NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

Anytime, Anywhere for Busch
Next!

That’s the battle cry for Kyle Busch throughout this young season. Seemingly, whatever you throw at him, he conquers. In NASCAR’s three national series, Busch has won at a restrictor plate track, a road course, a 1.5-miler, a 2-miler and a one-miler.

What’s left? He still needs a short track win and a win at one of the two 2.5-mile flat tracks (Pocono and Indy). Busch can check off one of those this weekend, when both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series heads to the .75-mile Richmond International Raceway short track.

A win would be a nice birthday gift for the soon-to-be 23 year old. Busch turns 23 on Friday, and has already had a stellar career. He has 28 victories in NASCAR’s three national series — NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (6), NASCAR Nationwide Series (14) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (8). Rob Moroso is next with six (all in the Nationwide Series) before he turned 23.

Best Finishes in Brightest Spotlights for JPM: Montoya in Coveted Top 12 Position
Juan Pablo Montoya has a flare for coming up big on the biggest of stages, that’s for sure. Montoya has runner-up finishes at two of NASCAR’s most noted tracks - Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year and Talladega Speedway last Sunday.

But his second-place finish at Talladega put him in unchartered territory - the top 12 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings.

For the first time in his short NASCAR career, Montoya is inside the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cut-off. His previous best points position was 15th after the fourth race of 2007, his rookie season.

Happy Anniversary? - Earnhardt Aims to Snap 71-Race Win Drought at Site of Last Victory
Dale Earnhardt Jr. had strong car at Talladega - proven by his comeback after an accident that could have ended his race.

Earnhardt finished 10th at Talladega after falling to 29th with five laps to go to retain his third-place points position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings. Check out his running position over his final five laps:
Lap 184: 29th
Lap 185: 28th
Lap 186: 20th
Lap 187: 14th
Lap 188: 10th

Earnhardt, and the rest of Talladega’s Sea of Green, hope the trend of improvement continues at Richmond, the site of his last win - back in 2006, 71 races ago.

Happy Homecomings? - Hamlin Shoots for Home Track Sweep
With his win at Martinsville earlier this season, Denny Hamlin checked one of his home tracks off the list.

But this one’s his Holy Grail.

Like Tony Stewart’s quest for a win at Indy, teammate Hamlin has made it known that a victory at Richmond International Raceway would mean everything to him.

He’s come excruciatingly close. He finished second there in his first Richmond start in 2006 - which, by the way, was won by Dale Earnhardt Jr. - and had finishes of third and sixth in the two races last season.

DEI Celebrates Dale Earnhardt Day
Dale Earnhardt Inc. will celebrate Dale Earnhardt Day on Tuesday, April 29, the birthday of the seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

The festivities in memory of The Intimidator include autograph sessions at DEI’s Moorseville, N.C. headquarters with current DEI drivers Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr., Regan Smith and Aric Almirola, as well as the unveiling of a mosaic in Earnhardt’s honor.

Fans Come First at Richmond
Where else but NASCAR will you see the fans front and center? This weekend’s race is named after a fan for the second consecutive season. This time meet Dan Lowry, the namesake for this weekend’s Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Lowry, a 29-year-old from New Waterford, Ohio, won the contest after submitting a story recalling a moment when he was working thousands of miles away from home in Venezuela. He wandered into a local restaurant where he didn’t recognize any of the labels behind the bar until he a Crown Royal bag that immediately reminded him of the fond memories of home.

This weekend, the Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond International Raceway demonstrates how NASCAR and its teams, tracks and sponsors are making the sport’s fans its true stars…in ways that give fans NASCAR immortality.

• Fans served as the Grand Marshal of a race (The Nicorette 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 8, where 300 fans who stopped smoking gave the “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines” command).
• One lucky fan will be allowed to put his or her marriage proposal on Carl Edwards Office Depot Ford (at the NASCAR Sprint All- Star Challenge on May 17 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway)
• Sometimes, they even put a fan’s face on the actual race car, such as Hellmann’s putting a 67-year old grandfather Ron Bernheim on Kasey Kahne’s Nationwide Series ride at Texas Motor Speedway, and Best Western putting three year old Benjamin Tedeschi on David Reutimann’s car at Phoenix International Raceway.

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES

Hamilton Storms Back into Top 10
Standings leader Clint Bowyer is the defending race winner at Richmond. He’s 27 points ahead of second-place Carl Edwards, who won this race in 2005. Series-only drivers make up half the top 10, including Bobby Hamilton Jr. in 10th. After finishing third at Talladega last week - his best finish since a second place at Nazareth in 2004 - Hamilton Jr. is making his first top-10 standings appearance of the season. The feat is especially considering he didn’t race in Mexico City two weeks ago (road-course specialist Boris Said ran the No. 25 Ford). His dad, Bobby Hamilton Sr., won at Richmond in 1989, his only NASCAR Nationwide Series victory.

New Teams, New Faces in Richmond Garage
Jeff Green, the 2000 series champion, looks to make his season series debut for Key Motorsports, a team that has been plying its trade in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He won this race at RIR in 2000. One more driver is aiming for his series debut — Ryan Hackett. Hackett, 25, from La Plata, Md., has experience on dirt and in NASCAR late model competition.

