Saturday Kentucky Notebook

Saturday Kentucky Notebook

July 9, 2016

Notebook Items:

·         Tony Stewart looks to add to his legacy at Kentucky

·         Kurt Busch is Sprint Cup Series' lap leader

·         Wallace isn't satisfied with fifth-place run

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

Tony Stewart looks to add to his legacy at Kentucky

SPARTA, Ky. – Two important statistics are in play for Stewart-Haas Racing in Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN).

First and foremost, Tony Stewart is making his 600th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start in what will be his final year of competition at stock car racing’s highest level.

And as a corollary, there are significant milestones on the line for the three-time series champion. Stewart will take his last shot at securing a victory at Kentucky, where his best finish in five starts is 11th in 2014.

Kentucky is one of two tracks on the schedule where Stewart has never won a Sprint Cup race, the other being Darlington, which the series will visit over Labor Day weekend.

“Winning a race at Kentucky and winning the Southern 500 in Darlington… that would absolutely cap off everything that – if we win at Darlington and Kentucky – would cover every track we currently have on the schedule,” Stewart said.

“No matter what happens in the championship, I could say that was perfect.”

Stewart, of course, knows he’ll compete for a fourth Sprint Cup title later this season, having punched his ticket into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with a victory at Sonoma in late June.

The track sweep isn’t the only career milestone Stewart is contemplating. His first 599 starts produced 49 victories, leaving him one short of a club currently occupied by 12 drivers.

A 50th win would tie Smoke for 11th on the all-time list with NASCAR Hall of Famers Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett. At least Stewart doesn’t have to win at Kentucky to keep that particular dream alive.

KURT BUSCH IS SPRINT CUP SERIES’ LAP LEADER

Tony Stewart’s teammate, Kurt Busch, has an impressive streak of his own in jeopardy at Kentucky.

Through 17 races this season, Busch has completed 4,935 laps in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition. That makes him the only driver to have finished on the lead lap in every race this year.

It hasn’t been easy. Barreling off Turn 4 last Saturday at Daytona, Busch was running second when contact from Joey Logano’s Ford sent his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet spinning through the infield grass.

Busch slid across the finish line spoiler-first and was credited with 23rd place as the last car on the lead lap.

Adversity has continued to dog the 2004 series champion at Kentucky, where Busch got into the marbles and slid sideways into the Turn 4 wall late in Friday evening’s final practice session. Damage to the right rear of the car forced crew chief Tony Gibson to opt for a backup car.

That decision forced Busch to take the green flag for Saturday night’s race from the rear of the field – in a car he has never practiced.

DARRELL WALLACE JR. ISN’T SATISFIED WITH FIFTH-PLACE RUN

The last four NASCAR XFINITY Series races for Roush Fenway Racing driver Darrell Wallace Jr. have produced three top 10s and a solid grip on ninth place in the standings, but that doesn’t mean Wallace is satisfied with the results.

Friday night’s fifth place run in the Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway, however, provided ample evidence the RFR program is headed in the right direction.

“It’s a good night for us, but we’ve got to be better,” said Wallace, an alumnus of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program. “We finished fifth, so that was a good rebound from when we showed up here at Kentucky. We were way off in left field, so we worked hard all night long. 

“There were no mistakes on pit road. I kept sliding through, so I need to work on that. The mistakes are on me, but my guys are awesome. They did a great job, but we’ve got to be better. Fifth is good, but we’re getting close to Chase time, so we need to start winning.”

Coincidentally, the inaugural NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase begins Sept. 24 at Kentucky Speedway. Though 12 drivers will qualify, a victory between now and then will guarantee a spot for a series regular. Three full-time XFINITY Series drivers – Erik Jones, Elliott Sadler and Daniel Suarez – have accounted for four victories in 16 races so far this year.