Kahne Tames Early Hendrick Woes to Win Coca-Cola 600

Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

NASCAR's Memorial day Sunday counterpart to the Indianapolis 500, 43 Sprint Cup Series cars were readied for a race into the night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The longest race on the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series calender, the Coca-Cola 600 started under the early evening sun with the #43 Ford of Aric Almirola leading the field to a green flag for 400 laps. In the Thursday qualifying, a strong effort by the Richard Petty Motorsports cars of Almirola and the #9 of Marcos Ambrose secured the front row positions at the 1.5-mile Charlotte track.

When green fell on the Coca-Cola 600, the Richard Petty Motorsport Ford Fusion stock cars would exchange the lead on three occasions in the first 6 laps. On lap 9, another member the Ford brigade would break Richard Petty Motorsports very early hold of the 400-lap event. The #16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford of Greg Biffle pass on Ambrose amounted to what would be 204 laps leading the Coca-Cola 600. After another brief exchange of the first spot with Marcos Ambrose's #9 car, Biffle's #16 Ford would lead from lap 23 for 90 consecutive circuits around the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval.

Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Greg Biffle's domination in the first quarter of the Coca-Cola 600 was aided by the lack of a yellow flag slowing the NASCAR Sprint Cup field. Completing 113 caution-free laps opening the race, debris on the racetrack finally slowed the stock cars. After not seeing a caution for the race's first 169.5 miles, lap 113 to lap 179 would see the yellow flag pop out for what was four of the five caution periods during the Coca-Cola 600 event. All but one of the yellow flags in the event were a result of debris (Travis Kvapil's #93 Toyota scraping with the turn 4 wall on lap 174 was the only exception).

Past the halfway point of the event, the race-contending #9 Ford of Marcos Ambrose was brought to the garage due to a damaged hub on his racing machine. Though the determined Richard Petty Motorsports team were able to return Ambrose to the racetrack after losing just 13 laps to the garage, the effort by the #9 car resulted in a 32nd place finish for the Tasmanian driver. A similar hub failure was also connected to a loss of laps for the #22 Penske Racing Dodge of AJ Allmendinger.

The season for Kasey Kahne started with 4 finishes of 29th or worse in the first 6 races. After a 38th place finish at the Martinsville race, Kahne and the #5 Hendrick Motorsport team turned their fortunes around by placing in the top-8 in each of the five NASCAR Sprint Cup races leading up to the Cola-Cola 600. Taking the lead of the 2012 Coca-Cola 600 for the first time on lap 220, Kahne's #5 Chevrolet blazed to the front of the field just as the lights brightened the Charlotte Motor Speedway. A race Kasey Kahne had won twice before, the pursuit of his first win with Hendrick Motorsports was coming fruition in the second-half of the Charlotte Motor Speedway event.

In the last 180 laps of the Coca-Cola 600, it was largely a battle between the #5 Chevrolet of Kasey Kahne and the #16 Ford driven by Greg Biffle. On lap 357, the race's final lead change resulted in Kahne out front of the NASCAR Sprint Cup event. Crossing the line with a 4.3 second advantage over second-place, the win for the #5 Chevrolet is the second win of the season for Hendrick Motorsports. For driver Kasey Kahne, he has now won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race driving for all four active manufacturers on the 2012 stock car tour.

Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Unseating Greg Biffle from the top-3 in the Coca-Cola 600, Denny Hamlin finished a strong second in the #11 Toyota and #18 car of Kyle Busch came across the line third for Joe Gibbs Racing. With Biffle finishing fourth, the Roush Fenway Racing driver holds onto the NASCAR Sprint Cup points lead by 10 points over teammate Matt Kenseth. Brad Keselowski's #2 Dodge rounded out the top-5 in a race that was completed at a record average speed of 155.687 miles per hour.

Winning the last two races on the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tour, Hendrick Motorsports delivered a strong overall performance with all 4 cars in the top-11. Dale Earnhardt Jr finished 6th and Jeff Gordon's #24 Chevrolet finished 7th (only Gordon's 3rd top-10 result in a difficult 2012 season. While Johnson did not lead a lap during the 600-mile event, the #48 Hendrick Motorsports car was considered a contender for the throughout the course of the Charlotte Motor Speedway event based on the previous weekend's performance in the Sprint All-Star race. However, a late pit miscue by the #48 crew caused by a stuck fuel can resulted in a penalty that would prevent Johnson from climbing any higher than 11th place.

Next race for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tour is the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway on June 3rd. Matt Kenseth is the defending winner of the last Spring race at the Dover 1-mile track.



2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Coca-Cola 600
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Race Results

1	5	Kasey Kahne	Quaker State Chevrolet
2	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Ground Toyota
3	18	Kyle Busch	M&M's Red-White-Blue Toyota
4	16	Greg Biffle	Fastenal Ford
5	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Dodge
6	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	National Guard-An American Salute Chevrolet
7	24	Jeff Gordon	Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
8	29	Kevin Harvick	Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet
9	99	Carl Edwards	Fastenal Ford
10	17	Matt Kenseth	Fastenal Ford
11	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's Patriotic Chevrolet
12	56	Martin Truex Jr.	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
13	15	Clint Bowyer	5-hour Energy Toyota
14	39	Ryan Newman	US ARMY Chevrolet
15	27	Paul Menard	Menards/Serta Chevrolet
16	43	Aric Almirola	US Air Force Ford
17	78	Regan Smith	Furniture Row Chevrolet
18	83	Landon Cassill	Burger King Real Fruit Smoothies Toyota
19	31	Jeff Burton	Wheaties Chevrolet
20	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target Chevrolet
21	1	Jamie McMurray	Bass Pro Shops/Arctic Cat Chevrolet
22	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Ford
23	20	Joey Logano	Dollar General Toyota
24	21	Trevor Bayne	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Ctr. Ford
25	14	Tony Stewart	Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
26	38	David Gilliland	Mod Space Ford
27	51	Kurt Busch	Phoenix Construction Services Inc Chevrolet
28	47	Bobby Labonte	Kingsford Charcoal Toyota
29	93	Travis Kvapil	Dr. Pepper Toyota
30	10	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
31	32	TJ Bell	Green Smoke Ford
32	9	Marcos Ambrose	DeWalt Ford
33	22	AJ Allmendinger	Shell Pennzoil Dodge
34	55	Mark Martin	Aaron's Armed Forces Foundation Toyota
35	34	David Ragan	Al's Liners/Scorpion Coatings Ford
36	98	Michael McDowell	Presbyterian Healthcare Ford
37	95	Scott Speed	Jordan Truck Sales Ford
38	30	David Stremme	Inception Motorsports Toyota
39	33	Stephen Leicht	Little Joe's Autos/Precon Chevrolet
40	36	Dave Blaney	SealWrap Chevrolet
41	87	Joe Nemechek	AM/FM Energy / SWM Toyota
42	74	Cole Whitt	Turn One Racing Chevrolet
43	26	Josh Wise	MDS Transport Ford

Six Down, Thirty to Go: The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season So Far

Photo Credit: Tyler Barrick/Getty Images for NASCAR

With NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and teams taking their first break off during the Easter weekend, the chance to reflect on the 2012 season so far sheds light on some notable developments. Included below are some headline-worthy stories after the first six races of the stock car racing tour.


