TRACK NEWS UPDATE

• Little to no damage to tracks from hurricane: Racetracks that play host to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy do not report significant damage from the storm as of Tuesday morning. Dover International Speedway, which is less than 10 miles west from Delaware Bay and 45 miles northwest of Rehobeth Beach, Del., did not sustain any significant damage, track spokesman Gary Camp said Tuesday morning. Pocono Raceway, which is 100 miles west of New York City and about 100 miles north of Philadelphia, was without power Tuesday morning but only lost one of the steeples that towers above its grandstands, according to a tweet from track president Brandon Igdalsky. New Hampshire Motor Speedway, about 80 miles northwest of Boston and 50 miles west northwest of Portsmouth, reported no damage and no loss of power.(Sporting News)(10-30-2012)
  
• 
  
• Daytona gets final approval to move forward on site changes: Daytona International Speedway and International Speedway Corporation got the final yes vote they needed out of City Hall to charge forward with their plan to tackle a major overhaul of the Speedway's front stretch grandstands. The unanimous approval of the site plan Thursday night from the city's Planning Board was the last of several hurdles ISC and DIS had to clear before they could move from engineers' drawings to bulldozers in their hopes of redesigning the front stretch grandstands, adding new vendors, creating five new fan entrances, possibly doubling seating and renovating restrooms. The sprawling complex could include up to 2 million square feet of retail space, 1,785 hotel rooms, 1,500 multi-family residential units and movie theaters with a combined 5,000 seats. Speedway officials say it could take decades to reach that full vision, and they're just now beginning to talk to potential developers and businesses. Those future phases of the project will also require the city to approve additional site plans.(Daytona Beach News-Journal)(10-27-2012)
  

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 127 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.

·         57 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.

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

·         Jeff Gordon leads active drivers with seven wins. Jimmie Johnson hassixand 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.

·         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: Jimmie Johnson (5.7), Denny Hamlin (6.4) and Jeff Gordon (7.0).

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Martinsville Speedway winner: Richard Petty (4/10/1960 – 22 years, 9 months, 8 days). Oldest NSCS Martinsville Speedway winner: Harry Gant (9/22/1991 – 51 years, 8 months, 12 days).

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Martinsville Speedway pole winner: Ricky Rudd (4/26/1981 – 24 years, 7 months, 14 days). Oldest NSCS Martinsville Speedway pole winner: Morgan Shepherd (04/26/1987 – 45 years, 6 months, 14 days).

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.

·         During the 2012 season, between the April race and this weekend’s event the 1.5-mile track underwent a repave adding variable banking in the corners and on the frontstretch.

Notebook

·         There have been 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Kansas since the track opened in 2001.

·         All of the races have been scheduled for 267 laps.

·         10 drivers have competed in all 13 races at Kansas. Mark Martin has completed the most laps at Kansas with 3,388.

·         Jeff Gordon won the first two NASCAR Sprint Cup races.

·         Jason Leffler won the first pole in September 2001.

·         10 different drivers have won poles, led by Jimmie Johnson with three.

·         Nine different drivers have posted victories, led by Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart (each with two).

·         Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Kansas with four, followed by Roush Fenway Racing with three.

·         Seven of the 13 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 a race winner started was 25th, by Brad Keselowski last season.

·         Two active drivers with more than one start have averaged a top-10 finish: Jimmie Johnson (7.9) and Greg Biffle (8.0).

·         Nine of the 13 races that ended under green had a margin of victory under one second. The 2007 race ended under caution.

·         The 2009 Chase race holds the record for most lead changes (26) among the most leaders (14) in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Kansas Speedway.

·         Jimmie Johnson has led the most laps (503) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Kansas Speedway, followed by Greg Biffle with 346 laps led.

·         Denny Hamlin made his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Kansas Speedway on 10/09/2005.

·         Jimmie Johnson posted the highest NSCS Driver Rating performance at Kansas Speedway in this event last season with a 149.2. A perfect Driver Rating (150.0) performance in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Kansas Speedway has yet to be achieved.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kansas Speedway winner: Ryan Newman (10/05/2003 – 25 years, 9 months, 27 days). Oldest NSCS Kansas Speedway winner: Mark Martin (10/09/2005 – 46 years, 9 months, 0 days).

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kansas Speedway pole winner: Jason Leffler (9/30/2001 – 26 years, 0 months, 14 days). Oldest NSCS Kansas Speedway pole winner: Mark Martin (10/04/2009 – 50 years, 8 months, 25 days).