March 22, 2015
- Keslowski wins at Auto Club: #2-Brad Keselowski won the Auto Club 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway for his 1st win of the season, 1st win at Auto Club Speedwa and his 17th career win. He took the lead from #41-Busch on the final lap of a second green-white-checker attempt.
#4-Harvick passed Busch coming to the checkered flag to finish second. Harvick has five straight top 2 finish to start the season, the first time that has happened in NASCAR. He also has finished first or second in the last eight consecutive races. Richard Petty holds the record with 11 consecutive top 2 finishes.
Busch held on for 3rd, the rest of the top 10: #27-Menard, #31-Newman, #88-Earnhardt, Jr., #22-Logano, #78-Truex, Jr., #48-Johnson, and #24-Gordon.
All 43 cars were running at the end of the race, the first time that has happened since the Brickyard 400 in 2013.
Harvick continues to hold the Chase points lead, now 28 points over #22-Logano.
There were 19 lead changes among 9 drivers. There were 7 cautions for 31 yellow flag laps.
The average speed was 140.662mph.
See unofficial race results, awards, money won, laps led, cautions and more on the Unofficial Race Results page (pdf) and check out the Penalty Report (pdf) and Lap Summary Report (pdf).
(3-22-2015)
- Race Fast Facts – Auto Club Speedway:
Brad Keselowski won the 19th Annual Auto Club 400, his 17th victory in 202 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and fourth top-10 finish in 2015.
This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in seven races at Auto Club Speedway.
Keselowski led only one lap of the race (Lap 209).
Kevin Harvick (second) posted his 10th top-10 finish in 22 races at Auto Club Speedway. It is his fifth top-10 finish in 2015.
Kevin Harvick has now finished first or second in eight consecutive races. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series record is 11, by Richard Petty in 1975.
Kurt Busch (third) posted his 12th top-10 finish in 22 races at Auto Club Speedway.
Brett Moffitt (22nd) was the highest finishing rookie.
Kevin Harvick leads the point standings by 28 points over Joey Logano.
(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(3-22-2015)
- 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Standings:
[after Auto Club, race 5 of 36]
(by wins, then by points)
1) #4-Kevin Harvick [2 wins], 228
2) #22-Joey Logano [1 win], 197, -28
3) #2-Brad Keselowski [1 win], 163, -62
4) #48-Jimmie Johnson [1 win], 159, -66
5) #78-Truex Jr., 192, -33
6) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 164, -61
7) #31-Ryan Newman, 162, -63
8) #5-Kasey Kahne, 159, -66
9) #27-Paul Menard, 152, -73
10) #43-Aric Almirola, 138, -87
11) #47-AJ Allmendinger, 137, -88
12) #13-Casey Mears, 132, -93
13) #20-Matt Kenseth, 127, -98
14) #11-Denny Hamlin, 125, -100
15) #18-David Ragan, 124, -101
16) #1-Jamie McMurray, 120, -105
(ties are broken by wins, 2nds, 3rds, etc)
See the Unofficial Drivers Points Standings page (pdf) and Unofficial Owners Points Standings page (pdf).(3-22-2015)
- Vickers on blood thinners for 3 months: Brian Vickers said Sunday that he’ll be on blood-thinning medicine at least three months after small blood clots were found in both lungs this week. Vickers cannot race while on blood thinners. Vickers said he first experienced chest pain when taking deep breaths on a flight to Los Angeles on Thursday and went to a hospital later that day. This is the third time since 2010 that blood clots have forced Vickers out of the car. Asked Sunday if this could be the end of his career, Vickers said: “Am I worried? Yes. Have I given up hope? No. Whatever happens, I couldn’t have been more happier to have been in that (#55 Michael Waltrip Racing) car the past two weeks. By no means have I given up. I don’t know what’s next. I know I’m going to be on blood thinners for three months and after that I’m going to do all I can to get back in the race car.”(NBC Sports)(3-22-2015)
- Auto Club Sunday Pre-Race Schedule:
3:20 p.m.: Team Fastrax Skydiving team (landing to the Turn 1 side of the stage and in field).
3:30 p.m.: Intro to presentation of colors, California Army National Guard Color Guard.
3:30 p.m.: Invocation by Bill Mauldin, MRO.
3:30 p.m.: Intro to national anthem.
3:31 p.m.: National anthem by ‘American Idol’ contestants and Scott Borchetta.
3:32 p.m.: Fly-by from Turn 4 to Turn 1.
3:37 p.m.: Command to start engines by ‘American Idol’ contestants and Scott Borchetta.
