Roush-Fenway Searching For First Brickyard Win in 18th Attempt

Carl Edwards was runner-up at the Brickyard in 2008 (Getty)

Carl Edwards
Team: No. 99 Scotts Ortho Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Bob Osborne
Chassis: RK-768 – Last ran at Kansas in June, finished fifth

Carl Edwards on racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
“Indy is tough because you have to be able to turn in the center of the corners and that sounds very simple, but it’s very difficult because the corners are so sharp for such a high-speed race track. You have to have a really big engine because you slow down so much and then have these short chutes in between, so the FR9 should be a big help to us this year. I was second at Indy in 2008 and to be that close to victory and see the celebration going on makes you want it even more.”

Crew Chief Bob Osborne on racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
“Indy is such a cool place to race with so much history. To win there and be among some of the greats who have kissed the bricks would be awesome. I think having the FR9 engine will certainly be a benefit at a place like Indy where horsepower is so important. We are taking the same car we raced at Kansas last month which was strong in its first outing there.”

FAST FACTS

* CARL EDWARDS enters Indy leading the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings, seven markers ahead of second place. In 19 starts, Edwards has accumulated one win, 10 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes.

* FOR THE RECORD…Edwards will make his seventh Cup start at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend. In his previous starts, Edwards has one top-five and three top-10 finishes. His average start is 27.3 and his average finish is 10.5. Edwards captured his best start (ninth) and best finish (second) at the Brickyard in 2008.

* Edwards has completed 100 percent of his laps attempted in Cup competition at Indy, and has the fourth-best average finish among active drivers there.

* IN THE LOOP…According to NASCAR’s loop data acquired over the past six races at Indy, Edwards has turned 42 of the fastest laps in Cup competition. He has spent 487 laps in the top 15.

* ON THE TRACK…The No. 99 Scotts Ortho team will be bringing chassis RK-768 to Indy. This Ford previously raced atKansas in June where Edwards finished fifth.

* REWIND, INDY 2010… With 18 laps left, Edwards made a charge to the front. A few laps after the restart another caution came. The leaders stayed out and Edwards restarted 10th with 11 laps to go. In the closing laps he was able to pick up three more positions to finish the race in seventh place.

Biffle has finished fourth and third in the last two Brickyard races (Getty)

Greg Biffle
Team: No. 16 3M Ford Fusion

Biffle on Indy: “Just driving through the tunnel at Indy is incredible because you don’t really understand how big the place is until you see it in person. Indy is a fast, flat racetrack and it’s very important to be able to get into the corners well there. Having the Ford power under the hood will help us get down the straightaways which is also crucial for a fast lap at Indy. We’ve run well there in the past and even had a shot at winning it last year. I have high expectations for this weekend.”

Puccia on Indy: “Indy is obviously the fastest flat track that we go to and handling in the turns will be very important. Track position is huge so we’ll need a good qualifying effort but it is an impound race so that will affect our strategy as well. If we can start up front and stay in the clean air, I think we’ll have a good day. We’d all like to get the American Red Cross car to victory lane this week and help them bring awareness to the need for blood donations throughout the summertime.”

Indianapolis Notes
• Biffle is currently 15th in the Sprint Cup point standings following his 18th-place finish in New Hampshire. He is 47 points out of the 10th position with seven races remaining until the Chase.

• Biffle’s average finish at New Hampshire is 13,9 from an average starting position of 16.2.

• The No. 16 Ford will have a special American Red Cross Type O “Give Blood” paint scheme this weekend to remind race fans to donate blood throughout the summer months when donations tend to drop.

• Type O negative blood is always in high demand because it can be transfused to patients with any blood type, especially in emergency situations.

• Go to http://www.redcrossblood.org/ironheart to learn about Brian Boyle and his inspiring story about how American Red Cross blood donors helped save his life.

