NASCAR Ranting and Raving

Race shop tours highlight first two days of All-Star Week

2012-05-17T02:05:51Z

CONCORD, N.C. - This week marks the first time I've ever been in Charlotte, having arrived on Tuesday via the Megabus. I'm in town throughout the week, leading up to my coverage of this Saturday's All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

I'm absolutely tired, not that anyone should feel sympathy towards me. Race City USA has everything that a NASCAR fan wants in a tourist destination. Mecklenburg County is quite possibly the coolest locale I've ever been too - even Daytona, a city that expanded on the heels of NASCAR's popularity.

With Charlotte Motor Speedway located at the epicenter, every shop and establishment was built with NASCAR in mind. Every citizen and tourist has at least one connection to the cities' host sport. Like the speedway itself, Charlotte was built for racing.

Just three days after winning career race no. 200, it was only appropriate that my first visit was to Hendrick Motorsports, where I checked-out the museum and race shops of all four superstar race teams.

The first thing you notice after turning onto Stowe Lane is just how modest and unassuming the entrance to Hendrick Motorsports really is. The facility is located on a country road only two miles away from the Speedway, nestled within a thick forest and the remnants of textile mills - the source of Concord's previous identity.

But once you enter the neatly trimmed grounds and arrive at Papa Joe Blvd., the majesty of their multi-building operation comes crashing upon you.

Find out more after the jump!

Geoff Bodine won three races and placed ninth in the standings in 1984 for first-year owner Rick Hendrick. (Matt Weaver/NASCAR Ranting and Raving)

My first stop was the museum, which is filled with mementos from the team's most-historic moments. The first car you see upon walking in the door is Geoff Bodine's All-Star Racing No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick's first NASCAR Winston Cup Series entry. That car competed in 1984, won three races, and finished ninth in the season standings.

Further down the aisle are cars (and Craftsman Trucks) driven by Jack Sprague, Ricky Hendrick, Tim Richmond and Ken Schrader, of which the latter was completely destroyed at Talladega in 1995.

Ken Schrader was involved in a multi-car accident at Talladega in 1995 that sent this car spinning and rolling through the infield grass. It was completely destroyed and now rests at the Hendrick Motorsports museum in Concord, NC. (Matt Weaver/NASCAR Ranting and Raving)

The opposite wall is lined with each of the team's recent Daytona 500-winning cars, beginning with Jeff Gordon's 1997, 1999, and 2005-winning cars, concluding with Jimmie Johnson's 2006 winner. Matched in its prestige are the cars that both Gordon and Johnson drove to championships in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Noticeably absent is Terry Labonte's 1995 championship-winning Chevrolet. That can be found somewhere in the museum's massive back wall, which is impressively adorned with every die-cast from Hendrick Motorsport's rich 28-year history.

The amount of history represented in the Hendrick Museum has to at least rival the NASCAR Hall of Fame itself. There are a ton of race wins and championships represented at Hendrick Motorsports. You could almost call the museum the NASCAR Modern Era Hall of Fame, especially when you consider that the organization is partially responsible for the last six championships, counting Tony Stewart's HMS-backed title.

Hendrick Motorsports race shop

If the museum is fun, the race shop is all about business, especially in the the 48/88 camp.

The race shop is left mostly blocked, especially in comparison to the exposed workspaces controlled by Alan Gustafson and Kenny Francis. The 24/5 shop offers a splendid view of the work being done to a fleet of about 10 race cars.

In comparison, you can only see one car in the 48/88 shop - currently a relatively-naked no. 48.

Hendrick Motorsports is the closest thing to a dynasty that NASCAR has to offer. And after Saturday's historic Southern 500, visiting their home was a fantastic start to All-Star Week.

JR Motorsports

A wax statue of Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands in front of the car his real-life counterpart drove to an emotional victory in the 2010 July Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. It was a replica of the car his father drove in the mid-1980s. (Matt Weaver/NASCAR Ranting and Raving)

Wednesday began with a visit to Mooresville and JR Motorsports, the Nationwide Series operation started by Dale Earnhardt Jr. The team currently fields cars for Danica Patrick, Cole Whitt, and occasionally Earnhardt himself.

