Driver Chassis Selections for 2013 Dover AAA 400

Kasey Kahne is using winning Bristol chassis this week at Dover

#2-Brad Keselowski: Primary Chassis for Dover is PRS-866 which is a brand new chassis. The Backup Chassis is PRS-838 which last raced at Darlington and finished 32.

#5-Kasey Kahne: Crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-769 for Sunday s Dover race. Kahne has raced this car six times this season, notably reaching Victory Lane at Bristol on March 17. During those six starts, he has averaged a 5.67 starting spot on the strength of outside pole positions at Phoenix and Bristol and a fourth-place start at Richmond. Kahne also lined up eighth in this car on July 14 at New Hampshire. Most recently, he finished second driving this car at Bristol in August. Kahne has one top-five finish, five top-10s and has led 90 laps in 19 Sprint Cup starts at Dover. He earned his best finish of fourth at the track in October 2011. Kahne has eight starts inside the top 10 at the one-mile concrete oval.

#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 Stanley team will bring chassis No. 848 this weekend. The team raced this chassis at Phoenix earlier this year.

#14-Mark Martin: Chassis No. 14-722 debuted in June 2012 at Pocono as Tony Stewart took Chassis No. 14-722 from its 22nd-place starting spot to finish third in the Pocono 400. It returned to Pocono in August for the series second visit to the quirky, 2.5-mile triangle where it had a similar outing, as Stewart rallied it from its 28th-place starting spot to finish fifth in the rain-shortened race. While Chassis No. 14-722 didn t race again in 2012, it was tested extensively in the wind tunnel and on the track. It tested at Nashville Superspeedway Sept. 25-26 and at Kansas Oct. 17-18. With 2013 Chevrolet SS bodywork covering it, Chassis No. 14-722 returned to racing in March at Bristol for the Food City 500. After qualifying eighth and practicing well, Stewart declared he had the best car he d had in years at Bristol. But just nine laps into the 500-lap race around the .533-mile oval, Stewart s left-rear tire deflated. Stewart spun and impacted the SAFER Barrier on the outside of turn one with the left side of his racecar. Stewart was OK, but his racecar was not. After lengthy repairs, Stewart returned to the track and finished 31st. Chassis No. 14-722 was rebuilt and saw track time at Dover during a test May 14-15. That test paid off when the car returned to Dover in June, where in its fourth career start and second of 2013, Chassis No. 14-722 won after rallying from its 22nd-place starting spot. The car returned to the concrete for a third straight time when it raced at Bristol in August. There, Mark Martin began his interim driving duties with the #14 team, qualifying 11th and finishing 20th. Martin and Chassis No. 14-722 are together on the concrete again with this weekend s race at Dover.

#15-Clint Bowyer: Primary chassis 777 made it s MWR debut at Indianapolis and finished 20th. It also ran at Atlanta where it led 48 laps before an engine issue ended the night prematurely. In 15 Sprint Cup starts at Dover, Bowyer has one top-five and eight top-10s. He has an average start of 17th and average finish of 13th. He has led 34 laps. He has five consecutive top 10 finishes, including one top-five, at the Monster Mile.

#16-Greg Biffle: and the Matt Puccia led #16 3M Filtrete Ford Fusion team will bring primary chassis RK-844 which last ran at Atlanta and finished 15th. Backup chassis RK-859 last ran at Indy and finished 24th. In his 22 Sprint Cup career starts at Dover, Biffle has earned two wins, six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. Filtrete was on board the #16 in Texas last year when Biffle picked up his first win of the 2012 season. This is the second race this season with Filtrete on Biffle s Ford, the first was the All-Star race in Charlotte.

#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: and the #17 Ford EcoBoost team will be using primary chassis RK-815 which last ran at Darlington finishing 18th. The backup Chassis RK-827 last ran at Charlotte and finished 14th in May. Stenhouse Jr. has two Sprint Cup starts at the Monster Mile, both of which he has finished 13th or better.

#22-Joey Logano: Primary Chassis is PRS-865 which is a brand new chassis. The Backup Chassis is PRS-839 which has been a backup at several races but never raced

#27-Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 414 at Dover International Speedway this weekend. This #27 CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet SS previously ran this season at Auto Club, Darlington, Kentucky and Bristol, with a best finish of sixth coming at Bristol. Menard has 12 starts at Dover International Speedway. His best start of third came in 2011 and best finish of seventh came in 2010. The Wisconsin native has completed 4,742 of 4,800 laps attempted (98.8 percent) at the Delaware track.

#29-Kevin Harvick: will pilot chassis No. 425 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the AAA 400. Harvick drove this Budweiser Chevrolet to Victory Lane after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, and most recently picked up a 10th-place result with the RCR-prepared machine at Kentucky Speedway in June. Since the 2001 season, Harvick has made 25 Sprint Cup Series starts at Dover International Speedway. Throughout the years, the California native has collected three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. He has an average starting position of 19.7, an average finishing position of 15.6, has completed 98.6 percent (9,861 of 10,004) of the laps contested and has 145 laps led to his credit.

#31-Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 429 this weekend at Dover International Speedway. This #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS is a new addition to the Richard Childress Racing stable and will turn its first laps this weekend at the one-mile facility. This weekend's 400-mile event marks Burton's 40th start at the Dover, Del. facility and 684th-career Sprint Cup Series entry. Burton has garnered one win, eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes at the one-mile track and has led 136 laps. Foley CAT and Cleveland Brothers will be featured on the deck lid of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS for Dover International Speedway's weekend event.

#39-Ryan Newman will pilot Chassis No. 39-682 at Dover. This chassis last raced at Darlington in May 2012, when Newman fought an ill-handling racecar for much of the evening but was still in pursuit of a top-15 result with five laps to go. However, a late-race incident pushed Newman back to 23rd once the checkered flag fell. Since then, Chassis No. 39-682 was outfitted with a new front clip and a Chevrolet SS body, and then was utilized for a test session at Texas in April. Chassis 39-682 will see its first laps of the season this weekend at Dover. Sunday s AAA 400 will mark Newman s 24th Sprint Cup start at Dover. Newman has three wins (June 2003, September 2003 and 2004), six top-five finishes and 11 top-10s at the Monster Mile. Additionally, the 35-year-old driver has led 842 laps, has an average starting position of 9.3 and an average finish of 13.1 at the high-banked, concrete mile oval..

#43-Aric Almirola:: The #43 Smithfield team has prepared chassis No. 855 for Dover. The team competed with this chassis at Kentucky Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway this season.

#48-Jimmie Johnson: will drive chassis No. 797 at Dover, which last raced at Michigan in August finishing 40th and at Dover in June finishing 17th. Chassis No. 784 serves as the backup.

#55-Brian Vickers: Primary chassis is 778, which has not raced. Vickers owns one top-five and two top-10 finishes in 14 starts. He has led seven laps on the mile oval. His highest finish came in May 2011 when he started 15th and finished fifth..

#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-745 this weekend at Dover. Earnhardt has averaged an 8.75 finish running this chassis this season. Most recently, he recorded 10th-place results at Bristol in August and Dover in June. Prior to that, he raced this car to a ninth-place finish at Darlington in May and a sixth-place finish at Bristol in March. In 27 Cup starts at Dover, Earnhardt has one win, five top-five finishes and nine top-10s. He has led 368 laps and completed 99.1 percent of all laps he's attempted (10,705 of 10,804 total) at the Monster Mile.

