race in the Sprint Cup Series.”

Busch commented on the advantages of choosing a shorter, non-points races, such as the All-Star race, for his return. This event will undoubtedly serve as a barometer to gauge his overall level of fitness and pinpoint any areas of concern.

“I think it’s a great race to come back to,” Busch said. “For one it’s shorter. It’s a non-points event. There’s mandatory cautions after every 25 laps and whatnot, so it gives you an opportunity to take a breather, take a rest, whatever it may be. That will allow me to make adjustments to myself as well as being behind the wheel of the 2015 Camry for the first time because I haven’t had an opportunity to race at all in this aero package and whatnot.”

Although Busch plans to participate in all on-track activity, Erik Jones will be standing by if needed. Busch and wife, Samantha, are expecting a child and with the due date of May 22 fast approaching, Busch wants to be prepared for any surprises, particularly the non-racing variety.

“We couldn’t be more excited as we get closer and the anticipation rises here he said. “We’re going hour by hour right now. It could be any hour that he decides he wants to be here.”

When asked what he had missed most, Busch was quick to answer, “I think the biggest thing I missed is being able to hold up trophies, being in Victory Lane. That’s probably the biggest thing.” He went on to say that he has also “really missed my team, just the guys there, being able to be with them each and every weekend; of course, spending the weekend in the motorhome, being there with Samantha and everything else.”

One of the biggest questions surrounding Busch’s return is his eligibility for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

“I know there’s been some good dialogue on the subject,” Busch noted, “but I’m not aware that there’s been a decision made at this point. As I mentioned last month, I’d love to race for a win and a spot in the Chase. I think the top 30 rule makes a lot of sense.

But for me, in my mind,” he continued, “it was intended for someone in my situation that has a car, sponsor and team that was set to run the entire year for a championship. I think it was set up to keep guys from being able to grab a win at a road course or restrictor plate track or something like that. We’ll see what happens. That’s in their hands. We’ll see what the decision is.”

NASCAR would have to grant a waiver to disallow the rule that a driver must attempt to qualify for all 26 regular season races to qualify for a Chase berth. That would overcome the first obstacle in Busch’s attempt to make the Chase. A win guarantees a spot in the Chase if that driver is ranked among the top 30 in the points standings; a daunting but not impossible task for Busch. NASCAR has the power to issue a waiver for this requirement, as well.

At this point, NASCAR has not made any decisions regarding Busch’s status though NASCAR chairman Brian France has indicated that the sanctioning body would like to “accommodate” him.

*Update May 13: On Wednesday NASCAR granted Busch a waiver from the requirement that a driver must start in every regular season race to be eligible for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. However, he still must be ranked in the top 30 in the Sprint Cup standings to remain eligible.

I'm back. #RowdyReturns https://t.co/gWCs00aH4p

— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) May 12, 2015

May 12, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson’s gamble in the pits paid off and he captured his second win of the year, winning the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas.

“We stayed out to win it,” Johnson said. “It’s too bad no one stayed up to see it.

“I called my wife Chandra after the race, but accidentally Face-timed her. She wasn’t too happy about that, and I’m not sure she’ll ever forgive me. But I’m hoping. Let’s just say we both seriously need some ‘make up.’”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick chased Jimmie Johnson to the finish line at Kansas but was unable to catch him, instead settling for the runner-up finish, his sixth second-place finish of the year.

“Johnson edged me by less than a second,” Harvick said. “For a race that lasted well past sundown, it was a true ‘Nick At Night.’”

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt came home third in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400, as the Hendrick Motorsports drivers took three of the top 4 spots, with Jimmie Johnson capturing the win.

“Hendrick has flexed its muscles in the last two weeks,” Earnhardt said. “Our engines are a direct reflection of Rick Hendrick because the engines, much like Rick, are ‘loaded.’”

4. Joey Logano: Logano started on the pole at Kansas and finished fifth in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400. He is fourth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 62 out of first.

“Even though I didn’t win,” Logano said, “I had a great time racing in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400. It was the closest thing to childhood I’ve ever experienced.”

5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex pitted for fuel only during the race’s final caution, a decision that made him vulnerable to cars behind him with fresh tires. Truex still finished ninth, earning his 10th top-10 of the year.

“We had a car capable of winning,” Truex said. “We led a race-high 95 laps, but lost the lead after a mistake in the pits. One would think that in a car sponsored by Furniture Row, we’d be able to ‘sit’ on a lead. But it was not to be, and I can’t ‘couch’ my disappointment. Now my detractors will continue to say I can’t win a race, a criticism that a victory would surely put to bed.”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch took eighth at Kansas, posting his third top-10 of the year.

“I’ve got a lot in common with SpongeBob SquarePants,” Busch said. “We both have a teammate named ‘Patrick,’ and neither ‘Patrick’ has won a Sprint Cup race.”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished seventh in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400, scoring his seventh top-10 of the year.

“First the ‘SpongeBob SquarePants 400,” Keselowski said. “What’s next? The ‘Adventure Time 500?’ If that’s the case, the race will air on the ‘Car Tune Network.’”

8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished sixth at Kansas, posting his sixth top-10 result of the year. He is seventh in the points standings, 106 out of first.

“It was an otherwise disappointing day for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Kenseth said. “Carl Edwards had the next best finish with a 20th. Carl has only one top-10 finish this year. I think Joe Gibbs has second thoughts about hiring him. With Carl in mind, if there’s one thing Joe would like to see ‘flipped,’ it’s the script.”

9. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished 13 at Kansas in the rain-delayed SpongeBob SquarePants 400.

“Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s spin brought out the last caution,” McMurray said. “In SpongeBob speak, that’s called going ‘Skidward.’”

10. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished 11th at Kansas and is now 11th in the points standings, 125 out of first.

“What do you know?” Almirola said. “The SpongeBob SquarePants 400, a sea-themed NASCAR race. I’ve heard of ‘mussel’ cars, but this is ridiculous!”

May 12, 2015

Logano Captures SpongeBob SquarePants 400 Pole

Joey Logano took the pole for the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway. Logano set the pole with a lap at 192.397 mph and in 28.067 seconds in his Team Penske Ford.

“Definitely cool to get another pole,” Logano said. “Last year it took us pretty much the whole year to get one pole,” he said. “We won a lot of first and second sessions, but we’d fall on our face in the third session. So it’s pretty special to be able to figure out these third sessions and still have a lot of speed in our car when we get to those rounds. You don’t get anything for winning the first and second rounds is what I figured out last year.”

Coming close with a very late run was Kasey Kahne. Kahne turned a lap of 191.911 mph/28.138 seconds to take the second spot.

“Our final run was our best run of the day. So, I’m happy with the car and the speed of the car and the engine and the guys for making it better throughout the entire day. I look forward to tomorrow night. It’s going to be an interesting race. I always enjoy racing here at Kansas and we’ll see what we’ve got.”

Keselowski will start third in Saturday night’s race. Failing to make the third round were such notables as six-time champion Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and former champions Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart. The only driver who missed the race was Brendan Gaughan.

Starting Grid for SpongeBob SquarePants 400:

POS.	CAR #	DRIVER	SPONSOR	BEST SPEED	BEST TIME	BEHIND
1	22	Joey Logano	AAA Insurance	192.4	28.067	Leader
2	5	Kasey Kahne	Great Clips	191.91	28.138	0.071
3	2	Brad Keselowski	Avaya	191.86	28.146	0.079
4	78	Martin Truex Jr	Furniture Row/Visser Precision	191.78	28.157	0.09
5	19	Carl Edwards	Stanley	191.58	28.187	0.12
6	4	Kevin Harvick	Jimmy John’s/ Budweiser	191.3	28.228	0.161
7	16	Greg Biffle	Cheez-It/Sponge Bob Square Pants Ford Fusion	191.02	28.27	0.203
8	41	Kurt Busch	Haas Automation	190.85	28.294	0.227
9	1	Jamie McMurray	McDonald’s	190.23	28.387	0.32
10	42	Kyle Larson	Target	190.15	28.398	0.331
11	24	Jeff Gordon	American Red Cross	189.9	28.436	0.369
12	18	Erik Jones	M&M’s Red Nose Day	189.54	28.49	0.423
13	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Freight	190.71	28.315	0.248
14	43	Aric Almirola	Farmland	190.69	28.318	0.251
15	31	Ryan Newman	Quicken Loans	190.56	28.338	0.271
16	14	Tony Stewart	Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1	190.51	28.345	0.278
17	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr	Nationwide	190.5	28.347	0.28
18	20	Matt Kenseth	Dollar General	190.48	28.35	0.283
19	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe’s	190.28	28.379	0.312
20	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	Zest Ford Fusion	190.23	28.387	0.32
21	15	Clint Bowyer	5-Hour Energy	190.19	28.393	0.326
22	27	Paul Menard	Pittsburgh Paints / Menards	190.05	28.414	0.347
23	55	David Ragan	SpongeBob Square Pants Aaron’s Dream Machine	189.76	28.457	0.39
24	13	Casey Mears	Squidward Tentacles Chevrolet SS	189.18	28.545	0.478
25	51	Justin Allgaier	Fraternal Order of Eagles	189.61	28.48	0.413
26	9	Sam Hornish Jr	Medallion Bank	189.43	28.506	0.439
27	10	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy	189.35	28.519	0.452
28	3	Austin Dillon	Dow	189.16	28.547	0.48
29	47	AJ Allmendinger	Dillon’s/SCOTT Products	188.92	28.584	0.517
30	6	Trevor Bayne	Advocare Ford Fusion	188.9	28.586	0.519
31	95	Michael McDowell	WRL / Larry the Lobster	188.9	28.586	0.519
32	33	Ty Dillon	No. 33 Plankton Chevrolet SS	188.82	28.599	0.532
33	26	Jeb Burton	Maxim Fantasy Sports	188.61	28.63	0.563
34	35	Cole Whitt	TBD	187.75	28.762	0.695
35	83	Matt DiBenedetto	Dustless Blasting	187.67	28.774	0.707
36	7	Alex Bowman	Accell Construction	187.56	28.791	0.724
37	23	J.J. Yeley	Dr. Pepper “I’m a Pepper”	186.45	28.962	0.895
38	38	David Gilliland	MDS	186.39	28.971	0.904
39	34	Brett Moffitt	Dockside Logistics	186.36	28.976	0.909
40	98	Josh Wise	Phil Parsons Racing	186.25	28.994	0.927
41	40	Landon Cassill	Carsforsale.com	185.14	29.167	1.1
42	32	Joey Gase	TBA	185.05	29.181	1.114
43	46	Michael Annett	Allstate Peterbilt Group	183.77	29.384	1.317

May 8, 2015

Kansas Speedway Sprint Cup Preview – Milestones, Firsts and Driver Quotes

As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway, eight drivers are locked into the Chase for the Sprint Cup, provided they attempt to qualify for the remaining regular season races. Several prominent drivers are still searching for that elusive victory or the consistency needed to grab one of the eight remaining spots as the Chase approaches.