Tie One On: Harvick Looks to Match Martin
Although Kyle Busch fell one race short in an effort to tie Sam Ard’s consecutive victories mark at four last week at Talladega, another driver has a shot at tying a series mark at Richmond. Kevin Harvick, the two-time series champion, has four wins at the track - three of them in succession over the last five races. The track record is five by Mark Martin, the series all-time leader in wins (48) and poles (30). Harvick is also seeking his 200th series start.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES

Hornaday in Familiar Territory - Back on Top
It’s taken five races but 2007 champion Ron Hornaday Jr. is back atop the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings. Hornaday, who led the first one-two finish for Kevin Harvick Inc. at Kansas Speedway on April 26, is the first defending titlist to head the points since Bobby Hamilton in 2005.

Rivals No More - Sprague a Team Player
Quick answer to the question “Can a pair of three-time champions and former rivals co-exist?” Jack Sprague, who finished second to teammate Hornaday at Kansas, was disappointed he didn’t win the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 but was pleased to share the glory with KHI teammate Hornaday.

Braun Ready for Big Time
A rookie shines. It wasn’t pretty - and there was controversy in his dealings with several series veterans - but 19-year-old Colin Braun recorded the best finish (third) by a Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate since Roush Fenway teammate Erik Darnell’s third-place performance in the 2006 season finale. Braun’s on a hot streak, also winning his first national series pole at the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Mexico City.

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• Kyle Busch Seeks “Series Circuit” At Richmond
• Hamlin A Definite Favorite At His Favorite Track
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. Seeks To End 71-Race Win Drought
• Richmond A Fixture In 60 Years of NASCAR Racing

There He Goes: Kyle Busch On A Victory Roll

Soon-to-be 23-year-old Kyle Busch (No. 18 Pedigree Toyota) — his birthday is Friday — approaches Saturday night’s Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond International Raceway seeking the capstone to a personal puzzle.

Fresh off last Sunday’s victory at 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway, Busch needs only a short-track win to complete a “series circuit ” — a victory at each size track on NASCAR’s national series schedules.

Busch leads all active drivers with seven wins spread across the three national series — the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (two), the NASCAR Nationwide Series (three) and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (two). With NASCAR Sprint Cup his primary focus, he’s also competing on an as-can basis in the other national series.

Last week’s victory took place on a restrictor-plate track. Busch won two weeks ago on a road course (the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Mexico City). He’s also won at a 1.5-mile track (Texas Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway), a 2-mile track (Auto Club Speedway) and a one-mile track (Phoenix International Raceway) so far this year.

Hamlin Hoping For A Hometown Win At Richmond

Kyle Busch and two-time series champion Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota) may have grabbed bigger headlines last week at Talladega, but their Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) could usurp them at Richmond.

The .75-mile oval is Hamlin’s home track — he hails from nearby Chesterfield, Va. — and a victory there would punctuate a successful early season.

Currently fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, Hamlin trails leader Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) by 99 points and the second-place Busch by 77 points. He’s 20 points behind third-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet), plus riding momentum from last Sunday’s third-place finish at Talladega.

Already a 2008 Virginia winner, Hamlin won last month at Martinsville Speedway.

But, like Stewart, an Indiana native whose Holy Grail was winning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (he’s done it twice in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series), Hamlin yearns for a Richmond victory. He was runner-up in the May 2006 event there, and is second in pre-race Driver Rating for Richmond (111.3).

“When I do have a good run at Richmond it means just a little bit more there than it does anywhere else,” Hamlin said.

In The Loop: Richmond Stats Spotlight Johnson, Harvick

Attention will be divvied among a number of storylines this weekend at Richmond.

There’s the Denny-Hamlin-returning-home angle. There’s the Dale Earnhardt Jr. returning to the scene of his last victory, two years ago this weekend. There’s the Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) Richmond sweep in 2007. And, of course, there’s the special year Kyle Busch is having.

One driver under the radar, though, is Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet). Harvick, who very quietly is in sixth-place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, is phenomenal at Richmond – and may be the one favorite who few are talking about.

Harvick certainly has the stats to warrant a discussion. He won the fall Richmond race in 2006, and has finished in the top 10 in each of the past six Richmond races.

His numbers during that run are tops in the series. He leads in the following categories:

Driver Rating: 121.2
Average Running Position: 5.6
Fastest Laps Run: 259
Average Green Flag Speed: 118.997 mph
Laps in the Top 15: 2,267 (94.5%)
Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green): 166

But if not Harvick, look for Hamlin to make a run at winning his hometown race.

Hamlin, from nearby Chesterfield, has come close a few times at Richmond. He finished second in the spring of 2006, and third in last year’s spring race. Hamlin trails only Harvick in Driver Rating (111.3) and Average Running Position (6.0).

Two other numbers are particularly strong. Hamlin has run 98.1% of the Richmond Laps in the Top 15. He also has 58 Fastest Laps Run, which is tied for 10th most since the inception of Loop Data in 2005 – he’s run only four races compared to six for most other drivers during that span.

One other driver to watch is Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge), who sorely needs a strong finish. Busch, currently 20th in the series standings, won at Richmond in the fall of 2005 and finished in the top 10 in each of the 2007 races. He has a Richmond Driver Rating of 100.8 (fifth-best) and an Average Running Position of 13.3 (eighth).

