FORD 300 - HOMESTEAD MIAMI SPEEDWAY
Nationwide Series Race #34 of 34 for the 2011 season
Last Race - Phoenix
Next Race - 2012 Daytona
Keselowski wins at Homestead: #22-Brad Keselowski won the Ford 300 at Homestead Miami Speedway for his 5th win of the season. #6-Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., who clinched the Nationwide Series Championship, finished 2nd. #60-Carl Edwards finished 3rd and clinched the owner's championship for Roush Fenway Racing. The rest of the top 10: #33-Clint Bowyer, #18-Denny Hamlin, #2-Elliott Sadler, #12-Sam Hornish, #88-Aric Almirola, #11-Brian Scott, and #20-Joey Logano. #15-Timmy Hill finished 20th and captured the Rookie of the Year Award. There were 9 cautions for 36 laps and 17 lead changes among 9 leaders. The estimated attendance was 38,000. Complete results are posted on the Homestead race results page.(11-19-2011)
Homestead Race Fast Facts:
Brad Keselowski won the 17th Annual FORD 300, his 17th victory in 168 NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
This is his fifth victory and 21st top-10 finish in 2011.
This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in six races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (second) posted his second top-10 finish in two races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It is his 26th top-10 finish in 2011.
Carl Edwards (third) posted his sixth top-10 finish in seven races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wins the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship by 45 points over Elliott Sadler.
Timmy Hill wins the 2011 Sunoco Rookie of the Year.
(NASCAR Statistics)(11-19-2011)
Championship Fast Facts:
• This is Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s first NASCAR national series championship. His previous best championship points finish was 16th in 2010, his Sunoco Rookie of the Year winning season.
• Stenhouse finished 45 points ahead of second-place Elliott Sadler.
• Stenhouse is the seventh former NASCAR Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year to win the series championship.
• Stenhouse is the first series-only driver champion since Martin Truex Jr. in 2005.
• Stenhouse finished the 2011 season with two wins, 16 top fives and 26 top 10s.
• This is Roush Fenway Racing's third driver championship in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The other two came with Greg Biffle in 2002 and Carl Edwards in 2007.
• This is Mike Kelley's first NASCAR Nationwide Series championship, his second season with driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
• Kelley has five wins in the series, two with Stenhouse this season.
• Kelly was the car chief on the No. 97 Roush Fenway Racing Ford that won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in 2004.
• This is Roush Fenway Racing's second owner championship. The first was in 2002, when it won a unified title with Greg Biffle.
• This is the first time in series history that a team won both the drivers and owners championship – but with two different primary drivers (Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the drivers championship in the No. 6).
• This season, the#60 has been driven by Carl Edwards (33 races) and Billy Johnson (one).
• The #60 had eight wins, 23 top fives and 27 top 10s.(NASCAR)(11-19-2011)
Lucky Dogs - Who got a lap back on each caution at Homestead and their finish
Caution 1: #04-Roderick, 27th
Caution 2: none, no one on track a lap or more down
Caution 3: #52-Lepage, 35th
Caution 4: #22-Keselowski, 1st
Caution 5: #23-Richardson, 20th
Caution 6: #97-Nemechek, 16th
Caution 7: #32-Buescher, 14th
Caution 8: #16-Bayne, 11th
Caution 9: #51-Clements, 18th
(NASCAR)(11-19-2011)
Driver standings following Homestead:
1) #6-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1222
2) #2-Elliott Sadler 1177 -45
3) #31-Justin Allgaier 1105 -117
4) #88-Aric Almirola 1095 -127
5) #82-Reed Sorenson 1062 -160
6) #38-Jason Leffler 1028 -194
7) #09-Kenny Wallace 963 -259
8) #11-Brian Scott 947 -275
9) #62-Michael Annett 944 -278
10) #66-Steve Wallace 921 -301
Complete standings are posted on the driver standings page.(11-19-2011)
Owner Standings following Homestead are posted. The top 30 in owners points who attempted all 2012 races are locked into the first 5 races of 2012.(11-19-2011)
Keselowski on pole at Homestead: #22-Brad Keselowski won the Coors Light Pole for the Ford 300 at Homestead Miami Speedway with a speed of 167.660mph. #2-Elliott Sadler will start second. The rest of the top 10: #60-Carl Edwards, #6-Ricky Stenhousr, Jr., #31-Justin Allgaier, #33-Clint Bowyer, #18-Denny Hamlin, #16-Trevor Bayne, #20-Joey Logano, and #88-Aric Almirola. Did Not Qualify: #44-Jeff Green, #72-Jake Crum, #50-T.J. Bell, #49-Mark Green, #13-Jennifer Jo Cobb, #75-Johnny Chapman. The starting lineup is posted on the Homestead starting lineup page.(11-19-2011)
Homestead Qualifying Notes:
Brad Keselowski won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 17th Annual FORD 300 with a lap of 32.208 seconds, 167.660 mph.