#99-Carl Edwards the #99 Fastenal blue team will bring RK 808 to Dover, which last ran in Pocono in August where it came to an 11th-place finish. The backup chassis is RK-821, which last ran at Atlanta. In 18 starts at Dover, Edwards has one win, eight top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. Edwards scored his only Cup win there in Sept. 07. He has an average start of 15.2 and an average finish of 8.6. Fastenal returns to the track with supplier brands BlackStone, WIDIA, Fluke and Holo-Krome on the hood, TV panel, deck lid and B-post.

- compiled by Jayski.com

Mark Martin on New Hampshire fuel mileage game, 'I've lost more than I've won'

Mark Martin last won at New Hampshire in 2009

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (Sept. 18, 2013) – “Money makes the world go ‘round.” It’s a notorious phrase used in speech and song that although cliché, warrants merit.

Swap out the word “fuel” with “money” and the expression applies to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, only there is no platitude to the revised phrase. Fuel powers the sport in more ways than one, making it only appropriate that the commodity is sometimes the difference between winning and losing. Nowhere has that circumstance been more inherent than at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, site of Sunday’s Sylvania 300.

The No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) is very familiar with the importance of fuel, having experienced both ends of the spectrum on the win/loss scale when it comes to racing at New Hampshire. With Mark Martin driving in place of the injured Tony Stewart this weekend, the team looks for some redemption after finding itself on the losing end of a fuel gamble during the series’ most recent visit to the 1.058-mile oval in July.

Less than 10 weeks ago at New Hampshire, the Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops team found its No. 14 Chevrolet SS out front in the closing laps of the race and in position to score their second win in six races.

After leading for 84 laps, Stewart relinquished the lead 16 laps short of the finish as he went into fuel conservation mode. In second place on the penultimate lap, Stewart was primed for another strong run at New Hampshire, or maybe a win if race-leader Brian Vickers bobbled. But just moments after the white flag waved, signaling the race’s final lap, Stewart’s machine sputtered off turn two. Forced to coast all the way down the backstretch and through turns three and four, Stewart crossed the finish line a gut-wrenching 26th.

That certainly was an episode of dealing with the bad, but there have also been instances of good, most notably the 2011 edition of the Sylvania 300. Two years ago the No. 14 team found itself in a nearly identical situation, only they were in position to take advantage of another competitor’s foiled fuel strategy. The No. 14 led the final two laps after previous leader Clint Bowyer ran out of gas just before taking the white flag of the 300-lap race. It was Stewart’s second consecutive win and it propelled him to the 2011 Sprint Cup championship.

At this year’s Sylvania 300, the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops team will be led by Martin. The ageless veteran will make his 31st career Sprint Cup start at the Magic Mile, but first since 2011.

While two years removed from his last New Hampshire race, Martin remains rock solid in the Granite State. He is a 40-time Sprint Cup winner, the most recent of which came at New Hampshire on Sept. 20, 2009. He has two poles and nine top-fives and 14 top-10s in his 30 starts dating back to 1993 when the track first hosted the Sprint Cup Series. Through the years, Martin has proven a model of consistency with an average start of 15.3 and an average finish of 12.5. And through two decades of racing in NASCAR’s elite division at New Hampshire, Martin has completed all but 23 of the 8,863 laps available for a lap completion rate of 99.7 percent.

Thos stats, combined with the racecar Martin will pilot at New Hampshire, make the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops team’s anticipation for the Sylvania 300 palpable. The same car that nearly won at New Hampshire 10 weeks ago is the same car Martin will wheel around the tight, flat confines of the Magic Mile.

With guile and experience unmatched in NASCAR, Martin knows how to win, even when winning means conserving. And if fuel again factors into the outcome at New Hampshire, Martin’s veteran poise could portend another victory for the No. 14 team.

MARK MARTIN, Interim Driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

New Hampshire seems to have an inordinate amount of races that are decided by fuel mileage. Is that the case and if so, why?
“One of the biggest things at New Hampshire is track position, and how it’s so critical there. It’s a little more critical than a lot of places we go to in that you try to get in the window of not having to stop again, and you gamble on ‘X’ amount of cautions because new tires don’t really give you a big advantage. The tire seems to hold its speed really well, so you kind of back up that last pit stop to how far you think you can go and how many cautions you might get.”

How do you save fuel at New Hampshire?
“The easiest way to save fuel is to slow down, which is really hard to do if you’re trying to win because there’s always someone there trying to push you. The biggest challenge is, you can save a little bit of fuel and keep your speed, but if you need to save a lot, you’re going to have to lose some lap time doing it. Sometimes you can get caught in a difficult situation.”

Is fuel mileage racing like running two races in one – you’re competing against other drivers but you’re also competing with yourself in terms of how hard you can push?
“If you get caught in one of those situations where it’s real close, then it’s quite different than most races. It doesn’t always work out that way, and one caution can make the difference between you being able to run full out and having to conserve. There’s a lot of gambling going on, but it doesn’t always come down to that. Sometimes your pit stop falls right inside the window where everybody can make it. But fuel mileage races do happen quite a bit at New Hampshire where a caution will come out just in the right spot where it puts some people in a position where they might be able to gamble.”

How have you fared in fuel mileage races?
“I’ve lost more than I’ve won, but I have been more successful since ’09. I did win one years ago with Jack (Roush) on fuel mileage, but I’ve lost probably 10. In ’09 I won the Michigan race where the two cats in front of me both ran out. I knew I couldn’t race them, so I let them go and let them run on out there and they both ran out on the last lap and we made it. I’ve had some success at it in more recent times. It’s tough. You have to have a superior racecar to be in a position to save significant fuel.”

Explain a lap around New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
“The corners are really sharp and fairly flat, so you use an enormous amount of brake. For a short distance, you use the maximum amount of brake that the tires can stand to get slowed down for those corners. There are multiple bank angles in both corners and you can use those multiple bank angles to encourage your car to turn, or tighten up some, or whatever. You have to know what your car is doing and pick what you want to do with those multi-banked angles to affect your car to get it to turn and to get it up off the corner going down the backstretch. There’s a crossover gate late down the backstretch that the transporters use to get into and out of the racetrack. The pavement there has settled and it’s created a pretty big bump going into turn three. It causes a lot of grief with the cars nowadays the way we run them down on the ground. That sends you into a bouncing isolation when you head off into turn three, which makes it interesting. And then in turns three and four it’s a lot of the same things you have in turns one and two. There are multi-bank angles and you’ve got to pick where you want to put your racecar to maximize the way the chassis and the tires are working. It’s tight up off the corner. The wall comes at you. You have to turn really sharp. The turns are tight there.”

It seems like good days at New Hampshire are great and off days there are really bad. Why is that?
“Qualifying is important there, but if you’ve got a good racecar, you can overcome your track position early. You can’t overcome it late. You do your best in qualifying, and after qualifying is over with you’ve got what you’ve got for a starting position and you just have to deal with it.”

How physical is racing at New Hampshire?
“It is a little bit physical, but it’s not as physical as Dover or Bristol. I think with New Hampshire being flatter, you don’t have to deal with the G-forces as much. However, New Hampshire is a very mentally taxing racetrack. It’s a challenge to get around those tight, flat corners, especially when you’re racing other cars. It’s more mentally challenging to run the race than it is physically.”

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing

Mark Martin on the Pole at Phoenix

Mark Martin on the pole at Phoenix, again. (Getty)

Sporting News

AVONDALE, Ariz.—Mark Martin proved Friday that no matter the body on the car, what’s underneath it is what makes the difference.

Martin used the same Michael Waltrip Racing chassis that he used to win the pole last year at Phoenix International Raceway to win the pole again Friday for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 on Sunday.

Turning a lap of 138.074 mph, Martin won the 56th pole of his career, seventh all-time on the Sprint Cup history charts.

The bodies of the cars were changed during the offseason so they can have more manufacturer identity. NASCAR also changed rules as far as weight in the car and eliminated the rear swaybar.

