2013 NASCAR All-Star Race Practice Notes and Final Driver Ratings

All-Star race should produce some fun racing Saturday night

There wasn’t anything that occurred during Friday’s lone All-Star race practice session or qualifying to deter or enhance any opinion we had coming into this race. Kyle Busch was fastest during practice, running 23 laps with a top-speed at 190.127 mph in preparation for Saturday’s All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Right behind him with the third fastest lap was teammate Matt Kenseth at 188.042 mph.

The qualifying session that put Carl Edwards on the pole was more about having speed in and out of the pits with a quick four-tire change under the fun All-Star qualifying format, than it was about a car actually being fast. However, starting up front at least gives the first few drivers an early edge in the first segment.

Busch and Kenseth were considered the two drivers to beat based on combining to win on all 1.5-mile tracks this season, along with the 2-mile tri-oval at Fontana and the difficult 1.336-mile layout at Darlington. The Joe Gibbs drivers are batting 1.000 on all the tracks that require the most horsepower and Charlotte’s 1.5-mile high banked layout doesn’t figure to be much different.

Plain and simply, the Joe Gibbs organization is the team that has the Gen-6 car figured out the most on these type of tracks, the type that are essentially a gateway to a season championship.

Busch starts fifth, while Kenseth begins 14th. It shouldn’t take more than 10 laps for Busch to find his way to the lead in the first segment.

The one difference that could be argued for the 20 other drivers competing is that $1 million is at stake. For that kind of cash, people -- even drivers -- can do some out of the ordinary things. No points are on the line for this race, which also allows the drivers to run full-throttle for the big prize with little regard for how they finish, or what type of shape their car returns to the garage in.

A driver we made made special considerations for -- based on practice -- that we didn't expect was 2010 All-Star race winner Kurt Busch, who ended up having the second fastest single lap during practice and had the best 10-consecutive laps average. Busch wasn’t great at Las Vegas or Texas, but did finish fifth at Fontana and was 15th at Kansas. With this race being all about short runs, it’s possible that Busch could average a good enough finish in the first four 20-lap segments to have a favorable start position in the final 10-lap sprint. And then anything is possible.

If a Joe Gibbs car, including Denny Hamlin, doesn’t win Saturday night, it would be a surprise.

While rooting your bet in Saturday night, it would also serve the bettor well to pay close attention to some details of what transpires during the race that will help get a jump start in next week’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Seven drivers have swept the two races in the same year with three drivers doing it in the past 10 seasons, the last being Kurt Busch in 2010.


Micah Roberts‘ Top-10 Driver Ratings 
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Saturday, May 18, 2013 -  4:30 p.m. PT

Rating    Driver     Odds        Practice 1    Qualified     Las Vegas*   Texas*

 1. Kyle Busch 5/1                      1st                 5th             4th             1st 
Four DNF’s in seven career starts, with two top-5 finishes, but has one of the fastest cars of race.
 2. Matt Kenseth 6/1                   3rd               14th            1st             12th 
2004 winner with the best average finish (6.3) among active drivers over his 12 starts.
 3. Jimmie Johnson 5/1              6th               19th             6th              6th  
Three-time winner, including last season; second fastest 10-consecutive lap average in practice using third-place Kansas chassis.
 4. Kasey Kahne 8/1                  13th              10th             2nd             11th 
2008 winner with four other wins in Charlotte point races; using ninth-place Kansas chassis.
 5. Carl Edwards 12/1                 7th                 1st             5th              3rd 
2011 winner with an 11.3 average finish; using fourth-place Fontana chassis.
 6. Brad Keselowski 12/1            4th               13th              3rd             9th 
Just on notch below Busch and Kenseth on these type of tracks; using third-place Bristol chassis.
 7. Denny Hamlin 8/1                  9th               18th             15th            8th (Vickers)
Two top-5 finishes with 12.5 career average; should be almost as good as teammates Busch and Kenseth.
 8. Martin Truex Jr. 20/1              6th               N/A             8th              2nd  
Has to race his way in by finishing first or second in Sprint Showdown; eighth or better on all three 1.5-mile tracks in ’13.
 9. Clint Bowyer 20/1                   8th                7th              27th            15th 
No top-10 finishes in four career starts; using brand new chassis this week.
10. Kurt Busch 30/1                    2nd                3rd              20th            37th 
2010 winner with three other top-5 finishes; had fastest 10-consecutive laps average in practice.

