Darlington Raceway

Race #: 11 of 36

Track Size: 1.366 miles

Race Length: 501.322 miles

Banking Turns 1 & 2: 25 degrees

Banking Turns 3 & 4: 23 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 6 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 6 degrees

Frontstretch: 1,229 feet

Backstretch: 1,229 feet

Qualifying/Race Data

2011 pole winner: Kasey Kahne (181.254 mph, 27.131 seconds, 05-06-11)

2011 race winner: Regan Smith (129.678 mph, 05-07-11)

Track qualifying record: Kasey Kahne (181.254 mph, 27.131 seconds, 05-06-11)

Track race record: Kyle Busch (140.350 mph, 05-10-08)

At Darlington Raceway:

History

·         Built as a 1.25-mile paved superspeedway in 1949-50, Darlington Raceway hosted the first 500-mile race in NASCAR history and the first on asphalt on Sept. 4, 1950.

·         The track was re-measured to 1.375 miles in 1953.

·         The track was re-configured to 1.366 miles following the spring race in 1970.

·         The track was repaved in 1995.

·         The 2005 race was the first Saturday night race at Darlington.

·         The track was repaved again prior to the 2008 season.

Notebook

·         There have been 108 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Darlington Raceway since the track opened in 1950.

·         There was one race per year in 1950, 1951, from 1953-1959, and again every year since 2005. Darlington held two races a season in all other years.

·         Curtis Turner won the first pole, in 1950.

·         Johnny Mantz won the first race, in 1950.

·         47 drivers have posted poles at Darlington.

·         David Pearson leads all drivers with 12 poles at Darlington.

·         45 drivers have won races at Darlington; 25 drivers have won more than once there.

·         David Pearson leads all drivers with 10 victories, followed by Dale Earnhardt with nine.

·         Jeff Gordon is third overall and leads all active drivers with seven victories.

·         Hendrick Motorsports has won 13 races at Darlington, more than any other organization.

·         19 races at Darlington have been won from the pole, the most productive starting position. Dale Jarrett was the last driver to win from the pole in 1997.

·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 43rd, in the track’s inaugural race in 1950 by Johnny Mantz. That race had a 75-car field.

·         Darlington is the site of one of the closest race finishes in NASCAR history. Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch by 0.002 seconds on March 16, 2003 – which is tied with Talladega (April 17, 2011) as the two smallest margins of victory since NASCAR instituted electronic timing in 1993.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Darlington Raceway winner: Kyle Busch (05/10/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 8 days).

·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Darlington Raceway winner: Harry Gant (05/06/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 22 days)

 

 

Top 12 Driver Rating at Darlington

Jeff Gordon.............................. 116.2

Greg Biffle............................... 109.7

Denny Hamlin.......................... 108.3

Jimmie Johnson....................... 100.6

Ryan Newman......................... 100.2

Kyle Busch............................... 99.6

Kasey Kahne............................ 96.7

Dale Earnhardt Jr...................... 92.5

Carl Edwards............................ 92.4

Martin Truex Jr.......................... 91.5

Tony Stewart............................ 88.1

Brad Keselowski....................... 87.3

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (seven total) at Darlington.

 

At Darlington, Trouble Lurks Around Every Corner

From any angle, whether you’ve been there once or 20 times, Darlington Raceway is a challenge.

The racing line is narrow, the asphalt aged and the chassis set-up that works well in one set of turns is a compromise – at best – in the other.

Competitors in Saturday’s 63rd Bojangles’ Southern 500 will be racing at speeds of more than 180 mph on a track where the pole speed was 85 mph for 1950’s inaugural event.

A Darlington Stripe – the ubiquitous scrape on the ‘passenger’s’ side – can be a badge of honor or the beginning of abject horror. A split-second’s inattention can produce a slide into SAFER barrier, another competitor or both. The last seven races have seen the caution wave an average of 10.7 times. The record, 17, was set in 2009.

Denny Hamlin, with two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories this season, won his first Southern 500 in 2010 and can’t wait to roll his No. 11 Toyota onto the 1.366-mile layout. "I just strive on harder race tracks to try to figure out – the Poconos, the Martinsvilles – tracks that just some people love and hate," said Hamlin, whose Joe Gibbs Racing team has won two of the past four Darlington races and three overall. "It just seems like we have adapted to it and found a way to get around the track." For others, well:

Brad Keselowski has both momentum and a pleasant Darlington history. Keselowski won at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, his second victory of the year. He finished third at Darlington a year ago and seventh in 2009. Owner Roger Penske hasn’t been to the South Carolina track’s Victory Lane since 1975, when NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison swept both races in an AMC Matador.

A year ago, Regan Smith became the sixth driver to post his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory at Darlington, joining inaugural winner Johnny Mantz, two-time champion Terry Labonte, Larry Frank, Lake Speed and Nelson Stacy. Smith needs a pick-me-up. He’s finished among the top 15 just once in this season’s first 10 races.

Danica Patrick hasn’t seen NSCS racing until she’s witnessed firsthand the perils of Daytona. She’ll do that this weekend, also competing in Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race. She’s locked into the race based on Tommy Baldwin Racing’s No. 10 Chevrolet ranked 33rd in Owners’ Championship points.

Kurt Busch and Phoenix Racing need a good showing in a home state race. James Finch’s team is based in Spartanburg, S.C., the hometown of NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson, whose 10 victories are the most by any driver at Darlington.

Darlington Raceway was NASCAR’s first paved superspeedway. Its construction in a cotton field by Harold Brasington presaged the organization’s path to national prominence. By the beginning of the next decade, similar tracks were built in Daytona Beach, Fla., Atlanta and Charlotte.

Eight NASCAR Hall of Fame members – Pearson, Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson – won a combined 39 Darlington races.

Not So Sweet 16: Can Hendrick Quench Drought At Darlington?

More than a decade has passed since Hendrick Motorsports slogged through this kind of drought.

Back in 2001, Hendrick went the final eight races without a win. Then in 2002, the squad went the first nine winless. That 17-race drought ranks as the team’s sixth-longest in an NSCS history that began in 1984.

The seventh longest? This one. Right here, right now.

Sixteen races have passed since Hendrick’s last win, but one of its top tracks awaits – Darlington Raceway. Hendrick has 13 victories at The Track Too Tough To Tame, most by any owner all-time. On Hendrick’s personal wins list, Darlington ranks tied for third with Dover behind only Martinsville (18) and Charlotte (16).

So, is this the week? As was the case every race since the team’s most recent win last October, the chances certainly seem solid.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., third in points, comes off his sixth straight top-10 finish – matching a career-long stretch.

Jeff Gordon, whose "when it rains, it pours" season continued in Talladega, leads all active drivers in Darlington wins with seven. Jimmie Johnson swept Darlington in 2004, but hasn’t finished in the top 10 since 2008.

Kasey Kahne finished fourth last year at Darlington, but prior to that race stumbled through five consecutive finishes of 20th or worse.

Last Call: Darlington Final Opportunity (Sort Of) To Make All-Star Field

This is it. Kind of.

Saturday night’s race at Darlington Speedway marks the final points race before the May 19 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. That means it’s the final opportunity for drivers not already locked into the field to do so. In a way.

In actuality, after this weekend’s race, those not already locked into the all-star field can do so by finishing either first or second in the Sprint Showdown or winning the Sprint Fan Vote (click here to vote: http://nas.cr/a32m).

But no driver wants that kind of pressure. The Sprint Showdown is blink-of-an-eye quick (two 20-lap segments), so anything but a fast start likely spells trouble. And with some fan-favorite names on the Sprint Fan Vote ballot (i.e. Dale Earnhardt Jr.), it’s not wise to rely on that. So, Darlington it is.

Those thoughts swirl in the heads of some huge names, namely Earnhardt, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Burton and AJ Allmendinger.

All sit in the top 20 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings, and all are currently without an all-star nod.

Who among that group fares the best at Darlington? Burton owns the top average finish, with a 12.1. Coming off his first top-10 finish in six races, he boasts two Darlington victories (both in 1999).

Tops in Driver Rating at Darlington: Earnhardt. With four top 10s in the last seven races, he owns an eighth-best Darlington Driver Rating of 92.5.

Points Leader Biffle Counts Pair Of Darlington Victories

Greg Biffle didn’t just dodge a bullet at Talladega. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader fired the gun.

Fifth-place wasn’t a win but it offers further proof that the standings leader since after race No. 3 in Las Vegas won’t relinquish his advantage easily. Not even to Roush Fenway Racing teammate and Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth, who jumped from fourth to second in the standings to trail by seven points as the series moves to Darlington.

Biffle and Talladega haven’t always been the best of friends. Biffle needed 13 trips to the 2.66-mile track to gather his first top-10. He crashed out of four of five races in 2006-08.

Things have changed – and how. Beginning with 2007, when he finished seventh and fourth, Biffle has finished seven consecutive races on the lead lap.

Darlington, where Biffle won consecutive Bojangles’ Southern 500s in 2005-06, is an opportunity to solidify the championship lead. Biffle finished eighth a year ago and has but a single DNF – engine failure in 2008 – in 11 Darlington starts. His Driver Rating of 109.7 ranks second.

Still, Biffle takes nothing for granted. "If you make a little mistake or your car gets away from you a little bit, you've got a Darlington Stripe, and hopefully just a Darlington Stripe because you're going so fast, it can damage the car quickly," he said.

Victory Eludes Stewart At Darlington Speedway

For Tony Stewart, it’s one track down and two to go.

The three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion entered the 2012 season winless at just three tracks on the current schedule: Darlington Raceway; Kentucky Speedway, which ran its inaugural event in 2011, and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Scratch Las Vegas; Stewart won there in March leading a race-high 127 laps.

Darlington remains an uphill climb. Stewart owns just three top-five finishes in 19 previous starts. His Driver Rating of 88.1 is 11th best. He finished seventh, however, a year ago.

Stewart remains well ahead of last year’s title pace but his No. 14 Chevrolet team, with Spartanburg, S.C., native Steve Addington handling crew chief duties for the first time, continues to seek consistency. Two victories and a points ranking of seventh make Stewart pretty much a lock for this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™.

"If you can say you won a race at Darlington – that’s a feather in your cap," said Stewart. "That’s something to be proud of, knowing that you’re in a group of drivers with names like Pearson and Petty – the pioneers of our sport who you hear stories about the races they ran there and the races they won there."

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Etc.

Milestone Markers: Ryan Newman aims, yet again, to become the ninth driver to reach 50 career Coors Light Poles. He has one pole at Darlington, in 2003. … Greg Biffle’s next lap led will be his 5,000th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series lap led. … On Saturday night, Brad Keselowski becomes the 189th driver to reach 100 career NSCS starts. Six drivers have won their 100th start: Lee Petty, Herb Thomas, Junior Johnson, Rex White, Joe Weatherly and Carl Edwards. … With his next top-five finish, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will become the 34th driver with 100 top fives. … With Danica Patrick piloting the No. 10 Chevrolet, David Reutimann will run the No. 93 BK Racing Toyota.

Can’t Keep Reigning Champ Stenhouse Down For Long

After a tumultuous beginning to his 2012 season, the reigning NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has fought back from ninth in the standings following Daytona to retake the No. 1 position five points ahead of second-place Elliott Sadler. 

