Hands-on Safety Training

CONCORD, N.C. (March 4, 2013) – As it has annually for more than two decades, Charlotte Motor Speedway welcomed more than 150 track safety professionals over the weekend for a two-day training session to hone their skills and prepare for the upcoming race season.
Personnel from 10 NASCAR facilities – including Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway – received hands-on safety training for all events at the speedway. Leading the way in safety training, Charlotte Motor Speedway has been offering such classes since 1991.
The sessions included online training modules and live scenarios for fire, rescue and EMS personnel. Topics covered included extrication, fire suppression, on-track EMS and track clean-up.
In addition to re-enacting real-life race situations and getting hands-on practice, participants also had the opportunity to become familiar with a wide range of vehicles and equipment that are used throughout a race event.
“Most fans watching a race have no idea how many people are there on the sidelines ready to respond,” said Shaun Johnson, director of racing operations at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "Here at Charlotte Motor Speedway, we lay out as many different scenarios as we can and put that into the training program. The best way to be prepared for anything is to practice everything, and that’s what we try to do.”
Charlotte Motor Speedway not only pioneered extensive safety-training classes but was also the first track to have its own rescue truck and the first to put paramedics on the track safety vehicles.
“We’re proud of the role that Charlotte Motor Speedway has played in improving the level of safety and preparedness of track services personnel in our sport,” said Johnson. “Every year we look to add new elements to the training and improve our offerings as we continue to lead the way and ensure the safety of our fans, drivers, crew and staff.”
Tickets to race events at Charlotte Motor Speedway are available through the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office or online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 weekend packages start at just $99. For even more great ticket offers, call 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. For all the latest news and information, “like” Charlotte Motor Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway or follow the track on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cltmotorspdwy.

PURSLEY PUTS NAME NEXT TO RICHARD PETTY IN TALKING STICK RESORT 60

PURSLEY PUTS NAME NEXT TO RICHARD PETTY IN TALKING STICK RESORT 60

Greg Pursley won the 31st Talking Stick Resort 60 NASCAR K&N Pro West Series race at Phoenix International Raceway and found victory lane at PIR for the third time. The history of the event is populated with some of the greatest names in motorsports history, and Pursley now has his name with that of NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, with the second-most wins (three) at the PIR.

Pursley set a new track record in winning the pole, and his teenaged teammate, Cameron Hayley, joined him on the front row. Pursley led all the way until Hayley teamed with Michael Self to dash high and low, respectively, to wedge Pursely back to third on a lap 41 restart. But when Dylan Hutchison and Ryan Philpott wrecked behind them, the leaders had not completed the lap. So, they were reset to the last full lap with Pursley back at the front. 

Pursley was grateful for the reprieve, but when the field took the green flag for the restart on lap 49, Hayley again roared past on the outside for the lead.

A multiple car pileup on lap 52 necessitated a red flag stoppage, and when the race got going again, the teammates went door-to-door for more than a lap until the veteran Pursley wedged past his young teammate four circuits from the end.

Afterward, Pursley had nothing but praise for Hayley, saying, "That was a real battle, and it's going to be great going against that kid all year."

Hayley finished second, while Self held on to third, with Derek Thorn fourth, and Sergio Pena fifth in the series season opener.

PHOENIX RACEWAY

History

·         Construction was completed in January 1964. The facility consisted of a one-mile oval and a 2.5-mile road course.

·         Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix on Nov. 6, 1988.

·         The first spring race was held on April 23, 2005 and also the first night race, which was won by Kurt Busch.

·         The track underwent its first repave in 2011. The construction began in March and concluded in September of that year.

·         The following changes were made during the construction period (March – Sept., 2011):

o    Widened the frontstretch from 52 to 62 feet

o    Reconfigured pit road with the installation of concrete pit stalls

o    Pushed the dog-leg curve between Turn 2 and Turn 3 out 95 feet

o    Tightened the turn radius of the dog-leg from 800 to 500 feet

o    Implemented variable banking to ensure the immediate use of two racing grooves, including 10-11 degree banking between Turn 1 and Turn 2; 10-11 degree banking in the apex of the dog-leg; and 8-9 degree banking in Turn 4

Notebook

·         There have been 33 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, one per season from 1988-2004 and two each season since.

·         184 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix; 134 in more than one.

·         Geoffrey Bodine won the first pole in 1988 at a speed of 123.203 mph (29.220 sec.)

·         There have been 19 different pole winners, led by Ryan Newman with four.

·         Youngest Phoenix pole winner: Kyle Busch (4/22/06 – 20 years, 11 months, 20 days).

