April 20, 2012
- Coverage of Qualifying for the STP 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is scheduled for Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 12:10 pm/et.
Television (TV): SPEED, 12:30pm/et
Scheduled Qualifying Re-Air: none scheduled - Qualifying Order for the STP 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is posted. 46 cars/drivers are listed.
The first of the drivers scheduled to go out is #20-Logano, slowest in practice [no speed, engine change].
The final driver scheduled to go out is #18-Busch, who was fastest in first practice.
Qualifying order is set by the first practice session, with slowest driver going out by speed and the fastest going out last. The non-top 35 drivers are mixed in with the top-35 in owners points, slowest to fastest.
See the full qualifying order on the Kansas Qualifying Page.(4-20-2012) - Happy Hour Practice for the STP 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is over, after 90 scheduled minutes, the top five fastest, slowest and notes:
#48-Johnson 174.956
#55-Martin 174.317
#56-Truex Jr. 173.801
#16-Biffle 173.310
#11-Hamlin 172.89
slowest: #36-Blaney 166.826 #33-Green 167.390
Notes: #14-Stewart scraped the wall just into practice, soing some minor damage to the right side of the car.
See fastest speeds, best ten-lap averages, laps run and more on the Kansas Happy Hour Practice Speeds (pdf), no average speeds all laps and NOT changing back to the old way, just posting the pdf’s.(4-20-2012) - 5-hour Energy expands sponsorship of #15: 5-hour Energy announced it will sponsor Michael Waltrip Racing’s #15 Toyota driven by Clint Bowyer for the all but one of the remaining races in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The move increases 5-hour’s sponsorship from 25 to 37 events. “5-hour Energy is extremely excited about the consumer exposure and sales growth we have achieved since moving up to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and partnering with Michael Waltrip Racing and Clint Bowyer this season,” said Scott Henderson, president of 5-hour Energy. Waltrip said the team’s internal numbers show the #15 Toyota has garnered tremendous exposure for 5-hour in the first seven races. MWR and 5-hour Energy announced a 25-race partnership at Kansas Speedway in October. Today’s announcement means 5-hour Energy will sponsor the #15 for 35 of 36 points races in 2012. 5-hour ENERGY also sponsored the #15 in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona and will sponsor the #15 in the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte. Aaron’s will sponsor Bowyer at Talladega Superspeedway on May 6 in his only non-5-hour race in 2012. The car will honor the University of Alabama’s BCS National Championship football team.(MWR)(4-20-2012)
- 1st Friday Practice for the STP 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is over, after 80 scheduled minutes, the top five fastest, slowest and notes:
#18-Busch 173.728
#99-Edwards 172.900
#5-Kahne 172.546
#83-Cassill 172.469
#88-Earnhardt Jr. 172.276
slowest: #98-McDowell 167.348 #33-Green 167.593
no speed listed: #20-Logano (engine change)
notes: #20-Logano left the garage just as practice began, was on his first lap, when the engine soured, Logano went back to the garage and the team is changing the engine. So Logano will start the race on Sunday from the rear. About 10 minutes into practice, #51-Busch spun off turn 4 and slid thru the frontstretch grass. Busch was able to drive the car to the garage with just some cosmetic damage. #47-Labonte’s team changed the fuel cell as they were having fueling problems.
This practice will set the order for qualifying on Saturday, scheduled for 12:10pm/et on SPEED.
See fastest speeds, best ten-lap averages, laps run and more on the Kansas 1st Practice Speeds (pdf), no average speeds all laps and NOT changing back to the old way, just posting the pdf’s.(4-20-2012) - Go-or-Go Homers practice for the STP 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway.
the final practice rank for the go-or-go homers (drivers not in the top 35 of current owners points)
These drivers would make the race if things stay the same:
#87-Joe Nemechek, 17th fastest overall
#23-Scott Riggs, 22nd
#30-David Stremme, 33rd
#26-Josh Wise#, 35th
#19-Mike Bliss, 36th
#49-J.J. Yeley, 37th
#74-Tony Raines, 38th
#12-Sam Hornish Jr., 39th
These drivers would miss the race if things stay the same:
#79-Andrews, 42nd
#33-Green, 44th
#98-Michael McDowell, 45th/last
(4-20-2012) - Chassis selections for this weeks race: see the list of many teams [that report or post these] and what chassis were selected by the team to run at Kansas Speedway on the Kansas Race Info page – Chassis selection area.
