April 30, 2013
- Hamlin plans to start at Talladega: #11-Denny Hamlin plans to start Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway, but don’t look for him to be in the car long. Assuming nothing changes during practice or qualifying, it will be the first race back for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver since suffering a compression fracture in his lower back on the final lap of the March 24 event at Auto Club Speedway in California. Hamlin tweeted on Tuesday that he was cleared “just to start,’ Hamlin told ESPN.com at Kansas he would drop to the back of the pack at Talladega and ride around until the first caution, then give way to backup driver Brian Vickers.(ESPN)(4-30-2013)
- Overnight Richmond TV Ratings: For the third straight year, overnight ratings were flat for NASCAR Sprint Cup action from Richmond. Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Toyota Owners 400 from Richmond International Raceway earned a 3.4 overnight rating on FOX, even with last year, 2011, and 2010 (3.4 each year). The 3.4 is tied as the second-lowest overnight ever for NASCAR Sprint Cup racing on FOX. The only race to earn a lower overnight was the 2009 Subway Fresh Fit 500 from Phoenix (3.3). Of note, the two lowest rated NASCAR races of the season in the metered markets – the Richmond race and the April 13 NRA 500 from Texas (3.5) – aired on Saturday nights. Despite the relatively low numbers, NASCAR still earned the third-best overnight of the weekend for a sports program on broadcast.(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily), see past races, 5-year comparison chart and more on the 2013 TV Ratings page.(4-30-2013)
- #4 for Harvick in 2014? Stewart-Haas Racing has applied for the trademark for the (4) Standard Character Mark or the #4. Supposedly to be used by Kevin Harvick when he moves over to Stewart-Hass Racing in 2014. You can see the trademark application / info at uspto.gov (do a search under Stewart-Haas). Other rumored numbers for Harvick at Stewart-Hass Racing: take the #29 with him from Richard Childress Racing with RCR using the #3 for Austin Dillon. Have heard some rumors the #8 could be in play.(4-30-2013)
- In wake of Boston bombings, NASCAR asks teams to be more vigilant: In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, NASCAR teams have been warned by the sanctioning body to be on the lookout for errant backpacks and other packages in the garage area. NASCAR called a special, crew chiefs-only meeting Saturday morning at Richmond International Raceway, asking race teams to increase their level of vigilance this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and beyond. The warning is not believed to be the result of any specific threat against NASCAR or Talladega Superspeedway, but part of a broader focus on safety at major sporting events across the country. “They asked us to keep our eyes open,” said one NASCAR crewman, on the condition of anonymity. “They want us to monitor our garage stalls more closely, to make sure there is nothing there that doesn’t belong. I didn’t get the impression that there was any specific threat,” he said. “It was just a request to stay vigilant.”(Godfather Motorsports)(4-30-2013)
- Tire testing at Indy: been told that there will be NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goodyear tire testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, April 30 and Wednesday, May 1. The following drivers are scheduled to test. #2-Brad Keselowski, #14-Tony Stewart, #21-Trevor Bayne, #24-Jeff Gordon, #55-Mark Martin and #78-Kurt Busch.
AND Part of NASCAR rolls into town today for stock car testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon are among the Sprint Cup Series drivers participating in the Goodyear tire test today and Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski, former Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne, Mark Martin and Kurt Busch also will be on the track. The session will be from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm both days with an hour break for lunch sometime around noon. Spectators can watch the test from the Hall of Fame Museum parking lot, the grandstand located inside the track near the museum and a small portion of the Turn 2 spectator mound. The rest of the latter is closed due to renovation and ADA upgrades that will be completed for next week’s opening of Indianapolis 500 practice. There is no admission to the museum parking lot (Indianapolis Star).(4-30-2013) - Gen-6 car more competitive so far: Through nine races, the on-track action with the Gen-6 is much improved from a year ago, when fans were screaming about how boring NASCAR had become. The races haven’t been perfect, but there’s been no shortage of story lines and few runaway wins. “I’m telling you, whoever designed this new car, we should kiss `em every weekend. It’s creating drama,” #15-Clint Bowyer said after Saturday night’s race at Richmond. “We haven’t seen racing like this in years, since I first started in this sport (in 2004). When you can leave a race track and there’s people in tears because they won, and in tears because they got crashed, that’s what brings us to the race track, that kind of racing and determination and passion.” The idea behind the Gen-6 was to improve the racing on intermediate tracks, where it was unwatchable at times last year. The problems were never more glaring than Memorial Day weekend, when just hours after one of the most exciting Indianapolis 500’s in history, NASCAR staged a nearly four-hour snoozefest at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Only nine cars were on the lead lap of the Coca-Cola 600 when Kasey Kahne beat Denny Hamlin to the finish line by a whopping 4.295 seconds. The racing hasn’t been so monotonous this year and the statistics back it up after nine races:
– There have been 1,203 more green flag passes throughout the field.
