March 18, 2014
- Kwikset to sponsor Newman at Kansas: Kwikset, a leading brand of the Hardware and Home Improvement division of Spectrum Brands Holdings, continues to engage with consumers through strategic partnerships by sponsoring Richard Childress Racing and driver Ryan Newman during the Sprint Cup Series Season. As part of the partnership, Kwikset will be the primary sponsor and paint scheme for Newman’s car during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kansas Race in Kansas City on May 10, and will have its logo on Newman’s #31 car for every race during the 2014 Sprint Cup Series in an associate capacity. As a leader in innovation and home security, the company views NASCAR as a sport that aligns with its values and serves as a natural way to reach its passionate fan base. Kwikset had a similar partnership with RCR in 2013. This is the first year Kwikset will work with Newman, who is one of the sport’s top veterans.(RCR), see an image of the car on the #31 team paint schemes page.(3-18-2014)
- Bristol TV Ratings down: Rain led to another decline for NASCAR on FOX. Abbreviated coverage of Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Food City 500 from Bristol earned a 4.1 overnight rating on FOX, down 7% from last year (4.4) but up a tick from 2012 (4.0). FOX aired only 45 minutes of live race coverage. The remainder of the race, according to Sports Business Daily, earned a 1.8 overnight on Fox Sports 1.(Sports Media Watch)(3-18-2014)
- Commercial breakdown and links related to the 2014 Food City 500: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday’s rain delayed/rain interrupted race. Began recording the times at the Invocation of the race at 2:36 PM, stopped for a rain delay at 3:51 PM; resumed at 7:06 PM, and stopped at the waving of the checkered flag at 9:27 PM (all times are EST). Fox was the broadcast team for this event.
Total number of commercials: 93
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 50
Number of ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials during race broadcast (split-screen): 12
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 44
Total amount of time these brief promos take during broadcast: app. 4 min. 50 sec.
Start time to record race/commercial periods: 2:36 PM
Rain delay: 3:51 PM
Resumed at: 7:06 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 9:27 PM
Total minutes of complete race broadcast: 216
Minutes of race broadcast: 177
Minutes of traditional commercials (not split-screen): 39
Minutes of ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials (split-screen): 8
Number of missed restarts: 1
Number of ‘mystery cautions’ (debris not shown): 1
Total race brdcst time 177 Total comm. brdcst time 39
See past races, links, more info on the 2014 TV Commercials page(3-18-2014)
- Top 10 Driver Ratings at Auto Club Speedway:
#48-Jimmie Johnson………….119.6
#18-Kyle Busch……………..109.2
#20-Matt Kenseth……………105.5
#14-Tony Stewart……………102.0
#99-Carl Edwards……………98.5
#24-Jeff Gordon…………….96.2
#16-Greg Biffle…………….95.8
#29-Kevin Harvick…………..95.5
#5-Kasey Kahne……………..92.9
#15-Clint Bowyer……………91.4
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races(15 total) among drivers at Auto Club Speedway.
Formula combining the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Maximum: 150 points per race.(NASCAR)(3-18-2014)
- Auto Club Speedway News & Notes:
• Groundbreaking for California Speedway, as Auto Club Speedway originally was known, took place in November 1995.
• The first race was a NASCAR K&N Pro Series, West race won by Ken Schrader on June 21, 1997.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 22, 1997 and won by Jeff Gordon.
• September 2004 was the first night race and that also was the first year both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series ran two races in a season there.
• The track name was changed to Auto Club Speedway (ACS) in February 2008.
• There have been 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Auto Club Speedway, the track hosted one NSCS race a season from 1997-2003, then two races per season from 2004-2010. In 2011 the track returned to a single-race season.
• 128 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club; 106 in more than one.
• Three drivers have participated in all 24 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, and Bobby Labonte.
• Joe Nemechek won the inaugural Coors Light pole (1997) with a speed of 183.015 mph (39.341 secs.).
• 15 drivers have poles at Auto Club Speedway, led by Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch with three each.
• Denny Hamlin (2011, 2012), Kurt Busch (2006 sweep) and Jamie McMurray (2010 sweep) are the three drivers to win consecutive poles at Auto Club Speedway. Hamlin has won the last two poles at ACS and could become the first in series history to win three-in-a-row at Auto Club.
• 14 different drivers have won at ACS, led by Jimmie Johnson (five). Three other drivers have multiple wins: Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth each have three wins, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch each have two.
• Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Auto Club Speedway with nine, followed by Roush Fenway Racing with seven and Stewart Haas Racing with two.
• California-native Jimmie Johnson became the first and only driver to win from the pole at Auto Club Speedway in 2008.
• Only two ACS races have been won from the front row both by six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, fall of 2008 (pole); and the fall of 2007 (second-place).
• Nine of the 24 (37.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Auto Club Speedway have been won from a top-five starting position.
• 13 of the 24 (54.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Auto Club Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.
