Kellogg Company Returns as a Primary Sponsor of Edwards' No. 99 Ford

CONCORD, N.C. (Dec. 15, 2011) – Roush Fenway Racing and Kellogg Company have announced the multi-year extension of their NASCAR partnership.  Kellogg will serve as a primary sponsor of the No. 99 Ford for four Sprint Cup races in 2012, teaming its famed Kellogg's™ Frosted Flakes cereal and Cheez-It®  crackers with perennial championship contender and fan favorite Carl Edwards.

Kellogg has been involved with NASCAR for many years, including serving as a primary sponsor of the No. 99 Ford with Roush Fenway for the past two seasons.  Edwards finished as runner up in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup and has accumulated 19 wins during his stellar Cup career. He also has 89 top-five finishes, 144 top-10 finishes and 10 pole awards in just over 250 starts.

Edwards secured a position in the Chase for the Sprint Cup NASCAR "playoff" six times in seven attempts, and finished second in 2008 and 2011.  In addition, he won the 2007 Nationwide Series Championship. This season, Edwards and the No. 99 team led the Sprint Cup point standings for 23 of the 36 weeks.

NASCAR DRIVER GREG BIFFLE TO PARTICIPATE IN 2012 ROSE PARADE

CONCORD, N.C. (Dec. 14, 2011) – NASCAR driver Greg Biffle will help Natural Balance Pet Foods make a “splash” in the upcoming 123rd Rose Parade on January 2nd, 2012.  In 2010 the Natural Balance float rolled into the Guinness Book of World records as the world’s longest float and in 2011, took the record for the world’s heaviest float.

This year the Natural Balance float will be 116 feet long and feature a tropical floral setting. After extensive training, the dogs on the float will actually surf on 65-foot long waves in over 6,600 gallons of water on a float weighing more than 100,000 pounds. A specially designed “wave” machine is incorporated into the design of the float and creates a wave every minute.

The Rose Bowl Parade will air live from Pasadena, Calif. on ABC at 11:00 a.m. EST.  Check out Biffle and Tillman, the World’s Fastest Skateboarding Bulldog at www.GregBiffle.com and get a sneak peek at the building of the float at www.naturalbalanceinc.com.

GORDON PICKED TO LEAD NO. 22 SHELL/PENNZOIL DODGE TEAM

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (December 14, 2011) – Penske Racing announced today that Todd Gordon is the new crew chief of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Cup Series. The internal move comes on the heels of a successful 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) campaign, during which Gordon led the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger to six wins and six pole positions.

“Our first priority is always to look within the walls of Penske Racing when making personnel decisions,” said Roger Penske. “We want to reward success. The path we are taking with Todd mirrors what we did with Paul Wolfe who led the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge to a Chase berth in 2011. We think Todd can get the job done in the same manner.”

Gordon made the move to Penske Racing in January of 2011. He and Brad Keselowski quickly developed a driver-crew chief rapport that resulted in another successful season, helping make the No. 22 Dodge one of the premier entries in NNS competition.

“I can’t thank Roger and everyone at Penske Racing enough for this vote of confidence,” said Gordon. “It’s an honor to step into a race-winning team. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but this is an organization full of talented people that know how to get the job done. I look forward to getting the Shell/Pennzoil Dodge back in Victory Lane.”

Penske Racing continues to evaluate drivers to fill the seat of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge.
Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 350 major race wins, 412 pole positions and 23 National Championships. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

Brian Pattie Joins Michael Waltrip Racing

Veteran Crew Chief To Lead Clint Bowyer's No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota In 2012

CORNELIUS, N.C. – Michael Waltrip Racing today announced that Brian Pattie will serve as crew chief for Clint Bowyer's No.15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series beginning in 2012.

"Brian is someone whose been on our radar for a very long time," said Waltrip. "He brings a strong technical background, along with great leadership and Chase experience. We have high hopes for Brian, Clint and the 5-hour ENERGY team heading into 2012 and we think this is the perfect mix of talent, experience and leadership."

Pattie joins the team after 18 victories in a long Nationwide Series career with a variety of drivers and a Sprint Cup stint at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing as crew chief for Juan Pablo Montoya. He guided the former open wheel driver to a spot in the Chase in 2009 and a victory at Watkins Glen in 2010.

"Michael Waltrip Racing is an up-and-coming team making improvements every day," said Pattie, a Zephyrhills Fla. native who began his duties at MWR on Dec. 1.

Penske Racing and Kurt Busch Mutually Agree to Separation

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (December 5, 2011) – Penske Racing announced today that it has reached a mutual agreement with driver Kurt Busch to end its driver/race team relationship, effective immediately.
The team will evaluate its options for the driver of the No. 22 Sprint Cup Series car in the future while Busch will seek new opportunities with another race team.

"I appreciate the victories that Kurt has brought Penske Racing and our sponsors over the past six years," said Roger Penske. "While I am disappointed that Kurt will not be racing for our team in the future, both Kurt and I felt that separating at this time was best for all parties, including our team and sponsors. I wish Kurt the best in his future racing endeavors."

NO. 99 AFLAC FORD FUSION CREW BEST IN THE PITS FOR 2011

NO. 99 AFLAC FORD FUSION CREW BEST IN THE PITS FOR 2011

Carl Edward's Pit Crew Wins the 2011 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award and $100,000 Grand Prize

LOS ANGELES (December 1, 2011) – There's no insurance for good finishes like a great pit crew.  And the pit crew for the No. 99 AFLAC Ford Fusion of Carl Edwards did just that – delivering the best average finish of 4.9 for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Edwards' second place finish in the final standings. That hard work, flawless performance and strong motivation earned them the Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award for 2011 and a $100,000 bonus.

The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award, which is determined by a vote of each team's crew chief, is given quarterly to the top-performing pit crew in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The four quarterly winners are eligible for the year-end Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award presented during Champion's Week in Las Vegas – and the $100,000 grand prize.

Richard Childress Named 2011 NASCAR Buddy Shuman Award Winner

WELCOME, N.C. (December 1, 2011) - Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing, was named the 2011 NASCAR Buddy Shuman Award winner today during the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Luncheon at the Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las
Vegas.

The NASCAR Buddy Shuman Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to the growth of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing. The award is named in honor of Louis Grier "Buddy" Shuman, a pioneer NASCAR driver who died in a hotel fire in 1955. It has been presented by NASCAR and Federal-Mogul's (NASDAQ: FDML) Champion® spark plug brand. Previous winners include Bill France Jr., Richard Petty, Dr. Joe Mattioli, Rick Hendrick, Dave Marcis, Dale Inman, Robert Yates and Jim Hunter.

Blickensderfer Named Crew Chief of RCR's No. 31 Caterpillar/Wheaties Racing Team

WELCOME, N.C. (November 28, 2011) -- Richard Childress Racing has named Drew Blickensderfer as the crew chief for the No. 31 Caterpillar/Wheaties Racing team with driver Jeff Burton for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Luke Lambert, interim crew chief during the latter part of the 2011 season for the No. 31 team, will assume a yet-to-be announced new position at RCR.

