NASCAR Ranting and Raving

What Can Be Done To Make The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Format Better?

2012-05-22T02:45:00Z

After everything was all said and down, fans were not particularly happy about the conclusion of the All-Star Race, that saw Jimmie Johnson to sandbag his way to a cool and crisp one million dollar payout.

Fans voiced their opinions on social media stating their displeasure for the final segment. They also voiced their displeasure towards Johnson's ride-in-the-back strategy.

The conclusion notwithstanding, NASCAR did a great job executing out the first four segments. They produced some of the best racing of the season, with new contenders like Dale Earnhardt Jr., A.J. Allmendinger, and Marcos Ambrose all leading laps. The parity was at restrictor plate race levels.

After the first four segments came the infamous final segment, which also included a mandatory pit stop.

Personally, I did not understand the reasoning behind this rule. Everyone knew that the four segment winners were either going to get a splash of gas or stop-and-go.

Even though the race didn't end the way fans hoped for, changes to the format happen every year (which is good news for the fans who hated this years version). The million dollar question now on everyones mind is this. What format changes are going to be implemented for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race?

I say NASCAR should leave the 4 segments alone The segments were very exciting and very enjoyable. They just need to find a way to make the final segment just as exciting as the first four segments. SB Nation NASCAR Editor Jeff Gluck said that the All-Star Race would be perfect if the segment winners were lined up like this. Segment 4 and 3 winners are the front row, and Segment 2 and 1 winners were in the 2nd row. In other words, Earnhardt Jr and Kesoloweski would make the front row, and Kenseth and Johnson make the 2nd row.

I don't necessarily disagree with Jeff, but I think NASCAR should make everyone pit for four tires and fuel by having the winner of the 4th segment come in first, 3rd segment winner comes in 2nd, and so on. It should be mandatory that everyone takes 4 tires and fuel. It makes no sense for the segment leaders to come into their pit stalls just to go right back out with no adjustments or anything. It almost cost Dale Earnhardt Jr as he almost hit Ryan Newman and Mark Martin coming out of his pit stall.

Overall, the All-Star Race is good. However, it needs a bit more work added on to make it perfect.

What are your thoughts about the All-Star Race format? What should NASCAR do to make the race better?

Ricky Stenhouse Masters Iowa: The Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 Review

2012-05-22T02:16:25Z

Ricky Stenhouse has now won three straight events at Iowa Speedway. Stenhouse only won two races last year, both Iowa races, and this year has already won three races including this race at Iowa. Stenhouse is on a mission to prove he is ready for a run at Sprint Cup next year. Sponsorship is still an issue, but Stenhouse could be the next big thing in Nascar.

Elliott Sadler finished second, and both Parker Kligerman and Darrell Wallace Jr showed a lot of promise with top ten finishes. It was great to see some young talent fight it out without to many Sprint Cup Regulars getting in the way.

Results, points and commentary after the jump!