　

The Longest (Possibly Best) Daytona Ever!

Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

A first-time rain postponement to Monday night, a wild action-filled Daytona International Speedway event, Danica Patrick’s debut in NASCAR Sprint Cup, Brad Keselowski taking Twitter onto the race track and a jet dryer set ablaze are just a few items that made the 2012 Daytona 500 most memorable.

As a major rainstorm kept 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup car engines quiet within the Daytona International Speedway Sunday and into most of Monday, the season opener for the 2012 tour started during prime time television. Showing the respect race fans for the Great American Race, an estimated crowd of 140,000 people were present more than a day and half after the event’s originally scheduled start. With 25 lead changes between 13 drivers, the 2012 edition of the Daytona 500 was a suspenseful affair perfect for Monday night treatment.

While the actual race took 3 hours, 36 minutes to complete, that time tally did not account for a more than 2-hour red flag period needed to extinguish a jet dryer fire started when the #42 Chevrolet piloted by Juan-Pablo Montoya suffered a mechanical problem that shot his stock car into the speedway clean-up vehicle. Thanks to Dodge driver Brad Keselowski’s ingenuity of carrying an iPhone in a closed compartment of the vehicle during the race, his Twitter page came alive giving fans a connection to drivers in competition.

The victory for Matt Kenseth (occurring past 1am Eastern time) capped what a Daytona 500 distinguished from all others. A perfect way to start the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

　

　

Stewart Stamps Victory Lane Early

Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

In 2011, Tony Stewart fought through the first 26 races winless and barely muscled into the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup. With many writing-off Stewart and the #14 Stewart/Haas Racing team early of any championship contention, the driver/owner came to life through the 10-race Chase. Recording 5 wins en route to his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, Tony Stewart rolled into the 2012 season as a top runner. Winning one of the Gatorade Duel 150 events in the Daytona qualifying heats, the first six official races ha netted two wins for Stewart (a driver who has historically won most of his events later in a NASCAR Sprint Cup season).

After six races, Tony Stewart is 12 points out of the lead position in the series standings. Stewart is third place behind Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Jr in 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup points heading into the Texas Motor Speedway round.

　

Car 48 Fights On and Off Track for Points

Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

Hendrick Motorsports has not the ideal start of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season in the first six races. While Dale Earnhardt Jr is currently seated in 2^nd place in the driver’s standings, the four-car team is continuing to chase their first victory for 2012 (which has the added prestige as being Hendrick Motorsports’ 200^th win in the series).

For what is considered the Hendrick Motorsports organization’s top team, the season started badly even before their Daytona 500 car was prepped during Speedweeks. During inspection, NASCAR measurements determined that the #48 Chevrolet’s roof C-pillar was out of tolerances. Holding back the penalty until after the Daytona 500 race, NASCAR levied a hefty $100,000 as well as a 25-point deduction for the #48 owner’s points and Jimmie Johnson’s driver points standing. Chad Knaus and the #48 car chief were also handed a six-race suspension.

It is unclear if the penalty would have impeded the #48 team at the Daytona 500 since they were caught up in a wreck completing the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet’s race after just one lap. Following the 2012 Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson and the #48 team returned to form finishing no lower than 12^th following the season opener. As the #48 Hendrick Motorsports team recorded better on-track results, the race organization appealed their penalty. Initially left defeated when a three-person panel ruled to uphold the penalties, Hendrick Motorsports took their case to the chief appellate officer where the team largely prevailed. Only left with the monetary fine, the victory through the stock car racing appeal process is a most noteworthy achievement.


　

Michael Waltrip Racing is No Laughing Matter

Photo Credit: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images for NASCAR

Debuting as a charter Toyota team for the Camry’s controversial entry into the NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2007, the Michael Waltrip Racing organization started in disastrous fashion as a three-car group struggling to make races. Making progressive steps to a top-caliber NASCAR Sprint Cup team, the three-car team of 2012 has shown impressive front-runner status in the first half dozen races of the year.

Driving the NAPA Toyota for a third season for the Michael Waltrip Racing camp, Martin Truex Jr has been the Sprint Cup series model of consistency in 2012. Truex Jr’s #56 Toyota has finished no lower than 17^th in the first races of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tour. The week-by-week results have combined for a 6^th place position in the overall drivers points standings.

Releasing David Reutimann after 2011, the Michael Watrip Racing squad had acquired Clint Bowyer for the #15 Toyota. Despite a rocky start of the year in the Daytona 500, Bowyer and his crew have placed the #15 into the top-10 for 3 of the 5 races afterwards. Clint Bowyer is 9^th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point’s standings.

For what is the first four races in a limited schedule for Mark Martin in 2012, the Arkansas NASCAR superstar delivered a pair of top-10 finishes and a pole for Michael Waltrip Racing at Phoenix International Raceway. At Bristol Motor Speedway, Brian Vickers took over the #55 and drove a masterful first race to a fifth place result. Through the driving collective, the Michael Waltrip Racing #55 Toyota is 9^th in car owner points after the first 6 NASCAR Sprint Cup races of 2012.



The Fuel Injected Future is Here

Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR

Joining the vehicles in the modern automotive marketplace in North America, NASCAR Sprint Cup adopted electronic fuel injection as the method for feeding the V-8 engines of their stock cars. After considerable testing during 2011 and through the past off-season, fuel injection debuted at Daytona with levels of uncertainty. Despite the miles put on the NASCAR Sprint Cup car’s new fuel delivery system in testing, the performance of this format of fuel injection left unknowns during first conditions. For the most part, the new electronic fuel injection system on the stock cars has proven successful in replacing what was the long-standard carburetor.

Allowing teams to explore a level of computer-assisted data acquisition, the electronic fuel injection system has given tools many other forms of motorsports have been utilizing over a decade. The only major downside attributed to the electronic fuel injection system was an isolated incident involving the #14 Chevrolet of Tony Stewart. Mid-way through the Subway Fresh Fit 500k at Phoenix International Raceway, the system had shut down Stewart’s engine costing the reigning champion and crew two laps diagnosing the problem.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup electronic fuel injection system still has a season’s worth of challenges as it powers 43 race cars through the ongoing 2012 schedule. New race tracks, the 2012 series’ first 500-mile event set for Texas Motor Speedway and the two road courses should provide the best opportunities to see how the new norm of NASCAR Sprint Cup can benefit the future of stock car competition.

