April 17, 2012
- Fresh Paint for Cassill at Kansas Speedway: Landon Cassill, driver of the #83 BK Racing Toyota, is ready to cool down the competition in Sunday’s STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. His Camry will have a special paint scheme to promote Burger King’s new BK Strawberry Banana Smoothie. The smoothie, made with real fruit, low-fat yogurt, and made fresh to order in the kitchen, is the perfect snack to keep you going all day. Cassill hopes his car’s new, bright pink motif will help yield a solid performance at the 1.5-mile oval. Cassill has three previous NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway. His best finish is 17th place (2012), which was his third-best finish last season. He has one start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Kansas (2008). He started 21st and finished 13th driving for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports. Kansas Speedway is the closest track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit to Cassill’s hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The driver will have several friends and family members at the track to cheer him on (BK Racing/Breaking Limits), see images of the car on my #83 Team Schemes page.(4-17-2012)
- Ford EcoBoost to sponsor Kenseth: #17-Matt Kenseth, will sport the primary colors promoting Ford EcoBoost at Kansas Speedway this upcoming weekend. This is the 2nd that the #17 entry for Roush Fenway Racing will carry the Ford EcoBoost paint scheme after running the scheme at Auto Club Speedway in March. Ford EcoBoost technology uses turbo-charging and direct gasoline injection to boost engine output, thus reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency by as much as 20%, see images of car/scheme on the #17 Team Schemes page.(4-17-2012)
- Go Green Racing to make Sprint Cup debut: #79-Go Green Racing plans to make its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at Kansas Speedway for the STP 400 on April 22 with driver Tim Andrews. Calling the shots will be former NSCS Champion crew chief, Paul Andrews. The team will run the #79 BBI / Bestway Disposal Ford Fusion. Go Green Racing has purchased their NSCS cars from Roush Fenway Racing and will run the Roush / Yates FR9 engines. “Tim proved to us last year that he can get a car into the show, and at this level, that is what it is all about,” said Archie St. Hilaire, Team Owner for Go Green Racing. “The chemistry between Paul and Tim is outstanding. I think that Tim has shown us that he deserves a shot and I have always been a believer in giving a guy an opportunity.” Kansas Speedway will also mark the first Sprint Cup attempt for Tim Andrews. “I feel very fortunate to get this opportunity,” said Tim Andrews. “I have dreamed about being in a Cup car and to do it with my father’s help is unbelievable. I believe in him and he believes in me, it just gives us that much more confidence. I’ve raced at Kansas before and can’t wait to go back.”(Go Green Racing PR), see an image of the car on my #79 Team Schemes page.(4-17-2012)
- Stewart, 2011 Chase drivers to meet with the President TODAY: Three-time and reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will be honored by President Barack Obama at the White House on Tuesday, April 17 [approx 4:20pm/et]. The event also will include NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and each member of the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field: Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch. This event will be livestreamed at www.whitehouse.gov/live.(NASCAR)(4-12/17-2012)
- Farmland to Unveil 2012 Paint Scheme at Kansas: On Saturday, April 21st, Farmland will unveil the details around its partnership with the legendary Richard Petty Motorsports NASCAR team for select Sprint Cup Series events in 2012. As part of the partnership, Farmland will feature Harvesterson the famous #43 Ford during their hometown NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the Speedway this October and will make a significant donation to fight hunger in Kansas City. During the launch event, Farmland and Harvesters will join forces with “The King” and his team to unveil a new paint scheme.(RPM)(4-17-2012)
- Kvapil Heads to Kansas with special paint scheme: Travis Kvapil, driver of the #93 BK Racing Toyota, is known for being smooth in a race car. His paint scheme in this weekend’s STP 400 will affirm it. Kvapil will carry the colors of Burger King’s new BK Tropical Mango Smoothie onboard his Camry. His car will be bright yellow, clad with mangos. Kvapil hopes the new digs, along with his past experience at Kansas, will be a recipe for success. Kvapil has six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) starts at Kansas Speedway. His best finish (19th) came in 2006, driving for Cal Wells [#32 car]. In three NSCS events at Kansas (2005, 2006, 2011) Kvapil led the race for a total of five laps. In NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition, Kvapil has six starts under his belt. He’s achieved four top-10s and one top-five finish (BK Racing/Breaking Limits), see images of the car on my #93 Team Schemes page.(4-17-2012)
- Barrett-Jackson Returns to Ragan’s #34 Ford: David Ragan is back in black. The black paint scheme with the red Barrett-Jackson logo returns to the #34 Ford for the upcoming race weekend at Kansas Speedway. The 1.5-mile oval could be the scene of Ragan’s first top-20 finish with Front Row Motorsports. His previous six Sprint Cup starts at Kansas have seen him run in the front half of the pack and the #34 team is working to keep him there during Sunday’s STP 400. NASCAR statistics over the last eight races at the Kansas City, Kan., track show Ragan among the top 20 drivers in average running position (19th), driver rating (18th), green-flag passes (17th) and green-flag speed (20th). Sunday’s race will be the second that the colors of the automotive auction house adorn the #34 Ford. The Barrett-Jackson scheme debuted in March in Phoenix, where Ragan drove it to a 25th-place finish.(Front Row Motorsports/Breaking Limits), see images of the car on my #34 Team Schemes page.(4-17-2012)
- Zest to sponsor Kenseth another race: from Zest’s Facebook – “Zest would like to thank all fans for their continued support of our products and our Zestfully Clean driver, #17-Matt Kenseth. Due to this enthusiasm, we are happy to announce we will be sponsoring Matt in another race on May 12th in Darlington, SC.”, see images of the car on my #17 Team Schemes page.(4-17-2012)
- Facts and Notes about Kansas Speedway:
� Groundbreaking was held on May 25, 1999.