Note: The All-Star race is a non-points race consisting of five segments totaling 90 laps. The first four segments are 20-lap dashes followed by a final 10-lap sprint for a $1 million prize.

* Results from the March 10 Las Vegas race and April 13 Texas race, the most recent races run on tracks that are most similar to Charlotte’s 1.5-mile high banked layout.

Odds courtesy of the LVH Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former sports book director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights on the race, go to The Linemakers on SportingNews.com or follow on Twitter: MicahRoberts7. 

Kyle Busch Expecting Payback from Kahne, Maybe Even in All-Star Race

CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Busch is prepared for some payback. Not that he expects it from the typically respectful Kasey Kahne, but he knows it could happen.

Busch has wrecked Kahne three times this year, including twice in the last three weeks.

The wreck at Darlington Raceway last week came after Kahne passed Busch for the lead with 23 laps remaining.

“I’m sure there would be a moment where it would come back on me,” Busch said Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “I expect it. It’s fine.

“I just told Kasey, ‘Don’t make it hurt too bad.’ … I said it as a joke. I don’t think Kasey is that kind of guy but if it happens, I understand.”

At Darlington, Kahne had just passed Busch and Busch tried to pass him back on the inside. Busch’s car moved up the track in Turn 1 and he either clipped Kahne’s car or caused Kahne to lose control and smack the wall.

“We were racing as hard as we could,” Busch said. “He pulled a huge slide job on me in Turn 3 and I got back to his inside.

Read More Here.....Sporting News

Driver Chassis Selections for 2013 NASCAR All-Star Race

Carl Edwards in the crowd following his 2011 All-Star race win

#2-Brad Keselowski: Primary Chassis for the All-Star race at Charlotte is PRS-845, which finished 3rd at Bristol in March. Backup Chassis is PRS-847, which has been a backup in a few races, but not raced.

#5-Kasey Kahne: Crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-763 for Saturday's event. Most recently, Kahne drove this chassis at Auto Club Speedway on March 24, and he finished ninth. He also tested this chassis at Charlotte in December 2012 and January 2013.

#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 DeWalt team has prepared chassis No. 804 for the All-Star Race. The team tested this chassis at Charlotte Motor Speedway in January where they posted the fourth fastest speed of the day.

#10-Danica Patrick will pilot chassis 10-751 was first used by Patrick in March at Auto Club Speedway, where she started 40th and finished 26th. She then drove this car in April at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, where she started 25th and finished 25th.

#15-Clint Bowyer: primary chassis No. 773 is brand new for the Sprint All-Star Race. Backup chassis No. 724 served backup duty at Las Vegas, Fontana, Texas, Kansas and Darlington, but has yet to see the track this season.

#16-Greg Biffle: and the Matt Puccia led #16 3M Filtrete Ford team will bring primary chassis RK-817 to the All-Star race at Charlotte, which last raced at Kansas and earned a 19th-place finish. RK-817 is the same car that Biffle won Michigan with in the fall of 2012.

#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: and the #17 Best Buy Racing team will be using primary chassis RK- 811 which raced numerous times by #99 in 2012. Backup chassis RK-791 raced numerous times by #99 in 2012.

#22-Joey Logano: Primary Chassis for the All-Star race at Charlotte is PRS-855 which is a new chassis. Backup Chassis is PRS-844, which has been a backup in a few races, but not raced.

#27-Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 386 in the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This #27 Menards / Serta Chevrolet SS raced at Texas Motor Speedway in 2012, but has not previously run this season.

#29-Kevin Harvick: will pilot chassis No. 378 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race under the lights of Charlotte Motor Speedway. Harvick last drove this RCR Rheem/Budweiser machine to a 13th-place result at Auto Club Speedway in March.

#31-Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 393 this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This #31 Caterpillar Chevy was utilized five times during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at Auto Club Speedway, Darlington, Michigan, Atlanta and Kansas. Burton also piloted this machine earlier this season at Las Vegas and Kansas.

#39-Ryan Newman Chassis No. 39-727 debuted at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2012, when Newman finished 14th. The chassis made its last start of the 2012 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Newman and the #39 team recorded a third-place finish. Chassis No. 39-727 was outfitted with a Chevrolet SS body over the winter, and it was wind-tunnel tested last week in preparation for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

#43-Aric Almirola:: The #43 Smithfield team has prepared chassis No. 742 for the Sprint Showdown. Almirola drove the chassis at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March where he drove from a 22nd starting spot to finish 16th.

