AdvoCare 500 News and Notes – Aug. 30, 2012

AdvoCare 500 News and Notes – Aug. 30, 2012

News, Notes and Storylines Preceding the AdvoCare 500 on Sept. 2

 

Race Weekend Begins in Earnest Today

            With the start of the race weekend only one day away, many fans got their start to the biggest Labor Day party in the USA today. Infield camping opened at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon, allowing those fans to get their campsites set up in advance of the on-track action tomorrow.

            NASCAR Sprint Cup Series haulers will enter the speedway this evening at 6:00 p.m., marking the beginning of a huge weekend of racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway. On-track activity begins early on Friday with the first practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at 10:00 a.m.

Wild-Card Battles Come Into Focus at Atlanta

            With only two races remaining before the field for the Chase for the Sprint Cup is set following Richmond, Atlanta will play a pivotal role in shaping the participants in the Chase.

            This year’s wild-card battle has thrilled fans week-after-week and has made for exciting, can’t-miss racing throughout the summer. Here’s a breakdown of those drivers battling for wild-card positioning, and how they shape up this weekend:

Kasey Kahne: Kahne, who currently holds the first wild-card, is a two-time winner at AMS. Kahne is quickly closing in on potentially moving into the top-10 in points. Kahne has two wins in 2012 and is currently 11^th in the standings.

“Atlanta is my favorite track on the circuit,” said Kahne. “It’s wide and fast, so we can race a lot of different lines. We have a good history here, and I expect a good weekend with a Hendrick Motorsports car under me.”

Carl Edwards: Edwards has yet to win in 2012 but is a three-time winner at AMS. Edwards desperately needs a win to try to work his way into the wild-card, but likes the schedule for the next couple of weeks. Edwards is 12^th in the current points standings.

“I don’t think there could be two better tracks coming up,” said Edwards. “Atlanta, it’s one of my personal favorite tracks to drive on. I don’t think there’s a more fun track on the circuit to race on. (Crew Chief) Chad (Norris) and all the guys, we spoke a lot about our strategy for the race. We feel like we have a car sitting there in the hauler that can go win that race.”

Kyle Busch: With a win earlier this season at Richmond, Busch currently holds the second wild-card spot and is 13^th in points. Busch has claimed one win at Atlanta, in March of 2008. This win was his first with new team Joe Gibbs Racing, as well as Toyota’s first in Sprint Cup competition. Busch will run all three races this weekend at AMS as he looks to gain some momentum into the fall.

“(To be successful at Atlanta), it takes a lot of things,” said Busch. “You have to have a lot of grip, you have to have a lot of downforce, you have to have tire management, a great engine, and fuel mileage, too. There are a lot of circumstances it can come down to at the end and what it will boil down to.”

Jeff Gordon: A five-time Atlanta winner, Gordon enters the event as the defending winner of the AdvoCare 500. Gordon trails Busch by 16 points in trying to earn that second wild-card position, but a second 2012 win by No. 24 would immediately move him into that spot. Gordon is currently 14^th in the standings.

“I expect the track to be a lot faster at night,” said Gordon. “But I think we will still be able to race high, low and everywhere in between. I think one of the reasons so many drivers and teams love this place is the track has a lot of grip, a lot of banking and it is a very fast race track, especially when looking at the qualifying speeds. It’s very fast during the race but it has a lot of fall off, so tire wear is significant and the balance of the car changes throughout a run.”

Ryan Newman: Newman, who is 15^th in points, won earlier this season at Martinsville to make himself wild-card eligible, but a wreck last week at Bristol knocked him from the second wild-card position. Newman has seven poles at AMS, but only a best finish of fifth. A win at Atlanta could put him in a more secure position to gain the second wild-card position.

“Atlanta is fast, especially when the conditions are right,” said Newman. “You have to hit your marks. It’s bumpy enough that those bumps can spit you right out. Getting into turn one and the middle of three and four, you’ve got to catch everything just right. It’s kind of like surfing or wakeboarding, you’ve got to catch the waves right, and obviously put the car in the right spot to do the things with the gas and the steering wheel.”

Marcos Ambrose: Currently 16^th in points, Ambrose placed himself in the middle of wild-card competition a few weeks back with his win at Watkins Glen. With a recent string of three consecutive top-five finishes, Ambrose is a threat at Atlanta. He enters the event with one top-10 in six events. Like Newman, Ambrose could desperately use another checkered flag to feel better about his chances of earning the final wild-card spot.