　

　

Kahne’s Rough Start with Hendrick Motorsports

Photo Credit: Russell LaBounty © 2012 Russell LaBounty Autostock

Despite all of the ingredients for success, the newly forged relationship between Kasey Kahne and Hendrick Motorsports has resulted in less than stellar start to the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Kasey Kahne’s was involved in a somewhat complex flight path to Hendrick Motorsports first charted in 2010.

Driving the #9 Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports in 2010, Kahne signed to replace Mark Martin at Hendrick Motorsports for than-distant 2012 season. Expecting to see how Kasey Kahne’s future plans would affect his relationship with his Richard Petty Motorsports team through the 2010 season, it initially appeared promising that the two soon-to-be parted entities could focus on track. Collecting three top-five finishes in June and July races, the partnership would deteriorate during the Charlotte Motor Speedway fall race. As the Richard Petty Motorsports #9 Ford was sidelined after an early race accident, Kahne implied he was too ill to continue completing laps in event. When suspicion arose that Kahne may not have been truthful, the partnership dissolved.

Through the remainder of 2010 and into the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, Kasey Kahne home a pivotal temporary home with Team Red Bull. By the end of the 2011 tour, Kahne and the #4 Toyota was one of the hottest combinations in the NASCAR Sprint Cup racing field. Finishing in the top-10 for 7 of 8 final races, Kahne and Team Red Bull won the Phoenix event in their second-to-last journey together.

Leaving 2011 with optimism of front-running presence, Kasey Kahne finally climbed into the #5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports at Daytona. Amusingly sponsored by Farmer’s Insurance, the #5 Chevrolet piloted by Kahne has been potentially the most at-risk contender wherever an accident on track unfolds. After six races, the team’s top finish was 14^th at the rain-shortened event at Auto Club Speedway in California. Most dramatically is the #5 car has recorded results 29^th or worse in 4 races starting the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. In the overall series driver point’s standings, Kahne is 31^st.

On the bright side, Kasey Kahne and the #5 Hendrick Motorsports has scored two pole positions proving they have pace. In the remainder of the 2012 season, Kahne and the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will require some fortune to fall their way to change what has been a series of mechanical problems and brushes with mayhem.

　

Boring Bristol Bout, Manic Martinsville Short Track Events

Photo Credit: Russell LaBounty © 2012 Russell LaBounty Autostock

So far this year, the under one mile short tracks of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have presented a mixed bag of racing action.

Once known as one of the hottest ticket in motorsports, the Bristol Motor Speedway Sprint Cup Series events have been diminishing as an attraction most likely because of the recent on-track product. As impressive as the dominating performance by Brad Keselowski was during the 4^th race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the high number of empty seats signified that the same ‘beating-and-banging action’ Bristol gained years ago was no longer on a prime showcase.

A reconfiguration of the Bristol Motor Speedway’s concrete surface (that was actually meant to improve side-by-side racing with so-called “progressive banking”) has taken away much of the racing action NASCAR short track fans desired. The contribution of the Car of Tomorrow since 2007 could also be defeating the on-track competition when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has been racing at the short track. While Keselowski’s victory at the track in came through 13 lead changes, most of those were performed during green-flag pit stops as only 5 caution periods interrupted the event (the lowest level since spring of 1996).

As a contrast to the Bristol Motor Speedway event, the Martinsville Speedway race held on the short, flat-banked oval provided an electric finish with side-by-side battling for position, intrigue and controversy. With a certain Hendrick Motorsports victory set, a stalled #10 Stewart/Haas Racing Chevrolet driven by David Reutimann set up an event that would ended under a green-white-checkered finish. Hendrick Motorsports would lose both lead cars of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson in a turn 1 tangle at Martinsville allowing Ryan Newman to steal victory.

Wizard of the Chase Johnson Wins Kansas Cup Race

Photo Credit: Tom Whitmore/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

Kansas Speedway is the second of four 1.5 mile tri-oval track locales in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. At the first so-called "cookie-cutter track", Tony Stewart become an early championship favourite when he won the Chicagoland Speedway event on fuel mileage. With 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup series drivers entered for the Hollywood Casino 400, the 12 Chase drivers continue to be under a microscope as some contenders are attempting to assert themselves in this fourth event in the 10-race championship fight.

 

Non-Chase driver Greg Biffle in the #16 Ford took the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole Friday outrunning his Roush Fenway Racing teammate and Chase points leader Carl Edwards. One of the 29 other cars and teams caught in the delicate spot of racing for wins without performing any costly moves against Chase contenders, Biffle was undaunted from racing to win. However, the #16 driver himself would realize having raced within the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship format in previous years.

 

Starting in 19th place, the Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowes Chevrolet was led to the front quickly by the skillful Jimmie Johnson. Up to 9th place after only the first 15 laps, Johnson took the lead for the first time in the Hollywood Casino 400 at lap 24. Competitors and race fans would soon realize as the Kansas Speedway Sprint Cup event endured the force of the #48 team was in full force. After a rather dormant existence in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup, Jimmie Johnson resided at the front for 197 laps over the 267-lap race distance. At one point in the race, Johnson pulled out a 12-second lead on the second-place running vehicle.

 

Other than Jimmie Johnson, the Roush Fenway Ford Fusions of Matt Kenseth and Kansas race pole winner Greg Biffle recorded the only significant collection of laps at the end of the Hollywood Casino 400. With Biffle leading most of his 23 total laps early in the #16 Ford, Matt Kenseth led for 26 laps in the #17 Crown Royal Ford. Between lap 64 and lap 66, Kenseth and Biffle battled to stay at front prior to pit stops. Important for the 2011 NASCAR Chase standings, Kyle Busch in the #18 Toyota, Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon would lead laps during the Kansas Speedway event netting a single championship point a piece.

Photo Credit: Tyler Barrick Autostock USA

 

While Johnson enjoyed a glorious time at the front of the Kansas Speedway event, the rest of the Hendrick Motorsport team participated in a relatively quiet scheduled 400.5-mile event. Previous Kansas track winner Mark Martin came home 10th in the #5 Chevrolet while Dale Earnhardt Jr soldiered through a rather uneventful race in the #88 car. Concluding without a tire issue, the 14th place finish was improved over the previous two NASCAR Sprint Cup races.

