In Play Magazine
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Dec. 9, 2010) -- The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and Molson Coors Canada, a division of MolsonCoors, today announced a partnership in Canada in which the Keystone Light brand will become the Official Beer of NASCAR in Canada and the Official Beer of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.
As an official partner, Keystone Light will have the ability to leverage the NASCAR logo on its packaging and throughout its national advertising campaigns. In addition, Keystone Light will participate in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Prize Money and Decal Program with the Keystone Light Pole Award. The award will be given to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver who posts the fastest qualifying time each race of the season. Under the agreement, the brand will also secure pouring rights at multiple facilities the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series visits.
This partnership includes a robust media component on TSN and TSN.ca comprising of spots, billboards and custom features in NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series broadcasts. The brand will also activate a national NASCAR promotion featuring VIP NASCAR race weekend experiences that bring Keystone Light drinkers up close and personal to the action on the race track.
“NASCAR Canada is extremely pleased to partner with Keystone Light and help grow its brand among passionate and devoted stock car racing fans using the NASCAR Canada platform,” said Randy Paul, managing director, NASCAR Canada. “To have a brand like Keystone Light, which has a successful history of supporting stock car racing in the U.S., working in partnership with NASCAR Canada is a testament to the popularity of NASCAR racing in Canada and its fans across the country.”
“Coors Light and Keystone Light have been terrific partners in the U.S., and we’re very excited to help Keystone Light expand its NASCAR relationship across the border into Canada,” said Jim O’Connell, vice president of corporate marketing for NASCAR. “With the NASCAR fan base evenly spread across Canada, we anticipate the sport can bring strong results to Keystone Light’s national promotions and retail activation.”
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Kevin Harvick clinches Chase spot with win at MIS
By Matt Harding
In Play Magazine
Kevin Harvick won the Carfax 400 with Denny Hamlin, who finished first in the June race at MIS, coming in second place. [FULL RACE RESULTS HERE]
Harvick, who started with the eighth position, passed Hamlin with only 11 laps to go in the race. The No. 29 crew gambled when they stayed out on the track, rather than making a pit stop, during a caution toward the end of the race. Obviously, with the win, the move paid off.
Kasey Kahne, who started the race on the pole, had this to say about his performance: "We actually ran pretty good for a long time. It's disappointing, I thought we had a good shot. Something went wrong there."
Harvick's win at MIS makes it three wins on the season. He had this to say about his win: "We had a good car in practice. This has been a very bad track for us, and then to come here and do what we did today says a lot about where RCR (Richard Childress Racing) is."
In Play Magazine
Kevin Harvick won the Carfax 400 with Denny Hamlin, who finished first in the June race at MIS, coming in second place. [FULL RACE RESULTS HERE]
Harvick, who started with the eighth position, passed Hamlin with only 11 laps to go in the race. The No. 29 crew gambled when they stayed out on the track, rather than making a pit stop, during a caution toward the end of the race. Obviously, with the win, the move paid off.
Kasey Kahne, who started the race on the pole, had this to say about his performance: "We actually ran pretty good for a long time. It's disappointing, I thought we had a good shot. Something went wrong there."
Harvick's win at MIS makes it three wins on the season. He had this to say about his win: "We had a good car in practice. This has been a very bad track for us, and then to come here and do what we did today says a lot about where RCR (Richard Childress Racing) is."
Monday, June 7, 2010
NASCAR Announces Change In Carburetor Restrictor-Plate Openings
By In Play Magazine
New Size In Effect For July 3 Event At Daytona International Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 7, 2010) – NASCAR has announced that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will use carburetor restrictor-plate openings of 1 1/32 inches for the July 3 event at Daytona International Speedway. The previous plate at Daytona last February was 63/64-inch.
This equates to a .074 (square inch) area increase per opening for air intake.
Monday’s announcement pertains only to next month’s Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola – the last NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event on the current Daytona asphalt. The 2.5-mile, high-banked superspeedway will be repaved prior to the 2011 Daytona 500.
New Size In Effect For July 3 Event At Daytona International Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 7, 2010) – NASCAR has announced that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will use carburetor restrictor-plate openings of 1 1/32 inches for the July 3 event at Daytona International Speedway. The previous plate at Daytona last February was 63/64-inch.
This equates to a .074 (square inch) area increase per opening for air intake.
Monday’s announcement pertains only to next month’s Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola – the last NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event on the current Daytona asphalt. The 2.5-mile, high-banked superspeedway will be repaved prior to the 2011 Daytona 500.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Race Results for the Samsung Mobile 500
In Play Magazine
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Number 8
Central Samsung Mobile 500 Race
Race Fast Facts
Texas Motor Speedway Provided by NASCAR Statistics
Fort Worth, TX
1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 334 Laps - 501 Miles
Purse: $7,094,253
Mon, April 19, 2010
Winner: Denny Hamlin
Age: 29
Team : No. 11 - FedEx Ground Toyota
Owner: J.D. Gibbs
Crew Chief: Mike Ford
Denny Hamlin won the Samsung Mobile 500, his 10th victory in 159 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. This is his second victory and second top-10 finish in 2010. This is his first victory and seventh top-10 finish in ten races at Texas Motor Speedway.
It is his sixth top-10 finish in 2010. Kyle Busch (third) posted his fifth top-10 finish in 11 races at Texas Motor Speedway. Kevin Conway (27th) was the highest finishing rookie. Jimmie Johnson leads the point standings by 108 points over Matt Kenseth.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Number 8
Central Samsung Mobile 500 Race
Race Fast Facts
Texas Motor Speedway Provided by NASCAR Statistics
Fort Worth, TX
1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 334 Laps - 501 Miles
Purse: $7,094,253
Mon, April 19, 2010
Winner: Denny Hamlin
Age: 29
Team : No. 11 - FedEx Ground Toyota
Owner: J.D. Gibbs
Crew Chief: Mike Ford
Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Denny Hamlin greets fans on his way to driver introductions at Texas Motor Speedway.
Denny Hamlin won the Samsung Mobile 500, his 10th victory in 159 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. This is his second victory and second top-10 finish in 2010. This is his first victory and seventh top-10 finish in ten races at Texas Motor Speedway.
Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Tony Stewart leads the field through the green flag Monday after weather delayed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Hamlin has won three of the past four NSCS races run on a Monday including the last two; today and at Martinsville Speedway. Jimmie Johnson (second) posted his 10th top-10 finish in 14 races at Texas Motor Speedway.
Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR
Fans filled the stands for a Monday double-header as Tony Stewart leads the field at the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. The track honored all tickets, so fans were allowed to see races (the NASCAR Nationwide Series O’Reilly 300 followed the Sprint Cup race) for the price of one.
It is his sixth top-10 finish in 2010. Kyle Busch (third) posted his fifth top-10 finish in 11 races at Texas Motor Speedway. Kevin Conway (27th) was the highest finishing rookie. Jimmie Johnson leads the point standings by 108 points over Matt Kenseth.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Harvick Wins at Nashville With Two-Tire Stop
In Play Magazine
LEBANON, Tenn. — Kevin Harvick found out that two tires were enough as he outlasted cars with four fresh tires over the final 35 green-flag laps as he captured the NASCAR Nationwide Series' Nashville 300 on Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway.
