The Mock Run with Kaitlyn Vincie: Grab Some Buns

Rapid Fire with Kurt Busch (+playlist)

The Kyle Show Must Go On

   

        NASCAR hosted the Kyle show yesterday at Auto Club Speedway. Again. Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson, once more, had me jumping up and down like a kangaroo screaming at the television. I was pulling for the kid. After watching Larson hold on for the win Saturday, then watching him dive and dodge and blast his way to second on the last lap Sunday, he has gained a new admirer. It has been a long time since I watched the 42 car look that good on an oval. It looked like it had a stock car racer in it. A good one. Larson is the real deal folks.

         Other Fontana Observations:

         Kyle Busch can just flat wheel a race car. Regardless of your opinion of him, it is impossible to deny that the man can just flat wheel a car.  I especially loved the camera on his wife as she screamed what rhymed with "truck yeah" as he crossed the finish line first. A few moments later, we saw the 18 team in a prayer circle. Well played, camera man.

         It's not Goodyear's fault. Pemberton said so. But more importantly, Junior said so.

         The Chase is filling right on up. At this rate, I fully expect NASCAR to tweak its brand new rules a little bit any day now.

         Lord, did the fans show up for this one. I was happy to read about that. It wasn't but a few years ago that everyone was complaining about Fontana. The leaky asphalt/concrete debacle I believe it was. I had thought it never rained in California. It rained dollar bills into Kyle Larson's bank account this weekend.

         Lastly, WHAT IN THE HECK is up with NASCAR officials and these switches? They are leaning against them on accident, falling into them, and getting their clothes hung on them? Wow. The Physics of NASCAR.

        That's all I got. I have a paying job and it seems they want me to do work. What is up with that?

        Thoughts?

        

God, I love California. And so does Kyle Larson.

            I only watched the last four laps of yesterday’s Nationwide race at Fontana. I followed on Twitter throughout the day while watching my bracket go down the tubes. I made a HUGE mistake. (People that don’t watch basketball should not bet money on March Madness). But, that is not the mistake I am writing about. I likely missed one of the best races NASCAR has put on in the Nationwide series in decades, if not ever. Kyle Larson flat out beat two Cup drivers. Two superstars, in fact. Good, clean, disciplined, racing was demonstrated over those last four laps by the young man. Yes, I know Kyle has a Cup ride. But, let’s be honest race fans; that 42 has not had a Cup driver in it for almost a decade now. When you manage to rear end a jet dryer, on a super speedway, under caution, Nascar Sprint Cup Driver, is not your profession. Kyle has been thrust into that car, and I think he’s going to do well. I don’t foresee any explosions on any tracks due to Kyle Larson.

            At any rate, I really loved what I saw yesterday. The patience exhibited by Larson over the final laps was exhilarating to watch. Not too many young drivers could have pulled that off. I remember Kasey Kahne was cruising along on his way to his first win years ago with Evernham’s organization, and just flat lost his car on the final lap. I am not sure what the official reason was, but I was always inclined to say his nerves were a part of it.

             I should have watched the entire race yesterday. If the Cup race is half as exciting as yesterday’s race, we fans are going to have quite a show to look at. I for one can’t wait. 

Bristol Intro Songs.......

Since FOX doesn't think we care about it.  Here are the songs that each driver chose to be introduced to yesterday at Bristol.

