April 30, 2016
- Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the GEICO 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway have been made.
Pole sitter #24-Elliott chose pit stall 3, which is the first available pit stall in use this weekend.
Outside pole sitter #3-Dillon took pit stall 17, with an opening in front of it.
#88-Earnhardt, Jr, who starts 3rd took the 39th pit stall, with an opening in front of it.
The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #48-Johnson, who starts 5th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on Jayski.com’s Pit Stall Selection chart.(4-30-2016) - Chase Elliott wins Talladega pole: #24-Chase Elliott won the pole for the GEICO 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway with speed of 192.661mph for his 2nd pole of 2016, 1stX at Talladega and 2nd of his career. He also won the pole at Daytona this year.
#3-Dillon will start 2nd, followed by #88-Earnhardt, Jr., #20-Kenseth, #48-Johnson, #17-Stenhouse, Jr., #2-Keselowski, #11-Hamlin, #19-Edwards, #27-Menard, #5-Kahne and #78-Truex, Jr.
Ty Dillon qualified the #14 for Tony Stewart in 14th place. Stewart will start the race, so he will fall to the rear of the field, then turn the car back over to Dillon early in the race.
#3-Dillon was fastest in the first round with a speed of 192.796mph and will start 2nd.
41 cars were entered. The only team to not qualify: #30-Wise.
See round-by-round qualifying results on the Talladega qualifying results page (pdf) and the complete starting lineup on the Talladega Starting Lineup page (pdf).(4-30-2016) - Talladega Superspeedway – Qualifying Fast Facts:
Chase Elliott won the Coors Light 21 means 21 Pole Award for the 47th Annual GEICO 500 with a lap of 49.704 seconds, 192.661 mph.
This is his second pole in 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his second pole and fifth top-10 start in 2016.
This is his first pole at Talladega Superspeedway.
Austin Dillon (second) posted his fifth top-10 start of 2016 and his second in six races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr (third) posted his 15th top-10 start at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his second in ten races this season.
Chase Elliott (first) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics)(4-30-2016) - Brian France attends Drivers Council meeting: NASCAR chairman Brian France was busy meeting with drivers Friday, first privately with Tony Stewart and then he attended his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers Council meeting Friday night at Talladega Superspeedway. France was criticized by Stewart in January for not going to the meetings, which typically are attended by other NASCAR top executives. Stewart also was fined $35,000 last week for the tone of comments critical of NASCAR’s commitment to safety in reference to its not policing whether lug nuts are tight on wheels. “It was very productive and at least from Brian’s perspective, it was well done and he was happy he did it,” NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said late Friday night. The meeting with the nine-member drivers council was held in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage and went past the time the garage was closed for the night. As he waited for a gate to be unlocked so he could leave the garage, France was asked if he delivered a message to the drivers. “No, we just had a good discussion,” France said about the drivers council meeting. The meeting went on for nearly two more hours after France left for another commitment. NASCAR spokesman David Higdon would not go into specific topics but said the meeting covered items for 2016 and 2017 and there were not discussions about Stewart’s fine.(ESPN.com)(4-30-2016)
- Golden Corral returns to the #7: Golden Corral returns for their second race of the 2016 season with Tommy Baldwin Racing, driver Regan Smith, and a brand new car design. The car design features a new bold color scheme and the logos of two charitable organizations – Camp Corral and DAV (Disabled American Veterans). Golden Corral supports both of these organizations as a way to honor our nation’s men and women in uniform. Founded by Golden Corral, Camp Corral is a free, one-of-a-kind summer camp for children of wounded, disabled or fallen military service members. Over 10,000 children have been served at Camp Corral and the program has expanded to 21 camps in 19 states.(Tommy Baldwin Racing), see an image of the car on the #7 team paint schemes page.(4-30-2016)
