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Jimmie Johnson wins All-Star Race at Charlotte
posted by Mike Neff
Saturday May 19, 2012
Jimmie Johnson came from sixth place in the first 20 lap segment to secure the top spot for the final, mandatory pit stop, came out first and proceeded to lead the last 10 laps to capture his third All-Star win of his career. Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the wins in segments 2, 3, and 4 respectively. On the final restart, Kenseth stumbled which slowed him and Earnhardt, allowing Johnson and Keselowski to pull away. Kenseth rebounded from the bobble to finish third ahead of Kyle Busch, while Earnhardt came across the line in fifth. Kevin Harvick, Marcos Ambrose, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman rounded out the top 10. The victory ties Johnson with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for most All-Star race wins with three each. Johnson also won the race in 2003 and 2006. Keselowski’s runner-up finish was his career best. His previous best finish was seventh. Kenseth’s third place effort was his fifth top 5 run in the event and his ninth top 10 in 12 career starts in the race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. dominates the Sprint Showodwn
posted by Mike Neff
Saturday May 19, 2012
As the field came to the green in the Sprint Showdown, polesitter AJ Allmendinger had a left front tire deflate so he was forced to pit lane. That misfortune for the No. 22 allowed Dale Earnhardt Jr. to start from the pole position. After a side-by-side lap with Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt grabbed the top spot and would not relinquish it for the entire 40 laps of the race. At the halfway point Earnhardt Jr and Truex stayed on the track while most of the rest of the field came to the pits. When the green flag flew for the second 20 lap segment, Jamie McMurray was able to get around Truex and grabbed the second spot. As Earnhardt pulled away and McMurray cemented himself in the second spot, Allmendinger put on a furious charge from the back of the pack. Allmendinger took fifth on lap 24, fourth on lap 25 and third on lap 28. However, once he got within three car lengths of McMurray he stalled out and was unable to advance further, at least until three to go. Coming to the flag stand for the two-to-go signal, Allmendinger dove underneath McMurray and grabbed the second position and continued to hold it until the checkered flag. Earnhardt Jr. and Allmendinger took the checkers in first and second and punched their tickets into the All-Star race. Rounding out the top five were McMurray, Truex and Juan Pablo Montoya. Receiving the Sprint Fan Vote to transfer into the All-Star race was Bobby Labonte.
NASCAR becomes first motorsport organization in Beyond Sport United
posted by Mike Neff
Saturday May 19, 2012
Beyond Sport United is a philanthropic organization that utilizes the global appeal of sport to advance the causes that will make the world a better place. The organization brings together the leaders of sports federations, grassroot organizations, teams and government agencies to address social issues in communities around the world and attempts to help influence social change. NASCAR and the NASCAR foundation have long done extensive work at making the world a better place through the fortune of the people in the sport along with driver foundations. Now, being part of Beyond Sport United, NASCAR will be able to expand their reach even farther and make an impact in even more lives than ever before.
Kyle Busch grabs pole for the Sprint All-Star Race
posted by Mike Neff
Friday May 18, 2012
The unique qualifying format for the Sprint All-Star race brings out the best in drivers and crews. Not only is speed on the track important but the crews also have to perform at a high level as they complete a four tire change during the qualifying process. After the 20 competitors completed their three laps with a pit stop it was Kyle Busch who was on top of the chart. Busch’s time was a 119.112 seconds for a speed of 136.006 mph. Next to Busch, in the front row, will be Ryan Newman. The only other driver to dip below the 120 second mark, Newman crossed the stripe in 119.821 seconds for a speed of 135.202 seconds. The second row will be composed of Denny Hamlin and Greg Biffle. Hamlin ran around Charlotte Motor Speedway in 120.168 seconds. for a speed of 134.811 mph. Biffles’s lap was 120.420 seconds at a speed of 134.520 mph. Rounding out the top five is Kevin Harvick whose 120.522 second lap equates to a speed of 134.304 mph. This is Busch’s third All-Star pole. Busch has never won at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
AJ Allmendinger on the pole for the Sprint Showdown
posted by Mike Neff
Friday May 18, 2012
22 cars laid down laps in the Sprint Showdown qualifying session and, after all of them had laid down a time it was AJ Allmendinger who was the fastest. Allmendinger turned a lap of 28.057 seconds which was a speed of 192.465 mph. Allmendinger was the only driver to eclipse 192 mph. On the outside of the front row will be Martin Truex Jr. who clocked in at 28.265 seconds for a speed of 191.049 mph. Inside the second row will be Dale Earnhardt Jr. who was fastest in practice but only managed to be third fastest in qualifying. Earnhardt’s time was 28.272 seconds that was worth 191.002 mph. To the right of Earnhardt will be Jeff Burton, with a lap of 28.467 seconds and a speed of 189.693 mph. The last car in the top five is Aric Almirola after he laid down a lap of 28.609 seconds which translates to 188.752 mph.