 

The final Hendrick Motorsport car, the #24 Chevrolet of Jeff Gordon, had a dramatic end to his day. Chancing older tires against the force of new tires, Gordon and the #24 Dupont stayed on track improving his track position. Restarting on lap 211, Gordon and the #14 Chevy of Tony Stewart made slight contact causing the #24 car to lose pace, falling out of the top-10 quickly. As the end of the car neared, Jeff Gordon's day turned worse when mechanical problems caused the Hendrick Motorsports engine to break spectacularly with only on lap 265. Dropping to 34th place at the end, the timing of this caution inadvertently threatened what was an almost guaranteed sprint to victory by teammate Jimmie Johnson. 

Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

 

In the late stage of the Hollywood Casino 400, the #4 Red Bull Toyota piloted by Kasey Kahne. Starting 5th and demonstrating strong race pace with the Toyota Camry stock car, Kahne lost considerable ground early at Kansas Speedway on a pit stop under the race's first caution on lap 21. Combined with a broken jack, Kahne's entrance out of pit road was blocked by the #48 car of Jimmie Johnson.

 

Bypassing the #2 Dodge of Brad Keselowski in late laps at Kansas, Kasey Kahne was the closest contender showing any ability of defeating the Lowes-sponsored Chevy. On a green-white-checker restart resulting from the blown engine of the #24 Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson obtained a major jump that allowed a safe distance ahead of Kahne through the final 2 laps of the race. Winning his 55th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, the Kansas victory was Johnson's first since the Talladega spring 2011 race.

 

Behind second place Kasey Kahne in the finishing order of the Hollywood Casino 400 was Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. Besides non-Chase driver Kahne, four other drivers outside of the 12-driver end of season points fight for 2011 were in the Kansas race's top-10. From 7th to 10th were the cars of Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Marcos Ambrose and Mark Martin.

 

The Hollywood Casino 400 top-4 consisted of a Chevrolet ahead of a Toyota with a Dodge and a Ford resulting in some close manufacturer parity. However, Chevrolet clinches the Sprint Cup Series manufacturer's championship thanks to the #48 Impala's Kansas win.

 

Elevated in the points with the win, Jimmie Johnson is in 3rd place in the Chase points standing. Driver of the #99 Ford Carl Edwards obtains a one-point gap over Kevin Harvick who came home in 6th place. Edwards and Harvick entered the Kansas race tied with the difference of a single position breaking the draw.

 

A 500-mile night race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is next for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Jamie McMurray won the Charlotte event in 2010 over Kyle Busch.

  

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Hollywood Casino 400
Kansas Speedway
Race Results


Pos #| Car #| Driver | Sponsor | Car Make

1. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
2. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
3. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
4. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
5. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
6. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
7. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
8. 16 Greg Biffle Sherwin-Williams Ford
9. 9 Marcos Ambrose DeWalt Ford
10. 5 Mark Martin CARQUEST / GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
11. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
12. 27 Paul Menard Schrock / Menards Chevrolet
13. 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge
14. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
15. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet
16. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota
17. 51 Landon Cassill Security Benefits / Thank A Teacher Today Chevrolet
18. 39 Ryan Newman HAAS Automation Chevrolet
19. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
20. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
21. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
22. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Arctic Cat Chevrolet
23. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
24. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing / Farm American Chevrolet
25. 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
26. 98 Austin Dillon President Ronald Reagan Centennial Chevrolet
27. 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
28. 32 Mike Bliss Street King Ford
29. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
30. 47 Bobby Labonte Bush's Beans / Kingsford Toyota
31. 36 Dave Blaney Big Red Chevrolet
32. 34 David Gilliland A&W All American Food Ford
33. 46 Scott Speed ordergreenstuff.com Ford
34. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
35. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
36. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
37. 71 Andy Lally # Interstate Moving Services Ford
38. 7 Reed Sorenson SPEED Energy / MAPEI / Menards Dodge
39. 66 Michael McDowell Victory Junction Toyota
40. 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Chevrolet
41. 87 Joe Nemechek AM FM Energy Toyota
42. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
43. 55 J J Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford

Logano to Launch from Pole at Pocono Cup Race

 

Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

 

Taking his second pole of the season, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Joey Logano will lead the 43-car NASCAR Sprint Cup field to green for Sunday's Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono Raceway. Rounding the 2.5-mile oval in 52.309 seconds, the #20 Toyota grabbed the pole position from the #56 Toyota driven by Martin Truex Jr. Logano's top time would hold up against the effort mounted by Kasey Kahne #4 Red Bull Toyota for the time trial triumph.

 

With Joey Logano's name mixed in the NASCAR Sprint cup Silly Season, the 21-year old driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota is looking to renovate his season with a top finish. Prior to this week, the strongest rumours had current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point leader Carl Edwards signing to drive the #20 for 2012. As Edwards and Roush Fenway Racing announced a multi-year deal on Thursday, Logano's role in the Joe Gibbs Racing team has gained some security.

 

After a Toyota Camry sweep of the top-three for the Good Sam RV Insurance 500, the resigned Carl Edwards sailed his #99 Ford Fusion to a 4th place at Pocono Raceway. In the June Pocono event, the #99 Roush Fenway Racing team lost their considerable lead in the series points due to a mechanical problem costing the team several laps in the event. Kurt Busch's #22 Dodge and the #11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin will start from the third row at Pocono. The fourth row will be an all-Richard Childress Racing pairing with recent Indianapolis Motor Speedway Brickyard 400 winner Paul Menard having position over Jeff Burton. Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick completes the top-10 for Sunday's race.

 

 

 

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup

Pocono, Pennsylvania

Good Sam RV Insurance 500

Starting Line-up

 

1. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
2. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
3. 56 Martin Truex, Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
4. 99 Carl Edwards Ortho Home Defense Max Ford
5. 22 Kurt Busch Shell/Pennzoil Dodge
6. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota
7. 27 Paul Menard CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet
8. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
9. 16 Greg Biffle 3M/811 Ford
10. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
11. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
12. 39 Ryan Newman Tornados Chevrolet
13. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
14. 33 Clint Bowyer Good Sam Club Chevrolet
15. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
16. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
17. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet
18. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
19. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet
20. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
21. 36 Dave Blaney Golden Corral Chevrolet
22. 47 Bobby Labonte Reese Towpower/Highland Toyota
23. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
24. 34 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford
25. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
26. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
27. 9 Marcos Ambrose DeWalt Ford
28. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
29. 43 AJ Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
30. 66 Todd Bodine HP Racing, LLC Toyota
31. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet
32. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
33. 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
34. 55 JJ Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford
35. 46 Erik Darnell Red Line Ford
36. 51 Landon Cassill PhoenixConstruction/SecurityBenefit Chev
37. 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Chevrolet
38. 7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy Dodge
39. 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
40. 37 Scott Speed Max Q Motorsports Ford
41. 32 Jason White Gunbroker.com Ford
42. 71 Andy Lally Interstate Moving Services Ford
43. 87 Joe Nemechek AM FM Energy Toyota

Kasey Takes Kyle Busch Motorsports Truck to Win at Darlington

Geoff Burke/ Getty Images for NASCAR

By Jared Turner
Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service


DARLINGTON, S.C.—Kasey Kahne did it again.