Bristol Driver Intro Songs: For several years, Sprint Cup drivers have chosen the song that is played when they are introduced to the crowd prior to the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Here is this year's list for all drivers:
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crazy Train/Ozzy Osborne
#2-Brad Keselowski: Everlong/Foo Fighters
#3-Austin Dillon: Cowboy/DJ Silver
#4-Kevin Harvick: Happy/Pharrell Williams
#5-Kasey Kahne: Bottom's Up/Brantley Gilbert
#7-Michael Annett: Standing Outside the Fire/Garth Brooks
#9-Marcos Ambrose: This Is How We Roll/Florida Georgia Line
#10-Danica Patrick: Timber/Ke$ha & Pitbull
#11-Denny Hamlin: My Name Is/Eminem
#13-Casey Mears: Do I Wanna Know?/Arctic Monkeys
#14-Tony Stewart: Back in the Saddle Again/Aerosmith
#15-Clint Bowyer: Boys Round Here/Blake Shelton
#16-Greg Biffle: Good Times, Bad Times (remix)/Godsmack
#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: The South/The Cadillac Three (featuring Florida Georgia Line and Dierks Bentley)
#18-Kyle Busch: Can't Hold Us/Macklemore
#20-Matt Kenseth: Guitars, Gangsters & Cadillac Blood/Volbeat
#22-Joey Logano: Fuel/Metallica
#23-Alex Bowman: Counting Stars (Longarms Dubstep Remix)/One Republic
#24-Jeff Gordon: Best Day of My Life/American Authors
#26-Cole Whitt: God's Not Dead/Newsboys
#27-Paul Menard: Clean My Wounds/Corrosion of Conformity
#30-Parker Kligerman: Don't Push Me/50 Cent
#31-Ryan Newman: Down Home Boys/Cole Swindell
#32-Travis Kvapil: Ace of Spades/Motorhead
#33-Timmy Hill: Thunderstruck/AC/DC
#34-David Ragan: C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)/Quad City DJ's
#35-David Reutimann: Still Counting/Volbeat
#36-Reed Sorenson: Man of the Year/School Boy Q
#38-David Gilliland: Strokers Theme/Charlie Daniels Band
#40-Landon Cassill: Money in the Bank/Lil Scrappy ft. Young buck
#41-Kurt Busch: Ring of Fire/Johnny Cash
#42-Kyle Larson: Kashmir/Led Zeppelin
#43-Aric Almirola: Outsiders/Eric Church
#47-AJ Allmendinger: Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)/Mystikal
#48-Jimmie Johnson: Radioactive/Imagine Dragons
#51-Justin Allgaier: War of Change/Thousand Foot Krutch
#55-Brian Vickers: Beast of Burden/Rolling Stones
#66-Joe Nemechek: Beer With Jesus/Thomas Rhett
#78-Martin Truex Jr.: Flyin Down a Back Road/Justin Moore
#83-Ryan Truex: Crave You (Adventure Club Remix)/Flight Facilities
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Man of Action/Matthew Good Band
#95-Michael McDowell: I Am/Crowder
#98-Josh Wise: Intro/The XX
#99-Carl Edwards: Kickstart My Heart/Motley Crue
(NASCAR.com)(3-17-2014)

Perpetuating Stereotypes

 I have never been a Jimmie Johnson fan at all, but this week, I had to dig in and stand up for him. Johnson was one of several, mostly female, celebrities that took part in a campaign to encourage people to cease using the term "bossy" when describing female leaders. The goal being to get more young females to engage in leadership roles without having degrading terms thrown at them. Easy enough. You'd think. Nope. Not at all. Several race fans chose to 'fight back" via Twitter at Six Time. I am not going to quote nor name the accounts of the folks that chose to respond to Jimmie's tweet. Suffice it to say it was sad. Sad because NASCAR has done so much to attempt to rid itself of the less desirable aspects of its history. They have spent millions on various projects to fall in line with other professional sports. They have a Green program, a diversity program, and many other projects developed in order to become more mainstream. NASCAR can't control the opinions of its fan base, and Twitter can't, and shouldn't, censor the opinions of its users. But, to see fans upset over what they perceive as the "wussification" of the male athlete is ludicrous. There is a stereotype that already follows NASCAR fans. And to say that these tweets perpetuated those stereotypes would be a major understatement. This isn't my daddy's NASCAR anymore, but clearly, some of his cronies have Twitter accounts.

Bristol Fast Facts

The following information provided by NASCAR



• Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960. The track was an exact half-mile in length.




• First NASCAR Sprint Cup race was July 30, 1961; Jack Smith won the event (with relief from Johnny Allen).