Joey Logano: Logano won his second-career race this summer at Pocono, and enters Atlanta hungry for another win. Logano grew up racing on the AMS quarter-mile in the Legends program, so a win at Atlanta would be a “home track” type of victory. It would also be big for sponsor The Home Depot, which is headquartered in Atlanta. Logano is 18^th in points, but a second victory would put the final wild-card squarely in his crosshairs.

Notable Cars Running in the AdvoCare 500

            Several drivers are bringing chassis to Atlanta this weekend that have been battle tested on the track. Some of those include:

Marcos Ambrose: Chassis 784 has been on the track several times this year, competing at Fontana, Kansas and both Michigan races.

Kurt Busch: Busch brings chassis 557 to Atlanta for its third race of 2012. This chassis ran at Darlington and Dover earlier this year, and was a road course car prior to 2012, but being built with a universal clip to allow for great adjustments, Phoenix Racing converted it to an intermediate-track car for this year.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt’s primary car for this weekend is the same car Earnhardt piloted to a win in the Sprint All-Star Showdown in May at Charlotte.

Jimmie Johnson: Chassis 714 has competed at Texas, Charlotte and Kentucky this year, all 1.5-mile tracks, where Johnson has been his strongest this year.

Mark Martin: Chassis 729 finished third earlier this year at Texas and won the pole at Dover.

Ryan Newman: Breaking the trend of the other drivers listed, Newman will pilot chassis 39-738 at Atlanta, a brand new car to the No. 39 team. It will turn its first laps on the track during Friday afternoon’s practice.

Atlanta to Show Readiness for Chase

            Atlanta is pivotal for those drivers looking to make their way into the wild-card for the Chase standings. Those at the bottom of the top-10 are also looking for good runs to maintain their current positioning.

            But Atlanta is crucial even for those drivers comfortably in the Chase, as Atlanta serves as a final benchmark for teams as the Chase nears.

            With Atlanta being a 1.5-mile quad-oval, it will feature race characteristics similar to many of the track that make up the Chase schedule.

            Chicago, Charlotte, Kansas, Texas and Homestead all are 1.5-miles in length, making up half of the races during the Chase. Loudon, Dover and Phoenix are all one-mile in length, providing some similarities to those tracks of 1.5-miles in length.

            The only two tracks during the Chase that are totally unlike any others are the restrictor place venue of Talladega Superspeedway and short track bullring of Martinsville Speedway.

            With so many tracks featuring characteristics, familiarities or a similar layout of Atlanta, this weekend’s AdvoCare 500 will truly serve as a benchmarks for teams heading into the Chase, and could provide a preview of who will be fast in the season’s final 10 events.

NASCAR night racing returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway on Labor Day weekend, Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 2012. Reserve your AdvoCare 500 tickets now. For more information, call the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (877) 9-AMS-TIX, (770) 946-4211 or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.

Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Atlanta Motor Speedway:

History

·         Originally called Atlanta International Raceway, the track was then a 1.5-mile paved speedway.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta was on July 31, 1960, won by Fireball Roberts from the pole.

·         The track was re-measured to 1.522 miles in the spring of 1970.

·         It was renamed Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1990.

·         The track layout was reversed and the track was re-configured to 1.54 miles between the two races in 1997.

 

Notebook

·         There have been 104 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta Speedway, until 2010 there has been two races per year except 1961, which had three. This year marks the second season with only one event.

·         Fireball Roberts won the pole and race for the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race in 1960.

·         45 drivers have won a pole, led by Buddy Baker and Ryan Newman, each with seven.

·         Six of Newman’s seven poles came in consecutive races between March 2003 and October 2005.

·         42 drivers have won a race; 22 have won more than once.

·         Dale Earnhardt scored nine victories, more than any other driver. Cale Yarborough is second, with seven.

·         Bobby Labonte heads the list of active drivers with six victories. Labonte is tied with NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Richard Petty for third on the all-time win list at Atlanta.

·         The Wood Brothers have 12 victories, more than any organization. They last won there in 1993, with Morgan Shepherd. Hendrick Motorsports has 11 wins at Atlanta and could tie the Wood Brothers this weekend.

·         14 races have been won from the pole. The last to do so was Kasey Kahne in 2006. The last two races have been won from the fifth position.

·         60 races at Atlanta have been won from the first five starting positions.

·         Bobby Labonte won the 2001 fall race from the 39th starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Atlanta.