Ty Dillon on the pole for North Carolina Education Lottery 200
posted by Mike Neff
Friday May 18, 2012
Ty Dillon was fastest in first practice, which gave him the final qualitying spot for Truck time trials. He took full advantage of the cooling conditions and laid down a 29.733 second lap for a speed of 181.616 mph. Dillon bested Justin Lofton by .019 seconds to secure the top spot. Lofton’s lap lasted 29.752 seconds which worked out to a 181.500 mph. Dillon and Lofton were the only two drivers to eclipse the 181 mph mark. Joey Coulter was the second RCR Chevrolet in the top three spots. Coulter crossed the line in 29.884 seconds which was worth 180.699 mph. The outside row two slot is going to be occupied by Timothy Peters, who made it around the mile and a half track in 29.907 seconds for a speed of 180.560 mph. The final driver in the top five is Jason Leffler, who ran a 29.992 second lap at a speed of 180.048 mph. This is Dillon’s first pole of his Camping World Truck Series career in his eighth start in the series. It is his fourth top-10 starting spot in 2012.
Kyle Busch Paces All-Star Final Practice
posted by Amy Henderson
Friday May 18, 2012
The drivers in the Sprint All-Star Race have just one practice opportunity to dial in their raecars, and Kyle Busch made the most of it, posting the fastest lap with a time of 28.672 (188.337 MPH). Greg Biffle was less than a tenth of a second off Busch’s pace, with a lap of 28.767 seconds. Qualifying for the All-Star Race is Friday at 6:00 PM Eastern and consists of a three-lap run, including a four-tire pit stop to determine the starting lineup. The top two finishers in the Sprint Showdown will line up behind the qualifiers, and the fan vote winner will start shotgun on the field Saturday night. The top 10 in final practice:
NASCAR Announces Partnership with Twitter to Bring Fans a Unique Experience
posted by Amy Henderson
Friday May 18, 2012
NASCAR and Twitter announced on Friday that they will form a partnership-the first of its kind in major professional sport-in an effort to give race fans an enhanced race day experience. Twitter.com/#NASCAR will be available beginning with the first Pocono race on June 10. The page will use both algorithmic and editorial input to select content that will bring fans the full race day atmosphere from drivers, teams, media, tracks and officials to bring a behind-the-scenes feel to the page each week. NASCAR Chief Marketing Officer Steve Phelps said Friday that the sanctioning body understands the role of social media in the sport today. “Twitter has been an important piece of our effort the last several years,” Phelps said in a press release. “We’re excited about continuing to provide our millions of fans with greater access to our athletes and further engagement with our drivers, teams, tracks, and executives.” Phelps added that while drivers will be encouraged to interact with fans through the social media platform, they will not be required to do so. “It will be entirely up to them,” Phelps stressed. While the page is still a work in progress, the idea is to bring fans a carefully selected sampling of what’s being said. While the page will filter the content in order to maintain relevance, Twitter and NASCAR have said that both positive and negative comments will be shown. The idea is to narrow down the volume from a straight hashtag search while bringing fans a variety of information.
