Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
Bank of America 500
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 4:46 pm (PDT)
Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Qualified Practice 2 Practice 3
1. Jimmie Johnson 9/2 10th 9th 10th 4th
Six-time winner with 20 Chase wins in 74 starts; using fourth-place Pocono chassis.
2. Jeff Gordon 8/1 27th 23rd 32nd 8th
Five-time winner, including first career win. Finished 20th in May race; last win came in 2007
3. Kasey Kahne 20/1 1st 8th 2nd 1st
Three-time winner, the last coming in 2008; top 10-consecutive lap average in practice.
4. Tony Stewart 10/1 11th 1st 5th 16th
2003 winner, his one and only win on the track; using sixth-place Indianapolis chassis this week.
5. Kurt Busch 12/1 24th 20th 4th 10th
2010 winner, finished fourth in May; using fourth-place car from Charlotte and Atlanta.
6. Greg Biffle 18/1 3rd 5th 17th 3rd
Runner-up in 2008, finished fifth in this race last year; the best of the Roush drivers in practice.
7. Kyle Busch 7/1 13th 25th 6th 13th
Has finished eighth or better in last eight of 10 Charlotte races; debuts brand new chassis.
8. Kevin Harvick 12/1 19th 14th 19th 25th
2011 winner, his only top-five finish in 21 starts; using 22nd-place Michigan chassis this week.
9. Ryan Newman 35/1 16th 6th 3rd 6th
Runner-up in 2009; strong practices Friday using a chassis that making it‘s debut runs.
10. Matt Kenseth 12/1 15th 2nd 24th 26th
2000 winner, his first career win; using winning Texas and Michigan runner-up chassis.
Note: This is the second race run at Charlotte this season. The first race, held on May 29, was won by Kevin Harvick who led only two laps on the day. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of fuel while leading on the last lap.
Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.
Micah Roberts, a former race and sports Director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com or follow MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.
Showing posts with label charlotte Motor Speedway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label charlotte Motor Speedway. Show all posts
Friday, October 14, 2011
Charlotte Bank of America 500 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
Carl Edwards leads Kevin Harvick by 1-point in NASCAR Chase for the Championship with six races to go, but only 4-points behind in their rear view mirror is defending five-time champion Jimmie Johnson following his win at Kansas Sunday.
Drivers used to say it was more nerve rattling having the late Dale Earnhardt in their rear view mirror during a race while leading than it was trying to catch him. The same could be said for Johnson with all his credentials and trophy’s dangling as the drivers up front try to concentrate on each race knowing that ‘five-time‘ is closing fast.
We may say that experience in the Chase doesn’t account for much because it’s just NASCAR and everything is dependant on the car, unlike football or other sports where experience really matters in the playoffs. But if we just look at the history of the Chase, there has been no one to consistently compete with Johnson. No one knows how to react or counter with Johnson’s excellence.
What we have seen is quite a few drivers wilt when given the opportunity to take him down in the defining moments.
His win Sunday gave him 20 Chase wins in 74 starts and it was his 55th overall tying him with Rusty Wallace for eighth on the all-time Cup win list.
Just think about it, he’s only been in the Cup series since 2002 and he’s never finished a season worse than fifth. Where's the growing pains of a young driver? It's like he just morphed as a robot and began winning. During the Chase era, beginning in 2004, only Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart can say they have beaten Johnson. None of these new ’Young Guns‘ knows what it takes to topple the giant.
This week's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile track won’t get easier for any of the other competitors considering Johnson’s dominance there over the years. He’s a six-time winner on the track in 19 starts that includes two other runner-up finishes and two third-places. His last win came in 2009, but based on the way his team had his car set for Kansas last week, he should be considered one of the strongest contenders to win.
We haven’t seen Johnson be his typical dominant self in the 1.5-mile tracks this season until Sunday, and it’s definitely not surprising that it happened during the Chase.
“I think we’re going to be a threat (at Charlotte Motor Speedway)," said Johnson ealier this week. "When I look back to Chicago, Kentucky, and Kansas obviously, our 1.5-mile stuff has been coming along pretty good over the last two or three months. So I feel good about it. Charlotte, with that asphalt that’s down, it is its own environment and it’s really tough to get your car right from the start of the race to the end of the race."
Edwards had a hard fought fifth-place finish last week at Kansas after struggling most of the day. It’s that type of racing on a bad day that can help slay the beast of Jimmie Johnson down the stretch and it’s what has kept him on top for now.
His Charlotte resume is quite impressive with seven top-10 finishes in 13 starts, but his only win on the track remains his non-points all-star win from this season. He’s considered a strong candidate to win on the basis of his win on the sister track of Las Vegas, his only win of the season.
“Charlotte has been a little difficult for us," said Edwards. "We have been very hit and miss there. I do feel like our run in the All-Star race and 600 earlier this year will be something we can build on. We have a baseline strategy with the setup and we will go use that and hopefully it will work out better. I’m very grateful to be going into Charlotte as the points leader after our run in Kansas last weekend.”
Matt Kenseth also has to be considered a contender because of the car he's driving. He brought his winning Texas chassis which should translate well at Charlotte this week. Kenseth has one Charlotte win which came during his rookie year in 2000.
Harvick captured his first career win at Charlotte in May after Dale Earnhardt Jr ran out of fuel on the last lap. It was his only top-5 finish ever on the track. However, we’ve seen Harvick run well enough on these type of tracks this season to make him a contender once again this week.
“From a driver’s standpoint, it’s just never been a race track where I’ve had a great feel," Harvick said regarding Charlotte. "There’s nothing wrong with the surface, nothing wrong with the shape of the race track or anything like that. It’s just from a performance standpoint we just don’t have the stats that need to be there like we do at a lot of other places. Over the last couple of years it’s definitely gotten a lot better for us. We won a race there at the beginning of the year and after we won there we feel like we can win anywhere.”
Kyle Busch has kind of been quiet during this Chase run and currently sits 20-points back. If there’s a track that can get him going, it will be Charlotte. Up until this years race, Busch had an amazing run of finishing eighth or better in seven straight races.
The race we can probably take the most input from for this week in September race at the sister track of Atlanta just because it was the most recent of the similar tracks run. Jeff Gordon won that race in dominant fashion with Johnson and Stewart in tow.
“We’re definitely looking to win races now,” said Gordon, who is 10th in the standings – 47 points out of the lead – after an engine issue at Kansas relegated him to a 34th-place finish. “We aren’t out of the championship discussion, but a lot is out of our control.
“Our focus now is on leading as many laps as we can and winning as many races as we possibly can. Then we’ll see where we stand after a few more races.”
Top-5 Finish Prediction:
1) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)
2) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)
3) #99 Carl Edwards (7/1)
4) #14 Tony Stewart (10/1)
5) #18 Kyle Busch (9/1)
VegasInsider.com
 |
| Rear-view mirror full of No. 48 can be pretty intimidating |
Drivers used to say it was more nerve rattling having the late Dale Earnhardt in their rear view mirror during a race while leading than it was trying to catch him. The same could be said for Johnson with all his credentials and trophy’s dangling as the drivers up front try to concentrate on each race knowing that ‘five-time‘ is closing fast.
