- Brad Keselowski 2009 Sprint Cup Schedule in the #25 Chevy
Las Vegas - 3/1
Texas - 4/5
Darlington - 5/9
Dover - 5/31
Chicago - 7/11
Michigan - 8/16
Kansas - 10/4
- Brad Keselowski 2009 Sprint Cup Schedule in the #09 Chevy
Daytona - 2/15 - DNQ
Talladega - 4/26 - WON
Richmond - 5/2, Bliss ran this race
New Hampshire - 6/28
Daytona - 7/4
Bristol - 8/22
Richmond - 9/12
Texas - 11/8
Phoenix - 11/15
Homestead - 11/22
- Keselowski to talk to Hendrick about Cup move UPDATE: Rick Hendrick said he plans to meet with Nationwide Series driver Brad Keselowski this week to discuss his plans for moving up to Sprint Cup in 2010. Hendrick mentioned two possible options for Keselowski -- a third car at Stewart-Haas Racing, which is affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports, or a chance to stay at JR Motorsports if Dale Earnhardt Jr. decides to move his Nationwide team to Cup next year. "We're looking at different options with some of our external situations with other teams," Hendrick said Sunday at Infineon Raceway. "I told Brad that I want him to have the best opportunity. If we can't give it to him, then I want him to have the best." Keselowski told reporters at that event that he would love to drive a third Stewart-Haas car next year. Tony Stewart said Friday a third car for his team is a possibility for 2010. Stewart's team is a satellite operation with Hendrick Motorsports, leasing engines from Hendrick. Hendrick also said Earnhardt Jr. is considering moving his Nationwide operation to Cup in 2010. Either way, Keselowski would stay in the Hendrick family, so to speak, if he signed with Stewart-Haas Racing or stayed at JR Motorsports. "Brad wants to do something that is somehow associated with our company," Hendrick said. "We're working on it and hopefully in the next few weeks we'll have something sorted out. He'll be running Cup [in 2010]. Whether he'll be running them all or whether he'll be running 75% of them or what, I don't know."(ESPN)(6-22-2009)
UPDATE: As scheduled, Dale Earnhardt’s Jr.’s Nationwide Series driver Brad Keselowski spent some time this weekend talking with team owner Rick Hendrick, probing the two could possibly work together on the Sprint Cup Series next season. Keselowski felt it was a positive meeting. “It went pretty well and we talked about a number of different subjects. He’s a neat guy to be around and I always enjoy talking with him.” Keselowski admitted, though, they couldn’t talk a whole lot about specifics. “It just takes time. This is not an easy process. The rope is being pulled but you know everyone wants it to pull faster. We’re weighing all the options and waiting for things to fall into place and there are certain things that are out of both of our control. Obviously, the economy is a large piece of it, sponsorship fits into there. We’re happy working together and we’re going to continue to work together, but don’t really have a clear cut plan forward other than to continue to review our options and get back together.(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(6-26-2009) Comment here
- Fellows in the #09 at Infineon & Watkins Glen: James Finch and Ron Fellows are back together in 2009. Fellows, now with four NASCAR Nationwide wins and two Truck Series wins, will drive the #09 Miccosukee Gaming and Resorts Chevy at Infineon next week; looking to complete the series sweep with a win in Sprint Cup. Fellows is also slated to race at Watkins Glen in the #09 Impala SS in August.(Phoenix Racing PR)(6-11-2009) Comment here
- Keselowski and JR Motorsports to move up? The buzz around the garage last weekend was JR Motorsports is setting the stage to move from the Nationwide to Sprint Cup series to field a team for Brad Keselowski. Keselowski said he is negotiating exclusively with Hendrick Motorsports for a fulltime Cup ride in 2010. HMS does not have an opening, but Rick Hendrick does have ownership in JR Motorsports with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Although Hendrick would have to sell his interest in the company to make this happen, that would be a formality. Also, Earnhardt has said it's just as economical, maybe more, to run a Cup program than Nationwide under today's economic climate. Sponsors, such as GoDaddy.com that is on Keselowski's #88 Nationwide car, gain more exposure in Cup. Should JR Motorsports not move to Cup the only other way to remain associated with HMS would be to put Keselowski in a third car at Stewart-Haas Racing. Of course, that would squelch the rumor that Martin Truex Jr. will leave Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to join that team.(ESPN Insider)(5-21-2009) Comment here