• In the fall of 1969, the track was reshaped and re-measured to .533-miles.
• The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.
• The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.
• The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992.
• The name changed to Bristol Motor Speedway in May 1996.
• The track was resurfaced between races in 2007, and the turns were ground down in 2012 to eliminate part of the progressive banking.
• There have been 106 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway since the first race in 1961, two races each season.
• All races have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in '77, which were 400 laps.
• 423 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol; 295 in more than one.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Bristol with 60. Terry Labonte leads all active drivers with 58 starts.
• Fred Lorenzen won the inaugural Coors Light Pole with a speed of 79.225 mph.
• 47 different drivers have poles at Bristol, led by Mark Martin and Cale Yarborough with nine each. Martin swept both poles at Bristol in 2009.
• The race winner has started from the pole 22 times, the most productive starting position. The last driver to win from the pole was Carl Edwards, in the night race of 2008.
• Four drivers have won from the pole position multiple times: Bobby Allison (1972 twice), Cale Yarborough (1973, 1977 twice, 1980), Darrell Waltrip (1981 twice, 1982) and Rusty Wallace (1991, 1993, 1999, 2000).
• 10 different drivers have posted consecutive poles at Bristol Motor Speedway; Mark Martin is the only of the 10 to win four consecutive poles at Bristol: Fireball Roberts (swept 1962), Fred Lorenzen (swept 1963), Richard Petty (1967-'68), Bobby Allison (swept 1972), Cale Yarborough (swept 1973; swept 1977; swept 1980), Darrell Waltrip (swept 1981), Geoff Bodine (swept 1986), Mark Martin (swept 1995-1996- all four races; and swept 2009); Rusty Wallace (swept 1998) and Jeff Gordon (swept 2002).
• Jeff Gordon leads (active drivers) the series in average starting position at Bristol with a 7.476.
• 41 different drivers have won at Bristol, led by Darrell Waltrip (12). Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch each have five wins, the most among active drivers.
• Junior Johnson leads the series in car owner wins at Bristol with 16; Rick Hendrick, Roger Penske and Jack Roush are tied among active car owners for the most wins at Bristol with 10 each.
• 12 drivers have won consecutive races at Bristol led by Darrell Waltrip with seven consecutive victories from 1981-1984. The other 11 are Fred Lorenzen (1963-1964 sweep), David Pearson (1968 sweep), Bobby Allison (1972 sweep), Cale Yarborough did it twice (1974 sweep and four straight from 1976-1977), Richard Petty (1975 sweep), Dale Earnhardt also did it twice (1985 sweep and 1987 sweep), Alan Kulwicki (1992 sweep), Rusty Wallace (2000 sweep), Kurt Busch (2003 sweep and 2004 spring race), Kyle Busch (2009 sweep), and Brad Keselowski (2011 fall-2012 spring).
• Eight different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Bristol; led by Chevrolet with 43 victories; followed by Ford with 33. Toyota is ranked fifth among Manufacturers with six wins at Bristol.
• 85 of the 106 (80.1%) races have been won from a top-10 starting position; including 53 from the first four spots.
• 35 of the 106 (33.0%) races at Bristol have been won from the front row: Pole position (22 wins); second-place (13 wins).
• Five of the 106 (4.7%) races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 38th, by Elliott Sadler; in 2001.
• Richard Petty leads the series in runner-up finishes at Bristol with 10; Kevin Harvick and Terry Labonte lead all active drivers with four each.
• Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty lead the series in top-five finishes at Bristol with 26 each. Terry Labonte leads the series among active drivers with 19 followed by Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin (16).
• Richard Petty has 37 top-10 finishes, more than any other driver. Terry Labonte leads the series among active drivers in top-10 finishes with 33; followed by Jeff Gordon with 23.
• Kyle Busch leads the series (active drivers) in average finish at Bristol with a 9.889.
• Seven of the last nine races have ended with a Margin of Victory of less than a second at BMS.
• There has been three green-white-checkered finishes at Bristol - all three were the spring race: 2007 (500/504); 2008 (500/506); 2009 (500/503).
• Two of the 106 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was the event on 3/31/1996.
• Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway three times; most recently August 25, 2012.
• Kurt Busch posted his first series career win at Bristol (2002), and Joey Logano won his first pole at Bristol (2010).
• All 15 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Bristol Motor Speedway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane - among the active winners Kurt Busch won in the fewest starts (third) at Bristol.
• Jeff Burton competed at Bristol Motor Speedway 28 times before winning (2008 spring race); the longest span of any the 15 active winners. Burton is the only active driver to have made 20 or more attempts before his first win at BMS. Kasey Kahne, who won in the spring of 2012 made 18 previous starts before his win at BMS.
• Bobby Labonte leads the series (active drivers) with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Bristol without visiting Victory Lane with 42.
• Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol was the 3/25/2007 race won by Kyle Busch with a MOV of 0.064 second.(NASCAR)(3-11-2014)

U Want Some? The Show! Episode 1

Here it is!!  The first episode of the season with Mark and Dave back together and talking racing!!

http://www.youtube.com/edit?action_reinstate=1

Greg Biffle Wants YOU To Donate Blood!!

Information presented by Rousch-Fenway Racing.

The #16 American Red Cross Ford Fusion sports the first of two #ImProud2Give paint schemes at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this Sunday, March 9. The #16 hood is covered with a larger-than-life Red Cross blood donor sticker, advertising Your Name Here and launching a campaign asking blood donors to make an online appointment atredcrossblood.org. The month-long campaign concludes at Darlington Raceway with one lucky blood donor adding their name to the #16 Red Cross Ford Fusion hood on April 12. Eligible whole blood donors can give blood once every 56 days at Red Cross blood drives and blood donation centers throughout the country. Appointments can be made online at redcrossblood.org.