- Richmond TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Richmond earned a 2.9 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down a tick from 2014, when it aired on a Saturday night (3.0). Overnights also dropped 6% from last year, when the race was postponed from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon (3.1). The 2.9 overnight is the lowest ever for a Sunday Sprint Cup race on FOX, falling below the previous mark of 3.2 for Bristol one week prior. Regardless of day, it is tied as the second-lowest for a Sprint Cup race on FOX – matching Texas last year and ahead of Texas this year (2.5). Head-to-head, the race edged ABC’s competing Spurs/Grizzlies NBA playoff game (2.7) but was no match for Warriors/Rockets later in the day (5.4).(Sports Media Watch)(4-25-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Richmond earned a 3.1 final rating and 4.7 million viewers on FOX last Sunday afternoon, down 6% in ratings and 16% in viewership from 2014, the last time it was run as scheduled on a Saturday night (3.3, 5.6M). Last year’s race, which was postponed from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon, had a 3.3 and 5.2 million. The 3.1 rating is the lowest ever for a Sunday Sprint Cup race on FOX, falling below the previous mark of 3.4 for Bristol one week earlier, and the third-lowest regardless of day. The past three races on FOX rank among the network’s five lowest rated ever, with Texas dead last, Richmond third, and Bristol fifth at 3.4.(Sports Media Watch) see race-by-race TV Ratings for 2016 and a comparison chart on the 2016 TV Ratings page.(4-30-2016) - Ty Dillon still working on Sprint Cup plans: Ty Dillon talked to the media Friday at Talladega Superspeedway;
HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK GETTING CHOSEN FOR THIS HIGH PROFILE JOB REPLACING TONY HAS HELPED YOUR PROSPECTS OF GETTING A FULL-TIME CUP RIDE? WHERE DOES IT STAND WITH WHAT YOU HAVE LINED UP FOR NEXT SEASON?
“I think it’s helped a lot. I was hoping to maybe be full-time this year in the Sprint Cup series about this time last year. That is where I kind of had my goals set, my eyes set, but the opportunity didn’t come along. I can’t thank Stewart-Haas and their organization enough for giving me the opportunity to fill in this year with Tony being out. Not only has it helped me with my career and getting better as a race car driver, but it’s helped me show people that I can get the job done in other equipment too.”
ANY UPDATE ON NEXT SEASON?
“I can’t tell you that (laughs). No, there are a lot of good things going on. That is about as far as I’ll take it.”
MANAGEMENT TOLD ME LAST WEEK THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU IN A CUP CAR FULL-TIME, BUT THEY WOULD ALSO LIKE TO FIND SPONSORSHIP THAT WAS SIMILAR TO WHAT CHASE ELLIOTT HAD. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT AS FAR AS SPONSORSHIP GOES?
“Right now anything suits my brand. If we can get that kind of sponsorship I’m fine with supporting anything and exposing anything. That is definitely our goal is for RCR is to find a sponsor that we can grow with over the next couple of years similar to what Chase has done. There are other opportunities that could come along to provide me to be able to run full-time in the Sprint Cup Series. I feel like I’m ready to be in the series full-time as a driver mentally and physically. This year I’m focusing on winning the Xfinity Series championship. Hopefully, make my prospect a little bit better and hopefully that opportunity comes along.”(Chevy Racing PR)(4-30-2015) - Bobby Labonte Foundation’s “Tour de Reason” on the #32 at Talladega: Bobby Labonte and Go Fas Racing announced that the Bobby Labonte Foundation’s Archdale Drug Tour de Reason will be featured on the roof, side quarter panels and decklid of the Go Fas Racing #32 Ford Fusion this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Rimrock Devlin, a Jacksonville, Fla., based company, returns as the primary sponsor this weekend and will support the Tour de Reason in August. Registration is now open for the sixth annual cycling event scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 27 in Thomasville, N.C., and for the first time, the 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion has added an evening cocktail reception and silent auction to the weekend’s activities on Friday, Aug. 26, at The Gallery in downtown Thomasville. Last year, more than 225 riders weaved their way through one of the either 63, 35 or 12-mile-fun-ride courses that toured scenic Davidson and Randolph counties. The start and finish lines are bookended by the quaint Thomasville Main Street shops and businesses and participants will experience a sponsor festival featuring music, food and various vendors after crossing the finish line. Registration for the Tour de Reason is $25 for a single entry or $160 for a team of eight. The 2016 edition of the Bobby Labonte Tour de Reason racing jerseys are also available for an additional $65. To register for the Tour de Reason bicycle ride, visit the Bobby Labonte Foundation website or call 336-434-1800. All proceeds from the event will benefit High Point Young Life, Victory Junction and Bicycling in Greensboro. Labonte is also wearing a special firesuit this weekend paying tribute to Josh Comstock, CEO of C&J; Energy Services who recently passed away, and will auction it off to honor his niece, Miranda Labonte. Miranda Labonte is currently battling breast cancer and all proceeds from the 10-day auction will be donated to the Northwest Triad Affiliate of Susan G. Komen in North Carolina. To bid in the auction, fans are encouraged to visit the Bobby Labonte Facebook page.(Breaking Limits)(4-30-2016)
