Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Daytona International Speedway:

Daytona International Speedway:



History
· Groundbreaking for Daytona International Speedway was Nov. 25, 1957. The soil underneath the banked corners was dug from the infield of the track and the hole filled with water. It is now known as Lake Lloyd.
 The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona was a 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, 1959.
· Richard Petty won his 200th career race on July 4, 1984 at Daytona.
· Lights were installed in the spring of 1998. However, the race was delayed until October that year due to thick smoke from wildfires. The second Daytona race has been held under lights ever since.
· For only the second time in its history, Daytona International Speedway was repaved in 2010. The project began on Monday, July 5, 2010.


Notebook
· There have been 128 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since the track hosted its first race in 1959: 53 have been 500 miles, 48 were 400 miles and four 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifying races that were points races.
· Fireball Roberts won the inaugural pole at Daytona.
· Bob Welborn won the first race at Daytona, the 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500.
· Lee Petty won the first Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959.
· Fireball Roberts won the first 400-mile race at Daytona, the 1963 Firecracker 400.
· 53 drivers have posted poles; 20 have more than one.
· Cale Yarborough leads all drivers with 12 poles.
· Bill Elliott leads all active drivers with five poles; followed by Jeff Gordon and Ken Schrader, with three.
· 55 drivers have won a race; 26 have won more than once.
· Richard Petty leads all drivers in victories, with 10.
· Jeff Gordon has six victories, more than any other active driver.
 The Wood Brothers have won 15 races at Daytona, more than any other car owner.
· 17 full-length races at Daytona have been won from the pole, including last year’s Coke Zero 400, won by polesitter Kevin Harvick.
· A driver has swept both races at Daytona only four times, most recently by Bobby Allison, in 1982.
· The last 11 Daytona races that finished under green have had a margin of victory under a half second.


NASCAR in Florida
· There have been 166 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Florida.
· 161 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Florida.
· There have been nine race winners from Florida in NASCAR’s three national series:


Daytona International Speedway Data
Race #: 17 of 36 (7-2-11)
Track Size: 2.5 miles
Race Length: 400 miles (160 laps)
Banking/Corners: 31 degrees
Banking/Straights: 3 degrees
Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees


Driver Rating at Daytona
Trevor Bayne** 108.2
Tony Stewart 100.6
Kyle Busch 98.3
Kurt Busch 96.4
Jeff Gordon 89.6
Clint Bowyer 89.1
Matt Kenseth 87.9
Jimmie Johnson 87.9
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 87.3
Carl Edwards 85.7
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (13 total) at Daytona.
** Indicates the driver has only competed in one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway.


Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: None (inclement weather)
2010 race winner: Kevin Harvick (135.719 mph, 7-3-10)
Qualifying record: Bill Elliott (210.364 mph, 42.783 seconds, 2-9-87)
Race record: Bobby Allison (173.473 mph, 7-4-80)


DAYTONA DATA

Daytona International Speedway
TRACK RECORDS
Most Wins: 10 – Richard Petty
Most Poles: 12 – Cale Yarborough
Most Top Fives: 28 – Richard Petty
Most Top 10s: 37 – Richard Petty
Most Lead Changes: 60 – 2/17/74
Fewest Lead Changes: 6 – 2 times,
most recently 7/16/02 (non-qualifying races)
Most Leaders: 21 – 2/14/10
Fewest Leaders: 1 – 4 times, most recently 2/22/63
Most Cautions: 12 – 7/1/89
Fewest Cautions: 0 – 7 times, most recently 2/18/62
Most Caution Laps: 60 – 2/25/68
Fewest Caution Laps: 0 – 7 times, most recently 2/18/62
Most on the Lead Lap: 34 – 7/1/06
Fewest on the Lead Lap: 1 – 8 times,
most recently 2/15/76
Most Running at the Finish: 41 – 2 times,
most recently 7/7/07
Fewest Running at the Finish: 11 – 7/4/63
Most Laps Led by a Race Winner: 184 – 2/23/64
Fewest Laps Led by a Race Winner: 1 – 4 times,
most recently 7/2/94
Most Wins by a Manufacturer: 40 – Chevrolet
Closest Margin of Victory: 0.005 Seconds – 7/7/07
Greatest Margin of Victory: 4.102 Seconds – 7/5/03
Margins of Victory under electronic timing since 1993.