Earnhardt, Allmendinger Top Sprint Showdown Practice
posted by Amy Henderson
Friday May 18, 2012
The lone practice session for the Sprint Showdown is complete at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had the fastest lap of the section at 28.706 seconds (188.114 MPH), nipping AJ Allmendinger by just .008 seconds for the top spot. Qualifying for the Sprint Showdown is scheduled 5:00 Eastern on Friday evening. The top two finishers in the Sprint Showdown, which runs on Saturday at 7:30PM Eastern, earn a place in the Sprint All-Star Race, along with one driver selected by a fan vote. The top 10 in final practice:
James Buescher tops speed chart in final Truck practice at Charlotte
posted by Mike Neff
Friday May 18, 2012
The final practice for the Camping World Truck Series ran from 10:20 – 11:50. James Buescher timed in with a lap of 30.013 seconds and a speed of 179.922 mph. Buescher beat Justin Lofton by .005 seconds. Lofton’s lap was 30.018 seconds for a speed of 179.892 mph. Cale Gale notched the third fastest lap at 30.023 seconds for a speed of 179.862 mph. Gale’s time was .01 seconds slower than Buescher’s top speed. Brendan Gaughan clocked in at 30.116 seconds for a 179.307 mph. The last Truck in the top five was Brad Keselowski, who turned in a lap of 30.195 seconds for a 178.796 mph lap. |
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Casey Mears Driver Diary: Winding Up 2011, Twitter. and Looking Ahead
Casey Mears · Friday November 18, 2011
At Talladega, we didn’t quite have the speed that we wanted, but when we worked together with guys, we got going pretty fast. We worked with Landon most of the day and we worked really well together. We ran in the top 10 the majority of the time. He got taken out right behind me, got involved in a crash. So then, for the fourth quarter of the race we teamed up with the No. 78 and Regan Smith and we really started taking off and running real well.
Then, unfortunately he was the last caution. I think we were running fourth of fifth and he got taken out with a few to go. That left us pretty much without a partner. I was on the radio with several different people trying to sort through it, but at the end, we just didn’t end up having a partner, so we were on our own there. I just hung in for 17th. But we had a strong day all day.
Read more Casey Mears Driver Diary: Winding Up 2011, Twitter. and Looking Ahead ...
Casey Mears Driver Diary: Looking Ahead, Keeping Busy, and the Better Half Dash
Casey Mears · Thursday October 20, 2011
Chicago was rained out and we ran Monday. We just had a really tough race, and with the rain delay it was really dragged out. I honestly don’t even recall a lot of the actual race. I just remember that my car wasn’t handling very well and we kind of struggled. It was cool to see all the Geico people at the track on Sunday morning. The event that they put on was really good. They did a really good job. They had a lot of Geico signage everywhere. Having a lot of the people come in for the weekend who don’t usually get to come out was nice.
We weren’t that bad at Loudon.
Read more Casey Mears Driver Diary: Looking Ahead, Keeping Busy, and the Better Half Dash ...
Casey Mears Driver Diary: Short Tracks, An Underrated Driver, and Crazy Signings
Casey Mears · Thursday September 22, 2011
Bristol was for sure a good day for us. I think we ended up finishing a lap down, unfortunately, but the car drove really well. When it comes to the short tracks, it seems like we’ve been really making a lot of progress and getting better. We hung in there all day. We didn’t have a really good starting position, but it was okay. We were fast in practice. It was very, very hot, during the heat of the day, and obviously, the race goes into the night and everything cools down. It came to us, and we had a pretty good racecar all night.
Atlanta was okay. Honestly, we really, really struggled throughout that whole weekend. I had a really loose racecar, and I couldn’t get in the corners for the whole weekend-practice, qualifying, even on race day.
Read more Casey Mears Driver Diary: Short Tracks, An Underrated Driver, and Crazy Signings ...
Casey Mears Driver Diary: Learning and Looking Forward
Casey Mears · Thursday August 25, 2011
It’s hard not to be able to run every race, but it’s definitely good to be there and to learn. We didn’t run the whole race at Pocono, but we can get a good idea of what the tire’s going to do and make some changes to try to put ourselves in a better position for when we go back and run the whole event.
Watkins Glen was good. Unfortunately, we blew a motor in practice. We actually had a pretty good car. It drove pretty well and was fairly fast, but we had to start in the back because we blew that motor. So then on the start, I had to start all the way in the back and there were a couple of guys in front of us that decided they weren’t going to go on the start just to try to stay out of the mess going into Turn 1, and when they did, I had to avoid hitting them when they slowed down. We ended up getting a penalty for getting out of line. I pulled out of line to avoid hitting them, but we had to come down pit road and do a pass-through.
Read more Casey Mears Driver Diary: Learning and Looking Forward ...