#48-Jimmie Johnson: will drive chassis No. 784 for the Sprint All-Star Race last ran at Kansas in April finishing 3rd, before that was at Auto Club Speedway, finishing 12th. Chassis No. 720 serves as the backup.

#55-Mark Martin: is running Chassis 722 finished eighth at Bristol with Brian Vickers behind wheel. Backup chassis is 720.

#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.:crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-716. Earnhardt most recently raced this chassis to a 16th-place finish at Kansas Speedway in April.

#99-Carl Edwards the #99 Fastenal team will be bringing chassis RK-821 for the Sprint All-Star race weekend at Charlotte which last ran at Auto Club Speedway in April -- finishing fourth. Chassis RK-831 is the backup that was also the backup at Darlington last week. Carl Edwards will make his eighth appearance in the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. In his previous starts he has one win, three top-five and four top-10 finishes. Fastenal returns to the track in their primary paint scheme featuring suppliers GearWrench, Greenfield Industries, Port-a-cool and Blackstone on the hood, TV panel, deck-lid and B-post.

- compiled by Jayski.com

Johnson and Busch 5-to-1 Favorites to Win 2013 NASCAR All-Star Race

3-time All-Star race winner Jimmie Johnson is 5/1 this week

LAS VEGAS -- Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch are 5-to-1 co-favorites to win Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, according to odds posted by the LVH SuperBook. Johnson, who leads the NASCAR points standings by a 44-point margin over Carl Edwards, is a three-time All-Star race winner. In 11 All-Star races, Johnson has finished in the top five seven times, including last season's victory.

If it weren't for Busch's terrible All-Star race history, he would have been closer to a 4-to-1 favorite due to his dominance on big-horsepower tracks this season. Busch won last month at Charlotte's sister track, Texas Motor Speedway, a high-banked 1.5-mile oval that closely resembles Charlotte. Busch also won at Fontana's two-mile track, which is wider and flatter than Charlotte, but allows drivers to generate the same type of power.

On the negative side for Busch are four DNFs in seven career All-Star events. In the three races he actually finished, he ended up in the top five twice. One of those DNFs was a battle he and his brother, Kurt, got into that ruined both of their days. They didn't speak to each other until Thanksgiving – six months later – after their grandmother intervened.

The younger Busch is going to be tough to beat Saturday night, but the most likely candidate to do so is teammate Matt Kenseth, who is listed at 6-to-1 odds. Kenseth has three first-place finishes on the season, all of which came at tracks that require big power, much like Busch's victories. Kenseth won at the 1.5-mile tracks at Las Vegas and Kansas, and then took the checkers last week on Darlington's 1.336-mile layout.

Kenseth, the 2004 All-Star race winner, has a 6.3 average finish in 12 career All-Star races, the best average among all active drivers, just ahead of Johnson's 6.6 average. Kenseth is also a two-time point-race winner at Charlotte, the latest victory coming in 2011. Incidentally, Kenseth became eligible for his first All-Star race after winning his first career race as a rookie in the 2000 Coca-Cola 600.

Read More Here........LVH All-Star Odds

2013 NASCAR All-Star Race Preview: Any Reason to Look Outside of Gibbs?

The NASCAR Sprint Cup teams won’t have to do any traveling over the next two weeks, because their next two races will be at Charlotte, North Carolina, where most every driver and crew member live. Saturday night is the All-Star race where $1 million will be on the line for the winner to take home, and then the following week will be season’s longest race of the year, the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend.

Charlotte’s 1.5-mile high banked layout gives all the Cup teams another chance to see if they can beat anyone from the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. Between Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth, they have won at all three 1.5-mile tracks this season. The duo also won at California’s two-mile track and Darlington’s 1.336-mile track. That’s five tracks that require the most horsepower to get around than any other run so far, and five wins total for team Gibbs.

They might be batting 1.000 on the season, but when $1 million is up for grabs and there are no points involved like Saturday’s All-Star race, things figure to get very interesting. Busch, Kenseth and now with Denny Hamlin back in the mix, will all be the drivers to beat, but their competitors will not think twice about knocking them around.

Unlike other All-Star events in sports where they go through the motions, and don’t play any defense, making their event look nothing like the sport they play, NASCAR’s All-Star event usually produces better racing than we’ll see all season just because no one has to play it safe and no points are involved. And then they have that dangling carrot of $1 million to chase.

To be eligible for the All-Star race, a driver has to have won a points race in either 2012 or 2013, won an All-Star race within the last 10 years, or won a Sprint Cup title within the last 10 years. For all others who don’t meet the criteria, they can race themselves in by finishing first or second in the Sprint Showdown, a 40-lap qualifying race prior to the All-Star race. The final way a driver can get in is by fan voting.