Despite all the changes, the main frame and pieces underneath the body are the same. Martin didn’t even know it was the same chassis as a year ago until right before qualifying. He lets crew chief Rodney Childers make those decisions, and he didn’t want to know all the changes made prior to qualifying after a good-but-not-great practice session.

“I just hit the corner and I measure what I think I have,” Martin said. “I have an extremely little bit of time to put it right on the edge and not step over it.

“I was pretty nervous about it. You can’t step over with the way the cars are so close now, and choke. I don’t accept choking very well and I expect a lot of myself. So I was relieved when the lap was over.”

Read More Here.....Starting Lineup

Mark Martin a Driver to Watch at Daytona

Martin is 25/1 to win Sprint Unlimited Saturday (Getty)

CORNELIUS, N.C.— No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver Mark Martin begins his 31st season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series when he takes to the track in Saturday’s Sprint Unlimited (formerly Shootout) and Sunday’s single-lap qualifying runs in preparation for the 55th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 24. Martin expects a busy first week in Daytona. He’ll join in NASCAR’s annual media day on Thursday, practice for the Unlimited Friday then race Saturday night. He’ll also practice his Daytona 500 car Saturday and join in single-lap qualifying for the 500 on Sunday.
Martin will drive the No. 55 in 24 points races and two non-points races in 2013 for Michael Waltrip Racing. Martin said he has yet to determine his 2014 plans, but emphasizes he isn’t going away from MWR or NASCAR.
2014 Plans: “I’m still working on that. All I can say at the moment is I don’t expect to be in the No. 55 as the driver. My goal is to see MWR, (Crew Chief) Rodney (Childers) and the No. 55 car race for a championship. I want to help build MWR. It might still be driving some or it might be working with the pit crew or the drivers, who knows. It’s too early to tell. I’m focused on 2013. I’m having fun doing what I am doing now and plan to do everything that I can to try to win races and perform. The 2014 season is still a long way off, but I’m not going anywhere.”
DAYTONA 500: “I’m not superstitious and I don’t believe in lucky charms or anything like that. In fact, I avoid all that stuff. But I have noticed this is the 55th Daytona 500 and the No. 55 is a pretty cool number, don’t you think? We want to get Speedweeks started right with a good lap on Sunday. That gets us a good spot to start Thursday’s qualifying race. I think you are going to want to be as close to the front of the pack as you can be this year. Nobody knows what to expect.”
SPRINT UNLIMITED: “Saturday night is going to be fun. Not only will the fans vote on some of the race rules, but this is the very first time we will race the Gen-6 car. We really don’t know what to expect. Based on all the wild stuff we saw in just a few laps of drafting at the test, I can guarantee it’s going to be exciting.”
GEN-6 CAMRY: “The best thing about the car is the manufacturers’ identity is so much stronger. It is a really cool looking race car, they look like Toyota Camrys and they look like the Camry you can get at a dealership, with of course a lot of muscle thrown on them. That’s probably the best thing. There are subtle changes about the car that are improvements from a handling, from a speed, from a safety standpoint — all those are more subtle. It’s a good looking race car.”
WOULD ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SEASON SOLIDIFY MWR AS TOP-TIER TEAM?“Without question it would solidify them. This year will judge whether you really get your position up there with the very top teams in the sport — owners and teams. If we’re able to come back and do what we were able to do last year or more than I think we’ll be seriously considered like the Roush and the Hendricks — the very top teams.”
NOTES

• ·         CHASSIS: Unlimited Primary—747  Daytona 500—753 

• ·         MEDIA DAY: Martin will join in NASCAR’s annual media day Thursday morning in Daytona.

• ·         No. 55 DRIVERS: Martin will drive the No. 55 in 24 races, Brian Vickers in nine races and Michael Waltrip in three races.

• ·         DAYTONA: In 54 Sprint Cup starts at Daytona Martin owns nine top-five finishes. He’s led 273 laps and won the three poles including the 2010 Daytona 500. Daytona, Homestead, Indianapolis, Pocono and Kentucky are the only active Sprint Cup tracks where Martin has yet to win. Martin owns Cup victories at 20 different tracks. Martin won the 1999 Sprint Unlimited and 2006 truck race at Daytona.

• ·         WINS: Martin owns 40 Sprint Cup, 49 Nationwide and seven Camping World Truck Series victories. He’s led 12,781 laps in Sprint Cup competition. Martin has started 854 Sprint Cup races, 236 Nationwide races and 25 truck events. He also owns 13 IROC wins in 47 starts.

• ·         MWR IN 2012: MWR’s five Cup Series drivers scored three wins (Clint Bowyer at Sonoma, Richmond and Charlotte), 24 top-five and 58 top-10 finishes in 2012. MWR drivers led 1,198 laps. Bowyer finished second and Martin Truex Jr. 11 in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. Truex led 434 laps led, Bowyer 388, Martin 197, Vickers 158, and Waltrip 21.

• ·         RODNEY CHILDERS: Served as crew chief for David Reutiman’s two victories at MWR (Charlotte, May 2009 and Chicagoland 2010) and Martin’s four poles in 2012. 

 NO. 55 DRIVER SCHEDULE

2/16	Unlimited	Martin
2/24	Daytona 500	Martin
3/3	Phoenix	Martin
3/10	Las Vegas	Martin
3/17	Bristol	Vickers
3/24	Auto Club	Martin
4/7	Martinsville	Vickers
4/13	Texas	Martin
4/21	Kansas	Martin
4/27	Richmond	Martin
5/5	Talladega	Waltrip
5/11	Darlington	Martin
5/18	All-Star	Martin
5/26	Charlotte	Martin
6/2	Dover	Martin
6/9	Pocono	Martin
6/16	Michigan	Martin
6/23	Sonoma	Vickers
6/29	Kentucky	Vickers
7/6	Daytona	Waltrip
7/14	Loudon	Vickers
7/28	Indy	Martin
8/4	Pocono	Martin
8/11	The Glen	Vickers
8/18	Michigan	Martin
8/24	Bristol	Vickers
9/1	Atlanta	Martin
9/7	Richmond	Martin
9/15	Chicago	Martin
9/22	Loudon	Vickers
9/29	Dover	Martin
10/6	Kansas	Martin
10/12	Charlotte	Martin
10/20	Talladega	Waltrip
10/27	Martinsville	Vickers
11/3	Texas	Martin
11/10	Phoenix	Martin
11/17	Homestead	Martin

- MWR Press Release

Mark Martin 2012 Brickyard 400 Preview: Expect a Start up Front

Expect Martin to have great Brickyard 400, maybe even get first win (Getty) 

CORNELIUS, N.C. – No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyotadriver Mark Martin is the best qualifier in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season—and he’s raced in just 12 of the season’s 19 races. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver owns three poles and an average start of 7.8—the most poles and best average of any driver. Not only does a pole give the No. 55 the top starting spot when the green flag drops, it also gives crew chief Rodney Childers the first pick of the 43 pit stalls for race day. A pit stall with an adjacent opening for easy access could shave a second or two off each pit stop. In 2012 a second saved on pit lane means several positions on the track.