Blickensderfer begins his RCR career after nearly a decade with Roush Fenway Racing. He spent the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season leading the No. 6 team and has been a crew chief, in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, since 2007.

"I'm excited about the move to RCR and the opportunity to help lead Jeff Burton and the Cat/Wheaties Racing team back into Chase contention," said Blickensderfer. "I was around Jeff briefly at RFR and always admired and liked him. He's a very talented driver and I look forward to working him and the rest of the No. 31 team in 2012."

Burton qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup from 2006-2008 and 2010. He finished 20th in the final 2011 driver championship point standings.

Jeff Gordon Aims To End Hunger

As you all know, I had the privilege of traveling to Charlotte last week for a fantastic race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But in the midst of the Dollar General 300 and the Bank of America 500 practices, qualifying, and races I was able to bear witness to a bit of a softer side of one of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series most accomplished drivers.

On Friday, October 18th, I had the privilege of joining 4-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, Jeff Gordon, as he joined forces with AARP-NC, AARP Foundation, and Second Harvest Food Bank in attempt to end hunger in elderly Americans. The event was held in Uptown Charlotte at Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, and was geared at addressing the issue of hunger among vulnerable older adults. 

Kenseth Claims 3rd Victory of 2011 at Charlotte

An absolutely fantastic first trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway has ended for me, and I couldn’t be any happier about making the trip down here to the home of NASCAR Racing. I have to hand it to SMI and all those involved with coordinating the race weekends here in Charlotte, as the folks here really know how to put on a show. I have had the trip of a lifetime this weekend and Bruton Smith has made me a life-long fan of Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Moving along to the Bank of America 500 now, I will tell you that it was a race that seemed like it would never end. It was by far the longest race I had ever covered, and for about 400 of the 500 miles, it ranked highly on my list of uneventful (accident wise) I had ever seen. 

Edwards: Victory at Charlotte

Carl Edwards has won the 30^th Annual Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage here at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was a rocky road to the backflip tonight, but in the end it was a restart from hell from Kyle Busch that allowed Edwards the win.

Bypassing the first 180 laps of tonight’s 200 lap event, it all boiled down to 3 drivers when the checkered flag flew over the hood of the No. 60 Fastenal Ford.

Paul Menard won the Coors Light Pole Award earlier today in NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying, but led only the first 26 laps of tonight’s event when points leader, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. threw his hat in the mix as possible contenders for the win.

A late race caution was not the issue for then-leader Brad Keselowski, it was slowing down off of Turn number four here at Charlotte Motor Speedway that took Keselowski out of contention for the win tonight. The spin under caution put Kyle Busch to the lead with around 20 laps left, but the incident would not mark the end of the fireworks in the last 30 miles of tonight’s race.

Fast-forwarding again to the final restart, with just 4 laps left, Kyle Busch chose the outside line as his preferred line of restart. The restart dragged all the way within 30 feet of the pink Start/Finish Line before the throttles were hammered. Busch squandered heading into turn number one, and the fight was on for the win with Stenhouse Jr., Edwards, and Rowdy Busch all in the hunt for the point.

It was Edwards that flexed his muscles by the time the field may their way back to my vantage point off the end of Pit Road here at Charlotte, and it was a 6 car-length lead that Edwards would take with 3 miles left to run. Kyle Busch made his best efforts to reel in the battered No. 60 Fastenal Ford Ford Mustang (the car was seriously trashed, Jack Roush said he would actually kiss the car later tonight for staying together) but would only manage to sneak a peek under Edwards in the final turn.

Stewart Claims Pole for Bank of America 500

Bojangles Pole Night (awesome sponsor BTW) has come to a close with Tony Stewart edging out Roush Fenway Racing's Matt Kenseth by just 6-1000ths of a second to claim pole position for Saturday Night's Bank of America 500.

With his fast lap tonight, Stewart has claimed his 13th pole in 459 starts and his first of the 2011 season. This also marks the first time Stewart will start first here at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The top three starting spots Saturday will be Chase drivers with Matt Kenseth starting second and May's NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race Winner, Cousin Carl Edwards starting third. A.J Allmendinger will start fourth and Greg Biffle rounds out the top five.

The other nine Chasers will start sixth or worse with Ryan Newman (6th) and Jimmie Johnson (9th) the only other drivers in The Chase starting in the Top-10.

Kevin Harvick will start 14th, sitting one-point behind points leader Carl Edwards. Dale Jr had a run at the pole for a few drivers, but was bumped back to 15th when the fast cars hit the track. Denny Hamlin starts 17th, and Kurt Busch will go 20th. The No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevy of Jeff Gordon was shown 23rd when the dust settled and Kyle Busch managed to lock up a 25th starting position. Bad Brad Keselowski will start last out of all the Chase drivers in 26th.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @ML_B_Lo for up to the minute news this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I am overly excited for all the racing action this weekend and look forward to the mayhem that will ensue on Saturday Night.

Clint Bowyer, 5-hour ENERGY Join Michael Waltrip Racing

Multi-Year Agreement Puts Top Free Agent in No. 15 Toyota

CORNELIUS, N.C. – Michael Waltrip Racing today announced Clint Bowyer will drive the team’s No. 15 Toyota with 5-hour ENERGY as the primary sponsor for the next three NASCAR Sprint Cup seasons beginning at the 2012 Daytona 500.

michaelwaltrip.com

The announcement ends months of speculation for the highly valued free agent.
“This has been a very long summer, but I think for everyone involved, the best decision was made to be at Michael Waltrip Racing,” said Bowyer.

“I am a big fan of 5-hour ENERGY so I was really happy when they approached me about putting a deal together. We were diligent in working through our options and finally found the right fit. I have been so impressed with what’s going on at MWR. Then when the 5-hour ENERGY executives met with Michael and his people, we knew this was going to be our home.

Kurt Busch wins Dover's 42nd annual AAA Race

Sunday's race day started cold and rainy but the rain stopped, sort of, to allow the vortex theory take hold and allow the fall Dover race to run all 400 laps.

The pole sitter, Martin Truex Jr, stole the pole from Kurt Busch by the smallest of margins but after a few laps faded to ultimately finish 30th in the race.

Carl Edwards took over the lead and looked like the strongest car of the field after only a few laps, while Kurt Busch slide back in the pack a bit during the first part of the race. After a series of pit stops with a mistake, Carl Edwards had a speeding penalty on pit road and had a pass through penalty that left him a lap down and Jimmie Johnson assuming the lead and looking like he was going to charge back to the front and win yet another race and championship.

However, after another series of pit stops, Kurt Busch drove his car and made it stick as he passed Jimmie Johnson and kept the lead for the last 24 laps of the race to finish in victory lane.

It was Kurt's first win at the Monster Mile and left the elder Busch brother in 3rd place and 9 points back from first place in the chase.