Read More Here......Showdown and All-Star Predictions

Denny Hamlin in Good Shape to Compete with Gibbs Teammates Saturday Night

Hamlin in great situation; his teammates have owned 1.5-mile tracks in '13 

DENNY HAMLIN

Event: Sprint All-Star Race
Date/Time: May 18/9 p.m. ET
2012 winner: Jimmie Johnson
2012 polesitter: Kyle Busch
Distance: 90 laps/135 miles
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Banking: 24 degrees
Track Shape: Quad-Oval

EXPRESS NOTES:

All-Star Race Preview: Denny Hamlin will climb into the #11 FedEx Express Toyota in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the seventh start for Hamlin in the non-points exhibition event. One year ago, Hamlin started third and led 16 laps in the five segment, 90-lap race, but fell to 20th in the final 10-lap run won by Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin has recorded three top-10 finishes in six previous All-Star races, including career-best fourth-place runs in 2009 and 2010. 

He has qualified for the All-Star Race in every season after his 2006 rookie campaign (2007-2012) by virtue of race wins. This year’s field will again compete for the $1 million first place prize, with an additional $1 million up for grabs if a driver can win all five segments in the race. Qualifying on Friday night will be comprised of three laps on the track as well as a mandatory four-tire pit stop by the FedEx Racing crew.

Darlington Recap: Hamlin finished second in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in his first full event since suffering a back injury on March 24, crossing the finish line 3.155 seconds behind teammate Matt Kenseth in the #11 Sport Clips Toyota. Hamlin qualified sixth and ran among the leaders throughout the 367-lap event on the 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval. Long green flag runs tested the FedEx Racing crew on pit road, and crew chief Darian Grubb made changes to the car to keep up with the track conditions after nightfall. In the end, the car was at its best for the final 30-lap run, with Hamlin following Kenseth to the checkered flag for the 1-2 Joe Gibbs Racing finish. Hamlin moved up four spots to 27th in the NASCAR standings following Darlington, 61 points behind Jeff Burton in 20th after 11 of 26 regular season races.

Charlotte Team Along for the Ride at the All-Star Race: This weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the #11 FedEx Express Toyota will carry the letters ‘CLTR’ on the b-posts to recognize the Air Ground & Freight Services operations teams in the Charlotte market.

FEDEX RACING CONVERSATION — DENNY HAMLIN:

What are your goals for the All-Star Race?
“Obviously, the All-Star Race is a great event for the fans and one that the drivers can hang it all on the line. The All-Star Race this year, for me, is another chance to get back into racing shape after missing a month or so. Last weekend at Darlington, it felt good to just be competitive again. Watching the races from the sidelines for really five weeks, it was tough. You know you can change things. You can do things to change your outcome. But you’re not in the race car. My back held up good, but I was more sore in the shoulders and neck, things like that. I have to get back in racing shape. It will take time to get back to where I need to be, and the All-Star Race will help that.”

- Weber Shandwick Worldwide for FedEx Racing

Kyle Busch Still Looking For First All-Star Race Win

Kyle Busch has had four DNF's in seven All-Star race starts

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (May 14, 2013) – If there was one person who best described the attitude of everyone involved in Saturday night’s NASCARSprint All-Star Race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, it would be former track President H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, who once called it a race in which the owner of the car tells the driver, “Bring me back the trophy or the steering wheel.”

While it’s uncertain whether team owner Joe Gibbs has said this to KyleBusch, driver of the No. 18 SNICKERS Bites Toyota Camry in the NASCARSprint Cup Series, the talented young driver certainly would be expected to do just that, even without the urging of the man who cuts his paycheck.

Busch locked in his spot for this year’s All-Star event – comprised primarily of 2012 and 2013 Sprint Cup race winners, plus past All-Star Race winners and past series champions – via his one series win in 2012 and two wins in NASCAR’s top series thus far in 2013. This year’s wins came at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., in March and Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth in April.

The Las Vegas native not only has earned the title of All-Star, he’s become one of the dominant forces in the elite Sprint Cup Series. His win at Texas last month was the 26th of his Sprint Cup career, and Busch now has 112 career wins in NASCAR’s top three divisions – Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck.

Busch was regarded as a potential star when he entered the Sprint Cup ranks full-time in 2005 as a raw 18-year-old, but he’s quickly transformed that star potential into bonafide all-star status since joining JGR at the beginning of 2008. And he’s continued to shine well into what is now his sixth season with JGR.