We may say that experience in the Chase doesn’t account for much because it’s just NASCAR and everything is dependant on the car, unlike football or other sports where experience really matters in the playoffs. But if we just look at the history of the Chase, there has been no one to consistently compete with Johnson. No one knows how to react or counter with Johnson’s excellence.
What we have seen is quite a few drivers wilt when given the opportunity to take him down in the defining moments.
His win Sunday gave him 20 Chase wins in 74 starts and it was his 55th overall tying him with Rusty Wallace for eighth on the all-time Cup win list.
Just think about it, he’s only been in the Cup series since 2002 and he’s never finished a season worse than fifth. Where's the growing pains of a young driver? It's like he just morphed as a robot and began winning. During the Chase era, beginning in 2004, only Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart can say they have beaten Johnson. None of these new ’Young Guns‘ knows what it takes to topple the giant.
This week's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile track won’t get easier for any of the other competitors considering Johnson’s dominance there over the years. He’s a six-time winner on the track in 19 starts that includes two other runner-up finishes and two third-places. His last win came in 2009, but based on the way his team had his car set for Kansas last week, he should be considered one of the strongest contenders to win.
We haven’t seen Johnson be his typical dominant self in the 1.5-mile tracks this season until Sunday, and it’s definitely not surprising that it happened during the Chase.
“I think we’re going to be a threat (at Charlotte Motor Speedway)," said Johnson ealier this week. "When I look back to Chicago, Kentucky, and Kansas obviously, our 1.5-mile stuff has been coming along pretty good over the last two or three months. So I feel good about it. Charlotte, with that asphalt that’s down, it is its own environment and it’s really tough to get your car right from the start of the race to the end of the race."
Edwards had a hard fought fifth-place finish last week at Kansas after struggling most of the day. It’s that type of racing on a bad day that can help slay the beast of Jimmie Johnson down the stretch and it’s what has kept him on top for now.
His Charlotte resume is quite impressive with seven top-10 finishes in 13 starts, but his only win on the track remains his non-points all-star win from this season. He’s considered a strong candidate to win on the basis of his win on the sister track of Las Vegas, his only win of the season.
 |
| Edwards looking for his first points win at Charlotte (Getty) |
Matt Kenseth also has to be considered a contender because of the car he's driving. He brought his winning Texas chassis which should translate well at Charlotte this week. Kenseth has one Charlotte win which came during his rookie year in 2000.
Harvick captured his first career win at Charlotte in May after Dale Earnhardt Jr ran out of fuel on the last lap. It was his only top-5 finish ever on the track. However, we’ve seen Harvick run well enough on these type of tracks this season to make him a contender once again this week.
“From a driver’s standpoint, it’s just never been a race track where I’ve had a great feel," Harvick said regarding Charlotte. "There’s nothing wrong with the surface, nothing wrong with the shape of the race track or anything like that. It’s just from a performance standpoint we just don’t have the stats that need to be there like we do at a lot of other places. Over the last couple of years it’s definitely gotten a lot better for us. We won a race there at the beginning of the year and after we won there we feel like we can win anywhere.”
 |
| Gordon can use Atlanta win well Saturday |
The race we can probably take the most input from for this week in September race at the sister track of Atlanta just because it was the most recent of the similar tracks run. Jeff Gordon won that race in dominant fashion with Johnson and Stewart in tow.
“We’re definitely looking to win races now,” said Gordon, who is 10th in the standings – 47 points out of the lead – after an engine issue at Kansas relegated him to a 34th-place finish. “We aren’t out of the championship discussion, but a lot is out of our control.
“Our focus now is on leading as many laps as we can and winning as many races as we possibly can. Then we’ll see where we stand after a few more races.”
Top-5 Finish Prediction:
1) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)
2) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)
3) #99 Carl Edwards (7/1)
4) #14 Tony Stewart (10/1)
5) #18 Kyle Busch (9/1)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Driver Chassis Selections for the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte
Note: Not all team reports their chassis in press releases
#00-David Reutimann: The Aaron's Dream Machine racing this weekend is the same car that finished 32nd following a mechanical issue at Chicagoland Speedway in September.
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion has decided to bring chassis #1120 to Charlotte this weekend. This chassis has never been used before and will see its first significant track time during the Bank of America 500 race weekend.
#2-Brad Keselowski: will race chassis PRS-802 during Saturday's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS). This is a brand-new chassis to the #2 fleet.
#6-David Ragan: Primary: RK-750 Last ran Texas -finished seventh; Backup: RK-711 Last ran Darlington - finished 21st
#5-Mark Martin: Crew chief Lance McGrew has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-685 for Saturday's race. This is the same chassis that Martin drove to a 17th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway last month.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 735 for the 501-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This Stanley Bostitch Ford Fusion has been run previously this season at Las Vegas, Texas, Charlotte's spring event, Kentucky and at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-671: This car made its debut in late July in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It qualified 24th, and after serving a pit road penalty on lap 29 that dropped it to 32nd, rallied to finish sixth. Prior to Indianapolis, it had never turned a wheel on the racetrack, but it did spend considerable time in the wind tunnel. Chassis No. 14-671 has made a handful of return trips to the wind tunnel in preparation for its second career start on Saturday night in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte.
#17-Matt Kenseth: Primary: RK-741 (Last raced at Chicago)
#18-Kyle Busch: Chassis No. 330: This is a brand new chassis that is slated to see action for the first time in Saturday night's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
#22-Kurt Busch: and his Steve Addington-led Penske Racing "Double-Deuce" team will be racing their "PRS-750" Pennzoil Ultra Dodge Charger this weekend in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It has proven to be among the strongest intermediate track cars in the Penske stable. Busch debuted this car in the Coca-Cola 600 at CMS with a fourth-place finish. In the car's only other outing, Busch drove it from a 10th-place start to a fourth-place finish last month at Atlanta.
#27-Paul Menard: will pilot Chassis No. 326 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet Impala was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen on track at Chicagoland Speedway, where Menard tied his season-best starting position of second and drove it to a 20th-place finish.This racer also saw competition at Michigan International Speedway (August) where he started 11th and finished 26th, at Bristol Motor Speedway (March) where he started fourth and finished fifth, The Sprint Showdown (May) where he started third and finished 11th, and again at MIS (June), where Menard started ninth and finished fourth.
#29-Kevin Harvick: will race chassis No. 373 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. The team utilized this car for the August race at Michigan International Speedway where Harvick finished 22nd.
#31-Jeff Burton: will pilot chassis No. 372 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in Saturday's Charlotte 500. This brand new Caterpillar Chevrolet will be put through its first paces of competition this weekend.
#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot chassis No. 333 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend. This Chevrolet Impala, built new at the start of the 2011 season, has been utilized this year at Auto Club Speedway in March (started-17th, finished-seventh), Charlotte Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in May (started-second, finished-16th), and both Pocono Raceway events in June (started-12th, finshed-16th) and August (started-14th, finished-18th).
#35-Geoff Bodine: will compete in the No. 297 chassis this weekend. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing this season. Paul Menard drove the chassis prior to this weekend's debut with TBR.
#36-Dave Blaney: will pilot the No. 293 chassis this weekend. Blaney drove the chassis at Kentucky Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the fall event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this year. Stephen Leicht also piloted the chassis this season at Richmond International Raceway September 10th. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing where Jeff Burton drove the chassis prior to its debut with TBR.