Kurt Busch: A Reversal Of Fortune

By Mark Young

Kurt Busch has been in the news quite a bit lately……and this time it is for all of the right reasons.  After a 2011 season that saw him not only lose his composure on national TV, he also lost his job at Penske Racing.  His temper had gotten the best of him one too many times and he found himself on the bottom looking up to where he once was.  2013 was a year of rebirth.  Furniture Row Racing, the little team that could, along with Kurt made the Chase and they both showed that they belonged at the top of the heap.  In August of last year along came Gene Haas, the money man behind Stewart-Haas Racing, signed Kurt to be the fourth driver in the SHR stable.  That was the beginning of what could become a pretty awesome turnaround season for the former Cup Series Champion.

Yesterday Kurt announced that he would become only the fourth driver to ever attempt “The Double”.  Race in the Indianapolis 500 AND The Coca Cola 600.  Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, and John Andretti have done it before and now Kurt will be able to put his name on that list.

In 2011 I cringed at the sound of his name, waiting for the next tirade to come out of his mouth over this thing or that.  I now realize that there was a lot going on in his life outside of racing and that surely effected things.  Being “demoted” so to speak from Miller Lite to make room for Brad Keselowski surely didn’t help either.  He has grown up, we all do eventually, and we have seen a rejuvenation of sorts out of him.  A good woman standing behind you will do that to you.  His involvement with disabled and PTSD veterans has shown him that life isn’t always as bad as it seems and that there are others in worse shape.

This is a huge thing not only for Kurt but for NASCAR as well as the INDY Car Series.  It may not equate to more tickets sold but I guarantee you that the media exposure will drive TV ratings to levels that the networks haven’t seen in years.  BOTH series should rally around this and do whatever they can to make this a successful venture.  Kurt’s success will mean success for them as well.

Good luck Kurt, the racing world is behind you, your fans are behind you, and even the naysayers are behind you.  This is a steep hill to climb and this fan hopes you make it to the top.

SMITH'S LONG WINDING ROAD

Lost amongst all of the Dale Jr. hoopla at Daytona this year, was his Nationwide Series driver who happened to win as impressively as his boss, on Saturday. Regan Smith, who lost on a last lap screw up of his own making in the 2013 Nationwide race at Daytona, avenged his loss with a mighty impressive win in 2014. Everyone has a story. But, Regan Smith’s story is one worth telling, I think. If you can follow it without developing a migraine.


Does anyone remember Bobby Ginn? If not, no worries. He is only relevant to this in that he put Regan Smith in a car for a testing session at Kentucky in 2006, which resulted in him putting Regan in his 01 Cup car part time for the 2007 season. Smith was the co-driver of that ride with semi-retired Mark Martin. He was all set to jump into the 14 in July to run full-time for the remainder of 2007, but then Ginn up and sold his team to DEI and the 14 did not run for the rest of the year. The merger, though, did result in Smith driving the 2008 season in a mostly un-sponsored 01 car for DEI. He managed to win the 2008 Rookie of the year Award, and as far as quite a few fans, including this one, are concerned, he won the 2008 spring race at Talladega. Even Ray Charles could have seen that Stewart forced him below the yellow line.

Late in 2008 though, the merger ninja struck Smith once again as DEI merged with Ganassi, and it was revealed that the 01 team was folding. Smith had no ride for 2009, despite being the 2008 Cup Series ROY. Early in 2009 he signed to drive for Furniture Row (Pre Hendrick or Childress parts and pieces). He remained the driver in 2010 when the team was running Hendrick engines and Childress chassis, and performed quite well for the single car team. In 2011, his team was pieced together again with ECR engines and SHR pit Crews. And he put the team in Victory Lane at Darlington that year. At this point, it is safe to say that Regan will drive anything, put together by anyone, at any race track, regardless of sponsorship.

As his career path goes, just as he was enjoying some stability, he was released again, in favor of Kurt Busch in October 2012. At this point, a lot of guys may have thrown in the towel. I mean, how many times can a guy get merged out, released, or folded?

As with many things in life, being released from Furniture Row was a blessing in disguise for Regan. It marked a turning point in Smith’s career. It just so happened that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was injured in the Fall Talladega race and was forced to sit the remainder of the year. Guess who got the call to pilot the 88 car? Which lead to signing with JRM to drive full time in the Nationwide Series. A lot of people would consider not being in Cup any longer as a career setback. I don’t buy it. Regan has something at JRM, which he has never enjoyed: JOB SECURITY. Kelley Earnhardt has set the kid up with a great team, great crew, great cars, and an even better sense of stability. She has secured the sponsorship for his team, and made certain that JRM’s drivers have everything plus more than they need to win races. And it shows on the track on Saturdays. He finished 3rd in the NNS Series title run for 2013, and is poised to make another run for it this season. Regan even won the most popular NNS driver award for 2013 and qualified the HMS 48 Cup series car for Jimmie Johnson at Richmond. No, I don’t see his lack of a Cup ride being an issue at all for the kid. His days in Cup were like daytime television. He is now in prime time. And as a fan, I am very proud of him.