- Hendrick named Charlotte Chamber 2016 Citizen of the Carolinas: The Charlotte Chamber has named local car dealer and NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick its 2016 Citizen of the Carolinas. The chamber said that Hendrick was chosen for the honor for his contributions to Charlotte’s business community, his influence within NASCAR and his work with local organizations, including Levine Children’s Hospital and Together We Feed Charlotte. “Rick embodies the collaborative spirit that sets Charlotte apart from any other major city in the United States,” chamber CEO and President Bob Morgan said in a statement. Last year, the chamber gave the award to former White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles. Other past honorees include former Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke, Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan. Hendrick, at age 26, became a Chevrolet dealer in 1976 with his first franchise in Bennettsville, S.C. By 1978, he moved to Charlotte and purchased City Chevrolet, which now serves as the flagship location for Hendrick Automotive Group. The privately-held dealership group employs more than 10,000 people and operates more than 130 retail franchises across 14 states. In a statement, Hendrick said he was humbled to receive the award. “We’ve been fortunate to call Charlotte home for nearly 40 years,” he said. “It’s been such a wonderful place for our family, and now our grandchildren are growing up here. I cannot imagine a more giving community or a better city to live and do business.” The chamber will present Hendrick with its most prestigious honor at the organization’s annual meeting in December.(Charlotte Business Journal)(4-30-2016)
- Talladega Pole Notes & Facts:
� Bobby Isaac won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Talladega in 1969 with a speed of 199.466 mph. Isaac won the first three poles at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.
� 38 drivers have Coors Light poles at Talladega, led by Bill Elliott with eight.
� Seven active drivers are tied for the most poles at Talladega with one – Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers, Brian Scott, Michael Waltrip and Bobby Labonte.
� 11 drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Talladega. Bill Elliott holds the record for most consecutive poles at Talladega with six (1985 – 1987).
� Six drivers have posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Talladega; the only active driver to post his first series career pole at Talladega is Brian Scott (05/04/2014).
� 13 of the 93 (13.9%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega have been won from the Coors Light pole.
� The No. 2 starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Talladega.
� 33 of the 93 (35.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega have been won from the front row: 13 from the pole and 20 from second-place.
� 65 of the 93 (69.9%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Talladega have been won from a top-10 starting position.
� 8 of the 93 (8.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
� The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Talladega was 36th, by Jeff Gordon in the spring of 2000.
� Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway five times; most recently fall of 2013.
(NASCAR) - NASCAR explains Talladega finish: Elliott Sadler’s Xfinity Series victory Saturday in the Sparks Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway took five minutes to be declared official by NASCAR officials. Xfinity Series director Wayne Auton held a news conference after the race explaining the process of how eight officials in the scoring tower determined Sadler, who collided with leader Joey Logano off the final turn, was ahead of Brennan Poole and Justin Allgaier when the yellow flag waved. Poole took the checkered flag in first but was ruled to have finished third. Though Sadler’s #1 Chevrolet went below the double-yellow line after Logano’s crash, Auton said NASCAR ruled it didn’t advance a position and had been forced low by the contact.
What was your view of the finish?
Auton: “At the end of the race there, we knew everyone would be jockeying for position trying to get that win to get into the Xfinity Chase with the Xfinity drivers. We use every resource we can. Our main goal is to make sure that we got it right. It took us a little time up in the tower. We feel 100% we got it exactly right. We used film. We used eyes, which mine are about wore out watching these cars today. These guys done one exceptional job today with a great race. We took our time in the tower. All of you saw (Sadler) and (Poole) come and set at the start-finish line, which was pretty cool of both drivers just sitting there really calm, knew that we were checking it. We used every bit of film we had. Slow down, speed up. Slow down, speed up. We arrived at the finish we did by using every piece of technology that we had to our availability.”