For a Nationwide-only competitor, JR Motorsports is surprisingly Cup-level in regards to the amount of content and access they choose to provide. The merchandise is fairly priced, with change amounts typically ending in $0.88 (i.e. $5.88, $7.88, etc.). The race shop can be viewed from the store's back wall, providing an excellent view of ongoing adjustments to the team's fleet.

But the highlight of any visit to JR Motorsports can be found just outside of the shop's window, where Earnhardt Jr.'s Wrangler Nationwide Series winning-car is plainly visible for everyone to see. It rests virtually untouched, still featuring the dirt and debris acquired from bump-drafting around the 2.5-mile Florida Superspeedway.

JR Motorsports is a must-see destination for any Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan.

Penske Championship Racing

Crew members at Penske Championship Racing work on their cars leading up to a race weekend. (Matt Weaver/NASCAR Ranting and Raving)

Our last visit took us across the street from JR Motorsports to Penske Championship Racing, home of Roger Penske's NASCAR and IndyCar operations.

A shiny facility built on Mooresville's rolling hills, Penske headquarters serves as both a testament to the team's 50-year success and to the competitive standards required to keep it that way.

The walls of the Fan Walk are lined with images from every race victory spanning NASCAR, IndyCar and the American Le Mans Series. The shop floors are kept meticulously clean, evidenced by the reflection of employees clinging to its owners.

Once called Penske Racing South, the facility changed its name to Penske Championship Racing in 2009, an ambitious claim for a NASCAR operation still seeking its first Sprint Cup title. And yet, judging from their workspace, a championship is just around the corner.

I'll return tomorrow night with live coverage, pictures and video of the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge. In the meantime, follow me on Twitter @MattWeaverSBN. I'll be in Charlotte through Sunday, covering every event leading up to Saturday night's 28^th Sprint All Star Race.

Special shoutout to the ladies of Skirts and Scuffs and editor/founder Katy Lindamood. This trip wouldn't have been possible without their help.

Cartoon: In Honor of Chevrolet's Next Stock Car

2012-05-16T15:04:37Z

It appears that the 2013 Sprint Cup season will see the Bowtie Brigade piloting a rebadged Holden Commodore. Six of Chevy's top stars are already getting in the spirit...

NASCAR Issues Fines And Probation Kurt Busch and Others For Post Race Incident at Darlington

2012-05-16T14:12:08Z

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 15, 2012) – NASCAR has fined Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 51 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, $50,000 and placed him on NASCAR probation until July 25 for his actions during the May 12 race at Darlington Raceway.

Kurt Busch violated Section 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing; reckless driving on pit road during the race; involved in an altercation with another competitor after the completion of the race) of the 2012 NASCAR Rule Book. Additionally, Craig Strickler, a crew member for the No. 51 team, has been fined $5,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31 for violating Section 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing; interfering with a member of the broadcast media).

Tony Gibson, crew chief for the No. 39 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, has been placed on NASCAR probation until June 27 for violating Section 12-1 and Sections 12-4G and 9-4A (Crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his team members). Andrew Rueger, a crew member for the No. 39 team, has been fined $5,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until June 27 for violating Section 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing; failure to comply with a directive from a NASCAR official). Both of these violations occurred post-race.

Nationwide Survives Darlington: The VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 Review

2012-05-16T13:56:02Z

(Editor's Note: Due to an Internet failure at the 4ever3 residence I was not able get this up the last few days - sorry!). There's never much that can be said when a Sprint Cup driver wins a Nationwide race. This time though, the winner caused a Championship contender to crash. Joey Logano caused Sadler to hit the wall during a late race re-start. Sadler finished a disappointing 24th but he only falls to second in points. Based on last year's Nationwide campaign Elliott should be no stranger to getting spun by guys either not running for the championship or mathematically eliminated from contention.

Travis Pastrana finished 17th, which was a pretty good run for a Darlington Rookie. Danica Patrick wound up 12th, which launched her into 10th place in points.

Results and more after the jump!