Milestones:

1) Jimmie Johnson is approaching two career milestones as he heads to Kansas Speedway.

A top-five at Kansas Speedway would give him 200 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top-five finishes. He is currently tied with Benny Parsons for 12th on the all-time NSCS top fives list and only two top-fives behind Buddy Baker in 11th (201).

Johnson is also one away from 300 NSCS top-10 finishes. He is 16th on the all-time NSCS top 10s list and only two top-10s behind James Hylton in 15th (301).

In the 18 NSCS events held at Kansas Speedway, Johnson has finished among the top 10 a total of 14 times. Combine that with two wins, three poles and the Series-best driver rating (112.1) and it’s a safe bet that Johnson will quickly mark these two items off his to-do list.

2) Reigning champion and current points leader Kevin Harvick is 47 laps away from becoming the 10th driver in NSCS history to lead 1,000 laps or more in the first 11 races of a season.

He has three consecutive poles at Kansas (October 2013, May 2014, and October 2014), holds the track qualifying record of 197.773 mph and has the sixth best driver rating (100.4). Leading 47 laps is certainly within Harvick’s capabilities and Kansas Speedway may be the perfect track to accomplish yet another milestone in his career.

3) Matt Kenseth is only one checkered flag away from 33 NSCS wins. Another victory would move him up to 21st on the all-time wins list, tied with Fireball Roberts.

He has two wins, two poles, six top-fives, 10 top-10s and the second best driver rating at Kansas. After a frustrating finish of 25th at Talladega, Kenseth will be looking for redemption this weekend.

Firsts – Now and Then:

Erik Jones will make his first official start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at Kansas in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Although he replaced the ailing Denny Hamlin after the rain delay at Bristol, his drive to a 26^th place finish is credited to Hamlin. Jones has one XFINITY Series win and four victories in the Camping World Truck Series.

David Ragan will begin a new chapter in his career at Kansas in his first race driving for Michael Waltrip Racing in the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota. His primary focus will be centered on securing a spot on the Chase Grid.

“Our expectations are very high,” Ragan emphasized. “At the end of the day, Michael Waltrip Racing has all the tools and resources that Joe Gibbs Racing has or that Hendrick Motorsports or Stewart-Haas Racing has and there’s no reason for us not to be able to win a race and have a shot at making the Chase. Certainly, that is our goal going forward.”

Jeff Gordon won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on September 30, 2001. It was his sixth win of his fourth championship season. He made it two-for-two at Kansas with another victory at the track on Sept. 29, 2002.

Jason Leffler won the inaugural pole at Kansas Speedway in 2001 with a speed of 176.499 mph. He holds the track record as the youngest pole winner, at 26 years, 0 months and 14 days.

Jim Roper, a Kansas native, won the very first NASCAR Strictly Stock (now Sprint Cup) race in June, 1949, at Charlotte Speedway. The event was 1,200 miles away from his hometown in Halstead, Kansas, but neither the distance nor lack of a car would deter him.

He purchased a Lincoln Cosmopolitan and drove it from the showroom all the way to Charlotte to compete for the $2,000 purse. He raced with the best including Curtis Turner, the Flock brothers and Red Byron, the reigning modified champion. Roper finished the race, second to only Glenn Dunaway.

But Dunaway was quickly disqualified when the post-race inspection revealed modifications to the rear springs, a bootlegger’s trick to improve the car’s handling. Roper was declared the winner even though he only finished 197 of the 200 laps. He only competed in one more NASCAR race, retiring in 1955 after he broke a vertebra in a sprint car accident.

Noteworthy:

Jeff Gordon is winless in his last full-time Sprint Cup season, but that could change this weekend at Kansas Speedway where he will defend his 2014 win at the track. The victory secured his place in the Chase and was the first of four wins during the 2014 season. Gordon also holds the track record with three victories and leads the series with10 top-five finishes in 18 starts.

Martin Truex Jr. continues to impress, coming off a fifth place at Talladega to capture his ninth top-10 finish of the season. He is second in the points standings, 40 points behind leader Kevin Harvick, but needs a win to guarantee a position on the Chase Grid.

Outside Looking In:

Some of the biggest names in NASCAR are outside the top 16 and desperately need to make something happen, including Clint Bowyer (17), Carl Edwards (18) and Greg Biffle (22).

Bowyer and Edwards are winless at Kansas Speedway while Biffle has two victories. However, Biffle has only one top-5 in his last six outings at Kansas.

Kyle Larson is 24^th in the points standings, partly due to missing the race at Martinsville this season after he fainted following an autograph session. Larson will make his third Cup start at Kansas this weekend. He finished 12th in his first attempt and claimed the runner-up position last year in October. The race will also mark Larson’s 50th career NSCS start.

Tony Stewart heads to Kansas Speedway in 30^th place in the points standings. After a frustrating start to the season, the results of the last few weeks suggest that the team may have turned the corner. Stewart finished in sixth place, his best result of the year, three weeks ago at Bristol and looked to be headed for a top-10 at Richmond until an incident on lap 361 took him out of contention. He has two previous wins at Kansas in 2006 and 2009.