- Phoenix Racing plans car for Keselowski in all-star race: Phoenix Racing plans to field a car for Brad Keselowski in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in two weeks, crew chief Marc Reno said Saturday at Richmond International Raceway. Keselowski became eligible for the main event when he won the Aaron’s 499 last week at Talladega Superspeedway. Although he won in a Phoenix Racing car, Keselowski indicated Friday that he wasn’t sure who would enter a car for him in the all-star event. But Hendrick Motorsports Vice President Doug Duchardt said Saturday that Hendrick would not field a fifth car in the event for Keselowski. NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said that the team could have a fifth car since it was a non-points event and it would not count against Keselowski’s seven races for the team as a development driver. Phoenix Racing had hoped to buy a car from Hendrick Motorsports for the race, but the re-certification process would take too long, Reno said. Instead, Phoenix will use the car that it had planned to use for Keselowski at Richmond. Keselowski’s Nationwide team wanted him to concentrate on that series because it was a one-day show Friday, so Mike Bliss competed in the Cup event Saturday.(Scene Daily)(5-3-2009) Comment here
- Why no Keselowski in RIR Cup race? Brad Keselowski, met with media. Some highlights from the transcript:
IS IT FRUSTRATING SITTING HERE KNOWING AFTER YOU WON LAST WEEK YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE RUNNING IN THE CUP RACE ON SATURDAY? “Frustrating as far as not running, it really hasn’t soaked in that I won. It’s hard to get frustrated when you don’t even picture yourself as a winner yet. I feel like I can run over there right now and be competitive but the opportunity isn’t there and until the opportunity is there it is what it is. There’s a lot of talent over there and you can’t take that away from those drivers that run over there every weekend. I’d love to be running over there. I’ve raced against 15 or 20 of the same guys over here on the Nationwide side so it’s very similar and I think I could run competitively but the opportunity is not there so I’m not really thinking about it. I’m thinking about the Nationwide car.“
I UNDERSTAND NOW YOU ARE GOING TO BE RUNNING THE ALL-STAR RACE WHICH CAR ARE YOU GOING TO DRIVE? “At this time we haven’t got the All-Star situation figured out as far as what I’m driving and so forth. At this point I haven’t figured out which car I’m driving or how that situation is going to work. I shouldn’t say that I haven’t figured it out I should said that the two teams that I drive for on the Cup side haven’t figured it out.
WHAT IS YOUR SCHEDULE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, HAS IT CHANGED AT ALL? “You know that schedule was changing every week before I won so it’s still changing every week. Originally we were going to run here at Richmond and that didn’t work out. A couple of weeks ago that actually got cancelled. As far as knowing locked in what all the rest of my races are I do not know. There’s a couple that I would like to run that we just haven’t figured out how to run them. I’m trying to run Watkins Glen but we don’t have that figured out. So there’s a couple of races like that we just don’t have figured out but I’m trying to run them.”
WOULD YOU FORGO YOUR ROOKIE STATUS FOR NEXT YEAR IF THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY CAME ALONG? “I think I already have or I’m intending to. I haven’t because I haven’t ran enough races but the way we’re trying to schedule it out we’re going through that process. When it comes to the rookie situation, I knew at the start of the year we were going to run somewhere around 16 races and the maximum I think is seven or eight, I can’t remember specifically. I didn’t file for rookie of the year because the last thing I wanted to see was my name at the bottom of that list knowing that you probably couldn’t win it unless you ran the whole deal.”(GM Racing)(5-2-2009)
- UPSET - Keselowski wins at Talladega: #09-Brad Keselowski won the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway for his first ever career win in only his fifth career start after a wild, wild ending. #99-Edwards and #09-Keselowski drafted past his Nationwide Series boss, #88-Earnhardt Jr. and #39-Newman [who was infront of the #88], and it was just Keselowski and Edwards going for the win, Keselowski went high to pass, Edwards moved over to block and Keselowski moved down and got a run on Edwards and went low, got into Edwards and past the #99. Edwards got sideways and the car got airborne up against the fence and rode the fence for about 30 feet, but the fence held and Edwards got out of the car and jogged to the start-finish line. It was the first ever win in the Sprint Cup series for the #09 and for car owner James Finch [Phoenix Racing]. #88-Earnhardt Jr. finished 2nd, followed by #39-Newman [who's car was trashed when Edwards car bounced off the hood, Newman got across the line], #47-Ambrose, #82-Speed, #2-Busch, #16-Biffle, #83-Vickers, #20-Logano and #31-Burton. There were two "Big One's" collecting points leader #24-Gordon and #48-Johnson. There were 9 cautions for 33 laps and there were 57 lead changes among 25 drivers.