#39-Ryan Newman: Chassis No. 39-686: This is a new chassis that has not been on-track previously.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: Crew Chief Jim Pohlman and the #42 Target team are bringing chassis #1119 to Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. This brand new chassis will see its first race action of the year in the Bank of America 500.
#43-A.J. Allmendinger: The #43 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 783 for this weekend's event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Chicagoland Speedway.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: will drive chassis No. 659 in Saturday night's race. He crossed the line fourth in that chassis at Pocono Raceway in August. Johnson finished second in backup chassis No. 669 at Dover International Speedway on Oct. 2.
#88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-617. Earnhardt last raced this chassis at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September. He also raced this chassis at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July, Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, Texas Motor Speedway in April and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.
#99-Carl Edwards: RK-739 - Last raced Bristol, finished ninth.
- compiled by Jayski.com
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion has decided to bring chassis #1120 to Charlotte this weekend. This chassis has never been used before and will see its first significant track time during the Bank of America 500 race weekend.
#2-Brad Keselowski: will race chassis PRS-802 during Saturday's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS). This is a brand-new chassis to the #2 fleet.
#6-David Ragan: Primary: RK-750 Last ran Texas -finished seventh; Backup: RK-711 Last ran Darlington - finished 21st
#5-Mark Martin: Crew chief Lance McGrew has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-685 for Saturday's race. This is the same chassis that Martin drove to a 17th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway last month.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 735 for the 501-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This Stanley Bostitch Ford Fusion has been run previously this season at Las Vegas, Texas, Charlotte's spring event, Kentucky and at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-671: This car made its debut in late July in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It qualified 24th, and after serving a pit road penalty on lap 29 that dropped it to 32nd, rallied to finish sixth. Prior to Indianapolis, it had never turned a wheel on the racetrack, but it did spend considerable time in the wind tunnel. Chassis No. 14-671 has made a handful of return trips to the wind tunnel in preparation for its second career start on Saturday night in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte.
#17-Matt Kenseth: Primary: RK-741 (Last raced at Chicago)
#18-Kyle Busch: Chassis No. 330: This is a brand new chassis that is slated to see action for the first time in Saturday night's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
#22-Kurt Busch: and his Steve Addington-led Penske Racing "Double-Deuce" team will be racing their "PRS-750" Pennzoil Ultra Dodge Charger this weekend in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It has proven to be among the strongest intermediate track cars in the Penske stable. Busch debuted this car in the Coca-Cola 600 at CMS with a fourth-place finish. In the car's only other outing, Busch drove it from a 10th-place start to a fourth-place finish last month at Atlanta.
#27-Paul Menard: will pilot Chassis No. 326 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet Impala was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen on track at Chicagoland Speedway, where Menard tied his season-best starting position of second and drove it to a 20th-place finish.This racer also saw competition at Michigan International Speedway (August) where he started 11th and finished 26th, at Bristol Motor Speedway (March) where he started fourth and finished fifth, The Sprint Showdown (May) where he started third and finished 11th, and again at MIS (June), where Menard started ninth and finished fourth.
#29-Kevin Harvick: will race chassis No. 373 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. The team utilized this car for the August race at Michigan International Speedway where Harvick finished 22nd.
#31-Jeff Burton: will pilot chassis No. 372 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in Saturday's Charlotte 500. This brand new Caterpillar Chevrolet will be put through its first paces of competition this weekend.
#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot chassis No. 333 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend. This Chevrolet Impala, built new at the start of the 2011 season, has been utilized this year at Auto Club Speedway in March (started-17th, finished-seventh), Charlotte Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in May (started-second, finished-16th), and both Pocono Raceway events in June (started-12th, finshed-16th) and August (started-14th, finished-18th).
#35-Geoff Bodine: will compete in the No. 297 chassis this weekend. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing this season. Paul Menard drove the chassis prior to this weekend's debut with TBR.
#36-Dave Blaney: will pilot the No. 293 chassis this weekend. Blaney drove the chassis at Kentucky Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the fall event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this year. Stephen Leicht also piloted the chassis this season at Richmond International Raceway September 10th. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing where Jeff Burton drove the chassis prior to its debut with TBR.
#39-Ryan Newman: Chassis No. 39-686: This is a new chassis that has not been on-track previously.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: Crew Chief Jim Pohlman and the #42 Target team are bringing chassis #1119 to Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. This brand new chassis will see its first race action of the year in the Bank of America 500.
#43-A.J. Allmendinger: The #43 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 783 for this weekend's event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Chicagoland Speedway.
#88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-617. Earnhardt last raced this chassis at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September. He also raced this chassis at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July, Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, Texas Motor Speedway in April and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.
#99-Carl Edwards: RK-739 - Last raced Bristol, finished ninth.
- compiled by Jayski.com
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Edwards Searching For First Charlotte Points-Race Win
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| Edwards using car that ran at Dover, Michigan and Bristol |
Team: No. 99 Aflac’s Now Hiring Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Bob Osborne
Chassis Choice: RK-739 – Last raced Bristol, finished ninth. It's the same car that he finished fifth with at Michigan International Speedway in June. The car also finished 7th at Dover in May.
Carl Edwards on racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “Charlotte has been a little difficult for us. We have been very hit and miss there. I do feel like our run in the All-Star race and 600 earlier this year will be something we can build on. We have a baseline strategy with the setup and we will go use that and hopefully it will work out better. I’m very grateful to be going into Charlotte as the points leader after our run in Kansas last weekend.”
Crew chief Bob Osborne on racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “We have rebuilt the car we won with at the All-Star race, but we’re not bringing that this weekend. The 500-mile race is a little different than the 600, but starting out we’ll work with a similar set-up to what we had in May and go from there. The temperature will be a lot cooler than in May and it will be dark when we start so that is another big difference.”
Fast Facts
* THE CHASE IS ON…Carl Edwards enters the Bank of America 500 leading the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase point standings by one point over Kevin Harvick. In 30 starts this season, Edwards has accumulated one win, 15 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes, and two poles.
* FOR THE RECORD…Edwards will make his 14th Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. In his previous starts, Edwards has four top-five and seven top-10 finishes. His average start is 18.6, and his average finish is 13.3. Edwards has completed 98.9% of laps attempted at CMS. Of the 4585 laps Edwards has completed, he has led 97 of them.
* IN THE LOOP… According to NASCAR’s Loop Statistics compiled over the last 13 races at CMS, Edwards has turned 99 of the track’s fastest laps, spent 2445 laps in the top 15 and led a total of 97 laps. Edwards’ driver rating is 11th best among active drivers.
* ON THE TRACK…The Aflac team will be bringing chassis RK-739 to CMS. This car last raced at Bristol where Edwards finished ninth with it.
* REWIND, CHARLOTTE, October 2010… After fighting the handling much of the night Edwards ended up with a 12th-place finish. The crew spent the entire race making adjustments and they did make some gains by the end of the race, but Edwards ran out of time to gain any more track position.
- Roush Fenway Racing, Press Release
Harvick Rolling With Runner-Up Michigan Chassis This Week at Charlotte
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| Harvick captured first Charlotte win in May (Getty) |
No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes
This Week’s Jimmy John’s Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Kevin Harvick will race chassis No. 373 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. The team utilized this car for the first time in the August race at Michigan International Speedway where Harvick finished 22nd.