Finish	Qual.	Driver	Team	Laps	Points	Status
1	5	Joey Logano	20 Dollar General / Gillette Toyota	151	NP	Running
2	2	Denny Hamlin	18 Sport Clips / VFW Toyota	151	NP	Running
3	13	Brad Keselowski	22 Snap-On / Dodge Dealers Dodge	151	NP	Running
4	8	Sam Hornish Jr.	12 Alliance Truck Parts / Dodge Dealers Dodge	151	40	Running
5	3	Austin Dillon	3 AdvoCare / American Ethanol Chevrolet	151	39	Running
6	1	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	6 Cargill / Valvoline Ford	151	39	Running
7	7	Brian Scott	11 Dollar General / Gillette Toyota	151	37	Running
8	4	Kurt Busch	54 Monster Energy Toyota	151	NP	Running
9	14	James Buescher	30 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet	151	NP	Running
10	40	Cole Whitt	88 TaxSlayer / Press On Chevrolet	151	34	Running
11	16	Joe Nemechek	87 SWM International Toyota	151	33	Running
12	15	Danica Patrick	7 GoDaddy.com / Tissot Chevrolet	151	32	Running
13	10	Justin Allgaier	31 Brandt Chevrolet	151	32	Running
14	22	Michael Annett	43 Flying J / Pilot Ford	151	30	Running
15	12	Mike Bliss	44 TriStar Motorsports Toyota	151	29	Running
16	31	Timmy Hill	41 Poynt / Lilly Trucking Ford	151	28	Running
17	25	Travis Pastrana	99 Boost Mobile / Samsung Toyota	151	27	Running
18	9	Kasey Kahne	38 Great Clips Chevrolet	151	NP	Running
19	26	Jeff Green	14 Hefty / Reynolds Wrap Toyota	149	25	Running
20	36	Danny Efland	4 EMS Speak / Tradebank Chevrolet	148	24	Running
21	32	Jason Bowles	81 American Majority Toyota	148	23	Running
22	37	Morgan Shepherd	89 Racing with Jesus Chevrolet	147	22	Running
23	28	Jamie Dick	23 Viva Auto Group Chevrolet	144	21	Running
24	6	Elliott Sadler	2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet	143	21	Out of race
25	19	Josh Richards	39 NSW Kids / Joy Ford	143	19	Running
26	11	Brendan Gaughan	33 South Point Chevrolet	138	NP	Out of race
27	42	Derrike Cope	70 ML Motorsports Dodge	138	17	Running
28	41	Matt Frahm	08 Maui Jim / New Lifestyle Diet Ford	125	16	Out of race
29	20	Erik Darnell	40 The Motorsports Group Chevrolet	91	15	Out of race
30	21	Mike Wallace	01 Restaurant.com Chevrolet	81	14	Running
31	30	Tayler Malsam	19 G-Oil / NOYS Toyota	60	13	Out of race
32	18	T.J. Bell	50 Twin Oaks Services / Liberty Chevrolet	44	12	Out of race
33	23	Jeremy Clements	51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet	42	11	Running
34	35	Blake Koch	15 Capital Plastic Surgery Chevrolet	29	10	Out of race
35	43	Kevin Lepage	52 Means Motorsports Chevrolet	25	9	Out of race
36	34	Tony Raines	10 TriStar Motorsports Toyota	14	NP	Out of race
37	39	Mike Harmon	74 Koma Unwind Chevrolet	10	7	Out of race
38	38	Scott Riggs	75 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet	7	NP	Out of race
39	24	Josh Wise	42 The Motorsports Group Chevrolet	7	NP	Out of race
40	27	Casey Roderick	24 West Virginia Miners Chevrolet	3	4	Out of race
41	29	Chase Miller	46 The Motorsports Group Chevrolet	2	3	Out of race
42	33	Scott Speed	47 The Motorsports Group Chevrolet	2	NP	Out of race
43	17	Ryan Blaney	36 Advance Auto Parts / SealWrap Chevrolet	1	1	Out of race

Jeff Green had an okay run, and it was good to see him getting the green light to run a race. Here's the way the points look like following Darlington:

Rank	Car #	Driver	Points	Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles
1	6	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	364	9	2	6	8	1
2	2	Elliott Sadler	341	9	2	4	7	2
3	3	Austin Dillon	329	9	0	5	7	0
4	12	Sam Hornish Jr.	305	9	0	2	4	0
5	88	Cole Whitt	282	9	0	2	4	0
6	43	Michael Annett	271	9	0	0	3	0
7	31	Justin Allgaier	260	9	0	0	4	0
8	44	Mike Bliss	230	9	0	0	0	0
9	87	Joe Nemechek	222	9	0	0	0	0
10	7	Danica Patrick	219	9	0	0	1	1

Join us soon for a preview of the race from Iowa Speedway. Enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there!