2012 AVERAGE STARTING SPOT *
1 Mark Martin 7.8
2 Kasey Kahne 7.9
3 Greg Biffle 8.5
4 Ryan Newman 8.9
5 Kevin Harvick 10.8
*Drivers with more than 5 starts

MOST 2012 POLES
1 Mark Martin 3
2 Kasey Kahne 2
3 Marcos Ambrose 2
4 Greg Biffle 2
5 10 drivers tied 1

MARK MARTIN: “(Crew Chief) Rodney Childers and his guys have given me the fastest cars this year and it’s a lot easier to win a pole with the fastest car. (Laughs) Seriously, qualifying has always been important. As racers any time you have a chance to compete you want to win whether it’s qualifying, practice or the race. A good starting spot enables you to gain certain advantages on race day. You get to pick the pit you want, you start up front where there is a less likelihood of trouble, and it’s a confidence builder for both the driver and team. Plus, in this day and age with all the media focused on NASCAR, that pole gives a sponsor like Aaron’s or any sponsor a lot of attention. The race is always the priority. We’ve been good in qualifying this year, but we’ve run just as well in the races. We’ve had some mechanical issues late in three races that keep the score sheet from showing how good we’ve been. But qualifying is the first step to making the race a success.”

MICHAEL WALTRIP ON MARK MARTIN: “You realize there are people who come along every now and then who are just special. Mark Martin is one of them. To win a pole at Dover you have to be about half spun out, but then you also have to have the throttle wide open while you are half spun out. It seems like something happens right in the middle of the turn that Mark does better than anyone else. He just runs through the middle so fast. He told me at Dover that he got in the gas and he had the throttle three-quarters of the way down withthe back hanging out. He said he just held it three-quarters of the way down, the back stayed out there the whole time and he finally got it wide open and won the pole. What I just said sounds easy to do. Anyone can do that, right? But that was at 160 mph! There aren’t many drivers who can do that.”

NOTES:
· CHASSIS: 726 – finished 12th at Fontana and 20th at Darlington with Martin behind the wheel. Backup – 732 finished 34th at Charlotte.
· INDIANAPOLIS: In 18 starts Martin owns six top-five finishes – only Jeff Gordon’s 10 is better. Martin has not finished outside the top eight in the last seven races and not outside the top 11 in the last nine races.
· POLES: Martin owns three poles and five top 10s in just 12 races in 2012. He won his third pole of the 2012 season and 54th of his career at Dover on June 2. Only seven drivers have won more Sprint Cup poles in their careers. Martin also owns 30 Nationwide and three Camping World Truck Series poles.
· BRICKYARD 400: Only Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, and Jeff Burton have raced in all 18 Brickyard 400 races at Indianapolis.
· CAREER: Martin owns 842 Sprint Cup starts, 236 Nationwide starts and 25 starts in the truck series.
· MWR CO-OWNER ROB KAUFFMAN: Kauffman and co-driver Rui Aguas will race the AF Waltrip Racing Ferrari in Friday’s Rolex Sports car race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. SPEED-TV will air the three-hour race live at 4 p.m. ET.
· RETURN: Mark Martin last raced on June 17 at Michigan. Michael Waltrip drove the No. 55 in the Kentucky and Daytona races and Brian Vickers drove it at New Hampshire.
· AARON’S: It’s Christmas in July at Aaron’s. So Aaron’s wants you to have a $25 Aaron’s gift card. Get yours today at Aarons.com.
· 2012 MWR: MWR’s three fulltime Sprint Cup teams are within the top 12 in owner points. Martin Truex’s No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota is eighth in driver and owner points, Clint Bowyer’s No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota is ninth in driver and owner points and the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine is 12th in owner points.
· MWR IN 2012: MWR’s five Cup Series drivers have scored a combined record of one win (Bowyer at Sonoma), 12 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes through the first 19 starts of the season. Four of the five drivers have recorded two or more top-five finishes – Truex Jr. has four, Bowyer has three and Mark Martin and Brian Vickers each have two. All five drivers, including Michael Waltrip, have recorded a top-10.
· LEADING THE WAY: MWR’s Toyotas have led 623 laps in the first 19 Sprint Cup Series races of 2012.Martin Truex Jr. leads the MWR charge with 320 laps, followed by Brian Vickers with 125, Martin with 79, Bowyer with 78 and Waltrip with 21.
· TESTING AT MICHIGAN: All three MWR teams are scheduled to participate in the Goodyear Tire Test at Michigan International Speedway on Monday, July 30. Clint Bowyer in the No. 15 Toyota, Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 56 and Mark Martin in the No. 55.

· No. 55 2012 Driver Schedule
Aug. 5 Pocono – Martin
Aug. 12 Watkins Glen- Vickers
Aug. 19 Michigan – Martin
Aug. 25 Bristol – Vickers
Sept. 2 Atlanta – Martin
Sept. 8 Richmond – Martin
Sept. 16 Chicago – Martin
Sept. 23 NHMS – Vickers
Sept. 30 Dover – Martin
Oct. 7 Talladega – Waltrip
Oct. 13 Charlotte – Martin
Oct. 21 Kansas – Martin
Oct. 28 Martinsville- Vickers
Nov. 4 Texas – Martin
Nov. 11 Phoenix – Martin
Nov. 18 Homestead – Martin

- Michael Waltrip Racing

ODDS: Mark Martin is listed at 15-to-1 to win according to the LVH Super Book in Las Vegas.

More Michigan Testing Notes - Heading into Friday Practices

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By Frederic Crespi

Unlike last week's two-day test (three separate sessions) at Pocono Raceway, NASCAR.com gave us race fans a treat today by having the Live leaderboard feature available for today's two Michigan Speedway test practices.  Anytime tracks repave or reconfigure their surfaces, NASCAR always allows teams extra time on the track in order to create new notes and allow Goodyear to see if they brought the right tire for the track.

While most of us are unaware of what teams will be using back-up or primary chassis' during the test, having that live timing and scoring feature available really helps us much more in terms of handicapping this race, both from a wagering and fantasy perspective.  By that, I am referring to the feature of having AVERAGE lap times which is especially important during today's two three-hour sessions.

Depending on the time any on-track activity is scheduled for, this is in my opinion, the most important aspect of any race weekend. If you practice/test at 10:00 A.M. and race and 4:00 P.M., that data is easily skewed due to the completely different track temperatures.  Today's two test sessions were early enough for us to gather some solid information if we combine both of them based upon the starting time of this Sunday's race.

With that said, there is also the factor of the number of laps that are run by each specific team.  In today's two test sessions, certain teams ran a lot more laps than others, and the more laps run the better, especially when you do not have to worry about your engine (NASCAR allows every team to place race engines in at the start of practice, not testing).

Looks to be the favorite this week! (Getty)

Mark Martin in the No. 55 Aaron's Toyota logged the most laps between both practices with 103, with a small sample of 26 in the first test, and huge number of 77 in the final one. Martin was one of two drivers to log triple digit laps along with this weekend's fan favorite to win (four years and Father's Day since his last win) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. with 100.  Both of these drivers were also very impressive with their average speeds, with Martin coming home second and Earnhardt, Jr. in the fifth spot. The No. 14 of Tony Stewart clocked in first, Kurt Busch third, and Clint Bowyer fourth in overall average. However it's about the number of laps on the track, as the teams of Stewart, Busch, and Bowyer and many other drivers and teams, did not come close to either Martin's or Dale Jr.'s total laps run.

Outside of the No. 55 and No. 88 car, you always have to look at Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush-Fenway Racing at Michigan. Kyle Busch logged 87 laps with teammate, and most recent winner, Joey Logano running 97. Kyle took home the seventh fastest average while the Home Depot machine came in 14th.  Surprisingly, the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin finished 22nd overall in average but did roll his piece around Michigan 93 times. Points leader Matt Kenseth came home in 15th with laps run, while "The Biff" was 17th with 71 laps. Edwards was 9th in average with 66 laps in the book.

Based upon today (and of course last week), this race looks to be between Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at this point.  There is plenty of on-track activity left, as well as more teams releasing what chassis' they used during testing practices (or should they?), but based upon form, these two drivers should be in the top-five and hunting for the win all day long on Sunday.