Matt Kenseth has been runner-up twice at the Brickyard (Getty)

Matt Kenseth
Team: No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis: Primary: RK-741 (last raced at Kentucky)

Kenseth on racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
“The history of Indy really makes you appreciate the fact that we race there with the Cup series. It’s one of the most difficult tracks that we go to in regards to passing, and it’s a fairly fast track with four tight 90-degree corners and basically one groove to race in. Indy is definitely one of the most difficult tracks to be able to pass and get the track position you want at. The one thing that stands out about Indy is when you’re coming down the frontstretch at 200 mph, with the stands on either side of the narrow track, and you’re looking straight ahead to that wall in Turn 1 since it’s a 90-degree corner. It’s a pretty intimidating view the first few times you race there.”

Crew chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
“Indianapolis is one of the races that I’ve always wanted to win because of the history associated with motorsports at that track. We’re taking one of our best cars this weekend so I have high hopes that it will once again perform well. Matt runs really well at Indy and he’s had a lot of strong runs there. The thing that makes it difficult to win at Indy is that it’s difficult to pass there since the track is so narrow. We’ll spend practice time on both race trim and qualifying trim since track position is so important at a narrow track like Indy.”

FAST FACTS:
• Kenseth has four top five and six top-10 finishes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

• Kenseth has finished inside the top 10 in six of the last nine starts at IMS

• Kenseth posted his career best starting position (10th) at Indy in 2008

• Kenseth has an average starting position of 21.5 and an average finishing position of 15.1 at Indy

• Kenseth has finished second twice at Indianapolis (2003 and 2006)

• Kenseth has completed 1,586 of 1,761 career laps (90.1 percent) at Indy and led for a total of 28 laps

• This weekend at Indianapolis, Kenseth will pilot the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion

• Entering this weekend, Kenseth is currently sixth in the Sprint Cup Series driver point standings

SPECIAL HELMET:
Kenseth will race in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 with a new piece of equipment in his No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion, a specially designed Crown Royal helmet created by an Indianapolis area adult consumer. Friday night Kenseth will unveil the Crown Royal helmet he’ll wear during the race with the help of ESPN 1070 The Fan. In addition to seeing their creation on Kenseth, the creator of the winning helmet design will receive passes to Sunday’s Brickyard 400, a behind-the-scenes look at the No. 17 Crown Royal team and a meet and greet with Kenseth.

David Ragan has an 18.5 average finish position in four Indy starts (Getty)

David Ragan
Team:No. 6 UPS/Hall of Fame Ned Jarrett Tribute Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Chassis: Primary: RK-777 Brand new chassis; Backup: RK-711 Last ran Darlington – finished 21st

Ragan on racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
“Indy is one of the bigger races of the season, and a halfway point as we move into the final few races before the Chase, so there couldn’t be a better time to show off a cool paint scheme, like our blue car. It’s an honor to drive this UPS/Ned Jarrett Hall of Fame tribute car. I’m looking forward to seeing Ned and everyone at the race track this weekend. It’s fun to get the chance to give him appreciation for his Hall of Fame induction.”

Crew chief Drew Blickensderfer on racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
“Indy is one of the biggest races every year and we’ve built a brand new UPS Ford for it with a new paint scheme. The track has a unique configuration and that’s something we don’t race on very often. It’s awesome to have UPS honoring Ned Jarrett’s induction into the Hall of Fame on our car for this weekend. The Jarretts have been a great family for our sport.”

FAST FACTS
• Recent NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Ned Jarrett, will be featured on the No. 6 UPS Ford this weekend. UPS has transformed the look of David Ragan’s car to resemble the car design Jarrett drove during his 1965 championship season. For more information, visit: http://www.racing.ups.com/2011/06/upshof11/

• UPS employee, Gerald Goldman, will serve as an honorary member of the UPS team this weekend in Indy. Goldman has been a mechanic with UPS for 21 years and will have his name featured on the C-Post of David Ragan’s No. 6 UPS Ford.

- Roush Fenway Racing, Press Releases

Roush Fenway Drivers Ready For the Track 'Too Tough to Tame'

Edwards will be using his winning Las Vegas chassis this week (Getty) 

Carl Edwards
Team: No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Bob Osborne

Chassis: RK-732 – last ran Las Vegas in March when Edwards won

Carl Edwards on racing at Darlington Raceway:  “It’s a big weekend for us going into Darlington. We are leading the points and Dan Amos, the chairman of Aflac, is going to be there. Darlington is one of my favorite race tracks and it couldn’t have come at a better time on the schedule. We’re running well and our 1.5-mile program has been spectacular. This race really suits me as a driver – it’s a long race at a track that I love. I’m just hoping we can get a victory for Aflac there.”