Fin	St	#	Driver	Sponsor / Owner	Car	Laps	Status
1	3	6	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	Cargill / Blackwell Angus Beef (Jack Roush)	Ford	250	running
2	1	2	Elliott Sadler	OneMain Financial (Richard Childress)	Chevrolet	250	running
3	4	18	Michael McDowell	Pizza Ranch (Joe Gibbs)	Toyota	250	running
4	6	3	Austin Dillon	Advocare (Richard Childress)	Chevrolet	250	running
5	31	54	Kurt Busch	Monster Energy (Kyle Busch)	Toyota	250	running
6	5	31	Justin Allgaier	Brandt (Steve Turner)	Chevrolet	250	running
7	12	88	Cole Whitt	DewCrew.com (JR Motorsports)	Chevrolet	250	running
8	10	22	Parker Kligerman	Discount Tire (Roger Penske)	Dodge	250	running
9	8	20	Darrell Wallace, Jr.	Dollar General (Joe Gibbs)	Toyota	250	running
10	13	33	Brendan Gaughan	South Point Hotel & Casino (Richard Childress)	Chevrolet	250	running
11	7	11	Brian Scott	Dollar General (Joe Gibbs)	Toyota	250	running
12	2	12	Sam Hornish, Jr.	Detroit Genuine Parts (Roger Penske)	Dodge	250	running
13	20	38	Brad Sweet	Great Clips (Steve Turner)	Chevrolet	250	running
14	18	43	Michael Annett	Pilot Travel Centers / Flying J Coffee (Richard Petty Motorsports)	Ford	249	running
15	23	44	Mike Bliss	TriStar Motorsports (Mark Smith)	Toyota	249	running
16	11	30	Steve Arpin	Mike's Hard Lemonade (Steve Turner)	Chevrolet	249	running
17	24	81	Jason Bowles	American Majority / PledgeToVote.com (Pat MacDonald)	Toyota	248	running
18	33	40	Erik Darnell	TheMotorsportsGroup.com (Curtis Key)	Chevrolet	248	running
19	25	87	Joe Nemechek	AMFM Energy / Pellet & WoodStoves (Joe Nemechek)	Toyota	247	running
20	14	24	Casey Roderick	West Virginia Miners Baseball (Jason Sciavicco)	Chevrolet	247	running
21	26	1	Mike Wallace	Restaurant.com (Johnny Davis)	Chevrolet	247	running
22	19	70	Johanna Long	Foretravel Motorcoach (Mary Louise Miller)	Chevrolet	246	running
23	17	51	Jeremy Clements	Clements Automotive (Jeremy Clements)	Chevrolet	245	running
24	29	23	Jamie Dick	Viva Auto Group (Robert Richardson, Sr.)	Chevrolet	244	running
25	21	41	Timmy Hill	Poynt.com (Rick Ware)	Ford	244	running
26	15	99	Travis Pastrana	Boost Mobile (Robby Benton)	Toyota	228	running
27	27	50	T.J. Bell	Twin Oaks / Beaver Bail Bonds (Mark Beaver)	Chevrolet	214	alternator
28	36	4	Daryl Harr	iWorld (Johnny Davis)	Chevrolet	207	engine
29	16	19	Tayler Malsam	Iron Horse Jeans / G-Oil (Mark Smith)	Toyota	179	crash
30	9	7	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy.com (JR Motorsports)	Chevrolet	113	crash
31	28	89	Morgan Shepherd	MorganShepherd.com (Morgan Shepherd)	Chevrolet	87	handling
32	22	14	Jeff Green	Hefty / Reynolds Wrap (Mark Smith)	Toyota	70	crash
33	34	52	Joey Gase	Pauliewood.com (Jimmy Means)	Chevrolet	50	engine
34	32	39	Josh Richards	NSW Kids (Archie St. Hilaire)	Ford	48	engine
35	42	74	Mike Harmon	Koma Unwind Relaxation Drink (Mike Harmon)	Chevrolet	12	Start and Park
36	41	72	John Jackson	CrashClaimsR.us (James Carter)	Toyota	7	Start and Park
37	37	8	Tim Andrews	Randy Hill Racing (Randy Hill)	Ford	6	Start and Park
38	40	42	Matt Frahm	Curtis Key Plumbing (Curtis Key)	Chevrolet	5	Start and Park
39	43	75	Michael Guerity	Rick Ware Racing (Rick Ware)	Chevrolet	4	Start and Park
40	38	15	Blake Koch	Capital Plastic Surgery (Rick Ware)	Chevrolet	3	Start and Park
41	30	10	Kevin Lepage	TriStar Motorsports (Mark Smith)	Toyota	3	Start and Park
42	39	47	Tim Schendel	Curtis Key Plumbing (Curtis Key)	Chevrolet	3	Start and Park
43	35	46	Chase Miller	Curtis Key Plumbing (Curtis Key)	Chevrolet	2	Start and Park

The point standings are shaping up much like last year. Ricky Stenhouse has begun to pull away from the rest of the field. It looks like we will have another Stenhouse vs. Sadler battle for the title, but Austin Dillon could get in the fray. Here's how things look:

	#	Driver	Points	Diff	Win	T5	T10	Pole
1	6	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	412		3	7	9	1
2	2	Elliott Sadler	384	-28	2	5	8	2
3	3	Austin Dillon	369	-43	0	6	8	0
4	12	Sam Hornish, Jr.	338	-74	0	2	4	0
5	88	Cole Whitt	320	-92	0	2	5	0
6	43	Michael Annett	301	-111	0	0	3	0
7	31	Justin Allgaier	299	-113	0	0	5	0
8	44	Mike Bliss	259	-153	0	0	0	0
9	87	Joe Nemechek	247	-165	0	0	0	0
10	7	Danica Patrick	233	-179	0	0	1	1

Join us later in the week for a preview of the Charlotte race. Enjoy!

Open Race Thread: NASCAR Nationwide Series Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 | Iowa Speedway

2012-05-20T17:20:08Z

I'm actually looking forward to this race, it will be nice to see the series without the large number of Cup regulars entered as they do on same-track weekends.

Elliott Sadler looks like he is loaded for bear after last week's run in with Cup regular Joey Logano as Sadler came out and took the pole for today's race by nearly a full tenth of a second of outside pole sitter Sam Hornish Jr.

I expect to see some good runs by series regulars Sadler, Stenhouse, Dillion, and Allgaier. I also expect that Hornish and Patrick will surprise us with pretty good finishes as well, as long as they aren't crashing into each other.

I'm interested in seeing how full the stands will be for this event since there will not be a lot of Cup regulars in the race. Will the fans come out and support this series when there are virtually no Cup drivers in the field? I hope so.

Starting line-up is after the jump, see you on the other side.