Harvick won for the second time this year and the 36th time in his career. He also picked up a $25,000 bonus for winning the first of Nationwide's four "Dash 4 Cash" races this season.
"I knew we had 25-30 laps to hold them off and (the car) got tighter than we would have wanted it to," said Harvick, who was competing at the track for the first time in four years and took home his second guitar trophy from Nashville.
"But we had the track position and it worked out. … It was definitely fun. It's a lot more fun when you win."
The driver/owner beat Reed Sorenson by 0.199 seconds with Kyle Busch finishing third, Justin Allgaier in fourth and Brad Keselowski in fifth.
"We were a little bit better than (Harvick) the whole time and I was catching him," Sorenson said. "When we got caught in lapped traffic, he was able to hold his own through a couple of those corners. At the end, I was catching him. We needed about five more laps to get to him."
Joey Logano, who led 122 of the 250 laps, and Keselowski were the only two lead-lap cars not to pit when the caution came out with 82 laps remaining. Both had to pit later under green, lost a lap and then the caution came out with 38 laps remaining, leaving Keselowski 18th and Logano 19th on the restart with 35 remaining.
Logano got stalled on the inside lane on that restart and ended up eighth.
"We had a winning car," Logano said. "There's no reason why we couldn't have won. We gave it away."
The accident where Logano and Keselowski stayed out wasn't really an accident—Jason Leffler tagged James Buescher in retaliation for an incident earlier in the race when Buescher got loose underneath Leffler, turning Leffler into the outside wall.
NASCAR parked Leffler for the remainder of the race.
It was at that time that Harvick decided to pit. He took four tires and was about a dozen laps short on fuel, as he went into a fuel-conservation mode in case the race went green the rest of the way. Because he hadn't been pushing his car, he made the decision for two tires when the caution came out with 38 laps left.
"I really thought a lot more people would put two tires on because the tires really didn't fall off that much," Harvick said. "Ours didn't fall off that much. I hate putting two tires on. Tonight, we put two tires on and it worked out for us. … Track position was more important than the handling of the car."
Carl Edwards, who finished sixth, retained the points lead, 16 points ahead of Brad Keselowski and 21 points ahead of Keselowski's Penske Racing teammate, Justin Allgaier.
LEBANON, Tenn. — Kevin Harvick found out that two tires were enough as he outlasted cars with four fresh tires over the final 35 green-flag laps as he captured the NASCAR Nationwide Series' Nashville 300 on Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway.
Harvick won for the second time this year and the 36th time in his career. He also picked up a $25,000 bonus for winning the first of Nationwide's four "Dash 4 Cash" races this season.
"I knew we had 25-30 laps to hold them off and (the car) got tighter than we would have wanted it to," said Harvick, who was competing at the track for the first time in four years and took home his second guitar trophy from Nashville.
"But we had the track position and it worked out. … It was definitely fun. It's a lot more fun when you win."
Credit: John Sommers II/Getty Images for NASCAR
Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 GameStop Toyota and Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 33 Armour Chevrolet lead to the field to the start of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Nashville 300 at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday.
The driver/owner beat Reed Sorenson by 0.199 seconds with Kyle Busch finishing third, Justin Allgaier in fourth and Brad Keselowski in fifth.
"We were a little bit better than (Harvick) the whole time and I was catching him," Sorenson said. "When we got caught in lapped traffic, he was able to hold his own through a couple of those corners. At the end, I was catching him. We needed about five more laps to get to him."
Joey Logano, who led 122 of the 250 laps, and Keselowski were the only two lead-lap cars not to pit when the caution came out with 82 laps remaining. Both had to pit later under green, lost a lap and then the caution came out with 38 laps remaining, leaving Keselowski 18th and Logano 19th on the restart with 35 remaining.
Logano got stalled on the inside lane on that restart and ended up eighth.
"We had a winning car," Logano said. "There's no reason why we couldn't have won. We gave it away."
The accident where Logano and Keselowski stayed out wasn't really an accident—Jason Leffler tagged James Buescher in retaliation for an incident earlier in the race when Buescher got loose underneath Leffler, turning Leffler into the outside wall.
Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR
The crew of the No. 33 Armour Chevrolet service the car during Kevin Harvick’s pit stop Saturday.
NASCAR parked Leffler for the remainder of the race.
It was at that time that Harvick decided to pit. He took four tires and was about a dozen laps short on fuel, as he went into a fuel-conservation mode in case the race went green the rest of the way. Because he hadn't been pushing his car, he made the decision for two tires when the caution came out with 38 laps left.
"I really thought a lot more people would put two tires on because the tires really didn't fall off that much," Harvick said. "Ours didn't fall off that much. I hate putting two tires on. Tonight, we put two tires on and it worked out for us. … Track position was more important than the handling of the car."
Carl Edwards, who finished sixth, retained the points lead, 16 points ahead of Brad Keselowski and 21 points ahead of Keselowski's Penske Racing teammate, Justin Allgaier.
Credit: John Sommers II/Getty Images for NASCAR
Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 33 Armour Chevrolet celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Nashville 300 at Nashville Superspeedway.
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Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Denny Hamlin Wins his Third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Martinsville
Race Fast Facts Martinsville Speedway Provided by NASCAR Statistics
Mon, March 29, 2010
Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 (61st Running)
Race Winner: Denny Hamlin Age: 29
Team : No. 11
FedEx Freight Toyota
Owner: J.D. Gibbs
Crew Chief: Mike Ford
Denny Hamlin won the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 (61st Running), his ninth victory in 157 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. (Note: He will have surgery on his left knee -- originally scheduled for Monday-- later this week).
This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in 2010. This is his third victory and ninth top-10 finish in ten races at Martinsville Speedway. Joey Logano (second) posted his first top-10 finish in three races at Martinsville Speedway.
It is his third top-10 finish in 2010. Jeff Gordon (third) posted his 29th top-10 finish in 35 races at Martinsville Speedway. Kevin Conway (31st) was the highest finishing rookie. Jimmie Johnson leads the point standings by 14 points over Greg Biffle.
Mon, March 29, 2010
Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 (61st Running)
Race Winner: Denny Hamlin Age: 29
Team : No. 11
FedEx Freight Toyota
Owner: J.D. Gibbs
Crew Chief: Mike Ford
Denny Hamlin won the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 (61st Running), his ninth victory in 157 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. (Note: He will have surgery on his left knee -- originally scheduled for Monday-- later this week).
This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in 2010. This is his third victory and ninth top-10 finish in ten races at Martinsville Speedway. Joey Logano (second) posted his first top-10 finish in three races at Martinsville Speedway.
It is his third top-10 finish in 2010. Jeff Gordon (third) posted his 29th top-10 finish in 35 races at Martinsville Speedway. Kevin Conway (31st) was the highest finishing rookie. Jimmie Johnson leads the point standings by 14 points over Greg Biffle.
Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR
Kevin Harvick led the first 44 laps and a total of 57 in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway before brake trouble left him several laps down.
Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR
Jeff Burton cut a tire in the closing laps of the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 after battling Denny Hamlin for the win. Burton finished a disappointing 20th place after leading 140 laps.
Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR
Car chief Chris Gillin salutes Denny Hamlin for his Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 victory at Martinsville Speedway.
Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR
Denny Hamlin celebrates winning the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500, his second straight victory at Martinsville Speedway.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Jimmie Johnson Wins 50th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race
Four-Time Defending Champion Moves Into Top 10 Of The All-Time Victories List
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 21, 2010) – Jimmie Johnson won his 50th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race today at Bristol Motor Speedway, a rare accomplishment that further solidifies the four-time defending champion’s place among the all-time greats.
Only 11 other drivers have reached the milestone. Three are NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees, six were Hall of Fame nominees, and the other two – Jeff Gordon and Rusty Wallace – will surely join the Hall of Fame nominee list in the future.
Johnson needed only 296 starts to hit the 50 mark. Only three drivers have reached 50 victories quicker – Gordon (232), Darrell Waltrip (278) and David Pearson (293).
Contact between Mark Martin and Greg Biffle resulted in a 13-car accident in Turn 4 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR
Here is the exclusive “50 Wins Club”:
All-Time NSCS Wins
Driver Wins
Richard Petty 200
David Pearson 105
Bobby Allison 84
Darrell Waltrip 84
Cale Yarborough 83
Jeff Gordon 82
Dale Earnhardt 76
Rusty Wallace 55
Lee Petty 54
Ned Jarrett 50
Junior Johnson 50
Jimmie Johnson 50
Jimmie Johnson does a burnout for his No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet pit crew after earning his 50th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win. Credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images
Below are some of Johnson’s milestone and historic wins on his way to 50:
1 – Johnson did not take long to nab his first victory. In only his 13th start, at his hometown track Auto Club Speedway on April 28, 2002, Johnson led 62 laps in the win. Among those in the top 10 of all-time victories, only Lee Petty needed fewer starts for his first win (five).
4 – In what would become customary, Johnson won NASCAR’s longest race – the Coca-Cola 600. He currently has three Coke 600 wins.
10 – In his 95th start, Johnson reached double digits. He won at Pocono for the second time in 2004, his third career season track sweep. Johnson currently has 11 career track sweeps.
14 – In 2004, Johnson took home one of NASCAR’s crown jewels – the Southern 500.
19 – His biggest race win to date, Johnson became a Daytona 500 champion on Feb. 19, 2006.
20 – Johnson won at Las Vegas for his 20th victory, but led only one lap – the last one. It was the only time in his series career that Johnson had only one lap led in a race win.
22 – No big stage daunts Johnson. That, of course, includes the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He won the Indy race in 2006, the first of three Brickyard wins thus far.
25 – Johnson hit the halfway point on March 18, 2007, in his 187th start. That means, statistically, he went on a winning rampage soon after. His last 25 wins took only 109 starts.
30 – Johnson’s 30th coincided with the beginning of a streak of four consecutive wins in 2007. The first was at Martinsville, followed by Atlanta, Texas and Phoenix.
40 – Win No. 40 came at Phoenix in race No. 35 of the 2008 season. He dominated, leading 217 of the 313 laps.
Jimmie Johnson celebrates winning the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, his 50th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory and first at the track. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
News - Edwards Placed On Probation For Next Three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Events
In Play Magazine
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 9, 2010) – NASCAR has placed Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, on probation for the next three series events for a rule violation he committed during the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 7. Edwards’ probation will run until April 14 of this year.
Edwards was found to have violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – aggressive driving) of the 2010 NASCAR rule book.
Video: Carl Edwards retaliates from earlier contact sending Brad Keselowski flipping down the track.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 9, 2010) – NASCAR has placed Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, on probation for the next three series events for a rule violation he committed during the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 7. Edwards’ probation will run until April 14 of this year.
Edwards was found to have violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – aggressive driving) of the 2010 NASCAR rule book.
Video: Carl Edwards retaliates from earlier contact sending Brad Keselowski flipping down the track.
Two Crew Members Suspended Due To Violation Of NASCAR Substance Abuse Policy
In Play Magazine
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 9, 2010) – Matthew Huffstetler, a crew member for the No. 01 team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and William Keith, a crew member for the No. 38 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, have been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 9, 2010) – Matthew Huffstetler, a crew member for the No. 01 team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and William Keith, a crew member for the No. 38 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, have been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Edwards sends Keselowski Airborne
In Play Magazine
Race Fast Facts Atlanta Motor Speedway
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sun, March 07, 2010 @ 05:23 PM Eastern
KOBALT TOOLS 500 Race Winner:
Kurt Busch
Age: 31
Team : No. 2 - Miller Lite Dodge
Owner: Walter Czarnecki
Crew Chief: Steve Addington
Kurt Busch won the KOBALT TOOLS 500, his 21st victory in 332 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in 2010. Busch has now won at least one race in nine consecutive seasons.
This is his third victory and seventh top-10 finish in 19 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Matt Kenseth (second) posted his 12th top-10 finish in 21 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is his fourth top-10 finish in 2010. Juan Pablo Montoya (third) posted his third top-10 finish in seven races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Kevin Harvick leads the point standings by 26 points over Matt Kenseth.
Polesitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the field in the 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet to the green flag to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Credit: Brian Lawdermilk/ HHP - Pool/Getty Images for NASCAR
The field pits during a caution in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday. Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images
Kurt Busch performs a burnout and a “Polish Victory Lap” in honor of Alan Kulwicki, around the Atlanta Motor Speedway after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 500 on Sunday.
Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images
Video of Carl Edwards retaliates from earlier contact sending Brad Keselowski flipping down the track.
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Race Fast Facts Atlanta Motor Speedway
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sun, March 07, 2010 @ 05:23 PM Eastern
KOBALT TOOLS 500 Race Winner:
Kurt Busch
Age: 31
Team : No. 2 - Miller Lite Dodge
Owner: Walter Czarnecki
Crew Chief: Steve Addington
Kurt Busch won the KOBALT TOOLS 500, his 21st victory in 332 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in 2010. Busch has now won at least one race in nine consecutive seasons.
This is his third victory and seventh top-10 finish in 19 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Matt Kenseth (second) posted his 12th top-10 finish in 21 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is his fourth top-10 finish in 2010. Juan Pablo Montoya (third) posted his third top-10 finish in seven races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Kevin Harvick leads the point standings by 26 points over Matt Kenseth.
Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images
Video of Carl Edwards retaliates from earlier contact sending Brad Keselowski flipping down the track.
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Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Four-Time Champion Records Fastest Lap of Event, Sets Track Record For Laps Led
NASCAR NEWS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 3, 2010) – Despite two disappointing finishes in the first two events of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Jeff Gordon rebounded in Sunday's Shelby American 400-mile race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, finishing third overall and flashing the competitive form that led him to four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles.
Gordon captured a Las Vegas track record for most laps led, and also posted the fastest lap time while leading (180.971 mph, Lap 236) the event securing the "Goodyear Gatorback Belts Fastest Lap" of the race award.
The award is part of the NASCAR Prize Money and Decal Program, also referred to as the contingency program, which provide teams prize money and weekly awards based on performance in several categories.
Established in 2003, the "Goodyear Gatorback Belts Fastest Lap" weekly contingency award recognizes the driver who turns the fastest lap time while leading each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Goodyear Gatorback belts have been used by NASCAR teams since 1981 and have been an exclusive NASCAR Performance automotive partner since 1997.
Gordon dominated the race, leading 219 of the 267 laps while searching for his first victory of the year.