Crew Chief Bob Osborne on racing at Darlington Raceway: “Darlington is a challenging track, and like last week we practice in the day but race at night so that adds another aspect to setting up the car for the race. We’re taking the same car we won with at Vegas earlier this year so we know we’ve got a good car going into it. Carl loves racing at Darlington although we haven’t always had the best of luck there lately. Hopefully we can change that Saturday night.”

Fast Facts
Carl Edwards will make his eighth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Darlington Raceway in this weekend’s SHOWTIME Southern 500.

STANDINGS… Edwards continues to lead the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings. After a top-five finish in Richmond he extended his lead to nine points over Jimmie Johnson.

FOR THE RECORD…In seven starts at the 1.366-mile track, Edwards has two top-five and four top-10 finishes. Edwards scored his best finish at Darlington, second place in 2008.

LAPS…Edwards has attempted 2572 laps in Cup Series competition at Darlington. He has completed 2433 laps – 94.6%, and led 37 laps.

ON THE TRACK… The No. 99 team will carry the Aflac paint scheme this weekend. The crew will be unloading chassis RK-732 this weekend. This is the same Ford Fusion that Edwards took to victory lane at Las Vegas earlier this year.

REWIND, DARLINGTON 2010… The track known as “too tough to tame” lived up to its reputation as Edwards and the team struggled to find the right set up from the first practice Friday throughout the race Saturday night. With hard work, determination and a bit of luck on their side, the Aflac team finished 26 positions ahead of where they started to claim 15th place

David Ragan finished fifth at Darlington in 2008 (Getty)

David Ragan
Team: No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer


Chassis: Primary: RK-711 Last ran Bristol – finished 16th; Backup: RK-730 Last ran Phoenix in 2010 as the No. 99 – finished first

Ragan on racing at Darlington Raceway: “Darlington is one of the hardest tracks on the schedule. After they paved the track the race has changed a little, tires don’t wear out as fast and speeds don’t drop off like they used to. So Drew and I are bringing one of our good mile-and-a-half cars for this weekend. Saturday night racing is always exciting and I’ll need to be very careful with my UPS Ford throughout the night to be around at the finish.”

Crew chief Drew Blickensderfer on racing at Darlington Raceway: “Darlington is now a smooth track thanks to the repaving, so tires aren’t a worry like they were in the past. It’s also a fast track, so we’ll need to have good speed and down-force to be competitive. We are looking forward to getting closer to our first win after our last couple of runs in our UPS Ford.”

FAST FACTS
* Ragan has four prior Cup Series starts at Darlington. His best finish came in 2008 when he qualified 15th and finished fifth.
* Ragan has competed two times in the Nationwide Series at Darlington. His best finish came in 2007 he qualified eighth and finished 13th.
* UPS employee, Mike Carroll, will be an honorary crew member of the UPS team this weekend in Darlington. A mechanic for UPS out of Clayton, North Carolina, Carroll receives this honor for his high level of service and will have his name featured on the C-Post of the No. 6 UPS Ford

Kenseth is using fourth-place Fontana chassis this week (Getty)

Matt Kenseth Team: No. 17 Wiley X Sunglasses Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig


Chassis: Primary: RK-707 (Last run at Fontana)

Kenseth on racing at Darlington Raceway: “Darlington is a great race track with a lot of history attached to it. They repaved the surface a few years ago and it’s just a place where we race fast with narrow lanes, and track position at the end of the race is really important. It’s a challenging track since you get so much speed going into the turns; many cars end up with “Darlington stripes” down the side after brushing the wall. I’ve had some great races at Darlington, and I’m hoping to get a good finish this weekend in our Wiley X Sunglasses Ford Saturday night.”