Starting Lineup
Iowa Speedway
2nd Annual Pioneer Hi-Bred 250
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, May 19, 2012 @ 05:30 PM Eastern
Track Qualifying Record: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 08/01/09 23.31 135.135

Pos	Car	Driver	Team	Time	Speed	Fastest	Next
1	2	Elliott Sadler	OneMain Financial Chevrolet	23.523	133.911	0.000	0.000
2	12	Sam Hornish Jr.	Detroit Genuine Parts Dodge	23.632	133.294	0.109	0.109
3	6	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Cargill Ford	23.664	133.114	0.141	0.032
4	18	Michael McDowell(i)	Pizza Ranch Toyota	23.669	133.085	0.146	0.005
5	31	Justin Allgaier	Brandt Chevrolet	23.771	132.514	0.248	0.102
6	3	Austin Dillon #	Advocare Chevrolet	23.789	132.414	0.266	0.018
7	11	Brian Scott	Dollar General Toyota	23.824	132.220	0.301	0.035
8	20	Darrell Wallace Jr.	Dollar General Toyota	23.829	132.192	0.306	0.005
9	7	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy.com Chevrolet	23.856	132.042	0.333	0.027
10	22	Parker Kligerman(i)	Discount Tire Dodge	23.875	131.937	0.352	0.019
11	30	Steve Arpin	Mike's Hard Lemonade Chevrolet	23.902	131.788	0.379	0.027
12	88	Cole Whitt #	DewCrew.com Chevrolet	24.006	131.217	0.483	0.104
13	33	Brendan Gaughan(i)	South Point Chevrolet	24.019	131.146	0.496	0.013
14	24	Casey Roderick #	West Virginia Miners Baseball Chevrolet	24.086	130.781	0.563	0.067
15	99	Travis Pastrana	boost mobile Toyota	24.097	130.722	0.574	0.011
16	19	Tayler Malsam	Iron Horse Jeans/G-Oil Toyota	24.111	130.646	0.588	0.014
17	51	Jeremy Clements	Clements Automotive Chevrolet	24.143	130.473	0.620	0.032
18	43	Michael Annett	Pilot/Flying J Ford	24.158	130.392	0.635	0.015
19	70	Johanna Long #	Foretravel Chevrolet	24.172	130.316	0.649	0.014
20	38	Brad Sweet #	Great Clips Chevrolet	24.232	129.993	0.709	0.060
21	41	Timmy Hill	Poynt.com Ford	24.244	129.929	0.721	0.012
22	14	Jeff Green	Hefty/Reynolds Wrap Toyota	24.259	129.849	0.736	0.015
23	44	Charles Lewandoski	TriStar Motorsports Toyota	24.289	129.688	0.766	0.030
24	81	Jason Bowles #	American Majority Toyota	24.316	129.544	0.793	0.027
25	87	Matt Carter	AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota	24.350	129.363	0.827	0.034
26	01	Mike Wallace	Restaurant.com Chevrolet	24.364	129.289	0.841	0.014
27	50	TJ Bell	Twin Oaks/Beaver Bail Bonds Chevrolet	24.375	129.231	0.852	0.011
28	89	Morgan Shepherd	MorganShepherd.com Chevrolet	24.395	129.125	0.872	0.020
29	23	Jamie Dick	Viva Auto Group Chevrolet	24.417	129.008	0.894	0.022
30	10	Kevin Lepage	TriStar Motorsports Toyota	24.419	128.998	0.896	0.002
31	54	Drew Herring	Monster Energy Toyota	24.503	128.556	0.980	0.084
32	39	Josh Richards	NSW Kids Ford	24.516	128.488	0.993	0.013
33	40	Erik Darnell	TheMotorsportsGroup.com Chevrolet	24.522	128.456	0.999	0.006
34	52	Joey Gase #	Pauliewood.com Chevrolet	24.726	127.396	1.203	0.204
35	46	Chase Miller	Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet	24.728	127.386	1.205	0.002
36	4	Daryl Harr	iWorld Chevrolet	24.735	127.350	1.212	0.007
37	08	Tim Andrews	Randy Hill Racing Ford	24.736	127.345	1.213	0.001
38	15	Blake Koch	Capital Plastic Surgery Chevrolet	24.797	127.031	1.274	0.061
39	47	Tim Schendel	Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet	24.840	126.812	1.317	0.043
40	42	Matt Frahm	Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet	24.858	126.720	1.335	0.018
41	72	John Jackson	Crash Claims R Us Toyota	24.914	126.435	1.391	0.056
42	74	Mike Harmon	Koma Unwind Chevrolet	25.059	125.703	1.536	0.145
43	75	Michael Guerity	RWR Chevrolet	27.144	116.048	3.621	2.085

*Required to qualify on time, OP - Top 30 in Owner Points, PC - Past Champion,(i)Ineligible for driver points in this series

ARCA Toldeo: Jared Marks looking to win at home track

2012-05-20T07:27:15Z

TOLEDO, Oh. - For most of the ARCA Racing Series, the season is a traveling circus from circuit to circuit. Every track is a battleground between series regulars and track locals and today's Menard's 200 is no different. The reigning Toledo track ace is 18-year old Jared Marks, who returned to ARCA competition this weekend, driving out of his family-owned race shop.