STARTING POSITIONS OF RACE WINNERS


Races won from Pos. No. 1...............25
Races won from Pos. No. 2...............19
Races won from Pos. No. 3...............11
Races won from Pos. No. 4...............11
Races won from Pos. No. 5.................3
Races won from Pos. No. 6.................7
Races won from Pos. No. 7.................7
Races won from Pos. No. 8.................6
Races won from Pos. No. 9...............10
Races won from Pos. No. 10...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 11...............2
Races won from Pos. No. 12...............4
Races won from Pos. No. 13...............4
Races won from Pos. No. 14...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 15...............5
Races won from Pos. No. 19...............4
Races won from Pos. No. 21...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 30...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 32...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 33...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 34...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 38...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 39...............1
RACES WON FROM POLE (17 of 104)
Fireball Roberts ..................1959, 1962
Jack Smith ...................................1960
Richard Petty ................................1966
Cale Yarborough........1968, 1981, 1984
David Pearson ..............................1974
Buddy Baker.................................1980
Bill Elliott ............................1985, 1987
Jeff Gordon.........................1999, 2004
Dale Jarrett ..................................2000
Tony Stewart ......................2005, 2009
Kevin Harvick ...............................2010
DAYTONA QUALIFYING RACE (1959-71)
WINS FROM POLE (8 of 23)
Fireball Roberts ..................1961, 1962
Darel Dieringer .............................1965
Cale Yarborough ...........................1970
B. Issac.........................................1969
Junior Johnson.............................1965
Joe Weatherly...............................1961
Jack Smith ...................................1960


Note: From 1959-71 qualifying event winners were credited with a points-paying series win.
From 1959-67 qualifying event distance was 100 miles.
 From 1968-2003 qualifying event distance was 125 miles.
 Startingin 2005 qualifying event distance was150 miles.


POLE WINNERS


Cale Yarborough ...........................12
Fireball Roberts ..............................6
Buddy Baker ...................................5
Bill Elliott ........................................5
Donnie Allison .................................4
Dale Jarrett ....................................4
Sterling Marlin ................................4
Darel Dieringer ...............................3
Dale Earnhardt ................................3
Jeff Gordon .....................................3
Ken Schrader ..................................3
Bobby Allison ..................................2
Davey Allison ..................................2
A.J. Foyt .........................................2
Bobby Isaac ....................................2
Jimmie Johnson .............................2
Bobby Labonte ...............................2
Mark Martin ....................................2
David Pearson ................................2
Mike Skinner ..................................2
Loy Allen Jr ....................................1
Greg Biffle ......................................1
Geoffrey Bodine ..............................1
Neil Bonnett ....................................1
Jeff Burton .....................................1
David Gilliland ................................1
Charlie Glotzbach ............................1
Paul Goldsmith ...............................1
Jeff Green ......................................1
Kevin Harvick .................................1
Ernie Irvan ......................................1
Junior Johnson ...............................1
Banjo Matthews ..............................1
Paul Menard ...................................1
Joe Nemechek ...............................1
Cotton Owens .................................1
Marvin Panch .................................1
Steve Park ......................................1
Benny Parsons ................................1
Kyle Petty .......................................1
Richard Petty ..................................1
Ricky Rudd .....................................1
Greg Sacks .....................................1
Boris Said .......................................1
Jack Smith .....................................1
Tony Stewart ..................................1
Ramo Stott .....................................1
Martin Truex Jr ...............................1
Curtis Turner ...................................1
Darrell Waltrip .................................1
Bob Welborn ...................................1
LeeRoy Yarbrough ...........................1

RACE WINNERS

Richard Petty ................................10
Cale Yarborough .............................9
David Pearson ................................8
Fireball Roberts ..............................7
Bobby Allison ..................................6
Jeff Gordon .....................................6
Bill Elliott ........................................4
Dale Jarrett ....................................4
Junior Johnson ...............................4
Dale Earnhardt ................................3
A.J. Foyt .........................................3
Bobby Isaac ....................................3
Sterling Marlin ................................3
Tony Stewart ..................................3
Michael Waltrip ...............................3
LeeRoy Yarbrough ...........................3
Davey Allison ..................................2
Buddy Baker ...................................2
Dale Earnhardt Jr ...........................2
Pete Hamilton .................................2
Kevin Harvick .................................2
Ernie Irvan ......................................2
Fred Lorenzen ................................2
Jamie McMurray ............................2
Jack Smith .....................................2
Joe Weatherly .................................2
Donnie Allison .................................1
John Andretti ..................................1
Mario Andretti .................................1
Earl Balmer .....................................1
Greg Biffle ......................................1
Geoffrey Bodine ..............................1
Neil Bonnett ....................................1
Jeff Burton .....................................1
Ward Burton ...................................1
Kyle Busch .....................................1
Derrike Cope ..................................1
Darel Dieringer ...............................1
Charlie Glotzbach............................ 1
Paul Goldsmith ...............................1
Jimmie Johnson .............................1
Matt Kenseth ..................................1
Tiny Lund .......................................1
Sam McQuagg ................................1
Ryan Newman ................................1
Marvin Panch .................................1
Benny Parsons ................................1
Lee Petty ........................................1
Tim Richmond ................................1
Johnny Rutherford ..........................1
Greg Sacks .....................................1
Jimmy Spencer ..............................1
Darrell Waltrip .................................1
Bob Welborn ...................................1

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Geico becomes title sponsor at Chicagoland