How much did NASCAR use video in determining the finish?
Auton: “We used video today every means we could from inside and outside the track and aerial as soon as the caution was out to position the cars at the time the caution was displayed.”
Were there any problems with teams being required to fasten five lug nuts?
“I’m so proud of this garage. It’s really cool to see the talent, not only the drivers and crew members, and they all done a great job today. We had no issues with the lug nuts today. Everyone had them glued up as they were asked to do prior to the race and kept them glued up all day.”
Sadler went below the yellow line; did his contact with Logano make that allowable?
Auton: “The rule is you can not go below the double yellow line to advance his position. He did not advance a position. And he was also forced down there when (Logano) and him made contact. In our eyes, he did not gain any positions. He was already there. It was legal by the rules.”
Why was the caution thrown instead of letting the race play out?
Auton: “That’s real easy to answer. Our No. 1 job is safety of these drivers, crew members, fans. When you see a car turn hard right, and in the years I’ve been in this business, it’s pretty scary. And with all the safety features, we applied the SAFER walls around our tracks now on the exterior, and the safety features inside the car, our No. 1 concern was when (Logano) hit to make sure Joey was OK. Automatically, we put out the caution. We felt it was the right time. Another car made contact with (Logano) when he come off the wall, but we needed guys to roll out of the throttle for the safety of all the other drivers who finished the race all the way to the line.”(NBC Sports)(4-30-2016) - Logano talks about Talladega finish:
WHAT HAPPENED?
Logano: “We crashed pretty hard. It is just typical superspeedway racing in the XFINITY Series racing for the win at the end. I know Elliott (Sadler) is a great speedway racer and he knew what he had to do to win the race and I knew what I had to do to try to keep him behind me. He went to make the move on the top and then he pulled it down to the bottom and got it underneath me and then I was a little late to the block. He was already there. Around I went and hit a bunch of other stuff along the way. Overall, I was proud of the effort of the team. We had a couple issues during the middle of the race. We had to come down and fix our car and we drove all the way back to the lead. It was a lot of fun out there. I am glad everyone is okay. Thank God for safer barriers and the way these seat belts are. That was a heck of a frontal hit for me. To get out and walk away and feel okay says a lot about our sport right now.”
IS THAT JUST RACING AT THE END?
Logano: “Yeah. I don’t feel like I got dumped. I haven’t seen a replay yet at all. I am sure he was there and I turned down. It is just a racing thing. Superspeedway racing is what it is.”
THE 48 WORKED WITH YOU A LOT AT THE END. WAS THERE ANY CONCERN WORKING WITH SOMEONE THAT WASN’T VERY EXPERIENCED?
Logano: “There was a concern until I started working with him and the kid is good. He did a tremendous job being able to lay to the back bumper and not slam into the back of you. He was really consistent the way he hit you and that is why he stayed up front all day. Brennan Poole did a great job. He deserved to finish up where he finished.”
WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING UP FRONT LIKE THAT HERE, DO YOU ALMOST EXPECT THE MAYHEM?
Logano: “Unfortunately yeah. It is part of it. It is part of speedway racing. It is what it is. That is speedway racing. If you put 40 cars in a pack going 200 mph racing for a win we are going to crash. Let’s be honest. It is exciting though and our cars are really safe. That is the hardest hit I have ever taken. I am impressed with the way the car held up and the way Team Penske built my Mustang they made sure to make safety first and that says a lot about us. Yeah we hit hard, yeah the ego is a little hurt but I am okay.”(Ford Racing)(4-30-2016) - Elliott Sadler wins XFINITY race at Talladega: #1-Elliott Sadler won the Sparks Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his 1st XFINITY Series win of the season, the 11th of his XFINITY career and locks him into the Chase for this season.
#22-Logano was leading coming to the checkered flag, but he moved up to block #48-Brennan Poole from taking the lead, then came back down and made contact with Sadler, sending him into the outside wall. He finished 27th. Several other drivers were collected and NASCAR had to review video to determine the finishing order. Although #48-Poole got back to the start finish line first, NASCAR determined that the caution came out prior to that, freezing the field. Sadler was credited with the win.