Freaky Fast at Charlotte… The black, red and white colors of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches will adorn the No. 29 Chevrolet as the team’s primary sponsor for the fifth time in 2011 this weekend at CMS.
Chase Update … Four races into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Harvick sits second in the driver championship point standings, just one marker behind Carl Edwards following a sixth-place finish at Kansas Speedway. Harvick has one top-five and three top-10 finishes thus far in the Chase. His average finish in the first four races is 7.5.
Harvick at Charlotte … In 21 races at CMS, Harvick has earned one win, two top-five and five top-10 finishes. His average starting position is 19.8 combined with a 19.1 average finishing position. Harvick has led just five laps at the 1.5-mile track, but has completed 96.9 percent (7,219 of 7,450) of the laps run there in NSCS competition since 2001.
Picking Up the Pace … Harvick has publicly commented numerous times about his dislike of CMS. However, the Bakersfield, Calif., native has scored solid runs at the speedway recently. In the past three points-paying races at CMS, Harvick holds an average finish of 6.67, which is more than 12 positions better than his career average finish at the track.
Last Time Around … Last October Harvick took home an eighth-place finish at the Concord, N.C.-based facility, which at the time was his best finish at the 1.5-mile speedway since his rookie season in 2001. In May, the No. 29 team gambled correctly on fuel mileage and took home the checkered flag in the Coca-Cola 600. The win was Harvick’s first NSCS points-paying victory at the speedway.
In the Loop … Harvick holds some impressive Loop Data statistics at CMS heading into Saturday night’s race, including: first in closers and fourth in green-flag passes (973).
A #10, Hold the Tomatoes … While the Jimmy John’s menu offers a number of tasty, gourmet sandwiches, Harvick’s favorite is the #10 Hunters Club, minus the tomatoes. The sandwich features a quarter pound of fresh-sliced, medium-rare roast beef, provolone cheese, lettuce, mayonnaise and tomatoes (unless you’re like Harvick and ask for them to be left off).
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway? “From a driver’s standpoint, it’s just never been a race track where I’ve had a great feel. There’s nothing wrong with the surface, nothing wrong with the shape of the race track or anything like that. It’s just from a performance standpoint we just don’t have the stats that need to be there like we do at a lot of other places. Over the last couple of years it’s definitely gotten a lot better for us. We won a race there at the beginning of the year and after we won there we feel like we can win anywhere.”
Talk about racing at night at Charlotte Motor Speedway with cooler temperatures expected: “As soon as it goes to night there, the track becomes a different race track than it is during the day. I’m sure that we’ll practice during the day and have no clue what we have at night. All-in-all, it’s going to be the same old Charlotte that it always is – really, really fast at night. The cooler it gets, the more grip there is.”
It’s known that you haven’t been a big fan of Charlotte Motor Speedway in the past. After winning at the track in May, can one win really give you a better attitude coming into this race? “We’ve definitely run better at Charlotte over the last couple of years. For us that’s a huge step. In the past, it’s been a place where you just want to come and survive and try to get a top-10 (finish). The last time we were in contention, I think we restarted fifth there and had a solid car all night. It seems like we’ve gotten better every time. Hopefully that win keeps everybody happy coming in before we get started.”
- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release
Kenseth Using Winning Texas Car In Attempt to Grab 2nd Charlotte Win
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| Kenseth is using his winning Texas chassis this week at Charlotte (Getty) |
Team: No. 17 Fluidmaster Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis Choice: Will return in the same car (chassis No. 741) that he finished fifth with at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The car also finished runner-up in June's Michigan race and won at Texas. It last raced at Chicago where he started on the pole and finished 21st.
Kenseth on racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “Track position is important every race, but it seems to be even more important at Charlotte over the past couple of years with this new style of car. The pavement has a lot of grip, and even though the track gets pretty wide, it’s a real fast track that can be difficult to pass at, so track position turns out to be very important there. You always want your car handling the best you can in order to put yourself in position at the end to have a good finish, and we’re going to do our best to get the Fluidmaster Ford the best finish we can.”
Crew chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “I always look forward to racing at Charlotte since the track is right down the road from the shop. It’s our home track so you always want to race the very best you can here since so many of our family and friends are around. We’re bringing our race-winning car from Texas and it’s been a really strong car for us so far this season. We last raced it at Chicago and were up at the front of the field for most of the race. Matt has had a lot of success at Charlotte, so I hope we earn another great finish for our team Saturday night.”
FAST FACTS:
• Kenseth earned his first career Sprint Cup series win at Charlotte on May 28, 2000
• Kenseth has an average starting position of 18.8 and an average finishing position of 14.9 at Charlotte
• Kenseth has achieved one win, six top-five, and 12 top-10 finishes at Charlotte in the Cup series
• Kenseth has completed 7,972 of 8,518 (93.6 percent) laps at Charlotte and led for a total of 409 laps
• This weekend Kenseth will pilot the No. 17 Fluidmaster Ford Fusion
• Kenseth is currently fifth in the Sprint Cup Series driver point standings
- Roush Fenway Racing, Press Release
Johnson Going for SEVENTH Charlotte Win in 21st Start This Week
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| Johnson has an average finish of 10.8 in 20 career starts |
• Johnson has made 20 Sprint Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he has six wins, 10 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.
• Johnson has completed 96.7% (6816 of 7050) of competition laps at the 1.5-mile track and has led 1385.
• He has an average start and finish of 7.6 and 10.8.
Chassis Choice
• Johnson will drive chassis No. 659 in Saturday night’s race. He crossed the line fourth in that chassis at Pocono Raceway in August.
• Johnson finished second in backup chassis No. 669 at Dover International Speedway on Oct. 2.
JOHNSON QUOTE
TALK ABOUT THIS WEEKEND IN CHARLOTTE: “I think we’re going to be a threat (at Charlotte Motor Speedway). When I look back to Chicago, Kentucky, and Kansas obviously, our 1.5-mile stuff has been coming along pretty good over the last two or three months. So I feel good about it. Charlotte, with that asphalt that’s down, it is its own environment and it’s really tough to get your car right from the start of the race to the end of the race. So I feel like directionally we’re going the right way; but until I get on the track this week and understand where the grip level is and what our issues are, it’s hard to build too much confidence. But it’s been that way all year. It’s so tough to take what you learn at one track and carry it to the next. It’s harder than I’ve ever seen it in our sport. And after talking to other teams and drivers, I feel like a lot of people are going through this in the garage area. Take last weekend at Kansas as an example, when you look at the Happy Hour sheet you would have sworn that the No. 33 (Clint Bowyer) or the No. 99 (Carl Edwards) was going to run away and win the race. Then on Sunday, both of them had their issues and couldn’t perform. So, it’s really tough to even go from a Saturday to a Sunday and hit it anymore. It’s been really hard this year.”
SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES
Career Wins
• Johnson has 55 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 9, 2011.
• The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently tied with Rusty Wallace for eighth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.
• He is second in total wins among active drivers, behind Jeff Gordon (85).
• Johnson needed only 296 starts to hit the 50 mark. Only three drivers have reached 50 victories quicker – Gordon (232), Darrell Waltrip (278) and David Pearson (293).
• Johnson has won at least three Cup races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first eight full-time seasons.