As a competitor who has tried to focus on racing smart during points-paying events week in and week out,Busch views Saturday’s non-points-paying All-Star Race as his annual opportunity to throw patience out the window at his own discretion.

Busch will debut a new scheme he hopes to find in victory lane on Saturday night with SNICKERS Bites. The brand new hunger-satisfying innovation that offers the trademark SNICKERS combination of chocolate, peanuts, caramel and nougat shrunk down into small, no fuss, “pop ’em in your mouth” milk chocolate cubes. The unwrapped treats are ideal for sharing, whether while watching a movie, attending a gathering, or for fans cheering Busch to victory lane.

So, as fans keep an eye out for the SNICKERS Bites Toyota come Saturday night, there’s nothing more than money and pride on the line. Whether Busch brings back the trophy or the steering wheel, it’s a safe bet he’ll be exciting to watch.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

What driving style does it take to succeed in the All-Star race?
“I think just being aggressive and knowing when to be aggressive and how to be aggressive is the biggest thing. It’s a race where you have to get to the front and you have to get out there and get yourself, more importantly, in clean air in order to keep yourself out front and on your own.”

What skills have you used to find success in the All-Star race?
“I’ve been aggressive and I’ve been maybe too aggressive at points and not aggressive enough at other points. Last year, we just ran a clean race and didn’t really do much aggressive driving or anything and we ended up fourth. Maybe there was a little bit more that needed to be done but, overall, it was a good week there for us last year and also our second-place run in 2011.”

To what do you attribute the early season success for Joe Gibbs Racing? Do you expect much of the same the next two weekends at Charlotte?
“It’s a combination of a lot of hard work by everyone at JGR. It starts with Joe (Gibbs) and our sponsors being able to give those guys the resources they need to have fast racecars. All three teams have been fast this year and I expect, with Denny (Hamlin) back, we should be strong with communication between the three of us. It really comes down to everyone at the shop working hard and working together and they’ve given us cars fast off the truck every week. I think it’s motivated those guys even more and I’m sure we’ll be strong again the next couple of weekends. I’ve never won a Cup race at Charlotte, so it would be pretty awesome if we could be the guys at JGR to keep our momentum up and win oneSaturday night with our SNICKERS Bites Camry.”

What does it mean to be a part of the All-Star Race in this sport?
“It matters, especially with who your fellow competitors are. For us, being an all-star and being in the All-Star Race is one of the most fun things we get to do each year. I’d say the Sprint Unlimited is another one of those and, with the All-Star Race, they are certainly two fun races where we get a chance to go after just a win and bring home the checkered or the wrecker. It’s an exciting night and there’s a lot of energy there. Charlotte does a great job. I think it’s an awesome venue for that race. It gives you the opportunity to run, whether it’s a 40-lap segment, 25-lap segment, 10-lap segment – it gives you the opportunity to run that many qualifying laps in a row. That’s all you’re doing – you’re giving it all you’ve got every single lap. You’re definitely up on top of the wheel and your guys do the best they can to give you a good car and to make it as lightweight as possible and throw away the air conditioning unit and keep all the front fans away from you – no radiator fan. All that stuff, just try to lighten that baby up and make it fast.”

What drivers do you think are best suited for the All-Star Race?
“You look at the guys who are really good who qualify well. I think qualifying well can always lend itself to racing the All-Star Race well because you’re running however many laps that segment is. You’re running that many qualifying laps in a row. You’re just trying to get the most you can out of your car there. It’s sometimes hard to pass because the guy in front of you is trying to get the most out of his car and so are you, so you just can’t get there.”

- True Speed Communication for Mars USA/Joe Gibbs Racing

Martin Truex Jr. a Prohibitive Favorite to Win Sprint Showdown

Martin Truex Jr. finished second at Texas, the sister track of Charlotte. 

LAS VEGAS -- The LVH SuperBook has installed Martin Truex Jr. as the overwhelming 9-to-5 favorite to win Saturday's Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Showdown is a 40-lap qualifying event that gives the top two finishers a chance to compete for $1 million in the Sprint All-Star Race that follows.

The runner-up advances to the big race, but does not cash at the sports books; only the winner gets the money.