Rolling The Dice, Who's Who At Vegas

The following stats come courtesy of yahoo.

The first “Real” race of the year is done, and Kevin Harvick continues his dominance there with a complete ass-kicking to the rest of the field.  Now the NASCAR circus is onto Las Vegas.  How does everyone rank?  Check out what yahoo.com/nascar/stats/com has to say.

In the past 4 races at Vegas Tony Stewart has an average finish of 5.3. Carl Edwards is a close second with 5.8, then Johnson at 6.3.  The rest of the top ten are KEnseth, Harvick, Junior, Kahne, Menard, Truex Jr., and Marcos Ambrose.

Jeff Gordon ranks 19th with an average finish of 19.0, Kyle Busch is 20th with an average finish of 20.  Other notables are Brad K at 22 and Jurt Busch at 24th.

When it comes to recent winners, Johnson, Kenseth, Stewart, and Edwards.

Las Vegas is always a crap shoot.  Who am I going to pick?  I am going to go with Matt KEnseth, Harvick, and the hottest driver out there right now, Dale Junior.

Who you got?

Phoenix Race Weekend Schedule

Presented by NASCAR.com

FRIDAY, FEB. 28:

ON TRACK
-- Noon-12:50 p.m.: Mexico Toyota Series practice
-- 1-1:50 p.m.: Nationwide Series practice, FOX Sports 1 (Follow live)
-- 2 p.m-3:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice, FOX Sports 1 (Follow live)
-- 3:40 p.m.: Mexico Toyota Series qualifying
-- 5 p.m.-6:25 p.m.: Nationwide Series final practice, FOX Sports 1 (Follow live)
-- 6:40 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series qualifying, FOX Sports 1 (Follow live)
-- 9 p.m.: Mexico Toyota Series Toyota 120 (120 laps, 120 miles), mun2

GARAGECAM, PRESENTED BY MOBIL 1
-- 12:30 p.m.: NNS Garage Cam presented by Mobil 1 (Watch live)
-- 1:30 p.m.: NSCS GarageCam presented by Mobil 1 (Watch live)

NEWS CONFERENCES
-- 11:30 a.m.: Kurt Busch (Watch live)
-- 11:45 a.m.: Gillian Zucker, Auto Club Speedway (Watch live)
-- 12:15 p.m.: Regan Smith (Watch live)
-- 12:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon (Watch live)
-- 1 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson (Watch live)
-- 1:15 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Watch live)
-- 4 p.m.: Denny Hamlin (Watch live)
-- 4:45 p.m.: Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive VP of racing operations, Federico Alaman, NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series managing director, Daniel Suarez (Watch live)
-- Approx 7:40 p.m.: NSCS post-quals (Watch live)

SATURDAY, MARCH 1:

ON TRACK-- 11-11:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice, FOX Sports 1 (Follow live)
-- 12:10 p.m.: Nationwide Series qualifying, FOX Sports 1 (Follow live)
-- 2-2:50 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series final practice, FOX Sports 1 (Follow live)
-- 3:45 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series Blue Jeans Go Green 200 presented by Cotton, The Fabric of Our Lives (200 laps, 200 miles), ABC on air at 3:30 (Follow live)

NEWS CONFERENCES
-- 11:45 a.m.: Andrea Samber, Cotton Inc. (Watch live)
-- Approx. 5:30 p.m.: NNS post-race (Watch live)

SUNDAY, MARCH 2:

ON TRACK-- -- 3 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series The Profit on CNBC 500, Presented by Small Business Fueling America, FOX on air at 2:30 p.m. ET (Follow live)

NEWS CONFERENCES
-- 12 p.m.: Bobby Allison (Watch live)
-- 12:30 p.m.: A.J. Foyt (Watch live)
-- 1 p.m.: Marcus Lemonis, Chairman & CEO of Camping World and Good Sam Enterprises and star of CNBC’s The Profit (Watch live)
-- Approx. 6 p.m.: NSCS post-race (Watch live)

Phoenix Raceway Fast Facts

The following was presented by NASCAR media services and previously posted by Jayski.com