Crew chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Darlington Raceway: “Darlington races are exciting, but it’s a place that I enjoy racing at because there is a lot of tradition associated with this track. Darlington is much different than it used to be because the old surface used to be all about tire conservation, but with the new smooth pavement, it is not as focused on tires anymore. Running close to the wall is one of the main challenges of Darlington since it is pretty fast and the cars run within inches of the outside wall at both ends of the track.”

FAST FACTS:
• Everything’s coming up 17: Saturday night’s race at Darlington will be Kenseth’s 17th start in the No. 17 Ford and his average finishing position is 17th
• In 17 Cup starts at Darlington, Kenseth has completed 5,515 of 5,736 laps (96.1 percent) and led for 154 laps
• Kenseth has an average starting position of 21.8 and an average finishing position of 17.7 at Darlington
• Kenseth has achieved one pole, one top-five and seven top-10 finishes at Darlington in the Cup series
• This weekend at Darlington, Kenseth will pilot the No. 17 Wiley X Sunglasses Ford Fusion
• Entering the weekend at Darlington, Kenseth is currently ninth in the NSCS driver point standings.

Biffle won at Darlington in 2005 and then again in 2006

Greg Biffle
Team: No. 16 Valvoline Ford Fusion
Cew chief: Greg Erwin

Biffle on Darlington: “Darlington is the hardest place we race. We run inches off the wall at speeds we run at mile and a half tracks. Any second it’ll reach out and bite you and that’s why they call it the Lady in Black. It is also very hard to pass there which obviously adds another challenge. We’ve been able to have some success there including a couple of wins so I always have high expectations when we go to Darlington.”

Erwin on Darlington: “I really like racing at Darlington, in fact, I would like to get a win there more than just about any other track. I grew up in Pennsylvania but I went to college at Clemson so I spent quite a bit of time in South Carolina. Greg has a couple of wins there but his last one was just a couple of weeks before I took this job in 2006. It’s a handling track and you have to try to get the car to handle well at both ends which are completely different. One end of the track is much narrower than the other so it is nearly impossible to get your car to handle perfectly in both. I know it’s one of Greg’s favorite tracks and we’d both like to get the 3M Ford in victory lane there this weekend.”

Darlington Notes
• Biffle is currently 14th in the Sprint Cup point standings following his 15th-place finish in Richmond.
• Biffle has an average finish of 14.8 from an average starting position of 9.1 at Darlington Raceway.
• Last year in Darlington the team had to go to the backup car due to a wreck in late in practice. Biffle qualified and started the race with only 15 minutes of practice in the backup car.
• Biffle has led a total of 639 laps in 10 starts at Darlington Raceway on his way to two wins and four top-10 finishes.
• This week Biffle visited a 3M plant in Pittsboro, NC where the rock granules used in roofing shingles are mined and readied for production. Seven out of every 10 homes that have shingles have 3M roofing granules on the shingles.
• Biffle also tested at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week for the Wood Brothers in place of Trevor Bayne.
• Visit www.shop3M.com to learn more about all of the innovative products 3M has to offer.

- Roush Fenway Racing, Press Releases

Biffle's Got The Goods To Ease Roush's Pain at Michigan This Week

by Micah Roberts
Las Vegas Review-Journal

It had been a tough year for Roush-Fenway Racing’s Fords leading up to the Brickyard 400 as the team and manufacturer were mired in a season long winless streak. Ford hadn’t seen a drought like that in NASCAR since their 1977 campaign. Owner Jack Roush was confounded by the lack of production from his cars that hadn’t won on his type of track - the 1.5 and 2-mile ovals - since the second race of the 2009 season.

It was just 2008 that Roush saw two of his cars finish second and third in points combining to win 11 of the 36 races. Carl Edwards had won nine races that season and finished within the top-four in eight of the chase races that included three wins. Had it not been for Jimmie Johnson’s consistent dominance throughout the chase -- along with two poor finishes by Edwards -- Roush would have surely had his third championship as an owner.