� The official opening of Kansas Speedway was in 2001, with the first events being an ARCA race and a NASCAR K&N; Pro Series West race on the same day – June 2.
� The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was Sept. 30, 2001.
� There have been 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Kansas since the track opened in 2001.
� All of the races have been scheduled for 267 laps.
� 10 drivers have competed in all 12 races at Kansas.
� Jeff Gordon won the first two NASCAR Sprint Cup races.
� Jason Leffler won the first pole in September 2001.
� Nine different drivers have won poles, led by Jimmie Johnson with three.
� Eight different drivers have posted victories, led by Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart (each with two).
� Seven of the 12 races have been won from a top-10 starting position.
� Two drivers have won from the pole: Joe Nemechek in 2004 and Jimmie Johnson in 2008.
� The furthest back in the field that race winner started was 25th, by Brad Keselowski last season.
� Two active drivers with more than one start have averaged a top-10 finish: Greg Biffle (8.2) and Jimmie Johnson (8.3).
� Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in top fives (eight) and top 10s (nine). Gordon’s three non-top 10s were a 39th in 2006, a 13th in 2004 and 34th in last season’s fall event.
� Eight of the 12 races that ended under green had a margin of victory under one second. The 2007 race ended under caution.(NASCAR)(4-17-2012) - Grubb fined by NASCAR: NASCAR announced that Wayne Grubb, crew chief of the #27 car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been fined for violations during this past weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway. Grubb was fined $2,500 for violation of Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20A-12 (use of hollow bolts in truck trailing arms and panhard bar) of the 2012 NASCAR Rule Book. The infractions were discovered during opening day inspection on April 12.(NASCAR)(4-17-2012)
- Pastrana to drive for RAB? UPDATE: When Travis Pastrana, who was in attendance at Texas Motor Speedway, makes his NASCAR debut next weekend at Richmond International Raceway, it may be in a car associated with #09-RAB Racing. Pastrana’s Pastrana 199 Racing has an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing, but the team hasn’t run it’s #99 Nationwide car since last season and does not have a guaranteed starting spot. A deal with RAB, who is a Toyota team and short on sponsorship for regular driver Kenny Wallace, would ensure Pastrana a starting spot for his first Nationwide race. Ryan Truex ran for RAB at Texas, and Wallace is expected to return to the seat of the #09 for the Talladega race, but a driver for Richmond has not yet been announced. If the rumored deal is completed, expect an announcement in the coming days.(NASCAR Insiders)(4-16-2012)
UPDATE: Michael Waltrip Racing and RAB Racing announced they have formed an alliance to field entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2012. As part of the agreement, RAB Racing will acquire additional cars and receive technical and marketing support from MWR. Also, RAB Racing will change its current #09 number to the #99 starting at Richmond on April 27. RAB Racing will field the #99 Boost Mobile/KMC Wheels Toyota Camry for 11-time, X-Games gold medalist and action sports star Travis Pastrana in seven 2012 NASCAR Nationwide races. RAB Racing will also field Nationwide Series entries for MWR in additional races. Michael Waltrip said the alliance isn’t limited to fielding cars for Pastrana. “Whenever we have an opportunity to go Nationwide racing with any of our drivers, it will be in the #99 at RAB Racing,” Waltrip said. “We’ll add to the schedule here pretty soon with another announcement.”(MWR), see an image of the car on the #09 team paint schemes page.(4-17-2012) - Texas TV ratings: ESPN2’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night, April 13, earned a 1.2 household coverage rating, averaging 1,656,186 viewers, according to the Nielsen Company. The rating and viewership grew from last year’s event, which earned a 1.1 rating and averaged 1,466,234 viewers. Ratings for the NASCAR Nationwide Series are up five percent so far this year across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC compared to this point last year. Four of the six races have seen ratings and viewership increases over last year.(ESPN)(4-17-2012)
- Rockingham TV ratings: According to Nielsen Media Research, SPEED coverage of Sunday’s inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from Rockingham Speedway scored a .88 HH rating and peaked at a 1.09. Season-to-date, the NCWTS is pacing up 15-percent with HH (1.20 vs. 1.04) over 2011, up 24-percent with M35-54 (1.26 vs. 1.02) and up 60-percent among M18-49 (.72 vs. .45). The next NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is scheduled for Saturday, April 21, at 2 p.m. ET live from Kansas Speedway. The popular pre-race show, NCWTS Setup with Krista Voda, begins at 1:30 p.m. ET.(SPEEDtv PR)(4-17-2012)