 Construction was completed in January 1964. The facility consisted of a one-mile oval and a 2.5-mile road course.
· Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix on Nov. 6, 1988.
· The first spring race was held on April 23, 2005 and also the first night race, which was won by Kurt Busch.
· The track underwent its first repave in 2011. The construction began in March and concluded in September of that year.
· The following changes were made during the construction period (March - Sept. 2011):
o Widened the frontstretch from 52 to 62 feet
o Reconfigured pit road with the installation of concrete pit stalls
o Pushed the dog-leg curve between Turn 2 and Turn 3 out 95 feet
o Tightened the turn radius of the dog-leg from 800 to 500 feet
o Implemented variable banking to ensure the immediate use of two racing grooves, including 10-11 degree banking between Turn 1 and Turn 2; 10-11 degree banking in the apex of the dog-leg; and 8-9 degree banking in Turn 4
· There have been 35 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, one per season from 1988-2004 and two each season since.
· 186 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix; 138 in more than one.
· Mark Martin leads series in starts at Phoenix with 34; followed by Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte with 30 each.
· Geoff Bodine won the first pole in 1988 at a speed of 123.203 mph (29.220 sec.).
· There have been 19 different Coors Light pole winners, led by Ryan Newman with four.
· Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards are the only drivers to win consecutive poles. Newman won three straight (2002-04), while Gordon won the fall of 2006 and the spring of 2007. Edwards won the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011.
· Denny Hamlin (November, 2005) and AJ Allmendinger (April, 2010) won their first career Coors Light poles at Phoenix International Raceway.
· There have been 23 different NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winners at Phoenix, eight have won more than once, led by Jimmie Johnson, with four - ('07 Chase race, '08 spring race and Chase race, '09 Chase race).
· The eight drivers who have won more than once at Phoenix: Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick lead the series in wins (four each), Davey Allison (two), Jeff Burton (two), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Jeff Gordon (two) Carl Edwards (two) and Mark Martin (two).
· Of the eight drivers with multiple wins at Phoenix International Raceway, Mark Martin is the only driver to win in two different manufacturers: Ford (1993) and Chevrolet (2009).
· Four of the 35 (11.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix have been won from the Coors Light pole: Jeff Gordon (spring 2007), Jimmie Johnson (fall 2008), Mark Martin (spring 2009) and Carl Edwards (fall 2010).
· Seven of the 35 (20%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Phoenix have been won from the front row: four from the pole and three from second-place.
· 17 of the 35 (48.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Phoenix have been won from a starting position inside the top 10.
· Jimmie Johnson leads the series in average finishes at Phoenix with a 6.3; he is the only active driver with an average finish inside the top 10. 
· Ricky Rudd won the 1995 race from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
· Matt Kenseth won the 2002 race from the 28th-place starting position, the furthest back an active race winner has started.
· 18 of the 35 (51.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Phoenix have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.
· 3 of the 35 (8.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Phoenix have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
· Five drivers have won consecutive races at Phoenix: Davey Allison (1991,1992); Jeff Burton (2000, 2001); Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003, 2004); Kevin Harvick (swept 2006); Jimmie Johnson is the only one of the five to win three consecutive races (fall 2007, swept 2008).
· Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Phoenix with nine, followed by Roush Fenway Racing with seven.
· Two perfect Driver Ratings of 150.0 have been recorded at Phoenix, Kurt Busch in April of 2005 and Kevin Harvick in November of 2006.
· Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Phoenix with five; followed by Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart with three each.
· Jimmie Johnson leads the series in top-five finishes at Phoenix with 14.
· Alan Kulwicki (11/6/1988) and Bobby Hamilton (10/27/1996) are the only two drivers to post their first NASCAR Sprint Cup career win at Phoenix International Raceway.
· 21 of the 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who have won at Phoenix participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Alan Kulwicki (11/6/1988) and Tony Stewart (11/7/1999) are the only two drivers to win at Phoenix in their first appearance.
· Jeff Gordon competed at Phoenix International Raceway 16 times before winning (4/21/2007); the longest span of any the 23 winners.
· Six drivers have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Phoenix: Jeff Gordon (16), Ryan Newman (15), Kasey Kahne (14), Denny Hamlin (13), Carl Edwards (12) and Rusty Wallace (11).
· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Phoenix was the April 10, 2010 race won by Ryan Newman with a MOV of 0.13 seconds.(NASCAR)(2-25-2014)

Time To Get To Business

By Mark Young

The haulers are on their way from North Carolina headed West to Arizona.  Not very news worthy in light of all the fanfare and attention Daytona got over the past two weeks but it is a signal that the real opening race of the 2014 season is upon us.  Daytona is the biggest race of the year, it should be, it deserves to be.  But with Daytona comes so many things that are beyond the driver's control.  Phoenix is where the big boys are separated from the wanna be's and has beens.