Two Years Ago: Earnhardt Jr. Hopes Victory Drought Will End At Richmond

Two years between victories, Dale Earnhardt Jr. arrives at Saturday’s Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond International Raceway four days shy of the exact anniversary:

May 7, 2006.

That’s when Earnhardt last hoisted a NASCAR Sprint Cup race trophy — a 71-event drought.

But the breakthrough could occur this week.

In third place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, Earnhardt trails leader Jeff Burton by 79 points. He’s 57 points behind second-place Kyle Busch. Earnhardt also has a series-high seven top-10 finishes in nine events thus far.

And he and Tony Stewart lead all active drivers with three series wins each at Richmond.

Aside from those three wins, Earnhardt has seven top fives, nine top 10s and one DNF (did not finish) in 17 career starts there, with an average finish of 11.3

He has a series-high 334 Green Flag Passes there, according to pre-race Loop Data statistics.

Earnhardt also ranks in the top 10 of five other pre-race Richmond Loop Data statistics — Average Running Position (12.9, sixth-best), Driver Rating (89.9, 10th-best), Fastest Laps Run (96, seventh-best), Laps in the Top 15 (1,401, 10th-best) and Quality Passes (124, eighth-best).

“Seems like forever ago but I try not to think about it,” Earnhardt said. “I don’t want to be thinking of how long it’s been since a win, but knowing we have a shot at it every week and something or other happens is a little frustrating.”

Denny Hamlin The Guest On This Week’s NASCAR Teleconference

On The Line: Denny Hamlin, fielded media questions during Tuesday’s weekly session:

On Racing At Richmond: “That is in the woods of my hometown right there, 15 minutes away. And so I’m going to have a lot of friends and family out there. Everyone knows that this is my Indy, I guess you could say.

On Teammate Kyle Busch: “He’s definitely pushing hard. We’re definitely doing our best to try to keep up with the Hendricks guys from last year. So I think we’ve definitely taken a couple of leaps as far as the gap’s concerned.

And we know with Kyle’s speed it’s just going to push us to go faster and be better.”

On Maturity: “There are a lot of things in this Cup Series that make you better. A lot of it is patience and the way you race guys and how they race you. The more experience you have, the different they race you. For me, I’ve gotten better but I think a lot of it has to be with just being out there for track time and getting used to the guys I race against each week.”

For the complete transcript, visit www.nascarmedia.com.

Virginia Natives In The NASCAR Sprint Cup Garage

The state of Virginia contributes a wealth of talent to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage.

Drivers Denny Hamlin (Chesterfield), Jeff Burton (South Boston) are Virginians, as is Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Stanley Tools Dodge), who hails from Emporia and works with jack man Ed Watkins (Richmond) and engineer Kevin Kidd (Tazewell).

Burton’s team boasts four Virginians — engineer Jeff “Jazzy” Curtis (Fairfax), tire specialist Tracey Ramsey (Fredericksburg), transporter driver Franky Nester (Ridgeway) and gas man Curt Bowman (Meadows of Dan).

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 team has car chief David Bryant (Farmville), engineers Darian Grubb (Floyd) and Tom Stewart (Hampton) and mechanic Jim Jenkins (Hampton).

A Kansan, Clint Bowyer (No. 07 BB&T Chevrolet) works with three Virginians — mechanic Tommy Wallace (Richmond), tire specialist Charles Moles (Floyd) and transporter driver Barry Sheppard (Stuart).

Reigning and two-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, who swept both 2007 events at Richmond, has two Virginians on his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team — engineer Brandon Evans (South Hill) and shock specialist Todd Bosserman (Waynesboro).

J.J. Yeley’s No. 96 DLP HDTV Chevrolet has three Virginians — car chief Todd Brewer (Manassas), rear tire carrier Ben Surface (Pulaski) and engineer Rick McGowan (Reston).

Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet has transporter driver George Kirk (Ararat) and gas man Caleb Hurd (Pulaski).

Others include the No. 2’s front tire changer Jay Hackney (Haysi), the No. 10’s gas man Rodney Rhodes (Hickory), the No. 20’s spotter, Mark Robertston (Richmond) and the No. 42’s pit support person Ryan Quann (Richmond).

Three Points Separate Top Three In Manufacturers Standings

It’s quite a battle in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Manufacturers Standings, where the top three manufacturers are separated by a total of three points.

For now, Chevrolet is first, leading second-place Toyota by one point — 55 to 54 — and third-place Ford (52) by three points.

Fourth-place Dodge needs only 15 points to catch Ford, and only 18 to catch the front-running Chevrolet.

It’s all a reflection of this year ’s mix of winners and close competition.

In the win column, Toyota and Ford are tied for first with three each. Through nine events, Carl Edwards’ (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) has Ford’s three wins while Kyle Busch has Toyota’s three wins. Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge) has Dodge’s one win. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Burton each have one win, giving Chevrolet two for the season.

Chevrolet drivers have won six of the last 10 races at Richmond International Raceway, including the last four in a row.

Johnson swept both 2007 events, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the spring 2006 event and Kevin Harvick won the fall event that year.