Michigan Testing Notes: Eight Drivers Top 200 MPH on Day, Junior One of Them

Dale Jr looks like he might have all the tools needed to win Sunday (Getty)

By Micah Roberts

Tony Stewart laid down a fast lap of 201.896 mph in the final test session at Michigan International Speedway on Thursday. Stewart captured the top speed in the final seconds of the three hour session. Stewart’s lap was also fastest on the day.

During six combined test hours on the day, eight drivers topped 200 mph on the repaved surface.

Greg Biffle put down what was the fastest lap (201.556 mph) in the final minute until Stewart topped it. A Roush-Fenway driver hasn't won at Michigan in the past six races, which is major news because Jack Roush is tied for the track record with 11 wins. Biffle's team was the star among all Fords.

“Every lap is like a qualifying lap and you are holding your breath," said Biffle.

“It’s really, really fast here,” Biffle continued. “The one thing that I have liked seeing is that the track is pretty wide. The groove is all the way up in the middle of the second groove and that is certainly going to help racing around here at those speeds because it gives us some options.”

Stewart and Biffle were fast through all stages of the practice, but the best sign of the day may be that Dale Eanhardt Jr. was fast through all six hours of testing.

Earnhardt Jr had the fifth fastest lap (200.658), and also had taken over the top speeds on several different occasions. Junior’s last win came 144 races ago at Michigan on Fathers Day.

“I feel like we’re getting really close," Earnhardt said following the test regarding his winless streak. "We’ve been really competing well and have been competitive every week and at every track. And that’s feels really good to say.

"The team is excited. We ran great last week. We had a strong car. So, the team is really excited. We’re just kind of going to each race track every weekend and seeing what kind of car we can put out on the starting grid on Sunday. I feel like if we keep going, we’re going to win some races. We’ve just got to keep working.”

In his first Cup action since being suspended, Kurt Busch showed some speed in the final half-hour of testing and put up a lap (201.174) that was good enough to be third fastest after Biffle and Stewart topped it.

Kevin Harvick was fourth fastest continuing great day of testing for him. In the earlier session Harvick had the second best times.

All 43 drivers testing in the final session were faster than the track record (194.232) set by Ryan Newman in 2005.

Mark Martin, who was fastest in the first session, ran the most laps (77) and finished with the 11th best time. While running those 77 laps, Martin averaged a very strong average of 196.947 mph. The top average speed among drivers running at least 30 laps was Kurt Busch at 197.240. However, Busch ran only 32 laps, an amount that Martin more than doubled.

As for Jimmie Johnson, he finished the final session with the 21st fastest lap. Johnson was 10th fastest in the earlier session. Take this with a grain of salt. Johnson wasn’t impressive in Pocono testing last week and appeared to have the best car on the track on race day.

The only negative for Johnson rests with his past history at Michigan where he is 0-of-20. To turn that negative into a positive, there is a new surface, it’s very fast, and not many drivers have been faster than Johnson over the last five weeks on any track.

One oddity I have with Johnson at Michigan is that he isn’t alone with the track being Kryptonite to him being Superman. Between Johnson, Stewart and Jeff Gordon, they have 12 NASCAR Championships between them, yet have combined to win only three Michigan races. That’s twice a year visiting Michigan throughout each of their careers vs. only one title won per year.

It should be interesting to see how all this test data relates to race day, or even Friday practices.

Top-5 Michigan Practice Speeds (Afternoon):
1) Tony Stewart 201.896 mph
2) Greg Biffle 201.556
3) Kurt Busch 201.174
4) Kevin Harvick 200.697
5) Dale Earnhardt Jr 200.658

Michigan Test Speeds (Afternoon) 

More Michigan Testing Notes from the Day - Crespi



Martin Fastest, Again, In First Michigan Test Session

By Micah Roberts

Mark Martin was the overall star in testing and practice sessions on Pocono Raceway’s newly surfaced track last week and he was at it again Thursday on Michigan’s new pavement in the early test session with a fast lap of 201.089 mph. Four drivers topped the 200 mph barrier and 39 drivers beat the track record (194.232) set by Ryan Newman in 2005.

Needless to say, Michigan is Faster than it's ever been

2010 Michigan winner Kevin Harvick finished with the second fastest lap (200.999) followed by Martin Truex Jr (200.306), Dale Earnhardt Jr (2000.306) and Tony Stewart (199.856).

Carl Edwards must be on a testing plan again...23 cars faster Getty)

All three Michael Waltrip Racing drivers finished within the top-8 speeds while three of the four Hendrick drivers finished 11th or better.

Just like last week at Pocono, the Fords appear to be a bit slower than the Chevy’s and Toyota’s. Greg Biffle had the best lap of the bunch -- good enough for ninth best, while Matt Kenseth was 17th fastest with the Petty drivers and Carl Edwards finishing 22nd, 23rd and 24th, respectively.

Jeff Gordon ran the most laps (49) of the three hour session followed by Michigan native Brad Keselowski (47) and Earnhardt Jr (46). Only five drivers ran 10 consecutive laps or more with Kyle Busch leading that category. Busch also had the sixth fastest single lap (199.590).

It was estimated last week by a few of the commentators that half the field used their back-up chassis for the testing and then used their primary car for the practices, qualifying and the race. So without full knowledge of what teams strategically did today, it’s hard to gauge how much we can use this test session in regards to it translating over to Sunday’s race.

However, the teams that have speed here are likely to be fast on race day. They have something clicking right with their engine and set-up that shouldn't be too tough to recreate onto another chassis.

The one driver that confirmed through Twitter that he was using a back-up in the testing was Keselowski.

A driver that gave hope to the millions in his Kingdom is Earnhardt Jr, who was one of the four top to 200 mph. With Sunday being Father’s Day and Michigan being the last place he won at 144 races ago, there was a lot of hope and excitement coming into this weekend that Junior could end his winless streak. After the test session, his legion of fans can really get excited now for good cause and not just loyalty. He is fast and should be one of the drivers to beat on Sunday.

The teams will have their final test session this afternoon from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm (ET) before returning on Friday for their two regular practice sessions.

Top-5 Michigan Test Speeds (Early):
1) Mark Martin 201.089
2) Kevin Harvick 200.999
3) Martin Truex Jr. 200.306
4) Dale Earnhardt Jr. 200.206
5) Tony Stewart 199.856


Michigan Test Session Speeds (Early)

Afternoon Michigan Test Speeds


Driver Testing Comments via Twitter 

Joey Logano: Woo this place has some speed and a ton of grip. Just trying to get our @HomeDepotRacing car turning a little better

Clint Bowyer: Got the sails out today, averaging 200 is pretty fast for this Kansas ass!

Jimmie Johnson: Ride along iPhone style at the resurfaced @MISpeedway. 217 mph in race trim at the end of the front stretch. #hauling twitvid.com/B0EZD

Darrell Waltrip: it's hard to tell a big difference in cars going 180, 190, but when they go over 200mph they enter into another world, sight and sound

Following Session 2: 
Jeff Gordon: Just finished up testing @MISpeedway. Smooth and fast as expected. 220mph top speed in Q run!

Landon Cassill: No Q runs for us this afternoon, looks like a handful of guys did. We also had some tire issues, saw some blistering.

Pocono Test Session Notes: Allmendinger In Good Shape to Get First Career Win This Week

Allmendinger is 50-to-1 at LVH SuperBook to win Pocono 400 (Getty)  

By Micah Roberts

The final test session on Pocono Raceway’s new pavement saw the top speeds of the three sessions ran with Kasey Kahne topping the charts at 179.480 mph. Most of the top speeds obtained by the drivers came because they ran a lot of laps in qualifying trim.