– The average margin of victory is .634 seconds, compared to 1.759 seconds last year.
– There are 49.9 percent of the cars finishing on the lead lap this year, up from 38.2 last year.
– The percentage of cars running at the finish of the race is up 3 percent to 83.2.
The next test is Talladega, where everyone is waiting to see how the car performs. The two-car tandem racing of the last several years was widely panned by fans, and NASCAR eliminated it last year with changes to the rules package. But the result was a wreckfest last May in which Stewart shredded the product in post-race and suggested a radical tongue-in-cheek change to the racing, making the track “a figure 8. And/or we can stop at halfway, make a break, and turn around and go backwards the rest of the way. Then with 10 to go, we split the field in half and half go the regular direction and half of them go backwards.”(Associated Press)(4-30-2013) - Talladega Superspeedway notes & facts:
• Construction began on what was then known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway on May 23, 1968.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on Sept. 14, 1969 – won by Richard Brickhouse.
• The name changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989.
• Fourth repaving completed on Sept. 19, 2006.
• There have been 87 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, one NSCS event in 1969 and two races per year since 1970.
• Talladega Superspeedway is tied with Michigan International Speedway for holding the ninth most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points paying races (87).
• 429 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega; 294 in more than one.
• Dave Marcis leads the series in starts at Talladega with 61. Terry Labonte leads all active drivers with 57 starts; followed by Michael Waltrip with 53.
• 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.
• 36 drivers have Coors Light poles at Talladega, led by Bill Elliott with eight. Joe Nemechek leads all active drivers with four.
• 10 drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Talladega. Bill Elliott holds the record for most consecutive poles at Talladega with six (1985-1987).
• Youngest Talladega pole winner: Jimmie Johnson (4/21/2002 – 26 years, 7 months, 4 days).
• Oldest Talladega pole winner: Mark Martin (10/23/2012 – 52 years, 9 months, 14 days).
• 47 different drivers have won at Talladega Superspeedway, led by Dale Earnhardt with 10. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with six.
• Richard Childress Racing has the most wins at Talladega in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 12; followed by Hendrick Motorsports with 11.
• Nine different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Talladega; led by Chevrolet with 38 victories; followed by Ford with 19.
• 13 of the 87 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Talladega have been won from the Coors Light pole. Only two active drivers have been able to accomplish the feat: Bobby Labonte (1998) and Jeff Gordon (2007).
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Talladega was 36th, by Jeff Gordon in the spring of 2000.
• Youngest Talladega winner: Bobby Hillin Jr. (7/27/1986 – 22 years, 1 month, 22 days).
• Oldest Talladega winner: Harry Gant (5/6/1991 – 51 years, 3 months, 26 days).
• Buddy Baker and Tony Stewart are tied for the series most runner-up finishes at Talladega with six each.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top-five finishes at Talladega with 23. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 15.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Talladega with a 10.182.
• Brad Keselowski leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Talladega with a 12.250.
• There have been six NSCS races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Talladega Superspeedway: spring of 2005 (188/194), fall of 2005 (188/190), spring of 2007 (188/192), fall of 2008 (188/190) spring of 2010 (188/200) and fall of 2012 (188/189).
• Only two of the 87 races at Talladega Superspeedway have been shortened due to weather conditions: spring of 1987 and fall of 1996.
• Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Talladega Superspeedway three times; most recently spring of 2010.
