April 26, 2012
- Stewart wins Hamlin’s Short Track Showdown: Tony Stewart passed Virginia short-track racer Greg Edwards before the midway point of the race and ran away with the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown on Thursday night at Richmond International Raceway. Stewart took off on a restart with 11 laps to go in the 75-lap event while Jeff Burton, running second, failed to keep pace and wound up getting shuffled back. Joey Logano took advantage, moving quickly from fifth to second, but his stay up front was short-lived as Edwards, Brandon Butler and Burton all passed him before the checkered flag flew. Hamlin, who won last year, started 19th and got caught up in a crash on the opening lap. He went to pit road for repairs and came back out briefly, but eventually parked after running just 29 laps.(Associated Press/ESPN)(4-26-2012)
- Speeds expected to be up at Pocono after repave: Expect the track record at newly repaved Pocono Raceway to fall when the Sprint Cup Series returns in June, according to the drivers involved in this week’s Goodyear tire testing at the 2.5-mile tri-oval. But it’s not necessarily the same reason why Michigan International Speedway proved lightning quick when cars had the chance to check out that facility’s new asphalt surface. At Michigan, cars reached 215 mph at the end of the straightaways, carrying more straight line speed. On Wednesday, #1-Jamie McMurray was making the biggest gains in speed in Pocono’s three long, flat corners. #5-Kasey Kahne was running consistent lap speeds more than 2 mph faster than Kahne’s Cup qualifying record of 172.533 mph set in June 2004. And that was without all the little tricks used to squeeze every ounce of speed out of the car in qualifying trim. A lot of that had to do with optimal weather conditions during the tire test. Cool temperatures make more horsepower, and the thermometer was struggling to break the 50-degree mark on Wednesday. Plus, the new surface has a tremendous amount of grip, according to Kahne.(NASCAR.com)(4-26-2012)
- Leavine Family Racing going to Richmond for first time: While driver Scott Speed is no stranger to the Richmond International Raceway, Saturday night’s Sprint Cup Series 400 will be Leavine Family Racing’s first trip to the popular three-quarter-mile short track. Speed will drive the #95 Tommy Williams Drywall (TWD) Ford on a track that’s become a favorite among NASCAR drivers. Leavine Family Racing is running a limited 14-race schedule. Saturday night’s race is the second appearance for the second-year team.(Leavine Family Racing)(4-26-2012)
- MRN will provide online coverage of Hamlin’s Short-Track Showdown: Motor Racing Network will kick off a full weekend of coverage from Richmond International Raceway with Thursday’s exclusive webcast of the annual Denny Hamlin Short-Track Showdown. Reigning Sprint Cup Series champion #14-Tony Stewart is among the NASCAR drivers scheduled to compete in the 100-lap special event that’ll be run in two segments. MotorRacingNetwork.com will stream live coverage starting at 8 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, April 26, with Dave Moody and Steve Post anchoring the broadcast. This marks the second year that Hamlin has held his event at RIR in conjunction with the track’s annual springtime Sprint Cup/Nationwide Series doubleheader. Proceeds from the race will benefit the Denny Hamlin Foundation, which raises funds for individuals and families suffering from cystic fibrosis. Fans can make donations by visiting www.dennyhamlinfoundation.org. Thursday’s race is part of the 2012 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Division & but with a twist. A number of big-name NASCAR drivers are competing including Hamlin himself, Stewart, #31-Jeff Burton, #20-Joey Logano and #18-Kyle Busch – a two-time winner of the special event.(MRN)(4-26-2012)
- Pastrana making Nationwide debut at Richmond: When Travis Pastrana makes his much anticipated NASCAR Nationwide Series debut Friday night at Richmond International Raceway, he’ll have one goal in mind – finish on the lead lap. The 11-time X Games gold medal winner expects to run in seven Nationwide Series races in 2012 with RAB Racing, who formed a Nationwide alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing this month. For more information, see Jayski’s Nationwide Series page.(4-26-2012)