Making his first and possibly only Camping World Truck Series start of the year, Kahne cruised to a relatively comfortable win in Saturday’s Too Tough To Tame 200 at Darlington Raceway.

The victory made Kahne the first driver in the truck series to win three of his first four starts.

Second alongside Elliott Sadler on a restart with 53 laps to go, Kahne immediately dispatched of Sadler—who had taken two tires under the previous caution—and never trailed again.

Kahne held on through three more restarts, including a final one with three laps to go, to take the checkered flag ahead of four-time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. and 2010 Darlington winner Todd Bodine. Matt Crafton and James Buescher completed the top five.

Kahne’s stiffest challenge over the final laps came from Bodine, who once moved alongside before getting loose and falling into the clutches of Hornaday.

“I gave it a shot and got sucked around and got loose and all that and finished third,” Bodine said.

Kahne, a full-time driver in the Sprint Cup Series since, scored truck wins at Darlington and Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2004 and finished second last year at Pocono Raceway.

Saturday marked Kahne’s second appearance in the Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota normally driven by team owner Kyle Busch, who was vacationing in Cancun.

“This is one of my favorite racetracks,” said Kahne, who qualified second and led four times for 95 of the 147 laps. “I’m really glad I came. I really enjoy driving this thing.”

Matt Crafton remained the series leader, stretching his advantage to six points on rookie Cole Whitt, who moved into second after three races. Whitt finished an impressive eighth after starting from the pole and leading twice for 30 laps before dropping back with a pit-road mistake and engine issue.

Whitt, 19, was making his fourth career truck series start, his first at Darlington.

“The track just kind of suited my driving style, and from the get-go we just kind of fell into the rhythm,” Whitt said.

The race was slowed by 10 cautions, including one for a three-truck wreck involving Johanna Long, Ricky Carmichael and Nelson Piquet Jr. that brought out the red flag for 7 minutes, 37 seconds.

Notes: Kahne’s margin of victory was 1.116 seconds. … Kahne, who started second, became the fourth winner to start inside the top five. Bodine started eighth last year, and Bobby Hamilton started 14th when he won in 2003. … Kahne’s three wins tie Rich Bickle, Andy Houston and Dave Rezendes for 27th on the all-time win list.


Article provided with permission of NASCAR



Pos # | Car # | Driver ('i' denotes ineligibility for championship)| Sponsor/ Vehicle Make

1.18 Kasey Kahne(i) Toyota Toyota
2. 33 Ron Hornaday Jr. Tide / Kroger Chevrolet
3. 30 Todd Bodine Germain.com Toyota
4. 88 Matt Crafton Tarkett / Menards Chevrolet
5. 31 James Buescher Wolfpack Rentals Chevrolet
6. 17 Timothy Peters GearWrench Toyota
7. 2 Elliott Sadler(i) Armour Vienna Sausages / Bi-Lo Chevrolet
8. 60 Cole Whitt Red Bull Chevrolet
9. 13 Johnny Sauter SafeAuto / Curb Records Chevrolet
10. 81 David Starr ZACHRY Toyota
11. 92 Clay Rogers BTS Tire & Wheel Distributor / Fleet HQ Chevrolet
12. 93 Shane Sieg S&W Chevrolet
13. 77 Justin Lofton Lofton Cattle Toyota
14. 29 Parker Kligerman Penske Truck Leasing Dodge
15. 3 Austin Dillon Bass Pro Shops/Remington/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
16. 39 Ryan Sieg S&W Chevrolet
17. 5 Travis Kvapil International Truck / Monaco RV's Toyota
18. 9 Max Papis GEICO Toyota
19. 46 Craig Goess Greenville Toyota of N.C. Toyota
20. 1 Jeffrey Earnhardt Fuel Doctor Chevrolet
21. 15 Dusty Davis Vision Airlines / Emerald Coast Toyota
22. 50 T J Bell LibertyTireRecycling/PinnacleRubberMulch Chevrolet
23. 07 Jamie Dick VIVAAutoGroup.com Chevrolet
24. 66 Justin Marks GoPro Chevrolet
25. 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Hotel and Casino Toyota
26. 57 Norm Benning Norm Benning Racing Chevrolet
27. 7 Miguel Paludo Stemco Duroline Toyota
28. 22 Joey Coulter RCR / Darrell Gwynn Foundation Chevrolet
29. 25 Tayler Malsam One Eighty Toyota
30. 4 Ricky Carmichael Monster Energy Chevrolet
31. 20 Johanna Long Panhandle Grading & Paving Toyota
32. 8 Nelson Piquet Jr. Qualcomm / Nelson Piquet Chevrolet
33. 23 Jason White GunBroker.com Chevrolet
34. 10 Chase Mattioli CollegeComplete.com Ford
35. 51 Justin Johnson Vision Airlines / Wounded Warrior Toyota
36. 32 Brad Sweet Great Clips Chevrolet

Kasey Kahne Clobbers Cup Field for Homestead Pole

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/ Getty Images for NASCAR

 

Homestead is the home stretch for the 36-race NASCAR Sprint Cup series of 2010. A 1.5 mile true oval track, the Homestead-Miami Speedway plays host to one of the closest three-way points battles since the Chase for the Sprint Cup format was innovated by NASCAR in 2004. With Hamlin, Johnson and Harvick separated by only 46 points entering the final race, the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup appears have the potential of needing all of the event's 267 laps.


Breaking a two-race pole streak Ford Motor Company products in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season, Kasey Kahne stormed to the Ford 400 pole his #83 Red Bull Toyota. Rounding the 1.5 mile in a time of 30.525 to take the final pole of 2010, Kahne and the Team Red Bull narrowly nicked Phoenix race winner Carl Edwards by a margin of just 0.031 seconds on the track. As qualifying concluded and the grid was set for the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, less than 7/10th of a second separates Kasey Kahne's lead time with the slowest race entry speed posted by 40th place Juan Pablo-Montoya.

Kahne's 4th pole of this season, this is the driver's first top time since making an early entrance into Team Red Bull Racing. Having parted ways with has long-time Sprint Cup team (the #9 car existing within Richard Petty Motorsports) after the fall Charlotte event, Kasey Kahne is spending some early seat time inside the #83 Toyota preparing for a full season for 2011. 

The Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing #1 Chevrolet of Jamie McMurray starts 3rd in this final event in afairy tale season for a driver many motorsport insiders wrote off prior to his victory at this year's Daytona 500. Bill Elliott is another continuing to make notable appearances in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. The Dawsonville, Georgia 1988 NASCAR Cup champion positioned the #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in 4th. The #43 Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) Ford driven by AJ Allmendinger allowed 3 of the top-5 vehicles starting at the front of the Ford 400 to display a Blue Oval badge. A solid top-5 for Allmendinger within the uncertainty of RPM's 2011 operation, a bright spot for the embattled Ford team is qualifying where at least one team car started in the top-10 for 8 of the final 10 races.

In regards to the much anticipated final showdown Sunday for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup, second place in the points Jimmie Johnson starts in the best spot. Qualifying his #48 Lowes Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports 6th for the Ford 400, Johnson's so-called "drive for five" championships has the driver favoured (at least for the beginning of the event) to repeat the title victory which he's achieved the past four seasons.

Buried in 37th, current Chase for the Sprint Cup points leader Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Toyota will be need to pick up considerable ground over the 400 mile distance to complete the eagerly-awaited spoiling of Jimmie Johnson's Sprint Cup series dominance. A difficult job, breaking through the field of the Homestead-Miami Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup race is a custom for Hamlin having never started better than 25th in previous qualifying attempts at the 1.5 mile oval. Last year, the #11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin won the season's final event starting 38th on that day.  

Third 2010 Sprint Cup contender Kevin Harvick will also be required to make up some race distance after a lackluster time trial run. Starting better than Denny Hamlin in 28th place, Harvick's #29 Chevrolet will attempt to regain the series point lead honours which were stripped from the Richard Childress Racing pilot due to the Chase reformatting after Richmond. 

With engine set to roar at 1 P.M. Eastern for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup series finale Ford 400, expectations are to see a competitive event amongst the 43 who all have something to prove prior to the checkered flag.    



2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Ford 400
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Starting Lineup


# Pos  | Car #  | Driver| Sponsor/ Car Make

1. 83 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
2. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
3. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
4. 21 Bill Elliott Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford
5. 43 A J Allmendinger Insignia HDTV Ford
6. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
7. 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
8. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
9. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
10. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
11. 24 Jeff Gordon Dupont Chevrolet
12. 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford
13. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
14. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
15. 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
16. 98 Paul Menard Mastercraft / Menards Ford
17. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
18. 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge
19. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
20. 47 Marcos Ambrose Clorox / Kleenex Toyota
21. 36 J J Yeley Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
22. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
23. 39 Ryan Newman U.S.Army Chevrolet 
24. 9 Aric Almirola Budweiser Ford
25. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
26. 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
27. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
28. 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet
29. 87 Joe Nemechek Young Eagles / HeatRedefined.com Toyota
30. 66 Mike Bliss PRISM Motorsports Toyota
31. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Old Spice Chevrolet 
32.  09 Bobby Labonte C & J Energy Chevrolet
33. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota 
34. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
35. 71 Andy Lally Anderson's Maple Syrup Chevrolet
36. 38 Dave Blaney A&W All American Food Ford
37. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
38. 37 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
39. 34 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
40. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet 
41. 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota
42. 7 Kevin Conway ExtenZe Toyota
43. 64 Landon Cassill  Empire Steel Buildings Toyota

Kasey Kahne's Kicked out of Richard Petty Motorsports #9 Ford

Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

When season end in motorsports, a fair-weathered relationship between a departing driver from their race team usually results as a positive resolution. After all, both parties benefit from the lessons of strong performances heading into a brand new season season. The past NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway has shown one example where a driver and team pairing were unable to weather what was 5 remaining races of the 2010 schedule.

Announced by a brief news release by Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM), the #9 driver Kasey Kahne has been told his services are no longer required with the team. Following Kahne's lap 125 accident in the Saturday night race linked to poor brakes on the #9 Budweiser Ford Fusion. When it came time to send a damaged but still speedway-worthy Sprint Cup car to the track for car owner points, Kasey Kahne claimed to be ill. JJ Yeley stepped into the team's #9 Ford to come home in 38th place for RPM and Kahne. The next day, suspicions heated up as Kasey Kahne (apparently too ill to finish the Saturday night NASCAR Sprint Cup race) appeared in excellent shape to run a 5K charity marathon. At that time, it was becoming theoretical that Kahne's devotion to the #9 RPM Ford had digressed. Two races prior at Kansas Speedway, Kahne perhaps showed less obvious but still reckless regard for this team's car. After suffering a flat tire, Kahne proceeded at an ill-advisably high rate of speed causing massive body damage to the team's car.   

Entering the NASCAR Sprint Cup series in 2004, the then-24 year old rookie Kasey Kahne first belted into the red #9 car. En route to a rookie of the year title before winning 11 races in NASCAR's top series, Kahne hung around the #9 car as it proceeded through several ownership structures to the present Richard Petty Motorsports, crew member changes and even a change from Dodge to Ford in 2010. Making a 2012 commitment with Hendrick Motorsports, Kahne prepared to finish the 2010 season with RPM but results were mixed as Kahne currently sits 21st in Sprint Cup drivers points.

In the place of Kasey Kahne, the team will opt for Aric Almirola to fill in at the short track of Martinsville Speedway. Recording 30 career NASCAR Sprint Cup starts, Almirola has been running the majority of his past two seasons in the Camping World Truck Series.

Since Almirola was slated to drive the #83 Red Bull Toyota, the vacant seat is likely to be filled by their 2011 driver who happens to be Kasey Kahne. Waiting out to opening of his Hendrick Motorsport ride, Kahne's plan to run a Toyota for Team Red Bull was already agreed upon by all parties for the 2012 plans.

As for the plans of Richard Petty Motorsports, the team's future is less concrete as 2010 nears an end. As the #9 Ford's sponsor Budweiser announced it was leaving the team, the #98 driver Paul Menard is leaving, along with his sponsorship, Elliott Sadler has only a slight chance to retaining his #19 ride and only AJ Allmendinger remains as the future of the RPM team. 2011 will be a massive building year for RPM and Kahne's release for the remainder of the NASCAR Sprint Cup 2010 tour sets the process in motion early. While Aric Almirola is driving the RPM #9 Ford this weekend at Martinsville, it's unlikely Almirola will be involved with long-term plans since he has already signed with JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

With Kasey Kahne losing his #9 Richard Petty Motorsports ride on apparently not-so positive terms, this would not be the first time the driver has parted a team on shaky grounds. In 2003, Kasey Kahne deal to move to the #9 Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup car for the next season came as he was under contract as a development driver with Ford Racing. Afterwards, Ford attempted to sue Kahne for breach of contract but ultimately lost. Ironically, Kahne would once again drive for Ford when the #9 Sprint Cup car left Dodge.