There is no disrespect intended with that statement, its the truth.  There is a LOT of luck that goes into plate racing.  That is why Terry LaBonte, Brian Scott, and Landon Cassill finished where they did.  From here on out these guys have got to give 110% because a win should guarantee a spot in the Chase.

This weekend is the true opening weekend.  The new driver/crew chief combinations, the new chassis setups, the new aero package, it all will show us what works and what doesn't beginning this weekend.

Time to pull up your britches and drive.

Predictions: Who Will Win The 2014 Sprint Cup?

Team U Want Some? got together to predict who is going to win the 2014 Sprint Cup.  Check out what they think and then leave your prediction in the comments section!!

Who's Who At Phoenix?

Data Provided by NASCAR 

·         Top 10 Driver Ratings at Phoenix:

#48-Jimmie Johnson....................... 116.7

#4-Kevin Harvick........................... 101.3

#99-Carl Edwards............................ 100.0

#24-Jeff Gordon................................ 99.4

#14-Tony Stewart.............................. 99.2

#11-Denny Hamlin............................. 98.2

#41-Kurt Busch................................. 98.0

#18-Kyle Busch................................. 97.4

#16-Greg Biffle................................. 91.6

#31-Ryan Newman............................ 87.1

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races (18 total) among active drivers at Phoenix International Raceway.

Formula combining the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Maximum: 150 points per race.(NASCAR)(2-25-2014)

Junior's Win Is EXACTLY What The Dr. Ordered

By Mark Young

Unless you have spent the past day and a half under a rock, you already know that Dale Jr. won the Daytona 500 last night.  His face is everywhere this morning and every sports and news outlet on TV, radio, and the web is talking all about it.  NASCAR is a buzz again, Junior nation and Earnhardt fans young and old are rejoicing this day.  Whether you are a Dale Jr. fan or not, you should be happy too.  Why?  Because Jr.'s win is exactly what the sport needed.

Denny Hamlin Wins Sprint Unlimited

Provided by NASCAR Wire Service

Denny Hamlin wins all three segments in Sprint Unlimited victory: #11-Denny Hamlin survived a war of attrition to win Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season-opening exhibition race at Daytona International Speedway. The winner of all three segments of the 75-lap event, Hamlin was running up front and out of harm's way when a wreck halved the field early in the second segment. And on a night when the pace car caught fire and had to be abandoned between the second and final segments, Hamlin won the race with a three-wide move on the backstretch on the next-to-last lap at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. The event was decided in a five-lap dash after a Lap 66 collision with #9-Marcos Ambrose in Turn 1 eliminated the #88 Chevy of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had surrendered the lead to #22-Joey Logano two laps earlier. #2-Brad Keselowski ran second, followed by #18-Kyle Busch, Logano and Kevin Harvick, whose #4 Chevy was damaged in the nine-car wreck that punctuated segment No. 2.
"The best car won -- that's for sure," said Hamlin, who won the last race of the 2013 season, at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "Two in a row now. We're building on something. That was survival of the fittest, that's for sure. With three (laps) to go, we were at the tail end of a very small pack, and it's really hard to get runs. But this car was phenomenal."
With 15 laps left, Kyle Busch spun in Turn 4 off the nose of Keselowski's Ford, as Busch tried to move down the track. The resulting yellow gave Ryan Newman and Hamlin, the winner of the first two segments, a chance to make pit stops. Fresh tires certainly helped the race winner.
After fan voting closed at 6 p.m., drivers learned the structure of the race -- segments of 30, 25 and 20 laps in that order. When the engines were fired, roughly 55 minutes after the close of another fan vote, the method of ordering the field was revealed, and the starting lineup was set according to speeds in Friday's final practice. That put Hamlin on the pole, with #1-Jamie McMurray beside him. #20-Matt Kenseth, #31-Newman and #48-Jimmie Johnson, who sat out the final practice session, started 16th through 18th, respectively in the 18-car field. Typical of restrictor-plate racing, however, starting position had little relevance. Hamlin went from the pole to last place and back to the lead again in the first 35-lap segment. Johnson advanced from the tail end of the field to the top five within the space of 20 laps.
In danger of losing the draft on Lap 6, #10-Danica Patrick rallied to run as high as third in the first segment, using the inside line to advance to the front, as Hamlin and Johnson did likewise. But Johnson's night ended early, after he spun off Turn 4 on Lap 30, bringing the first 30-lap run to an end under caution. Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet was too badly damaged to continue, marking the third straight year the six-time champion has crashed out of the season-opening exhibition race. "Well, that didn't last long," Johnson posted on his Twitter account. Johnson's wreck paled in comparison with the nine-car melee that followed on Lap 37 of the second segment. Kenseth turned sideways near the start/finish line after contact with the #22 Ford of Logano. The resulting wreck collected most of the cars behind Kenseth.
#14-Tony Stewart, racing for the first time since breaking his right leg in a sprint car accident on Aug. 5, was pinned against the outside wall in a three-car tangle that included the Chevrolets of #24-Jeff Gordon and #41-Kurt Busch. #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Ford slammed into the Chevy of girlfriend #10-Danica Patrick, who had spun in the tri-oval. Kenseth apologized for triggering the wreck, which started when Kenseth tried to move from the outside to the inside lane and hit Logano's Ford. "I was just kind of easing my way down there, and I had no idea Joey was that close to me," Kenseth said. "...Not the way you want to start the season." Stewart seemed no worse for the wear after climbing from his car. "There's no pain right now," he said. "But we'll see what happens in about an hour when the adrenaline wears off."
Stenhouse was out of control after running into the back of Busch's Chevrolet in the pileup that damaged all four Stewart-Haas Racing entries. "I didn't see anything from the time it started to the time it ended," Stenhouse said. "Talking to Danica when I got in there (infield care center) that I drilled her when she was pretty much sitting still. I couldn't see, couldn't turn and just really destroyed our Nationwide Insurance Ford." The accident left nine cars to take the green flag on Lap 41, including two -- Logano's Ford and Harvick's Chevy -- that were involved in the crash. Harvick quickly dropped back and lost the draft because of crash damage but stayed on the lead lap through the end of the segment. Hamlin grabbed the lead on Lap 47 and held it for the final nine laps of the segment No. 2, crossing the start/finish line .131 seconds ahead of Keselowski. The final fan vote of the night, announced before the last 20-lap run, determined the restart lineup for the final segment would be set by running order off pit road after a mandatory pit stop, with crews changing at least two tires. Hamlin won the race off pit road, lost the lead to Earnhardt but worked his way back to the front a lap and a half before the finish.(NASCAR Wire Service)(2-15-2014)

