May 3, 2016
- 2017 Series schedules expected Thursday: NASCAR will hold a meeting Thursday at Kansas Speedway involving members of the media, track officials and others to unveil the 2017 Cup Series schedule, sources have confirmed. The schedule’s release, which is the earliest in recent history, is expected to include a few shifts in where race dates fall on the calendar, the source said. So far, looking at the calendar and comparing the schedule from 2016 to 2017, the most notable change could be a return of the race at Dover International Speedway to a date after the Coca-Cola 600. Otherwise, there would be no off-weekend before June. Although some tracks have already released information on when they will host next year’s NASCAR events others have not. For example, Daytona International Speedway, which will hold the season-opener Daytona 500 on Feb. 26, 2017, is a week later on the calendar next year than it was in 2016. That will affect when teams get an off-weekend following the West Coast Swing. Additionally, some tracks have requested race date changes in the past in hopes of boosting attendance.(Kickin The Tires)(5-3-2016)
- Kahne’s All-Star scheme released: This month at the Sprint All-Star Race, Kasey Kahne’s # 5 Chevrolet SS will sport a paint scheme promoting the Drive Home a Winner sweepstakes. The promotion will provide the winner with a mortgage-free year from Quicken Loans. And the winnings don’t end there — they also include a free one-year lease on a Chevy Silverado from Hendrick Automotive Group.(Hendrick Motorsports), see images of the car on the #5 team paint schemes page.(5-3-2016)
- Talladega TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Talladega earned a 3.8 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, flat in ratings compared to last year and down 5% from 2014 (4.0). The 3.8 overnight is tied with last year as the lowest for the spring Talladega race since at least 1998 (excluding rainouts). Despite the historic low, Sunday’s race was the first Sprint Cup telecast of the season to at least pull even with last year. Eight of the first ten races posted declines and two others – Bristol and Richmond – could not be compared because of last year’s rainouts. In addition, it ranks as the top rated NASCAR race in the metered markets in nearly two months, since Las Vegas in March (4.1). For the weekend, NASCAR on FOX ranked second among all sporting events behind the Blazers/Warriors NBA playoff game on ABC (5.0).(Sports Media Watch) see race-by-race TV Ratings for 2016 and a comparison chart on the 2016 TV Ratings page.(5-3-2016)
- Talladega wrecks come at a price: The delicate line between sport and entertainment was dangerously straddled [at Talladega] by 40 drivers roaring along in a pack of cars at 200 mph. When the dust settled, 35 cars had been involved in at least one accident and two cars went airborne. When Kevin Harvick’s car lifted off the track in a last-lap crash, it finally put an end to the chaos…we celebrate on Monday that no one was injured, and better yet, no one died in the carnage that was a typical Talladega race. But all that wrecking came at a price. The cost of damaged race cars on Sunday neared $10 million in losses across the grid, according to an informal survey Monday by The Associated Press of five top race teams. Within that series-wide estimate, some teams estimated they lost $500,000 per car – total loss situations – while others estimated $250,000 without including any engine damage.
It’s important to put Sunday’s demolition derby in at least a little bit of perspective. Yes, the destruction was unusually high. But the threat of rain played a huge role in the multiple accidents. Normally, the aggression in plate races doesn’t come until about 30 laps remain and many drivers spend most of the race riding around in the hope they can stay out of trouble to make a late run for the win. They couldn’t wait Sunday because rain could have ended the race with no notice. It meant the pace was much faster from start to finish. Plate racing isn’t going away anytime soon, though various measures could be taken to reduce the pack element – remove the restrictor-plates, slow the cars, knock down the banking at Daytona and Talladega – nothing should be eliminated from conversation as NASCAR tries to “fix” the issues plaguing the four events each year.(Associated Press)(5-3-2016) - BUBBA burger Joins David Ragan for Sprint All-Star Race Weekend and Coca-Cola 600:BUBBA burger has joined BK Racing as primary sponsor of David Ragan’s #23 Toyota Camry at Charlotte Motor Speedway for both the Sprint All-Star Race weekend and the Coca-Cola 600. “I’m really looking forward to working with BUBBA burger during the 10 days of racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” said Ragan. “Our #23 BUBBA burger Camry has a cool looking paint scheme supporting the military and I am proud to be driving the ‘We Salute You’ car for both the All-Star race weekend and the Coca-Cola 600.”
“BUBBA burger is joining forces with the BK Racing team, David Ragan and Dr Pepper to share our support of our troops this Memorial Day weekend,” said Andy Stenson, Vice President of Marketing, BUBBA foods, LLC. “BUBBA burger Racing is excited to become a part of the BK Racing family during the two weekends of racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway. BUBBA burger and racing have become a great combination and this car is a way to show our support with the ‘We Salute You!’ design that honors those who serve.”(BK Racing), see an image of the car on the #23 team paint schemes page.(5-3-2016) - Changes to #3 & #31 pit crews: In the never ending search for team chemistry and performance, RCR has made changes to their #3 and #31 pit crews moving forward. The #31 will have a new front changer in the form of Chase Masterson. Masterson was pulled up from the #62 Xfinity team this week to replace longtime change Tim Sheets. Sheets is now changing on the fronts of the #13 Germain Racing Team. The #3 team also made changes this week. Rear carrier Justin Voss was moved up from the #62 Xfinity team while rear carrier Josh Shiplett was moved from the rear to the front.(Pit Talks)(5-3-2016)
- Top 10 Driver Ratings at Kansas:
#48-Jimmie Johnson, 112.0
#20-Matt Kenseth, 106.8
#4-Kevin Harvick, 102.5
#16-Greg Biffle, 99.3
#19-Carl Edwards, 95.7
#78-Martin Truex Jr, 93.2
#42-Kyle Larson, 93.2
#5-Kasey Kahne, 93.1
#2-Brad Keselowski, 91.7
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr, 90.9
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races (16 total) among active drivers at Kansas Speedway.