• Johnson has won Sprint Cup Series races at all but five (Michigan, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Homestead, Kentucky) of the 23 tracks on which the series competes.
• Johnson’s 10 wins in 2007 was the highest number recorded in a single season since Jeff Gordon posted 13 victories in 1998.
• The four-consecutive wins scored by the No. 48 team in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup ties a modern-era NASCAR record.
Career Poles
• Johnson has collected 25 poles in his Sprint Cup career.
• The championship driver has earned at least one pole a year since his first full-time season in 2002.
• He had a career-high six poles in 2008.
• Johnson’s most recent pole position was at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 24, 2010.
Career Starts
• Johnson has finished in the top five in the Sprint Cup Series point standings each year since his first full season in 2002.
• Johnson is the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup every year since the format was adopted in 2004.
• In 357 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 147 top-five and 223 top-10 finishes.
• He has a top-five finish at every track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.
• Johnson has led a total of 12,046 laps (of 102,878) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 137,927 miles.
• He has finished on the lead lap 279 times.
Career Recognition
• Johnson was named by Forbes as the Most Influential Athlete in 2011.
• In 2009, Johnson became the first race car driver to be named Male Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in its 78-year history.
• Voted Driver of the Year four times in his career (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010), Johnson joins Jeff Gordon as four-time winners of the prestigious award.
• Johnson has won an ESPY for Best Driver four times, in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
- GMR Live Marketing for Team Lowe’s Racing, Press Release
INSIDE the NUMBERS: Bank of America 500
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| Jamie McMurray won at Charlotte last fall (Getty) |
Charlotte Motor Speedway (all 105 Sprint Cup races)
1 – fewest cars on the lead lap at finish (13 times, most recent 5/24/87)
1 – fewest cautions (10/14/62)
2 – fewest laps led by race winner (Kevin Harvick, 5/29/11)
3 – fewest leaders (twice, most recent 5/21/61)
6 – most wins (Bobby Allison, Junior Johnson, Jimmie Johnson)
6 – fewest caution laps (10/14/62)
6 – number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend
8 – fewest lead changes (10/16/60)
11 – consecutive poles (David Pearson)
14 – most poles (David Pearson)
14 – wins from the pole (most recent, Jimmie Johnson, 10/17/09)
21 – most leaders (5/29/05)
22 – most cautions (5/29/05)
26 – most cars on lead lap at finish (5/25/09)
38 – different pole winners
44 – different race winners
54 – most lead changes (5/27/79)
113 – most caution laps (5/25/80)
120 minutes – approximate amount of time it takes to dry the 1.5-mile track after a significant rainfall
335 – most laps led by race winner (Jim Paschal, 5/28/67)
2011 Caution Update
7 – number of races extended beyond scheduled distance in 2011
3 – fewest cautions this season (New Hampshire, 9/25/11)
16 – most cautions this season (Daytona)
222 – number of cautions in the first 30 races of 2011; includes 107 for accidents, 51 for debris and 29 for spins
1,073 of 8,615 – number of laps under caution in 2011
1,462.119 of 11,759.158 – miles under caution in the first 30 races
- Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports, Pres Release
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Charlotte Odds & Ends
At Charlotte Motor Speedway:
History
· Construction began on Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1959.
· The track’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 19, 1960.
· The track was repaved midseason in 1994.
· The track name changed from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 1999. It changed back to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 2010 season.
· The track was re-paved again before the 2006 season.
Notebook
· There have been 105 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, two races per year since the track opened in 1960. In 1961, there were two 100-mile qualifying points races held the week beforethe May race. The first six fall races at Charlotte were 400-mile events (1960-65).
· 38 drivers have posted poles, led by David Pearson with 14.
· Fireball Roberts won the pole for the first race, in 1960.
· David Pearson posted 11 straight poles at Charlotte from the fall of 1973 through 1978.
· Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in poles, with nine. Jeff Gordon has eight.
· Jeff Gordon won five straight poles for the spring races between 1994 and 1998.
· 44 drivers have won races, led by Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip and Jimmie Johnson, with six each.
· Joe Lee Johnson won the first race, in 1960.
· There have been 13 back-to-back victories, including three consecutive by Fred Lorenzen (fall 1964 and both 1965) and four straight by Jimmie Johnson (both in 2004 and 2005).
· A sweep has occurred eight times, including each season from 2004-2007.
· 14 races have been won from the pole, the last by Jimmie Johnson (October, 2009).
· Jimmie Johnson won the 2003 Coca-Cola 600 from the 37th starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
· Joey Logano is the only driver with more than two starts at Charlotte to average a top-10 finish (7.4).
· A number of active drivers earned their first win at CMS: Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears and David Reutimann. Inactive drivers David Pearson, Buddy Baker and Charlie Glotzbach also got their first series wins at Charlotte.
· Three Chase contenders earned their first career Coors Light poles at Charlotte: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman.
Charlotte Motor Speedway Data
Race #: 31 of 36 (10-15-11)
Track Size: 1.5 miles
· Banking/Corners: 24 degrees
· Banking/Straights: 5 degrees
· Frontstretch: 1,980 feet
Las Vegas Hilton Super Book Odds to Win Bank of America 500 at Charlotte
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2011
CARL EDWARDS 7
JIMMIE JOHNSON 9-2
KYLE BUSCH 7
JEFF GORDON 8
MATT KENSETH 12
KEVIN HARVICK 12
DENNY HAMLIN 18
KURT BUSCH 12
TONY STEWART 10
DALE EARNHARDT JR 25
GREG BIFFLE 18
KASEY KAHNE 20
CLINT BOWYER 30
RYAN NEWMAN 35
BRAD KESELOWSKI 15
JOEY LOGANO 40
MARTIN TRUEX JR 40
DAVID RAGAN 35
JUAN MONTOYA 50
MARK MARTIN 40
JEFF BURTON 60
JAMIE McMURRAY 60
BRIAN VICKERS 50
DAVID REUTIMANN 35
PAUL MENARD 75
AJ ALLMENDINGER 50
MARCOS AMBROSE 100
REGAN SMITH 200
TREVOR BAYNE 500
FIELD 300
Monday, May 30, 2011
Harvick Swoops up Coca-Cola 600 Win on Last lap
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| Harvick picks up first career Charlotte win (Getty) |
Jimmie Johnson lost an engine with a few laps to go, setting up a green-white-checker finish. Kasey Kahne led on the final restart and immediately ran out of fuel. The points leader, Carl Edwards, finished 16th and increased his points lead to 36 points over Harvick who moves into second. There were 38 lead changes among 19 drivers; 14 cautions for 64 yellow flag laps. The attendance is listed as 145,000 up from 140,000 last year. (Jayski.com)
Coca-Cola 600 Results
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Final Coca-Cola 600 Driver Ratings Following All Practice Session
Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
Coca-Cola 600
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Sunday, May 29, 2011 - 3:15 pm (PDT)
Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Qualified Practice 2 Practice 3
1. Carl Edwards 7/2 2nd 3rd 21st 13th
Using a brand new car; 13.1 average finish in 12 starts, won at Vegas, third at Texas.
2. Matt Kenseth 15/1 15th 19th 30th 16th
2000 winner with four straight top-10’s at Charlotte; using winning Texas chassis.