Driver Quotes:

Paul Menard is 12^th in the point standings and is looking for a win to claim his entry into the Chase. “Kansas is a pretty newly repaved track so it’s extremely fast,” Menard said. “Since it’s a night race it will be even faster than during the day. I enjoy night racing, I think it adds another level of excitement. You can see flames from the exhaust and sparks from under the car which makes it cool for the fans. The only downside is we have to wait all day for the race and there really isn’t much to do. I enjoy it, but I’ll be there ready to go whether it’s Sunday afternoon or Saturday night.”

Ty Dillon is looking forward to making his fourth Sprint Cup Series start and his debut at Kansas Speedway. “From all the practices, testing and races I’m starting to get very comfortable in the Chevrolet SS, “he said. “I’m fortunate to be put in the position to race as often as I do and I’m focused on going out and doing the best that I possibly can. Kansas will be a fun race this weekend, not only off the track, but on the track with the high speeds, different racing lines and competition. Our team will be ready.”

Ryan Newman is 15^th on the Chase Grid and looking for a win to solidify his position. He finished in sixth place in his last outing at Kansas Speedway. “Kansas is super fast, I am kind of excited to get back there after it has aged a little bit,” Newman explained. “With the new pavement we’ve had a few years back, it has still maintained its speed. It seems like we keep coming back here with softer tires. In general, the track has maintained the speed and I hope it’s gained some more character.”

Martin Truex Jr. counts Kansas Speedway as one of his favorite tracks. With four top-five finishes in the last six races at Kansas, Truex is hoping to grab the checkered flag this time around. “I love Kansas Speedway,” Truex says. “I don’t know what it is about the track, it’s not much different than any other mile-and-a-half track, but something about the way the corners are laid out there seems to fit my style. I’ve run well at Kansas, led a lot of laps (251) and feel I should have won a few times there. “We’re enjoying the top-10s this season, but we want to get up there and be fighting for a win,” he continued. “Cole (Pearn, crew chief), the engineering staff and all the guys at the track and at the shop have done an outstanding job. We’re having plenty of fun, but we want that victory really bad.”

By the Numbers:

Chase Grid

The following drivers are locked into the 2015 Chase provided they attempt to qualify for the remaining regular season races.

1) Kevin Harvick – 2 wins
2) Jimmie Johnson – 2 wins
3) Joey Logano – 1 win
4) Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 1 win
5) Brad Keselowski – 1 win
6) Matt Kenseth – 1 win
7) Denny Hamlin – 1 win
8) Kurt Busch – 1 win

The following drivers are currently in the Chase Top 16, but without any wins, are not locked in.

9) Martin Truex Jr.
10) Jamie McMurray
11) Kasey Kahne
12) Paul Menard
13) Aric Almirola
14) Jeff Gordon
15) Ryan Newman
16) Danica Patrick

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Kansas

112.1 Jimmie Johnson
105.6 Matt Kenseth
103.9 Kyle Larson
102.8 Greg Biffle
100.5 Jeff Gordon
100.4 Kevin Harvick
96.8 Carl Edwards
95.3 Tony Stewart
92.7 Kasey Kahne
91.3 Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Tune in to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SpongeBob SquarePants 400 Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on FOX Sports 1.

May 6, 2015
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Kansas Speedway

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the Camping World Truck Series head to Kansas Speedway this weekend, while the NASCAR XFINITY Series is off.

All times Eastern.

Thursday, May 7:

On Track:

3-4 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series practice
4:30-6 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series final practice

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

1:30 p.m.: Daniel Suarez
1:45 p.m.: Matt Crafton

Friday, May 8:

On Track:

Noon-1:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
2:30-3:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series final practice – FOX Sports 1 (Follow live)
4:45 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1
6:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1
8:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Toyota Tundra 250 – FOX Sports 1 (167 laps, 250.5 miles) (Green flag approx. 8:49 p.m.)

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

10 a.m.: Erik Jones
10:30 a.m.: Joey Logano
10:45 a.m.: Jeff Gordon
11 a.m.: Clint Bowyer
11:15 a.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
1:35 p.m.: Carl Edwards
4 p.m.: SpongeBob SquarePants drivers
4:15 p.m.: Jamie McMurray
8:45 p.m.: NSCS post-qualifying press conference
11:15 p.m.: NCWTS post-race press conference

Saturday, May 9:

On Track:

7:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series SpongeBob SquarePants 400 – FOX Sports 1 (267 laps, 400.5 miles) (Green flag approx. 7:46 p.m.)

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

4:45 p.m.: AJ Allmendinger
11:45 p.m.: NSCS post-race press conference

May 6, 2015
Does Chris Buescher Have a Future at Front Row Motorsports?

Although he’s primarily a XFINITY driver for Roush-Fenway Racing, Chris Buescher has shown some promise in the five Sprint Cup starts he’s made in 2015. He finished 20th in his debut at Fontana, but in his next four races in the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford he had three top-25 finishes with a low point of 30th at Texas. Keeping that in mind, could Chris Buescher be the driver that FRM needs?

The No. 34 FRM entry hasn’t been a competitive team save for restrictor plate races with David Ragan. Aside from a surprise win at Talladega in 2013, Ragan has fared worse at FRM than he ever did at Roush Fenway Racing. So considering Ragan’s departure from the No. 34 in 2015, the car has become somewhat of a development ride for younger drivers (with the exception of Joe Nemechek at Atlanta early this season), with Buescher normally sharing the seat with Brett Moffitt.