Sunday marks the one-year anniversary of Marks debut, where he started 13th and finished eighth at his home track.

During Saturday's practice sessions, Jared's fastest lap in final practice was a 16.608 at 108.382 mph, good enough for 15th overall. Drawing the final qualifying spot of 38th, he surprised many with a time of 16.123 at 111.642 mph, good for fifth.

"We had a very good car, but unfortunately didn't have time to make a mock qualifying run," Marks said. "We didn't really know where we were going to stand after practice but I got a very good lap out of the car. I drove it hard, this Dodge Charger is fast and it stuck good."

Qualifying ahead of Marks were Joey Coulter 4th (16.118/ 111.676 mph), Chris Buescher and current points leader Brennan Poole with identical laps (16.091/ 111.864 mph), and taking the pole was Alex Bowman (16.046/ 112.177 miles per hour.)

But points and trophies aren't awarded for winning practice and qualifying, a fact not lost on Marks.

"I think you just have to be patient," Marks said. "It's a long race, 200 laps, and you have be able to keep the fenders on it to be there at the end. And just try to keep everything clean and just be patient."

This was especially true at this track a few years ago when Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Scott Speed had the dominate cars in the fall. But tempers between the two caused both drivers to lose their cool and hand the race over to Justin Allgaier. He would win the race and the ARCA Series championship that year because flared tempers.

Fellow Toledo area natives, Levi Youster, and Tommy O'Leary of Toledo, and Cygnet, Ohio respectively didn't fare as well on this day as Marks did.

O'Leary's No. 06 Ford had trouble in second round practice, spinning and backing into the wall. After spending the rest of practice trying to repair the damaged car, the team had trouble getting through tech before finally making it to the grid for qualifying.

O'Leary's time of a 17.685 seconds was good enough for 34th fastest, but didn't qualify due to not having a provisional. Levi Youster's black No. 3 Ford qualified 33rd, at 17.301 seconds. He did have a provisional and will start shotgun on the field in 35th.

Marks, it appears, is Ohio's best shot to send a local to victory lane.

"It would mean a ton to win at Toledo," Marks said. "I got to sleep in my own bed for the first time in a year the other night. It's a lot of fun to be able to come here, and spend time with my family. And all my friends are coming and it would mean a lot to win a race in front of all of them."

The Menard's 200 presented by Federated Car Care will start at 2 PM on Sunday, and be televised on SPEED at 5 PM that same day.

The complete starting order can be found after the jump!


POS	NO	DRIVER/HOMETOWN	TEAM & CAR	TIME	SPEED
1	22	Alex Bowman/Tucson AZ	Cunningham Motorsports Dodge	16.046	112.177
2	25	Brennan Poole/The Woodlands TX	CJ Solar Band Chevrolet	16.091	111.864
3	17	Chris Buescher/Prosper TX	BeavEx-Reliance Tool Ford	16.091	111.864
4	61	Joey Coulter/Miami Springs FL	RipIt Energy-Paramount Chevrolet	16.118	111.676
5	12	Jared Marks/Napoleon OH	Premium Energy VIP Drink-SRT Motorsports Dodge	16.123	111.642
6	55	Erik Jones/Byron MI	Paragon Corvette Reproductions Toyota	16.182	111.235
7	58	Chad Hackenbracht/New Philadelphia OH	Tastee Apple Chevrolet	16.186	111.207
8	32	Mason Mingus/Brentwood TN	811 Call Before You Dig Toyota	16.202	111.097
9	16	Matt Lofton/Roxboro NC	Strutmasters.com-Paramount Chevrolet	16.227	110.926
10	52	Tom Hessert/Cherry Hill NJ	Schrader Racing Chevrolet	16.244	110.810
11	1	Mikey Kile/Westlake LA	ModSpace Ford	16.249	110.776
12	44	Frank Kimmel/Clarksville IN	Ansell-Menards Toyota	16.267	110.653
13	66	Clint King/Denton NC	Jaclyn North Country Music Artist Chevrolet	16.325	110.260
14	99	Grant Enfinger/Fairhope AL	Hylant Group Ford	16.329	110.233
15	42	Clay Rogers/Troutman NC	Beard Oil-Conoco Phillips Lubricants Chevy	16.341	110.152
16	15	Ryan Reed/Bakersfield CA	JDRF Toyota	16.404	109.729
17	02	Josh Williams/Port Charlotte FL	Southwest Florida Cable Construction Ford	16.452	109.409
18	2	Brandon Kidd/Manlius NY	Myrtle Beach Speedway Ford	16.538	108.840
19	09	Charles Evans Jr./Pasadena TX	ETS-RoushYates Performance Products Ford	16.541	108.821
20	01	Austin Rettig/Sikeston MO	Rettig Racing Dodge	16.580	108.565
21	04	Larry Barford Jr./Denton MD	VA Mortgage-Trauma Doc Dodge	16.638	108.186
22	30	Terry Jones/Amherstburg Ontario	Jones Group Ltd. Dodge	16.671	107.972
23	23	Spencer Gallagher/Las Vegas NV	Allegiant Air Chevrolet	16.767	107.354
24	6	Milka Duno/Caracas Venezuela	MilkaWay-CanTV Toyota	16.769	107.341
25	35	Nelson Canache/Caracas Venezuela	Venezuela Tourism Toyota	16.792	107.194
26	5	Bobby Gerhart/Lebanon PA	Lucas Oil Slick Mist Chevrolet	16.822	107.003
27	68	Korbin Forrister/Cedartown GA	Kimmel Racing Ford	16.900	106.509
28	85	Tim Cowen/Perrysville OH	Cowen Logistics Ford	16.917	106.402
29	94	Ronnie Souders Jr./North Canton OH	Power Bore Cylinder Sleeves Chevrolet	Provisional
30	18	Juan Carlos Blum/Guadalajara Mexico	VMP Nutrition Dodge	Provisional
31	88	Buster Graham/Lafayette LA	Batter's Dream Ford	Provisional
32	34	Darrell Basham/Henryville IN	Darrell Basham Racing Chevrolet	Provisional
33	10	Brad Lloyd/Napa CA	Fast Track Driving School Ford	Provisional
34	48	James Hylton/Inman SC	Radon.com Ford	Provisional
35	3	Levi Youster/Toledo OH	Bell Plantation Ford	Provisional