2012-05-14T01:59:45Z

Wishing all of you a great Mother's Day from the staff at NASCAR RnR.

Worth the wait, Jimmie Johnson wins no. 200 for Hendrick Motorsports at Darlington

2012-05-13T04:22:36Z

After seven months and 16 races, Jimmie Johnson finally gift-wrapped Rick Hendrick his 200^th career win as an owner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

For a moment, it looked like we might have had a repeat of Martinsville. After all, the race was decided on a green-white-checkered finish with Johnson restarting in front of two of the most aggressive drivers in NASCAR history in Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch.

But unlike Martinsville, Johnson cleared the competition on the restart and sailed away to win the Southern 500 by over half a second on Saturday night at Darlington Speedway.

"You gotta love that man. He just said 200's great, but let's go get 250," Johnson said after a postrace exchange in victory lane with his car owner. "So it tells you where his head is. I love it!"

The race came down to a fuel mileage gamble with Johnson, Stewart and Busch last pitting on lap 367. That meant the leaders would need to go at least 67 laps on a track that has a fuel window of 65-70 laps.

Each of the leaders took their chances by running on the apron and flipping their starters off under the caution. Fortunately for them, the yellow flag dropped in bunches, falling four times for 16 laps. That proved to be enough for Johnson to cruise to victory.

With the green-white-checkered finish, the leaders went 69 laps without pitting, which was enough for Johnson but not enough for Stewart. He ran out of gas and stalled on the final restart but rallied to finish P3. Denny Hamlin picked-off second. Busch and Martin Truex completed the top-5.

The Southern 500 wasn't quite as magical for Johnson's HMS teammate, Jeff Gordon. The four-time champion's disappointing season continued on Saturday night, cutting three tires and eventually going to the garage with an unknown problem. He finished in 35^th and now sits 24^th in the championship standings. The All-Star Break can't come soon enough for the 24 team.

Much like last year's race, the 2012 Southern 500 featured some late-race theatrics between Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman's...gas man.

Busch had brought out the final caution by cutting a tire and spinning in front of Newman with six laps to go. Busch slapped the turn three wall and nearly gathered it up before hitting the turn four wall and spinning in front of Newman.

Both Busch and Newman drifted towards the inside retaining wall, collected damage, and finished in 21^st and 23^rd respectively. But it didn't end there.

Busch sped through Newman's pit stall after the race and nearly made contact with several of Newman's crew. In response, gas man Andy Rueger (Seymour, IN) charged at Busch and had to be restrained by NASCAR officials.

Busch and Newman talked it over after the race and appeared to set their differences aside. It has to be a frustrating finish for both drivers. Busch was having his best run of the year on a non-restrictor plate track, staying consistently within the top-10, while Newman is fighting to secure a Chase spot.

That's a snapshot of the Southern 500. It's still one of NASCAR's crown jewels and it brings out the best and worst of the Sprint Cup garage.

Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson, Rick Hendrick, and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. It's been a long and storied road to 200 wins and its likely just getting started.

Onto Charlotte Motor Speedway and the All-Star Break. Content editor Matt Weaver will be in attendance, providing live coverage of the Pit Crew Challenge, Camping World Truck Series race and the 28^th All-Star Race. Follow his updates on the website or on Twitter @MattWeaverSBN.

The complete rundown and a video of the Busch/Newman conflict can be found after the jump!

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Number 11
Unofficial Race Results for the 63Rd Annual Southern 500
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Darlington Raceway - Darlington, SC - 1.366 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 368 Laps - 502.688 Miles - Purse: $5,663,476