The chasers standing and their finishing spot are shown below:

1 Carl Edwards -Finished 3rd

2 Kevin Harvick - Finished 10th

3 Kurt Busch - Finished 1st

4 Tony Stewart- Finished 25th

5 Jimmie Johnson-Finished 2nd

6 Brad Keselowski-Finished 20th

7 Matt Kenseth-Finished 5th

8 Jeff Gordon-Finished 12th

9 Dale Earnhart Jr.-Finished 24th

10 Ryan Newman-Finished 23rd

11 Denny Hamlin-Finished 18th

Sunday Morning at Dover

It is Race Day in Dover! We got to the track this morning about 7:30. We thought We would be the first to get here and found there were about 500 people here before us. The security and folks that operate the track were here at 6:00. Remember the race starts at 1:00 this afternoon.

As we came into the media center, the teams were waiting along the garage when I looked back at the grandstand they opened up the other gate and more teams flooded in 5 minutes before the gates opened.

It is interesting, the teams are talking quietly, no loud mouths in the bunch and though they are all in competition with each other, it is clear they all know and mostly like each other. I overheard talk about the casino, dinner, some lady who tried to pick up a team member and a team member who tried to pick up some woman. Seem both lost out.

The morning was very misty and chilly. not bone numbing cold, but pretty darn chilly. I took a picture of Booty Barker surrounded by his team, but quite bundled up. Clearly it is time for Nascar to move to a warmer climate and after Kansas we will be in warmer and hopefully dry climates. I know Texas needs rain, but please let it rain before and after November 6th, not during.

As I was on the track, I noticed that the top lane has been ground with groves exposing the gravel in the concrete. I have to ask if this give the drivers a warning they are close to the wall or if it helps with grip. I doubt there is any grip advantage, but I am sure the drivers can feel that difference in their tires.

More later. Happy Race day.

Carl Edwards Wins the Dover Nationwide race

Carl Edwards Pulled off a great charge late in the race to win the Dover Nationwide Race. With 48 laps to go, the field pitted and Brad Keselowski came out in front with Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne tailing the 22 Dodge.

However, in about 7 laps, Carl Edwards caught up to the 22 car and passed him never relinquishing the lead again till the end.

Unlike last year, there was no last lap crash to mar the race.

Elliott Sadler had won the pole but after a few laps lost the lead and then got pushed back in traffic after a caution for debris.

The top ten finishers were:

Carl Edwards

Brad Keselowski

Clint Boyer

Kasey Kahne

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Treavor Bayne

Reed Sorenson

Ryan Truex

Mike Bliss

Justin Allgaier.

The pole sitter, Elliott Sadler finished 14th.

Qualifying day in Dover

Qualifying day in Dover. Beautiful day, with sunshine and cool temps. The Cup Garage just opened 10 minutes ago and the teams are making their way across the Bridge to the inner track and the garage.

Yesterday Mark Martin was fastest in practice. I saw the team working on qualifying set up most of the afternoon, so the question remains if the cars that practiced well will qualify well. Keeping the car on the bottom of the track is the fast way around this monster mile. If you can do that in qualifying and then in a race, you have a good chance of a good finish. I dont think I would count out Mark Martin, though Kyle Busch has been good here in the past and Jeff Gordon won here a few years ago. Still keeping the car on the bottom is key.

Walking the track this morning I found enough brake rotors to service about 5 cars. I don't think the blowers will move those parts but found it interesting that there were so many of them. One of the rotors was right next to where Chase Elliott wrecked last night so that may have had a part of his crash or was the direct result of it.

Back to the garage this morning.

More later.

Kenny Wallace

Ok, I admit to being a bit biased on one level. But when I go to the track and put on the honored orange vest to take pictures, I would think the Nascar drivers would cooperate. Instead, many of the drivers turn or have someone stand to block them from photographers, orange vested and the fan variety.

However, some drivers, like Kenny Wallace here, goes out of their way to be accommodating to fans and professionals alike.

This picture was taken when Kenny Wallace walked past me and I looked up and saw who it was. I jogged (as well as a 55 year old can jog) and called to Kenny pointing to my camera. He simply said sure, stopped and let me take several pictures. Kenny then asked if I had what I needed. When I said yes thank you, he said "My Pleasure".

This makes Kenny Wallace one of my favorite people. I can not tell you how many drivers on pit road before a race turn towards the track to avoid the cameras. Kenny's brother Rusty, before the race would walk between the cars and the outside pit wall to his car and sit against his car facing the stands until time to get in the car. Never looking up or at the media or fans. If a pretty girl came along with a camera crew, he hit the million dollar smile, but if it was this old man, nothing.

Kenny and several others are truly nice people who know that the fans and photographers make them what they are. I have had similar experiences with Robby Gordon, JJ Yeley, and Ron Hornaday as well. These drivers take the time to give the fans and professional access to a photo because they know it is important. Not every time and every situation after all since sometimes the guy just has to go, but Kenny Wallace has done this kindness several times for me and I have seen him do it for many others time and time again.

That is one reason why I love to watch him on TV whether he is racing or talking. Thank you Kenny. I got what I needed. I hope you get what you need too. An it was a real pleasure. Signed Nascar fans.

Friday morning at the Monstor Mile.

It is Friday morning in Dover. This set of wheels that I took in New Hampshire has been moved to Dover. As I crossed over the bridge to the infield I saw an identical set up. What is interesting is that each team (see the numbers on the wheels) has their own set and Goodyear mounts the tires on each one for all of the teams.

The wheels themselves are transported not by the teams nor Goodyear, but by another contractor run by the former Goodyear tire mounting manager, who retired a few years ago and now hauls all wheels, pit boxes and Nitrogen bottles from track to track for all the teams.

I found it interesting that there is this entire sub contact dance played for the teams. One would think that the teams would carry every thing for the race themselves, but they have found it much cheaper and efficient to have someone else carry them for all of the teams at once. The only exception are those smaller teams that don't make every race who have to drag their pit boxes along themselves.

The K&N cars are qualifying now and the cup and Nationwide garage are getting busy. Monstor Mile in Dover. What a great weekend we have in store.

Cup Garage is a Hot Place in New Hampshire

The morning in the garage is heating up. This oil pan fired up in the Garage prompting the crews to look, but not move. Apparently the crew has a time table to make and nothing, which must include the chance of being cremated and used for speedy dry, would cause them to stop their work.

If these teams don't get excited about a fire three feet away, it is clear to see why they are able to handle the stress and pressure of the chase.

A passing Fireman on his way to pit road, stopped and put out the fire. The 20 team member in this picture never moved one inch during the entire inferno. I want this guy on my side when things are tough.

Sprint Cup Race Day in New Hampshire

It is race day in New Hampshire. We stay about 35 miles away in Manchester New Hampshire and at 4:45 this morning the Dunkin Donuts was already 4 deep with writers, NASCAR officials and some old guy who had a puzzled look on his face. At McDonalds (24 hour drive through) I was the 3rd car in line. Traffic north one hour later was surprising busy and as we get to the track, we find ourselves waiting with the teams for the garage to open up at 8:00.