This is his 12th pole in 168 NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
This is his fourth pole and 23rd top-10 start in 2011.
This is his first pole in six races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Elliott Sadler (second) posted his 25th top-10 start of 2011 and his fourth in six races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Carl Edwards (third) posted his seventh top-10 start at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It is his 31st in 33 races this season.
Points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. qualified fourth.
(NASCAR Statistics)(11-19-2011)
Sadler fastest in happy hour: #2-Elliott Sadler was quickest during the rain shortened happy hour for the Ford 300. He was followed by: #18-Denny Hamlin, #33-Clint Bowyer, #20-Joey Logano, #88-Aric Almirola, #6-Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., #31-Justin Allgaier, #11-Brian Scott, #09-Kenny Wallace, and #16-Trevor Bayne. Complete results are posted on the Homestead practice results page.(11-18-2011)
Keselowski fastest in first practice: #22-Brad Keselowski was fastest during opening practice at Homestead Miami Speedway with a speed of 166.436mph. #60-Carl Edwards was second, followed by: #2-Elliott Sadler, #16-Trevor Bayne, #7-Danica Patrick, #88-Aric Almirola, #38-Jason Leffler, #31-Justin Allgaier, #32-James Buescher, and #33-Clint Bowyer. Complete results are posted on the Homestead practice results page.(11-18-2011)
Entry List:There are 48 cars on the preliminary entry list for Saturday's Ford 300 at Homestead Miami Speedway.
Some notes:
Scott Riggs will drive the #03 for R3 Motorsports;
Sam Hornish will return with the Penske #12 team;
Denny Hamlin will drive the #18 for Gibbs in place of Kyle Busch;
Nelson Piquet will drve the #30 for Turner Motorsports;
James Buescher is in the Turner Motorsports #32;
Fain Skinner returns to the Go Green #39;
Stanton Barrett return to the Nationwide Series in the Rick Ware #41;
Andrew Ranger will drive the Go Canada Racing #67;
Jake Crum will be in the #72;
Kevin Conway drives the NEMCO #87 while Joe Nemechek moves to the #97.(11-14-2011)
UPDATE: Casey Roderick will be in the #04 in place of Tim Andrews.(11-16-2011)
UPDATE 2: Jennifer Jo Cobb and her #13 team have been added.(11-17-2011)
See the complete list on the Homestead entry list page.
Clinch scenarios:
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will clinch the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship with a finish of 37th or better; or 38th or better with at least one lap led; or 39th or better with most laps led at Homestead.
Only one point separates the points leading #8 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford in the NASCAR Nationwide Series owners standings.
Only one finish guarantees the #18 a championship – a victory in Saturday's Ford 300.
Both teams have eight wins on the season, but the #60 has nine second-place finishes (the #18 has five) – giving the #60 the tie-breaker.
The #60 would win the owners title by gaining one or more points on the No. 18 on Saturday.(NASCAR)
(11-13-2011)
Thursday, November 17th
11:30 AM NNS HAULERS ENTER
12:30 PM NNS REGISTRATION OPENS
1:00 PM NNS GARAGES OPENS
5:00 PM NNS & NCWTS REGISTRATION CLOSES
6:00 PM NNS & NCWTS GARAGE CLOSES
Friday, November 18th
7:30 AM NNS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
8:00 AM NNS ROOKIE & SPOTTER MEETINGS & RANDOM DRAWING
9:00 AM-10:20 AM NNS PRACTICE
12:30 PM-1:50 PM NNS FINAL PRACTICE
5:00 PM NNS GARAGE & REGISTRATION CLOSES
Saturday, November 19th
9:30 AM NNS REGISTRATION OPENS
10:00 AM NNS GARAGE OPENS
1:05 PM NNS QUALIFYING ( TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS)
2:20 PM NNS DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MEETING (CONFERENCE ROOM)
4:00 PM NNS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS
4:30 PM ` NNS RACE (200 LAPS, 300 MILES)
5:00 PM NNS REGISTRATION CLOSES
Two Championships To Be Decided at Season Finale
After 33 competitive races, at 24 different world-class venues that included an international track, two NASCAR Nationwide Series championships are on the line as the NASCAR Nationwide Series heads to South Florida for the Ford 300 on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 60 team is a scant one point behind Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series owner championship standings. Only one finish guarantees the No. 18 a championship – a victory on Saturday. Both teams have eight wins, but the No. 60 has nine second-place finishes (the No. 18 has five) – giving the No. 60 the tie-breaker.