Open Race Thread: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race - Charlotte Motorspeedway

2012-05-20T00:35:04Z

So the time has come for One Hot Night reprised. Twenty years ago the All-Star race moved to prime time television and if I remember correctly it was a full moon too. No full-moon tonight but I imagine the sparks are going to fly just as it did twenty years ago.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and AJ Allmendinger just qualified for the race through the Showdown qualifier race and Bobby Labonte won the fan vote!

One million dollars is up for grabs tonight and I don't know about you but I hope Trevor Bane and the Wood Bros. win it because they are going to take that cash and re-invest it back into the racing organization.

In all honesty though, this race is just as much as a crap shoot as Talladega or Daytona and with the purse being so large I imagine there will be a lot more drivers willing to put their noses in places where they wouldn't normally go in the quest of the giant check at the end of the race.

Starting line-up is after the jump. See you on the other side.

POS	CAR	DRIVER	MAKE	SPONSOR	SPEED	TIME	BEHIND
1	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	M&M's	136.006	119.112	Leader
2	39	Ryan Newman	Chevrolet	Tornados	135.202	119.821	-0.709
3	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	FedEx Office	134.811	120.168	-1.056
4	16	Greg Biffle	Ford	3M / American Red Cross	134.529	120.420	-1.308
5	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	Budweiser / Rheem	134.304	120.622	-1.510
6	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	Lowe's Patriotic	133.800	121.076	-1.964
7	27	Paul Menard	Chevrolet	Menards / CertainTeed	133.722	121.147	-2.035
8	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	DuPont	133.556	121.297	-2.185
9	14	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet	Bass Pro Shops	133.353	121.482	-2.370
10	78	Regan Smith	Chevrolet	Furniture Row Racing	133.091	121.721	-2.609
11	21	Trevor Bayne	Ford	Good Sam Club / Camping World	132.938	121.861	-2.749
12	15	Clint Bowyer	Toyota	5-hour Energy	132.470	122.292	-3.180
13	99	Carl Edwards	Ford	Fastenal	132.331	122.420	-3.308
14	34	David Ragan	Ford	US Shredder	130.453	124.183	-5.071
15	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	Fifth Third Bank	134.606	125.351	-6.239
16	55	Mark Martin	Toyota	Aaron's Dream Machine	133.197	126.624	-7.512
17	51	Kurt Busch	Chevrolet	Monster Energy	131.628	128.074	-8.962
18	9	Marcos Ambrose	Ford	DEWALT	130.873	128.784	-9.672
19	2	Brad Keselowski	Dodge	Miller Lite	134.511	130.436	-11.324
20	5	Kasey Kahne	Chevrolet	Farmers Insurance	-	-	-
21	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	Dale Jr. Foundation / National Guard / Diet Mountain Dew	-	-	-
22	22	AJ Allmendinger	Dodge	Pennzoil	-	-	-
23	47	Bobby Labonte	Toyota	Kingsford	-	-	-

Open Race Thread: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Showdown - Charlotte Motorspeedway

2012-05-19T23:52:00Z

You know, I've always had a love/hate relationship with the Showdown race. One one hand I liked the fact that there was a local track feel with having a qualifying race, but on the other hand I thought the addition of the Showdown was just another feed-the-hype-cash-grab. I might be right on both counts really, but let's look at it with an optimistic glass is half-full frame of mind and feel the excitement of a local track qualifying event.

So who do you think is going to qualify and make it into the show? My answer is simple, anyone who is funded by deep pockets (i.e., Hendrick).