Weather is supposed to be clear at race time and about 78 or 84 degrees depending on which radio station or weather report you listen to. The security guard that we befriended said he lives an hour and half away. He was up at 3:30 this morning and is either a true morning person or hit every Dunkin Donuts for coffee between his house and the race track.

The question of the day is will there be a dominating driver/car like yesterday's Truck Race. Kyle (Rowdy) Busch channeled his inner Rambo and laid waste to the entire Camping World Truck field yesterday. If he has a car as good as his truck, he could be trouble here for the Cup drivers.

The other question is how good are the other guys? Ryan Newman took the pole for today's race, but David Stremme who qualified 34th was fastest in practice yesterday. Jeff Gordon qualified 7th and was in the top speed charts most of the day. But since this is such a hard track to pass on, will the fastest car be able to make its way through the pack or will the top 5 or six be the ones to win?

The track itself will be another question. Yesterday I was taking pictures in the outside edge of turn 1. From there you can see the outside two lanes, sometime in the distant past, sealed much as we do our driveways. Unfortunately, it looks like a 20 year old paint job and it is clear there is no grip that far up the track. That makes it very hard to pass except on the straighter front and back stretch.

This season the weather is always a question. Right now it is a bit cloudy and one weather channel I listened to on the way here called for morning showers and another one called for clear followed by clouds. My I-phone says there is a 10% chance of rain all day and no rain on radar. It looks like New Hampshire uses the rope method for weather prediction. If the rope is wet, it is raining, if the rope is dry, it is clear. If the rope is moving it is windy. Right now the rope is not moving and sort of dry.

Finally, which team will have the best pit stops will answer who is likely to win. Kyle Busch showed track position was and is king at this track. If Austin Dillon could have gotten in front of Kyle yesterday, it may have been a different race. Which Cup team can get its driver out first to gain the track position to bring home a win? Since Ryan Newman starts off on the pole, as long as his pit crew holds their own, he has a big advantage. However, Kurt Busch starting 5th, Kevin Harvick starting 6th, Jeff Gordon Starting 7th and Kyle Busch starting 8th all have busted out fantastic pit stops one race or another this year and could take the lead at any time. Don't forget that Jimmy Johnson starting 10th Dale Earnhart, Jr. starting 12th, and Brad Keselowski starting 16th have also made great back to back pit stops this year and have a chance to power to the front.

Getting your car out first and holding the inside line in the turns will tell the story of who will win today. The Legends race starts at 10 this morning to get that Darrel Waltrip vortex going which proved itself yesterday. Lets hope it works today too.

Busch Dominates at New Hampshire Truck Race

Kyle Busch played the role of Rambo at today's Camping World Truck Series Race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Taking the Pole position this morning, Kyle Busch then dominated the field leading all but 10 of the 175 laps in the race. The only time Busch did not lead the race was during green flag pit stops.

Though Kevin Harvick started alongside of Kyle Busch, it was Austin Dillion in the 3 truck who was right behind the 18 truck most of the race and at the checker flag. Austin could get up to the rear of Kyle Busch and to the rear quarter panel, but could just not get alongside of the 18 truck or around it.

There were a few minor cautions in the race, but several strong drivers received speeding penalties like Joey Coulter who qualified 3rd and ended up well back in the field after running in the top 5 most of the day.

In the end, Kyle Busch simply too powerful a truck and driver for the rest of the field. In victory lane, Kyle gave the credit to his team and the truck for their success. While Kyle was being toasted in victory lane, however, his fellow drivers 2nd through 4th were telling how the 18 truck blew them all away and Kyle Busch did not even wear a headband. Can not wait till the cup race tomorrow.

Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH

This morning, New Hampshire looked more like the fictional town in Rambo than Brigadoon. The trees are lightly kissed by the hint of color against the deep sea of green foliage surrounding the granite all around us. The fog has moved up into the mountains and the remains of last night's rain still lingers on the roads and parking lots. However, the track is dry and there are cars on the track here in Loudon.

But there is a battle about to be waged here in this quiet little town.

The American-Canadian tour cars have been on the track this morning. Right now, the Whelen Modified tour cars are on the track generating that hot air vortex that Darrel Waltrip always says will keep the rain away. Shortly the Sprint Cup cars will take their final practice for the weekend and then Camping World Truck Series will hopefully go green at 3:00 Pm for 175 laps.

The battle today will be on several fronts. Nascar is battling to get the practice and race in and keep to the schedule as much as possible. I think that every track within a 6 hour drive have sent their track dryers to Loudon. I saw a Pocono track dryer and a dryer with a Delaware truck pulling it around so I assumed that was a Dover rig. There are several jet fuel trucks parked around the track, so it looks like Nascar has set as good a defense as they can.

There will be a major battle of the three races scheduled for today. The Whelen Modified is supposed to go off at 12:45 today. That race is always a race with lots of excitement and drama. In July, Ryan Newman won the race and then lost the trophy due to a rule discrepancy with his engine mounts.

The Camping World Truck Series is supposed to go off at 3:00 pm today and that is always a great show no matter the track. The young and old alike in the series are all going for a win and the track is simply not wide enough for everyone to go for first at once.

Finally, at 5:45 the American- Canadian Tour is scheduled to run. (If these cars race at a Canadian track, is it the Canadian-American Tour?) Based on what I saw in practice already, Loudon is going to need all those jet dryers to clear off the debris from the hard racing we hope to see today, if Mr. Waltrip's vortex theory holds the rain off.

Sprint Cup Qualifying a rain delay event

After Nascar began the day lifting the fog and mist to emerge from the shadowy morning to a full day of practice, it ended with a rain delay and a start/stop/start again finish.

Though in the morning the chase drivers all spoke of being relaxed and not worried, by the middle to end of the practice all but Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Dale Earnhart, Jr. who were in the top 5 and top 10 most of the practice. The rest were mired in the 20's and 30's all day and relaxed and confident personas all but disappeared.

Qualifying began normal enough and as typical of his way, Rocket Man Ryan Newman was set to qualify last and was by far the last to stride onto the grid. By mid pack, Brian Vickers rocked a provisional poll lap and the 83 stood atop the leader board as everyone shot at his time and fell just a bit short.

Finally there was only 5 cars left to run, the 42; 48; 24; 4; and the 39. But then it started to sprinkle. Almost a light mist. The weather radar showed rain on Loudon, but we were only feeling small sprinkles. Nascar asked the next car up, Juan Pablo Montoya, if he wanted to give it a go? JPM looked at his windshield and said. . . . Eh. . . . No thank you. Jet dryers were on the track for several laps and the Coors Light team took down the Pole backdrop in preparation of the rain. finally after about 30 minutes, the 42 car took the track and set a blistering 31st position.

the 48 car then took the track and promptly shut down due to rain on his windshield coming back down pit road. With the 48 car's engine off, the crowd's booing was clearly heard and then after about 5 minutes he refired and laid down a 10th place lap. The 24 car beat that with a 7th place finish and it looked like the 83 car would take the pole. Then the 4 car went out and as he crossed the start/finish line the crowd cheered as he took the provisional pole with Ryan Newman left to run.

