Texas Motor Speedway:

Texas Motor Speedway:

History

·         Construction began in 1995.

·         The first NASCAR race was a NASCAR Nationwide Series event on April 5, 1997.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was on April 6, 1997.

 

Notebook

·         There have been 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway, one per season from 1997 through 2004 and two races per year since 2005.

·         Four drivers have competed in all 21 Texas races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin.

·         Jeremy Mayfield was the first pole winner, in 1998. Qualifying for the inaugural race in 1997 was canceled.

·         Jeff Burton won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

·         15 drivers have scored poles, led by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon with two.

·         16 drivers have won races, led by Carl Edwards, with three. Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton each have two wins.

·         15 of 21 races have been won from a top-10 starting position. Only one has been won from the pole (Kasey Kahne in 2006).

·         Matt Kenseth started 31st en route to his victory at Texas in 2002, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started. Kenseth started fourth and won earlier this season at Texas.

·         Both Jeff Burton (1999) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2000) scored their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Texas, and 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne made his first series start at Texas (11/07/10). Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup competitor Brad Keselowski also made his first career start at Texas (11/2/08).        

·         Martin Truex Jr. (11/04/07)and David Ragan (04/09/11) scored their first series poles at Texas.

·         Matt Kenseth (9.0), Denny Hamlin (9.3) and Jimmie Johnson (9.9) are the only three active drivers to average a top-10 finish.

·         Roush Fenway Racing leads all owners in victories, with eight. Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports have three wins each.

·         There has been two season sweeps, by Carl Edwards in 2008 and Denny Hamlin in 2010.

 

Texas Motor Speedway Data

Race #: 34 of 36 (10-30-11)

Track Size: 1.5 miles

Race Length: 501 miles

·     Banking/corners: 24 degrees

·     Banking/straights: 5 degrees

·     Frontstretch: 2,250 feet

·     Backstretch: 1,330 feet

 

Driver Rating at Texas
Matt Kenseth	105.2
Tony Stewart	102.9
Greg Biffle	100.3
Jimmie Johnson	98.8
Carl Edwards	98.3
Denny Hamlin	97.8
Kyle Busch	97.5
Dale Earnhardt Jr.	93.1
Clint Bowyer	92.4
Kurt Busch	92.0

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (13 total) at Texas.

Qualifying/Race Data

2010 pole winner: Elliott Sadler (195.397 mph, 27.636 seconds)

2010 race winner: Denny Hamlin, 140.456 mph, 11-07-10)

Track qualifying record: Brian Vickers (196.235 mph, 27.518 seconds,

11-03-06)

Track race record: Carl Edwards (151.055 mph, 11-06-05)

NASCAR in Texas

• There have been 30 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Texas.
• 74 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Texas.
• There have been eight race winners from Texas in NASCAR’s three national series:

Driver	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
Terry Labonte	22	11	1
Bobby Labonte	21	10	1
A.J. Foyt	7	0	0
Billy Wade	4	0	0
Bobby Hillin Jr.	1	2	0
Johnny Rutherford	1	0	0
David Starr	0	0	4
Colin Braun	0	0	1

 

Atlanta Motor Speedway to Host 2012 U.S. Legend Cars Nationals

Atlanta Motor Speedway to Host 2012 U.S. Legend Cars Nationals

HAMPTON, Ga. (Oct. 29, 2011) – For the first time ever, Atlanta Motor Speedway will host to the 21^st Annual Asphalt Nationals and the 13^th Annual Thunder Car Nationals on Oct. 24-27, 2012.

Over 200 Legend Cars and Thunder Roadsters from all over the country will be on hand to compete in this yearly short track event. Pre-registration will open on Wednesday, Oct. 24. Thursday, Oct. 25 will be a practice day while qualifying will take place on Friday, Oct. 26. Saturday, Oct. 27 will be Championship Day.

Year in and year out, the Asphalt Nationals is the premier Legend Cars event in the country. Talented drivers of all ages compete for the national title with some of the most intense competition in American racing. The U.S. Legend Cars program is an affordable way for drivers to gain experience behind the wheel. This program has been a launching pad for countless NASCAR drivers, including Kyle and Kurt Busch, David Ragan, Reed Sorenson and Joey Logano.

“We are excited to welcome the U.S. Legend Cars Nationals to Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2012,” said Atlanta Motor Speedway President and General Manager Ed Clark. “The U.S. Legend Cars program has been successful throughout the United States and this event will bring out the best of the best and the future stars of NASCAR to compete here at AMS.”

For more information on U.S. Legend Cars, call (704) 455-3896 or visit www.uslegendcars.com. For more information on Atlanta Motor Speedway, visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.

Martinsville Speedway:

Martinsville Speedway:

History

·         Opened in September 1947 by H. Clay Earles, Martinsville, originally a dirt track, is one of the oldest continuously-operating race tracks in the United States.

·         The first NASCAR-sanctioned race at Martinsville was on July 4, 1948.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was Sept. 25, 1949.

·         The track was paved in 1955.

·         The first 500-lap event at Martinsville was in 1956.

·         Concrete corners were added atop asphalt in 1976.

Notebook

·         There have been 125 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, one in the inaugural year and two races per year since 1950.

·         Curtis Turner won the pole for the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville in 1949.

·         Red Byron won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

·         56 drivers have won poles, led by Darrell Waltrip with eight. Jeff Gordon, with seven poles, can tie that mark this weekend.

·         Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Darrell Waltrip share the consecutive pole record, each with three.

·         46 different drivers have won, led by Richard Petty’s 15.

·         Jeff Gordon leads active drivers with seven wins. Jimmie Johnson has six and Denny Hamlin has four.

·         19 races have been won from the pole, the last by Denny Hamlin in October 2010.

·         Petty Enterprises has won 19 races, more than any other organization. Hendrick Motorsports, with 18 wins, can tie that mark this weekend. If HMS does win this weekend, it will also be the team’s 200th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.

·         Kurt Busch won the 2002 fall race from the 36th starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.

·         Three active drivers average a top-10 finish: Jimmie Johnson (5.6), Denny Hamlin (6.6) and Jeff Gordon (7.0).

·         There were 31 lead changes in the April Martinsville race this season, a track record.

 

Martinsville Speedway Data

Race #: 33 of 36 (10-30-11)

Track Size: .526 mile

Race Length: 500 laps/263 miles

·     Banking/Corners: 12 degrees

·     Banking/Straights: 0 degrees

·     Frontstretch: 800 feet

·     Backstretch: 800 feet

 

Driver Rating at Martinsville
Jimmie Johnson	121.9
Jeff Gordon	119.7
Denny Hamlin	113.0
Tony Stewart	102.4
Dale Earnhardt Jr.	98.9
Kyle Busch	94.3
Kevin Harvick	93.1
Jeff Burton	89.3
Mark Martin	89.3
Ryan Newman	88.8

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (13 total) at Martinsville Speedway.

 

Qualifying/Race Data

2010 pole winner: Denny Hamlin (97.318 mph)

2010 race winner: Denny Hamlin, 71.619 mph, 10-24-10)

Track qualifying record: Tony Stewart (98.083 mph, 19.306 seconds, 10-21-05)

Race record: Jeff Gordon (82.223 mph, 09-22-96)