You could make a good argument that Truex Jr. should be listed as one of the favorites to win the All-Star race should he advance. Charlotte's 1.5-mile high-banked track is similar to Texas, where Truex Jr. finished second to Kyle Busch in April. You can throw the other 1.5-mile tracks into the equation as well and see that he finished eighth in Las Vegas and fourth at Kansas. Only Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson have finished eighth or better on all three 1.5-mile tracks run on this season.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya are all listed next at 9-to-2, followed by Paul Menard at 5-to-1 and Aric Almirola at 8-to-1.

The Earnhardt-Ganassi duo of McMurray and Montoya seems to have made major strides in the Gen-6 car over the past four races. They have found some speed, and it's showing not only in practice, but on race day as well. Menard finished 10th at both Las Vegas and Kansas, while Almirola was seventh at Texas.

An interesting look at 20-to-1 is Jeff Burton. He doesn't have a quality finish in any of the three 1.5-mile tracks this season, but he does have the Richard Childress resources backing him. Burton's teammates, Menard and Kevin Harvick, have run very consistently on this type of track this year. Burton also has three wins at Charlotte over his career, the last coming in the 2008 Coca-Cola 600.

Read More Here.......Sprint Showdown Odds

Kevin Harvick is 15-to-1 to Win His Second All-Star Race

Kevin Harvick is 15-to-1 to win All-Star race

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Rheem/Budweiser Chevrolet SS
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s Rheem/Budweiser Chevrolet SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 378 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race under the lights of Charlotte Motor Speedway. Harvick last drove this RCR machine to a 13th-place result at Auto Club Speedway in March.

Proven Winner … Saturday night’s event marks Harvick’s 13thappearance in the NASCAR exhibition race, dating back to 2001. In 2007, the RCR veteran visited Victory Lane following the marquee event. Harvick has collected a total of two top-five and seven top-10 finishes throughout the years, and is credited with 62 lap led.

Gotta Have a Rheem … Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) is privately held with headquarters in Atlanta and U.S. operations in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Indiana, North Carolina and Texas. In its 88th year of operation, the company manufactures a full-line of eco-friendly, technologically advanced residential and commercial heating and cooling systems; tank, tankless, solar and hybrid heat pump water heaters; whole-home standby generators, controls, swimming pool and spa heaters; indoor air-purification products; and commercial boilers throughout North America and world markets. The company’s premium brands, including Rheem, Raypak, Ruud and Richmond have been recognized with countless industry and consumer awards for reliability, innovative design and high quality. Rheem is the official heating, cooling and water heating supplier to Richard Childress Racing, and is a primary sponsor of RCR’s No. 29 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and RCR’s No. 33 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

New BUD 360° App … As the Sprint Cup Series teams compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway the next two weekends, fans can experience what it’s like to hit speeds of up to 190 mph at the speedway with the new interactive BUD 360° app. The King of Beers’ innovative new app utilizes surround video technology to provide users with a 360-degree look inside Harvick’s Sprint Cup Series ride as the driver completes several laps around the 1.5-mile track. While Harvick controls the wheel, the consumer controls the view, allowing them to experience the sensation of speed in never-before-seen angles. The app is available for free in the Apple App Store for both iPhone and iPad users. The Budweiser Racing 360° video also is accessible on desktop computers at www.budweiser.com.

Champion Chat … Harvick will participate in his monthly Champion Chat on Tuesday, May 14, at 7 p.m. Eastern Time answering fan questions via Twitter and TweetChat.com. To ask a question, simply log on to TweetChat.com or Federal-Mogul’s @ChampionParts Twitter feed and add the #ChampionChat hashtag to the end of each tweet. Harvick’s video “Touts” will be available through the @ChampionParts Twitter feed as well as www.Tout.com (search for “#TeamChampion”).

Race Rewind … Harvick and the No. 29 team captured a sixth-place finish during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, after battling a tight-handling condition throughout the non-points event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

Share your thoughts on participating in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
“I was fortunate enough to win this race back in 2007. You definitely would rather win the All-Star race, than not. It’s one of the marquee races in our sport that you want to win. Charlotte (Motor Speedway) hasn’t been a great track for us, but we have had some success there throughout the years. The All-Star race was one of our successes; it was definitely a cool race to win.”

What are your thoughts on the new format for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race this season?
“Anytime they put that much money in front of anybody it’s going to cause things to rise to another level. Take the points away from that and you really have some unique scenarios that come up. I think adding the bonus for winning all five segments is really going to add a twist to the event as well, especially for the driver who wins the first segment. They’re going to be giving it all they have to try and win the remaining segments to collect the additional $1 million bonus. It’s always fun when you know there is really nothing on the line but to win. If you do, then usually there is a big check waiting for you at the end so that gives you some bragging rights and a lot of money.”