• Jamie McMurray (10/6/2002) made his series debut at Talladega Superspeedway.
• Juan Pablo Montoya (4/26/2009), David Gilliland (10/8/2006) and Travis Kvapil (10/5/2008) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Coors Light poles at Talladega.
• 2012 series champion Brad Keselowski (4/26/2009), Brian Vickers (10/8/2006) and Ken Schrader (7/31/1988) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup wins at Talladega.
• Nine drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Talladega Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the series in consecutive wins at Talladega after posting four consecutive wins from the fall of 2001 – 2003.
• 15 of the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners at Talladega Superspeedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Brad Keselowski is the only active series driver to win at Talladega in his first appearance.
• Matt Kenseth competed at Talladega Superspeedway 25 times before winning last fall; the longest span of any the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners.
• Matt Kenseth (25), Terry Labonte (21), Tony Stewart (19), Kevin Harvick (18) and Mark Martin (18) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Talladega.
• Jeff Burton leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Talladega without visiting Victory Lane at 38.
• Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway was the race on April 17, 2011 won by Jimmie Johnson with a MOV of 0.002 second – the MOV is tied with the 2003 Darlington race as the closest finishes in the NSCS using electronic scoring.
• Two female drivers have competed at Talladega in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – Janet Guthrie made three Talladega starts: (5/1/1977) – starting 13th and finishing 32nd; (8/7/1977) – starting ninth and finishing 34th; (8/6/1978) – starting 12th and finishing 29th. Patty Moise made one Talladega start: (7/30/1989) – starting 13th and finishing 32nd
• Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Talladega with 839 laps led in 40 starts.(NASCAR)(4-30-2013) - Scott, Piquet tangle after race; crew members arrested UPDATES – Penalties: Henrico County Police had two adult males in custody Friday night after a fight in the driver/owner lot of Richmond International Raceway following a Nationwide Series race where Richard Childress Racing and Turner Scott Racing crews and drivers nearly brawled. The police department did not reveal details of who was involved in the altercation but Richard Childress Racing confirmed its involvement and multiple sources said Turner Scott Motorsports personnel and driver Nelson Piquet Jr. were talking to police in the motorhome lot. A statement from Richard Childress Racing Director of Communications Tim Packman confirmed the team’s involvement. “We are aware an incident took place outside of the track’s infield following Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway involving members of our team and others from another team,” the statement said. “We are cooperating with the local authorities in this matter.” The incident occurred a little more than an hour after the race.
Two separate incidents following the Nationwide Series race involved RCR and Turner Scott Motorsports, sparked by an on-track incident between Piquet and RCR driver Brian Scott. Following the race, both crews nearly came to blows and Scott went up to Piquet, who shoved Scott away and then kicked him in the groin. Piquet later apologized for kicking Scott, saying it was in self-defense.(Sporting News)(4-27-2013) UPDATE: Police have released the names of two Richard Childress Racing crew members arrested for alleged assault at Richmond International Raceway late Friday night. Michael A. Scearce, 50, and Thomas F. Costello, 35, were taken into custody after a postrace incident spilled over to the driver/owner motorhome lot. The assault injured one of the two adult male victims, whose names were not released. Scearce and Costello are both members of RCR’s #2 team, which fields cars for Brian Scott. Both men were charged with misdemeanors and released early Saturday morning, according to Henrico County police Lt. Linda Toney. A court date for both will be determined at a later time.(USA Today)(4-27-2013)
UPDATE 2: Statement from Richard Childress: “I didn’t witness what took place last night outside of the race track. Our team members were walking to their cars and words were exchanged with members from another team, which led to an altercation. I am still learning all the exact details and, because it did happen outside of the track, local authorities became involved. We are working with them to resolve this matter. We are now concentrating on winning the Sprint Cup race tonight.”(RCR)(4-27-2013)
UPDATE 3: Statement from Turner Scott Motorsports: “Turner Scott Motorsports can confirm that an incident occurred near the Driver/Owner parking lot of Richmond International Raceway following the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Friday, April 26th. Several members of another race team confronted a group that included Nelson Piquet Jr., resulting in the arrest of two individuals from the other race team. TSM will have no further comment on the incident as the matter is an active case with the Henrico Police Department.”(TSM)(4-27-2013)