Jamie McMurray was second fastest (179.401), followed by Mark Martin (179.390), Jeff Gordon (179/272) and Paul Menard (179.005).

The most impressive of the three sessions has been A.J. Allmendinger who finished with the seventh best speed in the afternoon, but was blazing fast in the first two sessions. He has probably the best chance he's ever had coming into a race to finally capture his first career Cup win.

Martin has also been very fast in every session and looks to be in good shape to possibly get his first career win at Pocono. Martin has started 50 races at Pocono over his long career with 19 top-five finishes that includes being runner-up six times, a bridesmaid mark that has him tied with Bobby Allison for most runner-ups at a track without a win.

The two Earnhardt-Ganassi cars look vastly improved from what we’ve seen out of them for the first 13 races this season and it wouldn‘t be surprising to see them run well Sunday based on the testing.

The Richard Childress stable also was very strong and we could see all three of their cars contending for a win. I like to lump The Brickyard and Pocono together as being the most similar and Menard is the defending Brickyard 400 winner. Couple his run last year at Indy with his great testing and there is plenty reason to believe that Menard could make some noise on Sunday.

The surprisingly slow drivers of the sessions were Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards. Johnson finished the day with 19th fastest lap in the early session and 21st in the afternoon. Edwards was 34th early and 30th in the afternoon. Johnson should be alright, but Edwards might be in trouble.

"This is only the second day of testing," Edwards said Thursday. "Bob (Osborne) and I are over there almost coming to blows over there. I’m saying, ‘We’ve got to go faster.’ And he’s like, ‘We’ve got a test plan. We’ve got to stick to our plan.’ I’m like, ‘No, we’ve got to go faster.’ So he has a way of working through everything and by the end of tomorrow if we’re not good, then maybe it’s time to make some big changes to the car.

"But right now we’re just going through the plan and I’m trying my hardest when I get out of the car to walk by and kind of put the blinders on and not look at the sheet because I know we’re testing and not going for all-out speed, but Mark Martin is fast. I followed him a little bit and he’s very spectacular in that car.”

This is only testing and it's quite possible that several teams used it in the same manner Osborne did with Edwards' car, but we'll definitely find out more on Friday when the first official practice begins at 12:30 pm (ET) where the only game plan is to be fast. Chances are, Allmendinger and Martin will again be fast.

Top-5 Thursday Test Speeds (Afternoon)

1) Kasey Kahne 179.490
2) Jamie McMurray 179.401
3) Mark Martin 179.390
4) Jeff Gordon 179.272
5) Paul Menard 179.005


Pocono Test Speeds - Day 2 (Afternoon Session)



Allmendinger Blazing Fast in Thursday's Early Test Session 

By Micah Roberts

A.J. Allmendinger continued his fast pace on the new surface at Pocono with the fastest speed (177.190 mph) on Thursday in the second of three test sessions. In the first session on Wednesday, Allmendinger was second fastest showing that the Penske horsepower and success at Pocono is as good as it’s ever been making him a great candidate to break through for his first career win Sunday in the Pocono 400.

Last season it was Kurt Busch finishing runner-up and third for Penske Racing, in addition to a 2007 win, and it was Brad Keselowski winning in the fall event. Allmendinger’s best finish at Pocono was 10th in 2010 and it would be very surprising if he if he didn’t better that mark because of past Penske success on the track and the fast speeds in testing.

Juan Pablo Montoya was second fastest (176.602) followed by Mark Martin (176.595), Clint Bowyer (176.550) and Mr. Pocono, Denny Hamlin (176.218).

The Earnhardt-Ganassi team have to be thrilled to finally be showing some speed somewhere and should be a good sign for Montoya this week. This is a track where Montoya’s road skills give him an advantage entering and exiting the ‘Tricky Triangle’ turns, but obviously some power is needed to get down the massive straightaway and it looks like Montoya's got it. Montoya’s best finish at Pocono was runner-up in 2009.

42 drivers tested with Allmendinger running the most laps (62) followed by Kevin harvick (55). Only three drivers ran 10 consecutive laps or more.

The final test session is scheduled for today at 10:00 am (ET)

Top-5 Thursday Test Speeds (Early)
1) AJ Allmendinger 177.190 mph
2) Juan Pablo Montoya 176.602
3) Mark Martin 176.595
4) Clint Bowyer 176.550
5) Denny Hamlin 176.218

  

Pocono Test Speeds - Day 2 (Early Session)

Driver Reactions Thursday on Twitter

Jeff Gordon: "Finishing up lunch break @poconoraceway testing. Car feels good just working thru some options for Sunday. Q runs coming up. #nascar"

Richard Childress: "Cars fast at Pocono , need a win ! 29 close in Dover , we will win !!"

Mark Martin: "We are! Car is fast again, just experimenting with things."



Martin Fastest in Wednesday Pocono Test Session, Allmendinger Impresses

By Micah Roberts

Allemdinger was fast in single lap and average speeds in Wednesday test

36 drivers tested out the new surface at Pocono Raceway Wednesday in the first of three sessions before Friday’s official practice with Mark Martin laying down the fastest lap (175.380 mph). Just as expected, the new surface produced much higher speeds than last season where the fastest lap during practice came from Ryan Newman at 170.026 mph.

Second fastest with a lap of 175.029 mph was AJ Allmendinger, followed by Jimmie Johnson (174.808 mph), Kevin Harvick (174.686) and Kasey Kahne (174.578).

Paul Menard ran the most laps of the session (61) and only six drivers ran more than 10 consecutive laps led by Newman.

A brief rain shower shortened the originally-scheduled four-hour session by 35 minutes.

There will two more sessions scheduled for Thursday at 6:00 am and 10 am (ET).

Top-5 Wednesday Test Speeds:
1) Mark Martin 175.380 mph
2) AJ Allmendinger 175.029
3) Jimmie Johnson 174.808
4) Kevin Harvick 174.686
5) Kasey Kahne 174.578

Pocono Test Speeds - Day 1


Reactions Following Pocono Test on New Surface:

John Darby, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director: “We’re in for a really good race come Sunday, Goodyear’s done an excellent job at matching the tire to the new surface. Basically all the way up and down through the garage we’ve heard zero complaints which is a good feeling. It will only continue to get better throughout the weekend, because more of the racing surface gets rubbered in, grooves get wider and offer the ability to the competitors to turn into some multiple lane racing, especially through corners where it counts come Sunday. So we’re pleased.”

Jeff Gordon: "They did a great job; (the) track was really nice and smooth (with) good grip. We have had some repaves where it is a handful and pretty slick. That was not the case at all today.”

Jeff Burton: “You never know what to expect when a race track gets paved, This pavement is unbelievably just nice, smooth. The quality of racing is going to be improved a great deal. [But] it’s still Pocono. It still has the same characteristics and the personality of Pocono, but just has more grip”


Driver Reactions Wednesday on Twitter:
Jimmie Johnson offers viewers a ride along for a few laps today - cool video


Jeff Burton @RCR31JeffBurton: "Really nice job done on the Pocono pavement. Track still has the personality but with more grip."

Richmond Practice Notes: Junior Fastest in Final Session, Kyle and Clint Look Sharp

By Micah Roberts

The kid may speak the truth this week

With less than five minutes remaining in Friday’s final Richmond practice session, Dale Earnhardt Jr laid down the fastest lap at 123.853 mph while running a mock qualifying lap. Almost half the drivers in the field used the 45 minute session to finalize their qualifying set-up after getting enough data in race trim during the two-hour session run earlier in the day.

Carl Edwards was second fastest and captured what was the top speed (123.706) of the session during his first lap until Junior topped it. Edwards didn’t run more than two laps until the late stages of practice and finished with a total of eight laps run.