Petty Enterprises, which runs Dodges, leads all teams with 15 wins at Richmond. Hendrick Motorsports, which runs Chevrolets, is second with nine Richmond victories.

NASCAR’s 60th Anniversary: The King Leads The Way At Richmond

Rich with NASCAR history, the state of Virginia has long factored in the twists and turns of stock-car racing.

The current venue, Richmond International Raceway, has hosted the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series since 1953.

There have been 107 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in Richmond, 103 at what is now known as Richmond International Raceway and four at Southside Speedway (1961-1963).

Kyle Petty became the first third-generation NASCAR race winner when he won his first race – at Richmond – on February 23, 1986. Richard posted his first Richmond victory in 1961 and Lee won the very first Richmond race in 1953.

The best were their best at Richmond.

Each member of the “70 Wins Club” has multiple wins at Richmond. Richard Petty leads all drivers in Richmond wins with 13. Bobby Allison has seven; David Pearson and Darrell Waltrip have six; Dale Earnhardt has five; Cale Yarborough has three; and Jeff Gordon has two.

The Top 35: Smith And the No. 01 Still 35th; The No. 40 Dodge Jumps To 36th

For the fourth consecutive week, the No. 01 Steak Umm Burgers Chevrolet owned by Teresa Earnhardt and driven by Regan Smith is 35th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner standings. 

Each week, the top 35 teams are guaranteed starting spots, with those outside the top 35 required to qualify on time

This week, the No. 40 Kennametal Dodge owned by Felix Sabates jumps three spots to 36th, 61 points behind 35th. Usually driven by Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Dario Franchitti, it will be driver by Ken Schrader at Richmond. Franchitti suffered a broken left ankle in last week’s NASCAR Nationwide event.

The No. 70 Haas Automation Chevrolet owned by Margaret Haas will be driven by Johnny Sauter at Richmond. It climbed one spot, to 37th, after Ken Schrader drove it last week at Talladega.

The  No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota owned by Jeffrey Moorad and driven by J.J. Yeley is 38th, a drop of two spots. Yeley trails Sauter by five points in the owner standings.

Behind Yeley, the No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota owned by Bill Davis and driven by Dave Blaney is 39th, a drop of two spots.

The No. 84 Team Red Bull Toyota owned by Dietrich Mateschitz and driven by AJ Allmendinger remains 40th, after Allmendinger returned to his seat at Talladega after a month’s hiatus.

The No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge owned by Roger Penske and driven by Sam Hornish Jr., another Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate is 34th, a drop of four spots. He leads the 35th-place Smith by only four points.

The No. 44 UPS Toyota owned by Michael Waltrip and driven by David Reutimann is 33rd, seven points ahead of Hornish and 11 points ahead of Smith.  

NSCS, Etc.

NASCAR Day: The NASCAR Foundation’s fifth annual NASCAR Day will be celebrated on Friday, May 16. Highlighted by a special Five Years of Caring theme, the event combines fundraising efforts of NASCAR fans, partners and companies worldwide. In 2007, NASCAR Day raised more than $1.6 million. The event has raised nearly $5 million since its 2004 inception.

Fans support NASCAR Day by making a $5 donation. In return, they receive a 2008 lapel pin. Fans can call 1-888-MAY16TH (1-888-629-1684). Sprint also is helping fans pledge this year by texting their email addresses to 81714.

Fans should log on to www.nascar.com/nascarday to make their $5 donation.

SAFER Barrier Update: Lowe’s Motor Speedway president H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler announced Tuesday that crews will install 340 feet of additional SAFER barriers across the track’s inside backstretch retaining wall prior to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 17 and the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25.

Wheeler said research is ongoing for alternatives to the current opening in the same inside backstretch wall used for emergency crews and vehicles. More than 6,100 linear feet of SAFER barriers were installed at the track in April 2004.

“Competitor safety is like a moving target,” Wheeler said, “and we’ve got to continue trying to improve our aim. We’ve always got to be looking at what we can do.”

Who’s Dan Lowry?: Seen here with Jamie McMurray (No. 26 Crown Royal Ford), he’s the namesake of this week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Richmond International Raceway.

For the second consecutive season, Crown Royal sponsored a contest inviting fans to submit an essay stating how they enjoyed Crown Royal in a responsible manner.

The winning fan’s name graces the event title, and Lowry, a 29-year-old electrical product engineer from New Waterford, Ohio, is this year’s winner.

Up Next: The Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway

Next on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule is the Dodge Challenger 500 on Saturday, May 10 at Darlington Raceway. It’s the 11th of 36 races on the 2008 schedule.

Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon won last May at Darlington, an event that was postponed to Sunday because of inclement weather.

Clint Bowyer is the defending pole winner.

Gordon leads all active drivers with seven Darlington victories. Two-time series champion Bill Elliott, now driving part-time for Wood Brothers Racing, is next with five Darlington wins. Greg Biffle (No. 16 Dish Network Ford) has two.