That then leaves the fan vote. I don't like the fan vote really, I feel it is more of a popularity contest rather than an objective who deserves it more approach. But then again, this is supposed to be all about the fans so let them have their say.

I'd like to see the fan vote replaced by a qualifying round with pit stops with the highest non-qualified finisher getting the final spot in the All-Star race. It would certainly go a long way to promoting the 'team' concept NASCAR focuses on during these All-Star events.

Starting line-up is after the jump. See you on the other side.

Starting line-up for Sprint Showdown:

AJ Allmendinger
Martin Truex Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jeff Burton
Aric Almirola
Landon Cassill
Juan Pablo Montoya
Bobby Labonte
Travis Kvapil
David Stremme
Casey Mears
David Reutimann
Joey Logano
Stephen Leicht
Scott Speed
David Gilliland
Mike Bliss
JJ Yeley
Jamie McMurray
Joe Nemechek
Josh Wise
Tony Raines

Lofton wins first career Truck Series race, Keselowski and Hornaday argue

2012-05-19T23:45:33Z

CONCORD, N.C. - On October 11, 2009, Justin Lofton won the ARCA championship for Eddie Sharp Racing, while driving under veteran crew chief Daniel Bormann. Three years later, the trio stood together in victory lane on Friday night as winners in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

It wasn't an easy journey. The trio went their separate ways after winning that championship and didn't reunite until this season, after Sharp had purchased the Truck Series assets of Kevin Harvick Inc.

Lofton has a reputation of being overly confident, a trait not fitting for a guy with such limited success in NASCAR. But with Friday's win, everything could change for the 26-year old Californian, who now assumes a one-point championship lead over Timothy Peters. Lofton is surging with success and confidence and has started the season with five consecutive top-five finishes.

Lofton could easily enjoy a David Reutimann-style career, getting signed by a Sprint Cup team just before his 30's and scratching out several Cup wins against guys with considerably larger checks. As long as he sticks with Sharp and Bormann, the trio could accomplish great things moving forward, something all three parties appear agreeable to.

"People have always credited me for standing behind young guys and I'm in full support of Justin," Sharp said. "If the day has to come where I'm on the outside of the fence looking in the garage, asking that Justin come get me, I'm okay with that because I'm proud of what he's accomplished."

Speaking of success, that's exactly what Jeb Burton accomplished all night prior to placing in eighth - the top finishing rookie.

He was even more impressive in the media center where he was thankful to everyone on his team and answered questions to the tune of 'yes ma'am and 'no sirs.' This prompted many in attendance to draw comparisons to his father - 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton.

"A chip off the old block," NASCAR moderator Kerry Tharp confirmed.

The complete finishing order can be found after the jump!

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Number 5
Unofficial Race Results for the 10Th Annual North Carolina Education Lottery
200 - Friday, May 18, 2012
Charlotte Motor Speedway - Concord, NC - 1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 134 Laps - 201 Miles - Purse: $485,978