“Obviously it was a great day for us, dominating performance,” said Jeff Gordon during his Sunday post race interview at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “I’m disappointed [not getting the win], but at the same time, you know, we haven't dominated like this in a very, very long time. Today we showed what we're capable of. It gives us a lot of momentum to go to Atlanta.”
Gordon, 39, is in his nineteenth year as a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. During his renowned career, Gordon has turned 167,642 laps, leading 20,970 of them,in 584NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 3, 2010) – Despite two disappointing finishes in the first two events of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Jeff Gordon rebounded in Sunday's Shelby American 400-mile race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, finishing third overall and flashing the competitive form that led him to four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles.
Gordon captured a Las Vegas track record for most laps led, and also posted the fastest lap time while leading (180.971 mph, Lap 236) the event securing the "Goodyear Gatorback Belts Fastest Lap" of the race award.
The award is part of the NASCAR Prize Money and Decal Program, also referred to as the contingency program, which provide teams prize money and weekly awards based on performance in several categories.
Established in 2003, the "Goodyear Gatorback Belts Fastest Lap" weekly contingency award recognizes the driver who turns the fastest lap time while leading each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Goodyear Gatorback belts have been used by NASCAR teams since 1981 and have been an exclusive NASCAR Performance automotive partner since 1997.
Gordon dominated the race, leading 219 of the 267 laps while searching for his first victory of the year.
“Obviously it was a great day for us, dominating performance,” said Jeff Gordon during his Sunday post race interview at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “I’m disappointed [not getting the win], but at the same time, you know, we haven't dominated like this in a very, very long time. Today we showed what we're capable of. It gives us a lot of momentum to go to Atlanta.”
Gordon, 39, is in his nineteenth year as a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. During his renowned career, Gordon has turned 167,642 laps, leading 20,970 of them,in 584NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Johnson Denies Teammate Gordon A Win, Gets Back-To-Back Victories
LAS VEGAS, NV. -- Jimmie Johnson has done it again. He played possum most of the day and then turned on the afterburner to pass teammate Jeff Gordon with just 16 laps to go and win the Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Johnson won last week at Auto Club Speedway and told members of the media leading up to Sunday's race he could care less about the people who think he's tainting NASCAR racing with his dominance.
"You compete to win. I'm not gonna apologize for winnning," he said. "I want to win every race."
While Johnson drove away for Sunday's victory, Kevin Harvick also passed Gordon for the runnerup spot. Gordon finished third ahead of fourth-place Mark Martin. And Matt Kenseth edged Joey Logano for fifth. Logano was sixth, a very impressive finish for the young driver. Tony Stewart was seventh, Clint Bowyer eighth, Kasey Kahne ninth and Greg Biffle 10th.
Watch the final laps of yesterdays race
Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images
Polesitter Kurt Busch leads the field to the green flag to start Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Shelby American at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Gordon led more than 210 laps of the 267-lap event before losing the lead to Johnson, who seems hellbent to win his fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship before Gordon does.
Johnson won last week at Auto Club Speedway and told members of the media leading up to Sunday's race he could care less about the people who think he's tainting NASCAR racing with his dominance.
"You compete to win. I'm not gonna apologize for winnning," he said. "I want to win every race."
While Johnson drove away for Sunday's victory, Kevin Harvick also passed Gordon for the runnerup spot. Gordon finished third ahead of fourth-place Mark Martin. And Matt Kenseth edged Joey Logano for fifth. Logano was sixth, a very impressive finish for the young driver. Tony Stewart was seventh, Clint Bowyer eighth, Kasey Kahne ninth and Greg Biffle 10th.
Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images
Jeff Gordon dominated Sunday's Shelby American race in Las Vegas -- leading 219 laps of the 267-lap race. He finished third.
Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images
Crew members work on the car of polesitter Kurt Busch, after he was involved in a three-car accident with Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya. Busch struggled throughout the rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Shelby American, finishing 35th.
Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images for NASCAR
Teammate Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray tangle to bring out the caution in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Shelby American. They also managed to collect polesitter Kurt Busch in the melee.
Watch the final laps of yesterdays race
Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR
Jimmie Johnson celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Shelby American in Las Vegas.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Happy Homecoming? Reigning Series Champ Busch Hopes So
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 23, 2010) Since when is Kyle Busch (No. 18 Z-Line DesignsToyota) the underdog?
Looks like it’s nearly every time he comes to his home track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, to compete in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
That he’s the reigning series champion, is now tied for third in all-time series victories (31) with Jack Ingram thanks to his win at Auto Club Speedway last week, and seems to be breaking series records every time he runs doesn’t seem to matter all that much when he hits the Strip.
Almost invincible everywhere else, Busch’s NASCAR Nationwide roll has come up snake eyes in Las Vegas.
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Looks like it’s nearly every time he comes to his home track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, to compete in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
That he’s the reigning series champion, is now tied for third in all-time series victories (31) with Jack Ingram thanks to his win at Auto Club Speedway last week, and seems to be breaking series records every time he runs doesn’t seem to matter all that much when he hits the Strip.
Almost invincible everywhere else, Busch’s NASCAR Nationwide roll has come up snake eyes in Las Vegas.
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No. 29 Team’s Performances in Daytona, California Secure Back-to-Back “DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race” Awards for Martin
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Feb. 23, 2010) – Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 team are off to an impressive start to the 2010 season, in part to the leadership of veteran crew chief Gil Martin. Coming off consecutive top-ten performances at both Daytona International Speedway and Auto Club Speedway, Martin has guided the No. 29 team to the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings two races into the season.
Harvick’s 5th place qualifying start and 7th place season-opening finish at the Daytona 500, as well as his 6th place qualifying effort and runner-up finish at the Auto Club 500 this week, helped crew chief Gil Martin secure back-to-back “DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race” awards.
Established in 2006, the "DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race" is awarded to the crew chief of the driver who has demonstrated the best qualifying and race effort as determined by the average of qualifying results and race finish. It provides the opportunity to recognize the critical importance of crew chiefs and their endless pursuit of new ways to put their teams in the best position to win each week.
The award is part of the NASCAR Prize Money and Decal Program, also referred to as the contingency program, which provide teams prize money and weekly awards based on performance in several categories.
“To start the year off good is always a good thing,” said Kevin Harvick during his Sunday post race interview at Auto Club Speedway. “Just a great day. We got a speeding penalty early, (but) the car was good enough to come back through the field. We put ourselves back in contention in the end.”
Meanwhile, atop the pit box Martin currently leads the overall standings in the year-end “DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Year" Award. Martin, a native of Nashville, Tenn., is a nine-year RCR employee and has been calling the race-day shots for Harvick since 2009. DIRECTV, Inc. has been the official satellite television service provider of NASCAR since 2005.
Harvick’s 5th place qualifying start and 7th place season-opening finish at the Daytona 500, as well as his 6th place qualifying effort and runner-up finish at the Auto Club 500 this week, helped crew chief Gil Martin secure back-to-back “DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race” awards.
Established in 2006, the "DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race" is awarded to the crew chief of the driver who has demonstrated the best qualifying and race effort as determined by the average of qualifying results and race finish. It provides the opportunity to recognize the critical importance of crew chiefs and their endless pursuit of new ways to put their teams in the best position to win each week.