So although Buescher is gunning for the XFIITY championship piloting the No. 60 for RFR, his Sprint Cup career may in fact benefit with a full-time spot with FRM in 2016 if they’re able to secure sponsorship for the No. 34. He’s matured a lot since the beginning of his rookie season in Xfinity competition in 2014. Despite failing to qualify at Daytona, he proceeded to score a win at Mid-Ohio and finished seventh in the final points.

Photo Credit: Sarah Glenn/Getty Images

He’s not a flashy driver and he isn’t excessive. He’s shown he can take care of his equipment, but he may need to work on his qualifying results. Still, he’s been pretty impressive in his first five Sprint Cup starts. FRM would do well to keep a hold of him because for a team looking to improve, he could be that driver that would fit with them.

He’s not going to stay in the XFINITY Series forever, and although RFR could do like Hendrick Motorsports and add a fourth Sprint Cup team, they’ve been steadily declining performance wise since the departure of Matt Kenseth following the 2012 season. If RFR put him behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car we’d see something along the lines of what has befallen Trevor Bayne.

Bayne had a decent XFINITY tenure that was similar to Buescher’s, but has struggled mightily in the Sprint Cup Series since taking over the No. 6 full-time. A lot of that can be attributed to the RFR equipment, and if Buescher is taking any notes he needs to really think if he wants to take the next step with RFR.

Of course, FRM will need to adjust accordingly if they want to truly pursue a future with Buescher. He’s at the forefront of the new swarm of NASCAR stars and if anyone can turn around a team’s fortunes, it’s him. If they go through with it and solidify a deal, look for him to be one of the most productive rookies in recent memory.

May 6, 2015
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Continues the Family Tradition of Winning at Talladega

On April 29, I was reminded once again of Dale Earnhardt’s legacy as my timeline was inundated with pictures and memories commemorating his birthday. It has been 14 years since his passing, but his impact on NASCAR and its fans has not faded with time as some things do. Quite the opposite, the passage of time has only magnified his legendary status.

There is probably no other track where his shadow looms larger than at Talladega Superspeedway. He holds the record for most all-time wins with 10 and his son is honoring that tradition by following in his footsteps. Dale Earnhardt Jr. captured his sixth win at Talladega Sunday, his first victory since 2004, and the emotion in his voice was palpable as he spoke about his dad.

“I feel like we have a lot of supporters here because of dad’s success. He won so many races here,” Earnhardt said. “And I love when we go to Victory Lane here because I just feel like I add to his legacy. All I ever wanted to do was make him proud, and I feel like when we win at those tracks where he was successful like Talladega, then that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

While Earnhardt Jr.’s driving style may often differ greatly from that of his dad, there was no doubt at Talladega that he is his father’s son. His teammates remarked on his unwavering determination.

“Dale Earnhardt Jr. was driving super-aggressive. You knew that he wanted to win this race badly,” Gordon said. “You certainly know all his fans are enjoying this show here. They love seeing Dale Earnhardt Jr. win this race.”

Jimmie Johnson, who finished second, also noted how unstoppable Earnhardt Jr. was as the sliced his way through the field, saying, “He was most aggressive in traffic. He was relentless with a run. He didn’t ever choose to push the car in front of him. Every time he had an opportunity to advance, he took it. He created lanes up through the middle, swapping back and forth, trying to find a way past the leader. I was like, wow, go get it.”

Earnhardt Jr. also spoke about his personal life and his belief that his father’s legacy gave him opportunities that perhaps, he hasn’t always deserved.

“Everything is just so good for me right now in my personal life and my racing, the team I’m with,” he said. “I don’t know why. I don’t feel like I deserve this. I just feel overcome with a lot of emotion.”

He went on to explain, “I think the part I feel I don’t think I deserve is the racing side of it. There’s just not many second chances. I feel like if my name wasn’t Earnhardt that I wouldn’t have had the second chance. I feel like I owe my second chance to my dad, his legacy, because the way I ran from ’09 through those years till 2011 or so, I feel I didn’t deserve to be kept around or hung onto”.

“But I’m glad that it worked out,” Earnhardt continued, “I certainly felt like in the right situation I could have success. But you just don’t know whether you’re going to get that opportunity. I watched a lot of sons follow a lot of fathers, regardless of the profession, and just have a real challenge of it. That is the part I feel like I’m fortunate about.”

Life is good for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and although he may sometimes question how he got here, his multitude of fans have no doubt that this is exactly where he belongs.

May 5, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick qualified 24th at Talladega and struggled to find speed for much of the day. Then, the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Chevy received front-end damage after being caught up in a lap 47 accident. Despite his troubles, Harvick scored a solid eighth-place finish and remained atop the Sprint Cup points standings.

“I’m not thrilled,” Harvick said, “but I’m ‘Happy.’ Even when I don’t win, it’s easy to put on a ‘Happy’ face.

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And, when the damage gets severe, I persevere. I’m not sure what happened on lap 47. It looks like David Ragan ran out of talent, as they say.

2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson started third at Talladega as Hendrick Motorsports cars took four of the top five spots in qualifying. Johnson took the runner-up spot behind HMS teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“What do you know?” Johnson said. “On a weekend when many high-schoolers were off to proms, it was ‘Junior Prom’ at Talladega, and I escorted Dale right to the finish line.”

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt led a race-high 67 laps and won at Talladega for the first time since 2004.

“I took the win at Talladega,” Earnhardt said, “and the crowd roared. When my fans get loud, they scream at the top of their lungs. And trust me, they mean it from the bottom of their hearts, and their livers.”