3:46 p.m.: Green flag for Auto Club 400 (200 laps, 400 miles).
eastern time (NASCAR.com)
- Part taken from #33 team by NASCAR: on Friday at Auto Club Speedway, NASCAR confiscated a truck arm (rear suspension part) from the #33 Chevy driven by Brian Scott and owned by Joe Falk. The sanctioning body will take the part to its research-and-development center in Concord, North Carolina, for further evaluation.(NASCAR Wire Service)(3-22-2015)
- #98 team owner celebrates 200 starts: The #98 Curb Records Ford of Josh Wise will start 35th on Sunday at Auto Club Speedway. This will mark team co-owner Mike Curb’s 200th start as a Sprint Cup Series team owner (Phil Parsons Racing Facebook). Curb has 2 wins (both with Richard Petty in 1984), 6 top fives and 29 top tens in 199 starts as an owner. The #98 Ford will run special decals to honor the 200th start. See an image of the scheme on the #98 Team Schemes page.(3-22-2015)
- Kurt Busch will not run “The Double”: One thing #41-Kurt Busch doesn’t want to risk in the early goings of his return, is the momentum he has built with the #41 team. Although there had been talk of Busch returning to the Brickyard in May for another run at the Indianapolis 500, Busch, who finished sixth in his debut, says his focus is strictly on NASCAR for now. “It’s all about the 41 car, this group of guys and (team owner) for Gene Haas,” Busch said. “He’s believed in me and supported me through all of this and it wouldn’t make much sense at this time to venture off into any other type of motorsport other than get this 41 car back up into the points, challenge for wins and make ourselves Chase eligible. We’ll see. We’ll see how it pans out. I really enjoyed it. I accomplished a lot. And it would be a shame if I didn’t cash in on the experience that I have and knowing what I know now versus what I didn’t know going into the event last year. If it pans out, it would be next year for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.”(Motorsport)(3-22-2015)
- Allmendinger interested in Indy, Charlotte double: #47-AJ Allmendinger wants to do the double. Oh, yes, he does. In an exclusive interview with FOXSports.com Friday afternoon at Auto Club Speedway, Allmendinger’s eyes grew wide when he talked about the possibility of racing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. And with good reason. Two years ago, Allmendinger drove one of Roger Penske’s IndyCar entries at the Indy 500, leading 23 of 200 laps en route to a seventh-place finish. Asked by FOXSports.com if he’d like to race Indy again, Allmendinger allowed as how he would. “You never know. You never say never,” said Allmendinger, who comes into Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race fifth in points. “The only problem is I was definitely spoiled by doing it with Roger Penske for the first time ever,” said Allmendinger. “And I would only do it if it was an opportunity to go win that race, because leading at Indy is a feeling I’ve never had before in my life. My heart was beating, shaking in the car. I want to experience that again, so if it’s the right opportunity, I’d love to do it.” Adding the Coca-Cola 600 in his #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevy would be icing on the cake. “To do the double, the cool thing is Tad (Geschickter, team co-owner) has already said he would be completely open to it, the sponsors would love to jump in on it. So, the right opportunity, yes. But at this point in my life, I’m just so focused on this #47 team. That’s where I want to be.” (FoxSports)(3-22-2015)
- NASCAR wins PR team of the year: NASCAR’s in-house PR team took home the trophy for In-House PR Team of the Year on Thursday night at the PRWeek Awards. Last year, it was the runner up in the category. The 46-member department was cited for its work on 1,500 NASCAR-sanctioned events and more than 20 business units, including broadcasting, digital, and green innovation. The team also oversaw steady increases in social media growth, with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube all seeing significant jumps in use. Honorable Mention went to Big Machine Label Group’s three-person comms team.(PR Week)(3-22-2015)
- Auto Club Speedway Notes & Facts – Sunday – race:
” There have been 25 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 Auto Club Speedway returned to a single race season.
” 14 different drivers have won at ACS, led by Jimmie Johnson (five). Three other drivers have multiple wins at Auto Club Speedway: Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth each have three wins, Tony Stewart has 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, Joe Gibbs Racing each have two.
” There have been three green-white-checkered finishes at Auto Club Speedway: 2005 (250/254), 2006 (250/251) and 2014 (200/206).
” 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.
(NASCAR)(3-22-2015)
- “Unrestricted” VIP package avialable at Talladega: Talladega Superspeedway’s new “Unrestricted” VIP package is like no other in sports, putting fans in the center of the action during the GEICO 500/Winn-Dixie 300 weekend (May 1-3) at the biggest and baddest race track on the planet. The behind-the-scenes package gives fans exclusive, up close and personal accessibility to exciting activities leading up to the Winn-Dixie 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Saturday, May 2, and the GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event on Sunday, May 3. The “Unrestricted” VIP package includes: “Cold” Garage Pass that Allows Access to Area Behind Pit Road (when race cars are not on the track), Special Guided NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Garage Tour (Saturday or Sunday), Parking Passes. On Saturday: Hot Lap in Talladega Pace Car Around the 2.66-mile, 33-Degree Banked Track, Gatorade Victory Lane Photo Opportunity with Winn-Dixie 300 Winner’s Trophy, Reserved Area at Driver Introduction Stage for Winn-Dixie 300, VIP Area access for Saturday Night Infield Concert. On Sunday: Reserved Area for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver Question/Answer Session, Gatorade Victory Lane Photo Opportunity with GEICO 500 Winner’s Trophy, Reserved Area at Driver Introduction Stage for GEICO 500, Guided Pit Road Tour Where Teams Ready the Pit Stalls, and Cars are Lined up for the Start, and Reserved Area at Red Carpet Entrance to Driver/Crew Chief Meeting. The unmatched access that the “Unrestricted” VIP package provides is available for only $475 (must be purchased in addition to grandstand ticket) by calling the Talladega Superspeedway Ticket Office at 855.518.RACE.(TSS)(3-22-2015)
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