Fin	Str	Car	Driver	Team	Laps	Pts	Bns	Driver Rating	Winnings	Status	Tms	Laps
1	2	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet	368	48	5	141.1	$319,786	Running	6	134
2	8	11	Denny Hamlin	Sport Clips Toyota	368	43	1	116.4	$238,656	Running	4	56
3	17	14	Tony Stewart	Office Depot / MOBIL 1 Chevrolet	368	41		103.1	$209,415	Running
4	5	18	Kyle Busch	Wrigley Doublemint Toyota	368	41	1	120.9	$178,123	Running	5	44
5	6	56	Martin Truex Jr.	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota	368	40	1	117.2	$147,554	Running	2	25
6	19	17	Matt Kenseth	Zest Ford	368	38		96.7	$154,776	Running
7	7	99	Carl Edwards	Ford EcoBoost Fusion Ford	368	37		104.8	$145,906	Running
8	3	5	Kasey Kahne	Rockwell Tools Chevrolet	368	37	1	108.8	$108,790	Running	2	33
9	28	9	Marcos Ambrose	DeWalt Ford	368	35		74.8	$130,748	Running
10	21	20	Joey Logano	The Home Depot Toyota	368	34		90.6	$104,715	Running
11	26	15	Clint Bowyer	5-hour Energy Toyota	368	33		86.1	$120,969	Running
12	1	16	Greg Biffle	3M / OH / ES Ford	368	33	1	115.4	$107,580	Running	2	74
13	14	27	Paul Menard	Menards / Pittsburgh Paints Chevrolet	368	31		76.4	$100,705	Running
14	9	78	Regan Smith	Furniture Row / CSX Play it Safe Chevrolet	368	30		79.4	$117,488	Running
15	15	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Dodge	368	29		75.9	$124,725	Running
16	23	29	Kevin Harvick	Budweiser Chevrolet	368	28		85.1	$136,391	Running
17	24	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Diet Mountain Dew / National Guard Chevrolet	368	28	1	75.9	$96,930	Running	1	1
18	10	31	Jeff Burton	BB&T Chevrolet	368	26		69.9	$126,530	Running
19	13	43	Aric Almirola	Gravely Mower Ford	368	25		67.3	$124,416	Running
20	18	55	Mark Martin	Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota	368	24		65.1	$87,605	Running
21	25	51	Kurt Busch	Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet	368	23		87.0	$110,063	Running
22	31	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Ford	367	22		54.2	$99,063	Running
23	4	39	Ryan Newman	WIX Chevrolet	367	21		79.1	$125,263	Running
24	27	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target Chevrolet	366	20		57.0	$113,696	Running
25	36	38	David Gilliland	A&W All American Food Ford	366	19		54.5	$94,913	Running
26	20	83	Landon Cassill	Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota	366	19	1	57.0	$108,575	Running	1	1
27	34	36	Dave Blaney	SealWrap.com Chevrolet	365	17		51.0	$78,255	Running
28	37	34	David Ragan	Peanut Patch / Margaret Holmes Ford	364	16		38.7	$90,152	Running
29	22	47	Bobby Labonte	Scott Products Toyota	364	15		55.3	$88,680	Running
30	42	32	Reed Sorenson(i)	Southern Pride Trucking Ford	363	0		39.7	$89,505	Running
31	38	10	Danica Patrick(i)	GoDaddy.com Chevrolet	362	0		44.5	$76,980	Running
32	33	73	Travis Kvapil	Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota	362	PE		40.4	$76,805	Running
33	16	22	AJ Allmendinger	Shell Pennzoil Dodge	357	11		70.9	$121,480	Running
34	11	1	Jamie McMurray	Bass Pro Shops / Allstate Chevrolet	345	10		63.7	$107,813	Running
35	12	24	Jeff Gordon	Drive to End Hunger / AARP Chevrolet	339	9		80.9	$124,466	Running
36	41	93	David Reutimann	Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota	314	8		43.4	$84,380	Running
37	43	49	JJ Yeley	America Israel Racing / JPO Absorbents Toyota	132	7		32.5	$75,915	Clutch
38	39	74	Cole Whitt(i)	Turn One Racing Chevrolet	35	0		30.9	$75,682	Vibration
39	32	30	David Stremme	Inception Motorsports Toyota	32	5		34.1	$72,225	Overheating
40	40	87	Joe Nemechek(i)	AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota	27	0		31.4	$72,050	Power
41	35	52	Mike Skinner(i)	CrusaderStaffing.com Toyota	20	0		29.6	$71,875	Electrical
42	29	79	Scott Speed	Team Kyle / KOMA Unwind Ford	20	2		29.5	$71,780	Overheating
43	30	26	Josh Wise	Morristown Drivers Service Ford	19	1		27.3	$72,139	Vibration

Race Comments: Before an estimated attendance of 63,000,

Jimmie Johnson won the Bojangles' Southern 500, his 56th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. Prior to the green flag, no cars dropped to the rear of the field.