UPDATE 4: Penalties have been levied to two NASCAR Nationwide Series teams as a result of their involvement in separate post-race incidents following last Friday’s race at Richmond International Raceway. Thomas Costello and Michael Scearce, both crew members for the #2 team, have each been fined $15,000 and suspended from NASCAR until the completion of the next four NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship events. They have also been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Both Costello and Scearce were found to be in violation of Section 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Involved in an altercation with another competitor after the race had concluded). Drivers Nelson Piquet Jr. (#30 car) and Brian Scott (#2 car) have been placed on NASCAR probation until June 26 for violating Section 12-1 and their involvement in an on-track altercation with their two cars after the race had concluded. Crew chiefs Chris Carrier (#30 car) and Phil Gould (#2 car) have likewise been placed on NASCAR probation until June 26 as a result of the on-track incident between their two drivers.(NASCAR)(4-30-2013) - Ty Dillon in the #33 at Dega: Saturday’s 117-lap affair marks Ty Dillon’s first appearance at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Although the Welcome, N.C., native hasn’t made any competitive laps in the #33 entry at the 2.66-mile track, he has one start at the facility in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, earning one pole award and a fourth-place finish with 25 laps led. He also has one start in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, where he earned the race win after starting on the pole and leading for 50 laps. WESCO returns to RCR as the primary sponsor of Dillon’s #33 Chevy for six events throughout the year; including Dover (June), Bristol (August), Texas (November) and Homestead.(RCR)(4-30-2013)
- JW Demolition to sponsor White at Talladega: The Nationwide Series returns to restrictor-plate racing this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Jason White, driver of the #24 Toyota, will be racing with JW Demolition onboard his Camry at Talladega. In business since 2000, JW Demolition is a licensed demolition and hazardous materials remediation contractor serving commercial and industrial clients in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic states, and Mid-West. Their experience and safety record in both areas makes us uniquely qualified to take the lead in plant decommissioning and commercial redevelopment.(SR2 Motorsports)(4-30-2013)
- ESPN may bid for only a portion of Nationwide races: Rights to the Nationwide Series could be in play this summer when NASCAR opens its negotiations with ESPN, according to several sources. ESPN and NASCAR have not begun formal talks about renewing a media rights package that includes the Nationwide Series’ entire 33-race season and 17 Sprint Cup races. But ESPN has had internal conversations about bidding only on the Nationwide races that overlap with its Sprint Cup schedule instead of the entire season. The reason has more to do with production expenses than ratings points. From August to November, when it airs both Nationwide and Sprint Cup races, ESPN is able to use the same production crew, production trucks and other resources to cover both Nationwide Series races and Sprint Cup races on the same weekend. It’s much costlier for ESPN to produce the Nationwide Series’ first 16 races during the first half of the NASCAR season, when Fox and Turner hold the rights to the Sprint Cup races held at the same tracks on those weekends. ESPN has had rights to the Nationwide Series since 2007 and put considerable promotional and programming resources behind it. The secondary circuit aired on Fox and NBC from 2001 to 2006. ESPN declined to comment. Formal renewal talks are scheduled to begin later this summer, and its executives have not spoken to NASCAR about the Nationwide Series. Any move by ESPN to bid only on the second half of the Nationwide Series would allow NASCAR to experiment with new ways of selling its secondary series and offer it great flexibility. The sanctioning body could decide to split the Nationwide package between its Sprint Cup rights holders. That would allow Fox to buy the first half of the season and ESPN, or another broadcaster, to take the second half. Such a move would give both broadcasters the type of cost efficiencies ESPN wants, both in production and advertising sales. Fox has expressed interest in obtaining the rights to the first part of the Nationwide Series but has not had any formal talks with the sanctioning body. NASCAR also could decide to test the market and create a separate package for the entire Nationwide Series that it would sell independently of the Sprint Cup Series.(Sports Business Journal)(4-30-2013)