Consistency has been the key to success for Stenhouse. While Sadler and Stenhouse both have two wins, Stenhouse has the upper hand with his series-leading six top-five finishes compared to Sadler’s four.

The tide may turn back in Sadler’s favor after Darlington. While both Sadler (third) and Stenhouse (10th) posted their best series career finishes at Darlington last season, Sadler’s experience might give him the edge. Sadler has made eight starts at Darlington, posting one pole, two top fives, three top 10s and an average finish of 18.7, compared to Stenhouse’s two starts, posting one top 10 and an average finish of 23.5. Several key pre-race Loop Data categories give Sadler the edge heading into Darlington: Driver Rating - Sadler (120.8), Stenhouse (85.5); and Average Running Position - Sadler (4.2), Stenhouse (16.3).

Blaney Showed Veteran Experience In Debut; Can He Back It Up At Darlington?

Among the glitz and glamour that followed the big-name drivers of the series around two weeks ago at Richmond, one driver, Ryan Blaney, let his driving speak for itself.

Blaney, 18, the son of NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney, made his series debut at Richmond, starting eighth and finishing seventh. But Blaney’s race was no cakewalk.

After experiencing a penalty on pit road that dropped him outside of the top 10, Blaney kept his resolve and fought his way back to seventh place. In the process, he made 40 Quality Passes (passes made during green flag conditions while running in the Top 15), the most of any driver in the event.  

"Anything that Ryan does is not a surprise," said two-time NNS champion Kevin Harvick. "He is a tremendous talent." (Click for Harvick’s audio)

In just four starts in the K&N Pro Series East and West, Blaney has a win – last November at Phoenix – a second and two other top-10 results. Blaney is running for Tommy Baldwin Racing, a team with a limited schedule that also includes drivers Ryan Truex and Bobby Santos.

Star-Studded Field Provides Plenty For The Fans To See

The storied history of Darlington Raceway has caused many of NASCAR’s top drivers to sign up for this Friday’s VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 under the lights. Not only will the field have the likes of NSCS drivers Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin, but also NNS standouts Travis Pastrana and Danica Patrick. Patrick will be pulling double duty, driving the No. 10 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet in the NSCS race Saturday night. The weekend will be Patrick’s and Pastrana’s NASCAR national series track debut at Darlington Raceway.  

"I know it is going to be hard, and I know there will be some frustrating moments, and that I am probably going to feel a little embarrassed. But I am there to get my Darlington stripes and move along," Patrick said. 

Pastrana took advantage of the opportunity to meet with NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee David Pearson on March 31. Pearson holds the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at Darlington (10) and most poles (12).

"I’m still learning the sport of NASCAR, so to get some great advice from a legend like Mr. Pearson will be extremely beneficial for me when I get to Darlington," Pastrana said.

NASCAR Nationwide Series, Etc.

Kyle Busch, the 2009 series champion, is the defending winner at Darlington. He will play the role of team owner this weekend, overseeing brother Kurt Busch in the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota. Kurt delivered Kyle’s first NNS win as an owner two weeks ago at Richmond. ... It’s homecoming week for Jeremy Clements (Spartanburg), Danny Efland (Irmo) and the JD Motorsports team (Gaffney). Clements is currently 14th in the driver standings. He was as high as 11th three times earlier this season. Efland, a graduate of the University of South Carolina, will make his third start of the season at his home track. It will be a welcome week at home for JDM after scrambling to get to Talladega following a hauler fire at their shop on April 29. The team’s driver, Mike Wallace, will attempt to make his 425th series start (third on all-time NNS starts list). … Plenty of young talent has forced its way into the top 10 in the current series standings, but veterans Mike Bliss and Joe Nemechek are ninth and 10th, respectively. Bliss finished 12th in the final rankings last year for his TriStar Motorsports team. Nemechek, the 1992 series champion, also was ranked 10th following Phoenix in March. ... Due to a late-race incident that cost him an almost certain top10, Michael Annett‘s string of six consecutive top-15 finishes was snapped at Talladega. Despite the 23rd place, Annett is sixth in the standings. … Brian Scott will be among the current and former NASCAR drivers participating in the skid plate race Thursday night at Myrtle Beach Speedway’s "NASCAR Celebrity Night." Proceeds benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp.

Keselowski Pursues Pair Of NASCAR Truck Goals

Job 1 for Brad Keselowski Racing is backing Parker Kligerman to the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. So far, so good as Kligerman – coming off an eighth-place finish last month at Kansas Speedway – ranks sixth in the standings.

"We’re solidly knocking off finishes, picking up valuable points and bringing home clean trucks," said Kligerman, who’s competing in his second full season in the series. "We’ve got good speed in our Ram [truck]. We’ve got what it takes. We just have to execute better."

The team owner, however, has some unfinished business. Brad Keselowski competed in only one full season before climbing the ladder to Penske Racing, a NASCAR Nationwide Series championship and six NASCAR Sprint Cup victories. He still lacks a truck win.

"I’m just motivated; I want to make that happen," said Keselowski after finishing third in Kansas. A victory in the May 18 Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway would make him the 24th different driver to win in all three national series. He also would join his father, Bob Keselowski, as a NCWTS winner – an unprecedented achievement.

The elder Keselowski, whose family team was a charter member of the series in 1995, won at Richmond in 1997. Brad’s NASCAR career, as crew member, team engineer and later driver, grew with the Michigan operated organization.

"I know we’ve had some seconds and thirds in this deal. It’s a lot harder when you do it with your own team versus a Cup-affiliated team, that’s for sure. It makes it that much more worthwhile," he said.

Charlotte Meister Wauters Hopes To Work Magic With Rookie

Richie Wauters’ debut as a NCWTS owner has been bumpy, to say the least. Unaccustomed, as a crew chief, to seeing his driver outside Victory Lane, the top five and top 10, Wauters No. 5 Ford driven by Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Paulie Harraka has yet to experience success.

Charlotte, where Wauters is a magician, could be a great reset for the first-year team and driver, who stands 20th in points after four races.

In seven starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway with three different drivers – Kyle Busch, Aric Almirola and Shane Hmiel – Wauters counts two wins, three top fives and six top 10s.

"We’ve been fortunate to have some awesome drivers that have helped with that success," said Wauters, who wears both owner and crew chief hats in 2012. "Coming into Charlotte with a rookie driver is a bit more challenging, but with seat time and laps logged, Paulie will adapt quickly," he said. "Charlotte is the fastest track we’ve run other than Daytona."

Sunday will be a big day for Harraka, who will receive his bachelor’s degree in Markets and Managements at Duke University’s Wallace Wade Stadium. "Graduating from Duke is an amazing milestone in my life. It's taken a lot of hard work, but I'd do it all again if I had the chance," Harraka said.

Ty Dillon Holds Solid Rookie Lead – For Now

Ty Dillon’s got a great jump on a NCWTS first: joining his older brother and 2011 champion Austin Dillon as the Sunoco Rookie of the Year.

With four of 22 races down, Dillon is the top-ranked of 13 freshman candidates. He leads Daytona winner John King by 16 points with Cale Gale third. Dillon has been the top-finishing rookie contender in three consecutive races.

History suggests the double-digit lead will shrink. Although Dillon continues to rank fourth in overall series standings, the rookie award – which Austin Dillon won in 2010 – is based upon a candidate’s 17 best finishes.

Rookies placed two finishers among the top 10 in last year’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200: Cole Whitt (third) and Parker Kligerman (eighth).

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Etc.

Cale Gale returns to his home state Saturday to compete in late model racing at Montgomery (Ala.) Motor Speedway. … James Buescher goes to Darlington Raceway on Friday for NNS action, having finished seventh at Talladega Superspeedway on May 5. … Jason Leffler, with a car recently purchased from Rockingham winner Kasey Kahne, will drive in sprint car events at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Ind., Saturday and Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway Sunday. … Justin Lofton and his father, Bob Lofton, finished seventh in 1500 P class and 13th overall in last weekend’s off-road racing Best in the Desert Silver State 300 near Las Vegas.

There’s no time for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitors to exhale as arguably the toughest two back-to-back weekends on the 2012 schedule continue this week at Darlington Raceway. The track “Too Tough to Tame” plays host to the 63rd running of Bojangles’ Southern 500 on Saturday night (FOX, live 7 p.m. ET). NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway event follows Sunday’s nail-biting Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, won by Brad Keselowski.

 

Darlington dates to 1950 and as the series’ first asphalt oval over a ½-mile in length ushered in the sport’s future. A couple of facts looking back on the track’s first race, won by Californian Johnny Mantz in a six-cylinder Plymouth: gas, leaded of course, cost 18 cents a gallon, the average price of a new automobile was $1,510 and the average wages were $3,210.

 

Regan Smith was the surprise winner of last year’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 – the second of three, first time winners of NASCAR’s biggest events. Trevor Bayne had won the Daytona 500 and Paul Menard scored a Brickyard 400 victory later in the summer.

 

Greg Biffle, Darlington winner in 2005-06, continues to head the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings by seven points over Roush Fenway Racing teammate Matt Kenseth.

 

Hendrick Motorsports’ quest for a 200th victory continues at Darlington where the organization has the most victories (13) and Jeff Gordon boasts the most wins (seven) among active drivers. Dale Earnhardt Jr. can set a career record for consecutive top 10 finishes. Earnhardt’s sixth straight top 10 (ninth) at Talladega matched his 2004 streak.

 

NASCAR Nationwide Series kicks off the weekend’s action, with a new – yet familiar – points leader, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Stenhouse will attempt to fend of previous points leader Elliott Sadler in Friday night’s VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN2.

 

There is one more week off the track for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams. They continue to prepare for the May 18 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

 

Tough Accurately Describes Darlington Competition

Darlington Raceway, built in a South Carolina cotton field, is tough for several reasons. The racing line is narrow, an abrasive track surface quickly takes the “new” off a set of Goodyear tires and the track’s two sets of turns are dramatically different.

 

Greg Biffle, who shows no sign of abdicating his throne as the NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader, looks for his third Darlington victory. Yet Biffle is under no illusion he’s got Darlington’s number. “There's no opportunity to correct or to gather it back up when you're that close to the wall, but you've got to run there because that's where all the speed is and the grip,” he said.” So if you make a little mistake or your car gets away from you a little bit, you've got a Darlington Stripe, and hopefully just a Darlington Stripe because you're going so fast, it can damage the car quickly.”

 

Virtually every car will show damage to varying degrees when the checkered flag falls – even the winner. Last year’s race saw the caution flag wave 11 times over the course of nearly four hours of competition.

 

Smith Looks To Southern 500 For 2012 Turnaround

Regan Smith caught lightning in a bottle at Darlington Raceway in 2011 winning his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Smith would like to duplicate that victory to turn around what’s been a dismal start to this season in which the New York native has finished among the top 15 just once in 10 starts.