·         Oldest Phoenix pole winner: Mark Martin (03/04/12 – 53 years, 1 months, 24 days).

·         Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards are the only drivers to win consecutive poles. Newman won three straight (2002-04), while Gordon won the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007, and Edwards won the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011.

·         There have been 23 different race winners at Phoenix, seven of which have won more than once, led by Jimmie Johnson, with four – (’07 fall, ’08 sweep, ’09 fall).

·         The seven drivers who have won more than once at Phoenix: Jimmie Johnson (four), Kevin Harvick (three), Davey Allison (two), Jeff Burton (two), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Jeff Gordon (two) and Mark Martin (two).

·         Of the seven drivers with multiple wins at Phoenix International Raceway, Mark Martin is the only driver to win in two different manufacturers: Ford (1993) and Chevrolet (2009).

·         The race has been won from the pole four times: Jeff Gordon (spring 2007), Jimmie Johnson (fall 2008), Mark Martin (spring 2009) and Carl Edwards (fall 2010).

·         The race has been won from a top-10 starting position in 17 of 33 events.

·         Denny Hamlin (November, 2005) and AJ Allmendinger (April, 2010) won their first career pole at Phoenix International Raceway.

·         Ricky Rudd won the 1995 race from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.

·         Matt Kenseth won the 2002 race from the 28th-place starting position, the furthest back an active race winner has started.

·         Mark Martin has 21 top-10 finishes, more than any other driver. Martin (9.0 average finish) is one of two active drivers who average a top-10 finish. Jimmie Johnson (6.6) is the other.

·         Two perfect Driver Ratings of 150.0 have been recorded at Phoenix, Kurt Busch in April of 2005 and Kevin Harvick in November of 2006.

·         Five drivers have won consecutive races at Phoenix: Davey Allison (1991,1992); Jeff Burton (2000, 2001); Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003, 2004); Kevin Harvick (swept 2006); Jimmie Johnson is the only one of the five to win three consecutive races (fall 2007, swept 2008).

·         Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Phoenix with nine, followed by Roush Fenway Racing with six.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Texas Motor Speedway winner: Phoenix International Raceway winner: Kyle Busch (11/13/2005 – 20 years, 6 months, 11 days).

·         Oldest NSCS Phoenix International Raceway winner: Mark Martin (04/18/2009 – 50 years, 3 months, 9 days).

·         Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Phoenix with five; followed by Tony Stewart with three.

·         Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson lead the series in top-five finishes at Phoenix with 12 each.

·         Alan Kulwicki (11/6/1988) and Bobby Hamilton (10/27/1996) are the only two drivers to post their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career win at Phoenix International Raceway.

·         21 of the 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Phoenix participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Alan Kulwicki (11/6/1988) and Tony Stewart (11/7/1999) are the only two drivers to win at Phoenix in their first appearance.

·         Jeff Gordon competed at Phoenix International Raceway 16 times before winning (4/21/2007); the longest span of any the 23 winners.

·         Six drivers have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Phoenix: Jeff Gordon (16), Ryan Newman (15), Kasey Kahne (14), Denny Hamlin (13), Carl Edwards (12) and Rusty Wallace (11).

·         Bobby Labonte leads the series (active drivers) with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Phoenix without visiting Victory Lane with 28.

·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Phoenix was the (4/10/2010) race won by Ryan Newman with a MOV of 0.13 seconds.

·         Seven of the 33 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Phoenix have been won from the front row.

·         Five drivers have won the first two races of the season in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; the first two times did not include the Daytona 500: Lee Petty (Daytona Beach Course, Tri-City Speedway; 1954), Marvin Panch (Willow Springs Speedway, Concord Speedway; 1956), David Pearson (Riverside, Daytona; 1976), Jeff Gordon (Daytona, Rockingham; 1997) and Matt Kenseth (Daytona, Auto Club).

·         Three reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champions have gone on to win at Phoenix the following season; Jimmie Johnson is the only one to do it multiple times: Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009); Kurt Busch (2005) and Bill Elliott (1989).

·         Two drivers have won at Phoenix and the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship in the same season: Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009); Dale Earnhardt (1990).

·         Danica Patrick is the only female driver to have made a NASCAR Sprint Cup start at Phoenix International Raceway. She did so last season (11/11/12) starting 37th and finishing 17th.

·         Car numbers that have produced three or more Phoenix wins:

Car Number – Drivers – (Years)

o    No. 48  - Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009)

o    No. 29 – Kevin Harvick (2006 sweep and 2012)

o    No. 5 - Mark Martin (2009), Kyle Busch (2005) and Terry Labonte (1994)

o    No. 99 – Carl Edwards (2010) and Jeff Burton (2000, 2001)