As Ryan took the green flag, it looked like a rookie Ryan Newman. He shot around the track in 28.213 seconds, taking the pole and ruining Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne's day all in one.

As we sit here now, the rains have returned and the day finishes as we started. Except for Ryan Newman. He is celebrating his second pole at Loudon with Lobster.

Tensions Ease in New Hampshire?

As the fog and mist lifted from the racetrack here in New Hampshire, it seemed that the tensions sitting on the chase teams and many in the rest of the Cup field were lifted a bit. The steady troop of drivers into the media center found Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, and Dale Earnhart Jr. all in almost jovial and lighthearted moods. Kevin Harvick, simply said," it will be be what it will be"

the drivers while all trying to win, admit that they have to perform, but there are so many other factors that could come to play that are outside of their control. There is a push to win, but the teams are much more relaxed and all talked about the work and the fun associated with the racing.

With the fog and rain holding off for now, though the sun is not exactly shinning, the cars are on the track for practice right now. While in the media center the drivers may have been relaxed, on the track right now, most of the chase drivers are pretty far back in the speed charts. Right now, Mark Martin and David Reutimann are the leaders on the track.

Mark is being followed by the chase drivers with Jeff Gordon running in 3rd, Ryan Newman running 6th; Jimmie Johnson running 19th; Tony Stewart running 20th; Brad Keselowski running 27th; Carl Edwards running 29th; Denny Hamlin running 33rd; Dale Earnhart Jr, running 34th; Kyle Busch running 35th; Matt Kenseth running 36th; and, Kurt Busch running 37th.

Maybe some of those cup drivers are not as relaxed as they claim to be.

Nascar's Briggadoon in New Hampshire

It is Friday morning in New Hampshire and as we walk into the New Hampshire Motor Speedway the fog and mist are so think we almost need a seeing eye dog to find the media center. Although we are in the middle of the track you can not see the track, the scoring tower or anything else for that matter.

As we walk towards the media center, the cars appear out of the mist being pushed towards the technical review by the teams, much like the legendary mystical Scottish village Gene Kelly sang and danced around years ago. However, this morning we do not see anyone dancing and it is far too early for singing, although it is very likely that another Gene Kelly movie, singing in the rain, could be shown later today and tomorrow.

Already we are hearing that qualifying is questionable, but the drivers and crews are still preparing as if it were a sunny morning at the race track. Ice is being bought by the handcart full, Goodyear is mounting tires, and Sunoco is setting up to pump enough gas to get me to and from work for the next two years.

Hopefully, when the mist lifts, this weekend fulfills its promise to be a busy, full race weekend. With the K&N pro Series, Whelen Modified Tour, Camping World Truck Series and Cup race on Sunday, we hope we will see a lot of smoking tires and with the fans and teams giving us excitement we seek.

Already, I can make out Motor Coaches on the hill, instead of the heather, Gene Kelly romped in in his production. But like that mystical village, Nascar fans are coming out from their long foggy night sleep to promise of a wonderful day.

Nap Time: The Chase for the Sprint Cup

With Monday’s fuel-mileage fiasco at Chicagoland Speedway, I really got to thinking about what the Chase for the Sprint Cup should be.

Rather than filling the final ten races with uninteresting, 1.5-mile ovals where you can take a 3-hour nap in the middle of the race and not miss a thing, why not make The Chase exciting for the fans?

When the idea of The Chase crossed, Mike Helton’s desk, it was said that the goal of the last 10 races of the season to be an exciting, playoff-like shootout for the Sprint Cup Driver’s championship.  Now when I think of playoffs, I picture the white-out games at the standing-room-only First Niagara Center with an additional 8,000 Sabres fans watching the game on big screens in the plaza outside the arena.  Or I picture the entire month devoted to College Basketball, with bars, restaurants, and arenas packed across the country watching March Madness.

What I don’t associate with playoffs is kicking back in a recliner, flipping from the less than exhilarating 3-hour stanzas at places like Chicagoland, Kansas Speedway, or New Hampshire. Playoffs are meant to keep sports fans at the edge of their seats for 3 hours, not provide background noise for naps.

At a time in the season where you’re fighting with the country’s most watched sport (NFL Football), placing races in NASCAR’s playoffs is no way to gain interest in a competing market.

Stewart wins at Chicagoland

Tony Stewart ended his 32-race losing streak on Monday at Chicagoland Speedway.  Stewart stretched his final tank of fuel and won the rain delayed opening race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

Stewart moved from ninth place in the standings to second, seven points behind Kevin Harvick.

“It is huge; I had a migraine all day yesterday so I am kinda glad we didn’t race. Man, this Office Depot/ Mobil One Chevy was awesome. All of our partners with Burger King, Coca Cola, and US Army, Tornados, El MOnteray, Hass Automation, all these guys, we have had a rough year so this is a good way to start off the Chase.” Stewart said.

Harvick’s second place finish enables him to take over the series points lead.

“We had a problem with fuel and had to save a lot there at the beginning and I just didn’t know how much we had in our tank there at the end but I was hoping we had enough.” Stewart said.  “Everybody on our Budweiser Chevrolet did a great job and knowing exactly how far we could go, we ran out coming on to pit road there, so good first race for us.”

NSCS: Kevin Harvick Wins A Wild One At Richmond International Raceway -- Nathan Butler

As most predicted, including myself, we knew the Fall Richmond International Speedway race would be 'crazy', but I didn't think anyone expected it to be such a 'hairy' race!

Ted Seminara

Kevin Harvick was the victor, Saturday night, as he won his 18th career NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in 384 NSCS races. Having said that, he has now won 4 races this year, along with 13 top-10 finishes this season, pretty impressive!

Carl Edwards came close, but as we know "close only counts in horse -shoes and hand grenades". If Edwards had just a few more laps, he probably could have gotten by Harvick, but that is something we will never know.

Followed by Edwards; Jeff Gordon, David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin, and Mark Martin.

NSCS: Updated Chase Seeds

Here it is! The updated seeds for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase:

1.) Kyle Busch 2012

2.) Kevin Harvick 2012

3.) Jeff Gordon 2009

4.) Matt Kenseth 2006

5.) Carl Edwards 2003

6.) Jimmie Johnson 2003

7.) Kurt Busch 2003

8.) Ryan Newman 2003

9.) Tony Stewart 2000

10.) Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2000

11.) Brad Keselowski 2000

12.) Denny Hamlin 2000

Full Recap of the Wonderful Pistachios 400, along with a Chase preview will be out shortly

NSCS: NASCAR Honors America, While We Remember 9/11

Think back 10-years ago, where were you? I can remember vividly where I was, even though I was only nine years of age. It was a troubled time for our country, a reason for stress, anger, and many different emotions that forced "we the people" to come together in an historic fashion.

Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

As we approach the 10-year anniversary, NASCAR has vowed to honor America at the Wonderful Pistachios 400 from the Richmond International Raceway, Saturday night.

NASCAR has always honored America in some fashion, whether it be incorporated in the pre-race ceremonies, special events during the race (moment of silence), or even the 'special' paint schemes that both the teams and their fans find exciting.

Having said all of that, what is to be expected as we honor America on the wake of 9/11?

What you will see tonight:

-Several 'special' paint schemes (Kyle Busch- Red, White, and Blue Flag Car; Ryan Newman- 'Victims of Pentagon Attack' scheme; several more).

-Special moment of silence will take place for the MRN/ESPN broadcast, as well as the entire Richmond International Raceway (Note- I won't be tweeting during laps 9-11, which is when the moment of silence will take place)

It is an honor and a blessing to be an American, something we should all take a lot of pride in. So why not unite like we did during those tragic days of September 2001?

So, as we watch some exciting racing from Richmond, let's pause and remember those whom are still serving to protect our freedoms and provide safety to meet our daily needs. These are some troubled times, which we can look onto a sport like NASCAR to 'ease' the reminders of that dark/gloomy day.

NNS: Kyle Busch Holds On To Win At Richmond, Again

Ted  Seminara

By Nathan Butler

If I were to tell you Kyle Busch would go on to win at Richmond, out of all places, would you believe me? Probably the most dominant driver in the last five years at Richmond International Raceway, Busch went on to secure yet another NASCAR Nationwide Series win Friday night.

Tonight's victory was the fourth victory and 12th top-10 finish in 15 races at Richmond, not to mention this was his 51st career NASCAR Nationwide Series victory.

As to be expected at Richmond or any other short track, tempers were flared, and hopes were gone for some drivers as the race went on. But isn't that "Racing to Perfection" as Richmond proudly displays? That's what we live for, right?

Trevor Bayne was probably the most vocal late Friday night, as he expressed his displeasure with Kevin Harvick, but there is more to that story than just listening to the transcripts.

Harvick was involved with some drama of his own when he got into Leffler, sending the opposing car straight into the wall. Whether you believe it was intentional or not is irrelevant, the key is that it happened.

NSCS: Cup Chase Scenarios - Nathan Butler

What other sport could possibly have 14 drivers (teams) battling it out for a final race (event) in hopes of winning a championship? NASCAR has made one of the more impressive moves over last season by changing the points system to better fit a ‘playoff’ style feel.

Needless to say, Carl Edwards even agrees with the notion that we may not know who the champion will be until Homestead, what more could the NASCAR fan want?

Clinched

-A total of nine drivers have clinched in this year’s Chase, starting with the defending 5-time champion, Jimmie Johnson. Along with Johnson, there are: Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Ryan Newman

Up In The Air

There are a total of four drivers who could desperately use a ‘date’ with luck to continue their pursuit for the Cup:

-Dale Earnhardt Jr.- Needs to finish P20 or better Saturday night

-Tony Stewart- Needs to finish P18 or better, which might be a much simpler task than you might think.

-Denny Hamlin and Paul Menard- Both are in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase with a win.

My money would be on Hamlin this week, but that’s just me.

This season has set up the perfect scenario that will have race fans sitting on the edge of their seat, which we will see our first taste of that this week.

Could we possibly have that ‘NFL playoffs’ feel we had been longing for? If so, NASCAR may not have to worry about fans switching over to football during the latter part of the season.

Reutimann Has Found His ‘Groove’ At Richmond; Will Lead Field To Green- Nathan Butler

NSCS: Reutimann Has Found His ‘Groove’ At Richmond; Will Lead Field To Green

By Nathan Butler

David Reutimann will score a pole position for tomorrow night's running of Wonderful Pistachios 400, beating out many names that have dominated this track we have all come to enjoy, Richmond International Raceway.

With a fast time of 21.817 seconds, Reutimann surpassed drivers like Jamie McMurray, Jimmie Johnson, and Mark Martin. But there are many other story lines that took place late Friday afternoon.

The 411: Race No. 26

Wonderful Pistachios 400

The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season comes to a close this Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. Nine of 12 tickets have been punched to the big dance, with 3 drivers holding their 2011 Chase destinies in the palms of their hands.

The top eight drivers in points – Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Ryan Newman have all sealed up a spot in the top-10 heading into Chicago next weekend. Brad Keselowski is the other driver with an invitation to race for the 2011 Sprint Cup Series Driver’s Championship, with at least a Wild Card clinched.

Mathematically, there are an astonishing 14 drivers still with at least a glimmer of hope of making the 2011 Chase field. The previous record for drivers NOT-mathematically eliminated from Chase contention heading into Richmond was seven, dating back to 2005.

Although there are 14 with still a fighting chance at The Chase, there are five drivers with realistic hopes at racing for The Sprint Cup in 2011:

Jeff Gordon: Victory No. 85 Adds To Legend

Win Puts ‘Four-Time’ Alone In Third On All-Time Wins List, On Top Of Modern Era (1972-Present) List

Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 6, 2011) – Further cementing his legendary status, Jeff Gordon won the AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his 85th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. With the historic milestone win, Gordon took sole possession of third on the all-time series wins list. Only Richard Petty (200 wins) and David Pearson (105) have more.

“I have always liked him as a driver,” said Pearson, next on Gordon’s march up the wins list. “He is smart, takes care of his equipment and when it is time to go, he gets right up there with them. Reminds me some of the way I drove. … He has been the ‘head honcho’ for a long time in NASCAR. He was good out of the box and has been very good ever since.”

Gordon also became the Modern Era (1972-Present) wins leader, breaking a tie with Darrell Waltrip. (Note: “Modern Era” refers to the period in NASCAR Sprint Cup history when NASCAR shortened the schedule from as many as 62 races in 1964 to the 31-race schedule of 1972. Race numbers fluctuated between 28 and 36 since 1972.)

Kansas Speedway Announces 2012 NASCAR Race Dates

Spring event moved to accommodate track improvements

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Sept. 2, 2011) - Kansas Speedway officials announced today that the facility will again host two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekends in 2012, albeit both will be held on different surfaces, and the spring event weekend has moved to April to ensure the recently announced track improvements are completed.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns with the inaugural SFP 250 on Saturday, April 21 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns with the STP 400 on April 22, 2012, which will be the final race at the facility under its current design and with the current racing surface.

When NASCAR returns to Kansas Speedway for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Kansas Lottery 300 on Oct. 20 and the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Hollywood Casino 400 on Oct. 21, 2012, race teams will need to throw out the notes they have cultivated over the past decade at the facility and prepare for a new racing surface that includes banking up to 20 degrees.