 

’Dega Victory Gives Keselowski Much-Needed Momentum

Don’t expect Talladega winner Brad Keselowski to slow down at Darlington Raceway. He finished third in last year’s Bojangles’ Southern 500, 12th in 2010 and seventh in 2009 – his first NASCAR Sprint Cup start at the 1.366-mile track. Keselowski’s second victory of the season was good news for his Penske Racing team, which had been plagued by early season mechanical problems. That’s the biggest reason Keselowski remains outside the top 10 in points – but not far out of a qualifying spot for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™. He gained one position to 12th and trails 10th-place Clint Bowyer by just three points. Keselowski stands first in line for one of the Chase’s two Wild Card qualifiers. Penske’s two Darlington wins came in 1975 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison at the wheel of the organization’s AMC Matador.

 

Only Tony Stewart has won more races (seven) in 2011-12 than Keselowski, who shares second on the two-season victory list with Kyle Busch at five wins apiece.

 

Junior Must Regain Darlington Edge To Continue Top-10 Streak

Dale Earnhardt Jr. must reverse his recent Darlington trend – two finishes outside the top 15 in his past three starts – to add to a career-matching top-10 streak that reached six races on Sunday at Talladega. Earnhardt finished 14th in last year’s Darlington race. He was fourth in his first start with Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, his fourth consecutive top 10 at the South Carolina track. Earnhardt stands third in NASCAR Sprint Cup points.

 

Hendrick Motorsports’ quest for its 200th victory could end at Darlington. Jeff Gordon’s seven victories include three consecutive wins in 1995-96. Gordon produced HMS’ most recent Darlington win in 2007. Jimmie Johnson swept both races in 2004, the last time the track scheduled two races in the same season.

 

JGR Good At Darlington As Kyle Busch’s Fortunes Improve

Joe Gibbs Racing owns victories in two of the past four Bojangles’ Southern 500s and three wins overall. Kyle Busch gave Toyota its first Darlington victory in 2008 while teammate Denny Hamlin won in 2010. JGR’s other win, by Bobby Labonte, came in 2000. Hamlin and Busch have combined for three victories this season. Busch won at Richmond on April 28 and finished second to Keselowski at Talladega to join partner Hamlin in the top 10 in the points standings.

 

One Win Down, To Remain On Stewart’s ‘To-Do’ List

Three-time series champion Tony Stewart has failed to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race on just two tracks on the current schedule: Darlington and Kentucky Speedway, which staged its inaugural race in 2012. Stewart erased Las Vegas Motor Speedway from his “to-do” list in March. Stewart’s Darlington record is so-so: three top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 19 starts. His best finish, third, came in 2009. Stewart finished seventh in last year’s Bojangles’ Southern 500.

 

Patrick Returns To Series To Face Biggest NASCAR Challenge

Danica Patrick faces her greatest challenge since coming to NASCAR as she competes in her second Sprint Cup race on Saturday. Her No. 10 Chevrolet, prepared by Stewart-Haas Racing, has a guaranteed starting position by virtue of owner Tommy Baldwin’s 33rd ranking in Owners Championship standings. Patrick finished 38th in her series debut at Daytona in February. She will do double duty also competing in Friday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

 

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Berth On Line At Darlington

Saturday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 is a last-chance race for automatic admission to the May 19 Sprint All-Star Race. Drivers yet to qualify include Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Burton and former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte. Absent a Darlington win, a driver still can qualify via fan vote or transfer from the Sprint Showdown race.

 

Mother’s Day Special To NASCAR Competitors

NASCARMedia.com has a photo gallery of drivers with their mothers, including a picture of Denny Hamlin with his mom in Darlington’s Victory Lane with the Southern 500 trophy: http://bit.ly/nascar-moms-photos 

 

Here are several comments from drivers about Mother’s Day and their moms:

Denny Hamlin: "She was very critical to me getting where I'm at for sure. If it wasn't her arguing with my dad all the time saying we had to keep going, then we probably wouldn't have been. It's a great weekend for her.”

Jeff Gordon: “It’s a very special time around our house and with my family and my mom and my dad. We give thanks to them because they sit there and watch us with our kids and laugh at us and say, ‘Yeah, see? You didn’t know we went through all this, did you?’”

 

NASCAR Sprint Awards Returns To Vegas

NASCAR announced Monday that the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards – and all of Champion’s Week – will return to Las Vegas, Nev., and remain there for the next three years. For the fourth-consecutive season, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards will take place at Wynn Las Vegas on Friday, Nov. 30, a culmination of a week-long celebration for the series champion – and NASCAR fans. As in past years, fans can expect the traditionally exciting and interactive week of activities.

 

NSCS Etc.

Phoenix Racing, which fields Chevrolets for Kurt Busch, is based in Spartanburg, S.C. … Spartanburg also is the home of Stewart-Haas Racing crew chief Steve Addington, as well as NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson, a 10-time Darlington Raceway winner. … NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough, Timmonsville, S.C., will serve as Saturday’s grand marshal.

 

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES

 

Full Circle – Stenhouse Jr. New Points Leader

Following the first seven races of this season, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was in an unfamiliar spot. The reigning NASCAR Nationwide Series champion – who had been in first place the final 14 races of 2011 – had bounced around from ninth to fifth to third to second in the standings.

Finally, after Race No. 8 at Talladega, Stenhouse finds himself in familiar territory. Thanks to a third-place finish – his series-best, sixth top-five in his last seven races – and a 10th-place result by previous points leader Elliott Sadler, Stenhouse is back atop the rankings. He heads to Darlington five points to the good ahead of Sadler, his closest rival.

The tables were turned last year at Darlington, the series’ next stop. Sadler finished third while Stenhouse was 10th. Kyle Busch, the 2009 series champion, is the defending winner at Darlington. Kyle Busch will play the part of team owner this weekend, overseeing brother Kurt in the No. 54 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota. Kurt delivered Kyle’s first Nationwide Series win as an owner two weeks ago at Richmond.

Sadler had been the 2012 points leader since Daytona. Looking up at Stenhouse isn’t new to him; he was in that position for 11 of those final 14 races last season. He also didn’t panic while in that position, producing a spirited comeback that came down to the final race of the year at Homestead-Miami.

 

Star Struck? Not Blaney

Friday night’s Darlington field (7:15 p.m. EDT, live ESPN2) will be packed with star power. Danica Patrick, who also will run in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, will be there. So will action sports icon Travis Pastrana, set to make his second Nationwide Series start after his series debut at Richmond. Popular Sunoco rookies Austin Dillon and Cole Whitt also are readying for their first series shot at Darlington.

Last week’s Talladega winner Joey Logano is entered, along with Denny Hamlin, a three-time winner at “The Track Too Tough to Tame.” The names Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski also resonate on the entry list.

Then there’s this entry: Ryan Blaney.

If you’re saying “Who?,” listen up. And watch closely. Blaney, 18, the son of NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney, made his series debut at Richmond along with Pastrana. He also raced against Patrick. And Kurt Busch. And Kahne, Dillon, Whitt, Keselowski, Logano, Hamlin, Stenhouse Jr., Sadler, et al.

Blaney finished seventh at Richmond, bettering the likes of Dillon, Kahne, Keselowski and Logano. In just four starts in the K&N Pro Series East and West, Blaney has a win – last November at Phoenix – a second and two other top-10 results. Blaney is running for Tommy Baldwin Racing, a team with a limited schedule that also includes drivers Ryan Truex and Bobby Santos.

 

NNS Darlington ETC

It’s homecoming week for Jeremy Clements (Spartanburg), Danny Efland (Irmo) and the JD Motorsports team (Gaffney). Clements is having a solid season, currently 14th in the driver standings – he was as high as 11th three times earlier this season. Efland, a graduate of the University of South Carolina, will make his third start of the season at his home track. And it will be a welcome week at home for JDM after scrambling to get to Talladega following a hauler fire at their shop April 29. The team’s driver, Mike Wallace, is 13th in the points. … Plenty of young talent has forced its way into the top 10 in the current series standings, but veterans Mike Bliss and Joe Nemechek are ninth and 10th, respectively. Bliss finished 12th in the final rankings last year for his TriStar Motorsports team. Nemechek, the 1992 series champion, also was ranked 10th following Phoenix in March. ... Due to a late-race incident that cost him an almost certain top-10 – if not higher – result, Michael Annett‘s string of six consecutive top-15 finishes was snapped at Talladega. Despite the 23rd place, Annett is sixth in the standings. … Tayler Maslam, who visited Capitol Hill this week representing groups promoting Global Youth Traffic Safety Month, remains one of the surprises of 2012. In his first full season in the series, Malsam is currently eighth in the standings and has been ranked in the top 10 following each race this year.

 

 

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

 

Harraka Captures Duke Diploma

While most of his classmates will look for work following their graduation from Duke University, Paulie Harraka will continue his full-time job in NASCAR, one that he started even before his enrollment. Harraka – who pilots the No. 5 Wauters Motorsports Ford in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series - will graduate with a degree in Markets and Managements on Sunday, May 13 at Wallace Wade Stadium.

"Graduating from Duke is an amazing milestone in my life. It's taken a lot of hard work, but I'd do it all again if I had the chance," said Harraka.

The New Jersey native will return to the track on Friday, May18 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the N.C. Education Lottery 200. He sits 20th in the series championship standings.

 

Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action on Friday, May18 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the N.C. Education Lottery 200 after three open weekends on the schedule.

Timothy Peters leads the championship standings by four points over James Buescher. Justin Lofton, Ty Dillon and Nelson Piquet Jr. round out the top five. - SOURCE - NASCAR MEDIA

Richmond International Raceway Data

Race #: 9 of 36 (04-28-12)

Track Size: .75 miles

Race Length: 300 miles

·     Banking/corners: 14 degrees

·     Banking/straights: 8 degrees

·     Frontstretch: 1,290 feet

·     Backstretch: 860 feet

Qualifying/Race Data

2011 pole winner: Juan Pablo Montoya

(128.639 mph, 20.989 seconds)

2011 race winner: Kyle Busch

(95.280 mph, 04-30-11)

Track qualifying record: Brian Vickers

(129.983, 20.772 seconds, 5-14-04)

Track race record: Dale Jarrett

(109.047 mph, 9-6-97)

Friday, April 27

5:30 am NSCS Haulers Enter

7:00 am Garage Opens

11:00 am NSCS Rookie & Spotter Meeting & Random Drawing

12:00 - 2:00 pm NSCS Practice

2:45 - 3:30 pm NSCS Final Practice

5:35 pm NSCS Qualifying

8:30 pm Garage Closes

Saturday, April 28

1:30 pm Garage Opens

5:30 pm NSCS Driver / Crew Chief Meeting

7:00 pm NSCS Driver Intoductions

7:30 pm NSCS Capital 400 Race

Practices:

Friday April 27 12:00 - 2:00pm TV-SPEED

Happy Hour: Friday April 27 2:45 - 3:30pmTV-SPEED

Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42 Friday April 27 at 5:35 pmTV-SPEED

White-Hot Hamlin Returns To Racing Roots

With his second victory of the season in hand, Denny Hamlin is on top of the world.

And that world figures to get even brighter as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series shifts its focus to Richmond International Raceway for Saturday night’s 400-lap, 300-mile Capital City 400 presented by Virginia is for Lovers.

Hamlin is a two-time Richmond winner (fall 2009-10) and also will compete in Friday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race he twice won. And for icing on the cake, there’s the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown, a Thursday night charity race for late model stock cars benefiting the Virginia driver’s foundation.

Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton, Michael Waltrip, Joey Logano and Aric Almirola are among drivers competing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series-sanctioned event. Among others in the all-star-type event are a number of rising stars, including K&N Pro Series drivers Darrell Wallace Jr., Sergio Pena, Chase Elliott and Whelen All-American Series drivers C.E. Falk and Travis Braden.

"We're excited. I love going to Richmond anyway, but any time you can go after winning the previous week, it makes it a little more exciting. I'm excited about it," said Hamlin, a Chesterfield, Va., native who jumped from sixth to fifth in NSCS points standings with his Kansas victory. "It's a big weekend for us next weekend, and obviously this is a great step to trying to get some promotion for that."

Saturday’s race also should be an exciting homecoming for Hamlin’s crew chief, Virginia Tech engineering graduate Darian Grubb, Floyd, Va. The pair combined for Hamlin’s 19th career victory, putting him on the threshold of joining 20-plus Virginia winners Joe Weatherly (25), Ricky Rudd (23) and Jeff Burton (21). Last week, Hamlin pushed the No. 11 to the top of the all-time wins list with 199 victories. The victory broke a tie with the No. 43.

Weatherly, a two-time series champion, partnered with Paul Sawyer in purchasing Richmond International Raceway in 1955. The facility has been owned by International Speedway Corp. since December 1999.

The 2012 season is the 60th since the track’s NASCAR Sprint Cup debut in 1953. NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty won the 100-mile race in a Dodge. The track was reconfigured to its current 0.75-mile triangular shape in the fall of 1988. Richard Petty is the all-time Richmond winner with 13 victories. Stewart, Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Terry Labonte lead drivers active in 2012 with three wins apiece. Kevin Harvick won last September’s race – the only driver besides Busch and Hamlin to win at Richmond since 2009.

Statistically Speaking, Richmond Should Give Kyle Busch Big Lift

Wins at Phoenix and Kansas appear to have cured Denny Hamlin’s hangover from his 2010 championship near-miss. Perhaps a trip to Richmond International Raceway, where he’s the three-time defending winner of the track’s spring race, will do likewise for Kyle Busch.

Busch, who rolled up 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup victories in fewer than 250 races, hasn’t won in 20 starts. To put that in perspective, Busch had gone to Victory Lane every 10.6 starts when he last won at Michigan International Speedway in August of last year. The Las Vegas native has won in all seven seasons as a full-time NSCS competitor with three or more victories in each of his past four years with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Busch hasn’t exactly dropped off the face of the earth; he’s got three top 10s, including a second in the weather-abbreviated race at Auto Club Speedway. He’s currently outside the top 10 in points (13th), where he’s been after seven of eight races. In 2011, Busch spent only one week worse than seventh prior to the cut-down to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™. Richmond should be a different story. Busch ranks among the leaders in most of the key Loop Data Statistics at the 0.75-mile track, including a second-best Driver Rating of 114.8. In 14 starts, he’s yet to finish off the lead lap heading 859 of 5,610 serials run.

"If you look at the stats there, it’s about as good as it gets at Richmond for the M&M’s team and I hope we can continue that coming up," Busch said.

Promise Being Fulfilled In 2012 For ‘Can’t Miss’ Prospect Truex

Being a "can’t miss" prospect can be a blessing or a curse. Just ask Martin Truex Jr.

Truex, whose second-place finish in Sunday’s STP 400 at Kansas Speedway boosted him to the runner-up position in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points, has seen the label from several angles.

In 2004-05 Truex captured back-to-back NASCAR Nationwide Series titles leading the series in victories both seasons as he won a combined 12 times, including races at Daytona and Talladega. He beat Kyle Busch one year and Clint Bowyer the next and was off to NASCAR’s premier series with the wind at his back.

Three seasons with Dale Earnhardt Inc. and one with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing With Felix Sabates left much promise unfulfilled: one victory, at Dover in 2007, and a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ among the few highlights. Last year’s first run with Michael Waltrip Racing seemed like more of the same – until his No. 56 Toyota team was reorganized and revitalized late in the season.

He finished 2012 with top-10 finishes in four of the last five races and hasn’t looked back. He’s finished six of eight races among the top 10 – three in the top five – and led 173 laps at Kansas, the most since his Dover victory. The 31-year-old Mayetta, N.J., native won the Coors Light Pole at Texas and ranks second only to points leader Greg Biffle in Driver Rating (105.5) and third (8.7) in Average Running Position.

The secret behind Truex’s resurgence? One might be his ability to stay out of trouble. Truex has run 7,142.37 miles since the last time he was listed as being part of an accident or spin that brought out a caution. Of those 7,142.37 miles run, 6,142.876 were on the lead lap. Both figures are currently best in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

There’s Hope For Hendrick To Snatch Elusive 200th Win At Richmond

Hendrick Motorsports’ 200 wins beat goes on, oddly. Last week at Kansas Speedway, Denny Hamlin placed his No. 11 Toyota into Victory Lane – a record 199th time that number has won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Unpredictably, arguments can now begin about who will reach 200 wins first, the No. 11 or Hendrick Motorsports. With a four-driver-to-one numbers advantage, HMS feels like the likely favorite. But its drought continues.

So Richmond International Raceway awaits on deck, and yet again, there’s reason to believe. Hendrick leads all active teams in Richmond victories with 10, second only to Petty Enterprises all-time.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. loves the short track. He boasts three victories there, and comes into the race with four consecutive top-10 finishes after a seventh-place run at Kansas.

Kasey Kahne earned his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup victory at Richmond in 2005. He finished third in this race last year.

Jimmie Johnson has three Richmond wins, including a sweep in 2007.

Jeff Gordon scored seven consecutive top 10s at Richmond from 2007-2010, and finished third in September of last season. In all, he has two victories at Richmond.

Lean Pickins’ For Ford, Roush Fenway At Richmond In Recent Seasons

With Carl Edwards moving into the top 10 in points (ninth), Roush Fenway Racing is a triple-threat championship machine. Greg Biffle continues to lead the standings with Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth a solid third with five top-five finishes.

But Richmond could be a momentum stopper.

Ford hasn’t won a Richmond race since the fall of 2006. Current RFR drivers have a single Richmond victory – Kenseth in the fall of 2002. Biffle is 0-for-56 in short track starts and hasn’t finished higher than 13th in his most recent 10 Richmond races. Edwards, however, could build off last year’s fifth- and second-place finishes.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Etc.

Milestone Watch: Hendrick Motorsports isn’t the only member of the NASCAR garage pining to reach an elusive milestone. Ryan Newman still waits for his 50th Coors Light Pole, which would make him the ninth driver to accomplish the feat. Newman has one pole at Richmond, in 2004. … Greg Biffle needs to lead 16 more laps to reach 5,000 laps led in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career. … Joey Logano will add another talent to his repertoire: color analyst. On Thursday night at Richmond, he’ll join Mike Joy and Phil Parsons live at 7 p.m. on SPEED to call the K&N Pro Series East race. … Top Gear and host Richard Hammond will be fully immersed in the world of NASCAR at Texas Motor Speedway when the NASCAR episode of the world’s biggest car show premieres Monday, April 30, at 8:30 p.m. ET on BBC AMERICA. In the episode, Hammond explores the history of NASCAR and tells the story of how the sport evolved into what it is today. The episode also features interviews with NSCS drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Travis Pastrana To Make NASCAR Nationwide Series Debut at Richmond

Death-defying aerial acrobatics on motorcycles, off-road rally racing, skydiving and X-Game gold medals are nothing new for Travis Pastrana, but this weekend at Richmond International Raceway, Pastrana will make his long-awaited NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the Virginia 529 College Savings 250.

Originally scheduled to make his first start last July at Lucas Oil Raceway, Pastrana’s bid was thwarted due to injuries suffered during the X-Games the night before. Now after injury rehab and a couple of runs in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East – including Thursday night’s Blue Ox 100 – the action sports icon is set for his big-stage NASCAR moment on Friday. It’s a homecoming, of sorts, for Pastrana, as well. He’s a native of Annapolis, Md.

Pastrana is set to run at least seven series races in 2012. He will be driving for RAB Racing, which last week announced an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing that will feature RAB equipment and MWR technical and marketing support. The No. 09 Toyota now becomes the No. 99.

Though a huge star in other sports platforms, Pastrana has taken a modest approach to NASCAR. "I just hope I don't hit a wall, don't hit anybody else, don't make anybody upset, and hopefully we can end up on a lead lap, and I think it will be a really strong goal for me," Pastrana said.

Pastrana’s experience in the NASCAR K&N Pro East and West Series will be most valuable in preparation for this weekend. He has made five total career starts in the East Series with a best finish of 12th at Bristol earlier this year.

"We've done our homework," Pastrana said. "I've got great people behind me. I've been with the crew chief (Scott Zipadelli) since I started in NASCAR, and I feel really confident with the people I have around me." (Click here for the Pastrana transcript)

Virginia Native Sadler, Reigning Champ Stenhouse Lead Series Regulars

It’s home sweet home for NNS standings leader Elliott Sadler, a native of Emporia, Va., who goes home to showcase his talents at Richmond International Raceway. Sadler leads a contingent of talented drivers not running full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this weekend who have won seven of the last nine NASCAR Nationwide Series races dating back to last season at Texas.

Despite momentum on their side, Richmond is going to be a hard egg to crack for the non-full-time NSCS drivers. Double-duty NSCS drivers have won every Richmond race since Robby Gordon claimed the track’s fall race in 2004. Another Virginia native, Denny Hamlin, last week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup winner at Kansas, comes home with confidence and also is the defending winner of this race.

Kevin Harvick, who’s tied with Mark Martin for most NNS wins at Richmond with five, also returns to the series this weekend. Brad Keselowski, the winner of this race in 2010, Joey Logano, who has three top-10 finishes in three series races at Richmond, and Kasey Kahne are also slated to compete.

But Richmond could be very different this season. Reigning series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has closed the gap on Sadler to a mere four points following his victory a few weeks ago in Texas. Sadler and Stenhouse have virtually mirrored each other’s finishes. Both drivers have posted two wins, four top fives and five top 10s in the season’s first six starts. Both are at the top of their game heading to Richmond, but Stenhouse (95.7) slightly betters Sadler (92.9) in pre-race Driver Rating at the 0.75-mile speedway. 

NASCAR Nationwide Series, Etc.

Ryan Blaney, 18, son of NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney will make his NNS debut at Richmond this weekend driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing. In only four starts in the K&N Pro Series East and West, Blaney has a win – last November at Phoenix – a runner-up finish and two other top-10 results. He’ll also run Thursday night’s K&N Pro Series East race. … Steve Wallace will make his return to the NNS at Richmond. He’ll drive the No. 4 Chevrolet, which lists his father, NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Rusty Wallace, as owner. Steve Wallace hasn’t run in the series since the 2011 season finale at Homestead-Miami. … Tanner Berryhill, 18, who had seven K&N Pro Series East starts in 2007, will attempt to make his series debut at RIR for Vision Racing. … Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas swept the RIR races last year, but the competition at the 0.75-mile track has been wide open over the last four years. Each manufacturer has at least one win since the 2009 fall race. … Kurt Busch is making his second consecutive start for Kyle Busch Motorsports, but his first in the NNS at Richmond. His owner and younger brother, Kyle Busch, will provide great notes as a four-time NNS winner at RIR. …. Michael Annett will have a special young man attending the race, Joseph "Sepp" Shirley, a 12-year-old boy with cerebral palsy from Mechanicsville, Va. "If you think something is impossible, keep trying. If you like it, keep doing it, because you are succeeding," said Sepp, a boy who eats, sleeps and breathes sports. He's on football, baseball and swim teams, and also dabbles in skiing and basketball – all while living with cerebral palsy. Sepp and his family will be guests of the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Nationwide team this weekend, sitting atop the pit box and cheering on Annett. … Danica Patrick, 11th in points, will make her second NNS career start at Richmond this weekend. She is the sixth female driver to compete in the NNS at Richmond, joining Diane Teel, Patty Moise, Shawna Robinson, Tammy Jo Kirk and Erin Crocker.