- Almirola gets sponsors for charity races: #43- Aric Almirola, Smithfield/Helping Hungry Homes and Eckrich announced that they will team up to race for charity. Almirola and Smithfield will compete this Thursday night in the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at the Richmond International Raceway. The event is a 100-lap asphalt late model all-star race that will help raise awareness and funding for the specific needs of individuals afflicted with Cystic Fibrosis as well as other programs that support chronically ill children. The race is sanctioned by NASCAR. Almirola will also compete in the Prelude to The Dream dirt late model event hosted by Tony Stewart at the famed Eldora Speedway dirt track located in Ohio on Wednesday, June 6th. Eckrich will adorn Almirola’s #43 dirt late model for the special that is televised live by HBO Pay-Per-View. The “Prelude” has grown to become one of the most seriously-challenged charity events motorsports stars compete in all year. The race benefits Feed The Children. Both Smithfield and Eckrich are in their first season as primary sponsors of Almirola and the #43 Richard Petty Motorsports team. They have now taken this next step to be more involved with Almirola and the charitable events of NASCAR.(Richard Petty Motorsports)(4-26-2012)
- The Numbers for Richmond International Raceway, Caution Update:
1 – fewest cautions (three times, most recent, 3/1/70)
1 – fewest cars on lead lap at finish (22 times, most recent 10/12/75)
2 – fewest leaders (six times, most recent 2/23/75)
2 – fewest lead changes (seven times, most recent 2/23/75)
4 – fewest laps led by race winner (Kyle Petty, 2/23/86)
5 – number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend
6 – fewest caution laps (6/5/60)
12 – most leaders (four times, most recent 5/6/07)
13 – most wins by driver (Richard Petty)
15 – most cautions (three times, most recent 9/10/11)
22 – wins from the pole; 35 from the front row (111 races)
25 – most lead changes (twice, most recent 3/3/96)
32 – most cars on lead lap at finish (9/7/08)
50 – different pole winners
47 – different race winners
43 – most running at finish (9/7/08)
90 minutes – amount of time it takes to dry the .75-mile track after a significant rainfall
123 – most caution laps (two times, most recent 9/8/74)
275 – number of Sprint Cup Series races in state of Virginia at nine tracks
488 – most laps led by race winner (9/13/70 – Richard Petty – 500-lap race)
Key RIR Dates:
1946 – Ted Horn won the first race on half-mile dirt track (10/12/46) in open-wheel car
1953 – Lee Petty won the first NASCAR Grand National Division, now Sprint Cup, race on the half-mile dirt track (4/19/53).
1955 – Paul Sawyer and driver Joe Weatherly purchased the track
1964 – race run under temporary lights on a Tuesday night (3/10/64)
1968 – last race on dirt track won by David Pearson (3/24/68)
1968 – first race on paved track won by Richard Petty (9/8/68)
1969 — track remeasured from .625-mile to .5625-mile; remeasured from .5625-mile to .5-mile; remeasured again from .5-mile to .542-mile prior to the first race of 1970
1988 – track reconfigured to its current .75-mile layout
1991 – permanent lighting added prior to fall event won by Harry Gant (9/7/91)
1999 – International Speedway Corporation (ISC) acquired track
2012 Caution Update
1 – fewest cautions this season (Fontana 3/25/12)
2 – number of races extended beyond scheduled distance in 2012 (Daytona and Martinsville); one in first eight races in 2011 (Daytona)
10 – most cautions this season (Daytona, 2/27/12)
43 – number of cautions in the first eight races of 2012; 67 in first eight races in 2011
250 of 2,526 – number of laps under caution in 2012
299.073 of 2,914.390 – miles under caution in the first eight races
(Darnell Communications for SRT Motorsports and Dodge)(4-26-2012) - Richmond Goodyear Tire Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same tire codes at Richmond this weekend . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that teams in both series ran at both Richmond and New Hampshire last season . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Richmond. See tire codes, pressures and more on the Richmond Race Info page – Goodyear section.