The award is part of the NASCAR Prize Money and Decal Program, also referred to as the contingency program, which provide teams prize money and weekly awards based on performance in several categories.
“To start the year off good is always a good thing,” said Kevin Harvick during his Sunday post race interview at Auto Club Speedway. “Just a great day. We got a speeding penalty early, (but) the car was good enough to come back through the field. We put ourselves back in contention in the end.”
Meanwhile, atop the pit box Martin currently leads the overall standings in the year-end “DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Year" Award. Martin, a native of Nashville, Tenn., is a nine-year RCR employee and has been calling the race-day shots for Harvick since 2009. DIRECTV, Inc. has been the official satellite television service provider of NASCAR since 2005.
Monday, February 22, 2010
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES OFFICIAL RACE REPORT No. 2
In Play Magazine
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES OFFICIAL RACE REPORT No. 2
AUTO CLUB 500
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
Fontana, Calif. – Feb. 21, 2010
2-Mile Oval
500 M – 250 L – Purse: $6,004,818
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NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES OFFICIAL RACE REPORT No. 2
AUTO CLUB 500
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
Fontana, Calif. – Feb. 21, 2010
2-Mile Oval
500 M – 250 L – Purse: $6,004,818
Leave your comment
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News And Notes
In Play Magazine
Veterans Say 2010 To Be Most Competitive Season Yet
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2010) – Matt Crafton (No. 88 Menards Chevrolet) left Daytona International Speedway literally salivating in delight over his fifth-place finish in the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener.
“It fits perfectly with what we want to accomplish this year,” said Crafton, who finished runner-up to Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 33 Longhorn Chevrolet) in last year’s points standings. “We went down there with a plan this year to be really smart and stay out of any situation that would put us out of the race early.
“We did that and we ended up with the best finish we’ve ever had down there.”
Crafton heads for Atlanta ahead of longtime nemesis Hornaday but that fact doesn’t guarantee the Tulare, Calif., competitor’s upgrade to his first NASCAR national series title.
Crafton and other series veterans are convinced the competition level has reached unprecedented heights in 2010.
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Veterans Say 2010 To Be Most Competitive Season Yet
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2010) – Matt Crafton (No. 88 Menards Chevrolet) left Daytona International Speedway literally salivating in delight over his fifth-place finish in the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener.
“It fits perfectly with what we want to accomplish this year,” said Crafton, who finished runner-up to Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 33 Longhorn Chevrolet) in last year’s points standings. “We went down there with a plan this year to be really smart and stay out of any situation that would put us out of the race early.
“We did that and we ended up with the best finish we’ve ever had down there.”
Crafton heads for Atlanta ahead of longtime nemesis Hornaday but that fact doesn’t guarantee the Tulare, Calif., competitor’s upgrade to his first NASCAR national series title.
Crafton and other series veterans are convinced the competition level has reached unprecedented heights in 2010.
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Johnson Rallies For Victory At Fontana
Interview with Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus
KERRY THARP: We're joined by race winner Jimmie Johnson. This is Jimmie's 48th career win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. That ties him with Herb Thomas for 12th on the all-time list already. His fifth win at Auto Club Speedway.
Jimmie, certainly a great move you made coming off pit road, grabbed the lead at lap 227 and never relinquished it. Talk about those last few laps. You had the 29 and 31 breathing down your neck.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: The deal on pit road, we got lucky. We were in our pit box and the caution came out. We were able to just beat the 31 car off of pit road where the scoring line is at the end of pit road. You know, certainly got lucky. We were running third or fourth or fifth at the time, so it's not like we totally backed into this thing.
We got a really nice gift with the way things worked out, then it was kind of up to me to hang onto it.
I got away from the 29 and 31 and thought I was going to be able to motor off, have a nice smooth ride till the end. I started losing the handling on the car a little bit. The 29 was really coming on. All I could do was kind of change my line of what he was running because I hadn't really run there yet over the course of the race, and I started working my way higher in turns three and four, trying to find some more grip and anything to help myself out. I guess he got into the fence at one point, did some damage to his car.
Great race. I think today was a great race for NASCAR, great race on this racetrack. I know it's big and spread out from time to time, but in every situation I was in, there was a lot of great racing going on.
KERRY THARP: Thank you, Jimmie. We have Chad Knaus, winning crew chief for the No. 48 team. Chad, talk about today's win. Sometimes you got to be lucky, like Jimmie said, but the talent shows up.
CHAD KNAUS: I got to say, this is a first. I've never seen a little dog in the media center before (laughter). That's funny.
KERRY THARP: Might ask the first question. We'll see.
CHAD KNAUS: It was neat. We did have a little bit of good fortune coming down pit road when the 12 car spun out. When that opportunity arises, that's when you have to have the team that's capable of reacting. Our guys executed a great pit stop right there. We made some significant changes to the car and were able to beat the 31 car out of the pits.
That proves the quality of the pit crew that we've got. The heads up by Jimmie to not panic and do what he needed to do. Obviously it was a close thing, but we felt confident we could get out there in front of those guys.
We led I don't know how many laps. I believe a bunch.
KERRY THARP: I believe 110.
CHAD KNAUS: We lead a bunch of the race so it was obvious we had a fast racecar. We just had to try to get back some of that track position that we had lost during that two-tire debacle. It was a great day for the Lowe's Chevrolet. Jimmie did a fantastic job of driving the racecar. It's on to Vegas.
KERRY THARP: We'll take questions now for Jimmie or Chad.
Q. In early days in Daytona, they called the weather down there Bill France weather. Kevin Harvick came in here and said you have a lucky horseshoe up your butt, using another word. You've been able to turn adversity into victory so many times. Talk about that.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: About a horseshoe in my ass? Is that what you're asking (laughter)?
No, you know, yes, we were lucky today. But you don't get lucky and win four championships and 48 races. Things went our way today with the pit stop. But I had to go out there and hold Kevin off, 31, all that kind of thing.
I'm not discrediting the fact we were handed a huge gift when we were on pit road and the caution came out. It is what it is, and we've had plenty of races go the other way on us. From how consistent we've been from the first races we've been in from eight seasons ago till now, it's 'cause we're a good race team.
Q. How difficult was or how important was track position out there? I think maybe early in the race you had a little bit slower pit stop than you wanted. When you got out there, could you work through traffic?
CHAD KNAUS: It was weird. Early in the race, I felt like we could maneuver through traffic pretty well. As the race progressed, for whatever reason, I don't know if it was the rubber laying down on the racetrack, what the situation was, we couldn't seem to make it happen.
Track position is king here. It always has been. Anytime you go to any of these mile-and-a-half, two-mile racetracks, it's very important to have good track position.
Typically we have a car that's capable of making its way back up through there. Today we weren't able to pull that off. I messed up when I did that two-tire call midway through the race. Shouldn't have done that. Should have just stuck with four tires. I think we would have rallied our way up through there pretty quickly. Instead on two tires, we were kind of stuck. Car got tight. Lesson learned there, especially for the fall.
But, you know, it's the way it is.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: I think Chad told me that last run we were 9/10ths of a second faster than we were the run before on stickers. It was all because of track position. It makes that big of a difference.