Joe Gibbs has tasked Denny Hamlin with driving the No. 18 Toyota and holding off Carl Edwards, who will drive Jack Roush’s No. 60 Ford. JGR would set a new series record if it is able to capture its fourth consecutive owner title.
Edwards and the No. 60 team won at Homestead in 2008, but JGR’s No. 18 team have been stellar at Homestead the last three seasons finishing second in 2008 and winning in 2009 and 2010 with Kyle Busch behind the wheel. Hamlin has made five series starts at Homestead, posting two top fives and three top 10s. Hamlin has an average finish of 13.2 at Homestead while Edwards has an average finish of 5.7.
While the owner championship has grown tighter, the driver championship opened up last Saturday at Phoenix, Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. leads second-place Elliott Sadler by 41 points. Stenhouse has the opportunity to clinch the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship with a finish of 37th or better; or 38th or better with at least one lap led; or 39th or better with most laps led at Homestead.
Though the stats favor Stenhouse, Sadler isn’t conceding the trophy. Anything can happen, as evidenced by Stenhouse’s 38th-place finish earlier this season at Talladega and three other results of 38th or worse in 72 career series starts.
Last season Stenhouse posted a fourth-place finish in his series track debut at HMS.
Championships Not The Only Story at Homestead-Miami Speedway
With one race left on the docket, it is no surprise a lot of the teams are already beginning to look toward next season. But while some are looking ahead, others are trying to end 2011 on a positive note.
The series all-time starts leader, Kenny Wallace, currently sits seventh in the standings. If he can stand pat, this will be his best points finish since he was seventh in 2005.
But Wallace has work to do. Michael Annett, after last week’s top-10 finish at Phoenix, moved from 10th to eighth in the standings, 34 points behind Wallace in seventh.
In 11th place is Trevor Bayne. The 2011 Daytona 500 champion has had a roller-coaster season. Bayne, 20, ran the first eight races, posting one top five and five top 10s, and was fifth in the driver standings. Then he suddenly was sidelined for six races because of health issues. The absence from the series dropped him from fifth to 16th – 56 points out of 10th place.
Despite his championship hopes for the season being dashed, Bayne returned to the series after being cleared by doctors, and did so in impressive fashion. In his series return, he finished third at Chicago, then went on to post three top-five and eight top-10 finishes.
The culmination of Bayne’s comeback came at Texas when he claimed his first career series victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Rookie Of Year Standings Get Hot In South Florida
White sandy beaches, warm sun and a season finale to remember await Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders Timmy Hill and Blake Koch.
Rookie standings leader Ryan Truex will not be participating this weekend, which leaves the door wide open for Hill and Koch to perform well and make a run at Truex’s lead. Truex (188) holds a three-point lead over second-place Hill and third-place Koch, a West Palm Beach native, who both have 185 points.
Though Truex does lead the standings but isn’t in the season finale doesn’t mean he can’t retain the honors.
NASCAR Nationwide, Etc.
Along with Turner Motorsport’s driver James Buescher, Brazilian native and former F1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. will be running double-duty in both the NCWTS and NNS races this weekend at Homestead. … Milestone Watch: Danica Patrick will attempt to make her 25th series start, Joe Nemechek will attempt to post his 75th top-five and 125th top-10 series finish and Justin Allgaier will attempt to post his 50th top-10 series finish. … MAKE Motorsports owners Mark Beaver and Tracy Lowe will run a special paint scheme on the No. 50 car as a tribute to Staff Sgt. Christopher Newman. He was killed in a suicide-bomb raid on a bus in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Oct. 29, 2011. … As part of the ‘ExtenZe Local Hero’ program, Kevin Conway is stepping up to assist the Miami-Dade Police Department in the unsolved homicide case of Coral Gables Police Officer Walter Stathers. Conway’s No. 87 ExtenZe Toyota will carry an image of Officer Stathers along with MDPD contact information.
Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials
Number of Tires:
Nationwide: Left-side -- 525, Right-side -- 525
Set limits:
Nationwide: 6 sets for the weekend
Tire Codes:
Left-side -- D-4392; Right-side -- D-4410
Tire Circumference:
Left-side -- 87.1 in.; Right-side -- 88.4 in.
Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
Right Front -- 48 psi; Right Rear -- 45 psi
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 23 psi; Left Rear -- 21 psi;
Right Front -- 47 psi; Right Rear -- 43 psi
Notes: Teams in all three NASCAR series will run the same tire codes at Homestead this weekend, though the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will be branded "Goodyear Eagle," while the Camping World Truck tires will be branded "Goodyear Wrangler" . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that teams in all three of these series ran at Homestead last season . . . other tracks at which teams have run this exact tire set-up in 2011 have been Chicagoland (all three series) and Texas (Sprint Cup and Nationwide only) . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required run inner liners in all four tire positions at Homestead . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.