4. Joey Logano: Logano suffered significant damage when he was collected in a lap 47 accident triggered when David Ragan’s No. 6 car got loose. Logano eventually finished 33rd, two laps down, and now has two results of 33rd or worse in his last three races.

“I did win on Saturday in the Xfinity Series race,” Logano said. “I had to make a last-lap block to preserve the win. That was an intense race. And let’s face it, an intense race is what Talladega is all about, because the circuit’s huge infield is utopia for the real ‘in tents race,’ which is white people camping out.

“All the talk at Talladega was about ‘the draft. And speaking of ‘The Draft,’ if you put Jameis Winston in a car at Talladega, he’d no doubt ‘steal’ a win.”

5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished fifth in the Geico 500, posting his ninth top-10 result of the season. He is now second in the points standings, 40 behind Kevin Harvick.

“Talladega is NASCAR’s longest super speedway,” Truex said. “’Super Speed Way’ also happens to be the street in Owensboro, Kentucky that the Mayfield’s call home. On that street, there is no speed limit.”

6. Kurt Busch: One week after winning at Richmond, Busch posted a respectable 12th at Talladega.

“GoDaddy is dropping their sponsorship of my teammate Danica Patrick’s No. 10 car,” Busch said. “I guess they didn’t want to spend the money. How much money is that, anyway? I’m not sure, but it has to be a ‘father figure.’ Now, people can sarcastically ask Danica the same question they ask Joey Logano—-where’s your Daddy?’”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 22nd on a tough day for Penske Racing, as teammate Joey Logano finished 33rd. Keselowski is sixth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 89 out of first.

“This race had about as much excitement as the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight,” Keselowski said. “Mayweather and Pacquiao made a combined $200 million for the fight. And, much like in racing, there was a ‘check-ered’ flag waved at the end.”

8. Kasey Kahne: Kahne started on the front row alongside pole sitter and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon at Talladega. Unfortunately, his day soured when his No. 5 Chevrolet was damaged in a lap 47 pileup that involved 16 cars. Kahne eventually finished 34th, 30 laps down.

“Gordon and I started 1-2,” Kahne said. “Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson finished 1-2. All this talk about the ole 1-2, and oddly enough, none of it had to do with anyone punching Brad Keselowski.

“But congratulations to Junior. He did what he had to do to win. And Jimmie did what he had to do to for Junior to win. I hear JJ’s headed to Key West, Florida to open his new bar. It’s called ‘Jimmie Buffer’s.’”

9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led five laps and finished ninth at Talladega, posting his fourth top 10 of the year.

“I hear Jeff Gordon is driving the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 on May 24th. I’m not sure what the pit road speed limit for a pace car at Indy is, but I am sure Jeff will exceed it.”

10. Jamie McMurray: McMurray just missed a top-10 finish in the Geico 500 with an 11th at Talladega. He is seventh in the Sprint Cup points standings.

“There was a lot of single file racing on Sunday,” McMurray said. “Now at Talladega, when you ask about the ‘lineup,’ you have to specify whether you mean qualifying or the actual race. Talladega is the world’s fastest game of Follow The Leader.”

May 5, 2015
Talladega Preview – Records, Winning Quotes & Bill Elliott

Talladega Superspeedway is known as a track where anyone can win. It is often more about survival than finesse and it’s had it share of underdogs in the winner’s circle. Drivers such as Richard Brickhouse, Dick Brooks, Lennie Pond and Ron Bouchard visited victory lane at Talladega for their first and only career win in NASCAR’s top series. In 2013, David Ragan gave Front Row Motorsports its first ever Sprint Cup win at Talladega. The only thing predictable about Talladega is its unpredictability.

However, there are some drivers who have conquered the restrictor-plate track, most notably, Dale Earnhardt, who accumulated 10 victories at Talladega and remains atop the all-time winners list.

By The Numbers:

1) Brad Keselowski enters the race as the defending champion. Last season he advanced to the Eliminator Round of the Chase with a win at Talladega in October after taking the lead on a green-white-checkered restart and holding off all challengers. He has made two other trips to victory lane at the track, in 2012 and in 2009, where he led only the last lap to grab his first Cup career win. Keselowski has proven that he knows how to make things happen at Talladega and with one win already under his belt this season, he has nothing to lose.

2) Jeff Gordon is second on the all-times win list at Talladega with six, the most of any active driver. In addition, he is the all-time restrictor-plate wins leader with 12 and leads all active drivers in top-five finishes, top-10s and laps led at Talladega Superspeedway. (Dale Earnhardt Sr. ranks second with 11).

Gordon seems to be hitting his stride after a rocky beginning to the season and is currently the only driver to have finished in the top-10 in each of the last six races. The streak has moved him from as low as 36th in the points to his current position of 10th. With a little luck, this could be his chance to secure his spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, although his last win was in 2007.

3) Kurt Busch is coming off a win at Richmond and sits in seventh place on the Chase Grid. This is even more impressive when you consider that he missed three races this season. Also of note, he ranks fourth in fastest laps run (217) and second in laps led (536)

Busch is fourth in the driver ratings at Talladega and his confidence is growing each week. Look for him to be a contender as he carries that momentum to Talladega.

4) Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s five victories at Talladega put him third on the all-time list and are the most for him at any track. He also set a record for most consecutive wins with four from October 2001 to April 2003. Of additional significance, he has led in all but three of the 30 Cup races he has entered at the superspeedway for a total of 832 laps. The only other track where he has led more laps is Martinsville (972 laps).