How much does the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race help to prepare you and the team for the Coca-Cola 600?
“Usually, we can get a glimpse into the future, primarily in the engine department. They’ll test out a few different things to try to see what we might be able to utilize the following weekend. We also get to be on the race track under conditions similar to those we’ll see during the Coca-Cola 600. The extra track time will really help us determine how these new cars are going to handle under the lights at Charlotte (Motor Speedway).”

- Richard Childress Racing 

LVH Super Book Odds to Win 97th Indianapolis 500

Marco Andretti posted fastest lap of month at Indy  

INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2013

SCOTT DIXON 5
DARIO FRANCHITTI 6
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE 7
HELIO CASTRONEVES 7
RYAN HUNTER-REAY 10
TONY KANAAN 10
RYAN BRISCOE 10
MARCO ANDRETTI 15
WILL POWER 15
GRAHAM RAHAL 15
ORIOL SERVIA 25
AJ ALLMENDINGER 15
ED CARPENTER 30
TAKUMA SATO 30
ALEX TAGLIANI 40
JUSTIN WILSON 40
JR HILDEBRAND 40
SIMON PAGENAUD 50
TOWNSEND BELL 75
JAMES JAKES 75
CHARLIE KIMBALL 75
MIKE CONWAY 100
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS 100
CONOR DALY 100
SIMONA DE SILVESTRO 100
CARLOS MUNOZ 100
BUDDY RICE 200
EJ VISO 100
JOSEF NEWGARDEN 200
FIELD 30

LVH Super Book Updated Odds to Win 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Title

Matt Kenseth is 5/1 to win Cup Championship after Darlington win

2013 SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS FOLLOWING DARLINGTON

JIMMIE JOHNSON 5-2
BRAD KESELOWSKI 10
DENNY HAMLIN 12
KYLE BUSCH 7
KASEY KAHNE 8
MATT KENSETH 5
JEFF GORDON 15
TONY STEWART 50
CLINT BOWYER 12
GREG BIFFLE 25
CARL EDWARDS 12
MARTIN TRUEX JR 30
DALE EARNHARDT JR 15
KEVIN HARVICK 18
JOEY LOGANO 60
RYAN NEWMAN 200
KURT BUSCH 100
MARCOS AMBROSE 200
PAUL MENARD 100
JEFF BURTON 300
JAMIE McMURRAY 60
JUAN MONTOYA 60
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 100
ARIC ALMIROLA 100
DANICA PATRICK 5000
FIELD 500

2013 NASCAR All-Star Race Facts

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Wins List

Year    Driver                        Year     Driver

1985    Darrell Waltrip            1999     Terry Labonte

1986    Bill Elliott                   2000     Dale Earnhardt Jr.

1987    Dale Earnhardt           2001     Jeff Gordon

1988    Terry Labonte             2002     Ryan Newman

1989    Rusty Wallace            2003     Jimmie Johnson

1990    Dale Earnhardt           2004     Matt Kenseth

1991    Davey Allison             2005     Mark Martin

1992    Davey Allison             2006     Jimmie Johnson

1993    Dale Earnhardt           2007     Kevin Harvick

1994    Geoff Bodine             2008     Kasey Kahne

1995    Jeff Gordon               2009     Tony Stewart

1996    Michael Waltrip         2010     Kurt Busch

1997    Jeff Gordon               2011     Carl Edwards

1998    Mark Martin              2012     Jimmie Johnson

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2013 Top 12 at Charlotte Motor Speedway In the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race

	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Jimmie Johnson	11	1	3	7	7	1	6.6	104.9
2	Carl Edwards	7	0	1	3	4	3	11.3	83.6
3	Matt Kenseth	12	2	1	5	9	1	6.3	91.1
4	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	13	0	1	4	10	1	8.4	76.3
5	Clint Bowyer	4	0	0	0	0	0	15.0	47.3
6	Kasey Kahne	9	1	1	1	3	4	12.3	76.1
7	Brad Keselowski	4	0	0	1	2	0	11.0	57.8
8	Kyle Busch	7	3	0	2	3	4	12.4	106.7
9	Aric Almirola	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	-
10	Kevin Harvick	12	0	1	2	7	3	10.5	79.8
11	Paul Menard	1	0	0	0	0	0	16.0	58.1
12	Jeff Gordon	19	0	3	6	9	4	9.5	84.0

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race:

Notebook

·         There have been 28 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race was in 1985.