Charlotte Surprise: McMurray Motors Late to Win Bank of America 500



Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

One of the first major speedways to be lit artificially, the race under the stars had the beaming personalities of NASCAR running 500 miles at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

Marking the midway point of the 2010 NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup, the premier stock car series enters Charlotte, North Carolina to play a home game for many of the multi-million dollar teams. The Bank of America 500 at the 1.5 mile Charlotte Motor Speedway presents a Saturday night racing backdrop for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

Sitting on pole for the first time since fall Texas Motor Speedway event in 2009, the Jeff Gordon #24 Dupont Chevrolet led the field to the start line. As Gordon preserved has lead for the initial green flag laps, caution flew shortly with only 3 laps being completed. Sailing through turn 3 and 4 high, the #39 Chevrolet of Ryan Newman experienced a loss of traction. Backing into the outer wall, considerable damage was done to the right rear bodywork of the Stewart/Haas Racing-owned #39 Chevy. Requiring an extended stay in the Charlotte garage, Newman would return to finish 36th through a long night.

With Ryan Newman's troubles, the Stewart/Haas Racing boss Tony Stewart's #14 car was also not immune to punishment during the Bank of America 500. In avoiding the Newman lap 3 incident, Stewart's Old Spice Chevy also sustained rear damage. As the race progressed, Tony Stewart encountered miscues entering his pit stall. When entering to attention of his pit crew on lap 26, Stewart needed to take evasive action to avoid contact with the #99 Ford of Carl Edwards which was exiting pit road. Overshooting his team's pit area, Tony Stewart was forced to wait until the coast was clear to reverse and enter his pit. With all the complications of the race, Stewart was left with only a 21st place finish to follow-up his win at California's Auto Club Speedway.

Kurt Busch's troubles were the reason for the second caution at lap 25. The winner of the Sprint All-Star and the Coca-Cola 600 races during late May, Busch and his #2 Dodge spun sideways through turn 4. Fighting a loose race car early left Busch and his Penske Racing team struggling in 30th place.

While one Busch brother faced a difficult Saturday night at Charlotte, the younger brother and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch provided a lingering presence at the front of the field throughout the Bank of America 500. Leading 109 of the race's first 127 laps, Busch's #18 Toyota shot to a multiple car-length interval on almost every restart.

In the only multi-car incident of the Bank of America 500, the #9 Ford of Kasey Kahne unsuccessfully fought a loose exit off turn 4 creating a lap 125 caution. Making contact with the #77 Dodge of Sam Hornish Jr, both cars sustained damage to render them out of competition. While the Richard Petty Motorsports crew was able to repair the #9 Budweiser Ford in order to complete more laps, the car by J.J. Yelley instead of Kasey Kahne. While Kahne explained that he was feeling to ill to continue driving for the night, there has been some rumours that Kahne simply left the #9 Ford team after the crash at Charlotte. Going to Red Bull Racing for 2011 with a Hendrick Motorsports ride waiting for him in 2012, some questions Kasey Kahne's dedication to his current race team. It was reported that Kasey Kahne, having left the race track with illness a matter of 8-10 hours prior, ran a 5k charity marathon Sunday morning.    

Photo Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images

Kurt Busch was not the only driver left struggling within the Chase following a difficult result. Having led the first 7 laps of the Charlotte night race, pole sitter Jeff Gordon would be robbed from contention of the Bank of America 500. An electrical fault within the #24 Dupont Chevrolet presented itself dramatically during the race when the Hendrick Motorsports car of Gordon appeared to have lost power momentarily on the race track while running as a front runner. Losing positions initially with the brief engine power failure, Gordon's #24 car would continue to the distance but will finish one lap down in 23rd place.


For a race that contained 27 lead changes amongst 19 leaders, the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was decided on a lap 313 restart following the race's final caution for debris. Gaining ground from a brilliant pit stop from the Earnhardt/Ganassi Racing crew, 27th place starting #1 Chevrolet piloted by Jamie McMurray surged forward all night to an inside front row start on the final journey to green with Kyle Busch on the outside. Showing superiority all race long during restarts, this particular coming to green saw the #1 Chevrolet of McMurray shoot to command the top position. As the final 31 laps ticked away, Jamie McMurray took the checkered flag more than 1.8 seconds ahead of 2nd place Busch.


Recovering with a front-running performance and finish at Charlotte following the past two races being marred with disappointing results, Kyle Busch plays to win and left the race car largely unsatisfied by missing victory lane. Charlotte Motor Speedway continues to be a track the younger Busch brother had never reigned supreme after a NASCAR Sprint Cup event.

Jimmie Johnson recovered from a lap 35 spin on the backstretch to finish 3rd in a repeat of his result at Auto Club Speedway last race. Running in the lower 20s after his #48 Chevrolet looped around uninjured, Johnson and the Hendrick Motorsports regained their track position by staying out during a caution where leaders pitted. Continuing to show the right stuff for a run at a 5th straight Sprint Cup title, Jimmie Johnson was able to squeak out an additional 5 points over Denny Hamlin. Now 41 points behind after the Bank of America 500, Hamlin's 4th place finish affirms that the #11 Toyota is still in prime pouncing position as the series enters wild card races through the 2nd half of the Chase.

The top-10 of the Charlotte Motor Speedway night race allowed the squads of Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush-Fenway Racing an moment of atonement after misfortunes at California. With Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin scoring top-5 finishes, sophomore driver of the team's #20 Toyota posted a 7th place result for a collectively encouraging night for the Toyota's lead NASCAR Sprint Cup team. Roush-Fenway Racing was led by a 5th place-finishing Greg Biffle as all four of their team's cars finished inside the top-12 which included David Ragan in 10th. 

NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and teams will next plan for running Martinsville Speedway (2010 Sprint Cup season's last race on track smaller than one-mile). Jimmie Johnson has won 5 of the past 11 races held on the 0.526 mile short oval but Denny Hamlin has won the past two Sprint Cup events at Martinsville.

2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup

Bank of America 500

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Race Results

Top-10:

1. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
2. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
3. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
4. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota
5. 16 Greg Biffle Scotch Blue Ford 
6. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Black Ford 
7. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
8. 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet
9. 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
10. 6 David Ragan UPS-United Way Ford

Other Notables:

11.  42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
12.  99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
13.  78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
17.  33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
20.  31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
21.  14 Tony Stewart Old Spice / Office Depot Chevrolet
22.  10 Bobby Labonte Gander Mountain Outdoors Chevrolet
23.  24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
29.  88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy / National Guard Chevrolet
30.  2 Kurt Busch Operation Home Front / Miller Lite Dodge
35.  21 Bill Elliott JDRF / Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford
36.  39 Ryan Newman Haas Automation Chevrolet
37.  26 Patrick Carpentier Air Guard Ford
38.  9 Kasey Kahne Budweiser Ford

Kasey Kahne Cometh to Hendrick #5 Chevrolet in 2012

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR| NASCAR

Into the current 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, the status of Richard Petty Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne has rested in limbo. Holding 11 victories on the elite stock car circuit, 30 year-old Kahne has ridden a rocky road in the #9 car which included ownership and sponsorship changes since he was drafted to the team in 2004. Kahne's status as one of the Sprint Cup season's most consistently popular drivers left to chance of a nousy silly season. However, entering into only the 7th race of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at Texas this weekend, Kasey Kahne assembled with Sprint Cup car owner Rick Hendrick to announce his future relationship Hendrick Motorsports' #5 Chevrolet for 2012.