Win Puts Busy Buescher On Championship Trajectory

James Buescher’s long-sought NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Kansas Speedway was the product of persistence – and a busy racing schedule.

While most series competitors have run just four times in 2012, Buescher has been behind the wheel of either Turner Motorsports-prepared trucks or the team’s NASCAR Nationwide Series cars virtually every weekend since the 2012 season kicked off at Daytona International Speedway.

Buescher’s Kansas victory was his first in 76 starts that included four second-place finishes. The 22-year-old Texan was the surprise winner of Daytona’s NASCAR Nationwide Series opener. He’s run four more times with each finish among the top 15 and plans to compete in this Friday’s race at Richmond International Raceway and subsequent NNS stops at Talladega Superspeedway and Darlington Raceway.

Buescher is positioning himself to become the NASCAR Camping World Truck’s second consecutive "young gun" champion. Austin Dillon became the youngest at age 21 a year ago. Buescher’s victory boosted him to second in the standings, just four points behind leader Timothy Peters.

"I think we were definitely due [for a win]," said Buescher, who finished third at Martinsville and second at Rockingham. "We’ve had strong trucks at every style of race track we’ve gone to and all four have been completely different. It says a lot about the diversity of trucks we have in this organization."

The victory was the second in a row for Turner, which collected its initial truck win with Kasey Kahne the previous Sunday at Rockingham Speedway.

No Stumbles At Kansas As Peters Keeps Red Horse Perfect

Red Horse Racing isn’t perfect. Not quite, but just about.

With Timothy Peters successfully defending his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship lead with a second-place finish at Kansas Speedway, the Toyota organization has gone four-for-four heading the points during the opening stages of the 2012 season. He also entered last year’s Kansas race No. 1 in points, but a 14th-place finish led to a subsequent standings drop.

Peters took the lead at Rockingham Speedway on April 15. Teammate John King, winner of the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, was the point leader through the March 31 Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway.

Both Peters and King (eighth) occupy top-10 positions. A third Red Horse driver, two-time series champion Todd Bodine, is 11th.

Peters, last year’s fifth-place championship finisher, is the only series driver to have finished all four races among the top five. The team’s three drivers have accumulated six top fives and eight top 10s.

Five Teams Score ‘Lock-Ins’ For Charlotte Race

Last weekend’s SFP 250 bid farewell to the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owners’ championship points table upon which starting spots in the first four races of the season were guaranteed.

Locked in for next month’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, after having to qualify on speed thus far, are the No. 9 of Joe Denette driven by four-time champion Ron Hornaday Jr.; the No. 09 of Robby Benton driven by John Wes Townley; the No. 11 of Tom DeLoach driven by Todd Bodine; the No. 81 of Billy Ballew driven by David Starr and the No. 98 of Duke Thorson driven by Dakoda Armstrong.

The cut-off finds Susan Bates’ No. 39 in the 25th position, scoring the same number of points as Pam Sieg’s No. 93. Bates prevailed on best finish. Ironically, both trucks race out of the same shop.

Among those barely inside the top 25 is the No. 18 Toyota of Kyle Busch Motorsports. The 2010 championship owner team, with driver Jason Leffler, is 24th after two finishes outside the top 30 and a single top-10 performance.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Etc.

Buescher’s crew chief, Mike Shelton, recorded his first series victory. Shelton is a former Joe Gibbs Racing suspension technician and NASCAR Nationwide Series car chief. … Turner’s win was the first since the series began for a Hendrick Motorsports-assembled Chevrolet engine. Although HMS won a trio of NCWTS titles with Jack Sprague, its power plants were built out of house. …  Three drivers, Peters, Dillon and Justin Lofton, have recorded top-10 finishes in all four 2012 races. Not so coincidentally, they occupy three of the first four positions in the championship standings. … Tim George Jr. posted his first Keystone Light Pole at Kansas with a speed of 172.436 mph.

It’s back to the short track for the third and final time this spring. This time the venue is Richmond International Raceway, the .75-mile gem that offers a preview one of the most important races of the season – the cut-off race for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The track, a 0.50-mile dirt track in its 1953 debut but a 0.75-mile triangular-shaped layout since fall 1988, is the third-oldest venue on the current schedule after Martinsville Speedway (1949) and Darlington Raceway (1950).

 

Momentum figures to be big this week: Denny Hamlin won for the second time on Sunday at Kansas Speedway and has a pair of Richmond victories (fall 2009-10). Kyle Busch has won three consecutive spring races at the track but remains winless through this year’s first eight races. Kevin Harvick is the most recent Richmond winner last September en route to a third-place championship finish.

 

Several questions loom: Can Hendrick Motorsports finally get its 200th NASCAR Sprint Cup victory? Will Martin Truex Jr., second in Kansas and enjoying his best points ranking (second) ever, break a winless drought of 175 races?

 

Richmond’s 400-lap, 300-mile race can be seen on FOX (live, 7:30 p.m. ET).

 

The NASCAR Nationwide Series roars back into action in Richmond on Friday (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. ET) with action sports star Travis Pastrana making his long-awaited debut. Virginia native Elliott Sadler is the series points leader by four over defending champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. NNS points eligible competitors hope to snap a wins drought dating to the spring of 2004.

 

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitors begin a count-down to the May 18 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. James Buescher became the season’s second first-time winner on April 21 at Kansas Speedway and trails standings leader Timothy Peters by four points with four of 22 races complete.

At Richmond International Raceway:

History

·         Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond International Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was April 19, 1953.

·         The spring 1964 race was run on a Tuesday night under temporary lighting.

·         The track name changed to Virginia State Fairgrounds in 1967.

·         The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between races in 1968.

·         The track name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969.

·         The track was re-measured to .542-mile for 1970.

·         The track was rebuilt as a three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval following the Feb. 21, 1988 race.

·         The first race under permanent lights was Sept. 7, 1991.

·         The first season with both races as night races was 1999.

Notebook

·         There have been 111 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond since the track opened in 1953.

·         The current 400-lap race length was established on the .542-mile measurement in March 1976.

·         Buck Baker won the pole in 1953.

·         Lee Petty won the first race in April 1953.

·         There have been 50 different pole winners, led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty (eight).

·         Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with five poles.

·         47 different drivers have posted victories at Richmond, led by Richard Petty (13).

·         Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Terry Labonte and Jimmie Johnson (three) lead active race winners.

·         Petty Enterprises has won 15 races at Richmond, more than any other team.

·         63 of 111 races have been won from the top five starting positions, including 22 from the pole.

·         The last driver to win from the pole was Kyle Busch in 2010.

·         The furthest back in the field a race winner has started was 31st, by Clint Bowyer in the 2008 spring race.

·         Kyle Busch (5.0) and Denny Hamlin (7.5) are the only active drivers with an average finish in the top 10.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Richmond International Raceway winner: Richard Petty (04/23/1961 – 23 years, 9 months, 21 days).

·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Richmond International Raceway winner: Harry Gant (09/07/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 28 days).

·         Kyle Petty became the first third-generation NASCAR race winner when he won his first race at Richmond, on Feb. 23, 1986. Richard Petty posted his first Richmond victory in 1961 and Lee Petty won the very first Richmond race in 1953.

·         Three of the last four races have had a margin of victory less than one second.

Top 12 Driver Rating at Richmond

Denny Hamlin 117.6

Kyle Busch 114.8

Kevin Harvick 112.6

Jeff Gordon 98.5

Clint Bowyer 96.3

Tony Stewart 95.4

Ryan Newman 93.0

Kurt Busch 92.7

Mark Martin 91.5

Jimmie Johnson 88.6

Carl Edwards 86.4

Jeff Burton 85.6

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (14 total) at Richmond.

 

 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

 

Denny Hamlin Returns Home On A Roll

Denny Hamlin, a Chesterfield, Va. Native, returns to Richmond a winner and will attempt to win back-to-back races for only the second time in his career. (He won the Pocono and Michigan races in consecutive weeks in June 2010.)

 

He has two wins at his home track and is looking forward to going home. "We've got a lot of stuff leading up -- we have our big Short Track Showdown coming up on Thursday, so we've got a lot of planning. I obviously need to go to Richmond early to get some stuff done and schmooze some of our sponsors for that race for a few days. We're excited. I love going to Richmond anyway, but any time you can go after winning the previous week, it makes it a little more exciting. I'm excited about it. It's a big weekend for us next weekend, and obviously this is a great step to trying to get some promotion for that."

 

Hamlin, who nabbed his 19th career win last week, looks to become the fourth Virginia native to record 20 or more NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories, joining Joe Weatherly (25), Ricky Rudd (23) and Jeff Burton (21).

 

A second local connection for the No. 11 team – crew chief Darian Grubb. Grub, from Floyd, Va., earned an engineering degree from Virginia Tech.

 

Speaking of Darian Grubb…

 

A rivalry of sorts is blossoming between he and former boss Tony Stewart. On the wins ledger, both have two on the young season.

 

Sprint Cup Stars Aid Hamlin’s Foundation

Hamlin’s Short Track Showdown is part of a Thursday night doubleheader that also features the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Blue Ox 100. Sprint Cup stars who’ll compete in the foundation event include Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton, Michael Waltrip, Joey Logano and Aric Almirola.

 

Richmond Could Jump-Start Kyle Busch’s Season

Kyle Busch has won the last three spring races at Richmond and is tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart for most wins among active drivers. It's the fourth anniversary of Busch getting into Earnhardt Jr. and allowing Clint Bowyer to slide through for a win. These four drivers with three wins apiece trail five NASCAR Hall of Famers and one NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee on the all-time list: Richard Petty (13), Bobby Allison (7), David Pearson (6), Rusty Wallace (6), Darrell Waltrip (6) and Dale Earnhardt (5).

 

Busch ranks 13th in the standings 31 points out of the top 10. Busch’s last victory came last August at Michigan International Speedway, 20 starts ago.

 

Martin Truex Jr.’s Amazing 2012 Continues

Martin Truex Jr. didn’t break his winless streak in Kansas. He did everything but, finishing a close second to Hamlin after leading 173 laps – the most in any race since his 2007 victory in the fall event at Dover International Speedway. Truex heads to Richmond second in points – his best ranking ever – with a career-best five consecutive top-10 finishes. The New Jersey native has a single top five at Richmond – fifth in the spring of 2008. His best Richmond finish with Michael Waltrip Racing, seventh, came in the spring of 2010.