Failed to Qualify: (4) 23 Scott Riggs, 98 Michael McDowell, 33 Stephen Leicht #, 19 Mike Bliss(i).

Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 45 Mins, 25 Secs. Average Speed: 133.802 MPH Margin of Victory: 0.781 Seconds

Caution Flags: 8 for 38 laps: Laps: 173-179 (Debris [15]); 195-199 (Debris [39]); 231-235 (Debris [88]); 299-303 (#47 Spin [1]); 308-311 (#78 Spin [31]); 317-319 (#1, 22 Accident Turn 4 [9]); 331-334 (#32 Spin [2]); 362-366 (#39, 51 Accident Turn 2 [55]).

Lead Changes: 22 among 8 drivers: G. Biffle 1-48; K. Kahne 49; J. Johnson 50; L. Cassill 51; Kyle Busch 52-72; G. Biffle 73-98; D. Hamlin 99-100; J. Johnson 101-172; Kyle Busch 173; J. Johnson 174-179; Kyle Busch 180-188; J. Johnson 189-194; Kyle Busch 195; D. Hamlin 196-199; K. Kahne 200-231; D. Hamlin 232-280; D. Earnhardt Jr. 281; M. Truex Jr. 282-298; D. Hamlin 299; M. Truex Jr. 300-307; J. Johnson 308-312; Kyle Busch 313-324; J. Johnson 325-368.

Top 12 Driver Points: (1) G. Biffle 411;(2) M. Kenseth 409;(3) D. Earnhardt Jr. 397;(4) D. Hamlin 394;(5) J. Johnson 372;(6) M. Truex Jr. 372;(7) T. Stewart 369;(8) K. Harvick 361;(9) Kyle Busch 349;(10) C. Edwards 337;(11) C. Bowyer 335;(12) B. Keselowski 328.

3M Lap Leader : Jimmie Johnson, #48 134 Laps American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award : Jimmie Johnson, #48

Coors Light Pole Award : Greg Biffle, #16 180.257 mph DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race : Kyle Busch, #18 crew chief Dave Rogers

Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race : Hendrick Engines, #48 Mobil 1 Oil Driver of the Race : Denny Hamlin, #11

Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race : Tony Stewart, #14 crew chief Steve Addington, 0.323 USG Improving the Finish : Marcos Ambrose, #9 19 places

(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

Next Race: May. 17, 2012 - Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875

Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Andy Rueger pit road video

Open Race Thread: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway

2012-05-12T22:57:45Z

Yesterday was the primer, and today is the main event at Darlington. The Biff is on the pole and look for him to be a front runner all day.

Based on yesterday's race it looks like we're gonna have a lot of green flag laps and if that is the case I wouldn't be surprised if we see some people get out of sync with the rest of the field with their pit stops to try and catch the field in the back during a late round of pit stops. Only problem is, you might end up shooting yourself in the foot if you don't get that to cycle exactly the way you want it to.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Joey Logano ends up getting spun with a RCR car behind him during a restart - if you watched yesterday's race you'll know what I'm talking about - wink, wink.

Starting line-up after the jump, see you their!

Starting Line Up by Row
Darlington Raceway
63rd Annual Bojangles' Southern 500
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, May 11, 2012 @ 06:37 PM Eastern
Track Race Record: Kyle Busch 05/10/08 03:05:19 140.35