Even though his last win was in 2004, Earnhardt’s statistics are still imposing claiming the series-best average running position (14.5), the second-best driver rating (90.7) and the third- most quality passes (4,478). Plus, he has led laps in 27 of his 30 Talladega starts. Earnhardt is still searching for his first win and there’s no place better than at one of his favorite tracks on the circuit.

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Talladega Superspeedway:

95.6 – Kyle Larson
90.7 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
89.9 – Matt Kenseth
88.3 – Kurt Busch
87.5 – Jimmie Johnson
85.0 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
84.0 – Brian Vickers
82.9 – Brad Keselowski
82.2 – Joey Logano
82.0 – Denny Hamlin

Winning Quotes:

Martin Truex Jr. “I’ve been all over the place at Talladega. However, the one place I haven’t been to in the Sprint Cup Series is Talladega’s Victory Lane, and it’s about time that we get there. I am confident that we will have a contending car on Sunday.”

Jeff Gordon: “Restrictor-plate racing is a white-knuckle experience where we race in big packs while trying to avoid the ‘big one’ – the big wreck that collects a lot of race cars.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “The guy that’s leading the race really is the guy controlling everything. He can block and he can do whatever he needs to do as far as getting in front of the line that’s coming to be able to get the push to maintain his speed. He can do so much more than everyone else in the field. And that’s just the best place to be.”

Greg Biffle: “I finished second in this race last year and I’m excited to go back. Talladega is a good opportunity for us to win a race, its pure speed and we have fast Speedway cars, so I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: “I’m looking forward to Talladega after seeing the speed our cars had at Daytona earlier this season. We need a win to make the Chase and I think that Talladega is great opportunity for us to be able to get that win. If we can stay out of trouble and avoid the notorious ‘big one’, I think we can leave Talladega with a solid finish.”

Denny Hamlin: Last year at Talladega, we finally got our first plate win, and it was big for our team. It obviously gave us a Chase berth and a lot of momentum. This year, hopefully, we can get another win there to get more bonus points. It’s all about winning for us.”

A Slice of Talladega History:

Thirty years ago Bill Elliott experienced one of the greatest comebacks in NASCAR history at Talladega. The year was 1985 and although his car had led 25 laps of the 1985 Winston 500, an unscheduled pit stop to fix a broken oil fitting line left Elliott almost two laps down, a five-mile deficit.

Elliott did what he did best. He put the pedal to the floor and passed the field twice in less than 100 laps. Back on the lead lap, Elliott raced into victory lane. But the story doesn’t end there.

R.J. Reynolds had offered the “Winston Million” to any driver that could win three of the sport’s four biggest races; the Daytona 500, Winston 500, Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500. Elliott had already won the Daytona 500 and after the victory at Talladega went on to win the Southern 500 at Darlington, earning that “Winston Million.” It catapulted him into the national headlines with a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Elliott celebrated the anniversary by re-creating that Talladega win. He strapped into the Ford Thunderbird, put on a helmet, ran five laps and drove to victory lane where he was given a replica trophy. The car hadn’t been cranked since it was put on display at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1986.

He said being back in the car felt “like a million bucks. I really miss the competitive side of racing week-in and week-out. I ran so many laps around this race track and tested here so many times in my career. It feels like it was yesterday I was racing here.”

Racing at Talladega Superspeedway is challenging, both physically and mentally. Tune into the Geico 500 Sunday on FOX at 1 p.m. ET to discover who emerges victorious.

April 30, 2015
Logging Laps: Whose fault is it anyway?

There were two major stories to come out of Richmond this week. First, we have the victory of Kurt Busch, once again returning to his job, as the amazing wheelman Gene Haas hired him to be for the first time in 35 races. This is also earmarked by the fight of Tony Gibson, a fan and crew favorite in the garage, to overcome his battle with kidney stones to guide the often volatile past champion to the bright lights of the winner’s circle. That, in and of itself, should have been the biggest and most well-seen headline of the week, “Kurt Busch Fights Back to Victory.”

He showed the class of a champion and his crew chief showed the guts of a fighter that wouldn’t give up no matter how much pain he was in. Those two have been a force to be reckoned with since Busch returned and on so many occasions, they have been oh so close to victory. The trials and tribulations of this team overcoming all odds to finally taste sweet champagne.

However, the biggest headline this week once again didn’t involve the winner or the race as a whole. No, it involved the sport’s most popular driver and the sport’s most polarizing one, “Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Collide in Richmond.” It was followed by endless media outlets picking up the “story,” a term I use lightly here, and running away to the circus with it; placing blame and making assumptions here and there to satisfy their weekly quota for views and clicks.

Alright, I’ll bite. So, whose fault is it anyway? Which one of these two top-tier drivers is the one that ruined the other’s day? Who takes blame and who quells the uproar from the rabid fan base that is out for blood? Well, brace yourselves ladies and gentlemen; I have the answer you seek. After carefully studying the video from all available angles, it’s very clear to anyone to see that, wait for it… it is no one’s fault.

Surprised? Well, you shouldn’t be. There is a reason we call an accident an accident. However, in this day and age of the internet with Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and more, everyone has a platform to voice their personal opinions and viewpoints on any given number of topics. This drastic shift in the way fans participate in the sport has given rise to both amazing opportunities and unprecedented access to the sport we love, but it is also a double-edged sword. All too often the freedom the internet gives fans is abused.