 

The secret behind Truex’s resurgence? Well, there are plenty of reasons, but one might be his ability to stay out of trouble. Truex has run 7,142.37 miles since the last time he was listed as being part of an accident or spin that brought out a caution. Of those 7,142.37 miles run, 6,142.876 were on the lead lap. Both figures are best in the series.

 

Hendrick Motorsports #200Wins Watch

Rick Hendrick leads all active owners with 10 wins and trails only Richard Petty (15) for most wins at the track. Hendrick and Petty are the only owners with double-digit victories at the Virginia short track. His last win at the .75-mile oval came in the fall of 2008 with Jimmie Johnson. Johnson swept both Richmond races in 2007. Johnson finished third in Kansas and continues to strengthen his bid for a sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. Dale Earnhardt Jr., a three-time Richmond winner (most recently in spring 2006), is a riding a four-race top-10 streak.

 

Newman Continues 50 Coors Light Poles Watch

Ryan Newman has one pole at Richmond, starting in the top spot for the fall 2004 race. His 11.1 average start at Richmond is 13th-best at the 24 tracks on the circuit. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with five poles, trailing NASCAR Hall of Famers Bobby Allison (8), Richard Petty (8) and Darrell Waltrip (7). There hasn't been a repeat pole winner back to 2006.

 

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES

 

Finally, Go-Time Is Here For Pastrana

Like the old ketchup commercial, there’s been plenty of anticipation surrounding Travis Pastrana’s NASCAR Nationwide Series debut. Originally scheduled to make his first start last July at O’Reilly Raceway Park, Pastrana’s bid was thwarted due to injuries suffered in an X-Games stunt the night before. Now after injury rehab, plenty of testing and a couple of runs in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East – including Thursday night’s Blue Ox 100 – the action sports icon is finally set for his big-stage NASCAR moment Friday night at Richmond. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Pastrana as well. He’s a native of Annapolis, Md. Almost a year to the day (April 28, 2011) after making his K&N East debut at Richmond, Pastrana is set to embark on a NNS schedule that encompass at least seven races in 2012. Pastrana will compete in the NNS for RAB Racing as that team and Michael Waltrip Racing last week announced an alliance between the organizations that will feature RAB equipment and MWR technical and marketing support. The No. 09 Toyota now becomes the No. 99.A little quieter perhaps but another debut to watch is that of Ryan Blaney, 18, son of NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney. He’ll try to make his first start for Tommy Baldwin Racing. In only four starts in the K&N Pro Series East and West, Blaney has a win – last November at Phoenix – a runner-up finish and two other top-10 results. He’ll also run Thursday night in the K&N East race.

 

Is Superman a Regular Guy?

Since the fall 2004 race, Richmond has been kryptonite to NNS regulars. Robby Gordon, then a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular, won that race and in the races since, double-duty drivers have dominated Victory Lane at RIR. Virginia’s own Denny Hamlin, last week’s Cup winner at Kansas, comes home with confidence and also is the defending winner of this race. Although Friday night’s entry list is stocked with double-duty RIR dominators in addition to Hamlin – Kevin Harvick, who’s tied with Mark Martin for most NNS wins at Richmond with five; Brad Keselowski, the winner of this race in 2010; Joey Logano, he of three top-10 finishes in three series races at RIR; along with Kasey Kahne – it very well could be a NNS regular who is favored to win. Consider the regulars’ strengths: Another Virginian, Elliott Sadler, leads the standings and has two wins this year. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., the reigning series champion, has chipped away at Sadler’s advantage and sits only four points out in second. Stenhouse also has two victories this season, winning last time out at Texas. Although receiving driver championship points in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, James Buescher is certainly a threat, having won the season-opener at Daytona among his scheduled 14 NNS races this year. Since last November at Texas, series regulars have won seven of the last nine races.

 

NNS RIR ETC:

Austin Dillon, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year leader, has come a long way since his NNS debut in 2008 at RIR where he finished 26th. Dillon, the 2011 Camping World Truck champion, is third in the rankings, 20 points behind Sadler. He’ll get some work in at Pocono on Wednesday at the Goodyear tire test where he’ll test in a truck before heading to Richmond. Friday also marks his 22nd birthday. … Steve Wallace will make his return to the NNS at Richmond. He’ll drive the No. 4 Chevrolet, which lists his father, NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Rusty Wallace, as owner. Steve Wallace hasn’t run in the series since the 2011 season finale at Homestead-Miami. … Tanner Berryhill, 18, who had seven K&N East starts in 2007, will attempt to make his series debut for Vision Racing at RIR. … Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas swept the RIR races last year, but the competition at the 0.75-mile track has been wide open over the last four years. Each manufacturer as at least one win since the 2009 fall race. … Kurt Busch is making his second consecutive start for Kyle Busch Motorsports, but this will be his first in the NNS at Richmond. His owner and younger brother, Kyle, will provide great notes as a four-time NNS winner at RIR.

 

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

 

Buescher Makes It Back-To-Back Wins For Turner Motorsports

It took Turner Motorsports 134 starts to visit victory lane in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and only one more to earn their second. James Buescher – who finished in the runner-up position four times in his career - finally captured the elusive truck series victory at Kansas after leading an impressive 103 laps. Buescher currently sits four points behind Timothy Peters in the series championship standings. He is slated to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Richmond International Raceway this weekend in the No. 30 entry for Turner Motorsports.

 

Peters, White Head Home To Virginia In Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown

Virginia native Jason White and points leader Timothy Peters (who lives in Danville, Va.) return to their short track roots with fellow Virginian Denny Hamlin in the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway. The showdown, a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model division race, will kick of the weekend’s festivities at the famed 0.75-mile track. Peters currently leads the NCWTS standings following the first four events.

 

Up Next:

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action on Friday, May18 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the N.C. Education Lottery 200. At least two former winners, Matt Crafton (2008) and Ron Hornaday Jr. (2009) are expected to compete.  - source: nascar media

Kansas Speedway Data

Race #: 8 of 36 (04-22-12)

Track Size: 1.5 miles

Race Length: 400.5 miles

·     Banking/corners: 15 degrees

·     Banking/straights: 10.4 degrees

·     Frontstretch: 2,685 feet

·     Backstretch: 2,207 feet

Qualifying/Race Data

2011 pole winner: Kurt Busch,

174.752 mph, 30.901 seconds

2011 race winner: Brad Keselowski,

(137.184 mph, 06-05-11)

Track qualifying record: Matt Kenseth, (180.856 mph, 29.858 seconds,

10-08-05)

Track race record: Greg Biffle,

(138.077 mph, 11-03-10)

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Friday, April 20

12:30 - 1:50 pm NSCS Practice

3:30 - 5:00 pm NSCS Final Practice

Saturday, April 21

11:10 am NSCS Qualifying

Sunday, April 22

10:20 am Pre-Race Concert: Kenny Wayne Shepherd

11:20 am Driver Introductions

12:00 pm NSCS Race - STP 400

ALL TIMES ABOVE ARE LISTED IN LOCAL / CENTRAL TIME ZONE

•Practices:

Friday, April 20, 1:30 - 2:50pm/et, TV-SPEED

•Happy Hour 'Final' practice: Friday, April 20, 4:30 - 6:00pm/et, TV-SPEED

•Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Saturday, April 21 at 12:10 pm/et, TV-SPEED, no re-air scheduled.

Greg Biffle, too talented and too prolific to go an entire season without winning, did just that in 2011. Going into last weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, 49 races had passed since the last time Biffle visited Victory Lane.

 

That long wait ended Saturday night, resulting in two storylines in one: Biffle added some padding to his points lead, which now stands at 19 points over teammate Matt Kenseth. He also become became the sixth different winner in seven races, and locked himself into the 2012 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

 

And who knows, maybe he’ll win again this Sunday at Kansas Speedway. That would be called a winning streak. It has happened before.

 

After all, prior to Texas, Biffle’s last win came at Kansas and he’s one of four drivers with two victories at the 1.5-mile track.

 

This Sunday’s STP 400, the final event on the “old” surface before the track gets repaved, will run at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.

 

On Saturday, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will run its fourth event of the season, the SFP 250 at 1:30 p.m. on SPEED.

 

The NASCAR Nationwide Series has an open weekend this weekend before returning to action next Friday night at Richmond International Raceway.

At Kansas Speedway:

History

·         Groundbreaking was held on May 25, 1999.

·         The official opening of Kansas Speedway was in 2001, with the first events being an ARCA race and a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race on the same day – June 2.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was Sept. 30, 2001.

 

Notebook

·         There have been 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Kansas

since the track opened in 2001.

·            All of the races have been scheduled for 267 laps.

·         10 drivers have competed in all 12 races at Kansas.

·         Jeff Gordon won the first two NASCAR Sprint Cup races.

·         Jason Leffler won the first pole in September 2001.

·         Nine different drivers have won poles, led by Jimmie Johnson with three.

·         Eight different drivers have posted victories, led by Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart (each with two).

·         Seven of the 12 races have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·         Two drivers have won from the pole: Joe Nemechek in 2004 and Jimmie Johnson in 2008.

·         The furthest back in the field that race winner started was 25th, by Brad Keselowski last season.

·         Two active drivers with more than one start have averaged a top-10 finish: Greg Biffle (8.2) and Jimmie Johnson (8.3).

·         Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in top fives (eight) and top 10s (nine). Gordon’s three non-top 10s were a 39th in 2006, a 13th in 2004 and 34th in last season’s fall event.

·         Eight of the 12 races that ended under green had a margin of victory under one second. The 2007 race ended under caution.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kansas Speedway winner: Ryan Newman (10/05/2003 – 25 years, 9 months, 27 days).

·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kansas Speedway winner: Mark Martin (10/09/2005 – 46 years, 9 months, 0 days)

 

Top 12 Driver Rating at Kansas

Jimmie Johnson........................ 120.6

Greg Biffle................................ 118.0

Tony Stewart............................. 105.9

Jeff Gordon.............................. 105.4

Matt Kenseth............................. 101.5

Carl Edwards.............................. 97.3

Mark Martin................................. 92.9

Kurt Busch.................................. 90.9

Brad Keselowski......................... 90.8

Kevin Harvick.............................. 90.0

Clint Bowyer............................... 88.7

Denny Hamlin............................. 85.1

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (eight total) at Kansas.

 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

 

Hendrick’s Returns To Site 199th – And Last – Win

It’s coming. One of these races, and the feeling is that it’ll be sooner than later, Hendrick Motorsports will land its oddly elusive 200th victory. Two weeks ago at Martinsville, it seemed like a guarantee. Didn’t happen. At Texas, Jimmie Johnson led the most laps. Didn’t happen.

 

Thirteen races have passed since Hendrick’s last victory, and though it doesn’t seem like a big number, for Hendrick it is. Its last win came at Kansas Speedway (by Jimmie Johnson), site of Sunday race. That’s the longest drought Hendrick has had since the end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003 when it went 15 races without a win. Coincidentally, that streak began after a Kansas win as well.

 

Rick Hendrick has attended all 13 races since then but hasn't been able to celebrate his organization's 200th win in NASCAR's premier series. Hendrick holds more wins than any other owner at Kansas with four.

 

Biffle, Puccia A Perfect Match

Not only did Greg Biffle win his first race since 2010, crew chief Matt Puccia won his first race…period.