Row	Pos	Car	Driver	Team	Time	Speed
1	1	16	Greg Biffle	3M / OH / ES Ford	27.281	180.257
	2	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet	27.386	179.566
2	3	5	Kasey Kahne	Rockwell Tools Chevrolet	27.386	179.566
	4	39	Ryan Newman	WIX Chevrolet	27.402	179.461
3	5	18	Kyle Busch	Wrigley Doublemint Toyota	27.404	179.448
	6	56	Martin Truex Jr.	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota	27.424	179.317
4	7	99	Carl Edwards	Ford EcoBoost Fusion Ford	27.427	179.298
	8	11	Denny Hamlin	Sport Clips Toyota	27.444	179.187
5	9	78	Regan Smith	Furniture Row / CSX Play it Safe Chevrolet	27.451	179.141
	10	31	Jeff Burton	BB&T Chevrolet	27.458	179.095
6	11	1	Jamie McMurray	Bass Pro Shops / Allstate Chevrolet	27.459	179.089
	12	24	Jeff Gordon	Drive to End Hunger / AARP Chevrolet	27.461	179.076
7	13	43	Aric Almirola	Gravely Mower Ford	27.474	178.991
	14	27	Paul Menard	Menards / Pittsburgh Paints Chevrolet	27.484	178.926
8	15	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Dodge	27.500	178.822
	16	22	AJ Allmendinger	Shell Pennzoil Dodge	27.506	178.783
9	17	14	Tony Stewart	Office Depot / MOBIL 1 Chevrolet	27.515	178.724
	18	55	Mark Martin	Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota	27.551	178.491
10	19	17	Matt Kenseth	Zest Ford	27.592	178.226
	20	83	Landon Cassill	Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota	27.613	178.090
11	21	20	Joey Logano	The Home Depot Toyota	27.630	177.980
	22	47	Bobby Labonte	Scott Products Toyota	27.631	177.974
12	23	29	Kevin Harvick	Budweiser Chevrolet	27.635	177.948
	24	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Diet Mountain Dew / National Guard Chevrolet	27.642	177.903
13	25	51	Kurt Busch	Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet	27.651	177.845
	26	15	Clint Bowyer	5-hour Energy Toyota	27.661	177.781
14	27	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target Chevrolet	27.735	177.307
	28	9	Marcos Ambrose	DeWalt Ford	27.794	176.930
15	29	79	Scott Speed	Team Kyle / KOMA Unwind Ford	27.802	176.879
	30	26	Josh Wise #	Morristown Drivers Service Ford	27.823	176.746
16	31	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Ford	27.825	176.733
	32	30	David Stremme	Inception Motorsports Toyota	27.845	176.606
17	33	73	Travis Kvapil	Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota	27.847	176.594
	34	36	Dave Blaney	SealWrap.com Chevrolet	27.857	176.530
18	35	52	Mike Skinner(i)	CrusaderStaffing.com Toyota	27.957	175.899
	36	38	David Gilliland	A&W All American Food Ford	27.978	175.767
19	37	34	David Ragan	Peanut Patch / Margaret Holmes Ford	28.004	175.603
	38	10	Danica Patrick(i)	GoDaddy.com Chevrolet	28.021	175.497
20	39	74	Cole Whitt(i)	Turn One Racing Chevrolet	28.021	175.497
	40	87	Joe Nemechek(i)	AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota	28.097	175.022
21	41	93	David Reutimann	Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota	Owner Points
	42	32	Reed Sorenson(i)	Southern Pride Trucking Ford	Owner Points
22	43	49	JJ Yeley	America Israel Racing / JPO Absorbents	28.125	174.848

Did Not Qualify: # 23 Scott Riggs; # 98 Michael McDowell; # 33 Stephen Leicht #; # 19 Mike Bliss(i).
Manufacturer Starting Lineup DNQs Manufacturer Starting Lineup DNQs
Chevrolet 16 2 Ford 11 1

Open Race Thread: NASCAR Nationwide Series VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200

2012-05-11T21:55:52Z

Darlington. Love this track, we should race here more often - like on Labor Day Weekend!

Anyway, back to reality. This race tonight will be nothing but reality to its 43 drivers as this track that has been dubbed "Too Tough Too Tame" for its harsh dose of reality for anyone who has ever raced on the egg-shaped oval.

Those drivers looking at a getting a good shot of reality are Danica Patrick, Travis Pastrana, and anyone else who has never raced there before.

My pick to win tonight is anyone that is a Cup driver. I hope I'm wrong but let's face it, experience at this track is more of an asset than at most of the other tracks in the circuit.

Race line up after the jump, see you there!