·         27 have been held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 1986, the event was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and won by Bill Elliott. That season was also the first year for what is now known as the Sprint Showdown.

·         89 drivers have run in at least one NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, with 75 competing in more than one.

·         There have been 19 different winners of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip won the inaugural NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in 1985 at 161.184 mph.

·         Mark Martin has participated in 23 races, more than any other driver. Terry Labonte has participated in 20, followed by Jeff Gordon with 19.

·         The race has featured a field that ranged from 10 drivers in 1986 to 27 in 2002. Last season’s field had 23 participants.

·         Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990 and 1993), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997 and 2001) and Jimmie Johnson (2003, 2006 and 2012) are the only three-time winners of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race.

·         Davey Allison (1991 and 1992), Terry Labonte (1988 and 1999) and Mark Martin (1998 and 2005) are the only other drivers to post multiple victories in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Allison is the only driver to ever win consecutive All-Star events.

·         Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2000) and Ryan Newman (2002) are the only drivers to win the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in their rookie season.

·         Jeff Gordon is the youngest winner of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at 23 years, 9 months and 18 days (1995). Mark Martin is the oldest at 46 years, 4 months and 12 days (2005).

·         In two starts Joey Logano leads the series with an average finish of 5.5 in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

·         Eight drivers including Joey Logano, have an average finish in the top 10 for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race:Matt Kenseth (6.2), Jimmie Johnson (6.6), Marcos Ambrose (7.0), Tony Stewart (7.7), Dale Earnhardt Jr.(8.3), Ryan Newman (9.2) and Jeff Gordon (9.5).

·         Terry Labonte won the inaugural Coors Light pole for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in 1985.

·         15 drivers have won Coors Light poles at Charlotte for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, led by Bill Elliott with five. Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with three.

·         Three drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Davey Allison(1991, 1992) Bill Elliott (1997, 1998) and Kyle Busch (2011, 2012).

·         The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race has been won from the pole position four times; the first three came in consecutive years: Dale Earnhardt (1990) and Davey Allison (1991 and 1992). Kurt Busch posted the fourth win from the pole in 2010.

·         The front row starting positions are the two most proficient starting positions in the field, producing more winners (four each) than any other starting positions in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

·         Eight of the 28 (28.5%) NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races have been won from the front row: four from the pole and four from second-place.

·         21 of the 28 (75.0%) NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·         Two of the 28 (7.1%) NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

·         The deepest in the field a NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race winner has started was 27th, by Ryan Newman in 2002.

·         Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won seven NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races: Jeff Gordon (three), Jimmie Johnson (three) and Terry Labonte (one).

·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top-five finishes in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race with nine; followed by Tony Stewart (eight) and Jimmie Johnson (seven).

·         Bill Elliott leads the series in top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race with 13; followed by Dale Earnhardt with 12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin lead all active drivers with 10 each.

·         Five drivers have won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same year: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990, 1993), Rusty Wallace (1989), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997, 2001) and Jimmie Johnson (2006).

·         In 2008, Kasey Kahne became the first driver to get into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race by the Sprint Fan Vote and go on to win the event.

·         Seven times from seven different drivers has the winner of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race gone on to win the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway the following weekend: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Davey Allison(1991), Dale Earnhardt (1993), Jeff Gordon (1997), Jimmie Johnson (2003), Kasey Kahne (2008) and Kurt Busch (2010).

·         The record for lead changes in a NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is 10 in 2004.

·         The record for different leaders in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is nine in 2002.

·         The series best Driver Rating performance by a NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race winner was Carl Edwardsposting a 141.7 in 2011.

 

Charlotte Motor Speedway Data

 

Track Size: 1.5 miles

·     Banking Turns: 24 degrees

·     Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees

·     Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees

·     Frontstretch: 1,980 feet

·     Backstretch: 1,500 feet

 

Top 12 Driver Rating at Charlotte

List consists of drivers with more than one NASCAR Sprint All-Star race start

Kyle Busch............................... 106.7

Jimmie Johnson........................ 104.9

Matt Kenseth............................. 91.1

Jeff Gordon................................ 84.0

Carl Edwards............................. 83.6

Ryan Newman........................... 82.4

Kurt Busch................................ 81.9

Mark Martin............................... 80.6

Joey Logano.............................. 80.5

Greg Biffle.................................. 80.5

Kevin Harvick............................. 79.8

Brian Vickers............................. 79.6

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2012 NASCAR Sprint All-Star races (eight total).