During this years Brickyard 400, and the practices leading up to the race, the Roush cars starting showing more horsepower. Greg Biffle led 38 laps and finished third with Edwards coming in seventh. It was a sign that the program was on the upswing and that they were finally close to getting near NASCAR’s best horsepower producing teams of Hendrick, Gibbs, Childress and Earnhardt. Everyone in the Roush-Fenway organization was excited that the they had finally turned the corner and then two days later, the happiness quickly turned to concerned sadness.

On Tuesday, July 27, Jack Roush crashed the plane he was piloting in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It was the second time Roush had crashed one of his aircrafts. Though the injuries were not life-threatening, the mood was somber throughout the team garages.

For Greg Biffle’s team, they managed to use the tragedy to motivate the team already on the upswing in all areas paying extra attention to every detail of the their car. They even used the exact same chassis Biffle had used the week before at Indy to keep all momentum going strong into Pocono. Everything worked as planned and with 20 laps to go, Biffle would take the lead and never looked back. It was an emotional win that the entire organization was delighted to give Roush as medicine while he watched from his hospital bed.

After a strong run in practice and the race itself on the road course of Watkins Glen, The Roush program now gets to go to their favorite race track in the Irish Hills of Michigan, a sprawling 2-mile D-Shaped oval that Roush has won on 11 times. The 11 wins on his home track tie Roush with the legendary Wood Brothers for most all-time wins at Michigan Speedway.

Three of his current drivers have combined to win six of those races with Kurt Busch and Mark Martin chipping in the other five when they were part of the stable.

Roush was released from the hospital Wednesday and while many felt that he would remain at home to rest, there he was Friday during practice and qualifying, at the track, the place he feels more comfortable at than any bed can provide.

The inspiration from Roush showing up at the track obviously gave all four of his teams some added incentive because they all look great during practice. Matt Kenseth isn’t traditionally a good practice driver and had the worst of the four driver’s speeds, but Biffle, Edwards, and even David Ragan came up with some of the fastest speeds. Ragan finished second fastest during happy hour, his best practice of the season.

Based on the team history at Michigan, overall practice speeds and being a team on the rise, Greg Biffle looks like the driver to beat this week. In all three practice sessions, Biffle was never worse than fifth fastest and was the leader in Saturday’s early session.

With all the emotions that the Roush teams have gone through the last three weeks, seeing Roush unexpectedly out on the track is sure to make everyone just a little better in all areas much in the same way the Knicks played in the 1970 NBA Finals after Willis Reed walked out on the court. All facets from the pit stops, critical crew chief calls, and the drivers themselves should all be taken to the top of their game this week.  

Others to Watch

The biggest impact based on practice outside of the Roush cars was made by the Childress drivers. Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton were outstanding in all practices and a considerable upgrade from their practices during the June race. The times -- helped by the outstanding engine program of Childress/Earnhardt -- are hard to ignore, but so is RCR history at Michigan where they have been less than stellar over the years, even with Dale Earnhardt.

Harvick hasn’t had a top-five at Michigan since 2003 and it’s been even longer for Jeff Burton. Burton has never finished in the top-five for RCR and his last was with Roush in 2002. In nine races for Clint Bowyer, he’s never tasted a finish better than eighth. This is obviously a new and vastly improved RCR team this year, but it’s still something to mull over when making fantasy or betting decisions.

Kasey Kahne is a past winner at Michigan and was runner-up in the June race. He’ll be starting  from the pole which has traditionally been a great spot to be in at Michigan as history shows that 16 of the 82 races (19.5%) have been won from the pole, including this race last year when Brian Vickers won. Kahne was strong in the early practice Saturday, but slowed a bit during happy hour which had temperature conditions that will be similar to race day.

Jimmie Johnson has had all kinds of greats runs at Michigan over his career, but has the worst luck near the end. Last year he had two wins in the bag and then ran out fuel in each. Michigan is one of only four tracks Johnson has never won at during his career, but remains the only track he visits twice a year that he’s never been the victor. Despite being 0-17 lifetime, he still has a respectable 15.4 average finish. Johnson was fastest during happy hour which is nothing new to him on the track. In June’s race he was fastest in happy hour as well and finished sixth.