Fin	Str	Trk	Driver	Team	Laps	Pts	Bns	Driver Rating	Winnings	Status	Tms	Laps
1	2	6	Justin Lofton	CollegeComplete.com Chevrolet	134	48	5	126.9	$42,625	Running	2	44
2	9	19	Brad Keselowski(i)	Cooper Standard RAM	134	0		134.2	$25,765	Running	2	32
3	17	11	Todd Bodine	Toyota Care Toyota	134	41		89.7	$21,235	Running
4	5	18	Jason Leffler	Dollar General Toyota	134	40		114.4	$15,825	Running
5	15	9	Ron Hornaday Jr.	Joe Denette Motorsports Chevrolet	134	40	1	99.7	$14,900	Running	1	1
6	7	23	Jason White	JW Demolition / GunBroker.com Ford	134	38		96.3	$12,200	Running
7	3	22	Joey Coulter	RCR Chevrolet	134	37		92.0	$11,700	Running
8	21	27	Jeb Burton #	State Water Heaters Chevrolet	134	36		78.8	$14,800	Running
9	4	17	Timothy Peters	Tire Kingdom Toyota	134	36	1	100.9	$11,475	Running	1	17
10	1	3	Ty Dillon #	Bass Pro Shops / Allstate Chevrolet	134	35	1	106.3	$14,950	Running	1	25
11	14	29	Parker Kligerman	Draw-Tite / MOPAR RAM	134	33		85.5	$10,950	Running
12	11	2	Brendan Gaughan(i)	Southpoint Hotel & Casino Chevrolet	134	0		78.6	$10,775	Running
13	24	98	Dakoda Armstrong #	EverFi.com Toyota	134	31		61.9	$10,650	Running
14	12	32	Miguel Paludo	Duroline Brakes Chevrolet	134	30		79.0	$10,550	Running
15	6	88	Matt Crafton	Menards / Fisher Nuts Toyota	134	29		89.7	$11,325	Running
16	22	09	John Wes Townley #	Toyota - Save in May Sales Event Toyota	134	28		65.5	$10,550	Running
17	34	81	David Starr	Build Your Future / Zachry Toyota	134	27		61.1	$10,300	Running
18	31	92	David Reutimann(i)	FleetHQ.com/BTSTire/QMI/FatbacksTire Chev	134	0		61.1	$8,000	Running
19	8	33	Cale Gale #	Rheem Chevrolet	134	25		63.5	$10,200	Running
20	26	99	Bryan Silas #	Rockingham Speedway Ford	134	24		44.5	$10,775	Running
21	35	75	Caleb Holman #	Food Country USA / Morning Fresh Farms Chevrolet	134	23		46.3	$7,830	Running
22	10	31	James Buescher	EXIDE Batteries Chevrolet	134	23	1	89.8	$8,775	Running	1	10
23	28	01	Jake Crum	BanditChippers.com Chevrolet	132	21		52.5	$7,750	Running
24	23	24	Max Gresham #	BugBand.net / Made in USA Brand Chevrolet	131	20		61.0	$8,725	Running
25	13	13	Johnny Sauter	Hot Honeys / Curb Records Toyota	127	19		92.2	$8,825	Running
26	25	10	Jennifer Jo Cobb	Driven2Honor.org RAM	126	18		31.6	$7,650	Running
27	29	14	Brennan Newberry	The Jeremy Staat Foundation Chevrolet	125	17		33.2	$7,625	Running
28	27	39	Ryan Sieg	Pull-A-Part Used Auto Parts Chevrolet	101	17	1	60.7	$7,600	Engine	1	5
29	16	30	Nelson Piquet Jr.	Alpinestars Chevrolet	98	15		62.4	$7,550	Accident
30	20	5	Paulie Harraka #	Child Help 1-800-4-A-CHILD Ford	84	14		45.2	$8,025	Accident
31	30	60	Chad McCumbee	Turn One Racing Chevrolet	61	13		34.1	$7,500	Overheating
32	32	84	Chris Fontaine	Glenden Enterprises Chevrolet	40	12		37.1	$7,450	Engine
33	19	7	John King #	CONSOL Energy Toyota	24	11		37.8	$7,425	Accident
34	36	38	Dennis Setzer	RSS Racing Chevrolet	19	10		30.6	$7,400	Overheating
35	18	08	Ross Chastain #	Florida Watermelon Association Toyota	12	9		32.3	$7,370	Engine
36	33	68	Clay Greenfield	@claygreenfield RAM	6	8		27.4	$7,350	Power

Race Comments: Before an estimated attendance of 25,000, Justin Lofton won the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory. Prior to the green flag, the following trucks dropped to the rear of the field for the reason indicated: #14 (engine change), #81 (adjustments outside impound), #92 (missed drivers meeting).
Failed to Qualify: (5) 07 Johnny Chapman, 70 Jeff Agnew, 57 Norm Benning, 93 B J McLeod, 28 Wes Burton.
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 49 Mins, 51 Secs. Average Speed: 109.786 MPH Margin of Victory: 0.261 Seconds
Caution Flags: 8 for 36 laps: Laps: 4-6 (#10, 14 accident frontstretch [None]); 13-17 (Oil on the track from the #08 [38]); 25-30 (#7 accident turn 2 [None]); 72-75 (#14 spin turn 4 [19]); 85-90 (#5, 31, 92 accident turn 2 [22]); 95-99 (Debris [33]); 121-124 (#30 accident turn 1 [31]); 127-129 (Debris [31]).
Lead Changes: 8 among 7 drivers: T. Dillon # 1-25; R. Sieg 26-30; J. Buescher 31-40; B. Keselowski(i) 41-66; R. Hornaday Jr. 67; T. Peters 68-84; J. Lofton 85-118; B. Keselowski(i) 119-124; J. Lofton 125-134.
Top 10 Driver Points: (1) J. Lofton 200;(2) T. Peters 199;(3) T. Dillon # 184;(4) J. Buescher 182;(5) P. Kligerman 170;(6) R. Hornaday Jr. 169;(7) J. White 158;(8) N. Piquet Jr. 155;(9) T. Bodine 151;(10) J. Coulter 145.
Featherlite Most Improved Driver : Jeb Burton, #27 28 Places Keystone Light Pole Award : Ty Dillon, #3 181.616 mph
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race : Earnhardt-Childress Racing, #6 Mobil 1 Oil Driver of the Race : Justin Lofton, #6
Sunoco Rookie of the Race : Jeb Burton, #27
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Next Race: Jun. 1, 2012 - Dover International Speedway
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875

Nationwide heads to Iowa without Sprint Cup Regulars: The Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 Preview

2012-05-19T16:56:00Z

The thing I'm looking forward to this week is the absence of many Cup regulars in the Nationwide field, with the main exception being Kurt Busch that is. Iowa Speedway is a newer racetrack that has been pretty good in terms of race action. Ricky Stenhouse won both races last year and is the only past winner entered this week. Elliott Sadler will be looking to turn around his luck following a late race crash with Joey Logano last weekend.