·         Two drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Atlanta: Carl Edwards (3/20/2005) and Kevin Harvick (3/11/2001).

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Atlanta Motor Speedway winner: Kyle Busch (03/09/2008 – 22 years, 10 months, 7 days).

·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Atlanta Motor Speedway winner: Morgan Shepherd (03/20/1993 – 51 years, 5 months, 8 days).

Bristol Motor Speedway:

Bristol Motor Speedway:

History

·         Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960. The track was an exact half-mile.

·         First NASCAR Sprint Cup race was July 30, 1961.

·         In the fall of 1969, the track was reshaped and re-measured to .533-miles.

·         The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.

·         The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.

·         The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992.

·         The name changed to Bristol Motor Speedway in May 1996.

·         The track was resurfaced between races in 2007.

·         A milling process took place between races in 2012, erasing the progressive banking in the upper groove of the turns.

Notebook

·         There have been 103 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since the first race there in 1961, two races each season.

·         All races have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps.

·         Fred Lorenzen won the first pole.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was won by Jack Smith (with relief from Johnny Allen).

·         There have been 45 different pole winners, led by Cale Yarborough and Mark Martin (nine). Martin swept both poles at Bristol in 2009.

·         39 different drivers have won, led by Darrell Waltrip (12).

·         Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon each have five wins, most among active drivers.

·         The race winner has started from the pole 22 times, the most productive starting position. The last driver to win from the pole was Carl Edwards, in the night race of 2008.

·         82 of 103 races have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 52 from the first four spots.

·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 38th, by Elliott Sadler in 2001.

·         The last seven Bristol races had a margin of victory under one second.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway winner: Kyle Busch (03/25/2007 – 21 years, 10 months, 23 days)

·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway winner: Dale Earnhardt (08/28/1999 – 48 years, 3 months, 30 days)

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).

·         The 2-mile speedway underwent a repave this season.

Notebook

·         There have been 86 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 42 different pole winners, led by David Pearson with 10. Mark Martin has five poles. 

·         34 different drivers have won races, led by David Pearson (nine); 20 drivers have more than one victory at Michigan.

·         The race winner has started from the pole 16 times, the most productive starting position. Brian Vickers (August, 2009) was the last driver to win from the pole.

·         66 of 86 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 June race of 2009.

·         The Wood Brothers and Roush Fenway Racing both have 11 wins, more than any other car owners.

·         Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth are the only drivers to average a top-10 finish. Edwards, who has two Michigan wins, has an average finish of 8.3. Coincidentally, Edwards’ first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start came at Michigan. Kenseth, who also has two victories, has an average finish of 9.2.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Michigan International Speedway winner: Kurt Busch (06/15/2003 – 24 years, 10 months, 11 days).

·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Michigan International Speedway winner: Harry Gant (08/16/1992 – 52 years, 7 months, 6 days).

 

Watkins Glen International:

Watkins Glen International:

History

·         After several events were held on the streets of Watkins Glen, a permanent facility was opened in 1956.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was in 1957, won by Buck Baker.

·         After a six-year absence, NASCAR returned to The Glen in 1964 and 1965.

·         After a 21-year absence, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returned to The Glen, and has run one race a year there since 1986. This weekend’s race will be the 27th running since its return in 1986.

Notebook

·         There have been 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International since the first race there in 1957.

·         Buck Baker won the first pole and race.

·         Tim Richmond won the first pole and race upon the series’ return in 1986.

·         There have been 17 different pole winners.

·         The race winner has started first in nine of 29 races. The last race winner to start from the pole was Kyle Busch in 2008.

·         Mark Martin leads all drivers with wins from the pole with three in a row between 1993, 1994 and 1995.

·         19 of the 29 races at Watkins Glen have been won from a top-five starting position.

·         21 of the 29 races at Watkins Glen have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·         The deepest in the field that a Watkins Glen race winner has started was 18th by Steve Park in 2000.

·         18 different drivers have won races, led by Tony Stewart, with five.

·         Jeff Gordon set the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup record for road-course victories with his victory in 2001, his seventh on a road course. He has since won two more (both at Sonoma), for a career total of nine.

·         Three active drivers with more than one start have an average finish in the top 10: Marcos Ambrose (2.2 in four starts), Tony Stewart (7.0 in 13 starts), Carl Edwards (8.7 in seven starts), and Kyle Busch (9.2 in seven starts).

·         Two drivers have scored their first career NSCS wins at Watkins Glen International: Marcos Ambrose (08/15/2011) and Steve Park (08/13/2000).