- Kansas Goodyear Tires Notes: Teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will run the same combination of left- and right-side tires they ran twice at Kansas last season . . . more recently, these teams ran this right-side tire code at Fontana earlier this season . . . while Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck teams will run the same right-side code at Kansas this weekend, they will run distinct left-side codes . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Kansas . . . air pressure in the inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire. See tire codes, pressures and more on the Kansas Race Info page – Goodyear section.
- Dale Earnhardt Day 2012: Dale Earnhardt Inc. is proud to announce the 2012 Dale Earnhardt Day on Sunday, April 29th, at the DEI Corporate Headquarters in Mooresville, NC. A celebration of the extraordinary life and legacy of Dale Earnhardt, this event is held annually on his birthday. Fans will be treated to special access to the Grand Showroom, only opened once a year on Dale Day, including a display of DEI Championship cars and other special vehicles. The DEI Museum will be opening a new display on that day: “Dale Earnhardt Inc. – A Racing Heritage”. This new exhibit highlights the early beginnings of Dale and Teresa Earnhardt, and how their separate racing backgrounds combined brought great success. Photos and displays from the early days of racing show how the sport has changed and grown through four generations of Earnhardt racers. More info on my Racing Charities page. Dale Earnhardt Day 2012 will run from 1pm until 6pm, on Sunday, April 29th. Admission is free, and plenty of parking is available. Dale Earnhardt Inc. is located at 1675 Dale Earnhardt Highway #3, outside of Mooresville, NC.(4-20-2012)
- Daugherty Picks Up Speed, Experience In Second Martinsville Speedway Test: Brad Daugherty finished his second day of behind-the-wheel training at Martinsville Speedway Thursday with a smile on his face and more speed in his future. The 7-foot-1 former NBA star and current ESPN racing analyst tested his National Auto Sport Association truck on the difficult Martinsville half-mile Thursday, following up a similar test in November. Daugherty has been racing for more than a decade, but said the two Martinsville visits have stepped up his game. Daugherty, was getting some tutoring from fellow ESPN analyst Andy Petree, who was a NASCAR Sprint Cup championship crew chief, and drove several races at Martinsville in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Daugherty’s NASA schedule will consist entirely of road courses, but he said Martinsville’s tight turns offer up similarities to road racing. Daugherty and Petree shut down their trucks a bit early so they could shoot part of ESPN’s daily racing show, NASCAR Now, live from the infield. Daugherty said while the day was enjoyable and a boost to his driving skills, any actual racing experience helps his on-air credibility. Tickets are on sale for October races and may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway)(4-20-2012)
- Economaki named new NCMA Executive Director: In the continuing evolution of the North Carolina Motorsports Association, the NCMA Board of Directors announced it has hired Corinne Economaki as executive director while interim executive director Andy Papathanassiou has accepted a seat on the board of directors. Having served as publisher of the stalwart motorsports publication, National Speed Sport News, for almost two decades, Economaki is no stranger to motorsports.(more info at NCMA)(4-20-2012)
- Haas Automation to sponsor Newman at Kansas: It was 10 years ago this September that Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in the western world and founded by Gene Haas – made its first start as a primary sponsor in the Sprint Cup Series at Kansas Speedway. The company’s name and red “H” logos adorned the hood and quarter panels for the #60 Haas-CNC Racing machine for driver Jack Sprague, also owned by Haas. Fast forward to April 2012 and there’s no doubt the sponsor (Haas Automation) and the race team (then Haas-CNC Racing) have come a long way since that first Kansas outing. Today, founder Haas shares ownership of what is now known as Stewart-Haas Racing with three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart. The merger, which took effect in 2009, has resulted in 16 Sprint Cup points paying wins, a Sprint All-Star race win and a Sprint Cup championship. And Haas’ company, Haas Automation, serves as one of multiple primary sponsors for Ryan Newman and the #39 Chevrolet, including Sunday’s STP 400. Newman’s #39 Chevy will also carry the Web site address, “BeRyansBoss.com” on its TV panel this weekend to encourage fans to enter the “Quicken Loans You’re the Boss Sweepstakes.”. Fans can enter until April 30.(SHR)(4-20-2012)
- Driver sues NASCAR, “too Caucasian’? An aspiring stock-car driver is suing NASCAR, claiming he was denied the opportunity to compete in NASCAR’s diversity program because he looks “too Caucasian.” NASCAR argues that in trying to change the “face” of the sport, it has the right to select drivers for its diversity program based on skin color, attorneys for the sanctioning body and its former diversity program administrators have told a U.S. District court. Michael Rodriguez, a driver from Pennsylvania, says in his complaint filed in U.S. District Court that he was denied the opportunity to compete in the 2005 and 2006 Drive For Diversity combines. Rodriguez is suing NASCAR and Access Communications, which operated NASCAR’s diversity program from its inception in 2004 until 2008 and conducted the combines that are designed for teams in NASCAR’s regional series to scout minority drivers. NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program was created to develop minority drivers and crewmen and help them advance through the NASCAR ranks with the goal of reaching the sport’s top series. Since 2004, the program has included 41 drivers, with most being selected multiple times. There currently are six drivers in the program racing in various NASCAR regional series.(full article at the Sporting News)(4-20-2012)