Q. Jimmie, would you replay how that caution broke in your favor?
Q. Chad, everybody talks all the time about how this place is tough on engines. When you saw Gordon have his problems, were you concerned at all it might be a Hendrick issue? Why is this place so tough on engines?
CHAD KNAUS: Yeah, we were pretty nervous actually because Jimmie made a couple of comments that he felt like the engine was just a little bit down on power. Then when the 14 had their engine and the 24 had a miss, then it cleared up, then it came back, I guess they ended up with a miss, we were pretty concerned.
But this track is so difficult because it's not really the amount of rpm you turn, it's the amount of rpm you turn for the duration that you turn it. You're on throttle for so long here. Especially once you start to move up the racetrack, your minimum rpm drops considerably, you carry a sustained rpm all the way down the straightaways. Obviously with the fluctuation with ambient temperature, track temperature and air quality today, that played a contributing factor in that. That racetrack is really, really tough on engines. Plus you have to realize it's 500 miles. It's a grueling place.
I honestly don't know what happened to the 24 and the 14 yet. I'll have to talk to Jeff Andrews and Scott and find out what happened there.
Q. Jimmie, are there a lot of friends of yours or fans who make this trip to Fontana and don't follow you the rest of the year as much just because of proximity? Do you sense a different crowd here, different level of support?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Oh, yeah, without a doubt. Some of my friends I grew up with come out to the race. It's tough to get passes for everyone. I can't get everyone passes and see 'em all, but I know they're all here. Get text messages from 'em.
Some different friends that live in L.A. that have access to passes and things like that come in and hang out. I think our pit box, pit area, was pretty full of friends. I know they're all waiting at the motorhome with a cold beer for me right now. Look forward to getting over there and celebrating a little bit with them.
Q. Jimmie, what do you do to usually prepare for these races? What is your race strategy?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Strategy-wise, you know, Chad and the engineers do a lot to understand trends and cautions, you know, the way races play out. Then again, it's just statistics that are showing that. It's difficult to really base a lot on that. I leave a lot of that to them.
I just really focus on doing my job, make sure I'm well-rested, well-hydrated, energy is up, in shape, do a very good job of explaining what I feel in the car.
Without having data acquisitions on the car, I'm responsible for telling them what's going on, good and bad. I just really have to work on my communication skills and then being sensitive enough to understand what the car's doing.
Q. Chad, in the movie 24/7, you made a reference to seeing familiar numbers in common day place, referring to the fact this is the fifth win for Jimmie Johnson.
CHAD KNAUS: It's all in the numbers, man. It's all in the numbers. We've been saying that for years. It gets out of hand from time to time. We'll be sending a text message and you'll look at it, it's 5:48. Hey, it's 5:48. You throw that out there to Jimmie, he'll throw it back. I think I sent him one the other day 8:48. It's kind of neat. I think actually in that show it was 5:48 in the morning as we were driving down. We got our fifth win for the 48 car. We're hoping the numbers all work in our favor. It's a fun game if nothing else.
We don't believe a heck of a lot in luck. But, you know, if it's out there, we'll take it.
Q. Non-restrictor plate race. Richard Childress Racing had three cars that were incredibly fast out there. Do you notice things like that after a race when you go back? Is it a concern, the gap is shrinking?
CHAD KNAUS: Yeah, absolutely. We always pay attention to how the competition is running. We took notice of that last year. We knew that those guys were coming on strong towards the end of last year. They found some significant gains in the horsepower area. That's obvious. They definitely found some gains in the handling of their cars. We're doing everything we can at Hendrick Motorsports to continually evolve what it is we've got.
We're typically relatively slow in our change. If you watch the 48 car, we don't make big, big changes. There's a lot that we could do to try to make the cars better. But to go out there and make wholesale changes to come out to this race that we just won the year before would be foolish. So we put a little salt, a little pepper, mix the ingredients up a little bit and try to get a little better slowly.
I would have rather come out here and finished top 10 than come out here with some unproven commodity and finished 20th. We're okay. We've got some more left.
Q. Chad, what else do you take away from today's race? Everybody talks about this is the first regular-season race. What else stood out other than the RCR cars? And, Jimmie, I think somebody made the comment that your race uniform only has you listed as the three-time champion. Is that an old uniform?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: I'll find out. It does. It's an old uniform.
CHAD KNAUS: Hand me down.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: It was in the closet. I put the last one on in the class set.
CHAD KNAUS: That is awesome. That would have been Kristine Curley's job to get the right fire suit, by the way (laughter).
You know, honestly, we obviously learn every time we go to the racetrack and try to make our packages better. We've got a new car going to Las Vegas that's got some new things we're excited about. Every race is a learning opportunity. You know, if we go away from any race and we don't learn something, it's our own fault. We know that the Childress cars are running a little bit better. There was somebody else running pretty good, I made note of, I forget. Should have taken better notes.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Hope I have all the right sponsors on this uniform.
CHAD KNAUS: I don't know if you do.
Yes, we learned a lot and we're excited about Las Vegas. Thanks.
Q. You're a California guy. You figured out everything else about this place. I'm sure you noticed that the stands were a little bit sparse today. Do you have any thoughts on why and what it's going to take to turn this place around?
CHAD KNAUS: Global warming. It was too cold (laughter).
JIMMIE JOHNSON: I don't know. I mean, attendance and viewership has been obviously a hot topic. I don't know what else we can do in the garage area to make it more entertaining. I mean, the cars are as equal as they've ever been. The racing has been awesome. If you look at the Daytona 500, that's the best plate race I've been a part of in a long, long time.
Today I felt like there was a lot of great racing for the lead, which typically you don't see. So I don't know. I don't know why people are doing different things. It's not only our sport, but all sports. Then when you turn the television on, people aren't watching TV as much anymore. I don't have the answer. I wish I knew. I wish we all knew. Because we have one helluva racing series and put on a great show. Our drivers are more accessible than any other sport. The fans have more involvement. The sponsors get a better bang for their buck here than anywhere else. We have everything here. I just don't know why it's declining.
Is there an attendance number? Are we speaking correctly it was down on attendance?
KERRY THARP: I haven't seen the figure.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: I'd hate to say we had a lower attendance than before and we actually didn't. But that's my two cents. I don't know why.
Q. Jimmie, take us through the sequence where Harvick tried to pass you high there down toward the end. What did you see? What are you hearing? Are you sensing he's going to go one way?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: The laps beforehand, got away from me and the 31 by running the bottom of three and four. That was where he was a large part of the race when I was racing with him. So I really stayed on the bottom and tried to make it work as long as I could.
Then I heard from my spotter that he had moved up. Nothing really happened for a lap or two. And then he really started making gains up top. At that point I was in panic mode and I needed to find a different lane, so I started working my way up the track more and more and more. When he finally got to me, I heard he was at the top of the track. I still didn't get all the way up to the top. I left him a lane at the top. I was in steps trying to get higher and find out if there was more grip up there. I guess he got into the wall off of four.
I was just trying to go where he was running because clearly he was faster than me running there. Then I thought also if I'm on the outside and he gets next to me on the inside, you have a few more options on the outside in the closing laps than you do on the bottom. So I figured if he's gonna pass me, I'll give him the bottom and let him have that opportunity. I would have my best chance to win at that point.