For race results, awards and more on the Talladega Race Results Page.
For drivers and owners points standings, see the Drivers/Owners Points Standings.(4-26-2009)
- #09 is the 101st car number to win: when Brad Keselowski won the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 26, 2009, it was the first Sprint Cup win ever for a car number 09, being the 101st different car number [as far as I can calculate] that has won in the Cup series. It was also Brad Keselowski's first Cup Series win. See all the wins by car numbers on my Wins by Car Numbers page.(4-26-2009)
- Marlin's daughter plans to race: Sutherlin Marlin, the 19-year-old daughter of Sterling Marlin, this season launches her racing career at Fairgrounds Speedway [Nashville], the historic track where her grandfather Coo Coo won four championships in the 1960s and her dad collected three more in the 1980s. “I attended my first race there when I was two weeks old,” says Sutherlin. “I’ve been around racing all my life and I can’t wait to give it a try.” A student at Columbia State, Sutherlin is bright and vivacious, and inherited her family’s keen sense of humor. “She’s got talent,” says her dad. “When she was 5 or 6 we went to a go-kart track in Panama City and she raced against (big brother) Steadman and a bunch of other boys and beat them. She’s been on to me to get her a race car and finally we cut a deal.” The deal: Sutherlin goes to college and works on her race car. “I’ll help,” Sterling says, “but she’s gotta work, too.” Sutherlin plans to race in the Speedway’s truck series, a white-knuckle division that runs the swift, high banks of the five-eighths-mile track. It would seem breathless for a beginner.(Nashville City Paper)(3-27-2009) Comment here
- Schrader fine without Sprint Cup ride: Ken Schrader was at Green Valley Speedway [Glencoe, AL ] to compete in the 12th annual Bama Bash open-wheel modified race. On a chilly night with track conditions that made passing difficult Schrader finished second to Jimmy Hiett of Lincoln in the 50-lap event. "Off weekend and didn't have anything to do," Schrader said after the race. "Just wanted to have some place to play." Schrader, who drove for #96 Hall of Fame Racing in the Cup Series last year, does not have a ride this year. But he said he is talking to a couple teams about possibly doing a limited schedule of races. But if it doesn't work out, he said, he really doesn't care. "It doesn't make no difference," he said. "I've had a day job now for a while. I mean I really don't care, I'm glad I'm not in Fontana."(Alabama Live)(2-23-2009) Comment here
- Phoenix Racing announces 2009 plans UPDATE: Phoenix Racing announced today that they are expanding their Sprint Cup schedule to include the entire 2009 season. Driver announcement will be forth coming. Miccosukee Resorts and Gaming will continue their partnership with James Finch and Phoenix Racing as primary sponsor of the #1 Nationwide Chevrolet driven by Mike Bliss and the #09 Chevy for ten Sprint Cup races starting with the Daytona 500.(Phoenix Racing PR)(1-22-2009)
UPDATE: Phoenix Racing will run Brad Keselowski in the #09 Miccosukee Resorts and Gaming Chevy for 10 races with Hendrick engines and the remaining races in Dodges bought from Ganassi with Ernie Elliott engines. The drivers for the #09 Dodge will be a combo of Sterling Marlin, Mike Bliss and Ken Schrader.(1-23-2009) Comment here
- Marlin Fined by State of Tennessee: Sterling Marlin has agreed to pay fines for two instances of allowing fill dirt to be dumped into a stream, according to a state order. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and Marlin came to an agreement Tuesday for Marlin to pay $8,655 for violating water quality laws, spokesperson Meg Lockhart said. According to TDEC’s order, Marlin’s development on Nashville Highway and Columbia Rock Road dumped fill dirt into Haley Branch. The violation was discovered at a TDEC inspection on Feb. 14, 2007. Marlin’s construction operation stopped dumping fill dirt into the stream by March 2007 and a permit was issued by TDEC. Marlin and his Nashville attorney William Penny met with TDEC officials and agreed on the fine for the Nashville Highway violation and one other on Cranford Hollow Road, Lockhart said.(Columbia [TN] Daily Herald)(6-20-2008) Comment here