The Race: Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400
The Place: Richmond International Raceway
The Date: Saturday, May 3
The Time: 7:30 p.m. (ET)
The Track: 0.75-mile oval
The Distance: 300 miles/400 laps
TV: FOX, 7 p.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN, SIRIUS Satellite Radio
2007 Winner: Jimmie Johnson
2007 Polesitter: Jeff Gordon
2008 Points
Rk  Driver                     Points
 1    Jeff Burton               1,347
 2    Kyle Busch              1,325
 3    Dale Earnhardt Jr.     1,268
 4    Denny Hamlin           1,248
 5    Jimmie Johnson        1,245
 6    Kevin Harvick            1,208
 7    Clint Bowyer             1,182
 8    Greg Biffle                1,148
 9    Tony Stewart            1,137
10   Carl Edwards            1,084
11   Ryan Newman          1,062
12   Juan Pablo Montoya  1,029
Pre-Race Schedule: Friday—Final Practice, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; Qualifying, 5:40 p.m.

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Bowyer Is Standings Leader, Defending Winner Coming To Richmond

It seems like Clint Bowyer (No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet) is getting all breaks this season.

Despite a 25th-place finish due to an early accident at Talladega Superspeedway — where he went in leading defending series champion Carl Edwards (No. 60 Scotts Ford) by nine points — Bowyer managed to increase that lead to 27 points thanks to Edwards’ first DNF of the season.

Now, Bowyer is looking ahead to the Lipton TEA 250 at Richmond International Raceway where he is the defending race winner. 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise if Bowyer builds on that lead at Richmond where he’s posted three of his six finishes in the top 10 including last season’s win.

He’s also been strong during qualifying with five of his six starts in the top 10 at the .75-mile track.      

Those numbers have been similar to his 2008 season overall after 11 races. Thus far, Bowyer has posted one win, four top fives and a series-high seven top 10 finishes.

Joe Gibbs Racing Crew Chiefs Making All The Right Calls

Joe Gibbs Racing has been almost unstoppable this season and a big part of the organization’s success in the NASCAR Nationwide Series are crew chiefs Dave Rogers and Jason Ratcliff. 

Rogers has been the key crew chief for the No. 20 Toyota leading the team to four wins, five top fives, and six top 10s over the first 10 races. 

The two have put drivers Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch in victory lane a total of six times.

(Busch will drive at Richmond on Friday for Braun Racing in the No. 32 Haas Avocadoes from Mexico Toyota.)

Stewart has grabbed three wins with Rogers atop the pit box at Daytona International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway and at Talladega.

Busch posted a win with Rogers south of the border in Mexico, his first victory on a road-course in a national series competition.

Denny Hamlin will be behind the wheel this weekend driving the No. 20 Z-Line Designs Toyota. He has three top 10s at Richmond and started on the pole in this event last season.  

Ratcliff has been atop the No. 18 pit box for five races with Busch. The two have posted wins at Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway, along with three top-five finishes. 

JGR leads the owner standings with the No. 20 car  55 points ahead of Richard Childress’ No. 2.

Series-Only Regulars Making Moves In The Standings

A pack of cars came steaming off of Turn 4 on the last lap of the Aaron’s 312 last Saturday, and many of the series-only regulars were vying for the top spot — eight of the top-12 finishers were NASCAR Nationwide series regulars.

Four drivers, in particular, made big moves not only on the track, but also in the series standings.

David Stremme (No. 64 Atreus Homes & Communities Chevrolet) was a big force in the pack last weekend at Talladega netting a second- place finish. It was his second top-five and fifth top-10 of the season.

Stremme moved up three positions in the rankings from 16th to 13th, and currently is 28 points behind Bobby Hamilton Jr. (No. 25 Peanuts Shop of Wilmington Ford),  who is in 10th place. Stremme’s best finish at Richmond was eighth in 2004.

Hamilton kept his car out of trouble on Saturday to post his first top-five and second top-10 of the season.

His third-place finish propelled Hamilton five spots in the standings and into the top 10, a significant move after not running in Mexico. Boris Said was behind the wheel of the No. 25 there.

Hamilton does have two top-five finishes at Richmond in 2003-04, but was 22nd last fall in his last race there.

Mike Bliss (No. 1 Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet) mounted a last-lap effort that resulted in his first to- five and fifth top-10 of the season. He also moved up in the series point standings two spots to fifth. 

Bliss has a best finish of fifth at Richmond, recorded last fall. NASCAR’s Loop Data Pre-Race Statistics have Bliss in the top 20 in Driver Rating (86.5) and Average Running Position (16.7).

Jason Leffler (No. 38 Great Clips Toyota) posted his third top-10 start and second top-five finish at the famed facility this past weekend. 

Leffler maintained his top-10 ranking (eighth), but his finish at Talladega was his first top-five of the season. His best finish at Richmond was fourth in 2004.

In The Loop: Edwards And Bowyer Projected To Be Up Front

Each week, the NASCAR Nationwide Series points battle between Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer intensifies. Bowyer currently owns a see-sawing lead of 27 points.

Seemingly, their statistics mirror each other at each upcoming track. The same holds true at Richmond, where each have a win.

Edwards’ victory came in 2005, while Bowyer’s came during last season’s spring race. Check out the tale of the tape between the two drivers at Richmond:

Driver Rating: Bowyer edges Edwards, 102.7 to 102.5.

Average Running Position: Edwards leads Bowyer, 9.7 to 12.4.

Fastest Laps Run: Bowyers leads Edwards, 136 to 71.