Formula combining the following categories: Win, Finish, Top-15 Finish, Average Running Position while on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Maximum: 150 points per race.
See an explanation how the Driver Rating is calculated at NASCAR.com.(NASCAR) - Guenette driving for Obaika at Dover: Alex Guenette announced on Facebook Monday night that he will be in the #97 for Obaika Racing at Dover.
“Excited to announced that after 18 months since my last race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Martinsville, I will be back on track with David Gilliland Racing next weekend in Hickory N.C, and Dover Delaware the week after in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Obaika Racing.(5-3-2016) - American Ethanol to sponsor first Iowa XFINITY race: Iowa Speedway announced American Ethanol will serve as the entitlement sponsor and Enogen as the presenting sponsor for the NASCAR XFINITY Series race during Wide Opening Weekend on June 18-19. The NASCAR XFINITY Series American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen on Sunday, June 19, represents the fifth consecutive year of the American Ethanol partnership and the fourth consecutive year with Enogen at Iowa Speedway. While the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series idles for a week, the green flag will wave at Iowa Speedway for a first-of-its-kind doubleheader weekend in central Iowa. For the first time ever, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR XFINITY Series are paired together during Wide Opening Weekend on June 18-19. American Ethanol and Enogen were the former title and presenting sponsors of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Iowa Speedway. American Ethanol, along with Enogen, join the Iowa Corn Growers Association in renewing their long standing relationships with the speedway in 2016. Representing a wide array of ethanol supporters, from farmers to bio-engineering firms, American Ethanol was established by Growth Energy in partnership with the National Corn Growers Association to increase awareness of the value of American-made ethanol. Ethanol represents the most commercially-viable alternative to 100% petroleum-based fuel that America currently holds, and corn ethanol reduces emissions by 59 percent.(Iowa Speedway)(5-3-2016)
- BKR adds sponsor for Kansas, Dover: Oakmont Management Group, (OMG) operator of Oakmont Senior Living communities, a recognized leader in the retirement industry, is proud to announce its support of Daniel Hemric, driver of the #19 Ford F-150 and Brad Keselowski Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). OMG’s primary sponsorship will be for both the NCWTS races at Kansas Speedway on May 6, 2016 and Dover (Del.) International Speedway on May 13. The Oakmont team has designed and built retirement communities on the West Coast, including continuing care retirement communities and independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities. Oakmont Senior Living takes pride in its loyal employees, many of whom have been with the company for more than 20 years, and the organization is searching for more to sustain its growth.(Brad Keselowski Racing)(5-3-2016)
- Cobb celebrates 25 years of racing: In May, 1991 a 17-year old graduate of Schlage High School named Jennifer Jo Cobb made her first start as a race car driver at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Little did she and her supporters know that 25 years later she would be one of only two females to compete consistently full-time at the big leagues of NASCAR and even more uniquely so, be a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) team owner. Jennifer Jo Cobb returns to the Kansas Speedway in her Mark One Electric Chevrolet Silverado to compete in the Toyota Tundra 250 on Friday evening, May 6. The race will mark her 118th start in the series. In her 25 years of racing Cobb has many notable accomplishments in the NCWTS including highest finishing female driver, (6th, Daytona), highest female points finisher (17th in 2010 and 16th in 2014) and the woman with the most starts in the series (117). In 2016 Jennifer is running a full season in NCWTS and select races in NASCAR’s XFINITY Series. Between race events, Jennifer makes appearances for her sponsors, is a public speaker and runs the daily operations of her racing businesses. She is also the founder of Driven2Honor, a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring women who serve in the U.S. military.(Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing)(5-3-2016)
- Trevor Jackson to perform national anthem at Dover: Trevor Jackson, Atlantic Records singer, songwriter, actor and dancer, will perform the national anthem before the green flag drops on the “AAA 400 Drive for Autism” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, May 15. Jackson, 19, most recently starred on the second season of the critically acclaimed ABC drama “American Crime.” His previous television roles include stints on SyFy’s “Eureka,” CBS’ “Criminal Minds,” Disney Channel’s “Let It Shine,” and NBC’s “Harry’s Law.” The Indiana native first drew praise for his performances with the traveling Tony Award-winning Broadway hit “The Lion King,” where he portrayed Young Simba for three years.(Dover Speedway)(5-3-2016)
- Keselowski, Cassill, and Truex, Jr to appear at Kansas Finish Line Hospitality: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Brad Keselowski, Landon Cassill, and Martin Truex, Jr. are scheduled to participate in Q&A; sessions in The Finish Line, Kansas Speedway’s Fan Hospitality area on Saturday, May 7. Truex Jr. will appear at 3:30pm, Casill at 3:45pm, and Keselowski at 4:00pm. Tickets to The Finish Line include the all three Q&A; sessions, a guided Garage and Pit Tour, free food and drink, and a great view overlooking Turn 1. Tickets for the weekend are $225 and you must have a grandstand ticket to purchase.(Kansas Speedway)(5-3-2016)
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