Landon Cassill (123.209) was third fastest followed by Jeff Gordon (123.113)  and Kyle Busch (122.783). Gordon gained his top speed in the last of his 11 laps run while Busch captured his in the second of his 39 laps.

Busch has won the last three spring Richmond races, but didn’t get off to great start in the first session making it appear he might not be in too good of shape to make it four in a row. He missed out on a good run the early part of the session when the track was cool and his 23rd fastest speed from that practice doesn’t necessarily give the proper reading. Busch got better as the two-hours went on and it carried over into the final practice

Brad Keselowski had the 12th best lap, but ran a total of 62 laps, 13 more than the next closest (Joey Logano) and he looked great doing it. Keselowski had the second best 10 consecutive lap average behind Mark Martin. Just behind Keselowski in the category was Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Busch.

Aric Almirola also stood out in the final practice with the eighth best 10 consecutive lap average while having only 18th fastest single lap, a continuance from a strong first practice.

Only 21 drivers ran at least 10 consecutive laps.

Practice 2 Top-5 Speeds:
1) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 123.853
2) Carl Edwards 123.706
3) Landon Cassill 123.209
4) Jeff Gordon 123.113
5) Kyle Busch 122.783

Final Practice Speeds



Martin Fastest in First Practice, But Bowyer Looks the Best

Clint Bowyer has the look of a winner in practice (Getty)

It only took the first 10 minutes of the Friday’s two-hour practice session at Richmond to figure out who was the fastest and there was little doubt from everyone that that those top times couldn’t be matched due to the track getting much warmer. Mark Martin laid down the fastest lap of the session at 126.707 mph showing once again that Michael Waltrip Racing is fast on just about every track put in front of the team.

Greg Biffle came in second fastest (126.186) and looks like his current form holds more weight than his recent past performances at Richmond. Biffle’s last top-10 finish at Richmond came in the fall of 2006. Paul Menard was third fastest (126.139), but shortly after smacked the wall and was forced to go with their back-up car, a car they never got set properly in the short amount of time they had after finally getting it on the track.

2008 Richmond winner Clint Bowyer finished with the fourth fastest lap (126.133) followed by Joey Logano (125.997) and Jimmie Johnson (125.886).

Brad Keselwoski ran the most laps (82) of the session and also had the eighth fastest lap.

The two favorites to win Saturday night’s race are Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. Hamlin was solid with the 10th fastest lap while Busch came in 23rd.

The fastest average speed of the session among all drivers that ran at least 50 laps belonged to Bowyer (120.227), Marcos Ambrose (120.219) and Aric Almirola (120.202). Those who were impressive running less than 50 laps were Martin Truex Jr, Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick. Harvick had to make a transmission change during the session. Bowyer’s times are the more impressive because he ran 72 laps.   

Matt Kenseth had the best 10 consecutive lap average followed by Bowyer and Carl Edwards, but perhaps the best sign of all was Kyle Busch coming in sixth in this category only because he did it late in the session from lap 41 through 50 while the others all did it early.

The final 45 minute practice session is scheduled for 2:25 pm (ET) with qualifying set to begin at 5:35 pm.

Practice 1 Speeds

Texas Practice Notes: Bayne Fastest in Happy Hour, Stewart Struggles

By Micah Roberts

Tony Stewart has had a very difficult two days of Texas practices (Getty)

Tony Stewart came into this week’s Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway as the Las Vegas favorite to win based on his recent excellence on the 1.5-mile tracks. But based on his final practice Friday afternoon, those odds are likely to change considerably for the worse.

Stewart slapped the wall with his primary car, the same chassis that had won at Chicago last fall and Las Vegas in March, on his second lap run in practice and was forced to go to a back-up car. Stewart had a terrible time of it during Thursday’s practice session as well and Friday’s run was a continuation of a set-up Stewart wasn’t comfortable with.

After the team got the back-up car set-up with all the notes transferred over from the primary car, Stewart had less than 30 minutes remaining of the 90 minute session to get things worked and it didn’t happen. Stewart finished with the 35th fastest lap and was slipping and sliding all over until the red flag came out signifying an end to the final practice.

With 15 minutes remaining in the session, Trevor Bayne came out in qualifying trim and laid down the fastest lap at 184.641 mph. Greg Biffle followed suit in a mock qualifying run with the second fastest lap at 184.370 mph. For Biffle, he was also fast while in race trim with the third fastest lap that stood for 75 minutes.

Matt Kenseth ran the majority of his 76 laps (tied with Jeff Gordon for the most) in race trim and was the fastest for the first 75 minutes with a speed of 184.351 mph which ended up being good enough for third best following Bayne and Biffle.

Clint Bowyer had the fourth fastest lap (184.269) of the session and captured it at the early stages of practice with Kenseth. AJ Allmendinger finished with the fifth fastest lap (184.005) in the final stages of practice while in qualifying trim.

Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin both had top-5 times while in race trim for the first 75 minutes, but settled for sixth and seventh, respectfully, when it was over. Hamlin noted before practice that his car is the fastest he’s ever had at Texas, which is saying a lot since he won both Texas races in 2010.

Biffle had the best average speeds (179.110) among all drivers that ran at least 35 laps. However, Biffle ran only 36 laps which doesn’t stand out in regards to many of the drivers that ran up 76 laps.

The driver that really stood out in the average lap category relative to the amount of laps he ran was Kurt Busch. The 2009 Texas winner ran 67 laps for an average of 177.364 mph, a good sign for a team that has struggled to find consistent speed on these type of tracks.

It was a little surprising to see the Hendrick cars finish the session 20th or worse with Dale Earnhardt Jr 20th, Jimmie Johnson 22nd, Kasey Kahne 24th and Jeff Gordon 30th. They all ran consistent laps throughout the session but seemed to be missing that extra something that would serve them well in a restart situation during the race.

As for Tony Stewart, you can never count him out, but his entire race will be a work in progress during each pit stop. His team will be hoping that race day will see lots of early cautions so they can get everything that needs to be fixed early on to give their driver a chance to win on another 1.5-mile track.

Top-5 Practice 2 (Final) Speeds:
1) Trevor Bayne 184.641
2) Greg Biffle 184.370
3) Matt Kenseth 184.351
4) Clint Bowyer 184.269
5) AJ Allmendinger 184.005

Practice 2 Speeds


Martin Fastest in First Practice Session

Mark Martin fastest on his first lap run Thursday (Getty)

The first practice session in preparation for Saturday night’s Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway was two hours long, but Mark Martin needed less than 29 seconds to lay down the fastest lap of the evening. Martin’s fast lap at 189.427 mph was captured on his first attempt and it wasn't until 25 minutes remained that anyone came close to his speed.

With about a half hour to go in the session, just about every team ran a mock qualifying lap, but it was still Martin who finished on top of the charts.

Greg Biffle finished second fastest (189.221), capturing his speed at the same time Martin did. Kevin Harvick was one of two drivers to crack the top-5 in speeds during the final 25 minutes with a speed of 189.208. A.J. Allmendinger was fourth fastest (188.930) with a lap ran at the same time as Martin and Biffle.

Regan Smith rounded out the top-5 with a speed of 188.877 in the final few minutes of the session. Allmendinger and Smith ran the most laps overall with 53.

The pre-race favorites, such as Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards all finished strong in the final 30 minutes to get a top-10 speed. Others, like Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon were 20th or worse.

This practice session will determine the qualifying order Friday night with Martin getting to go out last when the track would seem to be at its coolest. Friday night’s 90 minute final practice session, just prior to qualifying, will be the last chance for teams to get their cars set-up perfectly for race conditions.