In a April 14th press conference, Kasey Kahne happily shared the news of his upcoming 4-year commitment with members of the media. "I think it’s the best opportunity I could ever have, and I’m just going to make the most out of it. And I feel like the drivers there, the crew chiefs, the people that work for Hendrick Motorsports, I think it will just be a great fit." Kahne responded to the reason for choosing the championship-winning racing organization. Mentioning that he had entertained multiple teams before signing with Hendrick, Kahne spoke highly of the personnel and equipment of the top Chevrolet team as solidifying has decision. "Well, I think their equipment’s, you know, definitely very good. You know, but I think it takes people, and they have great people and it takes a lot of dedication and hard work, and that’s where you get Jimmie Johnson. That’s why that guy and that team are so strong." Kahne said in his own words answering Sirius NASCAR Radio's Claire B Lang.

With Kasey Kahne's current contract between himself and Richard Petty Motorsports expiring at the end of this season, Kahne's 2011 downtime remains a question. Due to NASCAR's strict rules limiting teams to four cars, Hendrick Motorsports is unable to field Kahne through the 2011 season. On speculation that Mark Martin could leave the #5 car early, Rick Hendrick clearly iterated on the press conference that Mark Martin will continue to drive the #5 Chevrolet as planned through the end of 2011. At the same time, Hendrick also affirmed that Kahne will be driving a Chevrolet in NASCAR competition next year. Possibilities have Kahne temporarily going to a 3rd car for Stewart-Haas Racing or perhaps running a full Nationwide Series schedule. The latter suggestion is a little absurd as Kasey Kahne has had a presence in Sprint Cup for 7 seasons.

In the past, deals involving such career foresight for drivers have not resulted as planned. In 2005, Jamie McMurray was hired by Roush Fenway Racing as an intended replacement to Mark Martin after the 2006 season. However, the departure of Roush Fenway Racing's than driver Kurt Busch as well as the discontent of McMurray's Chip Ganassi Racing team led the deal to be modified to allow McMurray to make a 2006 entrance with the new team.

Kasey Kahne concluded to mention that he remains fully dedicated to the Richard Petty Motorsports #9 Ford through the rest of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup campaign.

NASCAR Wire: Jamie McMurray Grabs The Win At Talladega Superspeedway

Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR


TALLADEGA, ALA. -- Jamie McMurray added his name to the victory list Sunday in a surprising finish to a typical race at Talladega Superspeedway.

McMurray, odd-man out in Jack Roush's compliance move to fielding a maximum of four teams in 2010, crept home the winner in a green-white-checker finish that only made it three-quarters-of-a-lap before a wild crash brought out a caution flag making McMurray the winner.

NASCAR rules allow only one attempt at a green-white-checkered finish and McMurray was in the right position at the right time.

Kasey Kahne was second, followed by Joey Logano, Greg Biffle, and Jeff Burton.

Probably the story of the day was sixth-place finisher and still leader in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Jimmie Johnson.

Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus decided to spend a majority of the race running at half throttle or so in the back of the pack to hopefully stay out of harm's way and protect a lead in the standings that could eventually make Johnson NASCAR's first driver to win four championships in a row.

The strategy nearly backfired when Johnson began a move to advance his position about 25 laps from the finish. He moved up to 22nd by narrowly avoiding a spectacular, multi-car crash that put Ryan

Newman on his roof and ended the day for other contenders Kevin Harvick and Marcos Ambrose. Both Harvick and Ambrose were among 25 drivers who led the race at one time or another.

NASCAR officials red-flagged the race after Newman's accident just five laps from the finish while safety workers righted his car and extracted the uninjured driver from the pancaked remains.

With the green-white-checker looming, the race took on that typical style of Talladega nail-biting.
It was nose-to-tail, three and four wide racing when another huge accident broke out as the cars came towards the tri-oval and headed towards the finish line. Cars went everywhere.

Championship contender Mark Martin was hit and flipped upside down on the front straightaway as cars scattered and spun through the grass and through the smoke on the track. The wreck relegated both Martin and Juan Pablo Montoya to finishes they didn't deserve. Both drivers were strong contenders during the afternoon and among the leaders. Martin wound up 28th and Montoya 19th.
It was a great win for McMurray, his first since the July 2007 race at Daytona, who led on several occasions.

It was also a win for points leader Johnson, with his sixth place finish. He never led a lap in this one but he dodged a million bullets.

This place is known for a lot of things…but mostly for its edge-of-the-seat, white-knuckle, heart-racing action over its 2.66-mile, high-banked tri-oval track that reeks speed and excitement.

Johnson, starting from the pole, led only three quarters of the first lap. At Talladega, drivers don't lead for long because the competition is so intense and the cars run so close together. The lead often changes half-a-dozen-times on a single lap.
For instance, in the first 20 laps, there were numerous leaders, David Reutimann and Casey Mears among them and those are drivers who aren't normally expected to lead races at Talladega.

You do expect the unexpected at this massive superspeedway and points leader Johnson, Tony Stewart, and several other Chase contenders unexpectedly chose to ride in the back of the pack to potentially avoid any of the troubles normally associated with running wide open at the front of the pack, a strategy obviously ignored by many of the others.

A two-car accident on lap five brought out the first caution of the sunny afternoon. Paul Menard cut a tire and gathered Joe Nemechek on the backstretch.

Cars started pitting under green flag conditions at 45 laps.

Elliot Sadler was the leader when the race was slowed again by caution when Kurt Busch spun wildly through the tri-oval.

On the restart, Sadler led with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on his bumper. At 60 laps, Jeff Gordon was fourth and Harvick fifth. Harvick took the lead a few laps later. Earnhardt was still running second.

At the halfway mark at Lap 90, Harvick led with Earnhardt, Montoya, Martin and Ambrose in tow, flat-out, foot-to-the-floorboard.

Kyle Busch was next with Denny Hamlin seventh. Greg Biffle was running in the top 10 when the field made green flag stops near Lap 95 but a tire infraction during his stop forced him to make another pass through the pits which relegated him to 36th spot. He rebounded to finish fourth.