 

Just about every time Biffle opens his mouth to talk about his white-hot start, he credits Puccia. The praise makes sense. Their careers have taken similar paths.

 

Like Biffle, Puccia has worked his way up. Biffle started his NASCAR national series career in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, then graduated to the NASCAR Nationwide Series – winning a championship in each.

 

Puccia’s first job at Roush Fenway Racing was in 2006 as crew chief for the No. 50 team. In 2008, he led the No. 99 truck team with Erik Darnell to a victory at Michigan and a final points position of fourth. In 2009 he moved to the NASCAR Nationwide Series as crew chief for a partial schedule with Paul Menard before the team raced full time in 2010. Mid-season last year, he was promoted to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Biffle.

 

Keselowski Back Where It All Began

Brad Keselowski, who dropped to 15th in points after a 36th place finish at Texas, boasts bounce-back potential at Kansas Speedway.

 

Last year, his surprising win kicked off an improbable Wild Card campaign that landed him in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and the championship conscience with the likes of Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards.

 

Though last year’s victory only launched him to 21st in points at the time, it clearly gave the team a confidence that led to two more “regular season” wins and the No. 1 Wild Card seed.

 

Kansas No Place Like Home For Bowyer, Edwards, McMurray

Three marquee drivers return home to the Midwest this weekend.

 

Clint Bowyer (Emporia, Kan.), Carl Edwards (Columbia, Mo.) and Jamie McMurray (Joplin, Mo.) consider Kansas Speedway their home track and yearn for a win at the 1.5-mile track.

 

None have a win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but Edwards and Bowyer each have one in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Edwards’ came in 2004; Bowyer won last year.

 

Bowyer’s best NSCS finish was a runner-up result in 2007. Edwards, likewise, had a runner-up finish in 2008. McMurray’s best Kansas run came in 2004, when he finished seventh.

 

Pole Closed: Newman’s Not The Quickest At Kansas

As he seeks to become the ninth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver to win 50 career Coors Light Pole Award, Ryan Newman isn't a contender for the top spot. Kansas is one of eight tracks in the 24-venue NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule where he hasn't started first. His average start at the track is 15.0, his worst at all but three tracks: Texas Motor Speedway (15.4), Kentucky Speedway (18.0) and Daytona International Speedway (20.3)

 

Kansas Speedway Builds Homes In Joplin

Kansas Speedway is joining six other athletic organizations in a Joplin, Mo.-area Habitat for Humanity effort to build 35 homes in Joplin, which was devastated by tornadoes last year.

 

The program aims to build 35 new homes in the heart of Joplin during 2012 to provide continued aid to the city’s recovery. Others participating are: the Kansas City Chiefs, the Kansas City Royals, the University of Missouri Athletic Department, the St. Louis Cardinals, the St. Louis Rams and the St. Louis Blues.

 

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES

 

Sign of the Times

This is definitely not your father’s NASCAR Nationwide Series.

 

It’s early, but race after race it seems like the days of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers dominating NASCAR Nationwide Series races are fading.

 

For those currently embedded in today’s pop culture, here’s this: The series today is full of young, Twitter-happy, outgoing drivers who drive sporty cars, some of the muscle-car variety.

 

And they’re winning races. In bunches.

 

Over the last nine events, seven have been won by drivers who don’t receive championship points in NASCAR Sprint Cup. Six of those victories have come courtesy of NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship contenders – including last Friday night’s win at Texas by reigning series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The other win was the season opener at Daytona by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular James Buescher, who’s scheduled to compete in nearly half the NASCAR Nationwide races this year as well.

 

An average of 5.6 full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers has competed in each NASCAR Nationwide race this year.

 

Matching Pair

After his win at Texas, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. cut significantly into Elliott Sadler’s points lead. Heading into this open week, Sadler’s advantage has been trimmed from a season-high 25 points over second-place Stenhouse to just four.

 

But taking a closer look at their stat line, the rivals’ closed quarters shouldn’t be a surprise.

 

Each driver has two wins, four top fives and five top 10s in the first six races. The difference comes down to Sadler’s 12 bonus points to Stenhouse’s 11 and the one Did Not Finish (DNF) by Stenhouse after an incident on the last lap at Daytona.

 

Stenhouse isn’t the only big mover in the standings. Danica Patrick, in her first full series season, is knocking on the top-10 door. Following a season-best eight-place finish (also her second-best career result) she’s now 11th in the standings, 15 points out of 10th – a nice comeback considering she was 26th following Daytona.

 

For Some, A Bad Break

When momentum comes calling, the last thing a driver wants is a break. Just ask Michael Annett.

He posted his second top-10 finish of the year (ninth) last Friday night at Texas and in the process, moved up to fifth in the standings. That marks the highest ranking the Des Moines, Iowa native has attained in his NASCAR national series career. His previous best was eighth following the Phoenix race last fall.

 

Annett has overcome his share of adversity in the last year, and his diligence is paying off. His 2011 season started off with a legal issue just prior to Daytona, followed by a slow start to the year. But he found his stride in midseason and ended up a career-best ninth in the points.

 

This year he’s changed teams, bringing Richard Petty Motorsports into the series for its first fulltime season. He’s also sporting the iconic No. 43 on his Ford Mustang.

 

OPEN WEEK ETC:Following this open week, the series resumes racing at Richmond on April 27, which also is Austin Dillon’s 22nd birthday. He’s the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings leader and is third in the standings. … Action sports icon Travis Pastrana is set to make his long-awaited NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Richmond. Additionally Ryan Blaney, 18, son of NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney, also is ready for his series debut in that race. … Brian Scott can use a break – in more ways than one. Poised for a solid season, 2012 has been anything but. He’s had three DNFs including engine failure at Texas. As a result, his No. 11Toyota is 30th in owner points, teetering on the edge of losing its automatic qualification.

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

Kahne Finally Captures The Rock, Peters Leads The Standings

Kasey Kahne made it known he had unfinished business to complete at Rockingham following NASCAR’s last visit at the famed speedway when he came up 0.010 second short of earning his first Sprint Cup Series victory.

And he did just that leading 46 of the 200 laps to victory in Sunday’s return at the famed Speedway. It was Kahne’s fourth series victory in six starts.

Following his third straight top-five finish of the season, Timothy Peters overtook the series standings lead from teammate John King.

Peters – who is off to the best start of his career – leads the standings by six points over Justin Lofton heading into Kansas.

Piquet Edges One Step Closer To First Victory 

It is no longer a question of if Nelson Piquet Jr. will win at NASCAR’s national level, but when and where the victory will take place.

The Brazilian native – who earned his first career NCWTS pole last weekend – led an impressive 107 laps at Rockingham, before a pit road speeding penalty resulted in a seventh place finish.

Piquet advanced two spots in the series standings to sixth, only 21 points out of the lead.   

NCWTS ETC.

Brad Keselowski could become the 24th driver to win in all three national series this weekend. Keselowski will pilot the No. 19 Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation RAM at Kansas. … Dakoda Armstrong will visit the race title sponsor’s headquarters on Wednesday, April 18. He will tour the SFP Lab and participate in a Q&A session with local farmers.

Enough Is Enough? Hendrick’s Wait Nears End

Thirteen races have passed since Hendrick Motorsports’ last win at Kansas Speedway in October. That doesn’t sound like many, but for the powerhouse squad, it kind of is.

     Consider…

That’s the longest drought Hendrick has had since the end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003, when it went 15 races without a win. Coincidentally, that streak began after a Kansas win, as well.

Six teams have won at least one race since Hendrick’s last win, including Red Bull Racing, which doesn’t race in 2012.

Stewart-Haas Racing has five wins since Hendrick’s last victory.

Hendrick has been close, painstakingly so. In those 13 races, the team has four runner-up finishes, and 14 top fives overall.

Yet optimism bubbles over this weekend for Hendrick. The stable placed all four of its cars in the top 10 at Texas Motor Speedway last Saturday night for the first time since April 2011 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Plus, the team enjoys plenty of success at Kansas. Hendrick won the first two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races held at Kansas Speedway, in 2001-02, with Jeff Gordon behind the wheel. Since then, Jimmie Johnson has added two more Hendrick wins, in 2008 and again last October. Hendrick holds more wins than any other owner at Kansas with four.

So who might wear the crown of Mr. 200? Most signs point to Johnson, who has led 501 laps at Kansas, more than any other driver in the track’s history. Johnson also boasts Kansas’ top Driver Rating, at 120.6. Watch, too, for Kasey Kahne, who was the runner-up to Johnson in October, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished second in this race last season.

Hendrick has the unique opportunity of celebrating two milestones in one this weekend. It’ll at least check one off the list. At Kansas, Hendrick will make its 3,000th start, becoming the first team to reach that milestone. Its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start came on Feb. 19, 1984, with driver Geoff Bodine.

NASCAR Ladder System Produces Stars on Track, Pit Road

Take it from Texas Samsung Mobile 500 winner Greg Biffle: NASCAR’s ladder system works and not just in developing driving talent. Biffle broke a 49-race winless streak last weekend with crew chief Matt Puccia, who worked his way to NASCAR’s premier series after getting his start with Roush Fenway Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

"There's a lot of guys, some of the guys on the team that I think Richie [Letendre], the car chief, this is his first full-time Cup deal," said Biffle. "Richie came from the Nationwide shop as a car chief."

Puccia isn’t the only "ladder graduate" making crucial decisions on pit road. Among them are:

Jason Ratcliff, who led Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota team to a pair of NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, graduated this year to back the No. 20 Toyota of Joey Logano. He joined Dave Rogers, a former NASCAR Nationwide championship crew chief, who has won seven NASCAR Sprint Cup races with Kyle Busch.

At Penske Racing, Paul Wolfe got the call to move up after winning the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series title with Brad Keselowski. The pair won three times a year ago, qualified for the Chase and finished fifth in points.

Kevin Manion won two Nationwide championships with Martin Truex Jr. Now Jamie McMurray’s NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chief, the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates pair won the 2010 Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400.

Keselowski Looks To STP 400 To Rebuild Missing Momentum

Last year’s STP 400 victory wasn’t Brad Keselowski’s first in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

It was, however, the most significant in what became a coming-out season for the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion. Keselowski didn’t exactly overpower the competition at Kansas Speedway, winning the race by saving enough fuel to make one fewer pit stop than his rivals.

But the "W" he posted was a preview of things to come later in the summer. Despite injuries suffered in a testing crash at Road Atlanta, Keselowski won at Pocono and Bristol to qualify as the top "Wild Card" entry for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He finished fifth in final points standings.

The return to 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway couldn’t come at a better time for Keselowski and his No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge team. The season, so far, has been an up-and-down ride.

Keselowski won a second straight race at Bristol and has led four of seven starts. Conversely, mechanical issues have plagued the team, which has finished on the lead lap just three times. His average finish is 19.0. Keselowski enters the STP 400 ranked 15th in the standings, which is significantly better than a year ago when the 28-year-old was outside the top 20.

Long-Shot Puccia Was Biffle’s Best Shot

Call Matt Puccia’s appointment as crew chief for Greg Biffle the NASCAR version of a "hail Mary."