Q. What's on your list of accomplishments? What else would you like to accomplish besides five wins here?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: For me there's a few tracks on the series that have given me a hard time. The track in Sonoma. A road course race in general is something I want to win at. Plate stuff I feel like I'm doing better. It's taken me a while to learn the COT and plate racing. I feel like winning one of the duels, making right adjustments for myself. So I want to do better on the plate tracks.
But when you come to the short tracks and mile-and-a-half, two-mile tracks, we've been really, really strong on those. You know, not to be corny, but just keep winning. It's great to win the big races. I'm here to win races. I love winning races. The only way you win championships is by winning races. If we're winning races, we're going to win a championship.
KERRY THARP: Chad, Jimmie, congratulations. Good luck at Las Vegas. Thank you.
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KERRY THARP: We're joined by race winner Jimmie Johnson. This is Jimmie's 48th career win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. That ties him with Herb Thomas for 12th on the all-time list already. His fifth win at Auto Club Speedway.
Jimmie, certainly a great move you made coming off pit road, grabbed the lead at lap 227 and never relinquished it. Talk about those last few laps. You had the 29 and 31 breathing down your neck.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: The deal on pit road, we got lucky. We were in our pit box and the caution came out. We were able to just beat the 31 car off of pit road where the scoring line is at the end of pit road. You know, certainly got lucky. We were running third or fourth or fifth at the time, so it's not like we totally backed into this thing.
We got a really nice gift with the way things worked out, then it was kind of up to me to hang onto it.
I got away from the 29 and 31 and thought I was going to be able to motor off, have a nice smooth ride till the end. I started losing the handling on the car a little bit. The 29 was really coming on. All I could do was kind of change my line of what he was running because I hadn't really run there yet over the course of the race, and I started working my way higher in turns three and four, trying to find some more grip and anything to help myself out. I guess he got into the fence at one point, did some damage to his car.
Great race. I think today was a great race for NASCAR, great race on this racetrack. I know it's big and spread out from time to time, but in every situation I was in, there was a lot of great racing going on.
KERRY THARP: Thank you, Jimmie. We have Chad Knaus, winning crew chief for the No. 48 team. Chad, talk about today's win. Sometimes you got to be lucky, like Jimmie said, but the talent shows up.
Polesitter Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet, leads the field at the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 500 as actor and former wrestler Steve Austin waves the green flag at Auto Club Speedway. Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images
CHAD KNAUS: I got to say, this is a first. I've never seen a little dog in the media center before (laughter). That's funny.
KERRY THARP: Might ask the first question. We'll see.
CHAD KNAUS: It was neat. We did have a little bit of good fortune coming down pit road when the 12 car spun out. When that opportunity arises, that's when you have to have the team that's capable of reacting. Our guys executed a great pit stop right there. We made some significant changes to the car and were able to beat the 31 car out of the pits.
That proves the quality of the pit crew that we've got. The heads up by Jimmie to not panic and do what he needed to do. Obviously it was a close thing, but we felt confident we could get out there in front of those guys.
We led I don't know how many laps. I believe a bunch.
KERRY THARP: I believe 110.
CHAD KNAUS: We lead a bunch of the race so it was obvious we had a fast racecar. We just had to try to get back some of that track position that we had lost during that two-tire debacle. It was a great day for the Lowe's Chevrolet. Jimmie did a fantastic job of driving the racecar. It's on to Vegas.
KERRY THARP: We'll take questions now for Jimmie or Chad.
Q. In early days in Daytona, they called the weather down there Bill France weather. Kevin Harvick came in here and said you have a lucky horseshoe up your butt, using another word. You've been able to turn adversity into victory so many times. Talk about that.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: About a horseshoe in my ass? Is that what you're asking (laughter)?
No, you know, yes, we were lucky today. But you don't get lucky and win four championships and 48 races. Things went our way today with the pit stop. But I had to go out there and hold Kevin off, 31, all that kind of thing.
I'm not discrediting the fact we were handed a huge gift when we were on pit road and the caution came out. It is what it is, and we've had plenty of races go the other way on us. From how consistent we've been from the first races we've been in from eight seasons ago till now, it's 'cause we're a good race team.
Q. How difficult was or how important was track position out there? I think maybe early in the race you had a little bit slower pit stop than you wanted. When you got out there, could you work through traffic?
CHAD KNAUS: It was weird. Early in the race, I felt like we could maneuver through traffic pretty well. As the race progressed, for whatever reason, I don't know if it was the rubber laying down on the racetrack, what the situation was, we couldn't seem to make it happen.
Track position is king here. It always has been. Anytime you go to any of these mile-and-a-half, two-mile racetracks, it's very important to have good track position.
Typically we have a car that's capable of making its way back up through there. Today we weren't able to pull that off. I messed up when I did that two-tire call midway through the race. Shouldn't have done that. Should have just stuck with four tires. I think we would have rallied our way up through there pretty quickly. Instead on two tires, we were kind of stuck. Car got tight. Lesson learned there, especially for the fall.
But, you know, it's the way it is.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: I think Chad told me that last run we were 9/10ths of a second faster than we were the run before on stickers. It was all because of track position. It makes that big of a difference.
Lead by crew chief Chad Knaus, the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet pit crew service Jimmie Johnson’s car a pit stop at Auto Club Speedway. Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR
Q. While everybody is talking about the good fortune you had today, apparently we seem to forget the bad luck you had last week. How important was it for you to bounce back from that as quick as you did today?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, I can't say it was really on my mind. I don't know about you, Chad. I guess I was thinking big picture in the points and knew that 35th wasn't a good position to be in.
But the races are so different that I couldn't put a lot of weight in what failed in the performance of the race, the performance of how we ran in Daytona because it's so different here. It was more of a small aspect of, Well, hate being in a hole this early points-wise, but we'll just roll on. It wasn't as much of a mind game as you would think.
Now, if we finished 35th here today, that would be a different story.
Q. Also talk a little bit about the symmetry of getting your first victory here and your 48th victory here with the 48.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: So weird how things work out. Look at the first win, then this win. We come back here with the foundation paint scheme on the car and have won a bunch. There's just something with this track, being in California for me. I wish I could explain it. But it's nice to come out here. I always love racing in my home state, being this close to the San Diego area where I grew up is really cool. To keep taking trophies out of here, there's nothing better.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: So we were in our pit box, doing the pit stop. The caution came out. We completed our pit stop, then left pit road. Where we were positioned on pit road, we had to beat the leader to the scoring line at the end of the pit lane. We got there just about the same time and beat him by a car length or half a car length or something.
I think the 18 was in the pits, and the leader of the race passed him a few seconds before the 18 was able to get that line. That's why we were able to be on the lead lap still. Then everybody pitted and we were the leader.
CHAD KNAUS: Yeah, we were pretty nervous actually because Jimmie made a couple of comments that he felt like the engine was just a little bit down on power. Then when the 14 had their engine and the 24 had a miss, then it cleared up, then it came back, I guess they ended up with a miss, we were pretty concerned.
But this track is so difficult because it's not really the amount of rpm you turn, it's the amount of rpm you turn for the duration that you turn it. You're on throttle for so long here. Especially once you start to move up the racetrack, your minimum rpm drops considerably, you carry a sustained rpm all the way down the straightaways. Obviously with the fluctuation with ambient temperature, track temperature and air quality today, that played a contributing factor in that. That racetrack is really, really tough on engines. Plus you have to realize it's 500 miles. It's a grueling place.