Tony Stewart has the look of being sneaky fast this week. He showed more in qualifying and practice than he normally does and has the look of a possible winner and ruining the Roush welcome home party. He’s using the same car he did in the June race where he finished fifth, but despite it being the same car, his practice sessions are drastically improved from that race. He’s looking for his first win of the season and getting bonus points for the start of the Chase for the Championship, so look for Stewart to let it all hang out in what looks like a really good car this week.

Kurt Busch has won at Michigan in both a Ford and Dodge and finished third in the June race. His 19.4 career average in 19 starts doesn’t give the impression that he likes the track very well, but he does. The poor average is due to six starts of finishing 36th or worse which include two 43rd-place finishes during his rookie year. Like Stewart, Busch will be looking to pad his two wins on the season and give himself some separation for the beginning of the Chase.

The driver who was tagged to do well here this week that hasn’t shown anything in practice was Dale Earnhardt Jr.. Michigan is the site of his only win with Hendrick Motorsports -- another fuel mileage win on the track -- and has been his most consistent track since joining the organization. He brought his favorite car -- the same on that finished seventh in June’s Michigan race -- and was beaming with confidence about the team’s prospects in all his pre-race talk, but it doesn’t look promising based on practice. They did get better during happy hour, but were still only 14th fastest.      

See Top-10 Michigan Driver Ratings along with Notes and Quotes Here

California Auto Club Speedway Facts: Auto Club 500

compiled by Mike Forde

NASCAR Media Services

History
· Groundbreaking for California Speedway, as Auto Club Speedway was originally known, took place in November 1995.
· The first race at Auto Club Speedway was a NASCAR K&N Pro Series, West race won by Ken Schrader on June 21, 1997.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 22, 1997 and won by Jeff Gordon.
· September 2004 was the first night race at Auto Club Speedway and that also was the first year both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series ran two races in a season there.
· The track name was changed to Auto Club Speedway in February 2008.

Notebook
· There have been 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Auto Club Speedway since the track opened in 1997.
· Four drivers have competed in all 19 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Joe Nemechek.
· Joe Nemechek won the pole for the inaugural race in 1997.
· There have been 13 different pole winners, led by Kurt Busch (three). Brian Vickers and Jeff Gordon each have two poles.
· Twelve different drivers have posted victories. Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with four wins. Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth each have won three races.
· Hendrick Motorsports has won eight races, more than any other team.
· Nine of the 19 races were won from starting positions outside the top 10; only one has been won from the pole (Jimmie Johnson in 2008). The most prolific starting position is third, with three victories.
· Matt Kenseth won the 2006 spring race from the 31st starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started.
· Three active drivers have averaged a top-10 finish: Carl Edwards (6.6), Jimmie Johnson (5.8) and Matt Kenseth (9.3).
· Kyle Busch won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole (2/05) and first race (9/05) at Auto Club Speedway.
· Jimmie Johnson won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at ASC on April 28, 2002.

NASCAR in California
· There have been 126 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in California:
· 410 NASCAR drivers have their home state recorded as California.
· There have been 33 race winners from California in NASCAR’s three national series.

Auto Club Speedway Data
Race # 2 of 36 (2-21-10)
Track Size: 2 miles

· Race Length: 250 laps/500 miles

· Banking/Corners: 14 degrees
· Banking/Frontstretch: 11 degrees
· Banking/Backstretch: 3 degrees

Driver Rating at Auto Club Speedway
Jimmie Johnson 122.3
Matt Kenseth 109.7
Carl Edwards 104.3
Kyle Busch 102.9
Jeff Gordon 100.3
Greg Biffle 99.8
Tony Stewart 97.6
Mark Martin 97.4
Kasey Kahne 94.8
Kurt Busch 94.1
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2009 races (10 total) at Auto Club Speedway.

Qualifying/Race Data
2009 pole winner: Brian Vickers (183.439 mph, 39.250 secs.)
2009 race winner: Matt Kenseth (135.839 mph, 2-22-09)
Track qualifying record: Kyle Busch (188.425 mph, 38.248 seconds, 2-27-05)
Track race record: Jeff Gordon (155.012 mph, 6-22-97)

Estimated Pit Window: Every 40-44 laps, based on fuel mileage