Laps in the Top 15: Edwards leads Bowyer, 84.7% to 77.1%.

But, of course, this won’t be a two-horse race. Look for series regular Jason Leffler to make a charge to the front. Leffler has been solid at Richmond in his career, posting top fives in the fall race of 2004 and the spring race of 2005. The last time the series raced there, Leffler scored an 11th-place finish.

Since 2005, Leffler has a Driver Rating of 91.1, an Average Running Position of 13.3, 33 Fastest Laps Run, and has run 71.6% of the laps among the top 15.

And, as usual, Kyle Busch should pose a serious threat for a Victory Lane visit. He was brilliant in last year’s Richmond fall race, leading 227 of 252 laps in a win. In the victory, Busch scored a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0 and a race-high 72 Fastest Laps Run.

Overall, Busch, winner of three NASCAR Nationwide Series races already this season, has a Richmond Driver Rating of 96.6 and an Average Running Position of 12.6.

ESPN2 Airs Short-Track Racing From Richmond On Friday Night

NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers and fans consider Richmond one of the most competitive tracks in the sport and racing on the .750-mile layout, takes on even more excitement at night under the lights. The telecast also will air in high definition on ESPN2 HD.

ESPN2 coverage will begin on Friday at 7 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race show with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

Marty Reid will be the lead announcer for ESPN2’s coverage, joined in the booth for analysis by Wallace and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Andy Petree.

Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN DISH Tech Center.

The Director’s Take: Friday Night Lights Bring Drivers Back To Racing Roots

“Richmond is one of the more popular tracks on the circuit for the drivers because it brings them back to their racing roots; racing under the lights on a short track,” said Joe Balash, NASCAR Nationwide Series director. “This series was built on short-track racing.

“Over the last month, we’ve run on four different tracks … road course races are about braking and shifting, getting into a rhythm, taking advantage of mistakes or out-braking in the corner. Superspeedways are about finding out what the car can do early in the race and who your friends are as far as the draft; positioning the car to be in the right spot to the finish. The car is either good or not when it comes off the trailer. There’s not a lot you can do to make the car better.

“Short tracks are where everything comes into play … the driver, the crew, the car. Richmond allows for the drivers to really showcase their talents. Even though they have to have a good car every week, this is a track where they use their talent to hustle the car around the race track to make up for small misses in the set up.”

Most Wins: Mark Martin (5)
Most Poles: Tommy Ellis, Michael Waltrip (5)

Raybestos Rookie of the Year Standings

Rank    Driver                   Points
1          Dario Franchitti       89
2          Bryan Clauson        52
3          Cale Gale               44
4          Brian Keselowski    38
5          Patrick Carpentier   31
6          Landon Cassill        27
7          Chase Miller           20

Results following the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Bill France Performance Cup Standings

Toyota extended its lead on Chevrolet in the Bill France Performance Cup standings following Tony Stewart’s win last week at Talladega.

Chevrolet is the manufacturer to beat at Richmond, however, with 20 wins — and the last five in a row.

NNS Etc. 

• On Thursday from 4-6 p.m., at Richmond’s Hermitage High School (8301 Hungary Spring Rd.), Nationwide Insurance and series drivers Clint Bowyer and Landon Cassill (No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet) will team up with DRIVE SMART Virginia, a program to encourage motorists to drive safely and stop texting while driving.     Students and community members can see firsthand the impact texting has on their driving abilities while racing in a NASCAR Nationwide Series simulator. The event is open to the public and includes a driver autograph session, the Nationwide show car, a photo imaging station, giveaways and a chance to win a VIP race weekend experience at Richmond.

Jeff Green (No. 31 Key Motorsports/JMI Signs Chevrolet) hopes to make his season debut at Richmond driving for Key Motorsports. Green won this race at RIR in 2000. The team has been plying its trade in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series over the past five years.

Two-time series champion Kevin Harvick (No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet) will make his 200th career NASCAR Nationwide Series start Friday. Harvick has compiled 32 wins, 16 poles, 102 top-five and 146 top-10 finishes in his previous 199 starts. His 32 wins are second on the all-time list, 16 behind leader Mark Martin. Harvick, with four wins at RIR, has the opportunity to tie Martin (5) for the most wins at the track.

Morgan Shepherd (No. 89 Victory In Jesus Dodge) posted a 13th-place finish at Talladega last weekend, his highest finish since an 11th-place result also at Talladega in 2003.

Ryan Hackett (No. 76 J&R Supply Ford) aims for his series debut this weekend at Richmond. Hackett has experience on dirt and NASCAR late-model competition before moving up to the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Brad Keselowski (No. 88 NAVY Chevrolet) was the fastest in the final test session at Richmond last March and will run a Blue Angels paint scheme just like the Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets upon his return Friday. Keselowski flew with the Blue Angels in a two-seater back in February. Also this week Keselowski and his team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. will make an aircraft carrier trip Thursday off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla.

Up Next: Diamond Plywood 200 At Darlington Raceway

The 12th race on the NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule is set for May 9 at Darlington Raceway.

Last year, Denny Hamlin became the third driver to win from the pole twice at Darlington - Mark Martin and Geoffrey Bodine were the others to accomplish the feat.