Casey Mears Driver Diary: Road Courses, Daytona Success, and Looking Ahead
Casey Mears · Thursday July 28, 2011
Sonoma was actually planned to be a start and park, so we were going there with intentions of qualifying the best we could, running a few laps and being done for the day. But we were able to work it out to where we could actually run the race to try and maintain a little bit better position in the points. We didn’t really have a pit crew and were missing some things when it came to that, but last minute we decided to go ahead and run the whole race.
We weren’t bad; we were actually better than some of the guys. I felt like we could have been somewhere inside the top 20 at least.
Read more Casey Mears Driver Diary: Road Courses, Daytona Success, and Looking Ahead ...
Casey Mears Driver Diary: Making Gains, Hot Times, And New Additions
Casey Mears · Friday June 10, 2011
Casey Mears, driver of the No. 13 GEICO Toyota for the Cup Series does a monthly diary for Frontstretch.com. Here’s his latest entry for May and June, starting with Mother’s Day weekend and Darlington’s Southern 500.
Gosh, Darlington was a long time ago! We were running OK. We were decent – we probably would have been about 18th or so. That wasn’t exactly where we wanted to be, but then on a restart, I had to check up and David Reutimann got into the back of me. I just went downhill from there. We were actually running good – I can’t remember what lap it was, but probably midway through the race and all of a sudden Reutimann got into the back of us and we ended up tearing up the left side of the car. We were just off the pace from there.
Read more Casey Mears Driver Diary: Making Gains, Hot Times, And New Additions ...
Casey Mears Driver Diary: Racing, Relaxing, and Heckling Five-Time
Casey Mears · Thursday May 5, 2011
Where do I start? Texas was a rough weekend for us. For some reason it seemed like the bigger tracks are hard for us for some reason. I know the MWR guys are working on more downforce at the bigger tracks and things like that. We just struggle on the mile-and-a-half, two-mile racetracks. It was a long weekend. We worked hard all day, just kind of grunted it out all day and ended up with an okay finish. We just weren’t really happy with our result there.
Talladega was okay. We didn’t qualify with the result we wanted to. We had a really good plan at the beginning. You really have to pick who you want to partner with there, and unfortunately we didn’t qualify so hot and we were in the back.
Read more Casey Mears Driver Diary: Racing, Relaxing, and Heckling Five-Time ...
Casey Mears Driver Diary: Improvement and the Big Picture
Casey Mears · Thursday April 7, 2011
We spent most of the off week in Phoenix. We went golfing a little. Trisha watched me play golf because she’s pregnant. But mostly we just hung out and relaxed, which was really good. It was nice to spend some time at home for a change.
Then we went to Bristol. In qualifying, the No. 36 car went out in front of us and laid oil down on the track, and then we came out and ran a slow lap because of it. We might have missed the race, but the No. 32 came out after us and he got in the oil too. The race was frustrating because we had some kind of problem with the car that we still haven’t been able to diagnose. If just kept cutting off. We ended up running really well, but with the fuel problem we went several laps down trying to fix it.
Read more Casey Mears Driver Diary: Improvement and the Big Picture ...
Casey Mears Driver Diary: Points Improvement, an Intriguing Offer, and Golf
Casey Mears · Thursday March 10, 2011
Daytona was a tough way to start the season. We blew a motor in practice and then another one in our qualifying race. We lease our engines from Michael Waltrip Racing. They never really told us exactly what broke, but to me, it doesn’t really matter; it was a failure. It was really disappointing to miss the race because we had a really good car-the guys worked really, really hard over the winter to get our cars ready and they did a great.
Read more Casey Mears Driver Diary: Points Improvement, an Intriguing Offer, and Golf ...
Casey Mears Driver Diary: We've Got Potential
Casey Mears · Thursday February 10, 2011
I’ve been in the sport for a long time. I grew up in a racing family, I’ve been in NASCAR now for roughly 10 years and been fortunate to be a part of a lot of good teams. Last year was a struggle trying to put it all together. Fortunately, I landed with a good team in Germain Racing. I’m really looking forward to 2011. I think it’s going to be great. We’ve got a really good team. For being a small team, we’ve got a lot of big team resources, working with Michael Waltrip Racing as far as their simulation programs, parts, pieces, and cars – all of that. So, even though we’re a smaller group, we have a rather large source for information – small team, but we have a lot to offer.
Read more Casey Mears Driver Diary: We've Got Potential ...