- Marlin back in the #40; Franchitti update: Former CGRFS driver Sterling Marlin will drive the #40 Dodge Challenger in this Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway, while its full-time driver Dario Franchitti continues to recover from a race injury he received in the NNS event at Talladega Superspeedway last month (April 26). At this time, Marlin is confirmed to drive for CGRFS at Darlington only. He raced full-time for CGRFS when the team started in 2001 and drove for CGRFS from 2001-2005 tallying
172 starts, four wins, three poles, 24 top-fives, 57 top-10s and led a total of 1,444 laps. Marlin also tested the #40 Monday and Tuesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway
Franchitti Update: Dario Franchitti, full-time driver of the #40 CGRFS Dodge, will sit out this weekend's NSCS race at Darlington Raceway. Franchitti was fitted for a carbon fiber brace last week but will take another weekend off to give his ankle more time to heal. His status behind the wheel of the #40 Dodge will continue to be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.
Speical Scheme: The #40 Dodge will feature the new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 on its hood this weekend in Darlington, S.C. Powered by a 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 engine that produces 425 horsepower, the Challenger SRT8 is true to its historical roots, but with modern features that customers expect like SIRIUS Satellite radio, UConnect hands-free phone and MyGIG infotainment system featuring a 30 gig hard drive. For more information about the new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8, go to www.dodge.com.(CGRFS)(5-7-2008) Comment here
- Max Papis in the #70?: UPDATE: Hearing that Haas CNC Racing has talked to Max Papis about running the two Sprint Cup road course races in the #70 car. Papis' agent confirmed talks and said he "feels as though they are close to a deal". Papis was originally planning to drive the Phoenix Racing #09 at both road course events.(4-21-2008)
UPDATE: Max Papis will drive the #70 Haas Automation Chevy during the two road-course races on the 2008 Sprint Cup Series schedule.(Haas CNC Racing PR)(4-23-2008) Comment here
- Marlin Running at Music City Motorplex: Sterling Marlin has no plans to compete for a Music City Motorplex Late Model points championship this season. He will race for a cause. Marlin said he will split his winnings from his six Motorplex races between Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University and the Nashville Rescue Mission. First place pays between $1,100 and $3,000, depending on the race. "My grandson was in (the children's hospital) and they took really good care of him," said Marlin, a Columbia resident and two-time Daytona 500 champ. "I wanted to try and take care of some kids and some people that have had misfortune. We eat well at Thanksgiving and Christmas and I know some of those people at the mission may not know where their next meal is coming from. I figured I'd try and help them out a little bit." Marlin will race May 10, June 14, Aug. 8, Aug. 30, Sept. 20 and Oct. 11. Marlin also is racing a partial Sprint Cup schedule with Phoenix Racing. He will attempt to qualify for the Aaron's 499 at Talladega next week and Richmond the following week.(Tennessean)(4-18-2008) Comment here
- Marlin set to run 10 races in 2008: This year, Sterling Marlin plans to be behind the wheel of the #09 Chevrolet owned by Phoenix Racing for a total of just 10 Cup races -- the two Daytona races, the two Talladega races, several of the short tracks and the season finale at Homestead. The car's primary sponsor is Miccosukee Indian Gaming, which owns and operates a resort and casino near Miami, Fla.(NASCAR.com)(1-16-2008) Comment here