The Race: The Lipton TEA 250

The Place: Richmond Int’l. Raceway

The Date: Friday, May 2

The Time: 7:30  p.m. ET

The Distance: 187.5 miles/250 laps

TV: ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET

Track Size: 0.750 mile

2007 Winner: Clint Bowyer

2007 Pole: Denny Hamlin

              2008 Standings

1 Bowyer         1427
2 Edwards       1400
3 Busch          1388
4 Reutimann    1298
5 Bliss            1282
6 Ragan          1274
7 Keselowski   1252
8 Leffler           1227
9 M. Wallace   1173
10 Hamilton Jr. 1055

Schedule:
Friday-Practice 8:45-10:55 a.m.; Qualifying,  4:05 p.m. (Impound).

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Series Champion Back In Familiar Territory…Victory Lane
Veterans Control The Top, Leave Little Room For Others
Braun’s Kansas Performance Shakes Up Rookie Standings

Reigning Champ Back In Victory Lane

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 28, 2008) — It’s pretty easy to say Ron Hornaday Jr. had a good weekend. 

The reigning series champion kicked things off at Kansas Speedway with one of the fastest trucks in practice. He took qualifying, capturing his second Keystone Light Pole of the season. 

The driver of the No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet then dominated the race.

After leading 136 of 167 laps — most by a Kansas winner —  Hornaday won the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250. He’s the first driver in eight editions of the race to win from the pole position. 

Add another first to the mix. The win was Hornaday and crew chief Rick Ren’s first win at the 1.5-mile track.

“I’ve got to thank Chevrolet, Camping World, the VFW, everybody at KHI and this whole Camping World team for giving me this awesome truck,” he said. “I hadn’t won at Kansas before so this is really cool.”

The driver added, “What Kevin and DeLana (Harvick) are doing at KHI, just putting the right people in the right places, it’s an honor to race equipment like this. To sit on the pole and win this race was amazing.”

Ren echoed his driver’s comments. “We unloaded and were fast. We had a really awesome truck,” he said.

While the truck was good, it was a fuel gamble for the team as the cautions fell and the laps dwindled down. “I normally don’t mention saving fuel to him (Ron), but I think he heard it more than ever this race,” Ren said.

Hornaday has led laps in all five races so far this season. His Kansas win brings him to the top of the driver point standings, 61 points over  Rick Crawford.

Series Veterans Meeting Challenge Of ‘Young Guns’

It is clear there is up and coming talent in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with young drivers like Roush Fenway Racing’s Erik Darnell (No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford), Colin Braun (No. 6 Con-Way Freight Ford) and Germain Racing rookie Justin Marks (No. 9 crocs/Construct Corps Toyota) among them.

The almost 23-year-old Kyle Busch (No. 51 Toyota) is throwing his hat in the ring, too, throughout the season. Busch returns to the series at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, where he’s a double winner.

But don’t count out the other competitors. A glance at the driver point standings and race finishes proves the veterans are holding their own.

Defending series champion Hornaday, with a dominating win at Kansas, has taken the points lead from  the absent Busch.

Not far behind, Crawford, driver of the No. 14 Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford, has jumped to second.

Strong performances over the weekend helped  other seasoned drivers break into the top of the pack. Three-time series champion Jack Sprague (No. 2 American Commercial Lines Chevrolet) weathered a rocky start to the season, but finished second to teammate Hornaday in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 and moved to ninth in the driver point standings.

Sprague is hungry for a win. “I am really proud of this team,” he said. “To be able in just five races to come together and run as strong as we have says a lot about KHI and this team. I know we will get a win soon.”

Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota), just shy of the top-10, is a three-time pole sitter at Lowe’s. He finished fifth at Kansas. The former series champion is definitely not out of contention.

Etc. & Quotable

• Speed Finding His Way … Scott Speed (No. 22 Red Bull Toyota) is finding his way toward Victory Lane. The driver, who made his debut with Bill Davis Racing in Kansas, won the previous day’s Kansas Lottery $150 Grand ARCA RE/MAX race. 

  The former Formula One driver started the race from the outside pole position but found himself a lap down after he had to make a pit stop to fix his window net which had fallen down.

  Awarded the Aaron’s Lucky Dog, he fought his way back to contention and took the checkered flag.

  Speed continued his momentum in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 Saturday with an eighth-place finish. 

• A Return In Richmond … Key Motorsports for the first time in 10 NASCAR seasons hopes to qualify for this Friday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway.

  The team, which has competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series since 2004, will field the No. 31 Key Motorsports Chevrolet with veteran driver and former NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Jeff Green behind the wheel.

• Owner’s Championship Battle Heats Up … Ron Hornaday’s win at Kansas brought a lead change in the Owners’ Championship point standings.

  DeLana Harvick and the No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet now lead the battle by 21 points over Billy Ballew and his No. 51 Toyota. Not far behind in third,  61 points out from the No. 33 is Tom Mitchell with his No. 14 Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford team.

  Kyle Busch is scheduled to return to the series at Lowe’s Motor Speedway where he has two series wins to his credit. Points could swap again.

In The Loop:

It’s hard to have a better day than the one Ron Hornaday Jr. had during Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway.

Statistically speaking, it’s impossible.

Hornaday was perfect. The defending series champion won his first of 2008 in a truly dominating fashion, notching a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0.