Business of NASCAR: Geico becomes title sponsor at Chicagoland

By Tripp Mickle
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(June 28, 2011)
Geico has signed a three-year deal to title sponsor Chicagoland Speedway's fall Sprint Cup Series race.
The deal gives Geico significant exposure in one of the nation's largest media markets and a high-profile position as the naming-rights partner for the first race in the Chase for the NASACAR Sprint Cup. It's the first time the company has done a naming-rights agreement in any sport.
Terms of the deal weren't available, but race title sponsorships typically sell for around $1 million a year. Sources said the Geico deal was backloaded so that the company would pay less this year and more in the final two years of the deal. It includes marketing and promotional commitments.
"We've had a history of B2B title partners, and we're excited to have a consumer partner,” Chicagoland president Scott Paddock said. "We're excited about their history and commitment to activation. The media and promotional support of this is going to be outstanding. They understand the opportunity this platform provides for them and are putting a very attractive amount of resources behind it.”
The deal is Geico's second this year with International Speedway Corp., which owns Chicagoland and 11 other Sprint Cup Series tracks. It previously signed a five-year, seven-track sponsorship at ISC-owned campsites. The company underindexes in the Chicago market where competitors Allstate and State Farm have headquarters.
The race sponsorship extends Geico's spending in sports. The company is the leading sports spender in the insurance category. It increased its sports spending by 30 percent in 2010 to $216 million.
Geico has not made a commitment to buy media for the race. That is sold separately by ESPN, which will televise the race. The company has bought advertising to support other sports sponsorships such as its deal with the NHL, which it supported with a series of NHL-specific spots on NBC during the Stanley Cup Finals.
The deal with Geico closes out one of three open race title sponsorships for ISC. The company is in final negotiations on deals for Richmond and Talladega and expects to finalize deals later this summer.

Tripp Mickle is a reporter with SportsBusiness Journal.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Business of NASCAR: ESPN, Michigan track collaborate on title sponsor

Business of NASCAR: ESPN, Michigan track collaborate on title sponsor


By Tripp Mickle
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(June 22, 2011)

Michigan International Speedway and ESPN collaborated to sign Michigan 's tourism bureau to one of the first packages to include a NASCAR race title sponsorship and media sponsorship.
The one-year deal, which was announced Sunday, is valued in the low seven figures and makes Pure Michigan the title sponsor of Michigan International Speedway's Aug. 21 Sprint Cup Series race. The race title sponsorship is worth $400,000 to $600,000, and the media rights during ESPN's telecast of the race are also valued in the mid- to high six figures.
The combined sale represents a shift in NASCAR. Historically, tracks sold title sponsorships independently and then handed sponsors over to networks that sold a supporting ad buy. If a title partner passed on buying TV time, a network would sell a presenting sponsorship for the race broadcast to another corporation and limit or even eliminate on-air references to the track's title partner. As a result, spectators might attend the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway while viewers watched the Texas 500 presented by GoDaddy from Texas Motor Speedway on ESPN.
In the case of the deal with Pure Michigan, the speedway and ESPN pitched the network together. The Michigan tourism bureau then negotiated a race title sponsorship with the speedway, while its agency negotiated a media package with ESPN. Both the track and the network sacrificed some money they typically get for those deals, but both wound up with a partner they believe will derive more value from the relationship because of the complementary on-site and media assets.
"If we collaborate and are willing to give a bit, you get huge wins out of it," said Terry Kalna, managing director, partnership sales and marketing sales, at International Speedway Corp., which owns MIS and 12 other Sprint Cup Series tracks. "It's good for the industry and shows what the maximum value a race entitlement is when you own the race and the media."
Though the deal is a one-year agreement, the Michigan tourism group has indicated that it could be interested in extending it. The organization has a $28.5 million budget in 2011 and is in the midst of a national cable TV campaign that targets potential vacationers across the country.
"Sixty percent of our fans come from out of state, and this is a great fit," track president Roger Curtis said. "It's an awesome opportunity to talk to folks coming from around the Midwest , and Pure Michigan recognized that."
Tripp Mickle is a reporter with SportsBusiness Journal.



Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Infineon Raceway:

Infineon Raceway:


History
· The track opened as a 2.52-mile road course and drag strip in 1968.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was held in 1989.
· The first nine races were 300 kilometers and switched to a 350k format in 1998.
· The track was reconfigured to 1.949 miles in 1998 with the installation of an 890-foot chute between the original Turns 4 and 7.
· The track was reconfigured to 2.0 miles in 2001 and re-measured at 1.99 miles in 2002.

Notebook
· There have been 22 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Infineon Raceway since the first race there in 1989.
· Rusty Wallace won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole.
· Ricky Rudd won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
· 13 different drivers have won poles; only four have won more than one.
· Jeff Gordon (five) leads all pole winners. Ricky Rudd has four, including three consecutive (1990-92), Rusty Wallace and Kasey Kahne have two apiece.
· There have been consecutive pole winners three times: Ricky Rudd (1990-92) and Jeff Gordon (1998-99 and 2004-05).
· 14 different drivers have won races; five have multiple victories there – led by Jeff Gordon with five. Ernie Irvan, Ricky Rudd, Tony Stewart and Rusty Wallace (all with two) are the other multiple-race winners.
· Jeff Gordon is also the only driver with consecutive wins, winning in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
· Five of 22 races have been won by the pole winner, including three times by Jeff Gordon. His victory from the pole in 2004 is the most recent.
· The lowest starting position by a race winner was 32nd, by Juan Pablo Montoya; it also was his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win.
· Boris Said posted his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole.
· Jeff Gordon is the all-time leader in road-course victories, with nine. Tony Stewart is second, with seven.