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Watkins Glen International winner: Kyle Busch (08/10/2008 – 23 years, 3 months, 8 days).

·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Watkins Glen International winner: Geoff Bodine (08/11/1996 – 47 years, 3 months, 24 days).

 

Dover International Speedway announces races dates for 2013

Dover International Speedway announces races dates for 2013

NASCAR returns to the Monster Mile on May 31-June 2 and Sept. 27-29 in 2013

DOVER, Del. – Dover International Speedway officials today announced its 2013 NASCAR race dates. Two tripleheaders of racing action will return to the Monster Mile on May 31-June 2 and Sept. 27-29, 2013.

New next season, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying will return to its traditional Friday afternoon time on the schedule as it precedes that afternoon’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in the spring and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race in the fall.

Both race weekends will again feature three days of action, including the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in the spring; and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in the fall.

In addition, the Monster Mile’s three-tier pricing program will return, rewarding fans with the lowest prices from the track and encouraging fans to buy early and save.

“In a trend that’s seen us revert back to some old traditions at the Monster Mile in recent years, we’re happy to continue with our traditional race dates while returning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying to Friday,” said Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. “We’re also continuing new traditions as we’ll again offer low priced ticket options to fans in 2013 with the return of our three-tier pricing program. Essentially, the earlier a fan purchases their tickets, the more money they can save.”

The Monster Mile will again offer $10 junior tickets on Sundays for ages 14 and younger, which features seating in all four turns in 2013. That includes seven alcohol- and tobacco-free sections. For Friday and Saturday races, junior tickets are just $8 in all available seating sections.

Also returning in 2013 is the “Design-it-Yourself” payment plan. Customers can spread out their payments by placing a 25 percent deposit on their tickets before the Preferred Pricing period expires. They then can pay off their account on their own schedule, paying what they want when they want. The payments can be scheduled at DoverSpeedway.com using the “Ticket Account Manager” or by calling the ticket office at 800-441-RACE.

Tickets for the May 31-June 2, 2013 race weekend are currently on sale. Fans can begin placing deposits on tickets for the Sept. 27-29, 2013 race weekend during Dover’s Sept. 28-30, 2012 race weekend. Returning fans have the opportunity to renew their same seats for the 2013 race weekends. For tickets or to place a deposit, call 800-441-RACE.

But before 2013 even arrives, NASCAR returns to the Monster Mile on Sept. 28-30, 2012 with the Sept. 30 “AAA 400” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the Sept. 29 “OneMain Financial 200” NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the Sept. 28 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race.

For tickets or more information, call 800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com. You can also keep up with the Monster Mile at Facebook.com/DoverInternationalSpeedway or on Twitter at @MonsterMile.

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.

·         The 2.5-mile track was repaved during the fall of 2011.

Notebook

·         There have been 69 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono Raceway.

·         There was one race from 1974 through 1981, and two per year since.

·         This season will mark the first time the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono will be scheduled for 400 miles. Prior to 2012 all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races were 500 miles at Pocono Raceway.

·         Buddy Baker won the first pole.

·         There have been 38 different pole winners, including David Pearson who won the pole there in June 1984 but did not race; 17 drivers have more than one pole there.

·         The pole has been swept just three times: Bill Elliott (1985), Ken Schrader (1993) and Denny Hamlin (2006).

·         Richard Petty won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono.

·         31 different drivers have won races at Pocono, led by Bill Elliott and Jeff Gordon, each 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 (1982, ’83) and Tim Richmond (1986, ’87) each won three consecutive races at Pocono.

·         48 of 69 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.

·         14 of 69 races have been won from the pole, Bill Elliott (1985, 2002) and Denny Hamlin (2006 sweep) are the only drivers to have done it twice. Joey Logano is the most recent driver to win from the pole earlier this season.

·         Rick Hendrick leads all car owners with 12 Pocono victories.

·         Mark Martin leads all drivers in top fives (20) and top 10s (34), but has yet to win at Pocono. His best finish was second, seven times (most recently last June). In June, Martin set the record for most runner-up finishes at a track without winning.

·         Jimmie Johnson (8.7) and Denny Hamlin (9.3) are the only active drivers to average a top 10.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono Raceway winner: Joey Logano (06/10/2012 – 22 years, 0 months, 17 days).

·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono Raceway winner: Harry Gant (06/17/1990 – 50 years, 5 months, 7 days)