Pioneer Hi-Bred, the title sponsor this week, is the worldwide leader in producing Hi-Bred Seeds for agriculture. Pioneer makes Corn, Wheat and Soybean seeds for farmers. Check out there website for more information.

Entry list after the jump.

Entry	Car#	Driver	Sponsor	Manu	Owner
1	01	Mike Wallace	Restaurant.com	12 Chevy	Johnny Davis
2	2	Elliott Sadler	OneMain Finacial	12 Chevy	Delana Harvick
3	3	Austin Dillon	Advocare	12 Chevy	Morgan Shepherd
4	4	Daryl Harr		12 Ford	Rusty Wallace
5	6	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	Cargill	12 Ford	Jack Roush
6	7	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy.com	12 Chevy	Kelley Earnhardt-Miller
7	08	Tim Andrews		12 Ford	Randy Hill
8	10			12 Toyota	Mark Smith
9	11	Brian Scott	Dollar General	12 Toyota	J D Gibbs
10	12	Sam Hornish Jr	Detroit Genuine Parts	12 Dodge	Roger Penske
11	14	Jeff Green	Hefty/Reynolds Wrap	12 Toyota	Mark Smith
12	15	Blake Koch	Capital Plastic Surgery	12 Chevy	Rick Ware
13	18	Michael McDowell(i)	Pizza Ranch	12 Toyota	Joe Gibbs
14	19	Tayler Malsam	G-Oil/NOYS	12 Toyota	Mark Smith
15	20	Darrell Wallace Jr	Dollar General	12 Toyota	Joe Gibbs
16	22	Parker Kligerman(i)	Discount Tire	12 Dodge	Roger Penske
17	23	Jamie Dick	Viva Auto Group	12 Chevy	Robert Richardson Sr
18	24	Benny Gordon		12 Chevy	Jason Sciavicco
19	26	John Young	Eklekt	12 Dodge	John Young
20	30	Steve Arpin	Mike's Hard Lemonade	12 Chevy	Harry Scott Jr
21	31	Justin Allgaier	Brandt	12 Chevy	Sandra Turner
22	33	Brendan Gaughan(i)	South Point	12 Chevy	Delana Harvick
23	38	Brad Sweet	Great Clips	12 Chevy	Steve Turner
24	39	Josh Richards	NSW Kids	12 Ford	Archie St Hilaire
25	40	Erik Darnell	TheMotorsportsGroup.com	12 Chevy	Curtis Key Sr
26	41	Timmy Hill	Poynt.com	12 Ford	Rick Ware
27	42	Josh Wise(i)		12 Chevy	Curtis Key Sr
28	43	Michael Annett	Pilot/Flying J	12 Ford	Sandra Turner
29	44	Mike Bliss		12 Toyota	Mark Smith
30	46	Chase Miller		12 Chevy	Curtis Key Sr
31	47	Scott Speed(i)		12 Chevy	Curtis Key Sr
32	50	T J Bell		12 Chevy	Rusty Wallace
33	51	Jeremy Clements	Clements Automotive	10 Chevy	Tony Clements
34	52	Joey Gase		12 Chevy	Jimmy Means
35	54	Kurt Busch(i)	Monster Energy	12 Toyota	Kyle Busch
36	70	Johanna Long	Foretravel	12 Chevy	Mary Louise Miller
37	74	Mike Harmon	Koma Unwind	12 Chevy	Mike Harmon
38	75	Scott Riggs(i)		12 Chevy	Rick Ware
39	81	Jason Bowles	American Majority	12 Toyota	Gina MacDonald
40	87	Joe Nemechek	AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves	12 Toyota	Andrea Nemechek
41	88	Cole Whitt	DewCrew.com	12 Chevy	Dale Earnhardt Jr
42	89	Morgan Shepherd		12 Chevy	Morgan Shepherd
43	99	Travis Pastrana	Boost Mobile	12 Toyota	Robby Benton
			(i)- Not Running For Championship

43 teams are entered last I checked, so all of them will make it. Just a few notes this week.

#6- Ricky Stenhouse returns to the track that helped him win the Championship. He will carry the Cargill colors this week.
#10- No driver has been named yet for the start and park team, as Jeff Green will get another shot at a full race run with Eric McClure out for another week.
#18- Michael McDowell is entered this week for Joe Gibbs. McDowell has been very impressive with the team but has yet to win a race.
#20- Teaming with McDowell this week is ARCA Standout and Drive For Diversity graduate Darrell Wallace Jr will make his first start of 2012. Look for Wallace to be around the top 15 for most of the race. Wallace has the ability to one day make a run for a Nationwide Championship if he is given the opportunity.
#22- Parker Kligerman returns this week as the Truck Series ran yesterday.
#30- Steve Aprin again will make a start for Turner with Mike's Hard Lemonade as sponsor.

Join us this Sunday as the Nationwide Series gets the prime slot this week for the live running of the Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 from Iowa Speedway. ESPN will broadcast the race at 130pm eastern. Enjoy!