- Drivers occupying time off with other series: No “vacation” for four NASCAR Camping World Truck competitors due to take advantage of a scheduling gap to compete in Saturday’s Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway. Joey Coulter, Ty Dillon, John Wes Townley and Scott Riggs will do Nationwide Series duty at the 2.66-mile track, due to host trucks on Oct. 19. Coulter finished second in the April 20 NCWTS race at Kansas Speedway. He’ll drive the #54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, a four-time winner in 2013 with Kyle Busch behind the wheel. Dillon will be making his first visit to Talladega in a Nationwide Series car and will do battle with his older brother and former NCWTS champion Austin Dillon. He’s finished among the top 10 in three of his four Nationwide Series starts including a third at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He won an ARCA race at Talladega in 2011.(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(4-30-2013)
- Congrats to the Craftons: Matt and Ashley Crafton’s daughter, Elladee, who was born on April 26, came days after the Camping World Truck Series points leader won at Kansas Speedway.(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(4-30-2013)
- Alabama Crimson Tide Championship QB McCarron named Honorary Talladega Pace Car Driver: Talladega Superspeedway is proud to announce that the University of Alabama’s quarterback AJ McCarron, who helped guide the Crimson Tide to back-to-back BCS National Championship titles, will serve as the “Honorary Pace Car Driver” for the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, May 5. McCarron, who grew up just a few hours from Talladega Superspeedway in Mobile, AL, will get behind the wheel of a special Ford Mustang GT, the official pace car of Talladega’s Aaron’s 499 spring spectacular, and will lead the field of 43 cars around the track’s incredible 33-degree banking before the start of the race. “”I have enjoyed races at Talladega before and have always had a passion to get up to speed on the track,” said the two-time National Champion quarterback. “This is an incredible opportunity, and to be able to do it in front of the most famous drivers in the world, is something I am really looking forward to.” McCarron is beloved in the state of Alabama for leading the Crimson Tide to two consecutive BCS National titles. Alabama defeated LSU 21-0 in January of 2012 and repeated with a 42-14 victory over Notre Dame this past January. McCarron has the distinction of being the only quarterback to pull off such a feat (back-to-back titles) since the start of the BCS in 1998. The most competitive racing in NASCAR combined with a mix of southern hospitality returns to Talladega Superspeedway May 3-5 for the Aaron’s Dream Weekend. Experience the excitement as the superstars of NASCAR attempt to tackle the high-banks of ‘DEGA at 200 mph. Secure your tickets at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or by calling 877-Go2-DEGA.(TSS)(4-30-2013)
- Chipper Jones to serve as Grand Marshal at Talladega: Former Major League Baseball icon Chipper Jones, believed by many to be a future “first-ballot” Hall of Famer, will serve as the Grand Marshal for the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, May 5. Jones, who played for the Atlanta Braves throughout his entire 19-year career and was a fan-favorite across the country, will give the most famous command in all of motorsports to the 43-car field: “Drivers Start Your Engines!” Jones spent the last two decades establishing himself as one of the greatest switch-hitters in baseball history, second only to switch-hitters Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray in homeruns (468). The eight-time all-star, who retired following the 2012 season, was named the 1999 National League MVP, and helped the Braves win the World Series title that year. Chipper Jones joins other pre-race dignitaries AJ McCarron (University of Alabama quarterback) and Robin Meade (Country Music Recording Artist & CNN News Anchor), who will serve as the Honorary Pace Car Driver and National Anthem singer, respectively, prior to the Aaron’s 499.(TSS)(4-30-2013)
- Darlington to host autograph session: Darlington Raceway is offering its fans an opportunity to participate in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series autograph session with drivers Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, David Ragan and Dave Blaney. The autograph session will take place on Friday, May 10 from 10-10:45 a.m. in The Sprint Unlimited Experience display, located in the fan display area behind the frontstretch grandstands. A wristband will be issued for the autograph session and can be picked up at the Bojangles’ display from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Only 200 wristbands will be handed out for the session so supplies are limited. To receive a wristband at the Bojangles’ display, fans must present a ticket to either the NASCAR Nationwide Series VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 or Sprint Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500. An infield camping admission may also be used to attend the autograph session.(Darlington Raceway)(4-30-2013)
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