Fans Vote For The Format Of The Sprint Unlimited

Here is how you can vote to decide the format of tonight's Sprint Unlimited

Fans To Vote On Race Format For The 2014 Sprint Unlimited: For the second year in a row, fans will decide upon a number of competition elements for the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, the 75-lap, non-points race that kicks off the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing season on Saturday, February 15. Fans can cast their votes to set the overall format and determine key racing elements. Fans will again set the number of laps in each of the three segments, while also voting on how drivers will line up at the start of the race and how they will line up for the restart of the final segment.
"We are excited to build off of the success of last year's event and give our fans another opportunity to help make key decisions that will enhance the excitement around this highly anticipated race," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition and racing development. "This interactive element is unique to NASCAR - and all of sports."
Fans can submit their votes within the official NASCAR app, NASCAR MOBILE, or atNASCAR.com/SprintUnlimited. Voting is unlimited and all votes cast through NASCAR MOBILE will count twice. The voting window for the race format will close on Saturday, February 15 at 6:00pm/et, while voting for the starting order and final segment restart order will close at various times during the race broadcast. Voting results will be announced live during the FOX Sports 1 race broadcast.
Voting Categories:
Race Format: Number of laps in each race segment (Voting ends at 6:00pm/et on Saturday, February 15)
Option A: 30 laps/35 laps/10 laps
Option B: 30 laps/30 laps/15 laps
Option C: 30 laps/25 laps/20 laps
Starting Order: How drivers will line up to start the race (Voting ends at 7:30pm/et on Saturday, February 15)
Option A: Most Career Poles (most to least)
Option B: 2013 Driver Points Standings
Option C: Final Practice Speeds (fastest to slowest times)
Restart Order for Final Segment: How drivers will line up for the final segment (Voting ends at the conclusion of the second segment)
Option A: Fastest lap in the race (first and second segments both count)
Option B: Most laps led (first and second segments both count)
Option C: Mandatory pit stop (drivers lineup how they come off pit road)

Betting Odds for the Sprint Unlimited

The following odds are posted from thespread.com

Sprint Cup - Odds to win the Sprint Unlimited @ Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL

Driver	Odds
Kyle Busch #18	+700
Matt Kenseth #20	+700
Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88	+700
Kevin Harvick #4	+700
Jimmie Johnson #48	+750
Denny Hamlin #11	+900
Jeff Gordon #24	+1000
Kurt Busch #41	+1000
Tony Stewart #14	+1200
Brad Keselowski #2	+1200
Jamie McMurray #1	+1400
Ryan Newman #31	+1600
Joey Logano #22	+1600
Carl Edwards #99	+1800
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17	+2000
Danica Patrick #10	+2500
Marcos Ambrose #9	+5000
Terry Labonte #32	+7500