Remaining 2011 events at Kansas Speedway include the Hollywood Casino 400 on Oct. 9, the Kansas Lottery 300 on Oct. 8 and the Kansas Lottery 98.9 on Oct. 7 and tickets for all events are on sale now by calling 866.460.RACE (7223) or by logging onto http://www.kansasspeedway.com www.kansasspeedway.com. Parking is always free at Kansas Speedway and fans can bring in one 14x14x14-inch soft-sided cooler with their favorite food and beverages.

Storyboard: Atlanta

The drama of the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points system is quickly coming to a point, and this week’s race at Atlanta will only add to the scramble.

Five of the twelve spots have been locked up for the Chase for the Sprint Cup already with Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, and Kevin Harvick have all punched their tickets to the big dance. Harvick has locked in at least a Wild Card spot but will likely seal a top-10 spot this weekend, activating his three bonus points per win during the final ten races of 2011.

Three other spots in the Chase are likely to be punched this weekend at Atlanta with Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, and Kurt Busch with their Chase hopes resting in their own hands – finish strong, make it in – wreck on lap 2, gut it out until Richmond.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports extend relationship

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 1, 2011) – Hendrick Motorsports and driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. have agreed to a five-year contract extension that will keep Earnhardt behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolets through the end of the 2017 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

“We’re excited to have everything formalized and announced,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “Junior and I had a handshake agreement months ago, and we let other people work out the finer points from there. It was as simple and smooth as it gets.

“My feelings haven’t changed since the day he first signed with us. I’m committed as ever to putting him in the best possible situation to be successful and compete for wins and championships.”

Earnhardt, 36, has earned 18 Sprint Cup race wins since joining the circuit full-time in 2000. The Kannapolis, N.C., native has won the Daytona 500, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and two Nationwide Series championships. In NASCAR’s national touring series, he has a combined 41 points-paying victories.

Keselowski Overcomes Injury for Pocono Upset

By Gary Buchanan

The Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono looked like it may never get started and Brad Keselowski, who had injured his ankle in testing recently, looked like he could not possibly drive the entire 500 miles. On Thursday as the Truck teams were coming into the track, a hauler knocked down the flag stand. Friday, the track had to go to a lift truck as a back up. On Friday night they put up a temporary flag stand. On Saturday, the Camping World Truck Series Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service 125 only managed to get 13 laps in before the summer torrential rains came and Nascar Officials had to move both the Truck race and the Arca Race to Sunday morning before the Cup race began.

Sunday race day morning was still wet when the drivers and teams got to the track, but with Jet Dryers and coffee in the morning, the track was soon dry enough for the Truck teams to resume at 9:00 and Kevin Harvick dominated to bring home a win with Kyle Busch a close second.

Leadership changes at Pocono Raceway

By Gary Buchanan

Today an emotional Doc Mattioli, the President and patriarch of the Pocono Raceway for 50 years, announced he was resigning all of his positions at the Speedway today. With his Wife, Rose, by his side Doc announced that his oldest grandson, Brandon Igdalsy, age 35, would take over as President and CEO effective today.

Brandon’s younger brother, Nicholas Igdalsy,age 33, will become the Chief Operating Officer and

Executive Vice President while his sister, Ashley Igdalsky, age 30, will become the Secretary/ Treasurer of the corporation.

When asked how long Doc had thought about the decision to step down he replied. “ Oh gosh, I don’t really know. It was something that just evolved and evolved and evolved. When I realized that my three grandchildren are capable than I started thinking heavily about it. They’re really three super kids right here, and we have a lot of confidence in them.”

While he may be turning over the operation and control to his grandchildren, Doc and Rose Mattioli have set the corporation up so the track can not be sold while either of them are alive. In fact, Rose Mattioli will sit on an executive committee with the three grandchildren along with their accountant and as Doc says “the executive committee really and truly does run Pocono Raceway”.

Doc said of his last 50 years of running one of the last family owned Nascar tracks in America, “it has been a nice trip. And I feel very happy and lucky to have these three kids. We’ll continue on from here and I’m quite sure that they will take care of you guys as I did and hope to do in a proper way. An now I say with the three grandchildren we’ve had a pretty good time. “

Dillon Breaks Sophomore Slump at Nashville

By Roger Faulkner

“Pawpaw warned me about the Sophomre slump, but I didn’t believe it until I was in it.” explained Austin Dillon as he addressed the media after his first win of 2011. He was in a slump compared to wins, but he was far from a down and out driver as he consistently runs up front each week.

Young Dillon made his intentions clear as he captured the pole for the Lucas Deep Clean 200 at Nashville Superspeedway on Friday afternoon. When the green flag dropped Friday night, he charged ahead to lead the field for the first 29 laps before giving way to Timothy Peters.

Throughout the night Dillon battled hard with Peters, Johnny Sauter, Ron Hornaday and teammate Joey Coulter to stay up front and in contention for the win. Four times Dillon charged to the lead, but the most important one was when he got past Sauter to lead the final 23 laps, including the checkered flag.

After his burnout on the front stretch Dillon exited his car and ran to the infield grass as he dove into the Camping World Series logo. It wasn’t a pretty slide and he nearly flipped over as his head and shoulders dug into the grass, but it was something different. One would not confuse this for the Carl Edwards back flip, but as he said later, “ I was , pretty good at the ‘Slip and Slide’ when I was a kid and I was looking for some kind of a signature celebration.”

This was Dillons first win and his sixth top 10 of the 2011 season putting within 18 points of series leader Sauter. Finishing behind Dillon were Peters, Sauter, Nelson Piquet Jr, Parker Kligerman (5th), Todd Bodine, James Buescher, David Starr, Elliott Sadler and Joey Coulter rounding out the top 10.

Four drivers from Friday’s Truck race will be on hand for qualifying for Saturday’s federated Auto Parts 300, they are Dillon, Sadler, Jennifer Jo Cobb and Johnny Chapman.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Nationwide New England 200 Race

By Gary Buchanan

On a very warm and beautiful New England afternoon in Loudon, New Hampsire, Brad Keselowski ,in the Ruby Tuesday Dodge, took the pole for the 22^nd New England 200. His lead was short lived, however, as Kevin Harvick took the lead away on the very first lap and held that position for the next 33 laps.

By the 25^th lap, it was Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski pulling away from the pack. On lap Lap 33, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with a little bit of help spun to the inside of the track off of turn 4 and brought out the first caution of the race.

The leaders pitted to make much needed changes and get new tires with some teams experimenting with two tires and some taking four tires to see what was the magic formula to track position and winning the lobster and trophy at the end of this race. Karl Edwards and Trevor Bayne won the pit road chase and restated 1 and 2 on lap 38.

At the lap 50, it was Treavor Bayne, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Aric Amirola, Kasey Kahne, Read Sorenison, and Jason Leffler filling out the top 10.

Lap 56, Carl Edwards hit pit road with an engine failure and retired from the race a few laps later Jennifer Jo Cobb also retired from the race also for an engine failure.