3. Tony Stewart 15/1 23rd 22nd 9th 17th
2003 fall winner; using dominant runner-up Vegas chassis that led 163 laps.
4. Clint Bowyer 20/1 8th 10th 28th 21st
Best finish was runner-up in 2007; using runner-up Texas chassis that led 44 laps.
5. Kasey Kahne 30/1 7th 17th 5th 14th
Three-time Charlotte winner, the last coming in 2008; strong in last weeks All-Star race.
6. Kyle Busch 7/1 21st 21st 13th 4th
No Cup Charlotte wins, but finished eighth or better in last seven starts; using Texas car.
7. Kurt Bush 30/1 9th 26th 2nd 9th
Won this race last season following his All-Star win. Had best practice of the season Saturday.
8. Greg Biffle 15/1 17th 15th 12th 7th
Finished fifth in fall race last season; using fourth-place Texas chassis this week.
9. Jimmie Johnson 7/1 3rd 6th 17th 26th
Six-time winner, the last coming in 2009; using 15th-place Darlington chassis this week.
10. Jeff Burton 20/1 1st 5th 25th 5th
Three-time winner, the last coming in 2007; using a brand new chassis this week.
Note: The results from the 2011 races held at Las Vegas and Texas are great indicators to how the drivers might perform Sunday due to the similar size and banking of the tracks.
Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.
Micah Roberts, a former race and sports Director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com.
Coca-Cola 600
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Sunday, May 29, 2011 - 3:15 pm (PDT)
Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Qualified Practice 2 Practice 3
1. Carl Edwards 7/2 2nd 3rd 21st 13th
Using a brand new car; 13.1 average finish in 12 starts, won at Vegas, third at Texas.
2. Matt Kenseth 15/1 15th 19th 30th 16th
2000 winner with four straight top-10’s at Charlotte; using winning Texas chassis.
3. Tony Stewart 15/1 23rd 22nd 9th 17th
2003 fall winner; using dominant runner-up Vegas chassis that led 163 laps.
4. Clint Bowyer 20/1 8th 10th 28th 21st
Best finish was runner-up in 2007; using runner-up Texas chassis that led 44 laps.
5. Kasey Kahne 30/1 7th 17th 5th 14th
Three-time Charlotte winner, the last coming in 2008; strong in last weeks All-Star race.
6. Kyle Busch 7/1 21st 21st 13th 4th
No Cup Charlotte wins, but finished eighth or better in last seven starts; using Texas car.
7. Kurt Bush 30/1 9th 26th 2nd 9th
Won this race last season following his All-Star win. Had best practice of the season Saturday.
8. Greg Biffle 15/1 17th 15th 12th 7th
Finished fifth in fall race last season; using fourth-place Texas chassis this week.
9. Jimmie Johnson 7/1 3rd 6th 17th 26th
Six-time winner, the last coming in 2009; using 15th-place Darlington chassis this week.
10. Jeff Burton 20/1 1st 5th 25th 5th
Three-time winner, the last coming in 2007; using a brand new chassis this week.
Note: The results from the 2011 races held at Las Vegas and Texas are great indicators to how the drivers might perform Sunday due to the similar size and banking of the tracks.
Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.
Micah Roberts, a former race and sports Director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Driver Chassis Selections For Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte
Note: Not all teams list their chassis choice in PR release
1. Carl Edwards: 18.8 average finish and two laps led in the six races with the COT; Best finish came in this event in 2009 in fourth; One win and a 2.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will be looking to become the eighth driver to sweep the All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 765) in the Coca-Cola 600.
2. Jimmie Johnson: Six-time winner in 19 starts; Finished 37th in this event last year after crashing into the inside retaining wall on the backstretch; Finish raised his overall average finish to 9.8; 16.5 average finish and 251 laps led in the six races with the COT; Best driver rating in the past 12 races; 12.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 659) that he finished 15th with at Darlington Raceway earlier this month.
3. Kyle Busch: Leads all drivers with a 4.3 average finish in the six races with the COT; Second-best driver rating in the past 12 races; 27.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011. Using Texas car.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr: 28.3 average finish in six races with Hendrick Motorsports; Recorded eight top-10s in previous 17 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc; Led 76 laps and finished fifth in 2008 Coca-Cola 600; 8.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 617) that he finished ninth with at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
5. Kevin Harvick: Coming off fourth top 10 in 20 starts; Finished 11th in this event last year; 17.5 average finish in the six races with the COT; 18.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 353) in the Coca-Cola 600.
6. Matt Kenseth: Coming off 12th (fourth consecutive) top 10 in 23 starts; 12.7 average finish and 55 laps led in the six races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 741) that he won with at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
7. Ryan Newman: 16.7 average finish in the six races with the COT; Two poles and a 14.5 average finish in four starts with Stewart-Haas; 9.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011.
8. Clint Bowyer: 17.2 average finish in the six races with the COT; Finished seventh in this event last year for third top 10 in 10 starts; 8.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 350) that he led 44 laps with en route to a second-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
9. Kurt Busch: Defending race winner; Win was fifth top 10 in 21 starts; 15.7 average finish and 318 laps led in the six races with the COT; 9.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 750) in the Coca-Cola 600.
10. Tony Stewart: 17.0 average finish in four starts with Stewart-Haas; Won the 2003 fall race with Joe Gibbs Racing; Win was one of 11 top-10s with JGR; 7.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 591) that he led 163 laps en route to a second-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.
11. Mark Martin: 12.7 average finish in the six races with the COT; Finished fourth in this event last year for 23rd top 10 in 52 starts; 13.0 average finish in four starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Four-time winner with Roush Racing; 27.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 646) that he finished 19th with in last weekend's All-Star Race.
12. Greg Biffle: Coming off sixth top 10 (fifth-place finish) in 16 starts; 32nd-place finish in this event last year raised finishing average to 13.7 in the six races with the COT; 16.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 749) that he finished fourth with at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
13. Denny Hamlin: Coming off fourth top 10 (fourth-place finish) in 11 starts; 19.2 average finish and 59 laps led in the six races with the COT; 11.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011.
14. Jeff Gordon: Last of five wins came in the 2007 fall race; 9.8 average finish in the six races with the COT; Finished sixth in this event last year for 20th top 10 in 36 starts; 29.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011. Using All-Star chassis from last week.
15. Juan Montoya: 26.0 average finish in the six races with the COT; Only top 10 (eighth-place finish) in eight starts came in this event in 2009; 8.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 1108) in the Coca-Cola 600.
16. AJ Allmendinger: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in eight starts; Best finish came in this event last year in 14th; 19.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 752) that he finished 19th with at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
17. Paul Menard: Only top 10 in eight starts came in this event last year; 23.9 average finish; 8.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 356) in the Coca-Cola 600.
18. Kasey Kahne: Three-time winner; 10.5 average finish and 133 laps led in the six races with the COT; Seven top-10s in 14 starts; 17.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011.
19. Martin Truex Jr: 19.0 average finish in two starts with Michael Waltrip Racing; Scored two top-10s in nine previous starts; 20.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011.