- MB switches to Chevy; new driver making first series start: MB Motorsports has been racing Ford F-Series trucks since they first took to the track in 1995, but will arrive at Kansas Speedway fielding a Chevy Silverado. Mittler had this to say about the change, “The opportunity presented itself to us and it was a win-win deal. The last two races we have not had that much luck running the Ford program, so we felt this may be the change we needed to regain our momentum.” The black #65 MB Motorsports Chevy features a chassis from the KHI stable and a brand new motor from PME. Rookie driver, Scott Stenzel will be piloting the #65 at Kansas Speedway. “Bringing new talent into the sport is what I do,” Mittler states, “with Scott, there is no question about his talent. It’s the addition of having a background in advertising and marketing that makes our relationship even stronger. When I went to the “Yellow Stripes – Making the Driver” website and heard Scott’s story I had a desire to help him accomplish his goal together.” MB Motorsports marks their 11th attempt at Kansas Speedway as they register the #65 Making the Driver Chevy Silverado.(MB Motorsports PR)(4-17-2012)
- Armstrong paying visit to Kansas race sponsor: Dakoda Armstrong, driver of the #98 EverFi Toyota for ThorSport Racing, will be heading to Kansas early this week on Wednesday morning to visit with race sponsor SFP. This Saturday’s event will mark SFP’s first year of sponsorship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Based in Leawood, Kansas, SFP creates solutions for today’s crop growers for higher efficiency and return on their fertilizer investment, as well as healthier crops. Born and raised on a 8,000 acre crop farm in Indiana, Armstrong can relate to SFP’s business goals and customers. He will tour the SFP lab facility and visit with employees, local farmers and media members. The SFP 250 is scheduled to start at 2:00pm Eastern on Saturday, April 21st.(ThorSport Racing PR)(4-17-2017)
- Lofton to make 3rd appearance at Fort Riley prior to Kansas: Justin Lofton will head to Kansas early this week, making a stop at nearby Fort Riley in order to visit with ARMY service members on base. The visit will be the third for Lofton in as many years. This season however, will be different, as he brings along his #6 College Complete Chevrolet Silverado and crew. Lofton, crew chief Dan Bormann, and the rest of the College Complete team will be on hand throughout the morning on Thursday at Fort Riley, showing off their race truck, signing autographs, and talking racing with service members and their families. On Saturday, many will make the roughly two-hour drive and attend the SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway. While College Complete is used to assisting in long-term goals, this Thursday, the focus of the team will shift to showcasing appreciation and support for all of the hard work of the service men and woman at Fort Riley.(ESR/Lofton PR)(4-17-2012)
- Hornaday — Kansas Fast Facts: Driver; #9-Joe Denette Motorsports Chevrolet
*In 11 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) starts at Kansas Speedway, Ron Hornaday, Jr. is the only driver to win from the pole.
*Hornaday holds the most pole awards (three) of any active NCWTS driver at Kansas Speedway.
*In seven NCWTS starts at Kansas Speedway, Hornaday has three pole awards, one win, three top-five and four top-10 finishes.
*According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Hornaday has the following stats at Kansas:
Hornaday has a driver rating of 109.1; third overall
First among Fastest Laps Run with 142
First among Laps Led with 261
Second among Laps in the top-15 with 898(Joe Denette Motorsports PR)(4-17-2012) - Harraka to make first intermediate track start: Paulie Harraka and the #5 Wauters Motorsports NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team head to Kansas Speedway for the running of the SFP 250 Saturday, April 21, 2012. “I can’t wait to get to Kansas,” Paulie Harraka said. “This will be my first time on a true 1.5 mile track, so I know I have a ton to learn. I expect that the aero package of these trucks, and the horsepower under the hood of my Ford, will make a track like this fun. Richie and I will have some challenges in getting me up to speed and figuring out what I need in the truck, but I’m confident we’ll get it figured out quickly.” Owner, Richie Wauters in his tenure as a crew chief has posted three top-10 finishes at the Kansas City, Kansas track with his most recent in 2010 with Aric Almirola.(Wauters Motorsports PR)(4-17-2012)
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