• Seven of the 24 (29.2%) races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 31st, by Matt Kenseth in the spring of 2006.
• The most proficient starting position at ACS is pretty random. Three starting positions (third, ninth and 24th have produced three winners each.
• Jimmie Johnson leads the series in runner-up finishes at Auto Club Speedway with five; followed by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon with four.
• Jimmie Johnson leads the series in top-five finishes at Auto club Speedway with 12; followed by Jeff Gordon (10), Matt Kenseth (eight) and Carl Edwards (eight).
• Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth lead the series in top-10 finishes with 14; followed by Carl Edwards (13) and Tony Stewart (12).
• Jimmie Johnson leads the series in average finish at ACS with a 5.737.
• Jimmie Johnson (5.7) and Carl Edwards (8.4) are the only two only active drivers with an average finish in the top 10 at Auto Club Speedway.
• There have been two green-white-checkered finishes at Auto Club Speedway: 2005 (250/254) and 2006 (250/251).
• Carl Edwards posted his first NSCS Coors Light pole at Auto Club Speedway on September 4, 2005. Kyle Busch won his first pole (2/27/05) and first series win (9/4/05) at ACS in 2005.
• Greg Biffle (4/28/02) and J.J. Yeley (9/5/04) made their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career starts at Auto Club Speedway.
• Jimmie Johnson posted his first series career win at Auto Club Speedway on April 28, 2002.
• Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to win consecutive races at Auto Club Speedway (fall of 2009 – spring of 2010).
• 12 of the 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Auto Club Speedway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Jeff Gordon (1997 – inaugural event) and Jimmie Johnson (2002) are the only drivers to win at ACS in their first appearance.
• Tony Stewart competed at Auto Club Speedway 18 times before winning in the fall of 2010; the longest span of any the 14 winners. Only Stewart (18) and Kevin Harvick (17) have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Auto Club Speedway.
• Jeff Burton and Bobby Labonte lead the series with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway without visiting Victory Lane at 24.
• Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Auto Club Speedway was the (3/27/2011) race won by Kevin Harvick with a MOV of 0.144 second over Jimmie Johnson.
• Three reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions have gone on to win at Auto Club Speedway the following season: Tony Stewart (2012), Jeff Gordon (1999) and Jimmie Johnson – the only one to do it multiple times (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010).
• Two drivers have won and Auto Club Speedway race and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same season: Jeff Gordon (1997) and Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010).(NASCAR)(3-18-2014)
- Team penalized following Bristol: The #99 team that competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series has been penalized as a result of a rules violation committed during the event at Bristol Motor Speedway. During the race on March 15, the #99 car committed a P3 level penalty by violating Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 20A-2.3A (added car weight; improperly attached weight; loss of weight during the event) of the 2014 NASCAR rule book. As a result, crew chief Chris Rice has been fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. In addition, car chief John Guerra has also been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.(NASCAR)(3-18-2014)
- Charter Communications on board with Armstrong: For the second week in a row the #43 Ford Mustang will have a new look. Long time Richard Petty Motorsports partner, Charter Communications, will make its debut on the #43 Ford. The communication company is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States.(RPM),see an image of the #43 car on the #43 team paint schemes page.(3-18-2014)
- Dollar General with KBM for four races: Kyle Busch Motorsports announced today Dollar General, the nation’s largest small-box discount retailer, will be the primary sponsor of the #51 Tundra in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for four races in 2014. Owner-driver Kyle Busch will be behind the wheel for three of the events with Erik Jones driving the fourth. Dollar General will sponsor the #51 Toyota Tundra in the following races: Kentucky (June) with Kyle Busch, Bristol (Aug.) with Kyle Busch, Chicagoland (Sep.) with Kyle Busch, and Phoenix (Nov.) with Erik Jones.(KBM)(3-18-2014)
- Teams to test Martinsville: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams are scheduled to test at Martinsville Speedway on Wednesday and Thursday in preparation for next weekend’s Kroger 250. Participating teams include HAAS Racing, Red Horse Racing, DGM Racing, Win-Tron Racing, and NTS Motorsports.(Martinsville Speedway)(3-18-2014)
- Matt Rogers to sing National Anthem prior to Auto Club Nationwide race: Auto Club Speedway officials announced that Arcadia’s Matt Rogers, TV personality, singer/songwriter and currently the host of GSN’s culinary reality series “Beat The Chefs” will perform the National Anthem prior to Saturday’s TREATMYCLOT.COM 300 NNS race at Auto Club Speedway, March 22. Rogers is best known for hosting “Coming Home,” a poignant reality docu-series on Lifetime, which followed the surprise reunions of military members and their loved ones, as they returned home from active duty. Rogers put his songwriting experience into play, by writing and performing the theme song for “Coming Home” titled “I’m Coming Home” which has since resonated and served as a voice for the experience of military families around the country.(Auto Club Speedway)(3-18-2014)
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