Top-5 Practice 1 Speeds:
1) Mark Martin 189.427
2) Greg Biffle 189.221
3) Kevin Harvick 189.208
4) AJ Allmendinger 188.930
5) Regan Smith 188.877

Practice 1 Speeds

Final 2012 Phoenix Subway Fresh Fit 500 Driver Ratings - Post Q

Micah Roberts’ Top 10 Driver Ratings
Subway Fresh Fit 500
Phoenix International Raceway
Sunday, March 4, 2012 - 12:16 pm (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds      Practice 1   Practice 2   Qualified   Phoenix*

 1. Kasey Kahne 12/1             5th              14th            10th         1st
2011 fall winner, sixth in spring; had best 10 consecutive lap average in final practice.
 2. Greg Biffle 18/1                 3rd              13th             7th         13th
Two-time runner-up; using same third-place New Hampshire chassis from fall of 2011.
 3. Jimmie Johnson 7/1         24th               7th             4th         14th
Four-time winner with a track record 5.4 average finish in 17 starts, seventh or better 14 times.
 4. Tony Stewart 7/1               1st              23rd             2nd         3rd
1999 winner and three-time runner-up; using winning New Hampshire chassis from 2011 Chase.
 5. Jeff Gordon 8/1                17th               5th            30th        32nd
Two-time winner, the last coming in this race last season; 10.9 average finish in 26 starts.
 6. Mark Martin 40/1               2nd              15th            1st          16th       
Two-time winner, the last coming in 2009; second best average finish of 9.0 in 30 starts.
 7. Carl Edwards 7/1              16th             27th            24th         2nd
2010 fall winner and arguably the fastest car of the last three events; debuts new car.
 8. Kyle Busch 7/1                   7th              25th            12th        36th
2005 winner while driving No. 5 Hendrick car, runner-up last spring; using 2011 Phoenix chassis.
 9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 25/1    31st             11th            29th        24th
Two-time winner, the last coming in 2004. Using new chassis; fast in race trim during practice.
10. Ryan Newman 20/1          4th                9th             6th          5th
2010 winner with four straight top5 finishes; using back-up car after wrecking in first practice.

* Results from the November 13, 2011 race at Phoenix, the last race run on the track and first under new configuration.
     
Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former sports book director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com, TheLinemakers.com or follow MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.

Kahne was very strong in practice

Phoenix Betting Notes
Kasey Kahne won me over in the first Phoenix practice session with the top average speeds and the fifth fastest single lap. When he came out in the final practice with the best 10 consecutive lap average, I was all in. Those are the type of valuable categories that all the great cars of the past have had in recent wins at Phoenix, such as Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson.

I still like all the rest of the Hendrick cars to do well, even Johnson despite all the dark clouds hanging over their garage. Playing all of them in match-ups should present some value as long as they aren’t matched up against each other. It wouldn’t be a stretch to see all four cars finish within the top-8. 

Tony Stewart was great in qualifying trim and led the single fastest lap in the first session, but I’m looking to down-grade him a bit and shy away completely. When the race trim came on, Stewart wasn’t that good, although he was third behind Kahne in best 10 consecutive lap average.

The top long shots of the race are Mark Martin, Greg Biffle, and Ryan Newman. Even though Newman went to a back-up car, it still ran just as good in the final practice. These type of tracks have been Newman’s best since joining Stewart-Haas.


Match-up of the Week:
Kasey Kahne -105 vs. Denny Hamlin: Needless to say, I like Kahne a lot in this race. I will play him in almost any match-up that doesn’t involve another Hendrick car. Even though I don’t like Stewart as much, I would stay away from that sneaky good driver as well. But everyone else at a reasonable price where I don't have to lay over -135, It’s all Kahne.  

Starting Lineup

Martin Fastest in Final Michigan Practice, But Menard Looks Better

Martin had his best practice of 2011 (Getty)

Mark Martin, with a lap speed of 187.642 mph, was the fastest in Saturday's final practice session for Sunday's Pure Michigan 400. Martin grabbed the top time early in the session and held on to have his best all around practices of any race this season.

Most of the teams spent Friday's session in qualifying trim with only a few making race runs. Between the two sessions, Martin was one of the overall fastest in either set-up. Martin is a five-time Michigan winner with the last coming in 2009.

Kyle Busch was second fastest with a lap speed 187.417 mph, and was followed by Jimmie Johnson (187.407), pole sitter Greg Biffle (187.393) and Jeff Gordon (187.246).

Rounding out the top-ten fastest during final practice were Kurt Busch (187.086), Matt Kenseth (187.003), Ryan Newman (186.916), David Ragan (186.901) and Paul Menard.

Despite Martin's resurgence, the star of the day looked to be Menard who had the fastest average lap times and best 10-consecutive lap average. Menard ran 43 laps and looks to be every bit as good as he was in the first Michigan race back in June where he finished fourth. Menard is using that exact same chassis this week.

Kyle Busch only has two-five finishes at Michigan, the second coming in June. Busch had perhaps the biggest turnaround in performance from qualifying trim to race trim between Friday and Saturday practices. Busch was second best in the 10-consecutive lap average while running 53 laps.

Kenseth ran 50 laps and solidified his place as the favorite after running the second best combined average lap times. Following his qualifying and practice efforts Friday, the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book installed Kenseth as the 6-to-1 favorite win from his opening odds of 12-to-1. Having the car that finished runner-up in June as well as winning at Texas shouldn't hurt his chances Sunday.

Green flag for Pure Michigan 400 is scheduled to drop at 1:20 PM (EDT) on Sunday afternoon.

Final Michigan Practice Speeds

Gordon Hopes To Work With Teammate Martin Again This Week

Gordon has three Firecracker 400 wins at Daytona (Getty)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 28, 2011) – Three-time 400-mile-event winner Jeff Gordon is curious to see if higher temperatures create less grip — and less “stick” — in the annual Fourth of July weekend race at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night.

Re-pavement of the 2.5-mile track surface in 2010 provided more grip to the competitors during Speedweeks earlier this year, but tracks tend to lose grip in hotter temperatures. Will that be the case this weekend? If so, how will it affect the two-car drafts that have become the norm during restrictor-plate races recently? Gordon is eager to learn the answers to those questions when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to central Florida this weekend.

“With the bump drafting and two-car drafts, we were able to push another car all the way around the track here in February,” said Gordon, who will drive the No. 24 Pepsi Max Chevrolet Impala this weekend. “We don’t know yet whether we’ll have the same level of grip this weekend with the higher temperatures. If we lose some grip, will one car still be able to ‘stick’ to another for a full lap or multiple laps?

“Right now, I’m expecting we’ll still be able to (push the entire track), so you’re going to have to find a partner. My (Hendrick Motorsports) teammate Mark Martin and I worked well at Talladega, so I’m sure we’ll try to work together again.”

In 37 starts here Gordon has six wins, including three Daytona 500 victories, three poles, 12 top-fives and 18 top-10′s. One thing has not changed during his 19-year career — the ability to adjust to change at the superspeedway.

“When I first started racing here, we had big single-file packs where you had to work lap-after-lap-after lap to finally make the right move to gain a position,” said Gordon, who is currently ninth in the point standings with two wins in 2011.

“Then, with some of the changes to the cars, we were racing in big packs two-and-three wide where a big ‘run’ could gain you a lot of positions in one lap or even just one straightaway.

“Now it’s evolved into the two-car packs. If you want to be good and have a shot at winning, then you have to learn how to two-car draft well. You have to learn how to cool the engine. You have to find somebody you can stick with who will stay with you all day.

“And you both need to be there at the end to have a shot to win the race.”

- Performance PR Plus, Press Release