Lap 75, it was Treavor Bayne, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski , Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Reed Sorenson, Aric Amirola, Kasey Kahne, Jason Leffler, and Justin Allgaier filling out the top 10.

Lap 95 caution came out for debris on the track at turn 3 with the running order Treavor Bayne, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski , Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Reed Sorenson, Aric Amirola, Kasey Kahne, Jason Leffler, and Justin Allgaier filling out the top 10.

After pit stops at lap as they went green on lap 100, the running order was, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski , Treavor Bayne, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Reed Sorenson, Aric Amirola, Kasey Kahne, Jason Leffler, and Elliott Sadler filling out the top 10.

Lap 102 Aric Almirola nearly wrecked and the 30 of Mikey Kile gets into the outside wall on turn 4 and brought out the caution.

At the drop of the green on lap 104, Jason Leffler in the 38 Great Clips car was hooked into the wall in turn 3 by Steven Wallace in the 5 Hour Energy car. A very unhappy Leffler brought out the caution once again and retired from the race with a badly damaged car.

Lap 111 they went back to green with furious racing on hot tires and even hotter drivers. Lap 116, Derick Cope in the 28 Maxelence.com Chevrolet blew an engine and brought out another caution.

During these pit stops, some teams tried fuel only for a strategy to gain track position. Brad Keselowski’s crew chief said they were good to go to the end of the race on fuel and tires. The cars restarted at lap 125 with the top 4 not pitting during the caution. The leaders, Kenny Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Mikey Kite, Jeremy Clements, Brad Keselowski the first car that pitted, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Trevor Bayne, and Elliott Sadler filling out the top 10.

By lap 130, Brad Keselowski, took the lead back for the first time of the race. Jason Leffler returned to the race on lap 133 in the “rambling wreck, from Georgia Tech”. A car that was loose and mostly taped together.

With 50 laps to go it was Brad Keselowski, Rick Stenhouse Jr. , Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Trevor Bayne, Reed Sorenson, Michael Annett, Kenny Wallace and, Kasey Kahne filled out the top 10.

With 40 laps to go the leaders were Rick Stenhouse Jr. , Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Trevor Bayne, Brad Keselowski, Reed Sorenson, Michael Annett, Steven Wallace and, Aric Almirola filled out the top 10.

Debris on the front stretch brought out the caution with just 34 laps to go. The top 5 stayed on the track and a lot of the rest of the field pitted to try to find something to help them finish in the lead.

The field restarted with just 28 laps to go Rick Stenhouse Jr. , Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Trevor Bayne,Michael Annett, Steven Wallace, Brian Scott Justin Allgaier, and Mike Bliss completed the top 10.

The restart was a crazy 3 wide and some times 4 wide for the next several laps. Surprisingly without a caution. With 26 laps to go, Kyle Busch took the lead and started driving away.

With 15 to go, Steven Wallace was involved in another wreck that took tagged Kasey Kahne as well as several other cars including his uncle Mike Wallace.

With 6 laps to go, Steven Wallace himself was spun and the race ended up under a green white checker. Kyle Busch pushed past Kevin Harvick to take the lead with two laps to go and to finish with his 49^th nationwide win to tie Mark Martin for the most wins in the series.

The final grid was Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola, Kenny Wallace, Michael Annett, Brad Keselowski, Steven Wallace, and Justin Allgaier finished the top 10.

STATEMENT FROM KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY TO FANS

Statement from Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark Simendinger regarding yesterday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series "Quaker State 400" traffic:

"Kentucky Speedway regrets the traffic conditions surrounding the ‘Quaker State 400.’ We’re committed to working with NASCAR, state and local officials and traffic experts to assure that this never happens again. The details of these improvements will be announced over time as they are formulated.

“We also recognize the traffic problems resulted in some fans not being able to attend the ‘Quaker State 400.’ We are gathering information on this and will announce a policy for these affected fans within seven days.

“Our ‘Quaker State 400’ ticket holders are invited to share their experiences with us through fans@kentuckyspeedway.com. We thank all our fans for giving the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series such a great welcome to our venue.”

Kyle Busch Wins Inaugural race at Kentucky

By Shaun Burke

At the conclusion of the inaugural Quaker State 400, it appears Kyle Busch will be about the only person that remembers this race in a positive manor.
After dealing with traffic problems all day, lack of on-track action prompted many fans to leave the track and sit in traffic in a futile attempt to get home early.
Per usual of races lately, there was a great two lap shootout between Busch, David Reutimann and Jimmie Johnson which prompted fans standing on the feet in eager anticipation.
Reutimann finished second followed by Johnson. Coming home fourth was Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards was fifth.
After a late race caution jumbled up the field, points leader Kevin Harvick finished 16th and lost the points lead to Kyle Busch. Busch now leads by 4 over Carl Edwards. Rounding out the top five in points are Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson.
Next week New Hampshire hosts the Sprint Cup Series and hopes they can provide some on-track excitement.

Kentucky's first Cup date comes with headaches

By Shaun Burke

After talking to a few fans it became apparent many are not impressed with the inaugural Quaker State 400. The most significant complaint about the race weekend was the traffic.

It became apparent during last night’s Nationwide race that Kentucky Speedway had a traffic problem. As the green flag for the Feed The Children 300 flew, thousands of fans were sitting in their cars on Interstate 71 listening on the radio. While the track has hosted Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series for ten years, this is the track’s first weekend hosting a Sprint Cup race.

In preparation for the event, Kentucky Speedway added several thousand seats. The unfortunate thing they did not build additional parking spots. The lack of parking caused a massive traffic jam which spread for miles on all incoming roads. Additionally, when you get to a parking lot, there are barricades up all around the lots meaning there is only one way in and one way out of each lot.

Personally, it took myself four hours to arrive at Kentucky Speedway. I left my hotel in Cincinnati at 10:30 EST for my trek to the Speedway. As traffic began backing up about eight miles from the track, I exited and took an alternative route which took me along some beautiful country roads. All appeared great until I got about 2 miles away from the track. Traffic began backing up and the waiting game began. I proceeded to move less than a mile in an hour and a half. It was at this time, I saw a guy selling parking spots in his front yard. I decided to park the car and take to foot.

As I was walking to media center, I began reading tweets from some of the cup drivers. Denny Hamlin, Landon Cassill and Andy Lally all tweeted about traffic woes. I also encountered something I never imagined I would see: Bruton Smith was at an intersection talking on the radio attempting to get another lane of traffic open.

Traffic wasn’t the only complaint on fans minds. I spoke with a fan at the tweet-up that told me there was a line with 20-30 people waiting for a porta potty. She said instead of toilet banks, they had just two or three toilets together and that they were overflowing.

In the end, Kentucky Speedway will learn and fix this problem. It’s important to remember this is Kentucky’s first Cup date and that SMI has owned the track for just over a year. I have faith Bruton Smith and all the folks at Kentucky Speedway will fix the problem and next season will go much smoother.