NASCAR in California
· There have been 130 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in California.
· 417 drivers from NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as California.
· There have been 33 race winners from California in NASCAR three national series:

Infineon Raceway Data
Race #: 16 of 36 (6-26-11)
Track Size: 1.99 miles
Race Length: 110 laps/219 miles/352 kilometers

Driver Rating at Infineon Raceway
Tony Stewart 110.4
Juan Pablo Montoya 108.6
Marcos Ambrose 108.4
Jeff Gordon 100.2
Kurt Busch 100.0
Ryan Newman 96.3
Jimmie Johnson 91.7
Kyle Busch 91.3
Boris Said 90.0
Robby Gordon 88.3
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2010 races (six total) at Infineon Raceway.

Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Kasey Kahne (93.893 mph, 76.300 seconds)
2010 race winner: Jimmie Johnson, 74.357 mph, 6-20-10)
Track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon (94.325 mph, 75.950 seconds, 6-24-05)
Track race record: Ricky Rudd (81.007 mph, 6-23-02)

INFINEON DATA

TRACK RECORDS



Most Wins: 5 – Jeff Gordon
Most Poles: 5 – Jeff Gordon
Most Top Fives: 11 – Jeff Gordon
Most Top 10s: 14 – Jeff Gordon
Most Lead Changes: 12 – 6/20/10
Fewest Lead Changes: 3 – 6/11/89
Most Leaders: 9 – 2 times, most recently 6/23/02
Fewest Leaders: 3 – 6/11/89
Most Cautions: 9 – 6/10/90
Fewest Cautions: 3 – 4 times, most recently 6/23/02
Most Caution Laps: 26 – 6/27/99
Fewest Caution Laps: 7 – 6/7/92
Most on the Lead Lap: 36 – 6/21/09
Fewest on the Lead Lap: 14 – 2 times,
most recently 5/16/93
Most Running at the Finish: 42 – 2 times,
most recently 6/26/05
Fewest Running at the Finish: 33 – 5/16/93
Most Laps Led by a Race Winner: 92 – 6/27/04
Fewest Laps Led by a Race Winner: 2 – 2 times,
most recently 5/7/95
Most Wins by a Manufacturer: 10 – Chevrolet
Closest Margin of Victory: 0.197 Seconds – 6/27/99
Greatest Margin of Victory: 9.560 Seconds – 5/15/94
Margins of Victory under electronic timing since 1993.

STARTING POSITIONS OF RACE WINNERS

Races won from Pos. No. 1.................5
Races won from Pos. No. 2.................3
Races won from Pos. No. 3.................2
Races won from Pos. No. 4.................2
Races won from Pos. No. 5.................2
Races won from Pos. No. 7.................3
Races won from Pos. No. 11...............2
Races won from Pos. No. 13...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 30...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 32...............1
RACES WON FROM POLE (5 of 22)
Ernie Irvan ....................................1994
Mark Martin..................................1997
Jeff Gordon...............1998, 1999, 2004

POLE WINNERS

Jeff Gordon .....................................5
Ricky Rudd .....................................4
Kasey Kahne ...................................2
Rusty Wallace .................................2
Kurt Busch ......................................1
Dale Earnhardt ................................1
Ernie Irvan ......................................1
Terry Labonte .................................1
Mark Martin ....................................1
Jamie McMurray ............................1
Boris Said .......................................1
Tony Stewart ..................................1
Brian Vickers ..................................1

RACE WINNERS

Jeff Gordon .....................................5
Ernie Irvan ......................................2
Ricky Rudd .....................................2
Tony Stewart ..................................2
Rusty Wallace .................................2
Davey Allison ..................................1
Geoffrey Bodine ..............................1
Kyle Busch .....................................1
Dale Earnhardt ................................1
Robby Gordon .................................1
Jimmie Johnson ..............................1
Kasey Kahne ...................................1
Mark Martin ....................................1
Juan Pablo Montoya .......................1

Dover International Speedway announces a return to its early-June race dates

Dover International Speedway announces a return to its early-June race dates in 2012


New ticket prices also forthcoming

DOVER, Del. – Dover International Speedway officials announced today that the Monster Mile will return to its traditional spring NASCAR race dates at the track, June 1-3, 2012. The fall race weekend will be held on Sept. 28-30, 2012, and will again be part of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Also keeping with the tradition of being the best value in motorsports, Dover International Speedway plans to unveil a new pricing strategy in the coming weeks for its 2012 events that will offer race fans a level of value not seen at the Monster Mile in more than a decade.
The spring weekend will feature the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, while the fall weekend will carry the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
“Fans have been asking for a return to our June date, and we appreciate NASCAR’s help to meet their requests,” said Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. “We’re also excited about offering new and lower ticket price options for our loyal fans next year.”
Tickets for the June 1-3, 2012 race weekend will go on sale to the public on July 5, 2011. Returning fans have the opportunity to renew their same seats for the spring 2012 race weekendNASCAR returns to the Monster Mile Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2011 for the K&N Pro Series East race, the “OneMain Financial 200” NASCAR Nationwide race and the “AAA 400” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.



Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Stock Car Racing North Carolina's Official State Sport

Governor Perdue Signs Bill Making Stock Car Racing
 North Carolina's Official State Sport

CONCORD, N.C. (June 21, 2011) - With the stroke of a pen today at
Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue signed
Senate Bill 322 into law, making stock car racing the official state sport
and adding to the legacy of fabulous firsts at the historic 1.5-mile superspeedway.
Perdue was joined by a host of special guests on hand to watch the
bill signing ceremony, including Marcus Smith, president and general manager
of Charlotte Motor Speedway; NASCAR Hall of Famers Ned Jarrett and BobbyAllison;
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver David Ragan; and a group of fourth
nd fifth grade students from Lake Norman Elementary School and
 Mt. Mourne IB School in Iredell County, who originated the bill. In addition,
12grassroots Legend Car and Bandolero drivers, industry leaders and dignitaries
who are members of the North Carolina Motorsports AdvisoryCouncil and
Charlotte Motor Speedway fans were in attendance.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Stock Car Racing the Official State Sport

Gov. Bev Perdue to Sign Bill Making Stock Car Racing the Official State Sport


Tuesday, June 21 at 11:45 a.m.

What: North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue will be at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Tuesday to sign Senate Bill 322 to make stock car racing the official state sport of
North Carolina.
Ratified last week by the General Assembly,
the bill originated from a group of fourth and fifth grade students from
Lake Norman Elementary School and Mt. Mourne IB School in Iredell County.



Friday, June 17, 2011

Michigan International Speedway Repave Project

When NASCAR comes to Michigan International Speedway next year, the track will sport a completely repaved racing surface, if the project announced Friday goes according to plan.

Michigan will begin the fourth repaving in the history of the two-mile track with the resurfacing of pit road immediately after Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race. The project does not include any reconfiguring of the racetrack, speedway officials said.
Repaving of the racing surface itself will begin after the Aug. 21 Sprint Cup race. The project is scheduled for completion before the NASCAR’s top three divisions return to Michigan next year.
Most drivers were wary about the repaving, because most think the nature of racing is likely to change. Michigan is known for its wide racing surface and use of multiple grooves, and that aspect could be diminished with new asphalt.
“Just like every other racetrack, it will change the grip and the tire combination, which will have an effect on the racing,” Ryan Newman said. “I don’t think we’ve ever gone to a newly surfaced racetrack and run three-wide or had three grooves to work with, so it changes the characteristics of the racing.
“In saying that, it’s something that has to be done for the future of our sport from a safety standpoint. … As a driver, I should say, I never like to see them paved. I love them when they’re old and have character and they’re lacking grip, and we can take a tire there that’s pretty grippy and falls off and that is a good combination for us as drivers, especially for the racing and for the fans.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose last Cup win came at Michigan in June 2008, was more succinct in his assessment of the project, which will cost an estimated $7 million.
“The track’s awesome,” Earnhardt said. “I don’t know why it needs new asphalt. They ought to send that asphalt over to Pocono.”





Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Michigan International Speedway

Michigan International Speedway:


History
· Michigan International Speedway sits on more than 1,400 acres in the “Irish Hills” of Southeastern Michigan. Ground-breaking took place on Sept. 28, 1967.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan was held June 15, 1969.
· The track was known as Michigan Speedway during the time Roger Penske was the primary owner (1996-99).

Notebook
· There have been 83 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Michigan International Speedway since the first race there in 1969. Other than 1973, which had just one race, there have been two races each season since 1969.
· The first race was 500 miles in length; the second was scheduled for 600. The track was re-measured to 2.04 miles for the last race in 1970 and both races in 1971 – with the race distance being 402 miles. All other races have been scheduled for 400 miles.
· Donnie Allison won the first pole.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was won by Cale Yarborough.
· There have been 40 different pole winners, led by David Pearson, with 10.
· 33 different drivers have won races, led by David Pearson (nine); 18 have more than one victory there.
· The race winner has started from the pole 16 times, the most productive starting position. Brian Vickers was the last driver to win from the pole the fall race of 2009.
· 65 of 83 races have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 46 from the first four spots.
 The deepest in the field a race winner has started was 32nd, by Mark Martin in the 2009 June race.
· The Wood Brothers and Roush Fenway Racing both have 11 wins, more than any other car owners.
· Among active drivers, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth average a top-10 finish. Edwards, who has two Michigan wins, has an average finish of 6.3. Edwards’ first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start came at Michigan. Kenseth, who also has two victories, has an average finish of 9.8.