- White to run Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown: Jason White will join fellow NASCAR stars Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch and others as he will participate next week [April 26] in the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway. Jason will pilot the #23 GunBroker.com Ford Late Model in this Fifth Annual event. Proceeds will benefit the Denny Hamlin Foundation, which raises funds for individuals and families affected by cystic fibrosis.[Additional information on the event is posted on the Jayski Charities page.](4-20-2012)
- Keselowski doubles up at Kansas: UPDATE more on Checkered Flag Foundation: Keselowski will compete in his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race of the season this weekend at Kansas in the #19 Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation Ram. If Keselowski can find his way to Victory Lane on Saturday afternoon, he will join two exclusive driver groups. A total of 20 drivers have won a race in all three touring series and Keselowski could join that group with a win. However, a smaller group awaits the 28-year-old. Keselowski can also join his father, Bob Keselowski, as the only father-son duo to win a NCWTS race. Keselowski will run the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger during Sunday’s STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. (Penske Racing PR)(4-19-2012)
UPDATE:Brad Keselowski’s #19 Checkered Flag Foundation Dodge Ram will highlight a proactive veterans hiring program during this weekend’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway. Driving for his own team, Brad Keselowski Racing, Keselowski’s hood will carry the message of Waste Management’s proactive veteran hiring program. In addition to being the nation’s largest environmental services provider, with approximately 44,300 employees, Waste Management is also a leader in recruiting and hiring veterans, which is what attracted Keselowski to the program. About 3,500 veterans currently work for Waste Management. The organization has been named top Military Friendly employer by “G.I. Jobs Magazine,” “Military Times,” and the Department of Defense. Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports those who have sacrificed for us, including military, veterans, first responders and their families, among others.CFF PR)(4-20-2012) - AdvoCare to sponsor Starr for three; image added: AdvoCare, an award-winning premier health and wellness company, will sponsor three of the 2012 Camping World Truck Series races for the #81 AdvoCare Toyota Tundra driven by David Starr. Starr has 4 wins, 47 top-5 finishes and 115 top-10 results, as well as 5 pole positions and 605 laps led in 290 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts. The 44-year old from Houston, TX is just 29 points behind the leader in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with 19 races remaining. Since 1992, AdvoCare as offered nutrition, weight loss, energy and sports performance products of the highest quality developed through comprehensive research and backed by a Scientific & Medical Advisory Board. AdvoCare will sponsor the #81 Arrington Racing Toyota for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Kansas Speedway, Dover International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.(Arrington Racing PR) [Image of the #81-AdvoCare Toyota is posted on the #81 NCWTS 2012 Paint Schemes page.](4-20-2012)
- Lofton, #6 team remember College Complete family at Kansas: Just over two years ago a seemingly healthy Eve Haim, mother of four, including College Complete CEO Dan Haim, was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), also known as pre-leukemia, which is caused by the failure of bone marrow to produce proper white cells. That summer, Eve began chemotherapy treatments to no avail, and by year’s end received a transplant. Tragically, Eve developed complications from the transplant. She was hospitalized and spent seven months battling the complications. Though free of leukemia, the complications took its toll on her and she passed away in June of 2011. She was just 59-years-old. This Saturday, April 21st, the day of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway, Eve’s hometown of Sea Cliff, New York will honor her memory by dedicating the village’s Central Park in her name. A plaque will be placed in her honor, as well as a special step in front of the water fountain. Her son Dan, CEO of College Complete.com, will be in New York attending the park dedication, and will miss this weekend’s race. The team will show their support for the Haim family while honoring Eve on the #6 College Complete Chevrolet in Kansas. Eve’s name will be displayed on top of the door of the truck, as well as on two orange memorial ribbons on the b-post, which are on the truck every race week.(Lofton/ESR PR)(4-20-2012)
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