I honestly don't know what happened to the 24 and the 14 yet. I'll have to talk to Jeff Andrews and Scott and find out what happened there.
Q. Jimmie, are there a lot of friends of yours or fans who make this trip to Fontana and don't follow you the rest of the year as much just because of proximity? Do you sense a different crowd here, different level of support?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Oh, yeah, without a doubt. Some of my friends I grew up with come out to the race. It's tough to get passes for everyone. I can't get everyone passes and see 'em all, but I know they're all here. Get text messages from 'em.
Some different friends that live in L.A. that have access to passes and things like that come in and hang out. I think our pit box, pit area, was pretty full of friends. I know they're all waiting at the motorhome with a cold beer for me right now. Look forward to getting over there and celebrating a little bit with them.
Q. Jimmie, what do you do to usually prepare for these races? What is your race strategy?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Strategy-wise, you know, Chad and the engineers do a lot to understand trends and cautions, you know, the way races play out. Then again, it's just statistics that are showing that. It's difficult to really base a lot on that. I leave a lot of that to them.
I just really focus on doing my job, make sure I'm well-rested, well-hydrated, energy is up, in shape, do a very good job of explaining what I feel in the car.
Without having data acquisitions on the car, I'm responsible for telling them what's going on, good and bad. I just really have to work on my communication skills and then being sensitive enough to understand what the car's doing.
Earning his fifth victory at Auto Club Speedway, Jimmie Johnson crosses the finish line in the No. 48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 500.
Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images
Q. Chad, in the movie 24/7, you made a reference to seeing familiar numbers in common day place, referring to the fact this is the fifth win for Jimmie Johnson.
CHAD KNAUS: It's all in the numbers, man. It's all in the numbers. We've been saying that for years. It gets out of hand from time to time. We'll be sending a text message and you'll look at it, it's 5:48. Hey, it's 5:48. You throw that out there to Jimmie, he'll throw it back. I think I sent him one the other day 8:48. It's kind of neat. I think actually in that show it was 5:48 in the morning as we were driving down. We got our fifth win for the 48 car. We're hoping the numbers all work in our favor. It's a fun game if nothing else.
We don't believe a heck of a lot in luck. But, you know, if it's out there, we'll take it.
Q. Non-restrictor plate race. Richard Childress Racing had three cars that were incredibly fast out there. Do you notice things like that after a race when you go back? Is it a concern, the gap is shrinking?
CHAD KNAUS: Yeah, absolutely. We always pay attention to how the competition is running. We took notice of that last year. We knew that those guys were coming on strong towards the end of last year. They found some significant gains in the horsepower area. That's obvious. They definitely found some gains in the handling of their cars. We're doing everything we can at Hendrick Motorsports to continually evolve what it is we've got.
We're typically relatively slow in our change. If you watch the 48 car, we don't make big, big changes. There's a lot that we could do to try to make the cars better. But to go out there and make wholesale changes to come out to this race that we just won the year before would be foolish. So we put a little salt, a little pepper, mix the ingredients up a little bit and try to get a little better slowly.
I would have rather come out here and finished top 10 than come out here with some unproven commodity and finished 20th. We're okay. We've got some more left.
Q. Chad, what else do you take away from today's race? Everybody talks about this is the first regular-season race. What else stood out other than the RCR cars? And, Jimmie, I think somebody made the comment that your race uniform only has you listed as the three-time champion. Is that an old uniform?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: I'll find out. It does. It's an old uniform.
CHAD KNAUS: Hand me down.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: It was in the closet. I put the last one on in the class set.
CHAD KNAUS: That is awesome. That would have been Kristine Curley's job to get the right fire suit, by the way (laughter).
You know, honestly, we obviously learn every time we go to the racetrack and try to make our packages better. We've got a new car going to Las Vegas that's got some new things we're excited about. Every race is a learning opportunity. You know, if we go away from any race and we don't learn something, it's our own fault. We know that the Childress cars are running a little bit better. There was somebody else running pretty good, I made note of, I forget. Should have taken better notes.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Hope I have all the right sponsors on this uniform.
CHAD KNAUS: I don't know if you do.
Yes, we learned a lot and we're excited about Las Vegas. Thanks.
Q. You're a California guy. You figured out everything else about this place. I'm sure you noticed that the stands were a little bit sparse today. Do you have any thoughts on why and what it's going to take to turn this place around?
CHAD KNAUS: Global warming. It was too cold (laughter).
JIMMIE JOHNSON: I don't know. I mean, attendance and viewership has been obviously a hot topic. I don't know what else we can do in the garage area to make it more entertaining. I mean, the cars are as equal as they've ever been. The racing has been awesome. If you look at the Daytona 500, that's the best plate race I've been a part of in a long, long time.
Today I felt like there was a lot of great racing for the lead, which typically you don't see. So I don't know. I don't know why people are doing different things. It's not only our sport, but all sports. Then when you turn the television on, people aren't watching TV as much anymore. I don't have the answer. I wish I knew. I wish we all knew. Because we have one helluva racing series and put on a great show. Our drivers are more accessible than any other sport. The fans have more involvement. The sponsors get a better bang for their buck here than anywhere else. We have everything here. I just don't know why it's declining.
Is there an attendance number? Are we speaking correctly it was down on attendance?
KERRY THARP: I haven't seen the figure.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: I'd hate to say we had a lower attendance than before and we actually didn't. But that's my two cents. I don't know why.
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway.
Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR
Q. Jimmie, take us through the sequence where Harvick tried to pass you high there down toward the end. What did you see? What are you hearing? Are you sensing he's going to go one way?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: The laps beforehand, got away from me and the 31 by running the bottom of three and four. That was where he was a large part of the race when I was racing with him. So I really stayed on the bottom and tried to make it work as long as I could.
Then I heard from my spotter that he had moved up. Nothing really happened for a lap or two. And then he really started making gains up top. At that point I was in panic mode and I needed to find a different lane, so I started working my way up the track more and more and more. When he finally got to me, I heard he was at the top of the track. I still didn't get all the way up to the top. I left him a lane at the top. I was in steps trying to get higher and find out if there was more grip up there. I guess he got into the wall off of four.
I was just trying to go where he was running because clearly he was faster than me running there. Then I thought also if I'm on the outside and he gets next to me on the inside, you have a few more options on the outside in the closing laps than you do on the bottom. So I figured if he's gonna pass me, I'll give him the bottom and let him have that opportunity. I would have my best chance to win at that point.
Q. What's on your list of accomplishments? What else would you like to accomplish besides five wins here?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: For me there's a few tracks on the series that have given me a hard time. The track in Sonoma. A road course race in general is something I want to win at. Plate stuff I feel like I'm doing better. It's taken me a while to learn the COT and plate racing. I feel like winning one of the duels, making right adjustments for myself. So I want to do better on the plate tracks.
But when you come to the short tracks and mile-and-a-half, two-mile tracks, we've been really, really strong on those. You know, not to be corny, but just keep winning. It's great to win the big races. I'm here to win races. I love winning races. The only way you win championships is by winning races. If we're winning races, we're going to win a championship.
KERRY THARP: Chad, Jimmie, congratulations. Good luck at Las Vegas. Thank you.
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