NASCAR in Michigan
· There have been 88 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Michigan.
· 96 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Michigan.
· There have been eight race winners from Michigan in NASCAR’s three national series:

Michigan International Speedway Data
Race # 15 of 36 (6-19-11)
Track Size: 2 miles
· Race Length: 400 miles
· Banking/Corners: 18 degrees
· Banking/Frontstretch: 12 degrees
· Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees

Driver Rating at Michigan
Carl Edwards 110.5
Jimmie Johnson 110.3
Greg Biffle 104.8
Matt Kenseth 101.2
Denny Hamlin 98.3
Tony Stewart 97.9
Jeff Gordon 96.2
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 95.9
Kurt Busch 95.3
Brian Vickers 93.6
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (12 total) at Michigan.

Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Kurt Busch, 189.984 mph, 37.898 seconds
2010 race winner: Denny Hamlin, 156.386 mph, 7-13-10)
Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (194.232 mph, 37.069 seconds, (6-18-05)
Track race record: Dale Jarrett (173.997 mph, 6-13-99)





MICHIGAN TRACK DATA

TRACK RECORDS

Most Wins: 9 – David Pearson
Most Poles: 10 – David Pearson
Most Top Fives: 21 – Cale Yarborough
Most Top 10s: 29 – Bill Elliott, Mark Martin
Most Lead Changes: 65 – 8/16/81
Fewest Lead Changes: 7 – 8/12/84
Most Leaders: 15 – 6/20/82
Fewest Leaders: 5 – 5 times, most recently 8/12/84
Most Cautions: 10 – 8/20/06
Fewest Cautions: 0 – 3 times, most recently 6/13/99
Most Caution Laps: 63 – 8/24/75
Fewest Caution Laps: 0 – 3 times, most recently 6/13/99
Most on the Lead Lap: 37 – 6/18/06
Fewest on the Lead Lap: 2 – 5 times,
most recently 6/15/75
Most Running at the Finish: 41 – 5 times,
most recently 6/17/07
Fewest Running at the Finish: 14 – 6/16/74
Most Laps Led by a Race Winner: 162 – 8/20/89
Fewest Laps Led by a Race Winner: 1 – 6/14/09
Most Wins by a Manufacturer: 31 – Ford
Closest Margin of Victory: 0.085 Seconds – 6/10/01
Greatest Margin of Victory: 8.216 Seconds – 8/22/04
Margins of Victory under electronic timing since 1993.

STARTING POSITIONS OF RACE WINNERS
Races won from Pos. No. 1...............16
Races won from Pos. No. 2.................8
Races won from Pos. No. 3...............10
Races won from Pos. No. 4...............12
Races won from Pos. No. 5.................6
Races won from Pos. No. 6.................1
Races won from Pos. No. 7.................5
Races won from Pos. No. 8.................4
Races won from Pos. No. 9.................1
Races won from Pos. No. 10...............2
Races won from Pos. No. 11...............3
Races won from Pos. No. 12...............2
Races won from Pos. No. 15...............2
Races won from Pos. No. 18...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 19...............2
Races won from Pos. No. 20...............2
Races won from Pos. No. 24...............2
Races won from Pos. No. 25...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 27...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 28...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 32...............1

RACES WON FROM POLE (16 of 83)
David Pearson....1969, 1974, 1976, 1978
Charlie Glotzbach.............................1970
Bobby Allison ...................................1971
Benny Parsons.................................1980
Bill Elliott ....................1984, 1985 (twice)
Donnie Allison..................................1992
Geoffrey Bodine ...............................1994
Bobby Labonte.................................1995
Jeff Gordon......................................2001
Kasey Kahne....................................2006
Brian Vickers....................................2009

Friday, June 10, 2011

New Procedures for Pocono Raceway and Beyond

New Procedures for Pocono Raceway and Beyond



June 9, 2011
Qualifying

Starting this weekend at Pocono Raceway, there will be a slight change in the qualifying procedure for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Qualifying order will still be determined based upon practice speeds – from slowest to fastest – with those times now coming from the first practice session (as opposed to the combined practice sessions). In addition, the qualifying order will no longer be separated between those teams that are locked into the race and those teams that must qualify on speed.

More Shifting Now Available At Pocono: Gear Ratio Changes
For practice, qualifying and the race, all competitors must compete with transmission gear ratios as follows: 1st gear optional; 2nd gear 1.70:1 or greater (1.699 or less will not be permitted); 3rd gear 1.14:1 or greater (1.139 or less will not be permitted); 4th gear must remain 1.00:1. Overdrive ratios will not be permitted.

This is an addendum to the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book which states: Transmission gear ratios between 1.00:1 and 1.28:1 will not be permitted for the remaining forward transmission gears except road course Events. Overdrive gears will not be permitted.

Said John Darby, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director: “There has been some confusion that shifting was not allowed at Pocono, and that isn’t true. The real reason shifting stopped at Pocono was because gear ratios weren’t compatible for shifting. Over the last few years, teams have done it with limited success but not on a consistent basis. So, what we did was change transmission gear ratios to make it easier on engines and give teams a better opportunity to use third gear and shift. Primarily it’s in an effort to allow the drivers to maximize the RPM on each of the three straightaways. When you look at the race track, you instantly see the issue that they’re faced with. The frontstretch is more than 3,700 feet [3,740], the backstretch or the Long Pond Straight is 3,000 [3,055] feet and the short straightaway between the Tunnel Turn and Turn 3 is only 1,780 feet. So consequently [there will be] a straightaway that you don’t get anywhere near your maximum potential RPM. This is all done in an effort to try to even those three straightaways out in the RPM that the engine will attain.”





Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Pocono Raceway:

Pocono Raceway:



History
· Opened in 1968 as a three-quarter-mile track, Pocono Raceway held the first race on the 2.5-mile track in 1971.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was in 1974.


Notebook
· There have been 66 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono Raceway.
· There was one race from 1974 through 1981, and two per year since.
· All NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono have been scheduled for 500 miles.
· Buddy Baker won the first pole.
· There have been 36 different pole winners, including David Pearson who won the pole there in June 1984 but did not race; 16 drivers have more than one pole there.
· The pole has been swept just three times: Bill Elliott (1985), Ken Schrader (1993), Denny Hamlin (2006).
· Richard Petty won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono.
· 29 different drivers have won races at Pocono, led by Bill Elliott, with five victories; 20 drivers have won more than once there.
· There have been six season sweeps at Pocono, the last by Denny Hamlin in 2006.
· Bobby Allison and Tim Richmond each won three consecutive races at Pocono.
· 47 of 66 Pocono races have been won from a top-10 start.
· The June 2005 race was won by Carl Edwards from the 29th starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started.
· Rick Hendrick leads all car owners with 11 Pocono victories.
· Mark Martin leads all drivers in top fives (19) and top 10s (33), but has yet to win at Pocono. His best finish was second, six times (most recently in August 2004).
· Denny Hamlin (8.2) and Jimmie Johnson (9.5) are the only active drivers to average a top-10 finish.


NASCAR in Pennsylvania
· There have been 100 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Pennsylvania.
· 137 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Pennsylvania.
· There are three race winners from Pennsylvania in NASCAR’s three national series:


Pocono Raceway Data
Race #: 14 of 36 (6-12-11)
Track Size: 2.5 mile (200 laps/500miles)
· Banking/Turn 1: 14 degrees
· Banking/Turn 2: 8 degrees
· Banking/Turn 3: 6 degrees
· Frontstretch: 3,740 feet
· Backstretch: 3,055 feet
· Shortstretch: 1,780


Top 10 Driver Ratings at Pocono
Denny Hamlin 119.2
Jimmie Johnson 105.9
Tony Stewart 102.4
Kurt Busch 101.8
Jeff Gordon 98.8
Carl Edwards 98.6
Mark Martin 96.4
Brian Vickers 93.9
Ryan Newman 93.9
Kevin Harvick 91.4
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2010 races (12 total) at Pocono.


Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Kyle Busch,(169.485 mph, 53.102 seconds)
2010 race winner: Denny Hamlin, 136.303 mph, 6-6-10)
Track qualifying record: Kasey Kahne (172.533 mph, 52.164 seconds,6-11-04)
Track race record: Rusty Wallace (144.892 mph, 7-21-96)










POCONO

TRACK RECORDS

Most Wins: 5 – Bill Elliott
Most Poles: 5 – Bill Elliott, Ken Schrader
Most Top Fives: 19 – Mark Martin
Most Top 10s: 33 – Mark Martin
Most Lead Changes: 56 – 7/30/79
Fewest Lead Changes: 10 – 7/26/98
Most Leaders: 16 – 3 times, most recently 6/13/04
Fewest Leaders: 4 – 2 times, most recently 6/9/85
Most Cautions: 13 – 2 times, most recently 7/24/05
Fewest Cautions: 1 – 7/30/78
Most Caution Laps: 57 – 6/13/04
Fewest Caution Laps: 3 – 7/30/78
Most on the Lead Lap: 36 – 6/10/07
Fewest on the Lead Lap: 2 – 2 times,most recently 6/6/82
Most Running at the Finish: 42 – 6/10/07
Fewest Running at the Finish: 18 – 7/25/82
Most Laps Led by a Race Winner: 175 – 8/5/07
Fewest Laps Led by a Race Winner: 4 – 7/29/01
Most Wins by a Manufacturer: 24 – Chevrolet
Closest Margin of Victory: 0.126 Seconds – 7/23/00
Greatest Margin of Victory: 8.653 Seconds – 7/25/99
Margins of Victory under electronic timing since 1993.

STARTING POSITIONS OF RACE WINNERS

Races won from Pos. No. 1...............13
Races won from Pos. No. 2.................9
Races won from Pos. No. 3.................8
Races won from Pos. No. 4.................7
Races won from Pos. No. 5.................4
Races won from Pos. No. 6.................2
Races won from Pos. No. 7.................1
Races won from Pos. No. 8.................2
Races won from Pos. No. 10...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 11...............3
Races won from Pos. No. 12...............2
Races won from Pos. No. 13...............3
Races won from Pos. No. 14...............2
Races won from Pos. No. 15...............2
Races won from Pos. No. 16...............2
Races won from Pos. No. 18...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 22...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 23...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 27...............1
Races won from Pos. No. 29...............1