20. Marcos Ambrose: 25.0 average finish in four starts; 5.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 735) that he finished sixth with at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
- compiled by Jeff Wackerlin, MotorRacingNetwork.com
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| Johnson is going with his Darlington car this week (Getty) |
2. Jimmie Johnson: Six-time winner in 19 starts; Finished 37th in this event last year after crashing into the inside retaining wall on the backstretch; Finish raised his overall average finish to 9.8; 16.5 average finish and 251 laps led in the six races with the COT; Best driver rating in the past 12 races; 12.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 659) that he finished 15th with at Darlington Raceway earlier this month.
3. Kyle Busch: Leads all drivers with a 4.3 average finish in the six races with the COT; Second-best driver rating in the past 12 races; 27.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011. Using Texas car.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr: 28.3 average finish in six races with Hendrick Motorsports; Recorded eight top-10s in previous 17 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc; Led 76 laps and finished fifth in 2008 Coca-Cola 600; 8.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 617) that he finished ninth with at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
5. Kevin Harvick: Coming off fourth top 10 in 20 starts; Finished 11th in this event last year; 17.5 average finish in the six races with the COT; 18.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 353) in the Coca-Cola 600.
 |
| Texas chassis makes an appearance this week for Kenseth |
7. Ryan Newman: 16.7 average finish in the six races with the COT; Two poles and a 14.5 average finish in four starts with Stewart-Haas; 9.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011.
8. Clint Bowyer: 17.2 average finish in the six races with the COT; Finished seventh in this event last year for third top 10 in 10 starts; 8.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 350) that he led 44 laps with en route to a second-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
9. Kurt Busch: Defending race winner; Win was fifth top 10 in 21 starts; 15.7 average finish and 318 laps led in the six races with the COT; 9.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 750) in the Coca-Cola 600.
 |
| Stewart's Vegas car was dominant; it goes this week. |
11. Mark Martin: 12.7 average finish in the six races with the COT; Finished fourth in this event last year for 23rd top 10 in 52 starts; 13.0 average finish in four starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Four-time winner with Roush Racing; 27.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 646) that he finished 19th with in last weekend's All-Star Race.
12. Greg Biffle: Coming off sixth top 10 (fifth-place finish) in 16 starts; 32nd-place finish in this event last year raised finishing average to 13.7 in the six races with the COT; 16.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 749) that he finished fourth with at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
13. Denny Hamlin: Coming off fourth top 10 (fourth-place finish) in 11 starts; 19.2 average finish and 59 laps led in the six races with the COT; 11.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011.
14. Jeff Gordon: Last of five wins came in the 2007 fall race; 9.8 average finish in the six races with the COT; Finished sixth in this event last year for 20th top 10 in 36 starts; 29.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011. Using All-Star chassis from last week.
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| Brand new car for Montoya this week (Getty) |
16. AJ Allmendinger: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in eight starts; Best finish came in this event last year in 14th; 19.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 752) that he finished 19th with at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
17. Paul Menard: Only top 10 in eight starts came in this event last year; 23.9 average finish; 8.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 356) in the Coca-Cola 600.
18. Kasey Kahne: Three-time winner; 10.5 average finish and 133 laps led in the six races with the COT; Seven top-10s in 14 starts; 17.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011.
19. Martin Truex Jr: 19.0 average finish in two starts with Michael Waltrip Racing; Scored two top-10s in nine previous starts; 20.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011.
20. Marcos Ambrose: 25.0 average finish in four starts; 5.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 735) that he finished sixth with at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
- compiled by Jeff Wackerlin, MotorRacingNetwork.com
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Keselowski Captures Coca-Cola 600 Pole; Driver Quotes Following Qualifying
Sporting News Wire Service
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| Keselowski captures second pole of his career Thursday at Charlotte |
Keselowski sped around the 1.5-mile track in 28.112 seconds (192.089 mph) Thursday to win the second Coors Light Pole Award of his career, the first coming this past September at New Hampshire. Keselowski edged A.J. Allmendinger (191.693 mph), who will start his second consecutive Sprint Cup points race from the outside of the front row.
Series points leader Carl Edwards, winner of last Saturday's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte, will start third after at lap at 191.686 mph. Edwards' lap was one-thousandth of a second slower than Allmendinger's (28.170 seconds versus 28.171). Denny Hamlin (191.367 mph) will line up next to Edwards on the outside of the second row.
Jeff Burton (191.245 mph) qualified fifth. Jimmie Johnson, David Reutimann, David Ragan, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Clint Bowyer will start from positions six through 10, respectively. Stenhouse, driving the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford in place of Trevor Bayne, is the first driver to make his Cup debut in the Coke 600 since Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 1999.
Andy Lally, T.J. Bell, Scott Wimmer, Tony Raines and Scott Riggs failed to qualify for the 43-car field.
Coca-Cola 600 Qualifying Notes:
• Brad Keselowski earns his second career pole in his 65th start.
• Brad Keselowski's first pole came at Loudon (2010).
• Brad Keselowski becomes the ninth different pole winner in 11 qualifying sessions this season; Dover was rained out.
• A.J. Allmendinger (second) scored his best start in nine Charlotte races.
• Carl Edwards (third) posted his seventh top-10 start in 12 races this season.
• Denny Hamlin (fourth) posted his best start in 12 races at Charlotte.
• Jeff Burton (fifth) posted his best start since starting fourth in the Daytona 500.
• Jimmie Johnson (sixth) posted top-10 starts in last eight Charlotte races, longest current streak
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. qualified ninth in his career-first start; he is the 26th driver to make his Cup debut in the 600 and the first since Dale Jr. in 1999.
Driver Quotes Following Qualifying
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| Ragan won the Sprint Showdown just ahead of Keselowski |
GREG BIFFLE ON HIS QUALIFYING LAP: “The car was pretty good, but it just slid the nose a little bit in three and four. I just chattered the front tires, but I thought it was gonna be way faster than that actually. It’s a long race and we know that it’s cooling down fast, so we’ll get bumped down but that’s the way it goes.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER ON QUALIFYING: “The U.S. Air Force Ford is really quick. I’m proud of Mike Shiplett and all the guys and I think we’ve got a good race car. The mile and a half program hasn’t been our best. We’ve been struggling with it a little bit and haven’t been as good as our teammate, Marcos, and a lot of the Fords, so I thought last week in the All-Star Race we got better. We still weren’t as good as we wanted to be, but we learned some things. We came back here with a different plan to work on setup and, so far, at least in qualifying trim, it was pretty good. That will at least get us in the top five or top six, which, for 600 miles it doesn’t really matter at that point. You just want to start up front and now we’ve got to work on Saturday to make the car better and then stay there on Sunday.”
CARL EDWARDS ON HIS CAR THIS WEEK: “We’re fast and that’s a car that we didn’t plan on bringing to this race. I don’t know if you saw it, but I tore up the other car. This one is fast, so we’ve got a fast Scotts EZ Seed Fusion and it looks like we’ll probably be third. That will be a great starting spot. We’ll get a great pit stall and it’s a great way to start off our 600 weekend.”
“The car is very good. Bob and I were a little frustrated with our lap and then we realized that’s OK to qualify third considering where we were a year ago. I think AJ said it well. We’ve been working hard at all of this stuff and the cars are fast. I think at least one of those Fords is gonna be a threat to win on Sunday, so I hope it’s our Ford. It looks like we’ve got a great start.”