- Daytona adds half marathon to Speedweeks: In 2013, a new race will be a part of the Budweiser Speedweeks lineup, but competitors won’t need a helmet. Scheduled for Sunday, February 17, the Central Florida Sports Commission and Daytona International Speedway will host the fifth annual Daytona Beach Half Marathon just one week before the 55th running of “The Great American Race” – the Daytona 500. The half marathon will start at 6:30 am, just hours after the Daytona Shootout finishes up under the lights on Saturday night, and lead into DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented by Kroger on Sunday afternoon. Previously held in October, the Daytona Beach Half Marathon’s move to February means there will be no race in 2012. The integration of the race into Budweiser Speedweeks will allow organizers to further incorporate the racing theme into the already unique event. The Daytona Beach Half Marathon’s route, named one of the seven most scenic half marathons in America by Active.com, features one of the most unique courses in the running world. With the legendary pavement and historic grandstands of Daytona International Speedway serving as the backdrop, runners will start on pit road and run the first two miles on the track. The course then winds through the streets of Daytona Beach, including a run along the boardwalk of “The World’s Most Famous Beach,” before returning to the Speedway for the finish and a trip to Gatorade Victory Lane. For more information about the Daytona Beach Half Marathon, visit www.daytonabeachhalf.com.(Daytona Speedway)(4-26-2012)
- Teams have bumper covers confiscated: All three Richard Childress Racing teams and all three Turner Motorsports teams replaced the upper front bumper covers on their Nationwide Series cars Thursday after NASCAR confiscated modified bumper covers during inspection. Nationwide teams went through inspection Thursday at Richmond International Raceway to prepare for practice Friday morning and the race Friday night. Any penalties will be announced next week. No crew members were ejected from the track. Included in the group were the cars of series points leader #2-Elliott Sadler, who drives for RCR and has a four-point lead on Roush Fenway Racing’s #6-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Along with Sadler, other drivers who had their front bumper covers confiscated were RCR’s #3-Austin Dillon and #33-Kevin Harvick and Turner’s #30-James Buescher, #31-Justin Allgaier and #38-Kasey Kahne.(Sporting News)(4-26-2012)
- Ryan Blaney making Nationwide debut at Richmond: Ryan Blaney will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) debut this weekend in the Tommy Baldwin Racing #36 SealWrap Chevy. The 18-year-old racer made four NASCAR career starts in the NASCAR K&N; Pro Series (NKNPS) in 2011 and 2012 and will compete in the NKNPS East event Thursday before Friday’s Virginia 529 College Savings 250. Blaney made one start at the .75-mile, Virginia racetrack in the NKNPS East. In his series debut, he started 18th and drove through the field to finish eighth.(TBR)(4-26-2012)
- Earnhardt Jr. and JRM partners with Clean Coal Campaign: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has signed an agreement to represent and drive awareness to the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) as part of its nationwide campaign to promote the importance of clean coal technology. The agreement is part of a larger sponsorship between ACCCE and JR Motorsports that includes primary branding on JRM cars for four events in 2012 and associate branding for the duration of the Nationwide Series season. This is the first-ever sponsorship of a NASCAR team for ACCCE, which supports energy policies that balance coal’s role in supplying the United States with affordable and reliable electricity. The ACCCE will receive primary logo placement and branding on Cole Whitt’s #88 Chevy in Nationwide Series races at Dover International Speedway (June 2), Michigan International Speedway (May 16), Iowa Speedway (Aug. 4) and Kentucky Speedway (Sept. 22). ACCCE will have associate sponsorship placement on Whitt’s car starting this week at Richmond International Raceway and continuing through the remainder of the season. ACCCE will be an associate sponsor on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s #5 Chevy in the Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on May 5.(JR Motorsports)(4-26-2012)
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