RACES WON FROM POLE (13 of 66)
Darrell Waltrip...............................1981
Tim Richmond ..............................1983
Bill Elliott ............................1985, 2002
Geoffrey Bodine ............................1994
Rusty Wallace ...............................1994
Jeff Gordon...................................1996
Ricky Rudd ...................................2001
Ryan Newman ..............................2003
Denny Hamlin....................2006 (twice)
Kasey Kahne.................................2008
Tony Stewart ................................2009


POLE WINNERS

Bill Elliott ........................................5
Ken Schrader ..................................5
Mark Martin ....................................3
Rusty Wallace .................................3
Darrell Waltrip .................................3
Cale Yarborough .............................3
Geoffrey Bodine ..............................2
Harry Gant ......................................2
Jeff Gordon .....................................2
Denny Hamlin .................................2
Jimmie Johnson .............................2
Kasey Kahne ...................................2
Alan Kulwicki ..................................2
Ryan Newman ................................2
Tim Richmond ................................2
Tony Stewart ..................................2
Bobby Allison ..................................1
Davey Allison ..................................1
Buddy Baker ...................................1
Todd Bodine ...................................1
Ward Burton ...................................1
Kyle Busch.......................................1
Dale Earnhardt Jr ...........................1
Bobby Hamilton ..............................1
Ernie Irvan ......................................1
Terry Labonte .................................1
Sterling Marlin ................................1
Jamie McMurray ............................1
Casey Mears ...................................1
Joe Nemechek ...............................1
Benny Parsons ................................1
David Pearson ................................1
Ricky Rudd .....................................1
Morgan Shepherd ...........................1
Mike Skinner ..................................1
Michael Waltrip ...............................1

RACE WINNERS

Bill Elliott ........................................5
Jeff Gordon .....................................4
Denny Hamlin .................................4
Tim Richmond ................................4
Rusty Wallace .................................4
Darrell Waltrip .................................4
Bobby Allison ..................................3
Geoffrey Bodine ..............................3
Dale Jarrett ....................................3
Bobby Labonte ...............................3
Kurt Busch ......................................2
Dale Earnhardt ................................2
Carl Edwards ..................................2
Harry Gant ......................................2
Jimmie Johnson .............................2
Terry Labonte .................................2
Jeremy Mayfield .............................2
Richard Petty ..................................2
Tony Stewart ..................................2
Cale Yarborough .............................2
Greg Biffle .......................................1
Neil Bonnett ....................................1
Kasey Kahne ...................................1
Alan Kulwicki ..................................1
Ryan Newman ................................1
Benny Parsons ................................1
David Pearson ................................1
Kyle Petty .......................................1
Ricky Rudd .....................................1

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Kansas Speedway

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.
· This is the first season Kansas Speedway will hold two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events.

Notebook
· There have been 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Kansas
since the track opened in 2001.
· All of the races have been scheduled for 267 laps.
· 11 drivers have competed in all 10 races at Kansas.
· Jeff Gordon won the first two NASCAR Sprint Cup races.
· Jason Leffler won the first pole in September 2001.
· Seven different drivers have won poles, led by Jimmie Johnson, with three.
· Seven different drivers have posted victories, led by Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart (each with two).
· There have been seven different winners.
· Seven of the 10 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 21st, by Tony Stewart in 2006. Seven of the 12 races this season have been won from a starting position of 20th or lower.
· Denny Hamlin made his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup start at Kansas – a 32nd-place finish in 2005.
· Three active drivers with more than one start have averaged a top-10 finish: Greg Biffle (8.1), Jeff Gordon (8.5) and Jimmie Johnson (9.3).
· Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in top fives (seven) and top 10s (eight). Gordon’s only two non-top 10s were a 39th in 2006 and a 13th in 2004.
· Seven of the nine races that ended under green had a margin of victory under one second. The 2007 race ended under caution.

NASCAR in Kansas
· There have been 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Kansas, all at Kansas Speedway. The only other Kansas track to hold a NASCAR national series race was Heartland Park in Topeka, which hosted five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races from 1995-99.
· 16 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Kansas, including Jim Roper who won the very first NASCAR Sprint Cup race – Charlotte in 1949.
· There have been two race winners from Kansas in NASCAR’s three national series:

Kansas Speedway Data
Race #: 12 of 36 (06-05-11)
Track Size: 1.5 miles
· Banking/Corners: 15 degrees
· Banking/Frontstretch: 10.4 degrees
· Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
· Frontstretch: 2,685 feet
· Backstretch: 2,207 feet

Driver Rating at Kansas
Greg Biffle 122.6
Jimmie Johnson 118.7
Jeff Gordon 106.5
Tony Stewart 103.3
Matt Kenseth 97.7
Mark Martin 97.3
Carl Edwards 94.8
Clint Bowyer 88.1
Kevin Harvick 87.1
Kurt Busch 84.6
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2010 races (6 total) at Kansas.

Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Kasey Kahne (174.844 mph, 30.920 seconds)
2010 race winner: Greg Biffle, 138.077 mph, 10-03-10)
Qualifying record: Matt Kenseth (180.856 mph, 29.858 seconds, 10-08-05)
Race record: Greg Biffle (138.077 mph, 10-03-10)