Mired in a season-long slump during which nothing seemed to go right either on the track or pit road, it became obvious 18 races into the 2011 season that Biffle wasn’t going to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Enter Puccia, a winner for Roush Fenway Racing in both NASCAR Nationwide Series and Camping World trucks but without crew chief experience on the sport’s biggest stage.

Chemistry between driver and crew chief was immediate as Biffle finished the campaign with 11 top-15 finishes over the final 18 races. Biffle finished fifth in last fall’s stop at Texas Motor Speedway, where the No. 16 Ford won the Coors Light Pole.

Further reorganization over the winter months has Biffle channeling 2005 – a season in which the NNS and NCWTS champion won six times and finished as the standings runner-up. Last weekend’s Texas victory further cemented a championship lead – 19 points over Daytona 500 winner and Roush Fenway teammate Matt Kenseth – that Biffle has held since early March.

No Place Like Home For Three Big Guns

Three drivers from the Kansas/Missouri area, sprinkled all throughout the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, want this one badly.

First up, Clint Bowyer from Emporia, Kan. Bowyer won last year’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at his hometrack Kansas Speedway but has thus far come up empty in NASCAR’s premier series. Currently 10th, Bowyer has enjoyed a splendid start with his new employer, Michael Waltrip Racing. His best career finish at Kansas was a runner-up result in 2007.

Carl Edwards, from Columbia, Mo., is a different story. Despite a points position that’s just one marker behind Bowyer, most would consider 2012 a bumpy start for last year’s almost-champion. He has alternated between top-10 finishes and runs outside the top 10, with a 39th place at Bristol a big blow to his points standing. His 11th-place position is the lowest after seven races since 2006 – the last season Edwards failed to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Like Bowyer, Edwards won a truck race at Kansas (in 2004) and has a best NASCAR Sprint Cup finish of second (2008).

Jamie McMurray, from Joplin, Mo., currently sits 23rd in points and likely will need to rely on the Wild Card to make his first Chase appearance. The 2010 Daytona 500 winner’s best Kansas finish was seventh in 2004.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Etc.

President Barack Obama honored 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and the rest of the 2011 Chase drivers on Tuesday at the White House. To watch the live stream on Tuesday afternoon at 4:50 p.m. ET, click here. … Sam Hornish Jr. will make his first attempt of the 2012 NSCS season in the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge. His last start came at Pocono Raceway in June of last season. Hornish is currently fourth in NASCAR Nationwide Series points. … Milestone Marker: Ryan Newman continues his hunt to become the ninth driver with 50 Coors Light Poles. Kansas Speedway is one of eight tracks at which Newman has not won a pole. … Greg Biffle needs 16 more laps led to reach 5,000 in his NSCS career. … Earth Day falls on NSCS race day and a number of initiatives are taking place. NASCAR Green is on track to launch their website, www.NASCAR.com/Green, and official twitter handle, @NASCARGreen. The NASCAR Green logo will also be integrated into various places throughout the weekend. Miss Sprint Cup will be wearing green fire suits to tout Sprint’s at-track recycling efforts and the walls at Kansas Speedway will be painted green.

Sadler, Stenhouse Previewing Epic Championship Battle?

Sports can create irreplaceable memories for fans. Even though it’s early, the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ close competition is providing plenty for fans to cherish.

Just four points separate standings leader Elliott Sadler and second-place Ricky Stenhouse Jr. following Stenhouse’s victory at Texas Motor Speedway this past weekend.

 Six races into the books and the all-too-familiar rivals have similar stats. Each has two wins, four top fives and five top 10s. The difference comes down to Sadler’s 12 bonus points to Stenhouse’s 11 and the one Did Not Finish (DNF) by Stenhouse after an incident on the last lap at Daytona.

Though Sadler holds the top spot in the series driver standings, Stenhouse bests him in three key season-to-date Loop Data categories: Driver Rating - Stenhouse (118.3), Sadler (113.6); Average Running Position - Stenhouse (5.7), Sadler (6.3); and Green Flag Passes - Stenhouse (445), Sadler (378). 

Strapped In And Ready To Win

Despite the season being only six races old, it seems like the days of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers dominating NASCAR Nationwide Series races are fading. Over the last nine events, seven have been won by drivers who don’t receive championship points in NSCS. Six of those victories have come courtesy of NNS driver championship contenders – including last Friday night’s win at Texas by reigning series champion Stenhouse. The other win was the opener at Daytona by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular James Buescher, who’s scheduled to compete in nearly half the NNS races this year.

Series regular drivers are taking notice of their recent accomplishments against full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers.

"It builds confidence in me to be able to go out and do that," Stenhouse said after winning at Texas last weekend. "We just have to be consistent; you know we have been running up there with those guys (NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers) all year long. We just have to keep it up."

An average of 5.6 full-time NSCS drivers has competed in each NNS race this year. Joey Logano is the lone full-time NSCS driver with a win (Auto Club) in the NNS. Last season, each of the first six races of the season was won by NSCS championship-contending drivers.

Can the NASCAR Nationwide Series regulars continue their winning ways? History says it will be tough. Since Johnny Sauter won Richmond’s 2003 fall race, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points chasers have won 16 consecutive times at the Virginia track, host of the series’ next race on April 27.

Everyone In To The Talent Pool

One of the key elements of the NNS and the NASCAR ladder system is that it keeps a healthy rotation of fresh faces in the driver’s seat. And with new talent to the series comes a learning curve. Here are some of the drivers this season who have started to get ahead of that curve. 

Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Austin Dillon is currently third in the series driver standings, just 20 points behind Sadler. Dillon also leads the rookie of the year standings, 22 points ahead of Cole Whitt in second. Though Dillon has yet to visit Victory Lane this season, he has rallied off four top fives and five top 10s in the first six races.  His season-to-date Driver Rating is 100.7.

Danica Patrick, in her first full series season, is just outside the top 10 in the standings. Following a season-best eighth-place finish, also her second-best career result, she’s now 11th, 15 points out of 10th – a nice comeback considering she was 26th following Daytona.  Her season-to-date Driver Rating is 71.3. 

Michael Annett is not new to the series, but has hit his stride early this season. Annett is fifth in the standings, 64 markers behind Sadler in his fourth full-time season in the NNS. He posted his second top-10 finish of the year (ninth) last Friday night at Texas. That marks the highest ranking the Des Moines, Iowa, native has attained in his NASCAR national series career. His previous best was eighth following last fall’s Phoenix race. This year he’s changed teams, bringing Richard Petty Motorsports into the series for its first fulltime season. His Ford Mustang sports Petty’s iconic No. 43.

NASCAR Nationwide Series, Etc.

Sam Hornish Jr., fourth in the standings, returns to the NSCS at Kansas this weekend for Penske Racing while Tim Andrews will attempt to qualify Go Green Racing’s first NSCS effort there. … Points leader Elliott Sadler is gearing up for softball season, which starts this weekend. He plays with semi-pro players on several teams throughout the summer in southern Virginia. … Johanna Long will meet and greet fans at the Keen Parts Trailer from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Friday, April 20, at the Spring Charlotte Auto Fair. Keen is on board to sponsor her No. 70 ML Motorsports Chevrolet for four races this year. … Racing resumes April 27 at Richmond, where Travis Pastrana is set to make his long-awaited series debut. Pastrana will drive under the RAB Racing banner as RAB and Michael Waltrip Racing announced an alliance that will feature RAB equipment and MWR technical and marketing support. The No. 09 Toyota now becomes the No. 99. Ryan Blaney, 18, son of NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney, also is ready for his series debut at RIR, driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing.

Points Leader Peters Hopes This Kansas Trip Is Different

Timothy Peters can’t be blamed for tempering good fortune with a bit of déjà vu heading into this week’s SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway.

Peters grabbed the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points lead from Red Horse Racing teammate John King with a fifth-place finish in Sunday’s Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 at Rockingham Speedway. Sunoco rookie King, the leader through the season’s first two events, fell to eighth after involvement in an early race accident.

This isn’t the first time that Peters has gone to Kansas with the championship lead. He did so in 2010 but finished 23rd and dropped out of the No. 1 spot the following week at Dover International Speedway.

His Rockingham post-race comments suggest this time will be different.

"I’m looking forward to going to Kansas next week. Our season has been going well," said Peters, whose Toyota is three-for-three in top-five finishes in 2012, including a second place to King at Daytona International Speedway. "At this point, I would rate our season as an ‘A-plus’ and we’re running up front.

"If we keep executing, our win will come." 

Kahne Gives Turner Motorsports Long-Sought Truck Victory

Make Steve Turner’s magic number 134.

Those were the starts required to finally take his Turner Motorsports team to Victory Lane with Kasey Kahne’s picture-perfect, come-from-the-rear triumph in NASCAR’s return to The Rock on Sunday afternoon.

Texan Turner has four NASCAR Nationwide Series wins including James Buescher’s surprise victory at Daytona International Speedway in February.

Turner, however, had been frustrated in trucks, where his team made its NASCAR national series debut in 2009. His team counted 24 top-five finishes, including a trio of seconds prior to Sunday’s race.

The organization has become a powerhouse entry in both trucks and Nationwide, making a concentrated effort to win titles in both during the same season. The organization fielded four Chevrolets at Rockingham: Kahne, Buescher, Keystone Light Pole winner Nelson Piquet Jr. and Miguel Paludo.

Buescher finished second to Kahne and stands fourth in the points standings. Piquet, seventh after a pit road speeding penalty, ranks sixth on the championship.

Sauter, Crafton Can Shake Up Standings In Kansas

Rockingham may have been a game-changer for under-performing ThorSport Racing, whose Toyotas were sub-par through the season’s first two races. Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter posted their first top-five finishes – third and fourth – of the year and vaulted back into the championship conversation.

Crafton led 40 laps and moved to 11th in points. Sauter also ranks among the top 15.

Figure Kansas Speedway as a place where Sauter, the 2010 Sunoco Rookie of the Year and last season’s second-place finisher overall, can do some damage. The Wisconsin driver finished second to 2011 Kansas winner Clint Bowyer and won the event the previous season in a stirring battle with four-time NCWTS Champion Ron Hornaday Jr. The pair tangled between turns three and four and slid side-by-side down the track before recovering to finish one-two.

While Bowyer isn’t expected to compete in this year’s race, Sauter, Crafton and other series points-eligible drivers expect stiff competition from 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion and last year’s Chase qualifier Brad Keselowski. Keselowski continues his bid to post victories in all three NASCAR national series. He also fields Ram trucks for Parker Kligerman, who ranks fifth in series points after finishing ninth at Rockingham.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Etc.

If there’s a dark horse title contender, it’s Justin Lofton – and he’s not flying under the radar any longer. Lofton failed to score a top-five finish in 2011 but moved to second in points – six behind Peters – with his third top 10 for Eddie Sharp Racing. … Ty Dillon was the highest-ranked Sunoco rookie contender in Rockingham, finishing eighth. Dillon is third overall, seven out of the championship lead. … Kansas marks the fourth and final time 2010 owner championship points will be used to determine teams locked into starting lineup. … Dakoda Armstrong will visit the race title sponsor’s headquarters on Wednesday, April 18. He will tour the SFP Lab and participate in a Q&A session with local farmers.

SOURCE - NASCAR MEDIA