#7-Justin Allgaier finished second, followed by #48-Brennan Poole, #51-Jeremy Clements, #62-Brendan Gaughan, #2-Austin Dillon, #19-Daniel Suarez, pole sitter #18-Matt Tifft, #88-Chase Elliott and #98-Aric Almirola.
There were 6 cautions for 29 laps and 20 lead changes among 13 leaders.
The average speed was 132.477mph.
Complete results are on the Talladega race results page (pdf).
(4-30-2016) - Talladega XFINITY Race Fast Facts:
Elliott Sadler won the 25th Annual Sparks Energy 300, his 11th victory in 305 NASCAR XFINITY Series races.
This is his first victory and eighth top-10 finish in 2016.
This is his second victory and fifth top-10 finish in eight races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Justin Allgaier (second) posted his fourth top-10 finish in six races at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his seventh top-10 finish in 2016.
Brennan Poole (third) posted his first top-10 finish in two races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Brennan Poole (third) was the highest finishing rookie.
Elliott Sadler leads the point standings by 0 points over Daniel Suarez (tie breaker is wins).
(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(4-30-2016) - XFINITY Driver standings following Talladega:
1) #1-Elliott Sadler [1 win], 314
2) #19-Daniel Suarez, 314
3) #3-Ty Dillon, 281, -33
4) #7-Justin Allgaier, 280, -34
5) #62-Brendan Gaughan, 279, -35
6) #33-Brandon Jones, 273, -41
7) #20-Erik Jones [1 win], 263, -51
8) #48-Brennan Poole, 251, -63
9) #6-Darrell Wallace, Jr., 229, -85
10) #16-Ryan Reed, 221, -93
See complete owner and driver standings on the driver standings(pdf) and owner standings page (pdf).(4-30-2016) - Matt Tifft on XFINITY pole at Talladega: #18-Matt Tifft won the pole for the Sparks Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 181.168mph. It is his first career pole. #19-Daniel Suarez will start second. The rest of the top 10: #2-Austin Dillon, #20-Erik Jones, #3-Ty Dillon, #62-Brendan Gaughan, #16-Ryan Reed, #22-Joey Logano, #1-Elliott Sadler, and #44-J.J. Yeley.
#18-Matt Tifft was fastest in the first round of single car qualifying runs with a speed of 180.652mph.
Did Not Qualify: #70-Derrike Cope, #74-Mike Harmon, #40-Carl Long.
The starting lineup is posted on the Talladega starting lineup page (pdf).(4-30-2016) - Talladega Qualifying Notes:
Matt Tifft(i) won the Coors Light 21 means 21 Pole Award for the 25th Annual Sparks Energy 300 with a lap of 52.857 seconds, 181.168 mph.
This is his first pole in six NASCAR XFINITY Series races.
This is his first pole and second top-10 start in 2016.
This is his first pole at Talladega Superspeedway.
Daniel Suarez (second) posted his ninth top-10 start of 2016 and his second in two races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Austin Dillon(i) (third) posted his fourth top-10 start at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his seventh in eight races this season.
Erik Jones (fourth) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(4-30-2016) - Michigan launches Fan Appreciation program: Michigan International Speedway has launched this year’s Fan Appreciation program. Through this summer’s events at MIS, all guests have the opportunity to win prizes online at www.MISpeedway.com/goldenticket. All guests who purchase a ticket to the any of the track’s June 10-12 and Aug. 27-28 events including the FireKeepers Casino 400 or the Pure Michigan 400 may enter online for a chance to win. Guests in their party, even if they’re not account holders, can also try. In its ninth year, the Fan Appreciation Program continues to grow and reward fans with prizes and experiences. Prizes range from one fan being selected as the Ultimate Winner for June or August. Other prizes include NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cold garage passes for the weekend, Busch Acceleration Club tickets, FanVision rentals, “Michigan Money” food vouchers, NASCAR XFINITY Series garage passes, access to the XFINITY Series drivers’ meeting and an invitation to the XFINITY Series open garage session, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series cold garage passes, access to the truck series drivers’ meeting and an invitation to the truck Series open garage session, Racing Electronics scanner rentals and more.(MIS)(4-30-2016)
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