He held race-best figures in Laps Led (136), Average Running Position (1.6), Fastest Laps Run (55) and was the only driver to run all 167 laps in the top 15. With the win, Hornaday took the series points lead, and is now 61 points ahead of second-place Rick Crawford.

Also notable during Saturday’s race was the strong performance by rookie Colin Braun. The Roush-Fenway upstart scored a third-place finish and ran up front throughout the 250-mile race. Braun had a Driver Rating of 118.5, an Average Running Position of 5.2, seven Fastest Laps Run and spent 164 of the 167 laps running in the top 15.

Jack Sprague also chimed in with a season-best run. Sprague, finishing second, scored a Driver Rating of 121.0, an Average Running Position of 5.7, 20 Fastest Laps Run and spent 152 of the laps among the top 15.

Chad McCumbee was the only other driver to break the 100.0-point Driver Rating barrier – he tallied a 103.1 Driver Rating in his seventh-place finish. He also earned a fourth-best Average Running Position of 7.4.

This Week’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leaders
(Through five races of the 25-race season)

Points leader – Ron Hornaday Jr. (775)
Driver Rating – Kyle Busch (122.0)
Laps led – Ron Hornaday Jr. (236)
Victories – Kyle Busch (2)
Keystone Light Poles – Ron Hornaday Jr. (2)
Top-five finishes – Three drivers with three
Top-10 finishes – Ron Hornaday Jr. (4)
Raybestos Rookie Leader – Colin Braun
Races led – Ron Hornaday Jr. (5)
Weeks in Top 10 – Five drivers with five

Rookie Shake Up

The rookie class has experienced a shake-up in points as Colin Braun moves from fourth to first in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year battle.

The rookie’s third-place finish gives him a five-point advantage over Justin Marks (No. 9 crocs/Construct Corps Toyota). Marks posted an 11th-place finish in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250.

Braun’s performance is the best by a Raybestos rookie  since Roush Fenway Racing teammate Erik Darnell ran third in the 2005 season finale.

Donny Lia (No. 71 Autism Speaks/TRG Chevrolet) and Brian Scott (No. 16 Albertsons Chevrolet), likewise, had strong finishes among the top 15. 

Up Next:

Coming off his performance at Kansas Speedway,  Ron Hornaday Jr. looks to carry that momentum in defense of his 2007 win at  Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Mike Skinner, who has started from the pole position in the last three races at the track, will aim to visit Victory Lane  for the first time this season. 

Toyota Strong

Toyota remains on top after five races of the 2008 season.  Last Saturday’s victory was the first of the year for Chevrolet. Ford is the only one of the four truck makers without a win in 2008.

2008 Manufacturers’ Championship Point Standings
Toyota     34
Chevrolet 30
Ford        24
Dodge      22

FAST FACTS

The Race: North Carolina Education Lottery 200
The Place: Lowe’s Motor Speedway
The Date: May 16, 2008
The Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Race Distance: 201 miles / 134 laps
TV: SPEED, 7:30 p.m. ET
Track Layout: 1.5-Mile Paved Oval
2007 Winner: Ron Hornaday Jr
2007Pole: Mike Skinner
2008 Standings:

Rk. Driver               Points
1    R. Hornaday Jr.  775
2    R. Crawford        714
3    T. Bodine           704
4    D. Setzer           666
5    J. Benson          666
6    Ky. Busch         645
7    M. Crafton         639
8    C. McCumbee    633
9    J. Sprague         629
10  T. Musgrave        627

Schedule: Friday: Practice, 9-10:00 a.m. and 10:20 a.m.-11:50 a.m.; Qualifying, 3:35 p.m.

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With live NASCAR Nationwide Series racing from Richmond International Raceway and three NBA playoff games scheduled on Friday night, the live broadcast plan for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Lipton TEA 250 at Richmond originally scheduled to air on ESPN2 has changed. 
 
Here is the revised broadcast plan for the race:

• The live telecast of the race in its originally scheduled time slot (7-10 p.m. ET) will air simultaneously on both SPEED and ESPN Classic.
  
• ESPN2 will join the race live immediately following Game 6 of the Cleveland Cavaliers–Washington Wizards NBA playoff series and will also re-air the race in its entirety immediately following the conclusion of the race broadcast.
  
• Both NASCAR.com and ESPN.com will stream the race live.
  
• ESPN and SPEED will begin on-air promotion today (Thursday, May 1).
  
• SPEED’s live coverage from Richmond begins at 1 p.m. ET with NASCAR LIVE and will continue straight through the live broadcast of the race until 10 p.m. ET.

“This is a busy time of year for live sports and we really appreciate ESPN and SPEED working together to come up with a plan that takes care of our fans,” said Robbie Weiss, NASCAR’s vice president, broadcasting.”

 “ESPN and SPEED are working aggressively to promote tomorrow night’s simulcast.  The simultaneous broadcasts on SPEED and ESPN Classic, along with live streaming on NASCAR.com and ESPN.com, will provide our fans with a wide range of opportunities to watch the race on various platforms.”

 In addition, SPEED has both NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup practice and qualifying live from Richmond on Friday and will heavily promote the live broadcast of the Lipton TEA 250.

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