In the aftermath of the incident that happened on track, while I was providing live twitter updates of the race, I saw my timeline explode with tweets. Before my eyes, I saw the first, unfiltered, raw reactions from the fans of both drivers. Before the video replay was shown, before the professionals in the booth even had time to speak and give their informed insight into the incident, there were people ready to tar and feather either driver for what they perceived as a race ruining fault.

Now, I’ve taken the time this week to let the hostility settle down a bit. At least, I thought I had until the stories began to appear on every news outlet that has anything to do with NASCAR. Heck, even the front page of NASCAR.com had a massive post about this accident, complete with a hastily put together set of quotes from both drivers that seemed to scream, “Look here, race fans, we have drama!”

Everyone wants to blame everyone else for what has happened without a shred of common sense and without anything being placed into context as to what actually happened. All we know is this; two drivers, racing side-by-side late in the race, made contact. One driver spun and had to retire from the race and the other driver continued on to finish.

Yes, yes, I can hear you now saying, “But Tony cussed Jr. on the radio and threw his helmet in his hauler, and he must be blaming Jr!” Okay, so, I’ll give you that. Stewart did, in fact, say, “F—ing Dale Jr.,” on his radio after the incident. Most drivers would identify the car they hit or hit them. It is very possible that Stewart’s response was simply because he knew that the contact or wrecking Earnhardt will make your life miserable. Don’t believe me? Just ask Kyle Busch.

So yes, he said that, three little words. Does that place blame on Earnhardt for the accident? I don’t think so. You know why? It’s simple; because it was an accident. What seems to be lost on the fans right now and as of late is that sometimes, there isn’t direct fault. Sometimes, there is just a set of unfortunate circumstances that create an incident. I firmly believe this was one of them. Here’s why.

When reviewing the tape, from the turn two camera angle, it’s unclear as to what caused the contact between the two cars. The reason is forced perspective. You’re viewing from a vantage point that is nearly 500 feet away, the same theory that applies if you hold up your thumb to the sun. Your thumb can now block out the sun. That’s forced perspective. Luckily, we have multiple camera angles from which to view the race. The most interesting of which was the on-board camera from the No. 11 car of Denny Hamlin. Hamlin’s car was directly behind the 14 of Stewart and the 88 of Earnhardt. What Hamlin’s camera shows is that Earnhardt made an aggressive move to clear the slower No. 51 car on the track and was put three-wide by Stewart on the bottom. Now, I want to remind everyone that Earnhardt said in his post race interview that, “I was trying to clear the No. 51 on the outside of me, so I was as high as I could go. So, you’ll just have to ask him.” Watch the videos below and judge for yourself.

https://youtu.be/d0Ryec7snKg

https://youtu.be/Q4t68fRkpbs?t=53s

That is key here, fans. Earnhardt was trying to clear the car on his outside. I want everyone to remember that races are played out in hundredths of a second. Driver’s and spotters have to make split second decisions all the time. This is where it get’s interesting. It’s late in the race and everyone is fighting for every spot they can get, every inch of ground on a late race restart, to get every position available. Earnhardt was three wide in turn four, trying to clear the car above him.

On the camera of the 11 car, it shows that Earnhardt cleared the 51 before he exited turn 4 onto the straightaway, but still stayed about half a groove down on the track. However, Earnhardt seemed to believe he was still on his outside at the time of the contact; those are his words. So, was Earnhardt still giving the 51 room on the outside? Most likely, he was. Why would he risk pinching another car on the outside of him and getting turned into the wall? Split second choices here, people.

Meanwhile, you have Stewart below Earnhardt. The 14 car was hanging on the left rear quarter panel of the 88. Why? Well, that’s twofold in racing. Even with Richmond being a short track, those cars are travelling well over 120 mph at times. That doesn’t seem like a lot when you compare it to Michigan or California where cars routinely reach 200 plus mph, but it’s still significant, significant enough that aero comes into play at this track. So it stands to reason that if you can get any advantage you can, you’ll take it. Hang on the left rear quarter panel and get a minor draft in this case.

There is also a second reason you would place your car in that spot and that’s so you can hold position on the other car. At Richmond this weekend, it was hard to pass. We saw it all day. Cars and drivers struggled to pass each other because the outside of the track just didn’t have the grip and speed that the drivers needed. Therefore, the 14 car hung on the 88 to hold his position on the inside for the next corner. No harm, no foul here. Two guys, racing hard, late in the race for every spot they can get. Right? Well, then the accident happened. The 88 car and the 14 car made contact and the entire twitterverse and internet world instantly took up arms in a virtual fight over who is right, who is wrong and who was at fault.

Guess what? The only people that know are Stewart and Earnhardt. End of discussion. We can sit here and analyze what happened and we can toss insults, make accusations and defame drivers. Heck, some of the communities of fans were so asinine that they brought up a tragedy from last year in some pathetic attempt at justification for their anger. That’s disgusting. It’s wrong. You’re free to have an opinion and you’re free to support your favorite driver through thick and thin. However, sometimes, it’s best to just call a spade a spade and leave it at that.

What happened at Richmond this weekend between Earnhardt and Stewart was simply hard racing and an accident. Stewart declined comment for a reason and Earnhardt said his piece on TV. That’s the end of it. So many times in the last 25 years, I’ve heard people say, “NASCAR fans are the greatest fans in all of sports.”

Maybe it’s time we started acting like it.

April 29, 2015