POS	CAR	DRIVER	MAKE	SPONSOR	SPEED	TIME	BEHIND
1	6	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Ford	Blackwell Angus Beef / Cargill	173.546	28.336	Leader
2	18	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	Sport Clips	172.784	28.461	-0.125
3	3	Austin Dillon*	Chevrolet	AdvoCare	172.650	28.483	-0.147
4	54	Kurt Busch	Toyota	Monster Energy	172.378	28.528	-0.192
5	20	Joey Logano	Toyota	Dollar General	172.354	28.532	-0.196
6	2	Elliott Sadler	Chevrolet	OneMain Financial	171.920	28.604	-0.268
7	11	Brian Scott	Toyota	Dollar General	171.698	28.641	-0.305
8	12	Sam Hornish Jr.	Dodge	Alliance Truck Parts	171.357	28.698	-0.362
9	38	Kasey Kahne	Chevrolet	Great Clips	170.821	28.788	-0.452
10	31	Justin Allgaier	Chevrolet	Brandt	170.253	28.884	-0.548
11	33	Brendan Gaughan	Chevrolet	South Point Hotel & Casino	170.200	28.893	-0.557
12	44	Mike Bliss	Toyota	Tri-Star Motorsports	169.807	28.960	-0.624
13	22	Brad Keselowski	Dodge	Snap-On Tools	169.725	28.974	-0.638
14	30	James Buescher	Chevrolet	AccuDoc Solutions	168.758	29.140	-0.804
15	7	Danica Patrick	Chevrolet	GoDaddy.com	168.497	29.185	-0.849
16	87	Joe Nemechek	Toyota	SWMTX.com	168.169	29.242	-0.906
17	136	Ryan Blaney	Chevrolet	SealWrap.com / Advance Auto Parts	167.859	29.296	-0.960
18	50	T.J. Bell	Chevrolet	Twin Oaks Services	167.157	29.419	-1.083
19	39	Josh Richards	Ford	NSW Kids	167.152	29.420	-1.084
20	40	Erik Darnell	Chevrolet	TheMotorsportsGroup.com	167.066	29.435	-1.099
21	01	Mike Wallace	Chevrolet	Restaurant.com	166.953	29.455	-1.119
22	43	Michael Annett	Ford	Pilot Flying J	166.653	29.508	-1.172
23	51	Jeremy Clements	Chevrolet	Clements Automotive	166.366	29.559	-1.223
24	42	Josh Wise	Chevrolet	Curtis Key Plumbing	166.337	29.564	-1.228
25	199	Travis Pastrana	Toyota	Boost Mobile	166.186	29.591	-1.255
26	14	Jeff Green	Toyota	Hefty / Reynolds Wrap	165.984	29.627	-1.291
27	124	Casey Roderick*	Chevrolet	West Virginia Miners / Linda K. Epling	165.956	29.632	-1.296
28	23	Jamie Dick	Chevrolet	Viva Auto Group	165.950	29.633	-1.297
29	46	Chase Miller	Chevrolet	Curtis Key Plumbing	165.464	29.720	-1.384
30	19	Tayler Malsam	Toyota	G-Oil / NOYS	165.448	29.723	-1.387
31	41	Timmy Hill	Ford	Poynt.com	165.320	29.746	-1.410
32	81	Jason Bowles*	Toyota	American Majority	165.298	29.750	-1.414
33	47	Scott Speed	Chevrolet	Curtis Key Plumbing	165.264	29.756	-1.420
34	10	Tony Raines	Toyota	TriStar Motorsports	164.965	29.810	-1.474
35	15	Blake Koch	Chevrolet	CapitalPlasticSurgery.com	164.413	29.910	-1.574
36	4	Danny Efland	Chevrolet	EMS Speak	164.391	29.914	-1.578
37	89	Morgan Shepherd	Chevrolet	Racing With Jesus / MorganShepherd.com	161.360	30.476	-2.140
38	175	Scott Riggs	Chevrolet	Rick Ware Racing	160.339	30.670	-2.334
39	174	Mike Harmon	Chevrolet	Koma Unwind Relaxation Drink	159.481	30.835	-2.499
40	88	Cole Whitt*	Chevrolet	TaxSlayer.com	158.730	30.981	-2.645
41	52	Kevin Lepage	Chevrolet	Second Chance Race Parts	158.255	31.074	-2.738
42	108	Matt Frahm	Ford	New Lifestyle Diet / Maui Jim Sunglasses	156.323	31.458	-3.122
43	70	Derrike Cope	Dodge	ML Motorsports	152.158	32.319	-3.983