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| Edwards thinks this weeks car may be better than last week |
EDWARDS ON WHAT’S GOING ON IN MISSOURI? “I’m really proud to be from Missouri, and I’m extra proud after what I’ve seen here the last week. The whole state of Missouri and Oklahoma and Kansas for that matter, everyone has really joined up and volunteered. There are firemen and first responders and hospitals. A couple buddies of mine took their tractors down there to Joplin and they made a base at a church and they went out and helped people get trees off their houses and gather up their belongings. It’s a tragedy. We’re praying and thinking of them and as we learn more, we’ll know who we can help more.”
MARCOS AMBROSE ON QUALIFYING: “We’re just gonna pay the price. We’re not gonna qualify well. We just didn’t get it right this afternoon when the track was hot and it is what it is. It’s a long race, but every spot counts.”
RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. ON HIS EMOTION AFTER QUALIFYING: “I’m relieved to get this thing in. I knew the car had the speed. Our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion was fast in practice. Whether I could put it all together was a different story and we were able to, which was good. I didn’t imagine we would have a lap that good, but we’ll definitely take it. I left a little bit out there because we just had to get in. These Wood Brothers guys did an awesome job and I just can’t wait to get in the race on Sunday and just try to make all the laps we can. It’s a long race. I’ve got a lot to learn. That was just qualifying, so, hopefully, on Saturday we’ll have a good practice and a good Nationwide race. Our Fastenal Mustang was fast in Nationwide practice and, hopefully, have a good race and get into Sunday and just really learn a lot.”
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| Burton looked sharp in in practice and qualifying |
JIMMIE JOHNSON ON HIS QUALIFYING LAP (6TH): "It wasn’t bad. We had a good practice session and a good qualifying session. I would have liked to have been up there in the top three for the optimal pick on pit road but we’ll take that.”
JOHNSON ON WHAT THE KEY IN THE 600 MARATHON? “Well, it’s a long race and a lot of things take place. So it’s tough to pinpoint just one thing. In a compromise I would say that probably the best phrase to use is that it starts in the day and ends at night. And then what we saw with tire strategy playing out through the All-Star weekend, pit road strategy and what you do there might be a big part of this. Fuel mileage could be an issue. So you’ve got to be on your toes.”
RYAN NEWMAN ON HIS QUALIFYING LAP (12TH): “We didn’t back-up the position we ran in practice. It was a good effort. I’m not happy with it. But we did what we thought was right and just came up short today.”
KEVIN HARVICK ON HIS QUALIFYING (28TH): “It is still not going to be great but everyone on our Budweiser Chevrolet team did a great job just getting it competitive. I feel like we are going to be fine in race trim. We just have been off since we unloaded in qualifying trim. We’ll keep at it. That is better than where we were in practice, so that is an improvement.
HARVICK ON HIS SPECIAL PAINT SCHEME: “Budweiser is a big supporter of our troups so we are running a special scheme this week. Kind of our jet-fighter flat black scheme paying tribute to all of those who serve.”
DALE EARNHARDT, JR ON HIS QUALIFYING EFFORT (25TH): “I don’t if it is one of the best cars we’ve had in qualifying. We’ve got this feeling we are looking for. We got closer to it. We’ve been terrible all year long in qualifying and today not much better with the grip and the way the car felt in the direction we need to go. We had a real big wiggle in the middle of one and two and jumped up the track and lost some time there. We are gaining on it. Our car was great today when we unloaded in race trim. We were faster than everyone that was around us. I look forward to the race.”
TONY STEWART ON HIS QUALIFYING EFFORT (22ND): “It was pretty good in one and two. We’ve heard a lot of guys talking about not getting their cars turning down in three and four so I probably turned a little bit early but I made sure I got down and probably gave up a little time there. We made a pretty good gain there. We just didn’t gain as much as we would have liked but there are some guys that were faster than us in practice that we have beat already. Probably going to end up 18th-20th in that range but you have 600 miles. If you don’t get there, it doesn’t matter whether you start first or 43rd, if you have a car that is going to win the race; you are going to win the race no matter where you start. We just have to do our thing.”
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| Gordon feels pretty confident coming into Coca-Cola 600 |
GORDON ON HOW HE FEELS ABOUT THE RACE? “We were feeling good from the All-Star Race, this is the same car that we had there. Obviously in the Drive To End Hunger colors on it this weekend. The car felt good. That wasn’t my best lap. I knew that we weren’t going to be on the pole and you always wish you could do it over again.
“The car is definitely driving really good and we just missed it just a slight bit there. The All-Star Race was great for us. The car was good and we feel like we learned some things from that. I think that we can definitely show that in the 600 this weekend.”
MARK MARTIN ON HIS QUALIFYING EFFORT (13TH): “Our car has got speed but it is playing hide and seek with us. Showed itself a time or two and we’ve been seeking the rest of the time. That is fairly decent. But, you know, there was more there, we just didn’t get every bit of it. Every ounce of it. Last week we qualified a little too loose, tonight we qualified a little too tight. It will be ok. We are up ahead of a lot of good cars and we are going to have a lot of good cars ahead of us.”
CLINT BOWYER ON HIS QUALIFYING (10TH): “I screwed up a little bit getting into three. Got through one and two so good, I just tried to get it all in three and got in there a little bit too hard and it kind of come around on me a little bit and had to wait on it to settle back down so I could get to the gas. Hurt my guys a little bit. But that will be a good starting spot for the big, long race.”
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| Hamlin and No. 11 team still searching for first win of 2011 |
DAVID REUTIMANN ON RUNNING HIS ALL-STAR CHASSIS: “The guys at Michael Waltrip Racing did a great job getting this car back and turning it around. It’s wasn’t the original plan, but we’ve got a good Aaron’s Dream Machine. Really proud of my guys and happy to have the Armed Forces Foundation paint scheme on the car this weekend so we’re hoping to give it a good run.”
BRIAN VICKERS ON HOW GOOD HIS CAR IS FOR THIS WEEKEND: “I think the car is good. We haven’t run in race trim yet, but we really changed a lot of stuff from last week in our base package coming into this week. So far I’ve been really happy with it. I felt really good about one and two. I missed three and four a little — I just rushed the throttle. I felt so good about down there that I tried to get too much down here. That was my fault, but I think the car is good.”
VICKERS ON WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO HAVE PEOPLE'S PICTURES ALL OVER HIS CAR: “It’s pretty awesome. Just the reception from everyone — from the industry to the fans — I’m on there and I’m excited about it. I’m in the car every week and I’m excited about being on the race car. I literally spent five minutes telling the guys here on the team about my photo on here. If I’m that excited, I have to imagine that everyone else is pretty stoked.”
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| Kyle Busch wasn't too happy about qualifying effort |
“When you come to Charlotte, it’s typically the part in the season where you look at where you are. You factor in a little give and take — you could probably be three spots better or five spots worse when it comes Chase time. If you just run steady and do your own deal and concentrate on what you’re doing then you’ll be a Chase contender. That’s where we are right now so we feel good about things.”
JOEY LOGANO ON HIS CAR DURING QUALIFYING (23RD): “We just didn’t pick up what we needed to pick up. At times, we were just a little bit too free through the lap — kind of a four-wheel skate going — sort of the same thing we were fighting all day. We’re going to go back and look at it a little bit and see what we can find.”
- FROM FORD, TOYOTA AND CHEVY PRESS RELEASES
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